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Zambia travel is open to foreign nationals, however, according to the US Embassy in Zambia, the Government of Zambia has suspended all tourist visas until further notice. Travelers arriving with a visitor visa or applying for a visitor visa on arrival for non-essential purposes will not be permitted entry despite Zambian borders being officially open.

Entrance to Zambia through non-tourist visas or permits is subject to approval from the Ministry of Health following a health screening at the port of entry. All travelers coming into Zambia will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) PCR test result. The test should have been conducted within the previous 14 days prior of arrival to Zambia. Travelers who do not meet this requirement will not be allowed into Zambia.

A passport and visa are required to enter Zambia. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months upon arrival and have at least 3 blank pages upon each entry. Travelers transiting other countries on the way to Zambia, particularly South Africa, should refer to their Country Information pages for additional blank page requirements.

Zambia has implemented limited screening upon arrival at the international airport in Lusaka. The screening includes using no-touch thermometers (“thermo-scanners”) to check body temperature and asking travelers to complete a travel health questionnaire.

Quarantine Information

The Government of Zambia is enforcing mandatory 14-day quarantine, testing, and regular monitoring at their residence or preferred place of stay for persons entering Zambia.

Persons arriving are no longer required to quarantine at a government-designated facility but must communicate to Ministry of Health officials where they intend to reside and provide accurate contact information for regular follow-ups.

This includes those entering Zambia at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) and all other Zambian international airports, as well as land borders.

Symptomatic individuals will be tested for COVIS-19 (SARS-Cov-2) at the airports and will be required to enter isolation protocol at a Zambian government facility.

Limited domestic flight schedules are operating twice-weekly between Kenneth Kaunda International Airport and Mfuwe International Airport, as well as between Kenneth Kaunda and Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone. Airlines currently flying into Zambia are Ethiopian Airlines, RwandAir, Kenya Airways, and Emirates. Proflight Zambia is operating limited domestic flights.

NewsDay

THE current logjam in the education system, where teachers have gone on strike at this crucial time when pupils are supposed to be finalising preparations for examinations due in a few weeks’ time, has a long history and raises a lot of questions about government’s commitment towards addressing problems in the education sector.

Before downing tools, the teachers had on several occasions tried to engage and make their employer appreciate their plight, but their grievances were arrogantly dismissed as part of the opposition’s regime change agenda.

Without sounding political, teachers have every right to demand restoration of their salaries’ purchasing power parity after being unilaterally reduced from US$550 in October 2018 to the current US$35.

The current salary situation has been aggravated by the absence of a robust collective bargaining forum, reducing government’s engagement with the Apex Council into a mere collective begging and fire-fighting platform.

The COVID-19 pandemic has added another layer of misery to the education sector, with schools now expected to source their own personal protective equipment and conduct regular tests on both educators and pupils.

Most institutions don’t have capacity to source these and yet government has commandeered teachers to report for work without due regard to their safety or face the proverbial axe.

Primary and Secondary Education minister Cain Mathema even threatened to replace them with temporary teachers.

It is clear that Mathema is acclimatised to self-pollination as opposed to cross-pollination of ideas and is destroying the future of our pupils.

That teachers are incapacitated is a fact. No amount of threat can capacitate incapacitated teachers. As such, it looks like there will be no respite in schools until the issue of a living wage is addressed and meaningful dialogue pursued.

Government must treat teachers in a more humane manner and realise that as much as teaching is a calling, teachers are human beings who need to eat and be able to send their own children to the same boarding schools now charging between $25 000 and $60 000 per term. Their wellbeing, let alone that of students, must be respected.

If government was, indeed, committed to improving the education sector, why is it that teachers are among the least-paid in the public service? Is it because theirs is not a noble profession like the army and police for instance?

Instead of wielding the axe on hapless and impoverished teachers, Mathema must confront his colleagues in Cabinet and demand better remuneration and sector-specific allowances for his charges.

His arrogance will only help inflame tension in the sector at the expense of our children who desperately need to make up for the lost six months they have been seated home due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown.

Covid-hit President Donald Trump is “doing very well,” his doctors said Saturday — although an insider with knowledge of his health voiced concern over his condition.

In the first official update on the president’s condition since he was admitted Friday to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, medics were upbeat about his progress.

“At this time, the team and I are extremely happy with the progress the president has made,” White House physician Sean Conley said, adding that the president had been “fever-free for over 24 hours.”

“We have monitored his cardiac function, his kidney function, liver function. All of those are normal,” Sean Dooley, another member of Trump’s medical team, added.

But a source familiar with the president’s health painted a less rosy account.

“The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery,” the source said.

Conley sidestepped journalists’ questions about whether Trump had received oxygen treatment at any point before revealing that the president was not on oxygen on Thursday or at any point since he arrived at Walter Reed.

He said Trump was “just 72 hours into the diagnosis now” — implying that he was known to be sick a day before his test result was announced.

But the White House later clarified that Conley meant to say Saturday was the third day since the president’s positive test result late Thursday.

Soon after Trump arrived at Walter Reed, Conley said in a memo that the president was starting a course of therapeutic drug remdesivir and had received an eight-gram dose of an experimental polyclonal antibody cocktail.

Conley would not put a “hard date” on Trump’s discharge from the hospital or disclose the president’s temperature.

Source
AFP

ZBC

THE late national hero Brigadier General Ruphus Chigudu will be buried at the National Heroes Acre on Monday.

ZANU PF has joined President Emmerson Mnangagwa in mourning the death of Brigadier General Ruphus Chigudu who died on the 24th of last month.

In a statement, ZANU PF Secretary for Information and Publicity and Party Spokesperson Cde Patrick Chinamasa said they applaud the decision taken by the party to confer the national hero status to Cde Chigudu.

Brigadier Chigudu was born on the 11th of December 1955 and joined the liberation struggle under ZANLA forces in 1975.

Brig-Gen Chigudu was awarded seven medals during his distinguished military career, including the Independence Medal, Liberation Medal, Service Medal, Long and Exemplary Service Medal, Mozambique Campaign Medal, Democratic Republic of Congo Campaign Medal and the Commander of the Zimbabwe Order of Merit Award.

Brig-Gen Chigudu joined the liberation struggle in 1976 and received military training at Doroi Camp in Mozambique, before receiving further training in Romania.

The late freedom fighter was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army on April 1, 1981, and was given several responsibilities in the military including army inspections, research and development.

He was promoted to the rank of Brig-Gen on June 11 this year. Brig-Gen Chigudu’s Chimurenga name was Cde Promise Chombo. He is survived by his wife Vimbai and three children, two boys and a girl, Kudzai Matthew, Lenin Munashe and Chido BeautyHe rose through the ranks to become brigadier general.

Meanwhile, mourners are gathered at house number 9 Belsize Road in Mount Pleasant Harare

NewsDay

MDC-T interim leader Thokozani Khupe yesterday said she would not allow MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s backers, including recalled MPs and councillors, to take part at her party’s forthcoming extra-ordinary congress, whose deadline has been extended to November 30.

Khupe’s announcement comes after the standing committee members of the MDC-T, most of them perceived as Chamisa’s loyalists, issued a statement acknowledging the Supreme Court ruling that ordered the congress and confirming their participation at the indaba.

Chamisa and some of his loyalists had previously refused to acknowledge the ruling, but changed tact after several recalls of MDC Alliance MPs and councillors by Khupe.

Addressing the Press, MDC-T interim secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora said they had shut the door for Chamisa’s allies either fired from the party or recalled from Parliament and council.

“These congress processes are open to MDC-T people only,”

Mwonzora told at a Press briefing held in Hatfield after party youths took over Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House.

“All those people who have been recalled are not eligible as candidates or as participants, they are not our members. Similarly, all those people who are national executive members, national council members of other political parties other than the MDC-T cannot take part in the congress processes.”

Khupe has recalled 32 MDC Alliance MPs and 165 councillors following the March 30 Supreme Court ruling, which recognised her as interim party leader following the death of founder Morgan Tsvangirai.

The majority of the recalled MPs and councillors held key positions in the MDC-T’s 2014 structures.

Mwonzora said they would now meet the national executive and national council to kickstart preparations for the extraordinary congress with the national executive convening on October 9, and national council on October 11.

In a statement, Chamisa’s loyalists said they had resolved to acknowlegde the Supreme Court ruling in order to participate at the congress.

“We have noted the judgment of the Supreme Court on extending the timelines for holding of the EOC for the MDC,” part of the statement read.

“In light of this, we would like the 2014 organs of the party to convene and craft a roadmap for the congress. The organs which are constitutionally mandated to do so are the national executive committee and the national council.”

After failing to convene the congress by July 31 as ordered by the Supreme Court, Khupe and Mwonzora approached the court to alter the dates.

The court gave Khupe up to November 30 to organise the congress to resolve the chaos centred on the party leadership although Khupe and Chamisa contested the 2018 polls under different banners.

Zim Independent

THE Israeli government is in talks with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration to directly buy Zimbabwean diamonds as relations between the two countries continue to warm up after several years of acrimony.

Tinashe Kairiza

Zimbabwe and Israel have not had the most cordial relations as Harare has previously sworn allegiance to Jerusalem’s bitter rival, Palestine.

Until August this year when Mnangagwa appointed Ronny Levvy Musan as Zimbabwe’s Honorary Consul to Israel, the two countries did not have any diplomatic relations.

Musan this week said Israel wants to establish an agreement in which Zimbabwe could offer its vast diamond reserves as surety to unlock fresh lines of credit from International Finance Institutions (IFIs) and capital injections from investors.

Zimbabwe’s lucrative diamond treasure trove was touted as having the potential to meet 25% of global demand when it was discovered over a decade ago but the country has not benefited much from the resources.

The country is seeking a multi-billion dollar rescue package to douse an intractable economic crisis gripping the country.

Extraction of the precious stones in Zimbabwe has been characterised by opacity amid widespread concerns of looting of the gemstones by politicians and the politically connected.

So rampant was the plundering that government, in 2016, banned firms from carrying out operations, with former president Robert Mugabe revealing that Zimbabwe could have been prejudiced US$15 billion by mining firms understating earnings.

In an interview this week from his base in Tel Aviv, Musan said Zimbabwe can still yield considerable dividends if it sold its gems to Israel directly, rather than selling through “unscrupulous” buying entities.

“In my opinion and as I mentioned, if Zimbabwe uses its mines and its diamonds as guarantees to investors and banks who are willing to give Zimbabwe cash for it, it will help inject huge money into the economy and march Zimbabwe into a new era much faster than it seems.

“Of course this whole procedure must be controlled and responsible, in order to prevent corruption and really use it for the benefit of all Zimbabwean citizens,” the diplomat said.

”Zimbabwe is indeed one of the five leading countries in the field of diamonds and Israel is known as a leading country in the field of diamond trade, with branches in almost every country in the world. The absurdity is that there are many companies from all over the world who buy diamonds from Zimbabwe and come to Israel to sell them after adding their profit.”

Musan, whose appointment is meant to deepen ties between Zimbabwe and Israel that will result in Harare setting up a fully-fledged embassy in Jerusalem, said he was working on a plan that would result in the southern African nation marketing its precious stones directly to the Middle Eastern country.

He said: ”I am working hard to open a direct and daily channel in the field of the diamond trade between Israel and Zimbabwe; this will allow many traders from Zimbabwe to earn more,” adding that upholding property rights will be vital.

“The issue of mines is also very interesting and by the way one of the significant security measures that can be given to investors for their investment in the development of the various projects in Zimbabwe.”

During Mugabe’s last years in power, government revoked the mining rights of companies which were extracting diamonds in the Chiadzwa fields.

The seized diamond claims were merged under the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) — a state owned enterprise.

“Currently, I have a long list of merchants waiting to see and purchase goods from Zimbabwe. I am working to regulate the process so we can start activities immediately. The fact that I am trustee of Zimbabwe and Israel as Consul, can certainly give full confidence to those who want to work with us in this area, which relies mainly on trust,” Musan said.

”The diamond field is an area that can bring lots of money to Zimbabwe, can help Zimbabwe propel its economy and develop Zimbabwe in all other fields and we are happy to have the opportunity to mobilise all the forces working in this field to bring support to Zimbabwe and encourage its diamond industry.’.

Currently, Alrosa of Russia, ZCDC and Chinese outfit Anjin are mining diamonds in the resources rich Chiadzwa area.

Anjin returned to the fields, after a three year hiatus since government terminated the operating licences of firms in 2017.

Zimbabwe and Israel’s cooperation, which Musan is spearheading, spans across a broad spectrum that encompasses diamond mining, agriculture, security skills transfer and tourism.

As reported by this newspaper last week, Harare has already engaged Jerusalem for the deployment of security experts from Israel to train local forces in containment of civil disobedience in the face of a worsening economic crisis that has sparked violent riots since Mnangagwa took over in 2017.

Last year, Mnangagwa, in what was to become a landmark feat in over 20 years, met a high ranking official from the Middle East country after he met Israel Foreign Affairs minister Israel Katz on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.During the duo’s meeting, Katz invited Mnangagwa to visit Israel.

We Are Loyal to the People

My fellow Zimbabweans,
 
Despite hostility all around us. Despite attempts to eradicate us. Despite blatant attempts to silence us, we remain focused. We remain steady. We remain committed, consistent, unshaken, and true to our members and the people of our country.
 
We are patriotic.
We are loyal.
We are persevering.
 
Political and public participation rights play a vital role in the promotion of our democratic governance, the rule of law, social inclusion, and economic development, as well as guarding all of our human rights.
 
