Citizens Start #FreeTerrenceManjengwa Campaign
“Thokozani Khupe Sold Out”
By Nomazulu Tata- They see everything is wrong and going wrong because of Thokozani Khuphe. But who ignited the whole shenanigans going on in the MDC opposition parties?
Indeed tribalism is embedded, it is entranced in our psyche, we fail to think outside our tribal affiliations. This has always been that we look at the polarized tribal thinking and settings and logic is thrown out of the window.
If its not tribal, then the gender aspect comes centre-stage. Thokozani Khuphe suffers both, where she comes from first and a woman as such. All fingers are pointing at Thokozani who sold out.
However, I personally am not happy with Thoko’s politics of working together with Zanu government to crush Chamisa. Do not insult her please.
We seem not to understand the pain Thokozani Khuphe is going through. We have overlooked serious timelines, beginning with the time the late Morgen Richard Tsvangirai appointed two VPs, openly disregarding Khuphe to take over as the interim leader: apparently Tsvangirai’s instinct told him that he was not surviving the terminal cancer.
Hakata must be schooled, must be told in no uncertain terms that this tribal argument is a tired one. We are not buying it for many reasons. After the death, instantly there was a conference to reinstate Chamisa as the leader of the MDC-T.
Why is it that our fellow citizens are not following the timelines where the problem started? It is not Khuphe who started the problem, but it was Tsvangirai who made sure that Khuphe does not assume presidency after his death.
Khuphe, a leader sent from hell is not only sinister, it is not only cynical, it is an insult hard to digest because even the people of Matabeleland are aware of how short-changed Khuphe was by a man he trusted most: Richard Morgen Tsvangirai.
Listening to Sikhala talk about Khuphe who cannot even be voted by donkeys and dogs, why was the hurry to pedestalize Chamisa to presidency immediately after the death of Tsvangirai if you were sure Thoko was going to lose elections at congress?
When the peoples from Mashonaland make obvious political mistakes, somehow it is overlooked and tacitly accepted, everyone is expected to move on without any scrutiny and critiquing political processes that do not make sense.
These wars between Thokozani and Chamisa are classical tribal wars reminiscent with the Zimbabwean politics of the present and the past. In the same manner: Zanu and Zapu had such splitting’s and regrouping for decades.
Frontline states tried on several occasions to reunite the two parties Zanu/Zapu together to fight a common enemy UDI Ian Douglas Smith as one force. Those who survived the guerrilla inner-fighting’s in Tanzania-Mgagau will tell you the story of tribal hate, what is the evil of tribalism?
We have not learnt much from these timelines especially the liberation period that should informed us about tribal animosities in our culture. We should address tribalism in our societies before we depart from this earth.
Who in the Chamisa-MDC-Alliance is on the side of Thokozani Khuphe who nearly lost her life together with Douglas Mwonzorwa in Bhuhera at the funeral of Tsvangirai? But it is easy to sit and pen an article in big letters: KHUPHE; A LEADER SENT FROM HELL.
Painful in this article here is the tribal vitriol more than the argument itself why is she is sent from hell. Your Führer Chamisa is failing to lead the MDC-Alliance with 2,7 million supporters at his disposal.
I cannot even imagine if it was Thokozani Khuphe in Chamisa’s position failing the opposition politics so glaringly and embarrassingly, even Professor Stephen Chan can see this lack of leadership seven thousands miles away from Zimbabwe.
Chamisa is supposed to step down and give someone who has the stamina to stand against the evil regime of Emmerson Mnangagwa. We need someone who is prepared to leave the comfort zone and confront Mnangagwa regime head-on.
Khuphe is a leader who tasted near death by burning. Her anger against Chamisa and all those who crafted her downfall has reached a boiling.
She was given a chance by a DEVIL to crush enemy Chamisa, a fellow leader in MDC-T, an advocate and pastor who would easily have burnt her alive like her relatives who got burnt in the Gukurahundi atrocities.
These are facts we forget when we begin to scrutinize Khuphe’s vindictive politics against MDC-Chamisa. We are quick to see her as the one on the wrong side of the pale.
Let us not forget that Thokozani may be aware of her unpopularity in Zimbabwean political landscape. She is consciously out to eliminate the entire Chamisa-Alliance and all of them permanently from Zimbabwe political landscape altogether.
Her anger is unstoppable, but the damage was done by Tsvangirai, we cannot blame everything on Thoko because she is a small fry in the scheme of things; a woman, of Ndebele tribe as such.
We are pained by the fact that Thokozani is using the wrong stick to whip Chamisa. To work together with Mnangagwa government’s judiciary to crush Chamisa is not the cleanest way to do things, hence, even the voices in Matabeleland are deeply concerned about purging of members of parliament and councillors. These inner fighting’s are exposing a new low in the political maturing of the opposition.
Some parliamentarians who have been purged, crossed the floor to reach out to MDC-T Thokozani for the sake of personal survival. This is politics in Zimbabwe, a means to an end. There is no other source of income if one was thrown out of parliament – a double bind.
Thokozani is throwing the baby out with the bathwater: Chamisa needed some punishment, some threshing but never of this kind where a devil Mnangagwa is robbed in to destroy the only opposition we had.
Let us not be tribal when critiquing opposition destruction, let us not be gender insensitive when we critiques Thokozani and Chamisa shenanigans. We must remember too that these two; Thokozani and Chamisa have been comrades for two decades. They know one other in-and-out.
There is a lot of dirty work they have done in the party together we may not be privy of them. In as much as Thokozani is not clean politically, so is Chamisa too who has on several occasions is accused of back handedness in his political dealings that Thokozani knows too well.
Dear Knowledge Hakata, next time please use a measured language to critique the two political parties of Chamisa and Thokozani, please use a language less tribal and gender sensitive.
It can also be good if both crushed to the point of no return so that we have new names in our political fields. We need new names; said Violent Bulawayo. The beautiful ones needed to be born to take over from where we have dismally failed.
“Zanu Pf Is A Virus. It Can’t Be Cured By Elections”
By Knowledge Hakata- Elections have become a problem that has sunk us into vicious violence, unreformed state institutions, political and economic strife.
It is my desire to enlighten those that still believe in the politics of the ballot paper, that the system called Zanu-PF is a virus that cannot be cured by elections.
Zimbabweans by now should know that voting or not voting Zanu-PF will still find its way back to Munhumutapa building echoing the recent statement by Vice President Kembo Mohadi who said “the junta regime is not going anywhere anytime soon”. Zanu-PF has mastered the art of manipulating the ballot in its favor for the past 15 years.
In 2008 Morgan Tsvangirayi won the ballot while in 2013 the late former Premier won again and on top of that his predecessor the charismatic preacher and lawyer Nelson Chamisa also won the ballot without doubt in 2018 but both charming leaders failed to step into the iconic State House.
In 2008 the late Morgan Tsvangirai won the presidential elections with more than 70%. The MDC also managed to bang the majority of the seats in both the Senate and Parliament chambers while at local council it was the same story.
MDC took control of almost every council country wide notably in all the towns MDC was in control from Mutare to Harare, but with all that in hand Morgan Tsvangirai failed to grab the keys to the state house as that place had become a no go area because of the existence of the late Robert Mugabe.
The late Army General Vitalis Zvinavashe had once said “the highest office in the land was a strait jacket” and the events which followed the 2008 presidential elections were totally fulfillments of the late Army Generals words.
Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party essentially lost at the ballot box, and remained in power only by pursuing a campaign of political violence that caused his main presidential challenger to withdraw from the runoff vote. Moreover, amid international pressure and economic collapse, he was forced to accept a power-sharing agreement.
But in 2013 Mugabe was able to engineer a win that did not trigger the same international criticism. Both the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) deemed the July 31 elections to be “generally” credible, finding that any irregularities would not have changed the outcome a supermajority in Parliament for ZANU-PF and an overwhelming presidential victory for Mugabe.
But free and fair elections do not appear to apply in Zimbabwe at all. In 2018 President Emmerson Mnangagwa a former Mugabe lieutenant who grabbed power in a November 2017 coup won with 50.8 percent of the vote, narrowly avoiding a runoff election.
And his ruling ZANU-PF party won a two-thirds majority of 149 seats in parliament’s lower house, permitting it to amend the constitution at will. But those results were disputed again
The security forces have for many years interfered in the nation’s political and electoral affairs, adversely affecting the right of Zimbabweans to vote for the candidates of their choice.
Mnangagwa and his administration should level the electoral playing field by preventing the military from engaging in partisan politics or interfering in electoral processes, and taking strong action to deter violence and intimidation by the military during the campaign period and elections.
The military leadership should publicly demonstrate its commitment to a fair election process and not interfere with the outcome of the vote.
However without doubt Zanu-PF has managed to capture the Judiciary, ZEC, Police, Army and even the church. Zimbabwe has indigenous churches which always endorse anything that comes from the mouth of Zanu-PF and a good example of such religious leaders is Nehemiah Mutendi.
The ZEC is the most compromised election body in the region, at one point the election body took almost a month to release the presidential election results, the body is just too compromised that without proper electoral reforms,
Zimbabweans will never taste a free, fair and democratic election. Zimbabwe’s political climate is just too compromised in favor of Zanu-PF.
Knowledgehakata can be contacted on [email protected]/
65yr Old Landlord Detained For Demanding Rent From Tenant
By A Correspondent- Glenview police station shocked Zimbabweans when they detained a 65-year-old widow accusing her of demanding rent from a tenant.
Mrs Editor Mavaza was detained by Glenview police for demanding rent from he lodger Owen Ndoro who is a well known MDC activist.
Mr Owen Ndoro an MDC A activist refused to pay his rent and further refused to vacate the property despite having been given enough notice. He assaulted the landlord for asking for her rent and boasted that the police will not do anything to him and that he will not vacate the property. He told the landlord to go and collect her rent from Mnangagwa.
The landlord Ms Editor Mavaza made a report of an assault to Glenview Police who refused to take action telling her that “the police station was not a rally”.
The officer told Ms Mavaza that she was too proud of her brother Dr Masimba Mavaza who is a defender of President ED Mnangagwa on social media and abroad. The officer instructed Ms Mavaza to go home and allow the lodger to stay until Mnangagwa gives people money.
After a month the lodger Mr Ndoro refused to pay again saying he is not going to pay and nothing will happen to him. The landlord then removed her door as she intended to repair it. The lodger went to the police in Glenview.
The same officer who had refused to handle the assault case was the one who took the report. He arrested the landlord and detained her. The landlord was denied food, medication and access to her lawyer.
She allegedly was told to get her food from her brother who is a known ZANU PF Activist.
In the evening her lawyer came and the police refused him permission to see his client. The police forced the landlord to abandon any eviction process in exchange for her freedom.
Despite the fact that the facts of the matter did not disclose crime and that the landlord has a fixed aboard the police sought to take the matter personally.
This abuse of authority by the police angered civic organisations resulting in LEAD leaser Linda T Masaira writing an open letter to the Commissioner-General to air her disquiet about the heavy-handedness by the police. The detention was unwarranted and it was motivated by malice.
Ms Editor Mavaza’s lawyer Mrs Eucheria Makaka served the police with a pre-action protocol.
Speaking to this reporter Ms Editor Mavaza said she was disappointed with the police.
“The painful thing is that the police insulted me for the things I did not know. And they chose to send me to the cells while my lodger was sent into my house to sleep there.”
“Right now he is refusing to vacate because the police are baking him. I am suffering because of my brother’s political activities.” She said as she cried.
Glenview police refused to comment referring all the questions to the Police headquarters.
Cornered Khupe Makes U- Turn
By A Correspondent- MDC-T interim leader Thokozani Khupe is trying to stop the party’s organising secretary Abedinico Bhebhe from washing the outfit’s dirty linen in public by blocking his participation in a court case.
Khupe, MDC-T interim chairman Morgen Komichi, acting secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora and Bhebhe were taken to the High Court by two party members Gilbert Kagodora and Nason Mamuse, who want them to be compelled to release key information ahead of an extraordinary congress to choose a new leader.
Bhebhe turned against his allies last week and filed an answering affidavit supporting Kagodora and Mamuse.
He accused Khupe, Komichi and Mwonzora of trying to manipulate the outcome of the congress.
Khupe, who initially signalled that she would not respond to the application as an individual, on Thursday made a spectacular summersault and filed an answering affidavit targeting Bhebhe.
She argued that Bhebhe was not qualified to speak on behalf of the party and should not be allowed to respond to the court application as an individual.
“The fourth respondent ought not to have been joined to these proceedings.
“He is not permitted by the constitution of the first respondent (MDC-T) to speak about the first respondent’s affairs in a court of law in respect of any functions assigned to him under the constitution,” Khupe said in her affidavit.
“He is accountable to me and the relevant organs of the party.
“If any issues arise from his official duties, he cannot be sued in a court of law.
“It is the party and its authorised officials who may sue or be sued on behalf of the party.
“He must be removed from these proceedings.
“I am advised that the fourth respondent’s papers do not comply with the law on notices of opposition.
“He is not opposing the basis of the application; he is adding his own grievances and has his own prayer.
“This is not permitted by our law. His papers must be expunged from the record.”
Bhebhe argued Khupe, Komichi and Mwonzora were deliberately delaying national council and national executive meetings while attempting to shut out bona fide MDC-T leaders in terms of the 2014 congress from participating at the upcoming extraordinary congress.
He said they had “failed and neglected” processes leading to the extraordinary congress while accusing them of trying to manipulate the process in their favour.
A Supreme Court judgement in March nullified the appointment of MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa and ordered an extraordinary congress within three months.
The ruling said the party should revert to its 2014 structures with Khupe as acting president.
Chamisa, however, dismissed the ruling, saying it did not in any way affect their party as it was a different legal entity on its own, but Khupe has managed to use the Supreme Court ruling to recall MDC Alliance legislators and councillors.
The MDC-T’s extraordinary congress is yet to take place and, according to Bhebhe, there were attempts to hold the national council and national executive meetings virtually, but in the process shutting out bona fide members of the party’s 2014 structures.
Bhebhe accused Khupe and Komichi of “direct and flagrant disregard” of the MDC-T constitution while “habitually and unilaterally” abusing the national standing committee by pushing through this committee decisions that are ordinarily in the province of the national executive and/or the national council meeting.
The decisions, Bhebhe said, included firing elected officials and members of the party 2014 structures without due process.
Parallel delegates have been positioned, according to Bhebhe, while his list has been sidelined yet he was in charge of the party structures.
Kagodora and Mamuse approached the courts after Mwonzora said MDC Alliance legislators and councillors that were recently recalled by his party would not be allowed to contest for positions at the congress despite them being in the party 2014 structures.
They are also demanding that before the congress is held, the party’s various internal organs must be involved.-Standard
ZINWA Bans Sale Of Borehole Water
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has banned the sale of borehole water by some residents in Bulawayo who are taking advantage of the critical situation in the city.
Bulawayo has been experiencing acute water shortages that have seen the local authority only providing water in the Central Business District and industrial sites while most residential areas are going for days without the precious liquid.
The desperate water situation has seen some house owners who have boreholes at their premises selling bulk water and also supplying bulk water to middlemen who then in turn sell to their customers.
According to the Water Act, no one can use water for commercial purposes except in terms of a permit or agreement. Zinwa corporate communications officer Mr Tsungirirari Shoriwa said selling of bulk borehole water was illegal.
“Water which is extracted from underground is governed from Statutory Instrument (SI) 90 of 2013 of the Water Act and that SI bars anyone from conducting bulk water activities from residential areas or other restricted areas. In terms of that SI, it is not allowed for anyone to carry bulk water activities within residential areas,” he said.
Those selling bulk water legally for registered companies in Bulawayo are fetching US$20 for 2 000 litres in the Central Business District while residents are selling the same amount of water for between US$10 and US$15 to illegal bulk water suppliers who in turn sell the water for anything between US$20 and US$25.
Mr Shoriwa said bulk water suppliers must register their business with Zinwa in order for them to be given permits.
“It makes it mandatory for any bulk water dealer to be registered with Zinwa first. They must approach our offices because what they are doing is a criminal offence in terms of the SI 90 of 2013. Everyone who is engaging in bulk water activities must register with Zinwa. It is important to regularise their activities,” he added.
Those selling “smaller” quantities in residential areas are also being warned that they may reach the quantities of bulk water and risk being arrested too. Zinwa has an updated list of all bulk water suppliers for the year 2020 and anyone outside of that is deemed to be selling bulk water illegally.
A 20 litre bucket of water is selling for ZW$10 in some residential areas as water continues to be a challenge. According to Zinwa, the company is mandated in terms of the Water Act and the Zinwa Act to protect and ensure the optimum utilisation of the country’s water resources.
Zinwa has also noted that it is a legal requirement to have trucks that deliver bulk water endorsed as fit for the purpose of ferrying bulk water every three months.-statemedia
New Twist To VP Chiwenga’s Elections Ban
By A Correspondent- Parliament is backtracking on its stance that Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s suspension of by-elections to fill vacant parliamentary and municipal seats was constitutional, saying the pronouncement was a mistake.
Jacob Mudenda, the National Assembly speaker, last week announced that Statutory Instrument 225A of 2020, issued by Chiwenga a fortnight ago suspending by-elections as long as Covid-19 remained a “formidable pandemic”, was unconstitutional.
The speaker was, however, singing from a different hymn book in an interview with The Standard where he insisted that the Parliamentary Legal Committee was yet to review the contentious statutory instrument.
Mudenda said the committee was only likely to come up with a position on the statutory instrument in two weeks’ time.
“There are three statutory instruments that the Parliamentary Legal Committee is yet to consider so they did not pronounce themselves as to whether they were adverse or non-adverse,” he said.
“We explained that later on because there was confusion. It appeared as if the statutory instrument had received an adverse report from the Parliamentary Legal Committee. That was explained,” Mudenda said.
“That statutory instrument and two others are still to be reviewed by the Parliamentary Legal Committee and they will meet probably in the next two weeks to pronounce their legal opinion.”
Mudenda had told Parliament that the committee had met and reviewed the statutory instrument and found it to be unconstitutional.
“The committee is of the opinion that the statutory instruments gazetted in the month of October are not in contravention of the Declaration of Rights or any other provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe except for the following statutory instruments:- Statutory Instrument 224 of 2020; Statutory Instrument 225 of 2020 and Statutory Instrument 225(a) of 2020. These three were not compliant with the constitution,” Mudenda said.
The statutory instrument issued by Chiwenga, who doubles up as Health and Child Care minister, was dismissed as unconstitutional by legal experts.
A group of citizens and the Elections Resource Centre have since approached the High Court seeking the reversal of the suspension of the polls.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission last week criticised the suspension of the polls, saying it was not consistent with democratic principles.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) last month said there would be by-elections on December 5 to fill over 80 municipal seats and nearly 30 parliamentary seats left vacant after Thokozani Khupe’s MDC-T recalled MDC Alliance members that refused to dump Nelson Chamisa.
After the ban, Zec accepted the names of Khupe and 14 others that had been nominated by the MDC-T interim leader to replace Chamisa’s recalled proportional representation MPs, which gave way to their swearing-in, in Parliament on October 7.
But despite the ban, Zanu PF has been conducting primary elections throughout the country in preparation for the by-elections.
Legal experts say the ban does not hold water because Covid-19 cases have been on a decline in Zimbabwe.
The country has significantly opened up after a national lockdown was imposed in March to slow down the spread of the virus.
Zimbabwean Entrepreneur Amongst Top Ten African Entrepreneurs Nominated For Africa’s Business Heroes Award
CGTN
Zimbabwean entrepreneur Ethel Mupambwa is among the top 10 finalists of the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) prize, a program to support and inspire the next generation of African entrepreneurs.
The program, which is in its second year, is created by the Jack Ma Foundation’s African Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI).
The organizer of the 2020 ABH prize announced its top 10 finalists on Monday, who will pitch at the competition’s grand finale in November, for a chance to win a share of a 1.5 million U.S. dollars prize pool.
The 10 outstanding entrepreneurs – half of whom are female – have been selected from over 22,000 applications across all 54 African nations, following several rounds of rigorous evaluation.
“I am excited. I am so so so excited, super excited. You don’t know what’s happening in me right now,” Mupambwa told Xinhua while struggling to contain her excitement.
Mupambwa is the co-founder and Executive Director of MoneyMart, a microfinance firm that provides its clients with tailor-made business loans and offers energy solutions to energy-poor households living off the electricity grid in rural areas.
Zanu Pf Councillor Steals From Villagers
By Fanuel Chinowaita- Shurugwi South Ward 7 Zanu pf Councillor Jabulani Muzvezve under Chief Nhema is accused of misusing his office and stealing from the villagers.
It is alleged that Councillor Muzvezve of ward 7, is taking money from villagers promising them fertilizers, heifers and boreholes but failed to deliver. It is also said that he has been refusing to work according to the wish of people of his ward since he was sweared in.
Reports says that from the day he became the Councillor, he took only two people who keep his secret and use them to steal from the poor villagers.
“Our Councillor is very corrupt. We contribute money in the ward but that money is never accounted for. When it was said there’s allocation for fertilizers in our ward we contributed a certain amount but many failed to get the fertilizers and the money was never brought back.
“We were also told to contribute money for the boreholes in our community, but up to now we only have two boreholes. We dont know if we are the ones supposed to buy boreholes or the government. We feel that Councillor is taking money into his pockets and get the boreholes from donors.
“Last year our Councillor told us to pay money for heifers but nothing came our way up to today. The money was taken and we did not see any heifer”, narrated a concerned villager.
I went to Chikato shopping centre asking about this Councillor and there was the old man who confirmed that the above is true and he is asking for Government or ZACC interventions before they become more poorer.
The old man said, “we paid money for fertilizers, heifers and boreholes. When this man was campaigning he said he will do it for us not us to do for ourselves.
“We want the Government and ZACC to take him and ask where he us putting our money.”
VIDEO: President Chamisa Thanks Khupe For Coming To Funeral
MWONZORA Vs KHUPE- WHO MAKES SENSE?
Cadiz Stun Mighty Real Madrid
Spanish champions Real Madrid suffered a shock 1-0 loss at home to promoted Cadiz on Saturday, their first La Liga defeat in over seven months.
