By Jane Mlambo| Former Zanu PF National Youth Commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu who surrendered himself to the police at Harare Central Police Station will appear in court this morning.

Tsenengamu who was part of the people mobilising towards the July 31 anti-corruption protest is being charged with inciting public violence, the same offence facing MDC Alliance deputy Chairperson Job Sikhala, journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume.

“The ZRP confirms that Godfrey Tsenengamu is in Police custody and will appear in court on 10th October 2020 in relation to incitement to commit public violence charges as defined in Section 187(1) (a) as read with section 37 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act, Chapter 09:23,” the police said.

Tsenengamu is likely to spend the weekend behind bars as was the case with his colleagues who appeared in court on Saturday and had their bail hearings deferred to Monday.

More than 150 illegal settlers have invaded the 3 467 hectare citrus farm near Chinhoyi owned by businessman and Zanu PF Zvimba South legislator Cde Philip Chiyangwa.

Cde Chiyangwa said in an interview that the illegal settlers remained on  the farm in defiance of a recent court order and were building structures and clearing land in preparation for the 2020-21 farming season.

“We have taken the matter to the courts and the invaders have been served with notices of vacation,” he said. “A security company dealing with the invaders will help remove the invaders from the farm.”

Recently, leaders in Makonde district, which has seen a lot of illegal settlers turning grazing land and conservancy areas into farming land, convened a meeting where they agreed to thwart the invasions.

Makonde district development coordinator Mr Benjamin Zivanai recently said the invasions that have been witnessed in the district had either led to the injuries after clashes or arrests. The meeting saw district heads from police, Environment Management Agency and Mining and Lands ministries deliberate on the moves needed to avoid any future invasions and clashes.

-State Media

By A Correspondent| Chitungwiza Town Council has dismissed as fake, circulating pictures showing earth movers demolishing houses.

The pictures circulated day following a decision by the council to demolish illegal structures built on land that had not been approved for residential development.

“Chitungwiza Municipality is not demolishing anything of this sort at the moment. These pictures are circulating on social media and what is portrayed is far from the truth,” the municipalty said.

There was a social media outcry pertaining to the circulating pictures with people attacking the Chitungwiza municipality for being inhuman.

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Deputy Governor Dr Kuphukile Mlambo views himself as a lucky and blessed man after surviving what he described as a hellish and nasty Covid-19 ordeal.

Dr Mlambo had to mourn the death of two close friends who also succumbed to the virus, one in Bulawayo and the other in Harare, in absentia, as he was holding on to dear life as the virus rocked his existence.

He said losing friends to Covid-19 at a time when it was threatening his life made him start seeing his own mortality, moments which he said brought him even closer to his creator and strengthened his faith.

He is back at work after a long break following his Covid-19 encounter, which he has described as a near death experience.

He picks up the story: “I do not know where I go it. I was following all the Covid-19 safety precautions. I was using sanitisers, and I was moving only between work and home daily. At work, we were only allowing a few people to report physically to the office, as part of our measures to decongest the workplace and help fight Covid-19. Most of our staff were working from home, even directors were rotating.”

He said Covid-19 was the last thing in his mind at the time.

“The encounter started on a Wednesday. I was feeling very cold. It was the last week of July. I had no energy. I called my doctor, however, I delayed as I was very busy, until Friday July 31. I came to the office, but I was unwell, and I went back home and slept all day. My wife says I was restless throughout that day I slept. I felt as if I had been immersed in an ice bucket. However, I was in self-denial, and I delayed taking a test till the following Wednesday. By the time I got tested I felt like I was in hell,” said Dr Mlambo.

He described his wife as his biggest heroine as she stood by him throughout his Covid-19 ordeal, risking getting infected herself.

“The Newlands Seventh Day Adventist church, where I fellowship with my family, came through and offered support. The Adventist men prayed for me and held virtual sessions for support. The governor acted quickly and organised a doctor to attend to me. My biggest hero is my wife, Beatrice, who was there the whole time.

“She prepared all sorts of concoctions and herbal remedies, the lemons, ginger, umsuzwane tea and many others. I drank them all. I had to do whatever was possible to cling to life. I steamed often. My experience with Covid-19 is not something I would want on anyone, not even my worst enemy,” said Dr Mlambo.

“I was in a state of confusion. I didn’t know what was happening around me most of the time although I now do get flash backs of some of the moments. The Thursday before Heroes’ holiday totally doesn’t exist in my memory. I was not sleeping well throughout. This thing nearly took my life. My wife was getting very worried. However, God’s grace and a dedicated family made it possible for me to live and tell my story,” said Dr Mlambo.

He said his condition was worsened by an underlying illness which he, however, preferred not to disclose.

Dr Mlambo said he was isolated at home and only confined to the bedroom and the balcony.

“My wife had to temporarily move out of our bedroom and use a guest room while I was sick, although she was the one taking care of me day and night. There were four of us at home; myself, Beatrice and our two children Lwandile and Thandolwethu, a girl. Thando was most worried, you know how girls are about their fathers. She was really concerned and having to stay away from me was taking a toll on her. She called me daily and we spoke on the phone, even if she was in the house, she couldn’t come to my end,” said Dr Mlambo.

“I appreciated their kind messages, at that time I did not want to be told to be strong, I wanted people to understand my pain, and encourage me to leave it to God. I wanted to hear the kind of messages that did not minimise the pain, but understood the pain,” he added.

“I urge all people to take this pandemic seriously. Covid-19 is real. I myself had a nasty experience with it. Please, take all the necessary precautions to ensure your safety. Do not let your guard down, especially if you have pre-existing conditions. It is no walk in the park. Take all the precautions, rely on your faith, and family. You need those support systems.”

Dr Mlambo said he hopes sharing his experience with the virus will encourage other Zimbabweans to take the virus seriously and to heed the advice of health experts on how to conduct themselves.

He said he also hoped to contribute to ongoing efforts meant to do away with the stigma surrounding the virus.

“I encourage companies to allow people to continue working from home wherever possible, even if lockdown rules have been relaxed, health comes first. I thank the bank, especially the HR and the Governor for the precautions that they have put since then. People must work from home as much as possible. We have over 500 people at the bank, but our Covid-19 count is low,” said Dr Mlambo.

-State Media

By A Correspondent| MDC Alliance legislator for Harare West, Joana Mamombe was yesterday pictured outside the Harare Magistrates Court protesting against the incarceration of ZINASU President Takudzwa Ngadziore who has been in custody since the 18th of September.

Mamombe met Ngadziore at Chikurubi Maximum Prison before she was released following a High Court judgement nullifying her detention.

Following her release, Mamombe appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court for her routine remand and on her way out, she held a placard demanding the release of Ngadziore.

CHIEF Musarurwa of Chivhu has blocked villagers from naming a road in rural Hokonya area after former First Lady Grace Mugabe, arguing that proper procedures were not followed.

The villagers had resolved on their own to honour Grace by naming a seven-kilometre gravel road which leads to her family’s homestead in Ndwere village off the Chivhu-Murambinda Road, as Grace Way.

But Chief Musarurwa (Enos Masakwa) said if the villagers wanted to name the road, there were certain procedures which had to be followed and processed through Cabinet.

“There is no such road named Grace Way in Chivhu. As far as I know, no Cabinet sat and resolved to name it that way. Do not mislead citizens by issuing out names that are not approved by the government,” he said.

A villager, Andrew Mazhawidza, said: “The road was named after Grace by villagers some two decades ago when she got married to the now late former President Robert Mugabe. It was a prestigious marriage in this community, hence the road to her homestead became very popular.”

The road passes through Madondo Primary School, a few metres from the Marufu homestead as it proceeds to St Francis of Assisi High School, where Grace was a patron during the time she was First Lady. Apart from the gravel road which villagers had named in her honour, no other institution or place has been named after the once powerful Grace in her rural home.

— NewsDay

Sixteen MDC Alliance councillors who were recalled by the MDC-T led by Thokozani Khue have approached the High Court seeking an order to reverse the recalls.

The councillors from Harare and Marondera, respectively, are Enock Mupamaonde, Size Vilela, Wonder Siliya, Chengetai Murova, Misheck Manyere, Charles Ngwena, Lovemore Makuwerere, Gilbert Hadebe, Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi, Simon Mapunzure, Charles Chidhagu, Keith Charumbira, Stephen Dhliwayo, Barnabas Ndira, and Runyowa Chihoma.

Representing the councillors, Mupamaonde said the MDC-T had no right to withdraw them from local government authorities since they were elected into office under MDC Alliance ticket.

My co-applicants and I had neither received any correspondence nor advice from any person that we had been expelled from any political party.

We were never allowed to exercise our right to be heard. We only learnt of our purported expulsions

through the declaration of vacancies.

They accuse Local government minister, July Moyo of “descended into a political arena” and making a judgment on a clearly contested matter.

-Daily News

By A Correspondent| Chitungwiza Town Council has dismissed as fake, circulating pictures showing earth movers demolishing houses.

The pictures circulated day following a decision by the council to demolish illegal structures built on land that had not been approved for residential development.

“Chitungwiza Municipality is not demolishing anything of this sort at the moment. These pictures are circulating on social media and what is portrayed is far from the truth,” the municipalty said.

There was a social media outcry pertaining to the circulating pictures with people attacking the Chitungwiza municipality for being inhuman.

Zimbabwe continues to record new Covid-19 cases. Yesterday the country recorded 43 new cases taking the cumulative total to 7994 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Of the 43 new cases, 42 are local cases while one is a United Kingdom returnee.

Read below the daily update from the ministry of health and child care…..

Gvt officials have responded to teachers’ incapacitation by threats, firstly expressing that they would replace incapacitated teachers with 10000 teachers, the number escalated to 25000.

Recently, overzealous gvt officials threatened to employ the ‘No Work no Pay Principle’ which again will not work.

Others are even threatening the ceasation of salary after 14 working days, which again is inapplicable.

It is noteworthy that a salary ceasation is processed by a school head over a teacher whose whereabouts is not known.

In our case teachers’ whereabouts are known as we have notified both the employer and line ministry of teachers’ incapacitation. The principle of ‘no work no pay’ does not apply over incapacitated teachers as the law can never be abused where an employer cripples the ability of a worker to report for work in order to deny him/her a salary. That principle can only be applied where workers are reasonably paid.

We challenge anyone who doubts the incapacitation of a teacher to get the teacher’s salary, pay rent for a three bedroomed house (family of six), buy food for such a family that can last a month, pay water, medical and electricity bills, pay fees for two students in secondary school and two in primary school etc. If that money can do this then teachers are capacitated, but if it cannot the teachers are incapacitated. In short no amount of threats of dismissal can capacitate an incapacitated teacher to report for work.

To our students the time to confront gvt to amplify your teachers’ voices is now. Students in South Africa did it in Soweto in the 1970s and have gone down in the annuals of history for fighting for their educational rights. You can also do it in Zimbabwe or else this year will be a wasted year for you.

To parents stop sending your children to school until teachers are capacitated. To be forewarned is to be forearmed as children engage in moral decay and social decadence in the absence of teachers.

Schools are institutions of learning and teaching, yet they are fast becoming institutions of drug abuse, myriads sexual experimentation and misdemeanours.

To gvt capacitate teachers so that they can report for work.

Prioritise the health and safety of teachers and pupils. Stop forthwith berating teachers with dismissal and call for meaningful dialogue with teacher union leaders, logical disputation and clear presentation of facts.

We certainly do not salivate at a dialogue of a master and servant, horse and rider or senior and junior, but dialogue of equal partners punctuated by truth and honesty as opposed to deceit. Neither would we accept begging and romance under archaic, obsolete and moribund Apex Council.

To school heads you are just as incapacitated as other teachers. You have nothing to show for managing schools except poverty and misery as all other teachers. Close the schools and go home until you are capacitated.

