The clemency order issued in March has been amended by President Mnangagwa to allow more prisoners to go home almost immediately with a broadening of the clemency provisions to cut sentences, generally for non-violent crimes, to time served.
All juveniles, all bed-ridden prisoners, all who have served at least 20 years of a life sentence, all blind prisoners and all who are so seriously disabled that they cannot be properly looked after in jail can be released immediately, with sentences cut to time served.
Those serving life sentences include those originally sentenced to death with the sentence commuted to life imprisonment, and the time spent on death row counts towards the 20 years.
Bed-ridden, blind and seriously disabled prisoners need to be seen by a correctional medical officer or Government medical officer and be certified that they fall within the categories.
All women prisoners can now be released with sentences cut to time served unless they were convicted of specified offences, in general of committing violent crimes, and all men over 60 unless they are in jail for the same specified offences or have been sentenced to life imprisonment or death.
Finally, prisoners serving effective sentences of 36 months or less and who have completed at least a quarter of their sentence by yesterday can now be released with the rest of their term remitted, unless they are excluded by the sort of offence they committed or because they were previously released on an amnesty, were sentenced by a court martial, have a record of escaping.
Under the original amnesty order, women had to have served at least half their sentence and juveniles at least a third before being released, lifers had to have served 25 years, the old age benefit for men was set at 70, and even then they had to have served at least half their sentence, and those with shorter sentences of 36 months or less had to have served half.
Those convicted of specified offences, unless they are juveniles, lifers, bed-ridden, blind or disabled cannot benefit from a shorter sentence and have to serve their full term. The specified offences are murder, treason, rape or any sexual offence, car-jacking, robbery, stock theft or public violence.
The broadening of the clemency action is expected to release a far larger batch of prisoners than the 1 680 of the original order, with more trickling out since as they meet the conditions of how much of their sentences they have served.
Prison authorities were hoping the original amnesty would have allowed the immediate release of 5 000 to bring the prison population down to below 17 000, the designed capacity of the system, with the health dangers of overcrowding being of special concern during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The released prisoners have not been pardoned and their criminal convictions are still on record and if they had a part of their original sentence suspended, that portion can still be added to any new sentence if they are re-convicted.
What the President has done is to use the lesser power given to him by the constitution to reduce a court sentence, while still retaining the conviction.
Today is MAY DAY, a day which we, alongside the United Nations, have dedicated to honouring workers. The United Nations set aside this day out of a recognition of the critical role which the workforce plays worldwide, be it in families, in our communities and in our nation.
Indeed outside what God created in the beginning, all things great and small, come from human creativity, labour and effort. At the centre of that universal creative effort is the worker: those men and women we today honour and celebrate.
Happy Workers’ Day, Dear Zimbabweans!
I address you at a time when labour relations and labour protection have assumed grave, life-threatening dimensions worldwide. Whereas in the past we used to worry about fair wages for a day’s work, or worry about skills and unemployment; yes, worry about the life of a worker beyond its active, productive phase, that is, in retirement, today we face a menace of unimaginable proportions.
We face an overbearing global threat from a highly infectious, contagious disease we now know as coronavirus. The pandemic continues to blight millions of lives, claiming hundreds of thousands worldwide. As I address you, more than 3,2 million cases have been reported worldwide; and of these, over 225 000 have since succumbed. Recoveries stand at slightly over 1 million worldwide. What breaks my heart is that many from these staggering numbers of infections and deaths draw from the global workforce, prominently our workers in the health sector.
In our case, infections now stand at 40, with four deaths recorded since the outbreak, and five recoveries so far. By global comparison, we are still fortunate, even though the pain from lost loved ones is great and as acute as anywhere in the affected world. The pandemic is real, and its spread is extremely rapid. We therefore are at great risk.
As your President, I wake up every morning, agonising over the daunting prospect of an ailing workforce, or to a frightful, yet real grim chance of one more worker, having succumbed to the pandemic.
We have to avoid this at all cost. We cannot afford any more loss of life than we have already borne. This is why your Government has had to take very tough, yet unavoidable measures, to safeguard life. Those measures may have brought our nation to a complete standstill, and our economy to virtual shutdown. The challenges for you, our workers, and for your families, have grown bigger and harsher. You have had to endure them with utmost pain.
There is more to the virus in relation to the worker. Not only has it stolen more lives, but daily threatens your jobs and thus your livelihoods. Families are in distress, as is also our entire economy.
The greater part of the workforce stays at home, often without income. By extension, social life has been on total lockdown, making life very difficult for everyone. I empathise greatly, but dread the inevitable horror of any let-up. We have to stay the course until we flatten the curve, slow down the spread, and eventually overtake the pandemic.
Today, no one can plausibly argue that capital alone creates wealth or that technology alone manufactures wealth.Indeed that natural resources, important as they may be, cannot alone pass for wealth.
That, too, means at the heart of national policy must be the sustenance of this key cog in the social production of life itself, namely the worker. The worker must be able to reproduce his and her life so he continues to work for humanity. That means giving him a living wage, one by which he can sustain himself and his family. This has to be the primary goal of any government, including our own. True, we often come short of this key goal, but the commitment to support and sustain the worker should and must always be there.
Since last year, Government has continued to adjust your earnings, with a view to making them living wages. Yet the goal of taming inflation and the general cost of living, has largely remained elusive, an ungraspable mirage. Elusive, because of the successive droughts which continue to visit us, making our nation a net importer of food. Elusive because of punitive, illegal sanctions which continue to beset us, closing possibilities for our economy. And now, even more elusive, because of the global Covid-19 pandemic which has thrown us and the rest of the world, off rail, into a severe recession. Predictably, our economy will close the year in the negative territory. So, too, will economies of the world, including the strongest ones.
For us, agriculture, which is the mainstay of our economy, and the biggest employer of our workforce, must recover and be sustained, to make us a food-secure nation. Government continues to unveil a number of initiatives, including Smart Agriculture, Presidential Input Support Scheme and a greater thrust on irrigation development, to ensure precious jobs in the agricultural sector are secured and expanded. We must step up irrigation, both small and large-scale, for climate-proofed agriculture, and thus create jobs. We have targeted 80 000 hectares for irrigation under A2, and another 20 000 hectares under A1 and for communal areas.
In the interim, and in view of the successive lean years we have had, Government continues to import more food for distribution to all our people, including to workers and their families, be they in rural or urban areas. We have expanded food distribution into urban areas to take care of our workforce especially in these distressful times. The silver lining is that the prices of maize on the global grain market continue to soften, with some of our neighbours who had better rains than us, reporting significant surpluses.
Apart from agriculture, the mining sector is key to overall job creation. Even at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, we shielded this critical sector which kept many families going, and our economy afloat. As with agriculture, there is lots of self-employment, principally in the subsector of artisanal mining. Now that security concerns in that sub-sector have been stabilised, Government will move resolutely to ensure clearer claims and mining rights, and to support artisanal miners financially, technologically and by way of better marketing mechanisms, especially in the area of gold production.
I am happy that while platinum prices have softened, those of iridium, rhodium and palladium continue to firm up, with the last two trading at about US$8 000 and US$1 962 per ounce, respectively. This means what we lose on the swings of low prices for gold and platinum, we regain on the roundabouts of firming prices of other PMG metals. The message is thus clear: production, production, production for more jobs, better earnings, and for the rapid recovery of our economy.
Mindful of the need to ensure safety of our workers from Covid-19 infections, we have now cleared the way for the opening of our tobacco floors. The measures we have taken to safeguard the safety of our workforce, include a decentralised marketing mechanism, enforcement of screening and observance of social distance during trading. We have also put in place bookings and deliveries which limit the numbers that gather around our floors on any one trading day. However important tobacco is to our economy, we should put the life of the worker above profit.
While the global focus may be on workers in formal employment, our own peculiar economic circumstances require that we place greater focus on small-to-medium enterprises, and on the broad informal sector. These subsectors have sustained the greater number of national livelihoods as our nation battles myriad adversities, whether natural or man-made. This means our programmes aimed at defending and sustaining worker welfare must put these two subsectors at the heart of our policies. Already, Government has decided to include special, well-tailored packages for SMEs and the informal sector in its overall Post-Covid-19 Stimulus Recovery Measures which I shall announce shortly.
The Covid-19 global pandemic has been a wake-up call, which has shaken us all out of complacency. As a long-term measure against any such pandemics in future, we have to reorganise our SMEs and informal markets, large and small, so that both are public health-compliant. That means spacing units and markets in line with requirements of public health standards which must become a mandatory part of all our human activity and settlements. This is one big take-away from the pandemic, and one with a direct bearing on the worker.
As I conclude my address, let me share with you my thoughts on ensuring greater security and satisfaction to our workforce. Both because of Covid-19 and because of the sheer instability of our economy for the foreseeable future, a paradigm shift in respect of worker welfare has become more than necessary and urgent. We must think beyond wages.
FIRST, we must ensure our workplaces meet WHO public health standards. No sector or sub-sector must be exempt from this requirement which must be enforced both in the interest of workers, and that of greater society. Going forward, public heath yardstick will be foremost in the way we organise our business, all business premises and work stations.
SECOND, we must ensure proper personal protection equipment and facilities at all workstations. Again, this must be in line with WHO standards which our health inspectors must enforce vigorously. The health inspector shall be a key persona in industrial relations, and at all places of work which must be repurposed towards public health exigencies and goals.
THIRD, we must include in the workman and woman package issues of healthcare giving. That makes the issue of disease and virus containment and cure much more than a private, family affair. It is as much an issue for the employee as it is for employer and Government. Our issue together! All our health facilities must match the demand for health services by our nation, both by way of numbers and by way of capabilities. Again this puts the worker at the centre.
FOURTH, a well-housed workforce is a bulwark against epidemics and pandemics. Good, well-spaced residential housing schemes are the best panacea against diseases. In saying this, I am not shooting down high-rise residential projects; rather, I am emphasising that such housing schemes should not translate into untidy, overcrowded and unhygienic settlements devoid of proper public spaces, adequate amenities and recreational spaces and facilities.
FIFTH, delivery of public utilities and services in both urban and rural areas must match up and meet public health standards. To that end, our planned urban renewal programmes I mooted in Mbare, and subsequently launched in Mutare’s Sakubva high-density suburb, should henceforth receive attention and matching resources. They are, after all, habitats of our workforce, which deserve nothing short of liveable conditions which approximate the wealth they create for our society. A broad, multifaceted, all-encompassingsocial programme must be put on the table, with the private sector involvement being enlisted and encouraged through various incentives. Above all, our municipalities and rural authorities must rise to the occasion, so we make our built-up environments liveable.
SIXTH AND LAST, from a consolidation of all of the above,every employer, in whatever sector of our economy, must and should think beyond the weekly or monthly wage. Over the years, we have realised how easily erodible wages are, especially in times of economic shocks, destabilisations and instability. Now we have this new, dreadful factor of a global viral pandemic. Clearly, the years ahead show all these as the conditioning norm for global businesses, in which case we are best advised to cushion the worker through a more resilient, shock-proof system of reward and resilience. The bottom-line is that the worker must have food, shelter, and must be able to afford health services, while being able to send his/her children to school. This, dear compatriots, must be the new thrust and ethic for us all, whatever sector we play in.
Before I conclude, let me say a word or two regarding one sector we have barely paid attention to. Sometime last year I held an indaba in Bulawayo with players in our creative industry — the artists. Generally, this is an industry which thrives on crowds: by way of musical shows, performances, markets, etc, etc. Expectedly, the extended national lockdown has denied this vital sector the crowds which are its lifeline. I am therefore instructing Minister Kirsty Coventry to make a proposal to Government on how best this sector can be helped, post-Covid-19.
Let me conclude by again thanking our workforce for producing and sweating for our nation. Without your dedication to work, our economy can never recover. In the same vein, I want to thank you all for abiding by the very difficult measures we put in place to safeguard our nation and, with it, your families which were at great risk from the Covid-19 pandemic. The battle is not yet won and we should not lower our guard.
Let me also heartily thank all our employers for standing by, and supporting our entire workforce during the national lockdowns. This makes for good industrial relations, indeed for stability at workplaces. Above all, to thank employers most heartily for generously contributing to the national response to the Covid-19 challenge. You rose to the occasion in a true Zimbabwean fashion, thus making the load a lot lighter for our Government.
Let the lot of the worker continue to receive our utmost attention and support.
I thank you and once more, Happy Workers Day Zimbabweans!
State Media|Workers should be given a living wage, while employers should think of other sustainable ways of supporting employees that are not easily eroded, and those in the informal sector must be included in economic recovery plans, President Mnangagwa has said.
In his message to mark this year’s Workers Day celebrations, President Mnangagwa said the Covid-19 pandemic was a wake-up call, and one that stressed the need to include small and medium enterprises and the informal sector in all economic recovery measures and plans to proceed after the emergency.
Since last year, the Government had been adjusting workers’ earnings with a view to making them living wages.
Although it might come short of this key goal, the President said, the commitment to support and sustain the worker should and must always be there.
“Government has continued to adjust your earnings, with a view to making them living wages. Yet the goal of taming inflation, and the general cost of living, has largely remained elusive, an ungraspable mirage. Elusive, because of the successive droughts which continue to visit us, making our nation a net importer of food.
“Elusive because of punitive, illegal sanctions which continue to beset us, closing possibilities for our economy. And now, even more elusive, because of the global Covid-19 pandemic which has thrown us and the rest of the world off rail, into a severe recession. Predictably, our economy will close the year in the negative territory. So, too, will the economies of the world, including the strongest ones,” said the President.
This year’s Workers Day celebrations, he said, came in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Government could not afford any more loss of life to the virus than the country had already borne.
So Government took tough yet unavoidable measures to safeguard life, although these might have brought the nation to a complete standstill and the economy virtually to a shutdown.
“From a consolidation of all this, every employer, in whatever sector of our economy, must and should think beyond the weekly or monthly wage.
“Over the years, we have realised how easily erodible wages are, especially in times of economic shocks, destabilisations and instability. Now we have this new, dreadful factor of a global viral pandemic.
“Clearly, the years ahead show all these as the conditioning norm for global businesses, in which case we are best advised to cushion the worker through a more resilient, shock-proof system of reward and resilience.”
President Mnangagwa underlined that the bottom-line was that the worker must have food, shelter, and must be able to afford health services, while being able to send children to school.
“This, dear compatriots, must be the new thrust and ethic for us all, whatever sector we play in,” he said.
In view of the successive difficult years the country had experienced, the President added, Government continued to import more food for distribution to all the people, including to workers and their families in rural and urban areas.
Government expanded food distribution into urban areas to take care of the workforce especially in these distressful times.
While the global focus might be on workers in formal employment, Zimbabwe’s situation required the country to place greater focus on small-to-medium enterprises and on the broad informal sector.
“These subsectors have sustained the greater number of national livelihoods as our nation battles myriad adversities, whether natural or man-made.
“This means our programmes aimed at defending and sustaining worker welfare must put these two sub-sectors at the heart of our policies.
“Already, Government has decided to include special, well-tailored packages for SMEs and the informal sector in its overall Post-Covid-19 Stimulus Recovery Measures which I shall announce shortly,” said thePresident.
He said the Covid-19 pandemic had been a wake-up call, which had shaken all out of complacency.
As a long-term measure against any such pandemics in future, President Mnangagwa said, the Government had to reorganise SMEs and informal markets so that both were compliant with public healthneeds.
MR. VILKAS: Thank you very much. Now, maybe we will go to the questions on different countries.
So, we will touch upon on Zimbabwe, and Simba Chikanza from ZimEye news network is asking, does the IMF now uphold Zimbabwe’s credit worthiness seeing that it has cleared its arrears, or it still needs to work on it?
MR. SELASSIE: So, unfortunately, Zimbabwe continues to have arrears to the World Bank and African Development Bank, which is a constraint on our abilities to lend to the country.
This hasn’t stopped us, of course, from engaging on policy dialogue, and we are also actually having discussions on other means in which Zimbabwe can be helped by development partners, including grant support.
We’ve been very much highlighting the complexity of the policy environment and the tremendous policy constraints that the government has in terms of being able to mount the kind of response that other countries, to whom we will be able to lend, can.
So, it is a case which we worry about and are doing our utmost to get the support that Zimbabwe needs from development partners.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN have been awarded the Ligue 1 title after the season was ended amid the coronavirus pandemic.
PSG, who have now won their seventh French title in the last eight years, held a 12-point lead over second-placed Marseille when the season was suspended in March.
The French Professional Football League (LFP) ratified the decision at a meeting yesterday, two days after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe suspended sport in the country until at least September.
A points-per-game system, taking into account the performance of clubs in the matches already played, was used to determine the final standings in the Ligue 1 table.
Marseille have qualified directly for the Champions League while third-place Rennes will enter the qualifying rounds, with Toulouse and Amiens relegated.
The LFP have also crowned Lorient, who led Lens by just one point, as Ligue 2 champions with both clubs earning promotion.
“There might be appeals but our decisions are solid,” Didier Quillot, the chief executive of the French League, said.
As the third-tier Championnat National is under French Football Federation (FFF) jurisdiction, they will decide the fate of the promoted teams in that competition with the LFP, as two must come down.
Orleans are seven points adrift at the bottom but 18th-placed Niort and 19th-placed Le Mans are both on 26 points.
The LFP also confirmed their intention to begin the 2020/21 Ligue 1 and 2 seasons on the weekend of August 22-23 at the latest.
The Eredivisie in Netherlands also opted to bring their season to a premature conclusion last week, without champions or relegation, while on Monday Belgian clubs postponed a vote on confirming the cancellation of their top flight until next week.
A club statement read: “This 9th league championship title in the club’s history is dedicated by Paris Saint-Germain to all healthcare staff and to the thousands of front-line professionals working every day to keep the country running.”-State media
LONDON. — Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson says resuming the Premier League is a “non-starter”, and he fears a “farcical” situation with fans congregating outside Anfield — even if Liverpool clinch the title at a neutral venue.
The Premier League has told its clubs only “approved venues” will be used, raising the possibility of matches being played at neutral grounds.
Liverpool, chasing their first title for 30 years, lead the table by 25 points with nine games remaining, while the league hopes to restart on 8 June.
The league’s “Project Restart” envisages the season resuming behind closed doors because of social distancing measures in place to battle the coronavirus pandemic. Liverpool say they are “disappointed” with Anderson’s comments.
The national lead for football policing said on Wednesday that playing all remaining Premier League and EFL fixtures at their original venues would “present challenges” to the emergency services. Deputy chief constable, Mark Roberts, said “options” need to be looked at. Anderson, Liverpool’s first directly elected mayor, told BBC Sport:
“Even if it was behind closed doors, there’d be many thousands of people who would turn up outside Anfield.’’ —-BBC Sport
Musician Tongai Gwaze, better known as Greatman, has received a timely boost after Chivi South legislator Killer Zivhu donated $2 000 and 40kg maize-meal on Wednesday to cushion him from the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Zivhu, through his Killer Zivhu Foundation, pledged to give the “Pandakazvarwa” hitmaker $2 000 weekly, and other necessary supplies for his upkeep until the end of the lockdown.
The donation followed signs of distress shown by Greatman when he posted pictures on social media showing how he was trying to raise money through selling tomatoes along a road in his suburb.
Zivhu, who has helped Greatman before, said he was touched by the musician’s plight and decided to chip in through his foundation.
“In these times of Covid-19, the best way is to stay indoors so that one avoids being infected, and it is not proper that Greatman is seen at that table out there selling tomatoes,” he said. “He is a well-known musician and a celebrity in his own right.
