State Media

Chitungwiza Municipal Council demoted its acting town clerk Dr Tonderai Kasu last week after he unnecessarily declined to authorise free data lines and bundles for councillors.

He was also accused of issuing a public statement without council authority listing alledged irregularities in the construction of a building on the stand allocated to MDC-A deputy national chairman Job Sikhala in Zengeza 2

He was repleced by finance director Mrs Evangelista Machona.

The demotion was made during a special council meeting held last Thursday.

Well-placed sources said Dr Kasu was demoted on allegations that he had opposed a demand by councillors to have data lines and monthly bundles.

“Dr Kasu was pressured to sign a memo seeking authorisation of councillors to be given data lines and five gigabyte data bundles on a monthly basis, which are not included on the ministerial directive on the prescribed benefits for councillors,” said a source.

Another source said councillors were unhappy with the way he handled Sikhala’s stand issue after issuing public statements raising concern over developments at the politician’s stand in Zengeza 2.

Dr Kasu refused to comment on the issue, referring all the questions to the mayor.

But Chitungwiza mayor Lovemore Maiko said the decision was taken to allow Dr Kasu to focus on his health portfolio following concerns over the rise in Covid-19 cases in the town.

“There is a resolution that directors must rotate as acting town clerk. However, in this case we were motivated to reassign him to his portfolio due to the increased cases of Covid-19 in Chitungwiza,” he said.

“There was a gap which Dr Kasu needed to fill as a medical doctor and make sure we contain the pandemic just like in Harare where the health director, Dr Prosper Chonzi, is hands on.”

Clr Maiko dismissed allegations that Dr Kasu was being victimised for writing orders against Sikhala’s stand in Zengeza 2 as that decision was done collectively.

In terms of data bundles, he said they wrote a letter to the parent ministry, Local Government and Public Works, and were given the greenlight since they intended to conduct virtual meetings considering that their chambers have limited space, which does not allow them to practice social distancing.

https://twitter.com/BitiTendai/status/1297910800431054849?s=20

Happening Now: @PoliceZimbabwe assaulting supporters of Zengeza West MP Hon. Job Job Sikhala outside Harare Magistrates Court. Video Credit Kumbirai Mafunda. pic.twitter.com/1g5Wu5Qvga

— ZLHR (@ZLHRLawyers) August 24, 2020

 

The Standard

Striking health workers have rejected Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s pleas for them to return to work, saying the government must first address their grievances.

Chiwenga, who was appointed Health and Child Care minister by President Emmerson Mnangagwa early this month, last week appealed to doctors and nurses to return to work while their grievances were being addressed.

The majority of health workers, including nurses, went on strike two months ago demanding salaries in United States dollars and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE).

They were joined by doctors weeks later, crippling services at public hospitals at a time the country is battling the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shingayi Nyaguse from the Zimbabwe Senior Hospital Doctors’ Association said although their members were concerned about the plight of their patients, they would not return to work until their grievances were met.

“We are glad he (Chiwenga) is concerned about the lives of patients as we are,” Nyaguse said.

“Unfortunately, none of the factors that made people unable to come to work have been addressed.

“We would love to meet him or his representatives and discuss how to resolve the immediate issues and also to discuss how the underlying problems in the sector can be addressed in the medium to long-term.”

Enoch Dongo, the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) president, said nurses would only return to work after government addressed their grievances.

“Nothing has changed in as far as our grievances are concerned,” Dongo said.

He said besides poor remuneration, nurses wanted the government to improve their working conditions and provide them with PPE.

“We still do not have adequate personal protective equipment, so we will not be pushed to go back without the proper tools to carry out our work,” Dongo said.

Most public hospitals do not have drugs and basic equipment to treat patients.

Health workers have also been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with over 400 of them testing positive for the disease.

Meanwhile, Dongo said nurses were also frustrated that Chiwenga had not made an effort to engage them since he was appointed Health and Child Care minister.

“We just heard that the Health minister has called on us to go back to work, but he is yet to engage us,” he said. “We also need to be heard and share our side of the story.”

Nurses downed tools on June 8 citing incapacitation because of poor salaries and lack of PPE.

Senior doctors joined the strike, saying they too were unhappy with their conditions, which have been worsened by the absence of nurses in hospitals.

Itai Rusike, the director of the Community Working Group on Health, urged the authorities to urgently address the health workers’ grievances.

“We call for a speedy, fair and impartial procedure in resolving the labour dispute to avoid further loss of life,” Rusike said.

Strikes by doctors and nurses have become commonplace in Zimbabwe due to poor salaries and lack of equipment and drugs at hospitals.

 

Police officers at the Harare Magistrates Court had a torrid day trying to disperse a number of MDC Alliance supporters who had turned up at the courts in support of their leader Job Sikhala.

Sikhala was arrested from a house in Harare where he was supposedly in hiding from the police. He is charged with inciting violence.

Watch video downloading below.

Watch- "Unogona kundirova asi mangwana uchaita rombe" Police officer told at Rotten Row Magistrates court pic.twitter.com/iLncqZjIsH

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 24, 2020

By A Correspondent- Masvingo Provincial Covid-19 Taskforce announced on Monday that five government workers at Masvingo provincial offices have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The development was announced by the Taskforce’s spokesperson, Rodgers Irimayi who said out of a total of 139 workers that were tested for Covid-19 last week from the government offices in the city, five had tested positive.

Masvingo recorded two Covid-19 deaths last week, and the province, overall, has 19 other active cases.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe as a whole, as of Sunday 23 August 2020, had recorded a total of 5930 known coronavirus cases including 155 deaths.

Of late, local transmissions have been more than imported cases. Health authorities have as a result urged the citizenry to observe recommendations to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

statemedia

My Fellow Zimbabweans
This Honda Fit AFB – 8275 .This car tried to push us out of the road and when we stopped to talk to the driver he runaway and the car has been following me since yesterday .. #ZimbabweanLivesMatter @zimlive @ZimEye @PacheduZW @DougColtart pic.twitter.com/N0r8dgX14f

— Dr Nyasha William Gwazemba PhD (@DrNyashaForMP) August 24, 2020

State Media

Zanu PF Harare province has demanded that Harare City Council rescind the sale of land to some party officials, which the party was occupying on lease from the city, saying the transaction was fraudulently done.

The ruling party’s provincial executive led by acting chairperson, Oliver Chidawu, has since appointed the party’s District Coordinating Committee chairperson, Godwils Masimirembwa, to represent it in criminal investigations to establish the circumstances of the sale.

The Chidawu-led executive said only the party’s national leadership had the authority to handle the matter and not provincial executive members as what happened in the present case.

However, the party officials accused of buying Stand Number 55 Pomona Estate, Number 8 Campel Road measuring 8 000 square metres in Borrowdale, insisted the purchase was above board.

It is alleged that the party officials, using their private company, purchased the property through misrepresentation to council.

The stand has been used as district party offices by Zanu PF Borrowdale District since 1990.

One of the officials, Lameck Tarupuwa, said they bought the property after Zanu PF Harare province, through a letter by provincial secretary for administration, George Mashavave, notified council that it had no objection to the sale.

A paper trail in possession of The Herald show that normal procedures were followed in the acquisition of the land by Tarupuwa’s company, with letters from the city council and the party authorising the sale.

According to the papers, the stand was eventually bought by Pebney (Pvt) Ltd from the City of Harare on the strength of the letter from Mashavave.

The matter was eventually brought to the city’s Education, Health, Housing and Community Services and Licensing Committee, which approved the sale after the company offered to pay US$650 000 against a valuation of US$130 000.

In an interview yesterday,Mashavave said he wrote the letter after the then Zanu PF provincial management committee directed him to do so on the understanding that the party would be given alternative land.

Harare city council director for housing and community services, Mr Addmore Nhekairo, said they allowed Pebney to buy the stand after its application was accompanied by a cover letter from Zanu PF Harare province, indicating the party had no objection to the sale.

“We had no reason to doubt that party officials whom we were dealing with had no legitimate authority from the party,” he said.

“It was only brought to our attention when we attended meetings with Cde Chidau where we were told that we had to set aside the sale. Our hope is that they will find each other among themselves.”

In a new twist of events, Chidau’s executive has since reported the matter to police and appointed Cde Masimirembwa as the party’s contact person.

“This letter serves to authorise Godwills Masimirembwa in his capacity as Chairman Zanu PF DCC4 to represent Zanu PF in criminal investigations under CCD DR 55/7 and CCD CR 503/7/2020 pertaining to fraudulent purchase of stand number Lot 55 Pomona Estate (No 8 Campbel) by Pebney (Pvt) Ltd represented by Lameck Tarupuwa and the fraudulent transaction involving US$26 000 rentals due to Zanu PF rentals which was deposited into the account of one Fungai Chiboora,” read a letter from Chidau dated July 17, 2020.

In another letter to Mr Nhekairo, Zanu PF DCC4 secretary for administration Blessing Chimangah said Harare provincial members had no authority to consent to the sale of the land to a third party.

Chimangah said Harare City Council should have first offered to Zanu PF the right of first refusal before selling the land to a third party as per their agreement.

He said the purported consent to the disposal of land by Zanu PF was fraudulently given.

“Issues of land acquisition and disposal are decided upon by national leadership of the party, not by provincial leadership,” said Chimangah.

“Thus the letter written by Cde Mashavave or any provincial leader consenting to the disposal should be disregarded,” read the letter.

Further, it is argued that Tarupuwa was a member of Zanu PF Harare Province when his company, Pebney (Pvt) Ltd, purchased the property from the City of Harare.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

Luck and certainly justice just don’t appear to be on the side of detained journalist Hopewell Chin’ono as he was denied bail by the Harare magistrates court yet again on Monday.

Chinono is facing charges of allegedly inciting the public to take part in a protest march last month.

He is seen as one of the key figures in the planned July 31 protests, which the government had outlawed citing security and Covid-19 health grounds.

He is accused of widely using social media to rally people to take part in the planned protests inspite of the ban of the marches.

Chin’ono, who was arrested together with other political activists on the same charges, has unsuccessfully tried to secure bail at the High Court and Harare Magistrates Court several times.

In the latest case, he sought bail on grounds of changed circumstances, arguing that since the date of the planned protests had passed, there was no need to keep him in remand prison.

The protests were generally snubbed by the public, a factor Chin’ono’s lawyers argued also made him a good candidate for bail.

