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By A Correspondent- The trial of former cabinet minister Prisca Mupfumira has kicked off with both Mupfumira and her then Permanent Secretary Mr Ngoni Masoka pleading not guilty to all charges laid against them.

Mupfumira who is facing multiple charges of corruption involving US$ 95 million, is on record pleading with the court for a postponment of her trial on the basis that she is mentally unfit to face trial.

The former minister who was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) in July last year is facing corruption charges involving US$95 million.

High Court judge Justice Amy Tsanga later handed Mupfumira a lifeline after granting her $5 000 bail after denying her bail for close to two months. Justice Tsanga also ordered Mupfumira to surrender her passport and any other travel documents and report twice a week to her nearest police station.

She was also ordered to surrender the title deeds of her residence at 51 Fairway Mount Pleasant Harare as well as to continue residing at the same address.

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

ZESA has disconnected over 1500 Stoneridge Harare households from the national power grid after it emerged that a former employee of an approved contractor made the connections without following the normal procedures.

According to the state media, a contractor Luckstone Concrete.was hired by the residents to connect electricity in the area but some residents felt the charges were too high and hired one of Luckstone Concrete’s former employees Peni Jaison who connected them using leftover material from his employer.

Yesterday people from ZESA loss control and ZRP officers spoke to Stoneridge residents and explained why they were disconnecting them.

Stoneridge residents’ chairperson for Cluster R, Mr Alfred spoke to the publication about the illegal connections and said:

Before we paid the money, some of the residents later felt that the company had breached our contract and that is when we engaged Peni Jaison. We didn’t know that he had been fired by the company.

Meanwhile, Jaison’s former employer, Luckstone Concrete’s MD Mr Melvin Gwishiri said residents were aware that Jaison was fired in July last year before they engaged him to connect them:

They were aware that he (Jaison) had been fired from our company and maybe the reason they contracted him was that he could have lured them by charging them less for his services. This could be the reason they took a shortcut probably for their own benefit but now they realise that the shortcut they took is more expensive than what they thought it could be.

The illegal connections were discovered by Luckstone which alerted the police. Meanwhile, Jaison is in hiding after his misconduct was discovered.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Chaos rocked the start of the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) June “O” and “A” Level examinations which started yesterday, with teachers’ unions claiming government hired “villagers and ancillary staff ” to invigilate the public examinations after most of their members boycotted over poor working conditions.

The unions said in addition to having to contend with poor salaries, government failed to put in place measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 during the exams.

On Monday, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) accused government of failing to set up logistics to transport teachers to the new examination centres.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou yesterday told NewsDay that

schools in rural areas had resorted to hiring villagers to supervise the examinations, raising questions about the integrity of the examinations.

At Vhembe Secondary School in Matabeleland South province, district officials invigilated the examinations, while in other areas including Zvishavane, Mberengwa, Karoi, Mutare, Uzumba, Maramba and-PFungwe, parents were hired to invigilate the examinations after teachers failed to turn up.

School development committee members were reportedly invited to scout for people with at least five “O” Level passes, who were hurriedly interviewed to take up posts as invigilators.

“It was a mess, and it is terrible,” Zhou said.

“Other headmasters have told pupils to pay US$1 every day they are writing so that the schools can have money to pay the hired invigilators.”

He added: “There are reports from the rural areas of schools that enticed some villagers to come and invigilate under the supervision of at least a teacher in every class and some heads have sent an SOS through Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) for villagers with 5 ‘O’ Levels to report to schools for consideration as invigilators.

“We are also aware that some individuals are being called in with the promise of jobs and schools have also called ancillary staff to invigilate. Teachers in administration and some heads of departments have reported to schools because they receive money for managing exams.”

Many “O” Level candidates, Zhou said, who also registered for November failed to turn up, opting to write at the end of the year when possibly COVID-19 would be under control.

“About a third of those who registered in November failed to turn up. Another sad development was recorded in schools in border areas, where some candidates just sneaked in from other countries and went straight into examination rooms with others. It is terrible,” he said.

“In other areas like Matabeleland South, there were no sanitisers and infrared thermometers were not available. One school approached the nearest health centre, which demanded five litres of fuel every morning to go and take candidates’ temperatures before they get into the examination room.”

Most candidates, who failed to come, were afraid of contracting the coronavirus due to lack of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Most of them also cited high transport costs and non-availability of transport to examination centres as well as exorbitant daily boarding charges.

Candidates are reportedly being made to pay US$5 a day boarding fees to cover running costs.

Teachers last week urged the government to ensure that coronavirus is totally brought under control before the opening of schools as they cannot afford to experiment with their lives.

“The government has gone ahead with the June examinations without (meeting) the requisite standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and this is going to be disastrous for the nation. As teachers, we have been very clear and we are not going to turn up for invigilation until our concerns are met.”

But Zimta chief executive Sifiso Ndlovu said:

“Teachers have not boycotted the invigilation, they agreed to it with the promise that they are going to get personal protective equipment (PPE). However, the equipment is not available in other schools.

“Several schools have started the examinations without masks or sanitisers, with some having 500ml for the whole school, which is not enough.”

Government on Monday assured the nation that necessary measures would be put in place to ensure the safety of candidates and invigilators.

These included provision of thermometers, disinfectants, face masks, washing facilities and sanitisers to all examination centres to protect against COVID-19.

Zimsec spokesperson Nicky Dhlamini, however, said the examinations went on well and the turnout of teachers was “impressive”.

“The turnout of teachers was very good,” she said.

She denied allegations by teacher unions that there was chaos and challenged the groups to bring evidence to support the allegations.

“Examinations are run by Zimsec, if we found that there were no invigilators, we could have shut down the examinations. But we did not because our monitors did not give us such a report. The allegations are false,” she said.

Primary and Secondary Education minister Cain Matema was not picking calls, but Cabinet last night claimed that the standard operating procedures for the prevention and management of COVID-19 had been established as public examinations commenced.

It also approved partial opening of restaurants and local hunting operations.

However, a teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the government was risking their lives and was not being honest with them.

“There are no sanitisers and disinfectants in schools contrary to what the minister said,” the teacher said.

“Our minister lied on the news. How are we going to be helped if they continue lying like this?

“PPEs are not there and thermometers for screening are not available as well, so how should we be safe in these conditions? To make matters worse, they are even telling parents to ensure the safety of their children undertaking June examinations,” he said.

-newsday

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has maintained last week’s fuel prices.

According to ZERA, petrol will continue to sell at zwl$71.62 while diesel will be sold at zwl$62.77.

By A Correspondent- Police details this morning dispersed striking Pepsi workers.

The workers, totalling about 500 are reportedly earning a paltry ZW$700 monthly.

However, ZimEye is in possession of the salary schedule for Indians at the firm whose salaries are in United States dollars.

Below is a schedule:

Said one worker:

“….we have been asking for a pay rise since time immemorial to no avail….from our salaries, one can only buy 5kgs of mealie meal and some tomatoes and that money is finished. The money is equivalent to US$8.”

One of the worker revealed that the company is owned by Indians and one of them is named Rajiv Jaipuriya.

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ZimEye is currently contacting management and shareholders at the company for a comment.

We publish below a notice of intention to strike by the workers.

TO:
Cc: Varun Beverages Zimbabwe Limited Management
DATE: 25 June 2020
RE: STATE OF AFFAIRS OF LOCAL HUMAN RESOURCES AT VARUN BEVERAGES ZIMBABWE LIMITED

INTRODUCTION

It is with great discontent and exasperation that we as the human resources at Varun Beverages Zimbabwe Limited (VBZL), highlight the misfortunes under which the company is operating.

This informative letter seeks to clearly and plainly expose the umbrella of economic, social and political brutality which the “investor” is under. This issues highlighted in this report are of deep concern, as signified by emerging trends of abuse, racism, economic and social victimization of local Zimbabweans at foreign owned companies in particular VBZL.

Our country leadership has opened up both the democratic and economic space to allow for mutual beneficiation of stakeholder countries through creating shared value.

It is surprising to note that VBZL has unfortunately mistaken this initiative to go on a rampage looting spree, simultaneously leaving behind a trail of malcontention and destruction through the following:

1. Victimization/Racial Discrimination/Human Rights Violation
   It is apparently clear that the 2 races (Zimbabweans & Indians) are failing to cohabitate and co-exist under the current scenario. This is because the Indians view themselves as “warlords,” using intimidative techniques & extremely abusive language at plant workers and employing autocratic/military style tactics to run a beverage manufacturing company. At this rate, if let to go scot-free, a tragic case (similar to the one involving a purported Chinese investor and 2 Zimbabwean workers) can be experienced at the company. On the 21st of June, Zhang Xuelin shot dead 2 natives over a salary dispute in Gweru. Earlier on this year, the executive chairman of ZESA, Sydney Gata, recommended a remedy of repatriating Chinese managers who are abusing workers at Sino Hydro Corporation. The Indians at VBZL are exercising gross human rights violation. Several workers are prepared to come forward and testify against a bucket-load of on-going incidents especially from managers which include Suresh Paul (Engineering Manager), Vikas Chandra (Production Manager) and Sunil Bhatt (Factory Manager).These 3 men are causing unrest and havoc and workers are immediately and unanimously calling upon their repatriation. Racism and human rights violation is a strong moral issue among Zimbabweans.
2. Extremely Low Remuneration
   It’s disheartening to realize that VBZL has become an architect of economic slavery in Zimbabwe. Though our forefathers went to war to resist colonial power, little did they know that the imperialist would return under the guise of “investing.” We as workers at VBZL are suffering from humiliating and embarrassing salaries. As if it’s not enough, those who ask for salary adjustments are seen as rebels and are immediately ear-marked for contract termination.
   Yet, in every street corner a case of VBZL drinks are being sold for amounts between 4.60 USD to 5 USD and the factory is producing between 42000 to 49000 cases on a daily basis even during the winter period. The employees themselves cannot even dare to buy these drinks as this amount will considerably consume a large percentage of their disproportionate salaries.
   The surprising fact is that the company enjoys recruiting skilled technocrats whom they term to be desperate and have nowhere else to go. The majority of workers have volunteered to bring forth their payslips and prove the figures. Soon after earning the humiliating salaries (which are credited at the pleasure of management ) ,the workers scatter in different directions to secure foreign currency to pay for standard living costs such as rentals ,food and childrens’ tuition fees. The company enjoys hiding behind the NEC stipulated figures which obviously do not work and are a mere joke for a serious business. In as much as price controls and interbank rate controls have proved to be fruitless in Zimbabwe, so does salary control through NEC.
   When it comes to NON-NEC workers, salaries are equally pathetic because they are decided upon by Indian managers against unknown benchmarks. It is impossible to sustain a family whilst working at VBZL under these circumstances .The amounts cannot simply add up. That is the reason why VBZL has got a very high labour turnover rate. With management, hiring and firing is like a game of cards to them. Quantitative analysis will show that the total labour force at VBZL is not out of norms such that if we were to calculate productivity per capita (production contribution per person), the ratio will be so favorable to the company. Why does company want to pretend as if the product is not being sold in USD? After every 30 days, we are severely worn out through chasing parallel market rates which are endlessly rising. We as workers will even be very happy to receive our salary in the form of product. We can easily form our own consortium, sell the product, and pay ourselves in USD. Most companies have developed both an RTGS and USD component for salaries because they understand the local scenario very well and they value their human resources .Is this the case with VBZL? Why does the product price increase 3 times before salary is increased 1 time? If management values its human resources, why is this problem persisting?
3. Selective payment of USDs to Indians
   It is then baffling and bewildering to realize that Indian managers and Indian machine operators are allocating themselves hefty dual USD and RTGS salaries. There is no secret to this because the workers have seen many of their salaries which are in their thousands. Indians live comfortable lives in Zimbabwe, with lucrative allowances for food, transport and accommodation. They have so much surplus to the extent that the biggest percentage of the money is repatriated back to New Dehli, Bombay, Mumbai, Chennai and their different home provinces. What costs do the Indians incur which are not incurred by Zimbabweans? If Indians are getting hefty salaries in both USD and RTGS, Zimbabwean workers can also handle salaries in USD and RTGS.
4. Managerial & Technical Roles
   Zimbabweans are occupying non-managerial, non-technical and non-rewarding roles in VBZL.To a large extent there is no skills development in the company and competency is not required at all. Indians are in charge of everything and have instilled a belief that the Zimbabweans are not able to run the company alone. Management wants to retain milky and lucrative positions for the Indians whilst Zimbabweans are given general roles which they assume deserve very little rewards.
   The Finance head : Indian ,COO : Indian ,Factory Manager : Indian ,Engineering Manager : Indian ,Quality Manager : Indian ,Production Manager : Indian ,Dispatch Manager : Indian ,Stores Manager : Indian and all key technical positions are occupied by Indians. Where are the Zimbabweans? Yet on the contrary, notable companies which have been producing beverages in Zimbabwe for some time now which include Schweppes, Delta Beverages, Dairiboard, Afdis and Probottlers. There is no process nor equipment which VBZL brought to Zimbabwe which is new in the country. What is the game at play here?
   The answer to this is that qualified and competent Zimbabwean technocrats are not wanted at all by the company. Management wants to create an Indian dynasty which feeds on hefty salaries.
5. Duration of Contracts, employment termination, Improper grading, working Hours
   How does a company which has employed individuals for more than a year, then start to develop short term contracts which are pegged at 3 months? Which local labour law are they using? At the same time, there are no employment termination procedures practiced at VBZL.The rights are said to be with the Indians who usually fabricate issues to try and get rid of the intelligent ones.
   These poor workers have been working every single day, being given no breathing space, and are labelled as criminals when they decide to give themselves off-days.
   A company the size of VBZL strives to run along with a non-flexible 3 -shift system, where it is essential to have a 4-shift system. As they work, most of them don’t even know their grades. They are told that they are not machine operators yet they are actually operating the machines. Why are they not given acting allowance in this regard?
   The whole human resources management system needs an overhaul. Indian managers have no idea of how Human Resources procedures are structurally executed and they do not bother to consult the Human Resources Department on local matters .In fact, the Human Resources Manager (a Zimbabwean by default) got so frustrated and left the organization due to incapacitation and being rendered irrelevant.
6. Creating Shared Value (CSV)
   It is apparently clear that there is a major difference in business principles and ethics between the franchisor (PepsiCo.) and the franchisee (VBZL).Recently, PepsiCo acquired Pioneer Foods in South Africa through a R26 bn deal. Of particular importance to note, are the terms and conditions which are packaged in the deal .Due to functional Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies in South Africa, workers will greatly benefit from the strategic alliance. Workers will get shares worth R1.6 bn through a locally held workers trust, which will pay dividends to workers. Programmes such as supplier development funds, entrepreneurship development funds and scholarship are all benefiting locals through the deal. Instead of Indians bragging about the organization and claiming that they are politically connected, they should take corporate notes from PepsiCo and learn how to formulate and apply business policies in foreign markets. One thing for sure is that the Indians have great respect for PepsiCo and would never want to mess up the franchisor in any way. Workers have no benefits to talk about through association with VBZL and the company shows no interest at all in creating shared value.