Participation is an extremely important fundamental human right and we are grateful for the opportunity and trust that was invested in us.
 
We are not deterred because we represent the interests of our constituencies and we will continue to use their given mandate in other platforms and spaces even outside Parliament. 
 
On the road to our freedom, we will not be commanded. We will not be controlled. We stand firm and confident under the leadership of People’s President Advocate Nelson Chamisa.
 
Lynette Karenyi-Kore
Vice President, MDC Alliance
2 October, 2020

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has said Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa is a threat to democracy and the existence of citizens.

“The Theater of the Absurd continues to roll out toxic reels of tragi-comedy .

First was the absurd entry into Parliament of 2018 losers .Then the banning of by elections .

All instances are proof beyond doubt of existence of a rabid paranoid psychotic desperate regime is coming to an end…

Now more than ever is the time to stand for the constitution, for the rule of law for Zimbabwe. In Emmerson we face the greatest threat to our democracy , to our existence , to our value system .

We must end impunity, State Capture and insanity . It is time to #SaveZimbabwe,” Hon Biti wrote on Twitter.

Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance has described Education Minister Cain Mathema’s attempt to use bully-boy tactics to silence teachers as unfortunate and redundant.

See full statement below :

02 OCTOBER 2020

MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA DISTRICT IS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE THREATENED POVERTY-STRICKEN AND INCAPACITATED TEACHERS IN ZIMBABWE.

Mdc Alliance Namibia is heart-broken by the indifferent and cynical approach from the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, instead of addressing the plight of learners and teachers, he threatened the innocent teachers who sympthathised with the clueless Zanupf regime for a long time now.

Mr Cain Mathema has threatened to fire incapacitated and replace them with 10 000 unemployed teachers without making effort to upgrade the pathetic lives of our teachers who are struggling to pay fees for their own children. We challenge teachers to remain resolute in confronting the insensitive government that subscribes to repression.

The incapacitation action commenced on a high note and has since escalated to extreme levels since the 28th of September when teachers picked up their national consciousness and resolved to unite against Zanupf stomach politicians.

As Mdc Alliance Namibia, we salute teachers’ unions in Zimbabwe for Unity and Solidarity in fighting suicidal policies in the education sector. It has been difficult for unions to share from the same plate of opinion but on the 22nd of September key stakeholders converged, cross-pollinated revolutionary dreams and aspirations before they pronounced a resolute statement about the poverty-stricken teachers and the trajectory to be embraced by the politically inept government in order to put our education system on a sounder footing.

Moreso, we are quite exhilarated as social democrats to witness more than 100 000 grieved teachers committing and dedicating themselves to the struggle for their liberation from Zanupf’s incompetent governance in the eduction sector.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union (Artuz) President Obert Masaraure said “teachers should be paid a living wage and we still demand 520US$ per month.

We will continue on this path until the value of our salaries is restored but on the World Teachers’ Day( 05 October 2020), we are going to radicalise our struggle. We are going to take to the streets”.

We pray that our teachers soldier on in unity against Zanupf induced poverty through stinking corruption and daylight looting of state resources.

Moreover, besides incapacitation, our teachers and learners are also vulnerable to the Covid-19 infections. The Progressive Teachers’Union also said about 95% of its members failed to report for duty.

He further exposed that the 600 million dollars availed by the government for Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) procurement has not been received by the schools. The majority of headmasters have truthfully reported that they do not have a single mask let alone thermometers, he further echoed.

This is a clear reflection of Zanupf’s dismal failure to secure sound and quality education to our dear children. It’s really unfortunate that the children of these fat cows in Zanupf school abroad where education is a priority.

The fees that have been drastically increased from $25 000 to $60 000 are beyond the reach of our maltreated teachers who are now grabbing a paltry of $2 600 after funeral deductions of over $1000 every month. It is imperative that teachers vividly speak their poverty and misery manifesting in their undoubted incapacitation.

As Mdc Alliance Namibia, we demand that the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education engages Teachers’ Unions once again because we have reached the zenith , we can’t afford to give a cold soldier to the need to engage with the view to finding durable solutions. Teachers must continue to organise , mobilise ,recruit and activate for a broader, effective Incapacitation Action to enhance their emancipation from Zanupf misrule.

Furthermore, we appeal to all conscious citizenry in Zimbabwe and in the diaspora, churches , parliamentarians, school children and social democrats around the globe to offer support to our suffering teachers and learners.

The future of our children is in their education.

Teachers must embrace dangerous freedom against peaceful slavery by desisting from the clock in-sit-in / walk out style because it is very detrimental and a very serious offence. Unions expect teachers to demonstrate their incapacitation by staying at their homes so that it will be easy to defend their members basing on the inability of the member to report for duty.

Regardless of Cain Mathema’s empty threats to our diligent and patriotic teachers , defiant teachers continue to gang up against the corrupt and authoritarian regime demanding a living wage to replace meagre unsalted peanuts insufficient to feed the families.

Teachers must resist to be intimidated , following threats that those incapacitated shall be replaced in the identical way the nurses were illegally fired sometime. We still urge the government to engage teachers so that nomalcy can be restored in our schools.

It is compulsory for various teachers organisations to avoid the traditional loophole of selling out the teachers’ struggle for 3 pieces of silver. United we win , divided we lose and the oppressor will satirise us gnashing our teeth in poverty.

In a nutshell, Mdc Alliance Namibia is cognisant of the real source of this pronounced decomposition of the education sector which is the political bankruptcy in Zanupf government.

The President’s deliberate silence on the critical matter is quite horrible.

Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya

teacherscan’tbreathtoo

liberateourtrsfrompoverty

freeJoana

freeTakudzwa

freeLast

freeMadzorere

zanupfmustgo

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has said Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa is a threat to democracy and the existence of citizens.

“The Theater of the Absurd continues to roll out toxic reels of tragi-comedy .

First was the absurd entry into Parliament of 2018 losers .Then the banning of by elections .

All instances are proof beyond doubt of existence of a rabid paranoid psychotic desperate regime is coming to an end…

Now more than ever is the time to stand for the constitution, for the rule of law for Zimbabwe. In Emmerson we face the greatest threat to our democracy , to our existence , to our value system .

We must end impunity, State Capture and insanity . It is time to #SaveZimbabwe,” Hon Biti wrote on Twitter.

ELISE Glahdill High School’s headmaster, Andrew Mvere, escaped death by a whisker after gunshots were fired at him as he was poaching game at a Headlands farm.

Mvere (56) was arrested together with Samuel Chimbo and Million Sanyamakomba.

The trio recently appeared before Rusape magistrate, Ms Rufaro Mangwiro, and they were granted $3 000 bail each.

The trial has been set for 16 November.

The three were represented by Mr Walter Mangwende of Chiwanza and Partners Legal Practitioners.

It is alleged that on September 8, the three drove to Mezzi Estate at night.

When the trio came across a security guard identified as Edison Bvumba, Chimbo fired a single shot in the air. He ordered Bvumba not to alert the farm owners, Messers Craig and Eric Coleman.

Prosecuting, Ms Theresa Mangwende said, “The three then drove off to continue with their mission. Bvumba then called the farm owners. Craig teamed up with Eric to track the trio. When the accused persons saw Craig’s vehicle lights, they drove towards another farm, but the farm owners gave chase.

“Craig fired a warning shot but the trio did not stop. The second shot hit the vehicle’s loading box but the poachers continued driving. When Eric fired another shot, the trio finally stopped,” said Ms Mangwende.

Headlands police were alerted, thereby leading to the arrest of the accused persons-Manica Post

The government has released an undisclosed amount of money towards the dualisation of the Harare-Bulawayo road, ZBC News reports.

The publication further reports that the funds are part of the ZWL$18 billion Covid-19 stimulus package which the government had pledged to disburse.

Commenting on the development, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Honourable Joel Biggie Matiza said the development shows that reliance on foreign contractors to develop the country’s infrastructure is unnecessary.

He added:

These roadworks are being done by the local manpower in the Department of Roads which shows that there is extra capacity to do these roadworks. Local contractors are doing the Harare Beitbridge highway so this shows you that both Government and the private companies are capable of working together to develop the entire road network.

Project Overseer Engineer Martha Ndoro said they target to complete at least 8 kilometres of this highway before rains start.

Roadworks are also underway along the Harare-Beitbridge highway whose rehabilitation works are being undertaken by five local companies.

Several road projects have for long been on cards, including the dualisation of the Harare – Nyamapanda highway and Beitbridge – Bulawayo and Bulawayo – Victoria Falls highways.

MDC-T Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora has claimed that the post 2018 general elections MDC Alliance project has failed.

Mwonzora made the remarks while addressing journalists in Hatfield yesterday, where he claimed that MDC Alliance project as represented by Nelson Chamisa in the 2018 Presidential elections performed exceptionally well due to their assistance in the campaign.

Mwonzora however said the MDC Alliance project post the 2018 elections was a failure as shown by the by-election results where the party in selected constituency and council elections performed very badly.

He mentioned wards where the MDC Alliance got votes that are less than 50 compared to Zanu PF which averaged over 500.

“The MDC Alliance when we went into the elections did well, and I think that Nelson Chamisa as a Presidential candidate did quite well, thats not an issue, but you must not forget that we were with him, that we also campaigned and we did well, but after that the MDC Alliance project, the one i am referring to is where they wanted to convert the MDC Alliance into a political party,” said Mwonzora.

BY DR MASIMBA MAVAZA| The late Chishawasha Mission headmaster Mr Simon Muzanenhamo Tizora who died in Harare last week was laid to rest in his home area of Zvimba near Murombedzi.

He was laid to rest in a ceremony attended by high powered Catholic Priests led by father Fidelis Mukonori and scores of relatives friends students fellow teachers and close family members.
The ceremony was attended by many people including Dr Innocent Dzapasi Tizora his brother, his sons, siblings, priests who joined Father Fidelis Mukonori who conducted the funeral mass.

Earlier, there were fears that relatives overcome by grief could force their way into the compound and break social distancing rules. The order and respect to COVID rules was befitting a disciplinarian headmaster.

A mass of people who milled around the gate when the casket bearing his remains arrived at around noon on Tuesday from the Harare respectfully lined t
he road into the compound and indeed wept with hope to meet Mr Tizora again.
Dr Innocent Dzapasi Tizora said they had conducted public awareness in the area to encourage people to keeping the social distancing as they pay their last respects for their own safety in the wake of coronavirus pandemic that has so far claimed hundreds lives and infected thousands in Zimbabwe.
Some former government senior officials and current officials attended the ceremony.

Dr Ignatious Chombo was one of the former government officials who attended. Conspicuous of his absence was the Member of Parliament for the constituency Mr Ziyambi Ziyambi who had other pressing national commitments.

The headmaster of Chishawasha Boarding School Mr Simon Muzanenhamo Tizora passed on Monday 28th September in the morning at West End clinic in Harare.

He is survived with his wife Annamore Tizora and four children two boys serving in the civil service and two girls who are now all adults. Mr Tizora is the fourth born in the family of ten. He is survived with eight siblings. Mr Tizora was the brother to the former Senior Principal Director of the State House comrade Innocent Dzapasi TIZORA.

Mr Tizora was born on the 24th January 1958 in Zvimba Murombedzi. He attended Kaondera Primary School in Zvimba Murombedzi and did his secondary education at St Phillips Magwenya Guruve from there he enrolled at Nyadire Teacher’s college in Mutoko.
Mourners had their hearts lifted by Father Mukonori as he brought God’s peace and comfort to their hearts.

[email protected]

By Jane Mlambo| MDC-T Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora has dismissed reports of bombings at Harvest House as side shows meant to divert people’s attention from the illegal takeover of their party headquarters by former Zanu PF G40 faction.

Speaking to journalists following the party standing committee meeting in Hatfield yesterday, Mwonzora said they are on course to reclaim their building from the alleged MDC-T youths.

“Tiri kunzwa kuti kune ma bomb ma petrol bombs kwaane moto wakuitika muHarvest House, izvi hazvina kumbobvira zvaitika kusvikira vanhu ava vauya, asi tinoda kuti tiudze ma members edu e MDC-T kuti its a matter of time, tiri kutora headquarters yedu, (We hear there are bombs, petrol bombs happening at Harvest House, these things never happened before, its only happening now after the takeover by these people, so we want to assure our members that its a matter of time, we will reclaim our headquarters)” said Mwonzora.

He added that the takeover of Harvest House was engineered by former Zanu PF G40 members who ropped in a few people from MDC Alliance.

By A Correspondent- Government has decreed that pregnant schoolgirls be allowed to attend class in their maternity attire as formal school wear might not be compatible with their changed body stature.

Women Affairs minister Sithembiso Nyoni confirmed the new directive during Parliament’s question-and-answer session on Wednesday after the issue was raised by Bulawayo Central MP Dorcas Sibanda (MDC Alliance).

“We are very concerned as a ministry – and Hon Sibanda is right that during this lockdown period, a lot of girls fell pregnant. We are working on the issue with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education,” Nyoni said.

“We have formed child support committees of women and mothers that are supporting such girls and we are encouraging them to go back to school. Indeed, some of them have uniforms that are no longer fitting because they have now grown bigger because of pregnancy.

We are talking to schools so that they are allowed to go in their own clothes.”
Nyoni urged communities, teachers and parents to provide moral support to pregnant schoolgirls.

