WORLD No 1, Novak Djokovic, has tested positive for coronavirus, along with his wife, Jelena, throwing tennis into turmoil as the sport’s official tour prepares to resume after a four-month lockdown.
They join three other leading players and two trainers infected by the disease towards the end of the Serb’s unsanctioned Adria Tour, which was aborted moments before the final in Croatia on Sunday.
Djokovic, who will go into quarantine for 14 days, said this was “the new reality”, although he had organised his tour “with a philanthropic idea” and said he was sorry for the other people who tested positive.
Djokovic declined to be tested on site and with his family flew directly to his home city, Belgrade, where he sought medical advice and was tested.
He received the results on Monday evening and issued a statement on Tuesday.
The Serb stands widely accused of complacency for organising an unofficial charity event – in Belgrade, Zadar and Montenegro (subsequently cancelled) – without safety protocols applicable in most other countries and which have prevented resumption of the main Tour until August.
Djokovic expressed regret and sympathy but little contrition in a prepared statement.
He was clearly upset that his close friend, Viktor Troicki, and the Serb’s pregnant wife, along with Grigor Dimitrov and Borna Coric – who played each other on Saturday – as well as Dimitrov’s coach and his own fitness trainer had also tested positive- Chronicle
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder and former Warriors captain Willard Katsande on Monday revealed that he was now into music and will launch his first album soon.
Katsande made the announcement on Social Media on Monday, saying the album contains a mixture of Rhumba and Sungura music.
Sungura is a dominant music popular genre across the country while Rhumba traces its origins to central Africa, specifically the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The 34-year-old has not yet revealed what he plans to do after he hangs up his boots but he said that he has already started doing coaching classes.
Earlier in the month, Katsande was quoted as saying: After retirement, well, I am not arrogant, but I won’t be poor again.
I am considering a lot of things, but I will only reveal that when the time is ripe-Soccer 24
The MDC Alliance condemns the recall of nine of its MPs as announced by the Speaker of Parliament today.
This recall is a violent onslaught on the will of the people who elected MDC Alliance MPs into Parliament.
We take the firm view that state institutions, including Parliament, are being abused to reverse the will of the people and replace it with an unholy alliance between Mr Mnangagwa and Ms Khupe.
This great reversal of the people’s will by Zanu PF is a continuation of the electoral theft of 2018.
The block recalls are a regrettable act of intimidation of MPs who have refused to align themselves with the Zanu PF agenda.
The thinking is that our MPs will be guided by material interests, not by their conscience; however, unlike those who have chosen political expediency, we firmly believe that the majority of our MPs, who represent the true will of the people, will be guided by conscience.
The firing of our MPs is an act of coercion by Zanu PF and its proxies because our MPs have refused to support them freely and voluntarily.
They are targeting proportional representation MPs because they want to create space for their handpicked surrogates, including their leader, Thokozani Khupe, who lost dismally in the 2018 election.
They want to hand her a free ticket into Parliament to make her an opposition stooge in Parliament even though she has no mandate from the people.
The MDC-A, in line with the people’s mandate, is seized with issues of fundamental national concern that are affecting the livelihood of ordinary Zimbabweans including, but not limited to, corruption, violations of human rights, and an economy in decline.
This despicable ploy to enter the corridors of influence through underhanded and insincere tactics using borrowed state powers to distract and cause unnecessary havoc should be condemned by all.
This attempt by Zanu PF, and all its manifestations, to subvert the will of the people shall be defeated.
We will not be distracted but remain firm in our resolve to win Zimbabwe for change.
Thirteen more Covid-19 infections in Zimbabwe were confirmed yesterday bringing the cumulative total to 525, with 448 being returning residents in quarantine centres and 77 being infected within Zimbabwe, including three new cases yesterday.
The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare said last night that investigations were now in progress to identify the source of the three local infections.
South Africa’s cumulative total passed the 100 000 mark yesterday to reach 101 590, the worst in Africa and the region.
The South African death toll remains low by global standards of the epidemic at 1 991. Global totals reached 9 154 232, although this is regarded as a significant underestimate since full testing has never been universal, but with 473 650 deaths.
In several countries lockdowns have been reimposed or tightened after sudden spikes.
Germany, generally regarded as having the fastest reactions to the pandemic among European countries, started lifting its lockdown last month.
Tight lockdowns have now been imposed on two districts in North Rhine-Westphalia State following local spikes, with the most worrying being the 1 500 workers in a meat packing plant testing positive.
The World Health Organisation has reported a record increase in global Covid-19 infections on Sunday with 183 020 in just one day-The Herald
Farai Dziva|A Masvingo based Non Governmental Organisation, Green Institute has blasted the city council for coming up with a list of misplaced priorities.
Masvingo City Council is set to spend $ 2,5 million on construction of new market stalls, following the demolition of old ones.
This comes at a time the city is grappling with worsening water problems.
See Green Institute’s statement below:
“THE Masvingo City Council is set to spend $2.5 million on building new market stalls around the city following demolitions carried out on illegally erected stalls recently.
As Green Institute we urge the city council to prioritize water and sanitation services.
We have noted that in most cases the supply of portable water at market stalls is always a challenge.”
Three Arsenal players were unable to train in the build-up to last week’s defeat at Manchester City after one of them returned a positive Covid-19 test.
Those concerned were eventually cleared after in-house and official testing, but three training sessions had to be sat out by the Gunners stars The Gunners made their return to competitive action after a three-month hiatus away at Manchester City where they lost 3- 0.
An error-strewn performance from David Luiz cost them dearly at the Etihad Stadium, with the Brazilian defender at fault for the opening goal before then conceding a penalty and being sent off.
Their woes continued on Saturday as they also lost 2-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion thereby diminishing their hopes to finish the current season in the top five (5).
Mikel Arteta, who tested positive for coronavirus in March, had tried to ready the players for the resumption of top-flight football but the absence of three senior stars from training disrupted the preparations.
The unnamed player was instructed to self-isolate for seven days as a result, while it was also determined that he had been in close enough contact Arsenal FC with two team-mates that they had to take similar action- Goal.com
Farai Dziva|ZCTU has warned of spontaneous protests as a result of the country’s deepening economic crisis.
On Monday ZCTU president Peter told Daily News that deploying security forces would worsen the situation.
Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has been accused of using the lockdown to suppress dissenting voices.
“We are mobilising the workers. Actually, the workers are being mobilised by the material conditions in the country.
Instead of sending heavily-armed police and soldiers, the government should better address the workers’ concerns.
People are hungry. Deploying the army and police in our view exacerbates the situation because eventually, people will go out to look for food.
People are desperate, and they are working for nothing,” Mutasa told the daily publication.
“We are prepared for a long, protracted struggle. What we are demanding is a peaceful demonstration. The people must be very peaceful.
We must be wary of people who join us and seek to cause violence. Our resistance must be peaceful and avoid provocateurs. Apartheid in South Africa was not dismantled in one day.
Even the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe was prolonged.”
Farai Dziva|ZCTU has warned of spontaneous protests as a result of the country’s deepening economic crisis.
On Monday ZCTU president Peter told Daily News that deploying security forces would worsen the situation.
Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has been accused of using the lockdown to suppress dissenting voices.
“We are mobilising the workers. Actually, the workers are being mobilised by the material conditions in the country.
Instead of sending heavily-armed police and soldiers, the government should better address the workers’ concerns.
People are hungry. Deploying the army and police in our view exacerbates the situation because eventually, people will go out to look for food.
People are desperate, and they are working for nothing,” Mutasa told the daily publication.
“We are prepared for a long, protracted struggle. What we are demanding is a peaceful demonstration. The people must be very peaceful.
We must be wary of people who join us and seek to cause violence. Our resistance must be peaceful and avoid provocateurs. Apartheid in South Africa was not dismantled in one day.
Even the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe was prolonged.”
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has pounced on yet another MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leader.
Harare East Youth Assembly Chairperson, Prince Mutebuka has been arrested for allegedly participating in an illegal demonstration.
See full statement below:
Harare East MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Chairman, Prince Mutebuka has been arrested.
He is currently detained at Harare Central Police Station.He will appear in court on Wednesday.
Prince is being charged with allegedly participating in an unsanctioned demonstration in Mabvuku sometime in March this year.
His arrest adds up to the number of MDC Alliance activists who have been arrested in an illegal blitzkrieg by ZRP whose sinister agenda is to silence the opposition from questioning Emmerson Mnangagwa’s corrupt and illegitimate regime.
We maintain that the arrests are clear cases of persecution by prosecution.
It is shameful that the regime is letting real criminals like Obadiah Moyo who fraudulently awarded millions to Gulen Movement terrorists walk scot free while at the same time persecuting innocent civilians.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma _MDC_Alliance YouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has pounced on yet another MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leader.
Harare East Youth Assembly Chairperson, Prince Mutebuka has been arrested for allegedly participating in an illegal demonstration.
See full statement below:
Harare East MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Chairman, Prince Mutebuka has been arrested.
He is currently detained at Harare Central Police Station.He will appear in court on Wednesday.
Prince is being charged with allegedly participating in an unsanctioned demonstration in Mabvuku sometime in March this year.
His arrest adds up to the number of MDC Alliance activists who have been arrested in an illegal blitzkrieg by ZRP whose sinister agenda is to silence the opposition from questioning Emmerson Mnangagwa’s corrupt and illegitimate regime.
We maintain that the arrests are clear cases of persecution by prosecution.
It is shameful that the regime is letting real criminals like Obadiah Moyo who fraudulently awarded millions to Gulen Movement terrorists walk scot free while at the same time persecuting innocent civilians.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma _MDC_Alliance YouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
TWO more Malawian border jumpers who tested positive to Covid-19 at the Beitbridge Quarantine and Isolation Centre located at the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) Hotel escaped yesterday.
This comes after two other Malawian nationals who tested positive for the virus during profiling and screening at the same facility escaped last month.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the development yesterday. He, however, could not disclose their identities.
“Two Malawian nationals escaped from NSSA Hotel after testing positive for Covid-19 virus.
The cumulative number for escapees is now 184 while those arrested remain at 28.
We continue to urge members of the public to report suspected escapees or those who are entering the country through undesignated entry points evading the Covid-19 screening process at their nearest police station or call 0242 70361 or WhatsApp 0712 800 197,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
A total of 914 people were arrested on Sunday for violating Covid-19 lockdown regulations, bringing the total number of arrests countrywide to 75 134- The Herald
TWO more Malawian border jumpers who tested positive to Covid-19 at the Beitbridge Quarantine and Isolation Centre located at the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) Hotel escaped yesterday.
This comes after two other Malawian nationals who tested positive for the virus during profiling and screening at the same facility escaped last month.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the development yesterday. He, however, could not disclose their identities.
“Two Malawian nationals escaped from NSSA Hotel after testing positive for Covid-19 virus.
The cumulative number for escapees is now 184 while those arrested remain at 28.
We continue to urge members of the public to report suspected escapees or those who are entering the country through undesignated entry points evading the Covid-19 screening process at their nearest police station or call 0242 70361 or WhatsApp 0712 800 197,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
A total of 914 people were arrested on Sunday for violating Covid-19 lockdown regulations, bringing the total number of arrests countrywide to 75 134- The Herald
By Patrick Guramatunhu- “Several Zimbabweans have been treated like junk in their own country. The Chinese have been left to do as they please in our mother land,” wrote Dr Masimba Mavaza, in a recent article.
“While China is our all-weather friend it must not be allowed to give us its bigots pretending to be investors. Chinese largely do not respect black people and our government must stand for its people and not for the bigoted Chinese pausing as our friends. How much blood has to be shed in Zimbabwe before the Chinese are called to order. We must never be Afraid to arrest and prosecute our Chinese friends if they behave in an unfriendly manner.
“Without a government to provide the safety of law and order, protecting citizens from each other and from foreign foes the nation will be in a free for all fall. The horrors of little or no government to provide that function are on global display in the world’s many fragile states and essentially ungoverned regions. Zimbabwe must not fall into that category.”
Every Zimbabwean, indeed anyone, with half a brain would join you in condemning the ill treatment of another human being especially by those in the position of power and authority. There have been too many stories of thuggery and lawlessness be it by these maShurugwi or Chinese employers which the Police have failed to investigate and hold those responsible to account, for whatever reasons.
However, what every thinking Zimbabwean out there would find repugnant about you, Dr Masimba Mavaza, is your hypocrisy. You are quick to condemn the lawlessness of the Chinese employers but say nothing about the more sinister and deadly institutionalised state lawlessness and murderous oppression.
For the last 40 years and counting this Zanu PF regime was ridden roughshod over the people denying them their freedoms and rights including the right to a free and fair election and even the right to life itself! Mnangagwa; the man you worship and praise, whose likeness is on the shirt and trade-mark scarf you wear; blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections and shot dead 7 for daring to protest the rigged elections.
“Without a government to provide the safety of law and order, protecting citizens from each other and from foreign foes the nation will be in a free for all fall. Zimbabwe must not fall into that category,” you said.
Zimbabwe’s state institutions have been corrupted and compromised so much so they are not only failing to protect the people from each other but worse still from the overbearing and oppressive ruling elite. Zimbabwe is a pariah state, a Banana Republic, ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs and it is sickening that people like you bury their heads in the sand and refuse to this political reality.
Dr Mavaza, you only pretend to care about the wellbeing of ordinary Zimbabweans by condemning the Chinese employers’ abuse of Zimbabweans and yet have continue condone the Zanu PF dictatorship that has crashed the whole nation’s hopes, dreams and human dignity.
Zimbabwe is in a real economic and political mess. 34% of our people live in abject poverty, according to World Bank report late last year; i.e. they cannot afford one decent meal a day let alone other basic necessities such as education, medicine, etc.
The corona virus pandemic is causing economic and humanitarian havoc the world over but those nations, like Zimbabwe, who economy and health care services were already in a mess, will be hit very hard. Hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans are set to lose their lives to corona virus and hundreds of thousands more will die of hunger and other poverty related problems. Zimbabwe’s economic recovery will harder and take a lot longer than that of the developed nations!
The real threat to the wellbeing and, indeed, to the very survival of the ordinary Zimbabweans comes not from the oddball individual, the lawlessness of the Chinese employer, but from the corrupt, tyrannical and dysfunctional Zanu PF dictatorship.
It is nonsensical to make a big song and dance about the excess of the individual thug and yet say nothing about the state thuggery especially when the later not only affects millions of people but is the instigator of the lawlessness and worse!
“Manomano omuroyi kunyepera kutya dzvinhu akasagira nyoka muchiuno!” (The pretentions of a witch scared of lizard but not the snake round his waist!) You scared of Chinese employer, a lizard, but not omnipresent Zanu PF dictatorship, the deadly black mamba.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has warned businesses against rejecting $2 and $5 bond notes and coins, saying the notes and coins are still legal tender and those found disregarding the country’s laws will be dealt with.
This was said by national police spokesperson Paul Nyathi following reports that retailers and suppliers have started rejecting the coins and notes, demanding, instead, to be paid in the United States (US) dollar. Said Nyathi:
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has noted with concern that some business people, especially informal traders, are refusing to accept local currency coins, $2 and $5 notes, which is legal tender.
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.
