Farai Dziva|President Nelson Chamisa on Friday sent a powerful MDC Alliance delegation to Masvingo in solidarity with the party’s jailed Youth Assembly Organizer and ward 4, Masvingo Urban councillor Godfrey Kurauone.

Kurauone is accused of plotting to overthrow Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

See full statement :

15 August 2020

By Wezhira Munya

On Friday, the caring MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa sent a high -powered delegation to Masvingo Urban to give solidarity to councillor Godfrey Kuraone who is in remand prison.

The MDC Alliance delegation comprised MDC Alliance main wing National Secretary of Welfare leader Maureen Kademaunga, MDC Alliance National youth Secretary for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Advocate Agency Gumbo, Chiredzi councillor
Gilbet Mtubuki who is also National Youth Secretary for Lands and Agriculture and leader Desmond who is the national director in the MDC Alliance Social welfare Department.

The delegation came from Harare yesterday.

At the Masvingo Magistrate Court, Masvingo Remand Prison officers only allowed Advocate Agency Gumbo to talk to Kuraone.

Kurauone was in leg chains and handcuffs when he appeared at the Magistrate Court for routine remand.

Councillor Kuraone will be back in court on the 18 August 2020 for the trial date for the second case he is alleged to have committed on 31 July 2020, according to his lawyer, Advocate Martin Mureri.

Advocate Martin Mureri said: “I have requested the prosecutor to set the trial date for the first case on the 25th of August 2020.

This means, MDC Alliance National youth organiser Godfrey Kuraone will be in court on the 18th August 2020 and 25th August for trial.”

MDC Alliance Masvingo Urban Member of Parliament Honourable Jacob Nyokanhete also said :
“We continue to pray for our councillor and MDC Alliance youth leader Godfrey Kuraone’s freedom.”

After the court proceedings, the MDC Alliance national leaders visited Kuraone’s family at his house.

At Kurauone’s house, Advocate Agency Gumbo said:
“President Nelson Chamisa has sent us as a delegation to convey a special message to Councillor Kuraone and his family during this difficulty period.

I met councillor Kuraone and we discussed lot of issues. Councillor Godfrey Kuraone is our senior MDC Alliance National youth member and he deserves solidarity. We thank his parents, wife , children and relatives for their support.”

Leader Maureen Kadengaunga said: “National youth organiser Godfrey Kuraone is a warrior and he is fighting for our emancipation.

President Chamisa is proud of the hardwork our National Youth Organiser is doing.

As the Social Welfare Department we have agreed with advocate Martin Mureri to give councillor Kuraone jersey to wear.

Councillor Kuraone is not feeling well. He is having stomach and ear problems. His personal doctor will see him.

Advocate Mureri has submitted the medical records to Masvingo Remand Prison officials as per their request.”

MDC Alliance youth leader Mr Kingsley Sibanda said: “As the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly led by President Nelson Chamisa, we are encouraged by our fearless National youth organiser Godfrey Kuraone. His persecution by state is strengthening us as Masvingo MDC Alliance Youth Assembly members.”

The following MDC Alliance members also attended the prayer meeting :Ms Lee Mahachi, Mr Chitando, Mrs Boroma, Mrs Magomo, Mai Hazel, Mr Murinye, Mr Mabena, Mrs Sedeya, Mr Wakura among others…

VICE-President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has warned hospitals which are demanding Covid-19 clearance certificates from people seeking medical services as well as those capitalising on the global pandemic to charge exorbitant fees saying Government will soon take corrective action.

The turning away of patients without Covid-19 clearance certificates is reportedly happening across the country at both private and public hospitals.

A Covid-19 test certificate is beyond the reach of many as PCR test cost between US$20 and US$65 at private institutions while at public institutions it’s free for people identified during contact tracing.

VP Chiwenga, who was recently appointed Health and Child Care Minister, also promised a new era in the country’s healthcare system, saying there would be massive restructuring of the health sector.

The Vice-President was recently assigned an additional task of taking charge of the Health Ministry which is under the spotlight because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The country had by Wednesday recorded 122 Covid-19 deaths and 4 893 confirmed cases.

The country’s situation has been worsened by nurses that are on strike demanding better salaries.

Speaking during a tour of Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme in Binga on Thursday, VP Chiwenga said health institutions should prioritise the protection of human lives.

“Government is aware of some hospitals which are turning away patients seeking medical help by demanding Covid-19 test certificates.

Some hospitals are also taking advantage of the pandemic to charge exorbitant fees and we are saying that should stop,” he said.

Dr Chiwenga said Government will soon demand an explanation from hospitals which have been turning away patients or charging exorbitant fees.

“No one has authority or right to turn away any person seeking help and we will be taking tough measures,” he said.

Dr Chiwenga said hospitals should not take advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to profiteer at the expense of people’s lives.
VP Chiwenga said Government is also in the process of procuring more PPE and testing kits.

“Let’s work together, Government on its part is buying more equipment, PPE and PCR test kits,” he said-Chronicle

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has said there is no backsliding as far as the struggle is concerned.

President Chamisa said no form of intimidation would thwart the people’s struggle.

“We are uncompromising, principled and relentless for real change.

As a People we have seen the worst of our times but we are getting over it soon. We’re focused and on course.

True Change is imperative in Zimbabwe.People power triumphs.

Strategy is everything! Hatiitiswe tinoita tega!Tinosvika chete!
#freehopewell
#freeJacob
#ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.

He added:”I thank all progressive voices in Africa &beyond for standing with the people of Zimbabwe in this great hour of need.

Thank you former President Khama,@Julius_S_Malema,@MmusiMaimane,Dumelang Saleshando.Your voices amplify people’s voices. One Africa One pple! #ZimbabweLivesMatter”

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has said there is no backsliding as far as the struggle is concerned.

President Chamisa said no form of intimidation would thwart the people’s struggle.

“We are uncompromising, principled and relentless for real change.

As a People we have seen the worst of our times but we are getting over it soon. We’re focused and on course.

True Change is imperative in Zimbabwe.People power triumphs.

Strategy is everything! Hatiitiswe tinoita tega!Tinosvika chete!
#freehopewell
#freeJacob
#ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.

He added:”I thank all progressive voices in Africa &beyond for standing with the people of Zimbabwe in this great hour of need.

Thank you former President Khama,@Julius_S_Malema,@MmusiMaimane,Dumelang Saleshando.Your voices amplify people’s voices. One Africa One pple! #ZimbabweLivesMatter”

ZIMBABWE’S Covid-19 death toll has risen to 128 from 122 with 97 more people testing positive, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 4 990 cases.

A total of six new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, however, the Ministry of Health and Child care did not disclose in its latest report, if they were at facility level or community deaths.

Manicaland Province recorded the most fatalities, with three people having succumbed to Covid-19 in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of deaths in the province to 13.

Bulawayo recorded one new death, bringing the total number of deaths in the province to 24.

The other two deaths were recorded in Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West Provinces which recorded one case each.
According to the health ministry, all the 97 new Covid-19 cases are local transmissions.

Bulawayo recorded 11 new cases from 282 PCR tests conducted, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 1 161.

Mashonaland West province recorded the highest number of new cases, with 32 more people testing positive for the virus.

Harare recorded 28 new cases while the Midlands province recorded 17 new Covid-19 cases.

A total of 307 new recoveries were reported, bringing down the number of active cases to 2935.

“As of 12 August 2020, Zimbabwe has now recorded 4 990 cases and 128 deaths. 307 new recoveries were reported and active cases have gone down to 2 935,” read the ministry statement-Chronicle

Independent

THE messy tug-of-war between MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa and his MDC-T nemesis Thokozani Khupe has taken a new twist after it emerged the two will once again square off in the Supreme Court over the extension of Khupe’s leadership.

In March, the Supreme Court ruled that Nelson Chamisa was an illegitimate leader of the MDC, paving the way for Khupe to return as the interim leader of the party pending an extraordinary congress which was supposed to have been held by July 31.
The congress, however, failed to proceed due to the ongoing Covid-19-induced restrictions.
This effectively means Khupe’s mandate as interim president has expired.

As such, the MDC-T made an application at the Supreme Court on July 29 seeking an extension to Khupe’s current term and citing Chamisa as a respondent.

Chamisa, through his lawyer, Advocate Thabani Mpofu, notified the court of his intention to oppose the application.
MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora confirmed the development in a recent interview with the Zimbabwe Independent saying lawyers from both sides have since met and deliberated on the issue.

He said Chamisa’s legal team has been given time to prepare their papers.

“We were supposed to have held our extraordinary congress on July 31 but we were stopped by the health officials and police because of the Covid-19 restrictions,” Mwonzora said.

“We have therefore applied for an extension and the matter is going to be argued in the Supreme Court. So the lawyers met and agreed on certain timelines to manage the case. In other words, we have filed our application. The respondents were given time within which to respond because they indicated that they want to oppose the application.

“Chamisa wants to oppose the application and he is going to be given time to file his papers. We have no problem with that. The application was made two days before the expiry of the term of the interim president,” he said.

Mwonzora also said apart from Khupe, other office bearers were not affected.

“The mandates of other office bearers do not expire. They can only expire after the holding of the ordinary congress, not even the extraordinary congress because as you know, the extraordinary congress is for the election of a president and after that, that president will organise the ordinary congress to elect everyone. So the mandate continues until the holding of that congress.
“So my mandate for example doesn’t expire until the holding of a congress that chooses the secretary general,” he said.

Chamisa took over as MDC president in controversial circumstances in 2018 after he outwitted his then two co-vice-presidents, Khupe and Elias Mudzuri during a nasty fight which played out at a time when Tsvangirai was on his deathbed in South Africa.

The government on Saturday strongly rebuked Catholic Bishops who wrote a letter this week accusing government of human rights abuses.

Trading under the banner, The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference, the men of cloth become the latest actors to join the regime change agenda.

The Bishops based their accusations on the foiled July 31 street protests which were foiled by the government.

In a strongly worded statement, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the pastoral letter was misguided.

