A 59-YEAR-OLD Hwange man has been arrested for rape and indecent assault after he allegedly inserted fingers into his 14-year-old daughter’s privates before raping her claiming he was checking her virginity.

Virginity testing is a cultural practice done by some ethnic groups around the world including Zimbabwe, to determine whether a girl or woman has had sexual intercourse before.

Gender and human rights activists have called for elimination of the practice saying it is a violation of girls and women rights.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the girl, allegedly committed the crimes between July 18 and July 23 when the two were alone in the absence of the girl’s mother who was out of town.

He told his daughter that it was his duty as a parent to check if she was still a virgin or not.

The man allegedly inserted fingers and raped the girl on July 18 before touching privates and caressing her for three consecutive nights between July 20 and July 23 after forcing her to share a bed with him in his bedroom.

The man allegedly threatened his daughter with death if she left the house or told anyone about the abuse.

The girl confided in her visiting grandmother who advised her to write her experiences in a book which they showed the victim’s mother on her return leading to the arrest of the abusive father.

He was charged with three counts of indecent assault, one of aggravated indecent assault and another of rape after a medical report showed that the girl had been sexually violated.

He was not asked plead to the charges when he appeared before Hwange magistrate Ms Barbara Phiri who remanded him in custody to Thursday next week.

Prosecuting, Mr John Chisango Mutyakaviri said the man threatened his daughter with death if she revealed the abuse.

“On 18 July at around 10pm the complainant was sitting on a sofa watching TV when her father told her that he wanted to check if she was still a virgin.

The complainant refused and told him to take her to her grandmother for virginity testing. The accused insisted that he had powers to check her daughter’s virginity,” said the prosecutor.

The man allegedly ordered the girl to remove her panties and pull her skirt upwards.

“The accused then knelt down in front of the complainant and pulled her legs apart.

He inserted his forefinger and the middle finger into the girl’s privates telling her he was checking if she was still a virgin,” said the prosecutor.

The court was told that after removing his fingers, he ordered his daughter to lie on the sofa facing upwards before forcibly pulling her legs apart while threatening to kill her if she made noise.

The girl complied out of fear and he allegedly raped her once. During the forced sex, she complained to her father that he was hurting her.

After raping his daughter, the man allegedly ordered her to go and sleep.-Chronicle

Access to a quality education should be universal.

Yet with less access to the internet and learning materials, COVID-19 related school closures have hit the most vulnerable children hardest.

As schools reopen, UNICEF is calling on governments to double down on learning support for the most marginalized children, especially those living in poverty, from ethnic minority groups, children with disabilities, girls and displaced or refugee children.

Together with partners, we must reimagine a world where every child has an equal opportunity to learn.

Credit: UNICEF

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There is no crisis in Zimbabwe of whatever nature and magnitude and calls for foreign intervention to deal with the so called urgent situation were unwarranted, a Cabinet Minister said on Thursday.

In recent weeks, Zimbabwe has been sliding into a deep human rights crisis.

Running under social media hash tags such as ZimbabweanLivesMatter, the desperate activists have sought to bring Zimbabwe under international spotlight as part of a larger regime change plot.

The renewed onslaught is also meant to coincide with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government summit due to be held via video conference next week.

Rubbishing the assertions, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Zimbabwe remained peaceful contrary to claims that all was not well.

“It is important that we refute press claims of a crisis in Zimbabwe,” she said.

“It is common knowledge that there is no Zimbabwean issue before the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security. Neither is there one such issue before the SADC Summit. Definitely there is no such issue before the continental body, the African Union. All said there is no crisis in Zimbabwe which needs external intervention under established international treaties and conventions.”

Mutsvangwa said the crisis narrative was being perpetuated by the opposition MDC-Alliance which was still bitter over the heavy electoral loss it suffered at the hands of the ruling Zanu PF party in 2018.

“The position of Zimbabwe is that there is a domestic opposition which lost elections in 2018. Prior to voting day it had threatened then declared that it will not accept any result other than that which declared them winners. Otherwise they were going to ensure that the country is ungovernable. All subsequent events thereafter are a manifestation of this threat. The subjective opinions be they from third party political entities, diplomatic circles are not the proper guide in the conduct of diplomacy among sovereign and friendly nations,” she said.

She said the deployment of special envoys by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in response to the crisis narrative gave the Zimbabwean government an opportunity to clarify matters.

Former South African Minister of Safety and Security Dr Sydney Mufamadi, former Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete and former South African Minister of Public Service and Administration Advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi were dispatched to Harare by Ramaphosa early this week to President Emmerson Mnangagwa on a fact finding mission.

“These envoys were sent by His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa to his counterpart, His Excellency, President ED Mnangagwa. 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,” she said.

Mutsvangwa said several other misinformed narratives against the government were also being pushed.

These, she said, included accusations that the government was targeting and arbitrarily arresting opposition activists and ill-treating them.

“Our Justice system is blind to political persuasion, rank, creed, race, social and political networks. Therefore, all prisoners in a certain category are treated in the same manner,” she said.

“Taking into account the Covid-19 context, prisoners have a constitutional right to be protected from public health risks such as the Coronavirus, this may include bringing in measures such as stopping or limiting the number of visitors and external items prisoners can have access to. This is what explains the current control measures being implemented in our all prisons.”

On the false narrative that the government was reversing the gains of the war of liberation by paying compensation to former white farmers, she said the money was being paid in fulfillment of section 295 (1) of the Constitution.

The government agreed to pay the former white farmers $3.5 billion dollars in compensation for improvements made on the land they lost under Zimbabwe’s agrarian reforms.

“I want to debunk any assertions that there is a reversal of the land reform programme. This mischief is purveyed by the loony and extreme right wing circles,” she said.

“Let it be also noted that the signing of the Global Compensation Agreement on the 27th of July 2020, was a fulfillment of the aspirations of the Zimbabwean people as expressed in the referendum of 16 March 2013. In that instance nearly 95 percent of the population endorsed the new Constitution with the quoted provisions therein.”

She added; “ZANU-PF is a revolutionary party that fought a non-racial and just struggle for majority rule. It has not time to indulge in gratuitous racial baiting. Rather it wants all its citizens inclusive of former white commercial farmers to enjoy complete, equal and inclusive rights and freedoms.”

Mutsvangwa called on other countries to respect Zimbabwe’s sovereignty.

“Zimbabwe is a peace loving country which does not interfere in the affairs of other sovereign states and their interactions with their citizens. It therefore desires to be accorded the same courtesy. His Excellency, the President directed our security forces enforcing the lockdown regulations to do so with a “humane face”. Where mistakes or excesses are alleged there is a complaint mechanism in place and we urge aggrieved citizens to utilize it,” she said.

New Ziana

Activists Josphat Ngulube took the time to  speak to SABC from his hiding place in South Africa and explained the circumstances leading to his current situation. Ngulube called on AU President Cryil Ramaphosa to send a proper delegation to Zimbabwe which he says must include a head of state.

His 23-year-old niece was last week abducted, sexually assaulted and badly beaten by men looking for him.

The incident appeared to be an escalation of a wave of arrests and abductions of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s opponents and their families by state security agents.

Noxolo Maphosa was walking to a butchery near Pick n Pay (Hyper) in Bulawayo at about 10AM when she noticed four men walking behind her.

“I called my friend and told her there were men following me. Just as I ended the call, they grabbed me from behind and took my phone. They forced me into a white Izusu pick-up truck,” Maphosa said in a video statement.

She was blindfolded and driven to a house where she was interrogated about the whereabouts of Ngulube, her uncle who was jailed for seven years in 2019 accused of burning a Zanu PF vehicle during fuel price riots in January of that year.

Ngulube is out on bail pending appeal against conviction and sentence.

Watch video downloading below.

ZRP In Gweru reportedly arrested the wife of an MDC Alliance Activist Tamuka Denhere who was abducted last night when she went to ZRP to report the abduction. This was revealed on Twitter by the MDC Alliance Social Welfare Department in a tweet that reads:

Tamuka Denhere’s wife, visited Gweru Central Police Station to file a report in the morning about her husband who was abducted last night in Gweru. Instead of getting help from the police, she was arrested for reporting an abduction. #ZimbabaweanLivesMatter

It is still not clear what Denhere’s wife is being charged with as her party failed to provide more details apart from the circumstances leading to her arrest.

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Denhere was abducted last night in Mkoba in Gweru and he was later on dumped at Harare Central Police Station where he is being detained according to the party which said it is clear the abductors are working for the state:

Tamuka Denhere who was abducted by suspected state agents yesterday in Mkoba was dumped at Harare Central Police Station where he is now detained. It is clear that the abductors are working with ZRP. We demand his immediate release. #FreeTamuka.

HARARE Magistrate Ngoni Nduna on Wednesday 12 August 2020 barred media practitioners and the public from covering and following proceedings in a Zimbabwean courtroom in the matter in which freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono will testify on the state of conditions at Chikurubi Maximum Prison.

Magistrate Nduna ruled that the evidence that Chin’ono will give in court may jeopardise security at Chikurubi Maximum Prison if journalists and the public are allowed to cover and follow proceedings as the freelance journalist gives his testimony.

The Magistrate’s ruling came after prosecutor Whisper Mabhaudhi filed an application seeking to bar Chin’ono from giving testimony in an open court but in camera.

Although Chin’ono’s lawyers led by Beatrice Mtetwa, Gift Mtisi and Roselyn Hanzi of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, had opposed the state’s application arguing that it is in the public interest for media practitioners to cover proceedings in open court and for the public to be present as they were potential prisoners, Magistrate Nduna ruled otherwise.

Chin’ono had his bail appeal dismissed on Thursday 6 August 2020 by High Court Judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi, who ruled that Magistrate Nduna had not erred nor misdirected himself when he denied him bail in July.

This forced his lawyers to file a fresh freedom bid, which is set to be heard and determined by Magistrate Nduna, based on changed circumstances as the planned date for the anti-government protests had passed and that the freelance journalist was being ill-treated in prison and is at risk of contracting coronavirus as he is not allowed to wear personal protective clothing. Chin’ono was arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police on Monday 20 July 2020 and charged with incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry as defined in section 187(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with section 37(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

The award-winning freelance journalist was also charged with incitement to commit public violence as defined in section 187(1)(a) as read with section 36(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. Prosecutors alleged that Chin’ono incited people to revolt against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration during some planned anti-government protests called for on 31 July 2020.

Chin’ono, according to prosecutors, allegedly posted various messages on his Twitter account using the handle @daddyhope between May 2020 and July 2020 calling upon Zimbabweans across the country to engage in acts of public violence against the government on 31 July 2020.

The journalist allegedly posted several messages on Twitter which read; “@Ngarivhume and many others have come to put their hands up and said they will lead anti-looting demo on 31 July”, “Zimbabwe will never be free from looters through elections it is just a waste of time” and “If you feel like shouting#zanuPFMustGo and Mnangagwa and his regime has failed, how they will go will be determined by history and yet Mnangagwa refuses change will come by any means.”

Prosecutors alleged that by posting such messages Chin’ono intended to disturb the peace, security or order of the public.

Source: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights

The Zimbabwe dollar today fell by $2.09 to average $82.56 against the United States dollar at today’s auction which accommodated both major and small enterprises.

All bids were fully met with major companies getting US$17.98 million and small enterprises being allotted US$789 866.02.

Fifteen bids were rejected in both cases. There were 171 bids for the main auction and 75 for the SME auction.

The highest rate offered was $90 in both auctions but the lowest bid on the main auction was $77.02 while on the SME it was $80.

Raw materials continued to get the bulk of the funds followed by machinery and equipment.

The auction also seems to be having an impact on the Old Mutual Implied Rate which peaked at $141.59 on 2 June and was flat at $122.23 for almost a month when trading on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange was suspended.

It fell to $112.93 today.

The OMIR is the difference between the Old Mutual share price in London and Harare ad was allegedly being used to externalise funds.

Major shops which were selling goods in forex using the black market rate are now using the official rate.

State Media

A GROUP of illegal gold miners on Tuesday invaded Tebekwe Mine in Shurugwi where they reportedly disarmed a security guard before handcuffing and severely assaulting him and his colleague using logs and iron bars.

Police in Shurugwi swiftly moved in and arrested eight suspects, some of whom were reportedly advancing towards the milling plant where they wanted to steal gold.

According to the mine manager, Mr Thamsanqa Maseko, the illegal miners were armed with iron bars and machetes and threatened to harm everyone at the mine.

They ordered the milling plant to stop running and declared that they were taking over the mine.