“We cannot do that without the children also being made to understand that being pregnant sometimes may not be totally the girl’s fault. Some girls are cornered into pregnancy. So we need to continue to support them to go to university, colleges and also to take up jobs because having a child does not mean that you are now disabled or you cannot do much in life,” she said.

Sibanda also asked Nyoni to explain the efforts by her ministry to ensure gender equality.

Nyoni said women in Zimbabwe constituted 52% of the population, and therefore there were programmes to ensure more girls are educated and enrolled at universities.

“So the ministry is taking a very important strong position to ensure that girlchildren are empowered. We also have programmes that empower women. I think gender equality is not possible as long as women continue to be marginalised politically, economically and socially. We have got different funds in our ministry and we are trying to disburse so that women are economically empowered,” she said.

Nyoni said Cabinet recently passed a policy on small and medium enterprises development to specifically empower, women and the disabled.

By A Correspondent- Zanu-PF leaders are reportedly toying with the idea of suspending district coordinating committee (DCC) elections following reports that the exercise had caused sharp divisions in the party.

The ruling party is currently on a restructuring exercise that includes the election of DCC members, but sharp divisions have emerged as jostling for positions continue.

It has emerged that Zanu-PF bigwigs have been divided, with some supporting candidates linked to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, while others are for candidates loyal to his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga.

Chiwenga is allegedly accused of working with former party members under the banner of G40 to wrest power from his boss, a charge he has denied.

The G40 element in the DCC polls has also made things worse in the party as Zanu-PF fears they were infiltrating party structures and sponsoring their preferred candidates to cut Mnangagwa’s support base.

Party insiders said so deep were the fights on the ground that the party may be forced to drop the elections across all provinces.

A lot of chaotic scenes have been reported in Marondera, Tsholotsho and Mashonaland Central province, where businessman James Makamba wanted to snatch the provincial chairmanship from Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe, among others.

In all the chaotic scenes, Zanu-PF members have claimed infiltration by G40 members linked to former political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere and former Foreign Affairs minister Walter Mzembi.

Zanu-PF national commissar Victor Matemadanda yesterday said he was yet to receive a directive to abort the DCC elections, adding that the speculation on that could be caused by people with “sinister agendas”.

“If there are plans like that, I am yet to get that. I don’t know where that is coming from. If there is such a directive, I am yet to get communication to that effect,” he said.

“It may be a strategy by others to make other competitors relax while they get on the ground, I don’t know really. I don’t have such an instruction,” he said.

Last week, Zanu-PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu accused the G40 cabal of infiltrating structures and sponsoring chaos in the processes, an indication that the ruling party was admitting to chaos in the running of the DCC elections.

The G40 cabal, a group of former Zanu-PF officials forced into exile following the November 2017 military coup, has insisted that it was still alive in the party structures as “G40 is an idea whose time has come”.

“They are fighting an idea whose time has come. G40 is not four of five individuals, it is a renewal thought within Zanu-PF and they are resisting being succeeded. You can chase four or five people out of the country with guns, but the structures will remain on the ground,” Mzembi said this week.

In 2012, the late former President Robert Mugabe was forced to disband the DCCs as they had caused divisions in the party at the height of factional fights between Mnangagwa and then Vice-President Joice Mujuru.

This came as Mnangagwa was accused of using the DCCs to consolidate power while angling to take over from Mugabe, when the late veteran leader was rooting for Mujuru.

Mugabe and Mujuru clashed two years later and she became the first Vice-President in independent Zimbabwe to be shown the exit door.-newsday

By A Correspondent- On 2 October 2020, the Zanu PF led government published a new statutory instrument 225 of 2020 which prohibits the holding of by-elections in Zimbabwe indefinitely.

The government gazetted SI 225 of 2020 bans the holding of by-election until the covid-19 pandemic dies out.

This move has been viewed by political experts and other analysts as a death to democracy and emergence of a dictatorship.

Medical experts and researchers believe that this global pandemic which has claimed over a million lives this year alone will be around for a while until a time a vaccine has been developed.

What does the ban on election mean for an already politically troubled country like Zimbabwe? With all signs pointing towards the virus being there for a while, and other countries such as England already grappling for a second wave of infections, as well as lockdown measures already been enforced.

An indefinite ban on election will mean that no elections will be held in Zimbabwe for the next year, two or ten years to come; if a vaccine has not yet been developed for covid-19.

“Pursuant to subsection (2), the holding of any by-elections to fill a casual vacancy in parliament or in a local authority is for the duration of the period of the declaration of COVID-19 as a formidable epidemic, suspended,” reads SI 225 of 2020

Covid-19 has left many families devasted through the death of loved ones and people having to adjust their way of life to try and mitigate its impact. Recent prominent people who have tested positive of the virus are United States President, Donald Trump and his wife.

Banning of by-elections in Zimbabwe through the new statutory is a tip of the iceberg, especially when the country is set to hold its presidential elections in 2023 and there have been growing tensions between the voters and the government.

Statutory instrument 225 of 2020 is being viewed as an instrument used to kill democracy as the Emmerson Mnangagwa led administration is well aware of the discontent within the Zimbabwean populace.

Imposing an indefinite ban on election will ensure that no elections are held in the country and Mnangagwa stays in power.

Mnangagwa rose into office through a coup d’état, has been heavily criticised and accused of gross human rights abuses. Enacting statutory instrument 225 of 2020 is seen a sign of things to come and Zimbabwe slowly turning into a dictatorship.

“The moment when office bearers can veto holding of elections and pass an indefinite statutory enforcing this ban, only points to the death of democracy, ” said a university of Zimbabwe political science lecturer.

When a country no longer holds elections that officially makes it a dictatorship.

Continued recalling of opposition party members of parliament and councillors by Thokozani Khupe will mean the government will have to appoint people to these posts, and constituencies will not have the people that they want representing them.

Even in the absents of elections citizens will still want the right people representing them in parliament and an indefinitely ban makes this impossible.

In the gazetted SI 225 of 2020, the vice president and health minister Constantino Chiwenga invoked the Public Health Act to stop by-elections even the ones which were set for the 5th of December 2020.

A move which has been viewed as a death to democracy and the unmasking of a dictatorship in the false pretence of public safety.

Enacting of SI 225 of 2020 has been criticised by political analysts and the governments is being accused of using this as an excuse to enact dictatorship within the already fragile Southern African country.

The Elections Resource Centre (ERC) outright stated that SI 225 of 2020 gives the ZANU PF administration direct powers to infiltrate Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and this was a death to democracy in the electoral system.

By A Correspondent- Education minister Cain Mathema has revealed that over 800 schools are in dire need of boreholes in order to avert water challenges.

Said Mathema shortly after presenting his ministerial statement before parliament:

“On the issues of schools without water; we will do everything we can Hon. Speaker.  As I stand in front of the august House, ZINWA and DDF are going out.  

We have about 800 schools all over the country that need boreholes.  The Minister of Agriculture as well as the Minister of Local Government are out there with ZINWA and DDF.  I have given them the whole list of those schools that did not have water at all.  

So, we are working on that one as a collective effort in the Government.  The relevant ministries are drilling those boreholes.”

By A Correspondent- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday suspended holding of by-elections to fill in seats for recalled MDC Alliance MPs and councillors, as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) confirmed in a Government Gazette the filling of 15 seats by MDCT interim leader Thokozani Khupe and her acolytes.

The by-elections were scheduled for December, but Chiwenga, who doubles as Health minister, in a statutory instrument suspended them citing COVID-19 fears.

Khupe, who performed dismally in the July 2018 presidential election after garnering a paltry 45 000 votes, is expected to be leader of the opposition in Parliament.

Thirty-two parliamentary and 165 council seats recently fell vacant across the country after Khupe recalled officials elected under Nelson Chamisa’s MDC Alliance, claiming she was the country’s official opposition leader.

In his capacity as Health minister, Chiwenga amended Statutory Instrument 225A of 2020, Public Health COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment)(Amendment) Regulations, 2020 (No 4), to allow for suspension of the by-elections.

“It is hereby notified that the Minister of Health has, in terms section 68 of the Public Health Act made the following regulations … these regulations may be cited as the Public Health COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment (Amendment) Regulations 2020,” the notification read in part.

“Pursuant to subsection (2), the holding of any by-election to fill a casual vacancy in Parliament or in a local authority is for the duration of the period of the declaration of COVID-19 as a formidable epidemic disease, suspended, and if such vacancy occurred while such declaration is in force, no part of the period from the date of such vacancy to the date of the end of the declaration shall be counted for the purposes of section 158(3) of the Constitution.”

In General Notice 2553 of 2020, Zec chairperson Priscillah Chigumba said: “It is hereby notified, in terms of section 39(7)(a) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13], that persons listed in the Schedule nominated by the MDC-T party to fill the vacancies that occurred among the party-list members of the National Assembly and the Senate following the recall of the incumbent members by the MDC-T party on the grounds that they had ceased to be members of that party, have been approved as National Assembly party-list members and Senators respectively with effect from the date of publication of this notice.”

MDC-T acting spokesperson Khalipani Phugeni last night said: “Yes, I have seen the Government Gazette. I’m not sure as to when they will be sworn in as Members of Parliament.”

Before yesterday’s announcement, most political parties had already hit the ground running canvassing for support ahead of the by-elections which Zanu-PF recently said would have been a dress rehearsal for the 2023 general elections.

Zanu-PF and the led MDC-T yesterday welcomed the deferment of the byelections, with Chamisa’s party saying the move exposed capture of State institutions by the ruling party.

We remain bound by any regulation that has to do with reducing the spread of COVID-19. As far as the party is concerned, we are ready about any eventuality in terms of by-elections,” Zanu-PF acting spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa said.

“I want to believe that they are taking into account that it is difficult under COVID-19 for political parties to campaign. For that reason, Zanu-PF supports that. It becomes very difficult to campaign under the circumstances and for as long as that situation is obtaining, I believe that the government has done the right thing.”

MDC-T acting national chairman Morgen Komichi said: “As responsible leadership, we cannot go against the pandemic like that. We leave to the authorities to guide us. Though we need by-elections as a matter of urgency, let us wait until we have a favourable environment for people to freely campaign and vote,” he said.

But MDC Alliance deputy spokesperson Clifford Hlatywayo said the move was confirmation of capture of State institutions.

“What has happened now is a demonstration of Zanu-PF control of State institutions. There have been unconstitutional recalls of our elected officials knowing very well that they want to suspend elections, so this is a well-planned game working with the rebels (MDCT),” he said.

MDC Alliance secretary for presidential affairs Jameson Timba in a tweet last night said Khupe’s return to Parliament was “a travesty of justice”.

“Khupe is now a member of parliament. She participated in elections as a Presidential candidate and got 45 000 votes against Nelson Chamisa’s two million plus. Her party secured two seats.

Today she occupies a seat of a person who defeated her candidates. This is a travesty of justice,” he said.

Lawyer and political analyst Alex Magaisa said: “Critics warned that COVID-19 would present an opportunity for dictators to mount an assault on democracy. Statutory Instrument 225A effectively banning by-elections in Zimbabwe is living proof of it. (President Emmerson) Mnangagwa is lifting restrictions in other areas, but not on elections.

“But the legality of this statutory instrument is doubtful. It seeks to amend not only the Electoral Act, but also the Constitution. The Minister of Health does not have power to do that. Second, the SI cannot operate retrospectively as it seeks to do. It is all very clumsy.”

Zimbabwe has recorded 7 858 confirmed cases, including 6 322 recoveries and 228 deaths according to the Health ministry.

Neighbouring Malawi held presidential elections in June in the midst of the pandemic and the United States of America, where the virus has killed about 200 000 people, will hold presidential polls next month.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- The outsourcing of key services in the Ministry of Health and Child Care is set to be localised as the ministry streamlines its operations to reduce operational costs.

Addressing stakeholders at Ingutsheni Hospital during his tour of health care facilities in Bulawayo, vice president Retired General Dr Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga said the ministry is reintroducing ambulance services while the mechanical workshop for repairs and services for the Bulawayo fleet will be done at Ingutsheni.

He revealed that the 90-hectare plot at Ingutsheni hospital will be used to produce food requirements for the three main hospitals in the city namely Mpilo, United Bulawayo Hospitals and Ingutsheni.

Vice President Chiwenga added that horticulture experts from the Agriculture ministry are set to be seconded to the facility to ensure high productivity that will reduce the burden from the treasury of feeding patients and staff.

A security department will also be established to provide security services to all health institutions, a move set to eliminate the expense of hiring security companies which has been draining resources in health institutions.

Further, the government has committed resources to the construction of staff houses in all hospitals to ensure that health workers are well-accommodated as part of improved conditions of service.

“We are working out strategies to deal with the food needs of hospitals and to this end, Ingutsheni hospital which has over 90 hectares of land will be the centre for food production for all Bulawayo hospital. We are also reestablishing the ambulance services for both road and air services so that we stop outsourcing these services and again we are building houses for our health care workers and these projects will start soon,” he said.

Vice President Chiwenga also revealed that they are working on upgrading rural health centres to decongest central hospitals.

“We also want to upgrade and improve service delivery in rural health care centres so that there is less pressure for our big hospitals and this is in line with our vision of making sure that rural communities don’t travel long distances to access health care,” he said.

The Vice President thanked health care workers for their dedication to duty, adding that in central hospitals such as Mpilo, there is urgent need to review staffing levels from the current 973 nurses to almost double the number as well as increasing the number of doctors to 400.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- A 29 year old security guard stationed at the late former President Robert Mugabe’s Alpha and Omega dairy plant in Mazowe appeared before Concession magistrate yesterday charged with stealing lacto and yoghurt worth $76 910.