“As the Government of Zimbabwe we vehemently object to and strongly condemn the Pastoral letter of Archbishop Ndlovu and his coterie of Catholics Bishop prelates. Its evil message reeks with all the vices that have perennially hobbled the progress of Africa. It trumpets petty tribal feuds and narrow regionalist agendas so that it can sow seeds of internecine strife as a prelude to national disintegration,” she said.

Mutsvangwa likened Archbishop Ndlovu to Archbishop Arthanase Seromba of Rwanda who was regarded as a chief spiritual ideologist during the Rwanda genocide.

“The infamous Rwandese Catholic Archbishop would eventually be tried and sentenced to life imprisonment by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Such was the horrendous and abominable conduct of the Rwanda Catholic Church that Pope Francis, the global head of the world-wide Catholic Church had to be obliged into a formal papal visit to Kigali and offer a contrite apology for the heinous crimes of the Rwanda Catholic Clergy.

“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.”

She urged the Catholic congregation in Zimbabwe to ignore the pastoral letter, highlighting that it sought to turn the people against the government.

“Bishop Christopher Ndlovu is leading a coterie of Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops along the wrong path of bygone petty tribalism, narrow regionalism and the debunked and defeated racial antagonism.The letter is full of generalized accusations. By way of contrast, the meticulous Catholic Peace and Justice Commission of the anti-colonial, anti-racist epoch collated, compiled and published dossiers of specific crimes committed by the colonial settler minority regime.

“The Archbishop and his flock of misled Catholic Bishops have none of that diligence. Instead they wallow in generalized and baseless accusations. Absolutely no shred of reported evidence of the so-called victims,” she said.
New Ziana

A prolific prisons-authority source speaks to ZimEye making serious allegations of how the MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai was poisoned. The TV whistleblower, Shepherd Yuda also speaks concerning an alleged plot to poison the jailed journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

A Zaka teacher, Livingstone Chipato will pay five heads of cattle after a traditional leader established that he was bedding with another teacher’s wife.

Chipato who is married teaches at Dabwa Primary while his mistress Rumbidzai Nemanhanga, who is also married, teaches at Mushungwa Primary and both schools are in Zaka.

Chipato vehemently denied the allegations at first but pleaded guilty after overwhelming evidence including confession by Nemanhanga were put before acting Chief Bota.

Kamurai Charuka who is acting Chief Bota confirmed the case and told The Mirror that he gave his verdict on Wednesday this week in the presence of a horde of relatives that accompanied Chipato to court.
The aggrieved husband Alec Makundidze is a teacher at Chimbwembwe Secondary.

Makundidze said he was no longer interested to talk about the case which was resolved at the chiefs court when The Mirror sought his comment. He also said there was no need for the issue to be published since it will reduce the moral standing of other individuals in the community. Chipato confessed ignorance about the case but later asked The Mirror reporter about the benefit of publishing peoples personal matters in newspapers. He urged the reporter to visit him for more information.

Sources said that the two adulterers had been in love for three months and they would see each other in the bushes along the Zaka – Jerera road. It is alleged that Chipato would buy groceries for Nemanhanga.

The matter came out after a tip-off to Makundidze who later went through his wife`s cell-phone and found text messages between the two lovebirds.

“I presided over the matter. Chipato initially denied the allegations but pleaded guilty due to overwhelming evidence. The court found Chipato guilty of adultery and ordered him to pay five beasts to Chipato.

“The wife apologised and co-operated with the court leading to the conviction of Chipato who came to the court with relatives,” said Chief Bota.

Masvingo Mirror

In a not so shocking move, ZANU PF has thrown its weight behind controversial business tycoon Kuda Tagwirei after he was slapped with sanctions by the United States government accusing Washington of making the decision out of sour grapes after the mogul beat an American company to the lucrative Dema emergency diesel power plant five years ago.

“Zanu PF and the world at large is at a loss to understand the geopolitical reasons motivating the Sole Global Super Power which the USA is; descending on a small country like Zimbabwe with a sledge hammer on the basis of falsehoods perpetrated by individuals and the 4 000 NGOs or so it has sponsored to peddle lies and fake news against the Zanu PF government and its national leadership,” Patrick Chinamasa, the Zanu PF acting spokesperson said in a statement.

Below is the full statement issued by the party:

Foreign Affairs Minister, Sibusiso Moyo on Saturday strongly criticised the African Union Commission AUC on the statement the Union made during the week condemning Zimbabwe government’s human rights violations.

AU Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat early this week issued a statement saying the Union was deeply worried by the situation in Zimbabwe.

Responding to Mahamat, Moyo, said there was no crisis in Zimbabwe of a magnitude warranting the AU’s attention.

Even if there was, Moyo said, Mahamat could have used the rightful channels to convey his message.

“I write to express my surprise and concern over the statement issued in your name, on 7 August 2020, concerning the situation in Zimbabwe which appears to lend credence to the raft of erroneous and highly misleading reports circulating on a variety of social media platforms, deliberately placed so as to cause embarrassment to my country and its leadership,” Moyo wrote.

“Let me stress, at the outset, that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe neither are there any human rights violations as purported in your statement.

“The innuendoes and insinuations contained therein could have been avoided had AUC done some due diligence.

“While my country is not averse to justifiable or evidence based on criticism, the rules of natural justice and common courtesy demand that you hear the other side before making any conclusions.

“This did not happen in this case, notwithstanding the fact that H.E the President, myself and the Permanent Mission of Zimbabwe in Addis Ababa are always at your disposal to consult and clarify matters,”

“The principle of subsidiarity demands that the chairperson should have consulted with the sub-regional organisation SADC in order to clearly establish the true facts on the ground before such a statement was issued.

“I am sure SADC would have clarified matters and put the attacks against Zimbabwe in their true context,” Moyo wrote.

“The fact that the statement was issued shortly after a visit to AU Headquarters by the British Minister of Africa and reflects a disturbing alignment with the United Kingdom’s well-known negative perspective on Zimbabwe and London’s abiding antipathy towards Zanu PF,” he said.

Farai Dziva|President Nelson Chamisa on Friday sent a powerful MDC Alliance delegation to Masvingo in solidarity with the party’s jailed Youth Assembly Organizer and ward 4, Masvingo Urban councillor Godfrey Kurauone.

Kurauone is accused of plotting to overthrow Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

See full statement :

15 August 2020

By Wezhira Munya

On Friday, the caring MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa sent a high -powered delegation to Masvingo Urban to give solidarity to councillor Godfrey Kuraone who is in remand prison.

The MDC Alliance delegation comprised MDC Alliance main wing National Secretary of Welfare leader Maureen Kademaunga, MDC Alliance National youth Secretary for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Advocate Agency Gumbo, Chiredzi councillor
Gilbet Mtubuki who is also National Youth Secretary for Lands and Agriculture and leader Desmond who is the national director in the MDC Alliance Social welfare Department.

The delegation came from Harare yesterday.

At the Masvingo Magistrate Court, Masvingo Remand Prison officers only allowed Advocate Agency Gumbo to talk to Kuraone.

Kurauone was in leg chains and handcuffs when he appeared at the Magistrate Court for routine remand.

Councillor Kuraone will be back in court on the 18 August 2020 for the trial date for the second case he is alleged to have committed on 31 July 2020, according to his lawyer, Advocate Martin Mureri.

Advocate Martin Mureri said: “I have requested the prosecutor to set the trial date for the first case on the 25th of August 2020.

This means, MDC Alliance National youth organiser Godfrey Kuraone will be in court on the 18th August 2020 and 25th August for trial.”

MDC Alliance Masvingo Urban Member of Parliament Honourable Jacob Nyokanhete also said :
“We continue to pray for our councillor and MDC Alliance youth leader Godfrey Kuraone’s freedom.”

After the court proceedings, the MDC Alliance national leaders visited Kuraone’s family at his house.

At Kurauone’s house, Advocate Agency Gumbo said:
“President Nelson Chamisa has sent us as a delegation to convey a special message to Councillor Kuraone and his family during this difficulty period.

I met councillor Kuraone and we discussed lot of issues. Councillor Godfrey Kuraone is our senior MDC Alliance National youth member and he deserves solidarity. We thank his parents, wife , children and relatives for their support.”

Leader Maureen Kadengaunga said: “National youth organiser Godfrey Kuraone is a warrior and he is fighting for our emancipation.

President Chamisa is proud of the hardwork our National Youth Organiser is doing.

As the Social Welfare Department we have agreed with advocate Martin Mureri to give councillor Kuraone jersey to wear.

Councillor Kuraone is not feeling well. He is having stomach and ear problems. His personal doctor will see him.

Advocate Mureri has submitted the medical records to Masvingo Remand Prison officials as per their request.”

MDC Alliance youth leader Mr Kingsley Sibanda said: “As the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly led by President Nelson Chamisa, we are encouraged by our fearless National youth organiser Godfrey Kuraone. His persecution by state is strengthening us as Masvingo MDC Alliance Youth Assembly members.”

The following MDC Alliance members also attended the prayer meeting :Ms Lee Mahachi, Mr Chitando, Mrs Boroma, Mrs Magomo, Mai Hazel, Mr Murinye, Mr Mabena, Mrs Sedeya, Mr Wakura among others…

VICE-President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has warned hospitals which are demanding Covid-19 clearance certificates from people seeking medical services as well as those capitalising on the global pandemic to charge exorbitant fees saying Government will soon take corrective action.

The turning away of patients without Covid-19 clearance certificates is reportedly happening across the country at both private and public hospitals.

A Covid-19 test certificate is beyond the reach of many as PCR test cost between US$20 and US$65 at private institutions while at public institutions it’s free for people identified during contact tracing.

VP Chiwenga, who was recently appointed Health and Child Care Minister, also promised a new era in the country’s healthcare system, saying there would be massive restructuring of the health sector.

The Vice-President was recently assigned an additional task of taking charge of the Health Ministry which is under the spotlight because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The country had by Wednesday recorded 122 Covid-19 deaths and 4 893 confirmed cases.