They were about 50, the majority armed with machetes and iron bars, said Mr Maseko. They went around the mine’s milling plant singing and stressing that they were taking over the mine.

We did not know that there was another group, which had attacked the security guards at the mine entrance.

Mr Maseko said police swiftly responded to their emergency calls and arrived at the scene to find the two security guards, including the one who was in handcuffs, being assaulted.

Upon seeing a police truck, the illegal miners fled in different directions, but police managed to arrest eight of them, he said.

One of the security guards was stabbed in the ear with a sharp object and was taken to Shurugwi District Hospital where he was admitted.

The other security guard who was disarmed and handcuffed was beaten with iron bars all over the body, said Mr Maseko. The handcuffs were later removed at Shurugwi Police Station.

Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko confirmed the incident, but said he was still to get full details from officers in Shurugwi.

Joana Mamombe, Netsai Marova and Cecilia Chimbiri have been issued with a warrant of arrest.

Mr Henry Chimbiri, Cecilia’s father has confirmed the latest development…

Watch video below :

Reuters – In the murky story of how a cache of highly explosive ammonium nitrate ended up on the Beirut waterfront, one thing is clear — no one has ever publicly come forward to claim it.

There are many unanswered questions surrounding last week’s huge, deadly blast in the Lebanese capital, but ownership should be among the easiest to resolve.

Clear identification of ownership, especially of a cargo as dangerous as that carried by the Moldovan-flagged Rhosus when it sailed into Beirut seven years ago, is fundamental to shipping, the key to insuring it and settling disputes that often arise.

But Reuters interviews and trawls for documents across 10 countries in search of the original ownership of this 2,750-tonne consignment instead revealed an intricate tale of missing documentation, secrecy and a web of small, obscure companies that span the globe.

“Goods were being transported from one country to another, and they ended up in a third country with nobody owning the goods. Why did they end up here?” said Ghassan Hasbani, a former Lebanese deputy prime minister and opposition figure.

Those linked to the shipment and interviewed by Reuters all denied knowledge of the cargo’s original owner or declined to answer the question. Those who said they didn’t know included the ship’s captain, the Georgian fertilizer maker who produced the cargo and the African firm that ordered it but said it never paid for it.

The official version of the Rhosus’ final journey depicts its voyage as a series of unfortunate events.

Shipping records show the ship loaded ammonium nitrate in Georgia in September 2013 and was meant to deliver it to an explosives maker in Mozambique. But before leaving the Mediterranean, the captain and two crew members say they were instructed by the Russian businessman they regarded as the ship’s de facto owner, Igor Grechushkin, to make an unscheduled stop in Beirut and take on extra cargo.

The Rhosus arrived in Beirut in November but never left, becoming tangled in a legal dispute over unpaid port fees and ship defects. Creditors accused the ship’s legal owner, listed as a Panama-based firm, of abandoning the vessel and the cargo was later unloaded and put in a dockside warehouse, according to official accounts.

The Beirut law firm that acted for creditors, Baroudi & Associates, did not respond to requests to identify the cargo’s original legal owner. Reuters was unable to contact Grechushkin.

The empty ship eventually sank where it was moored in 2018, according to Lebanese customs.

The Rhosus’ final movements are under fresh scrutiny after the ammonium nitrate caught fire inside the warehouse and exploded last week, killing at least 158 people, injuring thousands and leaving 250,000 people homeless.

Among the still-unanswered questions: who paid for the ammonium nitrate and did they ever seek to reclaim the cargo when the Rhosus was impounded? And if not, why not?

The cargo, packaged in large white sacks, was worth around $700,000 at 2013 prices, according to an industry source.

UNINSURED
Reuters inquiries have raised numerous red flags.

Under international maritime conventions and some domestic laws, commercial vessels must have insurance to cover events such as environmental damage, loss of life or injury caused by a sinking, spill or collision. Yet the Rhosus was uninsured, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The ship’s Russian captain, Boris Prokoshev, said by phone from his home in Sochi, Russia, that he had seen an insurance certificate but could not vouch for its authenticity.

Reuters was unable to obtain a copy of the ship’s documents.

The Mozambican firm that ordered the ammonium nitrate, Fábrica de Explosivos Moçambique (FEM), was not the cargo owner at the time because it had agreed to only pay on delivery, according to its spokesman, Antonio Cunha Vaz.

The producer was Georgian fertilizer maker Rustavi Azot LLC, which has since been dissolved. Its owner at the time, businessman Roman Pipia, told Reuters he had lost control of the Rustavi ammonium nitrate plant in 2016. UK court documents show that the firm was forced by a creditor to auction off its assets that year.

The factory is now run by another firm, JSC Rustavi Azot, which also said it could not shed light on the cargo owner, according to the plant’s current first deputy director, Levan Burdiladze.

FEM said it had ordered the shipment through a trading firm, Savaro Ltd, which has registered companies in London and Ukraine but whose website is now offline.

A visit to Savaro Ltd’s listed London address on Monday found a Victorian terraced house, with a locked and barred door, near the fashionable bars of Shoreditch. No one responded to knocks on the door.

Reuters contacted UK-registered Savaro Ltd director Greta Bieliene, a Lithuanian based in Cyprus. She declined to answer questions.

A source familiar with the inner workings of Savaro’s trading business said it sold fertilizer from ex-Soviet Union states to clients in Africa.

Ukraine-based businessman Vladimir Verbonol is listed as director of Savaro in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian corporate data base You Control. Reuters was unable to contact Verbonol for comment.

THE RUSSIAN
As grief and anger over the blast turn to civil unrest in Beirut, there are signs the Lebanese government’s promised investigation has already turned its sights back to the Rhosus and Grechushkin, the man the crew considered as its owner.

A security source said Grechushkin was questioned at his home in Cyprus last Thursday about the cargo. A Cypriot police spokesman said an individual, whom he did not name, had been questioned at the request of Interpol Beirut.

The Rhosus arrived in Beirut in November 2013 with a leak and in generally poor condition, captain Prokoshev said. It had already been beset with problems.

In July 2013, four months before docking in Beirut, the ship was detained for 13 days by port authorities in Seville, Spain, after multiple deficiencies including malfunctioning doors, corrosion on the deck area and deficient auxiliary engines were found, according to shipping data. It resumed sailing after inspection firm Maritime Lloyd issued a cargo ship safety construction certificate, which would have involved a survey of the ship, the data showed.

Teimuraz Kavtaradze, an inspector at Georgia-based Maritime Lloyd, which does not rank among the most prominent and widely-used inspection firms, said he could not confirm whether or not the firm had provided any inspection documents to port officials in Seville. He said he was working for Maritime Lloyd in 2013 but that other staff and the management had since changed.

Seville port officials were not immediately available for comment. Paris MoU, a body of 27 maritime states under whose authority the detention was carried out, confirmed in an email that the vessel was detained and inspected in Seville.

Moldova, where the Rhosus is registered, lists the owner of the ship as Panama-based Briarwood Corp, a certificate of ownership seen by Reuters shows. Reuters was not immediately able to identify Briarwood Corp as a Panamanian registered company. Panama’s maritime authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The ship’s charterer, Teto Shipping Ltd, is based in the Marshall Islands and was dissolved in 2014, according to International Registries, which says it provides shipping registry services to the Marshall Islands.

Igor Zaharia, the director of Moldova’s Naval Agency, said Grechushkin was Teto Shipping’s director.

The Rhosus’ captain passed Reuters an email address that he and the crew had been using for Teto Shipping, but requests for comment to the same address went unanswered. The captain said he regarded Grechushkin and Teto as the same entity.

Additional reporting by Michele Kambas in Nicosia and Limassol, Cyprus; Maria Tsvetkova and Polina Devitt in Moscow, Victoria Waldersee in Lisbon, Tsvetelia Tsolova in Sofia, Margarita Antidze in Tbilisi, Tom Perry in Beirut, Alexander Tanas in Chisinau, Elida Moreno in Panama City, Guy Faulconbridge and Luke Baker in London, Nathan Allen in Madrid; Editing by Mark Bendeich and Nick Tattersall

The MDC Alliance reports that Tamuka Denhere who was abducted by suspected state agents yesterday in Mkoba, Gweru, was dumped at Harare Central Police Station where he is now detained.

“It is clear that the abductors are working with ZRP. We demand his immediate release,” said the party.

More details to follow…..

Kwekwe Acting Town Clerk Dr Lucia Mnkandla has gone on self-isolation after coming into contact with a person who tested positive for covid-19.

Although she did not test positive during the initial rapid tests, the acting town clerk went on self-quarantine as a precautionary measure while awaiting the PCR results.

Kwekwe Mayor Councillor Angeline Kasipo confirmed that Dr Mnkandla was on self-isolation but was quick to say she was out of danger.

“She went on self-isolation not because she had tested positive but because she had been in contact with someone who was thought to have been positive. But we also later learnt that the person was negative. She had been in contact with her driver who has since been tested and confirmed negative so she is safe,” said Clr Kasipo.

Dr Mnkandla is said to have been in contact with her driver, Mr John Mtingwende.

“It is true that the person who was thought to have been in contact with her has since tested negative. We are however waiting for her results so that we ascertain the situation before we rush and make uninformed decisions,” she said.

The mayor said the decision by Dr Mnkandla to go on self-quarantine was to maximize security and safety of not only herself but also people around her.

“As you know as a local authority we work with a lot of people and as such we decided to go safe. This is not to say anyone has tested positive. We have also tested everyone at the local authority and we are doing so regularly so that we stay safe,” said Cllr Kasipo.

The local authority has since scaled down on staffers who are reporting for duty as a precautionary measure.

Workers are also tested once every week.

Despite inheriting an economy on the brink of collapse in 2018, marked by a 40 percent fiscal deficit from his predecessor the late Cde Robert Mugabe, ZANU PF First Secretary and President Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa has in less than two years erased both the fiscal and current account deficit on the back of strong economic reforms initiated by the New Dispensation, a senior economist has said.

Zimbabwe’s fiscal deficit woes at a high of 40 percent in 2018 were worse off, compared to that of the Greece crisis which was triggered by an 8 percent deficit.

President Mnangagwa’s restoration of macro-economic stability comes in the back of his pledge in The People’s Manifesto 2018 where he promised to restructure the National Budget which he said was skewed towards consumptive expenditures.

The President vowed to dedicate more funding in favour of productivity.

“Thus, the ZANU PF Government’s Fiscal Policy will put emphasis on strong fiscal discipline, accountability and transparency for the restoration of macro-economic stability as well as increased funding for national development projects and programmes,” reads in part The People’s Manifesto 2018.

True, to President Mnangagwa’s servant leadership style anchored on walking his talk, top-notch economists among them MDC founding member Mr Eddie Cross have been charmed by the country’s economic reforms.

In that regard, in an interview with AriseNews Mr Cross, applauded President Mnangagwa for restoring the country’s macro-economic stability as well as attaining both current account and fiscal surpluses in record time.

While conceding the road has been painful, Mr Cross also said that he was confident President Mnangagwa had laid a strong foundation for the economic recovery of the country.
“He (President Mnangagwa) inherited an awful messy from Robert Mugabe. At the time he became a President of the country in 2017 we had 40 percent fiscal deficit in the budget. We were running a very substantial account deficit.

“We had domestic bank balance which was expressed in US dollars of nearly US$23 million completely unsustainable, completely unrealistic. When he came to power he pledged that he would in-fact restore macro-economic stability to Zimbabwe and get the economic fundamentals right and I think he has done that but the process has been very painful.

“If you think that Greece crisis was when they had an 8 percent fiscal deficit but we had a fiscal deficit of 40 percent completely unmanageable. President Mnangagwa fixed that in a matter of weeks after assuming the Presidency in July 2018. He has gone on and in fact, we now have a current account surplus as well as fiscal surplus,” Mr Cross.

Cross said the country was beginning to the reap the benefits of President Mnangagwa’s economic reforms as evidenced by the recovery of the country’s export industry as well as the reduction in the import bill owing to improved local production.

“And I think we are beginning to see the benefit of that (economic reforms). Export industries are growing again, domestic markets which were completely dominated by imported goods are now supplied to about one third of their total stock by local products from about 5 percent, 18 months ago. And I think that the chances are now we are laying the foundation for improved growth and some stability,” said Mr Cross.

Mr Cross also noted that the local currency had also started to stabilise following the introduction of the Foreign Exchange Auction.