This means many people will throng to his stall, not to buy tomatoes, but to just see him and sometimes demand selfies with him. There is no way he would deny his fans such an opportunity, and in the process he will end up being infected with Covid-19.”
Zivhu said he understood the plight of musicians during the lockdown period when they cannot book shows, which are the major source of their income.
He said he would continue helping Greatman in different ways to ensure he concentrates on his musical career without other distractions.
Greatman thanked Zivhu, who last year helped him shoot a video, for his timely intervention.
“My wife and I are very grateful to you Sir for chipping in at a time we needed some help.
I was being forced by the circumstances to sell those tomatoes. But now there will be no need for me to be out there. This gesture will help me pull through this Covid-19 lockdown.”
Greatman criticised some musical promoters for discriminating against him when it comes to show performances.-State media
POLICE have arrested over 17 000 people countrywide for breaches of lockdown regulations, says Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe.
He told a Press conference in Harare yesterday that arrests had reached 17 171 and expressed dismay over people still organising parties and operating and visiting shebeens.
“Besides the arrests, security agents are conducting awareness campaigns in all parts of the country to conscientise people on the need to comply with Covid-19 safety measures,” Minister Kazembe said.
“Let us take note that the movement restrictions under Covid-19 lockdown are meant to ensure that Zimbabweans are safe, healthy and protected from the coronavirus.
“On the other hand, I have directed the Commissioner-General of Police (Godwin Matanga)to ensure that security officers on deployment observe the tenets of human rights and tighten security at isolation centres,” he said.
Minister Kazembe said Government was aware of the need to provide personal protective clothing to police officers working on the frontline.
“May I take this opportunity to express the ministry’s appreciation to various partners and stakeholders who have availed PPEs and other resources to the security services.
“My office is currently seized with the acquisition of the relevant tools of the trade to enable police officers and other security services to perform their duties under Covid-19 lockdown effectively,” he said.-State media
By Lloyd Msipa | A country draws its legitimacy through legitimate processes carried out transparently through its institutions. Robert Mugabe had indeed overstayed his welcome as the President of the republic of Zimbabwe. That is not in contention. What is in contention is the methods employed to remove him.
On the 6th of November 2017 the then Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Simon Khaya Moyo at a press conference in Harare announced the dismissal of Emmerson Mnangagwa from the position of Vice President of the country for, among various reasons, disloyalty and conduct inconsistent with his official duties.
“In accordance with the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Number 20 Act of 2013, Section 329, 6th Schedule, Paragraph 14, Sub-paragraph 2, His Excellency the President Cde R.G. Mugabe has exercised his powers to relieve Honourable Vice President E.D. Mnangagwa, of his position as Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe with immediate effect.
Before he was expelled, Emmerson Mnangagwa was one of two Vice Presidents, one of two second secretaries of the political party -ZANU PF. The other vice President and second secretary was Phekelezela Mphoko.
On the 8th of November 2017 following his dismissal Emmerson Mnangagwa was invited to the Politburo to make presentations in his defence over his dismissal, if he had any. He instead decided to skip the country crossing the border into Mozambique and subsequently into South Africa. The Politburo was left with no option but to recommend his expulsion. The Central Committee met thereafter and endorsed the Politburo decision. Emmerson Mnangagwa didn’t challenge or appeal his expulsion from the party in any way.
The expulsion of Emmerson Mnangagwa was consistent with the Zanu PF party Constitution and the National Constitution.The party now remained with one Secretary and the nation one Vice President. This therefore meant that when President Robert Mugabe was incapacitated in whatever shape or form, Phekelezela Mphoko became the acting President. This is informed by Article 9, section 46 of the Zanu PF Constitution.
Amidst the chaos and confusion created by the military intervention an extraordinary meeting of the Central Committee was convened and presided over by Patrick Chinamasa the secretary for Finance in ZANU PF at the time. His functions and responsibilities are spelt out in Article 9, Section 49 of the party Constitution. He had no authority whatsoever to convene, let alone preside or chair a meeting of the Central Committee.
The party Constitution is clear that in terms of Article 7, Section 38, only three people are allowed to preside over the meeting of the Central Committee. The President, or any one of the vice Presidents or the National chairperson.
The provisions read as follows:
“Sessions of Central Committee
38.The President and First Secretary of the party, or, in his absence, one of the Vice Presidents and Second Secretary or the National Chairperson shall preside over the meeting of the Central Committee and at such meeting;
(1) decisions of the Central Committee shall be a simple majority; and
(2) a majority of the total membership shall form a quorum” (the underlining is mine).
“The President and First Secretary of the party, or, in his absence, one of the Vice Presidents and Second Secretary or the National Chairperson shall preside over the meeting of the Central Committee and at such meeting.”
The wording of these provisions are final and not subject to challenge.
What this means is that by convening and presiding over the Central Committee meeting of 17th November 2017 Patrick Chinamasa acted illegally and ultra vires the Constitution of the party and consequently all the decisions and resolutions were null and void ab initio.
Some of the resolutions are so glaringly audacious in their illegality, for instance, the illegal Central Committee purported to summarily expel members from the party. The party’s Constitution doesn’t allow for summary dismissal. In fact, the Central Committee acts as a court of appeal in the event that a member is aggrieved by a decision taken after a disciplinary process. It is not the organ of first instance when it comes to disciplinary issues or issues related to expulsion of members.
Furthermore the central committee does not have the power to reinstate a member expelled from the party without that member following due process. It was illegal and scandalous for that central committee to purport to reinstate Emmerson Mnangagwa.
As a self respecting nation, these illegalities must not be allowed to stand, the Supreme Court Judgement on the leadership dispute in the MDC is instructive.
The conduct of the architects of these illegalities not only robbed ZANU PF members from choosing their own first secretary, they robbed the Zimbabwean citizens of an opportunity to freely choose their own president. An objective look at all that transpired, it is clear the Emmerson Mnangagwa was handpicked by no more than 201 party members. The Congress that followed was merely to rubber stamp the decision of these few men and women who had acted illegally.
The extent of the illegality saw several members who had been expelled like Chris Mutswangwa, Victor Matematanda attend the meeting to push the illegal agenda. War Veterans who were not members of the central committee also attended and elbowed out legitimate members of the central committee.
The passage of time should never be any excuse to not correct this grave injustice on the people of Zimbabwe. If our courts can go back into the passage of time with other political parties, why not this one.
The independence and fairness of the judiciary is sacrosanct. The legitimacy of all public officials must all be tested fairly and robustly. Choosing our leaders fairly and legitimately must be the rallying point for all Zimbabweans.
People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus.
The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales.
These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person.
Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.
WHO is assessing ongoing research on the ways COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings.
Can the virus that causes COVID-19 be transmitted through the air?
Studies to date suggest that the virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets rather than through the air.
Can COVID-19 be caught from a person who has no symptoms?
The main way the disease spreads is through respiratory droplets expelled by someone who is coughing. The risk of catching COVID-19 from someone with no symptoms at all is very low. However, many people with COVID-19 experience only mild symptoms.
This is particularly true at the early stages of the disease. It is therefore possible to catch COVID-19 from someone who has, for example, just a mild cough and does not feel ill.
WHO is assessing ongoing research on the period of transmission of COVID-19 and will continue to share updated findings.
Credit:WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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Farai Dziva|Social media users are deeply sceptical of Zanu PF MP Killer Zivhu’ s recent donation to popular musician Greatman.
Social media users attacked Zivhu for using the donation to a person living with disability to score political marks.
Zivhu donated mealie-meal to Greatman and pledged to pay him RTGS $ 2000 per week.
Zivhu has pointed out that the donation is meant to ensure the musician is not exposed to COVID-19.Greatman is reportedly selling vegetables to eke out a living.
Commenting on Zivhu’s donation, Erick Zvirevo said : It’s sad that Killer Zivhu a man heavily linked to the system that has brought misery to our nation can target a popular disabled person to gain mileage in his quest to rise on the party and political ladder, when there should be a system in the country for social care.
He should just go to all people selling tomatoes and offer them $ 2000. What will happen to those disabled or the rural poor who do not have a chance to appear on social media or who are not appealing to Killer’s ego?
Murikuuraya Nyika to make people destitutes …
Danisa Ngwenya argued: While it is a worthwhile and refreshing cause and greatly appreciated, maybe it could also be noble if only a productive hands-on approach to a project he will manage for life is initiated .”
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday said COVID-19 and lockdowns being implemented by most countries across the globe should be used as a wake-up call for governments to focus on home-grown solutions to build their economies.
He said it was inevitable most economies won’t be the same in the post-COVID-19 era and that the time to plan forward was now.
VP Chiwenga made the remarks while launching the 360-hectares Command Winter Wheat project at Zhovhe Farm in Beitbridge West.
He said the Government, through the assistance of its partners, had set a budget of $3,2 billion to capacitate farmers to plant a targeted 80 000ha of wheat, with a targeted yield of 416 000 tonnes, to cut the import bill.
VP Chiwenga said it was not sustainable for the Government to continue importing wheat and grain when production could be maximised with effective use of the land and plenty of water bodies that enhance irrigation-based farming.
“This pandemic and the lockdowns throughout the world should be a wake-up call to all in developing countries to depend more on ourselves,” said VP Chiwenga.
“Just as our clarion call during the struggle to free ourselves from political bondage was that we are our own liberators, so it is with our economic survival in this area where the proponents of globalisation have been proved wrong.
“I, therefore, urge the private sector once again to embrace the national quest for self-sufficiency by providing a market for small grains to encourage their increased production.
“To this end, they may engage more in contract farming and I wish to commend the Nare Family (TopPick Investments) for processing sorghum into mealie-meal, thereby making it more accessible and affordable to local communities”.
VP Chiwenga said the Government had introduced the traditional grains and the winter wheat programmes to enhance its capacity to deal with food and nutrition security nationally.
He encouraged more communal and commercial farmers to register for the two programmes as a way of contributing to the agriculture development initiative.
“The Presidential Inputs Scheme distributed 15 000 tonnes of planting material from the Grain Marketing Board stocks in addition to 2 000 tonnes of certified seed,” said VP Chiwenga.
“I also want to implore on seed houses to produce more certified seed to cover the current deficit on the local market. We also welcome development partners who have embraced our programmes.”
VP Chiwenga said in the last few years, wheat yields had been low, resulting in heavy dependence by the country on imports.
This scenario, VP Chiwenga said, had seen the diversion of the much-needed foreign currency to imports at the expense of other programmes.
He said Government was calling upon those with irrigation infrastructure, water, and free land to take up the winter wheat initiative.
“Registration and contracting for the winter wheat programme is in progress in all provinces and I want to urge the CBZ, which is one of our major implementing partners, to quickly deliver inputs to all the farmers so that we achieve our set target,” he said.
“Power supply is one of the major ingredients to a successful farming season and it is pleasing to note that ZESA has promised us uninterrupted supplies throughout the farming season.”
VP Chiwenga said resources were being mobilised to create a greenbelt between Zhovhe Dam and Beitbridge town (63km), where 10 000 hectares were being opened up for irrigation farming.
Under this model, the Vice President said commercial farmers and the private sector will farm on 7 000 hectares with communal farmers taking up 3 000 hectares.-state media/Herald
A Chitungwiza man accused of generating and peddling fake news on social media platform WhatsApp, was yesterday granted $1 000 bail coupled with stringent conditions after spending 10 days in remand prison. Lovemore Zvekusekwa (36), a civil engineer with High Range Resources, allegedly created and shared a false and unsigned press statement purportedly issued by President Mnangagwa headlined: “Extension of lockdown period by 13 days only”. He is facing charges of allegedly “publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State”. He was denied bail at the magistrates’ courts despite the prosecution consenting to granting him bail. Through his lawyer, Mr Jeremiah Bhamu, Zvekusekwa appealed to the High Court for bail pending trial. Justice Jacob Manzunzu allowed the appeal for bail saying the lower court had misdirected itself in denying Zvokusekwa bail where the State had correctly consented to the relief sought. The judge did not give full reasons of his judgment saying this would be made available in due course. In the lower court, the trial magistrate, Ms Judith Taruvinga, denied Zvekusekwa bail saying while the statements attributed to the suspect were not in the best interest of public policy, the court was not addressed on Zvekusekwa’s propensity to commit further crimes if granted bail. Ms Taruvinga also refused to grant Zvekusekwa bail on the grounds that the likely sentence upon conviction could induce him to flee the country. In addition, the magistrate held a strong view that the State’s concession to bail was absolutely misplaced considering the circumstances of the matter. If convicted, Zvekusekwa faces 20 years’ imprisonment. In his appeal, Zvekusekwa wanted to have the magistrate’s decision set aside, arguing it constituted a gross mis-direction. He appeared at the magistrate’s court for initial remand on April 20 and was remanded in custody to May 13 pending completion of investigations. The State had consented to Zvekusekwa being granted bail in terms of certain provisions of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, which the magistrate turned down.Mr Edmore Mavuto from the Prosecutor-General’s Office appeared for the State. -Herald/ZimEye
By Stephen Chuma As a party that was born out of a workers movement, we cherish and commemorate the Workers Day.
Not only is it a day that reminds us of our umbilical ties to the working fraternity, but we remember those who toil day and night to make our country great again.
The Workers Day also brings with it a flood of sad memories of a nation that once had a thriving economy, best railway in Southern Africa and booming industry yet all that was destroyed by greedy, corruption and mismanagement. In essence, the day reminds us of the decimation at the hands of ZANU PF of everything that represents, signify and dignify workers and the economy.
Talk of the once booming Zisco Steel Company, Kadoma Textile industry, Bulawayo railway hub, Cold Storage Commission, Bata…. the list is infinite. That tells you how far we have gone as nation when it comes to destroying everything that represents workers.
As the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly, we however cherish all those toil day and night to save their families through menial and informal jobs like vending.
Indeed they are heroes of our time!
Figures, statistics and facts do not lie and the astronomical levels of unemployment is a marker that both public and private sectors are overwhelmed as far as creating employment for the vast majority is concerned.
This is particularly because we have a government whose economic policies are stinging hence there is fear to invest in such a volatile environment like ours.
Sadly those who control corridors of power in the public sector are the same familiar faces that you see in the private sector.
The same politicians who fail to run government owned businesses are the ones who grabbed private businesses hence failure is written all over.
Expecting both sectors to create enough employment for the bulging unemployed youths is tantamount to expecting flies to produce honey.
No matter the bigger the number, it will not work. Simple!
Besides the hollow and shallow political mantras like “Zimbabwe Is Open For Business”, the country needs a genuine, robust and sound economic blue print like MDC’s SMART document to attract direct foreign investment while at the same benefiting the locals.
We demand policies that are pro-poor and not just for the benefit of a few politically connected elites and cabals like Kuda Tagwirei, Billy Rautenbach and the looting lot.
Only until such a time when we have businesses that make profit while at the same time benefiting the majority and not a few individuals can we talk of growing our workforce.
Otherwise our best brains continue to flock and flood foreign labour markets and not our unfriendly labour shores.
As Youth Assembly, our message to workers is clear, short and simple.
Let us unite and dismantle ZANU PF dictatorship!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
The Ministry would like to report that two of the PCR tests done in Bulawayo on the 28th of April 2020 were positive for COVID-19.
Today, a total of 355 tests were done as shown in table 1 below, giving a total of 7 642 screening and diagnostic tests done to date. All the PCR tests done in Bulawayo today were negative for COVID-19. Of the PCR tests done in Harare today, six were positive for COVID-19. More details on these cases will be given in tomorrow’s update.
Distribution of tests done today Mat. South – 25 Mat North – 10 Bulawayo – 98 Mash. Central – 11
Harare – 211 Total – 355 Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe now has forty confirmed cases including five recoveries and four deaths. Matebeleland Noth – 1 Bulawayo – 12 Harare – 19 Mashonaland East 5 Mashonaland West – 3 Total – 40 Case #33 is a 70-year-old male resident of Bulawayo, who returned from the United Kingdom on 18 March 2020. He was tested for COVID-19 as a contact to Case #14. Currently, he is stable, with mild disease.
Case #34 is a 27-year-old male resident of Bulawayo, with no recent history of travel. He was tested for COVID-19 as a contact to Case 33. Currently, he is also stable, with mild disease.
Both cases arc recovering under self-isolation at home.
The Ministry continues to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be guided by the COVID-I9 containment strategy which is based on intensified active surveillance, timely use detection, testing, isolation and management of all COVID-19 cases.
Further, the the Ministry would like to remind the nation, that the most effective wats to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing.
Farai Dziva|Harare West MP Joana Mamombe has accused government of ignoring the plight of suffering citizens.
In response, Mamombe has launched a platform to assist residents in her constituency.
See full statement below :
Dear Harare West Community
JoKuDe, an initiative referring to Harare West Constituency Representatives led by Hon MP Joana Mamombe, Kudzai Kadzombe Councillor Ward 41 and Denford Ngadziore Councillor Ward 16.
This platform is there to answer to various challenges bedevilling the people within our Constituency.
JoKuDe is a well wisher’s Community funded & public run Platform.
We are advising all residents and Stakeholders that Central Government through the Ministry of Social Welfare is yet to commit to the pledge of assisting the vulnerable families during the current Covid-19 National Lockdown.
As stated before, we submitted the compiled lists of all residents who sent their names & information for assistance.
Apparently, the money is meant to assist Citizens during Covid-19 lockdown BUT to date, we haven’t received any positive feedback from the Ministry.
We are getting towards the end of the second phase of National Lockdown & we would like to urge the Gvt to honour its promise to its struggling Citizens.
As JoKuDe we could not fold our hands and watch, we started a fundraising platform to assist the vulnerable families in our a Constituency.
This came after we visited various places around the Constituency majority of the people are living in compounds, plots, and they are the elderly, pensioners and infomal traders who are failing to get a decent meal a day since the National Lockdown started.
Today, We are glad to announce that so far we have received donations comprising of the following food items : 1) 5 tonnes of roller meal 2) 200 * 500ml lacto packets.
We are expecting about 2tonnes more of mealie meal as well as heads of cabbages from another well wisher by tomorrow Thursday 29 April 2020
We have a target of 30tonnes of mealie meal so that we donate to more families. On Friday we expect to assist a 1000 families and local City of Harare workers in essential departments in dire need of food aid.
We are still appealing to all Stakeholders, churches, businesses, individuals and the cooperate world to assist our community with what ever you have in your disposal. The donations can come in the form of money, food, mealie meal, vegetables, clothes, blankets or any other donations that can be beneficial to these communities in need.
Those who want to drop in donations can do so at the Salvation Army Church in Haig Park, Mabelreign along Clevering road. Or get in touch with Colen Mawere on 0777648080 who is helping us to pick some donations
This program is being run by JoKuDe in partnership with the Harare West Pastors Fraternity (HAWEPAF)
Covid19 virus is real:::
-Wash your hands Regularly -Always maintain the required social distance -Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth -Practice respiratory hygiene -Use of approved face masks where possible
Farai Dziva|Harare West MP Joana Mamombe has accused government of ignoring the plight of suffering citizens.
In response, Mamombe has launched a platform to assist residents in her constituency.
See full statement below :
Dear Harare West Community
JoKuDe, an initiative referring to Harare West Constituency Representatives led by Hon MP Joana Mamombe, Kudzai Kadzombe Councillor Ward 41 and Denford Ngadziore Councillor Ward 16.
This platform is there to answer to various challenges bedevilling the people within our Constituency.
JoKuDe is a well wisher’s Community funded & public run Platform.
We are advising all residents and Stakeholders that Central Government through the Ministry of Social Welfare is yet to commit to the pledge of assisting the vulnerable families during the current Covid-19 National Lockdown.
As stated before, we submitted the compiled lists of all residents who sent their names & information for assistance.