The country’s situation has been worsened by nurses that are on strike demanding better salaries.

Speaking during a tour of Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme in Binga on Thursday, VP Chiwenga said health institutions should prioritise the protection of human lives.

“Government is aware of some hospitals which are turning away patients seeking medical help by demanding Covid-19 test certificates.

Some hospitals are also taking advantage of the pandemic to charge exorbitant fees and we are saying that should stop,” he said.

Dr Chiwenga said Government will soon demand an explanation from hospitals which have been turning away patients or charging exorbitant fees.

“No one has authority or right to turn away any person seeking help and we will be taking tough measures,” he said.

Dr Chiwenga said hospitals should not take advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to profiteer at the expense of people’s lives.
VP Chiwenga said Government is also in the process of procuring more PPE and testing kits.

“Let’s work together, Government on its part is buying more equipment, PPE and PCR test kits,” he said-Chronicle

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has said there is no backsliding as far as the struggle is concerned.

President Chamisa said no form of intimidation would thwart the people’s struggle.

“We are uncompromising, principled and relentless for real change.

As a People we have seen the worst of our times but we are getting over it soon. We’re focused and on course.

True Change is imperative in Zimbabwe.People power triumphs.

Strategy is everything! Hatiitiswe tinoita tega!Tinosvika chete!
#freehopewell
#freeJacob
#ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.

He added:”I thank all progressive voices in Africa &beyond for standing with the people of Zimbabwe in this great hour of need.

Thank you former President Khama,@Julius_S_Malema,@MmusiMaimane,Dumelang Saleshando.Your voices amplify people’s voices. One Africa One pple! #ZimbabweLivesMatter”

Watch the live video loading below….

Watch the live video loading below…

The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) has cranked pressure on the government demanding to have an increment similarly awarded to security forces.

According to the latest salary increment figures awarded to the army starting in June, lowest-ranked soldier will earn ZWL$8,000 and the highest officer will earn ZWL$18, 000.

ZNLWVA national executive member Andy Mhlanga said the war veterans were eagerly waiting for their monthly wages to be reviewed upwards as they are regarded as a reserve force.

“We know that the uniformed forces have been awarded some salary increment and we also want to be in the same bracket with the service forces,” Mhlanga said.

“We are going to be engaging our parent ministry to consider us in awarding a salary increment as the war veterans’ leadership as a request from our membership.”

He said the veterans of the liberation struggle were still waiting for the Covid-19 allowance of US$75 which was given to the civil service.

The demand for a review of the allowances comes at a time war veterans have come out in the open that ZNLWVA membership was rallying behind President Emmerson Mnangagwa in face of demonstrations that were organised by the opposition MDC and civic society members last year.

Christopher Mutsvangwa chairperson of the war veterans had urged war veterans to come out in full force in support of the members of the defence forces in maintaining order and peace in the event that the demonstrations occur in the country.

War veterans have in the past years been demanding salary increment every time government awards salary increment to civil servants.

In his speech to mark Defence Forces Day on Tuesday, President Mnangagwa said the passing of the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Bill into law will address most of the welfare issues of veterans of the liberation struggle.

He said war veterans should take advantage of the “empowerment opportunities availed in all sectors of the economy and the implementation of the devolution policy”.

-Byo 24

By ZLHR| Today lawyers Beatrice Mtetwa and Roseline Hanzi were finally allowed access to Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume in private.

This private consultation was after lawyers insisted on compliance with the court order and the ZPCS officers consulted their superiors.

Although social visits were allowed, Chin’ono and Ngarivhume were denied access to warm food.

Lawyers were advised that the administrative measures did not allow the two to access food that is not purchased online from ‘reputable sources’.

By A Correspondent- Two security guards Leon Kahoka (35) and Desbro Kudzurunga (23) robbed N. Richards Wholesalers Gokwe in broad daylight on the 11th of August.

The accused persons robbed money which was meant to be delivered to First Capital Bank where it is kept pending delivery to various Mukuru mobile money transfer outlets.

The accused persons were sent to deliver USD37 000 and ZAR250 000 but they only handed over USD20 000 and ZAR 40 000 to Mukuru.com employee Tinotenda Nyatsambo.

After handover the accused were nowhere to be seen, their phones not reachable. The vehicle that the duo were using was later discovered parked behind Gokwe hotel.

The two are employees of Safeguard Security Company which is contracted by Mukuru.Com.

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has announced that Mr Alson Mfiri is now the Acting Director of News and Current Affairs.

Mfiri was previously the Director for Special Projects.

The former news anchor and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe spokesperson is taking over from Mr Gilbert Nyambabvu who is now the Director of Digital Platforms and Innovation.

ZBC has made several changes in executive management in the recent past with some saying it is recycling its workforce, an approach they say has hamstrung transformation efforts.

The recent changes come when the broadcaster has been immensely affected by the coronavirus after 30 of its workers earlier this week tested positive for the virus and are all currently isolated at home.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- MDC-T President Thokozani Khupe has fired former Deputy Mayor Tinashe Kambarami and 4 other Bulawayo Councilors who are not supporting the current leadership of MDC-T

Find below a press statement of the party:

Every member shall have the duty:

To accept and conform to the Constitution, policies, principles, rules and regulations of the Party;

To conduct oneself in a manner which is not prejudicial to the interests of the Panty and in particular, to adhere to the Code of Conduct of the Party,

To observe discipline, not engage in any forms of violence, to behave honestly and carry out loyal decisions of the Party.

3.10 Membership Termination and Expulsion

Membership of the Panty shall be terminated if:

A member of the Party joins of supports a political party other than MDC

Termination of membership in these circumstances shall be automatic:

Councilors
1. Enerst Rwafa Moyo Ward 20
2 Tinashe Kambarami: Ward 3
3. Concilia Mlalazi: Ward 18
4. Tinevimbo Muposa: Ward 21
5. Norman Hlabano – Wand 26

By A Correspondent- Lesotho has been hit the hardest by the novel coronavirus as it is in need of 91 000 tonnes of food  aid to support vulnerable households in the next 6 months, SABC reports.

According to the publication, almost half the population of Lesotho are food insecure and they are threatened by hunger:

The pandemic has hit Lesotho hard. The country was already facing food shortages due to drought when it arrived. The Lesotho Disaster Management Authority has released a 2020 Vulnerability Assessment report stating that almost 800 000 people are threatened with hunger. It says at least 91 000 tonnes of staple food will be needed to assist the affected households over the next six months.

By A Correspondent- The High Court has dismissed an urgent application by fourteen (14) opposition MDC Alliance legislators who sought an order to block the Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T from replacing them in Parliament.

The Members of Parliament were recalled by the MDC-T interim leadership earlier this year for “ceasing to be members of the party” after they remained loyal to Nelson Chamisa whom the Supreme Court said was not the legitimate leader of the party. Justice Kwenda said:

They seem to be bent on enlisting the company of the High Court in circumventing the Supreme Court judgment.

It is trite that the High Court cannot overturn a Supreme Court judgment. The legal profession derives its relevance from the application of the rule of law of which constitutionalism is the cornerstone. Jurisprudentially, Supreme Court judgments are collectively a source of law.

The legislators had argued that their recalls were illegal since it was done by Khupe who contested in the 2018 elections with a different political party.

This comes as MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe said it was proceeding to nominate replacements for 15 seats in the National Assembly and Senate that were declared vacant by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- With the situation in Zimbabwe remaining tense, both local and external analysts say the only viable path out of the country’s mess is to get President Emmerson Mnangagwa to work closely with the opposition.

This comes as some in the opposition have once again pinned their hopes on South Africa, regional bloc Sadc and the international community somehow intervening decisively in Zimbabwe’s long-standing political and economic crises this time around.

It also comes days after President Cyril Ramaphosa dispatched special envoys – former South Africa vice president Baleka Mbete and ex-ministers Sydney Mufamadi and Ngoako Ramatlhodi – to Harare, where they held a meeting with Mnangagwa over the country’s myriad crises.

Now, and amid the divided local opinions over Ramaphosa’s intervention, analysts say hopes that outsiders will finally manage to resolve Zimbabwe’s problems are misplaced.

“South Africa’s deployment of special envoys to help resolve the Zimbabwe crisis is an important first step which requires further steps and leadership from Zimbabweans themselves.

“With all the ongoing challenges in the global economy, including the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic, the world can move on without paying attention to Zimbabwe.

“So, the responsibility is on the collective leadership in Zimbabwe to take the decisive and necessary steps to find a lasting solution to the multi-faceted crisis currently engulfing the country,” Human Rights Watch director for southern Africa, Dewa Mavhinga, told the Daily News yesterday.

University of Zimbabwe politics expert, Eldred Masunungure, said Ramaphosa’s success in ending the country’s troubles was heavily dependent on co-operation between Mnangagwa and the opposition.

“The South African initiative may succeed, but it depends on Zanu-PF moving from its rigid position where they are demanding all stakeholders to come to join Polad (the Political Actors Dialogue) for negotiations, and the main opposition is against that.

“At the moment, we have a stalemate. (Nelson) Chamisa and Mnangagwa are the most two important players. They need to soften their stance, especially Zanu-PF.

“It seems they (Zanu-PF) have hardened their stance after the July 31 demonstration,” Masunungure told the Daily News.

Professor of World Politics, Stephen Chan, also warned that no one was likely to help Zimbabwe, because the country had failed to end its own troubles when outsiders had previously tried to assist it.

“South Africa is having desperate problems of its own right now. So is China, by the way. No one is going to come to rescue Zimbabwe.

“Right now, it’s down to Zimbabwe itself, by itself,” Chan told the Daily News.

The director of the Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg, David Monyae, said South Africa was not likely to succeed in ending Zimbabwe’s problems – adding that it was up to Zimbabweans themselves to end the crises engulfing their country.

“Once again, Zimbabwe faces its usual periodical flares. This particular flare comes at the worst of times, whether seen from internal or external factors.

