By A Correspondent- Locals and not foreigners, are the only ones who can help to grow the economy and achieve a relatively prosperous society in the next decade as envisioned by President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030, LEAD president Mrs Linda Masarira-Kaingidze has said.

She said it was time Zimbabweans join forces to recover the country’s breadbasket status.

Government plans to grow agriculture into a US$8,2 billion sector by 2025.

“We all need each other in our diversity. It is time to fix Zimbabwe and make our country an economic giant (again). We cannot do that if we are always running to the West or East asking them to intervene on issues we can resolve amicably as brothers and sisters,” said Mrs Masarira-Kaingidze.

Unity of purpose, she added, was key in resuscitating the country’s economy.

The politician said she had advised some of the organisers of the July 31 demonstrations to seek dialogue rather than be confrontational.

“I had advised Jacob Ngarivhume to make the protests apolitical.

There is no one who is not being affected by corruption; corruption is now engrained in almost every Zimbabwean and we need to have a more robust campaign that is inclusive and sincere.”

Zimbabweans that are trashing their country on social media have an “identity crisis and lack of patriotism”, she said.

“Trashing Zimbabwe on social media by Zimbabweans shows an aspect of identity crisis, lack of patriotism and also exhibits how some of our people are damaged.

“Zimbabwe is not the only country in the world that has socio-economic and political challenges.

“Some countries are in a worse off situation but you never see their citizens insulting their country on social media like that.”-The Sunday Mail

By A Correspondent- The Electoral Resource Centre (ERC) said the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) was violating the law by moving to replace MDC Alliance legislators with those from MDC-T while some court cases challenging the recall of the MPs were yet to be decided.

This comes after ZEC announced 21 vacancies in the Senate and National Assembly after the MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe expelled from Parliament MPs belonging to Nelson Chamisa’s MDC Alliance.

Khupe and the MDC-T interim secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora have launched an onslaught against Chamisa using a Supreme Court ruling that Chamisa’s elevation to succeed MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai was null and void.

In a legal opinion, ERC said there is room to challenge the constitutionality of the provisions, which compel ZEC to proceed with the process of filling vacancies even when affected Members of Parliament are still objecting to their recall. It said:

In this case, there is room to challenge the constitutionality of the provisions, which compel ZEC to proceed with the process of filling vacancies even when affected Members of Parliament are still objecting to their recall.

These provisions of the Electoral Act, which leave ZEC with no discretion in the matter, are arguably unconstitutional as they interfere with the rights to a fair hearing and the right to fair administrative justice.

The ERC believes that it is premature for ZEC to proceed, as it has done, to issue a notice of vacancies when there are pending legal cases aimed at determining the legality of vacancies.

There are fundamental rights and freedoms, which are adversely affected by the hasty approach taken by ZEC in these matters.

This right, which includes legitimate expectations, would be meaningless if administrative bodies proceeded to implement decisions that are still under legal challenge.

For the same reason as the right to a fair hearing, the realisation of the right to fair administrative justice requires the legal process be concluded before a challenged decision is implemented.

The current provisions of the Electoral Act, which compel ZEC to act to fill the vacancies before the resolution of legal disputes over the circumstances leading to the creation of the vacancy, are arguably unconstitutional for the above-stated reasons.-standard

By A Correspondent- The MDC-T, then led by Khupe, participated as a separate party in the 2018 harmonised elections but failed to win a single parliamentary or council seat.

For Gutu, Khupe’s behaviour is politically immoral and shows that she lacks political acumen.

He said:

This is legally correct and bad politics, it is like telling someone who voted for Caps United that the result shows that he had voted for Dynamos.

Next time you still want to go and ask them for your votes. Will they trust you?

This is a completely zero-sum game and I urge all the concerned parties to reach a compromise.

Rashweat Mukundu, a political analyst, said Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora, the party’s interim secretary-general, were taking voters for granted.

Mukundu said by including herself on the list, Khupe had shown that the recalls were motivated by greed and not the interests of voters. Said Mukundu:

This is undermining the interests of voters because the people participated in an election where ballot papers were clearly marked and they knew the party and person they were voting for.-Standard

By Nomusa Garikai: Knowledge is the means used in educating and informing the people and truth, facts and logic are the currency to achieve that objective.

Propaganda is the means used to misinform and brainwash the people and lies and damned lies are the currency.

Let’s just say some of Zanu PF’s lies and damned lies have lost their value, the lies and damned lies associated with the Gukurahundi massacre have completely lost their value!

“There are those who say there is Gukurahundi and all that. Who hasn’t wronged the other?

I am here and I can’t even speak proper Shona or proper Ndebele, but I am here (as the country’s Vice President),” said VP Kembo Mohadi.

“Zimbabweans are one and Zimbabwe is for us all. Let it be Zimbabwe first before it is Shona, Ndebele, Zezuru or Kalanga. We are Zimbabweans first before anything.”

The nation was brainwashed into believing the root cause of the Gukurahundi massacre was the failure of Zanu PF led by the late Robert Mugabe and PF Zapu led by the also late Dr Joshua Nkomo to unite. The two parties did unite marked with the signing of the Unity Accord in December 1987 and the imposing of the de facto Zanu PF one-party state that has ruled the nation with an iron fist to this day.

The nation was brainwashed into believing the unity and de facto one-party system will deliver unity, peace and unparalleled economic development. All the opposition parties that have emerged since were considered a serious threat to national unity, peace and economic development. All damned lies, of course.

Zimbabwe’s economic decline, which started soon after independence in 1980 continued during the Gukurahundi years and thereafter. 40 years of Zanu PF misrule have left the country in economic ruins. Zimbabwe used to produce enough food to feed her own people with plenty left over to feed many others in the region. Ever since Zanu PF seized the former white owned farms to give to party loyalists mostly, the nation has depended on imported food aid – a damning testimonial in bad governance.

The people have been helpless to stop the economic meltdown because they were stuck with the corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF regime which rigged elections to stay in power against the democratic wishes of the people.

Zimbabwe has not known peace since the 1987 Unity Accord. To impose the de facto one-party state Zanu PF has had to ride roughshod of the people, denying them the freedoms and rights including the right to meaningful free vote and even the right to life. Over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans have lost their lives to establish and retain the de facto one-party dictatorship; 20 000 during the Gukurahundi massacre and 10 000 thereafter.

When Mnangagwa took over from Mugabe following the November 2017 military coup, he promised to end corruption, revive the economy and, most important of all, “a new democratic dispensation complete with the holding of free, fair and credible elections”. He has failed on all fronts and to silence dissent and reimpose the de facto one-party dictatorship ethos, he has resorted to the same dirty tricks of denying the people their freedoms and rights including the cold blooded political murders.

“This is our country; this where we belong. We want a united nation hence our Zanu PF motto, which says ‘Unity, Peace and Development’,” continued VP Mohadi.

“There cannot be peace where there are divisions. There cannot be development where there are divisions.”

The primary purpose of the Gukurahundi massacre was to use it as cover to justify the imposition of the one-party dictatorship. The few who were naive and gullible enough to believe the damned lie that the dictatorship would bring peace and economic prosperity have had their eyes forced open by the reality on the ground 33 years since the signing of the Unity Accord. No one, not even the naive and gullible, believe the damned lie that one-party dictatorship will bring peace and prosperity and hence the reason there is a growing national consensus for meaningful political change.

“Zanu PF motto: Unity (one-party dictatorship), Peace and Development!”

is tantamount claiming Z$1 = US$ 1. With inflation already soaring to 800%, no one will buy that!

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance secretary-general Chalton Hwende said the party has launched investigations into allegations made against its women assembly chairperson for Bulawayo province, Tendai Masotsha.

Masotsha is alleged to have played a part in the abduction of Tawanda Muchehiwa, an opposition activist, who was seized from a vehicle in broad daylight by five armed men who tortured him for three days before dumping him badly injured near his home.

Hwende disclosed that the party has directed its Organising and Security Departments to look into the issue.

He said:

We have noted the allegations made against our Chairlady of our Bulawayo Province and we have referred the matter to both our Organising Department and Security Department for further investigation.

In his account, Muchehiwa said on the day he was abducted, on 30 July 2020, he received a call from Masotsha, who said she had flyers that could be used in the protests the next day and wanted to his help in distributing them.

He said:

At around mid-morning on July 30, my cousin Advent Mathuthu was driving to a hardware shop on Fife Avenue Extension. I asked to accompany him.

While in town, I received a call from Masotsha, who said she had flyers that could be used in the protests the next day. She parked her vehicle and jumped into our BMW, carrying only a handbag.

… Advent was in a rush and needed us to secure the material at the hardware shop, so he drove off and we agreed we would drop Masotsha by her car on our return.

Muchehiwa further revealed that after his abduction, his two cousins were arrested and later released yet Masotsha, who had brought all his troubles, was neither charged nor arrested.

This has led to suspicions that Masotsha either voluntarily or under duress led the abductors to Muchehiwa.-online

By A Correspondent- Teachers’ unions have called on the Government to defer the opening of schools and writing of the November Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) final examinations to 2021 noting that learners have already lost considerable learning time.

Last week, the Government announced that taking on from the successful holding of the June examinations they were now laying plans to reopen and hold the final exams. In July Government deferred the reopening of schools to a later date from the initial 28 July citing the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

In a statement, Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Dr Sifiso Ndlovu said it would be unfair to the learners if Government goes ahead with plans of scheduling the November exams this year, saying there was a need to consider that both the learners and the teachers were ill prepared after losing considerable learning time due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

“These learners have lost approximately 122 learning days and that means the learners have not covered the syllabi, they have not had the opportunity to revise and prepare for the examinations, neither are the teachers prepared to get the learners into examination mode,” said Dr Ndlovu.

He said there was a need for Government to start working on ensuring that schools have in place the required Covid-19 protective equipment so as to protect the learners and teachers when the schools eventually open.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou said what was imperative to note was that examinations were a process and not an event, hence necessary measures had to be put in place inclusive of adequately preparing the learners.

“The truth of the matter is that schools are not yet ready to reopen and preside over the writing of the November examinations. There are a lot of preconditions that have to be met before we talk of these exams, this inclusive of ensuring the testing of the learners, teachers and the ancillary staff, and the provision of the necessary Covid-19 PPEs. The only time possible for sitting of these exams will be February next year because for learners to be ready for exams, they require at least two to three months of intense learning, it’s important for us to realise that exams are a process not an event,” said Dr Zhou.

He further called on the Government to address the issue of teacher recruitment noting that the backlog of 50 000 teachers was grossly affecting service delivery.

Zimsec chairperson Professor Eddie Mwenje is on record saying examinations will only be written when students have completed the syllabus and when it is safe to do so, even if it means pushing the examinations to December this year or January next year.

He said Zimsec understands that there was little time for students to prepare for examinations given that schools closed in March this year.-online

State Media

GWANDA Municipality has reduced tariffs by almost 50 percent following an outcry from residents as the charges were now beyond their reach.

The municipality had in July increased fixed water charges to $919,48 for residential areas from $474,89 in June but has since reduced the tariffs to $474,89. Industrial and commercial areas were now paying $3 677,93 but the charges have been reduced to $1 899,56. These charges are with effect from 1 September. Residents have, however, complained that the tariffs are still beyond their reach and called for a further review.

