MDC stalwart Ian Kay has suggested that the opposition party should rebrand and start afresh as it has since lost its glitter because of infighting which has led to several splits.

In an interview with NewsDay yesterday, the outspoken politician, who is also former Marondera Central legislator, said the opposition party needed to retrace its roots and be guided by the founding principles as outlined during its formation.

“When you are in the bush and you get lost, the best thing to do is to retrace your footsteps and go back where you started from. This is because when you embark on such a journey you know where you want to go, hence starting all over again will be ideal,” he said.

Kay left the MDC in 2013 after the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai lost for the third time in a row to the late Zanu PF leader Robert Mugabe in the presidential race. After the dismal defeat by Zanu PF, Kay and his colleague, the late Roy Bennett, called for leadership renewal within the MDC before retiring from active politics.

He lost the Marondera Central seat to former Zanu PF heavyweight Ray Kaukonde in the same year.

“When this started, it was MDC. Movement meant going forward and democratic meant democracy. This is why I am saying, there is need to start afresh, going back to the drawing board and be guided by what was agreed on when the movement was formed.

“Through the passage of time, we have forgotten the founding principles of the movement and if we fail to recall that we will end up having leaders who are astray. If you read the Bible, it took Moses 40 years to cross over to the promised land, but if you analyse it, it was a short journey that took him so much time. This is the moment in which the MDC has seen itself in,” he said.

The opposition party is currently embroiled in massive factional fights pitting Nelson Chamisa against Thokozani Khupe with the former leading the MDC Alliance while the latter leads the MDC-T.

Following a recent Supreme Court ruling which ruled Chamisa’s leadership illegitimate, acting president of the MDC-T Khupe has since responded by recalling most of Chamisa’s lieutenants from Parliament and local authorities.

Kay said it was best for the warring parties to find common ground and forge a strong alliance. He accused the current crop of politicians of being self-centred.

“No one is perfect, you cannot blame anyone, it is better to blame yourself. Khupe is MDC, Chamisa is MDC and when I was there I was MDC. The best thing is for them to come together and go back to the drawing board. They should dialogue. It is not good to ignore each other, this is what has resulted in the MDC being where it is today,” he said.

“This nation lacks a driver. It is a pity that we have wise people in this country, but we lack the perfect person to steer the ship. Most of the people are joining politics to fatten their pockets and feed their families, that is where we are losing it,” he said.

While announcing his departure from the opposition politics in 2013, Kay described Tsvangirai as “a rusty bolt that needed to be replaced” and this was after the late former trade unionist failed to dislodge Mugabe for the third consecutive time.

NewsDay

Own Correspondent

MDC ALLIANCE leader, Nelson Chamisa has come under fire for questioning government’s prioritization of the memorial statue for Mbuya Nehanda.

Chamisa criticised the government’s move to erect the statue in Harare when the country should be putting priorities towards building infrastructure.

Zanu PF Director for Information and Publicity, Tafadzwa Mugwadi who obviously failed to understand Chamisa’s sentiments had no kind words for him for what he described as a disgraceful demeaning of the country’s heroes and heroines.

“By virtue of disrespecting our founding heroes like Mbuya Nehanda, Chamisa has demonstrated a high level of immaturity, and his true colours that the MDC Alliance worships their western masters who imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe. His utterances demeaning the dead are nonsensical and rendered him a nonentity who lacks qualities of a leader,” he said.

Former MDC Alliance spokesperson Obert Gutu who has found new love with the ZANU PF system said by attacking the dead, Chamisa had stooped too low.

“Such sentiments which Chamisa made have no place in our African culture, even in all progressive countries internationally, leaders there respect their founding heroes and statue of heroes are worldwide be it in Russia, USA, among others. So it is shocking and disrespectful of Chamisa uttering that, we know in our Zimbabwean culture that is the norm that “Wafa Anaka” so it is disturbing to have Chamisa misfiring like that, this should be condemned with the seriousness it deserves,” added advocate Gutu.”

Speaking in his e-rally organised by the party on Sunday, Chamisa criticised the government timing on the setting up of the monument.

“I heard this government wants to build the statue of the late heroine of the First Chirimurenga, Ambuya Nehanda,” Chamisa said.

“It shows that people are wired wrongly. This is inappropriate to build the statue.

“You are telling us that you want to commit state resources to build a statue instead of putting money and effort into building buildings and infrastructure.

“But you are thinking of building a statue, that’s wrong priorities!”

Chamisa added: “Our (MDC) government will honour heroes but will not worship any human beings. We will not worship the dead.

“We will honour all our national heroes and that honour will bestowed to those deserving.

“Under our government, heroes will not be selected by a political party but by an independent and impartial body.

“All national heroes from all sectors will be honoured.

“We cannot have a heroes acre of politicians, especially some of the politicians with questionable credentials.”

Last week, government reported that work on the Mbuya Nehanda memorial statue had started at the corner of Julius Nyerere Way and Samora Machel Avenue in Harare.

Nehanda was hanged on 27 April 1902.

MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa’s mother died on Monday at her home in Gutu.

Reports indicate that Gogo Chamisa collapsed and died while in her garden.

In a post on Twitter, Chamisa paid tribute to her departed mother, saying she imparted to him the important values in life. He wrote:

She toiled to educate me just like all mothers do for families. She taught me industry, respect, discipline, integrity and hard work. A hardworking, multi-talented woman. A prayer warrior & pillar in the faith. Collapsed in her garden& went to be with the Lord. Rest in power Mai Nerison!

Own Correspondent

MDC Alliance Bulawayo councillor for ward 4 Silas Chigora has clashed with the party leadership in the City leaving him to cross the floor and join the Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T.

Chigora who was also the MDC Alliance Bulawayo East District Chairman was initially relieved of his duties as Chairman after he had continuously passed negative comments about President Nelson Chamisa in WhatsApp groups.

Chigora was in the news last year when he and Deputy Mayor, Tinashe Kambarami unsuccessful tried to suspend Bulawayo Town Clerk Christopher Dube over allegations of misusing council funds.

He was stripped of his position during a district meeting held in the city on Saturday.

According to party sources, the meeting was attended by the MDC Alliance district committee and national executive members Jasmine Toffa, Tinashe Kambarami and the party’s Bulawayo spokesperson Swithern Chirowodza.

In one of the leaked chats, Chigora described Chamisa as a liar who was not fit to be party leader.

“Our president (Chamisa) is a big liar. He lied about the Alliance agreement and also that Harvest House was under the control of the Alliance. He lied about everything and now the truth has been exposed,” reads a message allegedly sent by Chigora to one “Mainini”.

Chigora was also removed from all the party’s WhatsApp groups.

Reports just received indicate that at least fifteen highly qualified lectures have quit working at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) last week alone over poor remuneration.

Senior lecturers holding doctorate degrees are currently earning about ZWL$7 000, equivalent to just over US$100.

Among those who have quit the institution are long-serving constitutional law lecturer Greg Linington and leading professors Donald Chimanikire and Hasu Patel.

“The situation here is terrible,” said one lecturer who preferred to remain anonymous.

“Senior lecturers are leaving every week for greener pastures and it’s not a good sign at all given that we are in the middle of examinations and very soon, marking is starting and there is a huge shortage of staff.

“For instance, only last week on Monday, 15 lecturers left, most of them being vastly experienced doctors and professors.

“This is a new brain drain. The department of political and administrative studies alone lost five lecturers and many are already processing their papers.”

State Media

The tribunal set up to rule on misconduct allegations against Justice Francis Bere has stopped its proceedings until the High Court has ruled on a defence application to review a tribunal decision not to delay the hearing.

Both parties had been asked by the tribunal to agree on a convenient date for the resumption of the hearing.