“The introduction of the auction seven weeks ago has brought some stability to the foreign exchange market and has strengthened the local currency,” he said.-David Mwanza via By024

Police and municipal police have vowed to continue pouncing on vendors illegally operating in Central Business District of Harare, urging the informal traders to utilize designated places for their business.

In an interview with a local publication, Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said the operation to remove vendors must not be viewed as a crackdown.

“It was made clear by the government that for vendors to operate during this national lockdown period they should be registered and should have permits authorizing them to conduct business lawfully. Some have a tendency to blame the police on everything, even those operating outside the confines of the law,” said Nyathi.

“The law is clear that they should be licensed and our duty is to enforce the law. Our message is clear, people should operate lawfully and they will not have any problems with law enforcement officers,” added Nyathi

This comes after a public outcry from vendors who believe they are being targeted for harassment by security agencies.

Nyathi said vendors are expected to operate within the confines of the law to avoid friction with law enforcement agencies.

Harare City Council spokesperson, Michael Chideme discouraging people against construing their normal policing duties with a crackdown.

“These are normal council policing duties and they should not be confused as suppression. When vendors flood shopping centers people complain that the council has neglected its policing duties and when we execute our duties, they complain again,” said Chideme.

He urged those with complaints against municipal officials to report them to council for investigations.

Economic Freedom Fighters Zimbabwe has announced that they will be demonstrating at Beitbridge Border Post to send a clear message to the Zimbabwean government that human rights abuses that have made international headlines worldwide must stop and the government must find a permanent solution to the dire economic situation in the country.

Read the full statement below.

EFF ZIMBABWE’S POSITION TO THE CONTINUING CRISIS IN THE COUNTRY

On the 10th of August 2020, the EFF Zimbabwe Central Command Team met and passed a resolution

to organize and hold a peaceful demonstration at the Beit Bridge Border Post. The resultant aim is to

blockade the Beit Bridge Border Post and send a clear message to the inhumane and brutal regime in

Zimbabwe that we cannot continue to watch and do nothing whilst our people are brutalized,

starved- women sexually assaulted, political activists arrested and tortured for no reason other than

exercising their constitutional right of freedom of expression.

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The wealth and the welfare of our people has been brazenly stolen by thieves in suits masquerading

as legitimate representatives of the people yet they are a gang of thieves in a captured Zanu Pf party

and government. Consequently the ordinary citizens of our great country, the poor, the old and the

sick, the children and young people, parents and basically the majority of our people now live in

perpetual and humiliating poverty caused upon them by their own government.

We have listened to the distressing cries of our mothers and sisters who have been raped, our

fathers and brothers who have been tortured, our grandparents who experience daily humiliation of

failing to meet their private personal daily needs. We have resolved that our generation must act

now to save Zimbabwe and her people. Our forefathers and our ancestors will punish us harshly if

we do not carry out this generational mandate of freeing our people from this evil tyranny.

We demand that ;

1. The government stops arbitrary arrest of political activists immediately and release all detained political activists and journalists.

2. The government fight corruption by immediately arresting corrupt government officials and those

who looted public funds.

3. The government reverse immediately the US $3.5 billion decision to compensate white settlers for

the land they stole from our forbearers. We reject compensation of beneficiaries of colonialism.

ULTIMATELY we demand that a National Transitional Authority be established forthwith to save the

country from collapse. The National Transitional Authority must be drawn from political, civic

organizations and private sector from the length and breadth of our country. In all clarity, let us

ensure it’s clear and emphatic that #ZanuPFMustGo!!!!!

We call upon all the political formations in Zimbabwe, big or small to set aside narrow party

objectives and to come and stand with the people of Zimbabwe on the 31st of August.

We call upon all civic organizations and labor unions to stand with the majority of our people on the

31st of August.

We call upon the youths to save their country because the future of Zimbabwe lies in their hands.

We call upon those in the security services particularly the army and the police to pose and think

about that mother or sister nursing the brutal injuries after being raped and beaten, we ask them to

think about that child who is hungry, sick and scared because those in government do not care about

their health and welfare.

EFF Zimbabwe will work with all democratic and progressive forces in Zimbabwe to peacefully bring

TOTAL CHANGE to the lives of our people

A Gweru man caught red-handed by municipal undertakers digging up a grave has been sentenced to 210 hours of community service.

Samson Mudzingwa, 44, pleaded pleaded guilty to one count of violating a grave when he appeared before Gweru magistrate, Thomas Gurajena on Tuesday.

Mudzingwa will perform 210 hours of community service in one of the Gweru City Council clinics.

Mudzingwa told the court that he did not intend to cause any harm to the remains of the late James Ncube but wanted to take with him an iron bar as instructed by his sangoma.

The court heard that on July 23 at around 12 noon, Mudzingwa was caught red-handed by a council undertaker, Elliot Mapfumbate (complainant) while digging up a grave at Mtapa Cemetery.

He was digging and breaking concrete blocks of a grave where the remains of Ncube are buried.

Mapfumbate then filed a report at Gweru Central Police leading to the arrest of Mudzingwa.

– New Ziana

Business Times

Opposition political parties in South Africa and Botswana have ratcheted pressure on their countries’ leaders to intervene on growing reports on human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.

Civic society activists and opposition party members have over the past few weeks been criticising President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration for its heavy-handedness in quelling dissenting voices.

Zimbabwe is currently under the Covid-19 lockdown and critics say authorities have used the restrictive measures to stifle opposition voices.

A global campaign under the hashtag #ZimbabweLivesMatter has also caught the attention of global leaders and celebrities but Harare insists that the campaign is meant to destabilise the government.

Early this week, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa sent envoys to Harare to be apprised on the country’s socio-political situation.

The envoys met Mnangagwa and its meetings with opposition political parties were cancelled at the eleventh hour. South Africa’s biggest opposition political party, the Democratic Alliance said Ramaphosa has to show leadership in his capacity as the AU chairman by flying to Harare to meet with all the relevant stakeholders and get a balanced picture of the political crisis unfolding in Zimbabwe.

“For far too long, successive ANC governments have stood by as Zanu PF has trampled civil liberties with impunity and disregard for the rule of law.

The ANC has played an enabling role in the Zimbabwe crisis by glossing over state brutality in the country and its mismanagement of the economy,” the DA said in a statement.

“President Ramaphosa faces the first real test in his chairmanship of the AU. He will have to make a choice on whether to stand with the people of Zimbabwe against the tyranny of Zanu PF or continue with the failed policy of ‘quiet diplomacy’.”

Earlier this week, Botswana’s opposition party also raised the red flag over unfolding events in neighbouring Zimbabwe. South Africa and Botswana are home to thousands of Zimbabweans seeking economic and political refuge.

“We further urge civil society in Botswana to rise and mobilise in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe. We urge the unions, clergy, student formations and other pro-democracy NGOs to come up with ways to pile pressure on the ZANU PF regime,” Dumelang Saleshando, leader of the opposition in Botswana’s National Assembly said in a statement.

“To our civil society and NGOs we say silence and inaction is not the answer.

Today it is Zimbabwe, tomorrow it could be Botswana; and would it be proper for others to shrug their shoulders and say it’s a Botswana problem and has nothing to do with us?

“As we raise our voice in indignation, we also wish to state that we also wish to state that we too associate ourselves with the globally trending hashtag #Zimbabwean Lives Matter.”

Before this, Moussa Faki Mahamat, African Union Commission chief had said the commission was following closely political developments in Zimbabwe as the country mounts concerted efforts in response to the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Cognisant of the existing harsh socio-economic situation in the country, the Chairperson urges the Zimbabwe authorities to respond to the pandemic ensuring that the national response is premised on human rights as enshrined in the 1981 African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The Chairperson is concerned about reports of disproportionate use of force by security forces in enforcing Covid-19 emergency measures. He implores the authorities to exercise restraint in their response to peaceful protests,” he said.

“The Chairperson further encourages the government of Zimbabwe to uphold the rule of law allowing for freedom of the media, freedom of assembly, freedom of association and the right to information.

Violations of these rights are a breach of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.”

Last month, Zimbabwe’s security forces thwarted planned protests by the opposition over corruption in the public service and the deteriorating economic situation.

This year, economic hardship has been exacerbated by drought and the coronavirus pandemic.

Nearly twothirds of Zimbabwe’s 14.4 million inhabitants are predicted to face hunger by the end of 2020, according to the UN’s World Food Programme.

In what appeared as a response to the growing pressure from the region, Mnangagwa on Tuesday said Zimbabwe was facing a “wave of aggression manifesting through illegal sanctions, hostile anti-Zimbabwe propaganda mounted on social media platforms and other forms of asymmetrical warfare”.

By Prince Njagu-The year 2020 has been a gloomy one for most Zimbabweans. Abductions, torture and then a global pandemic which has seen even the world’s biggest economies suffer the worst recession in history.

The ZANU PF regime led by Emmerson Mnangagwa has now resorted to using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to silence and oppress Zimbabweans who are standing up against his tyrant government.

Illegitimate arrests and detentions are being used as a weapon to silence the heroes that speak out against the ZANU PF regime.

Activists, journalists and opposition party youth leaders have been put in jail for expressing their disgruntlement against the current administration. The latest case being of Godfrey Kuraone, the MDC Alliance National youth organiser who was arrested when he went to report to the police as was stipulated in his bail terms.

Kuraone has since been denied bail at Masvingo Magistrate court and is being denied proper medical assistance although he is unwell. This does not only go against international statutes but also against the Prisoners Act.

Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has been one casualty of this mired legal system, as he has been left languishing in prison for speaking against corruption within the ZANU PF administration.

Zimbabweans are being denied all the fundamental human rights; no freedom of expression, no access to basic health services, people are being tortured and abducted. All these are violations of human rights and when you speak against these issues the law or security forces are used.

How can a government claim to be a democracy when the state of affairs in the country are this bad? A democracy allows opposition, freedom of speech, accountability and they do not intervene with the legal system.

The year 2020 kicked off with the abduction of the three MDC youth leaders, Legislator Joanna Mamombe, youth leaders Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova. This was then followed by several mysterious disappearances of other youth leaders who expressed their discontent with the current government.

These three brave warriors were abducted and tortured under police custody, and their crime was standing up for the Zimbabwean masses who have been leaving in anguish during this lockdown.

The vast majority of Zimbabweans are informally employed and when the lockdown was imposed, all these people were left in limbo with no food and no source of income.

These same people are starving, and the ZANU PF government is doing nothing in as far as helping them.

When the three MDC Alliance leaders took to the streets and expressed their dissatisfaction, the ZANU PF government, through the aid of security forces abducted and tortured these brave cadres.

Two more young activists, Namatai Kwekweza and Vongai Zimudzi were arrested after they protested the amendment of the constitution under an indefinite imposed lockdown.

A series of abductions and torture against oppositional party members and activists who criticise the government have been the talk of the year so far.

Hopewell Chin’ono a prominent journalist was arrested and put behind bars for his criticism and exposing the rot in the current government.

The media should be the window through which people see the outside world and it should be there to provide checks and balances on a ruling administration, but it becomes so worrisome when journalists that ask for accountability from office bearers’ are being put in jail for this.

As citizens in a democracy, the government should allow individuals to enjoy the freedom of expression and under no circumstances should these basic rights be suppressed. Citizens should not be victimized for exercising their rights.

All these heroes and heroines of Zimbabwe were unlawfully arrested for exercising their fundamental human rights, and they cannot appeal anywhere as the legal system is also flawed.

In a bid to silence Zimbabweans, the ZANU PF regime, has been victimizing and instilling fear through these detentions and delayed justice.

The Zimbabwean court system has been under the microscope for several years, and this year, it has left many concluding that indeed the judiciary in Zimbabwe is a puppet of ZANU PF.

Chin’onos bail hearing being postponed time and again. Kuraone denied bail 14 days ago by Masvingo Magistrate Patience Madondo and the other three MDC alliance leaders, Legislator Joanna Mamombe, youth leaders Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova now facing fresh charges, regardless of the fact that they have been traumatised and tortured.

The list of these young brave heroes is endless, and for their sacrifices the Zimbabwean people should salute them.

CNN

A sample of frozen chicken wings imported from Brazil has tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, authorities said Thursday, the latest in a series of reports of contaminated imported food products.

The coronavirus was detected Wednesday on a surface sample taken from a batch of chicken wings during screening of imported frozen food in Longgang district of Shenzhen, the municipal government said in a statement. Officials did not name the brand.

Shenzhen health authorities immediately traced and tested people who might have come into contact with the product, and all results came back negative; all related products in stock have been sealed off and tested negative, the statement said.

