A virtual meeting hosted by the Meteorological Services Department National Climate Outlook Forum had to break midway after hackers posted pornographic material on the platform.

Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry permanent secretary Mr Munesu Munodawafa apologised on behalf of the Government, and spoke of the need to expedite the Cyber Security Bill.

The virtual meeting is discussing the 2020/21 agricultural season forecasted weather pattern.

“We had to break the Zoom virtual meeting following the posting of offensive adult material during the meeting by some unidentified hackers. Government seriously needs to expedite passage of the Cyber Security Bill. We need to create secure virtual platforms where Government business is conducted,” said Mr Munodawafa.

The virtual meeting resumed after about 10 minutes.

The High Court has granted Jacob Ngarivhume $50,000 bail following his arrest in July for organizing a nationwide protest over corruption and the deteriorating economic situation in Zimbabwe.

Justice Siyabona Musitu granted the Transform Zimbabwe leader the bail on condition that he does not use Twitter until his case is finalized, should surrender his passport to the court and report to the police three times a week.

Ngarivhume was denied bail three times together with freelance journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono, who is still detained at Chikurubi Maximum Prison.

Ngarivhume and Chin’ono are facing charges of inciting violence.

The High Court has granted Hopewell Chin’ono $10 000 bail.

Chin’ono, who has spent 43 days in custody, appeared before Justice Tawanda Chitapi. He was charged along with political activist, Jacob Ngarivhume who has also been granted bail today.

Chin’ono and Ngarivhume were charged with incitement to commit public violence or alternatively incitement to participate in a gathering with the intent to promote public violence by posting messages through their Tweeter handles between March 1 and July 20, 2020.

It is alleged that while in Harare city centre, Chin’ono posted numerous messages on Twitter in an attempt to influence many people to engage in public violence or participate in a gathering that would disturb peace.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has, with immediate effect, appointed Dr Nomathemba Ndiweni-Masuku as a commissioner and deputy chairperson of the Public Service Commission (PSC).

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda said the appointment was made in terms of section 202 (1)(a) of the Constitution read together with section 320(4) of the Constitution.

Dr Ndiweni-Masuku holds several professional qualifications including a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Zimbabwe, a Master of Philosophy Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge and Post-graduate certificates in Education, Supervisory Management and Higher Education Management.

She has served on various boards including the Health Professions Authority of Zimbabwe, the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Investment Authority.

“Dr Ndiweni-Masuku’s experience in the public and academic sector will assist the PSC, particularly at a time when government is setting up the Public Service Academy,” he said.

“She brings much needed expertise as a public administrator and a renowned member of the academic society and a member of the National Defence University Council.”

Dr Ndiweni-Masuku will deputise PSC chairman Dr Vincent Hungwe.

New Ziana

Residents Associations and Civic Society Organizations lamented over the possibility of appointment of commissions to run urban local due to the rampant recalls by the MDC and suspension of Councilors on allegations of corruption.

Speaking at the  Webinar National Discussion hosted by CHRA, Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association Director Emmanuel Ndlovu lamented that,‘ the level of corruption in Councils have created a fertile ground for appointment of commissions especially on the allocation of stands.”

Dr Davison Muchadenyika an Independent Local Government Expert highlighted that appointment of Commissions should be the last resort as it contravenes section 265 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which states, “All members of local authorities must be elected by registered voters within the areas for which the local authorities are established.”

Residents’ representatives were worried that the appointment of Commissions to run local authorities was a threat to representative democracy and the current provisions governing the appointment of Commissions was open to manipulation by the Minister of Local Government.

The Director of Urban Council Association of Zimbabwe, Mr. Mutekede said,‘if commissions are appointed to run the local authorities they will not have powers to  levy rates, taxes,  increase any charge and to levy any charge without approval from the Minister” hence the Minister will be running local authorities.

Whenever there has been people of questionable character appointed to be Commissioners to run local authorities there has been citizens uproar over the appointments ,said Mr Mutekede.

Key recommendations that came out of the discussions were ;

• Alignment of the Urban Councils Act 29:15  and Local Government Act of 2016 with the Constitution of Zimbabwe

v  There is a need to  have by-elections in areas where councilors are removed to ensure representation .

v  Engage political parties  on the mode  to have robust and effective ways of choosing eligible councilors to participate in primary elections.

v  Mobilization of constituencies to ensure that residents are aware of the government intentions in order to defend their vote.

v  Lobbying for the strengthening of municipalities to have clear systems and mechanisms to pluck out corruption.

v  If commissions are to be appointed there must be representatives drawn from rate payers, political parties and associations.

By Ryan Chiwara- Masvingo province registered voters have joined others parts in objecting to Thokozani Khupe party list candidates seeking to replace Movement for Democratic Change Alliance recalled parliamentarians.

The MDC Alliance legislators were recalled by the MDC T led by hope following a supreme court ruling in which imposed Khupe as the acting president of MDC T.

The MDC T has since released a list of individuals they want to replace those whom they have recalled. On the list Khupe is to replace former MDC Alliance legislator Tabitha Khumalo in Bulawayo province.

Masvingo MDC Alliance legislator Muchirairwa Mugido was recalled from parliament by Khupe for siding with MDC Alliance president Advocate Nelson Chamisa.

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba has invited voters with objections to lodge them with her office before the nominations are confirmed.

“The public is hereby notified, in terms of section 39 (6) of the Electoral Act (Chapter2:13) that the MDC party has nominated party list members of the National Assembly and the Senate listed in the schedules below to fill in the vacancies in the National Assembly and the Senate that occurred following the recall by the MDC-T of the incumbent on the grounds that they had ceased to be members of that party,” reads the notice published by Chigumba.

One of the party list objection affidavits seen by this writer stated the grounds for objections

, “Section 45E of the electoral Act is explicit on the requirements for the identity of the party nominating the party list candidates, specifically, the Name, Party Abbreviation and Distinctive Symbols which should appear on the ballot paper. Accordingly, in the July 2018 Harmonised elections the MDC-A submitted its party list using the name Movement for Democratic Change Alliance, abbreviated as MDC-A and the characteristic distinctive symbol of an open palm and the face Adv Nelson Chamisa inside it.

“It is in this respect that the MDC -A has exclusive right to nominate replacements for the candidates to the party list , and that no any other party has the locus standi to make any such replacements outside the purview of the 2018 Harmonized Elections requirements as stated in section 45 of the Electoral Act.

“At the July 2018 Harmonised elections I voted for the MDC-A constituency candidate and my vote contributed to the cumulative provincial total votes which formed the basis for the allocation of the proportional representation or senate seats as specified in the Eighth schedule of the electoral Act.

“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has a duty to respect the outcome of the prescribed formula in the Eighth schedule of the electoral act by allocating the MDC-A its right full seats and not allow any other political entity to usurp the party ‘s right to choose its representatives.

“Failure to abide by its duty is an infringement of my Right of Assembly and Association as spelt out in Section 58 of the constitution,” read the affidavit.

WATCH- "45 DAYS IN DETENTION WILL NOT DETER US" #JACOBNGARIVHUME SPEAKS pic.twitter.com/1vbSWYqnsN

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 2, 2020

Farai Dziva|The State has dropped the Criminal Nuisance Charge against MDC Alliance Youth Assembly organising secretary and Masvingo Urban ward 4 councillor, Godfrey Kurauone.

The State failed to find the required witnesses.

“On Thursday our Organ Secretary, Cllr G Kurauone will be appearing in court for trial.

Police dropped Criminal the Nuisance Charge so he is now being charged with Blocking Traffic.

They dropped the charge after failing to find witnesses.

They can’t prove that he circulated a video clip,” MDC Alliance said in a statement.

By A Correspondent- One of the Cowdray Park sisters who were brutality assaulted by ZRP officers enforcing lockdown restrictions adherence reportedly broke down in court on Monday as she narrated that one of her fingers was now deformed as a result of the assault.

A teary Nokhuthula Mpofu reportedly told the court that:

In all my life, I have never been assaulted the way the police officers did to me. They made us sit down and kicked me with booted feet on my thighs. When I managed to get up, I realised that I had sustained serious injuries and there was blood all over. I was left almost out of breath. When our names were called out so that we could be booked, I could hardly walk.

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance Gweru Urban legislator Brian Dube reportedly used Constituency Development Funds to covert a council cocktail bar into a state of the art clinic, Newsday reports.

The legislator confirmed the development to the publication and said:

We applied to council and we were given the go-ahead to convert the Ivene Cocktail Bar into a standard modern clinic. This was necessitated by the compelling need to relocate the Ivene Clinic.

The current clinic was so small that staff and patients shared one single toilet. There was no medical storeroom and the treatment room was used for three purposes. It was the sister- in-charge’s office, treatment room and storeroom. There was also no TB boom and patients were served from the veranda.

The old clinic was located within houses and not safe as disposals of used medical materials risked being accessed by kids. However, the location of the new clinic is at the far end of the neighbourhood, making it safer.

Giving further details about the new state of the art clinic, Dube said the clinic was proper and modern and said:

We have stand-alone rooms for TB, treatment, sister-in-charge, dispensary, drug and consultation as well as the clerk’s office. We now have a proper modern clinic. The vision is that, since there is still space, we will also develop further to have a maternity ward and day care rest wards.

Gangs armed with machetes and knobkerries have resurfaced countrywide, targeting mines and individuals keeping large amounts of cash, prompting police to relaunch “Operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere” and “No to Machete Wielding Gangs”.

A few months ago, police restored order in mining areas after taking on the gangs, arresting large numbers and thwarting a wave of violence. That gangland violence claimed the lives of several people and left many injured.

Police said since January this year, 12 330 machete gang members and other criminal elements have been arrested in mining communities countrywide.
Police launched the “Operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere”, following an outcry from citizens over machete-wielding robbers who were terrorising people in mining communities.

In an interview yesterday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they had since intensified the operation.

“We can confirm that the ZRP has intensified an operation code named ‘Chikorokoza Ngachipere/ Isitsheketsha Kasipele’ and ‘No to Machete Wielding Gangs’,” he said.

Police have since been heavily deployed to some of the areas where illegal panning is rampant to ensure peace prevails. Anyone arrested will face the full wrath of the law as some of them are violating Covid-19 regulations.

Asst Comm Nyathi said they arrested two suspects last Thursday, who were part of a gang that was armed with machetes and raided a mine in Inyathi at night.
The two were arrested at Mucklenuck A2 Mine.

“The suspects struck the victim with a machete and stole cash amounting to US$200 and $400. A follow up was made leading to the arrest of the duo and investigations are still in progress,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.

Criminal activities by the marauding gangs of machete attackers have seen reports of murder, rape, assault, housebreaking and stock theft. Police statistics show that in the mineral-rich Midlands Province, reported criminal cases rose 33 percent in the first nine months of 2019 because of the influx of machete attackers.

Recently, machete gangs raided the Circle V mine in Shurugwi and stole a firearm and $5 000 cash, stabbing and injuring one mine employee in the process. Management said the money was part of the float used to buy gold at the mine. Lately, machete gangs have been targeting people dealing in cash around Harare.

-State Media

By A Correspondent- The government has warned Private schools against hiking school fees without getting approval from parents and the ministry of primary and secondary education.

