By A Correspondent- In a bizarre incident a 63-year-old granny’s home in Maloba line, Sipepa area in Matabeleland North’s Tsholotsho district was mysteriously gutted by fire after she saw mealie-meal being poured from a container by invisible beings suspected to be goblins.
Fielder Gwazaza woke up to find her bedroom hut sprinkled with water leading her to report the matter to village head Solomon Gumpo.
Gumpo attended the scene.
A villager who declined to be named narrated the strange happenings to B- Metro.
“The water which was mixed with some concoction was sprinkled on the floor. Shockingly all this happened when Gwazaza was sleeping with her two grandchildren aged five and nine years and they never heard anything,” said a villager.
The unseen beings went a gear up in terrorising Gwazaza.
The villager said on 30 July Gwazaza woke up to find sadza and cooked beans on the floor.
“She had not cooked sadza the previous night and she had no beans in her homestead but she got the shock of her life when she woke up to find a plate full of sadza and beans placed on the floor. Again she informed the village head,” said the source.
When she thought she had seen it all a mysterious fire erupted from the air while she was sitting under the shade and razed her kitchen hut.
“On 1 August at around 9am while she was sitting under a tree shade a mysterious fire erupted from the air and burnt down the kitchen hut.
“She reported the matter to Gumpo who came and attended the scene,” said the source.
On the same day in the evening, the source said, the strange fire appeared at her homestead and burnt down her bedroom hut.
“The mysterious fire left a trail of destruction at her homestead as it burnt her wardrobe, bed and other property in her bedroom and all the clothes went up in smoke. On the following day she made a report at Sipepa Police Station,” said the source.
The source went on to say on 10 August while Gwazaza was sitting under a shade she saw mealie-meal being poured on the ground.
“It was a strange incident as she saw mealie-meal being poured from a container by invisible beings. In fear she again reported the matter to the village head,” said the source.
The source added: “On 11 August during the night Gwazaza woke up to find her daughter being strangled with a rope. She removed it and informed other villagers who spent the night at her home. At around 4 am one of the villagers noticed that her nine-year-old grandson was being strangled with stockings and they untied the stockings.”
Gumpo confirmed the bizarre incident: “Villagers are shocked and equally surprised about what happened at Gwazaza’s homestead. Villagers asked us as the local leadership to engage a traditional healer to exorcise the homestead and we are in the process of doing that so as to help the family.”
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese said: “I can confirm that we received a report stating that strange things happened at Gwazaza’s homestead. Now the matter is being handled by the local leadership.”-bmetro
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general Japhet Moyo has expressed concern over the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s move to suspend the payment of salaries via mobile money platforms.
Moyo speaks after the RBZ governor, Dr John Mangudya has said “Agents’ mobile money wallets are abolished with immediate effect,” as they were no longer serving any legitimate purpose.
Mangudya also said going forward, any other bulk payment transactions, such as payment of salaries and wages, should be processed through normal banking channels,” not through mobile money platforms as was the case for the past few years.
Speaking to NewsDay Weekender, Moyo said the Zimbabwean economy is informal, a setup that has resultantly caused many businesses to use mobile money platforms as modes of transactions including the payment of salaries.
He added:
The way we have done our business over a period of time, we have just informalised everything, so it was a bit easier to make the payments in that platform. We need to know now how these businesses are going to be affected, especially the recipients, that is, the majority of the workers who have been getting their salaries through these mobile platforms.
Mobile money platforms were initially suspended after the central bank accused them fuelling money laundering.
By A Correspondent- Exiled former Zimbabwean Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Professor Jonathan Moyo has insinuated that political and electoral reforms in Zimbabwe are useless.
Moyo speaks as the opposition and the international community are calling for the implementation of electoral and political reforms in the country.
Posting on social media this Saturday, Moyo suggested that state security officials are likely to disregard any electoral and political reforms hence the need to for security sector reforms.
He said: Its’ nuts to keep calling for electoral and political reforms in Zimbabwe. The 2013 Constitution ushered in far reaching electoral and political reforms. The Zimbabwe Defence Forces took those reforms to the barracks in Nov 2017, locked them up and threw away the keys. Deal with the ZDF”
Electoral and political reforms are considered to be essential for the enhancement of democracy of any society as they promote inclusion and participation of the citizenry.
Some observers say Zimbabwe’s previously held elections did not meet the minimum requirements of free and fair polls hence uncredible.
In 2019, Nelson Chamisa who leads the opposition MDC Alliance vowed not to participate in the anticipated 2023 elections if electoral reforms recommended by 2018 election observers have not been implemented.
Security sector reform was one of the MDC’s targets since its formation in 1999 but the party seems to have surrendered.
By A Correspondent- ZRP has released statistics that revealed that 16 people were murdered in the space of one week as it expressed concern over the rise in murder cases countrywide.
This was revealed by ZRP National Spokesperson Assitant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who said;
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) notes with concern the upsurge in murder cases during the period extending from 13 to 19 August 2020 where 16 cases were recorded countrywide. It is disturbing that some no longer value the sanctity of life.
During this national lockdown period unnecessary gatherings should be shunned and some of these murders are occurring during illegal beer drinking sprees. Infidelity has also contributed to the number of recorded murder cases for the period under review.
The ZRP urges members of the public not to take the law into their own hands. Members of the public are encouraged to find amicable ways of resolving their differences whenever they fail to find common ground. Traditional leaders, the church, close family members and counselling experts should assist parties in finding common ground whenever there is dispute. The police are also available to assist families in resolving difference.
Assistant Commissioner Nyathi shared a few incidences that led to the 16 deaths in one week and said:
Two women aged 19 and 22 were also killed in matters relating to infidelity.
A 21-year-old man who was found near a tuck-shop was accused of being a thief before he was killed
A man from Tsholotsho killed his father for reprimanding him during a funeral wake after he scolded mourners.-statemedia
BREAKING: Sikhala hearing still to commence – current suggestions are that they are waiting for a prosecutor who is having to travel from Bindura, 80km away. pic.twitter.com/2VmWh08Hn2
By A Correspondent- Businesswoman and Zanu Pf apologist Edith Chibhamu’s ex husband Gift Tsamba has been hauled to court for rape after he forced himself on a 15 year old juvenile.
Tsamba aged 42 of Unit J in Seke Chitungwiza whose business address was cited as Green Span Innovations in South Africa unlawfully and intentionally had sexual intercourse with the minor without her consent.
It is the state’s case that on an unknown date but from 2019 until 3 August 2020, Tsamba raped the female juvenile on several occasions before she opened up to a relative leading to the arrest of the accused on August 5 2020.
The matter was remanded to 1 September 2020 by Chitungwiza Regional Magistrate Arnold Maburo.
By A Correspondent- Police in Mashonaland Central province are hunting for a suspected murderer who killed his pregnant wife with a open object regardless of her being married to another man.
Fidelis Chido (32) of Galloway farm,Mvurwi is on the run after he stabbed Sharon Jone (33) on the abdomen with a sharp object.
Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe confirmed the case.
“We are hunting for a murder suspect Chido who allegedly stabbed his eight monhts girlfriend to death in a domestic dispute while her husband was herding cattle at Galloway farm,” Mundembe said.
Allegations are that Chido visited his pregnant girlfriend in the absents of Joseph Farawo (39) husband to the now deceased Jones.
The love birds had an altercation and Chido fatally stabbed Jones before fleeing in blood stained clothes and a blood stained object.
A witness Innocent Muganhu told NewsDay that they tried to chase after the suspect Soo after seeing his blood stained clothes but could not catch him.
“We saw the suspect coming out of Farawo’s house with blood stained clothes and object hence I tried to chase after him but failed to catch up with him,” Farawo said.
“I alerted other neighbours and one neigbiur Gerald Bvunza entered the room and found Jones’s body in a pool of blood.”
The body was taken to Mvurwi hospital mortuary by the police.
Police is appealing for anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect to report to the nearest police station.
By A Correspondent- In a bid to survive in these tough trying times sex workers have invaded mining areas in Silobela, Midlands province and in Inyathi, Matabeleland North where there are a number of artisanal miners or omakorokoza who are known for being free spenders.
The mining areas are frequented by a number of people who would be selling their products mostly in foreign currency therefore it makes it a fertile ground for their thigh vending business.
Speaking to B- Metro a sex worker from Bulawayo who only identified herself as Thando said she was now able to make ends meet.
“I’m from Bulawayo. I came here some weeks ago because life was tough as I couldn’t afford to buy food. At first when I arrived here I was selling drinks and confectionery as a cover-up. I would engage in sex work in the evening,” she said.
Without mincing her words Thando went on to say she was now in a better space where she could make up to US$10 a day.
“Although I cannot deny that sex work is very competitive here because we are many on a good day I can make between US$5 and US$10 . I charge US$1 or US$ 2 for a short session and US$15 or more for the entire night,” she said.
Due to the influx of sex workers in their area the locals fear the sex workers could infect them with coronavirus.
“Here in rural areas we were leading peaceful lives without fear of this Covid -19 but now we are in fear because we feel these women who come from other areas might infect us with the virus because their work involves body contact. Just imagine if one infects a makorokoza then the whole group of them would be infected consequently the whole community would be infected,” said Thulani Moyo(65).
Silobela legislator Mthokozisi Manoki Mpofu said: “We are worried about these women who have besieged our place because they could infect us with coronavirus. I will engage Chief Malisa to find a way forward.”
A sex worker from Gweru, Thabeth Mapimbiro, said there was easy money in the mining areas.
“There are a lot of mines here in Inyathi as a result omakorokoza always have money. They take you for booze after that they give you money for the entire night. This is unlike in Gweru or Bulawayo where one could hardly make US$5 a week,” said Cynthia Moyo.
Sihle Sibanda who plies her trade at Silobela echoed similar sentiments. However, she said competition was stiff.
“Due to stiff competition I use juju to attract clients. I can make about US$40 a week. This is cool money which even before lockdown I could not make,” she said.
A representative of the sex workers who operate under the banner Sex Panners, Nomathemba Moyo*, said: “We move from one place to another just like gold panners and our membership was at 54 in March. Now we are 65. Some of our members come from Gokwe, Nkayi, Kwekwe, Marondera, Chegutu. We invade any place where there is money. If the area becomes dry we shift to another area.”
District Administrator for Bubi Juma Dube who is also the chair person of the district Covid -19 taskforce expressed worry at the influx of sex workers in the area saying they had since engaged police.
“We are worried about people who come from other places because they will infect our community members with coronavirus. To curb that we have engaged police so as to arrest any person who is seen flouting Covid -19 regulations and seen walking after curfew,” said Dube.
By A Correspondent- The former minister of Sports Recreation, Arts and Culture, Makhosini Hlongwane and former Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Tapiwanashe Majaya Matangaidze are reportedly among former ZANU PF members who have applied to be re-admitted into the governing party.
The development was confirmed by the party’s Midlands chairperson Daniel Mackenzie Ncube who said Zanu-PF is a “big tent”, and that people who want to join or re-join the party were most welcome after being vetted. He told New Ziana:
We have applications from former ministers. We have got applications from Makhosini Hlongwane and Tapiwa Matangaidze. We will be sitting down to make our decision on them.
It’s something we should have done about two weeks ago, so we are trying to get a slot so that we can sit down and make the necessary recommendation to headquarters. We are far behind on the issue.
Ncube added that the duo will be properly vetted and most likely start at the bottom of the rank.
The duo was among five officials who were dismissed from the party over two years ago after Zanu-PF Midlands provincial executive accused them of misconduct, peddling falsehoods to the party’s leadership and dividing the province.
The application for readmission comes ahead of the party’s planned restructuring process.
By A Correspondent- In a dramatic incident a man from Northend suburb was assaulted by his ex-lover after he allegedly denied her permission to see the child.
According to a source, Talent Sibanda (35) has a child with his ex – lover Merjury Moyo (24). Last week on Monday Merjury met Talent walking with his girlfriend and their daughter in Northend suburb. Merjury then allegedly asked to see the daughter but Talent reportedly refused to let her see her.
“She wanted to see her daughter but Talent refused because these two have not been on talking terms for a while as their relationship had gone sour,” said a source who witnessed the drama.
This seems to have not gone down well with Merjury and as a result a misunderstanding ensued between the former lovers.
Merjury reportedly resorted to fists and pummelled him several times on the body, leaving him scurrying for cover.
“He tried to calm her down but she was very angry as she rained fists on him. He bled from the mouth,” said the source.
Merjury did not stop at that, the source said. In a fit of rage she allegedly went for his cellphone and smashed it on the ground. Feeling that she had not done much damage, the fuming Merjury is alleged to have forcefully pulled the car door.
“She wanted to take the child as she forcefully opened the door. Sadly it broke,” said the source.
Talent reported the matter at a police station leading to the arrest of Merjury.
Merjury appeared before Tredgold court magistrate Amanda Moyo.
She pleaded not guilty to assault and was remanded to next week on Monday for commencement of trial.
By A Correspondent- Instead of praying hard for divine intervention after he came up against a difficult time, a pastor of a Pentecostal church in Bulawayo rushed to court and sought a protection order against his wife after she denied him food and use of all household property as punishment for deserting her for 10 years after he allegedly eloped with a girlfriend.
Pastor Joseph Netsai Gakanje of Family of God Church approached the Bulawayo Civil Court seeking to bar his wife, Dorothy Chatira, from causing untold suffering in their marriage as she practically does nothing for him.
He claimed his wife was also denying him access to the bathroom.
To corroborate his claims, he brought to court a small bag with a bath towel and soap saying whenever he wanted to bath, he would go to his relatives or friends.
“I am not given food; I do the laundry and ironing on my own. My wife does not allow me to use the stove, to make tea or warm bath water. I have to go to relatives or friends for a bath and for food and ironing,” complained Pastor Gakanje.
He insisted that he was facing difficulties in looking for a place where he could bath, or even cook as he was not allowed to eat in the house.
“This is the kind of life I am living and I couldn’t bear it any more,” he protested.
He prayed to the court to stop his wife from denying him the use of their matrimonial property.
In her response, a livid Chatira justified her actions with sensational claims that apparently shocked the court.
“He disappeared for 10 years and with a girlfriend. He came back two years ago and whenever he had a girlfriend, he left home. He is also not responsible and I do everything at home.
“Just imagine he is a pastor and he doesn’t support his family. He is the one who is abusing me. Before he came back home, I was very ‘big’ but I have now lost weight because of his abusive behaviour,” fumed Chatira.
She further said her husband was just after tarnishing her image.
Her response, however, didn’t go down well with her husband who quickly sprang to his defence saying her problems were spiritual.
“Yes, it’s true that I’m a pastor. She is, however, lying that I’m neglecting the family as she is the one who just wants to be in charge of everything. Her problem is spiritual and she is moving from one church to another in search of help. Another thing is that when I filed for divorce, she refused to sign the summons,” said Pastor Gakanje.
In a bid to maintain peace between the two estranged parties, presiding magistrate Adelaide Mbeure ordered Chatira not to hinder her husband from using facilities at their matrimonial house in Bulawayo’s Nketa suburb.
By A Correspondent- Opposition MDC Alliance vice national Chairperson Job Sikhala’s Lawyer Jeremiah Bamu who was this morning arrested at Rotten Row Court while waiting to represent his client was released without charge.
Bamu was bundled into a ZRP truck for refusing to vacate the court premises as instructed by police details.
We publish the pictures of Bamu inside the police vehicle below:
By A Correspondent- Norton legislator (independent) Temba Mliswa has claimed that some members of the ousted ZANU PF faction, G40 are keen on rejoining the party.
The remarks are in a leaked audio recording purported to be a recorded phone call between Mliswa and Sakunda Holdings boss Kudakwashe Tagwirei.
Mliswa said:
Kasukuwere called me yesterday and do you know what he said? I wanted to work nemukoma wako (your brother President Emmerson Mnangagwa) Temba but show me who his people are in his Cabinet. He even dumped Chinamasa.
The only people he has are Oppah, Chiwenga and Kembo otherwise the rest (are not his people). Yourself Temba supported Lacoste but none of the current Ministers supported Lacoste. So how do you then appoint people who don’t follow the party policy because the point of appointment is, first of all, they come from the party…It was a good question I could not answer.
The G40 faction that was reportedly being led by the former first lady Grace Mugabe was dismantled when the late former president Robert Mugabe was dislodged from power in 2017.
The majority of the factions’ leadership is in exile in fear of retribution of Mnangagwa for harassing him when he was still the Vice President.
Recently, some of them met with South Africa’s ruling ANC and expressed interest in rejoining ZANU PF.
By A Correspondent- A man from Nemamwa in Masvingo Province who was in the docks on fraud allegations reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself at Masvingo Central Police station.
23-year-old Promise Mberi was found hanging in a police cell on 16 August 2020 after he had been locked up the previous day on allegations of defrauding business owners by purchasing goods using fraudulent EcoCash transactions.
Mberi, who hanged himself on the cell burglar bars using his trousers was picked up by detectives at Nemamwa Growth Point after being he was arrested for allegedly editing old EcoCash messages to make new purchases.
Masvingo provincial ZRP spokesperson Chief Inspector Charity Mazula said they do not have such a case at their offices.
By A Correspondent- MDC-T leader Dr Thokozani Khupe is set to bounce back in Parliament after her name was part of 15 others the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) gazetted yesterday as people nominated by her party to fill in seats in the National Assembly and Senate that fell vacant after the recall of some legislators.
ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba invited voters with objections to lodge them with her office before the nominations are confirmed. A fortnight ago, the electoral body declared the seats vacant after Parliament notified it of a decision by the MDC-T to recall 15 of its legislators.
Dr Khupe is set to take up a seat in the National Assembly, while the MDC-T spokesperson, Mr Kalpani Phugeni, will be in Senate, as their names form part of the list that include former legislators who were gazetted as replacements.
“The public is hereby notified, in terms of section 39 (6) of the Electoral Act (Chapter2:13) that the MDC party has nominated party list members of the National Assembly and the Senate listed in the schedules below to fill in the vacancies in the National Assembly and the Senate that occurred following the recall by the MDC-T of the incumbent on the grounds that they had ceased to be members of that party,” reads the notice published by Justice Chigumba.
“Any voter wishing to object to the nominations of the members may lodge them in writing with the Chief Elections Officer, at Mahachi Quantum Building, corner Kaguvi Street and Jason Moyo Avenue, Harare or post them to Private Bag 7782, Causeway within a period of 14 days from the date of publication of this notice, setting forth the reason(s) for the objection(s).”
Besides Dr Khupe and Mr Phugeni, other names published are Yvonne Winfielda Musarurwa, Lindani Moyo, January Sawuke, Memory Munochinzwa, Lwazi Sibanda, Sipho Mokone, Molly Dorothy Ndlovu, Tamani Moyo, Gertrude Moyo, Piniel Denga, Chief Ndluvu, Nomalanga Khumalo and Teti Chisorochengwe.
Mrs Khumalo was elected Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly in 2008 on an MDC-T ticket, while Mr Denga and Ms Sibanda are former legislators.
Senators elected on the party lists and the extra women Members in the National Assembly elected by proportional representation are chosen by political parties in proportion to the votes received by their candidates in the constituency elections to the National Assembly. If one of these seats falls vacant, the original party nominates the successor.
