THIEVES took advantage of water shedding before raiding 60 houses in Njube, Bulawayo where they stole taps on Friday night.
The thieves were allegedly targeting brass taps in their midnight raid.
Although Bulawayo police spokesperson, Inspector Abednico Ncube said only eight residents had so far come forward to report the cases, residents told Sunday News yesterday that more than 60 houses in the suburb were raided.
“Investigations are in progress and we believe the thieves could be people who live within the community so we urge those that might have information which might assist the police solve the crimes to come forward,” Insp Ncube said.
One of the residents, Mr Morris Mukwiti, who stays in F Square said he woke up at 6am and was about to take a bath when he noticed his tap was missing. He said he immediately noticed that his neighbour’s tap was also missing and after enquiring from others, he realised several of the houses had their taps stolen.
“After realising that my tap and the neighbour’s were missing I alerted other residents through our area WhatsApp group to check their meters and that is when it emerged many houses had fallen victim to the thieves. From our count, more than 60 houses were raided,” said Mr Mukwiti.
Another F Square resident, Ms Nyaradzo Hoboya said no one heard the thieves at night but only discovered in the morning that the taps were stolen.
“My daughter was sweeping outside when she was alerted by our neighbour, Mukwiti that our tap was missing. As you can see the tap is close to 16 metres from the house so it would be difficult to hear the thieves when one is sleeping but we saw footprints around the toilet and we believe they belong to the thief,” she said.
Mr Antony Ndlovu of E Square said he also realised the tap was missing in the morning and had to replace it with a plastic tap which he was given by a neighbour.
Former cabinet minister Walter Mzembi has Slammed President Emmerson Mnangagwa for flying to Mozambique saying the same journey late former liberation war leaders Robert Mugabe and Edgar Tekere walked did not require him to hire an expensive jet from Dubai.
Mzembi added that Mnangagwa himself crossed into Mozambique on foot when he was running away from Mugabe before the November 2017 coup.
“If it is true that Mugabe & Tekere walked to Mozambique, and liberation fighters did the same & in 2017 @edmnangagwa escaped by car , and Ian Smith would despatch helicopters there , why do we need to charter an aeroplane from Dubai for the same?,” wrote Mzembi on Twitter.
Mnangagwa sneaked out of the country to Mozambique for yet tone known reasons but is related to his SADC role as the chairperson of the troika on politics and defence.
Opposition MDC vice president Tendai Biti argues that the reported unilateral deployment of Zimbabwean troops to fight terrorists in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado region is not only illegal but foolish and costly.
Biti says the Southern African Development Community (SADC) should be involved as a whole instead of Zimbabwe’s adventurism. Said Biti:
The reported deployment of Zimbabwean troops in Mozambique represents further reproduction of illegalities ill-thought actions by the regime. Assuming there is an urgent military situation in Cabo Delgado surely the region collectively must act. A meeting of SADC must be held.
The SADC Organ on Defense and Security should surely have met. This kind of unilateralism which we saw during the DRCcivil war is foolish and costly and against the basic tenets of international law.
Wars are protracted and costly. The involvement of the region as a precondition to any involvement.
Further, any involvement should only have been part of a SADCMission and nothing else. Parliament should be notified and the constitution should be followed.
But Zimbabwe is in COVID war (sic) and can’t even afford basic PCR Tests. This move is total madness. Zimbabwe can’t afford unilateralism nor a war.
Biti further contended that the same people who plunged the country into the DRC Civil War in order to loot the country’s mineral resources are at it again, now in Mozambique. Biti added:
History has now shown that Zimbabwe’s participation in the DRC war was not based on Pan Africanist solidarity but greed and avarice. UN Reports expose the massive looting of diamonds and bauxite that took place under cover of that war. Regrettably, the same characters are now in Mozambique.
THE Seventh Day Adventist Church, Zimbabwe West Union Conference (ZWUC) donated mealie-meal as well as sugar beans to the needy in Bulawayo targeted at the vulnerable members of society.
The donation consisted of 22 tonnes of mealie-meal and four tonnes of beans and was handed out at the church’s headquarters in the city.
Speaking during the donation last week, ZWUC president Dr Micah Choga, the said the church was aiming at alleviating the burden on the already vulnerable groups such as the elderly, disabled, widows and even the church’s literature evangelists who cannot earn a living because of restrictions put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“We have 2 220, 10kg packs of mealie-meal that are meant for 2 220 households, we are not just sending mealie-meal, there is beans so that each pack is going with 1kg beans. We are targeting the elderly, the disabled, widows and widowers, child headed families and also our literature evangelists who are self-supporting and at this moment they can’t support themselves so that are the groups that we are targeting to assist,’’ Dr Choga said.
The mealie-meal and beans were divided between the two conferences under the ZWUC, that is the West Zimbabwe Conference and South Zimbabwe Conference. Dr Choga said the church has noted that even in the eastern suburbs, there are people in need of assistance, hence they would not be left out.
“Each conference is going to receive 1 110 hampers targeted for 1 110 households, it’s going to be the mealie-meal and also the beans for each family. We are targeting the whole of Bulawayo, we noticed that these days even in the low-density areas we have vulnerable people, in the high-density areas we also have those vulnerable people,’’ he said.
The funds for the mealie-meal and beans came from the allocations that were meant for travelling and meetings.
“What we have done as a church, we are the head office in this region, we have collaborated with two other offices and put our resources together, we did not have a pre-planned budget so what we have done, we have said to each entity look at your travel budgets, look at your seminar budgets and all those have been re-purposed to make this possible,” said Dr Choga.
To avoid having people gathered, Dr Choga indicated that they arranged for the donations to be taken directly to the identified beneficiaries.
“What is going to happen is that the districts have put in the number of people that they have identified in their area so these are going to be distributed, dropped at each church and they will take those to the beneficiaries because we also want to avoid bringing people together. Because of Covid-19, we are cognisant of the well-being and protection of the people. This is why we are not going to bring people together so that they receive, there will be people who will take these to the houses,’’ he said.
A donation of face masks was also made to the office of the Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs, Cde Judith Ncube.
AN employee of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) in Bulawayo, who was in self-isolation pending her coronavirus test results reportedly violated the regulations and travelled to Gweru with four other people in her car.
This was after a 27-year-old Zimra male employee tested positive to Covid-19 (coronavirus) in Bulawayo on 29 April prompting Zimra to close its Bulawayo offices and send 52 of its workers who might have been exposed to the virus for testing and mandatory self-isolation. It has since emerged that one of the 52 workers from the Bulawayo office disregarded self-isolation regulations and travelled to Gweru where her family is based. She has since been traced and put under isolation with her family in the Midlands town while officials are waiting for her results.
It is understood that the woman who resides in Senga high-density suburb in Gweru but works in Bulawayo was told by officials from the Ministry of Health and Child Care to go under self-isolation and avoid interacting with other people but failed to comply and travelled to Gweru with four other unknown passengers. The passengers could not be immediately traced.
Her trip to Gweru was discovered after the Bulawayo Provincial Covid-19 Response Team visited her place of residence for routine check-ups. The team was then advised that she had left for Gweru, prompting it to advise the Midlands Provincial Covid-19 Rapid Response Team to look for her at the Senga family home.
Midlands Provincial Medical Director Dr Reginald Mhene confirmed the development saying the province was awaiting test results of the woman.
“This woman came from Bulawayo despite having been tested and placed under isolation. Our team has visited her and quarantined her together with her family while we wait for the results. We are, however, still to record a single positive case in the province,” he said. Zimra Commissioner General Faith Mazani had earlier issued a statement confirming that 52 people from the revenue authority’s Bulawayo offices have been subjected to testing and self-isolation after one of the workers tested positive.
“We were notified by the Health and Child Care Ministry that a frontline staff member of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority tested positive for coronavirus on 29 April. As Zimra we wish to inform our valued clients and members of the public that our Bulawayo port offices have been immediately closed pending comprehensive disinfection as well as receipt of results of 52 officers who may have been exposed to the virus. All the tested individuals have since been put under mandatory self-isolation for at least 14 days,” she said.
Said Ms Mazani; “Zimra shall continue to offer essential services to its valued Bulawayo clients from home as far as possible since our online services remain uninterrupted. Zimra would want to assure the nation and all its valued clients that it continues to be dedicated in its mission to promote economic development through efficient revenue generation facilitation of legitimate trade and travel. In line with our mandate of protecting the civil society, the authority is asking for patience and tolerance as we join the nation in dealing with the devastating effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic.”
CASH-strapped Gweru City Council has announced that it is left with water treatment chemicals that can only last until tomorrow.
The local authority did not renew its contract with its supplier whom it owes more than $1 million in outstanding payment.
The dire situation has been exacerbated by the supplier who is now demanding payment upfront in addition to the balance before they could supply chemicals to the local authorities.
Gweru City Council needs more than $2 million to procure the chemicals and clear the outstanding payment, council said.
This is despite the local authority collecting a paltry $1,2 million after billing residents $36 million, part of which was used to pay salaries.
Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe was furious during an urgent meeting held last Thursday where the management informed the council that they had run out of chemicals to treat water and that chemicals could only last up to Monday.
Clr Makombe has demanded a report from acting Town Clerk Mr Douglas Chikwekwe on why management informed councillors late on the eve of the 1 May holiday which is followed by a weekend making it difficult for the local authority to mobilise resources on time to procure the chemicals.
In an interview after the meeting, Clr Makombe attributed the crisis to poor planning by the council management.
“I received a call from the Acting Town Clerk (Douglas Chikwekwe) around 3pm on Thursday requesting an urgent meeting. I was then informed in the meeting that ‘we’ are left with four days of water chemicals. We then called all chairpersons of committees and informed them that we have no money to procure the chemicals to treat our water. This is poor management by the council management. I’m tempted to believe what came out in the skills audit report that the majority of the management have no capacity to hold the positions they have,” he said.
Clr Makombe said council coffers had run dry after failing to generate enough revenue to pay its employees.
“We do not have money as council at the moment. We managed to pay some of our employees their salaries while the management has not yet received their money. We collected $1,2 million last month from a potential $36 million which we had billed people. Our monthly demand for chemicals is $800 000. We also owe our supplier more than $1 million. We are also paying our workers from that same amount.
It’s a crisis now. I am in Harare trying to mobilise resources and talk to our suppliers. If nothing materialises it means we might not have water,” he said.
GOVERNMENT yesterday gazetted Statutory Instrument 99 of 2020 to comprehensively give clarity to the Level Two national lockdown announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday.
The measures show a balancing act that allows reopening of some formal businesses coupled with extra caution and enhanced testing to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The new law prescribes hefty penalties of up to $36 000 or a year in jail for individuals and companies who fail to comply.
SI 99 says: “Any person who fails to comply with an order of an enforcement officer given under this section, or who hinders or obstructs an enforcement officer from having the access referred to in subsection (6), shall be guilty of an offence and liable to fine not exceeding level twelve or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or to both such fine and such imprisonment.”
SI 99 of 2020 prescribes that every individual must wear a mask “whether improvised or manufactured” when leaving home.
The new regulations also give clarity to businesses that are expected to open during Level 2 of the national lockdown.
“. . . business in the formal commercial and industrial sector means any business, industry, trade or occupation . . . in goods or services for the generation of income or the making of profits, the formalisation of which is evidenced in any one or more of the following ways — (a) the holding of a shop or other licence from a local authority enabling it to operate the business in question from a specified premises; or (b) being the lessee of premises governed by the Commercial Premises (Lease Control) Act [Chapter 14:04]; or (c) being a registered operator for the purposes of the Value Added Tax Act; or (d) being a registered as an employer for the purpose of paying employees’ tax under the Income Tax Public Health (Covid-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) (Amendment) Order, 2020 (No. 5) 554 Act, or otherwise making a regular return of income for the purposes of that Act; (e) being a party to a collective bargaining agreement negotiated through an Employment Council governing the business in question.”
In relation to transport services the new law states that “every vehicle used by the transport service must be disinfected against Covid-19 by or at the direction of an enforcement officer at least twice daily.”
It also stipulates that every individual must be temperature-tested and have his or her hands sanitised before being allowed to board buses while further reinforcing the decree that any public gathering should not exceed 50 people.
The S1 also prescribes that workers who are going to benefit from the relaxed lockdown must undergo rapid or Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing “before resuming work for the first time during the national lockdown, every person . . . must at the direction of an enforcement officer submit to screening and testing for the Covid-19 disease, whether by use of the rapid results diagnostic test or other test approved by the Minister of Health. (3) Employers of the persons referred to in subsection (1) must arrange with enforcement officers for the testing contemplated by subsection (2) to take place at an agreed time at the workplace or at any other place agreed between them, for which purpose they may contact the Ministry of Health Call Centre or the Ministry of Information Call Centre.”
SI 99 says all business are also expected to operate from 8am to 3pm “except for good cause” that can be proved to law enforcement agents. Speaking to journalists in Harare yesterday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said a massive testing programme will be rolled out around the country soon, including both rapid testing and the more comprehensive PCR tests.
“Rapid testing will allow us to carry out a surveillance screening, which will enable us to have a general picture of the country’s Covid-19 status while we continue with the PCR diagnostic testing in order to establish the definitive Covid-19 status of the country.”
Dr Moyo said the massive testing programme will see mandatory PCR tests being undertaken on “all admitted patients, all health care workers, security service employees as well as all clients testing positive following rapid screening”.
He said under the enhanced testing programmes, selected public and private health centres will conduct PCR and rapid testing, while outreach teams will also be deployed to various parts of the country.
Outreach teams will be deployed with support from some of our partners to facilitate testing of employees at their respective workplaces.
“The ministry will expedite testing both at designated facilities and their respective workplaces.”
Dr Moyo implored companies that have been granted the greenlight to open to enforce preventive measures as well as ensure that all staff are tested.
The President said only public buses will be the mode of public transport while kombis and smaller taxis are still not permitted to operate.
Churches, gyms, bottle stores, bars, beer halls, leisure and recreational facilities remain closed, said the President.
Meanwhile, Dr Moyo yesterday also explained the anomaly regarding the six cases that had initially tested positive before a retest provided negative results last week.
“Yes, the six cases came out initially positive but then tested negative. As part of quality assurance, we needed to have a retest because that was a sudden jump because previously we would have one or two positive cases. So it was a retest to ensure that all the high numbers were correct. Because of this quality assurance, people should not worry too much about our accuracy. I can assure the public that the quality of our results remains credible, if it had problems, these retests would not have given us accurate results,” he said, adding that the testing process was a complex procedure.”
PEOPLE who will get out of their homes without face masks will from tomorrow be arrested as part of a raft of measures meant to ensure that the country conforms to Covid-19 lockdown Level Two guidelines announced by President Mnangagwa on Friday.
President Mnangagwa announced that the country will extend the national lockdown which was meant to end at midnight today by a further 14 days but downgraded it to Level Two, which entails among other guidelines that all people must wear face masks of any type, even home-made cloth ones, in all public spaces and when they are outside of their homes.
President Mnangagwa also announced the reopening of industry and commerce provided that the companies ensure mandatory screening and testing and operate from 8am to 3pm.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana told Sunday News that wearing face masks in public was now law, after a Statutory Instrument was gazetted by the President yesterday.
On the monitoring of companies to ensure that they adhere to the 8am to 3pm operating hours, Mr Mangwana said the police would be in full force to ensure the adherence, revealing that companies will be heavily fined or lose their licences in the event they are caught on the wrong side of the law.
Mr Mangwana said while exemption letters were not policy, administratively authorities would require people to present evidence that they were part of the bracket of people that were required to go to work as per the provisions of the lockdown.
“The exemption letters were not part of law as such but what will prevail is that the police will ask people just to produce proof of where they are going. For example, when people are going to a funeral, the police may ask for the proof, which is for administrative purposes but the policy will then be the number of people meant to attend a funeral.
The police may ask people to prove that they work under the category of industry and commerce.
People can then produce these exemption letters, in some cases, this can take the form of company identification documents,” said Mr Mangwana.
He said what is important to highlight was that the informal sector remained closed hence those in the informal sector were not exempted from the lockdown.
Writing on his twitter handle, Mr Mangwana added that “restaurants and other eateries can sell food but people should not eat on the premises.
The MDC Alliance Assembly of Women today met the North America Province structures in a virtual meeting to console them, showing solidarity during the Covid -19 outbreak.
The leadership comprised the National Chair, Hon Paurina Mpariwa, Vice Chair Hon Mugido, Acting Secretary Monica Mukwada, Organising Secretary Hon Muradzikwa and the Communications Secretary Barbara Tanyanyiwa.
They gave messages of condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased Zimbabweans in America who succumbed to covid 19. A total number of 15 Zimbabweans have died so far.
She also gave a message of hope to the survivors of the pandemic and all frontline workers, majority of whom are Zimbabweans.
The meeting was the first of its kind to be done under lockdown as virtual meetings are now the order of the day.
She concluded by thanking the ladies for helping the hungry Zimbabweans with food packs and donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to local hospitals.
Mai Mpariwa thanked the organisers of the meeting and said more meetings of that nature would be done with other External Assemblies in order for them to stay connected to the National leadership.
Barbara Tanyanyiwa MDC Alliance Assembly of Women Spokesperson
German sportswear manufacturer, Adidas, said in a statement that its first-quarter net income was 26 million euros (US$28,2 million), down 96 percent from the same period last year.
Its first-quarter net sales fell by 19 percent year on year to 4,75 billion euros.
“Coronavirus causes standstill of majority of Adidas’ business after a good start to 2020. More than 70 percent of the company’s global store base still closed” as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the company said.
“Our results for the first quarter speak to the serious challenges that the global outbreak of the coronavirus poses even for healthy companies,” Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted said in the statement.
Adidas’ e-commerce was the only channel that had remained fully operational in most parts of the world and continued to grow revenues by 35 percent in the first quarter.
However, e-commerce had “only partially” compensated for the loss of wholesale and retail revenues. “At the moment, we are focused on managing the current challenges and doubling down on the recovery in China and the opportunities we see in e-com,” Mr Rorsted said.
Business in China had continued to “sequentially recover” in the first three weeks of April while global e-commerce revenues in March had increased by 55 percent and showed a “significant acceleration,” the company said.
For the second quarter of 2020, Adidas is expecting an even more pronounced decline in revenues and profits than in the first quarter. — Xinhua
Close to 4 000 Zimbabweans are trooping back home from countries all over the world to escape lockdown-induced hardships and inconveniences in their adopted home countries, it has been learnt.
According to various official tallies, the numbers could be more. However, there are fears the influx could lead to more imported cases of the coronavirus. About 2 000 returnees have been recorded since the lockdown began on March 30.
Overall, an estimated 3 500 citizens are expected from neighbouring South Africa and Mozambique, respectively, over the next few weeks.
Further, more than 200 Zimbabweans in China have expressed interest to be repatriated back home.
Embassies in countries such as South Africa and China have reportedly been inundated by requests from citizens asking to be assisted to come back home for various reasons.
An additional 1 400 nationals “marooned” in South Africa have since asked for food assistance from Government.
Zimbabweans who were working on cruise ships around the world also constitute a significant number of nationals who are retracing their footsteps.
In separate interviews, Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Lovemore Matuke, and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Deputy Minister David Musabayana gave detailed breakdowns.
Said Deputy Minister Matuke: “So far, we have received 1 835 returning citizens during the lockdown period. We are expecting big numbers from South Africa, around 3 000. We are also expecting around 500 from Mozambique, these are people who worked on cruise ships. So there is going to be an influx of people coming in.”