The matter came to light as the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education director of communications and advocacy, Mr Taungana Ndoro, laid down the procedure for hiking fees and said:

There is a procedure that schools follow for approval of new fees structures by the Ministry and these are done on a case by case base. That procedure normally involves parents and the school before being submitted to the Ministry. once submitted the Ministry gives its response and you can obtain that response from the schools. Parents and schools are involved in the adjustment. Ministry considers an agreed position between parents and the school

We are investigating these schools because any increase must be approved by Government.

According to the publication, The Midlands Christian Group of Colleges (MCGC) which runs Midlands Christian College (MCC), Midlands Christian School (MCS) and Treasure Trove (TT) in Gweru have asked parents to pay what it refers to as “overhead costs” of US$1 410, US$910 and US$400 respectively. Petra College is demanding US$1 400 while Girls college is reportedly demanding $1000 from parents.

Three suspected cattle rustlers have been arrested in Marondera on suspicion of stealing a cow from a police farm just outside town limits.

Wilson Madzudzu (26), Fanwell Munetsi (25) from Epworth and Tichaona Matudza (32) from Marondera are now assisting police with investigations.

Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza said the herdman at the ZRP Mashonaland East project farm found one brown cow was missing when shutting up the herd for the night. He then found the carcass of the missing cow, which has been slaughtered and skinned on the farm.

The police attended the scene and used dogs to track the spoor of the suspects leading to the arrest of Madzudzu and Munetsi, who were hiding in the gum plantation nearby. On interrogation they allegedly implicated Matudza, who lives on a farm next to the police project farm.

The cow was worth $24 600 and nothing was recovered. Inspector Mwanza said, “Stock thieves are a menace and their conduct deserves harsh punishment because there are bent on derailing economic gains.”

By A Correspondent- War veterans have written to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government demanding that he shelves his US$3,5 billion compensation pact with white former commercial farmers, describing the move as highly discriminatory, degrading and akin to selling out the liberation struggle.

Mnangagwa last month signed the global compensation agreement with white former farmers displaced during the country’s 2000 land reform programme.

Under the deal, government pledged to cough out US$3,5 billion compensation for infrastructural developments on the seized farms.

The deal followed the commitment by government to return seized farms to black farmers as well as farms protected under Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreements (BIPPAs).

The latest agreement, announced in a joint statement by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and newly-appointed Lands minister Anxious Masuka on Monday, has, however, triggered varying reactions with some viewing it as a reversal of the land reform programme.

But the little-known War Veterans Pressure Group wrote to Mnangagwa through their lawyers, Kanoti and Partners, ordering the Lands ministry to issue a public statement withdrawing the compensation offer.

“We act at the instance of our clients, War Veterans Pressure Group, an informal political grouping of veterans of the national liberation struggle. Please note our interest,” part of the letter, dated August 28 to Masuka, read.

“Clients are shocked government acted in the manner it did and view the agreement as a sell-out understanding.”

“Clients instruct that we demand on their behalf, as we hereby do, that you, within 48 hours of receipt of this letter, issue a response to ourselves, together with a public statement admitting that the recent July 2020 compensation for claimed farms improvements agreements between government and the former settler white race progeny citizenry was discriminatory on the grounds of race and constituted cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment upon the indigenous black race, citizens of this nation, coming as the agreement did ahead of or for having prioritised settler white race concerns as against the local black race’s own long outstanding precolonial and also post-colonial sufferances under the mechanisation of the occupying settler white race and, therefore, that government is withdrawing from or suspending performance.”

The war veterans, who form the bulk of beneficiaries of the land reform programme, said the compensation should be suspended, and interests of the indigenous farmers be catered for first.

Yesterday, various stakeholders blasted Mnangagwa’s offer to compensate black farmers and for seized land under BIPPA.

Under the new order, complying with section 295 of the Constitution, indigenous farmers and farmers protected under BIPPA will be compensated for land and developments made on the farms. White former commercial farmers, who form the majority, are covered under the compensation agreement of July 20.

The two categories can be given money or may apply to go back to their farms, and the resettled farmers displaced to alternative farms.

About 116 farms under BIPPA were seized and new farmers resettled, while over 400 indigenous farmers were displaced after their farms were compulsorily acquired.

Norton MP Temba Mliswa (independent) challenged government to come clean on land ownership, saying the new order signalled the reversal of the land reform programme.

Tendai Biti, the MDC Alliance vicepresident said the new law by government was a policy U-turn.

Biti said anything to do with land compensation needed an Act of Parliament.

But exiled former Local Government minister and ex-Zanu-PF commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere said: “This is going backwards. Yes, the Constitution recognises land compensation, but this should be done through an Act of Parliament. The minister should table the Bill before Parliament.

“People suffered to have restoration of land ownership, and now, two ministers without knowledge of the history of the land reform come to make this announcement without consulting critical stakeholders.”-newsday

By A Correspondent- In a very strange case, a man who faked ere_ctile dysfunction (ED) for the last 17 years just so that he could avoid being intimate with his wife was exposed when he was arrested for raping a minor.

iHarare has learned that 68-year-old Custon Jojo Machanja from Zvishavane was last intimate with his wife back in 2003 when he claimed that he was suffering from ED. The wife understood his supposed plight and did not bother him, only to be shocked when Machanja was arrested this year.

Machanja is facing two counts of having sexual intercourse with a minor and rape.

The Chronicle reports that while presenting his defence Machanja denied the rape charges saying that he had consensual se_x with the minor. Ironically, he also accused the minor and her mother of trying to fix him, because he was having se_xual affairs with both of them.

“I had consensual se_xual intercourse with the complainant and I also had an affair with her mother. They are fixing me,” he said.

Machanja’s wife who also appeared in court as a witness expressed her shock at learning that her husband was capable of having se_xual affairs with two women concurrently when she was under the impression that he could not function properly.

“All these years he would tell me that he can’t sleep with me because he is suffering from ere_ctile dysfunction. I’m really shocked,” said Machanja’s wife.

The state went on to say that in October, Machanja invited the minor to his house where they became intimate. After the act, Machanja gave the minor $6. They had two more encounters in the same month, after which Machanja gave the minor $4 and $5.

In December, Machanja invited the minor to his office and tried to become intimate with her again. However, on this occasion the minor refused and Machanja allegedly drew an Okapi knife and forced himself onto the minor. He also threatened her with goblins if she ever divulged that he had raped her.

However, the minor told her mother, who then took her to the police station to file a report.

Machanja was remanded in custody to September 7 for judgment.

#WATCH– Lawyers stage silent demo at the High Court. Demand respect to the country's Constitution #ZimbabweansLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/zX8NLZAB8L

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 2, 2020

https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1301096475796140033?s=20

By A Correspondent- A Harare High Court Judge this morning granted jailed opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume $50 000 bail after he had been languishing nehind bars for 45 days.

Justice Musithu ended the detention of Transform Zimbabwe party leader Jacob Ngarivhume by granting him $50 000 bail, barring him from sharing messages on Twitter and ordering him to report 3 times per week to the Zimbabwe Republic Police. He was also ordered to reside at his given address and surrender his passport.

Ngarivhume, who was arrested on July 20 over the July 31 protests had been denied bail by the lower courts twice.

The opposition leader had approached the court in his second freedom bid citing changed circumstances where he argued that the reasons which had led to his initial bail denial had changed.

Ngarivhume, is facing charges of inciting citizens to revolt against government when he organised and announced that on July 31, citizens were supposed to protest over corruption and a failed leadership.

He however argued that the planned protests did not take place, hence fears of him influencing violence were no longer existent since the day of the protests had come and gone.

Harare magistrate Trynos Utahwashe dismissed Ngarivhume’s bail application arguing that he remained a national threat hence should remain behind bars

His lawyers however said they would appeal the decision at the High Court arguing that it was baffling how the state acknowledged that July 31 had come and gone with no violence reports at all but maintained that what was proposed as the July 31 protests had become a movement. The court however did not avail the evidence to back up the state’s claim.

“We are surprised that Jacob Ngarivhume is now said to be the founder of that movement. We are hearing it for the first time in court and we are shocked but we are not discouraged in any way. We will be appealing as soon as possible,” said Nkomo.

Ngarivhume was arrested on July 20 and has been languishing in jail since then.

The High Court denied him bail again on grounds that he called for protests amid the Covid-19 pandemic thereby exposing the public to dangers of contracting the disease.

WATCH- "45 DAYS IN DETENTION WILL NOT DETER US" #JACOBNGARIVHUME SPEAKS pic.twitter.com/1vbSWYqnsN

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 2, 2020

By A Correspondent- A Mpilo Hospital nurse reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 posthumously, the state media reports.

Pretty Mpala (36) from Emakhandeni suburb in Bulawayo was reportedly buried on Friday after she tested positive for the novel Coronavirus.

Mpala who was part of the COVID-19 health frontliners was her family’s breadwinner and her family are struggling to come to terms with her death.

Mpala’s aunt spoke to the publication and said:

We are still shocked and in deep pain following the passing of Pretty who was the sole breadwinner in the family. Our hearts are sore and we fear for her traumatized grandmother who raised her following the death of her parents as she is struggling to walk or talk since her death.

Commenting about the death of Sister Petty who was the only child of her late parents, Mpilo Hospital CEO DR Solwayo Ngwenya said:

We are extremely saddened that Covid-19 has taken one of our staff members, her premature death is evidence that this disease is deadly. As health workers are at the forefront, we continue to bear the brunt of this virus but we still must work hard and face it while saving lives.

Most of us will be infected in the line of duty and it is sad that one of our self-sacrificing nurses had to lose her life. I would like to commend all those who come to work despite the risks that come with our jobs, this kind of sacrifice is highly commendable.

Mpala survived by her grandmother and her cousins.

By A Correspondent-  The government of Zimbabwe is reportedly finalising the modalities that will see airports re-opening after 5 months in a bid to boost tourism.

The matter came to light in yesterday’s post-cabinet briefing.

According to the publication:

The Government is finalising on modalities for the re-opening of airports to support the resumption of the tourism sector. The plan is to start with the resumption of domestic flights and then move to international flights.  Cabinet approved the resumption of the rest of tourism operations, including boat operations.

Other countries like Kenya and Tanzania have resumed international flights while South Africa has reopened domestic flights after close to 5 months in lockdown.-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has filed for divorce saying the relationship with his wife has irretrievably broken down with no prospects of restoration.

Minister Ziyambi has for the past seven years, been estranged from his wife Florence Ziyambi, nee Mhizha, a lawyer and former deputy Prosecutor-General.

In his claim filed at the High Court, Minister Ziyambi is asking for a decree of divorce saying the couple have not lived together as husband and wife since sometime in 2014.

He argues that the marriage is just a shell as they have not shared conjugal rights since then. The couple has two adult children.

“Since then, the parties have developed diverging interests and have become incompatible and have lost all love and affection for each other,” said Minister Ziyambi in his papers.

During the subsistence of their marriage, the couple acquired movable property and the Minister strongly feels it is just and equitable that upon divorce, each party retains the movable property in his or her possession.

The immovable property which the plaintiff wants distributed includes houses in Westlea and St Martins suburbs in Harare both registered in Minister Ziyambi’s name and a house in Bluffhill, Harare, registered in his estranged wife’s name.

The Minister also prays for the Westlea house to be awarded to one of their daughters, Chido Maureen Ziyambi, while the couple retains ownership of the immovable properties registered in their respective names.

“It is just and equitable that plaintiff (Minister) continues to cater for Chido Maureen Ziyambi’s welfare and educational needs until she graduates or becomes self-sufficient whichever occurs first,” said Minister Ziyambi.