Those being replaced in the National Assembly are: Thabitha Khumalo, Virginia Zengeya, Anna Myambo, Bacillia Majaya, Machirarwa Mugidho, Francisca Ncube and Nomathemba Ndlovu.
In the Senate, Siphiwe Ncube, Gideon Shoko, Helen Zivira, Keresencia Chabuka, Tapfumaneyi Wunganayi, Herbert Sinampande, Meliwe Phuti and Lilian Timveous will be replaced.
The legislators were recalled in terms of a constitutional provision that declares seats held by members of the party that sponsored them in the last election vacant if the party writes to the Speaker of the National Assembly or to the Senate President to declare that the persons no longer represent that party.
The recall followed a Supreme Court ruling which restored the 2014 status quo in the party following an unconstitutional grab of power by Mr Nelson Chamisa after the death of party founder Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.
The ruling meant that there was no party called the MDC Alliance, which is a pact of several political parties, including the MDC-T which is now controlled by Dr Khupe.
Dr Khupe was the elected vice president at the death of Mr Tsvangirai, and was constitutionally the successor before a congress to chose a substantive leader.
By A Correspondent- ZRP yesterday arrested CAPS United Majority Shareholder and Football administrator Farai Jere together with 2 ZESA employees on fraud charges.
According to the state media, the trio was arrested in connection with the sale of electricity meters using allegedly falsified documents to prejudice Zesa by as much as US$4 million.
ZRP was working with Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) when they arrested the trio yesterday and the arrests were confirmed by SACU head Mr Thabani Mpofu who said:
l can confirm that Farai Jere has been arrested together with two Zesa employees on allegations of fraud. They are appearing in court very soon, but I cannot give further details at the moment.
According to The Herald:
Sources close to the investigation said Jere, reported to head Helcraw Electricals, was involved in the procurement of Zesa meters, and that procurement, which could have cost Zesa up to US$4 million, is the foundation of the allegations. It is also understood that the allegations bring in a trip the three made to Britain, paid for by Zesa, but with nothing delivered.
The trio’s arrest came after the suspension of the ZESA Boss Sydney Gata, as ZACC is probing the graft charges levelled against Gata.
Distressing news about the death of MDC-A councillor Lovender Chiwaya. Must be a credible investigation by authorities into the circumstances of his death & full application of the law. Our thoughts are with his family, friends & colleagues at this time #zimbabweanlivesmater
By Patrick Guramatunhu- The way forward for Zimbabwe demands a complete overhaul of the country’s rotten political system.
Some people have argued that Zanu PF and MDC leaders cannot be trusted to implement the democratic reforms because they are part of the rot. Every time any MDC leader open his/her mouth, one can see why they are indeed part of the rot.
“Biti said the military had raised a number of issues with the late Morgan Tsvangirai after he won the 2008 elections – issues he said never received sufficient attention during the talks which led to the formation of the GNU,” Daily News reported.
“He said some of the concerns raised by the army then were the need for guarantees that a future government would not prosecute them or dispossess them of their land.”
To start with Tendai Biti should explain why he and his MDC friends failed to raise this and many other democratic reform issues during the last GNU. The truth is the MDC leaders had the snouts in the feeding trough and they completely forgot about the reforms.
The reforms of the Police, Army, CIO and Prison Services were on the national agenda during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Security service reforms were no more intractable than any of the other reform issues.
Those in the security services are not the only ones who have benefited from the chaotic and corrupt Zanu PF land redistribution. The need to recover land and put it back into productive use is key to Zimbabwe’s economic recovery. And so land will be recovered from all those who now own the land on that basis in a open and transparent manner. Why should Army or anyone else one seek special treatment and guarantees?
“MDC Alliance vice president Tendai Biti says any meaningful national dialogue that is to take place in the country should involve the military,” reported Daily News.
“Biti said the military were an important factor in Zimbabwean politics and should be involved in any talks aimed at fostering democracy and national stability.”
When Mugabe realised that his Zanu PF regime was failing to deliver the freedom, justice, peace and economic prosperity the party started to lose its public support. Mugabe turned to all manner of undemocratic means to retain Zanu PF’s iron grip on power including the use of brute force. And so he roped in the coercive state institutions the Army, Police, CIO and Prison Services to form the shadowy Joint Operation Command (JOC).
Yes Zimbabwe’s security sector has played a major role in Zimbabwe politics, JOC has been the real power behind Zanu PF. It is important to understand that it was Mugabe who invited the Army, Police, etc. and why.
A heathy and functioning democratic Zimbabwe will have no need of JOC and all the security services can revert back to their assigned roles.
We must make up our own mind what it is we want. We cannot say we want a democratic Zimbabwe in which the army is answerable to the civilian government and yet are the ones inviting the army to play a part in civilian politics.
“To foster democracy and national stability, the arm must be involved!” That is what Mugabe did by forming JOC and, as we can now see, it did not foster democracy but dictatorship or national stability but the exact opposite!
What Zimbabwe needs is a clean break with the failed economic policies and the narrow minded political ethos of the past. People like Tendai Biti, Nelson Chamisa, Emmerson Mnangagwa, etc., etc. will never deliver that clean break because they are an integral part of that past. And so instead of implementing the necessary transformative democratic reforms they will be giving excuses for maintain the status quo!
By Wilbert Mukori- “Biti says military role in Zimbabwe politics cannot be wished away!” screamed the headlines in a local publication.
“There must be dialogue that takes care of military concerns. In 2008 after the MDC won the elections, the military sent envoys to talk to Morgan Tsvangirai and they raised six key issues, including concerns about transitional justice,” said Biti according to Daily News.
“They wanted to know if a future government would not prosecute them for crimes they had been made to commit in the past, and we gave them assurance on a transparent programme of transitional justice.”
“Politics must lead the gun; the gun must not rule Zimbabwe!” is an adage that Mugabe himself had repeated several time in the early years. It was Mugabe himself who abandoned the adage when he invited the Army, Police and CIO to commit serious human rights violations notably during Gukurahundi and during elections to consolidate Zanu PF’s iron grip on power. As a reward for doing Zanu PF’s dirty work, Mugabe gave the top brass in the security services a share of the looted wealth.
Mugabe formed the now infamous Joint Operation Command (JOC) amassing the top brass in the Army, Police, CIO and Prison Service plus a select few from Zanu PF headed by Mugabe himself with Mnangagwa as his deputy.
The primary purpose of the junta was to keep political power firmly in the hands of Zanu PF, the public face of the junta. JOC would establish various task forces to ruthlessly crash all Zanu PF’s critics and opponents. The junta will also facilitate and coordinate the wholesale looting of the nation’s resources for the benefit of the ruling elite.
JOC has become a Mafia looting and committing all manner of lawlessness to protect the members’ selfish interests. JOC called November 2017 military coup that toppled Mugabe “Operation Restore Legacy!” because the coup consolidate the Junta’s struggle hold on power. “Chinhu chedu!” (Our thing!) is the buzz word among the junta.
It has been impossible to stamp out corruption because the JOC members are the Godfathers of corruption. They sense of entitlement is so strong and pervasive they have ring fence the Marange and Chiadzwa diamond fields and many other lucrative economic activities as “untouchables”.
There is no doubt they would key posts in the civilian government ring fenced for ex- military personal just as an insurance to guarantee their interests. What JOC must understand is the rotten political system is the root cause of the country economic and political mess. And that for the sake of saving the nation from any more tragic human suffering and deaths; the rotten system must be dismantled.
40 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption, rank lawlessness and barbaric oppression have left the country in economic ruins and with over 30 000 murdered for political gain alone.
34% of Zimbabweans then, according to a 2019 WB report, were living in extreme poverty; i.e. they could not afford one decent meal a day much less other basic necessities such as education for the children and health care. All the other countries in the region has single digit figures living in extreme poverty.
The corona virus outbreak has made life in Zimbabwe hell on earth because the country economic meltdown and collapse health care meant the country was the least prepared to deal with the pandemic. The disruption of the little economic activity going on means the proportion of Zimbabweans now living in extreme poverty has surged way above 34%.
Zimbabwe’s political and economic status quo of the last 40 years has failed the nation and it must change.
Zimbabwe is not the first country in the world to find itself in a situation where the status quo is unsustainable and with those in power fearful of change because they have looted wealth to guard and, worst of all, many skeletons they do not want uncovered. There are no easy answers.
However, what must be stated clearly here and now is that these fears must not be allowed to stand in the way of change because the status quo is unbearable. Every day change is delayed is one more day of heart breaking hardship, God knows how many more lives lost, the deeper the nation will sink into this morose and the harder it will be get out.
Those tasked to overhaul Zimbabwe’s rotten political system, there is no denying it is rotten to the core, must have the vision and courage to reaffirm the common sense adage that politics and not the gun must rule Zimbabwe. The formation of JOC and thus allowing the gun to rule the country by the back door was a fatal mistake that must now be stamped out once and once for all.
The only reason why the army have played and continue to play the dishonourable role as Zanu PF’s partner in the looting and tyrannical oppression; is because of Zimbabwe’s rotten political system that is forcing them to. The irony is the people risked life and limb to elect Tendai Biti and his MDC friends to implement the democratic reforms designed to break Zanu PF’s struggle hold on the military and other state institutions. It is now clear why Biti and company failed to implement even one reform – they never believed they could change anything!
“Military role in Zimbabwe politics cannot be wished away!” You never believed in democratic change!
The “mad dash” to conclude the 2019-20
UEFA Champions League restart officially comes to an end on Sunday.
German giants Bayern Munich face off against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final to see who which squad will get to lift the famous trophy in front of the empty stands at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal.
Both teams faced a rather unprecedented road to get to this point in the competition as the coronavirus pandemic interrupted the normal course of action of two-legged ties. In their place was a series of one-legged ties all set to take place in the country where the final was scheduled to happen.
Stars will be aplenty in Sunday’s final as the attacking duo of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe face off against Bayern’s machine that includes Robert Lewandowski, breakout start Serge Gnabry and a rising star in Alphonso Davies.
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Here are five things to know about the match.
1. Paris Saint-Germain are in after years of heartbreak
PSG’s trip to the final is its first ever in club history, and it immediately proceeds their first European semifinal in 25 years. The Parisians were perhaps more known for their ability to choke in the early stages of the tournament.
From 2013-2016, they were stopped in the quarterfinals every year they got to that point in the competition.
The following seasons were even worse as they were eliminated in the Round of 16 three consecutive times. This year’s narrative-changing campaign has landed them in their first European final in their 110th game of the competition, which is the most played by a side before reaching their first final — previous record was Arsenal, which was 90 games from 1971-2006.
2. Bayern finally break through again
While the frustrations haven’t exactly been on the same level as PSG’s, the Bundesliga side has dealt with their own issues in breaking through a certain part of the tournament in recent years. From 2014-2018 they lost four straight semifinal ties.
The year after that stretch, they were knocked out by eventual champions Liverpool. All it took for them to break through after a seven year absence from the final was becoming one of the most dominant European teams in recent memory.
3. Neymar, the facilitator
The Brazilian winger’s recent Champions League performances may have been categorized by his inability to be an effective goal-scorer, but perhaps it’d be better for him to focus on being a facilitator so his missed opportunities don’t rack up on him. His magical back heel assist to Angel Di Maria on Tuesday was the latest example of his talent in helping teammates put the ball in the back of the net.
That Neymar touch
It was his 24th career assist in the Champions League since his debut in the 2013-14 season.
Since that year, no other player has recorded more assists in this competition than the Brazilian star. The next highest is Cristiano Ronaldo with 21, teammate Di Maria with 18 and former teammate Luis Suarez with 16.
4. Lewandowski’s goal scoring is breaking records
When the Bayern Munich striker headed in his team’s third goal against Lyon on Wednesday, it meant a few good things. First, it naturally meant that the match against their opponents was officially put away. Second, it tied a club record with legend Gerd Muller for the most goals in a single season — Muller’s record was set in the 1972-73 season.
On top of that, it tied Lewandowski third all-time with Cristiano Ronaldo for most Champions League goals scored in a single season with 15. The Portuguese star and the Polish striker are the only two players since 1955 to score 15 or more goals in a single European campaign. Should Lewandowski score a double on Sunday, he’ll tie Ronaldo’s single-competition record; a hat trick, and it’s all him.
5. History is not kind for PSG
As previously mentioned, this is the first time Paris Saint-Germain will be in the Champions League final in club history. If history is any indication, they probably won’t be leaving Lisbon with the trophy. The last six first-time Champions League finalists have lost their debut finals appearance.
Tottenham lost to Liverpool in 2019, Chelsea lost to Manchester United in 2008 — though they came the closest as the game went to penalties —
Arsenal lost to Barcelona in 2006, Monaco lost to Porto in 2004, Bayer Leverkusen lost to Real Madrid in 2002 and Valencia also lost to Madrid in 2000. But this situation is not without precedent.
In 1997, Borussia Dortmund defeated Juventus in their first ever Champions League final.-CBSSports
By Wilbert Mukori- Many people have made a big song and dance about how California Senator Kamala Harris “is the first woman of colour to be on the presidential election ticket of a major political party in America!” You know what; they are right, it is an important milestone showing how far women and people of colour have come.
I happily joined in the celebration with a tune of my own and did a double shuffle jig. Dancing is dancing; even if it is dirty dancing!
There have been many hard fought battles to get Kamala Harris on the presidential ticket. One notable battle was the one, 100 years ago this month, culminating in the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States of America’s Constitution.
Passed by US Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment granted American women the right to vote.
“Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle; victory took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. Few early supporters lived to see final victory in 1920,” commented a US Government source.
In Zimbabwe the country had universal suffrage when it attained her independence in 1980, before that only the whites had the right to vote. The country has never ever held free, fair and credible elections and so black Zimbabweans are yet to exercise their right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country by casting their first free vote.
Before independence the clarion call was “One man! One vote!” It was a compelling and unifying call the oppressed and exploited black majority could not resist and the nation rallied behind Zanu PF, led by the late Robert Mugabe, and PF Zapu led by the late Dr Joshua Nkomo.
However, long before the goal of black majority rule was attain it was already clear that both Zanu PF and PF Zapu had already abandoned ‘One man! One vote!’ in favour of a one-party dictatorship. Each party hoped to emerge the dominant party and attempts to unify the two came to nothing.
In the 1980 elections, which should have been the country’s first democratic elections, Robert Mugabe deployed many of his Zanu PF freedom fighters whose message to the electorate was that if Zanu PF failed to win the elections the civil war would continue. The freedom fighters should have been in the assembly points as agreed. The people voted to end the war; what else could they do!
If anyone thought Zanu PF’s threat to use violence to win the 1980 elections was just political rhetoric, this was settled by the events of the 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi. Zanu PF used the national army to crash Dr Nkomo and PF Zapu. The massacre finally stopped after Dr Nkomo agreed to dissolve his party and join Zanu PF. Mugabe got what he wanted, a de facto one-party dictatorship.
Zanu PF has blatantly rigged the elections and denied the people a meaningful say in the governance of the country for the last 40 years and counting. The party has argued that it was the only party competent to rule and could be trusted to safe guard the independence and sovereignty of Zimbabwe.
Instead of open debate, democratic competition and regime change been seen as healthy and necessary for a free and vibrant democratic nation; Zanu PF banished them as seed of disunity and division. Those seeking regime change were labeled enemies of the state and treated accordingly.
In November 2017 Mnangagwa toppled his former Zanu PF boss, Robert Mugabe, in a military coup. He declared Zimbabwe a “new dispensation, a Second Republic” and promised to root out corruption and to hold free, fair and credible elections. This was a public acknowledgement that the first republic led by Mugabe had failed to honour its promises of delivering economic prosperity and uphold human freedoms and rights, including the right to free elections and even the right to life.
A few dismissed Mnangagwa’s overture with the contempt it rightly deserved, since he had been Mugabe’s chief enforcer all along. Indeed, it was Mnangagwa who had spearheaded the blatant cheating and wanton violence in the 2008 elections to keep Mugabe in power although Zanu PF had lost the elections. Still a number of Zimbabweans wanted to give him a chance!
The first big surprise was that he did nothing to end the wholesale looting of Marange and Chiadzwa diamonds. Next, he did not implement even one token democratic reform to ensure free, fair and credible elections. The promissory note of free and meaningful vote turned out to be just as worthless under the Second Republic as it was during the First Republic!
“It is most unfortunate when men of cloth begin to use the pulpit to advance a nefarious agenda for detractors of our country. Those who want to enter the political realm are welcome to do so,” said Mnangagwa on Tuesday.
“They must come out and form political parties. As Zanu-PF, we are ready for the 2023 elections. We are a people’s party, a party that believes in unity, love, peace and in championing development.
“We fought for the empowerment of our people. Zanu-PF is a party that fought for democracy, upholds constitutionalism and the rule of law. Those that choose otherwise will be exposed and rejected.”
Mnangagwa was responding the growing public unrest over Zanu PF’s failure to revive the country’s collapsed economy, to end rampant corruption and it failure contain corona virus pandemic. In its determined effort to hide its blundering incompetence in the handling of the pandemic the regime has not been testing and tracking the virus; this has allowed the virus to spread far and wide. And to silence criticism and dissent the regime has resorted to the use of violence repression.
America’s 19th Amendment granted women, a segment of society that had been left out until then, the right to vote. That is progress.
Zimbabwe’s independence was supposed to extend the freedoms and rights including the right to vote from the white minority to the black majority. What actually happened is that we all, blacks and whites, got a promissory note promising us all the freedoms and human rights but Zanu PF had no intention to honour any of the promises. That is not progress but regression!
It is very sad indeed that in this day and age we, in Zimbabwe, are still failing to hold free, fair and credible elections. The country is going nowhere until we clear this first base! Zimbabwe’s next elections must be free, fair and credible; that is not too much to ask!
President @edmnangagwa is engaging with members if Matabeleland Collective and other Civic Society Organizations, at Statehouse in Bulawayo. Everyone entering Statehouse today had a PCR test for Covid19 and people got in only after Negative results which came out in minutes. pic.twitter.com/mfq7bw2KFF
By A Correspondent- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has restricted the payment of salaries and wages through bulk payments and mobile money agents as part of measures to curb illicit transactions.
The move by the RBZ, however, is likely to inconvenience thousands of workers who receive their wages through the bulk payment platforms.
Further, the move to curtail mobile money agents may also put thousands of the over 53 000 workers under the country’s largest mobile money network, EcoCash, out of employment.
The new measures were revealed in the mid-term monetary policy statement released yesterday, wherein, RBZ governor John Mangudya said a forensic audit into mobile money transactions had revealed serious illicit activities.
“Mobile payment operators have been turning a blind eye and have even actively encouraged the abuse of bulk payment wallets for illegal foreign currency transactions, thus earning lucrative transaction fees in the process,” Mangudya said.
“Going forward, bulk payment wallets will be approved by regulatory authorities for limited use, primarily for low-value transactions and humanitarian funds disbursements to vulnerable members of society. Any other bulk payment transactions, such as payment of salaries and wages, should be processed through normal banking channels.”
Mangudya told NewsDay Weekender that due to the informality of the economy, small-to-medium enteprises (SMEs) will be allowed, albeit with regulatory approval, to continue paying their workers through bulk payments.
The governor said large companies will now be required to use normal banking channels.
“We cannot have an organisation like RBZ using a bulk payment line to pay salaries. You see, what was happening was that, if you check some of the transactions through the bulk payment system, they were running into the billions,” Mangudya said.
