Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance MP for Glen Norah, Hon Chikombo donated 1000 bags of mealie-meal to the needy in the constituency on Sunday.
“On Sunday MDC Alliance MP Hon Chikombo of Glen Norah distributed 1000 bags of 10kg mealie -meal to assist the vulnerable who’ve received no COVID-19 safety nets from the State.
While others focus on the petty politics of grabbing power fraudulently, we remain focused on the people.
#ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” MDC Alliance said in a statement.
20 September 2020
By Nyahunda Struggle Desire
Any political conundrum in any unfolding environment is determined by the ettiquete and direction as guided by the supreme Bible of the organization which shapes now, tomorrow, future and forever. But how when the great sea and overflowing river is being overwhelmed by algae , pitfalls, and siltation from man made diversities which can be answered by smiling and walking on the solid rock despite the sour waters of Marah and Meribah.
Today(Sunday) marked a great day when the National Youth Leadership from Masvingo Province resolved to engage the communities particularly with a bias to mobilise the Youths to join and support the MDC ALLIANCE as led by one and only President Chamisa Nelson. This has seen the leadership from various districts like Masvingo Urban, Bikita, Mwenezi to mention just but a few attending the Youth Assembly meeting in Gutu Central in a bid to bring to a stop the long waited divisions which are over exaggerated and magnified on social spaces.
What happened and what transpired in Gutu central revealed that it is possible to move together as a team and an idea whose time has come can not be stopped by any whirlwind or any Machiavellianism. It is possible for youths to preach unity and in the process of fighting of elephants , grass suffers a lot, the future of the youths is being buried under metaphysical abyss and bottomless pit. Many a times it has been realised that the marital breakup of families can be rebuilt by the call from the children for parents to unconditionally settle their differences for the future of their kids. The only impossibility under the exchange of blows between the parents us for the children to take sides as this may escalate the fighting of the two.
Unfolding events revealed that youths can go an extra mile to help other wings unite. The take off was commendable and the Gutu Central community welcomed the event as the youths showed that they are ready to roll on sleeves and work for the benefit of the party without any differences.
National Youth Assembly Organising Secretary Kurauone Godfrey as the senior Youth member who was present attended the meeting with Leader Moses Mavhaire Tinashe heading the Gutu Cluster meetings. National leaders who attended includes Mwatenga Tettler (Secretary for Tourism and Hospitality) , Ngoni Mupfumba (Secretary for Environment and Climate), Mutubuki Gilbert ( Secretary for Lands and Agriculture), Moses Mavhaire Tinashe (Deputy Secretary for legal affairs). The high powered delegation visited the community with a clear agenda to hear the state of the youth assembly in the district, activities being done to mobilise support for the party President Nelson Chamisa, to hear the grievances from the district, and call for unity and an end from any divisions emanating from congressional disputes as this will affect the growth of the Assembly.
Only National Youth Leadership addressed the meeting and heard the grievances from the district. It was very clear that the program was far detached from any factional agenda.
Many other members from accross Masvingo as well attended and unity of purpose was shown. To dispell the notion sorrounding the rural engagement drive under the Youth Assembly Leadership as guided by the National Youth Assembly, the program was all inclusive and superb. Similar programs have been lined up accross the whole province to make sure noone is left behind. To balance out probabilities of any tension and as an embrace of partiality , the leadership was clear that the leadership crisis and youth problems from Masvingo will be resolved fairly as reiterated by President Chamisa during his last visit to the province.
The comrades who visited the district had great time after the meeting after a sudden stop at Chisheche where the community welcomed the programme with both hands and called on people to have such similar programs going ahead as these are major steps towards magnanimity and unanimity.
*A JOURNEY OF THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH A FOOTSTEP*
“`Milia passum iter incipit pes“`
Towards a United front in the resolve towards a *DEMOCRATIC DISPENSATION*
By: Nyahunda Struggle Desire
(Peace and Development Practitioner, writing on personal capacity)
Own Correspondent|The gunman who allegedly shot two soldiers in Chivhu was not happy with the Zanu PF administration, according to his posts on Facebook.
Elliot Chihambakwe and Ephraim Jani were killed by security forces after attempting to flee with two assault rifles they grabbed from soldiers in Chivhu.
Chihambakwe is believed to be the man who opened fire at two soldiers in Chivhu, killing one of them while the other one sustained serious injuries.
Chihambakwe wrote on Facebook :
” Kusvika rini mazimbabwe muchidya nhoko dzezvironda upfumi hwenyika huchidyiwa navashoma.kusvika rini hama vadiwa muchigara munyika dzeutorwa kwamuriikoko asi nyika munayo wakeup gadzirira vana vedu ramangwana.”
” Nenyaya yeumbwende kutya tinofa tichitambura kunge tirivatorwa munyika yemadzibaba edu.”
Own Correspondent|The gunman who allegedly shot two soldiers in Chivhu was not happy with the Zanu PF administration, according to his posts on Facebook.
Elliot Chihambakwe and Ephraim Jani were killed by security forces after attempting to flee with two assault rifles they grabbed from soldiers in Chivhu.
Chihambakwe is believed to be the man who opened fire at two soldiers in Chivhu, killing one of them while the other one sustained serious injuries.
Chihambakwe wrote on Facebook :
” Kusvika rini mazimbabwe muchidya nhoko dzezvironda upfumi hwenyika huchidyiwa navashoma.kusvika rini hama vadiwa muchigara munyika dzeutorwa kwamuriikoko asi nyika munayo wakeup gadzirira vana vedu ramangwana.”
” Nenyaya yeumbwende kutya tinofa tichitambura kunge tirivatorwa munyika yemadzibaba edu.”
Farai Dziva|Senior MDC Alliance official Jameson Timba has said Thokozani Khupe is desperate to score political marks to the extent that she can even change her name to Nelson Chamisa.
On Saturday Morgen Komichi surprised all and sundry when he announced the Khupe led political formation would use the name MDC Alliance in future elections.
“Now MDCT are saying they are us. Those whom the Lord wants to destroy maketh mad first. Very soon their Acting President Thoko will be calling herself Nelly Chamisa,” argued Timba.
In a statement, MDC Alliance spokesperson, Advocate Fadzai Mahere said:
The party restates that it is the MDC Alliance party. It contested the 2018 election as the MDC Alliance. As the alternative, it has MPs in Parliament and councillors in local authorities.
It has been victimized as the MDC Alliance and will win as the MDC Alliance. It will remain the MDC Alliance.
Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has declared that nobody can stop the people’s struggle.
In his message below, President Chamisa stresses the fact that MDC Alliance carries the seed of new beginnings:
We represent the NEW and COMING.
We carry the seed of new beginnings. Not even the angel of death can prevent its sprouting.
We sympathize with those who attempt to stand in the way or are opposed to us. It’s game on! Sunday greetings
NewsDay
UNDER-FIRE MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said he was unfazed by the relentless attacks from fellow opposition MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe and the ruling Zanu PF party, declaring his party was geared to come out stronger after the storm.
“We represent the new and coming. We carry the seed of new beginnings. Not even the angel of death can prevent its sprouting. We sympathise with those who attempt to stand in the way or are opposed to us. It’s game on!” Chamisa said as Khupe continues piling more misery on the youthful opposition leader by recalling his elected MPs and councillors.
On Saturday, Khupe went for the jugular, declaring that she had rebranded and taken over as MDC Alliance leader, creating more confusion in the opposition camp ahead of by-elections set for December this year.
The Khupe-led faction said it would use the name MDC Alliance when filing nomination papers on October 9 for by-elections to be held before December 5.
Chamisa contested the 2018 presidential race on an MDC Alliance ticket, losing to President Emmerson Mnangagwa by a small margin.
Khupe, who contested under MDC-T, came a distant third with 45 000 votes.
Chamisa yesterday said he would circumvent the political barriers thrown at him.
“We will do the opposite of what our opposition, cynics, critics and naysayers expect us to do,” he said.
Party spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said the party had deployed to the grassroots to consult on the way forward.
“As a people-driven party, the national executive council mandated the leadership at various levels to consult stakeholders, opinion leaders, grassroots structures and party organs countrywide on the multiple options that are available to it,” she said.
MDC Alliance secretary-general Chalton Hwende also confirmed that they had deployed for grassroot consultations.
“We have today (yesterday) deployed teams that have started consulting our branches throughout the country on the direction that the party must take. The teams will also consult opinion leaders, churches, traditional authorities, civic society, workers and students,” he said.
Hwende said the ruling Zanu PF party and the MDC-T had connived to decimate Chamisa’s party, but both parties have denied the charge.
MDC-T interim secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora taunted Chamisa saying the youthful opposition leader was “more Zanu PF” than him.
“Those working with Zanu PF are known. If you want to see that one is working with Zanu PF, you look at how many times that person has been arrested. Some of us were arrested several times and you (Chamisa), how many times were you arrested?” he asked rhetorically.
But Chamisa’s party insisted it was disturbed by “Zanu PF-driven threats” to the MDC Alliance, the unlawful arrests of its members, the “unlawful recalls” among other issues.
On mediation by the South African ruling African National Congress party, the MDC Alliance said the move was welcome, but pleaded with Sadc and the African Union to intervene urgently before the crisis engulfed the region.
“The party notes the efforts of South Africa and the ANC facilitating of a resolution of the national crisis,” Mahere said.
The ANC recently dispatched two delegations to Harare, but were refused permission to meet other stakeholders outside the ruling Zanu PF party.
The ANC officials were also accused of buying into the opposition narrative of a country in a crisis, but they have stood their ground indicating they would soon come back for separate meetings with the MDC Alliance, United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Brian Nichols and Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume, among other key stakeholders.
By Hopewell Chinono
TODAY as you read this article, Job Sikhala would have woken up at 5:30am from the cold concrete floor that he has been sleeping on since his persecution and incarceration at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, which started four weeks ago.
He is not a convicted prisoner, but through the vindictive nature of the Emmerson Mnangagwa regime, he was sent to a prison meant for convicted prisoners, where he is shackled in leg irons and handcuffs like a dangerous and convicted criminal.
His only crime is calling out corruption and looting of public funds.
Sikhala is a Member of Parliament in Zimbabwe and an officer of the High Court just like all registered lawyers.
His only crime is calling for an end to corruption in Zimbabwe, something that is killing our fellow citizens daily because money meant for public services like hospitals has been looted.
His prison cell is meant to house only 16 inmates, but like all other prison cells at Chikuribi, it is packed with 42 prisoners, and it only has one toilet with no running water.
At times the prison cell can have more prisoners, I know so because I shared the same cell with Sikhala.
At one point, the prison officials wanted to bring in more inmates with mental disorders so that we would end up at around 75 for that night.
This is in the middle of a COVID-19 pandemic which requires social distancing, but not at Chikurubi.
Sikhala and the other prisoners are locked up in this prison cell for 17 hours daily.
If you fall sick during those 17 hours, you won’t get any medical help at all.
Many die quietly and the nation never gets to know how life evolves in these prisons because of a deliberate lack of transparency mixed with lies and silly propaganda by the State.
After waking up at 5:30am, Sikhala joins the other prisoners downstairs in Section B of Chikurubi, where they get porridge without sugar in it, or anything else for breakfast.
Down there, they will be around 500 prisoners in Section B, yet they only have two toilets for use, yes, two toilets for 500 prisoners from the 12 cells in section B.
Each section is numbered in alphabetical order and has 12 cells. There is no running water in the downstairs area just like in the cells.
Prisoners spend seven hours of their time downstairs in the courtyard where they are fed and where they exercise if they wish to. When I left Chikurubi two weeks ago, almost all prisoners had no COVID-19 masks, a direct consequence of the looting of public funds and plunder of national resources which I had reported on in June and July, leading to my arrest.
At 10:30am, Sikhala and his fellow inmates are given lunch which comes in old dirty wheelie bins. It will be badly cooked sadza and boiled beans or cabbage with no cooking oil or anything else.
Resembling a concentration camp, prisoners are asked to go on “foreign”, which is a lining up of prisoners before they can get their food.
This is the dietary routine everyday all year round, nothing more. They get no meat although the prison dietary book says that they are meant to eat meat eight times a week.
“Foreign” is a bastardisation of “falling in” where the prisoners sit down in lines of five if they are in the cell, or more if they are in the downstairs courtyard.
They have no soap for either washing their hands or bathing, they have no running water — nothing. As a journalist and documentarian, being in prison gave me a front-row seat which allowed me to see how the regime has tragically failed to run a mere prison.
This is what happens when the State and government are being looted daily without legal consequence for the looters. At 3pm, Sikhala and his fellow inmates are locked up in their cells for the night where for the next 17 hours, they will be sitting and sleeping on the concrete floor with torn blankets heavily infested with lice.
Sikhala is being punished because the State and the regime know that he has no case to answer before an honest magistrate or judge who is applying law and not partisan politics.
So the regime has been punishing its critics using the office of a man called Thabani Vusa Mpofu (not the advocate), who is supposed to be an anti-corruption prosecutor in Mnangagwa’s office.
He is the one behind the persecution of Mnangagwa’s critics and political rivals using the courts, lawfare. It is so shameless that our cases, which are supposedly criminal, are being brought before the anti-corruption courts. That is how the regime is abusing the Judiciary in pursuit of political objectives.
Instructions are given not to give bail to people like myself or Sikhala, and like in my case, I started serving prison time without a conviction or even a trial as a form of vindictive political punishment.
Denial of bail and a delay in pronouncing bail rulings is meant to make sure that you are punished without trial. I spent 45 days in Mnangagwa’s prisons without trial.
When Sikhala’s lawyers visit him at the prison, he will be shackled in leg irons, a form of morbid humiliation.
But like myself, Sikhala understands that today’s humiliation is a sideshow, what matters is the ending of corruption and looting of public funds and not our individual predicament.
The citizens should focus on ending corruption which has destroyed this country, they should also stand in solidarity with Sikhala because his fight against corruption is for the citizens, not just for himself and his family.
Today, Sikhala and his fellow inmates, as they are locked up in Section B of Chikurubi, don’t have soap to wash their hands, no running water for toilets or for drinking. The only water they have comes in jugs and 20-litre containers which are then shared among the prisoners for the next 24 hours. Many prisoners use Bible pages as toilet paper.
When it rarely comes, it really feels like a Christmas moment for the prisoners, that is how low Zimbabwe has sunk. Chikurubi is meant to house 1 360 prisoners, but today houses over 2 500 prisoners.
Sikhala is not a convicted prisoner, but he is being treated worse than one, and all that Zimbabwean citizens have been able to say is #FreeJobSikhala #ZimbabweBelongsToAll.
So while you follow comedians on social media in your millions, remember that there is Sikhala languishing in Mnangagwa’s jail at Chikurubi for fighting for a corruption-free society. As an officer of the court, as a trained lawyer, Sikhala spends his evenings at Chikuribi going through trial records of other prisoners and helping them with their legal cases.
“Rega ndibatsire vafanha ava mwana wamai (Let me assist these young man my brother),” Sikhala would say to me as I stretch my long frame preparing to fit myself on my 30-centimetre-width bedding area. I saw Sikhala go through multiple trial records and advising these prisoners.
With some of them, he would immediately say that he would get them out because they had been badly represented, and they had no crime to their name based on the record.
“Mudhara hamuna mhosva imi (My friend, you have no crime),” he would shout from his concrete floor after going through one’s trial record. Prisoners would sit around him with their trial records waiting for their turn to consult Job the lawyer. I know that as you read this post, Sikhala is going through such records and attempting to help the prisoners who can’t afford a lawyer.
That is Sikhala for you, the one that I shared a prison cell with, and the one who is fearless, yet compassionate. As Sikhala battles high blood pressure and swollen legs in Chikurubi, he still finds time to help the downtrodden! Selfless.
Do we know how his family is surviving beyond calling him a hero?
Extracted from NewsDay
By Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo
Zanu PF is not afraid of Facebook posts, Whatsapp and Twitter rants. Zanu PF only panics when you go back silently to the drawing board to plan and refresh on ideas. Come 2023, opposition may be given a surprise boot which may perhaps paralyze the project of 21 years. Revolutionary movements are not moved by brands; they are moved by well oiled political strategy.
Morgan Tsvangirai was a strong brand and ZANU PF found ways to deal with a popular brand. Today the late icon is nowhere to be found in the political landscape. This revolutionary movement invests in intelligence and this is what MDC Alliance and others should be working on.
Opposition should stop being cry babies. 21 years have gone by and you are still crying about rigging yet you have ample time to plan. You need to restrategize. You always cry of infiltration, who has stopped you from infiltrating ZANU PF from the top to bottom and get information you want?
Winning elections and assuming power require strategic intelligence. You may have the numbers but if you can not apply strategy on the numbers, you may spend next 20 years leaning on popularity and brand.
I was looking at the way Tendai Biti, the former Minister of Finance in the inclusive arrangement, crafted 2008 roadmap together with Engineer Elias Mudzuri. Zanu PF was defeated because they applied strategic thinking.
I find it interesting that opposition supporters, opposition leaders and sympathizers are always on Twitter from morning till evening while Zanu PF is busy with Pfumvudza program in rural areas. Come elections, they will be banking on the Pfumvudza project and definitely rural folks will vote for them. Opposition controls urban stake and ruling party is in charge of rural populace, what will be the difference? Does the opposition have any rural policy? Why having selfies when you are indeed supposed to be in charge of rural strategies? You must be making inroads in less penetrated areas and this would have given Zanu PF torrid times to control you ahead of 2023 elections. If you are not careful, Zanu PF will have a walkover in 2023.
Teach a Catholic for seven years, and take him elsewhere, you will never indoctrinate him and whatever he was taught for seven years will not be changed by anyone. What happened in 2008 run-off is still fresh in people’s minds. The ghoulish episodes of 2018 and January 2019 are still fresh in everyone’s mind. This is how Zanu PF plays the game and in 2023 they will apply another strategy.
One of the things which have misled opposition is media itself. I remember in 2013, most headlines towards elections were as follows; Tsvangirai to have landslide victory; Tsvangirai the next President; MDC tipped to win resoundingly; Tsvangirai prepares for inauguration. Come on! Wake up from your deep slumber. Tsvangirai witnessed the opposite.
Advisors are important in politics and if one is to get to State House, listening is an attribute of good leadership. As we speak, the opposition is in shambles and this may require Nelson Chamisa to sit down and have sober reflection, assemble a new team if need be and employ proper strategies.
I have been following opposition politics with keen interest and my conclusion is there is lack of strategy and proper consultation on how to deal with Zanu PF. One thing for sure which you need to note and understand is that the current Zanu PF is no longer under Robert Mugabe, it is now under the military. Opposition needs to reflect on its journey for the past 21 years and see if it is still able to fulfill its mission.
The current opposition team is not inspiring. Nelson Chamisa needs to re-organize his team, remove bad apples and backbiters. Snakes must be flushed out of his system and bring in a determined team.
I need a strong opposition that provides checks and balances to the government of the day. Wake up guys.
A set of advisors must be a balanced team, hidden advisors, foreign advisors, internal advisors and those who are in the corporate world. Advice from the above team must be balanced. That is balancing the equilibrium, both politics and relevance. One can be a good advisor but not relevant in politics, and some can be good advisors, but lack grassroots connectivity and background. There is need to have a proper introspection on the crop of advisors around opposition politics.
Sharp critics are important in politics, they build you, they build hope and dreams. Hard talk builds future and dreams. One of the major challenges in opposition politics, even in the ruling party is when you offer advice; you are labeled a Zanu PF agent or regime change agent. There is no room for criticism and tolerance of divergence.
Yes infiltration is common in African politics, but you must not blame infiltration for the past 20 years. Zanu PF infiltrates where there is a gap. What has created the gap? For example, if workers are not paid and someone comes to their rescue, can that be infiltration? On rigging claims, are the polling agents paid on time? Are the available resources being channeled towards the good cause? Are polling agents given food on time? You need to consider what your opponents are offering their agents. Polling agents need better allowances?
My advice to MDC led by Advocate Chamisa is don’t focus too much on these mindless recalls being done by the other MDC faction, mayoral elections, by-elections, gossip and any other helpless scandals. ZANU PF is implementing Pfumvudza project in rural areas. Try to come up with something tangible which benefits the rural electorate. Failure to pull up your sleeves will result in whitewash in the rural areas come 2023.
Let me end by telling you that ZANU PF is so cunning. It relies on intelligence to counter any opposition move. You need to have your own intelligence to counter ZANU PF and even infiltrate the revolutionary party. If you have the capacity to ambush ZANU PF come 2023, we shall see.
