Last Chiangwa, aka TambaogaTraditional musician Last Chiangwa, aka Tambaoga, has distanced himself from the Twitter account handle @Tambaoga7, which recently posted an apology for his yesteryear affiliation to Zanu PF.
Tambaoga wants the account to be “taken down” despite partially agreeing that he regrets some of the politically-charged lyrics in his music then.
In an interview, the Rambai Makashinga singer, who recently signalled a return to the music scene through a solid set on the NASH TV Facebook live show, admitted that associating with the ruling party had affected his work immensely.
“The biggest problem we have is that our everyday lives are intertwined with politics, for one to put food on the table it’s politics and so to turn a blind eye to what guarantees survival is very hard,” he told Standard Style.
“However, it is wrong to lean towards one side as I had done, but we all know that is freedom of expression.”
At the turn of the millennium, Tambaoga gained popularity for his songs that were filled with pro-Zanu PF propaganda and praises for the late former president Robert Mugabe.
As a result, he enjoyed lots of airplay at state-run broadcasters and slots to perform at national events while his fan base shrank considerably beyond the opportunities, particularly in urban areas.
But, describing musicians as vessels of a message from the spiritual realm, Tambaoga said the next generation of musicians should strive to chant the truth.
“I would like to advise young musicians that it is not wise to be inclined to political parties. As an influencer, one should be neutral,” he said.
“If musicians do not sing about what is happening in the country or what is being shown, they would have diverted from the truth and if anyone stops them, it is an injustice as such prophecy can help better our lives on earth.”
Tambaoga pledged to release more music this year, starting with a single titled Mutemo Wavirima that was produced by Hanif Bhika at HB Studios in Belvedere, Harare.
“Albums are being prepared from this studio as well as from Chill Spot. We are also looking forward to work with Nash TV and come up with a live album from their stable,” he said.
It remains to be seen if he will win the hearts of fans or continue to languish like other individuals and groups blacklisted for associating with political parties over the years.
A HIGH Court Judge on Friday 26 June 2020 set free three victims of abduction and torture, who had been languishing in prison for close to two weeks, after they were denied bail by Harare Magistrate Bianca Makwande on Monday 15 June 2020.
High Court Judge Justice Davison Foroma ordered the release from Chikurubi Maximum Prison of Harare West legislator Hon. Joana Mamombe aged 27 years, Cecelia Chimbiri aged 31 years and Netsai Marova aged 25 years, after presiding over the hearing and determination of a bail appeal filed by their lawyers Alec Muchadehama, Jeremiah Bamu, Tinomuda Shoko and Roselyn Hanzi of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova were arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police members on 11 June 2020 and charged with publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31(a)(ii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31(a)(iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. The trio was also charged with defeating or obstructing the course of justice as defined in section 184(1)(f) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The trio’s freedom bid had been dismissed by Magistrate Makwande who on 15 June 2020 told Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova that she vetoed their bail application after being convinced that there were compelling reasons not to admit them to bail as they were likely to abscond from trial.
But Justice Foroma on Friday 26 June 2020 set free Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova after ruling that Magistrate Makwande had misdirected herself when she denied bail to Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova.
The Judge ordered the trio to pay RTGS$10 000 each as bail money, to report at the Criminal Investigations Department’s Law and Order Section at Harare Central Police Station on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays, to continue residing at their given residential addresses, not to interfere with state witnesses and to keep their passports in the possession and custody of the Clerk of Court at Harare Magistrates Court until their matter is finalised.
Justice Foroma also barred the trio from communicating whether directly or otherwise with any of the public and or private media including on social media in connection with their matter.
Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova went missing on 13 May 2020, when they were abducted in Harare by some unidentified people and were later found on 15 May 2020 after being dumped in Bindura in Mashonaland Central province.
They have already been charged with committing public violence after they were arrested on 26 May 2020 for allegedly participating in an anti-government protest against hunger during the national lockdown period as defined in section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and for contravening section 5(3) (a) as read with section 5(1) of Statutory Instrument 99 of 2020 of Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order, 2020 and will stand trial in August.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
Own Correspondent
Expelled Zanu PF national youth political Commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu said that his pressure group, the Front for Economic Emancipation in Zimbabwe (FEEZ) is ready to take action against economic injustices, especially corruption.
Tsenengamu accused Zimbabwe’s rulers of allowing their children to grab mines across the country at the expense of the general citizenry.
He said that unlike the late former President Robert Mugabe’s sons, Robert Jr and Chatunga, the children of Zimbabwe’s current rulers are very corrupt.
Watch video downloading below. Please be patient as the video downloads.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has clarified which mobile money transactions have been suspended following yesterday’s government statement.
It said:
Central bank governor John Mangudya said : “These unprecedented measures have been necessitated by the need to protect consumers on mobile money platforms which have been abused by unscrupulous and unpartisan individuals and entities to create instability and inefficiencies in the economy.”
He assured members of the pubic that their bona-de transactions will be processed normally.
There had been an outcry on why the directive had come from the government instead of the central bank.
The statement reads:
Following the Government Press Release on the Suspension of Monetary Transactions on Mobile Based Money Platforms (One Money, MyCash, Ecocash and Telecash) dated 26 June 2020, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (the Bank) wishes to advise the public as follows:
a) All mobile money agents are suspended from facilitating mobile financial transactions with immediate effect.
b) All merchant transactions are suspended except for receiving payments for goods and services as well as payment of utilities (water, power and airtime), which have been limited up to ZW$5000 per day for the
convenience of the transacting public.
c) All mobile money liquidations should be done through the banking system.
d) All bulk payer transactions have been suspended with immediate effect.
These unprecedented measures have been necessitated by the need to protect consumers on mobile money platforms which have been abused by unscrupulous and nonpartisan individuals and entities to create instability and inefficiencies in the economy.
Members of the public are assured that their bonafide transactions will be processed normally.
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
Since the English Premier League retuned from a three-month Covid-19 enforced break, Zimbabwean midfielder Marvelous Nakamba has not started a single game for Aston Villa.
In the three games the Claret and Blue have played; against Sheffield United, Chelsea and Newcastle, the former Club Brugge man has come on as a second half substitute.
Him not being in Dean Smith’s starting eleven has evidently irked local fans and the analysis in the Birmingham Mail can provide a clue as to why the Villa coach has not started him.
A rejuvenated Douglas Luiz has impressed not only Smith but even club Correspondent Ashley Preece and that could be reason why he (Luiz) has been preferred ahead of Nakamba.
“Since Aston Villa have returned to Premier League action, Douglas Luiz has barely missed a beat.
The Brazilian playmaker – through the three games of the return – has been nothing less than a linchpin for the side, and has shined.
While Luiz has impressed before – spots of inconsistency and a perceived ‘soft touch’ when in possession seemed to hold him back. It appeared that Luiz would be caught on the ball all too often.
However, the player that has returned from the enforced break is one that is smarter, fitter and sharper. A fully aware Luiz has become the first-name on the team sheet for Dean Smith – who is more than aware of the progression Luiz has made,” read part of the article in yesterday’s edition of the publication.
On who should start against Wolves today when Villa resume their relagation battle, Preece, in a seperate article noted: “In midfield, Douglas Luiz will get the chance to continue his fine form after a new lease of life.
The Brazilian has been immaculate since his return and will no doubt anchor the midfield once again. Next to him, John McGinn will get another start alongside possibly Hourihane.”-Soccer 24
Football commentator and stauch Warriors fan Charles ‘CNN’ Mabika has shown displeasure over the manner in which ZIFA casts a blind eye on legends of the game in Zimbabwe.
Mabika’s comments come in the wake of the untimely death of Dynamos assistant coach Biggie Zuze, who passed away in Harare yesterday.
Unlike in South Africa and European countries where legends of the game are honored through football matches, there is nothing like that in Zimbabwe and Mabika believes the country’s football governing body ZIFA is not doing enough in that regard.
“I will keep on saying it until someone at Zifa finally listens and acts . . . why cant we have an annual Legends Challenge Cup tournament as a tribute to all our LIVING and FALLEN soccer legends?,” wrote the broadcaster on his Twitter handle-Soccer 24
Message to the ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa.
By Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala
MDC Alliance National Vice Chairman.
In my personal capacity as a duly elected National Vice Chairman of the MDC Alliance, it is my clear advise to you, that I refuse to be treated like a person belonging to an illegal political organization, the trend which you know was practised by the colonial governments of Edgar Whitehead, Ian Douglas Smith and successive outpost apartheid regimes of SA.
Political organizations as universitas at law, if you know what it means as you purport to be a lawyer whom I never head once appeared before a kraalhead defending goat theft, are organisations formed and joined voluntarily.
Of recent past I discovered a dangerous path you want to take our country to bloodbath by your desperate attempt to take our country down the warpath.
It has been always your traits from the liberation struggle via the Gukurahundi genocide to the mass murder of the MDC membership from 2000 up to present and your current attempts to annihilate us as an organization and destroy the will and aspirations our people and that of the generation of today.
You are systematically using our noble institutions of the State to try and totally destroy us. Unbeknown to you is that, the route you are traveling is tragic.
I know you have got self delusions that you can kill, arrest and abduct anyone who will assert his or her fundamental right to express themselves against the desperate situation we are in as a country and as a people.
But let me warn you, your end is nigh. I once warned you during the Mugabe era that you are the most dangerous threat to our civilization as a people if we become unfortunate to be governed by you.
It is now apparent to everyone including the most daft that you are a curse modern civilization.
You have destroyed the dignity of our people through your incessant persecution of alternative voices and criminalised them because you want to enjoy looting our National resources with your friends, family and cabal. I don’t think in your normal reflection of the situation you are proud of the coup you committed on the 17th of November 2017.
You are now persecuting the organization I belong to on a daily basis for the dangerous reason you know best yourself alone.
I know there are many people in the organization you purport to lead who ridicule you to us on a daily basis and do not share your appetite to obliterate us as an alternative to your failed leadership of this country. Your belief that you will use our brothers and sisters in the security services to persecute our people will not work. Repeating the same strategy all over again since we happen to know you won’t work forever. Let me warn you, people will bring it to a halt one day. You have been asked by many people and Men of God who care about you, to repent of which if you don’t, your end is nigh. You can not continue seeing dead bodies since 1980 on your pleasure and on your name and proudly walk thinking you are god.
There is one true God. And the ancestors of this land are not happy at all about what you are doing to its people. People are starving while you are eating like King Nebbukadnezzah. Million youth are unemployed and are surviving through ndokumbirawo dhora mudhara.
It’s only one day when their anger explodes. Don’t blame anyone but yourself and your arrogance that gives you false invincibility. Falling like a thud you shall.
The institution of a family is crumbling because our people are migrating daily to Mozambique, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, DRC and other shameful destinations looking for life because you have destroyed any decency a normal person can have in this country. What kind of a shame are you that you don’t want to be challenged. Are you God??
I generally don’t dream falsehoods.
When I am talking about dreams I am not talking about wishes. I am talking about a really dream. Two nights ago I dreamt about you being viciously bitten by a swarm of bees.
You tried to laugh at them saying nyuchi idzi dzinopenga but they continued coming for you heavily. When you tried to use your hand to sway them away I saw them biting your hand until it got swollen to the size of a drum. They continued biting you until you melted. Beware mene mene takil Falsin.
I urge you to resign as soon as possible to save yourself from the swarm of bees.
My dreams always come true Mr. Mnangagwa. You will remember me for this. Put it in your note book. You will try to kill some but it won’t work for you. Our people have reached the breaking point.
Ndapedza newe.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Despite what you are still going through, today is a day we still celebrate to see you out of that dungeon, being able to meet your family and most importantly to be back in the trenches where we still continue to push for that freedom that you are being persecuted for. We remain resolute and focused to that sacrifice you have chosen.
You have shown great inspiration and ability to organise our young generation and the middle age including the old in advocating for change. Your commitment and tenacity whilst being incarcerated, physically and mentally abused by the state and the Judiciary will never be in vain.
The young generation shall soon rise and claim their freedom and democratic space.
We cannot remain an abused society by a political dynasty whose faces remain familiar to us. This Cartel comprising the same people keep on coming back to violate our society, abuse us, incarcerate our society and impose themselves on our society and leadership. Now it has also become a norm that they are also recycling their family members into looting our resources and that little we have worked hard for. The corruption is endless and no accountability or restraint from these perpetrators.
We are aware you are under surveillance and we will continue doing that we can to protect you. Your persecution has become our greatest motivation and sacrifice to our freedom.
It is time for our society to change culture and change habits and decisively be able to break this cycle collectively.
This brutality on you and all other citizens is a consequence of their corruption that is holding back every aspect of economic and civil life. It is an anchor that weighs us down and prevents us from achieving what we could.
Profound challenges stretch out before us, but let’s shoulder on and continue to strengthen our resolve in unity and collaboration. We shall overcome.
Farai Dziva|Zimbabwe’s biggest mobile telecommunications operator, which runs, EcoCash, has hit back at the government following the ban on mobile money operations.
On Friday government unilaterally banned mobile phone based transactions.
Below is the full statement from Ecocash to its customers:
We are aware of a statement purporting to have been issues by the Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services that purports to ban all mobile money transactions.
However, Ecocash is regulated by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and would naturally expect a directive of that nature and significance to be communicated by the Reserve bank of Zimbabwe.
We urge all our Ecocash users who exceed 10 million Zimbabweans, the majority of whom do not have bank accounts to remain calm and to continue to do your lawful transactions as usual.
Should there be changes, we shall give you adequate notice as required by law.
Traders in the city of Masvingo say there is confusion on whether they should accept or reject Ecocash transactions.
On Olympic Day, 23 June 2020, the International Olympic Committee and WHO together with the United Nations launched a partnership to encourage individuals and communities around the world to be #HEALTHYTogether.
The three partners and Olympic athletes will spotlight the global collaboration needed to stay healthy and reduce the spread and impact of COVID-19.
Olympic athletes will help deliver important public health information, to inspire people to adopt or continue behaviours that will curtail the pandemic and provide information that promotes physical and mental health.
The partnership kicks off today with Olympians around the world showcasing various exercises to stay healthy during this time.
A WHO survey showed that many people who had severe COVID-19 disease were already living with or at risk for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
The results emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle including being physically active, having a healthy diet, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol.
“We are pleased to partner with the International Olympic Committee to spread important health messages that will save lives.
Olympians will help us advocate for healthier populations to ensure that people are as resilient as our health systems must be to fight COVID-19,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO.
Over the past six months, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every corner of the globe and every aspect of people‘s lives.
The world is looking for global institutions to work together and for leaders to deliver reliable, credible information from sources they trust. Olympic athletes are symbols of strength that can act as trusted messengers for this information.
IOC President Thomas Bach said, “Sport can save lives. We have seen over the last few months just how important sport and physical activity are for health and well-being. And working together with the WHO and the United Nations we can take another step together.
We will ask our Olympic athletes to help share the information and best practice that the world needs now.”
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, added “During this time of unprecedented challenges and change — from the COVID-19 pandemic to the ongoing struggle for racial and social justice, to the climate crisis –there has never been a greater need for global solidarity and hope.
The Olympic movement and its athletes have always brought out the best in humanity, and the United Nations is pleased to work with the International Olympic Committee and the calling on people everywhere to unite and be #HEALTHYTogether.”
The global partnership will act locally, through the voices of Olympic athletes – voices that symbolize perseverance, dedication and endurance – qualities all individuals need during this public health challenge.
WHO will work with athletes to bring tailored health messages to people who are living through various stages of the pandemic through digital platforms.
As COVID-19 forces changes to our daily routines and lives – from how we interact with others to how we move and exercise – we need to pay attention to our own mental and physical health and help others who may need extra support.
By working together, the aim of the partnership on Olympic Day and every day is to stay Healthy Together.
Credit:WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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ZANU-PF central committee member and former senator Clemence Makwarimba last week pulled all bootlicking stops and went on an unhinged praising spree of President Emmerson Mnangawa, describing him as God-sent as proven by his ‘remarkable’ response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Makwarimba said that God knew that coronavirus will come to Zimbabwe and send President Mnangagwa to fight it and protect the people.
Makwarimba, who was given a platform to give a vote of thanks after Vice President Mohadi’s visit to Masvingo, said Mnangagwa’s government was anointed by God, adding that the coronavirus will not devastate the country as it did to others.
“God sent us President Mnangagwa.
It was God’s will that he is in power and people did as God wanted. If you look at the number of our Covid-19 cases, they show that President Mnangagwa has conquered.
“Most cases are imported and we have only recorded four deaths which were all a result of imported cases. There are very few local transmissions and that is not by chance but by wisdom from the man that God sent us.
“We should thank this government because if it were not for them, we would have all perished,” said Makwarimba.
He said President Mnangagwa will not campaign for the 2023 elections as his efforts in the fight against Covid-19 had already earned him clean victory.
Makwarimba once served as Masvingo Rural District Council (RDC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
— TellZim
South African Government has said it’s been vindicated by the court judgement dismissing an application by the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita) to overturn the ban on cigarette sales.
Cigarettes have been banned since March – a move which has sparked widespread outrage in some sectors of society.
The High Court in Pretoria dismissed the application with costs, saying the argument that tobacco products should be considered essential because they are addictive has no merits.
Fita has indicated it will appeal the ruling.
“We also wish to remind South Africans that all the interventions that were made, including the ban on selling of cigarettes, were all aimed at saving lives. As we reopen the economy, we call on all South Africans – both at the workplace and on an individual level, to adhere to the health protocol,” said government spokesperson Phumla Williams.
One person has died and almost 30 others have been injured in two separate taxi accidents on Friday night.
In Potchefstroom, a man in his 20s died during a collision between a taxi and a light motor vehicle in Ikageng Road. ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene at shortly after 19:20, along with local emergency personnel.
“A young man in his 20s who had suffered fatal injuries and showed no signs of life was found in the light motor vehicle. He was unfortunately, declared dead on arrival, said ER24 spokesperson Ross Campbell.
A 32-year-old man was also found trapped in the same vehicle.
He has serious injuries and the fire department extracted him from the wreckage. He was taken to Potchefstroom Provincial Hospital for further care, according to Campbell.
Several taxi occupants were treated on the scene – four by ER24 personnel and eight by provincial emergency services officials– and transported to local hospitals.
In another incident on Friday night at around the same time, 15 people had critical to minor injuries after the taxi they were travelling in collided with a delivery truck close to Ladysmith.
The accident took place close to the intersection of the R103 and Harrismith Road.
“All the injured were found to be from the taxi and all were adults. Three passengers were found to have suffered critical injuries, four others moderate injuries and the remainder suffered minor injuries,” Campbell said.
The driver was found in his seat and had to be extracted.