CONCLUSION
The highlighted issues have forced workers to come together and directly confront VBZL. There are no established dialogue channels in the company and management is vividly keen to quickly suppress any worker complaints issues. All issues highlighted in this report are factual and precise.

In fact, our brothers and sisters in Zambia had already seen the traits of the same company and in July of 2017 they protested with anger and bitterness against oppression. We here at VBZL are also tired of the company mistreatment and mismanagement.

We are highly civilized and do not believe in violence as a tool of expression. We are prepared to meet with management at the table and strongly believe that our government and PepsiCo are ready to engage and act in a professional manner.
Regards
VBZL Workers.

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

The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) public examinations started yesterday with candidates expressing satisfaction with the level of Covid-19 preparedness at examination centres.

Ordinary level candidates sat for English Paper 1 in the morning and Combined Science Paper 1 in the afternoon.

Advanced Level candidates wrote Literature in English Paper 1 in the morning and Chemistry Paper 1 in the afternoon.

A majority of the candidates were supplementing previously failed subjects.

The candidates said the schools had adequately prepared following Covid-19 prevention measures while teachers’ unions said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had not done enough to get schools ready for the public examinations.

Miss Grace Moyo, who was writing Combined Science at Mpopoma High School, said the school told them to arrive 45 minutes before the actual sitting.

“This was to allow for sanitisation of hands, among other issues that relate to Covid-19. When we arrived at the school, they recorded our personal details, where we stay, cellphone numbers among other things,” said Miss Moyo, who aspires to study Accounting at Bulawayo Polytechnic.

She said she initially wrote her O-Levels in 2018 before relocating to South Africa.

Miss Moyo said it was difficult to prepare for the examination due to Covid-19 as she could not study with other candidates.

“After that we were sanitised and face masks were given to those who did not have them. I think they did everything that is required to ensure that no one is exposed to Covid-19. Soon after writing the examination, we were told to leave the premises,” said Miss Ncube.

He expressed satisfaction with the level of Covid-19 adherence at school.

In Gweru, examinations commenced as scheduled amid concerns from Zimta that not all schools had adhered to Covid-19 prevention measures.

While most urban schools have been producing PPEs, rural schools across the Midlands province were found wanting as pupils were forced to bring their own face masks.

Transport was another challenge as there were no Zupco buses or commuter omnibuses designated for pupils going to schools such as Fletcher, Chaplin and Thornhill high schools from suburbs such as Mkoba and Senga in Gweru.

“Learners didn’t have transport and we hope tomorrow it will be there. We asked for a thermometer from the local clinic because we can’t afford one but we are glad the examinations went on well,” said a headmaster from a school in Mkoba suburb, on condition of anonymity.

In Matabeleland South, Provincial Education Director, Mr Bernard Mazambani said the province had 81 examination centres with public tests being conducted without incident.

“As a province we ensured that we were prepared for the opening of schools for examination writing. We have teams moving around schools monitoring the process and we haven’t received reports of problems. Social distancing is being observed at our examination centres. We have set up a number of points where candidates can sanitise their hands to avoid delays and invigilators were adequately trained,” said Mr Mazambani.

“Temperatures are being checked at all centres. We got 40 more thermometers in addition to those which were bought by institutions and those provided by the Ministry of Health and Child Care which has enabled us to use more than one thermometer at centres with many candidates.”

In Matabeleland North, examinations started well in Hwange District. Zimsec had to settle for Chamabondo Primary School as an alternative centre as Mosi-oa-Tunya High School is being used as a quarantine centre for returning residents.

A news crew visited Chamabondo Primary School and observed conventional and private candidates queued at the gate for temperature check and hand washing. They were all wearing masks while teachers were helping them to maintain social distancing as they filed towards the seven examination rooms set for the exercise.

The candidates had their hands sanitised again in the examination rooms where sitting arrangement was two metres apart.

Mosi-oa-Tunya High School head Mr Roland Sibanda said 208 Ordinary and Advanced level candidates registered with the school for the June examinations.

“We had a challenge notifying all candidates but the majority have come. We’ve some coming from as far as Robins Camp who had a challenge with network as they were locked there but we finally managed to reach them. We’ve tried to enforce all recommended regulations and we are thankful to the municipality because they disinfected the centres yesterday. For the practical examinations, we have been informed that we can use ours at Mosi-oa-Tunya which is a relief because we were wondering how we were going to manage here,” said Mr Sibanda.

His counterpart at Mkhosana Seventh Day Adventist Mr Ndabezinhle Masuku said they addressed the candidates about safety issues before the examination.

Covid-19 education material was distributed and pasted at entrance points at both schools.

Zimta president, Mr Richard Gundani, said the exams went on against their will.

He said no teachers had been tested for Covid-19 yet they went on and conducted the examinations putting the lives of learners at risk.

“Some schools didn’t have PPEs and so in a nutshell, the first phase of reopening of schools was marked with gaps. But we will tag along in spite of all this. As Zimta and other unions we issued a cautionary statement saying this has happened against our advice because not all the schools have totally complied with Covid-19 prevention measures,” said Mr Gundani.

Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Mr Patrick Zumbo said the ministry was satisfied with the first day of public examinations.

“The examination started well and we haven’t heard any concerns from candidates. We are very happy with how the examinations have commenced,” said Mr Zumbo.

-State Media

By A Correspondent- Zanu PF Wedza parliamentary aspirant, Enock Mutonho, has been dragged to court over adultery damages after allegedly confessing that he had an intimate relationship with a soldier’s wife for almost a year.

The complainant, Pedzai Nhachi has approached the High Court claiming $800 000 for loss of consortium and contumelia, plus cost of suit. According to court papers, Nhachi’s wife, Ever Nhachi (nee) Mukutuzi, is a deputy head at a school in Wedza, where she apparently met Mutonho when he visited the school intending to launch a development project in April 2019.

In the summons issued on June 25, 2020 at the High Court in Harare, Nhachi said he confronted Mutonho after intercepting text messages between the two lovebirds and Mutonho allegedly admitted to being involved in the adulterous affair.

“When the plaintiff (Nhachi) caught (discovered) the messages in his wife’s cellphone, he confronted defendant (Mutonho), who admitted having that affair. The plaintiff recorded audio messages where both defendant and plaintiff ‘s wife narrated what they had been doing and how they started their relationship,” Nhachi said in his declaration.

“Despite the fact that defendant was informed about our marriage, he continued having that relationship up to date and that has deprived plaintiff of consortium. The plaintiff was deprived for the whole year and defendant is continuing having that affair.”

Nhachi also said following the confrontation, Mutonho allegedly offered to settle the matter out of court by paying US$6 000.

Part of the acknowledgment of debt, signed by three witnesses and filed alongside the summons, read: “I Enock Mutonho … I promise and undertake to pay the above quoted debt in instalments of the equivalent of US$500 per month without fail until I finish off the US$6 000. First payment will be on April 30, 2020.”

Mutonho is yet to enter appearance to defend and the matter is pending.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Fifteen COVID-19 patients at St Francis of Assisi High School in Chivhu went on a hunger strike on Sunday to force the government to release them, arguing that conditions at the centre were deplorable and would hinder recovery.

The 15 patients – two Chivhu police officers and 13 returnees – were confirmed positive early June and have not been eating since Sunday night.

Chikomba district development co-ordinator Michael Mariga, who is chairperson of the COVID-19 taskforce, said he was not authorised to comment on the issue and referred questions to the provincial development co-ordinator Tavabarira Kutamahufa.

Kutamahufa said he was yet to receive a report on the matter.

“I will get back to you when I get the correct facts,” he said.

However, an official at the school said: “They refused to take food until authorities were summoned to talk to them. It worked and they are taking their meals normally.”

The returnees were placed in quarantine in May before being isolated.

Returnees around the country have raised concern over crowding and lack of basis amenities in most quarantine centres.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Muzarabani South legislator Tapera Saizi and Muzarabani council chairperson Ashton Chiweshe are reportedly embroiled in a  power wrangle emanating from the maize distribution program

Saizi reportedly filed a police report in May to the effect that Chiweshe stole five bags of maize meant for social welfare  and he was arrested.

Chiweshe’s case failed to kick and Saizi teamed up with other Zanu pf big wigs and stormed at police  officer commanding  Guruve district Superitendant Robert Torevasei expressing their reservations.

Torevasei confirmed the case saying their complaints were date back to 2018.

“The delegation came to my office but they were complaining that Chiweshe dubiously allocated inputs in 2018 l then instructed Mvurwi Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to investigate,” said Torevasei.

Saizi is being accused of conducting night meetings with exiled G40 kingpin Saviour Kasukuwere’s members in a bid to further weaken Zanu pf from within through fighting Zanu PF councillors who are loyal to president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Saizi dismissed the claims saying Muzarabani is a peaceful place and there are no fights.

“Muzarabani is a peaceful area there are no fights last week l had a meeting with all councillors and it went on well even our provincial leadership is aware that we are at peace, ” he said.

Quizzed on his fight with Chiweshe and his visit to Guruve police boss, Saizi said it is only Chiweshe who is fighting him and he has issues pending before the courts.

“I only have one councillor who is fighting me and he has issues pending before the courts as for Torevasei’s visit was for me to make a courtesy call since l did not know him we discussed mining issues l was accompanied by Edward Raradza,” he said.

Chiweshe distanced himself from the fight saying he is just a councillor and not eying Saizi’s post.

“I am not fighting anyone because l am just a Councillor and do not have ambitions of being a Member of Parliament,” Chiweshe said.

Meanwhile, Saizi dismissed Kasukuwere’s links as mere lies.

Kasukuwere who hails from Mount Darwin together with his brother Dickson Mafios are still strong in Mashonaland Central province with Zanu PF supporters calling for restructuring exercise in their camp to weed out G40 cabals.

-Online

A VICTORIA FALLS man will forever rue the day he trusted his girlfriend and told her how he was stealing from his employer after she reported her thieving lover to his bosses.

Godfrey Murehwa (51) of Chinotimba suburb, who is a divorcee, was employed as a tailor at Eder Enterprises, a safari business in the resort town.

On 28 May this year, Murehwa stole two canvas folding chairs and one folding table which he intended to sell and recover what his employer owed him in unpaid salaries. He left the loot with a neighbour for safekeeping while he looked for a buyer.

With three minor children, Murehwa also has a love relationship with Donayana Chuma who, however, on 25 June, sold him out and informed his bosses that he had stolen company possessions.

He was arrested the same day and charged with theft. The stolen property was recovered.

Appearing for the State, Sithabile Daka said Murehwa committed the theft at night on 28 May.

“Between 28 and 29 May, Murehwa unlawfully took two folding chairs with canvas and one folding table and went away unnoticed. The matter came to light on 25 June when the company received a tip-off from Murehwa’s girlfriend Donayana Chuma who informed the company’s administrator Emmerson Luwaca that the missing items were stolen by Murehwa,” she said.

The stolen property, valued at $27 075 was recovered from Lora Sibanda’s house where Murehwa had left it for safekeeping.

Victoria Falls magistrate Linda Dzene sentenced Murehwa to eight months in jail before suspending three months on condition of good behaviour.

The remaining five months were suspended on condition Murehwa completes 175 hours community service.

In mitigation, Murehwa told court that he stole the goods because of hunger as he had not been paid his salary.

“They had not paid me my salary as had been agreed and so I wanted to sell the chairs and table so that I get money for my upkeep. I am divorced and am taking care of my three minor children and my sick parents,” he told the court.

Online Sources

Members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have slowly started turning into street vendors across the major cities in Zimbabwe as the economic hardships keep on biting them.

Pictures have started trending online of police officers selling fruits and vegetables across the capital city of Zimbabwe as they try to find a little income to supplement the paltry salary they receive from the state.

This is a sign of the tough times the working class of Zimbabwe is experiencing. Years ago, becoming a policeman was once an occupation many cherished but now they are reduced to vending!