From January and May fixed water charges for residential areas were pegged at $84,50 and $338 for commercials and industrial areas. In an interview, Gwanda Mayor Councillor Jastone Mazhale said the municipality had initially increased the tariffs following an increase of water charges by Zinwa.

“We get our water from Zinwa and they recently increased our water charges by a huge margin which forced us to increase the tariffs. There was an outcry from residents and we had to review the tariffs and see how best to reduce them while at the same time ensuring that we can operate. We decided to compromise mainly on fixed charges but when it comes to water charges it’s difficult as we are billed by Zinwa. We also realised that it was pointless to increase the tariffs when people are not going to be able to pay.

“We have slashed some of the tariffs by 50 percent and we pray that this won’t cause massive gaps. Residents have to understand that as a municipality we get our water from Zinwa which is costly as their charges are high. Zinwa is currently charging us about $14 million per month which is unsustainable. If we were running our own water for the town as a municipality the situation would be better,” he said.

Clr Mazhale said council will continue to lobby Government to ensure the speedy handover of water management from Zinwa to the municipality.

“In June Zinwa increased water charges for a cubic metre to $42 from $7 in May and they further increased to $83 in July and we had to peg our charges at around $120 per cubic metre,” he said.

In an interview after a closed meeting with the municipality management on Wednesday Gwanda Residents Association information and publicity officer, Mr Molvin Dube said while the municipality had reviewed tariffs, they still remained beyond the reach of most residents which called for a further review.

He said members of the association had made it clear to the management during the meeting that residents will not pay the tariffs until they are further reviewed. Mr Dube said there were several other towns where management of water was still under Zinwa such as Beitbridge but Gwanda had higher tariffs. He said residents would continue to engage the Gwanda Municipality management over the matter.

According to the revised water charges schedule residents in the high-density areas have to pay $124,74 per cubic metre for 0-10 cubic metre, while those in the medium density and low-density areas have to pay $132,60 per cubic metre. Other monthly billed charges include refuse fees which have been pegged at $598 for those in the high-density areas and $897 for those in the low and medium density areas while sewer fees has been pegged at $172.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) is conducting investigations to establish the cause of death of eleven elephants in Pandamasue Forest located between Hwange and Victoria Falls.

Zimbabwe which has the world’s second largest population of elephants estimated at around 85 000 is conducting tests to establish the cause of death of eleven elephants in Pandamasue with preliminary investigations having ruled out poaching and cyanide poisoning.

Samples taken from the carcasses have been sent to local laboratories for further investigations with results expected to be released soon.

Zimparks Public Relations Manager Tinashe Farawo confirmed the development.

“We can confirm that eleven elephants were found dead in Pandamasue Forest between Hwange and Victoria Falls. We are investigating the cause of the death but we have already ruled out poaching and cyanide poisoning.”

According to the authority, the positioning of the dead animals’ carcasses point to sudden deaths. The jumbos which were found close to water holes had their tasks intact.

The death of eleven elephants in Zimbabwe, comes at a time neighbouring Botswana is still to establish the cause of mysterious death of 281 elephants in the Okavango Delta.

Southern African countries have in the recent past raised concern over the increase in elephant population which poses a threat to the habitat.

In 2019, a total of 200 elephants succumbed to drought in the country’s largest game reserve, the Hwange National Park.-statemedia

Econet Wireless will on Monday increase its data bundle prices.

The message from Econet reads as follows:

Dear Valued Customer. Please take note, bundle prices for Data will be reviewed effective Monday 31 August 2020. Dial *143# to buy Data Bundles.

State Media

THE exercise to officially launch the issuance of civic documents in communities affected by post-independence disturbances in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces will be held at Maphisa Growth Point in Matobo District, Matabeleland South, before the end of September.

The launch was initially scheduled for Tsholotsho (Matabeleland North) but was switched to Maphisa after consultations with community leaders from the region. Government is also in the process of crafting a legal instrument — which will take into account views canvassed from around the country — that will pave way for exhumations of victims of the disturbances caused by Gukurahundi. Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Permanent Secretary Aaron Nhepera confirmed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to headline the event.

“They (community leaders) wanted the exercise to be launched in Matobo District, which is something that emerged in a meeting that the Minister of Home Affairs (Kazembe Kazembe) chaired on the 2nd of July. From there on, we have been liaising with them over the issue and have agreed with them that before the end of September, the registration exercise will be launched by His Excellency, the President,” said Mr Nhepera.

“Basically, for us it has been the issue of ensuring that those who, because of the Gukurahundi disturbances, did not have registration documents were actually given the documents.”

Government is presently engaging the United Nations Children Fund (Unicef), which had made a commitment to fund the exercise in Tsholotsho, to redirect the resources to Matobo.

“What has happened so far is that with regards to the issue of documentation, we have put in place a programme, working with Unicef, which would have seen us commence issuance of death certificates and birth certificates in Tsholotsho. But this arrangement had omitted to communicate with the Matabeleland Collective group and the communities in that region because they had a different view and different priorities altogether. As I have indicated, Unicef had committed to funding the exercise in Tsholotsho, so now we are in the process of engaging them to see if they can redirect resources to the Matobo programme; if they are not, it means we have to find other resources for Matobo,” added Mr Nhepera.

As part of efforts to ensure restorative justice to the affected communities, Government is actively working on the legal framework that will enable exhumations and reburials. Consultations with key stakeholders such as the Matabeleland Collective — a network of civic society organisations and churches based in the region — and the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) are already underway.

Mr Nhepera said: “We have had meetings with them with regards a policy we are trying to come up with that speaks to the exhumation of human remains, which initially was only for mass graves from the liberation struggle.

“But the NPRC had to advise that we also had to include the disturbances that happened post the liberation struggle. We are in the process of amending our draft policy, which we will eventually take to the community in that region, but also throughout the country to get everyone’s views on it. When we are through with that, then we are informed on how we should proceed in terms of exhumations that are related to the Gukurahundi period.”

NPRC chairperson Justice Sello Nare could not be reached for comment. President Mnangagwa, who has continued to reiterate that the country should confront its ugly past, met members of the Matabeleland Collective for the third time on August 22 at State House in Bulawayo. The engagements are also meant to prioritise developmental projects such as the Zambezi Water Project in the region.

Paul Nyathi

New Energy Minister Soda Zhemu says that the current load shedding being experienced in the country is set to continue as experts who are meant to fix technical problems at some of the country’s power generating stations are failing to travel due to restrictions put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Hon Soda Zhemu told state media on Saturday that the major challenge was in Hwange where two units were now out of service as they were due for their annual overhaul. He said technical experts who were contracted to service the units had been failing to travel to Zimbabwe due to the Covid-19 necessitated lockdown restrictions.

“Unit three and six are due for their annual overhaul. Unit three is meant to be serviced by South Africans while Unit six by Italians, I am confident that with the easing of lockdown regulations these experts can travel to the country to undertake the work that needs to be done. Engineers are also working on a tube leak that was experienced at Unit two of which if it’s fixed it will see the power supplies being vastly improved because our current deficit is just between 50 and 70 megawatts,” said Minister Zhemu.

He commended Zesa engineers who had moved swiftly to address a technical fault that was noted at Hwange’s Unit five which saw a further 150 megawatts being added to the national grid on Friday.

“If you realised as of Friday the load shedding period had considerably decreased, that is because of the additional 150 megawatts that we got from the repaired Hwange Unit five. Regarding Kariba Power Station the technical challenges have been addressed as it is now feeding 925 megawatts into the national power grid,” said the minister.

In a statement, Zesa had said the technical challenges at the two power stations had resulted in the limited power supplies to the national electricity grid.

“Zesa would like to advice its valued customers countrywide of the continued limited power supply on the national electricity grid as a result of technical faults at Hwange and Kariba power stations. Load curtailment will continue being exercised during the morning peak (5am to 10am) and the evening peak (4pm to 8pm) across the country. Customers are advised to use the available power sparingly as the power utility works towards restoration of service to optimum levels. Customers will be updated as the situation improves,” Zesa said.

Zimbabwe has been enjoying uninterrupted power supply since end of March.

Source: State Media

Full Statement

We are seeking nominations for HRDs – an individual or organization working in any of the 16 Southern Africa region  – who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to human rights defending. In these COVID-19 times,  human rights defenders are continuously under pressure globally, it’s never been more important to raise the profile and honor the work, of brave women and men around the world fighting to promote human dignity usually at great personal risk. To nominate individuals or organizations, please download the nomination forms below. Please use the language of your choice as the nomination forms are in English, French, and Portuguese.

The deadline to submit the nomination forms is 31 August 2020

Paul Nyathi

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has unwittingly regretted firing former Energy Minister Fortune Chasi, who he says was very efficient and ensured the country had uninterrupted power supplies during his tenure.

Chasi was fired by Mnangagwa early this month for “conduct inconsistent with his expectations as president”and replaced by Soda Zhem.

Addressing a gathering at a field day at Kunatsa Farm in Matepatepa, Bindura on Saturday, Mnangagwa said Chasi worked very hard to ensure there were constant power supplies in the country which worked in favour for the farmers.

“This time the situation has greatly improved because we had uninterrupted power supply because of the hard work by the young man Chasi who was the minister of Energy at the time and we are thankful about that,” Mnangagwa said.

Chasi’s sacking, which came as a surprise to many as he had improved power supplies in the country after Zimbabweans were grappling with 18 hour-long load-shedding periods everyday. Since the removal of Chasi, Zimbabweans have realised an increase in power cuts across the country which ZESA blames on technical fault at the Kariba and Hwange power stations.

ZANU PF’s secretary for finance and acting spokesperson, Patrick Chinamasa, has all but shown the IMF, the World Bank and other global financial institutions the middle finger saying that the country’s economic problems could only be solved internally.

Quoted in the State Media, Chinamasa said relations with these institutions only helps push perceived sanctions against the country

“Zimbabweans need to stop self-hurting efforts meant to please sanctions-imposing countries in order for us to be acceptable to them. It does not matter who is the leader of ZANU PF, no one is ever going to be acceptable.

“It is not about individuals but about the ideology and legacy ZANU PF represents, which will always be a problem for those that have shunned us,” he said.

“To contain this onslaught and to regain momentum, it needs to sink in the minds of our people that Zimbabwe is on its own and our economic problems are only going to be solved by none other than ourselves, leveraging on our internal natural resources and endowments.”

Zimbabweans, Chinamasa said, should not expect or rely on financial aid from international organisations but instead find home-grown solutions to achieve Vision 2030.

“Zimbabweans need to understand that there will be no cent from IMF, the World Bank or African Development Bank, or such, despite the fact that Zimbabwe is a shareholder in all these organisations.

“So the dance with foreign capitals must now be limited to only those serving our mutual interests.

“On the domestic front, we must give focus to the localisation of our economy, and to do so on a sustained, phased basis sector by sector,” he said.

“The country’s economy is not performing to expectations owing to external and domestic challenges. Sanctions remain a key reason for the economy’s troubles, as do natural disasters like Cyclone Idai, two successive drought seasons and the current Covid-19 which has impacted negatively on economic activities across all sectors of the economy.