“He had luckily only suffered moderate injuries and was transported through to Ladysmith Provincial Hospital for further care,” Campbell added.
Police officers were at both scenes for further investigations.
-News24
The MDC Alliance is concerned by the government’s unlawful decree issued on Friday 26 June 2020 by the Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services banning mobile money operations and suspending trading on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.
This is an arbitrary measure that violates the rule of law, due process and basic principles of administrative law. The Permanent Secretary does not have the authority to issue such a ban on regulated entities, which authority is held by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the securities regulator. None of these authorities have backed the decree.
Indeed, we expect statements of such gravity on economic matters to come from competent authorities that are mandated by law to manage monetary policy. Their silence indicates dissonance with the regime which points to dysfunctionality which has characterized state operations in recent months. At a practical level, the ban will have serious and negative implications on the day-to-day lives of the people, in both urban and rural areas. More than 90% of daily transactions in our retail economy are conducted through mobile money platforms. Mobile money platforms are inclusive and have brought in the previously unbanked meal population.
The arbitrary measure affects millions of Zimbabweans who rely on mobile money services at a time when there are serious cash shortages. Shutting it down arbitrarily is a gross violation of people’s way of life.
The MDC Alliance is also concerned at the impact of this arbitrary measure on investment in the country. The country already has a negative image among foreign investors. Shutting down the ZSE arbitrarily not only affects economy to others on the market but violates property rights. Capital does not stay where it is unsafe. It is grossly irrational for a government that claims to be open for business to arbitrarily shut down the country’s stock market unilaterally.
As the MDC Alliance, we believe in the rule of law, the protection of property rights and due process.
We demand the immediate reversal of this unlawful decree.
Fadzayi Mahere
MINES and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando yesterday said time is up for mining title holders whose concessions have been lying idle or underutilised as Government will in the next four months repossess the claims.
Recently, Government proclaimed the “use-it-or lose it” policy after noting that some prospective investors awarded the Special Grants (SG) in different mining sub-sectors of the economy were holding onto the claims for speculative purposes.
Such behaviour, he said, was retrogressive as the country was being deprived of its potential to exploit its vast mineral resource base.
Speaking during a tour of some colliery firms in Hwange, Matabeleland North province, Minister Chitando who was accompanied by his Finance portfolio counterpart, Professor Mthuli Ncube, said Government was also looking forward to re-sizing some of the concessions with huge resource base and inordinate life spans and allocate them to potential investors.
“So, the use-it-or lose-it policy is being implemented and I can certainly assure you that by end of August or September, there will be a number of which will be realised. But I think more importantly, in terms of the use-it or lose-it policy, we have people who have got the mining concessions, which concessions in terms of the resources, it will take them 500 years to mine.
“It may be a gold, platinum asset or it maybe coal asset, so we will be cutting all the concessions so that we allocate to others,” said Minister Chitando.
The impending decision by Government to resize some of the concessions held by investors who are already on the ground comes in the wake of the realisation that some of the potential investors in the coal sector, for example, were failing to realise their full potential as well as beneficiate the mineral due to shortage of raw materials.
The firms, which the two ministers visited are Afrochine’s coking plant project, Zimbabwe ZhongXin Colliery Company, Jinan Coking Coal Project and South Mining Coking Coal Project.
In separate briefings to the ministers, officials from some of the firms highlighted that they were not adequately supplied with coal by the local producers to feed into their coking plants.
It was against this background that some of the companies with coking plants have applied to Government for coal concessions.
The tour of the collieries by the two ministers is a precursor to President Mnangagwa’s visit of mines in Hwange district tentatively within the next four weeks.
Minister Chitando said their visit with Prof Ncube was also a fact finding mission of the challenges bedevilling the firms in the coal sector as well as to apprise Prof Ncube about the mining sector.
In an interview with journalists, Prof Ncube said:
“My office being in charge of the taxes as you can imagine, I am always trying to see where we can fine tune the tax incentives for investment.
“Like what we did in the diamond sector by making sure that the royalties are tax deductive, so whatever we can do with the tax fund was to support the mining sector looking at issues like export incentives.”
Last year, President Mnangagwa launched a mining industry strategic road map to build a US$12 billion sector by 2023.
The strategic road map, which is anchored on beneficiation recognises the coal sub-sector as one of the minerals, which Zimbabwe can leverage on as the country also targets an upper middle income economy by 2030.
Under the road map, coal, chrome, diamond, iron and steel are envisaged to contributed US$1 billion. The projected increase represents a 344 percent jump from US$2,7 billion achieved in 2017.
Government has also identified mining houses undertaking various projects towards the attainment of the target while negotiations with others are in progress.
Already, the mining sector is critical in generating foreign currency, contributing about 70 percent of the country’s forex earnings.
A combination of picking low-hanging fruits or quick-win projects with a medium-term impact as well as a longer-term impact means Zimbabwe could see the lift soon.
State Media
A TOP government official has urged police to be ruthless when dealing with perpetrators of gender-based violence, mainly rapists.
Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Ellen Gwaradzimba made the call at a gender-based violence workshop in Mutare yesterday, saying she was worried over the surge in rape cases in the province.
The workshop, organised by the Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development ministry, was held under the theme, Strengthening and Enhancing Accountability in response to sexual gender-based violence during emergencies and pandemics.
Gwaradzimba told participants, among them Chimanimani West MP Nokhutula Matsikenyere and Mutasa North MP Chido Madiwa, that during the COVID-19 pandemic, her office had received scary statistics on gender-based violence.
“I am receiving scary statistics on gender-based violence during this COVID-19 period. Although I don’t have numbers today, under this lockdown, people are supposed to stay at home, so many things are happening at home,” she said.
“Gender-based violence is a worrisome problem. I am urging police to be ruthless when dealing with issues to do with gender-based violence. Please police, bring to book perpetrators of rape and arrest them.”
Gwaradzimba also accused some police officers of taking bribes to protect perpetrators.
“It is now time for action. We should structure a system to deal with the issue of gender-based violence, let’s educate people in churches, schools, universities and other areas rather than coming to hotels.”
By Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi- On the 30th of December 2019 I wrote to the governor of (Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe) RBZ, the Ministry of Finance and the government that the growth of a dominating mobile money service provider was now a national security issue.
This was covered in the state media https://www.chronicle.co.zw/introduce-mfs-to-make-mobile-money-services-more-affordable/ and now the chickens are coming home to roost.
Below is what I presented:
You have to be ignorant to ignore this.
Zimbabwe’s cash crisis has created a need for financial inclusion. There is now a need to make banking services accessible and affordable to everyone in Zimbabwe and beyond and has been a buzzword for the last few years. Technology-based financial services have propelled innovation to “bank the unbanked” making daily financial operations accessible and user friendly for almost everyone especially Zimbabwe’s rural people who had no access to banks before.
With 96 percent of our transactions in Zimbabwe now being cashless and the mobile money dominating all the transactions performed. Even the finance ministry has recognized the crucial role mobile money services continue to play in increasing financial inclusion and are continuously working on building regulatory frameworks which enable such services to be available to all.
According to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), the National Payment Systems (NPS) First Quarter 2019 report indicates that 79 percent of all the transactions ,volumes were processed through EcoCash transacting amounting to ZWL$11,28 billion in three (3) months.
The RBZ Financial Inclusion Forum report of February 2019 states that 6.1 million people use mobile money with 2 million who do not have alternative financial services and have all their savings and transactions in the mobile money wallets.
Zimbabwe’s national payments system is dominated and highly dependent on the EcoCash Mobile money platform which creates a significant national systematic and security risk. The Mobile money sector in Zimbabwe currently operates as closed separate systems, with transfer of Electronic mobile money balances to other mobile money platforms and banks being quite a complicated, tedious and costly process.
This kind of domination and dependency has contributed greatly to inflationary pressures currently prevailing in Zimbabwe and is a factor that discourages national savings.
This kind of domination and dependency creates a severe impact on systematic risk resulting from the high level of concentration on the Mobile money sector which was confirmed by the 24-hour outage of the EcoCash service on 20 July 2019 and the 72-hour outage during the EcoCash system upgrade which commenced on the 17th of November 2019.
This was confirmed when the Zimbabwe’s economy literally came to a standstill on these days as most of the population could not complete economic transactions.
This was further compounded by the recent collapse of the Paynet system which controlled 80 percent of the nation’s banking/financial payment systems in Zimbabwe.This further illustrates the systematic risk in our national payment systems and the resulting negative impacts on Zimbabwe’s financial services and economy.
These kind of challenges, creates a national security risk to the Republic of Zimbabwe when we have one mobile money player controlling over 80% of the country’s financial services. This domination can lead to social unrest if or when there is any system failure.
The closed nature of the Mobile money platforms has also greatly curtailed credit creation in the country as customer’s financial data from Mobile money platforms is not accessible to Banks, Micro lenders and other Mobile money platforms mostly referred to as a credit reference bureau (CRB). As such 6.1 million mobile money users cannot access credit and are unable to use their mobile money wallet balances and transaction history to access loans.
There is a perception that Zimbabwe’s only one currency, being the ZWL (This currency like any other currency in the world )should be able to flow freely from bank to bank, bank to mobile money wallet and mobile money wallet to mobile money wallet so that it remains an effective medium of exchange.
Due to the significant barriers placed by Ecocash restricting flow of funds outside their ecosystem, more than 80% of the country’s electronic transactions are moved from Ecocash to Ecocash. With this kind of domination “Ecocash” in substance is now a separate currency, with the ZWL and Ecocash currency operating as two parallel monetary systems as Ecocash is not a part of the Zipit system and Mobile financial services (MFS) wallet to wallet interoperability is not yet in place.
MFS Hub connects mobile money systems to each other, and to money transfer organizations, banks and other financial institutions, enabling money remittances “TO” and “FROM” mobile money accounts. To confirm this there is the unofficial black market Ecocash forex rates that is different from the ZWL forex rates.
The solution to the risks and challenges of the domination of Ecocash as a national Mobile Money Service can be successfully mitigated by implementing the three solutions below:
The RBZ should implement the MFS Wallet to Wallet interoperability. The implementation of wallet to wallet interoperability will greatly reduce the systematic and security risks currently emanating from the use of mobile money in Zimbabwe. Mobile money subscribers will thereafter be able to move their ZWL freely from EcoCash wallet to One Money wallet and to Telecash wallet. This will result in about 40% of total wallet balances moving to One Money and Telecash within 3 months of implementation which will greatly reduce the national security and systematic risks currently prevailing in our national payment systems.
The biggest economic player is the Government of Zimbabwe and will be the biggest benefiter when there is a level mobile money playing field. Once subscribers have moved their mobile money wallet balances to another mobile money they will then need to be able to use their ZWL held in their mobile money wallet freely across the country. The single largest economic agent in the country is the Government. It is vital in this regard that all government Ministries, Departments, Parastatals, Councils, Schools, Hospitals, ZINARA and government programs such as school grants and social assistance register and make use of mobile money services as one of the payments and collection systems that they use to effectively promote the free flow of ZWL in the economy. This will also greatly reduce the national systematic and security risks.
There is now a need for financial inclusion where individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs that are delivered in a responsible and sustainable way. By introducing MFS Zimbabwe will make mobile money services more affordable and reduce the domination of Ecocash.
HIGH Court judge Justice Pisirayi Kwenda yesterday said the infamous Drax International COVID-19 tender scam, which has led to the arrest of Health minister Obadiah Moyo for criminal abuse of office, was too hazy and suspected the company’s local representative Delish Nguwaya was withholding critical information on how he clinched the deal without following formal tender procedures.
Justice Kwenda made the remarks during Nguwaya’s bail hearing following his arrest two weeks ago on charges of fraudulently getting the US$60 million COVID-19 medical and equipment supply deal.
Before he deferred bail ruling to next Wednesday, Justice Kwenda said the way the controversial deal was concluded was opaque.
Nguwaya was arrested a fortnight ago after he allegedly misled government into believing that his company Drax International, also known as Drax Consult SAGL, was a medical firm and could supply COVID-19 equipment to the Health ministry.
During the bail hearing, Justice Kwenda asked Nguwaya’s lawyer Tafadzwa Hungwe to enlighten the court on how the government ended up signing a contract with Nguwaya’s firm well knowing that his company was simply a consultancy firm.
The judge said the whole Drax International issue was not being clearly examined because there were signs of interference with key witnesses in the matter.
“This case is clouded by mist, I cannot properly follow. The circumstances of this matter speak to some interference with information … Something is wrong, but again, it is not clear,” Justice Kwenda said.
“The facts tend to speak to hesitation by key witnesses to make some disclosures … The State says if it had known that Drax International was not a drug manufacturing company, it would have not signed a contract agreement … You see, something is not clear, the whole thing is hazy.”
He added: “We know what procurement procedures were supposed to be followed, that is clear according to the Constitution.
“But there was lack of adherence to what the Constitution says … the witnesses are reluctant to deal with real issues, which is already an interference … Why would government officials fail to follow procurement procedures?
“The key witnesses themselves are not telling us what is wrong. Some information is being withheld and I can only assume that it is him who is withholding the information.”
Hungwe defended Nguwaya’s position saying he simply followed what he was ordered to do by government officials involved in the signing of the deal.
“If there is anyone hiding information in this matter, it is not my client, but the government employees especially the permanent secretary for Health,” said Hungwe, who was being assisted by Ashiel Mugiya.
He said his client was a suitable candidate for bail, adding he had disclosed that his firm was into consultancy, and not a drug manufacturer as alleged by the State.
The State alleges that Nguwaya lied that Drax International was a Swiss-based medical firm, whereas it later emerged that it was only a consulting company with no experience in the manufacture of medicines.
State representative Tapiwa Mapfuwa, who was being assisted by Lancelot Mutsokoti, urged the court to deny Nguwaya bail, saying extra-territorial investigations were still ongoing. They expressed fear that Nguwaya could interfere with investigations if granted bail.
But Nguwaya’s lawyers challenged the State’s assertion, saying the government did not lose anything in monetary value since the drugs were supplied and the other contract cancelled.
By Robert Sigauke- Besides pulling down an outdated calendar and hanging up another on the wall each year in Zimbabwe, has anybody ever asked themselves if really we are going anywhere as a country? I say this with every sense of paradox because to each person, in high place or low, the more things change the more they stay the same, and it seems nobody rises any wiser from each cycle.
Zanu PF has seen from the epicentre how toxic politics and corruption, amongst the biggest of culprit cancers, have taken the economy to casualty status.
Zimbabweans need to ask themselves if Zanu PF’s case is either that of whipping through everyone through a painful, Pan-African, neo-colonianist economic emancipation revolution, or it is a text book case of selfish stone-cold resolve of benefiting from chaos and disorder. That question is fundamental to history and politics, there has to be something engraved about it for future generations.
From Willow-gate, Zisco Steel Blast Furnace saga of 1987, ZESA- Soltran, GMB saga of Kangai, the Chikowore hands in the NOCZIM scandal, the Marange $15B loot, the Command Agriculture smoke, to the recent Zesa-Intratek saga.
In most if not all of these and others far too many or too under the carpet to mention, the underlying denominator has been that the closer you are to the authorities the better chances you stand to walk away with hands dripping of soup or oil.
Let us not be tempted to think nobody in the opposite political basket has not had their hands soiled at one point or another, and still walk away in full glare of the authorities. This is political dirty advantage, the trump card for game change, the politician’s favourite check-mate in a corrupt system, this is capital for control.
Did we really expect anything better from the disgraced Obadiah Moyo? This is the same Moyo who then and still now presides over a critical ministry under international spotlight and condemnation due to the terrible infrastructural state of hospitals, drug shortages and persistent industrial action by critical staff.
At such height of infamy, Moyo aborted a tour of Parirenyatwa, Harare and Chitungwiza hospitals halfway a few months ago, just because, I will quote his own words to the shock of the world, “Yes, we heard that you (media) were gone and there was no point for us to come, we are very sorry,” the former Chitungwiza Hospital CEO said at the time.
My question and everyone’s still is, was the hospital tour meant to fact find the state of affairs on the ground, or it was a mere charade to look good in the news bulletin? Did Moyo think through before he uttered these words? Shame on him. In sane working democracies one is booted for such reckless utter.
Mugabe’s political patronage craft and thirst for control and power could only survive on such travesties, and the tragedy of it all is that the cronies around him were paying attention very well along the trudge.
This is the same system of rule that the government of the day inherited, perfected, continued, and is harvesting on since the transition.
The carpets in the corridors of power hold much of this political capital. So much of ZACC’s mantra of uprooting and prosecuting corruption, there is neither political will nor the capacity from the system itself.
The loyalty exchange burden on ZACC is too great to be betrayed, its officers tread on a thin line, on tight leash. A mere 77 high profile cases in their active dockets do not measure up to the rot that has crippled Zimbabwe in memorable history, with even the criminals still roaming the streets and doing more.
Courts have been used as intimidation battlegrounds for political opponents with zero will to hold anybody to account, but to appear as if something is being done. This is more so further, because the comrades still in power and the has-beens now in the cold, broke bread together in these shady deals.
Shame on our opposition too, they have played in the hands of Zanu PF’s glaring tactics far too long. Is it not surprising how they call each other names and make accusations of being agents of the ruling party, whenever someone seems not to agree with the crowd.
Alas, the same Zanu implant will be welcomed back and blessed with a lofty post in the top echelons when he or she speaks correctly, politically that is. So what we have is an opposition full of sell-outs who keep going into bed with Zanu PF and coming back to get more info, then go back to feed Zanu and then come back again.
The truth at the end of the day then is, the people are on their own, they love their movement, they believe in their movement, but they are without sincere leadership fully dedicated and ready to die for the cause.
Khupe herself let words precede the mind in UK when she admitted that most of “us” are in it for a killing. In any case, nobody will remember not to curse the constitution if oil and soup really run dry.
The 2005, 2014, and now 2018 splits are said to be as a result of Zanu’s meddling in the opposition. While this may not be dismissed entirely, it is politically embarrassing to keep playing defensive on such mantra.
How many punches must a whole organisation take from the regime on the same chin to know when to change tact and bundle themselves in one corner to pull a knockout when the regime least expects it? 2009 to 2013 were wasted years in hindsight, Zanu used the opportunity to regain momentum and traction, while the super ministers of the MDC popped champagne in fanfare.
The sheer numbers could not, and did not overwhelm any rigging mechanism in 2013, if ever there was. While Khupe and Chamisa trade political and legal barbs at each other, Zanu’s propaganda machine is being oiled.
This is already in full swing since last year, the media is awash and pre-occupied with stories of “widening rifts” in the regime’s cockpit, and this comforts the opposition leadership. If this is what they are counting on, seeing that it has become so predictable that each election year the MDC is led sheepishly to the guillotine only for them to cry foul soon thereafter, 2023 will be another bigger bloodbath.