He said this money was outside the banking sector and as such, made it difficult for them to plan.
The RBZ measures will also affect EcoCash Payroll where subscribers receive salaries through bulk payer transactions.
EcoCash has been the preferred choice to pay unbanked workers. It has 11 million subscribers on its database nationwide.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general Japhet Moyo said: “Let me state, our economy is a bit informalised, therefore, a lot of businesses use these platforms as modes of transactions including the payment of salaries.”
“The way we have done our business over a period of time, we have just informalised everything, so it was a bit easier to make the payments in that platform. We need to know now how these businesses are going to be affected, especially the recipients, that is, the majority of the workers who have been getting their salaries through these mobile platforms.”
On mobile money agents, Mangudya said agent wallets were no longer serving any legitimate purpose, but were being used for illegal foreign exchange transactions. “Agents’ mobile money wallets are therefore abolished with immediate effect,” Mangudya said.
“Agents currently holding value in suspended and frozen wallets shall be allowed to liquidate the funds to their bank accounts, upon the Financial Intelligence Unit having satisfied itself of the legitimacy of the source of funds.”
Mangudya said agents handling small transactions would continue, but under strict regulation, to service unbanked people.
“At the end of the day, the agents will need to have proper ‘know-your-customer’,” he said.
Experts say this will curtail mobile operators’ business transactions.
“That is a massive loss. Definitely it’s going to affect the businesses, because they were the face on the ground, the conduits, on how the mobile networks were actually getting their money especially when you look at the amount of agents that we have,” Zimbabwe Information Communication Technologies chairman Jacob Mutisi said.
“A lot of people are going to be out of their jobs.”
According to the RBZ, the forensic audit to assess the integrity, compliance and efficacy of mobile money platforms and transactions in Zimbabwe reportedly unearthed glaring weaknesses in the systems of the mobile payment operators, namely EcoCash, OneMoney, Telecash and Mycash.
Other changes made to the mobile money industry include limiting daily individual transactions to $5 000.
“Individuals shall be allowed to undertake person to person transfers, person to merchant payments for goods and services, settlement of bills and purchase of airtime,” Mangudya said.
In terms of merchants, the RBZ says merchants will not be allowed to make payments from their wallets and that money in merchant wallets shall be liquidated to the merchant’s bank account.
“Mobile money operators shall have systems in place to ensure automatic liquidations from the merchant wallets to the merchant bank accounts,” Mangudya said.
“This measure shall ensure that mobile payment platforms are not used for store of value, but shall be restricted for transacting purposes in furtherance of financial inclusion in the economy.”
The governor also announced that connectivity by all payment service providers is expected to be completed by September 30.
By A Correspondent- Police in Umguza, Matebelaland North province have launched a manhunt for a six-member machete gang that attacked and killed a security guard at Arda Balu Estate before they went off with his .303 service rifle
The incident, according to an internal police memo, occurred on Wednesday.
The police document identified the deceased as Ernest Dube (53) of Plot 7 Helensvale, Umguza.
The report of the murder case was made by Joseph Chimucheka (55) of Arda Balu Estate compound.
“On August 20, the now-deceased was deployed at the Arda Balu Estate main gate in the company of Ashley Manyemba (29), who is also a security guard. The duo commenced night shift duty at 6pm and was armed with a .303 service rifle loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition,” the memo read.
“At about 7:45pm, the now-deceased and Manyemba were seated in the guardroom when they were attacked by about six unknown persons who were armed with machetes and axes. The accused persons first attacked the now-deceased who was carrying the service rifle on his back. They disarmed him and went on to assault him on his hands and head.”
The police document also states that during the attack, Manyemba managed to escape, leaving Dube at the mercy of the gang.
“They assaulted him with an axe on the head and he collapsed. The accused then searched him and stole a Samsung cellphone with NetOne line before escaping,” the memo added.
“After the accused persons had gone, Manyemba managed to walk to Chimucheka’s place where he informed him of what had happened. Chimucheka went to the main gate to investigate and he found Dube lying lifeless in the guardroom. He then went to report at Arda Balu Police Base where an ambulance was summoned and Manyemba was taken to
Mpilo Central Hospital for medical attention.”
The police document states that Dube’s body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals mortuary for post-mortem. Manyemba suffered a deep cut on the back of his head and was admitted to Mpilo Hospital where his condition was said to be stable.
Matabeleland North provincial police spokesperson Inspector Spiwe Makonese yesterday said she had not yet received the report.
“We do not have such a matter here yet,” she said.
Police details indicated that investigations were ongoing and a manhunt has been launched for the suspects who are still at large.
By A Correspondent| Members of the Generation 40 (G40) are making overtures to rejoin the revolutionary party Zanu-PF in the process alienating their chief architect Professor Jonathan Moyo who is in self imposed exile in Kenya.
The revelations are contained in a leaked audio conversation between business tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei and Norton Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa.
In the audio, Mliswa reveals that he has been in touch with G40 members principally Saviour Kasukuwere (former Zanu-PF national political commissar) who had expressed his willingness to rejoin Zanu-PF.
Kasukuwere is in South Africa together with other G40 members Walter Mzembi and Patrick Zhuwawo.
Mliswa said Kasukuwere had told him that he always wanted to work with President Mnangagwa. “Kasukuwere called me yesterday and do you know what he said? I wanted to work nemukoma wako Temba but show me who his people are in his Cabinet. He even dumped Chinamasa. The only people he has are Oppah, Chiwenga and Kembo otherwise the rest (are not his people). Yourself Temba supported Lacoste but none of the current Ministers supported Lacoste. So how do you then appoint people who don’t follow the party policy because the point of appointment is first of all they come from the party…It was a good question I could not answer.”
The overtures by Kasukuwere comes amid reports that other members of the G-40 cabal such as Makhosini Hlongwane and Anastancia Ndlovu had also approached the ruling party seeking readmission.
The group was expelled from the party and recalled from Parliament for usurping executive, legislative and judiciary roles using their proximity to the former First Family.
The latest development leaves Prof Moyo, who has been criticising Government on social media, in the cold.
Media practitioners are experiencing difficulties in finding their way into Harare Magistrates Court to cover the initial appearance of Zengeza West legislator Hon. Sikhala. Pic Credit Phil Jambaya. pic.twitter.com/MWMXAAd5rg
@ZLHRLawyers@bamujm briefly arrested accused of bringing crowds to the Harare magistrates court. Police realised many of the people are in fact journalists. He was later released without charge. Bamu is pictured in the police van. pic.twitter.com/RDi40Lm1l0
By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance national deputy chairperson Job Sikhala Job Sikhala has arrived at the Harare Magistrate Court where is expected to appear before the court.
Sikhala was yesterday arrested in Tynwald, Harare.
The police arrested him on the pretext that they were keen to interview him on allegations of inciting public violence.
The state media reported that National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said he will provide more details of the arrest in due course.
“Yes, Sikhala was arrested today (yesterday) in Tynwald North where he was in hiding. Remember he was wanted for incitement of public violence.”
Other opposition figures that the Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Law and Order Department has expressed interest in interviewing include Makomborero Haruzivishe, Godfrey Kurauone, Ostallos Siziba, Promise Mkwananzi, Denford Ngadziore, Allan Moyo, Obert Musaraure, Jimmy Kunaka, Peter Mutasa, Robson Chere, Stephen Chuma, and Godfrey Tsenengamu.
Colonel Assimi Goita speaks to the press at the Malian Ministry of Defence in Bamako, Mali, on Wednesday
The military officer who declared himself in charge of Mali after leading a coup that ousted the West African nation’s president this week received training from the United States, according to military officers from both countries.
Colonel Assimi Goita, who emerged on Thursday as the head of the junta in power, worked for years with US Special Operations forces focused on fighting extremism in West Africa. He spoke regularly with US troops and attended US-led training exercises, said the officers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.
Mr Goita, who also received training from Germany and France, headed Mali’s special forces unit in the country’s restive central region, where fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State have established a stronghold that has alarmed global leaders.
“By making this intervention, we have put Mali first,” Mr Goita said in a broadcast on Thursday alongside top government officials. “Mali is in a sociopolitical and security crisis. There is no more room for mistakes.”
The US Africa Command and the Defence Department did not immediately respond to questions about the nature of Mr Goita’s training and relationship with US troops.
“The United States strongly condemns the ongoing mutiny and any attempts at a military seizure of power,” Pentagon spokeswoman Nicole Kirschmann said in a statement.
It is not unusual for senior officers in the Malian military – a force of roughly 12,000 meant to protect a population of about 20 million – to receive training from the US and other foreign allies.
“Malian officers are usually involved in several foreign trainings – meaning they may leave for Russia, go to France and then end up part of Flintlock,” a US training exercise in West Africa, said Marc-André Boisvert, a former UN expert who has spent years researching Mali’s military.
Helping the nation’s troops fight rapidly spreading extremism is critical for regional stability, US military officials said. Al-Qaida and Islamic State loyalists have cooperated in West Africa in pushes to dominate the countryside in Mali, a country nearly twice the size of Texas.
“What we’ve seen is not just random acts of violence under a terrorist banner but a deliberate campaign that is trying to bring these various groups under a common cause,” brigadier general Dagvin Anderson, head of the US military’s Special Operations arm in Africa, told the Post in February. “That larger effort then poses a threat to the United States.”
The coup came after months of protests in the capital, Bamako, which brought tens of thousands of Malians into the streets to demand the resignation of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.
Video showed people cheering as mutinous soldiers stormed Bamako on Tuesday and took Keïta, along with several of his top officers, into their custody.
The African Union, the United Nations, France and the United States swiftly condemned the rebellion, urging the coup leaders to release Keïta, whose term was due to end in 2023.
“A politically stable Mali is paramount and crucial to the stability of the sub-region,” Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari tweeted on Thursday.
The protesters, led by an influential imam, Mahmoud Dicko, accused the 75-year-old Keïta of corruption, mismanaging the crumbling economy and allowing extremists to spread in the countryside. The embattled leader resigned on state television Wednesday, saying he wanted to avoid more bloodshed.
Mali’s new rulers, who call themselves the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, said they aim to build a civilian-led transition government and hold a new election.
Mr Goita, the junta’s leader, is a commander of the country’s Autonomous Special Forces Battalion, which is one of the first lines of defence against the extremists.
He had expressed frustration to colleagues about the rising violence in Mali, according to a former US military officer who worked closely with him, sending out videos of torched villages on WhatsApp.
Mr Goita, who is in his early 40s, spent most of his military career in the areas rife with extremists – the northern deserts and the central garrison towns. His spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The number of deaths from terrorism in the country, as well as in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, have skyrocketed in recent years, according to the United Nations, surpassing 4,000 in 2019.
Hundreds of Malian soldiers have died in the fight. They have also faced accusations of killing innocent villagers on the search for extremists, according to Human Rights Watch.
The leader of Mali’s last coup in 2012 – captain Amadou Haya Sanogo – also received military guidance from the US, including professional military education and basic officer training.
“The actions of the mutineers run contrary to everything that is taught in US military schools, where students are exposed to American concepts of the role of a military in a free society,” Hilary F Renner, a spokeswoman for the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, said at the time.
The legal battles by the team of lawyers representing suspended Supreme Court judge Justice Francis Bere to stop the tribunal investigating complaints against him continue, although the tribunal is still sitting, with one of the latest moves being an attempt to change the make-up of the tribunal.
The judge and lawyers walked out of the hearing, protesting the rejection of their request to have one of the panellists, Advocate Takawira Nzombe, recuse himself from the matter because he was allegedly linked to Harare lawyer Mr Itayi Ndudzo, a key witness.
The legal team was not content with a further six month extension of the tribunal, following the expiry of the given four months, and has now filed a High Court application challenging the lifespan of the tribunal inquiring into the fitness of Justice Bere to hold office.
So far, 10 witnesses have testified before the tribunal while two more witnesses are outstanding.
Hearings are continuing on Monday, with the presentation of evidence from these two witnesses.
Permanent Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mrs Virginia Mabhiza, told The Herald yesterday that since the court has ruled that the tribunal was properly constituted, the hearing of evidence started the day the judge’s team walked out.
“Unless the need to call for other evidence arises, the intention is to close the hearing of oral evidence after the testimony of the two outstanding witnesses,” she said.
“Thereafter, the evidence leaders will give their closing address summarising the evidence presented, what they argue as evidence established, and whether or not the proved facts, if any, amount to gross misconduct on the part of the honourable judge.
“Once this is concluded, the commissioners will proceed to consider all the evidence presented before them and compile their findings in a report for presentation to his Excellency the President of Zimbabwe.”
President Mnangagwa set up the tribunal inquiry into the fitness of Justice Bere to hold office after Mr Ndudzo accused him of interference in a civil case involving the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (zinara) and his relatives.
Justice Bere allegedly telephoned Mr Ndudzo, who was representing zinara, asking him to consider settling a civil dispute pitting zinara against Fremus Enterprises.
Justice Bere was serving on both the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court benches when he was suspended in March this year.
The Catholic Lawyers Guild In Zimbabwe has published the following statement in solidarity with renowned lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa who was thrown off Hopewell Chin’ono’s case after the state made the application citing that she scandalised the court.
Read the full statement below:
The Catholic Lawyers Guild in Zimbabwe is a non.partisan association of more than two hundred (200) lawyers working within and outside Zimbabwe, guided in their work by their faith, fundamental provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe as read with relevant international human righ. instruments, and the precepts of Catholic Social Teaching.
Statement of Solidarity Regarding Attorney Beatrice Mtetwa
22 August 2020
1. We, the Catholic Lawyers’ Guild in Zimbabwe, issue this statement in reponse to the ruling by the Harare Magistrates Court in the matter of the State v Hopewell Chin’ono (COB HREP 1226)20). The effect of the ruling handed down on the 18th of August, 2020, is to disqualify the accused person’s defence counsel, Mrs. Beatrice Mtetwa, from representing the accused person in a prosecution already fraught with numerous difficulties.
2. For the record, Mrs. Beatrice Mtetwa is a member of our Guild, and indeed, our colleague. However, our motivation in speaking out is not driven by these factors. Ours is a guild of lawyers, sworn to uphold the law and it is our duty to speak out against injustice wherever we encounter it.
3. We are appalled at the unwarranted curtailement, not only of Mrs. Mtetwa’s fundamental rights as a legal practitioner, but the consequent denial of Mrs. Mtetwa’s client, Mr. Hopewell Chin’ono, of his constitutional right to a legal practitioner of his choice.
4. We must state that our position as conveyed in this statement is guilded by the Constitution of Zimbabwe which provides in section 2 that it “is the supreme law of Zimbabwe and any law, practice, custom or conduct inconsistent with it is invalid to the extent of the inconsistency.” The obligations imposed by this Constitution are binding on every person, natural or juristic, including the State and all executive, legislative and judicial institutions and agencies of government at every level, and must be fulfilled by them.”
5. In our humble view, the disqualification by the Court, of Mrs. Mtetwa as lead counsel in that matter, is directly in conflict with her right as set out in section 64 of the Constitution, “to choose and carry on any profession, trade or occupation”. This is particularly so as Mrs. Mtetwa was actually not tried or found guilty of any misconduct, by the appropriate body charged with regulating the conduct of lawyers, namely, the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ).
6. We acknowledge that in appropriate cases, a court may summarily inquire into and impose appropriate sanction in instances of alleged contempt of court. However, circumstances in which the ruling in issue was made demonstrably fall outside the permitted bounds.
7. What aggravates the unjust treatment of Mrs. Mtetwa is the related denial of her client, Mr. Hopewell Chin’ono’s right to be represented by a legal practitioner of his choice. Mr. Chin’ono’s right is so important that the framers of our Constitution found it necessary to state it in 2 different sections of the Constitution, namely: section 69(4) and 70(1)(d). However, in one fell swoop, M. Chin’ono’s right has been denied, for the alleged transgression of his legal practitioner.
8. We find it necessary to remind the State that in addition to upholding the Constitution of Zimbabwe, it is also obliged to uphold the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers as adopted by the United Nations:
o “All persons are entitled to call upon the assistance of a lawyer of their choice to protect and establish their rights and to defend them in ail stages of criminal proceedings.
o No court or administrative authority before whom the right to counsel is recognized shall refuse to recognize the right of a lawyer to appear before it for his or her client unless that lawyer has been disqualified in accordance with nationd law and practice and in conformity with these principles.
o Lawyers shall enjoy civi/ and penal immunity for re/evant statements made in good faith in written or oral pleadings or in their professionate appearances before a court, tribunal or other legal or administrative authority.
o Lawyers like other citizens are entitled to freedom of expression, belief, association and assembly. in particular, they shall have the right to take part in public discussion of matters conceming the law, the administration of justice and the promotion and protection of human rights and to join or form local, national or international organizations and attend their meetings, without suffering professional restrictions by reason of their lawful action or their membership in a lawful organization. in exercising these rights, lawyers shall always conduct themselves in accordance with the law and the recognized standards and ethics of the legal profession.
0 Charges or complaints made against lawyers in their professional capacity shall be processed expeditiously and fairly under appropriate procedures. Lawyers shall have the right to a fair hearing, including the right to be assisted by a lawyer of their choice.
o Disciplinary proceedings against lawyers shall be brought before an impartial disciplinary committee established by the legal profession, before an independent statutory authority, or before a court, and shall be subject to an independent judicial review..
9. In conclusion, we wish to state that in our view, whatever conduct was the subject of complaint before the Harare Magistrates Court in the matter of State v Hopewell Chin’ono, could be adequately have been dealt with in the ordinary manner by the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ).
10. We pray to Almighty God that through the grace of His son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our rulers in all branches of the State, may always act with probity, and strive to do justice to each and every person living and working in Zimbabwe.
As we so pray, we stand in solidarity with our beloved sister, Beatrice Mtetwa.
CATHOLIC LAWYERS GUILD In Zimbabwe
Friday 21 August 2020
UPDATE – Happening Now: Hon. Sikhala arrives at Harare Magistrates Court escorted by anti riot police & his supporters are in attendance https://t.co/TZDvqzxdmm
OFFICIALS from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works will with immediate effect attend council meetings countrywide to help curb rampant disregard of regulations by local authorities.
All full council and committee meetings will be held in the presence of the Provincial Development Coordinator (PDC) or District Development Coordinator (DDC) or their designated officials.
Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo announced the new development through a circular addressed to mayors and council chairpersons.
The mayors and councillors have been ordered to invite PDC and DDC to all their meetings.
The measures come following a series of corruption cases in local authorities that has seen the arrest of councillors and council technocrats.
Minister Moyo said his decision is meant to safeguard national interests as technocrats in local authorities were deliberately starving councillors of adequate information leading to them making ill-informed decisions on national matters.
“It has come to my attention that there is growing non compliance to the Constitution, the Statute Law and Government policy and circulars by councils and that councillors are not always given all the options available to enable them to make proper decisions.
“In view of this scenario, it has become necessary to monitor meetings of councils more effectively in the interest of transparency, accountability and good governance,” said Min Moyo.
“In view of Section 96 (10) of the Urban Councils Act, I hereby direct, in terms of Section 313 of the same Act that mayors or chairpersons issue a standing invitation to the relevant Provincial Development Coordinator, District Development Coordinator or their designated officer to attend all committees and full council meetings with immediate effect.”
He said Town Clerks and council secretaries must ensure that the agenda for all the meetings is dispatched to the PDC and DDC to enable them to attend.
