Paul Nyathi

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Ambassador Cain Mathema has said that no school will be allowed to increase school fees without his approval.

This comes after schools have been urged to be considerate in their proposals for new fees ahead of the reopening of schools from Monday.

“Schools know the procedure. They have either a school development committee or boards of governors that should have a meeting with parents first, and the ministry would like to see the minutes.

“No school will increase fees without me or the permanent secretary knowing.”

Many public schools are charging around $30 000 for boarding, while day schools are looking at pegging levies from $1 000 to $7 000, depending on level and type of school.

Levies for boarding schools range from $21 000 to $35 000, levies for day primary from $1 000 to $3 000 and levies for day secondary from $3 000 to $7 000.

National Association of Secondary Heads president Mr Arthur Maphosa told state media that while there was a strong case for schools to increase fees to remain viable, the hikes should be reasonable.

“The biggest challenge is that the increase in fees is not at par with the increase in most parents’ salaries,” said Mr Maphosa. “It is, however, difficult to come up with a blanket figure because the increases will depend on the size of the school but like I said, we need to be sensitive to the plight of parents.

“There is a process that is followed when increasing fees,” said Mr Maphosa.

Heads were told to present budgets to parents to justify the charges, and a number of schools have already submitted applications and should receive authority from provincial education directors soon.

Paul Nyathi

President Mnangagwa who himself is accused of several politically motivated murders and abductions yesterday condemned the killing of children for ritual purposes, saying the Government was concerned with all forms of threats and abuse to children and vowed to end violence against them.

The condemnation comes in the wake of the murder of a seven-year-old Murehwa boy, Tapiwa Makore, last week for ritual purposes, allegedly by a herder.

While it is noble for Mnangagwa to condemn the killings of innocent children the President himself has a history of killing which taints his otherwise noble call. Zimbabweans have through the years called on Mnangagwa to speak to the murders attributed to his authority and call for an end to the wanton killing of citizens for political purposes as he has done on the killing of children for ritual purposes.

“I am disturbed by the loss of young children as a result of heinous and evil actions for rituals and witchcraft purposes. These cold-hearted acts of murder 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,” said Mnangagwa during a virtual Junior Cabinet meeting at State House on Friday.

While Mnangagwa was Minister of State for National Security, the 5th Brigade of the Zimbabwe National Army killed thousands of civilians in the Matabeleland region. These massacres, known as the Gukurahundi, lasted from 1983 to 1987, and resulted in an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 deaths.

More recently military officials – many behind his rise to power – have been accused of benefiting from the rich Marange diamond fields in eastern Zimbabwe, with reports of killings and human rights abuses there.

His ruthlessness, which it could be argued he learnt from his Rhodesian torturers, is said to have been seen again in 2008 when he reportedly masterminded Zanu-PF’s response to former President late Robert Mugabe losing the first round of the presidential election to long-time rival the late Morgan Tsvangirai.

The military and state security organisations unleashed a campaign of violence against opposition supporters, leaving hundreds dead and forcing thousands from their homes. Tsvangirai then pulled out of the second round and Mugabe was re-elected in a one man race.

On August 1 2018, the Zimbabwean army shot at protestors killing at least twelve and injuring many others. The government of Mnangagwa again denied involvement. A commission headed by Mohlante found the army responsible for the killings. The commission made recommendations and all were ignored by Mnangagwa’s military government. None of the recommendations were carried out.

In January 2019, more protestors were killed by the same army in cold blood. Scores of women were raped, some in front family members. A brazen Mnangagwa, would later demand to see graves of those killed and the women raped should come to him that he can believe that such atrocities took place at the hands of the army he directs. Many Zimbabweans were shocked and hurt by such reckless statements from a heartless president.

Additional reporting News Agencies

State Media

Tapiwa Makore was looking forward to resuming classes on November 9, and rejoining his peers at Nyamutumbu Primary School in Murehwa after a six-month hiatus.

Like millions of other pupils across the country, particularly his Grade One fellows, he was raring to go as the phased reopening of schools, which comes into effect on Monday, puts an end to their daily routine of playing house, horseplay and hopscotch, in-between errands as may be assigned by their parents.

The seven-year-old Tapiwa was his parents’ gift from God as was reflected in his name. With school lessons temporarily shelved owing to Covid-19, the bubbly boy, like the gift he was, often helped out his mother in tending to their vegetable garden.

In the morning of Thursday September 17, as she has always done, Tapiwa’s mother prepared food for him and set him off on the excursion to keep stray livestock away from their vegetable patch.

She and her husband were set to relieve him later in the afternoon.

However, fate had decided otherwise. It was set in the stars that they would never see their beloved son alive again, neither were they to bury him intact.

Unbeknown to them, the Makore family had set in motion a chain of events that would leave the serene community of Makore Village in Chief Mangwende’s domain of Murehwa District, dumbfounded, distressed and in deep mourning as a dark cloud of both grief and fear engulfed them.

Tapiwa’s story reads like a horror movie where death is traded with such abandon that the grisly ceases to be abnormal with the Grim Reaper, in his dark shrouds, hooded robe and scythe daring the living as they dare each other.

Bereft of words, the community fretfully tries to come to terms with what could have befallen their child; for in African societies, a child belongs to all. No one knows what he went through, and how the Grim Reaper tore through his fragile heart to “reap” his soul. All else pointed to ritual murder.

When Tapiwa’s parents got to the garden around 3pm, where they expected to see him as usual, they were confronted by his “last meal”, untouched, and his pair of shoes. Their boy was nowhere to be seen.

The parents’ enquiries on the whereabouts of their cherished son from other children, who were also keeping watch over their gardens revealed that Tapiwa had last been seen swimming in a pond close-by.

A visit to the pond, however, did not yield any result. Suddenly an air of fear filled them as they alerted other villagers of the missing boy, resulting in an immediate search of the area.

Nonetheless, the search, which was immediately conducted into the wee hours of the night and the morrow, yielded nothing; except more pain, anxiety and regret. By then, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had joined in the search.

The following day, Friday September 18, villagers reported that a neighbour had woken up to an enigmatic sight in his yard. He discovered his dog and puppies feasting on human organs. The body had its head, neck, both legs and arms hacked off.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said of the discovery then:

“The body of the boy was later discovered on September18, 2020, being eaten by dogs with the head, arms and legs chopped off for suspected ritual purposes.”

With the police leaving no stone unturned, one of the suspects, Tafadzwa Shamba was nabbed on kidnap and murder charges, while his two alleged accomplices are still at large.

Shamba, a herdsman in the same village with the Makores, and his co-conspirators ostensibly allegedly waylaid the boy from his family’s garden, took him to a mountain and detained him for the entire day.

The herdsman was promised US$1 500 for his part in the kidnap and subsequent gruesome murder.

However, before the envisaged windfall, Shamba’s luck ran out, as the blood-stained clothes he wore on the day he allegedly committed the crime betrayed him.

Naturally, the discovery of Tapiwa’s dismembered body, and one of the suspects’ subsequent arrest would have put closure to the sad story, as some questions could have been answered.

That was not to be. More human body parts were found strewn all over the place including a skull. However, this turned out not to be Tapiwa’s. This discovery with all the trappings of the macabre, led to more questions than answers.

Could there be a conspiracy to wipe out children from the area for ritual purposes? Has the area’s Grim Reaper made a date with the Makore villagers for a ransom as an appeasement for some ill-informed engagement from the past?

Villagers and the police unearthed more than they could chew. Among the skulls found, was one that looked so old it could not be linked to the victim’s; the other one was still blood-stained, but with the eyes gorged out and missing jawline. The chin and tongue were also missing.

Also discovered were a fire-singed child’s palm, a jaw with seven lower teeth, and other body pieces.

It is not clear how many other children could have met their fate in Tapiwa’s manner, which has left a cold chill running through the villagers’ spines.

Tapiwa’s relatives are convinced that the discovered fresh skull could not be their “son’s”.

Mr Isaac Makore (57), the deceased boy’s granduncle, said the newly discarded skull they chanced on was not his grandnephew’s, but that of a 12-year-old, yet to be identified child’s.

As a result of the uncertainty, Tapiwa is still to find rest, as burial arrangements have been put on hold pending further investigations.

“My grandnephew went missing, and we later discovered his torso with other organs, like the head, hands, and legs missing. We also discovered separate sets of teeth; and two separate skulls, one with lower teeth and the other one with upper teeth but without a tongue.

“Indications are that the other skull belongs to a yet to be identified older child, and not our ‘child’s’, Mr Makore said.

However, the boy’s privates were untouched.

Following Tapiwa’s grisly murder, and the unearthing of more mutilated body parts, villagers are now living in fear of death merchants who could be on the prowl in the area, seeking children’s hearts for ritual purposes.

Tapiwa’s uncle, Mr Simbarashe Makore (38), said it is believed that there could be many children, although not from their area, who could have been killed for ritual purposes, and had their bodies dumped in the proximity of their village.

“We are now living in fear. Our prayer is that the police apprehend the culprits and rid our area of this menace. Who knows, after our children, they may also come for us, their parents. How could someone kill a fellow human being in such cold blood just like that?” he bemoaned.

Ms Easther Makore (52), Tapiwa’s aunt concurred, saying the police should not leave any stone unturned and get to the bottom of the issue as it was mind-boggling that so many human organs could be discovered hard upon her nephew’s demise.

Mr Summer Murwira (78), a nephew to the Makore family, at whose homestead Tapiwa’s dismembered body was found, said it (body) was bloodless when it was discovered.

Another villager weighed in, saying: “I do not think the place the torso was found is where he was murdered, otherwise there would have been blood stains all over. This is a serious matter.

“We now fear for our children. No one even wants to attend to the gardens anymore, or guard them against roaming livestock since the incident occurred.” —

(Additional reporting — Kwayedza).

OBERT MPOFU: Those who voted for that promise have the jobs. Why want to be included for what you didn’t contribute towards?

JONATHAN MOYO: Do you have a list of those who voted for your vain promise? Wait. You mean the soldiers who used an Excel Spreadsheet to falsify results of the 2018 presidential election at ZEC head office. Your outrageous tweet proves Mnangagwa’s criminal ZanuPF can’t protect ALL the citizens!

OBERT MPOFU: @ProfJNMoyo are you trying to validate your Excel-gate desktop research print-on-demand booklet? Coming from a veteran political scientist, this is laughable. You would know better we have the address of every ZANU PF supporter on our data-base. We know everyone from the cell.

Your post-November 2017 degeneration from your erstwhile robust scholarship of the 90s benchmarked by ‘Voting for Democracy’ (1992) among other books is a shame to the academia. Sad to see your “Fall from Grace” reproducing you to petty reactionary greviance intellectualism.

@Jamwanda2 diagnosed your current predicament before time: “Big Book minus Social Intelligence”. I have laughed at your “mind of a rat” banter claim about me. How ironic that your elephant-size academic accolades have only landed you in some lonely political oblivion.

JONATHAN MOYO: Hahaha. And you’re the ruling ZanuPF’s secretary general with this rat nonsense? Asambe sibone Mpofu. Oh you also masquerade as today’s Lobengula. Asifuni bumbulu uyazi. And is your PA Ndlovu, the one who wrote your…still with you? He used to consult me when he was writing it!

Mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume says council will continue to take appropriate measures to ensure that wetlands are preserved.

Mayor Mafume was speaking during a recent meeting with Harare Wetlands Trust and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

The two parties have been lobbying Council and Government to protect wetlands in the city which are the first port in the city’s water treatment process.

Clr Mafume said deliberate programmes are being put in place to protect wetlands.

“As a council, we will continue taking suitable action in making sure that the remaining wetlands in Harare are protected.

“We understand their importance to this city, especially considering that the city is built top of its water sources,” he said.

He said Council will conduct an audit of the trustees who own golf clubs at some of the wetlands.

Harare Wetlands Trust Coordinator, Julia Pierini, said wetlands are crucial to maintaining water sources hence should be protected at all costs.

“There is need to develop a policy that support the establishment and management of nature reserves on the remaining wetlands.

“We need to protect these wetlands so that they will be restored to their natural state.

