By A Correspondent- Jailed investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono’s lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa said that they are concerned he could be poisoned after authorities at Chikurubi Maximum Security Remand Prison restricted his access to food from outside.

Chin’ono was taken to the facility in leg irons on Thursday after High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi had denied him bail.

Speaking after visiting Chin’ono at Chikurubi on Saturday, Mtetwa said her client is now being treated as a maximum security prisoner.

Said Mtetwa:

I struggled to see him and when i manged to see him, he was in leg irons and is being treated like a mximum security prisoners like the most dangerous prisoners.

He is not allowed food from outside even if they have special dietary requirements.

They say the only food that can be allowed is dry food bought online and delivered at the prison.

Of course, you know that will be delivered to the prison officer, but you want to see that the food is delivered to the person directly, meaning that the tasting requirement falls away thereby exposing the prisoner to poisoning.

Mtetwa revealed that Chin’ono was not being allowed to have visitors except lawyers.

She said what was more intriguing was that prison officers told them they were carrying out orders from above to deny him food from outside and keep him in leg irons.

Chin’ono was arrested in July alongside Transform Zimbabwe (TZ) leader Jacob Ngarivhume on charges of inciting violence ahead of the planned July 31 demonstrations that never happened.

-standard

https://twitter.com/BitiTendai/status/1292420731519864832?s=20

Charity Maodza is a male spokesperson of the ZANU PF gov. If that wannabe is a lady as he lies, challenge him to go live on their ZBC-TV. She will not do that because he is man #ZimbabweanLivesMatter

— Pedzisai Ruhanya (@PedzisaiRuhanya) August 9, 2020

By Wilbert Mukori- South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has reportedly appointed former South African Security minister Sydney and ex-Vice-President Baleka Mbete to “engage the Zanu PF regime and other relevant stakeholders” in a desperate effort to end the worsening economic, political human rights violations in Zimbabwe.

“Crisis! What crisis?” the then SA President Thambo Mbeki asked, rhetorically, in 2008 when Zimbabwe facing the same violent economic and political convulsions we see today. As we now know, President Mbeki and his 2008 to 2013 GNU failed to solve Zimbabwe’s, seemingly, intractable  political and economic crisis. Frankly, President Ramaphosa will not do any better; he has shot himself in the foot already!

The international community, including SADC and the AU, condemned Zimbabwe’s 2008 elections, following Zanu PF’s blatant cheating and use of wanton violence. SADC leaders used this as leverage to force Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies to agree to implementation of a raft of democratic reforms designed to stop a repeat of the cheating and violence of 2008. The Government of National Unity comprising Mugabe and Zanu PF and Morgan Tsvangirai and the two MDC factions, with SADC as the guarantor, was tasked to implement the reforms.

As we already know, Mugabe bribed Tsvangirai and company and not even one token reforms was ever implemented in five years of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Not a sausage and hence the reason Zanu PF was able to blatantly rig the July 2018 elections and the 2013 elections before it.

SADC leaders did try to have the 2013 elections postponed until the reforms were implemented but both Zanu PF and MDC ignored their warning. The biggest mistake SADC leaders make was to abandon the principled and logical position of demanding the implementation of the reform before the 2018 elections. The second mistake was to endorse the 2018 elections as acceptable. The elections “went well!” remarked President Cyril Ramaphosa.

If Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC opportunists had not sold-out and faithfully implemented the reforms Zimbabwe would have ended the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. We are where we are, what must we do now?

We have to revisit the 2008 reforms and appoint a body that can be trusted to finally implement the reforms. A Zanu PF and MDC led GNU cannot be trusted to implement the reforms for the obvious reason that they failed to get even one reform implemented in the 2008 GNU.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and SADC will not talk Mnangagwa and Zanu PF to step down since they have already endorsed the Zanu PF regime as legitimate. Once again, we are where we are, what can be done to move forward?

SA and SADC must swallow their pride and acknowledge the 2008 to 2013 GNU failed to deliver the desired democratic reforms and to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. They must also acknowledge that their endorsement of Zanu PF as the winner of the July 2018 has left them with no political leverage to force Mnangagwa to step down, a pre-requisite for getting the reforms finally implemented.

President Ramaphosa and SADC must approach the UN or some such other nation that is not compromised to chart a roadmap to get Zanu PF to step down and then appoint a competent body to implement the reforms.

The old adage of “An African solution for an African problem!” must now be ditched. SADC’s sponsored 2008 to 2013 GNU was the African solution to the Zimbabwe crisis and it failed to end the crisis. There is no shame in SA and SADC admitting it.

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s 40 year old political and economic crisis is the failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. The solution is to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop the cheating and violence.

Both the incompetent, corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF and the equally corrupt and incompetent opposition entourage, all 130 political parties at the last count, have played a part in landing the nation in this mess and keeping us there. We, the people of Zimbabwe, know exactly why we are here and what must be done to escape out of this man-made hell-on-earth.

All we are asking of SA, SADC and the world at large is the political support in confronting Zimbabwe’s ruling elite.

Of course, Mnangagwa and Zanu PF are holding the nation to ransom. The regime rigged the July 2018 elections. It has no mandate to govern and must step down.

We are asking of SA, SADC and the world at large to stand by the long suffering people of Zimbabwe who are demanding that Zanu PF must take-off its oppressive big boot off the neck of the nation and allow the people to breath! We are demanding free, fair and credible elections; surely, that is not too much to ask!

Baleka Mbete and Sydney Mufamadi’s visit was overshadowed on the first day by a public spat between the ANC and Zimbabwe’s ruling ZanuPF party over ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule’s reference to the Zimbabwe government’s recent “brutality”.

Ramaphosa announced on Thursday that he had appointed former cabinet minister Sydney Mufamadi and former speaker of parliament Baleka Mbete as his special envoys to “engage the Government of Zimbabwe and relevant stakeholders to identify possible ways in which South Africa can assist Zimbabwe.”

His move took many close observers of SA-Zimbabwe relations by surprise. There had been tentative discussions in the government about how to enable dialogue among the Zimbabwean rivals but these had not crystallised.

One analyst said he believed Ramaphosa had acted on the spur of the moment in response to the mounting local and international criticism of South Africa’s failure to take a stand.

This criticism had become louder as Pretoria has remained largely silent over a recent surge of arrests, assaults and other human rights abuses against opponents and journalists. These have mainly been perpetrated ahead of the planned nationwide protests against ZanuPF which were scheduled for last Friday, July 31, but which the government stifled with a massive security blockade of cities and towns.

Both ZanuPF and the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC-A), have welcomed Ramaphosa’s initiative, though not without reservations. Nkululeko Sibanda, spokesperson for MDC-A leader Nelson Chamisa said “we certainly welcome the effort by South Africa, including SADC and the African Union, which President Ramaphosa currently chairs.”

He said Ramaphosa’s decision was an acknowledgment that there was a crisis in Zimbabwe.

Chamisa hoped the South African intervention would end the Zimbabwe government’s crackdown on its opponents and also end the persecution of journalists:

“We want them to go back to work,” he said, referring to the imprisonment of journalists like Hopewell Chin’ono, who was again denied bail on Friday and was expected to be transferred to Harare’s notorious Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on Friday evening, along with opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume. MDC-A Senator David Coltart tweeted that the two had been clamped in leg irons at the remand prison and put in a truck to be taken to Chikurubi.

Zanu PF also eventually welcomed Ramaphosa’s decision to send special envoys – but only after a serious wobble.

Earlier on Friday Zanu PF spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa “castigated” the ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule for accusing the ZANU PF government of human rights abuse.

These accusations were “baseless considering that his sources are self-exiled Saviour Kasukuwere and friends,” Zanu PF said on its website. Kasukuwere was a minister in the cabinet of former President Robert Mugabe who was ousted in November 2017 by current President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the military.

Kasukuwere and his associates in the so-called “G40” faction within ZanuPF, which is bitterly opposed to Mnangagwa, recently visited the ANC headquarters at the Luthuli House to meet Magashule and other ANC officials. The Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF now clearly believes the ANC, or at least its secretary-general, has aligned itself with the G40 dissidents.

Veteran Zimbabwean analyst Ibbo Mandaza also welcomed Ramaphosa’s decision “after the deafening silence by South Africa over the past three years, including South Africa being complicit in the November 2017 coup.”

In his remarks to ENCA, Magashule said Ramaphosa was talking to Mnangagwa because he was worried about what was happening in that country, which would have a spillover effect on South Africa.

“And so we will assist the Zimbabweans to stabilize their country, their economy,” Magashule said, adding that the ANC had talked to exiled Zimbabweans and was interacting with Zanu PF to raise the concerns these exiles had raised about what was happening in Zimbabwe.

He agreed with the ENCA that this included “brutality” and that police assaults on helpless women could not be condoned:

“We said Black Lives Matter. Lives of human being matters. Zimbabwean lives matter of course. What we see on television there, we say is uncalled for.“

In his statement, Chinama said Zanu PF “takes strong exception” to Magashule’s statements “which were completely out of order. “ Magashule appeared to have been “ hoodwinked by those seeking to destabilize Zimbabwe through peddling social media falsehoods.”