Zimbabwe has over the past few weeks been receiving citizens from all over the world and placing them in quarantine centres across the country.
The first group that came from Botswana and was quarantined in Plumtree has already been released after mandatory testing and observation.
Deputy Minister Musabayana said Zimbabwean embassies have been flooded with requests for assistance.
“We have citizens who are facing challenges in foreign countries and they are going to our embassies where we offer them assistance with repatriation,” he said.
“We have those who worked in cruise ships that are also returning. There is one (cruise ship) that was supposed to dock in Beira this week (last week) but the ship did not have the rights to dock there. So they rerouted and will now possibly dock in South Africa, then we will be able to assist from there.
“Then we have about 200 people in China who have expressed their interest to come back home and the Government is working out the best way possible to evacuate them.”
He said the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Covid-19 was considering all options of assisting stranded locals in China.
“We are thinking of chartering a plane to bring them home. That issue is now before the taskforce together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (and International Trade) to work out modalities on how those people can be evacuated. We have some (citizens) in South Africa who have registered for repatriation and the Government is working on how best they can come back home. Then we have about 1 600 who have registered for assistance in terms of food in South Africa and the Government is working on how we can assist those as well.”
The latest contingent, he added, arrived from Namibia sometime last week and are being quarantined in Victoria Falls. Government says it is ready to receive all returning citizens.
“In terms of preparedness and the budget, we are okay because we are using universities, schools and other educational facilities, which are owned by Government. What we need to plan for is the eventuality of schools being reopened, so we need to look around for alternative accommodation and that may cost us a bit. When they come we test them, provide accommodation, bedding and we also feed them. When they leave, Government pays for transportation to their destinations and we give them a small out-of-pocket allowance,” Deputy Minister Matuke said.
On Friday, President Mnangagwa reiterated that mandatory quarantine protocols will be maintained in line with regional and international best practice.
He said all returning residents and international travellers will be put on a 21-day mandatory quarantine with full testing on Day 1, Day 8 and Day 21.
“In our case, the lockdown has proved to be an effective strategy to curtail proliferation of the disease in the country. In addition, measures such as mandatory quarantine and isolation of all returnees have been key in achieving low figures. Due to the high rate of imported cases from returnees from the UK, we must scale up public awareness on the danger posed by our returnees from the UK and other hotspots.” -Sunday Mai/state media
The Ministry would like to report that results of the Quality Assurance process instituted following an unusual clustering of six cases that were reported as positive from Harare on the 29th of April 2020 have confirmed that all of them were negative for COVID-19.
Additionally, all the PCR tests done in Harare yesterday were negative for COVID-19.
Therefore, to date. Zimbabwe still has thirty-four confirmed cases and not forty as previously reported.
The Ministry would like to reassure the nation that we continue to be guided by the key values and principles of professionalism, transparency and accountability and that, the systems we have in place will assure continued reporting of accurate and reliable test results in line with our Quality Management System.
In the meantime, today, a total of 977 tests were done as shown in table 1 below, giving a total of 9 291 screening and diagnostic tests done to date. Results for all the PCR tests done in Harare and Bulawayo today were still pending at the time of print.
Mat. South – 12 Mat. North – 153 Bulawayo – 170 Mash Central – 130 Midlands – 13 Manicaland – 155 Harare – 344 Total – 977 Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe has thirty-four confirmed ease, including five recoveries and four deaths.
Mat North – 1 Bulawayo – 12 Harare – 13 Mash East – 5 Mash West – 3 Total – 34
The Ministry continuos to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-19 pandemic and would like to remind the nation that, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-I9 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing.
Schools that have unilaterally hiked fees and those charging foreign currency without approval risk deregistration, Government has warned.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Ambassador Cain Mathema yesterday said schools should strictly adhere to current regulations.
The second term was supposed to begin this week but Emmerson Mnangagwa indicated that conditions are not yet conducive for a safe learning environment, especially in the wake of growing coronavirus cases.
Despite being closed, most private schools are demanding upwardly reviewed fees, which have raised the ire of parents and guardians, who view them as exorbitant.
Minister Mathema said schools that intend to hike their fees should seek approval first, while those demanding foreign currency should stop the practice forthwith.
“I must warn them that I will not hesitate to deregister those out of line. We need as many schools open as possible, but regulations must be adhered to,” he said.
“Some schools even have the guts to charge in US dollars, openly, in broad daylight — we are saying that is not good. It must stop!”
Amb Mathema said the Education Act provides for the approval of any changes in school fees for both private and public institutions.
“I have seen some invoices but as Government, we don’t think this is the right time for people to be asking about money when everyone else is worried about human life.
“Having said that, I would like to emphasise that all fees increases have to be approved by the Permanent Secretary (Mrs Thabela Tumisang) and there are no such applications at the ministry yet.”
Some schools are reportedly demanding between US$800 and US$2 000. Some of the invoices seen by The Sunday Mail include St George’s College, which is demanding US$1 850 for learners enrolled for secondary school, while its primary school — Hartmann House — wants between US$930 and US$1 335 for the new term.
St John’s College is charging between US$900 and US$1 650, while Heritage School is demanding US$1 300.
Chisipite School is asking parents to stump up US$1 500 or $90 000 per term, while Dominican Convent is demanding US$800 or ZWL$22 500. St Michael’s Preparatory School fees are pegged at US$890.
Parents complained that the fees were punitive and a “rip-off” given the current situation where business is subdued due to the national lockdown.
In their letters to parents and guardians, most schools said demand for school fees payment was justified as they will soon be transitioning to online lessons until normalcy returns.
“It is ridiculous for schools to be charging that much for online education. The question is what are the costs for all that money, say US$1 500 at Chisipite Senior School? Students are not going to school and teachers might as well be operating from their homes if they have good internet connection. This craziness must stop,” said a parent who preferred not to be named to protect his school-going children.
Another parent pleaded for Government intervention to stop the new fees frombeing effected.
She said: “Private schools have gone crazy. They are charging school fees using black market rates. Government should do something about this.”
A parent at Heritage School in Borrowdale was not amused by the new fees.
“Heritage is charging more than US$1 300 for online learning. They do not consider WIFI internet connection charges and gadgets. Charging exorbitant fees in such an environment?” he said.
Association of Trust Schools chair Mr Tim Middleton was not available to comment as he is believed to be away.
But Dominican Convent School headmistress Sister Kudzai Mutsure said they reduced the fees from US$1 000 to US$800 because “when kids are not in school, money is saved on other budget lines”.
“The major added cost is data for teachers because they need it for teaching, uploading students’ work, downloading work for marking and sending it back after,” she said.
In a letter, Watershed College reminded parents of fixed costs that still need to be paid whether the students are present or not.
Veteran educationist, Dr Caiphus Nziramasanga, said parents were expected to pay the new fees since schools have salaries and other conditions of service that need to be paid for.
“Whatever the case, they (schools) still have to pay the teachers, there is no option,” said Dr Nziramasanga.
“Teachers will do overtime when normalcy returns so that students are back on track. I understand the concern over the fees, but, look, this is an unfamiliar situation. The economic problems are not peculiar to Zimbabwe, but it is a global issue.”
Turning to online learning, Ambassador Mathema said Government was making efforts to ensure that no student was either left out or left behind.
“We understand that some schools are not equipped to run such classes. However, we have partnerships with broadcasters to conduct classes on radio, television and other broadcasting channels accessible to many.
“We are working on ensuring that the environment is safe for our children to return to school. Once we reach that stage, we will make an announcement on the opening dates.”
Dr Nziramasanga said the success of e-learning will depend on availability of internet in both schools and for students at home. He said the programme was likely to be a challenge for most rural schools where some do not have electricity, let alone internet access.
“Are the teachers skilled to do online teaching, and are the students able to access gadgets and internet?” Dr Nziramasanga queried.
“For other schools, a postal system could have been used in open-distance learning but due to the coronavirus, movement is restricted.
“Our postal system is not functioning; therefore, it is a challenge. Government is doing well to resolve these matters. We have to appreciate the efforts. – Sunday Mail/herald
Law enforcement agents have launched an investigation into suspected criminal abuse of office by NetOne acting chairperson, Ms Susan Mutangadura, after she reportedly appointed her suspected business acquaintance — a retired judge — to preside over a disciplinary hearing of suspended CEO Lazarus Muchenje.
The appointment of the judge had already raised eyebrows given that Ms Mutangadura, the complainant against Mr Muchenje — who is on suspension facing various allegations, including incompetence — is a panellist at Africa Institute of Mediation and Arbitration (AIMA), a company founded by the judge (name supplied).
It, however, emerged last week that NetOne has filed an urgent chamber application seeking to bar investigators — who had obtained a search-and-seize order — from accessing relevant documents citing confidentiality.
The date for hearing the case had not been determined at the High Court.
However, Ms Mutangadura could not comment on Thursday. “Unfortunately, I cannot comment at the moment for professional reasons,” said Ms Mutangadura.
NetOne, a wholly State-owned enterprise, was formed in 1996 as the first cellular network provider in Zimbabwe.
With more than three million subscribers, it is the country’s second-largest mobile operator after Econet.
Mr Muchenje was suspended on February 20 this year, alongside acting chief finance officer Mr Tinashe Severa.
He subsequently approached the court seeking nullification of the suspension, after which an interim relief order was granted.
On March 12, NetOne appealed the order to interdict the hearing process at the Supreme Court and used that as the basis to proceed with the hearing.
However, the hearing failed to take place after Mr Muchenje insisted that any proceedings would be illegal since there was an interim relief order barring the hearing.
Last week some investigators from the Criminal Investigations Department (Serious Frauds) launched a probe into potential abuse of office by Ms Mutangadura for appointing her “business associate”.
“The police got the order to search and seize relevant documents, which they needed for their investigations,” said a source, who requested not to be named because the matter is now under judicial consideration.
“However, NetOne made an urgent chamber application seeking to interdict the investigators from accessing the documents.”
Ms Mutangadura was authorised by the NetOne board to appoint a disciplinary hearing authority to preside over proceedings of cases involving Mr Muchenje and Mr Severa through a resolution dated February 20 2019.
She then used powers granted to her by the resolution to appoint the judge to preside over the hearing.
A notification letter addressed to Mr Muchenje in March announced the development.
It is believed that the appointment of the judge was in violation of Section 34 of the Public Entities and Governance Act, which states that where a board member or a senior staff member of a public entity knows or has any reason to believe that any of his or her public associates has acquired or holds direct or indirect pecuniary interests in any matter that is under the consideration by the board or that is or, to his or her knowledge, is likely to be the subject matter of a contract between the public entity and any other person, the board member or senior staff shall forthwith disclose to the entity’s board.
Ms Mutangadura took over from former board chairperson Mr James Mutizwa, who alongside two other directors resigned early February this year after allegedly being pressured to do.
Further, two other board members, including Dr Douglas Mamvura, are understood to be in the firing line.
Dr Mamvura, a renowned marketing executive and entrepreneur, is accused of not attending meetings despite not having been invited for a single meeting since his appointment in October last year.
Recent reports claimed that the resignation of the board members were due to poor performance.
It was alleged that according to the assessment report done for the entire board, those who resigned scored very low and failed to produce a viable turnaround strategy to the Ministry of Information Communication Technology and Courier Services, which forced them to quit.
But there are also counter claims that suggest that no board member was “ever independently” assessed or evaluated according to their performance contracts.
The only purported assessments done were for the full board and the chairperson who was independently evaluated, “and this was done very unprofessionally”, added the sources.
A former board member told The Sunday Mail Business that the former chair actually had a 3,5 score, which was above average.
“We have never been individually assessed as board members, we noted the weakness of the whole board and if it is true that the board deserved to be fired by identifying its weakness, then it also raises eyebrows why the other board members are not being fired,” said the former board member, who requested not to be named.
Police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi had promised to comment after getting a brief from the CID, but follow-up calls were not responded to. -Sunday Mail
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has today extended the lockdown by two weeks, though under level 2.
The relaxation of the lockdown comprises the following aspects :
All people must wear masks (including homemade) outside homes.
The reopening of industry and commerce, provided employers provide rapid testing, social distance and sanitisation Operating hours from 8 am to 3 pm.
Informal sector remains closed except agriculture and food supply taxis and combis are still not permitted. Buses will operate, but with social distancing, sanitisation, masks and temperature checks.
Returning residents and international travellers will be put on 21-day mandatory quarantine with full testing on day 1, day 8 and day 21.
Churches, gyms, bars, bottle stores and other recreational facilities remain closed. Schools and tertiary institutions will remain closed for now, with an announcement for their reopening expected to be made in due course.
Mnangagwa has maintained saving lives should be prioritised although measures have been put in place to revive the struggling economy.
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has today extended the lockdown by two weeks, though under level 2.
The relaxation of the lockdown comprises the following aspects :
All people must wear masks (including homemade) outside homes.
The reopening of industry and commerce, provided employers provide rapid testing, social distance and sanitisation Operating hours from 8 am to 3 pm.
Informal sector remains closed except agriculture and food supply taxis and combis are still not permitted. Buses will operate, but with social distancing, sanitisation, masks and temperature checks.
Returning residents and international travellers will be put on 21-day mandatory quarantine with full testing on day 1, day 8 and day 21.
Churches, gyms, bars, bottle stores and other recreational facilities remain closed. Schools and tertiary institutions will remain closed for now, with an announcement for their reopening expected to be made in due course.
Mnangagwa has maintained saving lives should be prioritised although measures have been put in place to revive the struggling economy.
On May 2 every year, the MDC family and Zimbabwean workers in general remember a man who dedicated his life to their emancipation and democratic change in Zimbabwe.
This is the day when Zimbabwe lost one of the most charismatic leaders in the history of this country- Isaac Matongo.
Isaac Matongo was known in the trade union circles for his fearlessness.
In 1999 when the MDC was formed that’s when he emerged as a gifted strategist in organising and building the opposition party’s structures to challenge Zanu PF hegemony.
The heavily built Isaac Matongo was tasked to craft strategies of building structures for the MDC and he excelled.
In less than five months, the MDC shocked Zanu PF In Parliamentary elections in March 2000.
Isaac Matongo was the first MDC National Chairman.
Matongo was known for his song “Mukandituma handirambe ndinomanya sekacheche …!”
President Tsvangirai had a loyal soldier whom he banked on for pushing party activities.
The growth of the MDC cannot be chronicled without mentioning Matongo.
The current MDC Alliance President Advocate Nelson Chamisa was the National Youth Chairman at that time.
He was a chairman par excellence, a true democrat, a father and founder of the struggle for democratic change in Zimbabwe.
We will only rest when we have accomplished his hopes of attaining real change.
On May 2 every year, the MDC family and Zimbabwean workers in general remember a man who dedicated his life to their emancipation and democratic change in Zimbabwe.
This is the day when Zimbabwe lost one of the most charismatic leaders in the history of this country- Isaac Matongo.
Isaac Matongo was known in the trade union circles for his fearlessness.
In 1999 when the MDC was formed that’s when he emerged as a gifted strategist in organising and building the opposition party’s structures to challenge Zanu PF hegemony.
The heavily built Isaac Matongo was tasked to craft strategies of building structures for the MDC and he excelled.
In less than five months, the MDC shocked Zanu PF In Parliamentary elections in March 2000.
Isaac Matongo was the first MDC National Chairman.
Matongo was known for his song “Mukandituma handirambe ndinomanya sekacheche …!”
President Tsvangirai had a loyal soldier whom he banked on for pushing party activities.
The growth of the MDC cannot be chronicled without mentioning Matongo.
The current MDC Alliance President Advocate Nelson Chamisa was the National Youth Chairman at that time.
He was a chairman par excellence, a true democrat, a father and founder of the struggle for democratic change in Zimbabwe.
We will only rest when we have accomplished his hopes of attaining real change.
Farai Dziva|Marondera Central MP, Caston Matewu, who was involved in a terrible accident on Friday night has indicated that he is recovering well in hospital.
“I am recovering well in hospital thanks for all your prayers,”Matewu posted on Facebook.
Focus is on the murder-accused ZANU PF strongman and UMA institute’s Cleopas Kundiona after the horrific accident that left the youthful Marondera West broken ribs last night.
Kundiona who lost to Matewu in the 2018 polls, has a history of murder trials that goes back to over 20 years ago, in 2000.
He once appeared before the High Court after the Zanu-PF candidate for Marondera West, the late Rufaro Gwanzura’s campaign manager, was shot during the race for the June 2000 parliamentary elections.
Kundiona also appeared on trial for allegedly murdering Mr Musekiwa Mufakwadziya.
More than 103 MDC supporters were killed between the years 2000 and 2002.
On Friday, his competitor, Matewu was involved in a highly suspicious accident while on a short 7 km journey to Marondera town centre.
His vehicle suddenly veered off the road and uprooted a tree, injuring all passengers inside the vehicle.
On the spot witness statements say it veered off the road on its own.
A side report submitted on Friday night says there were gunshots fired at Matewu’s car resulting in the accident.
A vehicle carrying soldiers and an unnamed Intelligence Officer was first to arrive at the scene. They assisted in getting MP Matewu to hospital, a family source told ZimEye.
Farai Dziva|Marondera Central MP, Caston Matewu, who was involved in a terrible accident on Friday night has indicated that he is recovering well in hospital.
“I am recovering well in hospital thanks for all your prayers,”Matewu posted on Facebook.
Focus is on the murder-accused ZANU PF strongman and UMA institute’s Cleopas Kundiona after the horrific accident that left the youthful Marondera West broken ribs last night.
Kundiona who lost to Matewu in the 2018 polls, has a history of murder trials that goes back to over 20 years ago, in 2000.
He once appeared before the High Court after the Zanu-PF candidate for Marondera West, the late Rufaro Gwanzura’s campaign manager, was shot during the race for the June 2000 parliamentary elections.
Kundiona also appeared on trial for allegedly murdering Mr Musekiwa Mufakwadziya.
More than 103 MDC supporters were killed between the years 2000 and 2002.
On Friday, his competitor, Matewu was involved in a highly suspicious accident while on a short 7 km journey to Marondera town centre.
His vehicle suddenly veered off the road and uprooted a tree, injuring all passengers inside the vehicle.
On the spot witness statements say it veered off the road on its own.
A side report submitted on Friday night says there were gunshots fired at Matewu’s car resulting in the accident.
A vehicle carrying soldiers and an unnamed Intelligence Officer was first to arrive at the scene. They assisted in getting MP Matewu to hospital, a family source told ZimEye.
Farai Dziva|Marondera Central MP, Caston Matewu, who was involved in a terrible accident on Friday night has indicated that he is recovering well in hospital.
“I am recovering well in hospital thanks for all your prayers,”Matewu posted on Facebook.
Focus is on the murder-accused ZANU PF strongman and UMA institute’s Cleopas Kundiona after the horrific accident that left the youthful Marondera West broken ribs last night.
Kundiona who lost to Matewu in the 2018 polls, has a history of murder trials that goes back to over 20 years ago, in 2000.
He once appeared before the High Court after the Zanu-PF candidate for Marondera West, the late Rufaro Gwanzura’s campaign manager, was shot during the race for the June 2000 parliamentary elections.
Kundiona also appeared on trial for allegedly murdering Mr Musekiwa Mufakwadziya.
More than 103 MDC supporters were killed between the years 2000 and 2002.
On Friday, his competitor, Matewu was involved in a highly suspicious accident while on a short 7 km journey to Marondera town centre.
His vehicle suddenly veered off the road and uprooted a tree, injuring all passengers inside the vehicle.
On the spot witness statements say it veered off the road on its own.