Honduran forward Anthony Lozano put Cadiz ahead in the 16th minute, darting between Madrid defenders Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane to meet a cushioned header from Alvaro Negredo and lifting the ball over keeper Thibaut Courtois into the net.
Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane made four substitutions at halftime in a bid to turn the game around and brought on Luka Jovic later on, the Serbian striker soon putting the ball in the net but seeing his effort ruled out for a clear offside.
Vinicius Junior missed the target with a free header, while Karim Benzema struck the bar from the edge of the area and Cadiz clung on to claim their first league win over Madrid since 1991.
“This is a historic win and we want to celebrate it,” said match-winner Lozano.
The shock victory took Cadiz up to second in the league, level on 10 points with Madrid, who visit Barcelona next week in the Clasico.
“If you concede an early goal against a team like this you really struggle,” Madrid keeper Courtois said after his team suffered their first league defeat at home in more than a year.
“The first half was very bad, we conceded two or three chances, we had a serious discussion at halftime and made a few changes but couldn’t find the goal because they were very organised and defended very well.
“We weren’t at our best today and if you aren’t at your best you can’t expect to win games.”
Zidane had hinted at rotating his squad for the match but fielded a strong team, not withstanding injuries to defenders Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Odriozola and forward Eden Hazard.
He took off Ramos at halftime and the defender was seen icing his knee as he watched on from the stands as Madrid, wearing an unfamiliar pink jersey despite playing at home, tried in vain to break down Cadiz, who are back in the top flight for the first time in 14 years.
“There’s no explanation. We have to accept the defeat,” Zidane said. “We can’t be happy, we aren’t happy, but it can happen in football. We didn’t start well, it was hard for us from the beginning.
“In the second half we were a bit better, but in the first half they could have scored two or three goals. When you can’t get into a game things get complicated and that’s what happened tonight. There are no excuses.”
On Ramos’ injury, Zidane added: “Let’s hope it isn’t much, it’s a knock, tomorrow we’ll see exactly what he has.”-ESPN
Logarušić Ready To Face Mighty Desert Foxes Of Algeria
While we acknowledge that Algeria are the African champions and have not lost in over 20 games, we will not give them too much respect, Warriors coach Zdravko Logarušić has said.
Logarušić’s troops take on the Desert Foxes in two blockbuster AFCON qualifiers in Algiers on the 12th of November before hosting four days later at the National Sports Stadium, which recently got a temporary green light from CAF to host international matches.
The Croat took charge of the Warriors for the first time in the goalless draw against Malawi in an international friendly and with Algeria looming, he insists while they are the champions, they shouldn’t be given too much respect.
“We should be realistic about this match against Algeria. They drew 2-2 against Mexico, with a full-strength squad, a privilege we didn’t have when we played Malawi in our own friendly last week. They have not lost in almost 20 games and they are African champions so we must give them respect,’’ he told The Sunday Mail.
“However, we will not give them (Algeria) too much respect. Remember we are the Warriors and we are fighters. We have been analysing them, we have also been looking at some of their games at the previous AFCON finals,” added the coach.-Soccer 24
You Don’t Own Zimbabwe, Hon Sikhala Challenges Mohadi
Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance deputy national chairperson, Hon Job Sikhala, has said Mr Kembo Mohadi is a delusional and misguided politician.
Hon Sikhala was responding to Mr Mohadi’s assertion that Zanu PF will rule Zimbabwe forever.
Hon Sikhala also challenged Mr Chris Mutsvangwa to stop rambling about sanctions.
“We all heard Chris Mutsvangwa rambling about the stupidity of using sanctions as an excuse of failure.
They damned their Mugabe for using sanctions as the excuse for his failures. Those who told us about the stupidity of using sanctions as an excuse are in the same default mode today,” argued Hon Sikhala.
“This young Terrence Manjengwa is suffering for standing with me during my incarceration. He came to Court in solidarity with myself. They took him to jail… Pliz Free Terry.”
“Dear Kembo Mohadi. You are deluded to entertain your illusions that you will rule this country forever.
Although you call yourself junta, what you are saying will happen over our dead bodies.
Makajaidzwa kudzvanyirira vanhu. We are on this case as serious as you purport to be.”
President Chamisa Pays Tribute To Statesman Esaph Mdlongwa
Farai Dziva|President Nelson Chamisa has described the late MDC founding Organising Secretary Esaph Mdlongwa as a dedicated Statesman.
Addressing mourners at Mdlongwa’s funeral in Bulawayo on Saturday, President Chamisa said Mdlongwa fought consistently for democracy and good governance.
“In Bulawayo this weekend…
Now in Luveve laying to rest our hero Ubaba uEsaph Mdlongwa.
Zimbabwe has lost a principled statesman who consistently fought for democracy and good governance.
May his soul rest in peace,” President Chamisa said in a brief statement.
What You Need To Know About Tuberculosis
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries were making steady progress in tackling tuberculosis (TB), with a 9% reduction in incidence seen between 2015 and 2019 and a 14% drop in deaths in the same period.
High-level political commitments at global and national levels were delivering results. However, a new report from WHO shows that access to TB services remains a challenge, and that global targets for prevention and treatment will likely be missed without urgent action and investments.
Approximately 1.4 million people died from TB-related illnesses in 2019. Of the estimated 10 million people who developed TB that year, some 3 million were not diagnosed with the disease, or were not officially reported to national authorities.
The situation is even more acute for people with drug-resistant TB. About 465 000 people were newly diagnosed with drug-resistant TB in 2019 and, of these, less than 40% were able to access treatment. There has also been limited progress in scaling up access to treatment to prevent TB.
“Equitable access to quality and timely diagnosis, prevention, treatment and care remains a challenge,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “Accelerated action is urgently needed worldwide if we are to meet our targets by 2022.”
About 14 million people were treated for TB in the period 2018-2019, just over one-third of the way towards the 5-year target (2018-2022) of 40 million, according to the report. Some 6.3 million people started TB preventive treatment in 2018-2019, about one-fifth of the way towards the 5-year target of 30 million.
Funding is a major issue. In 2020, funding for TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care reached
US$ 6.5 billion, representing only half of the US$ 13 billion target agreed by world leaders in the UN Political Declaration on TB.
The COVID-19 pandemic and TB
Disruptions in services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have led to further setbacks. In many countries, human, financial and other resources have been reallocated from TB to the COVID-19 response. Data collection and reporting systems have also been negatively impacted.
According to the new report, data collated from over 200 countries has shown significant reductions in TB case notifications, with 25-30% drops reported in 3 high burden countries – India, Indonesia, the Philippines – between January and June 2020 compared to the same 6-month period in 2019. These reductions in case notifications could lead to a dramatic increase in additional TB deaths, according to WHO modelling.
However, in line with WHO guidance, countries have taken measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on essential TB services, including by strengthening infection control. A total of 108 countries – including 21 countries with a high TB burden – have expanded the use of digital technologies to provide remote advice and support. To reduce the need for visits to health facilities, many countries are encouraging home-based treatment, all-oral treatments for people with drug-resistant TB, provision of TB preventive treatment, and ensuring people with TB maintain an adequate supply of drugs.
“In the face of the pandemic, countries, civil society and other partners have joined forces to ensure that essential services for both TB and COVID-19 are maintained for those in need,” said Dr Tereza Kaseva, Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme. “These efforts are vital to strengthen health systems, ensure health for all, and save lives.”
A recent progress report from the UN Secretary General outlines 10 priority actions for Member States and other stakeholders to close gaps in TB care, financing and research, as well as advance multisectoral action and accountability, including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Note for the editors
Global targets
In 2014 and 2015, all Member States of WHO and the UN adopted the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO’s End TB Strategy. The SDGs and End TB Strategy both include targets and milestones for large reductions in TB incidence, TB deaths and costs faced by TB patients and their households.
TB is included under Goal 3 Target 3.3 of the SDGs which aims to “end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases” by the year 2030.
The WHO End TB Strategy aims for a 90 per cent reduction in TB deaths and an 80 per cent reduction in the TB incidence rate by 2030, compared to the 2015 baseline. Milestones for 2020 include a 20% reduction in the TB incidence rate and a 35% reduction in TB deaths.
Efforts to step up political commitment in the fight against TB intensified in 2017 and 2018 culminating, in September 2018, in the first-ever high-level meeting on TB at the UN General Assembly. The outcome was a political declaration in which commitments to the SDGs and End TB Strategy were reaffirmed. The UN Political Declaration on TB also included 4 new targets for the period 2018-2022:
Treat 40 million people for TB diseaseReach at least 30 million people with TB preventive treatment for a latent TB infectionMobilize at least US$13 billion annually for universal access to TB diagnosis, treatment and careMobilize at least US$2 billion annually for TB research…
Source :World Health Organization
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Makajaidzwa Kudzvanyirira Vanhu -Hon Sikhala Confronts Mohadi
Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance deputy national chairperson, Hon Job Sikhala, has said Mr Kembo Mohadi is a delusional and misguided politician.
Hon Sikhala was responding to Mr Mohadi’s assertion that Zanu PF will rule Zimbabwe forever.
Hon Sikhala also challenged Mr Chris Mutsvangwa to stop rambling about sanctions.
“We all heard Chris Mutsvangwa rambling about the stupidity of using sanctions as an excuse of failure.
They damned their Mugabe for using sanctions as the excuse for his failures. Those who told us about the stupidity of using sanctions as an excuse are in the same default mode today,” argued Hon Sikhala.
“This young Terrence Manjengwa is suffering for standing with me during my incarceration. He came to Court in solidarity with myself. They took him to jail… Pliz Free Terry.”
“Dear Kembo Mohadi. You are deluded to entertain your illusions that you will rule this country forever.
Although you call yourself junta, what you are saying will happen over our dead bodies.
Makajaidzwa kudzvanyirira vanhu. We are on this case as serious as you purport to be.”
Mwonzora Embarrasses Self After Expelling Dead Man From MDC Structures
MASVINGO –MDC T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora has expelled Dusty Zivhaze, an MDC founding member who succumbed to ulcers on July 15, 2019 from the party.
An internal memo dated July 2, 2020 and signed by Mwonzora in possession of The Mirror affirms the expulsion.
Efforts to get a comment from Mwonzora were futile.
Zivhave, an MDC founding member died on July 15, 2019 at Checheche St Peters Hospital after battling ulcers. He was the secretary for information and publicity at his death.
The memo expels 34 members from Harare, Mash West, Manicaland, Mash Central, Chitungwiza, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Mat North and Mat South.
In Masvingo, the late Zivhaze was expelled together with provincial chairperson James Gumbi, Takanayi Mureyi and youth leader Philip Chingini.
“In terms of clause 5 (10)a of the constitution of the MDC party be their joining or supporting another party they have automatically terminated their membership of the MDC party led by the late Dr Richard Morgan Tsvangirai,” reads part of the memo.
Source:
Masvingo Mirror
A More Than 100yrs Old Gogo Blames Mnangagwa For The Country’s Woes
By Fanuel Chinowaita- MDC Alliance Councillor John Nyamhoka of Ward 17 Mutare Chikanga Dangamvura visited one of the most elderly woman in his ward on Saturday.
Surprisingly, this very old woman knows the current issues happening in MDC and Zimbabwe.
Gogo (name with held) said the problems we have in Zimbabwe are because of Zanu pf and Mnangagwa whom she said is using his position to enrich himself while the majority is suffering.
Gogo also put blame on Zanu pf led government for Corona virus that has claimed hundreds of lives in Zimbabwe.
She said:,
“I am blaming Emmerson Mnangagwa for all this suffering including the corona virus , Mnangagwa is using his position for his benefits.”
On the MDC issue Gogo, who pronounced MDC as DC said she supported Doctor Morgan Tsvangirai before he died.
She also said that she now supports Nelson Chamisa, whom she refferred as this young man.
Meanwhile, ward 17 Councillor John Nyamhoka handed over a small parcel to her before he left.
WATCH: Chinoputsa Achiputsa Mnangagwa naManyeruke Nhasi 2 Years Ago.
The below video is that of MDC Alliance stalwart Lovemore Chinoputsa as he artfully crushed rocks of truth on Emmerson Mnangagwa’s commission of inquiry over the 1 August shootings. This happened on this day exactly 2 years ago.
Video loading below…
Kadewere Scores Brace As Lyon Thrashes RC Strasbourg
Zimbabwean international, Tino Kadewere scored a brace as Olympique Lyonnais held off RC Strasbourg Alsace to win 3-2 on Sunday and bring a five-game winless streak to an end.
THE MATCH
Lyon’s last league win had come in late August, and Rudi Garcia’s men must have been hopeful of improving their fortunes against a Strasbourg team that started the game second-from-bottom of the table.
The visitors certainly made a strong start: with just 12 minutes on the clock, Kadewere raced onto Memphis Depay’s ball in behind the home defence, and fired past Bingourou Kamara, who might have done better.
The Zimbabwean forward’s first Lyon goal would have been followed by another maiden OL strike for Lucas Paqueta but the Brazilian was flagged offside before he lobbed Kamara (16′).
Lyon, who had beaten Strasbourg 14 times and lost just once in 17 21st-century encounters between the pair, were soon two up though. After Paqueta won the ball back, Depay charged forward and crossed for Toko-Ekambi to claim his first league goal of the campaign (26′).
A negative COVID-19 test that came through just hours before OL headed to Alsace on Saturday meant Anthony Lopes could play, and the Portugal international made the journey worthwhile by pushing out Jean-Eudes Ahoulou’s volley (32′).
Strasbourg boss Thierry Laurey brought on new signing Habib Diallo eight minutes before the break to go to a 4-4-2, but after Lopes had denied Stefan Mitrovic (39′), Toko-Ekambi extended OL’s lead from close range following more good work from Depay (42′).
Diallo, signed from regional rivals Metz during the transfer window, responded almost immediately, snapping up the rebound after Lopes had pushed out Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s shot (43′) to give the hosts hope.
That hope was boosted still further when Ahoulou’s first-time shot found the net following another Lopes save, this time from Diallo (55′). He was there again nine minutes from time to halt Ludovic Ajorque (81′) and give the seven-time French champions a welcome three points.
-International Sports
Auxillia Mnangagwa To Be Humiliated In Chimanimani.
Emmerson Mnangagwa, Auxillia is to tour Chimanimani on 22 October 2020. Like her husband, she is skipping Ngangu. These are hundreds of families still stranded nearly 2 years running…
Charges Against Justice Ndewere Revealed And Submitted To Mnangagwa – Full Text
Paul Nyathi
The Judicial Service Commission has finally revealed charges that have been laid against High Court Judge, Justice Erica Ndewere.
Though a popular belief is that the judge is being punished for freeing on bail opposition MDC Alliance Deputy National Chairman Job Sikhala bail, the commission says Ndewere is accused of freeing a convict Kenneth Majecha due to gross incompetence.
The file with the charges has since been referred to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for processing to kick start a tribunal to investigate the judge.
Below is the full file sent to Mnangagwa.
How To Rob An African Country — If You Can, The Drax Scandal Story
Corrupt international networks attempted to profit from Zimbabwe’s Covid-19 response in collusion with government officials — until someone leaked an invoice.
Ten working days; that is how long it takes to set up a limited liability company in Switzerland. All you need is a few signed documents and just over US$23,000 deposited into a local bank account. This amount would buy you a Swiss general manager, salary management for up to five employees, having your tax returns filed and all your accounts kept.
The time it takes depends on the information you provide, says Rudy Summerer, a financial expert with Fidinam & Partners in Lugano, a town in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino near the Italian border.
“According to the constitution, we have to know our client perfectly, because the laws in force on money laundering require us to know the origin [of], and where the funds will be directed,” he states.
These constitutional safeguards clearly had little effect in the case of Drax Consult SAGL, the Swiss company at the centre of a US$60m drugs procurement scandal in Zimbabwe which has claimed the scalp of the country’s Minister of Health.
The scandal has exposed how shelf companies with no premises, employees or track records are used to fleece impoverished taxpayers through no-bid contracts and murky procurement deals, with few consequences for the politically connected perpetrators.
The story begins, as it often does, with a lawyer. Drax was registered in March 2017, with Lorenzo Fornara as the managing director. Fornara is a Swiss notary and legal practitioner; he founded the company alongside Ilir Dedja — registered as an Italian citizen — who put up the entire CHF20,000 (US$22,000) capital.
He resigned from Drax in November of the same year, leaving Dedja as the sole director of the company — presumably after his task of registering the company was complete. However, the registered telephone number for Drax Consult SAGL is still the same as Fornara’s law office.
This is not Fornara’s only directorship — he holds mandates in numerous other companies. At first glance, he appears to be a serial entrepreneur with 21 currently registered companies — all of which share the same address with Drax. Drax actually shares the same address as 26 other companies, indicating that via Pretorio 13 in Lugano is not a normal business address, but a domicile for shelf companies.
Contacted for comment, Fornara refused to answer questions about Drax Consult SAGL, or the (perfectly legal) company registration services he provides: “I am a lawyer, you have to talk to the director — I do not have his number.”
Nobody seems to have Dedja’s number. The elusive Albanian is a mysterious figure, who has somehow managed to secure massive procurement contracts in Zimbabwe while providing no evidence of experience or capacity whatsoever. His public profile is limited to company registration documents in Switzerland and Hungary, where Drax Consult was also registered in March 2020 as a branch of the Swiss company, to conduct “business and other management consultancy activities.”
It is in Hungary where Drax is reportedly under investigation by Interpol — an investigation which Interpol has steadfastly refused to comment on. Asked to confirm or deny the authenticity of a letter ostensibly sent from Interpol Budapest to Interpol Harare, Hungarian police have remained mum.
“Due to criminal reasons, we cannot provide any response to confirm the authenticity of the mentioned document,” responded Lieutenant-Colonel Csajági Nándor, the Head of Department at the International Law Enforcement Cooperation Centre at Interpol Budapest.
Dedja has reportedly proclaimed his innocence in Albanian media, releasing a statement in which he denies ever having been to Zimbabwe and denouncing the “misinformation and denigration” of his image.
“The case is in the hands of the Lawyers and very soon the truth will be revealed about all the ‘multi-million dollar contracts’ that I have appropriated,” the statement reads.
“You can’t ask the wolf to be in charge of the sheep!”
While Dedja is presumably free to defend his reputation, his alleged co-conspirators have not been so lucky. Drax’s Zimbabwean frontman Delish Nguwaya is on bail facing charges of prejudicing the State by overpricing Covid-19 testing kits, while health minister Obadiah Moyo was sacked for his part in the scandal and is also on bail.
However, as with many things in Zimbabwe, it is not that simple.
In his ruling granting bail to Nguwaya, High Court Justice Pisirayi Kwenda found that Nguwaya did not cause any financial prejudice to the State, but simply overpriced his products. He said if there was any deception resulting in financial prejudice, then that could only have been a result of a flawed procurement process.
Because Nguwaya is not a State official, the fact that medicines were overpriced should have been noted by State officials during due diligence in a competitive bidding process. “The financial prejudice ensuing from lack of due diligence cannot be blamed on [Nguwaya], but perhaps on the persons who procured on behalf of the State,” said Justice Kwenda.
He conceded that even if it was proved that Nguwaya misrepresented that Drax Consult SAGL and Drax International were manufacturers of medicines they were selling during negotiations, the State officials involved in the procurement could have refused to sign the contracts.
This is all part of a familiar pattern in Zimbabwe, says University of Kent law professor Dr Alex Magaisa. Magaisa, who helped draft the country’s 2013 Constitution, says the charges against Nguwaya were deliberately crafted to fail, and the situation is reminiscent of previous cases involving allegations of high-level corruption.
“When I read the [Nguwaya] prosecution documents, it was clear to me that they were defective, and this was eventually confirmed by [Justice Kwenda] who was very critical,” he continued. “In my opinion it was very clear that they did not have the facts that disclosed the offence that Nguwaya had committed.”
According to Magaisa, the case was set up to fail from the very start, and whoever drew up the prosecution’s case knew exactly what they were doing and did not want it to succeed.
“The catch-and-release tactic is a euphemism for the strategy by the government when it arrests someone on allegations of corruption, then a few days later they are released. The idea is to create a show for the people, to make it appear like the government is doing something,” he explains. “Then a few days later the person is released, and you never hear of the case again.”
Magaisa is highly critical of the Zimbabwe government’s anti-corruption efforts, including the creation of an anti-corruption office in the President’s Office: “You can’t ask the wolf to be in charge of the sheep!”
With Ilir Dedja roaming free, Delish Nguwaya and Obadiah Moyo out on bail and presumably in the comfort of their plush homes, none of the major players involved in the multimillion-dollar Drax scandal appear set to suffer any consequences for trying to fleece the government of Zimbabwe. The US$2m already paid to the seemingly non-existent company’s Hungarian branch may or may not be lost forever.
That is how you rob an African country — or at least try to.
Background
Once a radio and nightclub disc jockey under the nickname DJ Biscuit, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Health now stands accused of facilitating an international effort to loot finances earmarked for the impoverished nation’s coronavirus pandemic response. On 20 June 2020, the Magistrate’s Court released Obadiah Moyo on bail following his arrest the previous day on allegations of corruption regarding a murky US$60m deal to acquire novel coronavirus (Covid-19) test kits and other equipment. He was subsequently fired from the cabinet.
Moyo was only arrested after the government came under pressure from independent media and political opposition over the procurement scandal. The shadowy transactions came to light after a letter from the finance ministry — authorising the purchase of Covid-19 testing kits at inflated prices — was leaked to an online newspaper.
The minister’s corruption charges are related to a US$20m contract awarded to a Hungary-registered firm without going through the proper processes. The deal with two-month-old Drax Consult SAGL was allegedly pushed through without the required consent of the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ). A subsequent US$2m payment from Zimbabwe’s state pharmaceutical company NatPharm was reportedly identified as suspicious by Hungarian authorities in March and is under investigation by Interpol.