“To get our country on a growth trajectory and to sustain that growth Zimbabweans, first and foremost, need to understand that Zimbabwe is on its own; the onslaught against our President, Cde Mnangagwa, is at an all-time high and international forces (the usual culprits) are converging to take ZANU PF out of power,” said Chinamasa.

Paul Nyathi

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has approved the appointment of 10 provincial development co-ordinators (PDC) who will assist Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs with “technical and administrative support.”

The appointments which are effective from September 1 come at a time when there is an ongoing debate on the legality of the Provincial Affairs Ministers which itself is a violation of Section 268 of the Constitution.

Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Judith Ncube will be assisted by Mr Paul Nyoni, who has extensive experience from both the public and private sector.

In Harare, Mr Tafadzwa Muguti, an Information Technology and investment specialist, will be assisting Minister Oliver Chidau.

Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs Larry Mavima will be assisted by Mr Abiot Marongwe.

In Mashonaland East, another career civil servant, Mr Tavabarira Kutamahufa, will be assisting Minister Apollonia Munzverengwi.

Minister Monica Mavhunga will be assisted by Mr Timothy Tigere in Mashonaland Central.

Mr Josphat Jaji, Dr Jefter Sakupwanya, Ms Sithandiwe Ncube and Ms Latiso Dhlamini would be assisting Ministers Mary Mliswa-Chikoka (Mashonaland West), Ezra Chadzamira (Masvingo), Richard Moyo (Matabeleland North) and Abednico Ncube (Matabeleland South), respectively.

Paul Nyathi

Government will this week announce the date when schools will reopen specifically to carry out public examinations following an assessment done by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on their preparedness to reopen under new conditions and health protocols.

Schools are likely to open in September, while public examinations would take place in December and January.Exam dates will only be announced after the date when schools will reopen has been determined.

Speaking to the Sunday Mail the Primary and Secondary Education Minister Ambassador Cain Mathema said consultations on the new term were ongoing.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education got approval from Cabinet to start preparing for public examinations,” he said.

“We are using experience from the June 2020 examinations, which went on well as there was no Covid-19 case that was detected. Our teams from the ministry are now consulting both private, public schools, as well as parents on the reopening of schools. We are meeting teachers’ unions to consult on the dates. Later next week (this week), we will announce the dates of reopening of schools. However, we will be opening strictly for examinations.”

Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) chairperson Professor Eddie Mwenje said public exams might spill into January.

“Schools are likely to be opened in September and the announcement is probably to be made next week (this week). So, after they have made the announcement, we will then meet with the Ministry and finalise how learners should catch up. Our thinking is examinations can start in December and overlap into January 2021.”

That as it maybe, the big question remains, will children be ready for the examinations?

Source: State Media

Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) coronavirus situation report as of 29 August 2020:

• New cases: 18
• Locals – 18
• Returnees – 0
• Deaths: 1
• Recoveries: 13
• National Recovery Rate: 78.9%
• Total Cumulative Cases: 6 406
• Total Recoveries: 5 056
• Total Deaths: 196

MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe and her ally Douglas Mwonzora face a legal and political minefield following the crackdown against MDC Alliance legislators and councillors as part of their turf war against the party’s leader Nelson Chamisa.

Khupe and Mwonzora have in recent months recalled 21 MDC Alliance legislators and scores of councillors using a Supreme Court ruling that Chamisa’s elevation to succeed MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai was null and void.

The ruling saw Khupe claiming control of the MDC Alliance despite the fact that the party defeated her MDC-T in harmonised elections two years ago.

Mwonzora, who was the MDC-T secretary-general before the 2018 split, is now the party’s interim secretary-general.

The two have joined forces to launch an onslaught against Chamisa’s base and one of the strategies is to strip him of legislators and councillors that have refused to dump him.

Khupe and some of her allies are lining up to replace the recalled legislators with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) already in the process of facilitating the former deputy prime minister’s return to Parliament through the back door.

Lobby groups and political analyst, however, say the MDC-T leaders risk falling foul of the law.

In a legal opinion, the Election Resource Centre said ZEC was violating the law by moving to replace MDC Alliance legislators with those from MDC-T while some court cases challenging the recall of the MPs were yet to be decided.

“In this case, there is room to challenge the constitutionality of the provisions, which compel ZEC to proceed with the process of filling vacancies even when affected Members of Parliament are still objecting to their recall,” the ERC said.

“These provisions of the Electoral Act, which leave ZEC with no discretion in the matter, are arguably unconstitutional as they interfere with the rights to a fair hearing and the right to fair administrative justice.”

Some of the recalled MPs argued in court cases that the MDC-T could not legally cause their ejection from Parliament since it was not the one that sponsored them in the previous elections.

“The ERC believes that it is premature for ZEC to proceed, as it has done, to issue a notice of vacancies when there are pending legal cases aimed at determining the legality of vacancies,” the ERC added.

“There are fundamental rights and freedoms, which are adversely affected by the hasty approach taken by ZEC in these matters.”

The lobby group said the replacement of MPs when there were still pending cases in the courts was a violation of the right to fair trial as enshrined in section 69 of the constitution as well as an assault on administrative justice as provided in section 68.

“This right, which includes legitimate expectations, would be meaningless if administrative bodies proceeded to implement decisions that are still under legal challenge,” the ERC said.

“For the same reason as the right to a fair hearing, the realisation of the right to fair administrative justice requires the legal process be concluded before a challenged decision is implemented.”

ERC argued that while ZEC can claim to be bound by section 39(4) to issue a notice of vacancies once notified by the speaker of the National Assembly and the president of the Senate, affected legislators still had a right to fair trial.

“The current provisions of the Electoral Act, which compel ZEC to act to fill the vacancies before the resolution of legal disputes over the circumstances leading to the creation of the vacancy, are arguably unconstitutional for the above-stated reasons,” it said.

ERC said the most important question ZEC should answer was whether the MDC-T was the right party to sponsor replacements for the recalled MPs.

“In the 2018 elections, the office-bearers who presented the party-list candidates to the nomination court did so on behalf of the MDC Alliance,” it said.

“It is, therefore, the party-list of the MDC Alliance.

“In addition, according to section 45E(2), a nomination paper is required to state the name of the political party and the address of its main office in Zimbabwe; the abbreviation of the political party’s name, which will appear on the ballot paper; and any distinctive symbol, which may accompany the name.

“The names, abbreviations and symbols that were put on the nomination papers of the affected Members of Parliament belonged to the MDC Alliance.”

ERC added: “Fourth, section 45D(1)(b) provides for the disqualification of a candidate where he or she has been nominated as a party-list candidate by more than one political party in the same election.

“Consequently, a candidate can only be on the party-list of one political party. In this case, that political party was the MDC Alliance. They could not have been nominated by the MDC-T in the same election.

“If that were so, they would have been disqualified in accordance with the Electoral Act.”

ERC said proportional representation MPs were awarded to the MDC Alliance candidates on the basis of votes obtained by the party as a single political party.

“Any separation could have produced an outcome that is wholly different from the current Parliament,” ERC said.

“There can be no doubt that the political party in question was the MDC Alliance, not any other party.

“It is common cause that ZEC recognised the MDC Alliance as a political party for purposes of the 2018 elections.

“ZEC is required to invite the political party to submit a nomination to fill the vacancy.

“It has already been argued that based on the facts arising from the 2018 elections, the proper party that ZEC should invite to fill the vacancy is the MDC Alliance.”

The ERC said the reason why party-lists were filed was to ensure that the political party that fielded the candidate has the right to replace the MP if incapacitated.

“The ERC posits that the situation cannot be different if the vacancy arises after the election result is known,” the ERC said.

Ten residents’ associations from across the country have condemned the recalling of councillors by Khupe and Mwonzora, which they described as an attack on democracy.

“The rampant recall of elected councillors is a direct attack on representative democracy and seeks to throw away residents to the periphery of local governance, which has serious implications on both service delivery and answerability of officials to the electorate,” the residents’ associations said in a joint statement on Friday.

“Political parties must not act supreme over the voter; residents are the number one stakeholder in every political process and should be treated with respect.”

They said the recalls do not benefit the voters as they were motivated by a fight for power.

Combined Harare Residents’ Association, Guruve Residents and Ratepayers’ Association, Ruwa Residents’ Association, Marondera Progressive Residents and Ratepayers’ Association and the Mvurwi Residents’ Association signed the statement.

Others were Kadoma Progressive Residents’ Association, Masvingo Residents and Ratepayers’ Association, Simukai Residents’ Trust and Chitungwiza and Manyame Residents and Ratepayers’ Association.

Obert Gutu, Khupe’s former deputy in the MDC-T, said although the recalling of MDC Alliance MPs was lawful, replacing them with members of a party they defeated in the last elections was morally wrong.

-Standard

Paul Nyathi

News just received indicate that renowned author, poet, and actor David Mungoshi has died.

According to sources close to the family, Mungoshi died on Saturday night at the age of 71.

More details to follow…

Heads of seven diplomatic missions accredited to Zimbabwe have called on the Government to stop blaming diplomatic missions and deliver on its long promised reforms which they if implemented will make a difference to the life of all citizens.

In a statement, the heads of Mission of Canada, Germany Netherlands, Norway, Poland the United Kingdom and the United States of America called on the Government to move away from such language and deliver on their promises.

“Two years ago in his inaugural speech, President Mnangagwa vowed to serve the country and all of its people. It is in this spirit that the Heads of Mission express their deep concern with the current political, economic, social and health crisis that most Zimbabweans are facing today.

“Zimbabwean people have the right to engage in dialogue to build a better future of their country. But the necessary discussions have so far been hindered by unhelpful rhetoric and blame assigned to several groups including diplomatic missions and non-state actors. We ask the Government to move away from such language and instead to deliver on its long promised reforms and reach across the divides. Implemented to the benefit of all, they will make a difference to the life of all Zimbabweans,” read the statement

The Heads of Mission implored the Government not to hide with the Covid-19 pandemic to restrict citizen’s rights.

“But Covid-19 must not be used as an excuse to restrict citizen’s fundamental freedoms. Freedom of the press, of opinion, of expression and of assembly are all universally recognised human rights and are guaranteed by the Zimbabwean constitution. The government also has a responsibility to investigate and prosecute those responsible for violating human rights.

“The heads of Mission further reiterate their calls for Government to address corruption and illicit extraction of Zimbabwe’s wealth for personal gain, which continue to undermine Zimbabwe’s development and the well-being of its people. If Zimbabwe is to reach its potential, its wealth and resources must be used to serve all Zimbabweans.” said the Heads of Missions

Zimbabwe has been under spotlight following alleged human rights violations that has seen arbitrary arrests of journalists and political activists.

-263Chat

Ten mansions and 22 luxury vehicles worth US$8 million were recently seized by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) from high-profile figures who failed to account for their source of wealth.

The yet-to-be-named suspected criminals will soon be prosecuted.

ZACC’s head of legal department Commissioner Jessie Majome said the ill-gotten wealth will be forfeited to the State.

“We seized and are holding 22 high-value motor vehicles worth approximately US$2 million. Applications for civil forfeiture (separately from the criminal trial process) regarding the vehicles are pending at court. We have a total of 10 high-value houses whose civil forfeiture we have had referred to court. The approximate value of the houses is US$6 million,” said Comm Majome.