One social media analyst said “It was never supposed to get to this tragic and deplorable point for officers in uniform. But they too have families to feed!”

This all steams from the effects of the looting of public funds. Top government officials in Zimbabwe do not get punished whenever the loot and corruption is rife in the country.

This has reduced all to vagabonds!

A GWANDA police officer has been arrested for allegedly demanding a US$270 bribe from a local miner to stop any police raids.

Blessing Zenya (32) who resides at the ZRP New Camp in Gwanda was not asked to plead when he appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Mr Ndumiso Khumalo facing two counts of extortion.

He was remanded to July 10 on $500 bail.

Zenya was granted bail on condition that he resides at the given address, reports twice a week at Gwanda Urban Police Station and does not interfere with State witnesses. The State was not opposed to bail.

Zenya was represented by Mr McAllister Ncube of T J Mabhikwa and Partners.

Prosecuting, Miss Faith Mutukwa said Zenya approached Mr Noah Chiruka who is a contractor at Flag Mine Block in Esigodini and demanded a bribe in exchange for undisrupted mining operations.

“On a date unknown to the prosecutor but in May at around 6AM Zenya who was in the company of an unknown person went to Flag Mine Block in Esigodini and the two introduced themselves to Mr Chiruka as detectives from the Minerals Unit in Gwanda. Zenya and his accomplice then persuaded Mr Chiruka to give them US$120 in exchange for undisrupted mining operations and he complied,” she said.

“On 25 June Zenya went to Flag Mine Block and demanded US$300 from Mr Chiruka and said it was for the protection of his mine operations as there was an ongoing operation which was targeting hammer mills.

Mr Chiruka handed over US$100 to Zenya who insisted that he wanted US$300.”

Miss Mutukwa said Mr Chiruka gave Zenya an additional US$50 and he left. She said Mr Chiruka alerted his other two counterparts who intercepted Zenya at Quicks Garage in Esigodini and they recovered the US$150.

She said Mr Chiruka reported the matter to the police resulting in Zenya’s arrest.

FULL INTERVIEW FOLLOWS BELOW….

Over the moon reinstated MDC-T Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora has blasted President Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance claiming the youthful leader does not have the capacity to turn the country around.

Mwonzora was speaking in an interview with South African television ENCA.

“Adv Chamisa talks about a revolution, we are not so sure whether he is very serious about that and whether he has got the capacity to sustain that, or to start that in the first place, he has been talking about this for ages.

Watch interview in the video downloading below.

Former Zimbabwe Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri has spoken for the first time about the failed attempt to arrest then Zimbabwe Army General Constantino Chiwenga at Robert Mugabe International Airport.

The ex police boss made the claim in his affidavit to defend the forfeiture of his assets by the state.

He accused police commissioner Godwin Matanga of linking him to the airport story to discredit him from the coup plotters.

It is reported that two weeks from the coup, police officers in plain clothing failed to arrest Chiwenga at the airport. The police were outsmarted by military intelligence officers who had been briefed about the attempt to arrest their boss for plotting a coup. Military officers disguised and dressed as National Handling Services workers made their way into the runway entrance and escorted Chiwenga before arresting the police officers who had been sent by Chihuri. So dramatic were the scenes that the police officers found themselves surrounded by the military and were forced to disarm before being bundled into a van.

The incident is believed to be the reason Chiwenga and Mnangagwa changed their focus from ousting Mugabe at the Zanu PF Congress to plotting a coup. Chiwenga is reported to have called Mugabe as soon as he reached his KG6 office questioning the reasons behind the attempted arrest. Soon after the incident, Chiwenga and his generals addressed a press conference demanding that the President fire criminals in the Zanu PF party among other demands.

Chihuri said Matanga lied to then Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander and now Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga that he (Chihuri) wanted to arrest him upon his return from his China trip at Robert Mugabe International Airport just before the coup.

Chihuri claims Matanga rode on the story to win the loyalty of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces and Army General Chiwenga and consequently be considered for the top police office after the coup.

“This was not so, but a blatant lie to sow the seeds of division and hate between me and the then CDF. Godwin Matanga did all this to secure his position,” he said.

Scores of people have gathered around Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries offices in Cape Town demanding that the church’s leader, Walter Magaya pays back their money he took saying he would construct houses for them.

Watch the video below for more. Please be patient while the video downloads

State Media

Over 42 nurses and 26 student nurses from the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) have been quarantined following the death of a 79-year-old woman who succumbed to Covid-19 last week.

The placement of the UBH nurses and students under quarantine follows the isolation of nearly 200 Mpilo Central Hospital nurses two weeks ago after they came into contact with a positive colleague and three patients.

14 of the Mpilo nurses tested positive for Covid-19.

On Monday, one Covid-19 death was recorded in Bulawayo and it was among the seven new positive cases recorded in the city, the only such cases recorded in the country on that day.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care said the latest Bulawayo death is of a 49-year-old man with a history of travel from South Africa.

His case was among four local transmissions as well as two returnees from South Africa and one from Botswana to make up the seven new Covid-19 cases.

The death of the man brought to three Covid-19 related deaths in Bulawayo.

The first death in the city was recorded in April while the second one was recorded last week at UBH resulting in nurses and student nurses from the health institution being quarantined.

Acting chief executive officer Dr Narcacius Dzvanga confirmed that over 42 nurses had been quarantined following the death of a patient at the institution.

“We continue to sanitise and check temperatures of everyone who comes into the hospital including health workers. So far more than 42 nurses and 26 student nurses have been quarantined and the figures are likely to increase,” said Dr Dzvanga.

He said the hospital continues to take precautionary measures to ensure that health workers are protected as they render services to patients.

In an interview yesterday, acting Bulawayo provincial medical director Dr Welcome Mlilo said all nurses at quarantine centres were asymptomatic. “Results of health care workers in self-quarantine are out and are being issued. These will be captured in the national update in the following days,” he said.

Dr Mlilo said the latest case of a man who died on Monday is one of the four local transmissions, with the deceased’s source of infection not known yet.

“The Covid-19 death is of one local transmission case that was diagnosed at a local hospital and so far, the source of infection remains unknown as investigations are underway. The other three local transmissions, the source of infection is known,” he said.

“Contact tracing starts immediately following a Covid-19 diagnosis being made. This was the case as well with this case. However, the positive result came out when client had already demised.”

Dr Mlilo encouraged Bulawayo residents to cooperate with Rapid Response Teams and to disclose vital information when health workers are conducting their work.

“The contact tracing process is going on well without any unique challenges. We encourage Bulawayo residents to be forthcoming with information and cooperate with Rapid Response Teams and all other frontline workers. It is our collective responsibility to stop the spread of Covid-19 in Bulawayo and the country at large,” said Dr Mlilo.

A UBH nurse who preferred anonymity said the Covid-19 death at the institution that had resulted in nurses being quarantined had shaken them.

“Our job gets riskier with each passing day and there is nothing much we can do as we know there are PPE and test kit shortages in the city,” she said.

A medical practitioner Dr Khayelitsha Dube recently said health workers were more at risk for Covid-19 due to the longer periods they spend with patients in their day to day duties.

“We are more at risk because of the concentration of sick people that we interact with in our duties. What makes it more dangerous is the fact that most people may have Covid-19 but they do not know as they have not yet tested,” said Dr Dube.

Former MDC ally and now Zanu PF Director of Information and Publicity, Tafadzwa ‘Two Boy’ Mugwadi has claimed that working for the ruling party was a ‘calling’ and not a self-enriching move.

Speaking in a social media live broadcast today, Mugwadi said working for Zanu pf was a calling contrary to former Zanu PF national youth political commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu’s allegations that the former student leader was blind to the corruption in government because he was enjoying good perks, which includes a ford ranger vehicle.

“I don’t drive a ford ranger for God’s sake, I don’t have perks that I enjoy and working for this political party (Zanu PF) is a calling unless you are telling that when you worked for the party you wanted to get rich,” said Mugwadi.

Mugwadi accused Tsenengamu of failing to prove with evidence corrupt officials within Zanu PF which led to his dismissal from the party early this year.

Watch video downloading below. Please be patient while the video downloads

In memory of the First Commander in Chief of ZAPU and ZIPRA Forces. In memory of the Father of the Nation.

POLITICAL REPORT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE PATRIOTIC FRONT (ZAPU) Sixth Congress, 12 – 15 October, 1984

Distinguished guests, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Members of the Central Committee and National Executive Committee, Comrade delegates,

I have today the honour and privilege to present to you the Political Report of the Central Committee of the Patriotic Front (ZAPU). In our report we shall present to you, delegates to this Congress, our assessment and analysis of events since our last Congress in 1975 and our proposals for current and future activities of the Party.

Comrades, we are holding our Congress in an independent Zimbabwe for the first time. This is a cause for great pride ‘and joy. We have realised the goal we set ourselves so many years ago. But the great joy we feel over this victory is marred by the deep sorrow and concern that we, and all Zimbabwean patriots, feel over the tragic events which are currently unfolding in our country. We must address ourselves to .these problems with the utmost honesty and frankness. In order to do so, we need to look back and analyse past developments with scientific precision, for the roots of present and future events are always to be found in past history.

One of Africa’s greatest sons, the patriot and revolutionary Amilcar Cabral, who led the people of Guinea-Bissau in their heroic struggle against Portuguese colonialism until his tragic murder in January 1972, left us with many invaluable lessons. One of these was his call to all revolutionaries to “tell no lies and claim no easy victories.” Comrades, we must “tell no lies” nor “claim easy victories”. We must at this Congress, be prepared to subject all the events of the past years to the most rigorous and honest: criticism, examination and evaluation. We must be prepared to criticise ourselves as well as others, in a constructive and revolutionary spirit. The terrible tragedy which is rapidly engulfing our country demands this from us.

THE LESSONS OF EARLY RESISTANCE

Dear Comrades, we wish to begin our report by looking back at same aspects of our past history because we believe in history as a great teacher. There are those who are presently attempting to rewrite a distorted history of Zimbabwe. They do this, we believe, precisely because they do not want the People to learn the lessons of this history. They want the people to repeat the mistakes of the past, because they can only survive and flourish in the chaos and division of these mistakes. When the British imperialists invaded our country nearly 100 years ago, our people first accepted them with the hospitality accorded to all visitors. However, when their intentions to seize our land became clear, the people rose against the invaders and attempted to drive them out. At first our people rose in scattered format ions, and their resistance was put down. The more far-sighted of the people’s leaders however, could see the weaknesses which disunity was causing. They saw that only a united front of the people could resist the colonial invasion; and so they established a united front and the people rose again. This time the united forces of the people almost overwhelmed the usurpers of our land. Only with massive reinforcements and by employing the modern weapons of the time in the most ruthless manner, could the colonial invaders smash the people’s resistance. Although the resistance was defeated at high cost, those who fell fighting colonialism left us a priceless lesson. They taught all future generations that the key to victory is unity.

Today, those who are attempting to write history describe these events in such a way as to avoid, the lesson of unity. Instead they claim the heritage of those historic days for only one section of our population, and in this way they betray the memory of the fallen heroes of those battles. Instead of honouring those heroes by promoting the unity which was achieved at that time, they disgrace the memory of those heroes by promoting division and disunity. Comrades, if we are to be true to the fallen heroes: Nehanda, Mkwati Ncube, Kagubi, Lobengula and others, we must be prepared to speak out and learn from the historic truth of their struggles. This same lesson of unity of the people against oppression and exploitation is to be found throughout the history of our struggle against colonialism. In the period leading up to the formation of the first national organisation of resistance to colonial rule, the workers of Zimbabwe led the way to unity in their struggle to form the first trade unions.

As colonialism developed its hold on our country, mines and factories were opened to enable the imperialists to extract the wealth of Zimbabwe. Our people were forced off the land and into these mines and factories. A class of workers who owned nothing but their own ability to provide labour, was created.

This development in Zimbabwe of a working class was an important foundation for the resurgence of the people’s resistance. Since that tine our workers have continued to provide the people with many outstanding leaders and fighters. The workers have fought many courageous battles and taught the people many useful lessons. One of these lessons was the value of unity. Their experiences in the factories and mines,, in the daily struggles they fought for better wages and living conditions, taught the workers that only by uniting together could they resist the merciless exploitation they suffered, and fight for a better life. Once again far-sighted and revolutionary heroes pointed the way forward. Men like Masotsha Ndlovu brought the message of workers’ unity from their experiences in the struggles in South Africa, and worked tirelessly to build a united trade union movement in Zimbabwe.

The first achievement was to establish the Industrial and Commercial Union’ (ICU) in Zimbabwe, which laid the basis for workers organisation. In so doing, they taught us once again the lesson that unity is the key to victory, and they laid the foundation for a united national resistance to colonialism. On another front, men like Benjamin Burombo sought to unite educated Zimbabweans through his efforts in the African People’s Voice Association. Later the early African. National Congress and the City Youth League also struggled to unite the people to fight against colonialism. The experience of all these early struggles created the conditions in which the people learned the vital need for unity. These lessons found their first national expression in the resuscitation of the African National Congress in 19.57.