Meanwhile, a Habakkuk Trust Community Advocacy Action Team convener Shakespeare Ndlovu has blamed the illicit trading practices prevalent in the retail sector on the government’s inconsistency in the implementation of monetary measures.
The MDC Alliance condemns the recall of nine of its MPs as announced by the Speaker of Parliament today.
This recall is a violent onslaught on the will of the people who elected MDC Alliance MPs into Parliament.
We take the firm view that state institutions, including Parliament, are being abused to reverse the will of the people and replace it with an unholy alliance between Mr Mnangagwa and Ms Khupe.
This great reversal of the people’s will by Zanu PF is a continuation of the electoral theft of 2018.
The block recalls are a regrettable act of intimidation of MPs who have refused to align themselves with the Zanu PF agenda.
The thinking is that our MPs will be guided by material interests, not by their conscience; however, unlike those who have chosen political expediency, we firmly believe that the majority of our MPs, who represent the true will of the people, will be guided by conscience.
The firing of our MPs is an act of coercion by Zanu PF and its proxies because our MPs have refused to support them freely and voluntarily.
They are targeting proportional representation MPs because they want to create space for their handpicked surrogates, including their leader, Thokozani Khupe, who lost dismally in the 2018 election.
They want to hand her a free ticket into Parliament to make her an opposition stooge in Parliament even though she has no mandate from the people.
The MDC-A, in line with the people’s mandate, is seized with issues of fundamental national concern that are affecting the livelihood of ordinary Zimbabweans including, but not limited to, corruption, violations of human rights, and an economy in decline.
This despicable ploy to enter the corridors of influence through underhanded and insincere tactics using borrowed state powers to distract and cause unnecessary havoc should be condemned by all.
This attempt by Zanu PF, and all its manifestations, to subvert the will of the people shall be defeated.
We will not be distracted but remain firm in our resolve to win Zimbabwe for change.
By A Correspondent- Police in Mashonaland Central Province last week found a body of a middle-aged man floating in Gulliver Dam, Mvurwi.
Police suspect that the deceased may have been fishing when he drowned after some fisherman’s nets were found close to the spot where the body was retrieved.
Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) spokesperson Detective Inspector Portia Chinho has appealed to members of the public who could be missing a relative to come and identify the dead body. Chinho said in a press release:
The Zimbabwe Republic Police, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Mvurwi is appealing for information that may lead to the identification of a dead body.
It is of a male aged between 35 and 40 years and about 1, 75 to 1, 8 metres.
The deceased was wearing a khaki three-quarter short with a brown leather belt, red t-shirt written Gucci and a khaki shirt.
The dead body was taken to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals for post mortem which indicated that the cause of death was head trauma hence the case is being investigated as a suspected murder.
We are also appealing to members of the public who might have information on the circumstances surrounding the death of the man to come forward and assist the police.
For more information please contact CID Mvurwi on 06621 62577 or 0772 331 952, national complaints desk on 0242 703631, WhatsApp number 0712800197 or any nearest police station.
I would like to dispel rumours that I am in discussions with @DrThoko_Khupe branch of the MDC. These reports aren't true. The events taking within the MDC are a sore point for the whole nation. My hope is the we the people can rise above petty politics in this very crucial hour.
1] Ever since the Supreme Court Judgement, there have been so many lies it is difficult to catch up. The Leaders of the old new MDC-T have been lying with straight faces, it’s a thing of beauty. Inevitably, the state media has jumped to the train and has been lying in their name.
2] Mwonzora lied about some “smooth handover takeover of MRT House”. He further lied that state security was not involved. To this day, Mwonzora lies that the police are not guarding HH. Whereas Mwonzora claims ZRP was at HH by chance, Sen Morgen Komichi had a different version.
3] In their attempt to push Adv Chamisa away from the MDC name, Mwonzora lied about meeting Ngaribvume and other ALLIANCE partners. Seeing that their ownership of MDC-T carries no electoral weight, Mwonzora is now gunning for the MDC-A. Today, Ngaribvume has exposed the lies.
4] Mwonzora has been lying about having had held virtual National Council meetings. No registers! Mwonzora lied about holding National Standing Committee meetings yet his faction only had 3 of the previous 15 members. How can 3 people legally constitute a 15 members structure?
5] MaKhupe has been lying about being in charge of 103 MPs. Mwonzora lies about having the majority of MPs. Reality is, even armed with the ability to recall them, the MPs have continued to defy him. Risking recalls, MDC-A MPs still recognize Adv Chamisa as their Leader.
6] Shakespeare has exposed the long-held lie that Nelson Chamisa sent youths to burn MaKhupe and other MDC-T Leaders in Humanikwa. Without exposing what he apologized for to MaKhupe, Shakespeare CATEGORICALLY says that Adv Chamisa personally sent him to address those threatening violence.
7] State media continues to label Chamisa as an illegitimate Leader. Illegitimate Leader of what? Chamisa now leads a distinct political formation recognized even by those who recalled MPs. There is no Leadership question in the MDC-A but the resurrected MDC-T.
8] There is the lie that through the MDC-A, Chamisa has moved away from the MDC of 1999. That movement has historically taken different shapes. In fact, in the MDC-A, Chamisa is MRT’s successor. Tsvangirai was the first Leader of the BIG TENT MDC-A Chamisa succeeded him.
9] Those who support the MDC are not bothered by the name it uses. They embraced MRT when he employed the moniker “T”. They unequivocally knew which MDC they wanted. Thinking the magic was in the “T”, MaKhupe ran away with it & achieved nothing. MDC supporters are rational.
10] Dr Mashakada lies that ZCTU transformed into a party. Balance me here: How did ZCTU transform into something else & yet remain in its original state? How & when did Student Leaders hijack a party they helped form? How can Prof Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti, Adv Chamisa be labelled Mafikizolo?
11] And now State media has been helping Dr Mashakada lie that Dr Magombeyi & the MDC3 faked their abduction. You can only hope that he has enough data bundles to do short videos dispelling ZBC lies. By the time they are done doing damage in his name, he won’t know what hit him.
12] And now they have postponed their ill-fated EOC. In the meantime, they are coopting each other whilst pretending they have gone back to their original state as between 2014 and 2016. Varume vakuru nevakadzi vakuru kuita kuchinjana kunyepa. THESE ARE VERIFIED LIES.
Nleya, who died last Tuesday, was ferried in a Zimbabwe National Army helicopter following a funeral service at the White City B Arena in the city
THE body of National Hero Stanley Nleya has been flown from Bulawayo to Harare for burial at the national shrine tomorrow.
Nleya, who died last Tuesday, was ferried in a Zimbabwe National Army helicopter following a funeral service at the White City B Arena in the city.
Speakers led by the Bulawayo Minister for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Judith Ncube, described Nleya as an illustrious liberation fighter who left school to liberate his country from colonialism.
Earlier in the day, another funeral service was held at Nleya’s rural home in Masendu, Bulilima in Matabeleland South
TWO more people, believed to be Malawians escaped yesterday from a quarantine centre at NSSA Hotel in Beitbridge after testing positive to Covid-19, bringing the total number of those that have so far escaped to 184 countrywide.
Last week, a Harare man escaped from a quarantine centre at Harare Polytechnic after testing positive to Covid-19 and police have launched a manhunt for all the suspects to prevent the spread of the virus.
Police are also looking for another man who escaped at the same centre before knowing his Covid-19 status.
In a statement national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi appealed to relatives and friends of the escapee to report the whereabouts these men.
He said the two Malawians escaped on Sunday.
“Two Malawians escaped from NSSA Hotel, Beitbridge after testing positive for the Covid-19 virus. The cumulative number of escapees is now 184 while those arrested remain at 28.
“We continue to urge members of the public to report suspected cases or those who are entering the country through undesignated entry points evading the Covid-19 screening process at their nearest police station of telephone 0242 703631/WhatsApp number +263712800197,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.
He said on Sunday alone 914 people were arrested countrywide for various offences related to contravening the national lockdown regulations, bringing the total number to 75 134 arrested so far.
The Zimbabwean government’s move to pay its workers US dollar-denominated allowances as the southern African country struggles to stabilise its local currency has been described as “crazy” by an economist and member of the central bank’s monetary policy committee.
Fin24 previously reported that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration had hiked civil servants’ salaries in local currency by 50% and also awarded them a US$75 Covid-19 allowance. Government pensioners will also be paid a flat, non-taxable, Covid-19 allowance of US$30 per month. Using the parallel market exchange rate of 75, the allowance is more than the US$40 government workers, including teachers and nurses, are currently earning.
Officials have called the measures “transitory”.
In response, economist and MPC member Eddie Cross said there was not enough money in government coffers to support such a move, which would cost more than $20 million in total.
The Zimbabwean dollar was introduced early in 2019. It was previously pegged at 1:1 to the US dollar. The falling currency has resulted in a return to hyperinflation as businesses put up prices to keep up with an exchange rate in free fall, as they are reliant on imports of raw materials and finished products.
Inflation reached 785.55% in May, according to official statistics released last week by Zimstats.
Officials in Zimbabwe are however calling these economic challenges “transitory” and blamed the worsening economic fundamentals on the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement released Wednesday the Ministry of Finance announced that government workers will be paid “a flat, non-taxable, Covid-19 allowance of US$75 per month”.
Cross said in addition to being unaffordable, the allowance would set a precedent.
“What can you say, it’s crazy, it’s crazy. I don’t think we have the money.
“I think the problem is it establishes a precedent for the private sector as workers will demand the same thing.”
Cross added that the move was retrogressive in his view, as it violated a dedollarisation programme which was already facing resistance.
He said allowing mines to pay workers in US dollars was already causing economic difficulties, and applying the same principle to the biggest workforce in the country would complicate matters further.
Imara Asset Management Zimbabwe said the only other sustainable currency option for Zimbabwe would be a combination of a Government of National Unity, a hard currency regime and extensive institutional reform.
In a research note for the month of May 2020, Imara’s Chief Investment Officer Jonathan Chew said the current multiple exchange rate system would keep the “show on the road for a while” but will eventually lead to dollarisation.
MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzai Mahere has apologised to the people of Bulawayo for pronouncing the City’s Ndebele name in a twisted way this after an uproar by forces against her elevation to be the party spokesperson.
In her apology written in perfect Ndebele, Mahere says she has been learning the language for two months and hopes to learn quickly.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is also the current chairperson of the SADC Organ of Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation, has urged stakeholders in today’s Malawi presidential elections to be politically tolerant and channel any grievances arising from the polls to relevant bodies.
Almost a year after Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika’s disputed election victory that was annulled in February by the country’s Constitutional Court, Malawians are casting their votes again to choose a new President.
President Mutharika, who is vying for a second term is up against opposition coalition leader Mr Lazarus Chakwera in an election high on emotions.
Although the opposition embraced the February annulment of the presidential results, President Mutharika described it as a “serious subversion of justice” which marked the death of the country’s democracy leading to the building of tensions ahead of today’s polls.
In a statement issued on Monday President Mnangagwa said as Malawians vote, SADC stands in solidarity with its people and remains engaged with all stakeholders in that country.
“SADC also urges stakeholders to remain politically tolerant and peaceful in the remaining campaign period, and to exercise calm and restraint during and after election-day.
“Furthermore, SADC encourages all candidates, their supporters and other stakeholders to channel any grievances regarding the electoral process and its final outcomes through the appropriate legal channels,” the President said.
Malawians have gone to vote under the dark cloud of Covid-19, a global pandemic that has not spared Africa. To curb the spread of the highly contagious disease, nations have introduced a raft of measures such as social distancing, limits on the number of people in public gatherings, regular washing of hands and also wearing face masks.
President Mnangagwa called on stakeholders in Malawi to thus embrace innovative voting measures in the wake of the highly contagious Covid-19 pandemic.
“SADC remains engaged with stakeholders in Malawi, and reaffirms its solidarity with the people of Malawi in this period of uncertainty and risk caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In this regard, SADC commends all stakeholders for their efforts in ensuring that the people of Malawi exercise their democratic right to vote in the face of challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. SADC encourages all stakeholders to apply innovative election campaign and voting measures that minimise chances of the spread of the virus”.
There have been concerns in some circles over how Malawi will manage logistical and safety challenges of conducting an election in the throes of a worldwide pandemic.
Following the introduction of a Foreign Exchange Auction Trading system by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) which came into effect this Tuesday, the official Zimbabwe dollar exchange rate to the US dollar is now $57.36.
According to the RBZ, bids totalling over USD11 million were received with the highest rate at $100 while the lowest rate was $26.
This exchange rate will run for one week until next Tuesday when the next auction is held. In terms of the new system, the auctions will be held every Tuesday
This means that we will have a new rate every week – provided it changes.
BLANTYRE, Malawi — Voters in Malawi lined up before dawn for a re-run of the 2019 presidential election that the courts nullified over widespread evidence of tampering.
Hundreds of voters braved the cold weather of the southern hemisphere’s winter to vote as soon as the polls opened at 6 a.m. Incumbent President Peter Mutharika, 79, is looking for a second and final five-year term in office and is running against Lazarus Chakwera, 65, leader of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party.
The Constitutional Court on Feb. 3 struck down Mutharika’s victory in the May, 2019 election, citing evidence of voting fraud, including thousands of ballots that appeared to have been altered using typing correction fluid. The ruling was upheld by the Malawi Supreme Court.
Some 6.8 million Malawians are eligible to cast ballots at more than 5,000 polling stations across the country.
Many voters interviewed Tuesday morning said they are relieved the elections are taking place.
The Electoral Commission Chairperson Chifundo Kachale assured all voters that the polling process would be fair. Before the voting started the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all political actors and stakeholders to renew their commitment to credible and peaceful elections, while observing all preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19,’ according to a statement issued by spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
A number of local and international organisations will observe the new elections, in an effort to confirm that they are free and fair. The European Union, the African Union, the Southern African Development Community, several diplomatic missions and the Commonwealth will be observing the elections, the Malawi Electoral Commission’s spokesman Sangwani Mwafulirwa said.
The U.S. and British embassies announced that they sent out small observer missions as a supplement to thousands of domestic election observers and political party monitors.
The High Court postponed judgement in a bail application by the MDC activists arrested for allegedly taking an abduction by state agents.
The judge said he will give a ruling on Friday 27 June 2020.
MDC Alliance MP, Joanna Mamombe and two party activists have been in person for the last two weeks to face charges of faking their abduction.
Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova in May claimed they were abducted by state security agents who later drove them out of Harare to subject them to acts of both physical and sexual abuse.
They later spent weeks under police and prisons guard while recovering for injuries sustained, at a Harare private hospital.
The three also face charges of violating the country’s lockdown regulations through a flash anti-government demonstration they staged in Harare’s Warren Park suburb earlier on the day of their alleged abductions.
The MDC Alliance condemns the recall of nine of its MPs as announced by the Speaker of Parliament today. This recall is a violent onslaught on the will of the people who elected MDC Alliance MPs into Parliament.
We take the firm view that state institutions, including Parliament, are being abused to reverse the will of the people and replace it with an unholy alliance between Mr Mnangagwa and Ms Khupe. This great reversal of the people’s will by Zanu PF is a continuation of the electoral theft of 2018.