She said seven asset forfeiture applications had been sent to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for onward filing to the High Court in terms of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act.

Of the seven cases, four are pending at the High Court and these include applications for properties belonging to former Foreign Affairs Minister Walter Mzembi; Gender Commission chair Margaret Sangarwe; Russel Mweye, a former staffer at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals; and former Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) chief executive officer Frank Chitukutuku.

The ex-ZINARA boss is facing allegations of siphoning US$3 million from the parastatal through civil works projects.

“The estate of the late Nkululeko Sibanda is involved in this over non-existent roadworks in Umguza and Bubi. This case was erroneously reported  . . . as being pursued by the State, yet it is not (as it is not a criminal matter which the State prosecutes), but it is a ZACC matter being argued by the NPA because the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act gives NPA the right of audience in such cases, so we pass on files to it,” said Comm Majome.

The corruption-fighting body believes that forfeiting proceeds of crime is the most effective way of fighting the vice as it makes commission of offences not worthwhile.

“We want the public to understand that the recovery of assets gained through corruption is not actually a fleeting operation — a ‘flash in the pan’. The bad news for crooks and looters is that asset recovery is not something they can hide from until it passes. It’s here to stay as a twin device to prosecution in order to make corrupt criminals accountable before the law by making them pay back the loot and not just go to jail then come out to enjoy their loot.”

The Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act, she added, was amended to permanently enable asset recovery nothwistanding a criminal conviction.  Comm Majome encouraged members of the public to actively contribute to fighting the scourge.

“We therefore appeal to the public to tip us off. Members of the public can whistle-blow anonymously and we promise to protect the confidentiality of the reports about wealth acquired through illicit means. I am sure you will agree that disclosing the identities of the people on our radar now will jeopardise investigations.”

ZACC is targeting to recover assets worth $300 million by year-end.

A national anti-corruption strategy was recently launched to fight corruption at all levels as the Second Republic takes a zero-tolerance approach to graft.

The commission has entered into collaborative efforts with the NPA and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) to enforce unexplained wealth orders.

There are agreements with reputable international partners who specialise in asset tracing and recovery.

President Mnangagwa recently said his Government will clampdown on corruption as it pursues Vision 2030 Vision, which entails making the country an upper middle-income economy within the next 10 years.

The pledge has been followed through by arrests of high-profile individuals such as former Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo, former Environment Minister Priscah Mupfumira and former Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary Ngoni Masoka.

Former principal director of State Residences Douglas Tapfuma is serving a four-year jail term for criminal abuse of office.

-State Media

Obert Gutu, who is a former MDC-T (Tsvangirai) spokesperson, and later became vice president of the now-defunct MDC-T (Thokozani) party, said it would be immoral for the other MDC-T, created by a Supreme Court ruling in March, to replace MDC Alliance MPs and Councillors with its own people.

The Khupe-led party recently forwarded a list of 15 candidates it has nominated to fill Senate and National Assembly Proportional Representative seats to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

Gutu believes that even though the recalls of the Nelson Chamisa-aligned MPs and councillors was lawful, it is immoral and incredulous to replace them with Khupe’s nominees. Gutu wrote on Twitter:

Recall of MPs and councillors resonates with law’s dictates. However, a moral issue arises: It’s morally unsound and incredulous to replace the recalled MPs with people from another faction. Politically, it’s also not smart. Recall enforcing discipline, yes. Show class, don’t replace.

Khupe nominated herself, her spokesperson Khaliphani Phugeni, Yvonne Musarurwa, Lindani Moyo, January Sawuke, Memory Munochinzwa, Lwazi Sibanda, Sipho Mokone, Molly Ndlovu, Tamani Moyo, Gertrude Moyo, Piniel Denga, Chief Ndluvu, Nomalanga Khumalo and Teti Chisorochengwe as MPs.

TEACHERS’ unions have called on the Government to defer the opening of schools and writing of the November Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) final examinations to 2021 noting that learners have already lost considerable learning time.

Last week, the Government announced that taking on from the successful holding of the June examinations they were now laying plans to reopen and hold the final exams. In July Government deferred the reopening of schools to a later date from the initial 28 July citing the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

In a statement, Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Dr Sifiso Ndlovu said it would be unfair to the learners if Government goes ahead with plans of scheduling the November exams this year, saying there was a need to consider that both the learners and the teachers were ill prepared after losing considerable learning time due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

“These learners have lost approximately 122 learning days and that means the learners have not covered the syllabi, they have not had the opportunity to revise and prepare for the examinations, neither are the teachers prepared to get the learners into examination mode,” said Dr Ndlovu.

He said there was a need for Government to start working on ensuring that schools have in place the required Covid-19 protective equipment so as to protect the learners and teachers when the schools eventually open.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou said what was imperative to note was that examinations were a process and not an event, hence necessary measures had to be put in place inclusive of adequately preparing the learners.

“The truth of the matter is that schools are not yet ready to reopen and preside over the writing of the November examinations. There are a lot of preconditions that have to be met before we talk of these exams, this inclusive of ensuring the testing of the learners, teachers and the ancillary staff, and the provision of the necessary Covid-19 PPEs. The only time possible for sitting of these exams will be February next year because for learners to be ready for exams, they require at least two to three months of intense learning, it’s important for us to realise that exams are a process not an event,” said Dr Zhou.

He further called on the Government to address the issue of teacher recruitment noting that the backlog of 50 000 teachers was grossly affecting service delivery.

Zimsec chairperson Professor Eddie Mwenje is on record saying examinations will only be written when students have completed the syllabus and when it is safe to do so, even if it means pushing the examinations to December this year or January next year.

He said Zimsec understands that there was little time for students to prepare for examinations given that schools closed in March this year.

-State Media

GOVERNMENT will this week announce the date when schools will reopen following an assessment done by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on their preparedness to reopen under new conditions and health protocols.

Schools are likely to open in September, while public examinations would take place in December and January.

Exam dates will only be announced after the date schools will reopen has been determined.

Speaking to the Sunday Mail the Primary and Secondary Education Minister Ambassador Cain Mathema said consultations on the new term were ongoing.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education got approval from Cabinet to start preparing for public examinations,” he said.

“We are using experience from the June 2020 examinations, which went on well as there was no Covid-19 case that was detected. Our teams from the ministry are now consulting both private, public schools, as well as parents on the reopening of schools. We are meeting teachers’ unions to consult on the dates. Later next week (this week), we will announce the dates of reopening of schools. However, we will be opening strictly for examinations.”

Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) chairperson Professor Eddie Mwenje said public exams might spill into January.

“Schools are likely to be opened in September and the announcement is probably to be made next week (this week). So, after they have made the announcement, we will then meet with the Ministry and finalise how learners should catch up. Our thinking is examinations can start in December and overlap into January 2021.”

-State Media

LOCALS, and not foreigners, are the only ones who can help to grow the economy and achieve a relatively prosperous society in the next decade as envisioned by President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030, LEAD president Mrs Linda Masarira-Kaingidze has said.

She said it was time Zimbabweans join forces to recover the country’s breadbasket status.

Government plans to grow agriculture into a US$8,2 billion sector by 2025.

“We all need each other in our diversity. It is time to fix Zimbabwe and make our country an economic giant (again). We cannot do that if we are always running to the West or East asking them to intervene on issues we can resolve amicably as brothers and sisters,” said Mrs Masarira-Kaingidze.

Unity of purpose, she added, was key in resuscitating the country’s economy.

The politician said she had advised some of the organisers of the July 31 demonstrations to seek dialogue rather than be confrontational.

“I had advised Jacob Ngarivhume to make the protests apolitical.

There is no one who is not being affected by corruption; corruption is now engrained in almost every Zimbabwean and we need to have a more robust campaign that is inclusive and sincere.”

Zimbabweans that are trashing their country on social media have an “identity crisis and lack of patriotism”, she said.

“Trashing Zimbabwe on social media by Zimbabweans shows an aspect of identity crisis, lack of patriotism and also exhibits how some of our people are damaged.

“Zimbabwe is not the only country in the world that has socio-economic and political challenges.

“Some countries are in a worse off situation but you never see their citizens insulting their country on social media like that.”-The Sunday Mail

Farai Dziva|A member of the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly was assaulted by rowdy Zanu PF members as she was returning from Patson Dzamara’ s funeral service in the capital, Harare on Thursday.

The marauding Zanu PF youths brutally assaulted Chengeto Mafendu.They also ordered not to wear a face mask bearing Advocate Nelson Chamisa’s name.

In a statement on Friday, MDC Alliance said :

Our Youth Assembly member Chengeto Mafendu was severely assaulted by Zanu PF youths in Chitungwiza for wearing a CCC mask.

They also took her national flag.

She was coming from Patson Dzamara’s funeral in Glen View 7.”

Farai Dziva|A member of the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly was assaulted by rowdy Zanu PF members as she was returning from Patson Dzamara’ s funeral service in the capital, Harare on Thursday.

The marauding Zanu PF youths brutally assaulted Chengeto Mafendu.They also ordered not to wear a face mask bearing Advocate Nelson Chamisa’s name.

In a statement on Friday, MDC Alliance said :

Our Youth Assembly member Chengeto Mafendu was severely assaulted by Zanu PF youths in Chitungwiza for wearing a CCC mask.

They also took her national flag.

She was coming from Patson Dzamara’s funeral in Glen View 7.”

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance president, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has warned Zanu PF against spilling the blood of innocent people.

Addressing mourners at the Dzamara family homestead in Mutoko on Friday, President Chamisa said the blood of innocent people would return to haunt Zanu PF bigwigs.

President Chamisa also paid tribute to Itai and Patson Dzamara for mustering the courage to denounce Zanu PF tyranny.

Said President Chamisa:
“This family produced two gallant heroes who were killed for denouncing Zanu PF’s evil machinations.

Let me warn those who are killing innocent people -the blood of those you are murdering will haunt you.

The blood of innocent people shall speak against you.

Are you vampires that thrive on drinking blood? You have your blood so why do you want to kill innocent people?

Don’t abuse liberation war maxims.Zanu PF is using ruthless tactics to silence its perceived opponents but that will not stop the wave of change.

He also urged MDC Alliance members to shun violence: ” Please let’s avoid offensive slogans, we don’t want that in the Movement for Democratic Change. We are not a violent party and let’s prove that we are a people’s movement.”

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance president, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has warned Zanu PF against spilling the blood of innocent people.

Addressing mourners at the Dzamara family homestead in Mutoko on Friday, President Chamisa said the blood of innocent people would return to haunt Zanu PF bigwigs.

President Chamisa also paid tribute to Itai and Patson Dzamara for mustering the courage to denounce Zanu PF tyranny.

Said President Chamisa:
“This family produced two gallant heroes who were killed for denouncing Zanu PF’s evil machinations.

Let me warn those who are killing innocent people -the blood of those you are murdering will haunt you.

The blood of innocent people shall speak against you.

Are you vampires that thrive on drinking blood? You have your blood so why do you want to kill innocent people?

Don’t abuse liberation war maxims.Zanu PF is using ruthless tactics to silence its perceived opponents but that will not stop the wave of change.