“We are suggesting for these wetlands to be used as recreational parks, as this will prevent people from illegally building infrastructure and practising agriculture on the land,” said Julia.

Former ZANU PF official Shadreck Mashayamombe has said that he was diagnosed with colon cancer. Posting on Twitter, Mashayamombe advised young men and women to regularly go for cancer screening. He said:

“SAD to tell you that I have been diagnosed with COLON CANCER. I advise all young men and women to go for routine Colo-rectal Cancer Screening. Pray for me as I battle against this Monster. I am starting a new Journey in my life.”

This comes after the disease recently claimed the life of 34-year-old opposition MDC Alliance political activist Patson Dzamara who was a brother to missing journalist-cum political activist Itai Dzamara.

Colorectal cancer is the 3rd most common cancer globally, and the 6th most common in Africa. There has been a gradual temporal increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer in Zimbabwe over the past two decades

The exact cause of colorectal cancer is not known, but certain risk factors are strongly linked to the disease, including diet, tobacco smoking and heavy alcohol use.

Also, people with certain hereditary cancer syndromes or a family history of colorectal cancer have a high risk of developing the disease.

— Pindula

STAKEHOLDERS in the media industry yesterday warned government against threatening media organisations and interfering in editorial policies of independent newspapers as it posed serious danger to Press freedoms and the safety of practitioners.

This came after President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba yesterday launched a barrage of tweets on his handle @Jamwanda2, attacking NewsDay and its editor, Wisdom Mdzungairi, for not reporting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s anti-sanctionas call at the United Nations General Assembly.

Charamba accused NewsDay of pursuing an “anti-Zanu-PF agenda” and threatened unspecified action.

He accused NewsDay of selectively ignoring Ramaphosa’s address and concentrating on the remarks by his International Relations minister Nalade Pandor, who challenged Zanu-PF to be honest about the crisis in the country.

“The dutifully opinionated editor of NewsDay avoids and ignores that address with the frightened care of a 19th Century man avoiding a leper. Instead, the wise Editor foregrounds some errant and non-committal comments by some South African minister who is an appointee of President Ramaphosa,” Charamba tweeted.

“Whatever it is the NewsDay editor is angling for won’t remain disguised for too long. His hostile editorial thrust simply has exceeded journalistic limits. It is now an anti-Zanu-PF, anti-government and anti-country crusade run consistently,” Charamba wrote.

“When a newspaper makes it its duty to play opposition to government of the day, well, it may be time to call it to order and invite it to formalise its chosen and desired role of opposition, but without hiding behind the parapet of the noble profession of journalism.”

He warned of unspecified consequences.

“They do that, they cross the line of professionalism which is their only shield against reactions that may inevitably come by way of consequences. The Constitution does not privilege editors …”

He accused NewsDay of ignoring stories that paint government in good light, including Tuesday’s currency auction that he claims “finds the Zim dollar retaining
its firming path which has been running for three sales in succession”.

But Zimbabwe National Editor’s Forum (Zinef ) national director Njabulo Ncube said the threats on NewsDay and its editor were uncalled for and Mnangagwa must rein in his lieutenants.

“We cannot allow civil servants to abuse journalists. Journalism is a profession. Let civil servants allow journalists to work because what we have noticed is there is lot of interference in the State media and we don’t want that to cascade to private media,” Ncube said.

He said the attack would result in Zanu-PF militia targeting NewsDay journalists.

Media Alliance of Zimbabwe chairperson Tabani Moyo said government officials should not interfere in the operations of media outlets.

“The good thing about Mr Charamba’s threats is that he is not the editor of the paper, so he cannot decide the content that comes out in the paper,” Moyo said.

“We stand firmly behind independent journalism in Zimbabwe as exhibited by NewsDay and encourage its editorial team not to budge to any forces of pressure and continue to abide by its ethical decisions they are taking in breaking stories daily.

“Being attacked by all quarters across the political divide, from Zanu-PF, the MDCs and other parties, it shows that (NewsDay’s) journalism has stood the test of time, so do not lose sleep in the sideshows and bushfires. You are on the correct side of the divide and it is the factual reporting that you are doing. That’s what matters and Zimbabwe is well-informed now because of what you are doing.”

Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary-general Foster Dongozi said such threats by Charamba were unacceptable.

“Threats have no place in a country that is engaging the international community,” he said.

Dongozi said what was more worrying was that Charamba’s attacks came days after journalists were attacked by unknown assailants while covering a Press conference in Harare and yet government remained silent.

Observers said government should leave media houses to carry out their mandate as their call was to hold the Executive to account and the behaviour by Charamba was a threat to the independence of the media.

-Newsday

EXILED former Zanu PF national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere has advised MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa against perennially resorting to the courts to settle political problems rocking the opposition party, but to take the game back to the people.

In a virtual interview with Centre for Innovation and Technology (CITE) director Zenzele Ndebele yesterday, Kasukuwere accused MDC-T president Thokozani Khupe

of grabbing the MDC Alliance using the courts after suffering a massive electoral defeat in 2018.“Politics is about the people and Nelson must take the game back to the people,” Kasukuwere said.

“Let the people make decisions. It is about the people voting and the verdict will come from the people.

“If they are to go to the by-elections and a determination is made by the people, it will make all those making those decisions think twice. As it stands, the people’s will and the people’s decision is being undermined on a daily basis.”

Khupe contested the 2018 elections under the MDC-T banner and garnered a paltry 45 000 votes against Chamisa’s over two million.

“Did people vote for Khupe? The answer is no, and for Khupe, to walk in and say I am now the president of this party, MDC Alliance, I think at a personal level, I wouldn’t take such a position because I know that I wouldn’t get 45 000 votes.”

“I wouldn’t want to take an institution that somebody has built. We all know the game at play and at the end of the day, do you get the best results out of the courts or it is a political game?” Kasukuwere said

Chamisa has accused Zanu PF and the courts of using Khupe in plotting his downfall.

This was after his party was left in chaos following a Supreme Court ruling in March that declared him an illegitimate leader of the opposition party.

Khupe, ruled the interim president, has recalled 84 councillors voted for under Chamisa as well as 21 MPs, apart from grabbing the party’s Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House and recently the name MDC Alliance.

-Newsday

Former Information Technology minister Supa Mandiwanzira was acquitted on a charge of criminal abuse of office on Friday, more than two years after his arrest.

The Nyanga South MP had been charged with “unprocedurally seconding” his personal assistant Tawanda Chinembiri – a government employee at deputy director level – to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) board without following due process.

Prosecutors had charged that Chinembiri was not an employee of the government, but Mandiwanzira’s team always contended that he was, and accused prosecutors of bringing him to court on a false premise.

Harare magistrate Esthere Chivasa acquitted Manziwanzira on Friday after prosecutors admitted their charge was incompetent.

Prosecutor George Manokore said he took over the case mid-flight and even as he realised that the charge needed amending, he never got round to doing so.

“Having taken over the matter from a different team, we went through the state papers as was directed by the court but we believe that we underestimated the issues which we were supposed to deal with before we prepared the charge sheet,” Makonore said.

“As the state, we have no problem with the accused person being removed from remand.”

Mandiwanzira was arrested in 2018 on two charges. He was acquitted by Justice Nicholas Mathonsi at the Harare High Court last year on a charge of criminal abuse of office over a NetOne audit contract awarded to Megawatt Energy (Private) Limited without going to tender.

Megawatt unearthed overpricing of equipment by bought by NetOne by US$100 million. At least US$30 million of that money was recovered, and Justice Mathonsi ruled that Mandiwanzira had saved NetOne money, and not prejudiced it.

Mandiwanzira’s lawyer Fungai Chimwamurombe said Mandiwanzira should never have been arrested.

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has called dupon an Independent inquiry into matters surrounding the incarceration of MDC leader Joana Mamombe.

A Harare court remanded the legislator for Harare West Joana Mamombe in custody for two weeks for her to be examined by two government doctors after the State said that it suspects her of faking mental illness to avoid trial. Magistrate Bianca Makwande said Mamombe has to be examined by doctors as the court cannot independently assess her mentality.

Said Chamisa, “The unlawful detention &sending to Chikurubi maximum prison of Youth leader &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 & fearless. We fight for their right to dignity, freedom and justice.

“The MDC trio represent what Zimbabwe could be if we made room for the NEW. They are women of courage and conviction. The trio &all young pple are the embodiment of a New Zimbabwe we can create in which young women can freely participate in political activity and nation building.”

-Online

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has called dupon an Independent inquiry into matters surrounding the incarceration of MDC leader Joana Mamombe.

A Harare court remanded the legislator for Harare West Joana Mamombe in custody for two weeks for her to be examined by two government doctors after the State said that it suspects her of faking mental illness to avoid trial. Magistrate Bianca Makwande said Mamombe has to be examined by doctors as the court cannot independently assess her mentality.

Said Chamisa, “The unlawful detention &sending to Chikurubi maximum prison of Youth leader &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 & fearless. We fight for their right to dignity, freedom and justice.

“The MDC trio represent what Zimbabwe could be if we made room for the NEW. They are women of courage and conviction. The trio &all young pple are the embodiment of a New Zimbabwe we can create in which young women can freely participate in political activity and nation building.”

-Daily News

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.

“These are a breach of international law and compromise Zimbabwe’s capacity to implement and achieve Sustainable Development (Goals) especially SDGs 2, 3, 8, 9 and 17,” said Mnangagwa, referring to the global commitment to end hunger, improve health and well-being, create jobs, develop industry, innovation and infrastructure, as well as build partnerships.

In a pre-recorded speech delivered virtually to the 75^th United Nations General Assembly due to the global coronavirus pandemic that has restricted public gatherings, Mnangagwa said like other nations, COVID-19 has had an adverse effect on Zimbabwe, which have been compounded by the sanctions.

“Like other nations in the region, we are facing humanitarian challenges which in our case have been worsened by the illegal sanctions, the negative impact of climate change and compounded by the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic,” said Mnangagwa in his 14-minute speech.

Zimbabwe has registered just under 8,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 226 deaths. In March, the government took measures to contain the spread of the virus but imposing several statutory instruments to allow for lockdown and other restrictive measures. During this time, nurses and many health care professionals went on strike for close to five months, citing poor working conditions, including shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) such as masks and gloves, as well poor salaries.

Mnangagwa, however, assured the Assembly that Zimbabwe is closely following the World Health Organization’s recommendations on containing the spread of the virus, and providing adequately for its citizens, health institutions and its health workers and facility health care and protective clothing.

“Let me assure you that Zimbabwe continues to implement measures to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Over and above instituting phased lockdowns following World Health Organization guidelines, my Government has also provided ZWL$18 billion (approximately US$720 million) economic stimulus package.”

Despite the impact of sanctions and COVID-19, Mnangagwa however said his country has registered “notable achievements” toward reaching the SDG, as far as improving the lives of its citizens.

“Our macro-economic stabilization reforms have seen the reduction of our budget deficit to a single digit, as well as a positive balance of our current account, coupled with foreign exchange rate and price stability.

Many economists have, however, disputed the government’s account of stabilization or ease of doing business, saying, with year on year inflation as recorded by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe at close to 800% and cost of living continuing to increase, the country is far from showing signs of improvement.

Political and economic commentator, Nokuthula Adonsi, says, “It is surprising that the government is saying all this yet it can’t raise money to compensate white commercial farmers whose land was seized by the government. At the same time, people are living from hand to mouth in a country where it is difficult to set up businesses due to stringent regulations.”

Sticking to his government’s position that there is no crisis in the country, despite the outcry by human rights groups of violations of citizens civil rights as demonstrated by the mass arrests of journalists, opposition members and activists, 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.

“It is in this spirit and in line with our Constitution that in July this year, my Government concluded the landmark Global Compensation Deed, with former farm owners.”

Dismissing accusations from opposition parties like the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa of stifling democratic space and not fostering an environment of peace and unity through dialogue, Mnangagwa, who recently entertained two delegations from South Africa sent to investigate reports of various violations in the country, said his government has accommodated all voices.

“The culture of dialogue across all sectors is taking root, with activities and programmes under the auspices of our homegrown Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD), gaining momentum.”

On gender, Mnangagwa said in keeping with the Beijing Declaration of 1995 and the upcoming anniversary on October 1^st, his government has ensured the advancement of women in his country.