“Despite the fanfare of a new dawn ushered in by the military in upending (the late former president Robert) Mugabe’s almost four decades rule, both Zanu-PF and the splintered MDC formations failed to find ways of uniting the country around a meaningful reconstruction.

“This goes to show that Mugabe’s ouster was not an indictment on his leadership; it was a change of personnel, but business continues as usual,” Monyae said in an opinion yesterday.

“The second most important factor that distinguishes the current situation from the previous disturbances is that the main guarantors of peace in Zimbabwe – mainly Sadc led by South Africa, former colonial powers led by the UK and more importantly the US – have lost the power to influence the situation.

“The perceived power of Pretoria to influence … Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF is eroding daily. While … Ramaphosa dispatches envoys, Baleka Mbete and Sydney Mufamadi to Harare in an attempt to quieten the noise, his Finance minister Tito Mboweni is pre-occupied with the business of borrowing money from the IMF and the World Bank.

“This act of borrowing funds from the IMF was one of Zimbabwe’s original sins,” Monyae said further.

“Britain and the US are too stuck in their own unravelling decline to be counted upon to marshal any influence in Zimbabwe.

“The UK, outside the EU, carries no sticks or carrots of note to be noticed in Harare.

“With all of the above, one wonders what exactly the envoys could possibly say to Mnangagwa and splintered MDC formations to really carry weight that warrants change?

“At the end of the day, the fate of Zimbabwe will be wrought by Zimbabweans themselves,” Monyae added in his opinion published in the Daily Maverick.

All this comes as the government has been accused of launching a brutal crackdown against the organisers of last month’s flopped 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

By A Correspondent- Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono will remain in prison at least until Tuesday, August 18, after magistrate Ngoni Nduna postponed a ruling into a prosecution application for defence lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa to stand down for contempt.

State prosecutors made an application seeking the magistrate to bar lead lawyer Mtetwa from representing Chin’ono in court.

State prosecutor Whisper Mabhaudhi accused Mtetwa of posting comments on her Facebook page, Beatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of Law. Mtetwa said she did not have any social media accounts, but advised the court that the page is run by a Boston based filmmaker, Lorie Conway.

An accomplished human rights defender, Mtetwa is the only African besides Nelson Mandela to have received the Ludovic Trarieux International Human Rights Prize from France.

Meanwhile, the High Court says Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume and Chin’ono should be allowed visits by their lawyers and doctors, and to confer with both in private. Prison authorities were denying the two men unsupervised visits since their July 20 arrest.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) has cranked pressure on the government demanding to have an increment similarly awarded to security forces.

According to the latest salary increment figures awarded to the army starting in June, lowest-ranked soldier will earn ZWL$8,000 and the highest officer will earn ZWL$18, 000.

ZNLWVA national executive member Andy Mhlanga said the war veterans were eagerly waiting for their monthly wages to be reviewed upwards as they are regarded as a reserve force.

“We know that the uniformed forces have been awarded some salary increment and we also want to be in the same bracket with the service forces,” Mhlanga said.

“We are going to be engaging our parent ministry to consider us in awarding a salary increment as the war veterans’ leadership as a request from our membership.”

He said the veterans of the liberation struggle were still waiting for the Covid-19 allowance of US$75 which was given to the civil service.

The demand for a review of the allowances comes at a time war veterans have come out in the open that ZNLWVA membership was rallying behind President Emmerson Mnangagwa in face of demonstrations that were organised by the opposition MDC and civic society members last year.

Christopher Mutsvangwa chairperson of the war veterans had urged war veterans to come out in full force in support of the members of the defence forces in maintaining order and peace in the event that the demonstrations occur in the country.

War veterans have in the past years been demanding salary increment every time government awards salary increment to civil servants.

In his speech to mark Defence Forces Day on Tuesday, President Mnangagwa said the passing of the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Bill into law will address most of the welfare issues of veterans of the liberation struggle.

He said war veterans should take advantage of the “empowerment opportunities availed in all sectors of the economy and the implementation of the devolution policy”.

-BusinessTimes

By A Correspondent- Vice President and Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga has pledged to restructure the Health sector in the country to improve service delivery.

He speaks when the sector is collapsed with basic medicines in short supply while the working environment is not conducive for workers who have on numerous occasions embarked on industrial action to compel authorities to address their grievances.

The former army boss was speaking on Wednesday while on a winter maize crop assessment programme in Middle Sabi and Chiredzi district this Wednesday.

He said:

I urge you to make sure we teach the community we are living in. We are restructuring the health system in Zimbabwe. We want to establish rural health care facilities up to hospitals. We want together with the ministry of Finance and the Health Services Board to see that what happened before will not be repeated. For us to achieve this i need your support. We must work together. I also urge people to observe the WHO Covid-19 regulations.

Before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Zimbabwe’s elites in the country used to go abroad for medical attention thereby attracting the wrath of the citizenry who accuse them of contributing to the collapse of the sector

As the People’s Organising Secretary, I wish to reassure members of the MDC Alliance, our supporters and the generality of Zimbabweans that the people’s juggernaut led by the People’s President, Nelson Chamisa, is gearing up to confront poverty, injustice and bad governance presided over by the illegitimate Mnangagwa regime.

The MDC Alliance leadership is united and collectively, we have a solid plan for the people of Zimbabwe.

We are mobilizing the grassroots to act in accordance with their constitutional rights.

Our focus is to serve the people and address the national crisis created by the socio-political and economic failures of Zanu PF.

We remain steadfast under the able leadership of President Nelson Chamisa. We will continue to fight corruption.

We will insist on a people’s government and the improvement of the people’s dignity and livelihoods that are under siege from the illegitimate rule of Emmerson Mnangagwa. Rumours and sideshows meant to sow seeds of division will not succeed.

Our eyes remain focused on the bigger picture which is to win Zimbabwe for change.

*#ZimbabweanLivesMatter*
*Amos Chibaya*
*MDC Alliance National Organizing Secretary*

By A Correspondent- CABS Bindura branch acting manager Admire Fore was sentenced to 10 months in jail on Tuesday by Bindura magistrate Ethel Chichera for defrauding a client of his US$710.

The 36 year convict will however spend 240 hours of community service at Kandeya clinic in Mount Darwin after the magistrate conditionally  suspended the sentence.

Prosecutor Samson Chamunorwa told the court that on April 12 the complanaint Crispen Kambunga (55) deposited US$2600 in his nostrol account.

Fore hatched a plan to defraud $710 from Kambunga’s account.

In pursuit of his plan on July 25 Fore asked CABS cleaner Tracy Mugwangwavari to take a bank statement from a printer with the complainant’s particulars and hand it over to Fore.

The cleaner complied and was further tasked to fill in a withdrawal slip using Kambunga’s particulars.

After completing the withdrawal slip Fore gave it to one bank teller purporting to be friend with the complainant.

The teller processed the withdrawal and kept the money in his drawer intending to hand it over to the convict.

After knocking down duty the convict asked for the money and the teller told him he had forgotten it in the drawer.

Fore entered back in the bank while being captured on the closed -circuit television (CCTV).

Kambunga discovered that his money had been withdrawn and filed a police report.

Upon hearing that a police report had been filed Fore deposited back the money he had stolen on August 6 leading to his arrest.

By A Correspondent- Villagers at Dillion farm, Shamva teamed up and effected citizen arrest on three Harare suspected Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), transformer thieves.

The matter came to light at Bindura magistrates courts on Tuesday where Jafali Pias Milaz (19), Munya Tinashe Magumise (26) and Zacharia Chiruwanda appeared before magistrate Amos Mubhobho.

The trio pleaded not guilty to the charge levelled against them . They were remanded in custody to  August 18.

The state-led by Samson Chamu alleged that on August 1 the trio drove to  Dillon farm in a silver Toyota Granvia registration number ADM 7205.

Upon arrival they were spotted by Edison Jisinawu buying some drinks at a local shop. He became suspicious of their move and advised the village youth chairperson Josphat Zvomuya.

Zvomuya mobilized scores of villagers to monitoring the trio’s move.

When the suspects arrived at the ZETDC transformer Milaz switched off power and they dismantled the transformer.

Soon after dismantling it, the villagers came to the scene and the suspects fled in different directions.

Villagers chased the suspects and caught them before handing them over to Shamva police station.

The transformer was recovered and ZETDC employee identified it. Their car is being kept at the police station as exhibit.

FULL TEXT- Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference Communique on the Zimbabwean Crisis #ZimbabweansLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/HBTRLOV75f

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 15, 2020

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has announced that Mr Alson Mfiri is now the Acting Director of News and Current Affairs.

Mfiri was previously the Director for Special Projects.

The former news anchor and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe spokesperson is taking over from Mr Gilbert Nyambabvu who is now the Director of Digital Platforms and Innovation.

ZBC has made several changes in executive management in the recent past with some saying it is recycling its workforce, an approach they say has hamstrung transformation efforts.

The recent changes come when the broadcaster has been immensely affected by the coronavirus after 30 of its workers earlier this week tested positive for the virus and are all currently isolated at home.

-statemedia

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has said there is no backsliding as far as the struggle is concerned.

President Chamisa said no form of intimidation would thwart the people’s struggle.

“We are uncompromising, principled and relentless for real change.

As a People we have seen the worst of our times but we are getting over it soon. We’re focused and on course.

True Change is imperative in Zimbabwe.People power triumphs.

Strategy is everything! Hatiitiswe tinoita tega!Tinosvika chete!
#freehopewell
#freeJacob
#ZimbabweanLivesMatter,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.

By A Correspondent- Two security guards Leon Kahoka (35) and Desbro Kudzurunga (23) robbed N. Richards Wholesalers Gokwe in broad daylight on the 11th of August.

The accused persons robbed money which was meant to be delivered to First Capital Bank where it is kept pending delivery to various Mukuru mobile money transfer outlets.

The accused persons were sent to deliver USD37 000 and ZAR250 000 but they only handed over USD20 000 and ZAR 40 000 to Mukuru.com employee Tinotenda Nyatsambo.