The block recalls are a regrettable act of intimidation of MPs who have refused to align themselves with the Zanu PF agenda. The thinking is that our MPs will be guided by material interests not by their conscience; however, unlike those who have chosen political expediency we firmly believe that the majority of our MPs, who represent the true will of the people, will be guided by conscience.
The firing of our MPs is an act of coercion by Zanu PF and its proxies because our MPs have refused to support them freely and voluntarily. They are targeting proportional representation MPs because they want to create space for their handpicked surrogates, including their leader, Thokozani Khupe, who lost dismally in the 2018 election. They want to hand her a free ticket into Parliament to make her an opposition stooge in Parliament even though she has no mandate from the people.
The MDC-A, in line with the people’s mandate, is seized with issues of fundamental national concern that are affecting the livelihood of ordinary Zimbabweans including, but not limited to, corruption, violations of human rights, and an economy in decline. This despicable ploy to enter the corridors of influence through underhanded and insincere tactics using borrowed state powers to distract and cause unnecessary havoc should be condemned by all. This attempt by Zanu PF, and all its manifestations, to subvert the will of the people shall be defeated.
We will not be distracted but remain firm in our resolve to win Zimbabwe for change.
Cabinet has directed the national statistics agency to conduct the national census next year instead of the planned 2022, which would have been held close to the general elections in 2023.
The population census is set to gobble US$85.5m.
ZimStat general manager Taguma Mahonde confirmed that the census would be conducted next year and that the statistics agency had already re-aligned its activities in accordance with the new dates by increasing the number of teams currently involved in the mapping exercise.
“The mapping programme is the foundation of the enumeration programme and we have had to re-adjust our work on this programme hence when we started we had 14 teams covering the whole country and these have been increased to 42 teams,” he said.
The national population census is census is a constitutionally mandated procedure, which occurs after every ten years. The last one was held in 2012. Oftentimes, individuals do not think of a census having a direct effect on elections, but it does. At its most basic level, a population census is needed simply to determine how many people there are in the country and where they live. Secondly a census, especially with information on demographics, provides an important statistical snapshot of the population that can be used for planning purposes. However, for election purposes it provides the context for events such as redistricting and voter targeting.
University of Zimbabwe lecturer and political scientist Eldred Masunungure said while results of any census would not be available with two years, bringing the exercise forward could be a political decision made with the 2023 harmonised elections in mind.
“While all cabinet decisions are political in nature, there are also political because there are made by and for people who wield political power and for their interests.
“A census is a technical process which is often preceded by a political decision whose implications can never be under-estimated.”
In a not so recent chat Zimstat chair Doug Hoto said that there is a general lack of understanding of the country’s population patterns and it is only through an organised structure from a cell level that political parties would be able to understand the dynamics.
He said the Zimbabwe election landscape consists of 68,4 percent rural and 31,6 percent urban voters and the population figures should ideally assist in election targeting. It is the rural dynamics mostly that the political parties need to understand.
“One interesting thing that happened in 2018 unlike the previous years, Uzumba Maramba-Pfungwe (UMP) was not the top voter and UMP used to be one constituency but its divided into two and the votes there were around 21 000 and the biggest single vote for the President was in Chiredzi North at 33 000 against 3 000 for the rest of the opposition.
“But to start with, you need to see how many people are in Chiredzi District as a whole. Many people think this district is a small place and they think Triangle is in Chiredzi District and yet the District starts from where Bikita ends, up to the Malipati Barder post and up to Ngundu to Save River. Chiredzi had 301 000 people at the last census count, so if you divide it into four constituencies it means a constituency has an average 75 000 and if you take adults who are about 50 percent of the people then you know you have at least 37 000 voters in a constituency,” said Hoto.
He noted that despite the excellent performance by Chiredzi District, Hurungwe remains the biggest district in terms of population in Zimbabwe with 350 000 people.
Meanwhile, Magonde said that Zimstat was undergoing a restructuring exercise, which has resulted in some of the directors and managers being stripped off their titles. This had heightened reports of low morale among staff at a time the organisation has to carry out a key programme such as the national census.
Mahonde said low morale among Zimstat workers was expected although the restructuring exercise was part of recommendations the council made to Treasury.
“Any organisation needs to restructure in order to achieve its goals but this is just a pending proposal which has yet to be approved by Treasury.
“The fact that workers are concerned about the restructuring is not a problem because it is a positive move that is meant to attain certain goals within the organisation.
“We cannot not celebrate that morale is high among the workers because of decadence hence the need to go through the restructuring programme,” he said.
THE African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Youth Games’ asset register mysteriously disappeared making it difficult for Cabinet appointed auditors to quantify the total value of the assets purchased by the Government for the Games.
Also missing was the contract entered into between the local organising committee and the Central Mechanical Engineering Department (CMED) as it emerged that the CMED was overpaid by US$25 000 for the hire of its Mercedes Benz mini bus over a 19 day period.
CMED accountant a Ndyire told the auditors that the contract document was missing, making it difficult for the auditors to assess the accuracy of their claim and compliance to the agreed terms and conditions.
CMED was subsequently paid US$293 691.99 which was overstated by US$25 707 after the hire of its minibus registration number ACZ0351 which was charged at a daily rate of US$1503 instead of US$150, an increase of 900 percent.
“We were not provided with an asset register for LOC assets. Simplicio Musekiwa, the LOC acting administration and procurement director who was responsible for the maintenance of the asset register stated that the asset register could have been misplaced when records were moved to Khumalo Hockey Stadium and Elangeni Training Centre. As a result we were not able to quantify the total value of assets purchased by the Ministry of Sports and Recreation or LOC towards the games and reconcile them to records,” noted the audit firm Deloitte and Touche in their forensic audit report.
Musekiwa could also not avail a list of officials provided with accommodation at the School of Hospitality and Tourism, Zaks Place and Cresta Lodge who were all booked on the LOC account which saw a total of US$338608.78 in accommodation costs being paid of which US$241 906.78 was paid to the School of Hospitality and Tourism while Cresta Lodge and Zaks Place were paid US$73 182 and US$23 520 respectively.
I would like to dispel rumours that I am in discussions with @DrThoko_Khupe branch of the MDC. These reports aren't true. The events taking within the MDC are a sore point for the whole nation. My hope is the we the people can rise above petty politics in this very crucial hour.
Former Zanu Pf stalwart who was shown the exit door for being in the “wrong basket” before he openly joined the opposition Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has said the intimidatory tactics against citizens should stop revealing that he woke up to a bullet hole at his house in Borrowdale Harare.
Said Bhasikiti:
“Woke up today to bullet hole on my house in Borrowdale.This intimidatory tactics should end.Citizens are not a threat to anyone.Address Economic&Social needs of the populace.NOT ME.”
Woke up today to bullet hole on my house in Borrowdale.This intimidatory tactics should end.Citizens are not a threat to anyone.Address Economic&Social needs of the populace.NOT ME.
THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has re-assured the nation that bond notes are still legal tender.
This follows recent reports that some retail outlets and business entities are not accepting bond notes.
In an exclusive interview with ZBC News, RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya dismissed social media reports that bond notes are no longer acceptable.
“People should have trust with our money, it is disheartening for some people to spread such lies and misinforming the public, I have seen some women circulating information that the bonds notes are no longer acceptable, this is fake news which should not be accepted because the notes still have its value,’’ said the Governor.
Dr Mangudya advised people who have been holding onto large amounts of bond notes to deposit them or use them for buying goods.
“My assurance is that the bond notes are still legal tender, the two, five, ten and twenty notes are still legal tender which can be used interchangeably, i am aware the money is acceptable in all big shops, while those who are nearer to the banks can go and deposit and get new notes,” the RBZ boss said.
The issue of bond notes also came under the spotlight in parliament recently, with Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube assuring the nation that bond notes remain a medium of exchange but will be phased out gradually and replaced by the new notes.
1] Ever since the Supreme Court Judgement, there have been so many lies it is difficult to catch up. The Leaders of the old new MDC-T have been lying with straight faces, it’s a thing of beauty. Inevitably, the state media has jumped to the train and has been lying in their name.
2] Mwonzora lied about some “smooth handover takeover of MRT House”. He further lied that state security was not involved. To this day, Mwonzora lies that the police are not guarding HH. Whereas Mwonzora claims ZRP was at HH by chance, Sen Morgen Komichi had a different version.
3] In their attempt to push Adv Chamisa away from the MDC name, Mwonzora lied about meeting Ngaribvume and other ALLIANCE partners. Seeing that their ownership of MDC-T carries no electoral weight, Mwonzora is now gunning for the MDC-A. Today, Ngaribvume has exposed the lies.
4] Mwonzora has been lying about having had held virtual National Council meetings. No registers! Mwonzora lied about holding National Standing Committee meetings yet his faction only had 3 of the previous 15 members. How can 3 people legally constitute a 15 members structure?
5] MaKhupe has been lying about being in charge of 103 MPs. Mwonzora lies about having the majority of MPs. Reality is, even armed with the ability to recall them, the MPs have continued to defy him. Risking recalls, MDC-A MPs still recognize Adv Chamisa as their Leader.
6] Shakespeare has exposed the long-held lie that Nelson Chamisa sent youths to burn MaKhupe and other MDC-T Leaders in Humanikwa. Without exposing what he apologized for to MaKhupe, Shakespeare CATEGORICALLY says that Adv Chamisa personally sent him to address those threatening violence.
7] State media continues to label Chamisa as an illegitimate Leader. Illegitimate Leader of what? Chamisa now leads a distinct political formation recognized even by those who recalled MPs. There is no Leadership question in the MDC-A but the resurrected MDC-T.
8] There is the lie that through the MDC-A, Chamisa has moved away from the MDC of 1999. That movement has historically taken different shapes. In fact, in the MDC-A, Chamisa is MRT’s successor. Tsvangirai was the first Leader of the BIG TENT MDC-A Chamisa succeeded him.
9] Those who support the MDC are not bothered by the name it uses. They embraced MRT when he employed the moniker “T”. They unequivocally knew which MDC they wanted. Thinking the magic was in the “T”, MaKhupe ran away with it & achieved nothing. MDC supporters are rational.
10] Dr Mashakada lies that ZCTU transformed into a party. Balance me here: How did ZCTU transform into something else & yet remain in its original state? How & when did Student Leaders hijack a party they helped form? How can Prof Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti, Adv Chamisa be labelled Mafikizolo?
11] And now State media has been helping Dr Mashakada lie that Dr Magombeyi & the MDC3 faked their abduction. You can only hope that he has enough data bundles to do short videos dispelling ZBC lies. By the time they are done doing damage in his name, he won’t know what hit him.
12] And now they have postponed their ill-fated EOC. In the meantime, they are coopting each other whilst pretending they have gone back to their original state as between 2014 and 2016. Varume vakuru nevakadzi vakuru kuita kuchinjana kunyepa. THESE ARE VERIFIED LIES.
Mai Titi: Java owes me USD400. Java owed me money for an advertisement posting on my page. To this date, the money is still to be paid. He promised me at Meikles when I lied to people whole thanking him while celebrating, only to be given USD100 at the end of the live video. pic.twitter.com/KPjyUhiQjZ
Mai Titi: Java owes me USD400. Java owed me money for an advertisement posting on my page. To this date, the money is still to be paid. He promised me at Meikles when I lied to people whole thanking him while celebrating, only to be given USD100 at the end of the live video. pic.twitter.com/KPjyUhiQjZ
By A Correspondent- Following the introduction of a Foreign Exchange Auction Trading system by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) which came into effect this Tuesday, the official Zimbabwe dollar exchange rate to the US dollar is now $57.36.
According to the RBZ, bids totalling over USD11 million were received with the highest rate at $100 while the lowest rate was $26.
The weighted average rate was, therefore, $57.36.
This exchange rate will run for one week until next Tuesday when the next auction is held. In terms of the new system, the auctions will be held every Tuesday
This means that we will have a new rate every week – provided it changes.
HIGHLANDERS coach Mark Harrison has assured restless fans that he is still committed to the Bulawayo giants and will soon return to Zimbabwe once authorities give an all clear signal.
The Englishman returned to his homeland following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent shutting down of sporting activities which was taken so as to help flatten the curve.
Soon after his departure they were unverified reports on social media and other mainstream news agencies that the Bulawayo giants were already in talks with a Turkish national as a possible replacement for Harrison, who was said to be headed for Kenya.
“I cant wait to rejoin with my squad. I am 100 percent with Highlanders, just waiting for their phone call to return for my duties once this lockdown is over. So there is no need for the fans to be worried, I am definitely coming back,” said Harrison speaking to Chronicle online from his base in the United Kingdom.
Doctors have added their voices on calls by nurses for government to offer better salaries and are in the process of engaging all members on the course of action following a strike by the nurses.
The medical practitioners have also condemned the looting of funds meant for the betterment of service provision in the medical field citing the Covid-gate saga.
The government recently increased salaries by 50% and also put a US $75 allowances for all civil servants but the nurses rejected the offer demanding more as they feel the amount does not resonate with soaring inflation which stood at 785,55% as of May.
Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association spokesperson, Tawanda Zvakada in an interview said the association is still engaging its members on action to take contrary to reports in some media publications that the doctors were going on strike.
“We are receiving salaries in Zimdollar which is loosing value everyday as prices are going up. We recently got an increment and an allowance of US $75 which which is failing to meet our day to day demands,” said Dr Zvakada.
Nurses say they will not return to work until their demands are met, a position confirmed by Mpilo Central Hospital acting clinical director Xolani Ndlovu yesterday.
“Most of the qualified nurses are at home, they did not report for duty. They vowed that they will not come back until government addresses their demands. We only have a skeleton staff most of them being nurses on probation. We also have doctors and some have already started threatening to join the strike soon,” Ndlovu said,
Mpilo Hospital is dealing with emergencies only.
Ministry of Health and Child Care Acting Permanent Secretary Gibson Mhlanga has since written to defense of the ministry requesting support for the paralyzed health institutions.
In a letter addressed to Defence secretary Mark Grey Marongwe, Mhlanga said medical personnel from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces would augment coverage for emergencies and provision of patient care during the absence of nurses.
“We will be calling upon your health services personnel to assist in the hotspots at the central hospitals as requested by the chief executive officers and provincial medical directors of the affected institutions. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated,” he wrote.
The Senior Hospital Doctors Association also said its members were overwhelmed and pleaded with the government to act.
“The situation at the hospitals is now dire. There is no care available as health workers cannot afford to come to work anymore,” a senior doctor said.
“As senior doctors, we condemn the looting of funds meant for the COVID-19 fight and for capacitating our hospitals. We call upon the government to act,” he said.
MDC-T secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora has recalled nine MDC Alliance legislators from Parliament.
Speaker of National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda on Tuesday announced the recalling of the nine MDC legislators who have been accused of supporting Nelson Chamisa.
The recalled MPs are Amos Chibaya (Mkoba, Happymore Chidziva (Highfield West), Basilia Majaya (Proportinal Representative) and Mutarairwa Mugido
Others also recalled include Virginia Muradzikwa, Anna Muyambo (Proportional Representative), Francesica Ncube, Nomathemba Ndlovu and Murisi Zvidzai (Harare Central).