Don’t forget that you are dealing with a military government. Sometimes Emmerson Mnangagwa may not even be aware of some developments, as you are aware the government is infested with soldiers. Try to match them or even outdo them. Focus on the ball, apply strategic intelligence and fight corruption. Start preparing for the next election and be visible on the ground.
My advice is free to both the ruling party and the opposition.
Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo is the Head of Zimbabwe Institute of Strategic Thinking – ZIST
Statements delivered:
1. UNITED STATES (Host Country)
2. GUYANA (HS) (on behalf of the Group of 77 and China)
3. MALAWI (HS) (on behalf of the Least Developed Countries)
4. EUROPEAN UNION (HL)
5. REPUBLIC OF KOREA (HS) (on behalf of MIKTA Group)
6. AZERBAIJAN (HS) (on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement)
7. QATAR (HS)
8. SWEDEN (HG)
9. KYRGYZSTAN (HS)
10. CHINA (HS)
11. TURKEY (HS)
12. NETHERLANDS (HS)
13. MEXICO (HS)
14. MOZAMBIQUE (HS)
15. PERU (HS)
16. TAJIKISTAN (HS)
17. NIGERIA (HS)
18. FRANCE (HS)
19. HONDURAS (HS)
20. KAZAKHSTAN (HS)
21. FINLAND (HS)
22. SRI LANKA (HS)
23. COSTA RICA (HS)
24. COLOMBIA (HS)
25. URUGUAY (HS)
26. KENYA (HS)
27. POLAND (HS)
28. CHILE (HS)
29. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA (HS)
30. MONACO (HS)
31. REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA (HS)
32. VENEZUELA (BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF) (HS)
34. GEORGIA (HS)
35. LATVIA (HS)
36. SERBIA (HS)
37. TUNISIA (HS)
38. SPAIN (HS)
39. NORTH MACEDONIA (HS)
40. SEYCHELLES (HS)
41. SOUTH AFRICA (HS)
42. SAN MARINO (HS)
43. CYPRUS (HS)
44. DJIBOUTI (HS)
45. BOTSWANA (HS)
46. PALAU (HS)
47. NAURU (HS)
48. LEBANON (HS)
49. UKRAINE (HS)
50. BRUNEI DARUSSALAM (HS)
51. AFGHANISTAN (HS)
52. GHANA (HS)
53. ALBANIA (HS)
54. LIBERIA (HS)
55. EQUATORIAL GUINEA (HS)
56. MALDIVES (HS)
57. BOLIVIA (PLURINATIONAL STATE OF) (HS)
58. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (HS)
59. GAMBIA (HS)
60. MICRONESIA (FEDERATED STATES OF) (HS)
61. KIRIBATI (HS)
62. LIECHTENSTEIN (HS)
63. MARSHALL ISLANDS (HS)
64. GABON (HS)
65. SLOVENIA (HS)
66. HAITI (HS)
67. ITALY (HS)
68. IRELAND (HS)
69. SOUTH SUDAN (HS)
70. SIERRA LEONE (VP)
71. TUVALU (HG) (on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum)
72. LUXEMBOURG (HG)
73. THAILAND (HG)
74. SINGAPORE (HG)
75. FIJI (HG)
76. ANDORRA (HG)
77. GREECE (HG)
78. PAPUA NEW GUINEA (HG)
79. BARBADOS (HG)
80. ETHIOPIA (HG)
81. DENMARK (HG)
82. MALTA (HG)
83. AUSTRALIA (HG)
84. INDIA (HG)
85. ARMENIA (HG)
86. ESWATINI (HG)
87. BANGLADESH (HG)
88. SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (HG)
89. GERMANY (HG)
90. BHUTAN (HG)
91. PORTUGAL (HG)
92. ICELAND (HG)
93. NEPAL (HG)
94. MAURITIUS (HG)
95. BELGIUM (HG)
96. CAMBODIA (HG)
97. SAMOA (HG)
98. CANADA (HG)
99. AUSTRIA (HG)
100. LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (HG)
101. LESOTHO (HG)
102. TONGA (HG)
103. ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA (HG)
104. VIET NAM (HG)
105. CABO VERDE (HG)
106. CROATIA (HG)
107. MALAYSIA (HG)
108. SOMALIA (AHG)
109. OMAN (CSC)
110. BULGARIA (DPM)
111. RUSSIAN FEDERATION (M) (on behalf of the CSTO members)
112. BELIZE (M) (on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States)
113. EGYPT (M)
114. INDONESIA (M)
115. CUBA (M)
116. MYANMAR (M)
117. JORDAN (M)
118. PAKISTAN (M)
119. SENEGAL (M)
120. ROMANIA (M)
121. PHILIPPINES (M)
122. NORWAY (M)
123. SWITZERLAND (M)
124. BRAZIL (M)
125. IRAN (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF) (M)
126. EL SALVADOR (M)
128. CZECH REPUBLIC (M)
129. MAURITANIA (M)
130. GUINEA (M)
131. SUDAN (M)
132. SLOVAKIA (M)
133. ECUADOR (M)
134. SAUDI ARABIA (M)
135. TIMOR-LESTE (M)
136. PANAMA (M)
137. CONGO (M)
138. ESTONIA (M)
139. UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA (M)
140. BURKINA FASO (M)
141. KUWAIT (M)
142. SURINAME (M)
143. RWANDA (M)
144. NIGER (M)
145. TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO (M)
146. PARAGUAY (M)
147. MONTENEGRO (M)
148. MOROCCO (M)
149. COTE D’IVOIRE (M)
150. MADAGASCAR (M)
151. UNITED KINGDOM (M)
152. JAPAN (M)
153. NICARAGUA (M)
154. BAHRAIN (M)
155. CHAD (M)
156. GUATEMALA (M)
157. BENIN (M)
158. UZBEKISTAN (M)
159. ANGOLA (M)
160. YEMEN (M)
161. JAMAICA (M)
162. LITHUANIA (M)
163. ALGERIA (M)
164. CAMEROON (M)
165. LIBYA (M)
166. MONGOLIA (VM)
167. NEW ZEALAND
168. SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
169. ERITREA
170. HUNGARY
171. MALI
172. TURKMENISTAN
173. ISRAEL
174. IRAQ
175. NAMIBIA
176. BAHAMAS
177. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
178. ZAMBIA (HS)
179. TOGO
180. ZIMBABWE
181. STATE OF PALESTINE
182. HOLY SEE
Former Botswana president Ian Khama says the region must step in to resolve the Zimbabwe crisis as pressure mounts on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to hold talks with his rivals.
Khama, who was speaking in a Zoom meeting on the crisis in Zimbabwe organised by BW Zimbabwe Solidarity on Friday, said it was time for the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) to intervene.
The outspoken former president said nothing had changed in Zimbabwe since independence.
“Forty years after independence in Zimbabwe the only thing that’s changed is the name of the country and leaders, in plain English, there’s a crisis in Zimbabwe, not just challenges and that’s why Zanu PF officials used the word crisis more than 40 times and Zimbabwean lives matter,” Khama said.
“I call upon Sadc to urgently convene a special summit on Zimbabwe.
“If they don’t do that they are culpable in the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe. “I call on civic society organisations in other countries to get involved.
Mnangagwa has been resisting manoeuvres by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ruling ANC to initiate talks between Zanu PF and the opposition to solve the mounting political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.
Pressure started mounting on the Zanu PF leader last month after security forces brutally stopped protests against corruption on July 31.
Several opposition activists were allegedly abducted for calling for the demonstrations while prominent journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and opposition leader Jacob Ngarivume were thrown into Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison for urging Zimbabweans to join the protests.
MDC Alliance deputy chairperson Job Sikhala is still detained at Chikurubi for the same reasons.
The ANC said it was worried that the problems in Zimbabwe would have a knock-on effect on South Africa and sought to initiate dialogue between Zanu PF and the opposition, but the move is being fiercely resisted by Mnangagwa who insists there is no crisis in the country.
Khama said his country Botswana had a duty to speak out on democracy and human rights issues in other countries in Sadc.
“We need to have a culture of accountability in Sadc and Africa,” he added.
“Sitting heads of state, who commit atrocities should be held accountable including by (the International Criminal Court); victims can’t wait forever.
“Many of the Africans that have been referred to the ICC have been referred by Africans themselves.”
He said Zimbabweans had displayed tremendous tolerance over the years, and urged South Africa and Africa to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe.
“It goes without saying that in the past, we had a Sadc-appointed mediator, now South Africa sent envoys which should be commended, but it is being rebuffed. “There is resentment for any outside initiative to bring parties together,” Khama said.
“Zanu only want outsiders to talk to them only. Sadc and Africa must help peacefully resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe.”
During his tenure, Khama consistently spoke out against human rights violations during the Robert Mugabe era.
He appeared to be warming up to Mnangagwa soon after the coup that toppled Mugabe in 2017, but has become one of the biggest critics of the new administration in Harare.
Khama said sanctions against government officials that violated human rights were justifiable.
“I agree that general sanctions harm the people, but targeted sanctions are necessary and effective against individuals including travel bans, account freezes and other measures so they know that what they are doing is unacceptable,” he added.
The panel included Botswana’s main opposition leader Dumelang Saleshando, unionist Ketlhalefile Motshegwa, academic Dama Mosweunyane and Bulawayo-based activist Mthulisi Hanana, who were unanimous that there was need for the region to urgently intervene in Zimbabwe.
The Standard.
The Zimbabwe Teacher’s Association (ZIMTA) today declared incapacitation and said its members would not be able to report for work when learning resumes next week.
Schools are expected to re-open on 28 September for the first time since March when learning was abandoned in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Only examination classes are due to resume studies after government put in place measures to allow for the safe return of learning.
But, in a retrogressive move that appears politically motivated, ZIMTA said its members were unable, financially, to resume work.
“After a wide consultation all of our 42 000 members across all 10 of the country’s provinces, the ZIMTA national executive hereby declares that all educators will not be able to report for duty on the 28th of September 2020, for the opening of schools as they are incapacitated.”
During the six month Covid-19 break, the teacher representative body did not raise the issue in such dire terms, and instead waited for the 11th hour to strike.
During the break, ZIMTA was happy for its members to be paid, and salaries even increased, for no work by the employer, the government.
ZIMTA secretary general Tapson Nganunu said teachers remained adamant they wanted to be paid their salaries in US dollars.
“(We are) concerned that the economy has self dollarised and transport fares are now charged in USD and Rands in most routes,” Nganunu said.
He said a salary adjustment to at least US$520 would be acceptable.
The threat by ZIMTA, if carried through, would disrupt the December examinations for Grade Seven, Form Four and Six.
In a bid to cushion its employees while salary negotiations were taking place, the government has awarded a US$75 special Covid-19 allowance from June to December and a temporary 50 percent increment on basic salary.- New Ziana
Paul Nyathi
The UK embassy in Zimbabwe has urged the government to investigate the attack on ZINASU President Takudzwa Ngadziore and the journalists who were covering Ngadziore’s presser.
Using the microblogging site Twitter, UK In Zimbabwe said:
Look forward to seeing full investigation carried out by #Zimbabwe authorities into these attacks, including the assault of Takudzwa Ngadziore. Vital that #journalists are able to do their work without fears for their safety #defendmediafreedom @FCDOGovUK https://t.co/BgzFWi4ob4
— UKinZimbabwe ?? ?? (@UKinZimbabwe) September 21, 2020
Ngadziore was addressing a live presser on Friday 101 meters away from Impala Car rental when an unidentified man attacked them and destroyed their equipment.
Ngadziore was handed over to the Police and a Harare Magistrate denied him bail on Monday on the basis that he was not taking the bail system seriously.
FRESH details have emerged from last week’s stormy meeting between Zanu PF and South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), revealing that the two former liberation movements maintained diametrically opposed standpoints on how to address Zimbabwe’s multifaceted political and economic problems.
Though both parties emerged from the meeting portraying it as having been cordial, sources this week told the Zimbabwe Independent that the discussions failed to yield a “meeting of minds”, with the two parties’ senior officials maintaining their entrenched positions.
The venue would at times turn into a theatre of dramatic confrontations, as discussions degenerated into verbal vitriol when debating thorny topics.
During the stormy meeting held at the Zanu PF headquarters, the high-powered ANC delegation, led by its secretary-general Ace Magashule, tabled five key talking points, which defined the interaction.
South Africa’s ruling party broadly expressed concern over the deteriorating political and economic crises gripping Zimbabwe.
Other members of the ANC delegation included the party’s chairperson and Energy and Mineral Resources minister Gwede Mantashe, Defence minister and ANC national executive committee (NEC) member Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, NEC and national working committee member Tony Yengeni, Social Development minister and chairperson of the NEC on international relations Lindiwe Zulu, as well as the chairperson of the NEC on economic transformation Enoch Godongwana.
The ANC delegation spoke first, with Magashule leading the way in expressing ANC’s exasperation over the worsening economic situation in Zimbabwe and escalating reports of human rights abuses.
Sources said he expressed concern and anxiety over the worsening political and economic crisis besetting Zimbabwe, characterised by runaway inflation, hovering just below 800%, escalation of human rights abuses, an influx of illegal Zimbabwean immigrants into South Africa and the heavy-handed approach by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration towards handling dissent.
However, sources told this newspaper that Zanu PF, which was represented by secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri, spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa and other senior officials, rebuffed the ANC’s standpoint that Zimbabwe was engulfed by a debilitating crisis, vehemently insisting that such claims were being fuelled by the country’s detractors.
The Zanu delegation, led by Mpofu, said the economic challenges facing Zimbabwe, which were also common to South Africa, were worsened by sanctions imposed by the US, while it said the reported abductions of opposition activists were a creation of Zanu PF’s enemies. The Zanu PF team reportedly presented what it said was irrefutable evidence that the abductions were stage-managed.
After Zanu PF’s submissions, the ANC was not swayed from its position, but rather advanced the argument that if the myriad of challenges bedevilling its neighbour were not addressed, they could plunge South Africa into turmoil, while also destabilising the whole region.
A source privy to the discussions said: “The ANC delegation was quite systematic and unequivocal in its submissions and concerns that Zimbabwe is crippled by a multi-dimensional crisis, which has a domino effect and impact on South Africa.
“If anything, the ANC delegation led by its firebrand secretary-general (Magashule) insisted that the myriad of problems stalking Zimbabwe amounted to a chronic crisis, and if they were not urgently addressed they would affect South Africa’s stability and growth prospects,” the source said.
Pursuant to that, the sources added, Zulu, known for her hardline views on Harare, insisted that the Zimbabwean crisis was evident; judging by the influx of immigrants from Zimbabwe to South Africa and the pinch Pretoria was already feeling in addressing social ills such as crime. She also said if a lasting solution to Zimbabwe’s crisis was not urgently found, South Africa, which is already constrained, would find it “extremely difficult” to uplift the livelihoods of its citizens through the provision of jobs, housing, education, among other socio-economic services.
In its response, Zanu PF, through Chinamasa, who, after the meeting declared that Zimbabwe was a sovereign state and not South Africa’s “province”, took the meeting on a historical tour, highlighting that the exodus of Zimbabweans to South Africa was not new, as it dated back to the Wenela era of the 1940s, when hordes of people trekked to the neighbouring country to work in mines.
The Witwatersrand Native Labour Association (WNLA), commonly known as Wenela, was established by a grouping of gold mines in South Africa, which was recruiting its labour force within the region. Eventually, it comprised a large organisation with its own depots, buses and aeroplanes spread across the whole of southern Africa.
A source close to the meeting said: “Chinamasa was not deterred, much to the bemusement of the South African delegation, which thought that his Wenela example was naïve and out of context. But Chinamasa insisted that the issue of immigrants was historical, and Zimbabwe should not be ostracised because of its people living in South Africa. He basically said the influx of Zimbabwean immigrants did not typify a crisis at home.”
After an exhaustive and comprehensive exchange on the Zimbabwean crisis and its attendant impact on South Africa, sources said, Magashule, supported by Zulu, noted that the ANC was also gravely worried by utterances from high-ranking Zanu PF officials who were advancing the narrative that the liberation movement, which uprooted apartheid, “was being deployed by the West to push a regime change agenda in Zimbabwe”.
Magashule and Zulu, supported by their fellow party members, sources said, reminded their Zanu PF counterparts that the ANC was the oldest liberation movement and “could not be corrupted to sell out Africa’s struggle”.
“Discussions then evolved to a discussion around the ANC’s concern that it was being used by Zimbabwe’s detractors to vilify Zanu PF in the hope of unseating Mnangagwa’s government,” another source told the Independent this week.
“At that point, the ANC, through Zulu, took umbrage at such accusations and reminded the meeting that the revolutionary party, founded in 1912, was a tried and tested organisation that could not be manipulated by neo-imperialists. Zulu went further and highlighted that the ANC’s involvement in Zimbabwe was out of genuine concern to extricate its neighbour from an acute crisis.”
As the candid discussions reached boiling point, Zanu PF, through Mpofu, is said to have deviated to what he said was the ANC’s “complicity in its failure to deal with opposition parties in South Africa”, such as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), led by Julius Malema and the Democratic Alliance (DA), who have piled pressure on Mnangagwa’s administration to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Zimbabwe, among other glaring symptoms of the country’s deep-seated crisis.
“At that point Mpofu said Zanu PF was also worried that the ANC was folding its hands while Zanu PF was being attacked by the EFF and DA instead of expressing solidarity with it.
“If anything, Mpofu was basically suggesting that the ANC, using its power as South Africa’s ruling party, should take punitive action against the EFF, DA and other South African civil organisations that were castigating Zanu PF.”
However, the ANC delegation, at this point through submissions from Yengeni is also said to have reminded the Zanu PF representatives that South Africa was “a democratic state which provided constitutional rights” to opposition parties to express their political viewpoints.
“In short, the ANC delegation categorically said it had no right and power to stop the growing criticism against Zanu PF from within South Africa, including from the country’s opposition parties,” the source said.
But, the Zanu PF delegation was not impressed, prompting it to further suggest that the ANC should push for the extradition of G40 stalwarts such as Saviour Kasukuwere, Walter Mzembi and Patrick Zhuwao who fled to the neighbouring country when former president Robert Mugabe was toppled from power through a military coup in November 2017.
On Wednesday, while addressing a politburo meeting, Mnangagwa threatened to terminate Zimbabwe’s extradition agreement with South Africa as he pursues efforts to bring the G40 members to justice on a series of corruption charges.
“Magashule emphasised that the G40 members living in South Africa had satisfied all legal requirements to stay in South Africa, and as such, there could not be any legal justification for Pretoria to extradite them.
“He went further and emphasised that the ANC, acting on its discretion, had a right to interact with the former Zanu PF members. He said the ANC’s doors remained open to all those who wished to interact with the party,” sources told this newspaper this week.
Paul Nyathi
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has threatened to unleash the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) to sniff out corrupt elements in all councils led by Nelson Chamisa’s MDC Alliance.
Mnangagwa on Friday told the central committee of his ruling Zanu-PF party that he would soon order “a clean-up” of all corrupt elements in the MDC Alliance dominated local authorities.
Heads have already started rolling at Harare City Council, where Zacc has arrested former mayor Herbert Gomba, several other councillors and managers over illegal land deals.
On Wednesday, the anti-graft body descended on Bulawayo to conduct a similar probe.
“If you look at the City of Harare, the rot is so deep, corruption is so deep and as I have said, the second republic is resolute in fighting corruption,” Mnangagwa said.
“Currently, the rot coming out of Harare is going to be cleaned up. All institutions in the country must remain upright and those who fail to do so, the hand of Zacc will catch up with you.”
He added: “These cities have their own councils running them. They are under the MDC Alliance and they are supposed to be providing service delivery. People are suffering and the people who are suffering are Zimbabweans, the people who are suffering are ZanuPF.”
Paul Nyathi
The Five artisanal trapped under a mine at Task Mine Syndicate in Chegutu have still not been rescued exactly 13 days after the shaft collapsed.
The five are said to be members of the same family, it has since emerged.
The trapped miners include a father, his two children and two grandchildren. They were named as Constantino Dzinoreva, Crynos Nyamukanga (ages not given), Munashe Nyamukanga (17), Shingai Gwatidzo (20) and a fifth miner only identified as Charles.
Speaking to journalists at the sidelines of the rescue operation, a relative to the victims who preferred anonymity bemoaned the snail pace at which the rescue mission is going while accusing the mining company of a reluctant approach towards saving their relatives.