“As a revolutionary sister, it has never been in our tradition to censure a fellow revolutionary movement or leaders using megaphone approaches, more so when such utterances are misinformed and baseless to say the least,” Chinamasa said. “…There is no brutality of whatsoever form happening in Zimbabwe but enforcement of Lock Down regulations in line with recommendations by the World Health Organisation and our Ministry of Health and Child Care and what has become common practice on #Covid19.”

However, later Zanu PF welcomed Ramaphosa’s “wise and informed” decision to send envoys to Zimbabwe “in the light of spurious allegations of human rights violations and starvation being peddled by agents of fake news on social media.”

The party said it believed the special envoys would engage with Mnangagwa, his government and Zanu PF and that this would “set the record straight about the reality of the situation in Zimbabwe.”

Veteran Zimbabwean analyst Ibbo Mandaza also welcomed Ramaphosa’s decision “after the deafening silence by South Africa over the past three years, including South Africa being complicit in the November 2017 coup.”

But he hoped that Ramaphosa’s move was not a token gesture. He said the envoys would have to seriously engage all stakeholders – including civil society – to fully understand the nature of Zimbabwe’s problem and address it.

According to Mandaza, the problem was that Zimbabwe was a military state and that Mnangagwa was a “hostage to the military, bereft of any basis of legitimacy and isolated.”

If Ramaphosa’s mission was to legitimise Mnangagwa’s regime, it would fail, he said. What Zimbabwe needed was a transitional authority to figure out how to return the country to constitutional government and recover the failed economy.

Clearly Mufamadi and Mbete have a chasm to bridge in meeting such hugely divergent expectations and their prospects of success must be considered modest.

Daily Maverick

The Standard

VICE-PRESIDENT Constantino Chiwenga opted to take over the Health and Child Care portfolio following differences with President Emmerson Mnangagwa over the sacked Obadiah Moyo’s successor, it has emerged.

Mnangagwa last week announced that he had appointed Chiwenga the new Health minister, sparking speculation on the motives behind the surprise move that has been described as unconstitutional by some legal experts.

Lawyers say a VP is not allowed to double up as a minister in terms of the constitution.

Insiders told The Standard that Chiwenga wanted Health and Child Care deputy minister John Mangwiro, who is his personal doctor, to take over the ministry, but Mnangagwa did not agree.

After the haggling, the VP is said to have volunteered to take over the portfolio.

Chiwenga is said be among a section in government that were said to be unhappy with the scandals that have rocked the Health ministry related to the procurement of medical equipment to fight Covid-19.

Moyo is on $50 000 bail over abuse of office charges after he was accused of single-handedly awarding a tender to Delish Nguwaya, a close friend of Mnangagwa’s children.

Nguwaya was arrested over a US$60 million drugs procurement scandal.

He was also freed on $50 000 bail by High Court judge, Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, who said the businessman cannot be blamedfor approvals made by government officials.

According to sources, Chiwenga pushed for Moyo’s sacking following his arrest.

Chiwenga, according to sources, feels the corruption in the Health ministry will dent the party’s performance in the 2023 general elections.

Mnangagwa also appointed Air Commodore Jasper Chimedza as Health permanent secretary, replacing Agnes Mahomva, who was moved to the new position of chief coordinator for the country’s response to Covid-19 in May.

“Chiwenga’s first task is to get doctors and nurses back to work and I am sure he is going to do that this coming week,” a well-placed source said.

“He will try to make things work in the Health ministry and all hospitals to function and save lives, reinventing his legacy in the process.”

It was, however, not immediately clear how Chiwenga would get the health workers back at work, but the source said negotiations for government to pay them United States dollar-based salaries were already in progress.

Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba refused to comment on Chiwenga’s appointment, saying: “I am too serious for those kind of conversations.”

A fortnight ago there were reports that Mnangagwa and Chiwenga clashed over an alleged plot against the president in the ruling Zanu PF.

Some of Chiwenga’s loyalists were accused of being involved in the organisation of the July 31 protests and this led to the suspension of politburo member Cleveria Chizema after posters publicising the demonstrations were allegedly found in her house.

Chizema has denied being involved in the plot and says she suspects the posters were planted by her enemies in the party.

One hundred and twenty-four people tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, 8 August 2020, the Ministry of Health and Child Care has announced.

The majority of the cases (118), were local transmissions while (6) were returnees from South Africa. The Ministry said:

One hundred and twenty-four (124) cases tested positive for COVID 19 today. These include 118 local cases and returnees from South Africa.

New recoveries were reported by the following provinces; Midlands (35) Manicaland 22 Bulawayo (7) and Matabeleland North (7).

Today 213 ROT screening tests and 1212 PCR diagnostic tests were done. The cumulative number of tests done to date is 148 451 (78 136 RDT and 70 315 PCR).

Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak on 20 March 2020, the total number of confirmed cases is 4 575, recovered 1416, active cases 3 057 and 102 deaths.

Correspondent

Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) director of public relations, Colonel Overson Mugwisi, who allegedly succumbed to Covid-19 on Friday and was buried at Glen Forest Memorial Park in Harare on Saturday.

He was declared a liberation war hero.

His family has since disputed that he died of Covid-19 claiming that he was instead poisoned together with Perence Shiri by people within the army.

Addressing mourners in the low key burial, Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan province Oliver Chidawu said he was a hardworker and remained loyal to the liberation war before and after independence.

“The ZDF shall forever cherish the late Colonel Mugwisi’s selfless service to the people of Zimbabwe before and after Independence.”

Col Mugwisi was first appointed the official spokesperson of the Zimbabwe National Army in 2009, when he was Lieutenant Colonel, taking over from Lieutenant Colonel Simon Tsatsi.

He then rose to become ZDF spokesperson. Born in 1956 in Masvingo, Col Mugwisi attended Torwood Primary School, Drake and Amaveni secondary schools in Kwekwe, Midlands province.

He then crossed into Mozambique to join the liberation struggle in September 1976.

In his military career dating back to Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, Col Mugwisi held various senior posts, among them Adjutant Zimbabwe Military Academy (ZMA), Officer Commanding Cadet Division ZMA, and Staff Officer responsible for Administration Plans at Army Headquarters.

He was also Staff Officer responsible for research at the Zimbabwe Staff College and Directing Staff Joint Command and Staff Courses at the Zimbabwe Staff College before he went into public relations.

Over the years, Col Mugwisi attended most career courses offered by the army during the Junior Staff Course, the Company Group Commanders Course and the Command and Staff Course.

He is survived by four children.

State Media

Government claims it has blocked bakers from increasing the price of a standard loaf of bread to $80 from an average $60 and assured them of more than US$2 million every week from the foreign currency auction.

Authorities believe that the current price already reflects the cost of production.

Bread makers wanted the price to be pegged to the weekly official exchange rate of US$1.

However, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor Dr John Mangudya argued that bakers had already pegged the price of bread based on illegal foreign currency exchange rates of between $100 and $120 to US$1 before the introduction of the auction system on June 23.
A check with most retail outlets in the townships shows that most shops are already selling bread for between $100 and $130.

Responding to the position by bakers during an online meeting hosted by the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) last week, Dr Mangudya said the latest proposal to hike bread prices would not be entertained.

The National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe, including Bakers Inn, Lobels Bread and Proton, as well as millers such as National Foods, Blue Ribbon Foods and Edurate Milling took part in the meeting.

Dr Mangudya said: “We want to assure bakers and millers that going forward they will now be prioritised for foreign currency allocation during the weekly forex auction.

“Bakers have no reason to justify any bread price increase because when the price of bread was $79, it was based on a speculative black market rate of between $100 and $120 per US$1.

“We expect bread prices to go down given the fact that bakers are now accessing forex at the auction at a much lower rate of $80 against US$1.”

He assured millers and bakers of at least US$2 million weekly. Millers and bakers need a total of US$12 million per month to produce flour and bread, respectively.

The two sectors have been struggling to raise foreign currency to import wheat and other ingredients used in the bread production.

Millers argue that the price of bread flour — pegged at US$20,4 or $2 140 per 50kg bag — was no longer viable.

They want it to be adjusted to US$26,82 or $2 815 per 50kg bag.

State Media

THE reopening of schools this year hangs in the balance as officials continue to monitor the rising Covid-19 caseload.

Last month, the Government deferred reopening schools to a later date from the initial July 28 owing to rising cases of local coronavirus transmissions.

There have been 1 244 cases of local transmission of the virus out of the cumulative 1 282 cases recorded in the first seven days of this month.

Thirty five (35) people have succumbed to the respiratory disease in the period.

Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo said it was premature to announce new dates for the schools calendar.

Government, however, is currently mobilising the required personal protective equipment (PPE) for public learning institutions.

“We are presently monitoring trends, particularly Covid-19 local infections. If they continue escalating, as they are doing now, we will have to defer re-opening further mainly as a means of protecting our learners and teachers,” he said.