But magistrate Ngoni Nduna dismissed the application, ruling that there were no changed circumstances that warranted granting of bail.

“Freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono denied bail again. Magistrate Nduna says there are no new facts warranting his admission to bail,” Chin’ono’s lawyers, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, said.

In the latest bid for partial freedom, the political activist had also claimed dangers of possible Covid-19 infection in prison.

Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was on 24 August 2020 denied bail yet again following his fresh bail application on the basis of changed circumstances.

However, in his ruling, Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna highlighted that alleged exposure to Covid-19 in the prison facility and the passage of 31 July 2020 (a day that had been planned for demonstrations), does not constitute changed circumstances that warrant the granting of bail.

The fresh bail proceedings had been held in camera following an application by the State represented by prosecutors Whisper Mabhaudhi and Tendai Shonhayi.

Read: Bail ruling for journalist Chin’ono reserved to Monday

Read: Lawyer Mtetwa barred from representing journalist Chin’ono

Read: Fresh bail application for journalist Chin’ono to be held in-camera

Chin’ono was arrested on allegations of incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry or alternatively incitement to commit public violence, allegedly linked to the planned demonstrations.

In custody since 20 July 2020, Chin’ono is set to appear in court on 1 September 2020 for the continuation of the remand proceedings.

He is now represented by Advocate Taona Nyamakura after his former lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa was barred from representing him on allegations of being disrespectful to the court and making derogatory comments towards the court through a Facebook page titled: Beatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of Law.

By A Correspondent- A Mount Darwin pedophile was sentenced to 16 years in jail by Bindura regional magistrate Amos Mubhobho who for raping a 12 year old girl twice in the field.

Andrew Kambosha (37)  of Nyamupfukudza village was convicted after full trial.

Prosecutor Samson Chamunorwa told the court that sometime in February Kambosha followed the minor in the fields and pinned her down before raping her.

A week later he used the same modus operandi and threatened to kill her if she revealed it to anyone.

The matter came to light when the victim asked the name of the rapist after he was involved in bestiality and told her aunty that he had raped her months ago.

She was taken to hospital where it was revealed that she was penetrated leading to his arrest.

Police arrest MDC Alliance members at magistrates court pic.twitter.com/zoBC83m48u

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 24, 2020

Happening Now: @PoliceZimbabwe assaulting supporters of Zengeza West MP Hon. Job Job Sikhala outside Harare Magistrates Court. Video Credit Kumbirai Mafunda. pic.twitter.com/1g5Wu5Qvga

— ZLHR (@ZLHRLawyers) August 24, 2020

By A Correspondent- At least 364 people have succumbed to Malaria this year while 361 000 people were infected by the disease according to the World Health Organisation.

Most of the affected people are in Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland.

This comes as Zimbabwe observed World Mosquito Day, which falls on August 20 every year in commemoration of British doctor Ronald Ross’ discovery in 1897 that female mosquitoes transmit malaria among humans.

-DailyNews

 

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has accused Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa of “killing the people of Zimbabwe softly.”

Advocate Chamisa has also strongly condemned the violation of the rule of law by Mr Mnangagwa.

Watch video below:

POLICE in Dema, Mashonaland East Province, have arrested a 23-year-old man who allegedly killed his lover after being intimate with her in a car, before dumping the body in a bush.

Shepherd Ndemera of Madoro Village under Chief Seke is assisting police with investigations after he allegedly murdered his girlfriend, Nokuthula Shana, of Chitungwiza.

Provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Tendai Mwanza, confirmed the incident.

“I confirm a murder case that occurred in Dema where a female corpse was discovered in a bush,” he said.
“The suspect has since been arrested and is helping the police with investigations.

We urge the public to exercise restraint during misunderstandings to avoid such tragic incidents.”

On August 16 around 7pm, the suspect reportedly asked his girlfriend to spend a night with him in a car that he was guarding along the Chirasavana-Gombe Road.
The car had developed a mechanical fault.

It is understood the girlfriend proceeded to the place, but they had a misunderstanding over infidelity, which degenerated into a fight.

On realising his girlfriend had died, the suspect allegedly carried the body and dumped it in a bush about 200 metres from the broken down vehicle.

The body was discovered by a villager the following morning, who alerted Dema police, who observed that the half-naked corpse had bites all over the face and a deep cut on the head.

Police also found blood stains inside the vehicle, leading to the arrest of the suspect.-The Herald

We publish below the live updates at MDC Alliance leader Job Sikhala’s court hearing which is currently happening at Rotten Row Magistrates court

State says there should be an investigation into complaints put before the court by the defence counsel. Says Sikhala can only be removed from Chikurubi upon production of an investigation report https://t.co/Yb78xJnELM

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 24, 2020

Lawyer says Sikhala noblonger feels safe at Chikurubi

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 24, 2020

14:35- The State says there should be an investigation into complaints put before the court by the defence counsel.

14:32- Mutimbanyoka told Sikhala that verbatim) “you will die” and asked for his next of kin’s number.

14:30- Harrison Nkomo who is representing Sikhala tells the court that jis client was mixed with inmates who had tested positive to coronavirus.

14:28-  Mutimbanyoka instructed a junior prison officer to handcuff Sikhala for the whole day on 23 August 2020, the court hears.

14:25-  Sikhala’s lawyers complain to Magistrate that his client was threatened with death by a prison officer named Mutimbanyoka at Chikurubi maximum prison.

 

 

By A Correspondent- Doctors at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals have with immediate effect withdrawn their services after some of their colleagues tested positive for COVID-19.

In a letter to the Hospital Management, the doctors said their decision to withdraw their services was to protect their patientsand the spread of the virus.

We publish below the letter to management by the doctors:

“A considerable number of the SRMOS have tested positive for SARS-Covid-19 and a sizeable number SRMOS are displaying symptoms of Covid-19 and await to be tested. In the best interest of other health workers and patients, we have found it best that we self-isolate at home whilst Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital is disinfected.

Those who tested positive will be in quarantine as per national guidelines. Those who are symptomatic will self-isolate until they are cleared. Providing service whilst symptomatic and without proper PPE puts patients and other health workers at risk of contracting the highly contagious pathogen.

We kindly implore your office that you organise that all patients that will be admitted in hospital be tested for Covid-19. Those who test positive will have to be managed in the Red Zone.”

The court says #JobSikhala can only be removed from Chikurubi maximum prison upon the production of an investigation report detailing the aunthenticity of his complaints against state security agents. Can the STATE independently INVESTIGATE ITSELF? #ZimbabweansLivesMatter

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 24, 2020

We publish below the live updates at MDC Alliance leader Job Sikhala’s court hearing which is currently happening at Rotten Row Magistrates court

State says there should be an investigation into complaints put before the court by the defence counsel. Says Sikhala can only be removed from Chikurubi upon production of an investigation report https://t.co/Yb78xJnELM

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 24, 2020

Lawyer says Sikhala noblonger feels safe at Chikurubi

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 24, 2020

14:38- The State says Sikhala can only be removed from Chikurubi upon production of an investigation report.

14:35- The State says there should be an investigation into complaints put before the court by the defence counsel.

14:32- Mutimbanyoka told Sikhala that verbatim) “you will die” and asked for his next of kin’s number.

14:30- Harrison Nkomo who is representing Sikhala tells the court that jis client was mixed with inmates who had tested positive to coronavirus.

14:28-  Mutimbanyoka instructed a junior prison officer to handcuff Sikhala for the whole day on 23 August 2020, the court hears.

14:25-  Sikhala’s lawyers complain to Magistrate that his client was threatened with death by a prison officer named Mutimbanyoka at Chikurubi maximum prison.

 

 

BY Dr Masimba Mavaza | Politics becomes brutal and bruising as enemies attack Cde Victor Matemadanda the Deputy Minister of Defence and ZANU PF’s National Political Commissair. Comrade Matemadanda has been accused of impregnating Mr Kaseke’s wife. Mr Kaseke is currently on Wheelchar.

A whatsapp message was circulating with no author saying, “Zanu PF national political commissar Victor Matema Damba impregnates Bety Nhambu Kaseke the wife of Karikoga Kaseke former ZTA CEO. Matemadanda and Kaseke were very close before, during and after the coup time.

“It was Kaseke who used to provide accommodation at rainbow towers to Matemadanda and Mutsvangwa when they were fighting Mugabe. Matemadanda took Betty from Kaseke after Kaseke fell ill, he is now wheelchair bound.

“This is the type of leadership we have in Zimbabwe and we expect these people to fix our political and economic quagmires.”

Cde Matemadanda commented saying, “I have no time for detractors. I am a principled man and i can never go down that low to defile my body with such human endurance. I have a great task for my President My Party and my nation. I do not want to dignify such street talk from people who want to slow down my work.”

In a serious tone Cde Matemadanda said “ we are a few years from 2023. My focus is on winning the elections for my president, my party and all ZANU PF MPs. “

He added “ I am Victor not only by name but in purpose. “

I am aware of some scrupulous people who tried to smuggle some CVs for the DCCs and I stood by the due process and the constitution of the party. By standing resolute I created a lot of friends and enemies. As a result I get a lot of mudslinging and accusations which baseless”

By A Correspondent | Zengeza MP Job Sikhala’s wife last night received a message which suggests that there are poisoning efforts at the Harare Remand prison where her husband is currently held.

The message who’s authenticity could not be established was a supposed alert narrated in broken English that her husband will never be permitted bail, and will be poisoned.

It read in full:

“I’m a top prison officer works at Chikurubi maximum prison. I don’t want to lie to you, all these activists being arrested will not be permitted bail never.

“These guys are being given food poison and water inside. I don’t think the opposition MDC will exist again. Last night 3 government officials visits here and left some plastic bags with powders I’m sure it’s an additional poison to these inmates.

The arrest of Ngaribvume, Chin’ono and Sikhala’s main aim is to wipe them all in cells.
23-08-20
Alert!”

Sikhala is set to attend court Monday morning after being arrested on Friday afternoon and he has been charged for inciting public violence. His party, the MDC Alliance, however maintains that he is being punished simply for being an opposition MP.

The US is rallying the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) to play a more assertive role in helping to solve the deepening crisis in Zimbabwe.

The US is also urging Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to open dialogue with the opposition.