To teachers we dont harvest money in a field and neither are we magicians who can multiply the starvation wages we earn to capacitate ourselves. Lets mantain our incapacitation modus operandi until we are capacitated. Lets explain to our students and communities that we have nothing against them, but we are fighting an issue of fair labour practice, no more no less.

We love them but we cannot miraculously get to our schools because we are grossly incapacitated.

Neither are we witches who could travel at night using unconventional methods. This is the message we must amplify loud and clear and without fear or davour. Our condition can never be changed by any threat as it is real and need redress as a matter of urgency.

Our decisive phase of incapacitation must see the convergence of voices of teachers, students, parents and gvt officials in an attempt to find a pragmatic and realistic way forward. Even if the gvt can borrow money from Satan in order to pay teachers, so be it.

The discrepancies between teachers and other gvt workers’ salaries baffle logic and common sense.

Without redress of the parlous state of teachers, the only way forward for incapacitated teachers is going forward in the incapacitation modus operandi.

As teachers we have no reason to lie except highlighting the truth that our welfare, health and safety matter. There will be no retreat no surrender over issues of life and dealth, let alone protecting a veritable future for both teachers and our students.

Venceremos

Dr Takavafira M. Zhou (Ptuz President)

Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance family has been plunged into mourning following the death of Hon Anna Myambo.

Hon Myambo was among the MPs who were recalled by Thokozani Khupe.

According to sources in the MDC Alliance, Hon Myambo succumbed to stroke.

Read full statement below:

09 OCTOBER 2020

MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA EXPRESSES HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO THE LATE MDC ALLIANCE MP HON ANNA MPOFU NEE MYAMBO’S BEREAVED FAMILY.

Mdc Alliance Namibia is deeply saddened by artificial deaths emanating from psychosocial problems caused by Zanupf and their puppets in the judicially-sponsored Mdc-T led by Thokozani Khupe.

We were really hypnotised and transfixed when the district received the news about the death of our staunch revolutionary fighter in the national democratic struggle.

May the family of the deceased be comforted by the Almighty God so that we can forge ahead with our objective fight against senseless looting manifesting in Zanupf and their power-hungry surrogates who are working to destroy the people’s project.

Our condolence message is very clear, “Gone too soon our ardent democratic fighter, our mother and source of inspiration. We don’t doubt what they subjected you to, you toiled and suffered in excruciating agony in the hands of a brood of vipers that has invested in Zanupf sadism”, echoed the infuriated Mdc Alliance Namibia Rundu branch Spokesperson Robson Ruhanya.

“Until we meet again , Mama we will soldier on confronting Zanupf and their enablers who are exploiting state machinery to reverse the will of the citizenry through their satanic and illegal recalls to the people’s choice”, Ruhanya further remarked.

Sources close to the deceased Honourable, say, she had a stroke after she was recalled from Parliament by the clueless Zanupf-backed Thokozani group. As Mdc Alliance Namibia, we are convinced that the diligent MP died as a result of the stress of her illegal recall. This is not only tragic but an indictment against the imposters who have apparently subverted constitutional democracy by conniving with Zanupf to sneak back into Parliament. The gesture epitomises the death of social democracy in Zimbabwe.

Moreso, the psychological trauma generated by state capture of government institutions by a desperate regime was responsible for the untimely death of our committed and dedicated social democratic fighter. Khupe, Mwonzora and cabal are ultimately accountable for our revolutionary loss. Hon Anna Mpofu nee Myambo, who was an MP for Harare Province after entering into Parliament on a proportional representation was unconstitutionally recalled in June. Since then our legislator never recovered from the shock until she died yesterday (Thursday).

The unholy marriage between Zanupf and their puppets is at the epicentre of our misfortunes but we shall remain unshaken in defending the people’s vote.

In her conversation with the pragmatic Secretary General of the Mdc Alliance Youth Assembly, Ostallos Siziba, she said, “Ostallos shuwa tonzi tavakupa parliament to some people who did not even compaign kuno kuChitungwiza , not even a single day mwanangu, is that the new dispensation here comrade?” The conversation mirrors how Zec and parliament are operating from the directive of the politically inept Executive in Zanupf. Khupe and her people never joined Mdc Alliance, infact the inception of the Mdc Alliance marked the official departure of Khupe from our politics of change. She abandoned the freedom train before the death of our leader the late President Morgan Richard Tsvangirai only to resurface in the armpits of Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. This must be resisted with equal measure.

In a nutshell, Mdc Alliance Namibia encourages the Mpofu family to remain resolute in fighting against Zanupf shenanigans.

May her soul rest in eternal peace.
We urge all social democrats who subscribe to the struggle for socio-economic transformation to display their solidarity with our departed soldier by joining the rest of the Mdc Alliance family in a powerful send off to our gallant democratic fighter. She will be laid to rest tomorrow at Zororo Cemetery near Seke School in Harare, Chitungwiza.

Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya

LootersMustGo

ZanupfMustGo

freemaengahama

freetakudzwa

freemadzorere

FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners

Zimbabweanlivesmatter

By Dorrothy Moyo | MDC leaders protest recalls; Teachers cannot hold the nation ransom, these were some of the headlines on Saturday morning.

The ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa in July announced saying his government all this while has been at war with white farmers.

11 hours after the death of the minister of agriculture, Perrance Shiri, the latter who would have conducted this function, Mnangagwa signed what he termed a groundbreaking ceremony with dispossessed white farmers, who have lost their farms since the year 2000.

The statement was a clear military truce announcement as Mnangagwa said, “let us choose dialogue over confrontation,” he announced while also using the adjective “peaceful” to describe what the nation is now to become.

Barely 3 months later, the man has now proposed the Patriotic Bill, a new law that is worse than that of the farm takeovers.

“You talk of dialogue and peaceful resolve .. yet you plan to hold Zimbabweans to ransom in chains…” asks NenaEye, a Twitter user.

https://twitter.com/mdczimbabwe/status/1314570114294001664?s=20

Farai Dziva|Veteran MDC Alliance cadre, Sithokozile Muzivoreva has died.

Muzivoreva, a senior member of the MDC Alliance Assembly of Women died on Friday morning at Morgenster Mission Hospital.

See statement below :

9 October 2020

Wezhira Munya

Masvingo MDC Alliance official Sithokozile Muzivoreva, a member of the National Women’s Assembly died on Friday morning at Morgenster Hospital in Masvingo.

She hails from Chikarudzo, Masvingo Central.

Masvingo Province MDC Alliance national member leader Matara said:

“As MDC Alliance led by President Nelson Chamisa we have lost a hard-working cadre leader Muzivoreva.

Her commitment to freedom of Zimbabwe from Zanu PF misrule was exceptional.

May her soul rest in peace.”

MDC Alliance Women Assembly acting chairlady Hon Muchirairwa Mugidho said:

“I am devastated after hearing the news of the death of leader Sithokozile Muzivoreva.

She was a fearles and faithful member of our great party- MDC Alliance led by President Nelson Chamisa. May God comfort leader Muzivoreva’s family in this difficulty time.”

Burial arrangements will be announced in due course.

Farai Dziva|Former Zanu PF MP, Killer Zivhu has been criticized for “attempting to replace teachers’ salaries with mealie-meal, rice and meat.”

Zivhu pledged to donate mealie-meal and rice to teachers in his area.

Commenting on the former Zanu PF MP’s remarks, MDC Alliance, Namibia(Rundu Branch) spokesperson, Robson Ruhanya described Zivhu as a daydreamer.

Below is Zivhu’s argument:

Teachers in my area u can proceed kumba kwangu kunotora upfu ,mafuta,rice, nechibage mosvaka mombe ndobhadhara yeusavi.

Vana ngavadzidze I am overconfident that ED unogadzira nyika mupeyi nguva zvinhu zvava kutonaka .

For now I will help with food hendeyi kubasa

Zimbabwe nyika ndoida iyi hameno iwe ,goodnight guys ndini ndadini zvangu ndatodya nenyama sadza ini.

Vanopopota muchazvimba mukapora ED wapinda 2023 kusvika 2030.

MDC Alliance yapera,MDC-T yakainda naTsvangirayi mati madini mucharidza mhere kusvika mazvinyaradza ED achingotonga

Make it mandatory that ED’s picture inofanirwa kuiswa mudzimba ,shops ,public transport and all public places.

Vasingadi vasungwe hamudi President wenyu moda ani. Munhu wose pfeka face ya President wenyika yako wobva wada nyika yako nomoyo wose pose pose ED Zimbabwe yose ED.

In response Ruhanya said: “Mr Zivhu is daydreaming, he wants to force citizens to recognize the illegitimate Emmerson Mnangagwa as the President of Zimbabwe.Worse still Mr Zivhu wants to force us to display Mnangagwa’s portrait everywhere – that’s ridiculous.

Zivhu thinks he can place teachers under his armpits- who told him that teachers are working for rice and sadza?”

Farai Dziva|Former Zanu PF MP, Killer Zivhu has been criticized for “attempting to replace teachers’ salaries with mealie-meal, rice and meat.”

Zivhu pledged to donate mealie-meal and rice to teachers in his area.

Commenting on the former Zanu PF MP’s remarks, MDC Alliance, Namibia(Rundu Branch) spokesperson, Robson Ruhanya described Zivhu as a daydreamer.

Below is Zivhu’s argument:

Teachers in my area u can proceed kumba kwangu kunotora upfu ,mafuta,rice, nechibage mosvaka mombe ndobhadhara yeusavi.

Vana ngavadzidze I am overconfident that ED unogadzira nyika mupeyi nguva zvinhu zvava kutonaka .

For now I will help with food hendeyi kubasa

Zimbabwe nyika ndoida iyi hameno iwe ,goodnight guys ndini ndadini zvangu ndatodya nenyama sadza ini.

Vanopopota muchazvimba mukapora ED wapinda 2023 kusvika 2030.

MDC Alliance yapera,MDC-T yakainda naTsvangirayi mati madini mucharidza mhere kusvika mazvinyaradza ED achingotonga

Make it mandatory that ED’s picture inofanirwa kuiswa mudzimba ,shops ,public transport and all public places.

Vasingadi vasungwe hamudi President wenyu moda ani. Munhu wose pfeka face ya President wenyika yako wobva wada nyika yako nomoyo wose pose pose ED Zimbabwe yose ED.

In response Ruhanya said: “Mr Zivhu is daydreaming, he wants to force citizens to recognize the illegitimate Emmerson Mnangagwa as the President of Zimbabwe.Worse still Mr Zivhu wants to force us to display Mnangagwa’s portrait everywhere – that’s ridiculous.

Zivhu thinks he can place teachers under his armpits- who told him that teachers are working for rice and sadza?”

A 75-YEAR-OLD village head in Dombodema in Plumtree allegedly struck his wife with an axe for allegedly cheating on him before shoving the body into a plastic bag and secretly buried it in an anthill to conceal the offence.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo heard this when Foreman Sibanda of Village 13, Vulindlela Ward in Bulilima district appeared before her on Tuesday facing a murder charge in connection with the death of his wife, Petty Sibanda (66).

He was remanded in custody to today for judgment.

Sibanda allegedly struck his wife with an axe in November last year after accusing her of having an extra-marital affair.

He then allegedly put the body in a plastic bag before using a wheelbarrow to carry the body to his fields where he buried it in an anthill.

The offence came to light two weeks later after Sibanda decided to reveal what he had done to his son.

Upon exhumation, the body was in an advanced state of decomposition making it impossible for pathologists to determine the cause of death.

Prosecuting, Mr Blessing Gundani said on November 11 last year at around 6AM, Sibanda and his wife were at their homestead when an altercation ensued.

The dispute emanated from the fact that Sibanda accused his wife of having an extra-marital affair.

The court heard that after the dispute, the deceased left the accused person in their kitchen hut and went to her bedroom.

Sibanda went to a separate bedroom where he picked an axe and followed the deceased to her bedroom.

