TWO people, one of them a popular Shurugwi gold miner who made headlines in March after he hired thugs to torture his employee, died in a road accident along the Gweru-Mvuma Road.

Willard Mugadza popularly known as Dread Welly and Foster Machaya died on Tuesday after a Toyota Hilux double cab they were travelling in veered off the road and rolled several times just after the Gweru-Mvuma tollgate.

Mugadza made headlines in March when he hired thugs who tied his 24-year-old employee, Mr Fabian Mabhungu to a tree and severely tortured him for allegedly stealing 70g of gold worth US$3 400 at his Bred Farm mine.

Mr Mabhungu later died while admitted to Gweru General Hospital.

The vehicle had three people and Machaya was the driver.

The other passenger suffered injuries and is admitted to a hospital in Gweru.

Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko said the accident occurred at the 43km peg along Gweru-Mvuma road around 11PM on Tuesday.

“I can confirm the death of two people including the driver who died on the 43 km peg along Gweru-Mvuma road.

“Machaya allegedly lost control of the vehicle which veered off the road and overturned before landing on its roof. Mugadza and Machaya died on the spot. The second passenger escaped with some injuries and was admitted to a hospital in Gweru,” said Inspector Goko.

Meanwhile, our Gwanda correspondent reports that a haulage truck driver died after the vehicle’s horse collapsed on him while attempting to attend to a mechanical fault.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the incident which occurred on Monday in Bubi along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road.

He said Mr Leroy Nyakabawo (34) from Warren Park in Harare was driving a haulage truck when it developed a mechanical fault and he tilted the truck’s horse to check the problem and it collapsed, crushing him.

“I can confirm that we recorded a sudden death case which occurred at the 212 kilometre peg along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road in Bubi area. Leroy Nyakabawo was driving a haulage truck belonging to a South African based company when the vehicle developed a fault,” he said.

Chief Insp Ndebele said Mr Nyakabawo pulled off the road and tilted the truck horse to attend to the fault. He said the horse then collapsed and crushed Mr Nyakabawo and he died on the spot.

The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene. Mr Nyakabawo’s body was ferried to Beitbridge District Hospital mortuary.

— Chronicle

State Media

THE Government has hinted on enforcing a full-scale lockdown in Harare and Bulawayo as the number of people confirmed with the Covid-19 pandemic in the two cities continue to escalate.

In the past couple of days, the two cities have recorded 86 cases with Bulawayo having the bulk of the new cases at 81. To date Harare remains the epicenter of the pandemic in the country, with 250 cases while Bulawayo is second with 154 confirmed cases.

Posting on his Twitter account on Wednesday, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Mr Nick Mangwana said with the number of new cases in the two cities, if government considers more drastic measures to contain the pandemic a full-scale lockdown will only apply in the two cities.

“Harare has the vast majority of positive Covid-19 cases. Yesterday (Tuesday), Bulawayo recorded 30 of the 53 positive cases. If there is any scaling up of containment measures, a more surgical approach is better. It means full scale lockdown should only apply to Harare and Bulawayo,” wrote Mr Mangwana.

A couple of months ago, President Mnangagwa downscaled the national lockdown top level two thereby allowing the opening of industry and commerce. The President further declared that the lockdown will be extended indefinitely with fortnightly reviews being given to assess the achievements or lack of in government’s fight against the spread of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, according to the latest figures released by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, as of Wednesday the country recorded 98 new confirmed cases bringing the national total to 885.

“Ninety-eight cases tested positive for Covid-19 today (Wednesday). These include returnees from Botswana (28), South Africa (22), Swaziland (one) and 47 local cases who are all isolated.

“43 of the local cases are contacts of known confirmed cases, investigations are underway to establish the source of infection of the other four local cases. To date the total number of confirmed cases is 885, recovered 206, active 670 and nine deaths since the onset of the outbreak on 20 March 2020,” reads the update.

Bulawayo tops the number of positive cases that were recorded on Wednesday at 51.

Pindula

Zimbabweans have been urged to remove President Emmerson Mnangagwa on the 31st of July without fail as failure to do so would result in dire consequences.

An American pastor in the video below likens Mnangagwa to a serpent adding that he engages in underhand dealings which have contributed to the socio-economic crisis in the country.

He speaks ahead of a massive protest scheduled for the end of the month that was called by the opposition leader, Jacob Ngarivhume to mark the second anniversary of 2018 disputed election which President Mnangagwa’s opponents say was stolen by the ruling ZANU PF in connivance with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

Watch the video below for more. [Caution: Strong language]https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/REMOVE-ED-ON-31ST.mp4

Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Kazembe Kazembe yesterday warned that Government would not allow a situation where political parties put people’s lives at risk.

“We are observing Covid-19 regulations and if anyone breaks the law they will be arrested because we are still under lockdown. Life is more important than everything else, life is more critical than anything that one can think of.

The lockdown is to ensure that we minimise the spread of the virus, we need a collective effort from everyone, including those in the opposition because Covid-19 does not discriminate. We are aware of where the funding for the demonstrations is coming from and we will make sure that they will be exposed,” said Minister Kazembe.

In an interview with state media last night, Zanu PF Secretary for Commissariat Victor Matemadanda called upon the country’s security to be on the guard against elements who are determined to effect illegal regime change.

“There is a competition here between the purported human rights and the observance of the rule of law. This stage now, the so called human rights groups are encouraging the citizenry to break the law and I think also Zimbabweans should know that the supporters of those that are funding these demonstrations are worried by why Covid-19 has not killed people in Zimbabwe,” said Matemadanda.

Last month security forces foiled an attempt to roll out demonstrations in the city of Bulawayo claiming to be enforcing lockdown measures.

ZANU PF is set to hold a session of the Politburo tomorrow at the party headquarters in Harare.

In a statement today, Acting Secretary for Information and Publicity and party spokesperson, Patrick Chinamasa said: “The Secretary for Administration, Cde Dr OM Mpofu wishes to advise all members that there shall be a Politburo meeting to be held on Friday 10 July 2020 at the party headquarters commencing 1000hrs.”

All members are expected to be seated by 0945hours.

The agenda of the meeting could not be immediately established though the party sits on the background of economic collapse and widespread discontent amongst party heavyweights on Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya.

State Media

Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu, has warned Chinese owned mines and firms operating in Chegutu rural to desist from violating the country’s environmental laws.

Minister Ndlovu issued the warning after witnessing environmental degradation caused by four Chinese companies that are involved chrome mining, quarry extracting, tile making and brick moulding during a tour of their operation in Chegutu district yesterday.