After handover the accused were nowhere to be seen, their phones not reachable. The vehicle that the duo were using was later discovered parked behind Gokwe hotel.

The two are employees of Safeguard Security Company which is contracted by Mukuru.Com.

By A Correspondent- Vice President and Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga has pledged to restructure the Health sector in the country to improve service delivery.

He speaks when the sector is collapsed with basic medicines in short supply while the working environment is not conducive for workers who have on numerous occasions embarked on industrial action to compel authorities to address their grievances.

The former army boss was speaking on Wednesday while on a winter maize crop assessment programme in Middle Sabi and Chiredzi district this Wednesday.

He said:

I urge you to make sure we teach the community we are living in. We are restructuring the health system in Zimbabwe. We want to establish rural health care facilities up to hospitals. We want together with the ministry of Finance and the Health Services Board to see that what happened before will not be repeated. For us to achieve this i need your support. We must work together. I also urge people to observe the WHO Covid-19 regulations.

Before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Zimbabwe’s elites in the country used to go abroad for medical attention thereby attracting the wrath of the citizenry who accuse them of contributing to the collapse of the sector.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- With the situation in Zimbabwe remaining tense, both local and external analysts say the only viable path out of the country’s mess is to get President Emmerson Mnangagwa to work closely with the opposition.

This comes as some in the opposition have once again pinned their hopes on South Africa, regional bloc Sadc and the international community somehow intervening decisively in Zimbabwe’s long-standing political and economic crises this time around.

It also comes days after President Cyril Ramaphosa dispatched special envoys – former South Africa vice president Baleka Mbete and ex-ministers Sydney Mufamadi and Ngoako Ramatlhodi – to Harare, where they held a meeting with Mnangagwa over the country’s myriad crises.

Now, and amid the divided local opinions over Ramaphosa’s intervention, analysts say hopes that outsiders will finally manage to resolve Zimbabwe’s problems are misplaced.

“South Africa’s deployment of special envoys to help resolve the Zimbabwe crisis is an important first step which requires further steps and leadership from Zimbabweans themselves.

“With all the ongoing challenges in the global economy, including the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic, the world can move on without paying attention to Zimbabwe.

“So, the responsibility is on the collective leadership in Zimbabwe to take the decisive and necessary steps to find a lasting solution to the multi-faceted crisis currently engulfing the country,” Human Rights Watch director for southern Africa, Dewa Mavhinga, told the Daily News yesterday.

University of Zimbabwe politics expert, Eldred Masunungure, said Ramaphosa’s success in ending the country’s troubles was heavily dependent on co-operation between Mnangagwa and the opposition.

“The South African initiative may succeed, but it depends on Zanu-PF moving from its rigid position where they are demanding all stakeholders to come to join Polad (the Political Actors Dialogue) for negotiations, and the main opposition is against that.

“At the moment, we have a stalemate. (Nelson) Chamisa and Mnangagwa are the most two important players. They need to soften their stance, especially Zanu-PF.

“It seems they (Zanu-PF) have hardened their stance after the July 31 demonstration,” Masunungure told the Daily News.

Professor of World Politics, Stephen Chan, also warned that no one was likely to help Zimbabwe, because the country had failed to end its own troubles when outsiders had previously tried to assist it.

“South Africa is having desperate problems of its own right now. So is China, by the way. No one is going to come to rescue Zimbabwe.

“Right now, it’s down to Zimbabwe itself, by itself,” Chan told the Daily News.

The director of the Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg, David Monyae, said South Africa was not likely to succeed in ending Zimbabwe’s problems – adding that it was up to Zimbabweans themselves to end the crises engulfing their country.

“Once again, Zimbabwe faces its usual periodical flares. This particular flare comes at the worst of times, whether seen from internal or external factors.

“Despite the fanfare of a new dawn ushered in by the military in upending (the late former president Robert) Mugabe’s almost four decades rule, both Zanu-PF and the splintered MDC formations failed to find ways of uniting the country around a meaningful reconstruction.

“This goes to show that Mugabe’s ouster was not an indictment on his leadership; it was a change of personnel, but business continues as usual,” Monyae said in an opinion yesterday.

“The second most important factor that distinguishes the current situation from the previous disturbances is that the main guarantors of peace in Zimbabwe – mainly Sadc led by South Africa, former colonial powers led by the UK and more importantly the US – have lost the power to influence the situation.

“The perceived power of Pretoria to influence … Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF is eroding daily. While … Ramaphosa dispatches envoys, Baleka Mbete and Sydney Mufamadi to Harare in an attempt to quieten the noise, his Finance minister Tito Mboweni is pre-occupied with the business of borrowing money from the IMF and the World Bank.

“This act of borrowing funds from the IMF was one of Zimbabwe’s original sins,” Monyae said further.

“Britain and the US are too stuck in their own unravelling decline to be counted upon to marshal any influence in Zimbabwe.

“The UK, outside the EU, carries no sticks or carrots of note to be noticed in Harare.

“With all of the above, one wonders what exactly the envoys could possibly say to Mnangagwa and splintered MDC formations to really carry weight that warrants change?

“At the end of the day, the fate of Zimbabwe will be wrought by Zimbabweans themselves,” Monyae added in his opinion published in the Daily Maverick.

All this comes as the government has been accused of launching a brutal crackdown against the organisers of last month’s flopped 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.

MDC-T President Thokozani Khupe has fired former Deputy Mayor Tinashe Kambarami and four other Bulawayo Councilors for breaching party constitution by not supporting the current leadership.

In a statement, MDC-T said all members have an obligation to conform to party constitution, principles and policies failure of which they will cease to be members.

Every member shall have the duty:

To accept and conform to the Constitution, policies, principles, rules and regulations of the Party;

To conduct oneself in a manner which is not prejudicial to the interests of the Panty and in particular, to adhere to the Code of Conduct of the Party,

To observe discipline, not engage in any forms of violence, to behave honestly and carry out loyal decisions of the Party,

3.10 Membership Termination and Expulsion

Membership of the Party shall be terminated if:

A member of the Party joins of supports a political party other than MDC

Termination of membership in these circumstances shall be automatic:

Councilors
1. Enerst Rwafa Moyo Ward 20
2 Tinashe Kambarami: Wand 3
3. Concilia Mlalazi: Ward 18
4. Tinevimbo Muposa: Ward 21
5. Norman Hlabano – Wand 26

I thank all progressive voices in Africa &beyond for standing with the people of Zimbabwe in this great hour of need.Thank you former President Khama,@Julius_S_Malema,@MmusiMaimane,Dumelang Saleshando.Your voices amplify people’s voices. One Africa One pple! #ZimbabweLivesMatter

ZanuPF Director of Information, Tafadzwa Mugwadi, Thursday said President Emmerson Mnangagwa should not allow opposition members to demonstrate in the streets because it is nonsensical and can lead to a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Zimbabwe has recorded 4 990 confirmed cases, including 1 927 recoveries and 128 deaths since March but the country has been rocked by a collapse in the health system and several reported cases of human rights violations by alleged state apparatus.

This has led to opposition members, civil society players and other citizens to call on the government to immediately deal with the issues but on its part, the Mnangagwa administration has reacted with vengeance by arresting, abducting or assaulting those who are calling for better lives.

In an interview with SABC News yesterday, Mugwadi said Mnangagwa should not sanction demonstrations by the opposition as they will worsen the COVID-19 statistics.

“Do you think President Emmerson Mnangagwa who has sworn to protect his people and this republic would allow those people to engage in that nonsense that they do on the streets in the name of democracy while COVID-19 cases spike and when they do you start saying Zimbabweans are dying in hospitals.
“You blame President Mnangagwa of failing to come up with a good strategy to fight Covid-19 and then you start again vilifying him…,” he said.

Mugwadi further stated that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe despite the situation on the ground suggesting otherwise.

“There is no crisis in Zimbabwe… but the question is which country across the globe is not facing a crisis of one way or other given the realities of this deadly pandemic called Covid-19 which has left a devastating effect on both the socio-economic and political establishments and fabrics of a country,” he added.

The crisis in Zimbabwe has led to interventions by SADC which saw South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa to send his envoys to assess the situation on the ground.

Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa yesterday said despite the envoys only engaged with Mnangagwa because the two share “brotherly” and diplomatic relationships

” This was at the peer to peer level of brotherly Heads of State of two sister nations that enjoy excellent diplomatic bilateral relations.  The envoys brought in their message which was duly delivered to the host President. In return, they received a briefing from President ED Mnangagwa. The reciprocal messages are the property of the respective leaders and it is their prerogative as to how they can be handled or disseminated,” Mutsvangwa said.

Media reports have been awash with allegations that the envoys snubbed opposition members and were coerced by the Mnangagwa administration.

-263Chat

By A Correspondent- Two security guards Leon Kahoka (35) and Desbro Kudzurunga (23) robbed N. Richards Wholesalers Gokwe in broad daylight on the 11th of August.

The accused persons robbed money which was meant to be delivered to First Capital Bank where it is kept pending delivery to various Mukuru mobile money transfer outlets.

The accused persons were sent to deliver USD37 000 and ZAR250 000 but they only handed over USD20 000 and ZAR 40 000 to Mukuru.com employee Tinotenda Nyatsambo.

After handover the accused were nowhere to be seen, their phones not reachable. The vehicle that the duo were using was later discovered parked behind Gokwe hotel.

The two are employees of Safeguard Security Company which is contracted by Mukuru.Com.

Yesterday, Zimbabwe recorded 82 new Covid-19 confirmed cases taking the cumulative total to 5072, effectively passing the 5000 mark, a daily update from the ministry of health and child care has said.

No deaths were reported yesterday while Harare and Bulawayo continue to be the epicentre of the deadly pandemic.

The Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T Kuwadzana Chairperson Vimbai Kamukwasha had her house gutted by fire in what Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora claims is suspected politically motivated arson attack.