Authorities are now tracing related products from the same brand that have already been sold, and have disinfected the area where the contaminated chicken wings were stored.

Brazil has so far reported more than 3.1 million coronavirus cases, the second highest in the world after the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally.

News of the contaminated chicken wings comes a day after coronavirus was found on the packaging of shrimps imported from Ecuador, another South American country, at a restaurant in eastern Anhui province during a routine inspection, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Since July, there have been seven instances where the virus was detected on the packaging of imported seafood products across the country, from Shandong province on the eastern coast to the municipality of Chongqing in the west, according to state media reports.

These incidents have sparked concerns over the safety of imported foods. Chinese health authorities have repeatedly told the public to be cautious about buying imported meat and seafood. On Chinese social media, some have called for the suspension of all frozen food imports.

By A Correspondent- Economic Freedom Fighters Zimbabwe has announced that they will be demonstrating at Beitbridge Border Post to send a clear message to the Zimbabwean government that human rights abuses that have made international headlines worldwide must stop and the government must find a permanent solution to the dire economic situation in the country.

The statement that announced the party’s decision to demonstrate and blockade the border post also list the party’s demands to the government.

Read the full statement below.

EFF ZIMBABWE’S POSITION TO THE CONTINUING CRISIS IN THE COUNTRY
On the 10th of August 2020, the EFF Zimbabwe Central Command Team met and passed a resolution to organize and hold a peaceful demonstration at the Beit Bridge Border Post. The resultant aim is to blockade the Beit Bridge Border Post and send a clear message to the inhumane and brutal regime in Zimbabwe that we cannot continue to watch and do nothing whilst our people are brutalized, starved- women sexually assaulted, political activists arrested and tortured for no reason other than exercising their constitutional right of freedom of expression.

The wealth and the welfare of our people has been brazenly stolen by thieves in suits masquerading as legitimate representatives of the people yet they are a gang of thieves in a captured Zanu Pf party and government. Consequently the ordinary citizens of our great country, the poor, the old and the sick, the children and young people, parents and basically the majority of our people now live in perpetual and humiliating poverty caused upon them by their own government.

We have listened to the distressing cries of our mothers and sisters who have been raped, our fathers and brothers who have been tortured, our grandparents who experience daily humiliation of failing to meet their private personal daily needs. We have resolved that our generation must act now to save Zimbabwe and her people. Our forefathers and our ancestors will punish us harshly if we do not carry out this generational mandate of freeing our people from this evil tyranny.

We demand that ;
1. The government stops arbitrary arrest of political activists immediately and release all detained political activists and journalists.
2. The government fight corruption by immediately arresting corrupt government officials and those who looted public funds.
3. The government reverse immediately the US $3.5 billion decision to compensate white settlers for the land they stole from our forbearers. We reject compensation of beneficiaries of colonialism.

ULTIMATELY we demand that a National Transitional Authority be established forthwith to save the country from collapse. The National Transitional Authority must be drawn from political, civic organizations and private sector from the length and breadth of our country. In all clarity, let us ensure it’s clear and emphatic that #ZanuPFMustGo!!!!!

We call upon all the political formations in Zimbabwe, big or small to set aside narrow party
objectives and to come and stand with the people of Zimbabwe on the 31st of August.
We call upon all civic organizations and labor unions to stand with the majority of our people on the 31st of August.

We call upon the youths to save their country because the future of Zimbabwe lies in their hands. We call upon those in the security services particularly the army and the police to pose and think about that mother or sister nursing the brutal injuries after being raped and beaten, we ask them to think about that child who is hungry, sick and scared because those in government do not care about their health and welfare.

EFF Zimbabwe will work with all democratic and progressive forces in Zimbabwe to peacefully bring TOTAL CHANGE to the lives of our people

By A Correspondent- One hundred and twenty-seven people have been arrested while 14 vehicles including South African registered commuter omnibuses were impounded in Lupane for breaching curfew and Covid-19 regulations.

Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese from ZRP Matebeleland North said: “Zimbabwe Republic Police ZRP in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies on Tuesday night carried out an operation which when on until early Wednesday resulting in the arrest of over 100 people for disregarding curfew and embarking on inner-city travel.”

The operation also resulted in the impounding of 14 vehicles including foreign registered commuter omnibuses which were travelling the Binga-Bulawayo route.

Police spokesperson for Matabeleland North Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese reminded the public that inner-city travel remains banned as part of measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The blitz carried out by the police and the other security agencies near the Lupane State University saw 14 vehicles including 8 South African registered commuter omnibuses.

The curfew breakers who were at Lupane police station were also reminded that the pandemic calls for a collective effort and responsible behaviour.

Hwange District Medical Officer Dr Fungai Mvura commended the law enforcement agencies for the strict enforcement of Covid-19 regulations.

“Everybody needs to take responsibility and ownership against Covid-19 and do their part to prevent transmitting coronavirus. We are appreciative of the assistance we are getting from the law enforcement agencies,” he says.

The breach of curfew and Covid-19 measures by people travelling from Bulawayo to rural areas in Matebeleland North has put the lives of vulnerable villagers at risk.

Hwange District has seen a spike in Covid-19 cases which are currently at 51. Active cases are currently at 13 with 2 deaths having been recorded in the district since the outbreak of the pandemic.

-statemedia

Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance Namibia Branch has warned Zanu PF leader, Mr Emmerson Mnangangwa that no single individual can stop the wave of change.

Mnangangwa is desperate to stifle dissenting voices in the country.

See statement below :

MDC Alliance Namibia Branch Cancels Anniversary Celebrations Due To Covid-19

14 AUGUST 2020

MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA RUNDU BRANCH POSTPONES ITS ANNIVERSARY
AS THE COUNTRY RETURNS TO COVID-19 LEVEL THREE (3).

Saturday 16th of August has been set aside for the anniversary celebrations in Rundu, Namibia, unfortunately the country returned to Covid-19 level three(3) and the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance Namibia Rundu branch ( Mdc-A) could not forge ahead with their schedule since gatherings have been downscaled to only 10 people.

This followed a stern announcement by HE President Hage who made it point blank that given the escalating numbers of Covid-19 infections in the country, it was imperative to revert to level 3.

MDC Alliance Namibia Rundu branch was launched on the 10th of August 2019 with the zeal to transform our livelihoods and freedoms in Zimbabwe. After realising that the economic regeneration of a state can’t be divorced from its political regeneration, we pledged as social democrats in Namibia to pile political and diplomatic pressure on the satanic Zanupf morons so that they commence to restore our lost dignity as a people. The anniversary will be celebrated after the level 3 lockdown probably after 16 days.

MDC Alliance Rundu branch will gyrate under the theme: Confronting stinking corruption, looting , arbitrary arrests , torture and gross misgovernance.

Moreso , the celebrations will give us the opportunity to strengthen our resolve to utilise the regional and international symphathy on the heavy-handedness of the thugocratic rogue regime on dissenting voices who are challenging Zanupf looters.

The brave commitment and dedication exhibited by the branch is quite magnificent hence a jovial mood on the faces of genuine revolutionaries becomes inevitable.

We shall continue on the path of participatory democracy since we are an organic political branch ever ready for personal sacrifice towards socio-economic development in our Motherland.

Mdc Alliance Rundu branch shall perennially seek political wisdom from their political dynamo and the only vehicle for real change The People’s President Wamba dia Wamba.

Furthermore, MDC Alliance Namibia Rundu branch is in solidarity with the July 31st Movement prisoners of conscience in the names of our journalist of the year Hopewell Chin’ono, Opposition Leader Jacob Ngaribvumwe, National Youth Organiser Godfrey Kurauone not forgetting our radical and democratic Job Wiwa Sikhala who is on the run only to mention but a few who continue to endure incessant incarceration and torture in the hands of Zanupf terrorists. We say #ZimbabweanLivesMatter , No to corruption and daylight looting , Zanupf terrorists must go as they have dismally failed to revamp our ailing economy.

In a nutshell, through our MDC Alliance Namibia Rundu branch communications department, we shall furnish you on the date after our executive meeting obviously after our level 3 has lapsed. We are craving for the change that delivers.

MDC – Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya

WATCH THE VIDEO LOADING BELOW…..

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Joana Mamombe, Netsai Marova and Cecilia Chimbiri have been issued with a warrant of arrest.

Mr Henry Chimbiri, Cecilia’s father has confirmed the latest development…

Watch video below :

Following the issuing of warrant of arrest to the MDC Alliance trio of Joana Mamombe, Cecelia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova by the Harare Magistrates Court, Henry Chimbiri, father to one of the ladies speak to ZimEye.

WATCH VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

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Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Organizer and ward 4, Masvingo Urban Councillor Godfrey Kurauone was on Thursday morning denied bail by High Court Judge Justice Neville Wamambo.

Kurauone is facing three charges- undermining the authority of the President, Criminal Nuisance and Obstruction of Traffic.

Kurauone is unwell and he is being denied access to medication.

Kurauone was denied bail on the basis that he would “continue to commit similar offences.”

His lawyer, Advocate Martin Mureri said the charges have been “cooked up by political rivals in a bid to nail the youthful councillor.”

“The whole thing has been crafted by political foes who are determined to nail the young man.

For instance, Kurauone has not been feeling well for some time and above all he never went to Mashava where the State alleges he incited protests against the government,” said Advocate Mureri.

Health workers have demanded a meeting with the newly appointed Health minister and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to resolve the wage dispute which has paralysed the sector amid a rise in Covid-19 positive cases.

Health professionals have been on strike since June protesting against the absence of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and low salaries that have been eroded by inflation.

Aaron Masara, secretary general of the Senior Hospital Doctors’ Association, said the senior doctors wanted the new minister Chiwenga, his deputy John Mangwiro and new permanent secretary Jasper Chimedza to be fully briefed on what has been happening and resolve the impasse that has affected the sector.

Last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed Chiwenga and Chimedza as minister and permanent secretary respectively.

The ministry has been operating without a minister and permanent secretary.

Obediah Moyo was last month fired as Health minister for “conduct inappropriate for a government minister” following his arrest in June on corruption allegations involving the procurement of Covid-19 PPEs.

-Business Times

By A Correspondent- A granny has opened up narrating how she unearthed that her 4year old grand daughter was raped by her uncle and how the mother of the minor tried to conceal the rape.

A 4 year girl was raped and made to drink sperm, proven by a medical examination in case RRB 4051834 Chitungwiza and yet @PoliceZimbabwe has closed the file. Can you explain why you have failed to effect an arrest ZRP, @nickmangwana @Jamwanda2 ; @MuzvareBetty

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 12, 2020

Below is the full text of the revelation:

It was in July 2019 I had my 4 year old grand daughter on my back, and she suddenly became frightened then quickly told me, “Alvin made me lick his thing.”

Then I asked her, “Did you say “a thing”?

Then after that Alvin was passing by the roadside and as soon as she saw him she screamed at him saying, “Alvin you made me lick your thing inside your spare bedroom”.

Then Alvin replied saying,”You will get me in trouble, you will get me beaten up”. And then my granddaughter replied insisting: “Yes you made me lick your thing”.

And then I told her, “Calm down my daughter you will tell your mother when she returns.”

The mother then arrived to collect the baby with a vehicle from the crèche because her (my grand daughter’s) mother works at the crèche.

In the evening, I asked her if she had communicated with her mother and she said her mother did not say anything. So now I had to turn to my own son. I told him what his daughter had said to me in the morning and he said let me wait for my wife to come back.

Then when the child’s mother returned, she said let me talk to my mother who is also Alvin’s mother.

It is reported that he apologised saying sorry mama. So now after that I said let me take my granddaughter to be seen by a doctor because my fear was that she could have been forced to drink sperm fluids.

At that time, I didn’t think that she had been raped.

At that point the mother refused to go to the doctor. I said since the mother had refused to go to the doctor, let us go to the police.

At the police station, they asked us to bring the child so that she could be medically examined by the doctor. They told us to bring her because she could have suffered more than what we knew. They said maybe it was not just the sucking ordeal because she could have been raped.

We then told the mother and she went with the child to the police station and she was given a letter to take to the doctor and she was told that the results would be obtained from the police.

The mother went to the police on her own. She did not go with the husband. She was given the results and returned and they communicated between themselves. The child’s father asked for the report and the mother said that nothing had happened to the child.

The father updated us, so after that I went to the police, and the police told me, “Gogo, we wanted to tell you that your  grand- daughter was not only made to suck someone’s thing, she was gored into, she was literally raped”.

This really shook me. I want to tell you my family I cried and cried, a 4-year old child being literally raped, and then the mother refuses to speak.