The two were now sleeping in separate bedrooms because of the misunderstanding.

“The accused person took an axe and went to the deceased’s bedroom hut and confronted her over the matter. They had a misunderstanding and Sibanda struck her three times on the back of the head and she died on the spot,” said Mr Gundani.

Upon realising that his wife was no longer breathing, Sibanda put the body into a plastic bag and placed it in a wheelbarrow before pushing it to the fields where he buried the body in an anthill.

The court heard that two weeks later, Sibanda phoned his son, Khayelihle who is based in South and disclosed to him what had happened.

Khayelihle then contacted his aunt via WhatsApp and notified her about the incident. The matter was reported to the police leading to Sibanda’s arrest.

Sibanda led police to the anthill where the remains were buried and they were exhumed.

According to the post-mortem report, the immediate cause of death could not be ascertained due to the advanced state of decomposition of the body.

In his defence through his lawyer Mr Nkosi Sibanda of Tanaka Law Chambers, the accused person said he acted in the heat of a moment following a misunderstanding with the deceased whom he accused of infidelity.-Chronicle

Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) Coronavirus update – 8 October 2020:

New cases: 32

Locals – 32

Returnees – 0

Deaths: 0

Recoveries: 5

PCR Tests Done: 929

National Recovery Rate: 81.3%

Active Cases: 1 276

Total Cumulative Cases: 7 951

Total Recoveries: 6 446

Total Deaths: 229

A 75-YEAR-OLD village head in Dombodema in Plumtree allegedly struck his wife with an axe for allegedly cheating on him before shoving the body into a plastic bag and secretly buried it in an anthill to conceal the offence.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo heard this when Foreman Sibanda of Village 13, Vulindlela Ward in Bulilima district appeared before her on Tuesday facing a murder charge in connection with the death of his wife, Petty Sibanda (66).

He was remanded in custody to today for judgment.

Sibanda allegedly struck his wife with an axe in November last year after accusing her of having an extra-marital affair.

He then allegedly put the body in a plastic bag before using a wheelbarrow to carry the body to his fields where he buried it in an anthill.

The offence came to light two weeks later after Sibanda decided to reveal what he had done to his son.

Upon exhumation, the body was in an advanced state of decomposition making it impossible for pathologists to determine the cause of death.

Prosecuting, Mr Blessing Gundani said on November 11 last year at around 6AM, Sibanda and his wife were at their homestead when an altercation ensued.

The dispute emanated from the fact that Sibanda accused his wife of having an extra-marital affair.

The court heard that after the dispute, the deceased left the accused person in their kitchen hut and went to her bedroom.

Sibanda went to a separate bedroom where he picked an axe and followed the deceased to her bedroom.

The two were now sleeping in separate bedrooms because of the misunderstanding.

“The accused person took an axe and went to the deceased’s bedroom hut and confronted her over the matter. They had a misunderstanding and Sibanda struck her three times on the back of the head and she died on the spot,” said Mr Gundani.

Upon realising that his wife was no longer breathing, Sibanda put the body into a plastic bag and placed it in a wheelbarrow before pushing it to the fields where he buried the body in an anthill.

The court heard that two weeks later, Sibanda phoned his son, Khayelihle who is based in South and disclosed to him what had happened.

Khayelihle then contacted his aunt via WhatsApp and notified her about the incident. The matter was reported to the police leading to Sibanda’s arrest.

Sibanda led police to the anthill where the remains were buried and they were exhumed.

According to the post-mortem report, the immediate cause of death could not be ascertained due to the advanced state of decomposition of the body.

In his defence through his lawyer Mr Nkosi Sibanda of Tanaka Law Chambers, the accused person said he acted in the heat of a moment following a misunderstanding with the deceased whom he accused of infidelity.-Chronicle

Paul Nyathi

Former ZANU PF Matabeleland South Province Chairman and veteran politician Rido Mpofu, 70, has been thrown into remand prison on charges of raping his 15 year old niece several times on different occassions for over a year.

Mpofu who was at one time the Mayor of Gwanda was dragged to court on Wednesday charged with rape which he is apparently denying.

Gwanda magistrate Caroline Matanga remanded him in custody to October 23 and advised him to apply for bail at the High Court.

“Sometime in 2019, the juvenile was with accused person where she used to stay when she retired to bed, the accused followed her to her bedroom and asked her to polish his shoes,” said prosecutor Noel Mandebvu.

“Complainant woke up to receive the shoes and the accused pushed her to the bed. He removed his short and lowered the girl’s trousers and pants before having sexual intercourse with her without consent.”

Mpofu is alleged to have further sexually abused the teenager three times this year, threatening to send her away from his Gwanda home and stop paying her school fees if she revealed the matter to anyone.

The teenager finally opened up to her grandmother in August this year before the matter was reported to police last month.

State Media

CASSAVA Smartech’s mobile money platform, EcoCash, has launched a multi-million-dollar loyalty promotion called “My EcoCash Rewards” in which customers will earn points and get rewarded for transacting with EcoCash.

The loyalty promotion offers over ZWL$30 million worth of guaranteed rewards to customers for sending money, paying merchants, paying bills, buying airtime and data bundles, receiving remittances via Cassava Remit and EcoCash Remit, and for using banking services such as Bank2Wallet and swipe into EcoCash. Cassava chief executive officer, Mr Eddie Chibi, said customers deserve rewards for their loyalty to the brand, particularly during tough economic times.

“We are indebted to our customers who have remained loyal to us throughout the years. My EcoCash Rewards promotion is our way of saying ‘Thank You’ to the millions of customers who have made EcoCash what it is today,” said Mr Chibi.

Zimbabwe has been experiencing economic challenges arising from a variety of factors including currency shortages, rising inflation, drought and the deadly coronavirus pandemic, among other reasons.

EcoCash chief executive officer, Ms Natalie Jabangwe, said customers simply need to transact for a minimum value of ZW$$200 using EcoCash to be eligible to earn points and get rewarded.

“In addition, we are rewarding customers for spending as little as US$2 from their EcoCash FCA wallet. We are also encouraging our diaspora community to continue sending money back home via our Remittance channels,” she said.

“We are grateful to our customers for continuing to Live Life the EcoCash way.”

Customers can also redeem the value accumulated during the promotion into their EcoCash wallet or exchange it for Econet airtime at the end of each month whenever they hit their targets.

There are also several prizes, including television sets, groceries, goats, cows and cash. The promotion will run until February 2021.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) on Wednesday confirmed the suspension of by-elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The by-elections were expected to be held before the end of the year to fill vacant parliamentary and local government seats, according to the ZEC.

However, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Constantino Chiwenga last Friday announced a ban on the by-elections, citing COVID-19 as a formidable pandemic in the country.

The ZEC’s chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana said Wednesday that it is important for the commission to follow the advice from the necessary authorities and take precautions to curb the spread of the virus.

“The commission thus advises that the holding of by-elections remains suspended in line with public health regulations until the declaration of COVID-19 as a formidable pandemic has been lifted,” Silaigwana said.

The prolonged suspension of by-elections is permissible under constitution, he added.

Former Zanu PF Mashonaland Central youth chairperson Godfrey Tsenengamu is scheduled to appear before the courts over the weekend on incitement of violence chargers after he urged the citizenry to participate in the foiled July 31 anti-corruption protests.

Tsenengamu is among 14 political activists, including MDC-Alliance vice-chair Job Sikhala who have been on the police’s list of wanted people over unspecified reasons.

He surrendered himself to the police this Friday morning at the CID Law and Order Section after a long period of evading the law enforcers.

Tsenengamu is in Police custody and will appear in court on October 10 to answer to charges of incitement to commit public violence charges as defined in Section 187(1) (a) as read in section 37 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act, Chapter 09:23.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he was still checking the details of the matter.

Tsenengamu was in March expelled from ZANU PF for violating the party’s code of conduct after he and fellow ZANU PF youth league officials named and shamed allegedly corrupt individuals within ZANU PF, government and the business community.

The named individuals who include former Mines minister Obert Mpofu were allegedly choking efforts to revive the country’s collapsed economy by engaging in underhand dealings.

Back in September a seriously prohibitive ZW$5000 daily limit was placed on EcoCash subscribers. The huge blow disincentivised people from using EcoCash since it meant one simply couldn’t make certain basic payments using the mobile money service.

EcoCash and OneMoney have announced that the limit will be getting relaxed – from ZW$5000/day to ZW$35 000/week. Yes, previously you could only use a maximum of 35 000/week but with a daily limit of 5 000. Now you’ll be able to use ZW$35 000 in one day if you wish to do so.

Good news, EcoCash individual spending limit is now ZW$35 000 per week. You can use up this limit in 1 or more days.

EcoCash message to subscribers
This means mobile money users and regular consumers will be able to use their money with more flexibility and some of the use cases we mentioned as being unavailable (e.g paying for certain consumer internet packages) will now be available once again.

Interestingly, there are still going to be some restriction meant to discourage money laundering. There is going to be a ZW$5000 limit per transaction which means if you are transacting above that threshold you will have to do so multiple times.

Whilst this is certainly an improvement over the previous restrictions, there is still a lot of friction when it comes to using mobile money right now. If Zimswitch’s ZIPIT Smart gains traction there will be very few reasons to use mobile money in its current state – which means EcoCash and other mobile money services are still in a perilous place despite the relaxation of the limits.

Techzim

A 10-year-old girl from Gweru spent one week in hospital and was left limping after she was raped several times in nine hours by her assailant who had threatened to burn down her mother’s kitchen.

The girl who is doing Grade 5 at a local school had to undergo blood transfusion after she lost a lot of blood during the horrific act.

The court also heard that medical personnel at Gweru Provincial Hospital had to stitch up her private parts.

This was heard during the appearance of Makesure Chikomba (33) before Gweru Regional Magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa facing one count of rape.

Chikomba whose address was not given pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The matter was remanded to October 22 for judgment.

Prosecutor Mr Kelvin Guveya told the court that on October 14 last year at around 7pm, at a plot on the outskirts of Gweru, the minor was home with her mother (43) when Chikomba allegedly arrived.

Chikomba allegedly knocked at the kitchen door and the minor’s mother attended to him.

The accused person allegedly asked for directions to a fellow villager’s homestead.

The minor’s mother allegedly showed Chikomba the path to use before she returned to the kitchen and closed the door behind her.

After a few minutes, Chikomba allegedly returned, stood by the door and proposed love to the victim’s mother.

His proposal was turned down before he allegedly threatened to set the kitchen on fire.

Sensing danger, the girl’s mother instructed her daughter to stop whatever she was doing and flee from the scene.

When the mother opened the door, the accused person who was standing by the door allegedly grabbed her and assaulted her once with an open hand while the child ran away shouting for help but to no avail.

The child’s mother managed to free herself before running away but in a different direction from which her daughter had taken.

The accused person left the mother and allegedly ran towards the child and caught her.

Chikomba allegedly dragged her into a nearby bush.

When she tried to resist, Chikomba allegedly gripped her neck threatening to kill her and went on to assault her once on the face with an open hand.

Chikomba allegedly dragged her further into a nearby maize field where he raped her several times.

Each time before he allegedly raped the child, Chikomba would forcefully insert his fingers in her privates.

At around 4am, he allegedly ordered her to go back home.

The girl proceeded to her neighbours’ homestead where she narrated her ordeal.

The neighbours took her to her mother before the matter was reported to the police on October 15.

She was referred to Gweru Provincial Hospital for treatment where she was admitted for a week and had her private parts sutured.

A medical report, the court heard, indicated that she had severe lacerations on her genitalia.

She had severe wounds, lost a lot of blood during the rape and had to undergo blood transfusion.

She is now struggling to walk especially when its cold.

A 34-YEAR-OLD father of 10 has been advised to stop having more children as he has been neglecting the ones he already has.

