Former Warriors striker Tendai Ndoro has said he does not mind not being paid for months provided the money goes towards the fight against Covid-19.
Ndoro plies his trade for Highlands Park in the South African top flight where many clubs have taken the stance of pay cuts for their players and employees, a suggestion which has generated a lot of debate but Ndoro has taken a radical attitude competely, suggesting that even not get anything is still fine.
“I don’t mind if Highlands Park can go 4 months without paying my salary, aslong they use that money to help on Covid19. Stay home, save lives,” wrote the former Orlando Pirates man on Twitter.-Soccer 24
Rampant corruption, maladministration, lack of accountability in form of missing money, flawed or non-existent accounts, forged transfers and registration documents, rigged elections, age manipulation, match-fixing, gambling, violence and intolerance among other ills, are the order of the day in African football in general and Zimbabwean football in particular. In Zimbabwe, these negative practices are very evident in both primary and secondary schools in the administration and practice of the games.This clearly shows that there is overwhelming evidence of absence of Ubuntu in African soccer today.
For millions of people in Africa, poverty is their daily bread and for these, the importance of beautiful game cannot be underestimated.
Football has the power to create riches from rugs, unity out of division, joy from sadness and bring welcome to a continent bursting with problems. The fact that soccer is followed by millions of people in Africa and the world makes it a potentially fertile ground for for impacting positively upon the people by embracing Ubuntu values.
The missing link is that Ubuntu is absent in the administration and practices of football in Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular.
Shutte(2001) explains that Ubuntu is an African philosophy which states that being human is to be able to live with others.It emphasizes on relatedness and inclusion of others and thus considers group success above the individual.
The philosophy of Ubuntu is best captured in aphorism; ubuntu ngumuntu ngabantu(Ndebele/Zulu) or kunzi munhu vanhu(Shona) translated, ” a person is a person through other persons”.
Shutte(1993) adds that to be human is to affirm one’s humanity by recognizing the humanity of others in it’s infinity variety of content and form.
The current state of football administration and practice in Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular clearly highlights the erosion of Ubuntu both at junior and senior levels.
Samkange and Samkange (1980) explain that emphasis in traditional African societies was on the transmission of Ubuntu values, which aimed at producing products that fitted well into a well-organized social and political system, developing social cohesion and human relations.
On the contrary, as a result of colonization, the thrust on Ubuntu among Africans was heavily compromised as Carlin in Sichermann(1995) observès that “colonial education was a day in day out practice which was true subversion of the African mind, the breaking down of mental tissues, their reconstruction in western mode, re-ordering of thoughts, feelings, habits, responses, of every aspect of the mind and personality.”
Kanu(2007) further observes that since independence, education in Africa has been the characterized by the same western instrumental, technical and human capital approach which rests on the assumption that formal education is highly instrumental in improving productive capacity of population without putting emphasis on Ubuntu philosophy.
The columnist, therefore argues that the rain started beating us in African football where we abandoned the Ubuntu philosophy.
The challenges being faced in football administration and practice at both junior and senior levels in Zimbabwe and Africa such as corruption, maladministration, age-manipulation and violence among ills, are a result of the exclusion of Ubuntu in administration and practice.
The columnist Mugova Benjamin Makanyire is a football enthusiast, football junior and top flight coach, Fifa grassroots coaching ambassador,sports medicine practitioner, educationist.
Fifa has proposed that teams should be allowed to make up to five substitutions per match, instead of the usual three, to help cope with the return to action amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The substitutions will be allowed at a maximum of three slots plus the half-time interval to avoid unnecessary stoppages.
The idea will help teams to counter fatigue due to possible fixture congestion coming after the restart of the campaign.
Fifa confirmed this on Monday in a press release which read: “Each team would now be given the possibility to use up to five substitutions during the match, with the possibility of an additional substitution remaining during extra time, where relevant.”
Meanwhile, the proposal will have to be approved by soccer’s rule-making body IFAB and the final decision would rest with competition organisers.-Soccer 24
The MDC Alliance notes with great concern the precarious situation concerning Zimbabwean citizens in foreign countries during this time when the Covid-19 pandemic is causing havoc around the world.
Being away from home is hard enough; it is far worse during conditions of unprecedented crisis.
We would like to pay tribute to fellow citizens who have lost their lives to the pandemic. Each day, we receive distressing news of yet more deaths.
This is a terrible time for families, losing their loved ones and breadwinners to the pandemic. The majority, as we understand it, are frontline healthcare staff. As in war, they are dying in the line of duty.
They are being described quite rightly as heroes in the family of humankind. We honour them.
Their untimely departure is a great loss to our nation for they are not just breadwinners for their families. They are community champions too who never forgot where they came from.
The remittances they send from the Diaspora have been a great lifeline for our economy.
In the spirit of ubuntu, every time one of us dies, we are left poorer as a community.
We are also aware that hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens find themselves stuck and stranded in neighbouring countries.
With countries enforcing lockdowns around the world, many of our fellow citizens find themselves without jobs, incomes and access to food.
Being foreigners, some of them undocumented, they are excluded from the support being given to citizens in those countries.
These are terrible conditions at any given time, made far worse during a pandemic. We empathise with them and call upon fellow citizens who are better-placed to extend a hand of assistance where possible.
We also call upon our sister countries to exercise compassion and empathy and to treat foreigners in distress the same way they would treat their own citizens.
It is a time of crisis and again, in the time-honoured spirit of ubuntu, it is right to treat others humanely, their circumstances notwithstanding.
Even in war, humankind has established rules and norms to protect those who find themselves in positions of vulnerability.
That said, we must face our harsh reality as a nation.
Our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora are not there and facing these challenges out of free choice.
If they had an easy choice, they would never have left home in the first place.
It is common knowledge that they were forced by our home-grown crisis to leave the country and eke out a living in foreign lands.
If they are not political refugees, they are certainly economic refugees.
There was a time when an average Zimbabwean did not need to have a passport. This was because the country was generally able to provide for its citizens.
Now it is an essential possession and getting one is a struggle. This is because of the broken state of our economy and the accompanying political crisis.
They have made conditions unbearable, forcing many to flee away leaving their families behind not out of choice, but out of necessity.
Their loss and their predicament may be on account of the COVID19 pandemic, but the real cause is the political and economic crises authored by the ZANU PF regime.
They are victims of a catalogue of greed, corruption and incompetence which has reduced our country to a farcical state.
As we mourn and bury our fellow citizens, and as we seek to help those who are stuck and stranded in foreign lands, let us not forget that they never needed to be out there but for the gross mismanagement, callousness and misrule of the ZANU PF regime.
As Zimbabweans, we indeed face a double pandemic – one caused by COVID19 and another authored by ZANU PF. Both pose an existential threat to our nation. We have to remain steadfast and escalate the struggle.
As long as the current clueless regime is in charge of national affairs, we will remain in a political and economic morass.
May God bless and protect you all in these challenging times.
Please do not forget to wash your hands; to practice social distancing and to stay at home. Be thy brother’s and sister’s keeper.
Politics can only be transacted where there is human life and as a party, we are putting a premium on the sanctity of human life in the wake of this pandemic.
Gladys Hlatywayo MDC Alliance Secretary for International Relations
By A Correspondent| Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals recently discovered that a malaria patient is COVID-19 positive forcing the hospital to activate the COVID-19 rapid response team as well as taking several precautionary measures.
In a statement, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals said the COVID-19 rapid response team was activated as part of the mitigatory measures to curb the spread of the virus.
“As part of the escalated mitigatory measures against COVID-19 which include active case finding through mandatory testing of frontline staff and admitted patients, a COVID-19 positive case which had been admitted for management of slide positive malaria on the 24th of April 2020 was identified at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals. the patient had responded well to malaria treatment and was due for discharge,” said the hospital.
The hospital revealed that it had undertaken several measures after this development which include continued isolation of the confirmed case in his private room while awaiting for discharge formalities.
The state media reported that the patient will be discharged and taken to his home where he will be followed, ensuring the safety of staff and other patients through strengthened infection prevention and control measures.
“Exposed staff will be counselled, tested and managed accordingly. Giving psychosocial support to the exposed staff, decontamination will be done in accordance with national guidelines, testing of frontline staff and admitted patients will continue and appropriate support rendered to those in need, refurbishment of the Premier COVID-19 treatment centre at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals is almost complete. as such, the hospital will soon be able to admit covid19 patients,” said the hospital.-Statemedia
Ngezi Platinum captain Frank Makarati has revealed they are doing online training sessions which are being monitored by the technical staff.
Makarati said every player is required to send videos to a platform for a review by the coaches.
“In line with social distancing we are training from home. We have accepted that this is the situation we surviving in so it should not stop us from training.
“Every player got their individual training from the coaches, programmes are set online all we do is to comply.
We are doing visual trainings. Players are sending video of what they are tasked to do to show that they are following instructions.
“We are doing online sessions for us to stay fit because it’s important for an athlete to stay in shape also there’s no one who knows when the virus is going to end, anytime anything can happen games can start.
“Those sessions are the same with what we do together in the field, the only difference there is that it’s done individually from home.”
He said they have adapted and embraced life under lockdown. The lockdown was extended with further 14 days after the lapse of 21 days last Sunday.
“Covid-19 has affected everyone in the world but we are following the Presidential directive as a team to stop the spread of the virus.”
Makarati, however, said the situation is hurting them financially as most players depend on winning bonuses and allowances “I can say the lockdown has affected us financially as players.
When things are normal we get winning bonuses and some other allowances which add up to the salary. If there are no games those allowances does not exist of which the salary alone is not enough, but for now we only focusing on basics.
Things are not balancing but there is nothing we can do except to adjust and meet the budget,” he added.- H-Metro
It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses.
Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days.
This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).
If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.
Is it safe to receive a package from any area where COVID-19 has been reported?
Yes. The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.
Credit :WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses.
Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days.
This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).
If you think a surface may be infected, clean it with simple disinfectant to kill the virus and protect yourself and others. Clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.
Is it safe to receive a package from any area where COVID-19 has been reported?
Yes. The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.
Credit :WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
By Stephen Sarkozy Chuma News that ZANU PF youths are making sanitizers and masks seems like a good gesture at face value but underneath this is cheap political grandstanding that should be treated with contempt it deserves.
It is devoid of logic, mind boggling and useless for ZANU PF Youths to go to town telling everyone who cares to listen that they are helping government in the fight against Covid-19 by making substandard sanitizers and masks that fall short of WHO requirements whilst the masses are dying of hunger.
Yes Covid-19 is real, but thousands of our countrymen are dying of hunger and starvation en-mass during this lockdown.
A damning recent UN Report puts at 4 million the number of people facing acute food shortages and starvation in Zimbabwe.
Clearly, food distribution to the masses dying of hunger should be a priority more than anything else.
Common sense and hierarchy of needs philosophy tell us that it is senseless and useless to sanitize and face mask dead bodies – victims of starvation!
Clearly these fellows from a party that embezzled US$3 billion meant for food security through Command Agriculture are taking us for a ride.
Can Zimbabwe trust these unprofessional ‘youthies’ to produce WHO standard masks and sanitizers given the track record of unfulfilled promises by their dwindling party?
Remember Emmerson Mnangagwa’s electoral promises on those expensive 2018 election campaign billboards?
Food for All, Health for All, Housing for All….the list of lies is infinite!
Before we even think of the said masks and sanitizers, Zimbabweans must ask what happened to Stone Age bakeries initiative by the very same Youth League that was meant to ease bread shortages?
ZANU PF are masters of deception, lies and cheap propaganda and nothing good comes from Shake-Shake building!
Simply put ZANU PF should spare the long suffering masses fighting both hunger and Covid-19 from their disinteresting jokes.
ZANU PF youths making masks and sanitizers is akin to treating citizens with scorn, ridicule, mockery and derision.
This is no time for toi-toing and cheap sloganeering, the country is facing starvation and a deadly pandemic!
Thumps up to the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly for fronting a realistic #SaveThePoor campaign.
Human lives and survival precedes everything else.
That is leadership!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
Greetings to you all, the long awaited Marondera Urban Relief Fund has been launched, this is a coming together of Marondera Municipality and the Marondera MP supported by our resident MPs and Senator.
This fund will be administered by the Council with both the Mayor and MP as the oversight.
We are ambitious and believe in the spirit and courage of the people of Marondera.
We have set up this fund to ensure that no one from Marondera dies with hunger, this fund will assist our most vulnerable residents and beyond.
I want to urge every Marondera resident and business to play their part by chipping in as little or as much as you can. P.S every little helps…
All donations will be published on a daily basis and those who donate over $1000 will get a person thank you letter from the Mayor and MP. I know in times like these we come together as the people of Marondera. This is not political and we will not tolerate politicking when it comes to people’s lives.
Pleas send your donation to Ecocash merchant code 018763 that is 15122018763*AMOUNT#.
I urge all those in the Diaspora to play their part we will do a letter for all Diasporians donating above $2000. The donation list will be updated daily.
A TOTAL of 14 774 people were arrested countrywide for violating Covid-19 orders since the beginning of the lockdown period on March 31.
Statistics obtained from the Police General Headquarters show that Bulawayo still tops the numbers with 3 578 people arrested so far, followed by Manicaland Province at 2 990 arrests.
Harare comes third in arrests at 1 866 while 1 589 people have been arrested so far in Midlands Province.
In Mashonaland West Province, 1 321 people were arrested while 487 were arrested in in Mashonaland Central.
Matabeleland South has so far recorded 1 035 arrests while Matabeleland North province has 667.
In Mashonaland East Province, 529 people have been arrested while the support unit separately arrested 107 people countrywide.
In a telephone interview, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police were concerned with continued violation of lockdown orders and the increasing number of pirate taxis, popularly known as mushikashika, illegally transporting commuters during this period.
“We continue to make arrests and Bulawayo still tops the statistics chart in terms of arrests of violators, with Manicaland Province following closely.
We are now also worried by the number of pirating taxis that are operating during the lockdown and we warn offenders that they will be arrested.
We also have a problem of people roaming aimlessly in residential suburbs after 6pm and we also warn them strongly that they will be arrested under section 4 of S.I 83 of 2020,” said Assistant Commissioner Nyathi.
In Bulawayo 25 members of the group of 48 Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide Revelation group who were arrested on Sunday while holding a church service in Tshabalala suburb have since paid $500 fines while the rest of the church members were released to look for the money as police considered that keeping them in cells would put them at risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus.-State media
Farai Dziva|The Movement for Democratic Change has dismissed Zanu PF MP for Chivi South, Killer Zivhu’s claims that the opposition is finished.
Writing on twitter, the cornered Zanu PF politician claimed the ruling party would win the 2023 elections by a huge margin.
“In 2023 Zanu PF will win elections with big margins -more than the1980 gap, mark my words. Kana uchida (if you love) politics just join Zanu PF now, the opposition party is finished.
Responding to Zivhu’s remarks, MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson, Stephen Sarkozy Chuma said:
“Killer Zivhu is daydreaming and must be smoking palm leaves.
Before hitting a dog maybe let us identify its owner!
Killer Zivhu is a ZANU PF Member of Parliament (MP) and the very same MP who was suspended by his party for calling for dialogue between Emmerson Mnangagwa and Advocate Nelson Chamisa political sometime last year.
This is a man in a tight corner and he is clearly singing for his supper and political survival!
Zivhu by his own admission knows Mnangagwa is illegitimate and was outsmarted by Advocate Chamisa in 2018 polls and the trend is set to continue in 2023 until maybe such a time when ZANU PF fields an electable candidate.
Of which as it stands there is none from ZANU PF circles who can compete against the People’s President, Nelson Chamisa.
Zivhu should learn table manners and enjoy his fair share of cross borders loot without making noise to those that he prejudice of their hard earned monies.”
“Winning an election is different from wearing a scarf in humid heat!
In this 4th Industrial Revolution Age no one is going to vote for ZANU PF leaders who are still cast in Stone Age mode.
Maybe by claiming victory before 2023, Zivhu is acknowledging the rigging machinery is already in motion but this time around there is not going to be another 2018 in 2023.”
By Own Correspondent| Several informal traders and residents have filed an urgent chamber application at the High Court seeking an order to stop local and central government from demolishing their vending stalls and tuckshops across the country.
In an application filed on Sunday 26 April 2020 by Dr Tarisai Mutangi and Moses Nkomo of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, the informal traders and residents together with some residents associations, protested that the widespread demolition of tuckshops, vending stalls and other property belonging to or used by small and medium enterprises and informal traders by local and central government personnel was unlawful and should be stopped immediately.
The informal traders, residents and residential associations represented by Chitungwiza Residents Trust and Kushinga Epworth Residents Association, which have some members, who are individual owners and users of tuckshops and vending stalls, want the High Court to interdict local authorities and central government from demolishing any tuckshops and vending stalls.
Local and central government authorities have been demolishing informal traders’ market stalls and tuckshops across the country after Moyo issued Circular Minute 3 of 2020 addressed to leaders of local authorities advising them of a recent Cabinet resolution and instructing them to “take advantage of the national lockdown to clean up and renovate small and medium enterprises and informal traders’ workspaces” and implored them “to make every effort to comply with the resolution”.