Mrs Ziyambi is yet to respond to the application and has 10 days to file her response to the divorce motion.

statemedia

ZANU-PF Politburo, will soon hold a meeting in Harare with South Africa’s ruling party, African National Congress (ANC)’s National Executive Committee to discuss issues of interest amongst the two sister revolutionary parties.

The ANC delegation is expected to arrive in the country soon, although the dates are yet to be announced.

While addressing the media soon after the ANC’s NEC meeting on Monday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed that his party will send a delegation to meet Zanu-PF Politburo for a party-to-party discussion.

Last month, Zanu-PF secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu and his South African counterpart ANC Secretary-General Cde Ace Magashule held a virtual meeting, which saw the two revolutionary parties pledging to work together to defend the gains of the liberation struggle.

Of late, there has been a systematic attack on Government, which began with the manufacturing of a non-existent crisis in Zimbabwe by the country’s detractors, who are working with fugitive former G40 functionaries desperate to cast aspersions on the Second Republic’s economic revival and re-engagement efforts.

Cde Mpofu yesterday confirmed that a meeting has been set between Zanu-PF and ANC leaders.

“I can confirm that we will be meeting our counterparts in the usual manner that we have already conferred with each other to discuss issues of interest amongst ourselves. The meeting is not new, ANC and Zanu-PF are sister parties both before and after our independence,” he said.

“The meeting, which will be held soon, is part of the usual dialogue that we have with ANC and this is quite a welcome development.”

Cde Mpofu said the two revolutionary parties were constantly in cordial contact at an inter-party level to confront the cross-sectional attempts to defeat the standing successes towards entrenching democracy in the Sadc region.

Cde Mpofu said there were imperialistic attempts to discredit the country by falsely claiming that there are human rights violations.

“What has been presented as the violation of human rights in Zimbabwe is part of the exhausted script of the MDC Alliance’s failure to come to terms with its defeat in the 2018 Harmonised Elections,” he said.

Cde Mpofu said the misplaced anti-Zimbabwe campaign on social media aligns with retrogressive regime change elements backed by their external neo-colonial handlers.

“We are aware that the purported instability in Zimbabwe is precipitated by disgruntled fugitives and ejected elements from the revolutionary party, Zanu-PF.”

Cde Mpofu said Presidents Mnangagwa and Cyril Ramaphosa enjoy cordial relations, with both Zanu-PF and ANC’s relationship premised on the historical values that have stood the test of time.

Zimbabwe and South Africa enjoy strong cordial relations which date back to the liberation struggle against colonialism and Apartheid.

Last month, President Ramaphosa in his capacity as African Union (AU) chairperson, deployed envoys to Zimbabwe to assess the political situation in Zimbabwe.

The three-member delegation returned a day after meeting President Mnangagwa where they exchanged notes at State House.

Former South African Minister of Safety and Security Dr Sydney Mufamadi was leading the team which comprised former Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete and former Minister of Public Service and Administration Advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi.

The three came to Zimbabwe to assess the political situation in Zimbabwe after a sustained social media onslaught against the Harare administration.

The anti-Zimbabwe crusade follows the flop of the protests that had been planned for July 31, which had been heavily-funded by Western embassies aimed at toppling President Mnangagwa and his Government.

-State Media

JUST IN- JACOB NGARIVHUME BAIL HEARING SET FOR 1030am pic.twitter.com/3RHrqYVHs3

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 2, 2020

Watch the live video loading below…….

MPILO Central Hospital has lost a nurse to Covid-19 who died at the institution last week.

Sister Pretty Mpala (36) from Emakhandeni suburb in Bulawayo tested positive posthumously and was buried on Friday.

She is one of the hundreds of frontliners in Zimbabwe who have been infected while trying to save lives. According to a weekly situational report from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, nurses are the most affected workers when it comes to Covid-19 and they constitute 37 percent of total health care workers affected.

As of Monday, there were 6 497 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Zimbabwe and 202 deaths. Bulawayo province has a cumulative total of 1 276 cases, 25 deaths and 1 140 recoveries.

Statistics from the Ministry show that more than 480 health workers have contracted the global pandemic in Zimbabwe.

Bulawayo (137) and Midlands (128) account for a greater proportion of infected front liners.

Healthcare workers have been greatly exposed to Covid-19 due to the global shortage of personal protective equipment.

More than 120 nurses at Mpilo Central and United Bulawayo Hospitals have contracted the virus, forcing them into quarantine, thereby reducing the number of workers who are manning the public institutions.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 1 000 nurses have been infected by Covid-19 in Africa alone.

The outbreak of Covid-19 has seen nurses worldwide making huge personal sacrifices, sometimes attending to patients without adequate personal protective equipment (PPEs) risking their health and that of their families.

The world over, at least 90 000 health care workers had been infected by Covid-19 and more than 260 nurses had died by the end of May according to the International Council of Nurses (ICN).

In an interview, Sr Mpala’s aunt, Mrs Kezzeneth Mpala, said the family had lost its breadwinner and was struggling to accept the nurse’s fate. She said Sr Mpala’s guardian, her grandmother, had fallen sick after receiving news of her untimely death last week.

“We are still shocked and in deep pain following the passing of Pretty who was the sole breadwinner in the family. Our hearts are sore and we fear for her traumatized grandmother who raised her following the death of her parents as she is struggling to walk or talk since her death,” said Mrs Mpala.

“Pretty was a caring person and it was not surprising that she eventually became a nurse. She went through a lot of challenges while growing up but managed to shrug off all discouragement and qualified as a nurse.”

According to Mrs Mpala, Sr Mpala was passionate about serving her people and community which made her a committed and resilient nurse.

Mpala, the only child born to her late parents, started her nursing studies in 2013 and had never looked back. She also struggled with some illnesses which never killed her hardworking spirit as she managed to do her duties at Mpilo while battling the ailment. “We used to meet members of the public in town who would stop and thank her for the care she rendered while they were admitted to Mpilo. She was also a darling to the community and our relatives and would easily give health advice so that everyone around is healthy and fit. Her loss has brought a lot of pain in our lives and we hope one day we will understand why her life had to end this way,” she said wiping away tears.

Mpala is survived by her grandmother and cousins.

Mpilo acting chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya sent his condolences to the family saying Covid-19 had cost the institution a hard-working staffer.

“We are extremely saddened that Covid-19 has taken one of our staff members, her premature death is evidence that this disease is deadly. As health workers are at the forefront, we continue to bear the brunt of this virus but we still must work hard and face it while saving lives,” said Prof Ngwenya.

“Most of us will be infected in the line of duty and it is sad that one of our self-sacrificing nurses had to lose her life. I would like to commend all those who come to work despite the risks that come with our jobs, this kind of sacrifice is highly commendable.”

— State Media

Paul Nyathi 

Watch video downloading below as another victim of Zimbabwe state security agents brutality narrates how he was abducted and tortured. Please be patient while the video downloads.

Nickson Mpofu made the claim in the screenshot below hours before he was abducted by state security agents.

Continue reading “Live: Nickson Mpofu Tells How He Was Abducted And Tortured By State Security Agents”

THE Zanu-PF Midlands executive will soon meet to deliberate on applications made by two former ministers who have applied to be readmitted into the ruling party following their sacking.

Former Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Makhosini Hlongwane and former Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Tapiwanashe Matangaidze are part of many Zanu-PF members who were expelled after they were found guilty of misconduct in 2018.

In an interview, Zanu-PF Midlands provincial chairperson Engineer Daniel Mackenzie Ncube confirmed that the pair were among those who made applications to be readmitted into the party.

“We have applications from expelled members who include former ministers. We have got applications from Makhosini Hlongwane and Tapiwa Matangaidze. We will be sitting down to make our decision.

“It’s something we should have done about two weeks ago, so we are trying to get a slot so that we deliberate on the issue and make the necessary recommendation to the party headquarters. We are far behind on the issue,” said Engineer McKenzie Ncube.

The Midlands provincial chairperson said Zanu-PF is a “big tent”, and that people who want to join or re-join the party were most welcome after being vetted.

“In the event the applicants are re-admitted, they will start fom bottom rank and they will be observed over time to ensure that they are now compliant in everything they do,” said Engineer Mackenzie Ncube.

Last year, Zanu-PF readmitted its former secretary for Administration Cde Didymus Mutasa and retired Brigadier-General Ambrose Mutinhiri.

State Media

A 30-year-old foreign currency dealer lost US$70 000 to armed robbers who blocked his Mercedes Benz E300 while he was on his way to Harare from a Norton farm where he had collected the cash.

The armed robbers, in an unregistered black BMW, blocked the road and demanded the cash at gunpoint.

No arrests have been made and police are still investigating the matter.

National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said people should not travel with or keep large sums of cash.

Another gang of four armed robbers raided a house in Beitbridge last Friday night and robbed a family of a Honda Fit, R10 000 in cash, four cellphones, a laptop, and seven pairs of shoes. The vehicle was found dumped a few metres from the homestead.

Police said the robbers were armed and fired shots into the air to frighten the victims during the robbery.

In another case, a Harare man lost US$2 000 after he was lured to Hwange by three robbers who had duped him into believing that they were selling a Toyota Hiace minibus.

The victim became acquainted with the perpetrators through social media. He was then lured to Hwange where he lost the cash.

Many people have lost large sums of cash in the last few months to either armed robbers or to thieves that have been breaking into homes or parked vehicles.

State Media

The Zimbabwe dollar firmed marginally for the first time yesterday, by just under a tenth of one percent, to $83,3209: US$1 in the 11th auction, reinforcing the high-level of stability seen in recent weeks as markets succeeded in finding the real value of the Zimbabwean currency.

The weighted average fell from $83,3994 to $83,3209, a drop of just under 8c or 0,094 percent.

The previous two auctions had seen minute slipping in the exchange rate of around half a percent, the ninth auction slightly less and the 10th auction slightly more, and yesterday’s tiny gain was expected at some stage as Zimbabwe moves into the sort of stability that sees tiny weekly changes that can be up or down, with trends only apparent over several weeks.

Yesterday’s change was the smallest seen since the start of the auctions, and the progress over the last month is leading analysts to predict that prices could even start falling as producers and others accept that they do not have to factor in the danger of huge exchange-rate swings into their pricing models to cover the replacement cost of stock.

Without exchange rate pressures, actual costs rather than feared costs, are more likely to dominate in costing models.

The gap between top and bottom successful bids remained small. The top bid on the main auction dropped very slightly from $88 to $87,50 while the bottom bid fell from $80 to $76, as some importers looked for a modest bargain while testing the market.

The SME auction saw a narrower bid range, from $76,50 to $86.

For the fourth week running, all valid bids were successful.

There were 154 bids on the main auction, of which 25 were ruled invalid since the bidder had missed one of the requirements set by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), and 75 bids on the SME auction, with only 11 disqualified.

The fall in the number of disqualified bids suggests bidders are getting better at ticking off the checklists.

The SME auction came close to allotments of US$1 million, a new high for these smaller businesses, while the main auction saw total allocations of just over US$15 million, roughly in line with the previous trends.

As always, the bulk of allocations went to raw materials with that category getting almost US$6,4 million of the allotted US$16 million. Equipment got US$3,77 million, services US$1,6 million, consumables US$1,4 million and chemicals and pharmaceuticals just under US$1 million.

Economist Mr Eddie Cross, who is in the RBZ monetary policy committee, described results of the latest auction as encouraging and a strong indicator that the auction system now meets the needs of importers.