A fortnight ago, tribunal chairman and retired judge Justice Simbi Mubako ruled on preliminary issues, deciding that the tribunal could proceed even though Justice Bere, under suspension from the Supreme Court, wanted the tribunal stopped until the High Court had ruled on the legality of the tribunal.

The High Court had already refused to accept this first application on tribunal legality as a matter of urgency, but it is still on the ordinary continuous roll and will eventually wind its way to be heard before a judge.

What Justice Bere now wants is for the tribunal proceedings to be stayed until that legal issue is decided.

The tribunal refused to do this, but on Friday, just before tribunal proceedings were about to resume, Justice Mubako did agree to halt proceedings until the application to review the earlier decision not to delay matters further has been dealt with.

Justice Bere’s lawyer Prof Lovemore Madhuku confirmed that the hearing had been suspended to a later date this month.

“(Retired judge) Justice Simbi Mubako took note of our application for review of the tribunal decision and stopped the proceedings to allow the High Court to deal with our urgent application, which was filed on Thursday,” he said.

“They were served with a copy of our application to the High Court.”

So there are now two live applications by Justice Bere before the High Court, one to cancel the tribunal and one that, in effect, seeks to have the tribunal stop sitting until the first one is decided.

Justice Bere is facing three charges of improper conduct after a Harare lawyer accused him of interfering in a civil case.

He denied the charges, before challenging the whole tribunal process, seeking to invalidate Proclamation 1 of 2020, the legal instrument, which was issued by President Mnangagwa, at the request of the Judicial Service Commission, established the tribunal.

The judge, who was serving on both the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court benches, was suspended from the bench in March this year, pending a probe into potential misconduct.

He is accused of meddling in a civil case involving the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) and his relatives.

He allegedly telephoned Mr Itai Ndudzo, who was representing Zinara, asking him to consider settling a civil dispute pitting Zinara against Fremus Enterprises.

Complaints against him were raised before Deputy Chief Justice, Elizabeth Gwaunza, during a court hearing, and Mr Ndudzo was asked to make the complaint in writing.

In a response to the allegations, Justice Bere claimed that he only contacted Mr Ndudzo in the context of their personal relationship, dating back to the days when they were both members of the Zimbabwe Football Association Ethics Committee.

He described the complaint as a falsehood meant to taint his record.

This is the second time Justice Bere has been the subject of a serious complaint, but in the first case he was cleared of wrongdoing.

State Media

ROOFTOP solar energy has emerged as one of the sources of power that can ease the consumption of energy on the national grid.

This was revealed at the commissioning of the Switzerland Embassy solar project in Harare this Monday.

Zimbabwe is a country endowed with abundant solar resources, and the Swedish Embassy has managed to install a 20 kilowatt an hour rooftop solar system and a 40-kilowatt-hour lithium power project for their premise and also feed excess power into the national grid.

The government has welcomed the project as a possible import substitution model that can reduce the load on the national power supplier.

“Government is very serious about ensuring that the country is energy secure and one of the key ways of doing this is ensuring we have rooftop solar and we are determined to drive this in a very big way. What the swiss have done here is a very good example of what other embassies can do. As a government, we have a huge interest in this type of project which is an import substitution model. Solar representing a saving in the power that we are importing from other countries. It is viable for business it is not viable to run a business on fuel. We are putting a net metering framework where the embassy can sell excess power to the grid Zesa and government is working on a payment plan,” said the Minister.

Switzerland Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, Niculin Jager said they are willing to feed their excess power to the national grid.

“We have commissioned a new installation and now we are fully independent on solar power. We want to contribute to sustainable energy management in the world. During the day we would want to feed into the grid so that our neighbours can profit so we will participate in the net metering program that the ministry is offering and make available our excess power to other consumers. We will also buy an electric car that will use all the excess power,” he said.

Solar is considered a clean and sustainable energy source which Zimbabwe is tapping into and is in line with the country’s energy policy.

THIRTEEN nurses were arrested yesterday at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, formerly Harare Central Hospital, for allegedly contravening Covid-19 lockdown regulations .

Most of them were fined between $200 and $500.

Police said the nurses were arrested for violating regulations relating to social distancing and for not wearing face masks.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests saying: “We have arrested 13 nurses at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital for contravening Covid-19 lockdown regulations which relate to social distance guidelines. They were fined amounts ranging between $200 and $500.”

Government has banned all political rallies and demonstrations, among other forms of public gatherings, in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Nurses, mainly those at central and provincial hospitals, withdrew their labour on June 18 and continued to boycott work yesterday claiming they were incapacitated.

Following industrial action by nurses last month, the Health Services Board said the 50 percent pay rise and the US$75 Covid-19 allowances awarded by Government were a temporary arrangement to cushion Government workers while salary negotiations continued.

HSB chairperson Dr Paulinas Sikhosana said they were waiting for guidance from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development on the potential Government offer to be taken for the actual negotiations with health workers’ representatives.

Health workers have not welcomed the cushioning allowance by Government saying they need to be treated differently from the rest of the civil service since they have been reporting for duty during the Covid-19 lockdown while the bulk of their counterparts have been home on full pay since end of March.

MDC-T Secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora has continued with his barrage on the MDC Alliance Leadership claiming that some top party officials used their positions to strip the big opposition party of assets that include houses and vehicles.

Mwonzora confirmed to State Media that investigations are underway to establish what happened to the party’s so-called safe houses as well as vehicles that he claims were converted to personal use.

“Right now that is a matter that I would not want to discuss in detail but it is a matter that the leadership of the party is dealing with. The matter of embezzlement of the party funds and trying to strip the party of its assets. We are looking into this issue but we will advise at the appropriate time and take the issue to the police,” said Mr Mwonzora.

However, while addressing party structures over the weekend, Mwonzora said the party lost over US$23 million to some of its leaders who misled the late Mr Morgan Tsvangirai into believing that there would be a presidential election run-off and there was need for a resourced war chest to fund the polls.

“We didn’t know that the party had more than 150 vehicles but we have the paper trail and we are going to trace what happened to those vehicles. We are going to trace where our motorbikes are.

“We have people who left the party with more than US$23 million. This happened in 2013 when we were using the US dollar. So some people lied to Tsvangirai that there would be a run-off and they took the money to Botswana. After the election, Tsvangirai said can you take US$5 million from that stash to rebuild the party and they then started accusing him of being too old and suggested that they should be a leadership renewal. Those same people who lied to Tsvangirai and stole the party money now want to lead us,” said Mwonzora.

MDC Alliance secretary general Mr Chalton Hwende dismissed Mwonzora’s claims questioning why he ignored the matter when he was the party Secretary General for five years.

“He was the secretary general for five years. Why doesn’t he report the case to the police? He completed his five-year term but didn’t raise those issues. What we know is that there is no missing money. The only assets we know that are missing are vehicles that were auctioned by Mwonzora. We also know that the last vehicles that were bought by the party were bought by vice president Tendai Biti when he was the secretary general. Those cars we have them and we cannot give them because they belong to the party,” said Mr Hwende.

Bread prices have come down by around $10 a standard loaf with prices in most retail outlets throughout the country.

The new price is range is now between $55 and $68 depending on brand.

The reduction in the price is comes after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe ensured millers could import wheat with foreign currency supplied at the ruling auction rate.

Last week, the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) announced that millers would reduce the price of the flour and that in future flour prices would track the standard auction rate.

Supermarkets and shops still have variations in the price of a standard loaf from the big three commercial bakers of Lobel’s, Proton, and Bakers Inn, ranging from $66.90 to $68.43 depending on how they apply mark-ups, with in-house brands being sold for as low as $55.

In-house brands are normally cheaper as there are no transport costs to factor in.

