The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CIZC) notes with disappointment the Communique from the 40th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government’s failure to discuss the political crisis unfolding in Zimbabwe and other hotspots in the region.
Whilst the world and other progressive countries like South Africa and the African Union have acknowledged that there is a political crisis in Zimbabwe and thus expressed concern over the abuse of human rights, we are therefore worried about SADC turning a blind eye as the situation continues to deteriorate in Zimbabwe posing a risk to regional security and integration.
We also wish to express our disappointment by the Summit’s failure to come up with concrete interventions to deal with the insurgency in Mozambique, Madagascar and Eswatini.
We, however, still hold the view that SADC and other regional partners have a role to play in the Zimbabwe crisis and thus, the Coalition will, in the next few days be engaging the Botswana President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi the incoming Chairperson of the SADC Troika to convene a special Troika on Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar and Eswatini.
Above all, we recommend that the South African special envoy be expanded to include SADC and meet all relevant stakeholders including civil society.
We will continue urging SADC to support the efforts of President Ramaphosa and his envoy in their quest to finding lasting solutions to the crisis in Zimbabwe.
We, therefore, reiterate that the national dialogue process must involve all stakeholders and a national visioning process that has civil society, government, political parties, business, religious groups and labour unions among other critical stakeholders.
The dialogue process should produce a timed roadmap to the demilitarisation of civilian political processes and the restoration of normalcy by focusing on key political, economic and social reforms.
In this regard, we call for FULL CONSULTATION of all stakeholders rather than cosmetic processes.
A pastoral letter to the churches and the people of Zimbabwe
Let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24)
To the churches and people of Zimbabwe,
Grace and peace from the God of life and the Lord Jesus Christ
Christian greetings from the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the World Methodist Council.
We have heard the laments of our sisters and brothers in your country and we are deeply concerned about the circumstances by which you are afflicted.
We express our solidarity with all the people of Zimbabwe yearning for the realization of their human rights, for justice, and for physical and economic security in their communities.
We have heard of the deteriorating conditions for women, children, young people and men whose lives and livelihoods are facing increasingly serious threats each day, with approximately half of the entire population facing hunger, staggering unemployment rates, corruption and insecurity, the country is crying out for effective accompaniment.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the economic challenges and seriously affected the already fragile public health and education systems.
The ongoing medical doctor’s strike has caused millions of Zimbabweans – including children and pregnant women – to have no access to essential medical care.
While we understand the gravity of the challenges posed by the pandemic, we also recognize that the root causes of corruption and the longstanding failure to protect human rights lie in failed governance structures.
We condemn the increasing use of force, violence and intimidation against people protesting these failures, targeting particularly those deemed to oppose the current government.
We are particularly concerned about the mistreatment of political activists and other advocates for human rights.
We strongly condemn the sexual abuse and violence against women activists. We find the incarceration of journalists and political leaders unacceptable.
We are encouraged by the ongoing ministry of churches in Zimbabwe to serve the most vulnerable and call on you to keep remembering the ‘least of these’ even as you remain steadfast in your hope in Christ Jesus.
May your voice continue to be raised on behalf of the most vulnerable.
We believe that the God of life calls us into action for justice for the oppressed.
We pledge our solidarity with you as we lift up your cries for justice, dignity, and protection of their human rights.
We shall continue to advocate together with our member churches for this cause.
Sisters and brothers, we assure you of the continued prayers of the global Christian family.
Hold steadfast to the faith that we share, which binds us together in Christian unity, and compels us to seek justice and work for peace.
In solidarity,
Rev. Prof. Dr loan Sauca, WCC Interim General Secretary
A pastoral letter to the churches and the people of Zimbabwe
Let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24)
To the churches and people of Zimbabwe,
Grace and peace from the God of life and the Lord Jesus Christ
Christian greetings from the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the World Methodist Council.
We have heard the laments of our sisters and brothers in your country and we are deeply concerned about the circumstances by which you are afflicted.
We express our solidarity with all the people of Zimbabwe yearning for the realization of their human rights, for justice, and for physical and economic security in their communities.
We have heard of the deteriorating conditions for women, children, young people and men whose lives and livelihoods are facing increasingly serious threats each day, with approximately half of the entire population facing hunger, staggering unemployment rates, corruption and insecurity, the country is crying out for effective accompaniment.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the economic challenges and seriously affected the already fragile public health and education systems.
The ongoing medical doctor’s strike has caused millions of Zimbabweans – including children and pregnant women – to have no access to essential medical care.
While we understand the gravity of the challenges posed by the pandemic, we also recognize that the root causes of corruption and the longstanding failure to protect human rights lie in failed governance structures.
We condemn the increasing use of force, violence and intimidation against people protesting these failures, targeting particularly those deemed to oppose the current government.
We are particularly concerned about the mistreatment of political activists and other advocates for human rights.
We strongly condemn the sexual abuse and violence against women activists. We find the incarceration of journalists and political leaders unacceptable.
We are encouraged by the ongoing ministry of churches in Zimbabwe to serve the most vulnerable and call on you to keep remembering the ‘least of these’ even as you remain steadfast in your hope in Christ Jesus.
May your voice continue to be raised on behalf of the most vulnerable.
We believe that the God of life calls us into action for justice for the oppressed.
We pledge our solidarity with you as we lift up your cries for justice, dignity, and protection of their human rights.
We shall continue to advocate together with our member churches for this cause.
Sisters and brothers, we assure you of the continued prayers of the global Christian family.
Hold steadfast to the faith that we share, which binds us together in Christian unity, and compels us to seek justice and work for peace.
In solidarity,
Rev. Prof. Dr loan Sauca, WCC Interim General Secretary
At least three Zimbabweans died after being involved in a three-truck pile up at the treacherous Kapiringozi Escarpment along the Chirundu-Kafue Road in Zambia.
The accidents occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning when the driver of one of the trucks lost control of the vehicle as it was descending the mountainous area, rammed into an oncoming truck before hitting a broken down truck, igniting a huge inferno.
An unknown number of people in the trucks were burnt beyond recognition.
Zambian police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Esther Katongo confirmed the accident adding that two Zimbabwean drivers had so far been positively identified.
“Police in Chirundu received a report of a road traffic accident which happened today 16th August, 2020 around 6.40am on Chirundu-Kafue road at Kapiringozi hills involving three trucks.
“Involved in the accident was an unknown motor vehicle driven by an unknown driver with unknown number of passengers who are suspected to have been burnt to ashes,” she said.
One of the deceased drivers was a 25-year-old Zimbabwean who was driving a Volvo truck which had broken down while the other one was driving a truck with suspected Jet A1 fuel which could have ignited the inferno.
“The accident occurred when the unknown driver who was driving the completely burnt truck and was descending the hill lost control due to excessive speed and hit into a FAW Motor vehicle which was carrying suspected Jet1 Fuel. It also hit a stationary Volvo truck which had a break down and all the vehicles caught fire and were completely burnt,” she said.
Police and the fire brigade managed to put out the fire but the number of people who have died in the accident has not yet been established.-The Herald
At least three Zimbabweans died after being involved in a three-truck pile up at the treacherous Kapiringozi Escarpment along the Chirundu-Kafue Road in Zambia.
The accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning when the driver of one of the trucks lost control of the vehicle as it was descending the mountainous area, rammed into an oncoming truck before hitting a broken down truck, igniting a huge inferno.
An unknown number of people in the trucks were burnt beyond recognition.
Zambian police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Esther Katongo confirmed the accident adding that two Zimbabwean drivers had so far been positively identified.
“Police in Chirundu received a report of a road traffic accident which happened today 16th August, 2020 around 6.40am on Chirundu-Kafue road at Kapiringozi hills involving three trucks.
“Involved in the accident was an unknown motor vehicle driven by an unknown driver with unknown number of passengers who are suspected to have been burnt to ashes,” she said.
One of the deceased drivers was a 25-year-old Zimbabwean who was driving a Volvo truck which had broken down while the other one was driving a truck with suspected Jet A1 fuel which could have ignited the inferno.
“The accident occurred when the unknown driver who was driving the completely burnt truck and was descending the hill lost control due to excessive speed and hit into a FAW Motor vehicle which was carrying suspected Jet1 Fuel. It also hit a stationary Volvo truck which had a break down and all the vehicles caught fire and were completely burnt,” she said.
Police and the fire brigade managed to put out the fire but the number of people who have died in the accident has not yet been established.-The Herald
"Cabinet directed (a) that the business hours which were ending at 15:00 will now end at 1630 hours and the curfew to be extended to 2000 hours; (b) that public transport buses be allowed a dedicated lane at roadblocks to expedite their passage. "
The Zimbabwe dollar has fallen slightly by ZWL$0.04 at Tuesday’s foreign currency auction to ZWL$82.9 against the United States dollar from ZWL$82.5 last week.
The exchange rate of the Zimbabwe dollar against the greenback has been on the downhill track since June this year from ZWL$57.4:US$1,when government introduced the foreign currency auction, dumping the fixed interbank exchange rate of ZWL$25:US$1, which had been in place since February.
At Tuesday’s auction, a total of US$14.2m was allotted with the main auction getting US$13.7m while the SMEs auction got US$517 630.88.
The highest rate was 88.38 in the main auction and 85 in the SMES auction.
The lowest was 80 and 78 for the main and SMEs auctions respectively
Lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa believes that the government is persecuting her after Magistrate Ngoni Nduna removed her from representing incarcerated investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.
Nduna recused Mtetwa from Chin’ono’s case after State prosecutor Whisper Mabhaudhi last week made an application seeking for her removal from representing the journalist, saying she was posting comments critical of the Judiciary on the Facebook page, Beatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of Law.
Speaking to reporters at Rotten Row Magistrate Court in Harare this Tuesday, Mtetwa, who claimed that she was not on Facebook and had no social media accounts, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s threat to deal with lawyers had come to pass. Said Mtetwa:
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I think all of you heard at the beginning of the year we will deal with the lawyers and doctors, they started dealing with the lawyers.
For me, doing what they are doing, obviously, it has a chilling effect on other lawyers particularly the younger lawyers. The idea is to say to human right defenders, you defend a certain type of, we will be after you. It is not a coincidence that there is an order that says I must be prosecuted.
When that order is coming from the court that is carrying the case, there will be chilling effects that young lawyers will be prosecuted for doing their work. If you’re young and you’re 30, you cannot afford to be prosecuted.
I’m over 60, I can be prosecuted towards the end of my career. The intention is to stop us from defending a certain type of client.
We are going to challenge the decision because we don’t agree with it in a whole lot of respect but it means the right to legal representation has been severely curtailed by the courts which are actually supposed to be expanding that right.
By A Correspondent- Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Panonetsa Mangudya recently told bakers and millers that they will not be allowed to raise the price of bread.
Mangudya said this during an online meeting hosted by the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ), last week.
The meeting was also attended by the National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe, including Bakers Inn, Lobels Bread and Proton, as well as millers such as National Foods, Blue Ribbon Foods and Edurate Milling.
Mangudya said:
We want to assure bakers and millers that going forward they will now be prioritised for foreign currency allocation during the weekly forex auction.
Bakers have no reason to justify any bread price increase because when the price of bread was $79, it was based on a speculative black market rate of between $100 and $120 per US$1.
We expect bread prices to go down given the fact that bakers are now accessing forex at the auction at a much lower rate of $80 against US$1.
Millers and bakers wanted to increase the price of a standard loaf of bread to $80 from an average $60, citing rising productions costs.
Mangudya pledged to avail at least US$2 million weekly to millers and bakers, though they need a total of US$12 million per month.
MORE people continue succumbing to Covid-19 in Zimbabwe with reports showing that three died on Monday which brings the death toll to 135.
According to the Ministry of Health, 47 more people tested positive for the global pandemic on the same day, leaving the cumulative total of cases at 5 308.
The latest deaths were recorded in Bulawayo, Manicaland and Mashonaland East provinces.
Of the 47 new cases, 15 were recorded in Matabeleland South, three in Bulawayo, seven in Harare, nine in Manicaland, five in Masvingo and three in Mashonaland West province.
“As of August 17, 2020, Zimbabwe has now recorded 5 308 cases, 3 848 recoveries and 135 deaths. A total of 47 new cases were recorded yesterday and five of those are from returnees,” read the statement.
“We also recorded three deaths, one from Bulawayo, one from Mashonaland East and the other from Manicaland province.
The ministry said men remain the most affected sex when it comes to Covid-19 cases and deaths.
There are 1 325 active cases in Zimbabwe.
Bulawayo province has a cumulative 1 207 cases and 28 deaths with 873 recoveries while Matabeleland South has 522 cases with two deaths and 76 recoveries.
Matabeleland North has 98 cases, three deaths and 62 recoveries.
By Patrick Guramatunhu- “The (November 2017) coup has been over taken by events and there has been an election in between, the disputed results notwithstanding.
It is what it is and now we must focus on getting Zimbabweans to have a good and sober look around and re-examine their potential choices for 2023,” said Albert Gumbo. He is the secretary general of Alliance for People’s Agenda (APA) led Dr Nkosana Moyo.
“The elected must govern and if they can’t, they must be voted out at the next election!”
Dr Moyo was one of the 23 presidential candidates in Zimbabwe’s 31st July 2018 harmonised elections. The parliamentary and local elections were an equally hotly contested affairs.
Zanu PF went on to win the presidential race and 2/3 majority in parliament, the result was never in doubt as it was clear the party was going to rig the elections and did.
Of course, it is most infuriating that Zimbabwe’s corrupt, incompetent and sell-out opposition politicians continue to refuse to acknowledge a simple historic fact that Zanu PF rigs elections and it is therefore nonsensical to keep talking of the people voting the regime out of office.
After 40 years of rigged elections under our belt they still pretend they have no clue what constitutes free, fair and credible elections!
Of course, Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections. The regime deny 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora a chance to register and vote, a very significant number since Mnangagwa claimed victory with 2.4 million votes.
There was no free and independent media. But most notable of all, the regime failed to produce a verified voters’ roll, a legal and common sense requirement!
The opposition candidates not only knew that Zanu PF was blatantly rigging the elections but, worst of all, they also knew that by participating in the elections regardless, they would give the process “credibility”.
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the (2013) elections,” wrote MDC Alliance senator David Coltart in his book.
“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”
So the opposition gave Zimbabwe’s flawed and illegal election process credibility and, by extension, the results the modicum of legitimacy! Zanu PF offered the opposition politicians the few gravy train seats as their reward for participating and giving the regime legitimacy.
Since the rigged 2018 elections Zanu PF has not implemented any democratic reforms and, as we can see, the opposition are gearing to participate in the next elections. And with no reforms in place Zanu PF is certain to rig the elections and we will be back in the situation we are in today and have been for the last 40 years – stuck with the corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship.
The settled Zimbabwe election cycle is Zanu PF rigging elections, the opposition paying lip service to demanding reform, no reforms are implemented, the opposition participate giving legitimacy to yet another Zanu PF rigged elections and so back to a new cycle. If we are to break this vicious cycle we must fight on two fronts:
we must stand firm in rejecting Zanu PF’s legitimacy, the party rigged the 2018 elections, it has no mandate to govern and must step down to allow the appointment of a competent body to implement the reforms and hold free and fair elections. By refusing to step down, Zanu PF is holding the nation to ransom and has done this for donkey years now. That is totally unacceptable.
we must expose the corrupt and incompetent opposition politicians for the sell-out they are. The people of Zimbabwe must now wake-up to the political reality that opposition leaders are now running with the povo hare and hunting with the Zanu PF hounds.
We can be 100% certain that if Zanu PF is in power until 2023, the party will rig the elections. We can also be 100% certain that Zimbabwe’s opposition parties, all 130 of them at the last count, will participate in the flawed and illegal elections. It is incumbent on us to make sure the next elections are free, fair and credible.
“If Zanu PF have failed to govern, vote them out in 2023!” The people have failed to do so these last 40 years precisely because Zanu PF rigs elections. The only reason why the opposition politicians refuse to acknowledging that Zanu PF rigs elections is they are now working in cahoots with the regime!
A microblogging site, Twitter, on Monday permanently blocked the account of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services over alleged multiple violations of the company’s hateful conduct policy.
Without specifying the actions which warranted the blocking Twitter noted that the account was permanently banned after the Ministry ignored “previously received repeated warnings for similar violations,” specifically of rules “prohibiting participating in or inciting targeted abuse of individuals.”
Permanent bans on Twitter were born out of the company’s ongoing effort to tame the unruly masses of anonymous tormentors whose threats and ugly commentary have long been a major liability for the social platform.
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Techunzipped reports that as a result of the ban, the Ministry of Information has now opened a new account called @InformationZim.
This comes after the Minister of Information, Senator Mutsvangwa recently stormed controversy after her attack on Catholic Archbishop Richard Christopher Ndlovu over his pastoral letter that criticised bad governance in the country.
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe’s Food Poverty Line (FPL) for one person rose to $1 329 while the Total Consumption Poverty Line for one person stood at $3 115 in July 2020, latest official figures show.
According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat), the Total Consumption Poverty Line (TCPL) for an average of five persons per household was $15 573.
Zimstat said in its latest report:
The Food Poverty Line for one person in July 2020 was $1,329.00, while that for an average household of five persons was $6,643.00.
The Total Consumption Poverty Line for one person stood at $3,115.00 in July 2020, while that for an average of five persons per household was pegged at $15,573.00.
In June, the Total Consumption Poverty Line for one person stood at $2 267 while that for an average of five persons per household was pegged at $11 334.
According to the agency, the TCPL is a combination of food and non-food items that an average family requires for it not to be deemed poor.
By A Correspondent- Armed Robbers allegedly pounced on a Kwekwe woman yesterday morning and robbed her of her money before firing warning shots to scare her.
Beatrice Muza (43) was robbed of her US$3 500 and ZAR 2000 at her house.
Sources close to investigations told a local publication that two robbers forcefully entered Muza’s house armed with an AK47 rifle and a pistol.
They broke her door using an iron bar and demanded money from her.
Muza surrendered US$500 which was under her pillow however the accused proceeded to search the complainant’s wardrobe and took US$3000 and ZAR 2000 which was in her husband’ jacket.
The robbers also took the complainant’s cell phone.
On departure, the suspects fired one shot into the air and fled into a nearby bush.
Courts have dismissed the application of popular Harare-based lawyer advocate Thabani Mpofu which sought the revocation of further placement on remand.
Mpofu had argued, through his lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, that the facts relied upon by the State did not constitute a reasonable suspicion that the alleged offences were committed.
It is the state’s case that Mpofu corruptly concealed a transaction from a principal and defeated or obstructed the course of justice on two counts after representing “a non-existent” person who was challenging President Mnangagwa’s appointment of prosecutor-general Kumbirai Hodzi.
Meanwhile, the “fictitious man,” Simbarashe Zuze, behind the arrest of Advocate Thabani Mpofu and another lawyer, Tapiwa Makanza recently came out to prove his existence.
Mpofu was arrested in June, charged with “defeating or obstructing the course of justice,” and was released on a ZWL$20 000 bail.
He has since June 2 this year been on remand out of custody and is scheduled to return to court on 21 August 2020 at 9.00 am for his trial.