Speaking for the first time since the ruling Zanu-PF called him a “thug”, US Ambassador to Harare Brian A Nichols, told TimesLIVE SA was leading by example and could achieve success in bringing about change in its neighbouring country.

“This is an opportunity for the institution (Sadc) to stand up to the excesses that are taking place here in terms of human rights abuses. And this is an opportunity for Sadc to promote a more prosperous region,” he said.

Zimbabwe says it is not on the agenda of the four-day SADC summit, which starts on Friday, because there is no crisis in the country.

“The step SA has taken in sending its special envoys here is very positive. The statement from the AU was a very positive step. All those people of goodwill will come together to support Zimbabwe at this difficult moment.”

Nichols said Zimbabwe had a three-pronged crisis: health care, food security and political turmoil.

“There’s widespread concern about where Zimbabwe is headed and people who are legitimate friends of Zimbabwe are deeply worried,” he said.

He said since 2018, after the disputed general elections that handed a narrow win to Mnangagwa, there had been high-level meetings between him and American officials — but what was discussed had not been implemented by Harare.

“We have had a couple of high-level meetings with President Mnangagwa. From Washington, secretary of state for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy has met with President Mnangagwa twice — once on the margins of the UN General Assembly in 2018, and then last year at the African CEO Summit in Maputo. At that time we talked about our desire to have a stronger relationship.

“But that depended on this government pursuing strong and irreversible reforms and, unfortunately, we are waiting for many of those reforms still to take place,” he said.

The ambassador said some of the concerns are “shared mutually” with some senior officials in government who believe the country’s future depends on enacting broad reforms around freedom of expression, rule of law, strong institutions, anti-corruption, and levelling the political playing field.

Nichols is not alone in calling for dialogue between Mnangagwa and MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa. Killer Zivhu, a former Zanu-PF legislator, was expelled from the party last month for making the same call. Last week, former Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono also suggested dialogue between opposing parties — but instead of having SA play the mediation role, he suggested Rwanda’s Paul Kagame for the task. Gono argued that because of his military background Kagame could do a better job.

Gono suggested that Zimbabwe should have a transitional authority while the country works on a framework for reform before elections are brought back.

Nichols said he believed this could work if all stakeholders acted in good faith.

“That is something that we have supported for the last couple of years. Several civic society organisations are advocating for that solution. How that dialogue progresses and what agreements come out of it, will depend on the people of Zimbabwe.

It will depend on all the political, economic and social actors and religious communities coming together and having a conversation centred around how we deal with the challenges of the economic crisis, how do we deal with corruption, as well as health-care issues, and how do we come up with a living wage,” he said.

Despite Harare denying there’s a crisis in the country, there has been an increased onslaught on opposition political activists. MDC Alliance legislator Job Sikhala was on Friday arrested and charged with inciting public violence by backing the July 31 protests.

He joins journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and Transforms Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume who were denied bail.

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party last month called Nichols a “thug” and accused him of funding the opposition ahead of the planned anti-government protests that authorities said were meant to overthrow the government.

-Online

Paul Nyathi 

The MDC leader over the weekend took time to address the ills engulfing Zimbabwe and said the situation in Zimbabwe was deteriorating every single day and there was an undeniable crisis in Zimbabwe.

“I come to you in unprecedented circumstances of national crisis, things are worsening every day, the situation is deteriorating, the situation is decaying and decomposing. Over the past few weeks and days, our country has attracted the attention and critical eye of the world,” said Chamisa.

Watch his full address in the video downloading below. Please be patient while the video downloads.

 

About 400 Zimbabweans are reportedly stranded at Lindela Repatriation Centre in South Africa after the Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa is said to be refusing to assist to verify them so that they can be deported.

Lindela is a detention centre for undocumented migrants in South Africa.

Some of the detainees who spoke to this publication over the weekend said the Embassy isn’t verifying them for deportation because Zimbabwe was not ready to receive them citing issues relating to lack of quarantine and rehabilitation centres.

South Africa cannot deport them without Zimbabwe verifying that they are her citizens.

Another detainees who is a former prisoner said his group was granted amnesty but when they got to Lindela they were informed that Zimbabwe had requested a halt to deportation. He has been stranded in the facility while other prisoners have returned to their countries or to their homes in South Africa.

The Zimbabwe Embassy was not available for comment at the time of writing.

-Online

Times Live

The US is rallying the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) to play a more assertive role in helping to solve the deepening crisis in Zimbabwe.

The US is also urging Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to open dialogue with the opposition.

Speaking for the first time since the ruling Zanu-PF called him a “thug”, US Ambassador to Harare Brian A Nichols, told TimesLIVE SA was leading by example and could achieve success in bringing about change in its neighbouring country.

“This is an opportunity for the institution (Sadc) to stand up to the excesses that are taking place here in terms of human rights abuses. And this is an opportunity for Sadc to promote a more prosperous region,” he said.

“The step SA has taken in sending its special envoys here is very positive. The statement from the AU was a very positive step. All those people of goodwill will come together to support Zimbabwe at this difficult moment.”

Nichols said Zimbabwe had a three-pronged crisis: health care, food security and political turmoil.

“There’s widespread concern about where Zimbabwe is headed and people who are legitimate friends of Zimbabwe are deeply worried,” he said.

He said since 2018, after the disputed general elections that handed a narrow win to Mnangagwa, there had been high-level meetings between him and American officials — but what was discussed had not been implemented by Harare.

“We have had a couple of high-level meetings with President Mnangagwa. From Washington, secretary of state for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy has met with President Mnangagwa twice — once on the margins of the UN General Assembly in 2018, and then last year at the African CEO Summit in Maputo. At that time we talked about our desire to have a stronger relationship.

“But that depended on this government pursuing strong and irreversible reforms and, unfortunately, we are waiting for many of those reforms still to take place,” he said.

The ambassador said some of the concerns are “shared mutually” with some senior officials in government who believe the country’s future depends on enacting broad reforms around freedom of expression, rule of law, strong institutions, anti-corruption, and levelling the political playing field.

Nichols is not alone in calling for dialogue between Mnangagwa and MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa. Killer Zivhu, a former Zanu-PF legislator, was expelled from the party last month for making the same call. Last week, former Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono also suggested dialogue between opposing parties — but instead of having SA play the mediation role, he suggested Rwanda’s Paul Kagame for the task. Gono argued that because of his military background Kagame could do a better job.

Gono suggested that Zimbabwe should have a transitional authority while the country works on a framework for reform before elections are brought back.

Nichols said he believed this could work if all stakeholders acted in good faith.

“That is something that we have supported for the last couple of years. Several civic society organisations are advocating for that solution. How that dialogue progresses and what agreements come out of it, will depend on the people of Zimbabwe. It will depend on all the political, economic and social actors and religious communities coming together and having a conversation centred around how we deal with the challenges of the economic crisis, how do we deal with corruption, as well as health-care issues, and how do we come up with a living wage,” he said.

Despite Harare denying there’s a crisis in the country, there has been an increased onslaught on opposition political activists. MDC Alliance legislator Job Sikhala was on Friday arrested and charged with inciting public violence by backing the July 31 protests. He joins journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume who were denied bail.

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party last month called Nichols a “thug” and accused him of funding the opposition ahead of the planned antigovernment protests that authorities said were meant to overthrow the government.

State Media

Pyramid scheme bosses Bevern Dzinoenda and Ambrose Chikukwa are wanted by the police in connection with contravening the Banking Act after allegedly operating their money laundering business in Harare and Kwekwe.

Dzinoenda and Chikukwa ran a company called Bevern Capital (Pvt) Limited in Harare and Kwekwe, where they were taking deposits of various amounts from people for a return within a week, which was said to be in violation of the Banking Act.

Their partner, Richard Boutros Samunda, has since been arrested and appeared at the Harare magistrates court charged with violating the Banking Act, with a prejudice to the State of US$2 million.

Samunda is expected back in court today for his bail ruling after the State led by Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa opposed granting of his bail, saying he was a flight risk.

Mr Mutizirwa told the court that Samunda was likely to interfere with investigations, which he said were still at an early stage.

In his bail application, Samunda told the court that he was only a security person at Bevern Capital and had nothing to do with his employers’ day-to-day running of the business.

He told the court that he was not a flight risk since he owned the place where he resides in Belvedere.

Circumstances leading to Samunda’s arrest were that sometime in 2018, acting in connivance with Dzinoenda and Chikukwa, he formed Bevern Capital for purposes of accepting deposits from people and invest the money into an unknown enterprise.

The trio, through their company,

would return the money to the depositors after six weeks with a 50 percent interest.

On August 14 this year, the Reserve Bank, which is the sole regulator of banking institutions’ activities, received information to the effect that Bevern Capital was taking deposits from people.

Investigations by the RBZ revealed that the trio, through their company, were not registered either under the Banking Act or the Micro-Finance Act.

Mr Mutizirwa said on the same date, police raided Bevern Capital’s offices in Milton Park, Harare, and found the premises closed.

The police were said to have noted that Samunda had dismissed nearly 200 people from the place after been informed that police were looking for him.

Correspondent

The country’s health services continue to collapse as senior medical professionals at the country’s biggest health centre, Parirenyatwa Hospital,have downed tools immediate effect after a number of their colleagues in the profession tested positive for coronavirus.

The professionals include obstetrics and gynaecologists.

The decision to down tools by the specialist doctors also comes weeks after eight babies who needed urgent assistance died because of lack of poor staffing as nurses are on strike to press for better remuneration and personal protective equipment (PPE).

In a letter to the hospital management, the specialist doctors said the decision to stop offering their services was also in the best interest of patients.

“A considerable number of the SRMOS have tested positive for SARS-Covid-19 and a sizeable number SRMOS are displaying symptoms of Covid-19 and await to be tested,” said the notice.

“In the best interest of other health workers and patients, we have found it best that we self-isolate at home whilst Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital is disinfected.

“Those who tested positive will be in quarantine as per national guidelines. Those who are symptomatic will self-isolate until they are cleared.

“Providing service whilst symptomatic and without proper PPE puts patients and other health workers at risk of contracting the highly contagious pathogen.

“We kindly implore your office that you organise that all patients that will be admitted in hospital be tested for Covid-19.

“Those who test positive will have to be managed in the Red Zone.”

State Media

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Thompson Mabhikwa has recused himself from the gold theft case involving Harare lawyer Admire Rubaya and seven others.