He was accompanied by Mashonaland West State Minister, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, Norton and Mhondoro-Ngezi legislatures, Temba Mliswa and Tawengwa Mukhuhlani respectively, and some officials from Environmental Management Agency (EMA).

Minister Ndlovu said the Government was not going to fold hands and watch companies violating the environment.

He said the companies were supposed to conform with laws particularly Section 73 of the constitution, which provides for the Government to safeguard the environment.

“My visit to these sites has been necessitated by the need to see the impacts the companies have done after having been invited by the Member of Parliament,” he said.

“I visited an area where Afro-Shin is mining sand and the company has very low compliance. As Government we are fully behind the investments but we are also cognisant of the constitutional expectation of providing a cleaner and safer environment and empower EMA to discharge its duties. Our President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) is clear on the need for law abiding citizens and corporates.”

He said companies that violate environmental laws were supposed to be fined and made to address their issues.

Speaking during the tour of sites, Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said although the province was happy with the investments as they were bringing employment to members of the community and improving the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the province and the nation it was not going to be at the expense of the environment and the nation.

She challenged the companies to toe the line and adhere to the country’s laws and statutes. Sunn Yi Feng, which produces ceramic tiles and kitchenware, is said to be polluting air through burning of waste on site and extracting sand from illegal sites.

The company has also been failing to manage the disposal of its effluent and solid waste forcing representatives of Norton Ward 2 residents to petition to Minister Ndlovu during his visit to the company.

Acting chief executive for Chegutu Rural District Council, Mr Godfrey Machingura said they had issued the company several warnings without any success.

The company’s representative, Willian Gong denied violating the environment saying they were employing best skills and practices that they use in China.

EMA’s provincial head, Rwambayi Mapako advised Afro-Shin mining manager, Laston Mlauzi to ensure that his company erects a perimeter fence around its open cast mining activities.

Own Correspondent

Jealousy Mawarire, spokesperson for the National Patriotic Front who also at one time emerged as ousted former President Robert Mugabe’s spokesperson claims that the citizens demonstration being planned for July 31 will not be a success claiming that such demonstrations should never be planned but be spontaneous.

He claimed that Zimbabweans are only just being used by the political elite, again the demonstration was probably a creation of the ruling ZANU PF to buy time.

The demonstration has however been endorsed by other opposition parties and leaders including Nelson Chamisa the leader of opposition MDC Alliance, Temba Mliswa (independent legislator for Norton) and ousted former ZANU PF youth political commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu.

Mawarire tweeted:

The food riots in 1998 were not planned centrally & the regime wasn’t notified, people just took to the streets in their localities, in Mabvuku, Kuwadzana, Highfield, Makokoba, Sizinda, Nkulumane etc & those in the CBD did likewise. Right now the greatest fear within the regime

Are spontaneous demonstrations which would result in them failing to control activities like what happened when Beitbridge went up in smoke. To counter that they’re using some elites to organise a central demo on a faraway date, buying time. #Murikuitiswa.

Let those calling for July 31 instruct people not to wait for July 31 & erupt in their localities and see the reaction of the junta. The junta wants a July 31 facade it can control. Honestly if u r hungry, do u wait for 31 days to do something about your hunger?

Own Correspondent

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba has told workers unions to stop worrying about how much soldiers are paid as they do not fall under any union.

His sentiments come after unions complained at the three times more percentage than other goverment workers.

Charamba further claimed that the demonstration against the economic collapse set for July 31 will not take place at all.

We present his full twitter thread below.

STATING FACTS, EXPOSING DECORATED LIES:

Government decided to give Civil Servants a Covid-19-related hardship allowance which is in two parts: a flat allowance of USD75 across all grades; 50% rise for every civil servant based on his/her salary level. An false impression is being created by union leaders, helped by certain unthinking sections of the media that Government awarded all civil servants a flat increase of $1200!! How does the alleged $1200 flat review mathematically become 50% of my current salary??One has to be very gullible to swallow such bald lies.

Secondly. This two-tier award by Govt was an act of compassion, not an outcome of collective bargaining which is ongoing and can only mean higher, better, income benefits for Civil Servants. Why are so-called union leaders stampeding to a benefit for whose attainment they never shed a bead of sweat through their collective bargaining prowess. As Civil Servants, we wait to see what it is they will successfully bring for us, after their efforts, we presume to be sterling!!

Thirdly, when the compassionate offer was announced, these farsighted union leaders’ reflex was to reject it. Today they not only welcome it, but also seek to instruct Government on how Government should spread its compassion across services, including those services whose members are not their wards as unions. What crass thinking.

Fourth and last, all members of the uniformed and security services are not unionised. In fact only the South African law in the whole of our region allow uniformed services to be unionised. Concerns of Security Services come to Govt through their command chain.

Members of the Security Services are not part of collective bargaining process, or any unions which today bicker. This owes to their unique services and exemptions at law. How do our indefatigable union leaders concern themselves with developments around non-members, as if there is any clause collective bargaining process which says unions are only allowed a percentage lower or higher than what is available to Security Services? What has the North got to do with the South?

Then you have this insane attempt to link awards to the Security Services to the dead-in-the-water attempted uprising by some opposition interests. Simple law of causality will show the compassionate offer was made well before the ill-fated and divided opposition jerked their knee for the ill-thought, ill-advised demonstrations which will not take place.

Needless to none sensible can read cause-and-effect there, however outlandish one’s reasoning may be. Or to de-link Covid-19 which reached our shores several months ago, and the cushioning act by Government. Conversely, to futilely link Covid-19, Compassion and the never-never opposition demonstrations which will not take place, which cannot take place!!

This is one case where the reasoning behind such spurious linkages only reveals how beholden to opposition politics these few and effete union leaders are. And once that link is shown – and they seem to do… damndest to do so – Government will have no business engaging an opposition on collective bargaining for wages, without the incongruity of it all showing!!

Opposition seeks power; unions seek better working conditions for their members. The two vectors do not meet, let alone travel in some general direction. Such unions will have de-legitimized themselves, as indeed they seem so furiously intent on doing. Tati tiyambirane nekudzidzisana pachiri pedo!!!!

Farai Dziva|The Panicky Zanu PF administration is planning to use the Covid-19 scourge to thwart the July 31 protests, it has emerged.

A senior government official has subtly confirmed that the cornered regime wants to use the current lockdown to close democratic space.

Advocate Nelson Chamisa and Temba Mliswa have endorsed the demonstrations.