The lawmakers were recalled following the recent Supreme Court ruling which nullified the election Chamisa as the MDC-T leader, instructing the opposition to revert back to the 2014 party structures where Thokozani Khupe was the party’s deputy to Morgan Tsvangirai.
Farai Dziva|Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) director-general Prince Mupazviriho has said Barbourfields will be designated to host “low key” games such as those featuring the country’s national youth teams like the Young Warriors.
The government has been helping to upgrade the Bulawayo venue to meet international standards, but it will not be able to host the national team again.
According to Muparizviriho, the idea to make the ground a second-tier venue follows after noting that the facility was too old for expansion.
“You know that it is one of the stadiums built in the early 1950s and its expansion will change some of its structural issues and that has got some challenges,’’ he told The Herald.
“We went there last week and we agreed with the Bulawayo City Council on what needs to be done.
“I must highlight this is an old facility and there is a limit to what can be done with such an old facility.
“So, the agreement that we had, as a board, and which CAF has confirmed receiving the correspondence, is that there are certain low-tier international tournaments which can be hosted there.’’
Mupazviriho added that they will build a new stadium in the City of Kings.
He said: “The best for Barbourfields is to have a new stadium because we cannot continue demolishing its structures.”
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released strict rules for various associations, players, and managers to follow before the resumption of action.
Guidelines to Resume Football in Africa
It is in this regard that the CAF Medical Committee in collaboration with the Technical & Development Department and a team of experts has put together a comprehensive plan to guide the Member Associations (MA’s) on the restart of football activities on the continent.
The 27-page document titled “CAF Guidelines to Resume Football in Africa” emphasizes on the health of the major stakeholders (Players, Officials, Fans, Partners) as the essential element, which should constitute the basis of all decisions regarding the reintroduction of football activities across the continent supported by the authorization of relevant State Authorities.
The plan also highlights on effective and continuous medical assessment (testing) of players and officials, guidelines for training sessions, disinfection of sporting facilities, as well as strict adherence to the global preventive protocols.
“This comprehensive document is major step towards resuming football on the continent. Based on recent developments, it is important we have a plan in place to guide our stakeholders on the return of continental and domestic competitions, and the need for an all hands on deck approach.
“Many considerations were factored into the putting together of the document by our team of experts notably the specificities of the continent. Together with strategies established by local authorities, it provides the MA’s with adequate information to resume operations upon receiving the green light,” said CAF Acting General Secretary Abdelmounaim Bah.
Meanwhile, the Organising Committee for Interclubs Competitions & Management of Club Licensing, and the Organising Committee for Women’s Football held meetings via video-conference last week on the future on the various competitions.
The CAF Executive Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, 30 June 2020 via video-conference will make pronouncements on the recommendations by the respective Standing Committees.
Details of the Executive Committee meeting to be announced in due course- Soccer 24
Former Zimbabwe international Costa Nhamoinesu has castigated the racial behavior shown by his club Sparta Prague’s fans in their Czech Cup semi-final clash with Viktoria Plzeň last Wednesday.
Sparta fans directed monkey chants at Plzeň players, Congolese Joel Ngandu Kayamba and Frenchman Jean-David Beauguel during the game which they (Sparta) won 2-1 to progress to the final but the dreadlocked defender was not happy with the supporters of his side’s behavior at a time when the world is condemning racial injustice through the #BlackLivesMatter campaign.
“Good feeling to progress to Cup Final, but sad to hear monkey chants during the game. Sport has no color #onesport #onepeople. We are all human beings!! #NoToRacism… Let’s create a better future for the younger generation and enjoy the beautiful game,” the 35-year-old wrote on microblogging site Twitter.
The real @ACSparta_CZ …… family is against racism. It’s The Club that has taken positive initiatives in the Czech League against racism. The real @ACSparta_CZ fans are passionate about soccer…” he added-Soccer 24
THE National Sports Stadium is now almost ready to host international football matches while Babourfields will be designated to host low-tier games such as those featuring the country’s national youth teams like the Young Warriors.
Sports and Recreation Commission director-general, Prince Mupazviriho, said only a few issues, such as suitable turnstiles and bucket seats remained to be fitted at the country’s biggest sports stadium.
He said it was no longer prudent to continue demolishing structures at Barbourfields, in order to refurbish the stadium, considering it was an old facility constructed more than 70 years ago.
Mupazviriho was giving oral evidence before Parliament’s portfolio committee on Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture which wanted to get an update on stadia upgrade, among other issues, related to sport.
He was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Thokozile Chitepo.
“The minimum requirements to host international matches, National Sports Stadium is there, except for bucket seats, e-ticketing and turnstiles,’’ said Mupazviriho.
“And, the reason for those aspects to be outstanding is that most of the companies who manufacture (the items) are closed and we have to import.
“I am happy to report that two, or three weeks ago, I got approval from the Permanent Secretary (Chitepo) to float a tender whose processes are already at an advanced stage.
“Other than these outstanding issues, the National Sports Stadium now meets the intended requirements.
“If, today, we are requested to host a qualifying match for AFCON or World Cup, the National Sports Stadium must be able to host.
“It’s not only Zimbabwe, there are also a number of countries that must also upgrade their stadia.’’
Mupazviriho said a permanent solution for Barbourfields was not in renovating it, but building a new stadium in the City of Kings-The Herald
By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has taken the battle to control the heart and soul of the opposition to party structures, dispatching his top leadership to conduct branch meetings across the country in an effort to outfox his rivals.
Chamisa himself was in Mbare, Chitungwiza and Mabvuku from Friday to Sunday where he met party members, danced to local dancehall music with ghetto youths and was mobbed by hundreds of supporters as the MDC Alliance said it was mobilising for mass action against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.
Chamisa’s presidential affairs secretary, Jameson Timba confirmed that the party was gearing to demand living wages for the people, a stop to corruption and a better Zimbabwe.
“The president has been about meeting the people, listening to their challenges and offering direction. If you remember our plan and strategy was to have action, to confront the evils of corruption and poverty caused by the Zanu-PF government. We were supposed to have gone across the country and dealt with these things by May, but the plans were scuttled by COVID-19,”Timba said.
Chamisa, ousted from party headquarters, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House and fired by acting MDC-T president Thokozani Khupe from the party, drew cheers as he met ordinary party members.
During the tours Chamisa told NewsDay that he remained in control of the party and its structures and would not be deterred by his opponents.
“I can’t be told that I don’t have a party by people whom I defeated at polls using that party. Go and check the records. The MDC Alliance is the party that won elections. The leader of the MDC Alliance beat Emmerson Mnangagwa in the rigged elections. He can’t forgive us over that drubbing,” he said.
Chamisa contested the final presidential results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission insisting that he had garnered 2,6 million votes to win the presidency although he lost the challenge in court.
Khupe, who assumed leadership, through a Supreme Court ruling, also ran as a presidential candidate and got an official tally of 45 000 votes.
In an effort to win the hearts of supporters, the underfire Chamisa, who has been suffering crucial court defeats, dispatched secretary for rural mobilisation Happymore Chidziva to mobilise structures and close out Khupe’s team.
Chidziva said he had been holding branch meetings and was enjoying massive support from the business community and party members at home and abroad who were funding his outreach programme.
“The party is not stopping, it’s going ahead and I can tell you we are solid, over 200 branch meetings have taken place. We are getting support from our members and there is no doubt that they know where they stand,” Chidziva said.
Last week, MDC Alliance secretary-general Chalton Hwende announced that they had received close to $210 000 for rural structures from a South African businessman.
Meanwhile, Khupe’s MDC-T said it was planning to recall 20 MPs who got into Parliament on an MDC Alliance ticket with close sources revealing that a batch of 12 would be booted out of the august House as early as this afternoon.
Impeccable sources yesterday told NewsDay that four top Chamisa loyalists including his deputy Lynette Karenyi-Kore, who is women’s quota proportional representation MP for Manicaland and organising secretary Amos Chibaya (Mkoba MP) would also face recall.
“Firstly, you need to realise that last week the MDC-T made replacements in the standing committee which existed in 2014 and was reinstated by the Supreme Court ruling. Among some people who were replaced are Karenyi-Kore, Chibaya, Murisi Zwizwai and Happymore Chidziva, who are all current MPs. These, therefore, are obviously going to be on the first list of MPs to be recalled today,” the source said.
On Thursday last week, a senior staff member in acting secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora’s office, Norest Marara, posted on his Facebook page hinting on the imminent purge.
“Tuesday 23/06/2020. Someone will cease to be honourable and will be dishonourable,” he wrote.
Contacted for comment, MDC-T deputy spokesperson Khalipani Phungeni said: “Yes, indeed we have replaced about four members in the standing committee who have since joined another political party. You will appreciate that our constitution says if you join another party you have dismissed yourself (from the party).”
“So someone who has dismissed himself or herself from the party can no longer represent us in Parliament. So yes, I can confirm that members who have fired themselves from the party have no business representing our interests in Parliament. Only members of MDC-T can represent MDC-T in Parliament.”
Phungeni could not be drawn into revealing the actual date on which the MDC Alliance MPs would be recalled from Parliament.
MDC Alliance deputy spokesperson Clifford Hlatshwayo said the party’s reaction on the possible recalls would be guided by recommendations of their national council.
“What we have always said is that MDCT and MDC Alliance are two different parties which even went to congresses separately. So it will be illegal for Khupe to recall our MPs. Their call for sticking to 2014 structures is like a reverse jive song which people now want to enjoy as a freshly-released hit music. The 2014 structures were overtaken by events. However, we will be guided by recommendations of our national council if they continue to recall our MPs,” he said.
Three Arsenal players were unable to train in the build-up to last week’s defeat at Manchester City after one of them returned a positive Covid-19 test.
Those concerned were eventually cleared after in-house and official testing, but three training sessions had to be sat out by the Gunners stars The Gunners made their return to competitive action after a three-month hiatus away at Manchester City where they lost 3- 0.
An error-strewn performance from David Luiz cost them dearly at the Etihad Stadium, with the Brazilian defender at fault for the opening goal before then conceding a penalty and being sent off.
Their woes continued on Saturday as they also lost 2-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion thereby diminishing their hopes to finish the current season in the top five (5).
Mikel Arteta, who tested positive for coronavirus in March, had tried to ready the players for the resumption of top-flight football but the absence of three senior stars from training disrupted the preparations.
The unnamed player was instructed to self-isolate for seven days as a result, while it was also determined that he had been in close enough contact Arsenal FC with two team-mates that they had to take similar action- Goal.com
By A Correspondent- The MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe has recalled nine more MDC Alliance legislators from parliament.
This brings to 13 the total number of recalled legislators.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, announced the recalling of the MDC legislators – Amos Chibaya (Mkoba) Happymore Chidziva (Highfield), Basilia Majaya, Mutarairwa Mugido, Virginia Muradzikwa, Anna Muyambo, Francesca Ncube, Nomathemba Ndlovu and Murisi Zwizwai (Harare Central).
Last month, acting MDC-T secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora wrote to Mudenda and Senate President Mabel Chonomona, informing them that certain MDC Alliance MPs had ceased being members of the party.
The legislators that were recalled in May were Kuwadzana East MP Chalton Hwende, Chikanga-Dangamvura MP Prosper Mutseyami, Bulawayo East MP Thabitha Khumalo and Senator Lillian Timveos.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
By A Correspondent- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) John Panonetsa Mangudya has reiterated that bond coins and notes are still legal following numerous reports that some traders are no longer accepting them.
In an exclusive interview with ZBC News, Mangudya urged members of the public to treat as fake news social media reports claiming that bond notes are no longer acceptable.
He said:
People should have trust with our money, it is disheartening for some people to spread such lies and misinforming the public, I have seen some women circulating information that the bonds notes are no longer acceptable, this is fake news which should not be accepted because the notes still have its value.
My assurance is that the bond notes are still legal tender, the two, five, ten and twenty notes are still legal tender which can be used interchangeably.
I am aware the money is acceptable in all big shops, while those who are nearer to the banks can go and deposit and get new notes.
Finance and Economic Development Minister, Mthuli Ncube recently told Parliament that bond notes remain a medium of exchange but will be phased out gradually and replaced by the new notes.
The rejection of bond notes and coins by shops and businesses gathered pace after the government announced measures to partially redollarise the economy.
The World Health Organization (WHO), Project Everyone and Tiger Aspect Productions have partnered to launch a Public Service Announcement (PSA) using global comedy cartoon star, Mr Bean.
With cases of COVID-19 continuing to rise globally, “Mr Bean’s Essential COVID-19 Checklist” is a reminder to people about the importance of washing hands, physical distancing and demonstrating kindness to their neighbours.
The PSA features a cartoon sketch of Mr Bean comically tackling a pesky roller blind to finally reveal a number of essential tips to protect people against COVID-19.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, said:
“COVID-19 affects every walk of human life, and we need to use all tools and avenues at our disposal to share life-saving information with all people around the world. I am grateful for the support of the team behind Mr Bean for lending your voice and talents to spread vital advice on physical distancing, hygiene and knowing the symptoms.”
The PSA is voiced by Mr Bean star, Rowan Atkinson, who created the Mr Bean character to be “a child in a grown man’s body” when he was at Oxford University along with filmmaker and Sustainable Development Goal advocate Richard Curtis.
Mr Bean, which was originally broadcast in the 1990s before transforming into an animated series, has since expanded on a global scale with 96 million Facebook followers globally and major fanbases across India, Brazil and Indonesia. Mr Bean also celebrates his 30 th anniversary in 2020.
The PSA was coordinated by Project Everyone, a not-for-profit agency devised by Richard Curtis working to put the power of communications behind the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Richard Curtis said: “We are delighted to work with the WHO on this Mr Bean sketch and to support health messaging around COVID-19.
In 2015 193 world leaders committed to 17 Global Goals to end poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030. Good Health and Wellbeing is Goal 3 and central to achieving all of the Global Goals.
It’s key that we work with creative partners – and that all sectors come together to continue to get messages out about how we can tackle COVID-19 and build back a better world where the Global Goals remain the guiding plan to be achieved by 2030.
I’m not QUITE sure which sector Mr Bean belongs to – but we’re delighted to have him on board.
Mr Bean helps WHO spread the word on how to prote…: https://youtu.be/EFCDu–F-YI
Credit:WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has pounced on yet another MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leader.
Harare East Youth Assembly Chairperson, Prince Mutebuka has been arrested for allegedly participating in an illegal demonstration.
See full statement below:
Harare East MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Chairman, Prince Mutebuka has been arrested.
He is currently at Harare Central Police Station Law and Order Section in company of his lawyer and Vice National Chairman Hon Job Sikhala.
Prince is being charged with allegedly participating in an unsanctioned demonstration in Mabvuku sometime in March this year.
His arrest adds up to the number of MDC Alliance activists who have been arrested in an illegal blitzkrieg by ZRP whose sinister agenda is to silence the opposition from questioning Emmerson Mnangagwa’s corrupt and illegitimate regime.
We maintain that the arrests are clear cases of persecution by prosecution.
It is shameful that the regime is letting real criminals like Obadiah Moyo who fraudulently awarded millions to Gulen Movement terrorists walk scot free while at the same time persecuting innocent civilians.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma _MDC_Alliance YouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwean government has reiterated that all returning citizens, without exception, will undergo the mandatory quarantine period as a way of preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus.