The Interpol press office would neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation, instead pointing out that any information shared by police in one of their 194 member countries remains under the ownership of that country. “Interpol does not therefore comment on specific cases or individuals except in special circumstances and with approval of the member country concerned,” they continued. “With regard to your request, we would advise you to contact the relevant national authorities.” Police in the Hungarian capital Budapest refuse to confirm an investigation into Drax Consult SAGL’s Hungary branch “due to criminal reasons.”
Zimbabwe’s government eventually cancelled Drax’s two pharmaceutical supply contracts worth a total of US$60m. Amid the controversy, an entity called Drax International LLC issued a statement signed by director Ilir Dedja, threatening legal action over “falsehoods and defamatory publications” after the procurement scandal received wide coverage in Zimbabwe.
Delish Nguwaya, who is Drax’s representative in Zimbabwe, was also arrested in connection with the case. Questions were raised over how a controversial young businessman with a history of criminality, who had failed a vetting process months earlier, had set up a new company and secured millions of dollars’ worth of contracts to supply medicines and equipment — some at hugely inflated prices.
Early searches for details of Drax Consult SAGL, when state media first reported on the procurement deal, revealed scant details. Drax did not even have a website at the time, nor a track record in pharmaceuticals. A search of the ICANN Internet database shows that the company’s domain name internationaldrax.com was only registered on 1 April 2020.
Interest in Drax increased in early April, when company representative Nguwaya appeared alongside President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House, ostensibly donating medical supplies reported to be worth US$200,000. Nguwaya’s past involvement in high-level police corruption, including the extortion of US$20,000 from a Chinese businessman in 2016, raised inevitable questions about the legitimacy of his business dealings.
The emergence of leaked invoices showing overpricing for COVID-19 materials by UAE-based Drax International LLC completed a picture that already looked remarkably suspicious. Drax, by many measures, has the characteristics of a shell company that secures oversized contracts through corruption.
Such companies tend to use exotic addresses but never provide detailed public information about them. Drax Consult SAGL has a Swiss address, while Drax International LLC, which was formed in 2020, gives an address in the United Arab Emirates, yet it does not appear as a registered company in the UAE’s business registry.
These companies also typically rely on agents or representatives with access to politicians in the country where contracts are awarded. In the wake of revelations regarding Drax’s access to millions of dollars’ worth of government contracts, social media has been awash with pictures of Nguwaya with President Mnangagwa’s family in various social settings — including a State House dinner.
The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation has also suspended staff involved in airing Nguwaya’s April “donation” on the country’s television station. The re-emergence of the news clip has proved embarrassing for the “first family”, after repeated denials of personal or professional links to Drax.
An extraordinary government gazette of 25 October 2019 shows that Drax Consult was registered with PRAZ, using a Gmail address and Nguwaya’s telephone number. While registered as a supplier, the health minister is accused of corruptly pushing the Drax contracts despite its failing due diligence tests. Moyo’s arraignment followed the arrest of three NatPharm bosses the previous week on charges of criminal abuse of office for approving the Drax deal without following laid down procurement procedures.
Sitting in Harare, the magistrate’s court granted Moyo bail of 50,000 Zimbabwean dollars ($2,000). State prosecutors — who are pursuing three charges including abuse of office which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years — did not oppose bail.
He is accused of trying to coerce the treasury to pay for 15,000 coronavirus test kits that were being held at the airport. The prosecutors claim contracts were illegally awarded by the health ministry without a competitive tender process. “[Minister Moyo] acted contrary to or inconsistent with his fiduciary duty,” according to magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi. “The accused’s actions showed favour to Drax,” he concluded during the bail hearing.
Drax’s Nguwaya is out on bail after a stint in remand prison, while the company’s principal — the mysterious Ilir Dedja — remains an elusive figure. “Most of the articles published on the media are falsehood regarding Drax International LLC,” the company has told Reuters. “Goods regarding COVID-19 emergency response … have been delivered and no payment has been made by authorities in Zimbabwe,” it added.
BREAKING- MDC Alliance Primary Election Results
Former State Security Officer Tells How Zimbabwe State Intelligence Executes Abductions
Keith Silika
I HAVE previously gone on several drinking sprees with the former deputy director of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), Menard Muzariri.
I was introduced to him by a mutual friend. When he knew that I was with the Police Protection Unit (PPU) and also from Mt Darwin, we hit it off! We partied in the usual night spots in Harare and Chitungwiza and he would occasionally summon me to go and look for women for him! One time we partied with some South African intelligence operatives whom he introduced to me. He never talked work and I would never dare ask him questions. At that time I was not aware of his role in the Gukurahundi democide. These experiences and other interactions with intelligence, forensics, and policing personnel whetted my curiosity in those fields.
The Zimbabwean state, since it came into being after independence from Britain in 1980, has been known for various democides which include political violence, crimes against humanity, state-sanctioned murder, violence and illegal mining atrocities.
The purpose of this opinion piece is to outline the contemporary state intelligence tactics, structure, resources and modus operandi in relation to murders and abductions in Zimbabwe. I will primarily focus on the CIO. The paper will also elucidate some of the actions and profiles of other perpetrators such as the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), War Veterans (WV) and Zanu PF Youth Wing (YW).
The present CIO, formerly the Special Branch, came into being in 1981 and was headed by Ken Flower until his retirement in 1984. The Special Branch was responsible to the Deputy Commissioner (Crime and Security prior to its incorporation into the President’s Office). The present CIO boss is Isaac Moyo and is deputised by Brigadier-General Walter Tapfumaneyi and former National University of Science and Technology Pro-Vice-Chancellor Gatsha Mazithulela. Between the two of them they supervise various key branches—such as internal, external, counter-intelligence, military intelligence, training, close protection unit, technical, training, administration and another simply known as Branch Six. In addition, there are desks on social media, trade unions, projects, terrorism, and propaganda.
There are currently around 3 500 full-time staff and around 2 000 part-time “assets” deployed mostly in Zimbabwe. There are also operatives in most African countries and in Europe. In terms of locations where they operate from, a decade ago SW Radio Africa published a credible list which is found here. In addition to these locations like most intelligence agencies around the world, the CIO has safe houses and farms dotted around the country. As readers might be aware, Zimbabwe was listed as one of the countries which the CIA used for renditions. This is the abduction and torture of suspects by the CIA carried out in other countries with permission.
Before discussing the shenanigans of the Zimbabwe intelligence service, let us discuss briefly how a professional service like this should function. Firstly, it should not be based in the Office of the President for obvious reasons such as bias, corruption, misuse and manipulation. Hallmarks of the present CIO. The purpose of a professional intelligence service is to gather intelligence, manage information, work on evidence and disclosure, and support other security services. In Zimbabwe, as this paper will demonstrate, the CIO literally serves at the pleasure of the President. However, I must admit not all intelligence services are 100% professional, the extent to which they are dubious is the problem in Zimbabwe.
Now readers might want to know what intelligence is. The CIA (1999), defines intelligence as knowledge and foreknowledge of an individual’s or entity’s surroundings used for present and future decision making and action. Intelligence can also be viewed as actions or processes used to produce knowledge. Global Intelligence Working Group (2003) defines law enforcement intelligence as the acquisition and analysis of information to produce intelligence which can be used for decision making.
There are plenty of examples within Zimbabwean contexts that can be used to illustrate some of these definitions. Take the Catholic Church’s former archbishop of Bulawayo province, Pius Ncube. The CIO had information that, despite his being a devout priest, he had a weakness for the ladies. They had this information for years and were waiting for the right opportunity to use that information (intelligence) to shut his anti-Mugabe stance down. And they used that, albeit successfully, I should say. Readers can think of dozens of other examples of such successful use of information, particularly against politically connected individuals. Remember former Vice-President Joice Mujuru previously mentioning that Mugabe has files on everyone. This is the kind of information that they have.
So how is intelligence of ordinary citizens collected by the CIO? This is done covertly, overtly, through social media, some of it comes through the ZRP, ZNA and paid informers. Covert intelligence is information gathered through undercover, technical surveillance, and pseudo operations. Zimbabwean CIO operatives like being known and most of them are not exactly discreet. There are various videos of human rights defenders (HRD) who have been followed by operatives and subsequently filmed them.
The Namatai Kwekweza video is one such example. The purpose of such aggressive form of surveillance is to intimidate and to distract the individual. What sort of intelligence or information does the CIO collect? Well, they note everything from shoe size, clothing, friends, family drinking habits, sporting activities, vehicles used, work, addresses and, in some extreme cases, they can collect DNA. This information is often fed into a software system, analysed, rated for use, or marinated. Marination is when any useful information is kept for future use.
Let me give you a practical example below on how that information looks like presently. Previously, intelligence was kept on index cards which took ages to search and input intelligence.
Let us cite the example of well-known journalist Hopewell Chin’ono. What does his profile look like on their system? Here is an example:
Pictures Addresses Associates Vehicle Crimes Intelligence and Operations
Schematic of CIO intelligence system.
Each of the above tabs will be interactive and when you click on them they will show you further contents associated with an individual. In addition, as you go from left to right, depending on operational level of clearance, one will not be able to see certain information. The intelligence section is the most populated as it will contain detailed descriptive intelligence on an individual. For high-profile individuals, there might be daily updates or intelligence. If there is a high level of intelligence from multiple sources, this will force the analyst to make actionable decisions. This can be either an arrest, abduction, warning or assault etc. So what do most intelligent notes look like? Here is an example:
On 05/10/2020 Chin’ono was seen in the company of Jacob Ngarivhume at Belgravia shops at approx. 3pm. Hopewell was wearing blue jeans, grey t shirt and black shoes. Jacob was wearing blue trousers, grey shirt, and white trainers. The long range listening device was not working hence could not hear conversation. Both individuals stayed at the shops for approximately 2 hours and left in their respective vehicles which are already on file
When this information has been sent, it then becomes rated according to the source of information, intelligence evaluation, information content, and risk assessment. Also, as demonstrated information is easily falsified, politicised, and accepted. If you look at the history of all opposition leaders from Joshua Nkomo to Nelson Chamisa, most of the intelligence gathered against them is false and grossly exaggerated. Recent statements by security Minister Owen Ncube about Operation Light House is one such example.
If the intelligence is correct and further investigation were done, why then not arrest the individuals in question or mount an operation? In Zimbabwean contexts, detailed surveillance of individuals is limited to high-profile individuals found in opposition and human rights groups. Surveillance of Nelson Chamisa, for example, will be in technological terms and the use of operatives. Technological devices can be planted on vehicles, associates and can be unwittingly downloaded via clips in chat groups/social media which have a worm. I had the privilege of working at the US embassy in Harare during my PPU days. They sweep their vehicles for devices every single day. The devices used to check are readily available and some can be found here.
In terms of overt surveillance, operatives will normally be a six-men team, the two advance party (AP), static team (ST), and direct observation (DO) team. The DO team are the ones observable and have been reported numerous occasions by individuals being followed in Zimbabwe. The ST are static and normally are on the peripheral edges of a target. The AP team are the ones who know the route normally taken by a target and can be used often to intercept. The Sanderson Makombe incident can give you a loose indication on how the teams worked in the incident that ended up in two people dying. For “minor” individuals, the surveillance team will be smaller; as you can see, it is very expensive due to the number of people and resources involved.
Another important source of intelligence in contemporary contexts is social media and the hacking of phones. The CIO has a dedicated cyber unit which carries out offensive and defensive operations on selected targets. They have additional access to the military intelligence (MI) unit based at Mt Hampden as reported by Professor Jonathan Moyo. There are myths associated with what they can reasonably do or perform. They cannot hack your WhatsApp as it has end-to-end encryption. However, messages can be read before they are encrypted or after they are decrypted. That means any spyware dropped on the phone by an attacker could read the messages. Edward Snowdon encourages people to use other apps such as Signal. In addition, all companies and individuals who have local server emails are easily hacked. I remember telling Paston Dzamara about his email which he later changed. To demonstrate this, we can look at the Baba Jukwa investigation which led the then assistant police commissioner Crispen Makedenge nowhere.
Even Facebook messages are safe unless, of course, you have unwittingly downloaded spyware on your phone from a WhatsApp group, in which case they can read and see everything. In addition, unless you are a targeted individual, they do not have the capacity and personnel to carry out analysis of millions of people like what China does, for example. In terms of internet, the Tor browser is useful if you want to circumvent the prying eyes of the CIO. I am aware that Prof Moyo is currently banging on about the Mt Hampden listening centre which is apparently being manned by Group Captain Peacemaker Credo Kereke. However, as demonstrated previously, the CIO has not been able to effectively utilise those tools as they currently rely on abduction and the physical examination of devices. Readers might be reminded that big companies such as Facebook and Apple will not even supply information to the FBI.
Lastly, let us move on to the abduction and torture of individuals by the CIO. What is the plan, what do they do, and where do they take them? Since 2000, there has been more than 5 000 abductions by the state and associated organs.
Each respective state apparatus has an associated signature. However, I am going to focus on the CIO. The purpose of abduction is normally to scare, disable, or elicit information that otherwise was not obtained during normal surveillance methods, as discussed previously. Before an abduction takes place, intelligence is synthesised and an operation order is issued by a senior intelligence officer.
This order will contain information such as purpose, personnel, location, target, resources, risk assessment, and tactics. In addition, there will be trigger plans—these are the processes to implement in case something goes wrong. If we cite the example of Itai Dzamara, these processes were in place when he was abducted on 9 March 2015. I spoke to the late Patson Dzamara at that time a few weeks after Itai’s abduction and suggested they apply for mobile phone triangulation of his phone, but I believe the idea was shot down by the police. Itai’s mobile phone would have indicated who was travelling with him and where he was taken if the phone was on.
This I also strongly suggested in the Tawanda Muchehiwa abduction as the perpetrators used his phone to lure other victims. The nearest mobile phone mast to that location has details of individuals who were close to him. This is dependent on their mobiles being on. The state is aware what exactly happened as they have obfuscated the information at every turn. My theory on Itai Dzamara is that something went wrong during the abduction and torture, resulting in the officers in question implementing the trigger plan.
Let us discuss abductions using Harare as a snapshot in order to unpack tactics and locations. The way the CIO abduct, torture and leave individuals either dead or alive has explanations within psychological and criminological contexts and I have identified certain concepts. Routine activities theory (RAT), presupposes that for an offence to occur, three elements need to be present. That is, a motivated offender (CIO), suitable victim (human rights defender), and the absence of a capable guardian (ZRP). The optimal foraging theory (OFT) can be used as a theoretical framework for applying abduction site prediction modeling to aid in locating the missing. This will be illustrated briefly in the next section.
Offender profiling is guarded by two significant assumptions, consistency and homology theory. The consistency assumption suggests that perpetrators often repeat offences in an analogous fashion. This can partly explain the methods of various state entities in the massacres and abductions that have taken place in Zimbabwe. The 5 Brigade, for instance, were very consistent in their methodologies in searching, detaining and killing of people in Matabeleland.
The homology theory proposes that the way an offence is committed is related to background characteristics of the perpetrator (The more training, resources, time the offender has the greater the opportunities and severity of torture). We can use the Jestina Mukoko abduction as an example within that context. This can be explained in other various signature kidnappings by either MI, the Ferret Team/s or War Veterans.
Let us discuss these aspects using the dozens of abductions that have taken place in Harare in the last few years. If we look at the abductions of Jestina Mukoko, Patson Dzamara, Joana Madamombe, Peter Mugombeyi, Samantha Kureya, to name but a few, a pattern emerges. The location of torture and subsequent release are within an hour of Harare and include: Beatrice farming area, Mt Hampden (near Cyber Centre), Mazowe, Bindura, Seke/Dema junctions, Snake Park, Nyabira, Nharira Hills and Lake Chivero. Anyone can actually map this (I have a map!). The operatives are operating within their comfort zone in an analogous fashion. They also have a stand down area nearby and are familiar with the area. Now that the cat is slightly out of the bag, they might change tact! In forensic contexts there might be still a wealth of information which is available in these locations.
Another aspect with regards abductions of civilians in Zimbabwe is the issue of injection of unknown substances by the CIO. Examples of people who have been subjected to such methods include Job Sikhala and Mugombeyi. The CIO inherited personnel and equipment used by the Special Branch and other Rhodesian forces. As reported by Cross in Rhodesia and Chemical Biological Warfare 1975-1980, Zimbabwe had a chemical warfare unit which poisoned thousands of guerrillas in the liberation war. Curiously, if you look at the press release in the appointment of deputy director of the CIO, Dr Mazithulela, it states that he is the chairman of the National Authority on Chemical Weapons Convention! Now why is Zimbabwe in the convention and what chemical weapons do we have? So what substances are being injected into detainees? We know the CIA, the rendition colleagues of the CIO, use Scopolamine aka “Truth Serum”. Other substances are sodium thiopental and phenobarbital. If any of the barbiturates were administered to Joana Mamombe, for example, it might explain her present physical and mental health. People metabolise and respond differently to certain drugs.
In concluding this piece, it is important for human rights defenders and other victim groups to implement community safety and abduction prevention/mitigation measures. These can be found in countering some of the activities elucidated above. Examples is the use of smart bracelets and registering on the Sentinel project for satellite tracking. These are all legal and can be found in technological, psychological and simple security measures. So those concerned should data capture low-hanging fruits such as vehicles used, names published, and locations. There are also opportunities on the technological fronts in the phone of cleaning devices and use of virtual private networks (VPNs) as alert tool, using social media and a bit of journalistic work as demonstrated by Chin’ono.
Peace.
About the writer: Silika, based in the United Kingdom, is a former policeman in Zimbabwe and has a PhD in Forensic Archaeology.
MDC Shows ZANU PF How Democracy Should Operate As Kuwadzana Primary Elections Proceed Peacefully
Paul Nyathi
The opposition MDC Alliance has set a very high bar against ZANU PF in terms of holding internal elections as the party went through very peaceful and organised primary elections in Kuwadzana Constituency ahead of the forth coming by elections.
The party opened polling stations early Sunday morning with thousands of party members expected to cast their votes by 4pm when polling closes.
The opposition party used the the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission 2018 elections voters roll with about ten polling stations set up in the constituency.
Last week, the ruling ZANU PF primary elections in the same constituency were marred with chaos and violence which forced the ruling party to postpone the primary elections.
There were running battles as people fought over money which was being splashed by one of the candidates, former Kuwadzana MP Betty Kaseke, using runners.
Trouble started when those who were handling the money in some of the groups did not give it out,
Kaseke reportedly went to the commissariat department where she managed to convince the people manning the office to give her the cell lists (voters’ roll).
She took them away and allegedly added some more names and deleted others which forced the party to resort to using the Zec voters’ roll which was rejected by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Chamisa Disappoints Welshman Ncube’s followers as Kuwadzana Constituency By Elections Proceed Despite Their Appeal.
Paul Nyathi
The Nelson Chamisa led MDC Alliance is this sunday holding primary elections in Kuwadzana Constituency in preparation for the by election to replace the late Miriam Mushayi.
The by elections reported to have been going on smoothly at the time of writing come amidst a heated contestation on who should represent the party in the by-elections, with members of the Welshman Ncube’s MDC declaring that the seat be reserved for them as per a 2018 agreement.
The Ncube led partner in the Alliance had unanimously picked on former party spokesperson Kurauone Chihwayi to be the candidate believing on the strength of the Alliance Agreement which accorded the party the seat.
Chihwayi since withdrew his candidature after the party leaders opened up the seat for an open primary election to all members of the Alliance.
In a letter to the MDC Alliance secretary general, Chalton Hwende, Chihwayi expressed disappointment over the primary election order.
“I am strongly disturbed by the violation of a valid MDC Alliance agreement that expires in 2023, which gave the seat to the MDC led by Prof Welshman Ncube.
“As such, I expected the MDC to elect or choose one of its own to finish the term of office left by the late Hon. Miriam Mushayi,” Chihwayi said.
He further said there was no need for the MDC Alliance to hold primary elections in the constituency since the seat was reserved for his party when they signed the MDC Alliance agreement in 2018.
“I did not see the rationale of participating in a primary election with members of the then MDC-T in the MDC Alliance. I am a full member of the MDC Alliance by virtue of being a member of the MDC,” Chihwayi alluded.
He further said members of the then MDC-T should withdraw from the primary elections as a way of showing respect to the terms and conditions of the 2018 agreement.
The late Mushayi was a member of the MDC before her party joined the MDC Alliance in 2018 and with this, Chihwayi believes that the seat should remain in the hands of the then MDC until the terms of the Alliance expire in 2023.
Meanwhile, women in the “MDC Green,” as the Ncube party is nicknamed also demanded that the seat be seconded to a woman from their party as was the original internal arrangement within the party.
They suggested the name of Harare based member Ellen Shiriyedenga.
Results of the by election are yet to be published.
“If Its A Banana Republic, Expect Nothing. Simple!”
By Wilbert Mukori- “There are no imaginative skills on how to move the country forward internally and externally, be it economic and political in both the ruling party and the opposition of Nelson Chamisa,” wrote Nomazulu Thata, commenting on Professor Stephen Chan’s recent video interview.
Professor Stephen Chan is a blundering idiot masquerading as an intellectual. He has made many very serious blunders on Zimbabwe politics in the past and talked about one such blunder in his interview. He admitted to advising the British Secretary of State for Africa to attend Mnangagwa’s inauguration following the rigged July 2018 elections. He argued the British to give Mnangagwa a chance.
Other luminary personalities who had observed Zimbabwe’s July 2018 elections, notably Labour MP Kate Hoey, dismissed the elections as a farce and argued the international community not to give the illegitimate Zanu PF regime any support.
It was a great pity that the British government accepted Professor Chan’s advice and not that of MP Hoey. We, in Zimbabwe, have paid dearly for that blunder to this day!
I do agree with Professor Chan’s gloomy assessment of the sorry state Zimbabwe is in. He is right to say there is a lack of imagination, internally and externally, as what to do to get the country out of the mess. The irony is the solution has been hiding in plain sight all along; if only we would open our eyes and minds to see it.
The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis is the country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. 40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have left the country’s economy in ruins. 40 years of stifled debate and democratic competition has forced quality out of public life leaving the field open to corrupt and incompetent individuals on both sides of the political divide.
We need to implement the democratic reforms to promote free debate and competition and to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections.
Since Zanu PF government will never implement the reforms, the party will never reform itself out of office, we must appoint an independent body that will implement the reforms.