Phibion Makiwa left the court gallery speechless after claiming that he could afford paying more than $1 000 for the two children he sired with Rudo Gwidibira as he has eight more children to look after.

Mutare magistrate, Mr Lazarus Murendo, presided over the matter.

He advised Makiwa to start using family planning methods if he can’t afford to provide for his children.

“There is no need for you to keep having children if you cannot afford to look after them. You already have 10 children, with most of them being looked after by their mothers. Yet you claim to be a father.

“You are very young and should be working hard to give these children a decent living, but all you care about is having more. You need to work hard and slow down on having children,” said Mr Murendo.

But Makiwa said his financial woes are a result of Gwidibira’s short temper.

“Your Worship, Rudo and l fight like any other couple but she is quick to make police reports, thereby getting me in trouble.

“The last time l appeared in court I was sentenced to perform community service and I ended up losing my job,” he said.

He also said Gwidibira is in the habit of selling his clothes to raise money for food.

Gwidibira confirmed selling Makiwa’s clothes to buy food for the family.

“I sell his clothes because I do not want to see my children starving. In fact, he should complement me for doing that,” she said.

While Gwidibira had applied for a monthly payment of $4 000 for the upkeep of her children, Mr Murendo ordered Makiwa to fork out $2 500 every month.

He also advised him to look after his other eight children.

Manica Post

Paul Nyathi

THIRTY-TWO new Covid-19 cases were recorded on Thursday as the total number of cases in Zimbabwe rose to 7 951.

The 32 cases were recorded following 929 PRC tests that were done while five people recovered from the virus yesterday.

10 of the new cases were recorded in Harare, nine in Bulawayo, seven in Mashonaland west and six in Mashonaland East.

6 446 people have since recovered, leaving 1 276 Covid-19 active cases.

Covid-19 related deaths stand at 229.

In its daily report, Ministry of Health and Child Care said: “As at 08 October 2020, Zimbabwe had 7 951 confirmed cases, including 6 446 recoveries and 229 deaths.”

Three people recovered from Covid-19 in Bulawayo while the other two are from Mashonaland East.

The ministry said the Covid-19 recovery rate stands at 81 percent.

THE Warriors have been saved the nightmare of travelling a grueling 600km journey by road for the international friendly match against Malawi after ZIFA finally bowed to pressure and arranged a charter flight.

The 18-member squad was originally scheduled to travel to Blantyre by road on Friday morning but there was a huge outcry from the football stakeholders over the plans.

The Warriors are now set to leave for Malawi on Saturday morning.

The road trip usually takes about eight to 10 hours. Stakeholders, including the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe felt, the arrangement was unfair on the players.

This would have provided a throwback to the Warriors’ infamous tour to Malawi, for their 2017 AFCON qualifier, when Callisto Pasuwa was the head coach.

The Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) also insisted ZIFA, who recently received COVID-19 bailout from CAF and FIFA, should work on an alternative using the resources at their disposal.

THE Warriors were initially set to leave Friday morning by road for the international friendly match on Sunday.

The travelling party includes all the players called up by coach Zdravko Logarusic, except the duo of Alec Mudimu who plays for Sherrif Tiraspol in Moldova, and Khama Billiat of Kaizer Chiefs. The duo will fly straight to Malawi, according to Xolisani Gwesela the ZIFA spokesperson.

Also set to be part of the trip is Aston Villa’s Marvelous Nakamba, who arrived in the country on Thursday night, and Turkish-based Teenage Hadebe, whose flight touched down at Robert Mugabe International Airport on Friday morning.

https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1314558037798129666?s=20

By A Correspondent- The City of Harare municipal employees have threatened an industrial action following deadlock over salary increment.

The employees are complaining over monthly net salaries of ZW$4000.

Employee Party Trade Unions in the Harare Municipal Undertaking comprising Harare Municipal Union (HMWU), Zimbabwe Urban Councils Workers Union (ZUCWU), Water and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe (WAWUZ) and Zimbabwe Allied Municipalities Workers Union (ZAMWUZ) are representing the workers in grade 5 to 16.

In a letter addressed to the acting Town Clerk, Dr Prosper Chonzi, Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume, acting Employer Party Chairman, Councillor Mutizwa and National Employment Council, Chairman, Advocate Matsikidze, the workers said:

“The City of Harare is giving a meagre salary which amounts to ZW$4000 net salary per month translating to about US$40.

“This is a slap in the face of the employees taking into account the fact the ZW$4000 is inclusive of allowances.

“At the moment transport allowance is ZW$480 and this can only allow an employee to report for duty for four days.

“This is a backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic wherein serious hardships have been induced.

“Government has been paying a US$75 allowance for Covid-19 to all civil servants.-HMetro

Farai Dziva|Former Zanu PF MP, Killer Zivhu has been criticized for “attempting to replace teachers’ salaries with mealie-meal, rice and meat.”

Zivhu pledged to donate mealie-meal and rice to teachers in his area.

Commenting on the former Zanu PF MP’s remarks, MDC Alliance, Namibia(Rundu Branch) spokesperson, Robson Ruhanya described Zivhu as a daydreamer.

Below is Zivhu’s argument:

Teachers in my area u can proceed kumba kwangu kunotora upfu ,mafuta,rice, nechibage mosvaka mombe ndobhadhara yeusavi.

Vana ngavadzidze I am overconfident that ED unogadzira nyika mupeyi nguva zvinhu zvava kutonaka .

For now I will help with food hendeyi kubasa

Zimbabwe nyika ndoida iyi hameno iwe ,goodnight guys ndini ndadini zvangu ndatodya nenyama sadza ini.

Vanopopota muchazvimba mukapora ED wapinda 2023 kusvika 2030.

MDC Alliance yapera,MDC-T yakainda naTsvangirayi mati madini mucharidza mhere kusvika mazvinyaradza ED achingotonga

Make it mandatory that ED’s picture inofanirwa kuiswa mudzimba ,shops ,public transport and all public places.

Vasingadi vasungwe hamudi President wenyu moda ani. Munhu wose pfeka face ya President wenyika yako wobva wada nyika yako nomoyo wose pose pose ED Zimbabwe yose ED.

In response Ruhanya said: “Mr Zivhu is daydreaming, he wants to force citizens to recognize the illegitimate Emmerson Mnangagwa as the President of Zimbabwe.Worse still Mr Zivhu wants to force us to display Mnangagwa’s portrait everywhere – that’s ridiculous.

Zivhu thinks he can place teachers under his armpits- who told him that teachers are working for rice and sadza?”

By A Correspondent- A fresh battle is looming in MDC over delegates to the party’s extra-ordinary congress in December with supporters of Nelson Chamisa barred from attending.

The supporters are now threatening to seek legal recourse.

MDC secretary general said that anyone in support of Chamisa after the Supreme Court ruling had automatically expelled themselves from the party and would not participate in the congress.

But MDC Alliance secretary general Charlton Hwende accused Mwonzora of politicking. He said any effort to bar the 2014 structures from participating in the congress would be resisted politically and legally.-DailyNews

High Court Judge Justice Esther Muremba on Wednesday 7 October 2020 ordered the release from prison of Harare West constituency legislator Hon. Joanah Mamombe, where she had been incarcerated for close to two weeks on the orders of Harare Magistrate Bianca Makwande.

Magistrate Makwande on Thursday 24 September 2020 ordered Hon. Mamombe to have her mental aptitude examined by two “neutral” doctors while being detained at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.

Magistrate Makwande granted the order after Prosecutor Michael Reza filed an application seeking to have Hon. Mamombe examined in accordance with provisions of the Mental Health Act after she recently failed to appear in court to stand trial on charges of communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the state.

The Magistrate said Hon. Mamombe should be placed under thesupervision of the Superintendent of Harare Remand Prison while some “neutral doctors” evaluate her mental aptitude before her trial commences.

But Hon. Mamombe’s lawyers Alec Muchadehama, Jeremiah Bamu, Tinomuda Shoko and Roselyn Hanzi of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights on 25 September 2020 filed an application for review and an urgent chamber application at the High Court seeking a review of Magistrate Makwande’s decision to imprison the Harare West constituency
legislator and arguing that her detention was unlawful and an infringement of her right to liberty provided in the Constitution.

On Wednesday 7 October 2020, Justice Muremba agreed with Hon. Mamombe’s lawyers and ordered that she be immediately released from Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, where she had been incarcerated for 13 days.

In her judgment, Justice Muremba ruled that it was not necessary for Magistrate Makwande to place Hon. Mamombe in custody for purposes on being medically examined in terms of the Health Mental Act as she could have ordered her to undergo the examination whilst out of custody.

The Judge noted that Hon. Mamombe had not breached her bail conditions and nothing warranted her placement in prison custody for the purposes of her mental examination.
Hon. Mamombe, Justice Muremba ruled, could still have been ordered to undergo the mental examination as a state institution by the state’s medical practitioners.

The Judge stated that there was no just cause for placing the opposition legislator in custody thereby depriving her of her personal liberty, which is jealously guarded in the Constitution.

Nonetheless, Justice Muremba ordered that Hon. Mamombe should still comply with Magistrate Makwande’s order that she be examined by two doctors at Harare Remand Prison.

Hon. Mamombe who had been out of custody on bail, was arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police members together with opposition MDC-Alliance party Youth Assembly leaders Cecelia Chimbiri aged 31 years and Netsai Marova aged 25 years on 10 June 2020 and charged with publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31(a)(ii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31(a)(iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

The trio was also charged with defeating or obstructing the course of justice as defined in section 184(1)(f) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova went missing on 13 May 2020, when they were abducted in Harare and were only found on 15 May 2020 after being dumped in Bindura in Mashonaland Central province.

The trio has already been charged with committing public violence after they were arrested on 26 May 2020 for allegedly participating in an anti-government protest against hunger during the national lockdown period as defined in section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and for contravening section 5(3) (a) as read with section
5(1) of Statutory Instrument 99 of 2020 of Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order, 2020.-ZLHR

By Farai D Hove | ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has opened war against school children who yesterday threatened to protest over the plight of their teachers.

We are giving the Gov six days to solve the teachers issue,we are pleading.Failure to reply will protest fighting for our right to Education as will submit a applicant to the Minister in large numbers.Schools are now night clubs due to absenteeism of teachers.@ZimEye #Fearnot pic.twitter.com/OqimfZZMrh

— RyanMugayi (@KFRMugayi) October 8, 2020

Mnangagwa is on record several times saying anyone who demonstrates will be removed from the earth, literally.

Yesterday, leaders of school children held a press conference where they announced: “We are going to peacefully demonstrate as children. As our constitution of Zimbabwe chapter 4:29 it allows every citizen to demonstrate peacefully…,” they said while saying they will present their letters to government.

They said, “We are fighting for Zimbabwean child.”

Responding to this Mnangagwa appeared to suggest that the children are being influenced by teachers. He said the Government will not be arm-twisted by striking teachers into succumbing to their demands, saying only those reporting for duty will be paid.

Teacher representatives are calling for a minimum salary of US$520 or the equivalent at the auction rate. However, the Government has indicated that it is not in a position to pay in US dollars given that the local currency has been reintroduced.

Mnangagwa told a briefing in Mutare on Wednesday that there was no going back in ensuring the smooth flow of lessons in schools.

“I have heard that after schools reopened in Manicaland, only 30 percent of teachers have reported for duty. Let me assure all of you that Government will never be held to ransom by the teachers,” he said.

He continued saying, “by failing to report for duty, they think they will push us to do what they want. No, we are very principled on that. However, we are happy that some have gone back to work.

“We will apply the principle that those who work will get paid. Those who are at home are not considered to be at work,” he said.

Teachers’ unions have vowed to continue with the industrial action as negotiations with Government.

Should he repeat his method, Mnangagwa is set to assault the school children, in the way he announced to the people of Mwenezi:

“We deployed soldiers to stop the protesters and they quelled the disturbances,” he said.