It has become an effective political onslaught tool for Zanu to keep their erstwhile opposition divided amongst themselves, further keeping them in imaginary glee at the “divisions” within Zanu PF itself. Chiwenga was spot on when, last year, he told the media after his health woes that most people do not understand the relationship that binds him with ED.
The relationship these men want people to see, is exactly what they give to the media to disseminate and play in the public arena. If you corner Zanu PF such that it sees no way out, rest assured the only way out it will see and take is through you.
While Zanu moves in whole, with factions pieced together, the opposition moves in separate bits and pieces. The bold needs the beautiful, Chamisa needs Khuphe and Mwonzora. Baba Saungweme kwaMutare please tell them.
In case they forgot, the reforms agenda is not off the table. The media space must be fully opened and stand independent, the voters roll must be audited and made available in electronic format, the security complex must stay out and not influence the political order of the day from the barracks.
Vote count, equipment and procedures must be systematically monitored, political violence must be a despicable sin, ZEC and the arms of government must be independent and not owe each other political debts, constituency delimitation must be clear and sensible, repeal of fascist laws to open the democratic space.
Thereafter and collectively, the opposition must take the fight to Zanu PF’s backyards, to the rural areas. As a centre-left party, a fitting manifesto will be most appealing now than ever. This is political capital, lest history will only record the best opposition heads of state Zimbabwe never had.
Robert Sigauke is a Legal Manager, Political and Social commentator, Entrepreneur and Author. He writes from Johannesburg.
Email [email protected]
By Nomusa Garikai- Zimbabwe’s corrupt and incompetent politicians, right across the political divide, take the Zimbabwean electorate for fools!
It was only after Joice Mujuru was booted out; “baby dumped”, as Grace Mugabe gleefully boasted; of Zanu PF in 2014 that she finally discovered she had a voice to against corrupt and oppression.
And yet just a few months before she had address a Zanu PF Women’s League meeting in Chinhoyi in which she had categorically denied there was corruption in the country. Thanks to modern technology, someone had recorded her speech and it went viral.
“Mwana wembwa haasvinuri zura raazvarwa!” (A puppy does not open its eyes the day it is born!) Mujuru explain when asked why she had never criticized Zanu PF corruption and tyranny whilst she was still in power.
We are to believe that Dotito (Mujuru’s home area) puppies take 34 years just to open their eyes!
The High Court ruling, confirmed by the Supreme Court on 30 March, that Nelson Chamisa’s seizure of power following Tsvangirai’s death had, indeed, violated the MDC constitution; has thrown the cat among the pigeons. The Court ruling nullify the succession and the leadership of the power was handed to Thokozani Khupe, the cat, in a silver platter.
Since the 2018 palace coup Chamisa and his supporters had given Khupe and her lot a torrid time made worse by the humiliating performance of her faction in the July 2018 elections. The Court gave have the sword with which to administer her revenge and, by Jove, she has been slashing merciless; right, centre and left.
It is a bloodbath in the MDC cage. 13 MDC legislators have been recalled and Madam Khupe is not done yet!
“The enemies of the struggle claim to have recalled me. l was sponsored by MDC Alliance and voted by the people of Mkoba. My Parliament is in Mkoba. We remain focused to free the people of Zimbabwe from the jaws of poverty emanating from the legitimacy crisis and massive corruption from Zanu-PF,” said Amos Chibaya, one of the recalled MPs.
“To the MDC Alliance family and all Zimbabweans who want to see change lets remain strong and focused. We cannot be silenced, the time is now to liberate ourselves.”
The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elected MDC leaders into power on the understanding the party will implement the democratic changes the nation has been dying for all these last 40 years. MDC has been on the political stage for 20 years, 5 of which in the GNU, and has failed to implement even one democratic reform. Not one!
If MDC leaders had indeed remained “focused to free the people of Zimbabwe” then the party would have implemented all the democratic reforms especially during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when they had their best chance!
“The time is now to liberate ourselves!” So, MDC did not implement even one token reform all these last 20 years because the party was waiting for the right time – NOW!
Why now, one might well ask? That is easy to answer, Amos Chibaya and his MDC colleagues recalled have lost their gravy-train seat in parliament or senate together with all the generous salary and allowance that goes with it. To win back their gravy-train seats they must win the confidence of the electorate by pretending, if elected, they will this time implement the reforms to secure freedom, free elections, economic recovery, etc.
So, MDC did not implement even one democratic reform these last 20 years because it was the wrong time to do so. This is a typical Zimbabwe political tale from the unexpected to add to the Dotito puppy that took 34 years to open her sexy eyes and many, many more such tales!
By A Correspondent- An attempt to bribe police detectives by four armed robbers landed them in soup.
The matter came to light at Guruve magistrates courts on Friday where Never Zendelani (34), Patson Doro (33),Paul Baison (21) and Robson Doro all from Chiwaridzo,Bindura appeared before magistrate Shingirai Mutiro facing robbery charges.
They were remanded in custody to July 2.
The state led by Albert Mazhindu alleged on June 9 at Beris post the quartet armed with pistols pounced on three homesteads fired warning shots and robbed them of their money, two motor vehicle and a cell phone.
Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Mvurwi arm bushed the suspects and arrested them before recovering the stolen vehicles.
Upon their arrest the suspects tried to bribe the cops with US$15 and the police turned the bribe down.
Further investigations revealed that the suspects had evaded a police road block using an unregistered motor vehicle
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure who was arrested in Harare on Friday and taken to Masvingo for court appearance has been granted $500 bail.
ARTUZ spokesperson Nation Mudzitirwa said human rights lawyer Tonderai Bhatasara represented Masaraure at the Masvingo Magistrates Court.
The arrest follows the June 22 demonstration by Artuz members in Masvingo, demanding US dollar salaries.
It’s shocking that the State would criminalise genuine union activities guaranteed by the law and basic labour rights.
We maintain that president Obert Masaraure is not a criminal, but unionist fighting for labour justice.
Masaraure allegedly led an illegal demonstration in the ancient town on Monday. The teachers were protesting against poor salaries and working conditions.
The MDC Alliance is concerned by the government’s unlawful decree issued on Friday 26 June 2020 by the Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services banning mobile money operations and suspending trading on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.
This is an arbitrary measure that violates the rule of law, due process and basic principles of administrative law.
The Permanent Secretary does not have the authority to issue such a ban on regulated entities, which authority is held by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the securities regulator. None of these authorities has backed the decree.
Indeed, we expect statements of such gravity on economic matters to come from competent authorities that are mandated by law to manage monetary policy.
Their silence indicates dissonance with the regime which points to dysfunctionality which has characterized state operations in recent months.
At a practical level, the ban will have serious and negative implications on the day-to-day lives of the people, in both urban and rural areas.
More than 90% of daily transactions in our retail economy are conducted through mobile money platforms.
Mobile money platforms are inclusive and have brought in the previously unbanked rural population.
The arbitrary measure affects millions of Zimbabweans who rely on mobile money services at a time when there are serious cash shortages. Shutting it down arbitrarily is a gross violation of people’s way of life.
The MDC Alliance is also concerned at the impact of this arbitrary measure on investment in the country.
The country already has a negative image among foreign investors. Shutting down the ZSE arbitrarily not only affects the economy to others on the market but violates property rights. Capital does not stay where it is unsafe.
It is grossly irrational for a government that claims to be open for business to arbitrarily shut down the country’s stock market unilaterally.
As the MDC Alliance, we believe in the rule of law, the protection of property rights and due process.
We demand the immediate reversal of this unlawful decree.
By A Correspondent- The late Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s son, Chatunga has accused the country’s current leader Emmerson Mnangagwa administration of running Zimbabwe like a tuckshop.
This follows the latest government move to suspend mobile money transactions after failing to control the runaway exchange rate that has caused untold suffering on the citizenry who now have to endure uncontrollable inflation.
Said Chatunga:
“Running the whole country like a tuckshop.”
A high Court Judge on Friday 26 June 2020 set free three victims of abduction and torture, who had been languishing in prison for close to two weeks, after they were denied bail by Harare Magistrate Bianca Makwande on Monday 15 June 2020.
High Court Judge Justice Davison Foroma ordered the release from Chikurubi Maximum Prison of Harare West legislator Hon. Joana Mamombe aged 27 years, Cecelia Chimbiri aged 31 years and Netsai Marova aged 25 years, after presiding over the hearing and determination of a bail appeal filed by their lawyers Alec Muchadehama, Jeremiah Bamu, Tinomuda Shoko and Roselyn Hanzi of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova were arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police members on 11 June 2020 and charged with publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31(a)(ii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31(a)(iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The trio was also charged with defeating or obstructing the course of justice as defined in section 184(1)(f) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The trio’s freedom bid had been dismissed by Magistrate Makwande who on 15 June 2020 told Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova that she vetoed their bail application after being convinced that there were compelling reasons not to admit them to bail as they were likely to abscond from trial.
But Justice Foroma on Friday 26 June 2020 set free Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova after ruling that Magistrate Makwande had misdirected herself when she denied bail to Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova.
The Judge ordered the trio to pay RTGS$10 000 each as bail money, to report at the Criminal Investigations Department’s Law and Order Section at Harare Central Police Station on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays, to continue residing at their given residential addresses, not to interfere with state witnesses and to keep their passports in the possession and custody of the Clerk of Court at Harare Magistrates Court until their matter is finalised.
Justice Foroma also barred the trio from communicating whether directly or otherwise with any of the public and or private media including on social media in connection with their matter.
Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova went missing on 13 May 2020, when they were abducted in Harare by some unidentified people and were later found on 15 May 2020 after being dumped in Bindura in Mashonaland Central province.
They have already been charged with committing public violence after they were arrested on 26 May 2020 for allegedly participating in an anti-government protest against hunger during the national lockdown period as defined in section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and for contravening section 5(3) (a) as read with section 5(1) of Statutory Instrument 99 of 2020 of Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order, 2020 and will stand trial in August.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
Farai Dziva|CIO operatives attempted to abduct MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Chairperson Obey Sithole, Youth Assembly National Organising Secretary Godfrey Kurauone and one Mutombeni on Friday night in Masvingo.
Sithole, Kurauone and Mutombeni were chased by CIOs driving a white Toyota Prado without registration plates and they were forced to abandon their vehicle in the process.
Sithole said:
Last night they attempted to abduct us once again in Masvingo.
In Zimbabwe, even clapping using our hands can be considered a crime that warrants an abduction.
However, we remain resolute in our quest to bring a new Zimbabwe.
One day Zimbabwe shall be free and never again shall Zimbabweans be subjected to degrading treatment for their political choices.
I lost my phones in the process so I am currently not available on WhatsApp.
Many thanks to some brave Mucheke residents who facilitated our safe escape from the scene. Action is the only solution to the Zimbabwean equation.
ZanupfMustGo…
By a Correspondent- Exiled former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Moyo who is the second republic’s fiercest critic has outlined the following 24 points and said they were the reasons why the ruling party Zanu PF must go and make way for better political leaders to take over.
While some may see ZanuPF as a political party, it has never been one. I did not have this view before 2000, but since then I have come to understand that ZanuPF is a system or culture steeped in the military; with a tainted history, a troubled present, with no future!The fact that ZanuPF is not, and I would say has never been, a political party, in the traditional sense of the term, has far reaching implications on why it must go. Before developing this further, some preliminaries on important assumptions underlying this intervention!
The bane of public discourse in Zimbabwe is that it’s impossible to know what’s going on from the media. There’s no investigative journalism. All there is are ocassional leaks, which are by definition incomplete stories. The advent of the social media has not improved this!The dearth of investigative journalism & the prevalence of uninformed generic commentary, explain why the discussion on why ZanuPF must go has not gone beyond a hashtag. It’s torture to get news or commentary that does not answer the what, who, where, how & when questions!
My two key assumptions: 1. It’s a fundamental sociological tenet that society does not wait to be interpreted: it always self-interprets; hence theory must follow practice and; 2. The narrative of what is to be done is best anchored on what is there, not what could be there!
When I reexamined the subtitle, “why ZanuPF must go”, on the back of the view of ZanuPF as a system & culture, it became clear that it should be: “why ZanuPF has gone”. The ZanuPF system or culture has disintegrated physically & hegemonically. What remains is its caricature!
The crisis in Zimbabwe today is from the fact that, while ZanuPF has physically & hegemonically collapsed, the military which was embedded in ZanuPF since the 1975 Mgagao Declaration, staged a coup in 2017 to seize ZanuPF; thinking it was a going concern when it was debris!
As shown below, from the military’s “coup minutes” written on 15 &16 Nov 2017, out of 7 coup demands made by General Chiwenga to President Mugabe 6 were about ZanuPF & the 7th was about tenure interests of the commanders. Nothing for the military, government or the people!
What has the 2017 military’s takeover of ZanuPF meant, politically? As I show in Excelgate, the first effect was for the military to grab @ZECzim& to run it from Defence House; and for ZDF’s Africom Zim to run ZEC & CIO’s election computers to win the 2018 poll as ZanuPF!
The second effect of the military’s control of @ZECzim from Defence House between Nov 2017 & Aug 2018, while also managing the ZanuPF Commissariat, was to render ZanuPF politicians superfluous & to emasculate party structures; as Defence House became the de facto ZanuPF HQ!
The third effect of the military’s 2017 takeover of ZanuPF was that General Chiwenga became the most influential politician in ZanuPF & in Zim. He campaigned for all ZanuPF parliamentary candidates; not by his eloquence but his feared presence as the man who ousted Mugabe!
Key to General Chiwenga’s political influence in ZanuPF & in Zim were neither ZanuPF politicians nor structures but exZanla commanders & excombatants such as General Martin Chedondo, General Engelbert Rugeje, General Anselem Sanyatwe & General Douglas Nyikayaramba & others!
Even with the rise of exZipra commanders to the apex of ZDF, the core of ZDF, the ZNA, is now not only under an exZanla commander but also a gukurahundist, Edzai Chimonyo, who infamously defended atrocities by saying: “Some call us murderers but our role is quite clear”!
The fourth & most concerning effect of ZanuPF’s takeover by the military is that its quest to seize ZanuPF without improving military, govt or public affairs, has enabled Mnangagwa, his family, clan & cronies to fill the void in govt by engaging in unprecedented corruption!The fifth & most significant effect of the Nov 2017 military takeover of ZanuPF is that for the first time since 1980, an exZipra commander & thus Zapu cadre, General PV Sibanda, assumed the command of ZDF as CDF. This feat would not have happened under President Mugabe!The rise of an exZipra commander General PV Sibanda, to be CDF of ZDF could trailblaze a new military trajectory with potentially positive spillovers for Zim politics. Notably, his rise was made possible by the fact that exZipra commanders led the military side of the coup.
The post military coup setup at ZDF is that its apex has two exZipra commanders: General PV Sibanda who heads ZDF and Air Marshal Elson Moyo, who heads the Air Force and who did not see eye to eye with former boss, Rt Air Marshal Perence Shiri. ExZanla has command of ZNA!With General Chiwenga having to contend with troubling health challenges, and doing so remarkably, military influence in politics has shifted from ZanuPF to government; with General @MinisterSBMoyo emerging as the power horse, notwithstanding his own health challenges!The most vocal agitators that have declared ZanuPF dead, like @ShingiMunyeza, one of@edmnangagwa ‘s advisors who says his boss is presiding over an evil system based on an occult, are inspired by @MinisterSBMoyo whom they see as the voice of reason in govt, outside ZanuPF!
Why must ZanuPF go? As I adumbrated upfront, it’s not so much that ZanuPF must go but that people must see that it has disintegrated physically & hegemonically as a system or culture; yet its caricature remains & the military is using it for bad things, disguised as ZanuPF!The five effects of ZanuPF’s takeover by the military necessitate ZanuPF to go & also confirm it’s gone but remains a caricature. ZanuPF is no longer viable to exZanla commanders; is not an option for exZipra now in charge of ZDF & was rejected by voters in the 2018 polls!What is to be done? The people & the military must find each other. The people embraced the military in Nov 2017. Now the military should make amends & embrace the people by respecting their 2 018 vote for @nelsonchamisa. It’s the people who must govern, not the military!
About 4,000 recovered Covid-19 patients from South Korean-based Shincheonji Church of Jesus will donate their blood, also known as convalescent plasma, for use in the research and development of a new therapy that could reduce deaths related to the illness.
Antibodies found in the blood of recovered Covid-19 patients could help fight off the disease. A recent pilot study conducted at three hospitals in China found that immune antibodies harvested from recovered patients appeared to shorten the duration of symptoms, speed up recovery and improve oxygen levels in those infected.
Researchers hope the blood of recovered patients can be used to treat the critically ill and that it may curb current death rates. To progress this research and develop the treatment scientists need the blood of individuals who have healed but battled to find willing donors. A previous trial was called off due to low participation.
To aid in the global search for a safe and effective treatment for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, Shincheonji Church has urged its members to become donors, with roughly 4,000 are expected to give 500ml of blood.
Shincheonji leader Man Hee Lee, who is an advocate for world peace, personally advised recovered congregants to donate their plasma for the general good of humanity. “As Jesus sacrificed himself with his blood for life, we hope that the blood of people can bring positive effects to achieve a world of peace for future generations,” said Mr. Lee.
After discussions with South Korean health authorities which highlighted the need for resources to progress treatment research, the church decided to create a plan for the donation. “Some of the recovered members have already donated individually, feeling thankful for the assistance from the government and medical teams,” a Shincheonji representative said. “They expressed their willingness to make this contribution to society.”
There is currently no vaccine or drug proven to be widely effective in limiting the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, though various nations are researching treatment options. A breakthrough in the search for a cure from South Korea would help to lower the mortality rate in Southern Africa, and to contain the economic damage suffered from lockdown measures.
African nations have mostly reported lower infections and more slowly than their global counterparts, meaning the full impact of the virus on the continent remains to be seen. With vulnerable healthcare systems throughout the region the discovery of an effective treatment would be lifesaving.
-ibali
Son to the late President Robert Mugabe, Chatunga has accused the Emmerson Mnangagwa administration of running Zimbabwe like a Tuckshop.
This follows the latest government move to suspend mobile money transactions after failing to control the runaway exchange rate that has caused untold suffering on the citizenry who now have to endure uncontrollable inflation.
A HIGH Court Judge on Friday 26 June 2020 set free three victims of abduction and torture, who had been languishing in prison for close to two weeks, after they were denied bail by Harare Magistrate Bianca Makwande on Monday 15 June 2020.