“This directive is given in the national interest in ensuring that all tiers of Government operate legally and in harmony with each other,” he said.
This comes as Government is implementing devolution of power which would result in local authorities being in charge of resource utilisation within their localities.
FORMER PetroZim Line (PVT) Limited general manager Cathrine Katsande was yesterday jailed for an effective 60 months for fraudulently awarding to a local company, tenders for the supply of equipment worth US$2 million during her tenure.
Katsande (55), who indicated that she would appeal against conviction and sentence, was convicted of six counts of fraud.
Harare magistrate, Mr Lazini Ncube, initially sentenced her to 90 months imprisonment before suspending 30 months of the jail term.
Mr Ncube also fined the company that was awarded the tenders, Keltrade (Pvt) Limited $53 000 for the same offences.
Messrs Tafara Charimbira and Panganayi Chiutsi representing the State, heard that PetroZim Line (Pvt) Limited was incorporated in 1988 by Lonmin and the then National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (noczim) to transport fuel from Mutare through the Feruka pipeline to Msasa in Harare.
According to the company’s tender procedures, goods and services had to be supplied before payment was processed. In exceptional instances, the board finance committee had to first approve payments.
The court heard that on June 24, 2013 Katsande authorised a payment of US$159 925 after Keltrade had submitted a quotation indicating that it had capacity to supply a gearbox for 10 gate valves.
The money was paid before Keltrade supplied the goods.
On September 24 of the same year, she also authorised payment of US$610 640 to Keltrade after it indicated that it had capacity to supply two skid pumps.
Again on December 9, 2013, Katsande advanced US$363 860 after Keltrade presented a quotation indicating that it was able to supply two ethanol centrifugal pumps.
The money was paid before the supply of the pumps.
In February 2015, Katsande also authorised payment of US$91 082 after Keltrade gave her a quotation for the supply of drag resistant spares.
In the same month, Katsande is said to have given permission to payments of various amounts to Keltrade without following laid down procedures.
In March 2015, Katsande was instructed to purchase goods from MIS Solutions, but she disregarded the recommendation and gave the tender to Keltrade.
In an extremely shocking and senseless thinking, the ruling ZANU PF party has declared that MDC Alliance Councillor for Karoi Urban Ward 4, Lovender Chiwaya who was found dead on Friday morning, died after consuming an illicit alcohol brew.
The party aligned online media, ZimReport which specialises in image building for the failing ruling party said Chiwaya was found dead some four houses from his house with a half-eaten roasted maize cob in one hand and a bottle of illicit brew in the other.
The publication further claims that when Chiwaya’s body was found, it had some froth on the mouth, while his boxer shorts were soiled with traces of suspected semen. His trousers’ zipper was still open and a T-Shirt was pulled halfway up his chest.
According to the report here were no visible injuries on his body a contradiction to revelations made by witnesses who saw the bruised body at the scene of the obvious murder.
The MDC Alliance has accused ZANU PF for the murder.
We are sad to announce the death of The MDC Alliance Hurungwe Central Chairperson and Karoi Urban Ward 4 Councilor Cllr Lavender Chiwaya who was allegedly abducted by state agents and brutally murdered before being dumped a few metres from his home.
His suspected abduction and murder on the hands of suspected state agents who have been stalking him since last year also comes hot on the heels of yet another foiled abduction of Ward 6 Councilor Cllr Kudakwashe Chigumo who was also abducted by suspected state agents a few weeks ago but was later released after a Robust search party was converned.
It is alleged that his shirt was torn and he was bleeding profusely from the nose and ears signalling that he was heavily assaulted and dumped near his home.
Alderman Chiwaya(34) survived death by a whisker in the 2008 zanu of terror campaigns when he was abducted, tortured and kept in a small room at a zanu militia base in Karoi.He was later rescued by fearless and militant party cadres who destroyed the base.
The murder of one of the MDC Alliance’s pillars could be an indicator of what awaits the nation ahead as the President declared to *”flush out all bad apples”* and also since he also felt threatened by the existence of the *”true opposition politicians”* whom he declared as *”terrorists”* for demanding for constitutionalism and accountability from the thugs in Government.
Cllr Lavender Chiwaya was first elected as Councillor in 2008 and served his Ward diligently until his heartless and spine chilling murder.
Cllr Chiwaya is survived by his wife and 5 children .Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.
A funeral vigil will be held at *house No 1771 Chikangwe Township.* His body will be taken to Harare for a postmortem tomorrow after the doctors in karoi failed to do so for *unspecified reasons*.
The murder of one of our own does not kill the Revolutionary spirit in us but strengthens our resolve to destroy autocracy and inflames our anger at the petition bourgeois threatening our sole existence.
As we mourn this *”big man”* affectionately known as *”Trump”* we shall not let his dream of a better Zimbabwe die.We shall continue to fight the dictator till Zimbabwe is free from all forms of bondage.Not even murder, incarceration or torture can stop an idea whose time has come.
They can kill all of us but they can never kill the Revolutionary spirit;in our Kore Kore dialect they say *”zvakanyohwa hazvinyohonohwe”*. According to the Scriptures it is written that *”everything has its own time”* and seasons come and go.Yes,this maybe *their season of flushing out bad apples* but they must not forget that *there shall come a season for them to account for their evil actions*.They should remember that *what goes around comes around.*
This is surely no time for us to call on Cllr Chiwaya’s spirit to rest in peace.My brother,may you *avenge your spine chilling death and may your murderers never find peace.*
Our deepest condolences goes to Mrs Chiwaya and the Chiwaya family, President CHAMISA and the MDC Alliance family in Mash West and across the nation and globe on the tragic loss of one of our illustrious sons.
Lindiwe Zulu ANC Secretary for International Relations
Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party and the government will have to agree there is a crisis in the country before South Africa or the ANC can help them resolve it, says Lindiwe Zulu, cabinet minister and head of the ANC’s international relations sub-committee.
As a diplomat, Lindiwe Zulu, now South Africa’s social development minister, led SA’s mediation efforts in Zimbabwe to try to ensure free and fair elections in 2013. On Friday, she said: “It looks like we are back to square one.” Whatever gains SA’s mediation had made in Zimbabwe, have now been reversed.
Zulu was speaking in a webinar by the Brenthurst Foundation, with Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC Alliance) vice president Tendai Bit. Brenthurst director Greg Mills said “Zimbabwe seems to be going down the pan again” in yet another socio-economic crisis which included 1,000% inflation.
“Zimbabwe is demonstrating that the saying, ‘things can’t get any worse’, is fundamentally untrue,” he said.
Mills asked Zulu and Biti if, and how, South Africa could help Zimbabwe resolve its current crisis.
Zulu said the ANC – as a fellow liberation movement to Zanu-PF – and the South African government wanted to be of the greatest possible assistance to Zimbabwe. However, it first needed “buy-in” from Zimbabwe in acknowledging the crisis.
The ruling Zanu-PF has so far steadfastly refused to acknowledge there’s a crisis, and has blamed all the country’s socio-economic and political woes on “malevolent” outside forces such as Western sanctions.
SA President Cyril Ramaphosa recently sent two special envoys – former Cabinet minister Sydney Mufamadi and former Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete – to Zimbabwe to start addressing the crisis. They met President Emmerson Mnangagwa but he stopped them from meeting the opposition MDC or civil society.
Zulu underscored on Friday that Ramaphosa’s envoys had a mandate to meet Zanu-PF “and other political parties”, but she did not say if or when Mufamadi and Mbete would be returning to Zimbabwe to meet the opposition.
Recalling her own experience as one of former president Jacob Zuma’s envoys who tried to get Zimbabwe’s political parties to implement the agreements they had signed in 2013 to ensure a level playing field in the elections, Zulu said this time South Africa, and particularly the ANC, had to do things “a bit differently”.
She said while the ANC must continue to engage its fellow liberation movement, the ANC should also be “honest and frank and straightforward about what is happening. And let our brothers in Zanu-PF also do the same and be honest and frank and straightforward about what is happening”.
Only then would South Africa and the ANC be able to help Zimbabwe deal with the crisis.
South Africa and ANC had to ask “hard” and “painful” questions about what was happening in Zimbabwe. “We cannot ignore the fact that Zimbabweans are crossing the border [into SA] on an almost daily basis. Now our borders are closed but people are still finding a way of crossing.
“There is no way we cannot ask ourselves a very simple question: where is the dignity in all this?”
“Where is the dignity in all the young women I see in the car parks running around chasing people to ask if they can wash their cars? Where is the dignity of people working in restaurants who are teachers or nurses…”
And where, asked Zulu, was the dignity for Zimbabweans having to cross the borders to buy essentials, or concealing their nationality in South Africa or risk being sent back home.
“There is a crisis in Zimbabwe… if there wasn’t a crisis, I wouldn’t be talking about what I have just narrated.”
Zulu said the ANC remained closer to Zanu-PF than any other party in Zimbabwe and would like to see it continue to govern. But the ANC would also recognise any other government which was elected by the people.
She said the governing liberation movements in southern Africa had to monitor each other to ensure they were upholding the ethos, culture and values they had fought for. She said this was not just about getting rid of colonialism and racism, but also uplifting their people socio-economically and protecting their human rights.
Zimbabweans ultimately had to resolve their own crisis and deserved a lot of blame for failing to do so, they could not now resolve it without South African help.
Zulu called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to do things differently in Zimbabwe. The body has consistently ignored the current crisis, which evidently was not discussed at its annual summit this week.
Zulu contrasted this silence from SADC with the public which African Union Commission chairperson Mohamed Faki Moussa made last week, in which he welcomed Ramaphosa – who was chairperson of the AU at the time – sending envoys to Zimbabwe and implicitly criticising the Zimbabwean government for human rights abuses.
This statement was quite different from the AU’s usual approach to Zimbabwe, Zulu said. “It was direct and it spoke to human rights. That gave us a boost… to say we can’t be attacked and told we’re interfering.”
Tendai Biti, who was Finance minister in Zimbabwe’s government of national unity between Zanu-PF and the MDC – mediated in 2008 by then SA president Thabo Mbeki – agreed with Zulu that “we’re back to square zero. We’ve been down the same road time and time again over the last 20 years. The characters change but the script is the same”.
The “script” was still that of a politically illegitimate state which had been taken over by its security forces; of the disputed 2018 elections; of total state capture by the Zanu-PF elite; the total emasculation of state institutions; massive corruption and the looting of state resources; and 95% unemployment and 79% poverty. And, of course, widespread repression.
Zimbabweans had become the true “scatterlings of Africa”, dispersed around the region. “It’s a broken record. Everyone else is sick of it,” Biti said, adding that whenever he spoke to others in the region about his country, he felt their “massive fatigue”.
Biti said that although Zimbabweans ultimately had to resolve their own crisis and deserved a lot of blame for failing to do so, they could not now resolve it without South African help.
He said Zimbabwe was not a foreign policy issue for South Africa – it was a domestic issue, because of the burden it was imposing on this country. He said experts had told him, for example, that 20% of the beds in Soweto’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital were being occupied by Zimbabweans, some of whom were also committing crimes in SA.
He agreed with Zulu that SADC should become more involved, but added that it would only do so if driven by South Africa, which had to take the lead as it was the country most affected by the crisis.
But this time around, negotiations would have to focus on deeper structural reforms and proper implementation of mechanisms to ensure any new deal was sustainable, he said.
The opposition was now calling for a national transitional mechanism, comprising all parties, to govern Zimbabwe and to prepare for new democratic elections.
FORMER Highlanders’ winger Sizabantu Khoza says he is humbled by the massive financial and moral support he has received on behalf of his 12-year-old son Bonginkosi, who is battling with septic arthritis.
Bonginkosi was diagnosed with the ailment in May and underwent an operation, but his condition worsened in the past few weeks.
Septic arthritis is a painful infection in a joint, which can come from germs that travel through the bloodstream from another part of the body. It can also occur when a penetrating injury delivers germs directly to the joint.
He also needed wound dressing every five days, which needed US$10 each time. A huge hospital bill was incurred when the boy was initially admitted, resulting in the family appealing to the public for assistance.
The campaign raised R3 750, US$1 560 and $15 500.
Football administrators, Highlanders’ supporters locally and abroad, ordinary members of the public, social football clubs in the Golden Oldies Social League, former and current players, Bosso players that played alongside Siza in the 1990s all came to Bonginkosi’s assistance.
Bonginkosi is also a key member of the Highlanders’ Under-14 side that won the Zifa Bulawayo Metropolitan Province age group championship.
He is currently admitted at the United Bulawayo Hospitals where doctors have put him on a six-week traction programme.
“I just want to truly humble myself before everyone who landed a helping hand to my son. I can’t mention each and every one by name because they are just too many.
“May the Lord bless you abundantly. My son is on the road to recovery and I am sure soon he will be out of hospital. He is a jovial little man who loves his football and with your kind gestures, I am now confident that the dream remains alive, ngiyabonga bantu bakithi,” said Khoza.
Emmerson Mnangagwa with his predecessor Robert Mugabe during the Gukurahundi era
President Mnangagwa will today meet his captured civil society leaders from Matabeleland in Bulawayo ostensibly to rush a dialogue towards finding “closure: to the emotive Gukurahundi issue.
He arrived in Bulawayo yesterday evening for the meeting, which is scheduled to take place at State House this morning.
Mnangagwa has so far held two meetings with the civil society under the Matabeleland Collective banner in his rushed efforts to try and solve the Gukurahundi issue.
Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services,Nick Mangwana, said Mnangagwa was committed to the finalisation of the Gukurahundi issue, among other developmental issues affecting the Matabeleland region.
“There have been meetings regarding the engagements around Matabeleland Collective such as marginalisation, Gukurahundi and development in this region. This is a third engagement for His Excellency President Mnangagwa and he will give an update on this whole journey and how we are moving forward,” he said.
“However, most of the information will be available tomorrow after the engagement itself.”
Mangwana said despite the Covid-19 induced lockdown, the President saw it fit to travel to Bulawayo to meet relevant stakeholders involved in the discussions.
“This is a follow-up of a programme that has already started and His Excellency does not start something and not see it to its logical conclusion. The issue of Gukurahundi, past marginalisation within this region is an issue which His Excellency is seized with and close to his heart,” he said.
“Even under lockdown, he has decided that we need to continue to follow through to see everything to finality and good end. The President will give a speech tomorrow (today) and all the stakeholders will also be able to talk to the media after the engagement itself.”
Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mrs Virginia Mabhiza, said there has been tremendous progress in the discussions.
She said President Mnangagwa will soon launch a programme for the issuance of birth and death certificates for victims of Gukurahundi.
“The issues are mostly to do with birth and death certificates for victims of Gukurahundi and we are also looking at the issue of exhumations, which is currently being handled by the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission. Our bigger vision is to conduct a launch and His Excellency is going to launch the issuance of births and death certificates in a province of his choice in Matabeleland. We are also looking into the issues of exhumations,” she said.
“We are here as a follow-up to the July meeting and this is basically a follow-up on issues that we have discussed with the civic society based in Bulawayo. This is not about Gukurahundi issues only but other broader developmental issues affecting the region. There is a lot of progress so far around the issues under discussion.”
In his previous meetings, President Mnangagwa has hailed the interaction which he described as the first of its kind in terms of social dialogue.
Speaking on behalf of Matabeleland Collective, Ms Jenni Williams, who is also director of Women of Zimbabwe Arise, said the grouping was working to help citizens look ahead with hope and energy rather than looking backward with sadness.
“We are meeting the President to discuss challenges around our ongoing dialogue, which has been going on for two years now. The Minister of Home Affairs was recently here on the same issues and we have now requested the President to come and engage us so that we are able to deal with some of the issues around the dialogue,” she said.
State schools can no longer exclude girls who fall pregnant from attending lessons, while teachers will not be allowed to cane pupils, under amendments to the Education Act that became law yesterday, and were described as progressive by educationists.
The Education Act Amendment was passed by Parliament, approved by President Mnangagwa, and has been gazetted.
Under the amendments, “No pupil shall be excluded from school for non-payment of school fees or on the basis of pregnancy.”
During debate in Parliament, the then Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Professor Paul Mavima, said expelling a girl for falling pregnant had a discriminatory effect in circumstances where she would have been impregnated by a colleague who in most cases, would be allowed to proceed with his education.
This was after some legislators argued that allowing a girl who fell pregnant to continue learning had the effect of condoning delinquency among pupils.
The Act will also outlaw corporal punishment as school authorities are now required to draw up a disciplinary policy in accordance with standards set out in regulations prescribed by the minister for the purpose.
In terms of the Act, the regulations and any disciplinary policy shall not permit any treatment which does not respect the human dignity of a pupil.
“Disciplinary measures must be moderate, reasonable and proportionate in the light of the conduct, age, sex, health and circumstances of the pupil concerned and the best interests of the child shall be paramount. Under no circumstance is a teacher allowed to beat a child,” reads the Act.
“No pupil may be suspended from school without first being granted a reasonable opportunity, with the support of his or her parents, to make representations with respect to the proposed suspension.”
Every child shall be entitled to be enrolled at the nearest school and unless such school is fully enrolled.
In the case where the school is fully enrolled, the head of that institution must issue a certificate to that effect to allow the pupil to seek enrolment at alternative places.
The amendments to the Act empower the minister to fix school fees, taking into consideration the location and status of a given school.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema yesterday said they were excited that the President had signed the Act.
“The President has just signed the law and we will fully enforce the provisions for the furtherance of education in the country. We believe the Act is a progressive legislation,” said Minister Mathema.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association (zimta) chief executive officer, Dr Sifiso Ndlovu, said they fully supported the provisions of the Act as it was consistent with modern society.
He said corporal punishment engendered a violent society and it was refreshing that it was removed while the outlawing of the exclusion of pregnant pupils helped in the furtherance of the rights of the girl child.
“As zimta, we fully participated in the crafting of that law. Most of what we raised has been included. We abhor the use of corporal punishment because it is an old-fashioned tool of instilling discipline. It has the effect of engendering a violent society. We also support any measure meant to safeguard the interests and rights of the girl child. One such provision is outlawing the exclusion of those that fall pregnant. This is what other societies have embraced and we fully support the provision,” said Dr Ndlovu.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general, Mr Raymond Majongwe, said while the act was going to protect the rights of girls, there were fears that some people could take advantage of that and abuse girls.
“There should have been more consultation on these measures, especially on corporal punishment. Pupils and students may end up abusing drugs knowing they will not be punished,” he said.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa continues with his futile exercise to try and clean himself of the ills he executed in the Matabeleland region during the eighties Gukurahundi atrocities by engaging a small section of the region which he has cunningly captured for his benefit.
Mnangagwa will today meet his boot-licking group of civil society leaders from Matabeleland under the name Matabeleland Collective at the Bulawayo State House as part of a follow up to previous meetings that have not produced any results.
Major in Mnangagwa’s agenda is to get to a position where he will drag the grouping to agree with him on what he will term a closure of the highly emotive Gukurahundi issue.
He arrived in Bulawayo on Friday evening for the meeting, which is scheduled to take place at Bulawayo State House on Saturday morning.
Mnangagwa has been warned by the region’s opjnion leaders and other stakeholders that the group he is engaging with is not a comprehensive representation of the region and he is fully aware of how compromised the group is but has opted to continue to dialogue with the group in his divisive efforts.