A side report submitted on Friday night says there were gunshots fired at Matewu’s car resulting in the accident.
A vehicle carrying soldiers and an unnamed Intelligence Officer was first to arrive at the scene. They assisted in getting MP Matewu to hospital, a family source told ZimEye.
By A Correspondent- Police details from the CID Drugs and the Canine Unit recently staged a dramatic arrest of suspected drug cartels leaders in Harare recently.
A law officer who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity said the carlet involves one Freddy Mabheka, Kenneth Takundiswa Jasi, his son Fungai Michael Tyron Jasi and another person known as Farai Gwatidzo who is on the police wanted list.
The source said:
“These are the kingpins of the cocaine market in Harare and their clients are mostly white people and kids from the rich and affluent suburbs. Jasi on the 30th of March was arrested by CID drugs and appeared in court today (Saturday) charged with possession and trafficking of a dangerous substance.
“On 31 October last year Fungai was arrested in possession of 169 grams of cocaine and his pending case is recorded under CRB 15769-19. This cartel operates like a mafia outfit and they supply white people and those that fail to pay lose properties and they confiscate title deeds of houses. Their white clients are incurring debts of up to US$300 000 for cocaine and other substances.”
The source added that the cartel uses young women who are pushers of the dangerous substance and they supply the white clients.
Kenneth Jasi appeared at Rotten row court on Saturday and was remanded to 19 May.
In 2019, Bulawayo Crime Prevention Officer, Chief Superintendent Manuel Usiku led an operation that raided the drug dens in Bulawayo.
“We want to urge members of the public to desist from taking drugs because drugs have long term health effects. Besides that, when one is under the influence of such drugs, their mental faculties are also affected. They would not be able to think straight. So they are likely to commit offences and can be victims of crime as well.” Usiku told the media after the operation.-Online
By A Correspondent- Nurses have demanded that the government allows them to work for one week and rest the following two weeks in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) in health facilities.
This comes amid reports that two nurses and a doctor recently tested positive for Covid-19 at Sally Mugabe Hospital on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe Professional Nurses Union (ZPNU) secretary-general Douglas Chikobvu told the Daily News that the two weeks’ rest should be in self-isolation, in case they were exposed to the pandemic during working hours.
“The Health Apex Council met and submitted to government that we want to work a week in and two weeks off while in self-isolation. This will create time to monitor health workers for any signs and symptoms they may develop as the incubation period for the virus is 14 days,” Chikobvu said.
Currently, nurses are working between two and three days a week under a flexi-hours system introduced by the government through a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that was influenced by the nurses’ incapacitation.
By A Correspondent- This emotional appeal to the public to observe the national lockdown as a measure to fight the spread of Covid-19, seems to have no meaning for a Bulawayo woman. The woman caused an action-packed drama when she was busted after she sneaked out of her house at night, leaving her drunken husband “fast asleep”, to have sex with her lover in a maize field.
The incident which happened on Saturday last week is still the talk of Esigodweni area in Cowdray Park suburb.
It is reported that the seemingly sex-starved woman only identified as NaCynthia was shamed after she invited her lover, Elvis Moyo, a kombi driver to her house for trysts before they were busted by their neighbours.
B-Metro gathered that NaCynthia suggested that Moyo should come to her house since her husband Mthulisi Ncube was dead drunk. Upon Moyo’s arrival, she tiptoed from the house to have a quickie with him in a nearby maize field leaving her snoring husband enjoying the warmth of the blankets alone.
According to a source the cheating couple was caught at around 11 pm after their noisy act coming from the maize field caught the attention of neighbours. After suspicions got the better of them, the neighbours, went to investigate and couldn’t believe their eyes when they found NaCynthia and her lover busy like rabbits.
“We were shocked why NaCythia had to do this to her husband. The husband is still struggling to come terms with her cheating. What happened is that when her husband who was so drunk fell asleep, she tiptoed from the house going to a nearby maize field where she met her lover and had sex.
“Their luck, however, ran out when neighbours who had been attracted by funny noises coming from the maize field went to see what was happening. They couldn’t believe their eyes when they found that it was NaCythia who was busy in the act with her lover,” said a source who refused to be named for fear of victimisation.
The randy lovebirds were reportedly attacked while naked before NaCynthia’s husband was called to witness the incident. Moyo, who was still in his birthday suit, however, made good his escape before Ncube arrived. Upon questioning, NaCynthia, a mother of two, revealed that it was the third time she was having sex with her lover at the spot.
When reached for comment Ncube was hostile to B-Metro.
“What you heard is none of your business. Why are you always after exposing other people’s lives?” he asked before he hung up his mobile phone.
Meanwhile, NaCynthia who is reported to have been “red-carded” after the embarrassing incident could not be reached for comment together with her alleged lover.
By A Correspondent- Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima has said it is illegal to force workers to go on unpaid leave during the Covid-19 lockdown unless this is done through collective bargaining and is agreed by the concerned employees.
Measures contrary to the agreed terms of employment should be mutually agreed, he said in a statement to mark Workers’ Day, yesterday.
“There should be no unlawful terminations or procedural retrenchments during the lockdown period,” said Minister Mavima.
“My ministry stands to provide technical advice on issues regarding workplace measures to cope with Covid-19.”
The ministry has dispatched officers to upgrade joint inspections across the country with representatives of the workers and employers to ensure that fair labour standards are observed during the lockdown and that general compliance with Covid-19 measures are adhered to at all workplaces operating during the lockdown.
“We welcome information from stakeholders on specific establishments, sectors and issues that our inspectorate should focus on as they perform their duties,” said Minister Mavima.
“The stakeholders have a role to perform by being ears and eyes of our inspectorate and we will respond swiftly to any such reports. I also expect my officers to execute their duties professionally. Any acts of corruption must be reported for the law to take its course.
“Let us point out that works councils and the national employment councils (NEC) remain effective engagement platforms for workers and employers to engage and agree on measures that take into consideration respective peculiarities of establishments and NECs as we craft workplace measures to mitigate the effects of Covid-19.
“We should in these engagements, keep at the back of our minds the dictates of fundamental principles and rights at the work place as enshrined in our Labour Act as they are sacrosanct and should be respected at all times.’’
The Tripartite Negotiating Forum, said Minister Mavima, is expected to engage and review the situation regarding the period of May and beyond as the Covid-19 situation evolves.
“Indeed, we need to engage in conversation to ensure that we are ready for the future of work and the demands of the 4th Industrial Revolution.”
Minister Mavima noted that industrial performance in the country remained depressed.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- An unlicensed gold miner at Fort Rixon in Matabeleland South allegedly stabbed a colleague with a knife following a dispute over a gold detector.
This was heard by Bulawayo magistrate Shepherd Mjanja on Thursday when Mike Tshwane (20) appeared before him charged with attempted murder.
He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to June 4.
The court was told that on March 20, Compton Ncube (30) was prospecting for gold using a metal gold detector at a plot in Shangani, Fort Rixon area.
Tshwane’s friends approached Ncube intending to take away the detector.
It is alleged that while they were wrangling, Tshwane stabbed Ncube in the back.
Ncube was rushed to the United Bulawayo Hospital for medication.
A report was made to the police, leading to Tshwane’s arrest.-Statemedia
By A Correspondent- Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has said Government must pay workers in US dollars, saying the country’s workforce is facing a double tragedy of coronavirus and poor salaries which were not sufficient to cover basics such as transport to and from work, rentals and purchase of food.
“Our doctors earn close to $5 000, an equivalent of US$100; this does not happen anywhere else in the world, our soldiers and police are earning less than US$20. The poverty levels they face every day are so heart wrenching,” said Chamisa.
He said the MDC Alliance had written to Government urging President Mnangagwa to pay workers in US dollars to arrest inflation and restore value to their earnings.
“We hope in the coming days, they will listen to the advice which given them and start paying workers in US$. We should shelve the local currency until such a time we have corrected the economic fundamentals in the country,” he said.
Zimbabwe is facing its worst economic crisis in a decade characterised by hyperinflation and government reintroduced the Zim dollar in February last year and floated it but did not adjust salaries.
Chamisa said while Zimbabwe continued to use the local currency, he urged government to widen the income tax bands by over 300 percent to allow workers to take home more money. He also called for more tax exemptions.
However, Chamisa himself this week admitted that his own party was failing to pay workers, saying they had not paid workers since February.
Without elaborating how the pandemic stopped the MDC from paying its workers, Chamisa said “MDC workers haven’t been paid during the coronavirus period.”
He was responding to a party supporter who asked him on social media if it was true that his party’s workers have been struggling to get their salaries.
“Mr President I heard, MDC workers haven’t been paid, can you please tell us what are the challenges the party is facing for it to fail to pay it’s workers or is it propaganda from those who are against the party,” Chamsia was asked by a supporter.
“MDC workers have been paid every month except for this coronavirus period,” Chamisa responded.
MDC Alliance workers earn in local Zimbabwe currency.
Turning to demolitions that were carried out by councils around the country during the coronavirus induced lockdown, Chamisa said the MDC was opposed to it and was demanding that councillors sponsored by his party explain their stance.
“If you believe the vending stalls are illegal, you go there and talk to the vendors and get consensus, if that does not come, then you go to the courts and get court orders.
“Our councillors have to account on why and how they ended up joining this bandwagon of destroying people’s livelihoods,” Chamisa said
As ZimEye’s Simba Chikanza pushes to interview Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Asian country’s deputy ambassador has made an initial response on the thorny subject of the country’s alleged colonisation of Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa.
(Readers please note that ambassador Zhao has in the last 2 days asked to have this interview briefer kept from the public eye as he threatened saying its disclosure would amount to what he termed a breaking of journalism rules.)
We however release it for both public safety as well as legal reasons seeing the ongoing COVID-19 health risks that have seen Chinese visitors (potentially infected with coronavirus) being unleashed into the community without medical safety procedures such as quarantining. Another worry is the death of nearly 200 people from what the government claims is malaria, one of which is of a 7 year old COVID female patient of whom the state on Wednesday instructed doctors to certify as of malaria.
Furthermore the embassy has been given ample time since Sunday evening.
“….do we do it by force? Do we come here to take over the land? Do we kill people? Okay? Anyway, I think you should have your standards to make the judgement.”
ZB: – “Do you know how Zimbabwe is colonised?”
SC – Errm, are you saying is colonised or was colonised?
ZB: – “Errm, I mean do you know how Zimbabwe was colonised by the UK or by the Rhodes’ forces?”
SC – Oh, that was by force, that was definitely by both force and coercion. So it was a combination of force.
ZB: – “They killed. A lot of Zimbabweans were killed, and in the first Chimurenga, right? And, so I have several standards to judge whether it is colonisation or not, first do we do it by force? Do we come here to take over the land? Do we kill people? Okay? Anyway, I think you should have your standards to make the judgement, anyway, so we can set another date.”
Date: 26 April 2020
TRANSCRIPT BRIEF WITH CHINESE AMBASSADOR ZHAO BAOGANG
Simba Chikanza (SC) with ambassador Zhao Baogang (ZB) at 6pm
SC – My interview with President Xi Jinping seeks to look into the future and the welfare of both Zimbabwean and Chinese citizens, locally and internationally. SC – Are you happy with the general treatment of Chinese citizens by the government of Zimbabwe? I am looking into the future of both Zimbabweans and Chinese people, as currently Chinese citizens are being allowed into the country while locals are subjected to mandatory quarantining.
SC – Do the Self quarantine luxuries currently guaranteed Chinese citizens by the Zim govt, not create a looming-disaster against both the people and the government of China in the future?
ZB: – “Can we do it this way, you can send me a list of questions then I will think about it, then we could have some appointment, then we answer your questions, is that okay?”
SC – How much in value are the repayable loans that China has given Zimbabwe since the 2017 coup?
ZB: – “You can write down the questions and if I am in a position to answer the questions I will answer you then you have to check with others, that would be the most appropriate thing to do.
SC – Is China colonising Zimbabwe and Africa at large?
ZB: – “Eh, I think, all these are noted, and then I will think about it and how to answer your question. And do you know what is colonisation?”
SC – Colonisation is the takeover of a country by a foreign government whether that is done by force or done by coercion.
ZB: – “Do you know how Zimbabwe is colonised?”
SC – Errm, are you saying is colonised or was colonised?
ZB: – “Errm, I mean do you know how Zimbabwe was colonised by the UK or by the Rhodes’ forces?”
SC – Oh, that was by force, that was definitely by both force and coercion. So it was a combination of force.
ZB: – “They killed. A lot of Zimbabweans were killed, and in the first Chimurenga, right? And, so I have several standards to judge whether it is colonisation or not, first do we do it by force? Do we come here to take over the land? Do we kill people? Okay? Anyway, I think you should have your standards to make the judgement, anyway, so we can set another date.”
SC – There is also one which comes from a group of our community that is interested in wildlife and tourism. They are asking about – What measures President Jinping has taken to stop illegal trade of Wild animals between China and Zimbabwe. And amid allegations that the Chinese government is involved in this illegal trade.
ZB: – “It is already, no trade in wildlife between Zimbabwe and China now, no wildlife trade. So then anyway, you can send me the list of questions and we can set another date for the interview. Okay?
SC – There is one extremely crucial one – there is a Chinese doctor based in your country, China, who I conversed with myself and he sells poison to African politicians including those in Zimbabwe, and he also sells an antidote for it. What are you doing to stop that?
ZB: – “Oh well, this is total rumour, you know.”
SC- I have evidence, he has even sent me a quotation for one of his antidotes, and he has confirmed fully via phone that he has an antidote; That he sells politicians across Africa. He sells politicians this poison, as well as the antidote. His number is 0086159******* this is not an allegation, this is something that I have actually proven myself and I have…
ZB: – “Can you share the telephone number.”
SC – This was in November last year, and this is quite major, and this if I could tell you ambassador, this poison is the one that was used on Chiwenga.
By A Correspondent- Commercial sex workers in Bulawayo have devised news ways of survival by taking call-in clients during the lockdown period.
Since the country was locked down to contain the coronavirus most sex workers have moved from the streets and are operating from their homes.
In separate interviews sex workers said although they were not making much their new method of survival was paying dividends as they were able to pay rent and buy food.
Nothando Moyo, a mother of two children aged five and seven, who has been in the sex trade for six years said they had since adopted other means to lure their clients to make ends meet under the difficult times.
“A client phones to alert me that he is coming to my place then I offer him sexual service. At times my client would come to my lodgings and pick me up to his private rented place in town where we would have sex and after that he would take me back to my place,” she said.
Another sex worker who only identified herself as Nomsa (25) said she had also been operating from home.
“Life has never been the same for me since the lockdown started because from the streets I used to make more than R2 000 because I charge most of my clients in forex but now I make a little bit. I make in the region of R500 to R800. I thank my God because I can manage to settle my bills, do my hair and buy food,” said Moyo.
Asked on how they protect themselves against the Coronavirus which as of Thursday the country had recorded 40 positive cases, five recoveries and four deaths, they said they had to face it head-on so as to survive.
Nomsa said:
“There is no way we can protect ourselves because a guy would touch me and would demand a kiss before we engage in sex.
When we indulge there is body contact. Although we are afraid of death we don’t want to face grinding poverty because this is our only way to survive.”
Transport arrangement for self-funded repatriation from SA to Zimbabwe. Book directly with Eagleliner/Intercity Bus Company Demand driven departure on Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays pic.twitter.com/OwxzW2qt4W
— The Embassy of Zimbabwe in South Africa (@zimpretoria) May 2, 2020
Nurses in Zimbabwe’s public health system have requested that the government allow them to work for one week and rest the following two weeks in self-isolation to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Zimbabwe Professional Nurses Union (ZPNU) secretary-general Douglas Chikobvu told the Daily News on Friday that it will allow for the monitoring of nurses in case they were exposed to the coronavirus during their working shifts. Said Chikobvu:
“The Health Apex Council met and submitted to the government that we want to work a week in and two weeks off while in self-isolation.
“This will create time to monitor health workers for any signs and symptoms they may develop as the incubation period for the virus is 14 days.”
Nurses are currently working between two and three days a week under a flexi-hours system introduced by the government to alleviate their incapacitation due to poor remuneration.
An estimated 3 460 Zimbabweans living in South Africa are in need of food assistance, while 2 191 are requesting repatriation back home.
These figures were revealed by the
These figures were revealed by the Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa in their latest update on how Zimbabweans in the country are faring in this Covid-19 pandemic.
In the update, the embassy says more numbers are expected.
“As of April 19, 2020, 839 people had registered for assisted repatriation back to Zimbabwe, while 2 249 people signalled their desire to receive food packs instead,” said the embassy.
“As of April 30, 2020, an additional 1 352 and 1 391 people had requested for repatriation and food parcels respectively. This brings the total number of people in need of assistance to 5 831.”
The embassy said it was seized with the plight of those who have reached out and are taking measures to provide recourse.
“The embassy and two consulates are currently engaging the South African Government to obtain the necessary clearances and authorisation to undertake the repatriation process in compliance with the lockdown regulations of the country,” it said.
Some restive Zimbabweans have been constantly pressuring authorities for a quick response, something the embassy said was difficult to guarantee in the face of protocols.
“Consultations are underway with regards to the logistical arrangements for the assisted repatriation, including funding, reception and quarantine facilities upon crossing into Zimbabwe,” said embassy.
“While it is normal for people to have expected quick finalisation of the process, this has not been possible due to broad-based consultations and careful considerations being taken at every stage of the planning process.”
Zimbabwe is already making plans to accommodate citizens whose return is imminent.
Those who return will be screened at Beitbridge Border Post before being transported to quarantine centres across the country.
Initially, Government had planned to keep them in Beitbridge at various proposed centres, but changes were made this week following stakeholder consultations.
NSSA Hotel, which is being used as a quarantine and isolation centre for Beitbridge can accommodate only 400 people, while the two boarding schools, Zezani and Tongwe, which had been proposed to take the other immigrants can accommodate 250 and 280 each.
Beitbridge district medical officer, Dr Lenos Samhere recently said: “The returnees coming from South Africa will now be screened and documented in Beitbridge before being escorted to their provinces as they come.”
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Lovemore Matuke said Government was mobilising resources to cater for the returnees from South Africa.
“Treasury has allocated resources to look after those people who are coming from other countries,” he said.
“Since the number is increasing we definitely need to increase the amount of resources to look after a more returnees.
“We need food, toiletries and even money to pay for bills such as water and electricity at the facilities where the returnees will be housed.”
Deputy Minister Matuke said accommodation would not be a problem since colleges in Masvingo can be used to house returnees. He revealed that Government made arrangements with South African authorities to allow even those without the requisite papers to pass through.
Zimbabwe has over the past few weeks been receiving citizens from all over the world and placing them in quarantine centres across the country.
The first group that came from Botswana and were quarantined in Plumtree has already been released to their families after observation as well as testing.
Some have been coming back from countries like Britain and the United States, countries that have been hard hit by Covid-19.
Some of those coming from these countries are part of the numbers testing positive to Covid-19.
Self-funded repatriation from South Africa during the lockdown has been made available for Zimbabweans in that country.
The repatriation is by road from Johannesburg/Tshwane to Beitbridge during the lockdown.
Key things to note as communicated by the Zimbabwean Embassy in SA:
You will pay for this yourself
Intercity/Eagle are one of the transporters who have been engaged
It is demand-driven and will run weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. So if there is no demand, no ride.
First date of departure is pencilled for 6 May depending on approval on the SA side where intercity travel is still prohibited.
Pickup points in Johannesburg are Lenasia, Starbus and Park station while in Tshwane it is Bosman.