Posting on twitter Nick Mangwana said:

Harare has the vast majority of Covid-19 cases. Yesterday (Tuesday), Bulawayo recorded 30 of the 53 positive cases. If there is any scaling up of containment measures, a more surgical approach is better.

It means full-scale lockdown should only apply to Harare and Bulawayo.”

The economic sustainability of cross-border feeder towns to neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe has taken a massive beating during the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown.

In Musina, which is located about 15km from the Beitbridge border gate that separates Zimbabwe and South Africa, shop owners say the lockdown has practically destroyed their businesses.

“We are struggling because business is bad right now because of the coronavirus. Most of our customers from Zimbabwe are not able to come and buy anymore, so we lose half of the customers,” said Rana Masut, who owns a shop in the small town of Musina.

He said that, in the past three months, his income had dropped from roughly R6 000 per day to about R1 000 on a good day, due to the closure of international borders as a result of Covid-19.

Musina has agriculture, tourism and game farming as its major economic strengths.

Some Zimbabwean migrant workers in these industries are the sole breadwinners for their families but, since the start of the lockdown, transporting food back home has been a challenge.

“We don’t know when they are going to open the borders but the situation right now is very challenging because we cannot send any food back home. Our relatives in Zimbabwe are suffering,” said a Zimbabwean truck driver City Press spoke to by the border gate.

With no prospects of jobs, young people such as 22-year-old Webster Mdlongwa, who works as a shop assistant in one of the small retail shops in Musina, said that, before the lockdown business was booming because Zimbabweans bought most of their goods in South Africa.

Food, groceries, winter blankets and clothing were the most sought after items, he said.

“They buy everything here in Musina, so you can imagine what the lockdown has done. I might be unemployed again if the lockdown continues, after struggling to find a job since I matriculated three years ago,” said Mdlongwa, who lives in Phase 3 in Musina.

He said that he had also tried to look for a job in Polokwane, which is about two hours away from his home, but he had no luck.

Another shop owner, Shohel Rana, said that, without their Zimbabwean customers, their businesses were as good as dead.

“Most of our customers come from Zimbabwe and Zambia so we cannot survive without them, otherwise we close the shop and move on,” said Rana.

“You can see for yourself that we have stock, but we do not have customers, so I don’t know how I am going to pay rent this month.

“This lockdown has been the worst for my business, and I might have to think about closing down if things do not change,” Rana explained.

Another businessman, Hermanus Schoeman, who owns the oldest security business in the town and is also the owner and founder of Limpopo Safaris, said the economic effects of the lockdown had crippled the local economy.

“You must understand that 50% of the local buying market is from Zimbabwe and the other half is generated from agricultural produce and tourism, particularly from the game hunting industry.

“As I speak to you right now, I have lost bookings worth R20 million from international tourists who want to come and hunt game here,” said Schoeman.

-City Press

HARARE – Planned anti-government protests on July 31 have spread panic in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government which is contemplating re-introducing a tough lockdown in Harare and Bulawayo to stop all gatherings, according to Zimlive.

A minister also bizarrely claimed on Wednesday that Mnangagwa’s rivals had devised a “mechanism of spreading coronavirus” during the protests, which involves using tear smoke cannisters similar to those used by police.

Deputy defence minister Victor Matemadanda, speaking at a news conference, accused the opposition of receiving funds from western embassies to foment chaos.

“We know they (opposition) have been given more than US$300,000 to sustain the demonstration but obviously they are being encouraged to break the law against Covid-19,” Matemadanda said.

“They think that there’s going to be firing of teargas and we are reliably informed that they also have some cannisters containing Covid-19 active material. They hope to spread Covid to Zimbabweans. We are reliably informed that they have a mechanism of spreading coronavirus which has been brought in by those who are funding this.”

He did not explain why the opposition would deliberately and indiscriminately spread the virus, with the risk of harming its own supporters.

Mnangagwa’s regime is also planning to reintroduce a hard lockdown, which would prevent opposition supporters from gathering. Government spokesman Ndavaningi Mangwana claimed, however, the lockdown would be in response to rising coronavirus infections in the two major cities.

“Harare has the vast majority of Covid-19 cases. Yesterday (Tuesday), Bulawayo recorded 30 of the 53 positive cases. If there is any scaling up of containment measures, a more surgical approach is better. It means full scale lockdown should only apply to Harare and Bulawayo,” Mangwana wrote on Twitter.

Zimbabwe first introduced a national lockdown on March 30 to contain the spread of the virus, but this has been eased and most businesses have been allowed to re-open. Cases have spiked, however. On Wednesday, the ministry of health reported 98 new coronavirus cases – the highest daily increase to date. Of that number, 47 were local transmissions. Zimbabwe now has 885 cases.

Zimbabweans have been mobilising online for the planned protests under the hashtags #ZanuPFMustGo and #July31. Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume first called for the demonstrations to mark the second anniversary of a disputed election which Mnangagwa’s rivals say he stole.

Main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa said his MDC Alliance party would support the demonstrations, but fears about that Mnangagwa will use the army and police to crush the protests as he has twice done in August 2018 and January 2019 with over two dozen people losing their lives.

Zimlive

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa on Wednesday had a torrid time trying to calm hundreds of MDC Alliance members from attacking MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe, Lovemore Madhuku and other political rivals who had travelled for his mother’s funeral in Gutu.

Chamisa was initially hurriedly called in to protect Khupe who was being blocked by angry MDC Alliance supporters from attending entering the village altogether.

Khupe was eventually allowed to join the tense proceedings.

Madhuku, who Chamisa had invited to greet the crowd had to cut his speech very short as MDC Alliance supporters demanded him to address Chamisa as President.

“Madhuku has a legal and political history, he is here with us to mourn Gogo Chamisa, some of us hold no grudges,” Chamisa said of a politician and lawyer who helped party rival Khupe win a court challenge against the opposition leader’s legitimacy.

Chamisa urged tolerance.

“Madhuku has his own history. Yes, we disagree politically, but we agree with him on many issues about this country.

“What he has done to come and coming as far as Harare to mourn with us should be respected.

“To appreciate that, I say Prof Madhuku, thank you for coming to mourn my mother, we want citizens that live in peace and love.

“We must build this country after forgiveness.

“You are here to mourn my mother who has departed, I have never seen thousands of villagers gathering here for someone who is not in politics, a vegetable vendor like my late mother.”

Chamisa added, “We came here out of love and we must leave after the burial in love, no one has been forced to come.

“No one should be denied a chance to mourn the dear departed, even if there are issues that hurt you, issues that are happening that you don’t agree with.