Rubaya is demanding over $1.1 million from Justice Mabhikwa in damages for unlawful incarceration.

He now wants Justice Mabhikwa’s fitness to hold office investigated.

Justice Mabhikwa’s recusal follows a criminal complaint filed against him for allegedly abusing public office after he ordered Rubaya’s “unjustified” 10-day incarceration at Khami Remand Prison in June.

Rubaya is facing theft charges or obstructing the course of justice after he defended his then client, Jefat Chaganda, for smuggling 14kg of gold to Botswana.

He wrote to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) and the police on July 28 seeking a probe and arrest of Justice Mabhikwa.

Justice Mabhikwa is denying the allegations, but agreed to pave way for another judge.

On Friday, Justice Mabhikwa issued an order recusing himself, so that “justice must not just be done, but must be seen to be done”.

The trial is set for continuation on September 8 and all parties have been notified of Justice Mabhikwa’s decision.

Rubaya was released from Khami Remand Prison after approaching the Supreme Court, which censured Justice Mabhikwa’s decision to revoke his bail.

He has since approached the High Court seeking leave to sue Justice Mabhikwa for damages suffered because of the detention as his constitutional rights were infringed.

For this reason, he intends to claim payment of the sum of $665 000 and $475 000, being damages in terms of the law.

Rubaya argues that Justice Mabhikwa caused his detention under circumstances where he was constitutionally-bound to presume the lawyer innocent.

He has also written to the Judicial Service Commission, which regulates the conduct of judges, to investigate Justice Mabhikwa’s conduct.

In his complaint to ZACC and the police, Rubaya alleged that on June 23, in the company of his co-accused, he appeared before Justice Mabhikwa for a pre-arranged remand hearing.

He said he was shocked when Justice Mabhikwa revoked their bail and remanded them in custody, without the State making an application for such incarceration.

Rubaya said Justice Mabhikwa acted with unparalleled caprice to his prejudice in a bid to fast-track a trial he had earlier on postponed to September 8 by the consent of all parties.

He further argued that Justice Mabhikwa’s decision to mete “group” punishment on the co-accused persons who were in attendance on June 23, 2020 on the basis of the non-appearance in court of Chaganda was not only unprecedented, but also negated basic fundamental tenets of natural justice.

Rubaya said before his bail was revoked, he had read a Facebook account under the name of Andrew Maimba claiming to be a journalist, who posted on his wall on June 11 warning him of the incident that finally unfolded in court on June 23.

Maimba went on to write a follow-up article on the day he was incarcerated indicating he had advised him of the impending detention, but had not paid heed.

Rubaya said it was cause for investigation that a journalist had knowledge of how court proceedings before Justice Mabhikwa were to unfold 12 days before.

Rubaya is charged along with Chaganda, who reportedly died early this year, the magistrate who tried the case at Plumtree Timeon Makunde, prosecutor Stanley Chinyanganya as well as Sidingumuzi Ncube, Tyson Ruvando, Godfrey Makuvadze, Ladislous Tamboonei and Ladislous Tinacho, who is in charge of the ZRP Minerals and Border Control Plumtree.

State Media

THERE are fears that two Harare couples that went missing in separate incidents this year, could have been killed and their bodies dumped at yet unknown places, police investigations show.

In mid-February, a Chinese couple went missing in the city and another couple went missing on June 21. Police said the whereabouts of the couples were still unknown and investigations were continuing.

Sources close to the investigations last week said although they had intensified the probe into the two cases, the couples could have been killed. So far, there are no leads that might assist police to locate the missing couples.

On June 21, a Borrowdale couple, Mr Gus Spartas (73) and his wife Ellen Mupfumisa (48) went missing and their vehicle, a Toyota Hilux double cab was burnt to a shell in the same suburb. The couple, which stayed alone at house number 3 Circle Close, Rolf Valley in Borrowdale, is said to have been missing since the morning of June 21.

Mr Spartas was a psychologist and all of his children and relatives are in the United States. A reward of US$1 000 is being offered for information on the couple’s whereabouts. According to neighbours, the couple left home at around 6am on that day and did not return. One of the neighbours said they only heard the couple’s vehicle leaving the house. After realising that the couple did not return home, the neighbours made a report to police.

Investigations led to the recovery of the couple’s vehicle that had been dumped and burnt in an area being developed for residential stands off Crowhill Road near Borrowdale Brooke.

The Herald understands the couple was residing in the cottage at their property while leasing the main house to another couple. The tenants are alleged to have been skipping rentals since January this year and were being charged about US$700 per month. It is said the couple disappeared around the same time Mr Sparta and his wife went missing.

Meanwhile, police are still appealing for information on the whereabouts of the Chinese couple that went missing in Harare in mid-February.

Valentine’s Day after briefly visiting a friend in Highlands. Their car, a Mercedes Benz ML was found abandoned, but intact the following day.

Friends and relatives have offered a $1 million reward for anyone with information that might assist in the search. Those with the information can also contact CID Homicide on (0242) 2758031 or send a WhatsApp message to 0733 333 331 or 0773 070326.

Own Correspondent

Captured Matabeleland Collective leader Jenny Williams has showered unprecedented praises for Matabeleland genocide leaders Emmerson Mnangagwa and the late commander of the Gukurahundi army Perence Shiri for what she called a commitment to tackling the emotive Gukurahundi issue as well as committing to solving the regional historical challenges through completion of stalled projects such as the Zambezi Water Project.

Mnangagwa was in Bulawayo on Saturday and engaged civic society organisations represented by the Matabeleland Collective.

In an interview after the meeting, Williams said the Mnangagwa had demonstrated willingness to solve problems bedevilling the region in a short space of time.

“His Excellency’s commitment is quite significant because this meeting was called at very short notice. His line ministries are coming in and we are moving,” she said.

Williams went on to mourn the passing on of Shiri which a great majority of Matabeleland celebrated because of his brutality as he led Gukurahundi during the 1980s.

Shiri, then known as Black Jesus, ordered for the killing of over 20 000 people in the region.

“Unfortunately, we recently lost a key Minister of Lands and Water, Perrance Shiri. Now we are now waiting for the new minister to put his gloves on. The issue of Zambezi Water Project is one of the key issues for engagement.

“The equalisation of the people of Matabeleland must be realised through ensuring the completion of the Zambezi Water Project, that will make our people see that something is being done.”

Part of challenges from Gukurahundi is the significant number of people and families who need birth and death certificates. Williams said she was dragging Mnangagwa to the Matopos area where the highest number of people were murdered by Gukurahundi at Bhalagwe concentration camp.

“The President created a dispensation that they will ensure there will be free documentation for people who were affected by Gukurahundi and in general, the people of Matabeleland. Most of the issues have been addressed and we are now wanting to launch this project in Matopos, because that is the centre,” said Ms Williams.

“Sometimes there are whole generations that don’t have birth certificates or any documentation. So as we identify the beneficiaries, the Registrar General will bring a mobile team to make sure the reality of a document in the hands of the people is actually realised,” said Ms Williams.

State Media

TWO women in Hwange are reportedly battling for life at a local hospital after being hit by stray bullets fired by police officers who were raiding informal coal traders.

The women who are neighbours were reportedly shot on Saturday evening as they sat outside their houses at A section in Madumabisa Village.

National Police Spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said:

“We are still investigating the unfortunate incident and will have more details tomorrow.”

However, eyewitnesses told Chronicle that the two women were chatting at their homes when Zulani Mudenda who had come from bathing was shot in the abdomen while her unidentified friend was hit on the breast.

“Two women were shot and injured by officers from the Support Unit stationed at Number 2 showgrounds who opened fire maybe to scare illegal coke traders during a raid. One of the women who were at the house at A section, Zulani Mudenda had her stomach ripped open while her neighbour was hit on the breast,” said a resident.

The raid was reportedly sparked by an increase in the number of people who are panning for coke at a disused mine dump following increasing demand from some coal merchants for the product. A 50kg sack of coke is bought by the merchants at US$3. One woman from the area recently died while another escaped death by a whisker when they fell into a tunnel before being buried alive while scrounging for coke at the dumpsite. They suffered burns and bruises following the mishap and had to spend weeks in hospital.

Residents through their association appealed for an investigation into the incident arguing that it had left them in a state of shock and fear.

“As residents we are saddened by the shooting of the two ladies and we call for a proper and comprehensive investigation of the matter. There should be no sacred cows,” said Greater Hwange Residents Trust co-ordinator, Mr Fidelis Chima.

By A Correspondent | Zengeza MP Job Sikhala’s wife last night received a message which suggests that there are poisoning efforts at the Harare Remand prison where her husband is currently held.

The message who’s authenticity could not be established was a supposed alert narrated in broken English that her husband will never be permitted bail, and will be poisoned.

It read in full:

“I’m a top prison officer works at Chikurubi maximum prison. I don’t want to lie to you,all these activists being arrested will not be permitted bail never.

“These guys are being given food poison and water inside.I don’t think the opposition MDC will exist again.Last night 3 government officials visits here and left some plastic bags with powders I’m sure its an additional poison to these inmates.

The arrest of Ngaribvume,Chin’ono and Skala main aim is to wipe them all in cells.
23-08-20
Alert!”

Sikhala is set to attend court Monday morning after being arrested on Friday afternoon and he has been charged for inciting public violence. His party, the MDC Alliance, however maintains that he is being punished simply for being an opposition MP.

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has described Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s reconcilatory gesture as mere pretence meant to hoodwink the nation and the international community.

Biti also blasted Mr Mnangagwa for feigning concern about Gukurahundi atrocities.

“On the day he locked up #Job he was in Bulawayo discussing Gukurahundi.

But how can those with blood on their hands masquerade as healers.

They have shown no remorse contrition ,apology nor acknowledgement.

This abuse must stop.The Wananchi are not fools #ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” Hon Biti wrote on Twitter.

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has described Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s reconcilatory gesture as mere pretence meant to hoodwink the nation and the international community.

Biti also blasted Mr Mnangagwa for feigning concern about Gukurahundi atrocities.

“On the day he locked up #Job he was in Bulawayo discussing Gukurahundi.

But how can those with blood on their hands masquerade as healers.

They have shown no remorse contrition ,apology nor acknowledgement.

This abuse must stop.The Wananchi are not fools #ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” Hon Biti wrote on Twitter.