Departure times in Johannesburg 10:00 and 15:00hrs
Ticket cost is R600 per person and payments can be made on computickettravel online from 1 May Passenger manifests will be handed to the Embassy for compliance on both sides of the border.
Bus capacity will be limited to 70%
You need legitimate travel documents and if you dont have them, contact the consulate.
Consultations are taking place for people who are not in Gauteng All travelers will be subjected to a mandatory 21-day quarantine at Beitbridge upon crossing the border. All the best kids.
Police officers and other authorities enforcing the coronavirus lockdown measures can still demand exemption letters from citizens even under Level 2, a government official has said.
Nick Mangwana, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services said that police officers have the right to ask citizens for proof on where they will be going, for example, a death certificate when someone is travelling for a funeral.
“We are still in lockdown but at a scaled-down level. Administratively, authorities policing the measures may ask for evidence of your right to be up and about or be going where you are going. That can be anything from death certificates for a funeral to exemption letters.”
Mangwana’s statement, however, contradicts his earlier assertion that exemption letters are no longer needed under the relaxed measures.
In his special address to the nation on Friday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced that businesses may reopen provided employers provide rapid testing for their employees and social distance and sanitisation at their premises.
Clubs could resume training next week in small groups, but starting the 2020 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season anytime soon remains impossible.
Players were forced to train at home for the past six weeks after the government restricted any movement as part of the efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Several teams were almost wrapping up their pre-season preparations when the regulations came to effect. Highlanders and FC Platinum had already played in the campaigner opener – the Castle Challenge Cup – when all football activities were put on hold and the league was set to start in the following few weeks.
Announcing on Friday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the national lockdown will remain in place for the next two weeks but moves to stage two.
However, this puts any chance of starting the league season this month in doubt. The PSL is now likely going to consider taking the August-May calendar since starting the games from June will be too late.
Meanwhile, other African countries such as Kenya, Guinea and Angola have already cancelled their respective seasons.-Soccer 24
The Premier League have announced that they are willing to continue with the 2019-20 season should government allow it.
92 matches remain pending in the English top flight, which was temporarily put on hold in March owing to the escalation of the Covid-19 pandemic and despite other leagues in Europe being cancelled, the League officials announced on Friday that they are willing to continue with the seaon if given the green light to do so.
“At a meeting of Premier League Shareholders today, clubs discussed possible steps towards planning to resume the 2019/20 season, when it is safe and appropriate to do so.
It was reiterated that the thoughts of all are with those directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, the Premier League’s priority is the health and safety of players, coaches, managers, club staff, supporters and the wider community.
The League and clubs are considering the first tentative moves forward and will only return to training and playing with Government guidance, under expert medical advice and after consultation with players and managers.
The League welcomed the creation of the Government medical working group for a return of elite sport, which met for the first time this morning.
No decisions were taken at today’s Shareholders’ meeting and clubs exchanged views on the information provided regarding “Project Restart”.
It was agreed that the PFA, LMA, players and managers are key to this process and will be further consulted.
The clubs reconfirmed their commitment to finishing the 2019/20 season, maintaining integrity of the competition and welcomed the Government’s support,” read a statement on the Premier League website.-Soccer 24
Bundesliga club FC Cologne has reported three cases of coronavirus but will not halt any training.
The German top-flight side tested the entire squad, coaching staff and the backroom staff on Thursday, and three people were found positive of the virus.
“Three people tested positive, all are symptom-free,” the club statement said. “After an assessment of the cases by the responsible health authorities, the three people who tested positive will go into a 14-day quarantine at home.”
Cologne said they would not confirm any names out of respect for the privacy of the individuals involved. The affected people are now in quarantine and the group training will continue as scheduled.
Meanwhile, the German top-flight season looks set to become the first major league to return to action with a mid-May resumption on the card . -Soccer 24
The Ministry would like to report that results of the Quality Assurance process instituted following an unusual clustering of six cases that were reported as positive from Harare on the 29th of April 2020 have confirmed that all of them were negative for COVID-19.
Additionally, all the PCR tests done in Harare yesterday were negative for COVID-19.
Therefore, to date. Zimbabwe still has thirty-four confirmed cases and not forty as previously reported.
The Ministry would like to reassure the nation that we continue to be guided by the key values and principles of professionalism, transparency and accountability and that, the systems we have in place will assure continued reporting of accurate and reliable test results in line with our Quality Management System.
In the meantime, today, a total of 977 tests were done as shown in table 1 below, giving a total of 9 291 screening and diagnostic tests done to date. Results for all the PCR tests done in Harare and Bulawayo today were still pending at the time of print.
Mat. South – 12 Mat. North – 153 Bulawayo – 170 Mash Central – 130 Midlands – 13 Manicaland – 155 Harare – 344 Total – 977 Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe has thirty-four confirmed ease, including five recoveries and four deaths.
Mat North – 1 Bulawayo – 12 Harare – 13 Mash East – 5 Mash West – 3 Total – 34
The Ministry continuos to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-19 pandemic and would like to remind the nation that, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-I9 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans.
In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
The most recently discovered coronavirus causes the COVID-19 disease.
Anyone anywhere can be infected by the virus.
It infects people through coughing and sneezing, touching an infected person’s hands or face or touching infected objects an infected person has touched. It is like all the other viruses that cause common cold and is common in winter.
Main symptoms of Covid-19 are cough, sore throat, fever shortness of breath.
In people with an immunocompromised immune system such as children, elderly, those with heart diseases they might develop respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis.
There are ways one can protect themselves from catching the virus. Prevention methods include: washing hands with soap and running water or using a hand rub always.
Avoid touching the eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands. One must also remember to sanitize door handles at one’s house, office or shop.
Avoid close contact with infected people. Those infected should also cover their nose, mouth when coughing.
According to WHO, washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
You need to take note of social distancing…
When someone coughs or sneezes he or she sprays small liquid droplets from his or her nose or mouth which may contain virus.
If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
However, if infected one needs plenty of rest, lots of fluids and manage the symptoms such as sore throat and fever. If there is a pneumonia or bronchitis one should also receive appropriate treatment for that respiratory tract infection.
Currently there outbreak is causing havoc across the globe and in Zimbabwe 28 cases have been confirmed.
Because this is a communicable virus it spreads rapidly therefore always protect yourself and your community.
Prevention is always better than cure.
Statement jointly produced by Community Tolerance Reconciliation And Development (COTRAD) and Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
Farai Dziva| Focus is on the murder-accused ZANU PF strongman, and UMA institute, Cleopas Kundiona after the horrific accident that left Marondera West MP Caston Matewu with broken ribs last night.
Kundiona who lost to Matewu in the 2018 polls, has a history of murder trials that goes back to over 20 years ago, in 2000.
He once appeared before the High Court after the Zanu-PF candidate for Marondera West, the late Rufaro Gwanzura’s campaign manager, was shot during the race for the June 2000 parliamentary elections.
Kundiona also appeared on trial for allegedly murdering Mr Musekiwa Mufakwadziya.
More than 103 MDC supporters were killed between the years 2000 and 2002.
On Friday, his competitor, Matewu was involved in a highly suspicious accident while on a short 7 km journey to Marondera town centre.
His vehicle suddenly veered off the road and uprooted a tree, injuring all passengers inside the vehicle.
On the spot witness statements say it veered off the road on its own.
A side report submitted on Friday night says there were gunshots fired at Matewu’s car resulting in the accident.
A vehicle carrying soldiers and an unnamed Intelligence Officer was first to arrive at the scene. They assisted in getting MP Matewu to hospital, a family source told ZimEye.
Farai Dziva| Focus is on the murder-accused ZANU PF strongman, and UMA institute, Cleopas Kundiona after the horrific accident that left Marondera West MP Caston Matewu with broken ribs last night.
Kundiona who lost to Matewu in the 2018 polls, has a history of murder trials that goes back to over 20 years ago, in 2000.
He once appeared before the High Court after the Zanu-PF candidate for Marondera West, the late Rufaro Gwanzura’s campaign manager, was shot during the race for the June 2000 parliamentary elections.
Kundiona also appeared on trial for allegedly murdering Mr Musekiwa Mufakwadziya.
More than 103 MDC supporters were killed between the years 2000 and 2002.
On Friday, his competitor, Matewu was involved in a highly suspicious accident while on a short 7 km journey to Marondera town centre.
His vehicle suddenly veered off the road and uprooted a tree, injuring all passengers inside the vehicle.
On the spot witness statements say it veered off the road on its own.
A side report submitted on Friday night says there were gunshots fired at Matewu’s car resulting in the accident.
A vehicle carrying soldiers and an unnamed Intelligence Officer was first to arrive at the scene. They assisted in getting MP Matewu to hospital, a family source told ZimEye.
An estimated 3 460 Zimbabweans living in South Africa are in need of food assistance, while 2 191 are requesting repatriation back home.
These figures were revealed by the Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa in their latest update on how Zimbabweans in the country are faring in this Covid-19 pandemic.
In the update, the embassy says more numbers are expected.
“As of April 19, 2020, 839 people had registered for assisted repatriation back to Zimbabwe, while 2 249 people signalled their desire to receive food packs instead,” said the embassy.
“As of April 30, 2020, an additional 1 352 and 1 391 people had requested for repatriation and food parcels respectively. This brings the total number of people in need of assistance to 5 831.”
The embassy said it was seized with the plight of those who have reached out and are taking measures to provide recourse.
“The embassy and two consulates are currently engaging the South African Government to obtain the necessary clearances and authorisation to undertake the repatriation process in compliance with the lockdown regulations of the country,” it said.
Some restive Zimbabweans have been constantly pressuring authorities for a quick response, something the embassy said was difficult to guarantee in the face of protocols.
“Consultations are underway with regards to the logistical arrangements for the assisted repatriation, including funding, reception and quarantine facilities upon crossing into Zimbabwe,” said embassy.
“While it is normal for people to have expected quick finalisation of the process, this has not been possible due to broad-based consultations and careful considerations being taken at every stage of the planning process.”
Zimbabwe is already making plans to accommodate citizens whose return is imminent.
Those who return will be screened at Beitbridge Border Post before being transported to quarantine centres across the country.
Initially, Government had planned to keep them in Beitbridge at various proposed centres, but changes were made this week following stakeholder consultations.
NSSA Hotel, which is being used as a quarantine and isolation centre for Beitbridge can accommodate only 400 people, while the two boarding schools, Zezani and Tongwe, which had been proposed to take the other immigrants can accommodate 250 and 280 each.
Beitbridge district medical officer, Dr Lenos Samhere recently said: “The returnees coming from South Africa will now be screened and documented in Beitbridge before being escorted to their provinces as they come.”
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Lovemore Matuke said Government was mobilising resources to cater for the returnees from South Africa.
“Treasury has allocated resources to look after those people who are coming from other countries,” he said.
“Since the number is increasing we definitely need to increase the amount of resources to look after a more returnees.
“We need food, toiletries and even money to pay for bills such as water and electricity at the facilities where the returnees will be housed.”
Deputy Minister Matuke said accommodation would not be a problem since colleges in Masvingo can be used to house returnees. He revealed that Government made arrangements with South African authorities to allow even those without the requisite papers to pass through.
Zimbabwe has over the past few weeks been receiving citizens from all over the world and placing them in quarantine centres across the country.
The first group that came from Botswana and were quarantined in Plumtree has already been released to their families after observation as well as testing.
Some have been coming back from countries like Britain and the United States, countries that have been hard hit by Covid-19.
Some of those coming from these countries are part of the numbers testing positive to Covid-19.
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) is appealing for another amnesty to decongest some of its prisons which are crowded.
Currently, Mandikisi Prison is home to more than 450 inmates against its maximum capacity of 350 hence the call to decongest the facility especially in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic and the social distancing requirement.
Safety precautions have been set up at the prison as evidenced by hand washing facilities at its entry and exit points.
Assessing the Covid-19 state of preparedness at the facility, ZPCS Officer Commanding Manicaland Province Assistant Commissioner Spetosomusa Chinobva appealed to the judiciary to avoid effective jail terms for minor crimes.
“Our appeal to the judiciary is if it could avoid effective and mandatory sentence for minor offenders as currently, our prisons are overpopulated. Another request, through the Commissioner-General, is a consideration for another amnesty to release more prisoners so that we are able to manage our population…,” she said.
Assistant Commissioner Chinobva said the prison has already identified an isolation cell at the facility which houses incoming inmates for 14 days as part of preventive measures against Covid-19.
“We have identified an isolation cell at the prison where we keep our new inmates for two weeks before they mix with fellow inmates. During that period we will be monitoring them if they have Covid-19 signs and symptoms…,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Chipinge Rural District Council pledged to construct a borehole at the facility to ensure an adequate supply of clean water and to maintain the road that leads to the prison. Mandikisi Prison also received sanitisers from Chipinge Central legislator, Honourable Raymore Machingura.
Police details from the CID Drugs and the Canine Unit recently staged a dramatic arrest of suspected drug cartels leaders in Harare recently.
A law officer who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity said the carlet involves one Freddy Mabheka, Kenneth Takundiswa Jasi, his son Fungai Michael Tyron Jasi and another person known as Farai Gwatidzo who is on the police wanted list.
The source said, “These are the kingpins of the cocaine market in Harare and their clients are mostly white people and kids from the rich and affluent suburbs. Jasi on the 30th of March was arrested by CID drugs and appeared in court today (Saturday) charged with possession and trafficking of a dangerous substance.
“On 31 October last year Fungai was arrested in possession of 169 grams of cocaine and his pending case is recorded under CRB 15769-19. This cartel operates like a mafia outfit and they supply white people and those that fail to pay lose properties and they confiscate title deeds of houses. Their white clients are incurring debts of up to US$300 000 for cocaine and other substances.”
The source added that the cartel uses young women who are pushers of the dangerous substance and they supply the white clients.
Kenneth Jasi appeared at Rotten row court on Saturday and was remanded to 19 May.
In 2019, Bulawayo Crime Prevention Officer, Chief Superintendent Manuel Usiku led an operation that raided the drug dens in Bulawayo.
“We want to urge members of the public to desist from taking drugs because drugs have long term health effects. Besides that, when one is under the influence of such drugs, their mental faculties are also affected. They would not be able to think straight. So they are likely to commit offences and can be victims of crime as well.” Usiku told the media after the operation.
A Mutare man hanged himself on Monday in the eastern border city over his wife’s alleged infidelity.
Manicaland police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa confirmed the suicide to NewsDay Weekender yesterday.
The now-deceased Leeroy James Marifiye (27) alleged committed suicide early in the morning of Monday.
His wife, Shamiso Magosvongo (24) woke up around 3am, only to find her husband hanging from a roof truss.
Kakohwa said Magosvongo rushed to inform her friend Silva Maudze (43) who went to report the matter at the Area 3 Dangamvura Complex Police Base.
Marifiye’s body was taken to Dangamvura Police Station for post-mortem.
Kakohwa said no suicide note was left and they are yet to know why he committed suicide, but sources in the neighbourhood told this publication that the pair had a misunderstanding over Magosvongo’s alleged infidelity.
One neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “What I know is that the now-deceased was not happy with his wife whom he accused of infidelity. Maybe that is the reason why he killed himself,” he said.
Another neighbour weighed in saying: “The pair had a misunderstanding, that is what we are aware of so we are positive that led the husband to kill himself.”
By A Correspondent| The daughter of a man who wept for ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa celebrating the November coup has been arrested and allegedly molested inside a police station in Norton.
ZimEye is going LIVE over the matter (the video will commence shortly) – REFRESH THIS PAGE TO WATCH –
On May 2 every year, the MDC family and Zimbabwean workers in general remember a man who dedicated his life to their emancipation and democratic change in Zimbabwe.
This is the day when Zimbabwe lost one of the most charismatic leaders in the history of this country- Isaac Matongo.
Isaac Matongo was known in the trade union circles for his fearlessness.
In 1999 when the MDC was formed that’s when he emerged as a gifted strategist in organising and building the opposition party’s structures to challenge Zanu PF hegemony.
The heavily built Isaac Matongo was tasked to craft strategies of building structures for the MDC and he excelled.
In less than five months, the MDC shocked Zanu PF In Parliamentary elections in March 2000.
Isaac Matongo was the first MDC National Chairman.
Matongo was known for his song “Mukandituma handirambe ndinomanya sekacheche …!”
President Tsvangirai had a loyal soldier whom he banked on for pushing party activities.
The growth of the MDC cannot be chronicled without mentioning Matongo.
The current MDC Alliance President Advocate Nelson Chamisa was the National Youth Chairman at that time.
He was a chairman par excellence, a true democrat, a father and founder of the struggle for democratic change in Zimbabwe.
We will only rest when we have accomplished his hopes of attaining real change.
By A Correspondent- A man from Lupane has been arrested after he severely battered his wife on the buttocks leading her to sustain swollen bums after he accused her of allegedly misusing cooking oil.
Thabani Nyoni, who is a carpenter and is from Lupaka area, reportedly fumed after his wife Hluphekile Nyoni told her that two litres of cooking oil which he bought a fortnight earlier was used up.
It is said Thabani who was intoxicated fumed at Hluphekile while accusing her of being spendthrift.
Hluphekile whose name literally means the suffering one told the court that she had suffered at the hands of her abusive husband.
She said her husband sternly ordered her to lie down and took a sjambok and thrashed her on the bums several times.
“I have been facing a nightmarish life at the hands of my husband. Whenever he is from a beer binge he would accuse me of petty things after that he would slap me in front of our kids saying I’m useless,” she said.
She added:
“Last week I gave him relish without cooking oil. He did not eat. He just checked the plate before pushing it to me while accusing me of being spendthrift. Soon after that he grabbed me by my hand while insulting me and ordered me to lie down while threatening to kill me. I had to lie down and he took a sjambok and thrashed me on the buttocks several times, I sustained lacerations on the buttocks and they got swollen.”
Hluphekile reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of Thabani.
He appeared before Lupane magistrate Ndumo Masuku facing AN assault charge. He pleaded not guilty.
“Your worship I believe my wife misuses cooking oil and other basic commodities so as to fix me. That’s why I had to reprimand her. I believe it was my right to beat her because I want her to stop her ill tendencies of misusing things,” he said.
He was remanded out of custody to 6 June.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- Leader of Johanne Masowe eChishanu, Andby Makururu, yesterday pleaded with President Emmerson Mnangagwa to allow church leaders to meet and pray in their respective churches in a bid to find spiritual solutions and divine intervention against the coronavirus pandemic.
He made the remarks yesterday in an interview with NewsDay Weekender in Mutare.
“We are fasting and praying that our god provide solutions in the fight against the deadly coronavirus,” Makururu said.
“Firstly, I want to thank Zimbabweans for following what our President Emmerson Mnangagwa said should be done in the current lockdown.
“Today, I am just pleading for a small request to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, to give us churches a role to play in the fight against the coronavirus.
“We are saying he (Mnangagwa) should give us a chance as church leaders to meet at our respective shrines or churches to meet and pray for a small period of time weekly be it 30 minutes or one hour.”
He added: “Each church has a spiritual place, so we are saying that we should meet, at least five or 10 people who are church leaders, while also observing social distancing and also wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).
“Sometimes, it is difficult to pray at home, so if we meet as leaders, we are able to give each other strength to pray for the country. We are already praying, but I am just pleading for only church leaders to meet.”
Mnangagwa yesterday extended the lockdown by a further two weeks to preserve lives as cases of COVID-19 continue to spike in the country and now stand at 40 confirmed, including four deaths.