Mpofu who became more popular in 2018 after representing Nelson Chamisa who was challenging the outcome of the Presidential election which he said had been manipulated in favour of President Emmerson Mnangagwa,
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CIZC) has issued a statement the Communique from the 40th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government saying the failure of the regional body’s leadership to discuss the Zimbabwean crisis was concerning. The organisation further proposed ways to resolve the crisis. We present the statement in full below.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CIZC) notes with disappointment the Communique from the 40th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government’s failure to discuss the political crisis unfolding in Zimbabwe and other hotspots in the region.
Whilst the world and other progressive countries like South Africa and the African Union have acknowledged that there is a political crisis in Zimbabwe and thus expressed concern over the abuse of human rights, we are therefore worried about SADC turning a blind eye as the situation continues to deteriorate in Zimbabwe posing a risk to regional security and integration.
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We also wish to express our disappointment by the Summit’s failure to come up with concrete interventions to deal with the insurgency in Mozambique, Madagascar and Eswatini.
We, however, still hold the view that SADC and other regional partners have a role to play in the Zimbabwe crisis and thus, the Coalition will, in the next few days be engaging the Botswana President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi the incoming Chairperson of the SADC Troika to convene a special Troika on Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar and Eswatini. Above all, we recommend that the South African special envoy be expanded to include SADC and meet all relevant stakeholders including civil society.
We will continue urging SADC to support the efforts of President Ramaphosa and his envoy in their quest to finding lasting solutions to the crisis in Zimbabwe.
We, therefore, reiterate that the national dialogue process must involve all stakeholders and a national visioning process that has civil society, government, political parties, business, religious groups and labour unions among other critical stakeholders.
The dialogue process should produce a timed roadmap to the demilitarisation of civilian political processes and the restoration of normalcy by focusing on key political, economic and social reforms.
In this regard, we call for FULL CONSULTATION of all stakeholders rather than cosmetic processes.
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa will soon dispatch his special envoys to Harare again — to meet with key local stakeholders, including the opposition, the Daily News reports.
This comes as the government has come under renewed pressure internally and internationally for alleged gross human rights breaches by authorities.
It also comes as analysts have said that the only viable path out of the country’s decades-long political and economic crisis is to get President Emmerson Mnangagwa to talk to the opposition.
Earlier this week, Ramaphosa’s special envoys — former South African vice president Baleka Mbete and ex-ministers Sydney Mufamadi and Ngoako Ramatlhodi — were in the country, where they met Mnangagwa over Zimbabwe’s myriad crises.
Yesterday, South African minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Naledi Pandor, said Ramaphosa would again soon be dispatching his emissaries to Harare — this time for wider consultations with key stakeholders.
“We sent envoys there (to Zimbabwe) because there have been huge concerns about reports of abuse of human rights, imprisonment of opposition MPs and many other concerns which have been directed at the presidency and my department.
“We agreed that the president would appoint three envoys and they would visit Zimbabwe.
“We asked that they should meet the government, particularly … Mnangagwa, but also meet other stakeholders in the opposition, NGOs and so on,” Pandor told South African media yesterday.
“Unfortunately, they (special envoys) could not meet other stakeholders, but Zimbabwe has indicated its readiness to facilitate such a visit and we are in discussion with the president (Ramaphosa) about the envoys returning to Zimbabwe to have wider meetings and to be able to have face contact.
“So, we are not distressed by the fact that full expectations were not met in the first visit.
“My understanding is that the discussion was cordial and indeed the desire of … Ramaphosa is that there be meetings with individuals and organisations other than the (Zimbabwean) government. This was communicated by the envoys,” Pandor further said.
She also emphasised that South Africa would continue to engage all stakeholders in Zimbabwe so that the crises in the country could be resolved.
“This is something that we must continue to work at because, as I say, the situation of Zimbabwe impacts on South Africa and South Africa has to … resolve the problems there in order to address our own situation and focus on the challenges of South Africa,” she added.
Following the meeting with Mnangagwa on Monday, Mufamadi revealed that the envoys had discussed with him the country’s situation, as well as the possible solutions to its problems — adding that the finer details of the meeting would be made available later.
“Myself and two of my colleagues, Ms Baleka Mbete and Advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi, we came here as envoys of the president of the Republic of South Africa.
“We had an exchange with his counterpart. In other words we listened to the rhythm of the situation and what is being done and the intentions to do extra things and so on.
“I know you will not ask us to report to our president through the media. We will be reporting to the president (Ramaphosa) who will then interact with the public, in part through you, in due course,” Mufamadi said.
But the MDC Alliance claimed that Mnangagwa had blocked the envoys from meeting with them, despite an earlier commitment to do so.
Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said they had been formally requested to attend a meeting with the special envoys, but were surprised after being advised that the emissaries had departed without engaging with them.
“We can only assume that the failure to meet the MDC Alliance delegation was as a result of demands made by the Zanu PF delegation.
“We reiterate that Zimbabwe is in a state of crisis that has been characterised by a de facto state of emergency, a crackdown on citizens, abductions, arbitrary arrests of government critics and the political persecution of journalists,” Mahere said.
However, South Africa’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, Phakama Mbete, later refuted the claims that the special envoys had snubbed the country’s opposition and civil society organisations.
Mbete told the Daily News that while the envoys had come to Zimbabwe with an open mind of engaging with other key local actors if the opportunity presented itself, their main mission on this visit was to meet with Mnangagwa.
“The special envoys came to meet … Emmerson Mnangagwa and they were also open to meeting any other key actors, including members of the opposition and civil society if the opportunity presented itself.
“In this case, however, they met with the head of state of Zimbabwe and decided to go back to South Africa and brief … Ramaphosa on their meeting.
“Their wish is to meet with other key actors in Zimbabwe and if an opportunity presents itself they will come back and meet them in future,” Mbete told the Daily News.
The appointment of the envoys came after Zimbabwean authorities were accused of gross human rights violations — following the government’s heavy deployment of police and soldiers ahead of the foiled July 31 mass protests.
Rights groups have also said dozens of opposition figures and activists have been tortured and assaulted in a retributive exercise by suspected security agents.
On its part, the government has refuted the allegations — claiming instead that the opposition is allegedly working with foreigners to destabilise the country.
BREAKING: Mnangagwa has cancelled his national address in response to the Catholic Bishops &relegated the role to Justice Minister Ziyambi. Govt Spokesman @nickmangwana said,"I have … been advised that the Minister of Justice will now deliver the comprehensive statement."
ZANU PF’s acting spokesperson, Patrick Chinamasa has maintained on his rant and rave course towards the United States of America government telling the North American country to stop acting like Zimbabwe’s ‘prefect.’
Speaking on ZiFM last night, Chinamasa highlighted that the US has no right whatsoever to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe as all countries are equal.
“All countries are equal, no country should act as a prefect of the other. The USA has no right to impose sanctions on anyone, this is reflective of their quest to see us submit to their will in the guise of human rights reforms.
“When we decide to make reforms, they will be for Zimbabweans to enjoy not Americans. If we decide to make adjustments to POSA it will be for Zimbabweans to enjoy, so why does America persuade us into reforms from which they will not benefit from?” queried Chinamasa.
This comes weeks after the former finance minister labelled the US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Brian Nichols, a ‘thug.’
In his interview, Chinamasa indicated that he does not regret those utterances neither will they affect re-engagement efforts the Emmerson Mnangagwa-led government has embarked on.
“I was only being honest, engagement is neither capitulation nor appeasement, us wanting to re-engage does not mean we should not tell each other the truth. The moment we stop addressing our grievances yielding to whatever the US says in the name of re-engagement we would have lost our sovereignty,” said Chinamasa.
Below is the full judgement of matter where the State was seeking the disqualification of Ms Mtetwa from handling the Chinóno case on the basis that she had abdicated her role as an officer of the CourtsCRB No. Acc..77/2020
In the Regional Court for the Eastern Division
Held at Harare
In the Matter Between
The State
And
Hopewell Chin’ono The Accused
RULING: APPLICATION FOR DISQUALIFICATION OF OPPOSING COUNSEL
The accused duly represented, reappeared before the court on 13th August 2020. He was pursuing his admission to bail pending trial on the allegations he is facing. The allegations have been restated over a number of times. A history of the matter is necessary.
On the 22nd of July 2020 accused had his initial appearance before this court. His placement on remand was not opposed. He promptly applied for bail pending trial. After three days of submissions and mainly cross examination of two state witnesses the application for bail was not granted. That was on the 24th of July 2020. Exercising his right of appeal, accused took the decision to the High Court. He appealed. The appeal failed. He has therefore reappeared for a bail rehearing. However, before his quest was heard, the state indicated that they had an advance issue which the state desired heard and decided first before the bail issue. The state’s concerns emanate from posts on a Face Book wall hoisted under the names of the Lead Counsel for the accused. I will restate the posts;
Where is the outrage from the International Community that Hopewell Chin’ono is being held as a political prisoner?
His life is in serious peril. Raise awareness about his unlawful imprisonment. Do not let him be forgotte. You or someone you love could be the next one abducted from your home and put in leg irons
SPEAK OUT
The state alleges these posts are attributable to the lead counsel herein one Beatrice Mtetwa to be precise and that as a result she must be debarred from appearing before the court as she has become personally involved so as to diminish her objectivity as an officer of the court. The defence or the lead counsel specifically denies anything to do with the posts and aver that even if it is so, accused’s right to a lawyer of his choice cannot be taken away so lightly and that the state has adopted the wrong procedure by bringing the contempt allegations before the victim to adjudicate. The above posts appear on the Wall or page styled Beatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of law. Further the state submits that the lead counsel was recently censored by the High Court when the bail application went on appeal. The state referred to a passage at page 15 in S v Hopewell Chin’ono HH519/2020. I will revert to this part latter.
The foremost issues for the court to decide are therefore the following;
Whether or not the posts scandalise the court, thereby being contemptuous
Whether or not the lead counsel should be held to the said posts
Whether or not the state has brought up contempt proceedings and if so have they acted properly
If (3) above is answered in the negative, what is the nature of the state’s application.
In order to answer the first question, the posts must be read objectively, and be ascribed the meaning which an objective man would upon reading the posts award them. These posts relate to real events of a trial involving the accused Hopewell Chin’ono who following his arrest has been appearing before this court and the High Court. It has been a very publicised appearance right from the arrest. It must be noted that when accused was arrested it is not in question that the first publication was from the stable of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights of that arrest. They styled the arrest an abduction. They sponsored the notion that accused’s whereabouts were not known following that abduction. That arrest and its management featured in the bail hearing before me. I will refer to it. It came out very clearly and was not disputed that a team of police officers led by D/S Mberi approached accused’s residence. It was a team comprised of uniformed and un uniformed police officers. In the process accused’s lawyer and co lawyer in these proceedings arrived at the scene and observed the arrest of the accused. The lawyer Mr Mtisi was then advised by the leader of the arresting team that accused was to be taken to Harare Central Police Station’s Law and Order Section for further management. Mr Mutisi followed to the station. Accused was detained thereat with the full knowledge of the lawyer.
I would define the term “arrest” as follows;
To seize (someone) by legal authority and take them into custody and in this context for the purposes of bringing him to court.
However, what came out of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights was that they championed the arrest of accused as an abduction. I understand abduction to mean the seizure of someone without any legal basis for some unlawful purposes. Its tantamount to a kidnapping.
So clearly we have a very experienced lawyer who comes out into the public domain to advise the world at large that Hopewell Chin’ono a journalist who is exposing corruption has been abducted in Zimbabwe by state agents. The lawyer does so at a time he is well informed of the factual and legal basis of that arrest. To demonstrate the mala fide conduct; when accused appeared in court neither his remand nor his arrest was challenged. The lawyers; quite a handful of them proceeded to apply for bail advising and assisting each other. This was done because the lawyers obviously believe in the lawfulness of the arrest and the subsequent remand proceedings. A person is placed on remand successfully if there is reasonable suspicion that an accused committed an offence alleged against him. The following cases detail on this requirement;
S v STOUYANNIDES 1992 (2) ZLR 126 (SC)
MUCHERO & ANOR v ATTORNEY-GENERAL 2000 (2) ZLR 286 (SC)
MARTIN v ATTORNEY-GENERAL & ANOR 1993 (1) ZLR 153 (SC)
Despite this the world was advised that accused was abducted. I have seen it fit to relate to this because it gives out clearly the context within which the post in question must be viewed and the attitude inherent in them. At that moment the lead counsel whose conduct the state want impugned comes to the fore.
The posts then clearly continue to portray that picture of a legal system and a court that is perpetuating the alleged abduction. The posts rebrand the accused to be a political prisoner and this court to be complicity in the dealing with the alleged now political prisoner. The world is being invited to outrage.
There is a letter which was authored by the lead counsel where the same sentiments are replete. This is not the only letter which the lead counsel wrote and forced the clerk to deliver personally to my attention. There is another which again bore the same sentiments. The first was written on the 24th of July 2020 and the second which found its way to the high court was authored on the 27th of July 2020. Both these letters characterise the court and the legal system in picture portrayed in the Face Book posts at Beatrice Mtetwa and the rule of law.
Clearly the posts demean the court severely. However, whether the contempt is in the face of the court or not in the face of the court, it is important that it should be borne in mind by courts themselves that the court should use its summary powers to punish for contempt sparingly. Courts should not display undue degree of sensitiveness about this matter of contempt and they must act with restraint on these occasions. However, it is the expectation of the very courts that those tasked with the prosecution of offences take action when conduct of contempt has become the modus of operation of a given individual.
Counsel submitted that the offence of scandalising the court is inconsistent with the protection of freedom of expression which is guaranteed by the Constitution. Given that freedom of expression is the lifeblood of democracy, this is an important issue. And there is no doubt that there is a tension between freedom of expression and the offence of scandalising the court or contempt of court. But the guarantee of freedom of expression is subject to qualification in respect of provision under any law. It is limited (1) “for the purpose of … maintaining the authority and independence of the courts” and (2) shown to be “reasonably justifiable in a democratic society”. The offence of scandalising the court exists in principle to protect the administration of justice. It must be recorded that proceedings on the offence of contempt of court are admittedly rare and it is recorded that in England none have been successfully brought for more than sixty years. But it is permissible to take into account that in younger democracies, the administration of justice is more vulnerable than in the United Kingdom. The need for the offence of scandalising the court in such young democracies is greater:
see Feldman, Civil Liberties and Human Rights, in England and Wales, 1993, 746-747;
Barendt,Freedom of Speech, 1985, 218-219.
Moreover, it must be borne in mind that the offence is narrowly defined. It does not extend to comment on the conduct of a court unrelated to its performance on
the bench. It exists solely to protect the administration of justice rather than the feelings of a court. There must be a real risk of undermining public confidence in the administration of justice. So a court which dealing with allegations of inciting public violence is publicised and portrayed as dealing with perceived political opponents and causing illegal detentions is clearly being held to extreme disrepute in the eyes of the public.
By their nature therefore the posts are indeed scandalising the court. The lead counsel premised her charge that this court must not be called to deal with the alleged contempt since it is the victim. Firstly that is not what the state has called the court to do. The case referred to in In re: CHINAMASA 2000 (2) ZLR 322 (SC) is different from this matter. In that the court issued a summons for Mr Chinamasa to appear because Mr Chinamasa was alleged to have disparaged the court in the press and he was the Attorney general; equivalent of today’s Prosecutor General. The court not have directed him to cause his own prosecution.
This is clearly a different issue from what is being pursued by the state in this application.
The state essentially is saying that the lead counsel is the author of the posts or is complicity in the authorship of the posts and by that conduct the lead counsel has shown that she is no longer detached from the case to continue appearing in it. That is my understanding of their prayer and position. She is now personally involved so as to lose the requisite objectivity of an officer of the court. That is the state’s application.
The lead counsel’s position is to deny that she is not the page handler and has nothing to do with scribblings on its wall. However, in the same breath it’s acknowledged that the face book page was opened when a documentary entitled Mtetwa and the Rule of law was being produced. That documentary was profiling the lead counsel and her alleged prowess in court in human rights related cases. In a nutshell lead counsel is aware of the existence of the page and approved its coming into being. The lead counsel called to the witness stand from the bar co-counsel to give evidence on what was claimed to have been a conversation between the counsel and Mr Mabhaudhi. The conversation, it was alleged was touching or referred to the incapacitation of lead counsel. The accused was also called to the witness stand and he gave evidence on how he knew the coming into existence of the page Mtetwa and the Rule of law. He told the court what has been captured above as the purpose of its existence.
On the other hand, the lead counsel’s position is that the prayer by the state is contrary to the constitutional framework in which criminal trials are held. It is only accused who has that right to expel his lawyer of choice and no one else. She upgrades the state’s claim to be an allegation of contempt of court against her and that the state should have proceeded by her prosecution rather than to seek to punish accused by disgorging his lawyer of choice from his case. It is further argued that the application by the state breaches her fundamental right to a fair trial by an independent court. She says this court is the one allegedly insulted and disparaged, hence unfit to preside over what she understands to be a contempt of court trial of herself. Clearly this later position is wrong. That is not the state’s prayer. The prayer by the state is as summarised above as far as I understood it. I will repeat it to put the matter straight; It is not a contempt of court trial or proceedings against the lead counsel. These are proceedings concerned with conduct alleged to be unbefitting of an impartial and objective lawyer which it is the duty of counsel to be as an officer of the court.
Defence Counsel like a public prosecutor has a mandate to present her case in the utmost diligent manner and within the confinements of the acceptable decorum of a legal process. He or she must not exhibit an attachment to the case which goes beyond the acceptable professionalism of a lawyer so as to be personally involved; or so as to appear to be serving multiple constituencies. See SMYTH v USHEWOKUNZE & ANOR 1997 (2) ZLR 544 (SC) whose flynote which correctly captures the court’s decision on the issue states that;
Legal practitioner – prosecutor – conduct and ethics – duty of impartiality and detachment – interdict against prosecutor who had demonstrated personal involvement, vindictiveness and bias
A legal practitioner’s first duty is to uphold and advance the interests of justice because he or she is an officer of the court. In this regard, a legal practitioner’s duty to the court is greater than their duty towards their clients, except as is regards their duty not to disclose the confidences of the client to the court. This can be achieved by acting impartially and making decisions dispassionately in court. Legal practitioners must be truthful, honest, candid and fair in all their dealings. This is an all-embracing and inflexible rule.
Above all, lawyers must not act in contempt of court by, for example, insulting a judge or magistrate. See R v Silber 1952 (2) SA 475 (A); R v Rosenstein 1943 TPD 65.
If a lawyer has fallen off the rails, and conduct herself as was the position in SMYTH v USHEWOKUNZE & ANOR(supra) he or she is disqualified from continuing to act in the matter. A legal practitioner’s interest in the matter he is in charge of should not be beyond his profession otherwise it becomes unethical. In Central African Building Construction Company (Pvt) Ltd v Construction Resources Africa (Pvt) Ltd HH112/10 the court held thus of such counsels;
“… He (a legal practitioner) has aligned himself so closely with his client’s case that this court can be forgiven for stating that he has displayed an interest in the case going beyond that of a legal practitioner
And continued,
….A legal practitioner’s duty is to protect the interests of his client and to give legal advice. It is not the function of the legal practitioner to then step into the shoes of the client and to perform acts that are materially related to the dispute before the court in an endeavour to buttress the case of his client…..It is important that a legal practitioner should at all time retain his independence in relation to his client and the litigation which is being conducted….