The bakers were being charged $3 150 for a 50kg bag of bread flour, but the millers, now able to use auction rates to import wheat, are charging just $2 136 for the same 50kg.

“There are still stocks of higher-priced flour by bakers, but most are already diluting this with lower-priced flour, so pushing down prices closer to what their competitors charge.

Bakers Association of Zimbabwe President Mr. Dennis Wallah yesterday confirmed that the price of bread had started going down, but said any movement on the foreign currency would affect the price.

“The reduction in the price of bread shows that our members are responsible, but any movement upward or downward in the exchange rates will affect the bread price,” he said.

In future bread prices will track the auction rate, making bread the first non-subsidised essential product where prices will track the auction rate, not the black market rate.

Bread prices started soaring in May this year when the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) advised millers that they had run out of wheat and millers had to import using free funds.

GMAZ chairman, Mr. Tafadzwa Musarara recently confirmed that prices would be guided by the foreign currency auction outcomes.

In a few months, as the present winter wheat crop is harvested, there could be more price adjustments with the price of flour for the next year being dependent on what farmers are paid for their crop and the storage and other costs incurred by buyers, mainly the GMB.

Zimbabwe has always been a wheat importer, but this winter the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, and Rural Resettlement has pushed hard to contract enough competent farmers in the hope that Zimbabwe can be self-sufficient or close to self-sufficient.

The country requires around 400 000 tonnes of wheat a year at present demand.

Eighteen people tested positive for COVID-19 this Monday bringing the total number of positive cases to 734.

In a COVID-19 daily update, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said the people who tested positive include sixteen returnees and two local cases.

“Eighteen cases tested positive for COVID-19 today. These include sixteen returnees from South Africa and two local cases who are isolated,” the Ministry said.

The Ministry also announced the death of a 54-year-old male.

“Today we regret to report a facility death of a male aged 54, from Bulawayo province who tested positive yesterday with no history of travel and had comorbidities.”

16 recoveries were also reported, twelve from Harare, two from Masvingo, and another two from Midlands.

The total number of confirmed cases stands at 734, with 197 recoveries, 528 active cases, and 9 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak in Zimbabwe on the 20th of March 2020.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care has also called on Zimbabweans to report any returning citizens who abscond quarantine.

“To protect yourself and others, report to health authorities any suspicious returning citizens or residents that might not have gone through quarantine.”

This comes at a time when President Emmerson Mnangagwa has expressed concern over the number of returnees who are absconding from quarantine facilities and has also urged Zimbabweans to be on the lookout for returning residents who do not have COVID-19 clearance certificates.

Farai Dziva|Former Higher and Tertiary Education Minister, Jonathan Moyo has claimed he has evidence to prove Emmerson Mnangagwa wants to kill him.

Moyo was commenting on the move by Mnangagwa’s administration to extradite him.

“I am where I am, in terms of international law following a premeditated military attack on my home and family whose aim was to kill me, on November 15, 2017.

The evidence of that military attack is in the public record.

The only person who does not know about it is Mnangagwa’s henchman, prosecutor general [Kumbirai] Hodzi.

His extradition quest, which will be vigorously dealt with in terms of international law, is a desperate last-ditch effort to do what the army failed to do against me on November 15, 2017,” Moyo argued.

By Farai D Hove| The MDC renegade, Douglas Mwonzora has announced sudden allegations that the Alliance Deputy Tendai Biti and colleagues misappropriated US$23 million stashed for the party in a bank in Botswana.

Speaking during a meeting in Marondera, Mwonzora said, 150 party vehicles were stolen after the 2013 elections. He said this as he swung a direct inference at his predecessor, Tendai Biti.   

He said the late Morgan Tsvangirai was duped by people he says are thieves. Mwonzora’s allegations however, come at a time when he failed to speak on the said “theft” during the many years running up to Tsvangirai’s death in February 2018. Furthermore he had more than ample time in his hands, several years, holding the powerful post of Secretary General from 2014 to 2019, a time when he could have even authoritatively spoken on it. Mwonzora’s action and inaction thus make him a direct accomplice in his own allegations.

Despite all this, he confidently continues to announce: 

”  [Chalton] Hwende went to parliament thinking that he would have powers to remove us.

“He went wearing clean clothes. He was wearing his blue suit, with sharp ended shoes, thinking of of how he would remove Mwonzora.

“This was battle number one: we were the ones given the powers to remove MPs, counselors; they fought us in court, and we defeated them in court over those powers.”

He then begins to make his allegations of theft, saying:  ” What people did not know is that Tsvangirai had a system to keep two copies, one at Harvest House, another at the Safe House. 

“There are very few people who know where this Safe House is, we will not tell them.

” The other copies are kept with the Secretary General, so I had the papers, they are all with the Secretary General.  I wont tell them; so I had the papers this building is ours it is owned by the party, the papers are here.

“We did not know Mr Mudzuri, that the party has 150 cars, we did not know where they are.

“The 150 cars were stolen, the papers are here, so we are now going after our cars, we are now going after our motorbikes.

“We have people who disappeared with USD23 million, not bond. You remember in 2013 we used to use US dollars, there were people who lied to Baba Tsvangirai, and said President we have been told by CIO, there will be a runoff, so we are now taking this money to bank it in Botswana.

“After elections, Tsvangirai then said, on the 23 million, take out 5 million so that we can rebuild the party, then these people began attacking Tsvangirai using big words such as debauchery, and leadership renewal. 

“It was all an issue of money, nothing else. so these thieves we are going after them, we know them well.”

Efforts to get a comment from Tendai Biti were fruitless at the time of publishing.

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance vice president Tendai Biti has described Emmerson Mnangagwa as the Archbishop of corruption.

Biti made the remarks during the opposition party’s landmark E-Rally in the capital on Sunday.

Biti also described Mnangagwa’s administration as the worst government in living memory.

Watch video loading below:

Own Correspondent|MDC Alliance president Advocate Nelson Chamisa has endorsed the July 31 protests at Emmerson Mnangagwa government’s violation of human rights and rampant corruption.

Speaking at a landmark E-Rally on Sunday in Harare, Advocate Chamisa said the MDC Alliance would support any call for democratic change.

Watch video below:

MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa addressed a landmark E-Rally on Sunday afternoon.

According to President Chamisa, change is unavoidable.

He also outlined the Return to Legitimacy and Democracy concept.

Watch video below…

 By A Correspondent- A police officer based at Chivhu Police Station died on the spot on Friday after he was run over by a haulage truck that was evading a roadblock at the 136-kilometre peg along the Harare-Masvingo Highway.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi identified the deceased as Constable Cosmas Kwangwari.

“I can confirm that a police officer died on Friday at a roadblock in an accident. Investigations are still underway. More details will be released tomorrow (Sunday),” Nyathi said, but could not give more details yesterday saying he was out of office.

Police sources said the driver of the haulage truck overtook vehicles at a roadblock some 10km from Chivhu town and ran over the police officer manning the checkpoint.

The driver, Wellington Mutowa (38) was stopped and arrested at the next roadblock in Chivhu.

The truck had six passengers on board.

Zimbabwe says it will reintroduce intercity travel after interrogation of the request by public transports sector.

Intercity bus travel reintroduction measures to be announced next week
In statement, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services minister Monica Mutsvangwa on Monday.

The Covid-19 taskforce says the request has been considered. She said government recognises the challenges being faced by the commuting public to reach different destinations to meet various essential needs. The government is working on a measured and responsible way of re-introducing intercity buses based on scientific consideration. The measures will be announced next week.

Zimbabwe has kept a ban on intercity travel as part of containment measures to tackle Covid-19.

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) condemns the arrest of striking nurses at Harare Hospital today. We are not surprised by this action of the government of Zimbabwe; we know too well it is in the DNA of the Zimbabwean administration to behave in this manner.