 

Former Zanu PF stalwart Jim Kunaka has professed ignorance of the circumstances leading to the arrest of Honourable Job Sikhala on Friday.

Kunaka has been accused of disclosing Hon Sikhala’s hideout.

Watch video below:

 

 

Former Zanu PF stalwart Jim Kunaka has professed ignorance of the circumstances leading to the arrest of Honourable Job Sikhala on Friday.

Kunaka has been accused of disclosing Hon Sikhala’s hideout.

Watch video below:

 

Mberengwa – A girl doing Form 3 at Chomusenda Secondary School in Mutata Village under Chief Mposi, Mberengwa was assaulted by a married woman recently after she allegedly approached a prophetess for a charm to break the latter’s marriage so that she could take over the husband.

It did not rain but poured for Sheila Hove (27) when Mberengwa Magistrate Evia Matura fined her RTGS$500 or 30 days in prison for assaulting her husband’s Form 3 girlfriend.

According to the State Hove discovered love messages between her husband Tonderai Zhou, (36) of Mutata Village under Chief Mposi, Mberengwa, and the girl who cannot be named for ethical reasons in the husband’s phone.

On July 11, 2020, Hove confronted the girl as she was going to fetch water and took away her phone before going through the messages.

She was shocked to find out that the minor was actually in communication with a prophetess and pleading with her to ensure that Hove loses favor in the eyes of her husband.

Hove assaulted the girl with fists and the complainant’s father reported the matter to the Police leading to the arrest of the Hove.

She expressed bitterness over the court’s ruling and told The Mirror that she survives and fends for her family by selling sweets and jiggies.

The fine imposed on her wiped away all her savings-The Mirror

A FIGHT over a black ball in a game of pool ended tragically after three men allegedly struck a Chipinge teenager last week.

Benjamin Mukwakwami (19) died upon admission at St Peter’s Mission Hospital in Chisumbanje after he had been struck several times all over his body by John Mlambo (23), Brighton Mureya (18) and Clemence Mureya (26).

Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa confirmed the incident and said it happened at Tuzuka Business Centre, which is under Chief Musikavanhu’s area.

“Benjamin and his brother Munorweyi were playing pool while John, Brighton and Clemence were drinking beer.

“The black ball rolled towards John. He took it and hid it in his jacket,” said Inspector Kakohwa.
“Benjamin confronted John over the issue and a fight ensued.

Munorweyi tried to intervene but John’s friends — Brighton and Clemence — ganged up against Benjamin.

“John went away and came back brandishing a machete and struck Benjamin twice on the neck. A shop attendant, Alois Runawo, grabbed the machete and closed the shop,” said Inspector Kakohwa.

John, Brighton and Clemence then went home, while Benjamin and Munorweyi also retired to their home.

“Later that night, Brighton went to Benjamin’s homestead armed with a wooden log.

He struck Benjamin several times all over the body and left him unconscious.

He also struck Munorweyi, who then managed to escape.

“As Benjamin was bleeding profusely, he was ferried to St Peter’s Mission Hospital. Unfortunately he died upon admission,” said Inspector Kakohwa.

John, Brighton and Clemence were arrested and are assisting police with investigations.

Inspector Kakohwa appealed to members of the public to desist from resorting to violence when solving their differences.
— Manica Post

Farai Dziva|Respected Political analyst, Dr Stephen Chan has warned Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa to stop denigrating Roman Catholic Bishops as he will not win the battle against the clerics.

Mr Mnangagwa attacked Catholic Bishops for “abusing the pulpit”.

Mr Mnangagwa further accused the Catholic Bishops of advancing “a nefarious agenda meant to destabilize the peace in the country.”

However, Dr Chan has warned Mnangagwa to “stop digging while he is a hole.”

” There is a well-known adage: when you realise you’re in a hole, stop digging. To take on the might of the Catholic church is very daring but it runs in the face of another adage: choose the fights you can win.

The Catholic solidarity is widening. There was a time once when President Mugabe worked with Catholic Bishops to end the war in Mozambique.

His 1992 speech in Rome was about dialogue and reconciliation,” Dr Chan wrote on Twitter.

A FIGHT over a black ball in a game of pool ended tragically after three men allegedly struck a Chipinge teenager last week.

Benjamin Mukwakwami (19) died upon admission at St Peter’s Mission Hospital in Chisumbanje after he had been struck several times all over his body by John Mlambo (23), Brighton Mureya (18) and Clemence Mureya (26).

Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa confirmed the incident and said it happened at Tuzuka Business Centre, which is under Chief Musikavanhu’s area.

“Benjamin and his brother Munorweyi were playing pool while John, Brighton and Clemence were drinking beer.

“The black ball rolled towards John. He took it and hid it in his jacket,” said Inspector Kakohwa.
“Benjamin confronted John over the issue and a fight ensued.

Munorweyi tried to intervene but John’s friends — Brighton and Clemence — ganged up against Benjamin.

“John went away and came back brandishing a machete and struck Benjamin twice on the neck. A shop attendant, Alois Runawo, grabbed the machete and closed the shop,” said Inspector Kakohwa.

John, Brighton and Clemence then went home, while Benjamin and Munorweyi also retired to their home.

“Later that night, Brighton went to Benjamin’s homestead armed with a wooden log.

He struck Benjamin several times all over the body and left him unconscious.

He also struck Munorweyi, who then managed to escape.

“As Benjamin was bleeding profusely, he was ferried to St Peter’s Mission Hospital. Unfortunately he died upon admission,” said Inspector Kakohwa.

John, Brighton and Clemence were arrested and are assisting police with investigations.

Inspector Kakohwa appealed to members of the public to desist from resorting to violence when solving their differences.
— Manica Post

A FIGHT over a black ball in a game of pool ended tragically after three men allegedly struck a Chipinge teenager last week.

Benjamin Mukwakwami (19) died upon admission at St Peter’s Mission Hospital in Chisumbanje after he had been struck several times all over his body by John Mlambo (23), Brighton Mureya (18) and Clemence Mureya (26).

Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa confirmed the incident and said it happened at Tuzuka Business Centre, which is under Chief Musikavanhu’s area.

“Benjamin and his brother Munorweyi were playing pool while John, Brighton and Clemence were drinking beer.

“The black ball rolled towards John. He took it and hid it in his jacket,” said Inspector Kakohwa.
“Benjamin confronted John over the issue and a fight ensued.

Munorweyi tried to intervene but John’s friends — Brighton and Clemence — ganged up against Benjamin.

“John went away and came back brandishing a machete and struck Benjamin twice on the neck. A shop attendant, Alois Runawo, grabbed the machete and closed the shop,” said Inspector Kakohwa.

John, Brighton and Clemence then went home, while Benjamin and Munorweyi also retired to their home.

“Later that night, Brighton went to Benjamin’s homestead armed with a wooden log.

He struck Benjamin several times all over the body and left him unconscious.

He also struck Munorweyi, who then managed to escape.

“As Benjamin was bleeding profusely, he was ferried to St Peter’s Mission Hospital. Unfortunately he died upon admission,” said Inspector Kakohwa.

John, Brighton and Clemence were arrested and are assisting police with investigations.

Inspector Kakohwa appealed to members of the public to desist from resorting to violence when solving their differences.
— Manica Post

Victor Mpofu is using satire to shine a light on Zimbabwe’s political problems, reaching a growing audience despite living in fear of retribution from President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

Mpofu, aka Doc Vikela, has seen his followers on YouTube channel Simuka Comedy grow from less than 1,000 subscribers in January when he ventured into political satire to 23,000 now.

The 34-year-old father of two is among a generation of online stand-up comedians critical of government excesses.

Critics have accused Mnangagwa of reverting to the authoritarian tendencies of the Robert Mugabe era amid a worsening economic crisis.

In his skits, Mpofu assumes the character of Mnangagwa with a trademark colourful scarf, at times mocking some of the president’s decisions.

“What we are simply saying is that there are problems. These problems we are highlighting through our content. We say ‘do you feel we should continue going on like this’?” he said.

Critics, including church leaders and lawyers, have accused the government of using the Covid-19 pandemic to trample on human rights and of abducting and torturing opponents. The government denies the accusations.

Mpofu says his comedy work is difficult “because you have the fear of disappearing, you have the fear of being abducted.”

“You don’t know whether your content will touch on the right nerve or wrong nerve so you always live in fear,” he said.

In one skit, Mpofu, speaking as Mnangagwa, justifies naming his deputy Constantino Chiwenga as health minister citing his admission into foreign hospitals as experience for the job.

With inflation running at 837.5 percent, unemployment above 80 percent and a collapsing public health sector, Zimbabweans are angry.

“So it is important for us to pack this into satire instead of (people) drowning in depression, drowning into sorrow,” said Mpofu. “We give them humour, sometimes it’s good to laugh.”

-Reuters

By A Correspondent- Newly-appointed Energy and Power Development Minister Soda Zhemu has for the first time spoken about his appointment and shared his vision for his newly acquired government job.

Zhemu was appointed to replace Fortune Chasi who was fired by President Mnangagwa a few weeks ago. Speaking to the publication, Zhemu said he would push President Mnangagwa’s vision by ensuring that there was energy in the country:

Obviously issues to do with electricity, energy and power are very critical. The President has enunciated the vision where we are looking at adequate and sustainable power generation. Obviously we will have to follow what has been put forward by the President in order to achieve the vision.

I know certainly people are interested to know about issues about power because they are key enablers towards the achievement of Vision 2030. Talk of agriculture, mining, all the processes that we are looking at as a nation, power is a prerequisite. I will work harder to ensure that the vision is achieved but obviously it is a process.

Electricity issues have improved since the lockdown began in March. With ZRA also acknowledging that water levels at Kariba Dam have been stable for sometime.

-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- Addressing party members at Davies Hall in Bulawayo Saturday, Zanu Pf’s National Political Commissar, Victor Matemadanda scoffed at organisers of the 31 July demonstrations saying it was only a social media fuss and nothing more.

Said Matemadanda:

“There was a demonstration planned for 31 July 2020, it was only noise from the Twitter brigade and absence of actual people on the ground. Those who organised the demonstrations then addressed the nation saying they did not want to have an actual march but wanted the country to shut down and considered their plan as a ‘success’.

But now we are seeing the Americans saying there are abuses of human rights as people did not take to the streets, how, when the organisers said they had successfully launched a demonstration.”