“As a ministry, we have continued readying ourselves for the eventual re-opening through the purchasing of PPE and perfecting our (education) modules.

“We have been fine-tuning our radio lessons as well.

“For communities that do not get radio signals, we are in the process of producing physical modules related to the radio lessons.

“For June examinations, most of those writing were private candidates, but for the November examination, we mainly have school candidates, hence (the need) for them to be ready to sit for the exams.

“They need adequate learning time so that they are able to complete the syllabus.

“At the moment, the only time we can talk of November examinations is when we have a set date for the re-opening of schools.”

Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) chairperson Professor Eddie Mwenje continues to emphasise that examinations will only be written when students have completed the syllabus and when it is safe to do so.

Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) secretary-general Cde Victor Matemadanda says Julius Malema and former Botswana President Seretse Ian Khama have no grounds to interfere in Zimbabwe’s internal matters while giving a heads up to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for appointing a special envoy to investigate issues happening in Zimbabwe.

Malema, who is the leader of South Africa’s opposition party, Economic Freedom Front, and Khama, who is now an opposition activist in his country, have been making statements in support of calls for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stop human rights abuses in the country.

Addressing journalists in Harare on Saturday,Matemadanda said President Ramaphosa had done the right thing by dispatching emissaries before commenting on the situation in Zimbabwe.

“We have a very good camaraderie with the ANC. In terms of the South African Government, we appreciate that they set up a fact finding mission that is going to put the record straight,” he said.

“They want to appreciate and understand what is going on before they comment. As Zimbabwe, we know that we have nothing to hide.

“We expect that if it is found that these people are lying, action must be taken against them so that we bring sanity to the region.”

He said in commenting about Zimbabwe without facts, Mr Malema has exposed his naivety as a politician.

Matemadanda said Malema was closely associated with members of the G40 faction who are hiding in South Africa and are behind the recent anti-Zimbabwe campaign in the neighbouring country.

“We know where Malema’s bread is buttered. South Africa has complained to the New Dispensation that Malema was given funding by some Zimbabweans to form EFF. So his comments are based on myopic thinking,” he said.

Matemadanda pulled no punches in attacking Khama who has been posting social media messages denigrating Mnangagwa.

“All this hype about failed former Botswana leader Khama, the one who has even failed to get a wife for himself, thinks he can pronounce himself on Zimbabwe. He failed as a President thinking that the Batswana were foolish and now he wants to be involved in Zimbabwean politics. Zimbabwe cannot be dictated to by outsiders who choose to entertain fellow sell-outs, no we cannot accept that.”

Matemadanda said Zimbabwe respects the sovereignty of other States and no one has the right to interfere in the country’s internal affairs.

He blasted the US Embassy in Harare.

“#ZimbabweanLivesMatter is being funded by people that created havoc in Iraq. America is very good at lying and they sponsor anarchy,” said Cde Matemadanda.

“The world was made to believe that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The hype just died a natural death after they (US) killed a State President.

“They went scot free. They created the same lie in Libya to kill Muammar Gaddafi. America is not a peace making nation, it is concerned and worried only about its own interests.

“We go for elections after every five years in Zimbabwe and no party has been denied a right to contest.

“The people choose the party that they want. We know of an election in America that was decided by five judges. One wonders what could have happened.”

Source: State Media

FORMER British Prime Minister Tony Blair is prepared to meet President Mnangagwa to lend support to Harare’s political and economic reform programme.

Relations between Zimbabwe and its former coloniser collapsed during Mr Blair’s tenure as head of the British Government after Zimbabwe embarked on the Fast-Track Land Reform Programme at the turn of the millennium.

Mr Blair then led an international crusade against Harare, resulting in the imposition of economic sanctions by the European Union (EU), the United States (US) and much of the Western world.

The sanctions ruined the country’s economy.

Diplomatic ties between Zimbabwe and Britain have, however, progressively improved following the change of administration in Harare, with increased exchanges now taking place between the two.

In a stunning about-turn, Mr Blair, who now heads the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, told CNBC Africa recently of his wish for the Zimbabwe Government’s reform agenda to succeed.

He said he was prepared to meet President Mnangagwa privately to help facilitate the mending of relations.

Last week, a spokesperson for the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change told The Sunday Mail that Mr Blair would be “happy” to meet with President Mnangagwa.

In an interview with CNBC Africa, Mr Blair, who resigned from the British premiership in 2007, was asked how acrimonious his relationship with Zimbabwe was.

“I think acrimonious was probably an understatement,” said Mr Blair, adding, “I am happy to speak to (President) Mnangagwa, but these things are best done in a private way.

“I was actually thinking about Zimbabwe the other day. I think, at certain points, there were misunderstandings, not genuine disagreements. If Zimbabwe were to get its act together, it would be an exciting place to be.”

This is not the first time Mr Blair has made overtures aimed at meeting the Zimbabwean Head of State.

Last year, he formally requested a meeting with President Mnangagwa when he attended the Rwanda Liberation Celebration Day in Kigali.

The meeting, however, failed to materialise after a scheduling mix up.

Speaking to journalists ahead of his departure at Kigali International Airport, the President said he had no problems sitting with Mr Blair.

“Yes, actually I received communication from New Zealand (yesterday morning) that Mr Tony Blair wants to meet me here in Kigali, and I said that I had no objection. But, I understand he has not arrived, and we are leaving. If he had arrived on time, I would have met him.”

President Mnangagwa’s Government has, since assuming office, been implementing political and economic reforms outlined in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP).

The reforms have included repealing legislation considered anti-democratic including the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).

Government is also reforming electoral laws to ensure that future elections do not end in dispute.

Reforms to the economy have seen a repeal of indigenisation laws, propping up of the country’s investment profile and reintroduction of a local currency, among others.

Further, Government last week struck a multi-billion-dollar compensation deal with white former commercial farmers whose land was compulsorily acquired during land reform, a key demand for normalisation of relations with the West.

Responding to questions about Mr Blair’s position on interacting with President Mnangagwa, a spokesperson for the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change said: “As Mr Blair said in the recent CNBC Africa interview, he would be happy to have an interaction with President Mnangagwa if it was helpful.”

He added: “But we work in many countries across Africa on reform and would always want to help countries make the necessary and right reforms.”

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Deputy Minister Mr David Musabayana said such an overture is welcome in the context of Government’s re-engagement programme.

“The President has always said that re-engagement is at the centre of his Government’s work programme,” said Deputy Minister Musabayana.

“So, if Blair says he wants to sit down with President Mnangagwa, he is very much welcome. You need to appreciate that re-engagement is about finding each other and mending bridges. So obviously we are mending bridges where they have been broken and where cracks had developed. This fallout also happened during Blair’s time so if he says he is willing to assist I am sure the President will be willing to sit down with him.”

Political analyst Mr Godwine Mureriwa said Mr Blair had realised that confrontation was not the best foreign policy tool.

“We have a new dispensation in Zimbabwe which is open for business and re-engagement. Naturally this is wisdom coming with experience on Blair’s side who now portrays himself as an international statesman,” said Mr Mureriwa.

Separately, Zimbabwe and Britain are laying the ground for the opening of formal political dialogue to normalise relations.

After nearly two decades of estrangement, the two nations are reaching out to open bilateral discussions aimed at turning the page on hostile relations. Following Brexit — Britain’s departure from the European Union — there have been high-level overtures by both Harare and London to replicate the Zim-EU dialogue platform which is currently ongoing.

-State Media

Fellows Zimbabweans, we come to you in the name of the constitution, and in the hashtag #zimbabweanslivesmatter. My address is specifically for those officers, in the ZNA who were deployed in the neighbourhoods of Bulawayo, Harare and other Zimbabwe towns.

Shiri Assassination Claim Whistleblower Announces Anything Can Happen Anytime From Now | ARE THEY TELLING THE TRUTH?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 9, 2020

I think it is high time we asked ourselves who are the cowards in this country are we not the cowards, the ones who are being used by thieves and murderers who are stealing, and doing everything with impunity, those who are stealing and eating this country’s money, while we die of Hunger.

SOLDIER SPEAKS: #ZIMBABWEANLIVESMATTER https://t.co/BdN8f6fIDw

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 8, 2020

We elderly men are being played upon, being dished out salaries of USD75 when long ago we used to be paid USD750. Gentlemen our duty is to defend Zimbabwe not zanu-pf. Our duty is to follow legal orders. Everyone with a commission scroll knows that. We should not be following repressive, unconstitutional orders. Who is Zimbabwe ? Zimbabweans are the residents from Cowdray Park, Magwegwe, Mbare, Mufakose, not just the thieves who live in Borrowdale, who have hidden their families in Switzerland and England. Let us think again and consider who the real cowards are. It is about time, we stop hiding while assisting oppressors under the days of following orders. We have a duty not to follow these unconstitutional orders. It is our duty. Let the People demonstrate peacefully. We must ensure that the demonstration has been done peacefully. We must not serve the interests of thieves. If we do this, the coward is you and me, the day of redemption has come.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to withdraw his appointment of Baleka Mbete and Sydney Mufamadi as Special envoys to Zimbabwe because of their political bias towards the ZANU-PF-led regime in Zimbabwe.