Zanu PF must step down to allow the political space for the independent body that will implement the reforms.
“Zanu PF will never step down!” many have argued. Of course, they will step down; they have done is before already!
Zanu PF was forced to step down following the blatant cheating and wanton violence of the 2008 elections. The international community, included the usually reticent see nothing SADC and AU, refused to endorse Zanu PF’s claim of electoral victory and legitimacy.
By participating in the July 2018 elections Zimbabwe’s corrupt and incompetent opposition parties gave the flawed and illegal process credibility and, by extension, the vote rigging Zanu PF regime some modicum of legitimacy. Just one of the many decisions proving the compete lack of quality and imagination on the part of Nelson Chamisa et al!
The EU, the Americans, the Commonwealth and all the other nations and organisations with any democratic credentials worth a spit condemned the July 2018 elections as a farce.
“The electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Mission final report.
“As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”
Given such a damning report, the decision by Professor Chan and the British to let Mnangagwa off the legitimacy hook beggared belief and showed a complete lack of imagination.
The pressure on Zanu PF to stop down should have been brought to bear immediately following the rigged 31 July 2018. The pressure can still be brought to bear even now, the failure to revive the economy is putting Mnangagwa under renewed pressure.
Mnangagwa rigged the July 2018 elections confident he would go on to “rig” economic recovery. His “Zimbabwe is open for business!” clarion call has failed to attract the flood of investors. The corona virus pandemic has made a bad situation even worse, the crisis has now turned into a real tragedy.
Before the corona virus outbreak, 34% of the Zimbabweans were already living in extreme poverty; the number has surged upward.
Basic services such as health care and education have all but collapse because of decades of poor funding. Teachers and health care personal have been on strike for months on end demanding a living wage and safe working conditions. All civil servants have just been awarded up 500% wage increase taking the pittance wage of the lowest paid teachers from US$30 to 157 pm. The PDL in Zimbabwe is US$650 pm.
With inflation already at 838% year on year, the wage hike will be eroded away within a few months and everyone will be out of strike again.
With more than a third of the population living in extreme poverty, no health care service, no education for the children, etc. Zimbabwe’s future is bleak. And as long as the country remains a Banana Republic, a pariah state, ruled by corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs; the situation will only get worse.
Zimbabwe could have been saved from this tragic end if only Zanu PF had been stopped from turning the country into a pariah state. The country can still be save from sinking even deeper into this man-made hell-on-earth by implementing the democratic reforms designed to end the curse of rigged elections.
Only that is needed is the courage and resolve to demand that the illegitimate Zanu PF regime steps down and stop holding the nation to ransom.
Yes, Professor Chan is right, there really is shocking lack of imagination here. When a corrupt, incompetent and, for all intend and practical purposes, braindead thug like Emmerson Mnangagwa is viewed for 40 years and counting as an all powerful demigod; there is a daft lack of imagination all round.
Murdered Murehwa Boy’s Family Cries Foul Over Police Pace In Resolving Case
By A Correspondent | AS ZIMEYE.COM INVESTIGATES – the family of the murdered 7 year old MUREHWA boy, Tapiwa Makore, speak to ZimEye on Sunday expressing concerns on the speed with which the police are processing investigations to find the lad’s missing body parts, which include his skull…
interview loading below….
Chamisa, Khupe Meet
THE late former MDC MP for Luveve Constituency in Bulawayo Esaph Mdlongwa, who was also father to South Africa based legendary music producer Oscar “Oskido” Mdlongwa who died last Wednesday evening at Mater Dei Hospital due to Covid-19 related complications was yesterday laid to rest at Luveve Cemetery in the City.
He was 78.
The burial, which was restricted to close family members was historic as it brought together the two splinter MDC parties presidents Dr Thokozani Khupe and Advocate Nelson Chamisa.
Mdlongwa who was the founding organising secretary of the MDC, was buried in accordance with the WHO guidelines on Covid-19.
Mdlongwa was elected as part of the first leadership of the opposition party in 1999- before its initial split in 2005- together with the late Mr Morgan Tsvangirai (president), the late Mr Gibson Sibanda (vice president), Professor Welshman Ncube (secretary general), Mr Gift Chimanikire (deputy secretary general), the late Mr Isaac Matongo (chairman), the late Mr Fletcher Dulini Ncube (treasurer general), Mrs Lucia Matibenga (women’s assembly), the late Learnmore Jongwe (spokesman) and Mr Nelson Chamisa (youth assembly).
He was elected as the MP for Luveve in the 2000 general election.
Both Thokozani Khupe and Chamisa were given an opportunity to address the gathering with Khupe being given a chance to address the main service at the Amphitheatre in the City Centre and Chamisa being given an opportunity to speak at the grave site.
Watch video downloading below as Khupe addresses the mourners.
VP Mohadi Blasts Zanu Pf “Newcomers”
By A Correspondent| The new political administration has managed to achieve milestones that the previous dispensation failed to make progress on during its entire tenure, Vice President Kembo Mohadi has said.
Addressing the ZANU PF Matabeleland South Provincial Co-ordinating Committee (PCC) in Gwanda Town yesterday, VP Mohadi said the country is on the right track under the astute stewardship of President Mnangagwa.
“We have done what the first dispensation did not achieve. The Beitbridge-Masvingo Road; Harare-Chirundu Road were done by the New Dispensation. In Chimanimani, where Cyclone Idai wreaked havoc and killed many people, new road networks have been constructed, new schools and housing units have been put up.
“Agricultural produce can now be taken to markets, and (in all this) we used our own resources and local expertise.”
Some critics, he added, had grimly projected up to one million deaths by June as a result of the coronavirus, but Government had managed to contain the pandemic to manageable levels.
VP Mohadi also took a swipe at party members who were involved in vote buying.
“When I was injured during the 2018 blast at White City Stadium, people took advantage of my incapacitation to use money to buy their way into the party. Now we have people who do not know what ZANU PF stands for because they were not groomed by the party,” he added.
The Vice President said although the country was feeling the effects of three successive droughts, Government has made sure no one dies of hunger.
“The Government is talking of Vision 2030, where we are saying we should have attained an upper middle-income economy by 2030; this is something which we are focused on.”
ZANU PF, he said, is committed to achieving its target of 5 million voters in 2023.-The Sunday Mail
ZACC Eyes Deputy Health Minister
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission has opened an active investigation into the Health Deputy Minister Dr. John Mangwiro after it emerged that he held a meeting with National Pharmaceutical Company (Natpharm) and influenced them to award a contract worth US$5,6 million to supply COVID-19 sundries to an unregistered firm.
A report contained by ZACC says the Health Deputy Minister went to Natpharm at night and threatened them with dismissal if they failed to award the tender to an undeserving company called Young Health Care.
A report by ZACC which states that ZACC has opened an investigation to determine if the Heath Deputy Minister abused his office reads:
The Deputy Minister (Dr Mangwiro) also demanded that a purchase order be issued that same night. The adjudication team was picked from their homes around 2200 hours and were interrogated by the Deputy Minister until the early hours of the following day. The Deputy Minister threatened the team with dismissal for failing to award Young Health Care the contracts
Young Health Care Limited managed to deliver a paltry six percent of Nucleic Acid and another six percent of Transport Media but went on to request pre-payment for the awarded contract, including undelivered supplies contrary to the terms and conditions of the contract signed with Natpharm, which stipulates that payment should be made seven days after delivery (post-payment).
The Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Mangwiro, reportedly insisted on pre-payment and tasked the technical team from laboratory and Natpharm procurement to visit Young Health Care Limited in their country office and verify available stock to compel Natpharm to make a pre-payment to Young Health Care Limited.
Given the extent to which the Deputy Minister was involved in the said tender process, indications are that he was acting in his own capacity and not on behalf of the ministry. The actions of the Deputy Minister signal a personal interest in the tender and this should have prompted him to declare his interest.
Analysts last week urged the government to suspend Dr. Mangwiro for his involvement in the tender.-statemedia
Leaked: Mnangagwa’s Letter To North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea Trained The Gukurahundi Soldiers
By Paul Nyathi
Kim Jong Un , Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, received a reply message from Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, on June 15 after he wrote to Mnangagwa in April on the occasion of Zimbabwe’s independence celebrations.
Mnangagwa sounds to be enticing the Koreans for an unspecified future relationship.
Mnangagwa as State Security Minister in the early eighties entices the North Koreans to train the notorious Gukurahundi soldiers who went on to kill over 20 000 Zimbabweans in the Matabeleland region.
The reply message reads as follows:
I acknowledge, with appreciation, receipt of your kind and thoughtful message on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the Independence Day of Zimbabwe.
Our two countries share a close historical relationship which continues to grow since Zimbabwe gained independence on 18 April 1980.
I look forward to closely working with you to strengthen bilateral relations and to further consolidate the bonds of solidarity that exist between our two countries, for the mutual benefit of both nations and peoples.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Why A Zimbabwean Farming Project Failed: Lessons For Rural Innovation
Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa commit resources to promote agricultural innovations. This is based on the assumption that rural livelihoods are mainly agricultural and that the innovations will increase agricultural production and household income.
As resources come under pressure from growing populations and natural resource degradation, governments and donors want to see that agricultural research and innovation has an impact. They want to see “success” and “value for money”.
But success is understood in different ways. It depends on how it’s framed and by whom.
Studying conflict in agricultural innovations can lead to a better understanding of the appropriateness of certain technologies in terms of how they’re designed, promoted and how they’re linked to rural livelihoods.
Conservation agriculture in Zimbabwe provides a good example of an innovation like this. This approach to farming has been widely promoted by non-governmental organisations, research institutes and the state. It’s also promoted in other countries of eastern and southern Africa.
The method is based on minimal soil disturbance, mulching soil with crop residues, and crop rotation. These are meant to conserve moisture, reduce soil erosion and build up soil organic matter to improve crop yields and rural livelihoods.
We wanted to know how this innovation was promoted and implemented in Zimbabwe and how its “success” was framed and assessed. Our study found that there were differences in how farmers and promoters of conservation agriculture defined its success.
These differences matter when investments are made in promoting agricultural innovations. It’s particularly important to understand the diversity of rural livelihoods.
The research
Our study was conducted in Gwanda and Insiza districts in south western Zimbabwe. Droughts are a common feature in the area, occurring on average every two or three years. We collected data via a household questionnaire survey, interviews and focus group discussions. Participants included farmers, NGO and government extension officers.
We found that innovation was understood by the majority of respondents as having three main attributes, namely, “novelty”, “adaptability” and “utility”. Despite novelty being mentioned more often than other understandings of innovation, some felt that it existed in theory and not practically.
For example, a farmer said interventions promoted in their communities weren’t new but rather repackaged existing technologies with different names. Some weren’t suitable for the area.
Conservation agriculture was identified as the innovation most often promoted by non-governmental organisations and government extension officers in the area. Huge investments were committed to promoting it – the Department for International Development set aside about US$23 million to promote it in Zimbabwe. Yet after the project’s three year lifespan, farmers mostly abandoned the practice.
The locals gave it the name “diga ufe”, which means “dig and die”, because it required so much physical labour. The manual digging of conservation basins during land preparation and the multiple weeding was labour intensive.
Farmers did find, though, that using the conservation agriculture techniques in their vegetable gardens yielded better results compared to bigger plots. Under crop production, farmers prioritised irrigated agriculture compared to rain-fed agriculture. Gardening was therefore identified as the second ranked important livelihood source after livestock production.
Respondents agreed that innovation was vital for sustaining food security and nutrition in the context of climate change. One farmer said innovation was about experimenting with resources at one’s disposal to come up with something new and suitable for the area. He also emphasised that innovation was a collective action that includes farmers, researchers, extension agents and the private sector. He said it was not only confined to new technology (hardware), but processes such as governance, that would yield positive results.
Climate smart crops such as sorghum, millet and cowpeas and climate smart livestock (goats and indigenous poultry) were identified by locals as potentially suitable in addressing dry spells in the area. But poor informal markets, limited bargaining power, shortage of grazing land, pests and diseases constrained productivity.
Diversifying out of agriculture was identified as an alternative response to climate change. It could boost the income of the household and help sustain food and nutrition security.
Government extension officers felt that innovations in the area should be targeted towards livestock production. The area’s semi-arid climate means it’s not conducive for rain-fed agriculture.
So, despite the efforts to promote conservation agriculture, dry land cropping was ranked as the lowest source of livelihood for rural people. People in the area prioritised livestock production. Promoting more livestock production related innovations would have been ideal for the area.
What does this mean for policy and innovations?
Innovation can thrive in rural areas. But this depends on understanding the communities’ perceptions and livelihood context to appreciate their priorities.
Rural communities are dynamic and complex. Imposing innovations that don’t speak to the needs of these communities won’t achieve rural development. Our study showed the importance of developing innovations with communities as opposed to innovations for communities.
People in rural areas don’t lack capacity. They need support to utilise available resources and innovate in a flexible manner that’s context specific. They should be key players in coming up with solutions, since they have a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities within their communities.
Chamisa And Khupe Meet At Former MDC MP’s Burial
Paul Nyathi
THE late former MDC MP for Luveve Constituency in Bulawayo Esaph Mdlongwa, who was also father to South Africa based legendary music producer Oscar “Oskido” Mdlongwa who died last Wednesday evening at Mater Dei Hospital due to Covid-19 related complications was yesterday laid to rest at Luveve Cemetery in the City.
He was 78.
The burial, which was restricted to close family members was historic as it brought together the two splinter MDC parties presidents Dr Thokozani Khupe and Advocate Nelson Chamisa.
Mdlongwa who was the founding organising secretary of the MDC, was buried in accordance with the WHO guidelines on Covid-19.
Mdlongwa was elected as part of the first leadership of the opposition party in 1999- before its initial split in 2005- together with the late Mr Morgan Tsvangirai (president), the late Mr Gibson Sibanda (vice president), Professor Welshman Ncube (secretary general), Mr Gift Chimanikire (deputy secretary general), the late Mr Isaac Matongo (chairman), the late Mr Fletcher Dulini Ncube (treasurer general), Mrs Lucia Matibenga (women’s assembly), the late Learnmore Jongwe (spokesman) and Mr Nelson Chamisa (youth assembly).
He was elected as the MP for Luveve in the 2000 general election.
Both Thokozani Khupe and Chamisa were given an opportunity to address the gathering with Khupe being given a chance to address the main service at the Amphitheatre in the City Centre and Chamisa being given an opportunity to speak at the grave site.
Watch video downloading below as Khupe addresses the mourners.
South Africa With Higher Covid-19 Risk Than Zimbabwe Prepares For November By Elections
Paul Nyathi
Zimbabwe is still involved in high level squabbles on whether to go on with by elections originally set for the 5th of December because Health and Child Care Minister Constantino Chiwenga banned the elections due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
While Zimbabwe is still undecided, neighboring South African IEC says it has put measures in place to ensure the country’s by elections set for November “don’t turn into superspreader events.”
Voting was set down for March but had to be rescheduled for 11 November due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Like most entities, we had to adjust we have to adjust activities to give voice to the people without turning election into superspreader event,” said Masego Shiburi, IEC deputy manager.
“There will be a slight varied voting process and we will enforce social distancing and provide PPE for our staff.”
The IEC says these by-elections will serve as a dress rehearsal for the 2021 local government polls.
It comes amid intense debate on whether the local government and general elections should be combined in 2024.
Chiwenga, who is also the Health Minister, early this month amended the 2020 Public Health Regulations and suspended all by-elections the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had scheduled for 5 December citing the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last month, ZEC chairperson, Justice Priscilla Chigumba announced by-elections were to be conducted in December.
However, Chiwenga as the Health Minister announced that all by-elections had been suspended.
Meanwhile, parliament last week roped in to reverse Chiwenga’s ban which had been confirmed by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) saying that the election body had no legal basis to call off the by-elections based on the statutory instrument by Chiwenga that has not undergone parliamentary scrutiny.
In Parliament on Thursday, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda said statutory instruments can only be acted upon after the Parliamentary Legal Committee has issued a non-adverse report – which was yet to happen.
Wiwa: Terrence Manjengwa Deserves His Liberty
Dear Zimbabweans
By Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala, Zengeza West MP.
When I was in prison one young man called Terrence Manjengwa, through pain of my incarceration and persecution came to attend my Court sessions at Rotten Row Magistrates Court. Poor fellows in chambers upon their heads which they call riot gear refused him entrance to come and follow proceedings of my case. These are penniless idiots who were used to intimidate all those who came to give me solidarity at Rotten Row Magistrates Court. Terrence resisted this injustice and told these idiots that there is no reason why they were refusing them the right to hear the proceedings of my case in the Court. I later found out that the video of their resistance against police bullism went viral when they were telling the useless idiots in chambers over their head on the entrance to Court to go to hell.
They arrested him for a charge of criminal nuisance. Since then he is now 50 days in remand prison with courts refusing to grant him bail on the grounds that he ashamed the State.
So stupid are grounds for refusing him bail that people tend to question themselves whether Zimbabwe still has any judiciary to talk about. Does anyone need to ashame a regime which is a shame itself.
I have now taken it upon myself to inform all embassies and important bodies about the injustice perpetrated upon this young man. He is just 26 years old. His wife was expecting and delivered a baby boy last week when the husband is in prison.
The nonsense of punishing people before trial must come to an end. How would a normal country with a properly functioning judiciary system honestly refuse an accused person bail for a charge of criminal nuisance. This must be brought to the world so that everything wrong with our state is exposed. This is what is called shaming oneself not what Terrence did. Release this young man as soon as possible. Otherwise I will sprink from the slumber. I don’t give empty threats. It’s not part of my DNA. Release Terrence Manjengwa. Stop doing this kind of nonsense in our country. On Tuesday I am going to address a Press conference concerning the abuse of this young man. Enough is enough.
Terrence Manjengwa Deserves His Liberty By Job Sikhala
By Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala :
Zengeza West MP.
Dear Zimbabweans ,
When I was in prison one young man called Terrence Manjengwa, through pain of my incarceration and persecution came to attend my Court sessions at Rotten Row Magistrates Court. Poor fellows in chambers upon their heads which they call riot gear refused him entrance to come and follow proceedings of my case. These are penniless idiots who were used to intimidate all those who came to give me solidarity at Rotten Row Magistrates Court. Terrence resisted this injustice and told these idiots that there is no reason why they were refusing them the right to hear the proceedings of my case in the Court. I later found out that the video of their resistance against police bullism went viral when they were telling the useless idiots in chambers over their head on the entrance to Court to go to hell.
They arrested him for a charge of criminal nuisance. Since then he is now 50 days in remand prison with courts refusing to grant him bail on the grounds that he ashamed the State.
So stupid are grounds for refusing him bail that people tend to question themselves whether Zimbabwe still has any judiciary to talk about. Does anyone need to ashame a regime which is a shame itself.
I have now taken it upon myself to inform all embassies and important bodies about the injustice perpetrated upon this young man. He is just 26 years old. His wife was expecting and delivered a baby boy last week when the husband is in prison.
The nonsense of punishing people before trial must come to an end. How would a normal country with a properly functioning judiciary system honestly refuse an accused person bail for a charge of criminal nuisance. This must be brought to the world so that everything wrong with our state is exposed. This is what is called shaming oneself not what Terrence did. Release this young man as soon as possible. Otherwise I will sprink from the slumber. I don’t give empty threats. It’s not part of my DNA. Release Terrence Manjengwa. Stop doing this kind of nonsense in our country. On Tuesday I am going to address a Press conference concerning the abuse of this young man. Enough is enough.
Govt Advised To Open Beitbridge Border Post After The Festive Season
Paul Nyathi
Immigration experts at Beitbridge Border Post have advised goverment not to fully open the port of entry probably until after the festive season.
Speaking during a tour of Beitbridge Border Post, team leader Mr Stewart Nyakotyo said engagements have been ongoing with stakeholders at the one of Africa’s busiest border.
“We have started engaging various stakeholders at Beitbridge border post to assess the resources, operations, proposals, state of manpower, proposed timeframes for reopening, current operational challenges and what they need to get things moving,” he said.
“After that we are going to have a practical feel on the ground of what they have and the shortcomings.
“We will then make recommendations to the National Covid-19 Taskforce, which will then merge our findings and recommendations with those from other teams.
During consultations, stakeholders proposed that Government should consider a phased reopening that begins with private vehicles. The immigration officer in charge of Beitbridge, Mr Nqobile Ncube, said:
“It is only prudent to go with the phased route considering the current state of affairs here, where we are battling with commercial trucks with South Africa having re-opened their borders.
“You will note that in 2019, we cleared 5,3 million people at this border, with 14 000 passing daily, and we could have more people if we open at full throttle considering that people have not been moving for over six months.”
He said successfully reopening land borders will depend on Government’s commitment and availability of resources to attend to all safety measures as proposed by stakeholders. Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) shift manager Mr Jericho Rundogo said current civil works to upgrade the border had left them with limited space to operate, prompting the need to stagger the reopening.
“Currently, we are using private cars and bus lanes to clear commercial cargo. Imagine what will happen if we open full scale? So our proposal is, let’s have small or private cars which are easy to manage to come through and we look at public transport after the festive season to avoid chaos,” he said.
Source: State Media
Teacher Beheaded In France After Showing Prophet Mohammed Cartoons To Pupils
PARIS – A French teacher who had recently shown students cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed was beheaded outside his school on Friday in what President Emmanuel Macron called an “Islamist terrorist attack”.
The assailant, whose identity has not been established, was shot by police as they tried to arrest him and later died of his injuries, police said.
The attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”) as police confronted him, a cry often heard in jihadist attacks, a police source said.
French anti-terror prosecutors said they were treating the assault as “a murder linked to a terrorist organisation”.
The attack happened on the outskirts of Paris at around 5pm near the middle school where the teacher worked in Conflans Saint-Honorine, a northwestern suburb around 30 kilometres from the city centre.
The killing bore the hallmarks of “an Islamist terrorist attack”, Macron said as he visited the scene.
Visibly moved, the president said that “the entire nation” stood ready to defend teachers and that “obscurantism will not win”.
Four people, including a minor, have been arrested, a judicial source told AFP early Saturday. All were related to the assailant, the source added.
The victim was a history teacher who recently showed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed as part of a class discussion on freedom of expression, police said.
A parent of a pupil at the school said the teacher might have stirred “controversy” by asking Muslim pupils to leave the room before showing the cartoons.
The teacher “simply said to the Muslim children: ‘Leave, I don’t want it to hurt your feelings.’ That’s what my son told me,” the parent said.
Source: AFP
Chiwenga’s Deputy Visited Natpharm Officials At Night To Force Through An Irregular Tender, ZACC Revelation
State Media
HEALTH and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro allegedly railroaded the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm), in dramatic events, including visiting the parastatal’s workers at night and threatening them with dismissal, to award a US$5,6 million contract to an “undeserving company” — Young Health Care.
This is contained in a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (zacc) report which says the Deputy Minister had “personal interest” in the matter.
The investigation, conducted from August 31 to September 4 this year, looked into circumstances of how the Ministry of Health and Child Care handled a Covid-19 tender (NAT ITCB FWWK 04/2020) for the purchase of laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables.
The Sunday Mail recently reported that senior Government officials were allegedly caught with hands in the till over the Covid-19 materials procurement.
The alleged scandal was unearthed following a whistleblower’s tip-off in August.
Reached for comment, Dr Mangwiro said: “Sorry, I cant talk right now”, in a terse SMS response to The Sunday Mail, after his phone went unanswered.
According to the report, the commission recommended a further probe to check if the Deputy Minister criminally abused his office; possible violation of the Public Finance Management Act and Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets.
The suspected violations stem from allegations against the Deputy Minister that he ordered NatPharm to give Young Health Care a tender and advance payments before delivery of goods.
Dr Mangwiro, the zacc report says, usurped the duties of the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary through issuing countless directives to NatPharm.
Young Health Care, it emerged, was given a contract through a directive from then acting Permanent Secretary Dr Gibson Mhlanga, at a time when it was not even registered with the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) as required by law.
NatPharm acting managing director, Mr Zealous Nyabadza resisted the alleged unlawful act by Ministry of Health and Child Care officials resulting in a public tendering process which was delayed to allow Young Health Care to register with Praz.
In part, the zacc report reads: “Initial quotation by Young Health Care for supply of commodities under direct procurement, where prices quoted by Young Heath Care Limited were exorbitant amounted to USD$5 600 000, which was coincidentally the same amount that was in the Ministry coffers, suggesting that the company had inside information.
“When NatPharm insisted on competitive bidding, Young Health Care Limited subsequently submitted a bid price of USD$3 600 000 for the same items. This saw a reduction of 36 percent in the price.”
The public tender was then done on August 7, 2020, with 22 companies competing for the contract.
zacc said Dr Mangwiro allegedly side-stepped and cajoled NatPharm top managers, at odd hours, to award the tender to Young Health Care before threatening the parastatal’s workers with dismissal if they acted otherwise.
“The Deputy Minister also demanded that a purchase order be issued that same night.
“The adjudication team was picked from their homes around 2200 hours and were interrogated by the Deputy Minister until the early hours of the following day. The Deputy Minister threatened the team with dismissal for failing to award Young Health Care the contracts,” reads the zacc report.
Young Health Care was then awarded a contract to supply goods worth US$124 630 instead of US$922 000 that had been demanded as advance payment.
The Zacc report says, “Young Health Care Limited managed to deliver a paltry 6 percent of Nucleic Acid and another 6 percent of Transport Media but went on to request pre-payment for the awarded contract, including undelivered supplies contrary to the terms and conditions of the contract signed with Natpharm, which stipulates that payment should be made seven days after delivery (post-payment).
“The Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Mangwiro, reportedly insisted on pre-payment and tasked the technical team from laboratory and Natpharm procurement to visit Young Health Care Limited in their country office and verify available stock to compel Natpharm to make a pre-payment to Young Health Care Limited.”
This had a negative impact on the tendering process as the technical adjudication team did not carry out verification of supplies.
“Given the extent to which the Deputy Minister was involved in the said tender process, indications are that he was acting in his own capacity and not on behalf of the ministry. The actions of the Deputy Minister signal a personal interest in the tender and this should have prompted him to declare his interest,” the report said.
The tender was later cancelled due to the irregularities and will now be re-floated to allow deserving companies to supplies the much needed laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables for Covid-19.
Former Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo was fired over his involvement in a US$60 million Covid-19 procurement scandal.
This comes after Health and Child Care Minister Constantino Chiwenga has declared zero tolerance to corruption in his ministry.
VID Opens For Driving Tests On Monday
State Media
THE Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) will start conducting road tests and issuing driver’s licences from tomorrow after it closed in March due to Covid-19 induced lockdown.
Cabinet okayed the resumption of VID operations last month.
Since being given the nod to reopen, the department is understood to have been developing operating procedures and health protocols in line with Covid-19 guidelines.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Permanent Secretary Engineer Amos Marawa said that VID had finalised developing the procedures in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations.
The guidelines were approved by Cabinet and the National Covid-19 Taskforce.
“VID has developed operating guidelines and standard operating procedures which are in line with WHO guidelines and were approved by the National Taskforce on Covid-19, and Cabinet.
“These will guide the operations of VID during the pandemic,” Eng Marawa said.
The ministry has since issued a circular to all depots instructing them to start conducting tests and issuing drivers’ licences from tomorrow.
Following the suspension of operations, Government extended the validity of provisional driving licences and defensive driving certificates by six months to give room for holders to remain eligible for testing.
Abednico Bhebhe Gets Khupe Jumping Around After Damning Court Affidavit
Paul Nyathi
MDC-T 2014 Organising Secretary Abednico Bhebhe has got interim leader Thokozani Khupe running around as he has delivered scathing attacks on her and party National Chairman Morgen Komichi through his court submissions.
Khupe, Komichi, acting secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora and Bhebhe were taken to the High Court by two party members Gilbert Kagodora and Nason Mamuse, who want them to be compelled to release key information ahead of an extraordinary congress to choose a new leader.
In a surprise move, Bhebhe turned against his collegues and filed an answering affidavit accusing Khupe, Komichi and Mwonzora of trying to manipulate the outcome of the congress.
Khupe, who initially signalled that she would not respond to the application as an individual, on Thursday got into full gear with an answering affidavit targeting Bhebhe and not the appellants.
She argued that Bhebhe was not qualified to speak on behalf of the party and should not be allowed to respond to the court application as an individual.
“The fourth respondent ought not to have been joined to these proceedings.
“He is not permitted by the constitution of the first respondent (MDC-T) to speak about the first respondent’s affairs in a court of law in respect of any functions assigned to him under the constitution,” Khupe said in her affidavit.
“He is accountable to me and the relevant organs of the party.
“If any issues arise from his official duties, he cannot be sued in a court of law.
“It is the party and its authorised officials who may sue or be sued on behalf of the party.
“He must be removed from these proceedings.
“I am advised that the fourth respondent’s papers do not comply with the law on notices of opposition.
“He is not opposing the basis of the application; he is adding his own grievances and has his own prayer.
“This is not permitted by our law. His papers must be expunged from the record.”
Bhebhe argued Khupe, Komichi and Mwonzora were deliberately eliminating some members of the 2014 Congress in order to twist the Congress in their favour. One of the key members of the MDC-T 2014 National Council is their big rival Nelson Chamisa who took over party leadership after the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Khupe has since indicated that she has fired Chamisa from the party.
A Supreme Court judgement in March nullified the appointment of MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa and ordered an extraordinary congress within three months.
The ruling said the party should revert to its 2014 structures with Khupe as acting president.
The MDC-T’s extraordinary congress is yet to take place and, according to Bhebhe, there were attempts to hold the national council and national executive meetings virtually, but in the process shutting out bona fide members of the party’s 2014 structures.
Bhebhe accused Khupe and Komichi of “direct and flagrant disregard” of the MDC-T constitution while “habitually and unilaterally” abusing the national standing committee by pushing through this committee decisions that are ordinarily in the province of the national executive and/or the national council meeting.
The decisions, Bhebhe said, included firing elected officials and members of the party 2014 structures without due process.
Parallel delegates have been positioned, according to Bhebhe, while his list has been sidelined yet he was in charge of the party structures.
Kagodora and Mamuse approached the courts after Mwonzora said MDC Alliance legislators and councillors that were recently recalled by his party would not be allowed to contest for positions at the congress despite them being in the party 2014 structures.
They are also demanding that before the congress is held, the party’s various internal organs must be involved.
Additional reporting The Standard
“We Will Not Be Removed From Power By Barking Dogs,” ZANU PF Top Official Declares.
Paul Nyathi
The ruling ZANU PF party’s third in command, Second Vice President Kembo Mohadi has called, dogs, opposition parties and other proponents against the ZANU PF government.
Addressing government officials, among them Cabinet ministers, following a tour of infrastructure built under the Beitbridge Redevelopment Project, Mohadi said the “junta” would not be dislodged by “dogs barking at the rising moon”, in apparent reference to the media and opposition parties exposing the Zanu PF government’s inadequacies.
Mohadi also declared that Zimbabwe will, for a long time, remain under military rule because civilians had no capacity to enforce stability.
“People call us junta, the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) is a war veteran, Vice-President (Constantino) Chiwenga is a soldier, I am a soldier, (Housing) minister (Daniel) Garwe here is a soldier and we will rule not minding what the media says. We will continue to rule. Civilians will not,” he said.
“Those of you who are like dogs barking at the rising moon, you can come back home because the moon will continue rising. There is nothing wrong in coming back home.”
His remarks came at a time the opposition MDC Alliance, which accuses Mnangagwa of rigging the July 2018 presidential election, has escalated its campaign for the international community to intervene and resolve the political logjam which has plunged the country in a crisis.
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa claims that he won the presidential poll, but was denied a clear victory by Mnangagwa working in cahoots with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Constitutional Court which endorsed the Zanu PF leader as winner.
Mnangagwa’s Govt Claims It Has Done In Two Years Things Mugabe Failed To Do In 37 Years
Paul Nyathi
The new political administration has managed to achieve milestones that the previous dispensation failed to make progress on during its entire tenure, Vice President Kembo Mohadi has said.
Addressing the ZANU PF Matabeleland South Provincial Co-ordinating Committee (PCC) in Gwanda Town yesterday, VP Mohadi said the country is on the right track under the astute stewardship of President Mnangagwa.
“We have done what the first dispensation did not achieve. The Beitbridge-Masvingo Road; Harare-Chirundu Road were done by the New Dispensation. In Chimanimani, where Cyclone Idai wreaked havoc and killed many people, new road networks have been constructed, new schools and housing units have been put up.
“Agricultural produce can now be taken to markets, and (in all this) we used our own resources and local expertise.”
Some critics, he added, had grimly projected up to one million deaths by June as a result of the coronavirus, but Government had managed to contain the pandemic to manageable levels.
VP Mohadi also took a swipe at party members who were involved in vote buying.
“When I was injured during the 2018 blast at White City Stadium, people took advantage of my incapacitation to use money to buy their way into the party. Now we have people who do not know what ZANU PF stands for because they were not groomed by the party,” he added.
The Vice President said although the country was feeling the effects of three successive droughts, Government has made sure no one dies of hunger.
“The Government is talking of Vision 2030, where we are saying we should have attained an upper middle-income economy by 2030; this is something which we are focused on.”
ZANU PF, he said, is committed to achieving its target of 5 million voters in 2023.
Kembo Mohadi Says Govt Has Dealt With The White City Stadium Bomber And Will Never Be Able To That Again.
Paul Nyathi
Vice President Kembo Mohadi says that goverment has silently “dealt with” the person who detonated an explosive suspected to have been a grenade at White City Stadium in June 2018 in what was described as an assasination attempt on President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the finish of a ZANU PF campaign rally in Bulawayo.
Addressing government officials, among them Cabinet ministers, following a tour of infrastructure built under the Beitbridge Redevelopment Project, Mohadi said the “junta” would not be dislodged by “dogs barking at the rising moon”, in apparent reference to the media and opposition parties exposing the Zanu PF government’s inadequacies.
The blast killed two VVIP security aides, and seriously injured several government and Zanu PF officials.
He, however, could not name the culprit or disclose how government had dealt with him, raising speculation that the State might have applied extra-judicial punishment on the suspected assassin.
At least 45 people including Mohadi, Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, former Zanu PF national commissar Engelbert Rugeje, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry, to name a few, were injured in the explosion, widely believed to have been targeted at Mnangagwa.
The incident occurred when political tempers were still high in Zanu PF following the ouster of the now late former President Robert Mugabe in a November 2017 military coup.
“I know people are asking when that person will be arrested. We are not interested in that. He has been dealt with and he will never be able to do that again. We are not going to arrest him. He is not going to do it again,” Mohadi said.
After the blast, police interviewed witnesses, a number of whom reported that they saw a man throw an object at the stage.
Police described the suspect as a young male “between the ages of 23 and 25”, about 1.7 meters tall and of dark complexion, who was wearing a yellow ZANU–PF T-shirt at the time of the attack.
Witnesses told police that the man lobbed an item towards the stage from about 30 to 35 meters away, but the item missed its target after hitting a rope and then bouncing off a security officer’s cheek before landing and detonating.
The suspect was allegedly “fiddling around” with the object before throwing it. After the blast, police and military went after him, but witnesses said they saw soldiers get to him first and arrest him, police reported.
The suspect has never been seen since the military apprehended him in the townships outside White City Stadium.
Two other suspects, residents of Bulawayo’s Pumula suburb were also picked up by the police and appeared before a magistrate at the Tredgold Magistrates’ Court in Bulawayo to answer charges regarding the bombing.
The suspects were identified as John Zulu and Douglas Musekiwa, and it was clear that none of these men was the suspect arrested by the military the day of the attack.
Zulu and Musekiwa were later released without charges.
In the latest reports on the incident, a soldier who claimed to have carried out the bombing while trying to impress a girlfriend was jailed for 12 years.
Tendai Saunyama Kandima, who worked for Military Intelligence, was convicted of making statements prejudicial to the state by the General Court Martial.
Kandima had no lawyer during his trial. Harare lawyer Innocent Gonese – instructed by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights – has taken up his case aiming to secure his release to enable him to undergo urgent treatment for a heart ailment.
AUDIO-EXCLUSIVE: MUREHWA MURDER, FAMILY SAYS ZRP TAKING TOO LONG TO FIND MISSING SKULL DESPITE CLEAR LEADS
By A Correspondent | AS ZIMEYE.COM INVESTIGATES – the family of the murdered 7 year old MUREHWA boy, Tapiwa Makore, speaks to ZimEye on Sunday expressing concerns on the speed with which the police are processing investigations to find the lad’s missing body parts, which include his skull…
interview loading below….
Verified -Tapiwa Makore Father Used To Own Shares In Rixi Taxi | MUREHWA MURDER FAMILY EXCLUSIVE FILES
Khupe Leaves Mdlongwa Funeral In A Huff: Reports
MDC-T leader Dr Thokozani Khupe reportedly left the funeral of party stalwart Esaph Mdlongwa in a huff after party supporters aligned to Nelson Chamisa booed her, forcing the now leader of the opposition in parliament to cut short her attendance at gathering.
This is according to a party supporter who shared the details on Twitter.
“Khupe was forced to leave the funeral of the late National Organiser Leader Mdlongwa after the mourners started jeering at her. Efforts by family members to calm the mourners were in vain,” the member said.
I Suspect Mwonzora Has A Tumour In His Brains- Matutu
Khupe: We’re In Politics Because We Want Money, Once We Have Money We Can Send Our Children To School
Zim Govt Speaks On Full Scale Re-Opening Of Borders
ZIMBABWE is set to re-open more land borders after a team of senior Government officials was dispatched to assess the state of affairs at the port of entries/exit ahead of the gradual opening.
Two weeks ago, the country re-opened its side of the Beitbridge Border Post but only to allow Zimbabwean citizens in South Africa to return home. The border is also processing outbound Zimbabweans with valid South African permanent residence and other permits such as work and student permits who are also now allowed to cross into South Africa and back home.
Zimbabweans in South Africa popularly known as injiva are also now allowed back home without any restrictions or special clearance in a move that would see some locals who had been stuck in the neghbouring country flocking back home.
However, it has emerged that the Government is now moving to re-open other land borders to passenger traffic. The latest developments are being implemented as per last week’s Cabinet directive that teams be sent to all border posts to assess the state of readiness and recommend interventions after taking input from all stakeholders on the ground.
Sunday News understands that the teams are visiting Beitbridge, Forbes, Chirundu, Kariba, Victoria Falls, Kazungula, and Nyamapanda border posts. The teams comprise senior civil servants from ministries of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Defence and War Veterans, and Local Government and Public Works.
Beitbridge’s team leader, Mr Stewart Nyakotyo who is the Director Legal and Consul Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade said their mission involves taking submissions from border actors and practical assessment of current operations.
“We have started engaging various stakeholders at Beitbridge to assess the resources, operation proposals, state of manpower, proposed time frames for re-opening, current operational challenges, and what they need to get things moving. After which we are going to have a practical feel on the ground of what they have and the shortcomings. We will then make recommendations to the National Covid-19 Task Force which will then merge our findings and recommendations with those from other teams. This will then be taken to Cabinet to guide decision making,” said Mr Nyakotyo.
Speaking during the consultation, border stakeholders proposed that the Government should consider a phased border opening before allowing all and sundry through the borders. They said those travelling in private vehicles should start in the first phase this year with public transport being the last before the end of the first quarter of 2021. The immigration officer-in-charge of Beitbridge Mr Nqobile Ncube said:
“It is only prudent to go with the phased route considering the current state of affairs here where we are battling with the commercial trucks with South Africa having re-opened their borders. You will note that in 2019, we cleared 5, 3 million people at this border with 14 000 passing through daily and we could have more people if we open at full throttle considering that people have not been moving for over six months.”
He said a successful re-opening of the land borders will depend on the Government’s resource base to attend to all the safety measures as proposed by the border stakeholders. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) shift manager, Mr Jericho Rundogo said the current civil works to upgrade the border post had left them with limited operation space and hence the need to stagger the opening.
“Currently we are using private cars and bus lanes to clear commercial cargo. Imagine what will happen if we open to full strength. So our proposal is let’s have small/private cars which are easy to manage to come through and we look at public transport after the festive season to avoid a chaotic scenario,” he said.
Beitbridge District Medical Officer Dr Lenos Samhere said they were still in discussions with four private laboratories who want to set up shop in the border town to boost the testing of travellers leaving and entering the country through Beitbridge.
He said they had since requested for more Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and automated screening machines to boost service delivery and minimise delays at the port of entry.
-State Media
MUREHWA MURDER: Family Owned Rixi Taxis?
https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1317531664264974337?s=19
SADC To Declare 25 October Anti-Abductions Day – MOTION
Nick Mangwana vs Herbert Gomba Over Running-Down Councils | WHO’S GUILTY?
By A Correspondent | Below is the LIVE discussion following Government spokesperson, Nick Mangwana’s last minute turning down a LIVE debate with former Harare mayor Gomba over MDC run councils saying:
“Please get someone from Zanu PF as I am not a politician and can’t really go for the political jugular as I am restrained by my office,” as he told ZimEye.
On Friday morning, Mangwana accused the MDC of running down the councils. He wrote on Twitter saying, “Our Cities have been totally run-down. What’s interesting is that in 20 years(1980-2000) we had great services.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW
“One wonders what has happened in the last 20(2000-2020) for us to be in this mess.
“Those who can’t run smaller things can’t surely run things at a National Scale.”
“But he posted a politically motivated statement on Twitter,” Gomba complained saying, to which Mangwana replied saying,
Mangwana responded saying, “Lol. Tell him I posted as an aggrieved ratepayer.”
So why don’t you come debate with your mayor as a ratepayer then?
To this, Mangwana said, “Naaa. People will always quote what I say and attribute it to Govt. Get Cde Mugwadi or Chirau.”
11 New Covid-19 Cases Recorded Yesterday
Zimbabwe recorded 11 new Covid-19 cases and zero deaths yesterday.
As at 17 October 2020, Zimbabwe had 8 110 confirmed cases, including 7 673 recoveries and 231 deaths.
Crocodile Gang Leader Secretary’s Husband Dies In Paris.
By A Correspondent | The late Crocodile Gang leader, William Ndangana’s secretary, Patience Olivier’s husband, Claude, has died.
He was 78.
Patience Olivier is a strong supporter of the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa.
Her husband was in hospital for over a week.
- More to follow…
“We Must Overthrow ED Before 2023” …….
I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy. I urge every member of both parties, people of all religions and of all colours, from every section of this country, to join me in that cause.
At times history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man’s unending search for freedom. – Lyndon Baines Johnson
……
Last year June, the Zengeza West MP Job Sikhala said Emmerson Mnangagwa who pushed his way to Presidency through the 2017 military coup will be replaced by a transitional authority in a civilian administration.
Sikhala added saying Zimbabweans will deal with Mnangagwa the Tunisian and Sudanese way. “This man (Mnangagwa) is clueless, his government is pathetic,” he said.
He added “Mugabe would at least show you some instincts of knowing how to run a state. This man is an embarrassment to the people of Zimbabwe and he knows it. “Zimbabweans do not see an election before 2023. Zimbabweans see a change of government before 2023 through the will of the people.”
Sikhala also said, “If you had been following some of the elections in Africa, you would know that Ben Ali won by 96% but six months later, the people of Tunisia said enough is enough.
“Omar Al Bashir (ousted Sudanese leader) won elections last year but it did not take two years for people to say enough is enough. “I see that if Emmerson Mnangagwa is not going to engage MDC President Nelson Chamisa and the MDC leadership to find a solution, the people of Zimbabwe, without the influence of anyone, will make sure that they take the destiny of this country into their own hands.”
Mwonzora Fires Deceased MDC Alliance Member
MDC T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora has expelled Dusty Zivhaze, an MDC founding member who succumbed to ulcers on July 15, 2019 from the party.
An internal memo dated July 2, 2020 and signed by Mwonzora affirms the expulsion.
Efforts to get a comment from Mwonzora were futile.