“There is a real chance that our relatives are still alive if we are to consider information from those who are doing the search. According to them, they are not yet getting dead body smells. However, our relatives’ endurance may come to no avail due to Task Mine’s snail pace approach to the whole operation,” said the source.
He added, “a few artisanal miners from the area who have been offering to join the rescue team and increase manpower have been shut out. We really feel that Task Mine is more concerned about the stones within the shaft, they probably fear that the stones may be lost to the fresh individuals joining the team, but all at the expense of our relatives’ lives.”
Responding to these comments, Task Mine chairman, Timothy Masvipa said that rescue operation guidelines which do not allow volunteers to enter the shaft have seen them sticking to the small team identified for the job.
“This is a legal mine and so we can’t just do whatever we want, we are forced to abide by the guidelines prescribed for rescue operations,” said Masvipa.
He added that his company’s failure to keep up with the cost of rescuing the five trapped individuals has also affected rescue pace.
“We are quite a small company and to this end, it has been quite difficult for us to keep up with the cost of the whole rescue mission,” he said.
According to Archiv Fur Kriminologie the human body can survive for 8 to 21 days without food and water, and with the clock ticking fears are time may be running.
Of those with the ages supplied, Munashe Nyamukanga is the youngest of all five. Nyamukanga is 17-years old.
Additional reporting: 263chat
Paul Nyathi
Nelson Chamisa led MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzai Mahere has declared that the party is ready to fight back the combined onslaught against it by Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T and ZANU PF.
We are running a poll on ways of fighting back that have come from the mixed feelings by readers. Click on the link below and cast your thinking.
"we are fighting their attempt to loot and plunder this nation that is the reason why they are coming after us and we know it and we are going to fight back politically.”
How should the MDC Alliance realistically fight back Khupe and Mwonzora?
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 21, 2020
Paul Nyathi
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has redeployed one of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s favourite police officers, Commissioner Erasmus Makodza, as the new Officer Commanding for Matabeleland North while Commissioner Charles Nhete has been transferred to Harare province as the Officer Commanding of the province.
Commissioner Makodza is being moved for the third time since Mnangagwa took over from former President Robert Mugabe in a military coup in 2017.
Commisioner Makodza has held numerous senior deployments in the police force that includ being the Officer Commanding CID Bulawayo Province, Officer Commanding Mashonaland East and Harare Provinces as well as the Commander 2018 elections, amongst other deployments.
Makodza was first moved when several senior police officers have been forced out, accused of failing to prevent fuel protests that gripped the country on January 14 2018.
Bulawayo, the epicentre of the protests which later turned violent with dozens of shops being looted, was put under a new commander after Senior Assistant Commissioner Happymore Sigauke was ordered to retire,
Commissioner Makodza was made the new police chief for Mashonaland East, taking over from Senior Assistant Commissioner Lee Muchemwa who was also retired after protests rocked Marondera, the province’s capital.
The purge was meant to punish police chiefs who failed to come down hard on protesters. Mnangagwa deployed the army, which was accused of shooting at least 100 people and killing over a dozen people.
In mid may when plans for the July 31 protests were being laidout, Commissioner Makodza was immediately transferred to head Harare Province where the protests were meant to focus.
He replaced Comm Bernard Dumbura, who transferred to Police General Headquarters (PGHQ).
Many will remember him defending the suspect postal voting by police officers at Ross Camp in Bulawayo.
#Zimbabwe Senior Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza speaking about police officers who voted in Bulawayo on Thursday
Video credit @cyrusnhara_4787 pic.twitter.com/tKcya8LUOg— harumutasa/aljazeera (@harumutasa) July 13, 2018
In a statement released on Monday, National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the latest transfers effected by the Commissioner General of the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms that the Commisioner General of Police has effected the following transfers in the police.
Commisioner Erasmus Makodza has been transferred from Harare Province to Matabeleland North Province as Officer Commanding while Commisioner Charles Nhete has been transferred to Harare Province as Officer commanding,” reads the statement.
The transfers have been explained as routine transfers meant to strengthen the police operational effectiveness.
The World Health Organization, WHO, has agreed rules for the testing of African herbal remedies to fight Covid-19.
WHO said “the new rules were aimed at helping and empowering scientists in Africa to conduct proper clinical trials.”
“Sound science would be the sole basis for safe and effective traditional therapies to be adopted,” it said.
In the statement, the WHO’s Dr Prosper Tumusiime said: “the onset of Covid-19, like the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, has highlighted the need for strengthened health systems and accelerated research and development programmes, including on traditional medicines.”
Any traditional remedies that are judged effective could be fast-tracked for large-scale manufacturing.
The move comes as the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide passes 30 million, with reported global deaths standing at more than 957,000.
In Africa there have been more than 1.3 million cases and than 33,000 reported deaths.
However, around 140 potential vaccines for Covid-19 are being developed around the world, with dozens already being tested on people in clinical trials.
In April, Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina launched Covid-Organics to great fanfare, saying it was a prevention and remedy.
It had been tested on 20 people over a period of three weeks.
The drink, which has also been sent to dozens of African countries, is produced by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research from the artemisia plant – the source of an ingredient used in a malaria treatment – and other Malagasy plants.
Dr Tumusiime said that via the WHO’s African Vaccine Regulatory Forum, there was now a way for clinical trials of medicines in the region to be assessed and approved in fewer than 60 days.
Alongside these efforts, the green light has now been given for phrase three clinical trials using African traditional medicines.
The adoption of the technical documents will ensure that universally acceptable clinical evidence of the efficacy of herbal medicines for the treatment of Covid-19 is generated without compromising the safety of participants,” said Prof Motlalepula Gilbert Matsabisa, the panel’s chairman.
BBC
263chat
Spokesperson for the Nelson Chamisa led MDC Alliance, Fadzayi Mahere says the fight between her party and the rival MDC-T faction is not about the name but the ruling Zanu PF party which is stalking her party.
Her remarks come in the wake of pronouncements by MDC-T national chairman Morgen Komichi that the party would assume the name MDC Alliance in the upcoming by-elections scheduled for December 5 this year.
In an interview with a local radio station, Mahere said there was no confusion in the minds of the electorate because of the 2018 election outcome.
“This is not a fight about the name MDC, this is a fight about the representatives of a cause that is genuinely against Zanu PF. If it were just about the MDC Alliance is different from the name MDC-T. The two are different everyone who went to the ballot box in 2018 there was no confusion and the way that we know that there was no confusion is that Khupe throughout the entire nation got 45 000 votes and President Chamisa got 2, 6 million votes.
“People have no confusion in their minds about the name so it’s not about the name because the cause is one that fights Zanu PF, Zanu PF will follow us wherever we go even if the name changes we know that. What’s critical at this point is the consciousness and the cause name change or no name change will continue to champion the fight for a better Zimbabwe,” said Mahere
She said Zanu PF was trying to dismantle the MDC Alliance because they were fighting corruption and an attempt to create a one party state.
“It’s not just a sterile debate about names the reason that they continue to attack and dismantle the MDC Alliance is because we are fighting them at their root, we are fighting corruption, the culture of violence, the attempt to reduce Zimbabwe to a one party state, state capture, we are fighting their attempt to loot and plunder this nation that is the reason why they are coming after us and we know it and we are going to fight back politically.” she said
By Ben Manyenyeni | I am a card-carrying member of the main political opposition in the country and a retired deployee from its elected spaces.
Our 21-year old movement, its leadership and us the cadres join many citizens in broadly attributing our country’s failure and collapse, quite fittingly, to the leadership of the one political party which has ‘presided’ over our tragic national affairs for over 40 years.
Besides their political identity those who have destroyed Zimbabwe have other identities which the many victims point at – occasionally – in their moments of despair and helplessness.
What we may have failed to appreciate fully in the past (AND NOW DO!) is that in the eyes of other victims of Zimbabwe’s failures we also belong (in some ways) ‘among’ those who have ruined our once-glorious Zimbabwe.
Let us appreciate the despair among those who feel that whether by numbers, age, exposure, education, region, tribe, language, culture, location etc etc they may NEVER be able to influence leadership or correct the wrong direction of this country.
To the extent that as an individual I belong to a location, a tribe, a language, or an age-bracket etc. that dominates the corridors of MISRULE I am guilty as charged.
Without even being in the levers of power I owe an apology to the doomed TEENAGER whose future is destroyed because in his eyes I am among his elders
Without even ever voting for this RULERSHIP I still owe some EDUCATED answer to an ILLITERATE granny as to why the ruling party is still holding the reins.
Without even any power to run national affairs in town I owe the sick VILLAGER in Dotito an apology for the lack of healthcare there.
Without even talking to a Tonga-speaking woman I am rightly associated with the failure by the dominant SHONA-speakers to run the country.
To my white compatriot it’s a black thing this crisis, it’s us blacks and our BLACK GOVERNMENT to sort out the mess.
To every ethnic or tribal minority citizen who sees you as being among the ruining majority, you are guilty with the DOMINANT numbers you are part of.
To people living with disabilities WE the able-bodied have failed our gifted selves and our country
To every victim in any minority calling us out………. YOU DO HAVE A POINT !!
JOHANNESBURG – It is not only shocking but also unacceptable that South Africa has such high data costs, said media commentator, Victor Kgomoeswana.
On Monday, the country entered lockdown Level 1.
Experts are warning that it is crucial people maintain social distancing to avoid a second wave of COVID-19 infections.
Kgomoeswana says for social distancing to be a success, making mobile data affordable is critical.
“South Africa already is not a rich country, in other words, the majority of South Africans are poor so they struggle but because data is so important, their children cannot attend lessons.
“The teachers are not able to go to school because they are trying to avoid the spread,” he said.
South Africa is ranked 148 out of 228 countries when it comes to data prices.
ABOUT 77 percent of people infected with COVID-19 have recovered in Zimbabwe which amounts to 5 924 recoveries with reports that 11 more people have tested positive.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, no Covid-19 death was recorded in the last 24 hours in the country.
The 11 new cases are from local transmissions and four of them were recorded in Bulawayo while seven were recorded in Harare province.
“The national recovery rate stands at 77 percent and 10 more recoveries were recorded in the last 24v hours. As of September 20, 2020 Zimbabwe has recorded 7 683 cases, 5 924 recoveries and 225 deaths,” read the statement.
“The positivity rate for the day was 1.8 percent as 11 people tested positive from the 628 PCR tests conducted.”
From the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bulawayo province has recorded a total 1 396 cases, 1244 recoveries with 43 deaths, Matabeleland South has recorded 758 cases, 587 recoveries and seven deaths while Matabeleland North has recorded 129 cases, 110 recoveries and three deaths.
Paul Nyathi
Zimbabwe National Student Union (ZINASU) president Takudzwa Ngadziore bail was on Monday denied bail at the Harare Magistrates Court.
The student is facing charges of gathering with intent to promote public violence after he was caught addressing the media at OK Mart in Hillside, Harare.
The Court said that Ngadziore was not a good bail candidate considering that he was arrested a few days after he was granted bail on similar allegations.
“It does not require rocket science to figure out that the accused will continue with this kind of offence.
“His previous bail conditions required him to continue residing at his a given address and not to disturb peace but failed to respect that,” said magistrate Judith Taruvinga.
Ngadziore was recently arrested and granted bail after he allegedly staged a protest at Impala Car Rental premises accusing the company of having a hand in the abduction of Tawanda Muchehiwa in Bulawayo on 30 July.
He denies the allegations and insists it is his right to demonstrate.
Ngadziore will be back in court on October 5 for his routine remand.
South African opposition leader, Mmusi Maimane has told MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa to change the name of his party to Change Alliance.
This follows wide reports that a rival faction led by Dr Thokozani Khupe had settled for the name MDC Alliance in the forthcoming by-elections, a move that would create confusion with the Chamisa led movement.
“My brother @nelsonchamisa change the organizational name to “Change Alliance” and keep it moving. Do not allow this to become a stumbling block. People know who is who and what is what,” said Maimane.
The only reputation Knowledge Musona has in the eyes and ears of Zimbabwean football fans is that of scoring and creating goals.
Only Peter Ndlovu, arguably the greatest player to ever don the gold and green strip, has scored more goals in the national team’s history than the ‘Smiling Assassin.’
The 30-year-old has off late however, been entrusted with an unfamiliar role by KAS Eupen coach Benat San Jose, that of the anchoring the Belgian side’s midfield.
In last night’s league game against Antwerp, he scored in the 53rd minute to make it 2-0 but with the coach assuming the three points were in the bag, he took off Musona ten minutes later because the Zimbabwean was on a yellow card; replacing him with Congolese Edo Kayembe.
Musona’s substitution coincided with Eupen crumbling; they surrendered the 2-0 lead and conceded two goals to draw the game.
As a matter of fact, they were even lucky to share the spoils. Antwerp had the ball in the back of the net late on for what would have been the winner, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) ruled it out for a very close offside call.
The aforementioned game might be a sign that not only is Musona adapting to being a midfielder anchor, he might also be excelling in that role.-Soccer 24
Kaizer Chiefs’ new coach Gavin Hunt says his main target at the club is to start winning major silverware and end the team’s trophy drought.
Hunt replaced Ernst Middendorp early this month after the German gaffer was sacked for failing to win the league last term.
Chiefs, who haven’t won a major trophy in six years, had a big chance to seal the triumph but blew an 11-point lead to finish the campaign in second place.
Speaking in his first interview with the club’s media, Hunt said: “I’m very privileged and honoured to be here at Kaizer Chiefs, sometimes in football, it’s all about timing.
“Hopefully we can make it an enjoyable stay and win some trophies.
If you look at the history of the club from my time in 1981 as a player against them, to see where the club has grown, for me, then it was the biggest football club in South Africa, from supporter-wise and trophy-wise.
“The last few years have been a bit barren, and hopefully, we can turn that around.”-Soccer 24
By Mari Matutu | There was drama on Saturday when two seniors leading to an outfit called MDC-Thoko came out dressed in Nelson Chamisa’s shirt design, thread to thread, ink by pixel of coloration, they must have purchased the shirts solely for that function at Harvest House where one of them would announce that their MDC – T is now called by Nelson Chamisa’s brand and name. The third of them, Thokozani Khupe herself, wore makeup that made her look like a 42 year old, perfectly matching herself with her nemesis Chamisa.
The layout was that of: Thokozani Chamisa, Douglas Chamisa, and Morgen Chamisa.
I would like to thank my Orginising Secretary Hon Amos Chibaya for hard working. Just in two weeks he mobilised 300K voters to object the recalls of MDC A MPs by MDC T. He worked with a team. If the party cannot complement this consultation with full statements of what voters say then let you be cursed.
What more consultation do we want? ZEC has a constitutional duty to respond and remedy this injustice.
s233 of the constitution is clear like the back of a goat. It is our leadership’s duty to put ZEC to account.
As a party we cannot say we object party list filing of candidates but we want by elections for constituency candidates. What kind? An MP is an MP. We object the recalls as they are. No rebranding when we already objected as MDC A. Anyone talking about going for by elections on these seats and rebranding is an agent of the enemy. It is clear that ZEC changed strategy after seeing our objections. The election dates came up after reading our objections. MDC T is announcing that it’s now MDC A after reading our objections. Mwonzora is now silent and using the foolish Komichi to talk.
We have caught the thief with hands in the jar. Stand up and demand your right. We are not second citizens in Zimbabwe. If the national laws are all on our side why do we go to courts? Declare our rights. Tell ZEC to write a letter to parliament in terms of s233(f) directing parliament to allow MPs to take back their seats. There is no vacancy.
The records in their possesion say it all that these MPs are MDC A and not MDC T and tell parliament that s129(1)(k) has no provision for recalling someone for ceasing to belong to MDC T which is a member of MDC A. There is no such provision to recall. Only MDC A can recall these MPs.
ZEC as we demand must advise Parliament to uphold the constitution and secure the observance of values and principles of democracy. ZEC as a protector of our s67 political rights must write and remind parliament that citizens have a right to political choice at any given time. No agreement of what ever sort can direct a citizen on whom to vote or not to vote for, or direct what kind of political organisation to form or to join. No agreement can deploy people to stand for election on behalf of it. The right to stand for election is a direct thing each citizen of age has. We do not stand on behalf of political parties. We stand for political parties. Standing for is far much different from standing on behalf of. The law provides for standing for only and no standing on behalf of. We are the ones who make choice of a party to stand for. It is not the party which chooses us to stand on its behalf. It is no where in the laws of Zimbabwe. After choosing the party and it accepts, we stand in an election in conjunction with a party not as deployees of a party but partners. The partnership has three parties. The voters who nominate candidates, the candidate who choose a party and party symbol and the party which accepts to promote the election of a candidate. Take note, the agreement is only in relation to sponsoring of election or the candidate using party brand as what he or she stands for during election from the day of election. Only if one of the parties to agreement breaks the promise does the agreement break. Some break at nomination. They fail to go through. Some break at elections voters fail to vote enough and after winning election if member ceases to belong to a party of agreement then the partnership is broken.
ZEC must save the millions of US$ that are used to subvert the will of the people. ZEC has an obligation in s233(d) to promote accountability and transparency. ZEC cannot finance the subverting of the will of the people through un constitutional and unlawful recalls done by political opponents. It is a gross violation of our constitition for ZEC to finance electoral fraud and cause the country to pay huge sums instead of exercising its duty.
Remind Silayigwana that in our memories it is still fresh that in 2008 he kept election results for 6 weeks and tampering with them. We are still aware that he changed results of presidential elections of 2018 for 3 times. He is still a soldier bound by the Defence Act. His actions and conduct are seen in press statements he gives.
Remind ZEC we wait for their action. They have no option and this matter does not need court. The one who needs a court is MDC T to get an electoral court order that must first say these members are MDC T which is a member of MDC A without such order, ZEC has no ground other than a coup to call for fresh elections.
20 September 2020
By Nyahunda Struggle Desire
Any political conundrum in any unfolding environment is determined by the ettiquete and direction as guided by the supreme Bible of the organization which shapes now, tomorrow, future and forever. But how when the great sea and overflowing river is being overwhelmed by algae , pitfalls, and siltation from man made diversities which can be answered by smiling and walking on the solid rock despite the sour waters of Marah and Meribah.
Today(Sunday) marked a great day when the National Youth Leadership from Masvingo Province resolved to engage the communities particularly with a bias to mobilise the Youths to join and support the MDC ALLIANCE as led by one and only President Chamisa Nelson. This has seen the leadership from various districts like Masvingo Urban, Bikita, Mwenezi to mention just but a few attending the Youth Assembly meeting in Gutu Central in a bid to bring to a stop the long waited divisions which are over exaggerated and magnified on social spaces.
What happened and what transpired in Gutu central revealed that it is possible to move together as a team and an idea whose time has come can not be stopped by any whirlwind or any Machiavellianism. It is possible for youths to preach unity and in the process of fighting of elephants , grass suffers a lot, the future of the youths is being buried under metaphysical abyss and bottomless pit. Many a times it has been realised that the marital breakup of families can be rebuilt by the call from the children for parents to unconditionally settle their differences for the future of their kids. The only impossibility under the exchange of blows between the parents us for the children to take sides as this may escalate the fighting of the two.
Unfolding events revealed that youths can go an extra mile to help other wings unite. The take off was commendable and the Gutu Central community welcomed the event as the youths showed that they are ready to roll on sleeves and work for the benefit of the party without any differences.
National Youth Assembly Organising Secretary Kurauone Godfrey as the senior Youth member who was present attended the meeting with Leader Moses Mavhaire Tinashe heading the Gutu Cluster meetings. National leaders who attended includes Mwatenga Tettler (Secretary for Tourism and Hospitality) , Ngoni Mupfumba (Secretary for Environment and Climate), Mutubuki Gilbert ( Secretary for Lands and Agriculture), Moses Mavhaire Tinashe (Deputy Secretary for legal affairs). The high powered delegation visited the community with a clear agenda to hear the state of the youth assembly in the district, activities being done to mobilise support for the party President Nelson Chamisa, to hear the grievances from the district, and call for unity and an end from any divisions emanating from congressional disputes as this will affect the growth of the Assembly.
Only National Youth Leadership addressed the meeting and heard the grievances from the district. It was very clear that the program was far detached from any factional agenda.
Many other members from accross Masvingo as well attended and unity of purpose was shown. To dispell the notion sorrounding the rural engagement drive under the Youth Assembly Leadership as guided by the National Youth Assembly, the program was all inclusive and superb. Similar programs have been lined up accross the whole province to make sure noone is left behind. To balance out probabilities of any tension and as an embrace of partiality , the leadership was clear that the leadership crisis and youth problems from Masvingo will be resolved fairly as reiterated by President Chamisa during his last visit to the province.