Apparently, the money is meant to assist Citizens during Covid-19 lockdown BUT to date, we haven’t received any positive feedback from the Ministry.
We are getting towards the end of the second phase of National Lockdown & we would like to urge the Gvt to honour its promise to its struggling Citizens.
As JoKuDe we could not fold our hands and watch, we started a fundraising platform to assist the vulnerable families in our a Constituency.
This came after we visited various places around the Constituency majority of the people are living in compounds, plots, and they are the elderly, pensioners and infomal traders who are failing to get a decent meal a day since the National Lockdown started.
Today, We are glad to announce that so far we have received donations comprising of the following food items : 1) 5 tonnes of roller meal 2) 200 * 500ml lacto packets.
We are expecting about 2tonnes more of mealie meal as well as heads of cabbages from another well wisher by tomorrow Thursday 29 April 2020
We have a target of 30tonnes of mealie meal so that we donate to more families. On Friday we expect to assist a 1000 families and local City of Harare workers in essential departments in dire need of food aid.
We are still appealing to all Stakeholders, churches, businesses, individuals and the cooperate world to assist our community with what ever you have in your disposal. The donations can come in the form of money, food, mealie meal, vegetables, clothes, blankets or any other donations that can be beneficial to these communities in need.
Those who want to drop in donations can do so at the Salvation Army Church in Haig Park, Mabelreign along Clevering road. Or get in touch with Colen Mawere on 0777648080 who is helping us to pick some donations
This program is being run by JoKuDe in partnership with the Harare West Pastors Fraternity (HAWEPAF)
Covid19 virus is real:::
-Wash your hands Regularly -Always maintain the required social distance -Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth -Practice respiratory hygiene -Use of approved face masks where possible
A lecturer with a university in Harare yesterday escaped death by a whisker after he attempted to commit suicide by drinking an unknown poisonous substance after mixing it with Two Keys whisky.
Dr Mbereko who is believed to be a lecturer at Women in Africa University yesterday allegedly tried to commit suicide at Chinhoyi Council Head offices and was found lying down haplessly.
H-METRO was at the scene of the incident where Dr Mbereko was lying down with a cellphone on his hand. Some witnesses who saw Mbereko said that they had seen him with a bottle of Two Keys whisky and a plastic bag which had the unknown poisonous substance.
” He came from the direction of Edgar’s and he was mumbling to himself saying that nyaya dzevakadzi dzinonetsa,” ” A little while I heard a small noise and realized that he had fallen down and we rushed to the scene to see what had happened,” said the eye witness who preferred not to be identified.
Another eye witness said that the Doctor mentioned something to do with marital problems .
” He looked dejected and down to earth but and was talking to himself about having marital problems at home, ” he said.
He said that it was very saddening that such an educated man tried to take his own life.
” I was shocked when I heard that he was a doctor at a university,” ” I thought these people are the ones who are supposed to offer social- phycological support to us the weak. ,” Said an eye witness. He added.
” He is a coward. Whatever problems he was facing in life , he could have consulted other people for advice than to end his life by taking poison.”
A senior citizen who alerted H-METRO about the attempted suicide said that the doctor was a shame to both colleagues at work and his family.
” He is a shame to both his family and work. How can he be such a coward to an extent of wanting to die in a public place like an animal,,” said the senior citizen.
A passerby who was coming from shopping said that he had seen the doctor in town with his whisky but never thought that he was contemplating to end his life by taking poison diluted in whisky.
” Haana kutaridzika semunhu ange achida kudambudzira hupenyu hwake munzira,” ” Pandamuona ndatoti inga havo vane Mari kumukirira mangwanani kutenga doro nyambe he had an ulterior motive of his own. It’s a shame and very saddening indeed,” she said.
Dr Olga Laiza Kupika from the Chinhoyi University of Technology’s Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department refused to comment about the issue.
” Hapana zvandiri kuziva nenyaya iyoyi. Wanting to find out what happened. ” Ini zvokutaura nevatapi venhau handizvikwanise.
Hazvizvoita zvakanaka kubasa nokuti imi munenge muchida publicity and boosting your sales,” she said before hanging her cellphone. Credit :H-Metro
A lecturer with a university in Harare yesterday escaped death by a whisker after he attempted to commit suicide by drinking an unknown poisonous substance after mixing it with Two Keys whisky.
Dr Mbereko who is believed to be a lecturer at Women in Africa University yesterday allegedly tried to commit suicide at Chinhoyi Council Head offices and was found lying down haplessly.
H-METRO was at the scene of the incident where Dr Mbereko was lying down with a cellphone on his hand. Some witnesses who saw Mbereko said that they had seen him with a bottle of Two Keys whisky and a plastic bag which had the unknown poisonous substance.
” He came from the direction of Edgar’s and he was mumbling to himself saying that nyaya dzevakadzi dzinonetsa,” ” A little while I heard a small noise and realized that he had fallen down and we rushed to the scene to see what had happened,” said the eye witness who preferred not to be identified.
Another eye witness said that the Doctor mentioned something to do with marital problems .
” He looked dejected and down to earth but and was talking to himself about having marital problems at home, ” he said.
He said that it was very saddening that such an educated man tried to take his own life.
” I was shocked when I heard that he was a doctor at a university,” ” I thought these people are the ones who are supposed to offer social- phycological support to us the weak. ,” Said an eye witness. He added.
” He is a coward. Whatever problems he was facing in life , he could have consulted other people for advice than to end his life by taking poison.”
A senior citizen who alerted H-METRO about the attempted suicide said that the doctor was a shame to both colleagues at work and his family.
” He is a shame to both his family and work. How can he be such a coward to an extent of wanting to die in a public place like an animal,,” said the senior citizen.
A passerby who was coming from shopping said that he had seen the doctor in town with his whisky but never thought that he was contemplating to end his life by taking poison diluted in whisky.
” Haana kutaridzika semunhu ange achida kudambudzira hupenyu hwake munzira,” ” Pandamuona ndatoti inga havo vane Mari kumukirira mangwanani kutenga doro nyambe he had an ulterior motive of his own. It’s a shame and very saddening indeed,” she said.
Dr Olga Laiza Kupika from the Chinhoyi University of Technology’s Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department refused to comment about the issue.
” Hapana zvandiri kuziva nenyaya iyoyi. Wanting to find out what happened. ” Ini zvokutaura nevatapi venhau handizvikwanise.
Hazvizvoita zvakanaka kubasa nokuti imi munenge muchida publicity and boosting your sales,” she said before hanging her cellphone. Credit :H-Metro
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has openly conceded he is finding it difficult to make a decision on the way forward as the lockdown ends on May 3.
Mnangagwa told members of the business community at State House on Wednesday saving people’s lives was a priority since the economy would be resuscitated at the appropriate time.
Cases of confirmed Coronavirus cases have risen to forty in Zimbabwe.
“I was thinking about what happens after this one (extended lockdown) ends.
I am still working on that, but the primary objective is to give priority to saving lives. I have been studying events worldwide, how governments are reacting to this. Some border on the line of carelessness, some border on the line of over-cautiousness.
So, we must find a way where, in my view, we err on the side of caution rather than err on the side of recklessness,”said Mnangagwa.
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has openly conceded he is finding it difficult to make a decision on the way forward as the lockdown ends on May 3.
Mnangagwa told members of the business community at State House on Wednesday saving people’s lives was a priority since the economy would be resuscitated at the appropriate time.
Cases of confirmed Coronavirus cases have risen to forty in Zimbabwe.
“I was thinking about what happens after this one (extended lockdown) ends.
I am still working on that, but the primary objective is to give priority to saving lives. I have been studying events worldwide, how governments are reacting to this. Some border on the line of carelessness, some border on the line of over-cautiousness.
So, we must find a way where, in my view, we err on the side of caution rather than err on the side of recklessness,”said Mnangagwa.
By A Correspondent- The late former President Robert Mugabe’s son, Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe says MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa is a force to reckon with.
In a Twitter post on Thursday, Chatunga said if anyone wants to bring trouble to themselves they must insult Chamisa or Zim dancehall music icon Winky D.
Said Bellamine:
“Wanzira Chamisa kana Winky D kana uchida kuona kuti upenyu hwako hwepa Sosho media hunounyana seshizha rabva pana mai varo,” Chatunga wrote in the Shona language.
JoKuDe is an initiative referring to Harare West Constituency Representatives led by Hon MP Joana Mamombe, Kudzai Kadzombe Councillor Ward 41 and Denford Ngadziore Councillor Ward 16.
This platform is there to answer to various challenges bedevilling the people within our Constituency.
JoKuDe is a well wisher’s Community funded & public run Platform.
Tomorrow, Friday 1st of May 2020 we will be distributing roller meal to vulnerable groups in our Constituency.
We shall start with Mkushi Compound in Ward 16 along Kirkman Drive behind Sanganai Inn.
Then proceed to Tom farm and Chichera Plot in ward 41.
The effects of the coronavirus on football are escalating on the African continent as 3 countries announced that they had cancelled their respective leagues due to the pandemic.
Kenya, Angola and Guinea have all made a uniform decision to cancel their leagues due to lockdown restrictions ushered-in by various governments in Africa to flatten the curve of the disease.
The president of the Kenyan FA, Nick Mwendwa, confirmed that owing to the stoppage of the leagues due to the effects of Covid-19, Gor Mahia, having led the standings at the midseason point, and with the league having not been played up to 75%, will be crowned winners, while City Stars are promoted.
Guinea football authorities cancelled the 2019-20 Ligue 1 season without even communicating on which team would represent the country in the next edition of the CAF Champions League.
MORE than 300 needy households from Mzilikazi surbub in Bulawayo will this week get free mealie meal and other grocery items courtesy of football legend Esrom Nyandoro who hails from the suburb.
The items will be purchased using funds from the one million masks and sanitisers for Zim campaign that had also organised the Nyandoro football memorabilia auction which however was eventually underwritten by a bidder for an undisclosed amount.
The bidder, who donated the items back to the football star, chose to remain anonymous.
The auction was set to be held on Monday via Nyandoro’s Instagram page. According to the organisers the anonymous bidder returned the items to Nyandoro because of their sentimental value to the ex Warriors, Amazulu and Mamelodi Sundowns box to box midfielder.
The items can be used for further fundraising activities should the movement require more financial assistance, said the organisers.
“The campaign has immediately moved to purchase mealie meal and other basic supplies that will be distributed to 300 needy homes in Mzilikazi,” Vimbai Musvaburi, one of the campaign organisers and spokesperson said.
Madagascar – There has been only 128 COVID 19 confirmed cases and this number hasn’t moved up since Monday morning when only one case was reported.
Even better news for Madagascar as the tally of recoveries goes up from 82 to 90 within a week, which is remarkable and more positive signs that their “miracle tea” could be the worlds solution.
This was Monday Afternoon. 27th April 2020.
As off today, here is where they stand 92 recovered still no reported deaths. This also comes after the President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar deployed soldiers to hand out the herbal tea to each household.
The production manufacturing of the “miracle tea” is still continuing in Madagascar, as more African countries show interest in the COVID19 Organics.
Nigeria (1728 cases, 51 deaths, 328 recovered), recently showed their interest into getting the product into their country, but hasn’t yet confirmed. If Nigeria does approve the shipment of COVID19 Organics, they will join Senegal (882 cases, 9 deaths 315 recovered) and (1351 cases, 7 deaths, 313 recovered).
The COVID Organics might still have a long way to go, especially in mass production if the product is proven efficient.
However Madagascar is on the right track in terms of trying to flatten the curve of cases and if they continue being consistent, history just might be made by this African country.
Zimbabwe reported its highest daily increase in Covid-19 cases on Wednesday after eight people tested positive for the respiratory illness.
The eight cases – six from the laboratory in Harare and two from the testing facility in Bulawayo – brought the national case total to 40.
The ministry of health provided details for only two of the eight cases, both from Bulawayo. One is a 27-year-old man, a customs officer from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), and a 70-year-old man who returned from the United Kingdom on March 18.
The UK returnee is believed to be the source of the ZIMRA employee’s infection, the ministry said.
Both men are stable and self-isolating at home, according to health officials.
“Today, a total of 355 tests were done giving a total of 7,642 screening and diagnostic tests done to date. Of the PCR done in Harare, six were positive for Covid-19. More details will be given in tomorrow’s (Thursday) update,” said the ministry.
Officials say four people have died of Covid-19 in Zimbabwe, the youngest 30 and the oldest 82. Five people, including four members of the same family, have recovered.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced a 35-day national lockdown to arrest the spread of the virus, starting March 30.
The regulations are due to expire on May 3, and Mnangagwa – whose government is accused of failing to provide relief to millions of Zimbabweans in need of food aid – is under pressure to re-open the economy.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mnangagwa said they would listen to scientific advice before taking the next steps.
“As government, our responsibility is to look after the living. So, I believe that it is necessary that we do everything in our power to preserve life,” he said. “In relation to our own situation, the spike is going up, it is not going down so we have to take more measures until we reach a stage where there are more recoveries than there are positive cases coming up, then we know we are succeeding, but for now we believe that we have not reached the peak of attack by the pandemic, so this is indicative of measures that shall continue to help us save lives.”
He said they would review the lockdown measures with a view to getting the economy functioning, but this would not be at the expense of human life.
“We as government and I as President decided that on this challenge, what do we do to balance the need for economic growth and the lives of the people? I came to the conclusion that if our people die, we cannot resuscitate them, (but) the economy can die and it can be resuscitated now or in future. It does not matter, as long as people are alive we can always have conferences to say how do we resuscitate the economy but I have never seen a conference where people are discussing how to resuscitate the dead,” Mnangagwa said, speaking at State House where his government received donations from various companies.
“So, our bias is towards the preservation of life and this, why you are here, is demonstrative of your understanding that it is necessary to preserve life. I have been studying events worldwide, how governments are reacting to this thing, some (reactions) border on the line of carelessness, some border on the line of over cautiousness so we must find a way where in my view we err on the side of cautiousness than err on the side of recklessness.”
The department of basic education says that its primary concern is ensuring the safety of pupils.
Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga / Photo GCIS
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has confirmed that schools will reopen, for Grade 7 and 12 pupils, on 1 June 2020.
Motshekga announced the revised 2020 school calendar during a long-awaited media briefing which sought to finalise the contentious debate surrounding the curriculum. Following fierce public criticism aimed at the Director-General of Basic Education, Hubert Mweli, who presented a proposal many deemed premature and dangerous, Motshekga revealed the finalised school programme which differed slightly from the plans issued by the Portfolio Committee.
Here’s when will South African schools will reopen
Before announcing the proposed school calendar, Motshekga stressed that the final call regarding the reopening of schools would be made in conjunction with National Command Council (NCC). The minister added that the sector would open on 4 May to prepare for the eventual return of pupils.
It’s proposed that teachers return to work on 18 May to prepare for the remaining curriculum.
While the initial presentation by the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education recommended that pupils return to school as early as 6 May, Motshekga, noting the concerns of pupils, teachers and parents adjusted the calendar as follows:
Education sector reopens on 4 May
School management returns on 11 May
Teachers return on 18 May
Grade 12 and 7 pupils return on 1 June
With regards to the revised school calendar, the DBE minister noted that risk assessments in each province, district and school would inform decisions to reopen institutions.
May/June exams postponed, merged with December
During her address, Motshekga noted that, because of the disruptive nature of lockdown, exams initially scheduled to take place in May and June had been postponed until December 2020.
The disruptive impact of COVID-19 and lockdown
Motshekga elaborated on the virus’ disruptive, and potentially dangerous, impact on the nation’s education system, saying:
“We have experienced major problems – there has been an increase in anxiety. We serve more than 13 million learners – we are in every household. The anxiety is highly understandable.
Members of the community have been very concerned… when are learners going to go back?”
Motshekga reiterated that the department of basic education’s (DBE) primary concern was the health and safety of all pupils and, as such, staunch social distancing measures would be implemented in schools upon pupils’ return.
The DBE minister was joined by Higher Education Minister, Blade Nzimande, who clarified contingency plans concerning universities and colleges.
Nzimande said the focus of continued-learning would centre on remote learning initiatives. Until then, most physical campuses would remain closed until the Risk Level was lowered to an ‘appropriate level’.
MEDIA BRIEF BY MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES, HON MONICA MUTSVANGWA
My fellow Zimbabweans
We have come to the end of yet another day, as we say good bye to the month of April, we take the time to reflect and re-evaluate. The road continues to be bumpy as we all had to change our lifestyles and habits in order to prevent and protect ourselves from this global pandemic, COVID19.
Zimbabwe has not been spared by the COVID 19 pandemic as we have lost loved ones at home and abroad. I pass my condolences to all bereaved families, special condolences to the scores of dutiful and valiant Zimbabwean nurses and health workers in the Diaspora, particularly in the United Kingdom.
Painful as it is, their loss has wrote an indelible page of Zimbabwean medical prowess on the global stage.
May their Souls Rest In Peace and may those left behind find comfort in the memories of their loved ones. Let us continue to take all the necessary measures to protect ourselves and prevent the further spread of this virus. We are each other’s keeper.
Today marks Day 31 of the lockdown, and Government once again commends citizens for adhering to the lockdown regulations and working smoothly with those implementing and enforcing the lockdown. His Excellency, President ED Mnangagwa has said that Government’s top priority is to save and preserve lives. and saving lives during this period. We can resuscitate the economy, but we cannot resuscitate the dead. So let us continue to practice protective and preventative measures. With winter fast approaching, the setting up and the rehabilitation and capacitation of medical facilities has to be accelerated across the whole country. Government welcomes all those who have come on board to support this initiative with donations of medical equipment and supplies for the treatment of coronavirus symptoms.
It has been noted that some unapproved individuals are attempting to take advantage of the global pandemic selling unfit medical equipment and claiming to provide medical services. Citizens, we urge you to seek services from registered health institutions; where and when you are in doubt, you should contact the national help lines, 2019 for clinical issues and 2023 for non-clinical issues. Where you are assured of receiving the correct information and assistance.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care is in the process of validating and assessing private facilities across the country and once this is completed the approved facilities will be publicized.
We continue to witness an upsurge in the number of returning residents at our border posts. His Excellency, the President has said that Zimbabweans are free to come home. However, they have to be quarantined for 21 days with testing on Day 1, Day 8 and Day 21. We urge returnees to adhere to the set regulations which are there to protect them and their loved ones here at home.
It is in times of adversity that the spirit of a nation is realized. Zimbabweans have once again proved that the tie that binds us together as a people is our Ubuntu. The understanding that we accomplish great feats as a collective has been brought to life by individuals, corporations and various organisations that are daily playing their part in Zimbabwe’s response and preparedness action plan. Equally, developmental partners are standing with us as part of the global campaign to curb the spread of COVID19.
Let each and every one of us play their part by ensuring that they practice protective and preventive behavior. As President ED Mnangagwa said, we can resuscitate the economy, but we cannot resuscitate the dead.
Please stay home, practice good hygiene and stay safe.
MDC founding politician and councillor Kadoma Ward 13 Councillor Thembiso Gobo has died.
She was aged 50.
Gobo who was a personal aide to party president Nelson Chamisa died at Kadoma Hospital on Wednesday after a long battle with cervical cancer.
She is survived by four children, three boys and a girl. One of her children is Believe Guta a motivational author from Kadoma.
Announcing the death of his mother, Guta said, “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing away of my biological mother Councillor Thembiso Gobo. It is really a great loss, i have lost a mother, a mentor, a role model. You have fought a good fight mum and may you rest in power until we meet again.”
MDC Alliance in a statement mourning Guta said she was a victim of Zanu PF violence.