High Court Judge Justice Davison Foroma ordered the release from Chikurubi Maximum Prison of Harare West legislator Hon. Joana Mamombe aged 27 years, Cecelia Chimbiri aged 31 years and Netsai Marova aged 25 years, after presiding over the hearing and determination of a bail appeal filed by their lawyers Alec Muchadehama, Jeremiah Bamu, Tinomuda Shoko and Roselyn Hanzi of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova were arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police members on 11 June 2020 and charged with publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31(a)(ii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31(a)(iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. The trio was also charged with defeating or obstructing the course of justice as defined in section 184(1)(f) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The trio’s freedom bid had been dismissed by Magistrate Makwande who on 15 June 2020 told Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova that she vetoed their bail application after being convinced that there were compelling reasons not to admit them to bail as they were likely to abscond from trial.
But Justice Foroma on Friday 26 June 2020 set free Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova after ruling that Magistrate Makwande had misdirected herself when she denied bail to Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova.
The Judge ordered the trio to pay RTGS$10 000 each as bail money, to report at the Criminal Investigations Department’s Law and Order Section at Harare Central Police Station on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays, to continue residing at their given residential addresses, not to interfere with state witnesses and to keep their passports in the possession and custody of the Clerk of Court at Harare Magistrates Court until their matter is finalised.
Justice Foroma also barred the trio from communicating whether directly or otherwise with any of the public and or private media including on social media in connection with their matter.
Hon. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova went missing on 13 May 2020, when they were abducted in Harare by some unidentified people and were later found on 15 May 2020 after being dumped in Bindura in Mashonaland Central province.
They have already been charged with committing public violence after they were arrested on 26 May 2020 for allegedly participating in an anti-government protest against hunger during the national lockdown period as defined in section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and for contravening section 5(3) (a) as read with section 5(1) of Statutory Instrument 99 of 2020 of Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order, 2020 and will stand trial in August.
By A Correspondent- Authorities at Beitbridge Border Post have increased surveillance and anti-smuggling activities during the ongoing lockdown and 21 trucks and 22 other vehicles smuggling an assortment of goods worth millions of dollars have since been intercepted.
Zimbabwe remains the only viable transit route for countries that include Zambia, Malawi, DRC, Tanzania and Angola.
According to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), traffic volumes per day, both import and export, increased from an average of 450 daily in 2019 to 1 000 between March and June this year.
Prior to the lockdown, Zimra was clearing around 500 commercial trucks daily.
Zimra’s regional manager for Beitbridge, Mr Innocent Chikuni recently said the smuggling of groceries and related items remains the biggest challenge.
He was speaking during the tour of the border by the revenue authority’s senior managers and Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube.
“Working with other stakeholders we have been able to seize goods from 56 offenders and impounded 22 motor vehicles between April and May at undesignated entry points along the Limpopo River,” said Mr Chikuni.
“In addition, smuggling activities through the border post are surging because of the increased traffic. Between March and May we recorded 81 seizures including 21 commercial trucks and trailers. We are now looking at increased automation of most processes and concentration of staff to control the high-risk cargo to minimize smuggling through the main port of entry.”
Mr Chikuni said he believed that if they deploy more human and material resources to man or patrol undesignated entry points, they can reduce criminal activities at undesignated crossing point along the Limpopo river.
He said the border has become a Covid-19 hotspot in the country considering current infection figures and risks associated with the interface between various Government agencies and stakeholders operating within and outside of the border.
Mr Chikuni said they were working with stakeholders among them health officials to minimise risks of new infections.
“To speed up traffic movement we have introduced; mandatory pre- arrival clearance of all cargo – enforcement; use of risk management in the processing of the cargo – in place of 100% intervention. We also recommend the use of the pre-clearance facilities – online communication and clearances of groceries that come as consolidated (Omalaitsha),” he said.
“Additionally, we opened up more release lanes through the use of private vehicles/bus lane for low risk commercial cargo including Government maize and so far, 123,280,733 kgs have been imported in 3500 trucks since the beginning of the year. More importantly we are liaising and coordinating with other stakeholders on both the South African and Zimbabwean components of the border to address challenges as and when they arise.
-statemedia
By A Correspondent| The government has threatened to withdraw licences of shops rejecting $1 and $2 coins as well as $2 and $5 bond notes.
Businesses started rejecting the lower denominations as soon as the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe introduced $10 and $20 notes.
But while responding to questions from MPs in Parliament on Wednesday regarding the punitive measures that the government had put in place to force both businesses and individuals to accept the money as legal tender, Finance deputy minister Clemence Chiduwa urged citizens to report such cases to the police.
“What I would have wanted to say is that it is a comprehensive statement on that but on another note, in terms of the sanctions that have been given, especially to big wholesalers and retailers, in the event that they refuse the legal tender for Zimbabwe, under ministry of Industry and Commerce, we have got a section where we withdraw licences,” Chiduwa said.
The minister said for individuals rejecting the legal tender the case is however, treated as civil and not criminal.
“In terms of what we have done as intervention to make sure that people accept the bond notes and the bank notes as legal tender, we have issued a statement advising all stakeholders and the businesses informing them that the bond notes, bank notes and bond coins are still legal tender and it is illegal to refuse such in all our trading.
“For all those who have gone to shops where coins and notes have been rejected, they should report to the nearest police. At the moment, there are only civil sanctions not criminal. I think I would need to provide a statement on that issue but not now,” he said.
This comes as police have also threatened informal traders rejecting the denominations leaving citizens stranded.
In a statement this week, police spokesperson Paul Nyathi urged the public to report people who are not accepting the local currency.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police has noted with concern that some businesspeople, especially informal traders are refusing to accept local currency coins, $2 and $5 notes, which is illegal. The police will not hesitate to enforce the law on anyone found to be disregarding the country’s laws, especially during this lockdown period.
“The public is again urged to report such errant people for swift action to be taken,” Nyathi said.
-online
By A Correspondent| Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry, has been barred from accessing their children, cars and property – including their plush Borrowdale home – after the Supreme Court yesterday set aside a provisional order she had attained from the High Court.
The Supreme Court bench led by deputy chief justice Elizabeth Gwaunza and two other judges, Paddington Garwe and Chinembiri Bhunu, noted how Marry’s lawyers had misled her by making an improper application in the High Court matter.
Marry was represented by Mtetwa and Nyambirai Legal Practitioners, who had applied for a provisional spoliation order – after being denied access to her matrimonial home and was not aware of her children’s whereabouts – which was granted by High Court judge Christopher Dube-Banda.
Chiwenga, through his lawyers Wilson Manase of Manase and Manase – who instructed Lewis Uriri – then challenged the position and sought reprieve from the Supreme Court.
“The respondent (Marry) unfortunately did not get the benefit of sound legal advice in order to assert her rights. Regrettably, this is the sort of case where one cannot escape the consequences of the conduct of his or her legal practitioner,” Gwaunza said.
“The respondent’s conduct in presenting an incompetent claim and her unsubstantiated attack on the appellant’s (Chiwenga) character could have justified an order for punitive costs against her.
“However, in light of the fact that she did not get appropriate legal advice and representation from her lawyers, the court takes the view that an order of costs on the higher scale would be unduly harsh.”
Gwaunza noted how Dube-Banda had grossly erred by granting Marry’s request made through an application that was unjustified at law.
“The appeal succeeds in part with costs … the appeal against the finding of the court a quo on urgency be and is hereby dismissed. The matter be and hereby struck off the roll with costs,” Gwaunza ordered.
The apex court ruled that the custody issues would only be determined on the merits after hearing of evidence.
“… for no good reason and at the instance of her lawyers, the respondent claimed custody of her children under the nonexistent and inapplicable law of provisional spoliation.
“As already stated, the learned judge in the court a quo, presumably having realised that the respondent’s claim was incompetent and a nullity at law, improperly granted her a final interdict which she had not asked for. The order cannot stand.
“The court was at fault in that it determined a matter that was not before it and without hearing argument on the question of whether or not to grant the provisional spoliation order. The question of the final interdict was supposed to be argued and determined on the return day which, however, never saw the light of day.”
-DailyNews
Farai Dziva|Zimbabwe’s biggest mobile telecommunications operator, which runs, EcoCash, has hit back at the government following the ban on mobile money operations.
On Friday government unilaterally banned mobile phone based transactions.
Below is the full statement from Ecocash to its customers:
We are aware of a statement purporting to have been issues by the Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services that purports to ban all mobile money transactions.
However, Ecocash is regulated by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and would naturally expect a directive of that nature and significance to be communicated by the Reserve bank of Zimbabwe.
We urge all our Ecocash users who exceed 10 million Zimbabweans, the majority of whom do not have bank accounts to remain calm and to continue to do your lawful transactions as usual.
Should there be changes, we shall give you adequate notice as required by law.
By A Correspondent- Five people died in an accident in the Mavhuradonha mountains on their way to a burial in Tete area in Muzarabani.
The accident occurred earlier today when the vehicle they were travelling is said to have suffered brake failure seven kilometres shy of completing the Mavhuradonha mountain range.
Muzarabani district development coordinator Mr John Chihobo said five others are in a critical condition and were transferred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
The other 8 who were injured are admitted at St Albert’s Hospital. The 18 were travelling in two vehicles and were accompanying the body of their deceased relative.
StateMedia
By Wilbert Mukori- “We shall not allow a situation where our people live in chronic insecurity, lack and deprivation. It has become apparent that in our midst, there are wolves in sheep clothing, vultures. The end is coming,” Mnangagwa eulogized at Heroes Acre yesterday.
“Let us never be complacent, the war of today is neither guns nor bombs. The war against our economic prosperity is on-going.
“Rest assured that the enemies of progress and economic growth of our country will never win as long as we remain united. The challenges we face are not insurmountable. I exhort all of us not to surrender, it is not over.
“Despite the setbacks we may face, Zimbabwe needs people who choose peace over disharmony, tranquillity over violence, love and peace over hatred, morality, integrity and hard honest work over immorality, laziness and corruption. We must choose justice and truth over lies and falsehoods.”
The real wolf in sheep’s clothing, the vulture, pedalling lies and falsehoods is none other than Mnangagwa himself. How can the war to achieve economic prosperity even be won when for the last 40 years gross mismanagement and rampant corruption, the cancers in our economy, have been allowed to grow and spread to every sector of the economy.
Mnangagwa promised “zero tolerance to corruption” when he took over from the late Mugabe in November 2017. He has failed to stamp out corruption.
In 2016 Mugabe admitted the country was being “swindled out of US$15 billion” in looted diamonds alone. Mugabe has never arrested one diamond swindler and/or recover one swindled dollar. It is now two and half years since the November 2017 coup and Mnangagwa has yet to arrest one diamond swindler and/or recover one dollar.
“Corruption is deep-rooted!” Mnangagwa has since admitted.
Of course, corruption is deep-rooted! Most of Mnangagwa cabinet members, to brass in the security services, CEO in civil service and private sector, etc. including Mnangagwa himself are the chief beneficiaries of the gross mismanagement and rampant corruption, the godfathers of all the wholesale looting.
As long as Zanu PF remains in power the corruption will never end. Zanu PF will never ever reform itself out of office no more than a cobra will never ever defang itself! Never ever!
After the November 2017 coup, Mnangagwa also promised to hold free, fair and credible elections. After 37 years of rigged elections the people of Zimbabwe welcomed the opportunity to have a meaningful say in the governance of the country. Sadly, they were to be disappointed as Mnangagwa went on to blatantly rig the elections.
“The elections were free, fair and credible!” Mnangagwa has insisted time and time again.
A blatant lie! Of course, the elections were rigged. ZEC even failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll.
Zimbabwe is a pariah state, a Banana Republic, ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs. 40 years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship have left the country in economic ruins and political paralysis. The oppressive political system has stifled debate and democratic competition allowing scum to rise to the top in both the ruling party and the opposition.
“I swear by the living LORD that the man who did this ought to die! For having done such a cruel thing, he must pay back four times as much as he took,” said King David after the Prophet Nathan told him of the story of the rich man who had killed the poor man’s only ewe-lamb to feed his guests.
“You are that man,” said the Prophet Nathan.
King David was filled with remorse and repented. We are not so lucky!
“Rest assured that the enemies of progress and economic growth of our country will never win as long as we remain united!” Mnangagwa, you are the enemy of progress! After 40 years of misrule, you still refuse to accept you have failed and, worst of all, ruthless deny the people a meaningful say in the governance of the country!
The only way out of this hell-on-earth Zimbabwe finds itself in is for the vote rigging Zanu PF regime to step-down, it has no mandate to govern. This will allow the political space for the appointment of an independent body tasked to implement the democratic reforms to end the curse of rigged elections.
During the 2017 episode, one of the key fundamentals which the military reiterated during the seizure of power, was the restoration of legacy, getting rid of the purported criminals around Robert Mugabe. The country has witnessed a rampant to seizure of properties, theft of trust funds, fresh wave of farm invasions, illegal occupations of prime land and personal properties, which leaves many few remaining potential investors to leave the country.
Few days ago, we have witnessed the rampant looting of state funds, with over 60 million went missing in the disguise of donating to the Zimbabwe Government. To add on to the list, we saw the illegal occupation of Harvest House, which has legal papers under the custodianship of a trust. During Mnangagwa era, many people have lost their properties, under his watch, and today Zhuwao family have lost a farm to the current Youth Minister, Kirts Coventry. The current Youth Minister is the latest Government Minister to invade a farm, with fake letters produced, claiming the land was lying idle. The current wave of fresh farm invasions, clearly shows the regime does not have respect over property rights. Zimbabwe has no clear policy direction which includes a clear investment policy which defines property rights as a human right obligation and necessity. The Government has a duty and mandate to protect people’s rights and their property rights, and giving confidence to foreign investors, and assuring them of the safety of their investments.
Westwood has been in and out of courts fighting for his shares and properties in vain, as there was no sign from the brutal system, that he will recover his lost properties and money from the former Hurungwe legislator. Despite Westwood, approaching Mnangagwa during the 2017 military coup, where ED pledged to the international community to restore legacy on property rights and investor’s confidence, the Zimbabwe leader has not responded to numerous letters written to him by Westwood and his lawyers.
Brief background
Former Zimbabwe and Scottish based businessman, Paul Westwood who lost his business ten years ago to the then Mashonaland West Zanu PF Chairperson, and the current Norton Independent Legislator Temba Mliswa, who grabbed more than 50 percent shares in Noshio Motors, a registered car dealer Brendaly. On this occasion, the Norton Legislator Temba Mliswa, was arrested over illegal occupation, public violence, contempt of court, extortion, malicious damage to property, shop licenses Act violation, Firearms Act violation and housebreaking. Mliswa abused the indigenization laws to grab the properties using the then Security Minister Diydmus Mutasa, to escape accountability. In 2009, Mliswa faced charges of illegal seizing shares worth over $ 1 million from the company and threatening its director, Mr. Paul Westwood that he would make him disappear.
The citation on this case, how then does Zimbabwe Government guarantee the safety of the investor, and the property rights issue, which is an obligation on the part of the State’s mandate? It was in the hands of the House of Commons to pressure Zimbabwe’s Government to relook into the matter, which has almost died a natural death, citing the involvement of the state to suppress the impending matter which is still before the courts of law.
During Mugabe’s era, Glenrothes, and other legislators’ tabled a motion urging the then Zimbabwe leader, Robert Mugabe, to review the case and facilitate compensation. The motion received backing from more than 15 MPs, from three political parties in the house including the conservatives, labour and liberal democrats.
Mliswa stand accused of improperly using indigenization laws to take over shares worth over 1 million for his own personal gain. Paul 51, fled Zimbabwe with his wife and two sons after being given two hours to get out or risk being killed.
In an apparent attempt to get justice over his properties and shares worth 1 million pounds, Westwood have approached the courts through his lawyers citing the impending case against the Norton legislator and the then Mash West Zanu PF Chairman and Hurungwe legislator. Pressure mounts on Mliswa over the saga to return the seized properties belonging to the Scottish based businessman. An attempt to find justice from the current judiciary hits a brick wall, after the courts led by Malaba acquitted the Norton legislator Mliswa. Contacted for comment, the Scottish based businessman, Paul Westwood said in his statement, I will not rest until justice is delivered, and compensation has been given to him.
Westwood has already approached the courts to get his looted shares back. There has been a heated argument and verbal assaults between Robert Mugabe’s son Chatunga and Mliswa over Westwood saga, when the latter reminded Mliswa to return back Westwood’s properties which he looted during Mugabe era.
Chatunga alleged that Mliswa has been surviving on share of loots from grabbing of farms and properties belonging to prominent people in Zimbabwe. Mliswa stand accused of bringing several companies down after allegations of extortion and bribery has been fingered, claiming that their businesses will be protected.
Coventry invades a farm
LATE former President Robert Mugabe’s nephew, Robert Zhuwao has approached the High Court seeking an order to stop Kirsty Coventry from occupying his Zvimba farm. Zhuwao is late Sabina Mugabe’s son and brother to exiled former cabinet minister Patrick Zhuwao. The 232 hectares farm is situated in Zvimba district Mashonaland West province. The Sports Minister Coventry and Lands Minister Perrence Shiri are cited as 1st and 2nd Respondents.
Zhuwao who is currently recovering from brain surgery in Zambia, he has signed the founding affidavit same which notarized and emailed to us to enable us to file the instructed urgent chamber application .Late last year, Lands Minister Perrance Shiri ordered Zhuwao to vacate the farm arguing that the latter was in breach of term and conditions of his offer letter.
Zhuwao was allocated the farm in 2004 under the government’s controversial land reform and claims he has been using it productively. On the 9th of December 2004, he was offered subdivision 1 of Cockington in Zvimba District, in the province of Mashonaland West which is approximately 232.81 hectares in extend,” Zhuwao said in court application filed in January contesting the eviction.
The offer was made in terms of the Agricultural Land Resettlement Act Chapter 20:01. I accepted the offer and a clear contractual agreement between the Ministry of Lands Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Settlement and myself.”Shiri signed the withdrawal letter on April 26 last year saying Mugabe’s nephew had abandoned the farm since 2011.
Zhuwao said he was shocked to receive another letter on October 16 notifying him of the immediate termination of his contract and argues that reasons for cancellation of the offer letter were fabricated. He also submitted that only President Mnangagwa had the powers to revoke offer letters hence the need for the court to deal with the matter.
These are the signs of a brutal Government which is not ready to reform and protect the rights of investors and guaranteeing the safety of the investor and his properties.
The Zimbabwe judiciary system has been cited in numerous cases, where it has been protecting the looters on partisan lines. Mliswa who remains untouchable, has been awarded with positions in society and even chairing the mines portfolio in parliament at a time when his standing in society remains questionable, and his integrity is under spotlight.