It Is not only in Zimbabwe where a court, in exercise of its inherent powers of supervision, may disqualify counsel found to be in conflict of interest with respect to a case before the court. In America In re Gopman, 531 F.2d 262, 266 (5th Cir. 1976); Estates Theatres, Inc. v. Columbia Pictures Indus., 345 F. Supp. 93, 95 n.l (S.D.N.Y. 1972) it was noted that the court can exercise such powers. It was further held that when opposing counsel is in a serious conflict of interest, it is clearly the duty of an attorney to move for disqualification. Some motions or applications to disqualify opposing counsel, however, may be nothing more than tactical devices to delay the proceedings or to remove opposing counsel, not because of the purported conflict of interest, but because opposing counsel is dangerously competent.
Therefore, position taken by the state is legally possible if it is supported by the facts of the case.
Is the wall hoisting the allegedly offensive posts related to the lead counsel?
The evidence called from Mr Chin’ono and in the submissions of counsel it is clear that the wall and lead counsel are not strangers to each other. They are actually bed mates. The documentary Beatrice Mtetwa and the rule of law face book page was created to market according to Mr Chin’ono the lead counsel’s prowess as a human rights defender. Obviously the lead counsel authorised and approved its coming into existence. In that breath she acceded to posts being made on it which posts are relevant to herself. She cannot be seen assuming that Lore Cornways is posting to say now this particular post has nothing to do with her. Because the posts are offensive to the very function of courts in which lead counsel appears, she was expected to have registered her disapproval of that with the said Lori Cornways. She cannot wash her hands like Pontias Pilate of the Bible. Lead Counsel’s position is almost on all fours with counsel in Charles Kwaramba vs The Honourable Justice Bhunu N.O Sc46/2012.
The applicant a lawyer was representing some 29 accused persons. He addressed a press conference from wherein he was allegedly quoted as uttering words imputing mal-conduct against the Honourable Judge. The Honourable Judge reprimanded the applicant in his judgment. The applicant took issue with the reprimand and went with it on review to the Supreme Court. It was held as follows;
Essentially the applicant’s complaint is that the learned Judge should not have severely reprimanded him for his conduct or misconduct. The applicant does not seem to appreciate what is expected of him as a legal practitioner and an officer of the court. On the applicant’s own account, the Daily News ascribed to him the remarks it published in its newspaper. The remarks ascribed to him do not only scandalise the learned Judge but were also made while the matter was sub judice. There is a time-honoured practice which has crystallised into law that prohibits the making of inappropriate statements on matters pending before the courts. I have no doubt in my mind that the statements ascribed to the applicant grossly transgressed the sub judice rule and clearly constitute contempt of court, in that they scandalise the court by ascribing to it political motivation in its judgment. The inescapable inference is that the remarks were made not only to bring the court into contempt in the eyes of the public but also in an attempt to influence the outcome of the bail application and consequently the course of justice. The applicant should consider himself lucky that he was not prosecuted for contempt of court.
Legal practitioners who show such blatant disrespect and contempt for the courts have no business appearing before the courts. In my view, serious consideration should be given to the introduction of more stringent measures to protect the dignity of the courts from being impaired by reckless utterances.
The Apex court then went on to find that Mr Kwaramba in the circumstances had a duty to denounce the publication and put the record straight if he had been misquoted. The same applies herein. Her failure to do so and seek to portray that she was unaware of that is mischievous. Even when she became aware she never addressed that part.
The lead counsel’s conduct is also seen in the letters she has written to the court. She has written two letters and caused these to be part of the record. The other one was commented on at the High Court. One was written on 24th July 2020 after submissions had closed in court. By that letter lead counsel made further submission on the application. It was not served on the state but went straight into the record. It was captioned;
“for the attention of magistrate NDUNA, Esq”
I will reproduce it;
“Given the informal nature of bail proceedings, our obligation to be of assistance to the court and the for the completeness of the record of proceedings, we correct the gross misrepresentation by the state that the Defence referred to the standard of proof required for an accused to be placed on remand and that the defence referred to this as being proof beyond reasonable doubt. As the application was not challenging placement on remand and related purely to the admission to bail, there was no reference to the standard of proof required for the placement on remand.
The only reference to the state bearing the onus of proof related to the provisions of Section 117(2) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act[Chapter 9:07] where we relied on Kwenda, J’s comments in Nguwaya vs The State HH 443/2020 at page 4 of the cyclostyled judgment where the Honourable Judge stated as follows; In the court a quo, the appellant was entitled to bail unless the state proved beyond reasonable doubt that one or more of the grounds listed in Section 117(2) existed justifying detention in custody”. We confirm that a copy of the judgment was handed in to the court for its convenience and that it is necessary that the court record reflect the correct information as opposed to the deliberate misrepresentation by the state. We therefore request that this clarification be placed on file.
Yours faithfully
(signed)
MTETWA
MTETWA & NYAMBIRAI
MR Mabhaudhi, Prosecutor General’s Office Rotten Row
A lawyer who is professionally seized with a case does not conduct the case with such desperation. This moment you are in court arguing the case, the next you are writing letters in bad taste and smuggling them into the record and the next you are posting on social media that the whole trial process is for political expediency and that an accused, your client, is a political prisoner and inviting the whole world to show its outrage. This case is reminiscent of SMYTH v USHEWOKUNZE & ANOR (ibid) where a public prosecutor failed the test for impartiality and detachment required of practitioner of law. The court held that when a prosecutor conducts himself thus, he should be relieved from taking part in the case. I see no valid differentiation with an accused’s legal practitioner.
I therefore make the following orders
That the application for disqualification of Ms Beatrice Mtetwa as a counsel participating in this matter is hereby granted as prayed for by the state
That the Prosecutor General consider institution of prosecution against Lead Counsel Beatrice Mtetwa for contempt of court emanating from disparaging contents of her letter of 27th July 2020 and the Face Books posts at Beatrice Mtetwa and the rule of law
That a copy this judgment be made available to the Law Society of Zimbabwe
The proceedings are postponed to an agreed date between the state and the other co counsels to enable accused to consider his legal representation in view of this ruling.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has given up on the ABSA Premiership title after his side’s defeat to Cape Town City.
Masawandana failed to reduce log leaders Kaizer Chiefs’ gap at the top to three points when they were beaten 3-2 by City, a setback which now gives Amakhosi the golden chance to open a nine point gap.
Speaking to SuperSport TV after the game, Mosimane conceded the title is now out of reach for the Brazilians.
“”We tried to win it for the third time but it’s not easy. If we don’t find it we fight for the Nedbank Cup, you can’t win everything. It’s just how the game goes, if its not going to be for us, its not going to be for us,” he said.
“We made mistakes, the third goal was the one that killed us, the game was still on we could come back that’s why we got the second.” Mosimane added.-Soccer 24
Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna on Tuesday ruled that prominent lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa should stand down from representing freelance journalist-cum activist Hopewell Chin’ono and ordered the Prosecutor General to institute contempt of court proceedings against her.
The ruling followed an application by the State led by prosecutor Whisper Mabhaudhi to stop Mtetwa from representing Chin’ono after she posted matters which were before the court on her Facebook page.
Mtetwa is alleged to have posted on her Facebook page titled Beatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of Law saying: “Where is the outrage of the international community that Hopewell Chin’ono is being held as a political prisoner?
“His life is in serious peril. Raise awareness about his unlawful imprisonment. Do not let him be forgotten. You or someone you love could be the next one abducted from your home and put in leg irons. SPEAK OUT”.
But Mtetwa, who is representing Chin’ono in a case in which he is being charged with inciting public violence, argued that the allegations of contempt, stemming from a Facebook page being run using her name, did not have any legal basis.
She denied being the owner of the page and was backed by her client Chin’ono who said it belonged to a film documentary maker who is not based in Zimbabwe.
Nduna said he would take his decision to the Law Society for further management arguing that Mtetwa’s practising licence should be cancelled for ‘scandalising the court’.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, Mtetwa said she would appeal against the court order.
“It is not a coincidence that an order just says I must be prosecuted. So clearly when that order is coming from the court there will be that chilling effect that young lawyers will be prosecuted and if you are young and 30 you cannot afford to be prosecuted. I am over 60 and am going to be prosecuted at the end of my career.
“The intention is to stop us defending a certain type of client.
“Obviously we are going to challenge the ruling because we don’t agree with it. It means the right to legal representation has been severely curtailed by the courts which are actually supposed to be supporting that right,” she said
Chin’ono, who has been in remanded after a number of attempts to have both the High Court and Magistrates Court grant him bail have so far failed, has since selected Advocate Taona Nyamakura to be his lead lawyer.
FC Barcelona have wielded the axe on coach Quique Setien, three days after the Baryen Munich fiasco.
“Quique Setién no longer first team coach.
The new coach will be announced in the coming days as part of a wide ranging restructuring of the first team,” announced the club via a statement.-Soccer 24
Prince Dube has officially been unveiled at Tanzanian side Azam FC after passing his medical on Monday.
The club announced in a statement, saying:
“Zimbabwe’s international striker, Prince Dube, has passed medical tests ready to join Azam FC ahead of the next season.”
Dube is joining the club on a three-year-contract after leaving Highlanders FC, less than six months before the expiry of his contract.
He will play along with former Bosso team-mate Bruce Kangwa and midfielder Never Tigere who moved to the side in January this year-Soccer 24
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has published results of its foreign currency auction with the Zimbabwean dollar maintaining its value from last week.
The Zimbabwe Football Association says it’s yet to come up with a way forward on the return of football in the country after the initial plans were affected by the lockdown extension last month.
The association, together with the Premier Soccer League, had agreed to start the 2020 season around the August/September period, but the government upheld the restrictions following a surge in coronavirus cases in the country.
Replying to a question by a football fan on Twitter, Zifa said they are still consulting other stakeholders on the safe return of football.
“The return date of football competitions has not been determined yet,” the association responded.
“ZIFA is consulting stakeholders with the help of health, safety and security experts on the best way to play again.
“If it’s safe, a proposal will be presented to the government for clearance.”
The 2020 season was supposed to kick-off at the end of April but failed after the Castle Lager Challenge Cup, featured between the league champions and the Chibuku Super Cup winners, which serves as curtain-raiser to the campaign.-Soccer 24
Consuming a healthy diet throughout the life-course helps to prevent malnutrition in all its forms as well as a range of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and conditions.
However, increased production of processed foods, rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles have led to a shift in dietary patterns.
People are now consuming more foods high in energy, fats, free sugars and salt/sodium, and many people do not eat enough fruit, vegetables and other dietary fibre such as whole grains.
The exact make-up of a diversified, balanced and healthy diet will vary depending on individual characteristics (e.g. age, gender, lifestyle and degree of physical activity), cultural context, locally available foods and dietary customs.
However, the basic principles of what constitutes a healthy diet remain the same.
For adults
A healthy diet includes the following:
Fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils and beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice).
At least 400 g (i.e. five portions) of fruit and vegetables per day (2) , excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy roots.
Less than 10% of total energy intake from free sugars (2, 7) , which is equivalent to 50 g (or about 12 level teaspoons) for a person of healthy body weight consuming about 2000 calories per day, but ideally is less than 5% of total energy intake for additional health benefits (7) . Free sugars are all sugars added to foods or drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.
Less than 30% of total energy intake from fats (1, 2, 3) . Unsaturated fats (found in fish, avocado and nuts, and in sunflower, soybean, canola and olive oils) are preferable to saturated fats (found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee and lard) and trans-
fats of all kinds, including both industrially-produced trans- fats (found in baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods, such as frozen pizza, pies, cookies, biscuits, wafers, and cooking oils and spreads) and ruminant trans- fats (found in meat and dairy foods from ruminant animals, such as cows, sheep, goats and camels).
It is suggested that the intake of saturated fats be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake and
trans- fats to less than 1% of total energy intake (5) . In particular, industrially-produced trans -fats are not part of a healthy diet and should be avoided (4, 6) .
Less than 5 g of salt (equivalent to about one teaspoon) per day (8).
Salt should be iodized.
For infants and young children
In the first 2 years of a child’s life, optimal nutrition fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development. It also reduces the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life.
Advice on a healthy diet for infants and children is similar to that for adults, but the following elements are also important:
Infants should be breastfed exclusively during the first 6 months of life.
Infants should be breastfed continuously until 2 years of age and beyond.
From 6 months of age, breast milk should be complemented with a variety of adequate, safe and nutrient-dense foods. Salt and sugars should not be added to complementary foods.
Practical advice on maintaining a healthy diet
Fruit and vegetables
Eating at least 400 g, or five portions, of fruit and vegetables per day reduces the risk of NCDs (2) and helps to ensure an adequate daily intake of dietary fibre.
Fruit and vegetable intake can be improved by:
always including vegetables in meals;
eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks;
eating fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season; and
eating a variety of fruit and vegetables.
Fats
Reducing the amount of total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy intake helps to prevent unhealthy weight gain in the adult population (1, 2, 3) .
Also, the risk of developing NCDs is lowered by:
reducing saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake;
reducing trans -fats to less than 1% of total energy intake; and
replacing both saturated fats and
trans- fats with unsaturated fats (2, 3) – in particular, with polyunsaturated fats.
Fat intake, especially saturated fat and industrially-produced trans- fat intake, can be reduced by:
steaming or boiling instead of frying when cooking;
replacing butter, lard and ghee with oils rich in polyunsaturated fats, such as soybean, canola (rapeseed), corn, safflower and sunflower oils;
eating reduced-fat dairy foods and lean meats, or trimming visible fat from meat; and
limiting the consumption of baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods (e.g. doughnuts, cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits and wafers) that contain industrially-produced trans- fats.
Salt, sodium and potassium
Most people consume too much sodium through salt (corresponding to consuming an average of 9–12 g of salt per day) and not enough potassium (less than 3.5 g). High sodium intake and insufficient potassium intake contribute to high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease and stroke (8, 11) .
Reducing salt intake to the recommended level of less than 5 g per day could prevent 1.7 million deaths each year (12) .
People are often unaware of the amount of salt they consume. In many countries, most salt comes from processed foods (e.g. ready meals; processed meats such as bacon, ham and salami; cheese; and salty snacks) or from foods consumed frequently in large amounts (e.g. bread). Salt is also added to foods during cooking (e.g. bouillon, stock cubes, soy sauce and fish sauce) or at the point of consumption (e.g. table salt).
Salt intake can be reduced by:
limiting the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce, fish sauce and bouillon) when cooking and preparing foods;
not having salt or high-sodium sauces on the table;
limiting the consumption of salty snacks; and
choosing products with lower sodium content.
Some food manufacturers are reformulating recipes to reduce the sodium content of their products, and people should be encouraged to check nutrition labels to see how much sodium is in a product before purchasing or consuming it.
Potassium can mitigate the negative effects of elevated sodium consumption on blood pressure. Intake of potassium can be increased by consuming fresh fruit and vegetables.
Sugars
In both adults and children, the intake of free sugars should be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake (2, 7) . A reduction to less than 5% of total energy intake would provide additional health benefits (7) .
Consuming free sugars increases the risk of dental caries (tooth decay).
Excess calories from foods and drinks high in free sugars also contribute to unhealthy weight gain, which can lead to overweight and obesity. Recent evidence also shows that free sugars influence blood pressure and serum lipids, and suggests that a reduction in free sugars intake reduces risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (13) .
Sugars intake can be reduced by:
limiting the consumption of foods and drinks containing high amounts of sugars, such as sugary snacks, candies and sugar-sweetened beverages (i.e. all types of beverages containing free sugars – these include carbonated or non‐carbonated soft drinks, fruit or vegetable juices and drinks, liquid and powder concentrates, flavoured water, energy and sports drinks, ready‐to‐drink tea, ready‐to‐drink coffee and flavoured milk drinks); and
eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks instead of sugary snacks.
Credit:WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
Farai Dziva| Microblogging site has permanently blocked the account of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services over hate language.
Twitter cited multiple violations of the company’s policies.
Twitter noted that the Ministry ignored repeated warnings.
According to Techunzipped, as a result of the ban, the Ministry of Information has now opened a new account called
@InformationZim .
Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has been roundly criticized for her diatribe against Catholic Bishops.
Farai Dziva|The MDC-Alliance has called for the immediate intervention of SADC in the political crisis in Zimbabwe.
Below is the MDC -Alliance statement :
17 August 2020
ZIMBABWE’S POLITICAL CRISIS DESERVES SADC ATTENTION
We note that the Communique of the just ended 40th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government has omitted the deteriorating governance and legitimacy crisis in Zimbabwe.
Whereas the Communique has taken note of the security situations in some countries including Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo, we urge regional leaders to equally pay attention to the deepening crisis in Zimbabwe.
Under the cover of COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe has intensified its crackdown on human rights defenders including journalists, lawyers, labor unions, civic society, the church and the opposition for exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
In response to citizen discontent owing to grand state corruption and plummeting socio-economic standards.
The political elite has abused state institutions to carry out systematic abductions, torture, extra-judicial killings and unlawful arrests. In the short period before and after the July 31 2020 peaceful citizen protests, we have recorded at least 146 cases of human rights violations against our members including 38 abductions.
The situation, coupled with the lack of cohesion in government now pose a serious threat to peace and security in Zimbabwe and the SADC region in general.
We reiterate that genuine inclusive national dialogue to agree on a comprehensive reform age. and platform through an agreed neutral facilitator supported by SADC.
The African Union and the international community at large remains the only plausible route to extricate Zimbabwe out of its current state.
We urge SADC to urgently intervene in Zimbabwe in line with the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security in order to maintain regional peace and security.
Farai Dziva|Outspoken cleric, Bishop Ancelimo Magaya has urged the nation to pray for the protection of Archbishop Richard Ndlovu following the pastoral letter he wrote citing gross violation of human rights by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
See Bishop Magaya’s statement :
The ferocity with which Mutsvangwa read government’s response to ZCBC pastoral letter is one of guilty.
The deliberate and desperate attempt to isolate Bishop Ndlovu from the Catholic Church is fore-boarding and therefore worrying.
I pray that God protects him from the anger of a wounded lion.
Some non God fearing kings of Israel responded in the same way to the prophets that spoke Gods mind.
To Bishop Ndlovu, be strengthened in the inner man with might through the Holy Spirit.
Consuming a healthy diet throughout the life-course helps to prevent malnutrition in all its forms as well as a range of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and conditions.
However, increased production of processed foods, rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles have led to a shift in dietary patterns.
People are now consuming more foods high in energy, fats, free sugars and salt/sodium, and many people do not eat enough fruit, vegetables and other dietary fibre such as whole grains.
The exact make-up of a diversified, balanced and healthy diet will vary depending on individual characteristics (e.g. age, gender, lifestyle and degree of physical activity), cultural context, locally available foods and dietary customs.
However, the basic principles of what constitutes a healthy diet remain the same.
For adults
A healthy diet includes the following:
Fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils and beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice).