In purported compliance with Moyo’s circular, local authorities and their associations by way of random verbal announcement, supposedly notified owners and users of tuckshops and vending stalls to pull down their tuckshops and vending stalls or face demolition and immediately commenced destruction of properties.
The informal traders and residents argued that Moyo’s circular is unlawful as it was not issued in terms of any provision of the law and that there is no law which requires local authorities to execute Cabinet resolutions outside the provisions of the applicable laws. The unlawful instruction, the residents and informal traders charged, appears to have been taken seriously by some local authorities which commenced demolitions in an apparent compliance with Moyo’s circular.
Informal traders and residents argued that the demolition of tuckshops and vending stalls by local authorities amounts to compulsory deprivation of property in violation of the fundamental right to property enshrined in section 71 of the Constitution to the extent that the affected owners and users of tuckshops and vending stalls pay fees and levies to local authorities and had not consented to the pulling down of their properties.
Local authorities, the informal traders and residents said, have been indiscriminately demolishing tuckshops and vending stalls without any consultation with the affected citizens including those who have been paying fees and levies to councils. By demanding such fees and rates, local authorities do acknowledge the legal existence of the affected vending stalls and tuckshops and cannot suddenly deem them illegal structures, the informal traders charged.
The informal traders and residents said local councils have not complied with section 199(3) of the Urban Councils Act, which requires proper notice of any proposed demolition of illegal structure to be given to the owner of such a structure, a provision which provides for an appeal against the notice to be filed with the Administrative Court within 28 days, during which period no action may be taken on the basis of the notice until the appeal is either determined or abandoned.
Moyo’s circular, the residents and informal traders charged, is a blatant violation of the lockdown measures announced by government through Statutory Instrument 83 of 2020 as it necessitates the congregation of people among them vendors and local authorities’ personnel at the vending stalls and tuckshop sites to carry out the instructions issued by local councils thus exposing citizens to infection by the deadly coronavirus.
Furthermore, local authority employees deployed to carry out the illegal demolitions of vending stalls and tuckshops, the residents and informal traders argued, were doing so in their regular workplace attires contrary to the instruction in Moyo’s circular and World Health Organisation Guidelines that they ought to put on personal protective equipment to prevent contracting and spreading coronavirus.
Residents and informal traders noted that the workers conducting the demolitions have not been declared as essential service employees as required by the law and that the demolition of citizens’ only source of legitimate livelihood, especially as government is struggling to provide social support to those in need of it due to resource constraints exacerbated by inability of people to work during the national lockdown, does not meet the definition of essential service and can wait.
The informal traders said the state, with all its might and resources, can always clear up and renovate workspaces without violating the fundamental rights of its citizens and moreover, Moyo’s circular did not mandate local authorities to demolish any structures, but simply requires them to clear and renovate and hence it is possible for them to rearrange small to medium enterprises’ workspaces without demolitions.
By A Correspondent| Mpilo Clinical Director Solwayo Ngwenya has revealed that the institution has started testing its health care workers and patients for COVID-19.
Said Dr Ngwenya:
“Corona virus: first to go! We have started testing health workers and patients at Mpilo Central Hospital today after receiving the necessary kits from the government @MoHCCZim @InfoMinZW @nickmangwana mass testing with lockdowns is critical in fighting the deadly virus.”
Farai Dziva|The Movement for Democratic Change has dismissed Zanu PF MP for Chivi South, Killer Zivhu’s claims that the opposition is finished.
Writing on twitter, the cornered Zanu PF politician claimed the ruling party would win the 2023 elections by a huge margin.
“In 2023 Zanu PF will win elections with big margins -more than the1980 gap, mark my words. Kana uchida (if you love) politics just join Zanu PF now, the opposition party is finished.
Responding to Zivhu’s remarks, MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson, Stephen Sarkozy Chuma said:
“Killer Zivhu is daydreaming and must be smoking palm leaves.
Before hitting a dog maybe let us identify its owner!
Killer Zivhu is a ZANU PF Member of Parliament (MP) and the very same MP who was suspended by his party for calling for dialogue between Emmerson Mnangagwa and Advocate Nelson Chamisa political sometime last year.
This is a man in a tight corner and he is clearly singing for his supper and political survival!
Zivhu by his own admission knows Mnangagwa is illegitimate and was outsmarted by Advocate Chamisa in 2018 polls and the trend is set to continue in 2023 until maybe such a time when ZANU PF fields an electable candidate.
Of which as it stands there is none from ZANU PF circles who can compete against the People’s President, Nelson Chamisa.
Zivhu should learn table manners and enjoy his fair share of cross borders loot without making noise to those that he prejudice of their hard earned monies.”
“Winning an election is different from wearing a scarf in humid heat!
In this 4th Industrial Revolution Age no one is going to vote for ZANU PF leaders who are still cast in Stone Age mode.
Maybe by claiming victory before 2023, Zivhu is acknowledging the rigging machinery is already in motion but this time around there is not going to be another 2018 in 2023.”
Farai Dziva|Youthful Harare West MP Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe has donated sanitizers to police stations and clinics in her constituency as part of efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19.
Below is Mamombe’s statement :
Zimbabwe has 31 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 4 deaths of which 2 cases are from the Constituency I represent, Harare West.
Among the 4 deaths, we lost one man from Bluffhill, Westgate.
It’s really been a tough time for us the local representatives to provide leadership during this crisis.
Thank God for the strength, we are managing!
Under JoKuDe, referring to myself as the MP, Clr Kudzai Kadzombe Ward 41 & Clr Denford Ngadziore Ward 16, we donated sanitisers to our local clinics and police stations in both Marlborough and Mabelreign.
Last week, we facilitated a delivery of subsidised Roller meal into different supermarkets in our constituency including OK Mabelreign, Spar Greencroft and Pick n Pay Westgate.
And this week we are expecting another delivery by Friday.
When Lockdown started, we donated food hampers to different vulnerable groups and we are still appealing to well wishers to help us in this regard so that we can help those families living in compounds.
No one has ever become poor by giving! Instead, blessed is the hand that gives than the one that receives.
We also took time to dialogue with management at the most crowded place in our constituency, the N Richards Wholesale market where we agreed that police force must be deployed at all times to ensure social distancing.
Together we can We shall Overcome! For those who would like to assist, kindly get in touch, just DM
Farai Dziva|MDC president Nelson Chamisa believes the wave of freedom will sweep across Africa.
According to Chamisa, the wave of freedom is unstoppable.
Today (Monday) is Freedom day in South Africa. May the breeze of freedom blow across Africa esp north of Limpopo to shake all the pillars of tyranny &roots of injustice.
Let the wave of freedom engulf the African continent for the eternal joy of its people!Happy freedom day South Africa.”
“I’ve just been following online a prayer for revival project led by South Africa’s Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng in conversation with Christian leaders in SA on hope,healing & restoration.
I love it when faith flows in the veins and heart of justice. Africa,this is your time…”
As part of the escalated mitigatory measures against COVID- 19 which include active case finding through mandatory testing of frontline staff and admitted patients, a COVID-I 9 positive case which had been admitted for management of slide positive malaria on 24 April 2020 was identified at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
The patient had responded well to the malaria treatment and was due for discharge.
As management, we have since activated the COVID-I9 Rapid Response Team and we are taking the following measures:
Continued isolation of the confirmed case in his private room while awaiting for discharge formalities and recovery at home where he will be followed up.
Ensuring safety of staff and other patients through strengthened Infection Prevention and Control measures. Exposed staff will be counselled, tested and managed accordingly.
Giving psychosocial support to the exposed staff.
Decontamination will be done in accordance with national guidelines.
Testing of frontline staff and admitted patients will continue and appropriate support rendered to those A need.
Refurbishment of the Premier COVID-19 Treatment Centre A Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals is almost complete. As such, the hospital will soon be able to admit COVID-19 patients.- Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals
Over the past 24 hours, some materials in the form of campaign posters have been posted on the social media suggesting that various leaders are campaigning for the office of president at the Extraordinary Congress of the party to be held soon.
In particular portraits of Senator Komichi, Senator Mudzuri and myself have been used.
These materials are not coming from us nor were they ever authorized by us. We urge our members to ignore them.
It is coming from those people who want to disturb the people’s congress by sowing the seeds of division and confusion among our ranks.
They want to paint a picture of a leadership that is divided and that is obsessed with political office.
To the contrary we are a united and focused leadership preoccupied with the single objective of returning our party to its founding values.
Currently, we are busy with the logistical and financial arrangements for the Extraordinary Congress in line with our party constitution.
We are very happy at the level of enthusiasm that our structures have shown towards returning our party to the path to Democracy, Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law.
While our detractors had predicted that the Congress would not form a quorum, indications so far are that it will be fully attended by the eligible delegates.
More than 3000 delegates contacted so far have confirmed that they will attend. We also notice that there is a lot of propaganda and hate language being churned out against our leaders.
Unfortunately, for the people engaging in this propaganda we shall never engage them in the race to the bottom.
Lastly, we wish to reiterate that it is only the people who will decide on which particular office each leader will run for when the time comes and nominations are opened. We are a party of rules and values!
THREE nurses in Mashonaland East province who recently tested positive for COVID-19, returned negative results, casting doubt over the accuracy of test kits used in the country as well as validity of statistics already publicised.
Two of the nurses are stationed at Mt St Mary’s Hospital in Wedza while the third works at Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre. This is according to a report produced by provincial medical director Simukai Zizhou on March 26.
NewsDay understands that the health workers tested positive with the rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and were immediately self-isolated before a second examination using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) produced negative results.
Provincial medical director Simukai Zizhou yesterday confirmed the development, saying the three nurses were now certified COVID-19 free.
“The three were confirmed negative of the COVID-19 virus after the PCR tests. The RDT (test) is not specific,” Zizhou said.
“It can pick some antibodies which at times are not infected by COVID-19. This RDT can only pick antibodies after a period of 14 to 21 days after infection. It is not really a good test. This is why we waited for PCR confirmation and confirm with the virus’ RNA (ribonucleic acid). These cases turned out to be negative; they have no COVID-19 virus.”
The latest development has left more questions than answers on the authenticity of COVID-19 tests being conducted across the country. Zimbabwe now has 31 COVID-19 confirmed cases including four deaths, the latest being the 82-year-old mother of former minister Sylvester Nguni who died of the deadly virus last week, triggering mass testing in Chitemere village, Mhondoro where she lived. Two people who had contact with her have tested positive, according to Information permanent secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana. Concerns have been raised that some of the test kits being used by the government to test for the coronavirus were defective.
Most of the COVID-19 test kits donated by Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma, are said to be causing headaches for health authorities as they are producing wrong results.
Last month, the Spanish government, among other countries, withdrew 58 000 Chinese-made coronavirus test kits, claiming they had an accurate detection rate of just 30%.
China, however, claimed the test kits were made by a company that did not appear on its list of authorised manufacturers.
At the weekend, Mangwana said government had banned the use of test kits other than the ones approved by the Health ministry.
“I am not aware of any particular case where there have been false or wrong results from PCR machines that are used in all instances where government is involved,” Mangwana said.
“Government has taken a position to say that test kits that are certified (by the ministry) are the ones that will be used. If there are others that are continuously giving false positives, then it is indeed a cause for concern.”
Mashonaland East was one of the first provinces to record COVID-19 cases after four people in Zimre Park tested positive. The four, who are members of the same family, have since recovered from the virus.
In a related development, government has expressed concern over the sprouting of private facilities operating as COVID-19 clinics.
Health ministry permanent secretary Agnes Mahomva said the private facilities were operating illegally without conforming to the Public Health Act standards.
“The ministry has learned and noticed that some private facilities that have not been officially assessed and registered are springing up as COVID-19 clinics,” Mahonva said in a statement. “These facilities are operating illegally, are a danger to the COVID-19 patients and communities around them and should stop operating with immediate effect until they have completed all registration processes.”
She added: “Since COVID-19 is an infectious disease that was declared a formidable epidemic disease, any private facility intending to manage the COVID-19 disease (including testing, isolation and treatment) should duly apply to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care for assessment, approval and registration in line with the Public Health Act provisions.”
A gang of robbers, 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, leaving the informer out.
Simba Kanyepi (24), an illegal foreign currency dealer who works for and stays with the victim, allegedly connived with Hemish Chagadama (32) and Shingai Mazviwanza (29) to rob Mr Luke Kwezera of his money, with Kanyepi keeping the robbery gang posted on Mr Kwezera’s movements with money.
The three appeared in court yesterday before magistrate Mr Richard Ramaboa charged with robbery. They were freed on $5 000 bail each and ordered to report to the police daily pending their next court appearance on May 27.
Representing the State, Messrs Hatizivo Chatikobo and Norman Karopi alleged that the three had planned to rob Mr Kwezera as soon as they knew he would be carrying a large sum away from home.
By Jane Mlambo| Government has been presented with a fresh headache after a malaria patient admitted at Parirenyatwa group of hospitals tested positive to COVID-19.
Zimbabwe witnessed malaria outbreak in low lying areas with over 150 people having succumbed to the disease from the more than 14 000 infected people.
There was never an effort to conduct COVID-19 tests on malaria patients but this latest development could present a new problem for the country.
In a Tuesday afternoon statement, the hospital made the blunder public exposing the weaknesses in the country’s Covid-19 treatment systems.
“As part of the escalated mitigatory measures against Covid-19 which include active case finding through mandatory testing of frontline staff and admitted patients, a Covid-19 positive case which had been admitted for management of slide positive malaria on 24 April 2020 was identified at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals,” the hospital said.
Politicians and senior Government officials bullying health officials to release their friends and relatives held in Covid-19 quarantine will be arrested, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has warned.
The commission is investigating reports of prominent people accused of facilitating the release of those being held in quarantine before being cleared by Covid-19 tests and undergoing the minimum quarantine in a designated centre.
The authorities have already shortened quarantine in centres so long as they can trust those who must be isolated will keep promises to stay at home, but even here they insist on a negative test before they allow home-quarantine for the rest of the 21 days.
ZACC chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo said using political muscle to release relatives and friends from quarantine was tantamount to corruption and those found on the wrong side of the law would be arrested.
“We strongly warn politicians, ministers and other Government officials against abusing their powers to remove people from quarantine in this Covid-19 era.
“As ZACC, we will not hesitate to arrest those who commit such a serious offence. That should never be done and we will arrest them without fear or favour,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.
She said such public figures would be breaching the trust bestowed on them as leaders in communities.
“We expect those people to be protectors of the masses. This becomes serious in the sense that we haven’t yet found a cure for the pandemic and people are dying worldwide,” she said.
Meanwhile, Justice Matanda-Moyo said investigations were underway to establish the circumstances under which a person in Covid-19 quarantine who was reported to be a relative to a minister was released from quarantine.
“We gathered information that the person was corruptly released from quarantine after some intervention by a relative who is a minister. We are investigating the case and if anyone is found on the wrong side of the law, he or she will be prosecuted. Whose relatives should be quarantined? Does that mean patients related to ministers or other high-ranking officials cannot spread the virus?” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.
Her office wrote at the end of last week to the Ministry of Health and Child Care to get more details on the case but the Permanent Secretary Dr Agnes Mahomva was yet to respond.
By Patrick Guramatunhu-“While I don’t want to get into the issues around how and why there are sanctions, everyone knows that I personally had to flee my country, Zimbabwe, because of persecution 20 years ago,” said Strive Masiyiwa in a statement. “I have not been back since. For the avoidance of doubt; This is not an appeal for the lifting of sanctions.”
Masiyiwa has launched an appeal for help for Sudan and Zimbabwe to fight the coronavirus outbreak. The two countries are facing economic sanctions imposed by the West, particularly the USA and, to add insult to injury, they were singled out when other countries had their debts written by IMF and the other multilateral organizations.
In 2016 the then President Robert Mugabe admitted the country was “swindled of US$ 15 billion in diamond revenue alone”! He never arrested even one swindler or recovered one dollar.
The following year, 2017, Patrick Chinamasa, then Minister of Finance confirm in parliament that government was getting 1/6 of the expected diamond revenue. In other words the looting was still taking place. Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s successor following the 2017 military coup, promised “zero tolerance to corruption” and yet he too has yet to arrest one swindler and/or recover one dollar.
The Chinese helped Mnangagwa rig the July 2018 elections and they were back in Zimbabwe soon thereafter. Mugabe booted them out of Marange and Chiadzwa diamond fields, the only looters who had been singled out. They have since been back to pick up from where they left off!
So, writing off Zimbabwe’s US$ 8 billion debt would only have given the regime yet another source of money to loot! We need a deeper understanding of our nation’s problems and a wholistic solution!
Many Zimbabweans have avoid talking about gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and, most important of all, rigged elections and bad governance for the last 40 years. These problems have not gone away but have instead grown and spread like the deadly cancers they are.
Today Zimbabwe’s once promising economy is in ruins, 34% of our people live in extreme poverty, according to a recent WB report. Our political system is total dysfunctional because politics is now a dirty game so dirty only seasoned thugs are playing it.
Many Zimbabweans left the country and have played no role is helping find the solution to Zimbabwe’s economic and political problems. The corona virus crisis is forcing millions of Zimbabweans to go back to a country still ruled by the same corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs complete with the entourage of equally corrupt and useless opposition sell-outs.
Zimbabweans must now face the country’s teething problem of rigged elections and bad governance or there will be heart-breaking gnashing of teeth and countless deaths as Zanu PF’s blundering incompetence drag the nation deeper and deeper into the abyss.
We are masters of our own destiny and so far we have let clueless buffoon in charge and it shows. How much longer are we going to let this madness continue?
“I don’t want to get into the issues around how and why there are sanctions!” Why the hell not? If the country is ever going to get out of this hell-on-earth then it is time we had a hard long look at ourselves and have a no-hold-barred discussion of the nation’s problems!
A staff row at the Registrar-General’s Office has sucked in the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) after chief accountant, Mr Peter Bwanya, accused Registrar-General Mr Clement Masango of embezzlement over motor vehicles while the latter denies all wrongdoing and says Mr Bwanya is putting up a smokescreen since he is fighting disciplinary action over alleged incompetence and misbehaviour.
But ZACC has since impounded two vehicles — a Ford Ranger and an Isuzu KB250 — from the Central Registry and has launched investigations into allegations of abuse of office and unprocedural procurement of vehicles by Mr Masango.
ZACC’s action followed a complaint by Mr Bwanya, who accused Mr Masango of embezzlement of funds and the disappearance of six Isuzu KB250 single cab vehicles that he said the department had procured, but were not delivered
In his letter to Secretary for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Mr Aaron Nhepera, Mr Bwanya said only five of 11 vehicles bought by the department had been delivered while mystery surrounded the whereabouts of a Toyota Land Cruiser that he said the Central Registry had bought.
However, Mr Masango has launched a scathing attack on Mr Bwanya and four officials from ZACC who impounded the vehicles.
In his response to Mr Nhepera, Mr Masango said Mr Bwanya was making the allegations to divert attention from pending disciplinary cases against him.
He accused the four ZACC officials of colluding with Mr Bwanya to embarrass him.
Mr Masango said his department bought only five vehicles out of the intended 11 after Treasury revoked the 1:1 parity between the Zimbabwe dollar to the United States dollar, while plans to procure the Land Cruiser were abandoned after the authority to buy it was rescinded.
He said there was paper trail for all the transactions and Mr Bwanya should have verified this if he was acting in good faith.
ZACC spokesperson, Commissioner John Makamure, said: “I can confirm that we are investigating that case, but cannot divulge details now.”
Contacted for comment, Mr Masango confirmed the development, but said the intervention of ZACC was “strange and unprecedented” since normally there was first an audit which would recommend a course of action.
He referred further questions to Mr Nhepera, who said he was aware of the case, but promised to comment substantively after meeting ZACC officials.
“Why don’t you wait because there is a likelihood that the involvement of ZACC was premature? I was dealing with this matter administratively and I do not know how ZACC came in. But I am going to meet them,” said Mr Nhepera.
In his letter dated February 13, Mr Bwanya said on September 14, 2018 payment of $596 037 to the Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) for 11 vehicles was made, without procurement authority.
The sight of people moving around with packets of 10kg roller meal – and always with that tragic triumphalism – is a depressing spectacle. Our Government must be stopped from this mass pauperization of the populace. Shape up or ship out. No to mediocrity @edmnangagwa
By A Correspondent- The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has donated 380 tarpaulins to make tents and 50 family sets of non-food items to be used at the National Social Security Authority hotel in Beitbridge, which is being used as a quarantine centre for Zimbabweans returning from South Africa.
The hotel can accommodate 280 people and plans are underway to modify the attached casino to accommodate an additional 100 people.
Twenty-four people are presently being quarantined at the hotel and the Zimbabwe consulate in South Africa is working on how to help others who want to come home.
So far, 3 055 have registered with the consulate seeking food while others want to go home. IOM’s project assistant for Beitbridge, Mr Nhamo Muleya, said the donation was part of the organisation’s contribution to ongoing efforts to curtail the spread of Covid-19.
The kits include two pots, six plates, six mugs, one washing basin, two mosquito nets, one spoon, 30 aqua tabs for water purification, two packets of sanitary pads, one plastic bucket, four adult female pants, two child female panties, one laminated China bag and six bars of soap. IOM says it was aware that among the returnees, some will be short of resources, and the kits will be helpful.
Distribution of the kits will be done at the CPU’s discretion. Beitbridge CPU chairperson, Mrs Skhangazile Mafu-Moyo said: “We are grateful to IOM. This will enhance our capacity to professionally manage the quarantine centre.
‘‘It is also pleasing to note that some corporates, commercial farmers and non-governmental organisations are coming on board.
“Recently we received 44 beds, 10 mattresses and an assortment of groceries from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, fuel and groceries form local commercial farmers and TopPick Investments”.
Government had already procured food to feed 100 people at the quarantine centre.
Beitbridge is yet to record any positive case of Covid-19.
By A Correspondent- The Government’s policy on second-hand clothing has not changed and relevant ministries are meeting this week to map the way forward to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Zimbabwe’s textile and leather industry has been under siege from an influx of second-hand clothes, shoes and leather products that forced some players in the sector to close down.
Selling used clothes has become a viable source of livelihood for many in Zimbabweans but the outbreak of Covid-19 if forcing the Government to be more stringent. In an interview yesterday, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr Sekai Nzenza said that the Government policy on second-hand clothing has not changed.
“The Government does not allow second-hand clothing from anywhere. What is already in the country comes in illegally. We have to promote the local manufacturing of our own clothing industry rather than dwell on other people’s throwaways,” Dr Nzenza said.
Turning to the fight against Covid-19, Minister Nzenza said she is meeting with other relevant ministries this week, to put measures in place to curb the importation of second-hand clothing.
“We are meeting this week with the relevant ministries to come up with a way forward,” she said.
In Harare’s CBD, second-hand clothes are sold at Charge Office, Copacabana, Market Square, Mupedzanhamo among other areas. Areas surrounding Mbare Musika and some residential areas have been turned into open-air second-hand clothes flea market.
By A Correspondent- Three nurses in Mashonaland East province who recently tested positive for COVID-19, returned negative results, casting doubt over the accuracy of test kits used in the country as well as validity of statistics already publicised.
Two of the nurses are stationed at Mt St Mary’s Hospital in Wedza while the third works at Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre. This is according to a report produced by provincial medical director Simukai Zizhou on March 26.
The health workers tested positive with the rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and were immediately self-isolated before a second examination using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) produced negative results.
Provincial medical director Simukai Zizhou yesterday confirmed the development, saying the three nurses were now certified COVID-19 free.
“The three were confirmed negative of the COVID-19 virus after the PCR tests. The RDT (test) is not specific,” Zizhou said.
“It can pick some antibodies which at times are not infected by COVID-19. This RDT can only pick antibodies after a period of 14 to 21 days after infection. It is not really a good test. This is why we waited for PCR confirmation and confirm with the virus’ RNA (ribonucleic acid). These cases turned out to be negative; they have no COVID-19 virus.”
The latest development has left more questions than answers on the authenticity of COVID-19 tests being conducted across the country.
Zimbabwe now has 31 COVID-19 confirmed cases including four deaths, the latest being the 82-year-old mother of former minister Sylvester Nguni who died of the deadly virus last week, triggering mass testing in Chitemere village, Mhondoro where she lived.
Two people who had contact with her have tested positive, according to Information permanent secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana.
Concerns have been raised that some of the test kits being used by the government to test for the coronavirus were defective. Most of the COVID-19 test kits donated by a Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma, are said to be causing headaches for health authorities as they are producing wrong results.
Last month, the Spanish government, among other countries, withdrew 58 000 Chinese-made coronavirus test kits, claiming they had an accurate detection rate of just 30%. China, however, claimed the test kits were made by a company that did not appear on its list of authorised manufacturers.
At the weekend, Mangwana said the government had banned the use of test kits other than the ones approved by the Health ministry. “I am not aware of any particular case where there have been false or wrong results from PCR machines that are used in all instances where the government is involved,” Mangwana said.
“Government has taken a position to say that test kits that are certified (by the ministry) are the ones that will be used. If there are others that are continuously giving false positives, then it is indeed a cause for concern.”
Mashonaland East was one of the first provinces to record COVID-19 cases after four people in Zimre Park tested positive. The four, who are members of the same family, have since recovered from the virus. In a related development, the government has expressed concern over the sprouting of private facilities operating as COVID-19 clinics.
Health ministry permanent secretary Agnes Mahomva said the private facilities were operating illegally without conforming to the Public Health Act standards. “The ministry has learned and noticed that some private facilities that have not been officially assessed and registered are springing up as COVID-19 clinics,” Mahonva said in a statement.
“These facilities are operating illegally, are a danger to the COVID-19 patients and communities around them and should stop operating with immediate effect until they have completed all registration processes.”
She added: “Since COVID-19 is an infectious disease that was declared a formidable epidemic disease, any private facility intending to manage the COVID-19 disease (including testing, isolation and treatment) should duly apply to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care for assessment, approval and registration in line with the Public Health Act provisions.”-Newsday
By Patrick Guramatunhu-“While I don’t want to get into the issues around how and why there are sanctions, everyone knows that I personally had to flee my country, Zimbabwe, because of persecution 20 years ago,” said Strive Masiyiwa in a statement. “I have not been back since. For the avoidance of doubt; This is not an appeal for the lifting of sanctions.”
Masiyiwa has launched an appeal for help for Sudan and Zimbabwe to fight the coronavirus outbreak. The two countries are facing economic sanctions imposed by the West, particularly the USA and, to add insult to injury, they were singled out when other countries had their debts written by IMF and the other multilateral organizations.
In 2016 the then President Robert Mugabe admitted the country was “swindled of US$ 15 billion in diamond revenue alone”! He never arrested even one swindler or recovered one dollar.
The following year, 2017, Patrick Chinamasa, then Minister of Finance confirm in parliament that government was getting 1/6 of the expected diamond revenue. In other words the looting was still taking place. Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s successor following the 2017 military coup, promised “zero tolerance to corruption” and yet he too has yet to arrest one swindler and/or recover one dollar.
The Chinese helped Mnangagwa rig the July 2018 elections and they were back in Zimbabwe soon thereafter. Mugabe booted them out of Marange and Chiadzwa diamond fields, the only looters who had been singled out. They have since been back to pick up from where they left off!
So, writing off Zimbabwe’s US$ 8 billion debt would only have given the regime yet another source of money to loot! We need a deeper understanding of our nation’s problems and a wholistic solution!
Many Zimbabweans have avoid talking about gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and, most important of all, rigged elections and bad governance for the last 40 years. These problems have not gone away but have instead grown and spread like the deadly cancers they are.
Today Zimbabwe’s once promising economy is in ruins, 34% of our people live in extreme poverty, according to a recent WB report. Our political system is total dysfunctional because politics is now a dirty game so dirty only seasoned thugs are playing it.
Many Zimbabweans left the country and have played no role is helping find the solution to Zimbabwe’s economic and political problems. The corona virus crisis is forcing millions of Zimbabweans to go back to a country still ruled by the same corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thugs complete with the entourage of equally corrupt and useless opposition sell-outs.
Zimbabweans must now face the country’s teething problem of rigged elections and bad governance or there will be heart-breaking gnashing of teeth and countless deaths as Zanu PF’s blundering incompetence drag the nation deeper and deeper into the abyss.
We are masters of our own destiny and so far we have let clueless buffoon in charge and it shows. How much longer are we going to let this madness continue?
“I don’t want to get into the issues around how and why there are sanctions!” Why the hell not? If the country is ever going to get out of this hell-on-earth then it is time we had a hard long look at ourselves and have a no-hold-barred discussion of the nation’s problems!
By A Correspondent- A Gweru man and his brother-in-law allegedly teamed up and assaulted his wife’s suspected boyfriend for about five hours, leading to his death.
Darlington Chigagure (26) of Mkoba 17 suburb was charged with the murder of his sister’s alleged boyfriend Walter Mutombwera (36), popularly known as Japan and also from the same suburb.
Police have since launched a manhunt for his two co-accused; Brandy Sifanjani who is Chigagure’s sister’s husband and their friend Precious Moyo.
Chigagure appeared briefly before Gweru magistrate Mr Progress Murandu facing one count of murder. He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to May 28 when police are expected to have completed investigations and put together evidence from 12 expected witnesses.
According to papers presented to the court by prosecutor Ms Connie Madzudzu, Chigagure, Sifanjani and Moyo on March 11 allegedly connived to lure Mutombwera to visit their place of residence in Mkoba 17 suburb. The court heard that Moyo pretended to be Nyaradzo, the wife to Sifanjani who was allegedly having an affair with Mutombwera.
Moyo allegedly made a phone call to Mutombwera lying to him that Nyaradzo who is in South Africa was back in the country and wanted to spend some quality time with him. Mutombwera allegedly fell into the trap and went to the house around 11PM where Sifanjani and Chigagure were lying in wait.
The court heard that when Mutombwera got into the house, Sifanjani allegedly struck him with a hoe handle but he managed to fight back overpowering the woman’s husband and the fight continued outside the house.
Mutombwera allegedly tried to escape but Chigagure blocked him by the gate where Sifanjani hit him on the head and legs with the hoe handle and he fell. The duo allegedly pinned Mutombwera while assaulting him with the handle on the head and legs. Mutombwera allegedly called for help but no one came to his rescue.
The court heard that Chigagure and Sifanjani took electrical cords which they used to tie Mutombwera’s hands from the back and continued assaulting him with the hoe handle and a knife. Around 3AM after about five hours of assault at the hands of the two brothers in law, the court heard, Mutombwera was groaning in pain as he had sustained serious injuries all over his body.
Realising Mutombwera was seriously injured, Chigagure and Sifanjani allegedly bundled his body into their vehicle and drove for about 500m before dumping him in a grassy area.
Mutombwera who could no longer walk since both his legs were broken allegedly crawled on his stomach from the grassy area and was rescued by a taxi driver. He allegedly died on his way to the hospital. His body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals where a post-mortem was carried out and it was revealed that the cause of death was due to laceration of humeral artery and wounds on both legs, hypovolemic shock and stab wound.
Mutombwera is survived by a wife and two children.
By A Correspondent- The cost of a grave in the local authority cemeteries have shot up from a mere $80 to $1 096 as Gweru City Council starts implementing its 2020 budget bringing shock to residents as prices of everything spiral out of control.
The City’s public relations manager, Vimbai Chingwaramuse confirmed the implementation of the current budget hence the shooting up of the cost of staying in the city.
The budget has generally increased upwards of 400% and the increase in the cost of graves is a 1 270%.
“We have increased tariffs by 400% as per our approved 2020 budget,” said Chingwaramusee
Gweru residents have however, expressed shock as the increases are way above their incomes.
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) Director Cornelia Selipiwe said the tariff increases have been effected at a bad time when the economy is on a downspin exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic which has resulted in a lockdown.
“The timing is bad because residents are even failing to get food. We are on a lockdown where Gweru City Council must actually be giving food hampers to residents as is happening in other countries like South Africa,” said Selipiwe.
The cost of a vending licence has gone up to $1 182 from $50. Buses and minibuses using the Kudzanayi bus terminus now pay $115 per hour from $10 last year.-MasvingoMirror
A TOTAL of 14 774 people were arrested countrywide for violating Covid-19 orders since the beginning of the lockdown period on March 31.
Statistics obtained from the Police General Headquarters show that Bulawayo still tops the numbers with 3 578 people arrested so far, followed by Manicaland Province at 2 990 arrests.
Harare comes third in arrests at 1 866 while 1 589 people have been arrested so far in Midlands Province. In Mashonaland West Province, 1 321 people were arrested while 487 were arrested in in Mashonaland Central.
Matabeleland South has so far recorded 1 035 arrests while Matabeleland North province has 667. In Mashonaland East Province, 529 people have been arrested while the support unit separately arrested 107 people countrywide.
In a telephone interview, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police were concerned with continued violation of lockdown orders and the increasing number of pirate taxis, popularly known as mushikashika, illegally transporting commuters during this period.
“We continue to make arrests and Bulawayo still tops the statistics chart in terms of arrests of violators, with Manicaland Province following closely. We are now also worried by the number of pirating taxis that are operating during the lockdown and we warn offenders that they will be arrested. We also have a problem of people roaming aimlessly in residential suburbs after 6pm and we also warn them strongly that they will be arrested under section 4 of S.I 83 of 2020,” said Assistant Commissioner Nyathi.
In Bulawayo 25 members of the group of 48 Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide Revelation group that was arrested on Sunday while holding a church service in Tshabalala suburb have since paid $500 fines while the rest of the church members were released to look for the money as police considered that keeping them in cells would put them at risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus.