Citizens who return home in order to attend funerals of their loved ones, or to renew their travel documents will not be exempted from being sent to quarantine centres.
Posting on his Twitter account, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting services, Ndavaningi Nick Mangwana said:
There are a number of enquiries from bereaved foreign-based Zimbabweans wanting to bring the remains of dearly departed relatives home and attend the sending offs.
Public Health Regulations in place to protect communities are such that you can’t be exempted from being quarantined.
Mangwana also said the production of passports has been negatively affected by lockdown measures and the government is working on solutions.
He said:
The lockdown measures in place to protect lives affected a lot of services. One such disturbed service is the production of passports.
This has affected some of our nationals in the Diaspora seeking to renew their documents. Govt is aware of the problem and working on solutions.
Farai Dziva|A Masvingo based Non Governmental Organisation, Green Institute has blasted the city council for coming up with a list of misplaced priorities.
Masvingo City Council is set to spend $ 2,5 million on construction of new market stalls, following the demolition of old ones.
This comes at a time the city is grappling with worsening water problems.
See Green Institute’s statement below:
“THE Masvingo City Council is set to spend $2.5 million on building new market stalls around the city following demolitions carried out on illegally erected stalls recently.
As Green Institute we urge the city council to prioritize water and sanitation services.
We have noted that in most cases the supply of portable water at market stalls is always a challenge.”
In a very rare show of mature leadership, forgiveness and tolerance, MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Chitungwiza North Secretary, Tryvine Sox Musokeri issued an apology to Yvonne Musarurwa who has since withdrawn charges against the former.
The burying of hatchet between the duo is a classic indication that young people can work together for the good of the country.
As progressive young social democrats, we have a bigger task at hand of taking the illegitimate and corrupt regime head on.
Any sideshows and regressive bickerings can only elongate our suffering as a generation.
The country is burning!
Corruption and looting has become rife under Emmerson Mnangagwa’s watch hence as a generation we can not afford any sideshows than to unite and fight the junta.
The World Health Organization (WHO), Project Everyone and Tiger Aspect Productions have partnered to launch a Public Service Announcement (PSA) using global comedy cartoon star, Mr Bean.
With cases of COVID-19 continuing to rise globally, “Mr Bean’s Essential COVID-19 Checklist” is a reminder to people about the importance of washing hands, physical distancing and demonstrating kindness to their neighbours.
The PSA features a cartoon sketch of Mr Bean comically tackling a pesky roller blind to finally reveal a number of essential tips to protect people against COVID-19.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, said:
“COVID-19 affects every walk of human life, and we need to use all tools and avenues at our disposal to share life-saving information with all people around the world. I am grateful for the support of the team behind Mr Bean for lending your voice and talents to spread vital advice on physical distancing, hygiene and knowing the symptoms.”
The PSA is voiced by Mr Bean star, Rowan Atkinson, who created the Mr Bean character to be “a child in a grown man’s body” when he was at Oxford University along with filmmaker and Sustainable Development Goal advocate Richard Curtis.
Mr Bean, which was originally broadcast in the 1990s before transforming into an animated series, has since expanded on a global scale with 96 million Facebook followers globally and major fanbases across India, Brazil and Indonesia. Mr Bean also celebrates his 30 th anniversary in 2020.
The PSA was coordinated by Project Everyone, a not-for-profit agency devised by Richard Curtis working to put the power of communications behind the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Richard Curtis said: “We are delighted to work with the WHO on this Mr Bean sketch and to support health messaging around COVID-19.
In 2015 193 world leaders committed to 17 Global Goals to end poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030. Good Health and Wellbeing is Goal 3 and central to achieving all of the Global Goals.
It’s key that we work with creative partners – and that all sectors come together to continue to get messages out about how we can tackle COVID-19 and build back a better world where the Global Goals remain the guiding plan to be achieved by 2030.
I’m not QUITE sure which sector Mr Bean belongs to – but we’re delighted to have him on board.
Mr Bean helps WHO spread the word on how to prote…: https://youtu.be/EFCDu–F-YI
Credit:WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
Cape Town – For years, satanists did not have a place of worship.
Now, since the opening of The South African Satanic Church in Century City they are able to.
The church opened its doors in February after a four-year-long idea was brought to life by the co-founders.
Thomas Matthew Miles-Nell, a member of the church, said as a satanist he found it refreshing that there was now an organisation that is representative of what true religious satanism was.
Jaco Venter, another member, said: “I am really proud of my country that my religion is being acknowledged and empowered.”
The church is a registered non-profit company under the category of a religious organisation.
Co-founders Adri Norton and Riaan Swiegelaar said they would like to dispel some of the misconceptions people may have about satanism.
“We are not a get-rich organisation but rather a religious organisation,” said Norton.
Swiegelaar said they did not sacrifice humans or animals, there were no initiation ceremonies, they did not worship a devil or even acknowledge a devil – Satan is an archetype.
Swiegelaar added that they were not after your children nor were they part of the “Illuminati” or a cult.
“Our organisation does not even allow anyone under the age of 18 to partake in any gatherings, ceremonies or rituals. We do not yet have the rights, but are negotiating to translate the Satanic Bible into Afrikaans. We will then be the first organisation to do so.”
The first satanic bible was published in 1969 and is available online and at some book stores. The opening of the church has prompted many comments on social media. Jacques Owora said: “Not judging any one’s faith, which is a right for people to believe what they want to believe in.
I have a problem though with the word church associated with this, not a problem per se, but I thought and have looked this up, the definition of church is associated with Christian worship and ideals or am I missing something.”
Kaisara July Moshabane said: “They seem like nice guys to be around.” Swiegelaar is the presiding reverend.
“I am not a leader of an organisation, I just officiate some ceremonies like baptisms and weddings.”-IOL
"A High court Judge has said he will give a ruling on Friday 27th June 2020. What a bizarre. The 3 girls are again remanded in custody and denied their Civil absolute Rights as per the Zimbabwean Constitution. Am deeply flabadisgusted. This is horrendous" – Cecilia Chimbiri's dad pic.twitter.com/uUNoHYi7Sw
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has pounced on yet another MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leader.
Harare East Youth Assembly Chairperson, Prince Mutebuka has been arrested for allegedly participating in an illegal demonstration.
See full statement below:
Harare East MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Chairman, Prince Mutebuka has been arrested.
He is currently detained at Harare Central Police Station.He will appear in court on Wednesday.
Prince is being charged with allegedly participating in an unsanctioned demonstration in Mabvuku sometime in March this year.
His arrest adds up to the number of MDC Alliance activists who have been arrested in an illegal blitzkrieg by ZRP whose sinister agenda is to silence the opposition from questioning Emmerson Mnangagwa’s corrupt and illegitimate regime.
We maintain that the arrests are clear cases of persecution by prosecution.
It is shameful that the regime is letting real criminals like Obadiah Moyo who fraudulently awarded millions to Gulen Movement terrorists walk scot free while at the same time persecuting innocent civilians.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma _MDC_Alliance YouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
By A Correspondent- Ailing ‘street theatre’ actor Charles “Marabha” Mapalume collapsed on Sunday night, giving his family quite a scare.
Marabha has been unwell in the recently weeks and it took wellwishwers locally and internationally to help him finance his bills and general welfare.
He sustained head injuries after he was attacked by thugs and he has been developing fits amid fears he has an internal wound on the head.
In an interview with H-Metro, Marabha’s brother Paradzai Mapalume who has been looking after the actor ever since his health deteriorated begged Mahwindo and her partners to continue rendering support to his younger brother.
“As a family we are grateful to well-wishers and people like Mahwindo who have been supportive when my brother got seriously ill.
“When Marabha’s condition was shared on social media, we were shocked by the response he received from wellwishers.”
Farai Dziva|ZCTU has warned of spontaneous protests as a result of the country’s deepening economic crisis.
On Monday ZCTU president Peter told Daily News that deploying security forces would worsen the situation.
Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has been accused of using the lockdown to suppress dissenting voices.
“We are mobilising the workers. Actually, the workers are being mobilised by the material conditions in the country.
Instead of sending heavily-armed police and soldiers, the government should better address the workers’ concerns.
People are hungry. Deploying the army and police in our view exacerbates the situation because eventually, people will go out to look for food.
People are desperate, and they are working for nothing,” Mutasa told the daily publication.
“We are prepared for a long, protracted struggle. What we are demanding is a peaceful demonstration. The people must be very peaceful.
We must be wary of people who join us and seek to cause violence. Our resistance must be peaceful and avoid provocateurs. Apartheid in South Africa was not dismantled in one day.
Even the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe was prolonged.”
Alert! Harare East Youth Assembly Chairman Arrested!
Harare East MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Chairman, Prince Mutebuka has been arrested.
He is currently at Harare Central Police Station Law and Order Section in company of his lawyer and Vice National Chairman Hon Job Sikhala.
Prince is being charged with allegedly participating in an unsanctioned demonstration in Mabvuku sometime in March this year.
His arrest adds up to the number of MDC Alliance activists who have been arrested in an illegal blitzkrieg by ZRP whose sinister agenda is to silence the opposition from questioning Emmerson Mnangagwa’s corrupt and illegitimate regime.
We maintain that the arrests are clear cases of persecution by prosecution.
It is shameful that the regime is letting real criminals like Obadiah Moyo who fraudulently awarded millions to Gulen Movement terrorists walk scot free while at the same time persecuting innocent civilians.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma _MDC_Alliance YouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
ZLHR on the frontline; @ZLHRLawyers Kudzai Choga is now at Chinhoyi Magistrates Court representing 8 Chinhoyi University of Technology students arrested Monday & charged for allegedly protesting against detention of @mdczimbabwe trio & police brutality. pic.twitter.com/vLxDcNYene
“Is Zimbabwe waiting for 2023 to implement media reforms?“
Said Pearl, one of the panelists in a video conferencing call held under the topic “Media reforms and Press freedom under Covid-19 lockdown in Zimbabwe —challenges, impact on freedom of expression” (Time: Jun 23, 2020 12:00 PM Harare, Pretoria Hosted by @Newsday)
“…. We are so slow to implement the recommendations made by the international community regarding media reforms. Are we also waiting for 2023 to implement these?”
Watch the discussive live video loading below………..
By A Correspondent- War veterans leader, Christopher Mutsvangwa has disowned a Twitter handle registered in his name saying he never had an account on the microblogging site.
He speaks when the handle in his name has been used to exchange insults with fellow ZANU PF official, Victor Matemadanda. Mutsvangwa said:
I do not have a Twitter account now and never had one. The Twitter account bearing my name and my picture is a creation of G40 Jonathan Moyo. He feels entitled to the ZANLA wing of the historical national liberation movement by hereditary writ.
He views his Christopher Mutsvangwa as his nemesis as in the November 2017 Operation Restore Legacy. This stems from my role as Chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association-(ZNLWA). We spearheaded the drive to thwart his treacherous G40 antics at power grab by this traitor of long practice since he absconded from Mgagau Camp ZANLA ranks in 1975-6.
The conversation that was circulated on social media said:
Victor Matemadanda: Joana Mamombe mwana mudiki panhau dzepolitics, dai ari munhu anofunga asiyana nazvo nekuti anofa ari mwana mudiki. Ndapedza zvangu [Joana Mamombe – MDC Alliance MP- is too young for politics, she must shun politics if she is level headed.]
@cmutsvangwa: Do you forget comrade that when we went to war as teenagers, these are some of the grievances we had against the Settler regime. Even as we rise from taxi drivers to ministers, let us spare a thought for the suffering masses!
Last year, Mutsvangwa was also forced to disown the account or another one after the handle proposed a dialogue between Nelson Chamisa and President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
By A Correspondent- The Chinese Embassy in Harare on Monday said the Chinese national who shot two employees in Gweru over a salary dispute must be openly investigated according to the law of Zimbabwe.
Reports suggest that on Sunday, Zhang Xuelin (41) allegedly shot two of his former workers Wendy Chikwaira (31) and Kennedy Tachiona (39) after the duo demanded their dues after being fired.
The incident sparked public outrage with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) demanding justice for the duo.
In a statement, the Embassy said lawbreakers should not be protected. Read the statement in part:
Although this is an isolated incident and the embassy has no law enforcement authority over the enterprise, we firmly support Zimbabwe’s law enforcement agencies to transparently and openly investigate and handle the case in accordance with the law of Zimbabwe.
Any possible illegal acts and persons who violate the law should not be shielded.
It is reported that after misunderstandings, Zhang withdrew a 9mm pistol, shot and injured the two who were taken to a local private hospital where Tachiona is still admitted while Chikwaira was treated and released.
Reports suggest the accused was later arrested and is awaiting to appear in court on attempted murder charges.
By A Correspondent- MDC officials, who were members of the party’s national council under the late Morgan Tsvangirai, are reportedly piling pressure on acting MDC-T president Thokozani Khupe to hold a national council meeting so they could use the event to scuttle her planned extraordinary congress (EOC).
Sesel Zvidzai, who was part of the national council as Tsvangirai’s chief-of-staff, said Khupe and acting secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora were avoiding the allimportant national council meeting despite a legitimate and constitutional demand for such.
“A petition was made in May 2020 by the national council which was in office as at February 14, 2018 for a meeting of that party organ and it is being avoided. Those who claim to be abiding by the constitution are now denying organs of the party the rights provided to them by the constitution,” he said.
A total of 93 members of the national council signed a petition demanding that members of the Tsvangirai-led MDC standing committee present themselves before them.
“We, the undersigned individuals who were members of the MDC-T national council as at February 14, 2018, having noted the Supreme Court judgment in the matter Mashavire vs MDC-T and others and subsequent events, acting in terms of article 6.4.2.6 of the MDC-T constitution as it was on the same date, hereby petition for convening of a lawful meeting of the national council as constituted on that date,” the petition read.
The petition also demanded that all members of the then national council, including the fired Chalton Hwende, Nelson Chamisa, and those who left the party after February 14, 2018, be invited to attend the council meeting.
Mwonzora acknowledged receipt of the petition and said it was discussed in the MDC-T standing committee, adding that the party leadership was not in a hurry to hold the meeting.
“The attitude of the party leadership is that it is not in a hurry to hold the national council meeting because we held a virtual meeting of council recently and also because of the COVID-19 regulations. The leadership will hold a meeting of the council as soon as conditions permit,” he said.
Another party official Jameson Timba said: “They are afraid of the people. How do you talk of a standing committee that only has three people out of the possible 15? The rest they now have are coopted, they are just trying to run away from the organs of the party.”
This came as insiders say members of the national council aligned to Chamisa were plotting to use the meeting to veto the holding of the EOC and put a stop to the Khupe leadership.
“Mwonzora knows this plan, so he is bidding his time so that he meets with council members and win their hearts ahead of the meeting, the delay is strategic to give them a counter,” a source said.
— ZADHR_DrsHumanRights (@ZadhrDoctors) June 23, 2020
3/4 Over the weekend, the society distributed sanitisers, hand washing buckets and liquid soap to seven old people’s homes in the Midlands province to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
— ZADHR_DrsHumanRights (@ZadhrDoctors) June 23, 2020
4/4 The initiative will benefit 35 old people’s homes countrywide.