By A Correspondent- Suspected fortune-seeking gold panners (Makorokoza) reportedly dug up a grave in Esikhoveni area in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South Province.

The gold panner reportedly left the bones of the dead man scattered all over after they were reportedly told he was buried with a treasure which includes gold.

The incident that took place in the dead of the night was discovered by a passerby who reported the incident. The incident was confirmed by ZRP Matabeleland South spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele who said:

It is true that there is a case of that nature where suspected gold panners dug a grave believed to be a white man’s in search of gold. The dug-up grave was discovered by a local villager and a report was made to the police. We are treating the case as tampering with a grave but no arrests have been made so far. Investigations are still in progress

The District Development Coordinator, Mr Peter Mahlatini said the grave had been there for close to 7 decades and there had been a myth in the community that the white man who was buried there was buried with treasure:

The grave is not in a homestead. It is close to a functional mine and according to the village head – a Mr Mabhena it belonged to a white man who died around 1949. The gold panners could have believed the long-held community myth that the white man was buried with his treasure including gold or could have used their detectors and whatever they (detectors) told them, they could have followed that. After consultations with the relevant stakeholders we re-buried the remains on Wednesday.

No arrests have been made so far and the bones were reburied by the community.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Warriors Defender, Turkey-based footballer Teenage Hadebe married his long time partner Mitchell Matambanashe at a Bulawayo Civil Court last week.

Hadebe who plays for relegated Yeni Malatyaspor said he met his wife at Mzilikazi High where they both completed their O levels in 2012. The couple have 3 children Jordan (3) Alwande and Lwandile who were born this year.

The photos of the wedding were posted on social media by the former Highlanders and Kaizer Chiefs player who moved to Turkey last year.

By A Correspondent- When COVID- 19 struck Zimbabwe’s schools calender, Kranzipiyo Chibaya’s colleagues were already in grade 3 when he was just starting ECD.

Aged 9 years Chibaya’s eyes light up as he confidently tells of his dream career.

“When l grow up l want to be a driver.”

Quizzed further on why becoming a driver is very important to him, he continued:

“I want to drive a lorry that will ferry people to and from my home area into the city. My parents are both farmers and I would feel super happy if I was able to help them ferry their farm produce to Harare for resale. There are very few lorries in my area and I know it is also because there are very few drivers in my neighbourhood.”

His father’s eyes fills up with tears, but he smiles while looking at his son before he intervenes:

“He is a very focused young boy and he knows he has a lot of catching up to do.”

Narrating why his son started attending Mayema primary school in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe 4 years later than his peers, Kranzipiyo’s father Chengetai Chibaya told ZimEye that he decided that this was the best option for his son.

“I had reservations taking my son to school at a time when his colleagues started ECD because of his condition. He still wears nappies or diapers. But no, it’s not because he wets himself or is not able to use the toilet, He has a condition called cystostoma.”

The condition is such that an individual is unable to empty his or her bladder appropriately. It can be treated through urethral catheterization.

However, if urethral cathetization is either undesirable or impossible, suprapubic cystostomy offers an effective alternative.

Stuck In Diapers

Cystostomy is the general term for the surgical creation of an opening into the bladder; it may be a planned component of urologic surgery or an iatrogenic occurrence.

Added Chibaya, who hails from village Mareva under chief Nyajuna: “My son needs help to rectify his condition. Part of the process was initiated by a Harare doctor but he is now stuck in diapers since 2012.”

He narrated his son’s journey with cystostoma.

Born on 8 August 2011, Chibaya told ZimEye that Kranzipiyo was healthy like any other new born baby. Trouble started when he turned six months old and the new parents discovered that their son would cry non- stop.

“Initially, we just thought that he was having teething problems only to discover that our son was being troubled by something. The challenge was we could not figure out what it is. We took him to our local clinic and he was treated but he never stopped crying.”

The Chibayas said Kranzipiyo started losing weight and that is when they knew that something was terribly wrong with their son.

“We consulted prophets from our church but the situation never improved. We then went back to our local clinic but nothing changed.”

Chibaya said his wife Tambudzai Bandera noticed that their son was not wetting his nappies for days and took their son back to the local clinic and explained this to the nurses.

“We explained that he was not wetting his nappies and they referred us to Mutawatawa hospital in Murehwa. He got no treatment for two days and we requested that he be discharged. Initially, they refused but they later agreed.

Specialist Care

The couple took their ailing minor to Parirenyatwa Group of hospital where they were told that their son needed specialist care. They were referred to Harare hospital.

Said Chibaya:

“We stayed there for two full months from June and July. My son was admitted in the children’s ward. He was only attended to by junior doctors. We almost gave up and was at that point where we were contemplating going back home.”

Chibaya said lady luck was on his side a day before he wanted to call it quits and ask to be discharged from hospital.  The only available specialist doctor “bumped” into his son.

He said:

“The doctor was doing the rounds on that particular day when we had lost all hope and were about to go home and that is when we were advised that our son would be taken into theatre for the operation. Finally, we were so happy that he would get help. True to the doctor’s word, the procedure took less than an hour and our son was back from theatre.”

Cystoscopy, the procedure to redress cystotomy is a simple procedure that may in some instances involve the closure of the outer layer of skin with sutures or surgical staples. However, these sutures or surgical staples may need to be removed in about 10 to 14 days.

The procedure according to medical practitioners takes about 45 minutes to 1-1/4 hours to perform in most cases, including the needed time for preparation and anesthesia.

Added Chibaya:

“We were told to come back for a review after two weeks and the doctor was happy with the progress and recovery process.”

But it has been almost 8 years now since his son underwent this corrective surgery.

Health experts recommend that cystostoma patients should clean the cystostomy site and skin around it daily.

Stalemate

They recommend that one should wash their hands before and after cystostomy care. It is suggested that one should change their suprapubic catheter when needed.

“Water is a problem but we get by. We cannot afford the urine bags so our son has always used cloths, baby nappies or sometimes pampers when we travel. We try and keep them dry but it is a problem because sometimes the urine just comes out and Kranzipiyo cannot control it.”

Chibaya told ZimEye that he has since 2012 failed to have his son’s condition rectified because the specialist doctor who performed the corrective surgery on his son is now based in Chiredzi.

“I have visited Harare central hospital several times but it seems there is no specialist doctor to help my son. I was advised that no one can help me at Harare Central Hospital.

I engaged the doctor who performed the initial surgery and they expressed willingness to help me. They however revealed that they do not have the equipment to perform the surgery in Chiredzi. The equipment is only at Harare hospital. So it’s a stalemate.”

Chibaya said he was referred to a private doctor who required US$300, money which he has failed to raise.

“I hardly make US$20 and I am now stranded. I fear that my son may never be able to be a man if he continues like this. It is also affecting him psychologically because he is realising that he cannot use his male organ like every other boy.”

Torn

The father of 6 said he survives on farming at his rural home.

“I can do general hand work, but I cannot raise the required US$300. My mother passed on last year and it has always been problem after problem.”

Chibaya said he wished Zimbabwe had a functional health care system.

“My son’s health, his future is at stake. It tears me apart to watch him struggle daily. He is growing up and I feel that I am letting him down, the country is letting him down. He deserves a chance.”

Zimbabwe’s health care system has been in “intensive care unit” according to the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) president Enock Dongo.

“Year in and year out, the Ministry of Health has been experiencing strikes by healthcare workers over poor salaries and poor working conditions, a sign that the structures are not functioning well.”

For more than a month, 15 000 nurses have been on strike over salaries which they say have been eroded by galloping inflation. They are demanding US$ salaries and improved working conditions.

Nurses and doctors have since deserted hospitals and health care facilities turning them into white elephants.

The COVID-19  pandemic has worsened the situation.

“Service delivery has been affected and all health-care services…obstetric, dialysis, acute medical and surgical, and chronic HIV care is reeling from the effects of the pandemic,” Rashida Ferrand, director of the Zimbabwe–London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Research Partnership, based at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare is on record saying.

The newly appointed health care minister Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga is on record pleading with health care workers to return to work adding that government was addressing their grievances.

Said Chiwenga:

“We are working hard to improve our health delivery system at ward, village, district, province up to referral institutions. We are strengthening our system so that people can access medication easily.

“Our health workers are on strike. We are encouraging them to return to work so we that we can save lives. While we are aware of their grievances, they should also consider saving lives. We are not blind to your issues. We are working hard to assist, but you should also consider lives of patients.”

Please note: Those wishing to assist Chibaya can reach him on 0714106738 or his wife on 0788918712

INCIDENT REPORT : CHICKEN INN FORT STREET

OCCURRENCE BOOK NUMBER : 1893/2020
RECEIVED BY : P/Sgt Major Goodwill Nsimba
RECEIVED FROM : PA Mgcini Moyo
SITE : Chicken Inn Fort Street
NATURE OF REPORT : Attempting to buy using fake money.
DATE OF OCCURRENCE : 20/08/2020
TIME : 1130hrs
PLACE OF OCCURRENCE : Chicken Inn counter
OFFENDER : Chantelle T. O. Sibalwa

BRIEF DETAILS
i) On Thursday 20 August 2020, at about 1130hrs, Chantelle Sibalwa(18yrs), ID Number 63-2823037-B-29, cell number 0773147345 and residing at house number 74 Colen Brander road,Northend, Bulawayo, entered the shop just like any other customer and ordered a 2 piecer chicken Inn box using a US$100 note, serial number KB74984746B.
ii)Upon payment the cashier by the name Sanelisiwe Mhlanga realised that the note was fake. She quickly notified her shift manager, Nyarai who in turn alerted PA Mgcini Moyo who was on Roving. The accused was detained by PA Mgcini.
iii) P/Sgt Major Nsimba was called and during the initial stages of questioning the accused, Area Controller E.Zinyengere and P/Insp. I. Simbini arrived, and the three grilled the accused with questions left, right and centre.
iii. The accused kept on changing stories, as to where she got the money from. Eventually, the accused revealed that the fake $100 note was the work of his stay in boyfriend who specialises in manufacturing counterfeit notes and that there were more fake notes at her place together with the machine used to manufacture the notes.
iv. The accused person was taken to Bulawayo Central Police Station and upon arrival PO Edwin Zinyengere liased with the Officer In Charge, and two plain clothed police officers, Cst. Mufuma and Cst. Mazokera, were seconded to team Blackshark to accompany them to the accused person’s place of residence.
v. On arrival, the accused produced from under the mattress, a bunch of fake notes in the following denominations;
12 × US$100-00
4 × US$50-00
11 × US$10-00
13 × US$5-00
17 × R100-00.
The total amount of fake notes recovered was US$2265-00 and R1 700-00.
vi. Also recovered was items used in manufacturing the fake notes, an HP Diskjet printer Serial number CN442175TZ, bond paper, rulers and razor blades.
vii. The accused, Chantelle, further revealed that his boyfriend’s young brother, by the name Onesmus Zimunya, was also involved. The accused led the investigating team, to Onesmus’ place, and when he was searched by the police, they found a fake US$10 in his pockets and he was also arrested.
viii. The two accused persons, were then taken to Bulawayo Central Police Station.

