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

According to President Chamisa, change is unavoidable.

He also outlined the Return to Legitimacy and Democracy concept.

Watch video below…

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

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

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

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

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

The truck had six passengers on board.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition

State Media

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

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

He was accusing his wife and daughter of framing him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

He undressed and raped her once.

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

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

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

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

Mr Kevin Guveya appeared for the State.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More details to follow…

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

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

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

Mujati’s suspension was recently lifted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• New Ziana

State Media

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Own Correspondent

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

6 July 2020

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

Please see the update below:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NO USD, NO WORKIII

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

263chat

Online

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

06-07-2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We are the people let’s get it done.

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

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

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights confirmed in a statement:

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

Watch the video loading below….

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watch the live video loading below….

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

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

Watch video below:

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

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

Said Sheila’s son:

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

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

Watch the video

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More: Daily News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Said Mnangagwa:

Own Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watch video downloading below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don’t Panic

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

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

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

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

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

Desperate Population

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Bloomberg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-State Media

Own Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

Watch video below recorded by CITE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Speaking during a video recorded address, Mwonzora said, 150 party vehicles were stolen after the 2013 elections. He said this as he swing a direct inference at his predecessor, Tendai Biti.

He said the late Morgan Tsvangirai was duped by the people he says are thieves. Mwonzora’s allegations however, come at a time when he failed to speak on the said “theft” during the many years running up to Tsvangirai’s death in February 2018.

Furthermore, Mwonzora had more than ample time in his hands, several years, holding the powerful post of Secretary General from 2014 to 2019, a time when he could have even authoritatively spoken on it. Mwonzora’s action and inaction thus make him a direct accomplice in his own allegations.

Despite all this, Mwonzora confidently continues to announce:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Own Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watch video downloading below.

MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa has expressed his disappointment on highly celebrated sports minister Kirsty Coventry, who recently seized a farm through the chaotic ZANU PF land grab process.

According to Chamisa,Coventry has badly tarnished her reputable international sports reputation.

Addressing party supporters through an online rally Sunday, Chamisa said the recent move by Coventry to take over the farm from former President Robert Mugabe’s niece was an indication that there was disregard of property rights in Zimbabwe.

“I saw Kirsty has also joined land grabbing. My sister, the great swimmer, she is now swimming into the farms,” Chamisa said.

“You go and swim in the farms, what is there in those farms? Property rights must be respected.

“An MDC Alliance government will make sure property rights are secured not that when a Zimbabwean has a farm someone from Zanu PF will just pop in and say let’s harvest the produce together,” Chamisa said.

“A country is not run like that, without the rule of law.”

The Olympic gold medalist joined President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s cabinet as Sports Minister in 2018.

However, she is under fire for accepting from the State, a 232-hectare farm that was recently seized from Zhuwao. The contested farm is in Zvimba district, Mashonaland West province.

Chamisa joins a bandwagon of people who have condemned Coventry for the act.

A friend of hers who has distanced themselves from Ms Coventry since she moved into government said her acceptance of contentious land, like many other ministers before her, would mark her downfall.

“Kirsty was an inspirational, iconic
figure but she has ruined her legacy in
a few short years.

“She has now trapped herself in this
corrupt and cruel regime. If she wants
to keep her farm she will have to stay
loyal. Farms are taken away as easily
as they are given.

“We cannot take her gold medals away
from her — those were thoroughly
deserved — but she has lost the
special place millions of Zimbabweans
had for her in their hearts.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A FAMILY in Victoria Falls lost two siblings aged 45 and 37 years who succumbed to Covid-19 in South Africa resulting in their three children and two brothers being quarantined.

Ms Senzeni Mele Ndlovu (45) who is survived by two children and her husband, died last Wednesday at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg while her young sister Ms Thabisile Mele Ndlovu (37), who leaves behind a child died the following day at the same hospital.

Thabisile, a teacher who once taught at Tsholotsho High School, was a principal at Basa Tutorial Institute in Soweto while her sister was doing menial jobs in the neighbouring country.

The two siblings lived with their two brothers and three children in the same house in Naturena suburb, Johannesburg.

A family member, Mrs Irene Ncube narrated how her younger sisters died. “This is a painful thing that has befallen the family. We couldn’t believe it when we were informed by other family members about the death. It’s really hard to accept that such a situation has happened and all that we are left with are memories of the loving and hilarious girls that they were,” said Mrs Ncube.

She said Thabisile was the first to be taken to Chris Hani Hospital on June 29 after complaining of chest problems and difficulty in breathing.

Mrs Ncube said her younger sister was not attended to on the first day and was only treated on June 30 when her condition deteriorated before her death on Thursday.

Senzeni was rushed to the same hospital on June 30 in the evening and died the next day at around 3AM.