“We have seen a lot of stability in prices over the last three months and we should start to see prices falling,” he said.

Mr Cross said the combination of the market-related auction system and continuing measures to keep a tight control on liquidity flows and expansion, which had been used speculatively to trade in currencies and so hurting the Zimbabwe dollar, had narrowed the gap between the official auction rate and the black-market rates to less than 10 points on street prices.

In his recent mid-term monetary policy statement, RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya noted that the auctions were now supplying 87 percent of importers’ currency needs and the auction system had reduced volatility in exchange rates, which had been the main driver in price increases in the first six months of the year.

Paul Nyathi

A Gwanda based activist, Ndaniso Mpande, has individually petitioned the parliament of Zimbabwe to urgently facilitate for a referendum to be voted for by the people of Matabeleland and parts of Midlands province demarcated as former precolonial Mthwakazi Kingdom to decide if they want to remain as part of present day Zimbabwe.

Proponents of Mthwakazi restoration believe that Zimbabwe is made up of two nations which were brought together by the colonial regime in 1893. The proponents now Want the two countries to be separated under the pre 1893 boundaries.

Below is the full petition which parliament is yet to respond to.

NewsDay

THE United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) must step in to stop a culture of State-sponsored human rights violations as the “price of silence is huge”, former National Healing minister Moses Mzila-Ndlovu has said.

In an online petition to the UNHCR, Mzila-Ndlovu said the culture of impunity was on the rise at a time the country’s human rights situation is under international spotlight.

Some opposition and human rights activists have been forced to go into hiding or skip the borders fearing arrest for organising anti-government protests. Some have been arrested, while others have been abducted and tortured in recent weeks.

Mzila-Ndlovu, in a petition to the UNHCR titled Justice for Matabeleland Gukurahundi Genocide and Ongoing Injustices in Zimbabwe, argued that perpetrators “should not continue to enjoy a culture of impunity in Zimbabwe”.

“This petition is a call to the UNHCR to officially recognise the 1980 to 1987 Matabeleland Gukurahundi genocide where more than 20 000 people died,” the petition read in part.

“Today they (State actors) are conducting the same acts of murder, abductions and terror and the world is watching. Zanu PF and its leadership should not continue to enjoy a culture of impunity in Zimbabwe.

“The more they are given this culture of impunity, the more they commit crimes against humanity. All victims of Zanu PF government’s State-sanctioned genocide and ongoing human rights violations are demanding truth, justice and reparations for the systematic violations of their rights.”

Government and the ruling Zanu PF party have denied reports of State-sanctioned human rights abuses.

In July, opposition MDC Alliance legislator Joanah Mamombe and activists Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova, who were allegedly abducted and tortured for participating in a peaceful demonstration in Harare, were charged with stage-managing their abduction.

Mzila-Ndlovu, who also leads the opposition Alliance for National Salvation, appealed to Zimbabweans to demand justice for all victims of State-sponsored violence dating back to the 1980s.

NewsDay

THE planned August 31 protest over human rights abuses scheduled for the Beitbridge Border Post failed to take off with organisers citing lack of police clearance and reasons “beyond our control”.

The planned demonstration by South Africa-based Zimbabwe Economic Freedom Fighters (ZEFF) saw activists and ordinary Zimbabweans based in South Africa also announcing plans to stage a similar protest in Musina to force the closure of the border.

South Africa’s opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema had extended support for the demonstrations, saying his party would participate.

However, the protest failed to take off with ZEFF leader Innocent Ndibali confirming that the party failed to rally support for the protests while also blaming police in the neighbouring country for not sanctioning the protest.

“Due to multiple factors beyond our control, EFF Zimbabwe has with difficulty and sadness seen it necessary to call off the planned protest,” he said.

“Until the last day, we had not been able to secure permission from the South African authorities to hold a peaceful protest at the border post despite making an application and notification of our plans. It is regrettable that the protest was not allowed to proceed.”

The planned protest came at a time President Emmerson Mnangagwa was under international spotlight over recent abductions, torture and arrest of opposition activists and civic rights activists.

The government and Zanu PF have angrily hit out at critics, accusing them of being sponsored by the West in a regime change agenda plot.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa last month deployed envoys to Zimbabwe over the deteriorating human rights situation in the country although Harare maintains that there is no crisis.

“We would like to apologise to our fighters and our allies (Zapu, 31st July Movement) that the protest had to be cancelled,” Ndibali added.

“We will not be deterred in our generational mission to bring about total change in Zimbabwe. We have dedicated ourselves to a cause with only one certain outcome: total change meaning that Zanu PF must go and our people be liberated from tyranny.”

A man was Tuesday night feared abducted soon after threatening to leak the details of ministers who are involved in a car rental scandal.

It was just 13 hours before when Nickson Mpofu had posted saying in full:

” As promised, tomorrow i will be publishing names of Ministers who are working in cahoots with car rental companies to loot govt coffers.
One minister leased 8 cars to one prominent car rental located along Chiremba road in Harare.

All his cars for the past 12 months are being rented by different departments in his ministry. The ministry has a large pool of cars and CMED is also providing them with cars but preference is being given to renting these cars…Every month minister vakutora lots of buck.
#ZimbabweansLivesMatter ”

At the time of broadcasting, ZimEye was at pains to establish his whereabouts just as his phone continuously failed to go through.

At around 10 p.m. he had posted saying, “I am in danger …People claiming to be police officers are at my house.. I have locked myself inside…”

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

Paul Nyathi

Zanu-PF secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu says that envoys expected on the country from South African President Cyril Ramaphosan will exonerate the ruling ZANU PF party of human rights violation allegations against it.

The African National Congress (ANC) envoys are expected to come to Zimbabwe and meet with Zanu PF and all other stakeholders including opposition political parties, civic society and the church to hear on the situation in the country.

Mpofu however twists the intended visit claiming that the ANC will use the opportunity to strengthen relations with ZANU PF.

“The gesture by the ANC not only epitomises our shared nostalgic anti-colonial position, instead it reasserts a contemporary reproduction of our consciousness to the hidden but the ever-present hand of imperialism in the SADC region.

“In our view as a revolutionary powerhouse in Zimbabwe and in the region, this party-to-party dialogue convened at the urgency of the malicious deconstruction of the ‘Zimbabwean situation’ must expose the imagined desires of a political crisis as misrepresented in the cyber space. We are aware of the input of our opposition in this as its existence is only sustained by creating despondency and demonisation of our nation in a bid to justify its regime-change project. They have failed before and many more failures wait on their part,” said Dr Mpofu.

He said Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa were constantly in touch and the expected visit of the South African delegation would dispel any misconceptions of a crisis in Zimbabwe.

“They are expected as soon as possible, it’s an initiative that is being done by our principals, we are sister parties we should never allow a third party to divide us,” said Dr Mpofu.

“Therefore, this forthcoming party to party dialogue substantiates our timely response as liberation movements to the ever-changing complexities of the neo-colonial decimation of the SADC region.

“The only obtaining crisis in Zimbabwe is the continued demonisation of our Government by many forces opposed to the milestones of the Second Republic. In the face of this pro-opposition postured ‘political crisis in Zimbabwe’, this ZANU PF-ANC dialogue on Zimbabwe must reinforce our ideological convergences in as much as it should unpack the two nationalist parties’ shared existential threats.

“While there is a dedicated onslaught on Zimbabwe and ZANU PF in particular to disfigure the political situation in the country, we hope our ANC counterparts will be better acquainted with the genuine state of affairs in our country beyond the sinister propagandas of our detractors,” he said.

The meeting, Dr Mpofu said, is also expected to strengthen regional interparty solidarities through enhanced peer-reviews of the governance questions.

“The ultimate output of this dialogue should produce a determined resolution to move the agenda for our development in our own terms. As ZANU PF, we anticipate that the major resolution of this dialogue will see our shared anti-colonial political soul magnified towards strengthening our bilateral ties in the areas of commerce, industry, trade and the mutual exchange of sustainable political ideas to build a better continent whose tenets of state-craft are not determined by neo-colonial prefects and their proxies on the doorsteps of our continued fight for unity, development and freedom in Africa,” said Dr Mpofu.

Last month, President Mnangagwa hosted three envoys from President Ramaphosa who included former South African Minister of Safety and Security Dr Sydney Mufamadi, who was leading the team, the former Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete and former Minister of Public Service and Administration Advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi.

Mnangagwa quickly dismissed the envoys before they could meet with other stakeholders. ZANU PF claimed that the envoys were not meant to meet with anyone else except Mnangagwa. The move necessitated the expected visit but a whole new team with specific instructions to meet all stakeholders in the country.

“The meeting was part of a peer to peer review of two brotherly nations, which have shared historical ties forged in their nations’ struggle for independence from the white colonialists who are now sponsoring mayhem in the region to install puppet regimes,” said Dr Mpofu of the first envoys.

Paul Nyathi

The Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T national chairman Senator Morgan Komichi says the Supreme created party is now in the process of carrying an audit to expose any theft or abuse of the party properties by the MDC Alliance.

Komichi told state media that the party has taken possession of a lot of the MDC Alliance properties and beginning to audit the properties.

“We managed to repossess most of our offices. We started with the occupation of the party headquarters Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House, which is the flagship of the party.

“After the headquarters we went on to occupy Bulawayo, Masvingo, Hwange, in Matabeleland North, Gwanda in Matabeleland South, Marondera, Mashonaland East, Gweru in Midlands province offices.

“We are now in the process of occupying Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West and Manicaland provinces. So far, we have managed to secure some of our vehicles, but I do not have the numbers off-head,” he said.

This all comes after the Supreme Court in March reversed the leadership of the party left behind by the late MDC founding President Morgan Tsvangirai from Nelson Chamisa and reinstated Thokozani Khupe as the interim president of the MDC-T pending an extraordinary congress.

After taking control of the MDC-T, the Khupe camp went on to recall and replace senators, MPs and councillors loyal to Chamisa.

Now the Khupe team says it is carrying out an audit that Komichi said is designed to unearth any abuse of the party properties including vehicles and computers.

“We are currently carrying out an audit of party assets such as vehicles, furniture, books of accounts and party offices in all the provinces and appropriate action will be taken at the appropriate time. The legitimate leadership of the MDC party has finally occupied their offices,” said Senator Komichi.

Mr Komichi said the occupation of their offices is a fulfilment of the Supreme Court ruling that stated that everything that was presided over by Chamisa, since he took over leadership of the party in 2018 from Tsvangirai is null and void.

He added that since Chamisa has claimed to be the leader of the MDC Alliance he cannot lay claim to any offices whose ownership is enshrined in the party’s constitution to be the MDC.

“Guided by the Supreme Court judgment, which reinstated madam Khupe and gave us power to organise an extraordinary congress to choose a new leadership, we have taken over because the party’s constitution in section 1:4 stipulates that the headquarters of MDC is 44 Nelson Mandela, Harvest House building,” said Komichi.

Source: State Media

State Media

Zimbabwe’s Land Reform remains irreversible with Government efforts now focused on improving agricultural productivity, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said last night in a post-Cabinet media briefing.

Her remarks followed a joint Press conference by Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka and his Finance and Economic Development counterpart Professor Mthuli Ncube.

The two were clarifying the recent Global Compensation Deed between Government and white former commercial farmers which deals with constitutionally-required compensation for improvements made by the previous owners.

“There is absolutely nothing that should be misinterpreted from this agreement. It’s very clear. It’s not a form of land reform reversal. What Zimbabwe now want is agricultural productivity that’s what we want,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.