Makururu last month donated personal protective equipment to Mutare Remand Prison and this week donated gloves, soap and sanitisers to the same institution to boost its capacity to mitigate a possible coronavirus outbreak.
He also donated food hampers to Mutare Farm Prison.
Through his Ruvheneko Rwenyenyedzi Trust (RRT), the prophet has been donating food items to impoverished families in Mutare during the current lockdown.
Meanwhile, one of the country’s oldest churches, the Africa Apostolic Church (AAC), with a following of one million locally and three million globally, has pledged to work with government in the fight against the deadly coronavirus.
The Mutumwa Paul Mwazha-led church said it was geared to fight COVID-19 through various ways including prayer.
“As a church, we really want to play our part in fighting COVID-19. We are aware of the influence that we have as a church and feel that it must be put to good use by promoting that which safeguards the well-being of all Zimbabwean citizens,” Paul Mwazha’s son, Israel, said.
The AAC leadership, represented by bishops Patrick Mahachi, Moses Mwagura, Tawanda Mwazha and Leonard Mukumba, the owner of Inter Africa buses, recently met Mnangagwa, where they pledged to support government efforts in the COVID-19 fight.-Newsday
By A Correspondent- The Ministry has reported that results of the Quality Assurance process instituted following an unusual clustering of six cases that were reported as positive from Harare on the 29 of April 2020 have confirmed that all of them were negative for COVID-19.
In a statement issued on Saturday the Ministry said:
“Additionally, all the PCR tests done in Harare yesterday were negative for COVID-19. Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe still has thirty-four confirmed cases and not forty as previously reported.
“We would like to reassure the nation that we continue to be guided by the key values and principles of professionalism, transparency and accountability and that, the systems we have in place will assure continued reporting of accurate and reliable test results in line with our Quality Management System.”
Commenting on the matter Senior journalist Brezhnev Malaba said, “An amateurish blunder. Zimbabwe’s ministry of Health says 6 cases were wrongly reported as having tested positive for Covid-19 on April 29. Therefore, the official tally is 34 cases and not 40. Yesterday, 977 tests were conducted, bringing to 9 291 the total tests conducted so far.”
By A Correspondent- Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Supreme leader Kim Jong-un made a dramatic public appearance at a fertilizer factory done in the capital city Pyongyang.
Kim was last seen in public on April 12, when the ruling party daily newspaper Rodong Sinmun showed him chairing a Politburo meeting.
Kim did not attend the 108th birthday of North Korea’s first ruler and his late grandfather, Kim Il-sung prompting global media to speculate that Kim might have died.
Chitungwiza Municipality has warned informal traders against resuming activities at undesignated places after the High Court ordered the local authority to stop the demolition of illegal vending structures.
In a statement, Chitungwiza acting town clerk Dr Tonderai Kasu said the interim relief granted to the vendors did not permit them to continue the illegal activities, as this could promote the spread of the coronavirus. He said:
It has been noted with concern that since the issuance of the court order, some informal traders have resumed their illegal operations at undesignated places, under the brazen and mistaken impression that the court order entitles them to do so.
The order does not sanitise, condone or accept continued acts of illegality by informal traders. In fact, the order specifically prohibits them from committing further offences with respect to conducting illegal operations.
The court order to halt the demolitions of illegal vending sites was granted by High Court Judge Justice Nyaradzo Munangati-Manongwa after the Trustees of the Chitungwiza Residents Trust, Kushinga Epworth Residents Association and four other applicants had filed an urgent chamber application with the court against the action.
Chitungwiza Municipality and Epworth Local Board argued that the demolition of illegal vending stalls and tuck shops was unlawful.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent| All eyes are set on the murder-accused ZANU PF strongman, and UMA institute, Cleopas Kundiona after the horrific accident that left Marondera West MP Caston Matewu with broken ribs last night.
Kundiona who lost to Matewu in the 2018 polls, has a history of murder trials that goes back to over 20 years ago, in 2000.
He once appeared before the High Court after the Zanu-PF candidate for Marondera West, the late Rufaro Gwanzura’s campaign manager, was shot during the race for the June 2000 parliamentary elections.
Kundiona also appeared on trial for allegedly murdering Mr Musekiwa Mufakwadziya. More than 103 MDC supporters were killed between the years 2000 and 2002.
Yesterday, his competitor, Matewu was involved in a highly suspicious accident while on a short 7 km journey to Marondera town centre. His vehicle suddenly veered off the road and uprooted a tree, injuring all passengers inside the vehicle. (See details below). On the spot witness statements say it veered off the road on its own.
He was traveling from Rufaro Dam to Marondera.
A side report submitted last night suggests there were gunshots fired at Matewu’s car resulting in the accident.
A vehicle carrying soldiers and an unnamed Intelligence Officer was first to arrive at the scene. They assisted in getting MP Matewu to hospital, a family source told ZimEye.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Update from the hospital is that Hon. Caston Matewu has 2 broken ribs on the left, George, a broken arm and Mazambani Matewu's manager has suffered 3 broken ribs. pic.twitter.com/ZxwqADs1Cf
By A Correspondent| All eyes are set on the murder-accused ZANU PF strongman, and UMA institute, Cleopas Kundiona after the horrific accident that left Marondera West MP Caston Matewu with broken ribs last night.
Kundiona who lost to Matewu in the 2018 polls, has a history of murder trials that goes back to over 20 years ago, in 2000.
He once appeared before the High Court after the Zanu-PF candidate for Marondera West, the late Rufaro Gwanzura’s campaign manager, was shot during the race for the June 2000 parliamentary elections.
Kundiona also appeared on trial for allegedly murdering Mr Musekiwa Mufakwadziya. More than 103 MDC supporters were killed between the years 2000 and 2002.
Yesterday, his competitor, Matewu was involved in a highly suspicious accident while on a short 7 km journey to Marondera town centre. His vehicle suddenly veered off the road and uprooted a tree, injuring all passengers inside the vehicle. (See details below). On the spot witness statements say it veered off the road on its own.
He was traveling from Rufaro Dam to Marondera.
A side report submitted last night suggests there were gunshots fired at Matewu’s car resulting in the accident.
A vehicle carrying soldiers and an unnamed Intelligence Officer was first to arrive at the scene. They assisted in getting MP Matewu to hospital, a family source told ZimEye.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Update from the hospital is that Hon. Caston Matewu has 2 broken ribs on the left, George, a broken arm and Mazambani Matewu's manager has suffered 3 broken ribs. pic.twitter.com/ZxwqADs1Cf
Mnangagwa yesterday flew to Mozambique at a time when the nation is in Lockdown overthe coronavirus pandemic. Should he be quarantined upon his return?
By A Correspondent| Some returnees from South Africa who are quarantined at the Rainbow COVID-19 quarantine centre in Beitbridge clashed with police on Wednesday, complaining of being treated as “convicts” after one of their colleagues escaped.
The 15 inmates, who all tested negative for COVID-19, were also demanding to be released from the facility as they have overstayed by three days.
Beitbridge district development co-ordinator Sikhangezile Mafu claimed that the delay was caused by transport challenges.
Said Mafu:
We have been held back by transport logistics. We are taking care of that.
One of the inmates told NewsDay that police cannot treat them like convicts because of their colleagues escaped from quarantine due to lax security. The inmate said:
We came here willingly because we are complying, but they cannot treat us like prisoners because one escaped their lax security.
Beitbridge residents are not happy that an isolation centre was established in the town as they are fearful that their health could be in danger if an infected inmate escapes from quarantine
It might take some time before schools re-open and normal educational activities return to normal.
Anticipating such a scenario, discussions have started between the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the national broadcaster, ZBC.
The thinking is that ZBC should air government-approved educational programmes on its platforms so that children’s education does not suffer as a result of the nationwide lockdown.
The planned programmes would cover primary and secondary school lessons.
Before Independence, the national broadcaster used to offer lessons on radio and television. Other precedents of this form of delivering educational lessons to pupils and students have previously worked in Australia, for example.
BULAWAYO residents living in a seven storey flat in the city centre were yesterday subjected to Covid-19 screening after one of the occupants tested positive for the virus.
On the other hand, a Bulawayo resident who was told to isolate at home violated regulations by travelling to Gweru but officials declined to reveal whether the person had tested positive for Covid-19 or not. One of the two people reported on Wednesday by the Ministry of Health and Child Care as having tested positive for Covid-19 resides at a flat along Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street.
As of yesterday morning, Bulawayo had 12 Covid-19 positive cases with one of them being a 27-year-old Zimbabwe Revenue Authority employee. A Chronicle news crew yesterday observed the rapid response teams in their full gear as they screened the flat’s occupants of Covid-19.
Authorities did not reveal the number of people staying in the high-rise building but a handful of them were seen queuing waiting to be tested yesterday afternoon.
Speaking in an interview after the Bulawayo Covid-19 taskforce chairperson and Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo toured Thorngrove Infectious Disease Hospital and the Covid-19 testing centre at Mpilo Central Hospital, Bulawayo acting provincial medical director Dr Welcome Mlilo said the city’s rapid response team was placing a positive patient, a resident of a flat in the city, under quarantine at Elangeni Training Centre as the flat does not meet home isolation requirements.
“There are so many complexities with a flat. For instance, they (occupants) will be using one entrance with everyone else. They will be using the same staircase, they can be using the same elevator, so it’s a bit complex. We are aware of that and we are moving that gentleman out of that space to protect the rest of the public,” said Dr Mlilo.
Dr Mlilo said all the people at the flat where the positive person lived would be screened for Covid-19 as part of the ministry’s contact tracing procedures.
The acting PMD said local contact tracing was so intense that of the 12 confirmed cases in Bulawayo, they were reaching out to more than 100 contacts in each case.
He said the city’s rapid response team is still having challenges with people who do not want to observe self-isolation procedures.
Although, not providing full details, he confirmed that a city resident who was directed to isolate at home travelled to Gweru in Midlands Province in violation of regulations.
“We are aware of that report and the security service are part of the rapid response teams. They are activated in such cases and such individuals will be followed,” he said.
Dr Mlilo said Government will invoke the law Public Health Act and the Civil Protection Act to deal with those violating self-isolation regulations.
He encouraged citizens to be responsible and observe self-isolation regulations.
The local rapid response team had earlier briefed Minister Moyo on the challenges it was facing to effectively conduct Covid-19 tests.
They said they were delays in delivering consumables to be used for testing which could affect operations of the laboratory at Mpilo Central Hospital. Minister Moyo pledged Government’s support.
“It was not a lab for testing Covid-19. It was a lab for testing tuberculosis (TB). What we have been impressing on the officials from the Ministry of Health and Child Care is go and look at the total requirements of converting this lab from a TB testing lab to a Covid-19 lab. They have given us a comprehensive list which we are taking and I think it will help in the procurement,” said Minister Moyo.
He said the laboratory at Mpilo should effectively serve the southern part of the country.
Sun|KIM Jong-Un has reportedly been seen for the first time in public after rumours he had died spread around the world.
The North Korean leader was reported to have had an operation that went wrong, before these claims were dismissed.
The North Korean leader is said to have been seen in public on Friday (file photo)
But today he has been seen for the first time in 20 days, says news agency Yonhap, after last being spotted in public in early April.
The agency reports he was attending the completion ceremony of Suncheon Fertilizer Plant.
Concern over his health began when he failed to appear at an important celebration on April 15, to mark the birthday of Kim Il-sung, his grandfather and the founder of the country.
And a recent viral image that supposedly showed Kim Jong-un dead in a glass coffin set off the rumours again.
The image – likely a doctored photo from his father’s 2011 funeral – appears to show Kim lying in state beneath a red blanket with his head on a pillow.
There were also rumours that he may have been seriously injured during one of his military’s controversial missile tests – a former official with links to the Workers’ Party of North Korea encouraged this speculation.
But in an effort to contradict the rumours of his death a state-run newspaper has reported that Kim sent a personal letter to builders working on a tourism project in Wonsan.
Chinese journalist Shijian Xingzou said a “very solid source” told her the North Korean leader had died.
She has 15 million followers on Chinese social media site Weibo, and she is also the niece of one of the the country’s foreign ministers.
Separately, a Japanese media outlet claimed Kim was in a “vegetative state” after undergoing heart surgery.
However South Korean president Moon Jae-in’s foreign policy advisor Chung-in Moon has said they believe Kim has been staying in Wonsan since April 13 – with “no suspicious movements”.
The head of emergencies at the World Health Organisation has stated that they believe that the cause of corona virus is natural in origin.
Dr Michael Ryan responded to claims by United States of America’s President Donald Trump suggesting that the virus may have emerged from a virology institute in China.
The United States of America’s president Donald Trump said that he is confident enough to say that the virus originated from China, and accused the World Health Organization in it’s slow response to contain the spread of the virus that has affected the whole world,with USA being the most affecting, with the highest number of infections and deaths world wide.
Most scientist across the world believe that Corona virus originated from Chinese city from a certain animal that is yet to be identified.
Dr Ryan said that the World Health Organization (WHO) teams have listened to claims by many scientists, and they have looked at the gene sequences and the virus, and they are sure that the virus is a natural origin. The Dr has insisted that it’s important to know the natural carrier of the virus for better understanding of future outbreak.
NewsDay|LEADER of Johanne Masowe eChishanu, Andby Makururu, yesterday pleaded with President Emmerson Mnangagwa to allow church leaders to meet and pray in their respective churches in a bid to find spiritual solutions and divine intervention against the coronavirus pandemic.
He made the remarks yesterday in an interview with NewsDay Weekender in Mutare.
“We are fasting and praying that our god provide solutions in the fight against the deadly coronavirus,” Makururu said.
“Firstly, I want to thank Zimbabweans for following what our President Emmerson Mnangagwa said should be done in the current lockdown.
“Today, I am just pleading for a small request to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, to give us churches a role to play in the fight against the coronavirus.
“We are saying he (Mnangagwa) should give us a chance as church leaders to meet at our respective shrines or churches to meet and pray for a small period of time weekly be it 30 minutes or one hour.”
He added: “Each church has a spiritual place, so we are saying that we should meet, at least five or 10 people who are church leaders, while also observing social distancing and also wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).
“Sometimes, it is difficult to pray at home, so if we meet as leaders, we are able to give each other strength to pray for the country. We are already praying, but I am just pleading for only church leaders to meet.”
Mnangagwa yesterday extended the lockdown by a further two weeks to preserve lives as cases of COVID-19 continue to spike in the country and now stand at 40 confirmed, including four deaths.
Makururu last month donated personal protective equipment to Mutare Remand Prison and this week donated gloves, soap and sanitisers to the same institution to boost its capacity to mitigate a possible coronavirus outbreak.
He also donated food hampers to Mutare Farm Prison.
Through his Ruvheneko Rwenyenyedzi Trust (RRT), the prophet has been donating food items to impoverished families in Mutare during the current lockdown.
Meanwhile, one of the country’s oldest churches, the Africa Apostolic Church (AAC), with a following of one million locally and three million globally, has pledged to work with government in the fight against the deadly coronavirus.
The Mutumwa Paul Mwazha-led church said it was geared to fight COVID-19 through various ways including prayer.
“As a church, we really want to play our part in fighting COVID-19. We are aware of the influence that we have as a church and feel that it must be put to good use by promoting that which safeguards the well-being of all Zimbabwean citizens,” Paul Mwazha’s son, Israel, said.
The AAC leadership, represented by bishops Patrick Mahachi, Moses Mwagura, Tawanda Mwazha and Leonard Mukumba, the owner of Inter Africa buses, recently met Mnangagwa, where they pledged to support government efforts in the COVID-19 fight.
Own Correspondent|Thirteen more South Africans have died of Covid-19 and there are now 5,951 cases in the country.
This means that there was an increase of 304 cases in the last 24 hours, and the death toll has now climbed to 116.
Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize released the figures in a statement on Friday night. To date, 217,522 tests have been completed, 9,992 in the last 24 hours.
There had also been a recorded 2,382 recoveries.
The Western Cape remained the country’s Covid-19 epicentre, followed by Gauteng and KZN – the latter of which breached the 1,000 mark.
Directive to Freeze Bank Accounts of Attached List of Ecocash and OneMoney Customers (Agents) Suspected of Involvement in Illicit Foreign Currency Transactions and / or Money Laundering
Please find attached list of Ecocash and One Money customers suspected of involvement in illicit foreign currency transactions and / or money laundering.
You are directed to identify all accounts of the listed persons / entities that are linked either to Ecocash or to One Money (i.e. accounts that allow the customer to move funds between the bank account and the mobile money wallet, and / or vice versa) and to, immediately freeze such accounts. You are also required to submit by close of business on 3 May 2020, KYC information in respect of each customer, including (a) details of the accounts identified and frozen including balances, (b) business address of the entity, (c) names of all directors (d) name and contact details of the MD/CEO (e) list of the shareholders (f) list of the Ultimate Beneficial Owners and (g) the entity’s nature of business and source of funds. It is critical that the freezing be effected immediately as any delay can result in funds being moved from the accounts before freezing is effected.
Oliver Chiperesa Acting Director-General Financial Intelligence Unit 1 Ensuring Financial Integrity List of Ecocash Agent Accounts to be Frozen: 1 May 2020
user name CALM YIELDS LTD INTERCREST CAPITAL MICROFINANCE TREZOR INVESTMENTS LINSA INVESTMENTS MUBEREKWA INVESTMENTS SHUMBA MONEY PVT LTD VERSACE INVESTMENTS PVT LTD WALTROP INVESTMENTS TITANIUM CAPITAL PL NOMRE MOTORS BENSPEAKERS INVESTMENTS HENNYLORGEY PVT LTD CUBE QUANTUM PHAMACEUTICALS PVT LTD LIQUIFIRM PVT LTD MABHUSA INVESTMENTS (PVT) LTD CALM YIELDS PVT LTD DUO VALLEY COMMODITY BROKERS PVT LTD INTERCREST CAPITAL MR BILLS ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION pv-r LTD DELONIX TRADING COASTBRIDGE INVESTMENTS PAUREDGE TOBACCO REHANDLING PVT LTD OSHUN ENTERPRISES KAY MUDONHI INVESTMENTS JURYFIN INV NT ELECTRONICS KAY MUDONHt INVESTMENTS MC MEATS 1 PVT LTD CUSHION ME pvr LTD DERIVATIVES RESOURCES PL GIGABYTE CONSULTANTS PVT LTD CHEMMODITIES TRADING PVT LTD GRACE OF ALL TIMES CAR SALES PVT LTD CUBE QUANTUM PHAMACEUTICALS PVT LTD LIQUIFIRM PVT LTD DK INVESTMENTS PBC JACK AND PRIDE ELECTRONICS CELLBASE ELECTRONICS BLUE-SKY INVESTMENTS WHIRLWYN HOLDINGS ETG PARROGATE ZIMBABWE QUEEN WEALTH INVESTMENTS
The Premier League has announced that they are willing to continue with the 2019-20 season should government allow it.
92 matches remain pending in the English top flight, which was temporarily put on hold in March owing to the escalation of the Covid-19 pandemic and despite other leagues in Europe being cancelled, the League officials announced on Friday that they are willing to continue with the seaon if given the green light to do so.
“At a meeting of Premier League Shareholders today, clubs discussed possible steps towards planning to resume the 2019/20 season, when it is safe and appropriate to do so.
It was reiterated that the thoughts of all are with those directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, the Premier League’s priority is the health and safety of players, coaches, managers, club staff, supporters and the wider community.
The League and clubs are considering the first tentative moves forward and will only return to training and playing with Government guidance, under expert medical advice and after consultation with players and managers.
The League welcomed the creation of the Government medical working group for a return of elite sport, which met for the first time this morning.