Posting on Twitter at Kamukwasha’s House, Mwonzora said his movement is pushing for reforms so as to totally eradicate barbarism, violence and thuggery blighting Zimbabwean politics.

“Visiting our Kuwadzana Chairman Vimbai Kamkwasha whose house was gutted by fire two days ago in a suspected case of politically motivated arson. Our Reform Agenda will seek to totally eradicate barbarism, violence &thuggery that has blighted our politics.”

VICE-President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has warned hospitals which are demanding Covid-19 clearance certificates from people seeking medical services as well as those capitalising on the global pandemic to charge exorbitant fees saying Government will soon take corrective action.

The turning away of patients without Covid-19 clearance certificates is reportedly happening across the country at both private and public hospitals.

A Covid-19 test certificate is beyond the reach of many as PCR test cost between US$20 and US$65 at private institutions while at public institutions it’s free for people identified during contact tracing.

VP Chiwenga, who was recently appointed Health and Child Care Minister, also promised a new era in the country’s healthcare system, saying there would be massive restructuring of the health sector.

The Vice-President was recently assigned an additional task of taking charge of the Health Ministry which is under the spotlight because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The country had by Wednesday recorded 122 Covid-19 deaths and 4 893 confirmed cases.

The country’s situation has been worsened by nurses that are on strike demanding better salaries.

Speaking during a tour of Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme in Binga on Thursday, VP Chiwenga said health institutions should prioritise the protection of human lives.

“Government is aware of some hospitals which are turning away patients seeking medical help by demanding Covid-19 test certificates.

Some hospitals are also taking advantage of the pandemic to charge exorbitant fees and we are saying that should stop,” he said.

Dr Chiwenga said Government will soon demand an explanation from hospitals which have been turning away patients or charging exorbitant fees.

“No one has authority or right to turn away any person seeking help and we will be taking tough measures,” he said.

Dr Chiwenga said hospitals should not take advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to profiteer at the expense of people’s lives.
VP Chiwenga said Government is also in the process of procuring more PPE and testing kits.

“Let’s work together, Government on its part is buying more equipment, PPE and PCR test kits,” he said-Chronicle

State Media

The SADC region remains stable and peaceful despite a few security challenges and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that has claimed thousands of lives, the Sadc chairman of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, President Mnangagwa, has said.

But there was need to explore innovative ways of ensuring that member states were able to conduct credible elections during the Covid-19 pandemic, one of whose preventive measures was to avoid crowds and gatherings.

Officially opening the virtual Troika summit, President Mnangagwa commended member states for consistently demonstrating commitment to strengthening democracy, constitutionalism and the rule of law.

“I note with satisfaction that, notwithstanding a few political and security challenges and the ongoing pandemic, our region remains stable,” said President Mnangagwa.

Other members of the SADC Organ Troika are Botswana President Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi, the incoming chairperson, and Zambian President Edgar Lungu.

Zimbabwe will remain a member as Botswana takes over as the immediate-past chair.

SADC Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax attended the meeting.

In his address, President Mnangagwa said while elections held in the region satisfied SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, there was need to explore innovative ways to hold credible elections during pandemics such as Covid-19.

“It is equally important to ensure the safe and efficient deployment of SADC Election Observation Missions during such difficult conditions. Our organisation must also pursue sustainable and predictable means of funding election observer missions,” said President Mnangagwa.

He said as part of SADC’s liberation war heritage and historical legacy, the regional bloc was set to consider mechanisms of honouring its founding fathers as recommended by the Ministerial Committee of the Organ.

“In recognition of the contribution made by the founding fathers to the liberation of our region, it is my fervent hope that this mechanism will go a long way in inculcating a sense of patriotism, self-love and belonging among the peoples of our region, in particular the youths,” said President Mnangagwa.

After the opening address, the Troika Summit went into a closed-door discussion where it received reports from the Council of Ministers.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attended yesterday’s meeting as SADC facilitator to the Kingdom of Lesotho which was represented by its Prime Minister Dr Moeketsi Majoro.

In their closing remarks, Dr Masisi and Dr Lungu commended President Mnangagwa for steering the Organ well during his tenure.

Dr Masisi said as incoming chairperson, he had a lot to learn from President Mnangagwa’s leadership that he demonstrated during his one year tenure.

In his last remarks, President Mnangagwa said the consolidation of democracy in the SADC region through holding of regular elections was commendable.

“I wish to urge the SADC secretariat to work closely with the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Seychelles and other countries that will be holding elections during the Covid-19 pandemic towards safe and peaceful electoral processes,” he said.

Earlier on, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo chaired a virtual meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ where reports and recommendations were tabled for the consideration of the 40th SADC summit of Heads of State and Government to be held on Monday.

Dr Moyo was joined by his Zambian and Botswana counterparts, Mr Joseph Malanji and Mr Unity Dow.

THE MARCH IS NOT ENDED

Pastoral Letter of the Zimbabwe Catholie Bishops Conferenee On the Current Situation in Zimbabwe

14 August 2020

1. Introduction

John Robert Lewis, an American politician and civil-rights leader, who served in the United States
House of Representatives, died recently. At his funeral he was praised for recognizing that the march for freedom is not ended even in the present time in which we live.

This too is our challenge in
Zimbabwe today between those who believe in a past und completed liberation and those who realize
that the march is not ended. Peace building and nation-building are never completed tasks. Every
generation has to establish national cohesion and peace.

2. Current Ëvents

The struggle in Zimbabwe, between those who think they have arrived and those on the march has resulted ina multi-layered crisis of the convergence of economic collapse, deepening poverty, food insecurity, corruption and human rights abuses umong other issues in urgent need of resolution.

The call for demonstrations is the expression of growing frustration and aggravation caused by the
conditions that the majority of Zimbabweans find themselves in. Suppression of people’s anger can
only serve to deepen the crisis and take the nation into deeper crisis. This comes on the backdrop of
unresolved past hurts like Gukurahundi, which continue to spawn even more angry new generations.

The voices of various governments, the European Union, the African Union and the UN on the
desperate situation in Zimbabwe have not only confirmed the seriousness of human rights breaches by government agents but the need to rally behind #zimbubweanlivesmatter.

Following the government crackdown on dissent after the 31 of July demonstrations we have also witnessed attempts by President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa to intervene by sending a special envoy.

Their failure to make inroad consultations with the Church and civic society at this most tempestuous time was most regrettable. Was this not an opportunity missed?

In the meantime, some of our people continue to live in hideouts, with some incarcerated while others are on the run. Fear runs down the spine of many of our pcople today.

The crackdown on dissent is unprecedented.

Is this the Zimbabwe
we want?

To have a different opinion does not mean to be an enemy. It is precisely from the contrast
of opinions that the light comes. Our Government automatically labels anyone thinking differently as an enemy of the country: that is an abuse.

Corruption:
The ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire” Micah 3

The comuption in the country has reached alarming levels. Government and civic society are agreed
that comuption is chocking the economy. and compromising our justice system. While there is this
acknowledgement there hasn’t been equally a serious demonstration by govermment to nd the country
of this scourge. The “catch and release approach makes the ordinary man in the street question the
sincerity of government to deal effectively with coruption. Is there no connection between what
some journalists are unearthing about the government officials’ endemic corruption and their arrest?

In Micah 7:1-6 the prophet is miserable over the state of his nation. Nobody can be trusted, and
people wait in ambush to do violence to each other. This sad and sory state, Micah says, is because leaders could not be trusted. they used their power for persoral gain.

Micah was from countryside, a prophet who proclaimed God’s reproofs to the rich and ungodly leaders of Judian.

Micah. like many of the prophets, champions the poor and the oppressed. With brutal honesty, he
communicated a message of justice and mercy. He cared for God’s people with profound compassion.
Micah graphically condemns Israel’s corrupt leaders and exposes their hypocrisy. God, the prophet
says, is not fooled when lenders mouth the right wors but have corrupt hearts. Political corruption, greed, arrogance was common amongst the leaders of his time. They didn’t care about the corporate or common good.

Micah says that when leaders lose their way, it is because they no longer see themselves as servant
leaders. They endanger everyone in the organisation or nation. Servant leaders place the interests and
needs of their followers ahead of their self-interests and needs. Generally. they value the well-being and development of their followers, building their communities, acting authenticaily, and sharing power.

The premise of servant leadership is that the most effective and infuential leaders are those who
strive to serve others rather than take control or be in charge. The servant-leader will continually think about what involves the least damage or pain for the people over whose lives they have power.
Servant leaders will value the worth of every person. The organisation or nation they build will honour the importance of every individual. The prophet Micah proclaims a message that is especialy relevant to the conditions we trace in our society and country.

4. Heroes and Defence Forces Days.

We have just celebrated the Heroes Holiday and the Defence Forces day in which we recall and express gratitude for the immense sucrifices made by our war heroes. Most of our people contributed
to the success of war effort in various ways. We remember Thomas Maptumo and others who
through their music conscientized the people about the struggle and the reasons for it. We know of
business men and women. teachers, the mujibhas and chimbwidos whose support was the difference
between winning the war and losing it.

As anation we must appreciate and be gratelul to those who
despite not holding a gun made an immense contribution of supporting the cause.

As your Shepherds we are sensing that our national leaders want to take us back to the mentality and practices of the war times where it was us against them We want our politics to build a united nation and not to divide us, turning the military who ought to continue the memory of the late heroes against the people who fed them and clothed them and who gathered intelligence at great risk and saved many of our fighiers from peril. Some of our vocal political leades are busy re-creating the war situation of us and them, abdicating from the responsibility to build a united nation.

Have we not all been divided by this divisive political environment to the detriment of the national common good?

As we recognize the sacrifices made by all our people towards our liberation, we continue to wory
about what has become of “gusa ruzhinji” the mantra of the war times and the 80s. This is only
possible when we build a robust economy capable of benefiting the poor and the marginalized who
perhaps because of the war lost opportunity to study and educate themselves or their ehildren.