“So going forward the Government’s priority in agriculture is to increase production and productivity through the collaborative efforts of all Zimbabweans. This include skills transfer from the former owners to the resettled farmers and the provision of an attractive land tenure system that will be supportive of increased levels of investment on our farms.”

In his Monday briefing, Minister Ncube clarified the security of tenure for former farm owners still on the land, indigenous farmers and those that farms covered by Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements and were affected during the Land Reform programme that redressed colonial land imbalances.

Former farm owners on compulsorily acquired land should urgently regularise their tenure through designated Government institutions before consideration could be made for the issuance of 99-year leases.

Those who had already gone through the processes, like any Zimbabwean, and who already held offer letters could proceed to apply for 99-year leases.

Farm owners who are indigenous Zimbabweans or citizens of countries which had ratified investment agreements or bilateral investment treaties with Zimbabwe at the time their land was compulsorily acquired for resettlement are entitled to compensation for both land and improvements.

Minister Mutsvangwa said the compensation of improvements on the farms was provided for in the Constitution which was endorsed in 2013 and all Government was doing was implementing the provisions.

State Media

MPILO Central Hospital has lost a nurse to Covid-19 who died at the institution last week.

Sister Pretty Mpala (36) from Emakhandeni suburb in Bulawayo tested positive posthumously and was buried on Friday.

She is one the hundreds frontliners in Zimbabwe who have been infected while trying to save lives.

According to a weekly situational report from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, nurses are the most affected workers when it comes to Covid-19 and they constitute 37 percent of total health care workers affected.

As of Monday, there were 6 497 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Zimbabwe and 202 deaths. Bulawayo province has a cumulative total of 1 276 cases, 25 deaths and 1 140 recoveries.

Statistics from the Ministry show that more than 480 health workers have contracted the global pandemic in Zimbabwe.

Bulawayo (137) and Midlands (128) account for a greater proportion of infected front liners.

Healthcare workers have been greatly exposed to Covid-19 due to the global shortage of personal protective equipment.

More than 120 nurses at Mpilo Central and United Bulawayo Hospitals have contracted the virus, forcing them into quarantine, thereby reducing the number of workers who are manning the public institutions.

In an interview, Sr Mpala’s aunt, Mrs Kezzeneth Mpala, said the family had lost its breadwinner and was struggling to accept the nurse’s fate. She said Sr Mpala’s guardian, her grandmother, had fallen sick after receiving news of her untimely death last week.

“We are still shocked and in deep pain following the passing of Pretty who was the sole breadwinner in the family. Our hearts are sore and we fear for her traumatized grandmother who raised her following the death of her parents as she is struggling to walk or talk since her death,” said Mrs Mpala.

“Pretty was a caring person and it was not surprising that she eventually became a nurse. She went through a lot of challenges while growing up but managed to shrug off all discouragement and qualified as a nurse.”

According to Mrs Mpala, Sr Mpala was passionate about serving her people and community which made her a committed and resilient nurse.

Mpala, the only child born to her late parents, started her nursing studies in 2013 and had never looked back. She also struggled with some illnesses which never killed her hardworking spirit as she managed to do her duties at Mpilo while battling the ailment.

“We used to meet members of the public in town who would stop and thank her for the care she rendered while they were admitted to Mpilo. She was also a darling to the community and our relatives and would easily give health advice so that everyone around is healthy and fit. Her loss has brought a lot of pain in our lives and we hope one day we will understand why her life had to end this way,” she said wiping away tears.

Mpala is survived by her grandmother and cousins.

Mpilo acting chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya sent his condolences to the family saying Covid-19 had cost the institution a hard-working staffer.

“We are extremely saddened that Covid-19 has taken one of our staff members, her premature death is evidence that this disease is deadly. As health workers are at the forefront, we continue to bear the brunt of this virus but we still must work hard and face it while saving lives,” said Prof Ngwenya.

“Most of us will be infected in the line of duty and it is sad that one of our self-sacrificing nurses had to lose her life. I would like to commend all those who come to work despite the risks that come with our jobs, this kind of sacrifice is highly commendable.”

Paul Nyathi

The Harare Magistrates Court on Tuesday discredited evidence given by lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa as a witness in the case of MDC Alliance national vice chairperson, Job Sikhala, who is facing charges of inciting public violence ahead of the flopped July 31 protests.

Mtetwa took to the witness stand to testify that Sikhala had not been on the run from the police as she had personally delivered correspondence to the police indicating the availability of Sikhala if they were looking for him.

In her testimony, Mrs Mtetwa exonerated Sikhala after telling the court that she made all the arrangements to accompany him to the police if they were indeed looking for him.

However, the State led by Mr Garudzo Ziyadhuma opposed Ms Mtetwa’s claims saying she never delivered the said letter to the police since it was not signed.

Another witness, Mr Albert Masaka who is the editor of Zim Community News was called in to testify and also exonerated Sikhala confirming that he had interview with him to show that Sikhala was not in hiding from the police.

The court heard that the video and audio clips under controversy were retrieved from the Zim Community news.

In opposing bail, prosecutor Garudzo Siyadhuma previously told the court that Sikhala was a flight risk, hence not a suitable candidate for bail.

Mr Siyaduma led evidence from Detective Collins Makore of the CID Law and Order section who told the court that police struggled to arrest Sikhala.

Detective Makore said when they arrived at the house where Sikhala was, he was hiding in the ceiling.

Sikhala is said to have only responded after police threatened to throw a teargas canister into the house.

“When we entered the house, we met a woman who lied that she was alone in the house,” he said.

The court heard that during the period stretching from March 2020, Sikhala called on the people to demonstrate against the Government on July 31, by saying “there is a war we should fight and if we don’t fight, nothing will come out . . . I will fight the State since I’m not easily intimidated.”

According to the State, the declarations were made by Sikhala on his social media platforms, adding there was reasonable suspicion that he committed an offence.

State Media

Jailed investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has no symptoms of Covid-19 and is not a risk to other inmates, the court heard yesterday.

Chin’ono, who is facing charges of inciting public violence, appeared in court for his routine remand.

This came after Chin’ono’s lawyer Advocate Taona Nyamakura told the court that his client had been dragged to court by prison officers.

Adv Nyamakura told the court that his client was examined by a professional physician who observed that he was exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19.

“His doctor had advised that my client should not be brought to court or be in contact with other inmates since he was exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19,” he said.

Adv Nyamakura said prison authorities misled his client that his doctor wanted to examine him before manhandling him to court.

“My client is currently on medication, which he cannot take here at court. His doctor was supposed to examine him this morning, but all that could not happen because my client was forcibly brought here,” he said.

Before responding to Mr Nyamakura’s submissions, Prosecutor Mrs Tendai Shonhai successfully asked the court for a brief adjournment saying she wanted to contact the Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison doctor to get full information on the issue.

After the brief adjournment Mrs Shonhai told the court that she had spoken to Dr Blessing Dhorobha who indicated that the accused was complaining of having a headache on Monday and had a slight elevated temperature.

“Dr Dhorobha said he tried to examine the accused, but he refused saying he wanted his personal doctor,” said Mrs Shonhai.

She said from Dr Dhoroba’s observation, the accused was not showing any symptoms of Covid-19 like coughing and shortness of breath and was not a risk to other inmates.

“The accused has not exhibited any symptoms of Covid-19 except a slight elevated temperature and a headache,” she said.

Harare regional magistrate, Mr Ngoni Nduna said Chin’ono’s doctor should have submitted a report of his own findings for the court to have a clear picture on the issue.

He deferred the matter to September 15 after Mrs Shonhai assured the defence that she was going to furnish them with a trial date.

Advocate Nyamakura put the State on notice that he was going to make an application for refusal of further remand if a trial date was not given on the next remand date.

State Media

Cabinet was on Tuesday briefed by the chairperson of the Covid-19 Inter-Ministerial Taskforce, Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, on the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

Zimbabwe now has 6 559 confirmed Covid-19 cases with 203 deaths, although recoveries have reached 5 241.

“Cabinet acknowledged that despite the surge in positive local cases, the majority of the cases of local transmission are mild to moderate, with a recovery rate of about 80 percent.

“Most of these cases are managed at home and in isolation facilities. The national testing strategy however will continue to prioritise the testing of all health care workers and other frontline personnel, inclusive of public transport drivers,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said Treasury had released US$20 million for the procurement of testing kits that have been in short supply.

State Media

Schools reopen on September 28 for Zimsec examination classes with the exams starting on December 1, Cabinet decided yesterday.

Cambridge examination classes can start a fortnight earlier, on September 14, with Cambridge examination dates being earlier as they are set internationally by a British-based board.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said after the Cabinet meeting that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education was working closely with other ministries and stakeholders to guarantee the safety of pupils and staff during the examinations period.

“Standard operating procedures have been distributed to all schools,” she said.

Minister Mutsvangwa said preparations for the holding of examinations were in progress with consultations involving relevant stakeholders ongoing.

Schools were closed late in March ahead of the initial 21-day national lockdown, but reopened briefly for June examinations.

Fifteen stakeholders have already made their submissions, with nine others expected to make theirs shortly.

Stakeholders that have been consulted include teachers’ unions, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, the Association of School Development Committees, the Independent Colleges in Zimbabwe, the Private Schools Association of Zimbabwe, and the Association of Trust Schools.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Dr Sifiso Ndlovu said later that the major concerns of teachers were ensuring that schools had adequate hygiene and that there was adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for pupils and teachers.

“To us, the issue of safety comes first. Our concern is, does the Government have capacity to provide a hygienic environment that will not allow the spread of the pandemic?”

The second problem was remuneration of teachers, with Dr Ndlovu noting that illegal transport operators were charging in foreign currency, although Zupco — which runs services within cities — charges subsidised fares in local currency.

Past opening proposals had Zupco providing buses to get pupils and staff to schools.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou wanted all pupils, teachers and ancillary staff tested before schools reopen.

He said the remuneration of teachers had to be addressed, but cast doubt on the practicality of reopening and preparing students in time for them to write examinations this year.

Meanwhile, Minister Mutsvangwa said the Government was finalising modalities for the reopening of airports for passenger and tourist traffic to support the resumption of the tourism sector.

She said the plan was to start with the resumption of domestic flights and then move to international flights.

Cabinet also approved the resumption of the rest of tourism operations, including boat operations.

A ZIMBABWE Republic Police officer died after being hit by a speeding motorist yesterday.

Terrence Kavhayi (26) was involved in a tragic road accident in Gweru while on patrol.

He was seriously injured and died at Gweru General Hospital upon admission.

Kavhayi was knocked down by Kudakwashe Manyuchi (32) who was speeding.

The deceased flew into the air landed on the tarmac about 10 meters from the point of impact and started bleeding profusely from the forehead, Bulawayo24 has learnt.

The accused is being charged for culpable homicide and investigations are in progress under Gweru Traffic.
– Byo24News

Money changers in the country are finding the going tough following the ban on mobile money agent lines and the introduction of daily transaction limits.

The Reserve of Zimbabwe recently banned mobile money agent lines as well as set $5 000 as the cap for daily transactions for individuals.

The central bank also introduced a policy that limits mobile wallet users to only one account per individual.

Agent lines were being used across the country to cash-in and cash-out as well as for sales transactions.

The RBZ suspected that some of the lines were being used to fuel the black market causing a spike in foreign currency rates.

Government in June this year ordered the suspension of mobile transactions to allow for investigations in the parallel market.