“Now they are planning more chaos, but we are telling everyone in the country that if you do not want peace, take part in the noise!

“Those that want peace, stay at home, so that we deal with those that want violence.

“We will sort them out. Those who come to you inviting you to the protests, tell them to pass, what you are saying has bad omens of Legion.”

By A Correspondent- Sixteen MDC Alliance councillors who were recalled by MDC-T last month have approached the High Court challenging their recalls.

The councillors argue that Local Government minister July Moyo, who relied on a letter from Thokozani Khupe which purported that the councillors had been recalled, should not have interfered with political battles between the MDC-T and MDC-Alliance.

More to follow….

By A Correspondent- Former Zanu PF youth leader Godfrey Tsenengamu has surrendered himself to the police ending his close to 3 months on the run as the state arrested and charged people who were calling for 31 July protest for inciting public violence.

Tsengengamu reportedly surrender himself to CID officers this morning and ZRP National Spokesperson Assitant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they were still checking the facts before they can comment.

We will update this article as new details emerge.-statemedia

By A Correspondent| MDC Alliance legislator for Harare West, Joana Mamombe was yesterday pictured outside the Harare Magistrates Court protesting against the incarceration of ZINASU President Takudzwa Ngadziore who has been in custody since the 18th of September.

Mamombe met Ngadziore at Chikurubi Maximum Prison before she was released following a High Court judgement nullifying her detention.

Following her release, Mamombe appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court for her routine remand and on her way out, she held a placard demanding the release of Ngadziore.

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

1. BACKGROUND……………………………………………………………………3
2. OBJECTIVES………………………………………………………………..…….3
3. METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………………………4
4. FINDINGS……………………………………………………………………..4-7
5. 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 18^th 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:-

1. 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 5^th of August and closed 7^th 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 8^th to 10^th of August 2020 and resumed from the 13^th and 14^th 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 31^st 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 25^th 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 26^th 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

By A Correspondent- A 75 year old village head in Dombodema in Plumtree allegedly struck his wife with an axe for allegedly cheating on him before shoving the body into a plastic bag and secretly buried it in an anthill to conceal the offence.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo heard this when Foreman Sibanda of Village 13, Vulindlela Ward in Bulilima district appeared before her on Tuesday facing a murder charge in connection with the death of his wife, Petty Sibanda (66).

He was remanded in custody to today for judgment.

Sibanda allegedly struck his wife with an axe in November last year after accusing her of having an extra-marital affair.

He then allegedly put the body in a plastic bag before using a wheelbarrow to carry the body to his fields where he buried it in an anthill.

The offence came to light two weeks later after Sibanda decided to reveal what he had done to his son.

Upon exhumation, the body was in an advanced state of decomposition making it impossible for pathologists to determine the cause of death.

Prosecuting, Mr Blessing Gundani said on November 11 last year at around 6AM, Sibanda and his wife were at their homestead when an altercation ensued.

The dispute emanated from the fact that Sibanda accused his wife of having an extra-marital affair.

The court heard that after the dispute, the deceased left the accused person in their kitchen hut and went to her bedroom.

Sibanda went to a separate bedroom where he picked an axe and followed the deceased to her bedroom.

The two were now sleeping in separate bedrooms because of the misunderstanding.

“The accused person took an axe and went to the deceased’s bedroom hut and confronted her over the matter. They had a misunderstanding and Sibanda struck her three times on the back of the head and she died on the spot,” said Mr Gundani.

Upon realising that his wife was no longer breathing, Sibanda put the body into a plastic bag and placed it in a wheelbarrow before pushing it to the fields where he buried the body in an anthill.

The court heard that two weeks later, Sibanda phoned his son, Khayelihle who is based in South and disclosed to him what had happened.

Khayelihle then contacted his aunt via WhatsApp and notified her about the incident. The matter was reported to the police leading to Sibanda’s arrest.

Sibanda led police to the anthill where the remains were buried and they were exhumed.

According to the post-mortem report, the immediate cause of death could not be ascertained due to the advanced state of decomposition of the body.

In his defence through his lawyer Mr Nkosi Sibanda of Tanaka Law Chambers, the accused person said he acted in the heat of a moment following a misunderstanding with the deceased whom he accused of infidelity.-Chronicle

By Luke Tamborinyoka| In the week that an anonymous regime apologist made a baseless attack on this column and on my person, the regime itself blew three kisses on its surrogates by banning all by-elections in the country while shockingly allowing the MDC Turncoat’s extra-ordinary Congress to proceed.

It was always clear Thokozani Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora’s flickering political flame would be doused by angry voters at the by-elections and the regime had to blow the first kiss by providing them with a lifeline. Indeed, in the various wards and constituencies where by-elections are scheduled, the voters there are very angry that the MPs and councillors that they voted for were recalled by a party the people themselves had defeated. The voters were itching to teach Zanu PF and its surrogates a cardinal lesson come December.

Zanu PF saw the imminent embarrassment in the scheduled by-elections. As they have done since March, they once again found the perfect excuse in the Covid-19 pandemic to announce that the by-elections had been postponed indefinitely, in the process unnecessarily prolonging this political orgasm that the Khupe-Mwonzora cabal are needlessly enjoying.

The plot is very simple. By postponing the by-elections, the Zanu PF surrogates will continue to make further recalls, in the process increasing insecurity among the elected MDC Alliance MPs and councillors and deliberately prolonging the confusion among ordinary members around the party name and assets. The protracted confusion among Zimbabweans on what exactly is happening to their party of choice—the MDC Alliance—can only serve the regime well. And the postponement of the by-elections is meant to achieve prolongation of the confusion.

In the meantime, the Zanu PF surrogates will continue their MDC Alliance decimation agenda by making further recalls. As they say in Nigeria, the big iroko tree is not usually scaled, so one must get as much fruit as possible while they are still atop. And the surrogates will attempt to shred the people’s party as much as possible while they are still atop in this regime-actuated orgasm. For the surrogates know the forthcoming by-elections will annihilate them whenever they are held so they must cause as much confusion as possible during this lifeline!

So the postponement of the by-elections was the first kiss blown by the regime to its political spouse. I will leave the lawyers to explain to us whether Constantino Guvheya Nyikadzino Chiwenga did not go beyond his remit as Health Minister by making a decision on the by-elections, which decision should ordinarily fall under the exclusive purview of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, presumably an independent Commission established in terms of Constitution. It did not help matters that ZEC had already gazetted the dates for the by elections and all Chiwenga did was to show the Executive’s gross interference in the work of an independent Commission.

The Constitution is explicit that independent Commissions must not be directed by anyone, as Chiwenga did by reversing ZEC’s decision to hold by-elections in December.

The second kiss was the tragi-comedy we saw two days ago when Khupe and her retinue were sworn in as proportional representation (PR) MPs and senators, ostensibly elected in 2018 by voters who thought they were voting for the MDC Alliance! By voting for the MDC Alliance, the voters were in fact voting for the MDC-T.

This must have been the significance of that exercise in the Mathematics class in primary school when we learnt about “shading the unwanted area”!

For Khupe, the choice to become a PR MP is simply astounding. She has downgraded. She has chosen to become an MP using another party’s provincial tally of the very same election she lost as a Presidential candidate, much like a judge who fails the interview for Chief Justice but is now using another contesting judge’s score to be appointed a public prosecutor!

In retrospect, it now means Khupe was running twice—directly as her own party’s Presidential candidate while at the same time she was indirectly on yet another party’s PR list!

It’s only in Zimbabwe where one can eat their cake and still have it in this manner.

The third armorous kiss the regime planted on the cheek of the surrogates was the court relief to go ahead with their extraordinary Congress, though this may turn against them if the so-called Congress fails to be quorate.

For me, the big scandal is the regime’s duplicitous pronouncement to ban the holding of by-elections while granting permission for the EOC to go ahead.

An extraordinary Congress is an election and one cannot ban one set of elections while allowing the other to proceed. A Congress is unto itself an election that starts at provincial level with each of the provinces gathering to make their nominations. It was therefore duplicitous for the regime to postpone the holding of by-elections while allowing their surrogates’ EOC to proceed. One set of elections which entrenches democracy is being banned while the plebiscite for the regime’s acolytes is being allowed to proceed. What cheek!

In simple terms, this represents a kiss for the cabal and a stinging slap in the face of democracy!

So much for the regime’s three srmorous kisses to their surrogates in a single week.

The rantings of a lying regime apologist

We are in the month of October and the scorching heat associated with this month has a tendency of drawing a diverse assortment of fauna from their hovels. The searing October sun usually smokes out various creatures from their crevices nay those orifices that usually provide them with succour and sanatorium.

Similarly, the stinging truth and harsh verbiage of this column has drawn out regime apologists from their comfort zones. Recently, a self-confessed career civil servant who claims to have worked in the Prime Minister’s Office during the tenure of the inclusive government fired an acerbic attack on my person. The anonymous writer took great umbrage at my instalment of 25 September 2020 in which I attacked Thokozani Khupe, Douglas Mwonzora and their acolytes for purporting to defend Morgan Tsvangirai’s legacy when in fact they were undermining and savaging it. The instalment, entitled Morgan Tsvangirai must be turning in his grave , particularly drew the ire of one anonymous regime charlatan with a penchant for fibs, given the naked lies and personal attacks he spewed out in a raw sewage piece that was variously posted on social media platforms and posted on media groups by the media section of the CIO.

I am an avowed disciple of free speech but I particularly take great exception to perfidy and stark naked lies. Outright nude gibberish is just not on. With such calibre of this self-confessed career civil servant, such as this our anonymous writer who claims to have worked with me in the PM’s Office, it is little wonder we are saddled with this decrepit, vacuous, inept and clueless regime. With such a civil service that institionalises lying, we are certainly going nowhere as a country.

I just wish to debunk a few mistruths peddled by this infamous liar of a civil servant.

Firstly, it is instructive that our highly pretentious tell-all civil servant chose to hide behind the convenient cloak of anonymity. One must always be suspicious of such shadowy characters who don’t want to be known and whose drivel is often driven by nothing else but malice and hatred. Anyone who purports to tell the truth must be prepared to speak on record—facefully and nsmefully. But our ghost writer hid behind anonymity. He wrote like a Dear Aunty Rhoda letter writer fearful that revealing his name will only serve to expose him to colleagues and neighbours that he is suffering from genital warts. And indeed, the reeking lies in our anonymous career civil servant’s diatribe against my person were ordorous, to say the least.

But lies can never extinguish the truth, just as a fart, however boisterous and determined, will never blow out a raging inferno.

But first a few facts.

Contrary to our esteemed career civil servant’s claims, I never applied to join the PM’s Office from the party. I was invited to join following President Morgan Tsvangirai’s shake up of his office and the reshuffling of his ministerial team in government in order to improve on efficacy and to bolster the implementation of his mandate. He had the power to bring in his own people and to wring changes to his office given that the GPA, from whence he derived his powers was now part of the Constitution and was explicit that executive power was shared between the President, the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The shake up that brought me into the PM’s Office also saw Jameson Timba replacing Gorden Moyo as Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. On my part, I was given conjoined roles, which meant I became overally in charge of all the communication platforms. The fact remains that I never applied for anything, contrary to the rantings of this all-knowing anonymous civil servant. All I did was to simply oblige and invitation, went there and served.

The other lie from this anonymous fella is that when I was involved in the near-fatal accident in 2012 I was coming from my rural home. He claims this is what came out of the government’s investigation team, which he claims he was in charge of. With such calibre of civil servants, it is no wonder government keeps going in the wrong direction. I was going to my rural home and not returning from there.

There were six of us in that vehicle, and that includes my uncle and four brothers. And everyone else except this inept government, everyone including the villagers from the nearby Pasipamire village which was the scene of the accident, knows I was headed for my rural home and not coming from there as purported by our esteemed career civil servant and his fellow “investigators.”