“Her commitment to democracy is beyond doubt. She survived Zanu PF violence in 2001 at Gokwe Town Office at the funeral of Vusimuzi Mukwela. She was arrested and detained several times in both the Midlands and Mashonaland West provinces,” said the opposition.
She was diagnosed with cervical cancer in June 2019.
A Harare man has appeared in court facing charges of unlawfully intending to cause contempt, ridicule and hatred towards President Emmerson Mnangagwa after allegedly insulting the President and his mother and threatening to cut the testicles of his supporters.
Allegations against Abraham Baison, a 30-year-old from Mount Hampden are that on Sunday he insulted Mnangagwa by shouting expletives about the President’s private parts and those of his mother.
The state, led by George Manokore argued that Baison was aware that there was a real risk that the statement was false and could engender feelings of hostility towards Mnangagwa.
It was the state’s case that on Monday at about 10pm, Baison stood at his door and started shouting obscenities aimed at Mnangagwa.
Baison’s neighbour, Dorcas Chivavaya reportedly heard the insults and alerted Petros Kasiya, who confronted the accused.
The accused allegedly repeated his insults leading to Kasiya, who reported the case at Marlborough Police Station the following day.
Baison, who was represented by Kossam Ncube of Kossam Ncube and Partners, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Magistrate, Vongai Muchuchuti-Gurira granted Baison $300 bail and remanded the case to June 3.
As part of his bail conditions, Baison was ordered not to interfere with witnesses and report every Friday to Marlborough Police Station between 6am and 6pm.
The number of cases of people accused of insulting Mnangagwa continue to stack up.
Just recently, a Chipinge man was accused of insulting Mnangagwa after he allegedly said the Zimbabwe leader did not measure up against his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa.
MDC Alliance legislator Joel Gabbuza, is one of the high profile people that have been arrested on allegations of insulting Mnangagwa.
Last year, three people were dragged to court and charged with insulting Mnangagwa after they allegedly said the President had failed to revive the country’s political and economic fortunes and should, therefore, hand over power to opposition MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa.
Africa Confidential|In an extended mea culpa on behalf of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has written to the international financial institutions (IFIs) in Washington saying it takes ‘responsibility for the recent policy missteps during late 2019’ which have led to inflation currently running at an annual rate of over 500% year.
Ncube then writes that the government and economy are near to collapse, with the coronavirus pandemic dealing the final blow. The letter, dated 2 April, came a few days after reports of a coup plot against Mnangagwa had been circulating. A security source said the authorities had delayed the lockdown in Harare for fear that dissident officers might exploit conditions to move against the president and his circle.
In the letter, a copy of which has been seen by Africa Confidential, the usually upbeat Ncube paints a relentlessly grim picture. ‘Zimbabwe’s economy could contract by 15-20% during 2020 – with very serious social consequences. Already 8.5 million Zimbabweans (half the population) are food insecure,’ he writes.
So bad is the situation, says Ncube, that it could cause an implosion of the state and threaten security in neighbouring states. ‘The global pandemic will take a heavy toll on the health sector, with many lives being lost and raise poverty to levels not seen in recent times, including worsening food security. A domestic collapse also would have potentially adverse regional effects, where spillovers are significant.’
Concerns in southern Africa about conditions in Zimbabwe are deepening. They might explain a call by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, at an African Union teleconference on 28 April, for Western states and the IFIs to lift sanctions against the Mnangagwa government.
Strive’s plan On the previous day, Zimbabwean telecoms magnate Strive Masiyiwa called for urgent aid for his country to fight the pandemic. His Econet cellphone and money transfer companies have been a lifeline for many Zimbabweans.
Masiyiwa said the World Bank, the IMF and other multilateral institutions should create humanitarian trusts for Zimbabwe and Sudan, both under United States sanctions, to be managed by third parties to ensure a fair distribution of life-saving aid.
‘For the avoidance of doubt; this is not an appeal for the lifting of sanctions,’ said Masiyiwa. ‘I don’t want to get into the issues around how and why there are sanctions. Everyone knows I had to flee my country because of persecution 20 years ago.’
The state media in Harare covers every donation from business supporters of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) to the government’s coronavirus campaign but is more reticent about contributions from non-partisan donors such as Masiyiwa’s Higher Life Foundation. Earlier this year, Higher Life paid health workers’ salaries after the government said it had exhausted the budget.
Ncube’s letter is addressed to David Malpass, President of the World Bank, Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, and Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank. He asks them to support the rescheduling or cancellation of all Zimbabwe’s foreign bilateral debt arrears and help in clearing all its multilateral arrears (AC Vol 60 No 6, Ncube wins foreign fans).
The government also needs $200 million, says Ncube, for unplanned spending to fight the pandemic, referring to World Bank estimates that the country’s financing gap is nudging $1 billion for health, education, food security and social protection.
Without those funds, Ncube says, the government will have no choice but to revert to printing money, risking a return to hyperinflation and the crash of the local currency.
In exchange for the Bank and the IMF agreeing to an emergency debt rescheduling, the government promises a ‘time-bound programme’ of economic, political and governance reforms. Ncube, who has been at odds with Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya, pledges the government will introduce a market-determined exchange rate and end what he calls the reserve bank’s ‘quasi-fiscal operations’ and its direct lending programme. It will also include all state subsidies in the budget documents presented to parliament and scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee, he adds.
This, according to finance officials in Washington, is code for saying conditions are so horrendous that Ncube has been the given the political cover to promise a crackdown on grand corruption at the heart of the government. They add that it is well-known among banks and business people as well as foreign diplomats that RBZ subsidies to gold-mining companies have directly benefited President Mnangagwa’s inner circle.
This group and senior army officers have also benefited from preferential access to foreign exchange and schemes that profit from arbitrage between the official and parallel rates of the Zimbabwe dollar, the officials add. Even if he wanted to, there is no way that Mangudya could have stood up to those factions.
Promises Ncube’s letter also promises to ‘limit the fiscal costs of the financing of agriculture, ensure transparency, and resolve all the related governance issues’. This would deal with another big leakage of state funds: the financing with zero accountability of Mnangagwa’s favoured Command Agriculture scheme (AC Vol 60 No 18, Cash at the generals’ command).
Apart from failing to boost productivity substantially – due to poor distribution of seeds and fertiliser as much as the latest regional drought – the Command Agriculture Programme has become a formidable source of patronage for Mnangagwa’s ally Kudakwashe Tagwirei, owner of the Sakunda group of companies working with Swiss-based Trafigura to import fuel, and well as running its own agricultural projects (AC Vol 60 No 23, Cashing in on the crisis).
One of Zimbabwe’s canniest operators, Tagwirei, who financed ZANU-PF’s election campaign in 2018, has evaded any attempt to limit his sprawling empire, and maintains close ties to both Mnangagwa and Vice-President General Constantino Chiwenga even though they are bitter rivals (AC Vol 61 No 8, Rule by rivalry).
Against this, Ncube’s promise of an ‘ambitious anti-corruption strategy’ rings hollow to finance officials. Neither do they take seriously his promises of political reform, most of whose elements have been on the government’s agenda for the past five years. Ncube’s final pledge to continue with ‘engaging in National Dialogue’ elicited the response of ‘what dialogue?’ from an official in Washington.
We hear that neither the World Bank nor the IMF have responded formally to Ncube’s letter, nor do they intend to, despite him following up with phone calls over the past week. ‘Zimbabwe is in a political, not an economic policy, crisis …without credible change on that level, nothing else will move,’ concluded the official.
Failing that, the country’s best hope might be for an international organisation to work with Masiyiwa’s plan for an independent humanitarian trust to distribute food and medicine to the most threatened people.
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday signed into law the deferment of payment of rentals and mortgages during lockdown to assist people that have lost income in honouring these obligations.
Statutory Instrument (SI) 96 of 2020 Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) (Deferral of Rent and Mortgage Payments During National Lockdown) Regulations, 2020 promulgated yesterday, comes a day after Cabinet’s recommendation to give relief to tenants and landlords during the lockdown.
“Whereas on account of the national lockdown many persons are on forced leave from employment and therefore unable to earn the income necessary to pay for, among other things, rental for residential accommodation and mortgage repayments; now, therefore His Excellency the President, in terms of Section 2 of the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) Act [Chapter 10:20], hereby makes the following regulations…” reads the decree.
The SI 96 of 2020 defers payment of rentals and mortgages without the risk of being evicted, disposed from land or sued from May until the end of the lockdown.
The new law allows tenants and those with mortgage debts to pay their landlords and creditors in a staggered manner.
Tenants and mortgagors are allowed to pay rentals, without interest staggered in equal instalments over three months for each month under lockdown. Due to the national lockdown, most residents have not generated income to enable them to pay May rentals that are due as from tomorrow.
The lockdown period began on March 30 and is set to end on Sunday.
Residents said the Cabinet’s resolution was realistic considering the economic impact caused by Covid-19 on the country and individuals.
Tenants who spoke to the news crew yesterday said unpaid rentals have become a source of conflict in their lodgings.
Mrs Sikhathazile Nyathi from Mzilikazi said if the moratorium is declared, it would protect her family from being tormented by a landlord.
“It is something that we hope could be implemented because already I’m facing challenges with my landlord. I live in one room with my husband and children. But because we had not cleared April rentals, the landlord in protest is now sleeping in our room, on our sofa. He is saying he will only vacate the room once we pay up the R300 rent but we don’t have the money. He is threatening us with evictions,” said Mrs Nyathi.
She said she was a vendor who operated at Renkini Bus Terminus but due to lockdown, she has been grounded struggling to even put food on the table.
Mrs Nyathi said she was even contemplating deserting city life after lockdown and relocate to rural areas where they are no demands for monthly rentals.
Another resident, Ms Sukoluhle Dube from Nkulumane suburb said the Cabinet’s decision was very noble as most people have not generated any income this month.
Ms Dube said moral suasion between landlords and tenants would be more effective than Government’s decrees.
“I had already come to an agreement with my landlord over payment of rentals. Due to the lockdown that saw me not working all along, my landlord said once the lockdown has ended, I can pay the rental in instalments. I think such decision largely depends on the existing relations between the landlords and their tenants. I have a very good relationship with my landlord. I have stayed in the house for seven years,” said Ms Dube.
Another tenant, Mr Celestine Mafuka, said delayed payments of rentals have both positive and negative impacts.
“Imagine we agree with the landlord that I will pay rentals when I get the money after lockdown. But I stay in a house of an elderly person largely depending on rentals payments for livelihood. In case I buy groceries do you think the landlord would be comfortable with me seemingly eating lavishly in their house when they won’t be having anything while I claim that I do not have money to pay rentals. We should aim to strike a balance,” said Mr Mafuka.
Landlords who spoke to the news crew said most of them depended on rental money for survival.
They argued that while Government proposes a moratorium on rental payments, local authorities still demand payment of rates.
Others said while the idea is good, most tenants cannot be trusted.
Mr Bernard Sibanda from Nkulumane suburb said some tenants may decide to leave their rented homes to evade paying delayed rentals.
“What will happen then when the tenant decides to run away. But as a parent with a child who is also a tenant somewhere, I believe bringing relief to lodgers will be good but if they also commit to being honest. We live with them they have not being working so their realities are very clear to us. Government in coming up with the law, should create a legal framework that will make it punishable if a lodger escapes from lodgings,” said Mr Sibanda.
A landlord who only identified herself as Mrs Moyo said tenants should find ways of paying rentals even during lockdown.
“The same way council expects us to pay rates, is the same way we want our tenants to pay rent. Some of us have been depending on these monthly rental payments for over 20 years. That is how we feed our families,” said Mrs Moyo.
Six people at Harare hospital have tested positive for COVID-19. The infections were discovered at the maternity hospital purely by chance during swab testing training where patients and workers were all routinely tested.
The breakdown is as follows: Two patients, one doctor and three nurses.
The development comes after a 7y old girl who the government says has Malaria (but tested COVID positive) dropped dead at Mapiravana Clinic over in Midlands. She has no travel history but had physical contact with a Malaria patient at St Theresa. Her symptoms were: abdominal pains, fever, general weakness for over 3 weeks.
Ministry Of Health officials have instructed practitioners to register the death as that of Malaria.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW ….
She was given the below prescription drugs:
A 7y old girl who govt says has Malaria but tested COVID + has dropped dead at Mapiravana Clinic. She has no travel history but had physical contact with a Malaria death at St Theresa. Her symptoms: abdominal pains, fever, gen weakness for 3 wks. @WHO_Zimbabwe@MuzvareBettypic.twitter.com/YK017T3UUk
Efforts to obtain a comment from Health Minister, Obadiah Moyo were fruitless at the time of publishing as his phone was ringing without being answered.
The Harare Hospital update was posted by former SundayMail editor Edmund Kudzayi. ZimEye is following up on the development.
HIGH Court Judge Justice Jacob Manzunzu on Thursday 30 April 2020 ended the detention of Lovemore Zvokusekwa by granting him RTGS$1 000 bail after he was detained in prison for allegedly peddling falsehoods about President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s extension of the duration of the national lockdown period to May.
The 36 year-old Zvokusekwa of Chitungwiza petitioned the High Court after he was denied bail by a Harare Magistrate on Monday 20 April 2020, when he appeared in court facing charges of publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31(a)(i) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Zvokusekwa, who was represented by Jeremiah Bamu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and Thomas Machinga and Cecil Mutsvandiani, was arrested on Saturday 18 April 2020 by Zimbabwe Republic Police members, who accused him of peddling falsehoods when he reportedly circulated a false and unsigned press statement purportedly written and issued by President Mnangagwa titled “EXTENSION OF LOCKDOWN PERIOD BY 13 DAYS ONLY” advising people that he had extended the national lockdown period by 13 days from 20 April 2020 to 3 May 2020.
Zvokusekwa allegedly disseminated the false press statement on different WhatsApp groups using his Huawei mobile phone handset and yet President Mnangagwa had not written or signed the purported press statement.
Apart from ordering Zvokusekwa to pay RTGS$1 000 as bail money, Justice Manzunzu also ordered him to report once a week on Fridays at Chitungwiza Police Station and to continue residing at his given residential address.
Late President Robert Mugabe’s son Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe say MDC leader Nelson Chamisa is one of the most influential persons on social media.
In a Twitter post on Thursday, Chatunga said if anyone wants to bring trouble to themselves they must insult Chamisa or music icon Winky D.
“Wanzira Chamisa kana Winky D kana uchida kuona kuti upenyu hwako hwepa Sosho media hunounyana seshizha rabva pana mai varo.” Chatunga wrote in Shona language.
The tweet reached Chamsia who acknowledged it by retweeting itwith a caption, “Oh this one is another level!!”
On the eve on the 2018 elections, the late Mugabe said he could not vote for those who tormented him, implored Zimbabweans to vote for Chamisa to return the country to legality, democracy and constitutionality.
“I won’t vote for people who have tormented me. I’ll make my choice among the other 22,” said Mugabe. “Let them (Zimbabweans) decide. There should be a big no to guns. Never again experience a situation where the army is used to thrust one man (Mnangagwa) into power.”
When Ramaphosa announced that the country will enter level 4 of the lockdown on the 1st of May, he also said that cigarettes sale would be allowed during the level. Following the announcement, Mzansi was not pleased, accusing him of succumbing to “white pressure”
On Wednesday, The co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the sale of cigarettes was opposed by about 2,000 people who engaged the government on the lockdown regulations, therefore it remains banned.
Dlamini-Zuma’s statement left smokers fuming, seeing them accusing president Ramaphosa of misleading the nation.
The same Cyril Ramaphosa who was the most adorable president just a few days ago was immediately downgraded to public enemy number one over cigarettes.
As soon as it was announced that the ban on the sale of tobacco products was to be extended on Wednesday night, hundreds of thousands of South African smokers took to social media and petition platforms to put a stop to the decision.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma confirmed that after receiving opposition from over 2,000 people regarding lifting the prohibition of tobacco sales, and had since the weekend decided to keep the ban.
Dlamini-Zuma said smoking was not just unhealthy, but was concerned about sharing cigarettes, which increases the risk of contracting Covid-19.
Over 300,000 people from across the country have signed a petition on Change.org, with petition creator Bev Maclean saying that smokers were only given one days’ notice, “which is really unfair and spiteful”.
Maclean added that smokers experiencing withdrawal causes depression and anxiety, “and because we are in lockdown, most people will lash out and maybe even hurt loved ones unintentionally”.
Extending the ban of tobacco products has also reignited the legal battle that was to take place by the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita).
Fita confirmed on Wednesday evening that it would be reinstating its legal bid to overturn the ongoing ban.
The court action was suspended after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last week that tobacco products would be allowed to be sold.
The company ran a loss of 61.2million. Throughput has fallen down to 20% from 68%.
Challenges leading to this poor performance were; -sub-economic tariffs-exhaustion of PSMAS, global limits, inadequate stocking and unbudgeted PPE for Covid 19
Salary Update
Company not in a position to adjust salary as promised as the cashflows are bad and the tariff adjustment and subscription review from expected subscribers including government to PSMAS has been stalled by the Covid 19 pandemic. The company won’t be able to pay the cushion allowance as throughput and cashflows have gone down.
In mitigating staff against these challenges the Company at group level will roll out a grocery basket to replace the cushion allowance with the lowest grade B1-B4 getting the following items in their basket;
-10kg mealie meal
-4kg rice-4L
-cooking oil
-6kg sugar
-3tabs bath soap
-2bars washing soap
The grocery basket is calculated as equivalent of the cushion allowance and will differ by grade category. The grocery basket will be delivered through Gains Supermarket but where they can be able to deliver to your workstations you will collect it from there.
Rationalisation of Services
The following essential services will be operating;
-clinics in strategic locations
-pharmacies to complement clinics and cater for chronics
-hospitals
-emras
-diagnostics
-inpatient rehab
The following units will he shutdown;
-dental
– optometry
-outpatient rehab
– shared services operating at 50%
Closed units to provide backup service to open units so as to eliminate locums entirely.
Removal of transport and fuel allowances for those whose units are closed
All contracts to be terminated this month
Leave liability reduction with all those with days above 30 going on leave immediately
Units to operate with skeleton staff which is complimentary to their throughput
Risk Allowance
Currently cashflows do not allow the roll out of this gesture to all frontline staff. Nonetheless the company recognised the need for such and persues other cashflows such as PSMAS legacy debt to fund this allowance.
In the meantime the company relies on an indemnity insurance which is payable upon getting sick from Covid 19 or succumbing to the virus
Wayforward
Introduction of telemedicine facility at 186Fife avenue
Protection of the going concern of the company now and post Covid 19 through aggressive cost containment measures to ensure job protection for all permanent staff members.
It could however not be immediately established if the above published memo is indeed from PSMAS. Efforts to get a comment from the organisation were futile by the time of publishing.
This is however a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s bid for High Court judge Justice Garainesu Mawadze’s son, Munyaradzi’s bail application be heard by a none sitting judge of the High Court has been rejected.
Munyaradzi is being jointly charged with Elvin Dongo Saungweme (22) and Dellon David Balani (22) on allegations of killing Million Ncube by slitting his throat with a knife after robbing him of three iPhone Promax 11 cellphones in March this year.
The prosecution had demanded that Munyaradzi’s bail application must not be heard by any sitting judge of the High Court, but rather by a retired judge who has no links with the suspect’s father.
But Justice Webster Chinamora ruled that the position advocated by the NPA was untenable.
THE Joshua Nkomo National Foundation (JNNF) says it plans to celebrate the late Father Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo’s birthday with a rare political party leaders’ get-together bringing among others President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to share a meal of cow hooves.
Nkomo, born on June 19, 1917 passed away on July 1, 1999 at the age of 82.