“These include the adoption of a gender-responsive Constitution, establishment of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, enactment of several pieces of legislation to outlaw all practices that infringe on the rights of women and girls, such as forced and child marriages and discrimination against women in inheritance matters,” said Mnangagwa, adding that his government had also ensured access to capital for women through the establishment of the Women’s Bank.

Moving on to issues outside his country, Mnangagwa picked up from his predecessor, former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, called for an end to the occupation of Western Sahara, and also for the inclusion of Africa in the UN Security Council.

“We cannot continue with a situation where over 16% of the world’s population does not have a voice in decision making. This is a serious indictment to our avowed commitment to multilateralism and the basic principles of natural justice, fairness and equity.”

This year marks the 75^th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the ongoing sessions which end Saturday, are taking place under the theme, “The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitments to multilateralism-confronting COVID-19 through effective multilateral action.”

-VOA

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.-B-Metro

Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance Assembly of Women has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Hon Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe.

In a statement on Friday, MDC Alliance Assembly of Women spokesperson, Barbara Gwangwara Tanyanyiwa described the harassment of Hon Mamombe as barbaric.

See full statement :

The MDC Alliance Assembly of women notes with great concern the continued harassment of the Harare West MP Hon Joana Mamombe by the state.

From the time she was abducted, tortured and sexually abused by the state security together with Cecilua Chimbiri and Netsai Marova, the trio have never been treated justly by the government.

Their abductors are walking freely because they are protected by the state and instead of being treated as victims, they are being accused of faking their abduction, an act which we found to be absurd.

The detention is unlawful and her continued harassment and victimisation is uncalled for.

The corrupt Priscah Mupfumira has been out on bail for the past 9 months after pleading with the Court that she was not mentally fit to stand trial which is the same case with Mary Mubaiwa Chiwenga. The Prosecuters had no problem with that and the magistrate only asked for Mupfumira psychiatrist to testify. So why is Joanna being treated differently from these two women? This discrimination and selective application of law must stop.

We are deeply concerned and worried about these developments and know that they are meant to break us and stop women from actively participating in politics and issues that affect our lives. We are not going to keep quiet but will continue speaking out and expressing ourselves as per our constitution.

We call upon all progressive women and other women’s organisations to unite and denounce this government that violates women’s right. We call upon the government to respect the rights of the women.

*We demand the immediate release of Joana Mamombe and other political prisoners*

The Assembly of women will continue to fight for a people’s government that respects human rights and the dignity of women.

Barbara Gwangwara Tanyanyiwa
AOW Spokesperson

Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance(Namibia Branch) has described the detention and torture of the party’s Youth Assembly member, Hon Joana Mamombe as totally unacceptable.

The MDC Alliance has also called for widespread protests at the harassment of women and the youth by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.

Read full statement below:

25 SEPTEMBER 2020

GENUINE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS MUST COORDINATE IMMEDIATE ACTION DEMANDING JUSTICE AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT, TORTURE AND DENIAL OF PSYCHO-SOCIAL SERVICES FOR HON JOANA MAMOMBE, MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA FUMES

Mdc Alliance Namibia is infuriated by the perpetual incarceration of Hon Joana Mamombe who has just been remanded in custody for two (2) weeks for her to be examined by two (2) government doctors after the state said it suspects her of faking mental illness to avert trial.

The outspoken legislator has been imprisoned for actively supporting democratic rights that conflict with the views of despots in rogue Zanupf regime.

Ms Joana Mamombe is a prisoner of conscience and we should demand her immediate release from the hell- hole of Chikurubi Maximum Prison.

On 2 March 2019, she was arbitrarily arrested and charged with treason.

It was alleged that she was attempting to subvert a constitutionally elected government led by Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa,after she led a protest on 14 January 2018. On 13 May 2020, she and two other women , Mdc Alliance vibrant Youth Assembly leaders Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova were initially arrested by the police before they were surrendered to masked abductors at Harare Central Police Station.

Two days later, the women were found badly injured and traumatized , by the side of the road sixty miles from Harare.

Given this authoritarian narrative, Mdc Alliance Namibia urges all Social Democrats around the globe to pent-up their outrage forcing Zanupf government to address the longstanding obstruction to justice and constitutionalism for the victims of rape and other sexual abuse perpetrated by Zanupf state security agents.

Instead of allowing the further victimisation, we should coordinate action to assist Hon Joana Mamombe to obtain legal , medical , psychosocial services and political freedom.

We need to gather the much needed varlour , mettle and nerve to compel Zanupf to lift restrictions on freedom of expression and association , and allow civil society, including female human rights defenders, to demonstrate peacefully and engage in public action and discourse.

Furthermore, all genuine revolutionaries must confront the ruthless security forces to halt targeting activists and end all abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence , and hold accountable those perpetrators.

We would like to urgently call for the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) rapporteurs on human rights defenders to escalate their engagement on Zimbabwe, conduct visits to investigate and report on incessant patterns of gross abuse against female activists including sexual violence and the adverse repercussions on their agenda to ensure gender equity in the Motherland.

Moreover, Mdc Alliance Namibia believes that the imprisonment of our youthful leader on spurious charges is an attempt to muffle and then silence her altogether. Lets demand democratic reforms and castigate Zanupf for suffocating voices of dissent in Zimbabwe.

We should remain resolute in our clamour to end arbitrary detentions of all activists and human rights defenders, release those held unlawfully or charge them lawfully according to full due democratic and constitutional processes. Zanupf sadists should be called to order and respect the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.

Moreso, Social democrats must ensure that all victims of sexual violence and physical assault have access to medical care including pyscho-social support.

Hon Joana Mamombe, Cecilia and Netsai need our serious confrontation with Zanupf thugocrats for their liberation.

In a nutshell, Mdc Alliance Namibia shall not be silenced by Zanupf terrorists. We shall continue to audibly call for democratic reform in Zimbabwe. We reject to be bullied by our murderers. Mdc Alliance Namibia advocates for dangerous freedom against thugocracy and maltreatment of women in the alternative government.

Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya

Farai Dziva|The relentless persecution of Hon Joana Mamombe indicates that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is afraid of the power of the future, President Nelson Chamisa has said.

The harassment of women and the youth is a threat to democratic tenets, according to President 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 cannot deliver justice. We demand an INDEPENDENT INQUIRY!

This continued persecution of these emblems of change is a direct threat to democratic tenets and freedom,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.

” 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 three represent what Zimbabwe could be if we made room for the NEW.They are women of courage and conviction.

The trio and all young pple are the embodiment of a New Zimbabwe we can create in which young women can freely participate in political activity and nation building,” he added.

Farai Dziva|The relentless persecution of Hon Joana Mamombe indicates that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is afraid of the power of the future, President Nelson Chamisa has said.

The harassment of women and the youth is a threat to democratic tenets, according to President 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 cannot deliver justice. We demand an INDEPENDENT INQUIRY!

This continued persecution of these emblems of change is a direct threat to democratic tenets and freedom,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.

” 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 three represent what Zimbabwe could be if we made room for the NEW.They are women of courage and conviction.

The trio and all young pple are the embodiment of a New Zimbabwe we can create in which young women can freely participate in political activity and nation building,” he added.

In the video footage below, Mr Emmerson cries for the removal of sanctions.

Mnangagwa UN speech:

In the video footage below, Mr Emmerson cries for the removal of sanctions.

Mnangagwa UN speech:

A 63-year-old Chitungwiza man died on Saturday afternoon after he was assaulted by three touts along High Glen Road in Harare.

The touts allegedly wanted to force him to board their unregistered commuter omnibus.

Mr Anias Chiyangwa of Zengeza 1 was pronounced dead at Parktown Clinic in Waterfalls where he was taken by his relatives.

Mr Chiyangwa was walking near Mashwede service station when he was approached by the touts who were travelling in an unregistered Nissan Caravan.

The touts tried to force him to board their vehicle, but he resisted and they started assaulting him until he became unconscious.

According to a witness, one of the touts kicked him several times on the head and another on the chest, until some members of the public intervened.

The touts jumped into their vehicle and sped off.

Members of the public searched Chiyangwa’s pockets and found his mobile phone, which they used to inform one of his relatives who attended the scene.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and appealed for information leading to the arrest of the suspects.-The Herald

A Murewa herd boy was on Thursday arrested by police in connection with the gruesome murder of Tapiwa Makore (7) from Makore Village under Chief Mangwende, in a suspected ritual killing.

Tafadzwa Shamba (40) is suspected to have connived with other suspects to ambush the victim who was looking after the family garden on September 17 in the morning.

The suspect, together with others still on the run, are said to have abducted the boy, shepherded him to a mountain and kept him for the whole day before brutally murdering and chopping off his head, arms and legs at night.

It is understood that one of the suspects from Juru Growth Point took away the head leaving the herd boy guarding the other body parts.

Police allege that Shamba had been promised US$1 500 when the Juru suspect had returned to pick up more body parts.-The Herald

NewsDay

THREE police officers who were actively involved in the arrest of Delish Nguwaya, the Zimbabwean representative of Drax International, a company implicated in the US$60 million COVID-19 equipment procurement scam, have been arrested.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests but referred further questions to the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (Sacu), which also refused to comment on the matter, throwing back the questions to police.

“You can check with Sacu, is the one handling the case,” Nyathi said.

Sacu head Tabani Mpofu said his organisation had no arresting powers.

“I don’t have the full details now; I cannot assist you beyond this. I am yet to receive the full details.”

But NewsDay is reliably informed that Sacu investigators arrested Criminal Investigations Department head Chrispen Charumbira and his two subordinates Superintendent Naboth Nyachega and Obeylaw Moyo.

It is understood that on May 14, Nyachenga wrote to Finance secretary George Guvamatanga raising a red flag over suspected money laundering in the Drax saga.

Nyachenga was the investigating officer in the Drax case where Nguwaya was arrested by Moyo. Charumbira sanctioned the arrest. Charumbira was last night detained at Rhodesville Police Station while the whereabouts of Moyo and Nyachenga could not be established.

AN illegal gold panner died after a shaft he was working in collapsed in West Nicholson.

Matabeleland South acting provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Loveness Mangena confirmed the incident which occurred on Tuesday at Umzingwane Panning Site in West Nicholson at around 1PM.

He said Noel Gumbo (41) from Mwenezi was working in a 10-metre-deep shaft when it collapsed and he was buried inside.

“I can confirm that we recorded a mine accident which occurred at Umzingwane Panning Site in West Nicholson. Noel Gumbo was illegally panning for gold in a 10-metre-deep shaft together with his nephew.

“Gumbo further went underground and entered into a tunnel which is about five metres long. The tunnel collapsed while he was inside and buried him underneath. His nephew sought help from other panners who were in the area and they managed to pull Gumbo out of the shaft while he was still alive,” she said.

Insp Mangena said Gumbo died before he could be taken to hospital. She said the matter was reported to the police who attended the scene.

Insp Mangena said it remains a cause for concern that the province kept recording a number of fatal mine accidents as a result of illegal mining activities. She said people were failing to take heed of the advise that was coming from law enforcements agents.

Insp Mangena urged members of the public to desist from engaging in illegal panning activities as they were putting their lives in danger in addition to violating the law.

She said people who want to engage in mining activities have to formalise their operations and follow the correct procedures in order to acquire necessary paper work before operating.

“It’s sad that we continue to record a number of mine accidents as a result of illegal mining activities which are rampant in the province. If people want to engage in mining they should formalise their operations. By engaging in illegal mining they will not only be committing an offence but they will also be putting their lives at risk as they will be operating without necessary equipment and protective clothing.

“Some of these illegal miners operate in the early hours of the morning in order to evade police not knowing that they will be risking their lives. People should learn to listen and also value their lives,” she said.

By Al Jazeera

BEHIND bars and confined in a tight space shared by dozens of other detainees, Zimbabwean opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume was anxious about catching coronavirus.

Designed to hold 16 people, the crammed cells at the Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison were full with more than 40 people, he said.

“I was very afraid I would contract Covid-19 because the cells were overcrowded,” said Ngarivhume, who spent 43 days in detention for organising outlawed anti-government protests in late July.