Charles Murindo is a Political Analyst who can be contacted on [email protected]
Winston ChitandoMINES and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando yesterday said time is up for mining title holders whose concessions have been lying idle or underutilised as Government will in the next four months repossess the claims.
Recently, Government proclaimed the “use-it-or lose it” policy after noting that some prospective investors awarded the Special Grants (SG) in different mining sub-sectors of the economy were holding onto the claims for speculative purposes.
Such behaviour, he said, was retrogressive as the country was being deprived of its potential to exploit its vast mineral resource base.
Speaking during a tour of some colliery firms in Hwange, Matabeleland North province, Minister Chitando who was accompanied by his Finance portfolio counterpart, Professor Mthuli Ncube, said Government was also looking forward to re-sizing some of the concessions with huge resource base and inordinate life spans and allocate them to potential investors.
“So, the use-it-or lose-it policy is being implemented and I can certainly assure you that by end of August or September, there will be a number of which will be realised. But I think more importantly, in terms of the use-it or lose-it policy, we have people who have got the mining concessions, which concessions in terms of the resources, it will take them 500 years to mine.
“It may be a gold, platinum asset or it maybe coal asset, so we will be cutting all the concessions so that we allocate to others,” said Minister Chitando.
The impending decision by Government to resize some of the concessions held by investors who are already on the ground comes in the wake of the realisation that some of the potential investors in the coal sector, for example, were failing to realise their full potential as well as beneficiate the mineral due to shortage of raw materials.
The firms, which the two ministers visited are Afrochine’s coking plant project, Zimbabwe ZhongXin Colliery Company, Jinan Coking Coal Project and South Mining Coking Coal Project.
In separate briefings to the ministers, officials from some of the firms highlighted that they were not adequately supplied with coal by the local producers to feed into their coking plants.
It was against this background that some of the companies with coking plants have applied to Government for coal concessions.
The tour of the collieries by the two ministers is a precursor to President Mnangagwa’s visit of mines in Hwange district tentatively within the next four weeks.
Minister Chitando said their visit with Prof Ncube was also a fact finding mission of the challenges bedevilling the firms in the coal sector as well as to apprise Prof Ncube about the mining sector.
In an interview with journalists, Prof Ncube said:
“My office being in charge of the taxes as you can imagine, I am always trying to see where we can fine tune the tax incentives for investment.
“Like what we did in the diamond sector by making sure that the royalties are tax deductive, so whatever we can do with the tax fund was to support the mining sector looking at issues like export incentives.”
Last year, President Mnangagwa launched a mining industry strategic road map to build a US$12 billion sector by 2023.
The strategic road map, which is anchored on beneficiation recognises the coal sub-sector as one of the minerals, which Zimbabwe can leverage on as the country also targets an upper middle income economy by 2030.
Under the road map, coal, chrome, diamond, iron and steel are envisaged to contributed US$1 billion. The projected increase represents a 344 percent jump from US$2,7 billion achieved in 2017.
Government has also identified mining houses undertaking various projects towards the attainment of the target while negotiations with others are in progress.
Already, the mining sector is critical in generating foreign currency, contributing about 70 percent of the country’s forex earnings.
A combination of picking low-hanging fruits or quick-win projects with a medium-term impact as well as a longer-term impact means Zimbabwe could see the lift soon.
State Media
Jonathan Moyo Exiled former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Moyo who is the second republic’s fiercest critic has outlined the following 24 points and said they were the reasons why the ruling party Zanu PF must go and make way for better political leaders to take over.
While some may see ZanuPF as a political party, it has never been one. I did not have this view before 2000, but since then I have come to understand that ZanuPF is a system or culture steeped in the military; with a tainted history, a troubled present, with no future!The fact that ZanuPF is not, and I would say has never been, a political party, in the traditional sense of the term, has far reaching implications on why it must go. Before developing this further, some preliminaries on important assumptions underlying this intervention!
The bane of public discourse in Zimbabwe is that it’s impossible to know what’s going on from the media. There’s no investigative journalism. All there is are ocassional leaks, which are by definition incomplete stories. The advent of the social media has not improved this!The dearth of investigative journalism & the prevalence of uninformed generic commentary, explain why the discussion on why ZanuPF must go has not gone beyond a hashtag. It’s torture to get news or commentary that does not answer the what, who, where, how & when questions!
My two key assumptions: 1. It’s a fundamental sociological tenet that society does not wait to be interpreted: it always self-interprets; hence theory must follow practice and; 2. The narrative of what is to be done is best anchored on what is there, not what could be there!
When I reexamined the subtitle, “why ZanuPF must go”, on the back of the view of ZanuPF as a system & culture, it became clear that it should be: “why ZanuPF has gone”. The ZanuPF system or culture has disintegrated physically & hegemonically. What remains is its caricature!
The crisis in Zimbabwe today is from the fact that, while ZanuPF has physically & hegemonically collapsed, the military which was embedded in ZanuPF since the 1975 Mgagao Declaration, staged a coup in 2017 to seize ZanuPF; thinking it was a going concern when it was debris!
As shown below, from the military’s “coup minutes” written on 15 &16 Nov 2017, out of 7 coup demands made by General Chiwenga to President Mugabe 6 were about ZanuPF & the 7th was about tenure interests of the commanders. Nothing for the military, government or the people!
What has the 2017 military’s takeover of ZanuPF meant, politically? As I show in Excelgate, the first effect was for the military to grab @ZECzim& to run it from Defence House; and for ZDF’s Africom Zim to run ZEC & CIO’s election computers to win the 2018 poll as ZanuPF!
The second effect of the military’s control of @ZECzim from Defence House between Nov 2017 & Aug 2018, while also managing the ZanuPF Commissariat, was to render ZanuPF politicians superfluous & to emasculate party structures; as Defence House became the de facto ZanuPF HQ!
The third effect of the military’s 2017 takeover of ZanuPF was that General Chiwenga became the most influential politician in ZanuPF & in Zim. He campaigned for all ZanuPF parliamentary candidates; not by his eloquence but his feared presence as the man who ousted Mugabe!
Key to General Chiwenga’s political influence in ZanuPF & in Zim were neither ZanuPF politicians nor structures but exZanla commanders & excombatants such as General Martin Chedondo, General Engelbert Rugeje, General Anselem Sanyatwe & General Douglas Nyikayaramba & others!
Even with the rise of exZipra commanders to the apex of ZDF, the core of ZDF, the ZNA, is now not only under an exZanla commander but also a gukurahundist, Edzai Chimonyo, who infamously defended atrocities by saying: “Some call us murderers but our role is quite clear”!
The fourth & most concerning effect of ZanuPF’s takeover by the military is that its quest to seize ZanuPF without improving military, govt or public affairs, has enabled Mnangagwa, his family, clan & cronies to fill the void in govt by engaging in unprecedented corruption!The fifth & most significant effect of the Nov 2017 military takeover of ZanuPF is that for the first time since 1980, an exZipra commander & thus Zapu cadre, General PV Sibanda, assumed the command of ZDF as CDF. This feat would not have happened under President Mugabe!
The rise of an exZipra commander General PV Sibanda, to be CDF of ZDF could trailblaze a new military trajectory with potentially positive spillovers for Zim politics. Notably, his rise was made possible by the fact that exZipra commanders led the military side of the coup.The post military coup setup at ZDF is that its apex has two exZipra commanders: General PV Sibanda who heads ZDF and Air Marshal Elson Moyo, who heads the Air Force and who did not see eye to eye with former boss, Rt Air Marshal Perence Shiri. ExZanla has command of ZNA!With General Chiwenga having to contend with troubling health challenges, and doing so remarkably, military influence in politics has shifted from ZanuPF to government; with General @MinisterSBMoyo emerging as the power horse, notwithstanding his own health challenges!
The most vocal agitators that have declared ZanuPF dead, like @ShingiMunyeza, one of@edmnangagwa ‘s advisors who says his boss is presiding over an evil system based on an occult, are inspired by @MinisterSBMoyo whom they see as the voice of reason in govt, outside ZanuPF!More in Home
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Chiwenga Hails The Agriculture Ministry’s Initiative To End Poverty & Hunger In CommunitiesWhy must ZanuPF go? As I adumbrated upfront, it’s not so much that ZanuPF must go but that people must see that it has disintegrated physically & hegemonically as a system or culture; yet its caricature remains & the military is using it for bad things, disguised as ZanuPF!
The five effects of ZanuPF’s takeover by the military necessitate ZanuPF to go & also confirm it’s gone but remains a caricature. ZanuPF is no longer viable to exZanla commanders; is not an option for exZipra now in charge of ZDF & was rejected by voters in the 2018 polls!What is to be done? The people & the military must find each other. The people embraced the military in Nov 2017. Now the military should make amends & embrace the people by respecting their 2 018 vote for @nelsonchamisa. It’s the people who must govern, not the military!
Source: Twitter
Below is the official government statement firing ZANU PF coupist, Emmerson Mnangagwa saying, “….he discharges his duties in a manner inconsistent with his official duties, he is disloyal, is disrespectful, deceitful, unreliable and shows a lack of probity in the execution of his duties….” , S.K. Moyo (2017)
….
In accordance with the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Number 20 Act of 2013, Section 329, 6th Schedule, Paragraph 14, Sub-paragraph (2), His Excellency the President, Comrade R.G. Mugabe, has exercised his Powers to relieve Honourable Vice President E.D. Mnangagwa, of his position as Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe with immediate effect. It had become evident that his conduct in the discharge of his duties had become inconsistent with his official responsibilities. The Vice President has consistently and persistently exhibited traits of disloyalty, disrespect, deceitfulness and unreliability. He has also demonstrated little probity in the execution of his duties.
Nick Mangwana There was panic and chaos last night when the Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana issued a statement that said OneMoney and Ecocash had been suspended.
The secretary also said the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange had been suspended. Given how ubiquitous Ecocash and OneMoney are, there was anger at this measure.
Eocash, the country’s leading mobile money provider, has however dismissed the notice pointing out that it did not come from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe as procedure requires. Their service is therefore still up although one wonders for how long. The government easily rectify that procedural misstep and order the RBZ to order Ecocash to suspend operations.
It seems Ecocash is again trying to ingratiate itself with customers and washing it’s hands of any problems. They also seem intent on reminding the authorities that they risk annoying 10 million Zimbabweans who use Ecocash. These people will probably not be amused by whatever reason the government gives for suspending Ecocash. All they will care about is that the government’s orders will effectively affect their ability to transact. For an order that makes frequent use of the word “prudent” it doesn’t seem like diligence and care were part of the process that saw this order being made.
Own Correspondent
Malawi President Peter Mutharika has reportedly vacated Sanjika Palace, the Presidental Residence after it emerged that he lost the presidential election rerun to opposition candidate Lazarus Chakwera.
The Malawi Electoral Commission has not yet announced the official results which are expected within 8 days of the polling day but unofficial results have indicated that Chakwera has an unassailable lead.
Watch video on James Chavula Twitter.
Job SikhalaMessage to the ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa.
By Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala
MDC Alliance National Vice Chairman.
In my personal capacity as a duly elected National Vice Chairman of the MDC Alliance, it is my clear advise to you, that I refuse to be treated like a person belonging to an illegal political organization, the trend which you know was practised by the colonial governments of Edgar Whitehead, Ian Douglas Smith and successive outpost apartheid regimes of SA. Political organizations as universitas at law, if you know what it means as you purport to be a lawyer whom I never head once appeared before a kraalhead defending goat theft, are organisations formed and joined voluntarily. Of recent past I discovered a dangerous path you want to take our country to bloodbath by your desperate attempt to take our country down the warpath. It has been always your traits from the liberation struggle via the Gukurahundi genocide to the mass murder of the MDC membership from 2000 up to present and your current attempts to annihilate us as an organization and destroy the will and aspirations our people and that of the generation of today.
You are systematically using our noble institutions of the State to try and totally destroy us. Unbeknown to you is that, the route you are traveling is tragic. I know you have got self delusions that you can kill, arrest and abduct anyone who will assert his or her fundamental right to express themselves against the desperate situation we are in as a country and as a people. But let me warn you, your end is nigh. I once warned you during the Mugabe era that you are the most dangerous threat to our civilization as a people if we become unfortunate to be governed by you. It is now apparent to everyone including the most daft that you are a curse modern civilization. You have destroyed the dignity of our people through your incessant persecution of alternative voices and criminalised them because you want to enjoy looting our National resources with your friends, family and cabal. I don’t think in your normal reflection of the situation you are proud of the coup you committed on the 17th of November 2017. You are now persecuting the organization I belong to on a daily basis for the dangerous reason you know best yourself alone.
I know there are many people in the organization you purport to lead who ridicule you to us on a daily basis and do not share your appetite to obliterate us as an alternative to your failed leadership of this country. Your belief that you will use our brothers and sisters in the security services to persecute our people will not work. Repeating the same strategy all over again since we happen to know you won’t work forever. Let me warn you, people will bring it to a halt one day. You have been asked by many people and Men of God who care about you, to repent of which if you don’t, your end is nigh. You can not continue seeing dead bodies since 1980 on your pleasure and on your name and proudly walk thinking you are god. There is one true God. And the ancestors of this land are not happy at all about what you are doing to its people. People are starving while you are eating like King Nebbukadnezzah. Million youth are unemployed and are surviving through ndokumbirawo dhora mudhara. It’s only one day when their anger explodes. Don’t blame anyone but yourself and your arrogance that gives you false invincibility. Falling like a thud you shall. The institution of a family is crumbling because our people are migrating daily to Mozambique, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, DRC and other shameful destinations looking for life because you have destroyed any decency a normal person can have in this country. What kind of a shame are you that you don’t want to be challenged. Are you God??
I generally don’t dream falsehoods. When I am talking about dreams I am not talking about wishes. I am talking about a really dream. Two nights ago I dreamt about you being viciously bitten by a swam of bees. You tried to laugh at them saying nyuchi idzi dzinopenga but they continued coming for you heavily. When you tried to use your hand to sway them away I saw them biting your hand until it got swollen to the size of a drum. They continued biting you until you melted. Beware mene mene takil Falsin.
I urge you to resign as soon as possible to save yourself from the swan of bees. My dreams always come true Mr. Mnangagwa. You will remember me for this. Put it in your note book. You will try to kill some but it won’t work for you. Our people have reached the breaking point.
Ndapedza newe.
Own Correspondent
Monica Mutsvangwa The government of Namibia has denied ever donating rapid COVID-19 test kits to the government of Zimbabwe.
The statement by the country’s embassy in Zimbabwe comes after a claim made by the Zimbabwe Minister of Information Publicity and Broadcasting Monica Mutsvangwa, that Namibia had donated 4499 test kits.
Here’s the full statement released by the Namibian government.
MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION
REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA
MEDIA RELEASE
26 June 2020
SUBJECT: REPORTS IN THE NAMIBIAN AND ZIMBABWEAN MEDIA THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF NAMIBIA DONATED RAPID CORONA VIRUS TEST KITS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE
The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation has been following, with concern, persistent media reports attributing to the Government of the Republic of Namibia, a purported donation of 4499 rapid COVID-19 testing kits, to the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
Following these tendentious media reports, the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, through the Namibian Embassy in Zimbabwe, sought clarity on the matter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
In a formal response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Zimbabwe informed that the allegations of the alleged donation of 4499 testing kits from Namibia to Zimbabwe were unfounded and erroneous, and apologized for any inconveniences the reports might have caused.
The Ministry would like to reiterate the assurances to the Namibian public that there was no such donation made by the Government of the Republic of Namibia to the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
Delish NguwayaTHE High Court has reserved judgment on bail application for Drax front-man Delish Nguwaya to the 1st of July 2020.
Nguwaya was denied bail by a Harare magistrate on the 16th of June. However, the superior court has reserved its judgment to thoroughly consider Nguwaya’s application.
It is the state’s case that sometime last year, Nguwaya misrepresented that Drax was a pharmaceutical company based in Switzerland and yet it was merely a consulting firm with no experience in manufacturing drugs and medical products.
The Court papers further allege that during the same year, the businessman and another individual only named as Dedja, who is still at large, showed interest in supplying medicines through a US$20 million loan facility under a company called Papi Pharma.
The move was turned down after a vetting process by the relevant government department.
It is also alleged that after a short while, Nguwaya sent the same documents to the Ministry of Health and Child Care expressing interest in supplying medical products but using a different name, Drax consult SAGL.
Acting on the misrepresentation the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr. Obadiah Moyo, through the then Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Agnes Mahomva initiated a procurement process which involved communication among all the relevant stakeholders, who include the Health Ministry, Finance Ministry, Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) and Natpharm, culminating into a contract of supply of medicines and medical products between NatPharm and Drax Consult SAGL.
Nguwaya now faces allegations of fraud and was remanded to the 30th of this month.
The lower court Magistrate Muchuchuti denied Nguwaya bail on the basis that he is likely to commit other offenses since he was removed from remand on another case and committed a serious offense which attracted public outcry.
State Media
Police have arrested seven traders who rejected bond notes and coins, which remain legal tender, and are ready to arrest anyone else reported for rejecting this legal cash.
The blitz comes after some people started rejecting bond notes and coins due to fake news circulating on social media platforms that they would be demonetised.
In a statement yesterday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi urged members of the public to report any person, trader or institution rejecting bond notes. Police had so far arrested seven suspects in Harare and they were expected to appear in court soon.
“The ZRP will ensure that all laws meant to protect the public and promote the effective maintenance of law and order in the country are enforced without fear or favour,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa recently said traders were legally obliged to accept bond notes and coins.
“Government notes with concern that there are some sections of the market that are rejecting bond notes and coins,” she said.
“Notes inscribed ‘bond notes’ are being rejected in preference for those inscribed ‘dollars’.”
She too stressed they were still legal tender and no one was planning their demonetisation.
The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) this week also threatened to stop supplying their products to wholesalers and shops refusing bond notes and coins.
Members of the association produce and pack maize-meal, self-raising flour, salt, rice, sugar beans and soya chunks which are critical for sustaining food security at household level.
The millers will be partnering the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) to stop the practice.
Under normal circumstances, when cash is deposited in banks fairly frequently, banks remove worn and soiled notes and send them to the Reserve Bank for destruction. This in that normal system would see older notes, such as the bond notes, gradually being moved out of circulation.
Traders eager to accept all payment types, and who readily accept bond notes, have noted that at times people tender such badly creased and soiled notes that it is difficult to make sure that they are genuine. But this is a problem with all currency notes
When notes or coins are demonetised, notice has to be given in the Government Gazette and a reasonable time is always given for the holders to bank these or exchange them at banks while they are still valid and can be spent in shops, and in a set time after demonetisation.