The comrades who visited the district had great time after the meeting after a sudden stop at Chisheche where the community welcomed the programme with both hands and called on people to have such similar programs going ahead as these are major steps towards magnanimity and unanimity.
*A JOURNEY OF THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH A FOOTSTEP*
“`Milia passum iter incipit pes“`
Towards a United front in the resolve towards a *DEMOCRATIC DISPENSATION*
By: Nyahunda Struggle Desire
(Peace and Development Practitioner, writing on personal capacity)
Highlanders legend Johannes “Tshisa” Ngodzo has reportedly been recommended to take charge of the Real Betis Academy Zimbabwe centre to be established in Bulawayo soon.
According to NewsDay, Footballers Union of Zimbabwe president and Dynamos legend Desmond Maringwa made the recommendation.
Ngodzo is currently coaching Bulawayo City’s developmental side and was an assistant to Try Ncube when the senior team was promoted back to the top league in 2019.
“Tshisa (Ngodzo) could be leaving BCC to take up a position at the Real Betis Academy at the recommendation of Desmond Maringwa,” the source said.
Asked about the reports, Real Betis Academy Zimbabwe president Gerald Sibanda said: ‘No comment for now (on Ngodzo), but what we are doing is we are going to have a centre in Bulawayo.
“We are going to be bringing in the football legends that are already in Bulawayo to bring the community together so that we can at least develop football with passionate legends who are coming into coaching.”
Meanwhile, the Harare centre will be led by former Dynamos assistant coach Murape Murape.-Soccer 24
Kepa Arrizabalaga’s error helped Liverpool claim a 2-0 victory over Chelsea, with Sadio Mane at the double at Stamford Bridge.
Sadio Mane scored twice as Kepa Arrizabalaga made another calamitous error in a 2-0 victory for Liverpool over 10-man Chelsea, with Thiago Alcantara conceding a penalty on his debut.
Frank Lampard’s side hardly laid a glove on the Premier League champions at Stamford Bridge and their cause was not helped by Andreas Christensen’s red card late in the first half, with Mane then scoring twice in the space of four minutes after the restart.
Mane’s second was a gift from the much-maligned Kepa, whose days as Chelsea’s first choice seem numbered with Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy supposedly close to joining.-Goal.com
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
The most underrated
Of all herbs.
Umhlabangubo
Ucucuza.
So cheaply available and free growing all around
Southern and central African.
This herb is not only
For healing but its excellent for prevention.
Its health properties
Are so powerful to deal
With any kind of cell damage that may result
in any kind of Cancer.
Rainy season is a nightmare to all of us because of mosquitoes but those who will use blackjack as their herbal tea and food must rest assured .
Cervical cancer patients and stomach Cancer patients successfully treated with this herb
Black jack also helps in stroke
Palpitations
Heart attack
Liver problems
Cancers
Piles
Ulcers
Prostate enlargement
Gout and arthritis
Gastritis
Constipation
Bloating
Acid reflux
Lupus (autoimmune)
Blockages
Angina
Oesophagul cancer
Leg cramps
All types of
Headaches
Toothache
Jaundice
Feet and body swelling
Sore throat
All menstrual disorders
Sore gums
Diabetes 1&2
All types of wounds
Cuts
Fevers ,flue and colds
Hepatitis B is cured with black jack
Blackjack is your balm in Gilead that can deal with your belly fat without tempering with your other parts of your body.
Talk of diarrhea in toddlers and adults
Trust blackjack
Blackjack is also highly diuretic and it qualifies to deal with all your kidney
Blood cleansing and boils
HIV related sores ,use blackjack
Earache
Use drops of sap decoction from blackjack
Spread the news
tell your loved ones about blackjack.
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
email :[email protected]
Twitter :zimonlinehealthcentre
@zimonlinehealt1
YouTube: zimbabwe online health centre
Farai Dziva|Youthful MDC Alliance councillor Arnold Batirai Dube (ward 24) Bulawayo) donated food items to the needy in Nketa Suburb at the weekend.
“Ward 24 Bulawayo Councillor, Arnold Batirai Dube yesterday donated food hampers to the needy in Nketa.
These include the orphans and old people in his ward. #TheFightForBetterLivilihoods,” MDC Alliance said in a statement.
Own Correspondent|The gunman who allegedly shot two soldiers in Chivhu was not happy with the Zanu PF administration, according to his posts on Facebook.
Elliot Chihambakwe and Ephraim Jani were killed by security forces after attempting to flee with two assault rifles they grabbed from soldiers in Chivhu.
Chihambakwe is believed to be the man who opened fire at two soldiers in Chivhu, killing one of them while the other one sustained serious injuries.
Chihambakwe wrote on Facebook :
” Kusvika rini mazimbabwe muchidya nhoko dzezvironda upfumi hwenyika huchidyiwa navashoma.kusvika rini hama vadiwa muchigara munyika dzeutorwa kwamuriikoko asi nyika munayo wakeup gadzirira vana vedu ramangwana.”
” Nenyaya yeumbwende kutya tinofa tichitambura kunge tirivatorwa munyika yemadzibaba edu.”
Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has declared that nobody can stop the people’s struggle.
In his message below, President Chamisa stresses the fact that MDC Alliance carries the seed of new beginnings:
We represent the NEW and COMING.
We carry the seed of new beginnings. Not even the angel of death can prevent its sprouting.
We sympathize with those who attempt to stand in the way or are opposed to us. It’s game on! Sunday greetings
The most underrated
Of all herbs.
Umhlabangubo
Ucucuza.
So cheaply available and free growing all around
Southern and central African.
This herb is not only
For healing but its excellent for prevention.
Its health properties
Are so powerful to deal
With any kind of cell damage that may result
in any kind of Cancer.
Rainy season is a nightmare to all of us because of mosquitoes but those who will use blackjack as their herbal tea and food must rest assured .
Cervical cancer patients and stomach Cancer patients successfully treated with this herb
Black jack also helps in stroke
Palpitations
Heart attack
Liver problems
Cancers
Piles
Ulcers
Prostate enlargement
Gout and arthritis
Gastritis
Constipation
Bloating
Acid reflux
Lupus (autoimmune)
Blockages
Angina
Oesophagul cancer
Leg cramps
All types of
Headaches
Toothache
Jaundice
Feet and body swelling
Sore throat
All menstrual disorders
Sore gums
Diabetes 1&2
All types of wounds
Cuts
Fevers ,flue and colds
Hepatitis B is cured with black jack
Blackjack is your balm in Gilead that can deal with your belly fat without tempering with your other parts of your body.
Talk of diarrhea in toddlers and adults
Trust blackjack
Blackjack is also highly diuretic and it qualifies to deal with all your kidney
Blood cleansing and boils
HIV related sores ,use blackjack
Earache
Use drops of sap decoction from blackjack
Spread the news
tell your loved ones about blackjack.
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
email :[email protected]
Twitter :zimonlinehealthcentre
@zimonlinehealt1
YouTube: zimbabwe online health centre
Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance MP for Glen Norah, Hon Chikombo donated 1000 bags of mealie-meal to the needy in the constituency on Sunday.
“On Sunday MDC Alliance MP Hon Chikombo of Glen Norah distributed 1000 bags of 10kg mealie -meal to assist the vulnerable who’ve received no COVID-19 safety nets from the State.
While others focus on the petty politics of grabbing power fraudulently, we remain focused on the people.
#ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” MDC Alliance said in a statement.
MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA SATIRISES KOMICHI’S POLITICAL HYPOCRISY ON PARTY IDENTITY.
22 SEPTEMBER 2020
To the chagrin of committed and dedicated social democrats around the globe, the fake constitutionalists represented by the ressurected Komichi announced their evil intention to use our name( Mdc Alliance) in the impending by-elections. Morgan Komichi of the judicially-sponsored Mdc-Thokozani has desperately declared that their party will be using the name Mdc Alliance in the by-elections set for 5 December 2020.
Mdc Alliance Namibia would like to make it categorically distinct that the President of the Mdc Alliance party is Advocate Nelson Chamisa who amassed 2.6 million votes in July 2018. We want to restate our concrete support to the people’s party. As a party, we are quite aware of the unholy marriage between Zanupf and their surrogates. The latest episode is a reminder that the so-called strategic prowess of the power-hungry MdcT stomach politicians is overrated since it epitomised double-standards meant to force a name change(rebranding) of our political behemoth.
Moreover, the chameleonic changes to their party identity transforming it from Mdc-T to Mdc Alliance unravels how clueless and frustrated they are. How does one party fill party list vacancies under Mdc-T and then seek to contest by-elections under Mdc Alliance,let alone the one you have opposed and disowned. This clearly unearthes their political bankruptcy and hypocrisy. Mwonzora and cabal are just playing sick politics that does not put the voters into consideration. Mdc Alliance Namibia remains steadfast even if they recall everyone as they expose their stupid plan and their perpetual suffocation of the suffering electorate.
Furthermore, we are also cognisant of the fact that Zanupf and their puppets have deployed hundreds of varakashi masquerading as Mdc Alliance supporters to scream for rebranding. Politically inept Zanupf Satanists are desperate to annihilate the Mdc Alliance. There is need for vigilance. The Mdc Alliance Namibia Rundu branch Spokesperson Robson Ruhanya strongly asserted that , “Mdc Alliance must not rebrand! What happens when another one from the rebranded Mdc Alliance pulls the same trigger as the Zanupf controlled Thokozani faction?” Rebranding of ideas and strategies become evidently imperative. It is clear that time has come for genuine revolutionaries not to play the game according to their rules , but according to the actual rules and regulations of social democracy.
The Secretary General of Mdc Alliance Namibia Rundu branch Simbarashe Ndoda further castigated the courts for opposing the righteous and promoting injustices. Everyone who renounces the sadist Zanupf rogue regime is arrested, abducted, tortured and butchered. He went on to say that the truth stumbles in the streets and honesty is outlawed. Hopewell, Job SaroWiwa Sikhala, Godfrey Kurauone and others are living testimonies to the inhuman treatment of innocent citizens. Given the escalating disrespect of human rights in Zimbabwe, Mdc Alliance Namibia views this as the opportune time to rebrand ideas and take it to the streets demanding an immediate end to injustices, inequalities,repression and capture of all state institutions.
In a nutshell, as Mdc Alliance Namibia, we shall remain committed and dedicated to defending our legacy as the people’s party. Instead of changing our name, we shall fight for the independence of Zec from Zanupf capture, confront Zanupf for comprehensive reforms as stipulated in our Reload policy. We are not here to enforce Zanupf cabinet resolutions. Mdc Alliance Namibia is resolutely behind the National executive council resolutions.
Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya
#Zimlivesmatter
#FreeWiwa
#FreeTakudzwa
20 September 2020
By Nyahunda Struggle Desire
Any political conundrum in any unfolding environment is determined by the ettiquete and direction as guided by the supreme Bible of the organization which shapes now, tomorrow, future and forever. But how when the great sea and overflowing river is being overwhelmed by algae , pitfalls, and siltation from man made diversities which can be answered by smiling and walking on the solid rock despite the sour waters of Marah and Meribah.
Today(Sunday) marked a great day when the National Youth Leadership from Masvingo Province resolved to engage the communities particularly with a bias to mobilise the Youths to join and support the MDC ALLIANCE as led by one and only President Chamisa Nelson. This has seen the leadership from various districts like Masvingo Urban, Bikita, Mwenezi to mention just but a few attending the Youth Assembly meeting in Gutu Central in a bid to bring to a stop the long waited divisions which are over exaggerated and magnified on social spaces.
What happened and what transpired in Gutu central revealed that it is possible to move together as a team and an idea whose time has come can not be stopped by any whirlwind or any Machiavellianism. It is possible for youths to preach unity and in the process of fighting of elephants , grass suffers a lot, the future of the youths is being buried under metaphysical abyss and bottomless pit. Many a times it has been realised that the marital breakup of families can be rebuilt by the call from the children for parents to unconditionally settle their differences for the future of their kids. The only impossibility under the exchange of blows between the parents us for the children to take sides as this may escalate the fighting of the two.
Unfolding events revealed that youths can go an extra mile to help other wings unite. The take off was commendable and the Gutu Central community welcomed the event as the youths showed that they are ready to roll on sleeves and work for the benefit of the party without any differences.
National Youth Assembly Organising Secretary Kurauone Godfrey as the senior Youth member who was present attended the meeting with Leader Moses Mavhaire Tinashe heading the Gutu Cluster meetings. National leaders who attended includes Mwatenga Tettler (Secretary for Tourism and Hospitality) , Ngoni Mupfumba (Secretary for Environment and Climate), Mutubuki Gilbert ( Secretary for Lands and Agriculture), Moses Mavhaire Tinashe (Deputy Secretary for legal affairs). The high powered delegation visited the community with a clear agenda to hear the state of the youth assembly in the district, activities being done to mobilise support for the party President Nelson Chamisa, to hear the grievances from the district, and call for unity and an end from any divisions emanating from congressional disputes as this will affect the growth of the Assembly.
Only National Youth Leadership addressed the meeting and heard the grievances from the district. It was very clear that the program was far detached from any factional agenda.
Many other members from accross Masvingo as well attended and unity of purpose was shown. To dispell the notion sorrounding the rural engagement drive under the Youth Assembly Leadership as guided by the National Youth Assembly, the program was all inclusive and superb. Similar programs have been lined up accross the whole province to make sure noone is left behind. To balance out probabilities of any tension and as an embrace of partiality , the leadership was clear that the leadership crisis and youth problems from Masvingo will be resolved fairly as reiterated by President Chamisa during his last visit to the province.
The comrades who visited the district had great time after the meeting after a sudden stop at Chisheche where the community welcomed the programme with both hands and called on people to have such similar programs going ahead as these are major steps towards magnanimity and unanimity.
*A JOURNEY OF THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH A FOOTSTEP*
“`Milia passum iter incipit pes“`
Towards a United front in the resolve towards a *DEMOCRATIC DISPENSATION*
By: Nyahunda Struggle Desire
(Peace and Development Practitioner, writing on personal capacity)
Own Correspondent|The gunman who allegedly shot two soldiers in Chivhu was not happy with the Zanu PF administration, according to his posts on Facebook.
Elliot Chihambakwe and Ephraim Jani were killed by security forces after attempting to flee with two assault rifles they grabbed from soldiers in Chivhu.
Chihambakwe is believed to be the man who opened fire at two soldiers in Chivhu, killing one of them while the other one sustained serious injuries.
Chihambakwe wrote on Facebook :
” Kusvika rini mazimbabwe muchidya nhoko dzezvironda upfumi hwenyika huchidyiwa navashoma.kusvika rini hama vadiwa muchigara munyika dzeutorwa kwamuriikoko asi nyika munayo wakeup gadzirira vana vedu ramangwana.”
” Nenyaya yeumbwende kutya tinofa tichitambura kunge tirivatorwa munyika yemadzibaba edu.”
See posts below :
ZIMBABWE Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) joins the rest of the world in commemorating International Day of Peace with a call for both state and non-state actors to embrace and strengthen the ideals of peace and build a safer future for all people in Zimbabwe.
International Day of Peace which is observed around the world every year on 21 September, is devoted to strengthening principles of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.
International Day of Peace affords us an opportunity to reflect and recommit to the sincere undertaking by the United Nations and the global peoples to promote and safeguard peace throughout the world.
In 2020, International Day of Peace is commemorated under the theme “Shaping Peace Together.”
The theme could not be more appropriate as it galvanises us all to implement and respect instruments that enforce values such as peace, freedom, justice, equality, development and human dignity across Zimbabwe and the world.
In 2020, we commemorate International Day of Peace when we are grappling with an unprecedented global health pandemic in the form of coronavirus, which has thrown the world into turmoil and is compromising and putting peace at risk.
In Zimbabwe, the devastating social and economic consequences of coronavirus coupled with the unjust enforcement of national lockdown measures by government, have brought some forms of violence against people and robbed them of peace while exposing them to abuse and violation of several of their basic rights.
Unmeasured enforcement of national lockdown measures has resulted in the addition of yet another layer of tragedy and depriving people especially human rights defenders (HRDs) and ordinary citizens who are perceived as enemies of government from enjoying peace.
It is tragic and regrettable that state and non-state actors continue to work tirelessly to deny citizens peace and fundamental rights which were at the core of the struggle for liberation.
Forty years after the attainment of independence, Zimbabwe still carries the dictatorial hallmarks of erosion of personal liberties, repression, abductions, enforced disappearances, torture, surveillance and abuse of the criminal justice system to harass, intimidate and persecute HRDs and ordinary citizens.
State security agents and other non-state actors aligned to repressive elements of the old order continue acting with impunity to violate people’s rights.
Unwarranted harassment and arrests of lawyers, journalists and HRDs including students for carrying out their professional duties still continues.
ZLHR condemns the resort to acts of violence by any aggrieved parties to settle disputes.
Violence, in any form, and by any member of our society violates the right to personal security provided for in Section 52(a)(i) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right of every person to freedom from all forms of violence from public and private sources.
Tolerance of differing opinions is a crucial aspect of democracy and any violent actions will further limit the right of people to exercise their constitutionally protected freedoms and rights to demonstrate and petition, peaceful assembly, expression and association, which are guaranteed in the Constitution and Zimbabwe’s international human rights obligations.
Seven years after the enactment of a new Constitution, the process of national healing remains elusive and the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission tasked with promoting cohesion, unity and reconciliation has failed to have any impact or effect.
All these transgressions are the hallmarks of government’s tragic failure to foster peace in Zimbabwe which should compel and hasten all of us to commit to re-orienting people’s attitudes towards respect for the Constitution, national laws, the rule of law as well as to build a society free of violence, fear, intimidation and hatred.
We must find ways of promoting inclusive approaches to conflict prevention and ending violence as a pathway for sustaining peace.
This circular conveys the ZIMTA National Executive decision of 20 September 2020 on declaration of incapacitation of teachers with regards to opening of schools on the 28th of September 2020
Teachers have been hard hit by economic decline since the adoption of RTGS as an official currency. As a result the living conditions of teachers are now unparalleled to anything human. Worsening the plight of teachers is the COVID-19 environment.
The ZIMTA National Executive declaration of incapacitation cites the following concerns.
Concerned that the economy has self-dollarized and transport fares are now charged in United States dollars and Rands in most routes
Worried that the teachers’ salaries have been eroded to an equivalent of between US$30- US$35
Appalled by the wide and unjustified disparities in basic salaries between teachers and other public servants,
Concerned on the continued rise in the cost of living,
Concerned that schools, rentals, medical insurance, funeral insurance and clothing are now out of reach for the educators,
Disturbed by the unilateral pronouncement of opening of schools dates without consultation of other stakeholders, and
Concerned for the safety of teachers since most schools lack COVID-19 preparedness.
POSITION ADOPTED
After a wide consultation of all our forty two thousand (42 000) members across all ten of the country’s provinces, the ZIMTA National Executive hereby declares that all educators will not be able to report for duty on the 28th of September 2020 for opening of schools as they are INCAPACITATED.
The following conditions must be met;
Implementation of World Health Organisation guidelines against COVID-19
Restoration of the purchasing power parity of teachers’ salaries to US$520
Implementation of meaningful sector specific allowances which consider teachers status and responsibilities
Payment of COVID-19 allowances that are results of a negotiation process instead of through the benevolence of His Excellency, The President.
Unless the above conditions are met, educators remain incapacitated and hence willing but unable to report for duty.
A Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Zimbabwe-sanctioned survey has found the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) as the most open institution in Zimbabwe while Chitungwiza Municipality was cited as the most secretive local authority.
The media lobby group has since 2009 been conducting surveys to check on how easily citizens could access information relating to various organisations’ operations.
“EMA was assessed as the most open institution for being active on social media and maintaining a ‘partially’ up-to-date website. Although the institution was unable to provide information that had been requested, it explained its reasons,” the report said.
According to the survey, Chitungwiza Municipality did not respond to requests for information on its operations.
“A senior official stated that they did not receive the request and recommended that the requests be resubmitted through email,” the report noted.
Other organisations that were surveyed were Chipinge Rural District Council, Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe, Primary and Secondary Education ministry, Women Affairs ministry, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development ministry, Mutare City Council and Zimbabwe School Examinations Council.
Some of the organisations which had been initially targeted for the survey were left out due to COVID-19 restrictions and time limitations.
The study is also part of commemorations for the International Day for Universal Access to Information which is marked every year on September 28.