Pollas Shongedza pleaded not guilty before magistrate Nixon Mangoti and was remanded in custody to October 9.

The State, led by Moses Kuimba, denied him bail due to overwhelming evidence.

Allegations are that on September 14, Shongedza and his accomplice, Dereck Maushe who is still at large, used duplicate keys and gained entry into the warehouse and stole 1 412x 500ml Mnandi lacto packs and 382x 250ml packs of yoghurt and went away.

The warehouse attendant, Tinashe Mazema, discovered that there were missing products and advised his supervisor who ordered for a CCTV monitor check.

A video footage exposed the two stealing the dairy products. Shongedza was arrested while his accomplice fled.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) yesterday threatened taking legal action against government over unfair labour practices, including ordering them to report for duty without protective clothing against COVID-19.

Zimta was reacting to Primary and Secondary Education minister Cain Mathema’s remarks that government would recruit 25 000 temporary teachers to replace striking teachers.

“Zimta has observed with serious concern the statements attributed to Minister Cain Mathema about the welfare of teachers and the intention by government to recruit 25 000 temporary teachers to conduct school examinations,” part of the statement released yesterday read.

“The association is in the process of taking urgent legal action in order to protect its members and the generality of the teaching profession and community including the would be temporary teachers from acts designed to undermine the right of teachers against victimisation and the threat to the constitutionally protected right to
collective bargaining and decent living standards.”

It added:

“Minister Mathema’s demand that teachers present themselves and teach examination classes in the absence of protective equipment and COVID-19 testing of teachers undermines the right to a fair and safe labour practice and standard and thereby endangers the teaching community at large including the learners and their families.

The demand by the minister is unconstitutional and in breach of section 65(1) of our Constitution.

“It is the association’s position that an employer cannot compel an employee to work under unsafe conditions with the threat that failure to do so will result in the teachers being replaced by temporary teachers.”

Most teachers failed to report for duty on Monday when schools reopened for the examination classes.

Government teachers earn around $3 800 per month, which is US$43,20 at the current auction rate.

Government this week gave teachers a 40% cost of living adjustment, but the educators have declined it, insisting on US$520 or its equivalent.-newsday

Police have confirmed that two legs belonging to Murewa ritual murder victim Tapiwa Makore in a toilet pit near a village football pitch in Murewa yesterday.

The police said they are yet to recover the skull and hands which were also missing when the body of the seven year old boy was found.

“The ZRP confirms that in the ongoing investigations in connection with the gruesome murder of Tapiwa Makore [7] two complete legs were recovered in a pit toilet near a village football pitch in Murehwa on 2/10/20. Police are yet to recover the skull and hands,” the police announced on Twitter.

The Murewa murder case has shocked the entire nation which is still to come to terms with how a trusted relative could sacrifice an innocent child for rituals.

By A Correspondent- MDC-T interim leader Thokozani Khupe yesterday said she would not allow MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s backers, including recalled MPs and councillors, to take part at her party’s forthcoming extra-ordinary congress, whose deadline has been extended to November 30.

Khupe’s announcement comes after the standing committee members of the MDC-T, most of them perceived as Chamisa’s loyalists, issued a statement acknowledging the Supreme Court ruling that ordered the congress and confirming their participation at the indaba.

Chamisa and some of his loyalists had previously refused to acknowledge the ruling, but changed tact after several recalls of MDC Alliance MPs and councillors by Khupe.

Addressing the Press, MDC-T interim secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora said they had shut the door for Chamisa’s allies either fired from the party or recalled from Parliament and council.

“These congress processes are open to MDC-T people only,” Mwonzora told at a Press briefing held in Hatfield after party youths took over Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House.

“All those people who have been recalled are not eligible as candidates or as participants, they are not our members. Similarly, all those people who are national executive members, national council members of other political parties other than the MDC-T cannot take part in the congress processes.”

Khupe has recalled 32 MDC Alliance MPs and 165 councillors following the March 30 Supreme Court ruling, which recognised her as interim party leader following the death of founder Morgan Tsvangirai.

The majority of the recalled MPs and councillors held key positions in the MDC-T’s 2014 structures.

Mwonzora said they would now meet the national executive and national council to kickstart preparations for the extraordinary congress with the national executive convening on October 9, and national council on October 11.

In a statement, Chamisa’s loyalists said they had resolved to acknowlegde the Supreme Court ruling in order to participate at the congress.

“We have noted the judgment of the Supreme Court on extending the timelines for holding of the EOC for the MDC,” part of the statement read.

“In light of this, we would like the 2014 organs of the party to convene and craft a roadmap for the congress. The organs which are constitutionally mandated to do so are the national executive committee and the national council.”

After failing to convene the congress by July 31 as ordered by the Supreme Court, Khupe and Mwonzora approached the court to alter the dates.

The court gave Khupe up to November 30 to organise the congress to resolve the chaos centred on the party leadership although Khupe and Chamisa contested the 2018 polls under different banners.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- A member of the ruling Zanu PF’s Youth League died on the spot Friday while nine others are battling for life at Sally Mugabe hospital after they were shot at a housing scheme in Ushewokunze, Harare South allegedly for trespassing.

The Herald reports that the 10 youths were coming from the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport to bid farewell to Malawi president Lazarus Chakwera who was in Zimbabwe.

When they arrived at the housing project, the youths heard that their colleague, Tonderai Marongwe (the deceased) had been arrested by security officers manning the place.

They went to, CFI Holdings offices (the developer of the property), to inquire about the arrest and that is when they were chased away by guards who fired at them.

The incident was confirmed by the national police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who said investigations were already underway. He said:

We confirm that one person was shot and died while other people were injured.

Two guards have been picked by police in connection with the incident. It seems there was a dispute between some youths and some cooperative members which resulted in the shooting incident.

Two guards are currently in police custody and investigations are in progress. Reports are that these guards are contracted by CFI. Nine suspects were arrested for criminal trespass, but what is clear is that there are land disputes in that area.

The Herald visited the scene and found a group of ZANU PF youths gathered outside the CFI offices singing revolutionary songs.

They told the publication that the deceased was arrested after returning from the airport.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Driving to Makore Village under Chief Mangwende in Murehwa, children no longer talk to strangers no matter any amount of cajoling. The message has sunk, don’t talk to strangers lest you meet Tapiwa’s fate.

The recent ritual murder of Tapiwa Makore, has instilled fear among the young and elderly villagers alike who have since strongly warned their children against entertaining strangers, especially motorists.

In the same week, another human head was also found in the village and the identity is yet to be established.

It was a struggle to get to the Makore homestead as most people, especially children, coming from school were reluctant to assist with directions.

Luckily a visibly drunk man came to the rescue and offered to lead media team to the homestead.

On arrival at the homestead, most villagers were angry, emotional and debating as to the possible reasons of the murder. This was complete abomination to them. They were aghast at the manner in which the remains of the boy had been discovered after he had gone missing.

A torso believed to be his was found being dragged by a neighbour’s dog. The head and other parts of the body were missing. Arms and legs were later found following a spoor.
That was not all. The dogs had also dragged a human head, which, according to medical practitioners, belongs to a person who should be around 12 years old.

Detectives question Tafadzwa Shamba over a pair of blood-stained trousers found at his employer’s homestead during investigations
The boy’s uncle Tapiwa Makore (senior) and his employee Tafadzwa Shamba have been arrested in connection with the murder.

What surprised the community was the efforts the uncle had put in the search of the boy once he had been declared missing. He had been leading in the search and was a pillar of strength to his young brother constantly assuring him that they will find the boy alive.

He even had the temerity to chastise his young brother’s wife for being careless in Tapiwa’s disappearance. But alas! After playing a leading role in the search the elder brother to the boy’s father turned out to be one of the chief murder suspect.

Blood-stained clothes were found in one of his rooms.

Tapiwa Makore (senior), had earlier commendably assisted at the funeral. At one point, he reportedly got emotional, accusing the boy’s mother Ms Munyori of being irresponsible as mystery on the whereabouts of the boy deepened.

As fate would have it, his luck ran out. Some relatives assigned to clean his house stumbled upon a pair of trousers and a shirt stained with blood. They immediately tipped off detectives who were all over the village investigating the boy’s murder.

Circumstantial evidence pointed to him as the architect of the crime who had instructed Shamba to kill the boy.

In an interview, the boy’s mother broke down narrating how her brother-in-law had harassed her threatening to beat her up at the funeral for failing to account for the boy.

He once threatened to beat me up, accusing me of being irresponsible and failing to account for my missing son. You can even ask my husband and other relatives who heard him threatening me, but to my surprise he is the one who was picked up by the police for murder,” she said sobbing.

Equally at a loss of words, was the boy’s father Mr Munyaradzi Makore. He said his brother had been a pillar of strength during the search and he remained optimistic that the boy would be found alive.

“It’s difficult to believe that my own brother who had been with me throughout the search and funeral, turned out to be a suspect in the murder case. We were together on Thursday night (September 24) searching for my son. He would strengthen me, with words of hope that the boy could be alive somewhere,” he said.

When asked what could have led to his brother allegedly killing his nephew, Tapiwa’s father was at a loss of words. He too was surprised because there was no bad blood between the two families as they enjoyed cordial relations as evidenced by naming the boy Tapiwa after his elder brother.

On burial arrangements, Mr Makore (junior) said DNA samples had been taken from the boy’s mother and they were initially told to wait between two and three weeks for the results.

“We have paid US$330 and we hope to pay the balance on collection of the results. The results will determine the burial date.

“If the torso is indeed his, then we may proceed to bury the available parts of the body, but it is strange. Burying a headless body?” the boy’s father said shaking his head.

A villager Mr Summer Murwira was the first to discover the torso that was being dragged by his dog at his homestead last Friday morning.

“Early Friday morning, I was brushing my teeth outside the house when a female relative came telling me that Tapiwa was missing. Just after she left, I saw our black puppy dragging a torso, but we could not easily tell whose it was. However, I could tell that it was indeed a mutilated human body. I called other villagers and we resolved to send a message to the Makore family who were searching for their missing child.

“When the relatives came, the trail left by the puppy led us to the spot where the torso had been dropped. We then noticed blood spots and immediately reported the matter to the police,” said Mr Murwira.

But what kind of boy was Tapiwa and how did he relate to his peers in the area?
Tafadzwa Shamba narrates how he entered a kitchen hut at Tapiwa Makore’s (senior) homestead to collect food for the boy.

The Herald visited Nyamutumbu Primary School where he was a Grade One pupil. Staff at the school described him as a well-behaved, intelligent and highly promising pupil who had a bright future. They just could not understand how his life had been cut short and for what reason as he was an exemplary pupil.

“Tapiwa was a promising young boy, dedicated to school work, well-behaved and respectful. It’s sad that he passed on at such a young age. His attendance at school was excellent considering that most children in these rural communities absent themselves for no good reason.

“He was very social and he would interact well others here at school,” said one of his teachers.

Sources at the school said the headmaster had since written to the district education offices seeking authority to end lessons early to allow pupils to walk home before sunset.

“We have some pupils who walk long distances for up to three hours to get home. I understand our headmaster has since written to the district office requesting to be allowed to end lessons at 3pm daily.

“This arrangement will ensure all children get home early for security reasons,” said a source.

The Herald also tracked down the alleged murderer’s relatives, the Shamba family.
In an interview at Chinyani Village in Murehwa, Mr Gaylord Shamba, younger brother to Tafadzwa’s late father, said the family was engaging the Makore family.

“We engaged the Makore family through our councillor and they welcomed us. They understood the fact that one deviant person cannot spoil the whole clan. We attended the funeral and provided loads of firewood and some maize meal. That is not enough, we intend to continue assisting until burial,” he said.

Mr Shamba said the family was ready to compensate the Makore family-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Government has disowned a circular circulating on social media platforms directing recently-qualified doctors to enrol as soldiers under the Defence ministry if they are to be allowed to practise anywhere in Zimbabwe.

The circular, purportedly prepared by the Health Service Board, has irked doctors and the general public who felt that it tantamounted to militarising the health sector.

Masvingo Senator Tichinani Mavetera (MDC Alliance) on Thursday asked Health deputy minister John Mangwiro during Senate’s question-and-answer session to explain how they came up with the circular to militarise the medical profession and the latter professed ignorance over the conscription order.

“We heard that of the current 230 medical students that are graduating this year, the Ministry of Health is not going to recruit them, and that they will be recruited by the Ministry of Defence. What arrangements is the Health ministry going to put in place to ensure that we are not going to have a gap where junior doctors are deployed to the Defence ministry and there are no doctors at rural clinics? We are also forcing all junior doctors to join the army whether they like it or not,” Mavetera said.

He added: “We also heard that some graduate student doctors have been prohibited from visiting State or government hospitals after they were expelled and yet they are central to the health delivery in this country and trainee doctors provide more than 60% of the workforce.”

Mangwiro responded: “I do not know anything about the circular you are purporting came from the Ministry of Health. I spoke to the Health Service Board because they are the ones that are supposed to be giving out such a circular and we are going to get more details from them.

“As of now, we spoke to the Health ministry secretary (Jasper Chimedza) and he was oblivious of where that letter came from. So we will get a detailed and clarified position from him because the Ministry of Health is not the one that deploys those cadres, it is the Health Service Board that does so.”

He said student doctors were under the Ministry of Higher Education, which he said was the one that could adequately give an explanation on their situation.-newsday

By A Correspondent- Opposition MDC-T has announced new dates for the Supreme Court sanctioned Extraordinary Congress meant to elect a successor to MDC’s founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai who died in 2018.