“If prison authorities had observed social distancing rules of a metre (3.3 feet) apart, the cell would have accommodated only 10 people.”

Instead, he said, detainees were barely 30cm (12 inches) apart. At night, the inmates at the small facility on the outskirts of the capital, Harare, spread filthy and lice-infested blankets on the hard-concrete floor, forming elongated rows for going to sleep.

“You could literally smell the breath of the next guy,” said Ngarivhume, who was charged with inciting violence and freed on bail in his fourth attempt earlier this month.

With physical distancing virtually impossible, and major shortages in essential items to protect against Covid-19 such as soaps, hand sanitisers and clean face masks, Zimbabwe’s prison population is at great risk of being exposed to the highly infectious disease, according to experts.

Already, some cases have been recorded.

In late July, 43 inmates and 23 prison officers tested positive for the highly infectious respiratory disease in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city.

In facilities based in Harare and elsewhere, no cases have officially been confirmed. But two former detainees at Chikurubi said several people tested positive last month when authorities decided to conduct random tests.

“In the hall where I was staying, there were 10 cells housing inmates,” according to Ngarivhume. “Prison authorities randomly selected an inmate for Covid-19 testing from the 10 cells. Of the 10 who were tested, seven were positive for Covid-19.”

But with “no quarantine facilities … they put them back in the cells”, said Ngarivhume, adding that this took place in the week before his release on September 2.

Questions sent days before the publication of this article to Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) spokeswoman Meya Khanyezi were not responded to. Additional efforts to get a comment were unsuccessful.

Overall, Zimbabwe has so far registered 7,752 coronavirus cases, including 227 related deaths. Some 6,043 people have recovered. In late March, President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a “national disaster” as he introduced a tight lockdown to stem the spread of the pandemic. Schools were closed, borders were shut and large gatherings were banned, while mask-wearing in public was made mandatory.

The threat of coronavirus could not have come at a worse time for people in the country. In December last year, the World Food Programme warned that Zimbabwe was facing its worst hunger crisis in 10 years with half of the population – 7.7 million people – food insecure.

After years of underfunding, the country’s healthcare system is in shambles and doctors say medicines are in short supply. Depleted state coffers mean the government is unable to purchase sufficient supplies for state-run medical facilities.

The country is in the throes of a deepening economic crisis characterised by high inflation of more than 800 percent and foreign currency shortages, as well as a devastating mix of a rapidly weakening currency and stagnant salaries.

Amid the economic woes, government departments such as ZPCS have struggled to cope. In March, authorities said Zimbabwe’s prisons, with a holding capacity of 17,000 inmates, had a population of 22,000. Between March and June 2020, a total of 4,208 prisoners were pardoned by Mnangagwa – but the number of people in crowded conditions remains high.

A prison officer, who spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, confirmed prisons were overcrowded, with facilities designed to hold 1,400 inmates having in excess of 2,000 people.

“Overcrowding also affects food rations because when budgets are drawn, funds will be released against 1,400 people. Any number above that is not provided for,” the officer said, adding that prison authorities had to go to great lengths to ensure everyone is fed.

“Chikurubi is like a concentration camp,” said Hopewell Chin’ono, a prominent journalist who was detained on the same day as Ngarivhume after expressing support for the anti-government demonstrations. He was also released on bail from Chikurubi in early September.

“Prison conditions were horrible and I think they generally reflect the state of affairs in Zimbabwe,” Chin’ono said, raising alarm over the lack of safeguards against the coronavirus and warning that Covid-19 is a real threat for detainees in tight spaces.

“Inmates don’t have basic things like soap and running water in cells,” he added. “Prisons are failing to provide basic things like food. Prisoners eat only sadza and cabbages and beans. In the morning they are fed porridge that has no sugar. For me, this is a reflection of the corruption in the government system.”

Chin’ono said the situation has been worsened by restrictions imposed by prison authorities to curb Covid-19. Under the new rules, relatives of inmates can no longer make visits and deliver essentials such as food and medication.

“There is no medication in there for those showing symptoms. Those who show symptoms such as sore throats are given warm water to drink and that is it. The prisoners don’t have masks. Most are given masks when they are set to appear in court to conform with the law,” he added.

‘Time bombs’

Norman Matara, secretary-general for the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights, said prisons are “potential Covid-19 time bombs, by their nature”.

“But we don’t have specific information at the moment on the state of affairs regarding the Covid-19 situation.”

He said his group was working with authorities and would provide educational and material support once they have assessed their needs.

Last month, ZPCS Assistant Commissioner Mzila Moyo said his service had introduced various measures at all prisons in Bulawayo to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Covid-19 “knows no boundaries, and as Bulawayo Metropolitan Province we have a number of programmes that we have put in place to curtail the spread of the virus. Social distancing, mask-wearing are a must in the prisons in the whole province”, he said.

“Our health teams are moving around educating the inmates and officers on preventive measures. In each and every prison, we have sanitisers and foot baths at all points of entry.” – AlJazeera

State Media

POLYTECHNICS, teachers’ colleges and industrial training colleges will reopen on October 5 for face to-face learning.

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.

Studies were initially discontinued on March 24 as part of a raft of measures by Government to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Teachers’ colleges, polytechnics and vocational training centres then briefly reopened on July 13 before Government abruptly suspended face-to-face lectures at all tertiary institutions a week after a Chinhoyi University of Technology lecturer tested positive for Covid-19.

On Tuesday, Government announced that all school classes will reopen over the next six weeks in three phases, but with smaller numbers of pupils, more teachers and other health-related measures so that children can resume education without the risk of a spike in Covid-19 infections.

The phased reopening, approved by Cabinet will be done in three stages. Th e three examination classes — Grade 7, Form 4 and Upper Sixth — open on September 28 in phase 1 as was announced several weeks ago. Four weeks later, on October 26, next year’s examination classes — Grade 6, Form 3 and Lower Sixth or Form 5 — open in the second phase and a fortnight aft er that, on November 9, everyone else goes back to school — ECD A and B, Grades 1 to 5 and Forms 1 and 2.

In a letter addressed to principals of tertiary education institutions and copied to the Minister, Professor Amon Murwira among other senior o fficials in the ministry, the Permanent Secretary for Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology, Professor Fanuel Tagwira said all polytechnics, teachers’ colleges and industrial training colleges will reopen on October 5 for face-to-face learning for the second term which ends on December 11.

The third term will run from January 4, 2021 to February 26, 2021.

“Please be advised that all tertiary education institutions will reopen for face-to-face learning on 5 October 2020. The academic calendar will be as follows: second term from 5 October 2020 to 11 December 2020 and then third term will begin on 4 January 2021 to 26 February 2021,” he said.

“In this regard, all principals are advised to adhere to the given guidelines and the standard operating procedures as enshrined in the Ministry’s Roadmap dated 9 June 2020.”

Prof Murwira said the ministry is convinced that it is safe for colleges to reopen for face-to-face learning.

“When we opened for the first time, it coincided with the peak of the infection period and we had to close. As I said, our policy is that if anything goes and data tells us we should close, we close. If data tells us that we open we will open. We are very flexible, it’s a pragmatic policy, we are not dogmatic, we will retreat and re-organise and do it again,” said Prof Murwira.

He said the ministry has procured laptops to capacitate lecturers to teach students both online and face to face.

“We have ordered a lot of laptops for our college lecturers. We hope on the 28th of September our servers would be coming in so that we capacitate our e-learning because we will still do the blended learning,” he said. Prof Murwira said the ministry has also facilitated cheap access to data for students.

TWENTY-SEVEN new Covid-19 cases were recorded on Thursday while 36 people recovered from the virus as the cumulative figure rose to 7752.

Bulawayo had the highest number of new infections after recording 15 cases with Harare coming second with six while Manicaland recorded five.

Of the new cases, 26 are local transmissions and one imported case from Germany.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care’s daily report shows that the country recovery rate is at 78 percent as 36 people recovered from the pandemic.

Mashonaland West had the highest number of recoveries with 15 cases followed by Mashonaland Central with 12 cases, Bulawayo coming third with eight and while Matabeleland North recorded a single recovery.

On Wednesday the country’s active cases stood at 1491 dropping to 1482.

No Covid-19 death was recorded yesterday.

“As at 24 September 2020, Zimbabwe had 7 752 confirmed cases, including 6 043 recoveries and 227 deaths,” reads the daily report.

Harare remains with the highest number of active cases 1122 cases, Matabeleland South coming second with 164 cases while Bulawayo came third with 100 cases.

The rest of the country’s provinces have 30 or less active each.

Despite the Covid-19 cases steadily decreasing in the country, Government has challenged citizens to guard against complacency as the country is not out of the woods.

The public is encouraged to wear face masks, sanitize hands while observing social and physical distance.

Correspondent

FORMER Information minister and Nyanga South legislator Supa Mandiwanzira is now a free man after he was acquitted of a charge of criminal abuse of office by Harare magistrate, Esthere Chivasa.

The state was forced to withdraw charges against the former broadcaster after it emerged that its charges against him were misplaced.

Mandiwanzira was arrested in 2018 on allegations of having appointed one Tendai Chinembiri on the board of the Postal Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) board when he was not a government employee.

The state, however, provided a contract that confirmed Chinembiri was a government employee crumbling its case.

The contract came into play after the former minister requested that the state produces further particulars in order for him to file his defence.

After this outcome, the state failed to amend its charges against Mandiwanzira.

“Having taken over the matter from a different team we went through the state papers as was directed by the court but your Worship we believe that we underestimated the issues which we were supposed to deal with before we prepared the charge sheet and having seen some issues that we need to attend to we then resorted Your Worship, as an office to have adequate time [to] apply our minds and see the way forward on the matter,” said George Manokore for the state.

He added: “As the state Your Worship, we have no problem with the accused person being removed from remand,” said Manokore before Magistrate Chivasa acquitted Mandiwanzira.

Besides accusing Mandiwanzira of appointing Chinembiri, the state also accused him of illegally engaging Megawatt Energy to investigate corruption at NetOne without going to tender.

However, the charge was quashed by the then High Court Judge, Justice Nicholas Manthonsi in 2019.

This was after it emerged the audit had led to the recovery of more than US$30 million after Megawatt Energy unearthed overpricing of equipment by over US$100 million on Chinese supplied telecommunication equipment.

Mandiwanzira was represented by Fungai Chimwamurombe of Chimwamurombe Legal Practice.

All Africa

Bindura Nickel Corporation (BNC), a mining company based in Mashonaland Central province, lost over US$66 000 through an alleged well-orchestrated fraudulent scam by one of its majority shareholders and executive director.

Through its lawyers, Mawere Sibanda Commercial Lawyers, the mining giant recently filed a court application at the High Court in Harare seeking leave to issue summons against Yat Hoi Ning, its majority shareholder, believed to be based in Hong Kong and its executive director, Yim Chiu Kwan, who is believed to be based in Canada.

According to the court papers gleaned by the Zimbabwe Independent, Ning was a major shareholder in ASA Resource Group Plc, which is an indirect majority shareholder of the BNC. And, in that position Ning is said to have been directing the policy and operational activities of the mining firm in Zimbabwe, whereas his co-respondent in the matter, Kwan was an executive director of the company having been appointed by Ning.

In her founding affidavit, BNC’s company lawyer Abigail Mbuyisa said some time in February 2017 Ning and Kwan allegedly misrepresented to BNC that there was need to purchase some bags for use by the company and that the said bags had already been sourced from a Chinese company called Qiaoyu Limited, which company apparently later turned out to be owned and controlled by the two men.

“The first and second respondents (Yat Hoi Ning and Yim Chiu Kwan) fraudulently misrepresented to the applicant (BNC) that an amount of US$65 559 had to be paid to Qiaoyu Limited, a certain Chinese company for the purchase of bags,” Mbuyisa said.

“Acting on the misrepresentation by the respondents, the applicant made the payment to Qiaoyu Ltd on March 3, 2017. Pursuant to the payment aforesaid, applicant discovered that first and second respondents controlled Qiaoyu Limited and were using it as a conduit to perpetrate the fraud.”

Mbuyisa also said through investigations, her company further discovered that no orders for the bags were ever made and neither was there any delivery of the same to BNC.