“Agent wallets are no longer serving any legitimate purpose and were now being used primarily for illegal foreign exchange transactions.

Agents’ mobile money wallets are therefore abolished, with immediate effect,” the RBZ said recently in its Mid-term monetary policy statement.

When Ecocash was first introduced agent lines were used for cash-in purposes at a low level.-New Ziana

A Zvishavane man who faked erectile dysfunction for 17 years to avoid having sex with his wife was exposed after he was arrested for rape.

Custon Jojo Machanja (68)’s wife shocked the court when she said her rape accused husband had not been intimate with her for 17 years, saying he was suffering from erectile dysfunction.

The woman said she was last intimate with her husband in 2003 and only got to know that he had been lying to her when he was arrested for rape and having sexual intercourse with a minor.

She told Gweru Provincial Magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa that for 17 years she lived a lie back in their rural home thinking that her husband had a sexual problem while he was busy “enjoying” other women including a minor in town.

Machanja from Zvishavane town is facing two counts of having sexual intercourse with a minor and rape.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the counts.
Machanja was remanded in custody to September 7 for judgment.

In his defence, he accused the girl of trying to frame him because he once had an affair with her mother.

Machanja said between 2016 and 2017, he had a sexual relationship with the complainant’s mother before having consensual sexual intercourse with the complainant.

“I had consensual sexual intercourse with the complainant and I also had an affair with her mother. They are fixing me,” he said.

Machanja’s wife who appeared as a witness told the court that she was shocked that her husband had a sexual affair with the complainant’s mother and was also having sexual intercourse with the complainant.

She said she thought that he had erectile dysfunction as he had told her back in 2003 when they last made love.

“All these years he would tell me that he can’t sleep with me because he is suffering from erectile dysfunction. I’m really shocked,” said Machanja’s wife.

It is the State case that in February last year, Machanja saw the minor on her way to school and told her that she is beautiful.
He allegedly took her to his dining room where he caressed her but could not have sex with her since she was on her menstrual period.

The court heard that in October, Machanja invited the minor to his house where he allegedly removed her uniform and they had consensual sexual intercourse.

The accused allegedly gave the complaint $6 before she proceeded to school and didn’t tell anyone.
Again, in October he slept with the minor and gave her $4.

The same month, the court heard that the two had sexual intercourse at the accused’s offices before he gave her $5.

On December 6, Machanja allegedly saw the complainant passing through his offices and told her that he wanted to give her some money to buy relish.

The court heard he invited the minor into his office where he wanted to have sex with her but she refused.

The court heard Machanja drew an okapi knife and threatened to stab her before he forcibly removed her jeans and raped her once.

Machanja, the court heard allegedly threatened to send goblins to deal with her if she told anyone about the incident.

The following day, the minor allegedly told her mother about her ordeal before the matter was reported to the police leading to Machanja’s arrest.

Mr Talent Tadenyika appeared for the State.-Chronicle

SCHOOLS will reopen within the next two weeks for final examination classes starting with Cambridge examination candidates on September 14 while those sitting for the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) examinations will resuming classes on September 28.

This includes Upper Six, Form Four and Grade Seven classes and Zimsec examinations should start on December 1.

The Ministry of Primary and Second Education is working closely with other ministries and stakeholders to guarantee the safety of pupils and staff during the examinations period.

Standard operating procedures have since been distributed to all schools, while infection prevention training for teachers and support staff from public schools is already underway.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa revealed the dates after last night’s Cabinet meeting and said there was ample time for recommended health measures to be put in place.

“The schools opening dates are scheduled for 14 September 2020 for Cambridge examinations classes and 28 September 2020 for Zimsec examination classes.

Cabinet approved that the Zimsec examinations should start on 1 December, 2020,” she said.

The announcement follows weeks of debate, which have seen submissions from teachers’ unions, Parliament, trust schools and parents to the Government.

Most groups are opposed to the early reopening of schools.

“Regarding Primary and Secondary Education, Cabinet notes that based on on-going consultations with relevant stakeholders in that sector, the Ministry is continuing with its preparations for the re-opening of schools for the end of year 2020 final examination classes,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said 15 stakeholders have submitted their inputs while another nine are expected to make their submissions shortly.-Chronicle

Farai Dziva|The MDC-Alliance has described the defection of six Gwanda councillors to the Thokozani Khupe political formation as a non-event.

Sesil Zvidzai, the MDC Alliance secretary for local government and rural development, quoted by NewsDay, said the councillors were elected using the MDC Alliance card and by defecting to Khupe they had betrayed the electorate:

“We need a new Zimbabwe where people are free to speak, respect the rule of law and people’s free choices.

The MDC Alliance councillors were elected by MDC Alliance members and supporters.

The people of Gwanda are behind the MDC Alliance, and will continue to speak against the absurdities of rulings made by captured courts.

How on earth can MDC-T inherit councillors from the MDC Alliance?

The future will judge the courts, captured institutions and the captors very harshly.

The March to a new Zimbabwe, a Zimbabwe of opportunity and freedom is in the near horizon.”

Farai Dziva|The MDC-Alliance has described the defection of six Gwanda councillors to the Thokozani Khupe political formation as a non-event.

Sesil Zvidzai, the MDC Alliance secretary for local government and rural development, quoted by NewsDay, said the councillors were elected using the MDC Alliance card and by defecting to Khupe they had betrayed the electorate:

“We need a new Zimbabwe where people are free to speak, respect the rule of law and people’s free choices.

The MDC Alliance councillors were elected by MDC Alliance members and supporters.

The people of Gwanda are behind the MDC Alliance, and will continue to speak against the absurdities of rulings made by captured courts.

How on earth can MDC-T inherit councillors from the MDC Alliance?

The future will judge the courts, captured institutions and the captors very harshly.

The March to a new Zimbabwe, a Zimbabwe of opportunity and freedom is in the near horizon.”

Cde I dispute with you that Mthuli Ncube has used Emmerson Mnangagwa, it’s the other way round, says a war veteran. They also argue saying for Zimbabwe to change, Mnangagwa’s deputy Constantino Chiwenga must go into a head-on with his boss. AUDIO LOADING BELOW (please be patient as the media file downloads)

Former War Veterans leader Rugare Gumbo has made sensational claims that the President is being sabotaged by people within the ruling party.

Speaking to the Daily News, the former cabinet minister said the country is for everyone and dialogue is the only way to go:

He (Mnangagwa) must be aware of being sabotaged from within, and I think this is now clearly happening in Zanu PF.

In politics, those things happen. But the president must be a visionary leader with good strategies to be able to deal with all these problems.

As I also always say, dialogue is the only way forward for this country. The 2023 elections are very far because people are suffering. You cannot solve these problems through propaganda.

The country is for everyone, from trade unions to churches and other stakeholders. People just need to sit down and talk.

We went to war to make sure that all Zimbabweans have a good life and that they are happy all the time. It is important for Zanu PF to implement political and economic reforms.

They must do this not for themselves, but for the good of the country. The future of the party will not be good if they fail to implement the much needed reforms.

Gumbo’s sentiments were echoed by Godfrey Tsenengamu who said President Mnangagwa was surrounded by people who cant tell him the truth:
He is being sabotaged by his own comrades who are bitter for various reasons and also from remnants of the old dispensation.

But his biggest challenge has been that of surrounding himself with people who have no appreciation of his vision. He picked people from nowhere and entrusted them with key positions, and these people are letting him down.

The other challenge is that he surrounded himself with people who can’t tell him the truth, and this is working against him.

The majority of the people who rushed to surround him are nothing but mere opportunists and extortionists who are busy lining their pockets and doing everything possible to tarnish his name,” Tsenengamu also let rip.

It is important that the president lays the foundation for a better society in which he will be able to live even after his time as president. In whatever he is doing today, he must think about tomorrow.-Daily News

Former War Veterans leader Rugare Gumbo has made sensational claims that the President is being sabotaged by people within the ruling party.

Speaking to the Daily News, the former cabinet minister said the country is for everyone and dialogue is the only way to go:

He (Mnangagwa) must be aware of being sabotaged from within, and I think this is now clearly happening in Zanu PF.

In politics, those things happen. But the president must be a visionary leader with good strategies to be able to deal with all these problems.

As I also always say, dialogue is the only way forward for this country. The 2023 elections are very far because people are suffering. You cannot solve these problems through propaganda.

The country is for everyone, from trade unions to churches and other stakeholders. People just need to sit down and talk.

We went to war to make sure that all Zimbabweans have a good life and that they are happy all the time. It is important for Zanu PF to implement political and economic reforms.

They must do this not for themselves, but for the good of the country. The future of the party will not be good if they fail to implement the much needed reforms.

Gumbo’s sentiments were echoed by Godfrey Tsenengamu who said President Mnangagwa was surrounded by people who cant tell him the truth:
He is being sabotaged by his own comrades who are bitter for various reasons and also from remnants of the old dispensation.

But his biggest challenge has been that of surrounding himself with people who have no appreciation of his vision. He picked people from nowhere and entrusted them with key positions, and these people are letting him down.

The other challenge is that he surrounded himself with people who can’t tell him the truth, and this is working against him.

The majority of the people who rushed to surround him are nothing but mere opportunists and extortionists who are busy lining their pockets and doing everything possible to tarnish his name,” Tsenengamu also let rip.

It is important that the president lays the foundation for a better society in which he will be able to live even after his time as president. In whatever he is doing today, he must think about tomorrow.-Daily News

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance deputy president Hon Tendai Biti has pointed out that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa is the biggest threat to the country’s peace and stability.

Read Hon Biti’s argument below:

The latest betrayal confirms Emmerson as the biggest threat to the stability, freedom and prosperity of Zim.

A dangerous ,ideologically vacuous element now busy uprooting the constitution , rule of law and gains of the liberation struggle.Chitepo,Nkomo et al are puking in their graves

Chikurubi Maximum Prison is not fit for human habitation and should have been closed at Independence.Incarcerating any one there amounts to torture, cruel and degrading treatment.Pre-Trial incarceration of Hope ,Job and Jacob at diseases infested Chikurubi is malicious and unconstitutional.

Abuse of pretrial detention procedures by Emmerson’s regime has reached an unprecedented level.

Re-writing bail precedents and weaponizing courts of law is proof of state decomposition.Hope,Job, Jacob and Kura are not criminals They just happen to stand for truth and justice #ZimbabweanLivesMatter

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance deputy president Hon Tendai Biti has pointed out that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa is the biggest threat to the country’s peace and stability.

Read Hon Biti’s argument below:

The latest betrayal confirms Emmerson as the biggest threat to the stability, freedom and prosperity of Zim.

A dangerous ,ideologically vacuous element now busy uprooting the constitution , rule of law and gains of the liberation struggle.Chitepo,Nkomo et al are puking in their graves

Chikurubi Maximum Prison is not fit for human habitation and should have been closed at Independence.Incarcerating any one there amounts to torture, cruel and degrading treatment.Pre-Trial incarceration of Hope ,Job and Jacob at diseases infested Chikurubi is malicious and unconstitutional.

Abuse of pretrial detention procedures by Emmerson’s regime has reached an unprecedented level.

Re-writing bail precedents and weaponizing courts of law is proof of state decomposition.Hope,Job, Jacob and Kura are not criminals They just happen to stand for truth and justice #ZimbabweanLivesMatter

Zimbabwe’s Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) authorities on Tuesday 1 September 2020 manhandled freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and brought him to appear at Harare Magistrates Court against the advice of his medical practitioner who informed prison authorities that he should be kept in self-isolation after his health severely deteriorated.