“Even if it was my brother, the one I contest in elections, you know him (Mnangagwa), you have to be patient because this is a funeral.

“We are not here to be divided along political lines. This is not an MDC or Zanu PF rally, this is Gogo Chamisa’s funeral.

“This is a funeral and death is a unifier, those who have high blood pressure, let it go lower in the name of Jesus.”

Chamisa appealed with followers to “remember this is a funeral which knows no boundary”.

“Death knows no MDC or Zanu PF member,” he said.

The number of coronavirus cases in Zimbabwe today rocketed to 885 after a record 98 people tested positive.

Fifty-one were returning residents with 28 from Botswana, 22 from South Africa and one from Eswatini (Swaziland) while 47 were local transmissions.

Five people from Matebeleland North recovered raising the figure to 206.

Zimbabwe now has 670 active cases after testing 82 077 people.

Deputy Health Minister John Mangwiro said the spike in the number of cases in recent weeks was a sign that people were mixing instead of staying at home.

“It’s a sign that people who are coming from outside especially from South Africa, people are mixing rather than keeping each other safe, we really need to take more care, need to really emphasise on our safety,” Dr Mangwiro said.

Nine people have died of the virus so far.

Zesa has fired eight top managers, demoted two and suspended three while the other is serving three months’ notice pending dismissal over malpractices picked up in the forensic audit published last year.

A number of other managers are set to be transferred to posts in other provinces.

Those that have been fired are Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) operations director Engineer John Chirikutsi, ZPC finance director Mr Hubert Chiwara, ZETDC managing director Engineer Julian Chinembiri, ZETDC finance director Thokozani Dhliwayo, Zesa Enterprises (Zent) managing director Mr Tererai Mutasa, plus two Zent managers identified as Tichivangana and Dafana.

ZPC general manager Mr Washington Mareya has been given three months notice.

Suspended are Zesa head corporate services Mr Rufaro Pasipanodya, Zesa public relations manager Mr Fullard Gwasira and Mr Obson Matunja from the audit department, all suspended pending investigations into possible personal use of Zesa vehicles or a potential fuel coupon scam involving $18 000.

Others suspended last week include section engineer metering Engineer Leonard Chitsina, and Mr Freeman Chikonzo, senior manager Information and Technology pending investigations on a potential fraud involving a local electrical company.

More bosses could be fired once other disciplinary hearings have been concluded while several survivors are said to have been “strongly warned”.

The massive layoffs exercise across the company’s top management layer, executed last Thursday is part of efforts by Zesa Holdings executive chairman Sydney Gata to clean up Zesa’s governance structures compromised in the last few years.

Most executives were fired or suspended or demoted over accusations of alarming financial misdeeds with all fingered in either shoddy deals or ineptitude or following some recommendations of a forensic audit into the operations Zesa and its subsidiaries, conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) which called for disciplinary action against managers suspected to have milked the power utility millions of dollars
and misuse of resources such as fuel.

The shakeup comes at a time when the power utility has been under severe scrutiny from the government, the sole shareholder in the company.

The company has been reeling under heavy losses for years.

The PwC audit unearthed startling accounts of corruption, multi-million dollar tender irregularities, the collapse of governance systems among other transgressions.

It was a bombshell development.

It is understood that prior to officially announcing the changes on Friday at Zesa Training Centre, Gata dispatched the dismissal, suspension and demotion letters to those affected on Thursday.

He then called for a staff meeting at the company’s training centre where he officially announced the dismissals, suspensions and demotions.

Insiders said there is anxiety at the power utility as workers feel Gatais not done yet.

Gata’s focus since his appointment has been to re-organise the top leadership structure of the power utility to remove redundancies, transform Zesa into a vibrant entity by amalgamating Zesa’s four units—ZETDC, Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), Powertel and ZENT—into one integrated company in a bid to cut costs, weed out corruption and bad management and boost power generation and reduce inefficiencies at the State-owned entity.

Zimbabwe’s auditor-general, Mildred Chiri, is set to be removed from the Special Procurement Oversight Committee (SPOC) due to her conflict of interest.

The autonomy of auditors in the performance of their professional duties has always been considered a cornerstone of the profession.

Auditors should submit independent opinions.

In this respect, Chiri’s presence in SPOC, gives rise to a conflict of interest since she would come back and audit the books of procuring State entities which use public funds, a situation which calls for transparency to ensure that the government gets the best terms and value for money.

It also reduces corruption.

Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) CEO Nyasha
Chizu said the authority was working on amending the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act to close some gaps especially in the Special Procurement Oversight Committee, in which the auditor-general is part of.

“There is a proposal to remove her because of conflict of interest,” Chizu said.

Under part X111 of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, contracts could be scrutinised by SPOC which shall report to the minister and PRAZ.

The chair of the SPOC is the Attorney general’s office, deputised by the Accountant General.

The Auditor General and the principal director at Public Works are part of the committee.

The Committee will ensure monitoring, evaluation, and professionalism of the decentralised procurement which is now taking place in the procurement Management Unit within the independent enterprises.

Procurement is a strategic tool in public services delivery hence the need to
professionalise and modernise the process.

“Regulations for professionalisation of practitioners are not yet out.
Once out, we will regulate,” Chizu said, adding that the authority is proposing the transitional period by one year meant to ensure that systems
are put in place.

The magnitude of government expenditure is between 20% and 25% of
the 2020 National Budget, which is currently at about ZWL$60bn.

The new Act abolished the State Procurement Board which was the supervisor, responsible for making procurement decisions.

And it created PRAZ, which is no longer involved in the adjudication and awarding of tenders like before.

The award of tenders is now being done by accounting officers in various state departments and companies, with the authority, only playing a supervisory and monitoring role to ensure government entities comply
with the new Act and other set standards.

Public sectors are supposed to establish procurement management units which are supposed to be manned by licensed professional procurement officers in the terms of the Public Procurement and Public Disposal Act [chapter 22:23].

However, the progress on the implementation of the legislation had been lagging with some public services turning a blind eye on the employment of the Act.

Reluctance in the adoption of the act can be caused by the inability to accept responsibilities.

Business Times

An attempt to arrest MDC President Nelson Chamisa which began around the 4th May 2020, has been unmasked.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

https://youtu.be/zmEuIWwuaB0

FOUR police officers yesterday appeared in court for allegedly stealing firearms from the National Armaments at Morris Depot.

Liberty Musindo (36), Innocent Dube (44), Davison Makaza (25) and Tawabarira Marowa (34) were charged with theft when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko.

They were freed on $3 000 bail each and ordered to report every Friday at their nearest police stations and to continue residing at their given addresses.

The court heard that on an unknown date to the State during the period extending from April to June 19, 2020, Musindo who is stationed at the national armaments connived with Dube and Marowa who are also police officers and also in the company of three others namely, Charles Mabhiza, Nhawu Jongwe and Wellington Nata who have since appeared in court for stealing firearms from the National Armaments.

It is the State’s case that the syndicate on different occasions stole firearms from their workplace.

The court heard that Makaza would receive the stolen firearms secretly, take them into the workshop at his workplace where he would alter the original serial numbers of the stolen firearms and replace them with fictitious serial numbers in order to disguise the origin of the firearms before returning them to Dube and Marowa.

It is alleged that Dube and Marowa would then collect the stolen firearms with erased serial numbers from Makaza and source for potential buyers and share the proceeds.

It is the State’s case that on June 19 the officer-in-charge national armaments, Chief Inspector Madenyika, discovered that some pistols were missing from the armoury and carried out a stocktake during which he discovered that four CZ pistols including, a Tokarev pistol inscribed ZRP 096, were missing.

The court heard that investigations were carried out leading to the arrest of Mabhiza and subsequent recovery of two CZ pistols.

It is alleged that further investigations led to the arrest of the other three accused persons.
The total value of the guns stolen was US$5 000- The Herald

By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo woman dumped her abusive “husband” who was constantly harassing her and at the same time refusing to pay lobola for her claiming she was worthless and useless during their 10-year cohabitation which was also blessed with two children aged five and nine.

After being incensed by his abusive behaviour and reluctance to take their relationship to the next level Patience Mangena (31) filed a protection order against Rodger Mthethwa (55), a teacher based in Swaziland.

In her application in which she labelled Mthethwa a drunkard, womaniser, violent and oppressive man Mangena who is also a teacher in Bulawayo said she was no longer interested in him adding that she was now focused on raising their two children.

She claimed she was living on borrowed time after Mthethwa threatened to kill her if ever she dumped him.

“I am a woman aged 31 and have been in a relationship for 12 years with Rodger Mthethwa aged 55 years. We have two children together aged nine and five. We don’t stay together and he refused to pay lobola saying I am valueless and useless. He is staying with his wife and I am staying with my two children.

“I am doing everything by myself and he has been forcing me to commit to the relationship by threatening me saying that he will kill me and escape to Swaziland if ever I try to end the relationship. Life with him has been difficult because he is a drunkard, womaniser, oppressive and abusive. He has been verbally, emotionally and physically abusing me. I reported him to the police several times but nothing happened to him,” complained Mangena.

She said Mthethwa was forcibly taking her money to pursue other businesses with his wife.

“He never allowed me to engage in business and surprisingly he is demanding all the money that I am raising from selling cakes and Tupperware using it to build his homestead in Nyamandlovu. He also took my money and bought bricks to develop a residential stand that is in his wife’s name,” said Mangena.

She added: “I told him that I am no longer interested in him but he is still coming to my place and even at night trying to break down the doors. I am really scared because he will end up killing me and as a result, I want a protection order to be granted against him so that he stops stalking and abusing me”.

Responding to whether or not he had a problem with the granting of the protection order, Mthethwa told the court that Mangena was still his wife because he paid for her education.

“I am not opposed to her application but it should be clear that she is my wife. I don’t mind even if the order is granted in her favour but I was about to go and pay lobola for her,” said Mthethwa.

He also labelled his estranged “wife” a liar.

“My wife is a liar. She claims that we never stayed together but this is due to work commitments than anything else. I never missed coming home on any school holiday. By calling me her boyfriend I wonder if she is acknowledging that she now has a boyfriend when our marriage is still subsisting.

“My wife also describes me as oppressive, suppressive and a dictator when I actually sponsored her education from Ordinary Level to college and she is now a teacher. Education is enlightenment, not oppression and how could she have attended these educational institutions when she is not allowed to step outside the gate,” argued Mthethwa.

Presiding magistrate Tinashe Tashaya, however, ordered Mthethwa to observe Mangena’s peace by not verbally, emotionally and physically abusing her and visiting her place as well as communicating with her in any way.

The MDC Alliance has castigated the persecution and harassment of youth assembly national organising secretary and ward 4, Masvingo Urban councillor, Godfrey Kurauone.

Watch video below :

*People of Zimbabwe*, We have been subjected to abject poverty due to numerous challenges that we have faced as a nation.

These have ranged from rampant corruption to maladministration, causing much suffering to the average Zimbabwean. 

Be that as it may, even the Civil Service has been left in a dilemma and there has been a lot of outcry from different sectors. It is in this moment that the people have come together in solidarity and decided to stage a demonstration which has been scheduled for the 31st of July 2020. 

My leaders, let me take you back to what happened in August 2018. People got shot, people were battered, people were imprisoned and some were treated in an inhumane way.

To which end did the demo assist us with? Let me take you to the recent alleged abduction of the MDC-A trio, after alleging that they had been  abducted, they were arrested and had to spend nights in remand prison all because of a  “demo.” 

My fellow leaders we all know that a lot of these “so called demonstrations” have happened and they achieved nothing, all we got was property vandalism and ill treatment from the security forces.

Those who called for the Demonstrations were not there. Those who got shot have permanent scars and no one compensated them. Is this what we want to continue with? 

What if we stood up as citizens and pressured our own leaders to negotiate better deals for us when they are in government, in Parliament or in whichever office they hold so that we can have better livelihoods.

What if we stopped politics of hate speech and violence? I believe we are being used in a fight that doesn’t represent us. 

Let us be productive, let us lead our people in a way that won’t put blemish on our collars. Last but not least let me say, We believe that each individual has a right and free will to do as they please within the stipulations of the law, we believe citizens of Zimbabwe will do what is right on the 31st of July 2020.

#TogetherWeCan make Zimbabwe great again 

I Thank you

Henry Ngara*LEAD SG*

Gogo Chamisa – An entrepreneur, a workhorse!

By President Adv Nelson Chamisa

Our mothers are our heroines, greatest supporters and guiding lights.

They stand by us through thick and thin – never giving up, always believing, leading the way and lighting our path. When we lose our way, they gently guide us back, lifting us in prayer and believing that our best is yet to come. Gogo Chamisa was one such heroine.

Born on the 25th of June 1954,

Gogo Chamisa
a humble princess of the Masarire Chieftainship in Bikita of Masvingo, was one of nine children.

She was a hardworking, entrepreneurial and multi-talented woman.

She was a strong believer in education as a catalyst for social mobility, dedicating herself to educating her 6 children, two girls and four boys, together with her husband. She was a staunch champion of equality, toiling hard to empower the girl child even when it was not fashionable to do so.

Gogo Chamisa was a philanthropist and a champion of community engagement, always extending a helping hand to the vulnerable around her.

A florist with a passion for ornamental gardening and a strict enforcer of cleanliness, Gogo Chamisa leaves behind a community transformed by her presence. The Chamisa homestead, popularly known as KwaMai Neri, is known for its exceptional market garden and the highly sought after chickens Gogo Chamisa sold.

Most importantly Gogo Chamisa was a prayer warrior, pillar of faith and a leader in the church. She was lovingly known as Mai Mfundisi and served as a faithful leader in the Women’s Fellowship.

Sadly, she was called to be with the Lord barely a fortnight after her 66th birthday, taking with her to eternity, the guidance and covering only a mother can provide.

Her children will always remember the values she emphasised including respect, discipline, integrity, industry and the dignity of hard work. Her teachings will remain among the living, forever guiding us along the right path until we too return to dust.

Gogo Chamisa, collapsed and died as she tended to her beloved garden. It was in this seemingly ordinary moment that the Lord decided to call this brave and courageous woman home.

Although she will no longer be with us here on earth, may the seeds of her earthly labour continue to bear fruit in all who had the privilege to know her.

Rest in power Mai Mfundisi, Mai Neri!!!

By Wilbert Mukori- Dear Leonard Koni

“Zimbabwe is a like a soldier marking time and not going anywhere,” you wrote in a local publication.

“Our government has been so dysfunctional for a very long time, but the majority of the people feel in the air the winds of change blowing in from all four corners of the country.”

You are right, Zimbabwe has indeed been “marking time (40 years to be precise) and not going anywhere”!

“Insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,” said the great Physicist Albert Einstein.

We have been participating in rigged elections for 40 years, 40 bloody years, and every time we have expected a different result, expected Zanu PF to lose. If that does not speak volumes of the insanity in our country then nothing else will!

The tragedy about insanity is the insane rarely ever have the intellectual sober moment to comprehend their serious mental limitations, especially when years of making the same foolish mistakes has become the norm.

It is common for the insane can even consider themselves wiser than King Solomon! “Hupenzi inyama yengakava!” (The insane are stubbornly insane!) as one would say in Shona.

“This is the right time for people who have suffered under the leadership of this regime to rally behind enterprising politician Jacob Ngarivhume who has set the pace and taken it upon himself to lead the struggle,” you argued.

“The joining of Nelson Chamisa of MDC-Alliance, Dr Noah Manyika from Build Zimbabwe and Nkosana Moyo of APA to join the masses is a welcome move.”

These four gentlemen, you are arguing the nation to rally behind, are quintessential examples of the “insane being stubbornly insane”! Nelson Chamisa and his MDC colleagues stubbornly refused to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections during the 2008 to 2013 GNU.

The four named gentlemen plus hundreds of other opposition candidates, there were 23 presidential candidates alone, participated in the July 2018 elections although it was clear Zanu PF was rigging the elections. By participation gave credibility to the flawed electoral process which in turn gave some modicum of legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF regime.

“We want political reforms and these reforms must have people’s consultation. We want credible elections in this country. We don’t want a repeat of the past,” announced Nelson Chamisa in his hour-long e-rally.

“So, there are no 2023 elections without reforms. We have the capacity to say there are no elections, and they will not be held because we are the people. We want elections with comprehensive electoral and political reforms.”

Chamisa was just saying that to fool people into believing the penny has finally dropped, he now fully appreciates the futility of participating in these flawed and illegal elections. He has made similar undertakings in the past only to discard them. He will do so again.

Ever since the embarrassment of having to share power with MDC during the 2008 GNU, Zanu PF leaders have learned they can continue rigging the elections as long as the party allows the opposition to win a few gravy train seat. The opposition’s participation has been the façade that Zimbabwe is a healthy multiparty democracy and therefore does not need another GNU.

Just before the 2023 elections, Zanu PF will probably amend the constitution to create Leader of Opposition and Shadow cabinet; the holders will be entitled to ministerial limos, generous salaries, etc., etc. Just to spice up the opposition bait! Zanu PF knows it does not need to implement even one reform to be guaranteed of the opposition’s full house participation in the 2023 elections. Chamisa will join in the scramble for the gravy train scraps.

“MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging elections!” was Chamisa’s feeble excuse for participating in the 2018 elections. Rest assured he will come up with yet another feeble excuse for participating in the 2023 elections with no reforms!

“The people are ready from 31st July 2020 to occupy the streets in all major cities and towns. Workers are planning to stop work except hospitals. Diaspora must also play a role and occupy embassies,” you argued.

“Let the 31st of July 2020 be the start of a journey and mark the beginning of peace and prosperity to progressive Zimbabweans. Together we can.”

A rousing clarion call indeed but all to no purpose. One look at what you want the nation to join the street protests for; shows this is just another exercise in futility!

“The current government lacks the inclusiveness of other progressive ideas. It does not even attempt to engage the opposition and always suspect it as the greatest impediment to its policies.”

In November 2017 Zimbabweans were on the street celebrating the removal one dictator but only to replace him with another dictator. Now you want to remove this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship but only to replace it with the equally corrupt and incompetent MDC regime. The same MDC leaders whose breath-taking incompetence costed the nation many golden opportunities to end the dictatorship. Of course, this is just marking time and going nowhere. How anyone can view that as making progress, beggars belief!

By A Correspondent- The government has released vehicle registration and licencing fees in a government gazette that was published today.

The SI shows some of the items on the list which are pegged in ZWL but vehicle registration is pegged in USD.

The government also increased toll gate fees today in a similar SI that will see light motor vehicles paying $45 per vehicle on all tailgates countrywide.

WATCH THE LIVE VIDEO LOADING BELOW……

AN atmosphere of relief engulfed the Dube family and the Nkulumane 5 community when a well wisher stepped in and covered funeral costs for the late Mr Armando Dube who succumbed to a combination of illnesses on Monday morning.

Mr Dube died at his home after having breathing complications on Sunday night.

His widow, Mrs Thukhe Dube was unable to assist the situation due to financial incapacitation. This saw the Zivhu Foundation coming to the rescue and paid R5000 that was needed to cover the funeral expenses and give Mr Dube a dignified sent off.