He also urged MDC Alliance members to shun violence: ” Please let’s avoid offensive slogans, we don’t want that in the Movement for Democratic Change. We are not a violent party and let’s prove that we are a people’s movement.”

The car rental company, named at the center several abductions around the country, Impala, has spoken out over the kidnapping of young journalism student and activist Tawanda Muchehiwa. Muchehiwa who is also a ZimEye contributor, was abducted a few weeks back allegedly by suspected state agents who used a vehicle that had been rented from Impala Car Rental.

This has seen the car rental company come under pressure from Zimbabweans on social media, who want the company to divulge the details of the people who rented the vehicle. CEO Thompson Dondo is interviewed by the SABC below:

A BULAWAYO soldier followed his estranged wife to her family home where he allegedly fatally stabbed her seven times and in the process ripping open her stomach using a kitchen knife after she refused to return to their matrimonial home.

Gugulethu Ndlovu (29) of Nkulumane suburb and stationed at the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) 1.2 Infantry Battalion in Hwange, had a long-standing domestic feud with his wife Nompilo Moyo whom he accused of infidelity resulting in the woman abandoning their matrimonial home.

Ms Moyo moved back to her parents’ home at Kumbudzi Village under Chief Mathe area in Gwanda district.

Ndlovu followed the deceased to her home intending to negotiate with her so that she could return to their matrimonial home in Bulawayo.

When Moyo refused to return to Bulawayo, an altercation ensued resulting in Ndlovu indiscriminately stabbing her seven times and she died on the spot.

Soon after committing the offence, Ndlovu went to the ZNA barracks in Mbalabala where he handed himself over to the military police leading to his arrest.

This emerged when Ndlovu, through his lawyers Malinga and Mpofu Legal Practitioners, filed an application for bail pending trial at the Bulawayo High Court recently, citing the State as a respondent. In his bail statement, Ndlovu said there was no legal basis warranting his continued detention, arguing that the State’s case was weak.

He also dismissed the State’s assertion that if released on bail he was likely to abscond given the gravity of the alleged offence.

“The applicant has a strong defence to the allegations levelled against him. He is not a flight risk and there is no tangible evidence for the contention that he will escape or interfere with State witnesses if released on bail,” said Ndlovu’s lawyers.

“Applicant is a serving member of the Zimbabwe National Army, which on its own is a disciplined organisation with a capacity to monitor his movement such that it will not be easy for him to
escape if released on bail.”

Ndlovu offered to pay $10 000 bail and report twice a week at Nkulumane Police Station.

He also offered to continue residing at his given address as well as not interfering with State witnesses as part of the bail conditions.

The State, which was represented by Mr Kudakwashe Jaravaza opposed the application, arguing that there was no guarantee that if released on bail Ndlovu would not abscond.

“In casu, it should be noted that the applicant faces a serious offence.

It is clear that the seriousness of the charge is a factor that the court should pay regard to, for it is clear that once an accused person is faced with a lengthy imprisonment, the possibility of abscondment is very high,” he said.

Mr Jaravaza said the fact that Ndlovu fled the scene after committing the offence, was in itself a pointer that he has inclination to abscond.-Chronicle

By Vatican News

THE British episcopate praises the courageous pastoral letter of the Bishops of Zimbabwe for defending the dignity and fundamental human rights as the country faces unprecedented crises.

“Christians across the globe have been inspired by the courage the Zimbabwean Church has shown in defending fundamental human dignity and rights,” declared Bishop Declan Lang, speaking on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales.

He said the English and Welsh Bishops are offering prayers for, and standing in solidarity with, Archbishop Robert Ndlovu of Harare and his brother Bishops in Zimbabwe.

“The March is Not Ended”

Earlier this month, Zimbabwe’s Bishops issued a pastoral letter entitled “The March is Not Ended” which laments the “crisis of the convergence of economic collapse, deepening poverty, food insecurity, corruption and human rights abuses among other crises in urgent need of resolution.” The letter also notes the crackdown on dissent that began in August following demonstrations against the current government.

In his statement, Bishop Lang – who serves as Chair of the Bishops’ Conference’s Department of International Affairs – said, “The recent pastoral letter with its call for truth, justice and reconciliation is both a powerful witness to the suffering that Zimbabwe is enduring and a way forward for the country to emerge from this.”

Broad-based solidarity

In recent weeks, the bishops and people of Zimbabwe have received support from numerous sources, including expressions of solidarity from Zimbabwe’s Evangelical community and from the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, as well as an ecumenical pastoral letter from the World Council of Churches (WCC).

Following government criticism of the Zimbabwean bishops, the Apostolic Nuncio to Zimbabwe, Archbishop Paolo Rudelli paid a solidarity visit to Archbishop Ndlovu, who had been singled out in a blistering personal attack. The Nuncio’s visit was also a symbolic act of solidarity with all the Zimbabwean Bishops.

The deep concern of diplomats

Foreign diplomats serving in Zimbabwe have also expressed “deep concern with the current political, economic, social and health crisis that Zimbabweans are facing today.”

In a statement issued on Friday, the heads of missions from the United States, Britain, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland argued that “Covid-19 must not be used as an excuse to restrict citizens’ fundamental freedoms.” Instead, they urge the government “to address corruption and the illicit extraction of Zimbabwe’s wealth for personal gain, which continues to undermine Zimbabwe’s development.”

By A Correspondent- Impala Car Rental has released the following statement which states that they will cooperate with law enforcement agents’ investigation on Tawanda Muchehiwa’s abduction in which one of their vehicles was used.

Impala said they have no control over what their clients do with the vehicles after leasing them out.

Read the full statement below:

IMPALA CAR RENTAL

PRESS STATEMENT

Following a social media video clip which implicates one of our rental vehicles (Registration No. AES 2433) in an alleged abduction for Tawanda Muchehiwa in Bulawayo, Impala Car Rental would like to advise all our valued stakeholders that we are really concerned with this matter.

As a service provider we are limited in controlling where and how our vehicles will be used because clients are not obliged to disclose their vehicle hiring purposes. It is very possible that some clients may use our vehicles for criminal activities without our knowledge & it is not our intention to cover up for such criminals.

As Impala Car Rental we stand obligated to cooperate with any investigations by the Law Enforcement Agents into this matter so that Tawanda Muchehiwa gets justice.

We would like to assure all our stakeholders that Impala Car Rental remain committed to providing the best service possible at all times!

Thompson Dondo

Chief Executive Officer

29 August 2020

Zanu PF South Africa Spokesperson in South Africa has claimed that Zanu PF had no hand in the abduction of Tawanda Muchehiwa and said the ruling party does not abduct its own citizens because it does not benefit anything from that.

Watch video downloading below.

LIVE NEWS REVIEW: SIKHALA, HOPEWELL, JACOB, TAWANDA, THE GIRLS, AND THE GRANNY OF THE RAPE VICTIM | SPECIAL GUEST @CHRISPEN CHAMBURUKA

Eleven elephants were on Friday found dead in Pandamasue Forest in a suspected case of anthrax, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has said.

Zimparks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said the authority was conducting investigations to determine the cause of death of the elephants.

“The elephants were found dead in Pandamasue Forest. Zimparks suspects anthrax. Veterinary doctors are on the ground. We are waiting for results from the laboratory,” he said.

Neighbouring Botswana recently lost about 400 elephants in mysterious circumstances.

Last year, at least 200 elephants died in Hwange National Park due to a severe drought.

New Ziana

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance president, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has warned Zanu PF against spilling the blood of innocent people.

Addressing mourners at the Dzamara family homestead in Mutoko on Friday, President Chamisa said the blood of innocent people would return to haunt Zanu PF bigwigs.

President Chamisa also paid tribute to Itai and Patson Dzamara for mustering the courage to denounce Zanu PF tyranny.

Said President Chamisa:
“This family produced two gallant heroes who were killed for denouncing Zanu PF’s evil machinations.

Let me warn those who are killing innocent people -the blood of those you are murdering will haunt you.

The blood of innocent people shall speak against you.

Are you vampires that thrive on drinking blood? You have your blood so why do you want to kill innocent people?

Don’t abuse liberation war maxims.Zanu PF is using ruthless tactics to silence its perceived opponents but that will not stop the wave of change.

He also urged MDC Alliance members to shun violence: ” Please let’s avoid offensive slogans, we don’t want that in the Movement for Democratic Change. We are not a violent party and let’s prove that we are a people’s movement.”

By A Correspondent- Impala Car Rental has released the following statement which states that they will cooperate with law enforcement agents’ investigation on Tawanda Muchehiwa’s abduction in which one of their vehicles was used.

Impala said they have no control over what their clients do with the vehicles after leasing them out.

Read the full statement below:

IMPALA CAR RENTAL

PRESS STATEMENT

Following a social media video clip which implicates one of our rental vehicles (Registration No. AES 2433) in an alleged abduction for Tawanda Muchehiwa in Bulawayo, Impala Car Rental would like to advise all our valued stakeholders that we are really concerned with this matter.

As a service provider we are limited in controlling where and how our vehicles will be used because clients are not obliged to disclose their vehicle hiring purposes. It is very possible that some clients may use our vehicles for criminal activities without our knowledge & it is not our intention to cover up for such criminals.

As Impala Car Rental we stand obligated to cooperate with any investigations by the Law Enforcement Agents into this matter so that Tawanda Muchehiwa gets justice.

We would like to assure all our stakeholders that Impala Car Rental remain committed to providing the best service possible at all times!

Thompson Dondo

Chief Executive Officer

29 August 2020

By A Correspondent- A senior MDC T party official while speaking to Zimbabwe Independent said MDC T members against the party’s secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora were plotting his demise ahead of the court-sanctioned congress set for October 2020.

Speaking to the publication on condition of anonymity, the official from the women’s assembly said:

Mwonzora’s biggest problem right now is that he is hobnobbing with violent people and his rivals are plotting to expel him from the party ahead of the congress and this will greatly affect his eligibility if it happens.

The official claimed that Khupe and Mwonzora cannot work together and claimed:

There are even growing calls for a neutral person to stand instead of these top people whose ambitions work against the good of the party. Khupe and Mwonzora surely can never work together. People make the mistake of assuming that when Tsvangirai died, the party split into two camps led by Chamisa and Khupe, but the real truth is that it split into three camps, the third being led by Mwonzora.

Mwonzora has always had a support base big enough to cause problems and has always harboured presidential ambitions. So, his collaboration with Khupe against Chamisa was purely driven by self-interest and it’s coming out clearly now

Khupe and Mwonzora’s collaboration against Chamisa is reportedly on the rocks as the former is being accused of being a factional leader and nominating her camp only to replace MDC Alliance legislators she recalled from parly.

Farai Dziva|A member of the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly was assaulted by rowdy Zanu PF members as she was returning from Patson Dzamara’ s funeral service in the capital, Harare on Thursday.

The marauding Zanu PF youths brutally assaulted Chengeto Mafendu.They also ordered not to wear a face mask bearing Advocate Nelson Chamisa’s name.

In a statement on Friday, MDC Alliance said :

Our Youth Assembly member Chengeto Mafendu was severely assaulted by Zanu PF youths in Chitungwiza for wearing a CCC mask.

