GOVERNMENT will this week pay civil servants an additional Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) allowance, while salary negotiations continue.
Civil servants are expected to start receiving the additional payout from this Friday.
Exact amounts to be paid out are yet to be made public, but in a statement yesterday, Public Service Commission (PSC) secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe said the adjustment sought to cushion workers pending finalisation of ongoing negotiations.
“In the spirit of understanding between Government and its employees, Government will proceed to pay, in addition to regular emoluments paid out earlier this week, what is available while NJNC (National Joint Negotiating Council) negotiations continue,” read the statement.
“This payment does not prejudice the negotiations, but seeks to cushion the workers in the interim, pending the conclusion of negotiations particularly in view of the urgent need to support teachers who are going back to school to prepare children for examinations.
“Government reiterates its commitment to pay a living wage to its employees who will start accessing the top up within the week ending October 2, 2020.”
The Apex Council, which is the umbrella body in civil servants’ salary negotiations said it will meet this week to deliberate on Government’s latest offer.
Apex Council deputy chairperson Mr David Dzatsunga said the move by Government shows that authorities are committed to addressing the plight of public sector workers.
“We are yet to make a collective statement on Government’s offer, so we are meeting next week,” he said.
“However, the offer shows that Government is aware that our salaries are inadequate, it is an admission on their part. So it’s a good starting point and a step in the right direction. But we need to get back to our members so as to deliberate on the latest offer and also wait for the negotiations to resume.”
Last week, some teachers’ unions threatened to go on strike ahead of the reopening of schools tomorrow, but the latest COLA adjustment was likely to put paid to any job boycott.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) secretary-general, Mr Tapson Sibanda, said they were ready for negotiations.
“At the moment we do not know the exact amount. However, once Government reveals the amount we will be able to make a decision,” he said.
“The ball is in the Government’s court right now and we are ready for negotiations any time soon.”
The COLA comes as Government has extended the tax-free US dollar Covid-19 allowances until December for civil servants and pensioners.
The allowances of US$75 a month for civil servants and US$30 a month for retired civil servants, were introduced in June as a temporary measure for three months to August.
Last week, the Government tabled a 40 percent increment which was rejected by civil servants, but negotiations are set to continue.
On their part, the civil servants want to be paid at least US$480 or the local currency equivalent at the prevailing Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) auction rate.
By A Correspondent | An MDC Alliance parliamentary candidate for Marondera, Learnmore Magorimbo, who has been on the run from ZANU PF assailants, last night called in to report how he and his wife, were allegedly abducted and tortured just after 2 p.m. on Saturday in Capetown.
Learnmore Magorimbo in bloodstained clothes
The abductors were two men and a woman who kidnapped the couple and drove to a nearby bank before taking them to an open area where he was stoned with a half brick, he narrates. His wife was also assaulted and this only stopped when a group of people nearby walked over to see what was happening. Below was his narration:
By John Mutsengi | In his latest album ‘Tsvimbo Yehumambo’ Field Marshall Dread Reckless, arguably the most popular pro-MDC Alliance revolutionary musician in track number two which is the title track ‘Tsvimbo Yehumambo,’ poetically sings he has seen Tsvangirai passing the scepter to popular MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa from the clouds.
The talented musician rose to fame with his debut album ‘Nharembozha’ in 2007 which took the nation by storm for it was the first of its kind in the sense that in his songs he
fearlessly attacked the ZANU PF government openly. The songs like ‘Mhondoro Yenyika’, ‘Sadaam Waenda Sare Bhobho and ‘Fambai Gwara Rimwe,’ instantly put him on the spotlight.
His second album, ‘Tiri Parwendo NaTsvangirai was even more belligerent and he confesses that he composed the songs after they had suffered massive torture at the hands of the Mugabe regime together with his backing vocalist, Sister Fearless.
Soon after their release, the duo skipped the border and sought refuge in neighboring Botswana.
Asked what prompted him to compose the song ‘Tsvimbo Yehumambo’ Dread Reckless said, “It has come to my attention that almost everyone in senior positions in our beloved party after the passing on of our founding father Morgan Richard Tsvangirai in 2018, they all wanted to take over.
On the ball… Dread Reckless
“As someone who has been with this party for a long time, as someone who worked with our iconic father and as a senior musician in our party with a legion of followers, I knew I had to take it upon my shoulder to enlighten our loyal supporters that it is President Nelson Chamisa who was anointed by our legendary leader. Chamisa was there from the beginning of MDC. He was loyal to President Tsvangirai, has been loyal to the party; And that’s why president Tsvangirai saw it fit to pass the baton to him,” says Dread Reckless.
This latest offering proves that Dread Reckless has come of age and like wine is getting better with age; Very perceptible is the fact that he has now heavily blended his music with the seTswana traditional music flavor.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education director of communications and advocacy, Mr Taungana Ndoro says that government has started distributing Covid-19 Personal Protective Equipment to all schools ahead of schools opening on Monday.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and parliamentarians recently undertook an extensive tour around the country to assess the extent of preparedness of public schools to resume lessons under new health protocols.
The National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe (NatPharm), he said, is today expected to finalise the distribution of PPE to schools across the country.
“NatPharm has been tasked to supply PPE to schools and we have given them a timeframe that they should have delivered by Sunday (today) to ensure that every student gets PPE by the end of next week (this week).”
Education Minister Cain Mathema said Government and its partners, which include churches, Plan International and UNICEF, would continue delivering PPE to schools throughout the term.
National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) chairperson Mrs Cynthia Khumalo confirmed that schools had begun receiving PPEs.
Government has scrapped Second Term school fees, while 6 000 teachers are being recruited ahead of the phased reopening of schools starting tomorrow.
This comes amid reports that a crash programme to ensure learners complete their syllabuses and the suspension of sporting activities for the remainder of the year were among interventions being considered to ensure learners graduate to the next grades.
Public schools open on Tuesday for classes sitting Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) examinations as the country resumes direct tuition.
Next year’s examination classes — Grade 6, Form 3 and Lower Six — will resume studies on October 26, and on November 9, ECD A and B, Grades 1 to 5 and Forms 1 and 2 will return to school.
Local schools and colleges closed on March 24 as the Government took pre-emptive measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education director of communications and advocacy, Mr Taungana Ndoro, told state media on Saturday that schools will need to adhere to the directives issued by government.
“School authorities must follow Government directives.
“The official school calendar was Term One. So, there was no Term Two in the first place, and the Government position is that no school must therefore demand fees for a term that was not announced and approved by Government.”
Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday vowed his party will not surrender the MDC Alliance name to the rival MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe
warning that they would henceforth take to a radical response to the onslaught against them by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.
Khupe’s party recently declared they would use the name MDC Alliance in by-elections to replace Chamisa’s MPs and councillors whom her party, MDC-T, recalled on the strength of a court order.
Speaking in public for the first time in months after the destabilisation of his party allegedly by collaboration between Khupe’s party and the ruling Zanu PF, Chamisa said he would not give up on his party name. The by-elections are set to be held by December 5.
Chamisa was addressing a virtual rally to celebrate the MDC’s 21st anniversary.
“I am happy that we are consulting our members countrywide. We are MDC Alliance. We are a baobab tree. You can’t cut MDC Alliance with a razor. We refuse to be swallowed. We cannot change our name at the insistence of Zanu PF,” Chamisa said.
Earlier, his secretary-general, Charlton Hwende, told audiences that all the 203 districts so far consulted over the name issue had opted that the party retains its MDC Alliance name.
Chamisa’s supporters have been increasingly growing impatient, calling on the youthful leader to take a drastic and definitive response to Khupe and Mnangagwa, who is accused of sponsoring the chaos in the MDC Alliance using Khupe and interim secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora.
Chamisa has now promised “radical” action against Mnangagwa, saying he has been quiet and now was the time to take the war to the Zanu PF leader.
“The first plan we have is a political settlement. Some people are saying why are you not demonstrating; but we have reached here because we know what we are doing,” Chamisa said.
“We know what we want to fight for. We want to fight for a people’s government because what we have is not a people’s government. “
Assuring his supporters, Chamisa said: “Do not be scared, the struggle is in good shape. If we had two million (people) now we have doubled. We have not shut down the country because we do not want to do so.”
Before Chamisa’s speech, his deputy Tendai Biti also warned of action against Mnangagwa.
“Section 59 of the Constitution allows us to demonstrate. Your days are numbered. We are coming for you,” he said.
Chamisa added: “We have been founded on the fight for democracy, on the roots of fighting for freedom… The fight is not ended and until we destroy all attempts to make Zimbabwe a one-party state, we will not rest. Mnangagwa will not control us. He wants to control all of us, but he will not manage that.”
“We have given peace a chance, but some have been disrespectful of this. We have been founded on the roots of fighting for freedom. This fight has not ended,” he said.
“We have given dialogue a chance, but some perceive our call for dialogue as a weakness. We have given democracy a chance, but some feel an election which is stolen means that we will capitulate and we are surrendering to the electoral fraud. Democracy is under attack, citizens are under attack, all of us are under attack.
“One way I must tell you of looking into this is that when we are under attack, this is an opportunity to organise everything. So we are calling on all Zimbabweans, now forget about your political parties, and now forget about your churches, organisations, student movements, any other belonging. Let’s remember that we are all under the banner of Zimbabwe.
“Let’s unite, let’s unite. In the next coming days change is coming. Be part of it. That is why as leadership, we are not panicking. The walls of Jericho are falling. Don’t lose sleep.”
Chamisa said Sadc and the international community were now on the side of suffering Zimbabweans. He commended the South African ruling ANC for initiating mediation into the country’s crisis.
“We need to mobilise from Cape to Cairo so that there is consensus on the issue of Zimbabwe to support the democratic struggle in the country until it thrives,” said Chamisa.
GOVERNMENT will this week pay civil servants an additional Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) allowance, while salary negotiations continue.
Apex Council deputy chairperson Mr David Dzatsunga said the move by Government shows that authorities are committed to addressing the plight of public sector workers.
“We are yet to make a collective statement on Government’s offer, so we are meeting next week,” he said.
“However, the offer shows that Government is aware that our salaries are inadequate, it is an admission on their part. So it’s a good starting point and a step in the right direction. But we need to get back to our members so as to deliberate on the latest offer and also wait for the negotiations to resume.”
Last week, some teachers’ unions threatened to go on strike ahead of the reopening of schools tomorrow, but the latest COLA adjustment was likely to put paid to any job boycott.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) secretary-general, Mr Tapson Sibanda, said they were ready for negotiations.
“At the moment we do not know the exact amount. However, once Government reveals the amount we will be able to make a decision,” he said.
By A Correspondent- The jailing of MDC Alliance MP Joanna Mamombe on Wednesday at Harare Remand Prison by Harare magistrate Bianca Makwande so that her mental illness is evaluated has been described as simply cruel.
A mental health doctor, Denver Ncube, has explained how mental health can affect any person and the need to have empathy for mental patients rather than subjecting them to inhumane treatment.
He wrote on Twitter:
At some point in my life, I did an attachment at Parirenyatwa Ward 12 or Annexe/Psychiatric Ward. It was a pivotal experience in my life and partly contributed to the career I have taken up in Neuroscience.
One of the most important lessons I got from my attachment was that mental illness is broad and can afflict anyone at any point in their lives. Some of our patients were influential and high ranking persons and some were just “ordinary” beings.
Seeing young and old people afflicted by various mental ailments, albeit some of them not of their own doing. Mental illness has multiple causes if you have noticed some people can abuse alcohol for years and yet some only do the same for a few weeks/months and they tip over.
I remember how hard it was to encourage patients to understand how some seemingly harmless behaviours could impact their mental health outcomes. Talking to patients daily was really touching, many would express how their illness had robbed them of friends and family.
The stigma around mental health in Zimbabwe is appalling, our people need a lot of help to understand that anyone can become afflicted. We all don’t know what life events could tip us over. This realization made me understand the need for empathy in such matters.
So when I hear that Joanna is afflicted by mental illness my first response is to trust the diagnosis of the doctor who made that conclusion. I have seen it first hand, people who are fully functional one day and patients the next. It is not a surprising phenomenon at all.
I know of patients who were teachers, some were officials in Government, yet on medication for various mental conditions, some were even doctors but they still needed that support from institutions. Mental illness isn’t any different from hypertension or diabetes.
That Joanna would be seen in a shop buying foodstuffs and alcohol is not anything to make noise about. Would it be surprising if Minister X was leading a meeting yet they have a mental health problem? If you are on effective medication you can function normally.
But like any condition you have good days/weeks and bad ones too. Persecuting someone because they differ with you on a political level yet there is evidence that they are unwell is just cruel. It is cruel to detain someone in a maximum-security prison so that u assess them.
Zimbabwe is in deep pain and needs healing, former cabinet minister and Zanu-PF political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere said Wednesday.Kasukuwere currently resides in neighbouring South Africa following the aftermaths of the 2017 coup which toppled late former president Robert Mugabe.
The sentiments by Kasukuwere, who was speaking during CITE’s online Breakfast Club programme, come at a time when both the government and the ruling party have denied the existence of any crisis in Zimbabwe.
Responding to questions on what needs to be done to return Zimbabwe into a normal country and what he would do differently if he were to come back to government, Kasukuwere underscored the need for Zimbabweans to be united and love one another.
“Our nation is in deep pain; we need to unite our people,” said Kasukuwere.
He said there was a need to look at the past and right some of the wrongs and place the country on a growth trajectory looking into the future.
“We need to start a process that Zimbabwe is a place for Zimbabweans, Zimbabwe is a place that we all must enjoy and we must build it; people must work hard for the country,” said Kasukuwere.
“People must love their country; people must be proud of their country. We cannot have Zimbabwe as a beggar. Zimbabwe has enough to look after her children. Zimbabwe can be a country that is an oasis of peace and happiness.”
He emphasized the need for Zimbabweans and the leadership to preach the gospel of love.
“We first of all must love our people,” he stressed.
“Whoever is in leadership must love the people of Zimbabwe, put aside your personal ego, put aside your anger of individuals, and love every one of the Zimbabweans, that’s the beginning. We must love one another. We must be one as they would say: Simunye. We need to retrace our steps. We are too angry with each other, we are too vindictive of each other.”
He added: “If you can feel the pain as an individual, you must then say, what about the other person in Zimbabwe. Let’s unite our people. The first thing that we need on the table is unity. Put the differences aside. Let us unite as Zimbabweans and build our country.”
According to TellZim, former Chiredzi West MP Darlington Chiwa has escaped death by a whisker after his Toyota D4D single cab was hit on the rear left wheel by a Toyota Land Cruiser at Flo Service Station some 5km from Chiredzi Urban as he tried to overtake.
Zaka police recently recovered from a mountain cave the skeletal remains of a three-year-old female child who went missing in 2018, bringing some closure to the deceased minor’s grieving family.
Miriam Jenjere, of Munanga village under Chief Nhema, went missing on May 26, 2018, and nothing was to be heard of her for over two years.
The juvenile’s mother, Agnela Chiurikira (25) had left Miriam at home playing with her eight-year-old brother to attend a funeral in the neighborhood when she later came back to find that her daughter was missing.
A report was made to the police and a search was conducted but to no avail.
Jacob Pedzisirai (47), a resident of Mujetekwa village under Chief Nhema saw human remains in a cave on top of a mountain on August 26, 2020, but did not report anything until September 22, 2020.
After the police attended, they invited Agnela and her husband Saino Jenjere (31) and who positively identified the clothes at the remains to be their daughter’s.
By the time of writing, the child’s remains were in the hands of the police awaiting a postmortem.
Masvingo police assistant spokesperson, Ass Com Kudakwashe Dhehwa said the police were still conducting investigations.
This comes after police on Thursday arrested Tafadzwa Shamba ,a Murehwa herdboy, on kidnap and murder charges after he murdered a 7-year-old boy, Tapiwa Makore, for ritual purposes.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi gave details of the progress of investigations yesterday. The boy’s body was found being eaten by dogs, with head, hands and legs chopped off.
“It is alleged that Tafadzwa Shamba, a herd boy in the same village with the victim, worked with the other suspects to waylay the victim at a garden. They took him to a mountain where they kept him for the whole day. They then killed him at night and one of the other suspects, who is from Juru Growth Point, took away the head leaving the herd boy with the other body parts after promising to give him US$1 500 on coming back,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.
Police recovered the blood-stained clothes Shamba wore on the day he allegedly committed the crime.
THE Government is in the process of recruiting 6 000 teachers to cover for trimmed classes that have arisen due to health guidelines that were put to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Most public schools open tomorrow after Cabinet approved a three-phased reopening of schools that will see all learners including non-examination classes returning to school by November. Under Phase One, the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) sitting Grade Seven, Form Four and Form Six classes will open tomorrow.
Phase Two will open on 26 October and will involve Grade Six, Form Three and Form Five while Phase Three will open on 9 November covering the rest of the learners including ECD-A, ECD-B, Grade One, Two, Three, Four, Five and then Form One and Two. Schools reopened on 14 September for Cambridge sitting examination classes and no Covid-19 incident has been reported so far.
Before schools closed at the end of March some classes had more than 50 pupils but according to the Standard Operating Procedure for the Prevention and Management of Covid-19, drafted by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, a standard sized classroom must not accommodate more than 35 learners.
The learners must also be seated a metre apart in the classroom.
“We are recruiting about 6 000 teachers starting this term to cover for the workload which is coming with the trimming of classes. We have around 9 000 schools in the country so we need the teachers to take the extra classes that will be created,” Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education director of communications and advocacy, Mr Taungana Ndoro told Sunday News by telephone yesterday.