Chin’ono’s lawyers Advocate Taona Nyamakura, Gift Mtisi and Doug Coltart of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) told Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna on Tuesday 1 September 2020 that ZPCS officials forcibly brought the frail looking freelance journalist to court against recommendations by his private doctor who examined him on Monday 31 August 2020 and who advised prison authorities at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison to put him in self isolation.

The medical practitioner recommended that given his condition and the symptoms that he was showing, Chin’ono should not go to court but should be isolated from other inmates.

But some defiant prison guards on Tuesday 1 September 2020 ignored the doctors’ recommendations and misrepresented to him that his private doctor had come to see him before forcing him out of his cell and manhandled him to board the prison truck and brought him to court against the advice of his private medical practitioner.

On Wednesday 2 September 2020, High Court Judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi is scheduled to hand down his ruling on Chin’ono’s fourth freedom attempt after presiding over the hearing of his bail appeal on Friday 28 August 2020.

On the same day, Justice Siyabona Musithu will also hand down a ruling on the bail appeal filed by Transform Zimbabwe party leader Jacob Ngarivhume’s lawyers Professor Lovemore Madhuku and Moses Nkomo of ZLHR after Harare Magistrate Trynos Utahwashe recently dismissed his fresh bail application.

Chin’ono and Ngarivhume were arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police members on Monday 20 July 2020 and charged with incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry as defined in section 187(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with section 37(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

The award-winning freelance journalist and the opposition political party leader were also charged with incitement to commit public violence as defined in section 187(1)(a) as read with section 36(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Prosecutors alleged that Chin’ono and Ngarivhume incited people to revolt against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration during some anti-government protests called for on 31 July 20.-ZJHR

Zimbabwe’s Covid-19 death toll passed the 200 mark yesterday to reach 202 after the report of the latest six deaths, three in Bulawayo, two in Matabeleland South and one in Midlands.

There were 85 new confirmed cases, taking the cumulative total to 6 497, but the Ministry of Health and Child Care noted that the rolling seven-day average of new cases dropped to 63.

The number of confirmed recoveries rose by 160 to 5 221, meaning that 80,3 percent of all infected people are now completely cured with just 1 074 counted as active cases.

The recent spike in Peruvian cases saw South Africa fall back into sixth worst-hit state globally, but the death toll there went over 14 000 to 14 028 out of 625 056 confirmed cases.

With 538 604 recoveries, the number of active cases in South Africa continues to fall to just over 72 000, the lowest for some time as South Africa continues to lower infection rates.-The Herald

By A Correspondent- Freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was made to appear before Magistrate Ngoni Nduna at the Harare Magistrates Court on Tuesday against the advice of his doctor.

Speaking to reporters, one of Chin’ono’s lawyers, Douglas Coltart, revealed that the journalist’s doctor on Monday told the Zimbabwe Prisons Security (ZPS) his client was seriously ill and showing symptoms of COVID-19.

Coltart further revealed that the state has been told to make sure that a trial date should be there by September 14 otherwise Chin’ono would apply against being put on remand for too long. Said Coltart:

That advice was not adhered to when Hopewell was brought to court against his will.

Chin’ono was arrested on July 20 and charged for allegedly inciting violence in connection with 31st July protests.

Magistrate Nduna postponed Chin’ono’s bail application hearing to 14 September.-Nehanda

Farai Jere, who is facing charges of fraudulently winning a tender to supply Zesa meters worth US$3 million, has now appealed to the High Court for bail.

Jere, who is being charged along with two Zesa employees – Leonard Chisina and Freeman Chikonzo – were last week refused bail by the Harare magistrates’ court.

Through his lawyer, Mr Tinofara Kudakwashe Hove, Jere filed the High Court appeal last Friday. Mr Hove said yesterday he strongly feels his client has prospects of success on appeal.

“We filed the appeal on Friday and we are now waiting for the matter to be set down for hearing anytime this week,” said Mr Hove, who trying to get the date for the hearing yesterday.

The Magistrates’ Court denied Jere and his co-accused bail on the grounds that they were a flight risk and may be tempted to abscond trial in view of the gravity of the alleged crime and the amount involved.

The State alleges that Jere misrepresented to Zesa’s distribution subsidiary, ZETDC, that his meter supplier — Secure Meters Private Limited — had a manufacturing plant for smart meters in the United Kingdom, yet there was none. Zesa wanted to inspect the factory where the meters were made.

On 24 November 2018, Chisina and two fellow engineers, Mapipi and Tshuma, all from ZETDC, and a representative from Zesa’s IT department, named Chikonzo, accompanied Jere to Britain to carry out the factory acceptance test.
While there, Jere took the engineers to a warehouse instead of a factory.

The factory acceptance test was supposed to be done where the meters were made and as a result, Jere’s company did not meet the requirement set for a supplier.
It is reported that the meters that the engineers tested had a base current of 10 amperes and maximum current of 100 amperes. The meters that were tested were connected to a laptop using a cable and the head end system failed.

Jere allegedly produced a fake factory acceptance test visit report to the effect that the smart meters and head end system met the standards required by ZETDC.
He asked the four ZETDC employees to concur.

Chisina and Chikonzo obliged while Mapipi and Tshuma expressed reservations on the signing of the document as no factory acceptance test had been done.

The court heard that Jere asked Chisina, the team leader, to speak to engineers Mapipi and Tshuma, to sign the report and fumed that there was no way he could sponsor the engineers’ trip from Zimbabwe to UK for them to refuse to sign the report.
As a result, they signed the document under duress.

Jere then arranged a shipment of the smart meters, which were delivered to ZETDC and a payment of US$3 566 878 was made.

ZETDC management then asked the delegation that accompanied Jere to the UK to complete questionnaires on what they observed during the factory acceptance test.

Chisina and Chikonzo indicated on the questionnaires that the required standards were met. The other two employees, however, submitted that there was no factory test done as required.

In January this year, the power utility’s loss control manager, Rodrick Chikwira, was assigned to carry out investigations together with an external consultant and they both established that no factory test was done.-The Herald

Zimbabwe’s Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) authorities on Tuesday 1 September 2020 manhandled freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and brought him to appear at Harare Magistrates Court against the advice of his medical practitioner who informed prison authorities that he should be kept in self-isolation after his health severely deteriorated.

Chin’ono’s lawyers Advocate Taona Nyamakura, Gift Mtisi and Doug Coltart of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) told Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna on Tuesday 1 September 2020 that ZPCS officials forcibly brought the frail looking freelance journalist to court against recommendations by his private doctor who examined him on Monday 31 August 2020 and who advised prison authorities at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison to put him in self isolation.

The medical practitioner recommended that given his condition and the symptoms that he was showing, Chin’ono should not go to court but should be isolated from other inmates.

But some defiant prison guards on Tuesday 1 September 2020 ignored the doctors’ recommendations and misrepresented to him that his private doctor had come to see him before forcing him out of his cell and manhandled him to board the prison truck and brought him to court against the advice of his private medical practitioner.

On Wednesday 2 September 2020, High Court Judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi is scheduled to hand down his ruling on Chin’ono’s fourth freedom attempt after presiding over the hearing of his bail appeal on Friday 28 August 2020.

On the same day, Justice Siyabona Musithu will also hand down a ruling on the bail appeal filed by Transform Zimbabwe party leader Jacob Ngarivhume’s lawyers Professor Lovemore Madhuku and Moses Nkomo of ZLHR after Harare Magistrate Trynos Utahwashe recently dismissed his fresh bail application.

Chin’ono and Ngarivhume were arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police members on Monday 20 July 2020 and charged with incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry as defined in section 187(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with section 37(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

The award-winning freelance journalist and the opposition political party leader were also charged with incitement to commit public violence as defined in section 187(1)(a) as read with section 36(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Prosecutors alleged that Chin’ono and Ngarivhume incited people to revolt against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration during some anti-government protests called for on 31 July 20.-ZJHR

By A Correspondent- Through his lawyer Jeremiah Bamu, Sikhala said he even confronted Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi in Parliament for allegedly spreading the coup rumours.

Sikhala is fighting for his release on bail.

Yesterday, the matter opened with his legal team cross examining the investigating officer, Victor Mukohwa, who insisted Sikhala is not a proper candidate for bail.

Sikhala argued that he was never on the run as alleged by the police, arguing he even provided his location in the video which is being relied on by the police.

His team has also lined-up lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa as a defence witness as she is mentioned by Sikhala in one of the videos as his point person.

Another of his lawyers, Eric Matinenga further claimed that the offence he was facing was not serious as he once faced a more serious one in Masvingo, which attracts 20 years imprisonment, but was given bail and even acquitted.

At the time he was charged for subversion after he allegedly remarked that he would overthrow the president, but was acquitted, with the court saying the remarks did not constitute an offence.

Sikhala is alleged to have incited violence by making various utterances through social media. He allegedly said “people from Zambezi to Limpopo to Forbes Border Post to Victoria Falls 31 July 2020 should be your day.

“This is the kind of war that we have. If we do not fight this war nothing will come out until we die. These men have oppressed the people for a long time. This time they have to kill, really kill us. These men have stolen our youth.

“We did not enjoy it at all. All the people in London are heeding the message that on the day they will besiege our embassies even those in America they will be in action on 21 and 31 July.

“Those in Australia and South Africa are all saying they will be taking action. I will fight the State since I’m not easily intimidated.”

The matter will proceed today with Mtetwa expected to be on the witness stand.

By Wilbert Mukori- President Cyril Ramaphosa is planning to send back the special envoy to Zimbabwe in a determined effort to find a solution to Zimbabwe’s worsen economic and political crisis.

Last the time the envoy met President Mnangagwa and he refused the envoy permission to meet anybody else. SA want the envoy to meet all the other stakeholders including the country’s opposition politicians.

“The NEC welcomed government efforts to engage the situation in Zimbabwe, in particular the deployment of special envoys. It emphasised the importance of the envoys engaging with all stakeholders in the country to assist in addressing the current situation. ANC and government processes must complement each other,” reads the ANC NEC resolution.

We once again ask President Ramaphosa to think through this. What exactly does he consider to be the solution to Zimbabwe’s crisis?

We believe the solution is a complete overhaul of Zimbabwe’s rotten to the core political system. A new GNU in which Zanu PF is given a role will never overhaul the system because Zanu Pf will never reform itself out of office.

Zanu PF must step down to create the political space for the appointment of other independent players to carry out the important task of overhauling Zimbabwe’s political system.

“Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies will never agree to step down,” many would say.

Well Zanu PF must step down for two good reasons:

1. Zanu PF rigged the July 2018 elections, the regime does not have any democratic mandate to govern, it is illegitimate. You cannot have free, fair and credible elections when 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote, ZEC failed to produce a verified voters’ roll, etc.

Yes, by participating in droves the MDC A and the rest of Zimbabwe’s corrupt, incompetent and opportunistic opposition politicians gave the flawed and illegal election process credibility but that is not to say gave the result legitimacy.

2. Zimbabwe is standing at the very edge of the precipitous abyss; the economic, political, health and social situation has pushed millions of Zimbabweans beyond the limit of human endurance and hundreds of thousands are dying of corona virus; the situation cannot be allowed to go on. To address all these economic, political, corona virus, etc. challenges, the country must first end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance!