“Consequently, due to the fraudulent misrepresentation by the first and second respondents, the applicant was prejudiced in the sum of US$65 559 being the amount it paid for the purchase of the bags to Qiaoyu Ltd. It is the applicant’s intention to institute legal proceedings against the first and second respondents jointly and severally for the recovery of the US$65 559 together with interest thereon at the rate of 5% per annum calculated from the date of summons to the date of payment in full,” Mbuyisa said adding, “The respondents are jointly and severally liable to the applicant … despite demand the first and second respondents have failed and/or neglected to discharge their indebtedness to the applicant.”

According to the Zimbabwean law, and particularly in terms of Order 6 Rule 44(1) of the High Court Rules, 1971, where summons are to be served outside of Zimbabwe, the applicant in the matter must first seek leave from the court and state the matter of service which the court should authorise.

Mbuyisa said because of the law, BNC has now sought to approach the court for leave to issue summons against the two men now based abroad.

“I pray that a registered bailiff in Hong Kong be authorised to serve the summons on first respondent and further that another professional process server in Canada be authorised to serve the summons on the second respondent,” she said.

According to the court papers, Ning’s current address is given as Flat A, 46/F Tower 9, 68 Bel-Air Peak Avenue, Island South, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, whereas Kwan’s current address is given as 190 Harding, Boulevard W, Richmond Hill, Ontario, 14C0J9, Canada. The matter is pending and is yet to be set down for hearing.

Independent

By A Correspondent- Former Information Communication Technology and Cyber Security Minister Minister Supa Mandiwanzira has been acquitted of corruption charges.

Mandiwanzira was facing charges of criminal abuse of office after he allegedly awarded Megawatt Energy, a South African-based company consultancy, work to audit the US$218 954 843.00 deal between Net-One and Huawei Technologies.

The Zanu-PF Nyanga North legislator has been seeking acquittal on charges of corruption, arguing the indictment is defective.

Mandiwanzira is one of the several high-profile figures to have been charged in court for corruption in the Second Republic in which President Mnangagwa has vowed to fight graft and cronyism.

The former ICT Minister has for the past two years been contesting trial magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo’s ruling, dismissing his application for exception to charges of breaching procurement regulations.

Mandiwanzira, who was accused of corruptly engaging Megawatt for consultancy services rendered to NetOne Pvt Ltd, wanted the court to quash the charges and uphold his application for exception on the grounds that the charges were out-of-place because the telecommunications company was not a procuring entity.

In his application for exception to the charges, Mandiwanzira, who was being represented by Advocate Thembinkosi Magwaliba averred that he acted in public interest and recovered US$30 million that Net-One had lost in the contract for network expansion and modernisation of equipment.

If convicted, Mandiwanzira would have faced a minimum prison term of 20 years, fine, or both.

By A Correspondent- Aspiring candidates in Mutare district have begun secret campaigns as the watershed Zanu-PF district co-ordinating committee elections scheduled for November draw nearer, defying a directive by the party not to campaign as that would trigger division.

Five candidates, who include the owner of the now-defunct premiership side Highway Football Club, Clever Muparutsa, war veteran ivan Mbengo, Cecilia gambe and Blessing Haragu have allegedly handed in their curriculum vitaes for the chairmanship in Mutare district.

Sources told NewsDay yesterday that Banayi Yard and Muparutsa appeared to have an upper hand because they had grassroots support.

“Five candidates are vying for the chairmanship for Mutare district and they have already started campaigning secretly in various wards,” a source said.

“Some candidates are even dishing out money and groceries to the electorate with the support of some party bigwigs who want to consolidate their power.”

“Comrade Yard seems to have the grassroots support and has higher chances of winning, the same with Muparutsa, who is said to be enjoying the support of provincial chairman Mike Madiro,” the source added.

“To become a chairman, rules are very clear that you need to be a district executive for at least five years and that you should have no criminal record,” the source added.
Madiro declined to comment on alleged secret campaigns, but claimed his province had done what was needed in running DCC elections.

“As a province, we have done what is needed by the party to run the DCC elections and the processes went on well,” he said.

“I cannot comment further than that as there are people who specifically comment on DCCs. The issue of people secretly campaigning, I am not privy to that.”

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” alleged Mliswa.

The agitated Mliswa went on to allege that  the Minister of Local Government July Moyo, Minister of State Oliver Chidawu and Police Commissioner Matanga are 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.

Abductions are gaining momentum. But forgive ignorance in the West about these issues. We must educate the West not to use @UN as propaganda platforms. I have reported human rights violations to UN many times. Then they allow a President of Zimbabwe to speak there and lie

— Muzvare Shonga Betty Makoni (@MuzvareBetty) September 25, 2020

Farai Dziva|The relentless persecution of Hon Joana Mamombe indicates that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is afraid of the power of the future, President Nelson Chamisa has said.

The harassment of women and the youth is a threat to democratic tenets, according to President 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 cannot deliver justice. We demand an INDEPENDENT INQUIRY!

This continued persecution of these emblems of change is a direct threat to democratic tenets and freedom,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.

” 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 three represent what Zimbabwe could be if we made room for the NEW.They are women of courage and conviction.

The trio and all young pple are the embodiment of a New Zimbabwe we can create in which young women can freely participate in political activity and nation building,” he added.

Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance Assembly of Women has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Hon Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe.

In a statement on Friday, MDC Alliance Assembly of Women spokesperson, Barbara Gwangwara Tanyanyiwa described the harassment of Hon Mamombe as barbaric.

See full statement :

The MDC Alliance Assembly of women notes with great concern the continued harassment of the Harare West MP Hon Joana Mamombe by the state.

From the time she was abducted, tortured and sexually abused by the state security together with Cecilua Chimbiri and Netsai Marova, the trio have never been treated justly by the government.

Their abductors are walking freely because they are protected by the state and instead of being treated as victims, they are being accused of faking their abduction, an act which we found to be absurd.

The detention is unlawful and her continued harassment and victimisation is uncalled for.

The corrupt Priscah Mupfumira has been out on bail for the past 9 months after pleading with the Court that she was not mentally fit to stand trial which is the same case with Mary Mubaiwa Chiwenga. The Prosecuters had no problem with that and the magistrate only asked for Mupfumira psychiatrist to testify. So why is Joanna being treated differently from these two women? This discrimination and selective application of law must stop.

We are deeply concerned and worried about these developments and know that they are meant to break us and stop women from actively participating in politics and issues that affect our lives. We are not going to keep quiet but will continue speaking out and expressing ourselves as per our constitution.

We call upon all progressive women and other women’s organisations to unite and denounce this government that violates women’s right. We call upon the government to respect the rights of the women.

*We demand the immediate release of Joana Mamombe and other political prisoners*

The Assembly of women will continue to fight for a people’s government that respects human rights and the dignity of women.

Barbara Gwangwara Tanyanyiwa
AOW Spokesperson

Farai Dziva|The relentless persecution of Hon Joana Mamombe indicates that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is afraid of the power of the future, President Nelson Chamisa has said.

The harassment of women and the youth is a threat to democratic tenets, according to President 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 cannot deliver justice. We demand an INDEPENDENT INQUIRY!

This continued persecution of these emblems of change is a direct threat to democratic tenets and freedom,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.

” 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 three represent what Zimbabwe could be if we made room for the NEW.They are women of courage and conviction.

The trio and all young pple are the embodiment of a New Zimbabwe we can create in which young women can freely participate in political activity and nation building,” he added.

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.

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

By A Correspondent- CID Director Commissioner Chrispen Charumbira was arrested Thursday morning by the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) in the office of the President, on allegations of accepting protection money from drug and gold dealers to stop criminal investigations.

The allegations against the CID director emanate from his junior officers who alleged he had been interfering with their duties by protecting drug and gold dealers after accepting unclean money.

CID boss Commissioner Charumbira was picked up for questioning by SACU officers Thursday morning and spent the night at Rhodesville Police Station.

Sources close to the developments told this reporter that these are internal squabbles which have resulted in the arrest and suspension of senior police officers including CID Commercial Crimes boss Obeylaw Moyo.

According to the complaints, three detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics arrested two Mufakose drug dealers, Norman Chabata and his brother Charles, after raiding their Mufakose home where they recovered 443g of dagga packed in sachets and bottles of BronCleer cough syrup.

While at the scene, it is alleged that they received a call from  Charumbira ordering them to release the two. Their immediate boss told them to instead follow the proper procedures and proceed with the investigations.

They were all later allegedly summoned by Charumbira who informed them that their days at CID Drugs were numbered and should brace for transfers. The three compiled the dockets which saw the two tried with Charles Chabata given an eight-month jail term and Norman Chabata a US$100 fine by Harare Magistrates Court.

The three detectives were transferred to CID Chiredzi, CID Lupane and CID Mount Darwin. After a complaint to CID Headquarters, they were transferred back to CID Harare.

GOVERNMENT has set tough measures for doctors intending to leave the country and also ordered the closure of three programmes at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ)’s medical school in a move viewed as punishment to specialist health practitioners for demanding personal protective equipment.

Doctors, most of them mulling leaving the country when lockdown restrictions are lifted, have been on successive job actions for better salaries in the last 12 months.

According to new requirements viewed as a manoeuvre to block a possible mass exodus, the doctors wanting to go outside the country will now be required to pay US$200 upfront for a clearance certificate signed by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe.

The same clearance cost $1 500, about US$20, at the beginning of the year.

Most doctors earn about $9 000, which is equivalent to about US$110 using the auction rate.

The doctors will also be required to obtain a “Certificate of Good Standing” signed by three people.

First to sign will be the hospital clinical director, provincial medical director or medical superintendent, followed by the director of curative services in the Health ministry, before the application finally goes to the ministry’s permanent secretary for “approval”.

In the past, only a senior doctor with five years experience, provincial medical director or medical superintendent they practised with in the previous six months was supposed to sign.

Yesterday, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also Health minister, blocked top medicine students from accessing public hospitals as punishment for demanding better working conditions.

He also forced the UZ to immediately stop studies in three key programmes at the school of medicine to ensure that the doctors cannot proceed with their education as part of a cocktail of punitive measures.

In a letter to the UZ dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Services on Wednesday, one Mutongereni said they had received communication from the Ministry of Health and Child Care to suspend classes.

“Following communication from the Ministry of Health and Child Care to the effect that registrars enrolled for the University of Zimbabwe’s Masters of Medicine and Masters of Obstetrics and Gynaecology programmes are no longer allowed to access public hospitals, the university has suspended classes for the programmes with immediate effect,” Mutongereni said.

But a letter released by Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights secretary Norman Matara, addressed to the ministry by the registrars, revealed that the specialist students were being punished for requesting minimum requirements for their safety as well as that of patients.

“A number of registrars stationed at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals have indicated their willingness to resume clinical services, but are hoping that minimum requirements for healthcare workers and patient safety are met as we continue in the pandemic,” the letter read.

“These include the provision of Doppler’s, CTGs [cardiotocography, a technical means of recording the feotal heartbeat and the uterine contractions during pregnancy], adequate personal protective equipment as appropriate for tasks, adequate nursing staff levels for theatres and the wards, two functional theatres at MMH at any given day and time including weekends, the ready availability of consultants to teach and assist, a commitment to resumption of elective surgeries and outpatient clinics and adequate junior levels.”

The specialist students reiterated that the hospital and the university must treat them as qualified doctors and postgraduate students and not mere cheap labour.

“It is our expectations that both the hospital and the university treats us as qualified doctors and post-graduate students and not mere cheap labour providers. Our salaries amount to nothing and providing services on a voluntary basis like this, we hope will be accorded some level of kindness,” they wrote.

The doctors also demanded that they be provided with fuel, airtime, data allowances and meals for doctors on call.

Contacted for a comment, Health and Child Care permanent secretary Jasper Chimedza asked NewsDay to send the questions on his mobile phone, but had not responded by the time of going to print last night.

The banning of specialist training has been described as a command and militaristic approach to matters of public health.

Chiwenga, his deputy John Mangwiro and Chimedza are all former military men and have been accused of using their military tactics to run the ministry.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week boasted that he appointed Chiwenga as Health minister to instil discipline in the ministry.