No decisions were taken at Friday’s Shareholders’ meeting and clubs exchanged views on the information provided regarding “Project Restart”.
It was agreed that the PFA, LMA, players and managers are key to this process and will be further consulted.
The clubs reconfirmed their commitment to finishing the 2019/20 season, maintaining integrity of the competition and welcomed the Government’s support,” read a statement on the Premier League website.
I am pleased by the commendable manner in which you continue to respond to the lockdown in our quest to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is now 34 days since we began the national lockdown. To date, our country has had 34 confirmed cases. Of these, five have recovered, while four are late. Five of the 10 provinces have recorded positive cases. From the upward trajectory of infections, it is evident that our country is yet to reach its peak.
The pandemic has continued to put a strain on both the nation’s livelihood and on businesses. Its adverse impact on the economy and on social lives has been severe.
As we plan to slowly return to a normal way of life, it is important that we adopt a National Strategy of possible exits from the lockdown, informed by the imperatives of Zimbabwe and its peculiarities. Our priority remains to reduce transmissions of Covid-19, and to gradually re-start the economy, without undermining the efforts to contain the pandemic.
A brief study has been made on how some jurisdictions in Africa have contained the prevalence of infections and also how they are adjusting to, or exiting from their respective approaches. The results have differed from country to country, with a number witnessing varied levels of spikes in infections after easing restrictions.
In our case, the lockdown has proved to be an effective strategy to curtail the proliferation of the disease in the country. In addition, measures such as the mandatory quarantine and isolation of all returnees have been key in achieving low figures.
Due to the high rate of imported cases from returnees from the UK, we must scale up public awareness on the danger posed by our returnees from the UK and other hotspots.
Our response to the challenge of Covid-19 has been enhanced by the establishment of the Covid-19 National Taskforce to lead and manage the national response.
This structure together with the setting up of the Covid-19 Disaster Fund saw a multi-sectoral response from the private sector, donors and the international community, which enriched our collective resources, competencies and skills.
It is imperative that our nation continues to act on two fronts, namely saving people’s lives on one hand, and saving the national economy, on the other hand.
Hence, we have gradually lifted lockdown restrictions in some sectors such as mining and the marketing of tobacco.
Noticing that there is now a gradual increase of infections, the lockdown will continue for the next 14 days, however relaxed to Level 2. This entails the following adjustments:
All people must wear masks of any type, including home-made ones, outside their homes. The re-opening of industry and commence, provided that companies must ensure mandatory Rapid Diagnostic Testing of all employees, social distancing in the workplace, sanitisation and that all employees wear masks. Operating hours shall be from 8:00am to 3:00pm. For the avoidance of doubt the informal sector remains closed, except the agriculture and food supply chains (markets). All those who are vulnerable should approach the Department of Social Welfare to register for assistance. Public buses only, will be the mode of public transport. Omnibuses (kombis) and smaller taxis are still not permitted to operate. Bus operators must ensure that their buses are disinfected twice daily, and that commuters wear masks, have their temperatures checked and hands sanitised before boarding buses. Social distancing must also be maintained within all buses.
Industry, commerce and bus operators can only re-open and operate upon fulfilling the outlined requirements. Health inspection teams will immediately randomly check for compliance. Those who fail to comply will be stopped from operating. The maintenance of mandatory and quarantine protocols in line with regional and international standards will continue. Returning residents and international travellers to the country will be put on a 21-day mandatory quarantine with full testing on Day 1, Day 8 and Day 21. Churches, gyms, bottle stores, bars, beerhalls and other leisure and recreational facilities remain closed.
Gatherings of less than 50 people are to be maintained. This partial relaxing to Level 2 is designed to restart certain sectors of the economy, while recognising the compelling credence in maintaining the lockdown.
Overall, we must remain cautious for as long as the infection curve has not converged with our health delivery readiness curve. To this end, new laboratories have been identified to increase and decentralise testing. We envisage that this will further increase the numbers of people tested so as to inform transmission patterns and response strategies.
Zimbabwe’s strategy and response to the pandemic, as outlined above, has taken into account our nation’s realities. These include:
The illegal sanctions and the associated vulnerabilities and sensitivities. A large informal economy which will impact on the nature, scope and anticipated impact of our interventions. An economy which is highly import-dependent, a situation that has exposed us to the shocks of disruptions in the external supply chain as source countries imposed lockdowns, and as international freight systems are crippled. A notable Diaspora population from the red zones many of whom are opting to come back home, thereby threatening to constitute a large number of imported cases in the country.
The continued partial lockdown is therefore critical to contain the spread of the virus, and Government has seen it fit to equally mitigate the debilitating effects of the pandemic on the economy. As such, we have put in place an Economic Rescue and Stimulus Package to respond to Covid-19.
So far our response to this pandemic has seen us putting in place a ZW$18 billion Economic Rescue and Stimulus Package, which amounts to 9 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or 28,6 percent of the 2020 National Budget. The package is proportionate to the disruption the virus has caused in our national economy.
This Economic Rescue and Stimulus Package is designed to scale-up production in all the sectors of the economy in response to the adverse effects of Covid-19.
The package will also be used to address the needs of the small-scale industries, improve health facilities, reduce poverty and hardships and assist vulnerable groups in our society.
While most countries will continue to benefit from financing packages from multilateral lenders like the IMF, World Bank and AfDB, Zimbabwe will unfortunately not benefit.
However, we remain grateful for the bilateral support we continue to receive from countries such as the People’s Republic of China, United Kingdom, India, United States of America, the United Arab Emirates, African Union and the European Union, among others. We equally commend the business community, humanitarian organisations and non-governmental organisations who are assisting the country at this time of great need.
Our Rescue and Stimulus Package of ZW$18 billion is therefore based on our aspiration to meet the diverse requirements of our national economy that include capacitating the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as well as those in the informal sector. These institutions have borne the worst brunt of the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. An amount of ZW$500 million of the package has been set aside for the micro, small medium enterprise sector to assist this sector.
The lack of income for the small companies and individuals has resulted in an increased number of vulnerable households in the country.
This situation has been worsened by the ongoing drought which has led to huge food deficits requiring imports to bridge the gap of our requirements.
Government is therefore introducing a food grant programme to the tune of ZW$2, 4 billion for the rest of 2020.
This window is earmarked to protect the vulnerable members of our society, while additional resources will be allocated for the provision of social welfare services including the needs of pensioners.
Meanwhile, another amount of ZW$500 million will be set aside for the tourism and hospitality industry, a sector which has been hardest hit by the lockdown.
The mining sector is the largest foreign currency earner in our economy. In order to incentivise investment in this sector, a credit support facility of ZW$1 billion will be availed. This is designed to support large- and small-scale miners, as well as speed up the implementation of a computerised Mining Cadastral System.
To ensure employment levels are maintained or even increased where possible, an amount of ZW$3 billion will be for the manufacturing sector to assist with funding to cover capital and operational expenses.
An amount of ZW$6, 1 billion shall be dedicated to stimulate agricultural production in our quest to ensure that the country becomes self-sufficient in food production.
Over and above the efforts made to date to strengthen the health sector, Government is enhancing funding to the health sector by an additional ZW$1 billion from the facility, which will see the up-scaling of the country’s hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
The funds will also be used to procure the much needed Covid- 19 testing kits, personal protective equipment (PPEs) for the medical personnel, and for the purchase of drugs.
An income tax break is hereby instituted with immediate effect for healthcare workers and health care institutions, for at least six months.
The funds to be availed to the productive sectors of the economy that include agriculture, tourism, mining, manufacturing and the MSMEs will be accessed through normal banking channels. Concessional terms and conditions that include interest rate of 10 percent per annum, will apply. A grace period of six months and repayment periods varying from one to four years, depending on the nature and scope of business to be financed, will be applicable.
On another note, you will recall that, I held an indaba in Bulawayo last year with players in our creative cultural industry. Generally, this is an industry which thrives on crowds by way of shows, performances and exhibitions. Expectedly, the lockdown has denied this vital sector the crowds which are its vital lifeline.
I have therefore instructed the Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation, Dr Kirsty Coventry, to make a proposal to Government on how best this sector can be helped to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
We are optimistic that this ZW$18 billion Economic Rescue and Stimulus Package will re-launch the Zimbabwean economy on a strong trajectory, characterised by higher productivity and supportive of job retention and creation.
Turning to the education sector, we are all aware that the current Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted teaching and learning in schools, colleges and universities.
The ministries of Primary and Secondary Education and that of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development have been in constant consultations with parents, guardians, teachers, heads of schools, principals of colleges, university vice chancellors and teachers’ unions on how to ensure the safe re-opening of schools, colleges and universities. Discussions are ongoing.
However, it is clear that our country is not yet in a position to re-open schools, colleges and universities.
A number of health conditions must be met first to guarantee the safety of pupils, students, teachers, other workers in the education systems and the entire nation.
To this end, the two Ministries of Education are working closely with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development with regards to the necessary steps towards the re-opening process.
Government is aware that there are final examination classes, which are scheduled to complete their studies this year, including others who were left with a few weeks to complete their programmes.
The re-opening strategy will, thus, prioritise students who are taking their final examinations this year.
Furthermore, the two ministries are working with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and our cooperating partners to put in place online and distance learning facilities to ensure that the students continue having access to learning materials.
The announcement of the re-opening dates will be made at the appropriate time, but for now, schools remain closed.
I appeal to all stakeholders to continue to appreciate and recognise that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic presents a continuously evolving health situation that requires extreme caution on the part of Government in order to protect everyone in the entire nation.
We would rather err on the side of caution and not on the side of recklessness. We are all individually and collectively responsible for the implementation of these measures. Let us all play our part.
A File Picture of a soldier assaulting a foreign journalist as the army dispersed protesters in the streets of Harare
State Media|Zimbabwe will tomorrow join the rest of the world in commemorating the World Press Freedom Day. World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity for the United Nations member states to recognise the importance of the press and to take stock of the developments in the media sector.
In a statement to mark the commemorations, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the media played a critical role in a society by providing the public with important information which informs decision making.
Minister Mutsvangwa said media practitioners should be allowed to operate in a democratic and conducive environment.
“Democracy is now universally acceptable as the standard and ideal form of governance,” she said. “To realise democratic rule and fulfil its ethos, the people need to be informed. That is why World Press Freedom Day is so vital as the life blood of the democratic rule.
“Reporters and journalists are the agents of searching, processing and spreading information to the general public. It is, therefore, important that their ability to carry out this task is not tampered with. They must be given the space so that they can speak truths. Safety of their working environment is very crucial.
“The threats of death, imprisonment of reporters and journalists has no place in civilised societies. It is also important to ensure that press workers’ welfare is improved through provision of decent working conditions and life rewarding salaries.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said the Government of Zimbabwe was fully committed to the principles of press freedom obtained in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights.
“The Government’s commitment to these regional and international instruments is reinforced by our own country’s supreme law, the constitution, section 61 and 62 provides for these freedoms,” she said.
“It is, therefore, befitting to observe the day and raise awareness among our people on the importance of press freedom.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said this year’s World Press Freedom Day commemoration came at a time when Zimbabwe and the whole world were locked in a life and death combat against Covid-19.
“These are trying times and Government through the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services has been consulting widely on how best to support this sector during and beyond Covid-19,” she said.
“The media plays a critical role in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic. Citizens depend on the media services for information that empowers them to adequately respond and implement the necessary measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said due to the critical role played by journalists, Government had seen it befitting to include them among the essential service providers and for them to be given the necessary support while carrying out their work.
“Government has also emphasised the need to ensure that journalists’ safety is guaranteed and that all media workers have access to protective clothing and equipment,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa implored media practitioners to practice quality and professional journalism to defeat fake news.
“On their part, journalists have to improve on the standards of the profession,” she said. “Report in an informative and analytical way. Avoid the temptation of tabloid sensationalism, this is why my Ministry with cooperating partners carried out a number of training workshops for journalists to improve on their Covid-19 reporting skills.
“Government has adopted stringent policies against the spread of false information and it is our belief that the measures put in place provide good grounds for credible journalism to thrive.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said in pursuing vision 2030, aptly articulated by President Mnangagwa, Government had been taking leadership in ensuring that it created a conducive environment for the media sector.
“Since last year, Government through the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services has sponsored two Bills that will repeal the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA),” she said.
“The other law that looks at the regulation of the media and maintenance of professional standards, Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill, is at the second stage of reading in Parliament.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said Cabinet approved the principals of the other law that dealt with the right to privacy, as well as the amendment to the Broadcasting Services Act.
“To demonstrate Government’s commitment to press freedom values of access to plural and diverse media services, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) has opened for applications for community radio and private television stations,” she said.
A SHOPOWNER in Gwanda has been arrested after she operated an unlicensed beer outlet in defiance of the prevailing lockdown order resulting in the murder of one of the patrons at her premises.
Preceptous Amy Ngubo (31) who operates Thandabantu Store at Nyandeni Village in Mtshabezi area of Gwanda North sold beer to patrons who later engaged in a dispute resulting in the death of one of them.
Ngubo was convicted on her own plea of guilty to opening a business establishment during lockdown and operating a shop business without a licence by Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda. For the first count, she was fined $4 800 or sentenced to six months imprisonment in case of default. She was further sentenced to three months imprisonment which was suspended on condition that she does not commit a similar offence within the next three years.
For the second count, Ngubo was ordered to pay a $500 fine or sentenced to 60 days imprisonment in case of default. She was ordered to have paid the fine on or before June 30.
In passing the sentence, Mrs Sibanda said she had spared Ngubo jail after considering that she had a minor child.
“In passing my sentence, I considered that you are a female first offender. You are also a mother who has a minor child. The court didn’t consider a custodial sentence as it will be too harsh. The court is encouraged to give first offenders an opportunity to repent while outside prison. You are also a care giver and your imprisonment might affect the life of the child,” she said.
“The court has considered a fine and suspended sentenced as an appropriate sentence which will guard your behaviour in the future.”
Prosecuting, Miss Glenda Nare said on April 23 Ngubo who is from Salibeni Village in Gwanda opened Thandabantu Store, a general dealer shop which was not exempted to operate.
Miss Nare said Ngubo sold beer to patrons who consumed on the premises and later got drunk resulting in a dispute that left a man dead. She said Ngubo had no right to operate a shop which is not an essential service provider.
Miss Nare said while carrying out investigations, police discovered that Ngubo operated the shop without a valid licence.
The United Nations (UN) agencies namely UNESCO, UNICEF, World Food Program (WFP) with the World Bank have jointly issued guidelines which should serve as a roadmap for safe reopening of schools across the globe.
“633 million students live in countries that have announced a date for the reopening of schools,” UN tweeted on Friday.
The report noted that the covid-19 pandemic which forced schools to close still posed a greater danger to the education, well being and nutrition of children.
“We know the longer children stay out of school, the less likely they are to ever return. ; unless we prioritize the reopening of schools – when it is safe to do so – we will likely see a devastating reversal in education gains,” Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director stated.
Hence,the report urged national and local authorities to consider its practical steps before reopening schools
Below are guidelines :
POLICY REFORM:
“Policy implications address all dimensions of the guidelines, including clear policies for school opening and closure during public health emergencies, reforms needed to expand equitable access for marginalised and out of school children as well as strengthen and standardize remote learning practices.”
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS:
“Address the impact of COVID-19 on education and invest in strengthening education systems for recovery and resilience.
SAFE OPERATIONS:
“Ensure conditions that reduce disease transmission, safeguard essential services and supplies and promote healthy behaviour. This includes access to soap and clean water for safe handwashing, procedures on when staff or students feel unwell, protocols on social distancing and good hygiene practices.
COMPENSATING LEARNING:
“Focus on practices that compensate for lost instructional time, strengthen pedagogy and build on hybrid learning models such as integrating approaches in remote and distance education.
This must include knowledge on disease transmission and prevention.
WELLNESS and PROTECTION:
“Expand the focus on students’ well-being and reinforce the protection of children through enhanced referral mechanisms and the provision of essential school-based services including healthcare and school feeding.
REACHING THE MOST MARGINALIZED:
“Adapt school opening policies and practices to expand access to marginalised groups such as previously out-of-school children, displaced and migrant children and minorities. Diversify critical communications and outreach by making them available in relevant languages and in accessible formats.”
633 million students live in countries that have announced a date for the reopening of schools.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has annouced that the COVID19 pandemic ravaging the world is still far from being over.
The announcement came as a result of countries who gradually began to relax their lockdown measures.
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, who is the Director General of The World Health Organisation(WHO) announced on his Twitter handle, appealing that there is more work to be done.
The Director General revealed that countries must make sure they trace, isolate and treat infected patients properly, saying that lives will be lost if not properly handled and that every single life is very precious.
As cases begins to decline in Europe, Dr Ghebreyesus in his statement said:
“The pandemic is far from over”
“I repeat, the pandemic is far from over,”.
The Director General was concern over the alarming rate of the COVID19 pandemic in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
He noted that if countries come together in the fight, the COVID19 pandemic can be defeated.
The DG also shows concern that the health of children was being threatened by the impact of the COVID19 emergency on vaccination programmes for other diseases.
Paul Nyathi|Secretary’ “for” Information Ndabaningi Nick Mangwana says Zimbabwe’s lockdown period started on level 4 and has been reduced to level 2 by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zimbabweans had taken to social media to ask government officials what President Emmerson Mnangagwa meant by saying Zimbabwe is on stage 2.
Opposition MDC Youth Leader Discent Bajila wrote:
Once upon a time I was a serious propagandist. I hated, and continue to hate inbound attacks. However, once we did it on a particular cadre.
We wrote a flyer narrating his evil deeds and labeled it VOLUME 8. The intention was that after reading this Volume, he goes mad chasing after non existent Volumes 1 to 7.
What reminds me of this incident is today’s announcement that we are going to Level 2 of Lockdown. Its unknown whether we are coming from Level 3 or 1.
Government mouth piece Nick Mangwana has since responded indicating that Zimbabwe is on a downward slide from level four which was apparently never mentioned before.
MALEVELS: ➖Our #LockdownZim started on level 4 which was a total lockdown ➖2 weeks ago HE President @edmnangagwa downgraded it to level 3 where mines etc were allowed to operate. ➖On Monday we are moving to Level 2 where some industry and commerce is operations
Giving an update on the Covid-19 pandemic at State House Mnangagwa said the lockdown has proved to be effective in mitigating the further spread of Covid-19.
“We have gradually lifted lockdown restrictions in some sectors such as mining and the marketing of tobacco. Noticing that there is now a gradual increase of infections, the lockdown will continue for the next 14 days, however, relaxed to Level 2,” said President Mnangagwa.
Paul Nyathi|Zimbabwe on Thursday said it had recorded six more coronavirus cases, pushing the number of people that have tested positive to the flu-like disease to 40.
The six cases were recorded in the capital Harare, which had become the coronavirus or Covid-19 hotpot with 19 cases.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health and Child Care recorded two new cases in the second largest city of Bulawayo, which now has 12 cases.
Come Friday evening updates, the Ministry of Health and Child Care reduced the figure down to 34 after disputing the results of the six who tested positive in Harare.
All the six people in question are apparently health care workers at Parirenyatwa Hospital, three nurses, two doctors and a general hand.
A medical practitioner in Harare forewarned ZimEye.com on Friday afternoon that government was working at reducing the count.