State Media
File, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Guo Shaochun, with Mnangagwa. The Chinese national who has been charged with shooting and injuring two people at a mine in Gweru over a salary dispute will receive a fair trial, without discrimination, in accordance with the country’s laws, President Mnangagwa said yesterday.
Speaking at State House when he received donations to fight the Covid-19 pandemic fromthe Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) and the Chamber of Chinese Enterprises in Zimbabwe (CCEZ), the President made it clear that the mine manager would be treated the same as every other citizen and resident.
Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Guo Shaochun, had earlier said the incident did not represent the behaviour of the Chinese community in Zimbabwe.
Zhang Xuelin, a manager at Reden Mine, allegedly shot Mr Kenneth Tachiona (39) on both legs as well as Ms Wendy Chikwaira (30) on the arm after they confronted him over outstanding salaries at the mine last Sunday.
He has since been arrested on attempted murder charges and appeared in the magistrates courts in Gweru where he was remanded in custody to July 7.
“Let me assure you that our laws are not discriminatory; there will be no favour, there will be no discrimination. The law must apply to every citizen and resident in this country equally. So the man involved will not be disadvantaged at all. He will receive a fair trial and fair treatment as any other Zimbabwean would have,” said the President.
Making it clear that Zimbabwe recognised that crimes were committed by individuals not communities, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabweans were mature enough to recognise that a crime by one person did not brand others of the same group.
Ambassador Guo had expressed concern over the incident and reiterated his support for the country’s law enforcement agencies to investigate and handle the matter in a transparent manner as required by the country’s laws.
“I would also like to emphasise that this is an isolated incident, and no matter what had happened to the enterprise before the incident took place, this is not what we want to see. The behaviour of the Chinese employee involved in the case does not represent China, the Chinese Government and all Chinese nationals and Chinese enterprises in Zimbabwe. Any possible illegal acts and persons who violate the law should not be shielded,” he said.
Ambassador Guo said China and Zimbabwe had long-standing friendship and cooperation, and called upon all relevant sides to safeguard the relations carefully.
State Media
Nick Mangwana Phone-based mobile money transactions and trading on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) have been suspended with immediate effect to allow investigations into illegal dealings connected with the foreign currency black market and to put in place reforms that restore mobile money platforms to their original purpose.
But along with these temporary suspensions, Government is simultaneously putting into effect “prudent measures” to mitigate collateral damage to the innocent transacting public who use mobile money platforms, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Mr Nick Mangwana said in a statement last night.
The purpose of the latest move was to converge all exchange rates to the single market-based exchange rate set by the weekly auctions run by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).
The black market was being funded and fuelled through the use of the four mobile money platforms, with EcoCash, where 94 percent of mobile transactions take place, being described as the “central pivot of the galloping black market exchange rate and therefore fuelling the incessant price hikes of goods and services that are bedevilling the economy and causing untold hardship to the people of Zimbabwe”.
Vast sums are sloshing around in the EcoCash system, with $8 billion held in 501 000 merchant and agent’s accounts, an average of around $16 000 in each account, along with large balances in suspense accounts at EcoCash.
None of these accounts can be monitored by the Financial Intelligence Unit of the RBZ which can, however, monitor dealings in bank accounts in the banking sector and can monitor RTGS transactions.
The Government now has evidence that millions of dollars are being transferred by merchants every day using mobile money platforms to street runners in the black market for foreign exchange, giving them the funds to buy foreign currency to hand over to the funders. Although most agency lines were supposed to be suspended, many were still operating and new lines had been opened and these unauditable accounts were being used by criminal syndicates.
In a ZBC interview last night, Mr Mangwana noted that mobile money systems were under the communications regulator Portraz, not the RBZ, and so could not be monitored or audited.
Trading on the ZSE was generating fake exchange rates, in particular the Old Mutual Implied Rate that matches the prices paid for Old Mutual shares on the London, Johannesburg and Zimbabwean stock exchanges.
In the statement, Mr Mangwana said the Government now had impeccable intelligence that made a prima facie case that mobile money systems, with the deliberate or inadvertent help of the ZSE, were engaged in illicit activities sabotaging the economy.
These activities included:
Illegal externalisation of foreign currency through transfer mispricing.
Acting as banks although not licensed to do so, with Ecocash holding $8 billion on Sunday in 501 000 agent and merchant lines that could not be scrutinised by the Financial Intelligence Unit.
Fraudulently creating and issuing non-attributable and non-auditable agent cellphone lines and accounts.
Hiding irreconcilable accounts in suspense accounts that hold huge balances for unjustifiable long periods.
EcoCash in particular being the central pivot of the black market and conspiring with big merchants as their conduit to transfer millions of dollars a day to runners on the streets to buy US dollars.
Rampant non-compliance with directives issued by the RBZ and its Financial Intelligence Unit.
Facilitating illicit trade in notes and coins that have seen premiums of 30 percent to 50 percent and causing artificial shortages of cash in the banking system.
Criminally allowing agent lines banned by the RBZ to continue trading.
Using bulk airtime sales at discounted prices tied to phantom US dollar exchange rates, distorting the Zimbabwean market and deliberately mopping up US dollars from the black market and forcing up exchange rates there.
Engaging in rampant and unchecked tax evasion.
Failing to report suspicious transactions or taking action against them.
Maintaining unauditable phone lines or accounts that are now being used by criminal syndicates, conniving with insiders to steal money through fraudulent activities like teeming and lading.
Acting as conduits of fake US dollar notes.
Facilitating criminal activity through non-enforcement of the know-your-customer requirements.
While all four platforms — EcoCash, OneMoney, Telecash and MyCash — were complicit in these illicit activities in various degrees, EcoCash because of its 94 percent market share was the central pivot.
The impact of mobile money platforms funding black market activities was exacerbated by what were described as “fake counters” on the ZSE epitomised by the Old Mutual Implied Rate. This had led to multiple phantom exchange rates, which conspired to defeat fiscal policy.
Ecocash has issued the following statement in which it urged its subscribers to remain calm and continue transacting as they wait for further instruction from their service provider. The statement reads:
CUSTOMER NOTICE
Dear Valued Customers,
We are aware of a statement purporting to have been issued by the Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services that purports to ban all mobile money transactions.
However, EcoCash is regulated by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and would naturally expect a directive of that nature and significance to be communicated by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
We urge all Ecocash users who exceed 10 million Zimbabweans, the majority of whom do not have bank accounts, to remain calm and to continue to do your lawful transactions as usual. Should there be any changes, we shall give you adequate notice as required by law.
Message to the ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa.
By Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala
MDC Alliance National Vice Chairman.
In my personal capacity as a duly elected National Vice Chairman of the MDC Alliance, it is my clear advise to you, that I refuse to be treated like a person belonging to an illegal political organization, the trend which you know was practised by the colonial governments of Edgar Whitehead, Ian Douglas Smith and successive outpost apartheid regimes of SA.
Political organizations as universitas at law, if you know what it means as you purport to be a lawyer whom I never head once appeared before a kraalhead defending goat theft, are organisations formed and joined voluntarily.
Of recent past I discovered a dangerous path you want to take our country to bloodbath by your desperate attempt to take our country down the warpath.
It has been always your traits from the liberation struggle via the Gukurahundi genocide to the mass murder of the MDC membership from 2000 up to present and your current attempts to annihilate us as an organization and destroy the will and aspirations our people and that of the generation of today.
You are systematically using our noble institutions of the State to try and totally destroy us. Unbeknown to you is that, the route you are traveling is tragic.
I know you have got self delusions that you can kill, arrest and abduct anyone who will assert his or her fundamental right to express themselves against the desperate situation we are in as a country and as a people.
But let me warn you, your end is nigh. I once warned you during the Mugabe era that you are the most dangerous threat to our civilization as a people if we become unfortunate to be governed by you.
It is now apparent to everyone including the most daft that you are a curse modern civilization.
You have destroyed the dignity of our people through your incessant persecution of alternative voices and criminalised them because you want to enjoy looting our National resources with your friends, family and cabal. I don’t think in your normal reflection of the situation you are proud of the coup you committed on the 17th of November 2017.
You are now persecuting the organization I belong to on a daily basis for the dangerous reason you know best yourself alone.
I know there are many people in the organization you purport to lead who ridicule you to us on a daily basis and do not share your appetite to obliterate us as an alternative to your failed leadership of this country. Your belief that you will use our brothers and sisters in the security services to persecute our people will not work. Repeating the same strategy all over again since we happen to know you won’t work forever. Let me warn you, people will bring it to a halt one day. You have been asked by many people and Men of God who care about you, to repent of which if you don’t, your end is nigh. You can not continue seeing dead bodies since 1980 on your pleasure and on your name and proudly walk thinking you are god.
There is one true God. And the ancestors of this land are not happy at all about what you are doing to its people. People are starving while you are eating like King Nebbukadnezzah. Million youth are unemployed and are surviving through ndokumbirawo dhora mudhara.
It’s only one day when their anger explodes. Don’t blame anyone but yourself and your arrogance that gives you false invincibility. Falling like a thud you shall.
The institution of a family is crumbling because our people are migrating daily to Mozambique, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, DRC and other shameful destinations looking for life because you have destroyed any decency a normal person can have in this country. What kind of a shame are you that you don’t want to be challenged. Are you God??
I generally don’t dream falsehoods.
When I am talking about dreams I am not talking about wishes. I am talking about a really dream. Two nights ago I dreamt about you being viciously bitten by a swam of bees.
You tried to laugh at them saying nyuchi idzi dzinopenga but they continued coming for you heavily. When you tried to use your hand to sway them away I saw them biting your hand until it got swollen to the size of a drum. They continued biting you until you melted. Beware mene mene takil Falsin.
I urge you to resign as soon as possible to save yourself from the swarm of bees.
My dreams always come true Mr. Mnangagwa. You will remember me for this. Put it in your note book. You will try to kill some but it won’t work for you. Our people have reached the breaking point.
Ndapedza newe.
ZIMCODD has received with shock news that the Government has, with immediate effect, suspended all monetary transactions on phone-based mobile money platforms. Digital finance systems are playing an increasing role in macro-economic health globally.
The coalition is alive to the fact that the Reserve Bank worry that the proliferation of digital economies, currencies, and transactions will erode already fragile banking systems and by extension render ineffective the monetary policies which rely on them and erodes the efficacy of the two basic tools governments have in their arsenals for combating inflation: controlling the monetary supply
and setting interest rates.
The Central Bank (Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe [RBZ]) has used the National Payment System Act as well as internally developed policy guidelines to regulate mobile financial services.
The major shortfalls of the current regulatory framework include lack of clarity on how overlaps and conflicts of regulators and players are addressed, limitation of products, the question of legality and non-enforceability of some frameworks and lack of emphasis on financial inclusion.
It is worrying that the government’s measure comes in the context of COVID-19 pandemic where banks and other financial institutions are going paperless and encouraging social distancing to stop the spread in compliance with World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.
Policy inconsistence – Less than a year ago, monetary authorities where on overdrive
encouraging use of electronic money. The banks are already cash strapped and mobile money has become part of people’s daily transacting means for all kinds of essentials reducing demand for cash withdrawals in the bank. The measure announced by the bank will take us several
steps backwards and also erodes public trust in both current and future policy prescriptions.
There must be some degree of predictability in policy environment
Urban to rural remittances will be significantly affected especially given the covid-19 context which has necessitated lockdown measures as enunciated by President E.D Mnangagwa limiting movements (including intercity) to stop the spread of corona virus. Many Zimbabweans have rural dependants that include children and the old aged. To this end, suspending mobile money platforms without offering a sustainable and affordable alternative will render beneficiary families members to hunger starvation.
For the record, ZIMCODD is not against regulation of mobile money platforms, however, the regulatory policy should be executed in a people centred and considerate manner.
The measure is poised to worsen material conditions of the poorest of the poor, even
alienating them from the ray of hope they have in terms of livelihood support from distant family members, relatives and friends as well as from humanitarian organisations and social welfare department providing support through harmonised cash transfer programme. Mobile money platforms have played a crucial role in providing relief support in humanitarian crisis and disaster situations – noting that Zimbabwe faces multiple crises of health, food and economic nature, the announced measure is therefore untimely.
The government, through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development should be concerned about domestic resource mobilisation to fund treasury’s fiscal obligations – Zimbabwe has the world’s second largest informal economy that is characterised by non- formal banking hence limited money circulation in banking sector. Instead of adopting punitive measures, the government should not lose sight of the revenue collection value of phone- based mobile money transactions ensuring that citizens pay their fair share of tax.
Tempering with the resource mobilisation base at this critical juncture of economic decline undermines revenue collection and creates huge budget deficits. Recent research demonstrates that there is a strong link between remittances and mobile money adoption.
Most countries that have a higher level of remittances exhibit higher levels of mobile money adoption. It is a fact that most Zimbabwean households are surviving on diaspora remittances before, during and after the lockdown owing to economic depression.
ZIMCODD therefore calls upon the government to:
• Urgently reconsider and revise the pronounced measure;
• Make a resolve for enactment of the Electronic Money Act which regulates mobile financial services;
• Keep abreast with innovation and proactiveness of the regulators in coming up with suitable regulation matching new innovations;
• Harmonization of the regulation to address potential conflict between regulators and individual institutions;
• Channel efforts towards addressing a flawed economic model that promotes under dealings by a few elites and politically exposed persons fuelling the parallel economy; and
• Arrest and prosecute the said ‘economic saboteurs’ since there is claim of “impeccable evidence” instead of punishing innocent citizens already suffering from the economic meltdown.
MDC Alliance Spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere has dismissed a government announcement banning mobile money transactions saying without a Statutory Instrument it was hot air.
Posting on Twitter, Mahere said move was also an indication of government’s disregard for property rights.
“This statement has no force of law in any case. Without the backing of a valid legal instrument, it’s hot air. That said, if it’s a foreboding of what’s to come, your Govt will have shown yet again a huge capacity to destroy property rights. You cannot be trusted with anything,” said Mahere.
Yesterday government through the ministry of information, publicity and broadcasting services suspended all mobile money transactions saying platforms such as Ecocash were responsible for foreign exchange rate distortions which in return were responsible for runaway inflation.
Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski has won the Bundesliga’s Player of the Season award.
It has been some campaign for one of European football’s most feared marksmen and he became the first player to score in 11 consecutive Bundesliga matches earlier this term.
Lewandowski has scored against each of the teams currently playing in Germany’s top flight, having netted against Fortuna Dusseldorf for the first time on matchday 29.
Having chalked up 33 league goals this term, Lewandowski is a shoo-in to be the Bundesliga’s top scorer for the fourth time in five seasons.
Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho was second, with Kai Havertz of Bayer Leverkusen third for an award decided by fan votes and experts.
Timo Werner, Amine Harit, Erling Haaland and Serge Gnabry were also in the running for the prize, for which Lewandowski received a whopping 50 per cent of the vote.
Bayern wrapped up an eighth straight league title this month and can still win a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble.
While Lewandowski has arguably been in career-best form, he declared earlier this month that he is yet to hit his peak at the age of 31.
“I am not yet in the best period of my career. Soon (I’ll be). But all of these are just numbers,” he told France Football.
“I am confident that the best moment of my career will come quickly. I know this is not my last contract. I want to play longer and stay in shape.
“I have all the time in front of me to think about the future, but I feel really good. I’m going to celebrate my 32th birthday next August, but that doesn’t mean that I feel this age.
“For me, it doesn’t matter in terms of everything I do, my involvement in and outside of football. What I want is not just staying on top for the next two or three years, I’m looking at the longer term.
“I don’t even think about the Ballon d’Or, even if, in my life, I believe that anything is possible.”
-Goal
By Ow Correspondent| MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa yesterday braced the cold weather to receive his party leaders and Harare West legislator Joana Mamombe who were granted ZWL$10 000 bail by the High Court.
The three ladies Mamombe, Cecelia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova were allegedly abducted by suspected state security agents and were tortured before being dumped near Bindura.
They were later arrested on charges of faking abduction.
Posting on Twitter, Chamisa said, “Just been here at Chikurubi prison to welcome the MDC Alliance trio who have been granted bail & released this evening.The girls are strong, unbreakable and in high spirits. God is faithful. Power to the people. Victory is certain.”
The country’s largest mobile telecommunications operator who also runs Ecocash have hit back at government over its unilateral decision to ban phone based transactions saying they are regulated by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe which has not issued a directive to that effect.
Below is the full text from Ecocash to its customers.
We are aware of a statement purporting to have been issues by the Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services that purports to ban all mobile money transactions.
However, Ecocash is regulated by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and would naturally expect a directive of that nature and significance to be communicated by the Reserve bank of Zimbabwe.
We urge all our Ecocash users who exceed 10 million Zimbabweans, the majority of whom do not have bank accounts to remain calm and to continue to do your lawful transactions as usual. Should there be changes, we shall give you adequate notice as required by law.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
ZANU-PF central committee member and former senator Clemence Makwarimba last week pulled all bootlicking stops and went on an unhinged praising spree of President Emmerson Mnangawa, describing him as God-sent as proven by his ‘remarkable’ response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Makwarimba said that God knew that coronavirus will come to Zimbabwe and send President Mnangagwa to fight it and protect the people.
Makwarimba, who was given a platform to give a vote of thanks after Vice President Mohadi’s visit to Masvingo, said Mnangagwa’s government was anointed by God, adding that the coronavirus will not devastate the country as it did to others.
“God sent us President Mnangagwa.
It was God’s will that he is in power and people did as God wanted. If you look at the number of our Covid-19 cases, they show that President Mnangagwa has conquered.
“Most cases are imported and we have only recorded four deaths which were all a result of imported cases. There are very few local transmissions and that is not by chance but by wisdom from the man that God sent us.
“We should thank this government because if it were not for them, we would have all perished,” said Makwarimba.
He said President Mnangagwa will not campaign for the 2023 elections as his efforts in the fight against Covid-19 had already earned him clean victory.
Makwarimba once served as Masvingo Rural District Council (RDC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
— TellZim
THE Government has suspended phone-based money transactions with immediate effect as investigations into allegations that they fuel black market transactions that have caused runaway inflation gather pace.
The suspension is expected to allow reforms to restore mobile money platforms to their original purpose. Measures to safeguard the interests of the innocent public that use the platforms have been put in place.
In a statement yesterday, Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana said the move would converge all exchange rates to the single market-based one set by the weekly auctions run by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).
The black market was being funded and fuelled through the use of the four mobile money platforms, with EcoCash, where 94 percent of mobile transactions take place, being described as the “central pivot of the galloping black market exchange rate and therefore fuelling the incessant price hikes of goods and services that are bedevilling the economy and causing untold hardship to the people of Zimbabwe”.
The EcoCash system holds $8 billion in 501 000 merchant and agent’s accounts, along with large balances in suspense accounts.