Speaking to Gogo Dube at her home on Wednesday morning, Mr Killer Zivhu the founder of the Zivhu foundation said he saw the family’s plight when he read an online story carried by this publication on Sunday.

“I read the story in the Sunday News and I decided to bring in adult diapers which i thought would help Khulu Dube but as I was coming to Bulawayo with the diapers, I heard that he had died and I decided to proceed and assist as I had also been informed that the family was without any financial assistance,” he said.

“I have paid for the coffin and other needs from the funeral parlor. As Zimbabweans we need to assist each other, I thank God that I was put in the right position at the right time and now we can bury Khulu.

I urge people who live in communities with vulnerable aged people to help each other, treat every woman as your mother or granny, same applies to the men, treat them as your own father or grandfather. I am grateful for the support that the Nkulumane community has rendered to the family. They have been coming and helping and standing with Gogo Dube,” he said.

“I am also grateful to journalists who expose such stories, this is what the people need to hear so that they get assistance,” he added.

Mr Zivhu pledged to assist gogo Dube with other needs. He said he would bring in groceries from time to time.

Gogo Dube who was grief stricken shed tears after she was informed that the funeral expenses have been cleared and it would enable her to give her husband a befitting send off.

Neighbours to the family said they were grateful for the kind gesture that had been extended to the family saying as a community they had lost hope on what to do as they had limited funds.

The community has provisionally set aside the burial of Khulu Dube to tomorrow at Athlone Cemetery.

Norton independent legislature Temba Mliswa has endorsed the 31 July demonstration against corruption saying it resonates with he has been pushing for in parliament though he castigated citizens for being passive and reluctant to stand up against such excesses.

Posting on Twitter the firebrand politician hailed the protest as a good initiative as corruption was destroying the country.

Structural works on the imposing six-storey Parliament Building in Mount Hampden sitting on a 70-metre platform above the scenic surrounding area, symbolically projecting legislative supremacy, are 100 percent complete, save for finishing internal and external undertakings.

Speaking on the side-lines of an Appreciation Tour of the New Parliament Building by Service Chiefs yesterday, Ministry of Local Government and Public Works acting Permanent Secretary Mr Christopher Shumba said: “The final details are with the engineers, but we are happy that we are ahead of schedule. As you can see the tour indicates that we are almost through.

“The opening, however, is going to be delayed a bit because of Covid-19. The number of people working here has also been reduced, so that is our main worry. It becomes a bit difficult for us to give you the actual opening day.”

Engineer Henry Hungwe, who is the acting chief director for Public Works in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works weighed in:

“No more structural works will be undertaken, therefore, the super-structure is now 100 percent complete. What is only left are internal and external finishing endeavours to enhance the beauty of the structure and make it usable. Such works to do with electricity, water supplies, air conditioning and all that which makes habitation comfortable, are what they are working on now.

On the work currently in progress he revealed that, although “little work” is going on “there are about 80 Chinese workmen who are plastering, doing the wiring for electricity, and some air-conditioning works from the top coming down.”

“Because of Covid-19, we are off-programme by about three months, but we were expecting the building to be done by April 2021. If the number of workmen is increased, they might be able to catch up. Locals are expected to be engaged by the end of this month; and a team that will be bringing in the fittings from China is also expected by then,” he added.

Zimbabwe Republic Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga appreciated the progress thus far, adding that they will advance their recommendations in due course.

“One behalf of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, I would like to thank the Minister of Local Government and Public Works for inviting us to see the developments taking place at this New Parliament Building.

“We are going to sit with other stakeholders, and come up with specific recommendations as far as security arrangements for this New Parliament Building are concerned. For now it is very important for us to ensure that we situate our police station inside the building itself, at the convenience of the contractor of course.

“But for now we appreciate it so much. . . I hope we are going to be invited once more to make sure that we make some final checks and recommendations to the building.”

Also in attendance were Director- General of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) Ambassador Isaac Moyo, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) Commissioner-General Retired Major-General Paradzai Zimondi, ZPCS Deputy Commissioner-General Moses Chihobvu, Zimbabwe Defence Forces Inspector-General Major-General Kasirai Tazira, and Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Permanent Secretary Mrs Virginia Mabiza.

A returnee operating a shebeen in Kadoma’s Rimuka suburb has contributed to confirmed Covid-19 cases in the city with four positive confirmed cases from that homestead alone, a communique from the city health department has revealed.

To date City of Kadoma has 11 confirmed positive Covid-19 cases. Positive cases continue on an upward spiral with most of the 11 identified so far having a history of travelling from South Africa. The shebeen operator is a border jumper returnee from South Africa. Only two of the 11 are local cases.

In the media update availed yesterday, city health director Dr Daniel Chirundu said the Covid-19 confirmed cases were all under management. “We have a total of 11 confirmed positive covid-19 cases. Two of these are local and the rest have a history of travelling abroad,” he said.

Tabulated information indicates that eight of the positive cases are from sprawling Rimuka high density suburb while two have been registered in Cherrybank suburb. Only one case points to crowded Ingezi township. Sadly, those living with people who came from SA are infecting locals at their homes.

“A case in point is that of a returnee who infected three others at their single quarter (SQ) home in Rimuka. The returnee spread the virus to his wife, granddaughter and another close relative.

“In Cherrybank both husband and wife are Covid-19 positive having returned from SA. All the people with confirmed cases of the highly infectious disease are in isolation at Kadoma General Hospital save for two isolated at home in Cherrybank.

The highest number of returnees are border jumpers coming back home in the aftermath of globally felt lockdowns. The country’s Covid-19 cases top 700 with eight deaths so far. People flouting quarantine protocol are scuttling efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

-H Metro

Thousands of people mostly MDC Alliance supporters and locals descended on Makwiramiti village in Gutu to bury Gogo Chamisa, the mother of the MDC Alliance President, Nelson Chamisa.

Amoungst the thousands was NCA leader and lawyer Lovemore Madhuku who was given a chance to greet the crowd by Chamisa. Also present was MDC T President Thokozani Khupe who was initially blocked from approaching the village by some youths until Chamisa intervened.

The entire MDC Alliance standing Committee, MDC parliamentarians and other party leaders from across the country were also in attendance.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa sent a condolence message yesterday to Chamisa and members of his family.

Watch video downloading below courtesy of ZimDaily. Please be patient while the video downloads.

The leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change Tsvangirai (MDC-T), Thokozani Khupe was heavily embarrassed on Wednesday at the funeral of Mbuya Chamisa, the mother of MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa at Chidyamakuni Village, Makwiriwindi area of Chiwara.