In his last engagement with the group, Mnangagwa tried to get some legitimacy for the meeting by dragging in chiefs and other traditional leaders but he was left with an egg on his face after all the chiefs in the region boycotted the meeting.
ZimEye.com Is reliably informed that Mnangagwa has yet again tried his move by ordering the Ministry of Local Government to force the Chiefs to attend his latest meeting and reports indicate that he is in for yet another rude awakening as most of the chiefs are reported to have agreed to shun the meeting again.
The Chiefs are reportedly demanding for Mnangagwa to allow for the region to first build a comprehensive regional buy in to his engagements than continue to work with the small group of people most of whom are his known loyalists who are funded through his office.
The Chiefs have also told Mnangagwa to first come forward and confess his personal involvement in the Gukurahundi atrocities and give a public apology before he can begin to try and lead towards a closure of the atrocities.
Mnangagwa was the Minister of State Security at the time of the atrocities that saw over 20 000 people murdered by soldiers under his instructions
Government has engaged the Holy See’s papal Pro-Nuncio to Zimbabwe, Archbishop Marek Zalewski, to establish whether a pastoral letter issued by the Zimbabwe Catholics Bishops Conference (ZCBC) was a reflection of the official attitude of the Holy See towards Harare.
This comes as Government has described the pastoral letter as a gross misrepresentation of the political situation in the country, which it said aligned itself with a recent wave of deliberately misleading media hype portraying a country in crisis.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has made a comprehensive response to the pastoral letter.
He said the Government had tasked Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo to meet the Apostolic Pro-Nuncio Archbishop Zalewski on issues raised by the bishops that cast aspersions on the Government.
Minister Moyo subsequently met Achbishop Zalewski yesterday, but details of the meeting were not made available to the Press by the time of going to print.
In their letter, the bishops said: “It is not clear to us as your bishops that the national leadership that we have has the knowledge, social skill, emotional stability and social orientation to handle the issues we face as a nation.”
In response, Minister Ziyambi said the statement by the bishops “constitutes an outright insult to the person of President Mnangagwa and his entire Government and is couched in a language decidedly unbecoming of an institution such as the Catholic Church.
“Given that the venerable bishops represent the Catholic Church, Government is compelled to directly engage the Vatican to ascertain whether or not such statements reflect the official attitude of the Holy See towards Zimbabwe’s leadership or whether these are merely the views of the various individuals concerned.”
Minister Ziyambi said the bishops did not engage the Government, but instead relied on false information that is peddled on social media with respect to the several allegations they made against the Government.
Since assuming office, said Minister Ziyambi, President Mnangagwa has had an inclusive engagement with all religious groupings and his appointment of church representatives to the Presidential Advisory Council illustrated this open-arms approach to dialogue and engagement.
“Notwithstanding the deliberately provocative and divisive nature of the pastoral letter, the President’s commitment to the path of engagement with all religious communities remains steadfast and solid,” he said.
He said it was not true that the Government was not acting decisively on corruption as several high-profile people, including Cabinet ministers and those close to the President, had been arraigned before criminal courts over graft.
Minister Ziyambi said it was not true that journalist-cum activist Hopewell Chin’ono was arrested for exposing corruption as suggested by the social media and the bishops, but for inciting violence, a quite different charge.
He said several media organisations have reported about allegations of corruption in some State institutions, but none of the journalists have been arrested.
On the State institutions, Minister Ziyambi said it was not true that the courts were captured as the Government has lost a majority of cases it has disputed in courts.
“For instance, in the period between February 1 to May 15, 2020, the High Court in Harare heard a total of 25 cases in which Government was a party to proceedings against various litigants. Of these cases, only six were ruled in favour of Government. The remaining 19 were ruled against Government. For the bishops to suggest that the Judiciary is not independent is demonstrably false and one can only wonder at the motivation behind such misrepresentation,” said Minister Ziyambi.
He said all constitutional commissions were independent because their autonomy was guaranteed by the Constitution.
Minister Ziyambi gave an example of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission that published several reports critical to the Government.
“Although Government has strongly disagreed with these reports, neither the Commission nor any of its members have attracted any adverse consequences,” he said.
On nation building, Minister Ziyambi said Government had gone to extraordinary lengths to create a spirit of peace, unity and cohesion among all Zimbabweans including inviting international organisations to observe elections, establishing the Motlanthe Commission to openly investigate cases of politically motivated violence, and invited all political parties to a dialogue platform called the Political Actors Dialogue.
He said President Mnangagwa established the Presidential Advisory Council where well known Government critic, Pastor Shingi Munyeza, is not only a member but also a Government-appointed director of Zimbabwe Newspapers.
Minister Ziyambi said Bishops must have noted that recently Pastor Munyeza has used his sermons to call for the removal of the Government in a language that could not be described as moderate but there have been no consequences visited against him.
On Gukurahundi, Minister Ziyambi said the President opened dialogue with Matabeleland-based civil society organisations and traditional leaders and called on people to freely discuss what happened without fear of arrest or victimisation.
HUMAN rights lobby groups have rapped President Emmerson Mnangagwa for denying that the country was in a crisis, warning the deepening problems would not self-correct.
In a statement yesterday, the Heads of Civil Society Coalitions (HoCSC), a grouping of civil society coalitions in Zimbabwe, said dismissive responses to citizen concerns by government were worrisome.
“Developments of the last few weeks speak to a deepening crisis that is being casually approached with denialism, arrogance and further violation of human rights by government,” part of the statement read.
“We have in the past few days witnessed denialism and dismissive responses from the government, including in response to concerns raised by the South African government and the African Union Commission.
“The Zimbabwean crisis will not self-correct, and blanket denialism and diversion will simply serve to deepen existing challenges. The government remains duty-bound to ensure the welfare and security of Zimbabweans.”
Zimbabwe has been facing its worst economic crisis and human rights disaster in a decade under Mnangagwa who took over power in a November 2017 coup.
Mnangagwa’s government has vehemently denied that the country is in a crisis after the international community raised red flags over human rights abuses ahead of the July 31 protests.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was early this month forced to dispatch envoys to Harare after a social media campaign under the hashtag #ZimbabweanLivesMatter begun trending highlighting the abuse of human rights by Mnangagwa,
Churches, human rights lobby groups, opposition parties as well as the continental group, African Union pointed that there was a crisis in the country, but Mnangagwa’s government has insisted there is no crisis and attacked Catholic bishops over their pastoral statement flagging human rights abuses in the country.
“The government’s violent and unrestrained response to the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC)’s pastoral letter of 14 August 2020 calling for an end to State-sponsored human rights violations, crackdown on dissent and corruption, induces a sense of shock,” the statement further read.
“One wonders what is untoward about the church calling out abuses, and advancing calls for peace and nation-building through inclusive dialogue. The HoCSC stands in solidarity with the church and ordinary citizens who continue to raise the call to action to solve the man-made crisis we find ourselves in.”
The human rights lobby group also raised concern over the way political prisoners were being treated by government.
“The HoCSC decry the treatment of political prisoners. Accused persons remain innocent until proven guilty, and are entitled to all pre-trial rights in terms of the Constitution.
“This includes the right to bail, the right to legal counsel of one’s choice, right to speedy resolution of legal proceedings including bail proceedings, and the right to humane detention conditions including access to food and social visits.
“The treatment of Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume is extra-constitutional, and is seemingly designed to discourage any form of dissent.”
MDC-T leader Dr Thokozani Khupe is set to bounce back in Parliament after her name was part of 15 others the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) gazetted yesterday as people nominated by her party to fill in seats in the National Assembly and Senate that fell vacant after the recall of some legislators.
ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba invited voters with objections to lodge them with her office before the nominations are confirmed.
A fortnight ago, the electoral body declared the seats vacant after Parliament notified it of a decision by the MDC-T to recall 15 of its legislators.
Dr Khupe is set to take up a seat in the National Assembly, while the MDC-T spokesperson, Mr Kalpani Phugeni, will be in Senate, as their names form part of the list that include former legislators who were gazetted as replacements.
“The public is hereby notified, in terms of section 39 (6) of the Electoral Act (Chapter2:13) that the MDC party has nominated party list members of the National Assembly and the Senate listed in the schedules below to fill in the vacancies in the National Assembly and the Senate that occurred following the recall by the MDC-T of the incumbent on the grounds that they had ceased to be members of that party,” reads the notice published by Justice Chigumba.
“Any voter wishing to object to the nominations of the members may lodge them in writing with the Chief Elections Officer, at Mahachi Quantum Building, corner Kaguvi Street and Jason Moyo Avenue, Harare or post them to Private Bag 7782, Causeway within a period of 14 days from the date of publication of this notice, setting forth the reason(s) for the objection(s).”
Besides Dr Khupe and Mr Phugeni, other names published are Yvonne Winfielda Musarurwa, Lindani Moyo, January Sawuke, Memory Munochinzwa, Lwazi Sibanda, Sipho Mokone, Molly Dorothy Ndlovu, Tamani Moyo, Gertrude Moyo, Piniel Denga, Chief Ndluvu, Nomalanga Khumalo and Teti Chisorochengwe.
Mrs Khumalo was elected Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly in 2008 on an MDC-T ticket, while Mr Denga and Ms Sibanda are former legislators. Senators elected on the party lists and the extra women Members in the National Assembly elected by proportional representation are chosen by political parties in proportion to the votes received by their candidates in the constituency elections to the National Assembly.
If one of these seats falls vacant, the original party nominates the successor.
Those being replaced in the National Assembly are: Thabitha Khumalo, Virginia Zengeya, Anna Myambo, Bacillia Majaya, Machirarwa Mugidho, Francisca Ncube and Nomathemba Ndlovu. In the Senate, Siphiwe Ncube, Gideon Shoko, Helen Zivira, Keresencia Chabuka, Tapfumaneyi Wunganayi, Herbert Sinampande, Meliwe Phuti and Lilian Timveous will be replaced.
The legislators were recalled in terms of a constitutional provision that declares seats held by members of the party that sponsored them in the last election vacant if the party writes to the Speaker of the National Assembly or to the Senate President to declare that the persons no longer represent that party.
The recall followed a Supreme Court ruling which restored the 2014 status quo in the party following an unconstitutional grab of power by Mr Nelson Chamisa after the death of party founder Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.
The ruling meant that there was no party called the MDC Alliance, which is a pact of several political parties, including the MDC-T which is now controlled by Dr Khupe. Dr Khupe was the elected vice president at the death of Mr Tsvangirai, and was constitutionally the successor before a congress to chose a substantive leader.
Firebrand young activist Namatai Kwekweza is set to meet with Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi to reinforce her position against over government’s plans to amend the Constitution adopted in 2013 her organisation WeLead has announced.
Kwekweza wrote a letter to Ziyambi who agreed to meet her and she has requested that the meeting be streamed live to allow other youths an opportunity to participate and speak out.
Kwekweza has been arrested twice while protesting against constitutional amendment Bill number 2 which has been widely condemned as a direct reversal of the gains recorded by the country when it adopted the new charter in 2013.
The MDC Alliance Youth Secretary, Ostallos Siziba has defended his Spokesperson Stephen Chuma also known as Sarkozy against claims that he sold out Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala to the police resulting in his arrest yesterday.
Posting on Twitter, Siziba said the attack on Sarkozy was malicious and unwarranted as he has been in the trenches fighting against the Zanu PF system.
Sarkozy came under fire yesterday following Sikhala’s arrest with close sources saying he vanished the previous night, never to come back while his mobile phone was unreachable.
She had confessed that she had been killing her family members as vengeance for the livestock that was taken away from her by her siblings more than five decades ago.
Her death, according to her nephew, left some villagers and her relatives relieved as they believed Gogo Nyakwangwa was behind their misfortunes.
Langton Nyakwangwa, one of Gogo Nyakwangwa’s nephews said, “In Shona, we say wafa wanaka (do not speak ill of the dead). But as we are mourning Gogo, we believe her death will bring closure to our misfortunes. She caused untold suffering to us.
“Soon after she surrendered her paraphernalia, we started seeing changes in our lives. While we are emotional, her death has brought light to the Nyakwangwa family.
“I was accused of being a wizard and killing several family members before Gogo Nyakwangwa confessed that she was the one behind it all. I feel very relieved.
Langton said soon after Gogo Nyakwangwa surrendered her paraphernalia, her health started deteriorating.
Gogo Nyakwangwa had demanded four cattle as compensation for her seized livestock. However, she passed away before the Nyakwangwas could deliver them to her.
“Before she died, she told the person who should receive those beasts. We are in the process of delivering them,” said Langton.
Teenage defender Tivonge Rushesha has expressed his gratitude towards Wayne Routledge for the invaluable words of wisdom and encouragement he has received during a breakthrough season with Swansea City.
It has been a campaign to remember for the 17-year-old, who has been with the Swans since under-12 level.
After a solid start to 2019-20 with the under-23s – for whom he has made 17 appearances this term – the Zimbabwean-born full-back made his first-team debut in August’s Carabao Cup clash against Cambridge United at the Liberty.
Rushesha, who became one of the youngest players ever to represent the club at the tender age of just 17 years and 35 days old, accomplished another significant milestone just over four months later; putting pen to paper on his first pro deal with Swansea.
The youngster has also trained with Steve Cooper’s first-team squad at Fairwood on several occasions and is hugely appreciative of the invaluable advice and guidance he has received from one senior player in particular.
“Wayne’s looked after me really well,” he said of 35-year-old Routledge, who has racked up over 250 appearances during nine seasons with the Swans, while he made his senior debut aged 16 at Crystal Palace.
“He’s embraced his role as a senior player very well. You can tell that he genuinely wants to help the younger players.
“It’s not as if he’s forcing it or doing anything he wouldn’t normally. He is just a nice guy.
“He’s told me to keep my head down and that any decision that’s made is based on how I play, so to make sure I control what I can and that I do as well as I can.
“It’s good to have him there. I’ll always be thankful and grateful for any time he helps me out.”
Government has embarked on road rehabilitation projects, with works of varying magnitude taking place in every constituency in line with President Mnangagwa’s vision of creating an upper middle income society by 2030.
President Mnangagwa recently commissioned completed stretches of the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway under Phase One of the rehabilitation, upgrading and widening project.
The rehabilitation processes that include patching some tarred roads, improving some of the dust roads, the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) intends to construct tarred roads of at least 200km every year.
Zinara board chairman Engineer Michael Madanha spoke of their targets in improving the road infrastructure in the country.
“To achieve Vision 2030 there is a need to export sufficient goods, which will bring in foreign currency, and we are geared as Zinara to ensure that our road network is up to scratch.
“Almost in every province, every constituency there are road activities that are taking place,” said Engineer Madanha.
“We want to ensure that each province must have at least one or two roads where we are going to resurface or put tar of at least 20km per year.
“So the scale at which we are doing our roads since last year has surpassed any other period since independence. Yes, our roads have gone for a very long-time without due care, and they have deteriorated but we are up to the task,” said Eng Madanha.
By Farai D Hove | Zimbabwe’s most fearless member of parliament, Job Sikhala who was yesterday arrested in Tynwald, Harare, appears in court today.
Hon Sikhala is Zimbabwe’s upstanding free spirit whose parliamentary work is the nation’s last legislative flame.
He has been uncompromisingly calling for an end to corruption and the abusing of the state institutions by ZANU PF.
The development comes two days after the home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe responding to a ZimEye leak, made claims that he is not at all pursuing the MP.
Barely 3 days after the Home Affairs minister claimed that he is not at all after the MP to arrest him, he has gotten him arrested this afternoon, and this tweet is evidence of his denials @ZLHRLawyershttps://t.co/MFH1YfDrW6
At the close of day, the ZRP confirmed Sikhala is in their custody, assisting with investigations in a case in which he is alleged to have been one of the advocates for the flopped July 31 demonstrations.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he will provide more details of the arrest in due course.
“Yes, Sikhala was arrested today (yesterday) in Tynwald North where he was in hiding. Remember he was wanted for incitement of public violence.” He is expected in court later this morning.
The MDC Alliance also confirmed Sikhala’s arrest on its Twitter handle saying;
“#BREAKING MDC Alliance vice chairman Job Sikhala has been arrested. He is at the police station with his lawyer. Details to follow.”
Party spokesperson, Fadzai Mahere, told the media yesterday that indeed, Sikhala had been nabbed.
HARARE mayor Herbert Gomba has become the latest casualty of the MDC’s mindless bloodletting, after he was removed from office yesterday together with five other councillors, the Daily News reports.
The Glen Norah councillor became the mayor of the capital city in September 2018, after the Harare City Council broke with its previous traditions of looking for a high-profile leader.
He was the 45th mayor of Harare and 12th since 1980, when he assumed office unopposed, following the expiry of Ben Manyenyeni’s tenure.
In a letter announcing the shock recall of Gomba from Town House, the MDC’s interim leadership said he and his colleagues — Hammy Madzingira (Ward 10), Kudzai Kadzombe (Ward 41), Gaudencia Marere (Ward 32), Costa Mande (Ward 24) and Happymore Gotora (Ward 7) — had ceased to be party members.
“We hereby … declare that the following councillors have ceased to belong to the Movement for Democratic Change, which is a member of the Movement for Democratic Alliance which was formed in terms of the constitutive agreement, a copy of which is attached hereto.
“In terms of the agreement seven political parties entered into a pre-election agreement known as the composite political agreement for purposes of contesting the 2018 elections.
“In terms of Clause 2.0 of the agreement, the member parties retained their individual identities. They also chose their own candidates under their respective quotas.
“Our party was the party to which these councillors belonged at the time of the 2018 elections,” MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora said in a letter to the Local Government ministry.
This comes after the Thokozani Khupe-led interim MDC leadership also recalled Bulawayo deputy mayor Tinashe Kambarami, as well as Concillia Mlalazi, Alderman Ernest Rafamoyo, Tinevimbo Maphosa and Norman Hlabani.
Khupe has also recalled 21 MDC Alliance legislators from Parliament.
The MDC has been consumed by its senseless ructions ever since its much-loved founding father Morgan Tsvangirai died from colon cancer in February 2018.
The party’s infighting escalated after the Supreme Court’s judgment earlier this year which upheld last year’s ruling by the High Court that nullified Nelson Chamisa’s ascendancy to the leadership of the country’s biggest opposition party.
Both Chamisa and Khupe have been criticised for failing to heal their rift and focusing on the failures of Zanu PF — whose incompetent handling of the economy has stirred anger among long-suffering Zimbabweans.
Among those who have criticised the two rivals is former MDC chairperson Lovemore Moyo who recently said pointedly that their brawling had “absolutely nothing to do with serving the long-suffering people of Zimbabwe”.
“The fight between the two formations is purely a power struggle. It’s about fighting for the control of the soul of the MDC and president Morgan Tsvangirai’s political legacy.
“More importantly, it’s about who is who in the MDC leadership. Unfortunately, there is no winner in the on-going political fight as the two parties will significantly lose the opposition vote, supporters and credibility.
“Actually, Zanu PF will emerge the biggest winner as it stands from a divided and unco-ordinated opposition come the 2023 general elections.
“Remember, the 2005 MDC split set a wrong precedent that one can disregard the party constitution, regulations and rules and still remain in charge of the party,” Moyo who now leads the United Movement for Devolution (UMD),”
State schools can no longer exclude girls who fall pregnant from attending lessons, while teachers will not be allowed to cane pupils, under amendments to the Education Act that became law yesterday, and were described as progressive by educationists.
The Education Act Amendment was passed by Parliament, approved by President Mnangagwa, and has been gazetted.
Under the amendments, “No pupil shall be excluded from school for non-payment of school fees or on the basis of pregnancy.”
During debate in Parliament, the then Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Professor Paul Mavima, said expelling a girl for falling pregnant had a discriminatory effect in circumstances where she would have been impregnated by a colleague who in most cases, would be allowed to proceed with his education.
This was after some legislators argued that allowing a girl who fell pregnant to continue learning had the effect of condoning delinquency among pupils.
The Act will also outlaw corporal punishment as school authorities are now required to draw up a disciplinary policy in accordance with standards set out in regulations prescribed by the minister for the purpose.
In terms of the Act, the regulations and any disciplinary policy shall not permit any treatment which does not respect the human dignity of a pupil.
“Disciplinary measures must be moderate, reasonable and proportionate in the light of the conduct, age, sex, health and circumstances of the pupil concerned and the best interests of the child shall be paramount. Under no circumstance is a teacher allowed to beat a child,” reads the Act.
“No pupil may be suspended from school without first being granted a reasonable opportunity, with the support of his or her parents, to make representations with respect to the proposed suspension.”
Every child shall be entitled to be enrolled at the nearest school and unless such school is fully enrolled.
In the case where the school is fully enrolled, the head of that institution must issue a certificate to that effect to allow the pupil to seek enrolment at alternative places.-The Herald
Police have arrested businessman and CAPS United boss Farai Jere, and two Zesa employees on charges of fraud involving, it is understood, the sale of electricity meters using allegedly falsified documents to prejudice Zesa by as much as US$4 million.
Jere — who is better known from his soccer persona of Premier Soccer League chairman and CAPS United boss — and the two Zesa staffers were arrested yesterday by the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU), working with other law enforcement agents.
In an interview last night, SACU head Mr Thabani Mpofu confirmed the arrests, but said more details would be availed later.
“l can confirm that Farai Jere has been arrested together with two Zesa employees on allegations of fraud,” he said.
“They are appearing in court very soon, but I cannot give further details at the moment.”
Sources close to the investigation said Jere, reported to head Helcraw Electricals, was involved in the procurement of Zesa meters, and that procurement, which could have cost Zesa up to US$4 million, is the foundation of the allegations.
It is also understood that the allegations bring in a trip the three made to Britain, paid for by Zesa, but with nothing delivered.
The arrests come after the suspension of Zesa executive chairman Dr Sydney Gata and the entire board, by President Mnangagwa on August 6, with the President simultaneously directing the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to institute investigations into allegations levelled against them, and reporting back in four weeks.
The President, who has declared zero-tolerance to the “catch-and-release syndrome”, gave ZACC four weeks to investigate the officials and submit a report.-The Herald
A 41-year-old Mutare man has been slapped with an 18-year jail sentence after being convicted of raping his four-year-old daughter.
The convict will spend the next 15 years behind bars after three years of his 18-year sentence were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The State pleaded with the court for a stiffer penalty arguing that the man had scarred his daughter for life and had to be used as an example to would-be offenders.
Facts are that the 4-year old was raped after being left in her father’s custody while the mother went to Mutare CBD.
The minor’s grandmother discovered that she had been raped on the same day before reporting the matter to the police leading to the man’s arrest.
Two police officers have each been slapped with a three-month jail sentence after they were convicted of manhandling a lawyer at the Kwekwe Magistrates court.
Brighton Bvaure (32) and Jasper Nechitima (33) who are based at Kwekwe Central Police Station assaulted Leon Sheunesu Mapfumo employed by Marufu Misi Law Chambers after he tried to enquire about a complainant he was representing.
The cops handcuffed and assaulted Mapfumo before detaining him at Kwekwe Central Police Station accusing him of misconduct and obstructing the course of justice.
Gokwe Magistrate Mr Hillary Ndlovu sentenced the duo to three months in prison with an option of paying $2 000 fine when they appeared before him facing assault charges.
Prosecuting, Mr Tinashe Wazvaremhaka told the court that on April 25 at around 2pm, Mapfumo approached the accused persons at Kwekwe Magistrates courts and enquired about the charge his client, who had been arrested by the accused persons, was facing.
The accused persons referred the complainant to Kwekwe Central Police Station where they had detained Mapfumo’s client.
During the conversation, a misunderstanding arose over the treatment of Mapfumo’s client.
Bvaure then grabbed the complainant by the belt and tripped him to the ground before he locked his arms around his neck.
Nechitima then forcefully handcuffed the complainant’s left arm before he handcuffed the other and detained him at the police station.
He was released the following day after the intervention of other lawyers who quizzed why their colleague had been arrested.-Chronicle
By Own Correspondent| Police on Friday 21 August 2020 arrested and charged Zengeza West constituency legislator Hon. Job Sikhala for allegedly inciting people to commit public violence through participating in last month’s protest, which was aimed at registering concern over mismanagement by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.
Sikhala was arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) members in Harare, who charged him with incitement to commit public violence as defined in section 187(1)(a) as read with section 36(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
ZRP officers also pressed an alternative charge against Hon. Sikhala of incitement to commit public violence as defined in section 187(1)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with
section 36(1)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act or alternatively incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry as defined in section 187(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with section 37(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
ZRP officers alleged that the Zengeza West constituency legislator incited people between May 2020 and 20 July 2020 to participate in public demonstrations that would cause public violence and breach of
peace among people in Zimbabwe on 31 July 2020 by posting video clips with inciting messages.
ZRP members said some of the inciting messages allegedly shared by Hon. Sikhala reads; “People of Zimbabwe l am here with my brother Jacob Ngarivhume, he is representing the citizens of Zimbabwe
in the current situation in our country. I would like to tell everybody from Zimbabwe to Limpopo, from Forbes boarder to Victoria Falls that on the 31st of July 2020 it is your day to speak out. We have all agreed that we cannot accept corruption in our country. We are in total support of the actions that have been called on the 31st of July 2020. I am in arms with my brother here and we are going to make sure that on the 31st of July 2020 people of Zimbabwe will speak out”.
Hon. Sikhala is also alleged to have circulated a video clip in which he showed gratitude to some people for bringing him food and urging people both in Zimbabwe and outside the country to participate in the demonstration which was scheduled for 31 July 2020, which ZRP members suppressed and arrested several people who staged protests across the country last month.
Hon. Sikhala, who is represented by Jeremiah Bamu and Advocate Eric Matinenga of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, is expected to appear at Harare Magistrates Court on Saturday 22 August
2020
ZimRights Condemns the Extra-Judicial Killing of Lovender Chiwaya in Mashonaland West.
ZimRights is greatly disturbed by the reports of the extrajudicial killing of the MDC’s District Coordinating Chairperson, Councillor Lovender Chiwaya (34) of Ward 4 Hurungwe Central in Karoi, Mashonaland West.
Reports are that Chiwaya’s body was found dumped on his doorstep. The MDC reports that Chiwaya was being hunted by state agents before his killing.
ZimRights condemns the extra-judicial killing of people for exercising their freedom of association.
Chiwaya represents what ZimRights identified as the many invisible victims of the ongoing crackdown on activists whose lives are in danger for exercising their rights.
Their lives are more in danger because they are away from the limelight.
ZimRights believes their lives matter. In the citizens’ cry, #ZimbabweanLivesMatter, the life of Chiwaya is included. One life lost for any reason is too much.
This incident comes in the face of the state denying that there is a crisis in Zimbabwe. It follows a series of hate speeches by senior political leaders in the country.
ZimRights has since filed complaints against hate speech with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) and the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRCZ).
Since 30 March 2020, Chiwaya is the 4th victim of extra-judicial killing.
ZimRights joins the Chiwaya family in mourning and calls on the political leadership of the country and the region to act before it is too late.
MDC Alliance co-vice president Tendai Biti has revealed what military generals demanded from the then MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai in 2008 after he had won the presidential race.
The former Finance Minister said the military general requested six things from Tsvangirai but the issues never received sufficient attention during the talks which led to the formation of an inclusive government in 2009.
Biti said:
There must be a dialogue that takes care of military concerns.
In 2008 after the MDC won the elections, the military sent envoys to talk to Morgan Tsvangirai and they raised six key issues, including concerns about transitional justice.
They wanted to know if a future government would not prosecute them for crimes they had been made to commit in the past, and we gave them assurance on a transparent programme of transitional justice.
They also wanted guarantees that the future government would not dispossess them of their land and reverse the land reform programme.
Of course, the answer to that one is obvious because no one wants to reverse the land question and I don’t think it is possible to reverse the land reform programme.
The next question was about their conditions of service, decent salaries and that their pensions be not affected, which again is not a problem.
They also wanted to know if they would be allowed to participate in the spheres of the economy, including joining the civil service should they quit the military.
So, their concerns need to be addressed in any dialogue that is meaningful.
Their fifth question was whether those who wanted to leave the country would be allowed to do so, and again that is obvious as there is freedom of movement in the country.
Recently, national spokesperson of the National Patriotic Front (NPF), Jealousy Mawarire, called upon South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s envoys to include the military in their engagements for Zimbabwe to find a lasting solution to its perennial governance issues.-Daily News
Two MDC-T officials were nearly involved in a fist-fight during a standing committee meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting was held in Cranborne, Harare instead of the party’s headquarters, the Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House (MRTH) located in the city centre.
Reports suggest that Khupe and her aides are afraid of setting their feet at the party headquarters for fear of being bashed by youths linked to party interim secretary-general Douglas Mwonwora.
Mwonzora and acting party spokesperson Khalipani Phugeni reportedly clashed over the manner in which the former is said to be handling party affairs.
Phugeni allegedly accused Mwonzora of sponsoring terror in the party and of being a dictator worse than the late former President Robert Mugabe.
When contacted for comment, Phugeni refused to speak on his said brawl with Mwonzora.
He said:
I have no comment on that matter because I can’t comment on the proceedings of the standing committee. I can’t confirm nor deny anything.
Several party officials aligned to Khupe have been assaulted by Mwonzora’s youths at MRTH, with party director of treasury, Tod Mapingire being the latest victim.
Mapingure reportedly sustained injuries and had to be rushed to hospital after he was assaulted by Mwonzora’s militia.-NewsDay
Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance is appealing to well-wishers to send donations towards the funeral of murdered party official, Lavender Chiwaya.
Preliminary reports indicate Chiwaya was murdered by suspected Zanu PF agents on Friday night.
See statement below:
APPEAL FOR FUNERAL CONTRIBUTIONS
We have lost one of our cadres , Lavender Chiwaya in a brutal murder and we are appealing to all members and sympathisers to kindly make contributions towards the funeral of our Councillor and District chair.
We are saddened by the untimely death of our young and vibrant leader who has fallen at the hands of the despotic regime.
Contributions shall be made on the following ecocash number
Provincial Treasurer Mash West
0773010795
Muchineripi Chinyanganya
Thank you for your solidarity
Maureen Kademaunga
MDC Alliance
National Secretary for Social Welfare
As the USD60million fraudster Obadiah Moyo walks scotFree, the former PetroZim Line (PVT) Limited general manager Cathrine Katsande was yesterday jailed for an effective 60 months for fraudulently awarding to a local company, tenders for the supply of equipment worth US$2 million during her tenure.
Katsande (55), who indicated that she would appeal against conviction and sentence, was convicted of six counts of fraud.
Harare magistrate, Mr Lazini Ncube, initially sentenced her to 90 months imprisonment before suspending 30 months of the jail term.
Mr Ncube also fined the company that was awarded the tenders, Keltrade (Pvt) Limited $53 000 for the same offences.
Messrs Tafara Charimbira and Panganayi Chiutsi representing the State, heard that PetroZim Line (Pvt) Limited was incorporated in 1988 by Lonmin and the then National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (noczim) to transport fuel from Mutare through the Feruka pipeline to Msasa in Harare.
According to the company’s tender procedures, goods and services had to be supplied before payment was processed. In exceptional instances, the board finance committee had to first approve payments.
The court heard that on June 24, 2013 Katsande authorised a payment of US$159 925 after Keltrade had submitted a quotation indicating that it had capacity to supply a gearbox for 10 gate valves.
The money was paid before Keltrade supplied the goods.
On September 24 of the same year, she also authorised payment of US$610 640 to Keltrade after it indicated that it had capacity to supply two skid pumps.
Again on December 9, 2013, Katsande advanced US$363 860 after Keltrade presented a quotation indicating that it was able to supply two ethanol centrifugal pumps.
The money was paid before the supply of the pumps. In February 2015, Katsande also authorised payment of US$91 082 after Keltrade gave her a quotation for the supply of drag resistant spares.
In the same month, Katsande is said to have given permission to payments of various amounts to Keltrade without following laid down procedures.
In March 2015, Katsande was instructed to purchase goods from MIS Solutions, but she disregarded the recommendation and gave the tender to Keltrade. -Herald/additional reporting
Our MDC ALLIANCE cadres are being butchered by Zanu PF terrorists.
May leader Lavendar Chiwaya’s soul rest in peace.
Zanu PF Satanists are killing our people one by one. We need action against Zanu PF thugocrats. Up to when shall we endure incessant incarceration by the rogue regime?
There is need for us to face the beast in the eye.
The state sponsored deaths are known and the culprits are obvious. If you ask them they say it’s stage managed. The only way out of this is confrontation.
Let’s unite as Zimbabweans against Zanupf repression, corruption, abductions,torture,looting, murder and graft.
The murder of our councillor is something that we have to take seriously and Constitutionally resist such satanic acts by demonstrating seriously.
MDC-T leader Dr Thokozani Khupe is set to bounce back in Parliament after her name was part of 15 others the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) gazetted yesterday as people nominated by her party to fill in seats in the National Assembly and Senate that fell vacant after the recall of some legislators.
ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba invited voters with objections to lodge them with her office before the nominations are confirmed.
A fortnight ago, the electoral body declared the seats vacant after Parliament notified it of a decision by the MDC-T to recall 15 of its legislators.
Dr Khupe is set to take up a seat in the National Assembly, while the MDC-T spokesperson, Mr Kalpani Phugeni, will be in Senate, as their names form part of the list that include former legislators who were gazetted as replacements.
“The public is hereby notified, in terms of section 39 (6) of the Electoral Act (Chapter2:13) that the MDC party has nominated party list members of the National Assembly and the Senate listed in the schedules below to fill in the vacancies in the National Assembly and the Senate that occurred following the recall by the MDC-T of the incumbent on the grounds that they had ceased to be members of that party,” reads the notice published by Justice Chigumba.
“Any voter wishing to object to the nominations of the members may lodge them in writing with the Chief Elections Officer, at Mahachi Quantum Building, corner Kaguvi Street and Jason Moyo Avenue, Harare or post them to Private Bag 7782, Causeway within a period of 14 days from the date of publication of this notice, setting forth the reason(s) for the objection(s).”
Besides Dr Khupe and Mr Phugeni, other names published are Yvonne Winfielda Musarurwa, Lindani Moyo, January Sawuke, Memory Munochinzwa, Lwazi Sibanda, Sipho Mokone, Molly Dorothy Ndlovu, Tamani Moyo, Gertrude Moyo, Piniel Denga, Chief Ndluvu, Nomalanga Khumalo and Teti Chisorochengwe.
Mrs Khumalo was elected Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly in 2008 on an MDC-T ticket, while Mr Denga and Ms Sibanda are former legislators. Senators elected on the party lists and the extra women Members in the National Assembly elected by proportional representation are chosen by political parties in proportion to the votes received by their candidates in the constituency elections to the National Assembly.
If one of these seats falls vacant, the original party nominates the successor.
Those being replaced in the National Assembly are: Thabitha Khumalo, Virginia Zengeya, Anna Myambo, Bacillia Majaya, Machirarwa Mugidho, Francisca Ncube and Nomathemba Ndlovu. In the Senate, Siphiwe Ncube, Gideon Shoko, Helen Zivira, Keresencia Chabuka, Tapfumaneyi Wunganayi, Herbert Sinampande, Meliwe Phuti and Lilian Timveous will be replaced.
The legislators were recalled in terms of a constitutional provision that declares seats held by members of the party that sponsored them in the last election vacant if the party writes to the Speaker of the National Assembly or to the Senate President to declare that the persons no longer represent that party.
The recall followed a Supreme Court ruling which restored the 2014 status quo in the party following an unconstitutional grab of power by Mr Nelson Chamisa after the death of party founder Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.
The ruling meant that there was no party called the MDC Alliance, which is a pact of several political parties, including the MDC-T which is now controlled by Dr Khupe. Dr Khupe was the elected vice president at the death of Mr Tsvangirai, and was constitutionally the successor before a congress to chose a substantive leader. -Herald
ZANU PF led government agents abducted and murdered our Hurungwe District Chair Councillor Lavender Chiwaya before dumping his body on a house doorstep.
Leader Chiwaya had been in hiding ever since the ZANU PF led government agents started ruthlessly looking for him.
We urge the international community to intervene in what is clearly becoming a trend in abductions and murders of our MDC Alliance Members including the recent murder of our Youth Leader Mazwi Ndlovu in Bulilima Matebeleland South.He was killed for asking why food was being distributed on party lines.
SIXTEEN people were murdered within a week countrywide and police have since expressed concern over the use of weapons following misunderstandings.
The murder cases were recorded between August 13 and 19 with infidelity and drunkenness contributing to most of the cases.
In one of the incidents, a man from Tsholotsho killed his father for reprimanding him during a funeral wake after he scolded mourners.
The accused is alleged to have struck his father with a three-legged fire stand leading to his death.
In Mutare, another man accused his father of cheating on his mother before killing him.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said the increase in murder cases was worrying.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) notes with concern the upsurge in murder cases during the period extending from 13 to 19 August 2020 where 16 cases were recorded countrywide. It is disturbing that some no longer value the sanctity of life,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
“During this national lockdown period unnecessary gatherings should be shunned and some of these murders are occurring during illegal beer drinking sprees.
Infidelity has also contributed to the number of recorded murder cases for the period under review.”
He said the public should seek counselling services as opposed to taking matters into their hands.
“The ZRP urges members of the public not to take the law into their own hands.
Members of the public are encouraged to find amicable ways of resolving their differences whenever they fail to find common ground.
Traditional leaders, the church, close family members and counselling experts should assist parties in finding common ground whenever there is dispute.
The police are also available to assist families in resolving difference,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said two women aged 19 and 22 were also killed in matters relating to infidelity.
The 19-year-old teenager from Kadoma was killed for accommodating a man who wanted to meet her killer’s girlfriend in her room while the 22-year-old woman from Dema was killed by her boyfriend following a dispute over an unknown matter.
In Harare, a 21-year-old man who was found near a tuck-shop was accused of being a thief before he was killed.-Chronicle
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
SIXTEEN people were murdered within a week countrywide and police have since expressed concern over the use of weapons following misunderstandings.
The murder cases were recorded between August 13 and 19 with infidelity and drunkenness contributing to most of the cases.
In one of the incidents, a man from Tsholotsho killed his father for reprimanding him during a funeral wake after he scolded mourners.
The accused is alleged to have struck his father with a three-legged fire stand leading to his death.
In Mutare, another man accused his father of cheating on his mother before killing him.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said the increase in murder cases was worrying.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) notes with concern the upsurge in murder cases during the period extending from 13 to 19 August 2020 where 16 cases were recorded countrywide. It is disturbing that some no longer value the sanctity of life,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
“During this national lockdown period unnecessary gatherings should be shunned and some of these murders are occurring during illegal beer drinking sprees.
Infidelity has also contributed to the number of recorded murder cases for the period under review.”
He said the public should seek counselling services as opposed to taking matters into their hands.
“The ZRP urges members of the public not to take the law into their own hands.
Members of the public are encouraged to find amicable ways of resolving their differences whenever they fail to find common ground.
Traditional leaders, the church, close family members and counselling experts should assist parties in finding common ground whenever there is dispute.
The police are also available to assist families in resolving difference,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said two women aged 19 and 22 were also killed in matters relating to infidelity.
The 19-year-old teenager from Kadoma was killed for accommodating a man who wanted to meet her killer’s girlfriend in her room while the 22-year-old woman from Dema was killed by her boyfriend following a dispute over an unknown matter.
In Harare, a 21-year-old man who was found near a tuck-shop was accused of being a thief before he was killed.-Chronicle
By A Correspondent- The distribution of inputs under the Pfumbvudza programme has started with Vice President Retired General Dr Constantino Chiwenga handing over inputs to farmers in Guruve this Thursday ahead of the summer cropping season.
VP Chiwenga handed over the inputs to smallholder farmers in Guruve where agriculture extension officers also received motorbikes.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr John Bhasera said trained farmers can now access their inputs.
“We are giving seed, fertilisers, basal and top dressing. Each farmer is given 50kg basal dressing, 50 kg top dressing and 5kg seed. We are sending inputs to Grain Marketing Board depots across the country. When the farmer has completed all prerequisite processes that include holing out, and mulch harvesting that farmer qualifies to go to the GMB and get their inputs.”
“When we get to the first week of September we want all farmers to have collected their inputs.”
Vice President Chiwenga appealed for unity of purpose towards ensuring food self-sufficiency.
“We no longer want to import oil and grain, we want to do things for ourselves. The money we were using for importation we need to use it to develop our nation. We must reach a point where we become net exporters not a net importer and by doing so we would have left a better legacy for future generations.”
“We want the whole country to be farmers and we must undertake competitions from the community, provincial to the national level to boost agriculture productivity.”
The donated agriculture inputs will cover 3 plots of 16 by 39 metres for food consumption, strategic grain reserve and oilseeds such as sunflower, soya bean and groundnuts.
By A Correspondent- A court on Friday denied bail for the third time to Jacob Ngarivhume, who called for anti-government protests last month, ruling he could be a danger to the public if released.
The Transform Zimbabwe leader has been in detention for a month after his arrest along with journalist Hopewell Chin’ono on charges of inciting violence, after he called for protests on July 31 against corruption and the government’s mishandling of the economy.
Critics accuse President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government of persecuting its opponents amid the worst economic crisis in more than a decade, a charge the authorities deny.
Ngarivhume sought bail on changed circumstances, his lawyer Moses Nkomo arguing that July 31 passed off peacefully with no violence.
Magistrate Trynos Utahwashe said the fact that July 31 had come and gone without the violence the state had feared was “not sufficient to guarantee the safety of the public if the accused is granted bail”.
Ngarivhume, the magistrate said. could not have ensured that demonstrators would maintain social distancing in line with Covid-19 regulations if the demonstrations were successful.
The magistrate also said the threat to public safety had gone beyond July 31, adding that Ngarivhume was now the leader of a “movement”.
Ngarivhume, who arrived at court in leg irons and handcuffs, will return to court on September 4 for a routine appearance.
His lawyer Moses Nkomo said he was “stunned” by the court’s decision but would appeal at the High Court next week.
“The court acknowledged that the 31st came and went without any incident, but then said what was proposed as a 31st July demonstration has become a movement, despite the fact that there was no evidence at all that was produced before the court,” Nkomo said.
“The court further said that Ngarivhume was the founder of this 31st July movement. We were actually hearing that for the first time from the court. We’re very disappointed with the outcome, but we’re not in any way discouraged,” Nkomo said.
Another magistrate is expected to rule on Chin’ono’s third bail application on Monday.
-statemedia
By A Correspondent- South African police (SAPS) have arrested six men believed to be Zimbabweans after they intercepted haulage trucks carrying cigarettes worth millions of rand that had been smuggled into that country.
The suspects were arrested after a joint intelligence operation by the SAPS and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg.
The cigarettes included brands such as Remington Gold, Chelsea, Royal Express and Premium.
In a statement SAPS said: “Six suspects were arrested after the integrated team discovered the suspects in the process of loading boxes of illicit cigarettes onto a number of trucks, which were allegedly going to be dispatched to a destination yet to be confirmed.
“Preliminary reports suggest that the crime scene at an industrial site in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, was being used as a distribution point where alleged traders and in this case, the six arrested suspects, would collect the illicit cargo for further distribution and sales.”
The possibility of more arrests have not be ruled out and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks) will take over the case for further investigation.
Gauteng police commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela urged investigators to deal decisively with organised crime. South African police recently recovered cigarettes worth over R2,4 million and arrested more than 20 suspects in connection with the contraband from Zimbabwe.
Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the recoveries were made between June 8 and June 16 during ongoing operations to curb smuggling along the border with Zimbabwe.
He said the suspects were charged for illegally dealing in cigarettes and contravening sections of the Customs and Excise Act.
Meanwhile, a 42-year-old woman was arrested by police at a roadblock along the N1 road between Beitbridge and Musina after she was found in possession of explosives.
Police stopped a Toyota Corolla vehicle with Limpopo registration numbers travelling towards Musina. The vehicle was searched and found carrying 496 units of explosive blasting cartridges.
Preliminary investigations indicated the explosives belonged to the woman who was a passenger in the vehicle and had been smuggled from Zimbabwe.
By Wilbert Mukori – Many people have made a big song and dance about how California Senator Kamala Harris “is the first woman of colour to be on the presidential election ticket of a major political party in America!” You know what; they are right, it is an important milestone showing how far women and people of colour have come.
I happily joined in the celebration with a tune of my own and did a double shuffle jig. Dancing is dancing; even if it is dirty dancing!
There have been many hard fought battles to get Kamala Harris on the presidential ticket. One notable battle was the one, 100 years ago this month, culminating in the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States of America’s Constitution.
Passed by US Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment granted American women the right to vote.
“Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle; victory took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. Few early supporters lived to see final victory in 1920,” commented a US Government source.
In Zimbabwe the country had universal suffrage when it attained her independence in 1980, before that only the whites had the right to vote. The country has never ever held free, fair and credible elections and so black Zimbabweans are yet to exercise their right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country by casting their first free vote.
Before independence the clarion call was “One man! One vote!” It was a compelling and unifying call the oppressed and exploited black majority could not resist and the nation rallied behind Zanu PF, led by the late Robert Mugabe, and PF Zapu led by the late Dr Joshua Nkomo.
However, long before the goal of black majority rule was attain it was already clear that both Zanu PF and PF Zapu had already abandoned ‘One man! One vote!’ in favour of a one-party dictatorship. Each party hoped to emerge the dominant party and attempts to unify the two came to nothing.
In the 1980 elections, which should have been the country’s first democratic elections, Robert Mugabe deployed many of his Zanu PF freedom fighters whose message to the electorate was that if Zanu PF failed to win the elections the civil war would continue. The freedom fighters should have been in the assembly points as agreed. The people voted to end the war; what else could they do!
If anyone thought Zanu PF’s threat to use violence to win the 1980 elections was just political rhetoric, this was settled by the events of the 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi. Zanu PF used the national army to crash Dr Nkomo and PF Zapu. The massacre finally stopped after Dr Nkomo agreed to dissolve his party and join Zanu PF. Mugabe got what he wanted, a de facto one-party dictatorship.
Zanu PF has blatantly rigged the elections and denied the people a meaningful say in the governance of the country for the last 40 years and counting. The party has argued that it was the only party competent to rule and could be trusted to safe guard the independence and sovereignty of Zimbabwe.
Instead of open debate, democratic competition and regime change been seen as healthy and necessary for a free and vibrant democratic nation; Zanu PF banished them as seed of disunity and division. Those seeking regime change were labeled enemies of the state and treated accordingly.
In November 2017 Mnangagwa toppled his former Zanu PF boss, Robert Mugabe, in a military coup. He declared Zimbabwe a “new dispensation, a Second Republic” and promised to root out corruption and to hold free, fair and credible elections. This was a public acknowledgement that the first republic led by Mugabe had failed to honour its promises of delivering economic prosperity and uphold human freedoms and rights, including the right to free elections and even the right to life.
A few dismissed Mnangagwa’s overture with the contempt it rightly deserved, since he had been Mugabe’s chief enforcer all along. Indeed, it was Mnangagwa who had spearheaded the blatant cheating and wanton violence in the 2008 elections to keep Mugabe in power although Zanu PF had lost the elections. Still a number of Zimbabweans wanted to give him a chance!
The first big surprise was that he did nothing to end the wholesale looting of Marange and Chiadzwa diamonds. Next, he did not implement even one token democratic reform to ensure free, fair and credible elections. The promissory note of free and meaningful vote turned out to be just as worthless under the Second Republic as it was during the First Republic!
“It is most unfortunate when men of cloth begin to use the pulpit to advance a nefarious agenda for detractors of our country. Those who want to enter the political realm are welcome to do so,” said Mnangagwa on Tuesday.
“They must come out and form political parties. As Zanu-PF, we are ready for the 2023 elections. We are a people’s party, a party that believes in unity, love, peace and in championing development.
“We fought for the empowerment of our people. Zanu-PF is a party that fought for democracy, upholds constitutionalism and the rule of law. Those that choose otherwise will be exposed and rejected.”
Mnangagwa was responding the growing public unrest over Zanu PF’s failure to revive the country’s collapsed economy, to end rampant corruption and it failure contain corona virus pandemic. In its determined effort to hide its blundering incompetence in the handling of the pandemic the regime has not been testing and tracking the virus; this has allowed the virus to spread far and wide. And to silence criticism and dissent the regime has resorted to the use of violence repression.
America’s 19th Amendment granted women, a segment of society that had been left out until then, the right to vote. That is progress.
Zimbabwe’s independence was supposed to extend the freedoms and rights including the right to vote from the white minority to the black majority. What actually happened is that we all, blacks and whites, got a promissory note promising us all the freedoms and human rights but Zanu PF had no intention to honour any of the promises. That is not progress but regression!
It is very sad indeed that in this day and age we, in Zimbabwe, are still failing to hold free, fair and credible elections. The country is going nowhere until we clear this first base! Zimbabwe’s next elections must be free, fair and credible; that is not too much to ask!
By Patrick Guramatunhu- The way forward for Zimbabwe demands a complete overhaul of the country’s rotten political system.
Some people have argued that Zanu PF and MDC leaders cannot be trusted to implement the democratic reforms because they are part of the rot. Every time any MDC leader open his/her mouth, one can see why they are indeed part of the rot.
“Biti said the military had raised a number of issues with the late Morgan Tsvangirai after he won the 2008 elections – issues he said never received sufficient attention during the talks which led to the formation of the GNU,” Daily News reported.
“He said some of the concerns raised by the army then were the need for guarantees that a future government would not prosecute them or dispossess them of their land.”
To start with Tendai Biti should explain why he and his MDC friends failed to raise this and many other democratic reform issues during the last GNU. The truth is the MDC leaders had the snouts in the feeding trough and they completely forgot about the reforms.
The reforms of the Police, Army, CIO and Prison Services were on the national agenda during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Security service reforms were no more intractable than any of the other reform issues.
Those in the security services are not the only ones who have benefited from the chaotic and corrupt Zanu PF land redistribution. The need to recover land and put it back into productive use is key to Zimbabwe’s economic recovery. And so land will be recovered from all those who now own the land on that basis in a open and transparent manner. Why should Army or anyone else one seek special treatment and guarantees?
“MDC Alliance vice president Tendai Biti says any meaningful national dialogue that is to take place in the country should involve the military,” reported Daily News.
“Biti said the military were an important factor in Zimbabwean politics and should be involved in any talks aimed at fostering democracy and national stability.”
When Mugabe realised that his Zanu PF regime was failing to deliver the freedom, justice, peace and economic prosperity the party started to lose its public support. Mugabe turned to all manner of undemocratic means to retain Zanu PF’s iron grip on power including the use of brute force. And so he roped in the coercive state institutions the Army, Police, CIO and Prison Services to form the shadowy Joint Operation Command (JOC).
Yes Zimbabwe’s security sector has played a major role in Zimbabwe politics, JOC has been the real power behind Zanu PF. It is important to understand that it was Mugabe who invited the Army, Police, etc. and why.
A heathy and functioning democratic Zimbabwe will have no need of JOC and all the security services can revert back to their assigned roles.
We must make up our own mind what it is we want. We cannot say we want a democratic Zimbabwe in which the army is answerable to the civilian government and yet are the ones inviting the army to play a part in civilian politics.
“To foster democracy and national stability, the arm must be involved!” That is what Mugabe did by forming JOC and, as we can now see, it did not foster democracy but dictatorship or national stability but the exact opposite!
What Zimbabwe needs is a clean break with the failed economic policies and the narrow minded political ethos of the past. People like Tendai Biti, Nelson Chamisa, Emmerson Mnangagwa, etc., etc. will never deliver that clean break because they are an integral part of that past. And so instead of implementing the necessary transformative democratic reforms they will be giving excuses for maintain the status quo!
By Patrick Guramatunhu- The way forward for Zimbabwe demands a complete overhaul of the country’s rotten political system.
Some people have argued that Zanu PF and MDC leaders cannot be trusted to implement the democratic reforms because they are part of the rot. Every time any MDC leader open his/her mouth, one can see why they are indeed part of the rot.
“Biti said the military had raised a number of issues with the late Morgan Tsvangirai after he won the 2008 elections – issues he said never received sufficient attention during the talks which led to the formation of the GNU,” Daily News reported.
“He said some of the concerns raised by the army then were the need for guarantees that a future government would not prosecute them or dispossess them of their land.”
To start with Tendai Biti should explain why he and his MDC friends failed to raise this and many other democratic reform issues during the last GNU. The truth is the MDC leaders had the snouts in the feeding trough and they completely forgot about the reforms.
The reforms of the Police, Army, CIO and Prison Services were on the national agenda during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Security service reforms were no more intractable than any of the other reform issues.
Those in the security services are not the only ones who have benefited from the chaotic and corrupt Zanu PF land redistribution. The need to recover land and put it back into productive use is key to Zimbabwe’s economic recovery. And so land will be recovered from all those who now own the land on that basis in a open and transparent manner. Why should Army or anyone else one seek special treatment and guarantees?
“MDC Alliance vice president Tendai Biti says any meaningful national dialogue that is to take place in the country should involve the military,” reported Daily News.
“Biti said the military were an important factor in Zimbabwean politics and should be involved in any talks aimed at fostering democracy and national stability.”
When Mugabe realised that his Zanu PF regime was failing to deliver the freedom, justice, peace and economic prosperity the party started to lose its public support. Mugabe turned to all manner of undemocratic means to retain Zanu PF’s iron grip on power including the use of brute force. And so he roped in the coercive state institutions the Army, Police, CIO and Prison Services to form the shadowy Joint Operation Command (JOC).
Yes Zimbabwe’s security sector has played a major role in Zimbabwe politics, JOC has been the real power behind Zanu PF. It is important to understand that it was Mugabe who invited the Army, Police, etc. and why.
A heathy and functioning democratic Zimbabwe will have no need of JOC and all the security services can revert back to their assigned roles.
We must make up our own mind what it is we want. We cannot say we want a democratic Zimbabwe in which the army is answerable to the civilian government and yet are the ones inviting the army to play a part in civilian politics.
“To foster democracy and national stability, the arm must be involved!” That is what Mugabe did by forming JOC and, as we can now see, it did not foster democracy but dictatorship or national stability but the exact opposite!
What Zimbabwe needs is a clean break with the failed economic policies and the narrow minded political ethos of the past. People like Tendai Biti, Nelson Chamisa, Emmerson Mnangagwa, etc., etc. will never deliver that clean break because they are an integral part of that past. And so instead of implementing the necessary transformative democratic reforms they will be giving excuses for maintain the status quo!
By A Correspondent- Businesswoman and Zanu Pf apologist Edith Chibhamu’s ex husband Gift Tsamba has been hauled to court for rape after he forced himself on a 15 year old juvenile.
Tsamba aged 42 of Unit J in Seke Chitungwiza whose business address was cited as Green Span Innovations in South Africa unlawfully and intentionally had sexual intercourse with the minor without her consent.
It is the state’s case that on an unknown date but from 2019 until 3 August 2020, Tsamba raped the female juvenile on several occasions before she opened up to a relative leading to the arrest of the accused on August 5 2020.
The matter was remanded to 1 September 2020 by Chitungwiza Regional Magistrate Arnold Maburo.
A leaked audio recording of a phone call between controversial businessman Kuda Tagwirei and Norton Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa has revealed a few things about what people close to President Emmerson Mnangagwa think of his key appointments.
A Twimbo using the Twitter handle @SteveZwitter has picked up a number of things Tagwirei and Mliswa’s conversation has revealed. Below are some of the highlights:
Kuda Tagwirei is President Mnangagwa’s nephew
Temba Mliswa is Tagwirei’s uncle
Mliswa and Tagwirei are President Mnangagwa’s advisors in their personal capacities.
Fortune Chasi was fired from the Energy portfolio for disobeying Tagwirei
Tagwirei and Mliswa are [very annoyed] by the appointment of Soda [Zhemu to replace Chasi] who they say have no Zanu Pf ideology
Chinamasa wanted a Ministerial position too as he defended President Mnangagwa much
Chinamasa, Mliswa and Tagwirei didn’t want ED to appoint Kirsty Covenrty [as Sports Minister] because she doesn’t have party traits
Sydney Gata and Daniel Mackenzie Ncube are ED’s friends who got appointments because they are his friends
Tagwirei can tell ED who not to arrest, says he told ED not to arrest Chasi
Tagwirei supports Wicknell Chivayo [of the infamous Gwanda Solar Project]
Chivayo has full protection from Tagwirei
Chasi had no power to deal with Chivayo
Tagwirei can help anyone to get a government tender
Tagwirei bought top of the range vehicles for police bosses
Tagwirei say President Mnangagwa is not an enforcer
Tagwirei and Mliswa agree that ED has failed to control the country like Mugabe
The two are disappointed by the presence of Advocate Thabani Mpofu on the anti-corruption body
They say they want Zanu Pf people on the anti-corruption portfolio who follow party principles
Temba gives himself credit for defending Zanu Pf on social media
Temba says Prof JN Moyo will never attack him
Saviour Kasukuwere had a conversation with Temba on the appointment of Soda who doesn’t have Zanu Pf ideology
Tagwirei said he is working for ED’s 2023 tenure
From the conversation, it’s clear that Temba recorded the audio. What could have been his motive? He seems to be in good books with ED and Tagwirei so I doubt if he is the one who leaked it. Is this not a diversion? No factional battles are seen from the conversation.
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya on Friday issued a mid-term monetary policy statement crammed with optimism, but new measures on forex and mobile money show a bank still battling for control.