DA said failure to withdraw these two individuals will render the mission a farce and an attempt by Ramaphosa to cover up the human rights abuses that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has been committing against defenseless Zimbabweans.

“If the President refuses to withdraw these ‘envoys’, we call on the Zimbabwean people to reject this poor attempt to whitewash their abuse and suffering at the hands of Mnangagwa’s military government,” said DA in a statement.

“While attending ZANU-PF’s extraordinary congress in December 2017, Mbete, who was representing the ANC, heaped praise on ZANU-PF for the military coup that removed Mugabe, adding that: “You achieved a good transition peacefully. I find no bitterness or hatred about your predecessor Mugabe. That is political maturity. As ANC we are here to say we are proud to be associated with ZANU-PF and we wish you good luck comrades”.

“Her counterpart, Sydney Mufamadi, refused to meet with opposition leaders in Zimbabwe in 2007 when he was sent by then-president Thabo Mbeki in response to the country’s escalating political crisis, choosing instead to focus his attention on the then-president Robert Mugabe.

“In fact, both Mbeki and Mufamadi insisted that the opposition leaders recognise Mugabe as the legitimate leader of Zimbabwe before political talks could begin.

“Under this cloud of political bias, Ramaphosa’s ‘envoys’ cannot claim to be acting on behalf of the South African government. They are ANC functionaries who have been sent by Ramaphosa to express solidarity with Mnangagwa’s murderous government.

“Mnangagwa’s government has used the cover of Covid-19 to unleash an unprecedented attack on individual freedoms by arresting journalists like Hopewell Chinono, whose only crime was exposing corruption, and using force to stop citizens from exercising their right to protest.

“What Zimbabweans do not need at the moment is Ramaphosa using the ANC’s solidarity with ZANU-PF to engineer an international cover-up of Zimbabwe’s escalating political and economic crisis. ‘Quiet diplomacy’ should never be allowed to turn into ‘Cover-up Diplomacy’, DA said.

Yesterday, Zimbabwe recorded 124 new Covid-19 cases taking the country’s cumulative total to 4575.

No deaths were recorded yesterday maintaining the number at 102.

The country also recorded 71 new recoveries distributed as follows; Midlands 35, Manicaland 22, Bulawayo 7 and Mat North 7.

Below is the full update from the ministry of health and child care;

TWO men have been arrested while their three accomplices are still at large after they ganged up on a man and beat him to death after accusing him of stealing gold ore.

Mpho Moyo (36) and Qhubekani Ndlovu (40) both from Colleen Bawn and their accomplices allegedly assaulted Morgan Sibanda before they drowned him in a saline pond after tying his hands and legs with a wire.

Moyo and Ndlovu were not asked to plead when they appeared before Gwanda magistrate Miss Lerato Nyathi facing a murder charge last week. They were remanded in custody to 21 August.

Prosecuting, Mr Noel Mandebvu said the gang attacked Sibanda on 23 July.

“On 23 July at around 9pm, at Sally 22 Mine in Colleen Bawn, Moyo and Ndlovu together with three other people who are still at large confronted Morgan Sibanda. They assaulted him with a hammer mill, fan belts, horse pipe and also punched and kicked him several times.

“They then tied his hands together to the back with a wire and also tied his feet together with a wire. They then drowned him in a saline pond. Upon realising that he had passed out the gang dumped Sibanda’s body in a make shift plastic tent at the mine and they fled the scene. Sibanda’s body was later found by some mine workers who reported the matter to the police resulting in the arrest of the accused persons,” he said.

Investigations revealed that Sibanda had been remanded out of custody for a case of theft of gold ore and was seen by the gang while carrying a sack full of gold ore and they confronted him accusing him of stealing the gold ore which resulted in the attack. In another case a Gwanda man has appeared in court after he allegedly beat up his neighbour to death for reprimanding his child. Lovington Moyo (52) of Insindi Resettlement was not asked to plead when he appeared before the same magistrate Miss Nyathi facing a murder charge. He was remanded in custody to 21 August.

Prosecuting, Mr Mandebvu said Moyo struck the now deceased several times with a wooden log.

“On 23 July Moyo had a misunderstanding with his neighbour for reprimanding his child. Moyo took a wooden log and struck the now deceased several times on the head resulting in his death. The matter was reported to the police resulting in Moyo’s arrest,” he said.

-State Media

By Wilbert Mukori| South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has reportedly appointed former South African Security minister Sydney and ex-Vice-President Baleka Mbete to “engage the Zanu PF regime and other relevant stakeholders” in a desperate effort to end the worsening economic, political human rights violations in Zimbabwe.

“Crisis! What crisis?” the then SA President Thambo Mbeki asked, rhetorically, in 2008 when Zimbabwe facing the same violent economic and political convulsions we see today. As we now know, President Mbeki and his 2008 to 2013 GNU failed to solve Zimbabwe’s, seemingly, intractable political and economic crisis. Frankly, President Ramaphosa will not do any better; he has shot himself in the foot already!

The international community, including SADC and the AU, condemned Zimbabwe’s 2008 elections, following Zanu PF’s blatant cheating and use of wanton violence. SADC leaders used this as leverage to force Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies to agree to implementation of a raft of democratic reforms designed to stop a repeat of the cheating and violence of 2008. The Government of National Unity comprising Mugabe and Zanu PF and Morgan Tsvangirai and the two MDC factions, with SADC as the guarantor, was tasked to implement the reforms.

As we already know, Mugabe bribed Tsvangirai and company and not even one token reforms was ever implemented in five years of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Not a sausage and hence the reason Zanu PF was able to blatantly rig the July 2018 elections and the 2013 elections before it.

SADC leaders did try to have the 2013 elections postponed until the reforms were implemented but both Zanu PF and MDC ignored their warning. The biggest mistake SADC leaders make was to abandon the principled and logical position of demanding the implementation of the reform before the 2018 elections. The second mistake was to endorse the 2018 elections as acceptable. The elections “went well!” remarked President Cyril Ramaphosa.

If Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC opportunists had not sold-out and faithfully implemented the reforms Zimbabwe would have ended the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. We are where we are, what must we do now?

We have to revisit the 2008 reforms and appoint a body that can be trusted to finally implement the reforms. A Zanu PF and MDC led GNU cannot be trusted to implement the reforms for the obvious reason that they failed to get even one reform implemented in the 2008 GNU.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and SADC will not talk Mnangagwa and Zanu PF to step down since they have already endorsed the Zanu PF regime as legitimate. Once again, we are where we are, what can be done to move forward?

SA and SADC must swallow their pride and acknowledge the 2008 to 2013 GNU failed to deliver the desired democratic reforms and to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. They must also acknowledge that their endorsement of Zanu PF as the winner of the July 2018 has left them with no political leverage to force Mnangagwa to step down, a pre-requisite for getting the reforms finally implemented.

President Ramaphosa and SADC must approach the UN or some such other nation that is not compromised to chart a roadmap to get Zanu PF to step down and then appoint a competent body to implement the reforms.

The old adage of “An African solution for an African problem!” must now be ditched. SADC’s sponsored 2008 to 2013 GNU was the African solution to the Zimbabwe crisis and it failed to end the crisis. There is no shame in SA and SADC admitting it.

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s 40 year old political and economic crisis is the failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. The solution is to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop the cheating and violence.

Both the incompetent, corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF and the equally corrupt and incompetent opposition entourage, all 130 political parties at the last count, have played a part in landing the nation in this mess and keeping us there. We, the people of Zimbabwe, know exactly why we are here and what must be done to escape out of this man-made hell-on-earth.

All we are asking of SA, SADC and the world at large is the political support in confronting Zimbabwe’s ruling elite.

Of course, Mnangagwa and Zanu PF are holding the nation to ransom. The regime rigged the July 2018 elections. It has no mandate to govern and must step down.

We are asking of SA, SADC and the world at large to stand by the long suffering people of Zimbabwe who are demanding that Zanu PF must take-off its oppressive big boot off the neck of the nation and allow the people to breath! We are demanding free, fair and credible elections; surely, that is not too much to ask!

SOURCE: zimbabwelight.blogspot.com

MDC Alliance President, Nelson Chamisa has criticised the government for the imprisonment of anti-corruption crusaders.

Speaking for the first time after the death of his mother Gogo Alice Chamisa last month and after visiting some of the victims of abductions by alleged state security agents last week, Chamisa said:

It is not proper to have people in a supposedly free Zimbabwe who are not sleeping in their homes peacefully and are wanted not for anything criminal, but for demanding accountability and end to corruption.

We have brutality of innocent citizens by State agents and it is sad. But we will smile soon.

I sense victory, our sorrows will turn into joy, celebrations are not far away, and change is coming.

He speaks when tensions are rising in the country over latest reports of human rights violations and the deepening economic and humanitarian crisis in the country.

The opposition is accusing the governing ZANU PF of presiding over a failed economy and diminishing the citizenry’s living standards- NewsDay

Nelson Chamisa who leads the opposition MDC Alliance has criticised the government for the imprisonment of anti-corruption crusaders.