Mbuya Chamisa died on Monday at her rural home in Gutu, the cause of her death has not yet been revealed.

Khupe apparently turned up at the burial to mourn her MDC rival, Chamisa, before she was turned away by security officials at the homestead. Her spokesperson Khaliphani Phugeni confirmed the incident to ZimEye.com.

Eye witnesses said that when Khupe’s vehicles arrived at the gate the angry youths barred her from entering the Chamisa residence.

“The vehicles were stopped at the gate as Khupe tried to enter the residence,” said one eye witness.

“The organising secretary, Amos Chibaya, intervened but to no success as the youths vowed to beat up Khupe and her aides.“

“Chibaya had to ask Chamisa to come so that the issue can be resolved,” the eye witness said.

The leader of the Labour, Economists and African Democrats (LEAD), Linda Masarira posted on Twitter this Wednesday criticising the incident. She said:

I hear that @DrThoko_Khupe has been embarrassed & chased away @nelsonchamisa mothers funeral. What happened to Ubuntu? Since when do we chase away people at funerals. It is high time that @nelsonchamisa calls his supporters to order. A leader should instil values in his followers.

Khupe and Chamisa are fighting over the leadership of the MDC which has, since 1999, been under the leadership of the late former Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai unto succumbing to cancer in 2018.

South Africa has temporarily closed its Beitbridge Border Post after one of its customs officers tested positive for the novel coronavirus this week.

According to border officials the border was closed to allow health authorities to carryout fumigation to minimize chances of spreading.

Presently the South Africans are clearing commercial traffic which is within their customs yard pending further action.

They have stopped accepting trucks from either side of the border until the fumigation is done.

The South African Revenue Services (SARS) has since sent a notice to inter border agencies in Zimbabwe advising them of the latest development.

“Please be advised that SARS Beitbridge has been temporarily closed with immediate effect,” said SARS.

“Trucks that are currently inside the yard will be processed in order for them to leave but those that are still in the queue to enter customs will not be allowed into the yard.

“SARS BBG management is in a meeting right now and they will update us with full details once the meeting is over. The issue is Covid-19 related and may entail further closure for deep cleaning and fumigation”.

SARS spokesperson, Sicelo Mkosi was not readily available for further details.

However, border officials said they were hopeful operations would resume at full strength soon.

Since the beginning of the lockdown, an average of 1000 trucks have been using the border post daily.

Traffic through Beitbridge peaked after other countries in the region closed their borders to contain the spread of the corona virus.

Zimbabwe remains a viable transit route for Zambia, Malawi, Angola, Tanzania, DRC and Mozambique.

The incident comes a few days after Musina Police station was also closed for fumigation when one police officer tested for covid-19.

Zimbabwe Revenue Authority’s (ZIMRA), regional manager, Mr Innocent Chikuni said recently during a tour of Beitbridge by Finance Minister (Professor Mthuli Ncube) the border had become arguably the COVID-19 hotspot in the country.

He said they were regularly and consistently providing information/updates on the diseases and the Ministry of Health and Child Care and World Health Organisation’s protection guidelines to both border agencies and travelers.

“We are consistently disinfecting our work stations, providing appropriate PPE – Face mask / PE Work suits/ Sanitizers/ document disinfecting – to staff, maintaining social distance and using temperature guns / sanitizers at the entry gate into the border offices – to cater for border agents and other persons,” said Mr Chikuni.

By A Correspondent- Hlalani Kuhle/Garikayi is reportedly giving local authorities a hard time as they are having problems registering some of the benefactors of the houses as some of them cannot be traced to be registered.

The matter came to light as Matabeleland South Local Authorities told National Housing Minister Daniel Garwe that they were having a hard time tracing the owners of the houses:

Speaking about the project and its headaches Matobo Rural District Council CEO Elvis Sibanda said:

Some of the beneficiaries are nowhere to be found, the documents that we have is just a scheduled list of names, for example, E. Sibanda with ID number but no address and no communication. Those people are paying nothing to the council and I want to believe that they are not paying anything to the ministry of national housing,

Hlalani Kuhle/Garikayi is a housing project that was launched after the infamous 2005 Murambatsvina that destroyed illegal structures in major cities and were handed over to local authorities by the government in 2009.

-DailyNews

By A Correspondent- MDCT acting president Dr Thokozani Khupe was this morning barred from attending the funeral for gogo Chamisa in Gutu.

ZimEye this morning exclusively ran the story revealing that Dr Khupe however managed to offer her condolences to MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa following his intervention hwere he restrained party stalwarts who did not want to see her at the burial of Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader’s mother’s funeral.

“She was able to offer her condolences to the Chamisas after the intervention of president Nelson Chamisa but she did not stay for the burial proceedings. She immediately left.

Confirmed Dr Khupe’s spokesperson Khalipani Phugeni in an exclusive interview with ZimEye:

“We did attend the burial briefly and Dr Khupe had an opportunity to pay her last respects to Advocate Nelson Chamisa. Of course you would expect skirmishes here given the current context and backgroundand there but we are happy that Dr Khupe was able to offer her condolences.

Today our focus was on bidding farewell to gogo Chamisa, what we want to do is we will not give so much energy and credence to everything else but the family and consoling the Chamisa family. Everything else we will address at a later stage.”

Added Chamisa while addressing mourners:

“We thank everyone who has come here to mourn with us regardless of their political background and we really appreciate your presence. Whatever our differences, this is not about politics but a celebration of the life of my mother, a prayer warrior…we really appreciate your presence and this is for everyone.”

Watch the parliamentary question and answer session where Members of Parliament take turns to question cabinet ministers on a variety of issues and government programmes.

Watch video loading below

By A Correspondent- A haulage truck driver died after the vehicle’s horse collapsed on him while attempting to attend to a mechanical fault.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the incident which occurred on Monday in Bubi along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road.

He said Leroy Nyakabawo (34) from Warren Park in Harare was driving a haulage truck when it developed a mechanical fault and he tilted the truck’s horse to check the problem and it collapsed, crushing him.

“I can confirm that we recorded a sudden death case which occurred at the 212 kilometre peg along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road in Bubi area. Leroy Nyakabawo was driving a haulage truck belonging to a South African based company when the vehicle developed a fault,” he said.

“He pulled off the road and tilted the truck horse to attend to the fault. While he was at it the truck horse collapsed and crushed Nyakabawo and he died on the spot.

“The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene. Nyakabawo’s body was ferried to Beitbridge District Hospital Mortuary. Investigations are underway.”