The main strength of the ANC was in the towns. We soon realised that we needed the whole people to be united in the struggle. Because of our dispossession from the land, the peasants have always resisted colonial rule. Now they needed to be mobilised into organised struggle. The ANC set itself the task, of bringing all. The people together to fight colonial, oppression. All these lessons culminated in the formation of the National Democratic Party in 1960 which can be said to be the first truly united national organisation of the Zimbabwean people. In the NDP we recognised no tribe, race or creed. The NDP stood for true national unity and put these policies into practice. Against the people’s efforts to build unity, ‘we were faced with constant attempts by the colonial regime to create division and mistrust. The imperialist powers too, worried by the growing threat our unity ‘posed to their plunder of our country, began to make feverish efforts to disrupt and divide us. Comrades, history is a tough taskmaster. If we are to use history as a’ weapon for our struggles, we must tell the truth fearlessly whatever the consequences. It must be said therefore, that the decision of certain elements to split the movement in 1963, played right into the hands, of the colonial oppressors. Comrades, differences within the liberation movement are bound to occur. The question is how to resolve them. As we have always said, differences between the people must be solved by discussion and persuasion, not by conflict. By splitting the movement, the ZANU leaders threw the people into conflict – a tragic conflict for which we are still paying the ghastly price over 20 years later. Whatever is being said today, history has shown us only too clearly that a terrible and fearful mistake was made in l963.

THE TURN TO ARMED STRUGGLE

Dear Comrades, I should now like to turn to another aspect of our – history. And again I would like to recall Almicar Cabral’s call to us all to “tell no lies and claim no easy victories.” We need to report to you on the decision to take up arms and prosecution of the armed struggle. We do so because at our previous Congress we could .not discuss this question openly and frankly due to the prevailing colonial repression. We also wish to report on this matter because it has been a major victim of the campaign of distortion to which our history is being subjected. Comrades, at the outset, I should like to advise you that our ability to report fully on this matter is still, even today, restricted. This is the result of the confiscation of the Party’s records by government. The entire documented record of our prosecution of the struggle was seized by the government in March 1982, and up to today it has neither been returned to us nor made available to the people. This is another aspect of the campaign to distort history, and a most disgraceful and dishonest act.

In passing, I should also like to make another point about these records. It has been repeatedly alleged by certain elements in the leadership of ZANU that after independence we were preparing a coup or rebellion against the government. Why then did we bring back into Zimbabwe these archives, which contained all the military records of the Party, up to and including the copies of orders issued to ZIPRA for cease fire? More than that, they also contained the complete personnel records of ZIPRA and details of deployment of ZIPRA forces. If we were preparing any military action against the government, we would never have brought back into Zimbabwe our military records, because they would have been vulnerable to seizure and could have revealed our military secrets. But, we had nothing to hide and that is why we openly returned with our records. I should also like to add that in our desire to ensure that the true history of the struggle was told, we instructed two ZIPRA officers to begin compiling a factual history of ZIPRA activities soon after independence. In fact it had been agreed that ZIPRA, ZANLA and the Rhodesian army should co-operate in producing a complete and factual history of the war. Neither ZANLA nor the Rhodesians took any steps to implement this decision. ZIPRA did take action and the two officers instructed to carry out this project were doing so right up to the moment when the archives were seized. Even today, we are most anxious that the true history of our struggle for national liberation should be told to the nation. We believe this history belongs to the people, and not to a group of individuals. The people have a right to their history and are entitled to learn from it.

In this spirit we should like to deny most emphatically the current claim that the armed struggle began in 1966 at the “Battle of Chinhoyi.” Whilst we in no way wish to belittle the actions of the comrades who died in this battle, the true facts of the beginnings of the armed struggle must be placed on record. The decision to take up arms against the colonial regime was neither easy nor uncontroversial. – It was a decision taken after we bad realised that all other methods of struggle against colonial rule were leading nowhere. Among our Youth were those comrades who had already by 1960, decided that violence had to be employed against the colonial regime. They were untrained and more or less unarmed. So they turned’ to simple methods of sabotage which did not require sophisticated weapons or training. These comrades, including some of you present today, carried out a courageous campaign of simple sabotage, and although this campaign did not succeed in dislodging the regime, it was extremely important in reactivating the people’s tradition of armed resistance to the colonial settler regime. This sabotage campaign of 1960-61 marks the true beginning of the armed struggle in Zimbabwe. Many of us still remember the names General Chedu and General Hokoyo which marked many of these early attacks against the colonial regime. We sent the first comrades out of the country for training in 1961. The first groups including Sikwili Moyo, Zephania Sihwa, Mark Nziramasanga, Philemon Makonese and David Mpongo, returned to embark on operations in 1962. During this early period, we were mainly concerned with carrying out training missions and obtaining arms. By the time ZANU split the movement, we were already in the advanced stages of preparing to carry out armed attacks inside the country. In fact some unplanned incidents had already taken place. During this time Comrades Manyonga and Velaphi became the first to be arrested for carrying out attacks on the regime. It is now being said that ZANU split from ZAPU because they were the ones who wanted to start the armed struggle. This is a ridiculous distortion. We had already, well before the split by ZANU, started launching the aimed struggle. By 1964 the first full unit entered the country to carry out in depth reconnaissance, training and local preparations. This unit completed its mission and escaped undetected. Through 1964 and 1965 similar small units were infiltrated into the country to carry out preparations for the aimed struggle. During this period of preparation, sabotage and other armed actions were initiated by our cadres. We were still concerned at that time to build up our reserves of trained personnel before we launched any major aimed actions. Comrades, I hope we have set the record straight on this issue, and we hope that in the future, those elements of ZANU who have attempted to distort this period of our history will speak truthfully. Comrades, we must be the first to say to ourselves that in initiating the armed struggle in Zimbabwe we made many mistakes and suffered setbacks. -We had no experience in the matter of arms at all, as the ‘colonial regime had ensured that’ we had no access to arms. Learning how to use arms, acquiring military skills and embarking on a guerrilla war were complicated and difficult tasks. I am reminded of the experience of the Cuban revolutionaries.

On 1 December 1956, 83 Cuban comrades led by the outstanding revolutionary leader, Comrade Fidel Castro, landed in Cuba by boat to begin the armed struggle. Three days later they were attacked by the fascist forces and only 13 of the original group survived to carry out the armed struggle. But from this terrible setback emerged the Cuban Rebel Army which 3 years later seized power. Like our Cuban comrades, and indeed all those starting out on the road of revolution, we too suffered setbacks. But the important thing is that we started, and as we went along we learned. One of the most important experiences of the aimed struggle was contained in the Wankie and Sipolilo campaigns of 1967 and 1968. Using the experience of the early 1960’s, these became the first large scale operations ever launched in Zimbabwe, and they involved several hundred men. These campaigns were planned and led by the late Comrade J.D. Sotsha Ngwenya, Dumiso Dabengwa Akim Ndlovu and others. Their full history has yet to be told, like so much of our rich history of struggle. But we would like to mention two important aspects of these battles. In the first place, because of the scale of fighting and the outstanding courage of our fighters, these battles had a profound effect on the people of Zimbabwe. They showed that it was possible to tackle the enemy on our own soil with modern weapons, and inflict serious damage on the regime. They showed that the racists were not invincible as they claimed. In the second place, these military campaigns provided invaluable lessons for the future conduct of the armed struggle, and gave us concrete experience of battle conditions in our country. This experience was analysed by our military commanders and the political leadership and-provided the basis for the new strategies and tactics which we then adopted. It should be added that the lessons of these battles also benefited our colleagues in ZANU, who were able to assess the enemy’s military strengths and weaknesses without actually having to commit soldiers into the field at the time. Comrades, these early battles of the sixties deserve an honoured place in our history. The comrades who fought and fell during this period were the courageous trailblazers who actually paved the way to successful armed struggle. We wish to pay them tribute. We salute these heroic soldiers of the people who fought and gave their lives at a time when victory was still a far off dream. Let history record their outstanding contribution to our struggle. Today we can say that those campaigns were the major launching pad of the armed struggle. Comrades, before we turn to the later developments of our struggle which led to the Lancaster House Conference, we should like to touch on another important principle of political struggle. We understand the development of struggle as a process. We believe that during the actual process of struggle, the people acquire new experiences, mature and develop. Certainly our own experience bears this out. When we began the struggle against colonial rule, few of us had a clear idea of our final destination. During the early battles, we began to realise that our enemy – colonial oppression – was only the roost immediate and direct enemy. Behind the colonial regime itself, stood a whole international system of oppression and exploitation. This system was responsible not only for racist colonial rule in Zimbabwe, but also for war, poverty, hunger, disease and-suffering throughout our World. Not every comrade who embarked on the journey of struggle with us in the early days could understand and accept this. It was to be expected therefore, that this process of developing our political understanding should leave sane comrades behind. In 1970, same of our comrades outside the country did find themselves left behind. They could not keep pace with the development of ideas which the daily struggle was producing. As a result they fell by the wayside, and in this process they caused considerable damage to the Party. However, we would be dishonest if we then refused to acknowledge the considerable contribution these comrades made to the struggle before they deserted. We freely acknowledge and pay tribute to that contribution. But in the same spirit of honest criticism and self-criticism we also say that these comrades did set us back by their actions after they abandoned the struggle. All revolutions have to go through a process of cleansing themselves and ours is no exception, even today. Following the crisis of 1970-71, the Party emerged with a clearer and more decisive grasp of the nature of our struggle. The Politics of Pressure were abandoned and in their place emerged a more advanced concept of actually seizing power from the colonial regime.

This new approach was illustrated by the adoption of the slogan; “Power to the People.” This new understanding led us to restructure our organisation, both politically and militarily. It was not (and even now is not) an easy process. But it led us to strengthen our party and military machine, and this gave us greater capacity to hit our enemy. We should like to mention here that many of us spent this decade and a half in prisons and detention camps. Some of these experiences did pass us by. When we were released we had a duty to learn the new lessons of the struggle from those who had had the benefit of these experiences. Even today, we are called upon to open ourselves to new and bold ideas and not to fear new initiatives.

THE STRUGGLE FOR REVOLUTIONARY UNITY.
Turning now comrades, to the period of our last Congress in 1975, you will recall that we met last at a time of considerable division and confusion. These problems were the fruits of the seeds of division planted over 10 years previously. The colonial regime and its allies took full advantage of these weaknesses and were able to slow down and at times even paralyse our struggle. All manner of opportunists were able to emerge in this period of confusion, and masquerading as champions of the people’s cause, they were able to confuse sections of our people. Following our Congress we took active steps to attempt to overcome these difficulties. Our approach was dictated by our sincere belief that as history had taught us, the key to victory is the unity of the people. At that time, and after the break-up of the African National Council, we sought to find methods for a framework for unity which could advance the struggle.

Despite our differences with elements of ZANU, we believed that the bulk of the cadres of ZANU shared with us a common understanding of the need to unite to fight the real enemy we faced. As the ZANU leadership was divided and in some disarray at that time, we agreed to proceed to find methods of co-operation with their active fighting forces. The result was the formation of ZIPA which created a joint military command of ZIPRA and ZANLA. This was not our first effort to co- operate. There had been the Joint Military Council (JMC) of 1972. The JMC was formed by comrades J.Z. Moyo, Herbert Chitepo, T. G. Silundkia and Henry Hamadziripi, with the participation of Nikita Mangena, Lookout Masuku, Akim Ndlovu and Dumiso Dabengwa and from ZANU, Josiah Tongogara, John Mataure and Robson Manyika. Although the JMC did not succeed in unifying the fighting forces, it laid the foundation for future unity. The experiences of the JMC made the formation of ZIPA easier. ZIPA was formed with the full backing of the ZAPU leadership abroad and in at home. We in ZAPU did all we could to consolidate and strengthen the unity of the fighting forces through ZIPA. Discussion between ZAPU and ZANU leaders including those ZANU leaders then being held in Zambian prisons, led to the agreement to form ZIPA. Comrades J.Z. Moyo and Simon Muzenda set about implementing this agreement. Comrades Nikita Mangena, J.D. Ngwenya, Jevah Maseko and Gordon Sibanda were among the ZAPU commanders who created ZIPA. From the ZANU side there were Comrades Rex Nhongo, Dzino Machingura, David Todhlana and Mudzingwa.

Unfortunately, certain regional and foreign powers attempted to interfere with this process of unity, and to a considerable extent, they had sane successes which ultimately led to the collapse of ZIPA. The external interference in ZIPA resulted in the tragic deaths of many” young and unarmed cadres, who were slaughtered in camps in Tanzania and Mozambique. Despite these tragedies and the weaknesses of ZIPA, we believe ZIPA played an important part in our struggle. Firstly, ZIPA enabled us to continue to escalate the armed struggle at a time when powerful forces were attempting to force us back into the peaceful protest – strategies of the past. Secondly, ZIPA provided a new experience to the young cadres – that of the value of Unity. This experience was to provide a valuable foundation which helped considerably in the formation of the Patriotic Front alliance. We salute the cadres of ZIPA, both those of ZIPRA and ZANLA, for their invaluable contribution to our struggle. We believe that a true and honest evaluation of the role of ZIPA will place these comrades in air- honoured position in the history of our struggle. We would like to take sane time at this point to explain what our approach was to the question of unity at that time, because we believe that many of the tragic and extraordinary events of recent times can be better understood through an evaluation of the events which led to the formation of the Patriotic Front alliance.
What was the political basis of our approach?