The behaviour of this government is the utmost violation of the freedom of association and infringes on the overall rights and trade union rights. The problems of Zimbabwe will never be resolved through arrests, violence and intimidation. We demand their unconditional and immediate release.

The arrests only confirm of a worsening situation and closure of democratic space and strengthen the case that Zimbabwe remains a country at risk. We call on the entire trade union movement to mobilise and support the healthcare workers.

Nurses, like any other public servants, are facing hunger and starvation in this Covid19 lockdown and are expected to be at the forefront in the fight against this global pandemic. How can they take such a huge risk to serve the nation while their own families are starving?

We reiterate our call to the government of Zimbabwe to expedite negotiations with the workers, who are on strike and accede to their reasonable demands.

It cannot be business as usual when these violations continue, SADC cannot ignore this continued infringement of freedoms and rights of Zimbabweans. We call upon SADC to intervene immediately, meaningfully with sustainable solutions for Zimbabwe.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition

State Media

A FOUR-year-old boy has nailed his 40-year-old father who raped his six- year- old daughter resulting in the magistrate jailing the rapist for 18 years.

The man who lives under Chief Mafala’s area in Zvishavane had said his son who was a witness in the matter would vouch for him.

He was accusing his wife and daughter of framing him.

The man was stunned as the boy narrated in court how her sister had told her mother how her father had raped her while the woman was away.

This was heard during the appearance of the father whose name withheld to protect the identity of the minor before Gweru Regional Magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa.

The father pleaded not guilty to one count of rape but was convicted.

Mrs Msipa sentenced him to 18 -years in prison before suspending three years on condition of good behavior.

It was the State case’s that between December 2019 and January 2020, the complainant and her young brother aged four years were left in the custody of their father as their mother visited.

The accused person called his daughter to his bedroom and told her to sleep on a reeds mate.

He undressed and raped her once.

The court heard that after raping her daughter, the man slept beside her and asked her not to tell anyone about the matter.

The court heard that the complainant told her mother how her father had raped her in her absence.

A police report was made leading to the arrest of the accused person.

Sometime in January, the man is said to have approached his wife accusing her of influencing their daughter to make a rape case against him.

Mr Kevin Guveya appeared for the State.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Monday the government is concerned with the recent spike in cases of local transmissions of Covid-19, urging communities not to harbour people returning from abroad who will have escaped from or not passed through quarantine centres.

Zimbabwe’s Covid-19 confirmed cases breached the 700 point mark on Sunday, to total 716, with up to two-thirds of the cases having been imported.

Local transmission cases have however been on a steady rise, with over 20 recorded in the past week.

Speaking after receiving an assortment of goods from various organisations, President Mnangagwa said it was imperative that those returning to the country from abroad go through the mandatory 21-day quarantine period.

“We are getting worried because we now see a small trend of internal transmission. We are doing our best to do contact tracing,” he said.

“We would like to appeal to our people, families, communities that if a family member has just arrived from abroad, we must insist to find out if they have a certificate showing they have been quarantined for the required period and have been released. This is for the protection of the family itself and for the protection of the community.”

President Mnangagwa said there was still a large number of Zimbabweans outside the country awaiting repatriation.

He lauded the local donors who included the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) which provided ZW$1 million towards the fight against the disease.

The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society which sourced five ventilators to be used in local hospitals, Bulawayo based firm Viking Hardware, as well as the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe which respectively donated an assortment of personal protective equipment and food stuffs, were among the donors.

Health personnel, who are key in the fight against the pandemic, were some of the beneficiaries of the donations as the government was trying its best to take care of their welfare, President Mnangagwa said.

The donations, he said, would help minimise the impact of the pandemic.

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa’s mother has died.

“Sad news , President Chamisa lost his mother this afternoon, our sincere condolences to the Chamisa family and MDC Alliance and the nation,” a party official said in a statement.

More details to follow…

ZANU-PF leaders in Makoni have officially welcomed back former national secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, 84 years old, into the party as it revisits a formula to re-strengthen the party.

Mutasa was expelled from the party on charges of undermining the party and its leadership.

Former provincial chairman, Basil Nyabadza who had taken a back seat, and the immediate past vice-chairman, Joseph Mujati were also welcomed back.

Mujati’s suspension was recently lifted.

The meeting, which was held on Sunday, also endorsed the elevation of Stanely Mbawa to the provincial executive and the co-option of Edward Madhume into the youth league.

Politburo, Central Committee members and Members of Parliament, among other leaders from the district, attended the meeting that also discussed the establishment of irrigation schemes in Makoni South and North as well as the resuscitation of a farmers’ training centre in Headlands.

Zanu-PF national secretary for finance, Patrick Chinamasa said the party should pick up the pieces and embrace the cadres.

“Nyati (Cde Mutasa) has rejoined the party and since his return, it has been our wish to meet him officially as Makoni leadership and work together going forward.

“Sometime we see things differently and fight, but that should not separate us. Now that Cde Mutasa is back, we must unite and work together. He laid a strong foundation for the party in Makoni and his return should solidify it. We are amending our constitution to create a Council of Elders where cadres with vast experience like him can sit as advisors,” said Chinamasa.

The views expressed in this article are the writer’s, they do not reflect the views of Opera News.

MDC-T acting president Thokozani Khupe will this Wednesday hold her first meeting with the party’s national council as they prepare to hold a watershed extraordinary congress (EOC) at the end of the month.

Members of the national council last month petitioned Khupe and her standing committee to present themselves before them and discuss the Supreme Court ruling and the proposed EOC amid reports that there were plans to use the organ to kick out the current leadership.

Party deputy spokesperson Khalipani Phugeni told NewsDay that the MDC-T national council would convene to discuss the July 31 EOC among other issues affecting the party.

“The issues will be discussed this Wednesday when the national council convenes. We will hold a Press conference after which we will be able to deliver the resolutions and way forward. As you can see president Khupe is steadying the ship and giving leadership to the party,” he said.

Already there are moves to delay the July 31 EOC on health grounds with MDC-T officials claiming that the Health ministry had said it would not allow the 3 500 MDC-T congress delegates to gather for elections in Harare as this could affect the response to COVID-19.

Insiders said the delays were being pushed by Khupe’s camp seen as having favour from President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration as they fear the acting president would lose the elections and would be relegated to Douglas Mwonzora’s deputy.

“The leadership was in Mashonaland West and violating all COVID-19 regulations, nothing has happened, look at the pictures that Mwonzora and (Morgen) Komichi took, no social distancing, no masks and they want to say EOC should be postponed,” said an insider.

Phugeni said everyone wanted the EOC to happen so that the party moved past the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai and there was no attempt to block it.

“Nobody wants to block the EOC, we all want it to happen, but of course not at the expense of people’s health. I have seen pictures of our meeting in Mashonaland West, yes, I was not there and I should admit that it does not look good. We have to respect health regulations, it’s important,” he said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Monday the “use it or lose it” principle will also apply in the agriculture sector where vast tracts of land are being left lying idle.

Initially the government introduced the principle in the mining sector, where holders of claims were accused of holding onto them for speculative reasons.

Addressing a meeting of Provincial Ministers, President Mnangagwa said it was imperative that land be used for maximum productivity to boost food security.

“Our farming land must be used efficiently and optimally. The days of people holding large tracts of idle land are over,” he said.

“The use it or lose it principle will apply over and above the maximum farm size restrictions.”

Government is currently enforcing a size restriction policy that has seen some farms being subdivided to give others access to land.

Some people who benefited during the country’s historic land reform had gained access to large pieces of land which they were now failing to use productively at a time when there is high demand for land as more people are eager to venture into farming.