Speaking for the first time after the death of his mother Gogo Alice Chamisa last month and after visiting some of the victims of abductions by alleged state security agents last week, Chamisa said:

It is not proper to have people in a supposedly free Zimbabwe who are not sleeping in their homes peacefully and are wanted not for anything criminal, but for demanding accountability and end to corruption.

We have brutality of innocent citizens by State agents and it is sad. But we will smile soon.

I sense victory, our sorrows will turn into joy, celebrations are not far away, and change is coming.

He speaks when tensions are rising in the country over latest reports of human rights violations and the deepening economic and humanitarian crisis in the country.

The opposition is accusing the governing ZANU PF of presiding over a failed economy and diminishing the citizenry’s living standards- NewsDay

Nelson Chamisa who leads the opposition MDC Alliance has criticised the government for the imprisonment of anti-corruption crusaders.

Speaking for the first time after the death of his mother Gogo Alice Chamisa last month and after visiting some of the victims of abductions by alleged state security agents last week, Chamisa said:

It is not proper to have people in a supposedly free Zimbabwe who are not sleeping in their homes peacefully and are wanted not for anything criminal, but for demanding accountability and end to corruption.

We have brutality of innocent citizens by State agents and it is sad. But we will smile soon.

I sense victory, our sorrows will turn into joy, celebrations are not far away, and change is coming.

He speaks when tensions are rising in the country over latest reports of human rights violations and the deepening economic and humanitarian crisis in the country.

The opposition is accusing the governing ZANU PF of presiding over a failed economy and diminishing the citizenry’s living standards- NewsDay

The MDC Alliance welcomes the efforts by the region to intervene in the deepening governance and human rights crisis in Zimbabwe, particularly by His Excellency, Cyril Ramaphosa, who is the current Chairperson of the African Union.

The crisis in Zimbabwe has been characterized by a de facto state of emergency, a crackdown on citizens, abductions, arbitrary arrests of government critics and the political persecution of journalists.

The region must take note of the collapse of the public health system characterised by an ongoing doctors’ and nurses’ strike amidst the Covidl9 pandemic, the economic crisis which has seen hyperinflation exceed 786% and a hunger crisis that has left 7,7 million Zimbabweans food insecure.

The Government in Harare is incapable of resolving these challenges because it lacks legitimacy.

We are of the firm view that any solution to the ongoing socio-economic lies in resolving the political crisis and answering the outstanding legitimacy question. The deteriorating plight of the Zimbabwean people means that a political settlement is more urgent than before.

We acknowledge the special envoy that has been deployed by President Cyril Ramaphosa and we will continuously assess the sincerity of all the actors in the process.

MDC -Alliance

The MDC Alliance welcomes the efforts by the region to intervene in the deepening governance and human rights crisis in Zimbabwe, particularly by His Excellency, Cyril Ramaphosa, who is the current Chairperson of the African Union.

The crisis in Zimbabwe has been characterized by a de facto state of emergency, a crackdown on citizens, abductions, arbitrary arrests of government critics and the political persecution of journalists.

The region must take note of the collapse of the public health system characterised by an ongoing doctors’ and nurses’ strike amidst the Covidl9 pandemic, the economic crisis which has seen hyperinflation exceed 786% and a hunger crisis that has left 7,7 million Zimbabweans food insecure.

The Government in Harare is incapable of resolving these challenges because it lacks legitimacy.

We are of the firm view that any solution to the ongoing socio-economic lies in resolving the political crisis and answering the outstanding legitimacy question. The deteriorating plight of the Zimbabwean people means that a political settlement is more urgent than before.

We acknowledge the special envoy that has been deployed by President Cyril Ramaphosa and we will continuously assess the sincerity of all the actors in the process.

MDC -Alliance

[Bill-Watch] Bill Watch 53/2020 of 7th August

[Senate Adjourns to 15th September – Appointments to Ministry of Health]

08-08-2020

Emmerson Mnangagwa’s corrupt regime this week reached a new low by denying bail to MDC Alliance Youth Organizer, Godfrey Kurauone, journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume.

Kurauone is currently languishing at Masvingo Remand Prison while Chin’ono and Ngarivhume have been condemned to Chikurubi Maximum Prison as if they are dangerous criminals.

We all know Chin’ono is being punished for exposing Mnangagwa’s corrupt appointee, Obadiah Moyo who looted Covid-19 funds.

By firing his corrupt appointee, Obadiah Moyo, ED confirmed exactly what Chin’ono brought to light but relieving a thief of his duties without sending him to jail is not enough.

By sending those that speak against corruption to jail, it is clear that the unrepentant regime is consenting to looting of state coffers.

From Kariba to Chiredzi, the regime without shame besieged homes, arrested, abducted and tortured all those who dared to speak against stinking corruption that is reigning supreme inside Mnangagwa’s government.

Our fight against corruption is a just cause hence it knows no political party and as such we are going to stop at nothing until our voices are heard.

We shall never relent until justice is served.

Silence and folding hands at this juncture whilst our country is burning is akin to consenting to looting.

Let Monday, the 10th of August to Friday, the 15th of August be our defining moment.

If we love our country, then we must be prepared to take head on those who are running it down.

Let those that are eating on our behalf know no peace until justice is served!

We deserve to be heard!

A corrupt free government is possible in our lifetime.

Our lives matter fellow citizens!

ZimbabweanLivesMatter!

KushingaMberi!*

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

08-08-2020

Emmerson Mnangagwa’s corrupt regime this week reached a new low by denying bail to MDC Alliance Youth Organizer, Godfrey Kurauone, journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume.

Kurauone is currently languishing at Masvingo Remand Prison while Chin’ono and Ngarivhume have been condemned to Chikurubi Maximum Prison as if they are dangerous criminals.

We all know Chin’ono is being punished for exposing Mnangagwa’s corrupt appointee, Obadiah Moyo who looted Covid-19 funds.

By firing his corrupt appointee, Obadiah Moyo, ED confirmed exactly what Chin’ono brought to light but relieving a thief of his duties without sending him to jail is not enough.

By sending those that speak against corruption to jail, it is clear that the unrepentant regime is consenting to looting of state coffers.

From Kariba to Chiredzi, the regime without shame besieged homes, arrested, abducted and tortured all those who dared to speak against stinking corruption that is reigning supreme inside Mnangagwa’s government.

Our fight against corruption is a just cause hence it knows no political party and as such we are going to stop at nothing until our voices are heard.

We shall never relent until justice is served.

Silence and folding hands at this juncture whilst our country is burning is akin to consenting to looting.

Let Monday, the 10th of August to Friday, the 15th of August be our defining moment.

If we love our country, then we must be prepared to take head on those who are running it down.

Let those that are eating on our behalf know no peace until justice is served!

We deserve to be heard!

A corrupt free government is possible in our lifetime.

Our lives matter fellow citizens!

ZimbabweanLivesMatter!

KushingaMberi!*

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

By A Correspondent- TV personality, Samantha Musa, known as Misred, has issued an apology over her remarks on the Zimbabwean situation.

Misred had insinuated during an interview with a Ghanaian radio that reports on social media are not a true reflection of what is really happening on the ground adding that disgruntled and hurt citizens were sensationalizing minor issues.

Her remarks had attracted the wrath of some Zimbabweans with some unearthing her private life.

Below is her full Twitter thread in which she issued the apology.

Dear fellow Zimbabweans, I really do want to say, I am sorry I let us down. I am sorry that my words have caused pain and have resulted in so many of you feeling that I have let our cause down.

I have listened to all the feedback and concerns raised and although my temptation has been to explain away the pain, I do agree I could have articulated our plight much more clearly. In hindsight I should have declined the interview given the gravity of the cause.

I want you to know I share the pain and daily struggles we all experience and do not in any way trivialize this. #ZimbabweanLivesMatter and this is not negotiable. Again, my profound apologies.

MISA Zimbabwe has reported that a Zimbabwean journalist, Gilbert Munetsi spent the Friday night in police cells for violating the dusk to dawn curfew. We present MISA Zimbabwe’s statement below.

Journalist Gilbert Munetsi spent the night in police cells after he was arrested by police in Chitungwiza outside Harare on 7 August 2020 around 8 pm for allegedly violating the 6 am – 6 pm curfew imposed in terms of the COVID-19 regulations.

He was released this morning without any charges after MISA Zimbabwe deployed lawyer Tafadzwa Mugabe who attended to the matter and secured his release.

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According to lawyer Mugabe, Munetsi was arrested when police rounded up people who were still outdoors beyond the prescribed time of 6 pm as provided for in terms of Statutory Instrument (SI) 174 of 2020. The police did not give Munetsi an opportunity to explain or to even show them his accreditation card.

MISA Zimbabwe Position

MISA Zimbabwe urges the police to heed the fact that journalists are providers of essential services in terms of SI 83 of 2020 as amended by SI 93 of 2020 and SI 174 of 2020. As such, they should be allowed to undertake their professional duties without any unjustified interference.