At least 400 g (i.e. five portions) of fruit and vegetables per day (2) , excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy roots.
Less than 10% of total energy intake from free sugars (2, 7) , which is equivalent to 50 g (or about 12 level teaspoons) for a person of healthy body weight consuming about 2000 calories per day, but ideally is less than 5% of total energy intake for additional health benefits (7) . Free sugars are all sugars added to foods or drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.
Less than 30% of total energy intake from fats (1, 2, 3) . Unsaturated fats (found in fish, avocado and nuts, and in sunflower, soybean, canola and olive oils) are preferable to saturated fats (found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee and lard) and trans-
fats of all kinds, including both industrially-produced trans- fats (found in baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods, such as frozen pizza, pies, cookies, biscuits, wafers, and cooking oils and spreads) and ruminant trans- fats (found in meat and dairy foods from ruminant animals, such as cows, sheep, goats and camels).
It is suggested that the intake of saturated fats be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake and
trans- fats to less than 1% of total energy intake (5) . In particular, industrially-produced trans -fats are not part of a healthy diet and should be avoided (4, 6) .
Less than 5 g of salt (equivalent to about one teaspoon) per day (8).
Salt should be iodized.
For infants and young children
In the first 2 years of a child’s life, optimal nutrition fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development. It also reduces the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life.
Advice on a healthy diet for infants and children is similar to that for adults, but the following elements are also important:
Infants should be breastfed exclusively during the first 6 months of life.
Infants should be breastfed continuously until 2 years of age and beyond.
From 6 months of age, breast milk should be complemented with a variety of adequate, safe and nutrient-dense foods. Salt and sugars should not be added to complementary foods.
Practical advice on maintaining a healthy diet
Fruit and vegetables
Eating at least 400 g, or five portions, of fruit and vegetables per day reduces the risk of NCDs (2) and helps to ensure an adequate daily intake of dietary fibre.
Fruit and vegetable intake can be improved by:
always including vegetables in meals;
eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks;
eating fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season; and
eating a variety of fruit and vegetables.
Fats
Reducing the amount of total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy intake helps to prevent unhealthy weight gain in the adult population (1, 2, 3) .
Also, the risk of developing NCDs is lowered by:
reducing saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake;
reducing trans -fats to less than 1% of total energy intake; and
replacing both saturated fats and
trans- fats with unsaturated fats (2, 3) – in particular, with polyunsaturated fats.
Fat intake, especially saturated fat and industrially-produced trans- fat intake, can be reduced by:
steaming or boiling instead of frying when cooking;
replacing butter, lard and ghee with oils rich in polyunsaturated fats, such as soybean, canola (rapeseed), corn, safflower and sunflower oils;
eating reduced-fat dairy foods and lean meats, or trimming visible fat from meat; and
limiting the consumption of baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods (e.g. doughnuts, cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits and wafers) that contain industrially-produced trans- fats.
Salt, sodium and potassium
Most people consume too much sodium through salt (corresponding to consuming an average of 9–12 g of salt per day) and not enough potassium (less than 3.5 g). High sodium intake and insufficient potassium intake contribute to high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease and stroke (8, 11) .
Reducing salt intake to the recommended level of less than 5 g per day could prevent 1.7 million deaths each year (12) .
People are often unaware of the amount of salt they consume. In many countries, most salt comes from processed foods (e.g. ready meals; processed meats such as bacon, ham and salami; cheese; and salty snacks) or from foods consumed frequently in large amounts (e.g. bread). Salt is also added to foods during cooking (e.g. bouillon, stock cubes, soy sauce and fish sauce) or at the point of consumption (e.g. table salt).
Salt intake can be reduced by:
limiting the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce, fish sauce and bouillon) when cooking and preparing foods;
not having salt or high-sodium sauces on the table;
limiting the consumption of salty snacks; and
choosing products with lower sodium content.
Some food manufacturers are reformulating recipes to reduce the sodium content of their products, and people should be encouraged to check nutrition labels to see how much sodium is in a product before purchasing or consuming it.
Potassium can mitigate the negative effects of elevated sodium consumption on blood pressure. Intake of potassium can be increased by consuming fresh fruit and vegetables.
Sugars
In both adults and children, the intake of free sugars should be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake (2, 7) . A reduction to less than 5% of total energy intake would provide additional health benefits (7) .
Consuming free sugars increases the risk of dental caries (tooth decay).
Excess calories from foods and drinks high in free sugars also contribute to unhealthy weight gain, which can lead to overweight and obesity. Recent evidence also shows that free sugars influence blood pressure and serum lipids, and suggests that a reduction in free sugars intake reduces risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (13) .
Sugars intake can be reduced by:
limiting the consumption of foods and drinks containing high amounts of sugars, such as sugary snacks, candies and sugar-sweetened beverages (i.e. all types of beverages containing free sugars – these include carbonated or non‐carbonated soft drinks, fruit or vegetable juices and drinks, liquid and powder concentrates, flavoured water, energy and sports drinks, ready‐to‐drink tea, ready‐to‐drink coffee and flavoured milk drinks); and
eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks instead of sugary snacks.
Credit:WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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ZIMBABWE’S POLITICAL CRISIS DESERVES SADC ATTENTION
We note that the Communique of the just ended 40th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government has omitted the deteriorating governance and legitimacy crisis in Zimbabwe.
Whereas the Communique has taken note of the security situations in some countries including Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo, we urge regional leaders to equally pay attention to the deepening crisis in Zimbabwe.
Under the cover of COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe has intensified its crackdown on human rights defenders including journalists, lawyers, labor unions, civic society, the church and the opposition for exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
In response to citizen discontent owing to grand state corruption and plummeting socio-economic standards.
The political elite has abused state institutions to carry out systematic abductions, torture, extra-judicial killings and unlawful arrests. In the short period before and after the July 31 2020 peaceful citizen protests, we have recorded at least 146 cases of human rights violations against our members including 38 abductions.
The situation, coupled with the lack of cohesion in government now pose a serious threat to peace and security in Zimbabwe and the SADC region in general.
We reiterate that genuine inclusive national dialogue to agree on a comprehensive reform age. and platform through an agreed neutral facilitator supported by SADC.
The African Union and the international community at large remains the only plausible route to extricate Zimbabwe out of its current state.
We urge SADC to urgently intervene in Zimbabwe in line with the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security in order to maintain regional peace and security.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CIZC) notes with disappointment the Communique from the 40th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government’s failure to discuss the political crisis unfolding in Zimbabwe and other hotspots in the region.
Whilst the world and other progressive countries like South Africa and the African Union have acknowledged that there is a political crisis in Zimbabwe and thus expressed concern over the abuse of human rights, we are therefore worried about SADC turning a blind eye as the situation continues to deteriorate in Zimbabwe posing a risk to regional security and integration.
We also wish to express our disappointment by the Summit’s failure to come up with concrete interventions to deal with the insurgency in Mozambique, Madagascar and Eswatini.
We, however, still hold the view that SADC and other regional partners have a role to play in the Zimbabwe crisis and thus, the Coalition will, in the next few days be engaging the Botswana President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi the incoming Chairperson of the SADC Troika to convene a special Troika on Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar and Eswatini.
Above all, we recommend that the South African special envoy be expanded to include SADC and meet all relevant stakeholders including civil society.
We will continue urging SADC to support the efforts of President Ramaphosa and his envoy in their quest to finding lasting solutions to the crisis in Zimbabwe.
We, therefore, reiterate that the national dialogue process must involve all stakeholders and a national visioning process that has civil society, government, political parties, business, religious groups and labour unions among other critical stakeholders.
The dialogue process should produce a timed roadmap to the demilitarisation of civilian political processes and the restoration of normalcy by focusing on key political, economic and social reforms.
In this regard, we call for FULL CONSULTATION of all stakeholders rather than cosmetic processes.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CIZC) has issued a statement the Communique from the 40th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government saying the failure of the regional body’s leadership to discuss the Zimbabwean crisis was concerning.
The organisation further proposed ways to resolve the crisis.
We present the statement in full below.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CIZC) notes with disappointment the Communique from the 40th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government’s failure to discuss the political crisis unfolding in Zimbabwe and other hotspots in the region.
Whilst the world and other progressive countries like South Africa and the African Union have acknowledged that there is a political crisis in Zimbabwe and thus expressed concern over the abuse of human rights, we are therefore worried about SADC turning a blind eye as the situation continues to deteriorate in Zimbabwe posing a risk to regional security and integration.
We also wish to express our disappointment by the Summit’s failure to come up with concrete interventions to deal with the insurgency in Mozambique, Madagascar and Eswatini.
We, however, still hold the view that SADC and other regional partners have a role to play in the Zimbabwe crisis and thus, the Coalition will, in the next few days be engaging the Botswana President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi the incoming Chairperson of the SADC Troika to convene a special Troika on Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar and Eswatini. Above all, we recommend that the South African special envoy be expanded to include SADC and meet all relevant stakeholders including civil society.
We will continue urging SADC to support the efforts of President Ramaphosa and his envoy in their quest to finding lasting solutions to the crisis in Zimbabwe.
We, therefore, reiterate that the national dialogue process must involve all stakeholders and a national visioning process that has civil society, government, political parties, business, religious groups and labour unions among other critical stakeholders.
The dialogue process should produce a timed roadmap to the demilitarisation of civilian political processes and the restoration of normalcy by focusing on key political, economic and social reforms.
In this regard, we call for FULL CONSULTATION of all stakeholders rather than cosmetic processes.
The right of an accused person to be represented by a lawyer of choice is one of the most fundamental rights in a democratic society. I believe the court's decision to bar Beatrice Mtetwa from representing Hopewell will not survive an urgent review by the High Court.
A pastoral letter to the churches and the people of Zimbabwe
Let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24)
To the churches and people of Zimbabwe,
Grace and peace from the God of life and the Lord Jesus Christ
Christian greetings from the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the World Methodist Council.
We have heard the laments of our sisters and brothers in your country and we are deeply concerned about the circumstances by which you are afflicted.
We express our solidarity with all the people of Zimbabwe yearning for the realization of their human rights, for justice, and for physical and economic security in their communities.
We have heard of the deteriorating conditions for women, children, young people and men whose lives and livelihoods are facing increasingly serious threats each day, with approximately half of the entire population facing hunger, staggering unemployment rates, corruption and insecurity, the country is crying out for effective accompaniment.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the economic challenges and seriously affected the already fragile public health and education systems.
The ongoing medical doctor’s strike has caused millions of Zimbabweans – including children and pregnant women – to have no access to essential medical care.
While we understand the gravity of the challenges posed by the pandemic, we also recognize that the root causes of corruption and the longstanding failure to protect human rights lie in failed governance structures.
We condemn the increasing use of force, violence and intimidation against people protesting these failures, targeting particularly those deemed to oppose the current government.
We are particularly concerned about the mistreatment of political activists and other advocates for human rights.
We strongly condemn the sexual abuse and violence against women activists. We find the incarceration of journalists and political leaders unacceptable.
We are encouraged by the ongoing ministry of churches in Zimbabwe to serve the most vulnerable and call on you to keep remembering the ‘least of these’ even as you remain steadfast in your hope in Christ Jesus.
May your voice continue to be raised on behalf of the most vulnerable.
We believe that the God of life calls us into action for justice for the oppressed.
We pledge our solidarity with you as we lift up your cries for justice, dignity, and protection of their human rights.
We shall continue to advocate together with our member churches for this cause.
Sisters and brothers, we assure you of the continued prayers of the global Christian family.
Hold steadfast to the faith that we share, which binds us together in Christian unity, and compels us to seek justice and work for peace.
In solidarity,
Rev. Prof. Dr loan Sauca, WCC Interim General Secretary
A Harare court has dismissed the application of popular Harare-based lawyer advocate Thabani Mpofu which sought the revocation of further placement on remand.
Mpofu had argued, through his lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, that the facts relied upon by the State did not constitute a reasonable suspicion that the alleged offences were committed
It is the state’s case that Mpofu corruptly concealed a transaction from a principal and defeated or obstructed the course of justice on two counts after representing “a non-existent” person who was challenging President Mnangagwa’s appointment of prosecutor-general Kumbirai Hodzi.
Meanwhile, the “fictitious man,” Simbarashe Zuze, behind the arrest of Advocate Thabani Mpofu and another lawyer, Tapiwa Makanza recently came out to prove his existence.
Mpofu was arrested in June, charged with “defeating or obstructing the course of justice,” and was released on a ZWL$20 000 bail.
He has since June 2 this year been on remand out of custody and is scheduled to return to court on 21 August 2020 at 9.00 am for his trial.
Mpofu who became more popular in 2018 after representing Nelson Chamisa who was challenging the outcome of the Presidential election which he said had been manipulated in favour of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
MDC Alliance Masvingo City Councillor Godfrey Kurauone
Farai Dziva|The trial of detained MDC Alliance Youth Assembly organizer and Masvingo Urban councillor for ward 4, Godfrey Kurauone has been postponed to September 1.
Kurauone is facing three charges- criminal nuisance, undermining the authority of the President and obstruction of traffic respectively.
” Yes, the trial of Councillor Kurauone has been postponed to 1 September.
However, he will also appear in court on the 25th August facing another charge,” an MDC Alliance official said.
By A Correspondent- The officer in charge of Shamva Support Unit training camp, Inspector Machaye was taken an ambulance Saturday night after a suspected COVID-19 attack.
The development comes as 300 police officers who are on quarantine at Shamva battle camp who reportedly were waiting for their Covid 19 results defied being locked at the battle camp.
Almost three quarters left the battle camp on Friday to withdraw their salaries. The police officers are arguing that they can’t be quarantined by ZRP that is failing to provide them with masks and sanitizers.
“This is a serious issue concerning the spread of Covid 19 in Zimbabwe, a source told ZimEye.
They continued:
“Both the community and the police officers themselves are not safe. Our government doesn’t care.”
It has also emerged that 300 officers taken from different departments and various districts and are supposed to be undergoing Support Unit training. However, ZimEye has been reliably informed that two of them have since tested positive to Covid-19 because when they went for training.
One source said:
There is fear of a serious Covid-19 outbreak at Shamva police camp. The remaining police officers have been tested but for two weeks now the results are still to come.
Why is the government keeping a gathering of police officers at Shamva yet it’s banning gatherings all over the country?
There is no shortage of Support unit officers who are struggling to get accommodation and most of them spend the whole month playing football and doing guard duties.
Those poor souls are exposed to Covid-19 and they will pass it on to the public.”
This is a developing story. More details to follow…
A microblogging site, Twitter, on Monday permanently blocked the account of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services over alleged multiple violations of the company’s hateful conduct policy.
Without specifying the actions which warranted the blocking Twitter noted that the account was permanently banned after the Ministry ignored “previously received repeated warnings for similar violations,” specifically of rules “prohibiting participating in or inciting targeted abuse of individuals.”
Permanent bans on Twitter were born out of the company’s ongoing effort to tame the unruly masses of anonymous tormentors whose threats and ugly commentary have long been a major liability for the social platform.
Techunzipped reports that as a result of the ban, the Ministry of Information has now opened a new account called @InformationZim.
This comes after the Minister of Information, Senator Mutsvangwa recently stormed controversy after her attack on Catholic Archbishop Richard Christopher Ndlovu over his pastoral letter that criticised bad governance in the country.
By A Correspondent- A Gweru man axed his wife to death and then killed himself following a domestic dispute over alleged infidelity.
Pride Hove (30) of Hertfordshire low-density suburb in Gweru struck his wife, Patience Matura (22) with an axe on the neck and went on to hang himself from roof trusses.
The incident occurred on Tuesday last week at about 4 AM after Hove stumbled on a love message in his wife’s phone from another man.
Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko confirmed the incident. He said:
I can confirm that we are investigating a murder case where a 30-year-old male adult killed his wife following a domestic disputing emanating from suspected infidelity.
It is suspected that Hove saw a message in his wife Matura’s phone and accused her of having an affair. The two had a misunderstanding but were refrained by a neighbour.
When the neighbour left, it is suspected that Hove struck Matura with an axe on the neck before committing suicide by hanging.
Their bodies were discovered in the afternoon by their landlord who had just returned from Masvingo.
He noticed that Hove’s body was hanging from the trusses while his wife’s body was lying on the ground in a pool of blood.
The matter was reported to the police and the two bodies were taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary, Insp Goko added.
The officer in charge of Shamva Support Unit training camp, Inspector Machaye was taken an ambulance Saturday night after a suspected COVID-19 attack.
The development comes as 300 police officers who are on quarantine at Shamva battle camp awaiting Covid 19 results defied being locked at the battle camp.
Almost three quarters left the battle camp on Friday to withdraw their salaries. The police officers are arguing that they can’t be quarantined by ZRP that is failing to provide them with masks and sanitizers.
This is a serious issue concerning the spread of Covid 19 in Zimbabwe, a source told ZimEye.
They continued, “Both the community and the police officers themselves are not safe. “Our government doesn’t care.”
It has also emerged, of 300 officers taken from different departments and various districts and are supposed to be undergoing Support Unit training: Two of them have since tested positive to Covid because when they went for training – they had been tested and awaiting results. One source said: There is fear of a serious Covid outbreak at Shamva.
The remaining police officers have been tested but for two weeks now the results are still to come. Why is the government keeping a gathering of police officers at Shamva yet it’s banning gatherings all over the country?
There is no shortage of Support unit officers who are struggling to get accommodation and most of them spend the whole month playing football and doing guard duties.
Those poor souls are exposed to Covid and they will pass it on to the public.
Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna removes and bans Beatrice Mtetwa from representing freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.
He has also ordered that Prosecutor General institute contempt of court proceedings against her and for Law Society of Zimbabwe to be provided with copy of his judgement so that they can withdraw her license.
Chin’ono has now selected Advocate Taona Nyamakura to be his lead lawyer.
BREAKING Magistrate Ngoni Nduna rules that lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa stands down from representing journalist Hopewell Chin'ono and directs that the Law Society of Zimbabwe should cancel her licence for "scandalising the court". #ZimbabweansLivesMatter
By A Correspondent- Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna today removed and banned Beatrice Mtetwa from representing freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.
He has also ordered that the Prosecutor General institute contempt of court proceedings against her.
Magistrate Nduna instructed that the Law Society of Zimbabwe be provided with copy of his judgement so that they can withdraw advocate Mtetwa’s practising license.
Chin’ono selected Advocate Taona Nyamakura to be his lead lawyer.
This is a developing story. More details tto follow…
Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna removes and bans Beatrice Mtetwa from representing freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.
He has also ordered that Prosecutor General institute contempt of court proceedings against her and for Law Society of Zimbabwe to be provided with copy of his judgement so that they can withdraw her license.
Chin’ono has now selected Advocate Taona Nyamakura to be his lead lawyer.
Harare Magistrate, Ngoni Nduna has ruled that lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa stands down from representing journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and directs that the Law Society of Zimbabwe should cancel her licence for “scandalising the court”
ZBC dismisses online allegations regarding the recent executive management changes. The changes are driven by recognition that the future is digital & ZBC needs to ensure that our content is innovative and accessible on various platforms and addresses different target audiences.