President Mnangagwa said the government would continue to avail resources under various facilities to boost agricultural production.

Zimbabwe has in the past three seasons been hit by a combination of drought and natural disasters that left almost half the population food vulnerable.

The situation was further compounded by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which has taken a toll on economies across the globe.

President Mnangagwa urged Provincial Ministers to promote the Pfumvudza farming concept among communal and small holder farmers in their jurisdictions.

Pfumvudza is a concept aimed at climate proofing agriculture by adopting conservation farming techniques and involves the utilisation of small pieces of land and applying the correct agronomic practices for higher output.

The concept is being applied to maize, traditional grains, and soyabeans production.

• New Ziana

State Media

A $25 000 reward has been offered to anyone with information that might assist police arrest a former employee of an approved contractor, who made illegal electricity connections in Stoneridge, Harare.

On Monday last week, Zesa disconnected over 1 500 households in Stoneridge Phase 1, Harare South, after discovering the offence. The illegal connections are believed to have been done by Peni Jaison (31), who was once employed by a Harare company, Ethood Electrical Engineering Company, but operating as Luckstone Concrete.

His former employer had the contract, but residents thought the costs were high and hired Jaison, who was cheaper since he allegedly used Luckstone poles and cables without paying. Jaison has since gone into hiding and efforts to locate him have been fruitless as police and Zesa Loss Control officers are keen to question him in connection with the alleged offence.

In an interview last Friday, Luckstone managing director Mr Melvin Gwishiri said they had decided to offer the reward so that the suspect could be arrested and assist police with investigations.

“I can confirm that we are offering a $25 000 reward to anyone that might assist the police and Zesa Loss Control officers to locate Peni Jaison in connection with the illegal electricity connections,” he said.

Anyone with information can contact any nearest police station or Zesa Loss Control offices or call 0772 816 606 and 0717 418 485.

Luckstone Concrete had been contracted by the residents to connect electricity in the area, but some residents felt its charges were on the higher side, and hired Jaison, who used materials left on site by his former employer and cables believed to have been stolen from Zesa, to connect the area to the national grid.

The offence was discovered by the company officials and investigations carried out revealed that Jaison was paid more than US$52 000 by residents.

A team from the police and Zesa Loss Control department last week visited the area and held a meeting with some of the residents before disconnecting power after informing them that it had been illegally connected.

Investigations carried out by The Herald revealed that Jaison would connect electricity using the poles that were erected by his former employer with the connections being done during the lockdown.

Own Correspondent

Nurses though their association have released the following statement after ZRP reportedly arrested some nurses at Harare hospital this morning;

6 July 2020

Re: ARREST OF NURSES AT HAFtARE CENTRAL HOSPITAL Reference is made to the above subject.

Please see the update below:

1. Today 6 July 2020, we have received information that nurses have been arrested at Harare HosPital.

2. Indications are that the arrests were done allegedly for purposes of avoiding a demonstration at Harare Hospital. At the tirne of the arrests, no demonstration had begun.

3. If ever we were in doubt about the nature of Government’s response to our genuine plight, this is the clearest evidence we could have got. Firstly, Government promised upward salary reviews and Covid-19 allowances wh. have not been paid. Secondly, Government proceeded to refuse to discuss imProving the reviews and instead rendered the Bipartite Negotiating Panel useless by unilaterally declaring that it was not willing to negotiate for the next three months. Thirdly, and currently, we are now being victimised for utilising the only option available to us by being arrested. We have a right to peacefully show our displeasure with our employer.

4. The attempts to strangle our genuine voices through force Is nothing new. However, and as we have always stated, we have lost our earMngs already through slave wages and so we have nothing more to lose.

5. For this reason, we call upon all nurses to remain resolute and continue the struggle. To those who have been going to work all along, for how long will you continue to ignore the collective efforts of the nursing profession? We urge you to stop derailing the efforts of many and to immediately withdraw your labour in solidarity with the need to protect nurses. Interest. In particular we demand the following:

i. lmmediate release of all our collegues who being victimised by being arrested en masse

ii) Payment of our salaries in United States dollars as they.were on the 1st of October 2018.

NO USD, NO WORKIII

MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has taken a dig at rival MDC-T leader, Thokozani Khupe for allegedly manipulating the late party founder, Morgan Tsvangirai ’s legacy to legitimize her selfish agenda.

Speaking during the inaugural online rally held yesterday, Chamisa defended the Alliance saying it was the brainchild of the late founder of the MDC party, who called on party deserters like Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube who had formed their own parties to unite forces.

“It is a party that was left by Tsvangirai himself. He reached out to Biti and Ncube to have a united MDC of 2000. So do not come as if you want to rebuild the Tsvangirai legacy yet you want to destroy it. You want to drag us back. Tsvangirai was an organised man he gave the baton to the incumbent and we are firm. You may try to dislodge us but you will not succeed. We do not want to visit Buhera to ask for assistance in our court issues,” said Chamisa.

The youthful leader went at lengths to distinguish his MDC-Alliance party from the MDC-T, saying not even the Sangomas nor the Courts would merge the two.

This was in direct reference to the March Supreme Court ruling that dictated the Alliance to revert to the MDC-T structures of 2014, with Khupe at the helm.

“There have been fallacies, distortions and falsehoods being propagated in the country about the Alliance. MDC Alliance is a separate party that is different from the MDC-T. You may approach the courts visit sangomas and faith healers, visit the dead trying to revive Tsvangirai’s spirit that will not change anything,” said Chamisa.

In May, Khupe and allies, Mwonzora, Elias Mudzuri and Morgen Komichi took the long trip to Tsvangirai’s Humanikwa village in what MDC-T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora said was visit to give some items towards the welfare of Gogo Tsvangirai and also to formally apologize to the Tsvangirai family about the ill treatment that she suffered at the hands of some youths including the vanguard during Tsvangirai’s funeral.

263chat

Online

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has deported a number of Chinese nationals who were exposing Rwandese nationals working on their illegal businesses across Rwanda to inhumane conditions.

Mr Kagame went on to remind the larger Chinese community in the country that they could not be out there harming Africans who are technically feeding them, through investment opportunities.

The Chinese in question were operating illegally on farms they had grabbed from unsuspecting Rwandans at cheap prices and exploiting the locals whom they employed on the farms. The locals were made to work longer hours than usual, paid meager wages and subjected to punitive punishments on the farms for what the Chinese in question describe as laziness and irresponsibility.

When the information on the criminal activities carried out by the Chinese got to Rwandase Authorities, the country’s president Kagame was horrified by the damaging actions and thus ordered for their immediate deportation to their country back in China.

To stamp his authority and confidence in the country, Mr Kagame also indicated that the Chinese should never again get back to Rwanda on whatever basis.

Rogue Chinese who illegally enter Africa have always proved dangerous to social and economic structures in Africa some have been running illegal gambling as has been the case in Kenya amongst other countries in Africa.

A fortnight ago, a Chinese businessman operating illegal mining activities in Gweru shot and badly injured a Zimbabwean man over a pay dispute.

Unlike the other African leaders, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa developed a soft heart to the Chinese team and did not close the illegal mine nor deport the Chinese businessmen.

Others have been photographed abusing Africans as was the case of one Chinese in Kenya who went on ranting about Africans including Kenyan president, luckily he was deported back to China.

It’s is true that some people of Asian origins have proved sound and productive while operating in Africa, however, some have always proved stubborn and should be deported whenever necessary.

A few days after President John Pombe Magufuli fired a government official in a public rally for allegedly sleeping with married women, he has once again pulled out a similar move.

On June 28, Magufuli fired Kisarawe District Administrative Secretary (DAS), Mtela Mwampamba, during a public rally he had attended over several allegations including having a fishy relationship with married women.