*FINDINGS*
* Chantelle, the accused, knowingly tried to defraud Simbisa using a fake $100 US note.
*The cashier, Sanelisiwe and PA Mgcini did a good job for showing vigilance whilst on duty.
* PO Edwin Zinyengere and his two lieutenants, Ins Simbini and P/Sgt . Major Nsimba, managed to open a cane of worms through their investigative methods and managed to lead the police to a high profile case.

*ACTION TAKEN*
Blackshark and Simbisa management were advised.
*The accused was detained. Ref. IR number 4627/20.
Cst. Mufuma 0776390422

*OUTCOME*
To be advised.

Compiled by P/Sgt Major R Nsimba(R823)
0775345616

The Mid Term Monetary Policy Statement from the Reserve Bank is well worth a read. This is the first overall review following the formation of the Monetary Policy Committee in August 2019. I was privileged to be a Member during the period covered by the report.

Yesterday I got a call from a group of young Zimbabwean professionals in the UK and I was struck by something they said to me in their opening remarks. They said, “we can do little about the toxic politics of our country, but we can do something about the economy”. I suddenly realised that that is exactly where I am at this time in our history.

A few highlights from the MPS. Firstly, the stability on the foreign exchange market since the adoption of the foreign exchange auction in June. This was advocated by the MPC from its inception and after a couple of failed attempts, the President stepped into the ring and told us to stop messing around and get it done. It was implemented in a week. 9 weeks have followed and the Auction with its price discovery mechanism, has stabilised a market that was simply running away with itself. In fact, in the past two weeks we have seen a slight, but significant shift, in that we have been able to put enough money on the market to meet demand in full and exchange rates have strengthened.

We have argued for nearly a year now that the fundamentals do not support the exchange rates that are being demanded in the informal markets. While the auction has demonstrated that, the rates are still way above what they should be and if we were able to put more money on the table, the prospect is that the rates would strengthen radically. I think there are many in the country who now recognise that reality and many express concern. If you have been buying US dollars on the street to protect value at 110 to 1 and the rate is now 90 to 1 because of the auction, you have lost a considerable sum of money. What if it goes to 40?

It is my view that the Reserve Bank will have to consider buying hard currency off the market if rates collapse, to hold exchange rates at a level that will maintain our international competitiveness and stabilise the economy. Wild swings in rates serve no one.

The second development that is covered in the MPS is data that shows we were right to clamp down on the electronic money trading systems that had developed over the past decade but were now being used to buy hard currency at unjustifiable rates. It is one thing to be able to use your phone to send a Z$1000 transfer to your family, or to pay staff, it is quite another to transfer a hundred million dollars to a money transfer agency and instruct them to buy hard currency for you.

We have said that the inflation being experienced in 2020, is quite different from the hyperinflation era from 2004 to 2008. The latter was due to the reckless printing of money by the Reserve Bank. The inflation we have seen since July 2018 is due to the depreciation of the local currency. That was unavoidable in the early days as we had to adjust local values and incomes so that they more accurately reflected real economic factors. However, the process engendered images of what happened in 2004/8 and in anticipation of a repeat process, people tried to convert their new local currency balances into USD at any cost. In the rush, the informal sector drove exchange rates to 125 to 1 and on the stock market the Old Mutual rate went to 135 to 1. The fundamentals do not support those numbers in any way. Speculation and panic drove the rate. The retail sector, faced with the need to replenish stocks simply followed the rate in their pricing.

It is said that prices adjust upwards rapidly but are “sticky” downwards. Even so the reduction in inflation month on month in July and expected in August signals that by the end of the year we should be back into single digit inflation month on month and that 2021 will see a resumption of low inflation and steady prices and exchange rates. My own view is that we need a weak currency and I would not be in favour of allowing the exchange rate to strengthen too much.

The third aspect of the MPS that I noted was that we are maintaining and even strengthening both our fiscal and balance of payments surpluses. The former largely because of inflation, because economic recovery is still not underway, the latter because our exports and foreign inflows are up by 17 per cent and our expenditures are down by 6 per cent. Strengthening our positive balance of payments for the third year in a row is quite an achievement after all those years of fiscal delinquency.

The growth in exports reflects the fact that we are, once again, regionally competitive and are able to export into global markets on a profitable basis. This comes at a time when commodity markets are all reflecting some stability and even modest growth after the markets fell to very low levels in 2018/19. This improves the outlook for our economy which is still largely dependent on primary product industries. It’s time for industry to step up to the plate and to start exploiting these new opportunities. It is also the time for new FDI.

Finally, there is the continued growth in the electronic banking and transfer industry. In June 2020 we finally broke through the trillion-dollar barrier in terms of the value of transactions in Zimbabwe dollar terms. We effected, as a country electronic transfers in 12 months of Z$1,029 billion dollars. Even at 80 to 1, this is still US$13 billion. If we assume that the real value of the local currency is 40 to 1, this doubles the hard currency value of these transactions. It means we are trading Z$3 billion every day. When people say we are dollarising I point to these numbers and suggest that they completely dwarf the transactions taking place in hard currency.

The figures are fascinating and point to the changes taking place in our world. Changes which constitute both opportunity and potential problems. 54 per cent were in TRGS transaction via the Banks, only 6 per cent were in the form of local electronic card transactions, mobile phone transactions were 22 per cent of all transactions – 40 per cent of the transactions via the Banks. The average Bank transaction on the RTGS system was Z$50 000, the average mobile phone transaction was Z$117.

With the changes taking place in global markets and technologies, we can expect this growth in electronic money to grow even faster into the future. Cash is basically finished as a means of exchange. It also means that your average bank will simply be a machine in a room – possibly thousands of kilometres away. It also points to changes in global settlements from the traditional bank transfers via the Swift system to block chains that move money in micro seconds at almost no cost. This will strip the USA of perhaps their most effective weapon in global markets and political relations – the USD itself.

But what it has also shown us in the period covered by the MPS is that with this growth comes the need to know what is going on and understanding the implications and to regulate these new markets and systems more effectively. The decision of the Reserve Bank to extend the coverage of the electronic monitoring of the Banks and their millions of transactions every day to the new players in the market, is a sound decision and is essential to the management of the new era that is starting to open up in global markets.

Now it is time to review our tax system to take advantage of this electronic revolution and to bring our tax authorities into the 21st Century.

Eddie Cross

23rd August 2020

Pindula

Walter Mzembi, Zimbabwe’s former Minister of Tourism has claimed that the governing ZANU PF is being run by the military since 2017 when the late former president Robert Mugabe was removed from office.

Zanu PF iParty yemasoja who usurped a civilian-led Party in Nov 2017 & defaulted to High Command Military ZANLA politics of the 1970s! There is NO political formation that can answer it’s current Military construct!

Following a Chinese script they are now creating” loyal opposition ” whose presence in Parliament they are now facilitating. Communist China unbeknown to many has Opposition Parties but vetted as loyal to the State. Polad is the Zim version of this model.

I anticipated that commentators would be immediately tempted to compare pre and post Coup Zanu PF leadership models and condemn them as the same but clearly the gun is now leading politics in broad daylight and that is the curse in our midst!

I attach evidence of contestations for the control of Zanu PF btwn Civilians & the Military – Joint Operations Command Minutes on 2013 Parliamentary Candidates, this is well before the advent of G40 as you know it! Read carefully

None of the Civilian Candidates listed together with @waltermzembi survived the exercise described by the Military as they must be ” STOPPED” except an obscure MP Musakwa, Chindori Chininga died. My point intraparty fights against the Military were real!

Why didn’t you disclose all these? Because you are no longer part of the system? Apologise!!!!

Because I had no access to the minutes and what should I be apologising for, I have paid a much greater price than most of you for opposing the man you all cried for to come back and rule! Who should be apologising for lack of judgement and foresight?

Zimbabwe has as of Sunday 23 August 2020 recorded 155 coronavirus linked deaths after two more people succumbed to the deadly virus.

This was revealed in a statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Child Care which also observed that the country now has a total of 5930 known cases after 37 new cases were recorded.

Meanwhile, the country recorded 243 new recoveries bringing the total recoveries to 4872.

By Ambassador Chris Mutsvangwa

Nelson Chamisa and his MDC-Alliance lost the election in the July 2018 elections of the post-Mugabe era.

Reacting to this loss, he cockily pronounced that it was of no consequence.

His agenda henceforth would be to ensure that the country is ungovernable through extra-parliamentary and extra-constitutional disruption.

“Mutakura wacho tichaudira jecha tigoona kuti achaudya ndiani?”

Here was a self-proclaimed man of God embracing the mutually assured destructive path of biblical strongman Samson of the Temple.

There was an assured confidence of a defiant loser.

On what nuclear option weapon was he standing upon?

For the answer, dial Biti, his vice president of revolving MDC doors and a darling of the intrusive Washington neo-liberal practitioners of regime change in Zimbabwe.

Boasting of his legalistic command of complex financial matters, he gloated, “Mnangagwa can rig elections, but he cannot rig the economy!”

Why such political prancing by the two ambitious MDC stalwarts?

They were relying on the permanency of the colonial corporate economic template installed by Cecil John Rhodes, the 19th Century British imperial marauder and predator.

His British South Africa Company (BSAC) raised the British flag in Salisbury as an agent and not a department of the Crown.

His company became the de facto governing authority of Southern Rhodesia.

Gold allure
Prior to this dark act, Zimbabwe had existed continuously as a successful trading entity for millennia, courtesy of its legendary gold endowments.

Through history, gold has distinguished itself as the global currency of supreme choice of all humanity.