By A Correspondent- The government has refuted claims that were made by exiled former cabinet minister Professor Jonathan Moyo that those senior government officials looted a US$1.2 billion loan received by the National Oil and Infrastructure Company (NOIC) from a foreign company, Sotic International.
Responding to Prof Moyo’s claims, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development Permanent Secretary George Guvamatanga on Saturday said no such loan agreement was ever signed.
He said:
The information is false. The value of the pipeline is US$300 million. Sotic could only lend money that it would have raised from its bankers unless it had free cash flows.
Which bank would lend you US$1.2 billion against the security of an asset worth US$300 million? One of the critical tenets of lending is the purpose of the loan and the source of repayment.
An international lender would not conduct adequate due diligence and lend a country $1.2 billion which will then be fraudulently diverted.
Prof Moyo claimed that NOIC was forced to mortgage the national oil pipeline to secure the $1.2 billion loan and that former Energy Minister Fortune Chasi was fired last week because of the deal.
International pressure continues to pile on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to respect human rights, with the United States embassy in Harare also raising concern over the matter yesterday.
“Zimbabweans’ rights to freedom of expression, speech and association remain enshrined in their Constitution. Citizens exercising their civil rights, such as Godfrey Kurauone, Hopewell Chin’ono, Jacob Ngarivhume, should have those rights respected,” the US embassy tweeted.
Several civic, Christian and human rights organisations also slammed the State for using hate speech against perceived enemies, among them Catholic priests who recently called government to order.
The government described the Catholic bishops as “genocidal and evil-minded” for calling it out on its increasing human rights violations.
Several human rights and political activists, journalists and opposition political supporters are languishing in remand prison, while others have been arrested, charged and released for alleged subversion.
Over 60 opposition members were abducted and tortured in the run-up to the July 31 protests, while more than 30 are in hiding.
Investigative journalist Chin’ono, who unmasked corruption involving US$60 million after senior government officials issued a tender to Drax International without due process, and opposition leader Ngarivhume are also languishing in prison after being denied bail for allegedly organising the anti-corruption protests.
Kurauone, an MDC Alliance activist and Masvingo councillor, was arrested after reporting to the police on July 31 as part of his bail conditions.
Several local, regional and international organisations and governments have condemned the gross human rights violations in Zimbabwe.
But government has denied that there is a human rights crisis in the country despite evidence of torture, abductions and arrests of innocent citizens who are viewed as enemies of the State.
The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) whose pastoral letter called out the government over the deteriorating human rights situation, was seen as a ploy to “sow seeds of internecine strife as a prelude to civil war and national disintegration” by Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa has gained support from international, regional and local organisations.
Today, at Harare Magistrates Court, Magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi will hand down his ruling on an application filed by @ZLHRLawyers representing @adv_fulcrum challenging his placement on remand on charges of obstructing or defeating course of justice.
Renowned political scientist Professor Jonathan Moyo says President Emmerson Mnangagwa has no other option but to axe Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa for her statement in response to the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) Pastoral Letter of 14 August 2020.
Mutsvangwa read a statement that was apparently full of hate, scorn and tribal undertones which was chiefly aimed at Archbishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu, and Roman Catholic bishops.
Mutsvangwa said the government “vehemently object to and strongly condemns the Pastoral letter of Archbishop Ndlovu and his coterie of Catholics Bishop prelates”.
She characterised Archbishop Ndlovu as an “errant and evil Bishop” who posited “as the leader of righteous Ndebele minority by fanning the psychosis of tribal victimization”.
Prof Moyo has warned President Mnangagwa that if he fails to fire Mutsvangwa, he would be speeding up his own ouster from power. Moyo posted on Twitter:
“After Monica Mutsvangwa’s unprecedented genocidally and tribally framed diatribe against Archbishop Ndlovu, Ndebeles and Catholic Bishops; Mnangagwa has no option but to fire her or risk expediting his now inevitable ouster!”
Prominent investigative journalist Mduduzi Mathuthu, who is ZimLive editor and has been targeted by authorities for exposing high-level corruption, has also called for Mutsvangwa’s sacking. He said:
“Monica Mutsvangwa must go. She has abdicated her position and allowed her irrational and rabid husband to launch an unprovoked tribal attack on the Ndebele people, using vile language unfit to come from a government mouthpiece. It’s hate speech, it’s ‘evil-minded’.”
The shiny limousines and ramshackle taxis that share Zimbabwe’s roads have one thing in common — both sets are among thousands of vehicles that are smuggled into the country annually, prejudicing the treasury millions of dollars in taxes.
With the local car assembly industry hardly operating, Zimbabweans have been forced to import cars, and figures from the government statistics office ZimStats shows that more than US$5 billion has been spent on vehicle imports since 2009. But some of the cars are brought into the southern African illegally by corrupt importers who undervalue their cars in connivance with clearing agents, law enforcement agents and government officials, according to recent court records. An expert in the sector says Zimbabwe is losing about US$5 million dollars every year to smuggling, under-invoicing of car imports, money which could be used to procure national essentials such as drugs.
“We are struggling economically and in these desperate times, we could be using this money for COVID-19,” said the official from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), who declined to be named.
Zimbabwe is battling to finance its already ailing health sector to deal with coronavirus as local cases continue to rise.
In a letter written in June to the World Bank, IMF and the African Development Bank, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube said Zimbabwe needed at least US$200 million to fight the pandemic.
Official statistics show that, on average, 4 000 new and pre-owned vehicles imported from countries such as Japan, Britain and South Africa are cleared for entry through Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge border post every month with Zimra collecting at least US$8,5 million dollars in taxes.
Zimra is currently charging up to 96% duty for used car imports so on average, a modest vehicle attracts import duty of between $2 500 and $5 000.
Beitbridge on Zimbabwe’s border with South Africa, is southern Africa’s biggest inland port.
While Zimra officials were available to discuss details of vehicle smuggling, recent high profile court cases involving a top government official and a businessman give as insight into the magnitude of the problem.
Former Principal Director for State Residences in the Office of the President and Cabinet Douglas Tapfuma was sentenced to four years in prison in June after being convicted on three counts of criminal abuse of office for importing duty-free eight vehicles through the use of forged documents.
Wealthy businessman Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure, who has a collection of top-of-the-range sports cars, was recently convicted of under-declaring the price of a Bentley Continental GT that he bought in South Africa last year, and paying US$81 000 in import duty instead of nearly $140 000. This scam was a classic case of trade under-invoicing, which is responsible for a substantial proportion of illicit financial flows around the world.
According to US based Global Financial Integrity (GFI), trade misinvoicing cost Zimbabwe US$1 billion over a ten-year period indicating the in adequate detecting systems in the country’s trade systems. The losses result from a form of customs and/tax fraud involving exporters and importers purposefully false reporting the cost and quantity of commodities.
GFI senior economist, Rick Rowden in June this year told NewZimbabwe.com website that, “For Zimbabwe’s trade with all of its global trading partners in US$ terms we identified gaps totalling US$694 million for the year 2017, and an average sum of nearly US$1 billion ($1 010.9 million) over the ten-year period of 2008 -2017.”
GFI says that trade under-invoicing accounts for around 87% of the estimated $70 billion that Africa loses annually through illicit financial flows. Last November, Zimra seized 433 cars that had been imported into Zimbabwe without paying customs and excise duty. At least 74 Zimra officials were arrested and a dozen others dismissed. Zimra did not give details on how the vehicles managed to get into the country without paying tax, but a source at the organisation said there was a criminal syndicate behind the scams: “It’s a syndicate involving the importer, the clearing agents, the tax authority’s employees and car dealers who …manipulate the customs clearance procedures.”
An official with one of the leading Japanese used car exporting companies t said: “Eighty (80) percent of people who buy cars from us request that we undervalue their invoices for duty purposes. We don’t have a problem doing that for them as long as we get our payment. That is one of the reason we have many Zimbabweans buying from us.”
The official — who declined to be named — said they exported at least 3 000 secondhand vehicles to Harare every month while a clearing agent at Beitbridge said they connived with Zimra officials to create fictitious Customs Clearing Certificates (CCC) which they use to release and register vehicles as duly imported. After releasing the vehicles, the syndicate shares the loot from the unpaid duty, according to the agent.
The revenue that Zimbabwe is losing could be going into plugging its acute shortages of fuel and medicines.
Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission (Zacc) spokesperson John Makamure confirmed that Zacc had helped Zimra seize some vehicles that were smuggled into the country without paying import duty.
“We do joint operations with Zimra and our duty is to investigate that a person might not have paid duty and we seize the assets,” he said.
Incarcerated journalist Hopewell Chin’ono is now in Court waiting for Magistrate Nduna to hand down his ruling on state request to have Beatrice Mtetwa of ZLHR to be removed as his lead lawyer.
By A Correspondent- International pressure continues to pile on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to respect human rights, with the United States embassy in Harare also raising concern over the matter yesterday.
“Zimbabweans’ rights to freedom of expression, speech and association remain enshrined in their Constitution. Citizens exercising their civil rights, such as Godfrey Kurauone, Hopewell Chin’ono, Jacob Ngarivhume, should have those rights respected,” the US embassy tweeted.
Several civic, Christian and human rights organisations also slammed the State for using hate speech against perceived enemies, among them Catholic priests who recently called government to order.
The government described the Catholic bishops as “genocidal and evilminded” for calling it out on its increasing human rights violations.
Several human rights and political activists, journalists and opposition political supporters are languishing in remand prison, while others have been arrested, charged and released for alleged subversion.
Over 60 opposition members were abducted and tortured in the run-up to the July 31 protests, while more than 30 are in hiding.
Investigative journalist Chin’ono, who unmasked corruption involving US$60 million after senior government officials issued a tender to Drax International without due process, and opposition leader Ngarivhume are also languishing in prison after being denied bail for allegedly organising the anti-corruption protests.
Kurauone, an MDC Alliance activist and Masvingo councillor, was arrested after reporting to the police on July 31 as part of his bail conditions.
Several local, regional and international organisations and governments have condemned the gross human rights violations in Zimbabwe.
But government has denied that there is a human rights crisis in the country despite evidence of torture, abductions and arrests of innocent citizens who are viewed as enemies of the State.
The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) whose pastoral letter called out the government over the deteriorating human rights situation, was seen as a ploy to “sow seeds of internecine strife as a prelude to civil war and national disintegration” by Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa has gained support from international, regional and local organisations.
The various organisations, in solidarity messages to the bishops, said Mnangagwa’s government must address the human rights issues and acknowledge that there is a crisis in the country which needs to be solved.
Pro-democracy leaders and human rights defenders under the banner Platform for Concerned Citizens (PCC) led by political scientist Ibbo Mandaza, Zimbabwe Peace Project director Jestina Mukoko, author Tsitsi Dangarembga, ex-Finance minister and Mavambo/Kusile/ Dawn party leader Simba Makoni and other human rights defenders who include Tony Reeler, Briggs Bomba, Godfrey Kanyenze and Frances Lovemore, yesterday castigated government for using hate speech against the bishops.
“We take the strongest possible exception to the attack on the ZCBC and in particular the defamatory attacks on the person of its chair, Archbishop Robert C Ndlovu. It can only be described as hate speech,” the PCC statement read.
“This is a scurrilous attack on the Catholic Church, one of the strongest domestic supporters of the people of Zimbabwe, which has maintained this support for decades, both before and after Independence.
“The ZCBC commitment to the people of Zimbabwe cannot be doubted or challenged by anyone, except selfserving hypocrites. Thus we call on all churches, national and regional, to express their support for the ZCBC, to express their distaste of the intolerance shown by Zanu-PF and the government of Zimbabwe to citizens exercising their constitutional rights.”
Recently, Zanu-PF acting spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa lashed out at South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party after its secretary-general Ace Magashule expressed concern over the human rights violations in Zimbabwe.
However, the PCC said the move was “ample evidence that Zanu-PF government was unable to conduct itself as a responsible member of the regional and international communities” because it was now “intolerant to advises, even from esrtwhile comrades”.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) said the ZCBC pastoral letter echoed the groans of the people of Zimbabwe who are suffering the effects of the current crisis.
“As the bishops chronicle the tragic situation in Zimbabwe, they showed solidarity with the poor who have no one to defend them in the current situation and call the society to show compassion. They reminded the government that servant leaders place the interests of their followers ahead of their self-interest and needs,” ZimRights said.
“We are appalled that such a message of peace, solidarity with the poor and call to dialogue has been met with hate and venom from the government of Zimbabwe. The response did not address any issues raised by the bishops.”
The organisation said raised concern over the use of hate speech against the bishops, particularly the ethnic attack on the person, identity and dignity of Ndlovu.
The Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) said it was worrying that the government was consistently not taking responsibility for its own failings characterised by corruption, policy inconsistency and failure to unite the nation towards a common vision.
“The denialism that characterises the government of Zimbabwe’s handling of criticism has now become a deeply worrying trend. The blame shifting labelling of critical voices as regime change agents and terrorists smacks of the government’s unwillingness or inability to engage on the basis of ideas as well as robbing citizens of any hope that thing can improve,” ZCC said.
The ZCC said the government response to the ZCBC pastoral letter was overtly emotional and disrespectful for a formal communication, adding that using public media to utter disrespectful communication against the person of Ndlovu does not only present the government as inappropriately deploying State resources, but increases the toxicity already characterising public space.
Opposition Alliance for People’s Agenda (APA) secretary-general Albert Gumbo said:”APA is taken aback, but not surprised, at the reaction of the Government of Zimbabwe to the pastoral letter issued by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference on the current situation in Zimbabwe. For the sake of clarity, and with reference to this particular context, APA would like to point out the following undeniable facts regarding the history of the Catholic Church in the Rhodesia era and independent Zimbabwe.
“During the armed struggle, Zimbabwe benefited from the moral high ground of a just cause as well as the support of a powerful ally in the church. The Catholic Church went as far as providing refuge, in dangerous times, for liberation fighters at its institutions, such as Silveira House.”
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa also voiced concern and described the diatribe aimed at Catholic bishops as unfortunate and shocking.
“The church, being the moral compass and conscience guardians, must speak truth to power in any society. Government’s vitriol and diatribe aimed at the Zimbabwe Catholic bishops’ position on the current political and economic instability is evidence that Zimbabwe is, indeed, in turmoil,” Chamisa posted on Facebook.
The opposition MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa has written to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) telling them that the Zimbabwean government governance and human rights crisis deserves the regional grouping’s attention.
The statement is issued when the just ended 40th SADC Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government was full of praises to President Mnangagwa for chairing The Organ for Politics, Defence and Security (Organ) in a remarkable way.
Some say SADC has a blind spot for member states, particularly, parties that fought in the liberation struggle, therefore, the regional grouping will not do anything to address the Zimbabwean crisis.
We present MDC Alliance’s statement issued by the party’s Secretary for International Relations Gladys Hlatshwayo in full below.
MDC-ALLIANCE
17 August 2020
ZIMBABWE’S POLITICAL CRISIS DESERVES SADC ATTENTION
We note that the Communique of the just ended 40th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government has omitted the deteriorating governance and legitimacy crisis in Zimbabwe. Whereas the Communique has taken note of the security situations in some countries including Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo, we urge regional leaders to equally pay attention to the deepening crisis in Zimbabwe. Under the cover of COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe has intensified its crackdown on human rights defenders including journalists, lawyers, labor unions, civic society, the church and the opposition for exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
In response to citizen discontent owing to grand state corruption and plummeting socio-economic standar.. the political elite has abused state institutions to carry out systematic abductions, torture, extra-judicial killings and unlawful arrests. In the short period before and after the July 31 2020 peaceful citizen protests, we have recorded at least 146 cases of human rights violations against our members including 38 abductions. The situation, coupled with the lack of cohesion in government now pose a serious threat to peace and security in Zimbabwe and the SADC region in general.
We reiterate that genuine inclusive national dialogue to agree on a comprehensive reform age. and platform through an agreed neutral facilitator supported by SADC. The African Union and the international community at large remains the only plausible route to extricate Zimbabwe out of its current state.
We urge SADC to urgently intervene in Zimbabwe in line with the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security in order to maintain regional peace and security.
By A Correspondent- Pomona dumpsite in northern Harare is bellowing smoke and chemical gases across a swathe of northern suburbs since Friday when a faulty power cable ignited the blaze.
The Air Force of Zimbabwe has provided a fire tender to boost the fire fighting teams at the site and a group of residents are active in sourcing equipment, fuel and water to help the fire-fighting teams.
In an interview, chief fire officer Mr Lovemore Mafukidze said the fire started last Friday when an electrical transmission cable fell down and ignited the rubbish.
Mr Mafukidze said, “We still need to improve on other things. We need to have water points around the dumping site so that when these fires start they are tackled at their infancy and also that it would be easier to deal with fires when they start. In this incident, the wind was our worst enemy,” he said.
He also wants rubbish dumped at the site in future covered with soil to avoid such incidents.
A Mt Pleasant resident, Ms Helen Davidson, speaking for a group of residents organising practical assistance said several companies and individuals over the weekend assisted the local authority.
Mashwede Holdings mobilised a tipper truck and 100 litres of diesel and a local fuel company Trek donated 400 litres of diesel.
She said although there was a shortage of machinery and equipment, among other resources, the expectation was that work at the dumpsite was going to take between one to two weeks to get the situation under control.
“We also want water tankers with water so that the fire trucks could fill from these rather than going off to find water. I am fairly certain that I can assure any water-delivery companies that you will be supplied with fuel, if you are able to donate the water.
“The idea would be for the bowsers to be waiting in a safe area of the dumpsite and the fire trucks would then be able to fill up from them, rather than having to trek miles to refill,” she said.
Ms Davidson urged other organisations and individuals to assist as they were expecting approximately 100 people to come and work at the dumpsite at any time.
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, George Guvamatanga has claimed that the country did not lose any money in the deal with Drax International.
His remarks contradict earlier reports which suggested that the country lost over US$60 million after Drax International supplied medical equipment and personal protective equipment (PPEs) at inflated prices.
He made the remarks while speaking to ZBC on Sunday in a wide-ranging interview which came when the then Health Minister, Obadiah Moyo has since been sacked over the deal.
Guvamatanga claims that when the issue made headlines and dominated social media, it had since been raised in Cabinet by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and corrective measures already being implemented.
By A Correspondent- The new Minister of Health, Constantino Chiwenga is yet to meet doctors and nurses to address the challenges plaguing the country’s public health system.
The Zimbabwe Nurses Association said that there had been no attempt to address workers’ demands as yet through formal engagement.
Chiwenga opted to take over the Health and Child Care portfolio following differences with President Emmerson Mnangagwa over the sacked Obadiah Moyo’s successor, it has emerged.
Mnangagwa last week announced that he had appointed Chiwenga the new Health minister, sparking speculation on the motives behind the surprise move that has been described as unconstitutional by some legal experts.
Lawyers say a VP is not allowed to double up as a minister in terms of the constitution.
Insiders told The Standard that Chiwenga wanted Health and Child Care deputy minister John Mangwiro, who is his personal doctor, to take over the ministry, but Mnangagwa did not agree.
After the haggling, the VP is said to have volunteered to take over the portfolio.
Chiwenga is said be among a section in government that were said to be unhappy with the scandals that have rocked the Health ministry related to the procurement of medical equipment to fight Covid-19.