While we understand the need to re-engage with the global cconomic community we ought as well not to lose sight ot the impoverished and marginalized Zimbabweans. For example. the newly signed
agreement between the Zimbabwean Government and the former Commercial farmers does not
feature or include the interests of the farm workers and their families who lost livelihoods.

While we appreciate the effort of resolving the land question, we think that it should also show concerm for the most vulneruble. It seems to us that Zimbabwe is driving itself fast in the direction of capitalism
thinking that this will bring untold benefits for our people. We need to be cautious as Pope Francis
reminds us, “Some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic
growth, encouraged by free market. will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and
inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding cconomic power and in the sacralised
workings of the prevailing economic system.

Meanwhile the excluded are still waiting. To sustain a lifestyle which excludes others, or to sustain enthusiasm for that shellfish ideal, a globalization of
indiference has developed. Almost without being aware of it., we end up being incapable of foeling
compassion at the outery of the poor.”(Evangeli Giaudium 2013).

As your Bishops. we feel that this described situation is true of Zimbabwe. It feels as though the poor have no one to defend them. They don’t seem to feature on the national agenda. Their cries for an improved health system go unheeded. Their plea for a transport system that meets their transport
blues are met with promises and more promises and no action. The only time we see real action is
when our leaders are jostling for power. to secure it or to ascend to offices of power. It is not clear to us as your Bishops that the national leadership we have has the knowledge. social skills, emotional stability and social orientation to handle the issues that we face as a nation. All we hear from them is
blame of our woes on foreigners, colonialism., white settlers and the so-called internal detractors.

When are we going to take responsibility for uur own affairs? When are we going to submit to the
requirements of national accountability? While our neighbours in the region are strengthening their
democratic institutions, we seem to be weakening ours.

Our Chapter 2 institutions, the judiciary and Prosecuting Authority seem to be losing their independence and effectiveness. Our health care institutions have collapsed. Our well-trained doctors and nurses remain incapacitated. For a long time, they have felt neglected. As Bishops we have tried to open an honest dialogue on our health care personnel and the health care institutions and the door was shut in our faces.

In the face of growing numbers of COVID-19 infections where does the nation turn to? With the necessary tools in short supply in our hospitals, we notice with wounded hearts that government offieials seem to have more PPE than our nurses and doctors.

State Media

Government has taken note of a Pastoral Letter of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop’s Conference which curiously opens with a eulogy to an American politician and purports to speak to the current situation in Zimbabwe, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Mr Nick Mangwana said.

In a statement he said; “Government reiterates that Zimbabwe, like most countries in the world is currently grappling with challenges attendant to illegal sanctions, drought and the Coronavirus pandemic. There is no ‘crisis’, political or otherwise. It is unfortunate that the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop’s Conference has evidently joined the bandwagon of individuals and entities seeking to manufacture ‘crises’ in the country with the sole aim of achieving known political goals.

“To this end, the grouping deliberately ignores the following facts; President Mnangagwa and Government have demonstrated serious commitment to dealing with corruption through the setting up of the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) and re-empowering of the Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission (ZACC). Several high profile arrests have been made to date and the court cases are at varying stages.

“President Mnangagwa and his Government, have since inauguration, sought to implement policies that result in a robust economy in line with Vision 2030. Indeed, one of the President’s leading targets is for Zimbabwe to be an Upper Middle Economy by 2030. It is however, mischievously misleading for the Bishops to deliberately ignore the impact of illegal sanctions on the country, in their purported assessment of problems afflicting the country. Given the forces against it, natural and man-made, domestic and foreign, Government has managed to keep the country’s economy commendably stable.

“The President has consistently been the leading voice in acknowledging, appreciating and rewarding all who contributed to the country’s liberation, including the mujibhas and chimbwidos whom the Bishops seem to have suddenly and conveniently remembered. In that vein, the President has severally met with liberation war fighters to hear their concerns and views and has not in any way neglected them, neither has Government, which continues to explore ways of improving their welfare.

“The Second Republic, led by President Mnangagwa embarked on the first phase of the Land Audit which has now been completed. Following the audit, under-utilised land will be allocated in line with Government policy. It is Government’s wish that Zimbabweans at large aspire to own land and produce for their country instead of negotiating to be farm labourers

“Government continues to engage all stakeholders in the land issue and the signing of the Global Compensation Agreement in fulfillment of the Country’s Constitution does not in any way, undermine or close the door for farm workers to negotiate with their Government on any issue. Government is a Government for all.

The Zimbabwe Government remains committed to overcoming the present challenges bedevilling the country and ensuring a prosperous and democratic Zimbabwe for all citizens in line with His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s vision.”

State Media

HEADS of hospitals, police stations and prisons now face a five-year jail term if found guilty of destroying or tampering with vital evidence on the death of a person under their custody.

They will also be criminally liable for the death of a person under their custody should it be established that they were reckless or negligent.

The development comes as Government seeks to safeguard the sanctity of life from reckless or negligent institutions or persons.

Over the years, the High Court has been inundated with lawsuits against medical practitioners who negligently cause the death of patients.

In the past, there have been suspected cover-ups of such deaths by people in various positions of authority.

The new measures are contained in the Coroner’s Office Act, which was recently signed into law by President Mnangagwa after it sailed through Parliament.

“The following law, which has been assented to by His Excellency the President, is published in terms of section 131(6) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe — Coroner’s Office Act [Chapter 7:21] (No. 12, 2019),” reads a notice published by Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda

On the liability of health practitioners and law enforcement agencies, Clause Four of the Act reads:

“Subject to this Act, the functions of the Office shall be — (a) to provide independent and impartial investigations into the circumstances surrounding — (i) any unnatural deaths, including but not limited to homicides, infanticides, drownings, suicides, accidents; or (ii) any deaths occurring within 24 hours of admission into a health institution, or during a surgical operation, or while a person is in or is being escorted to a police cell, prison, health institution or other place of custody.” The Act establishes the Coroner-General’s Office, to investigate unnatural deaths that occur in health institutions, police cells, prisons and any other places through suspected unnatural means.

The Coroner-General’s Office will now replace a magistrate, who in the past used to conduct an inquest into deaths through suspected unusual circumstances.

In terms of the Act, officers-in-charge of prisons, police stations or medical institutions must keep records regarding such sudden deaths for proper investigations by the Coroner.

Failure to keep the necessary records or tampering with the information, will see those in charge of the institutions being jailed for a period of up to five years, according to the Act.

The same law criminalises refusal by medical practitioners to carry out post-mortems as directed by the Coroner, an offence that attracts six months’ incarceration.

Clause 7 of the Act states that custodial officers must keep medical records or any other relevant documents of the deceased for at least five years to allow investigations to flow unhindered.

The clause reads: “Where a person dies, while in any health institution for medical treatment or care or while he or she is in a place of custody, the custodial officer shall preserve all medical records, healthcare records and any other documents pertaining to the medical treatment or care or the custody of the deceased as are in his or her possession for a period as may be prescribed but in any event for not less than five years.

“A custodial officer commits an offence if he or she wilfully or recklessly destroys or fails to preserve medical and health care or custody records in terms of subsection (1) and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding Level 10 or to imprisonment for five years or both.”

The Act also sets out the appointment, functions and powers of the Coroner-General, the Deputy Coroner-General and the Coroners in relation to post-mortems, inquests and their findings. Holding careless doctors accountable for their actions comes amid an outcry over some surgeons whose negligence has led to the death of patients.

The office is expected to impartially carry out post-mortems, when necessary, and come up with forensic reports for use in court.

State Media

Two police officers were allegedly kidnapped on Tuesday night by a motorist they had stopped at a check point in Harare city centre set up to enforce the 6pm to 6am curfew.

The motorist, 31-year-old Tinotenda Zinyemba, was driving a white Isuzu KB truck when he was stopped by the officers near the intersection of Samora Machel Avenue and Chinhoyi Street. He was asked why he was driving during the curfew, which is allowed under certain circumstances.

But Zinyemba allegedly showed signs of resistance, prompting two of the police officers to jump onto his vehicle and ordered him to drive to Harare Central Police station.

Once the police officers were in the cab, Zinyemba drove off at high speed eventually getting to Mazowe Street and was driving north towards Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.

Other officers manning the road block tried to give chase on foot to rescue their colleagues and arrest the motorist, but after a brief chase while Zinyemba was cutting around corners to get into Mazowe Street, had to give up chase once he had a clear run.

But, as fate would have it, Zinyemba drove into a second security check point at the corner of Josiah Tongogara Avenue and Mazowe Street. And this time he was blocked, arrested and taken to Harare Central Police Station.

National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, yesterday reiterated that it was a chargeable offence to fail to comply with officers when carrying out their duties.

“Members of the public are urged to cooperate with police officers and security services members who are conducting Covid-19 duties. The ZRP would like to strongly warn all motorists and the general public that all those who undermine the authority of the police will face the full wrath of the law.”

Cases where officers on duty are being kidnapped have been on the rise in the last few years and officers have been assaulted by motorists in a bid to evade arrest.

It is an offence under the Road Traffic Act to disobey directions and instructions, whether verbal or by signs, given by a police officer in uniform.

In 2013, six policemen on duty in Harare were kidnapped and attacked by a commuter omnibus crew and police have also recorded cases of attempted murder and one culpable homicide perpetrated on officers by kombi drivers and conductors.

Independent Norton MP Temba Mliswa has come up against Norton Councilors whom he has accused of dereliction of duty and abuse of funds among other issues.

We reproduce his letter to the Norton Town Secretary below:

State Media

THREE suspects have been arrested in Bulawayo following a high speed chase with the police after they were found in possession of stolen Zesa Holdings equipment and cables worth thousands of dollars.

The three — Blessing Moyo (30), John Sibanda (24) and Braveson Dube (26) were arrested on Tuesday night after they evaded a roadblock along the old Victoria Falls Road near Amakhosi Centre at around 6pm.

They were travelling in Toyota Hilux pickup truck (ACB 6902) which they had loaded the stolen equipment.

On approaching the roadblock, police waved them to stop and they complied.