— ZADHR_DrsHumanRights (@ZadhrDoctors) June 23, 2020
Dr Bakili Muluzi queues to cast his voteDr Bakili Muluzi casting his vote
First multiparty president, Dr. Bakili Muluzi (in the pictures above) this morning joined Malawians in voting as the nation today returns to the polls in a hotly contested presidential election rerun.
The elections are being held almost five months after the Constitutional Court annulled the results of a disputed vote last year.
The country’s electoral commission had initially declared incumbent President Peter Mutharika the narrow winner of the May 2019 election with a 38.57 percent share of the vote.
The results led to widespread protests by the main opposition who alleged electroral malpractices.
Opposition leaders Lazarus Chakwera, who came second with 35.41 percent, and Saulos Chilima, who finished third with 20.24 percent, went to court to challenge the result.
In a unanimous ruling, a five-judge panel threw out the results citing “widespread, systematic and grave” irregularities and ordered fresh elections within 150 days.
Initially, the electoral commission announced in March that fresh polls will be held on July 2 but opposition legislators passed a resolution in parliament setting June 23 as the election date.
By A Correspondent- MDC officials, who were members of the party’s national council under the late Morgan Tsvangirai, are reportedly piling pressure on acting MDC-T president Thokozani Khupe to hold a national council meeting so they could use the event to scuttle her planned extraordinary congress (EOC).
Sesel Zvidzai, who was part of the national council as Tsvangirai’s chief-of-staff, said Khupe and acting secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora were avoiding the all important national council meeting despite a legitimate and constitutional demand for such.
“A petition was made in May 2020 by the national council which was in office as at February 14, 2018 for a meeting of that party organ and it is being avoided. Those who claim to be abiding by the constitution are now denying organs of the party the rights provided to them by the constitution,” he said.
A total of 93 members of the national council signed a petition demanding that members of the Tsvangirai-led MDC standing committee present themselves before them.
“We, the undersigned individuals who were members of the MDC-T national council as at February 14, 2018, having noted the Supreme Court judgment in the matter Mashavire vs MDC-T and others and subsequent events, acting in terms of article 6.4.2.6 of the MDC-T constitution as it was on the same date, hereby petition for convening of a lawful meeting of the national council as constituted on that date,” the petition read.
The petition also demanded that all members of the then national council, including the fired Chalton Hwende, Nelson Chamisa, and those who left the party after February 14, 2018, be invited to attend the council meeting.
Mwonzora acknowledged receipt of the petition and said it was discussed in the MDC-T standing committee, adding that the party leadership was not in a hurry to hold the meeting.
“The attitude of the party leadership is that it is not in a hurry to hold the national council meeting because we held a virtual meeting of council recently and also because of the COVID-19 regulations. The leadership will hold a meeting of the council as soon as conditions permit,” he said.
Another party official Jameson Timba said:
“They are afraid of the people. How do you talk of a standing committee that only has three people out of the possible 15? The rest they now have are coopted, they are just trying to run away from the organs of the party.”
This came as insiders say members of the national council aligned to Chamisa were plotting to use the meeting to veto the holding of the EOC and put a stop to the Khupe leadership.
“Mwonzora knows this plan, so he is bidding his time so that he meets with council members and win their hearts ahead of the meeting, the delay is strategic to give them a counter,” a source said.
By A Correspondent- MDC interim president Thokozani Khupe has postponed the party’s court-directed extra-ordinary congress slated for July 31, 2020 to ensure public safety during the coronavirus pandemic.
Khupe, through her spokesperson, said that the party was looking at different ways to stay within the legal parameters of both the lockdown and of the Supreme Court ruling.
Secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, however, said that the court had allowed them a six-week extension, which means the congress will be held before September 15, 2020.
Meanwhile, MDC officials, who were members of the party’s national council under the late Morgan Tsvangirai, are reportedly piling pressure on acting MDC-T president Thokozani Khupe to hold a national council meeting so they could use the event to scuttle her planned extraordinary congress (EOC).
Sesel Zvidzai, who was part of the national council as Tsvangirai’s chief-of-staff, said Khupe and acting secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora were avoiding the all-important national council meeting despite a legitimate and constitutional demand for such.
By A Correspondent- The government of Zimbabwe has entered into an agreement with local banks with regards to Foreign Currency Accounts (FCA) for civil servants and pensioners.
Banks agreed to open the accounts free of charge and also to lower banking and transaction costs so that the US$75 allowance allocated to workers recently is not demeaned by costs.
The development was confirmed by George Charamba the Presidential spokesperson who claimed that President Mnangagwa President directed the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the Reserve Bank to make sure measures are put in place to minimise costs.
He said:
I happen to know that quite a number of banks have already offered a zero cost FCA facility to civil servants, but also offered to say the FCAs can be opened online, so you don’t have to go to the nearest town and thirdly to link those accounts with the employment numbers of every civil servants and the bank he or she uses.
Workers had expressed concern over the costs associated with opening the accounts since it costs between US$10 and US$20, depending on the bank, to open an FCA in Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, banks have already started notifying clients about the development.
By A Correspondent- Opposition MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa has embarked on a “meet the structures” interface premised at getting feedback from grassroots.
Chamisa’s presidential a ffairs secretary, Jameson Timba confirmed the development adding Chamisa himself was in Mbare, Chitungwiza and Mabvuku from Friday to Sunday meeting party members. He said:
The president (Chamisa) has been about meeting the people, listening to their challenges and offering direction. If you remember our plan and strategy was to have action, to confront the evils of corruption and poverty caused by the Zanu PF government. We were supposed to have gone across the country and dealt with these things by May, but the plans were scuttled by COVID-19.
The development is in line with the party’s strategic plan announced last year which shall also see the party working to increase its rural support base which is currently insignificant.
This also comes amid a leadership crisis in the MDC that has resulted in the division of the party into two factions -one led by Chamisa and the other by Thokozani Khupe.
The MDC Alliance has since started recruiting new members in preparation of the 2023 elections.
Following social media reports of Sunday 21 June 2020 purporting that Delish Nguwaya is a holder of a Diplomatic Passport, I wish to inform the nation that as the custodians of Diplomatic Passports in Zimbabwe, @MoFA_ZW has no record of ever issuing one to him. pic.twitter.com/83WY5wYTkE
By A Correspondent- Junior doctors in Zimbabwe have threatened to join the nurses’ initiated industrial action to compel the government to review their salaries and working conditions.
Nurses across the country embarked on the protests last week Thursday demanding salaries in United States dollars and police have arrested some of the protestors at Victoria Chitepo in Mutare, Manicaland province.
The health caregivers are rejecting the government’s 50 percent salary increment and US$75 allowances offer saying it is inconsequential given the inflationary nature of the economy.
An anonymous junior doctor who is also an official in the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association which represents junior and middle-level doctors spoke to NewsDay and said:
We struggle to get fuel when we are on call. Many stations are selling in US dollars, so we are now incapacitated.
The reports are worrying considering that the country is in the midst of a war against the coronavirus pandemic and also considering that health caregivers last year embarked on a months-long industrial action that threatened the total collapse of the public health sector in the country.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Child Care has approached the Zimbabwe National Army asking for health personnel to work in public health institutions instead of striking workers.
By A Correspondent- On 23 June 2018, there was an assassination attempt at a ZANU PF rally held at the White City Stadium in Bulawayo where President Emmerson Mnangagwa was campaigning for his party ahead of that year’s harmonised elections.
There was a blast a few yards from the president who was stepping off the stage to make way to his motorcade.
Dozens of people including Vice President Kembo Mohadi, Minister of Defence Oppah Muchinguri and then-wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga sustained injuries while Mnangagwa’s guard was blown completely dead.
In an endeavour to get to the bottom of the matter, the government roped in bomb experts from Belarus to join the country’s Criminal Investigation Department.
The team’s investigation concluded that the explosive device was an offensive fragmentation grenade made in Russia adding that it had been lobbed in Mnangagwa’s direction from a distance of about 17 to 20 meters.
Two men, described as drifters who sometimes worked as commuter omnibus touts, were arrested and later released after it was established they were not connected to the explosion
To date, the identity of the perpetrator(s) is not known, something that was described 17 months later by former War Veterans Minister, Tshinga Dube, as concerning since the perpetrators can repeat it knowing that they can get away with it.
Immediately after the blast, President Mnangagwa reshuffled his security detail.
What’s going on in Zimbabwe today, in the MDC Alliance especially: Chamisa’s party is mocked for turning into a Salad Party and this is portrayed in the following emotional graphic, quoting the Twitter fame-flame, Fadzai Mahere who calls Bulawayo, “Bhuluweyo,” and Harare, “Harari.” It is said Chamisa’s MDC has been reduced to a Salad party and an artiste describes it on top of a bottle of Heinz Salad cream.
And now suddenly Mahere’s own campaign manager ‘confirms’ it in a tweet mocking the strategist, Dr Nkululeko Sibanda on a mere accent, saying Chamisa wants to remove him and appoint him, Musasiwa, in his place ‘because’he has a fake British accent. So far, Prof Jonathan Moyo has tagged Mahere’s Bhuluweyo video under the catchphrase, “ZANU PF must go,” somewhat suggesting that the MDC Alliance has become captured.
….
The graphic portrayed by an artisteKuda Musasiwa
By A Correspondent | The MDC Alliance spokesperson, Fadzai Mahere’s 2018 election campaign manager, Kuda Musasiwa, has announced saying MDC President Nelson Chamisa wants to replace the top expert Dr Nkululeko Sibanda as his Presidential spokesperson.
His claims, contained in a tweet that remained unchallenged by Chamisa 3 days later, comes 3 weeks after Chamisa replaced Hon Daniel Molokele with Mahere in what some say was a good move, while others complain saying her rise to influence in the MDC Alliance is too sudden, and could turn disastrous.
Musasiwa ran Mahere’s entire 2018 election campaign, when Mahere thought she would defeat the MDC Alliance in Harare’s Mt Pleasant surbub.
Musasiwa is also known for plotting to rid the MDC Alliance of the capital city, Harare, having ganged up with Acie Lumumba (Gerald Mutumanje), Evan Mawarire, and a small group of zealots before the 2018 elections.
During that time Musasiwa would clash with the MDC stalwart Jameson Timba, who would in turn swear saying Fadzai Mahere prides herself in mere Twittership. Both Mahere and Musasiwa would regularly clash with the MDC Alliance until the day when she was given the heavy slap of reality that the MDC Alliance rules the city.
Fast forward, to June 2020, Musasiwa’s boss, the same Mahere, has risen to the post of running the entire information engine of the party she planned to crush (she has taken the shoes of the last most powerful spokesperson of the MDC Alliance, Obert Gutu, who had presidential ambitions, and remains a thorn in the flesh in the side of the MDC Alliance to this day.)
Her rise is clearly sudden, and it is at this time, that Musasiwa is seen announcing that he has been contacted by Chamisa for to replace Dr Sibanda, a claim that has remained unchallenged up to the time of the publication of this article.
While efforts to get a comment from Chamisa were fruitless at first (he later on dismissed the claim saying it is all false, there’s no truth at all in it), Musasiwa had openly published his tweet saying, ” even the president said to me that he (Nkululeko Sibanda)’s a clown and offered me his job. “
He also mocked Dr Sibanda saying he has a fake British accent. He said, “haiwawo Blaz uye ibaranzi..
“Aigija with a BriS**t accent yefeja. Nxa.”
Dr Sibanda has for more than 20 years proved to be not only an MDC loyale since his student union days when he was tortured by the CIO in the Midlands area, but worked hard to shape the MDC Alliance’s political strategy, and had Morgan Tsvangirai listened to him at the time of the coup, Mnangagwa would have been subdued during the very military takeover that removed Robert Mugabe. He supplied strategic intelligence that the MDC must not march to remove Mugabe or participate in impeachment drives until securing a state reform deal underwritten by the United Nations.
On the other hand, both Mahere and Musasiwa have no history of sacrifice to the struggle for democracy apart from participating in ED-Lacoste protests before the 2017 coup.
COMMENT – Meanwhile, should the development be true, firing Dr Sibanda especially at this time, will be disastrous for Nelson Chamisa and the entire party, while giving political ammunition to his nemesis, Douglas Mwonzora. Subsequently the person to gain out of all this is Emmerson Mnangagwa, there perhaps won’t be any need for ZANU PF to use state security against Chamisa, he will have finished himself.
HEALTH workers, especially nurses, are at a high risk of contracting Covid-19 pandemic due to the careless behaviour of members of the public who violate lock down rules and regulations.
This comes amid reports that 13 more Mpilo Central Hospital nurses have tested positive to Covid-19 and are part of the 60 cases which have been reported in Bulawayo.
Earlier this month, a nurse from the same institution tested positive to the global pandemic which led to Mpilo testing 197 health workers who were in contact with her and three patients who were positive.
The nurses have been put on isolation and Mpilo is yet to test more health workers who were in contact with the 13 as there are test kit challenges.
The world over, at least 90 000 health care workers had been infected by Covid-19 and more than 260 nurses had died by the end of May according to the International Council of Nurses (ICN).
As of Sunday, Bulawayo had 60 Covid-19 cases and two deaths while the national cumulative figure stood at 489 with six deaths.
According to the Bulawayo City Council, 26 of the cases that had been recorded in the city were from Hillcrest, Hillside, Kumalo, Emakhandeni, Cowdray Park, Pumula South, Nkulumane, Barbourfields, Lobengula West and Magwegwe suburbs.
The infected nurses are in isolation at their homes and Elangeni Training Centre and they are all constantly being followed up by the city health department.
In an interview, Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Cde Judith Ncube said it was worrying to note that health workers testing positive for Covid-19 were on the increase.
Minister Ncube said members of the public were deliberately exposing health workers to Covid-19 by illegally coming into the country without going through quarantine centres.
She urged members of the public to adhere to rules and regulations that had been laid down to control the spread of Covid-19.
“Thirteen of our nurses tested positive to Covid-19 and it’s mostly because of our reckless behaviour as residents. I know there are people who are sneaking into the country and by-passing quarantine measures that have been laid down and that exposes our health care workers,” said Minister Ncube.
“We should not allow anyone into our homes who would not have gone through quarantine as they will fall sick and end up in hospitals thereby endangering the lives of our health care workers.”
Minister Ncube said residents were reluctant to practise social distancing, which puts everyone at risk.
“I even appeal to supermarkets that they sanitise trolleys after every use because none of us is safe,” she said.
Minister Ncube appealed to the business community and private players to help the city source test kits which are in short supply.
“I appeal to our blessed business people and private companies to help us source test kits as we are having shortages. It is very important that we test as many people as possible so that we have a clear idea of where we stand as a city in terms of cases,” said Minister Ncube.
Medical practitioner Dr Khayelitsha Dube said nurses were more at risk to Covid-19 due to the longer periods they spend with members of the public in their day to day duties.
“We are more at risk because of the concentration of sick people that we interact with in our duties. What makes it more dangerous is the fact that most people may have Covid-19 but they do not know as they have not yet tested,” said Dr Dube.
He said doctors were also exposed but nurses were at a higher risk as they spent more time with patients compared to other health workers.
Mpilo acting chief executive officer Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said health workers were at higher risk of contracting Covid-19.