Further, this lying career civil servant falsely claims that the police never took up the case of my accident out of respect for the Office of the Prime Minister. For the record the police took up the matter and the investigating officer was one sergeant Karemba. A docket was opened and the case even went to court where no one was found guilty of any crime. I know that humanity generally loves scandal but there is always a world of difference between the truth and petty office gossip.

Then there is this lie that I am a perennial campaigner in Goromonzi South.

Goromonzi South, my foot!

The only thing that is south of the truth are the hallucinations of our anonymous civil servant. I don’t know why this faceless character seeks to foist much Goromonzi South on me. Or maybe it’s part of his ra nk madness.

My rural home is Tamborenyoka village of Shumba ward 3 in Domboshava in Goromonzi West constituency where I was a candidate only once on 2018. That I am a perennial campaigner in Goromonzi South is a reflection of the hallucinations of our anonymous but esteemed career civil servant.

The faceless charlatan maintains that I must quit because because President Nelson Chamisa has appointed me to what he purports to be the innocuous position of Deputy Secretary for Presidential, which I know to be hectic responsibility.

Let our faceless career civil servant know that it’s not so much about benevolence from anyone. I am the living evidence that we are a political formation borne out of the sweat and toil of labour. I will forever remain humbled that—probably by dint of my record of service—am so far the only employee ever to be democratically nominated into the national leadership of our party by all the internal and external provinces.

Moreover, our career civil servant doesn’t know that this struggle has never been about positions or the self. This our democratic struggle has never been about personal benefit but about the enduring values of service and sacrifice.

Given the option between principle and privilege, some of us will choose principle any time of the day!

Asante Sana.

Lubring positive _ Tamborinyoka is the Deputy Secretary for Presidential Affairs in the MDC Alliance led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa . He is a multiple award-winning journalist who was once elected and served as the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists . Tamborinyoka also served as spokesperson for almost 10 years to the country’s democracy icon , Morgan Tsvangirai , until the latter’s death in 2018 . He is an ardent political scientist who won the Book Prize for Best Student when he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in _Political Science at the University of Zimbabwe . You can interact with him on Facebook or on the twitter handle @ luke_tambo .

By A Correspondent | 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

1. BACKGROUND……………………………………………………………………3
2. OBJECTIVES………………………………………………………………..…….3
3. METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………………………4
4. FINDINGS……………………………………………………………………..4-7
5. 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 18^th 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:-

1. 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 5^th of August and closed 7^th 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 8^th to 10^th of August 2020 and resumed from the 13^th and 14^th 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 31^st 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 25^th 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 26^th 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

By A Correspondent- A prostitute from Inyathi, Matabeleland North province, who reportedly confiscated the bag of a sangoma containing his bones and charms after he refused to pay for her services, is reportedly now out of business after the  sangoma  allegedly cursed her “tools of the trade”.

The hooker, whose name has since been established as Nothando Mpala, is not only out of business but will also now live without ever experiencing the joy of good sex after it emerged that every time she tries to have sex; she bleeds profusely.

Sources close to the shocking incident said Mpala suspected she was cursed by the sangoma, Hlongwane. The sangoma had threatened to curse her as punishment for embarrassing him by allegedly relieving him of his bag containing his bones and powerful spells and magic charms that he was boasting could cure all kinds of ailments.

Hlongwane, who according to a source is known at the business centre for looking for a little pleasure each time he had money, met his fate after he hired Mpala who charged him US$10 fee for an afternoon quickie.

After sexually feeding her, Mpala reportedly later shifted goalposts and demanded US$15 claiming she had also offered him oral sex. All hell broke loose after the sangoma refused to pay the $15 he had been charged, prompting Mpala to grab his bag containing his bones and other magic charms.

In a typical revenge plot, Hlongwane is alleged to have lived true to his threats and allegedly cursed Mpala’s private parts. 

“She initially didn’t take his threat seriously until she discovered that whenever she tried to have sex with a client, she starts bleeding continuously. Now she can’t work and enjoy sex and she suspects the sangoma is responsible for all her troubles. When she confronted the sangoma he refused to entertain her saying he knows nothing about the problem. Spirited efforts by her friends to beg the sangoma to reverse the curse were in vain. It seems no man will be able to ever poke her again if the curse is not reversed,” said the source who preferred anonymity.

The source further said after Hlongwane refused to reverse the curse, Mpala probably out of shame, and in pursuit of a cure, went to Binga.

“Someone took her to Binga where she is reportedly looking for a sangoma to help her reverse the curse,” said the source.

When contacted for comment, a hostile Hlongwane said he had nothing to do with Mpala’s troubles.

“I have nothing to do with her problem. Leave me alone. I am not even happy with the first story which you published in your paper. This is because what I do in private is my business and not yours, uyezwa (do you hear),” he charged before he ended the call.-Bmetro

By A Correspondent- A married man from Bulawayo’s Lobengula West suburb is tired of his ex-lover who is reportedly in the habit of visiting him at his house, presumably as a way of provoking him together with his wife.

Inambawo Ndlovu said his ex-lover Thobekile Sibanda, a lab technician with Bulawayo City Council and with whom he also had a child has made his married life hell because of her constant visits to his house.

He said the calls by Sibanda who is stationed at the Criterion Waterworks in Burnside suburb had nothing to do with the welfare of their child but were meant to provoke him together with his wife Phephile Ndlovu.

A seemingly restive Inambawo who was seeking a restraining order against Sibanda at the Bulawayo Civil Court said at one time Sibanda came to his house as early as 5am. He said Sibanda was also insulting him over the phone.

“I request the court to grant me a protection order against Thobekile Sibanda. She comes to my place uninvited and demands that I speak to her about a case that has nothing to do with our son. I don’t want her to visit my place.

“I request that she should also stop insulting me over the phone. Sometime in 2016 she phoned my wife and told her she was my girlfriend.

Then on 20 August this year she came to my house at 5am and demanded to speak to me in the presence of my wife.

“My fear is that if she is not restricted, she will make it a habit to come to my house and cause conflict. I also fear that she wants to provoke me so that I assault her as I already had a suspended sentence for assaulting her,” said Inambawo.

He said his wife was also emotionally disturbed or affected by Sibanda’s visits to their matrimonial home.

In response Sibanda didn’t refute her ex-lover’s claims leading presiding magistrate Nomasiko Ndlovu to grant an order in favour of Inambawo. The order requires Sibanda not to verbally harass him and also not to go to his house.

By A Correspondent- A Tsholotsho family whose son was allegedly fatally stabbed by a neighbour recently is reportedly being haunted by strange beings including the mysterious death of another member and a fire incident that burnt a hut after a clash with the alleged murderer’s family.

The strange happenings reportedly started about three weeks ago after Nkosana Moyo allegedly stabbed Blondy Sibanda with a knife following a misunderstanding over a girl they both were reportedly dating.

Both men whose ages were not given, reside in Malilahunda Village in Nemane’s Ward 11 under Chief Gampu.

The two were on their way home from a soccer tournament in neighbouring Godweni area in Ward 10 when the fatal incident occurred.

Moyo has since appeared at the Tsholotsho magistrates’ court for murder.

However, B-Metro was told that the bereaved and accused’s families clashed over the incident resulting in a series of meetings where both swore to “fix” each other.

Traditionally, it is believed that swearing at each other in such a manner is a bad omen that is bound to cause mysterious death.

It is alleged that two days after Sibanda’s burial, his maternal aunt Mrs Emely Ncube-Sibanda (70) reportedly started vomiting blood before she collapsed and died.

A few days later, a kitchen hut at the deceased’s elder brother Brown Sibanda’s homestead mysteriously caught fire resulting in all the property that was inside burning. Only minor children were at home when the fire broke out.

Chief Gampu said the whole community was still in shock because of the strange happenings.

“I was supposed to go to the funeral of a boy who was stabbed by a neighbour but I ended up sending one of my headmen to represent me as I was committed. Later I was told about the mysterious death of the deceased’s aunt and a fire incident that burnt a hut. I am yet to go there but the headman has briefed me about the strange incidents. I am told the families are fighting and swore at each other which everyone believes is the reason behind all the strange things,” said Chief Gampu.

He could not be drawn into revealing how the issue would be resolved.

Mrs Ncube-Sibanda was spokesperson for the Sibanda family during talks with the Moyo family.

None of the two families could be reached for comment.-BMetro

By Dorrothy Moyo | Emmerson Mnangagwa was humiliated during his last visit to the cyclone hit Chimanimani area. This is the reason why why on Thursday he avoided the Ngangu areas, it has emerged.

Sources close to the ZANU PF leader announced saying, Mnangagwa and his member of parliament, Joshua Sacco were fearing humiliation during his flight to the area on Thursday.

The development led to the man ending up at Skyline Junction for his main do.

Asked for a comment on the matter neither George Charamba nor Nick Mangwana responded to questions. In the below video, Joshua Sacco speaks at skyline junction.

“Ngangu villagers who booed Mnangagwa and Joshua Sacco down last time, were preparing to protest again over the disappearance of donor materials and funds meant for the construction of houses for the homeless cyclone victims…

“that’s why ED avoided Ngangu on his visit,” the source said.

Last year Mnangagwa became animated when he found out US President Donald Trump has donated more Ethan USD2,2 million.

Ngangu villagers who booed Mnangagwa & Joshua Sacco down last time, were preparing to protest again over the disappearance of donor materials and funds meant for the construction of houses for the homeless cyclone victims…that's why ED avoided Ngangu on his visit, a source says https://t.co/wH6ziMl9tU pic.twitter.com/4BAjpMI0ZI

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) October 8, 2020

State Media

From rags to riches.

The adage perfectly sums up Itai Gombakomba (46)’s life.

He has been a punter for four years with very little luck, but in a sudden turn of fate, he became an instant millionaire after winning the Africa Lotto jackpot prize of ZWL$1 million, US$10 000.

His was the biggest lottery winner from Mutare since 2010. And he could not hide his joy as he received the huge cheque on Thursday.

That cheque is his ticket to a better life for him, his wife and their four children.

Life as they know it is about to change.

A security guard working at a local company in Nyakamete industrial area in Mutare, Gombakomba says he has always had the hope that one day he would win. But never in his imagination did he dare to dream of winning a million dollars.

“It has been four years since I started playing Africa Lotto, but I only got my first win of $1 120 in July. I realised that I could win again if I kept on playing. On September 26 I bought a ticket at Meikles Park which had 5 correct numbers. When I went to Spar Mutare with my ticket, they told me that I had won more than I thought but I didn’t believe them,” he said.

He could not believe that he had really won, so he went home and kept the news to himself. He did not tell even his wife that he had bought a winning ticket.

Only after he had received a message from Africa Lotto on his winnings and the date he would be receiving the cheque, did he finally tell his wife.

That was two days ago.

Gombakomba’s wife, Nyarai Nyamaropa said: “I used to see him playing this game and I would reprimand him that he was wasting money when nothing good would come from his betting. He ended up doing it secretly so that I wouldn’t see it. I was shocked to hear him tell me that he had won $1 million. I now see that I should not have questioned him, but supported him, it has paid off big for us.”

For the two of them, the number one priority is buying a stand and building a home for their small family.

They want to move from their humble lodgings as soon as they possibly can.

Once that is done, Gombakomba hopes to revive some income generating projects that he had to let go because he could not afford to finance them.

“Investment is the way to go. I have projects that I had abandoned because of lack of funds like the chicken rearing project which I had to stop sometime back. My father-in-law also gave me a small plot in Nyanga to grow potatoes, but I did not have the capacity to start that project. So that is the first project I will embark on,” he said.

This season, he says, he will definitely be growing potatoes, which he hopes will give him more income.

Africa Lotto general manager Nozipho Dube said more than 100 people had won jackpot promotions run by the organisation since 2010.