The Financial Intelligence Unit of the RBZ cannot monitor these accounts the same way they can monitor dealings in the banking sector.
The Government, said Mr Mangwana, has gathered evidence that millions of dollars are being transferred by merchants every day using mobile platforms to street runners in the black market for foreign exchange.
The runners buy forex and surrender it to their funders.
The Government recently suspended some agency lines to rein in the practice but new unaudited lines have been opened and are being used by criminal syndicates.
Mobile money systems are under the communications regulator Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz), not the RBZ, therefore they cannot be monitored or audited.
Trading on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) was generating fake exchange rates, in particular the Old Mutual Implied Rate that matches the prices paid for Old Mutual shares on the London, Johannesburg and Zimbabwean stock exchanges.
Mr Mangwana said the Government had intelligence that made a prime facie case that mobile money systems, with the deliberate or inadvertent help of the ZSE , were engaged in illicit activities that sabotage the economy.
Illegal externalisation of foreign currency through transfer mispricing, acting as banks although not licensed to do so, 501 000 EcoCash agent and merchant lines that could not be scrutinised by the Financial Intelligence Unit, fraudulently creating and issuing non-attributable and non-auditable agent cellphone lines and accounts are among the tactics used by the mobile phone platforms to destabilise the economy through artificially increasing exchange rates.
Mr Mangwana said the platforms were facilitating illicit trade in notes and coins that have resulted in premiums for cash of 30 percent to 50 percent and causing artificial shortages of cash in the banking system.
EcoCash has also allegedly allowed agent lines banned by the RBZ to continue trading and using bulk airtime sales at discounted prices tied to phantom US dollar exchange rates, distorting the Zimbabwean market and deliberately mopping up US dollars from the black market and forcing up exchange rates there.
Mr Mangwana said the mobile money platforms are: “Engaging in rampant and unchecked tax evasion, failing to report suspicious transactions or taking action against them, maintaining unauditable phone lines or accounts that are now being used by criminal syndicates, conniving with insiders to steal money through fraudulent activities like teeming and lading.
“Acting as conduits of fake US dollar notes. Facilitating criminal activity through non-enforcement of the know-your-customer requirements. While all four platforms — EcoCash, OneMoney, Telecash and MyCash — were complicit in these illicit activities in various degrees, EcoCash because of its 94 percent market share was the central pivot,” he said.
The impact of mobile money platforms funding black market activities was exacerbated by “fake counters” on the ZSE epitomised by the Old Mutual Implied Rate. This had led to multiple phantom exchange rates, which conspired to defeat fiscal policy.
-State Media
Authorities at Beitbridge Border Post have increased surveillance and anti-smuggling activities during the ongoing lockdown period and have managed to intercept 21 commercial trucks that were smuggling into the country an assortment goods worth millions of dollars.
It is understood that the volume of commercial cargo entering or leaving Zimbabwe through its southern border has increased following the closure of other borders in the Sadc region.
Zimbabwe remains the only viable transit route for those countries north of the Zambezi River, including Zambia, Malawi, DRC, Tanzania and Angola.
According to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), traffic volumes per day increased from an average (import/export) 450 daily in 2019 to 1 000 between March and June this year.
Prior to the lockdown, Zimra was clearing around 500 commercial trucks daily.
Zimra’s regional manager for Beitbridge, Mr Innocent Chikuni recently said that the smuggling of groceries and related items remained the biggest challenges to the collection of revenue.
He was speaking during the tour of the border by the Revenue Authority’s senior managers and the Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube.
“Working with other stakeholders we have been able to seize goods from 56 offenders and impounded 22 motor vehicles between April and May at undesignated entry points along the Limpopo River.
“In addition, smuggling activities through the border post are surging because of the increased traffic. Between March and May we recorded 81 seizures including 21 commercial trucks & trailers,” said Mr Chikuni.
ZIFA will next month receive its first tranche of the US$1 million from world football governing body Fifa, as part of the Covid-19 relief fund.
The funds are part of the US$1,5 billion that the Fifa Council unanimously approved during its virtual meeting on Thursday and will see each of the 211 Fifa member associations receiving grants.
The first US$500 000 is set to come next month and the second tranche in January next year.
Fifa said an additional grant of US$500 000 will be allocated for women’s football.
Over and above the grant, Fifa said member associations will be able to apply for interest free loans amounting to 35 percent of their audited annual revenues and in the spirit of solidarity, a minimum loan of US$500 000 and a maximum of US$5 million will be available.
Both grants and loans can be directed by member associations to the wider football community in their respective territories, including clubs, players, leagues or others that have been affected by the pandemic that has paralysed football and sport in general the world over.
In order to ensure effective oversight of the plan, there will be strict controls of the funds, audit requirements as well as clear loan repayment conditions.
A Fifa Covid-19 relief plan steering committee will also be established to supervise administration of the scheme.
The committee will be led by Fifa’s governance committee deputy chairperson Olli Rehn.
In a circular to member associations, Fifa said the relief plan has been established in order to alleviate the financial distress caused by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and as such funds available within stage three of the relief plan should be used for relevant losses that have been incurred or are expected to be incurred as well as to address needs that have arisen or are envisaged to arise as a result of Covid-19.
“Areas in which funds provided within stage three can be used include, but are not limited to, the following provided they have been adversely affected by Covid-19: the restart of competitions across all categories (where the sanitary situation and government policy permit), the implementation of return to play protocols, including testing, the participation of national teams of all age categories in restarted competitions, the payment of staff costs and hiring of essential staff where necessary the maintenance of football infrastructure as well as payment of general administration and operating costs-Chronicle
Government has, with immediate effect, undertaken a series of prudent and coordinated interventions to deal with malpractices, criminality and economic sabotage perpetrated by the “wolves in sheep skins amongst our population” that His Excellency the President alluded to during his official address on the occasion of the Hero’s burial of Cde Stanley Nleya (Gagisa) at the National Shrine.
These measures include the suspension of all monetary transactions on phone-based mobile money platforms in order to facilitate intrusive investigations, leading to the arrest and prosecution of offenders.
Concurrently, the measures will also include the suspension of all trading on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.
These measures are to subsist until such time that the mobile money platforms have been reformed to their original purpose and all the current phantom rates of exchange have converged into one genuine rate that is determined by market forces under the Foreign Currency Auction System which was launched by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe on 23rd June 2020.
Operational modalities and details of the envisaged measures are going to be announced by the relevant monetary, regulatory and law enforcement authorities in the next few days.
Government will concurrently ensure that prudent measures are also put in place to mitigate and prevent any collateral damage that these interventions may cause to the innocent transacting public who were using these platforms.
Government is in possession of impeccable intelligence which constitutes a prima facie case whereby the phone-based mobile money systems of Zimbabwe are conspiring, with the help of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, either deliberately or inadvertently, in illicit activities that are sabotaging the economy.
These activities include: –
a) Illegal externalization of foreign currency through transfer mispricing;
b) Acting as banks outside the purpose for which they were originally licensed, as non-banking financial institutions. This includes, in the particular case of Ecocash, holding well in excess of ZWL$8 billion distributed across just over 501 000 agent/merchant lines as lat 10 June 2020, which is not under the scrutiny of the Financial Intelligence Unit;
c) Fraudulently creating and issuing non-attributable and non-auditable agent cellphone lines/accounts;
d) Hiding irreconcilable accounts in suspense accounts which hold huge credit balances for unjustifiably long periods;
e) Ecocash, in particular, is acting as the centre pivot of the galloping black market foreign exchange rate and therefore, fuelling the incessant price hikes of goods and services that are bedevilling the economy and causing untold hardship to the people of Zimbabwe.
In this regard, it has been conspiring with big merchants to act as their conduit through which they transfer hundreds of millions of dollars per day to runners on the street who then buy US Dollars on their behalf;
f) Rampant, often arrogant, non-compliance with directives issued by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the Financial Intelligence Unit;
g) Facilitating illicit trade in notes and coins, at contrived rates of between 30% and 50%, thus causing artificial shortages of the same within the banking system;
h) Criminally allowing agent lines that were banned by the RBZ to continue trading illegally;
i) Using bulk airtime sales at discounted prices which are cross rated to phantom USD exchange rates, which further distort the Zimbabwe market and deliberately mop up US Dollars from the black market, thus forcing up the rate of exchange in a manner that has hitherto been difficult to explain for
the monetary authorities;
j) Engaging in rampant unchecked tax evasion;
k) Failure to report suspicious transactions or to take action against them;
l) Creation of illegal transient and permanent money through airtime loans, unaccounted wallet-to-bank and bank-to-wallet transactions and other malpractices;
m) Maintaining unauditable mobile phone lines or accounts which are being used by criminal syndicates, in connivance with insiders, to steal money from subscribers through such fraudulent practices as teeming and lading;
n) Acting as conduits for the circulation of counterfeit USD notes; and
o) Facilitating criminal activities through the non-enforcement of KYC requirements; and
Ecocash, OneMoney, Telecash and MyCash Mobile Money platforms are all complicit in these illicit activities in varying degrees.
Ecocash, however, which controls nearly 94% of all mobile money transactions, is the centre pivot of this problem and its resultant impact on Zimbabwe’s economy.
The impact is exacerbated by the existence of fake counters on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, which is epitomized by the so-called Old Mutual Implied Exchange Rate (OMIR). This, in turn, results in four or more US: ZWL parallel market exchange rates operating in the market.
At any time, therefore, there is the official rate, an Ecocash rate, a OneMoney rate and the OMIR among others.
As the RBZ Governor aptly observed recently, there are multiple contrived phantom exchange rates in use in the Zimbabwe Economy, which conspire to defeat fiscal policy.
Statement issued by
N Mangwana
Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services
Message to the ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa.
By Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala
MDC Alliance National Vice Chairman.
In my personal capacity as a duly elected National Vice Chairman of the MDC Alliance, it is my clear advise to you, that I refuse to be treated like a person belonging to an illegal political organization, the trend which you know was practised by the colonial governments of Edgar Whitehead, Ian Douglas Smith and successive outpost apartheid regimes of SA.
Political organizations as universitas at law, if you know what it means as you purport to be a lawyer whom I never head once appeared before a kraalhead defending goat theft, are organisations formed and joined voluntarily.
Of recent past I discovered a dangerous path you want to take our country to bloodbath by your desperate attempt to take our country down the warpath.
It has been always your traits from the liberation struggle via the Gukurahundi genocide to the mass murder of the MDC membership from 2000 up to present and your current attempts to annihilate us as an organization and destroy the will and aspirations our people and that of the generation of today.
You are systematically using our noble institutions of the State to try and totally destroy us. Unbeknown to you is that, the route you are traveling is tragic.
I know you have got self delusions that you can kill, arrest and abduct anyone who will assert his or her fundamental right to express themselves against the desperate situation we are in as a country and as a people.
But let me warn you, your end is nigh. I once warned you during the Mugabe era that you are the most dangerous threat to our civilization as a people if we become unfortunate to be governed by you.
It is now apparent to everyone including the most daft that you are a curse modern civilization.
You have destroyed the dignity of our people through your incessant persecution of alternative voices and criminalised them because you want to enjoy looting our National resources with your friends, family and cabal. I don’t think in your normal reflection of the situation you are proud of the coup you committed on the 17th of November 2017.
You are now persecuting the organization I belong to on a daily basis for the dangerous reason you know best yourself alone.
I know there are many people in the organization you purport to lead who ridicule you to us on a daily basis and do not share your appetite to obliterate us as an alternative to your failed leadership of this country. Your belief that you will use our brothers and sisters in the security services to persecute our people will not work. Repeating the same strategy all over again since we happen to know you won’t work forever. Let me warn you, people will bring it to a halt one day. You have been asked by many people and Men of God who care about you, to repent of which if you don’t, your end is nigh. You can not continue seeing dead bodies since 1980 on your pleasure and on your name and proudly walk thinking you are god.
There is one true God. And the ancestors of this land are not happy at all about what you are doing to its people. People are starving while you are eating like King Nebbukadnezzah. Million youth are unemployed and are surviving through ndokumbirawo dhora mudhara.
It’s only one day when their anger explodes. Don’t blame anyone but yourself and your arrogance that gives you false invincibility. Falling like a thud you shall.
The institution of a family is crumbling because our people are migrating daily to Mozambique, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, DRC and other shameful destinations looking for life because you have destroyed any decency a normal person can have in this country. What kind of a shame are you that you don’t want to be challenged. Are you God??
I generally don’t dream falsehoods.
When I am talking about dreams I am not talking about wishes. I am talking about a really dream. Two nights ago I dreamt about you being viciously bitten by a swam of bees.
You tried to laugh at them saying nyuchi idzi dzinopenga but they continued coming for you heavily. When you tried to use your hand to sway them away I saw them biting your hand until it got swollen to the size of a drum. They continued biting you until you melted. Beware mene mene takil Falsin.
I urge you to resign as soon as possible to save yourself from the swarm of bees.
My dreams always come true Mr. Mnangagwa. You will remember me for this. Put it in your note book. You will try to kill some but it won’t work for you. Our people have reached the breaking point.
Ndapedza newe.
Farai Dziva|Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union Of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure, who was arrested for demanding improved living conditions for civil servants, has been transferred to Masvingo.
See ARTUZ statement below:
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe President Masaraure Obert has been arrested for demanding better salaries for Police , Soldiers, Teachers CIOs and the rest of the civil servants.
He is in Police Custody and he has been transferred to Masvingo.
The struggle is not going to be deterred. We also demand his immediate release.
We are fighting a legitimate struggle and we are not going to be intimidated by the persecution and victimisation targeted at our Leaders and our members.
More Demos Loading !!
26-06-2020
The MDC Alliance Youth Assembly condemns the criminalization of trade unionism as evidenced by the illegal arrest of ARTUZ President, Obert Masaraure.
Masaraure who also doubles up as Chairman of social movement group, Poverty Liberation Movement was picked on Friday morning by ZANU PF thugs in police uniform and has been transferred to Masvingo.
Obert Masaraure’s only crime is that he is the voice of the poorly paid civil servants who are demanding a decent living wage from an extravagant regime.
This is not the first time Emmerson Mnangagwa’s corrupt and illegitimate regime has misdirected its arrows of dictatorship on trade unionists.
Just last year the same regime abducted and tortured the then President of doctors union, Peter Magombeyi for demanding better working conditions for health workers.
Only a week ago the same regime abused its powers and arrested two young female nurses for demonstrating against poor working conditions.
It is clear that the illegitimate Emmerson Mnangagwa does not respect the voice of reason let alone one from the poor and suffering masses.
Obert Masaraure is the Charles Mzingeli and Joshua Nkomo of our time!
He speaks on behalf of the hungry and angry citizens.
Obert is simply confirming that our homes are empty and surely that does not warrant any arrest.
We would like to put it clear that the attack on trade unionism is a direct attack on labour.
Simply put, the arrest and persecution by prosecution of those who speak the language of the poor is a direct attack on the starving masses.
Citizens are in desperate need for food and not arrest of one their own!
Surely Mnangagwa has gone to far and arrest of the voices of the poor is tantamount to asking for civil unrest!
Challenge accepted!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
Farai Dziva|Suspected CIO operatives abducted the wife of MDC Alliance councillor, Denford Ngadziore and the couple’s six-month old baby on Thursday.
“Eight unknown people kidnapped my wife and our s 6-month -old baby Angel Ngadziore together with Allan Moyo and Snaga Lameck Bizzure in Mabelreign.
They were assulted and later dumped in Dzivarasekwa,” said Councillor Ngadziore.
“The wife of MDC Alliance Councillor, Denford Ngadziore and couple’s 6-month baby as well as Allan Moyo and Snaga Lameck were kidnapped from Ngadziore’s home in Mabelreign by suspected state agents driving a vehicle with no number plates.
They were beaten and dumped in Dzivarasekwa,” the MDC Alliance said in a statement.
Farai Dziva|Suspected CIO operatives abducted the wife of MDC Alliance councillor, Denford Ngadziore and the couple’s six-month old baby on Thursday.
“Eight unknown people kidnapped my wife and our s 6-month -old baby Angel Ngadziore together with Allan Moyo and Snaga Lameck Bizzure in Mabelreign.
They were assulted and later dumped in Dzivarasekwa,” said Councillor Ngadziore.
“The wife of MDC Alliance Councillor, Denford Ngadziore and couple’s 6-month baby as well as Allan Moyo and Snaga Lameck were kidnapped from Ngadziore’s home in Mabelreign by suspected state agents driving a vehicle with no number plates.
They were beaten and dumped in Dzivarasekwa,” the MDC Alliance said in a statement.
Zimbabwe has been hit by a critical shortage of ARVs -which might affect people living with HIV on the second regimen of the antiretroviral therapy -as they might have to change one of their drugs.
This was revealed in a statement by the information ministry’s acting permanent secretary Dr Gibson Mhlanga who said:
This circular serve to notify you that we are experiencing a national shortage of Atazanavir/ritonavir due to reduced global production and delayed shipments from suppliers as a result of the global Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
The ministry and its partners are working tirelessly to address this shortage.
In the meantime, the ministry advices that patients on Atazanavir/ritonavir be given up to one month of supplies until the situation improves.
In the same statement, Dr Mhlanga gave a temporary solution to the problem if it persists and it cant be addressed on time and said:
If Atazanavir/ritonavir 300mg/100mg is no longer available, in consultation with the district pharmacy manager, it will be temporarily substituted with DTG 50mg until it is available.
Please note the Lopinavir/ritonavir is not a viable substitute for Atazanavir/ritonavir as there are no sufficient quantities in the country to cover the gap- Chronicle
Farai Dziva|Former Zanu PF youth league official Godfrey Tsenengamu has said the people of Zimbabwe have suffered for too long.
Speaking at a news conference in Harare on Friday, Tsenengamu said Zimbabweans should not expect politicians to resolve the deepening economic crisis in the country.
Tsenengamu also warned of mass protests initiated by citizens.
Farai Dziva|Former Zanu PF youth league official Godfrey Tsenengamu has said the people of Zimbabwe have suffered for too long.
Speaking at a news conference in Harare on Friday, Tsenengamu said Zimbabweans should not expect politicians to resolve the deepening economic crisis in the country.
Tsenengamu also warned of mass protests initiated by citizens.
Religious leaders have praised Auxillia Mnangagwa for mobilising resources and distributing food to the poor countrywide, and her tireless efforts to ensure everyone has access to information on Covid-19, which has killed thousands of people across the globe.
They expressed the sentiments at the City Sports Centre in Harare yesterday where the Mrs Mnangagwa, who is the country’s health ambassador, met the elderly and the disabled, among many other groups of people, as she concluded her nationwide tour to conscientise citizens about Covid-19.