The JNNF, a trust formed to celebrate the life of the late Vice-President, has been holding annual events in June and July in remembrance of the former liberation war giant.
A fortnight ago, the JNNF held a virtual memorial lecture that was delivered by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (Osisa) executive director Siphosami Malunga.
The lecture was held under the theme Celebrating 40 Years of Independence – Back to the Future. JNNF director-general Tapela Mmillili said the get-together had nothing to do with trying to lay the groundwork for political dialogue between Chamisa and Mnangagwa following the disputed 2018 polls.
“Traditionally, leaders will come together and share a meal of amangqina (cow hooves) while having a conversation about many different issues not necessarily politics. We want to bring the elders of Zipra, Zanla and most importantly those of Zapu and Zanu PF and other political party leaders in that context,” he said.
“For us, it is also a birthday, but in the context of having the elders coming together to have a conversation and should anything come out of it, good for the country but for us it’s just about offering a platform for dialogue.”
Mnangagwa and Chamisa — while noting the need for dialogue to move Zimbabwe forward — have adopted diametrically different and rigid positions, frustrating any prospects for the holding of talks in the foreseeable future.
Mnangagwa is currently having talks with fringe opposition parties under the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) forum, a platform Chamisa dismisses as a Zanu PF choir.
“I am sure you are aware of the formation of the Polad and in general the views of the people in society are that this must be inclusive. We know Chamisa has his own reasons for not attending Polad and wanting a different platform; and the same goes for other leaders,” Mmillili added.
“However, the Joshua Nkomo Museum and Centre for Dialogue hosts a number of dialogue sessions, offering a platform for dialogue, be they political or economical and in this case it is about bringing our leaders to have a conversation in that traditional sense.”
Analysts and the clergy emphasise the need for dialogue to find a lasting solution to the country’s socio-economic crisis.
“Political and policy consensus must be reached, leading to a national settlement that will transform purely competitive and mutually exclusive visions to a shared national vision in which everyone feels included,” Zimbabwe Council of Churches general-secretary Kenneth Mtata said yesterday.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is expected to ease further the Covid-19 lockdown measures as from Monday next week, senior government officials have revealed.
However, most of the restrictions will remain.This follows a cabinet resolution on Tuesday to re-open the economy following a five-week freeze.
Mnangagwa extended the initial three-week-long lockdown on April 19.
He is expected to unveil a detailed plan, that includes the country re-opening some sectors of the economy, before the expiry of the lockdown at midnight on Sunday.
Official sources said cabinet, at its Tuesday meeting, asked the National Covid-19 Taskforce chaired by Vice-President Kembo Mohadi to come up, by the end of today, with a detailed programme on the easing of the lockdown.
Mnangagwa, who is expected to address the nation on Workers’ Day on May 1, is said to have given in to demands by the military and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), which warned him against extending the stringent lockdown measures further given the state of the economy.
As the Zimbabwe Independent reported last week, Mnangagwa also buckled under pressure and disregarded the advice of health experts who had recommended a 21-day Covid-19 lockdown extension, preferring instead to listen to his Zanu PF and Cabinet colleagues who argued that a prolonged shutdown could spark civil unrest on account of the fragile economy and a restless population.
Government officials told the Independent that ministers unanimously agreed to significantly ease the lockdown beginning Monday with the main consideration being that the current arrangement was not economically sustainable. Fears of civil unrest were also raised in the meeting.
This is despite the fact that confirmed coronavirus cases had as of yesterday increased to 32 from the 25 total recorded when Mnangagwa announced the extension. The virus has also spread to rural parts of the country like Mhondoro and Murehwa during the same period.
Mohadi reportedly assured the meeting that the country is now better prepared to deal with an upsurge of cases because it has more admission facilities and has increased its testing capacity.
“The vice-president said his taskforce had evaluated the country’s state of preparedness and was satisfied by the progress made so far as most provinces and districts now have admission facilities while sufficient quarantine centres had been identified,” an official said.
“It was then unanimously agreed that the lockdown should be significantly eased to jumpstart the economy which is already in a very bad state. The taskforce was then asked to come up with a polished programme through which the easing will be conducted but what I can tell you is that the manufacturing, construction, and other industries where there is a low risk of contagion will be allowed to re-open from May 4,” the source said.
“Retailers will be allowed to re-open during the course of the coming week while restaurants and bars, which are considered high-risk areas, will remain closed and can only be allowed to open after a week or so under strict health measures. These were proposals given to the taskforce by Cabinet members during the discussions.
“It was also proposed that schools and tertiary institutions will stay closed until satisfactory levels of containment were achieved. It was also resolved that all schools and tertiary institutions have to be thoroughly disinfected before they open and this will certainly take a long time.”
Another official said Cabinet also decided that all of the country’s ports of entry will remain closed while Mnangagwa engages his counterparts in Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique, with which Zimbabwe shares borders, to agree on a common position regarding the re-opening of ports of entry.
The government, sources said, will maintain restrictions on public gatherings of people exceeding 50 while encouraging the continuation of other control measures such as social distancing, self-isolation of confirmed cases and quarantine of returning citizens.
“What this means is that the lockdown remains very much in place but with relaxed conditions. For instance, large gatherings will remain banned and social distancing will be observed while those coming from outside the country will be subjected to the mandatory 21-day quarantine period,” the official said. “It was also agreed in the meeting that as part of the measures to contain the virus, all security sector and health workers operating on the frontline will be compulsorily tested along with members of their families. This includes those in the army, the police, the intelligence and municipal police officers in addition to nurses, doctors and everyone working on the Covid-19 frontline.”
Addressing a gathering at State House, where he was receiving Covid-19 donations from various corporates yesterday, Mnangagwa ruled out the possibility of an outright lifting of the lockdown, saying he preferred a cautious approach whereby a delicate balance is struck between saving lives and opening the economy.
“We had the first lockdown, which I extended by 14 days. When you came, I was thinking about what happens after the lockdown ends. We had been with this challenge, what do we do? Balancing the need for economic growth or saving the lives of the people?” Mnangagwa said.
“I came to the conclusion that if citizens die, if our people die, we cannot resuscitate them. Economy can die, it can be resuscitated, now or in the future, as long as people are alive. There can always be conferences on how we can resuscitate our economy, but I have never seen a conference where people will be discussing how they could resuscitate the dead. So, our bias is towards preservation of life.
“I have been studying the events worldwide, how governments handled the pandemic, some border on the lines of carelessness, some on over-cautiousness. So, we must find a way, a way, in my view, to err on the side of caution than err on the side of carelessness,” he added.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been urging countries to carefully consider their lockdown, easing strategies to prevent the possibility of fresh outbreaks, as was the case with Ghana which, according to media reports, recorded a total of 271 new coronavirus infections just 24 hours after lifting the lockdown in the capital Accra and Kumasi on Tuesday.
In total, the West African country had as of Tuesday recorded 506 new cases in the week the lockdown was lifted.
Reports from China, where the virus originated, have also suggested that the country had become vulnerable to a second wave of coronavirus infections after significantly easing the lockdown measures.
Spanish president Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday announced that LaLiga players can resume individual training sessions on May 4, activities which are allowed under “Phase 0.”
The development is a huge step towards resuming football in the country following the indefinite suspension of the sport in March due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The date for resuming the Spanish league has however not been met as the country continues to struggle to contain the virus.
After Phase 0 is completed, training sessions at club centres will then be allowed in Phase 1, which will get underway on May 11.
Spain is one of the most hit countries with 236 899 confirmed cases and 24 275 deaths as of April 30, 2020, 05:08 GMT.
Meanwhile, France has dismissed possibilities of resuming football in the near future in that country with that the French prime minister banning football until September, either with or without fans.- Daily Mail
UK Home Office efforts to deport an HIV-positive Zimbabwean man because of his lengthy criminal record have been blocked after the supreme court ruled removing him would breach his human rights.
Sending the 33-year-old man, identified only as AM, back to Zimbabwe would deny him access to life-saving treatment with the anti-retroviral medication Eviplera, the court unanimously accepted. The drug is not available there.
The case has been sent back to the lower courts for reconsideration.
AM was born in Zimbabwe in 1987 and came to the UK in 2000. He and his mother, who had already been living in Britain, were granted indefinite leave to remain in 2004.Advertisement
In the following years, he accumulated convictions for battery, assault, receiving stolen goods and twice for possession of a blade in public. In 2006, the Home Office first made an order to deport him. He has since married and had a son.
Three years later, he was convicted of further serious offences including possession of a firearm and heroin with intent to supply. He was jailed for nine years.
In 2012 his lawyers challenged the Home Office deportation order, submitting evidence that he had first been diagnosed with HIV in 2003 but that he had not become seriously ill until later.
The first anti-retroviral drug produced severe side effects. When he was switched to Eviplera his blood count increased and he recovered.
Opening the judgment, Lord Wilson said: “This appeal requires the court again to consider one of the most controversial questions which the law of human rights can generate.
“It relates to the ability of the UK to deport a foreign citizen who, while lawfully resident here, has committed a string of serious crimes. The reaction of many British citizens is likely to be: ‘We don’t want this man here.’ His response is: ‘But I need to remain here.’.”
AM originally appealed against removal on the grounds that it would breach article 8 of the European convention on human rights, which guarantees the right to private and family life.
A recent test case against Belgium at the European court of human Rights in Strasbourg established the principle that under article 3 of the convention, which outlaws torture and inhuman treatment, those with serious ill health cannot forcibly be removed to another country if they would suffer there a substantial reduction in life expectancy.
The appeal court was bound by legal precedent and could not permit the claim to switch from article 8 to article 3. The supreme court, however, can do so.
Delivering judgment, Wilson said: “This is not one of those highly exceptional situations in which we should decline to follow a decision of the Strasbourg court.
“We therefore allow the appeal and remit the appellant’s proposed claim under article 3 for consideration by an immigration tribunal, which will no doubt seek to conduct a full inquiry into (among other things) the adequacy of the medical treatment likely to be available to the appellant in Zimbabwe.”
Juventus’ Argentine winger Paulo Dybala has for the ‘fouth time in six weeks’, tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The 26-year-old was confirmed on March 21 that he and his girlfriend Oriana Sabatini had contracted the global pandemic after his first test came positive for the disease.
Spanish radio El Chiringuito, has now revealed that he has had a total of four tests in six weeks as a result of his initial diagnosis, with the latest one coming back positive, though he is said to be in “good spirits” while under isolation at home.
Dybala’s Old Lady teammates Daniel Rugani and Blaise Matuidi also tested positive for the virus but the club confirmed on the 15 of April that they had recovered.-Soccer 24
HIGH Court Judge Justice Jacob Manzunzu on Thursday 30 April 2020 ended the detention of Lovemore Zvokusekwa by granting him RTGS$1 000 bail after he was detained in prison for allegedly peddling falsehoods about President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s extension of the duration of the national lockdown period to May.
The 36 year-old Zvokusekwa of Chitungwiza petitioned the High Court after he was denied bail by a Harare Magistrate on Monday 20 April 2020, when he appeared in court facing charges of publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in section 31(a)(i) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Zvokusekwa, who was represented by Jeremiah Bamu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and Thomas Machinga and Cecil Mutsvandiani, was arrested on Saturday 18 April 2020 by Zimbabwe Republic Police members, who accused him of peddling falsehoods when he reportedly circulated a false and unsigned press statement purportedly written and issued by President Mnangagwa titled “EXTENSION OF LOCKDOWN PERIOD BY 13 DAYS ONLY” advising people that he had extended the national lockdown period by 13 days from 20 April 2020 to 3 May 2020.
Zvokusekwa allegedly disseminated the false press statement on different WhatsApp groups using his Huawei mobile phone handset and yet President Mnangagwa had not written or signed the purported press statement.
Apart from ordering Zvokusekwa to pay RTGS$1 000 as bail money, Justice Manzunzu also ordered him to report once a week on Fridays at Chitungwiza Police Station and to continue residing at his given residential address.
By A Correspondent- A Zimbabwe Republic Police boss, Assistant Inspector Calisto Mutero who is stationed at Nyabira Police Station, 34km north-west of Harare, was shot in the back on Monday night after being found stealing maize cobs at Gwebi College of Agriculture.
Officer Mutero who is reportedly battling for life at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals was with his son and general worker, both juveniles when he was shot.
A security guard saw them and fired a warning shot that triggered the trio to run towards their getaway car.
The guard then shot towards the car in a bid to shoot the front wheel but he shot Mutero in the back.
Mutero and his accomplices, however, managed to flee from the scene. Detectives from Manyame district headquarters Criminal Investigations Department revisited the scene after Mutero’s car was found with a shattered driver’s window a kilometer from the scene.
The investigations led to the arrest of Mutero’s son who admitted to the theft and implicated his father.online
Farai Dziva|Warriors defender Teenage Hadebe is set to return to Zimbabwe for two weeks after his Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor granted him two weeks compassionate leave.
Speaking to Chronicle, Hadebe said: “I can’t wait to hold my children in my hands. I’m super excited to be coming home to see my family. The club has organised that I travel for two weeks.”
The former Highlanders centre-back will, however, is likely to be quarantined for eight days upon touching down in Zimbabwe.
He has been under strict lockdown at his base, spending his time indoors as the Turkish season has been suspended since mid-March.
“We were told to stay indoors and we did that. I only go out maybe once a week going to the clubhouse which is closer to my apartment to do some personal training,” he added.
“Balancing the need for economic growth or saving the lives of the people?” you said.
“I came to the conclusion that if citizens die, if our people die, we cannot resuscitate them.
“The economy can die, it can be resuscitated now or in the future, as long as people are alive.”
The tragedy here is Zimbabweans will die in their hundreds of thousands whether you extend the lockdown or not.
You have handled the whole corona virus outbreak with your trademark blundering incompetence and the consequences are the virus has spread far and wide. You have been advised to test, track, isolate and treat. You have only done 7 000 tests, far short of the 30 000 you promised. Without accurate test data all your decisions have been guess work, just shooting in the dark.
Zimbabwe has done very little of the other activities, tracking, isolating and treating.
Whilst it is true that easing the lockdown when the number of corona virus cases are set to increase was clearly unthinkable. Still there is no empirical evidence to show the chaotic lockdown of the last five weeks is having any notable effect in slowing down the spread of the virus.
The lockdown is yet another one of your overrated ; “a dog’s puny fart that will never put out the furnace fire”, a the Chinua Achebe would aptly put it!
As for resuscitating the economy, the Zimbabwe economy was already in total meltdown after 40 years of unrelenting decline. When you seized power from Mugabe following the November 2017 military coup you were cocksure of reviving the economy and proclaimed “Zimbabwe is open for business!” No one answered the call, the flood of investors never materialised.
Investors are a shrewd lot, they were never going to be fooled by Zanu PF musical chairs game and empty rhetoric. You promised to end corruption and corruption is still rampant to this day. But most important of all you promised to hold free, fair and credible elections only to blatantly rig the July 2018 elections.
You failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. You claim that you received 2.6 million votes but none of the election observers could trace or verify claim with no verified voters’ roll.
Go ahead, extend the lockdown by another two weeks, make it three weeks if you wish. It is clear that you are not testing aggressively because you want to hide the true picture of the seriousness of the corona virus in Zimbabwe – cook the figures, the Chinese Wuhan covid-19 recipe. The Chinese did the tracking, isolation and treating; you are not. And hence the reason the virus has been spreading like wildfire.
You rigged the July 2018 elections and cheated Nelson Chamisa and his MDC friend. You have failed to rig economic recovery before the corona virus pandemic and you will not do so after the pandemic. And most important of immediate importance, you will never ever cheat covid-19!
As Zimbabwe moves into the cold winter days of May, June and July the number of corona virus cases and deaths will soar. Hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans are going to suffer and die unnecessarily because of your repeated blundering incompetence, you will not resuscitate any of the died. Will you do the only honourable thing then – admit you failed and step down?
What Zimbabwe has needed for the last 40 years is a competent and accountable government and the country needs one such government now as matter of life and death. Even now a competent government will help save many Zimbabweans from unnecessary suffering and death. And only a competent government will revive Zimbabwe’s economy now.
If there is one thing the tragic events of the corona virus have proven beyond all reasonable doubt it is that Zanu PF does not have the monopoly of knowledge. Zimbabwe must now break with the past, end the curse of rigged elections, and restore all the individual freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections and the right to life.
Zanu PF rigged the 2018 elections, the party is illegitimate and must step down! Mr President, this is not negotiable! Step down or you will be forced to do so.
By A Correspondent- The insinuation by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube that he used a sophisticated algorithm system to determine who should benefit from funds to be disbursed to vulnerable households once again exposes government’s aversion to transparency and accountability.
Ncube claimed he had used a “sophisticated algorithm” to choose beneficiaries of the ZW$180 per household Covid-19 “pocket money”, making a total departure from his earlier commitment to disperse the funds through the department of social welfare.
The money, which government said will benefit at least one million of the most impoverished Zimbabwean families is part of the ZW$600 million kitty availed by the government to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Initially, Ncube said beneficiaries would be identified by the Social Welfare Department, before making the dramatic summersault.
According to the Cambridge English dictionary, algorithms refer to a set of mathematical instructions or rules that, especially if given to a computer, will help to calculate an answer to a problem.
When the fund was announced it was claimed that the Ministry of Social Welfare would prepare the database of recipients who would qualify for funding, but cracks started showing when it became apparent that government initially planned on distributing these funds through a single mobile money service provider, OneMoney —operated by government-owned mobile operator NetOne, further highlighting the penchant for obscurity in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
Government, as usual, rushed to deny the claims.
Mthuli’s algorithms averments, thus, effectively, trashed statements by Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare deputy minister Lovemore Matuke, who in an interview with a local daily, on April 15, said disbursements would be under his ministry’s purview.
Given the government’s penchant for profligacy and the tendency to divert and abuse public funds especially for political expediency, concerns have been raised over whether the money would be used for its intended purposes once the confusion manifested.
Matuke claimed that 800 000 beneficiaries who will get support “were identified through the Econet platform”, while only 200 000 were identified by the Ministry of Social Welfare.
Public policy expert and University of Zimbabwe Political Science lecturer Tawanda Zinyama said such lack of coherence gives credence to suspicions that there could be no money at all and if there is, it was being distributed on partisan lines, with Zanu PF members being the foremost beneficiaries.
“Ncube’s claim that he used a complex algorithm to determine beneficiaries raises a stink. It points to chicanery in the corridors of power where so-called sophisticated mathematical concepts are used to obscure the controversial spending of public funds,” Zinyama said.
“This has raised doubts as to whether there is even a list of beneficiaries in the first place. Perhaps this is just a public relations exercise to create the impression that the government is doing something about people’s suffering. That is when you start seeing some people developing suspicions about the issue of impartiality.”
In addition to this, questions are also being raised about government’s lack of disaster preparedness and the ability to withstand socio-economic shocks brought about by either health emergencies — as is the case with the coronavirus — or some natural disasters — as was witnessed last year with Cyclone Idai.
At a time other governments around the world are offering their citizens adequate cover for social protection and job losses, the Zimbabwean government is seen scrapping the bottom of the barrel for meagre offerings.
Women’s University in Africa senior lecturer Albert Maipisi said where such mechanisms do not exist, transparency and accountability remains a pipedream as government would be fighting to save its face and cover up for its glaring deficiencies.
“From a disaster management perspective, the situation is likened to a time of uncertainty and plans made pre-disaster are usually implemented without challenges as opposed to those that are made during the disaster like in this case. So, criteria for selection of vulnerable groups should be pre-defined and, in our context, I am not sure if there is a national strategy for that in place to inform programming,” Maipisi said.