This comes after the Supreme Court had granted opposition MDC-T interim leadership a further extension up to November 30 to hold an extraordinary congress.

Speaking after the party leadership convened a meeting on Friday to prepare for an elective congress, MDC-T chairperson Morgen Komichi said preparations for the elective congress are going on well.

He said:

MDC-T has set 13-20 December as dates to elect its party leadership after the death of its former leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Those interested in contesting for the party leadership are free to submit their nomination.

The congress was initially scheduled for 31 July but the party had to postpone after it was blocked by police on grounds that coronavirus cases were on the rise.- statemedia

Paul Nyathi

Zimbabwe faces a serious shortage of a critical medical drug, rifabutin, an important antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis; mycobacterium avium complex. It is also used to treat TB in patients on HIV/Aids antiretroviral therapy.

THREE people died on Thursday night while two others are in critical condition after they were knocked down by a haulage truck as they attended to another traffic accident at the 23-kilometre peg along the Mvurwi-Kanyemba Highway.

Two poeple died on the spot, another on admission at Guruve Hospital, while two others are admitted at the same hospital.

Mashonaland Central acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Fidelis Dhewu confirmed the accident.

“I can confirm a fatal accident at the 23-kilometre peg along Mvurwi-Kanyemba Highway, where three people died,” Dhewu said.

The deceased were identified as Lilian Shamhu, Tarisai Kasaira and Delight Vhurumu.

Allegations are that Edward Makombe was driving his Mazda Bongo at night and hit a cow.

Another motorist, Trymore Zimbe (43), arrived at the scene driving a Nissan Caravan and parked his vehicle close to the scene so as to render assistance to Makombe.

Another motorist, Notice Makaza (34), also arrived at the scene in a Toyota Vitz.

The now-deceased, Kasaira and Shamu, who were in the Toyota Vitz, disembarked and stood behind the Caravan and were later joined by Vhurumu.

Within minutes, a speeding haulage truck came and hit the Nissan Caravan which knocked down the trio, killing two on the spot.

— NewsDay

By A Correspondent- The reinstated interim secretary-general of the opposition MDC-T, Douglas Mwonzora has claimed that 12 MDC-T youths are being held hostage at Harvest House by G40 youths who assisted the rival MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa to seize the premises.

He told reporters on Friday that they will use legal channels to repossess the party headquarters. Mwonzora added:

Some G40 members connived with some of our youths to occupy our headquarters. We have reports that some G40 youths who are occupying our building have dangerous weapons such as petrol bombs. The law will take its course.

There are using petrol bombs to threaten party leadership. It’s a question of time before we repossess the party headquarters, Harvest House.

G40 is a ZANU PF faction that was believed to be led by the former first lady Grace Mugabe. Former ministers, Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kaukuwere, Walter Mzembi, and Patrick Zhuwao are some individuals strongly linked to the faction.

The faction fought then Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Lacoste faction as the succession race intensified during the last days of the late former President Robert Mugabe’s last days in office.-statemedia

State Media

ZIMBABWE has the 13th highest suicide rate in the world amid reports that cases have been on the rise, making suicide the 14th leading cause of death in the country.

According to a mental wellness organisation- Create Zim, in the last five years more men have resorted to suicide compared to women.

Defined as the act of intentionally causing one’s own death by ingesting pesticide, hanging or using firearms; suicide is a result of mental disorders including depression, psychosis and substance use disorder.

Some of the causes include feelings of hopelessness for better outcomes.

Medical experts say serious depression can be effectively controlled with modern drugs and other medical techniques, but it is necessary that those who are drifting into suicidal depression are identified and referred to competent medical practitioners or psychiatry specialists as early as possible.

“CreateZim endeavours to provide the rare opportunity to have necessary conversations, while simultaneously creating safe spaces both through location-based sessions run by the enterprise as well as an interactive online platform. Based on our suicide rate, Zimbabwe is ranked the 13th in the world and the scourge is the 14th leading cause of death in Zimbabwe,” read a statement from the organisation.

Acting Bulawayo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said suicide cases in the city were alarming and called on members of the public to consider counselling before taking their own lives.

She said teenagers had also contributed a lot of the reported cases which was reflection of a social disintegration.

“Cases of suicide in Bulawayo are at an alarming rate and the scourge is even common in teenagers. The sad part is most of them who commit suicide do not leave written account of what would have caused the suicide,” said Asst Insp Msebele.

“Some people believe their problems cannot be solved and ending their lives is the best solution.

“Problems which normally drive people to take their lives include economic hardships, sexual offences which may land one in jail and other social problems that people struggle to accept.”

According to Asst Insp Msebele, community leaders, church leaders and non-government organisations are ever willing to offer support and counselling for anyone in need of the services.

“We also encourage parents, guardians and school teachers to monitor the behaviour of those under their care, to question suspicious behaviour and try to control the situation before it reaches another level. As police we are also there to offer help because we cannot continue losing lives unnecessarily.”

Paul Nyathi

 Residents of Bulawayo have on recent months seen their children indulging in a highly intoxicating brew known as “Commander In Chief” and wondering where the brew is coming from.

Online media, Zim Morning Post has reported that Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Raj Modi is the person behind the manufacturing of illicit brew.

According to the media, Modi is making brisk business through the production of the illicit brew.

The brew is known as musombodhiya in street lingo and is composed of ethanol or methanol.

Musombodiya has caused several deaths especially in high density suburbs.

“Modi is behind the illicit brew manufacturing. He runs a plant where he produces a brew called Commander In Chief and he supplies the high density areas in Bulawayo. The beer costs US$1 and each case has 30 units,” said a highly placed source to the media.

Modi’s case comes after the tenant of cabinet minister Joram Gumbo, was arrested and police recovered five drums of ethanol and empty bottles labelled “Two Keys”.

Anadolu Agency

After casting his vote two years ago for Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC), now Benard Mhere has grown bitter, accusing the ruling party of trying to destroy the MDC.

Mhere, 31, says openly that he feels betrayed.

Opposition being gradually decapitated

A resident of Glenview in the capital Harare, a constituency once dominated by the country’s opposition MDC party over the years, Mhere said he faces confusion as his party is gradually being elbowed out by what he calls “plots” by the country’s ruling Zimbabwe Africa National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) “to get rid of the biggest opposition”.

“Soon, we will be left with no genuine opposition party in our country,” Mhere told Anadolu Agency.

In 2018, soon after the death of the opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Nelson Chamisa moved in to assert himself as heir, a move that displeased Thokozani Khupe, once deputy president of the country’s biggest opposition party.

In 2019, Chamisa and his MDC Alliance held an elective congress where he was officially elected the party chair, battling to fend off the legitimacy crisis he faced after seizing the reins of power following the death of Tsvangirai from colon cancer.

Chamisa, who contested for presidency in the 2018 elections, did not accept the outcome of the elections which saw Emmerson Mnangagwa declaring victory.

Even as Chamisa approached the country’s Constitutional Court challenging the elections outcome, Mnangagwa was still declared winner by the same court, yet Chamisa and his MDC Alliance have remained adamant Mnangagwa stole the elections.

Zimbabwean president controls opposition

Apparently desperate for recognition as the man on the seat of power in this Southern African nation, Mnangagwa last year in May launched the Political Actors’ Dialogue (POLAD), comprising of political leaders drawn from the country’s opposition political parties.

Ostensibly, POLAD was meant to have opposition leaders proffer ideas on how Zimbabwe may address its economic woes, but with the country’s biggest opposition party, the MDC Alliance out of the arrangement, analysts have hugely dismissed POLAD as a ploy to destroy the opposition.

Yet, for ordinary MDC Alliance backers like Mhere, holder of a university degree in Information Technology, disgruntlement has become the order of the day as he witnesses the party he supports “facing a ruthless Zanu-PF”.

“Zanu-PF only wants to make sure MDC Alliance accedes to its leadership, which means the party by doing so would cease being an opposition, which MDC Alliance has refused to do,” said Mhere.

Zimbabwe’s leader for 1-party state

In fact, Zimbabwe’s pro-democracy activists like Claris Madhuku strongly believe “Mnangagwa is moving towards establishing a one-party State.”

Although Chamisa contested the 2018 polls under the MDC-Alliance, Zimbabwe’s Supreme Court ruling this year effectively stripped the top opposition leader of his claim over the country’s main faction of the MDC giving the reins to his nemesis, Thokozani Khupe.

Khupe had however participated in the polls under another faction of the MDC, and lost hugely after she managed to get only 45000 of the votes.

Opposition opposes opposition

Based on the Supreme Court ruling, Khupe who is a POLAD member formed by Mnangagwa then went on to fire MDC-Alliance parliamentarians and councilors who refused to accede to her leadership.

Now, to this, Alex Magaisa, a United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean academic and lecturer of law at the Kent Law School of the University of Kent, said ‘Mnangagwa’s strategic goal is not just a threat to the MDC Alliance as an institution, but to the very idea of political pluralism and serious opposition politics in Zimbabwe.’

“Mnangagwa’s dictatorial streak has been most evident in his tireless scheming to annihilate and take control of the main opposition political party, the MDC Alliance,” said Magaisa.

In June this year, Zimbabwe’s military and police helped Khupe to seize the MDC Alliance Headquarters in Harare, a move pro-democracy activist Owen Dhliwayo here said “unmasked Khupe as Mnangagwa’s ally in trying to destroy the genuine opposition.”

Ruling party in charge of opposition

In the face of Mnangagwa’s alleged maneuvers to swallow Zimbabwe’s main opposition considered to be the only serious threat to his power, Magaisa said that “dictators prefer to rule without opposition. If there is any opposition, they would like to control it.”

“For Mnangagwa, the strategic goal is very simple: to weaken the MDC Alliance by taking control of it through his surrogates,” said Magaisa.

To Zimbabwe’s opposition leaders like Wurayai Zembe, the head of the opposition Democratic Party, “one-party state has always been the governance agenda of Zanu-PF and its leaders since formation in 1963.”

But, Farai Gwenhure, an independent political analyst and law student at the University of South Africa, said Zimbabwe’s President Mnangagwa has no capacity to forge a one-party state.

“He [Mnangagwa] has no capacity to think that far; he is just a vindictive person who is revenging the humiliation of being called illegitimate by Chamisa; he is therefore going after him,” Gwenhuresaid, adding: “He is scared of a possible collaboration between the MDC Alliance and a disgruntled faction of his party [Zanu-PF].”

As such, said Gwenhure, to dismantle the possibility of the equation, the easier side to attack is the MDC Alliance because it is the one with no guns.

“A one-party state is not possible in Zimbabwe, you will have to butcher millions of people to achieve it,” added Gwenhure.

Ruling party always envisioned 1-party state

Yet, Rashweat Mukundu, the Africa adviser of Denmark-based NGO International Media Support, said: “Zanu-PF never abandoned its one-party state dream and Mnangagwa has embraced this with much energy.”

With the MDC Alliance facing extinction through Mnangagwa’s machinations, Mukundu also said: “Organized opposition maybe in disarray because of state repression, but anger and opposition by ordinary people has risen exponentially and Mnangagwa’s government faces the risk of protests by unorganized groups without anyone to negotiate with.”

For Zanu PF diehard backers like Taurai Kandishaya, the head of the Zimbabwe Citizens Forum — a civil society organization with links to Zanu-PF — the idea of a one-party state here is unfounded.

“There is no dream of a one-party state in a country with more than 100 opposition parties. Unless you are monopolizing opposition space to only Nelson Chamisa whose career died out of his own mistakes,” Kandishaya told Anadolu Agency.

Paul Nyathi

President Mnangagwa has wished a speedy recovery to the United States of America President Donald Trump who tested positive of Covid-19 together with his wife Melania recently.

Trump announced on Friday that he had tested positive of the virus whose global confirmed infections stand at 34 million.

President Mnangagwa wrote the message on his Twitter account @edmnangagwa.

“My best wishes to President Trump @realdonaldtrump and the First Lady @FLOTUS as they make a full recovery from COVID-19,” President Mnangagwa said.

The US has so far recorded 7,3 million Covid-19 cases and 208 000 deaths.

President Trump is the latest head of state to test positive to Covid 19.

Brazi’s President Jair Bolsonaro and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also caught the virus and have fully recovered.

By A Correspondent | A Mabelreign man was found dead last Thursday in Rusape.

The 33 year old, Michael Devere, an OK Zimbabwe employee’s death comes after he vanished in Harare’s Greencroft area on Monday.

He was an employee of OK Zimbabwe Greencroft branch where he was a supervisor.

He wanted to buy something he had seen on social media, so had left home Monday morning for the nearby shops while wearing blue jeans, a striped t-shirt and brown shoes. Soon after that he became unreachable, a source said.

An SOS for his whereabouts was later posted on Tuesday morning after his workmates had phoned his home to inquire on reasons for his failure to turn up for work.

His brother, Petros later announced on Wednesday, on social networking website, Facebook, as follows:

Mike was found dead in Rusape. His body [some words redacted], a family friend, Chrison Brighton, told ZimEye.

ZimEye is making a follow up investigation.

• THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY (REFRESH THIS PAGE FOR MORE)

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State Media

Makore Villagers are still shocked at the efforts the murder accused uncle to a seven year old murdered boy had put in the search of the boy once he had been declared missing. He had been leading in the search and was a pillar of strength to his young brother constantly assuring him that they will find the boy alive.

He even had the temerity to chastise his young brother’s wife for being careless in Tapiwa’s disappearance. But alas! After playing a leading role in the search the elder brother to the boy’s father turned out to be one of the chief murder suspect.

Blood-stained clothes were found in one of his rooms.

Tapiwa Makore (senior), had earlier commendably assisted at the funeral. At one point, he reportedly got emotional, accusing the boy’s mother Ms Munyori of being irresponsible as mystery on the whereabouts of the boy deepened.

As fate would have it, his luck ran out.Some relatives assigned to clean his house stumbled upon a pair of trousers and a shirt stained with blood. They immediately tipped off detectives who were all over the village investigating the boy’s murder.

Circumstantial evidence pointed to him as the architect of the crime who had instructed Shamba to kill the boy.

In an interview, the boy’s mother broke down narrating how her brother-in-law had harassed her threatening to beat her up at the funeral for failing to account for the boy.

“He once threatened to beat me up, accusing me of being irresponsible and failing to account for my missing son. You can even ask my husband and other relatives who heard him threatening me, but to my surprise he is the one who was picked up by the police for murder,” she said sobbing.

Equally at a loss of words, was the boy’s father Mr Munyaradzi Makore. He said his brother had been a pillar of strength during the search and he remained optimistic that the boy would be found alive.

“It’s difficult to believe that my own brother who had been with me throughout the search and funeral, turned out to be a suspect in the murder case. We were together on Thursday night (September 24) searching for my son. He would strengthen me, with words of hope that the boy could be alive somewhere,” he said.

When asked what could have led to his brother allegedly killing his nephew, Tapiwa’s father was at a loss of words. He too was surprised because there was no bad blood between the two families as they enjoyed cordial relations as evidenced by naming the boy Tapiwa after his elder brother.

On burial arrangements, Mr Makore (junior) said DNA samples had been taken from the boy’s mother and they were initially told to wait between two and three weeks for the results.

“We have paid US$330 and we hope to pay the balance on collection of the results. The results will determine the burial date.

“If the torso is indeed his, then we may proceed to bury the available parts of the body, but it is strange. Burying a headless body?” the boy’s father said shaking his head.

A villager Mr Summer Murwira was the first to discover the torso that was being dragged by his dog at his homestead last Friday morning.

“Early Friday morning, I was brushing my teeth outside the house when a female relative came telling me that Tapiwa was missing. Just after she left, I saw our black puppy dragging a torso, but we could not easily tell whose it was. However, I could tell that it was indeed a mutilated human body. I called other villagers and we resolved to send a message to the Makore family who were searching for their missing child.

“When the relatives came, the trail left by the puppy led us to the spot where the torso had been dropped. We then noticed blood spots and immediately reported the matter to the police,” said Mr Murwira.

But what kind of boy was Tapiwa and how did he relate to his peers in the area?

Tafadzwa Shamba narrates how he entered a kitchen hut at Tapiwa Makore’s (senior) homestead to collect food for the boy

The Herald visited Nyamutumbu Primary School where he was a Grade One pupil. Staff at the school described him as a well-behaved, intelligent and highly promising pupil who had a bright future. They just could not understand how his life had been cut short and for what reason as he was an exemplary pupil

“Tapiwa was a promising young boy, dedicated to school work, well-behaved and respectful. It’s sad that he passed on at such a young age. His attendance at school was excellent considering that most children in these rural communities absent themselves for no good reason.

“He was very social and he would interact well others here at school,” said one of his teachers.

Sources at the school said the headmaster had since written to the district education offices seeking authority to end lessons early to allow pupils to walk home before sunset.

“We have some pupils who walk long distances for up to three hours to get home. I understand our headmaster has since written to the district office requesting to be allowed to end lessons at 3pm daily.

“This arrangement will ensure all children get home early for security reasons,” said a source.

The Herald also tracked down the alleged murderer’s relatives, the Shamba family.

In an interview at Chinyani Village in Murehwa, Mr Gaylord Shamba, younger brother to Tafadzwa’s late father, said the family was engaging the Makore family.

“We engaged the Makore family through our councillor and they welcomed us. They understood the fact that one deviant person cannot spoil the whole clan. We attended the funeral and provided loads of firewood and some maize meal. That is not enough, we intend to continue assisting until burial,” he said.

Mr Shamba said the family was ready to compensate the Makore family.

Paul Nyathi

Driving to Makore Village under Chief Mangwende in Murehwa, children no longer talk to strangers no matter any amount of cajoling. The message has sunk, don’t talk to strangers lest you meet Tapiwa’s fate.

The recent ritual murder of Tapiwa Makore, has instilled fear among the young and elderly villagers alike who have since strongly warned their children against entertaining strangers, especially motorists.

In the same week, another human head was also found in the village and the identity is yet to be established.

The Herald struggled to get to the Makore homestead as most people, especially children, coming from school were reluctant to assist with directions.

Luckily a visibly drunk man came to the rescue and offered to lead The Herald team to the homestead.

On arrival at the homestead, most villagers were angry, emotional and debating as to the possible reasons of the murder. This was complete abomination to them. They were aghast at the manner in which the remains of the boy had been discovered after he had gone missing.

A torso believed to be his was found being dragged by a neighbour’s dog. The head and other parts of the body were missing. Arms and legs were later found following a spoor.

That was not all. The dogs had also dragged a human head, which, according to medical practitioners, belongs to a person who should be around 12 years old.

The boy’s uncle Tapiwa Makore (senior) and his employee Tafadzwa Shamba have been arrested in connection with the murder.

Extracted From State Media

Paul Nyathi

Government has indefinitely suspended by-elections to fill vacancies in Parliament and local authorities as the country is still to weather the Covid-19 pandemic storm, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care, has announced.

This was published in the Government Gazette published on October 2 under Statutory Instrument (SI) 225A of 2020.

In the SI 225A of 2020, the Minister of Health and Child Care VP Chiwenga said the suspension will stand during the period of the declaration of Covid-19 as a formidable epidemic disease.

“Pursuant to the subsection (2), the holding of any by-election to fill a casual vacancy in Parliament or in a local authority is, for the duration of the period of the declaration of Covid-19 as a formidable epidemic disease, suspended, and if such vacancy occurred while such declaration is in force, no part of the period from the date of such vacancy to the date of the end of declaration shall be counted for the purposes of Section 158(3) of the Constitution” read the SI.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission recently announced that there were 15 vacancies in Parliament that needed to be filled through by-elections following National Assembly recalls by the MDC-T.

Besides the suspension of the by elections, the ruling ZANU PF is this weekend going ahead holding primary elections to choose candidates to contest both the local goverment and House of Assembly elections for the party.

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had set December 5 this year as the day for the holding of all by-elections for seats that fell vacant as a result of the recall of mostly opposition MDC Alliance MPs and councillors.

The other vacant seats are for deceased MPs and councillors from Zanu PF, the MDC Alliance and one from the National Patriotic Front.

Another vacant seat is that of expelled Zanu PF Chivi South MP, Killer Zivhu.

ZEC chairperson Priscilla Chigumba confirmed the dates.

“Activities shall resume on 7 October with the proposed nomination court set to sit on 9 October to fill vacancies of the recalled Members of Parliament and councillors and ZEC looking to hold all by-elections on 5 December,” she said last week.

Paul Nyathi

MDC-T leader Dr Thokozani Khupe has bounce back in Parliament after her name was part of 15 others the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) gazetted yesterday as people seconded by her party to fill in seats in the National Assembly and Senate that fell vacant after the recall of some legislators.

Khupe and her MDC-T collegues were approved into the two houses by ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba besides massive objections from members of the public.

Chigumba had invited voters with objections to lodge them with her office before the nominations were confirmed.

Over 000 voters responded to the call to send in objections .

Zec chief elections officer Utloile Silaigwana confirmed to media last week that the electoral body had received the objections and was in the process of verifying if they complied with the terms of the Electoral Act.

“We have received the volumes of objections, but as you might be aware, the closing date for their receipt was yesterday (Friday last week), so we have not gone through them as yet. We have to verify to see if they were submitted in terms of the electoral law. If they are valid, there is a provision to disqualify someone from occupying the seat,” Silaigwana said.

According to the Electoral Act, as soon as possible after the last day for the lodging of objections, if no objection to the party-list candidate has been received or, having considered every objection received, it finds that there are no valid grounds for objecting to the candidature, Zec must notify the public by notice in the Government Gazette that the person nominated to fill the vacancy has been appointed as a Senator or member of the National Assembly.

It provides that “having considered every objection received, and having found that there are valid grounds for objecting to the candidature, afford the political party concerned to make representations on the matter”.

“If, having considered any representations of the political party received in terms of subsection (7)(b), the Commission is still of the view that there are valid grounds for objecting to the candidature, the Commission shall proceed in accordance with subsection (4)(a), and subsections (5), (6) and (7) shall thereafter apply until a qualified person is identified to fill the vacancy concerned,” the Act reads.

On Friday, Chigumba, announced, in the extraordinary gazette, the appointment of seven proportional representation parliamentarians, including Khupe to Parliament.

Other proportional representative MPs who were appointed are Musarurwa Yvonne, Moyo Lindani, Sawuke January, Munochinzwa Memory, Sibanda Lwazi, Mokone Sipho, and senators Tamani Moyo, Piniel Denga, Kalpani Pugeni, Gertrude Moyo, Chief Ndlovu, Nomalanga Khumalo and Teti Chisorochengwe.

By A Correspondent| Zanu PF youth leader Tendai Chirau has declared war on the CFI guards who allegedly killed their member for trespassing yesterday.

Posting on Twitter, Chirau said they are going to CFI to get answers on the incident which happened yesterday afternoon.

“Cde auraya one wedu auraya tose… the guard and the guarded have a lot to explain. CFI we are paying a visit to you. We need answers,” said Chirau.

ZIMBABWE has the 13th highest suicide rate in the world amid reports that cases have been on the rise, making suicide the 14th leading cause of death in the country.

According to a mental wellness organisation- Create Zim, in the last five years more men have resorted to suicide compared to women.

Defined as the act of intentionally causing one’s own death by ingesting pesticide, hanging or using firearms; suicide is a result of mental disorders including depression, psychosis and substance use disorder.

Some of the causes include feelings of hopelessness for better outcomes.

Medical experts say serious depression can be effectively controlled with modern drugs and other medical techniques, but it is necessary that those who are drifting into suicidal depression are identified and referred to competent medical practitioners or psychiatry specialists as early as possible.

“CreateZim endeavours to provide the rare opportunity to have necessary conversations, while simultaneously creating safe spaces both through location-based sessions run by the enterprise as well as an interactive online platform. Based on our suicide rate, Zimbabwe is ranked the 13th in the world and the scourge is the 14th leading cause of death in Zimbabwe,” read a statement from the organisation.

Acting Bulawayo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said suicide cases in the city were alarming and called on members of the public to consider counselling before taking their own lives.

She said teenagers had also contributed a lot of the reported cases which was reflection of a social disintegration.

“Cases of suicide in Bulawayo are at an alarming rate and the scourge is even common in teenagers. The sad part is most of them who commit suicide do not leave written account of what would have caused the suicide,” said Asst Insp Msebele.

“Some people believe their problems cannot be solved and ending their lives is the best solution.

“Problems which normally drive people to take their lives include economic hardships, sexual offences which may land one in jail and other social problems that people struggle to accept.”

According to Asst Insp Msebele, community leaders, church leaders and non-government organisations are ever willing to offer support and counselling for anyone in need of the services.

“We also encourage parents, guardians and school teachers to monitor the behaviour of those under their care, to question suspicious behaviour and try to control the situation before it reaches another level. As police we are also there to offer help because we cannot continue losing lives unnecessarily.”

-State Media

MDC-T leader Dr Thokozani Khupe was yesterday declared a Member of Parliament following the conclusion of nominations and expiry of objections period, according to yesterday’s government gazette.

Khupe appointment also coincided with the gazetting of SI 225 of 2020 which indefinitely suspended the holding of by-elections until the Covid-19 pandemic is over.

Commenting on the Khupe appointment,Piers Pigou had this to say;

“With no sense of shame, Khupe and her gang usurp parliamentary seats without having secured the votes for them. Zimbabwe ‘democracy’ stinks further into the cesspool.”

By Jane Mlambo| Yesterday, government gazetted a new Statutory Instrument 225 of 2020 which suspends the holding of by-elections during the period of the pandemic Covid-19.

According to the gazetted SI 225 of 2020, Chiwenga invoked the Public Health Act to block by-elections which had earlier been earmarked for the 5th of December.

“Pursuant to subsection (2), the holding of any by-elections to fill a casual vacancy in parliament or in a local authority is for the duration of the period of the declaration of COVID-19 as a formidable epidemic, suspended, and if such a vacancy occurred while such declaration is in force, no part of the period from the date of such vacancy to the date of the end of the declaration shall be counted for the purposes of section 158(3) of the constitution,” reads SI 225 of 2020.

However political analysts have accused government of abusing Covid-19 pandemic to close the democratic space.

“Critics warned that COVID19 would present an opportunity for dictators to mount an assault on democracy. Statutory Instrument 225A effectively banning by-elections in Zimbabwe is living proof of it. Mnangagwa is lifting restrictions in other areas, but not in elections,” said Dr Alex Magaisa, a political commentator.

Electoral lobby group, Elections Resouce Centre said the independence of ZEC had been tempered with something they said was worrying.

The Minister of Health has suspended by-elections in Zimbabwe for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The independence of the @ZECzim has been cast into doubt with the Minister of Health now regulating electoral activities,” the organisation said.

Driving to Makore Village under Chief Mangwende in Murehwa, children no longer talk to strangers no matter any amount of cajoling. The message has sunk, don’t talk to strangers lest you meet Tapiwa’s fate.

The recent ritual murder of Tapiwa Makore, has instilled fear among the young and elderly villagers alike who have since strongly warned their children against entertaining strangers, especially motorists.

In the same week, another human head was also found in the village and the identity is yet to be established.

A torso believed to be his was found being dragged by a neighbour’s dog. The head and other parts of the body were missing. Arms and legs were later found following a spoor.

That was not all. The dogs had also dragged a human head, which, according to medical practitioners, belongs to a person who should be around 12 years old.

Detectives questions Tafadzwa Shamba over a pair of blood-stained trousers found at his employer’s homestead during investigations

The boy’s uncle Tapiwa Makore (senior) and his employee Tafadzwa Shamba have been arrested in connection with the murder.

What surprised the community was the efforts the uncle had put in the search of the boy once he had been declared missing. He had been leading in the search and was a pillar of strength to his young brother constantly assuring him that they will find the boy alive.

He even had the temerity to chastise his young brother’s wife for being careless in Tapiwa’s disappearance. But alas! After playing a leading role in the search the elder brother to the boy’s father turned out to be one of the chief murder suspect.
Blood-stained clothes were found in one of his rooms.

Tapiwa Makore (senior), had earlier commendably assisted at the funeral. At one point, he reportedly got emotional, accusing the boy’s mother Ms Munyori of being irresponsible as mystery on the whereabouts of the boy deepened.

As fate would have it, his luck ran out.

Some relatives assigned to clean his house stumbled upon a pair of trousers and a shirt stained with blood. They immediately tipped off detectives who were all over the village investigating the boy’s murder.

Circumstantial evidence pointed to him as the architect of the crime who had instructed Shamba to kill the boy.
In an interview, the boy’s mother broke down narrating how her brother-in-law had harassed her threatening to beat her up at the funeral for failing to account for the boy.

“He once threatened to beat me up, accusing me of being irresponsible and failing to account for my missing son. You can even ask my husband and other relatives who heard him threatening me, but to my surprise he is the one who was picked up by the police for murder,” she said sobbing.

Equally at a loss of words, was the boy’s father Mr Munyaradzi Makore. He said his brother had been a pillar of strength during the search and he remained optimistic that the boy would be found alive.

“It’s difficult to believe that my own brother who had been with me throughout the search and funeral, turned out to be a suspect in the murder case.

We were together on Thursday night (September 24) searching for my son. He would strengthen me, with words of hope that the boy could be alive somewhere,” he said.

When asked what could have led to his brother allegedly killing his nephew, Tapiwa’s father was at a loss of words. He too was surprised because there was no bad blood between the two families as they enjoyed cordial relations as evidenced by naming the boy Tapiwa after his elder brother.

On burial arrangements, Mr Makore (junior) said DNA samples had been taken from the boy’s mother and they were initially told to wait between two and three weeks for the results.

“We have paid US$330 and we hope to pay the balance on collection of the results. The results will determine the burial date.

“If the torso is indeed his, then we may proceed to bury the available parts of the body, but it is strange. Burying a headless body?” the boy’s father said shaking his head.

A villager Mr Summer Murwira was the first to discover the torso that was being dragged by his dog at his homestead last Friday morning.

“Early Friday morning, I was brushing my teeth outside the house when a female relative came telling me that Tapiwa was missing. Just after she left, I saw our black puppy dragging a torso, but we could not easily tell whose it was. However, I could tell that it was indeed a mutilated human body. I called other villagers and we resolved to send a message to the Makore family who were searching for their missing child.

“When the relatives came, the trail left by the puppy led us to the spot where the torso had been dropped. We then noticed blood spots and immediately reported the matter to the police,” said Mr Murwira.

But what kind of boy was Tapiwa and how did he relate to his peers in area.

The Herald visited Nyamutumbu Primary School where he was a Grade One pupil. Staff at the school described him as a well-behaved, intelligent and highly promising pupil who had a bright future.

They just could not understand how his life had been cut short and for what reason as he was an exemplary pupil
“Tapiwa was a promising young boy, dedicated to school work, well-behaved and respectful. It’s sad that he passed on at such a young age.

His attendance at school was excellent considering that most children in these rural communities absent themselves for no good reason.

“He was very social and he would interact well others here at school,” said one of his teachers.

Sources at the school said the headmaster had since written to the district education offices seeking authority to end lessons early to allow pupils to walk home before sunset.
“We have some pupils who walk long distances for up to three hours to get home. I understand our headmaster has since written to the district office requesting to be allowed to end lessons at 3pm daily.

“This arrangement will ensure all children get home early for security reasons,” said a source.

The Herald also tracked down the alleged murderer’s relatives, the Shamba family.
In an interview at Chinyani Village in Murehwa, Mr Gaylord Shamba, younger brother to Tafadzwa’s late father, said the family was engaging the Makore family.

“We engaged the Makore family through our councillor and they welcomed us. They understood the fact that one deviant person cannot spoil the whole clan. We attended the funeral and provided loads of firewood and some maize meal. That is not enough, we intend to continue assisting until burial,” he said.
Mr Shamba said the family was ready to compensate the Makore family.

-Herald

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has penalized a Chinese brick manufacturing firm after it failed to submit weekly cash sales and deposits in line with measures to stem money laundering. In June, the Financial Intelligence Unit—an arm of RBZ— served Silver Dragon with an order in which it had to make disclosures in line with Section 11 of the Bank Use Promotions Act.

The disclosure order was personally served by Emmanuel Dengedze to the director of Silver Dragon Bricks who acknowledged receipt of the order by signing. But the Chinese firm failed to adhere to the disclosure order which required it to submit to the Bank Use and Suppression of Money Laundering Unit of the RBZ on a weekly basis, cash sales and deposits and of each previous week business transactions.

Silver Dragon is in the business of retailing and selling its products on a cash basis to the public. There are, however, indications that from June 30 to September 1, 2020, the brick firm did not submit such returns to the RBZ for 42 days after subtracting Sundays and public holidays.

“We were fined and we are in the process of communicating with the RBZ on the disclosure issues,” Silver Dragon Bricks director Miaoqi Liu told Business Times.

RBZ also recently launched a blitz on errant retail pharmaceutical companies that have been resisting its directive on disclosures issued beginning of July this year.

The latest blitz saw various pharmaceutical bosses being dragged before the courts. Other companies that have since been brought before the courts over failure to adhere to the disclosure issue include JT Hardware, Manhattan Interiors, Farm Distributors and popular wholesaler Zapalala.

The central bank is putting in place stringent measures aimed at plucking out externalization of funds, which has seen close to US$1bn being siphoned out of the country since the dollarisation of the country’s economy.

In 2018, the government published a list of more than 1 800 companies and individuals alleged to have externalized more than US$800m.

The penalty on Silver Dragon will bring the spotlight on Chinese firms that have long been accused of doing business on a cash basis and not banking the money.

Several Chinese firms stand accused of unfair labor practices contrary to their “all-weather friend” tag. Beijing, however, sees Zimbabwe as an equal partner and plans to rescue the Southern African nation from the socio-economic crisis.

-Harare Live

A SOMBRE atmosphere engulfed the Masvosva area on the outskirts of Rusape after a vicious gang of eight armed robbers stormed Mr Boars Mamutse’s homestead and axed him to death over lobola and burial society money.

The gang members appeared to have inside information on the Mamutse family of Gweremwezhe Village under Headman Masvosva.

The gangsters demanded a share of the lobola money that had been paid to the family in August.

They also demanded that Mr Mamutse (60), who was the Masvosva Village Burial Society’s treasurer, surrenders all the monthly subscriptions he had collected.

Rusape District police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Muzondiwa Clean confirmed the incident that occurred on Sunday.

He appealed for information that may lead to the arrest of the suspects.

It is alleged that Mr Mamutse and his wife, Ms Thandiwe Makuyana, were in the kitchen hut, while their two daughters — Caroline and Tarisai — were preparing supper in another room when the killer gang pounced on them.

The gangsters had their faces covered with balaclavas while they were armed with knives, machetes and logs.

Upon storming the kitchen, one of them manhandled Mr Mamutse, ordering him to surrender all the money he had.

Mr Mamutse told them that he had no money in the house, but the gang viciously attacked him and his wife.

“Two members of the gang force-marched Ms Makuyana to the other room where her daughters were preparing supper. The criminals tied the three’s hands at their backs using a rope.

“The other gang members continued assaulting Mr Mamutse and demanding money,” said Assistant Inspector Clean.

Mr Mamutse tried to wrestle one of the assailants but was overpowered and struck with an axe once on the nose.

“Mr Mamutse collapsed and the gang dragged him to his bedroom. They continued assaulting him on the head.

The gang then stole US$7 that was in Mr Mamutse’s suitcase and an unknown figure of Zimbabwean dollars,” said Assistant Inspector Clean.-Manica Post

One Zanu PF Youth League member died on the spot while nine others were injured with two battling for life at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital after they were shot by guards manning offices at a housing scheme in Ushewokunze suburb, Harare South, on Thursday for allegedly trespassing.

The youths were reportedly coming from the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport where they had gone to bid farewell to Malawian President Dr Lazarus Chakwera at the end of his two-day State visit.

When the youths arrived at a housing project, which is being developed by CFI Holdings, they were informed that one of their colleagues, identified as Tonderai Marongwe, had been arrested by guards manning the property in Ushewokunze.

It is said when they went to the CFI offices to inquire about their fellow Youth League member’s arrest, they were chased away by armed guards who fired shots.

Ten youths were resultantly hit by gunfire and one of them died on the spot while nine others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the shooting, saying two security guards had since been arrested.

Investigations into the matter are in progress. “We confirm that one person was shot and died while other people were injured.

“Two guards have been picked by police in connection with the incident. It seems there was a dispute between some youths and some cooperative members which resulted in the shooting incident.

“Two guards are currently in police custody and investigations are in progress. Reports are that these guards are contracted by CFI. Nine suspects were arrested for criminal trespass, but what is clear is that there are land disputes in that area,” he said.

When The Herald arrived at the scene yesterday, Zanu PF youths were gathered outside the CFI offices singing revolutionary songs. They said the shootings were unfair as they did nothing wrong.

Zanu PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) secretary for economic affairs Zone 6, Cde Victor Mhazi Zindonda, narrated the circumstances.

Cde Zindonda alleged that the deceased was arrested for trespassing on CFI property after returning from the airport.

After being informed of the arrest of the deceased, the youths went to the CFI offices for inquiries where an altercation ensued with the guards.

“The youths came to me and told me that Tonderai Marongwe had been arrested by the guards at Cresta. We then went with other comrades to inquire on what had happened.

“We were not armed and I told my fellow comrades not to be violent. When we arrived we asked why they had arrested Tonderai and they refused to talk to us. They told us to wait while they made a phone call and to our surprise they opened fire,” he said.

Cde Zindonda said they were shocked by the guards’ actions as they had gone to the offices in peace.

Zanu PF acting national spokesperson Cde Patrick Chinamasa said he was not aware of the shootings.

“I do not have the facts yet. Whoever shot them has committed a criminal offence and must face the full wrath of the law,” he said.

When reached for comment, CFI company secretary Mr Panganayi Hare asked for written questions, but did not respond and was not reachable. -Herald

ELISE Glahdill High School’s headmaster, Andrew Mvere, escaped death by a whisker after gunshots were fired at him as he was poaching game at a Headlands farm.

Mvere (56) was arrested together with Samuel Chimbo and Million Sanyamakomba.

The trio recently appeared before Rusape magistrate, Ms Rufaro Mangwiro, and they were granted $3 000 bail each.

The trial has been set for 16 November.

The three were represented by Mr Walter Mangwende of Chiwanza and Partners Legal Practitioners.

It is alleged that on September 8, the three drove to Mezzi Estate at night.

When the trio came across a security guard identified as Edison Bvumba, Chimbo fired a single shot in the air. He ordered Bvumba not to alert the farm owners, Messers Craig and Eric Coleman.

Prosecuting, Ms Theresa Mangwende said, “The three then drove off to continue with their mission. Bvumba then called the farm owners. Craig teamed up with Eric to track the trio. When the accused persons saw Craig’s vehicle lights, they drove towards another farm, but the farm owners gave chase.

“Craig fired a warning shot but the trio did not stop. The second shot hit the vehicle’s loading box but the poachers continued driving. When Eric fired another shot, the trio finally stopped,” said Ms Mangwende.

Headlands police were alerted, thereby leading to the arrest of the accused persons-Manica Post

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance Secretary General, Hon Charlton Hwende has sternly warned Mr Douglas Mwonzora against working with Zanu PF to thwart the struggle for democracy.

Hon Hwende also literally ruled out the possibility of talks with Mr Mwonzora and Thokozani Khupe.

“There will be no talks between democrats and those working with Zanu-PF to slow down the Democratic Agenda in this Country.

We are happy that we have flushed out spies, CIOs and Collaborators from the opposition.

The Continued onslaught on our MPs and Councillors which has resulted in 10 MPs being illegally recalled by Douglas Mwonzora acting unilaterally and in connivance with
@edmnangagwa
@ZANUPF_Official
will have serious financial and political consequences on Mwonzora as a person,” Hon Hwende wrote on Twitter.

Farai Dziva|Marondera Central MP Hon Caston Matewu has said he will not be distracted by the recall from Parliament.

In his statement, Hon Matewu accused Thokozani Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora of betraying the people’s struggle.

See statement below :

STATEMENT ON THE RECALLING FROM PARLIAMENT

Good Afternoon Marondera

Today as expected I have been recalled from Parliament by ThokoZANU Khupe.

The announcement was done by the Speaker of Parliament Adv Jacob Mudenda.

Firstly allow me to pay gratitude to the people of Marondera for the hope and trust you bestowed in me to represent your interests in the Parliament of Zimbabwe; it has been an absolute privilege.

Cdes and Friends, the crisis in Zimbabwe is not about person political or personal benefit; it is about the economic emancipation of the people of our great country and Marondera Central is no exception. In Parliament I have debated and taught on many issues that concern us as a town and indeed the Country. I will continue to fight for these issues as long as ZANU Pf continues to drive this country into the doldrums of extreme poverty.

Marondera!! It has never been about me personally but about us as a community. We desire a government that will listen to the needs of its people; a government that will adequately protect and pay its civil servants from teachers, police, soliders and the whole fraternity. It would have been easy to submit to Khupe and remain in Parliament; BUT make no mistake, it was never about me but about you the good and gracious people of Marondera Central.

I was elected under the able leadership of President Nelson Chamisa who I wholeheartedly believe will deliver this country to the land of milk and honey that we beseech. I remain and stand by President Nelson Chamisa.

Marondera Central; our very voice that you proclaimed in 2018 has been beaten BUT it will never be silenced. In the two years I have had a lot happen to me including the merciless shooting at my house. I have never shaken and I will continue to be that voice. They may remove me from the Parliament building but they can never remove me from the hearts and people of Marondera.

Cdes and friends, we live to fight another day.

Aluta Continua

Chamisa Chete Chete

God bless Zimbabwe
God bless Marondera

I thank you

Hon C Matewu
The People’s MP
Marondera Central

Two Victoria Falls men were shot dead outside the resort town after they allegedly tried to disarm two anti-smuggling soldiers deployed to man the Zambezi River.

Police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the shooting incident which took place on Wednesday evening. He said:

The Zimbabwe Republic Police is investigating the circumstances in which two suspects tried to disarm members of the security services who were on anti-smuggling deployments in Victoria Falls on 30 September 2020 resulting in a shooting incident and deaths of two suspects. As the security services team was at Chisuma Business Centre, at 7:30 pm monitoring anti-smuggling activities and dispersing people who had gathered in contravention of Covid-19 regulations, one of the suspects assaulted a security service member and then tried to disarm him resulting in the scuffle.

This comes a few weeks after two gunmen shot and killed a soldier in Chivhu and critically injured another. The duo was later hunted down and killed in a shootout with soldiers.-Chronicle

Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance has described Education Minister Cain Mathema’s attempt to use bully-boy tactics to silence teachers as unfortunate and redundant.

See full statement below :

02 OCTOBER 2020

MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA DISTRICT IS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE THREATENED POVERTY-STRICKEN AND INCAPACITATED TEACHERS IN ZIMBABWE.

Mdc Alliance Namibia is heart-broken by the indifferent and cynical approach from the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, instead of addressing the plight of learners and teachers, he threatened the innocent teachers who sympthathised with the clueless Zanupf regime for a long time now.

Mr Cain Mathema has threatened to fire incapacitated and replace them with 10 000 unemployed teachers without making effort to upgrade the pathetic lives of our teachers who are struggling to pay fees for their own children. We challenge teachers to remain resolute in confronting the insensitive government that subscribes to repression.

The incapacitation action commenced on a high note and has since escalated to extreme levels since the 28th of September when teachers picked up their national consciousness and resolved to unite against Zanupf stomach politicians.

As Mdc Alliance Namibia, we salute teachers’ unions in Zimbabwe for Unity and Solidarity in fighting suicidal policies in the education sector. It has been difficult for unions to share from the same plate of opinion but on the 22nd of September key stakeholders converged, cross-pollinated revolutionary dreams and aspirations before they pronounced a resolute statement about the poverty-stricken teachers and the trajectory to be embraced by the politically inept government in order to put our education system on a sounder footing.

Moreso, we are quite exhilarated as social democrats to witness more than 100 000 grieved teachers committing and dedicating themselves to the struggle for their liberation from Zanupf’s incompetent governance in the eduction sector.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union (Artuz) President Obert Masaraure said “teachers should be paid a living wage and we still demand 520US$ per month.

We will continue on this path until the value of our salaries is restored but on the World Teachers’ Day( 05 October 2020), we are going to radicalise our struggle. We are going to take to the streets”. We pray that our teachers soldier on in unity against Zanupf induced poverty through stinking corruption and daylight looting of state resources.

Moreover, besides incapacitation, our teachers and learners are also vulnerable to the Covid-19 infections. The Progressive Teachers’Union also said about 95% of its members failed to report for duty.

He further exposed that the 600 million dollars availed by the government for Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) procurement has not been received by the schools. The majority of headmasters have truthfully reported that they do not have a single mask let alone thermometers, he further echoed.

This is a clear reflection of Zanupf’s dismal failure to secure sound and quality education to our dear children. It’s really unfortunate that the children of these fat cows in Zanupf school abroad where education is a priority.

The fees that have been drastically increased from $25 000 to $60 000 are beyond the reach of our maltreated teachers who are now grabbing a paltry of $2 600 after funeral deductions of over $1000 every month. It is imperative that teachers vividly speak their poverty and misery manifesting in their undoubted incapacitation.

As Mdc Alliance Namibia, we demand that the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education engages Teachers’ Unions once again because we have reached the zenith , we can’t afford to give a cold soldier to the need to engage with the view to finding durable solutions. Teachers must continue to organise , mobilise ,recruit and activate for a broader, effective Incapacitation Action to enhance their emancipation from Zanupf misrule.

Furthermore, we appeal to all conscious citizenry in Zimbabwe and in the diaspora, churches , parliamentarians, school children and social democrats around the globe to offer support to our suffering teachers and learners. The future of our children is in their education.

Teachers must embrace dangerous freedom against peaceful slavery by desisting from the clock in-sit-in / walk out style because it is very detrimental and a very serious offence. Unions expect teachers to demonstrate their incapacitation by staying at their homes so that it will be easy to defend their members basing on the inability of the member to report for duty.

Regardless of Cain Mathema’s empty threats to our diligent and patriotic teachers , defiant teachers continue to gang up against the corrupt and authoritarian regime demanding a living wage to replace meagre unsalted peanuts insufficient to feed the families.

Teachers must resist to be intimidated , following threats that those incapacitated shall be replaced in the identical way the nurses were illegally fired sometime. We still urge the government to engage teachers so that nomalcy can be restored in our schools.

It is compulsory for various teachers organisations to avoid the traditional loophole of selling out the teachers’ struggle for 3 pieces of silver. United we win , divided we lose and the oppressor will satirise us gnashing our teeth in poverty.

In a nutshell, Mdc Alliance Namibia is cognisant of the real source of this pronounced decomposition of the education sector which is the political bankruptcy in Zanupf government. The President’s deliberate silence on the critical matter is quite horrible. We call the government to fulfill their mandate to provide basic education to our innocent and expecting children.

Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya

teacherscan’tbreathtoo

liberateourtrsfrompoverty

freeJoana

freeTakudzwa

freeLast

freeMadzorere

zanupfmustgo

Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance has described Education Minister Cain Mathema’s attempt to use bully-boy tactics to silence teachers as unfortunate and redundant.

See full statement below :

02 OCTOBER 2020

MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA DISTRICT IS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE THREATENED POVERTY-STRICKEN AND INCAPACITATED TEACHERS IN ZIMBABWE.

Mdc Alliance Namibia is heart-broken by the indifferent and cynical approach from the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, instead of addressing the plight of learners and teachers, he threatened the innocent teachers who sympthathised with the clueless Zanupf regime for a long time now.

Mr Cain Mathema has threatened to fire incapacitated and replace them with 10 000 unemployed teachers without making effort to upgrade the pathetic lives of our teachers who are struggling to pay fees for their own children. We challenge teachers to remain resolute in confronting the insensitive government that subscribes to repression.

The incapacitation action commenced on a high note and has since escalated to extreme levels since the 28th of September when teachers picked up their national consciousness and resolved to unite against Zanupf stomach politicians.

As Mdc Alliance Namibia, we salute teachers’ unions in Zimbabwe for Unity and Solidarity in fighting suicidal policies in the education sector. It has been difficult for unions to share from the same plate of opinion but on the 22nd of September key stakeholders converged, cross-pollinated revolutionary dreams and aspirations before they pronounced a resolute statement about the poverty-stricken teachers and the trajectory to be embraced by the politically inept government in order to put our education system on a sounder footing.

Moreso, we are quite exhilarated as social democrats to witness more than 100 000 grieved teachers committing and dedicating themselves to the struggle for their liberation from Zanupf’s incompetent governance in the eduction sector.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union (Artuz) President Obert Masaraure said “teachers should be paid a living wage and we still demand 520US$ per month.

We will continue on this path until the value of our salaries is restored but on the World Teachers’ Day( 05 October 2020), we are going to radicalise our struggle. We are going to take to the streets”. We pray that our teachers soldier on in unity against Zanupf induced poverty through stinking corruption and daylight looting of state resources.

Moreover, besides incapacitation, our teachers and learners are also vulnerable to the Covid-19 infections. The Progressive Teachers’Union also said about 95% of its members failed to report for duty.

He further exposed that the 600 million dollars availed by the government for Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) procurement has not been received by the schools. The majority of headmasters have truthfully reported that they do not have a single mask let alone thermometers, he further echoed.

This is a clear reflection of Zanupf’s dismal failure to secure sound and quality education to our dear children. It’s really unfortunate that the children of these fat cows in Zanupf school abroad where education is a priority.

The fees that have been drastically increased from $25 000 to $60 000 are beyond the reach of our maltreated teachers who are now grabbing a paltry of $2 600 after funeral deductions of over $1000 every month. It is imperative that teachers vividly speak their poverty and misery manifesting in their undoubted incapacitation.

As Mdc Alliance Namibia, we demand that the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education engages Teachers’ Unions once again because we have reached the zenith , we can’t afford to give a cold soldier to the need to engage with the view to finding durable solutions. Teachers must continue to organise , mobilise ,recruit and activate for a broader, effective Incapacitation Action to enhance their emancipation from Zanupf misrule.

Furthermore, we appeal to all conscious citizenry in Zimbabwe and in the diaspora, churches , parliamentarians, school children and social democrats around the globe to offer support to our suffering teachers and learners. The future of our children is in their education.

Teachers must embrace dangerous freedom against peaceful slavery by desisting from the clock in-sit-in / walk out style because it is very detrimental and a very serious offence. Unions expect teachers to demonstrate their incapacitation by staying at their homes so that it will be easy to defend their members basing on the inability of the member to report for duty.

Regardless of Cain Mathema’s empty threats to our diligent and patriotic teachers , defiant teachers continue to gang up against the corrupt and authoritarian regime demanding a living wage to replace meagre unsalted peanuts insufficient to feed the families.

Teachers must resist to be intimidated , following threats that those incapacitated shall be replaced in the identical way the nurses were illegally fired sometime. We still urge the government to engage teachers so that nomalcy can be restored in our schools.

It is compulsory for various teachers organisations to avoid the traditional loophole of selling out the teachers’ struggle for 3 pieces of silver. United we win , divided we lose and the oppressor will satirise us gnashing our teeth in poverty.

In a nutshell, Mdc Alliance Namibia is cognisant of the real source of this pronounced decomposition of the education sector which is the political bankruptcy in Zanupf government. The President’s deliberate silence on the critical matter is quite horrible. We call the government to fulfill their mandate to provide basic education to our innocent and expecting children.

Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya

teacherscan’tbreathtoo

liberateourtrsfrompoverty

freeJoana

freeTakudzwa

freeLast

freeMadzorere

zanupfmustgo

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance Secretary General, Hon Charlton Hwende has sternly warned Mr Douglas Mwonzora against working with Zanu PF to thwart the struggle for democracy.

Hon Hwende also literally ruled out the possibility of talks with Mr Mwonzora and Thokozani Khupe.

“There will be no talks between democrats and those working with Zanu-PF to slow down the Democratic Agenda in this Country.

We are happy that we have flushed out spies, CIOs and Collaborators from the opposition.

The Continued onslaught on our MPs and Councillors which has resulted in 10 MPs being illegally recalled by Douglas Mwonzora acting unilaterally and in connivance with
@edmnangagwa
@ZANUPF_Official
will have serious financial and political consequences on Mwonzora as a person,” Hon Hwende wrote on Twitter.

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance Secretary General, Hon Charlton Hwende has sternly warned Mr Douglas Mwonzora against working with Zanu PF to thwart the struggle for democracy.

Hon Hwende also literally ruled out the possibility of talks with Mr Mwonzora and Thokozani Khupe.

“There will be no talks between democrats and those working with Zanu-PF to slow down the Democratic Agenda in this Country.

We are happy that we have flushed out spies, CIOs and Collaborators from the opposition.

The Continued onslaught on our MPs and Councillors which has resulted in 10 MPs being illegally recalled by Douglas Mwonzora acting unilaterally and in connivance with
@edmnangagwa
@ZANUPF_Official
will have serious financial and political consequences on Mwonzora as a person,” Hon Hwende wrote on Twitter.