Zivhave, an MDC founding member died on July 15, 2019 at Checheche St Peters Hospital after battling ulcers. He was the secretary for information and publicity at the time of his death.
The memo expels 34 members from Harare, Mash West, Manicaland, Mash Central, Chitungwiza, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Mat North and Mat South.
In Masvingo, the late Zivhaze was expelled together with provincial chairperson James Gumbi, Takanayi Mureyi and youth leader Philip Chingini.
“In terms of clause 5 (10)a of the constitution of the MDC party be their joining or supporting another party they have automatically terminated their membership of the MDC party led by the late Dr Richard Morgan Tsvangirai,” reads part of the memo. -MasvingoMirror
OPINION: Failure to Hold Free And Fair Elections, Zim’s Biggest Problem
By Patrick Guramatunhu- One of the most offensive and exasperating things the white colonial oppressors did was to deny the blacks their voice and human dignity.
In the workplace blacks were called “boyi” and were expected to grovel before the whites, to show respect, and to do as they were told.
The print and electronic media was there to give the whites a voice. The few independent newspapers and magazine serving the blacks were expected to help keep law and order by not questioning the blatant racial injustice. And so such publications as Moto, a Roman Catholic Church backed magazine, were harassed and censored by the white regime for publishing strongly held views by blacks. The whites could not tolerate any black person do dared to think for themselves; they were considered radicals and dangerous.
In white ruled Rhodesia, blacks had no meaningful say in the governance of the country. They had no vote; period.
Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980 has brought an end to white colonial oppression but only to replace it with black ruling elite oppression. All pretence of Zimbabwe being a multi-party democracy completely evaporated with the signing of the Zanu PF and PF Zapu Unity Accord in 1987; merging the two parties to form the de facto one-party, Zanu PF, dictatorship.
Zanu PF assimilated the laws and practices designed to silence and oppress the blacks, lock, stock and barrel, and keep the white in power; only this time they were to keep the Zanu PF dictatorship in power.
In Zanu PF ruled Zimbabwe, blacks had a vote in theory but not in practice. Starting with the 1980 elections Zanu PF has blatantly cheated and used violence varying from subtle intimidation to beatings, rape and even cold-blooded murder to secure electoral victory. Zimbabwe has never ever held free, fair and credible elections.
The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic mess is the failure to hold free and fair elections. The country has been stuck with a corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF regime for 40 years now. 40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have left the country in economic ruins and millions are now living in abject poverty.
The economic situation in Zimbabwe has reached alarming levels, unemployment has soared to 90% plus, basic services such as education and health care have all but collapsed. 34% of the population, according to WB 2019 report, were living in extreme poverty. The corona virus pandemic has made the health and economic situation even worse. The human suffering caused by the economic meltdown has become intolerable.
It is extremely annoying therefore that instead of the nation addressing the country’s economic mess and the underlying cause of rigged elections the nation being forced to discuss a side show.
“Zanu-PF takes strong exception to being lectured on issues of human rights by citizens of countries which perpetrated the brutalities accompanying the Atlantic African Slave Trade and colonial conquest of Africa, and who refuse to render apologies or pay reparations,” said Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu PF’s acting spokesperson.
“As a consequence of seeking to redress the brutalities that occurred in the colonisation of Zimbabwe, accompanied by dispossession of our land and brutal confiscation of livestock by colonialists, the country has suffered 20 years of naked bullying, economic isolation and severe sanctions regime by the former colonial powers now acting in concert as economic and political powers in support of what they allege are rights of 4 500 white former farmers,” he said.
Ordinary Zimbabweans have been calling for the restoration of their basic freedoms and human rights including the right to a meaningful vote and the right to life itself. Of course, they have been crying for freedom, peace, justice and human dignity all their lives; they are at the coal face of Zanu PF oppression just as they were at the coal face of white colonial oppression.
Last month President Cyril Ramaphosa of SA send envoys to Zimbabwe whose mission was to encourage Zanu PF to accept meaningful democratic changes and end the country’s worsening economic and political crisis. SA was told in no uncertain terms to mind its own business.
“We are an independent sovereign country. We agreed in our meeting that we are equal sovereign States. South Africa has no mediatory role to play in Zimbabwe. We know that the South African government is controlled by white men,” remarked Patrick Chinamasa.
So Zanu PF has completely ignored the ordinary Zimbabweans who have crying for their freedoms and rights because the regime is indifferent to their suffering. And, more significantly, Zanu PF, just like the white colonial regime before it, does not recognise ordinary Zimbabweans as human beings entitled to the same freedoms and rights as other human being.
“That at the time of abolition of the Atlantic African slave trade the British through the British Parliament approved and paid 20 million pounds to slave owners already rich through the labour of the slaves,” concluded Chinamasa.
This is just madness! And so, ordinary Zimbabweans be denied their basic freedoms and rights because the British compensated the slave owners but not the slaves. What has that got to do with me?
Nick Mangwana In Last Minute Snub Of Live Debate On MDC Alliance Run Councils
By A Correspondent | Government spokesperson, Nick Mangwana has at the last minute turned down a LIVE debate with former Harare mayor Gomba over MDC run councils saying:
“Please get someone from Zanu PF as I am not a politician and can’t really go for the political jugular as I am restrained by my office,” as he told ZimEye.
Yesterday Mangwana accused the MDC of running down the councils. He wrote on Twitter saying, “Our Cities have been totally run-down. What’s interesting is that in 20 years(1980-2000) we had great services.
“One wonders what has happened in the last 20(2000-2020) for us to be in this mess.
“Those who can’t run smaller things can’t surely run things at a National Scale.”
“But he posted a politically motivated statement on Twitter,” Gomba complained saying, to which Mangwana replied saying,
Mangwana responded saying, “Lol. Tell him I posted as an aggrieved ratepayer.”
So why don’t you come debate with your mayor as a ratepayer then?
To this, Mangwana said, “Naaa. People will always quote what I say and attribute it to Govt. Get Cde Mugwadi or Chirau.”
President Chamisa Speaks On Ngadziore Persecution
Farai Dziva|ZINASU leader, Takudzwa Ngadziore who was granted bail on Friday, has declared he is determined to push for democratic change despite harassment and persecution.
The vibrant and brave ZINASU leader also urged the nation to unite in fighting for freedom from Zanu PF oppression.
Commenting on Ngadziore’s remarks President Chamisa said:
“On point Zinasu President. Resistance is the language of the oppressed!”
Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s desperate attempt to use guns to disrupt the people’s struggle literally confirms that he is an illegitimate leader who is afraid of the power of the citizens, according to President Chamisa.
Advocate Chamisa also took a swipe at the jittery Zanu PF leader for using “excessive force and coercion against hapless citizens.”
“The incumbent’s illegitimacy is confirmed by the excessive use of force and coercion against citizens.
Faith in brute force often mislead unpopular rulers to mistakenly rely on guns, imprisonment, teargas and terror to subjugate and muzzle citizens.
Ultimately,citizens will always win,” President Chamisa said in a statement.
“Resistance Is The Language Of The Oppressed”
Farai Dziva|ZINASU leader, Takudzwa Ngadziore who was granted bail on Friday, has declared he is determined to push for democratic change despite harassment and persecution.
The vibrant and brave ZINASU leader also urged the nation to unite in fighting for freedom from Zanu PF oppression.
Commenting on Ngadziore’s remarks President Chamisa said:
“On point Zinasu President. Resistance is the language of the oppressed!”
Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s desperate attempt to use guns to disrupt the people’s struggle literally confirms that he is an illegitimate leader who is afraid of the power of the citizens, according to President Chamisa.
Advocate Chamisa also took a swipe at the jittery Zanu PF leader for using “excessive force and coercion against hapless citizens.”
“The incumbent’s illegitimacy is confirmed by the excessive use of force and coercion against citizens.
Faith in brute force often mislead unpopular rulers to mistakenly rely on guns, imprisonment, teargas and terror to subjugate and muzzle citizens.
Ultimately,citizens will always win,” President Chamisa said in a statement.
Minister Visits Employees At 10pm To Threaten Over Tender With Inflated Figures Awarded to Briefcase Company
- …convening a meeting at 10pm on a date in August 2020, to complain why the tender team did not award a dysfunctional firm the tender.
By A Correspondent | When he was sworn into office 2 years ago, the Deputy Health And Child Care Minister, John Mangwiro swore saying he would help the country lower its health bill.
25 months later, a major investigation opened by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission investigates the circumstances in which, the pharmaceutical parastatal, Natpharm is being forced to award Young Healthcare Limited, a briefcase company, a tender for COVID materials. The Deputy Health Minister is under investigation for among other things, complaining and convening a meeting at 10pm on a date in August 2020, to complain why the tender team did not award dysfunctional firm the tender.
The investigation also looks into why COVID 19 materials were overpriced in the deal.
“Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr. Mangwiro convened a meeting with the adjudication team, where he queried the reasons why the team did not award the tender to Young HealthCare Limited.
Members were threatened with dismissal;” the ZACC report says.
The report investigates how minister Mangwiro allegedly pounced on Natpharm’s adjudicating team for tenders, late at night, at 10pm and grilled them why they are refusing to award Young HealthCare Limited the tender.
The value was at first set at USD5,6 million.
Young Health Care Limited was awarded a contract to supply nucleic acid and purification machines, transport media and reagents.
But to date, Natpharm has received supplies worth only US$124 630.
The Deputy Minister also reportedly insisted on pre-payment and tasked the technical team from laboratory and Natpharm procurement to visit Young Health Care Limited in their country office and verify available stock in order to compel the Natpharm Acting MD to make a prepayment to Young Health Care Limited. Such actions violated the evaluation process since the technical team did not have the mandate to carry out the verification of supplies.
THE FULL ZACC REPORT IS BELOW:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- BACKGROUND……………………………………………………………………3
- OBJECTIVES………………………………………………………………..…….3
- METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………………………4
- FINDINGS……………………………………………………………………..4-7
- RECOMMENDATIONS…………………………………………..…………….8
6. CONCLUSIONS………………………………………………………………………9
- CLIENT’S COMMENTS ON RECOMMENDATIONS………….…………..9
- IMPLEMENTATION…………………………………………… ..…………..10
- MONITORING AND EVALUATION……………………………………….10
- ANNEXURES……………………………………………………………………11
1. BACKGROUND
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, as prescribed by Section 12 of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act (Chapter9:22) is mandated, amongst other functions, to monitor and examine the practices, systems and procurement procedures of the public and private institutions; to advise and assist agency or institution in the elimination of minimization of corruption; and to assist in the formulation of practices, systems and procurement procedures of public institutions with a view to the elimination of corrupt practices.
It is against this background that the Commission assigned Compliance and Systems Department to carry out a Compliance and Systems Spot Check Exercise on the procurement procedures for Tender Number– International NAT TCB FWWK 04/2020- laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables for COVID-19 at Natpharm. The exercise was necessitated by allegations raised in the anonymous letter to ZACC dated 18th August 2020 that Natpharm and Ministry of Health and Child Care did not follow proper procurement procedures for the procurement of laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables for COVID-19 management (tender reference number: INT NAT ITCB FWWK 04/2020).
2. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the exercise were to ascertain the allegations made in the anonymous letter, which were as follows:-
- The tender was awarded to a non-deserving company (Young Healthcare), whose products were sub-standard and do not meet
World Health Organization and FDA specifications; and CE marked;
- The price quoted by Young International was higher than other competitors whose products were approved by WHO, FDA; and CE marked;
- Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr. Mangwiro convened a meeting with the adjudication team, where he queried the reasons why the team did not award the tender to Young HealthCare Limited.
Members were threatened with dismissal;
- To examine the systems, procurement procedures and practices related to Tender Number : International NAT TCB FWWK 04/2020- laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables for COVID-19; and
- To come up with recommendations to plug loopholes and measures in view of the above allegations.
3. METHODOLOGY
1. Interviews
Interviews with members of the adjudication team for the tender for laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables, were held to ascertain what transpired during the procurement process with a view of ascertaining the allegations, tracing the systems used, identify weaknesses and possible remedies. The individuals interviewed were the Acting Managing Director of Natpharm, officers from National Microbiology Reference Laboratories (NMRL) and the procurement officer at Natpharm.
2. Documents Analysis
In order to confirm some statements made by the interviewees, the team requested for a number of documents listed below:
- Tender documents for 04/2020;
- Summary Report of the tender; and
- Young HealthCare Limited company profile and communication with Natpharm and Ministry of Health and Child Care.
4. FINDINGS
4.1 Non-Compliance with provisions of PRAZ Circular 1 of 2020, Public Finance Management Act [Chapter: 22:19] and the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act [Chapter 10:31] by Ministry of Health and Child Care.
4.1.1 Numerous directives from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), particularly Deputy Minister Dr. Mangwiro to
Natpharm Management
- Procurement process of the tender 04/2020 was marred by directives from the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Mangwiro, resulting in delaying of the procurement. A letter from the then Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Mhlanga dated 15 July 2020, instructing Nat-Pharm to make direct procurement of supplies from Young Health Care (attached) was issued when the company was not registered with PRAZ. This is violation of some provisions of PRAZ Circular 1 of 2020 which stipulates that, only PRAZ listed suppliers are sources of COVID-19 supplies. When Natpharm insisted on competitive bidding, the tender process had to be postponed to allow Young Health Care Limited to register with PRAZ. This delayed the procurement of COVID-19 materials.
- The Deputy Minister has usurped the authority of the Permanent Secretary as the accounting Officer.
The Deputy Minister does not have the powers and mandate to undertake administrative duties, which are the responsibility of the Permanent Secretary. The Deputy Minister reportedly issued numerous directives to the Nat-Pharm management throughout the tender process.
4.1.2 Price-inflation by Young Health Care on Direct Procurement quotation ($5 600 000)
- Initial quotation by Young Health Care for supply of commodities under direct procurement, where prices quoted by Young Heath Care Limited were exorbitant amounted to USD$5 600 000-00, which was coincidentally the same amount that was in the Ministry coffers, suggesting that the company had inside information.
- When Nat-Pharm insisted on competitive bidding, Young
Health Care Limited subsequently submitted a bid price of USD$ 3 600 000-00 for the same items. This saw a reduction of 36% in the price. (see attached two quotations).
4.1.3 Interference with the bidding process by the Deputy Minister
of Health and Child Care, Dr. Mangwiro. (see attached report from Natpharm).
Natpharm settled for competitive bidding, which saw other bidders coming on board to compete with Young Health Care. The tender was eventually floated on the 5th of August and closed 7th of August 2020, in line with PRAZ Circular 1 of 2020 which provides for emergency procurement, allowing tenders to be floated for 48hrs instead of 40 working days under normal circumstances. A total of 22 bidders participated. The adjudication of the tender started from the 8th to 10th of August 2020 and resumed from the 13th and 14th of August 2020.
4.1.4 The results of the winners were announced except for tender item 24, 25 and 26 which are yet to be concluded to allow further technical evaluation of the samples from bidders.
4.1.5 Natpharm Acting MD reported that he received a phone call from the Deputy Minister instructing him to convene with his adjudication team during odd hours to explain why the tender was not awarded to
Young Healthcare Limited. The Deputy Minister also demanded that a purchase order be issued that same night. The adjudication team was picked from their homes around 2200 hours and were interrogated by the Deputy Minister until early hours of the following day.(see attached report) The Deputy Minister threatened the team with dismissal for failing to award Young Health Care the contracts.
4.1.6 Violation of the terms and conditions of Supply Contract by
Young Healthcare Limited and the Deputy Minister
(i). Young Health Care Limited was genuinely awarded the contract to supply nucleic acid and purification machines, transport media and reagents. To date, Natpharm has received supplies worth US$124 630, 40 as follows:
Young Healthcare Deliveries on the 31st of August 2020
| Item | Quantity Ordered | Quantity Received | % |
| Purification machines | 4 | 2 | 50 |
| Nucleic Acid | 220 000 | 13 824 | 6.3 |
| Transport Media | 220 000 | 14 000 | 6.4 |
Source: Natpharm
Young Health Care Limited managed to deliver a paltry 6% of Nucleic Acid and another 6% of Transport Media but went on to request prepayment for the awarded contract, including undelivered supplies ( see attached request), contrary to the terms and conditions of the contract signed with Nat-Pharm, which stipulates that payment should be made 7 days after delivery.(post-payment)
(ii) The Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr. Mangwiro reportedly insisted on pre-payment and tasked the technical team from laboratory and Natpharm procurement to visit Young Health Care Limited in their country office and verify available stock ( see letter dated 25th August 2020) in order to compel the Natpharm Acting MD to make a prepayment to Young Health Care Limited. Such actions violated the evaluation process since the technical team did not have the mandate to carry out the verification of supplies.
Natpharm Acting MD wrote a letter on the 26th of August 2020 (attached) to the Permanent Secretary for Health and Child Care informing him of the pre-payment issue and seeking guidance on how to proceed. However, there was no response from the Ministry, prompting the Acting MD to decline taking the Deputy Minister’s instruction to pre-pay Young Health Care and he referred him to the signed contract (attached). Verification team noted that items amounting to US$127,643.20 were in-stock instead of US$922, 000.00 requested for prepayment.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Given the extent to which the Deputy Minister was involved in the said tender process, indications are that he was acting on his own capacity and not on behalf of the Ministry. The actions of the Deputy Minister signal a personal interest in the tender and this should have prompted him to declare his interest.
5.2 The conduct of the Minister during this tender process warrants further investigations for Criminal Abuse of Office for possible violation of Section 174 of the Criminal Law Codification Act [Chapter 9:23]. Apart from this provision, further investigations should be conducted to ascertain possible violation of Section 14 of the Public Finance Management Act [Chapter 22:19] by the Deputy Minister through giving ministerial directives having financial implications when he demanded prepayment of undelivered goods to Young Health Care.
5.3 There is need for further investigations into the possible violation of the
Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act [Chapter 22:23] as
the conduct of the Deputy Minister might have compromised the independence of Natpharm as a procurement entity.
5.4 The Commission should closely follow the re-floated tender laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables for COVID-19 to ensure competitive bidding and that undeserving bidders are not awarded the contracts.
5.5 Best practices and good corporate governance should always be applied during procurement processes. Officials who are appointed to carry out procurement process should be allowed to do so independently without interference.
5.6 Investigations into possible violation of the Cabinet Directive that granted Natpharm exclusive powers for procurement of Covid 19 materials.
6. CONCLUSIONS
- The timeous intervention by the Commission has resulted in the cancellation of the controversial tender awarded to Young Health Care Limited, thus saving the nation from a potential loss of USD$2million, had the tender been awarded.
- The Systems and Review Team recommendation – for cancellation of the tender- has however been pre-empted by NatPharm`s decision to cancel the tender. The Team is satisfied with this positive outcome which signals the importance of conducting such spot checks.
7. CLIENT’S COMMENTS ON RECOMMENDATIONS
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS
The implementation of these recommendations should be immediate considering the urgency of the matter.
11. MONITORING AND EVALUATION
The Commission should monitor the bidding process of the re-floated tender to be carried out in two weeks time.
11. ANNEXURES
A. Anonymous to ZACC dated 18 August 2020 B. Framework Agreement Reference Number :International NAT TCB
FWWK 04/2020- Laboratory Equipment, Reagents and Consumables for COVID-19 at Natpharm
C. Summary Report of the tender ( official communication from
Ministry, Young Healthcare Limited and Natpharm); and
D. Young HealthCare Limited company profile
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Bhebhe Distances Self From “Sinking” Khupe Project
Farai Dziva|MDC-T Organizing Secretary, Abednego Bhebhe has all but distanced himself from Thokozani Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora’s sinking political project.
Bhebhe’s court affidavit exposes how Khupe and her disciples are using fake 2014 MDC-T structures to undertake the business of the 2014 MDC-T party.
Bhebhe also queried Khalipani Phugeni’s role in the 2014 MDC-T structures.
Bhebhe further exposed the high level of unconstitutionalism which has seen Thokozani Khupe and Mwonzora making decisions without consulting the National Council.
In a statement on the same issue, MDC Alliance said:
MCD-T Organising Secretary Bhebhe has exposed how @DMwonzora and Khupe are manufacturing MDC-T 2014 structures, how they have consistently refused to hold meetings of 2014 legitimate structures in an EXPLOSIVE affidavit…
He demands lawful congress…
Chakwera Turns Worse Than Mutharika, Starts Supporting Mnangagwa’s Abductions, Gukurahundi, 1 Aug, January.
By Dorrothy Moyo | ANALYSIS | When he came into power, he said that God has called him serve the people in truth and righteousness. But barely 6 months into office, President Lazarus Chakwera, a pastor has turned worse than his predecessors the Mutharikas and Kamuzu Banda. Yesterday his administration took a sudden turn to completely ignore the gross crimes against humanity committed by his counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa which have been condemned by the United Nations; the violations have made both local and international business to lose trust in the zanu-pf leader.
Instead of complaining about the crimes personally sanctioned against the nation’s civilians by Emmerson Mnangagwa for over 37 years, the recently sworn in president Lazarus Chakwera’s local envoy chose to rather concentrate on deceptions created by Mnangagwa over the so called sanctions on a few ZANU PF entities between 2002 and 2020.
The US ZIDERA bill was put in place to curtail and discourage the crimes that have continued since 1983.
Chakwera’s local envoy, Ambassador Annie Yauka Kumwenda, speaking in support for Mnangagwa’s Anti Sanctions Day, announced as follows, ” Malawi joins the rest of the world…in calling an end to the imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe which have been in existence for almost 20 years now, this means that children are being born and raised in a sanctioned environment, and this becomes a gross violation of Human Rights more especially in children…”
She continued saying, “what we are saying now is please consider to remove these sanctions on Zimbabwe.
“Allow Zimbabwe to participate fully in global trade and in global economic activities and all those other opportunities and let Zimbabwe perform without the sanctions and be judged its performance according to what they are capable of.”
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Mwonzora’s Shocking Expulsion Of Deceased Cadre Sends Tongues Wagging
MDC T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora has expelled Dusty Zivhaze, an MDC founding member who succumbed to ulcers on July 15, 2019 from the party.
An internal memo dated July 2, 2020 and signed by Mwonzora affirms the expulsion.