This Monday, Magufulu has pulled out a similar move and fired top police officials after marijuana was found in their area.

In another public rally, Magufuli announced the firing of Meru District police heads for what he said to be failing to deliver on their duties as they were supposed to.

“Nakupongeza Mkuu wa Dawa za Kulevya ulienda Meru na Watu wa TV fulani nafikiri Clouds, ukabaini Bangi, IGP nataka Mkuu wa Polisi Meru aondolewe, DSO na OCCID wote watoke,hawakutimiza wajibu wao, na wewe leo nakuconfirm kuwa Kamishina wa Dawa za Kulevya, utaapishwa hapahapa,” Magufuli announced the shocker, which loosely translates to:

(I congratulate the head of Drug Abuse because you went to Meru accompanied by some TV people. I think Clouds TV crew, and nabbed marijuana, Inspector General of Police I want Meru Police Chief to be removed, DSO and OCCID all should be removed from those positions, they did not fulfill their duty, and you today I am confirming you as the new Commissioner of Drugs, you will be sworn in right sway from here).

Magufuli noted that government officials must deliver to Tanzanians, adding that they will be recalled or/and fired if they fail to deliver as required.

He said the government is not going to wait until’s official’s term in office expires even when their job is wanting.

He urged other officials to stick to their job ethics and deliver to the people.

Recently, the World Bank ranked Tanzania among Middle-Income countries.

Magufuli said he was determined to achieve that status in 2025 but God made it happen 5 years earlier.

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa says the devolution agenda is not a political empowerment tool but a means to achieve equitable economic development in all the country’s provinces.

He said this when he met ministers of state for provincial affairs in Harare this morning.

When the government started implementing the devolution agenda which is enshrined in the country’s constitution, it envisaged the strategy as a tool for development in all parts of the country.

Addressing the ministers, the President was clear on his expectation from the ministers and an end to lopsided development which gives Harare an advantage.

“We set out to implement devolution not merely as a political empowerment tool but as a means to achieve equitable economic development and equalization for all parts of our economy. We boldly declared an end to red tape, bureaucracy and lopsided development associated with the perception of Harare Province being a Bamba zonke……By so doing, we envisaged the development of vibrant provincial economies with distinct provincial GDPs and the associated rural industry systems. This model was and still is an important building block to keep in mind this goal and work tirelessly to achieve the desired results….As our provincial ministers, you are important cogs in all the implementation of government policies and development programmes,” said the President.

The President also spoke on how development is hinged upon enhanced agricultural production, urging farmers to embrace various government empowerment initiatives.

“Our agricultural sector must remain vibrant and the nucleus around which we can leapfrog our development and modernisation. The government recently launched the Agriculture Recovery Plan, to ensure agriculture transformation and modernisation for the attainment of food self-sufficiency through smart agriculture practices….It is anticipated that the downsizing of farms will avail more land for productive use. Our farming land must be used efficiently and optimally. The days of people holding large tracks of idle land are over. The use it and lose it principle will apply over and above the maximum farm size restrictions…I urge all our structures to help popularise the Pfumvudza farming concept for our communal and smallholder farmers. The government will continue to avail resources to support our farmers through both the Presidential Input Support Scheme and the Command Agriculture, under the new financing model,” highlighted the President.

All the 10 ministers of provincial affairs attended the meeting, which also saw Vice President Kembo Mohadi, several cabinet ministers and the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) taking part.

06-07-2020

MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Organizer Clr Godfrey Kurauone has been illegally detained at Masvingo Central Police Station.

The state is preferring same charge to one levelled against Macrad Director, Ephraim Mutombeni who languished in prison for more than one week only to be granted today after deafening public outcry from human rights defenders.

The courageous Kurauone recently defied Emmerson Mnangagwa’s call for Command Fasting by feeding the underprivileged at Mucheke Bus terminus in Masvingo.

It is very clear that our National Organizer is being punished for refusing to yield to the dictates of an illegitimate President.

It is very clear that the illegitimate Emmerson Mnangagwa is abusing courts through persecution by prosecution of MDC Alliance supporters.

The courts have become a new centre of the struggle and we are ready to challenge Mnangagwa’s authoritarianism with tenacity anytime anywhere!

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

Private transport operators with conventional buses and kombis operating under the Zupco franchise are appealing to Government to consider increasing their hire fees with either facilitating access to cheap spare parts or paying them in foreign currency to enable them to maintain their vehicles being the other alternative.

Presently, the transport operators are being paid $4 000 a day for big buses and $1 000 for kombis but feel these fees have been eroded by inflation.

Zupco fares have quadrupled in recent months, with long buses on urban routes charging $4 or $6 depending on the length of the journey, and Zupco kombis charging twice that $8 or $12, depending on journey.

Those fares were built on a doubling of fares since the new Zupco services started, so fares are eight-times higher than at the start of the service. Hire charges have risen, but only after the Government, which pays the hire charges as part of the subsidies, has gone through the actual costs incurred by bus companies and has considered that the hire charges are valid.

Negotiations for revised hire rates are expected to commence this week. Since June 2, 2020 Zupco has been hiring conventional buses at $4 000 and kombis $1 000 per day. But in a letter addressed to Secretary for Local Government and Public Works, Mr Zvinechimwe Churu on Friday, the Greater Harare Association of Commuter Operators (GHACO) sought an urgent meeting with Government to discuss the challenges at Zupco.

“Further to our letters of May 4 (and) June 16, 2020 requesting an urgent review of hire fees, we kindly request for an urgent meeting to highlight and discuss with you these issues including inadequate kombi hire fees of $1 000 against $4 700 total cost per kilometre,” read the letter.

It adds that high inflation, late reviews and late payments of hire fees, were adversely impacting their operations. The operators are also calling for assistance with cheaper spare parts for the kombis under the Zupco franchise, so that they spend more time on the road than in garages.

GHACO secretary general, Mr Ngoni Katsvairo, said on Sunday that they were likely going to meet Government this week.

“We want our hire fees reviewed from $1 000 per day to $4 700 (for kombis),” he said. “We also want to table a proposal to Government that it pays us in US dollars, about US$65 per day via nostro accounts as spare parts suppliers demand foreign currency or exorbitant charges in local currency, which are beyond our reach.”

Mr Katsvairo said the proposed US$65 would cater for all operational costs and their 15 percent mark-up. In an interview yesterday, Mr Churu said there was a possibility of an increase in hire fees any time soon. However, Mr Churu said more details would be availed after Government meets the operators.

“Prices for most commodities have been increasing so there is a high possibility that the hiring fees for conventional buses and commuter omnibuses will be reviewed,” he said.

“There is need to strike a balance between viability of the operators, Zupco and the paying public. Income should be generated from the business itself, but as Government we also want to protect passengers as well from the high transport cost.”

The commuting public has been spending a lot of time at terminuses as demand for transport rises, along with suspicions that some operators are not fulfilling their Zupco contracts over frequency of services.

Government sees the provision of subsidised transport as a critical non-financial incentive for those needing transport and the Zupco franchising as a way of bringing the previously wayward kombi owners into a controlled and managed system.

Following our Press Conference on the 26th of June 2020 in Harare under the theme “Zimbabwe At Crossroads – The Way Forward” where we urged and challenged fellow citizens to start dialogue and conversations from the 27th of June to the 6th of July 2020 around what has to be done in order to stop the on-going bleeding, corruption and looting in Zimbabwe, we are happy to give feedback that citizens have been engaging in different ways and different platforms and there is consensus that we have to ACT as citizens to extract ourselves from the current crisis which is affecting everyone across the divide.