“This year, we started the ‘Jackpot must go’ promotion where we are saying someone should win $1 million. For the month of September we said if there was no ticket with six correct numbers, then the prize money would go to the next lower level and this is how Gombakomba won with five correct numbers. We have had a number of winners over the years but this is the first big one in Mutare and we hope it debunks the perception that no one ever wins the lottery. This is proof that the ordinary people can win this,” she said.

While winning such a huge amount can change people’s lifestyles, Gombakomba says he has no plans to start being extravagant.

He has firmly set values when it comes to family. He believes family will always come first and he will not be turning his back on them just because he now has a bit of money.

“I have friends, but I will not start splashing my money on them. If you start doing that before looking after the family, you would have lost the plot. God does not give you riches so that you can please friends. You take care of your family. Friends will be there for a while but family will always be here. Life should not change because you now have money. Your life and the way you interact with people should be constant regardless of how rich or poor you are. Once you start distancing yourself, you are lost. When the money finishes, who will you look to? You will only have your family,” he said.

Gombakomba will also not be leaving his job as a security guard because his fortunes have turned.

He said one has to be firmly set up in business before leaving employment.

“I will not be leaving work because people make the mistake of thinking the jackpot money will always be there. Instead you need to set something up for your family and when that is running and bringing in more money, only then can you can you consider it,” he said.

So for now, he remains a security guard worth a million dollars.

There was an alleged break-in at Mvurwi hospital where an Administrator’s laptop and scan equipment was stolen last week, Bulawayo24.com has learnt.

Sources familiar with the incident allege the equipment contained financial records of the hospital and scan equipment.

“The hospital lost financial documents and scan equipment to thieves who broke into the administrator’s office.” said the source.

“Foul play is suspected because there was a looming audit at the hospital and the records have gone missing.”

The scan used to serve much of the Provincial places since we had only two hospitals Bindura and Mvurwi which had such equipment.”

Mvurwi administrator Florence Makombe who once made headline for allegedly stealing ARVs at the hospital could neither confirm or deny.

“I am not in a position to comment you can contact the Provincial Medical Doctor for comment,” Makombe said.

Efforts to contact Mash Central PMD were fruitless.

Police are still investigating the matter.

By A Correspondent | Former ZANU PF youth leader Godfrey Tsenengamu has been arrested, at Harare Central Police Station. He is being charged with inciting public violence, his colleague Sybeth Musengezi told ZimEye.com. The development comes after the man had early Friday morning handed himself over to the cops.

The top ZANU PF man, has been in hiding since the 31 July 2020 demo that he personally campaigned for while complaining about corruption inside ZANU PF. He had presented what was then termed the pyramid of corruption which directly points fingers at the ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

He also accused Mnangagwa’s children of corruption saying the late Robert Mugabe’s children were better morally.

Announcing the development, Tsenengamu said he is,

“fully aware of the imminent risks and dangers that come with this decision and also the possiblities of unpleasant outcomes to my health, safety and life in the short and long term. “

Earlier on, he wrote in full: “Hello Zimbabwe

A blessed morning to you all.

Today Friday the 9th of October 2020 at 0630 I have came out and walked in at Harare Central Police Station to engage with the police authorities at Harare Central Police Station’s Law and Order section as I seek to physically make enquiries with the ZRP in a bid to understand and seek closure to what has been happening to me, my family, relatives and friends for the past 3 months.

I am fully aware of the imminent risks and dangers that come with this decision and also the possiblities of unpleasant outcomes to my health, safety and life in the short and long term.

However, I trust and believe in God the Almighty as the final and ultimate authority above all, for He has a plan and reason for everything that comes our way. Let His Will be done.

All I ask for from you are your prayers.

God bless you all. God bless Zimbabwe? “

By A Correspondent- Police in Glendale, Mashonaland Central province said a three-year-old girl drowned in a pool yesterday while her mother was busy gardening.

According to police Mercy Manyika (33) of Plymouth farm, Glendale took her two children  Kudakwashe Mushore (13) Sharon Mushore (3) to her garden and left the children playing near a pool.

Sharon drowned and her body was later seen floating in the pool and was retrieved by neighbours before filing a police report.

Police warned people to look after children and monitor them when playing near water bodies.

Charamba Death Threats Against President Chamisa, Poetry or Pure Attack? – ZimEye https://t.co/fUlyYahNc9.

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) June 15, 2020

By A Correspondent | On the 15th June, MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa had death threat undertones subtly worded against him by his memesis Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesman. They suggest the ongoing Khupe fallout is part of the plan.

Writing on his microblogging portal, Charamba five times repeated undertones that suggest Chamisa will soon suffer a sudden health crisis, just before twice mentioning death as the end of it all.

While some said Charamba’s words were mere poetry, experts said they were clearly pointing at death and certainly the threat thereof.

An academic at the Baltimore School Of Law says: “threats that place individuals in great fear can (and often have been
found to) constitute acts of mental or psychological torture.”

Charamba was commenting on allegations of Chamisa leading a fractured MDC Alliance.

He said: ” Clearly both the young man and all those around him, all of them barely sharper than a mallet by way of intellect and analysis, thought silence in politics means nothing, however brooding and foreboding!

“And looking into the crystal ball? Well, Chamisa

“…set to bleed terminally, both from internal injuries & from external blows. After this analysis has settled, & all those who think can yell and bark angrily for him are done, I will come back on the external blows that await him, mortal blows at that. Good evening maComrades!”

Commenting over the development, was the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Secretary General, Gift Ostallos Siziba. VIDEO LOADING BELOW –

By A Correspondent- Zanu-PF bigwigs are imposing candidates ahead of the District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections amid revelations of infighting in the governing party.

The DCCs are making a comeback, eight years after they were disbanded for allegedly fanning factionalism in Zanu-PF.

So far Zanu-PF has managed to hold successful DCC elections in Harare and Bulawayo Provinces.

Harare is now being chaired by Godwills Masimirembwa and deputised by Godfrey Gomwe.

Former Kuwadzana legislator Betty Kaseke was elected provincial chairperson for the Women’s league.

However, it is in other 8 provinces that other powerful provincial leadership had been imposing preferred candidates to be in the leadership of the DCC resulting in chaos in the provinces, according to Zanu-PF national commissar Victor Matemadanda.

There are a lot of problems and factionalism taking place in the various provinces as we are having senior politicians trying to impose candidates to be leaders in the DCC and this is causing problems as some of them are not popular with the electorate.

We had to move in and stop everything and demand that every candidate who wants to contest submits his or her CV for vetting at the party headquarters,” Matemadanda said.

Since the ouster of former President Robert Mugabe in 2017, factionalism in Zanu-PF has not subsided with the party recently expelling two senior members for allegedly fanning factionalism, three years after the party said the G40 faction had been vanquished.

In August, Zanu-PF expelled former politburo member Cleveria Chizema and Tendai Savanhu for allegedly causing divisions and factionalism in the party and province.

In June, former Chivi South legislator Killer Zivhu was expelled from the party for breaking party protocol after he pushed, through social media, for a dialogue between First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s wife Sithokozile.

He said the duo would push their husbands to the negotiating table and help end the political and economic crisis.-businesstimes

By A Correspondent- Former cabinet minister who served under the late Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe Nicholas Goche has been granted $50 000 bail.

Goche,  who was arrested for allegedly stealing 18 cattle was granted bail by a Bindura magistrate Thursday.

As part of his bail conditions, he was also ordered to surrender his passport, continue residing at the given address, report at the nearest police station every Friday and to not interfere with state witnesses.

It is the state’s case that on 13 November 2018, Goche sold 40 beasts to one Mupanedengu and the payment for the cattle was made through a bank transfer into a CABS account number 1036879593.

Mupanedengu collected only 22 heifers out of the 40, leaving behind 18 beasts. However, in 2019, Goche reportedly disposed of the 18 heifers without the complainant’s knowledge.

Mupanedengu reportedly tried to collect his remaining beasts to no avail and he was informed that his cattle had already been sold.

The value of the cattle was pegged at US$18 000 and nothing was recovered.

However, exiled former cabinet minister Jonathan Moyo said Goche is being prosecuted because President Mnangagwa has a score to settle with him,

Tweeted Moyo:

What? Something fishy. It is an open secret in Zanu PF corridors that Mnangagwa has unfinished business with Goche. Details of the case would be interesting to unpack

Paul Nyathi

Police in Bulawayo are appealing for the month of a one-month-old baby girl who was found dumped next to a busy road in Bulawayo.

According to police National Spokesperson Paul Nyathi, the baby was found dumped and wrapped in a green and pink baby towel and left under a tree along the Bulawayo-Harare Road.

The infant was found by passers-by at around 4PM on Wednesday afternoon exposed to a heavyly cold and wet weather

“Investigations are ongoing to identify and locate the mother. The baby was sent to Mpilo Hospital for further management,” Nyathi said.

The baby was taken to Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo where she is reported to be recovering from hypothermia caused by exposure to the bad weather.

The Department of Social Welfare will take over the baby as soon as she recovers from hospital.

The Hospital receives an average of a baby per month who would have been dumped by their mothers.

State Media

A self-styled prophet from Chivi communal lands has been jailed for an effective 14 years for raping an 18-year-old woman he was assisting and infected her with HIV.

Hupenyu Muhwati, a member of Johane Masowe Apostolic Church from Muzondo Village under headman Makonese in Chivi was tried by Masvingo regional magistrate Ms Dambudzo Malunga and convicted of multiple rape.

The court found Muhwati told the young woman who consulted him that her sickness was caused by a goblin or spiritual husband and she could only be healed if she slept with him.

Magistrate Malunga described Muhwati as someone unfit to live with others in the community.

Prosecutor Mr Liberty Hove told the court that in November 2018, Muhwati told young woman’s mother to leave her at his homestead for him to pray for her. In January 2019 at around 4pm, Muhwati ‘prophesied’ that the woman was being tormented by a ‘spiritual husband’ and insisted that he should sleep with her to exorcise the demon.

Muhwati took her for routine prayer in the nearby bush at around 8pm, forcibly kissed her and raped her.

Muhwati told her that if she divulged the incident, it would be very difficult for her to rid herself of the spiritual husband.

High Court judge Justice Pisirayi Kwenda has refused to step down from presiding over a lawsuit by four MDC-Alliance parliamentarians contesting their recall from Parliament, saying the motion for recusal was without merit.

Chalton Hwende, Lilian Timveos, Prosper Mutseyami and Thabita Khumalo had asked him to disqualify himself from their case since he had already ruled against 14 other MPs who made a similar application two months ago.

But Justice Kwenda rejected the motion, saying the MPs’ legal team had failed to identify circumstances that showed he would not be impartial.

In the previous case, Justice Kwenda said he dealt with an urgent application and this did not mean that he would be disqualified from dealing with a substantive case.

“I do not see the application or relevance of the ‘no-one is judge in his own cause’ rule to this matter,” he said.

“In the result, I am not persuaded that the applicants have shown that there is a sound basis for my recusal from this case.”

The purpose of recusal is to underpin the twin pillars of independence and impartiality.

“To withdraw from a case merely because a party suggests that a judge do so impairs judicial fairness. It allows parties to cherry-pick a bench of their choice,” said Justice Kwenda.

The four were recalled from Parliament by the MDC-T for supporting the MDC-Alliance.

The basis of the recall was that the Supreme Court found in a civil suit that under party rules, Thokozani Khupe was acting leader of the MDC-T and that the MDC-T is legally entitled to recall any legislators placed on the MDC-A list through an MDC-T nomination.

Through their lawyer, Mr Tendai Biti, the four first wrote to Judge President George Chiweshe asking for the matter to be placed before another judge on the basis that Justice Kwenda had already decided on the main issues raised in the present application in his previous ruling against Basilia Majaya and others.

State Media

From rags to riches.

The adage perfectly sums up Itai Gombakomba (46)’s life.