Speaking to Chronicle, Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said the congregants were given up to today to get the money.
Inspector Ncube said more than 800 vehicles had been impounded in the city, with 285 of them impounded under the Joint operation between Police, the Bulawayo City Council and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).
“BCC is checking parking tickets and other fines, while Zimra is checking if they were imported via the proper channels into the country and police are checking through VTS if these cars have not been reported as stolen. More than 800 have so far been impounded although some have been released as their owners would have paid outstanding fines and fees,” said Inspector Ncube.
By A Correspondent- Drama as 2 men pay maintenance for one child, DNA tests prove none of them is the father.
A Gweru woman who claimed maintenance for one child from two different men was recently arrested for fraud when the case was discovered.
DNA test – Image credit https://www.smarterhobby.com/genealogy/best-dna-test/
A paternity test then ordered by Gweru Magistrate Pathekile Msipa on the 13-year-old daughter late last year and whose results were opened on Tuesday proved that neither of the men Sindiso Siyapi (38) nor Ezekiel Chifamba (38) is the biological father although they had paid maintenance for at least three years each.
Siyapi, a clerk at CMED in Gweru has been paying $300 a month in maintenance after his obligation was reviewed by the courts three times from $50 to $100 and then to $300 currently and Chifamba, a Gokwe based welder was paying $50.
Othilia Mushipe (34) of Mkoba 17 skipped court on Tuesday and has since been issued with a warrant of arrest for two counts of fraud involving $4 200 for both men.
Police went to her place several times but could not find her. It is the State case that Chifamba and Mushipe once lived together as a married couple between 2003 and 2012 and then got divorced. In August 2013 Mushipe claimed maintenance and was granted $50.While receiving maintenance from Chifamba, Mushipe also filed maintenance claims against Siyapi in March 2016 and she was granted $50.
In July 2016 she applied for a review to $100 and it was granted and in November of the same year, she reapplied again for a review to $300 which was granted to her. However, in August 2017 Chifamba got wind that Siyapi was also paying maintenance for the same child. He made efforts and located Siyapi and the two made a Police report leading to the arrest of Mushipe.
The accused was dragged to court, and DNA tests were done to see who should continue paying maintenance but the results were negative for both men.-Online
News that ZANU PF youths are making sanitizers and masks seems like a good gesture at face value but underneath this is cheap political grandstanding that should be treated with contempt it deserves.
It is devoid of logic, mind -boggling and useless for ZANU PF Youths to go to town telling everyone who cares to listen that they are helping government in the fight against Covid-19 by making substandard sanitizers and masks that fall short of WHO requirements whilst the masses are dying of hunger.
Yes Covid-19 is real, but thousands of our countrymen are dying of hunger and starvation en-mass during this lockdown.
A damning recent UN Report puts at 4 million the number of people facing acute food shortages and starvation in Zimbabwe.
Clearly, food distribution to the masses dying of hunger should be a priority more than anything else.
Common sense and hierarchy of needs philosophy tell us that it is senseless and useless to sanitize and face mask dead bodies – victims of starvation!
Clearly these fellows from a party that embezzled US$3 billion meant for food security through Command Agriculture are taking us for a ride.
Can Zimbabwe trust these unprofessional ‘youthies’ to produce WHO standard masks and sanitizers given the track record of unfulfilled promises by their dwindling party?
Remember Emmerson Mnangagwa’s electoral promises on those expensive 2018 election campaign billboards?
Food for All, Health for All, Housing for All….the list of lies is infinite!
Before we even think of the said masks and sanitizers, Zimbabweans must ask what happened to Stone Age bakeries initiative by the very same Youth League that was meant to ease bread shortages?
ZANU PF are masters of deception, lies and cheap propaganda and nothing good comes from Shake-Shake building!
Simply put ZANU PF should spare the long suffering masses fighting both hunger and Covid-19 from their disinteresting jokes.
ZANU PF youths making masks and sanitizers is akin to treating citizens with scorn, ridicule, mockery and derision.
This is no time for toi-toing and cheap sloganeering, the country is facing starvation and a deadly pandemic!
Thumps up to the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly for fronting a realistic #SaveThePoor campaign.
Human lives and survival precedes everything else.
That is leadership!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
NewsDay|THREE nurses in Mashonaland East province who recently tested positive for COVID-19, returned negative results, casting doubt over the accuracy of test kits used in the country as well as validity of statistics already publicised.
Two of the nurses are stationed at Mt St Mary’s Hospital in Wedza while the third works at Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre. This is according to a report produced by provincial medical director Simukai Zizhou on March 26.
NewsDay understands that the health workers tested positive with the rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and were immediately self-isolated before a second examination using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) produced negative results.
Provincial medical director Simukai Zizhou yesterday confirmed the development, saying the three nurses were now certified COVID-19 free.
“The three were confirmed negative of the COVID-19 virus after the PCR tests. The RDT (test) is not specific,” Zizhou said.
“It can pick some antibodies which at times are not infected by COVID-19. This RDT can only pick antibodies after a period of 14 to 21 days after infection. It is not really a good test. This is why we waited for PCR confirmation and confirm with the virus’ RNA (ribonucleic acid). These cases turned out to be negative; they have no COVID-19 virus.”
The latest development has left more questions than answers on the authenticity of COVID-19 tests being conducted across the country.
Zimbabwe now has 31 COVID-19 confirmed cases including four deaths, the latest being the 82-year-old mother of former minister Sylvester Nguni who died of the deadly virus last week, triggering mass testing in Chitemere village, Mhondoro where she lived.
Two people who had contact with her have tested positive, according to Information permanent secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana.
Concerns have been raised that some of the test kits being used by the government to test for the coronavirus were defective.
Most of the COVID-19 test kits donated by Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma, are said to be causing headaches for health authorities as they are producing wrong results.
Last month, the Spanish government, among other countries, withdrew 58 000 Chinese-made coronavirus test kits, claiming they had an accurate detection rate of just 30%.
China, however, claimed the test kits were made by a company that did not appear on its list of authorised manufacturers.
At the weekend, Mangwana said government had banned the use of test kits other than the ones approved by the Health ministry.
“I am not aware of any particular case where there have been false or wrong results from PCR machines that are used in all instances where government is involved,” Mangwana said.
“Government has taken a position to say that test kits that are certified (by the ministry) are the ones that will be used. If there are others that are continuously giving false positives, then it is indeed a cause for concern.”
Mashonaland East was one of the first provinces to record COVID-19 cases after four people in Zimre Park tested positive. The four, who are members of the same family, have since recovered from the virus.
In a related development, government has expressed concern over the sprouting of private facilities operating as COVID-19 clinics.
Health ministry permanent secretary Agnes Mahomva said the private facilities were operating illegally without conforming to the Public Health Act standards.
“The ministry has learned and noticed that some private facilities that have not been officially assessed and registered are springing up as COVID-19 clinics,” Mahonva said in a statement.
“These facilities are operating illegally, are a danger to the COVID-19 patients and communities around them and should stop operating with immediate effect until they have completed all registration processes.”
She added: “Since COVID-19 is an infectious disease that was declared a formidable epidemic disease, any private facility intending to manage the COVID-19 disease (including testing, isolation and treatment) should duly apply to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care for assessment, approval and registration in line with the Public Health Act provisions.”
Businessman Strive Masiyiwa has appealed to the World Bank, the IMF and other multilateral institutions for humanitarian support for Zimbabwe and Sudan in the wake of the economic devastation brought about by the COVID-19 Coronavirus epidemic.
Said Masiyiwa in his appeal:
As many of you on this platform know, I have been at the forefront, for several weeks, in asking for Debt Relief and Economic Impact Stimulus on behalf of the African continent.
In making these appeals, those of us who have called for these measures have used as our bench-marking measures that have been taken in the US, Europe, Asia, and China.
So far I am pleased that there has been growing support for these measures.
At the last World Bank, IMF and G20 meetings, many African countries secured debt relief by way of ‘standstills’ on interest payments, which are valued at over US$22bn.
More than half of that money has been disbursed already to countries in Africa, as it was sitting in debt service accounts.
These African countries can now urgently buy Medical Equipment, PPE, ventilators. They can also train and pay doctors and nurses.
Two countries were conspicuous in their omission from any form of relief: Zimbabwe and Sudan.
This is because they are under sanctions.
While I don’t want to get into the issues around how and why there are sanctions, everyone knows that I personally had to flee my country, Zimbabwe, because of persecution 20 years ago.
I have not been back since.
I am not a politician, just an entrepreneur working day and night to create wealth and jobs across many African nations.
I have not spoken to anyone in the governments of these countries, including that of Zimbabwe, with respect to this matter. I have no personal contact with the leaders of these governments.
For the avoidance of doubt; This is not an appeal for the lifting of sanctions.
People also know that my wife and I (through our small family foundation) continue to do everything we can to try and help the people of Zimbabwe, including making many preparations to help prepare for the catastrophic impact of this pandemic on the nation.
Alas, we are just private citizens, and it is not enough.
We are deeply concerned about the potential loss of life if international aid does not come quickly, specially to address the needs of this pandemic.
I would like to respectfully make the following suggestion:
#Creation of a Special Purpose Trust Vehicle, under the leadership of independent people, including global humanitarians:
I would like to appeal to the World Bank, IMF and other multilateral institutions, to create humanitarian Trusts for each country, which are managed by third parties, along the lines of the Global Fund.
I have consulted widely with experts and many told me of numerous precedences, at the level of the UN, IMF, World Bank, the EU or even the US government itself.
The more countries that can contribute, even from China, and our African brothers, the more credible it would be, as global compassion towards the people’s of these very poor nations.
I would urge them to consider seeding the Trusts with at least $500m and inviting others including private philanthropy to participate.
In the case of Zimbabwe, I will personally contribute in a Trust and encourage friends and partners to do the same.
The money would be used to provide urgently required medical supplies, training and remuneration for health care workers. We can also provide urgently needed repairs to hospitals and rural clinics across the country.
This is a humanitarian appeal.
Please help Sudan and Zimbabwe’s people.
In God’s name please help these nations, before it is too late.
FORMER Cold Storage Company (now CSC-Boustead Beef Zimbabwe) board member, Mr Charles Boy Madonko, has died. He was 83.
The late Madonko was also a personal friend of the late Zapu president Dumiso Dabengwa and worked very closely with late former Vice President Joshua Nkomo.
The late Mr Madonko, who also served as the Nuanetsi Ranch managing director in Masvingo province for more than 20 years, died yesterday morning at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo after battling cancer. A family spokesperson, Mr Mazinyane Madonko, confirmed the death of his elder brother.
“I can confirm the death of my brother Charles Boy Madonko. He passed on this morning at Mater Dei Hospital where he had been admitted and had not been well for sometime.
“Three years ago, he had one of his kidneys removed in India after it developed a growth,” he said.
In 2007, he was appointed a member of the CSC board that was led by the late Professor Lindela Ndlovu to revive operations at the country’s beef processor and marketer.
He said his late brother was instrumental in the liberation struggle and was a Zapu member then.
Three years ago, he had one of his kidneys removed in India after it developed a growth
“During the liberation struggle he was a Zapu member and was also a personal friend of the late Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo. He was also with Dr Nkomo when he fled into exile during the Gukurahundi era in the 1980s,” said the family spokesperson.
“At the time of his death, he had retired from politics and was now based in the rural areas in Gwanda, Matabeleland South province.”
The late Mr Madonko was also a confidante of former Zambia President Rupiah Banda dating back to their childhood and the war of liberation.
In 2009, the two reunited when Mr Banda made a sentimental return to his place of birth, Gwanda.
“While as a Zapu cadre during the liberation struggle, my brother was also given a farm by the former Zambian President and used the produce from his farm to feed the freedom fighters,” said Mr Mazinyane Madonko.
Mourners are gathered at house number 62 Park Road, Suburbs in Bulawayo.
A 27-YEAR-OLD Bindura man was fined $2 000 for impersonating a soldier and controlling mealie-meal queues in Bindura.
Tichaona Maforo of Chipadze, Bindura, was fined $2 000 by magistrate Tinashe Ndokera and failure to pay will earn him 40 days behind bars.
Prosecutor Thembinkosi Mananga told the court that on April 13, Maforo, who was in civilian clothes, joined members of the Zimbabwe National Army in controlling a mealie-meal queue while pretending to be a soldier.
On April 21, the convict called the soldiers enquiring about their whereabouts and was told, he followed them and started controlling a queue. One of the soldiers Isaac Ngwana (24) quizzed Maforo about his credentials, leading to his arrest.
Meanwhile, a primary school teacher was sentenced to two months in prison by Bindura magistrate Moreblessing Makati yesterday for defying the lockdown order.
Prudence Ruwizhi (29) who teaches at Bungu Primary School was, however, ordered to pay $600 fine.
Prosecutor Vincent Marunya told the court that on April 26, police officers stopped the convict who was driving a VW vehicle and he failed to produce a clearance letter, leading to his arrest.
“We need Madagascar Covid Organics in South Africa now” South Africans beg Cyril Ramaphosa
Barely a week after the official the launch of cure for Covid19 by the government of Madagascar, South Africans are asking the government to as a matter of urgency request for the Covid Organics Syrup from Madagascar amidst rising cases
of covid-19 infections in the country.
It was reported that Madagascar president Andry Rajoelina approved and launched the use of as a cure for Covid19 after some people were healed after taking the medicine.
The medicine also has the capability to prevent the virus from finding its way into human bodies.
Senegal, Dr Congo, Guinea Bissau and Cameroon were among the first countries to express interest in placing order for the drugs.
Apparently, South Africans does not want to be left out as they pleads for president Cyril Ramaphosa to make move.
See their reactions.
“What is South Africa waiting for with so many cases already? Good job Senegal, African countries should follow in supporting this initiative.”
“South Africa will wait for Americans or Chinese or British to discover the vaccine otherwise they won’t help grow Madagascar by ordering African herb to heal Africans.
A TOTAL of 14 774 people were arrested countrywide for violating Covid-19 orders since the beginning of the lockdown period on March 31.
Statistics obtained from the Police General Headquarters show that Bulawayo still tops the numbers with 3 578 people arrested so far, followed by Manicaland Province at 2 990 arrests.
Harare comes third in arrests at 1 866 while 1 589 people have been arrested so far in Midlands Province. In Mashonaland West Province, 1 321 people were arrested while 487 were arrested in in Mashonaland Central.
Matabeleland South has so far recorded 1 035 arrests while Matabeleland North province has 667. In Mashonaland East Province, 529 people have been arrested while the support unit separately arrested 107 people countrywide.
In a telephone interview, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police were concerned with continued violation of lockdown orders and the increasing number of pirate taxis, popularly known as mushikashika, illegally transporting commuters during this period.
“We continue to make arrests and Bulawayo still tops the statistics chart in terms of arrests of violators, with Manicaland Province following closely. We are now also worried by the number of pirating taxis that are operating during the lockdown and we warn offenders that they will be arrested. We also have a problem of people roaming aimlessly in residential suburbs after 6pm and we also warn them strongly that they will be arrested under section 4 of S.I 83 of 2020,” said Assistant Commissioner Nyathi.
In Bulawayo 25 members of the group of 48 Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide Revelation group that was arrested on Sunday while holding a church service in Tshabalala suburb have since paid $500 fines while the rest of the church members were released to look for the money as police considered that keeping them in cells would put them at risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said the congregants were given up to today to get the money.
Inspector Ncube said more than 800 vehicles had been impounded in the city, with 285 of them impounded under the Joint operation between Police, the Bulawayo City Council and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).
“BCC is checking parking tickets and other fines, while Zimra is checking if they were imported via the proper channels into the country and police are checking through VTS if these cars have not been reported as stolen. More than 800 have so far been impounded although some have been released as their owners would have paid outstanding fines and fees,” said Inspector Ncube.
Villagers from Mhondoro Mubaira reportedly fled from their homesteads as COVID-19 response teams approached their homes, to try and take samples from them as they might have been in contact with Mbuya Nguni who succumbed to the disease last week, journalist Brezh Malaba claims.
Malaba’s tweeted:
Covid-19 arrives in rural Zimbabwe.The invisible enemy has disrupted life in the idyllic villages of Mhondoro-Mubaira. Response teams were deployed on Sunday & again 2day. It’s a public health emergency,a huge task.More than 300 villagers had to be tested without delay
The rural setting is affected by several factors:a relatively high number of elderly folk; lack of health facilities; illiteracy; water & sanitation challenges. More importantly, the same sense of communal amity which unites villagers can suddenly become their greatest weakness.
Samples have been collected in these 2 days & the results are expected in 3 days.But there are more challenges ahead:nobody is explaining to me what will be done about those 2 clinics & Chegutu Hospital where the part-time nurse who tested positive continued reporting for duty.
Covid-19 arrives in rural Zimbabwe. There were moments of pandemonium in rural Mhondoro-Mubaira yesterday & today when panic-stricken villagers sprinted off as soon as the response teams approached their homesteads. Awareness campaigns are needed in rural communities.
New Zealand has recorded a major Victory in the fight against the global pandemic coronavirus. The Pacific nation appears to be the first Western nation to win the battle against the global contagion Coronavirus following an elimination strategy adopted by the country in mid – March.
Speaking to reporters, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that her country has successfully put an end to ” widespread, undetected community transmission ” of Coronavirus. As the country look forward to easing the harsh restriction measures used to contain and eventually “eliminate” the global pandemic coronavirus. In the words of Mrs. Ardern :
“There is no widespread, undetected community transmission in New Zealand. We have won that battle. But we must remain vigilant if we are to keep it that way.” The Prime Minister said, sounding a warning note to make sure that the country does not fall into a second outbreak of the pandemic.
Indeed, New Zealand has proven to the rest of the world that “Hard Way is the only way” in defeating the global pandemic coronavirus. In mid – match New Zealand adopted a strict restriction rules that aimed at total elimination of COVID-19 from the country. During this period, basically all the businesses in New Zealand were completely closed as well as schools; and the people were strictly kept indoors except when it’s necessary to probably go out to purchase what to eat at the supermarkets.
Speaking about easing of the restrictions, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the country would do so very carefully to make sure everything goes well as planned.
“We are opening up the economy but we are not opening up people’s social lives.” She said.
The first case of Coronavirus in New Zealand was reported on 28th February, 2020 and as at 27th April, 2020, the country has a total of 1,469 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 19 deaths.
The drama in the Thokozani Khupe MDC-T is setting up for boiling point as the sham extraordinary congresses ordered by the Supreme Court nears.
After Douglas Mwonzora declared his interest to challenge Khupe, the controversial Morgen Komichi has also submitted his interest to contest the presidency.
A campaign poster of his has also emerged in the social media declaring his interest.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care has announced that Zimbabwe’s coronavirus cases have risen to 32 after a Harare man tested positive for the virus.
We present the Ministry’s statement in full below.
To date, more than3 million confirmed cases and more than 200 000 deaths have been reported globally.
The Ministry would like to report that today (27 April 2020), a total of 439 tests were done as shown in the table below, giving a total of 6834 screening and diagnostic tests to date. Of the PCR tests done in Harare today, one was positive for COVID-19. All PCR tests done in Bulawayo today were negative for COVID-19.
Mat South – 165
Mat North – 30
Harare – 204
Bulawayo – 38
Midlands – 2
Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe now has thirty-two confirmed cases including five recoveries and four deaths as detailed table 2 below.
Mat North – 1 Case – 1 Recovery – 0 Deaths
Harare – 14 Cases – 0 Recoveries – 2 Deaths
Bulawayo – 10 Cases – 0 Recoveries – 1 Deaths
Mashonaland East – 4 Cases – 4 Recoveries -0 Deaths
More details on the latest case to be given in tomorrow’s update.
The Ministry continues 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-19 are to practice good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing.
A gang of robbers, 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, leaving the informer out.
Simba Kanyepi (24), an illegal foreign currency dealer who works for and stays with the victim, allegedly connived with Hemish Chagadama (32) and Shingai Mazviwanza (29) to rob Mr Luke Kwezera of his money, with Kanyepi keeping the robbery gang posted on Mr Kwezera’s movements with money.
The three appeared in court yesterday before magistrate Mr Richard Ramaboa charged with robbery. They were freed on $5 000 bail each and ordered to report to the police daily pending their next court appearance on May 27.
Representing the State, Messrs Hatizivo Chatikobo and Norman Karopi alleged that the three had planned to rob Mr Kwezera as soon as they knew he would be carrying a large sum away from home.
On April 24, he decided to go to a car sales in Newlands to see a client who wanted a lot of cash in United States dollars.
So at noon, Kanyepi, who was in the same car as Mr Kwezera, texted Chagadama and Mazviwanza telling them that his boss was carrying US$59 000, where it was hidden in the car, and where they were going.
The gang members raced to the same car sale. They told Kanyepi not to continue texting them since they had spotted the two and would be following them.
After the intended money transaction had failed, Mr Kwezera passed through town on his way home.
Chagadama, Mazviwanza and others who are still at large who had been following his car suddenly blocked it at the intersection of Sam Nujoma Street and Robert Mugabe Road in the city centre.
Three of the robbers were wearing police uniform and holding batons.
They reportedly confronted Mr Kwezera demanding his permit to move around since the country was under lockdown.
Then they allegedly slapped him, took his car keys from the ignition, handcuffed him and bundled him into the back seat. They searched him and took his three cellphones, a Samsung J4, Samsung M30 and Samsung M20.
In the melee, a silver Mercedes Benz arrived with other members of the gang.
The gang grabbed the US dollars, and kept Mr Kwezera and Kanyepi who was still pretending to be a victim, in his car and said they would drive the two to Rhodesville Police Station.
Instead, these other robbers drove Mr Kwezera’s vehicle to the roundabout at the intersection of Mutare Road and Harare Drive, where they removed the handcuffs from him before dumping the two and making good their escape.
Chagadama and Mazviwanza bought vehicles with their share of the loot two days after the robbery, while Kanyepi told the police that he was still to get his share, it is alleged.
The new vehicles that the two bought are being held as exhibits, while police have information on the communication among gang members before, during and after the commission of the crime.
Facebook’s Director of Public Policy, Africa, Kojo Boakye
Facebook (www.Facebook.com) is expanding its Coronavirus Information Center to 24 more countries in Africa as part of its ongoing commitment to empowering people around the world with timely and accurate news from trusted health authorities.
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information Center is featured at the top of News Feed and provides a central place for people to keep informed about the Coronavirus. It includes real-time updates from national official sources, regional and global organizations such as the Africa Center for Disease Control (https://bit.ly/3cH9PN5) and the World Health Organization as well as helpful resources – articles, videos and posts – and tips about social distancing and preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Facebook users can opt-in to the Center to get notifications and see updates in their News Feed from official government, regional or global health authorities.
Facebook’s Director of Public Policy, Africa, Kojo Boakye, says: “Facebook is supporting the public health community’s work across the world to keep all communities informed during the coronavirus pandemic. We are happy to provide nearly every country in Sub-Saharan Africa with its own Information Center so people across the continent have a central place to find authoritative information around COVID-19.”
The new countries where Facebook is launching the Coronavirus Information Center are:
Botswana
Burundi
Central African Republic
Comoros
Congo
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Gambia
Guinea-Bissau
Lesotho
Madagascar
Malawi
Mozambique
Namibia
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Sierra Leone
South Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
The Coronavirus Information Center is already in place in the following sub-Sahara African countries:
By Showbiz Reporter| A red-tracksuited Harare man caught with another man’s wife has refused to reveal his identity saying he is an intelligence officer, this will put him in trouble with his bosses. VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
The man was pounced on while inside the house and told by a Mr Matenga’s wife [ the woman at the centre of the scandal] to rush into a room and hide in there.
Soon after being caught, the man was filmed as he was grilled by a large team led by the woman’s father in law. The development as ZimEye reveals, comes at a time when the husband is away on a trip.
The video footage begins right in the middle of the confrontation with the father inlaw saying: No, it”s very simple shamwari, you yourself if you leave here and go to your house in Chishawasha Hills, where you are building a house…”
The accused then quips in screaming, ” I don’t stay in Chishawasha Hills,” to which the father continues –
“Either in Chishawasha or in Zengeza Four, in Nehanda road, at No 10760, if you go there and see your wife and there is another man inside, surely you would ask questions, you are inside my house, if this is a work issue, what are you doing here? “
An elderly woman jumps in saying: Besides, it is an illegal meeting. He said it himself that it is an illegal meeting, why are you coming to hold an illegal with somebody’s wife inside their house?
The father continues saying:
“Because here in this house, this lady has got a husband, he is not here. And this morning you came picked her up, you went and came back again to be inside this house.
“Today, this is the third time, and three or four days ago, you came in with a car, ADU 8581, you came here on Tuesday or on Monday, you slept here and left at 9am the following day, so why shouldnt we ask you questions?
“We have no problem with you. Actually if you had replied us, we would have opened the gate for you to leave, and we would have let you off.”
To this, the woman, then pleads with her father in law asking if the accused man can be allowed out of the house. She says, ” is it okay if I can excuse him, because I feel like those other things don’t actually concern him because he is just purely coming here for my work?”
The father in law, however appears unperturbed, and shoots in saying: “yeah, we are a little bit baffled because this is the Matenga home, and we don’t appreciate to see a person coming here, a man, and then he rushes to hide inside one of the rooms. “
Another Matemga family man says” it still feels strange for me and hard to believe that this man he doesn’t want to give identification, to which the muroora says it’s:
“because of the nature of our work.”
But if he is caught by the police who does he say he is?
The confrontation continues with more details being revealed.
Towards the end the father in law appears as if pulling back to say:
“That’s fine shamwari, I think what we just want you to do – to realise and accept is we as The Matenga family, and where her husband comes from, we are deeply upset with your presence, and it’s probably you are not the only person who comes here . I think there is quite a few guys , if you are not Linos, then it means it is now you, Kwaramba, and there is Linos, there is Chinyani and all sorts of people who have been coming in and out, whether it is the kind of work this Amai does or not, …”
Is this your first time to be here?, a female family member asks.
No it is my second time, he answers.
When was your first time?
He then answers saying, “I think it was three weeks ago.”
So when Mr Matenga is here do you come here?, he is questioned, to which he replies saying, “I don’t even know that there is a Mr Matenga, he says.”
VIDEO LOADING BELOW
Efforts to get a comment from the accused woman’s husband were fruitless at the time of writing.
1|A staff row at the Registrar-General’s Office has sucked in the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) after chief accountant, Mr Peter Bwanya, accused Registrar-General Mr Clement Masango of embezzlement over motor vehicles while the latter denies all wrongdoing and says Mr Bwanya is putting up a smokescreen since he is fighting disciplinary action over alleged incompetence and misbehaviour.
But ZACC has since impounded two vehicles — a Ford Ranger and an Isuzu KB250 — from the Central Registry and has launched investigations into allegations of abuse of office and unprocedural procurement of vehicles by Mr Masango.
ZACC’s action followed a complaint by Mr Bwanya, who accused Mr Masango of embezzlement of funds and the disappearance of six Isuzu KB250 single cab vehicles that he said the department had procured, but were not delivered
In his letter to Secretary for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Mr Aaron Nhepera, Mr Bwanya said only five of 11 vehicles bought by the department had been delivered while mystery surrounded the whereabouts of a Toyota Land Cruiser that he said the Central Registry had bought.
However, Mr Masango has launched a scathing attack on Mr Bwanya and four officials from ZACC who impounded the vehicles.
In his response to Mr Nhepera, Mr Masango said Mr Bwanya was making the allegations to divert attention from pending disciplinary cases against him.
He accused the four ZACC officials of colluding with Mr Bwanya to embarrass him.
Mr Masango said his department bought only five vehicles out of the intended 11 after Treasury revoked the 1:1 parity between the Zimbabwe dollar to the United States dollar, while plans to procure the Land Cruiser were abandoned after the authority to buy it was rescinded.
He said there was paper trail for all the transactions and Mr Bwanya should have verified this if he was acting in good faith.
ZACC spokesperson, Commissioner John Makamure, said: “I can confirm that we are investigating that case, but cannot divulge details now.”
Contacted for comment, Mr Masango confirmed the development, but said the intervention of ZACC was “strange and unprecedented” since normally there was first an audit which would recommend a course of action.
He referred further questions to Mr Nhepera, who said he was aware of the case, but promised to comment substantively after meeting ZACC officials.
“Why don’t you wait because there is a likelihood that the involvement of ZACC was premature? I was dealing with this matter administratively and I do not know how ZACC came in. But I am going to meet them,” said Mr Nhepera.
In his letter dated February 13, Mr Bwanya said on September 14, 2018 payment of $596 037 to the Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) for 11 vehicles was made, without procurement authority.
He said only five vehicles were subsequently delivered together with a Ford Ranger, whose purchase was allegedly
done at the behest of Mr Masango.
Mr Bwanya suspected that a Land Cruiser was bought despite the fact that the then Secretary for Home Affairs Mr Melusi Matshiya, had rescinded his authority.
In response, Mr Masango said the decision to buy the 11 vehicles was done well before he joined the department.
He said the department requested its bank to secure foreign currency upon realising that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) was struggling to do so due to other pressing national requirements. But before the transaction could be concluded, the intermarket rate was introduced at US$1: $2,51.
This meant the forex availed by their bank was no longer enough to buy the intended vehicles.
Said Mr Masango: “We then directed that the US$173 037,50 be used to purchase one Ford Ranger at a cost of US$78 505 instead of one Isuzu KB250 double cab stated in the initial order.
“The balance of US$95 291, including the local component, was then used to purchase five Isuzu KB250 single cab vehicles.”
He said allegations of flouting tender procedures had no substance since procurement was done through CMED, which had the requisite authority.
On the Land Cruiser vehicle, Mr Masango said no funds were used to buy it since authority had been rescinded.
He said the chief accountant had been served with warnings of incompetence and misbehaviour, which to date he had not disputed.
“What he surprisingly omitted to mention is the fact that he has also three charges of misconduct all pending against him and that your office is processing,” said Mr Masango.
On the conduct of ZACC officials, he said there was no justification to impound the two vehicles as there would be no prejudice if they had remained with the department.
“The inescapable motive on the part of these ZACC officials was obviously to cause inconvenience and embarrassment on me before staff and the public which they succeeded to do, as they seized and drove away the vehicles in full view of staff,” he said.
State Media|Politicians and senior Government officials bullying health officials to release their friends and relatives held in Covid-19 quarantine will be arrested, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has warned.
The commission is investigating reports of prominent people accused of facilitating the release of those being held in quarantine before being cleared by Covid-19 tests and undergoing the minimum quarantine in a designated centre.
The authorities have already shortened quarantine in centres so long as they can trust those who must be isolated will keep promises to stay at home, but even here they insist on a negative test before they allow home-quarantine for the rest of the 21 days.
ZACC chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo said using political muscle to release relatives and friends from quarantine was tantamount to corruption and those found on the wrong side of the law would be arrested.
“We strongly warn politicians, ministers and other Government officials against abusing their powers to remove people from quarantine in this Covid-19 era.
“As ZACC, we will not hesitate to arrest those who commit such a serious offence. That should never be done and we will arrest them without fear or favour,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.
She said such public figures would be breaching the trust bestowed on them as leaders in communities.
“We expect those people to be protectors of the masses. This becomes serious in the sense that we haven’t yet found a cure for the pandemic and people are dying worldwide,” she said.
Meanwhile, Justice Matanda-Moyo said investigations were underway to establish the circumstances under which a person in Covid-19 quarantine who was reported to be a relative to a minister was released from quarantine.
“We gathered information that the person was corruptly released from quarantine after some intervention by a relative who is a minister. We are investigating the case and if anyone is found on the wrong side of the law, he or she will be prosecuted. Whose relatives should be quarantined? Does that mean patients related to ministers or other high-ranking officials cannot spread the virus?” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.
Her office wrote at the end of last week to the Ministry of Health and Child Care to get more details on the case but the Permanent Secretary Dr Agnes Mahomva was yet to respond.
Veteran ZBC Radio disc jockey, Peter John’s has died.
He died in the United Kingdom on Monday evening.
Peter Johns, who was affectionately known by such sobriquets as “PJ Your DJ” or “The Radio Driver”, hosted the Midday Jam on Radio 3 (now Power FM) in Zimbabwe.
He left the station in 2002.
He was now based in the United Kingdom at the time of his death where he continued as club DJ, internet radio broadcaster and host at many functions, especially those involving Zimbabweans in the diaspora.
Peter’s health had been failing. According to Mark, his eldest son: “Peter was in a South London hospital after succumbing to three strokes and a heart attack.
This was not the first time Peter was hospitalised. In 2010 he suffered a mild cardiac arrest and was operated on.
Peter Johns spent over 20 memorable years on the club scene and as a radio DJ. In that time, Peter established himself as a popular radio DJ with programmes like Weekend Love and Mellow Madness. PJ, as he was also affectionately known, honed his studio skills in Zimbabwe and eventually gained notice from top touring jockeys, relocating to the UK in 2002 where he pursued studies in Digital Radio Broadcasting and Packaging.
Starting out as a club DJ in 1980, at the age of 20, PJ played at Scamps, a night-club in Harare owned by DJ Tim Breen and Zac Almeida. His initial guest appearance resulted in him gaining a Friday and Saturday night residency at Scamps almost immediately. Soon, his energetic remixes and sharp original productions found themselves in sets and over time, his mixed tapes and club nights, solidified his status as one of Zimbabwe’s best DJs. He was very passionate about his career as a DJ and took a professional attitude to it.
PJ’s mobile disco business ran parallel with his residency at various clubs, guest appearances at concerts, and promotions with international artistes. In 1981, after the launch of Radio 3, which started with a 19 hour broadcast time and eventually moved to become a 24 hour station, John Matinde, then manager responsible for recruitment at ZBC, gave PJ his first break into radio. He offered him a part-time slot every Sunday evening.
Through PJ’s connections in the UK and US and his continued thirst for up-to-date knowledge of musicians and their music, the dynamic DJ was exposed to newly emerging trends in music from the UK and US, rocking local radio. This enabled him to update and build on his ever-growing collection of music. Every week, he would receive at least 10 vinyl albums from either the United States or from the United Kingdom through his contacts based in these countries. Needless to mention that it cost him a lot of money. Incorporating international music with local jams proved to be a great recipe, boosting his radio shows and leading to an increase in shows he hosted on air. These included Monday Mellow Madness, which he continues to host on the internet, the UK top 40, hit-pick and others.
PJ is credited with interviewing the bad boy of Ragga music, Shaba Ranks, during his visit to Zimbabwe in the 1990s. He has interviewed several other celebrities, including Maxi Priest, King Sounds and Jimmy Cliff. The introduction of satellite television brought another great break for PJ — TV broadcasting.
Sponsored shows, such as Coca Cola on the Beat, gave him a marvelous break. His star was to continue shining until circumstances changed. Peter often talked about the experience he had one New Year’s eve as he recalled the good times he had in Zimbabwe. PJ played for a private party aboard a train across the Victoria Falls gorge in 1999.
“The highlight was of course the countdown to midnight on New Year’s Eve when the train stopped on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. What a way to see the new millennium!” he said.
In 2002, through restructuring by the then Information minister Jonathan Moyo and a change of policies at state radio, PJ was left with no choice, but to leave the radio station he had served for a great many years, albeit with bitter-sweet memories. “The bulk being sweet,” as he put it.
Peter Johns’s contemporaries on Zimbawe’s Radio 3 throughout the 1980s and 1990s included Admire Taderera, Josh Makawa, Wellington Mbofana, Comfort Mbofana, Fungai “The Voice” Marange, Musi Khumalo, Kudzi “Mr Cool” Marudza, Witness Matema, Hosea “The Hitman” Singende, Busi Mhlanga-Chindove, Eunice Goto, Caleb Tondhlana, Elvis Chimene, Sophie Chamboko, Norah Chipaumire, Simon Parkinson, Jerry Jackson, Patrick Bajila, Alison Chavunduka, Tich Mataz, Kelvin Sifelani, Joe “Muzukuru” Hussein, George Munetsi, Hilton “Dr Bob” Mambo, John Matinde, Mike Mhundwa and Dennis Wilson.
Additional reporting by: Fred Zindi Writing For The Standard.
A TOTAL of 14 774 people were arrested countrywide for violating Covid-19 orders since the beginning of the lockdown period on March 31.
Statistics obtained from the Police General Headquarters show that Bulawayo still tops the numbers with 3 578 people arrested so far, followed by Manicaland Province at 2 990 arrests.
Harare comes third in arrests at 1 866 while 1 589 people have been arrested so far in Midlands Province.
In Mashonaland West Province, 1 321 people were arrested while 487 were arrested in in Mashonaland Central.
Matabeleland South has so far recorded 1 035 arrests while Matabeleland North province has 667.
In Mashonaland East Province, 529 people have been arrested while the support unit separately arrested 107 people countrywide.
In a telephone interview, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police were concerned with continued violation of lockdown orders and the increasing number of pirate taxis, popularly known as mushikashika, illegally transporting commuters during this period.
“We continue to make arrests and Bulawayo still tops the statistics chart in terms of arrests of violators, with Manicaland Province following closely.
We are now also worried by the number of pirating taxis that are operating during the lockdown and we warn offenders that they will be arrested.
We also have a problem of people roaming aimlessly in residential suburbs after 6pm and we also warn them strongly that they will be arrested under section 4 of S.I 83 of 2020,” said Assistant Commissioner Nyathi.
In Bulawayo 25 members of the group of 48 Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide Revelation group that was arrested on Sunday while holding a church service in Tshabalala suburb have since paid $500 fines while the rest of the church members were released to look for the money as police considered that keeping them in cells would put them at risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus.-State media
Ronaldinho says he was “totally surprised” to have been arrested and charged with using a fake passport in his first interview after being released from prison.
The former Barcelona footballer and his brother Roberto Assis were arrested in Paraguay in early March for allegedly using fake documents to enter the country. After spending 32 days in prison, judge Gustavo Amarilla decided that the duo can live in a hotel in Asuncion while they await trial on their charges.
Speaking to Paraguayan television network ABC Color from the Palmaroga hotel in the Paraguayan capital, the 40-year-old former Brazil international said they came to the country to be at the launch of an online casino.
Former Ballon D’Or winner Ronaldinho, part of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup-winning squad, said the entire situation had been very hard and he was working with the police to try and resolve matters.
He said: “We were totally surprised to learn that the documents were not legal. Since then our intention has been to collaborate with the justice system to clarify the facts.
“From that moment until today, we have explained everything and facilitated everything that has been requested of us.”
Speaking of the moment he was told he was going to jail, Ronaldinho said: “It was a hard blow, I never imagined that I would go through such a situation.
All my life I have sought to reach the highest professional level and bring joy to people with my football.”-State media
Network service providers are being asked to offer free Internet access to university websites so students can access online learning material, as Government moves to enhance digital learning platforms during the Covid-19-induced national lockdown.
Government recently advised all universities to develop material for online lectures to ensure learning is not disrupted while at the same time upholding the social distancing principles as well as minimising movement and interaction between students and lecturers.
In an interview, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the ministry was negotiating with network service providers and pushing for free access to online learning material as well as university websites.
Prof Murwira said the ministry has already presented the proposal and now awaits response.
“Universities in the country are working on online learning and there is a lot of progress. We are now working in having zero rating for their websites. We want telecommunication companies not to charge students when they visit university websites to obtain learning material. We are now working on the modalities of that and we have written letters to that effect. We are now waiting to see how it can be concluded,” he said.
Prof Murwira said the ministry will be guided by the Government decisions on Covid-19 to decide on whether e-learning becomes full scale.
The free access to university websites will cater for underprivileged students who might not have resources to access the Internet frequently.
“The position that we have taken as a ministry is to be guided by the decisions taken by the Head of State and Government. We follow directives through the emergency rules. Our primary objective is to safeguard lives,” he said.
Midlands State University (MSU) has already complied with the directive and introduced online lectures for students through its e-learning platforms.
MSU Vice Chancellor, Professor Victor Muzvidziwa said education across the globe has taken a new trajectory and it was incumbent upon universities to embrace new learning methods and enhance access to education.
“Covid-19 is not peculiar to our country. We do not know how and when it will end. So, we need to prepare ourselves for anything.
As MSU we are fortunate that we had our electronic library where our students were accessing electronic journals and books. We have electronic resources for our students. We have to also not over-rely on brick and mortar libraries.-State media
A staff row at the Registrar-General’s Office has sucked in the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) after chief accountant, Mr Peter Bwanya, accused Registrar-General Mr Clement Masango of embezzlement over motor vehicles while the latter denies all wrongdoing and says Mr Bwanya is putting up a smokescreen since he is fighting disciplinary action over alleged incompetence and misbehaviour.
But ZACC has since impounded two vehicles — a Ford Ranger and an Isuzu KB250 — from the Central Registry and has launched investigations into allegations of abuse of office and unprocedural procurement of vehicles by Mr Masango.
ZACC’s action followed a complaint by Mr Bwanya, who accused Mr Masango of embezzlement of funds and the disappearance of six Isuzu KB250 single cab vehicles that he said the department had procured, but were not delivered
In his letter to Secretary for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Mr Aaron Nhepera, Mr Bwanya said only five of 11 vehicles bought by the department had been delivered while mystery surrounded the whereabouts of a Toyota Land Cruiser that he said the Central Registry had bought.
However, Mr Masango has launched a scathing attack on Mr Bwanya and four officials from ZACC who impounded the vehicles.
In his response to Mr Nhepera, Mr Masango said Mr Bwanya was making the allegations to divert attention from pending disciplinary cases against him. He accused the four ZACC officials of colluding with Mr Bwanya to embarrass him.
Mr Masango said his department bought only five vehicles out of the intended 11 after Treasury revoked the 1:1 parity between the Zimbabwe dollar to the United States dollar, while plans to procure the Land Cruiser were abandoned after the authority to buy it was rescinded.
He said there was paper trail for all the transactions and Mr Bwanya should have verified this if he was acting in good faith.
ZACC spokesperson, Commissioner John Makamure, said: “I can confirm that we are investigating that case, but cannot divulge details now.”
Contacted for comment, Mr Masango confirmed the development, but said the intervention of ZACC was “strange and unprecedented” since normally there was first an audit which would recommend a course of action.
He referred further questions to Mr Nhepera, who said he was aware of the case, but promised to comment substantively after meeting ZACC officials.
“Why don’t you wait because there is a likelihood that the involvement of ZACC was premature? I was dealing with this matter administratively and I do not know how ZACC came in. But I am going to meet them,” said Mr Nhepera.
In his letter dated February 13, Mr Bwanya said on September 14, 2018 payment of $596 037 to the Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) for 11 vehicles was made, without procurement authority.
He said only five vehicles were subsequently delivered together with a Ford Ranger, whose purchase was allegedly
done at the behest of Mr Masango.
Mr Bwanya suspected that a Land Cruiser was bought despite the fact that the then Secretary for Home Affairs Mr Melusi Matshiya, had rescinded his authority.
In response, Mr Masango said the decision to buy the 11 vehicles was done well before he joined the department.
He said the department requested its bank to secure foreign currency upon realising that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) was struggling to do so due to other pressing national requirements. But before the transaction could be concluded, the intermarket rate was introduced at US$1: $2,51.
This meant the forex availed by their bank was no longer enough to buy the intended vehicles.
Said Mr Masango: “We then directed that the US$173 037,50 be used to purchase one Ford Ranger at a cost of US$78 505 instead of one Isuzu KB250 double cab stated in the initial order.
“The balance of US$95 291, including the local component, was then used to purchase five Isuzu KB250 single cab vehicles.”
He said allegations of flouting tender procedures had no substance since procurement was done through CMED, which had the requisite authority.
On the Land Cruiser vehicle, Mr Masango said no funds were used to buy it since authority had been rescinded.
He said the chief accountant had been served with warnings of incompetence and misbehaviour, which to date he had not disputed.
“What he surprisingly omitted to mention is the fact that he has also three charges of misconduct all pending against him and that your office is processing,” said Mr Masango.
On the conduct of ZACC officials, he said there was no justification to impound the two vehicles as there would be no prejudice if they had remained with the department.
“The inescapable motive on the part of these ZACC officials was obviously to cause inconvenience and embarrassment on me before staff and the public which they succeeded to do, as they seized and drove away the vehicles in full view of staff,” he said. – state media/herald
Farai Dziva|Movement for Democratic Change Youth Assembly National Organising Secretary, Godfrey Kurauone has said Emmerson Mnangagwa clearly violated the Zanu PF Constitution to grab power.
Citing a clause of the Zanu PF Constitution, Kurauone described Mnangagwa as an illegitimate leader of the ruling party.Kurauone is also the MDC councillor for ward 4, Masvingo Urban Constituency.
Kurauone argued :”ED is illegitimate, you dont need a lawyer to win this case in court.
The Central Committee meeting which was convened to dismiss Mugabe was unconstitutional..
The million dollar question, who presided over the Central Committee meeting?”
How does a party leader who won 45371 votes get $7,5 million under Political Parties Finance Act, through the Supreme judgement?
ZIYAMBI ZIYAMBI
Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has confirmed that the government would disburse the $7,5 million due to the MDC under the Political Parties (Finance) Act to the Thokozani Khupe led group that is temporarily in charge of the party following the recent court rulings – in a move which strengthens them significantly in the unfolding battle for the leadership of the party.
“The money has not been released because of Covid-19, but I think the claims by the Mwonzora group are correct.
“My understanding is that the Alliance is a grouping of several parties and the MDC is the bigger party in that Alliance,” he said.
In the meantime, Chamisa’s faction says it is aware of the “machinations” of its former colleagues to secure the millions due to the party.
“The law is clear, the party that would have deployed MPs in Parliament are entitled to the funding. As things stand now, there are only two parties that are entitled to that funding, that is the MDC Alliance and Zanu-PF.
“Any action outside this by whoever in government or otherwise would be unlawful,” MDC deputy secretary-general Jameson Timba said.
“We are, however, conscious of the political intentions of Zanu-PF, who are working with our erstwhile colleagues who left the party, to stifle the operations of the MDC Alliance. But these political machinations will be resisted,” he added.
In a sign of the trouble brewing for Chamisa, the re-instated chairperson for Mashonaland East, Piniel Denga, has accused the youthful politician of acting contrary to principles of democracy.
Denga contested for the leadership of the province at the MDC’s chaotic congress that was held in Gweru last May, but lost to Anthony Mutodza.
“After the Supreme Court judgment that said things were not done according to our constitution, we have one group of leadership which is calling for us to implement our own constitution.
“However, there is another group of leadership that is afraid that if things are done according to our constitution they might lose their influential party positions.
“This group of leaders is now going about labelling as Zanu-PF those who say let’s follow the constitution,” Denga wrote on Facebook.
He confirmed to the Daily News On Sunday that he had posted the statement on his page.
“Did Zanu-PF write our constitution for us? Is it not true that Advocate Chamisa, through his lawyer in the Supreme Court case, agreed that the constitution that was being used was the correct constitution of the party?
“That is the same constitution that other leaders are saying let’s follow in line with the Supreme Court ruling,” Denga added.
He said it was wrong for Chamisa and his allies to distance the MDC Alliance from the MDC because they were still using the party’s constitution.
“When was our party dissolved in terms of our constitution? Why were primary elections in constituencies allocated to (Tendai) Biti’s PDP and (Welshman) Ncube’s MDC not open to those from MDC T as was left by Morgan Tsvangirai?
“Why did we hold the Gweru congress as the party’s fifth if we have now become MDC Alliance?
“Why did Chamisa appeal against the High Court ruling if the ruling had nothing to do with our party? Dishonest leadership will not take the party anywhere,” Denga said further.
The former Mbare MP also claimed that he had taken Chalton Hwende to task on whether they would not have accepted the court ruling had it been in their favour.
“Hwende did not answer my question. As a response I started seeing my message to him being circulated in social media groups.
“I was also removed from the National Executive WhatsApp group and some leaders called me a sellout.
“If following our party constitution is selling out then I accept being a sellout in that respect. I am selling out dishonesty,” Denga said.
He also took a swipe at Chamisa for accepting Biti and Ncube back into the party after they broke away from Tsvangirai, having called him names.
“When these two came back to the party they were celebrated, but no one asked them to renounce their Zanu-PF membership as was alleged when they split.
“No one asked them to take back their words against our now late president. Biti called him “Gumbura’ and Ncube called him a dictator.
“These leaders said many unprintable bad words against our party and our late leader. When they went away they took with them party assets and money and everyone knows it.
“And everyone knows when they came back they did not bring back what they took with them,” Denga also let rip.- DailyNews
Farai Dziva|Respected political analyst, Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya has pointed out that Douglas Mwonzora, Morgen Komichi and Thokozani Khupe are clearly working with Zanu PF to destroy the Movement for Democratic Change.
This, Ruhanya argues, is calculated to “annihilate genuine opposition in the country.”
Speaking on the MDC leadership dispute, Mwonzora, quoted by NewsDay claimed :
“The response for the congress is overwhelming. It will be oversubscribed.
Thousands of delegates have already confirmed their attendance at the congress … much more than the quorum.
For now, we are mostly interested in the delegates who will be coming to the congress and not in everyone else … we will meet everyone else after the congress.
Although we have had limitations because of the health situation, in terms of preparations we are at an advanced stage and we are going to elect a new MDC president soon.”
However, Ruhanya argued : It appears ZANU PF is helping Mwonzora and crew with people to assemble at the said congress. Gore rino tichazipigwa.
How do you have an oversubscribed congress as Mwonzora and ZANU PF say? It means it’s a bogus and illegitimate thing filled with Zanu PF members masquerading as MDC structures.”
Farai Dziva|Respected political analyst, Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya has pointed out that Douglas Mwonzora, Morgen Komichi and Thokozani Khupe are clearly working with Zanu PF to destroy the Movement for Democratic Change.
This, Ruhanya argues, is calculated to “annihilate genuine opposition in the country.”
Speaking on the MDC leadership dispute, Mwonzora, quoted by NewsDay claimed :
“The response for the congress is overwhelming. It will be oversubscribed.
Thousands of delegates have already confirmed their attendance at the congress … much more than the quorum.
For now, we are mostly interested in the delegates who will be coming to the congress and not in everyone else … we will meet everyone else after the congress.
Although we have had limitations because of the health situation, in terms of preparations we are at an advanced stage and we are going to elect a new MDC president soon.”
However, Ruhanya argued : It appears ZANU PF is helping Mwonzora and crew with people to assemble at the said congress. Gore rino tichazipigwa.
How do you have an oversubscribed congress as Mwonzora and ZANU PF say? It means it’s a bogus and illegitimate thing filled with Zanu PF members masquerading as MDC structures.”
Farai Dziva|MDC deputy president Tendai Biti has denounced the violation of human rights by Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s government during the lockdown.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has announced that more than 8000 people have been arrested for allegedly flouting lockdown restrictions. At the same time, argues Biti, government’s lack of zeal to test as many people is appalling.
“In 2018 we pulled no stops in our campaign to finish off what we started in 2009.
In their hearts of hearts they know they stole from the people . In his he knows he is not legitimate. In their hearts of hearts they are afraid.Very afraid…
Despite the #Lockdown systematic abuse of human rights continues.
More than 8000 people have been arrested during the lockdown-much more than the number of COVID-19 tests.
Pointing out that Emmerson has no plan is a fact protected by freedom of speech.”
At a time when there are hundreds of people who have died of so called malaria and scores of others have manifested symptoms that are perfectly similar to covid-19, the government has published its latest paper in which it says that they are only 32 cases in Zimbabwe.
Fellow MDC members and all progressive revolutionaries of the democratic struggle, please ignore malicious falsehoods published by one Hosiah Mviringi that is making rounds in social media.
This is a deliberate attempt by the enemy to misrepresent my position and unquestionable support for our visionary President, Advocate Nelson Chamisa.
I have stated it before and let me state it now that I, Cecilia Chimbiri and the Youth Assembly in general we are ?% in solidarity with President Chamisa and his vision for a new Zimbabwe. No amount of propaganda will diffuse our conviction to remove ZANU PF with President Chamisa as the Commander in Chief!
Fellow MDC members and all progressive revolutionaries of the democratic struggle, please ignore malicious falsehoods published by one Hosiah Mviringi that is making rounds in social media.
This is a deliberate attempt by the enemy to misrepresent my position and unquestionable support for our visionary President, Advocate Nelson Chamisa.
I have stated it before and let me state it now that I, Cecilia Chimbiri and the Youth Assembly in general we are ?% in solidarity with President Chamisa and his vision for a new Zimbabwe. No amount of propaganda will diffuse our conviction to remove ZANU PF with President Chamisa as the Commander in Chief!
Farai Dziva|Controversial Masvingo based church leader, Isaac Makomichi has threatened to strike a traditional healer from Zaka with blindness for denigrating contemporary prophets.
According to social media reports the traditional healer openly denounced present day prophets.
Last week, the n’anga reportedly threatened to cast a bad spell on “prophets” in Zimbabwe.The n’anga is originally from Malawi, according to social media reports.
In a statement on Monday, Makomichi, known as the Lion of Witches by his followers, warned that the n’anga “should stop playing with fire.”
“In the book of Acts we read about a sorcerer who was struck with blindness.Apostle Paul declared that the man would be blind and it happened just like that.
I would like to say the n’anga is playing with fire.
I have the spiritual authority and power to pronounce blindness on him.
The bible says, touch not the anointed one…,” said Makomichi.
However, a church leader based in Masvingo said : “I think the fight will be very difficult.To be frank, the showdown may not be necessary after all. I know that he (Makomichi) is a great preacher but I strongly feel there is no need for him to concentrate on petty issues.Church leaders must not fall for the devil’s tricks.”
Farai Dziva|Controversial Masvingo based church leader, Isaac Makomichi has threatened to strike a traditional healer from Zaka with blindness for denigrating contemporary prophets.
According to social media reports the traditional healer openly denounced present day prophets.
Last week, the n’anga reportedly threatened to cast a bad spell on “prophets” in Zimbabwe.The n’anga is originally from Malawi, according to social media reports.
In a statement on Monday, Makomichi, known as the Lion of Witches by his followers, warned that the n’anga “should stop playing with fire.”
“In the book of Acts we read about a sorcerer who was struck with blindness.Apostle Paul declared that the man would be blind and it happened just like that.
I would like to say the n’anga is playing with fire.
I have the spiritual authority and power to pronounce blindness on him.
The bible says, touch not the anointed one…,” said Makomichi.
However, a church leader based in Masvingo said : “I think the fight will be very difficult.To be frank, the showdown may not be necessary after all. I know that he (Makomichi) is a great preacher but I strongly feel there is no need for him to concentrate on petty issues.Church leaders must not fall for the devil’s tricks.”
Farai Dziva|Zanu PF has begun to belittle MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa, calling him “Secretary for Policy and Research” in a desperate attempt to discredit the youthful politician.
Surprisingly, Zanu PF accused Chamisa of “instructing MPs and councillors to distribute food aid to card- carrying MDC members.”
Political analysts say Zanu PF’ s line of argument reflects desperate measures to dilute the MDC leader’s growing influence.The argument is fraught with contradictions, according to political observers.
Zanu PF tweeted :MDC Alliance Secretary for Policy and Research @nelsonchamisa is said to have ordered MDC MPs and notorious councillors to overlook deserving beneficiaries of global aid, demanding MDC-cards for one to have their name enlisted as a beneficiary of donated basics.
This Must Stop! This trend has been observed in Highfields East and West, Harare East and Mabvuku.
This is in direct violation of President’s Directive to stop patronizing relief aid.
Meanwhile, ZANU PF MPs have been reminded to work with people in their constituencies regardless of political color.”
Commenting on the ruling party’s assertion, Masvingo based political analyst Jeffryson Chitando said:” Zanu PF is desperate to denigrate Chamisa.Zanu PF officials are losing sleep over Chamisa’ s growing influence.The argument is a smorgasbord of contradictions and half-truths. Can a secretary instruct MPs and councillors to do something?This is a weak line of argument.”
Farai Dziva|Zanu PF has begun to belittle MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa, calling him “Secretary for Policy and Research” in a desperate attempt to discredit the youthful politician.
Surprisingly, Zanu PF accused Chamisa of “instructing MPs and councillors to distribute food aid to card- carrying MDC members.”
Political analysts say Zanu PF’ s line of argument reflects desperate measures to dilute the MDC leader’s growing influence.The argument is fraught with contradictions, according to political observers.
Zanu PF tweeted :MDC Alliance Secretary for Policy and Research @nelsonchamisa is said to have ordered MDC MPs and notorious councillors to overlook deserving beneficiaries of global aid, demanding MDC-cards for one to have their name enlisted as a beneficiary of donated basics.
This Must Stop! This trend has been observed in Highfields East and West, Harare East and Mabvuku.
This is in direct violation of President’s Directive to stop patronizing relief aid.
Meanwhile, ZANU PF MPs have been reminded to work with people in their constituencies regardless of political color.”
Commenting on the ruling party’s assertion, Masvingo based political analyst Jeffryson Chitando said:” Zanu PF is desperate to denigrate Chamisa.Zanu PF officials are losing sleep over Chamisa’ s growing influence.The argument is a smorgasbord of contradictions and half-truths. Can a secretary instruct MPs and councillors to do something?This is a weak line of argument.”
The City of Bulawayo is in the process of implementing a strategy to decogest the city during and beyond the Covid 19 lockdown period.
The strategy is guided by the the Resilient Food Supply Chain Management System as suggested by cabinet though the Ministry of Lands; Agriculture; Water and Rural Resettlement. The city in response; has identified Food Distribution Hubs (FDH) or Food Markets (FM) and Vending Sites (VS) to comply with strict hygiene requirements of any identified site.
The sites are located closer to places of residence of our vendors in order to decentralise the fresh produce markets as informed by the spatial distribution of those vendors on council database.
The identified Food Markets with already existing infrastructure include; Tshabalala market; Emganwini Mupedzanhamo; Sekusile Nkulumane; New Magwegwe Terminus; Lobengula Market Konron; Magwegwe North Terminus; Old Pumula Market; Luveve Chigumira Terminus site; Entumbane Complex Market; Njube Market near Desert; Makokoba Market Efusini; Nkunzi Beer Garden; Burombo Beer Garden; and many other sites to be identified by the Housing & Community Services Department.
These measures will result in the closing off of the 5th Avenue market ( from Robert Mugabe Way to King Lobhengula Street) permanently to any form of fresh produce trading.
The street will now be re-opened as a public road after the relocation of traders to their respective sububan shopping areas. The Khothama second hand clothes flea market which used to operate on 8th Avenue/ R. Mugabe Way & J. Tongogara Streets has been closed and will not be open after the lockdown.
The same will be decentralised to suburban shopping centres as well. We urgue our residents and stakeholders to bear with us as we try to re-organise the city during 2020 and beyond as we work on delivering a smart and transformative city by year 2024.
The 30th March Supreme Court ruling that effectively stripped opposition leader Nelson Chamisa of his claim over the main faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is bringing the party closer to the brink of implosion.
The judgement has grave implications for the opposition and for potential political dialogue in Zimbabwe.
In a country where national institutions – including the judiciary – are perceived to be conflated with ruling party interests, many in the opposition’s rank and file see the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) as being behind this ruling, which pulls the rug out from beneath Chamisa’s feet.
With a limping Chamisa, there is effectively no opposition to talk about as most other candidates who contested the 2018 elections have been co-opted into the Political Actors Dialogue.
This platform was created by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, but rejected by Chamisa.
The Supreme Court issued a ruling on 31 March 2020 – a day after the 21-day national lockdown to slow the spread of Covid-19 began. The decision went the way of former MDC deputy president Thokozani Khupe.
Chamisa led the MDC-Alliance, a grouping of opposition factions, in the 2018 elections and was narrowly beaten by Mnangagwa who escaped a run-off by a whisker. Khupe led a smaller faction and got just over 45,500 votes.
The ruling has further fractured the opposition, casting doubt over its credibility as an alternative to Zanu-PF.
It is unfathomable that Khupe, who couldn’t garner even 50,000 votes in the 2018 elections, has any political clout and can rally Zimbabweans against Zanu-PF.
Meanwhile, the MDC-Alliance maintains it is unmoved by the court ruling and Chamisa has so far been conspicuous by his silence.
The wrangling over who should lead the party ensued after MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai died in February 2018. Just before his death, Tsvangirai controversially appointed two vice presidents, Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri, in addition to Khupe who was elected to this position during the party’s 2014 congress.
The move was viewed as political exigency to balance out factional succession fights within the MDC-T, the main MDC grouping led by Tsvangirai at the time. It also sowed the seeds of the party’s split.
Even the most loyal MDC-T supporters have been at pains to explain the constitutionality of Tsvangirai’s last-minute decision to appoint Chamisa and Madzuri.
The political imperatives for the move were clear, however. In his 2018 New Year’s address to the nation, Tsvangirai revealed his desire to have the party’s young people take up more positions of responsibility and define the course of the party.
This was a strategic move to counter Zanu-PF, which is perceived to be a party of the old with nothing to offer the youth.
Khupe, while seen as hardworking and politically mature, lacked the charisma required to give the MDC a chance in presidential elections. It’s a pity Tsvangirai didn’t trust his party’s democratic processes to make the right choice.
With Tsvangirai’s death, all three vice presidents wasted no time trying to secure the prime position, with Chamisa emerging ahead of the pack.
In March 2018, the party split again and the MDC, then under Chamisa, merged with other formations to form the MDC-Alliance. Khupe kept the MDC-T label and contested the presidential elections.
Succession in politics is often less about legalities than political strategy. Tsvangirai’s death robbed the opposition of its best asset. In his absence, the party and the alliance had to be strategic regarding who leads the opposition’s charge forward.
The mood in the country was not only for leadership renewal but generational change, and Chamisa, 42, now represented that youthful front.
Even the creation of the G40, a group of emerging young leaders in Zanu-PF in Robert Mugabe’s last few years, speaks to this growing appetite.
Without Tsvangirai at the helm, the trump card from a strategic point of view became the generational consensus against the seemingly renewed Zanu-PF.
One of the MDC’s main weaknesses has been its eclectic nature. There are clearly limits to how long people will stay in an opposition party that is a conglomeration of diverse interests, and maintain a cohesive hold over its affairs in the face of repression.
The conflict between Chamisa and Khupe has played out more in the realms of ambition, entitlement and populism than the greater national good and the MDC-T’s founding values. The two protagonists find themselves trapped in their own realities.
Khupe felt constitutionally entitled and as such could not be convinced to be politically pragmatic.
Chamisa was emboldened by the surge in the generational consensus drive and the perception of being anointed by the late Tsvangirai.
Thus there were no strong incentives on either side to find common ground and focus on the electorate.
While Khupe celebrates the court victory, she has lost in the political game of numbers. The ruling is unlikely to give her any political mileage.
At the same time, Chamisa and the main opposition have been exposed to be hypocrites paying lip service to democracy and constitutionalism while disregarding their own constitution and using Zanu-PF tactics in succession.
Chamisa’s comeback has to be strategic, and he must rebrand himself. He need not feel tied to the MDC, but should rather proffer a real alternative to the controversy and murkiness of MDC politics.
In all this, the struggling Zimbabwean is the clear loser. The electorate is left with no viable alternative that can be trusted to walk the talk when it comes to principles, constitutionalism and rule of law.
Covid-19 restrictions, including an extended lockdown, have robbed the opposition of any chance of staging a mass response through demonstrations or marches in solidarity with their leader. And Chamisa’s silence on the court ruling so far has left his followers in disarray.
Star FM News|The Registrar General’s office says when normal service resumes after the covid 19 lockdown applicants for non-urgent passport will be served in alphabetical order using their surnames.
In an interview with Zimpapers Radio Division Registrar General Clemence Masango said those who had secured appointments to submit urgent passport prior to lockdown should contact their respective passport offices for further guidance.
Meanwhile, Registrar General Masango urged passport seekers to cooperate with the guidelines in order to maintain order and reduce the spread of covid19 pandemic
Zimbabwe African People’s Union RSA Province would like to congratulate South Africans for safeguarding their Freedom as they celebrate their 26th Freedom day Anniversary. People of South Africa have proven to the world that a nation can overcome the challenges of the past and forge a unity that cuts across all races, tribes, religious beliefs and sexism. Building a proud nation from the ashes of apartheid looked like a mission impossible.
South Africans have demonstrated that the past can be put to rest and pave a future that is bright for all who live in South Africa.
We as ZAPU RSA Province cherish most the overcoming of racism and the observation of human rights, protection of the rule of law and keeping the State organs such as the Judicial system and State Security untainted by the politics of the country is a major milestone.
The respect of people’s views and freedom of speech is a serious challenge facing other African countries, yet South Africans have managed it with ease.
We strongly encourage the people of South Africa to remain resilient to the cause of the struggle and maintain unity in diversity. Let there be no persecution of people with different political views from the government of the day. Democracy must be safeguarded jealously.
Your democracy might be young but you have become a teacher of democracy to other African countries that got their freedom long before you.
We therefore say enjoy your freedom day South Africans. Remember to stay home, constantly wash your hands, put on your masks and beat COVID-19.
Kim Jong-un congratulated President Cyril Ramaphosa on Freedom Day (Picture: Reuters)
Reuters|Kim Jong-un has sent a message to mark South Africa’s Freedom Day amid rumours that he had died after undergoing surgery.
The North Korean leader, 36, congratulated President Cyril Ramaphosa on the national holiday and expressed the belief that relations between the two countries is growing ‘steadily stronger’, the KCNA reports.
It comes amid conflicting reports about Kim’s health, fuelled by his absence from the commemoration of the 108th birthday of his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, on April 15.
The Supreme Leader is reported to have undergone heart surgery at his family’s private hospital Mount Paektu, after collapsing several days earlier.
The Supreme Leader has not been seen in public for some time (Picture: Reuters)
Some reports indicate he had a stent fitted, which is a routine operation, but rumours suggest the surgeon made an error which proved to be fatal for the ruler.
Vice director of HKSTV Hong Kong Satellite Television, Shijian Xingzou, said a ‘very solid source’ told her that Kim had died, while Japanese magazine Shukan Gendai reported the leader was in a ‘vegetative state’ after the procedure.
A team of Chinese medical experts were previously sent to advise on how to treat him. If Kim has died, his sister Kim Yo-jong is likely to take over as leader.
She has already been exercising significant influence within the government, an analyst at South Korea’s private Sejong Institute said.
Cheong Seong-Chang added that social upheaval would be unlikely in the event of the Supreme Leader’s death, as most members of Pyongyang’s leadership share an interest in North Korea staying within the Kim family.
On Sunday, a top official in South Korea denied reports that Kim had died on the operating table, stating that there were no ‘unusual developments’ in North Korea.
Unification minister Kim Yeon-chul said South Korea has ‘enough intelligence’ to confidently know what is happening in their neighbouring nation.
By A Correspondent- Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Sello Malema has called for the government of South Africa to consider the plight of foreigners who live in the Southern neighbouring country.
Malema who was delivering a Fre3ddom Day speech on Monday said the interventions implemented by government must not segregate based on one’s nationality.
He added that South Africa’s solidarity to all poor nations must go beyond our narrow boarders.
Read an excerpt of his speech below:
The food parcels and all the grants are meant for South Africans only. Even the small business grants are structured for South Africans only.
When financial and economic relief was communicated by President Ramaphosa, there was no mention of the continent and all the African migrants who live amongst us
The migrants, even those who are registered with permanent residency will be overlooked, excluded and probably even deported during this covid19 crisis.
This is the reason all other countries in the world will never see a black lives as worthy of dignity, respect and remorse; we do no not feel remorse to each other right here on the continent , we do not feel solidarity for each other.
Do you think small and big businesses of British citizens will not get tax relief from SARS? Do you think they will not get payment holidays from SBSA? Do you think the British Citizens in America will not get financial help from the USA government?
Former MDC Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora is set to contest MDC-T Acting President Thokozani Khupe at the impending MDC-T Congress.
A campaign image for Mwonzora has surfaced on social media.
Mwonzora recently said that the congress they are organising following court ruling will be oversubscribed, have surpassed the required quorum and thousands of delegates have confirmed their attendance.
JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special envoy for Lesotho Jeff Radebe has continued with his meetings in the region.
However, in Lesotho the senate has failed to pass a law that was promised for the prime minister’s retirement.
Radebe has met Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is chair of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Organ on Politics And Defence, and Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
The political and security situation in the Mountain Kingdom has deteriorated again, and the country’s Prime Minister Tom Thabane has been criticized for putting the army and the police on a collision course.
Concluding his visit to Lesotho earlier this week, Radebe said political leaders had agreed to pass a constitutional amendment that would facilitate Thabane’s retirement.
The senate was expected to vote on and pass the amendment on Thursday, but it has been postponed to next week – raising concerns that delays will deteriorate the situation further.
Radebe’s meeting with the Mnangagwa and Masisi means South Africa is not leaving anything to chance.
No way out, police to block people from leaving the cities to rural areas.
Government will tighten its national lockdown measures by clamping down on unnecessary travel between the country’s urban and rural areas.
Health and Child Care Minister Obadiah Moyo said that Government had increased its monitoring capacity and check points along the major highways to stop urban dwellers from travelling to the rural areas following Case 27’s death.
Arsenal players have returned to training at their London Colney base today as Mikel Arteta’s squad observe strict social distancing guidelines.
Premier League teams are stepping up preparations for football to return as early as June 8.
A meeting of Premier League shareholders is pencilled in for this Friday, with plans for resumption of the campaign expected to gather pace.
Arsenal’s first-team squad arrived at London Colney today in small groups for individual training work, though attendance was not compulsory.
Social distancing measures were maintained, with no more than five players allowed on each of the complex’s 10 pitches at once and sessions lasting no more than an hour. Players arrived and departed in training kit.
A small group of staff were in attendance, although it was unclear if manager Mikel Arteta, who tested positive for the virus last month, was present today.
The club’s decision came after they were forced to remind players of social distancing guidelines after Nicolas Pepe, David Luiz and Granit Xhaka were caught training in public last week.
Former Chelsea legend, Didier Drogba’s bid to become the next head of the Ivorian Football Federation took a massive hit after he secured zero votes from members of the Association of Former Ivorian Footballers.
Of the 14 members in the Association, 11 voted for his rival, league president Sory Diabate, while three persons abstained.
The third candidate, the current Vice President, Idriss Diallo also got no votes from the ex-players.
The results of the election, which was done via video conferencing, has reportedly sparked a massive debate in the Ivory Coast, with many struggling to understand how Drogba, who had also been endorsed by 48 professional clubs in the country could be rejected by his fellow former professionals including Didier Zokora.
It has now emerged that the members of the Association of Old Players who were eligible to vote, were made up of former Ivorian players from the 80’s and 90’s, who still harbour spite for the affection the Drogba generation has received at their expense.
Bit of context on Drogba getting zero votes in Ivorian FA polls.
Delegates were mostly stars from the 80s and 90s, mostly ex-ballers who have felt slighted by the success of Drogba’s generation.
While the explanation generally makes sense, it still fails to explain why Zokora, who was deputy captain to Drogba, failed to vote for the former captain.
Members of the Former Players Association: Abdoulaye Traore, Oumar Ben Salah, Aka Kouame Basile, Soro Jean, Zezeto, Didier Zokora, Ibrahim Kone, Badra Siby Aliou, Youssouf Fofana, Beugre Yago Eugene, Didier Otokore, Fadel Keita, Kassi Kouadio Lucien, Alain Gouaméné
Drogba will hope to have better luck when members of the Active Footballers Association, the coaches, referees and the physios also cast their votes.
“I want to get more involved. I think more and more about it. I know Ivorian football, I have played in selection for years and I invested in Ivorian football lately,” Drogba recently said about his ambitions.
Grief and sorrow filled every corner of the country at around 22:45hrs of 27th April 1993 when the news broke that the de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo plane with registration number AF-319 carrying the players crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, shortly after taking-off from Libreville, Gabon.
The Heroes are resting outside the iconic Independence stadium in Lusaka.
The Zambia national team was en route to Dakar, Senegal to fulfill a FIFA World Cup Qualifier match against The Lions of Teranga when they plunged into Atlantic killing everyone on board.
The team was Zambia’s most talented generation even though they did not win any major silverware.
18 players were on board with 3 coaching staff, a team doctor, a Football Association official, a journalist, a public servant and 5 crew members. The fallen heroes will always be remembered. Here are the 30 name of the people who were on the plane;
The flight had been specially arranged by the Zambian Air Force for the football team
On this day 27 April 1993 (Exactly 27 years ago today) The DHC-5 Buffalo transport aircraft of the Zambian Air Force crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after taking off from Libreville, Gabon.
The flight was carrying most of the Zambian national football team to a FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Senegal in Dakar. All 25 passengers and five crew members were killed. The official investigation concluded that the pilot had shut down the wrong engine following an engine fire. It also found that pilot fatigue and a faulty instrument had contributed to the accident.
Accident
The flight had been specially arranged by the Zambian Air Force for the football team. The journey was scheduled to make three refueling stops; the first at Brazzaville, Congo, the second at Libreville, Gabon, and the third at Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
At the first stop in Brazzaville engine problems were noted. Despite this, the flight continued and a few minutes after taking off from the second stop in Libreville the left engine caught fire and failed.
The pilot, who had also flown the team from a match in Mauritius the previous day, then shut down the right engine, causing the plane to lose all power during the climb out of Libreville Airport and fall into the water 500 m offshore.
A Gabonese report released in 2003 attributed the pilot’s actions to a faulty warning light and fatigue on the part of the pilot.
Aircraft
The aircraft entered service in 1975. The plane had been out of service for five months from late 1992 until 21 April 1993. Test flights were carried out on 22 and 26 April. Prior to the departure for Senegal, checks revealed a number of defects in the engine: carbon particles in oil filters, disconnected cables and trace of heating. However, the flight went ahead as scheduled
Passengers
The Chipolopolo were a very promising Zambia national team. At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul they thrashed Italy 4–0. They had their eyes on the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations trophy and a place at their first World Cup.
All 30 passengers and crew, including 18 players, as well as the national team coach and support staff, died in the accident. The Chipolopolo’s captain, Kalusha Bwalya—later national team coach and president of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ)—was not aboard the flight as he was in the Netherlands playing for PSV at that time and had made separate arrangements to make his own way to Senegal to take part in the match.
Charles Musonda, at the time playing in Belgium for Anderlecht, was previously injured and thus was not on the flight. Bennett Mulwanda Simfukwe, who had been seconded to the FAZ by his employers (ZCCM) for 5 years and was supposed to be on this flight, wasn’t on the flight because his employers demanded that he should immediately be removed from the list of those who were officially scheduled to travel to Senegal.
Investigation
A campaign to have the Gabonese crash investigation publicly released continued into the 2000s. In November 2003 a preliminary crash investigation report was released by the Gabonese government. Despite this relatives of the victims continue to lobby the Zambian government to produce a report on how the aircraft was allowed to leave Zambia.
Aftermath
The members of the national team killed in the crash were buried in what became known as “Heroes’ Acre”, just outside the Independence Stadium in Lusaka.
A new side was quickly assembled, and led by Bwalya, faced up to the difficult task of having to complete Zambia’s World Cup qualifiers and then prepare for the upcoming African Nations Cup which was only months away.
The resurrected team defied the odds, and displaying an attacking playing style, reached the final against Nigeria. They took the lead in the first half, but the Super Eagles quickly equalised and followed up with the winner in the second half. In spite of the loss, the Zambian side returned home as national heroes
In 2012, Zambia won the Africa Cup of Nations in Libreville, only a few hundred metres inland from the crash site; the victory was dedicated to the ones who lost their lives in the tragedy. Zambia beat Côte d’Ivoire 8–7 in a penalty shoot out after the game ended 0–0 after normal and added time.
The accident was the subject of the 2014 Spanish/Zambian documentary film Eighteam, directed by Juan Rodriguez-Briso
September 12 2019. Julius Malema addressing a memorial service of the late Robert Mugabe that the EFF had arranged in Soweto.
During his Freedom day message, South Africa Economic Freedom Fighters leader, CIC Julius Sello Malema has again reiterated that freedom without economy is useless.
He called on African countries to stand on their own not rely on China and the west. Malema has been calling for Africa to be on their own so that African people can benefit from the wealth of Africa.
The former ANC Youth league President mentioned that Zimbabwe was economically damaged when Former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe enforced the Lancaster house agreement with the Britain government.
“It was in the economically sabotaged Zimbabwe, where Robert Mugabe enforced the agreements of the Lancaster Agreement after being betrayed by Britain where Independence was achieved”, reiterates Malema.
He also called that it is important that we remember this day as the important tool used to gain our democracy.
“As revolutionaries, it is important that we remember this day as an important transition to a democratic dispensation, but not one where we achieved Independence”, tells Malema.
Reuters|When Saul Sakudya arrived in an ambulance at a hospital in Zimbabwe’s capital after catching Covid-19, he said the medical staff wouldn’t go near him because they were afraid of becoming infected.
The 52-year-old businessman was among the first people in Zimbabwe to test positive for the new coronavirus after a trip to Dubai last month to buy supplies for his electronics shop, and hospital personnel had not yet been issued protective clothing.
“The way they dispersed was as if there were 10 hungry lions being released from the ambulance, imagine, yet I am just a human being,” Sakudya told Reuters. “I thought I would die.”
After a three-hour wait in the ambulance, doctors brought the father of four into an isolation ward at the Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospital, he said.
Prosper Chonzi, health director for Harare city, which runs the hospital, told Reuters that when Sakudya was admitted, it had not yet implemented protocols to handle coronavirus patients.
The national government is now renovating the hospital to deal with such cases, said Chonzi.
Even in the best of times, Zimbabwe’s health system suffers from shortages of medicine and basic equipment. The government has been raising donations of protective clothing, but frontline health workers say supplies are still inadequate.
Covid-19 survivor Saul Sakudya talks with his wife Joyce during a nationwide lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus in Harare.
As of Friday, the country had recorded 31 cases of Covid-19 and four deaths.
Sakudya’s symptoms were relatively mild. So when his wife and two adult sons tested positive for the virus while he was in hospital, he opted to return home where the four could take care of each other.
He has since recovered and says his family members are also doing well. But he fears they will have to live with the stigma of the disease for some time.
Although he was given the all clear after two tests, friends and relatives won’t visit or talk to him, even from a distance, he said.
“Some people somehow think I still have residue of the virus,” he said.
“I heard one person referring to my road as corona road, and some people now avoid the road altogether. It hurts, but I have to be mature and accept it.”
JoKuDe referring to a Trust of Harare West Constituency representatives led by Hon Joana Mamombe, Kudzai Kadzombe and Denford Ngadziore. JoKuDe friends of JoanaKudzaiDenford a non political Trust formed in 2019 by Harare West 2018 Harmonized elections Deployeees.
To answer to various challenges bedevilling the people within Harare West Community. No one has ever become poor by giving or assisting someone. Instead blessed is the hand that gives than the one that receives.
JoKuDe is a well wisher’s Community Funded and Public run platform .
As JoKuDe, in Partnership with Harare Pastors Fraternity HAWEPAF ,we have come up with a Humanitarian responsive system . The main objective of JoKuDe humanitarian program is to help fundraise for those in desperate need. The main focus of the fundraising will be food stuffs which include basics like mealie meal, cooking oil, sugar, flour, rice, some green vegetables in the long run we will fundraise for blankets as we enter winter and school uniforms especially for those under Basic Education Module BEAM.
When other people hear about Harare West they think of the affluent areas such as Mabelreign, Westgate, Bluffhil and Madokero. We have visited around the Constituency during this Lockdown period and a number of people are finding it difficult to have food on their table. The worst situation is in different Farm Compounds and Plots. The farm compounds in Mukwishu Compound with a total of 75 families amonting to 950 peoples. Chichera a total of 40 families with 245 people. Rakata a total of 33 families with 180 families, Tomu a total of 120 families with 1500 people. Chimombe a total of 60 families with over 500 people. Pensioners, elderly, infomal traders and unemployed youths amount to 10 000 people
We are appealing to all stakeholders to be supportive to this program through donations of anything at your disposal. There are some residents who are struggling to have a decent meal per day, we also understand that there are residents who own farms or plots who can assist us with some food stuffs for some vulnerable members of the community.
Food donations will be handed over to the Salvation Army Church along Clevering Avenue – Haig Park Mabelreign to Major Chirandu . We have also set a humanitarian response team led by Pastor Benhura of Life Church, Pastor Tekwa, Major Chirandu of Salvation Army Church and five Pastors from Roman Catholic Church, AFM, and Methodist Churches.
Let us all try to play our part in assisting those in need. There shall be a form at the Salvation Army Church to fill in details of the donor and kind of donations received. Those who intend to donate in the form of money ,we will unveil an Ecocash number to the public.
Donations shall be mainly targeting affected people in various farm compounds, informal traders, Pensioners/senior citizens ,people living with disabilities and farm workers. We shall be working with churches, Ward Development Committee representatives for each Suburb, Community Based Organizations and Constituency Development Committee to identify those in need.
Harare West Pastors Fraternity HAWEPAF will be the accounting authority of the donations received. Due to the Covid19 lockdown period, we will be using social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other sites to fundraise towards this noble cause.
We will have less publicity on beneficiaries of donations so as protect the dignity of our people. This is not a time for political scoring but a time to make sure our people are not stranded or exposed during this Lockdown period.
For those who would want to donate but do not have transportation to bring the donations to the Salvation Army Church in Mabelreign, please get in touch with Collen Mawere contact number 0777648080 who will be responsible in driving around collecting the donations.
Residents and Stakeholders can also use community social groups to announce donations if one feels like doing so as to encourage others to donate.
Covid19 virus is real:
-Wash your hands frequently. -Always maintain the required social distance. -Avoid touching your eyes, nose and the mouth. -Practice respiratory hygiene. -Use of approved face masks where possible.
JoKuDe (JoanaKudzaiDenford ) in support of Harare West Pastors Fraternity HAWEPAF
Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced Sunday that his country will soon begin the process of reopening its economy after undergoing the longest novel coronavirus lockdown in the world to date.
In a nationwide television address, Conte said that beginning May 4, Italians would be allowed to use parks, visit relatives and attend funerals as part of a phased plan for lifting restrictions as the daily number of new COVID-19 cases trends downward from a peak of 6,557 on March 21.
There have been more than 26,000 deaths in Italy from the disease since the country’s first cases were reported just over two months ago. On Sunday, Italy reported 260 new deaths, its lowest daily total since March 14.
Conte said if all goes well, stores and museums would reopen beginning May 18 and sports teams could resume group training. Restaurants, cafes and hair salons would be allowed to reopen on June 1.
He said classes at schools would resume in September.
The wearing of face masks in public and continued social distancing would be strictly enforced, even as other restrictions were gradually lifted.
Italy was embarking on an era of “responsibility and coexistence with the virus,” Conte told the nation.
“We cannot continue beyond this lockdown — we risk damaging the country’s socioeconomic fabric too much,” he said, adding that the “damage” to the national fabric if the shutdown is not lifted “could be irreversible.”
However, Conte warned that “the curve of contagion can rise again, it will go out of control, deaths will climb and we’ll have irreparable damage” to the economy if the people do not carefully adhere to the guidelines.
The prime minister did not outline plans for religious services, but after Italy’s bishops complained, Conte’s office said it would release plans for a return to public worship as soon as possible.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has revealed that professional sports teams in the country can resume training on the 18th of May.
The country’s top flight, Serie A, was temporarily suspended on March 9 in the wake of escalating cases of coronavirus in the third most populous country in Europe.
In his televised address to the nation on Sunday, Conte highlighted that athletes are free to start invdiual training on the 4th of May then move to training in groups on the 18th the same month as the authorities ease lockdown restrictions.
The minister also said that a decision on when the league would resume, will be made at a later date.
Defending champions Juventus lead proceedings in the Italian top division on 63 points, one ahead of secod-placed Lazio with 12 games remaining.-Soccer 24