“Thabisile complained of difficulties in breathing and went to hospital on 29 June but was not attended to until the next day. On 30 June, I was speaking to Senzeni on the phone around 5PM and she didn’t sound unwell as she only complained of headache and coughing which we didn’t think could be serious.

“At around 9PM the same day we were told that Senzeni had been rushed to the same hospital where Thabisile had been admitted. She was admitted around 11PM and died around 3AM the following day. The two didn’t meet in hospital as Thabisile had been moved to another ward where she spent the whole day and died a day after Zenzeni’s death,” said a distraught Mrs Ncube.

She said family members in South Africa informed them that authorities confirmed that the cause of death was Covid-19.

Mrs Ncube said her sisters’ three children and two brothers have since been quarantined.

She said the family wants the bodies to be repatriated for burial in Mapili area under Chief Matupula in Tsholotsho.

Mrs Ncube dismissed claims that one of her quarantined brothers was not feeling well saying they were in communication with the family in the neighbouring country.

“We are in communication with everyone and no one else is sick. The others have been placed on self-quarantine. The bodies are at a parlour waiting for documents and we expect the process to be completed end of this week,” she said.

The family said it would have loved to conduct the burial of the two siblings live on Zoom so that relatives and family members who will not be able to travel because of the lockdown can follow proceedings but they will only record a video and share it later because of network challenges in their village.

Own Correspondent

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has explained his popular “God is in it” mantra indicating that is not a slogan but a statement of faith and what his party believes in.

Comparing his mantra to that of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “voice of the people is the voice of God,” Chamisa said Mnangagwa is being blasphemous as God can never be compared with human beings. The opposition leader who himself is an ordained pastor said Mnangagwa’s assertion shows that the President does not understand God and has never been to church.

He made the remarks while addressing the party’s inaugural online rally broadcast live on ZimEye.com on Sunday afternoon.

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

YOJA statement on alleged links with journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and the US Embassy to ‘destabilise the country.’

The Young Journalists Association (YOJA) would like to distance itself from a statement circulating on various social media platforms alleging that it is working with journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and the United States Embassy in an effort to ‘set an agenda against the government of Zimbabwe’.

YOJA is an association of budding journalists who seek to attain capacity around issues of media development and access to information.

In its three years of existence the association has sought to provide young journalists with skills and knowledge on communication issues and advocacy in the media.

We would like to state that the statement which alleges that we have been working with Chin’ono is not only false but also an attempt to soil the good image of our association which is not involved in any agenda besides journalism and access to information advocacy.

The statement raises unsubstantiated information that one Rawlings Magede is mobilising young journalists which is not true as Magede is an ordinary member who participates in achieving the association goals through meetings most of which are done online and are open to the majority of journalists.

Magede is a champion of freedom of expression whose commitment to journalism is unparalleled. Over the years he has done much to improve the welfare of journalists through capacity building workshops on Communication for Development, Peace Building and Human Rights.

Unfounded claims that our members will be traveling to rural areas for ‘USD3.00 stories on human rights’ are not factual and a figment of the author’s imagination’.

Furthermore, at no point has the YOJA leadership met the US Embassy in connection with the alleged human rights issues.

Members of the public are free to learn about the work of the association through its spokesperson Leopold Munhende available on 0777945142 and our social media pages.

Facebook | Young Journalists Association YOJA

Twitter | @yojaZW

State Media

THE recalling of an MDC-Alliance Matabeleland North senator Phyllis Ndlovu has been halted following an appeal to the Supreme Court.

High Court Judge Justice Joseph Martin Mafusire recently barred the party which is led by Dr Thokozani Khupe from recalling legislators until their court application contesting the party’s right to recall them has been determined.

MDC-T filed a notice of appeal at the Supreme Court.

The party which is led by Dr Thokozani Khupe has been recalling legislators elected under MDC-Alliance, which is a coalition of opposition parties that contested the 2018 harmonised elections.

This followed a Supreme court ruling that found that Mr Nelson Chamisa was not the MDC-T leader and recognised Dr Khupe as the acting president who was charged with organising an extraordinary congress within three months to elect a new president to replace the late founding leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.

Announcing the development, the deputy president of the Senate, Mike Nyambuya said Matabeleland North senator Phyllis Ndlovu will continue to carry out her duties as the recall matter is before the Supreme Court.

He said the MDC-T had written to Parliament on the latest position on the same day the senator was recalled.

“On June 30, 2020, Parliament was notified by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) party that the Hon Sen Phyllis Ndlovu for Matabeleland North province among others had ceased to be a member of the MDC-T party and therefore no longer represented the interests of the party in Parliament with effect from 30th June, 2020,” said Hon Nyambura.