Police discovered that they were ferrying the equipment and asked them to explain why they were in possession of it and as the police was trying to verify, the trio jumped into their vehicle and sped off leaving the equipment.

Police gave chase and managed to arrest one of them. They made a follow up and arrested the other two suspects.

Investigations revealed that the trio had stolen the equipment at a substation in Bulawayo.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests.

“We are investigating a case in which three men were arrested in Bulawayo after being found in possession of electrical gadgets used in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity,” he said.

They will appear in court once investigations have been completed.

Zesa has been losing millions of dollars through vandalism and thefts of cables and equipment countrywide.

In October last year, President Mnangagwa said Zesa workers had a hand in the rampant vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructure which has cost the country millions of dollars and led to disruption of efficient power transmission across the country.

By that time the power utility needed at least US$40 million to replace over 4 000 transformers that had been vandalised across the country.

It had also lost up to 1 000 kilometres of power lines to cable thieves, according to reports.

Responding to a question on the matter during a plenary session at the 2019 ZimTrade Annual Exporters’ Conference in Bulawayo, President Mnangagwa said Government was disturbed by reports of power transmission disruptions linked to vandalism of electricity infrastructure and the attendant negative impact on ordinary people and business operations.

“We are convinced that those who steal transformers either work for Zesa or are related to Zesa workers because you need some degree of information and technology to steal these transformers, and you must know that there is some danger involved,” said President Mnangagwa.

“Transformers are being stolen countrywide and we need to find a way to stop this stealing.”

President Mnangagwa said Government came up with propositions on how to tackle the issue of transformers at two levels.

Recently, Cabinet expressed concern over vandalism of Zesa infrastructure and put into spotlight the effectiveness of the 10-year mandatory sentence for those convicted, with some stakeholders suggesting a 20-year sentence.

State Media

The High Court has dismissing the urgent bid by 14 MDC Alliance legislators to stop MDC-T from replacing them in Parliament following their recall.

The 14 contested the 2018 harmonised elections on the MDC Alliance ticket. But the courts early this year ruled that the MDC-A was an electoral bloc formed by seven political parties in August 2017 to contest the 2018 harmonised elections not a political party. Thus any of the seven parties has the legal right under the Constitution to recall and replace those it nominated on the combined bloc list.

The MDC-T was the largest party in the MDC-A bloc, but the Supreme Court has found after a civil action that changes in the leadership since 2014 were not in accordance with the party’s own rules and nullified those changes, which included the elevation of Advocate Nelson Chamisa to MDC-T leadership. That meant that the MDC-T leadership of 2014 now runs the party and it is this leadership which is informing the Speaker of the National Assembly and the President of the Senate that certain members of the MDC-A bloc no longer represent their nominating party.

Bacilia Majaya, Mucharairwa Mugidho, Annah Nyambo and Nomathemba Ndhlovu were all members of the National Assembly while Senators Gideon Shoko, Helen Zivira, Tapfumanei Wunganai, Meliwe Phuti, Phylis Ndlovu, Herbert Sinamapande, Keresencia Chabuka and Siphiwa Ncube were elected in July 2018 through proportional representation.

They lost their seats in June this year, in terms of section 129 (1) (k) of the Constitution, which empowers a political party to expel a member occupying a seat in Parliament as its representative in the event that the member ceases to be its member. They are challenging the validity of their expulsion from Parliament in terms of the cited provisions, saying they were elected on an MDC-A ticket and have nothing any more to do with the MDC-T.

Justice Pisirayi Kwenda threw out their urgent chamber applications after they failed to prove that their recalls were unlawful. His judgment was based on his interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling and other undisputed evidence placed before the court.

The Supreme Court ruling early this year declared Nelson Chamisa an illegitimate leader of the main opposition party and restored Dr Thokozani Khupe as interim leader of all of the MDC-T until an extraordinary congress was convened to elect new leadership.

The expelled legislators, however, stuck to the Chamisa-led MDC Alliance.

In this regard, the judge found the legislators were in defiance of the Supreme Court order and the rule of law.

“They seem to be bent on enlisting the company of the High Court in circumventing the Supreme Court judgment,” ruled Justice Kwenda.

The judge disagreed with the parliamentarians’ argument, describing reliance on the Supreme Court judgment as a fallacy, saying this was regrettable.

“It is trite that the High Court cannot overturn a Supreme Court judgment. The legal profession derives its relevance from the application of the rule of law of which constitutionalism is the cornerstone. Jurisprudentially, Supreme Court judgments are collectively a source of law,” he said.

Justice Kwenda also found that the MDC-A legislators had a burden to prove, not only that they had contested their expulsion from Parliament, but also that their recalls by MDC-T were prima facie unlawful or that, on the face of it, the impugned declarations do not meet the requirements set out in section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

“In my view Section 129(1)(k) creates the rights for a political party to recall a member who is in Parliament as its representative when the member ceases to be its member,” he said.

The judge also said the pending applications on the same issue were also unlikely to succeed.

In their applications, the 14 argued that notwithstanding the Supreme Court judgment, which resolved the MDC leadership dispute, they did not belong to the MDC-T. They also wanted a provisional order declaring that MDC-T had no right to nominate persons to replace them in Parliament at all until the case, in which they are challenging the recalls, is decided.

The Constitution requires that once vacancies arise in Parliament, they must be filled within 90 days.

In opposing the two applications, MDC-T argued that the 14 ceased to be its members in June this year, insisting that the declarations it issued were and remained valid because they meet all the requirements set in the law.

The Speaker of National Assembly, Senate President and ZEC argued that they did not expel the legislators from Parliament, arguing that they had no quasi-judicial power to either approve or disapprove the expulsion of the legislators from Parliament by MDC-T.

It was also their argument that once vacancies occurred in Parliament by operation of the law, they must be filled within 90 days, thus they had no power to stop the constitutional processes.

State Media

MDC Alliance political activist and City of Gweru employee, Tamuka Denhere, (pictured) who had been abducted a few days ago, on Friday appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts facing charges of threatening to kill National Assembly Speaker Advocate Jacob Mudenda for announcing the recall of opposition legislators from Parliament.

Denhere, who was represented by lawyer and MDC Alliance National Assembly member for Mutare Central Innocent Gonese, is facing threats to commit murder.

The 40-year old activist was not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko, who remanded him to September 1, for routine remand.

He was freed on $2 000 bail.

The State, led by Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti, alleges that on August 9, around 5pm, Denhere sent a threatening message to Adv Mudenda which reads: “Zvako zvauri kuita ma recalls ema MPs ndomagumo ako wakusvika kumagumo”.

Loosely tranlated, the message says by reading out messages recalling MDC Alliance MPs, Adv Mudenda would be killed for that.

It is said that after sending the message, Denhere went to his house in Gweru, where the police caught him on August 12, leading to his arrest.

A number of MDC Alliance MPs were recalled from the National Assembly at the height of in-house fights between factions led by Dr Thokhozani Khupe and Mr Nelson Chamisa.

Messrs Amos Chibaya (Mkoba), Murisi Zwizwai (Harare Central), Happymore Chidziva (Highfield West), proportionate representatives Bacilia Majaya, Macharairwa Mugidho, Virginia Muradzikwa, Annah Myambo, Francisca Ncube and Nomathemba Ndlovu, were recalled from Parliament.

Other legislators that were recalled are Messrs Prosper Mutseyami (Dangamvura), Charlton Hwende (Kuwadzana East), Ms Thabitha Khumalo (proportional representative) and Senator Lillian Timveos (Midlands).

By Dorrothy Moyo | The Zengeza MP Job Sikhala’s rescue campaign raised USD518.00 in less than 1 hour on Thursday night.

Sikhala was hounded out of his home when journo Hopewell Chin’ono and politician, Jacob Ngarivhume were arrested 3 days before the 31st July demo. Since then, Sikhala has been roaming between Zambia and Zimbabwe as state agents hunt for him.

He has however been speaking daily addressing Zimbabweans and his latest program was on Friday night.

The call for fundraising was made by UK based female Zimbabweans who asked how Sikhala’s family is fairing during these trying times.

Sikhala is calling for authorities to respect the constitution of Zimbabwe and to uphold the rule of law.

USD390 was via bank account while the rest was directly through the GoFundMe website.

ZimEye will send the money next week Tuesday.

State Media

Air Zimbabwe is flying off to Guangzhou tomorrow night on another rescue mission to bring back home to Zimbabwe almost 200 students who have been stranded in China following the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and the cancellation worldwide of most commercial flights.

Parents had been asked to pay at least US$1 000 each to bring back the students on the charter.

Air Zimbabwe had hoped that the outbound leg of the flight would be taken by locally based Chinese, who are being repatriated back home. However, the Chinese embassy are said to have made other arrangements.

For a while the students appeared destined for continued life of total desperation and hunger as Air Zimbabwe said they could not afford flying an empty flight to China.

Then Government stepped in and on Monday morning the happy ending starts when the students return home and are quarantined.

Air Zimbabwe has done incredibly well operating the one 767-200 on repatriation charters even though the last flight lasted more than a month due to their aircraft developing engine trouble in Thailand.

State Media

Advocate Fortune Chasi was yesterday fired as Energy and Power Development Minister by President Mnangagwa who replaced him with Muzarabani North legislator Cde Soda Zhemu, while agricultural technocrat Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka was brought into Cabinet as Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister following the death of Retired Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri.

In an interview with state media following his appointment, the incoming Energy and Power Development Minister said he was coming into his new portfolio to play a part in helping Zimbabwe achieve an upper middle income society by 2030.

“I am happy to be given this responsibility by His Excellency the President. The energy sector is expected to play a big role in helping Zimbabwe achieve vision 2030 and I am motivated to help Zimbabwe achieve an upper middle income economy by 2030.

“I have experience in management and this will help me do my duties well in this portfolio, and I am looking forward to having a good working relationship with stakeholders,” said Cde Zhemu.

Dr Masuka, seen as an agricultural technocrat with a 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 (UZ) 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.