I should like dear comrades to quote to you from a document issued in 1976 which I believe was tragically prophetic. It was a document issued by the Party which explained our approach to the question of unity. We said:
“Brick by brick even if it should take many years, ZAPU’s political and ideological outlook guides the movement to an irreversible commitment to the unity of people of Zimbabwe and the total independence of Zimbabwe as a single entity. This is why the movement is in a constant struggle to build a broad front against colonialism and imperialism. And it has led the movement also never to mistake the people for the enemy. Differences among the people should not be handled as if they were differences between the people and the enemy. ZAPU upholds the principle that differences among the people should be solved by discussion and persuasion, whereas those between the people and the enemy can only be solved by armed struggle. In line with this principle, there will be no circumstances under which ZAPU will countenance any of its military cadres turning their guns upon the people, whether within the revolutionary army itself or among the Zimbabwe masses. In short, no fascist tactics can ever be a short cut to a revolutionary victory. Only the enemy practises such tactics of coercion and .murder because it has lost all support among the people. How could we behave like the enemy of the people and still claim to be the vanguard in the Zimbabwe people’s struggle for independence and socio-economic reconstruction? The principles which guide our movement are the very antithesis of what the enemy stands for. We must always seek to resolve the differences amongst the anti- colonial, anti-imperialist forces in a constructive way. We must strive to build unity among the people as we carry out our political and armed struggle against the enemy.”

Comrades, that is what we stood for in the Patriotic Front, and I believe that any true patriot looking back can see how correct we were in this approach. Whilst we sincerely and honestly strove to build a true unity of all the people fighting against colonial oppression, the subsequent events show clearly that elements on the ZANU side viewed the Patriotic Front alliance as a temporary measure. We suspected this even at the time, but our commitment to unity led us to overcome our suspicions and make every effort to fight for a united front. We believe that the achievements of the Patriotic Front alliance show that we were correct to spare no effort to consolidate unity. Comrades, we understood at that time that there were differences within the broad liberation movement. We could see concretely how these differences were being exploited by our enemies to sabotage the struggle. Increasingly the more far-sighted comrades in both ZAPU and ZANU understood that if we did not find methods to overcome these differences, we would be betraying the real interests of the people. Problems within ZANU at that time and in particular the purge of the most strongly pro- unity groupings, delayed the formation of the Patriotic Front. We regretted these developments but continued to patiently urge and counsel unity. For us the Patriotic Front was the only basis on which to consolidate the unity of the whole struggling people of Zimbabwe. As we said at the time: ZAPU initiated the formation of the Patriotic Front not only in order to be able to adopt a common position at such for a as the Geneva Conference, but also in order to consolidate the unity of the people of Zimbabwe. Through the Patriotic Front we shall be able to further our efforts in turning ZIPA into a genuinely single army. The Patriotic Front has therefore embarked on a programme beyond Geneva of consolidating unity at the military, social arid political levels.

And of course we must also emphasize that we did not regard the Patriotic Front as an alliance only for ZAPU and ZANU. We always saw the Patriotic Front as the framework for building a broad united front of all genuinely progressive forces in Zimbabwe. The achievements of the Patriotic Front in the 3 year period of its existence place it, we believe, as the most successful expression of the true long term interests of all our people. The Patriotic Front enabled us to begin to overcome the differences and disagreements within the liberation movement. It unquestionably consolidated national unity in a way not seen since the days of the NDP. The Patriotic Front created hope and courage among the people and greatly increased the people’s fighting spirit. It provided a vehicle for real unity in action. During the period of the Patriotic Front, our fighting capability was greatly strengthened and the struggle was intensified at all levels. On the international level the Patriotic Front raised the prestige of the Zimbabwean people to new heights, and brought us the respect and administration of the vast majority of the international community. The creation of the Patriotic Front by the Zimbabwean people was recognised as providing a new and unique, experience to the whole question of unity, of relevance to all peoples struggling against oppression. We regard these achievements as the most significant victory of our people during the whole course of the struggle. And we believe that by the end of 1979 the majority of the people of Zimbabwe shared our views on this matter.

How were we robbed of the fruits of our achievements in the Patriotic Front? The answer to this question is best found by asking ourselves whose interests were served by creating disunity. It was of course our oppressors and exploiters who stood most to gain by the people’s disunity. The Rhodesian settler regime and its supporters had throughout our struggle, worked ceaselessly to divide and confuse the people. As we stood poised for our final onslaught against colonialism in Zimbabwe some elements of the ZANU leadership once again unleashed division within the people. All that has happened since those ZANU elements destroyed the Patriotic Front is clear evidence that the Patriotic Front served the best interests of our people and its destruction served the interests of the enemies of a free and independent Zimbabwe. We are convinced that in time the people of Zimbabwe will came to realise the full extent of this crime committed against them, and they will certainly judge the perpetrators most severely.

ESCALATION OF THE ARMED STRUGGLE
Comrades it is necessary here to briefly review the events which led finally to the- ceasefire and elections in 1980. In the first instance it is absolutely clear that it was the combination of the unity of the people and the escalation of the armed struggle which led the British and other Western backers of colonialism in Zimbabwe to abandon their attempts to prop up the crumbling colonial regime. , It is now being said by certain elements that it was not these factors, but rather the same efforts of ZANU which led us to independence. This is such a preposterous distortion that we are almost tempted to dismiss it without comment. But those who perpetrate this lie have obviously learned the” dictum of the German Nazi propagandist, Goebbels, who said “If you want to tell lies, tell outrageous lies and repeat them continuously, then the people will begin to “believe them”. For this reason we must answer the outrageous claim being constantly thrown at our people that ZAPU and ZIPRA never fought nor contributed to the liberation struggle. We do not’ claim to have been the sole contributors to the liberation struggle. Indeed in 1976. We explained our approach in this way:

The Zimbabwe Revolution is a collective endeavour. The struggle does not belong to any single individual. It is a collective effort in which everyone has a duty to do his best to defeat the enemy, and to carry out the difficult task of the reconstruction of our society. We should continue to organise our movement so that the loss of one, two or three members does not change the course of the revolution. We should be and are able to proclaim with great satisfaction that any one of us could die at any moment, without affecting the revolutionary process.
We all can carry out our respective tasks knowing that beyond us the Revolution continues; that the work of the Zimbabwe Revolution is not in the hands of individuals but of the whole Zimbabwean people and their Movement. Individuals die, the Movement lives on; the Revolution must go on.”

• JMN Nkomo

THE following is a speech made by the late nationalist and former vice-president Joshua Nkomo at the funeral of Zipra commander Lookout Masuku in Bulawayo on April 12 1986.

Tens of thousands of people attended the funeral.

“Those who rule our country know inside themselves that Lookout played a very big part in winning our struggle. And yet they let him die in prison.

I say he died in prison because he died on that bed on which he was detained. It was not possible for him to leave that bed and it was not possible for you to see him. Therefore, I say he died in prison.

Why should men like Lookout and Dumiso (Dabengwa), after being found innocent of any wrongdoing by the highest court in this land remain detained? When we ask we get the same answer from the minister as we used to get from the (Ian) Smith regime.

Mafela, Lookout, after all his sacrifices, died a pauper in our own hands. We cannot blame colonialism and imperialism for this tragedy. We who fought against these things now practise them. Why? Why? Why?

We are enveloped in the politics of hate. The amount of hate that is being preached today in this country is frightful. What Zimbabwe fought for was peace, progress, love, respect, justice, equality, not the opposite. And one of the worst evils we see today is corruption. The country bleeds today because of corruption.

It is appropriate that the site chosen for Lookout’s grave lies near a memorial to those who fought against Hitler. Lookout fought against fascism, oppression, tribalism and corruption. Any failure to dedicate ourselves to the ideals of Masuku will be a betrayal of him and of all those freedom fighters whose graves are not known.

Our country cannot progress on fear and false accusations which are founded simply on the love of power.

There is something radically wrong with our country today and we are moving fast towards destruction. There is confusion and corruption and, let us be clear about it, we are seeing racism in reverse under false mirror of correcting imbalances from the past. In the process we are creating worse things. We have created fear in the minds of some in our country. We have made them feel unwanted, unsafe.

Young men and women are on the streets of our cities. There is terrible unemployment. Life has become harsher than ever before.

People are referred to as squatters. I hate the word. I do not hate the person. When people were moved under imperialism certain facilities like water were provided.

But under us? Nothing!

You cannot build a country by firing people’s homes. No country can live by slogans, pasi (down with) this and pasi that. When you are ruling you should never say pasi to anyone. If there is something wrong with someone you must try to uplift him, not oppress him. We cannot condemn other people and then do things even worse than they did.

Lookout was a brave man. He led the first group of guerrillas who returned home at ceasefire. Lookout, lying quietly here in his coffin, fought to the last minute of his life for justice. It is his commitment to fair play that earned him his incarceration.

Some of you are tempted to give away your principles in order to conform. Even the preachers are frightened to speak freely and they have to hide behind the name of Jesus.

The fear that pervades the rulers has come down to the people and to the workers. There is too much conformity. People work and then they shut up. We cannot go on this way. People must be freed to be able to speak. We invite the clergy to be outspoken. Tell us when we go wrong.

When Lookout was in Parirenyatwa (General Hospital) he requested to be able to say goodbye to his friend Dumiso. The request was refused. “No!” By our own government!

He is not being buried at the Heroes’ Acre. But they can’t take away his status as a hero. You don’t give a man the status of a hero. All you can do is recognise it. It is his.

Yes, he can be forgotten temporarily by the state. But the young people who do research will one day unveil what Lookout has done.

30 JUNE 2020
MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA DISMISSES KHUPE AND CABAL AS DESPERATE ZANUPF SURROGATES.

Mdc Alliance Namibia Rundu branch leadership angrily dismissed the fake constitutionalists as Zanupf surrogates aimed at causing confusion and divert the genuine fight against corruption and economic meltdown. Khupe, Komichi , Mashakada, Mudzuri and Mwonzora have joined Zanupf’s agenda to destroy the Mdc Alliance but that will never transpire.

As Social democrats who are committed to the National Democratic Revolution, we shall radicalise our confrontation to both Zanupf lite led by Thokozanu and the main one led by Ed. Mdc Alliance Rundu Branch made it categorically clear that it will never support anyone who is wining and dining with Zanupf satanists. There is no original Mdc that can be given a platform on Ztv and in Herald. Mwonzora and others must stop their hypocrisy and repent. It is clear that by being given zanupf Police, Army ,Courts and Legislature(Parliament) to destroy Mdc Alliance, you are being condomised by Zanupf.

In addition, Mdc Alliance Namibia is completely aware of the dirty politics that Mwonzora and cabal are playing trying invain to bring down the people’s project. What Khupe should know is that President Adv Nelson Chamisa epitomises Social Democracy therefore he is our ONLY VEHICLE to socio-economic transformation. The leadership pointed out that they did not join Mdc Alliance , they formed it and Nelson Chamisa is our leader currently.

Moreover, our leadership resolved that in Namibia , we shall make sure our people are not swayed by the these stomach politicians who practice politics of plunder and self-aggrandisement. Mdc Alliance Rundu Branch Youth Commander Misheck Bunga made it categorically clear that Thokozanu and others are now Zanupf people. The Youths declared Namibia a no go area to the Komichis. Our Youths shall protect the people’s project.

On the recall of our Mps, it is clear that its not Mwonzora who is removing them but Ed and Mudenda. This is a serious governance error where a government has dismally failed to implement the separation of powers as emshrined in the constitution. It is clear dictatorship and autocracy, Mwonzora is being exploited for 3pieces of silver. Mdc Alliance amassed 2.6 million according our own figures and 2.1 according to Zec. Khupe got 45 000 people behind her as Mdc T so these are two distinct parties. How can Mwonzora recall our Mps? that is total nonsense!

Mdc Alliance Namibia declared all spaces closed for rebels who masquarading as social democrats anchored on constitutionalism, we shall keep on convassing with our people. We are not answerable to rebels we are resolutely behind Nelson Chamisa our astute President.

Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya

State Media

Former Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri wants to nullify a High Court order forcing him to explain his wealth, links and interest in a swathe of companies, and that he and his family acquired large property holdings and other assets.

He approached the High Court last week after all his known Zimbabwean assets were placed under management, while he must explain his link to the companies and properties which the State listed for potential forfeiture

Chihuri is being accused of side-tracking US$32 million of public funds into family companies and buying properties.

The order, which the National Prosecuting Authority obtained at the High Court last month, also encumbered Chihuri and the family’s various properties which were simultaneously placed under the management of the Asset Management Unit.

Chihuri, who is being represented by Kantor and Immerman law firm, argues that when the order was granted neither he nor others listed were given any prior notice of the proceedings, or given an opportunity to respond to the allegations that allegedly support the unexplained wealth order.

The order made is an ex parte order, that is one made without the other party aware.

It provides instant relief, albeit on a temporary basis and usually issued when immediate relief is needed and when scheduling a regular hearing and providing notice to the other party is not feasible.

Chihuri argues that the unexplained wealth order constituted a “gross irregularity and a fundamental breach of their legal rights” and wants the High Court to declare certain provisions of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act, 2019, infringe the constitution.

“It is my respectful submission that once it is found, as it should be, that the provisions of the Act in terms of which unexplained wealth order was sought and granted are constitutionally invalid, then good cause undoubtedly exist for the setting aside of the unexplained wealth order as it is an incurably bad law,” said Chihuri.

In challenging the constitutionality of the impugned provisions of the Act at the High Court, Chihuri and his family rely on a constitutional provision that gives courts subordinate to the Constitutional Court the power to make constitutional declarations and to pronounce as invalid, offensive pieces of legislation, although any such finding is subject to confirmation by the Constitutional Court.

Chihuri argues that if for any reason, the High Court does not wish to consider the constitutional matter, then the constitutional questions he is raising should be referred to the Constitutional Court for determination.