“However, in a letter on the same date, the MDC-T party informed Parliament that due to litigation in the Supreme Court, Hon. Phyllis Ndlovu had not ceased to be a Member of the party hence she remains a senator for Matabeleland North Province.”

GOVERNMENT has called for the transformation of the multimillion-dollar Ekusileni Medical Centre in Bulawayo into a world-class research institution to enhance the nation’s response to COVID-19 and other diseases.

Briefing the media after a provincial COVID-19 meeting in Bulawayo this Saturday, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo, who is also a member of the COVID-19 Inter-Ministerial Taskforce, called on the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) to go beyond just refurbishing Ekusileni Medical Center in Bulawayo.

“We do not want to stop the work that is going on but we want to ensure that government’s mandate to turn the institution into a whole class specialist training research centre is fulfilled,” said Moyo.

The Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Honourable Raymore Machingura said the development of Ekusileni Medical Centre into a specialist training school and research centre will benefit the ordinary people.

“Our vision to develop skills for the country this hospital will certainly do that. We will have specialists in the area for our people. It is also important in that the centre can because a regional and an international centre whereby will have people coming from across the board to seek training here,” he said.

Cabinet recently approved Ekusileni Medical Centre to be transformed into a specialist teaching and research medical facility under the National University of Science and Technology (NUST).

Ekusileni Medical Centre is a brainchild of the late Vice President, Dr Joshua Nkomo, but the hospital has been closed for close to two decades while several attempts to open it have failed with no good reason offered.

1So far 202 people have been arrested for rejecting dollars and labelling them “bond notes”, with 51 of them already brought to court, while five have been fined between $200 and $500.

The arrests follow the launch of “Operation accept Zimbabwe currency as legal tender” by police on June 26 when reports starting appearing on social media platforms telling people that bond notes would soon be demonetised.

Some traders, believing anything they read on social media, started rejecting some notes while others, believing the categorical assurances by both fiscal and monetary authorities that all notes were good cash, are increasing sales as stashes of notes appear out of trunks belonging to the gullible and are hurriedly spent.

In a statement yesterday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi warned traders and businesses that they risked being arrested if they reject any legal tender.

As far back as 2008, regulations were issued under the 2004 Bank Use Promotion and Suppression of Money Laundering Act making rejection of any legal tender a criminal offence.

“Members of the public and businesses are urged to comply with the law to promote the maintenance of law and order.”

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor Dr John Mangudya recently said Zimbabwe dollar notes inscribed “bond note” remained legal tender and should be accepted for all domestic transactions. This was backed up by statements from Finance and Economic Development Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube.

Legislation that reintroduced the local currency last year, explicitly states that bond notes constitute variations of the Zimbabwe dollar.

In any case, when bank notes are demonetised, there is a long period of notice while they still circulate, followed by another long period when they can still be banked if no longer circulated.

Part of the problem in Zimbabwe is that cash is hoarded, bought and sold without passing through a bank and so older notes become torn and worn. This is apparently what started the rumours.

Normally the tatty notes would have been taken out of circulation long before reaching that stage with banks routinely sending old and soiled notes to the Reserve Bank for destruction.

Own Correspondent

Four people died and 13 others were injured when a Harare-bound kombi collided with a lorry near Waddilove Mission School in Marondera yesterday.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the accident.

Asst Comm Nyathi said the accident occurred after the kombi, which was carrying 13 passengers, collided head-on with a lorry.

The deceased were taken to Marondera Provincial Hospital mortuary, while the injured were being treated at the same health centre.

Of the 13 injured, six were said to be in critical condition at Marondera Hospital.

Asst Comm Nyathi urged transport operators to comply with Covid-19 lockdown regulations as the kombi was not contracted to Zupco.

State Media

Members of Parliament have resolved to invite Treasury and the central bank to explain the mitigatory measures to assist cotton farmers after firms buying the lint stopped making payments following a recent suspension of mobile money platforms.

Cotton buying firms told a visiting Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Water and Resettlement in Gokwe last weekend that they had stopped paying cotton farmers for their produce after Government suspended bulk payments and EcoCash merchants in its bid to stamp out illicit money activities.

During the tour in Nemangwe and Chitekete business centres in Gokwe district, the committee’s chairperson Justice Mayor Wadyajena (Zanu PF) told the farmers and firms that they will engage Finance and Economic Development Minister, Prof Mthuli Ncube and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor, Dr John Mangudya, to establish what they were doing to assist farmers to continue accessing their money.

This was after Cottco business manager, Ms Praise Makombore, told legislators that they were unable to make payments to farmers because of the suspension of the mobile money platforms.

“We had just started paying cotton farmers when Government suspended bulk payments for mobile money platforms. You will realise that the mobile money platform was the only means through which we were paying farmers given that most of them have no bank accounts. We have since stopped the payments because our mobile lines have been disabled following the suspension,” said Ms Makombore.

