Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance has dismissed the letter that was released by the Zimbabwe Republic Police blaming opposition members and human rights activists for “causing disharmony in the country.”

According to the MDC Alliance, the letter reflects the ZRP’s ineptitude.

See the MDC Alliance statement :

We have noted with grave concern a letter published to the public and subsequently a televised publication on the national broadcaster authored by yourself.

The publication unscrupulously purports that 14 activists, among them MDC Alliance youth leaders are WANTED for INTERVIEWS by your organisation’s law and Order Department.

For the avoidance of doubt the names attended to on the said publication are:

1. Obey Sithole- (MDC A Youth Commander)
2. Gift Ostallos Siziba – (MDC A Youth Secretary-General)
3. Godfrey Kurauone – (MDC A Youth Organising Secretary)
4. Stephen Chuma – (MDC A Youth Spokesperson)
5. Makomborero Haruziviishe – (MDC A Youth Secretary For Labour and Social Welfare)
6. Denford Ngadziore – (MDC A Youth Secretary- Harare Province)
7. Job Sikhala – (MDC A Vice-Chairperson)
8. Promise Mkwananzi – (Commander- Tajamuka)
9. Obert Masaraure – (Commander- Rural Teachers Union)
10. Robson Chere – (Commander — Rural Teachers Union)
11. Peter Mutasa – (Commander —Labour Movement)
12. Man Moyo – (Commander- Students Union)
13. Godfrey Tsenengamu – (Commander ZANU PF Youth Rebels)
14. Jim Kunaka – (Ex ZANU PF Youth leader)

We wish to state that we categorically object to your unwarranted behaviour in publishing or causing to be published the above-stated names on the national broadcaster and various social media platforms.

This is tantamount to bad policing which is not anticipated in a 21″ century, modern Police Service.

Our youth leaders together with the other stated activists are not criminals or terrorists who deserve to be paraded on national and international platforms as criminals.

All of our Leaders appearing on your list have attended to the Law and Order department on several occasions and your organisation has their contact details including those of their Defence Counsels.

Your organisation never personally contacted them or their legal representatives but still went on to issue a WANTED publication against them.

In no uncertain terms, we wish to state that this behaviour makes your police Force complicit to tyranny and un-constitutionalism which stubbornly seeks to uphold what the late National Hero Edson Zvobgo once called, a socio-legal order in which people live under constant fear of police victimisation and abuse.

Your Force’s behaviour in this regard is thus illegal, unconstitutional and abrogable.

In as far as it is illegal and unconstitutional, we wish to state that your invitation to our leaders to attend to your uncharacterised interviews is in the same manner as your future illegal directives hereby DEFIED.

Below is the letter from the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly to the police

By A Correspondent| Philanthropic traditional healer, Sekuru Banda has urged government to ensure there is one channel of communication for all COVID-19 cases.

Sekuru Banda was responding to several statements from companies suspending operations on the grounds of employees testing positive for COVID-19.

Several service providers and businesses including OK Zimbabwe, CIMAS, PSMAS, CABS and NMB Bank among others have suspended operations to allow co-workers of infected staff to be tested while premises are being disinfected in line with Ministry of Health and Child Care guidelines.

“Companies should not be allowed to announce COVID-19 cases recorded at their premises, the way it is being done is causing unnecessary panic,

“Announcement of COVID-19 cases should remain the sole responsibility of government through the relevant Ministry of Health and Child Care as has been the case since the beginning of the pandemic

“Social media is awash with statements from various corporates and it is not doing any good to country efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic,” said Sekuru Banda.

He added that the announcements in most cases are being made based on rapid tests which he said are not conclusive.

“Most of these announced cases by companies are based on rapid tests which in most cases are conclusive, some of these people go on to test negative after PCR tests yet the message would have go out that there is a positive case at this and that company. They must desist from that practice as it making people lose hope,” added Sekuru Banda.

He accused some companies of taking advantage of COVID-19 positive cases to close down operations, urging them to be truthful and not cause unnecessary anxiety in the country.

Total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases stands at 2704 and 36 deaths. Recovered cases stands at 524.

By A Correspondent- The opposition MDC Alliance has reported that three members of its youth league assembly were kidnapped from their homes on Monday night by suspected state agents.

Posting on social media, the Nelson Chamisa-led party said:

3 Harare South MDC Alliance youths were abducted last night from their homes. The trio, Emmanuel Mukwemu, Petronella Mapaire & Trynos Hove were last night illegally picked up by suspected state agents only to be dumped at Harare Central Police Station this morning.

This follows a series of alleged abductions perpetrated against members of the opposition and human rights defenders as well as trade unionists with some cases still unresolved.

The identity of kidnappers is not yet established but party and some human rights defenders say the state is behind the kidnappings and torture of the citizenry.

Recently the international community including the United States and the European Union criticised the alleged government crackdown on dissent.

-MDC Alliance

By A Correspondent- MDC-T interim leader Thokozani Khupe has crossed swords with party acting secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora after the latter last week reportedly sponsored a clique of Harare province structures to nominate him for the position of president at the extraordinary congress.

A gathering of about 38 party activists held a meeting at Harvest House on Tuesday last week and resolved to nominate Mwonzora for the presidency.

The development has reportedly miffed Khupe who expects to be elected substantive president unopposed at the congress, whose date is yet to be announced.

In a communique addressed to the party leadership by interim chairman Morgen Komichi obtained by NewsDay, Mwonzora’s nomination was described as illegal.

Part of the communique read: “On Wednesday July 15, 2020, the standing committee set and resolved that the following happen: Since we have failed to get clearance from the police and the Health ministry because of COVID-19 restrictions on movement and gatherings, we immediately instructed our lawyers to approach the courts to seek variation of the timeframes set out in the judgment that actuated the extraordinary congress.”

Komich added: “The organising department was tasked with compiling the list of genuine 2014 delegates as they stand today… it was directed that all provinces stop any nomination processes until the issuance of a directive with guidelines by the standing committee.

“Harare provincial meeting (which nominated Mwonzora) and its produce was, therefore, a defiance of procedures, processes and the leadership and must be condemned and dismissed by all.

“We must observe discipline and order at all times as we move towards our historic extraordinary congress which is a constitutional requirement which must be fulfilled.”

Sources yesterday told NewsDay that the meeting, which had nominated Mwonzora, did not constitute a quorum as only 38 members were in attendance instead of 568.

“Harare has 24 districts and 53 wards. Therefore, you are expecting at least 568 people as Harare delegates. Their meeting chaired by Simon Hove had 38 people and 25 were not congress delegates so it was not properly constituted,” the source said.

MDC-T deputy spokesperson Khalipani Phugeni yesterday confirmed that Mwonzora’s nomination had been cancelled.

“The process for nominations will only start when our court application for variation of congress dates has been ruled upon. The Harare meeting was a gathering of a few MDC-T leaders and their friends bound by political adventurism and mischief. Their purported nomination is, therefore, null and void,” he said.

Yesterday, Mwonzora was not picking calls when sought for comment.

-newsday

By A Correspondent- TM Pick n Pay Jason Moyo has shut its doors over a COVID-19 scare.

The development comes as several service providers and businesses have temporarily suspended operations to allow co-workers of infected staff to be tested while premises are being disinfected in line with Ministry of Health and Child Care guidelines.

Yesterday, a number of businesses and service providers — including OK Fife Avenue, OK Norton, OK Mbuya Nehanda,  Pick n Pay Kamfinsa, The Avenues Clinic, National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals — closed some units after some of their employees tested positive to Covid-19.

This decision was taken to ensure the rest of the staff and members of the public remained safe.

Briefing journalists after the meeting of the national taskforce on Covid-19, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said in the event that an employee tested positive, there was need to close the workstation and disinfect the premises.

“If an employee or another person in a work situation tests positive for coronavirus, then the employer should immediately close the work premises or station in question until it is thoroughly disinfected.

“The employer can only reopen the work premises or station after all other employees who were in contact with the positive employee have been tested for the coronavirus,” she said.

Another 192 Covid-19 infections were confirmed yesterday, 189 being local infections, taking the total to 2 704, and with two more deaths, fatalities have risen to 36, reports the Ministry of Health and Child Care in its daily report. Of the 2 704 total, infections within Zimbabwe now account for 1 675 with Bulawayo, with 667, and Harare, with 601, being the main centres of infection although Midlands now has 168 local infections.

ZimEye/ statemedia

By A Correspondent- National Patriotic Front’s only Member of Parliament for Kwekwe Central Masango Matambanadzo has died.

Matambanadzo (56) reportedly died this morning at his Amaveni home in Kwekwe.

His passing on was confirmed by NPF Spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire who said the party is yet to issue a full statement.

“Receiving very sad news that our legislator, our only MP, Hon Masango Matambanadzo is no more. It’s a very sad day for the party and for the country. The party will issue a full statement later.”

Last February, Matambanadzo popularly known as Blackman revealed that he escaped death by a whisker after he was flown to China in 2019 for treatment.

He said his skin had turned yellow when he fell ill following suspected food poisoning.

Said Matambanadzo before parliament:

“My body changed into yellow in one day when I fell sick. I want to thank you for your support and prayers. I did not imagine the kind of support that I received.”

Matambanadzo is on record

His death follows the shutdown of parliament after two MPs tested positive of the deadly Coronavirus.

More details to follow….

By Robson Chere| It has come to my attention that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) are looking for me for an ‘interview’ in relation to the impending demonstration on the 31st of July 2030.

As far as I am concerned and from where I stand, I have never applied for any job with the ZRP I am employed by the government already as a passionate and dedicated teacher. It is enough for me so I don’t need any interview with the police.

The government is emphasising the need for social distance due to the covid 19 pandemic. As a law abiding and responsible citizen, I will not ignore the government directive of social distance by availing myself to a reckless, ill advised and unnecessary interview. In that light, I advise the ZRP to contact me telephonically. They have my contact details already. We have visited one another countless times over the years.

In case that the interview materialises telephonically, my answer is clear. I am not the cause of any demonstration. Corruption, poverty and dictatorship are the causes. Not me. Let them address those issues and there will be no demonstration.

May the ancestors of the revolution guide us on the 31st of July as we make our position clear.

Aluta continua.

Cde Robson Nikita Chere.

By A Correspondent- A Mberengwa woman died on the spot after her ex-lover allegedly struck her with a pick on the head following a misunderstanding over the upkeep of their child.

Precious Zhou (39) died last Friday following the aggressive attack by Washington Ndlela (45) of Damsite Village under Chief Bvute.

Midlands Police Spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Joel Goko confirmed the incident.

“A 45-year-old man from Mberengwa struck his ex-lover once with a pick in the head and she died on the spot,” said Ass Inspector Goko.

He said Zhou met Ndlela and the two went to her home.  

“An argument arose about the upkeep of their child. Ndlela took a pick and struck Zhou once on the head and she died on the spot. Ndlela then fled the scene,” said Ass Inspector Goko.

He said Zhou’s friend, Precious Mavhundutse, found the body lying in a pool of blood.

She made a police report leading to Ndlela’s arrest. Ass Inspector Goko urged members of the public to solve issues without resorting to violence.

“We encourage members of the public to solve their differences in an amicable manner. Let us by all means desist from violence as it may result in loss of life,” he said.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Those wishing Zimbabwe ill are twisting the recent arrest by police and subsequent remand of Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume for their own ends, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusisi Moyo told Heads of African Diplomatic Missions in Zimbabwe yesterday.

“The last few days have, once again, seen an inordinate amount of international diplomatic and media attention being focused on Zimbabwe, with waves of criticism and condemnation rolling in from the usual Western sources, subsequently joined by international pressure groups and the usual array of civil society formations which draw their funding and policy-orientation from those very same sources.

“The origins of this latest onslaught of Western denigration lies, of course, in the recent arrest and remand of Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume both of whom are facing serious allegations of incitement to violence and criminal abuse of social media platforms to actively encourage Zimbabweans to violently rise up against their democratically-elected Government in the form of a purported coordinated display of citizen’s anger over corruption,” said the minister.

“In essence and notwithstanding the ‘corruption’ angle propagated by these two individuals and their Western sponsors, the ‘call-to-action’ campaign they have been fronting actually has nothing at all to do with corruption.

“Theirs is a far more sinister agenda, orchestrated largely by external players deeply hostile to this Administration and who have found, in these two and indeed others willing puppets, prepared to provoke violent confrontation, to endanger lives, all in the name of undermining the credibility and legitimacy of this Government, subverting the peace and stability we all enjoy our multiple challenges notwithstanding and providing ‘justification’ for yet further Western punishment and sanctions upon our already hard-pressed people.”

Minister Moyo said July 31 had been chosen as the second anniversary of the 2018 election.

“Whatever happens in the streets of Harare on that date will reflect in the global media on August 1 the second anniversary of the tragic post-election violence, itself the direct consequence of reckless incitement to insurrection by an irresponsible, uncaring opposition.”