“We are yet to get a report on the clinical errors that happened for the samples to test positive when they are negative. We hear all the six are negative and a downward adjustment on the national cumulative figure of confirmed cases is expected tonight,” Medical practitioner
Addressing the nation late Friday afternoon, before the Ministry of Health and Child Care produced its revised figures, President Emmerson Mnangagwa already said that Zimbabwe had 34 cases instead of 40 which was officially published.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care said it had carried out fresh tests on the six people that tested positive for coronavirus in Harare following an ‘unusual clustering’ of cases.
In an update of tests carried out on Thursday, which was delivered on Friday, the ministry said it was carrying out a quality assurance process.
“The ministry would like to report that following an unusual clustering of six cases that were reported as positive from Harare (on Wednesday), these results were, therefore, considered interim and hence additional tests have been conducted as part of the laboratory quality management system to validate these results in line with the laboratory standard operating procedures and protocols as well as international practices,” read part of the update.
Last week, the ministry had to revise the number of people that tested positive to the disease after a Bulawayo case was “counted twice” following a retest.
Besides the Ministry’s new figures, the world appears to have rejected the move as the official on the minute world count of Coronavirus Cases indicates that Zimbabwe still has forty cases as of Saturday morning. The global count further indicates Zimbabwe now has five recoveries while the Ministry of Health and Child Care reported four.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his first public appearance in 20 days as he celebrated the completion of a fertilizer factory near Pyongyang, state media said Saturday, ending an absence that had triggered global rumors that he may be seriously ill.
The North’s official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim attended the ceremony Friday in Sunchon with other senior officials, including his sister Kim Yo Jong, who many analysts predict would take over if her brother is suddenly unable to rule.
The official Rodong Sinmun newspaper published several photos of Kim wearing black and smiling as he looked around the factory and cut a red ribbon, his sister looking from behind.
One of the photos showed him smiling and clapping with his sister and other senior officials under a sign that read “Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Factory: Completion Ceremony: May 1, 2020.” Seemingly thousands of workers, many of them masked, stood in lines at the massive complex, releasing balloons into the air.
The images gave no clear sign that Kim was in discomfort. He wasn’t seen with a walking stick, like the one he used in 2014 when he was recovering from a presumed ankle surgery. However, one of the photos at the factory showed a green electric cart, which appeared similar to a vehicle he used in 2014.
It was Kim’s first public appearance since April 11, when he presided over a ruling Workers’ Party meeting to discuss the coronavirus and reappoint his sister as an alternate member of the powerful decision-making Political Bureau of the party’s Central Committee. That move confirmed her substantial role in the government.
Speculation about his health swirled after he missed the April 15 birthday celebration for his late grandfather Kim Il Sung, the country’s most important holiday, for the first time since taking power in 2011.
The possibility of high-level instability raised troubling questions about the future of the secretive, nuclear-armed state that has been steadily building an arsenal meant to threaten the U.S. mainland while diplomacy between Kim and President Donald Trump has stalled.
Some experts say South Korea, as well as its regional neighbors and ally Washington, must begin preparing for the possible chaos that could come if Kim is sidelined by health problems or even dies. Worst-case scenarios include North Korean refugees flooding South Korea or China or military hard-liners letting loose nuclear weapons.
“The world is largely unprepared for instability in North Korea,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “Washington, Seoul and Tokyo need tighter coordination on contingency plans while international organizations need more resources and less controversy over the role of China.”
South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which deals with inter-Korean affairs, confirmed Kim’s visit to the fertilizer factory and said it was part of his efforts to emphasize economic development. The ministry called for discretion on information related to North Korea, saying that the “groundless” rumors of past weeks have caused “unnecessary confusion and cost” for South Korea’s society and financial markets.
South Korea’s government, which has a mixed record of tracking Pyongyang’s ruling elite, repeatedly downplayed speculation that Kim, believed to be 36, was in poor health following surgery.
The office of President Moon Jae-in said it detected no unusual signs in North Korea or any emergency reaction by its ruling party, military and cabinet. Seoul said it believed Kim was still managing state affairs but staying at an unspecified location outside Pyongyang.
The KCNA said workers at the fertilizer factory broke into “thunderous cheers” for Kim, who it said is guiding the nation in a struggle to build a self-reliant economy in the face of “head wind” by “hostile forces.”
The report didn’t mention any direct comment toward Washington or Seoul.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump declined to comment about Kim’s reappearance but said he would “have something to say about it at the appropriate time.”
State media reported Kim was carrying out routine activities outside public view, such as sending greetings to the leaders of Syria, Cuba and South Africa and expressing gratitude to workers building tourist facilities in the coastal town of Wonsan, where some speculated he was staying.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused Kim’s absence in past weeks. In 2014, Kim vanished from the public eye for nearly six weeks and then reappeared with a cane. South Korea’s spy agency said he had a cyst removed from his ankle.
Analysts say his health could become an increasing factor in years ahead: he’s overweight, smokes and drinks, and has a family history of heart issues.
If he’s suddenly unable to rule, some analysts said his sister would be installed as leader to continue Pyongyang’s heredity dynasty that began after World War II.
But others question whether core members of North Korea’s elite, mostly men in their 60s or 70s, would find it hard to accept a young and untested female leader who lacks military credentials. Some predict a collective leadership or violent power struggles.
Following an unusually provocative run in missile and nuclear tests in 2017, Kim used the Winter Olympics in South Korea to initiate negotiations with Washington and Seoul in 2018. That led to a surprising series of summits, including three between Kim and Trump.
But negotiations have faltered in past months over disagreements in exchanging sanctions relief and disarmament steps, which raised doubts about whether Kim would ever fully deal away an arsenal he likely sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.
Kim entered 2020 vowing to build up his nuclear stockpile and defeat sanctions through economic “self-reliance.” Some experts say the North’s self-imposed lockdown amid the coronavirus crisis could potentially hamper his ability to mobilize people for labor.
NIGERIAN Prophet TB Joshua is once again the talk of the town, with new tactics of ending the coronavirus pandemic.
The prophet allegedly went on a 40-day fast at a secret mountain to present the nations to God in prayer to end the virus
The Founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua has shared photos and video of himself praying and fasting on a mountain for coronavirus disease to end.
This is not the first time the Synagogue Church leader has trended on the news regarding the coronavirus.
Last month, he predicted the virus would disappear on 27 March, but nothing happened.
“We ask for fresh anointing to fill every minister of the Gospel. Fill them, LORD! Fill them for the journey! Without anointing, no one can do Your work. Without anointing, our challenges will overwhelm us, overpower us.” – TB Joshua pic.twitter.com/PpeCxStTfM
Although Joshua came under heavy attack among Nigerians on social media who described his prophecy as fake, some Chinese citizens and residents comfirmed that coronavirus actually ended in Wuhan city on March 27th after several days of rainfall.
Series of photos and video circulating online shows the cleric praying on a mountain for God to heal the world of the coronavirus disease.
A 29-year-old Binga man suspected to be mentally challenged allegedly raped his uncle’s wife after she refused to give him water to drink.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese confirmed the alleged rape and said the accused, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the complainant, was arrested.
She said the complainant aged 52, was at home having supper with her husband’s second wife when the accused arrived and asked for water.
The accused stayed at his parents’ homestead next to the complainant’s place of residence in Manjolo Village under Chief Binga.
“We received a report of rape where a man believed to be mentally disturbed arrived home at around 8PM on 25 April and asked for some water to drink. The complainant was at home in the company of her husband’s second wife as they were having supper. They told the accused that there was no water,” said Chief Insp Makonese.
The accused allegedly became angry and shouted at the top of his voice. The two women got terrified and ran in different directions, leaving their food.
“The accused person chased after the complainant and caught up with her. He allegedly tripped her and raped her once,” said Chief Insp Makonese.
Chronicle was told that the complainant screamed for help and drew the attention of the accused’s father who found his son raping the woman.
The accused fled from the scene when he saw his father approaching.
A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the accused on the following day. The complainant was referred to Binga District Hospital for medical examination.
By Artwel Chingwara Sithole| The highly intoxicating illicit beer popularly known as Mukozodo, has been linked to outlandish behaviour by mostly young people in Chipinge.
This conclusion was reached after a network of highly intoxicated youths were linked to crimes such as cattle and goat rustling,assault, burglary and attempted rape.
Among the key suspects by the community were the Chikwendekwende brothers from Gumira village who have since been nabbed by the villagers following a tip off.
The trio brothers were caught in the act when they were skinning a stolen beast.
The three brothers have since revealed a string of other network members who are still on the run.
Since the start of the lockdown on 30 March 2020, there has been worrying cases of crime such as livestock theft ,harvesting of villagers’ maize and sorghum in the cover of the night.
Communities with the highest reported cases are Sakuinje,Matikwa Gumira,Muumbe and Konjana among others.
The nabbed Chikwendekwende brothers have linked this reporter to a web of young boys and men who are drug addicts including the mukozodo brew.There is also a myth suggesting that those who are taking muzokodo will be immune from covid-19.
The illicit mukozodo is highly intoxicating due to the ethanol component in the mixture.
Apparently, the ethanol used is also a result of loot from Greenfuel in Chisumbanje.
Our PYCD community networks who are assisting us to monitor compliance of the lockdown have confirmed that many homesteads are still gathering people who are drinking irregardless of the risk associated with gatherings during this period of Covid -19.
During these drinking sprees and binges, the young people would dance to loud music while braaing stolen meat which they also sell to the unsuspecting public and revellers.
Concern is being raised for the law enforcing agents and the public to increase surveillance for such risky activities that are exposing the communities to Covid 19
By Jane Mlambo| Opposition MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa yesterday prayed for Zimbabweans in the diaspora who tested positive to coronavirus pandemic while participating in a programme dubbed #CheckOnSomeone.
According to MDC North America Province Chairperson Tawanda Dzvokora, Chamisa took time to chat and pray with five members who are bravely fighting the deadly pandemic.
Below is the MDC North America Province COVID-19 Update
COVID19 Update
Today President Nelson Chamisa did a very good thing. The People’s President participated in our #CheckOnSomeone program. He however targeted our members who are COVID19 positive. We have five members that are bravely fighting the disease. The President took time to chat and pray with these members. Once again the feedback I got from members and the President is priceless. The biggest take away though was, not only do we have a God fearing President but a loving and caring President which are rare qualities glaringly missing from present Government.
May God bless the People’s President Advocate Nelson Chamisa
By A Correspondent| All eyes are set on the murder-accused ZANU PF strongman, and UMA institute, Cleopas Kundiona after the horrific accident that left Marondera West MP Caston Matewu with broken ribs last night.
Kundiona who lost to Matewu in the 2018 polls, has a history of murder trials that goes back to over 20 years ago, in 2000.
He once appeared before the High Court after the Zanu-PF candidate for Marondera West, the late Rufaro Gwanzura’s campaign manager, was shot during the race for the June 2000 parliamentary elections.
Kundiona also appeared on trial for allegedly murdering Mr Musekiwa Mufakwadziya. More than 103 MDC supporters were killed between the years 2000 and 2002.
Yesterday, his competitor, Matewu was involved in a highly suspicious accident while on a short 7 km journey to Marondera town centre. His vehicle suddenly veered off the road and uprooted a tree, injuring all passengers inside the vehicle. (See details below). On the spot witness statements say it veered off the road on its own.
He was traveling from Rufaro Dam to Marondera.
A side report submitted last night suggests there were gunshots fired at Matewu’s car resulting in the accident.
A vehicle carrying soldiers and an unnamed Intelligence Officer was first to arrive at the scene. They assisted in getting MP Matewu to hospital, a family source told ZimEye.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Update from the hospital is that Hon. Caston Matewu has 2 broken ribs on the left, George, a broken arm and Mazambani Matewu's manager has suffered 3 broken ribs. pic.twitter.com/ZxwqADs1Cf
By P Mawoyo| Opposition MDC Secretary for Public Service and So also Welfare Maureen Kademaunga addressed North American Province during an e-rally that was held in the hours leading into Workers Day.
Kademaunga commended members who are working tirelessly in the frontlines and risking their own lives daily in the struggle against an invisible enemy in this pandemic.
To date 15 Zimbabweans in America have succumbed to COVID-19, and many more are fighting for their lives.
Five NAP members have also tested positive for COVID. Hon. Kademaunga and the leadership at large is aware that the impact of the virus on families has been devastating to say the least and they stand with all those who have been affected.
The NAP has been working with the Department of Social Services within MDC-Alliance and has fostered a good relationship with the department. She acknowledged the contributions made by the NAP and highlighted that these have assisted the department in carrying out its mandate. Regarding accountability of such donations, the Party’s policy is that all funding received is documented by treasury in addition to accountability through external audits.
The COVID crisis in Zimbabwe has left many vulnerable and much of the aid from external organizations has been politicized. The ruling party has to be held accountable for failing to release aid to the population in general as this has left many Zimbabweans exposed. However, MDC-Alliance has been working through its elected officials to provide assistance not only to its members, but to the community in general.
Hon. Kademaunga spoke of the court ruling that has sparked conversation and resulted in a lot of misinformation. The party has faced and overcome similar challenges in the past and this current one is no exception. However, members should not lose heart as the party is on track with its objectives. The ultimate goal is to deliver a new Zimbabwe with better economic conditions.
By A Correspondent| Despite President Emmerson Mnangagwa extending the national lockdown by a further 14 days albeit re-opening the larger part of the economy, intercity movement remains restricted together with gymnasiums, bars and churches.
In his address yesterday afternoon, Mnangagwa said the country had moved to stage two of the national lockdown with industry and commerce allowed to resume operations after subjecting workers to temperature screening and sanitatization.
As part of the conditions for further relaxation, it will be compulsory to wear masks in reopened businesses and outside homes, although these can be home-made, and reopened businesses will have to have all staff tested by public health authorities before opening and have temperature scanners.
“All people must wear masks of any type, including home-made ones, outside their homes,” he said.
“The reopening of industry and commerce, provided that companies must ensure mandatory rapid diagnostic testing of all employees, social distancing in the workplace, sanitisation and that all employees wear masks. Operating hours shall be from 8am to 3pm,” said Mnangagwa.
On public transport system, Mnangagwa said only buses will be allowed to ferry people with kombis and smaller taxis still banned while intercity movement remain restricted.
“Public buses only, will be the mode of public transport. Omnibuses, (kombis) and smaller taxis are still not permitted to operate.
“Bus operators must ensure that their buses are disinfected twice daily, and that commuters wear masks, have their temperatures checked and hands sanitised before boarding buses. Social distancing must also be maintained within all buses,” President Mnangagwa said.
He said only those in industry and commerce and the bus operators that could fulfill these requirements would be allowed to re-open and operate.
Luck finally ran out for two suspected Norton armed robbers who had terrorised various parts of the city stealing motor vehicles, cash and other valuables amounting to US$86 455 and $193 675.
Each time the two struck in the company of their six alleged accomplices who are on the run, they would threaten to shoot their victims whom they stripped of valuables at gunpoint.
They allegedly committed the offences while armed with AK47 rifles and pistols.
George Gift Dandemutande (28) and Robson Manezho (30), both of Marshlands Norton, appeared in court on Thursday facing four counts of armed robbery and one of unlawful entry.
The two appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Richard Ramaboa, who remanded them in custody and advised them to apply for bail at the High Court owing to the gravity of their offences.
They will be back in court on May 14.
On the first count, prosecutor Mr George Manokore alleged that the eight-member gang waylaid businessman Mr Farai Mwaita just after midnight on his way home from his shop.
They held him hostage before robbing him of $2 800, US$1 100 and five mobile phones.
The gang also stole command agriculture vouchers for 6,8 tonnes Compound D fertiliser, 6,8 tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate and agriculture chemicals, which were in his car.
They allegedly took Mr Mwaita to his bar where they loaded cartons of cigarettes and crates of beer and whiskey into his Nissan Hardbody and drove off.
In total, Mr Mwaita lost cash and valuables amounting to US$30 000 and $2 800.
On March 29, at around 6pm, the gang, the court heard, went to Mr Musa Phiri’s house where it manhandled him together with his family.
One of the gang members fired a shot at Mr Phiri, which grazed part of his face.
They allegedly ransacked the house and stole US$21 785 and $200 cash.
They further stole a pistol, three laptops, seven cellphones and an assortment of groceries which they loaded into Mr Phiri’s Toyota Hilux double cab and drove away.
The value of property stolen at Mr Phiri’s house is US$56 455.
On Independence Day, the gang allegedly pounced on Ephraim Masongo at around 10pm and tied his hands and legs before stealing his mobile phone.
They broke into three shops in Norton and stole $6 600 cash, a television set, a radio set, crates of beer, cartons of cigarettes and foodstuffs valued at $42 245.
A few hours later, they robbed Pearson Mabhaudhi of cash and his vehicle, a Nissan Tilder, all valued at $137 430.
It is the State’s case that using the same method, the gang broke into Mr Luckmore Kamuteku’s butchery and went away with meat, crates of soft drinks and beers, z laptop and maize worth $11 000.
Investigations led to Dandemutande and Manezho’s arrest who were found with part of the stolen goods.
Datendemutande was found with one of the pistols which were being used during the commission of the offences.
On Thursday, two other suspected members of a nine-member gang, Sydney Chimiti (27) and Prince Gawe (25) appeared before the same courts charged with armed robbery.
The pair allegedly stole US$49 000, R9 000, $7 000 and a Toyota Mark X from a Harare family while posing as potential clients for detergents.
Another gang of robbers allegedly fed with information by an inside accomplice, robbed a Harare businessman of US$59 000, by pretending to be police officers enforcing lockdown regulations and then two of them squandered the money on Mercedes Benz vehicles.
Simba Kanyepi (24), Hemish Chagadama (32) and Shingai Mazviwanza (29) allegedly connived to rob Mr Luke Kwezera of his money, with Kanyepi keeping the robbery gang posted on Mr Kwezera’s movements with money.
They appeared in court on Monday charged with robbery.
Mashwede Holdings also recently lost over US$100 000, R42 000 and $14 000 worth of fuel coupons to five workers and nine suspected robbers, who ransacked safes at the premises before vanishing with two firearms and 20 live rounds of ammunition.
By A Correspondent| President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday extended the lockdown by another two weeks, but allowed formal businesses to reopen under strict conditions, while an $18 billion package to resuscitate all economic sectors and vulnerable groups was announced.
With more people going to work, exemption letters needed for travel are no longer required.
As part of the conditions for further relaxation, it will be compulsory to wear masks in reopened businesses and outside homes, although these can be home-made, and reopened businesses will have to have all staff tested by public health authorities before opening and have temperature scanners.
Mnangagwa announced the extension and the new exemptions at State House where he stated that a longer lockdown was needed given the recent gradual rise in infections.
Latest statistics on Covid-19 show that Zimbabwe now has 34 confirmed positive cases, including five recoveries and four deaths while a total of 7 642 screening and diagnostic tests have since been done.
The decision to reopen the formal sector follows calls by the business community for the Government to save the sector from possible collapse. But the informal sector outside of agriculture and farmers’ markets and some manufacturing, which were allowed to operate under previous phases of the lockdown, will remain closed.
By Jane Mlambo|Ministry of Health and Child Care has revised the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases from 40 reported on 30 April to 34 saying the six clustered cases from Harare which were taken for re-test came out negative.
In a statement yesterday evening, MoHCC said, “As at 01 May, Zimbabwe had 34 confirmed cases, including five (5) recoveries and four(4) deaths. The 6 cases from Harare previously recorded as positive on 29 April have been confirmed negative after Quality Assurance.”
The ministry reported that all tests done yesterday tested negative but the further changing of figures casts doubt on the whole process considering that test results for the 34 people who reported positive did not have another re-test opportunity afforded to the six in Harare.