MISA Zimbabwe also takes this opportunity to remind the media that our staff is on standby to assist media practitioners/journalists injured or arrested in the line of duty. The MISA Zimbabwe Hotline is 0784 437 338.

ZANU PF Aligned goverment information officer Nick Mangwana Says the arrest of private media journalists is good for the country. Watch video below as Mangwana embarrasses himself endorsing widely condemned Zimbabwean government impunity.

The ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) was formed on 8 Aug 1963 as a splinter party from the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) which was led by the late Joshua Nkomo.

It was formed in Enos Nkala‘s house in Highfield.

The party’s first members include Henry Hamadziripi, Herbert Chitepo, Ndabaningi Sithole (who subsequently became the party’s first leader), Edgar Tekere and Leopold Takawira.

The party favoured confrontational politics as compared to ZAPU’s politics of compromise.

Zimbabwe’s founding leader, Robert Mugabe became the leader of the party in 1977, three years before independence.

The Patriotic Front (PF) was formed as a political and military alliance between ZAPU and ZANU during the war against white minority rule in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

The party has been in power since independence in 1980.

In 1987, ZANU and ZAPU signed a Unit Accord which merged the two parties led by Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe after which the name ZANU PF was adopted.

An anonymous member of the Zimbabwe National Army has said it was high time the citizenry, including uniformed forces, stopped protecting corrupt politicians in the country.

The official who was identified by exiled former Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Professor Jonathan Moyo only as a Lieutenant Colonel who commands a Battalion said that only good governance can transform the lives of the people of Zimbabwe.

He speaks when there is an increased government crackdown on dissent and arrest of anti-corruption crusaders. He said state security forces should disobey orders to harm innocent civilians.

Watch the video below for more.https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/SOLDIER.mp4

Nelson Chamisa who leads the opposition MDC Alliance has criticised the government for the imprisonment of anti-corruption crusaders.

Speaking for the first time after the death of his mother Gogo Alice Chamisa last month and after visiting some of the victims of abductions by alleged state security agents last week, Chamisa said:

It is not proper to have people in a supposedly free Zimbabwe who are not sleeping in their homes peacefully and are wanted not for anything criminal, but for demanding accountability and end to corruption.

We have brutality of innocent citizens by State agents and it is sad. But we will smile soon.

I sense victory, our sorrows will turn into joy, celebrations are not far away, and change is coming.

He speaks when tensions are rising in the country over latest reports of human rights violations and the deepening economic and humanitarian crisis in the country.

The opposition is accusing the governing ZANU PF of presiding over a failed economy and diminishing the citizenry’s living standards- NewsDay

By A Correspondent- TV personality, Samantha Musa, known as Misred, has issued an apology over her remarks on the Zimbabwean situation.

Misred had insinuated during an interview with a Ghanaian radio that reports on social media are not a true reflection of what is really happening on the ground adding that disgruntled and hurt citizens were sensationalizing minor issues.

Her remarks had attracted the wrath of some Zimbabweans with some unearthing her private life.

Below is her full Twitter thread in which she issued the apology.

Dear fellow Zimbabweans, I really do want to say, I am sorry I let us down. I am sorry that my words have caused pain and have resulted in so many of you feeling that I have let our cause down.

I have listened to all the feedback and concerns raised and although my temptation has been to explain away the pain, I do agree I could have articulated our plight much more clearly. In hindsight I should have declined the interview given the gravity of the cause.

I want you to know I share the pain and daily struggles we all experience and do not in any way trivialize this. #ZimbabweanLivesMatter and this is not negotiable. Again, my profound apologies.

Nelson Chamisa who leads the opposition MDC Alliance has criticised the government for the imprisonment of anti-corruption crusaders.

Speaking for the first time after the death of his mother Gogo Alice Chamisa last month and after visiting some of the victims of abductions by alleged state security agents last week, Chamisa said:

It is not proper to have people in a supposedly free Zimbabwe who are not sleeping in their homes peacefully and are wanted not for anything criminal, but for demanding accountability and end to corruption.

We have brutality of innocent citizens by State agents and it is sad. But we will smile soon.

I sense victory, our sorrows will turn into joy, celebrations are not far away, and change is coming.

He speaks when tensions are rising in the country over latest reports of human rights violations and the deepening economic and humanitarian crisis in the country.

The opposition is accusing the governing ZANU PF of presiding over a failed economy and diminishing the citizenry’s living standards- NewsDay

WEEK ROUNDUP- By A Correspondent | ZANU PF heavyweights have spoken warning Emmerson Mnangagwa among other things that he is now to be paired with Adolf Hitler and other genocide criminals. Party Deputy Chairperson [Youth League] Rockefeller Zimba said: “there’s no point in me sitting there and saying no no no there is no police brutality in Zimbabwe; there is there is no point in me sitting there saying that there is no corruption in Zimbabwe, it is sanctions, that is utter nonsense. I am sure we are much clever and that.

“How do you sleep at night knowing that so many people have died because of the decisions you have made? How do you sleep at night knowing that other people are suffering because of your greed and you want to blame it on sanctions? Let us be real let us be real.”

‘

Top Herald Correspondent Reason Wafawarova goes further to tell Mnangagwa to his face that he now than the risk of being labelled “alongside Adolf Hitler…” VIDEO –

video loading below….

ZANU PF HEAVYWEIGHTS CONFRONT MNANGAGWA OVER HOPEWELL CHIN'ONO ARREST https://t.co/N1hce5awIx

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 8, 2020

08-08-2020

Emmerson Mnangagwa’s corrupt regime this week reached a new low by denying bail to MDC Alliance Youth Organizer, Godfrey Kurauone, journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume.

Kurauone is currently languishing at Masvingo Remand Prison while Chin’ono and Ngarivhume have been condemned to Chikurubi Maximum Prison as if they are dangerous criminals.

We all know Chin’ono is being punished for exposing Mnangagwa’s corrupt appointee, Obadiah Moyo who looted Covid-19 funds.

By firing his corrupt appointee, Obadiah Moyo, ED confirmed exactly what Chin’ono brought to light but relieving a thief of his duties without sending him to jail is not enough.

By sending those that speak against corruption to jail, it is clear that the unrepentant regime is consenting to looting of state coffers.

From Kariba to Chiredzi, the regime without shame besieged homes, arrested, abducted and tortured all those who dared to speak against stinking corruption that is reigning supreme inside Mnangagwa’s government.

Our fight against corruption is a just cause hence it knows no political party and as such we are going to stop at nothing until our voices are heard.

We shall never relent until justice is served.

Silence and folding hands at this juncture whilst our country is burning is akin to consenting to looting.

Let Monday, the 10th of August to Friday, the 15th of August be our defining moment.

If we love our country, then we must be prepared to take head on those who are running it down.

Let those that are eating on our behalf know no peace until justice is served!

We deserve to be heard!

A corrupt free government is possible in our lifetime.

Our lives matter fellow citizens!

ZimbabweanLivesMatter!

KushingaMberi!*

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

ZANU PF members and activists are coming out in the open voicing their displeasure at the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The unfolding leadership drama bedeviling the ruling party has seen some members openly demanding an extraordinary Congress to recall Mnangagwa and rectify the leadership crisis.

Popular ZANU PF social media activist (Murakashi) Munyaradzi Rex Midzi posted on his twitter handle saying,  “I’m very clear now, ZANU PF is my party. I don’t agree with my first secretary ED Mnangagwa and his current approach. ZANU PF must reform.”

ZANU PF District Chairman Goodman Musariri, who stood against Advocate Fortune Chasi in the ZANU PF primary elections, said: I totally agree and an Extraordinary Congress is long overdue! The most critical part was my court challenge to seek a DECLARATORY ORDER that: No Competent Central Committee Session was held on 19 November 2017. It is that Central Committee Caucus that unlawfully REINSTATED the expelled V.P E.D Mnangagwa.”

Musariri added that 45 out of 49 politburo members are General Chiwenga’s favorites and patrons.

He singled out Obert Mpofu the Secretary for Administration and said for now the secretary for Administration who is meant to handle the process of calling for an extraordinary Congress supports Mnangagwa.

“Dr Obert Moses Mpofu is needed in the 3rd Republic.” He said

A ZANU PF Central Committee member who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity said Zimbabweans cannot rely on Members of Parliament to remove Mnangagwa but should put their trust on the extraordinary Congress of ZANU PF to deal with the current President.

“This, unfortunately, seems like the only viable way, we cannot depend on social media to topple a constitutionally elected government.” The source said. “Neither can we rely on Nero and his team of activists. We also cannot rely on sitting MPs to support impeachment. So Congress is the way to go. We legitimized an illegal appointment of a non-card carrying member to run for the presidency.”

A section of ZANU PF members has anonymously written to Former Liberation Movements in Southern Africa seeking their help in facilitating a ZANU PF extraordinary congress.

Renowned Pan Africanist Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba agreed with the ZANU PF supporters saying, “Mnangagwa has gone rogue”.

The issue of an extraordinary Congress is likely to be raised during a  special virtual meeting set to be held between ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule and ZANU PF secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu.