They also took her national flag.

She was coming from Patson Dzamara’s funeral in Glen View 7.”

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance president, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has warned Zanu PF against spilling the blood of innocent people.

Addressing mourners at the Dzamara family homestead in Mutoko on Friday, President Chamisa said the blood of innocent people would return to haunt Zanu PF bigwigs.

President Chamisa also paid tribute to Itai and Patson Dzamara for mustering the courage to denounce Zanu PF tyranny.

Said President Chamisa:
“This family produced two gallant heroes who were killed for denouncing Zanu PF’s evil machinations.

Let me warn those who are killing innocent people -the blood of those you are murdering will haunt you.

The blood of innocent people shall speak against you.

Are you vampires that thrive on drinking blood? You have your blood so why do you want to kill innocent people?

Don’t abuse liberation war maxims.Zanu PF is using ruthless tactics to silence its perceived opponents but that will not stop the wave of change.

He also urged MDC Alliance members to shun violence: ” Please let’s avoid offensive slogans, we don’t want that in the Movement for Democratic Change. We are not a violent party and let’s prove that we are a people’s movement.”

By A Correspondent- Obert Gutu, who is a former MDC-T (Tsvangirai) spokesperson, and later became vice president of the now-defunct MDC-T (Thokozani) party, said it would be immoral for the other MDC-T, created by a Supreme Court ruling in March, to replace MDC Alliance MPs and Councillors with its own people.

The Khupe-led party recently forwarded a list of 15 candidates it has nominated to fill Senate and National Assembly Proportional Representative seats to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

Impala Car rental has spoken on the alleged use of their vehicle in the abduction of Tawanda Muchehiwa saying they have no control over what their clients use the hired vehicle for.

The company admitted that the vehicle a Ford Ranger which appear on a CCTV footage relating to the abduction of Muchehiwa had been hired from their pool though they were quick to deny responsibility for what it was used for.

Find below their statement;

0

27.08.2020 – Ahead of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on 30 August, an NGO coalition is calling on African States to end this practice immediately, hold perpetrators to account, search for the disappeared and provide reparations to the victims and their families.

The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (Sudan), Lawyers for Justice in Libya, MENA Rights Group (Algeria), Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and REDRESS (UK) have documented numerous incidents of disappearances and acts of torture in the region, aimed at suppressing peaceful dissent or those perceived to be threats.

Enforced disappearances involve the deprivation of liberty of a person against his/her will by state agents, those working with them, or others acting with the tolerance of the state, with no acknowledgement of the victim’s fate or whereabouts. Disappeared people are vulnerable to many other abuses including torture. It is a heinous crime which can leave the disappeared persons, their families and communities living in fear of what will happen to them and uncertain about the fate of their loved ones.

During nationwide protests that led to the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir in Sudan last year, security forces and government-backed paramilitaries purportedly used enforced disappearances to preserve national security. On 3 June 2019, more than a dozen protesters went missing when security forces attacked peaceful demonstrators at a
sit-in in Khartoum. Over a hundred civilians were reportedly killed and hundreds more injured. Protesters were also beaten and detained, subjected to rape, and other forms of intimidation and humiliation.

In Libya, since 2011, the Libyan state and militias acting with the support or acquiescence of the state have disappeared thousands of people for their real or perceived political opinion or affiliations, tribal links, human rights activism or identity in a prevalent
environment of impunity. On 17 July 2020, Libya marked one year since armed men abducted prominent lawmaker and women’s human rights defender Seham Sergiwa from her home in Benghazi. She had called for an end to a military offensive on Tripoli on television three days before her disappearance. Her fate, like so many others, remains
unknown.

In Zimbabwe, three female opposition leaders –  Joanna Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova –  were stopped at a police checkpoint on their way to a peaceful protest in March 2020, abducted, tortured and sexually assaulted. To date, no investigation has been
conducted to identify those responsible.

Across the region, impunity remains the norm. Almost two decades after the Algerian civil war, relatives are still searching for their loved ones. More than 7,000 people disappeared during the conflict. Former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika offered a full amnesty for members of the security forces responsible for gross human rights violations. The
UN Human Rights Committee has decided over 30 cases of enforced disappearances against Algeria. To this day,  the Algerian government refuses to implement the specific recommendations made by the Committee, deepening the suffering of victims and leaving them with no remedy to fulfil their rights.

Since the 1980s, the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, an international expert body which examines individual cases, has received over 5,000 complaints from African countries. However, this number does not reflect the scope of this practice as official denial and a lack of proper records makes it
nearly impossible to know the real number.

Only 17 out of 54 African countries have ratified the International Convention on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the main international treaty which bans the practice. Algeria, Sudan, Libya, Zimbabwe and all other African countries that
have yet to become parties to the Convention should do so, and adopt legal safeguards to prevent this crime, hold perpetrators accountable. search for the disappeared and provide reparations to victims.

“Since 2011, the Libyan state and its affiliated militias have used enforced disappearance as a tool to silence dissent, in a widespread pattern that could amount to a crime against humanity,” said Mohamed Elmessiry, Lawyers for Justice in Libya’s Head of Research and
Capacity Building. “The newly established Fact-Finding Mission on Libya and the International Criminal Court must investigate this crime alongside other human rights abuses and hold those responsible to account.”

“Families of missing persons in Algeria continue to face hurdles in their search for the truth. Eight months after the election of the new president, who has claimed to be committed to the protection of fundamental human rights, relatives of disappeared persons have seen
their claims unaddressed, and acts of reprisals against those speaking out, have continued,” said Inès Osman, MENA Rights Group’s director.

“Enforced disappearances have been under the radar in Africa for many
decades, and victims left forgotten. African States are obliged to
prevent and investigate this crime, to bring any perpetrators to
justice, search for victims who were subjected to this practice and
provide their loved ones with assistance and reparations. African
States can’t hide any longer under a cloak of denial,” said Eva Nudd,
REDRESS’ Legal Advisor.

-ZLHR

By A Correspondent- An investigation by ZimLive has revealed that one of the vehicles that were used in the abduction of Tawanda Muchehiwa, the publication’s editor, Mduduzi Mathuthu, was hired from Impala Car Rental in Harare.

University of Kent law lecturer and political commentator, Alex Magaisa, said Impala should disclose the person or people who hired the car that was used to commit the crime. He said:

Now we know an Impala Car Rental vehicle was used in the abduction of Tawanda Muchehiwa. It’s not Impala’s fault. But what’s wrong is for Impala to plead confidentiality to protect people committing crimes against humanity. There’s a risk of a cover-up which is wrong.

More importantly, car rental companies rely on bulk rentals usually by NGOs and CSOs. It would be a travesty if these organisations some in human rights continue to patronise a company that’s refusing to co-operate with a victim of abduction and torture. They too would be enabling.

Impala has a duty to disclose this information, especially to Tawanda Muchehiwa. Saying they will disclose to the police is pointless. Police were involved in his abduction so they also have an interest in covering up the tracks.

Mathuthu has been in hiding for nearly a month after police turned his house upside down looking for material they alleged could be used to commit acts of violence.

Before his release after three days of inhumane treatment by his captors, Muchehiwa was told to warn his uncle, Mathuthu to stop his investigative journalism.

Rtd Assistant Commissioner Richard Mbanga’s funeral has been postponed to 7 September due to logistical issues, The Zimbabwean reports.

According to the publication, the funeral was postponed because the charter flight that was supposed to bring in his body from India was cancelled at the last minute.

The flight will now leave on 5 September according to the publication.

Mbanga succumbed to a heart attack in India a few weeks after undergoing a kidney transplant. Mbanga’s son who had donated the kidney and his wife were with him in India when he died.

According to the publication, the Mbanga family thanked the public and said further announcements will be made in due course:

By Ryan Chiwara-  The Gutu United Residents and Ratepayers Association (GURRA) have expressed concern over the demands by the local authority for clients to pay their rentals and other charges in hard currency following the adoption by council of Statutory Instrument 185 of 2020.

In a Facebook post the residents claim that the charging of services in foreign currency is illegal.

“The statutory Instrument 185 0f 2020 does not apply to local authorities and council cannot just increase service charges without a supplementary budget,” said the residents.

The residents added that the principal legislation governing the local authority is the Rural District Council Act and not SI 185 of 2020.

“The Rural District Council Act is the principal law that guide the local authority in its operations, SI 185 of 2020 did not come to amend the RDC ACT. Council should continue to be guided by the ACT when it comes to imposing charges,” the statement reads.

Another resident who refused to be named for fear of victimization said council does not have a foreign currency account where it can deposit the hard currency.

“What is being done by council is surprising how can they ask for payment in foreign currency when they do not have a foreign currency account,” the resident said.

Following the breakdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Zimbabwe promulgated statutory 185 of 2020 early this year which authorizes   dual pricing and displaying, quoting and offering of prices for goods and services by traders.

“Any person who provides goods or services in Zimbabwe shall display, quote or offer the price for such goods or services in both Zimbabwe dollar and foreign currency at the ruling exchange rate, “read the SI.

By A Correspondent- Villagers and two police officers scurried for cover after they allegedly stumbled on goblins in a businessman’s suitcase while searching for poison that allegedly led to the death of several community members’ dogs.

The businessman, Sanderson Bloom Shamuyashe, who runs a grinding mill at Lupote Business Centre in Dete is the eye of a storm as he is also being accused of digging a grave of one of his wife’s relatives.

The businessman, however, has vehemently denied the accusations.

A source who spoke to B-Metro on condition of anonymity said villagers were up in arms with the businessman after their dogs mysteriously died after getting into his homestead.

Worried about that, the source went on to say villagers enlisted the services of police officers from Dete police base who accompanied them but were gripped with fear when they opened the business man’s suitcase.

“They were shocked when they saw strange beings which they believed were goblins and were seen running for their dear lives,” said a source.

The source added that this was not the first time the businessman had been accused of a bizarre incident.

“Most recently he was seen by villagers digging a grave of a relative of his wife. He fled from the scene leaving his shoes which were used as exhibit and the issue was taken to Chief Nelukoba and after a full trial the chief ordered him to leave the area but he denied vehemently that he was the one who was seen desecrating a grave,” said a source.

The source added: “He (Shamuyashe) said the chief should enlist the services of witch-hunters popularly known as tsikamutandas to come and sniff out the witch saying if tsikamutandas catch someone else he would take the villagers and the chief to task.”

The source went on to say in fear of the invisible beings community members now shun his services.

The businessman’s wife Bessie Ndlovu who works for a safari company nailed him: “I heard that police officers and villagers saw strange things at our homestead when police were investigating a case of dogs which died mysteriously. I will no longer stay with him because he was caught digging a grave of my younger sister. He ran away and left shoes at the grave site.

She added: “The issue did not go down well with my parents. The matter was taken to Chief Nelukoba who after a full trial ordered us to vacate the place but my husband refused to leave.”

Shamuyashe said:

“There is no goblin that they saw, I even advised village head Simanyayi, former councillor, my father-in-law and other villagers to enlist the services of tsikamutandas to root out such goblins. I told them that if they fail to root out such invisible things they have to give me a beast.”

He even denied that he was found digging a grave.