He has been a punter for four years with very little luck, but in a sudden turn of fate, he became an instant millionaire after winning the Africa Lotto jackpot prize of ZWL$1 million, US$10 000.

His was the biggest lottery winner from Mutare since 2010. And he could not hide his joy as he received the huge cheque on Thursday.

That cheque is his ticket to a better life for him, his wife and their four children.

Life as they know it is about to change.

A security guard working at a local company in Nyakamete industrial area in Mutare, Gombakomba says he has always had the hope that one day he would win. But never in his imagination did he dare to dream of winning a million dollars.

“It has been four years since I started playing Africa Lotto, but I only got my first win of $1 120 in July. I realised that I could win again if I kept on playing. On September 26 I bought a ticket at Meikles Park which had 5 correct numbers. When I went to Spar Mutare with my ticket, they told me that I had won more than I thought but I didn’t believe them,” he said.

He could not believe that he had really won, so he went home and kept the news to himself. He did not tell even his wife that he had bought a winning ticket.

Only after he had received a message from Africa Lotto on his winnings and the date he would be receiving the cheque, did he finally tell his wife.

That was two days ago.

Gombakomba’s wife, Nyarai Nyamaropa said: “I used to see him playing this game and I would reprimand him that he was wasting money when nothing good would come from his betting. He ended up doing it secretly so that I wouldn’t see it. I was shocked to hear him tell me that he had won $1 million. I now see that I should not have questioned him, but supported him, it has paid off big for us.”

For the two of them, the number one priority is buying a stand and building a home for their small family.

They want to move from their humble lodgings as soon as they possibly can.

Once that is done, Gombakomba hopes to revive some income generating projects that he had to let go because he could not afford to finance them.

“Investment is the way to go. I have projects that I had abandoned because of lack of funds like the chicken rearing project which I had to stop sometime back. My father-in-law also gave me a small plot in Nyanga to grow potatoes, but I did not have the capacity to start that project. So that is the first project I will embark on,” he said.

This season, he says, he will definitely be growing potatoes, which he hopes will give him more income.

Africa Lotto general manager Nozipho Dube said more than 100 people had won jackpot promotions run by the organisation since 2010.

“This year, we started the ‘Jackpot must go’ promotion where we are saying someone should win $1 million. For the month of September we said if there was no ticket with six correct numbers, then the prize money would go to the next lower level and this is how Gombakomba won with five correct numbers. We have had a number of winners over the years but this is the first big one in Mutare and we hope it debunks the perception that no one ever wins the lottery. This is proof that the ordinary people can win this,” she said.

While winning such a huge amount can change people’s lifestyles, Gombakomba says he has no plans to start being extravagant.

He has firmly set values when it comes to family. He believes family will always come first and he will not be turning his back on them just because he now has a bit of money.

“I have friends, but I will not start splashing my money on them. If you start doing that before looking after the family, you would have lost the plot. God does not give you riches so that you can please friends. You take care of your family. Friends will be there for a while but family will always be here. Life should not change because you now have money. Your life and the way you interact with people should be constant regardless of how rich or poor you are. Once you start distancing yourself, you are lost. When the money finishes, who will you look to? You will only have your family,” he said.

Gombakomba will also not be leaving his job as a security guard because his fortunes have turned.

He said one has to be firmly set up in business before leaving employment.

“I will not be leaving work because people make the mistake of thinking the jackpot money will always be there. Instead you need to set something up for your family and when that is running and bringing in more money, only then can you can you consider it,” he said.

So for now, he remains a security guard worth a million dollars.

State Media

Chitungwiza Municipality is set to demolish houses and other buildings in 35 illegal settlements across the town, in a move that could leave hundreds of families homeless.

Structures that will be demolished are houses built on wetlands, sewer lines, under electricity power lines and on road and railway servitudes.

Most home-seekers bought land from land barons and were assured by those criminals that required authority for building had been obtained.

Since they started building, the municipality has been issuing further warnings and telling builders about the necessary processes required, but has been ignored.

Houses to be demolished in St Mary’s are those built on Macheke Square, a school site, behind St Mary’s Police Station, behind Zengeza Main Primary School, near the pump station number 3, St Mary’s Council Creche, St Mary’s Primary School site, wetland adjacent to and behind St Mary’s cemetery, the site from Seke Road Bridge along Manyame River, St Mary’s Administration Offices entrance and Chaminuka Main Road.

In Zengeza, the local authority is demolishing houses built in Zengeza 5 along Chitungwiza Road, Zengeza 5 wetland on Rockview Extension, Zengeza 4 Pagomba wetland along the stream and a wetland under high voltage ZESA power lines opposite Girl Child Network, Zengeza 3 Cone Textile opposite Delta and Zengeza 4 wetland, known as PaChief.

In Seke, the municipality will be demolishing structures on Unit J wetlands, Unit K Key College and at Chirunga Shopping Centre, Along Mharapara Road, Unit A wetland from Chibuku to Tafa Shops and adjacent to Chibuku Stadium, Unit G Road buffer along Harare-Dema Road Servitude, Unit O along Duri River, Unit NOP extension, Unit P wetland, wetland between Ubit N and F, areas between Garikai Hlalani Kuhle, Unit L extension, wetland adjacent Unit L cemetery and Zanoremba.

Those who have invaded Nyatsime Cemetery and built houses will not be spared from the demolitions.

Chitungwiza public relations officer Mr Lovemore Meya confirmed the demolitions and said the council was targeting structures that were constructed on wetlands, on top of sewer lines, under electricity power lines as well as along road and railway servitudes.

“These are the areas that earmarked for demolition as well as those houses that were constructed on institutional land,” he said. “This follows a press statement by the provincial development coordinator where he emphasised that there is need to sanitise the Harare Metropolitan Province, so that is the issue that has triggered the demolitions.”

Acting town clerk Mrs Evangelista Machona yesterday notified the residents of the demolitions saying once the demolitions were effected, council will not incur the costs.

“Therefore, take note that in terms of Section 35 of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act (Chapter 29: 12) 1996 you are ordered to depart from the land, remove all your property from the land, demolish any structures erected and remove all the rubble from the land, and restore the land to its original state. This order comes into operation forthwith and the demolitions and action outlines herein should be completed within five days by 12 October 2020.”

Mrs Machona said all those buildings without adequate council papers and inspections will risk their structures being demolished.

Paul Nyathi

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has said the Government will not be held at ransom by teachers who have refused to resume duty demanding for a salary review from goverment.

Teachers are currently earning a salary equivalent to US$30 per month and have been asking government for a minimum salary of US$520 or the equivalent in local currency using the prevailing auction rate.

Government has indicated that it is not in a position to pay in US dollars given that the local currency has been reintroduced.

Government gave all examination classes the nod to resume a fortnight ago, but the reopening of schools has been marred by the teachers’ industrial action, forcing some schools to send pupils back home.

Speaking during a briefing in Mutare on Wednesday, the President said there was no going back in ensuring the smooth flow of lessons in schools.

“I have heard that after schools reopened in Manicaland, only 30 percent of teachers have reported for duty. Let me assure all of you that Government will never be held to ransom by the teachers.

“By failing to report for duty, they think they will push us to do what they want. No, we are very principled on that. However, we are happy that some have gone back to work.

“We will apply the principle that those who work will get paid. Those who are at home are not considered to be at work,” said President Mnangagwa.

Earlier this week, teachers’ unions vowed to continue with the industrial action as negotiations with Government.

Some teachers were only clocking in, marking registers, giving pupils assignments and vanishing from their work stations.

Others are allegedly conducting private lessons for a premium US$10 per subject or US$20 for Grade Seven classes monthly.

Source: State Media

State Media

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) is engaging an international organisation to help track and recover assets illegally siphoned out of the country as it moves a gear up in the fight against corruption.

This initiative is under the asset recovery unit of the Commission, which is currently seized with 36 domestic applications for the forfeiture of assets worth about US$4,5 million.

The unit has been boosted by the establishment of the Unexplained Wealth Orders.

However, there are some assets hidden out of the country that should be recovered, prompting ZACC to engage an international organisation that will help investigating, tracing and the eventual recovery of such stolen assets.

This comes as there have been concerns that arrests alone on corrupt personalities are not enough as long as the assets are never recovered.

Although ZAAC Commissioner and spokesperson John Makamure could not give finer details of the international organisation and the terms and conditions of the agreement, he revealed this was one of the major initiatives being put in place to help the organisation fight corruption and being perpetrators to book.

“We need to recover assets hidden abroad, but as ZACC, we are not fully capacitated to investigate and trace them so we need to work with other organisations abroad.

“Now we are in agreement with an international organisation that specialises in asset recovery and we should be able to recover some assets from abroad acquired through corrupt means.

“Corruption has to be fiercely fought because of its devastating effects on the economy, it worsens public debt and there is a causal relationship between corruption and debt,” said Comm Makamure at the ongoing three-day Zimbabwe Annual Multi-Stakeholder Debt Conference in Bulawayo hosted by the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) in conjunction with Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD).

Comm Makamure added more efforts were being put in place to fight corruption in the country. For the first time in the fight against the scourge, the country has a National Anti-Corruption Strategy.

State Media

Acting Harare city planner, Fani Machipisa, yesterday appeared in court on allegations of parcelling out stands without following due process.

Machipisa (54) was arrested on Wednesday. He is facing two counts of criminal abuse of office when he appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna.

The State, led by Mrs Constance Ngombengombe, opposed bail, saying Machipisa was a flight risk and was likely to interfere with witnesses.

Mrs Ngombengombe called investigating officer Superintendent Moreblessing Gandinyaru to back her two grounds for opposing bail.

Supt Gandinyaru told the court that Machipisa was a flight risk and was likely to abscond given that he was facing a serious offence which attracted a custodial sentence upon conviction.

Machipisa’s lawyer, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, had earlier on told the court that he wanted the State to consider that his client had lost his mother that morning.

His client needed to mourn his mother who died at the age of 84 and that he was the eldest in the family.

The bail application hearing will continue today.

The court heard that in 2018 between June 19 and 22, Machipisa allocated fictitious stands in Mabelreign with an unknown layout plan to prospective home-seekers who were not on the City of Harare waiting list.

It is alleged that Machipisa, as the acting director of Housing and Community Services, deliberately took advantage of the absence of the director who was attending a week-long workshop to fast-track the allocation process so it could be done in that single week.

Upon the return of the director of Housing and Community Services from the workshop in Kadoma, Machipisa did not report the allocation, the court heard, and this was with the intent to conceal this development from him.

The purported stands 7246-7250 and 7253-7262 did not exist in the City of Harare stand number register and all processes were fast-tracked on the same day Friday 22 June 2018.

The court heard that the purported stand number 7249 was allocated to Knowell Katiyo who is said to have applied to join the housing waiting list in September 2005 when he was a juvenile aged 13, contrary to the City of Harare housing allocation policy.

On the second count, the court heard that sometime in September this year, Machipisa directed George Mukodzi, who is the district officer for Mufakose to halt work in progress at lot 2 of subdivision B of subdivision A of Willowvale Township, which was procedurally allocated to Youth in Business Trust by the State.

It is alleged that Machipisa ordered that an earth-moving machine which was busy carrying out development be stopped and leave the site.

He allegedly indicated that the documents that were given to Youth in Business by the local authority for land ownership were fake and that the land in question was owned by City of Harare and allocated to Taringana Housing Consortium.

The court heard that Machipisa indicated that there was a court order granted in favour of Taringana Housing Consortium, well knowing that Youth in Business had been given the ownership by the State as it was State land.

Meanwhile, two men also appeared in the same court facing fraud charges after they parcelled out stands belong to Youth in Business to unsuspecting home seekers, knowing fully well that the stands did not belong to them.

Nziradzinengwe Taurai (37) and Tatenda Selemani (37) were remanded in custody today for their bail application.