Efforts to get a comment from Mwonzora were futile.
Zivhave, an MDC founding member died on July 15, 2019 at Checheche St Peters Hospital after battling ulcers. He was the secretary for information and publicity at the time of his death.
The memo expels 34 members from Harare, Mash West, Manicaland, Mash Central, Chitungwiza, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Mat North and Mat South.
In Masvingo, the late Zivhaze was expelled together with provincial chairperson James Gumbi, Takanayi Mureyi and youth leader Philip Chingini.
“In terms of clause 5 (10)a of the constitution of the MDC party be their joining or supporting another party they have automatically terminated their membership of the MDC party led by the late Dr Richard Morgan Tsvangirai,” reads part of the memo. -MasvingoMirror
Khupe, Mwonzora Shenanigans Exposed
Farai Dziva|MDC-T Organizing Secretary, Abednego Bhebhe has all but distanced himself from Thokozani Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora’s sinking political project.
Bhebhe’s court affidavit exposes how Khupe and her disciples are using fake 2014 MDC-T structures to undertake the business of the 2014 MDC-T party.
Bhebhe also queried Khalipani Phugeni’s role in the 2014 MDC-T structures.
Bhebhe further exposed the high level of unconstitutionalism which has seen Thokozani Khupe and Mwonzora making decisions without consulting the National Council.
In a statement on the same issue, MDC Alliance said:
MCD-T Organising Secretary Bhebhe has exposed how @DMwonzora and Khupe are manufacturing MDC-T 2014 structures, how they have consistently refused to hold meetings of 2014 legitimate structures in an EXPLOSIVE affidavit…
He demands lawful congress…
Warriors On The Edge
A potential disaster is looming for the Mighty Warriors after it emerged the Women’s Soccer League was not aware of Zimbabwe’s participation at next month’s cosafa Championships.
After being suspended indefinitely owing to Covid-19, the women’s game in Southern Africa will resume with the 2020 cosafa Women’s Championship, which will be staged concurrently with the Girls Under-17 tournament, at the Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
The tournaments will kick off on November 3 with the women’s tourney. They will be the first women’s internationals on the continent since the pandemic wreaked havoc on football and global sport.
While it is a welcome return to national team competition for cosafa nations, who have endured a frustrating 2020, it seems the Mighty Warriors are still in the dark about their participation at the tournament.
Women’s Soccer League chairperson Barbra Chikosi, who is widely accused of behaving like an “absentee landlady” by a number of women’s clubs, told The Sunday Mail Sport she had not received any communication about the championships.
“I am not even aware of the cosafa programme, whether the tournament has been confirmed or if the dates are out yet. I will have to talk to ZIFA and find out because I am in the dark,” she said.
Women’s football was granted US$500 000 from the US$1,5 million Covid-19 relief fund that ZIFA received from FIFA. The money is earmarked for the resumption of the women’s game.
According to a list compiled by ZIFA, Evelyn Rimai will be in charge of the Under-15s, while the Under-17 team will be headed by Thulani Sibanda. Rosemary Mugadza will be in charge of the Under-20s.
Sithethelelwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda will oversee the Mighty Warriors. Surprisingly, the coaches claim that although the list was released by ZIFA, the association is yet to officially communicate with them regarding the cosafa tournament.
Sibanda said he was unaware of preparations for the cosafa tournament. “Not sure if I am involved since ZIFA say they are yet to confirm our appointments. However, the truth is that we are not prepared,” he said.
“Body adaptations to training require six weeks, excluding the two weeks of muscle toning, but as an emergency measure, maybe players can be taught time-tapping for the matches. “This technique works for a single match though.
“Proper time is anything above eight weeks, but as coaches, if worse comes to worst, we may be forced to compromise.”
Mugadza, who too is waiting for confirmation and official communication regarding participation at the regional tournament, said the association needs to speed up their processes and get their charges in camp as soon as possible.
“I am not even sure if we are going to participate, because ZIFA is still quiet on the matter, and this at a time when we should be racing against time.
“Remember, teams have not been active for months, and if we are to be part of the tournament, then it means we are behind. There is no time to waste,” she said.
Kwinji 15 confirmed to our sister paper The Herald that she was still in the dark. “I do not have any official communication from the office on whether we are playing or not, so the best people to talk to would be the office,” she said.
ZIFA communications and competitions manager Xolisani Gwesela, however, said ZIFA had long confirmed Zimbabwe’s participation with the Cosafa secretariat.
“Yes, we confirmed participation for Under-17 and senior team in the upcoming cosafa tournaments. We will provide a detailed programme in the coming week (this week),’’ he said. -Sunday Mail
VID Starts Road Tests
The Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) will from tomorrow start conducting road tests and issuing driver’s licences after close to six months of closure.
The closure of VID in March after the Government introduced a national lockdown due to Covid-19, had left hundreds of learners and prospective learner drivers in a quandary. The Government, however, extended the validity of provisional driving licences and defensive driving certificates by six months giving room for holders to remain eligible for testing. This was done through SI 144 of 2020. Ideally, provisional licences have a one-year lifespan from the date of issue.
SI 144 of 2020 also known as Public Health (Covid-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) (Amendment) Order, 2020 (No. 11) gave provisional licence holders six more months in addition to the one-year period the document is valid to compensate for time lost during the lockdown.
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has since issued a circular to VID depots instructing them to start conducting tests and issue drivers licences from tomorrow. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development Engineer Amos Marawa told Sunday News that VID had finalised developing the Covid-19 operating guidelines and standard operating procedures which are in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines and were approved by the National Task Force on Covid-19 and Cabinet. Eng Marawa said despite the go ahead, VID will continue operating under the prescribed modus operandi during the Covid-19 induced lockdown period.
“VID has developed Covid-19 operating guidelines and standard operating procedures which are in line with WHO guidelines and were approved by the National Task Force on Covid-19 and Cabinet. These will guide the operations of VID during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Insurance Council of Zimbabwe (ICZ) has announced that the Central Vehicle Registry’s (CVR) has no capacity to issue adequate vehicle registration licences. In a presentation during a virtual training of journalists, ICZ representative Mr Tendai Karonga said there were 80 000 unregistered vehicles in the country yet the CVR has the capacity to issue 32 000 registration plates up to the end of the year. This comes at a time when crimes of robbery perpetrated by motorists using unregistered vehicles are on the increase.
“Performance of motor insurance was further affected by the Central Vehicle Registry’s (CVR) inability to register vehicles due to lack of financial resources to produce registration plates. This resulted in about 80 000 unregistered and uninsured vehicles on the roads leading to a loss of the mandatory Third-Party Motor premiums of approximately Z$60 million. Statistics are based on the CVR Registrar’s Report to the Parliamentary Transport Committee on 28 September 2020. The situation might persist as CVR has financial resources to provide plates for 32 000 vehicles leaving more than 48 000 unregistered,” said Mr Karonga. -Sunday News
Prophet Clashes With Gogo Ndunge Over Client
Own Correspondent|
Gogo Ndunge has reportedly fired a broadside at controversial Masvingo based preacher Isaac Makomichi after the two clashed over a client.
The controversial cleric posted a statement on social media, boasting of his spiritual powers.
“Two
friends are dating one person-the other one is my client and the other one is Mbuya Ndunge’s.
Now my client won the race, it’s sad to note that Mbuya Ndunge is calling me saying she will destroy me.
I have confirmed the number through eco cash and I have managed to record voice calls.
Definitely I’m making a police report today.
If she is strong enough let her help her client to win back the boyfriend,” claimed Makomichi.
Chamisa Betrayed As Diaspora Unites Against Sanctions -OPINION
By Dr Masimba Mavaza | Zimbabweans in diaspora are horrified by the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe for such a long time. No matter how hard the Zimbabwean government has tried to do what the West demand all these efforts are taken as nothing.
In the UK a group of Zimbabweans has formed a coalition against sanctions with some imdibiduals engaging the UK government. This group of Zimbabweans in UK began by noting that the president is the pivotal player in the sanctions policy and that presidents pander to voters in swing states; Therefore, the size of a diaspora’s voting block in swing states should determine whether the American government imposes sanctions on their former homeland or not.
In order to be heard, the Zimbabweans have encouraged their fellow patriots to register for voting in America so that their voice can be recognised. A Zimbabwean group against Sanctions found that a one-percentage-point increase in the size of a country’s diaspora in swing states increases the probability of removal of sanctions by 19 percentage points. It then goes on to calculate causal estimates of the effectiveness of engaging the host governments to abandon economic sanctions and regime change agenda against Zimbabwe. Using the size of diasporas in swing states as an instrumental variable for the economic sanctions fight it shows that sanctions do not have a statistically-significant impact on regime change. How do the desires of disaporas combine with the ambitions of presidential candidates to encourage the American economic sanctions policy? Diasporas from Zimbabwe can feel the effects of the sanctions even if they are away from home. Most of their relatives are out of employment; the industry has been hit hard by sanctions. The political land scape is soiled by sanctions and not a single right minded Zimbabwean will support sanctions against their mother land. The West has now realised that no diasporas despise their motherland and they want the Western governments to abandon the sanctions.
In America it is a fact that the president has the power to unilaterally impose and revoke sanctions so they have to appeal to the president on the promise of removing sanctions. As Zimbabwe commemorated the SADC solidarity on the fight against sanctions, the Diaspora in America are aware that the president panders to swing-state voters. As a result, a diasporas power to fight against sanctions runs through theWhite House and is determined by the diaspora’s distribution between swing states and safe states. Diasporas concentrated in swing states will be able to affect American sanctions policy; those concentrated in safe states will not.Sanctions are costly not only on Zimbabwe but on the country imposing them, so the United States government may be more likely to remove sanctions in cases where they will be unsuccessful, biasing statistical analysis in favor of finding that sanctions are evil and simply destructive to humanity. Conversely, sanctions are often imposed as a last resort, when other policies are seen as either too meek or too costly. Further, if targeted governments believe that resistance is futile, they will be more likely to capitulate before sanctions are imposed in order to avoid pointless damage. In the case of Zimbabwe diaspora has argued that America targeted a wrong country.
Both of these factors would bias the results against finding that sanctions are effective. As a result of these competing biases, previous estimates of the effectiveness of economic sanctions are unreliable and even whether they underestimate or overestimate sanctions’ true effect is unknown.
The Zimbabweans in diaspora have joined SADC in putting pressure on America to lift the Sanctions.
A sanctioned Zimbabwe is a burden to each and every person in Zimbabwe. To this end diaspora views Sanctions as repugnant to social justice.
The so called targets in the sanctions are not the ones to feel the pinch. It is the old lady in Mutoko the young child in Taholotsho the innocent girl in Chikeaka. All these are victims. In this time of COVID diaspora views sanctions as a death trap which needs to be removed for the benefit of every Zimbabwean.
The state of our hospitals we can not improve under these conditions. Diaspora examines the impact of imposed sanctions on the stability of Zimbabwean economy. It explores the transnational nature of Zimbabwean society and examines the history and structure of the Zimbabwean diaspora as well as its transformation since the new dispensation. Diaspora has noted that the government of America as well as both its supporters and its opponents have all instrumentalized sanctions for their own purposes. Zimbabwe has used sanctions to rally supporters “around the flag”, calling on the diaspora to raise voices to negate their effect. By contrast, opposition activists have campaigned against removing of sanctions arguing that a good economy for Zimbabwe may be used for illicit military purposes in breach of human right. In this sense, the sanctions have destabilized a core component of the nation’s resource base. Diaspora sees the evil hand of the sanctions and together with those at home we shout with chocked voices. “We cannot breathe.” We cry together with prophet Amos. “Lord father forgive Zimbabwe can not survive for she is too small”
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Pictures : Tsvangirai Handed Over Chimuti To President Chamisa
There is no doubt that the late MDC founding and former Prime Minister, Right Honourable Morgan Richard Tsvangirai identified and nurtured President Chamisa’s capacity and charisma…
Man Kills Brother In Nasty Fight
In a murder case that has left villagers near Shavambiri Business Centre shell-shocked, a Marange man fatally assaulted his younger brother after a beer binge.
The siblings — Nyashadzashe (35) and Mundawashe Chinamira (25) — fought for several hours before the former overpowered the latter and fatally struck him with an iron bar.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa, confirmed the case and said Nyashadzashe has since been charged with murder as defined in Section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23. Insp Kakohwa said on October 6, Nyashadzashe and the now late Mundawashe spent the whole day drinking an illicit brew at the business centre.
Later that night, the heavily intoxicated brothers had a fierce brawl.
At around 10pm, their uncle — Mr Tatenda Musoni — offered to accommodate them in his barbershop for the night.
The brothers were left sleeping in the barbershop while Mr Musoni went home.
However, Mr Musoni locked the screen door from outside as his nephews were drunk.
At around midnight, Mr Patrick Mutimbanyoka, a security guard at the business centre, heard some noise coming from the barbershop and went to investigate.
“He peeped through the screen door and saw the brothers fighting. Nyashadzashe threw an empty beer bottle at Mr Mutimbanyoka but missed him. The security guard ran for his life.
“When Mr Mutimbanyoka came back after about 30 minutes in the company of a Mr Tinashe Kangorongo, the two brothers were still fighting. The due tried to stop the brothers from fighting but they couldn’t do much since the screen door was still locked.
“Nyashadzashe attempted to strike Mr Mutimbanyoka with an iron bar so Messrs Mutimbanyoka and Kangorongo decided to leave,” said Inspector Kakohwa.
At around 5am the following morning, Mr Musoni came back to unlock the door. He found the two brothers lying on the floor.
However, there was blood all over the floor. Mundawashe had deep cuts on his head and was writhing in pain.
Mr Musoni quickly alerted other villagers.
Mundawashe was ferried to the nearby Bakorenhema Clinic for treatment.
He died around 7.30am.
Inspector Kakohwa said Nyashadzashe admitted that he committed the offence, claiming that his younger sibling had threatened to cut off his head for ritual purposes.-Manica Post
Mangwana Dodges LIVE Debate On MDC Alliance Run Councils
By A Correspondent | Government spokesperson, Nick Mangwana has at the last minute turned down a LIVE debate with former Harare mayor Gomba over MDC run councils saying:
“Please get someone from Zanu PF as I am not a politician and can’t really go for the political jugular as I am restrained by my office,” as he told ZimEye.
Yesterday Mangwana accused the MDC of running down the councils. He wrote on Twitter saying, “Our Cities have been totally run-down. What’s interesting is that in 20 years(1980-2000) we had great services.
“One wonders what has happened in the last 20(2000-2020) for us to be in this mess.
“Those who can’t run smaller things can’t surely run things at a National Scale.”
“But he posted a politically motivated statement on Twitter,” Gomba complained saying, to which Mangwana replied saying,
Mangwana responded saying, “Lol. Tell him I posted as an aggrieved ratepayer.”
So why don’t you come debate with your mayor as a ratepayer then?
To this, Mangwana said, “Naaa. People will always quote what I say and attribute it to Govt. Get Cde Mugwadi or Chirau.”
Watch the video loading below….please be patient as it uploads.
Shocking Lack Of Imagination In Zimbabwe- Proof, Braindead Thugs Have Ruled For 40yrs And Counting
By Wilbert Mukori- “There are no imaginative skills on how to move the country forward internally and externally, be it economic and political in both the ruling party and the opposition of Nelson Chamisa,” wrote Nomazulu Thata, commenting on Professor Stephen Chan’s recent video interview.
Professor Stephen Chan is a blundering idiot masquerading as an intellectual. He has made many very serious blunders on Zimbabwe politics in the past and talked about one such blunder in his interview. He admitted to advising the British Secretary of State for Africa to attend Mnangagwa’s inauguration following the rigged July 2018 elections. He argued the British to give Mnangagwa a chance.
Other luminary personalities who had observed Zimbabwe’s July 2018 elections, notably Labour MP Kate Hoey, dismissed the elections as a farce and argued the international community not to give the illegitimate Zanu PF regime any support.
It was a great pity that the British government accepted Professor Chan’s advice and not that of MP Hoey. We, in Zimbabwe, have paid dearly for that blunder to this day!
I do agree with Professor Chan’s gloomy assessment of the sorry state Zimbabwe is in. He is right to say there is a lack of imagination, internally and externally, as what to do to get the country out of the mess. The irony is the solution has been hiding in plain sight all along; if only we would open our eyes and minds to see it.
The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis is the country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. 40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have left the country’s economy in ruins. 40 years of stifled debate and democratic competition has forced quality out of public life leaving the field open to corrupt and incompetent individuals on both sides of the political divide.
We need to implement the democratic reforms to promote free debate and competition and to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections.
Since Zanu PF government will never implement the reforms, the party will never reform itself out of office, we must appoint an independent body that will implement the reforms.
Zanu PF must step down to allow the political space for the independent body that will implement the reforms.
“Zanu PF will never step down!” many have argued. Of course, they will step down; they have done is before already!
Zanu PF was forced to step down following the blatant cheating and wanton violence of the 2008 elections. The international community, included the usually reticent see nothing SADC and AU, refused to endorse Zanu PF’s claim of electoral victory and legitimacy.
By participating in the July 2018 elections Zimbabwe’s corrupt and incompetent opposition parties gave the flawed and illegal process credibility and, by extension, the vote rigging Zanu PF regime some modicum of legitimacy. Just one of the many decisions proving the compete lack of quality and imagination on the part of Nelson Chamisa et al!
The EU, the Americans, the Commonwealth and all the other nations and organisations with any democratic credentials worth a spit condemned the July 2018 elections as a farce.
“The electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Mission final report.
“As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”
Given such a damning report, the decision by Professor Chan and the British to let Mnangagwa off the legitimacy hook beggared belief and showed a complete lack of imagination.
The pressure on Zanu PF to stop down should have been brought to bear immediately following the rigged 31 July 2018. The pressure can still be brought to bear even now, the failure to revive the economy is putting Mnangagwa under renewed pressure.
Mnangagwa rigged the July 2018 elections confident he would go on to “rig” economic recovery. His “Zimbabwe is open for business!” clarion call has failed to attract the flood of investors. The corona virus pandemic has made a bad situation even worse, the crisis has now turned into a real tragedy.
Before the corona virus outbreak, 34% of the Zimbabweans were already living in extreme poverty; the number has surged upward.
Basic services such as health care and education have all but collapse because of decades of poor funding. Teachers and health care personal have been on strike for months on end demanding a living wage and safe working conditions. All civil servants have just been awarded up 500% wage increase taking the pittance wage of the lowest paid teachers from US$30 to 157 pm. The PDL in Zimbabwe is US$650 pm.
With inflation already at 838% year on year, the wage hike will be eroded away within a few months and everyone will be out of strike again.
With more than a third of the population living in extreme poverty, no health care service, no education for the children, etc. Zimbabwe’s future is bleak. And as long as the country remains a Banana Republic, a pariah state, ruled by corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs; the situation will only get worse.
Zimbabwe could have been saved from this tragic end if only Zanu PF had been stopped from turning the country into a pariah state. The country can still be save from sinking even deeper into this man-made hell-on-earth by implementing the democratic reforms designed to end the curse of rigged elections.
Only that is needed is the courage and resolve to demand that the illegitimate Zanu PF regime steps down and stop holding the nation to ransom.
Yes, Professor Chan is right, there really is shocking lack of imagination here. When a corrupt, incompetent and, for all intend and practical purposes, braindead thug like Emmerson Mnangagwa is viewed for 40 years and counting as an all powerful demigod; there is a daft lack of imagination all round.
Man Axes Aunt Over Missing Charms
By A Correspondent- Police in Mutoko, Mashonaland East province have arrested a 23-year-old man who allegedly axed his aunt to death, accusing her of misplacing his talisman.
Piniel Tinomuda, of village 43 Hoyuyu, is also facing another charge of attempted murder after he also struck his grandmother, Benhilda Nyarambi (81), with an axe over the same issue.
The body of the deceased, Lizzie Madende (59), has since been conveyed to Murewa Hospital mortuary for a postmortem, while Nyarambi is battling for her life at Mutoko District Hospital.
Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza confirmed both incidents.
“It is disheartening to report the death of the victim through such a gruesome way. It is also disturbing to note that the accused person took the law into his own hands and critically injured another victim,” he said.
“Violence should not permeate our communities to such an extent. The public should respect the sanctity of life and resolve any misunderstandings amicably. The suspect will be taken to court soon on murder and attempted murder charges.”
It is reported that on Tuesday at around 8pm, Madende was at her residence with other family members, including the suspect.
Tinomuda reportedly accused Madende for misplacing his talisman which he kept in an old tyre behind his bedroom.
The suspect became violent, drew an axe from his bedroom and struck Madende on the head twice, killing her on the spot.
Nyarambi reportedly pleaded with the suspect to stop axing his aunt. He then turned and struck her twice on the neck and arm.
Nyarambi fell down and became unconscious.
After realising that he had committed a heinous crime, Tinomuda fled and hid in a nearby mountain.
A report was made at Janhi Police Base, who launched a manhunt and arrested him.-Newsday
Mwonzora Fires Deceased MDC T Stalwart
MDC T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora has expelled Dusty Zivhaze, an MDC founding member who succumbed to ulcers on July 15, 2019 from the party.
An internal memo dated July 2, 2020 and signed by Mwonzora affirms the expulsion.
Efforts to get a comment from Mwonzora were futile.
Zivhave, an MDC founding member died on July 15, 2019 at Checheche St Peters Hospital after battling ulcers. He was the secretary for information and publicity at the time of his death.
The memo expels 34 members from Harare, Mash West, Manicaland, Mash Central, Chitungwiza, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Mat North and Mat South.
In Masvingo, the late Zivhaze was expelled together with provincial chairperson James Gumbi, Takanayi Mureyi and youth leader Philip Chingini.
“In terms of clause 5 (10)a of the constitution of the MDC party be their joining or supporting another party they have automatically terminated their membership of the MDC party led by the late Dr Richard Morgan Tsvangirai,” reads part of the memo. -MasvingoMirror
“Unpopular Rulers Rely On Guns”: President Chamisa
Farai Dziva|ZINASU leader, Takudzwa Ngadziore who was granted bail on Friday, has declared he is determined to push for democratic change despite harassment and persecution.