They asked me to stop crying and said the following morning they were going to the social welfare office. The child’s mother and the boy’s mum got frightened when she discovered that we now knew the truth.

They said that at the social welfare we would be told when to go to court. Then after that the case was delayed and I returned to the police station. A police officer there then told me that the cop who was handling my granddaughter’s case was on annual leave.

So I was told that I would be updated the following week. When he returned the following week, I was told that he had walked out of the office and it was not clear where he had gone.

The case finally went into court but they said my 4 year old grand daughter had failed to narrate what really happened to her. They said that they expected her to testify and narrate everything that happened to her.

Some of the words that she was expected to say are not known to her.. She is still a minor who cannot explicitly pronounce the name of a male organ hence she said “thing”.

They said when she attended court in the victim friendly unit, that is when she said what happened to her, she told them what had transpired. But when they asked her again she refused to speak… i am not sure why but she is just but a minor, 4 years.

At court, you could see that something was happening. I think they connived to throw the case out.

Please help me to get justice for my granddaughter who was violated. I am hurting inside. The boy who raped my grand daughter is walking outside scot free. The other challenge is that this child is still staying at that same house with the rapist. I fear for her safety. Please help me what should I do to get justice.”

Watch the live video loading below….

PICTURES- Truck full of Anti riot police "camp" outside @BeatriceMtetwa's offices. #ZimbabweansLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/fFY3QUoSJM

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 13, 2020

JUST IN- Another @SurfaceWilmar victim dies. The minor girl is one of the many victims who have died after being severely burnt after stepping on hot ash dunes deposited by @SurfaceWilmar at a dumping site in Chitungwiza. @chitungwizamun #ZimbabweanLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/MZjjWNfj8g

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 13, 2020

This is a developing story. More details to follow.

That is a fake story Hon Sikhala and the entire Youth Assembly National Executive who are being sought by the Police have the full support of the MDC Alliance because they are being persecuted for being Leaders of our Party they did not commit any crime

— Chalton Hwende MP Chairperson Public Accounts (@hwendec) August 13, 2020

2. This application is now being heard in open court. The testimony of Hopewell in camera is yet to commence. Co-counsel Gift Mtisi now giving evidence on developments on the application by the Prosecutor.

— ZLHR (@ZLHRLawyers) August 13, 2020

Chimonyo said she is possessed by the spirit of Ambuya Nehanda which instructed her to write such a message on the banner & move around Harare. Magistrate Mateko on Wednesday ordered that Chimonyo be medically examined by two doctors.

— ZLHR (@ZLHRLawyers) August 13, 2020

Prosecutor Mabhaudhi makes an application asking magistrate Nduna not to give Beatrice Mtetwa audience in the case of Hopewell Chin'ono. Mabhaudhi says Beatrice is posting comments on the Facebook page, Beatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of Law.

— ZLHR (@ZLHRLawyers) August 13, 2020

By A Correspondent- Two ZANU PF Youth League officials, Pupurai Togarepi and Lewis Matutu have completed their rehabilitation at the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology.

The duo was suspended together with the former Youth League political commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu for violation of the party’s code of conduct after they convened an anti-corruption presser targeting party officials and some senior government officials.

ZANU PF Political commissar, Victor Matemadanda told Daily News on Wednesday that he was not sure whether Togarepi and Matutu, in that order, would keep their positions as youth league’s secretary and deputy secretary.

He said:

In Harare, Police arrested 36 year-old Lillian Chimonyo and charged her with criminal nuisance after she staged a protest in the CBD holding a banner written “President ED Mnangagwa ndipei musoro wangu ndizorore”.

Chimonyo said she is possessed by the spirit of Ambuya Nehanda which instructed her to write such a message on the banner and move around Harare.

Magistrate Mateko on Wednesday ordered that Chimonyo be medically examined by two doctors.

More to follow…

By A Correspondent- A Harare gogo has opened up narrating how she unearthed that her 4year old grand daughter was raped by her uncle and how the mother of the minor tried to conceal the rape.

Below is the full text of the revelation:

It was in July 2019 I had my 4 year old grand daughter on my back, and she suddenly became frightened then quickly told me, “Alvin made me lick his thing.”

Then I asked her, “Did you say “a thing”?

Then after that Alvin was passing by the roadside and as soon as she saw him she screamed at him saying, “Alvin you made me lick your thing inside your spare bedroom”.

Then Alvin replied saying,”You will get me in trouble, you will get me beaten up”. And then my granddaughter replied insisting: “Yes you made me lick your thing”.

And then I told her, “Calm down my daughter you will tell your mother when she returns.”

The mother then arrived to collect the baby with a vehicle from the crèche because her (my grand daughter’s) mother works at the crèche.

In the evening, I asked her if she had communicated with her mother and she said her mother did not say anything. So now I had to turn to my own son. I told him what his daughter had said to me in the morning and he said let me wait for my wife to come back.

Then when the child’s mother returned, she said let me talk to my mother who is also Alvin’s mother.

It is reported that he apologised saying sorry mama. So now after that I said let me take my granddaughter to be seen by a doctor because my fear was that she could have been forced to drink sperm fluids.

At that time, I didn’t think that she had been raped.

At that point the mother refused to go to the doctor. I said since the mother had refused to go to the doctor, let us go to the police.

At the police station, they asked us to bring the child so that she could be medically examined by the doctor. They told us to bring her because she could have suffered more than what we knew. They said maybe it was not just the sucking ordeal because she could have been raped.

We then told the mother and she went with the child to the police station and she was given a letter to take to the doctor and she was told that the results would be obtained from the police.

The mother went to the police on her own. She did not go with the husband. She was given the results and returned and they communicated between themselves. The child’s father asked for the report and the mother said that nothing had happened to the child.

The father updated us, so after that I went to the police, and the police told me, “Gogo, we wanted to tell you that your  grand- daughter was not only made to suck someone’s thing, she was gored into, she was literally raped”.

This really shook me. I want to tell you my family I cried and cried, a 4-year old child being literally raped, and then the mother refuses to speak.

They asked me to stop crying and said the following morning they were going to the social welfare office. The child’s mother and the boy’s mum got frightened when she discovered that we now knew the truth.

They said that at the social welfare we would be told when to go to court. Then after that the case was delayed and I returned to the police station. A police officer there then told me that the cop who was handling my granddaughter’s case was on annual leave.

So I was told that I would be updated the following week. When he returned the following week, I was told that he had walked out of the office and it was not clear where he had gone.

The case finally went into court but they said my 4 year old grand daughter had failed to narrate what really happened to her. They said that they expected her to testify and narrate everything that happened to her.

Some of the words that she was expected to say are not known to her.. She is still a minor who cannot explicitly pronounce the name of a male organ hence she said “thing”.

They said when she attended court in the victim friendly unit, that is when she said what happened to her, she told them what had transpired. But when they asked her again she refused to speak… i am not sure why but she is just but a minor, 4 years.

At court, you could see that something was happening. I think they connived to throw the case out.

Please help me to get justice for my granddaughter who was violated. I am hurting inside. The boy who raped my grand daughter is walking outside scot free. The other challenge is that this child is still staying at that same house with the rapist. I fear for her safety. Please help me what should I do to get justice.”

Watch the live video loading below….

By A Correspondent| MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Organizer and ward 4, Masvingo Urban councillor, Godfrey Kurauone has been denied bail by High Court Judge Justice Neville Wamambo.

Kurauone allegedly posted a video of a song in which he is calling for immediate removal of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Commenting on the issue, MDC Alliance vice President Tendai Biti said principles of bail are basic and should not rewritten to suit authoritarian cult.

“The Masvingo High Court has denied Godfrey Kuraone bail Bail is a constitutional right .The principles of bail are basic and elementary. They can’t be rewritten to suit the dictates of a deranged authoritarian cult . Constitution must be upheld,” said Biti.

More to follow….

By A Correspondent| The fresh bid for bail by journalist Hopewell Chin’ono will be heard in camera on 13 August 2020 at the Harare Magistrates Court following an application to that effect by the State.

The matter, had on 7 August 2020, been adjourned to 12 August 2020 after Beatrice Mtetwa, the lawyer representing Chin’ono, said she intended to make a fresh application for bail based on changed circumstances.

However, proceedings for the new application did not proceed accordingly when the journalist appeared in court on remand today. This followed an application by the State for the bail proceedings to be conducted in camera, that is, in the absence of members of the public and the media.

The Magistrate ruled in favour of the State and indicated that allowing the bail application proceedings in open court, would jeopardise prison security. The bail application will, therefore, be made on Thursday, 13 August 2020.

Chin’ono, in custody since 20 July 2020, is being charged with incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry or alternatively incitement to commit public violence.

By A Correspondent- South African ruling party chairperson for international relations committee Lindiwe, Zulu ANC, Lindiwe Zulu, who on Tuesday insisted Zimbabwe was in a crisis, has been accused by Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba of breaching protocol.

“Cde Lindiwe Zulu, chairperson of the ANC’s international relations committee, is quoted in today’s press as calling for ‘honest and frank’ discussion on the situation in Zimbabwe,” Charamba said.

“I will ignore her breach of protocol by pronouncing herself on the situation in Zimbabwe ahead of report back by special envoys of the two Heads of State, odd even though that is, so we engage on substantive issues on the situation in Zimbabwe.

“Cde Lindiwe Zulu has been long enough in government to know the provenance of Zimbabwe’s woes, namely related to western illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe over land reforms.

“I am sure she knows that those sanctions, far from being dismantled, are in fact being tightened yearly. Sadc has taken a position against those sanctions, a position which now has been adopted by the African Union.”

Charamba said the special envoys sent by Ramaphosa were not in Zimbabwe to meet other “stakeholders” but the President.

“Clearing confusion over purpose and mandate of presidential special envoys, presidential special envoys are deputations between two heads of State. Theirs is to deliver a message from one head of State to another and, to take back the response to sending Head of State,” Charamba said.

He said people have been, under the #ZimbabweanLivesMatter hashtag campaign, sending old pictures and videos to portray Zimbabwe as a country on fire and all that was exposed to the envoys.

“All that fraud was exposed to the envoys, including the use of images of victims of Ian Smith,” Charamba said.

Two ZANU PF Youth League officials, Pupurai Togarepi and Lewis Matutu have completed their rehabilitation at the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology.

The duo was suspended together with the former Youth League political commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu for violation of the party’s code of conduct after they convened an anti-corruption presser targeting party officials and some senior government officials.

ZANU PF Political commissar, Victor Matemadanda told Daily News on Wednesday that he was not sure whether Togarepi and Matutu, in that order, would keep their positions as youth league’s secretary and deputy secretary. He said:

Those are politburo positions so it is not for me to say what will happen to them in terms of whether they will retain their positions or not. You could ask the director at the school of ideology Munyaradzi Machacha regarding their course, but as to what will happen to them, it is up to the politburo.
Tsenengamu refused to participate in the rehabilitation programme and was subsequently expelled from the party.

Some of the individuals the youth league named and shamed are RBZ governor John Mangudya, former Mines Minister Obert Mpofu, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa and speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda.

More: Daily News

State Media

COVID-19 has negatively impacted on university students on attachment as most of them had their internships cut short as companies scaled down operations.

Most companies have been operating with skeletal staff to decongest the workplace to mitigate against the spread of the deadly virus.

Interns are among the worst affected as some could not complete industrial training.

Industrial training is a prerequisite before students graduate in various degree programmes in the country.

Some of the students who were supposed to have completed their industrial training at the end of this month did not even commence training.

The students expressed concern that this could result in them deferring studies indefinitely.

National University of Science and Technology (Nust) chemical engineering student Mr Ryan Katayi said the Covid-19-induced lockdown will impact on the quality of graduates’ universities will produce in the next year or so.

Already, there is a concern that some of the graduates being produced by institutions are failing to cope with industry demands.

Mr Katayi said most students were supposed to have commenced their industrial training last year in August but got places between January and February this year.

“Due to the prevailing climate most students got their attachment in January or February of which lockdown was effected at the end of March. This resulted in many companies laying off many workers starting with the interns. From my class, I think 60 percent were laid off which meant that some of them had two months of exposure in the workplace before being laid off,” said Mr Katai.

“So, they didn’t get the overview of learning. My course is a five-year degree and the fourth year is very essential because it generally puts everything that you have been learning for the past three years and that you are going to learn in the final year into perspective. It also directs the kind of final year project that you are going to put up. So, not having gotten that hands-on experience will affect our overall training.”