The date was also meant to coincide with the opposition’s extraordinary congress that was ordered by the Supreme Court. The planned demo was “a clear and deliberate manoeuvre by evidently desperate elements within the opposition and their Western sponsors, to subvert that democratic process”.

There were also a series of Sadc virtual meetings in the week from July 31, said the minister and noted that such activity was generally planned to coincide with international occasions to embarrass the Government and increase Western pressure and “punishment”.

“We have long been aware of their machinations and the extraordinary lengths they and those behind them are prepared to go to unseat our democratically-elected Government. They will never succeed.

Classifying the arrests as “abductions” and, “with specific regard to Chin’ono, as the action of a vindictive Government seeking retribution against a ‘courageous’ journalist for daring to expose high-level corruption within Zimbabwe, our Western critics have deliberately misrepresented the facts, and have sought to deflect attention away from the subversive and highly irresponsible activities of both Chin’ono and Ngarivhume.”

The minister noted that neither man was “abducted”, both being lawfully detained by the police. Neither was arrested for exposing or focusing on corruption and the charges they face have nothing to do with their reporting of corruption.

“The charges against both men,” said the minister, derive from their wilful, relentless and highly irresponsible incitement to violent popular insurrection, from their cynical exhortation of the public to defy the Covid-19 lockdown regulations regardless of the very real dangers such a mass gathering would certainly present for any and all who might respond to their exhortations.”

Chin’ono was neither the first nor the only Zimbabwean journalist to have focused attention on the scourge of corruption “which, sadly, has entrenched itself within our society”. President Mnangagwa had already made it clear there was to be zero tolerance to corruption and had defined the Government’s commitment to clean Government.

“His seriousness of intent has been amply demonstrated over the past several months with two serving Cabinet ministers arrested and charged, one former Cabinet minister in prison and a host of senior officials and State entity managers either already incarcerated or facing a variety of corruption-related charges.

“Even a cursory review of our media over the past two years or so will confirm consistent, indeed persistent focus, by multiple investigative journalists and commentators, on the scourge of corruption.

“The NSSA scandal which cost Minister Mupfumira her job; the vehicle-scandal which cost Mr Tapfuma his job and liberty; the procurement scandal which cost former Minister Undenge his liberty; and the current Covid-related procurement scandal which has cost Minister Obadiah Moyo his job, have all been extensively reported upon, by State and private media alike. Not a single journalist has been arrested or charged for practising their profession in any one of these and, in fact, a multiplicity of other high-profile cases of evident or suspected criminality,” said Minister Moyo.

There was nothing special about Chin’ono’s reporting and he did not break the procurement scandal on Covid-19 material. Law enforcement and other agencies were already investigating clear indications of “malfeasance in respect of the procurement of medical equipment and supplies to combat Covid-19”.

International police and intelligence co-operation helped to unravel the insidious, conspiratorial nature of that malfeasance and the deliberate foreign-inspired machinations which lay at its root.

“Wittingly or unwittingly, Chin’ono and Ngarivhume have lent themselves to that foreign agenda. They have been exposed and will now have to explain and account for their errant behaviour in a court of law. The minister reminded the diplomats that there had been a recent mischaracterisation of Zimbabwe as “an adversary” of the United States.

“Whereas we accept that this was undoubtedly a slip, our history has nevertheless taught us to be vigilant, and has illustrated the extent to which some big powers are prepared to go to deal with those which, for whatever reason, they view as ‘adversaries’.”

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) President Johannes Ndanga said it was high time opposition party leaders accepted the 2018 election’s defeat and stopped fighting the government for the better of the nation.

Ndanga, a known Zanu-PF apologist, admitted that all was not well as far as the economy was concerned, but urged opposition leaders, among them Nelson Chamisa, to accept defeat by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the country to move forward.

“Those, who were defeated in the last election, should now focus on the next election. They should not fight to derail the train,” Ndanga said.

Just accept defeat and move on. It is bad to fight the existing government because you lost an election. By doing so, it will have the same negative effects to your party members as well. Everyone is being hit by the prevailing economic challenges.”

Chamisa has refused to recognise Mnangagwa’s election victory, citing rigging. The youthful leader has also refused to be part of the Political Actors Dialogue, saying the platform should be convened by a neutral person.

“The country has been facing economic challenges for a long time now and this is being worsened by successive droughts and weather-induced calamities such as Cyclone Idai.

“As Christians, we advocate for unity, that is what we want. People should not put the burden of fixing the economy on the President alone, it is a collective effort that is required of us as a nation,” Ndanga added.

Civic society organisations, opposition party members and ordinary citizens have called for mass protests against Mnangagwa’s rule on July 31, accusing the government of failing to deal with corruption and maladministration.

Veteran journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume have since been arrested for allegedly inciting the people to protest.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Thirty two more nurses at Mpilo Hospital, Bulawayo tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday, a development that has forced the health institution to contract other health personnel to work in their stead.

Acting Mpilo chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya confirmed the development adding that as a result, he was working with health partners to outsource more nurses. He said:

We are shocked to discover that an additional 32 of our health care workers were recently infected and tested positive to Covid-19 on Saturday. The department involved will rather not close because it will put thousands and thousands at risk if they do not get care. The nurses are now in isolation and we are working on disinfecting the area and outsource nurses with the help of our partners to help fill the gap until these ones recover

This also comes when health caregivers, nationwide, are on a crippling industrial action to compel the government to restore their October 2018 salaries and to improve their working conditions.

As of Friday, a total of 300 health workers had tested positive for COVID-19 countryside amid concerns that health workers are exposed to the virus as they work without adequate personal protective equipment (PPEs).

MDC Alliance activist Makomborero Haruzivishe who on Monday was listed by police as one of the fourteen wanted activists pushing for the July 31 protests has challenged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to meet with him along First Street in Harare to finish off whether it is that they have against each other.

In a hilarious tweet, Mako, challenges Mnangagwa to bring with him vocal acting ZANU PF spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa and equally loud war veterans leader Victor Matemadanda.

Below is the tweet.

Kana Mnangagwa akashinga ngaauye tisangane muna first street toita mainterviews avarikuda one on one.

He can bring along Matemadanda naChinamasa tobva tangopedza masports acho ka one?‍♂️?‍♂️?#31July #PeoplePower #ZanupfMustGo

— Makomborero Haruzivishe (@MakomboreroH) July 28, 2020

Receiving very sad news that our legislator, our only MP, Masango Matambanadzo is no more. It's a very sad day for us as a party and as a country. The party will issue a statement later. pic.twitter.com/N0xHrJEQq5

— mawarire mbizvo jealousy (@mawarirej) July 28, 2020

By A Correspondent- First lady Auxilia Mnangagwa’s Angel of Hope Foundation farm at Protein, Glendale allegedly lost six mainway  irrigation pipes worth US1200 to two Glendale suspected thieves.

The matter came to light at Concession magistrates courts yesterday where Rueben Chinguwo (42)  and Rabson Fulawo (50) appeared before magistrate Nixon Mangoti.

Mangoti remanded the duo to 31 July in custody.

Prosecutor Munyaradzi Nengomasha alleged that on July 22 the suspects pounced on Mnangagwa’s farm during the night and stole 6 main pipes.

They were spotted by Mnangagwa’s employee who teamed up with other villagers while trying to move their loot out of the farm.

The Villagers effected citizen arrest on them and subsquently surrendered them to the police.

Police have arrested 116 047 people from March to date countrywide for violating national lockdown regulations, as the number of those that have escaped from isolation centres has also risen to 285.

On Saturday alone, police arrested 1 362 people countrywide for various offences related to contravening the regulations.

Most of them were arrested for unnecessary movement, failure to wear masks and offences related to the Liquor Act and the Road Traffic Act.

In a statement on Sunday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said Harare continued to have the highest numbers of arrests, with 24 925, followed by Manicaland with 22 028, while Bulawayo has 16 009 people arrested.

-State Media

For defending workers' rights we are called terrorists by @ZANUPF_Official.

Is this different from what trade unionists were regarded as by colonial regimes of Rhodesia?

We are a bonafide trade union movement in terms of the law.

Our grievances are legitimate. pic.twitter.com/O5yqTjuPcX

— ZCTU – Zimbabwe (@ZctuZimbabwe) July 27, 2020

By A Correspondent- Old Mutual is poised to stop trading its shares on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, the latest step in the government’s efforts to bring order to its chaotic foreign-exchange market.

The insurer agreed to move its listing to a new bourse in the country that will only deal in foreign currency, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The deal came after talks on Monday between representatives of Old Mutual, the Treasury, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe and the ZSE, the people said, asking not to be identified because negotiations were private.

The government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has blamed a plunge in the local currency on the 175-year-old insurer’s share price. Companies were using the so-called Old Mutual Implied Rate to determine the forward value for the Zimbabwean currency by using differences in the dollar values of the company’s securities in London, Johannesburg and Harare.

By eradicating the implied rate, the nation’s ruling party is seeking to end a multitude of exchange rates used by Zimbabweans to navigate the country’s myriad economic challenges. The government last week set new regulations to compel businesses to use a single exchange rate for pricing goods and services in a bid to tame inflation of 737% in a country battling with shortages of everything from food to fuel.

Tabby Tsengiwe, the Johannesburg-based insurer’s spokeswoman, didn’t respond to a call or a text message seeking comment. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube didn’t respond to calls for comment.

Another meeting is scheduled for next week to resolve administrative issues and discuss the finer details, the people said.

A surge in Old Mutual’s Zimbabwe stock – which like other shares was being used as a hedge against inflation – widened the gap between its South African and UK securities, causing the OMIR to rise to 122.

The Zimbabwe dollar has weakened to 72.1470 per US dollar on a foreign-currency auction system that was introduced after a currency peg of 25 was dropped last month.

Terminating Old Mutual’s listing paves the way for dealing to resume on the Harare-based ZSE – which was abruptly halted on June 28 – once Zimbabwe’s Financial Intelligence Unit has completed a probe into trading on the bourse. It is still unclear when the stock exchange in the resort town of Victoria Falls will begin operating.

Old Mutual, which listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange in December 1999, opened its first office in the country in 1902 and offers life, property and casualty cover, asset management, property development and banking services in the country.

-Bloomberg

At least 14 political activists, including MDC-Alliance deputy chair Job Sikhala and Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure, are on the police wanted list over unspecified reasons.

Others who are on the run are MDC Alliance member Makomborero Haruziviishe, MDC-Alliance national youth organiser Godfrey Kurauone, MDC youth secretary general Ostallos Siziba, Tajamuka/ Sesijikile leader Promise Mkwananzi, former MDC-Alliance City of Harare councillor Denford Ngadziore, MDC-Alliance official Allan Moyo and MDC-Alliance youth leader Obey Sithole.

National Patriotic Front official Jimmy Kunaka, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions president Peter Mutasa, ARTUZ secretary-general Robson Chere, MDC-Alliance youth spokesperson Stephen Chuma and Godfrey Tsenengamu, leader of a pressure group called Front for Economic Emancipation in Zimbabwe (FEEZ).

In a statement last night, national police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said: “The Zimbabwe Republic Police is appealing to members of the public to supply with information on the location of the activists.

“The activists are being sought by the Police CID Law and Order Department for an interview. Anyone with information to contact police on telephone numbers 0242 748836, 703631 or WhatsApp 0712800197.”

The opposition politicians are suspected to be some of the organisers of the July 31 demonstrations with the aim of unseating a constitutionally-elected Government.

There are reports that a number of Western embassies are the brains and funders of the demonstration.

The US Embassy in Harare has reportedly pumped in US$300 000, with each ordinary demonstrator set to pocket US$20 for participating, while the organisers will get much more for their “bravery”.

But Government has indicated that while the country will keep the re-engagement route open, it will not be bullied into surrendering its sovereignty by Western countries working with local political activists to overthrow the ruling Zanu PF.

Briefing journalists on Saturday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the arrest of Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume had nothing to do with their alleged fight against corruption, but their involvement in plans to overthrow the Government.

She dismissed attempts by the US and her allies to sully the Second Republic’s image by concocting lies that Chin’ono was abducted when he was arrested under the country’s laws.

The duo has since appeared in court charged with “incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry”, and were remanded in custody.

-State Media

State Media

THIRTY-TWO more nurses at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo have tested positive for Covid-19, forcing authorities to outsource personnel to cover the gap as some health workers are on strike.

Those who tested positive are all from the opportunistic infections (OI) department within the hospital and the development comes amid a nationwide nurses’ strike which enters day 38 today.

Mpilo is the only operational referral hospital for the southern region at the moment after a decision was made to set aside United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for Covid-19 patients, pending completion of renovations at designated health centres; Ekusileni Medical Centre, Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital and Old Bartley Memorial Block (BMB) within UBH.

Last month, four nurses tested positive at Mpilo a situation which left 197 of their colleagues quarantined.

Health workers have been greatly exposed to Covid-19 and 115 had been infected by last Friday in Bulawayo alone, with over 300 having been infected countrywide.

The additional 32 nurses from Mpilo tested positive on Saturday.

They all have been isolated and are awaiting follow up visits from the department of health services.

Acting Mpilo chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya said he was working with health partners to outsource more nurses due to the strike and the latest nurses Covid-19 positive cases.

Prof Solwayo Ngwenya

He said 18 other nurses who were isolated last month after testing positive were back at work but the national strike is affecting service delivery.

“We are shocked to discover that an additional 32 of our health care workers were recently infected and tested positive to Covid-19 on Saturday. The department involved will rather not close because it will put thousands and thousands at risk if they do not get care. The nurses are now in isolation and we are working on disinfecting the area and outsource nurses with the help of our partners to help fill the gap until these ones recover,” said Prof Ngwenya.

He said Mpilo officials are working tirelessly to keep the department running so that thousands have access to health care.

Prof Ngwenya said the virus is spreading like a raging fire and every one is potentially a Covid-19 carrier; hence people must comply with lockdown measures.

He said the new World Health Organisation guidelines allow nurses to return to work after 10 days of self-isolation.

“The guidelines state that after 10 days of isolation the person is no longer infectious and can safely return to work. This is quite a sensible guideline because if we were too strict in our scenario, we would close down,” said Prof Ngwenya.

Asked why nurses are continuing to test positive in large numbers, he said people should understand that Covid-19 is in the community and is not only found in hospitals.

“Nurses come from all over Bulawayo and they use the same public transport and supermarkets used by members of the public. Everyone is exposed to Covid and it is not like they got it from the hospital because it’s also there in the community.

“Nurses also live in the community and we should get that right as there is no point in believing that Covid-19 is only found in hospitals.

“It is only that those nurses were tested at one go and found to be positive. My reminder is that Covid is everywhere and nearer to all of us than we think it is,” he added.

Prof Ngwenya said members of the public should change behaviours when using public transport or when in public spaces.

Zimbabwe Nurses Association president Mr Enock Dongo said it was worrying to note that nurses constitute the highest number of Covid-19 confirmed cases in Zimbabwe.

He said more than 300 nurses have been infected while saving lives as frontliners.

Mr Dongo said the situation will only improve when nurses have access to personal protective equipment (PPE).

“It is scary to note that health care workers continue risking their lives while working without adequate PPE. For example, a few days ago at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare, 60 Covid-19 patients were admitted and a few days later 70 nurses tested positive,” he said.

“There must be adequate PPE to protect nurses and all health workers so that they do not in turn spread the disease to members of the public who will be seeking care.”

MDC-T Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora says that MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa cried uncontrollably when he beat him to the position of Secretary General in the Morgan Tsvangirai led MDC-T Congress in 2014.

In an interview with Trevor Ncube in the video below, Mwonzora says when he found out that he was winning he asked people to stop the counting. Chamisa was devasted and locked himself in his car.

After his win, Mwonzora claims he asked Tsvangirai to appoint Chamisa in the executive.

Watch video downloading below.

Old Mutual Ltd. is poised to stop trading its shares on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, the latest step in the government’s efforts to bring order to its chaotic foreign-exchange market.

The insurer agreed to move its listing to a new bourse in the country that will only deal in foreign currency, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said. The deal came after talks on Monday between representatives of Old Mutual, the Treasury, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe and the ZSE, the people said, asking not to be identified because negotiations were private.

The government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has blamed a plunge in the local currency on the 175-year-old insurer’s share price. Companies were using the so-called Old Mutual Implied Rate to determine the forward value for the Zimbabwean currency by using differences in the dollar values of the company’s securities in London, Johannesburg and Harare.

By eradicating the implied rate, the nation’s ruling party is seeking to end a multitude of exchange rates used by Zimbabweans to navigate the country’s myriad economic challenges. The government last week set new regulations to compel businesses to use a single exchange rate for pricing goods and services in a bid to tame inflation of 737% in a country battling with shortages of everything from food to fuel.

Tabby Tsengiwe, the Johannesburg-based insurer’s spokeswoman, didn’t respond to a call or a text message seeking comment. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube didn’t respond to calls for comment.

Another meeting is scheduled for next week to resolve administrative issues and discuss the finer details, the people said.

A surge in Old Mutual’s Zimbabwe stock — which like other shares was being used as a hedge against inflation — widened the gap between its South African and U.K. securities, causing the OMIR to rise to 122. The Zimbabwe dollar has weakened to 72.1470 per U.S. dollar on a foreign-currency auction system that was introduced after a currency peg of 25 was dropped last month.

Terminating Old Mutual’s listing paves the way for dealing to resume on the Harare-based ZSE — which was abruptly halted on June 28 — once Zimbabwe’s Financial Intelligence Unit has completed a probe into trading on the bourse. It is still unclear when the stock exchange in the resort town of Victoria Falls will begin operating.

Old Mutual, which listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange in December 1999, opened its first office in the country in 1902 and offers life, property and casualty cover, asset management, property development and banking services in the country.

Bloomberg

Masvingo – A little known divorce case presided over by Justice Garainesu Mawadze in 2012 has become a source of evidence to support allegations of corruption in the US$200 m Reserve Bank Farm Mechanisation Programme.

The almost forgotten case was dusted out of the archives by prominent UK-based lawyer Alex Magaisa at the weekend and he used various findings by the Judge to nail Government on the allegations of corruption.

High profile Government officials, Zanu PF politicians, judges, top military and police officers were loaned farming equipment by RBZ ranging between US$20 000 and US$0,5m per person and the total debt of US$200m was later taken over by the State by transferring the burden onto the taxpayer.

Justice Mawadze made the ruling on the divorce case between Ruzivo and Chipo Musvosvi who married in Highfield in 1987 and divorced in 2012. Some of the property brought before the Judge for division was a tractor and a plough.

Mawadze established in his findings that the tractor and the plough belonged to the Reserve Bank. Ruzivo had brought papers before the Judge to prove that he got the tractor and plough through a loan from the bank and he could therefore not share the property with the estranged wife since it was still the property of RBZ because the loan had not yet been paid for.

However, Government, beneficiaries of the controversial scheme and former Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono have over the last two weeks strenuously argued that equipment distributed under the RBZ Scheme was never a loan but a grant which beneficiaries were not supposed to pay back.

Magaisa and many anti-corruption activists argue that the equipment was given as a loan and beneficiaries are required to pay back and relieve poor taxpayers of the burden of the multimillion dollar debt.

In his ruling, Justice Mawadze clearly concluded that beneficiaries of the scheme had taken loans and were required to pay back the money to the Reserve Bank. He said, “The plaintiff in his evidence indicated that the property was loaned to him by RBZ. The terms and conditions were that RBZ would advise the plaintiff of the value of the tractor and the plough after which the plaintiff will start to make payments.

“The property can only change ownership from RBZ to him after he would have paid the agreed price.”

Using the ruling, Magaisa in his weekend article said the divorce case quashed any arguments that the mechanization programme was not a loan scheme. He therefore insisted that there was no moral or legal basis for those who received the equipment to refuse to pay.

Further, Magaisa said that there are exhibits that accompanied the plaintiff’s papers which clearly showed he had taken a loan.

The exhibit is a general terms and conditions of the loan agreement signed between Ruzivo and Fiscort (Pvt) Limited representing RBZ, said Magaisa.

Magaisa also argued that the Farm Mechanisation Scheme was corrupt because while the beneficiaries were supposed to be new farmers, there are people who did not own any piece of land who benefitted. He said that Justice Mawadze established in his findings that Ruzivo got a tractor and a plough even though he did not have any land.

The equipment that the plaintiff got from RBZ was moved to his father’s farm because he himself did not have land.

“It is common cause that the tractor and plough were acquired by the plaintiff (husband) from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe through the Farm Mechanisation Programme in 2007. While both parties admitted that they don’t own any farm the plaintiff nonetheless acquired the tractor and the plough which he says are being used at his parents’ farm,” read Justice Mawadze’s ruling.

Magaisa also used the divorce case findings to prove that there was abuse of public property. He described the fact that for five years RBZ did not make a follow-up on the loans or give value to the loaned equipment as a clear case of abuse of public property.

“The terms and conditions were that RBZ would advise the plaintiff of the value of the tractor and the plough after which the plaintiff will start to make payments. This process has not started despite that the plaintiff has been using the property for five years from 2007,” read Justice Mawadze’s ruling

https://masvingomirror.com

State Media

Those wishing Zimbabwe ill are twisting the recent arrest by police and subsequent remand of Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume for their own ends, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusisi Moyo told Heads of African Diplomatic Missions in Zimbabwe yesterday.

“The last few days have, once again, seen an inordinate amount of international diplomatic and media attention being focused on Zimbabwe, with waves of criticism and condemnation rolling in from the usual Western sources, subsequently joined by international pressure groups and the usual array of civil society formations which draw their funding and policy-orientation from those very same sources.

“The origins of this latest onslaught of Western denigration lies, of course, in the recent arrest and remand of Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume — both of whom are facing serious allegations of incitement to violence and criminal abuse of social media platforms to actively encourage Zimbabweans to violently rise up against their democratically-elected Government in the form of a purported coordinated display of citizen’s anger over corruption,” said the minister. “In essence and notwithstanding the ‘corruption’ angle propagated by these two individuals and their Western sponsors, the ‘call-to-action’ campaign they have been fronting actually has nothing at all to do with corruption.

“Theirs is a far more sinister agenda, orchestrated largely by external players deeply hostile to this Administration and who have found, in these two — and indeed others — willing puppets, prepared to provoke violent confrontation, to endanger lives, all in the name of undermining the credibility and legitimacy of this Government, subverting the peace and stability we all enjoy — our multiple challenges notwithstanding — and providing ‘justification’ for yet further Western punishment and sanctions upon our already hard-pressed people.”

Minister Moyo said July 31 had been chosen as the second anniversary of the 2018 election. “Whatever happens in the streets of Harare on that date will reflect in the global media on August 1 — the second anniversary of the tragic post-election violence, itself the direct consequence of reckless incitement to insurrection by an irresponsible, uncaring opposition.”

The date was also meant to coincide with the opposition’s extraordinary congress that was ordered by the Supreme Court.

The planned demo was “a clear and deliberate manoeuvre by evidently desperate elements within the opposition and their Western sponsors, to subvert that democratic process”. There were also a series of Sadc virtual meetings in the week from July 31, said the minister and noted that such activity was generally planned to coincide with international occasions to embarrass the Government and increase Western pressure and “punishment”. “We have long been aware of their machinations and the extraordinary lengths they and those behind them are prepared to go to unseat our democratically-elected Government. They will never succeed.

Classifying the arrests as “abductions” and, “with specific regard to Chin’ono, as the action of a vindictive Government seeking retribution against a ‘courageous’ journalist for daring to expose high-level corruption within Zimbabwe, our Western critics have deliberately misrepresented the facts, and have sought to deflect attention away from the subversive and highly irresponsible activities of both Chin’ono and Ngarivhume.”

The minister noted that neither man was “abducted”, both being lawfully detained by the police. Neither was arrested for exposing or focusing on corruption and the charges they face have nothing to do with their reporting of corruption.

“The charges against both men,” said the minister, derive from their wilful, relentless and highly irresponsible incitement to violent popular insurrection, from their cynical exhortation of the public to defy the Covid-19 lockdown regulations regardless of the very real dangers such a mass gathering would certainly present for any and all who might respond to their exhortations.”

Chin’ono was neither the first nor the only Zimbabwean journalist to have focused attention on the scourge of corruption “which, sadly, has entrenched itself within our society”.

President Mnangagwa had already made it clear there was to be zero tolerance to corruption and had defined the Government’s commitment to clean Government. “His seriousness of intent has been amply demonstrated over the past several months with two serving Cabinet ministers arrested and charged, one former Cabinet minister in prison and a host of senior officials and State entity managers either already incarcerated or facing a variety of corruption-related charges.

“Even a cursory review of our media over the past two years or so will confirm consistent, indeed persistent focus, by multiple investigative journalists and commentators, on the scourge of corruption.

“The NSSA scandal — which cost Minister Mupfumira her job; the vehicle-scandal which cost Mr Tapfuma his job and liberty; the procurement scandal which cost former Minister Undenge his liberty; and the current Covid-related procurement scandal which has cost Minister Obadiah Moyo his job, have all been extensively reported upon, by State and private media alike. Not a single journalist has been arrested or charged for practising their profession in any one of these and, in fact, a multiplicity of other high-profile cases of evident or suspected criminality,” said Minister Moyo.

There was nothing special about Chin’ono’s reporting and he did not break the procurement scandal on Covid-19 material. Law enforcement and other agencies were already investigating clear indications of “malfeasance in respect of the procurement of medical equipment and supplies to combat Covid-19”.

International police and intelligence co-operation helped to unravel the insidious, conspiratorial nature of that malfeasance and the deliberate foreign-inspired machinations which lay at its root.

“Wittingly or unwittingly, Chin’ono and Ngarivhume have lent themselves to that foreign agenda. They have been exposed and will now have to explain and account for their errant behaviour in a court of law.

The minister reminded the diplomats that there had been a recent mischaracterisation of Zimbabwe as “an adversary” of the United States. “Whereas we accept that this was undoubtedly a slip, our history has nevertheless taught us to be vigilant, and has illustrated the extent to which some big powers are prepared to go to deal with those which, for whatever reason, they view as ‘adversaries’.”

ZANU PF acting spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa has come hard on MDC Alliance Vice President Tendai Biti claiming that the vibrant opposition politician is biting the hand that fed him by continuously fighting against the ZANU PF regime.

Chinamasa who confessed to having great respect for Biti’s intellect said he was disappointed that Biti was using funds paid by the Zanu PF led government towards his education to undermine the country’s revolution.

Biti studied law at the University of Zimbabwe, and the government that time gave university students financial grants to cover their costs.

“I have respect for him (Biti) for his intellectual prowess. Let me say that he is very clever,” Chinamasa said during a press conference at Zanu PF headquarters in Harare on Monday.

“But my disappointment is that he uses money that Zanu PF used to educate him to undermine the revolution. To be a puppet and often I wonder how such an intelligent person cannot realise that he is being duped by his handlers. It is a pity.”

“But there you have him doing the bidding for his masters very well where he wrote to the World Bank not to give us Covid-19 related finances and resources and we have not received such resources,” he said.

Watch Chinamasa press conference in the video downloading below.

State Media

FOUR NatPharm board members, including the chairman and his deputy appeared in court over the weekend facing allegations of failing to retire managing director, Florah Nancy Sifeko, when her tenure of office lapsed.

Board chairman Billy Rigava, his deputy Rachael Chibaya, board members Johnson Shonhe and Harunavamwe Notburga Chifamba appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court charged with criminal abuse of office.

They were all not asked to plead to the charges when they appeared before magistrate Victoria Mashamba, who remanded them to August 12 on $3 000 bail.

Circumstances leading to their arrest are that on June 1, 2006 Sifeku was appointed managing director for NatPharm under a renewable three-year contract.

Sifeku’s contract was renewed by the board up until her last contract, which started on June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2018.

The court heard that on July 31, 2018 former NatPharm chairman Dr George Washaya wrote a notice of retirement to Sifeku, which also said the board had taken notice of her age.

It is said the notice also outlined that Sifeku was no longer eligible for reappointment according to the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act after having served the organisation for 10 years.

The notice was also said to have served as extension of Sifeku’s contract from June 1, 2018 to November 30 of the same year.

On November 28, 2018 NatPharm received a circular from the Office of the President and Cabinet outlining procedure for termination of public entities’ chief executives who had served for more than 10 years as guided by the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act.

The court heard that the NatPharm Board chaired by Dr Washaya was dissolved leaving the pharmaceutical company to operate from October 2019 to June 2019 without a board.

Sifeku, according to the State, was reporting directly to the Minister of Health and Child Care.

On July 1, 2019 Natpharm appointed a board.

It is said on July 18 of the same year, a human resources committee meeting chaired by Chifamba was held and the issue of recruiting a new managing director was raised and captured in the minutes.

On November 30, Sifeku’s contract expired and she reportedly continued to work without a contract and President’s approval of her re-appointment.

The court heard that on November 30, 2019 NatPharm held a human resources committee meeting where the issue of recruiting a new managing director was raised and resolved that it be discussed in the main board meeting.

Accusations against the quartet are that they failed to terminate Sifeku’s employment, which was part of their duties.

During the time Sifeku continued to work, she received salaries and benefits amounting to $631 997 and US$2 865

Zanu PF youths have angrily reacted to the MDC Alliance Spokesperson Fadzai Mahere’s call for party members to go out in numbers and join the July 31 nationwide protests against corruption and the general mismanagement of the country by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ZANU PF government.

Led by youth league Secretary General Tendai Chirau, the party youth said they would defend Mnangagwa and any attempts to remove him from power would be resisted.

“We reiterate our support for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and it is in this light that if there are any issues we have as a nation, we have to do it through patriotic means. There are better ways to address the issues rather than using demonstrations, especially in this time of COVID-19. It becomes a cause for concern,” he said.

Government has insisted the July 31 demonstrations are being fuelled by the West.

“The mortal fear of Africa by the West is the economic success of a self-sustainable African nation. Zimbabwe now offers that prospect after braving devastating sanctions by the West for two decades. No wonder the pandemonium being engendered by the fear of a good example,” Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said in a statement on Saturday.

She said Mnangagwa was aware of the “evil and devilish” agenda by the West.

“President Mnangagwa and his government are fully apprised on this evil agenda and devilish machinations. We will keep the course of re-engagement while safeguarding the nation from a slide to chaos,” Mutsvangwa said.

NewsDay

THE opposition MDC Alliance spokesperson, Fadzai Mahere, has urged Zimbabweans to unite and join the nationwide protests pencilled in for July 31 against the Zanu PF regime erosion of basic freedoms and confront State corruption.

Speaking to NewsDay Mahere said the only option was for Zimbabweans to take to the streets and confront the regime.

“What do we do? We take to the streets, we have to find our collective voice, and it’s not just about the 31st of July. I think that’s what I need to emphasise that’s just about one day, so it’s not as if once the 31st of July comes and goes, we sort of forget about the need to stand up and speak out against the government. There is no magic around that day.

There is need to unite. Speaking out against the government has to be a continuous obligation on each citizen,” Mahere said.

She said it was now time for Zimbabweans to unite and speak with one voice because the system had declared war on citizens.

“We have to form a broad church, nobody is safe whether it’s MDC Alliance MPs, church leaders, teachers, nurses, civic society, business, they are coming for everybody. So it’s time for us to all come together and say Zanu PF must go because the system has declared war on everybody, on all of us, so we have to find our collective voice.”

The MDC Alliance spokesperson said people needed to fight for basic rights and freedoms such as access to health and general welfare which were under threat.

“Regardless of the fact that we are hungry and the cost of living is escalating and we cannot afford public health, people should be allowed to come out on the 31st of July regardless of who is organising it and they should be able to do that on any other day. People have the right to do that peacefully, socially distanced you know, even if it’s during the time of COVID-19 people should be allowed to express themselves. There is no law on earth which says during a pandemic people cannot protest,” she said.

Despite indications that government would thwart the demonstrations before they even begin, Mahere said more was at stake for the people of Zimbabwe.

“The right to a livelihood, the right to public health, all of these rights are under threat, the right to access information. We have been asked to pay taxes in terms of the law and yet these taxes are spent on farm mechanisation, tractors, and when we ask who gets all these tractors, they arrest journalists doing their work,” she said.

“They deny these journalists bail, but yet the very people who are corrupt, the very people who are stealing COVID-19 money, the State surprisingly says no we are not going to challenge bail against you.

“When we say corruption is killing us, when we say human rights are under threat, when we say we can’t breathe, this is precisely what we mean. Human rights, freedom, Constitution all these are in existence for our security as a people.”

The MDC Alliance said Mnangagwa, politics and the clampdown on human rights were the major problems in Zimbabwe and not the economy.

“Then they say we have an economic crisis. No, that’s not where our crisis is, our crisis is political in nature. If we allow people to be free, if we allow people to breathe in an environment where they have all these freedoms, we will be fine,” she said.

“The other day, my EcoCash data was in the hands of some random police officer. How is that normal? How is that OK? I gave my records to EcoCash, I subscribed, I have a right to privacy and the next thing I know, some police officer says no, they now have my name, address, phone number. That is not freedom.”

The police on July 17 were granted an order against Econet, which has more than 11 million subscribers, to hand over details of its mobile money transactions and subscribers on EcoCash because authorities suspect its network was used in money-laundering.

Econet successfully challenged the warrant at the High Court last week saying it constituted a violation of the company and its subscribers’ right to privacy.

Dear Valued Customer

Following our communication on the reopening of the Arundel branch we regret to inform you that we have had to reclose the branch.

On 20 July 2020, one of our staff members disclosed that they may have come in contact with a Covid 19 infected person. They were immediately sent for Rapid Diagnostic Testing (RDT) which, however, tested negative. As a precautionary measure, all the branch staff were sent for RDT testing. Unfortunately, a member of staff tested positive and they were immediately released to go home and isolate, while further tests were being carried out.

The more accurate Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test was conducted, while we closed the branch for disinfection.

On 22 July the disinfected branch was reopened, with staff members whose tests were negative, reporting for duty. However, the PCR test result for the affected member of staff, also came back as positive and hence we have made the decision to close the branch and allow all staff members to go for PCR tests and self-isolate for 14 days, as a precautionary measure.

We would like to assure you that the health and safety of our customers and staff comes first and therefore encourage you to use our internet and mobile banking platforms

(*227#/mobile app) to reduce the risk of exposure and spread of COVID-19 during this period. You can download the Mobile App on Google Play or App store.

Thank you for your continued support.

Regards,

Mehluli Mpofu

MANAGING DIRECTOR

TimesLive

The central figure in a fraud case involving more than US$20m siphoned from Zimbabwe’s ministry of defence died a day before he was due in court.

Peter Muchakazi, 56, an army procurement officer, according to sources, died just a few hours after complaining of chest pains. Ministry of defence secretary Mark Grey Marongwe confirmed Muchakazi’s death to TimesLIVE.

“The family of the deceased will be in a better position to comment about how he died,” he said.

Muchakazi was suspected to be the ringleader of a well-orchestrated con whereby fake invoices were raised for services allegedly rendered to the ministry. The fraud wrap faced by Muchakazi, his co-accused Jonathan Tandangu, Dhuvai Muzenda and Maria Fungisai Chiurira in December last year drew the attention of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) as some army commanders were also investigated for being part of the rot.

ZimEye.com early this year reported that the matter involving Muchakazi was the reason behind Danison Muvandi, the director of finance and human resources, fleeing the country. His whereabouts is unknown.

Allegations of corruption at the ministry of defence investigated by ZACC implicate army officers and civilian employees. In December, army chief-of-staff quartermaster Maj-Gen Hlanganani Dube — one of the ZDF’s top five commanders — was implicated in the theft of 30 tonnes of beef from a recruitment training depot in Matabeleland South.

Dube’s driver was arrested by counterintelligence operatives and pointed the finger at his boss, who was put on forced leave pending completion of an investigation.

The commander of One Commando regiment in Harare, Lt-Col Enock Chivhima, was arrested last May and charged with stealing beef rations meant for his troops.

He and eight other soldiers were also arrested on suspicion of stealing donations for victims of Cyclone Idai.

The looting at the ministry was unearthed at a time when soldiers in barracks had to do with only one meal a day.

State Media

Senior lawyer Simplisius Julius Chihambakwe has appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts facing allegations of failing to declare his interests to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) where he was a board member when his law firm started collecting money owed to the authority.

Chihambakwe, of Chihambakwe, Mutizwa and Partners, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Trynos Utahwashe yesterday charged with corruptly concealing an interest from a principal.

While collecting Zesa debts, the law firm earned US$3 098 248 commission.

Chihambakwe was not asked to plead to the charges and was remanded to 21 August for routine remand on $10 000 bail.

The State led by Ms Sheila Mupindu alleges that in January 2016, Chihambakwe, Mutizwa and Partners started collecting debts on behalf of Zesa’s distribution arm, ZETDC, without signing a contract.

At the time, Chihambakwe was a board member of Zesa and he allegedly failed to disclose his interests.

On 31 May 2016, the law firm is said to have received US$5 000 as debt collection disbursement from ZESA Holdings.

The court heard that the matter was raised during the Zesa Holdings 36th board of directors committee meeting held on May 26, 2016.

Chihambakwe is said to have later declared his interests as a senior partner in the law firm.

It is alleged that Chihambakwe later signed the contract for debt collection on 3 June 2016 but that there was no Zesa board resolution then and none until the end of the board’s term.

The court heard that from January 2016 to December last year, the law firm was paid commissions totalling US$3 098 248.

Hopewell Chin’ono yesterday approached the High Court to appeal the refusal of a magistrates’ court to grant him bail pending trial on charges of incitement to commit public violence.

Harare regional magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna denied Chin’ono bail last week on the grounds that he was likely to continue posting statements on social media that have the effect of instigating public violence if freed on bail.

He was remanded in custody to August 7.

Chin’ono is being charged with incitement to commit public violence or alternatively incitement to participate in a gathering with the intent to promote public violence.

Though Chino’no argued, through his lawyer, Ms Beatrice Mtetwa of Mtetwa and Nyambirai Legal Practitioners, during the bail hearing at his initial remand, that there was no reference to violence in his tweets, Mr Nduna ruled that the interpretation of the activist’s tweets would be dealt with during trial and upheld the State fears that he was likely to re-offend once released on bail.

Charges against Chin’ono arose after he allegedly posted messages calling for mass demonstrations by any means against Government on July 31.

THE trial of Marry Mubaiwa on charges of assaulting her maid was yesterday deferred after she told the court that she cannot stand trial at the moment because of ill-health.

Mubaiwa, who is the estranged wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, made an application through lawyer Ms Beatrice Mtetwa for the trial to be moved to another date since she was still recovering and needed more time to recuperate.

During her application for deferment of the matter, Ms Mtetwa produced photographs of Mubaiwa, which she said were evidence enough to prove that her client was unwell.

Mubaiwa is facing assault charges after she allegedly attacked her former maid, Delight Munyoro.

She appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa, who remanded her to September 7 to 9 on a continuous roll for trial.

The State led by Mr Charles Muchemwa and Mrs Netsai Mushayabasa consented to the application for deferment, saying they had taken Mubaiwa’s condition into account.

“Of note is that State’s witnesses had been continuously attending court without the trial kicking-off,” said Mr Muchemwa.

“We have taken note of her condition and we hope that by the next court appearance she will be in a position to stand trial.”

The incident which led to Mubaiwa’s arrest occurred at Hellenic School in Harare, at a time when she and the Vice President were fighting for the custody of their children- The Herald

The ruling party has threatened to expel US Ambassador Brian Nichols as it is accusing him of interfering with local politics.

Patrick Chinamasa said this during a press conference in Harare this afternoon.

Chinamasa laid into Ambassador Nichols and said he should be ashamed of himself and that African Americans were not treated well in America hence he didn’t have the right to talk about human rights abuses in Zimbabwe and said:

I want to warn them (foreign diplomats) that it is high time to know that Zimbabwe is a sovereign Republic and we are a full sovereign state under the Montevideo Convention.

The US ambassador whom I am told is African-American, must be totally ashamed of himself.

What has the United States has to offer in terms of values and human rights observance when his own African American people are treated like rats in full view of world media and he remains an Uncle Tom used to propagate values which by themselves they do not practice on their own people.

He later on said the ruling party- but not the government -since he cannot speak on behalf of the government- would not hesitate to expel him if he doesn’t heed to their warning before calling him a thug:

He continues to engage in acts of undermining this Republic and if he does so, if he continues engaging in acts of undermining the Republic mobilizing and funding disturbances coordinating violence and training insurgency our leadership will not hesitate to give him his marching orders.
Diplomats should not behave like thugs and Brian Nichols is a thug.

We remind Nichols that he is not a super Diplomat in this country. There are several Diplomats seconded to this republic from African Union countries and the world over. They have never masqueraded and pretended to be our prefects as Mr Nichols is doing.

We have nothing to learn from the United States or from countries which impose sanctions
It is still not clear, when, how and where the US ambassador has interfered with local politics.

However, the embassy has been from time to time pointed out human right abuses that bedevil the country and target mainly opposition party members.
It is still not clear how this attack will affect relations between Harare and Washington.

Ambassador Nichols is yet to respond to the ruling party’s threats- All Africa

By Simba Chikanza | ZANU PF has hatched a sophisticated plot to arrest MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa ahead of the upcoming 31 July demonstration (not associated with the MDC Alliance party).

https://youtu.be/0_yTJcbPzFI

Since the weekend, ZimEye has perused a 33 page state security document that lays out the full plan meant to both discredit and apprehend President Chamisa. The development comes as two other plots earlier in the year, were foiled at conception after ZimEye exposed them all, one which included the state planting fake terrorists in neighbouring Mozambique to doctor trumped up charges against Chamisa.

The full 33 page document will be published on ZimEye today.

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In the military plot, a group of MDC members will be arrested and then forced to implicate Chamisa in exchange for their release.

To confirm the scheme, by Tuesday morning the state owned Herald paper had published the below yellow paper:

MDC Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa has been sucked into the latest swirl of residential stands allocation scam in the capital city, amid revelations that the opposition has been stripping the council of land to finance its subversive intentions and prepare for the 2023 harmonised elections.
Already, over a dozen Harare City Council officials, including MDC-A Mayor Herbert Gomba, human resources and former housing director Matthew Marara, the city’s town planner Samuel Nyabeze and surveyor Munyaradzi Bowa have been arrested on a string of allegations that include criminal abuse of office and corruption. 
But their arrest could just be a tip of the iceberg of the rot in MDC Alliance run councils countrywide that have been invaded by the party heavyweights to finance their fancy lives, sponsor subversion as well as set a war chest for the 2023 elections.
At the centre of the scandal are MDC councillors, Mr Chamisa himself, his secretary-general Mr Charlton Hwende, some captured persons in the justice delivery chain and the councillors who use control of the capital city to blatantly disregard the housing waiting list and milk the council of millions of dollars through undervaluing properties.
Sources inside council and in the MDC-A said there was a resolution that was passed by the opposition party last year that they needed to take advantage of controlling the country’s major cities to finance party programmes, including the planned July 31 demonstration.
Information gleaned from various sources revealed that the only two MDC-A councillors, who are not involved in stripping the city of land out of the 45, are Mr Ian Makone (Ward 18) and Ward 4 councillor Mrs Tracey Chagarisa as the party accumulates wealth in what has left the capital with no open space or land banks.
Investigations by The Herald also established that, because of the elaborate planning from the MDC-A hierarchy, a process that could take weeks or months to complete would be done in less than two hours, while council resolutions could be fast-tracked to ensure those who were sold the residential stands, often-times who jumped the housing waiting list, had their residential stands in a matter of hours.
“They agreed that the process of fundraising was both for 2023 and to fund party activities, including destabilising the country at a meeting that was held in December last year,” said an insider familiar with the illegal allocation and parcelling of stands to MDC-A kingpins and apologists.
For instance, councillor for Ward 16 Denford Ngadziore got 36 stands in the Westlea area where home-seekers would be made to pay in US dollars but the intrinsic value would be paid in local currency.
In Strathaven 30 residential stands were sold for US$30 000 and after getting the money, the MDC-A councillors paid ZW$17 000 to council.
Stands 1041-1044 in Morningside measuring 2 000 square metres were sold for US$50 000 and ZW$25 000 was paid to Harare City Council.
Apart from targeting individuals, the MDC-A web of corruption also roped in companies that were either linked to the party directly or indirectly.
“In December 2019 the MDC came up with a list of companies to give land to. Hayes Construction, whose director is Mr Charlton Hwende, was given a site to build flats in Southerton. Another company, AM Machado Construction received land and did not pay. The process of giving these companies land was done in one day and then they backdated a resolution in March this year that the companies would not pay but would choose a social responsibility programme they could support,” another top council official said.
Contacted for comment, Mr Hwende said: “I am not a director of Hayes Construction. I don’t own that company. The only company I am a director of is Twinsday Logistics based in         Namibia.
“I would  not deny it if I had properly applied for land and I am given that land.”
Notwithstanding that they were not on the housing waiting list, the party leaders were also pampered with residential stands.
“Mr Chamisa was allocated a 3 000-square-metre stand number 19740 in Gunhill. There is no record of payment. His brother Starman was allocated a residential stand measuring 2 000 square metres opposite the United States embassy in Westgate in 2019, the stand was only paid for recently, this is despite the fact that he had a stand in Sunningdale allocated on a recreational tennis court. He, however, sold the stand in connivance with Marara.
“Another beneficiary is Mr Murisi Zwizai who got a stand behind Borrowdale Police Station, again without following the council processes,” said a senior council official in the housing department.
Asked for a comment, Mr Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda said: “We need to go through what you are saying.”
With councillors playing ball, the MDC-A then compromised persons occupying positions of influence in government institutions such as the police and the judiciary.
Information gleaned by The Herald revealed that top cops, senior judicial officers including those from the Prosecutor General offices and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) were “bought by residential stands” even though they were not on the waiting list.
“Four ZACC investigators, including a commissioner, were given residential stands in Greendale. The police were also compromised, especially the law and order section, the homicide department and also the commercial crimes unit, those people were bought through the elaborate scheme so that when the situation comes to light it would be handled with friendly forces. The majority of residential stands in wetlands in Westlea were given to police officers and senior officials in the judiciary,” another councillor told this publication.
Besides giving land to councillors, the police and other key officials, the MDC corruption web also included its political activists such as Mr Mfundo Mlilo, who got a 3 000-square-metre stand opposite PetroTrade along the Bulawayo Road and Mr Pedzisai Ruhanya, who got a stand even though he was not on the housing waiting list.
Bet when Kuwadzana and White House, another suburb, that is mainly resided by MDC-A activists was created by the opposition to create an exclusive enclave for subversive purposes. About 256 stands were also created in Westlea and curiously the majority of those allocated stands there are from the police force.
Having captured some police and judicial officers and also investigators from ZACC so as to cover their tracks, the scheming MDC-A also gave residential stands to some of the country’s musicians such as Thomas Mapfumo, Peter Moyo and Brahman Chizvino, popularly known as Baba Harare.
“The musicians were targeted to ensure that they would compose pro-MDC Alliance jingles and subversive songs between now and the elections. Mapfumo got a residential stand in Glen Lorne while Moyo and Chizvino got theirs in Mufakose.”
Today Harare, once the sunshine city, is a pale shadow of its former glorious self — refuse goes uncollected, rivulets of sewage flow in the high density suburbs while the open spaces have all been sold to finance the MDC-A activities.
The city currently has no land bank as most of the land has been parcelled out to MDC-A cronies and to specific people of authority and influence in some government institutions. Herald

One hundred and ninety -two {192) cases tested psitive for COVID-19 today.

These include 189 local cases and 3 returnees from South Africa (2) and Zambia (1)who are isolated.

New recoveries were reported by the following provoncies Matabeleland South(20) Matabeleland North (2) Masvingo (2).

Today we regret to report that two (2) community deaths from Manicaland Province a female aged 34 and a male aged 30.

Today 1419 ROTScreening Tests and 1 485 PC8 diagrodc tests were done.

The cumulative number of teste done are 122 770 (67 939 RDT and 54 831 PCR)
Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak on 20 March 2020. The total number of confirmed cases is 2704, recoveries 542, active cases 2126 and 36 deaths-Ministry Of Health and Child Care

Farai Dziva|An MDC Alliance member was brutally killed by a Zanu PF activist for challenging the partisan distribution of food aid in Bulilima.

According to the MDC Alliance, the party member was killed by a Neighbourhood Watch Committee officer aligned to Zanu PF

See full statement below :

27-07-2020

MDC Alliance Youth, Mazwi Ndlovu, son to former MDC Bulilima East Ward 2 Councillor Msongelwa Ndlovu was viciously attacked and killed in cold murder by a member of the ZRP neighborhood watch for questioning partisan food distribution by a ZANU PF Councillor.

Ndlovu was killed over the weekend by a ZRP neighborhood watch, Twoboy Moyo after questioning the a known ZANU PF member, one Bhebhe over partisan food distribution from donor aid.

Matabeleland South is one of the drought prone areas and this year is not an exception hence people depend much on food relief usually donated by Non Governmental Organizations.

Sadly over the years ZANU PF abuses its influence in the province to deny opposition supporters equal access to food aid.

Under the government of MDC Alliance, equal access to food for all remains our priority.

Meanwhile, the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly will deploy peace monitors to ensure equal access to donor aid especially during this trying time when the majority are facing starvation.

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

Farai Dziva|An MDC Alliance member was brutally killed by a Zanu PF activist for challenging the partisan distribution of food aid in Bulilima.

According to the MDC Alliance, the party member was killed by a Neighbourhood Watch Committee officer aligned to Zanu PF

See full statement below :

27-07-2020

MDC Alliance Youth, Mazwi Ndlovu, son to former MDC Bulilima East Ward 2 Councillor Msongelwa Ndlovu was viciously attacked and killed in cold murder by a member of the ZRP neighborhood watch for questioning partisan food distribution by a ZANU PF Councillor.

Ndlovu was killed over the weekend by a ZRP neighborhood watch, Twoboy Moyo after questioning the a known ZANU PF member, one Bhebhe over partisan food distribution from donor aid.

Matabeleland South is one of the drought prone areas and this year is not an exception hence people depend much on food relief usually donated by Non Governmental Organizations.

Sadly over the years ZANU PF abuses its influence in the province to deny opposition supporters equal access to food aid.

Under the government of MDC Alliance, equal access to food for all remains our priority.

Meanwhile, the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly will deploy peace monitors to ensure equal access to donor aid especially during this trying time when the majority are facing starvation.

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

Farai Dziva|A specialist in beekeeping, Nyasha William Gwazemba, has vowed to join the July 31 protests.

In an interview with ZimEye.com, Gwazemba said he would provide 800 000 bees to “support the democratic process.”

Bees will ensure that people are not assaulted by soldiers and police details during the protests, according to Gwazemba.

This comes after soldiers and police officers were stung by bees in Kuwadzana on Sunday.

Read narrative below:

There came a lorry full of police details and soldiers in Kuwadzana 4 Harare so everyone ran away.

Some of the soldiers were in civilian clothes and they were just arresting everyone.

In the past you would just notice that this person who has arrested me is a soldier and a police officer and that you have been arrested and are being taken to the police truck. But today, they were just arresting everyone …so when they arrived at Kuwadzana 4 shops people ran away leaving their groceries, the ones that they were selling including their firewood.

So there were bees that came from nowhere,they just flew and went underneath a cart. The cart was like the ones that are used by vendors in towns when they are selling their wares.

No one knows what time these bees made this cart their haven but it should be today because this cart was at home last night and was taken to the shops this morning for business.

So when people ran away after seeing that the soldiers in plain clothes were arresting people and taking them to their truck, they left their wares.

So these soldiers started confiscating people’s groceries and that is when they saw the cart and they started loading the confiscated goods and firewood into that cart.

Trouble started when they started to push the cart. The bees left their haven ,underneath the cart and started biting them.They were bitten such that they left the cart and started running away.

The soldiers were bitten and they ran back to their truck and they were wailing while the swarm of bees continued biting them.

It was a swarm of bees and when these soldiers who were fleeing the bees got to their truck, the bees continued biting them and those who were inside the trucks were not spared either.

The driver of the truck sped off but this did not help, the bees continued biting them.I doubt these bees are a natural species.

They must be someone’s bees. In Kuwadzana 4 today, we witnessed a rare incident.

The soldiers were wailing and crying. Please do not take people’s property. This happened around 12pm in Kuwadzana 4, Harare.

The firewood pieces that they wanted to take belong to one granny whom we call gogo Ndunge.

In the video footage below beekeeper, Gwazemba speaks to ZimEye:

Farai Dziva|Several people were injured in Gutu town on Sunday after being assaulted by soldiers.

“Several people were injured yesterday at around 6 pm when heavily armed soldiers from 42 infantry battalion indiscriminately beat up residents of Gutu at Hwiru Shopping Centre, Mupandawana Town,” a source told ZimEye.com.

According to the source, the soldiers did not explain why they were assaulting people.

26-07-2020

Four heavily armed suspected state agents besieged MDC Alliance Bulawayo Councillor for Ward 24, Anorld Batirai Dube’s homestead last night.

The four, asked about Clr Dube’s whereabouts before getting away with valuables like laptop, 2 cellphones and money.

The break in comes hotly after another failed attempt just few days ago.

A shaken Mrs Batirai narrated her harrowing ordeal at the hands of the four who threatened to blow off her head demanding to know Clr Dube’s whereabouts.

Clr Batirai Dube is MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Deputy National Secretary for Local Governance.

As an Assembly, we believe Clr Batirai Dube is a victim of a panic stricken regime that is keen to foil the impending 31 July protests through a Night of Long Knives on opposition supporters.

We shall not be intimidated nor relent!

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

26-07-2020

Four heavily armed suspected state agents besieged MDC Alliance Bulawayo Councillor for Ward 24, Anorld Batirai Dube’s homestead last night.

The four, asked about Clr Dube’s whereabouts before getting away with valuables like laptop, 2 cellphones and money.

The break in comes hotly after another failed attempt just few days ago.

A shaken Mrs Batirai narrated her harrowing ordeal at the hands of the four who threatened to blow off her head demanding to know Clr Dube’s whereabouts.

Clr Batirai Dube is MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Deputy National Secretary for Local Governance.

As an Assembly, we believe Clr Batirai Dube is a victim of a panic stricken regime that is keen to foil the impending 31 July protests through a Night of Long Knives on opposition supporters.

We shall not be intimidated nor relent!

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

The Ministry of Health and Child Care today reported yet another huge increase in Covid-19 cases and deaths in the country.

The Ministry reported as follows:

One hundred and ninety -two {192) cases tested psitive for COVID-19 today. These include 189 local cases and 3 returnees from South Africa (2) and Zambia (1)who are isolated.

New recoveries were reported by the following provoncies Matabeleland South(20) Matabeleland North (2) Masvingo (2)

Today we regret to report that two (2) community deaths from Manicaland Province a female aged 34 and a male aged 30.

Today 1419 ROTScreening Tests and 1 485 PC8 diagrodc tests were done. The cumulative number of teste done are 122 770 (67 939 RDT and 54 831 PCR)

Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak on 20 March 2020. the total number of confirmed cases is 2704, recoveries 542, active cases 2126 and 36 deaths.

https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1287840065922768901?s=19

https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1287836787302371334?s=19

The central figure in a fraud case involving more than US$20 million allegedly siphoned from Zimbabwe’s ministry of defence died a day before he was due in court.

Peter Muchakazi, 56, an army procurement officer, according to sources, died just a few hours after complaining of chest pains on Sunday night.

Mark Grey Marongwe, the ministry of defence’s secretary confirmed Muchakazi’s death.

“The family of the deceased will be in a better position to comment about how he died,” he said.

Muchakazi was suspected to be the ringleader of a well-orchestrated con in which fake invoices were raised for services allegedly rendered to the ministry. The fraud rap faced by Muchakazi, his co-accused Jonathan Tandangu, Dhuvai Muzenda and Maria Fungisai Chiurira in December last year drew the attention of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) as some army commanders were also investigated for being part of the scam.

South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper, on January 12 this year, reported that the matter involving Muchakazi was the reason behind Danison Muvandi, the director of finance and human resources, fleeing the country. His whereabouts remain unknown.

Allegations of corruption at the ministry of defence investigated by ZACC implicate army officers and civilian employees.

In December, army chief-of-staff quartermaster Maj-Gen Hlanganani Dube — one of the ZDF’s top five commanders — was implicated in the theft of 30 tonnes of beef from a recruitment training depot in Matabeleland South.

Dube’s driver was arrested by counterintelligence operatives and pointed the finger at his boss, who was put on forced leave pending completion of an investigation.

The commander of One Commando regiment in Harare, Lt-Col Enock Chivhima, was arrested last May and charged with stealing beef rations meant for his troops.

He and eight other soldiers were also arrested on suspicion of stealing donations for victims of Cyclone Idai.

The looting at the ministry was unearthed at a time when soldiers in the barracks had to do with only one meal a day.

-Timeslive

Watch the live video loading below…..

Been going through the ZESA forensic audit report. May God have mercy on this country

— Caston Matewu (@cmatewu) July 27, 2020

More Zimbabwean companies and institutions on Monday reported cases of Covid-19 infections which have seen them temporarily halting operations in a development that is expected to take a heavy toll on the economy.

Observers say the jump mainly point to a failure by the public to follow laid down regulations concerning hygiene, wearing of masks and social distancing, prompting a wildfire spread of local infections of
the disease.

As of July 26, Zimbabwe had recorded 2 512 confirmed cases of the disease which has so far killed 34 people in the country.

Local transmission accounts for 1 486 of the infections while 1 026 were imported.

On Monday, pension fund, the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (NSSA), Pick ’n Pay, Avenues Clinic and the Parliament of Zimbabwe joined the growing list of institutions that have recorded positive cases of
Covid-19.

“The results so far have revealed six positive samples amongst our
staff members,” the IBDZ said, adding it would close its office in Harare for three days to allow for disinfection.

NSSA said on employee had tested positive forcing, the closure of its Harare head office.

Two Parliamentarians tested positive, Speaker of the National Assembly
Jacob Mudenda said, while at the Avenues Clinic, at least eight staff members were said to have been infected.

A long list of firms including Econet, retailer OK Zimbabwe, Federal
Express, medical aid societies Cimas and PSMAS have already closed part of their operations after employees were affected.

Here is a list of companies and institutions that have temporarily halted operations since the lockdowns restrictions were eased  by the government to allow workers to go back to work about 8 weeks ago, after members of their stuff tested positive for COVID-19:

1. National Social Security Authority (NSSA),
2. Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ),
3. Pick’n Pay,
4. Avenues Clinic and
5. The Parliament of Zimbabwe
6. Econet,
7. OK Zimbabwe Five Avenue and Mbuya Nehanda
8. Bon Marche Mt Pleasant
9. Federal Express, medical aid societies
10. Cimas and
11. PSMAS.
12. StarAfrica Corporation

Government has tightened lockdown regulations to curtail unnecessary
citizens’ movement to reduce the spread of the disease but cases continue to spike owing largely to disregard of health regulations that have been put in place.

Police have arrested 116 047 people from March to date countrywide for violating national lockdown regulations, as the number of those that have escaped from isolation centres has also risen to 285.

On Saturday alone, police arrested 1 362 people countrywide for various offences related to contravening the regulations.

Most of them were arrested for unnecessary movement, failure to wear masks and offences related to the Liquor Act and the Road Traffic Act.

In a statement on Sunday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said Harare continued to have the highest numbers of arrests, with 24 925, followed by Manicaland with 22 028, while Bulawayo has 16 009 people arrested.

Those arrested for illegal crossing and smuggling are now 612.

By last week, police had arrested 4 382 motorists, especially errant kombi and pirate taxis operators for operating public transport without exemption.

Last Tuesday, a night curfew from 6pm to 6am for all but essential services and a retreat to 8am to 3pm working hours for exempted businesses was imposed, along with criminalisation of deliberate or reckless transmission of Covid-19.

Announcing the new measures, President Mnangagwa stressed enforcement of other present lockdown rules.

Non-working people should stay at home except for essential movement to buy food, find water or for medical reasons; masks had to be worn outside of homes; everyone screened entering public places and buildings; social distancing observed; public transport passengers screened and sanitised on boarding with buses disinfected between round trips; and intercity movement remains banned.

Businesses already formally exempted and allowed to operate, including food markets, were only affected by the shortening of the working hours by 90 minutes in the afternoons.

The curfew and other changes were the result of the rapid increase in the number of total infections, especially those within Zimbabwean communities, seen recently with local cases now greater than those among returning residents.

OK FIFE AVENUE & OK MBUYA NEHANDA -NOTICE OF TEMPORARY CLOSURE

The company has drawn up a plan to test all staff members for COVID-19 even when there has been no incidence of infection at the different stores or offices. During these screening tests. a few of our staff at OK Fife Avenue were confirmed positive for the virus and have been referred for PCR testing. At OK Mbuya Nehanda a staff member who had other health conditions unfortunately passed on. As a precaution, we have closed the store for decontamination and all staff are being tested. Both stores will be opened once the health authorities clear us to re-open.

At each of the stores, arrangements are made with outside contracted specialist companies to deep clean and thoroughly disinfect the premises as a measure to ensure decontamination. We have taken these steps to ensure that the health and safety of our employees, service providers and customers is safeguarded

• Services
• Building
• Home
• Groceries

• Dating
• Jobs
• Commercial
• Health

We take this opportunity to assure all our stakeholders that the situation is under control. Thorough hygiene practices continue to be conducted at all our stores, workstations and offices and these facilities are deep cleaned as well as disinfected regularly. In addition. we have a scheduled program where we are carrying out routine RDT COVID-19 tests of all employees, customers and service providers at each of our store sites

ALL employees, customers and service providers have their body temperatures checked at entry points to our premises. have their hands sanitised and are required to wear face masks correctly at all times

We are working with City Health departments and the Ministry of Health officials for guidance as follow the required processes and hope to resume the branch operations with minimum delay after full decontamination of the stores.

Mr. A. E. Siyavora Chief Executive Officer

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

https://youtu.be/9aXFxXF3QZ0

Police are looking for more than a dozen opposition politicians and activists suspected to be behind plans for the anti-government protests on July 31.

Top on the police list released on Monday police said they were appealing for information leading to the arrest of MDC Alliance deputy chairman Job Sikhala among others.

Below is the full list of wanted activists:

RESPONSE ON ALLEGATIONS OF FAILURE TO ADMIT MR NORMAN MATARUKA

We have taken note of a widely circulating social media article alleging that doctors discouraged Mr Mataruka from getting admitted at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals because the hospital was poorly equipped. Contrary to the article, the facts of the matter are as follows:

• Mr Norman Mataruka was referred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals COVID-19 Centre on the night of 26 July 2020.

• The patient was admitted into our COVID-19 Centre around 2300hrs on 26 July 2020.
• Our doctors and nurses did their best to resuscitate and stabilize the patient but unfortunately he succumbed to his illness around 0700hrs today, the 27th of July 2020.

We also wish to inform the public that amongst other equipment , our COVID-19 Centre has 7 ventilators and a steady supply of oxygen. We appeal to the general public to desist from circulating unverified information as this exacerbates staff demotivation and also reduces public confidence in public hospital services.

By A Correspondent- At a press conference in Harare today, the ruling party spokesperson former cabinet minister Patrick Chinamasa rallied his party members and urged them to get ready to defend their sovereignty, peace, property and people.

Speaking at the press conference at the Zanu PF headquarters, Chinamasa said, in case law enforcement officers were not close by, Zanu PF members must get ready to fight back should the protestors who he called all sorts of names including hooligans and mercenaries go ahead and protest on 31 July.

Said the former Cyber Security Minister:

Zanu PF calls upon our supporters, cadres and sympathisers, wherever you are, to remain alert and ready to defend yourselves, defend our people, their property and most importantly defend peace in your communities against these malcontents, these hired hooligans and hoodlums who rejoice at burning properties and looting.

They must know that when they are being attacked, law enforcement agents might not be near. In those circumstances, their first line of defence is themselves and their families. They have a legal and constitutional right to defend themselves. Don’t ask for permission from anybody, it’s your constitutional and legal right.

Don’t be intimidated by hooligans and mercenaries. Don’t be like sitting ducks as you were in August 2018, don’t be sitting ducks as you were in January 2019, phoning us (to ask what you should do). No, this time no. Use any means at your disposal to defend yourselves.

Organisers of the protests have emphasised over and over again that the protests will be peaceful, but the government and the ruling party have remained adamant that the protests will be violent to the point of calling them anarchy and arresting those who are calling for them like Jacob Ngarivhume and Hopewell Chin’ono on charges of inciting public violence.

Is there anything such as a man of God in Zimbabwe, Africa?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) July 26, 2020

Baba Ezekiel Guti

— GENERAL ZIHWIRIMWE (@sorotihurukai) July 26, 2020

paul mwazha the archbishop of Africa

— Lion-Lion (@Shumbasamaz) July 26, 2020

Talent Chiwenga is one we have in Zimbabwe.Kuparidza kwake ndekwemhando yedenga.

— Chipikiri Chitiyo (@BabaVale3) July 26, 2020

Yes, Apostle Chiwenga

— Mr. Dimples (@MrDimPools) July 26, 2020

https://twitter.com/petgumus/status/1287435543886823425?s=20

The trial of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa was today deferred after she told the court that she cannot stand trial because of ill-health.

Mubaiwa, through her lawyer Ms Beatrice Mtetwa, told the court that she was still recovering and needs more time to heal. Mubaiwa is facing assault charges after she allegedly attacked her former maid Delight Munyoro.

She appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa, who remanded her to September 7 for trial. Mr Charles Muchemwa and Mrs Netsai Mushayabasa prosecuted.

Own Correspondent

Zanu PF spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa has let out party members to fight against July 31 protestors urging them to get ready to defend their “sovereignty, peace, property and people.”

Speaking at the press conference at the Zanu PF headquarters on Monday, Chinamasa said, in case law enforcement officers were not close by, Zanu PF members must get ready to fight the protestors who he called all sorts of names including hooligans and mercenaries.

“Zanu PF calls upon our supporters, cadres and sympathisers, wherever you are, to remain alert and ready to defend yourselves, defend our people, their property and most importantly defend peace in your communities against these malcontents, these hired hooligans and hoodlums who rejoice at burning properties and looting,” said Chinamasa.

“They must know that when they are being attacked, law enforcement agents might not be near. In those circumstances, their first line of defence is themselves and their families. They have a legal and constitutional right to defend themselves. Don’t ask for permission from anybody, it’s your constitutional and legal right.

“Don’t be intimidated by hooligans and mercenaries. Don’t be like sitting ducks as you were in August 2018, don’t be sitting ducks as you were in January 2019, phoning us (to ask what you should do). No, this time no. Use any means at your disposal to defend yourselves,” he said.

Organisers of the protests have emphasised over and over again that the protests will be peaceful, but the government and the ruling party have remained adamant that the protests will be violent to the point of calling them anarchy and arresting those who are calling for them like Jacob Ngarivhume and Hopewell Chin’ono on charges of inciting public violence.

Watch Chinamasa full press conference in the video downloading below.

WATCH VIDEO LOADING BELOW

By A Correspondent- Vice president Chiwenga’s ex-wife Marry Chiwenga nee Mubaiwa’s trial failed to kick off today and was deferred because Marry through her lawyers told the court she could not stand trial because of ill health.

Mubaiwa’s lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa told the court that her client was still recovering and needs more time to heal which prompted Harare Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa to remand her till 7 September for trial.

Marry is in court facing assault charges after she reportedly assaulted one Delight Monyoro who was her maid at one point.

-statemedia

The ruling Zanu PF party has threatened to expel the United States ambassador to Harare, Brian Nichols in a new low in diplomatic relations between Harare and Washington.

Addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Harare, acting spokesperson, Patrick Chinamasa said the diplomat should be ashamed of himself.

“I want to warn them (foreign diplomats) that it is high time to know that Zimbabwe is a sovereign Republic and we are a full sovereign state under the Montevideo Convention. The US ambassador whom I am told is African-American, must be totally ashamed of himself.

“What has the United States has to offer in terms of values and human rights observance when his own African American people are treated like rats in full view of world media and he remains an Uncle Tom used to propagate values which by themselves they do not practice on their own people,” said Chinamasa

Without remorse Chinamasa warned Ambassador Nichols that should he continue to undermining the country’s laws Zanu PF will not hesitate to expel him.

“He continues to engage in acts of undermining this Republic and if he does so, if he continues engaging in acts of undermining the Republic mobilizing and funding disturbances coordinating violence and training insurgency our leadership will not hesitate to give him his marching orders.

“Diplomats should not behave like thugs and Brian Nichols is a thug. We remind Nichols that he is not a super Diplomat in this country. There are several Diplomats seconded to this republic from African Union countries and the world over. They have never masqueraded and pretended to be our prefects as Mr Nichols is doing. We have nothing to learn from the United States or from countries which impose sanctions” he said

The threats come at a time Government has also issued statements accusing the American embassy of funding the planned July 31 protests.

Parliament has got it the hard way after the High Court ruled against non governmental organisations that sort to block holding of public hearings during the Covid-19 lockdown time.

Two urgent chamber applications were filed by two advocacy groups seeking to stop parliament from conducting public hearings in Zimbabwe on some proposed amendments of the constitution when the country is under a coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown but Parliament challenged the move.

In an urgent chamber application filed on Thursday 11 June 2020 by Job Sibanda of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Habakkuk Trust represented by its Chief Executive Officer Dumisani Nkomo, argued that Zimbabwe is currently facing a health pandemic which had necessitated the imposition of a national lockdown, where public gatherings were virtually banned to try and curb the spread of coronavirus.

Habakkuk Trust argued that by conducting public hearings to discuss some proposed amendments to the Constitution, Parliament, Chokuda and Ziyambi were putting the health of the public at risk at a time of the coronavirus pandemic.

Two Members of Parliament, a journalist and a driver have since tested positive for Covid-19, while going on a public consultations round.

The issue has prompting Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda to immediately suspend Parliamentary activities.

The officials from the Transport committee were part of a team that had been on field visits around the country when two MPs developed symptoms, Mudenda said.

“Two members were showing some signs of infection, all members were tested and the two members tested positive, plus our driver of the bus and the reporter who had accompanied them,” Mudenda said.

“Other committees that were supposed to travel to the Eastern borders, their trip had to be cancelled,” he added.

The business of Parliament, including sittings of both Houses, committee workshops, public hearings and site visits, have been suspended with immediate effect.

“Consequently, tomorrow’s sitting for the National Assembly will be done with very limited numbers for the sole purpose of adjourning to a future date,” Parliament said in a statement.

“This will allow for deep cleaning and disinfection of the Parliament Building and contact tracing and testing of those who came into contact with the affected Members of Parliament.”

Meanwhile, MPs and officials who were part of the affected team are now in self-quarantine in line with ministry of Health guidelines.

Own Correspondent

Reports received indicate that Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) authorities have turned away visitors who had gone to see remanded journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.

The visitors are reported to have been bringing with Covid19 essentials such as sanitisers, a toothbrush and a bathing towel for the award winning journalist.

Chinono’s visitors expressed that they were concerned that when he was arrested last Monday, he did not carry any toiletries with him.

According to the reports, the prison officer who attended to them insisted that he was not going to allow them to either see him or leave the toiletries.

Farai Dziva|An MDC Alliance member was brutally killed by a Zanu PF activist for challenging the partisan distribution of food aid in Bulilima.

According to the MDC Alliance, the party member was killed by a Neighbourhood Watch Committee officer aligned to Zanu PF

See full statement below :

27-07-2020

MDC Alliance Youth, Mazwi Ndlovu, son to former MDC Bulilima East Ward 2 Councillor Msongelwa Ndlovu was viciously attacked and killed in cold murder by a member of the ZRP neighborhood watch for questioning partisan food distribution by a ZANU PF Councillor.

Ndlovu was killed over the weekend by a ZRP neighborhood watch, Twoboy Moyo after confronting a known ZANU PF member, one Bhebhe over partisan food distribution.

Matabeleland South is one of the drought prone areas and this year is not an exception hence people depend much on food relief usually donated by Non Governmental Organizations.

Sadly over the years ZANU PF abuses its influence in the province to deny opposition supporters equal access to food aid.

Under the government of MDC Alliance, equal access to food for all remains our priority.

Meanwhile, the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly will deploy peace monitors to ensure equal access to donor aid especially during this trying time when the majority are facing starvation.

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

Mudenda shuts down parliament building as 2 MPs and a journalist test positive #COVIDー19 pic.twitter.com/WKlQouYHIX

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) July 27, 2020

All Business of Parliament has been Suspended Until Further Notice

The Clerk of Parliament has this morning made the following announcement:

It is with a heavy heart that Parliament announces the suspension of most of its business due to exposure of some Members & Parliament to COVID-19. As at this morning, only two Members of Parliament had been confirmed positive. A driver from one of our service providers and a journalist who were part of the team also tested positive. Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected and their families. The Members were part of a team that had been on field visits around the country. Everyone who was part of that team is now in self-quarantine in line with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare guidelines This measure has been taken to safeguard the health of Members of Parliament, staff and the public who interact with the institution. Consequently, tomorrow’s sitting for the National Assembly will be done with very limited numbers for the sole purpose of adjourning to a future date This will allow for the deep-cleaning and disinfection of the Parliament Building and contact tracing and testing of those who came into contact with the affected Members of Parliament.

Parliament of Zimbabwe will continue to monitor the situation and Members of the public will be duly advised of the date of resumption of the business of Parliament. 

By A Correspondent- In the early 1960s Mildred Nhliziyo a school teacher met Edward Nyanyiwa at a church function.

This charismatic, hardworking and humble man, nicknamed ‘Mujubeki’ because he had lived in Joburg for several years, won her over with his love and respect for God.

In 1964 Edward married Mildred and together with his son Terrance from a previous relationship set out on their journey of Christian marriage and fellowship.

Ten years later, Edward Nyanyiwa was away working in South West Africa (Namibia) operating machinery in construction.

Mildred Nyanyiwa was on maternity leave from her teaching post. Her favourite subject was domestic science so she relied on her skills and love of cooking to earn an income.

TALK OF THE TOWN

She started selling tea and sadza to labourers. She was living up to her nickname ‘Pfugari’.

The word Pfugari is known to mean ‘we will feed you’. It defines ‘communal eating’ and some say it’s literal translation means ‘with this pot we will feed you till you are full’.

Mildred’s fame spread because of how she cooked and in 1974 she was interviewed by a local radio station.

The journalist who interviewed her reportedly confessed that Mildred was the talk of the town and said ‘tanzwa nemukurumbira kuti panomudzimai atanga business pano.’

Her daughter, Itai, told ZimEye that this interview was overheard by a colleague of Mr Edward Nyanyiwa’s who was on holiday from South West Africa.

On returning to work, he informed everyone there that ‘Uyu anonyebera kuti ane nhamo asi ndakanzwa mukadzi wake paradio. Ane business raanaro paMachipisa’.

Edward Nyanyiwa immediately took leave and came home and persuaded Mildred not to return to teaching but instead pursue the business as it was lucrative.

He however returned to work and left his wife operating her business. By the end of 1974, the business had grown to such an extent that Nyanyiwa saw the need to give up his job and join his wife full time, marking the couple’s turning point.

HARDWORK

In 1980 Edward and Mildred Nyanyiwa registered their company as Eddies Pfugari Private Limited- Eddies a shortened version of Edward’s name and Pfugari his wife’s nickname.

In fact, the pfugari pots have been the logo representing the Pfugari business and were in honour of Mildred Nyanyiwa.

The business was built on takeaways and expanded into butcheries and then properties.

Nyanyiwa and his family understood that the name Pfugari represented Mildred’s interests in any business venture.

Husband and wife had equal shares and responsibilities in the family business. Mildred Nyanyiwa worked day and night with her husband for over 25 years.

A devoted and loyal wife, a business partner, a loving mother but above all, a God-fearing woman, Mildred put her trust in her husband the man with whom she had set out on the journey of Christian marriage in 1964.

The couple’s first business, a café in the backyards of Harare’s Highfield high density suburb started off modest before they expanded and got space in the central business district.

Together with her husband, the couple would cook their food in black Kango pots mainly used in households and sell it throughout the day before counting their daily returns at 11pm.

They aimed bigger and always did things differently as the duo had a vision to see their empire flourish and grow.

SUCCESS

The Pfugaris business was an instant success and they moved into the CBD where they opened their first restaurant at Charge Office in 1978.

Business had expanded, assets amounting to millions of USD had been accumulated; everything they had originated from the Eddies Pfugari money.

The parent company, and other companies they later formed or bought were operating as ‘one economic unit’.

WHAT NEXT AFTER THE TRAGEDY?

Tragedy struck in 2005 with the death of Mrs Mildred Nyanyiwa. She died having built the business with her husband, equal partners with equal number of shares in their business.

The year is 2016 and what has this year have to do with Mildred Nyanyiwa who is long dead.

Yes, she is dead but on the 10th January 2016, Mr Stern Mufara was appointed as executor dative to the estate of the late Mrs Mildred T. Nyanyiwa DR 2895/15. The beneficiaries of this estate are Mr Stephen Nyanyiwa, Mrs Naume Makumbe, Miss Henrietta Nyanyiwa and Mrs Itai Collier.

Mr Edward Nyanyiwa later passed on in February 2019 with Mr Clever Mandizvidza appointed executor dative to the late Edward Nyanyiwa’s estate DR 471/19.

Beneficiaries of this estate are the two customary wives he married after the death of Mildred; Hazel Nyanyiwa and Nancy Nyanyiwa (niece to his first wife, Mildred) and his 5 children: Edward Nyanyiwa (Jnr), Stephen Nyanyiwa, Naume Makumbe, Henrietta Nyanyiwa and Itai Collier.

Unfortunately, Terrance had died in 1997.

Mildred’s beneficiaries await the distribution of her estate which is entwined with that of her husband.

Edrward and Mildred Pfugari had set out on their journey 50/50. Will their wishes be fulfilled and will the estate be distributed accordingly?

Farai Dziva|A specialist in beekeeping, Nyasha William Gwazemba, has vowed to join the July 31 protests.

In an interview with ZimEye.com, Gwazemba said he would provide 800 000 bees to “support the democratic process.”

Bees will ensure that people are not assaulted by soldiers and police details during the protests, according to Gwazemba.

This comes after soldiers and police officers were stung by bees in Kuwadzana on Sunday.

Read narrative below:

There came a lorry full of police details and soldiers in Kuwadzana 4 Harare so everyone ran away.

Some of the soldiers were in civilian clothes and they were just arresting everyone.

In the past you would just notice that this person who has arrested me is a soldier and a police officer and that you have been arrested and are being taken to the police truck. But today, they were just arresting everyone …so when they arrived at Kuwadzana 4 shops people ran away leaving their groceries, the ones that they were selling including their firewood.

So there were bees that came from nowhere,they just flew and went underneath a cart. The cart was like the ones that are used by vendors in towns when they are selling their wares.

No one knows what time these bees made this cart their haven but it should be today because this cart was at home last night and was taken to the shops this morning for business.

So when people ran away after seeing that the soldiers in plain clothes were arresting people and taking them to their truck, they left their wares.

So these soldiers started confiscating people’s groceries and that is when they saw the cart and they started loading the confiscated goods and firewood into that cart.

Trouble started when they started to push the cart. The bees left their haven ,underneath the cart and started biting them.They were bitten such that they left the cart and started running away.

The soldiers were bitten and they ran back to their truck and they were wailing while the swarm of bees continued biting them.

It was a swarm of bees and when these soldiers who were fleeing the bees got to their truck, the bees continued biting them and those who were inside the trucks were not spared either.

The driver of the truck sped off but this did not help, the bees continued biting them.I doubt these bees are a natural species.

They must be someone’s bees. In Kuwadzana 4 today, we witnessed a rare incident.

The soldiers were wailing and crying. Please do not take people’s property. This happened around 12pm in Kuwadzana 4, Harare.

The firewood pieces that they wanted to take belong to one granny whom we call gogo Ndunge.

In the video footage below beekeeper, Gwazemba speaks to ZimEye:

Farai Dziva|An MDC Alliance member was brutally killed by a Zanu PF activist for challenging the partisan distribution of food aid in Bulilima.

According to the MDC Alliance, the party member was killed by a Neighbourhood Watch Committee officer aligned to Zanu PF

See full statement below :

27-07-2020

MDC Alliance Youth, Mazwi Ndlovu, son to former MDC Bulilima East Ward 2 Councillor Msongelwa Ndlovu was viciously attacked and killed in cold murder by a member of the ZRP neighborhood watch for questioning partisan food distribution by a ZANU PF Councillor.

Ndlovu was killed over the weekend by a ZRP neighborhood watch, Twoboy Moyo after questioning the a known ZANU PF member, one Bhebhe over partisan food distribution from donor aid.

Matabeleland South is one of the drought prone areas and this year is not an exception hence people depend much on food relief usually donated by Non Governmental Organizations.

Sadly over the years ZANU PF abuses its influence in the province to deny opposition supporters equal access to food aid.

Under the government of MDC Alliance, equal access to food for all remains our priority.

Meanwhile, the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly will deploy peace monitors to ensure equal access to donor aid especially during this trying time when the majority are facing starvation.

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

26-07-2020.

HARARE—I have made a deliberate and sensible choice not to lower my expectations in life and be part of the “Stay Positive” brigade and that decision is non-negotiable.

That nonsense of being asked to stay positive when there is nothing to be positive about is what made this country the absolute Shit Hole it is today!

At a social level, this “Shinga Mwanangu” claptrap has seen our sisters live miserable marriages generation after generation, whilst being pummeled daily by bullying and horrible husbands.

This is NO different to what the Emmerson Mnangagwa regime is doing to us by refusing to fully implement Political Reforms that would set this country on a strong economic footing.

What is there to be positive about in this country and why should citizens be asked to suffer whilst smiling at the outcomes of their tormentor’s cruelty, a tormentor that does not seek to change his ways?

We have no clean running water, no electric power, no jobs, no money, no political will to Reform from Emmerson Mnangagwa, no fuel, we have CORRUPTION galore, no health care, nepotism and mismanagement of State institutions continues, looting of State and national resources also continues unabated, fraud by the political elites remains standard and yet you expect Hopewell Chin’ono and the country to be positive?

Positive about what exactly?

We have no bright future under this regime and it is deliberately killing that future for generations to come, should we be smiling to that tragic reality?

NO! I will not lower my standards and join the “Stay Positive” brigade in a hole by making life there comfortable instead of getting out and seeking a normal human existence.

My father taught me that if you are in a hole, don’t make life there comfortable, GET OUT.

The elites have been making life in our hole comfortable for themselves by buying generators, buying solar equipment installations, drilling boreholes, buying 4 X 4s, seeking medical treatment from South Africa and the list goes on.

What my father taught me is what I have chosen to do, I have chosen to be on the right side of history, I have chosen to be with the people, and that requires me to work on getting out of that hole!

I have made this choice at a time when I could have been with the tormentors making millions like what the Regime Associates do daily, but that is not how I was brought up!

I might not live to see a better Zimbabwe through natural or unnatural circumstances, but I am at peace with the decisions that I have made, and I am not afraid to die for holding those principles.

Many have asked me about that probability as a price for speaking out, I respectfully ask you not to ask me anymore.

I know the price for speaking against a gangster State, but more importantly, I also know the huge price for keeping quiet.

It is a soft genocide that we are seeing everyday as we bury our loved ones dying in hospitals without medication.

We shall all die, but it is what we leave behind that will count many centuries after we are gone, so I am at peace with any such eventuality were it to happen to me.

It has happened to many others, and it shall happen to many others too until our politics becomes civilized.

I am a product of my existence and as such, what I say and what I do with my life is a reflection of how I was brought up by my parents!

We live under an incompetent and corrupt government that hires private jets for Vice Presidents, a Government that dishes out cars to traditional Chiefs when hospitals have NO ambulances!

A government that has left the poor to die from easily treatable diseases and turned public hospitals into death traps, and yet some amongst us have the nerve to ask me to stay positive?!

We have been asked to stay positive since 1997 when this crisis began, what has that positivity yielded for our people 22 years later?

Some make these calls whilst sitting in their Range Rovers or call me from air-conditioned mansions in Harare asking me to be positive.

It shows the huge and shameful disconnect between the Haves and the Have-Nots of this country and it also shows that whilst making their millions, the elites of this country will continue being happy cohabiting with this regime’s broken moral compass!

I want to put it on the record, until this government starts doing the right things, it’s Regime Associates and Apologists should Stop asking me to be positive!

It is nonsense and it is insensitive to ask me to be positive when I am seeing compatriots die daily because of this government’s shortcomings!

I do not seek to be accommodated at the feeding trough like many amongst us, that is why I turned down the offer to sit on a parastatal board when it was made last year, what I am after is a better life for all.

A life that gives all hard working citizens of this country a fair chance to live a decent life.

They will never get it at the rate at which this government is destroying our country, they will never get these opportunities if elites continue to seek accommodation instead of CHANGE in return to keeping their business interests going!

The selfishness of the elites is only truly self evident when those opportunities are blocked for their own kids, that is only when they join the masses in protesting.

But why would they complain when they were getting forex at 1 to 1 and when they don’t spend hours in fuel queues like the ordinary citizen?

There is a name for that, SELFISHNESS!

I come from Murewa where one of the first black millionaire businessmen in Rhodesia, Mr Kanyasa of the Farai Uzumba bus service fame chose principle over money.

He died in a Rhodesian jail fighting the racist colonial regime’s oppression and racist corruption.

There were many black businessmen like him who made profit not for profit’s sake.

Those are my heroes, those are the people that I look up to because they understood that being rich on the back of regime favors in a pool of government induced poverty is the equivalent of losing your soul to the devil.

If they had taken the “stay positive” route, Rhodesia would have stayed in colonial and racist shackles forever or much longer than was necessary.

Mr Kanyasa from Uzumba and of the Wafawanaka totem had the largest fleet of buses in Rhodesia, a hard working millionaire businessman.

He also had supermarkets and land, but he chose to support the liberation struggle giving freedom fighters clothes, food and money and allowing his buses to ferry them where need be.

He paid the ultimate price for it, but today he remains an icon of our liberation struggle and to this very day those with a moral compass remember him in their thoughts.

I have no such wealth like Mr Kanyasa, so why should I reduce and recede my integrity by tacitly supporting a broken regime when a man who could have thought of saving his millions chose to do the right thing?

I have questioned myself why black millionaires of today and political elites become so insensitive to the suffering of our people to the point of losing their moral compass and expecting someone who is going to bed on an empty stomach to be sensitive!

Positive about what?

“Being positive” doesn’t fix political and economic problems, it doesn’t fix crippling power shortages, drug shortages, cash shortages, fuel shortages or water shortages.

If it did we would have been living in a better country where the citizen was happy!

It shows that we have NO decent community and business leadership when people in privileged positions in our society ask us to be positive in the midst of an uncaring Regime.

It shows that we have NO leadership when the privileged define silence against a corrupt regime as patriotism!

This government has induced a chaotic existence in pursuit of easy pickings from things like fuel cartels and forex trading at the central bank, the RBZ!

This “stay positive” brigade is shameless because they speak from their own position of privilege and they are unconcerned by why we are not positive as long as their lives remain on track and their interests are protected?

The regime is aware of this weakness so it seeks to co-opt them and pretends to sort out their economic concerns through tinkering with the economy whilst the looting continues, and the regime also gives them futile seats on the table to feel special.

When truth, justice and common sense become secondary elements to one’s existence, when decency, empathy and compassion become tradable commodities, then the “stay positive” brigade becomes NO different to our persecutors!
It is aiding and abetting the suffering of our people in pursuit of business favors from this regime.

This regime should simply implement Political Reforms and stop asking for “positivity” from citizens groaning under a political crisis that manifests itself through economics, when it is giving us nothing in return!

If you so wish to be positive about this gross incompetence, corruption, nepotism and mismanagement, please do so on your own, but don’t attempt to guilty trip us into supporting the very people who have made our lives unbearable!

Stop asking me to be positive, Ask Mnangagwa to implement Political Reforms!

HOPEWELL CHIN’ONO is an award winning Zimbabwean international Journalist and Documentary Filmmaker.