— NewsDay

The bail appeal for ZINASU leader Takudzwa Ngadziore has been postponed to Tuesday 29 September 2020, ZimEye has learnt.                  More details to follow. Refresh this page for this story and more.

By A Correspondent- Workers at State universities have declared incapacitation and threatened to return to work only after government reviews their salaries.

Institutions of higher learning were set to reopen on October 5.

But the Zimbabwe State University Staff Associations (ZSUSA) yesterday said engagements with government through the Higher Education minister Amon Murwira had yielded no positive results, leaving them with no choice, but to down tools.

In a letter released on Wednesday, the employees said they were struggling to take care of their families and live normal lives.

“Prices of basic commodities have risen to unprecedented levels and most shops are demanding foreign currency, which we are not earning. Zimbabwe dollar prices are beyond the reach of many,” they said in a letter, jointly signed by ZSUSA president Readyforward Dube and the Zimbabwe State Universities’ Union of Academics president Alois Muzvuwe. The university staff unions have resolved that the employees would not be fully operational until their grievances were addressed by their employer.

“In light of the above developments, Zimbabwe State University Staff Association representatives as mandated by their members resolved that all State university employees are incapacitated to report for duty with immediate effect.”

The workers said they had a meeting with Murwira in March this year over salaries, but the minister said they should be either patient with government or pack their bags.

“He showed disinterest in issues brought to him. He reiterated that State university workers should exercise patience, trust and collegiality or pack their bags,” the workers said.

Zimbabwe National Students Union spokesperson Donald Marevanhema also issued a statement in solidarity with the university workers.

“Inasmuch as we want the lecturers to go to work and report for duty on time and serve the students like they are supposed to, it is very sad to also note that their pleas and requests to the minister are so genuine but the minister is casting a blind eye and a deaf ear to all that,” Marevanhema said.

University lecturers join other government workers including doctors, nurses and teachers who have been demanding better salaries. Teachers have vowed not to report to work next week when schools reopen unless their salaries are reviewed upwards.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- A Netherlands embassy official, Harry Davies, is being sued for US$100 000 in damages after he allegedly defamed two real estate companies in comments posted on his Twitter handle.

West Properties (Private) Limited and Pokugara Properties (Private) Limited claim to have been defamed by Davies on September 7 this year when the latter commented on musician Jah Prayzah’s purchase of a residential stand in Borrowdale, which Davies alleged had been acquired through “corrupt means”.

Davies, who is being sued is his personal capacity, posted the alleged offensive message soon after the popular musician tweeted images of himself and representatives of the two property firms, at the stand he had just purchased.

“On the 7th of September 2020 one of the plaintiff’s clients popularly known as Jah Prayzah celebrated the purchase of a piece of land on one of the properties owned by the 2nd plaintiff (Pokugara Properties) by posting a picture of himself and the representatives of the plaintiff on his Twitter handle.

“The said plaintiff’s client has more than 167 100 followers (on Twitter). “As at the time of filing the summons, his celebratory tweet had been re-tweeted by 152 people, including a re-tweet by one Morgan Heritage, who has a singular following of more than 105 300 people.

“The said tweet has a potential of having reached more than one million people inclusive of those who reacted to it and those who did not react to it.

“In the same tweet, the defendant commented that the plaintiffs obtained the property through corrupt means,” said the two companies in their summons filled at High Court.

West Properties (Private) Limited and Pokugara Properties (Private) Limited claimed Davies’ tweet was defamatory and was meant to portray the companies to his readers, as dishonest and fraudulent.

“The words in the context of the tweet are wrongful and defamatory to the plaintiffs in that they were intended and were understood by readers of the tweet to mean that plaintiffs are dishonest, fraudulent and used bribery to obtain the land in question.

“Everyone who comes across the said tweet by Jah Prayzah is also exposed to the defamatory comments made by the defendant,” they said.

They also complained that their business reputation was tarnished by  the tweet and it would affect their potential to attract customers as they would be perceived to be selling corruptly acquired land.-statemedia

TWENTY-SEVEN new Covid-19 cases were recorded on Thursday while 36 people recovered from the virus as the cumulative figure rose to 7752.

Bulawayo had the highest number of new infections after recording 15 cases with Harare coming second with six while Manicaland recorded five.

Of the new cases, 26 are local transmissions and one imported case from Germany.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care’s daily report shows that the country recovery rate is at 78 percent as 36 people recovered from the pandemic.

Mashonaland West had the highest number of recoveries with 15 cases followed by Mashonaland Central with 12 cases, Bulawayo coming third with eight and while Matabeleland North recorded a single recovery.

On Wednesday the country’s active cases stood at 1491 dropping to 1482.

No Covid-19 death was recorded yesterday.

“As at 24 September 2020, Zimbabwe had 7 752 confirmed cases, including 6 043 recoveries and 227 deaths,” reads the daily report.

Harare remains with the highest number of active cases 1122 cases, Matabeleland South coming second with 164 cases while Bulawayo came third with 100 cases.

The rest of the country’s provinces have 30 or less active each.

Despite the Covid-19 cases steadily decreasing in the country, Government has challenged citizens to guard against complacency as the country is not out of the woods.

The public is encouraged to wear face masks, sanitize hands while observing social and physical distance.

-State Media

By A Correspondent- Parliament heard yesterday that citizens preferred a five-year jail term for people who take and distribute nude videos and pictures without the victim’s consent.

This is contained a report by Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information Communication Technology (ICT).

The report was presented in the National Assembly on Wednesday by Hurungwe North MP Ability Gandawa (Zanu-PF) during the Second Reading of the Cyber Security and Data Protection Bill.

Gandawa said during public hearings on the Bill, people suggested that clause 163 of the Bill should stipulate that anyone who forwarded or distributed messages of a criminal nature should be sanctioned.

“Some stakeholders proposed that on clause 164(f ), the Bill should also include terminology that criminalises the recording of up skirting and nudity,” Gandawa said.

“It was suggested that any person who unlawfully and intentionally records an image or video without the person’s consent should be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 10 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years or both.”

On clause 165 which deals with child pornography, Gandawa said members of the public suggested that the term “child pornography” should be replaced with the term “child sexual abuse material” throughout the Bill.

This will be to ensure that the Bill focuses on the law towards other child sexual harassment and violence-related cases within the cyber space.

“Children’s representatives submitted that there is need to accommodate the right to be heard when considering consent given on behalf of children. Stakeholders submitted that there should be a provision for data processors and service providers to protect and ensure children’s rights are upheld. “It was mentioned that the Bill should incorporate the five co-provisions, namely a clear minimum age, age limit to consent, protection of accounts that are opened by those under 18 years, management of inappropriate or illegal content forced on their platforms, use of age verifications in identity authentication solutions. There should be clear safeguard to ensure
children’s rights online,” he said.

On protection of whistleblowers, the ICT committee said people emphasised that most cases of corruption were unearthed by whistleblowers, hence the need for protection.

“The public underscored the need to put necessary safeguards to protect the whistleblowers in the statute, as well as other concrete steps in the handling of investigations that result from whistleblower revelations.”

ICT minister Jenfan Muswere, who had moved the Second Reading Stage of the Bill, said its purpose was to consolidate cyber-related offences and provide for data protection with regards to the declaration of rights under the Constitution and the public and national interest, to establish a cyber security centre and a data protection authority, among other functions.

Muswere said the Bill would deal with the transmission of data messages inciting violence or damage to property, and protection of citizens from receiving threatening messages.

“Clause 164(b) deals with cyber bulling and harassment, it also deals with any data message or intimidation which is sent to coerce, harass or intimidate.

“In 164(c), in section 6, the Bill proposes to punish any person who distributes, makes available or broadcasts data containing an identifiable person knowing it to be false intending to cause psychological or economic harm,” Muswere said.

By A Correspondent- Police have arrested the driver of a fleeing unregistered kombi and two cops following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman which occurred in Gletwyn, Harare, on Wednesday.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said police fired warning shots after the driver refused to stop at a vehicle checkpoint, resulting in the fatal shooting of a female passenger.

He identified the driver as Nyasha Sawada.

The two cops were identified as Constable Paradza T (ZRP Support Unit, Headquarters) and Constable Kondo (ZRP Highlands) and are now being charged with murder and attempted murder after they allegedly killed Linda Zimbiti, while Jeremiah Chidzukwa (21) sustained serious gunshot injuries.

According to a leaked police memorandum, Chidzukwa and Zimbiti, all from Murewa, were shot in the shoulder blade and abdomen, respectively, along the Harare-Nyamapanda Highway near Shamva tollgate while in Sawada’s commuter omnibus.

It is reported that at around 9am, a silver Toyota Hiace being driven by Sawada loaded passengers at Cross Musami and headed for Harare.

After the Shamva turn-off tollgate, the driver turned left at Chishawasha turn-off to avoid the Highlands security checkpoint.

The kombi got to a boom gate manned by security guards in Gletwyn and was denied entrance.

A scuffle ensued and the kombi crew damaged the boom gate and went through.

It is reported that the commuter omnibus was later intercepted by a Toyota Prado which was being driven by an unidentified male adult who was in the company of the two armed police officers picked up at the roadblock.

When the kombi driver realised that there were police details in the car, he made a U-turn and sped towards Murewa with the Toyota Prado in pursuit.

On arrival at the Shamva tollgate, the armed police officers fired two shots at the commuter omnibus and hit Chidzukwa and Zimbiti, but the driver kept on speeding towards Murewa.

Once they got to Juru Growth Point, Sawada turned into a dust road and after driving for about 7km, he dumped all the passengers by the roadside and fled.

A motorist took one of the passengers to Juru Police Station where a report was made.

Police at Juru visited the scene and took the complainants to Musami Hospital, where Zimbiti was pronounced dead on arrival, while Chidzukwa was transferred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, where he is reportedly in a critical condition.

A murder and attempted murder docket was opened and referred to ZRP Highlands for further investigations under Juru CR65.09.20 and 66.09.20.

By A Correspondent- A junior officer stationed at Karoi urban dog section allegedly teamed up with Zanu-PF youths early this week to conduct night raids on shops in the farming town, demanding trading licences and bribes.

Constable Bwanyali allegedly carried out the nocturnal visits in the company of two Zanu-PF youths, NewsDay has heard.

Their last raid was on Wednesday night.

Sources revealed that the trio arrived at Chikangwe kiosk shops around 8:30pm and demanded trading licences.

One of the victims said: “The ZRP officer, who was in uniform with his police dog demanded a licence. When I enquired the rationale of asking for a licence at night without Karoi Town Council officials, he said we were under arrest and wanted to take us to the charge office.

“After I refused to give him the licence, two youths who claimed to be from the Zanu-PF party said we could pay US$5 to avoid arrest. I refused and they went away.”

Several shop keepers confirmed the visit by the police officer and Zanu-PF youths. A security guard, Solomon Mabhutsu, also confirmed seeing the uniformed officer raiding shops at around 8pm.

“Yes, it is true that some shopkeepers were forced to release their licences to the cop who had his dog with him,” Mabhutsu said.

“He claimed he was working under instructions from his superiors. When he was confronted, he left immediately.”

Zanu-PF acting national spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa yesterday said he was not aware of the incident, but accused the youths, if indeed it was true, of tarnishing the image of the party.

Chinamasa asked for time to investigate the matter to establish the truth about the incident.

“As a matter of fact, Zanu-PF is not a police force,” he said.

“Therefore, no one within the Zanu-PF structures can arrest people. We don’t have the powers to arrest, but it’s the duty of law enforcement agencies. There may be some people masquerading as Zanu-PF youths whose aim is to tarnish the ruling party. We need to investigate the case so that culprits are brought to book,” he said.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi called on those affected to make a formal report so that investigations can be carried out.

“As ZRP, we call upon those who have cases against any of our officers to make formal complainants so that investigations can commence. No one is above the law and those found to be against the law will face the full wrath of law,” Nyathi said.

Of late, some former and serving army and police officers have been implicated in robberies across the country.

By A Correspondent- The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), has accused the government of “bribing” the directorate at Provincial and Head Offices by offering them soft loans so that they facilitate the reopening of schools.