“I don’t dig graves. I told the chief (Nelukoba) that I won’t leave because I’m not a witch. They have to look for tsikamutandas who will name and shame the person who was seen digging the grave. I will not leave, I will stay here,” he said.

Matabeleland North police spokesperson Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese was not reachable for a comment.

By A Correspondent- A drunk man caused a stir at a police station when he hurled insults before allegedly pushing and shoving a police officer accusing him of allegedly splashing water on an elderly woman.

According to a source, Abiashano Makatshini (31), who was visibly drunk walked into Western Commonage Police Station on Saturday last week at around 7.35pm.

“His shirt was unbuttoned. He went straight to the officer’s office. He accused him (name withheld) of having drenched a female adult with water earlier on in the day near a garage. An argument ensued between the two,” said the source.

The source added: “Abiashano who was in a no-nonsense mood spit venom at the police officer. The police officer tried to retaliate but was no match as the fuming Abiashano pushed and poked him in the face while insulting him grossly mentioning his anus. He was saying you police officers have a tendency of backing each other, I’m going to assault you later on.”

It took the intervention of a senior police officer to stop him from hurling insults at the cop in question.

“He had taken matters to a higher level as he was threatening to bash him if he dared to challenge him, saying he was a nonentity. At the height of the dramatic incident a senior police officer entered the office and quelled the mayhem,” said the source.

The man was arrested.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said:

“We arrested a man who pushed and insulted a police officer. We urge members of the public to abide by the law and not take the law into their hands.”

By Patrick Guramatunhu- “No Zimbabwean must die because of politics. I receive calls from some supporters saying President Chamisa please give us the signal (to start street protests).

I will never allow a single a person to die on my journey to State House,” said Nelson Chamisa, speaking at the Church service of the late Patson Dzamara.

“Yes, you may call it what, but I don’t believe that any human being is worth dying for politics. We must die so that we make change and development in our communities.”

People die because of what we do and also because of what we fail to do just as there are sins commission and commission.

Many Zimbabweans have risked life and limb, over 500 were murdered by Zanu PF operatives and hundreds of thousands were beaten and/or raped in the 2008 elections alone, to elect MDC leaders into power. The understanding was that once in power MDC would bring about the democratic changes implied in the party’s name and what the nation was dying for.

MDC has been on the political centre stage for the last 20 years, 5 of which in the GNU; and yet the party has failed to implement even one democratic reform. There is no doubt that Zimbabwe had its best opportunity ever during the 2008 to 2013 GNU to implement the democratic reforms which, implemented fully, would have ended the curse of rigged elections. MDC leaders failed to implement even one reform in 5 years! Not one!

It is no secret that Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office, the ministerial limos, the very generous salaries and allowances, the US$4 million for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, etc. etc. With their snouts in the feeding trough, MDC leaders forgot about implementing the reforms.

“Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!” (MDC leaders have learned to enjoy the gravy train good-life, they will not rock the boat!) Zanu PF cronies boasted, to answer why MDC leaders were not implementing the agreed raft of democratic reforms.

MDC has participated in the post 2008 GNU elections knowing that with no reforms in place Zanu PF would rig the elections and, worst of all, knowing that by participating the party would give the flawed process credibility and, by extension, give the result legitimacy. MDC leaders participated in the elections regardless out of greed, David Coltart admitted.

In his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe, David Coltart, former MDC – Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in the 2008 GNU, gave details of how Zanu PF was flouting the electoral rules in the upcoming 2013 elections. It was clear the elections would not be free, fair and credible.

“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” wrote Senator Coltart.

“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”

Chamisa dismissed the repeated advice not to participate in the July 2018 elections with contempt. “MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections!” he claimed.

Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections and Chamisa et al have been complaining of the rigging the elections and threatening street protests.  Chamisa promised to give the signal for street protests to start. He is, conveniently, forgetting his arrogant claim to stop the rigging and, most significant of all, that MDC had given the Zanu PF legitimacy by participating in the election.

Of course, there is no rational in complaining much less protest over the legitimacy of a vote rigging regime which, out of incompetence and greed, one is, knowingly, keeping in power.

Ever since the rigged July 2018 elections, Chamisa promised to give the signal that was going to get Zimbabweans out on the street “to claim their stolen vote”! He has yet to give the signal because he does not want to risk people being killed.

Well Zimbabweans are still dying in street protests starting with the one on 1st August 2018  to protest the rigged elections. But a hell lot more Zimbabweans are dying as a consequence of another five years of this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship.

Zanu PF’s blundering incompetence in the handling of the corona virus pandemic means many, many more Zimbabweans are going to get the virus and many will die. Zimbabwe has one of the lowest per capita covid-19 tests at 1:110 as of end July compared to 1:20 for SA, for example. This means many people with the virus who, if tested should have gone into isolation, have been spreading the virus far and wide.

“I receive calls to give us the street protests signal. I will never allow a single a person to die on my journey to State House.”

Many have already risked life and limb to get you half way there and you betrayed them by failing to implement even one reform.

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis is the failure to implement reforms and end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance.

Indeed, Zimbabweans must now open their eyes to the reality that the nation has already paid dearly in lost treasure, tragic human suffering and death to get MDC leaders this far into State House are the party has done nothing to inspire confidence and need for greater sacrifice.

MDC leaders are corrupt and incompetent and would constitute a mediocre government, at best! It will be insane to join the street protest for that!

Dear Honourable SG

Comrade SG, I imagine that these must be especially trying times for you as the SG of our movement, the MDC-T, as they are for many of us as ordinary members of our beloved movement, which we have strived to serve loyally for many years.

I say this to apologize that I impose an additional burden on you by sending you this long letter.

Some senior leaders have been threatened with violence by thugs linked to you. Most recently a senior party employee was hospitalized after being stabbed by vigilantes linked to you. It is very clear that this orgy of violence will not end soon.

I do not propose at this juncture to delve into who is responsible for that violence. I am however of the strong view that what is needed now is a deep-rooted commitment from you to refrain from violence, not just in word but more importantly in action.

Anyone can simply condemn violence – Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF did that all the time at the very time they were plotting evil.

Violent tendencies can only be quashed if leaders like you demonstrate that they are not prepared to tolerate violence in any form or fashion.

In the coming months, we will stage an Extra-Ordinary Congress. I am concerned that if violence is tolerated or condoned in intraparty disputes that the same policy may be applied at our much-awaited Extra-Ordinary Congress.

In this regard, I draw your attention to the “Pledge to non-violence” drafted by Martin Luther King for the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights which I have both attached and set out in full below.

I think the following points about it should be noted:

1. Our aim in both the settlement of intraparty disputes and in our struggle against the regime should be to achieve “justice and reconciliation – not a victory”.

The organisation we serve is after all the Movement for Democratic Change not the Movement for Change. In other words, mere victory over the MDC G40 faction or Zanu PF should never be our goal – our goal should be to bring about a new order of peace, justice and reconciliation, not the continuation of the hatred, pain, intolerance and overwhelming power we have experienced under Zanu PF.

2. We need to “walk and talk in the manner of love”. We cannot just talk about non-violence; our entire demeanour must reflect our commitment to non-violence.

This applies particularly when dealing with internal disputes. Our walk begins with how we treat our own brothers and sisters in the struggle.

How can we possibly convince the world that we have noble objectives if in the settlement of our internal disputes we are so quick to resort to violence or to turn a blind eye to violence?

3. We need to “sacrifice personal wishes in order that all men shall be free”. One of the things that have distressed me the most is the realisation that many in your camp are not interested in free, fair and non-violent contestation because that is the very thing that will obstruct their path to higher office.

4. If our struggle is indeed a noble one, if we are to maintain the moral high ground, then we must observe “the ordinary rules of courtesy” with both “friend and foe”.

How can it be that you have allowed yourself to be so uncouth towards colleagues, comrades and friends who have been to hell and back together with you in the last 20 or so years?

What has caused you to stoop so low to sling all manner of unsubstantiated barbs against others in the last 4 months?

Why is it that you have not afforded others the courtesy of testing “facts” before publishing untrue and wildly defamatory statements about your colleagues?

Why have you resorted to making such vile and vitriolic statements about your colleagues in public? I have been utterly appalled by the use of words like ‘dogs’, ‘2 angry Ndebeles’, to describe colleagues who are in the trenches with you.

Indeed what has greatly diminished the moral authority of our struggle against the Zanu regime and MDC G40 faction has been our distinct lack of courtesy shown to each other.

It is now perfectly reasonable for the Chamisa group to argue that they are up against uncouth people who do not care for truth or the observation of ordinary rules of courtesy.

5. Our commitment to non-violence should be all-embracing; we need to “refrain from the violence of fist, tongue or heart”.

In other words, we need to watch our physical actions, what we say and importantly what motivates us. One can pay lip service to non-violence and even refrain ourselves from the violence of the fist, whilst at the same time entertaining deep-rooted malice which eventually spills out.

It is no good putting on a facade of commitment to non-violence whilst at the same time encouraging others, especially young people, behind closed doors to engage in violence.

Recently we have been given the excuse that violent acts and statements committed by young men at MRT House were not done with your blessings.

That is simply not good enough. In my experience young people rarely engage in acts of violence unless they are encouraged to do so by leaders behind closed doors.

The history of Zimbabwe is littered with examples of young men and women being sacrificed to achieve the personal political goals of their elders.

We must break this cycle both in the settlement of our intraparty disputes. The cycle can only be broken if leaders like yourself consistently demonstrate in their words and actions their deep-rooted commitment to using non-violence.

Unless those who have engaged in violence are disciplined and expelled from the party young people will inevitably be left with the impression that leaders simply do not want to be associated with violence but actually support the use of violence.

6. There is a need for discipline – all must “follow the directions of the movement”. Even if leaders are committed to non-violent methods being used, undisciplined and over-exuberant people can get carried away in attempting to achieve what is otherwise a noble goal.

I have been alarmed by the cavalier attitude displayed by you in dealing with an intraparty dispute. You seem to be prepared to throw caution to the wind and not to care how your strategies and tactics may unfold.

As a leader, you have a responsibility to consider carefully what you say and do and also leaders like yourself need to ensure that their followers are highly disciplined.

If this approach is not adopted there is a great danger that a wildfire will be ignited that will be difficult to extinguish and indiscriminate in its destruction.

I recognise that you may be deeply sceptical about what I have written. You may just think that these are irrelevant musings of a naive youthful activist who does not understand the nature of this struggle and what is needed to pursue it to its logical conclusion.

I hold to these views not just because I think they are morally correct but because I also believe that these principles provide the best and most effective means of bringing democratic change to our beloved nation.

I think if we engage in intraparty violence we will simply perpetuate the struggle for freedom and never deal with the root causes of our nation’s distress.

Let me conclude by saying that whether you commit yourself to these principles or not I am determined to do everything in my power to continue persuading anyone who will listen that this is the right way. I can do no better than to quote Martin Luther King again in this regard.

“I’ve decided that I’m going to do battle for my philosophy. You ought to believe something in life, believe that thing so fervently that you will stand up with it till the end of your days.

I can’t make myself believe that God wants me to hate. I’m tired of violence. And I’m not going to let my oppressor dictate to me what method I must use.