It is also based on the findings of assessments on whether public institutions proactively make relevant information available online in the form of websites or social media accounts.
The study further evaluates to what degree information is made available to citizens upon request.
Similar studies were conducted in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia.
-Newsday
Human rights lawyer Doug Coltart has condemned the denial of bail to ZINASU President Takudzwa Ngadziore saying the basis used to incarcerate him does not make sense as he is the one who was attacked.
Ngadziore’s bail application was dismissed with the Harare Magistrates court saying his release will threaten peace of public order.
But Coltart said peacefully holding a press conference demanding accountability cannot be a basis for denying Ngadziore his freedom.
“It’s tragically ironic that @ngadziore has been denied bail on the basis that releasing him will “undermine the peace” when he is the one who was attacked. Why? For peacefully holding a press conference demanding accountability for abductions,” said Coltart.
Ngadziore was severely assaulted by unknown assailants who besieged a press conference he was holding near Impala car rental demanding accountability for Tawanda Muchehiwa abductors.
Journalists were also assaulted and had their gadgets confiscated during the melee.
In an evening televised national address on 21 September 2008, Thabo Mbeki resigned the Office of President after a harrowing eight days which left a shocked Nation deeply scarred and unsettled. Today, marks exactly 12 years since that fateful day in September. pic.twitter.com/RZa3kVjVuP
— Dumisa (@DNkwamba) September 21, 2020
ZINASU President Takudzwa Ngadziore who was arrested on Friday at Impala car rental has been denied bail by the Harare Magistrates Court.
Magistrate Judith Taruvinga ruled that Ngadziore is not a suitable candidate for bail saying that realising him will undermine the peace of public order.
More to follow….
A 7-year-old boy from Makore Village under Chief Mangwende in Murewa was allegedly murdered last week in a suspected case of ritual killing.
Reports are that the boy was sent by his parents to look after the garden on the morning of September 17.
His parents went to the garden later to do some watering and found that their son was missing.
The parents enquired on the whereabouts of their son from other children who were also looking after their gardens nearby.
They were told that their son has been seen swimming in a nearby pond.
The boy’s parents went to the pond but could not find their son.
They then alerted some villagers and a search was conducted until midnight but they could not find him.
On September 18, in the morning, a day after the boy went missing, it is reported that a neighbour woke up and discovered his dog and its puppies feasting on human body parts in his yard.
He then alerted the boy’s parents and a report was made to the police.
The body had its head, neck, both legs and arms hacked off.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said investigations into the matter are in progress.
“Police in Murewa are looking for perpetrators behind the gruesome murder of a 7-year-old boy who went missing on September 17, 2020 after he had been sent to the garden by his mother.
“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. We urge parents and guardians to always be on the look out of their minors and prioritise their safety, at all times. Investigations into this matter are in progress.”
-State Media
Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) which is the biggest teachers union in Zimbabwe has declared that its members are incapacitated to report for duty on the 28th of September, the day schools are set to resume lessons for examination classes.
In a circular to its members, ZIMTA said educators will not report for duty on 28 September due to incapacitation.
“After a wide consultation of all our forty two thousand (42 000) members across all ten of the country’s provinces, the ZIMTA National Executive hereby declares that all educators will not be able to report for duty on the 28th of September 2020 for opening of schools as they are INCAPACITATED.”
ZIMTA highlighted a number of grievances which it said should be met by government before they are able to report for duty.
“Teachers have been hard hit by economic decline since the adoption of RTGS as an official currency. As a result the living conditions of teachers are now unparalleled to anything human. Worsening the plight of teachers is the COVID-19 environment,” the association said.
The below article was published a day before Thokozani Khupe’s organisation announced it is now assuming the MDC Alliance name.
By A Correspondent | The MDC-T leader, Thokozani Khupe unwittingly leaked the term: “Unconstitutionally” to describe how the courts have dealt with her nemesis, Nelson Chamisa.
Khupe became loose with her tongue when she said the courts have used unconstitutional rationale in ruling over Chamisa’s takeover from Morgan Tsvangirai.
This was in her latest interview with ZimEye.com when she was commenting on the MDC-T leadership wrangle.
Earlier this year on March 31, 2020, the Supreme Court delivered a unanimous ruling in the seemingly interminable battle over leadership of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). In the case of MDC and Others vs Elias Mashavira and Others SC 56/20, the Supreme Court confirmed the ruling of the High Court against Nelson Chamisa, casting further doubt over the future of the main opposition.
Responding on this matter Khupe said, “the courts have dealt with that, unconstitutionally.”
A brief excerpt of the interview is below:
Qn. What would happen there; are you going to inherit Nelson Chamisa is challenge against Emmerson Mnangagwa?
Khupe: How? How?
Qn. Because in this case you’re taking a post which Nelson Chamisa has occupied since Morgan Tsvangirai died, as you say.
Khupe: unconstitutionally.
Qn: Some….
Khupe: And the courts have dealt with that, unconstitutionally.
And the courts have said.
Qn. Some have asked also on you why have you not challenged yourself, Emmerson Mnangagwa directly, concerning the rigging in 2018, the killing of people the using of the army, which Nelson Chamisa is still standing on, and challenging Emmerson Mnangagwa legally right now?
Khupe: Why would I challenge when I do not have evidence? He challenged and he was asked to produce evidence because you can only challenge something if you have evidence, saying this is the evidence that I have but if I don’t have evidence why should I waste my time?
Qn. We do have broadcast evidence from the zbc, the state broadcaster that shows the deployment of the military to change election results and I can give you references, they are also online, the videos are still there online, 15th December 2017; we have numerous incidents that have been broadcast over the time up to the 2018 elections. We also have the Motlanthe hearings in which this evidence was also brought up, which clearly shows that Emmerson Mnangagwa clearly used the army to change election results to Nelson Chamisa’s prejudice. We also have Emmerson Mnangagwa admitting in March 2018 that he did deploy the army and I am wondering there, are you saying you are ignoring simply because the court case said so, the hearings or what?
Khupe: Unfortunately I cannot understand where your question is going because as far as I’m concerned…
Qn. I am saying there is evidence here to show…
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Khupe Says The Courts “Unconstitutionally” Ruled Against @nelsonchamisa https://t.co/kJ08oAp7Km via @zimeye pic.twitter.com/DcmuEOPoog
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 18, 2020
Khupe: as far as I understand, and as far as I know there was a court challenge …. INTERVIEW CONTINUES
By A Correspondent- Former reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono says there is no need to deny that the country is in a crisis as the problems were self-evident.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling Zanu-PF have on several occasions taken offence with people that say there is a crisis in the country that requires outside intervention.
Gono (GG), who retired in 2013, told Alpha media Holdings chairman Trevor Ncube (TN) on the online talk show In Conversation with Trevor, that leading political parties needed each other to stabilise the country.
Below are excerpts from the second part of the interview.
TN: Gideon, you have written this book and you are writing two more; this covers the first five years of your term of office. You have called it Zimbabwe’s Casino Economy, Extraordinary Measures For Extraordinary Challenges. Describe to me what are the core attributes of the casino economy.
GG: The casino economy was informed by my experiences of a number of factors that make the life of a governor very difficult. Issues to do with discipline. Discipline is key in any financial institution, the key to any monetary system.
We had indiscipline of the order that has never been experienced anywhere in the world.
It was compounded by the political involvement that showed its face there.
You tried to bring an institution to order, the next thing you get a call from a minister, you get threats from a faceless character which you knew very well has got some powers to harm you.
You had corruption taking different forms and manner going unpunished, you had a situation where outside forces were also conspiring against the bank, in other words, the sanctions, against any order that you could bring.
It was a casino economy predominantly driven by politics as opposed to economics.
TN: Are we ever going to get out of this casino economy?
GG: We can if we cure the elephant in the room in the form of legislative instruments.
One of the effects of a plethora of those is, and we need to cure them.
The day you are going to create a nation run on statutory instruments, know that there is something very wrong.
I was faced with a situation where if I had done nothing about it, I would have had zero inflation but the result of that would have been, today people die in Muzarabani or Buhera, tomorrow 20, next day 30. What sort of inflation in terms of dead bodies is that? I had to do whatever I could to save lives.
TN: During your tenure, a number of black banks went under.
Did you not overreact to this financial indiscipline within the financial sector? Could things be done differently to stop the indiscipline and preserve the black banks that had emerged, what’s your response to that?
GG: We never looked at the actions we took in terms of the colour of the owner of the institutions – the background of individuals never came in. The role of the Reserve Bank was not to be a crèche to baby-sit and nurture people. They were dealing with depositors’ funds. There were nine processes one had to take before closing a bank, but many overlooked that.
I wouldn’t say we over reacted because the one thing that has happened is, there has been a onesided accusation and today, if I’m to tell you the extent of indiscipline that some of the guys going around and making those accusations exhibited, people would lynch them.
People must go to jail for abusing depositors’ funds.
I did the right thing. In fact, if you were to get a governor who would have been more compassionate than me, I would give you the world.
TN: You actually brokered a deal between the former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, The Elders and (late) president Robert Mugabe, briefly what were the highlights of that deal?
GG: When in November 2007 The Elders wanted Zimbabwe to go under an investigation, they were blocked. No one in their right senses can deny a secretary-general [an ear].
As governor, I knew the negative impact of that kind of a political decision. I had to get in touch with Kofi Annan.
I persuaded him, asking for conditions for us to meet so that he wouldn’t go to the Security Council. He said he was going to smuggle me out of Zimbabwe to Geneva. I negotiated with Kofi Annan, under the guise of some foundation, we had really messed up. One of the conditions I took there was that they were never going to criticise RG (Mugabe). That was why you never heard him criticising him.
TN: You intervened for peace between the former first lady and President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa, am I right, at the funeral?
GG: The history of nations and development and progress is premeditated within historical events. The unfortunate death of RG presented this nation with a tremendous opportunity to unite. I was one of the closest sahwiras of RG and I was given a role to contact the former first lady to bring RG back home. [In] my interactions with the former first lady there was that agreement that we should not antagonise or hold anybody to ransom over his death.
RG was a unifier, he forgave people, we needed to bury the weaknesses of RG, the bad things he actually did or is accused to have done, to say to the world, to say to nations, political parties that if at all we need to blame anybody, here is an opportunity, let’s blame it on RG. Many people have sought to look at the negative or bad side of RG.
I said let’s satisfy ourselves, let’s pick the biblical stone, let us all blame it on him and then say to the nation, having done that, we open a new chapter. A lot of emotions took over, but one thing that I know which is a fact is that, I was taken out of the role and later on, unfairly accused of working with ED (Mnangagwa) [and],working against the wishes of RG.
TN: You have suggested that let’s approach (Rwandan) President Paul Kagame to be the honest peace broker. Talk to me about what made you make that suggestion, have you had any response from anybody?
GG: We are a nation in crisis, let’s not deny that. I am an economist, I have read many books on turnaround [strategies], and I know exactly the signals and signs of nations in a crisis. I have seen the need for us to get help. I have also reconciled with myself why it should be an outsider because prophets have no honour in their backyard.
I have also recognised the potential compromises that could be perceived or happen with anyone in Sadc coming to help us. We are insignificant in the scheme of things when it comes to reality. I also looked at the nature of the challenges that we are facing.
We need our economy to turn around, we need international goodwill. What is it that is common between us and Rwanda? Rwanda’s journey to where it is now is painful.
None of us has gone through that, who is better to understand the pain than a country that has gone through that?
There are also other things that bind us; it is an example of an economy that is ticking.
Paul Kagame comes from a military background- that speaks about the discipline in him.
We have Zanu-PF, their ideology is founded from the big tent, no wonder we are copying them on other issues.
He (Kagame) comes across as a very sincere person, with principles, grounded on peace, reconciliation and nation-building. It is in the context of that, that one was looking at him for that.
TN: Have you had any encouraging responses to that?
GG: It is tricky to say that. If you are going to heal each other you need to accept you have wronged each other, [but] at this stage, we are in denial. In what capacity will I go and talk to them? I don’t want to go to Chikurubi [Maximum Security Prison].On elections, one of the realities we must accept as a nation is that the political parties need each other to run the country. We need each other for a while, while we cool down.
“In Conversation With Trevor” is a weekly show broadcast on YouTube.com
Must MDC Alliance change its name?
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 20, 2020
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission refused to register a new political party led by Joice Mujuru following a complaint over a mere party slogan that was similar to to her proposed organisation name. this happened in the run-up to the 2018 elections and on interview is the leader of the progressive people’s party Barbara Nyagomo who won against Mujuru.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
One of the Chivhu gunmen who shot dead a soldier was a Democratic Republic of Congo war veteran who often spoke of “freeing Zimbabwe”, according to friends and family.
Elliot Chihambakwe, of Gutu, also used his Facebook page to write a manifesto of change, demanding that Zimbabweans grow courage and “fix tomorrow for our children.”
Chihambakwe, 45, and his 20-year-old neighbour Ephain Jani were shot dead on September 6, just hours after the killing of Lance Corporal Lorance Mupanganyama and wounding of Corporal Peter Zvirevo inside a small police cabin in Chivhu town.
The motive for the attack remains unknown.
Chihambakwe and Jani were buried in Mukandatsama Village under Chief Mazuru on September 10 after being shot by a joint army and police team in a bush about 20km out of Chivhu town.
Friends and family have told ZimLive that Chihambakwe quit the army in 2008 at the height of a major economic crisis in Zimbabwe, and spent at least two years in Cape Town, South Africa, working as a security guard.
They say the married father-of-two harboured deep anger over the mismanagement of Zimbabwe by the Zanu PF government.
“He always told us that he would one day free Zimbabwe and cause an uprising,” a friend who lived with Chihambakwe in Cape Town said, asking not to be named.
On Facebook, Chihambakwe often wrote about his struggles fending for his young family. The posts began in 2012, when he joined Facebook, and then stopped suddenly in November 2017 – just days before a military coup that ousted the late former leader Robert Mugabe.
“Thanks to our cowardice, fear, we will die in suffering like strangers in the land of our fathers,” he wrote in November 2013.
“Until when will the people of Zimbabwe eat the scabs of their wounds while the nation’s wealth is enjoyed by a few? Until when dear friends will you live in those foreign countries where you are when you have your own country? Let’s fix tomorrow for our children,” he said in a November 2012 post.
Chihambakwe also said it was “better to die fighting for prosperity than to die in poverty.”
It remains unclear if his anger over the economic conditions in Zimbabwe led to the fateful September 5 incident, which would end with him and his young neighbour dead before their bodies were publicly paraded in Chivhu on the back of an open top police truck.
According to police, the two soldiers Zvirevo and Mupanganyama patrolled the streets of Chivhu starting at 8AM in the company of four police officers in a joint operation enforcing coronavirus lockdown regulations. The two soldiers were armed with AK47 rifles.
They then returned to a police base near a Chicken Inn fast food outlet – a small one-room cabin.
While at the police base, police said a man wearing a green face mask, a black bomber jacket, tattered blue jean trousers and black safety shoes approached and signalled Mupanganyama to meet him outside.
Mupanganyama, according to the police, had assumed that the man summoning him was his superior, and was furious when the man introduced himself as a former soldier. He stormed off and went back inside the police base.
“The purported ex-member followed the deceased into the police base talking to the deceased on top of his voice. All of a sudden, the other accused approached at the entrance of the police base and without saying anything he produced a corked pistol and started firing directly at the two army members,” a police report of the incident said.
Chihambakwe and Jani reportedly took away the two AK47 rifles and four fully-charged magazines loaded with 30 rounds each before walking out of the police base while pointing the rifles in the air.
“People started running in different directions for their safety. The accused persons ran away to a nearby bush east of the police base and disappeared,” police said.
Mupanganyama was shot three times. The fatal shot was on the nose with the bullet going through his head.
Zvirevo, who remains hospitalised in a critical condition, was shot six times – twice on the left hand, once in the abdomen and he also had three gunshot wounds to the back.
Trophies … The two Chivhu gunmen were paraded to Chivhu residents on back of police struck after they were shot and killed
The two gunmen were tracked down by police and soldiers and located in the bush on September 6. Police said in an exchange of gunfire, the Chihambakwe and Jani shot a soldier in the leg before they were outgunned and killed.
A relative of Chihambakwe, speaking by phone, said the former soldier lived at the village in Gutu with his wife and children.
He said it remains unclear how he and Jani ended up in Chivhu. He dismissed suggestions that the two were panning for gold in the area.
Police had not given the family details of the altercation at the police base, which some reports claimed may have been over a woman. – Zimlive.com
State Media
Strict new operating procedures and an upgrade of terminuses so they are secure with controlled access and washing facilities are among the measures being introduced to ensure the resumption of intercity bus services does not see Covid-19 infection spreading.
Bus crews, including drivers, conductors and loaders, will not be allowed into Mbare Musika long-distance bus terminus before they produce a certificate showing they tested negative for Covid-19, and yesterday the terminus was being walled while boreholes were being drilled to provide the necessary water for washing.
Buses will not be allowed to enter the terminus without displaying a thermometer, disinfecting gadgets and sanitisers. Bus companies are now required to keep registers of visitors, sanitise passengers and disinfect vehicles after every trip. Bus windows need to be kept open whenever possible and sick staff must stay at home, regardless of the presumed illness.
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development has drawn up a list of standard operating procedures to ensure that there is strict adherence to World Health Organisation Covid-19 guidelines.
There has been growing need for intercity travel, often for good reasons, with truck drivers and pirate operators taking advantage by providing unsafe travel.
The Government had banned intercity travel as part of containment measures to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. Travel was seen as a danger, allowing infection to spread from areas already hit by Covid-19 to areas that were still safe, as well as opening passengers to risk of infection by sitting at close quarters for hours on end.
The re-opening of exam classes in schools and the resumption of domestic tourism both highlighted the need for safe intercity travel. Bus operators during the past week have been battling to meet the standard operating procedures which the ministry has since described as non-negotiable.
Zimbabwe Passenger and Transporters Association (ZPTA), an association of 45 bus operators, yesterday erected a palisade fence around Mbare long distance bus terminus and drilled two boreholes. This is to make sure the place is well secured and has running water for people to wash on entering and exiting the place as well as washing down buses.
Construction workers were erecting the perimeter fence at the site yesterday.
The association’s secretary general, Mr Wilfred Chibage said the move was meant to complement Government efforts in fighting Covid-19 and prevent unnecessary movement within the terminus.
“We liked the decision to allow intercity and urban to rural travelling,” he said. “We planned that before getting back on the road, we must come up with preventative measures to make sure that everyone is safe. We have been given a standard operating procedure from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development to follow. We then said before we get back on the road we must fix Mbare Musika which is used as a dispatching area.”
Bus operators appreciated the need to secure the terminus by having a controlled entrance and exit point.
He said buses will have one entrance where they will be disinfected and checked before getting into the rank.
“No bus crews will be allowed to get into Mbare Musika without showing certificates that they have been tested for Covid-19,” said Mr Chibage. “The fencing will help us in preventing unnecessary movement within Mbare Musika and we will ensure that there is social distancing too.
“The two boreholes we drilled are meant to alleviate the water shortages, one at the entrance and another at the exit so that water will be available for people to wash their hands on entering and exiting the area.”
Bus operators are making frantic efforts to return to business immediately as those whose vehicles are not under Zupco have not been in operation since March when the initial lockdown was instituted.
State Media
GOVERNMENT has been inundated by inquiries from regional and international airlines who are eager to fly into Zimbabwe following the reopening of the skies.
Vice-President, Constantino Chiwenga, said this during a tour of Victoria Falls International Airport on Saturday. He was accompanied by Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu on a tour of the country’s international airports, which included Victoria Falls, Joshua Mqabuko in Bulawayo and Robert Gabriel Mugabe in Harare. The facilities are ready to receive airlines and travellers after putting in place necessary Covid-19 preventive measures.
“There were quite a number of calls from other players and airlines besides Air Zimbabwe and Fastjet, which are here and have been grounded. Added to that, we have other international airlines like Emirates, Kenyan, Ethiopian and others from the Americas who wanted to come and were asking when we are opening.
“Our international airports are now Covid-19 compliant and ports health ready to screen travellers using international standards,” said VP Chiwenga, who is also Minister of Health and Child Care.
“We have inspected RG Mugabe in Harare and JM Nkomo in Bulawayo. The reopening of international airports is part of a phased approach to the reopening of all airports.
“Our major areas of focus have been availability and provision of personal protective equipment for frontline workers at airports, evacuation strategy for ill patients, installation of infra-red scanners, banner and footbaths because we need to ensure that our airports are compliant with World Health Organisation guidelines.”