Moyo is on $50 000 bail over abuse of office charges after he was accused of single-handedly awarding a tender to Delish Nguwaya, a close friend of Mnangagwa’s children.
Nguwaya was arrested over a US$60 million drugs procurement scandal.
He was also freed on $50 000 bail by High Court judge, Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, who said the businessman cannot be blamedfor approvals made by government officials.
According to sources, Chiwenga pushed for Moyo’s sacking following his arrest.
Chiwenga, according to sources, feels the corruption in the Health ministry will dent the party’s performance in the 2023 general elections.
Mnangagwa also appointed Air Commodore Jasper Chimedza as Health permanent secretary, replacing Agnes Mahomva, who was moved to the new position of chief coordinator for the country’s response to Covid-19 in May.
“Chiwenga’s first task is to get doctors and nurses back to work and I am sure he is going to do that this coming week,” a well-placed source said.
“He will try to make things work in the Health ministry and all hospitals to function and save lives, reinventing his legacy in the process.”
It was, however, not immediately clear how Chiwenga would get the health workers back at work, but the source said negotiations for government to pay them United States dollar-based salaries were already in progress.
Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba refused to comment on Chiwenga’s appointment, saying: “I am too serious for those kind of conversations.”
A fortnight ago there were reports that Mnangagwa and Chiwenga clashed over an alleged plot against the president in the ruling Zanu-PF.
Some of Chiwenga’s loyalists were accused of being involved in the organisation of the July 31 protests and this led to the suspension of politburo member Cleveria Chizema after posters publicising the demonstrations were allegedly found in her house.
Chizema has denied being involved in the plot and says she suspects the posters were planted by her enemies in the party.
By A Correspondent- A 32 year old man has been jailed 15 years for raping a sex worker and robbing her of R200 and her cellphone.
Thobani Moyo from Ntabenende area in Esigodini pleaded not guilty to rape and robbery charges but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence by Gwanda regional magistrate, Mrs Sibonginkosi Mkandla.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison of which three years were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.
He will serve an effective 12-year jail sentence. Prosecuting, Mr Khumbulani Nyoni said Moyo met the complainant at Ntabenende Business Centre at around 11PM and offered to pay her for her services and she agreed and they went to his home.
”On 11 March Moyo met the complainant at a bottle store at Ntabenende Business Centre where she was drinking with her friends. He approached the complainant and offered to pay for her services and she agreed and they proceeded to his house.
“The complainant demanded to see the money which Moyo was going to give her first before she could entertain him. Moyo refused and insisted on producing the money after they were done. The complainant refused and threatened to leave if the accused person wasn’t going to show her the money. Moyo then produced a knife and threatened to stab the complainant if she didn’t comply with his orders. He ordered the complainant to remove her clothes and went on to rape her. He further took R200 which the complainant had and her cell phone and ordered her to leave,” he said.
Mr Nyoni said the complainant fled to a neighbouring house where she narrated what the accused person had done to her. The matter was reported to the police resulting in the arrest of the accused person.
In his defence the accused person said he engaged the complainant who is a commercial sex worker for her services. He said when they left the business centre, they had agreed that he would pay her R150 in exchange for her services.
Moyo said after they were done the complainant started demanding R200 as payment.
“I gave her the R150 which we had agreed on but she demanded R200 which I didn’t have. She refused to leave my house insisting that I give her the extra R50 up until I forcibly removed her from my house. When she left, she threatened to fix me and that’s when she went on to fabricate the allegations. I did not rape the complainant as she had consented to sexual intercourse or rob her off her money,” he said.
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa will today issue a comprehensive response to a pastoral letter from the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC), Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana said yesterday.
In a post on micro-blogging platform Twitter, Mr Mangwana said “regarding issues around the pastoral letter by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference, President Mnangagwa is going to issue a comprehensive statement tomorrow (today)”.
By A Correspondent- Finance and Economic Development Permanent Secretary, Mr George Guvamatanga, said he made his money working in the private sector for more than 30 years, and rising to chief executive of Barclays Bank Zimbabwe, long before joining the civil service in November 2018.
He was reacting to social media pictures of a family visit to Victoria Falls using a private jet.
The family went on holiday after Mr Guvamatanga and eight of his family members recovered from Covid-19.
After the images went viral, sceptics questioned his capacity to hire a jet.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Guvamatanga said he accumulated his wealth in the private sector and he got a golden handshake when he left Barclays.
“I spent 30 years with Barclays Bank of which 23 of those was as senior executive and 10 years as the chief executive officer. It is known in the market that when I left I was paid a package running into millions of United States dollars.
“It is also important to note that I left after having successfully put together and led a consortium of managers (at Barclays Bank Zimbabwe) that wanted to acquire the bank and had secured funding for that, although Barclays Plc opted for another buyer,” said Mr Guvamatanga.
Barclays Bank sold its majority stake in Barclays Bank Zimbabwe to Malawi’s First Merchant Bank Capital in 2017 although former managers of the bank’s local operations led by Mr Guvamatanga had also bid to buy the shares.
When the bank changed hands, the new owners and Mr Guvamatanga agreed to part ways.
“I also remain a businessman with interests spanning real estate, insurance, retail and distribution and farming, which I established before joining Government. I joined Government from the private sector because I felt my experience would help in how Government is run and make a difference” he said.
Mr Guvamatanga was appointed Permanent Secretary in September 2018, 10 months after leaving Barclays, as part of the Government drive to upgrade State financial systems and controls.
By Patrick Guramatunhu- “The (November 2017) coup has been over taken by events and there has been an election in between, the disputed results notwithstanding.
It is what it is and now we must focus on getting Zimbabweans to have a good and sober look around and re-examine their potential choices for 2023,” said Albert Gumbo. He is the secretary general of Alliance for People’s Agenda (APA) led Dr Nkosana Moyo.
“The elected must govern and if they can’t, they must be voted out at the next election!”
Dr Moyo was one of the 23 presidential candidates in Zimbabwe’s 31st July 2018 harmonised elections. The parliamentary and local elections were an equally hotly contested affairs. Zanu PF went on to win the presidential race and 2/3 majority in parliament, the result was never in doubt as it was clear the party was going to rig the elections and did.
Of course, it is most infuriating that Zimbabwe’s corrupt, incompetent and sell-out opposition politicians continue to refuse to acknowledge a simple historic fact that Zanu PF rigs elections and it is therefore nonsensical to keep talking of the people voting the regime out of office. After 40 years of rigged elections under our belt they still pretend they have no clue what constitutes free, fair and credible elections!
Of course, Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections. The regime deny 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora a chance to register and vote, a very significant number since Mnangagwa claimed victory with 2.4 million votes. There was no free and independent media. But most notable of all, the regime failed to produce a verified voters’ roll, a legal and common sense requirement!
The opposition candidates not only knew that Zanu PF was blatantly rigging the elections but, worst of all, they also knew that by participating in the elections regardless, they would give the process “credibility”.
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the (2013) elections,” wrote MDC Alliance senator David Coltart in his book.
“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”
So the opposition gave Zimbabwe’s flawed and illegal election process credibility and, by extension, the results the modicum of legitimacy! Zanu PF offered the opposition politicians the few gravy train seats as their reward for participating and giving the regime legitimacy.
Since the rigged 2018 elections Zanu PF has not implemented any democratic reforms and, as we can see, the opposition are gearing to participate in the next elections. And with no reforms in place Zanu PF is certain to rig the elections and we will be back in the situation we are in today and have been for the last 40 years – stuck with the corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship.
The settled Zimbabwe election cycle is Zanu PF rigging elections, the opposition paying lip service to demanding reform, no reforms are implemented, the opposition participate giving legitimacy to yet another Zanu PF rigged elections and so back to a new cycle. If we are to break this vicious cycle we must fight on two fronts:
we must stand firm in rejecting Zanu PF’s legitimacy, the party rigged the 2018 elections, it has no mandate to govern and must step down to allow the appointment of a competent body to implement the reforms and hold free and fair elections. By refusing to step down, Zanu PF is holding the nation to ransom and has done this for donkey years now. That is totally unacceptable.
we must expose the corrupt and incompetent opposition politicians for the sell-out they are. The people of Zimbabwe must now wake-up to the political reality that opposition leaders are now running with the povo hare and hunting with the Zanu PF hounds.
We can be 100% certain that if Zanu PF is in power until 2023, the party will rig the elections. We can also be 100% certain that Zimbabwe’s opposition parties, all 130 of them at the last count, will participate in the flawed and illegal elections. It is incumbent on us to make sure the next elections are free, fair and credible.
“If Zanu PF have failed to govern, vote them out in 2023!” The people have failed to do so these last 40 years precisely because Zanu PF rigs elections. The only reason why the opposition politicians refuse to acknowledging that Zanu PF rigs elections is they are now working in cahoots with the regime!
Finance Secretary George Guvamatanga has claimed that the Zimbabwean government did not lose any money as a result of the corrupt deal between the government and Drax.
The deal which never went to tender involved Drax selling Covid-19 medical equipment at heavily inflated prices. According to Secretary Guvamatanga there was no contract between the government and Drax only an attempt to sign a contract.
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ZIMBABWE ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
HARARE REGION
NOTICE TO OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS
The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) would like to advise its valued customers that there would be a power interruption on Tuesday 18 August 2020 from 0600-1800 hrs for the purpose of carrying out critical maintenance works.
During this maintenance period, electricity will not be available in the following areas: Seke industrial Area, Delat, Surface, DMB, Southern Granite, and parts of Chitungiwa Unit J.
Customers are advised to treat all circuits as live during this period as power may be restored without notice.
THE removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the Western world will not only benefit Zimbabwe, but the whole region, outgoing SADC chairperson Tanzanian President, Dr John Magufuli, said on Monday.
Delivering his address at the 40th SADC Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government, virtually hosted by Mozambique the incoming chair, Dr Magufuli praised President Mnangagwa, the outgoing chairperson of the Organ on Politics Defence and Security Cooperation (SADC Troika), for his exemplary leadership.
The virtual meeting, that was attended by 14 Heads of State or Government and two representatives from Mauritius and Comoros, was held under the theme “SADC 40 years Building Peace and Security and Promoting Development and Resilience in the Face of Global challenges”.
President Mnangagwa led a delegation that included ministers and senior Government officials during the virtual meeting attended by Heads of State or Government from Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho. Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Eswatini, Seychelles and Zimbabwe.
Dr Magufuli said one of the achievements during 2019, was the unity displayed by SADC member states, which collectively denounced sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the Western world bringing suffering on the general populace.
The SADC denunciation of the sanctions culminated in the adoption of October 25 as a solidarity day by African states to call for the unconditional lifting of the economic embargoes.
“During the 39th summit, we passed the resolution to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe which were imposed since 2001. In that resolution we approved October 25 of every year to be a special day against sanctions in Zimbabwe where member states will be conducting various activities including preparing dialogues and declarations against the sanctions on Zimbabwe,” he said.
Dr Magufuli said SADC member countries also spoke against sanctions during the United Nations meetings and other international platforms as a way of demonstrating support to Zimbabwe.
He said last year the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe was removed from the sanctions list in a positive sign of what a united region can achieve.
The sanctions, Dr Magufuli said, hurt children and women the most and therefore world nations should join hands in calling for their removal.
“It is my strong belief that our nations will benefit if sanctions on Zimbabwe are lifted. It will offer an invaluable contribution not only to Zimbabwe but to the entire continent. These are some of the achievements we have been able to achieve during the past year,” Dr Magufuli said.
Turning to regional peace, particularly flash points in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Lesotho, Dr Magufuli said President Mnangagwa, as Chairperson of the SADC Troika, worked hard in finding peaceful resolutions to conflicts.
“For the past year, the issue of security continued to reign in our community with some of the conflicts in our area including DRC and Lesotho. It is impressive to say that the Chairperson of SADC Troika, my brother President Emmerson Mnangagwa worked hard through his efforts to seek a permanent solution in the DRC,” he said.
SADC executive secretary, Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax also applauded President Mnangagwa for exemplary leadership during the past year.
The summit elected Mozambican President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi as the chairperson of SADC and Malawian President Dr Lazarus Chakwera as the incoming SADC chairperson for 2021, while Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi was elected chairperson of Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation with South African president Cyril Ramaphosa elected as the incoming chairperson of the Organ on Politics Defence and Security Co-operation in 2021.
In his acceptance speech President Nyusi said he was going to perform his duties with humility and a high sense of responsibility.
“We commit to fulfil the mission and obligations of SADC and we count on the support of every member state and SADC Troika. We will consult starting from now,” he said.
He saluted the founders of the regional bloc, set up in 1980 as a development of the Frontline States and expanded as more countries in the region became independent or democratic, for their contribution towards the political and economic independence of the region.
The summit approved the SADC vision 2050 which is based on a firm foundation of peace, security and democratic governance and is premised on three interrelated pillars: industrial development and market integration, infrastructure development in support of regional integration and social and human capital development.
The three pillars recognise gender, youth and environment and climate change and risk management important cross cutting components.
Hopefully, next year’s summit will be a face to face meeting if the world manages to decisively deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) reiterates its position that there is need for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to widely engage with electoral stakeholders on electoral issues. The call comes against the backdrop of the recent gazette of 15 vacancies that arose in the National Assembly and the Senate.
The Network notes that the move to gazette the vacancies by ZEC paves way for the respective political parties to make the necessary replacements. This will ensure that constituencies do not remain without representatives in the Senate and National Assembly. The process of replacing these vacancies does not require by-elections since they are under the PR system.
However, the process of replacing the recalled members of parliament is coming at a time conflicting decisions have been handed down by different Judges of the High Court, in one case a High Court Judge granting a provisional order interdicting the replacement of some recalled proportional representation members of parliament, and in another similar matter a Judge of the High Court dismissing the urgent application. In both instances, we understand that the matters were taken on appeal. In our view, it would have been prudent to await the finalization of the appeals in the Supreme Court before initiating the replacement process.
ZESN has further noted that the PR seats vacancies are not the only vacancies in parliament. The other vacancies that arose in the National Assembly following the expulsion and or recalls of some Members of Parliament can only be filled by National Assembly by-elections as the previous incumbents won the seats through the First – Past – the – Post, that is, Single Member Plurality System.
ZESN takes cognizance of the reasons provided by ZEC for suspending electoral process that require face to face interactions. Nevertheless, ZESN recommends that ZEC should utilize virtual means of consulting with stakeholders such webinars. These enable conversations that can allow for the dispelling speculation and rumors surrounding electoral processes, which presents fertile ground for the peddling of misinformation by electoral stakeholders especially by some sections of the electoral contestants and their parties.
Sustained engagement with stakeholders even under the current lockdown, using social media and other virtual platforms will go a long way to cement trust in the work of ZEC. It will improve understanding by electoral stakeholders of how the electoral calendar has been and will likely be affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Prophet Jay Israel who claims to have died and risen again after fasting for over 35 days has made a sensational claim that Emmanuel Makandiwa and his spiritual son Evidence Chari killed and concealed the death a Chinese baby.
The boy’s father is reportedly a worker at the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe.
Watch the video below as the fight over the power of God by these self proclaimed prophets keeps deepening.
Senator Monica Mutsvangwa
The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services
Archbishop Robert C Ndlovu
Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Commission
RE: Letter of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop’s Commission and the response by Governement of Zimbabwe through Minister of Information, Publicicty and Boradcasting Services.
As people living in the Diaspora by virtue of not being in our beloved countries of birth albeit in the mother continent, we are compelled to make a comment on the two documents referenced above.
We will start by appreciating the communication from both parties as it stands indicative and informative. In terms of the Zimbabwean constitution and the international bill of rights as expounded in the Unirvesal Declaration of Human Rights, section 60 and 61 of the constitution of Zimbabwe places both writers within their rights. It is the positions they both hold and the institutions they represent and the content of their documents that has invited our comment.
The ZCBC is not a government of the country in Zimbabwe or elsewhere but an institution of faith or worship like any other with significance of comment attributed by the beholder. On the contrary Senator Mutsvangwa’s statement clearly shows that it is the voice of the GoZ. We have no reason to doubt the authenticity of the two communications and therefore will treat them as they purport to be.
To the ZCBC our view is that the letter opines the views of the institution in Zimbabwe as represented by its leadership which they are entitled to and the reference to scripture is of notable considering the institution represented. This indeed is clear cut in our view and commendable to be able to come up and share views representing the people of Zimbabwe affected by the torrid economic conditions in the country, courtesy of whatever one wants to attribute the the causes to. The letter even puts forward 5 bullets representing the claimed five core issues to be addressed in resolving the conundrum. In our view it is not a mere attack or trashing but a request to be engaged in solving what appears to be the problem.
On the extreme hand we have a response, long and seemingly grammatically incoherent inundated with verbosity, one needs a dictionary to try and make sense of it. We must admit that as per the office of the respondent, it appears the sense of communication is lost in these big words. The little that we made out of the letter is that the Minister either responded to hearsay or she failed to understand the letter she was attempting to respond to, or she has her own preconceived ideas she is responding to that she knows the Archbishop for.
The ZCBC in the letter in no way talks of the 31 July 2020 March, the reference to ‘The March is Not Ended’ as taken from the speech at the Funeral of John Robert Lewis, talks of freedom, human rights and civil rights struggles which are not only Zimbabwean. A grade 2 pupil would easily pick that up. The response of the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) in this instance is buffling and upsetting because it seeks to isolate the President of the ZCBC as being devisive and a Ndebele tribalist. The GoZ further likens Gukurahundi to the American Civil War, that cannot be furthest from the truth.
Gukurahundi was not a civil war because there were no warring groups but an intent and contrived agenda to wipe out the Ndebele population (Former President Mugabe acknowledged it as a moment of madness, although not moment but over half a decade of massacre) which stood unarmed attacked by trained specialised murder weapons and forces of the State which bayoneted open pregnant women to reveal the dissident children growing inside. The people of Zimbabwe and Africa cannot continue to be patronised by the GoZ as expressed in this letter to be ridiculed and rubbished and told lies over and over about Gukurahundi. This, renews calls for a genuine attempt at dealing with those atrocities and bringing to book those responsible.
The ZCBC mentioned in passing the Gukurahundi, the GoZ on the other hand to divert attention, decided to single out the Archbishop of Harare and referred to the leadership as a ‘coterie’ meaning a small group, that is devoid of the truth because the thousands of Zimbabweans seen in Zimbabwe and outside Zimbabwe wanting to protest cannot be a small group as they appear to share the sentiments of the ZCBC.
The GoZ acknowledges the economic disintegration in the country but places the blame on sanctions and the social unrest on dark forces and agents of illegal regime change. This clearly shows that the GoZ and the ZCBC both acknowledge that there is a problem in the country but apportion blame on different sources which is the only difference. The GoZ in its response could not have been more disingenuous and disrespectful of the populace (to borrow its term) about labelling the ZCBC as a coterie and representing tribalistic views.
In any case, it is the GoZ trying to single out people to try and tell them to stand separated using the divide and rule principle. Africa must wake up and smell the coffee. The people of Africa are rising up sooner than later as shown by the similarities in their situations, their unite of purpose in fighting what they find unacceptable like government corruption, dictatorships, abuse of law, disregard of the human rights of the ordinary people.