There was also a call to raise the daily EcoCash withdrawal limit saying farmers would require six days to buy a product worth $30 000, for instance, since the limit is now pegged at $5 000 per day.

The committee heard the plight of Mr Edson Kalungwe at Chitekete Business Centre who has 224 bales and would need several months to use his earnings from EcoCash.

A farmer gets an average of $10 000 per bale and with 224 bales, Mr Kalungwe is set to pocket almost $2 million and that would require several months to be used given the obtaining daily limit.

Other farmers bemoaned the producer price of cotton pegged at $43,94 per kg saying it would not help them get meaningful returns that have traditionally been associated with cotton growing.

In response, Wadyajena said his committee will engage Prof Ncube and Dr Mangudya over the farmers’ plight.

“We have heard your concerns. They are quite legitimate, particularly the effect of suspending bulk payments, how it has impacted on you as cotton farmers.

“We will therefore engage Prof Ncube and Dr Mangudya. We want to find out what mitigatory measures they were taking to address that. Thereafter we will compile a report before the plenary of Parliament with our recommendations,” said Wadyajena.

Own Correspondent

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has set up rules to allow by-elections to be held safely during what it sees as a long-term Covid-19 pandemic,

Zec originally suspended voting during the lockdown, but now considers that the public health emergency is likely to be the “new normal” and so is putting in new voting rules. Under these rules, voters will check online to see if their names are on the voters roll, will be screened for temperature before entering a polling station, and will even have to bring their own pen to mark the ballot papers.

Meanwhile, Zec is ready for filling of proportional representation seats in the Senate and National Assembly, since there is no extra voting in this regard, the results of the 2018 election being used.

When the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Assembly notifies the commission of a vacancy, this will be gazetted and the political party holding the seat will be invited to nominate a replacement.

State Media

Parliament has pushed ahead for an early census and new delimitation of seats to enable constituencies in the 2023 reflect the present population distribution.

For the 2023 harmonised elections, the Census and Statistics Amendment Bill sailed through the Senate on Thursday and awaits the President’s assent before becoming law.

Under this new law, there will be an early census, in July next year, instead of waiting for 2022, giving Zec time to delimit all 120 constituency boundaries in time for the Presidential, Parliamentary and local government elections using up-to-date census data.

Constituencies are supposed to be of equal size, within modest limits caused by provincial and district boundaries, but continual movement of people changes the distribution.

Land reform, for example, had a major change in how rural populations were distributed, and the continuous rural-to-urban migration common to most countries outside a small group of the most advanced, has to be taken into account when setting boundaries.

Even opening a new major mine can mean a boundary change as a new town arises.

Presenting the Bill in Senate last Thursday, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency should conclude the population census in July next year instead of 2022 to allow Zec enough time to use the information to delimit constituencies for the 2023 harmonised elections.

Minister Ziyambi said in terms of the law, delimitation of electoral boundaries must be completed less than six months before polling day in a general election, and if that failed to happen, boundaries that existed before the delimitation would be applicable. He said use of old constituency boundaries would not be consistent with the legal requirement that equal number of voters be registered in each constituency.

“It is now seven years into the new Constitution, we are faced with the undesirable prospect of using the same electoral boundaries as were used back in the 2013 general election for two reasons. The first is that the next census is only due to be completed in 2022. Even if all the data for 2022 was availed timeously, that still brings us uncomfortably close within the range of six months of the next election in 2023,” he said.

“Secondly, Zec will simply not have the time to do the consultation, produce the report and table before Parliament its preliminary and final delimitation reports to enable Parliament and the President to properly consider them. Remember also Madam Speaker that voter registration is done on a continuous basis by Zec.”

He said it was important that Zec depends on reliable up to date data for its delimitation. “The only achievable one in the short time available to us before the next delimitation, is to amend the Census and Statistics Act so as to align the taking of decennial national census in a manner that will enable the Zec to take into account census data in timeous fashion.”

Under the Bill, the next census must be concluded by July 2021, with a new census every 10 years from that date.

This will mean Zec will produce a new delimitation every 10 years for every other harmonised election, using good census data.

Minister Ziyambi said Zimbabwe’s democracy was based on the principle of one-person-one vote and the country had to wage a war several people paid dearly for the realisation of that right.

“The principle of one-person-one-vote has two meanings as well as signifying the entitlement of every citizen to vote at local and national elections. It also bears the meaning that one’s vote is equally as important and carries the same weight as the vote of any other person,” said Minister Ziyambi.

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

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

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

Despite all this, he confidently continues to announce: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

According to President Chamisa, change is unavoidable.

He also outlined the Return to Legitimacy and Democracy concept.

Watch video below…