“We are intensifying our surveillance system by testing contacts here at the hospital and we will make sure that we will make PPE widely available for use by health workers,” said Dr Ngwenya.
“We have a peculiar situation where we have to warn people about the dangers of Covid-19 yet every morning we have to wake up and go care for patients some of whom have the virus.”
He said people must desist from treating Covid-19 as if its non-existent.
“I urge the public to be wary of the dangerous pandemic as cases may go up since we are in winter. People who have no serious business should remain at home at least until after the cold weather. Social distancing is necessary because we are witnessing worrying trends of people wearing masks but not practising social distancing,” he said.
Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni said the city health department had managed to trace over 1 358 people who were in contact with 26 of the infected.
He said primary sources were tested and secondary sources were observed for Covid-19 symptoms.
By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance VP Tendai Biti has said president Emmerson Mnangagwa is desperate to destroy the party led by Nelson Chamisa but his project has failed.
Said Biti in a tweet:
“Emmerson has gotten more desperate as the #CUP agenda has spectacularly collapsed .A moronic project to destroy the Movement using all levers of the State was always bound to fail . The people are clear .We are #MDCAlliance led by one leader @nelsonchamisa . #TogetherToTheEnd “.
Emmerson has gotten more desperate as the #CUP agenda has spectacularly collapsed .A moronic project to destroy the Movement using all levers of the State was always bound to fail . The people are clear .We are #MDCAlliance led by one leader @nelsonchamisa . #TogetherToTheEnd . https://t.co/dpNTAD74N8
Perceptions ... Bianca Makwande denied MDC trio bail claiming that they had brought bad publicity on the country
HARARE – A magistrate who denied bail to three female MDC Alliance activists accused of staging their own abduction has been promoted.
Bianca Makwande refused bail for Harare West MP Joana Mamombe, Netsai Marova and Cecilia Chimbiri after endorsing prosecution claims that they had harmed Zimbabwe’s economy after news of their abduction was reported around the world.
On Monday, she was promoted to Deputy Chief Magistrate following he resignation of Chrispen Mberewere on June 18.
The appointment was made by Chief Magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi.
The MDC trio have appealed to the High Court for bail. They deny staging their own abduction on May 13, when they say they were arrested while returning from an anti-government protest and taken to a police station. They told journalists they were driven away from the police station by suspected state security agents who brutally tortured and sexually assaulted them for two days. They were dumped from a moving vehicle in Bindura.
In November 2018, Makwande was blasted by a High Court judge for “prejudging” socialite Genius Kadungure before denying him bail based on her “perceptions”.
“The magistrate prejudged the matter and misdirected herself in her approach to bail as she should have invited submissions from both counsels. Courts should be impartial, it’s wrong for judicial officers to refer to matters that are not before them, as she referred to another fraud matter the accused is facing. She based her decision on her perceptions,” Justice Tawanda Chitapi commented.
High Court judge, Joseph Musakwa has made a shock decision releasing five police officers who were jailed in 2017 after gouging out a Harare man’s eye accusing him of standing at an intersection they were manning.
The five police officers, gouged a civilian’s right eye after assaulting him with batons at the intersection of Kenneth Kaunda Avenue and Julius Nyerere Way in March 2017 and were jailed for an effective one year and three months each in prison.
Livingstone Zvimba, Tendai Musungambira, Sunday Nyaude, Khululekani Dale and Evans Mashonganyika assaulted Washington Gezana (32)’s wife Yvonne Magora (26).
They were convicted of two counts of assault after a full trial. The then magistrate, Mr Farai Gwitima, sentenced them to 18 months each behind bars before setting aside three months each on condition of good behaviour.
He then effected 15 months. In passing the sentence, Mr Gwitima castigated the behaviour of the five, saying they brought the name of the police force into disrepute. He said assault at the hands of the police constituted violation of one’s rights.
In the latest move, Musakwa ruled that Harare magistrate, Gwitima erred in convicting and sentencing the officers.
“The evidence presented before the court a quo leaves a lot to be desired.
“Evidence led by the State was largely desultory. It does not show any diligence in systematically piercing together the crucial pieces on the part of the prosecutor,” Musakwa ruled.
He added, “That lack of alertness on the part of the prosecutor migrated to the trial magistrate in as far as assessment of evidence went.
“The trial court made an erroneous finding regarding who actually assaulted the complainants.
“The case was compounded by the fact that fellow police officers decided to shield the perpetrators of the assault. They preferred to see no evil in the whole process.
“The trial prosecutor made a mess of it by not seeking particulars that would have exposed the culprits.
“This renders the conviction unsafe. In the result, the conviction and sentence is hereby set aside.”
ZIMBABWEAN universities and colleges are set to reopen July 13 following three months of continuous closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was revealed Monday by Higher and Tertiary Education minister Amon Murwira while giving oral evidence before parliament’s Higher and Tertiary Education committee.
Murwira expressed worry over the country’s escalating numbers of Covid-19 cases but remained confident over government strategies to curb the spread of the disease.
The minister told MPs students would be safe after government has taken steps to ensure masks and sanitisers were accessible to learners.
He was quick to say government would not hesitate to close the institutions again if problems arose.
“Tertiary education institutions that include polytechnic colleges, teachers’ colleges and industrial training colleges will open on the 13th of July, 2020 starting with final year students.
“Numbers (Covid-19 cases) are increasing yes but statistics have shown that most of these are imported and are in quarantine centres.
“I am less worried because cases are contained but all we are doing is to make sure preventive measures are followed,” said Murwira.
The minister added, “Our strategy as a country is working. We have to be careful, we cannot stick to one strategy. We should be prepared to close colleges if anything goes wrong. We are however confident of what we are doing right now.
“We are not sticking to one goal as we are also planning to continue if our strategy works.”
The minister gave credit to students who have taken the initiative to produce sanitisers and some Covid-19 materials in 16 languages for the whole country.
According to Murwira, Midlands State University produced Covid-19 material in the form of booklets (700 000) in less than two weeks through government assistance whilst Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) has so far made three ventilators.
Truly the end times is near and all signs are showing!
The opening of South Africa’s first Satanic church on the doorstep of Capetonians has sparked condemnation and controversy the past weeks and several South Africans are blaming President Cyril Ramaphosa for allowing such. The SA Satanic Church opened its doors in February with an office in Century City.
Opinion suggests that the satanic church is just going to cause more problems to the country. Should this church have more members how are we going to deal with heartless, cruel people everything day?
Numerous citizens are saying that it is unfortunate that South Africa is a Christian Country but it’s laws are not based on Christianity. The World best Constitution has just given us the first Satanic Church in SA.
“I think it time The ANC visits the Constitution of the Republic, people can’t do as they please we are not a Banana Republic,” a citizen says.
Some are saying that Ramaphosa is a traitor. How does he allow a satanic church to be registered and to open while real churches of God cannot gather in peace because of the COVID 19 pandemic.
“While servents of God were busy quarantined,the satanic church was busy registering.While African leaders were busy closing the true churches of God, at the same time they were busy registering a satanic church .Only the true severnts of God will overcome after lockdown,” another angry citizen says.
Norton legislator, Temba Mliswa has clashed with former President Robert Mugabe’s Son, Chatunga Bellarmine after he made public demands for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to seize farms which are still in the hands of the late leader’s widow, Grace.
Mliswa tweeted it was unfair for the current Zanu PF led administration to seize Robert Zhuwao’s only farm while allowing Grace to keep possession of 15 of them.
Grace Mugabe is still seating on about 15 farms but we are still going after Robert Zhuwao, a guy who is not just sick but owns a single farm. The government policy is one man one farm, so why are we avoiding Grace? What are we scared of instead of just implementing the policy?
— Sabhuku Temba P. Mliswa (@TembaMliswa) June 20, 2020
An unamused Bellarmine Chatunga, was quick hit back exposing Mliswa’s own transgressions during the height of the country’s violent farm grab period.
British investor Paul Westwood, who has made claims that his companies were “illegally” grabbed by Mliswa in 2009. Mliswa was still a member of the ruling Zanu PF party and its provincial chairperson for Mashonaland West.
Nhai Gushungo makadzosawo here zvamakabira nyika namai venyu whilst using the former President's name? We know about it& you are only surviving on the generosity of @edmnangagwa. Musadhakwe necocaine kusvika ipapo.
— Sabhuku Temba P. Mliswa (@TembaMliswa) June 21, 2020
He asked the late leader’s son if the family has ever thought of returning wealth it allegedly plundered from the country during Mugabe’s rule.
“Nhai Gushungo makadzoserawo here zvamakabira nyika namai venyu whilst using former President’s name? We know about it and you are only surviving on the generosity of @edmnangagwa. Musadhakwe necocaine kusvika ipapo,” Mliswa told Chatunga.
Good evening my fellow Zimbabweans Today the National Taskforce on COVID-19 met and received reports from its Subcommittees and also to deliberate on the following matters:
• COVID19 TESTING AND TREATMENT The National Taskforce was given an update on the COVID-19 confirmed cases as reported on 21 June 2020. Positive cases stand at 489, of these 417 are imported cases, with South Africa, Botswana and the UK being the major contributors, while 72 are local cases. In light of the increase in COVID19 cases, awareness campaigns in communities on the epidemic have been intensified, with reinforcement of WHO guidelines underway. Additionally, we have strengthened our surveillance, management and treatment plans and the COVID19 response plan is being fine-tuned. We are paying particular attention to prevalence, areas of high concentration, management of quarantines, treatment and isolation centres. Presently, all the District, Provincial and Infectious diseases hospitals are now ready to admit COVID19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms that cannot self-isolate in their homes. Our stocks of drugs and medicines used in the treatment of COVID19 symptoms continue to increase. Presently our stocks include 27.6 million of paracetamol tablets, paracetamol syrup and 2.1 million Vitamin C tablets. Some of our local pharmaceutical companies have in stock some drugs that are being used to manage COVID19 cases internationally such as dexamethasone which is now being used in UK, ramsidivir which is being used in USA and hydroxchloroquine.
• QUARANTINE CENTRES The National Taskforce noted that presently active quarantine facilities under Government sponsorship across the country stand at 43; while there are 37 private quarantine centres with the majority being in Harare. To date, a total of 9735 persons have been housed at these quarantine facilities, 6801 have been discharged and current enrolment is at 1944. Government continues to enhance systems in order to better manage quarantine facilities and ensure the safety of both returnees and staff. It has been noted that some returnees are failing to adhere to protective and preventative measures that have been put in place to curb in-house transmission. The purpose of quarantine centres is to screen all those who are coming from outside so that we contain the spread of the virus. Government urges returnees to be responsible citizens as they risk infecting each other if they do not adhere to the protective and preventative measures, within the quarantine facilities. The Taskforce noted that cases of quarantine absconders have gone down with seven returnees absconding last week. The decrease in the number of absconders is attributed to increased security at quarantine centres and implementation of the Cabinet Directive to withhold returnees’ travel documents upon arrival at ports of entry. As for diplomats, foreign envoys enjoy diplomatic immunity and are only subjected to normal screening in accordance to health protocols upon arrival to the country. They are then allowed to proceed home for self-quarantine at their private residences under the supervision of their respective Heads of Mission. However, Zimbabwean diplomats, upon return are treated as ordinary returning citizens and are expected to comply with quarantine protocols. • RETURNEES AND REPATRIATION Government continues to facilitate the repatriation of our citizens in South Africa from the 2600 who initially registered for repatriation. In this regard, 137 Zimbabwean nationals were repatriated from Durban and KZN on 19 June 2020. In regards to the repatriation of students from foreign countries, it has been established that there are no students on Government scholarships who have signaled a desire to be repatriated back home. However, the only exceptions were 5 students from India, who have since arrived in the country. Negotiations are underway with financial institutions to set up an ad-hoc ticket loan facility that could enable the purchase of tickets by families who wish to repatriate students who have been self-funding their studies abroad. Families in Zimbabwe would be able to borrow money from such a facility to purchase one-way tickets. The terms and conditions of such a loan facility would be subject to the financial institutions’ internal policies. Government wishes to commend our staff at our embassies and consulates abroad that have been working and liaising with citizens and students to ensure that their smooth repatriation back home. On a sad note, the nation is informed that the Consulate in Johannesburg has temporarily closed after two confirmed cases of COVID19 were recorded among the officers. The officers who tested positive had been to Limpopo and Lindela Detention Centre to screen and assist Zimbabweans who were being repatriated home. The total number of recorded positive cases among Consulate staff and dependents now stands at six. The Consulate is now offering most of its services online to reduce the exposure of officers to contact with those seeking consular services. Meanwhile, two of those who tested positive have been checked into an isolation lodge away from their families. • FOOD AND WATER SUSTAINABILITY It can be recalled that when Zimbabwe went into a total lockdown at the end of March 2020, places of safety were established to house children and adults living and working on the streets. The National Taskforce received an update from the Food and Water Sustainability Subcommittee on the five main places of safety in Harare, Midlands, Manicaland and Bulawayo Provinces. It was reported that significant progress has been made in rehabilitating and reuniting inhabitants with their families. There are some 55 inhabitants whose families are still being trained and we hope they will also be reunited with their families soon. • Transport and Logistics Following reports on erratic hours of operation by some fuel retail outlets, The Attorney General has clarified that fuel retail outlets are classified as an essential service under the lockdown regulations. As such, retail outlets are allowed to conduct trade during their normal hours of operation. Their hours of operation are not confined to 8am to 4.30pm which applies to some other exempted categories of business. (Conclusion) My fellow Zimbabweans, ours is a war against an enemy which cannot be identified by the naked eye, and so it requires us to be vigilant at all times. Protective and preventative measures are not suggestions, but requirements which have been put in place to prevent the spread and transmission of COVID19. There are some among us who are relaxing and this puts not only themselves, but those around them and the nation at risk. Our law enforcement agents will continue to be at hand to assist those who forget that we are still under lockdown, albeit an eased lockdown and as such we should act accordingly. Let us stay safe out there.
Polls are to open in Malawi a year on from President Peter Mutharika’s disputed election victory that was annulled nearly five months ago.
Mr Mutharika, who wants a second term, is up against Lazarus Chakwera, who heads an opposition coalition.
Evidence of vote tampering including correction fluid on tally sheets led to judges scrapping his May 2019 victory and ordering a fresh election.
The country’s judiciary has been widely praised for its robust response.
Malawi became the second African nation to annul a presidential election over irregularities, after Kenya in 2017 .
A quick guide to Malawi The country has been bitterly divided in the run-up to Tuesday’s re-run, the BBC’s Emmanuel Igunza reports.
Widespread anti-government protests and violence have threatened to plunge Malawi into an even deeper crisis.
Whoever wins the election, will have to heal these deep divisions as well as tackle key electoral issues such as corruption, poverty and unemployment.
Why is there a new vote? A re-run of the May 2019 election was ordered by Malawi’s Constitutional Court in February after judges found widespread irregularities with the original ballot.
That election saw President Mutharika narrowly re-elected by less than 159,000 votes with a 38.6% share of the vote. Mr Chakwera came second with 35.4%.
Mr Chakwera and the candidate who came third argued that the election had not been fair.
Their complaints included allegations that vote tallying forms had been added up incorrectly and tampered with using correction fluid – known in Malawi by its brand name Tipp-Ex.