“Where that does not exist, the effects are like that and there is no mechanism for ensuring transparency and accountability. A comprehensive disaster management strategy should address those issues and it does not exist in the country as of now.”
To further highlight the lack of transparency in government, the registration of SMEs which were supposed to benefit from rescue packages to prevent them from collapsing, was shrouded in controversy after the inclusion of individuals who are not involved in the sector.
This came after the director of the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation Samuel Wadzai said the list compiled included individuals who are not involved in SMEs sector.
“This was a hurried process and there was no clarity in terms of the requirements by the ministry. They bunched the social welfare element together with the informal sector facility. There is no clarity on who is doing the selection process and the vetting. We have been requested to update our databases, which we have done. We have submitted them, but we don’t know who is going to decide who gets money and who doesn’t,” Wadzai said.
A Harare man has appeared in court facing charges of unlawfully intending to cause contempt, ridicule and hatred towards President Emmerson Mnangagwa after allegedly insulting the President and his mother and threatening to cut the testicles of his supporters.
Allegations against Abraham Baison, a 30-year-old from Mount Hampden are that on Sunday he insulted Mnangagwa by shouting expletives about the President’s private parts and those of his mother.
The state, led by George Manokore argued that Baison was aware that there was a real risk that the statement was false and could engender feelings of hostility towards Mnangagwa.
It was the state’s case that on Monday at about 10pm, Baison stood at his door and started shouting obscenities aimed at Mnangagwa.
Baison’s neighbour, Dorcas Chivavaya reportedly heard the insults and alerted Petros Kasiya, who confronted the accused.
The accused allegedly repeated his insults leading to Kasiya, who reported the case at Marlborough Police Station the following day.
Baison, who was represented by Kossam Ncube of Kossam Ncube and Partners, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Magistrate, Vongai Muchuchuti-Gurira granted Baison $300 bail and remanded the case to June 3.
As part of his bail conditions, Baison was ordered not to interfere with witnesses and report every Friday to Marlborough Police Station between 6am and 6pm.
The number of cases of people accused of insulting Mnangagwa continue to stack up.
Just recently, a Chipinge man was accused of insulting Mnangagwa after he allegedly said the Zimbabwe leader did not measure up against his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa.
MDC Alliance legislator Joel Gabbuza, is one of the high profile people that have been arrested on allegations of insulting Mnangagwa.
Last year, three people were dragged to court and charged with insulting Mnangagwa after they allegedly said the President had failed to revive the country’s political and economic fortunes and should, therefore, hand over power to opposition MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa.
Farai Dziva|Giants Highlanders and Caps United are reportedly set to lose NetOne sponsorship at the end of the coming season.
The telecoms giant has been sponsoring the two team for some time now and in 2019 the deal was extended by three years.
NetOne now wants to focus on fighting the coronavirus pandemic, and due to the impact of the epidemic on their operations, they are no longer in a position to continue with their football sponsorship programmes, according to The Herald.
Both Bosso and Makepekepe will be given enough notice for the termination of their partnership. The company will also part ways with Black Rhinos and Chapungu.
Dynamos who were sponsored by NetOne until 2018 recently renewed their contract with sponsor Gold Leaf Tobacco.
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
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People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus.
The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales.
These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person.
Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.
WHO is assessing ongoing research on the ways COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings.
Can the virus that causes COVID-19 be transmitted through the air?
Studies to date suggest that the virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets rather than through the air.
Can COVID-19 be caught from a person who has no symptoms?
The main way the disease spreads is through respiratory droplets expelled by someone who is coughing. The risk of catching COVID-19 from someone with no symptoms at all is very low. However, many people with COVID-19 experience only mild symptoms.
This is particularly true at the early stages of the disease. It is therefore possible to catch COVID-19 from someone who has, for example, just a mild cough and does not feel ill.
WHO is assessing ongoing research on the period of transmission of COVID-19 and will continue to share updated findings.
Credit:WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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By A Correspondent- Opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has reacted to a comment by the late former President Robert Mugabe’s son, Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe who said he is a force to reckon with.
In a Twitter post on Thursday, Chatunga said if anyone wants to bring trouble to themselves they must insult Chamisa or Zim dancehall music icon Winky D.
Said Bellamine:
“Wanzira Chamisa kana Winky D kana uchida kuona kuti upenyu hwako hwepa Sosho media hunounyana seshizha rabva pana mai varo,” Chatunga wrote in the Shona language.
City of Harare has announced the planned shutdown of Morton Jeffray Water Treatment plant from today until tomorrow to allow installation of a pump at Warren control station.
In a notice to residents, CoH said it will also take advantage of the shutdown to repair leaking pipes at its Warren Control pump station.
Below is the CoH full notice;
There is going to be a partial shutdown of the Morton Jaffray water Treatment Plant today from (1600hrs) to tomorrow (Friday 1 May 2020) (1800hrs).
During the shutdown pumping to Lonchivar Water Reservoirs that supply water to the western suburbs will continue.
The shutdown is to allow for the installation of a pump at Warren Control Pump Station to match the improved water delivery capacity that is now averaging 300 million litres a day.
Other outstanding works will be carried out during the shutdown. These include repair of leaks at Warren Control Pumpstation, installation of main delivery valve on pump number 8 at Morton Jaffray.
Water users are urged to use available water sparingly.
Farai Dziva|Social media users are deeply sceptical of Zanu PF MP Killer Zivhu’ s recent donation to popular musician Greatman.
Social media users attacked Zivhu for using the donation to a person living with disability to score political marks.
Zivhu donated mealie-meal to Greatman and pledged to pay him RTGS $ 2000 per week.
Zivhu has pointed out that the donation is meant to ensure the musician is not exposed to COVID-19.Greatman is reportedly selling vegetables to eke out a living.
Commenting on Zivhu’s donation, Erick Zvirevo said : It’s sad that Killer Zivhu a man heavily linked to the system that has brought misery to our nation can target a popular disabled person to gain mileage in his quest to rise on the party and political ladder, when there should be a system in the country for social care.
He should just go to all people selling tomatoes and offer them $ 2000. What will happen to those disabled or the rural poor who do not have a chance to appear on social media or who are not appealing to Killer’s ego?
Murikuuraya Nyika to make people destitutes …
Danisa Ngwenya argued: While it is a worthwhile and refreshing cause and greatly appreciated, maybe it could also be noble if only a productive hands-on approach to a project he will manage for life is initiated .”
By A Correspondent- A Harare man had been living with his dead wife for a number of days. Circumstances leading to death could not be established. Percy Njikizani from Glen Norah A never reported the death of his wife, Elar Mundembe to the police.
He was also never seen coming out of their flat for the past two weeks. Neighbours called the police after a stench from the flat raised their suspicions.
A neighbour said:
“This woman was not free to let anyone in her house or life. I stayed here for 11 years but I never got into her house, so she was that reserved that no one would get close to her. So when this unfortunate incident occurred, the best that we could do after that persistent bad smell was to call the Glen Norah police and to call their nephew called Edie who stays down there in Glen View 7 Extension. Edie is her nephew from her husband’s side.
“We had been suspecting this odour to be of a rotting rat for days. The neighbour said when the police arrived, they broke in and discovered the corpse on the sofa while the husband was in another room seated on the bed. It is not normal for one to stay in the same house with a dead person. It might be a sign that the husband maybe sick too,” the neighbour said.
Another neighbour, Byron Mujoko, said he was shocked that the woman had died.
“Momz vanga vari bho though vayisasasa na everyone, she was very reserved, she was my wife Memory Dhliwayo’ s good customer at her work at Ebony Hair Saloon at Machipisa. My wife did her hair in February, I knew Mai Njikizani since 1999 when I was working at Glen Norah Supermarket and she was working for Harare City Council. She was a very good neibhour to live with.
“There is a guy called Tanya from the back of this block who came to me saying Mai Njikizani asked him to pray for her because she was having continued challenges in breathing. She ordered people to pray for her from a distance, not inside her house,” said Mujoko. Mai Njikizani’ s friend Rudo Masomera said:
“Mai Njikizani was not a fancy woman but she is that kind of a reserved person who often wanted to live a lonely life. Imagine, she is the only person I would leave my children with whenever I was at work, so a person that you entrust your children with, that person will be a good person,” said Masomera. The late Njikizani is survived by a husband and 27-year-old child called Nyasha.-HMetro
By A Correspondent- The late former President Robert Mugabe’s son, Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe says MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa is a force to reckon with.
In a Twitter post on Thursday, Chatunga said if anyone wants to bring trouble to themselves they must insult Chamisa or Zim dancehall music icon Winky D.
Said Bellamine:
“Wanzira Chamisa kana Winky D kana uchida kuona kuti upenyu hwako hwepa Sosho media hunounyana seshizha rabva pana mai varo,” Chatunga wrote in the Shona language.
This is Mvuti High School in Karoi where the government is quarantining people traveling from Zambia to Zimbabwe but the place is extremely dirty… People are now scared of contracting the same disease here.
Farai Dziva|Social media users are deeply sceptical of Zanu PF MP Killer Zivhu’ s recent donation to popular musician Greatman.
Social media users attacked Zivhu for using the donation to a person living with disability to score political marks.
Zivhu donated mealie-meal to Greatman and pledged to pay him RTGS $ 2000 per week.
Zivhu has pointed out that the donation is meant to ensure the musician is not exposed to COVID-19.Greatman is reportedly selling vegetables to eke out a living.
Commenting on Zivhu’s donation, Erick Zvirevo said : It’s sad that Killer Zivhu a man heavily linked to the system that has brought misery to our nation can target a popular disabled person to gain mileage in his quest to rise on the party and political ladder, when there should be a system in the country for social care.
He should just go to all people selling tomatoes and offer them $ 2000. What will happen to those disabled or the rural poor who do not have a chance to appear on social media or who are not appealing to Killer’s ego?
Murikuuraya Nyika to make people destitutes …
Danisa Ngwenya argued: While it is a worthwhile and refreshing cause and greatly appreciated, maybe it could also be noble if only a productive hands-on approach to a project he will manage for life is initiated .”
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has openly conceded he is finding it difficult to make a decision on the way forward as the lockdown ends on May 3.
Mnangagwa told members of the business community at State House on Wednesday saving people’s lives was a priority since the economy would be resuscitated at the appropriate time.
Cases of confirmed Coronavirus cases have risen to forty in Zimbabwe.
“I was thinking about what happens after this one (extended lockdown) ends.
I am still working on that, but the primary objective is to give priority to saving lives. I have been studying events worldwide, how governments are reacting to this. Some border on the line of carelessness, some border on the line of over-cautiousness.
So, we must find a way where, in my view, we err on the side of caution rather than err on the side of recklessness,”said Mnangagwa.
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said it is important that government prioritises people’s lives ahead of the economy considering that the people are more important than the economy.
Said Mnangagwa according to the state media:
“I have been studying events worldwide, how governments are reacting to these things. Some border on the line of carelessness: some border on the line of over-cautiousness. So, we must find a way to err on the side of cautiousness rather than on the side of carelessness,
The economy can die and it can be resuscitated now or in future. It doesn’t matter, because as long as people are alive you can have conferences and discuss how do we resuscitate the economy’ but I have never seen a conference where people are discussing how to resuscitate the dead.
We as Government and as the President decided with this (Covid 19) challenge what do we do? Balancing the need for economic growth and the lives of people as well as saving lives, I came to the conclusion that if people die, we cannot resuscitate them,”
By Stephen Chuma As a party that was born out of a workers movement, we cherish and commemorate the Workers Day.
Not only is it a day that reminds us of our umbilical ties to the working fraternity, but we remember those who toil day and night to make our country great again.
The Workers Day also brings with it a flood of sad memories of a nation that once had a thriving economy, best railway in Southern Africa and booming industry yet all that was destroyed by greedy, corruption and mismanagement. In essence, the day reminds us of the decimation at the hands of ZANU PF of everything that represents, signify and dignify workers and the economy.
Talk of the once booming Zisco Steel Company, Kadoma Textile industry, Bulawayo railway hub, Cold Storage Commission, Bata…. the list is infinite. That tells you how far we have gone as nation when it comes to destroying everything that represents workers.
As the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly, we however cherish all those toil day and night to save their families through menial and informal jobs like vending.
Indeed they are heroes of our time!
Figures, statistics and facts do not lie and the astronomical levels of unemployment is a marker that both public and private sectors are overwhelmed as far as creating employment for the vast majority is concerned.
This is particularly because we have a government whose economic policies are stinging hence there is fear to invest in such a volatile environment like ours.
Sadly those who control corridors of power in the public sector are the same familiar faces that you see in the private sector.
The same politicians who fail to run government owned businesses are the ones who grabbed private businesses hence failure is written all over.
Expecting both sectors to create enough employment for the bulging unemployed youths is tantamount to expecting flies to produce honey.
No matter the bigger the number, it will not work. Simple!
Besides the hollow and shallow political mantras like “Zimbabwe Is Open For Business”, the country needs a genuine, robust and sound economic blue print like MDC’s SMART document to attract direct foreign investment while at the same benefiting the locals.
We demand policies that are pro-poor and not just for the benefit of a few politically connected elites and cabals like Kuda Tagwirei, Billy Rautenbach and the looting lot.
Only until such a time when we have businesses that make profit while at the same time benefiting the majority and not a few individuals can we talk of growing our workforce.
Otherwise our best brains continue to flock and flood foreign labour markets and not our unfriendly labour shores.
As Youth Assembly, our message to workers is clear, short and simple.
Let us unite and dismantle ZANU PF dictatorship!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
The Ministry would like to report that two of the PCR tests done in Bulawayo on the 28th of April 2020 were positive for COVID-19.
Today, a total of 355 tests were done as shown in table 1 below, giving a total of 7 642 screening and diagnostic tests done to date. All the PCR tests done in Bulawayo today were negative for COVID-19. Of the PCR tests done in Harare today, six were positive for COVID-19. More details on these cases will be given in tomorrow’s update.
Distribution of tests done today Mat. South – 25 Mat North – 10 Bulawayo – 98 Mash. Central – 11
Harare – 211 Total – 355 Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe now has forty confirmed cases including five recoveries and four deaths. Matebeleland Noth – 1 Bulawayo – 12 Harare – 19 Mashonaland East 5 Mashonaland West – 3 Total – 40 Case #33 is a 70-year-old male resident of Bulawayo, who returned from the United Kingdom on 18 March 2020. He was tested for COVID-19 as a contact to Case #14. Currently, he is stable, with mild disease.
Case #34 is a 27-year-old male resident of Bulawayo, with no recent history of travel. He was tested for COVID-19 as a contact to Case 33. Currently, he is also stable, with mild disease.
Both cases arc recovering under self-isolation at home.
The Ministry continues to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be guided by the COVID-I9 containment strategy which is based on intensified active surveillance, timely use detection, testing, isolation and management of all COVID-19 cases.
Further, the the Ministry would like to remind the nation, that the most effective wats to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing.
By A Correspondent- Six people at Harare hospital have tested positive for COVID-19. The infections were discovered at the maternity hospital purely by chance during swab testing training where patients and workers were all routinely tested.
The breakdown is as follows: Two patients, one doctor and three nurses.
The above update was posted by former SundayMail editor Edmund Kudzayi. ZimEye is following up on the development.
JoKuDe, an initiative referring to Harare West Constituency Representatives led by Hon MP Joana Mamombe, Kudzai Kadzombe Councillor Ward 41 and Denford Ngadziore Councillor Ward 16.
This platform is there to answer to various challenges bedevilling the people within our Constituency.
JoKuDe is a well wisher’s Community funded & public run Platform.
We are advising all residents and Stakeholders that Central Government through the Ministry of Social Welfare is yet to commit to the pledge of assisting the vulnerable families during the current Covid-19 National Lockdown.
As stated before, we submitted the compiled lists of all residents who sent their names & information for assistance.
Apparently, the money is meant to assist Citizens during Covid-19 lockdown BUT to date, we haven’t received any positive feedback from the Ministry.
We are getting towards the end of the second phase of National Lockdown & we would like to urge the Gvt to honour its promise to its struggling Citizens.
As JoKuDe we could not fold our hands and watch, we started a fundraising platform to assist the vulnerable families in our a Constituency.
This came after we visited various places around the Constituency majority of the people are living in compounds, plots, and they are the elderly, pensioners and infomal traders who are failing to get a decent meal a day since the National Lockdown started.
Today, We are glad to announce that so far we have received donations comprising of the following food items : 1) 5 tonnes of roller meal 2) 200 * 500ml lacto packets.
We are expecting about 2tonnes more of mealie meal as well as heads of cabbages from another well wisher by tomorrow Thursday 29 April 2020
We have a target of 30tonnes of mealie meal so that we donate to more families. On Friday we expect to assist a 1000 families and local City of Harare workers in essential departments in dire need of food aid.
We are still appealing to all Stakeholders, churches, businesses, individuals and the cooperate world to assist our community with what ever you have in your disposal. The donations can come in the form of money, food, mealie meal, vegetables, clothes, blankets or any other donations that can be beneficial to these communities in need.
Those who want to drop in donations can do so at the Salvation Army Church in Haig Park, Mabelreign along Clevering road. Or get in touch with Colen Mawere on 0777648080 who is helping us to pick some donations
This program is being run by JoKuDe in partnership with the Harare West Pastors Fraternity (HAWEPAF)
Covid19 virus is real:::
-Wash your hands Regularly -Always maintain the required social distance -Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth -Practice respiratory hygiene -Use of approved face masks where possible
By A Correspondent- Citizens here have been urged to hold their leadership accountable to their actions.
In a live broadcast on ZimEye, Chief Svosve said failure to hold the leadership accountable would see the nation plunge deeper into a worse economic and political abssy.
Farai Dziva|Harare West MP Joana Mamombe has accused government of ignoring the plight of suffering citizens.
In response, Mamombe has launched a platform to assist residents in her constituency.
See full statement below :
Dear Harare West Community
JoKuDe, an initiative referring to Harare West Constituency Representatives led by Hon MP Joana Mamombe, Kudzai Kadzombe Councillor Ward 41 and Denford Ngadziore Councillor Ward 16.
This platform is there to answer to various challenges bedevilling the people within our Constituency.
JoKuDe is a well wisher’s Community funded & public run Platform.
We are advising all residents and Stakeholders that Central Government through the Ministry of Social Welfare is yet to commit to the pledge of assisting the vulnerable families during the current Covid-19 National Lockdown.
As stated before, we submitted the compiled lists of all residents who sent their names & information for assistance.
Apparently, the money is meant to assist Citizens during Covid-19 lockdown BUT to date, we haven’t received any positive feedback from the Ministry.
We are getting towards the end of the second phase of National Lockdown & we would like to urge the Gvt to honour its promise to its struggling Citizens.
As JoKuDe we could not fold our hands and watch, we started a fundraising platform to assist the vulnerable families in our a Constituency.
This came after we visited various places around the Constituency majority of the people are living in compounds, plots, and they are the elderly, pensioners and infomal traders who are failing to get a decent meal a day since the National Lockdown started.
Today, We are glad to announce that so far we have received donations comprising of the following food items : 1) 5 tonnes of roller meal 2) 200 * 500ml lacto packets.
We are expecting about 2tonnes more of mealie meal as well as heads of cabbages from another well wisher by tomorrow Thursday 29 April 2020
We have a target of 30tonnes of mealie meal so that we donate to more families. On Friday we expect to assist a 1000 families and local City of Harare workers in essential departments in dire need of food aid.
We are still appealing to all Stakeholders, churches, businesses, individuals and the cooperate world to assist our community with what ever you have in your disposal. The donations can come in the form of money, food, mealie meal, vegetables, clothes, blankets or any other donations that can be beneficial to these communities in need.
Those who want to drop in donations can do so at the Salvation Army Church in Haig Park, Mabelreign along Clevering road. Or get in touch with Colen Mawere on 0777648080 who is helping us to pick some donations
This program is being run by JoKuDe in partnership with the Harare West Pastors Fraternity (HAWEPAF)
Covid19 virus is real:::
-Wash your hands Regularly -Always maintain the required social distance -Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth -Practice respiratory hygiene -Use of approved face masks where possible
By A Correspondent- Six farmers from Uzumba in Murewa were yesterday rushed to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals after they were involved in a road traffic accident along Enterprise Road in Highlands.
The truck veered off the road and landed on its side and had io farmers onboard plus a minor who escaped unhurt.
The truck driver, Temptation Zunzanyika, and three other farmers turned the accident scene into a market as motorists took turns to buy the damaged vegetables at a lower price.
“I failed to negotiate the curve and the truck was heavily loaded and the load forced the trudc off the road leading to the accident,” said Zunzanyika.
“We were coming to horn Uzumba in Murewa and the accident happened around 3 am.
“Police attended the scene and the vehicle was taken to Vehicle Inspection Department (VID)) and we are trying to sell these vegetables to help the injured farmers as well as get money since the vehicle was taken: said Zunzanyika enjoying a cucumber at the accident scene.
Motorists stopped to purchase low priced vegetables.-Statemedia
A lecturer with a university in Harare yesterday escaped death by a whisker after he attempted to commit suicide by drinking an unknown poisonous substance after mixing it with Two Keys whisky.
Dr Mbereko who is believed to be a lecturer at Women in Africa University yesterday allegedly tried to commit suicide at Chinhoyi Council Head offices and was found lying down haplessly.
H-METRO was at the scene of the incident where Dr Mbereko was lying down with a cellphone on his hand. Some witnesses who saw Mbereko said that they had seen him with a bottle of Two Keys whisky and a plastic bag which had the unknown poisonous substance.
” He came from the direction of Edgar’s and he was mumbling to himself saying that nyaya dzevakadzi dzinonetsa,” ” A little while I heard a small noise and realized that he had fallen down and we rushed to the scene to see what had happened,” said the eye witness who preferred not to be identified.
Another eye witness said that the Doctor mentioned something to do with marital problems .
” He looked dejected and down to earth but and was talking to himself about having marital problems at home, ” he said.
He said that it was very saddening that such an educated man tried to take his own life.
” I was shocked when I heard that he was a doctor at a university,” ” I thought these people are the ones who are supposed to offer social- phycological support to us the weak. ,” Said an eye witness. He added.
” He is a coward. Whatever problems he was facing in life , he could have consulted other people for advice than to end his life by taking poison.”
A senior citizen who alerted H-METRO about the attempted suicide said that the doctor was a shame to both colleagues at work and his family.
” He is a shame to both his family and work. How can he be such a coward to an extent of wanting to die in a public place like an animal,,” said the senior citizen.
A passerby who was coming from shopping said that he had seen the doctor in town with his whisky but never thought that he was contemplating to end his life by taking poison diluted in whisky.
” Haana kutaridzika semunhu ange achida kudambudzira hupenyu hwake munzira,” ” Pandamuona ndatoti inga havo vane Mari kumukirira mangwanani kutenga doro nyambe he had an ulterior motive of his own. It’s a shame and very saddening indeed,” she said.
Dr Olga Laiza Kupika from the Chinhoyi University of Technology’s Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department refused to comment about the issue.
” Hapana zvandiri kuziva nenyaya iyoyi. Wanting to find out what happened. ” Ini zvokutaura nevatapi venhau handizvikwanise.
Hazvizvoita zvakanaka kubasa nokuti imi munenge muchida publicity and boosting your sales,” she said before hanging her cellphone. Credit :H-Metro
By A Correspondent- Members of the general populace have been urged to adhere to the lockdown regulations to avoid being caught on the wrong side of the law.
This was revealed by Mashonaland West Provincial Police’s Assistant Com-missioner Francis Maswere, who is responsible for administration during a provincial Covid-19 Taskforce feedback meeting that was held at townhouse park.
Ass Comm Maswere said that out of a total 1302 arrests, the cumulative revenue as at April 27, stood at $473750.00
“Your Honourable, the province as at April 27, has so far arrested 1302 offend-ers for contravention of Statutory Instrument ( SI) 83 of 2020, From the total arrests cumulative revenue of $473 750.00 has been realized,” he said.
He added:
“Chegutu and Kadoma districts recorded the highest figures with a total of $196 650.00 and $164 400.00 respectively,” “The other districts have realized an average of $20 000 with the exception of Makonde that had a total of 5142 400.00,” Ass Comm Maswere said that the police had deployed 1406 police officers throughout the province to enforce the lockdown and adherence.
“Your Honourable, we have deployed about 1406 police officers and we have about 3o roadblocks which are being manned by four police officers and four from the military to ensure compliance.
“We have also deployed foot and motorized patrols, including our intelligence agencies for surveillance,” he said. He added, “We also deployed some police officers to our two main ports of entry that is Kariba and Chirundu, however, we are facing some challenges because some of these areas are porous and people can use them to evade the police,”
“However, we will put all necessary measures to stop them from taking advantage of the porous areas,” he said.
Ass Comm Maswere said that the huge traffic movement of people was being necessitated by some business communities in Chinhoyi who were refusing to accept EcoCash and swipe.
“However, this huge traffic movement of the people is being necessitated by some business owners in Chinhoyi who are refusing to accept EcoCash and swipe payments,” “Another challenge we are facing is emanating from the shebeens which have sprouted in town like mushrooms.
“We are now playing hide and seek with those drinking at shebeens and also with the traders whom we have been having a cat and mouse game to ensure compliance,” he said.
Minister Mliswa urged the police to enforce compliance with all those who were refusing EcoCash and swipe payments.
“Here in Zimbabwe we use all forms of payments and if there are some businesses that are refusing to accept such kind of payments, it is better for them to close shop and stay at home.
“Kana vasingatambire mari yose ngavagare havo kumba voita lock-down. “Ass Comm you need to ensure that these businesses comply with my directive,” said Mliswa-Chikoka.
GOVERNMENT has issued a warning to private schools that are demanding fees for the second term while stressing that only President Mnangagwa will guide the nation on the reopening of schools.
Also, although it is not opposed to online learning, Government has not yet allowed any school to pursue that route.
The pronouncement comes at a time some private schools have started demanding increased fees for the second term while pursuing online learning, should schools not open as previously scheduled next week.
Due to the national lockdown, many parents and guardians have lost their income or are receiving a fraction of their salaries, and are likely to face challenges raising some of the huge amounts being demanded by private schools.
According to the 2020 calendar, schools were expected to open on Tuesday next week.
For the first term, schools were supposed to close on April 2 but due to the threat of Covid-19, President Mnangagwa ordered that they close on March 24 to prevent the spread of the virus.
The President subsequently placed the country on a three-week national lockdown on March 30 which was extended to May 3, after which Government will decide on the way forward.
Some private schools have since started demanding fees for the second term even giving timelines when parents and guardians should make the payments.
In Bulawayo, institutions such as Petra and Whitestone high schools have told parents to make second term fees payments in the next two weeks.
At Whitestone, parents and guardians have been told to pay fees deposit ranging from $16 000 to $27 000 by May 8.
Petra College pegged deposit at $21 000 for senior pupils and $13 780 for the juniors which is subject to adjustment when Government makes the announcement on schools’ opening.
The schools are also charging fees in foreign currency but did not disclose the amounts in their newsletters, saying parents and guardians can call for forex fee structures and get discounts.
In a newsletter to parents, Petra College said the deposit will enable the school to continue providing a “service and meeting normal obligations.”
“Please pay by the 15th May. Once we have official information from Ministry of Education regarding the re-opening of the schools, we will be able to calculate the budget required and agree any additional fee requirements for the term,” read the communication.
The school said it was highly unlikely that normal schools opening will take place next week and they were exploring e-learning platforms.
“Closed schools mean that we will be delivering learning remotely and via Google classroom predominantly. In readiness for this eventuality you will soon be receiving an email with details of how to access our online classrooms. The plan for each age group will vary but will commence on 5th May: From Grade 4 to Upper 6 each pupil will have their own Petra email address to sign into their class, this email is only for access to the classroom with the teacher,” reads the letter.
Whitestone School told parents that the Conference of Heads of Independent Schools in Zimbabwe (CHISZ) took a decision to resume the school’s calendar next week.
“All CHISZ schools have decided to start educating children as per the normal calendar so as to not fall too far behind. Online teaching is the only option to stay Covid-19 free, yet give the children the best education under the circumstances,” reads the school’s communication.
Yesterday, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Cain Mathema said schools that increase fees without approval risk being deregistered for extortion.
Speaking during the launch of the Schools’ Covid-19 Response programme at Chikangwe High School in Mashonaland West, Minister Mathema said errant schools will be dealt with.
“We are now having some schools which are deviating from their mandate and charging fees that are unapproved and are akin to extortion. All schools, without exception, must follow the procedures for seeking the approval for fee increases,” said the Minister.
“No increase will be permitted that is effected outside the laid down procedures which require the written approval of the Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education. Schools that continue to flout the regulations stand warned; the Ministry will not hesitate to deregister schools that purport to be educational institutions and yet indulge in unlawful activities.”
Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Mr Patrick Zumbo said Government has not made any decision as to when schools should open and learning institutions should wait until a pronouncement is made.
Mr Zumbo said Government supports online learning but nothing has been approved yet for schools.
“Schools should not be demanding fees now. Leaners are at home, what are they demanding the fees for? They can’t be talking about fees as authorities are saying schools may not open soon.
“There hasn’t been any date that has been approved for schools opening. We can only talk about schools when its safe as guided by the health officials. We have not received any request for schools opening even for online lessons. Any school that intends to do so should apply through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary (Mrs Tumisang Thabela),” said Mr Zumbo.
He said the Ministry was not against online teaching of learners, but this should only be done in within confines of the law.
Primary and Secondary Education Parliamentary Portfolio Committee Chairperson Ms Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga said since schools were closed through a Presidential declaration, it is only the President who can make a call on when schools will reopen.
She, however, said opening of schools should be guided by science so as to save lives.
Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga said her committee is concerned that the actions by private schools seem to be driven by the need to make profit.
“We are worried by actions of the private players in this field who seem to be driven by profit only. Every school in this country is under the supervision of a ministry hence no institution should be issuing anything son chool fees or otherwise until the President through the ministry has given direction. We therefore will be asking the ministry to play its supervisory role and ensure sanity prevails,” she said.
A parent with children at one of the mentioned schools, who spoke on condition of anonymity said the learning institutions were making outrageous demands while the country is on lockdown.
“We are on lockdown where do some of us get the money? And asking that much for online teaching is just too much. It’s not like the school gives me an I-pad or buys data for me,” said one of the parents.
The National Association of Secondary School Heads said the opening of schools must be influenced by health experts.
“Even if the experts were to give the greenlight, still the opening of schools should be gradual or done in phases starting with senior learners who can take care of themselves and who are also due to write examinations,” the association said.
By A Correspondent- Actor Simphiwe Majozi leaves Uzalo fans in stitches with his hilarious acting skills. But news that he was involved in a car accident were not funny, as they were fake.
Simphiwe, who is known by Uzalo fans as Sbu, said people have no shame to spread fake news on social media.
“I was disappointed this week when I saw the Facebook post that I was involved in a car accident. This post was written by someone in some group and that person had a nerve to ask fans to pray. This was very disturbing because I had to explain to my friends and family who were in a state of shock,” said Simphiwe.
He said it was not the first time people spread fake news about him.
“Some impersonate me on social media and spread lies. This is not right, they must stop, I hate it,” he said.
By A Correspondent- Chaos broke out at Rainbow COVID-19 quarantine centre in Beitbridge when one inmate escaped, leaving 15 more facing a clampdown from the police.
The remaining inmates now protested against being treated like convicts. They are demanding their immediate release
Beitbridge district medical officer Linos Samhere confirmed that the 15 were due to leave after testing negative.
“On the medical side, we are done and these (15) have been tested and are negative. Our part is done,” said Samhere.
The 15 have overstayed now by three days and Beitbridge district development co-ordinator Sikhangezile Mafu said the hiccup was caused by transport problems.
“We have been held back by transport logistics. We are taking care of that,” Mafu said yesterday.
Public transport throughout the country, save for Zimbabwe United Passenger Company buses, has been banned and other arrangements were being made by the Department of Social Welfare, she said.
Maximum quarantine days have been reduced to eight and all the 15 had been found negative of the coronavirus on tests done for their release purposes.
Mutandwa, who spent another 21 days in South Africa quarantine, said he was “home-sick” and growing impatient.
Those released are expected to self-isolate at their homes.
Yesterday, the inmates clashed with police after the latter tried to make a roll call following the escape of one inmate who had just been admitted to the centre.
“We came here willingly because we are complying, but they cannot treat us like prisoners because one escaped their lax security,” one inmate said.
There are many entrances to the quarantine centre and Beitbridge residents earlier disputed having the quarantine in the town citing police neglect could expose the entire town in case one of them was infected.
Meanwhile, a Murewa man was hospitalised at Parirenyatwa Hospital suffering from malaria, before testing positive for coronavirus, has been allowed to go home.
Chitungwiza Residents Trust (CHITREST) has reported that health workers in the dormitory town of Chitungwiza have downed tools demanding personal protective equipment, salaries and COVID-19 allowances.
Below is the CHITREST alert:
We have learnt with sadness that the health workers at Chitungwiza Municipal clinics are on a job action.
The workers are demanding PPE, their salaries and covid 19 allowances.
This is very disappointing particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is our clarion call to Council to urgently address this anomaly.
THE Joshua Nkomo National Foundation (JNNF) says it plans to celebrate the late Father Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo’s birthday with a rare political party leaders’ get-together bringing among others President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to share a meal of cow hooves.
Nkomo, born on June 19, 1917 passed away on July 1, 1999 at the age of 82.
The JNNF, a trust formed to celebrate the life of the late Vice-President, has been holding annual events in June and July in remembrance of the former liberation war giant.
A fortnight ago, the JNNF held a virtual memorial lecture that was delivered by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (Osisa) executive director Siphosami Malunga.
The lecture was held under the theme Celebrating 40 Years of Independence – Back to the Future. JNNF director-general Tapela Mmillili said the get-together had nothing to do with trying to lay the groundwork for political dialogue between Chamisa and Mnangagwa following the disputed 2018 polls.
“Traditionally, leaders will come together and share a meal of amangqina (cow hooves) while having a conversation about many different issues not necessarily politics. We want to bring the elders of Zipra, Zanla and most importantly those of Zapu and Zanu PF and other political party leaders in that context,” he said.
“For us, it is also a birthday, but in the context of having the elders coming together to have a conversation and should anything come out of it, good for the country but for us it’s just about offering a platform for dialogue.”
Mnangagwa and Chamisa — while noting the need for dialogue to move Zimbabwe forward — have adopted diametrically different and rigid positions, frustrating any prospects for the holding of talks in the foreseeable future.
Mnangagwa is currently having talks with fringe opposition parties under the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) forum, a platform Chamisa dismisses as a Zanu PF choir.
“I am sure you are aware of the formation of the Polad and in general the views of the people in society are that this must be inclusive. We know Chamisa has his own reasons for not attending Polad and wanting a different platform; and the same goes for other leaders,” Mmillili added.
“However, the Joshua Nkomo Museum and Centre for Dialogue hosts a number of dialogue sessions, offering a platform for dialogue, be they political or economical and in this case it is about bringing our leaders to have a conversation in that traditional sense.”
Analysts and the clergy emphasise the need for dialogue to find a lasting solution to the country’s socio-economic crisis.
“Political and policy consensus must be reached, leading to a national settlement that will transform purely competitive and mutually exclusive visions to a shared national vision in which everyone feels included,” Zimbabwe Council of Churches general-secretary Kenneth Mtata said yesterday.
By A Correspondent- Two Guruve inmates were on Wednesday sentenced to 36 months in prison with six months conditionally suspended after they attempted to break out of prison.
The duo, Anymore Zitsva (27) and Simbarashe Nyambare (22) reportedly tried to escape from prison on the 2nd of April this year.
The court heard that the two hatched a plan to escape when correctional officers were playing checkers with other inmates.
Prosecutor Carson Kundiona told the court that on April 2, the inmates who were initially serving 44 months and eight months, respectively, noticed that prison officers were not paying attention to them as they concentrated on the game and the inmates cut a hole through the security fence and tried to escape.
The court further heard that Mockias Chirume, another inmate, realised that the two were trying to escape and rushed to the fence and grabbed Zitsva’s foot while shouting for help.
Zitsva was dragged back into the yard and implicated his accomplice.
Last year, some inmates also helped authorities to bring back the other inmates who twere rying to escape.-Newsday
South Africa has some legendary “kanniedood” (can’t die) vehicles, famed for clocking up massive mileages on their odometers.
The old square-jawed Toyota Hilux comes to mind.
But meet a Cape Town man who has clocked up almost half a million kilometres – on his bike.
Andrew Wheeldon has already ridden the distance to the moon – and on Friday he wants to give away 500 bicycles in Cape Town’s most needy suburbs, to mark his 500 000th kilometre in the saddle.
Wheeldon surpassed the distance between Planet Earth and the moon – a distance of 384 403km – on 4 April, 2015.
And he didn’t stop.
Wheeldon has completed 35 Cape Town Cycle Tours – 27 of it in under three hours.
But the Capetonian’s most fervent passion is transforming his country into a “cycle-friendly” land.
Wheeldon has spent over 20 years at grassroots level, trying to enable children in many of Cape Town’s poorest suburbs to access bicycles, safe cycling routes, and cycling lanes on major arterial routes – in a city cruelly divided by apartheid.
Now, he believes, cycling has a unique opportunity to take its place among other modes of transport, in a post lockdown South Africa.
‘Haven’t looked back’
Wheeldon spoke to News24 from the saddle of his bike, a 32-year-old classic Italian Colnago, from his home in Rondebosch, where he was clocking up the last of his pre-500 000kms.
So how did it all begin?
“I was 14. My stepfather got a job in the applied maths department at a university in Edmonton, Canada – and I started cycling quite long distances to school and back, in all kinds of terrible Canadian weather – sub-zero, snow and ice and everything.
“There was a group of local kids – we started realising the fun, the joy of riding. It’s the perfect time and age… your freedom and independence are starting to grow. I found this sport that I could really fall in love with! I happened to see a wonderful movie called ‘Breaking Away’ about a young US cyclist, and I was hooked.
“I was fairly sick as a young child in Australia – I had epilepsy, between the age of two and seven, which I’d overcome – but I was still feeling slightly frail. We came back to Cape Town in 1979, and I pressurised my mom into buying me a bike. I did my first ‘Argus Tour’ (unofficially) in 1980 – and I haven’t looked back!” Wheeldon said.
But, more importantly, his love of cycling took him to the streets in support of his citizens. In 2002, he and a partner Louis de Waal founded an NGO, the “Bicycling Empowerment Network”.
“Basically, we would ship in containers of used bicycles from the around the world, and we set up bicycle empowerment centres, training locals in various townships and rural areas to become bicycle mechanics, and manage fleets of bicycles for locals’ healthy use,” he explained.
In this way, the pair and their teams helped put more than 25 000 kids/adults on to two wheels of their own.
‘More connected city, province’
Later, he would join other experts to write South Africa’s national policy on cycling, led by the late minister, Dullah Omar. To this day, this document serves as the blueprint for the expansion of cycling in South Africa.