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority Commissioner General Faith Mazani released a circular to the effect that one of their staff members at the Bulawayo office tested positive for Covid-19.
In the circular, Mazani said the staff member tested positive according to the results released by the Ministry of Health and Child Care on April 29.
The affected ZIMRA official and two others were on duty on March 18 when they interacted with an external individual who later tested positive for Covid-19. Subsequently, the three stopped going to work and were on self-quarantined from March 27 to April 26 in line with the World Health Organisation guidelines.
The three returned to work on April 27 and on the same day MHCC officials carried out follow up Covid-19 tests on them and one of the results came out positive.
However, the affected staff member is currently not exhibiting any symptoms of Covid-19.
The Bulawayo local management, working in conjunction with MHCC officials, have activated several health and safety procedures to ensure the safety of the affected official, staff members and their families.
The office was immediately closed pending full disinfection and remains closed until Monday 4 May while the MHCC returned to test the balance of the officers who were at work.
The office will be disinfected today and tomorrow in time for resumption of operations on Monday.
The MHCC also visited the employee’s residence to assess the suitability for home isolation and ZIMRA will continue to work with the Ministry to provide the necessary facilities and support to the official and his family.
The Human Capital department has engaged the affected staff member to provide counseling support during the quarantine period.
The Health Ministry has screened and tested all the staff members who had contact with the staff member, and 15 officers were identified and tested and the results are still pending.
The tested employees are in self-quarantine and tests will also be extended to other external individuals who had contact with the staff member.
Mazani urged all ZIMRA officers to be vigilant and consistent in practising safety and health measures as prescribed by the WHO guidelines and as advised through the Health ministry.-H-Metro
A TEENAGE maid from Daylesford Suburb in Gweru has been arrested for allegedly indecently assaulting her employer’s seven-year-old daughter.
The 19-year-old accused who cannot be named for ethical reasons appeared briefly yesterday before Gweru Magistrate Mr Edwin Marecha facing one count of aggravated indecent assault.
She was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to May 13.
It is the State’s case that between April 18 and April 25 at a house in Mkoba 6 Suburb in Gweru, the accused allegedly removed the complainant’s underpants, mounted her and caressed her private parts without her consent. The court heard that the complainant who is a Grade 2 pupil at a local school and the accused used to sleep in the same room and on the same bed.
On April 26, the court heard that the complainant felt pain from her private parts and told her mother.
The complainant’s mother, the court heard, reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of her maid.-State media
A 29-YEAR-OLD Binga man suspected to be mentally challenged allegedly raped his uncle’s wife after she refused to give him water to drink.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese confirmed the alleged rape and said the accused, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the complainant, was arrested.
She said the complainant aged 52, was at home having supper with her husband’s second wife when the accused arrived and asked for water.
The accused stayed at his parents’ homestead next to the complainant’s place of residence in Manjolo Village under Chief Binga.
“We received a report of rape where a man believed to be mentally disturbed arrived home at around 8PM on 25 April and asked for some water to drink. The complainant was at home in the company of her husband’s second wife as they were having supper.
They told the accused that there was no water,” said Chief Insp Makonese. The accused allegedly became angry and shouted at the top of his voice.
The two women got terrified and ran in different directions, leaving their food.
“The accused person chased after the complainant and caught up with her. He allegedly tripped her and raped her once,” said Chief Insp Makonese.
Chronicle was told that the complainant screamed for help and drew the attention of the accused’s father who found his son raping the woman. The accused fled from the scene when he saw his father approaching.
A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the accused on the following day.
The complainant was referred to Binga District Hospital for medical examination.-State
A SHOPOWNER in Gwanda has been arrested after she opened her business premises in defiance of the prevailing lockdown order issued by President Mnangagwa.
Preceptous Amy Ngubo (31) who operates Thandabantu Store at Mtshabezi turn-off sold beer to patrons who later engaged in a dispute resulting in the death of a man.
Ngubo was convicted on her own plea of guilty to opening a business establishment during lockdown and operating a shop business without a licence by Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda. For the first count, she was fined $4 800 or sentenced to six months imprisonment in case of default. She was further sentenced to three months imprisonment which was suspended on condition that she does not commit a similar offence within the next three years.
For the second count, Ngubo was ordered to pay a $500 fine or sentenced to 60 days imprisonment in case of default. She was ordered to have paid the fine on or before June 30. In passing the sentence, Mrs Sibanda said she had spared Ngubo jail after considering that she had a minor child.
“In passing my sentence, I considered that you are a female first offender. You are also a mother who has a minor child. The court didn’t consider a custodial sentence as it will be too harsh. The court is encouraged to give first offenders an opportunity to repent while outside prison. You are also a care giver and your imprisonment might affect the life of the child,” she said.
“The court has considered a fine and suspended sentenced as an appropriate sentence which will guard your behaviour in the future.”
Prosecuting, Miss Glenda Nare said on April 23 Ngubo who is from Salibeni Village in Gwanda opened Thandabantu Store, a general dealer shop which was not exempted to operate.
Miss Nare said Ngubo sold beer to patrons who consumed on the premises and later got drunk resulting in a dispute that left a man dead. She said Ngubo had no right to operate a shop which is not an essential service provider.
Miss Nare said while carrying out investigations, police discovered that Ngubo operated the shop without a valid licence.-State media
Update from the hospital is that Hon. Caston Matewu has 2 broken ribs on the left, George, a broken arm and Mazambani Matewu’s manager has suffered 3 broken ribs. – More follows
Update from the hospital is that Hon. Caston Matewu has 2 broken ribs on the left, George, a broken arm and Mazambani Matewu's manager has suffered 3 broken ribs. pic.twitter.com/ZxwqADs1Cf
Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance Women’s Assembly has accused Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government of being insensitive to the plight of women in the country.
Read full text below: This year we celebrate Workers Day under difficult circumstances when the whole world is under lockdown trying to fight and eliminate covid 19 pandemic.
As most workers are locked in their homes, the frontline workers in essential services are battling it all in a risky environment trying to save lives. We salute them for the sterling work that they are doing.
We celebrate this day when most of these workers are being made to work without Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and working under difficult conditions.
We are concerned as the Assembly of Women by the number of Women that are dying in the diaspora due to this covid 19. So far we have lost more than 40 workers of which the majority are women. We mourn with the families and friends of our beloved mothers and sister’s who died whilst trying to save lives.
We are celebrating this day today with tears on our cheeks as women are walloping in abject poverty in their homes as they cannot make ends meet.
Most women are informal traders and they have been locked down in their homes without anything to eat.
They also face rejection by the government as their stalls have been demolished whilst they are busy complying with the lockdown regulations.
The Assembly of Women denounces this barbaric act by the government and we are glad that the courts have stopped these demolitions.
Women under lockdown are faced with a myriad of problems which include hunger, water problems, electricity, no internet facilities for the children to do their school work, no access to health facilities including contraception, harassment by state securities who are beating them when they try and go out to source mealie meal which is a basic commodity.
We are deeply concerned by the quietness of the government on these harassments.
Cases of gender based violence are on the increase due to the lockdown as husbands and wives were not used to this kind of a setup where they spend a lot of time together and again with nothing to eat.
On the other hand the government did not set any safety nets for the victims as it was not prepared for this pandemic.
We urge the government to quickly look into this serious issue and protect the victims as we have already lost 3 souls due to GBV.
We would like to thank our friends in the diaspora for coming up with programmes of buying food packs and PPEs in support of the President Nelson Chamisa’s Zimlock Programme. The President has managed to donate PPEs to 3 hospitals so far and food packs to the old and vulnerable people around the country.
We continue to conscientize each other on the washing of hands, on social distancing staying at home so that we protect ourselves on this deadly pandemic. Lastly we urge the government to look after its people during this lockdown and provide them with basic needs before they die of hunger.
Happy International Workers Day to you all.
Barbara Tanyanyiwa Spokesperson MDC A. Assembly of Women
An estimated 3 460 Zimbabweans living in South Africa are in need of food assistance, while 2 191 are requesting repatriation back home. These figures were revealed by the Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa in their latest update on how Zimbabweans in the country are faring in this Covid-19 pandemic.
In the update, the embassy says more numbers are expected. “As of April 19, 2020, 839 people had registered for assisted repatriation back to Zimbabwe, while 2 249 people signalled their desire to receive food packs instead,” said the embassy.
“As of April 30, 2020, an additional 1 352 and 1 391 people had requested for repatriation and food parcels respectively. This brings the total number of people in need of assistance to 5 831.”
The embassy said it was seized with the plight of those who have reached out and are taking measures to provide recourse.
“The embassy and two consulates are currently engaging the South African Government to obtain the necessary clearances and authorisation to undertake the repatriation process in compliance with the lockdown regulations of the country,” it said.
Some restive Zimbabweans have been constantly pressuring authorities for a quick response, something the embassy said was difficult to guarantee in the face of protocols.
“Consultations are underway with regards to the logistical arrangements for the assisted repatriation, including funding, reception and quarantine facilities upon crossing into Zimbabwe,” said embassy.
“While it is normal for people to have expected quick finalisation of the process, this has not been possible due to broad-based consultations and careful considerations being taken at every stage of the planning process.”
Zimbabwe is already making plans to accommodate citizens whose return is imminent.
Those who return will be screened at Beitbridge Border Post before being transported to quarantine centres across the country.
Initially, Government had planned to keep them in Beitbridge at various proposed centres, but changes were made this week following stakeholder consultations.
NSSA Hotel, which is being used as a quarantine and isolation centre for Beitbridge can accommodate only 400 people, while the two boarding schools, Zezani and Tongwe, which had been proposed to take the other immigrants can accommodate 250 and 280 each.
Beitbridge district medical officer, Dr Lenos Samhere recently said: “The returnees coming from South Africa will now be screened and documented in Beitbridge before being escorted to their provinces as they come.”
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Lovemore Matuke said Government was mobilising resources to cater for the returnees from South Africa.
“Treasury has allocated resources to look after those people who are coming from other countries,” he said.
“Since the number is increasing we definitely need to increase the amount of resources to look after a more returnees.
“We need food, toiletries and even money to pay for bills such as water and electricity at the facilities where the returnees will be housed.”
Deputy Minister Matuke said accommodation would not be a problem since colleges in Masvingo can be used to house returnees. He revealed that Government made arrangements with South African authorities to allow even those without the requisite papers to pass through.
Zimbabwe has over the past few weeks been receiving citizens from all over the world and placing them in quarantine centres across the country.
The first group that came from Botswana and were quarantined in Plumtree has already been released to their families after observation as well as testing.
Some have been coming back from countries like Britain and the United States, countries that have been hard hit by Covid-19.
Some of those coming from these countries are part of the numbers testing positive to Covid-19. Herald/state media
Only wear a mask if you are ill with COVID-19 symptoms (especially coughing) or looking after someone who may have COVID-19.
Disposable face mask can only be used once. If you are not ill or looking after someone who is ill then you are wasting a mask. There is a world-wide shortage of masks, so WHO urges people to use masks wisely.
WHO advises rational use of medical masks to avoid unnecessary wastage of precious resources and mis-use of masks.
The most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to frequently clean your hands, cover your cough with the bend of elbow or tissue and maintain a distance of at least 1 meter (3 feet) from people who are coughing or sneezing.
How to put on, use, take off and dispose of a mask
Remember, a mask should only be used by health workers, care takers, and individuals with respiratory symptoms, such as fever and cough.
Before touching the mask, clean hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water
Take the mask and inspect it for tears or holes.
Orient which side is the top side (where the metal strip is).
Ensure the proper side of the mask faces outwards (the coloured side).
Place the mask to your face. Pinch the metal strip or stiff edge of the mask so it moulds to the shape of your nose.
Pull down the mask’s bottom so it covers your mouth and your chin.
After use, take off the mask; remove the elastic loops from behind the ears while keeping the mask away from your face and clothes, to avoid touching potentially contaminated surfaces of the mask.
Discard the mask in a closed bin immediately after use.
Perform hand hygiene after touching or discarding the mask – Use alcohol-based hand rub or, if visibly soiled, wash your hands with soap and water.
Credit: World Health Organisation
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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By Dr Masimba Mavaza | In order to protect the masses from the iron jaws of the Coronavirus which has savagely ravaged the world, claiming hundreds of thousands of people in the process, the government has enacted the Statutory Instrument 96 of 2020.
S.I. 96 of 2020 (CAP. 10:20
This is the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) (Deferral of Rent and Mortgage Payments During National Lockdown) Regulations, 2020. This Statutory instrument is meant to protect tenants from eviction if they fail to pay on time for the period of the Coronavirus lockdown. This is to ensure that anyone struggling with rental payments due to the coronavirus induced lockdown.
The statutory instrument does not absolve tenants from paying rent but do give them a relief and allow them to spread the payment. This is a way to alleviate the burden on the masses. It is indeed a bold move by the President to get involved in the lodgers landlord affairs. In order to help the land lords on mortgage the lenders are requested not to repossess the houses of those who are behind in their payments. To make sure that this is followed the government instructs courts to to grant any application for repossession or for eviction.
So sink with this noble idea President Mnangagwa has invoked his temporary powers to allow rent payments for residential property and mortgage payments to be deferred during the lockdown because many people are not earning income during the period. During lockdown means only the period of lock down should be spread across the six month to cover the debt or to catch up with the backlog.
Section 3 subsection 1 a to b iv
3. (1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other law (statutory or non-statutory), for the duration of the national lockdown (and any extension thereof), but subject to this section, a person occupying rented accommodation for residential purposes—
(a) is hereby granted a deferral in terms of these regulations of the obligation to pay such rental during the period of the national lockdown; subsection b prohibits courts from making any order for eviction or ejectment. So these being presidential powers they bind all courts therefore to refrain from admitting on the role and to even preside over a case of rentals which cover the period of the lockdown. This statutory instrument delays the payment it gives the tenants time to get the money for rent and giving land lords the negotiating instrument for easy repayment scheme.
Deferred rent for residential property or deferred mortgage payments have to be made when the lockdown ends, but in three equal monthly payments for each month of lockdown. This means that an arrear of one month must be paid in three months on equal payments. Making it easier if rent is 60 dollars a month you will pay 20 dollars for three months to cover the full rent of the lockdown month. While you are paying your back log your current month out of lock down is due. This means that if you are paying 60 pounds a month rent you will then top up with the 20 dollars to offset your arrears of the lockdown back log.
These payments become due in the month immediately following the month during which, or at the end of which, the lockdown ends, but legal proceedings can only start 14 days after the due date.
The tenants have been celebrating for an offside score. They believed they are exempted from making payments for the period of lockdown. This confusion has led to some tenants believing that they do not need to pay rent. It is simply an adjournment of the paying proceedings and when lockdown is over Noma ndiyo ndiyo.
While the law gives a holiday a break from payment it does not stop those who can pay to make a payment.
Any amount available can be paid and will then be topped up after the lockdown. So the President has cast a thick protective instrument around tenants not to be evicted for none payment of rent during lockdown. They should be seen to be willing to pay when the Corona dust clears. The other interesting point is that evictions are banned for any other reason which is not rent related. This means noisy tenants and drunk boozers will stagger in and out their lodgings with no fear of reprisals but for a night. This means those nosey landlords and bullies overriding landlords will have to chill for a while.
And it does not matter whether the residential accommodation is rented in terms of a statute law or a contract.
Now the problem is this holiday ends exactly fourteen days after the lockdown payment will be due and wheels of courts will be turning and the party will be over.
The rules are clear, rent payments must be maintained where possible, This must be very clear and tenants must not assume that they have been given a right not to pay rent.
“What it does allow is that where a tenant is having genuine difficulty in meeting their rent payment because of a loss of income, landlords have much greater flexibility to agree a mutually acceptable plan with the tenant to defer the rent due.
“This is not a green light to tenants everywhere to stop paying their rent.”
Now the purpose of the Statutory instrument while very noble has a lot of holes. How on earth and in our economy will a tenant who lost income during lock down will recover in fourteen days. This does not make sense.
The relief must be reasonable and not tantalising. There is no point in prolonging the suffering of the tenants or setting them in the path of marauding mean landlords who will feel unleashed on the defense less tenants whose protection has been lifted.
Considering that fifty percent of the tenants are informal traders and while on lockdown their places of business were razed down.
The city and town councils did not sympathise with the traders who were staying at home to protect the nation in a fight against COVID 19.
Furthermore it is not practical to increase the rent by a third in an income starved populace.
The effects of the Corona is not only health it touches every aspect of the livelihood of the nation.
The nation is in a declared state of disorder and it needs each person to work.
The only problem the good statutory instrument have is it has no a penal section. It does not tell you what will happen to you if you breach such an instrument. It does not have an enforcement section to force compliance. This makes it a toothless bull dog. Fierce but no force. It is a noble instrument but no full stop. No cutting edge and looks sharp but can not cut.
Today (May 1) is Workers Day and the MDC Alliance takes this occasion to salute ordinary Zimbabweans for their unstinting effort in bringing food and dignity to their homes under very difficult circumstances.
Indeed, this year’s May Day commemorations are taking place under a global lockdown which has meant dislocated livelihoods and massive starvation in the homes, particularly for the majority of Zimbabweans who live by hustling and sweating it out in this highly informalised economy.
The government has cared little about the millions of starving families that are locked down inside their homes.
The government has given no support whatsoever in terms of food rations and other basics during this lockdown as other countries are doing. . Some citizens have been bashed and brutalised for breaking down the lockdown rules by daring to go out of their homes in a legitimate quest to fend for their hungry kids.
As a party borne out of the sweat, blood and tears of labour, we take this day to reflect on our genesis as a working people’s movement and the unwavering support we continue to get from all the working people of this country. We salute both the few still in formal employment and the millions eking out a living on the streets and the country’s pavements which have become zones of high transactional activity in this informal economy .
To Zimbabweans in the informal sector whose vending stalls have been demolished by this uncaring regime, we salute you. We know you are being punished for choosing a life of honesty under these trying times.
To the country’s civil servants and our uniformed forces sweating it out without adequate remuneration, we salute you. To the country’s dedicated health personnel working on the frontline in this pandemic to save lives without the requisite protective clothing, we doff our cap to you.
To all those Zimbabweans in the villages, on the mines and on the farms, we salute you. To the artisanal miners burrowing the dangerous earth for a living, this is your day as well.
All Zimbabweans across the length and breadth of the country; the ordinary women working hard in the rural areas to bring food on the table, this is your day. All those children looking after their siblings in our child – headed families, we salute your dedication.
Today, we pay tribute to all Zimbabweans slugging it out in foreign lands.
Your hard work has brought a modicum of dignity to the families back home while your remittances have given some breath to our otherwise comatose economy. Your contribution deserves mention and indeed, we salute you today.
This is a special day to you Zimbabwe. As a party, we appreciate the sweat and toil that you expend every day to feed families and to send children to school. We know it takes courage, resilience and unmatched fortitude to simply wake up alive in this punishing economy.
Let us just remind each other that there is just one momentous task still to be done by all of us this year. Together, we have agreed that 2020 is the year of action. Together, we must and we will deliver on that collective pledge.
Indeed, we take the occasion of this year’s Workers’ Day to remind each other of this outstanding work that we still have to do in our overwhelming numbers this year. That one task is to express our displeasure at the deteriorating situation in the country and to call for a people’s government, for reforms and for a return to legitimacy.
The crisis of legitimacy is at the core of our collective predicament and together, we have pledged to express ourselves in a big way around that major national grievance.
We urge every Zimbabwean to stay safe and to take the requisite precautionary measures in order to stay alive in the wake of this global pandemic.