After engagements, conversations and consultations with fellow citizens and progressive organisations we have agreed that we have to ACT and the day is 31 JULY 2020

This therefore sets aside the initial proposal for ACTION from the 7th to the 10th of July 2020.

The Front for Economic Emancipation in Zimbabwe (FEEZ) also known as the GREEN REVOLUTION being a non-partisan economic movement of the united citizens that fights against corruption, looting and demands transparency and accountability is therefore redirecting all progressive citizens and stakeholders towards the 31st of JULY as announced by fellow citizen, esteemed brother and leader Mr Jacob Ngarivhume.

We are the people let’s get it done.

A united people knows no defeat. We are stronger together. Victors do not bicker.

By A Correspondent- The 13 nurses were arrested at Harare Central hospital Monday morning and taken to Mbare police station where they will spend the night behind bars.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights confirmed in a statement:

“A total of 13 nurses (following the subsequent arrest of another nurse) after the initial tweet by ZLHR are detained at Mbare police station where they will spend the night. They are expected to appear at Mbare Court for determination of their bail tomorrow on July 7 2020.”

Watch the video loading below….

Watch the live video loading below….

watch the live video loading below….

Own Correspondent|MDC Alliance president Advocate Nelson Chamisa has endorsed the July 31 protests at Emmerson Mnangagwa government’s violation of human rights and rampant corruption.

Speaking at a landmark E-Rally on Sunday in Harare, Advocate Chamisa said the MDC Alliance would support any call for democratic change.

Watch video below:

By A Correspondent- A Zimbabwean nurse, Sheila Magudu was attacked at NHS by a colleague with a hospital bed pan leaving her paralysed.

However, the case was swept under the carpet and the victim, a single mother of four is yet to get justice 9 years on.

Said Sheila’s son:

“She was attacked by another nurse and she is now unable to work. To date, there is no justice and nothing was done to the pepetrator. The hospital management doctored a complaint, reports have not passed the information up the chain where it is supposed to go.

We have been encouraged by the movement #BlackLivesMatter. It looks like there is a lot of cover-up where the pepetrator is being protected. We have since launched a campaign called Justice for Sheila Magudu. We are desperate for help. The management at the hospital claimed that they knew nothing about it since some of them are new.”

Watch the video

Farai Dziva| High Court Judge Justice Neville Wamambo has granted Ephraim Mutombeni RTGS $1000 bail.

Mutombeni will report to CID Masvingo once once per month, according to his lawyer Martin Mureri.

Mutombeni was arrested and detained for allegedly undermining the office of the President.Mutombeni is the director of MACRAD Trust.

In a statement MACRAD Trust said:
“Our Director E Mutombeni
has just been granted $ 1000 rtgs bail by High Court Judge Justice Wamambo . We thank
@ZLHRLawyers Masvingo community, the Shangaan people and CSOs and Church leaders in Masvingo for the solidarity despite cold weather.”

By A Correspondent- Two money changers in Harare were robbed of their US $12 000 at gunpoint by 3 gunmen last Thursday.

This was revealed by ZRP national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who said:

Two men who wanted to engage in illegal foreign currency dealings were robbed at gunpoint by three men in a red Honda Fit on July 2. The robbers’ vehicle blocked the Toyota Allion vehicle that was being used by illegal money changers along Masotsha Ndlovu Way, Waterfalls, Harare.

The robbers pointed a pistol at the complainants, demanding cash. The suspects then searched the vehicle and got away with US$12 000.

The police also warned members of the public to receive money from authorized dealers as they said backyard money changers have sprouted during the lockdown and people risk getting robbed as they solicit these backyard money dealers’ services.

More: Daily News

The announcement comes following the arrest of striking nurses this morning at Harare Hospital.

Several nurses and doctors, including their union leaders were arrested as they protested their paltry US$30 monthly salaries.

Watch video asthe anti riot police details were deployed to quell the protest…

In Bulawayo, the nurses and doctors were also demonstrating Monday morning.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.

By Farai D Hove | Barely 6 months after Emmerson Mnangagwa announced that MDC Alliance members in Kuwadzana will have soldiers deployed on them to punish them “for stopping the rain,” literally, an MDC A member Munyaradzi Rumbi has been assaulted by military servicemen.

Mr Rimbi was at the time, traveling from a successful meeting in Mutare.

“Rimbi was assaulted by soldiers in Kuwadzana and dumped in Dzivarasekwa,” the MDC Alliance spokesman Womberai Nhende said.

This is a developing story covering how the Manicaland Youth Secretary General was brutally assaulted in Kuwadzana after coming from the well attended program in Manicaland.

The development comes at a time when the MDC renegade Douglas Mwonzora, hoping to dislodge the MDC Alliance party of both its assets and members, has lost support in most provinces, as his congress date draws nigh.

It also comes at a time when Mwonzora was assisted by military personnel to invade the MDC Alliance’s Harvest House office at the beginning of June 2020. Contacted for a comment, Mwonzora denied using soldiers against the MDC Alliance, saying they are simply assisting the police during lockdown. VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Addressing residents in Kuwadzana, Harare in January 2020, President Emmerson Mnangagwa unwittingly exposed how he deploys the army to beat up civilians.

He was speaking about lengths the government goes to in order to secure food for the country due to the ongoing drought during a national clean up campaign event on Friday.

Mnangagwa was lamenting how it is not in his power to do anything about the rains.

He expressed how he wished that the situation could have been different and the authorities could target people behind the dry spell.

He said that in such a scenario if the authorities suspect that the people of Kuwadzana are behind the dry spell then he would just deploy the military to surround the area and beat up everyone in it.

Said Mnangagwa:

Own Correspondent

MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora says he failed to work with MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa accusing him of being dictator and failing to follow laid down laws.

In an interview with the SABC over the weekend, Mwonzora said his fallout with Chamisa was that the latter was unwilling to follow the party’s constitution and a court order.

“He is refusing to follow a simple court order. He is refusing to follow the constitution of the party. For me, constitutions are not there for decoration, they are there to be followed, and if you follow your constitution, you can convince Zimbabweans and the world at large that you are a candidate fit to follow the national Constitution.

“The other difference is to allow Robert Mugabe’s henchmen to take an active part in the party. I respectfully disagree with that. My differences with Honourable Chamisa are not personal, they are differences on the basis of principles,” said Mwonzora.

He also dismissed as “totally rubbish”, reports that the MDC-T had turned to be a Zanu PF and Mnangagwa project meant to destabilise the opposition.

“That is totally rubbish. We have developed a difference in opinion over a simple matter to the court judgment, disregarding the constitution. That does not make us Zanu PF. We have nothing to do with Zanu PF.

“So what you see is a fight between forces of democracy and forces of conservatism, dictatorship. We hope to have our extraordinary congress and put this fight behind us.”

Watch video downloading below.

By A Correspondent- When Zimbabwe suspended trading on its stock exchange last week, James Hove was left with no access to the funds he needs to conduct his business.

Like many wealthy Zimbabweans, Hove invests in the local stock market. Not for the value he sees in the companies whose stocks trade on it, but as a hedge against surging consumer prices: while annual inflation is running at 786%, the benchmark Zimbabwe Stock Exchange industrial index has risen sevenfold this year.

The authorities halted trade because they say speculation, and the use of dual-traded stocks as an indicator of the future exchange rate, are undermining the nation’s currency.

“I’m locked out and I’m not sure how this is legal,” Hove, a 48-year-old property trader, said by phone from Harare, the capital. “They’ve just tied up money I really need right now. How can they do this?”

The shutdown of the stock exchange and the suspension of large mobile-money transactions, ordered by the country’s security chiefs, is the latest measure that robs investors in Zimbabwe, both local and foreign, of the certainty needed to make decisions.