Lupane State University development studies student Mr Mbongeni Mpofu said he failed to start attachment due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I had been given a place to conduct my internship at a local non-governmental organisation in April. But due to Covid-19, I could not commence my work-related training, as they scaled down operations. Even my colleagues who were already on attachment had their internship stopped while others were told that they would be working from home. But working from home defeats the whole purpose of industrial attachment as there would be no proper supervision,” he said.

Mr Mpofu said while the students have been affected by the pandemic, the institution has not communicated on how they will proceed with their academic training.

Nust student representative council president Mr Innocent Dombo said while students have been affected by Covid-19 measures, Nust has been very flexible in assisting them.

Mr Dombo said as opposed to demanding that students undergo a mandatory eight-month training programme, the university was addressing individual cases as they came.

“I think our departments at Nust have been very flexible in dealing with students on attachment who were affected at their place of training. Some organisations have been flexible enough to introduce working from home so students have had different experiences altogether,” said Mr Dombo.

Nust acting marketing and communications director Mr Thabani Mpofu said he could only provide a detailed response today, although revealing that he knew that the university had taken a position on students on attachment regarding the Covid-19 pandemic impact.

LSU director of marketing and communication Mr Zwelithini Dlamini could not be reached for comment as his cellphone rang unanswered.

Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said universities are expected to handle challenges affecting students in their studies.

He said policy allows for the disruption of normal programming during a disaster and this will be considered if students face challenges in getting industrial training.

“The issue is basically that if it is impossible to get attachment because of Covid-19 situation that we are in, we invoke a regulation that would be used to the students’ advantage. Or we expose them to a practical that is not attached to a company,” said Prof Murwira.

“The way we coin regulations in universities, we coin them in such as a way that they take care of those situations. There is what we call suspension of regulations. Its an emergency regulation that we apply because every regulation has to be to the advantage of the student.”

The trial of three female MDC Alliance activists, Joana Mamombe, Netsai Marova and Cecelia Chimbiri is set to continue today at Rotten Row in Harare.

The trio is charged with violating lockdown restrictions after they participated in a hunger protest in Warren Park in May. MDC Alliance posted on Twitter demanding justice for the trio saying:

Today, the trial of #MDCTrio Joanna Mamombe, Cecillia Chimbiri, & Netsai Marova continues at Rotten Row where they’re charged with participating in a protest against hunger. The perpetrators of their abduction & sexual assault are yet to be brought to book.

The activists were abducted from police custody on the night they were arrested and were subjected to inhumane treatment all the night only to be dumped in Bindura in the morning.

Although the identity of the alleged kidnappers is not yet known, the opposition party suspects that the trio was abducted by state security saying no other person could have taken them from police custody.

Government authorities, however, say the alleged abduction was staged to dirt the image of the government.

State Media

Zimbabwe’s health delivery system is being reformed and restructured, new Health and Child Care Minister Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said yesterday, promising a new era in healthcare.

The Vice President was recently mandated by President Mnangagwa the additional task of taking charge of the Health Ministry, currently under the spotlight because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking for the first time following his appointment to head the ministry, Vice President Chiwenga, who was speaking at Hippo Valley estates during a tour of winter maize being grown on newly cleared and irrigated land, said a new era had dawned.

“Things will never be the same again. We are restructuring and reforming our health delivery system. We want to rebuild the structures from village to referral level. Things will never be the same again, but we must work together.”

The clean-up of the country’s health sector was being done together with the Health Services Board and other ministries such as Finance and Economic Development.

“We have already identified the problems and we do not want a repeat of what was happening before,” he said.

Turning to Covid-19 cases that continue to rise in the country, he urged Zimbabweans to adhere to what health experts say and was concerned that infections continued to spike in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and Mutare, the country’s biggest cities.

“I am the Minister of Health (and Child Care) and we are faced with a pandemic. We are getting daily updates on Covid-19 and Mr Covid-19 kills. The current state of affairs should not remain like this.”

Community and political leaders, including Parliamentarians, had to take the lead in the fight against Covid-19 in their areas if the battle against it was to be won.

President Mnangagwa appointed Vice President Chiwenga as new Health Minister after firing Dr Obadiah Moyo after he was arrested on allegations of involvement in a dubious procurement deal now cancelled.

News24

The Johannesburg Society of Advocates (JSA) has expressed its disapproval of the conduct attributed to the Zimbabwean government which has taken advantage of lockdown regulations to crack down on any form of dissent.

“Reports of unlawful arrests of persons as leverage for others in hiding to be given up, of the arrest of opposition political party members, of journalists and other outspoken people, and the arrest, abduction, torture and sexual assault of women in Zimbabwean society are the very hallmarks of gross human rights abuses by governments that do not respect the rule of law,” the JSA said in a statement on Wednesday.

This amid growing reports of alleged human rights violations in the country against anybody who is critical of the Zanu-PF-led government.

Several Zimbabwean journalists and activists have been arrested, allegedly abducted or beaten in recent weeks after they either spoke out against alleged corruption, or were critical of the government.

Among those targeted is prominent Zimbabwean investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, 49, who is still in police custody after his recent arrest in Harare on 20 July.

He was accused of inciting Zimbabweans to join a planned anti-government protest during the coronavirus outbreak, News24 previously reported.

The JSA stated the right to not be arrested arbitrarily and without proper cause, the right to the sanctity and security of one’s own home, the rights to dignity and bodily integrity were all complimentary to the right of freedom of speech and expression.

“These rights are enshrined in the Zimbabwean Constitution and international law. They should be respected by all people and upheld by every government,” it added.

The JSA said what was more disturbing was that those who were supposed to ensure these rights were upheld were victimised themselves by their own government.

It noted the recent treatment of several lawyers – Patrick Tererai, Lawman Chimiuriwo, Tapiwa Makanza, Choice Damiso, Joshua Chirambwe, Dumisani Dube, Doug Coltart and advocate Thabani Mpofu – at the hands of law enforcement authorities.

“[They] have been arrested over the past few months while representing clients seeking to exercise their fundamental human rights such as freedom of expression.

“Such conduct by the government is in breach of the principles of international law and the pronouncements of respected organisations such as the International Bar Association,” the statement read.

The JSA said it stood in solidarity with its legal colleagues in Zimbabwe and saluted their courage in pursuing the highest standards and traditions of the profession without fear, favour or prejudice.

“The JSA strongly condemns the reported violations and the suppression of Zimbabweans’ fundamental human rights, which should be protected, upheld and fostered by the rule of law in every nation and in every situation.”

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga who was recently appointed as the Minister of Health specifically to work on reducing the scourge of the Coronavirus In the country appears set for a mammoth task.

Eighteen more deaths due to Covid-19 have been recorded between Thursday last week and Tuesday this week after tests during post-mortems, taking the total death toll to 122.

In its daily report yesterday, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said the patients died in the community and on admission to the casualty ward at Parirenyatwa Hospital and other hospitals. Almost all the deaths — 10 men and six women — were in Harare with one man each from Manicaland and Midlands. Mutare and Gweru have been seen as the epicentres of the pandemic in these two provinces.

Yesterday, 75 new infections were confirmed, all local except a single returning resident from South Africa, taking the total to 4 893 confirmed cases with 3 740 of these being infected within Zimbabwe.

Of the local infections, Harare accounts for 1 595 with 71 deaths, Bulawayo for 1 103 with 23 deaths, Midlands for 334 with six deaths and Manicaland for 195 with 10 deaths. Mashonaland East, which includes a belt of settlements, such as Ruwa, right on Harare’s eastern border, now has 197 local cases and one death.

There have been 1 620 confirmed recoveries but with the Harare total on just 76 there is still a large group of people who are now well but who have yet to enter the official statistics as cured.

President Mnangagwa appointed Vice President Chiwenga as new Health Minister after firing Dr Obadiah Moyo after he was arrested on allegations of involvement in a dubious procurement deal now cancelled.

The opposition MDC Alliance has said the whereabouts of Tamuka Denhere, pictured,  who is the party’s Secretary for Security and Defence for Mkoba District are still unknown.

The party initially reported about his missing on Wednesday saying he had been abducted by state security agents. MDC Alliance posted on Twitter:

MDC Alliance Mkoba District Secretary for Security and Defence, Tamuka Denhere has just been abducted by state agents .His whereabouts are currently unknown. Please RETWEET for awareness.

— Citizens' Coalition for Change (@CCCZimbabwe) August 12, 2020

In an update posted Thursday morning, the party indicated that Denhere was not yet found. Reads the update:

#UPDATE

We are still unable to establish the whereabouts of Tamuka Denhere who was abducted by suspected state agents yesterday in Mkoba. We demand his immediate release. Security of person and freedom of torture are Constitutional rights. #FreeTamuka https://t.co/TgMTNWi1ts pic.twitter.com/spUTsi9wCs

— Citizens' Coalition for Change (@CCCZimbabwe) August 13, 2020

Former commercial farmers’ representatives, Mr Harry Orphanides said before the former commercial farmers and Government came to an agreement over the compensation figure, there were several discussions which led to a referendum where the majority voted in support of the Government’s offer.

“The $US3,5 billion was an offer the Government put on the table. The global position agreed to between ourselves and Government value agents was $US5,2 billion.

“At first we did not agree on the figure as they had excluded biological assets. We later went into the negotiation period of the compensation and at the end of the day the Government put on the table a figure of US$3,5 billion and we took it to our members. Some 3 000 farmers voted in the referendum and about 94 percent accepted. We have a majority of farmers accepting that proposal,” he said.

Speaking about the 6 percent that voted against the compensation deal, Mr Orphanides said they will also benefit from the programme.

“As long as they are on the database, they still have the opportunity of partaking in the compensation. Government is obliged to pay for the assets and not the land. We have no say on that matter, it’s a constitutional issue and we have to abide by that,” he said.

State Media

SEVEN activists who were arrested upon return from the Maldives where they allegedly attended a workshop on subverting a constitutionally-elected Government were yesterday removed from remand.

George Makoni, Tatenda Mombeyarara, Gamuchirai Mukura, Nyasha Mpahlo, Farirai Gumbonzvanda, Sithabile Dewa and Rita Nyamupinga were freed by Harare magistrate Mrs Babra Mateko.

Mrs Mateko told the State led by Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti to proceed by way of summons if it needed the accused persons back in court.

The State failed on numerous occasions to furnish the accused persons with a trial date hence the decision by the magistrate.

On the last remand date, Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa said investigations had been completed into the matter paving way for the resumption of their trial.

He said the docket for the matter was with the Prosecutor-General, Mr Kumbirai Hodzi, for indictment and assessment.

Allegations against the seven, who are members of civic society organisations, are that on May 13 last year, they travelled to the Maldives where they took part in a training workshop organised by a Serbian NGO called Centre for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies, with the intention to subvert a constitutionally-elected Government.

They were arrested upon return at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.

Their notes, laptops and cellphones which contained the allegedly subversive materials were recovered and were sent to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) for extraction of evidence.

The seven were being represented by Ms Jessie Majome and Mr Jeremiah Bamu

A 59-YEAR-OLD Hwange man has been arrested for rape and indecent assault after he allegedly inserted fingers into his 14-year-old daughter’s privates before raping her claiming he was checking her virginity.

Virginity testing is a cultural practice done by some ethnic groups around the world including Zimbabwe, to determine whether a girl or woman has had sexual intercourse before.

Gender and human rights activists have called for elimination of the practice saying it is a violation of girls and women rights.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the girl, allegedly committed the crimes between July 18 and July 23 when the two were alone in the absence of the girl’s mother who was out of town.

He told his daughter that it was his duty as a parent to check if she was still a virgin or not.

The man allegedly inserted fingers and raped the girl on July 18 before touching privates and caressing her for three consecutive nights between July 20 and July 23 after forcing her to share a bed with him in his bedroom.

The man allegedly threatened his daughter with death if she left the house or told anyone about the abuse.

The girl confided in her visiting grandmother who advised her to write her experiences in a book which they showed the victim’s mother on her return leading to the arrest of the abusive father.

He was charged with three counts of indecent assault, one of aggravated indecent assault and another of rape after a medical report showed that the girl had been sexually violated.

He was not asked plead to the charges when he appeared before Hwange magistrate Ms Barbara Phiri who remanded him in custody to Thursday next week.

Prosecuting, Mr John Chisango Mutyakaviri said the man threatened his daughter with death if she revealed the abuse.

“On 18 July at around 10pm the complainant was sitting on a sofa watching TV when her father told her that he wanted to check if she was still a virgin.

The complainant refused and told him to take her to her grandmother for virginity testing. The accused insisted that he had powers to check her daughter’s virginity,” said the prosecutor.

The man allegedly ordered the girl to remove her panties and pull her skirt upwards.

“The accused then knelt down in front of the complainant and pulled her legs apart.

He inserted his forefinger and the middle finger into the girl’s privates telling her he was checking if she was still a virgin,” said the prosecutor.

The court was told that after removing his fingers, he ordered his daughter to lie on the sofa facing upwards before forcibly pulling her legs apart while threatening to kill her if she made noise.

The girl complied out of fear and he allegedly raped her once. During the forced sex, she complained to her father that he was hurting her.

After raping his daughter, the man allegedly ordered her to go and sleep.-Chronicle

State Media

SOUTH African envoys who came to Zimbabwe early this week and delivered a message to President Mnangagwa from his counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa had no obligation to meet opposition parties and civic society as that would have been a breach of diplomatic protocol, the Government has said.

Zimbabwean opposition parties confirmed that meetings had been scheduled between them and the three South African envoys, former South African Minister of Safety and Security Dr Sydney Mufamadi, who was leading the team, former Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete and former South African Minister of Public Service and Administration Advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi.

Experts said that would have been an abnormal set-up.

According to diplomatic etiquette and the established Sadc and African Union (AU) protocol on engagement, envoys are usually despatched by either a Head of State or a regional or international organisation to undertake a specific and clearly defined mission.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Permanent Secretary Ambassador James Manzou said in diplomatic practice, a message sent through envoys can be despatched from one Head of State to another and not through other avenues.

“There are many diplomatic ways in which Heads of State communicate between themselves. One way is through special envoys. A Head of State can send a special envoy to his colleague Head of State. Normally the envoys are given a message by the sending Head of State.

“The task of the special envoy is to faithfully deliver the message to the receiving Head of State and none other. Upon delivery of the message, the envoy listens attentively to the response of the receiving Head of State. After which the envoy returns to his Head of State to faithfully deliver the response he would have received.

“Upon delivery he may or may not get further instructions depending on the issue. Just to emphasise that such matters are between the Heads of State and none other. This is the diplomatic etiquette or protocol followed during the important bilateral visit to Zimbabwe by special envoys of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, head of a neighbour and sisterly country,” said the Ambassador.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana said the South African envoys had a specific mandate.

“The envoys were President Ramaphosa envoys to President Mnangagwa. If there was a crisis matter it would have been dealt with at institutional level by the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, but this was a bilateral engagement between two leaders.

“President Ramaphosa was not engaging President Mnangagwa as the chairperson of the African Union, because under the AU regional bodies deal with matters that arise in their regions. And because there is no crisis in Zimbabwe, the issue has not been raised.

“What happened is a bilateral conversation between two leaders. The envoys came to Zimbabwe and met the President. They gave him a letter from their President. No nation can just interfere in the affairs of another nation with envoys coming to see the opposition, churches and other groups. Sadc hasn’t said there is a crisis in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Zanu PF Secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu said elements in the MDC-A had a preconceived idea of the purpose of the South African emissaries mission, but their lofty expectations came to naught because diplomatic engagements do not follow their wishful thinking.

“Those in the MDC Alliance had a pre-conceived agenda they wanted to be addressed and it is expected of them to be throwing tantrums seeing that their trivial interests were not incorporated into the envoys’ mission.

“In fact, the envoys had no obligation to meet them. Instead, this was a state-to-state interaction that was only guided by due protocols which were adhered to. As it stands, the legitimacy of the MDC Alliance is a judiciary predetermined matter.

“The only opposition political parties which can be engaged on similar matters in the future are those within the POLAD framework and those opposition parties whose existence is not legally contested, as is the case with brief-case political parties such as the Chamisa-led MDC-T splinter group,” he said.

Political analyst and former MDC-A spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu also stressed that an envoy reports to their appointing authority and it is the appointing authority who retains the power to instruct the envoy on how to execute the mandate given to them.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa’s envoys to Zimbabwe must, and indeed should, be viewed in this context. These envoys are not political negotiators sent to structure some kind of a deal between the Zanu PF Government and opposition political, religious and civil society activists. I am absolutely bamboozled that some people are already lambasting these envoys before they have even reported back to their appointing authority” said Mr Gutu.

State Media

Rogue police officers have been putting up illegal roadblocks and conducting patrols countrywide to extract bribes from the public, but the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is urging those who suspect they are victims to make reports to police hotlines as soon as possible so immediate action can be taken to track down and arrest the gangs.

The reports have besides illegal road blocks, people in police uniforms driving unmarked vehicles and stopping motorists, and after threatening them with fake charges and warning them that they face automatic jail terms then suggest and accept bribes.

Even fake foot patrols have been reported, again with the intention to threaten and then extract bribes.

In an interview yesterday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi urged the public to report suspicious behaviour immediately.

“Such people will be brought to book. This is especially for those in street corners and other certain points. The public should notify the police commanders so that action will be taken immediately,” he said.

He added: “Remember the country is currently under national lockdown and there are teams manning roadblocks. There are combined operations being conducted with the police and other security forces.”

This means that in most cases police officers are not conducting roadblocks alone except in a few cases where they would be checking for violations of traffic offences. In such cases, Asst Comm Nyathi said such officers should identify themselves and inform motorists of the purpose of the task they will be carrying out while also patrolling.

“Currently members of the public are aware of all places where roadblocks are being manned countrywide by security forces,” he said.

Members of the public are therefore urged to report any illegal criminal activities or people mounting illegal roadblocks on hotlines (024) 2748836 or 2703631 or the nearest police station.

During the past few years, some dismissed police officers and others who get hold of or make police uniforms were reported to be in the habit of mounting illegal roadblocks and even using spikes to get cash from unsuspecting people.

There are at least three different types of roadblocks in Zimbabwe.

The common is a standard roadblock where police are required to set-up visible security barriers such as drums that are painted with visible colours and reflectors and usually supporting booms. There is the “Police Ahead” sign about 80m before the roadblock.

Everything should be there including the blue lights because some of these can stretch into the night. And that roadblock, the standard one, should be manned by more than four traffic officers.

The other one involves spot checks, where police will profile an area where there is always or suspected criminal activities. Police would be in these areas to check whether there are any crimes happening or just showing their visibility.

The third is the highway patrol. The highway patrol usually has cars that will be driving along the highways and detecting the driving trends on the roads. They will be checking defective cars and can stop drivers who will be misbehaving.

The highway patrol officers would also be on the lookout for criminals and even trucks with suspicious cargo.

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) says there is a political crisis in Zimbabwe, which needs to be resolved by Africans through various processes, including attempts by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who recently sent envoys to the neighboring nation to assess “difficulties” faced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government accused of human rights abuses.

In an interview, ANC’s International Relations Committee chairperson Lindiwe Zulu said there is urgent need to resolve the political crisis in Zimbabwe.

“We have already said it from an ANC point of view that there is a crisis in Zimbabwe that needs us from a party political angle as the liberation movement ANC plus Zanu PF liberation movement. It’s important for us to engage each other and go back to what has been happening in the past and how we got to where we are right now and then be honest and frank about what we need to do to help the situation. Zimbabwe is our neighbor, we cannot close our ears and eyes to that … What we think should be done is for both parties to be frank with each other about what is happening in Zimbabwe and we take it from there.”

Zulu said it is possible to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe without the help of “outsiders”

“… There can be never be a situation without a solution … This is Africa and we have always said as ANC that as Africans we must always find solutions to African problems and as a political party it’s our responsibility to continuously engage until we are comfortable with the situation there and feel that we are proud of what is happening, we are comfortable with what is happening. So, engagement is almost synonymous with that as South Africa. We have been there, we have gone through that, we are where we are today because we engaged until we got where we are, the same thing will happen about Zimbabwe. From the party political angle, we will engage but at the same time as we said so, we will respect the other processes of engagement by President Cyril Ramaphosa. He sent envoys there, the envoys will come back and report to him. We will leave that to the president to deal with when the envoys come back.”

She said the Southern African Development Community and African Union are expected to play a key role in tackling the conflict in Zimbabwe.

“This is our continent, we will sort out out things as Africans and I do believe that as Africans we have the capacity to be able to deal with our issues. Like any other, conflicts are dealt with in different ways even in the African continent we deal with conflicts in different ways and remember here that it’s not just about South Africa when it comes to such issues. It’s about SADC, it’s about the African continent, and you know that the AU issued its own statement with regard to what is happening, so I’m confident that a solution will be found because we have nowhere to go, because this is our continent. We have to work together and make sure that the people of Africa in general are proud of us as the leadership … They have mandated us and we just have to do the work.”

On suggestions that Ramaphosa’s envoys only engaged Mnangagwa when they arrived in Zimbabwe and snubbed other stakeholders, Zulu said Baleka Mbete and Sydney Mufamadi’s terms of reference were coined by the South African president and as a result they will report back to him accordingly.

She noted that Ramaphosa and Mnangagwa are widely expected to map the way forward for Zimbabwe. “I’m sure they will engage each other and help us through to the next level.”

She dismissed suggestions that the ANC can’t deliver an outcome favorable to the opposition and others in Zimbabwe following the formation of a Government of National Unity in 2009, which the opposition MDC-T claimed mostly benefited the ruling Zanu PF party.

“Our engagement with Zanu PF did not start yesterday. There is a history to where we are today and how we got to where we are today and so when we talk about sister parties we really mean it because we belong and decided we are sister parties of liberation movements whethere it’s Mozambique, Angola we have to talk to each other and find solutions to our challenges …”

Zulu said she is not disturbed by acting Zanu PF spokesperson, Patrick Chinamasa, who attacked her in public for criticizing Zimbabwe’s ruling party.

“Quite frankly right now we have to a situation that needs us all to work and resolve, that’s the bottomline.”

President Mnangagwa has already said the current crackdown on dissent in Zimbabwe is directed at misguided people, who want to unconstitutionally remove him from office.

Independent human rights groups claim that at least 60 people have been arrested following an anti-corruption protest that was thwarted by state security agents on July 31.

Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU PF party insists that there is no crisis of any nature in the country.

Watch the SABC News discussion on the issue.

Eighteen Zimbabweans died of Covid-19 on Wednesday after the deaths had scaled down with the country going for three days without recording a death case pushing the national tally to 122.

There were 75 new cases and 76 recoveries.

Zimbabwe now has 4 893 cases of which 3 151 are active and 1 620 have recovered.

MPILO Central Hospital is struggling to cope with the number of pregnant women flocking to the public institution following the decision to set aside United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for Covid-19 cases.

This arrangement is valid until designated health centres which are all undergoing renovations are ready to admit Covid-19 patients.

Both Mpilo and UBH are the major referral hospitals that service Bulawayo, Masvingo, Midlands, Matabeleland North and South provinces.

This has led to an increase in the number of women going to Mpilo to deliver, a situation which has been worsened by the ongoing nationwide nurses strike.

On normal days before the lockdown, Mpilo would help 25 women deliver vaginally and through the Caesarean section daily.

Of late, normal deliveries have risen to 42, with 10 C-sections daily and authorities have raised concern of possible consequences as there are at most two qualified nurses at any given time to monitor the women who are even sleeping on the floor due to overcrowding-Chronicle

A GWERU man allegedly hanged himself with a rope from a roof truss at his lodgings after fatally axing his estranged wife once on the neck following a dispute over suspected infidelity.

The woman had allegedly received a love message on her cell phone which angered her husband leading to a misunderstanding.

Even after a third party spent over two hours trying to counsel the couple that was on separation, Pride Hove (30), police said went on to allegedly axing Patience Matura (22) once on the neck before taking his own life.

Midlands Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko confirmed the deaths of Hove and his estranged wife Matura who were on separation.

Insp Goko said on Monday at around 2AM, Hove’s landlord, Mr Swedi Phiri who was also his uncle was in Masvingo when he called his neighbour Mr Tobias Mavhunduka (64) of house number 697 Hertfordshire Suburb in Gweru asking him to go and check on the council since he heard that they were having a domestic dispute.
“Mr Mavhunduka allegedly proceeded to the house to try to solve the dispute.

The dispute was started when Pride Hove allegedly saw some text messages in Patience Matura’s phone and suspected that she was having an affair with someone,” said Insp Goko.

He said Mr Mavhunduka allegedly returned to his place of residence after two hours of trying to counsel the couple
On the same day at around 2PM, Insp Goko said Mr Phiri arrived in Gweru from Masvingo and proceeded home.

“Upon arrival, he saw Hove’s body hanging from the roof truss through the window of the dining room and immediately proceeded to Gweru Central Police to make a report. He didn’t enter the house since all doors were locked.

Police officers attended the scene,” said Insp Goko.

He said when the police allegedly entered the house they found the body hanging
Insp Goko said the police officers proceeded to one of the bedrooms and found Matura lying dead on the floor in a pool of blood with an axe on her neck.

“The scene was attended by CID details. It is suspected Pride Phiri allegedly struck his wife once on the neck with an axe and she died on the spot before he committed suicide by hanging self on the roof trusses,” he said.

Insp Goko said the bodies were taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital where they were certified dead.

“Both bodies were ferried to GPH mortuary waiting post-mortem,” said Insp Goko.-Chronicle

A 59-YEAR-OLD Hwange man has been arrested for rape and indecent assault after he allegedly inserted fingers into his 14-year-old daughter’s privates before raping her claiming he was checking her virginity.

Virginity testing is a cultural practice done by some ethnic groups around the world including Zimbabwe, to determine whether a girl or woman has had sexual intercourse before.

Gender and human rights activists have called for elimination of the practice saying it is a violation of girls and women rights.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the girl, allegedly committed the crimes between July 18 and July 23 when the two were alone in the absence of the girl’s mother who was out of town.

He told his daughter that it was his duty as a parent to check if she was still a virgin or not.

The man allegedly inserted fingers and raped the girl on July 18 before touching privates and caressing her for three consecutive nights between July 20 and July 23 after forcing her to share a bed with him in his bedroom.

The man allegedly threatened his daughter with death if she left the house or told anyone about the abuse.

The girl confided in her visiting grandmother who advised her to write her experiences in a book which they showed the victim’s mother on her return leading to the arrest of the abusive father.

He was charged with three counts of indecent assault, one of aggravated indecent assault and another of rape after a medical report showed that the girl had been sexually violated.

He was not asked plead to the charges when he appeared before Hwange magistrate Ms Barbara Phiri who remanded him in custody to Thursday next week.

Prosecuting, Mr John Chisango Mutyakaviri said the man threatened his daughter with death if she revealed the abuse.

“On 18 July at around 10pm the complainant was sitting on a sofa watching TV when her father told her that he wanted to check if she was still a virgin.

The complainant refused and told him to take her to her grandmother for virginity testing. The accused insisted that he had powers to check her daughter’s virginity,” said the prosecutor.

The man allegedly ordered the girl to remove her panties and pull her skirt upwards.

“The accused then knelt down in front of the complainant and pulled her legs apart.

He inserted his forefinger and the middle finger into the girl’s privates telling her he was checking if she was still a virgin,” said the prosecutor.

The court was told that after removing his fingers, he ordered his daughter to lie on the sofa facing upwards before forcibly pulling her legs apart while threatening to kill her if she made noise.

The girl complied out of fear and he allegedly raped her once. During the forced sex, she complained to her father that he was hurting her.

After raping his daughter, the man allegedly ordered her to go and sleep.-Chronicle

A MAN from Nkayi in Matabeleland North was on Monday found lying dead along the Victoria Falls-Bulawayo road in Nyamandlovu, shortly after he was discharged from Mpilo Central Hospital where he was admitted for an undisclosed ailment, police said yesterday.

The man, identified as Gift Sibanda (24) from Somthanyelo village under Chief Sikhobokhobo area was discovered by a police officer at around 9:25 AM.

Police spokesperson for Matabeleland North Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese confirmed the incident yesterday, saying they suspected no foul play.

She said a police officer stumbled upon the deceased and notified his counterparts at Nyamandlovu Police Station.

“One of our police officers came across the deceased lying facing upwards along the Victoria Falls-Bulawayo road at a 32 kg peg in Nyamandlovu area. When he got closer to investigate that is when he discovered that he was dead,” she said.

The police officer searched the deceased’s clothes and discovered a hospital medical card, which indicated that the man had just been discharged from Mpilo Central Hospital.

“The medical card indicated that the deceased had previously gone to seek medical treatment on Wednesday last week at St Luke’s Hospital in Lupane. He was then referred to Mpilo Central Hospital the following day and card showed that he had visited the hospital at around 8 am before being discharged,” said Chief Insp Makonese.

The police officer notified Nyamandlovu Police Station who attended to the scene.

Chief Insp Makonese said they suspected no foul play and the case is being treated as sudden death due to illness.
She, however, did not disclose the ailment.

The body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) mortuary.-Chronicle

By Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala
31st July Movement
Spokesperson

12 August 2020

Enquiries are being made about my whereabouts and safety by concerned people of good faith, embassies, friends and relatives.

I want to just advise everyone that God is in Charge. In him I trust.

My present situation is exactly the society that Zimbabwe has become, where citizens live like animals; hunted and abused by the very same people who should be protecting citizens and their rights.

This is the society that Eddison Zvobgo rejected. It is the society that Joshua Nkomo, Alfred Nikita Mangena, Nelson Mandela and it is the unacceptable society rejected by the luminary cohort of Africa’s founding nationalists and revolutionaries.

The 31st July Movement is a Convergence Initiative of Citzens on critical and urgent issues of national concern affecting the lives and livelihoods of ordinary Zimbabweans.

The 31st July Movement has broad based constituencies of all citizens, across the political divide, including those in ZANU PF who are not happy with the deplorable state of affairs pervading our country. It is wrong and crass for anyone to associate my position in the MDC ALLIANCE with my role in this all-inclusive and broad based movement of citizens.

I am not playing my role on the instructions of my party position but the role allocated to me by the stakeholders driving the 31st July Movement.

Therefore when I speak, I am speaking on behalf of the broad citizens not on behalf of any political party.

This is because citizen interests cut across the political divide. That is the objective of the 31st July Movement: to unite all our citizens.

Zimbabwe needs unity today beyond political colour than at any given time.

# ZimbabweUnity
#FreeHopewellChin’ono
#FreeJacobNgarivhume
#Free Godfree Kurauone
NO to Corruption
NO to Looting
NO to Abductions
NO to Torture
NO to All Forms of Human Rights Abuse
#ZimbabweanLivesMatter.

Farai Dziva|Another international group, Oxford University Community has urged Emmerson Mnangagwa to respect human rights.

Mnangagwa is using State agents and the courts to silence dissenting voices.

See statement below:

We, the undersigned students, staff, affiliates and alumni of the University of Oxford, condemn the violent suppression of political expression and peaceful protest in Zimbabwe, the arrests of citizens engaging in safe and peaceful protest and the abduction, harassment and torture of Zimbabweans.

We call on the Government of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Defence Forces and the security services to end the de facto state of emergency that is restricting movement in the urban centres of Zimbabwe. It is clear that this action is designed primarily to suppress criticism of the government rather than to address Covid-19.
We are concerned about the growing number of people who have been arrested or abducted for criticising the government.

This includes journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono, and opposition political leader, Jacob Ngarivhume, who are still in custody after being arrested for calling for peaceful protests against corruption on social media and denied bail.

Chin’ono had been instrumental in exposing corruption relating to the procurement of Covid-19 supplies.

We are alarmed at the arrests on 31 July of many Zimbabweans, including award-winning novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga, several opposition political leaders including spokesperson, Fadzayi Mahere, disability rights activists such as Henry Chivhanga, as well as many more ordinary citizens for doing nothing more than stepping onto the street holding the national flag or placards, peacefully and in small, socially distanced demonstrations.

This is in flagrant violation of section 59 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which guarantees the right to demonstrate peacefully, and of Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Zimbabwe is a party.

While some of these people have been released on bail, others are still in custody and all are facing criminal charges simply for exercising their constitutional rights.

These arrests follow the spate of recent arrests of teachers, nurses, trade unionists, students, human rights lawyers, constitutionalism activists and others, on charges that arise from nothing more than demanding decent work conditions and publicly speaking out against corruption.

The arrests and detentions are happening at a time when Covid-19 cases are on the rise in Zimbabwe and these actions expose those detained to a high risk of contracting the disease in detention.

We demand that all political prisoners are released immediately and the baseless charges against them are dropped.

We are particularly alarmed at the abductions and torture of Zimbabweans, most recently Tawanda Muchehiwa, who was abducted by state agents in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Republic Police during the 31 July protests and tortured, following several similar instances recently.

We strongly condemn these practices and call for immediate investigations and prosecution of the perpetrators.

We call on the Southern African Development Community and the African Union to discharge their responsibilities to issue statements condemning the arrests, abductions and harassment of citizens and activists in Zimbabwe and to take action against Zimbabwe.

We call on the United Nations and its special mechanisms to actively monitor the situation in Zimbabwe, condemn human rights violations and take appropriate action against the Government of Zimbabwe.

We call on the international community as a whole – governments, civil society and the people of the world – to stand in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe and to speak out against the violations of human rights and suppression of democracy in Zimbabwe.-Oxford University Community

Farai Dziva|Another international group, Oxford University Community has urged Emmerson Mnangagwa to respect human rights.

Mnangagwa is using State agents and the courts to silence dissenting voices.

See statement below:

We, the undersigned students, staff, affiliates and alumni of the University of Oxford, condemn the violent suppression of political expression and peaceful protest in Zimbabwe, the arrests of citizens engaging in safe and peaceful protest and the abduction, harassment and torture of Zimbabweans.

We call on the Government of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Defence Forces and the security services to end the de facto state of emergency that is restricting movement in the urban centres of Zimbabwe. It is clear that this action is designed primarily to suppress criticism of the government rather than to address Covid-19.
We are concerned about the growing number of people who have been arrested or abducted for criticising the government.

This includes journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono, and opposition political leader, Jacob Ngarivhume, who are still in custody after being arrested for calling for peaceful protests against corruption on social media and denied bail.

Chin’ono had been instrumental in exposing corruption relating to the procurement of Covid-19 supplies.

We are alarmed at the arrests on 31 July of many Zimbabweans, including award-winning novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga, several opposition political leaders including spokesperson, Fadzayi Mahere, disability rights activists such as Henry Chivhanga, as well as many more ordinary citizens for doing nothing more than stepping onto the street holding the national flag or placards, peacefully and in small, socially distanced demonstrations.

This is in flagrant violation of section 59 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which guarantees the right to demonstrate peacefully, and of Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Zimbabwe is a party.

While some of these people have been released on bail, others are still in custody and all are facing criminal charges simply for exercising their constitutional rights.

These arrests follow the spate of recent arrests of teachers, nurses, trade unionists, students, human rights lawyers, constitutionalism activists and others, on charges that arise from nothing more than demanding decent work conditions and publicly speaking out against corruption.

The arrests and detentions are happening at a time when Covid-19 cases are on the rise in Zimbabwe and these actions expose those detained to a high risk of contracting the disease in detention.

We demand that all political prisoners are released immediately and the baseless charges against them are dropped.

We are particularly alarmed at the abductions and torture of Zimbabweans, most recently Tawanda Muchehiwa, who was abducted by state agents in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Republic Police during the 31 July protests and tortured, following several similar instances recently.

We strongly condemn these practices and call for immediate investigations and prosecution of the perpetrators.

We call on the Southern African Development Community and the African Union to discharge their responsibilities to issue statements condemning the arrests, abductions and harassment of citizens and activists in Zimbabwe and to take action against Zimbabwe.

We call on the United Nations and its special mechanisms to actively monitor the situation in Zimbabwe, condemn human rights violations and take appropriate action against the Government of Zimbabwe.

We call on the international community as a whole – governments, civil society and the people of the world – to stand in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe and to speak out against the violations of human rights and suppression of democracy in Zimbabwe.-Oxford University Community

The ZRP dismisses the social media post by Professor Jonathan Moyo in connection with alleged defying of instructions at ZRP Plumtree by police officers.

The post is false and should be dismissed with contempt which it deserves.

The public is urged to be careful of the misleading posts which are circulating on social media as they do not portray the true picture on the ground. “No to falsehoods”.

The ZRP is now conducting investigations to flush out rogue elements who are giving false information in order to cause alarm and despondency in the country-ZRP

The ZRP dismisses the social media post by Professor Jonathan Moyo in connection with alleged defying of instructions at ZRP Plumtree by police officers.

The post is false and should be dismissed with contempt which it deserves.

The public is urged to be careful of the misleading posts which are circulating on social media as they do not portray the true picture on the ground. “No to falsehoods”.

The ZRP is now conducting investigations to flush out rogue elements who are giving false information in order to cause alarm and despondency in the country-ZRP