Now, on the eve of his record achievement, he said his aim was simple: “To bring more people on to bikes. I think it makes for a healthier, friendlier, happier, more connected city, and province.”
Wheeldon hopes to commemorate his own personal milestone of 500 000km by enabling 500 new owners to receive bicycles.
“If we can get 500 new people on to bicycles, and dramatically improve their mobility, and access to opportunities – school, education, jobs, whatever it might be.”
Wheeldon hopes cycling will be central, “as we re-imagine our new city, as we open up again”.
“The bicycle needs to be a significant part of our future,” he argued.
By A Correspondent- Staffers at the National Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) in Bulawayo have reportedly gone into panic mode after a positive case of Coronavirus was recorded at their offices.
Said a source privy to developments:
“ZIMRA offices have been shut and fumigated while over 10 employees are now in self quarantine after one of the staff members tested COVID-19 positive. The office will remain locked unti May 4.”
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
By Jane Mlambo| With Zimbabwe recording eight COVID-19 cases in one day for the first time, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has hinted at a possible lockdown extension as the country is not yet out of the woods.
In a story carried in the state owned Herald, Mnangagwa announced that his government will prioritize lives ahead of the economy, adding that he will balance the needs for economic growth and lives of the people.
“We as government and as the president, decided that with this challenge, what do we do, balancing the needs for economic growth and the lives of the people, as well as saving lives.
“I came to the conclusion that if citizens die, we cannot resuscitate them but the economy can die and can be resuscitated. Now or in the future, it doesn’t matter as long as people are alive, we can always have conferences where we say let’s resuscitate the economy but I have never seen conferences where people are discussing how to resuscitate the dead, so our bias is towards the preservation of life,” said Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe’s second lockdown is expected to end on Sunday with various stakeholders complaining of distress owing to partial operation of the economy.
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has openly conceded he is finding it difficult to make a decision on the way forward as the lockdown ends on May 3.
Mnangagwa told members of the business community at State House on Wednesday saving people’s lives was a priority since the economy would be resuscitated at the appropriate time.
Cases of confirmed Coronavirus cases have risen to forty in Zimbabwe.
“I was thinking about what happens after this one (extended lockdown) ends.
I am still working on that, but the primary objective is to give priority to saving lives. I have been studying events worldwide, how governments are reacting to this. Some border on the line of carelessness, some border on the line of over-cautiousness.
So, we must find a way where, in my view, we err on the side of caution rather than err on the side of recklessness,”said Mnangagwa.
By Own Correspondent| Harare City Council Environmental Management Committee Chairperson, Councilor Kudzai Kadzombe says council will not hesitate to demolish structures being built on wetlands as a way of protecting the water sources.
Councilor Kadzombe confirmed that cases of invasion of wetlands continue to increase despite repeated calls to protect the water sources.
She urged residents seeking land in Harare to go through the formal processes.
“There are processes that people need to go through to be able to own land. We are fully aware that some individuals are taking advantage of the current lockdown to invade wetlands and construct without approval from council.
“We are going to be vigilant against these developments and demolish and penalize these people,” said Kadzombe.
Harare Mayor, Herbert Gomba echoed the same sentiments and urged residents to desist from buying land on wetlands.
“I am aware that our development control unit has dealt with cases of this nature. Some people have tried to take advantage of the lockdown and allocate themselves land illegally and in most cases, on wetlands.
“Let me say that we will not allow that to happen. It is unacceptable,” said Gomba.
The Harare Wetlands Trust (HWT) has already raised alarm over the continued invasion of Harare. The Trust has filed several public litigation cases with the High Court in a bid to protect Harare’s water sources from further destruction.
A cross section of Harare residents however blame councilors and council officials for the continued invasion and destruction of the wetlands.
The Zimbabwe Combined Residents and Ratepayers Association (ZICORRA) has called for an investigation to unearth the culprits behind the invasion of wetlands in Harare.
Said a council source, “The problem is that the councilors have double standards. Most of the land barons invading these wetlands have close links with the councilors and in some cases, the land barons will actually be fronting for these councilors.
“That is the big challenge and unless the issue of corruption within council is addressed, we will continue to witness these land invasions.”
Wetlands degradation in Harare has come with devastating effects that have worsened the water crisis in the capital.
Harare’s main water source, Lake Chivero is also silting as a result of urban agriculture being practiced on wetlands.
Mozambique will extend the state of emergency for another 30 days until May 30 to contain the spreading of coronavirus, said President Filipe Nyusi on Wednesday.
In his televised speech to the nation, President Nyusi said that during the first 30 days of the state of emergency, Mozambican people have played active roles in the prevention of and fight against the pandemic.
The president acknowledged that there are still many people who make unessential trips outside and children are still seen on street, adding that Mozambicans “need to do much more” and should observe the measures with more efforts.
It is necessary to reinforce the implementation of the current preventive measures to avoid a much more restrictive level of “lockdown,” which could have serious impact on the society and national economy, said Nyusi.
The country continues to record 76 positive cases, of which 68 cases are of local transmission and 8 imported, according to the daily briefing by health authorities on Wednesday. Enditem
By A Correspondent- The government has announced that tobacco farmers will be paid half of their proceeds from selling the golden leaf in foreign currency.
This was announced yesterday by the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB) chairperson Mr Patrick Devenish as the 2020 tobacco marketing season was officially launched.
The country is expecting less tobacco this year after the number of registered growers fell to 148 084 this year compared to 178 721 last year.
The reduction in the number of tobacco growers, according to the TIMB can be attributed to uncertainty around foreign currency retentions and unfavourable weather conditions.
Meanwhile, the government has enacted Statutory Instrument 94 of 2020 which encourages the decentralised selling of tobacco due to the coronavirus pandemic that has since claimed four lives in the country.
The marketing season was delayed by over a month due to coronavirus.-Statemedia
By A Correspondent- This comes after 6 Harare residents who were tested on Wednesday and two Bulawayo residents who were tested on Tuesday tested positive for coronavirus.
Ministry of Health and Child Care has announced that Zimbabwe’s number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen to 40 including 5 recoveries and 4 deaths.
Globally, 3 220 187 cases, 228 218 deaths and 1 000 336 recoveries have been confirmed as of April 30, 2020, 02:50 GMT.
Meanwhile, no vaccine has been approved yet although scientists have begun tests of their vaccines on people to see how effective they are.
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has made remarks which suggest that the national lockdown that is due to expire on the 3rd of May may actually be extended.
He was addressing a group of business leaders and donors at State House on Wednesday where he said that he puts value on public health over the economy.
The president said:
I was thinking about what happens after this one (extended lockdown) ends. I am still working on that, but the primary objective is to give priority to saving lives.
I have been studying events worldwide, how governments are reacting to this. Some border on the line of carelessness, some border on the line of over-cautiousness. So, we must find a way where, in my view, we err on the side of caution rather than err on the side of recklessness.
His remarks come when the nation is divided over the matter with some advocating the extension of the lockdown while some say the lockdown has worsened the economic and humanitarian crisis in the country hence the need to remove it or at least relax regulations.
This is happening when the country’s confirmed coronavirus cases have spiked to 40 after 8 people tested positive between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Govt confirmed over 130 deaths from malaria recently. A 7yr old girl died from malaria at Mapiravana clinic yesterday but sources alleged that she was COVID-19 positive. Zimbabwe is "eradicating" COVID-19 by simply calling it malaria,True or False?
By Investigative Editor | A 7 year old girl reportedly collapsed and died at Mapiravana clinic.
Government however said the girl died of Malaria. Sources privy to developments alleged that the deceased girl tested COVID positive. She had no travel history but had physical contact with a Malaria death at St Theresa. Her symptoms were: abdominal pains, fever, general weakness for over 3 weeks.
Meanwhile Ministry Of Health officials have instructed practitioners to register the death as that of Malaria.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW ….
She was given the below prescription drugs:
A 7y old girl who govt says has Malaria but tested COVID + has dropped dead at Mapiravana Clinic. She has no travel history but had physical contact with a Malaria death at St Theresa. Her symptoms: abdominal pains, fever, gen weakness for 3 wks. @WHO_Zimbabwe@MuzvareBettypic.twitter.com/YK017T3UUk
Efforts to obtain a comment from Health Minister, Obadiah Moyo were fruitless at the time of publishing as his phone was ringing without being answered.
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United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he believes China’s handling of the coronavirus is proof that Beijing “will do anything they can” to make him lose the upcoming elections in November. In an interview with Reuters, Trump criticised China and said the country should have been more “active” in letting the world know about the coronavirus much sooner.
“China will do anything they can to have me lose this race,” he said. Trump said he believes Beijing wants his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, to win the race to ease the pressure Trump has placed on China over trade and other issues. “They’re constantly using public relations to try to make it like they’re innocent parties,” he added.
Trump said he was looking at different options in terms of consequences for China over the virus. “I can do a lot,” he said.
Trump said the trade deal he had concluded with Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at reducing chronic US trade deficits with China had been “upset very badly” by the economic fallout from the coronavirus.
The US president has been repeatedly accused of not doing enough or acting in time to prepare the United States for the outbreak. However, Trump said he did not expect the election to be a referendum on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
He also expressed surprise that Biden was doing well in the opinion polls. “I don’t believe the polls,” Trump said. “I believe the people of this country are smart. And I don’t think that they will put a man in who’s incompetent.”
For weeks, Trump has blamed China for the global pandemic that has killed people nearly 61,000 people in the US according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and thrown the economy into a deep recession.
On Tuesday, he had said he wants to conduct “serious investigations” into China’s handling of the pandemic. “We’re doing very serious investigations … We are not happy with China,” Trump said. “There are a lot of ways you can hold them accountable.”
Trump had previously referred to Covid-19 as the “Chinese virus”, for which he has received severe backlash.
Meanwhile, Trump on Wednesday called the World Health Organization “literally a pipe organ for China” and said the United States will soon come out with its recommendations on the global body, followed by one on Beijing, PTI reported.
“They misled us,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office. “We will have a recommendation pretty soon but we are not happy with the World Health Organization.”
Trump recently launched an investigation into the WHO’s role in the spread of the coronavirus and have accused the organisation of siding with China. The investigation would look into the role of China and as to how coronavirus spread from its Wuhan city.
Covid-19 has infected 31.92 lakh people and caused 2.27 lakh deaths across 185 countries or regions, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker.
By Investigative Editor | A 7y old girl who the government says has Malaria (but tested COVID positive) has dropped dead at Mapiravana Clinic. She has no travel history but had physical contact with a Malaria patient at St Theresa. Her symptoms were: abdominal pains, fever, general weakness for over 3 weeks.
Meanwhile Ministry Of Health officials have instructed practitioners to register the death as that of Malaria.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW ….
She was given the below prescription drugs:
A 7y old girl who govt says has Malaria but tested COVID + has dropped dead at Mapiravana Clinic. She has no travel history but had physical contact with a Malaria death at St Theresa. Her symptoms: abdominal pains, fever, gen weakness for 3 wks. @WHO_Zimbabwe@MuzvareBettypic.twitter.com/YK017T3UUk
Efforts to obtain a comment from Health Minister, Obadiah Moyo were fruitless at the time of publishing as his phone was ringing without being answered.
News of The South|Zimbabwe counts for over 30% of the total number of health workers who have died in the U.K. The minister of Health in the U.K. has said over a hundred health workers have died in the frontline in UK.
The risks taken daily by the armies of British doctors, nurses and healthcare workers treating coronavirus patients have been starkly illustrated by a growing number of deaths.
The rising tally comes amid mounting concerns over the testing crisis, with ministers under increasing pressure to explain when NHS workers are to be tested and why Britain lags behind other nations in testing. Zimbabwean nurses based in the United Kingdom (UK) have taken the toll position in the number of those who have died in the fight against the Corona virus. Nurses and other health care workers are particularly vulnerable to contracting the coronavirus as they work on the frontline in combating the disease. The number of Zimbabweans working in the health sector is over 60.000. This figure could be more considering that most Zimbabweans came to the United Kingdom on Malawian, South African and Botswana passports. So if they die they are counted as the nationals of the country’s they hold passports of. This large number is not counted. Being that as it may the number of Zimbabweans officially counted is thirty percent of the whole number of the dead workers in the United Kingdom. May God Bless their Souls and May they rest in peace.
The ZANU PF NPC, Victor Matemadanda describes these as double heroes who are heroes in the U.K. and heroes in their own country Zimbabwe. They deserve medals, they laid down their lives for the lives of others. Such unlimited love create heroes and indeed these are unsung heroes.
If someone lays down his life for another person, he died so that the other person can live. One can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. Such was the bravery shown by the Zimbabwean nurses in the UK. Nursing is a profession of care love and passion and bound by Nightingale’s pledge which says : “I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practise my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping, and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavour to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.
The Nightingale Pledge is a statement of the ethics and principles of the nursing profession. But when pushed to the point to chose between their lives or that of their patients they opt to die in the place of the sick. The Zimbabwean nurses have laid their lives down in the difficult situations without considerations to colour or nationality. The Corona virus situation proved that nurses are autonomous professionals on whom patients can rely. By laying their lives for others to live nurses have shown that they are modern science professionals who protect and advocate for patients and strive very hard to meet those challenges. The sacrifices made by these nurses brought about the care environment and assuring patients and the nation at large that nurses are there to fend for them.
But why Zimbabwean nurses are the ones who are taking the fall in the UK. Most Zimbabweans almost 75% of Zimbabweans in the UK are nurses or health care workers. Most Zimbabweans work in the NHS from Cleaners, kitchen assistants to Executive officers they grace the NHS with their services. Besides NHS some work in the care homes and some private hospitals. Some Zimbabweans work in a one on one basis staying at the home of the service user commonly known as leave In.
In that scenario Zimbabweans have flooded the health and care industry. This then justifies why are Zimbabweans are easy targets of the Corona’s evil bullet. The other problem with Zimbabwean nurses is that they work very hard. Zimbabwean nurses most of them work three jobs a day. This exhausts them and they then make mistakes in their last job of the day. They then will have their guards down and sometimes forget to use the Protective Equipment. They become victims in the process of their work. They are highly blinded by money and as a result they will contract the disease in the wake of their service. Another problem is that the nurses work to impress their bosses and want to be on the side of the manager. The reality is Zimbabweans sometimes become good boys do everything impression management actors. This then sees them being asked to Doris my jobs. In the quest to be good girls they come back with the virus. Because of our soft culture we stand today mourning our friends our mothers our children. Zimbabweans in most cases will only stand up for their rights when it’s too late. The amount of abuse our friends get used to is unbelievable. Many Zimbabwean nurses got the virus because they did not believe the virus was real. This was our most downfall. We have lost many brothers many countrymen because of impression management. Even though the UK government has pledged sixty thousand pounds to every family which lost a member this does not give a life back.
Most if not all these nurses went to work with the hope of coming back with money. They sadly come back home with a virus. Some have taken the whole family down with Corona. Our thoughts are with the families left behind and indeed the families still waiting for the sick in hospital who are supposed to come back home. They put their faith in God and hope that they will come back.
Please stay safe. This virus is real. We have lost enough relatives.
As the continent continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the death toll due to it continues to rise across several countries.
South Africa and Egypt are still the top countries with the most positive cases in the continent, with Algeria and Morocco behind them. The current death toll in South Africa currently stands on 93, Egypt 359, Algeria 437 and Morocco’s is at 165. The only countries in the continent with no positive cases are Comoros and Lesotho.
The number of positive cases also continue to rise across states in the continent. Over the last 24 hours, data from the online resource worldometer shows that South Africa recorded 203 new positive cases, Egypt 260, Algeria 132, Morocco 121, Ghana 87, Sudan 43, Somalia 48 and 77 in Guinea.
The continent so far has 33,566 positive cases, 10, 152 recoveries and at least 1,469 deaths according to data from the Africa Centres for Disease Control.
Globally there are currently around 3.1 million positive cases with 928,000 recoveries and 217,000 deaths from the pandemic.
Highlanders and Caps United are reportedly set to lose NetOne as their sponsor after the end of this coming season.
The telecoms giant has been sponsoring the two team for some time now and in 2019 the deal was extended by three years.
According to the Herald, NetOne now wants to focus on fighting the coronavirus pandemic, and due to the impact of the epidemic on their operations, they are no longer in a position to continue with their football sponsorship programmes.
Both Bosso and Makepekepe will be given enough notice for the termination of their partnership. The company will also part ways with Black Rhinos and Chapungu.
Meanwhile, Dynamos who were sponsored by NetOne until 2018 recently renewed their contract with sponsor Gold Leaf Tobacco.
ZIMBABWE Revenue Authority (Zimra) Commissioner General Faith Mazani Wednesday announced one of the customs staff officers has tested positive for Covid-19 in Bulawayo.
In circular dated 29 April, Mazani said the staff member, now Covid-19 patient, and two others had been under home isolation for a month after they “interacted with an external individual who later tested positive for Covid19.”
After a month in isolation, the three staff members resumed work on 26 April upon which a follow up testing was conducted with one found positive.
“This is to advise that one of our staff members based in Bulawayo has tested positive for coronavirus, according to test results released by the Ministry of Health and Child Care today, April 29, 2020,” Mazani told the staff members.
The Zimra boss added that the Covid-19 infected staff member who is showing no symptoms, had come into contact with 15 other employees of the tax collector after resuming work and all have been sent into isolation while waiting for their results.
Mazani said Bulawayo offices have since been closed until 4 May to allow full disinfection.
UK Home Office efforts to deport an HIV-positive Zimbabwean man because of his lengthy criminal record have been blocked after the supreme court ruled removing him would breach his human rights.
Sending the 33-year-old man, identified only as AM, back to Zimbabwe would deny him access to life-saving treatment with the anti-retroviral medication Eviplera, the court unanimously accepted. The drug is not available there.
The case has been sent back to the lower courts for reconsideration.
AM was born in Zimbabwe in 1987 and came to the UK in 2000. He and his mother, who had already been living in Britain, were granted indefinite leave to remain in 2004.
In the following years, he accumulated convictions for battery, assault, receiving stolen goods and twice for possession of a blade in public. In 2006, the Home Office first made an order to deport him. He has since married and had a son.
Three years later, he was convicted of further serious offences including possession of a firearm and heroin with intent to supply. He was jailed for nine years.
In 2012 his lawyers challenged the Home Office deportation order, submitting evidence that he had first been diagnosed with HIV in 2003 but that he had not become seriously ill until later.
The first anti-retroviral drug produced severe side effects. When he was switched to Eviplera his blood count increased and he recovered.
Opening the judgment, Lord Wilson said: “This appeal requires the court again to consider one of the most controversial questions which the law of human rights can generate.
“It relates to the ability of the UK to deport a foreign citizen who, while lawfully resident here, has committed a string of serious crimes. The reaction of many British citizens is likely to be: ‘We don’t want this man here.’ His response is: ‘But I need to remain here.’.”
AM originally appealed against removal on the grounds that it would breach article 8 of the European convention on human rights, which guarantees the right to private and family life.
A recent test case against Belgium at the European court of human Rights in Strasbourg established the principle that under article 3 of the convention, which outlaws torture and inhuman treatment, those with serious ill health cannot forcibly be removed to another country if they would suffer there a substantial reduction in life expectancy.
The appeal court was bound by legal precedent and could not permit the claim to switch from article 8 to article 3. The supreme court, however, can do so.
Delivering judgment, Wilson said: “This is not one of those highly exceptional situations in which we should decline to follow a decision of the Strasbourg court.
“We therefore allow the appeal and remit the appellant’s proposed claim under article 3 for consideration by an immigration tribunal, which will no doubt seek to conduct a full inquiry into (among other things) the adequacy of the medical treatment likely to be available to the appellant in Zimbabwe.”