Airlines that flew into Zimbabwe, particularly Victoria Falls prior to Covid-19 included British Airways (ComAir), Ethiopian Airlines, Kenyan Airlines, Air Namibia, South African Airlines, SA Airlink, Air Zimbabwe and FastJet.
There has been interest from other world class airlines to fly into Victoria Falls following renovation of the facility a few years ago. The airport can now handle wide-bodied aircraft after expansion of its runway and terminal.
The country recently launched the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy whose thrust is to harness every tourism opportunity among other aims, towards growth of the sector. VP Chiwenga said Zimbabwe has managed to control the Covid-19 pandemic hence the country found it necessary to reopen the economy.
In his opening remarks during the 113th Ordinary Session of Zanu PF’s Central Committee in Harare on Friday, President Emmerson Mnangagwasaid the so-called crisis in Zimbabwe only existed in the minds of the opposition.
President Mnangagwa said the Central Committee meeting was taking place at a time of failed machinations by Zanu PF’s detractors on social media to reverse and destabilise the unity, peace, security and development milestones that the ruling party had achieved.
“I applaud the people of Zimbabwe and the leadership of the party for remaining resolute in defiance of the opposition’s regime change agenda and worrying levels of self-hate through a sustained call to make our country ungovernable saying there was a crisis in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“The crisis exists in their minds, the crisis exists in their parties, the crisis exists in their bedrooms but not in the country. We have challenges like any other country in the region has and we are resolved to face these challenges head on. We will not seek outside mediation to deal with challenges which they themselves have.”
He said the solidarity existing between Zanu PF and other leaders of sister liberation movement parties in the region like the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa remained strong and would not be shaken by social media.
“We have elements peddling falsehoods that there is misunderstanding between Zanu PF and the ANC. Hakuna (there is nothing like that),” he said.
The President said he was in constant communication with his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa, and other leaders of sister political parties.
He urged Zimbabweans not to be side-tracked by elements bent on causing disharmony in the country but focus on the development agenda being pursued by Government.
“We must therefore maintain total control of our party’s legacy ideals mounted on the struggle for broad-based economic emancipation, patriotism, loyalty, discipline and forever be masters of our own destiny,” President Mnangagwa said.
The Country recorded 11 new coronavirus cases on Sunday and 10 recoveries resulting in the number of active cases increasing by one to 1 534.
There were no deaths confirmed.
The total number of cases rose to 7 683 and that of recoveries to 5 924.
All the recoveries were from Bulawayo and the number of active cases in the city dropped to 109. Harare now has 1 100 active cases and Matebeleland South 164.
The number of cases across the globe now stands at 31.2 million and includes 963 900 deaths, 22.8 million recoveries and 7.4 million active
Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance has indicated that NGOs should be allowed to distribute food aid to concerned communities without the involvement of Zanu PF functionaries.
The MDC Alliance also accused Zanu PF of looting donations meant for the needy.
Read full statement below:
Communique Following MDC Alliance NEC Meeting
SEPTEMBER 19, 2020
NOTING the extent of the national crisis, the suffering of the masses, increased poverty, economic instability, hyperinflation, economic disequilibrium;
CONCERNED by the crisis of legitimacy, the closure of political space, attack on civil liberties and human rights, persecution and arrests of activists, the torture and violence against the citizens:
FURTHER NOTING the humanitarian crisis in respect of which 8 million Zimbabweans are food insecure and 5 million people have to be provided with humanitarian assistance and concerned by the massive leakages and looting of humanitarian aid …
TAKING COGNISANCE of the COVID19 pandemic and the gross mismanagement of the pandemic through the lack of financial resources, mass testing and provision of PPEs, drugs, isolation and quarantine centres:
DISTURBED by ZANU PF-driven threats to the people’s political party – the MDC Alliance, the unlawful arrests of our leaders and members, the unlawful recalls of elected people’s representatives and the abuse in the interpretation of the Supreme Court judgment:
1. The party expresses concern over Zimbabwe’s multi-faceted governance, economic and social crisis which has manifested in mass starvation, poverty, joblessness, wage erosion, poor earnings by civil servants, the remuneration crisis in the education sector, grand corruption and a deepening crisis in the health sector including inadequate remuneration and PPEs for health workers and insufficient isolation facilities. We call for NGOs to give aid directly to communities to avoid abuse by ZANU PF.
We condemn corruption in COVID19 procurement and the use of COVID19 as an excuse to clampdown on human rights.
2. The party condemns the closure of democratic space, human rights abuses, violence, wanton arrests and demands the immediate release of all political prisoners and an immediate cessation of all malicious prosecutions, particularly of Job Sikhala, Joanna Mamombe, Cecillia Chimbiri, Chalton Hwende, Tsitsi Dangarembwa, Netsai Marova, Hopewell Chin’ono, Jacob Ngarivhume and Godfrey Kurzone.
3. The party notes the efforts of South Africa and the ANC in facilitating the resolution of the national crisis. The party restates its commitment to dialogue centred on comprehensive reforms, national healing and the return to legitimacy and democracy. The party supports the efforts of the ANC and calls for the involvement and scaffolding of the process by the international community, in particular SADC and the African Union.
4. The party affirms the democratic right of citizens to protest peacefully as enshrined in section 59 of the Constitution and places all citizens on notice with regard to the need for a broad front to challenge ZANU PF and mass mobilization because Zimbabwean Lives Matter and the March is not Ended.
5. The party restates that it is the MDC Alliance party. It contested the 2018 election as the MDC Alliance. As the alternative, it has MPs in Parliament and councillors in local authorities. It has been victimized as the MDC Alliance and will win as the MDC Alliance. It will remain the MDC Alliance.
6. The party demands comprehensive electoral and political reforms as set out in our RELOAD and PRICE policy documents. The party considers participation in free, fair and credible elections as a necessary zone of struggle.
7. As a people-driven party, the NEC mandated the leadership at various levels to consult stakeholders, opinion leaders, grassroots structures and party organs countrywide on the multiple options that are available to it.
Fadzayi Mahere
National Spokesperson
By Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo | In 1994, I was doing my primary education at Nyazura, a boarding primary school in Manicaland Province. It was the norm back then that you would buy an envelope and get a postage stamp at the school tuckshop. We used to write letters to our parents and guardians. My grandmother was an avid English teacher at a nearby school. One day I wrote a letter thanking her for the sacrifice she had done to make my life better at the school.
Little did I know that when she received the letter, she would start correcting and marking it out of 10. During the holiday, she handed the letter back to me with a grade on it. I had scored extremely low marks. It was a strange experience that burnt me with a mixture of shocked disbelief as I battled to rationalize how a thank-you letter became an English composition.
My loving and caring grandmother noticed poorly constructed sentences and grammatical errors in my thanksgiving epistle. I looked at her thinking she would notice my facial expression which read, “Gogo, I sacrificed to buy a stamp and an envelope to write you a letter but you are seeing errors in my letter instead of appreciating my effort.”
She asked me to make corrections. I thanked my grandmother later.
The then Minister of Finance Patrick Chinamasa heaped praises on Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace, calling the wife an iron lady just few days before Mugabe’s ouster. He went on to describe the veteran leader as a humble and servant leader.
The same Chinamasa was soon at the Zimbabwe grounds in Highfields for an anti-Mugabe rally and surprisingly took to the podium to attack Mugabe describing him as the nastiest leader and an unwanted bugbear. Chinamasa’s somersault was legendary and a full demonstration of deceit of unimaginable egregiousness. He unashamedly began to sing for his supper and his bootlicking ability will take eternity to surpass. Mnangagwa had suddenly become a Messiah and Mugabe an incorrigible devil.
Mr. President, you need to be careful with such kind of people who lie and fawn at politicians when they don’t mean it. In Shona we say ‘’Vakafanana nehoto dzinoenda kunoenda mhepo’. They stand with you when their feeding trough is safe and desert you when you are in trouble and switch to the new camp. They are selfish.
See no evil speak no evil characters like Tafadzwa Mugwadi and Nick Mangwana will never build your presidency but will irreparably damage your reputation. They need to tell you the truth. The critic voice plays a key role in building you and acts as an eye opener as well as helping you to make corrections. Mr. President, criticism will give you a new perspective thereby giving you the opportunity for improvement. You need to see things in a different light.
I vividly remember Kudzai Chipanga’s interesting press conference few days before the military coup in November 2017. He said they were ready to die for Mugabe and they were not going to fold hands to allow a creature of the constitution to subvert the very constitution which establishes it. Was Chipanga indeed prepared to die for Mugabe? Why did they fold their hands when the military coup took place? Why were they caught-napping when they appeared to be well prepared during the press conference?
Chipanga was nowhere to be seen only to resurface in the dead of the night on ZBCTV apologizing copiously to Chiwenga and the military hierarchy for his ill-advised attack on them.
In 2013, I met the former Harare Mayor Ben Manyenyeni at a local function and we became friends. He would invite me to various functions. He was very frank and each time we met he would offer me some advice including how to dress well for functions. I used to mismatch my dressing but Manyeneyeni would candidly tell me to dress like a professional and encouraged me to be early for the meetings.
When I started writing academic articles I used to send him to proofread and he would return my work with many corrections and interesting comments. His criticism helped me to consider certain things that I used to overlook and it greatly improved me. I remember the other day when he invited me to join him at a golf course in Borrowdale. He asked me why I came late and the rationale behind the ‘anti-golf’ attire I was putting on. I leant a lot from Manyenyeni and today I understand the significance of criticism.
Mr. President, you need a Ben Manyenyeni around you to improve in many aspects.
In 2012, the then Local Government Minister, Ignatius Chombo shocked the entire country when he crawled in front of Mugabe during a Zanu PF function in Mash West. The sight of a whole cabinet minister kneeling before the president was described as a “culture shock”. The kneeling gesture became rampant during the rise of Grace Mugabe where prominent personalities and ministers in Mugabe’s cabinet embarked on a “kneeling spree” to show obedience to Mugabe and his wife. They never told Mugabe to fix the economy and the truth about his grievous leadership. Webster Shamu also stunned the people when he likened Mugabe to Cremora and descried the late dictator as a liberator of unparalleled proportions.
Mr. President, your supporters are not telling you the truth. They don’t love you. Remember the events of November 2017 where Mugabe appeared to have no sympathizers in the country. Where were those mammoth Mugabe crowds and the Chinamasas? The truth is you are surrounded by hypocrites.
A few weeks ago, we witnessed award winning Journalist and filmmaker Hopewell Chin’ono being detained at Chikurubi Maximum prison after he exposed stinking corruption involving the ‘BIG MEN’, the untouchables, and he spent weeks in the remand prison for fighting corruption. If I were you Mr. President Mnangagwa, I would put more resources towards investigative journalism to show sincerity in fighting corruption.
Mr. President, we need more Hopewell Chin’onos if we are serious about fighting corruption.
In neighboring South Africa, a Government Minister was suspended for partying during lockdown after her photo was shared on social media but in Zimbabwe Ministers who abuse funds for Covid-19 are promoted.
Recently, I saw Nick Mangwana, the Permanent Secretary of Information and Publicity making revelations that between 2017 and 2020, you have created at least 200 000 jobs. Which sector? You need to be careful with some of the people you have deployed in key Government positions. These are the very same people who will celebrate your downfall. You need to get rid of these Chinamasas in your party that easily switch from one camp to another within a week.
Mr. President you need someone. Criticism is important and it helps you to improve your leadership. Don’t be misled by apologists and praise singers like the Mugwadis and Mangwanas of this world, you need to know the truth. Government critics are not regime change agents; they build and strengthen our institutions. You definitely need someone like my grandmother and get rid of the Chinamasas around you.
Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo is the Head of Zimbabwe Institute of Strategic Thinking – ZIST, and he can be contacted at [email protected]
Tottenham Hotspur have announced that Gareth Bale has joined them.
The Welshman returns to the North London club seven years after leaving them for Real Madrid, for a then world record fee of €100 million.
He joins them for a season long loan.
“We are delighted to announce the return of @GarethBale11 to the Club on a season-long loan from Real Madrid!,” announced the club on their Twitter page.
The 31-year-old was one of the most sought-after players in world football prior to his move to the Spanish capital, where he won four Champions League and two LaLiga titles scoring 105 goals but his frosty relationship with current coach Zinedine Zidane prompted the move.-Soccer 24
Farai Dziva|Senior MDC Alliance official Jameson Timba has said Thokozani Khupe is desperate to score political marks to the extent that she can even change her name to Nelson Chamisa.
On Saturday Morgen Komichi surprised all and sundry when he announced the Khupe led political formation would use the name MDC Alliance in future elections.
“Now MDCT are saying they are us. Those whom the Lord wants to destroy maketh mad first. Very soon their Acting President Thoko will be calling herself Nelly Chamisa,” argued Timba.
In a statement, MDC Alliance spokesperson, Advocate Fadzai Mahere said:
The party restates that it is the MDC Alliance party. It contested the 2018 election as the MDC Alliance. As the alternative, it has MPs in Parliament and councillors in local authorities.
It has been victimized as the MDC Alliance and will win as the MDC Alliance. It will remain the MDC Alliance.
State Media – Gweru City Council (GCC) allegedly paid over $143 000 to three different companies for fixing the acting town clerk Mr Vakai Douglas Chikwekwe’s vehicle.
First to be paid $11,341,00 on May 14 was Neat Panel beaters. According to documents, Neat Panel beaters was allegedly paid for fixing the rear fog lamp, and repair of rear bumper under reference number 01OISTC20135001.
On June 5, Jorem Panel beaters was allegedly paid $13,035,00 fixing the same rear bumper under reference number 010ISTC201570507. Lastly, Hitco Engineering was allegedly paid $118,630,00 on August 8 for fixing the same bumper, grillle, rear bumper lamps.
Other jobs done included spare wheel cover and attending to air conditioning. Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe said council was looking into the matter since it was not possible that a rear bumper of one vehicle could be fixed at the same time by three different companies.
Clr Makombe said management runs the daily business and councillors are not aware of some of the issues.
“We have a situation where as councillors we might not be aware of the daily occurrences at the town house. This is one of the cases and we are looking into it,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Mr Chikwekwe said council had engaged debt collectors to recover the money.
He said the payments were made unfortunately to the three companies when one had done the job.
Mr Chikwekwe said there was some form of miscommunication between departments leading to the payment to two other companies which had not done the job.
“Truth of the matter is one company did the job and was paid and it is the last company (Hitco Engineering). We first engaged Neat Panel beaters who failed and then Jorem Panel beaters and the two failed to deliver. They blamed Covid 19 for failing to deliver the job and we them went to Hitco Engineering who managed to deliver on the job done,” he said.
Mr Chikwekwe said after Hitco Engineering delivered, they then had to pay the company.“The other two were not supposed to be paid at all but we have since engaged our debt collection unit to get our money back,” he said.
GCC has been in the media for wrong reasons mainly to do with corruption by management and councillors.
President Mnangagwa has since castigated urban councils for engaging in corrupt activities which in turn choke service delivery.
Urban councils, he said, are marred with corruption and Government will leave no stone unturned to bring about discipline, accountability and transparency in these institutions.
President Mnangagwa said no one is above the law adding that the law will take its course.
Recently, Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Larry Mavima said corruption was rampant at Gokwe South Council and Gweru City Council.
He said they were working with the Ministry of Local Government to bring order to the council so that service delivery is not affected.
“In the Midlands province we have two councils’ names Gokwe South Council and Gweru City Council where there is rampant corruption that is affecting service delivery. We are therefore working on restoring order and discipline at the two councils,” he said. – Chronicle
Farai Dziva|Senior MDC Alliance official Jameson Timba has said Thokozani Khupe is desperate to score political marks to the extent that she can even change her name to Nelson Chamisa.
On Saturday Morgen Komichi surprised all and sundry when he announced the Khupe led political formation would use the name MDC Alliance in future elections.
“Now MDCT are saying they are us. Those whom the Lord wants to destroy maketh mad first. Very soon their Acting President Thoko will be calling herself Nelly Chamisa,” argued Timba.
In a statement, MDC Alliance spokesperson, Advocate Fadzai Mahere said:
The party restates that it is the MDC Alliance party. It contested the 2018 election as the MDC Alliance. As the alternative, it has MPs in Parliament and councillors in local authorities.
It has been victimized as the MDC Alliance and will win as the MDC Alliance. It will remain the MDC Alliance.
Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has declared that nobody can stop the people’s struggle.
In his message below, President Chamisa stresses the fact that MDC Alliance carries the seed of new beginnings:
We represent the NEW and COMING.
We carry the seed of new beginnings. Not even the angel of death can prevent its sprouting.
We sympathize with those who attempt to stand in the way or are opposed to us. It’s game on! Sunday greetings
Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has declared that nobody can stop the people’s struggle.
In his message below, President Chamisa stresses the fact that MDC Alliance carries the seed of new beginnings:
We represent the NEW and COMING.
We carry the seed of new beginnings. Not even the angel of death can prevent its sprouting.
We sympathize with those who attempt to stand in the way or are opposed to us. It’s game on! Sunday greetings
The CAF Emergency Committee has approved the resumption date for qualifiers of the Total Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021 and the group stage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
A busy schedule awaits the participating teams with double-headers from November 2020 through to November 2021 in the battle for spots to the final tournament of the two competitions.
The schedules for the two competitions have had to be revised in light of the COVID-19 outbreak which halted many sporting activities across the continent and beyond for some time.
For Cameroon 2021, the qualifiers resume on 9-17 November 2020 with the Day 3 & 4 matches whilst the penultimate and ultimate matches take place on 22-30 March 2021.
The 40 teams in contention for the five slots for Qatar 2022 will commence the journey between 31 May and 15 June 2021 with the Day 1 & 2 matches. From 30 August till 7 September, the Day 3 and 4 matches are expected to take place with Day 5 & 6 matches fixed for 4-12 October 2021.
The Playoff matches have been scheduled for 8-16 November 2021. Meanwhile, CAF is monitoring the situation closely and working with the relevant authorities with regards to hosting of the matches, and will make pronouncements accordingly in the event of developments that will affect playing a match at the designated venue.
– Cafonline
Most schools want to peg fees and levies in foreign currency, with some boarding schools proposing US$350 or the equivalent in Zimbabwe dollars, while day schools are proposing US$100.
This follows an appeal by the National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to allow schools to charge levies and fees in foreign currency.
The schools say suppliers of educational consumables were charging them in United States dollars and it makes sense that they also collect fees in foreign currency. NASH president, Arthur Maphosa said:
NASH recommends that schools be authorised to budget in US dollars on the grounds that suppliers are charging goods and services in foreign currency.
The purchase of examination material for science and technical practicals will be a tall order unless Government allows schools to receive fees in foreign currency.
Suppliers are refusing to take the local currency and school heads will collapse at work because of this.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s spokesperson, Taungana Ndoro told The Manica Post this week that there are procedures which schools should follow before they raise fees.
Ndoro said the Ministry will look at the applications by schools individually before new fees structures are approved and that as of now, no new fees regime has been approved.
However, some schools have already started sending circulars informing parents of the new fees structure.-Manica Post
A MUTARE man (20) fatally assaulted his live-in girlfriend, locked up the corpse and vanished with her household property.
Allen Zaka of Buwerimwe Village in Zimunya took the property to his father’s homestead and lied to him that he had bought the items using the proceeds he had earned from illegal gold mining in Odzi.
Two days later, he was tracked down and arrested by Mutare homicide detectives. The police subsequently recovered the stolen property.
Zaka recently appeared before senior High Court judge, Justice Hlekani Mwayera, charged with murder as defined in Section 47 (1)(a) or (b) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act, Chapter 9:23.Senior public prosecutor, Mr Marlvern Musarurwa said the offence was committed last year in Dangamvura’s Destiny section. It is alleged that on the fateful day, Mashayamombe and Zaka came home at around 7pm. They had supper with Zaka’s three children aged five, seven and 11. After retiring to bed, a misunderstanding ensued between the lovebirds, thereby resulting in a fracas.
Mr Musarurwa said Zaka fatally assaulted Mashayamombe with an unknown object on her head.
Mashayamombe died on the spot due to the serious head injuries she had sustained.
“After committing the offence, the suspect stole a 12-volt battery, converter, Plasma television set, solar panel and Mashayamombe’s cellphone. He covered the corpse in a mosquito net and locked the door from outside before disappearing from the scene.
“The door to the room was knocked down the following day after Mashayamombe’s niece, Enniah Mwashita, got suspicious and alerted the police,” said Mr Musarurwa.-Manica Post
THERE was drama in Mutare’s Sakubva high-density suburb on Tuesday morning after a daring local man was caught pants down with a married woman in the latter’s matrimonial home.