In a statement, PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said the directors are getting $200 000 loans each from the government within five days of applying.

Said Zhou:

… we want to make it clear that this attempt to oil the directorate to drive teachers back to schools is futile. We urge the directorate that government oppressive generosity to them must never be abused against teachers.

Zhou urged the government to capacitate teachers and ensure that their safety concerns in light of the coronavirus crisis are addressed before the phased reopening of schools starting later this month.

He said:

We urge the government to do the most honourable thing of capacitating teachers and prioritising their health and safety if it dreams of successfully re-opening schools in 2020.

Teachers remain ready to open schools, but only after addressing their welfare, health and safety concerns. Time is ticking away with Minister Matema failing to engage and facilitate the capacitation of teachers.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwean government has ruled out the possibility of school pupils repeating grades in 2021 due to limited learning this year caused by the coronavirus induced lockdown.

This was revealed by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa during the Question and Answer session in the Senate on Wednesday.

Mutsvangwa, who is also the new leader of Government business in Senate, was responding to Mashonaland East traditional leader, Chief Nechombo who had asked if pupils were going to proceed to the next grade. Said Mutsvangwa:

There are pupils that are also waiting behind so if they do not proceed it will affect those pupils who were behind who should be coming on board. So they will have to proceed to the next grade.

Mutsvangwa admitted that learners’ time was indeed lost but the government came up with several initiatives such as online learning and radio lessons to recover the lost time.

All school classes will reopen over the next six weeks in three phases.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Three police officers who were actively involved in the arrest of Delish Nguwaya, the Zimbabwean representative of Drax International, a company implicated in the US$60 million COVID-19 equipment procurement scam, have been arrested.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests but referred further questions to the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (Sacu), which also refused to comment on the matter, throwing back the questions to police.

“You can check with Sacu, is the one handling the case,” Nyathi said.

Sacu head Tabani Mpofu said his organisation had no arresting powers.

“I don’t have the full details now; I cannot assist you beyond this. I am yet to receive the full details.”

But NewsDay is reliably informed that Sacu investigators arrested Criminal Investigations Department head Chrispen Charumbira and his two subordinates Superintendent Naboth Nyachega and Obeylaw Moyo.

It is understood that on May 14, Nyachenga wrote to Finance secretary George Guvamatanga raising a red flag over suspected money laundering in the Drax saga.

Nyachenga was the investigating officer in the Drax case where Nguwaya was arrested by Moyo. Charumbira sanctioned the arrest. Charumbira was last night detained at Rhodesville Police Station while the whereabouts of Moyo and Nyachenga could not be established.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa last night told the UN General Assembly that one-sided political dialogue platform he initiated after the 2018 general elections, POLAD is gaining momentum.

Mnangagwa did not dwell into the political and economic problems currently bedeviling the country choosing to praise POLAD and claim non-existent momentum.

This is despite repeated calls by South Africa and the rest of the world for an inclusive dialogue.

“My administration places great important on fostering national unity and cohesion. The culture of dialogue across all sectors is taking root with activities and programmes under the auspicies of our homegrown Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD), gaining momentum,” said Mnangagwa.

By A Correspondent- Police in Mashonaland Central have urged locals to respect the sanctity of human life following a couple of murders recorded last week.

Two murder incidents recorded Mashonaland Central, in a space of just one week, have raised concern that people are disregarding human life when disputes arise.

In the first incident recorded on 17 September in Bindura a 26-year-old woman killed her drunken 23-year-old brother with a hoe following a dispute.

On the 26th of September in Mukaradzi mining area four miners killed a suspected burglar after catching him stealing.

ZRP Mashonaland Central Spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe appealed to the public to cherish human life and approach law enforcement agencies when wronged.

“We are very much concerned how precious life is being lost. We urge members of the public to respect sanctity of human life,” he said.

All the five suspects implicated in murder cases have since been arrested and arraigned before the criminal courts.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Police on Wednesday arrested a Murehwa herdboy, Tafadzwa Shamba, on kidnap and murder charges following the discovery of a mutilated body of a seven-year-old boy in the area last week.

Shamba and two suspects who are still at large allegedly kidnapped and murdered Tapiwa and harvested his body parts which they sold for US$1 500 for ritual purposes.

In a statement on Wednesday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi gave details of the progress of investigations.

He said:

It is alleged that Tafadzwa Shumba, a herd boy in the same village with the victim, worked with the other suspects to way lay 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.

Tapiwa was abducted while on his way to a garden last week where he had been sent by his mother.

His mutilated body was found being eaten by dogs a few days after his enforced disappearance.

A 21 year old Bindura man who stole a donkey valued at US$500 has been jailed by a Bindura magistrate.

Samuel Gadzikai was sentenced to 5 months in prison by magistrate Ethel Chichera.

Prosecutor Vincent Marunya told the court that September 6 Gadzikai stole Kudzai Chinyani’s donkey.

Following a tip off on September 20 the police stormed the convict’s homestead and recovered the donkey.

Consumers will pay 50 percent more for power usage after the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) raised power tariff s by that margin with effect from Wednesday.

In a notice of 2020 electricity tariff indexation, the power company, a subsidiary of Zesa Holdings, said yesterday that the power tariff s will be reviewed on a monthly basis in line with inflationary trends.

The new charges reflect the electricity tariff s on the prepaid system excluding the fixed monthly charge as well as the Rural Electrification Levy of six percent. The upward review comes at a time when there have been concerns within the utility that delays in reviewing electricity tariff s to be cost reflective would leave Zesa in a huge debt with the risk of bringing back power cuts as operations weaken.

However, consumers are likely to cry foul given the low disposable incomes against the high cost of living, which has been pegged at $17 200 a month for a family of five, as at August 2020, according to ZimStat.

“ZETDC has adjusted the electricity tariff s by 50 percent. This is in accordance with the Tariff Award of 2 October 2019, which approved implementation of monthly tariff indexation formula for changes above 10 percent,” reads part of the notice.

The upward review means that the first 50 units of electricity for the month, which used to cost $24,50 will now cost $37. This follows the increase in the electricity tariff s of the first 50 units from $0,49 (49 cents) per kWh to $0,74 (74 cents) per kWh. T e next 150 units, which used to cost $162,50 now cost $243.

The lifeline of 200 units of electricity now cost $280 up from $186. For 300 units and above consumers will now go for a punitive $6,92 per kWh compared to $4,61 per kWh previously.

“The rates are exclusive of the six percent Rural Electrification Levy and 14,5 percent VAT (Value Added Tax),” said the utility.

“In terms of Statutory Instrument 168 of 2012, electricity charges for domestic customers are zero rated for VAT and in terms of Statutory Instrument 215 of 2005, fixed charges on commercial and domestic electricity are zero rated for VAT.”

ZETDC urged maximum demand (MD) customers to utilise more of the off -peak periods.

“For a customer who attains MD during off peak, the applicable MD is the one attained during the peak or standard period.

“Reactive energy charge shall be applied to any reactive energy in excess of 48 percent (power factor less than 0,90) of the active power recorded (kWh) during a billing period,” it said.

ZETDC made a 320 percent electricity tariff increase last October to 162,16 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) in March this year as a way to help the power utility improve electricity supply.

Suppliers of coal have threatened to stop supplies owing to incapacitation caused by the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC).

Last year, the Government took a decision to implement a tariff indexation formula that would align Zesa tariff s to movements caused by inflation and the exchange rate.

The decision was aimed at obtaining cost reflectivity in the supply of electricity and maintenance of value of tariff s to ensure viability and sustainability of the power supply utility.

-State Media

Paul Nyathi

Two highly placed Zimbabwean health officials have come up with surprise new conspiracy on the spread of the dieses claiming that it could be sexually transmitted or even by open defecation.

Speaking to State Media, Professor Solwayo Ngwenya, the Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer said:

“Coronavirus is a very infectious virus and invades any mucus membranes in the body and these are found in the eyes, mouth, nose and by extension any membrane in the body.

“This means members of the public must be careful, the virus can invade the vagina, anal passage and it is not clear whether indeed Covid-19 is sexually transmitted. However, for now, I will not be keen to let anyone touch my privates with their dirty hands as this can lead to transmission. This virus is new to many of us, it keeps changing and still under lots of study hence we cannot say it can be transmitted through sex. The main routes that we know now are the mouth, nose, eyes and it has been found in faeces.”

In an interview, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro warned that open defecation could lead to an upsurge in Covid-19 cases.

“Open defecation is not encouraged even in towns facing water shortage challenges like here in Bulawayo. Let us use the bucket system as opposed to open spaces as this may increase our risk to Covid-19 which we are battling to contain as a country. The coronavirus is found in any body fluid such as saliva, tears, vaginal secretion, semen, blood and faeces. Any secretion from the body carries the virus as it is a metabolic virus so it’s important that we are careful in how we dispose of such,” said Dr Mangwiro.

Paul Nyathi

HARARE magistrate Bianca Makwande has sent Harare West legislator Joanah Mamombe (MDC Alliance) to prison for two weeks allegedly to enable two government doctors to assess her mental condition after she failed to attend trial due to a confirmed mental disorder.

Makwande made the ruling out of her own without the state pushing for the imprisonment. The State had applied for the court to invoke section 26 of the Mental Health Act to allow Mamombe to be examined by government doctors at a government hospital.

Mamombe’s lawyer Jeremiah Bhamu had opposed the application, saying his client could volunteer to go to a mental institution of her choice if recommended by the court.

But magistrate Bianca Makwande ruled that she be sent to Chikurubi Prison besides her being on bail.

“The court is not an expert on mentality and it requires expert advice to ascertain if the diagnosis was correct, to what extent and whether it will affect the trial. The testimony of her doctor could not be clear and she could not be neutral,” she said.

The magistrate said she was exercising her mandate judiciously by invoking section 26 of the Mental Health Act.

“Accused person has to be examined by neutral doctors. She has to be examined by two doctors who must each give independent reports,” she said

Mamombe will be placed under the care of the superintendent of Harare Remand Prison for two weeks effective today.She is expected back in court on October 8.

The decision of the court is different from that taken on former Cabinet minister and Zanu PF heavyweight, Priscah Mupfumira, who is facing fraud charges involving US$95 million.

Mupfumira filed a similar application with the court, saying she was not mentally fit to stand trial and asked for three months to recover.

In her application, Mupfumira said she was not mentally fit to stand trial and that her psychiatrist had recommended that she be given three months to recover.

Mupfumira’s then lawyer Charles Chinyama submitted that she had been experiencing depression since her release from remand prison, which he said saw her visiting psychiatrists and requested the trial to be postponed for six weeks. She filed the application in December 2019, but nine months later, her trial has not started.

NewsDay

GOVERNMENT has set tough measures for doctors intending to leave the country and also ordered the closure of three programmes at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ)’s medical school in a move viewed as punishment to specialist health practitioners for demanding personal protective equipment.

Doctors, most of them mulling leaving the country when lockdown restrictions are lifted, have been on successive job actions for better salaries in the last 12 months.

According to new requirements viewed as a manoeuvre to block a possible mass exodus, the doctors wanting to go outside the country will now be required to pay US$200 upfront for a clearance certificate signed by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe.

The same clearance cost $1 500, about US$20, at the beginning of the year.Most doctors earn about $9 000, which is equivalent to about US$110 using the auction rate.

The doctors will also be required to obtain a “Certificate of Good Standing” signed by three people.

First to sign will be the hospital clinical director, provincial medical director or medical superintendent, followed by the director of curative services in the Health ministry, before the application finally goes to the ministry’s permanent secretary for “approval”.

In the past, only a senior doctor with five years experience, provincial medical director or medical superintendent they practised with in the previous six months was supposed to sign.

Yesterday, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also Health minister, blocked top medicine students from accessing public hospitals as punishment for demanding better working conditions.

He also forced the UZ to immediately stop studies in three key programmes at the school of medicine to ensure that the doctors cannot proceed with their education as part of a cocktail of punitive measures.

In a letter to the UZ dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Services on Wednesday, one Mutongereni said they had received communication from the Ministry of Health and Child Care to suspend classes.