Byo 24

By A Correspondent| The MDC Alliance has welcomed the move to send a special envoy to Zimbabwe by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa following allegations of human rights violations in the country.

President Ramaphosa on Friday announced that he will be sending a special envoy to Zimbabwe. This follows calls for South Africa to step in as alleged crackdown on government critics grows.

In an interview with eNCA , MDC Alliance deputy president, Tendai Biti welcomed the response by President Ramaphosa said they are looking forward to the agenda and mandate of the appointed team.

“Firstly it is common cause that Zimbabwe is in a crisis mode on the verge of implosion, we acknowledge President Ramaphosa response even if its belated it is an acknowledgment that all is not well in Zimbabwe we now look forward to the agenda and the mandate of the team he has appointed. The details have not been flashed out to us.

“We are curious to know how that will interconnect with SADC or AU because any mediation without the scaffolding of SADC will be very difficult we welcome the move but we have questions we need clarity, openness, impartiality, transparency,” said Biti

Biti said though they are not aware of the special envoy’s mandate, they expect an approach that is different from the 2007/8 Global Political Agreement which gave birth to the Government of national Unity (GNU).

“The situation in Zimbabwe is a very complex one. In 2007/8 we negotiated for the Global Political  Agreement which gave birth to the Government of National Unity, the problem with that, was it focused on stability more than democracy it did a disservice to the agenda of democracy more important it skirted of reform in Zimbabwe in particular security sector reform now this time around anyone who wants to dabble in Zimbabwe must understand that the problems are structural that they cannot be whitewashed and you cannot put lipstick or mascara over them.

“Zimbabweans want real transformation to avoid the suffering and the price of illegitimacy and bad government we have paid for the last forty years Sydney Mufamadi must know that the task on his hand is huge whatever task it is because Zimbabweans are not going to settle for anything other than genuine intention and that they are not going settle for anything that does not respect the people’s will so democracy over stability after all democracy is the biggest guarantor of stability.” said Biti

The special envoys are former South African Minister, Sydney Mufamadi and former National Assembly Speaker, Baleka Mbete with the former taking part in the 2007/8 negotiations.

Dear fellow Zimbabweans, I really do want to say, I am sorry I let us down. I am sorry that my words have caused pain and have resulted in so many of you feeling that I have let our cause down.

I have listened to all the feedback and concerns raised and although my temptation has been to explain away the pain, I do agree I could have articulated our plight much more clearly. In hindsight I should have declined the interview given the gravity of the cause.

I want you to know I share the pain and daily struggles we all experience and do not in any way trivialize this . #ZimbabweanLivesMatter and this is not negotiable. Again, my profound apologies.

Watch the live video loading below……

By MISA Zimbabwe| Journalist Gilbert Munetsi spent the night in police cells after he was arrested by police in Chitungwiza outside Harare on 7 August 2020 around 8 pm for allegedly violating the 6 am – 6 pm curfew imposed in terms of the COVID-19 regulations.

He was released this morning without any charges after MISA Zimbabwe deployed lawyer Tafadzwa Mugabe who attended to the matter and secured his release.

According to lawyer Mugabe, Munetsi was arrested when police rounded up people who were still outdoors beyond the prescribed time of 6 pm as provided for in terms of Statutory Instrument (SI) 174 of 2020.

The police did not give Munetsi an opportunity to explain or to even show them his accreditation card.  

By A Correspondent- The Human Rights Watch Director for Southern Africa Dewa Mavhinga has opined that the persecution of journalists in Zimbabwe is a strategy to get to their sources who helped in the exposure of grand corruption by some government officials and departments.

Mavhinga who investigates human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, South Africa, eSwatini & Malawi speaks when journalists Hopewell Chin’ono and Mduduzi Mathuthu have been targeted by the state after they exposed corruption in the country.

Posting on social media on Saturday, Mavhinga said:

Persecution/harassment of prominent journalists Hopewell Chin’ono & @Mathuthu, & their families, is for the Zimbabwe authorities to get to their sources who helped expose high-level Covid19 PPE corruption.

Chin’ono was arrested on 20 July and charged with inciting public violence after rallying the citizenry to participate in anti-corruption protests that had been scheduled for 31 July.

Meanwhile, Mathuthu has gone into hiding but his family is being harassed by state security personnel. His nephew Tawanda Muchehiwa was recently abducted, tortured and detained by police who wanted him to reveal Mathuthu’s whereabouts.

Speaking to SABC News last night, the Secretary for Information, Nick Mangwana said relatives of wanted individuals who do not reveal the whereabouts of their relatives are being arrested for “obstructing justice.”

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) has urged political actors not to abandon the push for electoral reforms in the face of COVID-19 that has forced the country’s electoral body, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), to suspend by-elections.

Zec has indefinitely suspended the holding of by-elections to prevent voters, polling officers and other electoral stakeholders from contracting COVID-19.

However, the independent electoral watchdog argued the global pandemic should not be used as an excuse to supplant the need to implement electoral reforms. Zesn said it would keep debate on the matter alive using various platforms.

“Zesn continues to keep the debate on electoral reforms alive, by among other things hosting webinars to review proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Electoral Bill drafted by the network,” the civic society organisation said in its weekly monitoring responses to COVID-19 bulletin.

“The network has this week held virtual meetings with its provincial representatives in the different provinces to share information, review the network’s programming, and opportunities to continue supporting various aspects of the electoral cycle during the COVID-19 era.”

According to Zesn, electoral reforms were necessary to strengthen the integrity of the country’s polls which are always marred by disputes, with the opposition citing rigging and manipulation.

Following the disputed 2018 general elections, there were several recommendations to Zec from local, regional and other international election watchdogs.

MDC Alliance has refused to recognise President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s victory citing electoral malpractices.

However, Zec has denied charges of colluding with Zanu-PF to rig the elections.

Zesn has also called for the establishment of an electoral and political reforms taskforce bringing together political parties and other stakeholders to push for implementation of reforms to avert disputed polls in 2023.

-Newsday

“It is persecution of opponents of this evil regime. These are things that we have raised to the world that the democratic space of our country has been closed,” said the MDC Alliance Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala.

Watch the live video loading below…..

By A Correspondent- Zanu PF members and activists are coming out in the open voicing their displeasure at the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The unfolding leadership drama bedeviling the ruling party has seen some members openly demanding an extraordinary Congress to recall Mnangagwa and rectify the leadership crisis.

Popular ZANU PF social media activist (Murakashi) Munyaradzi Rex Midzi posted on his twitter handle saying: 

“I’m very clear now, ZANU PF is my party. I don’t agree with my first secretary ED Mnangagwa and his current approach. ZANU PF must reform.”

ZANU PF District Chairman Goodman Musariri, who stood against Advocate Fortune Chasi in the ZANU PF primary elections, said:

“I totally agree and an Extraordinary Congress is long overdue! The most critical part was my court challenge to seek a DECLARATORY ORDER that: No Competent Central Committee Session was held on 19 November 2017. It is that Central Committee Caucus that unlawfully REINSTATED the expelled V.P E.D Mnangagwa.”

Musariri added that 45 out of 49 politburo members are General Chiwenga’s favorites and patrons.

He singled out Obert Mpofu the Secretary for Administration and said for now the secretary for Administration who is meant to handle the process of calling for an extraordinary Congress supports Mnangagwa.

“Dr Obert Moses Mpofu is needed in the 3rd Republic.” he said

A Zanu PF Central Committee member who spoke to a local publication on condition of anonymity said Zimbabweans cannot rely on Members of Parliament to remove Mnangagwa but should put their trust on the extraordinary Congress of ZANU PF to deal with the current President.

“This, unfortunately, seems like the only viable way, we cannot depend on social media to topple a constitutionally elected government. Neither can we rely on Nero and his team of activists. We also cannot rely on sitting MPs to support impeachment. So Congress is the way to go. We legitimized an illegal appointment of a non-card carrying member to run for the presidency.”

A section of ZANU PF members has anonymously written to Former Liberation Movements in Southern Africa seeking their help in facilitating a ZANU PF extraordinary congress.

Renowned Pan Africanist Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba agreed with the ZANU PF supporters saying, “Mnangagwa has gone rogue”.

The issue of an extraordinary Congress is likely to be raised during a  special virtual meeting set to be held between ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule and ZANU PF secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu.

By A Correspondent- Beatrice Mtetwa, the lawyer of detained prominent Zimbabwean journalist and filmmaker, Hopewell Chin’ono has told members of the media that her client was stopped from wearing his goggles amid concerns they could be for surveillance purposes.

Chin’ono was using the goggles as personal protective equipment to prevent contracting the coronavirus.

The award-winning journalist was arrested on the 20th of July for inciting violence after he had persuaded the citizenry to participate in anti-corruption protests that were pencilled for the 31st.

Zimbabwean prisons are reportedly in bad shape and are also overcrowded making them very risky especially when the country is grappling with a pandemic.

The deadly virus has already breached the prison walls with both prisoners and prison officers to have contracted coronavirus.