If other nations worked hard to produce goods to trade, Zimbabwe possessed the ultimate money — gold.

No wonder Indian monsoon winds had Arab dhows plying between the ports of the Munhumutapa and various trading centres along the littoral Indian Ocean.

Turkey, Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Somalia, Iran, India, Indo-Malay and even far-away China all conducted commerce first with Mapungubwe, later with Great Zimbabwe, Khami, Danamombe and others.

The BSAC corporate governing authority lost no time in displacing the freely interchangeable gold currency with fiat paper money.

The Rhodesian dollar was there primarily to cater for the growing white-settled minority community.

The indigenous majority were dispossessed of the precious historical gold mines by “blanket explorers”, hence the enduring name of Blanket Mine.

These were white settlers who bought blankets on the Rand of South Africa.

They then used the blankets as compensation to the indigenous African owners of robbed gold mines.

The marauding new white owners went back to register their newly possessed mines with the mining commissioner at the BSAC headquarters in Johannesburg.

The brisk trade in blankets earned them the moniker “blanket explorers” of Rhodesia. The template of an economy built upon plunder could not entertain the free interplay of supply and demand in the colonial territory.

It naturally defaulted to allocation so as to engender the outflow of money from the black African majority to the company’s coffers.

The unjust enrichment was then shipped out to London, New York and other European metropolises of global banking and finance.

It is noteworthy that the new colony lost no time in setting up a stock exchange in Mutare.

This was in proximity to the Manica headquarters of King Mtasa on the Mozambique side.

He superintended a thriving gold market or feira, which both imperial Lisbon and London envied.

Haemorrhage
This precursor to the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange had a lop-sided imperial design to transfer riches out of Africa to Europe.

Is it not remarkable that in the 140 years of the ZSE it only started trading in convertible hard currency as recently as 1993?

More sinister that a financial services company that started off as a department of finance of BSAC went on to slyly ask for selective and exclusive fungibility of its counter.

Sadly, the poverty in sound grasp of financial theory in the post-independent African majority rule government obliged.

Presto, the arrangement effectively converted the ZSE into a parallel and competing monetary authority challenging the central bank (Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe).

There would be near-fatal consequences to this financial and monetary skulduggery of selective fungibility.

It facilitated a capital flight of haemorrhage proportions worse than that of nations plunged into war.

The deceptive arguments for fungibility were exposed as capital-starved Harare began remitting hard currency to rich London, Johannesburg, New York et cetera.

The wholesale divestment would trigger stratospheric hyperinflation.

By 2008, the velocity of money circulating in the Zimbabwe national economy would eclipse even the fastest speed of light.

This physical impossibility could only have come from number-crunching by a dedicated numbers machine called a calculator.

This calculator was owned by the gamut of neo-liberal global finance figures, including George Soros.

They concocted a stock derivative called Old Mutual Implied Rate, an Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) run from Boston Massachusetts.

Here is the paradox of paradoxes: How does the basket case economy of Zimbabwe afford to sustain an ETF that traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)?

Yes, that trillion-dollar global behemoth of raising investment capital.

For those who have read global finance beyond lawyer Biti, I dare you to check out BrightSphere Investment Group Inc (BSIG).

It was baptised out of Old Mutual Asset Management Company (OMAM).

This re-christening was necessitated by the political change in Zimbabwe as of November 2017.

BSIG Inc is the one that has historically derived obscene gains from the arbitrage opportunity offered by OMIR-ETF.

This ETF financial derivate stemmed from the multiple listing of the Old Mutual Plc share in London, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Windhoek.

Professor Steve Hanke of Johns Hopkins University and a fundi of the emerging markets at the neo-liberal Cato Institute had privileged knowledge of this ETF debauchery in global finance which was be-knighting Zimbabwe.

Hanke used to crow about his influence on a former Governor of the central bank in Harare. After the 2017 November Glorious Revolution, he changed tack.

He did not like Professor Mthuli Ncube.

It turned for good reason.

He had the economic and financial tools that pierced this veil of wayward conduct in global financial management by the Zimbabwe Government.

The OMIR-ETF brought Zimbabwe down to its economy knees through unbridled capital flight. Yet it could still not achieve the ZDERA sanctions goal of a ‘screaming’ economy delivering political regime change. Zimbabwe turned out not to be the Chile of Salvador Allende in the 1970s.

A strong State apparatus kept the populace insulated through the offsetting land restitution programme.

It offered the social safety vest of an informal economy.

The other saviour was the high human resource index of Zimbabwe, again owed to the same State apparatus begot of the 1970s national liberation war.

Mobile money woes

The national economic assault from the OMIR-ETF derivative acquired a new ally in the emergence of a dominant player in the new era of digital currency.

An absence of a requisite regulatory framework through both ignorant commission and wilful commission created a véritable Wild West in the banking and monetary domain.

The mobile money platform morphed into a den of thievery, extortion, money laundering and outright extortion.

The ensuing monetary malfeasance went on to strike at the heart of the consuming populace.

Undoubtedly, there was glee that the people could finally be divorced from their ZANU PF party of the revolution.

That is why so much was banked into the success of the July 31, 2020 uprising.

People’s anger was to be fed by a return to the 2008 hyperinflation.

This time the twin evils of OMIR-ETF derivative and wholesale abuse of the mobile money platform were slated to foment public outrage against the Government of His Excellency President Mnangagwa.

Both ZSE and EcoCash had diabolically usurped the statutory role of the RBZ as sole national monetary authority.

Little did the would-be nemesis of the Head of State realise that he had strategically arranged a phalanx of tools to counter their do-or-die onslaught.

As July 31, 2020 approached with its heralded mayhem, President Mnangagwa unleashed the first volley.

He allowed trading in the US dollar.

That took away the pressure of inflation from the Zim-dollar, which was under attack.

He also loosened US dollar retention by the central bank.

Suddenly small to medium gold producers, tobacco and cotton farmers had so much buying power in hard currency.

The other masterstroke was the publication of a statutory instrument that delivered blows on the ungodly twins of the OMIR-ETF derivative and the EcoCash mobile money agents.

The coup de grace was the launch of the Dutch auction on a new foreign exchange market.

Now going to the week 10, the RBZ auction has since been broadened to include small businesses.

Highway to success

The Zimbabwe economic management “Dream Team” of the His Excellency President Mnangagwa — Professor Mthuli Ncube as the Minister of Finance and Dr John Mangudya as Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe — is en route to deliver a game-changing economic miracle.

Relieved and delighted top business moguls are gushing accolades on the President.

Rightfully so.

He has rendered a jab that is a shot in the arm to the juices of entrepreneurship.

Professor Hanke has since gone quiet.

No more gloating verbal salvos against Professor Mthuli Ncube.

Dr John Mangudya now has a new spring in his step.

The Zimbabwe nation has coalesced into genuine and stable price discovery.

Parity pricing now reigns between the Zambezi and the Limpopo, between the Kalahari Desert and Eastern Highlands.

After all, every central banker’s cardinal goal is to maintain price stability.

Zimbabwe has joined the global ranks of a ‘normal’ economy for the first time.

It is being run on Adam Smith’s laws of supply and demand.

Requiem to the corporate colonial template and its band of arbitrary allocation.

Eulogy to a free market economy that rewards hard work, reaps profit to business acumen and crowns risk with mouth-watering returns.

President Mnangagwa’s mantra “Zimbabwe Is Open for Business” has acquired a potent and cogent expression.

Welcome to on-ramp onto the highway to the middle-income status Zimbabwe by 2030.

Sorry Chamisa, the dira jecharist. Zvakona! Mutakura wotonakisa.

Pity to Biti. EDM has gone so far as to rig the economy.

As for detractors and doomsayers, ZDERA sanctions now face a potent weapon in a normalised economic and financial landscape.

Crisis Coalition Zimbabwe, take heed, Naledi Pandor, the South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, never mentioned the C-word.

Your years of campaign to place Zimbabwe on Chapter 7 of the United Nations Security Council has dismally flopped.

SADC and the AU will not entertain the errant diplomatic nonsense.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Revolution continues to strive and thrive.

Africa News

All 54 countries on the continent have been affected by the highly infectious COVID 19, with over 1.1 million cases and and 27,000 deaths according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

There have been allegations of corruption scandals involving personal protective equipment in Africa such as in Zimbabwe, Kenya and South Africa.

W.H.O. chief labels cases related to COVID 19 corruption as murder.

“Corruption related to PPE… for me it’s actually murder. Because if health workers work without PPE, we’re risking their lives. And that also risks the lives of the people they serve”, stressed Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

South Africa, the hardest hit by COVID-19, with more than 600,000 cases and at least 2,500 deaths is investigating government departments for corruption over irregularities regarding coronavirus.

In Zimbabwe, the ex-Minister of Health was arrested and eventually sacked over misappropriation of funds for COVID 19.

According to the WHO, The most affected countries are Nigeria with over 51,905 cases, Ghana: 43,325 cases, followed by Algeria: 41,068 cases.

Daily News reports that there was heavy drama when Sikhala was arrested as a truckload of policemen armed with AK assault rifles and batons and others clad in plainclothes who were in a white twin cab invaded the usually quiet Tynwald North.

The publication reveals that when the officers arrived, a woman disembarked from the twin cab which drove off as the truck remained parked at the gate with the policemen knocking at the gate.

After failing to kick open the gate using booted feet, the police reportedly used the white truck they were driving to violently knock down the metal gate and gained entry.

They came out about 15 minutes, with a handcuffed Sikhala whom they shoved into the white truck and drove off followed by the twin cab that had resurfaced from the opposite direction.

Further information indicates that the house where Sikhala was found is where former Zanu PF MP for Hurungwe East Sarah Mahoka used to reside.

Sikhala is currently in Chikurubi Maximum Prison after a Harare Magistrate on Saturday postponed to Monday (tomorrow) a hearing on his application that challenged placement on remand.

Source: Daily News

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has described Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s reconcilatory gesture as mere pretence meant to hoodwink the nation and the international community.

Biti also blasted Mr Mnangagwa for feigning concern about Gukurahundi atrocities.

“On the day he locked up #Job he was in Bulawayo discussing Gukurahundi.

But how can those with blood on their hands masquerade as healers.

They have shown no remorse contrition ,apology nor acknowledgement.

This abuse must stop.The Wananchi are not fools #ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” Hon Biti wrote on Twitter.