The vibrant and brave ZINASU leader also urged the nation to unite in fighting for freedom from Zanu PF oppression.
Commenting on Ngadziore’s remarks President Chamisa said:
“On point Zinasu President. Resistance is the language of the oppressed!”
Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s desperate attempt to use guns to disrupt the people’s struggle literally confirms that he is an illegitimate leader who is afraid of the power of the citizens, according to President Chamisa.
Advocate Chamisa also took a swipe at the jittery Zanu PF leader for using “excessive force and coercion against hapless citizens.”
“The incumbent’s illegitimacy is confirmed by the excessive use of force and coercion against citizens.
Faith in brute force often mislead unpopular rulers to mistakenly rely on guns, imprisonment, teargas and terror to subjugate and muzzle citizens.
Ultimately,citizens will always win,” President Chamisa said in a statement.
Police Kill Robber After 14hr Stand- off
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police has said the death of John Sithole who died in a Beitbridge shootout which followed a 14-hour stand-off, solves a number of cases.
Sithole was on a list of police’s most wanted people in connection with crimes committed in Beitbridge, Mberengwa and along highways to Harare and Bulawayo.
National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, yesterday gave details of cases being cleared.
The suspect has helped clear two cases of rape and attempted murder in Mberengwa and seven armed robberies that occurred around Beitbridge.
However, we cannot give further details concerning the cases since we are pursuing his other accomplices.
In the Mberengwa case which happened three weeks ago, Sithole is alleged to have raped a woman and her child in before locking them up in a house and setting them ablaze.
The victims were saved by other villagers who managed to put out the fire–statemedia
Shock As Man Fatally Assaults Own Brother After Drinking Binge
By A Correspondent- In a murder case that has left villagers near Shavambiri Business Centre shell-shocked, a Marange man fatally assaulted his younger brother after a beer binge.
The siblings — Nyashadzashe (35) and Mundawashe Chinamira (25) — fought for several hours before the former overpowered the latter and fatally struck him with an iron bar.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa, confirmed the case and said Nyashadzashe has since been charged with murder as defined in Section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23. Insp Kakohwa said on October 6, Nyashadzashe and the now late Mundawashe spent the whole day drinking an illicit brew at the business centre.
Later that night, the heavily intoxicated brothers had a fierce brawl.
At around 10pm, their uncle — Mr Tatenda Musoni — offered to accommodate them in his barbershop for the night.
The brothers were left sleeping in the barbershop while Mr Musoni went home.
However, Mr Musoni locked the screen door from outside as his nephews were drunk.
At around midnight, Mr Patrick Mutimbanyoka, a security guard at the business centre, heard some noise coming from the barbershop and went to investigate.
“He peeped through the screen door and saw the brothers fighting. Nyashadzashe threw an empty beer bottle at Mr Mutimbanyoka but missed him. The security guard ran for his life.
“When Mr Mutimbanyoka came back after about 30 minutes in the company of a Mr Tinashe Kangorongo, the two brothers were still fighting. The due tried to stop the brothers from fighting but they couldn’t do much since the screen door was still locked.
“Nyashadzashe attempted to strike Mr Mutimbanyoka with an iron bar so Messrs Mutimbanyoka and Kangorongo decided to leave,” said Inspector Kakohwa.
At around 5am the following morning, Mr Musoni came back to unlock the door. He found the two brothers lying on the floor.
However, there was blood all over the floor. Mundawashe had deep cuts on his head and was writhing in pain.
Mr Musoni quickly alerted other villagers.
Mundawashe was ferried to the nearby Bakorenhema Clinic for treatment.
He died around 7.30am.
Inspector Kakohwa said Nyashadzashe admitted that he committed the offence, claiming that his younger sibling had threatened to cut off his head for ritual purposes.-Manica Post
Mangwana Chickens Out Of LIVE Debate Over MDC Alliance Run Councils?
By A Correspondent | Government spokesperson, Nick Mangwana has at the last minute turned down a LIVE debate with former Harare mayor Gomba over MDC run councils saying:
“Please get someone from Zanu PF as I am not a politician and can’t really go for the political jugular as I am restrained by my office,” as he told ZimEye.
Yesterday Mangwana accused the MDC of running down the councils. He wrote on Twitter saying, “Our Cities have been totally run-down. What’s interesting is that in 20 years(1980-2000) we had great services.
“One wonders what has happened in the last 20(2000-2020) for us to be in this mess.
“Those who can’t run smaller things can’t surely run things at a National Scale.”
“But he posted a politically motivated statement on Twitter,” Gomba complained saying, to which Mangwana replied saying,
Mangwana responded saying, “Lol. Tell him I posted as an aggrieved ratepayer.”
So why don’t you come debate with your mayor as a ratepayer then?
To this, Mangwana said, “Naaa. People will always quote what I say and attribute it to Govt. Get Cde Mugwadi or Chirau.”
English Premier League Football Results Saturday
The English Premier League returned to action this Saturday following the FIFA international break. Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are some of the big teams that played today. Below are the results of the matches played.
Everton 2-2 Liverpool; (Michael Keane 19′ and Dominic Calvert-Lewin 81′; Sadio Mané 3′ Mohamed Salah 72′)
Chelsea 3-3 Southampton; (Timo Werner 15′, 28′ and Kai Havertz 59′; Danny Ings 43′, Che Adams 57′ Jannik Vestergaard 90+2′)
Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal; (Raheem Sterling 23′)
The Newcastle v Manchester United match is next at 2100 hours.
Tomorrow:
Sponsored: Click here to buy NetOne, Telecel Airtime online using EcoCash
Sheffield United v Fulham
Crystal Palace v Brighton
Tottenham v West Ham
Leicester v Aston Villa
Malawi Completely Ignores Mnangagwa’s Abductions, Gukurahundi, 1 Aug Crackdown, Says “Sanctions” Are the Gross Violation of Human Rights.
By Dorrothy Moyo | The government of Malawi took a sudden turn at the weekend as they completely ignored the gross crimes against humanity committed by Emmerson Mnangagwa and his administration which have been condemned by the United Nations, and have made both local and international business to lose trust in the zanu-pf leader.
Instead of complaining about the crimes personally sanctioned against the nation’s civilians by Emmerson Mnangagwa for over 37 years, the recently sworn in president Lazarus Chakwera’s local envoy chose to rather concentrate on so called sanctions on a few ZANU PF entities between 2002 and 2020.
Chakwera has for months been thought to be a Nelson Chamisa ally.
The US ZIDERA bill was put in place to curtail and discourage the crimes that have continued since 1983.
Chakwera’s local envoy, Ambassador Annie Yauka Kumwenda, speaking in support for Mnangagwa’s Anti Sanctions Day, announced as follows, ” Malawi joins the rest of the world…in calling an end to the imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe which have been in existence for almost 20 years now, this means that children are being born and raised in a sanctioned environment, and this becomes a gross violation of Human Rights more especially in children…”
She continued saying, “what we are saying now is please consider to remove these sanctions on Zimbabwe.
“Allow Zimbabwe to participate fully in global trade and in global economic activities and all those other opportunities and let Zimbabwe perform without the sanctions and be judged its performance according to what they are capable of.”
VIDEO
Beitbridge Armed Robber Death Clears Several Outstanding Cases
Armed robbery suspect John Sithole, a.k.a Kedha, who was shot in a gunfight at a Beitbridge house this week after a 14-hour hostage stand-off, was wanted by the police in connection with two cases of rape, attempted murder and seven other armed robberies.
Sithole, who was shot and killed by police as he sought to escape while firing at police units surrounding the house in Beitbridge’s Dulivhadzimu suburb on Thursday, was known to be a violent criminal.
He is said to have been on the police most wanted list in connection with crimes committed in Beitbridge, Mberengwa and along highways to Harare and Bulawayo.
The Herald understands that Sithole was launching his operations from Musina in South Africa and would usually skip the border through the Limpopo River.
In the attempted murder case which occurred three weeks ago, Sithole is said to have raped a woman and her child in Mberengwa before locking them up in a house and setting it ablaze.
The victims were saved by other villagers who managed to put out the fire.
National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, yesterday gave details of cases being cleared.
“The suspect has helped clear two cases of rape and attempted murder in Mberengwa and seven armed robberies that occurred around Beitbridge,” he said.
“However, we cannot give further details concerning the cases since we are pursuing his other accomplices.”
Sithole was shot and killed in a heavy gunfire exchange.
During the stand-off, he managed to shoot and wound one detective on the arm.
Before his demise, he had initially evaded arrest at the Limpopo River on Wednesday afternoon and hid at his rented house in Dulivhadzimu where he was found by the detectives.
According to police, Sithole was ordered to surrender, but he turned violent and held 10 people at the house hostage and opened fire at the police who tried everything to make him surrender.
He did not relent and kept firing until reinforcements were called in from the police special tactics unit which eventually killed him in the afternoon after he had released the hostages.
Police recovered a Black Star S.A Calsap Pistol loaded with six rounds, and a plastic containing loose dagga from his trousers.
“A further search was conducted around the house leading to the recovery of 25 by 9mm spent cartridges,” said a security source. “Another 105 cartridges shot from the police’s AK47 rifles and 25 from FN rifles were also picked from the crime scene.”
According to a source, the tactical team established that Sithole had around 50 live rounds before the start of the gun battle, but only six were recovered at the end, meaning the rest had been fired at the police.
World Total Covid-19 Deaths Now Over 1.1 Million People
The total number of declared deaths from the new coronavirus has topped 1.1 million around the world, according to an AFP tally from official sources.
At least 1,100,056 fatalities, out of 38,997,267 cases, have been reported.
Almost one in five deaths was in the United States, the hardest-hit country which has 217,798 deaths from 7,985,356 infections.
The United States is followed by Brazil with 152,460 deaths from 5,169,386 cases, India with 112,161 deaths from 7,370,468 cases, Mexico 85,285 fatalities from 834,910 cases and the United Kingdom with 43,293 deaths out of 673,622 reported infections.
With daily COVID-19 infections rising to record levels in several US states, false information remains a barrier to people getting vaccinated.
US health officials are pushing Americans to get vaccinated against the flu to help prevent hospitals already busy battling COVID-19 from being overwhelmed this winter, but false claims are threatening their efforts.
Misinformation on social media, particularly that a flu shot will increase the risk of contracting the coronavirus or cause you to test positive for COVID-19 — it won’t — is undermining the public health message.
Source: AFP
BREAKING: Tapiwa’s Head Still Missing Despite Killer Revealing Who Took It | WHAT IS THE POLICE HIDING FROM THE WORLD?
Douglas Mwonzora Fires A Dead Man From The MDC-T
MDC T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora has expelled Dusty Zivhaze, an MDC founding member who succumbed to ulcers on July 15, 2019 from the party.
An internal memo dated July 2, 2020 and signed by Mwonzora in possession of The Mirror affirms the expulsion.
Efforts to get a comment from Mwonzora were futile.
Make your business swim. Advertise with The Mirror from as little as a USD$1.00
Zivhave, an MDC founding member died on July 15, 2019 at Checheche St Peters Hospital after battling ulcers. He was the secretary for information and publicity at his death.
The memo expels 34 members from Harare, Mash West, Manicaland, Mash Central, Chitungwiza, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Mat North and Mat South.
In Masvingo, the late Zivhaze was expelled together with provincial chairperson James Gumbi, Takanayi Mureyi and youth leader Philip Chingini.
“In terms of clause 5 (10)a of the constitution of the MDC party be their joining or supporting another party they have automatically terminated their membership of the MDC party led by the late Dr Richard Morgan Tsvangirai,” reads part of the memo.
https://masvingomirror.com
Billiat Hungry For Silverware
Kaizer Chiefs winger Khama Billiat says Amakhosi are hungry for silverware in the 2020/21 season under new coach Gavin Hunt.
Amakhosi kick-start their season with a tricky MTN 8 quarter-final clash with Maritzburg United on Sunday, in what will be Hunt’s maiden game in charge of the Glamour Boys.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the clash, the Warriors star was upbeat and said the team is determined to do better than last season.
“The atmosphere in the build up to the game has been great, good energy. We still feel that from what we did last season, we had to come back quicker and get the momentum going,” he said.
Continued Billiat: “I have been given another opportunity, in a new season with a great coach and good players around me.”
The Aces Youth Academy graduate also said it is the team’s desire to win silverware this season.
“We are playing with great understanding as a team, with an idea of how we want to play this season. I’m lucky to be part of a great team and we are hungry to win trophies,” explained Billiat.-Soccer 24
Mnangagwa On Video Clearly Saying MDC Councils Must Be Run Down
Latest On Marshall Munetsi Suspension
Marshall Munetsi will miss another game for Stade de Reims due to suspension.
The Zimbabwean midfielder was not included in the squad for today’s Ligue 1 Round 7 match against Lorient after he received a third yellow card in a period of ten official matches.
Munetsi was booked in the 2-2 draw at Rennais last weekend while the other yellow card came in Round three of the campaign and the third one was carried forward from last season.
The suspension follows after the player served a red card ban in the game before the trip to Rennais.
Meanwhile, Munetsi has made seven appearances across all competitions in this season thus far. -Soccer 24
Nick Mangwana Develops Cold Feet On LIVE Debate Over MDC Alliance Run Councils
By A Correspondent | Government spokesperson, Nick Mangwana has at the last minute turned down a LIVE debate with former Harare mayor Gomba over MDC run councils saying:
“Please get someone from Zanu PF as I am not a politician and can’t really go for the political jugular as I am restrained by my office,” as he told ZimEye.
Yesterday Mangwana accused the MDC of running down the councils. He wrote on Twitter saying, “Our Cities have been totally run-down. What’s interesting is that in 20 years(1980-2000) we had great services.
“One wonders what has happened in the last 20(2000-2020) for us to be in this mess.
“Those who can’t run smaller things can’t surely run things at a National Scale.”
“But he posted a politically motivated statement on Twitter,” Gomba complained saying, to which Mangwana replied saying,
Mangwana responded saying, “Lol. Tell him I posted as an aggrieved ratepayer.”
So why don’t you come debate with your mayor as a ratepayer then?
To this, Mangwana said, “Naaa. People will always quote what I say and attribute it to Govt. Get Cde Mugwadi or Chirau.”
Watch the video loading below….please be patient as it uploads.
Resistance Is The Language Of The Oppressed -President Chamisa
Farai Dziva|ZINASU leader, Takudzwa Ngadziore who was granted bail on Friday, has declared he is determined to push for democratic change despite harassment and persecution.
The vibrant and brave ZINASU leader also urged the nation to unite in fighting for freedom from Zanu PF oppression.
Commenting on Ngadziore’s remarks President Chamisa said:
“On point Zinasu President. Resistance is the language of the oppressed!”
Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s desperate attempt to use guns to disrupt the people’s struggle literally confirms that he is an illegitimate leader who is afraid of the power of the citizens, according to President Chamisa.
Advocate Chamisa also took a swipe at the jittery Zanu PF leader for using “excessive force and coercion against hapless citizens.”
“The incumbent’s illegitimacy is confirmed by the excessive use of force and coercion against citizens.
Faith in brute force often mislead unpopular rulers to mistakenly rely on guns, imprisonment, teargas and terror to subjugate and muzzle citizens.
Ultimately,citizens will always win,” President Chamisa said in a statement.
Bhebhe Exposes Khupe, Mwonzora Hypocrisy…
Farai Dziva|MDC-T Organizing Secretary, Abednego Bhebhe has all but distanced himself from Thokozani Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora’s sinking political project.
Bhebhe’s court affidavit exposes how Khupe and her disciples are using fake 2014 MDC-T structures to undertake the business of the 2014 MDC-T party.
Bhebhe also queried Khalipani Phugeni’s role in the 2014 MDC-T structures.
Bhebhe further exposed the high level of unconstitutionalism which has seen Thokozani Khupe and Mwonzora making decisions without consulting the National Council.
In a statement on the same issue, MDC Alliance said:
MCD-T Organising Secretary Bhebhe has exposed how @DMwonzora and Khupe are manufacturing MDC-T 2014 structures, how they have consistently refused to hold meetings of 2014 legitimate structures in an EXPLOSIVE affidavit…
He demands lawful congress…
Facts About Tuberculosis
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries were making steady progress in tackling tuberculosis (TB), with a 9% reduction in incidence seen between 2015 and 2019 and a 14% drop in deaths in the same period. High-level political commitments at global and national levels were delivering results. However, a new report from WHO shows that access to TB services remains a challenge, and that global targets for prevention and treatment will likely be missed without urgent action and investments.
Approximately 1.4 million people died from TB-related illnesses in 2019. Of the estimated 10 million people who developed TB that year, some 3 million were not diagnosed with the disease, or were not officially reported to national authorities.
The situation is even more acute for people with drug-resistant TB. About 465 000 people were newly diagnosed with drug-resistant TB in 2019 and, of these, less than 40% were able to access treatment. There has also been limited progress in scaling up access to treatment to prevent TB.
“Equitable access to quality and timely diagnosis, prevention, treatment and care remains a challenge,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “Accelerated action is urgently needed worldwide if we are to meet our targets by 2022.”
About 14 million people were treated for TB in the period 2018-2019, just over one-third of the way towards the 5-year target (2018-2022) of 40 million, according to the report. Some 6.3 million people started TB preventive treatment in 2018-2019, about one-fifth of the way towards the 5-year target of 30 million.
Funding is a major issue. In 2020, funding for TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care reached
US$ 6.5 billion, representing only half of the US$ 13 billion target agreed by world leaders in the UN Political Declaration on TB.
The COVID-19 pandemic and TB
Disruptions in services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have led to further setbacks. In many countries, human, financial and other resources have been reallocated from TB to the COVID-19 response. Data collection and reporting systems have also been negatively impacted.
According to the new report, data collated from over 200 countries has shown significant reductions in TB case notifications, with 25-30% drops reported in 3 high burden countries – India, Indonesia, the Philippines – between January and June 2020 compared to the same 6-month period in 2019. These reductions in case notifications could lead to a dramatic increase in additional TB deaths, according to WHO modelling.
However, in line with WHO guidance, countries have taken measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on essential TB services, including by strengthening infection control. A total of 108 countries – including 21 countries with a high TB burden – have expanded the use of digital technologies to provide remote advice and support. To reduce the need for visits to health facilities, many countries are encouraging home-based treatment, all-oral treatments for people with drug-resistant TB, provision of TB preventive treatment, and ensuring people with TB maintain an adequate supply of drugs.
“In the face of the pandemic, countries, civil society and other partners have joined forces to ensure that essential services for both TB and COVID-19 are maintained for those in need,” said Dr Tereza Kaseva, Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme. “These efforts are vital to strengthen health systems, ensure health for all, and save lives.”
A recent progress report from the UN Secretary General outlines 10 priority actions for Member States and other stakeholders to close gaps in TB care, financing and research, as well as advance multisectoral action and accountability, including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Note for the editors
Global targets
In 2014 and 2015, all Member States of WHO and the UN adopted the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO’s End TB Strategy. The SDGs and End TB Strategy both include targets and milestones for large reductions in TB incidence, TB deaths and costs faced by TB patients and their households.
TB is included under Goal 3 Target 3.3 of the SDGs which aims to “end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases” by the year 2030.
The WHO End TB Strategy aims for a 90 per cent reduction in TB deaths and an 80 per cent reduction in the TB incidence rate by 2030, compared to the 2015 baseline. Milestones for 2020 include a 20% reduction in the TB incidence rate and a 35% reduction in TB deaths.
Efforts to step up political commitment in the fight against TB intensified in 2017 and 2018 culminating, in September 2018, in the first-ever high-level meeting on TB at the UN General Assembly. The outcome was a political declaration in which commitments to the SDGs and End TB Strategy were reaffirmed. The UN Political Declaration on TB also included 4 new targets for the period 2018-2022:
Treat 40 million people for TB diseaseReach at least 30 million people with TB preventive treatment for a latent TB infectionMobilize at least US$13 billion annually for universal access to TB diagnosis, treatment and careMobilize at least US$2 billion annually for TB research…
Source :World Health Organization
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Nick Mangwana Pulls Off From LIVE Debate Over MDC Run Councils.
By A Correspondent | Government spokesperson, Nick Mangwana has at the last minute turned down a LIVE debate with former Harare mayor Gomba over MDC run councils saying: “Please get someone from Zanu PF as I am not a politician and can’t really go for the political jugular as I am restrained by my office,” as he told ZimEye.
Yesterday Mangwana accused the MDC of running down the councils. He wrote on Twitter saying, “Our Cities have been totally run-down. What’s interesting is that in 20 years(1980-2000) we had great services.
“One wonders what has happened in the last 20(2000-2020) for us to be in this mess.
“Those who can’t run smaller things can’t surely run things at a National Scale.”
“But he posted a politically motivated statement on Twitter,” Gomba complained saying, to which Mangwana replied saying, “Lol. Tell him I posted as an aggrieved ratepayer.”
So why don’t you come debate with your mayor as a ratepayer then?
To this, Mangwana said, “Naaa. People will always quote what I say and attribute it to Govt. Get Cde Mugwadi or Chirau.”
Revealed:How Khupe And Mwonzora Are Using Fake 2014 Structures. ..
Farai Dziva|MDC-T Organizing Secretary, Abednego Bhebhe has all but distanced himself from Thokozani Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora’s sinking political project.
Bhebhe’s court affidavit exposes how Khupe and her disciples are using fake 2014 MDC-T structures to undertake the business of the 2014 MDC-T party.
Bhebhe also queried Khalipani Phugeni’s role in the 2014 MDC-T structures.
Bhebhe further exposed the high level of unconstitutionalism which has seen Thokozani Khupe and Mwonzora making decisions without consulting the National Council.
In a statement on the same issue, MDC Alliance said:
MCD-T Organising Secretary Bhebhe has exposed how @DMwonzora and Khupe are manufacturing MDC-T 2014 structures, how they have consistently refused to hold meetings of 2014 legitimate structures in an EXPLOSIVE affidavit…
He demands lawful congress…
Video Of 2014 Structures Getting Ready for Congress | WHO DO YOU THINK IS WINNING?