The cheating woman, only identified as Faith, hid her boyfriend Livingstone Gwandura under the bed after her husband Ishmael Madhochi unexpectedly came back home from Harare around 3am.
Neighbours and relatives interviewed said Ishmael came back home in Devonshire after he received a tip off that Faith was having an extra-marital affair with Gwandura.
Consistent with scenes of this nature, some members of the public started singing derogatory songs while some threatened to give the cheats a thorough hiding.
Both Faith and Livingstone refused to entertain The Weekender and tried to evade the long lens of the camera.
“It was around 3am when we heard about the incident. My brother alerted us saying he caught his wife with a boyfriend.
“We are worried because our brother is a caring and loving husband. We are shocked that this woman had to do this. My brother had actually brought some shawarma for her only to catch the boyfriend hidden under the bed,” said Ishmael’s sister.
“This is disgraceful. Our daughter-in-law (Faith) is a disgrace to the family. We were shocked by the incident and we are now about to deliberate on the way forward. We are glad that at least our son Ishmael did not injure the boyfriend or do anything that he would regret later.
Ishmael came back home after a tip-off and we are glad that it came to light,” said Ishmael’s uncle, Poso Madhochi.-The Weekender
By A Correspondent- Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) claims Ingutsheni Hospital in Bulawayo recently employed 11 general hands from outside Matabeleland, a move it says is tantamount to marginalisation of people from the region.
In a petition addressed to the hospital, Health ministry, Office of the President and Bulawayo Metropolitan Provincial minister Judith Ncube, the party said the employment of the general hands was discriminatory.
“At all times the state and all institutions of government at every level must ensure that appropriate and adequate measures are undertaken to create employment for all Zimbabweans, especially women and youths,” reads the petition.
MRP said the constitution stipulates fair regional representation.
By A Correspondent- OK Zimbabwe was forced by the courts to release video footage of Harare West MP Joana Mamombe doing her shopping amid concerns the authorities violated the young legislator’s privacy, it has emerged.
Harare magistrate Bianca Makwande last week blocked attempts by prosecutors to use the footage in a case where they wanted the MP punished for failing to appear in court.
Mamombe could not appear in court with two other MDC Alliance members – Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova – on charges that they faked their abduction and torture in May because she was hospitalised.
The legislator is said to have suffered a mental breakdown.
CCTV footage allegedly of her at a Bon Marche supermarket was then posted on social media by people that included senior government officials, who used it to mock her.
Bon Marche is owned by OK Zimbabwe.
Angry social media users started a campaign to boycott businesses that have been releasing footage to the authorities, which is then used to vilify victims of alleged state-sponsored abuse such as in the Mamombe case.
Alex Siyavora, the OK Zimbabwe CEO, however, told The Standard yesterday that the CCTV footage was released to the authorities following a court order compelling every outlet at the shopping centre to release their recordings.
“There was a court order,” Siyavora said. “Everyone at the complex was given an order to release the CCTV footages of a specific time.”
Mobile phone operator Econet this year successfully challenged attempts by police to force it to hand over information about its customers that used the Ecocash platform in what was described as a victory in the fight to protect citizens’ rights to privacy.
High Court Judge Justice Clement Phiri declared the search-and seizure warrant issued by Harare provincial magistrate Richard Ramaboa as unlawful.
But Siyavora said their situation was different from that of Econet.
“There is a difference, at our shops, a person just gets in and buys and leaves, at Econet, they record details of the subscribers before issuing them with lines,” he said.
“Our main concern is security, to detect people who steal from us and it is different from Econet.”
State broadcaster ZBC recently flighted footage obtained from outlets in Harare’s Belgravia shopping centre as the authoritie sought to to prove that the MDC Alliance trio faked their abduction.
Police initially confirmed that they arrested Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova after they took part in a demonstration against hunger.
The police later recanted their statements after it emerged that the trio had been abducted and brutally tortured.
After they were found in bad shape near Bindura, the police charged the women with allegedly faking their abduction.
They have become targets of Zanu-PF aligned youths on social media, who accuse them of staging the abductions to soil the image of the country.
By A Correspondent- Zanu Pf members have been called upon to take the process of electing District Coordinating Committee (DCC) members seriously and ensure that they choose people who will further push the party to prosperity ahead of the 2023 elections.
Speaking at a Matabeleland North Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting in Lupane yesterday to receive Curriculum Vitaes for contesting members, the party’s Secretary for Health, Child Care and the Elderly, Dr David Parirenyatwa, said President Mnangagwa has made it clear on the importance of the exercise.
He said the party should avoid mistakes that were made post-2012 when DCCs had to be abolished as they were modelling themselves as the centres of power.
“This is an important exercise to the President, which is why he sent the party’s National Political Commissar, Victor Matemedanda to come and lead this process. First, they were successfully held in Harare and Bulawayo, today we are here to complete the process in the remaining provinces, where we will collect CVs for those who will contest for further vetting.
“However, I must call on those that will be elected to know the party’s constitution, know their roles and avoid a situation where they misguide themselves like what we had when we had to ban DCCs in 2012,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.
He called on party members not to be power hungry noting that the process was meant to ensure the ruling party’s success.
“It raises a lot of questions when we have someone who is in a high organ in the party wanting to hold a position in the DCC, what we have said is that anyone who holds a higher position and wants to hold a DCC position they should resign their other position.
“We have to further strategically elect members into these positions knowing that this has a huge bearing towards the success of the party. We can’t have someone who joined the party yesterday suddenly rising to these positions. Let’s analyse members’ commitment to party business before we elect them,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.
Meanwhile, Dr Parirenyatwa called on the party to continue being vigilant in the wake of Covid-19 saying there was a need for members to continue heeding the Government’s call on social distancing and sanitisation to contain the spread of the disease.
“We have to have it in mind that this pandemic has given us a new normal therefore we must continue practicing the guidelines given to us by the World Health Organisation and the Government.
“As party members we must know that this pandemic is within us and can affect the party directly. Yes our national infection figures are going down but let’s not be ignorant,” he said.
Dr Parirenyatwa was accompanied by Mashonaland Central Minister of Provincial Affairs and Devolution Monica Mavhunga, where they received CVs for candidates in the seven districts in the province.-online
An article in The Standard written by Jonathan Maphenduka details horrific stories of the late Rtd Air Marshall Perrance Shiri and how he executed the infamous Gukurahundi Massacre that killed over 20 000 Ndebele people from Matabeleland and Midlands.
Shiri reportedly wore a black robe that was written Black Jesus and these are some of the executions that were carried out while he looked on or in his presence according to the publication:
- In the Gukurahundi terror campaign those who worked under him looked up to him, driven by fear. A young man who met him at Balagwe in Matobo district had an interesting story to tell. Balagwe became a notorious operational base for the district in April 1984 when units of 5 Brigade arrived in the district. The young man was accused of (like all people of Matabeleland) being a “dissident” who faced death for that reason. There were six pregnant women who faced death for the reason of carrying the blood of “dissident” husbands in their wombs. One of the women managed to pass her identity card to the young man unseen. She knew her fate had been decided and hoped against hope that the ID would somehow find its way to her relatives and the world would know how her life ended. This was a desperate and hopeless situation but fate has its own ways of revealing secrets. That in the realm of power in which Shiri presided was a mystery. The women’s arms were tied behind their backs. But there was a problem. An executioner must be found. Shooting them was wasteful and did not provide the pleasure to those who watched the horror of how the foetus of a “dissident” comes rolling out of its mother’s womb, like the entrails of a slaughtered animal in a butcher’s shop. The difference in this case was simply that the objects of this bloody horror were six innocent women. The mantle to do the job fell on the young “dissident”. Shiri was accompanied by a woman officer and it was decided that she had a role to play in the ritual. The young man was ordered to lie down on his back with his mouth open. The female officer ambled up, positioned herself above the face of the young man, pulled her pant down and peed into the young man’s open mouth. With the preliminary ritual done, he was ordered to get up and a razor sharp knife was thrown at him. “Do you want to save your own life? Rip them up”, he was told. Darkness was approaching and the spectators were ordered to throw the bodies, the foetuses and other entrails on to a waiting truck to be carried to a near-by disused mineshaft.
- Outside Donkwedonkwe High School Kezi Police Station, a huge crowd of villagers sat in the blazing April sun, denouncing Zapu dissidents and Joshua Nkomo. The rally was called to demonstrate that the operatives we were wilful killers. “Siyaburara” (we kill), they said as if the villagers didn’t know the fact. Perrance Shiri was there, watching the proceedings in silence. Then 10 men were ordered out of the gathering and stood waiting for the order to shoot. Among the 10 villagers was the local chief Pilisi Sithole of the Bakwayi clan, and a man I grew up with as a schoolmate and we spent time together as herd boys. When all was done he was among three men who miraculously escaped with their life in the melee that followed the massacre.
- From Siphoso School in Tsholotsho reports said six teachers had been forced to jump into a latrine full of human excreta and stood there for hours before they were shot dead. The female teachers had been gang-raped, Perrance Shiri taking the choicest among the victims. Male teachers had been flogged until they became a pulpy mess before they were dragged and pushed into the latrine and shot to make sure they did not crawl of the latrine. Villagers were then ordered to fill the latrine up. Reports said six teachers were buried alive in a school latrine at Siphoso School in Tsholotsho West. Three female teachers had been gang-raped while their male colleagues were beaten with sticks until their bodies became a bloody mess with broken limbs.
The article details many horror stories that occurred during the massacre. Though they are not directly linked to the late Agriculture Minister who succumbed to COVID-19 In July.-Standard
By A Correspondent- 4 members of the same family in Zimunya in Mutare died this past month as speculation about the cause of their death has been attributed to spirits avenging the murder that was committed by their father who reportedly took his secrets to the grace, The Manica Post reports.
The matter reportedly came to light at Mutare Civil Court where one Simon Muchabveyo was seeking a protection order against Samuel Kapfuka and his sons Lewis, Simbarashe and Francis who are reportedly demanding to know the name of the man Muchabveyo’s father killed.
Muchabveyo claims the quartet was disturbing his peace in court and said:
My father killed someone and we only got to know about it after his death when we consulted traditional healers and prophets. Apparently the avenging spirit killed all my children. I also need help, but my cousin and his sons are accusing me of not playing ball. They need me to tell them the name of the person who was killed by my father but I was not there when it happened. How am l expected to know the identity of that person
However, his cousin who has reportedly brought his mentally challenged son to court remained adamant that Muchabveyo knows the identity of the mand and said Muchabveyo should reveal his identity:
He should tell us the name of the murdered man and his place of origin so that we can engage the family and find a lasting solution to this problem. We need to appease the avenging spirit.
We are not accusing him of killing the man but Muchabveyo was close to his late father, we are sure his father confided in him before his death
Kapfuka’s son denied assaulting their uncle and said they just needed some information from him:
While his (Muchabveyo) father was still alive, we heard that they cast the spirit of the murdered man on a 10-cent coin and escorted the spirit to its ‘home’. That is the place we want him to disclose to us.
We do not know who is next on the avenging spirit’s death list. We need to avenge this spirit as soon as possible before it wipes all of us out.
According to the publication, four of Kapfuka’s children died mysteriously last month and the other one developed a mental illness, and the avenging spirits has reportedly claimed 15 members of the Muchabveyo and Kapfuka families which includes all of Muchabveyo’s children.
The magistrate granted the protection order and urged Kapfuka from disturbing Muchabveyo.
By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance Manicaland province has vowed to support its leader Nelson Chamisa despite the current turbulence which has left the biggest opposition movement facing an identity crisis with structures and supporters alike caught in the confusion.
The MDC has been torn between the Chamisa led Alliance and the Thokozani Khupe ‘T’ which has been endorsed by the Supreme Court as the legitimate party.
Khupe has managed to get support from former Chamisa allies among them Douglas Mwonzora, Morgan Komichi and Elias Mudzuri.
Khupe, through Mwonzora, has declared war on all Chamisa allies with some being send to the guillotine for refusing to recognize Khupe as the legitimate leader.
MDC Alliance Manicaland provincial chairperson and former chief whip Prosper Mutseyami, who was recalled from Parliament by Khupe in May, said that his province stands fully behind Chamisa and his executive is implementing programmes to strengthen the party in the province.
“Manicaland is fully behind president Chamisa. We will not waver on our resolve. We have been betrayed but we will not look back. We are moving forward with the people’s movement.
“We have been doing programmes with our grass root structures and our people believe it is only Chamisa who has the ability to move the country forward.
“There are some people who decided to be bought and betray the people’s struggle but we will not be forced to work with them.
“We are rallying our people to get ready for 2023. We are very clear on our position. Chamisa is our president and no court can ever impose a leader on us,” said Mutseyami.
He said Mwonzora will not get any support from Manicaland even though it is his home province.
“Every leader should be proud to be supported by people from his home but if you do not have that then u are as good as lost. Mwonzora is from here but we will not support him because he is lost. We do not follow a blind person.
“They may have recalled us from Parliament for supporting our president but in the end the people’s voices can never be silenced,” said Mutseyami.-DailyNews
State Media
TWO minors were hit and killed by a speeding bulk water delivery vehicle driver in Borrowdale recently.
The two children aged 14 and 13 were reportedly cycling at an intersection of Crowhill Road and Firstly Drive carrying each other on the bicycle when they were hit by the truck.
The 14-year-old boy died on the spot, while the 13-year-old died upon admission at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
Police national spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the accident and encouraged road users to be extremely cautious driving in residential areas.
“We are saddened by an accident that took the lives of two children, one aged 14 and the other 13,” he said. “The accident took place on the intersection of Crowhill Road and Firstly Drive in Borrowdale.
“It is said that a bulk water supplier truck was speeding along Crowhill and wanted to turn into Firstly Drive and hit a bicycle that was being ridden by the boys. The 14-year-old boy died on the spot while the other died a Parirenyatwa Hospital upon admission.
“It is very saddening and we would like to urge drivers to be cautious looking out on all sides of the road and knowing that the roads are also used by cyclists and pedestrians.”
The residents are lobbying for the trucks to be banned in their community.
“The trucks are known for speeding as they compete to be first in queue to get water,” said a concerned resident. “Surely, we need to stop bulk water selling in residential areas.”
“We are aware of the Water Act that does not allow water to be sold in residential areas. We feel something should be done and this is our plea,” another resident said.
“We have engaged the responsible authorities in this regard. We hope the authorities will be able to assist,” he added.
The Zimbabwe National Editors Forum is calling on SADC and the AU to intervene in the country’s political crisis.
The call comes after an attack on journalists at a student union media briefing.
Human rights activists believe the attackers are part of the state’s militia.
Eight journalists were in Harare to cover claims by a student union that the Impala Car Rental Agency is complicit in kidnapping and torture.
Midway through the briefing, a group of men entered the venue, attacking journalists and thrashing equipment.
“I lost my phone as I was hit on the head twice by these guys, the other guys lost camera phones and other valuables. ”
“We had nowhere to run, so as always in other cases when we cover these demonstrations so on. Usually, the police don’t attack journalists, they focus on people who would have organised the event. This time we thought they will leave us to do our work but then they attacked everyone including journalists,” attacked journalist Thomas Madhuku said.
Some had to be treated in hospital.
The Editors Forum says police stood by doing nothing, it’s now demanding that regional bodies intervene urgently.
Source eNCA
State Media
THE Bulawayo City Council is headed on a collision course with Government after council rejected a directive to have senior Government officials attend full council and committee meetings.
Last month, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works sent a circular to all councils directing that all full council and committee meetings will be held in the presence of the Provincial Development Coordinator (PDC) or District Development Coordinator (DDC) or their designated officials. The Ministry noted that this was necessitated by a series of corruption cases in local authorities that had seen the arrest of councillors and council technocrats.
It was further said the move was meant to safeguard national interests as technocrats in local authorities were allegedly deliberately starving councillors of adequate information leading to them making ill-informed decisions on national matters.
However, according to a council confidential report, BCC officials said it was impossible to implement the directive as it was against the Urban Councils Act. In a note for consideration by the city’s Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube argued that according to the law only himself and the Chamber Secretary, Mrs Sikhangele Zhou could attend council committee meetings.
“It is clear (from the Urban Councils Act) that generally only the Chamber Secretary and Town Clerk can attend every meeting of a committee. However, a Town Clerk normally needs the expertise of certain departmental heads, hence their invitation to committees where their expertise is needed. The Mayor therefore is not legally mandated to make a standing invitation to anyone, only chairpersons can invite someone for a particular matter, and not as a standing invitation…The circular therefore is difficult to implement without flouting the law,” reads the report.
The Town Clerk cited the audit council committee where he revealed that the Mayor was not permitted to attend the meeting as it was only open to the committee members and the external auditor.
“Chapter 14 Section 265 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe- membership of councils- states that this is confined to the elected representatives- the councillors. However, the coordination between Central Government and local levels must be provided for in an Act of Parliament. Currently, the only Act of Parliament is the Urban Councils Act. This Act has not been aligned with the constitution and its provisions remain valid to the extent that they are not ultra vires the constitution, the circular in question contradicts the Urban Councils Act,” said Mr Dube.
Meanwhile, the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) has written to the Ministry seeking clarification on the directive. The association called for dialogue on the matter noting there was a need for the Ministry to state the full reasons of issuing the directive.
“The association noted that the directive was of a general nature, with no intention of council specific incidences of non-compliance to the constitution, Statute law, Government policy and circulars. Notwithstanding the legality of this directive, the association has advised its members to seek clarification on the nature and extent of the non-compliance with a view to take corrective measures.
State Media
THE Government is still deliberating on whether to re-open its land borders especially Beitbridge Border Post to international travellers following an announcement by South Africa that it will re-open its ports of entry on 1 October.
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa last week announced that his country will open its borders from 1 October for international travel as the neighbouring country moves to the lowest level of its five-step coronavirus lockdown-Level 1.
The neighbouring country said it will open three of its airports and one land border post– Beitbridge– which were already operational during the lockdown. The border was only operational to allow cargo movement and returning citizens from both countries. Before lockdown, border authorities estimated that an average of 25 000 travellers and 4 000 light cars were cleared to pass the through the border daily.
Following the announcement by South Africa, there was a general assumption among locals that Zimbabwe would follow suit. However, Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Cde Kazembe Kazembe told Sunday News yesterday that the announcement by South Africa did not mean Zimbabwe will follow suit without prior consultations.
“I cannot say yes or no-a definite answer, but it (opening of Beitbridge border) is an issue that is under consideration, the National Taskforce on Covid-19 has to sit and deliberate, then we do consultations with the President then we will have a position soon. There is that possibility that we will re-open but it is under discussion,” he said.
Although Zimbabwe is still to announce its official position on the border, cross border traders said they were itching to get back to business and were working to ensure that they have requisite papers. President Ramaphosa announced that travellers to his country would need to present a negative Covid-19 test result not older than 72 hours from time of departure or face a mandatory quarantine at their own cost upon arrival in South Africa. The cost to do the polymerise chain reaction (PCR) test in Zimbabwe starts from US$60 at private laboratories.
“The cost does not matter. It is now like we are back to life because for the past few months we have felt like we have died. People were not making any money and our members were really struggling. So many could not even afford to buy food or anything else that they might need in their households. While we acknowledge that the tests are expensive, we can’t get away from the fact that it needs to be done. If you ask any vendor right now, they will tell you that they would prefer to pay for that test rather than sit at home and do nothing which has been the case in recent months,” president of the Cross-Border Traders Association Mr Killer Zivhu told Sunday News yesterday.
Mr Zivhu said after all tests are done to safeguard the health of people including vendors.
“There are two countries that as vendors we are heavily reliant on and that is China and South Africa. If we are being blocked from those two countries then we have a real problem on our hands. So, I’m glad that at least one of those countries is now opening up its borders to us.”
Although the country has been opening up the economy, experts warned that it has not yet crossed the line in the fight against Covid-19.
Chief Coordinator National Response to Covid-19 Pandemic Dr Agnes Mahomva said while numbers of new cases and deaths were going down, the county still needed to be vigilant. On Friday, 14 new cases were recorded and there were no deaths from Covid-19 in seven days.
“The numbers seem to be going down, that is true, but when there is a pandemic like this, one day numbers go up and another day they go down in a jigsaw kind of fashion. When we see this we have to be very cautious. As long as we make new cases which we do in our case, they might be fewer yes, but as long as you are dealing with a very infectious disease like Covid-19 then the chances of it rapidly going up are still there,” she said.