Mrs Mnangagwa has of late been holding interactive meetings with the elderly and rural communities to spread awareness on coronavirus and ways through which they can protect themselves from the pandemic.
She has, alongside her Angel of Hope Foundation, visited all provinces, including previously marginalised communities like the San in Plumtree where she distributed food, blankets, sanitisers and face masks, at the same time ensuring everyone had information on the pandemic.
Auxillia Mnangagwa has also mobilised resources like sanitising booths, sanitisers, detergents and face masks which she has handed over to hospitals and various communities.
Yesterday’s meeting came at a time when the country is facing an increase in confirmed Covid-19 cases owing to a number of factors, with the virus mainly being found among returning residents in isolation centres.
Daughters of Virtue leader Prophetess Memory Matimbire, said Mrs Mnangagwa’s nationwide visits demonstrated the importance of giving.
“Amai is teaching us on the power of giving,” she said.
“She is teaching us that the elderly and parents should be looked after, as this increases our days on earth. She is a blessed woman who leads by example.”
Reading from Acts 9 verse 36, Prophetess Matimbire likened Mrs Mnangagwa to the Biblical Tabitha, who was always doing good through helping the poor.
Pastor Evelyn Gaga from Hebron Art of Prayer said Christianity without benevolence and giving to the poor was meaningless.
She said praying without deeds was dead, adding that the First Lady was leading the way in doing good.
“Our mother has the nation at heart and she always joins us as churches in prayer,” said Pastor Gaga.-The Herald
Religious leaders have praised Auxillia Mnangagwa for mobilising resources and distributing food to the poor countrywide, and her tireless efforts to ensure everyone has access to information on Covid-19, which has killed thousands of people across the globe.
They expressed the sentiments at the City Sports Centre in Harare yesterday where the Mrs Mnangagwa, who is the country’s health ambassador, met the elderly and the disabled, among many other groups of people, as she concluded her nationwide tour to conscientise citizens about Covid-19.
Mrs Mnangagwa has of late been holding interactive meetings with the elderly and rural communities to spread awareness on coronavirus and ways through which they can protect themselves from the pandemic.
She has, alongside her Angel of Hope Foundation, visited all provinces, including previously marginalised communities like the San in Plumtree where she distributed food, blankets, sanitisers and face masks, at the same time ensuring everyone had information on the pandemic.
Auxillia Mnangagwa has also mobilised resources like sanitising booths, sanitisers, detergents and face masks which she has handed over to hospitals and various communities.
Yesterday’s meeting came at a time when the country is facing an increase in confirmed Covid-19 cases owing to a number of factors, with the virus mainly being found among returning residents in isolation centres.
Daughters of Virtue leader Prophetess Memory Matimbire, said Mrs Mnangagwa’s nationwide visits demonstrated the importance of giving.
“Amai is teaching us on the power of giving,” she said.
“She is teaching us that the elderly and parents should be looked after, as this increases our days on earth. She is a blessed woman who leads by example.”
Reading from Acts 9 verse 36, Prophetess Matimbire likened Mrs Mnangagwa to the Biblical Tabitha, who was always doing good through helping the poor.
Pastor Evelyn Gaga from Hebron Art of Prayer said Christianity without benevolence and giving to the poor was meaningless.
She said praying without deeds was dead, adding that the First Lady was leading the way in doing good.
“Our mother has the nation at heart and she always joins us as churches in prayer,” said Pastor Gaga.-The Herald
By Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala| In my personal capacity as a duly elected National Vice Chairman of the MDC Alliance, it is my clear advise to you, that I refuse to be treated like a person belonging to an illegal political organization, the trend which you know was practised by the colonial governments of Edgar Whitehead, Ian Douglas Smith and successive outpost apartheid regimes of SA.
Political organizations as universitas at law, if you know what it means as you purport to be a lawyer whom I never head once appeared before a kraalhead defending goat theft, are organisations formed and joined voluntarily.
Of recent past I discovered a dangerous path you want to take our country to bloodbath by your desperate attempt to take our country down the warpath.
It has been always your traits from the liberation struggle via the Gukurahundi genocide to the mass murder of the MDC membership from 2000 up to present and your current attempts to annihilate us as an organization and destroy the will and aspirations our people and that of the generation of today.
You are systematically using our noble institutions of the State to try and totally destroy us. Unbeknown to you is that, the route you are traveling is tragic.
I know you have got self delusions that you can kill, arrest and abduct anyone who will assert his or her fundamental right to express themselves against the desperate situation we are in as a country and as a people. But let me warn you, your end is nigh.
I once warned you during the Mugabe era that you are the most dangerous threat to our civilization as a people if we become unfortunate to be governed by you. It is now apparent to everyone including the most daft that you are a curse modern civilization.
You have destroyed the dignity of our people through your incessant persecution of alternative voices and criminalised them because you want to enjoy looting our National resources with your friends, family and cabal.
I don’t think in your normal reflection of the situation you are proud of the coup you committed on the 17th of November 2017.
You are now persecuting the organization I belong to on a daily basis for the dangerous reason you know best yourself alone.
I know there are many people in the organization you purport to lead who ridicule you to us on a daily basis and do not share your appetite to obliterate us as an alternative to your failed leadership of this country.
Your belief that you will use our brothers and sisters in the security services to persecute our people will not work. Repeating the same strategy all over again since we happen to know you won’t work forever.
Let me warn you, people will bring it to a halt one day. You have been asked by many people and Men of God who care about you, to repent of which if you don’t, your end is nigh.
You can not continue seeing dead bodies since 1980 on your pleasure and on your name and proudly walk thinking you are god.
There is one true God. And the ancestors of this land are not happy at all about what you are doing to its people. People are starving while you are eating like King Nebbukadnezzah.
Million youth are unemployed and are surviving through ndokumbirawo dhora mudhara. It’s only one day when their anger explodes. Don’t blame anyone but yourself and your arrogance that gives you false invincibility. Falling like a thud you shall.
The institution of a family is crumbling because our people are migrating daily to Mozambique, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, DRC and other shameful destinations looking for life because you have destroyed any decency a normal person can have in this country. What kind of a shame are you that you don’t want to be challenged. Are you God??
I generally don’t dream falsehoods. When I am talking about dreams I am not talking about wishes. I am talking about a really dream.
Two nights ago I dreamt about you being viciously bitten by a swam of bees. You tried to laugh at them saying nyuchi idzi dzinopenga but they continued coming for you heavily.
When you tried to use your hand to sway them away I saw them biting your hand until it got swollen to the size of a drum. They continued biting you until you melted. Beware mene mene takil Falsin.
I urge you to resign as soon as possible to save yourself from the swan of bees. My dreams always come true Mr. Mnangagwa.
You will remember me for this. Put it in your note book. You will try to kill some but it won’t work for you. Our people have reached the breaking point.
Ndapedza newe.
Job Sikhala Message to the ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa.
By Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala
MDC Alliance National Vice Chairman.
In my personal capacity as a duly elected National Vice Chairman of the MDC Alliance, it is my clear advise to you, that I refuse to be treated like a person belonging to an illegal political organization, the trend which you know was practised by the colonial governments of Edgar Whitehead, Ian Douglas Smith and successive outpost apartheid regimes of SA. Political organizations as universitas at law, if you know what it means as you purport to be a lawyer whom I never head once appeared before a kraalhead defending goat theft, are organisations formed and joined voluntarily. Of recent past I discovered a dangerous path you want to take our country to bloodbath by your desperate attempt to take our country down the warpath. It has been always your traits from the liberation struggle via the Gukurahundi genocide to the mass murder of the MDC membership from 2000 up to present and your current attempts to annihilate us as an organization and destroy the will and aspirations our people and that of the generation of today.
You are systematically using our noble institutions of the State to try and totally destroy us. Unbeknown to you is that, the route you are traveling is tragic. I know you have got self delusions that you can kill, arrest and abduct anyone who will assert his or her fundamental right to express themselves against the desperate situation we are in as a country and as a people. But let me warn you, your end is nigh. I once warned you during the Mugabe era that you are the most dangerous threat to our civilization as a people if we become unfortunate to be governed by you. It is now apparent to everyone including the most daft that you are a curse modern civilization. You have destroyed the dignity of our people through your incessant persecution of alternative voices and criminalised them because you want to enjoy looting our National resources with your friends, family and cabal. I don’t think in your normal reflection of the situation you are proud of the coup you committed on the 17th of November 2017. You are now persecuting the organization I belong to on a daily basis for the dangerous reason you know best yourself alone.
I know there are many people in the organization you purport to lead who ridicule you to us on a daily basis and do not share your appetite to obliterate us as an alternative to your failed leadership of this country. Your belief that you will use our brothers and sisters in the security services to persecute our people will not work. Repeating the same strategy all over again since we happen to know you won’t work forever. Let me warn you, people will bring it to a halt one day. You have been asked by many people and Men of God who care about you, to repent of which if you don’t, your end is nigh. You can not continue seeing dead bodies since 1980 on your pleasure and on your name and proudly walk thinking you are god. There is one true God. And the ancestors of this land are not happy at all about what you are doing to its people. People are starving while you are eating like King Nebbukadnezzah. Million youth are unemployed and are surviving through ndokumbirawo dhora mudhara. It’s only one day when their anger explodes. Don’t blame anyone but yourself and your arrogance that gives you false invincibility. Falling like a thud you shall. The institution of a family is crumbling because our people are migrating daily to Mozambique, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, DRC and other shameful destinations looking for life because you have destroyed any decency a normal person can have in this country. What kind of a shame are you that you don’t want to be challenged. Are you God??
I generally don’t dream falsehoods. When I am talking about dreams I am not talking about wishes. I am talking about a really dream. Two nights ago I dreamt about you being viciously bitten by a swam of bees. You tried to laugh at them saying nyuchi idzi dzinopenga but they continued coming for you heavily. When you tried to use your hand to sway them away I saw them biting your hand until it got swollen to the size of a drum. They continued biting you until you melted. Beware mene mene takil Falsin.
I urge you to resign as soon as possible to save yourself from the swan of bees. My dreams always come true Mr. Mnangagwa. You will remember me for this. Put it in your note book. You will try to kill some but it won’t work for you. Our people have reached the breaking point.
Ndapedza newe.
Tinopona KatsandeFormer Studio 263 actress and radio personality Tinopona Katsande allegedly ferried her close friend’s corpse to her relatives without informing the police after she collapsed and died at her home.
Katsande reportedly hired a taxi to ferry the 45-year-old Rebecca Chinyerere’s body after she collapsed in a bathing room at the actress’ apartment in Belvedere on Tuesday.
The case was reported at Avondale Police Station under RRB number 4381451.
Uncle to the deceased, Ishmael Chinyerere, who is also family spokesperson, told H-Metro that Katsande’s conduct left them with more questions than answers. He said:
We know that death is there but the way Katsande failed to respect it left us with more questions than answers.
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After she saw that her (Tino) friend had collapsed while naked, she went on to clothe her.
If we had known the cause we would say okay. She came and picked up my daughter only for her to come later with her dead body.
Katsande had picked Rebecca from her family home on Monday on the understanding that she would return the following morning since she was going with her two sons.
However, on Tuesday evening, Katsande brought home Rebecca’s body with her two sons in the same car.
More: H-Metro
26-06-2020
The MDC Alliance Youth Assembly condemns the criminalization of trade unionism as evidenced by the illegal arrest of ARTUZ President, Obert Masaraure.
Masaraure who also doubles up as Chairman of social movement group, Poverty Liberation Movement was picked on Friday morning by ZANU PF thugs in police uniform and has been transferred to Masvingo.
Obert Masaraure’s only crime is that he is the voice of the poorly paid civil servants who are demanding a decent living wage from an extravagant regime.
This is not the first time Emmerson Mnangagwa’s corrupt and illegitimate regime has misdirected its arrows of dictatorship on trade unionists.
Just last year the same regime abducted and tortured the then President of doctors union, Peter Magombeyi for demanding better working conditions for health workers.
Only a week ago the same regime abused its powers and arrested two young female nurses for demonstrating against poor working conditions.
It is clear that the illegitimate Emmerson Mnangagwa does not respect the voice of reason let alone one from the poor and suffering masses.
Obert Masaraure is the Charles Mzingeli and Joshua Nkomo of our time!
He speaks on behalf of the hungry and angry citizens.
Obert is simply confirming that our homes are empty and surely that does not warrant any arrest.
We would like to put it clear that the attack on trade unionism is a direct attack on labour.
Simply put, the arrest and persecution by prosecution of those who speak the language of the poor is a direct attack on the starving masses.
Citizens are in desperate need for food and not arrest of one their own!
Surely Mnangagwa has gone to far and arrest of the voices of the poor is tantamount to asking for civil unrest!
Challenge accepted!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
By A Correspondent- The MDC Alliance youth leaders who were arrested for faking their abduction Harare West legislator Joanna Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova have been granted $10 000 bail each.
The trio were also told to report to the Zimbabwe Republic Police three times a week.
As part of their bail conditions, the trio were also instructed to hand in their passports and not to interfere with witnesses.
The three were also told to reside at given addresses and not to communicate with media or use social media.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
Thousands of commuters have been left stranded in Mutare as Zupco franchisees are on go slow over a compensation dispute with the government.
The go slow started on Wednesday and some commuters are walking on foot to and from work.
Transport operators who spoke to Newsday revealed that bus operators are being paid $4,000 per day whereas kombis are getting $1,000 per day.
Bus operators want to be paid $15,000 per day.
“We are on a go-slow because of the paltry commission we are being given. Just imagine that we are getting $4 000 per day, while kombis are getting $1 000. It’s peanuts, in fact, the government is now benefiting because a kombi is cashing about $3 000 per day and if I was doing it alone, I could get much higher. He added: “It seems it is us who are now subsidising our buses. We want the government to pay us at least $15 000 per day. We are on a go-slow, but what we are avoiding is to park at all because we don’t have any source of income, may our government will help,” the operator said
State Media
AUTHORITIES at Beitbridge Border Post have increased surveillance and anti-smuggling activities during the ongoing lockdown period and have managed to intercept 21 commercial trucks that were smuggling into the country an assortment goods worth millions of dollars.
It is understood that the volume of commercial cargo entering or leaving Zimbabwe through its southern border has increased following the closure of other borders in the Sadc region.
Zimbabwe remains the only viable transit route for those countries north of the Zambezi River, including Zambia, Malawi, DRC, Tanzania and Angola.
According to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), traffic volumes per day increased from an average (import/export) 450 daily in 2019 to 1 000 between March and June this year.
Prior to the lockdown, Zimra was clearing around 500 commercial trucks daily.
Zimra’s regional manager for Beitbridge, Mr Innocent Chikuni recently that the smuggling of groceries and related items remained the biggest challenges to the collection of revenue.
He was speaking during the tour of the border by the Revenue Authority’s senior managers and the Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube.
“Working with other stakeholders we have been able to seize goods from 56 offenders and impounded 22 motor vehicles between April and May at undesignated entry points along the Limpopo River.
“In addition, smuggling activities through the border post are surging because of the increased traffic. Between March and May we recorded 81 seizures including 21 commercial trucks & trailers,” said Mr Chikuni.
Five people died in an accident in the Mavhuradonha mountains on their way to a burial in Tete area in Muzarabani.
The accident occurred earlier today when the vehicle they were travelling is said to have suffered brake failure seven kilometres shy of completing the Mavhuradonha mountain range.
Muzarabani district development coordinator Mr John Chihobo said five others are in a critical condition and were transferred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
The other 8 who were injured are admitted at St Albert’s Hospital. The 18 were travelling in two vehicles and were accompanying the body of their deceased relative.
Own Correspondent
Expelled Zanu PF national youth political Commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu has ripped into President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa saying they are only concerned about power than the majority of the people.
Tsenengamu made these remarks during a press conference in Harare saying the over two million votes that both parties garnered in the 2018 election cannot be the basis of the country’s economic halt.
“If you look at their numbers 2, 1 million and 2, 4 million votes, what percentage is that of the total population of Zimbabwe. So you (Mnangagwa and Chamisa) think you can hold us at ransom because of two million votes kutotiona sevanhu venyu, kutotiita zvireshe zvenyu (you take us as your servants making us fools)” charged Tsenengamu
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Zimbabwean sex workers are concerned by the rise in the prices of condoms saying this could result in a spike in new HIV infections and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
A pack of Durex Condoms now range between ZW$107 and ZW$119 while free condoms are hard to come by.
A sex worker, Shamy, who is a Chemical Engineering Student with the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) told Health Times that the viability of their trade was now at risk. She said:
The new condom price has just taken us by surprise. I am stranded and I don’t know how I am going to continue with my job as a sex worker after this.
I am a sex worker, that’s my other profession, I must always have a condom in my bag since any time, anywhere, clients might want my services.
With the new price of condoms, it is going to be difficult to survive, where are we going to get the money from?
In our trade, clients don’t bring their own condoms, we have to buy to ensure we protect ourselves because they fear being caught by their wives with condoms in their pockets. Mhene inotongouya iri Savana Dry nemari yayo kasi isina condom.
I can’t risk just because I am on PrEP, I need that condom to prevent other STIs infections. Increasing the price of condoms does not work. This anomaly needs to be fixed as soon as possible.
If I decide to have unprotected sex with a married man today, I also put his wife at risk so we need to avert that.
The Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The 26th of June is set aside to honour and support victims and survivors of torture as well as to denounce the crime of torture.
This year’s commemoration is particularly significant for Zimbabwe as it is taking place against a background of reports and allegations of beatings, detention, and torture of human rights and political party activists.
We note with concern that while governments across the world are increasingly expressing commitment to eradicate torture, with 169 countries being party to the Convention against Torture Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment as of October 2019, Zimbabwe is yet to ratify the Convention.
The United Nations Convention Against Torture aims to prevent torture and other acts of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment around the world.
The Convention requires state parties to take effective measures to prevent torture in any territory under their jurisdiction and forbids states to transport people to any country where there is a reason to believe they will be tortured.
The absolute prohibition against torture and other acts of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment has become accepted as a principle of customary international law.
At the regional level, Zimbabwe is a signatory to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which also prohibits torture based on the dignity inherent in a human being.
Section 53 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that no person may be subjected to physical or psychological torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
The LRF, therefore, urges the government of Zimbabwe to;
1. Ratify the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 1984.
2. Conduct a full and thorough investigation into the reports of abductions, beatings, and subsequent torture with a view to ending impunity for perpetrators.
3. Enact legislation that expressly outlaws torture in Zimbabwe and bring to justice suspected torturers.
4. Set-up an independent complaints mechanism in terms of section 232 of the Constitution which will investigate complaints against members of the security forces against whom allegations of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment are made.