The State seeks to freeze Chihuri’s companies and the properties, which his family acquired during his 25 years at the helm of the police force, pending the final outcome of possible criminal investigations and civil suits.

Justice Felistas Chatukuta last month granted an application by Prosecutor-General Mr Kumbirai Hodzi for an order forcing Chihuri and his wife, Isobel Halima Khan, to explain how they acquired their properties and to interdict them from having any dealings with the companies.

Chihuri and his co-respondents listed on the application did not contest the application.

Chihuri’s daughter Samantha Hamadziripi Chihuri, and son Ethan Takudzwa Augustine Chihuri were listed as respondents in the application along with relatives Aitken and Netsai Khan and the six companies — Croxile Investments, Adamah Enterprises, Mastermedia (Pvt) Ltd, Mastaw Investments and Rash Marketing.

The companies won orders for the supply of goods and services without going to tender.

According to the uncontested order, Chihuri is required to explain his relationship with Nodpack Investments (Pvt) Ltd, Croxile Investments (Pvt) Ltd, Mastaw Investments (Pvt) Ltd, Rewstand Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, Rash Marketing (Pvt) Ltd and Adamah Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd.

ITEM CABINET DECISION
1. Zimbabwe’s Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

The Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Inter-Ministerial Task Force on COVID-19, Honourable Vice President K.C.D. Mohadi presented the weekly Report on the National Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak, which was adopted by Cabinet.

Cabinet was informed that the country has now recorded five hundred and sixty seven (567) COVID-19 confirmed cases, compared to the four hundred and eighty six (486) reported on 20 June, 2020. Of the 567 confirmed cases, four hundred and seventy four (474)are imported cases from South Africa, Botswana and the UK, while seventy seven (77) are local cases.Harare Metropolitan Province has recorded two hundred and twelve (212) positive cases, the highest numberin the country.Worth noting however, is the number of those who have recovered from the disease, which has increased from the previously reported total of sixty four (64) to one hundred and forty two (142), while deaths now stand at seven (7).Given the surge in the number of local transmission of the disease, Cabinet agreed that all those who test positive from both private and public quarantine centres should be moved to an identified isolation centre as a matter of urgency in order to prevent further spread of the pandemic.

As public examinations commence, it is pleasing to note that the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Prevention and Management of COVID-19 and other influenza-like illnesses in Primary and Secondary schools have been established.

In terms of Personal Protective Equipment(PPE), some private companies have started to produce some of the medical PPE for frontline health workers, which were largely being imported or donated. The distribution of available stocks of PPE is ongoing. Most of the laboratory consumables purchased through Government funding have been received. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and some private sector companies have also donated COVID-19 test kits, equipment and materials.

In the tourism and hospitality sector, requests for variations of Operating Conditions in respect of Restaurant Operators and to re-open Safari Operators for local hunting only and National Parks were granted. Restaurants will now be allowed to serve sit-in meals at fifty percent of the restaurant’s sitting capacity.

Pertaining to reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health, Government has put in place measures to support mothers. These measures include the following:
1) allocation of designated ZUPCO buses for the affected health workers;
2) provision of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment for maternity,
3)child and reproductive health services, inclusive of Community Health Workers; and
4) strengthening of support system to enable health workers in maternity wards and theatres to work full shifts.

Under Information and Risk Communication, illegal border crossing points, fuel queues and informal sector areas of operation have been targeted for information dissemination. COVID-19 hotspots such as the informal sector and some business owners require a firm hand when it comes to enforcing adherence to lockdown measures such as the proper wearing of masks and washing or sanitizing hands. Returnees are also being issued with COVID-19 booklets in languages of their choice upon admission into quarantine facilities as part of an awareness programme to contain the spread of the disease in the facilities.

2. Strategies for Phase II of the Ease of Doing Business Reforms

Cabinet considered and approved Strategies for the Second Phase of the Ease of Doing Business Reforms, which were presented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development. The Ease of Doing Business assessment ranks the country’s business environment based on a set of indicators compiled by the World Bank Doing Business Project which cover ten (10) areas in the life cycle of a business. During the 2019/2020 period, Zimbabwe was ranked among the top twenty improvers in Doing Business Reforms. In general, there has been considerable progress in the country’s World Bank ranking from number 171 out of 190 countries in 2015 to the current position of 140 out of 191 countries.

To date, eight (8) of the ten (10) pieces of legislation requiring amendment or enactment have been assented to. The foremost investment promotion institution, the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) was established in 2019, while four commercial courts have been set up in the major cities and some administrative procedures streamlined to reduce investment-related bottlenecks.

Phase Two of the Ease of Doing Business Reforms, which commenced in 2019, focuses on implementing the strategies required to achieve tangible results that are experienced by stakeholders and the intended beneficiaries.

These are being implemented in sixteen identified areas broken down into two categories, namely: the first category which relates to nine (9) areas of the World Bank Ease of Doing Business indicators; and the second category covering seven (7) sector-specific areas. These are strategies being applied through the responsible line Ministries and their Technical Working Groups.

In all these processes, the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) plays a central role in resolving all the challenges affecting investors in the business operating environment.

3. Reviewed National Micro, Small And Medium Enterprises Policy 2020-2024

The Minister of Industry and Commerce, as Chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on Industrialization and Export Development, presented the Reviewed Policy Proposal and Strategy on the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (2020-2025) and it was approved by Government. together with the accompanying Strategy. These provide a framework for the effective implementation and co-ordination of policies, legislation and programmes pertaining to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). This is being done to accelerate the formalization of the informal sector.

The National MSMEs Policy will be anchored on the following Pillars: Enabling Legal and Regulatory Environment; MSMEs Financial Support; Market Development and Trade Promotion; Entrepreneurship Development; Business Management, Corporate Governance and Technical Skills Development; Workspace Infrastructure Support; Access to Modern Production and Information Communication Technology (ICT); Cluster Development; Standardisation and Quality Assurance; Rural Industrialisation; Investment Promotion; and Research and Development. The Policy will also take into account cross-cutting issues that include segmentation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, empowerment, gender dimensions, youth development, disability, safety and health and the environment.

4. Suspension of Mobile Money Transactions and Trading on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange

Cabinet was briefed on the directive suspending all agent and bulk payer accounts, as well as the restrictions on merchant accounts, which was issued by the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe on 27 June, 2020. The suspension applies to all agent, bulk payer and merchant accounts held with the four Mobile Money Service Providers, namely Ecocash (Pvt) Ltd (Ecocash); Net One (Pvt) Ltd (One Money); Telecash (Pvt) Ltd (Telecash) and My Cash Financial Services (Pvt) Ltd (My Cash). Government wishes to assure the nation that the ordinary mobile money users can still send and receive money, and pay for goods and services using the platforms.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is working tiressly to ensure that investigations into the operations of the agent and bulk payer accounts are quickly concluded thereby minimising disruptions and inconvenience to the mobile money users.

5. Renewable Energy Projects

The Minister of Energy and Power Development briefed Cabinet on some of the renewable energy projects that are operational. The projects and their power outputs are as follows:
• Nyangani Renewable Energy (NRE)- 6 MW
• Green Fuel- 3 MW
• Centragrid (solar power)- 2.5 MW
• Swaenopel Farm- 150 kwh

The projects are a good example of harnessing renewable energy to produce power for own use with the excess being fed into the National Grid.

The Ministry is working on the development of an Electric Mobility Framework to promote the use of climate friendly e-vehicles. To that end, some organisations such as ZERA, Econet Vaya, ZimTorque and Brandtechn have already started importing e-vehicles, tricycles and wheel chairs.

6. Proposal to Transform Ekusileni into a Specialist Teaching and Research Hospital

The Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development briefed Cabinet on the proposal to transform Ekusileni into a Specialist Teaching and Research Hospital in line with international best practices. The state-of-the-art facility will provide an opportunity for students to undertake the necessary training and cutting edge health research, while providing a service to the nation. The facility will be run by the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), and the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) will contribute the expertise and specialists requisite in running the facility as a specialist teaching and research hospital.

7. 2020 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Goals.

The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare advised Cabinet that the 2020 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is scheduled to take place via video-conferencing from 7 to 17 July, 2020 under the theme “Accelerated Action and Transformative Pathways: Realising the Decade of Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development”. The Government of Zimbabwe will represent Africa with the assistance of the Economic Commission for Africa and will present the key messages from the 2020 Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development. Zimbabwe assumed the Chairmanship of the Bureau of the Africa Regional Forum in February 2020 and will relinquish the position in 2021.

The 2020 High Level Political Forum will allow participants to debate on the current status of the sustainable development goals in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-seven (47) countries will present Voluntary National Reviews on their implementation of the 2020 Agenda.

Own Correspondent

ZIMBABWE this Tuesday recorded 17 new COVID-19 cases bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 591.

Of the positive cases, 13 are returnees from South Africa while three are local cases and one is a returnee from Botswana.

All the cases have since been isolated.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said one of the local cases is a known contact to a confirmed case, and investigations to establish the source of infection for the other two are ongoing.

A total of 11 new recoveries were recorded bring the total number of recoveries to 162. This leaves the number of active cases at 421.

Zimbabwe has recorded a total of seven deaths since the onset of the outbreak on the 20th of March this year.

To date, Zimbabwe has conducted 67 755 COVID-19 tests.

The bulk of Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 cases have been returnees from the region and abroad and the government is on high alert to ensure all returnees are quarantined upon return until they have satisfied all testing measures as outlined by the WHO.

Own Correspondent

The City Of Harare has reviewed parking fees to US$1 per hour.

Below is the statement by the local authority.

PARKING TARIFF ADJUSTMENTS

1. THIS NOTICE SERVES TO INFORM THE MOTORING PUBLIC THAT THE PARKING TARIFF IN HARARE CBD HAS BEEN ADJUSTED AS FOLLOWS;

ON-STREET — USD$1 OR ZW$ EQUIVALENT AT PREVAILING INTER-BANK RATES

2. THE ADJUSTMENTS ARE WITH EFFECT FROM 2″d OF JULY 2020

3. DOWNLOAD OUR NEW MOBILE APP —’PARK ASSIST’ FROM GOGGLE PLAYSTORE FOR GREATER PARKING CONVENIENCE.

PLEASE PAY PARKING FEES TO AVOID INCONVENIENCES

Contacts: Tel 0242707315/707876/0739885896 or Email: [email protected] Facebook: City Parking Pvt Ltd Twitter: @CityParking4rg

TOWARDS WORLD CLASS PARKING EXPERIENCE

Own Correspondent

Restaurants have become the latest businesses to get the green light to become fully operational after several industries were allowed to restart operations in recent weeks.

Presenting the 22nd Cabinet Matrix Tuesday Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa revealed that restaurants could now allow sit-in customers.

“Restaurants will now be allowed to serve sit-in meals at fifty percent of the restaurant’s sitting capacity,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

This latest measure has given hope to the food and beverages industry which had taken a hit since the lockdown began on March 30.

A few weeks ago they were allowed to sell takeaways but this latest move means they can enjoy more business.

Watch the full post cabinet meeting press conference in the video downloading below. Please be patient while the video downloads

Bloomberg/Own Correspondent

Stockbrokers in Zimbabwe are struggling to explain to investors what’s happened to their money after the government shut down the stock exchange.

The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange announced Sunday it suspended trading to comply with a directive issued by the Information Ministry late Friday that the bourse close. It’s the latest in a series of measures the government has implemented to try and stabilize the nation’s currency.

Traders have been inundated with calls from “shocked and stressed” investors, Thedias Kasaira, managing director at Imara Edwards Securities, said by phone Monday from the capital, Harare.

“Clients are asking and we don’t know what to tell them,” he said. “They want an explanation, but we haven’t been able to give one as we also don’t know the reason.”

Giving a briefing after Tuesday cabinet meeting this week, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the temporary halt in trading on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange will not affect investments as the aim was to end illegal activity.

Ncube said the decision to suspend trading on the ZSE was not at variance with Government’s thrust to instil market confidence in line with the mantra “Zimbabwe is open for business”. Investors should remain patient since the suspension was no different from the inconvenience experienced during long weekends.

“Stockbrokers should tell investors that their investments are safe. What you need to understand is these investments are handled in an off-balance sheet manner. Stockbrokers merely charge fees for advisory services. Secondly, the stock market is not opened on Saturdays, Sundays or Christmas holidays. It does not mean that when the stock market is closed, investments are insecure. It cannot be different this time around. It is similar to a long weekend and we will open once investigations are complete.”

Zimbabwe’s benchmark industrial index has risen more than sevenfold this year to a record. Investors have used the domestic bourse as a haven from the country’s collapsing currency and inflation of 786% — the highest rate in a decade.

Investors with cash in Zimbabwe prefer to buy shares to avoid their money losing value. Movements in domestic stock prices track the parallel currency markets on the streets of Harare, where the Zimbabwe dollar changes hands at about 100 per U.S. dollar, compared with the official rate that traded at $63 on Tuesday.

“People are looking at a hedge against inflation; that’s why they are switching from Zimbabwe dollars to equities,” said Lloyd Mlotshwa, head of equities at Harare-based IH Securities. “The stock exchange serves as a proxy to parallel market rates.”

ZSE Chief Executive Officer Justin Bgoni said he wasn’t immediately able to comment when contacted by phone.

The measures come after President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week warned his government will tackle “malpractices” that he said have undermined his government’s efforts to end an economic crisis, and which resulted in mobile-phone platforms also being suspended.