Presentational white space Uncertainty around the result sparked months of tension and protests, which spilled over into clashes between opposition supporters and police across the country.
February’s decision to annul the election led some to celebrate, but Mr Mutharika described it as a “serious subversion of justice” which marked the death of the country’s democracy.
Last month, Malawi’s former electoral commission chair Jane Ansah resigned following months of pressure by protesters who criticised her handling of the poll.
The new vote comes at a time of growing tension between the government and the country’s courts.
There have also been concerns over the logistics and safety of carrying out an election in the midst of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.
Who is in the race? The president and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are in an alliance with another party, the United Democratic Front (UDF).
“If you give me another five-year term, this country will develop to the level of South Africa or Singapore, London, America or Canada,” President Mutharika told a campaign rally in the capital, Lilongwe, last week.
Mr Mutharika, a former law professor who taught in the US before becoming a cabinet minister, was first elected to Malawi’s top office in 2014. Two years earlier his brother, Bingu wa Mutharika, died while serving as president.
He faces competition from Mr Chakwera, a former cleric who heads up the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
Born in Lilongwe to a subsistence farmer, the philosophy and theology graduate has pledged to raise the national minimum wage among other changes.
Mr Chakwera is leading a nine-party opposition coalition, the Tonse Alliance, and has the backing of former President Joyce Banda as well as the country’s vice-president, Saulos Chilima, as his running mate.
Mr Chilima – who finished third in the 2019 vote – was once an ally of President Mutharika, but has since fallen out with him.
The vice-president has tried to reassure the public that the result will not see a repeat of the controversies of last time.
“Do not be discouraged; come out in large numbers to cast your vote. Your vote will be protected and no room for rigging,” he said on a campaign visit last week.
Zimbabwe’s coronavirus cases have surpassed the 500 mark after 23 new infections were recorded on Monday.
The latest information was announced by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in its COVID-19 update which notes that of the twenty-three (23) new cases, twenty-one (21) are returnees from South Africa while two (2) are local cases. and are all isolated.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 512. Meanwhile, recoveries are at 64, active cases 442 and 6 deaths.
The country’s Covid-19 chief coordinator in the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr Agnes Mahomva has said the recent record jump in confirmed Covid-19 cases was more because of a spike in testing after more kits were procured, rather than an increase in infection rates. In an interview with the Herald on Friday, Dr Mahomva said:
“We have since started contact tracing of the local transmissions as we always do with any confirmed case and we are hoping to get finer details once that process is complete.”
“This process is bound to increase the number of people being tested and the more the people are tested, the more the cases we are also bound to confirm.”
Most of the cases recorded recently were returnees in quarantine centres prompting some to believe that some were getting infected in quarantine centres.
The government has however allayed the fears saying inmates are tested upon arrival which means those who test positive would be positive before the quarantine.
As of a week ago, a total of 26 451 antigen based, or PCR, tests have been done in the country from which 486 tested positive. A further, 35 946 other tests were conducted through rapid diagnostic testing.
However, PCR is the test used to confirm infection, recovery or lack of infection while the rapid testing is used to screen large groups to find out who needs the more complex test to confirm infection or to confirm that the screening test was a false positive.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo has refuted claims by former Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi that arrested businessman Delish Nguwaya holds a diplomatic passport.
Moyo told state media that the claims were false and baseless.
“Mr. President! Please explain why this thief holds a diplomatic passport?” Mzembi asked.
“Despite repeated pleas and submissions for Oliver Mtukudzi to the then Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mmbengegwi to consider a diplomatic passport for this cultural icon (Mtukudzi), my ministry and ZTA (Zimbabwe Tourism Authority), were given a flat NO. Uyu (Nguwaya) akazokosha kupfura Tuku nhai? (So, Nguwaya is more important than Tuku!”
Mzembi is now in self-imposed exile after a nasty fall-out with the Mnangagwa administration following the November 2017 military-backed coup to remove the now late President Mugabe from office.
Minister Moyo said the circulation of the information was only meant to tarnish the good works of the new dispensation.
“Following social media reports of Sunday 21 June 2020 claiming that Mr Delish Nguwaya is a holder of a diplomatic passport, I wish to inform the nation that as the custodians of the diplomatic passports in Zimbabwe, my ministry has no record of our issuing a diplomatic passport to Mr Delish Nguwaya.”
Minister Moyo said if Nguwaya had a diplomatic passport, he could have acquired it fraudulently and whoever had evidence that Nguwaya was a holder of diplomatic passport was supposed to present it to relevant authorities.
Minister Moyo said according to the records from the Registrar-General’s Office, Nguwaya had an ordinary passport.
“I wish to confirm that from the Registrar-General’s Office records, Mr Nguwaya is a bona fide holder of an ordinary passport that was issued in Harare on 4 October 2011 and expires on 3 October 2021,’’ said the minister.
The 36-year-old businessman has appeared in court facing charges of defrauding the Government in the procurement of personal protective equipment for Covid-19 and the matter is pending.
The games were officially opened by former President Robert Mugabe at Barbourfields Stadium
A HIGH ranking Ministry of Finance and Economic Development official issued a directive that US$1 million from funds meant for the 2014 African Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games that were held in Bulawayo be diverted to construction works at Mutange and Tokwe Mukosi dams in the Midlands and Masvingo provinces respectively.
The money was paid to a Chinese company Nanchang Engineering.
Fidelis Ngorora, a director of public sector investment programme in the Finance And Economic Development Ministry issued the directive on May 27, 2014, through a letter addressed to Wilbert Mubaiwa, who was the director of projects implementation at the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe.
This is contained in a 75-page forensic audit report by Deloitte and Touche on the 2014 Games.
“The instruction letter was issued by Fidelis Ngorora, director Public Sector Investment Programme in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development in a letter dated 27 May, 2014, to Wilbert Mubaiwa, director Projects Implementation, Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe. According to the letter, treasury was to repay the money during the same week it was diverted. At the reporting date the money had not been repaid,” reads the Deloitte and Touche report.
The audit was ordered by Cabinet on May 17, 2016, after fears of looting of State resources by government officials working in cahoots with some members of the local organising committee and contracted service providers were raised.
The report also shows that over US$100 000 was paid in travel and subsistence allowances with no supporting documentation.
According to the report, Government availed US$11 005 000 for the sport and infrastructure refurbishment and US$3 822 120 for operational expenses, but was not satisfied with some amounts paid and owed to contractors in comparison to actual work done.
The auditors examined the local organising committee payment vouchers and noted that subsistence payments made to security personnel amounting to US$105 899.50 were not adequately supported.
“This made it difficult for us to verify the actual beneficiaries and the authenticity of the claims. These allowances were claimed and collected by a representative of each of the group,” the report notes.
The audit also revealed the disappearance of photo finish equipment that was installed at White City Stadium in Bulawayo ahead of the 2014 AUSC Youth Games .
“Photo finish equipment previously installed at White City Stadium was subsequently removed, the location of which has not been ascertained. There is no record of who authorised its removal,” wrote the auditors.
After yesterday’s meeting of the ad hoc Inter-ministerial Taskforce on Covid-19, the Government confirmed that filling stations, as a defined essential service, can remain open and sell fuel during the hours for which they were originally licensed and are not obliged to close at 4.30pm.
Regarding the transport subsector, particularly at a time fuel supplies are inconsistent countrywide with long queues becoming the order of the day at most filling stations, Minister Mutsvangwa clarified the legal position in terms of operating hours for fuel retailers.
“Following reports on erratic hours of operation by some fuel retail outlets, the Attorney-General has clarified that fuel retail outlets are classified as an essential service under the lockdown regulations,” she said, adding:
“As such, retail outlets are allowed to conduct trade during their normal hours of operation. Their hours of operation are not confined to 8am to 4.30pm which applies to some other exempted categories of business.”
In his Covid-19 update address at State House recently, President Mnangagwa said the threat posed by Covid-19 is still hanging over the nation, therefore, citizens should embrace the new normal that has been brought by the plague, which at present has no cure.
Under level two lockdown, the country is gradually returning to full economic activity, with an orderly reopening of the informal sector under the “new normal” spelt out by the President: of masks, registration with local authorities, high levels of personal hygiene, social distancing and minimum non-business travel.
Agriculture, food markets, tobacco marketing, and most of the formal sectors have already been allowed to reopen under set conditions.
Zimbabwean Consulate in Johannesburg has been temporarily closed after two more officials were confirmed positive for Covid-19.
The temporary closure of the Johannesburg consulate comes after two more cases among staff, bringing the total to six for staff and their families.
Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the infected officials “had been to Limpopo and Lindela Detention Centre to screen and assist Zimbabweans who were being repatriated home”.
To mitigate exposure of officials through contact with citizens seeking consular services, the consulate is now offering most of its services online.
“Meanwhile, two of those who tested positive have been checked into an isolation lodge away from their families,” the minister said.
The Government remains committed to the repatriation of citizens from South Africa, where initially 2 600 Zimbabweans registered for assistance. In that regard,
“137 Zimbabwean nationals were repatriated from Durban and KZN on 19 June 2020”.
South Africa is now easily the worst hit country in Africa with 97 302 confirmed cases and 1 930 deaths from Covid-19 by yesterday morning as the number of confirmed cases world wide rose to just over 9 million, with millions more likely as some countries do not test all suspected patients, and 469 220 deaths.
Most of Zimbabwe’s recorded cases are among those returning from South Africa.
To date Zimbabwe has received 9 735 returnees from 48 countries with the number of positive cases rising sharply in the past fortnight from 54 to 512, 438 of which being imported cases, mainly from South Africa, Botswana and the United Kingdom.
Concerning the repatriation of students from foreign lands, Minister Mutsvangwa said the position is that no students on Government scholarships, save for five from India who have since arrived in the country, have expressed the need to be repatriated.
Pertaining to those students who had been paying their own way and now might have to return, she said: “Negotiations are underway with financial institutions to set up an ad-hoc ticket loan facility that could enable the purchase of tickets by families who wish to repatriate students who have been self-funding their studies abroad.”
Families of such learners in Zimbabwe, she indicated, “would be able to borrow money from such a facility to purchase one-way tickets”, subject to the financial organisations’ terms and conditions.”
In a post-Cabinet briefing last week Minister Mutsvangwa said Government was exploring ways of assisting Zimbabwean students stranded in foreign lands, pointing out that these students had to be identified and their needs known to find out what sort of help they might need.
Minister Mutsvangwa urged Zimbabweans to remain consistent and vigilant in the fight against the global pandemic which she said “cannot be identified by the naked eye”.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)today replaces the interbank market with weekly foreign exchange auctions to determine the Zimbabwe dollar exchange rate with those in industry and commerce cautiously optimistic that the platform will enhance transparency and efficient distribution of foreign exchange.
If the new system works as expected, it would help build market confidence, improve access to foreign currency and help stabilise the exchange rate while speculative activity on the black market could subside significantly.
The Tuesday auctions are to sell the foreign currency retained by exporters which must either be used or sold within 30 days at the discretion of the exporter or be subject to compulsory sale after 30 days.
It replaces the interbank market that came into operation in February last year, but with the exchange rate then temporarily fixed at $25:US$1 in late March this year in an attempt to stabilise prices following the outbreak of Covid-19.
However, the immediate effect was a drying up of sales in the official market and a forced movement to the black market for many seeking foreign currency for legitimate imports.
RBZ governor Dr John Mangudya said last week the auction system will operate on the Reuters Forex Trading platform, a real-time electronic trading system. The weekly auctions are designed to improve transparency and efficiency in trading of forex in Zimbabwe.
Under the foreign currency auction system, bids will be submitted to, allotted and evaluated by RBZ with the offers for foreign currency while bids from buyers are submitted in the morning every Tuesday.
Successful bidders will pay what they bid, with allotments moving down from the highest bid. Invoices have to be submitted with bids to ensure the allotted currency is sued for approved imports or payment of approved services.
The weighted average will then become the ruling rate, the official rate, for the next week.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) vice president Mr Joseph Gunda, said industry was highly expectant that the auction system would bring about transparency in trading of foreign currency, ensure market-led price discovery and improve availability.
“Principally, we look forward to stability so that as industry, we can be able to plan for the long term; without stability this is a chaotic situation.
“Our expectation as well is that there must be a check on money supply. We must be disciplined and the Government must not print money, otherwise it will put paid to the auction system,” Mr Gunda said.
He stressed the point that authorities should be “honest and sincere” in the way they operate the auction system by not interfering or tinkering to manipulate the system.
“The other concern is that the limits that have been set; you are aware that there is a requirement for minimum bids of US$50 000, that is a challenge. It means the discovery of the rate or price is going to be determined by big players at the exclusion of small players,” he said.
According to the Reserve Bank, the auction will only accept bids of a minimum of US$50 000 and a maximum of US$500 000 with individuals and firms required to make a single bid per week through an authorised dealer. However, the ruling rate established during the weekly auction will be the rate for smaller sales and purchases of foreign currency during the week before the next auction.
“It means whatever the big players decide goes and small players are just caught in between and we are saying no, going forward, there may be need to review that limit on the minimum bids.
“We are cautiously optimistic because we want things to work, we are complimenting Government efforts because some of the ideas that came through are our brainchild, so let us see how it turns out from tomorrow,” he said.
Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce chief executive Takunda Mugaga, said businesses were optimistic that if conducted properly and with little interference by authorities, the auction system will achieve the desired objectives, but pointed out that the system would expectedly experience a slow start.
“We expect it to have a slow start obviously; we are not going to be surprised by that and we do not think we should judge the auction after its first week or the next week; we need to give it a chance,” he said.
Mr Mugaga said it would not be possible for everyone who has faced challenges accessing foriegn currency to immediately start receiving it on the auction as the system needs time to develop and build stocks or accumulate capital.
The ZNCC chief executive, however, said there was need for adjustments to the auction system, especially regarding the issue of imports priority list, which he said might scare away some potential bidders or disrupt its effectiveness.
“As industry, we say we need priority to be on raw materials imports, but for people to import finished food products and other basics, which are in short supply, could be difficult.
“So, if authorities say ‘so and so’ must not get the foreign currency because they do not produce, they may cause market distortions and render the whole auction system useless.
“Authorities must also not panic over the movement of the exchange rate on the auction market because if they panic and start tampering with the rate to be affordable, the system will suffer a stillbirth,” he said.
Amid a huge appetite for imports due to constrained local production, which pushes the demand for forex, the local currency has kept depreciating against major currency, resulting in exponential price increases.
The auction will operate every Tuesday when banks will inform the central bank of the amount of foreign currency they intend to sell while authorised dealers will submit their offers.
Eddie Cross, an economist and member of the RBZ monetary policy committee said in an interview the auction will settle the highest bids first and slide down to the lowest depending on the availability of resources.
However, the central bank said bids will be settled at each bidder’s own bid rate with successful bids being allotted in full, but if funds are not enough allotment will be done on pro-rata basis.
The bank will advise the market by end of day after trading what the highest and lowest bid price were and then a midrate will be determined, which will guide trading for the next week.
A weighted average rate will be calculated based on allotments and the rate will be used as the market rate until the next auction. The ruling market rate would be used to serve importers and other users and sellers of foreign currency in between the auction days.