The GoZ brings through its letter the terms righteous Ndebele minority and the sowing of sins of collective guilty on the Shona majority. This analogy from a government is sickening and beyond comprehension and shows the desire of government to rule by divide principles. The Gukurahundi is seen to be a mere dark spot in the nation building of Zimbabwe. Nation building using such a brutal and inhumane act, and the GoZ sounds to brag that the act was an action of nation building.
The failure to take to task the Minister who said these words clearly shows that GoZ stands with her and holds true these sayings and has no intentions of dealing with the gruesome and murderous streak of Gukurahundi and holds it as a joke and laughs scornfully at those seeking recourse and closure from these happenings.
To state that Archbishop Ndlovu admitted that the 31 July 2020 uprising failed shows that the government employs gross incompetence in valuable offices as shown above. How do the Minister interpret statute if she fails such a simple letter and reads what is not there? This begs the question of the qualification of people in government and is an insult to Africa with so many technocrats and graduates. “The March is Not Ended” simply is a term talking about nation building and according to the GoZ fighting dark forces and sanctions which cause the collapse of the economy and according to others not in government fighting corruption, nepotism, patronage politics, human rights violations, and many others.
We are of the view that the GoZ if it needs to be taken seriously will act swiftly by firing the Minister in question and employ a qualified information and broadcasting specialist who will understand diplomacy, nation building, sensitivity and the plight of the people, and this cannot be the Senator in question who sounds exactly what she calls the Archbishop unless this indeed is GoZ position.
…Chasi became a suitable replacement of Mnangagwa chosen by the Chiwenga faction…
Emmerson Mnangagwa rushed to remove Energy minister Fortune Chasi over a string of issues that were allegedly causing a strain between them including factionalism in the ruling party, a report has suggested.
Chasi, who was one of the most popular of ministers in Mnangagwa’s Cabinet, is also said to have been deemed a threat to the first family’s interests which is suffering allegations of gross corruption.
The details are suggested in a report by the weekly Standard newspaper which quotes a source saying Chasi became a suitable replacement of Mnangagwa chosen by the Chiwenga faction.
The article, partly printed below, passes these suggestions however obtaining clues from faceless sources. ZimEye reveals the video of a Mnangagwa loyale, the Presidential advisor, Chris Mutsvangwa who openly fingers Chasi while at the same time saying that the events of the last few days were geared at removing Mnangagwa.
Mutsvangwa said his boss Mnangagwa cannot be corrupt because he set up an anti-corruption commission.
Speaking to the state broadcaster, ZBC, Mutsvangwa said Mnangagwa cannot be accused of corruption because he has fulfilled the constitution by setting up the Zimbabwe anti-corruption commission, ZACC. The organisation is led by Justice Loice Matanda Moyo whose husband, Sibusiso Moyo has been named in a USD1,2 billion scandal allegation that torched storm at the weekend as the reason why Mnangagwa has fired Energy Minister Fortune Chasi.
Her organisation was still to comment on the allegations at the time of writing.
Recently describing the same commission, Mnangagwa personally, and somewhat unwittingly described the organisation as a “new corruption,” which he set up to investigate corruption crimes.
VP Constantino Chiwenga is said to have ordered the brief arrest of Mnangagwa’s daughter, Chido over illegal mining in Mazowe. On another hand, his faction members have dropped dead in the last 3 weeks under mysterious circumstances.
Speaking to the ZBC, Mutsvangwa criticised the 31 July movement which is against corruption. He said,
“Surprisingly those who were behind 31 July didn’t want sanctions they instead invoked The Bogey of corruption, as a reason for people to go into the street and they wanted some how to attach the tag of corruption to the head of state of the country when it is clear that he is the first one who has set up an @ZACConline , as the constitution requires. He has fired ministers including as recently as yesterday because of the tag, because of the stigma of corruption, it has never happened in this country…
“So here is a man who is cleaning the mess, who is moving down the main street, cleaning the sewage, he is now being accused of being the one who is corrupt now that’s where this whole thing was supposed to lead to regime change and removal of the president…” VIDEO:
"Surprisingly those who were behind 31 July didn't want sanctions they instead invoked The Bogey of corruption, as a reason for people to go into the street and they wanted some how to attach the tag of corruption to the head of state of the country …. https://t.co/PJBE7YkERF
"when it is clear that he is the first one who has set up an @ZACConline , as the constitution requires. He has fired ministers including as recently as yesterday because of the tag, because of the stigma of corruption, it has never happened in this country…
"So here is a man who is cleaning the mess, who is moving down the main street, cleaning the sewage, he is now being accused of being the one who is corrupt now that's where this whole thing was supposed to lead to regime change and removal of the president…"
The Zanu-PF leader announced the shock removal of the former Justice and Transport deputy minister from government on Friday.
According to a statement by chief secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda, Chasi’s “conduct of government business had become incompatible with the president’s expectations.”
He was replaced by the little-known Soda Zhemu, the Zanu-PF MP for Muzarabani in Mashonaland Central province.
Insiders said a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) report on the chaos at Zesa would be used as an excuse for Chasi’s sacking, but the issues were much deeper.
A week ago, Mnangagwa ordered Zacc to investigate Zesa after suspending the power utility’s executive chairman Sydney Gata and the entire board.
Insiders now say the Zesa issue was a decoy and Gata would be used to implicate Chasi in alleged shady deals.
Insiders said the real issues were that Chasi was being targeted because of suspicions that he had ambitions for higher office.
They said the Mazowe South MP was viewed as an ally of Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga and that he was one of those allegedly plotting against Mnangagwa.
“There is suspicion that the Chiwenga faction considered Chasi as presidential material and in the event the army takes over from Mnangagwa, he could be the new face of Zanu-PF,” the source said.
“Others also considered him a G40 person because he was receiving praise from exiled former G40 hawks.”
A fortnight ago, Mnangagwa and Chiwenga allegedly clashed during a politburo meeting where evidence was allegedly produced that a faction linked to the vice president was plotting against the president.
A politburo member Cleveria Chizema was suspended after posters allegedly promoting the July 31 protests by opposition groups were found at her Harare home.
Chizema was accused of being part of Zanu-PF people that allegedly wanted to use the protests to push for Chiwenga to take over from Mnangagwa.
Zanu-PF sources said Chasi’s sacking was to some extent part of a continuation of a purge that will target those suspected to be involved in the alleged plot.
The Mnangagwa family is also said to have played a big role in the minister’s unceremonious exit.
“Chasi was caught in the crossfire, he has been a victim of family politics and factionalism in Zanu-PF,” the source said.
“Chasi failed to read the politics.”
Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa yesterday refused to comment on Chasi’s dismissal and allegations that Mnangagwa’s family had a role in the minister’s sacking.
“How do I comment on a decision by my principal? You heard it,” Mutsvangwa said.
“It is factual and clear that he was relieved of his duties.
“I am not the one who appointed him so the person, who appointed him relieved him of his duties.”
Factionalism is said to be resurfacing in Zanu-PF over Chiwenga’s alleged ambitions to take over from Mnangagwa ahead of the 2023 elections.
Zambian President Edgar Lungu attending the SADC virtual meeting with his cabinet.
The 40th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was held virtually on the 17th August 2020.
Important regional decisions ought to have been made at the 40th ordinary summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Monday. Like whether to send a SADC force into Mozambique to help that country fight and contain a jihadist insurgency in the north. And how to stop the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe from unravelling and spilling over into the region.
The SADC is not good at making big decisions at the best of times. And holding the organisation’s first virtual summit under Covid-19 conditions was not the best of times. Diplomatic sources told Daily Maverick that the governments of the 16 member states had decided beforehand not to discuss sensitive issues – like Mozambique and Zimbabwe – remotely for fear of security breaches.
But even within those severe constraints it was an unilluminating gathering. As usual with such summits, even before Covid-19, most of it took place in camera. Or perhaps, one should say in these strange times, off-camera. But the opening and closing ceremonies were supposed to be open. Yet the transmission was so atrocious that it was almost impossible to hear what anyone said at the opening ceremony.
Either the closing ceremony didn’t happen, or if it did, it wasn’t transmitted. Or not so anyone could pick it up. There was no press conference, which was not surprising. There is no reason – apart perhaps from the likely terrible transmission – why SADC couldn’t have held a virtual press conference. But like some other organisations, SADC had obviously decided to use Covid-19 as a cover for keeping the media and the public safely distant not only from possible infection, but also from any sensitive information.
Mozambique was first referenced in the communique after the summit, obliquely when it said, “Summit received an Assessment Report on emerging Security Threats in the Region, commended the Secretariat for the Detailed Report, and directed the Secretariat to prepare an action plan for its implementation, that will among others, prioritize measures to combat terrorism, violent attacks and cybercrime; and to address adverse effects of climate change.”
More directly, the communique said, “Summit welcomed the decision by the Government of the Republic of Mozambique to bring to the attention of SADC the violent attacks situation in the country, and commended the country for its continued efforts towards combating terrorism and violent attacks.
“Summit expressed SADC solidarity and commitment to support Mozambique in addressing the terrorism and violent attacks, and condemned all acts of terrorism and armed attacks.”
This really took matters no further than the statement after SADC’s Organ on Politics, Defence and Security had met in Harare and also expressed SADC’s “solidarity and commitment” to support Mozambique’s fight against the jihadist insurgency in the north of the country – but without offering specifics.
There was no reference to Zimbabwe at all in Monday’s communique.
Given the solidarity that exists among SADC’s 16 governments, that was not really surprising. Particularly as regional crises are dealt with, in the first place, by the Organ on Political, Defence and Security. The organ’s summit took place on Friday and it was chaired by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, as Zimbabwe was then chairing the organ. So it’s hardly surprising that Zimbabwe didn’t come up.
A HARARE company that runs an investment scheme offering 50 percent interest within six weeks has shut its offices leaving scores of investors stranded.
Bevern Capital, whose directorship is still unknown, has been operating from Number 12 Lawson Avenue.
According to a notice at the premises, the closure was meant to allow the company to comply with the law.
Part of the notice reads: “Inconveniences caused are sincerely regretted. We would like to advise all our valued clients that we have closed our offices for pay-ins and pay-outs for legal and compliance issues.”
The company assured its clients of reopening soon.
This follows a recent statement by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) that the company had no banking licence as required by the law. The central bank said such investments involving taking money from people required a banking licence, hence the firm was operating illegally.
The central bank stated that another firm, KWD Digital Marketing of 147 Freedom Legacy Road in Gunhill, was also operating in violation of the Banking Act.
RBZ and police last week launched investigations on the two companies and KWD directors reportedly fled to South Africa.
Meanwhile, the police are hunting down the KWD directors with a view to interview them on the legality of the company’s operations.
KWD was offering to double deposits made within four weeks, a promise that is not sustainable in normal business.
HARARE – The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has appointed Alson Mfiri as acting head of news and current affairs, taking over from Gilbert Nyambabvu.
Nyambabvu, who held the high-pressure job for 18 months, is set to become the ZBC’s new director of digital platforms and innovation.
The ZBC did not say what prompted the change, but ZimLive understands Nyambabvu recently ran into trouble after he was summoned and given a rollicking by first lady Auxillia Mnangagwa for suspending a cameraman.
Cameraman Stan Marodza was suspended after causing the broadcasting of a video clip showing President Emmerson Mnangagwa receiving a donation of Covid-19 masks and PPEs from Delish Nguwaya, the country representative of a controversial company – Drax International – which was irregularly awarded tenders worth over US$60 million for medical supplies.
ZBC’s senior editorial team had decided that the clip would not be used, believing they were shielding Mnangagwa from an already raging controversy over how Drax was given tenders. Nguwaya is a business associate of Mnangagwa’s twin sons, Shaun and Collins.
Three days later, however, Marodza allegedly saw an opportunity when most senior editorial gatekeepers were absent and caused the clip to run on the main news.
On June 20, Nick Mangwana, the government spokesman, said on Twitter: “The scam is actually much more intricate than I even imagined. I am informed that after the reporter shelved the story, the scammers got to the cameraman Stan Marodza who managed to get the clip played three days later and then gave the original to Nguwaya for leveraging officials.”
ZBC chiefs were shocked however, on June 23, when Nyambabvu was summoned by the president’s wife who was critical of the original decision not to run the clip, and the subsequent decision to suspend the cameraman.
Marodza appeared before a ZBC internal disciplinary committee last week and was cleared of wrong-doing.
The ZBC head of news job is one of the hardest jobs in journalism. Tightly controlled by the security establishment, ZBC editorial staff have to juggle the competing interests of Zanu PF and government officials – each claiming a stake in the public broadcaster.
“Everyone wants to be on the main 8PM news because they believe the president is watching, they must be seen to be doing something,” a senior ZBC journalist told ZimLive. “Phones ring off the hook during News Hour – well, it had to be extended to an hour and 30 minutes because everyone wants to be on it.”
Mfiri returns to the ZBC from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe where he was recruited by former governor Gideon Gono as his spokesman.
John Mangudya, who succeeded Gono, did not take a shine to Mfiri and sidelined him. He returned to the ZBC earlier this year as director of special projects.
Nyambabvu is also expected to take charge of the ZBC’s long-delayed 24-hour news channel in his new role.
More than 72 percent of all Zimbabweans who have been confirmed as infected with Covid-19 are now fully recovered, able to resume work, shop and participate in the limited social mixing during the lockdown.
The huge jump yesterday in the number of recovered patients to 3 848, out of the total of 5 308 confirmed cases, came as delayed figures from Harare finally entered the statistics of the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.
The city jumped from 76 recoveries to 1 774 once the recoveries in the city over the past few weeks were included.
There were only 47 new cases yesterday, but three new deaths, on each from Bulawayo, Mashonaland East and Manicaland, to take the cumulative total to 135.
Harare still leads in the number of confirmed cases, with a cumulative total of 2 042, and in the number of deaths, 71.
But it now leads in the number or recoveries. Those 1 774 recoveries are 86 percent of all confirmed city cases. The death toll is 3.4 percent of the confirmed cases. The final 197 city patients are still active and infectious, but hopefully getting better.
Bulawayo has had 1 207 confirmed cases, with 28 deaths, and 873 recoveries while Midlands has 483 confirmed cases so far, but just six deaths and 383 recoveries. Manicaland has 317 cofirmed cses, but 15 deaths and 239 recoveries.
South Africa now has 11 839 deaths from 587 345 confirmed cases, but recoveries are rising to 472 377, about 80 percent of the total with active cases remaining at a little over 100 000.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected Tuesday to issue a statement on the Roman Catholic bishops’ pastoral letter highlighting some social, economic and political issues facing Zimbabwe amid calls for Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa to resign over what some people say are inflammatory tribal remarks.
In a tweet, Information Secretary Nick Mangwana said Mnangagwa is expected to address the pastoral letter, which among other issues, indicated that there are serious human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, arbitrary arrest of state opponents, rampant corruption and other issues directly linked to Mnangagwa’s government.
“Regarding issues around the Pastoral Letter by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference, President @edmnangagwa is going to issue a comprehensive statement tomorrow.”
In her response to the pastoral letter, Mutsvangwa said, “With nefarious cynicism to history, Archbishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu is inching to lead the Zimbabwe Catholic congregation into the darkest dungeons of Rwanda-type genocide. The letter seeks the revival and continuation of the perennial vices of division. It has a selective and warp-sided reading of history.
“The errant and evil Bishop has a nauseating mental amnesia of the blight of minority settler rule and its baggage of exploitative racism against the totality of the black majority popular of Zimbabwe. The levity of his mental amnesia is worsened by the fact that he tears off pages of the progressive crusade for justice and democracy that has hitherto been the shining virtue of the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe.”
She also said, “…He wants to posit as the leader of righteous Ndebele minority by fanning the psychosis of tribal victimization.
Concurrently he sows sins of collective guilty on the Shona majority. That way he seeks to numb the spirit of collective national vigilance against the known and proven enemies of the populace of Zimbabwe.
“His transgressions acquire a geopolitical dimensions as the chief priest of the agenda of Regime Change that is the hallmark of the post-imperial major Western powers for the last two decades.”
Archbishop Ndlovu has not responded to Mutsvangwa’s remarks. The pastoral letter has been supported by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Law Society of Zimbabwe and several other non-profit organizations, individuals, opposition parties and ministers of religion.
Some Zimbabweans say the minister should step down, saying she is fanning tribal conflicts in the country.
NEWLY-appointed ministers, Anxious Jongwe Masuka and Soda Zhemu, yesterday pledged to enhance value addition and institute import substitution to improve the livelihoods of Zimbabweans through increased production and provision of energy in a sustainable way.
Dr Masuka, an agricultural technocrat, took over as Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister following the death of Retired Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri last month, while Cde Zhemu, who is also Muzarabani North legislator, assumes duty as Energy and Power Development Minister, taking over from Cde Fortune Chasi who was relieved of his duties last week.
The two were sworn-in by President Mnangagwa at State House yesterday at a function attended by Vice Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi.
In an interview soon after a closed-door meeting with President Mnangagwa, Dr Masuka said it was high time the country stops importing food, something that could be achieved through increased production.
Dr Masuka said there was need to restore agriculture as the backbone of the economy and anchor of economic transformation through import substitution. His major thrust was to build on the successes already achieved in the sector.
“We are just coming up from a successful winter programme where we had an expanded wheat crop unprecedented in the past few seasons. So we can build on those successes and ensure that we start the preparation for the summer season now. The short-term and immediate objective is to ensure that we have increased production this season but the overall scheme of things is that the broader strategy in pursuit of Vision 2030 is to make agriculture central again to the development of the country.
“There will be focus on food security, import substitution, diversified and expanded exports, value addition and beneficiation employment creation and improvement of rural livelihood in pursuit of that vision,” said Dr Masuka.
“We have hit the ground running. There is no option, people need to eat every day, and we cannot continue to import what we eat.”
Minister Zhemu said his thrust was to push President Mnangagwa’s vision through ensuring that there was sustainable availability of energy, which was central to the development of the economy across all sectors.
“Obviously issues to do with electricity, energy and power are very critical. The President has enunciated the vision where we are looking at adequate and sustainable power generation. Obviously we will have to follow what has been put forward by the President in order to achieve the vision. I know certainly people are interested to know about issues about power because they are key enablers towards the achievement of Vision 2030.
“Talk of agriculture, mining, all the processes that we are looking at as a nation, power is a prerequisite. I will work harder to ensure that the vision is achieved but obviously it is a process,” said Minister Zhemu.
Zimbabwe, under the leadership of President Mnangagwa is pursuing Vision 2030, to be a middle class income with signs already showing that notwithstanding setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic the country will achieve its goals.
Dr Masuka, who has national and regional reputation, has held several research and management posts, mostly at high level, in his career.
He began in the teaching field as a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe in the Department of Biological Sciences as well as at the Zimbabwe College of Forestry.
He has also worked at the Forestry Commission, the Tobacco Research Board where he rose to general manager, and before his appointment he was the chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society.
Dr Masuka has cumulatively sat on over 30 boards and associations, and has been involved in consultancy work to projects in the field of agriculture, forestry, environment, public health and rural development in Zimbabwe, in SADC region and beyond.