The 77-year-old president has ruled Zimbabwe since taking over following a coup in late 2017. He inherited a nation beset by sanctions on its leaders and state companies, $9 billion of debt and an economy decimated by the state’s seizure of commercial farms that accounted for much of its exports. The World Bank estimates Zimbabwe’s gross domestic product will contract 10% this year.

“Despite rhetoric that Zimbabwe is open for business, the country is increasingly closed off, and the regime is struggling to abate the economic crisis,” said Nathan Hayes, an analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit. “The move to shut the ZSE will limit demand for foreign currency, as investors will not be able to disinvest.”

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has described Mhenyamauro artist and senior party official Paul Madzore as a “vital cog in the struggle for democracy.”

Madzore became popular at the height of persecution of MDC supporters between 2000 and 2008 as his songs ignited the fight for democratic change.

Said Advocate Chamisa: Today(Monday )
is his birthday.

His name is Paul Madzore. A revolutionary, a motivator, a democrat and a change agent.

Madzore’s music inspires us all who are fighting for real change,democracy, the liberation and transformation of our nation. Happy birthday VaMadzore.

Happy birthday Museyamwa ..Tiripachirangano.”

Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa has described Mhenyamauro artist and senior party official Paul Madzore as a “vital cog in the struggle for democracy.”

Madzore became popular at the height of persecution of MDC supporters between 2000 and 2008 as his songs ignited the fight for democratic change.

Said Advocate Chamisa: Today(Monday )
is his birthday.

His name is Paul Madzore. A revolutionary, a motivator, a democrat and a change agent.

Madzore’s music inspires us all who are fighting for real change,democracy, the liberation and transformation of our nation. Happy birthday VaMadzore.

Happy birthday Museyamwa ..Tiripachirangano.”

Farai Dziva|MACRAD Trust Director, Ephraim Mtombeni is being persecuted for opposing government’s move to evict Chiredzi from their ancestral land, the NGO has said.

Mtombeni is being accused “undermining the authority of the President.”

He has been remanded in custody to July 13 by Magistrate Ndlovu.

See the MACRAD Trust statement below:

Our Director
@EMutombeni
has just been remanded in custody to 13 July 2020.

He is being accused of contravening Section 33 (2) (a) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act clearly these are trumped up charges.

@EMutombeni
was arrested during the weekend after subsequent days of being trailed by unknown individuals .

He has been a vocal critic around Landrights in Masvingo and most recently has been campaigning against the impending forced eviction of the Shangaan
people in Chiredzi (Chilonga and Masivamele) to pave way for grass farming .

MACRAD recently produced an inquiry report into the circumstances around the eviction -which has caught the eye of
@zhrc365-
read and download here https://bit.ly/3dP4rYm . Indigenous People’s land Rights must be respected !!!! . Civil Society must not be stifled !!!

We are very much aware that this is meant to make us backtrack on these pending evictions of 1000 Shangaan families through targeting our director on trumped up charges.

The late Dynamos Football Club assistant coach, Biggie Zuze was on Monday laid to rest in Bindura his hometown.

Zuze passed on last Thursday at High Glen Cimas Clinic due to pulmonary infection.

His funeral was attended by locals and a handful of his club’s officials comprised of 5 Executive members, 4 Technical team members and 5 players.

The 5 Executive members were Chairman Isaiah Mupfurutsa, Vice Chairman Moses Shumba, Secretary-General Webster Marechera, Treasurer Moses Chikwariro and Executive Member In Charge Of Development Francis Matsinga.

Head Coach Tonderai Ndiraya led his Technical team of Assistant Naison Muchekela, Fitness Trainer Tendai Chituwa and Head Coach Juniors Norman Taruvinga.

The players were represented by Captain Partson Jaure, Munyaradzi Diya, Emmanuel Jalai, King Nadolo and Ghanaian Sylvester Appiah.

The event was also attended by hundreds of Dynamos fans, rival clubs, most notably Caps Utd, Highlanders and Bindura’s own Simba Bhora who wanted to pay their last respects to the Zimbabwean football Warrior.

Dembare.net reports that many more lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the funeral hearse as it made its way to the cemetery.

The funeral hearse passed through Chipadze Stadium where many more residents had converged to pay their last respects to Nzou and the coffin was finally lowered into the grave draped in a Dynamos flag and match-ball- Dembare.net

Zimbabwe’s coronavirus cases have risen to 574 after 7 more people have tested positive for the virus.

The new cases-4 are local while 2 and 1, in that order, are from South Africa and Botswana.

Bulawayo recorded 10 new recoveries bringing the total number of recoveries in the country to 152.

The country also recorded another coronavirus related death bringing the total number of deaths to 7.- Health Ministry

By A Correspondent- Defence and War Veterans Minister, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri has said that the morale of the army is very low owing to a number of issues attributed to the worsening socio-economic crisis in the country.

She made the remarks when she appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio portfolio committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services.

She added:

ZDF medical personnel have been deployed alongside their ministry of Health and Child Care counterparts in manning the various medical institutions … and … are highly exposed to the risk of contracting Covid-19 due to their interaction with many people whose status is unknown, both in law enforcement and medical duties.

Thus, constraints, such as the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) are serious challenges to their effectiveness and safety.

Inadequate funding for food, transport, fuel and kitting, which became perennial after the imposition of illegal sanctions, also take their toll on both the morale of troops and effectiveness.

Muchinguri-Kashiri also said that there was a shortage of institutional accommodation forcing the armed forces to frequent their homes.

Military strategists have over the years emphasised that soldiers’ morale is essential for the accomplishment of missions adding that low morale can manifest in desertion, revolt, psychological issues and absenteeism.

Therefore the level of the Zimbabwean army’s morale as suggested by the minister is threatening the prevailing peace and security.

-DailyNews

By A Correspondent- A Gwanda miner has been arrested for allegedly strangling his workmate before dumping the body on a railway line, where it was crushed by a train to conceal the murder.

The matter was initially treated as a suicide case after deceased’s body was later run over by a goods train.

Albert Ncube (31) of Spitzkop Suburb was not asked to plead when he appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Miss Lerato Nyathi facing a murder charge. He was remanded in custody to July 13.

Prosecuting, Mr Silent Shoko said Ncube accused the now deceased Onias Mushipe of “stealing” his girlfriends which resulted in a misunderstanding.

“On 1 June at around 7PM Ncube and nine other artisanal miners including Onias Mushipe boarded a Toyota Granvia vehicle and headed to Prospect Gold Mine at Mgomo Farm in Gwanda. Along the way a misunderstanding arose between Mushipe and Ncube after Ncube accused him of taking away his girlfriends,” said Mr Shoko.

“Their workmates managed to calm them down in order to stop them from fighting further. The gang dropped off at Cobra Mine which is opposite Mgomo Farm. The other mine workers went ahead to do their work and Mushipe, Ncube and their workmate Mr Tinashe Dube remained behind to resolve the dispute they had earlier.”

Mr Shoko said Ncube further accused Mushipe of snatching his girlfriends and tripped him to the ground before strangling him.

He said upon realising what had transpired Mr Dube fled from the scene leaving Ncube behind with Mushipe’s body.

Mr Shoko said in a bid to conceal the offence Ncube then took the body to a nearby railway line and placed it there with the head on the line facing upwards. He said at around 10PM Mushipe’s body was crushed by a good’s train.

The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene.

Mr Shoko said police received a tip off on Saturday resulting in Ncube’s arrest. Ncube has been on the run for the past two years after committing robbery and attempted murder cases in Fort Rixon where he reportedly robbed a victim and further tried to dump the body in a disused mine.

-statemedia

Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Larry Mavima and Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando have slammed the Reden Mine shooting incident, equating it to machete gang violence that rocked the small scale mining sub-sector last year.

The two top government officials were speaking at the mine during a ministerial visit to establish circumstances that led to the mine manager shooting two employees in an altercation over salaries.

Zhang Xuelin (41) shot and injured two workers, Kenneth Tachiona (39) and Wendy Chikwaira (31) for demanding their salaries in US dollars.

Tachiona was seriously injured and is recovering at Midlands Private Hospital, while Chikwaira was treated and discharged and is recuperating from home.

Xuelin was arrested and appeared in court last week.

Senator Mavima equated the shooting incident to machete wielding gangs that resolved differences and disputes through bloody fights.

He also expressed concern at the disrespect for authority exhibited by the mine owners who snubbed the ministerial visit on grounds they had other commitments on the day.

“It is regrettable that we have encountered this in our province and more to it the person in charge says he is busy to come and attend to us.
“Such incidents are not different to those of machete wielding gangs and we will not tolerate such here,” Sen. Mavima said.

Minister Chitando said the absence of an interpreter had affected their mission to establish circumstances leading to the shooting.

He called on mining establishments to adhere to the law.

Minister Chitando said the shooting was a sad incident that should never be repeated.

“We could not establish anything due to absence of an interpreter as the guys present here cannot understand a word in English.

“We, however, urge all mining developments in Zimbabwe to be guided legally in resolving issues and outside this incident; mines should be able to work under traceable boundaries of the law which include environmental and labor laws,” Chitando said.

Xuelin was remanded in custody to July 7 this year when he appeared before a Gweru Magistrate.

• New Ziana

THE Warriors will have to wait a little bit longer before getting down to action following CAF’s decision to postpone the 2021 AFCON finals to January 2022.

The tournament was scheduled to be hosted from next January in Cameroon.

But, with uncertainty over how to handle the qualifiers during the Covid-19 pandemic, the CAF executive decided to postpone their flagship tournament.

A decision was also taken to cancel the women’s edition of AFCON outright.

The tournament was scheduled for November in the Republic of Congo.

Zimbabwe have four points in the qualifiers for the AFCON finals after a home draw against Botswana and an away victory in Zambia.

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Social movement group Tajamuka/Sesijikile has expressed concern over the deteriorating economic situation obtaining in the country and called for nationwide protests.

Speaking during a press conference in Harare, Tajamuka/Sesijikile leader Promise Mkwananzi said they are concerned by the despair which has reached desperate levels.

“We are deeply concerned by the gloom and despair born out of the abject poverty hunger and suffering of our people which has reached desperate levels. The most tragic reality of it all is that this untold suffering is not a result of natural causes beyond the reach of the comprehension of many but a deliberately man made suffering made and created by the very people who continue and claim to that we gave them the mandate to ensure the betterment of our situation and our resolution for our decade long political, economic and social crisis,” said Mkwananzi

He said Tajamuka is of the view that it is time for to Zimbabweans to come together and bring the situation to an end.

“It is our strong held view that we must now come together in our collective wisdom and strength as citizens and bring the madness to an end.”

Mkwananzi said problems such as corruption, theft, annihilation and decimation of the opposition MDC are in the public domain therefore President Mnangagwa and his Government must leave.

“…The list of the ills for which this Govt is responsible is endless and exhaustive in short Mnangagwa have failed and must leave. In the coming season Tajamuka urges the people of Zimbabwe to brace themselves for sustained peaceful but relentless protests until the regime yields to the just and legitimate concerns and demands of our people.” he said.

Mkwananzi said the movement is going to engage various other organisations and unprecedented forms of action will be unleashed on the ground in the coming weeks.

Bloomberg

ZIMBABWE’S security force leaders sidelined the nation’s economic chiefs and forced the government to issue an order to close the stock exchange and halt most mobile-money transactions, people familiar with the situation said.

The June 26 order came after pressure from the Joint Operations Command and was made without notifying the central bank, which regulates the mobile-money industry through which almost all of Zimbabwe’s commerce takes place, the people said.

They asked not to be identified because the role of the JOC hasn’t been disclosed publicly.

The measure is further evidence that senior ruling party and military officials are growing impatient with the administration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Inflation has surged to 786%, the currency has crashed and the country is facing shortages of food and fuel.

The JOC includes officials from the military, police and secret service and is the highest body in terms of coordinating state security, though it doesn’t usually pronounce on economic matters.

It stepped in after deeming that Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and central bank Governor John Mangudya failed to take action to address the crisis, one of the people said.

Defense Minister Oppah Muchinguri, who chairs the JOC, wasn’t immediately available for comment, said a person who answered her mobile phone when Bloomberg sought comment. The government denied the order came from the JOC.

“The order came from government after taking input from all agencies and departments,” said Nick Mangwana, the government spokesman.

“Evidence linking the mobile-money platforms to money laundering as well as illegal foreign-exchange trading and money creation had been uncovered.”

Mobile Money

Central bank officials were unaware of the order when called by mobile money companies on June 26, two of the people said. Mangudya didn’t answer his mobile phone or respond to a message left with his assistant when Bloomberg sought comment on Tuesday.

“It is not correct that the Reserve Bank and the Ministry of Finance were not involved in the decision or were not aware of the developments leading to the suspension,” Secretary for Finance George Guvamatanga said in response to questions sent by mobile phone text message.

“This was a further follow up of work that the Financial Intelligence Unit was already working on which led to a court ruling against one of the mobile operators.”

Zimbabwe’s biggest mobile-money platform, with more than 10 million registered users, is Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Ltd. unit Ecocash.

The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange is privately owned. It was last suspended in 2008 when inflation surged to 500 billion percent and the Zimbabwe dollar was scrapped the following year.

Econet declined to comment on the government allegations.

Soaring Stocks

The ZSE’s benchmark industrial index has risen sevenfold this year as shares are used as a hedge against inflation. Mobile money was used to buy shares and then that money was moved out of the country, the Information Ministry said in the June 26 statement.