Said the woman in a leaked audio…..

“The circumstances surrounding the death of my uncle are questionable…. but he was one of those guys sent to be at the forefront of the late Robert Mugabe’s coup. He reportedly is on record saying he knew that if the late Perrance Shiri had died, he was next, he would not live.

“A day after Shiri died, he confessed that he had been threatened at work. So when he said he was feeling cold, unfortunately his wife is late, he called the army doctor, he was advised that the doctor would tell him what to do. It is suspected that he was poisoned because he was reportedly coughing blood. Even his children were not allowed to get inside the hospital to see him let alone talk to him only to get a call that he was no more.

“We were told that he died of COVID-19 but no results were availed. They just rushed to bury him. It was like a movie. We dont even know if we buried him or we buried a chicken. An aunt pleaded with them to give her the PPEs so that at least someone from the family views the body, they refused, they were adamant. Not even body viewing.

“It is not only him who died such a mysterious death, there was also another colonel who died but his death was not announced. Something is going on, anything can happen anytime in this country.”

Watch the live video loading below….

Noxolo Maphosa, niece to Josphat Mzaca Ngulube, Bulawayo political activist who went missing on Friday morning was later dumped at her family home tortured and sexually assaulted.

See the video downloading below and pictures.

By A Correspondent- An official in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development said that health authorities are now adding the final improvements to ventilators produced by the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) so that they are ready for use.

Speaking during an interview with the state media on Friday, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Fanuel Tagwira said the ventilators have already been tested on animals.

He said:

The university made a prototype and tested it, they even tested the ventilators on animals.

Now HIT are working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care putting finishing touches to ensure the ventilators are safe for the intended purpose.

Some of the components are expensive because they are imported and they may affect the scale of production we are anticipating.

Some of these components include circuit boards, which we have the capacity to make, but we do not have the requisite machinery yet, we will work to ensure that the machinery is bought to allow for cheaper production in the long run.

In June this year, HIT Vice Chancellor Engineer Quinton Kanhukamwe told Parliament that their ventilators had passed requisite tests and that they met international standards.

A ventilator is a machine that helps pump oxygen into a critically ill patient’s body through a tube that goes in the mouth and down the windpipe.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- A three-week-old baby was among the latest six people who have succumbed to COVID-19 according to the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC).

The six deaths were announced by MoHCC in its daily updates on Friday, 7 August 2020 and this brought the cumulative number of deaths to 102 since the disease was reported in Zimbabwe in March this year. The Ministry of Health said in the statement:

Today we regret to report five deaths which were recorded from 3-5 August 2020 in the community and admission to casualty departments at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and other hospitals after investigations and postmortems were done.

These include two males and two females from Harare province and a baby aged three weeks from Matabeleland North province and had respiratory symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and the PCR results were positive for COVID-19.

On Friday, a total of 1 575 Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) screening tests and 961 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) diagnostic tests were done. The cumulative number of tests done date is 147 026 (77 923 RDT and 69 103 PCR).

To date, the total number of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 in Zimbabwe since 20 March 2020 is 4 451, 1345 recovered, 3 004 active cases and 102 deaths.

“We don’t believe that there is an alternative political formation in Zimbabwe which can address this crisis.”

Former ZANU PF top officials, Jonathan Moyo and Patrick Zhuwao have appealed to South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) to intervene to end ZANU PF’s factional fights as they believe that there is no other political party in Zimbabwe which can address the current crisis, hence the need to save ZANU PF from itself.

The duo wrote to the ANC of South Africa expressing their hearts out for the party they left in a huff when former President Robert Mugabe was kicked out in a military coup. They said they don’t believe that the main opposition MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa can be a solution.

“We don’t believe that there is an alternative political formation in Zimbabwe which can address this crisis,” they said.

The letter reads as follows:

We are requesting the ANC to positively and substantively intervene to help save the tradition, ethos and values of the liberation movement in Zimbabwe. We believe that the ANC faces a very high risk of having a rogue neighbour north of the Limpopo.

ZANU PF is no longer the liberation movement that it used to be. It is our considered view that the ANC, both as a sister liberation movement and as Africa’s oldest and most democratic liberation movement is best placed to serve Zimbabwe by saving its liberation movement.

It is instructive to note that when the military staged the November 2017 coup in Zimbabwe it presented seven demands to President Mugabe.

Out of the seven, six represented the interest of a ZANU PF faction linked to and supported by the military; and the other demand was about the tenure interests of the military commanders.

In effect, the military coup was about using the gun to dictate and entrench the interests of a ZANU PF faction. This remains the case in Zimbabwe today and explains why ZANU PF remains profoundly divided and why Zimbabwe remains mired in a crippling political and economic crisis with far-reaching implications for the country and its neighbours.

We don’t believe that there is an alternative political formation in Zimbabwe which can address this crisis. We are convinced that it is critically important to confront the elephant in the room which in our view is a liberation movement in Zimbabwe which is physically and hegemonically disintegrating.

In our assessment, while this disintegration is palpable, we believe it can be rescued, reversed and restored. More particularly we think the ANC can play a pivotal role in the rescue, reversal and restoration.

If this is in order, we avail ourselves to a process of engagement and discussion to pinpoint the threats and opportunities that are present.

For ease of reference, we attach herewith, a copy of the seven demands that defined the objectives of the November 2017 military coup in Zimbabwe whose consequences have been devastating on the liberation movement in the country.

Sincerely

Comrade Jonathan Moyo Former ZANU PF Politburo Member and Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development

and

Comrade Patrick Zhuwao Former ZANU PF Politburo Member and Minister of Labour, Public Service and Social Welfare

Kenyan professor PLO Lumumba has joined the many voices running the #ZimbabweanLivesMatter campaign talking to human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.

In a video that has gone viral, Lumumba appealed to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to constitute a government of national unity to rescue the country.

“When Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, Africa rejoiced because we had a chance to write the obituary of the regime of Ian Smith. I remember Julius Nyerere of Tanzania telling Robert Mugabe that he has inherited a gem and he should keep it as such lest Ian Smith looks back and laugh at us. Now the world hears such things as ZimbabweanLivesMatter it pains us. This is my appeal and i believe the appeal of many Africans to the administration of Emmerson Mnangagwa that the time has come to make true the promises of independence. Over 4 million Zimbabweans are living in the diaspora because the environment is hostile. This is the time to constitute a government of national unity. This is  the time to make Zimbabweans proud of their once happy nations. This is my appeal to you President Mnangagwa, ask yourself questions thy Africans are speaking to you via hashtags. The leadership of SADC move in and do what is right. The African Union should mediate the Zimbabwe situation. The AU and SADC should send people to fact find.”

Watch video downloading below.

Noxolo Maphosa, niece to Josphat Mzaca Ngulube, Bulawayo political activist who went missing on Friday morning was later dumped at her family home tortured and sexually assaulted.

See the video downloading below and pictures.

FOLLOWING another five deaths from Covid-19 reported yesterday, Zimbabwe’s death toll has passed the century mark to reach 102.

The two men and two women in Harare and a three-week-old baby in Matabeleland North all died between Monday and Wednesday in the casualty department of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals or other hospitals, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said last night, in the daily report.

The Covid-19 infections were discovered during investigations and post-mortems. All five had respiratory symptoms compatible with Covid-19.

The Health Ministry records all deaths where Covid-19 infection is confirmed as a death due to the disease unless there is a clear alternative, such a car crash, diabetes, asthma, cancer or hypertension. If a person has been infected with Covid-19, counted as recovered and then dies, the cause of death will be attributed to whatever did kill the patient later.

Just 56 new infections were confirmed yesterday, two being returning residents from South Africa and the other 54 being infected within Zimbabwe, 21 of them in Manicaland and 20 in Harare.

The total number of confirmed Zimbabwe infections is now 4 451 with 3 353 infected within Zimbabwean communities. Of these local infections Harare accounts for 1 412 with 55 deaths, Bulawayo for 1 044 and 23 deaths, Midlands for 283 and five deaths and Manicaland for 152 and seven deaths.

The number of recoveries continues to rise and is now 1 345 although some provinces, including Harare, have yet to see all recoveries enter the official statistics.

South Africa, the fifth most severely hit country in the world by number of confirmed cases, has now recorded 9 604 deaths from 538 184 confirmed cases, but with 387 316 recoveries.

The global total is now 716 083 deaths from 19 160 806 confirmed cases with 11 605 114 recoveries. However, compilers of statistics stress that while the death toll is reasonably accurate, the number of cases and recoveries is almost certainly understated as not all infections were ever confirmed.

MDC Alliance Deputy President Tendai Biti has claimed that incacerated duo of Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume were moved from Harare Remand prison to Chikurubi Maximum Prison before they are even tried or convicted.

Posting on Twitter, Biti said;

The regime has moved Hope and Jacob to Chikurubi Maximum They have not been tried nor convicted .Chikurubi is a vicious colonial relic that should have been shut down in 1980.Emmerson is vindictive malicious &cruel .Once a genocidiare always a genocidiare #ZimbabaweanLivesMatter.