On the issue of Term Two fees which some schools had been demanding, he said Government has scrapped fees “because in the first place there was no Term Two to talk about.” He said: “School authorities must follow Government directives. The official school calendar was Term One and this one where schools are opening tomorrow. So, there was no Term Two in the first place, and the Government position is that no school must therefore demand fees for a term that was not announced and approved by Government.”
Mr Ndoro, however, said parents and guardians who owe fees for Term One must pay. On this term, he said school authorities and parents must meet and agree on costs and then forward their agreed positions to the ministry for approval.
“There is a procedure that needs to be followed before fees are increased. The ministry only deals with an agreed position from the school and the parents. So, what comes before the ministry for approval is a position that would have been agreed between the parents and the school. Only then can they bring it to the ministry for consideration. So, we are saying it is high time that schools and parents settle on one agreed position,” he said.
Speaking to our Harare Bureau, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema said Government had adopted extraordinary measures to allow students to proceed to the next grades in order to facilitate the smooth movement of the education system.
“There will be strategies this year and next year like suspension of sports, introduction of weekend classes and crush programmes that will be put in place to ensure that the students catch up with time that was lost,” said Minister Mathema.
Examinations for all the other grades, said Minister Mathema, will be in December to ensure schools open normally in January 2021.
Ordinary level and Advanced level pupils will also write final examinations in December, with some papers expected to spill over to January.
“Schools will close in December for everyone except for the Zimsec examination classes that will have papers that overlap to next year,” he said.
Schools are also making progress in meeting the standard guidelines agreed to minimise the spread of Covid-19. Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo said that Personal Protective Equipement (PPE) and other necessities had been distributed to schools around the country. The Government has set aside $600 million to be distributed to schools so as to improve health and safety standards when schools open.
“I cannot speak on a case to case basis for every school but the message that we have from head office is that delivery of PPE has been made to the provinces. I have been in touch with a few school heads from around the country and they have been telling me that they have received messages telling them to go and get the PPE at collection points,” said Deputy Minister Moyo.
Apart from those that are coming from Government, some schools have been making their own material and then submit invoices to Government for payment. In Matabeleland South, acting provincial education director, Mr Lifias Masukume said schools in the province have received a significant amount of resources from Government and other partners to prepare for re-opening. He said some schools in the province had also gone further to manufacture their own PPE.
“Our schools have done a lot to prepare for re-opening on Monday and I can safely say we are on the right track. Schools have done all the necessary requirements which don’t require funds such as putting down markings for social distancing, putting up information, education and communication material among others. Some schools also went further to manufacture their own face masks. Schools in all districts have also started receiving PPEs and sanitisers which Government had promised to provide. I have moved around a number of schools and the distribution process is underway. A number of partners have also assisted schools with PPEs, sanitisers and other resources. Most of our schools are now in a position to re-open and observe Covid-19 regulations. Over the weekend we will make a follow-up on schools to see where we will be having shortages and how they can be addressed,” he said.
Mr Masukume said infrared thermometers were, however, in a short supply. He said all schools in the province have been linked with their nearest clinics and hospitals to ensure that they access resources in worst scenarios where there were shortages. He assured parents and teachers that the province had made significant efforts to ensure that all schools met the necessary requirements to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Bulawayo’s provincial education director Mrs Olicah Kaira, referred all questions about the level of preparedness of Bulawayo schools to the Ministry. However, schools contacted said they were ready to resume lessons. According to the Standard Operating Procedures for the Prevention and Management of Covid-19, drafted by the Government, schools must among other things have an infra-red thermometer, handwashing stations at the entrance and liquid soap in stock. In addition, pupils and teachers must have face masks, the school must have a valid disinfection certificate from the Environment Health Department. Schools must also have temporary isolation holding bays to accommodate those with fever while waiting for health experts.
Zimbabwean academic Ibbo Mandaza has emphasised the need for South Africa to safeguard its democracy, the independence of institutions and to ensure that the military conforms to the constitution.
Mandaza was speaking at the ANC’s OR Tambo political school on the lessons that South Africa can learn from Zimbabwe’s post-colonial history.
Mandaza outlined the status quo in his country.
“In Zimbabwe sadly the executive is unaccountable and is pervaded by the military. The legislature is not vibrant at all, it is largely an outcome of rigged elections since 2000, has been a major feature in which the military has been involved in all the elections ever since.
“You have a judiciary that is hardly independent when it should be the soul of the nation is a captured judiciary the commissions the gender commissions the peace and security commission all these are pervaded by the military; we have a mess in effect.”
ANC veteran Pallo Jordan says the ruling party’s recent visit to Zimbabwe should be seen as good neighborliness.
Jordan says one of the lessons that should be learnt by the two countries post-democracy is that there are certain matters that should be treated as regional rather than national ones.
He says Zimbabwe’s challenges have been exacerbated by the fact that it was left to its own devices even though it was already in crisis in 1994.
“You don’t have to be asked to help when your neighbour’s house is on fire. Your neighbour may well say no, I can handle this, no need to come and help me but your neighbour should never interpret the offer for help as an attempt to interfere and I think unfortunately that is the spirit that the comrades have received the interventions on the part of the ANC. The ANC delegation came to Zimbabwe not to interfere in Zimbabwean affairs but seeing the house on fire.”
The United States government on Friday reacted to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s UN General Assembly speech where he said his government was fostering constitutionalism and democracy, remarks that surprised a lot of people considering Zimbabwe’s recent onslaught against dissent including the arrest of journalists, lawyers and politicians on trumped up charges.
Posting on Twitter, the US Embassy in Zimbabwe said it was listening and watching for action in relation to Mnangagwa’s remarks.
“During his speech to the UN General Assembly, President Mnangagwa restated his commitment to fostering democracy, human rights and rule of law. We are listening and watching for action,” the US said.
“Allowing Joanna Mamombe to receive the healthcare she needs and dropping the case against her would show Zimbabwe’s words match its actions.”
Earlier this week, the Assistant Secretary for US Department of State Bureau of African Affairs, Tibor Nagy called on Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo for Zimbabwe to uphold constitutional rights and political repression and corruption.
“I discussed with Foreign Minister Moyo how implementing promised economic and political reforms will restore Zimbabwe’s international reputation, rebuild its economy, and give voice to all Zimbabweans,” Nagy aid.
“I welcomed Zimbabwe’s interest in more investment by U.S. companies and urged the government to uphold constitutional rights and end political repression and corruption, and to hold accountable human rights violators.
“Through the work of Ambassador Brian Nichols, the U.S. is committed to the freedom and prosperity of all Zimbabweans.”
A Gwanda man suspected to be mentally unstable allegedly struck his five-year-old maternal niece with an axe three times on the neck leading to her death.
Matabeleland South acting provincial police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena confirmed the incident which occurred on Tuesday at about 11AM in Buvuma Village.
She said Reabokile Noko (28) who is in police custody wanted to strike his mother with the axe but she fled and instead attacked five-year-old Mitchel Dube who was his maternal niece.
“I can confirm that we recorded a murder case which occurred in Buvuma area in Gwanda. Reabokile Noko who is said to be mentally unstable entered the kitchen hut while armed with an axe and found his mother sitting with her five-year-old granddaughter.
“He advanced towards his mother while threatening to strike her with the axe but she escaped through a window leaving her granddaughter behind. Noko then struck his five-year-old niece with the axe three times on the neck and she died on the spot,” she said.
Insp Mangena said the matter was reported to the police who attended the scene and Noko was arrested. She said Noko was alleged to be mentally unstable but investigations were still underway to ascertain his mental state as he was yet to be examined by doctors.
She said the body of the now deceased was being held at the Gwanda Provincial Hospital mortuary.-The Sunday News
UNIVERSITIES in the country are in discussions to have their graduation ceremonies being attended by a minimal number of graduands with a majority attending virtually in line with Covid-19 containment measures.
Last Thursday, the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) released a statement informing graduands in their class of 2020 that only Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Philosophy, Master of Science with distinctions and under-graduates with first classes, will be invited to attend this year’s graduation ceremony, which is set to be held on Friday.
“The rest of the graduands will graduate virtually in the comfort of their homes with their families. Proceedings will be live streamed on ZTV and CUT facebook.
Graduands who are graduating virtually will follow proceedings in their gowns and respond to announcements as shall be beamed,” reads the statement.
Solusi University has also announced plans to hold the ceremony in similar fashion.
In an interview with Sunday News, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development, Professor Amon Murwira revealed that there was a need for the universities to adopt innovative means of conducting this year’s graduations, noting that while they were a legal requirement there is a need to consider the need to contain the spread of the Covid-19. He revealed that as Government they had tasked the university vice-chancellors to come up with the best possible mechanism to hold the ceremonies. Prof Murwira said the same would apply for teachers’ colleges, polytechnics and vocational training centres.
“We had a meeting with vice-chancellors a couple of weeks ago where we deliberated on the matter, they were then tasked to go back and engage the councils on how best to proceed with the graduations noting that we are holding them in the new normal as created by the Covid-19 pandemic. What we have to consider is that the graduation ceremonies are a legal requirement and they have to proceed but proceed in a manner where we ensure that we protect our graduands from the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Prof Murwira.
He said the ministry’s goal was to standardise the graduation ceremonies across the country, taking advantage of the innovation within their learning institutions to go ahead with the events.
“We know that for every graduand, the graduation ceremony is an important part of their academic achievements therefore we want to maintain that atmosphere while adhering to the Covid-19 guidelines,” said the minister.
Last week, the Government announced that universities, polytechnics, teachers’ colleges and industrial training colleges will reopen on 5 October for face to-face learning, after their closure on 24 March as part of a raft of measures by Government to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
However, as part of conditions to reopen, authorities will be required to strictly adhere to the health guidelines and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology’s standard operating procedures-The Sunday Mail
AFTER a long spell in his native Croatia, Warriors coach Zdravko “Loga” Logarušic is expected back in the country this week, to kick-start Zimbabwe’s preparations for their back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches against African champions Algeria in November.
With Covid-19 having halted all football activities, Loga had returned to Croatia to be closer to his family while awaiting the green light for the game to resume.
Loga — appointed to the Warriors post in January — had barely knuckled down when football was suspended in March, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
But, as the spread of Covid-19 seem to have been contained, a lot of sporting activities, including football, are gradually coming to life.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) have announced the resumption of the AFCON qualifiers and set new dates for the African Nations Championships (CHAN) tournament, which has now been rescheduled for Cameroon in January next year.
Crucially for Loga as he makes his way back to Harare, is the need to get his Warriors back together ahead of their top-of-the-table clashes against the Desert Foxes.
Zimbabwe will travel to Algeria on November 9, before hosting the Desert Foxes on November 17.
As part of preparations for the crucial ties, Zimbabwe will play Malawi in a friendly match at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on October 11.
The Warriors were also eyeing another friendly against Kenya’s Harambee Stars during the October international break, but that match failed to materialise.
ZIFA indicated that they had received an invitation from Kenya last week, but the association’s communications and competitions manager, Xolisani Gwesela, yesterday said the proposed friendly had fallen through.-The Sunday Mail
Government has scrapped Second Term school fees, while 6 000 teachers are being recruited ahead of the phased reopening of schools starting tomorrow.
This comes amid reports that a crash programme to ensure learners complete their syllabuses and the suspension of sporting activities for the remainder of the year were among interventions being considered to ensure learners graduate to the next grades.
The recruitment of teachers will cater for classes that have been trimmed in line with health guidelines to fight Covid-19.
Before schools closed at the end of March, some classes had over 50 pupils, but according to the Standard Operating Procedure for the Prevention and Management of Covid-19 drafted by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, a standard-sized classroom must not exceed 35 learners.
The learners must also be seated a metre apart.
Public schools open on Tuesday for classes sitting Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) examinations as the country resumes direct tuition.
Next year’s examination classes — Grade 6, Form 3 and Lower Six — will resume studies on October 26, and on November 9, ECD A and B, Grades 1 to 5 and Forms 1 and 2 will return to school.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Ambassador Cain Mathema told The Sunday Mail that Government had adopted extraordinary measures to allow learners to proceed to the next grades.
“There will be strategies this year and next year, like suspension of sports, introduction of weekend classes and crash programmes that will be put in place to ensure that students catch up with time that was lost.
“In some instances, teachers have to emphasise and concentrate on the key concepts so that even those slow learners grasp the concepts. Teachers know how to handle such scenarios-The Sunday Mail
ZANU PF will hold all outstanding District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections at once as it moves to consolidate its structures, the party’s national political commissar Victor Matemadanda has said.
The DCC elections will all be held before the party’s 19th Annual National People Conference to be hosted by Mashonaland Central in December.
Harare and Bulawayo have already completed the restructuring of DCCs, while the party’s eight other provinces remain outstanding. Matemadanda told The Sunday Mail that although dates for the DCC elections were yet to be finalised, the party had decided to hold the elections at one go.
“We have eight provinces left and they will all be done at once but we do not have the dates as yet. We will announce them in due course,” he said.
Last week the party closed the deadline for the submission of CVs for cadres intending to take part in the elections.
Ahead of the DCC elections there has been intense jostling for posts, with some aspirants accused of vote buying and other undemocratic behaviour.
Matemadanda warned party members against engaging in any malpractices ahead of the elections, saying “the Politburo would not hesitate to institute disciplinary action”.
The ZANU PF national commissar said DCCs are expected to be the party’s trump card in wooing more voters ahead of the 2023 elections.
“The DCCs are going to play a major role in our drive to get five million members by 2023 so that we assert our dominance on the political playing field in Zimbabwe. This is why we want to do things correctly so that our party remains strong,” he said.
At the party’s last Politburo meeting, ZANU PF First Secretary President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that re-introduction of the DCCs should serve as a mechanism to consolidate party structures at grassroots level.
DCC structures were disbanded in 2012 after the previous party leadership felt that the structures were being used to fuel divisions in the party.
However, the New Dispensation led by President Mnangagwa has said the DCCs will reinvigorate the party and accomplish the goals of its manifesto.
In Harare, Godwills Masimirembwa was elected as the DCC chairman for Zone 4, while other zonal chairpersons are Godwin Gomwe (Zone 2), Ephraim Fundukwa (Zone 6), Kudakwashe Damson (Zone 5), Mafuratidze Goodwell (Zone 1) and George Chimhini (Zone 3).
In Bulawayo, Raymond Mtomba is the DCC chair for (Zone 1) while the chairman for Zone 2 is Paul Mutara and for Zone 3 Maidei Mpala was elected.
Obert Msindo is the chairman for Zone 4 while Zone 5 is chaired by Zowa Msika with Freedom Mahachi being the youth chairman for the province. -sunday news
The state owned Sunday Mail has quoted striking doctors allegedly apologising to Emmerson Mnangagwa’s deputy Constantino Chiwenga.
The below were some of the excerpts:
…
The development comes after the UZ’s Dean of Medicine and Health Science Faculty, Dr Noah Mutongoreni, last week acting on Government’s orders, blocked the students from accessing public hospitals for training. In their remorseful letter, the students appealed to the Government to rescind the order and allow them to continue with their training. “We appeal to the Ministry … to allow us back into the teaching hospital and finish our studies so that we can better serve our community.”
Another representative of the students, Dr Nigel Dzvanga, who is the UZ’s chief resident internal medicine registrar said the students regretted their actions.
“We are all in training and hoping to complete our training so that we can serve our various communities and the nation at large. We sincerely apologise for our actions and we hope the powers that be may consider our appeal.”
Farai Dziva|Former Zanu PF stalwart Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has described the persecution of Hon Joana Mamombe by Mr Mnangagwa’s administration as Satanic.
Bhasikiti challenged Mr Mnangagwa to stop harassing Hon Mamombe as she was just like a daughter to him.
“The regime is playing games with the ALLIANCE,they give us Wiwa and take Joana.
This puzzle must be solved.Nothing to celebrate but continued outcry.DEFINITELY THERE HAS TO BE A SOLUTION TO ALL THIS.
Politics aside Hon.J.Mamombe is someone’s daughter,culturally my daughter&ED’s daughter as well,” Bhasikiti wrote on Twitter.
“After her traumatic experience,all effort should be at finding her abusers.Now that she is mentally traumatised,for a woman magistrate to throw her into jail is Satanic,” added Bhasikiti.
About 200 settlers at Clipsham Farm, most of them war veterans gathered at the farms`s homestead last week where they demanded to see the Minister of State for Masvingo, Ezra Chadzamira over Government plans to have them evicted.
They accused Government of trying to push them out of the area so that some land barons can come in and make money by subdividing the land and selling low density residential stands to residents of Masvingo.
They vowed to fight back. Mirror reporters attended the meeting.
Clipsham Farm is about 4km from Masvingo along Masvingo – Beitbridge Highway.
It is to the south of the road just after Wimpy Service Station. It is an area that has some of the best agricultural soils in Masvingo and was a rich commercial farming zone before the land redistribution programme.
Most of the people resettled there are war veterans and active Zanu PF supporters.
When contacted for a comment president of the Chiefs` Council Chief Fortune Charumbira whose jurisdiction covers Clipsham said there is need for consultations as the people affected are not squatters because they have offer letters given in 2002.
“If Government has plans to use the land in question for something else it should respect those people settled there in order to avoid unnecessary problems.
“Mai Mugabe tried to take that land long back through my sister Gumbochuma but failed, Zvinavashe tried the same and people resisted.
My simple message is let’s respect those people and consult them if there is development that needs to be carried out in the area in question,” said chief Charumbira.
The chairman of the War Veterans in the area Matthew Kubiku declined to comment saying he is not authorised to speak to the media.