“Following communication from the Ministry of Health and Child Care to the effect that registrars enrolled for the University of Zimbabwe’s Masters of Medicine and Masters of Obstetrics and Gynaecology programmes are no longer allowed to access public hospitals, the university has suspended classes for the programmes with immediate effect,” Mutongereni said.

But a letter released by Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights secretary Norman Matara, addressed to the ministry by the registrars, revealed that the specialist students were being punished for requesting minimum requirements for their safety as well as that of patients.

“A number of registrars stationed at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals have indicated their willingness to resume clinical services, but are hoping that minimum requirements for healthcare workers and patient safety are met as we continue in the pandemic,” the letter read.

“These include the provision of Doppler’s, CTGs [cardiotocography, a technical means of recording the feotal heartbeat and the uterine contractions during pregnancy], adequate personal protective equipment as appropriate for tasks, adequate nursing staff levels for theatres and the wards, two functional theatres at MMH at any given day and time including weekends, the ready availability of consultants to teach and assist, a commitment to resumption of elective surgeries and outpatient clinics and adequate junior levels.”

The specialist students reiterated that the hospital and the university must treat them as qualified doctors and post-graduate students and not mere cheap labour.

“It is our expectations that both the hospital and the university treats us as qualified doctors and post-graduate students and not mere cheap labour providers. Our salaries amount to nothing and providing services on a voluntary basis like this, we hope will be accorded some level of kindness,” they wrote.

The doctors also demanded that they be provided with fuel, airtime, data allowances and meals for doctors on call.

Contacted for a comment, Health and Child Care permanent secretary Jasper Chimedza asked NewsDay to send the questions on his mobile phone, but had not responded by the time of going to print last night.

The banning of specialist training has been described as a command and militaristic approach to matters of public health.

Chiwenga, his deputy John Mangwiro and Chimedza are all former military men and have been accused of using their military tactics to run the ministry.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week boasted that he appointed Chiwenga as Health minister to instil discipline in the ministry.

Paul Nyathi

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa says that his government is going ahead with putting up twenty seven amendments to the constitution besides widespread resistance against the move.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Mnangagwa claimed that the amendments would strengthen the country’s Constitution.

“New pieces of legislation continue to be enacted to strengthen our institutions. The raft of political reforms will benefit the generality of Zimbabweans as we consolidate our respect for human rights,” 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.”

The opposition has accused Mnangagwa of making constitutional amendments that were a clear attempt by the Zimbabwe incumbent to consolidate his power.

President Chamisa on Twitter :

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 & fearless. We fight for their right to dignity, freedom and justice.

The MDC trio represent what Zimbabwe could be if we made room for the NEW.They are women of courage and conviction.The trio and all young pple are the embodiment of a New Zimbabwe we can create in which young women can freely participate in political activity and nation building.

State Media

Eradication of poverty and increased education are among key factors in dealing with early sexual activity among adolescents, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga has said.

VP Chiwenga said this when he appeared before a joint sitting of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care and the Thematic Committee on HIV and Aids on adolescents’ access to sexual reproductive health services.

The Vice President said statistics showed that children, especially girls from vulnerable backgrounds were likely to engage in early sexual activities, enter into child marriages and have early pregnancies.

“As we are discussing, let me make it very clear that the minors aged 12 or 13 or even younger are having these problems. We are very aware,” he said.

“The issue of child sex workers we are aware and various strategies are being formulated to try and address that problem and it’s an issue which we should all look at.

“Fundamentally it is an issue of education, communication and eradication of poverty that is key. Once we look at the fundamentals, the causers we reduce these cases.”

He said the Ministry of Health and Child Care was in the process of amending the Public Health Act which would incorporate stakeholder views on improving adolescents access to sexual reproductive health services.

VP Chiwenga said the ministry was guided by the Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Strategy 2016-2020 in responding to sexual reproductive health challenges faced by adolescents. He said the strategy offers guidelines on the provision of age appropriate sexual reproductive health services.

“The underlying principle of the strategy is in the provision of services that are in the best interests of the child given their presenting circumstances.

“The aim is to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with sexual reproductive health activities among adolescents and young people through; increasing safe sexual health and HIV practices; increasing uptake of quality youth friendly integrated sexual reproductive health and HIV services; strengthening the protective environment of adolescent and young people,” VP Chiwenga said.

Other strategies include provision of friendly sexual reproductive and health services as an entry point for expanding adolescent health, establishment and creation of community based spaces for parent-child communication on sexual and reproductive health, capacity building for both pre and in-services health workers to provide friendly and age appropriate sexual reproductive health services.

Prepaid electricity charges rose 50 percent on Wednesday, raising the monthly bill for most families, who buy the basic subsidised 200 units by almost $100 from $198 to $297.

In a notice yesterday, Zesa’s distribution arm ZETDC, said the first 50 units a month would now cost 74c each for a total of $37, the next 150 units were now charged at $1,62, the third band of 100 units were now $4,41 and everything over 300kWh a month is charged at $6,92 a unit.

On top of these charges consumers need to add six percent for the rural electrification levy. While the tariffs exclude VAT there is no VAT on household supplies and no fixed charges on domestic or commercial supplies.

To benefit from subsidised rates consumers need to make a single purchase of a token in any one month, all subsequent tokens being charged at the full rate of $6,92 a unit.

Thus a family wanting to buy just 50 units needs to pay $39,22 once the levy is included. For a 200 unit token, the charge is $296,80 and for a 300 unit token the charge is $764,26. Every additional 100 units will cost $733,52.

The notice reminded consumers that Zesa can review tariffs monthly in line with inflation.

The increases come amid concerns that delays in raising the electricity tariff to a level that reflects generation, import and distribution costs was likely to return Zesa to the days when it could not afford to buy coal, pay for imports, maintain its power stations or repair faults.

Maximum demand customers, the giant consumers such as major factories or mines, have been asked to use more energy during off peak periods. A maximum demand tariff charges on the maximum power demand used in any month, even if that is just for a fraction of a second. So these consumers pay for power, not energy. But there are complicated tariff formulas that kick in when one of these consumers has large peaks and troughs in their demand, and basically they have to pay for energy they do not use in off-peak periods.

This is to encourage them to reduce their maximum peak in a month by using less at peak periods and more in off-peak periods.

Last year, Government took a decision to implement a tariff indexation formula that would align Zesa tariffs to movements caused by inflation and the exchange rate.

The decision was aimed at obtaining cost reflectivity in the supply of electricity and maintenance of value of tariffs to ensure Zesa’s viability and sustainability.

Paul Nyathi

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has addressed the United Nations General Assembly giving out a rather unconvincing speech which sounded more of a local State of The Nation Address than an UNGA address.

In his address, Mnangagwa called for mutual respect among nations, genuine multilateralism buttressed by the much-needed reforms in the United Nations (UN) to achieve a peaceful and stable world.

As expected Mnangagwa called for the unconditional removal of the targeted sanctions imposed by the United States and some Western nations in the European Union (EU).

The President said the economic sanctions imposed on the country must be removed as they were stifling the country’s economic growth.

“There is no better way of achieving a peaceful and stable world than through mutual respect, genuine multilateralism buttressed by much needed reforms and respect for international law. Recommitting ourselves to these ideals will pave the way for the just world that we all yearn for.” President Mnangagwa raised concern at the lack of reform of the Security Council, which has hitherto excluded the voice of Africa and Africans. “It is now more than 15 years since the adoption of the Ezulwini Consensus, reaffirmed in the Sirte Declaration. It is deeply regrettable that reform of the Security Council and implementation of Africa’s position has not been achieved. We cannot continue with a situation where over 16 percent of the world’s population does not have a voice in decision making. This is a serious indictment to our avowed commitment to multilateralism and the basic principles of natural justice, fairness and equity.”

Watch Mnangagwa’s Full Address to the UN in the video downloading below:

State Media

CID director Commissioner Chrispen Charumbira was arrested yesterday on allegations of accepting protection money from drug and gold dealers to stop criminal investigations.

He was arrested by the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (Sacu) after seven of his junior officers alleged he had been interfering with their duties by protecting drug and gold dealers after accepting bundles of US dollars in protection money.

Comm Charumbira was picked up for questioning by Sacu officers in the morning before being taken to Morris Depot for further investigations and last night was detained at Rhodesville Police Station.

He is expected to appear in court tomorrow.

Sacu has apparently recorded statements from some of the junior officers who claim to have been transferred to outlying stations for defying Comm Charumbira’s orders to release arrested suspects.

Head of SACU, Mr Thabani Mpofu, said he was still checking for the details of the matter.

However, among the allegations is one dating from the days Comm Charumbira was CID co-ordinator for Harare.

According to the complaints, three detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics arrested two Mufakose drug dealers, Norman Chabata and his brother Charles, after raiding their Mufakose home where they recovered 443g of dagga packed in sachets and bottles of BronCleer cough syrup.

While at the scene, it is alleged that they received a call from Comm Charumbira ordering them to release the two. Their immediate boss told them to instead follow the proper procedures and proceed with the investigations.

They were all later allegedly summoned by Comm Charumbira who informed them that their days at CID Drugs were numbered and should brace for transfers. The three compiled the dockets and saw the two tried with Charles Chabata given an eight-month jail term and Norman Chabata a US$100 fine by Harare Magistrates Court.

But the three detectives were transferred to CID Chiredzi, CID Lupane and CID Mount Darwin. After a complaint to CID Headquarters they were transferred back to CID Harare but understood they might still be sent to stations outside the city.

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 might be dagga.

The driver was to meet with the recipients in the city and the junior officer teamed up with some of his colleagues and intercepted the consignment. The two sacks of mbanje were collected by two suspects who were arrested but were later acquitted by the courts.

Comm Charumbira is alleged to have also intervened when the two were arrested.

The junior officer told SACU that he was transferred from Harare to CID Hwange.

The latest arrest comes after the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) recently arrested some police officers and chief public prosecutor, Clement Chimbare, on allegations of abuse of office and bribery over their handling of the investigation into the illegal sale of stands in Kuwadzana in a US$1 million scam.

Some of them were deputy director for the police CID commercial crimes unit, Assistant Commissioner Obeylaw Moyo (47), Superintendent Naboth Nyachega, Detective Assistant Inspector Claudious Majonga (37) and Detective Constable Aaron Karuru (32).

It was alleged that they were paid off with housing stands for not arresting or not charging suspected kingpins in the scam.

State Media

Pupils will proceed to the next grade next year despite limited learning this year, Senators heard yesterday.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said preventing pupils from going to the next grade would clog their streams.

Minister Mutsvangwa, who is the new leader of Government business in Senate, said this during the Question and Answer session.

Mashonaland East traditional leader, Chief Nechombo had asked if pupils were going to proceed to the next grade.

Minister Mutsvangwa said while the Government came up with several initiatives such as online learning and radio lessons to mitigate the challenges admitted time was lost.

She said this was because some pupils did not have access to radio programmes and online learning.

“There are pupils that are also waiting behind. So if they do not proceed it will affect those pupils who were behind who should be coming on-board, so they will have to proceed to the next grade,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

Turning to the preparedness of the schools for reopening, Minister Mutsvangwa said Government had provided funding to ensure there were no hurdles.

“Government is concerned that teachers and students should be safe.

“That concern cannot just remain as a concern without the requisite budget to procure personal protective equipment. That is why we provided a budget for that,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

All school classes will reopen over the next six weeks in three phases.

A 63-year-old Chitungwiza man died on Saturday afternoon after he was assaulted by three touts along High Glen Road in Harare.

The touts allegedly wanted to force him to board their unregistered commuter omnibus.

Mr Anias Chiyangwa of Zengeza 1 was pronounced dead at Parktown Clinic in Waterfalls where he was taken by his relatives.

Mr Chiyangwa was walking near Mashwede service station when he was approached by the touts who were travelling in an unregistered Nissan Caravan.

The touts tried to force him to board their vehicle, but he resisted and they started assaulting him until he became unconscious.

According to a witness, one of the touts kicked him several times on the head and another on the chest, until some members of the public intervened.

The touts jumped into their vehicle and sped off.

Members of the public searched Chiyangwa’s pockets and found his mobile phone, which they used to inform one of his relatives who attended the scene.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and appealed for information leading to the arrest of the suspects.-The Herald