The country needs to implement the transformative democratic reforms and Zanu PF has stopped that happened in the past and must not be allowed to hold the nation to ransom any more.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC, SADC and AU must accept they endorsed Zimbabwe’s July 2018 elections as credible and therefore the Zanu PF regime as legitimate. “The election went well!” said President Ramaphosa.

President Ramaphosa cannot flip-flop now and condemn the July 2018 elections to justify why Mnangagwa must step down.

On the other hand a solution in which Zanu PF is allowed to stay in power is a waste of time.

SA, SADC and AU made a very big mistake two years ago by endorsing Zimbabwe’s rigged elections, the mistake has rendered them powerless to rein in Mnangagwa. They must admit the mistake and step aside. The UN or some other organisation should take up the responsibility of supervising Zimbabwe’s transition from the present illegitimate state back to legality.

By Lloyd Mupfudze- The appointment of commissions to preside over local authority affairs in the absence in place of elected councilors is unconstitutional and there is urgent need to align local government laws with Constitution.

In 2018 the Minister of local government appointed commissioners to run the affairs of councils just before the 2018 harmonised election and before the swearing in of new elected councilors.

This was in terms of section 158 of Rural District Council Act There are currently maneuvers to appoint a commission to run the affairs of the city of Harare. These appointments will be ultra vires the 2013 constitution in particular section 265(2) which clearly states that, “All members of local authorities must be elected by registered voters within the areas for which the local authorities are established.”

The appointed people are usually not accountable to the residents as compared to the elected officials. The appointments are done without even consulting   the residents and done on partisan lines for instance the majority of individuals appointed to be commissioners in 2018 were Zanu pf members especially those who lost in the ruling party primary elections.

In some areas where the opposition made inroads in council elections during the past decade, the Minister of Local Government used his statutory power to appoint special interest councillors. Section 31 as read with Section 11 of the Rural District Councils Act empowers the Minister to appoint a number of special interest councillors not exceeding one quarter of the elected council.

The Minister of local government have also used section 57 of the Rural District Councils Act to appoint persons who are not elected councillors to constitute the town board. However, these sections appear to violate the requirements of section 265(2) of the constitution.

This has caused conflict between councillors and also individuals appointed by the Minister, particularly concerning leadership over development initiatives in the ward. This is so because the Minister would have appointed   losing candidates as special interest councillors or town board members. The appointed individuals would view their appointments as an opportunity to further their political ambitions.

People who had failed to get mandate from the people, should not be imposed on the community by the Minister. The government should speedily realign existing legislation so that it complies with Section 265 of the constitution which sets out general principles of local government, of which the most important is that all members of local authorities must be elected by registered voters within their areas.

Watch the live video loading below…

State Media

A Gwanda man who tried to rape his neighbour has described his actions as revenge after accusing the complainant’s family of bewitching him.

The man aged 32- who cannot be named as it would expose the identity of the victim- from Sibangani Village was not asked to plead when he appeared briefly before Gwanda magistrate, Miss Lerato Nyathi.

He insisted on giving an explanation and when he was given an opportunity explained that the complainant’s family was using goblins to make him have sexual intercourse with the complainant at night.

“Your Worship I would like to explain my situation. The complainant’s family uses goblins to make me sleep with the complainant at night in order to gain riches. This has been happening for a while now. I therefore wanted to have my revenge and that’s why I did what I did,” he said.

He was remanded in custody to September 8.

Prosecuting, Mr Silent Shoko said the accused person tried to rape the complainant aged 20 on August 21 but he ejaculated prematurely.

“On 21 August at around 9AM the complainant was on her way to Sibangani Village to Pelele Village in the company of her younger sister when the accused followed them without them noticing.

He approached the complainant from behind and grabbed her arms. The complainant’s younger sister ran away and left them behind.

“The accused person dragged the complainant into a bush where he forcibly removed her clothes. The complainant screamed for help but no one heard her as they were far from homesteads. The accused person went on to fondle the complainant. He then ejaculated before raping the complainant,” he said.

Mr Shoko said the accused person warned the complainant against revealing the matter and he left her in the bush. He said the complainant went home and revealed what happened to her sister and together they proceeded to Guyu Police Station where they reported the matter.

VOA

The head of the World Health Organization is warning that “no country can just pretend the pandemic is over.”

Speaking to reporters during a virtual briefing from the agency’s headquarters in Geneva Monday, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said countries must be serious about “suppressing transmission and saving lives” if they are considering reopening their economies to everyday activities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The more control countries have over the virus, the more they can open up,” Dr. Tedros said. “Opening up without having control is a recipe for disaster.”

Dr. Tedros offered “four essential things” for all countries, cities and individuals to observe to bring the virus under control, including preventing large gatherings at stadiums and nightclubs, and implement a rigorous program of testing, contact tracing and isolation. He said countries should take steps to protect vulnerable people, including the elderly, people with underlying conditions and essential workers, which he said will help save lives and alleviate the burden on their health systems.

Dr. Tedros also urged individuals to wear face masks, observe social distancing and frequently wash their hands.

At the same time, the global health agency is also sounding a word of caution over the race to produce a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 in response to remarks by Dr. Stephen Hahn, the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, that the agency would consider authorizing an emergency use of a vaccine before its late-stage human trials are complete.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, said issuing such an authorization “has to be done with a great deal of seriousness and reflection. It’s not something that you do very lightly.”

A health worker takes a nasal swab sample to test for COVID-19 at a state bus station in Ahmedabad, India, Aug. 29, 2020.
Dr. Mike Ryan, the agency’s director of the Health Emergencies Program, said any country’s vaccine policy “must be guided by the highest possible ethical standard.”

Coincidentally, a new survey from the World Economic Forum conducted by the firm Ipsos reveals that about 74% of all adults around the world said they would receive a coronavirus vaccine if one became available. Of the 20,000 people across 27 countries surveyed, China was the country most enthusiastic about a vaccine, with 97% in support, while people in Russia were the least enthusiastic, with just 54% expressing a willingness to be vaccinated.

Of respondents in the United States, which leads the world with more than 6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 183,585 deaths, about 67% said they would get the vaccine.

Although the rate of new infections in several states has stabilized or even declined on average, several states in the U.S. midwest, including Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and North and South Dakota, have reported an alarming number of new cases in recent days.

As of Tuesday, the total number of novel coronavirus cases around the world stands at over 24.5 million, with nearly 850,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracking project.

By A Correspondent- Pressure groups in Matabeleland have dragged President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Matabeleland Collective leader Jenni Williams to court over the emotive Gukurahundi killings of the 1980s.

Pressure group Ibetshu Likazulu, Zapu and activist Charles Thomas filed an urgent application at the Bulawayo High Court seeking an interdict to stop Mnangagwa, Matabeleland Collective and Williams from undertaking exhumations and reburials of those killed during Gukurahundi in the 1980s in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.

The applicants said the three respondents were contravening a number of laws of the country, adding that trying to address the Gukurahundi killings without involving the affected persons was misguided.

In his founding affidavit, Thomas said: “I have recently learnt from media reports which is now a notorious fact, that on 22 August and in Bulawayo, the first respondent (Mnangagwa) met with the 3rd respondent ( Matabeleland Collective) led by the 4th respondent (Williams) and came to an agreement (disinterment and reburials.)”

Thomas noted that according to a statement in the media attributed to government spokesperson Nick Mnangagwa, the exhumations and reburials had been set for September 2020.

Thomas further noted that reburials or disinterment of remains of all those killed would have to be carried out.

“Firstly, there is no way the programme can be carried out without interfering with a grave or the corpse. Secondly, these graves or places like Antelope Mine in Kezi or Mtshabezi Mountains or various shallow graves where the various deceased persons …..are at law, crime scenes or scenes of crime.”

As a result, Thomas said, this would contaminate evidence and impair investigations.

“Thirdly, the respondents had no mandate to represent me, let alone anyone affected by the Gukurahundi killings. Only those directly affected like me, the 5th and 6th respondents have the legal standing to discuss the issue of disinterment and reburials after following due process as set out in the Inquest Act.

“Disinterment of so many people killed by the 5th Brigade cannot be carried out without identifying each and every one of their remains first through DNA in conjunction with testing of their relatives to link all of them with their surviving relatives.”-DailyNews

By A Correspondent-  The Government has set the 14th of September as the schools opening date for Cambridge examination classes and the 28th of September for the commencement of ZIMSEC examination classes.

The ZIMSEC examinations will start on 1 December 2020.

This was announced by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa during a post-cabinet media briefing on Tuesday.

She said:

Cabinet approved that the ZIMSEC examination classes should start on 1st December 2020.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is working closely with other Ministries and stakeholders to guarantee the safety of pupils and staff during the examinations period.

State Media

A GWANDA man who tried to rape his neighbour has described his actions as revenge after accusing the complainant’s family of bewitching him.

The man aged 32- who cannot be named as it would expose the identity of the victim- from Sibangani Village was not asked to plead when he appeared briefly before Gwanda magistrate, Miss Lerato Nyathi. He insisted on giving an explanation and when he was given an opportunity explained that the complainant’s family was using goblins to make him have sexual intercourse with the complainant at night.

“Your Worship I would like to explain my situation. The complainant’s family uses goblins to make me sleep with the complainant at night in order to gain riches. This has been happening for a while now. I therefore wanted to have my revenge and that’s why I did what I did,” he said.

He was remanded in custody to September 8.

Prosecuting, Mr Silent Shoko said the accused person tried to rape the complainant aged 20 on August 21 but he ejaculated prematurely.

“On 21 August at around 9AM the complainant was on her way to Sibangani Village to Pelele Village in the company of her younger sister when the accused followed them without them noticing. He approached the complainant from behind and grabbed her arms. The complainant’s younger sister ran away and left them behind.

“The accused person dragged the complainant into a bush where he forcibly removed her clothes. The complainant screamed for help but no one heard her as they were far from homesteads. The accused person went on to fondle the complainant. He then ejaculated before raping the complainant,” he said.

Mr Shoko said the accused person warned the complainant against revealing the matter and he left her in the bush. He said the complainant went home and revealed what happened to her sister and together they proceeded to Guyu Police Station where they reported the matter.

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Incarcerated journalist Hopewell Chin’ono’s lawyer Taona Makura has raised complaints against prison officers from Chikurubi maximum prison for literally dragging his client out his cell despite instruction from his medical doctor that he be kept in isolation pending COVID-19 test results.

Makura told the Harare magistrates court that the prison officers manhandled his client to come to court for his routine remand against his doctor’s advice.

“The accused ought not to be in court today, he is unwell and according to his doctor who visited him yesterday said he has coronavirus symptoms.

“But the prison officers literally dragged him out of his cell, manhandled him and his doctor, who is a physician was supposed to see him this morning regarding this matter for further tests and to take medication. Now he cannot take his medication because he is in court,” said Nyamakura.

Nyamakura also told the court that now he has appeared before court it means everyone is now exposed should he tests positive for COVID-19.

He also demanded answers from the state on why they had to bring Chin’ono before the court when he was visibly unwell.

However, the state dismissed the allegations of being sick saying he refused medical attention from prison doctors though they admitted that he had a higher than normal fever and a headache.

But Nyamakura shot back and questioned the competence of the prison doctor after declaring Chin’ono fit.

Chin’ono was remanded to 14 September 2020 with Magistrate Ngoni Nduna requesting a medical report for him to make a ruling on his lawyer’s complaints.

Nyamakura notified the court that they will file an application for Chin’ono’s removal from remand if the state fails to provide a trial date.