Mangudya says the new currency auction system introduced in June is working to tame inflation. He has, however, put a cap on the amount of money mobile money users can transact in a day, while there are new measures meant to push more forex towards the auction system.
Here are four key takeaways from Mangudya’s statement today.
More limits on your mobile money
After its fights with mobile money operators, including a court battle with EcoCash, central bank is limiting how much you can transact on your phone.
“Transactions by individuals shall be pegged at ZW$5,000 per day. Individuals shall be allowed to undertake Person to Person transfers, Person to Merchant payments for goods and services, settlement of bills and purchase of airtime,” RBZ says.
You will also now be limited to one mobile phone wallet.
The Bank says operators have “allowed illegal foreign currency dealers to use multiple individual wallets as a means to bypass the transaction limits and continue with their illicit transactions. Mobile money operators shall, with immediate effect, close all multiple wallets, and allow just one wallet per individual”.
Retailers and other service providers can keep operating merchant wallets to allow the public to pay for goods and services. However, mobile agents have now been banned for good.
Remittances up, but there’s a catch
Remittances are falling globally due to the COVID-19 crisis. Zimbabwe, which has a large diaspora, also expected a drop in remittances, one of the country’s largest sources of foreign currency.
However, by the RBZ’s data, the opposite has happened.
As at 30 June 2020, international remittances amounted to US$705 million. This is a 26% jump from the US$558 million during the same in 2019.
Of the total amount of remittances, diaspora remittances stood at US$374 million, up 25% from US$298 million that Zimbabweans abroad sent home over the same time last year.
Why has this been the case? There is one plausible explanation. While a lot of Zimbabweans abroad send money home via formal channels, many more send it via informal channels. The lockdown and border restrictions in South Africa, home to the largest Zimbabwean Diaspora, has cut off the usual informal cross-border courier channels, like bus drivers and “malaichas”.
New forex measures on local FCAs and exports
RBZ has introduced new measures on how foreign currency is channelled into the formal system. Central bank says foreign exchange balances in the domestic foreign currency accounts have grown from US$352.4 million in January 2020 to US$404.8 million as at end of July 2020.
However, RBZ wants this money to keep the auction system running. So, from now on, 20% of foreign currency receipts of providers of goods and services will be liquidated at the auction rate each time a deposit is made into local FCA. This means, for every deposit of US$100, US$20 is sold at the auction rate.
This does not apply to individuals who receive money privately into their FCAs. It will also not apply to embassies, NGOs, tobacco and cotton producers, or domestic FCAs for fuel companies.
Export retension thresholds – the amount of forex that exporters are allowed to keep – is now a standard 70%. Previously, if an exporter did not use their export earnings in 30 days, they were forced to sell it at the auction rate. Now, that period has been extended to 60 days.
Does that meet the demands of exporters? Not quite. Recently, mines wrote to RBZ saying 30 days was too short for their production cycle, which goes up to 90 days. Secondly, they wanted to be allowed to keep 80% of their export earnings, more than RBZ’s 70%.
Is the auction working? RBZ thinks so. CZI not yet sure
In June, RBZ introduced the currency auction system. This replaced the fixed rate of 1:25 that had been in place since March, and the managed float introduced earlier.
Is this new system working? The Zimdollar has fallen from 1:57.35 at the first auction to 1:82.9 at the last one. There are many still looking at the new system with a side-eye. But the central bank has a predictably upbeat assessment of its latest tool to manage the exchange rate.
RBZ says since the auction started, it has allotted US$137.4 million to companies, against bids for US$157.8 million. This means RBZ has met 87.1% of demand on the auction so far. RBZ says the auction rate has “achieved its key objective of price stability”.
RBZ even gives an optimistic forecast that, partly due to the auction, the blended annual rate of inflation – which takes into account the currency changes – will end the year at 249% from July’s 485.27%.
The auction, says central bank, has helped it mop up extra Zimdollar liquidity on the market, easing pressure on the Zimbabwe dollar and inflation.
“The parallel exchange rate premiums have thus plummeted from about 300% before the introduction of the auction system to the international known levels of between 5 to 15% as of the second week of August 2020,” RBZ says.
However, not everyone is convinced yet.
The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, the country’s biggest business grouping, said this week: “The business community is still a little sceptical about the sustainability of the foreign exchange auction market, given the currency ambiguity obtaining in the economy.”
MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA DISTRICT ABSOLUTELY BLAMES ZANUPF FOR THE A
Lavender Chiwaya
BUCTION AND MURDER OF COUNCILLOR LAVENDER CHIWAYA.
Mdc Alliance Namibia condemns in absolute terms the use of state-sponsored torture, abductions and murder of opposition leaders and membership. The so-called new dispensation has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that they are “a certified new deception” established to hoodwink the nation and the rest of the world. The murder of social democrats in Zimbabwe is an attempt to silence the voices against thugocracy. This is a desperate effort by a clueless government to birth a one-party state but the national democratic revolutionaries will not swallow the demonisation and soldierisation of our society. May his soul rest in power. #zimbabweanlivesmatter. #Zanupfmustgo.
We were left perturbed,mesmerised and hypnotised upon learning that state agents are suspected to have abducted , tortured and butchered our Mdc Alliance Hurungwe Central District Chairperson and Ward 4 Councillor Lavender Chiwaya. Our gallant fighter in the struggle for socioeconomic transformation has been found dead ,naked and dumped 4 houses away from his home. As Mdc Alliance Namibia district, we are aware of our tormentors, abductors and murderers. We intend to seriously warn the cowards who are perpetrating such atrocities to bear in mind that the blood of our leader will inspire us to rise against Fascism. We demand that the murderers be brought to book.
Moreso, Zanupf must be cognisant that there shall come a scenerio when the people will rise against artificial poverty born out of its gross misgovernance and escalating corruption not forgetting the state-sponsored deaths. I encourage all social democrats in Zimbabwe and the diaspora to stand firm castigating the demonisation and soldierisation of our beloved country. Lets brace for participatory democracy clamouring for the transformation of the decomposed Social, economic and political landscape in Zimbabwe.
One day, Zimbabwe shall be free from Bornapatism and the legacy of impunity will come to an interesting end. May your dear soul rest in peace our councillor. We shall complete the change that delivers. #ZimbabweanLivesMatter.
Zimbabwe Catholics Bishop Conference, Secretary General Father Frederick Chiromba has said the recent Pastoral Letter to Government was not intended at sowing divisions in the country as alleged by Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa.
Responding to the allegations by Minister Mutsvangwa that they had waded into politics, Fr Chiromba said the Bishops were only calling for national cohesion.
“I read that (Mutsvangwa’s response) but I couldn’t find in the Pastoral Letter where there is any suggestion of division, if anything the Bishops are calling for national cohesion they are saying we don’t know what lies in the future at the moment we are facing this Covid-19 and there will other challenges in the future, divided we cannot overcome those challenges, its only when we are united that we overcome lets dialogue and be united now.” said Fr Chiromba.
He said the clergymen had raised red flags over the deteriorating socio-economic situation at all levels of Government but nothing has come to fruition and the Pastoral letter was a renewal of the 2006 discussion document titled ‘The Zimbabwe We Want’.
“We can debate how to address the issue but it doesn’t make these issues go away and I can assure you that these issues have been raised directly at all levels with Government they raised these issues in 2006 in the discussion document the Zimbabwe We Want and we raised it in the Pastoral Letter its now 14 years and it was a matter of renewing the document”
Father Chiromba explained the catchphrase “The March Is On” on the letter saying it was a recent quotation from a speaker at the funeral of American civil rights leader, John Robert Lewis.
“When you look at the Pastoral Letter its a quotation of someone who gave a speech at the funeral of the late John Robert Lewis a civil right activist in America, he was recognised for continuing to promote human rights. Human welfare is basically to do with the aspirations of humanity. That title has nothing to do with the 31 of July. It does not refers to a physical march it refers to the transformation of life.
“When you look straightly at the Pastoral Letter it has nothing new in it apart from issues that are already in the public domain already in Zim that are affecting ordinary Zimbabwe and these are issue that the bishops were addressing the humanitarian situation the plight of the people the deteriorating economic situation, human rights, the politics of the country and this cannot be driven by a foreigner and there is no one behind it apart from Zimbabweans themselves,” he said.
Fr Chiromba said he had no idea why the Government was irked by the latter because it was “calling for national dialogue, we hope that moving forward this conversation will be sustained we would not want this to be just an event a Pastoral Letter that was published on the 14 of August and Government reacted and that was the end.”
The Pastoral Letter was presented at a time the country is grappling with a deteriorating socio-economic situation with the Government dismissing allegations of human rights violations as contained in the letter.
FORMER Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono has proposed Rwandan President Paul Kagame to broker an African Union (AU)-driven national dialogue that would culminate in the formation of a government of national unity (GNU) between Zanu-PF and the opposition MDC Alliance.
The two parties have been on a warpath since the 2018 hotly disputed presidential elections, which President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was the Zanu-PF candidate, won by a razor-thin margin.
The disputed election result has created a political crisis in the country with the main opposition party challenging Mnangagwa’s legitimacy.
On the other hand, Mnangagwa’s administration has been using brute force to silence dissenting voices, the latest being the ruthless crackdown on organisers of the July 31 protests which were thwarted by state security agents.
The organiser of the protests, Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume is languishing in remand prison together with freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.
The two are being accused of plotting against the state, charges that carry very long sentences on conviction.
Gono, despite having been out of the limelight for the past seven years following his departure from the helm of the RBZ in 2013, remains a key opinion leader who played a key role in the negotiations that helped break the impasse at the height of the November 2017 military coup which catapulted Mnangagwa to power.
Let’s harness each other’s strengths across the political divide. We could invite tried and tested leaders like President Paul Kagame of Rwanda to help us craft a way forward. Rwanda experienced serious political conflict of genocidal proportions, they found each other …
In an interview with the Zimbabwe Independent, the banker said Kagame has the right stamina and profile to handle the delicate situation.
Interestingly, Gono’s suggestion comes at a time both parties have drawn red lines.
Zanu-PF argues that MDC-A should first recognise Mnangagwa’s presidency before talks can start, while the Nelson Chamisaled party insists that the very question of legitimacy is the cornerstone of its standpoint.
Gono says Kagame, whose style of leadership which blends authoritarian practices and home-grown solutions with international best practices could carry the day.
The mediation, he says, should be under the auspices of the African Union.
“Indeed, they are difficult, but not impossible. It has to be realised that coming together and finding each other for the good of the economy is not a weakness, but rather a strength,” Gono said.
He said what made Kagame an outstanding leader was that he steered Rwanda from its darkest period, the 1994 genocide which resulted in close to one million deaths, to become Africa’s fastest developing country.
“Let’s harness each other’s strengths across the political divide. We could invite tried and tested leaders like President Paul Kagame of Rwanda to help us craft a way forward. Rwanda experienced serious political conflict of genocidal proportions, they found each other and today they are a model economy, peaceful, healed and reconciled. Our problems are nowhere near what they experienced yet they triumphed. Why can’t we borrow a leaf from them?” Gono asked. He also sided with those calling for a 10-year freeze of elections until 2030, saying those who would have been privileged to lead the country during the GNU period must not seek public office once the period
lapses.
“Another idea is to ensure from the word go that unlike the previous GNU, those leaders who take part in the new GNU must not run for any political or public office after tour of duty. Theirs would be to lay the foundation for a better Zimbabwe, clean up the deck, unite the people towards national objectives, polish up and finish what needs to be finished before elections in 2030 and retire,” Gono said.
“Additionally, they must not go in expecting cars or hefty perks from the state other than reimbursables like fuel, communication, electricity and water. This will ensure that only the dedicated and capable will serve, significantly for free just like those who went to the war. This should also be treated like going to war with no expectations for personal gain.”
While Kagame has managed to preside over a progressive economy which has been a shining example on the continent, his human rights record is chequered as he is known to clamp down on the opposition.
The East African country has over the past decade posted impressive economic growth rates, fuelled by business-friendly policies and strong inflows of foreign direct investment.
Zimbabwe has ordered mobile money operators to ensure that individuals have only one wallet and should close all multiple wallets with immediate effect.
The measure announced by the central bank yesterday in its mid-term monetary policy statement is aimed at curbing misuse of mobile money to fuel the black market.
It said it had adopted these measures following a forensic audit to assess the integrity, compliance and efficacy of mobile money platforms and transactions in Zimbabwe.
The measures announced by the central bank are:
Individuals
Transactions by individuals shall be pegged at ZW$5 000 per day. Individuals shall be allowed to undertake Person to Person transfers, Person to Merchant payments for goods and services, settlement of bills and purchase of airtime.
Following the suspension and freezing of agent and bulk-payer wallets on 27 June, 2020, mobile money operators have allowed illegal foreign currency dealers to use multiple individual wallets as a means to bypass the transaction limits and continue with their illicit transactions. Mobile money operators shall, with immediate effect, close all multiple wallets, and allow just one wallet per individual.
Merchants
Retailers and other service providers will be permitted to continue operating merchant wallets to allow the public to pay for goods and services.
Merchants shall not be allowed to make payments from their wallets. E-value held in merchant wallets shall be liquidated to the merchant’s bank account.
In this regard, mobile money operators shall have systems in place to ensure automatic liquidations from the merchant wallets to the merchant bank accounts. This measure shall ensure that mobile payment platforms are not used for store of value but shall be restricted for transacting purposes in furtherance of financial inclusion in the economy.
Agents
Agent wallets are no longer serving any legitimate purpose and were now being used primarily for illegal foreign exchange transactions. Agents’ mobile money wallets are therefore abolished, with immediate effect.
Agents currently holding value in suspended and frozen wallets shall be allowed to liquidate the funds to their bank accounts, upon the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) having satisfied itself of the legitimacy of the source of funds.
Bulk payment accounts
Mobile payment operators have been turning a blind eye and have even actively encouraged the abuse of bulk payment wallets for illegal foreign currency transactions, thus earning lucrative transaction fees in the process.
Going forward, bulk payment wallets will be approved by regulatory authorities for limited use, primarily for low value transactions and humanitarian funds disbursements to vulnerable members of society.
Any other bulk payment transactions, such as payment of salaries and wages, should be processed through normal banking channels.
Other corrective measures
The Bank, as regulator of mobile payment services, and the FIU, as the agency responsible for enforcing anti money laundering standards, will consider the findings and recommendations of the forensic report, in detail, and come up with comprehensive corrective measures for implementation by mobile payment operators, to ensure compliance, integrity and efficacy of mobile money transactions.
For identified serious breaches, appropriate regulatory and disciplinary measures will be instituted against delinquent mobile money operators and /or any culpable individuals, in accordance with the law.
Interoperability
On 27 March 2020, the Government passed the Banking (Money Transmission, Mobile Banking and Mobile Money Interoperability) Regulations, under Statutory Instrument 80 of 2020. The new law is intended to facilitate integration of payment systems and promote efficiency of payment services, for the convenience of the transacting public.
Pursuant to the statutory instrument, the Bank designated Zimswitch Technologies (Private) Limited (Zimswitch) as a national payment switch, and required all payment service providers, including mobile payment operators, to be connected thereto.
With all banks and some mobile payment operators already connected to Zimswitch, connectivity by all payment service providers is expected to be completed by 30 September 2020.
Reasons for these measures
The forensic audit to assess the integrity, compliance and efficacy of mobile money platforms and transactions in Zimbabwe has revealed significant weaknesses in the systems of the mobile payment operators, namely Ecocash, OneMoney, Telecash and Mycash.
The critical weaknesses that cut across the four mobile payment platforms are:
Non-adherence to KYC principles, characterised by, among other issues, creation of mobile money accounts using fictitious and unverified identification particulars;
Creation of money on the platforms (overdrafts and fraudulent /fictitious credits) which is not backed by balances in the Mobile Money Trust Accounts;
System infrastructure inadequacies and weak Anti Money Laundering controls;
Failure to comply with, including willful disregard for, regulatory directives;
Connivance between mobile money operator employees and customers to delay or illegally bypass account freeze orders;
Failure to deduct or remit statutory taxes; and
Rampant abuse of agent, super-agent and bulk payment wallets for purposes of trading on the foreign exchange parallel market.
A political commentator, Pedzisai Ruhanya, has commended MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora for his tendency to “take no prisoners” in his quest to grab power at all costs within the Thokozani Khupe-led party.
Ruhanya asserted that unlike MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa who lacks “cojones”, Mwonzora is committed to what he does albeit in a bad way. Said Ruhanya:
One thing I like about Mwonzora is that unlike his MDC Alliance adversaries, he is very daring and brave, never mind his sellout and undemocratic activities. He means business in his undemocratic adventures. There is clarity in his madness. MDC Alliance is not decisive on anything!
Ruhanya also castigated MDC Alliance leaders for being reactive rather than proactive in their dealings with the ruling ZANU PF.
He added that the Chamisa-led formation is losing its societal leadership position due to its ambivalence in dealing with critical issues. Ruhanya said:
At this moment and for quite some time during this unfolding Zimbabwe crisis, the MDC Alliance’s political program and response to Zanu PF’s catastrophic policies is not known. It appears to be without campus, without ideas and in a leadership political logjam
There is a huge perception in Zimbabwe that MDC Alliance is losing its leadership of society position because it’s ambiguous, ambivalent and indecisive on major issues in Zimbabwe. Bar tweeting the growing perception is that of a reactionary party with no thought leadership!
That’s my summation of MDC Alliance problematic for now. Their response is simple and predictable. Ruhanya please form your own party. My party is a critique of leaders of society.
GOVERNMENT has with immediate effect abolished mobile money wallet agents as they are no longer serving any legitimate purpose and further tightened regulations to tackle illegal foreign currency dealings among other financial malpractices that have been blamed for sabotaging the economy.
The mobile money agent system had become popular through facilitating cash-in and cash-out services, as well as creating job opportunities, but had recently become notorious for aiding illegal foreign currency deals and manipulation of the exchange rate.
Despite the suspension and freezing of agent and bulk-payer wallets on 27 June, 2020, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor, Dr John Mangudya, said the monetary authority has noted with concern that mobile money operators continued to allow illegal foreign currency dealers to use multiple individual wallets as a means to by-pass the transaction limits and continue with their illicit transactions.
This has prompted the monetary authority to craft comprehensive interventions to close the gaps, which include directing all mobile money operators to immediately close all multiple wallets, and allow just one wallet per individual.
Announcing the new measures to address deficiencies in mobile banking in his 2020 Monetary Policy Statement today, Dr Mangudya, said the new regulations were an outcome of a forensic audit carried out by the Bank to assess the integrity, compliance and efficacy of mobile money platforms and transactions in Zimbabwe.
He said the audit has revealed significant weaknesses in the systems of the mobile payment operators, namely Ecocash, OneMoney, Telecash and Mycash.
“Agent wallets are no longer serving any legitimate purpose and were now being used primarily for illegal foreign exchange transactions. Agents’ mobile money wallets are,therefore, abolished, with immediate effect,” said Dr Mangudya.
He, however, clarified that agents currently holding value in suspended and frozen wallets shall be allowed to liquidate the funds to their bank accounts, upon the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) having satisfied itself of the legitimacy of the sourceof funds.
Police have charged Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala with incitement to commit public violence.
Sikhala is the latest person to be charged with incitement to commit public violence after several people were arrested in July and in August and charged for allegedly urging people to protest on 31 July and for demonstrating on the same day demanding an end to corruption.