He is a founding fellow of the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences in 2004.
Minister Zhemu is expected to bring quality management skills. He is a holder of a Masters’ in Business Administration, and has a certificate in quality management systems.
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Zimbabwe) has expressed concern over “tribally connotative” utterances attributed to Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, who attacked head of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) Archbishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu after Catholic bishops issued a blistering pastoral letter, citing human rights abuses and rampant corruption as the major causes of the current social, economic and political crisis in the country. We present below MISA Zimbabwe’s statement issued by chairman Golden Maunganidze.
The tribally connotative remarks attributed to the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, following the pastoral letter issued by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC), are not exemplary or helpful when viewed in the context of the constitutional obligations that bind senior government officials.
In her strongly worded response to the pastoral letter, Minister Mutsvangwa singled out and accused Bishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu, ZCBC president, of leading the bishops on the pathway of petty tribalism, narrow regionalism and racial antagonism.
Media should guard against hate language, uphold Constitution
MISA Zimbabwe’s great concern in that regard is informed by the minister’s proximity to the media, more so as it pertains to the public media, which, as is expected with all other media, should guard against being the purveyors of hate language.
The Constitution of Zimbabwe by virtue of its being, the supreme law of the country, binds every person including the State, executive, the legislature, the judiciary and agencies of government to fulfil its obligations.
Section 56, which deals with equality and non-discrimination, stipulates that every person has the right not to be treated in an unfairly discriminatory manner on the grounds of their nationality, race, colour, tribe, place of birth, ethnic or social origin, language, class, religious belief, political affiliation, opinion, custom, among others.
In that regard, ministers and government officials, among others, should be exemplary in upholding the supremacy of the Constitution. Equally, the media plays an important role in ensuring that it does not disseminate information that is likely to engender discrimination, hostility or enmity on the basis of one’s tribe or ethnic or social origin.
State actors should use temperate and measured language
The media should always, thus be on high alert and guard against propagating information that has the potential of triggering tribal or ethnic hostility among the citizens of Zimbabwe. While Section 61 of the Constitution provides for freedom of expression and media freedom, it emphasizes that these freedoms exclude, incitement to violence, advocacy of hatred or hate speech and malicious injury to a person’s reputation or dignity.
Public officials, should in that vein, be mindful of statements that have the potential of inflaming hatred or discrimination along racial, tribal or ethnic lines and should always use temperate language in their communication or responses to issues to avert animosity and hostility among citizens.
These issues speak to the core and imperative need to secure the editorial independence of the public media and safeguard it from being abused by public officials as has been of concern over the years.
This will allow the media space to independently weigh the effect of pronouncements by public officials, all political parties and politicians, by subjecting them to due scrutiny and regard as dictated by the ethics of the profession for the sake of national peace and stability critical to socio-economic development and prosperity.
Statements or pronouncements by politicians, regardless of their political affiliations, should thus be subjected to the profession’s rigorous checks and balances as opposed to regurgitating them word for word in their potentially explosive context.
This demands the media be impartial and afford fair opportunity for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinions as highlighted and advised by the Constitution in terms of the enjoyment of the rights to media freedom and freedom of expression.
This is not to say the media or journalists should suppress essential information but should do its utmost to verify and rectify information that has the potential of being harmfully inaccurate. This can be achieved by reporting both sides of the story and the inclusion of as many voices as is possible to assist the public in making informed, but lawful decisions and choices as provided for in the Constitution.
MISA Zimbabwe, therefore, implores, politicians, more so those tasked with communicating government positions to use temperate and measured language while being tolerant of constructive criticism and divergent views.
That is the hallmark of mature politicians and politics which goes a long way in lowering the highly charged socio-economic and political environment, thereby, leaving room for dialogue and engagement on critical national issues.
Air Zimbabwe has rescued 132 citizens that were in China since the Covid-19 lockdown began early this year.
The flight carrying 132 citizens touched down at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport at 8.23am yesterday.
Air Zimbabwe spokesperson Ms Firstme Vitori confirmed the arrival of the B767-200ER.
“We successfully operated a repatriation charter flight for Zimbabwean and South African nationals out of Guangzhou, China, via Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Johannesburg (South Africa) and Harare,” said Ms Vitori.
“The flight, with support from Government, was chartered by Maple Aviation. It was operated by Air Zimbabwe’s B767-200ER ‘Chimanimani’ which touched down at RGM International Airport in Harare at 0823hrs today (yesterday), with 132 Zimbabwean nationals.”
The Air Zimbabwe flight flew out to Guangzhou on Saturday.
Zimbabwean students in China made up the majority of the rescued passengers.
The students had been stuck in China following the Covid-19 lockdown and the subsequent cancellation worldwide of most commercial flights.
Parents paid at least US$1 000 each to bring back the students on the charter.
Air Zimbabwe has been commended for repatriating many Zimbabweans across the world, especially from Asia, despite operating one aircraft, the B767-200ER.
The aircraft has previously developed technical problems and the last flight lasted over a month after the plane developed engine trouble in Bangkok, Thailand.
ZIMBABWE’S POLITICAL CRISIS DESERVES SADC ATTENTION.
We note that the Communique of the just ended 40th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government has omitted the deteriorating governance and legitimacy crisis in Zimbabwe. Whereas the Communique has taken note of the security situations in some countries including Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo, we urge regional leaders to equally pay attention to the deepening crisis in Zimbabwe. Under the cover of COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe has intensified its crackdown on human rights defenders including journalists, lawyers, labor unions, civic society, the church and the opposition for exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
In response to citizen discontent owing to grand state corruption and plummeting socio-economic standards, the political elite has abused state institutions to carry out systematic abductions, torture, extra-judicial killings and unlawful arrests. In the short period before and after the July 31 2020 peaceful citizen protests, we have recorded at least 146 cases of human rights violations against our members including 38 abductions. This situation, coupled with the lack of cohesion in government now pose a serious threat to peace and security in Zimbabwe and the SADC region in general. We reiterate that genuine inclusive national dialogue to agree on a comprehensive reform agenda and platform through an agreed neutral facilitator supported by SADC, the African Union and the international community at large remains the only plausible route to extricate Zimbabwe out of its current state.
We urge SADC to urgently intervene in Zimbabwe in line with the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security in order to maintain regional peace and security.
Gladys Kudzaishe Hlatyvvayo Secretary for International Relations
Finance and Economic Development Permanent Secretary, George Guvamatanga, said he made his money working in the private sector for more than 30 years, and rising to chief executive of Barclays Bank Zimbabwe, long before joining the civil service in November 2018.
He was reacting to social media pictures of a family visit to Victoria Falls using a private jet.
The family went on holiday after Mr Guvamatanga and eight of his family members recovered from Covid-19.
After the images went viral, sceptics questioned his capacity to hire a jet.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Guvamatanga said he accumulated his wealth in the private sector and he got a golden handshake when he left Barclays.
“I spent 30 years with Barclays Bank of which 23 of those was as senior executive and 10 years as the chief executive officer. It is known in the market that when I left I was paid a package running into millions of United States dollars.
“It is also important to note that I left after having successfully put together and led a consortium of managers (at Barclays Bank Zimbabwe) that wanted to acquire the bank and had secured funding for that, although Barclays Plc opted for another buyer,” said Mr Guvamatanga.
Barclays Bank sold its majority stake in Barclays Bank Zimbabwe to Malawi’s First Merchant Bank Capital in 2017 although former managers of the bank’s local operations led by Mr Guvamatanga had also bid to buy the shares.
When the bank changed hands, the new owners and Mr Guvamatanga agreed to part ways.
“I also remain a businessman with interests spanning real estate, insurance, retail and distribution and farming, which I established before joining Government. I joined Government from the private sector because I felt my experience would help in how Government is run and make a difference” he said.
Mr Guvamatanga was appointed Permanent Secretary in September 2018, 10 months after leaving Barclays, as part of the Government drive to upgrade State financial systems and controls.
Breaking: Home Affairs minister, Kazembe Kazembe has vowed to apprehend Job Sikhala in the coming 72 hours. He accused the security Team that was searching for him to be working with him. The Ferret team on the manhunt of Job Sikhala, has since been changed. -more to follow
IT’S something that will not make headlines but Marvelous Nakamba finished among the Top Five ball-winning midfielders in the English Premiership last season.
Only Declan Rice, Phillip Billing, N’Golo Kante and Wilfred Ndidi did better than the Zimbabwean among the players who played, at least, 1 500 minutes.
That’s according to defensive data collected by the authoritative sources at Breaking The Lines.
So, in simple terms, Nakamba, for a player in his first season in the Premiership, played very well.
His role is to win the ball and play it out — not gain the headlines.
But, in the post-season breakdown of Aston Villa players, Nakamba is someone who flies under the radar a little bit — despite his general importance to the team.
He didn’t score important goals, he wasn’t a regular starter post-lockdown, and he wasn’t involved in many critical moments.
He’s been linked to a few moves away — but do Villa really want to see the back of Nakamba?
Was it a bad season for Nakamba then?
By no means.
The tough-tackling midfielder emerged as an early star during the tough first portion of the season, and even earned a spot on some highlight reels thanks to a crunching challenge in the League Cup final, against Manchester City.
He’s rather unique in this Villa side as well.
The early stages of the season saw Nakamba singled out as a top performer and crucial to the side.
According to Statsbomb, Villa had given “Nakamba a thankless job, and he’s doing it admirably’’.-The Herald
The government owned Chronicle newspaper reports how ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa began kidnappings back in November 1980.
Mnangagwa is accused of a string of abductions that have happened in the last 5 years.
The report dated 22 November 1980, says:
POLICE are holding some people In Bulawayo and Salisbury for investigation, a Government spokesman announced today. They are being held on the orders of the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa who is in charge of state security. A brief official statement today said: “Some people are being held in Salisbury and Bulawayo for Investigation. They are being held by police special branch on the orders of the Minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office.”
The Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Joshua Nkomo, who is also the leader of ZAPU, said nine top officials of his party had been rounded up. At a news conference at his home in Highfield, Salisbury, Mr Nkomo said seized were: Mr Mark Nziramasanga…the secretary for information and publicity; Mr Sidney Malunga, MP for Matabeleland North; Mr C Z Moyo, the party’s Parliamentary Whip; Mr Richard Ndlcrvu, Mr Dan. Mabusa, Mr Charles Sigangatsha, Mrs Zodwa Sibanda, Mr Fletcher Dulini.
Chronicle: From 22 November 1980 POLICE are holding some people In Bulawayo and Salisbury for investigation, a Government spokesman announced today. They are being held on the orders of the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa… pic.twitter.com/QAJNlW7jLt
who is in charge of state security. A brief official statement today said: "Some people are being held in Salisbury and Bulawayo for Investigation. They are being held by police special branch on the orders of the Minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office"…
the secretary for information and publicity; Mr Sidney Malunga, MP for Matabeleland North; Mr C Z Moyo, the potrty's Parliamentary Whip; Mr Richard Ndlcrvu, Mr Dan. Mabusa, Mr Charles Sigangatsha, Mrs Zodwa Sibanda, Mr Fletcher Dulini.
A pastoral letter to the churches and the people of Zimbabwe
Let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24)
To the churches and people of Zimbabwe,
Grace and peace from the God of life and the Lord Jesus Christ
Christian greetings from the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the World Methodist Council.
We have heard the laments of our sisters and brothers in your country and we are deeply concerned about the circumstances by which you are afflicted.
We express our solidarity with all the people of Zimbabwe yearning for the realization of their human rights, for justice, and for physical and economic security in their communities.
We have heard of the deteriorating conditions for women, children, young people and men whose lives and livelihoods are facing increasingly serious threats each day, with approximately half of the entire population facing hunger, staggering unemployment rates, corruption and insecurity, the country is crying out for effective accompaniment.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the economic challenges and seriously affected the already fragile public health and education systems.
The ongoing medical doctor’s strike has caused millions of Zimbabweans – including children and pregnant women – to have no access to essential medical care.
While we understand the gravity of the challenges posed by the pandemic, we also recognize that the root causes of corruption and the longstanding failure to protect human rights lie in failed governance structures.
We condemn the increasing use of force, violence and intimidation against people protesting these failures, targeting particularly those deemed to oppose the current government.
We are particularly concerned about the mistreatment of political activists and other advocates for human rights.
We strongly condemn the sexual abuse and violence against women activists. We find the incarceration of journalists and political leaders unacceptable.
We are encouraged by the ongoing ministry of churches in Zimbabwe to serve the most vulnerable and call on you to keep remembering the ‘least of these’ even as you remain steadfast in your hope in Christ Jesus.
May your voice continue to be raised on behalf of the most vulnerable.
We believe that the God of life calls us into action for justice for the oppressed.
We pledge our solidarity with you as we lift up your cries for justice, dignity, and protection of their human rights.
We shall continue to advocate together with our member churches for this cause.
Sisters and brothers, we assure you of the continued prayers of the global Christian family.
Hold steadfast to the faith that we share, which binds us together in Christian unity, and compels us to seek justice and work for peace.
In solidarity,
Rev. Prof. Dr loan Sauca, WCC Interim General Secretary
At least three Zimbabweans died after being involved in a three-truck pile up at the treacherous Kapiringozi Escarpment along the Chirundu-Kafue Road in Zambia.
The accidents occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning when the driver of one of the trucks lost control of the vehicle as it was descending the mountainous area, rammed into an oncoming truck before hitting a broken down truck, igniting a huge inferno.
An unknown number of people in the trucks were burnt beyond recognition.
Zambian police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Esther Katongo confirmed the accident adding that two Zimbabwean drivers had so far been positively identified.
“Police in Chirundu received a report of a road traffic accident which happened today 16th August, 2020 around 6.40am on Chirundu-Kafue road at Kapiringozi hills involving three trucks.
“Involved in the accident was an unknown motor vehicle driven by an unknown driver with unknown number of passengers who are suspected to have been burnt to ashes,” she said.
One of the deceased drivers was a 25-year-old Zimbabwean who was driving a Volvo truck which had broken down while the other one was driving a truck with suspected Jet A1 fuel which could have ignited the inferno.
“The accident occurred when the unknown driver who was driving the completely burnt truck and was descending the hill lost control due to excessive speed and hit into a FAW Motor vehicle which was carrying suspected Jet1 Fuel. It also hit a stationary Volvo truck which had a break down and all the vehicles caught fire and were completely burnt,” she said.
Police and the fire brigade managed to put out the fire but the number of people who have died in the accident has not yet been established.-The Herald
The state media has reported saying that the the June-July Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) examinations have been completed without a Covid-19 case being reported in centres countrywide.
The examinations went ahead after the Government put in place measures inline with World Health Organisation guidelines to protect candidates and invigilators, the state-owned chronicle reported.
The news release comes however at a time when the military general who took over power from former president Robert Mugabe has assumed authority as the country’s health minister. Analysts say now that he is in power, Constantino Chiwenga will do command reporting, following his modus operandi before and after the coup in the agriculture ministry, an operation he titled, Command Agriculture.
The report says pupils satfor the examinations between 30 June and July 23 under Covid-19 prevention guidelines including wearing of masks, social distancing and temperature tests.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema yesterday said, “We would like to appreciate those who administered the Zimsec June Examinations at the schools in particular the school/centre heads and the invigilators who remained professional and efficient despite the difficult operating environment posed by Covid-19 pandemic.
“Extended gratitude goes to some centres which were not originally examination centres but stood in for schools which were being used as Government quarantine centres. Great applause goes to these centres for swiftly rising to the occasion and ensuring that the examinations were successfully undertaken,” he said.
ZIMBABWE Warriors striker, Prince has passed his medical assessment, which paved way for him to complete his move from Highlanders to Azam in Tanzania.
The player, who arrived in the Tanzanian capital city of Dar es Salaam on Sunday, underwent medical tests on Monday, which Azam confirmed he passed. Dube went on sign a contract and will turn out for Azam when the 2020/21 season starts next month.
“Zimbabwe’s international striker, Prince Dube, has passed medical tests ready to join @azamfc , towards next season,’’ posted Azam on Twitter on Monday.
The Tanzanian club later posted a statement on their social media platforms confirming that they had signed the player.
“Azam FC we are happy to inform you that we have completed the registration of Zimbabwe international attacker, Prince Dube, signing him from Highlanders FC. Dube who is one of Zimbabwe’s dangerous attackers, at the national team of local players, comes to Azam FC to increase power in the attack area,’’ read part of the statement.
The Tanzanians said their Serbian coach Aristica Cioaba, is greatly satisfied with Dube’s ability for all the time they followed him until they decided to sign him.
Dube became the seventh registration at free spending Azam in this registration window for next season, with signings being goalkeeper David Kissu, left defender Emmanuel Charles, Ally Niyonzima, attackers, Awesu Awesu, Ismail Aziz and Ayoub Lyanga.
Azam are looking to close off their registration process by signing another foreign striker.
It is understood that Highlanders will pocket US$50 000 from the deal which has seen then part way their most prized possession.
At Azam, the Warriors striker will link up with fellow Zimbabweans, Bruce Kangwa and Never Tigere.-The Sunday News
August 17, 2020: SafariBookings.com, an online marketplace for African safari tours, recently ran its sixt monthly survey among 344 safari tour operators. The survey’s aim was to acquire a detailed understanding of the impact in the safari industry from the downturn in travel associated with the coronavirus pandemic. The results were in line with the previous five surveys – an overwhelming number of tour operators are suffering from a decline in bookings of at least 75%. This is a horrendous figure for an industry which so many people rely on in East and southern Africa.
As one operator told us, “The impact of the virus is global and has been devastating for many people. Of course, the safari business in Tanzania is no exception. We have seen a decrease of more than 90% in bookings and requests, and we have been closed for more than 4 months now.” And in Uganda one operator simply said, “This pandemic has affected the tourism sector to the extent that since February I have not received any quotes or bookings for safaris.”
For interactive charts and 60 quotes from individual operators, please see the full survey results.
Around 91% of operators said they had lost at least three quarters of the bookings they normally rely upon at this time of year. An extraordinary drop in business with many operators unable to afford to even hire local staff. A Namibian operator summed up the situation in Southern Africa, “In Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, our tourism is suffering badly without our usual international clients. Many places have closed until further notice, many people have lost their jobs. It’s really sad times for tourism.”
Seventy percent of operators who responded to our survey said that cancellations had increased by at least 75% on existing bookings. Less than 4% said it was business as usual. “Covid-19 has affected our business negatively, and caused us to lose some of our staff members as most of our clients have cancelled for this year,” an operator from Namibia told us.
As countries such as Kenya and Tanzania become beacons of hope for the safari industry, restarting international flights, there is also a more positive tone taking its first tentative steps from some tour operators. “There are signs that some recovery will begin, probably in the next month once the border between Tanzania and Kenya opens, and as more flights are starting – we believe that the chances are high that business will improve by at least 50%.”
This operator from Kenya even saw the pandemic as an opportunity for improvement, “The pandemic has definitely affected business in the negative. However, but on the other hand it has caused us to think deeper about our business model, which has resulted in us designing a more strategic model that will be able to remain viable even in a crisis.”
Police officers patrolling the streets orders a man pushing a handcart to go home. 