We have power, power that can’t be found in Molotov cocktails, but we do have power. The power that cannot be found in bullets and guns, but we have power.

It is a power as old as the insights of Jesus of Nazareth and as modern as the techniques of Mahatma Gandhi.”

It would be wonderful if you in particular and all the other democratic leaders in the party would make a similar pledge to the one drafted by Martin Luther King 57 years ago.

With Regards,

Councillor Thobani Ncube
Bulawayo MDC-T Youth Assembly Organising Secretary and Ward 23 Councillor

By A Correspondent- Police have released riveting details of how they allegedly arrested larger-than-life MDC Alliance deputy national chairperson Job “Wiwa” Sikhala last week.

Among other claims, law enforcement agents say the daring and heavily-built Zengeza West legislator was hiding in a ceiling at the house in Tynwald North – a western suburb of Harare – when they pounced on him.

However, Sikhala is disputing the narrative saying the ceiling could not support a man of his size had he attempted to hide in it.

Addressing a Harare magistrate during Sikhala’s bail hearing yesterday, detective constable Collin Makore from the CID Law and Order claimed that the burly lawyer-cum-politician only came down from the ceiling after police threatened to lob teargas at him.

This comes as Sikhala’s arrest has sent tongues wagging within opposition ranks, where accusations have been flying around furiously as to how he ended up being nabbed by authorities.

Makore told the court that Sikhala’s arrest was coincidental, as police had besieged the house where he was hiding looking for its owner – Anderson Mundazi – after receiving information that there were petrol bombs and catapults there.

“We had a warrant to search the place after receiving information that there were machetes, catapults and petrol bombs being manufactured there.

“Our intention was not to arrest Sikhala, but we were targeting Anderson,” he said.

Makore told the court that although they found nothing to this effect, it was when they were about to leave the house that they noticed some fresh footprints on the walls of the passage.

Makore said he looked up and noticed a removed panel on the ceiling, whereupon he discovered that Sikhala was hiding inside.

“I noticed that the panel was removed and asked who was in there. I threatened to throw tear smoke inside and he responded, stopping me.

“When he saw me, he was happy and we embraced each other. He did not have a mask and I bought it for him, as well as water to drink.

“I even told him that he was not our mission, but I informed him that he was on the police wanted list and that I was taking him to the police station, and he complied,” Makore said.

However, Sikhala’s lawyer Eric Matinenga disputed that his client’s arrest was coincidental, adding that he had been arrested by 15 armed policemen.

Makore told the court that as a cop, he could not let Sikhala go free – as he knew that he was on the police wanted list.

Asked if Sikhala could evade trial if he was granted bail, especially having been previously bailed in more serious cases, Makore said he could not predict the future.

“I have seen videos of him being fed in the bush and I cannot say how he is going to react in this case. He was also hiding in the ceiling,” he said.

The hearing will continue today with videos and audio clips expected to be produced in court.

This comes amid accusations and counter-accusations that Sikhala was betrayed by his comrades within the divided MDC Alliance last weekend, leading to his arrest.

Youth spokesperson Stephen “Sarkozy” Chuma and former Zanu-PF youth leader Jim Kunaka were among those who pointed fingers at each other over the arrest. Chuma – who is seen as a “disciple” of Sikhala – has denied the accusations that he had sold out his mentor, instead pointing fingers at Kunaka.

“Kunaka had a friend who is a member of the CID (Criminal Investigations Department) who was coming to our hiding place regularly, bringing him food. One day we left the house in the morning with other comrades.

“When we left, I received a call from Kunaka telling me that they had brought me a phone after I had lost mine, and that I needed to rush back to the hiding place within 30 minutes or he would take it back to the shop.

“Unfortunately, we had no car, but we then heard a few moments later that Wiwa had been arrested,” Chuma told the Daily News earlier this week.

“Jim was not there at the hiding place when the arrest was made, yet he is not being implicated. The same person who is accusing me is the one who used to bring his CID friends, about three times,” he added.

Chuma also told the Daily News that the majority of the 14 people who were placed on the police wanted list were staying together at the Tynwald North house, where Sikhala was arrested.

“I am so much in pain because the person who was arrested (Sikhala) is more like a brother and father to me. “I have known Wiwa since 2014. I was linked to him by the late (MDC president Morgan) Tsvangirai. I keep so many secrets with Sikhala.

“I literally live off Sikhala and I can even tell you that all my rentals up to December were paid by Sikhala. I don’t know why I would then bite the hand that feeds me,” Chuma said further.

On his part, Kunaka said he was convinced that Chuma had snitched on Sikhala after the combative Zengeza West legislator allegedly showed him messages that he got from some sources before he was arrested.

“Before we came to the Tynwald house, Sikhala told us that one of us was selling out without mentioning names. But I pressured him to say who it was.

“He pointed at Sarkozy (Chuma), who then said there were people who wanted to divide us. Sikhala said nothing more, probably thinking that he had changed.

“But then on Wednesday, he (Sikhala) came to our room and told us that there was a security threat and that he had messages from his sources that Sarkozy was still selling out,” Kunaka told the Daily News.

Kunaka – a former leader of the notorious and now-defunct Chipangano terror group – also said he had left the

Tynwald North house on Thursday, after hearing that his wife was unwell.

“I left after I consulted Sikhala and … I was supposed to come back on Friday night. I then called Sarkozy to go and collect a phone that I had taken from my shop and told him he would pay later because he had lost his.

“I then got a message from some of the guys who were with Sarkozy that Sikhala had been arrested,” he said further.

In addition, Kunaka claimed that their security could have been compromised by other people they were staying with, since some went out of the house to buy beer.

At the time of his arrest, Sikhala had been in hiding for nearly six weeks after suspected State agents began trailing him in the run-up to the foiled July 31 mass demonstrations.

Two weeks ago, the Daily News was told that some MDC Alliance bigwigs were pushing to have Sikhala expelled from the coalition for his radical political activities and dogged opposition to Zanu-PF and its government.

So bad was the situation said to have become for Sikhala, that sources told the Daily News at the time that some of his comrades were even hoping that authorities would manage to fish him out from his hideout.

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance youths barred and threatened to beat up seven Zanu-PF councillors for Karoi Town Council, including the chairperson, Cllr Abel Matsika who wanted to attend the burial of a colleague MDC-A Karoi Ward 4 Councillor, Lavender Chiwaya (34) on Wednesday.

The seven were forced to follow proceedings from a distance after MDC-A youths barred them from approaching the grave and also prevented Cllr Matsika from addressing the mourners on behalf of council.

Reported the state media:

The MDC-A supporters are alleging that Chiwaya, the party’s Hurungwe Central chairperson, who was found dead last Friday four houses away from his home, was murdered by state security agents. Police announced that they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.

The seven, who worked with the late MDC-A councillor had made contributions towards the burial and also accompanied the body to Harare for a post mortem.

Cllr Matsika told The Herald that they were forced to leave midway through the burial since the situation was degenerating into a rally and that the behaviour of the youths was totally at variance with the late Chiwaya’s character.

“The youths barred us from accessing the grave site. I then asked to be given a chance to speak on behalf of the council before we leave and they refused,” he said.

“Chiwaya was a civic leader who belonged to MDC-A but he never took his political affiliation to work and endeared himself with people from different social classes, which explains why a lot of people and not only from his party, turned up to bury him.”

Chiwaya was elected councillor in 2008 when he was 22. He is survived by his wife and five children.

ZHRO VISION 2020, Walk for Freedom is starting on Saturday the 29th of August 2020 in Brighton U.K. and ends some 110km later at Hampton Court train Station in London on Sunday 30th October 2020.

The Walk for Freedom is used by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation (ZHRO), to raise awareness to the British public of the plight of people who are in Zimbabwe. These protest walks are due to take place every year until human rights are restored in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabweans all over the world now feel that they need an accountable Government. Not the ZANU PF Mafia Organisation that sends the police and or army to abduct, torture, rape and shoot unarmed civilian citizens in broad daylight in the middle of the capital city, in front of the worlds international media.

Today, the Junta in Zimbabwe is rife with corruption, individuals who are bigger than institutions, leading to miss management of the whole economy which has led to it being comatosed and debilitatingly paralysed due to a myriad of horrible things which includes the theft of COVID-19 donations by people very close to the President of Zimbabwe E. D. Mnangagwa.

Zimbabwe’s economy now has over 800% inflation, last year it was over 100% inflation. Inflation was less than 10% per annum before Mugabe was removed less than 4 years ago.

Over 8 million Zimbabweans are said to be extremely food insecure by the World Food Program (WFP). The same number is also said to be at risk of or in Extreme Poverty. The WFP is subsiding millions of families in Zimbabwe with Food and or cash disbursements in the face of continuous Zimbabwe Government incompetence which is said to be assisting less than 20% of the most vulnerable, leaving WFP and other Government and Non Governmental Organisations to pick up the bulk.

This has led to many activists in Zimbabwe and around the world taking to protest against ZANU PF. In retaliation, ZANU PF has resorted to such extreme heavy handedness, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been more abductions, more torture, more loss of life and in the face of this; many Zimbabweans are now openly defying the armed forces and the police by saying Kusiri Kufa Ndekupi (either way we are dead) a clear example is the brave people who were in attendance when Job Sikhala was arrested and had his most recent first appearance in court.

“Zimbabweans are still suffering both in Zimbabwe and in the Diaspora. So we’ve got a road to go,” said Rashiwe Bayisayi last year when being interviewed. Parts of the ZHRO Vision 2020 walk will be on Facebook Live.

By A Correspondent- High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi on 28 August 2020 reserved ruling in the bail appeal by journalist Hopewell Chin’ono to Wednesday, 2 September 2020 after hearing arguments by the state and the defence teams.

The defence team, led by Advocate Taona Nyamakura assisted by Gift Mtisi, argued that Harare magistrate, Ngoni Nduna, had erred by denying Chin’ono bail following his appeal on the basis of changed circumstances.

Magistrate Nduna on 24 August 2020 denied the journalist bail for the second time following Chin’ono’s application at the Magistrates Court in Harare on the basis of changed circumstances.

By A Correspondent- US actor Chadwick Boseman, best known for playing Black Panther in the hit Marvel superhero franchise, has died of cancer, his family say.

The 43-year-old died at home in Los Angeles with his family by his side.

Boseman had not spoken publicly about his diagnosis.

Boseman first came to prominence playing real-life figures – baseball great Jackie Robinson in 2013’s 42, and musician James Brown in 2014’s Get on Up.

However, it will be as the titular Black Panther in the blockbuster 2018 film he will be best remembered.

Boseman stars as the ruler of Wakanda, a fictional African nation with the most advanced technology on earth.

As well as winning critical praise and taking more than $1.3 billion US dollars (£973m) at cinemas worldwide, the film was widely seen as a cultural milestone for having a largely black cast and a black director, Ryan Coogler.

Boseman said last year that the film had changed what it means to be “young, gifted and black”.

Black Panther was the first superhero film to get a nomination for best picture at the Oscars.

He also played the same role in other Marvel films Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

The announcement will come as a shock to many as Boseman never discussed his 2016 diagnosis publicly.

However, fans started raising concerns over his health this year due to noticeable weight loss.

BBC News