The JOC took action as the Zimbabwe dollar, reintroduced last year after a decade-long hiatus, plunged in value on the black market to below 100 to the U.S. dollar. That compares with an official rate of about 57. As recently as last year, Zimbabwe pegged its currency at parity with the greenback.

As pressure grows on the administration of Mnangagwa, who succeeded longtime ruler Robert Mugabe in 2017 after a military coup, the leader has increasingly blamed the private sector for the nation’s woes.

There is “a relentless attack on our currency and the economy in general through exorbitant pricing models by the private sector,” Mnangagwa said June 10 at a meeting of the ruling party’s politburo.

“We are fully cognizant that this is a battle being fueled by our political detractors, elite opportunists and malcontents who are bent on pushing a nefarious agenda which they will never win.”

The International Monetary Fund estimates the economy will contract as much as 10.4% this year.

Zanu PF is set to elect an interim Bulawayo provincial chairperson following the death of Absolom Sikhosana last month, the party’s national political commissar, Victor Matemadanda has confirmed.

The interim provincial chairperson will be supervising the operations of the District Coordinating Committees (DCCs), as the party intensifies the restructuring exercise ahead of this year’s Annual National People’s Conference in December.

The late provincial interim chairperson, Sikhosana, was declared a national hero and buried at the National Heroes Acre.

Matemadanda said the replacement of Sikhosana will be announced in two weeks.

“President Mnangagwa, who is the party’s First Secretary, will appoint the right candidate to fill the gap, he said. The process is being done in consultation with other Politburo members and Bulawayo province to ensure the party appoints the right candidate, who will be monitoring the restructuring exercise in the province.

“We already have the names, but we cannot disclose them right now. Out of the names submitted, the Presidium will choose their preferred candidate, who will work on interim basis.”

The party has already put in place DCCs structures in Harare and Bulawayo, with the restructuring of the two metropolitan provinces already underway.

The elected DCC members in the two metropolitan provinces have been tasked to set up party structures from cell level.

DCCs are being reintroduced in the party after they were disbanded in 2012 when it was felt they had been hijacked by elements that sought to manipulate party structures to foment factionalism and disharmony.

In Bulawayo Area One, Raymond Mtomba won the DCC chairmanship, deputised by Nkosana Mkandla, while in Area 2 Paul Mutara won the chairmanship, with Ntandeyenkosi Mlilo as the deputy.

Former Njube-Lobengula MP Maidei Mpala won the Area 3 DCC chair and will be deputised by Nkonzo Mhlanga, while in Area 4 Obert Msindo was elected chair with Dennis Sibanda his deputy.

Cde Zowa Msika is chairman of Area 5 and is deputised by Cde Khanien Ngwenya.

By A Correspondent- Nurses at St Alberts Mission Hospital, Mt Darwin, were reportedly threatened by Zanu-PF youths and State spy agents after notifying the district medical officer Kelvin Mupunga last week of their intention to down tools starting yesterday.

The nurses had, through the Muzarabani/centenary District Health Workers Union told Mupunga in a letter on Friday that they shared similar grievances with fellow nurses from public hospitals who had joined the nationwide strike.

A health worker who preferred anonymity for fear of victimisation said Zanu-PF youths have been threatening the nurses to abort their planned strike action.

“They were threatened by CIOs and Zanu-PF youths at the weekend. They were intimidated through a landline 0662102423,” the official said.

The district’s nursing officer and Zimbabwe nurses association district chairperson Michael Kangundu refused to comment, referring questions to Mupunga.

Mupunga said he was yet to assess the situation, but claimed all nurses reported to work, dismissing the claims that they had been intimidated.

“The nurses have come to work. I received their letter on Friday and forwarded their grievances to the province the next day for onward transmission because the issues raised are beyond my capacity,” he said.

Constituency legislator Tapera Size denied that his youths were threatening the nurses with unspecified action if they joined the nationwide strike declared by their association.

“Those people are even surprised and asking where the information is coming from,” Size said.

“You are saying they used a landline? Whom have you communicated with? There is no any youth going out, and secondly, in centenary there are no landlines. even at St alberts, so where did the landline come from?”

In their letter to Mupunga, the nurses wrote: “It is with deep regret that we inform you that we will be withdrawing our services at St alberts Mission Hospital starting on Monday (yesterday).

“We share the same grievances with all other health workers countrywide who are currently incapacitated due to eroded income, while our decision may seem harsh, we feel it is the only way our genuine concerns may be taken seriously.”

Farai Dziva| Masvingo Magistrate Ndlovu has remanded MACRAD Trust Director, Ephraim Mtombeni in custody to July 13 2020.

Yesterday, the state opposed bail on the grounds that Mtombeni does not have a family or a house.

Mtombeni is accused of “undermining the authority of the President.”

According to court documents, Mtombeni allegedly addressed commuters gathered at a bus rank in the city of Masvingo on Friday evening and told them that they were suffering because President Mnangagwa and his sons were looting Zimbabwe’s resources.

Mtombeni insists he has never said that.

“Muri muqueue imomo nokutamba nhamo nenyaya yaMnangagwa nevana vake vari kuba (You are standing in that long queue and suffering because of Mnangagwa and his children who are stealing),” reads part of the charge sheet.

Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (in charge of communications) Mr George Charamba has attributed the country’s woes to “a political dimension which is a result of a multi-pronged assault from some elements determined to turn the public against President Mnangagwa and the Second Republic.”

In an interview with the state publication The Herald, Charamba said:

“There is a very strange coincidence that we have noticed over quite some months between the implosive politics within the opposition, self-implosive politics, and heightened illicit activity in the economy.

You have that mayhem in the MDC whose sum effect is that of weakening the opposition in the country on the one and then you have increased below the law and out of the law activities in the economy.

We have realised that there is a clear nexus between runaway market activities and runaway opposition politics, that more and more, the security threat to this country, the destabilisation to this country is finding expressing through the market, so there is heightened smuggling of gold, there is heightened transactions, there is release of precious foreign currency into the black market, all to create a generalised instability which have the effect of creating disenchantment on the part of the Government.

“The politics are being shaped from the market, it is as if we are being told, if you won’t have MDC-Alliance for an opposition then we will create an opposition for you through illicit market activities, through illicit NGOs, through disgruntled unions and through embassies mostly so given to making anti-government statements, when you coalesce that you will realise that we are in a phase where destabilisation has assumed a market form. The calculation was a health sector led generalised public strike, we are aware of such plots.”

By A Correspondent- Bulawayo police have shot and injured a firewood poacher after he allegedly refused to adhere to the officers’ orders to stop.

The incident was confirmed by national Police Spokesmen Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who also said some were using firewood to hide cattle carcass they would have stolen and then drive into Bulawayo CBD at night to sell the meat during the day. 

He said:

This shooting incident involves a suspect who was transporting firewood and refused to stop. He drove away and, in the process, there was a chase and unfortunately police had to fire some shots. He got injured and is admitted at a local hospital.

People should not steal firewood and should not engage in criminal activities and must not flee from police officers. They must not try to evade police checkpoints and must follow the normal procedures. It’s really unfortunate but at the end of the day the police have to do their work. The public should just appreciate that no one should engage in criminal activities.

He added that the law enforcers fired warning shots but the suspect did not stop, “so they have to do their job.”

Nyathi recalled last week’s shootout between Bulawayo city rangers and firewood poachers and possibly stock theft suspects.

-StateMedia 

Presenter: Because Nelson Chamisa called for a revolution against the president, is there this sort of talk in the party that is going to continue – these allegations about a coup, what do you know about that, coup attempt?

Mwonzora: “We know nothing about a coup, but this is not anything new, we were told that there would be a coup in February, February came and went, we think this is basically idle talk and it meant to immobilise Zimbabweans.

“Adv Chamisa talks about a revolution, we are not so sure whether he is very serious about that and whether he has got the capacity to sustain that, or to start that in the first place, he has been talking about this for ages.

“Now we want to have a different approach in our politics. We want to remove the politics of violence, the politics of hunger acrimony, the politics of intolerance, and replace that with the politics of rational disputation, in prosecuting the democratic struggle, we need to employ all tactics that we can employ one of them is of course to try to wage meaningful dialogue with the government, with all the stakeholders but this has to be broadbased, it has to include the churches, the trade unions, the civic society organisations and the political parties, the current framework only deals with political parties.”

It is with pain that I, Tinopona Katsande, write this open presser to clear the air on events surrounding the death my dear friend and confidant, Rebecca Chinyerere (Becky) May the truth I narrate clear my name against all the mudslinging that followed her death.

On the night of Tuesday 23 June 2020 my friend Becky collapsed in my bathroom at my house in Avondale and was pronounced dead on arrival at Kensington 24 hour medical emergency Clinic. She was laid to rest in Guruve on Sunday 28th June. May her dear soul rest in peace.

My friend Becky had serious medical problems and suffered from severe depression at the which very few people knew about. Only a week before her death she had collapsed while staying at their family home (where she was residing with her brother in Belvedere) and was treated at Parerenyatwa hospital. She had been fighting a drug addiction problem exacerbated by traumatic family relationships and depression. To my knowledge she had abstained from drug intake for sometime and was on a recovery path.

Becky contacted me and asked if she could visit for a couple of days with her two kids aged 13 and 3, to get some relief from the family stresses. I went to pick up Becky with the full agreement of her brother. We had so much fun during those two days.

On the 2nd day of her visit Becky was taking a shower in my bathroom upstairs. I sent the kids (my 4 year old and Becky’s 3 year old) to get some vasiline from her. They found Becky collapsed in the shower and raised an alarm. I then went upstairs to see what was happening, and to my horror what the children were shouting about was indeed true.

I can never forget the events that followed and that just seem like a long nightmare:
• I took Becky by taxi to Kensington 24 hour emergency centre where the attending doctor pronounced her dead while she was still in the taxi together with Becky’s two children.
• We were referred to Parerenyatwa hospital where we waited for 45 minutes in the taxi because Covid 19 protective equipment was still being awaited.
• With Becky’s phoned having already died the only way to inform her brother was to drive with the corpse and the children to Belvedere. The brother refused to assist, or even to have his wife accompany us back to Pare.
• Back at Parerenyatwa we finally got the assistance of the doctor and the police post. It was only then that the police spoke to Becky’s brother who finally came over for the statements to be completed. The body was taken to the funeral parlour.

Contrary to what the media is saying there were no drugs involved at my house or during the time of her stay with me. A search in my home by 10 police officers found none. The autopsy report states that Becky had an enlarged heart approximately six times the Normal size.

I find it disturbing that so many are now coming out of the woodworks, claiming to know and love and raise money for Becky in her death yet were nowhere to be seen when in life she most needed financial assistance, love and non-judgemental care. I am so very angry and totally disgusted at how the tabloid media rushed to publish falsehoods without verifying the facts just because the name Tinopona Katsande can help them sell papers. Finally I am appalled at how Becky’s family would try ” kundipomera mhosva ” I am at total peace with my God and with my friend’s spirit. I’m at peace that my friend spent her last day on this earth in an environment she felt loved unconditionally, where we laughed, ate, danced and sang with our kids. I gave my Becky a place she and her two boys could just relax and be happy even if only for that brief moment.

I would like to thank thank the taxi driver who assisted me through out this ordeal on the night. To my family who represented me throughout Beckys funeral and who have been standing with me from across the globe I am so grateful, yet again you have proved what it really means to be family. Thank you guys. And to the family that I have made along the way in my life’s journey, my real friends -” handina kana nemashoko ekukutendai”. You my friends are an imeasurable blessing. Indeed God sent me my fighting angels through you. I love you so . It is well

To Becky’s 3 children, you are not alone ever vana vangu. Nyika inga tarura zvakawanda as it always has , but you know I was your mum then , I am your mum now and I will be your mum forever. You know My heart and home are forever open to you

And to you my dear friend Becky I am devastated that you have left me. But even though I am still distraught I have gathered this little strength to be “that voice ” you always said you most admired about me. You always said that I was a strong woman who stands for those that can’t stand for themselves. The time to tell that truth had to be now or never.

To the media it is not ethical to write things without verification with all sides involved in the story and in so doing destroying people’s lives with content that is not representative of all parties.

By Jane Mlambo| MDC Alliance activist Makomborero Haruzivishe who was yesterday arrested at Mbare Magistrates Court in connection with the Warren Park demonstration held in May has been granted ZWL$1000 bail, according to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).

“ZLHR secures release of @MakomboreroH on RTGS$1 000 bail after he was arrested Monday and charged with committing public violence for allegedly participating in anti-govt protest against hunger & abuse of resources held in May during the national lockdown period.”

Haruzivishe becomes the seventh MDC Alliance activist to be arrested in connection with the Warren Park demonstration.

The other four are Joana Mamombe, Cecelia Chimbiri, Netsai Marova, Obey Sithole, Stanley Manyenga and Lovejoy Chitengu

By A Correspondent- 5 ZRP officers have tested positive for COVID-19 on the same day that Zimbabwe recorded the 7th COVID-19 death. The development was confirmed by the information ministry’s permanent secretary Mangwana who tweeted:

Two Zimbabweans in Namibia have tested positive to #Covid19Zim. Back home, five members of @PoliceZimbabwe have tested positive as well. This shows how the police are part of the frontline staff vulnerably exposed to risk as they go about their law and order jobs

The ZRP officers testing positive for COVID-19 coincided with the 7th COVID-19 in the country which was announced by the Ministry which said:

Today (Monday), we regret to report one facility death of a male aged 49 from Bulawayo Province, who tested positive today with a history of travel from South Africa and had no co-morbidities.