The huge crowd was addressed by the District Development Co-ordinator for Masvingo, Roy Hove.
Hove confirmed to the settlers that indeed Government has plans to get part of their land which is along Masvingo – Beitbridge Road and turn them into urban stands and this would naturally see some of them being evicted.
The angry war veterans shouted back at Hove and told him that Government is full of thieves.
They also accused the Second Republic of pushing them out of land given to them by the late President Robert Mugabe.
They also warned Government against distributing land as if it was an infinite resource which stretches.
The meeting became rowdy forcing Hove to announce that he would arrange a meeting between the Minister of State for Masvingo, Ezra Chadzamira and the war veterans.
He told the war veterans that they will always get special treatment from Chadzamira.
“We are here to stay, we got this land from Robert Mugabe and now you want to make way for land barons, we will have none of that. You want to reverse the land reform program, our brothers are back we are prepared to die for our land,” shouted one man who was putting on a Zanu PF campaign T-shirt.
“We don’t want to be addressed by the DDC we want the Minister who is our MP or Mambo here they are better placed to address our grievances.
We know those who want to take our land to develop stands for themselves, we know them, they are thieves,” said an irate youth who declined to be named.-The Mirror
Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has urged the nation to pray for political prisoners.
In a brief statement on Saturday, President Chamisa urged the nation to stand with Joana Mamombe, Last Maengahama, Tunga Madzokere, Takudzwa Ngadziore and all political prisoners in prayer.
” Fellow citizens, Let us stand with our incarcerated Last Maengahama,Tunga Madzokere @JoanaMamombe & @ngadziore currently in jail on account of politics and dictatorship.
I kindly exhort you to pray for all the political prisoners.
Happy Sabbath to you!
#ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” wrote President Chamisa on Twitter.
By A Correspondent- A woman from Umzingwane District under Chief Sigola’s area and who is also a builder by profession has reversed a common perception that only men beat up women in relationships after she allegedly rained blows on her husband as punishment for stopping her from meeting her boyfriend.
This problem of female-on-male domestic violence which is often trivialised in society was heard at the Esigodini Magistrates’ Court where the victim, Hloniphani Msipa, narrated his ordeal before resident magistrate Nomagugu Sibanda.
Msipa, who was seeking a restraining order against his wife Tafadzwa Moyo, was brave enough to tell the court that he was living a hellish life at the hands of his violent better half.
He stated that in a fit of anger, his wife brutally assaulted him after he stopped her from visiting her boyfriend.
As if the beating was not enough, Msipa said a daring Moyo went on to destroy their matrimonial property before she burnt down their bedroom hut.
“I declare that my wife Tafadzwa Moyo is destroying our matrimonial property and she recently burnt down our homestead. I need the court to strongly warn her against her conduct. She has since gone back to her parents’ homestead and I have done the same due to the fact that we both no longer have a place to call home,” complained Msipa.
He said he once sought help from the police to no avail.
“I engaged the police over the issue about my wife who is not taking any action to account for the damage she caused. Instead of apologising she is now prohibiting me from visiting our homestead because I am willing to do the repairs. I can’t imagine that I am now homeless yet I used to own my own homestead.
“I am living in fear and my efforts to check out on the livestock which we left behind is being hindered by my wife as she is threatening me with unspecified action through a string of text messages. All I want now is a protection order against her so that I live in peace,” begged Msipa.
In response Moyo didn’t refute her husband’s accusations leading the magistrate to grant an order stopping her from beating or threatening her husband as well as not to prevent him from going to their homestead.bmetro
Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has urged the nation to pray for political prisoners.
In a brief statement on Saturday, President Chamisa urged the nation to stand with Joana Mamombe, Last Maengahama, Tunga Madzokere, Takudzwa Ngadziore and all political prisoners in prayer.
” Fellow citizens, Let us stand with our incarcerated Last Maengahama,Tunga Madzokere @JoanaMamombe & @ngadziore currently in jail on account of politics and dictatorship.
I kindly exhort you to pray for all the political prisoners.
Happy Sabbath to you!
#ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” wrote President Chamisa on Twitter.
One of the observations made is that the moment an announcement for salary adjustment is made, retailers and the market respond by increasing prices, thereby eroding any value that would have been added to civil servants salaries. This is why we are not mentioning figures
— Public Service Commission – Zimbabwe (@psczimbabwe) September 26, 2020
“In the spirit of understanding between Government and its employees, Government will proceed to pay, in addition to regular emoluments paid out earlier this week, what is available while NJNC negotiations continue”, announced Secretary to Service Commissions Amb.J. Wutawunashe. pic.twitter.com/Qqe2KmDEfI
— Public Service Commission – Zimbabwe (@psczimbabwe) September 26, 2020
By A Correspondent- Panic and fear struck staffers at a public hospital after a cook who was digging in the garden stumbled on live ammunition.
Upon hearing about the incident staff went into panic until a senior staff member stepped in and allayed any fears of danger.
A source at the hospital who asked not to be named said William Gwebu (50) who is employed as a cook at Hillside Premier Hospital was digging in the garden recently when he stumbled on an assortment of live ammunition.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior employee at the hospital said Gwebu rushed to a senior member’s office and informed him about the live ammunition.
“Gwebu was really shocked as he came to the offices to report that had unearthed live ammunition while he was digging in the garden,” said the source.
“After that staff members were informed about the incident and they panicked asking whether they were safe. But we assured them that the situation was under control,” said a source.
A source said their loss control supervisor handled the matter and reported the matter to Hillside Police Station.
“They went to the scene where a further digging was done and they discovered that there was more live ammunition with rust and agreed that this might have been left during the liberation struggle but one of the police officers said further investigations had to be done,” he said.
He said the army was informed of the find and they dug again and found more ammunition.
The source said army officers took the live ammunition which comprised of 21 x 7.62 mm live FN rounds,10 x 7.62 mm blank FN rounds,01 x 7.65 k-7 live round,02 x .75 live rounds, 02 x21/ 70 live round,02 x51/72 live round, 01x 7mm norma mag live round,01x 45 auto geco live round,01×70- 1FNM live round, 02 x FNM 77-14 blank round and 01 x u49 blank round.
The senior official said: “For security reasons Gwebu was informed not to tamper with the place because there might be more live ammunition.”
The recovered ammunition was handed over to the army bomb disposal engineers.
By A Correspondent- Fear gripped residents of Makokoba and Mzilikazi suburbs in Bulawayo after muthi (charms) suspected to have been used in performing a ritual was found tied to a tree near a bridge connecting the two suburbs.
Residents who spoke to a local publication suspected that the shocking discovery comprising a big kitchen knife stuck into a tree and a bottle of mayonnaise filled with unknown substances tied with a red cloth while facing downwards were a ritual performed by a killer who tried to cleanse himself or herself.
Adding to the horror, the mysterious substances from the bottle of mayonnaise which was mixed with water was slowly and continuously dripping like drops of blood from a wound.
The belief by residents that the items were for ritual purposes came following a series of horrific murders that have occurred at the scene where the alleged ritual is reported to have been performed.
When the news crew visited the scene on Monday afternoon, stunned residents were still flocking to witness the strange sight.
A Makokoba resident, Innocent Ncube (69), said they suspected that the muthi was left by someone who performed a ritual so that he or she could be spared punishment from his or her victim.
“A lot of people have been mugged and killed here. So, the person must have been a killer who got muthi from a sangoma to wash the blood of his or her victim off his or her hands.
“The killer may have been instructed to perform a ritual at the scene of the crime and speak to the spirit of the deceased so that it won’t haunt him or her,” said Ncube to loud approval from other residents who were at the scene.
Another resident who didn’t want to be named claimed the muthi was a ritual performed by criminals so that they can steal from people without being caught.
“I suspect the muthi is also a ritual performed by thieves so that they steal from people without being caught.
“There is no doubt that it was part of their rituals to make people sleep deeply so that they can easily break into their houses during the night,” the resident said.
Some residents believed that the juju was a sign of witchcraft.
“This is witchcraft at its worst. It’s good that B-Metro came here so that people can see these signs of witchcraft in our suburbs,” said Emily Sibanda from Mzilikazi suburb.
Mncedisi Dube, who was also at the scene, concurred with Sibanda adding that residents were now scared.
“We are now living in fear as residents as we suspected that there is witchcraft involved because these old suburbs are known for strange things. Someone could have performed a ritual to cleanse himself or herself of witchcraft practices,” said Dube.-bmetro
By A Correspondent-Police in Mashonaland Central have arrested four illegal miners who allegedly bashed a suspected thief to death on Tuesday.
Simon Kavare (30), John Zimhondi(17), Luke Girini (19) and Takemore Masunga (30) are assisting police with investigations following the death of Anyway Karikoga (26).
Mashonaland Central deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Fidelis Dhewu confirmed the case.
“I can confirm that we arrested four murder suspects in Chesa Mount Darwin who allegedly bashed a suspected thief to death, investigations are underway,” Dhewu said.
Allegations are that the now deceased Karigoka went to Mukaradzi panning site around 10pm and stole Girini’s satchel containing money and fled to the bush.
He was seen running by Girini who teamed up with his colleagues and pursued him.
He was caught in the bush and the suspects heavily assaulted him using a fan belt and open hands.
Karogona’s body was found dead by a passerby who alerted the police leading to the arrest of the suspects.
Police warned members of the public not to take the law into their hands but instead report criminal cases to the police to avoid unnecessary loss of life.
By A Correspondent- The ANC did not go to Zimbabwe for “a joyride”, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu told an online seminar organised by the ANC’s OR Tambo School of Leadership on Wednesday night.
Zulu said the ANC’s team had been “mandated by the National Executive Committee” to go, and hinted that, due to the Covid-19 lockdown, it had no other means to get to Harare.
Following the ANC’s meeting, Zulu has been backtracking from her much more critical stance the month before, when she said there was a “crisis” in Zimbabwe.-DailyMaverick
THREE men crashed their employer’s kombi into a precast wall while fleeing from a crime scene after allegedly breaking into a bottle store in Bulawayo’s Matsheumhlope suburb and stealing an assortment of whisky brands, meat, fish, knives, a wrapping machine and a solar battery regulator among other items.
Knowledge Ndhlovu (28) of Pumula South connived with one Mike Mpofu who is still at large and Webster Muchena who has since died and went on a shop breaking spree targeting bottle stores and butcheries around Bulawayo.
Ndhlovu was arrested following the identification of the trio’s getaway car after it was involved in the accident as they fled, resulting in them abandoning it at the scene.
Ndhlovu and his accomplices allegedly broke into three premises on separate occasions and stole property worth more than $350 000.
Ndhlovu was arrested after a tip-off from the owner of the vehicle which he used to conduct his criminal activities. He is facing three counts of unlawful entry into premises in aggravating circumstances, two of theft and another of unlawful possession of articles for criminal use.
This emerged when Ndhlovu filed an appeal at the Bulawayo High Court challenging the refusal by Bulawayo magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya to release him on bail pending trial. In papers before the court, the State was cited as a respondent.
In his bail statement, Ndhlovu said there were no compelling reasons warranting his continued detention, arguing that he was not a flight risk.
He said the magistrate unjustifiably denied him bail without valid ground. Ndhlovu argued that there were irregularities that resulted in him being denied bail at the lower court.
“The court a quo misdirected itself by concluding that the appellant is a flight risk because the alleged accomplice is still at large. Appellants respectfully submits that the fact that the alleged accomplice is still at large should not be held against him,” argued Ndlovu’s lawyers.
“On the basis of that, appellant submits that his right to bail was erroneously denied and that no threat is posed to administration of justice by admitting him to bail.”
The State, which is being represented by Mr Khumbulani Ndlovu opposed the application arguing that the magistrate’s decision to deny Ndhlovu bail was premised on a strong prima facie case against him.
“The State managed to prove that there were compelling reasons to deny the appellant bail. It is submitted that the decision to deny the appellant bail is not a misdirection or irregularity,” he said.
“It is sound both on the facts and circumstances of the case and at law. Wherefore the respondent prays that the appellant’s appeal against the lower court’s order to refuse him bail be dismissed.”
According to court papers, it was stated that on July 15, Ndhlovu allegedly ganged up with his two accomplices, Mpofu who is still at large and Webster Muchena who is now deceased, and proceeded to White Rock Bottle Store in Matsheumhlope where they forced open a door and stole property.
The accused person and his accomplices were spotted at the scene by a security guard and they sped off using a commuter omnibus registration ADC 8798. While making their getaway, the accused persons crashed the car into a precast wall about 200 metres away from the scene and they dumped the vehicle and fled on foot.
The vehicle was recovered with some of the property and objects used for the crime.
Upon searching the vehicle, police found an angle grinder, a soldering iron, a metal crowbar, a black and yellow respirator, a two-metre long iron bar and a black woollen hat belonging to the accused persons. A follow-up was made through the owner of the vehicle which led to Ndhlovu’s arrest and he implicated his two accomplices and further confessed to have also stolen from Leeside Butchery, East 68 Pub and Grill and a business outlet in Belmont.
By A Correspondent- Five Freda Rebecca gold mine workers were sentenced to six months each yesterday by Bindura magistrate Ethel Chichera after they stole 125 litres of diesel from a dumper truck.
Israel Raza (24),Percy Murape (23), Tawanda Simunji (40),Wellington Makoni(35) and Bruce Maziva (28) will however spend 3 effective months in prison after the magistrate conditionally suspended the other three months.
Prosecutor Vincent Marunya told the court that on September 19 the five hatched a plan to syphon diesel from a dumper truck.
They drained 125 litres of diesel and loaded it in five plastic containers but were unlucky to be caught by two of their colleagues.
They were taken to the police station with their diesel which was used as exhibit.
HARARE – A Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) commissioner who was suspended earlier this month over “corruption allegations” says he fears for his life after his gun and police guards were withdrawn from his home.
Frank Muchengwa says there has been a spate of suspicious break-ins at his house, office and also his vehicle since his suspension on September 8.
He is now fighting his suspension at the High Court, calling it a “legal nullity”.
The former police superintendent received a letter from the Judicial Services Commission on September 8 indicating that they had resolved in a meeting of September 3 that President Emmerson Mnangagwa should appoint a tribunal to determine if he should be removed from office.
The following day, ZACC chairperson Loice Matanda-Moyo then removed him from a WhatsApp group of commissioners before ordering that he should be barred from ZACC offices, he says in papers filed at the High Court this week.
Matanda-Moyo then orally suspended Muchengwa from his duties on September 11 before facilitating a change of locks to his office.
Muchengwa said he subsequently received a call from the police on September 18 directing him to surrender his pistol.
He argues in court that Matanda-Moyo has no authority to suspend a commissioner, only the president of the country can.
He said in an affidavit: “In all material respects I still occupy the office of a commissioner and the locking of my office hinders my work. I have some pending matters of national interest that are under investigation. I have a serious apprehension that if I continue to be barred from entering the office someone may tamper with the files.
“I am still exposed to serious security risks as there were break-ins at my house once, two in my car and once at my office.
“I am advised that my purported suspension is a legal nullity and in all respects I am still called upon to execute my duties as a commissioner by the appointing authority until the appointing authority decides to appoint a tribunal and refer the matter.
“If my personal security is revoked, I am exposed to serious risks because of the matters I am working on. I only have one life; it would be a tragedy if I lose it.”
In the application, he cited ZACC and its chairperson Matanda-Moyo as respondents.
Muchengwa was appointed as a commissioner in September 2019 and allocated a police detail and service pistol for security at his home.
ZACC has not disclosed details of the corruption allegations forming the basis of Muchengwa’s suspension.
THE director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Crispen Charumbira will spend the weekend behind bars after he was denied bail by a Harare magistrate.
Charumbira was Saturday hauled before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa who advised him to seek bail at the High Court.
This was after the state opposed bail on his three counts of defeating the course of justice.
Charumbira is represented by Tabison and Norman Bvekwa who are instructing Slyvester Hashiti.
The State was represented by Michael Reza and Tinashe Makiya
According to the state, on the 17th of December 2015, Detective Sergeant Ndlovu, Detective Constable Mbundire, and Detective Constable Munyandure all of CID Drugs, Harare received information that Charles Chabata Magolise was in possession of dangerous drugs at his place of residence.
The team reacted to the information and arrested him.
“A search was conducted leading to the recovery of 443g of dagga,” reads the outline.
It further reads, “Upon learning of the arrest of Magolise, Charumbira phoned detective Sergeant Ndlovu instructing him to release Magolise, however, the team did not take heed of his instructions and took him to Harare Central for docket compilation after consultation with the Officer Commanding CID Drugs Harare Chief Superintendent Mukazhi.”
The court heard that upon arrival at Harare Central Charumbira summoned the arresting team to his office and pleaded with them to release the accused.
After realising that the team was not yielding to his demands, Charumbira became emotional and ordered them out of his office.
Magolise was taken to court where he was convicted to eight months imprisonment.
On count two it is alleged that early 2016 detective Constable Moyo and Detective Sergeant Nkomo of CID Drugs and Narcotics Harare, got a tip-off from a truck driver, Salim Ibrahim that he was carrying a suspicious consignment of two sacks destined for Harare which was to be received by unknown recipients at the Harare railways of Zimbabwe complex.
The two detectives laid an ambush at the spot leading to the arrest of Violet and Kelvin Muzondo after they had received the two sacks of dagga.
They were taken to Harare Central for further investigations.
It is alleged that upon leaving the station for his home, detective Constable Moyo met one drug dealer known as Ranga who informed him that Charumbira wanted to talk to him through his cellphone.
Charumbira instructed him to release the two but Moyo did not comply.
The following day Moyo met the then Assistant Commissioner Charumbira who accused him of being bigheaded and quizzed him as to why he had refused to comply with his instructions.
It is state’s case that on count three, in February this year detective Constables Manyandure, Zamba, and Gwizo who were all attached to the Manicaland crack team received a tip-off that David Cosby of Mutare was in possession of illegal gold and diamonds.
The crack team armed with a search warrant reacted to the information intending to arrest Cosby.
Upon being shown the warrant, Cosby called Charumbira who questioned the credibility of the operation indicating that he was the only one who could authorise such operations.
He accused the crack team to abort the operation and report back to their stations and all this was unlawful.
TWO Power Sales managers have snapped up the firm’s stake at a paltry US$3, details gleaned by the businessdigest have shown.Presently the Competition and Tariff Commission (CTC) board is looking into the deal in which two Power Sales executives, finance director Elana Maria Chicksen and general manager Fanuel Mahachi, through their newly formed company Giant Tree have acquired 80% of the issued share capital in At The Ready Wholesalers (ATRW) from sellers Pep stores and
Pepkor and Tendril owned 40% stake each in ATRW. Pepkor is 100%-owned by Pep stores.The acquiring firm, Giant Tree holds no other investment and its shareholding is equally shared between Chicksen and Mahachi.
At The Ready Wholesalers (ATRW), the local company that operates Power Sales, has traded in Zimbabwe for four decades.
“Giant Tree, an investment holding company, which was formed by two former directors is targeting Power Sales trading homeware, clothing, footwear. The purchase consideration is US$3 and the deal has been notified in line with the competition act,” a source close to the transaction said.
South Africa’s Pepkor announced on November 25 2019 that it was selling its remaining Power Sales outlets in Zimbabwe after a R70 million (US$4,12 million) exchange loss in the year hurt group performance.
Pepkor exited the local market last year citing operational challenges. South African media reported that the company whose brands include Pep Stores, Ackermans, Dunns and Shoe City, had closed the remaining 20 stores in Zimbabwe, bringing to an end its close to 40 years presence in the country.
Most companies have been struggling to stay afloat due to the country’s economic decline characterised by a deepening liquidity crunch, foreign currency shortages, low capacity utilisation and runaway inflation, which stands at nearly 800% which has decimated incomes and pensions denominated in the Zimbabwean dollar. This has led to a severe reduction in disposable income, which has had a devastating impact on retail outlets which have experienced reduced sales.
Contacted for comment, CTC director Ellen Ruparanganda confirmed handling the transaction but declined to comment on whether the firm was being sold at a fair price.
“Yes, the Commission is handling the matter,” Ruparanganda said.
Mahachi told businessdigest that the deal had ensured that none of the staff at the Power Sales outlets would lose their jobs.
“Pepkor which trades under the Power Sales brand in Zimbabwe has concluded the sale of its 80% shareholding to Giant Tree (Private) Limited. The sale is subject to the approval of regulatory bodies in Zimbabwe. While the terms and conditions of the purchase price are confidential, Pepkor is of the view that this was done at fair value considering the current market conditions and outlook,” Mahachi said. “A key benefit of the sale has been job security as no employees across the business will be retrenched. Pepkor believes the transaction will also further opportunities for employment in the future. The decision to exit Zimbabwe is based on the continued adverse macro-economic conditions affecting trading and the weakening currency.”
AS of September 30,2019, ATRW’s turnover was ZW$12,8 million (US$156 670) with a total asset value of ZW$87,8 million (US$1,08 million).
Insiders say the value of the deal was justified as the firm was saddled with unspecified debts. It was not clear how much ATRW owes to its creditors.
“The value of the deal might be compromised by debts the company has with different stakeholders. CTC dwells mainly with products at play. It is worried primarily on the overlap of products in specified markets. The value of the deals normally is out of focus,” a source said.
In a statement last year the retail outlet said it would not close down its stores despite the exit of Pepkor.
Economist Victor Bhoroma said true value of a company can only be determined when you assess its viability in terms of revenues, assets and liabilities.
“Brand and physical presence in the Zimbabwean market does not reflect company value. Overall, I think it’s a fair price. Zimbabwean clothing industry is being battered severely by informal traders and cheap imports,” Bhoroma said.
Luis Suarez has completed his transfer to Atletico Madrid from Barcelona, signing a two-year contract.
The 33-year old is joining Madrid on a free transfer after he agreed to terminate his contract with Barca following the arrival of new coach Ronald Koeman. He had one more year to run on his contract at Camp Nou.
Atleti, however, will pay the Catalans up to six million euros ($7 million) in bonuses.
“I feel I’m capable of continuing to compete in this league,” Suarez said.
“When Barca told me they weren’t counting on me, there were many calls, many offers, but I was able to go to a team that can compete as equals with two great teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid. I had no doubts.”
Suarez departs Barcelona as their second-highest goal-scorer of all time, having scored 198 goals since signing from Liverpool in 2014.-Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Galatasaray are still believing and are very confident that there is a possibility of eventually signing Zimbabwean midfielder Marvelous Nakamba from Aston Villla, according to reports in Turkey.
The 26-year-old is in his second season with the claret and blue and started in the two Carabao Cup games against Burton and Bristol City. Even though he has outlined his desire to stay there, with the club also wanting to have him, Galatasaray still believe an agreement can be made, at least for a loan move.
They previously approached Villa for the midfielder but their offer was turned down, although they think this time, it will go through.-Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
One can’t fight the MDC Alliance and claim to be defending Tsvangirai’s legacy.
For the Alliance will always remain the man’s legacy….
Luke-ING the Beast in the Eye
Friday, 25 September 2020
Morgan Tsvangirai must be turning in his grave
By Luke Tamborinyoka
Morgan Tsvangirai, the late icon of Zimbabwe’s tenuous democratic struggle, is a man I knew so well, having served as his spokesperson and trusted lieutenant for almost a decade until his untimely death in February 2018.
This is the man whose legacy of a broad front as represented by the MDC Alliance is enduring savage attacks from the regime and its hired mercenaries.indeed, the MDC Alliance is Tsvangirai’s rich legacy that Zanu PF and its surrogates are desperately trying to decimate in a systematic way. Thank God, the big idea remains standing, despite the vicious body blows. Since the biblical days of Judas Iscariot, we have always known what 30 pieces of silver can do to cheap and treacherous minds.
I knew Morgan so well since the days of my other life as a journalist. And for 10 years I was not just his spokesperson, for it was him who personally directed that I double as the party’s Director of Communications as well, a position that had always traditionally been a separate office held by a different individual.
Even when he appointed me as his spokesperson when he served as Prime Minister of the land, he made me hold the position of Principal Director of Communications as well, a position that had previously been separate from that of the spokesperson. This meant that upon my appointment, he entrusted me with the conflated and conjoined roles of Principal Director of Communications and spokesperson to the Prime Minister.
Such was his faith in my aptitude.
Morgan Tsvangirai, the icon, had the humility to arrive, unannounced, at my rural home at Tamborenyoka village in Shumba ward 3 in Domboshava to pay his last respects upon the death of my late paternal grandmother, Martha Tamborinyoka Gombera, when she succumbed to gastric cancer in May 2014.
We travelled the world together with Morgan: London, Canberra, Lisbon, Rabat, Amsterdam, Washington, Berlin, Madrid, Tokyo, Beijing, Paris, Pretoria, Blantyre, Lusaka, Cairo, Maputo, Windhoek, Luanda and many other World capitals on political business. I was with him in these capitals when he patriotically represented his country and charmed the world as he passionately spoke about the democratic cause in Zimbabwe. In the almost 10 years that I served him, we also traversed the whole country together; from Chirundu to Limpopo, from Msampakaruma to Mandidzudzure and from Mt Darwin to Victoria Falls.
Apart from the conjoined and dual roles that he often gave me, he would also entrust me even with commenting on personal issues such as his amorous scandals that would ordinarily be handled by a family spokesperson, as he did in 2012 when he was deemed to have married one Lorcadia Karimatsenga Tembo. After intense confidential briefings on the intimate details of what had transpired and his personal view on the specific matter, he directed his family members to defer all press questions to me.
The trust he often bestowed on me was humbling. And may be that is why he expressed utmost shock early in February 2018 when he heard, while detained in an infirmary in South Africa, that some members of his family led by by a coterie of the usual suspects in the party had unprocedurally directed that I cease my role as his spokesperson.
” _Nhai_ Luke, when you became my spokesperson, where you employed by my family?” he asked in a low voice over the phone from his hospital bed in South Africa, assuring me that his family, which I have always respected, had never been my employer and that I should remain unperturbed and continue doing my job as usual.
He intimated to me that apart from his wife and other family members, he had instructed hospital staff to keep me in the loop should anything happen to him. And that is why at 1733 hrs, the hospital authorities apprised me of his death when he succumbed to cancer on 14 February 2020 .
Such was my special relationship to this man; the man who paid almost US$60 000 of his own money to meet my medical bill when I was involved in a near-fatal car accident in the early hours of Sunday, 4 November 2012.
He even cut short his honeymoon to flew back home and visited me in hospital to check how I was faring following my near-demise.
Such was my special relationship to this man.
This context of our mutual trust and Tsvangirai’s ceaseless faith in my aptitude is important for this treatise. I presume that this context gives me sufficient _locus_ _standi_ __to_ state unequivocally that this Morgan Tsvangirai that I knew so well is turning and twisting in his grave at how his legacy is being severely eroded and undermined by this motley cabal of Khupe, Mwonzora, Komichi and Mudzuri under the pretence that they are protecting it.
The MDC Alliance is an integral part of Tsvangirai’ rich legacy and I had a ringside seat when the history around its formation was unfolding. For one and a half months, beginning February 2017, we traversed the whole country together as he engaged and consulted a diverse spectrum of Zimbabweans within and without the party. Tsvangirai believed in mass-line politics and that explained his enduring traction and political capital. He was never one to make a decision without consulting the people and during that national tour, we spoke to party members, traditional leaders, students, civil servants and ordinary Zimbabweans outside the party.
Throughout the country during our one-and-a-half months of consultation away from home, the people clearly told us that the only prudent way forward was for Tsvangirai himself to lead a broad front in his fight against Zanu PF. It was during that tour, while in Binga, that I learnt that _kujatana__ is the Tonga word for unity or working together. After the intensive consultations, the two of us sat together for a whole evening in March 2017 writing a public message to the people of Zimbabwe that was aptly titled *I* *Heard* **You* . The statement was his assurance to Zimbabweans that he had heard them. The need for unity had rung out loud throughout the nationwide tour and that was how the unity under the MDC Alliance banner was borne. The rest, as they say, is history.
This simply means therefore that one cannot fight and undermine the MDC Alliance, as the surrogates are doing, and still claim to be defending Tsvangirai’s legacy. The MDC Alliance against which the cabal is engaged in mortal combat, is a unique testament of Tsvangirai’s rich legacy. It represents the broad front that Zimbabweans clamoured for during intensive nationwide consultations.
The Tsvangirai I know is twisting and turning in his grave that these surrogates are fighting the people’s great idea and in the process undermining his legacy. And it’s not helping matters that these surrogates are fronting a formation that bears his initial (MDC-T) and are headquartered in a building that we befittingly named after him! This means they they are unwittingly making his great name an accomplice to their treachery and quisling politics.
Worse still, they are consorting and comporting with Zanu PF, the party that the great Tsvangirai tenaciously fought until his death. The same party that arrested and brutalised him his entire adult life.
Tsvangirai was a man who spent a huge chunk of his adult life fighting Zanu PF repression, corruption and unbridled culture of avarice and entitlement. He fought so hard all his life to establish democracy in the country of his birth. He defeated Robert Mugabe in the 2008 election but had his victory violently stolen from him. He was charged with treason in 2004 and was was almost killed through the savage attacks inside Machipisa police station. And we have every reason to believe that Zanu PF had a hand in the cancer attack that killed him. .
But thanks to the treacherous politics of Khupe, Mwonzora and others, the same Zanu PF has now established a second headquarters in a building called Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House!
The surrogates have never uttered a word against Mnangagwa and Zanu PF. Their business is always Nelson Chamisa, the MDC Alliance and its deployees to Parliament and the various local authorities. They are an opposition whose business is to fight another opposition party. Indeed, an opposition created to decimate and annihilate a Tsvangirai legacy called the MDC Alliance.
And they do this from a building named after the very man whose legacy they purport to be protecting. As they would say in the Nigerian movie industry of Nollywood: _it’s_ _an_ _abomination_ !
Morgan is certainly turning in his grave that those falsely fronting and flaunting his name are now comporting with Zanu PF to shred and tear asunder his legacy.
Some of Tsvangirai’s relatives, including some of his children, have now tragically teamed up with this malignant lot in the vain attempt to destroy the MDC Alliance, the very legacy of their own kinsman— their own blood!
Any rational person must ask themselves why soldiers and CIO agents violently took over and donated to these surrogates this iconic building that we befittingly named after Morgan Tsvangirai. Now we hear soldiers and State security agents are not only providing security to these surrogates, but are sitting through the meetings of this political formation that bears the initial of our icon and undermining the man’s legacy from right inside the building that we named after him!
What cheek!
The Tsvangirai I knew is definitely turning in his grave.
Unless if the “T” in their MDC-T refers to Thoko-Zanu or Turncoat, any suggestion that the T refers to Tsvangirai would not only be disingenuous, reprehensible and repugnant, but would represent the highest form of betrayal to this hero of our time.
How does one claim to be defending Tsvangirai’s legacy when they are comporting, cohabiting and doing the bidding for the same party that Tsvangirai stridently opposed all his adult life? Just how does one claim to be defending Tsvangirai’s legacy while at the same time fighting the MDC Alliance, for the MDC Alliance is nothing but Tsvangirai’s enduring legacy as the Alliance Agreement bears his signature. It was not Nelson Chamisa but Morgan Tsvangirai who initiated and signed the Alliance agreement with other principals to bequeath to Zimbabweans a formidable and reunited MDC that would give the people a reason to hope again.
It must be unequivocally stated that all those working with Zanu PF to recall MDC Alliance MPs and councilors are undermining the very Tsvangirai legacy that they falsely purport to be defending. As for Tsvangirai’s relatives who have joined these sellouts, just how do you cohabit with the same people who dragged Tsvangirai to court for appointing two more Vice Presidents but are today claiming to be defending the legacy of the same man they humiliated and whose decisions they contested in court, even posthumously?
But the forthcoming by-elections will expose the ephemeral trait of their surrogate politics. Yet we see them trying to exhume and invoke Tsvangirai’s face as part of their party symbols, in a vain attempt to ressurect their cadaverous politics. They must simply allow this gallant son of our struggle to truly rest in peace. A few months ago, they were at his grave murmuring incantations and invoking his spirt to save them, the very same spirit that they torment every day through their cohabitation with Zanu PF.
The invocation of Tsvangirai’s spirit at the graveside rituals as well as the abuse of the dead man’s face to enhance their political fortunes is the highest depiction of political sorcery in this brave, digital age. First it was Khupe’s surprise turnout to the funeral of a man he had shunned for eight months when he was alive. Then the graveside rituals. If you add her spirited determination to attend _gogo_ Chamisa’s funeral when she had tormented the poor woman to her death by assisting ED’s scorched earth policy against her son, one is astounded by Khupe’s strange affinity for death, funerals and the dead bodies. It’s a macabre, witchly disposition which probably reflects the dead nature of her politics.
Morgan Tsvangirai, this man whose mind I knew so well, is definitely turning in his grave..
And I repeat, you don’t fight the MDC Alliance and claim to be defending Tsvangirai’s legacy.
The Alliance was very much close to his heart. When I was drafting his speech to launch the Alliance, I remember him excitedly telling me to insert the line that underscored the value of working together. He told me to insert the line which said: _Alone_ , _one_ _can_ _go_ _faster_ _but_ _together_ _we_ _go_ _far_ .
Nelson Chamisa was even against the Alliance during its formative stages. As part of his political deftness when he was delegating responsibilities to his deputies, it was the indefatigable Tsvangirai who charmed Chamisa over the cause by appointing him the Vice President responsible for the Alliance, the very same idea he had been against during its formative stages.
I say this to disabuse those who have been misled by this malignant lot into thinking that the MDC Alliance is Chamisa’s legacy and that by undermining the Alliance they are undermining Chamisa, the man they hate with a passion.
Hell No. The MDC Alliance is Morgan Tsvangirai’s legacy and anyone fighting the Alliance is not even undermining Chamisa but the iconic Tsvangirai whose signature stands out so prominently on the Alliance agreement. They are also undermining the people of Zimbabwe who sonorously called for a broad, united front during our countrywide consultations.
We are now hearing a lot of drivel from Thoko-Zanu and Mwonzora who are all now claiming to have been loyal to Morgan Tsvangirai.
But this is the same Thoko who snubbed Tsvangirai’s meetings for eight months as she sulked over the appointment of two more Vice Presidents, only to turn up in Buhera at Tsvangirai’s burial.
In his death, she has suddenly found love for the man she hated with a passion when he walked this earth. For Khupe, way back in 2016, Morgan Tsvangirai had expressed his disquiet to some of us when he learnt that Emmerson Mnangagwa, who doubled as Vice President and Minister of Justice, had used his position as leader of government business in Parliament to arrange a luxury car and a plush house for Khupe, then the the leader of the opposition in Parliament. The conspiracy may have begun back then and the trinkets could point to something deeper than meets the eye. Both were angling to take over from their principals and the plot to kill the MDC could have been hatched then, probably with the agreement that after the death of the MDC, Khupe would then serve beneath Mnangagwa, both literally and figuratively! And Tsvangirai was worried about ED charitable treatment of Khupe. These could be the results. Indeed, the treachery has long been in the oven.
And Douglas is the same man Tsvangirai often branded a chronic and pathological liar. Jameson Timba, Ian Makone, Sessel Zvidzai and Tsvangirai’s own uncle, Innocent Zvaipa can bear testimony to the fact that Morgan Tsvangirai often characterised this self-proclaimed Constitutionalist as the biggest liar of his generation. You can check this out with the four men!
Now that ZEC has told the nation to prepare for by-elections in December, the political interment of these sell-outs of our time is now imminent. Zimbabweans know who and what they voted for in 2018. They will not allow a party whose candidates they defeated to recall their chosen representatives.
It is now public knowledge that Khupe, Mwonzora, Komichi and Mudzuri have chosen to bastardise Tsvangirai’s rich legacy as well as his legendary and valiant name. By comporting with the same Zanu PF that Tsvangirai fought all his adult life in the very building that we named after him, while fronting a party that bears his initial, could the highest form of betrayal ever witnessed in history.
This motley has allowed themselves to be a used by Zanu PF. Indeed, Khupe and her sell-out lot are just but marionettes in the hands of a mad puppeteer.
And the puppeteer is Zanu PF.
In the meantime, the gallant son of our time has been betrayed big time and he is violently turning in his grave.
Tsvangirai was always a mass-centric politician. His traction was always without question. And it is public knowledge that Tsvangirai’s side has always been the side of the people. And in the forthcoming by-elections, Tsvangirai’s spirit will certainly vote on the side of the people. The results will show where his true legacy lies.
Now the sell-outs are claiming to be the MDC Alliance, the very party they recalled people for belonging to.
This treacherous lot is behaving like a deranged man who claims he found his wife in bed with a boyfriend. And on the day of the adultery hearing, the same man purports to be the boyfriend.
These charlatans simply cannot get it that one can’t be both the presumed husband and the purported wife snatcher at the same time. And that it is the height of lunacy to claim to be divorcing someone’s spouse.
Put simply, they said they were the the MDC-T and falsely claimed their deployees had joined another party called the MDC Alliance.
Now they are claiming to be the same MDC Alliance for which they purportedly recalled MPs and councillors for joining. Now they are both MDC-T and MDC Alliance at the same time.
How does one claim his wife ran away with another man and then later claim to be the wife snatcher who ran away with his wife? You simply can’t be both.
MaChinja, I thank you I am happy what I am happy about also is the song that was written by Baba
Madzore.
MaChinja are strategist when you see we quiet don’t think that we are idle. When you see this my brother making a lot of noise you must know that something is happening.
I thank the almighty God in heaven we are here because of him. We are here because God loves us there is no one here who made it without him.
…..
For the past 21 years we are still focused and we are still committed and we will get there. We thank you are fellows in barbers what it home thank you very much for supporting the struggle.
I have listened to people they see why are you celebrating 21 years because you are MDC Alliance?
We celebrate the struggle the struggle will morph into different forms. So why why do you ask me why I am celebrating 21 years?
those who are deluded they asked me why are you celebrating 21 years when you are MDC Alliance yes we are a formation as the struggle continues we have to to re strategize reform so what we are doing is we are bringing new people who are more powerful… So we are no doubt where we are going.
We are different from liberation movements, we have to continue ‘improving’
Those of you who say that Morgan tsvangirai did not address the issue of succession, you need to understand he did…
You will need: 2 bunches of black jack leaves, one large chopped tomato and 1 medium chopped onions ,250 ml of boiling water, oil and salt to taste.
Boil the black jack leaves for 5 minutes before starting to cook
1.Add oil to the pan.
2.When the oil is hot, add the onions and after one minute add tomatoes. Let them simmer until the tomatoes make soup. Add salt.
3.Add the boiled black jack leaves and the 250 ml of boiled water to the pot and let it simmer until the soup is nearly over.
Note: Do not cook the hooks and flowers of the black jack.
Health Benefits Of Black Jacks
1.It is very effective in preventing and aiding in treating diabetes because of its numerous nutrients such as fibres and antioxidants. These nutrients help in regulating blood sugar levels in the body. Antioxidants improves the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels
2.It is known for its richness in anti-cancer properties to nearly every type of cancers.They help in preventing ,stopping and killing of cancer cells. Its nutrients help in stopping growth of cancer cells, strengthening the immune system and allows the body to detect and kill cancer cells faster.
3.Black Jacks help in improving the digestive system health because of its richness in fiber. These helps in preventing constipation, acid reflux, bloating, indigestion, diarrhoea and many other digestive orders. By preventing these digestive disorders, it prevents development of cancers in the digestive system.
4.It also prevents gastrointestinal illnesses.
5.It also helps in improving the body’s cardiovascular health. Its nutrients help in preventing heart diseases such as strokes and heart attacks. It is known for its efficiency in low blood cholesterol levels which prevents many chronic diseases.
6.It also helps in curing respiratory infections
7.Black jacks helps in controlling blood pressure in the body
8.It helps in the healing of wounds.
It acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.
From Opera News Hub
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
Farai Dziva|Former Zanu PF stalwart Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has described the persecution of Hon Joana Mamombe by Mr Mnangagwa’s administration as Satanic.
Bhasikiti challenged Mr Mnangagwa to stop harassing Hon Mamombe as she was just like a daughter to him.
“The regime is playing games with the ALLIANCE,they give us Wiwa and take Joana.
This puzzle must be solved.Nothing to celebrate but continued outcry.DEFINITELY THERE HAS TO BE A SOLUTION TO ALL THIS.
Politics aside Hon.J.Mamombe is someone’s daughter,culturally my daughter&ED’s daughter as well,” Bhasikiti wrote on Twitter.
“After her traumatic experience,all effort should be at finding her abusers.Now that she is mentally traumatised,for a woman magistrate to throw her into jail is Satanic,” added Bhasikiti.
Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has urged the nation to pray for political prisoners.
In a brief statement on Saturday, President Chamisa urged the nation to stand with Joana Mamombe, Last Maengahama, Tunga Madzokere, Takudzwa Ngadziore and all political prisoners in prayer.
” Fellow citizens, Let us stand with our incarcerated Last Maengahama,Tunga Madzokere @JoanaMamombe & @ngadziore currently in jail on account of politics and dictatorship.
I kindly exhort you to pray for all the political prisoners.
Happy Sabbath to you!
#ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” wrote President Chamisa on Twitter.
By A Correspondent- A seemingly absent-minded security guard with a local security company who was deployed at a bank landed himself in trouble when he allegedly forgot his service firearm in the toilet where he was relieving himself.
It is reported that after answering the call of nature, a forgetful Tonderai Manyange (38), employed by Modern Security Company, left his service weapon in the toilet and nothing clicked in his mind until it was picked up by another security guard who handed it over to the police.
Circumstances are that on 16 September 2020, Manyange was on duty and stationed at the National Building Society (NBS) situated along Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues armed with a firearm — a 38 Taurus revolver which was issued to his employer for the purpose of protecting cash and other valuables in transit.
It is reported that around at 2.30pm when nature called, Manyange briefly left his workplace going to the toilet at Barclays Building situated next to his work station.
It is reported that after relieving himself, he left his service firearm in the toilet, a move deemed to be contrary to the prescribed provision of the Firearms Act as the revolver was likely to fall into the possession of an unauthorised person.
It is further reported that at around 2.45pm the firearm was picked up by Kamson Mpofu who is also a security guard at SuperMed Pharmacy which is adjacent to Manyange’s workplace.
After picking up the firearm, Mpofu reportedly secured it at his workplace before proceeding to Bulawayo Central Police and filing a report.
Investigations by the police led to the arrest of Manyange.
For the offence Manyange was brought to court where he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Tinashe Tashaya charged with contravening Section 28 (2) of the Firearms Act Chapter 10:09.
He was, however, not asked to plead and was remanded out of custody on free bail pending commencement of the hearing on his case.-bmetro
By A Correspondent- Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director, Commissioner Chrispen Charumbira who was arrested on Thursday for allegedly accepting bribes from drug and gold dealers to stop criminal investigations, is likely to face more charges when he appears in court today, after four more junior officers from Mutare lodged complaints against him with the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU).
Charumbira was arrested by SACU on Thursday after seven of his junior officers alleged he had been interfering with their duties by protecting drug and gold dealers after allegedly accepting bribes. He is assisting with investigations at Rhodesville Police Station pending his court appearance.
SACU has reportedly recorded statements from some of the junior officers who claim to have been transferred to outlying stations for defying Charumbira’s orders to release arrested suspects.
Four more junior officers from the Manicaland Provincial Specialised Crack Unit arrived in the capital yesterday to have their statements recorded. The quartet said sometime in April this year, they teamed up and went to house number 10 Blesbok, Murambi, Mutare where a suspected gold dealer identified as David Crosby resides.
The team was acting on information that Crosby was illegally dealing in Gold. When they arrived at the house, they identified themselves to the occupants of the house through an intercom before asking to be allowed into the premises to conduct searches as they had a warrant issued at Mutare Magistrates Court.
The occupants reportedly denied them entry saying they wanted confirmation from Police General Headquarters (PGHQ) on whether or not they were real police officers.
Allegations are that Charumbira was contacted by the house occupants and told them not to comply with the officers who left without conducting their duties.
Investigations so far reveal that, among other allegations he is facing, is one dating from the days Charumbira was CID co-ordinator for Harare.
Another complaint states that three detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics in Harare recently arrested two Mufakose drug dealers, Norman Chabata and his brother Charles, after raiding their home where they recovered dagga packed in sachets and bottles of BronCleer cough syrup. While at the scene, Charumbira reportedly called and ordered the officers to release the pair.
Their immediate boss however told them to follow proper procedures and proceed with investigations. They were all later allegedly summoned by Charumbira who informed them that their days at CID Drugs were numbered. Later, they were transferred to CID Chiredzi, CID Lupane and CID Mount Darwin.
Another junior officer also alleged that between February 2016 and March 2016, he received information from a truck driver who suspected that a consignment he was carrying from Malawi could be dagga.
The driver was to meet with the recipients in the city and the junior officer teamed up with his colleagues and intercepted the consignment.
Two sacks of mbanje were collected by two suspects who were arrested but were later acquitted by the courts. Charumbira is alleged to have also interfered with investigations when the two were arrested.
The junior officer told SACU that he was transferred from Harare to CID Hwange.-statemedia
By A Correspondent- The Public Service Commission (PSC) has said civil servants will be paid a cost of living adjustment (COLA) while salary negotiations continue, ZTN News reports.
According to the publication, the cost of living adjustment, which has not been public, is meant to assist public workers who have school-going children.
In a statement, Secretary to the Public Service Commission, Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe said:
In the spirit of understanding between Government and its employees, Government will proceed to pay, in addition to regular emoluments paid out earlier this week, what is available while NJNC negotiations continue.
In a related development, nurses have reportedly agreed to return to work as negotiations continue, although Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) president, Enock Dongo refused to give details on the issue maintaining that it was a private matter.
Last week, Government tabled a 40 per cent increment which was flatly rejected by civil servants who want at least US$480, which is roughly ZWL$39 000 at the official exchange rate.-statemedia
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF has once again had to rope in the party’s security department to deal with the unabating ructions in the former liberation movement, which are threatening elections to choose members of its re-introduced district co-ordinating committees (DCCs).
At the centre of the latest fire-storm are allegations that remnants of the party’s Generation 40 (G4o) faction that was routed three years ago are making fresh inroads into its structures and want to use the impending DCC polls to regain control of the party.
This comes after President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently deployed Zanu PF bigwigs in three provinces that are being ravaged by ugly infighting ahead of the DCC elections. It also comes as Zanu PF’s fissures are fast-approaching the levels that almost disembowelled the party in the last years in high office of the late former president Robert Mugabe – who was later ousted from power by a stunning and popular military coup in November 2017.
Zanu PF secretary for security in the politburo, Lovemore Matuke, confirmed to the Daily News yesterday that his department had been called in to restore order in the brawling party.
“There are some G4o elements who are trying to come back, but we are strictly vetting the CVs. We are going to look at each CV as we want to deal with these elements.
“We are receiving reports from provinces on this issue. As the party security, we are going to do our work diligently and weed out such elements.
“There are some people who were fighting the current leadership who want to use these elections to come back into the structures and destabilise the party,” Matuke told the Daily News.
Another politburo member, David Parirenyatwa, warned Zanu PF members on Wednesday about the growing factionalism in the party, adding that those found wanting faced expulsion.
“You must be loyal to the party. You must also be loyal to the party leadership … We don’t want to hear that the health department belongs to a certain faction.
“There is no room for factions … We don’t want to hear that you are on the forefront of factionalism,” Parirenyatwa told a Zanu PF health department workshop in Harare.
Also this week, Zanu PF national commissar Victor Matemadanda warned of stern action against Zanu PF officials wishing to interfere with the DCC elections.
“I understand that in some provinces they have set up teams for vetting and recommending … that is outside the instructions we gave.
“The instructions were that they receive and yes, put remarks, but not to necessarily have a panel that is going to vet people.
“It’s against the instructions that we gave and if anyone has, or is going to do that, it is null and void. We are not going to consider anything from that,” Matemadanda said.
“I want to emphasise that everyone who is going to be involved, including the leadership … we … must be bound by party discipline.
“Party discipline entails also not going against instructions despite the level of a person. There is no one who is above the law. If we say a procedure must be followed that is what must be done,” he added.
“No one is allowed to change that because we only direct what has been communicated by the politburo. “Any deviation from what we have said will be considered as indiscipline and action will be taken,” Matemadanda said further. This comes as the process to choose members for the ruling party’s DCCs has been sullied by allegations of rampant vote-buying and the imposition of candidates in some provinces.
Recently, the Daily News reported that there was serious jostling for posts along factional lines, with this said to be most rife in Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central and the Midlands.
This had seen Mnangagwa deploying senior party officials, including former Cabinet minister Christopher Mushohwe, to lead probes in the troubled provinces. The party’s DCCs were disbanded in 2012 after they were deemed to be fanning factionalism during Mnangagwa and former vice president Joice Mujuru’s battles to succeed Mugabe.
Then, Mnangagwa’s group had gained control of most regions, including Mujuru’s Mashonaland Central province – putting him in a strong position ahead of the party’s 2014 congress.
Earlier this week, liberation stalwart and former Cabinet minister Tshinga Dube highlighted the growing factionalism in Zanu PF when he warned that it would be futile for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his African National Congress (ANC) to hope to end Zimbabwe’s long-standing political and economic crises without support from the party’s brawling factions.
“It all starts with the leaders in Zanu PF agreeing that we need dialogue and that South Africa has a critical role to play.
“They need to find common ground on that to make the ANC’s work easier. We can blame this group or that group, but I don’t want to do that because what is important, for the sake of progress, is that they must find each other.
“It is not difficult for the leaders to find each other because they have been working together for quite a long time,” the fearless Dube told the Daily News’s sister paper, the Daily News On Sunday.
“I don’t think it is impossible for them (Zanu PF factions) to do that for the good of the country and our people.
“That is what leadership is all about. If they do not agree and continue like that, then it will be difficult for anyone who wants to help, including the ANC,” he added.
The widening fissures in Zanu PF appear to have taken the same route of the last few years in power of Mugabe. Then, Mnangagwa was involved in a hammer and tongs war with the G4o faction – which had coalesced around Mugabe’s erratic wife Grace.
The vicious brawling took a nasty turn when Mnangagwa was allegedly poisoned by his rivals during one of Mugabe’s highly-divisive youth interface rallies in Gwanda in 2017.
The then VP’s fate was eventually sealed on November 6, 2017 when Mugabe fired his long-time lieutenant a few days after his allies had booed the irascible Grace during a tense rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo.
However, tables were dramatically turned on Mugabe when the military rolled in their tanks on November 15 of that year and deposed the long-ruling leader from power – which saw a number of alleged G4o kingpins fleeing into self-imposed exile soon afterwards. But despite Mnangagwa’s ascendancy to power, some ambitious bigwigs in the former liberation movement continue to stand accused of plotting to unseat the new Zanu PF leader.
By A Correspondent- A woman from Umzingwane District under Chief Sigola’s area and who is also a builder by profession has reversed a common perception that only men beat up women in relationships after she allegedly rained blows on her husband as punishment for stopping her from meeting her boyfriend.
This problem of female-on-male domestic violence which is often trivialised in society was heard at the Esigodini Magistrates’ Court where the victim, Hloniphani Msipa, narrated his ordeal before resident magistrate Nomagugu Sibanda.
Msipa, who was seeking a restraining order against his wife Tafadzwa Moyo, was brave enough to tell the court that he was living a hellish life at the hands of his violent better half.
He stated that in a fit of anger, his wife brutally assaulted him after he stopped her from visiting her boyfriend.
As if the beating was not enough, Msipa said a daring Moyo went on to destroy their matrimonial property before she burnt down their bedroom hut.
“I declare that my wife Tafadzwa Moyo is destroying our matrimonial property and she recently burnt down our homestead. I need the court to strongly warn her against her conduct. She has since gone back to her parents’ homestead and I have done the same due to the fact that we both no longer have a place to call home,” complained Msipa.
He said he once sought help from the police to no avail.
“I engaged the police over the issue about my wife who is not taking any action to account for the damage she caused. Instead of apologising she is now prohibiting me from visiting our homestead because I am willing to do the repairs. I can’t imagine that I am now homeless yet I used to own my own homestead.
“I am living in fear and my efforts to check out on the livestock which we left behind is being hindered by my wife as she is threatening me with unspecified action through a string of text messages. All I want now is a protection order against her so that I live in peace,” begged Msipa.
In response Moyo didn’t refute her husband’s accusations leading the magistrate to grant an order stopping her from beating or threatening her husband as well as not to prevent him from going to their homestead.-bmetro
By A Correspondent- Call it an epic clash of the world’s oldest profession and the spiritual world of divination.
A youthful sangoma from Inyathi, Matabeleland North province, reportedly lost a bag containing his bones and charms to a prostitute after he refused to pay her for services she had rendered to him.
It is reported that drama started after the sangoma only identified as Hlongwane reportedly withheld payment to an unidentified prostitute who, in turn, relieved him of his bag containing his bones and powerful spells and magic charms that he was boasting could cure all kinds of ailments.
The sangoma was reportedly robbed of his tools of the trade on Sunday last week.
According to a source Hlongwane, who is known at the business centre for looking for a little pleasure each time he had money, hired a prostitute and agreed with her on a US$10 fee for an afternoon quickie.
However, the hooker later shifted goalposts and demanded US$15 claiming she had also offered him oral sex.
“All hell broke loose after the sangoma refused to pay the $15 he had been charged. He was initially charged US$10 for a quickie but after sex the prostitute refused to take the money and informed him that the price had gone up because she had also offered him oral sex.
“His refusal, however, prompted the prostitute to grab his bag containing his bones and other charms.
“The prostitute later called her colleagues who came and mobbed the sangoma while accusing him of being ungrateful.
“Normalcy only returned after the sangoma promised to pay the amount in question,” said the source who preferred anonymity for fear of victimisation.
The source further said the sangoma was left embarrassed by the incident.
“He felt hopeless, violated and deprived and he threatened to curse the prostitute’s privates,” the source said.
Meanwhile, efforts to get a comment from the sangoma drew a blank after he hung up his phone soon after this reporter introduced himself that he was from B-Metro.
By A Correspondent- MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora has warned Members of Parliament (MPs) and councilors who won their seats under the MDC Alliance in the 2018 harmonised elections that they should desist from making suicidal political decisions motivated by blind loyalty for Nelson Chamisa.
Mwonzora told TellZim News that no one is being victimized under the current wave of recalls but they are only targeting those who pledge their allegiance to Chamisa instead of MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe
“We are not going to be victimizing councillors and MPs as long as they tow the party line. If they don’t, we will not hesitate to wield the axe.
“Some people thought that they were invincible and would not be recalled from council or parliament but where are they now?
“They thought we were joking. They were being lied to by Chamisa and Biti (Tendai) that they belong to him but where was Chamisa when we recalled them?
“There is nothing personal about the recalls but it is about principle. Every party has its principles and if you fail to live by them and do as expected we kick you out,” said Mwonzora.
He said all the MPs and councilors who got positions under the MDC Alliance ticket belong to MDC-T and they should make no mistake to grand stand as they will be expelled.
“The argument on whether the MDC-T has jurisdiction over them has been exhausted. Most councilors in the urban areas that we had to recall committed political suicide.
“They knew that we had the power to recall them and they continued to disregard the law,” said Mwonzora.
TellZim News has been informed that Mwonzora’s axe will soon land on Masvingo councilors who are believed to be siding with Chamisa.
Fear of recalls among the seven MDC Alliance Masvingo Urban councillors increased after Mwonzora fired 11 Harare councillors including the deputy mayor in the wake of a mayoral by-election which was won by Jacob Mafume ahead of Mwonzora’s preferred candidate Luckson Mukunguma.
Those fired in Harare are Lovemore Makuwerere, Gilbert Hadebe Gilbert, Simon Mapanzure, Charles Chidhagu, Keith Charumbira, Steven Dhliwayo, Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi, Barnabas Ndira, Runyowa Chihoma, Charles Nyatsuro and Enoch Mupamawonde.
In Masvingo, Mwonzora is said to be targeting Ward 4 Cllr Godfrey Kurauone, who is MDC Alliance national youth organising secretary and strong Nelson Chamisa ally; Ward 5 Cllr Daniel Mberikunashe, who is related to Chamisa; and Ward 7 Cllr Richard Musekiwa, who is also said to be strongly loyal to Chamisa.
Sources said Mwonzora could spare Mayor Collen Maboke, who has had several runs-in with Chamisa prior to the controversial Supreme Court judgement that led to the current turmoil in the opposition movement.
The other two councillors; Selina Maridza of Ward 1 and Tarusenga Vhembo of Ward 3 would be threatened into towing the Mwonzora line and spared as well.
Mwonzora, however, said that his party is yet to get a report about councilors in Masvingo saying that they are still doing as expected of them hence they are still safe.
“We have not received any information regarding the councilors in Masvingo. This means they are still doing as expected of them.
“The Harare councilors were recalled for a number of reasons. They had specifically by word and deed said that they had joined the MDC Alliance party.
“They were fingered in various embarrassing allegations of corruption. The councillors in Harare went against the party directive in the selection of the mayor and ended up surrendering the position to PDP, which is unacceptable,” said Mwonzora.
Last year @edmnangagwa gloried using an axe against people and this week he has complained over the murder of 7 year old Tapiwa Makore | IS HE SINCERE? pic.twitter.com/Yt7iUNxJs7
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has expressed concern over the recent reports of the gruesome murder of children in the country.
He speaks after a suspected killer of a 7-year-old Murewa boy has been arrested while his two accomplices are still at large.
Ongoing investigations have also suggested that many cases of children murder could be going unreported after the head of a different boy was discovered during the process.
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While addressing junior cabinet in a virtual meeting in Harare, President Mnangagwa urged stakeholders to quicken investigations to bring perpetrators to book. He said:
</div>
My government is gravely concerned with the threats to the well-being of children and youths emanating from various forms of abuse. We continue to take several measures to give effect to commitments to end violence against children.
I am disturbed by the loss of life by young children as a result of heinous and evil actions for rituals and witchcraft purposes. These cold-hearted acts of murderers have no place in our country.
The stakeholders in our criminal justice system must speedily and strongly deal with perpetrators so that this evil trend is expunged from our society.
During the address, the president also said that the government had “put in place concrete interventions” through the ministries of primary and secondary education and also, higher and tertiary education innovation science and technology development to ensure that learners return to safe and hygienic schools or college environments.
This is however contrary to reports by teachers’ representative organisations who claim that schools are not prepared for reopening soon.
Schools are scheduled to reopen on the 28th of this month after they were prematurely closed in March following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Last year @edmnangagwa gloried using an axe against people and this week he has complained over the murder of 7 year old Tapiwa Makore | IS HE SINCERE? pic.twitter.com/Yt7iUNxJs7
By Tiden Makeke | In what could negatively affect the credibility of his party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) member, Edwin Dzambara, has attacked Zimbabwean teachers for asking for a salary increase.
Dzambara made the call despite the fact that the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has pegged the Poverty Datum Line (PDL) in Zimbabwe’s inflationary 2020 environment at +ZWL $ 58 000 or +US$580, teachers are currently earning ZWL $3500 or US$35 desp
Dzambara, who is the chairman of an MDC-T outfit called Defending Morgan Tsvangirai Legacy (DMTL), castigated teachers’ demand for a US$500 salary as “unreasonable and destructive.”
Critics sceptical of DMTL respectively accuse MDC-T Acting President and MDC-T Secretary General Thokozani Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora of going into bed with ZANU PF at a time when many MDC supporters expected the opposition to unite ahead of the oncoming December 5, 2020 by-elections.
Former University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Jonathan Moyo is one critic who described Mwonzora as one who has been in “the ZANU PF pocket for donkey years.”
While Kent University law lecturer, Alex Magaisa refers to Khupe’s party as the “judicially reconstructed MDC-T,” former Daily News editor, Pedzisayi Ruhanya, tweeted on last June’s seizure of the MDC Alliance headquarters (Harvest House) in Harare, saying, “Dear Mwonzora: It is neither a strategy nor a tactic to be assisted by the military, police, CIO and ZANU PF to takeover a building from your rivalries (sic). You have effectively confirmed that all along you have been working with the state and this effectively destroys your politics.”
Despite accusations of bedding ZANU PF, the MDC-T has ploughed on undeterred and Dzambara has resolutely maintained his stance.
“There are some Zimbabwe Teachers’ Unions which are politically motivated and lack progressive developmental mantra. The demand for a monthly US$500 + salary is unreasonable and destructive,” thundered a seemingly numb Dzambara in a clear reference to the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), Zimbabwe Teachers Union (ZIMTA) and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ).
“They don’t care how this can suffocate our meagre national coffers in an over populated economy. Tell them to leave the job and employ only Patriots,” added Dzambara.
The DMTL chairman went on to argue that “Teachers received free salary (sic) for 6 months during COVID period, since April, with COVID allowances in USD. They were resting home and no work was done. From 6 months resting and puffing at home, with full salaries to a strike when schools open, why didn’t they strike during the six months free pay period?
Teachers are not the only workers or civil servants. Besides, most workers in industries, mines, vending sites or farms did not get pay on COVID due to closure or downsizing, while others received cut salaries.”
To conclude his write-up that sounded like former Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe’s speech before the MDC was formed in 1999, Dzambara condemned the teachers saying, “this is very destructive unscrupulous and the intention is just to be confrontational for the purposes of politicking.… Let them know that we are all Zimbabweans and must not engage dirty tactics for political mileage. We buy from same shops all of us ordinary folks. Watch out your pace. Leave unions and join politics !!!”
Dzambara did not talk about the plight of teachers who according to PTUZ president, Raymond Majongwe, have pathetic salaries, poor housing no safety and are taken for granted. Majongwe added that the teachers’ job has “no security of tenure,” added to the fact that “teachers now can’t send their kids to any school.”
ZCTU Secretary General, Japhet Moyo, took aim at Dzambara’s statements saying “the teachers are demanding that the employer pays them what they were earning before the introduction of SI 142 of 2019. Prior to August 2018 the teachers were earning USD 520 while the PDL was pegged at +USD 580.”
Japhet denied that teachers were dabbling in politics but quipped rhetorically on what basis Dzambara was “making the conclusion that the USD 500 is destructive?”
Japhet’s comments dovetailed a statement made by ARTUZ. “We still demand our 2017 salaries, USD520,” demanded ARTUZ despite the fact that the demand was below the projected PDL at June 30, 2020 .
Like other civil servants, Zimbabwean teachers are operating in an environment in which economic indicators show a dwindling quality of life.
For example, the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee Food and Nutrition Security Report of March 2020 states that “the 2019 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) Rural Livelihoods Assessment (RLA) report projected that 59% of the rural population would be cereal insecure during the peak hunger period (January to March 2020). This food insecurity prevalence translated to a population of about 5.5 million rural people.”
The ZimVAC RLA report also noted that “there was need for urgent food distribution or cash based transfers (to promote the local economy where feasible) to food insecure households in order to avoid a worsening situation.”
The Ministry of Education has a workforce of 130 000 teachers. A great proportion of them have fled to greener pastures in neighbouring countries while others have left teaching altogether.
Last week, during a debate in the National Assembly on the Second Reading Stage of the Finance 2020 Bill, Finance minister, Mthuli Ncube promised to review civil servants’ salaries every three months to hedge against inflation.
“We are reviewing salaries – as I speak now, we reviewed civil servants salaries and gave them USD75 allowance and USD30 for pensioners,” Ncube said.
However, while teachers battle for the actioning of their USD520 government-worker salary agreement of 2017, it remains to be seen if Ncube’s promises are going to be fulfilled.
It would seem that after collating all the statements of stakeholders that Dzambara’s statement was ill-thought-out. Majongwe’s had dismissive words for the DMTL chairman.
“We can’t be responding to every barking dog. Our demands are justified. Those guys singing for their supper must just eat the few crumbs they are feasting on,” retorted Majongwe.
By Victor Maphosa- A friend had just dropped me off near Westgate Shopping Centre on the outskirts of Harare around 7pm on Thursday from where I intended to catch lifts to Gwebi College to visit my brother.
There were about 20 other commuters at the long-distance bus stop. I joined in the flagging down of lifts. Soon, a Chirundu-bound haulage truck crawled, huffed, puffed and screeched to a rattling halt. The air brakes puffed the last when the truck had already stopped.
Touts stampeded to get permission to load passengers into the truck, amid a waft of dust that we could only smell and not see, it being dark.
In the shadow of the silhouette rear brake lights, a blue Honda Fit appeared on tow and it stopped, looking for passengers too.
A tall lady who was going to Chinhoyi jumped into the back seat first, followed by another man and then yours truly.
“Tiri kuenda kuChinhoyi muface wangu,” (We are going to Chinhoyi my friend) said the driver after he stopped inches from where I was standing.
“Ndiri kuda kusara pa Gwebi and how much is it?” I said.Before boarding, I struggled to open the door, and the driver urged me to exert more pressure and it finally opened.
My sixth sense gave a warning, “This door is hard to open, what if this car belongs to robbers, will I be able to open it from inside, and oh, I did not check the number plates of this car?”
I quickly brushed that aside. We passed a police checkpoint in Mt Hampden.
About 5km from the check point, the driver started speeding. Well, I do not have a problem with speed. All I wanted was to be at my destination and come back as early as possible.
In the blink of an eye, one of the passengers seated in front slid back into his seat so that it blocked my view and immobilised my legs. In an instant, he produced a long shiny knife which he poised inches away from the left side of my chest.
He screamed, “Makwira mota yematsotsi, musatitarise, tsikitsirai musoro pasi, failure to do that tinokuurayai mose. Tiri kuda zvese zvamunazvo mafoni nemari. (You have boarded robbers’ car… surrender all you have or we will kill you).
“Driver, give me that spray, let me punish this man who seems to be defiant. If you try any tricks, we will not hesitate to kill you.”It happened so fast that there was no time or any chance to resist.
With his right hand firmly holding the knife, his left hand was busy in my pockets. I lost my two mobile phones, US$110 and $400 and my beautiful wrist watch. Yes, it is very beautiful.
At the other side of the vehicle, one of the men seated at the right side of the back seat, grabbed the tall lady by the neck and took her mobile phone and a handbag which I later learnt had her bank cards, driver’s licence and national identification card.
When all this was happening, we were pleading with the criminals not to kill us. I politely asked for my other documents and one of the criminals handed me back my ID, my Press card and bank cards plus US$1 to get transport back to town.
It happened in less than five minutes, we were cleaned of our belongings.They kept on threatening to kill us.
After robbing us, they drove off the main road to the left, passed a railway level crossing and turned right and then left again and drove for 400 metres before making a U-turn.
The one who was holding a knife at my chest disembarked and went to open the boot.We could not see what he was doing there.
After a minute, he came back and opened my door while pointing the knife at me. I made my final prayer, or my only prayer.
“Lord, I know I have not been communicating with you for a long time. This is my prayer today, if I am to die, I commit my spirit in your hands, forgive me of all my trespasses, Amen.”
I could hear the woman next to me saying her prayers also.The criminals ordered me out and forced me to kneel, with the knife now on the back of my neck.
I closed my eyes, waiting to feel the cold piercing knife slicing my neck.Instantly, the driver raved about the car and my-would-be executor jumped in and they drove off at high speed, with the woman inside.
My captor shouted to me, “Don’t you dare raise your head or else…” In defiance, I raised my head anticipating to see the number plates, but it was not visible. Some tape was stuck on the plate making the numbers invisible.
They drove for about 200 metres and shoved the woman out and drove off again at high speed. She screamed, wailed and cursed.
“They were now debating on whether to rape me or not. One of the criminals said they should let me go,” she said while shaking.
We found our way back to the main road and a Good Samaritan gave us a lift and left us at a police station at Westgate Shopping Centre where we were attended to by the police.
One of the cops assisted us with his mobile phone and airtime to call our relatives and inform them of our predicament.
Our police officers deserve a thumbs up, they are professionals. Thank you Westgate police post team.
It all started after my article had been cleared by the News Editor and I asked to be excused since I had a personal chore which I needed to do.I told my boss that I wanted to go to Gwebi and he said it was a bit late for that if I was not using my own vehicle.
“Victor, you like travelling in the evening, even during the night, that is very risky, robbers are everywhere,” he advised.
I asked him if I could use his car, well he told me to wait for a few minutes since he was still doing something, but I did not have those few minutes to wait, so as soon as he briefly left his desk, I eluded him.
I did not want him to see me, surely he was going to stop me. Well, I failed to listen to his advice and lost all my personal belongings
By A Correspondent- Independent Member of Parliament for Norton constituency Temba Mliswa accused ZACC of being captured by Billy Rautenbach as the anti-graft has failed to act on grand corruption surrounding the Aspindale land scandal which has a potential to leave 30000 people homeless.
“Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and Special –Anti Corruption Unit (SACU) has been captured by Billy” Said Temba Mliswa.
The agitated Mliswa went on to allege that the Minister of Local Government July Moyo, Minister of State Oliver Chidawu and Matanga from Zimbabwe Republic police for working in cahoots with Billy Rotenberg to evict genuine land owners and cause social unrest in Aspindale.
“How can we have confidence in a system where the people who are supposed to investigate corruption are part of it” added Mliswa.
The in-action by ZACC on the Aspindale land saga has raised more questions than answers among residents as available evidence in the public domain point out that cooperatives are the legitimate owners of the land.
Mliswa accused Billy Rautenbach for using fraudulent titled deeds in the name of Marimba Properties, a company that is non –existent at the Registrar of Companies.
CHRA calls upon ZACC to act on the Aspindale land saga as it has a potential to water down its work on acting against graft.
By A Correspondent- There are growing concerns that Zimbabwe’s worsening economic situation could lead to the collapse of the education system and a spike in school dropouts after most schools exorbitantly hiked fees, with some demanding between $25 000 and $40 000 for the two months the pupils will be in school starting Monday.
Public schools reopen for examination classes on Monday after being forced to close in March this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other classes will reopen in two phases, with the last group on November 9. But parents with children attending Chishawasha Mission Primary School, Moleli, Matopo, Gokomere, Dadaya and Prince Edward among others have raised alarm after the school authorities charged upwards of US$341 for examination classes that will be attending lessons for the two months before writing their exams.
In a newsletter to the parents, Chishawasha Mission Primary School also requested parents to provide the school with 20kg bags of mealie-meal, 5kg rice, 5kg machine washing powder, 1-litre floor polish, 12 bath soaps among several demands per pupil.
In addition to the demands, Chishawasha demanded parents to pay a revised fee of US$341 and $19 800 before opening day.
“Following parents’ meeting which was held on September 16, 2020 at Our Lady of the Wayside in Mount Pleasant, it was agreed that the option of groceries be adopted at a revised fee of US$341 plus groceries. It was also agreed that the sum of US$100 be paid in full hard currency and the balance is optional to be paid in RTGS or US dollars,” the newsletter read.
But parents, who requested anonymity for fear victimisation of their children, felt that the school authorities were “robbing” them, saying one pupil could not exhaust a 20kg bag of mealie-meal and that the several demands were way above other schools across the country.
“Look what they are demanding for a Grade 7 pupil as compared to other schools. The fees and other demands are way out of the parents’ reach,” one parent said.
Chishawasha school secretary, who declined to be named, said: “I cannot respond to the allegations. I am only the secretary of the school. The person who can respond to you is the principal and is not around you can try other times.” The principal could not be reached for comment.
Parents at Eaglesvale junior and senior schools have also written to Primary and Secondary Education minister Cain Mathema protesting over the exorbitant school fees, arguing the school was fleecing them of their hard-earned cash.
The parents said the school was rating US$1 to $95 despite the official Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe foreign currency auction system rate. They said the school fees were currently pegged at US$1 000 for primary school up to Form 4 on both online and examination classes, while A-Level students are being asked to pay US$1 100.
“If you do not pay, online lessons are not optional and are being forced on parents. If you did not pay, the school sends threats to your email that your child should transfer. They also need to justify paying US$1 000 online because parents feel it’s too high, even in formal class,” the parents wrote.
The parents also complained that they were forced to pay US dollars at the school office and not into the school bank account, thereby risking falling prey to armed robbers. The school’s financial controller, one Mukoko, referred NewsDay Weekender to the school head, whose mobile phone number was not reachable.
Another parent who requested anonymity said other schools like Moleli High had proposed $39 000 to be paid for all the examination classes, Dadaya proposed $38 450 and Matopo High proposed $25 800 plus US$50, while Mutendi High School in Masvingo was demanding about $32 000 or US$320.
Gokomere pegged its fees at $29 000. Day schools like Prince Edward in Harare have also reportedly hiked their fees to around US$350 or the equivalent in Zimdollars. However, Primary and Secondary Education deputy minister Edgar Moyo called on the schools to stick to government guidelines when increasing or coming up with new fees structures. He said it was illegal for schools to use an exchange rate for US dollars which was different from the one pre-scribed by the RBZ auction system.
“Our position as government in terms of school fees increase is that the school development committee sits and comes up with an agreement on the rightful fees agreed by both parties,” Moyo said.
“They then write a recommendation to the permanent secretary of the ministry for approval. The receipts of the previous fee and the proposed new fees must be tied together for the permanent secretary to assess if it is worth approving.”
He added: “It is illegal for schools to use their exchange rate which is different from the official rate allowed by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. I want to reiterate that education must not be commercialised and it must not be a barrier to our children.”
Several schools have been plunged into turmoil with debates rising on the appropriate fees to charge for examination classes.-Newsday
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has expressed concern over the recent reports of the gruesome murder of children in the country.
He speaks after a suspected killer of a 7-year-old Murewa boy has been arrested while his two accomplices are still at large.
Ongoing investigations have also suggested that many cases of children murder could be going unreported after the head of a different boy was discovered during the process.
While addressing junior cabinet in a virtual meeting in Harare, President Mnangagwa urged stakeholders to quicken investigations to bring perpetrators to book. He said:
My government is gravely concerned with the threats to the well-being of children and youths emanating from various forms of abuse. We continue to take several measures to give effect to commitments to end violence against children.
I am disturbed by the loss of life by young children as a result of heinous and evil actions for rituals and witchcraft purposes. These cold-hearted acts of murderers have no place in our country.
The stakeholders in our criminal justice system must speedily and strongly deal with perpetrators so that this evil trend is expunged from our society.
During the address, the president also said that the government had “put in place concrete interventions” through the ministries of primary and secondary education and also, higher and tertiary education innovation science and technology development to ensure that learners return to safe and hygienic schools or college environments.
This is however contrary to reports by teachers’ representative organisations who claim that schools are not prepared for reopening soon.
Schools are scheduled to reopen on the 28th of this month after they were prematurely closed in March following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
“…..Similarly, it is my administrations’ decisiveness in entrenching constitutionalism, democracy and rule of law including the protection of property rights. The commitment of my government to these cardinal rules remains unwavering.” said President Emmerson Mnangagwa to the UN
watch the full speech by Mnangagwa on the link below…..
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has urged Zimbabweans to pray for jailed MDC MP Joana Mamombe and other political prisoners who are languishing in prison.
In a Twitter post on Saturday, Chamisa said:
“Fellow citizens, Let us stand with our incarcerated Last Maengahama,Tunga Madzokere, @JoanaMamombe & @ngadziore currently in jail on account of politics and dictatorship. I kindly exhort you to pray for all the political prisoners. Happy Sabbath to you!”
Joana Mamombe was recently ordered by Judge Bianca Makwande to be evaluated by government doctors to ensure that she can stand trial in October.
Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday called for the lifting of “illegal economic sanctions” imposed by the West on his nation, and appealed to the United Nations to help bring an end to them, saying they are seriously affecting the country’s development.
In a pre-recorded speech delivered virtually to the 75th United Nations General Assembly, Mnangagwa said like other nations, COVID-19 has had an adverse effect on Zimbabwe, which have been compounded by the sanctions.
Mnangagwa said his country has registered “notable achievements” toward reaching the SDG, as far as improving the lives of its citizens.
Sticking to his government’s position that there is no crisis in the country, despite the outcry by human rights groups, Mnangagwa told the General Assembly that Zimbabwe is respecting the constitution and the rule of law.
He also said Zimbabwe is respecting property rights, referring to the government’s recent pledge to compensate white farmers stripped of their land, $US3.5 billion.
President Nelson Chamisa has called for an independent inquiry on the abduction, torture of MDC Alliance youth leaders @JoanaMamombe, @CeciliaChimbiri and @NetsaiMarova . Do you think Zimbabwe's listening president @edmnangagwa will LISTEN?
By A Correspondent- Two armed robbers allegedly pounced at a Beitbridge businesswoman’s home and robbed her of property and cash worth R30 000 as well as a vehicle worth US$2 500.
This was heard by magistrate Maphios Moyo on Tuesday when Petious Ndou (26) and Decent Mbedzi (19), both from the border town, appeared in court charged with armed robbery.
Both denied the charges and were remanded in custody to September 28 for trial.
Prosecutor Munyonga Kuvarega told the court that the complainant in the matter was Shuman Nguluve (30), who runs a tuckshop at her house.
It is the State case that on August 28 at 9pm, the two, together with accomplices still at large, stormed Nguluve’s house while wearing face masks and armed with two pistols and okapi knives.
Kuvarega told the court that the gang then fired three shots directed at the sitting room door and pushed the door open before proceeding to Nguluve’s bedroom where they further fired two shots into the roof, demanding money.
Out of fear, Nguluve gave them R15 000 before they began assaulting her with clinched fists, demanding more.
When she failed, they allegedly demanded the keys of her Honda Fit before stealing other property such as mobile phones, laptops and shoes.
They drove away with their loot in her Honda Fit.
Nguluve reported the matter to the police, who recovered two rounds of live ammunition and 13 by 9mm spent cartridges at the scene.
Police tracked the vehicle’s tyre marks and recovered it dumped about 15km away.
Further investigations led to the arrest of the two.-Newsday
By Josiah Mucharowana- As I witnessed yet another birthday in my short life this week, I thank God and further realise I am a mere mortal.
Since 37 years ago when I escaped my mother’s womb to wander the earth, I have seen many perish from accidents, diseases or simply just from the cruel hand of inelectable fate.
Of late, coronavirus wrought irreparable damage to both humans and economies so much so that recovery back to previously lived standards remains a Herculean task.
For millions, the battle for survival has been triggered on, it’s game time! Many have lost incomes. Families have crumpled and the future has never been more uncertain than now.
People died like flies in Italy, Spain and America and elsewhere with the pandemic reaching even the most far-flung and remotest islands of the world.
In Africa, Aha! The majority of Africans had to live under war -time-like conditions of sustained lockdowns and curfews. It has been a global first where jetplanes got grounded not to traverse the skies for long. A first where home became a yearned for place to be for millions of foreigners marooned outside their countries.
Nevertheless, time waits for no man. I realised I have to be thankful to be alive. My peers and more lie motionless in cemeteries.
In this life, we have to live to our best of abilities because we only live once.
For me, many birthdays have been mere milestones of time fleeting by as I ferret for a decent life in the diaspora.
From school, the bulk of my life have been lived outside Zimbabwe. It was not by design but fate. I found myself in bustling metropolitans like Johannesburg and Pretoria. I embraced a life away from home to be the new norm.
A cursory check on my timelines and inboxes across social platforms reminded me of long lost friends. At school, in beerhalls and taverns of the world, I have forged relationships. Some became casual, some left an enduring impact on my life.
Some even shaped the trajectory I took henceforth. Some names remain etched in my memory. However, one theme ran through their messges, they all wished me well in this life.
Solace for a backyard dweller?
At 37, I have crossed national borders innumerable times both legally and illegally running away from hunger, poverty and political tyranny. In some instances I have done so with no real money in my pockets.
I have fallen sick and was taken care of by complete strangers. I have also wined and dined with Kings and Queens of the land. I have met both influential people in positions of authority and at the same time I have found common ground with the low-lifes.
I have slept in mansions and have also slept under bridges burning cardboard paper.
During Murambatsvina -a politically driven operation by Robert Mugabe to decimate and scatter the urban population to rural areas. Urbanites had incrementally voted opposition creating a bastion of rebellion politics that irked the erstwhile authorities, I found solace under the moon and the stars of Mbare.
I had a been a backyard dweller therein and Mugabe’s hatchet men had come in the morning with yellow machines and pulverized our lodgings to the ground.
My feet also took me to Hwange and Livingstone where I had the best game drives ever. I bed-hopped from hotel to hotel and ate gourmets with names I can hardly remember. I also slept in a bed that Mugabe, the Statesman had found solace in on some night.
I have also realised media people especially journalists anywwere on earth always make the best of company wherever alcohol is available. They are knowledgeable, funny, and carefree spirits the majority of whom have at least an unwritten book lurking somewhere in the cabinet of their minds. They are creatives who in the company of fellow minds would divulge as many secrets just like convicts squashed and condemned together in a prison cell.
My life took me to State House and many other esteemed government institutions opening my eyes on how the wheels of governance turn.
I have watched presidential motorcades both as an insider and as an outsider.
Crocodile
But for the entire life, the shock came when I realised I share the same birthday month with President Mnangangwa.
Born 78 years ago, the man has seen twice my life. He has been a guerrilla in the bushes of Mozambique and elsewhere in the region. Above all , much of his life has been in the corridors of power either as minister of Defence, State Security, Justice and as a confidante of Mugabe et al.
Today as President, he has a coterie of ‘ wingman’ aiding him much to rule than govern and lead Zimbabwe. His tenure is mottled by rampant corruption even involving his sons, close friends and relatives. In some instances, he turns a blind eye just like a ‘crocodile’ he is.
Many social services in Zimbabwe have collapsed or simply cosmetic owing to mismanagement such that majority of people are once again trekking into the diaspora leaving family and loved ones to hold forte in a dire economy.
We hear the Ministry of Health and Child Care has tightened the grip on medicineman making it very difficult for them to jump ship to greener pastures even when they are not being fully remunerated for their sweat and toil. Vice President Chiwenga and his deputies- all former military men in the ministry are slowly turning hospitals into military barracks where orders carry the day.
Reset button the answer
In Johannesburg, I have met more Zimbabwean nationals than I could meet back in my village. In Pretoria, the bulk of prostitutes and roadside beggars with babies strapped on their backs are my fellow countrymen.
I have had the luxury of a tertiary education albeit I am yet to fully reap the benefits of that education back in Zimbabwe. Not that the tertiary syllabi concentrates on producing employees but even as entrepreneur, the economy is on the skids to start with.
It takes heavy capital injection and the patience of a fisherman to find a way around the bureaucracy of doing business in Zimbabwe.
September has been awash with corporates everywhere wishing the President well in the future. For me it has been a time of reflection upon the journey of life thus far.
Yes admittedly, i have not achieved all I had sought to do in the vibrancy of youth. 37 years have become a bolouvard of broken dreams.
And quite sadly, my life mirrors millions of others scattered across the globe with eyes pinned on Zimbabwe, our birthplace in the hope that one day, maybe one day the fortunes of the country might allow a comeback.
Bob Marley said, he who fights and runs away will live to fight another day. But for as long as the ‘crocodile’ continue to bask in the sunshine, coming ashore is tantamount to being hoist by own petard.
For Zimbabwe as a country and it’s citizens, there has to be a reset button somewhere even when the President says ‘ there is no crisis in Zimbabwe’.
Josiah mucharowana is a media graduate and writes in his personal capacity. Feedback; joemasvokisi@gmail.com/ +27 84 587 4121
By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance (MDC-A) president Nelson Chamisa has demanded an independent inquiry into the alleged abduction and torture of Harare West MP Joanna Mamombe and party activists Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova by suspected State agents earlier this year.
Chamisa made the remarks after Deputy Chief Magistrate Bianca Makwande jailed Mamombe at the country’s notorious Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison even though she was granted bail by the High Court.
The MDC-A leader argued that the State cannot be trusted to deliver justice for the three MDC-A activists since it was implicated in their alleged abduction and torture. Said Chamisa:
The unlawful detention and sending to Chikurubi maximum prison of Youth leader and MP Hon Mamombe is another new low, a classic case of continuing victimization. It is clear that the State which is implicated in this case can not deliver justice. We demand an INDEPENDENT INQUIRY!
This continued persecution of these emblems of change is a direct threat to democratic tenets and freedom. Oppressors fear the power of the future that the young women represent. We stand with the young and fearless. We fight for their right to dignity, freedom and justice.
The MDC trio represents what Zimbabwe could be if we made room for the NEW. They are women of courage and conviction. The trio and all young people are the embodiment of a New Zimbabwe we can create in which young women can freely participate in political activity and nation-building.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has since filed an urgent application with the High Court seeking the immediate release of Mamombe from prison.
By A Correspondent- Opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has said he will today use his second e-rally to tell the nation that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime is stoppable despite its show of invincible power and heavy crackdown on dissenting voices.
The charismatic youthful leader, who has not made a public address since the passing on of his mother a couple of months ago, takes to the podium today to articulate the way forward for the opposition movement that, apart from being rocked by internal fights, is also under siege from Mnangagwa administration.
The address also comes at a time when the country is facing its worst economic downturn in a decade with majority citizens yearning for better days.
Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda yesterday said the main opposition leader was aware of the challenges faced by his supporters and would today provide the way forward.
He said Chamisa will rally citizens to confront Mnangagwa’s regime headon in order to influence change in the country.
“The president will tell the people that the ball is now in our court as a nation,” Sibanda said.
“He will say that no one will save us, we have a duty to save ourselves, he will remind the people that this is their once proud country and that we can build this country and never have to live in fear of anyone ever again.”
He added:
“He will tell the people that it is not the army that is the enemy of the people, it is not the police, but the political elite who are abusing the army.
“He will say that no one is safe from the ferret force, both in the country or in the region and that the army or the police are not protecting the people who are killing us off, but that we have failed to protect our army from the regime.”
Sibanda further pointed out that Chamisa was aware of government’s plans arranged soon after the 2018 elections to destroy his party and brand altogether, but he would assure the nation that the plot will fail.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has filed an urgent application with the High Court seeking the immediate release of Joana Mamombe from Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
Mamombe was sent to prison for a mental examination on Thursday by Deputy Chief Magistrate Bianca Makwande. The ZLHR said in a statement:
We are concerned about the situation of Joana Mamombe and our lawyers have filed an urgent application at High Court seeking an order for her release from Chikurubi Prison where she has been detained since Thursday.
We first filed an application for a review of the decision of Deputy Chief Magistrate Makwande ordering the detention of Hon. Mamombe for mental examination and later on filed an urgent application for the review application to be set down and heard urgently.
Mamombe, alongside fellow MDC Alliance activists, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova were allegedly abducted in April this year soon after staging a flash demonstration in Warren Park suburb, Harare.
They were reportedly tortured and sexually abused and dumped in Bindura. Soon after their release from abduction, the visibly injured and traumatised women were arrested by police and charged with faking their abductions.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Senior Hospital Doctors Association (SHDA) has called for the restoration of the rule of law in the health sector after the government abruptly introduced new rules which now make it difficult for doctors to leave the country.
In the Twitter thread below, the SHDA clarifies issues around Certificates of Good Standing (CGS) which have traditionally been granted to doctors when they leave for greener pastures:
A Certificate of Good Standing (CGS) is a document issued by a professional body to a sister professional body as clearance for a colleague with no hanging disciplinary issues regarding patient care and relations with colleagues. MDPCZ [Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe] plays the role in Zimbabwe.
The term of the MDPCZ council expired on 31st July this year. The councillors are responsible for setting up rules of the council and to oversee its operations including the issuing of Certificates of Good Standing. They never amended the rules.
The new council members are waiting to be inaugurated by the minister of MOHCC who is said to be too busy with other matters for now and therefore they have not yet even convened a meeting. They, therefore, have not officially made any amendments to any rules.
The changes that are purportedly being done at the MDPCZ are actually not being done by the council. It is all coming from an office at the Min of Health whose certainty is undisputed. These changes are null and void as only superficial scrutiny of the law has been done on it.
The CGS is never issued by a government anywhere in the world. The minister only administers the act that governs the operations of the professional body. Professional bodies are therefore independent bodies that practice in autonomy. CGS is never denied over labour issues.
The MDPCZ determines which doctor gets a Certificate of Good Standing (CGS) and any unilateral changes to it are a blatant disregard to the rule of law. The MOHCC has trampled on the Health Professions Act while attempting to solve a labour dispute with doctors.
Doctors are asking for PPE, medicines and sundries, and a review of their wages which are now so low that many cannot afford to come to work. Instead of providing solutions, the Govt has decided to throw away the books of the laws of the land.
Sister medical organizations intending to accept visiting or relocating doctors from Zimbabwe have been depending on the CGS. The registering authority has been invaded and until this issue is resolved the system has been poisoned to block migration.
The safe way to get a CGS devoid of political influence is to get two senior doctors signatures as has always been in Zimbabwe. Outside of that, reference letters from senior doctors of repute should be enough. The rule of law must be restored.-twitter
President Nelson Chamisa has called for an independent inquiry on the abduction, torture of MDC Alliance youth leaders @JoanaMamombe, @CeciliaChimbiri and @NetsaiMarova . Do you think Zimbabwe's listening president @edmnangagwa will LISTEN?
MDC Alliance (MDC-A) president Nelson Chamisa has demanded an independent inquiry into the alleged abduction and torture of Harare West MP Joanna Mamombe and party activists Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova by suspected State agents earlier this year.
Chamisa made the remarks after Deputy Chief Magistrate Bianca Makwande jailed Mamombe at the country’s notorious Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison even though she was granted bail by the High Court.
The MDC-A leader argued that the State cannot be trusted to deliver justice for the three MDC-A activists since it was implicated in their alleged abduction and torture. Said Chamisa:
The unlawful detention and sending to Chikurubi maximum prison of Youth leader and MP Hon Mamombe is another new low, a classic case of continuing victimization. It is clear that the State which is implicated in this case can not deliver justice. We demand an INDEPENDENT INQUIRY!
This continued persecution of these emblems of change is a direct threat to democratic tenets and freedom. Oppressors fear the power of the future that the young women represent. We stand with the young and fearless. We fight for their right to dignity, freedom and justice.
The MDC trio represents what Zimbabwe could be if we made room for the NEW. They are women of courage and conviction. The trio and all young people are the embodiment of a New Zimbabwe we can create in which young women can freely participate in political activity and nation-building.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has since filed an urgent application with the High Court seeking the immediate release of Mamombe from prison.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba, has told teachers to leave their profession and join other government departments if they are not happy with their salaries.
Charamba said this in response to the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union (ARTUZ), which had lamented the paltry monthly salaries of teachers which they said are less than the daily allowances for other civil servants.
In a post on Twitter, ARTUZ said:
A government official working under the drought relief program earns a daily allowance which surpasses a teacher’s monthly salary.
The same government which approves these allowances denies us a paltry USD520 as monthly salary. If you are a teacher and report for duty under these circumstances, you need therapy.
In response, Charamba told the teachers to try lateral transfer, which occurs when an employee moves from one position to another position at the same pay grade within an organisation.
He wrote:
In Government, there is something called lateral transfer; it’s perfectly legal. Try that!
This comes amid revelations that government officials who are working under the drought relief programme are earning US$5 for breakfast, US$10 for lunch, US$15 for dinner, and US$30 for unapproved bed and breakfast per day.
Fellow citizens, Let us stand with our incarcerated Last Maengahama,Tunga Madzokere @JoanaMamombe & @ngadziore currently in jail on account of politics and dictatorship. I kindly exhort you to pray for all the political prisoners. Happy Sabbath to you!#ZimbabweanLivesMatter
By A Correspondent- The Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) has announced that its graduation to be held on October 2 will be virtual and that proceedings will be live-streamed on ZTV and on the CUT Facebook page.
In a statement, CUT said only selected graduands will be formally invited to attend the physical proceedings in line with measures put in place to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The statement read:
The rest of the graduands will graduate virtually in the comfort of their homes with their families.
Proceedings will be live-streamed on ZTV and CUT Facebook page. Graduands who are graduating virtually will follow proceedings in their gowns and respond to announcements as shall be beamed on the stated platforms.
The Seventh-day Adventist-run Solusi University has also announced that its graduation ceremony will be held online.
This comes when many academic institutions the world over have been forced to postpone exams or resort to online graduations due to the threat posed by SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus which causes the respiratory disease called COVID-19.-statemedia
The High Court has thrown out Goromonzi farmer Mr Martin Grobbler’s bid to stop his eviction from Buena Vista Farm and told him to stop abusing the court.
Mr Grobbler has been trying to block the new owner Ms Ivy Rupande from occupying the property.
Ms Rupande had won several court orders against Mr Grobbler right from the magistrates, High and Supreme Courts, but all her efforts were being scuttled by the white farmer on the pretext of using the courts to seek justice in the dispute.
In the latest case, Mr Grobbler had approached the court seeking to stop the eviction on the grounds there was an application seeking to reinstate his appeal, which was struck off the roll at the Supreme Court.
But after hearing submissions from all parties yesterday Justice Joseph Mafusire threw out the urgent application by Mr Grobbler for lack of merit.
He also blamed his lawyers for showing lack of seriousness in prosecuting their appeals and applications, which has seen their cases suffering still birth at the Supreme Court.
The judge said he could not even understand why Mr Grobbler was coming to court requesting to be allowed to return to the farm, when all he has “are some dubious documents suggesting they have the right to the farm”.
Justice Mafusire found that Mr Grobbler and his co-applicant Protea Valley were properly evicted from the land on the basis of a court order plus a writ of ejection, which was lawfully issued by the Sheriff in circumstances in which there was no appeal pending at the Supreme Court.
The judge also accepted Ms Rupande’s contention that the applicants were using the court process to deny her access to the farm, when she had got several judgments in her favour.
The judge also ruled that even if the applicants’ appeal against the decisions given in the lower court, they have no prospects of success on appeal.
Through his lawyer Advocate Wilbert Mandinde instructed by Mugiya, Macharaga and Associates, Mr Grobbler told the court that he had a prima facie right to be at the farm saying the court processes instituted suspended the action taken against him by Ms Rupande.
In this particular case, it was Mr Grobbler’s contention that he had not received any notice to vacate the farm hence the eviction was unlawful.
Ms Rupande, a self-actor, successfully argued that Mr Grobbler’s application was procedurally flawed and substantively without merit and asked the court to dismiss it.
She argued that the action was premised on a lawful process derived from the judgment granted in her favour to evict Mr Grobbler.
“The so-called urgency is self-created and the court must decline to aid an illegality committed by the applicants when they continued to occupy gazetted land without authority,” she argued.
Mr Target Shumba assisted by Mr Nigel Muchinguri of the Attorney General’s office argued the matter for the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement.
In his submissions Mr Shumba supported Ms Rupande, saying that she was the rightful owner of the farm in question by virtue of a valid offer letter.
He said Mr Grobbler did not have an offer letter to be on the farm. He urged the court to dismiss the application saying Mr Grobbler was abusing the court process in deliberate attempt to frustrate Ms Rupande’s move onto the farm.
Ms Rupande was allocated the land in 2003 at the height of the Land Reform Programme, but faced resistance from Mr Grobbler.
The farm had been acquired by the State and gazetted for redistribution under the Land Reform Programme.
SOLUSI University has continued pioneering digital innovations in the country with online graduation for its 24th edition which will see over 300 graduands follow proceedings from the institution’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
In August, Solusi successfully conducted its examinations online, while other universities around the country were looking at reopening campuses for final year students whose exams were disrupted after Government tightened lockdown restrictions.
The development will also save graduands from transport, hosting of two invited guests, lunch and other costly activities that come with a graduation ceremony.
Following the outbreak of Covid-19, many academic institutions the world over have been forced to postpone exams or resort to online graduations which often lack the prestige and passion of a real ceremony.
In an interview, Solusi public relations manager Ms Sihle Nyathi said graduands will be expected to wear their gowns while attending the ceremony.
“All graduands have been invited to attend the online graduation and it is our hope that they will be able to do so as we did not want students to wait until after there is no Covid-19 to graduate. If they are unable to do so this weekend, the graduation will be available on our social media pages and can be viewed when they are able to do so,” she said.
“Online graduation is an advantage because students need their certificates so that they can move on with their lives because some students desire to pursue further studies and some need to seek employment. In the past there were restrictions in terms of invitees because of space but now given that we will be streaming they will be able to view with all their friends and family members,” said Ms Dube.
She added that Solusi had accepted the reality that people now live in a socially mediated world and urged students to be positive as the ceremony will precede the collection of certificates and transcripts.
“The theme is ‘skilled hands and a cultivated mind’; this means that our graduates have been skilled and cultivated. They have acquired knowledge that will enable them to provide solutions that will help in national and international development. They will not have a physical graduation but they have the knowledge that has been acquired in the course of their studies.”
Chinhoyi University of Technology has also announced that its graduation to be held on October 2 will be virtual and that proceedings will be live streamed on ZTV and on the CUT Facebook page.
In a statement, the institution said only selected graduands will be formally invited to attend the physical proceedings as a measure in line with Covid-19 regulations.
“The rest of the graduands will graduate virtually in the comfort of their homes with their families. Proceedings will be live streamed on ZTV and CUT Facebook page. Graduands who are graduating virtually will follow proceedings in their gowns and respond to announcements as shall be beamed on the stated platforms,” read the statement.
VICE President Constantine Chiwenga has issued new regulations which will see the awarding of tenders to “locals” in a development that will likely see ZANU PF inclined persons making killings from the tenders.
The announcement comes after ZANU PF spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa early this week declared that the ruling party was finalising preparing a document that will see the party involved in the lucrative government procurement business.
“We are going to unpack this 19-page document and we are going to liaise with the Chief Secretary (in the Office of the President and Cabinet) which ministry should do what, in which sector,” he said.
“If we are talking about mines, we will set out what empowerment tools must be implemented in the mining sector. A very key issue, we want to know the procurement bill of government, government as you know is the biggest procurer when you consider and compare its services to the cooperate sector.
“Now we want to know who is supplying what to government and come up with policies that empower locals so that they must be able to be empowered by their own government through supplying procurement contracts.
“Where possible, we want to know who is supplying to government and build on that to empower our people in an honest and transparent manner.
“If we develop a process to empower our people through government, it has to be on the basis that is transparent, it’s competitive in terms of price and it’s competitive in terms of quality.”
Chiwenga under Statutory Instrument 219 of 2020, Procurement Management Units (PMUs) (departments which undertake purchasing on behalf of government departments) instructed to allocate tenders under specific thresholds to Zimbabweans only.
“The Honorable Vice President responsible for Procurement, in consultation with the Finance Minister (Mthuli Ncube) and in terms of section 101 of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act [Chapter 22:23] and after consulting with the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, has amended the regulations,” said Chiwenga in the SI.
The policy will be applicable for contracts worth an equivalent of US$20 000 up to US$5 million dollar for construction works.
The United States thorough its Embassy in Harare has expressed doubts at President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s commitment to promote human rights in the country
This comes after Mnangagwa told the UN General Assembly, that he is committed to democracy, constitutionalism and promotion of human rights in the country.
Addressing the UN General Assembly during the week Mnangagwa said:
“My administration is decisive in entrenching constitutionalism, democracy and rule of law, including the protection of property rights. The commitment of my government to these cardinal principles remains unwavering,”
However, the US government says he should walk the talk, and match his words to the UN with action on the ground.
In a Tweeter post on Friday, the US Embassy in Harare said the America goverment is watching Mnangagwa closely to see commitment to his statement.
During his speech to the UN General Assembly President Mnangagwa restated his commitment to fostering democracy, human rights and rule of law. We are listening and watching for action. pic.twitter.com/aCJV5OrJJb
The Embassy said if Mnangagwa was sincere in his UN address, he should consider dropping criminal charges against MDC Alliance MP Joanna Mamombe, jailed for two weeks to allow state doctors to examine and assess her mental health status before she stands trial in court.
Allowing @JoanaMamombe to receive the healthcare she needs and dropping the case against her would show Zimbabwe's words match its actions. pic.twitter.com/9SAdP50pGu
BULAWAYO High Court judge, Justice Martin Makonese has kicked out an application by a Gukurahundi survivor, Charles Thomas, Zapu and Ibhetshu Likazulu who were seeking an interdict barring President Emmerson Mnangagwa from exhuming Gukurahundi victims.
The litigants filed an urgent application at the High Court, citing Mnangagwa, Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe, Jenni Williams of Matabeleland Collective.
The litigants also cited National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Chairperson Retired Justice Sello Nare and the Commission as the 5th and 6th respondents.
In his judgment Justice Martin Makonese ruled the litigants failed to comply with the Constitution before approaching the court.
“The applicants did not seek the intervention of the 6th respondent (National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC). The issue of Gukurahundi and exhumations has to be dealt with carefully and in full compliance with the requirements of the law. The manner in which this application was rushed to court without following the provisions of the Constitution particularly section 252 (f) is deeply concerning,” Justice said in his ruling.
“By his own admission, the 1st applicant asserts in paragraph 64 of the founding affidavit in clear and unambiguous terms that it is the 6th respondent who has the legal mandate to promote the programmes concerning peace and reconciliation in accordance with 252 (a) of the Constitution.
“One wonders why 1st applicant chose to file this urgent application before engaging the 6th respondent when he was well aware of the legal remedies available in the Constitution.”
The judge also took a swipe at the litigants for failing to verify the authenticity of reports that the defendants were in indeed planning to exhume victims of the 1980s atrocities.
“Before concluding, I need to point out that it is not only presumptuous to allege that 1st respondent (Mnangagwa) sought to conduct exhumations. The suggestion by the applicants is fanciful, scurrilous and unjustified. Applicants took no time to inquire whether the media reports were accurate and how these exhumations would be carried out. As I pointed out during oral submissions by the parties, the issue of Gukurahundi is emotive and sensitive,” said the judge.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director, Commissioner Chrispen Charumbira who was arrested on Thursday for allegedly accepting bribes from drug and gold dealers to stop criminal investigations, is likely to face more charges when he appears in court today, after four more junior officers from Mutare lodged complaints against him with the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU).
Charumbira was arrested by SACU on Thursday after seven of his junior officers alleged he had been interfering with their duties by protecting drug and gold dealers after allegedly accepting bribes.
He is assisting with investigations at Rhodesville Police Station pending his court appearance.
SACU has reportedly recorded statements from some of the junior officers who claim to have been transferred to outlying stations for defying Charumbira’s orders to release arrested suspects.
Four more junior officers from the Manicaland Provincial Specialised Crack Unit arrived in the capital yesterday to have their statements recorded.
The quartet said sometime in April this year, they teamed up and went to house number 10 Blesbok, Murambi, Mutare where a suspected gold dealer identified as David Crosby resides. The team was acting on information that Crosby was illegally dealing in Gold.
When they arrived at the house, they identified themselves to the occupants of the house through an intercom before asking to be allowed into the premises to conduct searches as they had a warrant issued at Mutare Magistrates Court.
The occupants reportedly denied them entry saying they wanted confirmation from Police General Headquarters (PGHQ) on whether or not they were real police officers.
Allegations are that Charumbira was contacted by the house occupants and told them not to comply with the officers who left without conducting their duties.
Investigations so far reveal that, among other allegations he is facing, is one dating from the days Charumbira was CID co-ordinator for Harare.
Another complaint states that three detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics in Harare recently arrested two Mufakose drug dealers, Norman Chabata and his brother Charles, after raiding their home where they recovered dagga packed in sachets and bottles of BronCleer cough syrup.
While at the scene, Charumbira reportedly called and ordered the officers to release the pair. Their immediate boss however told them to follow proper procedures and proceed with investigations.
They were all later allegedly summoned by Charumbira who informed them that their days at CID Drugs were numbered. Later, they were transferred to CID Chiredzi, CID Lupane and CID Mount Darwin.
Another junior officer also alleged that between February 2016 and March 2016, he received information from a truck driver who suspected that a consignment he was carrying from Malawi could be dagga. The driver was to meet with the recipients in the city and the junior officer teamed up with his colleagues and intercepted the consignment.
Two sacks of mbanje were collected by two suspects who were arrested but were later acquitted by the courts. Charumbira is alleged to have also interfered with investigations when the two were arrested.
The junior officer told SACU that he was transferred from Harare to CID Hwange.