Dr Mahomva said it was too early to celebrate reduction in new cases in the country. “We are not very interested in celebrating the reduced numbers of infections because new cases are still there every day. We must keep reminding ourselves of what happened in Europe. When they saw their numbers going down, they celebrated and they started relaxing, as we are speaking, their numbers are shooting up again and we don’t want to be in that position,” she said.
Dr Mahomva said measures set to prevent the spread of the virus still remain effective and must continue to be respected despite the relaxation of some measures put earlier.
“Things remain the same, people need to remain cautious, we are getting into a new normal; in other words we introduced all these new measures but people should not drop them even if we have zero new infections, people should still continue social distancing, washing their hands, not getting into crowds when looking for transport and keeping masks on properly covering the mouth and nose. Don’t wear it as a fashion statement, it is so critical as it saves lives,” she said. On the possible opening of borders, Dr Mahomva said the there was still a risk of infection and all necessary measures must be implemented.
Yesterday, the country recorded 25 new cases and one death from Bulawayo. The death came after seven days with no one lost to Covid-19. There were 31 new recoveries. Cumulatively, the country has recorded 7672 cases, 5914 recoveries and 225 deaths, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health.
What will the economy gain in @edmnangagwa using state money to crown the Thokozani Khupe the Leader of the opposition, as planned this week, @Jamwanda2 @nickmangwana ?
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 13, 2020
Tottenham Hotspur have announced that Gareth Bale has joined them.
The Welshman returns to the North London club seven years after leaving them for Real Madrid, for a then world record fee of €100 million.
He joins them for a season long loan.
“We are delighted to announce the return of @GarethBale11 to the Club on a season-long loan from Real Madrid!,” announced the club on their Twitter page.
The 31-year-old was one of the most sought-after players in world football prior to his move to the Spanish capital, where he won four Champions League and two LaLiga titles scoring 105 goals but his frosty relationship with current coach Zinedine Zidane prompted the move.-Soccer 24
Happening now Nelson Masiyiwa arrested for alleged extortion, had demanded $300 from a businessman so that he withholds a story which he intended to publish on his website. He was caught with the notes allegedly paid to him by the businessman. pic.twitter.com/iz9Pwa3sbK
— Dhara Blessed Mhlanga HSTV (@bbmhlanga) September 18, 2020
Ndiye here uyu? pic.twitter.com/AxL7LjoGMT
— Pedro Z (@Mseyamwa) September 19, 2020
State Of The Nation Reporter- Harare City Council is alleged to have awarded a multi-million dollar tender to Businessman Albert Dabambi to supply Covid 19 material without following due processes, with reports saying the former handpicked the latter’s company to supply the material while it is outside the government’s list of approved companies that supply Covid 19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to state institutions.
State of the Nation understands that sometime in April, the government created a framework of companies that were designated to supply Covid 19 PPE to state institutions for it to work with legitimate suppliers in the country.
Sources told this publication that state institutions are not allowed to get supplies from companies outside the framework because it was created on merit after a lot of companies were screened.
Highly placed sources told this publication that the local authority awarded Dabambi’s company, Eqstra Hardware a tender to supply 15 000 Tyvek suits to the local authority while it is not on government’s framework list.
Information we received from sources reveals that the deal involved Dr Abel Dzuke who is the Complience Officer at the local authority’s procurement department, who is alleged to have connived with Dabambi to lower the prices of his materials with a few cents to give council the justification to pick his company.
Although the publication failed to get details of the prices of the suits, information we obtained reveals that Dr Dzuke picked Dabambi’s company ahead of those that are in the framework. This saw Chief Albert securing the Usd$44 million dollar tender.
“Dr Dzuke picked Albert Dabambi’s company ahead of companies that are in the government’s framework list to supply Tyvek suits. This is against the due process because all government institutions are supposed to procure PPE from companies that are in the government’s framework. If due possesses were followed, Dabambi would not have secured that tender. But because he connived with Dr Dzuke, he got it fraudulently” said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“We also heard reports that after securing the tender, Dabambi went on to re-evaluate the cost of the material he supplied which raised his payment from around Usd$44 million to about Usd$75 million. Council ended up taking funds from its service delivery account to foot for the gigantic cost and the payment was made in full to Dabambi” the source said.
When contacted for a comment, Dr Abel Dzuke neither confirmed nor denied the reports, but referred the reporter to City of Harare Supply Chain Manager Never Murerwa who was not answering his mobile phone by the time of publishing.
Albert Ndabambi was also contacted for a comment and told the reporter that he does not own Eqstra Hardware, hence he could not respond to allegations involving a company that is not his.
“I do not own Eqstra Hardwares. Given that scenario, do you think I am qualified to speak on the company’s dealings with any other third party? I’m sure the owners and directors of the company will not take that lightly,” said Ndabambi.
He also told the reporter that he will issue a statement to set the record straight on his relationship with the company in question.
Investigations which were carried out by the reporter reveal that Eqstra Hardware is registered under the name “Eqstra Trading” on the company’s CR 14 document.
The document gleened by the reporter shows that the company is owned by two individuals, Gretwin Chitauro who stays in Highfield and Samson Shingirirai Kunyarimwe who stay in Manyame Airbase in Harare.
It is alleged that these individuals are proxies that he used to create the company to supply materials to the local authorities after his company, Furbank Tranding was blacklisted by Harare City Council after failing to deliver cars to the local authority on a tender he previously won.
Information we have gathered reveal that Harare City Council has a pending court case against Furbank Trading over the matter, which was placed before the judge.
It is alleged that the matter was reported to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission. In a comment, ZACC spokesperson John Makamure said if the matter was reported, the commission would investigate it as part of its wide probe into several reports of corruption in local authorities.
“We are currently seized with a wide probe into several reports of corrupt activities in our local authorities across the country. So if such a matter was reported, I can confirm that it would be investigated”, said Makamure.
Ndabambi recently went viral on social media after announcing that he brought 2 brand new Range Rovers for his wife on her birthday. Sources said the money he used to buy the 2 expensive luxurious cars was from the proceeds he got from the tender.
Its been a busy weekend here in MashWest as the PEOPLES party's coordinating committees met for scheduled meetings. Here is Magunje Kadoma Norton & Kariba today. We organize & build from below. We own the game & our ? are fixated on the ball. We got this @nelsonchamisa @hwendec pic.twitter.com/PZs7mdLlSW
— CCC Mash West (@cccmashwest) September 20, 2020
@WellenceMujuru how come the General Manager of Impala involved in concealing the abduction of Tawanda is “Chirata” and this victim is Chirata ?
Just to add: Mai Mujuru was also the Zanu PF MP for Mt Darwin and she also come from Mt Darwin ????@Hon_Kasukuwere @tongaikas pic.twitter.com/cherqWbLH7— Nzekete AG (@AMakuyana) September 20, 2020
Do you have any links to Impala? The way you love them is very fascinating.
— Julian G. Chidzidzi (@ChidzidziG) September 20, 2020
https://twitter.com/Nyasha_Mu/status/1307615978172317697?s=20
Wellence this is criminal, influence doesnt mean unotiitisa. i can double up whatever they gave you, i can even reimburse the amount you invested in impala in exchange you drop this tweet bra. #PasiNeZanupf
— LI?️N (@FoxLion2028) September 20, 2020
Haa muchinda iwe dai mai mujuru vachiri muzanu dai uri kumhanya nemusangano uri nick mangwana wechidiki
— Mr Prez ?? (@ishemagos) September 20, 2020
Are you for real that you continue doing PR for impala with all that has gone with abductions. Munorara sei nhai mukoma Wellence
— Chombo ChaNoah (@CChanoah) September 20, 2020
Respect us.
No amount of donations can undo what happened to Tawanda Muchehiwa.
You should be ashamed of yourself for defending a crime against humanity,
A crime against all of us.
We need a revolution. #ZanupfMustGo— Thandekile Moyo (@Mamoxn) September 20, 2020
https://twitter.com/GeraldMaho/status/1307611609133723648?s=20
@WellenceMujuru how come the General Manager of Impala involved in concealing the abduction of Tawanda is “Chirata” and this victim is Chirata ?
Just to add: Mai Mujuru was also the Zanu PF MP for Mt Darwin and she also come from Mt Darwin ????@Hon_Kasukuwere @tongaikas pic.twitter.com/cherqWbLH7— Nzekete AG (@AMakuyana) September 20, 2020
Barcelona will not be able to sign Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldium and Lyon forward Memphis Depay in this transfer window.
The Spanish giants’ new coach Ronald Koeman had made the pair his priority transfer targets as both stars are getting into the final year of their contracts at respective clubs.
According to UK newspaper, the Mirror, the signing of the duo and any other players this summer will not happen after La Liga blocked the transfers due to salary restrictions.
The league has given every club in the top division a limit of how much they can spend on transfers and staff based on their financial results in the past five years.
And with Barca churning out a £510m ($660m) per year in wages, the club can only make transfers after they raise the money with player sales first.
La Liga’s director of communications, Joris Evers, confirmed the developments to the publication, saying: “We have a financial system, which goes beyond UEFA’s Financial Fair Play.
“At UEFA they look at figures when a season is finished, we set the standards before the season starts.
“If Barcelona try to do a deal behind the scenes, our analysts will notice this immediately.
“The clubs agreed on this system as a reaction on a period when they were struggling to pay the wages of the players, because they’d overspent time and time again. Nobody wants to go back to that situation.”-Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Farai Dziva|Senior MDC Alliance official Jameson Timba has said Thokozani Khupe is desperate to score political marks to the extent that she can even change her name to Nelson Chamisa.
On Saturday Morgen Komichi surprised all and sundry when he announced the Khupe led political formation would use the name MDC Alliance in future elections.
“Now MDCT are saying they are us. Those whom the Lord wants to destroy maketh mad first. Very soon their Acting President Thoko will be calling herself Nelly Chamisa,” argued Timba.
In a statement, MDC Alliance spokesperson, Advocate Fadzai Mahere said:
The party restates that it is the MDC Alliance party. It contested the 2018 election as the MDC Alliance. As the alternative, it has MPs in Parliament and councillors in local authorities.
It has been victimized as the MDC Alliance and will win as the MDC Alliance. It will remain the MDC Alliance.
Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance has indicated that NGOs should be allowed to distribute food aid to concerned communities without the involvement of Zanu PF functionaries.
The MDC Alliance also accused Zanu PF of looting donations meant for the needy.
Read full statement below:
Communique Following MDC Alliance NEC Meeting
SEPTEMBER 19, 2020
NOTING the extent of the national crisis, the suffering of the masses, increased poverty, economic instability, hyperinflation, economic disequilibrium;
CONCERNED by the crisis of legitimacy, the closure of political space, attack on civil liberties and human rights, persecution and arrests of activists, the torture and violence against the citizens:
FURTHER NOTING the humanitarian crisis in respect of which 8 million Zimbabweans are food insecure and 5 million people have to be provided with humanitarian assistance and concerned by the massive leakages and looting of humanitarian aid …
TAKING COGNISANCE of the COVID19 pandemic and the gross mismanagement of the pandemic through the lack of financial resources, mass testing and provision of PPEs, drugs, isolation and quarantine centres:
DISTURBED by ZANU PF-driven threats to the people’s political party – the MDC Alliance, the unlawful arrests of our leaders and members, the unlawful recalls of elected people’s representatives and the abuse in the interpretation of the Supreme Court judgment:
1. The party expresses concern over Zimbabwe’s multi-faceted governance, economic and social crisis which has manifested in mass starvation, poverty, joblessness, wage erosion, poor earnings by civil servants, the remuneration crisis in the education sector, grand corruption and a deepening crisis in the health sector including inadequate remuneration and PPEs for health workers and insufficient isolation facilities. We call for NGOs to give aid directly to communities to avoid abuse by ZANU PF.
We condemn corruption in COVID19 procurement and the use of COVID19 as an excuse to clampdown on human rights.
2. The party condemns the closure of democratic space, human rights abuses, violence, wanton arrests and demands the immediate release of all political prisoners and an immediate cessation of all malicious prosecutions, particularly of Job Sikhala, Joanna Mamombe, Cecillia Chimbiri, Chalton Hwende, Tsitsi Dangarembwa, Netsai Marova, Hopewell Chin’ono, Jacob Ngarivhume and Godfrey Kurzone.
3. The party notes the efforts of South Africa and the ANC in facilitating the resolution of the national crisis. The party restates its commitment to dialogue centred on comprehensive reforms, national healing and the return to legitimacy and democracy. The party supports the efforts of the ANC and calls for the involvement and scaffolding of the process by the international community, in particular SADC and the African Union.
4. The party affirms the democratic right of citizens to protest peacefully as enshrined in section 59 of the Constitution and places all citizens on notice with regard to the need for a broad front to challenge ZANU PF and mass mobilization because Zimbabwean Lives Matter and the March is not Ended.
5. The party restates that it is the MDC Alliance party. It contested the 2018 election as the MDC Alliance. As the alternative, it has MPs in Parliament and councillors in local authorities. It has been victimized as the MDC Alliance and will win as the MDC Alliance. It will remain the MDC Alliance.
6. The party demands comprehensive electoral and political reforms as set out in our RELOAD and PRICE policy documents. The party considers participation in free, fair and credible elections as a necessary zone of struggle.
7. As a people-driven party, the NEC mandated the leadership at various levels to consult stakeholders, opinion leaders, grassroots structures and party organs countrywide on the multiple options that are available to it.
Fadzayi Mahere
National Spokesperson
The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on governments and health care leaders to address persistent threats to the health and safety of health workers and patients.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded all of us of the vital role health workers play to relieve suffering and save lives,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “No country, hospital or clinic can keep its patients safe unless it keeps its health workers safe. WHO’s Health Worker Safety Charter is a step towards ensuring that health workers have the safe working conditions, the training, the pay and the respect they deserve.”
The pandemic has also highlighted the extent to which protecting health workers is key to ensuring a functioning health system and a functioning society.
The Charter, released today for World Patient Safety Day, calls on governments and those running health services at local levels to take five actions to better protect health workers.
These include steps to protect health workers from violence; to improve their mental health; to protect them from physical and biological hazards; to advance national programmes for health worker safety, and to connect health worker safety policies to existing patient safety policies.
Mounting reports of infections, illness and attacks among health workers fighting COVID-19
COVID-19 has exposed health workers and their families to unprecedented levels of risk. Although not representative, data from many countries across WHO regions indicate that COVID-19 infections among health workers are far greater than those in the general population.
While health workers represent less than 3% of the population in the large majority of countries and less than 2% in almost all low- and middle-income countries, around 14% of COVID-19 cases reported to WHO are among health workers. In some countries, the proportion can be as high as 35%.
However, data availability and quality are limited, and it is not possible to establish whether health workers were infected in the work place or in community settings.
Thousands of health workers infected with COVID-19 have lost their lives worldwide.
In addition to physical risks, the pandemic has placed extraordinary levels of psychological stress on health workers exposed to high-demand settings for long hours, living in constant fear of disease exposure while separated from family and facing social stigmatization.
Before COVID-19 hit, medical professionals were already at higher risk of suicide in all parts of the world.
A recent review of health care professionals found one in four reported depression and anxiety, and one in three suffered insomnia during COVID-19.
WHO recently highlighted an alarming rise in reports of verbal harassment, discrimination and physical violence among health workers in the wake of COVID-19.
Credit:WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
email :[email protected]
Twitter :zimonlinehealthcentre
@zimonlinehealt1
YouTube: zimbabwe online health centre
The new Mayor of Harare Councilor Jacob Mafume has hit the ground running at Town House .
Last week , Advocate Mafume met stakeholders ranging from the church, the informal sector , civil society and other critical stakeholders as he navigates the waters of service delivery in an environment of deteriorating economic conditions.
He still has to deliver superior services in the face of rampaging inflation, incapacitated ratepayers and a central government whose penchant for control and interference is unparalleled.
As if that is not enough there are our erstwhile colleagues, Douglas Mwonzora and Thokozani Khupe who continue to breathe destructive fire on democratically elected MDC Alliance councilors.
Oblivious of the dirty games, Advocate Mafume, is the real epitome of the adage “ dynamite comes in small packs” He has hastened to rearrange his committees, banking on the past few years experience and has deployed the best combinations to give new energy to the teams at townhouse. Indeed, the people’s agenda for better services should not be derailed by the vindictive Khupe and Mwonzora , whose actions are despicable to say the very least.
Advocate Mafume has sounded a loud and clear message , though unspoken , but acted by the way he has built his committees. Corruption, inefficiency and a sluggish approach to business will be dealt with in a fashion that demands a stubborn mission focus by both functionaries and elected officials at townhouse.
Indeed is true that no number of side shows should distract council from its focus to deliver superior services participatively, sculpting innovative plans and programs for the benefit of all. Yes, this team will shrug off the inhibitors standing in the way of effective services and deliver happiness to the stakeholders of the Sunshine City, Harare
Congratulations to the new committees and your your new Chairperson. There is no limit , not even the sky is the limit to what you can do.
Sesel Zvidzai
Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has declared that nobody can stop the people’s struggle.
In his message below, President Chamisa stresses the fact that MDC Alliance carries the seed of new beginnings:
We represent the NEW and COMING.
We carry the seed of new beginnings. Not even the angel of death can prevent its sprouting.
We sympathize with those who attempt to stand in the way or are opposed to us. It’s game on! Sunday greetings
Teachers are now makorokozas and I saw it for myself. In Bubi District, there is a place near Gloag High and I saw teachers gold panning alongside some of the students they teach.
Teachers are seriously demotivated and we ask that their remuneration be reviewed. I have seen some teachers cleaning schools and I told them that they do not know their jobs. The government should avail funds so that schools hire people to clean
Teachers last week were part of the civil servants that rejected the government’s 40% salary increament saying it was too little and it will still not sustain them.
Meanwhile when the publication spoke to some ZIMSEC final exams candidates they sais they wished the government would postpone the December examinations because they didn’t have ample time prepare for the impending exams.-DailyNews
The attack of journalists and the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) President, Takudzwa Ngadziore by suspected state security agents while addressing the media near Impala Car Rental on September 18, 2020, has been roundly condemned.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) said it was appalled by the continued crackdown on dissent by the Zimbabwean government.
“We implore the government to uphold citizens’ fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution including the right to life, the right to protest peacefully as well as freedom of assembly and association,” CiZC said in a statement.
The journalists reportedly physically assaulted include Bernard Mpofu, James Jemwa, Godwin Mangudya, Thomas Madhuku, and Munashe Chokodza amid reports that their equipment was confiscated and destroyed.
“One of the assailants attacked me and took my phone that I was using to record the ZINASU press conference near Impala Car Rental. Journalism should never be a crime,” one of the victims, said.
Toneo Rutsito, the President of the Zimbabwe Online Content Creators weighed in by registering his disappointment over the attack of journalists and students.
“I am very disappointed with the latest attacks, not only against my journalist, Rumbidzai Chizarura but also the other journalists assaulted while covering demonstrations and the press conference. We have a Constitutional mandate to cover any story,” Rutsito said.
Tabani Moyo, the Director of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe also roundly condemned the attacks on journalists and said his organisation will engage the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Ministry of Information over the matter.
Dropping @mdczimbabwe by default drops the illegitimacy challenge on ED by @nelsonchamisa, assuming the name by the other faction inversely lends that legitimacy to their Patron @edmnangagwa in POLAD. Is the theatre of Change going forward in Parties?
— Dr Walter Mzembi (@waltermzembi) September 20, 2020
By Own Correspondent| The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) chairman, Christopher Mutsvangwa has said reports he called “social media shananigans” that there is bad blood between the ANC and Zanu PF are just treacherous work of Zanu PF opposers and they are not true because the bond between Zanu PF and the ANC is strong.
Speaking to the publication, Mutsvangwa said:
The MDC and G40-Gamatox are trying to forge a shot-gun marriage with the ANC. This is a forlorn and stillbirth adventure. It is riding on inclinations of treachery and bribery by dark forces that have a history and habit of plundering Africa’s bountiful resources. The two sister liberation movements — ANC and ZANU PF are not novices to these shenanigans.
The unflinching self-sacrifice for the just cause of the majority has ensured that they both remain loyal and principled to the cause.
The bonds forged, tried and tested in the trenches of the armed struggle against racist and apartheid settler minority regimes bind us to political eternity
It is now more than two decades that they have been in power after defeating apartheid. Zimbabwe has repeatedly been shielded from the depredations of the time-proven enemies of African freedom and progress.”