Since 2000, when the government began encouraging the violent takeover of white-owned commercial farms, investors have faced the sudden seizure of assets and bouts of hyperinflation. They’ve also suffered a chaotic currency regime that’s in turn seen the abolition of the local currency, its reinstatement a decade later, and overnight conversions of U.S. dollar holdings in local banks into Zimbabwe dollars.

Throughout that period, and indeed since independence in 1980, the country has been ruled by the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front.

The stock market, which in contrast to the cratering economy has often surged, has been seen as a store of value. Now that’s gone too.

“It’s a clear indication that Zimbabwe’s economy is not normal,” said Tara O’Connor, executive director at London-based Africa Risk Consulting.

“The ZSE was the last facade of any normal economic activity. But in closing it, ZANU-PF locks Zimbabwe in — capital and all.”

The closing of the bourse is likely to further complicate the administration’s attempt to drag the economy out of a two-decade slump.

Don’t Panic

“Investors shouldn’t panic,” said Clive Mphambela, a spokesman for the Treasury. “The market will certainly reopen.”

Justin Bgoni, the chief executive officer of the exchange, said he is working on “getting this out of the way” as quickly as possible.

With his popularity waning, former President Robert Mugabe in 2000 encouraged subsistence farmers to invade the commercial farms that produced much of the country’s exports in the form of tobacco, roses and paprika. What followed was a downward economic and political spiral.

A scarcity of foreign exchange hollowed out Zimbabwe’s mining and manufacturing industries as businesses struggled to buy inputs and spares.

The country’s central bank began printing additional bank notes to meet government costs and the currency tanked, leading to inflation of 500 billion percent in 2008 and the scrapping of the Zimbabwe dollar in 2009.

Desperate Population

With an increasing proportion of the desperate population supporting the opposition, Mugabe stayed in power through a series of elections marred by violence and irregularities.

While he was removed by the military in November 2017, his replacement Emmerson Mnangagwa has failed to make good on pledges to revive the economy.

Multilateral lenders such as the International Monetary Fund have refused to offer the country more money until it pays arrears on $8 billion of foreign debt and enacts promised political reforms.

Food and fuel shortages are commonplace, civil servants take home a 10th of what they earned two years ago and many Zimbabweans depend on remittances from relatives who have left the country.

“Our intention is to move expeditiously in our reform program,” government spokesman Nick Mangwana said in response to questions.

“But we have to face the reality that structural and cultural reforms are not an overnight event. There are always unforeseen challenges which slow down the process.”

The local currency, pegged at parity with the U.S. dollar as recently as February 2019, trades officially at 64 to the greenback, but the rate on the black market is more than 100.

Zimbabweans lay the blame firmly at the door of the government.

“They took the farms, then they looted bank accounts, then they told platinum miners to relinquish half their claims,” said John Robertson, an independent economist in Harare.

“What they’re saying is we own everything and we can take it.

-Bloomberg

This is a developing story. refresh this page for latest updates.

FINANCE and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has said economic policies put in place by Government are sound but the economy was being sabotaged.

The minister said it was unsustainable to allow the black market to lead foreign currency trading hence Government introduced the forex auction system.

Minister Ncube told senators during Thursday’s Senate Question and Answer session that the currency auction system is meant to bring price stability.

“We are doing various things. Firstly, we have increased civil servants salaries by 50 percent and this is temporary cushion while normal adjustment is taking place as we speak. It is on the table. We have also added an allowance which is the US$75 for all the civil servants and again, that is meant to be an inflation protector during this difficult time,” he said.

“That is what we are doing but the negotiations on salaries are going on as we speak. This is just a gesture from the employer to the employee to cushion them against vagaries of inflation. To be clear, the saboteurs are the people in the parallel market and not the policies.”

He said Government was addressing civil servants’ welfare through various cushioning measures while salary negotiations were in progress. “The intention is to give leadership to the market and then stabilise the market in the process. Once the market is stable, the movement of prices will also be curtailed thereby slowing down inflation. That is really the intention of the auction system, to give better price discovery,” said Prof Ncube.

He said Government was prioritising the productive sectors in its forex allocations.

Prof Ncube said people have been allowed to buy using foreign currency as part of measures to allow forex to circulate in the formal system thereby easing pressure on the local currency as well.

“We allowed it during this Covid-19 period for two reasons. First, to give consumers and citizenry flexibility when they go about shopping and paying for goods and services and secondly, as a way to manage money supply growth by allowing into circulation and transaction activity what you already have in your pockets,” said Prof Ncube.

-State Media

Own Correspondent

Vice President Mohadi has sensationally exposed the ruling ZANU PF party’s shortcomings in running the country saying that the party leadership only knew how to run bottle stores and general dealers and never the economy.

Mohadi said this while addressing a Zanu PF meeting in Gwanda on Saturday blaming the white colonizers for never teaching them the knowledge of how to run the economy.

Mohadi was trying to address the issue of economic deterioration when he made the declaration on his party’s shortcomings.

Watch video below as produced by the state run ZBC News.

Nurses at Mpilo hospital have escalated their push for salary increment by staging another demonstration at their workplace today.

Watch video below recorded by CITE

By Jeoffrey Ncube| The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) is hoping to achieve its target despite the impact on production caused by Covid-19.

This comes after the global economy was negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and ZCDC had to cancel all international diamond tenders since the introduction of worldwide travel restrictions-imposed to curb the spread of the pandemic.

According to the ZCDC’s Head of Public Relations Sugar Chagonda, the company has since deployed innovative marketing strategies in view of the obtaining challenges.
 
“The company like many other organisations has been facing a myriad of challenges owing to this unfortunate situation.

“The pandemic affected our planned diamond sales as you know most of our buyers come from around the globe.

“However, ZCDC has since deployed innovative marketing strategies in view of the obtaining challenges.
“We are glad that the salaries you mentioned are being paid and the arrears no longer stand at four months, and production is underway, ” he said.

Chagonda added that the company is working closely with their partners including the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) to ensure that they convert the current stocks into liquidity.

“It’s a situation our employees and stakeholders are well abreast of as we keep them well informed.

“The impact of the afore-mentioned market disruptions has resulted in serious cashflow challenges which has consequently affected the company’s working capital position and production capacity.

“These challenges notwithstanding, ZCDC has been exploring and implementing various strategies to adapt to the market change (new normal) and ensure operational sustainability through these challenging times.
 
“Despite the impact to production, ZCDC is making efforts to ensure that the disruption to operations is minimised and hopes to achieve set targets if the situation continues on a positive trajectory in terms of both the local and global response to the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

 Although diamond prices vary according to the 4Cs , Carat, Clarity, Cut and Colour, the average  global diamond prices averaged USD100 per carat in 2019 ( total value realized from sell of rough diamonds globally/ total carats produced).

The Covid-19 outbreak started at the beginning of the year before most producers had held their main tenders or sight sales.

Owing to the currently obtaining market disruptions caused by Covid-19 most producers have suspended sales with the biggest players, ALROSA and De Beers allowing their sight holders to defer purchases. 

It is estimated that on average global diamond prices have reduced by 30% but the major players who control over 70% of the global production have resorted to a strategy to maintain their prior year prices and limit volumes while they survive or alternative funding.

According to Chagonda, ZCDC has had to suspend sales due to low demand as end users and producers were currently not purchasing diamonds owing to the ongoing market disruptions.

“It is anticipated that prices will recover when normal trading resumes as indicated by the positive spending patterns picked from China after the nationwide lockdown was lifted. 

“ZCDC also intends to take advantage of this expected market development by having a presence in both local and international markets.

“We are yet to resume normal diamond tenders locally although we have received interest from some of our traditional clients interested in purchasing some parcels during this period,” he said.

We publish below the video that allegedly got the ZBC workers in soup: