A worker checks the temperature of travellers at the border post with Kenya in Namanga, northern Tanzania, on March 16, 2020, on the day Tanzania confirmed the first case of the covid-19.
There are now more than over 14,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the continent, with a number of African countries imposing a range of prevention and containment measures against the spread of the pandemic.
According to the latest data by the John Hopkins University and Africa Center for Disease Control on Covid-19 in Africa the breakdown remains fluid as countries confirm cases as and when.
The whole of Africa has rising cases with only two countries holding out as of April 13.
Major African stats as of April 13 as of 5 am GMT:
Mnangagwa says social distancing is 1 metre apart, International community says it is 2 metres | WHO IS RIGHT: ED or INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY? @Jamwanda2@nickmangwana@DrNkuSibanda
(1) One coronavirus patient can infect 59,000 people – compared to 14 with flu, according to an expert, Dr Hugh Montgomery, who is a professor of intensive care medicine at University College London.
Dr Montgomery has warned on how ignoring social distancing can lead to a major rise in infection rates, saying a person can infect 59,000 people.
Chinese experts say a person infects 3,500 people.
Speaking to Channel 4’s Dispatches, he said: “Normal flu, if I get that, I’m going to infect on average, about 1.3, 1.4 people – if there was such a division.
“And if those 1.3, 1.4 people gave it to the next lot, that’s the second time it gets passed on.
“By the time that’s happened ten times, I’ve been responsible for about 14 cases of flu.
“This coronavirus is very, very infectious, so every person passes it to three.
“This coronavirus is very, very infectious, so every person passes it to three.
“Now that doesn’t sound like much of a difference, but if each of those three passes it to three, and that happens at ten layers, I have been responsible for infecting 59,000 people.”
He said while most people are going to feel a bit unwell, they will recover, but by not self-isolating themselves, they will spread it around.
He continued: “A few will get sick,at about day ten of their illness, so they will need to come to a hospital.
“When they’re in a hospital they will consume resources and time, and people will look after them quite rightly.”
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
“If you are irresponsible enough to think that you don’t mind if you get the flu, remember it’s not about you – it’s about everybody else.”
Intensive care specialist Professor Hugh Montgomery explains why this coronavirus is different from the ordinary flu. pic.twitter.com/h9sQorHQUv
Farai Dziva|Chippa United chairman Siviwe Mpengesi has revealed Norman Mapeza didn’t get a cent when he resigned as the head coach in March.
Mapeza was just four months into his two-year deal when he gave up his post under unclear circumstances.
But it’s believed he had grown frustrated with Mpengesi’s interferences in the affairs of the technical team.
In an interview, with IOL, the Chippa boss explained that they didn’t compensate the Zimbabwean gaffer when he left the club because he was not fired.
“Unlike (Norman) Mapeza for instance who resigned, he didn’t get anything, but when it comes to other coaches we have to settle (financially) whether for three months or even more than that.”
Chippa United has changed four coaches this season, and the team is now managed by Rhulani Mokwena who was loaned out by Orlando Pirates.
COMEDIENNE Madam Boss can not wait for her first appearance in Nollywood with her version of a Nigerian movie scene.
She recently announced that she had landed an acting role in a Nigerian movie, Chronicles of Malachi.
Directed by Henry Obidi, Madam Boss will have the opportunity to rub shoulders with the likes of Ngozi Ezeonu, who is popular for her maternal roles in Nigerian movies. Sharing a skit featuring her husband, Madam Boss tagged Nigerians expressing her desire to join their film industry.
In a post directed at her followers the comedienne could not hide her joy at the opportunity.
“I’m so excited about my next project this year, in Nigeria the Chronicles of Malachi. I’m so excited to be working with the finest, Ngozi Ezeonu, and directed by the multiple award-winning director Henry Obidi. I can’t wait,” she said.
This also comes as another comedienne, Mai Titi, announced that she has attracted similar interest from the Nigerian film industry after sharing her skit during the current lockdown.
Madam Boss and Mai Titi will be joining student and model Caroline Chipwanyira, who is finding her footing in Nollywood.
Chipwanyira recently landed a role in a new movie, Something True, having played some minor roles in other productions.
Affectionately known as April Parry, Chipwanyira is studying theatre arts in Lagos at the Royal Arts Academy owned by the famous Nigerian screenwriter and film producer Emem Isong.
Farai Dziva|CAPS United have loaned out five players to Division One side Black Mambas ahead of the new season.
Valentine Musarurwa and Kudzi Nyamupfukudza lead an array of stars who failed to make it into Darlington Dodo’s squad. The list is completed by Clive Rupiya, Kelvin Ndebele, Tinashe Balakasi, Pride Zivengwa and Obey Muleya.
Balakasi and Muleya were among the 22 arrivals at the Green Machine in the pre-season and their club debut will be delayed. The other 20 all made it into the 30-man squad registered by Dodo.
United’s vice chairman Nhamo Tutisani confirmed the news to the Herald and also revealed about the existence of a deal with the Division One outfit.
“Yes, we have a deal with Black Mambas,” said Tutisani. “The deal will see the two clubs engage in different exchange programmes involving players and the technical staff.
“The players who Darlington Dodo would have excluded from his PSL register will be loaned to Black Mambas.
“The matter is, we need all the players we have at the moment but unfortunately only 25 plus the five development players will be registered with the PSL. The remainder will be loaned to Black Mambas. They could be recalled even in the mid-season transfer period.”
Thirty two Zimbabweans who arrived in the country today from the United Kingdom aboard an Ethiopian airlines flight have been taken to Zimbabwe Institute of Public Administration and Management (ZIPAM) for a 21-day-quarantine.
The 32 who arrived this afternoon at Robert Mugabe International Airport were welcomed by officials from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
Soon after their arrival, they were subjected to a thorough screening process, before they were whisked away in two ambulances and other vehicles from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
The exercise to quarantine them is part of the measures by Government to reduce the spread of the deadly COVID-19 which has to date killed three people in Zimbabwe.
The United Kingdom is in the top three of countries which are most affected by the pandemic globally.
Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr’s 62-year-old mother is reportedly dating a 22-year-old man and the Paris St Germain man is said to have endorsed the relationship.
Toyboy Tiago Ramos, the man in question, who was a self-confessed huge of the former Barcelona man, is 6 years younger than him and 30 years younger than his mother Nadine Goncalves, in a story that has social media ablaze.- Soccer 24
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane has given the club’s former star Khama Billiat another pat on the back.
Mosimane is widely credited by many for the diminutive Zimbabwean’s exploits at Loftus before he joined Kaizer Chiefs and has of late made many compliments directed to the Aces Youth Academy graduate.
Responding to a question on Twitter last night, Mosimane told another user to go on YouTube and relive some magical moments from Billiat and his colleagues at their peak at Sundowns.
”Ha!Wena MJ! !P Tau,Sirino,T Zwane ,K Billiat.Go to YouTube type above names,sit back,buckle up watch.You will feel yellow blood flowing in your veins!Then will start coming to Loftus to Hear Makhadzi song Haka Mato… whilst watching. Value for Money,” wrote Mosimane.
Billiat has not had the best of times at Amakhosi, paving way for some to advice him to return to Masandawana, where his name will always be engraved in their folklore in light of his achievements there and Mosimane has, on more than one occasion, publicly told the Warriors star that he is welcome at the club.- Soccer 24
English Premier League (EPL) officials are reported to be mulling plans to complete the season in a five-week period when football is played again.
All 20 teams are expected to play two matches per week over the space of 35 days. It is hoped that that teams will still use their own stadia, rather than neutral venues, even if all the matches will have to be behind closed doors. Premier League matches were suspended in March with 16 teams having nine games to play and four with 10 matches, due to COVID-19, a disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Discussions are ongoing as to whether all the 92 Premier League games left to complete the 2019-20 season will be televised.
The FA Cup is yet to be completed and the games will have to be re-scheduled as well.-The Telegraph
By A Correspondent| Bulawayo has receivewwd about 400 deportees from Botswana who have been moved from their previous quarantine centre, Plumtree High School to provide them with better living conditions and ease crowding.
The deportees, from across Zimbabwe started arriving in buses yesterday afternoon. Some were housed at Bulawayo Polytechnic while others are lodged at the United College of Education (UCE).
When the state media arrived at the quarantine sites, a total of 120 people had arrived at Bulawayo Polytechnic while about 100 were said to have arrived at UCE as more buses were still on their way with more deportees.
The deportees were carrying their few belongings, mostly in satchels.
Most of them complained that they left valuables that they were never given the chance to collect before being deported to Zimbabwe.
The news crew could not interview the deportees yesterday after health personnel said not all safety requirements had been put in place for interaction.
However, it was established that two people were sharing a room at the hostels.
Hillside Teachers’ College is expected to take in more deportees, but no deportees had been taken there yet.
8The deportees will spend nine days at their centres in Bulawayo after they had already spent six days under quarantine in Plumtree.
In a statement on his official Twitter handle, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting services Mr Nick Mangwana said some deportees were being moved to Bulawayo where they will be housed at Government tertiary education colleges.-statemedia
By Jane Mlambo| Controversial comedienne Felistas Edwards better known as Mai Titi has torched storm in United Kingdom after mocking Zimbabweans in the diaspora of “kugeza chembere” to earn living while bragging of her riches back home.
Mai Titi is in the United Kingdom and is believed to be staying with a cousin. She recorded a video where she bragged that she does not need asylum as she is rich back home in Zimbabwe.
She also accused Diasporans in UK of surviving on caregiving jobs (kugeza chembere).
This was after someone accused her of lying about threats on her life back in Zimbabwe to seek asylum in the UK.
This did not go down well with Zimbabweans in the UK who hit back accusing Mai Titi of being insincere to the people who helped her to be where she is now.
“The issue about what Felly did hurts everyone. I am not getting any assistance from UK but I know indirectly I am benefiting including iye wacho. Most of us are self employed and those formally employed vane tuma business paside we all bank on each other’s income for our businesses to grow. She was angered by a few people and yet she insults every one in the UK, she is staying in someone’s house muUK but she generalised her insults. She has shows where the same people she insults are supposed to attend. Kwedu ndo type dziya dzatinoti kumuchato kana nhamo dzemumusha musavaudza haana hana. What is she teaching her kids. Ummmmm I have never been her fan but I felt for her when she was dumped by Zizoe but honestly speaking who needs a daughter in law like her. That is so sad,” said one lady commenting in one of the all women Faceboom groups.
Many other women had no kind words for Mai Titi and below are some of the comments;
“…mukanwa make uya Colgate yakatomutadza makuda Jik, ungatuke vanhu variku supporter kuti asvike paari imari dzevarikugeza chembere”
Others who commented on Nomathemba Primrose Ndebele’s Facebook page also laid into Mai Titi for insulting the same people who invited her to the United Kingdom.
“Nhamo ari kuiona kunani mu isolation? Was she not invited for shows by the same people she is dissing? Mwari ndiye anoziva mhinduro”
“Ini ndakageza chembere from the day I landed in Australia until I finished university. It’s flexible, you can work around it with University timetable. Pay yangu paid my fees and funded my very comfortable living. If an artist can utter such words then she should never go to the diaspora to perform because it’s those jobs that are paying the entry fees.”
Below is the video in which she insults Zimbabweans in UK
Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Many countries around the world have seen cases of COVID-19 and several have seen outbreaks.
Authorities in China and some other countries have succeeded in slowing or stopping their outbreaks.
However, the situation is unpredictable so check regularly for the latest news.
You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 hotspots (cities or local areas where COVID-19 is spreading widely). If possible, avoid traveling to places – especially if you are an older person or have diabetes, heart or lung disease.
Why? You have a higher chance of catching COVID-19 in one of these areas.
Credit: World Health Organisation
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Many countries around the world have seen cases of COVID-19 and several have seen outbreaks.
Authorities in China and some other countries have succeeded in slowing or stopping their outbreaks.
However, the situation is unpredictable so check regularly for the latest news.
You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 hotspots (cities or local areas where COVID-19 is spreading widely). If possible, avoid traveling to places – especially if you are an older person or have diabetes, heart or lung disease.
Why? You have a higher chance of catching COVID-19 in one of these areas.
Credit: World Health Organisation
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information like/ follow our Facebook page:
The Ministry would like to report that the five outstanding results from yesterday were negative for COV1D-19.
Today, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory tested 10 samples, and all were negative for COVID-19. Additionally, the Ministry would like to advise that the National TB Reference Laboratory in Bulawayo tested 6 samples today. All were negative for COV1D-19. Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe has fourteen confirmed cases including three deaths.
Cumulative Tests Conducted: 563 COV1D-19 Negative: 549 COVID-19 Positive: 14 Deaths: 3 Matebeleland North: 1 Mashonaland East: 4 Bulawayo: 2 Harare: 7 Total: 14 Case #14 diagnosed yesterday is a 53-year-old male resident of Bulawayo.
The local Rapid Response Team visited him at home as part of intensified surveillance and contact tracing for the late, case #11. Even though he was not a direct contact of case #11, he was in contact with the visitor from the United Kingdom who in turn was in contact with case #11 on the 23rd of March 2020.
Samples were collected for testing and he was confirmed positive for COVID-19 yesterday. He is stable, with mild disease ad is self-isolating at home.
However, considering that the visitor from UK had tested negative for COVID-19 using PCR, the Ministry went on further to do a Rapid COVID-19 1gM Antibody Test on this visitor from UK.
The Rapid Antibody Test was positive confirming that at some point prior to this test, he was infected with COVID-19. Antibodies are produced over days to weeks after infection with the virus.
Without any other confirmed case to explain the source of infection for case #11and casen#14, the Ministry, therefore, concluded that this visitor from the UK is the most probable epidemiological link to both case #11 and case #14.
The Ministry would like to remind the nation that, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing
By A Correspondent- Minister of State Security Owen Ncube has warned Members of Parliament and councillors against issuing travelling exemptions to people during the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
Speaking during the tour of the Gweru Provincial Hospital Isolation Centre on Saturday, Minister Ncube said only police and District Development Coordinators have the prerogative to issue travelling documents.
He said security forces who are enforcing the lockdown will not recognise exemptions issued by MPs and councillors, while security forces will descend on people who flout the lockdown regulations.
“I would want to warn our Members of Parliament and Councillors not to issue exemption letters for people to travel during the lockdown. This is tantamount to flouting the regulations thereof. I’m sorry to inform you that police will not be recognising those letters at all.
“Police and District Development Coordinators are the only ones that can issue exemptions. People have to be serious about this disease. This disease is real. If you look and observe what’s happening in other countries, they have more than 500 while some have more than 1 000 people dying every day. If we do not take it seriously, we might plunge into the same predicament. Let us all comply with the lockdown directive,” he said.
Minister Ncube said Midlands Province was one of the provinces that is making significant strides in the preparation for the fight against the Covid-19 in case of an outbreak.
He said Government was grateful to the corporate world for complementing efforts to fight Covid-19.
“We are grateful to our corporate world and other well-wishers who have come forth to join hands with Government in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
“President Mnangagwa has reiterated over and over that it is the thought that counts. No matter how small the donation is it will come in handy,” he said.
Minister Ncube said Government was also impressed by Midlands Joint Operation Command (JOC) for diligently enforcing the lockdown.
“My acquaintances in cabinet and other colleagues have always joked with us that it is easier to drive into Harare than it is to pass through Midlands Province because our police are strict.
“This is a clear testimony to show that our security system in the province are watertight.
“We implore you to maintain your levels of diligence in enforcing the lockdown so that we save citizens from this pandemic,” he said.
Minister Ncube said even those in the rural areas were at risk considering that some people travelled to their rural areas when the lockdown was announced.
He implored citizens to be disciplined during the lockdown.
Minister Ncube said Police will crack down on shebeens and backyard kitchens
The Ministry would like to report that the five outstanding results from yesterday were negative for COV1D-19.
Today, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory tested 10 samples, and all were negative for COVID-19.
Additionally, the Ministry would like to advise that the National TB Reference Laboratory in Bulawayo tested 6 samples today. All were negative for COV1D-19. Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe has fourteen confirmed cases including three deaths.
Cumulative Tests Conducted: 563 COV1D-19 Negative: 549 COVID-19 Positive: 14 Deaths: 3 Matebeleland North: 1 Mashonaland East: 4 Bulawayo: 2 Harare: 7 Total: 14 Case #14 diagnosed yesterday is a 53-year-old male resident of Bulawayo.
The local Rapid Response Team visited him at home as part of intensified surveillance and contact tracing for the late, case #11. Even though he was not a direct contact of case #11, he was in contact with the visitor from the United Kingdom who in turn was in contact with case #11 on the 23rd of March 2020.
Samples were collected for testing and he was confirmed positive for COVID-19 yesterday. He is stable, with mild disease ad is self-isolating at home.
However, considering that the visitor from UK had tested negative for COVID-19 using PCR, the Ministry went on further to do a Rapid COVID-19 1gM Antibody Test on this visitor from UK.
The Rapid Antibody Test was positive confirming that at some point prior to this test, he was infected with COVID-19.
Antibodies are produced over days to weeks after infection with the virus.
Without any other confirmed case to explain the source of infection for case #11and casen#14, the Ministry, therefore, concluded that this visitor from the UK is the most probable epidemiological link to both case #11 and case #14.
The Ministry would like to remind the nation that, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and exercise social distancing
Farai Dziva|MDC vice president, Tendai Biti has accused the Emmerson Mnangagwa led government of wasting money on “the useless Command Wheat Programme” instead of funding the fight against Coronavirus.
Biti told an online publication the regime was not concerned about the real matters affecting citizens.
“The regime which has wasted $2.7 billion on Command Wheat can’t build decent infrastructure for our people.
It is failing to provide PPE (personal protective equipment) to respondents and has so far failed to buy a single test.
The regime must wake up from its slumber, provide stimulus safety nets, test, track, isolate and treat people for coronavirus,” said Biti.
Farai Dziva|MDC vice president, Tendai Biti has accused the Emmerson Mnangagwa led government of wasting money on “the useless Command Wheat Programme” instead of funding the fight against Coronavirus.
Biti told an online publication the regime was not concerned about the real matters affecting citizens.
“The regime which has wasted $2.7 billion on Command Wheat can’t build decent infrastructure for our people.
It is failing to provide PPE (personal protective equipment) to respondents and has so far failed to buy a single test.
The regime must wake up from its slumber, provide stimulus safety nets, test, track, isolate and treat people for coronavirus,” said Biti.
Zimbabwe Republic Police officers last wee left a Harare man with a fractured hand when they assaulted him for defying the regulations of the 21-day national lockdown.
The 27-year-old Tendai Mtombeni who resides in Warren Park, Harare was left unconscious on Friday night and only regained consciousness on Saturday after being admitted to a local private medical facility with the help of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights.
Mtombeni, a car washer, told NewsDay on Sunday that he was going to Warren Park shops to get change for his customer when he met more than 50 police officers in a truck who assaulted him.
He alleges that a female officer started assaulting him whilst he was explaining where he was going and her colleagues disembarked from the truck and joined in the assault.
He narrated: They took my Nokia mobile phone and the money and they went away with it.
I sustained injuries on my head, hand and all over my body. They left me unconscious and I don’t know how I got home.
ZADHR board secretary Norman Matara claims that a CT scan on Mtombeni revealed that he had fractured his left hand.
Meanwhile, police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi says that no report has been made over the matter.- NewsDay
Farai Dziva|A Masvingo woman has sensationally claimed she got married in three hours after administering “Prophet” Isaac Makomichi’ s “anointed love portion” herb.
Elizabeth Chirashanye (52) of Rujeko Suburb in Masvingo claimed after using the love portion herb, she miraculously got married to her lover, Everisto Maramba (53) who had dumped her for 15 years.
“My brother, I am a relieved woman. I had literally lost hope of ever getting married but I thought of trying out the anointed love portion herb.
A few minutes after administering the herb, I was surprised to see my phone ringing and when I answered it, my lover who had dumped me for 15 years said he was coming to see me.
I thought I was dreaming.Within an hour he came to my place and advised me that he wanted to pay lobola to my relatives.
To my surprise he paid lobola in less than three hours. I am now happily married,” claimed Chirashanye.
Asked for a comment, Makomichi said : I have managed to distribute 5000 love portions for free to women across the country since February.
I am also in the process of producing 10 000 anointed love portions.
Everything happens by the grace of God.God is restoring marriages through the anointed love portions. Those who need assistance can contact me on : 0777469342.Remember we distribute the anointed love portions for free,” said Makomichi.
Several women in the city of Masvingo who spoke to ZimEye.com described the ” anointed love portion” herb as very effective.
Zimbabwe Republic Police officers last wee left a Harare man with a fractured hand when they assaulted him for defying the regulations of the 21-day national lockdown.
The 27-year-old Tendai Mtombeni who resides in Warren Park, Harare was left unconscious on Friday night and only regained consciousness on Saturday after being admitted to a local private medical facility with the help of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights.
Mtombeni, a car washer, told NewsDay on Sunday that he was going to Warren Park shops to get change for his customer when he met more than 50 police officers in a truck who assaulted him.
He alleges that a female officer started assaulting him whilst he was explaining where he was going and her colleagues disembarked from the truck and joined in the assault.
He narrated: They took my Nokia mobile phone and the money and they went away with it.
I sustained injuries on my head, hand and all over my body. They left me unconscious and I don’t know how I got home.
ZADHR board secretary Norman Matara claims that a CT scan on Mtombeni revealed that he had fractured his left hand.
Meanwhile, police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi says that no report has been made over the matter.- NewsDay
Farai Dziva|A freelance journalist, Terence Sipuma was bashed by overzealous police details in Harare on Saturday.
According to MISA Zimbabwe, Sipuma was assaulted by members of the police force and soldiers in Harare as he was conducting his duties.
Sipuma was stopped by the security officers at the Kuwadzana roundabout while on his way to Chegutu to report on the country’s 21-day COVID-19 lockdown.
“They asked where I was going and the moment I showed them my journalism I.D. (accreditation) card, I was asked to lie down (on the ground) and was beaten being accused of exposing them.
They took my phone and as they were searching through the phone, they promised me that they were going to do more if I had videos or pictures of that operation,” Sipuma related his ordeal to MISA Zimbabwe.
MISA Zimbabwe has called on the police and the Zimbabwe Media Commission to urgently investigate cases involving continued harassment of journalists.
By Jane Mlambo| South Africa’s Minister of Public Works, Patricia DeLille has said they are considering installing surveillance and sensor alarms at the Zimbabwe border, following the breaking of the fence recently installed to stop illegal immigrants.
Responding to questions on the effectiveness of putting a fence on the Zimbabwe border, DeLille said they are considering additional deterrents to stop rampant illegal migration.
The newly installed fence on the Zimbabwe border already damaged
“For the Beitbridge border fence, we are also considering additional deterring methods such as surveillance, sensors and alarms,” said DeLille.
She added that her ministry was investigating how the newly installed fence got damaged at such a short time further stating that they are considering using military personnel to increase patrols around the fence.
“With regard to the Beitbridge border fence which DPWI is erecting and criminal elements damaging the fence: I am investigating this matter. The contractor has increased security personnel. The Defence force has also deployed soldiers to patrol the border,” added DeLille.
By A Correspondent- A former prisoner who suffered a broken arm in an attack at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison has filed a police report that two warders assaulted him after he barged into a cell of a convicted popular businessman who was entertaining a woman while a second report states that it was fellow prisoners who hit him.
Tatenda Govere, who was recently freed under the Presidential Amnesty after serving four years in jail for housebreaking and theft, reported his case at Highlands Police Station under CR 52/10/18 accusing two prison officers of assault while a later report CR 62/10/18 accuses other prisoners.
Both reports have been sent to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) who will decide on the way forward, said national police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
“I can confirm that an assault report was made to the police against some prison officers but the case became complicated when another report was made, implicating fellow inmates as assailants,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Govere complained to High Court judge Justice Herbert Chitapi in March this year during the judge’s routine prison visit.
Govere, who was in 2015 jailed eight years for housebreaking, claims he entered the businessman’s cell intending to borrow a newspaper, only to find him enjoying the company of a woman.
He allegedly left the cell and continued with his daily chore of serving sadza to fellow prisoners. Two prison officers, whom he believes were linked to the businessman grilled him, he said, demanding to know why he got into the cell without notice.
“Being a trusted prisoner at yellow stage (prisoners deemed to have reformed), on September 26, 2018, I was serving food at A Hall where the businessman was staying.
“Since I was in good books with the businessman, I left a bucket of Sadza on the floor and went into his cell to ask for the day’s newspaper.
“In the cell, I was surprised to see the businessman in the company of a woman and they were eating a cake. I quickly retreated and walked away without saying a word,” said Govere.
“A few hours later, the two prison officers (names supplied) called me and grilled me over the incident. They quizzed on why I entered the cell without notice. I told them I wanted a newspaper but they turned violent and ordered me to lie on the ground.
“They took turns to assault me all over the body with a black baton until my left arm broke. I also sustained injuries on my left leg after one of the officers tripped me to the ground as I tried to escape,” he said.-StateMedia
By Own Correspondent| An Ethiopian Airlines registration number ETARF has landed at the Robert Mugabe International Airport with 32 Zimbabweans returning back home from the United Kingdom, currently the epicentre of the deadly Corona virus outbreak.
While other countries like South Africa immediately took citizens who returned into the country from China into quarantine centres, the government of Zimbabwe does not have an immediate plan to handle these citizens as most of the isolation centres being set up are either not ready or do not have such a capacity to carry 32 people.
If not handled properly and these people are allowed to self-isolate as has been the norm, it presents the country with more problems as there will not be mechanisms to monitor adherence to the isolation order.
Zimbabwe Republic Police officers last wee left a Harare man with a fractured hand when they assaulted him for defying the regulations of the 21-day national lockdown.
The 27-year-old Tendai Mtombeni who resides in Warren Park, Harare was left unconscious on Friday night and only regained consciousness on Saturday after being admitted to a local private medical facility with the help of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights.
Mtombeni, a car washer, told a local publication that he was going to Warren Park shops to get change for his customer when he met more than 50 police officers in a truck who assaulted him.
He alleges that a female officer started assaulting him whilst he was explaining where he was going and her colleagues disembarked from the truck and joined in the assault. He narrated:
They took my Nokia mobile phone and the money and they went away with it. I sustained injuries on my head, hand and all over my body. They left me unconscious and I don’t know how I got home.
ZADHR board secretary Norman Matara claims that a CT scan on Mtombeni revealed that he had fractured his left hand.
Meanwhile, police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi says that no report has been made over the matter
A Chinese national was on Saturday deported from Malawi for refusing to be on self-quarantine for 14 days.
The Immigration Department in Mchinji sent back to Zambia the Chinese national identified as Jian Li.
The person arrived in Lusaka, Zambia from China on March 26, 2020.
He later proceeded to Mchinji, where he was intercepted by Immigration officers at Bua road block on Saturday April 12, 2020.
The Malawi News Agency reported that the Chinese national was traveling to Blantyre.
“Upon arrival at Mchinji border, he was ordered to be on self quarantine for another 14 days. The Chinese National defied the order and left the camp,” said Mchinji Immigration border post spokesperson, Madalitso Banda.
Authorities stopped the Chinese national from going to Blantyre and then deported him.
Banda added that the Immigration department in the district has suspended issuing of border passes to control movement of people.
Malawi has recorded 13 cases of the Covid-19 and two people have died in the country from the disease. Zambia has reegistered 43 cases and two deaths.
Residents of Migori invaded a gold mine over land grabbing claims, forcing a government administrator and the Chinese investor to flee.
The Chinese investor fled over a mabatifence while armed police watched helplessly as local gold miners in Masara stormed the site.
The residents claimed that the land in which the Chinese investor dug the mine was grabbed from locals.
Hands holding rocks containing goldRED ROCK RESOURCES
The land was allegedly grabbed with the aid of administrators.
The irate residents left a destruction trail, looting machinery in the site and making away with vehicle parts.
One of the grandsons of the late Clement Ayungo, who is the landowners, is said to have colluded with the Chinese national without consulting the owner’s widow and other family members.
John Riana, the family spokesperson, revealed that animosity prevented dialogue between the two parties.
“The land was sold to a mining company, managed by the Chinese. We have not been able to reach these people because of hostilities.
“People who acquired the land have not been willing to listen to any complaints from the family. Graves are there and as you know, mining involves a lot of blasting which has really interfered with the graves,” he cited.
Duncan Ndiro, one of the grandsons, was angered by how the land was transferred and claimed that the chief conned them in collaboration with the Chinese.
Ndiro wanted Migori County Department of Environment to explain how they gave the Chinese national a mining permit.
They went on to claim that the succession of the land and the sale agreement happened on the same day and demanded an explanation from the chief.
Popular Nigerian preacher TB Joshua has told his congregants that this year’s easter is all about bringing back the peace, comfort, good health and all that has been lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cleric stated this during his Easter Sunday live worship service where he also admonished members to remove whatever that stands between them and God.
T.B Joshua pointed out that Easter is all about love for one’s neighbour, adding that “your neighbour can be those who do not share the same faith with you.”
“Resurrection is to bring back to life the peace, comfort, joy, good health which COVID-19 has stolen,” he said.
“Let us pray. Before the prayer, I need to let you know once again that this prayer is not time-bound. Any time you hear it, it maintains God’s presence.
“It maintains God’s power. It maintains God’s anointing. It maintains God’s grace any time you hear it. When you stand to pray, forgive.
THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has called on government to pay US$100 to vulnerable employees as one of measures to enhance social protection during the COVID-19 lockdown.
In proposed recommendations, ZCTU said based on Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat)’s 2019 Labour Force And Child Labour Survey report released last month, 98% of the country’s 14,2 million citizens were vulnerable to direct and indirect shocks of COVID-19.
“Scenario 1a uses the food poverty line to benchmark the level of support required to cushion all employed persons (formal and informal), the majority of whom were earning below the poverty datum line. Scenario 1b also targets total employment (formal and informal), and uses the current gazetted minimum wage of $2 500 (US$100) as the basis for compensation,” ZCTU said in its latest COVID-19 response report.
“Instead of using the levels of employment, scenario 2a looks at the projected households in distress based on the estimated one million level that government has used in its social protection framework. Scenario 2b compensates the households in distress (one million) on the basis of the current gazetted minimum wage of US$100.”
ZCTU added: “These scenarios provide the lower and upper limits to the social protection floor, and therefore, the resources required to cushion employees from the effects of COVID-19 and the measures adopted to mitigate its impact (e.g, national lockdown)”.
According to the 2019 Labour Force and Child Labour Survey, the estimated number of currently employed persons is 2,9 million out of a population of 14,2 million.
By A Correspondent- Police in Bulawayo yesterday arrested congregants of the Revival of Jesus Miracles Ministries in Nketa suburb for conducting public services in violation of lockdown regulations, as most churches resorted to conducting virtual services in compliance with the ban on public gatherings.
Nine congregants were arrested yesterday morning shortly after the church service and taken to Tshabalala Police Station where they each paid $500 admission of guilt fines.
Congregants were yesterday being taken out of the cells where they had been detained to pay fines at the charge office.
Reverend Thompson Nyathi defended his congregants, arguing that their arrest was illegal as “we maintained hygienic standards and practised social distancing during the entire service. We are fully aware of the proclamation by the President of a total lockdown and ban on public gatherings, but we believe the raid was unlawful as our gathering had less than 30 people, some of whom were arrested after the service. Everyone had their hands sanitised in line with Ministry of Health and Child Care guidelines and regulations,” he said.
Rev Nyathi claimed that they were not the only ones who violated lockdown regulations.
“We were not the only church around that opened for service, but there are other churches some of which discreetly conducted services in houses, but unfortunately, we have just been targeted after police received a phone call from someone in the locality who notified them of our so-called illegal gathering,” he said.
“However, when police and soldiers came, they found that we had finished the service and most of the congregants had left the premises save for a few who were later arrested and taken to Tshabalala Police Station.”
Under the 21-day lockdown regulations, all public gatherings are banned, except for funerals where there should not be more than 50 people.
A Chronicle news crew moved around the city and observed that a number of churches had their gates under lock and key in compliance with lockdown regulations.-statemedia
By A Correspondent- A British couple is facing a string of charges on Easter Monday, after they gave cops the run around at the eSwatini / South Africa border over the weekend.
It’s understood the pair entered South Africa illegally, speeding off from law enforcement personnel before eventually surfacing in Durban.
The travellers were stopped at a border post, before they ignored advice to remain in their country of origin. However, they still crossed the border and found themselves pursued by the police, only to blow them off during a high-speed chase.
They drove for approximately three-and-a-half hours down to Durban.
After spending some time at a guest house, law enforcement officials were able to catch up with the daft duo – who had also failed to pay for their rental car.
TimesLive report the hired vehicle was “seized and impounded.”
It’s reported that members from the Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit and Tracker Connect proceeded to a guest house in Umbilo in Glenmore, Durban after receiving information of British nationals arriving illegally. The border crossing cavaliers are facing charges relating to multiple breaches of the South African Immigration Act.
The Brits are known to be aged 24 and 33 respectively. They will now be tested for the deadly disease which has shutdown an overwhelming majority of the planet, in line with current travel laws. All entry into South Africa falls under severe restrictions, and those who do need to visit the republic are screened accordingly.
The incident has raised several concerns about our border security, and how international travel is being regulated in Mzansi.
This comes just a couple of weeks after a visitor from Zimbabwe was turned away from OR Tambo, when their private plane had arrived undetected from Harare. The rogue traveller was sent back to his point of origin, after spending eight hours marooned on the tarmac.-TimesLive
President Mnangagwa has not extended the lockdown period, contrary to some social media reports and people peddling fake news, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.
Giving updates on the 21-day lockdown from the inter-ministerial ad-hoc committee on the Covid-19 last night, Minister Mutsvangwa warned paddlers of such falsehoods that they face the full wrath of the law if caught.
“We also want to continue telling you that it is against the law to circulate fake news concerning Covid-19,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.
“Government notes with concern some misleading social media statements stating that the President has extended the lockdown period to 3 May.
“This is not the case, we all know that when the President proclaimed the lockdown he said he would review it at the end and we are waiting for that. It is criminal to circulate fake news and the relevant laws will be invoked to prosecute offenders.
“In terms of accurate information, Government will keep the nation informed through its official Government media channels, as well as mainstream media, including radio and television.”
Statutory Instrument 82 makes it a criminal offence to peddle fake news, with culprits facing up to 20 years in jail if convicted.
Minister Mutsvangwa said the Ministry of Health and Child Care had established a hotline (2019) to deal with clinical issues concerning the disease, while her ministry was in the process of establishing another one to deal with non-clinical issues.
She said 14 positive cases have been confirmed in the country and three had since succumbed to the illness.
“To date, Covid-19 has claimed the lives of at least 103 000 people and infected more than 1,7 million people worldwide,” she said. “Out of these, more than 380 000 people have recovered. There is still no vaccine for Covid 19 or any specially developed treatment.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said Government embarked on a disinfecting programme that would see all public places across the country’s 10 provinces being fumigated against the coronavirus that cases Covid-19.
By A Correspondent- Minister of State Security Owen Ncube has warned Members of Parliament and councillors against issuing travelling exemptions to people during the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
Speaking during the tour of the Gweru Provincial Hospital Isolation Centre on Saturday, Minister Ncube said only police and District Development Coordinators have the prerogative to issue travelling documents.
He said security forces who are enforcing the lockdown will not recognise exemptions issued by MPs and councillors, while security forces will descend on people who flout the lockdown regulations.
“I would want to warn our Members of Parliament and Councillors not to issue exemption letters for people to travel during the lockdown. This is tantamount to flouting the regulations thereof. I’m sorry to inform you that police will not be recognising those letters at all.
“Police and District Development Coordinators are the only ones that can issue exemptions. People have to be serious about this disease. This disease is real. If you look and observe what’s happening in other countries, they have more than 500 while some have more than 1 000 people dying every day. If we do not take it seriously, we might plunge into the same predicament. Let us all comply with the lockdown directive,” he said.
Minister Ncube said Midlands Province was one of the provinces that is making significant strides in the preparation for the fight against the Covid-19 in case of an outbreak.
He said Government was grateful to the corporate world for complementing efforts to fight Covid-19.
“We are grateful to our corporate world and other well-wishers who have come forth to join hands with Government in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
“President Mnangagwa has reiterated over and over that it is the thought that counts. No matter how small the donation is it will come in handy,” he said.
Minister Ncube said Government was also impressed by Midlands Joint Operation Command (JOC) for diligently enforcing the lockdown.
“My acquaintances in cabinet and other colleagues have always joked with us that it is easier to drive into Harare than it is to pass through Midlands Province because our police are strict.
“This is a clear testimony to show that our security system in the province are watertight.
“We implore you to maintain your levels of diligence in enforcing the lockdown so that we save citizens from this pandemic,” he said.
Minister Ncube said even those in the rural areas were at risk considering that some people travelled to their rural areas when the lockdown was announced.
He implored citizens to be disciplined during the lockdown.
Minister Ncube said Police will crack down on shebeens and backyard kitchens.-online
VOA |Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights is petitioning the High Court to have the coronavirus lockdown overturned after police allegedly unleashed a dog on a woman for violating a curfew.
Court papers submitted by the lawyers group say police and army officers assaulted Lucia Masvondo, 26, while she was cooking food in her yard.
The lawsuit argues the lockdown regulations violate Zimbabwe’s constitution and should be annulled.
Kumbirai Mafunda of the lawyers group said Masvondo’s case was one of a growing number of alleged abuses by security forces during the lockdown.
“She suffered some wounds after some state agencies set a dog upon her when she was preparing a meal outside her home in Karoi,” Mafunda said. “In Bulawayo, our lawyers are intervening in a case where someone was reportedly assaulted by the police and died.”
Zimbabwe police refused any immediate comment on the Masvondo case but acknowledged they were investigating it.
Scores of cases
Zimbabwe rights groups said they have recorded more than 100 cases of security forces abusing civilians — including detentions of journalists — since the lockdown began two weeks ago.
Zimbabwe authorities said the tough lockdown measures, which require people to stay in their homes and permit travel only to buy food or other essentials, are necessary to prevent more coronavirus victims.
Zimbabwe has recorded 11 cases of COVID-19 and three deaths so far.
In an Easter message broadcast Thursday on Zimbabwe state television, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the lockdown would not ease during the holiday weekend.
“I am aware that in the past, the Easter holiday season would see most families, friends, as well as worshippers, gather together,” he said. “Sadly, this will not be possible this holiday as we continue to observe the essential lockdown to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.”
Mnangagwa said security forces would intensify patrols to curb the movement of pedestrians and vehicles. He urged the public to be patient and responsible, saying the answer to the crisis lay in their discipline and unity.
No safety nets
But critics have said the government has failed to create social safety nets for many Zimbabweans who depend on street vending to make a living.
The southern African country’s economy and health care system are in tatters after years of mismanagement and poor investment. The World Food Program says more than half of Zimbabwe’s population needs food aid. That will tempt many out of their homes, despite the risk of contracting the coronavirus or running afoul of security forces.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights hopes to end the restrictions through Masvondo’s lawsuit. The group expects to know the hearing date for the case early next week.
By Business Correspondent| McDonald’s in China has apologised for the abuse its staff did on black customers in the Asian country last week.
The incident follows a spate of several racially classified attacks on black Africans which saw black people being arrested and detained on spurious allegations of carrying the Coronavirus.
The company has since responded to queries raised through the ZimEye news network and shut down the main restaurant in question so to address the matter yesterday.
In their statement they said: “McDonald’s immediately launched an investigation after being informed. We apologize for the trouble and anxiety caused by this restaurant to customers.
“The restaurant was ordered to stop the operation immediately.
“McDonald’s China resolutely opposes any discriminatory practices targeting specific groups of people and has zero tolerance for discriminatory words and deeds.
“In order to further strengthen education, the restaurant has been closed for half a day on the afternoon of April 12 and relevant training has been conducted to prevent such incidents from happening again.”
McDonalds: "….In order to further strengthen education, the restaurant has been closed for half a day on the afternoon of April 12 and relevant training has been conducted to prevent such incidents from happening again." – @McDonalds@McDonaldsCorppic.twitter.com/7GxT8dlTnq
Pindula|Zimbabweans commenting on Twitter have questioned President Mnangagwa and First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s motives after they donated a wheelchair to a physically-challenged man in Amaveni suburb, Kwekwe, on Easter Sunday, saying the whole event was stage-managed.
ZBC Online published on Twitter pictures of the First Family donating the wheelchair to the man who was sitting along a street. However, the people who immediately commented on the pictures were expressed incredulity. Here are some of the comments:
Chipo Dendere: So they just have a stash of wheelchairs at home? What’s wrong with these two? Where are they going and why?
1. Why is he not staying at home? 2. How will he encourage the nation when he can’t abide by the lockdown? 3. Is he allocated ZBC crew that he moves around with? 4. Does he keep wheelchairs at his farm? 5. Was this staged?
Team Pachedu: So, ED has wheelchairs at his farm. Did he buy them or they are donations? A few years ago, Joseph Made was found in possession with many wheelchairs at his farm.
Zenzele: Good gesture but my question is: so he keeps wheelchairs at the far?#Asakhe
ChiWeaponised 5G Bat: Do you have social welfare for the aged and those with disabilities? Scarfment: “No. But if the president and the first lady see you on the road and there is a photographer with them, they will send you a wheelchair from their farm.”
Cde Setfree Mafukidze: As for the donation, l personally thank you for that it is welcome but on the same note encourage you to create a database of people living with disabilities many who are not on the roadside require such assistance we can not wait for them to be on roadsides
ZAPU has claimed that Zanu PF’s secretary for administration Obert Mpofu did not voluntarily join the ruling party but was forced to do so to avoid prosecution over alleged stolen funds.
The opposition party was responding to claims by Mpofu that the late Father Zimbabwe and former Zapu leader Joshua Nkomo sold out during the Lancaster House talks.
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In an opinion piece recently published by a local weekly Mpofu claimed Nkomo betrayed Zapu’s military wing, Zipra and its commanders and went into the talks with the Rhodesian government against advice.
This is because, according to Mpofu, Nkomo’s participation was ‘largely driven by misleading advice he received from the whites.’
Zapu in a stinging attack on Mpofu sensationally claimed that he never voluntarily joined Zanu PF but only did so to seek protection for fraud crimes.
“Mpofu, in the first, has no authority to talk about Zapu and ZPRA, because he did not have any strategic role in the conduct of the armed struggle.
He was a very junior rank and file soldier in the reconnaissance team before he went to India for training,” Zapu spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa said.
“This is a man who, when he returned from India, joined the customs services department under the Ministry of Finance, where Enos Nkala was Minister.
“Then monies went missing with all evidence pointing at him and Enos Nkala, gave him an alternative to either join Zanu PF openly or face prosecution.”
Mpofu, a former Zapu cadre, who defected to Zanu before the 1987 Unity Accord that created Zanu PF, when contacted for comment by Sunday Southern Eye on Friday dismissed the claims as ‘nonsensical.’
“That’s nonsensical. I don’t respond to such nonsense. They are trying to seek relevance,” Mpofu said before switching off his mobile phone.
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According to a 2010 profile written by John V Austin, a former director at the Harare customs and excise department, Mpofu’s stint at the customs department, which he joined as a prefect in 1982 was questionable.
“…In hindsight, there is no doubt in my mind now that Mpofu’s time in the customs cepartment had nothing to do with grooming for a fast-track Customs career, but everything to do with a tour of duty under a subversive scheme of cadre deployment,” reads in part Austin’s profile of Mpofu which also exposes his close links to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, dating back to the 1980s’.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his wife Auxilia Mnangagwa had a wheel chair ready at their farm in Kwekwe to donate to a disabled man in Kwekwe who they met by mistake on their “surprise” tour of the city on Sunday.
The Fist Family donated the wheelchair to the 65-year-old man living with disability whom they came across crawling along a dusty street in Amaveni, Kwekwe.
According to state media, the President’s entourage had to stop and the First Family disembarked to talk to the man, who identified himself as Mr Dexter Masango.
The First family took his details and went back to their farm where they immediately dispatched a wheel chair for him.
The First Lady, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa said Mr Masango would, through her Angel of Hope Foundation be receiving some food items.
ZIMBABWE international forward Nyasha Mushekwi has joined his teammates in training at his Chinese football club after completing sometime in quarantine as life returns to normalcy in the Asian country after it was shut down by the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
The striker returned to China on March 22 from South Africa and had to go undergo a mandatory quarantine period of 14 days before joining the rest of the players in training at his club Zhejiang Greentown last week.
Mushekwi, who retired from international football after the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals held in Egypt last June, was in South Africa last month working on his fitness with some of his specialist coaches.
He was initially in Turkey with his teammates for a pre-season camp which was extended as authorities in China battled to contain the coronavirus.
Mushekwi’s club began its pre-season training from the beginning of January in Thailand and moved to Turkey at the end of the same month.
China seem to have contained the novel coronavirus and has relaxed some conditions and football teams are also back in training.
Although the football authorities in China are yet to announce when they are likely to resume the league, the teams anticipate it will be sooner and are continuing with their preparations.
Mushekwi is happy that life is almost getting back to normal in China after terrible three months which saw the country going on total lockdown in some provinces as the deadly coronavirus wreaked havoc.
China has turned around the corner in their battle with the pandemic and lockdown on Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, has been lifted with people beginning to live their normal lives again.
“We started training, when I arrived I was in quarantine for 14 days but I have joined my teammates at training now.
“Everything is good. Life is almost back in China so it’s quite a good thing. Everything else has been okay,” said Mushekwi.
With the major football associations in Europe still deliberating on whether to resume action and when, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has urged FAs to return to action when it is safe to do so.
“For the (resumption) of the league, there is no news yet, we are hoping to hear something from the FA soon,” Mushekwi said.
The former CAPS United striker said considering talk in other leagues that the league might resume in June, they might follow suit but for now everything is uncertain.
Mushekwi said he is taking each day as it comes and praying to the Almighty God have helped him through this time where he is separated from his wife who is holed up in her home country of Sweden.
He is expecting her return to China soon.
“It is like normal life. I can go out buy my groceries and come back to my house but they are not encouraging people to move around so much, so you just have to limit yourself from doing anything much.
“I just relax at home, go to training and come back home unless if you really want to be out and buy some stuff. Besides, I stay close to the shops, so you don’t really have to travel for it’s just a walk away. But the good thing is that people are now living their normal lives,” Mushekwi said.
LIVERPOOL. — Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish was discharged from hospital on Saturday after testing positive for coronavirus and hailed medical staff as “absolutely brilliant”.
Dalglish (69) found he had the virus after being admitted to hospital on Wednesday for treatment for a separate infection which required intravenous antibiotics.
“They (the hospital staff) were absolutely brilliant,” Dalglish told the Sunday Post.
“As a nation, we are all very fortunate to have them and I wish them all well as they work tirelessly to help the country through this pandemic.”
He added: “People may think my name got me the best of care but every patient in the National Health Service gets the best of care.”
On Friday, Dalglish’s family said that he had tested positive for Covid-19 despite having previously displayed no symptoms of the illness.
Earlier on Saturday, Dalglish’s son thanked the world of football for the “truly humbling” messages of support.
Paul Dalglish, also a former player, tweeted: “It’s not my place to comment on my old man, he can do that for himself in due course.
“Truly humbling messages from supporters of all teams. “I’m sure we can all agree this is more important than football and that we are all united to support the NHS. Stay safe everyone.”
Dalglish’s daughter, Sky Sports presenter Kelly Cates, also shared a message of thanks to fans for their kind words and well wishes.
“Thank you so much for your lovely messages and I’m really sorry I can’t reply to them all,” she tweeted.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker said on Twitter: “Love from Becker family to Sir Kenny Dalglish!!”
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher tweeted: “Hopeful Kenny will be rid of the virus ASAP.”
Ian Rush formed a prolific partnership with Dalglish during their playing days at Liverpool and the Welshman took to Twitter to give his old team-mate his best wishes.
“Wishing a speedy recovery to the best . . . Sir Kenny Dalglish. Get well soon,” he wrote.
Dalglish won the Scottish league title with Celtic as a player on four occasions before signing for Liverpool in 1977.
At Anfield, he captured eight English league titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and three European Cups as a player and in two managerial spells. Almost 10 000 people in Britain have so far died as a result of the coronavirus.
A former prisoner who suffered a broken arm in an attack at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison has filed a police report that two warders assaulted him after he barged into a cell of a convicted popular businessman who was entertaining a woman while a second report states that it was fellow prisoners who hit him.
Tatenda Govere, who was recently freed under the Presidential Amnesty after serving four years in jail for housebreaking and theft, reported his case at Highlands Police Station under CR 52/10/18 accusing two prison officers of assault while a later report CR 62/10/18 accuses other prisoners.
Both reports have been sent to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) who will decide on the way forward, said national police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
“I can confirm that an assault report was made to the police against some prison officers but the case became complicated when another report was made, implicating fellow inmates as assailants,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Govere complained to High Court judge Justice Herbert Chitapi in March this year during the judge’s routine prison visit.
Govere, who was in 2015 jailed eight years for housebreaking, claims he entered the businessman’s cell intending to borrow a newspaper, only to find him enjoying the company of a woman.
He allegedly left the cell and continued with his daily chore of serving sadza to fellow prisoners. Two prison officers, whom he believes were linked to the businessman grilled him, he said, demanding to know why he got into the cell without notice.
“Being a trusted prisoner at yellow stage (prisoners deemed to have reformed), on September 26, 2018, I was serving food at A Hall where the businessman was staying.
“Since I was in good books with the businessman, I left a bucket of Sadza on the floor and went into his cell to ask for the day’s newspaper.
“In the cell, I was surprised to see the businessman in the company of a woman and they were eating a cake. I quickly retreated and walked away without saying a word,” said Govere.
“A few hours later, the two prison officers (names supplied) called me and grilled me over the incident. They quizzed on why I entered the cell without notice. I told them I wanted a newspaper but they turned violent and ordered me to lie on the ground.
“They took turns to assault me all over the body with a black baton until my left arm broke. I also sustained injuries on my left leg after one of the officers tripped me to the ground as I tried to escape,” he said.
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) confirmed receipt of the report saying investigations were in progress.
ZPCS spokesperson, Superintendent Meya Khanyezi said: “The allegations of assault purported by Tatenda Govere, who was released under the Presidential Amnesty last week, are is still under investigation.”
State Media|Government has said despite the country’s independence celebrations being postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the nation must be inspired by the unity among heroes who helped free the nation from colonial bondage and exhibit the same harmony in fighting the spread of the virus.
Zimbabwe on Saturday celebrates its 40th Independence Day.
President Mnangagwa declared the postponement of the planned festivities as part of measures to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This year’s main celebrations were expected to be held in Bulawayo, the first time they were to be held outside Harare since 1980.
In an interview, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Ndavaningi Nick Mangwana said while the physical celebrations had been postponed, the nation should now stand more united and let the day be a reflection on the path the country has travelled.
He said it should be used as encouragement to fight the spread of coronavirus as one family, with every citizen pulling in the same direction to overcome the global pandemic.
“This year’s celebrations come at a very challenging time for the whole world, and indeed for the country. Our resilience as a nation is being tested but this has happened before. Zimbabwe has been under siege for some time now and we have now developed the bounceability for a comeback.
“So of course, the global pandemic has thrown plans off course, we however take the good and the bad and believe this nation should not only come together in celebration but even in adversity. The spirit of Independence permeates the whole country, even in the face of such adversity,” said Mr Mangwana.
He said as a means of honouring the sacrifices made by the country’s liberation war heroes, the nation must follow the guidelines of the 21-day lockdown by staying at home, maintaining social distancing and practice good hygiene.
“The Government’s message is clear and unequivocal, Zimbabwe has come of age, and to get this far the element of unity has played a major role in this journey. President Mnangagwa just last week called upon all Zimbabweans to be united and to remain resolute in the face of this global pandemic, riding on past successes and galvanised by our strong sense of unity, we will overcome this scourge,” said the permanent secretary.
“At this juncture, the President is concentrating on ensuring that the national well-being of the nation is preserved, health wise. Of course, he will address the nation on a date and time to he advised. However, families, can always observe the day without the pomp and fanfare usually accompanying the day, up until a time we arrest the spread of the pandemic.”
Mr Mangwana said it was important for every individual to reflect on the sacrifices made by our liberation war heroes- those who lost their lives and those still living- noting that, as the President has indicated, the country will emerge stronger.
BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo – Democratic Republic of Congo recorded a second Ebola death in days following more than seven weeks without a new case, the World Health Organisation said yesterday.
Congo had been due to mark an end to the second-deadliest outbreak of the virus on record, until a case was confirmed on Friday in the eastern city of Beni.
The outbreak has killed more than 2 200 people since August 2018 in an area of the country where militia violence hobbled efforts to contain it.
The latest victim was an 11-month-old girl, who was treated at the same health centre as the previous case, a 26-year-old electrician, said Boubacar Diallo, deputy incident manager for the WHO’s Ebola response.
Officials say it is not yet clear how the electrician contracted Ebola. He had no known contacts with other Ebola patients and was not a survivor of the virus who could have relapsed, the government said on Friday.
Flare-ups or one-off transmissions are common towards the end of Ebola outbreaks, and a new case does not necessarily mean that the virus will spread out of control again.
Ebola causes fever, bleeding, vomiting and diarrhoea and spreads among humans through bodily fluids. During this outbreak it killed about two thirds of those it infected.
The WHO has identified 215 people who came into contact with the electrician, including 53 health workers at three facilities the man visited before he died, Diallo said. All but one of the health workers had already been vaccinated, he said.
Two new vaccines have helped contain the virus, though public mistrust and militia attacks prevented health workers from reaching some hard-hit areas.
On Saturday, a group of angry young men threw stones at a team of WHO workers and Beni’s deputy mayor as they attempted to decontaminate the electrician’s home and trace his contacts, Diallo said.
“For them Ebola is over,” he told Reuters. “People here have some problems understanding how this case just came two days before the declaration of the end,” Diallo said.
The deputy mayor was forced to abandon his car and escape by motorbike taxi, said Kambale Sabuni, head of the police in Beni.-Reuters.
As vehicle population continues to increase in city centres, police are mulling clamping and impounding vehicles belonging to people who would have violated the stay-at-home order.
The tightening of measures has affected essential service providers like journalists and doctors who said they have been turned away at roadblocks while driving unbranded or personal cars.
Some doctors yesterday said police should clarify the position on unbranded vehicles.
“This is an emergency situation. We are on call 24/7. On Saturday I was prohibited from proceeding past a roadblock at Sauerstown in Bulawayo because I was using my personal car to respond to an emergency call at work, although I had my pass showing that I’m an essential service provider. This is very inconvenient and unnecessary,” said a doctor who asked not to be named for professional reasons.
A number of journalists have posted in media groups alleging police denied them permission to go past roadblocks, despite producing Press cards.
“They said we should be using a branded company car. Due to the nature of our work, media houses have many unbranded vehicles which are used to gather news when one has to be inconspicuous.
“Besides, most freelance journalists used personal vehicles in their line of work. At some roadblocks, police officers say the only recognised media house is ZBC and they refuse to let others through,” posted a journalist in one group.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi advised members of the public to desist from abusing their cars and their work passes and exemption letters which are meant for official use only.
He said there were numerous cases of people abusing work passes for non-work related activities.
He advised essential services providers to wherever possible use branded company vehicles and pool cars to decongest the roads and the central business district.
He said media practitioners were free to use their Press cards, which were enough proof of being a frontline worker without further supporting documents. Asst Comm Nyathi said if someone had a pass, it did not matter what vehicle they were using.
Police in Bulawayo also warned the motoring public to observe lockdown requirements.
Bulawayo Police Spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube warned those in the habit of parking under trees and to socialise and drink at shopping centres that they will be arrested.
“We note with concern that some motorists are going up and down as if all is normal. One would think the lockdown is for pedestrians who need public transport.
“We therefore warn all motorist who are abusing their cars that they face arrest and that their vehicles may be impounded,” said Inspector Ncube.
RESIDENTS of Mabvuku received a consignment of sanitisers, soap and face masks from the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the area.
Mabvuku has been facing water shortages for years and residents have been relying on shallow wells and boreholes.
In their quest to fetch water, most of the residents have however, not been observing social distancing which is posing a health hazard.
CHRA donated 125 litres of sanitisers, 125 litres of liquid soap and face masks, which residents will use at all water points.
CHRA programmes manager Mr Reuben Akili said the donation sought toreduce the spread of Covid-19 in Mabvuku.
“This is part of our initiatives to stop the spread of Covid-19,” he said.
“I think you understand that we went to court two weeks ago and we won a High Court order so this is one of the strategies to compel council to repair boreholes, to improve water supply and to compel Government to release funds so that we can be able to have improved water supplies.”
Ward 19 councillor Barnabas Ndira said they were humbled as a community to have received the donation, which will go a long way in preventing the spread of the virus.
“This donation will help residents to practice good hygiene as they fetch water from local boreholes. As a city we have managed to secure three water bowsers which are supplying water to the residents though they are not enough.
“Our boreholes have been repaired and they are working but we are still appealing for more sanitisers so that we continue to help fight reducing the spread of the virus,” he said.
Ward 21 councilor Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi echoed Councillor Ndira’s sentiments and urged residents to practice high levels of hygiene.
“I would like to advise all the residents to stay in their homes. They should embrace the lockdown because this pandemic is very serious because some people are taking it lightly,” he said.
State Media|President Mnangagwa has not extended the lockdown period, contrary to some social media reports and people peddling fake news, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.
Giving updates on the 21-day lockdown from the inter-ministerial ad-hoc committee on the Covid-19 last night, Minister Mutsvangwa warned paddlers of such falsehoods that they face the full wrath of the law if caught.
“We also want to continue telling you that it is against the law to circulate fake news concerning Covid-19,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.
“Government notes with concern some misleading social media statements stating that the President has extended the lockdown period to 3 May.
“This is not the case, we all know that when the President proclaimed the lockdown he said he would review it at the end and we are waiting for that. It is criminal to circulate fake news and the relevant laws will be invoked to prosecute offenders.
“In terms of accurate information, Government will keep the nation informed through its official Government media channels, as well as mainstream media, including radio and television.”
Statutory Instrument 82 makes it a criminal offence to peddle fake news, with culprits facing up to 20 years in jail if convicted.
Minister Mutsvangwa said the Ministry of Health and Child Care had established a hotline (2019) to deal with clinical issues concerning the disease, while her ministry was in the process of establishing another one to deal with non-clinical issues.
She said 14 positive cases have been confirmed in the country and three had since succumbed to the illness.
“To date, Covid-19 has claimed the lives of at least 103 000 people and infected more than 1,7 million people worldwide,” she said. “Out of these, more than 380 000 people have recovered. There is still no vaccine for Covid 19 or any specially developed treatment.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said Government embarked on a disinfecting programme that would see all public places across the country’s 10 provinces being fumigated against the coronavirus that cases Covid-19.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi
State Media|In the first fortnight of the lockdown, police arrested 5 226 people countrywide for breaching lockdown provisions, mainly operating shebeens, traffic offences, operating a business without an exemption or moving aimlessly around.
Besides arresting those deliberately breaching the lockdown, police are mounting more roadblocks and have tightened vetting of motorists and Zupco passengers following a significant rise in traffic in the second week.
Motorists and bus passengers have to produce exemption letters issued to staff in essential services or give an explanation that satisfies the police at a roadblock.
Those unable to produce the letter or a satisfactory explanation are turned back and told to go home.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the police were there to enforce the lockdown directive and ensure compliance.
“The number of people arrested to date has risen to 5 226,” he said. “These were arrested for various offences, including operating shebeens, traffic-related offences, operating businesses without exemptions, while those caught moving aimlessly make the highest number of culprits.
“We are urging the public to comply with every measure and the directive from the Government meant to protect everyone’s life. We are here to enforce the directive and those who choose to ignore will be arrested until there is total compliance.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said police were concerned over some individuals who were abusing their exemptions and warned that those people risked losing the privilege.
“We have noted with concern that some individuals are abusing exemptions,” he said. “Even if they are not on duty, they are finding themselves on the road doing other things. We will soon engage authorities so that those caught abusing the exemptions could be arrested and their exemptions scrapped.
“We are also aware that some motorists try to influence officers at checkpoints to allow them passage into cities and towns without exemptions or required documents which state that they offer essential services. Those people should stop that or risk being arrested.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said more police officers would be deployed in all suburbs where grain millers will be distributing maize-meal in shops to ensure there is orderly queuing.
Some supermarkets have managed to get shoppers to queue outside with correct social distancing, but others still struggle.
“Millers will be escorted by security personnel in distributing mealie-meal in various suburbs across the country so that peace and order will be maintained,” he said.
“The distribution exercise will ensure that residents do not travel to town or for long distances during this lockdown period in search of mealie-meal.”
Asst Comm Nyathi urged the public to comply with officers on duty.
Own Correspondent|Police and members of the army on Sunday completely cleared the streets of Norton, Chegutu, Kadoma and Kwekwe Central Business Districts ahead of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s so called surprise tour of the cities.
Residents from the cities who spoke to ZimEye.com indicated that there was a sudden heavy presence of police and the army on Saturday evening into Sunday morning clearing everyone from the CBD and areas that Mnangagwa eventually toured on Sunday.
Mnangagwa said the eeriness and quietness of alleys and streets in all the cities and suburbs they visited was impressive.
“Last week we toured Harare, but I then told myself that the majority of the country’s leadership is resident in Harare so I should also check what is happening in other cities and towns because people would ask questions as to why I only toured Harare.
“Today (yesterday) I visited Chegutu, Kadoma and Kwekwe to have a feel of what is happening and I was quite impressed with the level of compliance in all the cities,” said the President.
He said the First Family decided to take many by surprise to get a true reflection of what is on the ground in terms of compliance with lockdown measures.
“I am happy that our people are observing the lockdown measures. Everywhere we visited, people were in their homes; business centres were deserted especially in Chegutu and Kwekwe cities, where the streets were virtually empty.
Mnangagwa claimed he did not announce his visit which ZimEye published way ahead of his tour of the cities.
“We deliberately did not announce our tour. We did not give notice, we just said let’s take this route and we believe what we saw is a true reflection of the situation and I am very happy,” said the President.
The President’s tour took place as one more person tested positive for Covid-19, bringing to 14 the total number of confirmed cases in the country, with three deaths.
Government has since tested 547 people for the virus, with 528 coming out negative.
Harare recorded seven confirmed cases of Covid-19, which is the highest number, followed by Mashonaland East with four. Bulawayo and Matabeleland North recorded two and one, respectively.
State Media|MINISTER of State Security Owen Ncube has warned Members of Parliament and councillors against issuing travelling exemptions to people during the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
Speaking during a tour of the Gweru Provincial Hospital Isolation Centre on Saturday, Minister Ncube said only police and District Development Coordinators had the prerogative to issue such travelling exemptions.
He said security forces enforcing the lockdown will not recognise exemptions issued by MPs and councillors.
“I would want to warn our Members of Parliament and Councillors not to issue exemption letters for people to travel during the lockdown,” said Minister Ncube. “This is tantamount to flouting the regulations thereof. I’m sorry to inform you that police will not be recognising these letters at all.
“Police and District Development Coordinators are the only ones that can issue out exemptions. People have to be serious about this disease. This disease is real. If you look and observe what is happening in other countries, they have more than 500, while some have more than 1 000 people dying every day.
“If we do not take it seriously, we might plunge into the same predicament. Let us all comply with the lockdown directive.”
Minister Ncube said Midlands was one of the provinces making significant strides in the preparations for the fight against Covid-19.
He said Government was grateful to the corporate world for complementing efforts to fight the disease.
“We are grateful to our corporate world and other well-wishers who have come forth to join hands with Government in fighting the coronavirus pandemic,” said Minister Ncube. “President Mnangagwa has reiterated over and over that it is the thought that counts. No matter how small the donation is, it will come in handy.”
Minister Ncube said Government was also impressed by Midlands Joint Operation Command (JOC) for diligently enforcing the lockdown.
“My acquaintances in Cabinet and other colleagues have always joked with us that it is easier to drive into Harare than it is to pass through Midlands Province because our police are strict,” he said.
“This is a clear testimony to show that our security systems in the province are watertight. We implore you to maintain your levels of diligence in enforcing the lockdown so that we save citizens from this pandemic.”
Minister Ncube said even those in the rural areas were at risk considering that some people travelled to their rural areas when the lockdown was announced. He implored citizens to be disciplined during the lockdown.
Minister Ncube said police will crack down on shebeens and backyard kitchens as part of enforcing the lockdown.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
An online petition calling both for the resignation of World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the inclusion of Taiwan in the globalist body was nearing one million signatures Sunday morning.
The campaign began on January 31 when the petition titled, “Call for the resignation of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General,” appeared on Change.org, citing Tedros’ refusal on January 23 to designate the Wuhan coronavirus a global health emergency.
The author said this was partially to blame for the number of infected cases increasing more than tenfold from 800 to more than 10,000 over the next five days.
“We strongly think Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is not fit for his role as WHO Director General. We call for the Immediate Resignation of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,” the petition reads.
“A lot of us are really disappointed,” the petition continues. “We believe WHO is supposed to be politically neutral. Without any investigation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus solely believes on [sic] the death and infected numbers that the Chinese government provided with them.”
It ends with the following plea: “Taiwan should not be excluded from WHO for any political reasons. Their technologies are far more advanced than some of the countries on the “selected WHO list.”
As Breitbart News has extensively reported, the criticism of the handling of the Chinese coronavirus crisis by WHO in general and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in particular has been growing.
It is deeply troubling @WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu is helping the Chinese Communist Party obfuscate the origins and trajectory of #COVID19, at the risk of health around the globe.https://t.co/gobeAmq7Pd
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) March 25, 2020
U.S. lawmakers have been among Tedros’ harshest critics. On Thursday, a group of Republicans from the House Oversight Committee wrote to Tedros, demanding the Ethiopian disclose the precise nature of his relationship with Chinese Communist Party officials.
“Throughout the crisis, the WHO has shied away from placing any blame on the Chinese government, which is in essence the Communist Party of China,” the Republicans wrote. “You, as leader of the WHO, even went so far as to praise the Chinese government’s ‘transparency’ during the crisis, when, in fact, the regime has consistently lied to the world by underreporting their actual infection and death statistics.”
The GOP letter cited a January message on Twitter in which the WHO said Chinese authorities found “no clear evidence” of human-to-human transmission of the virus, also known as COVID-19.
As of yet there has been no response by WHO to the multitude of calls for Tedros’ resignation.
Meanwhile, the United States surpassed Italy for total coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday night and is now leading the world in reported fatalities from the Wuhan virus, as Breitbart News reported.
Data from Italy’s Civil Protection reveals the nation has suffered a total of 19,468 fatalities from the coronavirus.
Both the U.S. and Italy have now exceeded 19,000 deaths due to the Wuhan virus, while the overall death tolls from the Chinese virus continue to surge in Spain (16,353) and France (13,216).
UNDISPUTED sungura kingpin Alick Macheso has paid tribute to Nicholas Zakaria, the “senior lecturer” who laid the way for him to rise from being a Khiama Boys bassist to lead his own trailblazing band which has been a permanent feature of Zimbabwean music for over two decades.
“Kwazvakatangira. Ndinotenda zvikurusa. More life mudhara, Happy Birthday.
Rudo pamberi. #BandRevanhu,” said Macheso in his birthday message.
Zakaria celebrated his 64 birthday early this week, and said he relished tales in his 40-year musical journey.
The musician who has earned himself nicknames such as “Senior Lecture” and “Professor” has seen a lot and his tales actually need a thick-volume memoire to be drained.
Zakaria has endured all the pain, beginning music at a time when the art was condemned socially and going through the changing music landscape for more than 40 years.
His musical journey is a tale of twist and turns.
The musician started music in 1975 in Mazowe with a group called Green Mangoes before he moved to the capital where he teamed up with Solo Makore, Shepherd Chinyani, Sam Chikudzura and Wellington Sakala to form Vhuka Boys around 1980.
Zakaria and Macheso Vhuka boys could not last longer as he decided to move on and form his Khiama Boys around 1984.
He recalls the ups and downs in the early days of Khiama Boys when he worked with Tineyi Chikupo, Cephas Karushanga, Lovemore Tom, Sam Chikudzura and Margaret Gweshe before Alick Macheso replaced Tom when he fell ill.
“When leader of Vhuka Boys Sherpard Chinyani decided persue other interests outside music I then decided to take most of the band members with me to start our outfit Khiama Boys,” he said.
Zakaria later married Gweshe and she dropped out of music to become a house wife. They are still together. -Zimbabwe Voice
A dispute between a daughter and mother over which television channel to watch turned fatal when the latter went on to axe her husband for allegedly failing to reprimand their daughter during the misunderstanding.
The incident happened on Friday night at Bulawayo’s Emganwini suburb when Ordetta Mpofu (44) allegedly axed her husband, Mr Thembani Mpofu (52), an employee of the Bulawayo City Council three times on the head for failing to support her during the fight over the remote control with their daughter.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident and said investigations were in progress.
“Police in Bulawayo are investigating a case of murder which occurred on 10 April in Emganwini. On the day at around 7.45pm, the now deceased (father) was watching television with his wife and their two children.
One of the children changed the channel they were watching and that did not go down well with her mother who asked her to return to the previous channel,” said Insp Ncube.
Insp Ncube said a misunderstanding arose between the mother and the daughter while the father was watching and did not interfere.
“A misunderstanding arose between the daughter and her mother.
The mother became angry and the father didn’t intervene and indicated that he was not involved in their misunderstanding and retired to bed.
At around 9.30pm, the mother armed herself with an axe, got into their bedroom and axed her husband three times on the head while he was asleep leading to his death,” said Insp Ncube.
The provincial police spokesperson said the mother confessed to her daughter that she had killed her father for failing to reprimand her during the misunderstanding.
“She got out of the bedroom and told her daughter that she had killed her father.
The daughter got into the bedroom and discovered that her father was bleeding profusely, she then screamed and informed her brother,” said Insp Ncube.
A report was made to the police who attended to the scene and found the man already dead. The accused was arrested and is assisting police with investigations.
Insp Ncube urged members of the public to unite as families.
“As police we urge members of the public to be patient with each other in their respective families. It was needless really to lose such a precious life over a channel of a television.
Let’s all exercise self-restraint,” said Insp Ncube.-Sunday News
The Ministry would like to report that today, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory tested 84 samples. The samples were received from four provinces i.e. Bulawayo (58).
Harare (23), Mashonaland East (2) and Mashonaland Central (I).
Of the 79 results available at the time of print, one was positive for COVID-19. More details to follow later.
Additionally, in line with our decentralisation strategy for testing, training of lab scientists at the National TB Reference Laboratory in Bulawayo for COVID•19 testing is currently taking place. Once completed, these will provide COVID-19 testing services for the Southern Region starting on Monday next week.
Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe has fourteen confirmed cases, including three deaths.
Cumulative Tests Conducted: 547 COVID-19 Negative: 528 COVID-19 Positive: 14 Deaths: 3 Matebeleland North: 1 Bulawayo: 2 Harare: 7 Mashonaland East: 4 Total: 14 The Ministry continues to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Active contact tracing for the late, case #11 from Bulawayo is in progress. To date, we have identified 47 primary contacts of this case.
The Ministry established that the tourist resort in Hwange, where case #11 and his wife visited between 14th and 16th March 2020, there were no other guests at the time of their visit. Following their departure, the lodge has not booked any clients to date.
Further, the Ministry established that all the 7 staff members that case #11 was in direct contact with during his stay were asymptomatic.
The Ministry would like to remind the nation that, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and to practise social distancing.
For assistance, please call COVID-19 tollfree hotline number: 2019.
The Ministry would like to report that today, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory tested 84 samples. The samples were received from four provinces i.e. Bulawayo (58).
Harare (23), Mashonaland East (2) and Mashonaland Central (I).
Of the 79 results available at the time of print, one was positive for COVID-19. More details to follow later.
Additionally, in line with our decentralisation strategy for testing, training of lab scientists at the National TB Reference Laboratory in Bulawayo for COVID•19 testing is currently taking place. Once completed, these will provide COVID-19 testing services for the Southern Region starting on Monday next week.
Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe has fourteen confirmed cases, including three deaths.
Cumulative Tests Conducted: 547 COVID-19 Negative: 528 COVID-19 Positive: 14 Deaths: 3 Matebeleland North: 1 Bulawayo: 2 Harare: 7 Mashonaland East: 4 Total: 14 The Ministry continues to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Active contact tracing for the late, case #11 from Bulawayo is in progress. To date, we have identified 47 primary contacts of this case.
The Ministry established that the tourist resort in Hwange, where case #11 and his wife visited between 14th and 16th March 2020, there were no other guests at the time of their visit. Following their departure, the lodge has not booked any clients to date.
Further, the Ministry established that all the 7 staff members that case #11 was in direct contact with during his stay were asymptomatic.
The Ministry would like to remind the nation that, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and to practise social distancing.
For assistance, please call COVID-19 tollfree hotline number: 2019.
12 Police officers and 3 Soldiers in South Africa have tested positive for COVID-19.
The cops tested positive for COVID-19 during regular SAPS testing processes and the cases were confirmed by the Police Commissioner who said:
We are looking after them. As and when that occurs, we then give them the necessary attention.
So the 12 that I was referring to, are part and parcel of our own testing processes that take place, While Surgeon General Lieutenant General Zola Dabula has confirmed that the South African National Defense Forces has 3 COVID-19 cases:
So far, from a total number of 184 suspected cases, 125 tests have been conducted. Of those, 105 came back negative and only 3 were positive. Another 15 are awaiting results with 3 appearing inconclusive.
The SAPS & SANDF are the ones who are working hard to ensure that South African lockdown restrictions are followed.-IOL
A former prisoner who suffered a broken arm in an attack at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison has filed a police report that two warders assaulted him after he barged into a cell of a convicted popular businessman who was entertaining a woman while a second report states that it was fellow prisoners who hit him.
Tatenda Govere, who was recently freed under the Presidential Amnesty after serving four years in jail for housebreaking and theft, reported his case at Highlands Police Station under CR 52/10/18 accusing two prison officers of assault while a later report CR 62/10/18 accuses other prisoners.
Both reports have been sent to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) who will decide on the way forward, said national police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
“I can confirm that an assault report was made to the police against some prison officers but the case became complicated when another report was made, implicating fellow inmates as assailants,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Govere complained to High Court judge Justice Herbert Chitapi in March this year during the judge’s routine prison visit.
Govere, who was in 2015 jailed eight years for housebreaking, claims he entered the businessman’s cell intending to borrow a newspaper, only to find him enjoying the company of a woman.
He allegedly left the cell and continued with his daily chore of serving sadza to fellow prisoners. Two prison officers, whom he believes were linked to the businessman grilled him, he said, demanding to know why he got into the cell without notice.
“Being a trusted prisoner at yellow stage (prisoners deemed to have reformed), on September 26, 2018, I was serving food at A Hall where the businessman was staying.
“Since I was in good books with the businessman, I left a bucket of Sadza on the floor and went into his cell to ask for the day’s newspaper.
“In the cell, I was surprised to see the businessman in the company of a woman and they were eating a cake. I quickly retreated and walked away without saying a word,” said Govere.
“A few hours later, the two prison officers (names supplied) called me and grilled me over the incident. They quizzed on why I entered the cell without notice. I told them I wanted a newspaper but they turned violent and ordered me to lie on the ground.
“They took turns to assault me all over the body with a black baton until my left arm broke. I also sustained injuries on my left leg after one of the officers tripped me to the ground as I tried to escape,” he said. State Media/ Herald
The MDC Youth Assembly condemns in strongest terms selective treatment and racial abuse of blacks in China in face of Covid-19 pandemic.
Stinking information and videos flooding global news sites points to a retrogressive approach by some Chinese nationals who mistreat blacks as carriers of Corona virus.
As young social democrats who believe in principles of equality and justice, we strongly detest such retrogressive stigma especially from a country whose nationals are littered everywhere in the African continent.
In this day and age where nations have globalized, it is very shameful for a country rated second in this 4th Industrial Revolution age to be somewhat found stigmatizing the black race as couriers of a virus that originated in their mother country.
We all know that Wuhan is not Addis Ababa, Harare, Bujumbura or some African city but a Chinese city where the Corona virus originated from.
So for Chinese nationals to pull a racial card in face of Covid-19 is not only disgraceful and retrogressive but Afrophobic!
As an Assembly we believe we are past that dark age whereby light skinned people treat people of color as second class citizens of the earth.
It is just totally unacceptable for a country that has gone through a painful past like China to play racial card on Africans in face of a pandemic that ironically has its roots in the very same country.
Now that China is part of today’s family of nations, we expect her to abide by the dictates of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We urge the Chinese government to put a full stop on this racial nonsense that is currently unfolding in China.
If anything, the world demand an apology from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
That China prefix herself as People’s Republic, it therefore defies logic when people of another race appear not to be welcome in her community.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
Heal Zimbabwe’s Early Warning and Early Response Situation Room is monitoring how communities are reacting to the national lockdown which was announced by the President on the 27th of March, 2020. Below are some of the reactions recorded today, the 12th of April 2020:
Nyanga
Community members in Nyanga South ward 18, Magarati village are complying with the lockdown by staying at home.
Police today dispersed people who were roaming around Magarapi shops. There was also a funeral in Dirorimwe village, ward 2. People were encouraged not to shake hands. Village heads also made sure that people were not gathering in big groups.
Mutare
Community members in Sakubva suburb stayed at home. Police were deployed around 09:00hours to 18:00hours to enforce the lockdown and encouraged people to stay at home. All shops were open from 9am to 3pm.
Mutasa
Community members in Mutasa North Ward 31 stayed at home. All shops were open from 08:00hours to 14:00hours. All bars were closed.
Buhera
Community members in Buhera West Ward 5 Manjengwa village stayed at home. All shops were open from 10:00hours to 17:00hours. All beer halls were closed.
Chipinge
It was business as usual for Chipinge South ward 10 community members. Police Officers were deployed around 09:00hours to 18:00hours to help enforce the lockdown. Two bars namely Musomekwa and Zimunya were open from around 13:00hours to 18:00hours. Several community members were spotted drinking beer and not observing social distancing.
Chimanimani
Community members in Chimanimani Ward 7 stayed at home. All shops were open from 09:00hours to 13hours. Police were deployed around 15:00hours to 18:30hours to enforce the lockdown.
Makoni
Community members in Makoni West Ward 16 Nyamugundura village stayed at home. All shops were closed. However, alcohol continues to be sold behind beer halls.
Norton
Utano Clinic in Ward 10 was forced to close at around 10am after police officers fired tear smoke at a fruits and vegetables market close to Sagonda hospital. The smoke affected nurses since Utano Clinic is just next to Sagonda hospital. Police also fired tear smoke into the Clinic forcing patients and nurses to vacate the clinic.
Yesterday, a group of soldiers and police officers violently dispersed community members who were seen moving around Norton. They were spotted assaulting and harassing people in Ward 10 at around 0700 hours.
Chitungwiza
Community members are still roaming around as usual, searching for water, mealie-meal and generating incomes for their families. Community members swarm around community boreholes from as early as 0100 hours and in most cases, they will be more than 50 people. There are no sanitizers at most community boreholes in Chitungwiza.
Today a team of soldiers and police officers assaulted vendors who were gathered at Jambanja market place.. They also confiscated some of the wares that the vendors had displayed.
Harare
Mabvuku
Community members who were gathered at Chizhanje business centre were violently dispersed by a group of police officers at around 1700 hours. Pressure on local community boreholes has decreased since the local authority is now delivering potable water using trucks. However, community members do not observe social distancing when fetching water from the trucks. These trucks usually deliver water at around 10 am.
Masvingo
Chiredzi
Yesterday, a group of soldiers assaulted community members who were seen moving around Tshovani. This took place at around 1700 hours in Ward 3 and 4.
Bikita
In Wards 32, 9, 15 people are complying but they are now running out of food stocks. Community members who spoke to resident Heal Zimbabwe trained human rights monitors highlighted that they no longer have food in their homes and the prices for basic commodities are going up every day.
In ward 22 and 12 people are complying with the lockdown. Police Officers are also moving around enforcing the lockdown. Community members found violating lockdown regulations are fined.
Gutu
In Ward 5 people are complying and today they attended a funeral. The local health technician was present making sure people maintain social distancing and other hygienic measures.
In ward 31 people stayed in their homes but highlighted that the cost of basic goods such as sugar have gone up sharply. A 2kg of sugar now costs ZW$120 around ZW$45.
Zaka
In Ward 19 community members are complying with the lockdown regulations. Several community members have highlighted that they have run out of food and have appealed to the local government structures to intervene.
Chivi
In Ward 25 it is still business as usual. Today several community members attended a collaborative neutral platform (Nhimbe/ilima).
Mashonaland East
Mutoko
Community members from around Mutoko Centre spent the whole day queuing for cheaper mealie-meal at TM supermarket. Over 200 community members were in the queue at around 1300 hours, without observing social distancing.
Midlands
Mvuma – Police from Mvuma ZRP violently dispersed approximately 60 community members who were partying at Nyamafufu Dam. The police further clamped close to 15 cars that the partying community members were using. Today, some of the motorists were instructed to collect their cars from Mvuma Police Station after receiving further beating as part of the punishment.
Mashonaland West
Kariba
In ward 12, people are staying at home. Most shops are opening around midday. Community members are observing social distancing.
The MDC Youth Assembly condemns in strongest terms selective treatment and racial abuse of blacks in China in face of Covid-19 pandemic.
Stinking information and videos flooding global news sites points to a retrogressive approach by some Chinese nationals who mistreat blacks as carriers of Corona virus.
As young social democrats who believe in principles of equality and justice, we strongly detest such retrogressive stigma especially from a country whose nationals are littered everywhere in the African continent.
In this day and age where nations have globalized, it is very shameful for a country rated second in this 4th Industrial Revolution age to be somewhat found stigmatizing the black race as couriers of a virus that originated in their mother country.
We all know that Wuhan is not Addis Ababa, Harare, Bujumbura or some African city but a Chinese city where the Corona virus originated from.
So for Chinese nationals to pull a racial card in face of Covid-19 is not only disgraceful and retrogressive but Afrophobic!
As an Assembly we believe we are past that dark age whereby light skinned people treat people of color as second class citizens of the earth.
It is just totally unacceptable for a country that has gone through a painful past like China to play racial card on Africans in face of a pandemic that ironically has its roots in the very same country.
Now that China is part of today’s family of nations, we expect her to abide by the dictates of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We urge the Chinese government to put a full stop on this racial nonsense that is currently unfolding in China.
If anything, the world demand an apology from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
That China prefix herself as People’s Republic, it therefore defies logic when people of another race appear not to be welcome in her community.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
By Patrick Guramatunhu- “I am aware that there have been expressions of opposing views, trading of nasty words, accusations and counter accusations, anger and frustrations, but I think we need to sober up, sit down together and face the reality of the judgement and its far-reaching implications to the well-being of the party,” said Elias Mudzuri. He was commenting of the recent Court judgement declaring Chamisa’s 2018 succession illegal.
“The starting point is to accept that we erred in the manner in which we handled the succession and transformation matrixes of the party.”
As one of the three VPs hoping to succeed Tsvangirai, there is no denying that Mudzuri was disappointed with Chamisa’s palace coup that left him and Thokozani Khupe out in the cold. Whilst Khupe commanded so following and broke away, Mudzuri had no such following and swallowed his pride and accept the subordinate role in the Chamisa led faction.
Of course, Mudzuri welcomed the Court judgement. Whilst Douglas Mwonzora and Morgen Komichi, who too had grudgingly acquiesced to Chamisa’s leadership, had openly supported the Court challenge; Mudzuri had not even commented until now.
Elias Mudzuri is one of those characters with a knack to disappear before the first shot is fired, let the others do the fighting, only to reappear when he is absolutely certain it is safe to do so and join the victory parade! Now he wants to be seen and heard and would not miss it for all the tea in China!
“It creates the best opportunity for the leadership of the MDC to pause and avert a possible bruising split that will not benefit anyone except our opponents,” continued the now rejuvenated Elias Mudzuri.
“We must get into the 2023 harmonised elections as a united family with one objective of taking over power from Zanu-PF so as to change the fortunes of Zimbabwe.
“We must not betray the people of Zimbabwe who in the more than two decades have invested so much into this project of change for a better Zimbabwe.”
What a truckload of bull! What democratic changes have you and your fellow MDC leaders brought in the two decades? Not even one!
The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders into power on the promise the party will bring about the democratic changes, as the party’s own name implied, the nation has been dying for.
The best opportunity to implement the democratic reforms was during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, SADC leaders had forced Robert Mugabe to agree to the 2008 implementation of the raft of democratic reforms following the signing of the Global Political Agreement. The task of implementing the reforms fell to MDC and the party failed to get even one reform implemented in five years!
SADC leaders tried to salvage the situation by asking the 2013 election to be postpone until the reforms are implemented. “If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!” SADC leaders warned Tsvangirai et al at the SADC Maputo Summit in June 2013. But once again MDC leaders paid no heed.
MDC leaders KNEW Zanu PF was rigging the 2013 elections and, worst of all, they also KNEW that by participating they would give credibility to the elections and thus legitimacy to the results; as David Coltart readily admitted.
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the (2013) elections,” wrote Senator Coltart in his book The Struggle Continues 50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe.
“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”
The MDC factions did form a coalition before the 2018 elections and still they contested the elections for the same reason as in 2013 – greed.
Nothing has been done to get the reforms implemented since the rigged 2018 elections.
MDC leaders wasted the golden opportunity to implement the reforms during the 2008 GNU because they sold-out, they were busy enjoying the trappings of high office they forgot about the reforms. By participating in these flawed and illegal elections MDC leaders are giving Zanu PF legitimacy but they do not care as long as they get the few bait seats on offer.
“We must not betray the people of Zimbabwe!” You betrayed them by failing to implement even one reform and continue to betray them by participating and legitimising a flawed and illegal election process! Mudzuri and company are in power, they have forgotten about the need for democratic changes and reforms as the pre-requisite free, fair and credible elections!
The people of Zimbabwe must now wake-up to the political reality that, for the last 20 years, the country has made no progress in the fight for free, just and democratic Zimbabwe. Not because there have been no opportunities to achieve that goal but rather because MDC leaders, entrusted to implement the reforms, are corrupt, incompetent and have sold-out in the past and are selling-out even now!
If Zimbabwe is to ever have free, fair and credible elections then we must appoint competent and incorruptible men and women to implement the reforms. Chamisa, Khupe, Mudzuri and their fellow MDC leaders have proven these last 20 years, beyond all reason doubt, that they are not up to the task! Dismantling the Zanu PF dictatorship is a challenging task that can only be done with the right tool – MDC leaders are not that tool!
The very fact that there are still Zimbabweans out there continue to sheepishly following opportunists like Mudzuri, regardless of their track record as sell-outs, goes to show the country is not yet ready for democracy and good governance.
Farai Dziva|Former Zanu PF Political Commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere has implored politicians to shelve their differences and unite in the fight against the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.
Kasukuwere was responding to questions forwarded to him by Masvingo based church leader, Isaac Makomichi of Calvary Prayer Group.
Makomichi asked the former Zanu PF intelligence supremo to comment on government’s capacity to deal with Coronavirus.
“Let’s for now combine all our efforts and save lives.Disagreements aside,we have no option but to come together and support each other to overcome the pandemic.
We can always put forward our options (smart or otherwise) after concurring Covid- 19,” Kasukuwere responded.
Speaking to ZimEye.com Makomichi said: “I have been following Kasukuwere’s tweets and it seems he is a humble and listening leader indeed.
I think he is ready to correct past errors.
I strongly believe he needs to join hands with President Mnangagwa and Chamisa to revive our economy.”
Political observers argue the Zanu PF government is using the lockdown to advance its political interests.
Political analysts also question the timing of the Supreme Court ruling on the MDC leadership dispute.
By A Correspondent- The government has warned employers against sending workers on unpaid leave, retrenchments and unfairly terminating employees’ contracts during the 21-day national lockdown.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Paul Mavima, in a statement on Friday, urged all employers to uphold fair labour standards as enshrined in Section 65 of the Zimbabwe Constitution and as provided in Section 2A of the Labour Act (Chapter28:01). He said:
All employers are therefore urged to refrain from imposing unpaid leave measures, retrenchments and unfair terminations on workers during the lockdown period. Use of unpaid leave during the lockdown period should only be considered through mutual agreements.
The national lockdown was imposed on March 30 to control the spread of COVID-19, a highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Meanwhile, a number of companies especially players in the hospitality and tourism industry are alleged to have terminated and imposed unpaid leave days to their employees.
For instance, Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE)-listed fast-foods concern Simbisa Brands recently announced that it was laying off contract workers, among other cost-cutting measures to mitigate the negative impact of the coronavirus.
Farai Dziva|Former Zanu PF Political Commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere has implored politicians to shelve their differences and unite in the fight against the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.
Kasukuwere was responding to questions forwarded to him by Masvingo based church leader, Isaac Makomichi of Calvary Prayer Group.
Makomichi asked the former Zanu PF intelligence supremo to comment on government’s capacity to deal with Coronavirus.
“Let’s for now combine all our efforts and save lives.Disagreements aside,we have no option but to come together and support each other to overcome the pandemic.
We can always put forward our options (smart or otherwise) after concurring Covid- 19,” Kasukuwere responded.
Speaking to ZimEye.com Makomichi said: “I have been following Kasukuwere’s tweets and it seems he is a humble and listening leader indeed.
I think he is ready to correct past errors.
I strongly believe he needs to join hands with President Mnangagwa and Chamisa to revive our economy.”
Political observers argue the Zanu PF government is using the lockdown to advance its political interests.
Political analysts also question the timing of the Supreme Court ruling on the MDC leadership dispute.
By A Correspondent- A married man from Luveve has reportedly turned to abusing his wife in the presence of their children after she slapped him with a sex ban.
Austine Soko who has been denied sex by his wife couldn’t take away his frustrations anywhere else except to send the energy back to his wife Skhunjuliwe Soko.
“He insults me using vulgar language in front of our children, he physically, sexually, emotionally and economically abuses me as he doesn’t want me to be employed,” said Skhunjuliwe.
She said the abuse she was receiving from her husband was affecting their two children who are aged 17 and 13 years old.
“The constant fights are emotionally affecting the children. At times he (Austine) verbally abuses them for no apparent reason,” said Skhunjuliwe.
It seemed the marriage between the two was getting strained as Skhunjuliwe was tired of not being free to work and receiving different forms of abuse from her husband. On the other hand, Austine was also tired of the continuous strain of the sex ban.
He bared his heavy heart before Western Commonage magistrate Urgent Vundla as he asked for advice on what he could do when his wife refused to grant him his conjugal rights.
“What should I do? Whenever I touch her in our bed she always pushes away my hand and tells me straight to my face that she doesn’t want to have sex with me,” said Soko.
Skhunjuliwe pleaded with Vundla to grant her a protection order as she feared that her husband might end up hurting her.
She was granted an interim protection order and Austine was cautioned to refrain from emotionally, verbally, physically, sexually and economically abusing his wife.
“Anywhere you go, sex is the foundation of any marriage. I would advise you to work on that part of your marriage,” said the magistrate.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- Vice President Kembo Mohadi has said more should be done to combat the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Speaking on Friday in an interview, VP Mohadi called for more tests to be conducted expeditiously and for the decentralisation of testing centres.
He said:
Tests should be done expeditiously and they (doctors) said we should also move out of Harare and go to other areas. Even before the lockdown, we did not know who had been where and who they had visited and met. We need to do more testing using facilities that are there. I am equally not happy myself that we have only tested over 400 people. We need to have tested more.
Zimbabwe has so far recorded 14 coronavirus cases with three deaths having been confirmed by health officials.
The country has an acute shortage of testing kits, intensive care units, ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE), among other critical things.-DailyNews
Professor Jonathan Moyo says the People’s Republic of China is a racist country that does not respect the rights of individuals.
Moyo, who was commenting on the Julius Malema led party EFF’s statement on Chinese racist attitude against Africans said the Asian country has been practicing racism for a long time.
Said Moyo:
“Statement from EFF on treatment of African nationals in China. April 12, 2020. The clear & present fact that the African Union and African leaders have ignored since time immemorial is that China is a racist country with no respect for individual & human rights!”
Meanwhile the Economic Freedom Fighters has issued a statement condemning the inhumane treatment the Chinese government is subjecting African Nationals to.
“According to the reports, Africans in Guangzhou city are targets of suspicion and subjected to forced evictions, arbitrary quarantining and mass coronavirus testing on the basis of being African.
The racist motivated evictions on African Nationals in China has forced some to live under bridges, shops and restaurant owners turn Africans away from buying food from them,” EFF said.
The party called upon the African Union-led by South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa to ensure the well being of Africans in China.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the abuse and racist mistreatment of Africans living and working in China; particularly at a time when we should be supporting one another to recover from the Coronavirus pandemic. As the international community we must come together to fight the spread of COVID-19 instead of engaging in racist discrimination based on unfounded claims that Africans are spreading the virus.
“We call on the African Union (AU) and the Chairperson Of the AU Cyril Ramaphosa to ensure the safety and well-being of all Africans across the globe and the unconditional repatriation of all Africans from China.”
By A Correspondent- The family of Ian Hyslop, a Bulawayo man who passed away due to COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, has spoken about a catalogue of errors by doctors that led to his demise.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Hyslop’s daughter Sharon said they decided to talk about the events leading to the death of their father, who was 79, “out of genuine concern for all Zimbabweans”.
The statement issued by the family reads in part:
Our father Ian Hyslop, 79, was examined by his Bulawayo doctor on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 25, specifically as we felt he needed to see a doctor as he was suffering troubling flu symptoms.
Thereafter, in the days leading up to his death on Saturday, April 4 – we believe he was examined by two local general practitioners with utter carelessness and ignorance.
We make this claim based on the fact the chairwoman and management of Qalisa Retirement Village where our father resided with his 77-year-old partner decided he would not be permitted to leave the village even if he wanted to have his own doctor attend to him from March 26.
This illogical decision was implemented by the village’s management, simply because he was over 70 years of age in complete disregard of statutory instrument 83 of 2020 covering COVID-19 lockdown regulations.
Hyslop’s daughter then goes on to narrate the events that transpired between his father’s visit to Ganda Lodge in Hwange, between March 14 and 16, his visit to a doctor on March 25 after he experienced troublesome flu symptoms (cough, sore throat and a slight temperature) and his death on April 4.
She further reveals that the family was only informed that Hyslop had the coronavirus late on Monday, April 7 – apparently, because the sample was collected before a weekend and there was no transport to take it to Harare, where all lab tests were carried out.
She concluded:
As a family, we cannot understand how two doctors, if not three, fully aware the lockdown was due to COVID-19, did not once consider him to be a typical case and hospitalise him on March 25 or at least March 31 when he clearly needed to be.
As a result, there is no other way of describing them but careless, ignorant and negligent medical practitioners. The chairwoman and management of Qalisa must also take responsibility for illegally preventing the old folk from leaving the complex to see their preferred practitioner if or when the need arose during the lockdown period.
It’s shameful. We have lost the love of our lives. He didn’t deserve to be subjected to these tragic circumstances.
By A Correspondent- Media watchdog, MISA Zimbabwe has said a freelance journalist Terence Sipuma was on 11 April 2020 reportedly assaulted by members of the police and the army in Harare while conducting his duties.
Sipuma was stopped by the security officers at the Kuwadzana roundabout in Harare while on his way to Chegutu to report on Zimbabwe’s 21-day COVID-19 lockdown. He said:
They asked where I was going and the moment I showed them my journalism I.D. (accreditation) card, I was asked to lie down (on the ground) and was beaten being accused of exposing them.
They took my phone and as they were searching through the phone they promised me that they were going to do more if I had videos or pictures of that operation.
Sepuma told MISA Zimbabwe that he was released after about 15 minutes.
MISA Zimbabwe has called on the police and the Zimbabwe Media Commission to urgently investigate cases involving the continued assaults and harassment of journalists and bring the culprits to book.
By A Correspondent- A group of Zimbabweans living George, Western Cape Province, South Africa, are yearning to return home after authorities across the Limpopo extended the lockdown to the end of April.
Respect Majoni, who spoke to a local publication on behalf of the group, said they are now facing starvation with no help forthcoming from the South African government or the Zimbabwean consulate in Cape Town. Said Majoni:
Here in George, the people I know who desperately need to go home add up to 24. We had convinced ourselves that we could manage for 21 days but the extension has turned everything upside down.
If we remain stuck, here we are definitely going to die of hunger. It’s better for this situation to prevail while we are in our home country.
We went to seek help at Thembalethu Police Station but they laughed us away and mocked us. We had expected them to help us get travelling passes so we could travel back to Zimbabwe.
On many occasions, we called the Zimbabwean consulate in Cape Town but nobody picked the calls.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on April 9 announced an extension of the lockdown to the end of the month as the country battles to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
South Africa is the hardest-hit country in Africa, with the country’s Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize announcing on Sunday night that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country is now at 2 173.-TellZim
Deputy Government Spokesperson Energy Mutodi has warned United Kingdom citizens from leaving the country arguing that Africa is safer than their home countries when it comes to the threats of coronavirus.
Mutodi said the risk of contracting the virus was higher when they arrive in their home countries than in Zimbabwe home.
He said:
“British citizens leaving Zimbabwe risk contracting the deadly CoronaVirus at Heathrow & in their homes back in London. For the first time in history, Africa is a safe home compared to Europe where life expectancy has dropped catastrophically overnight.”
According to BBC UK is likely to be among the European countries worst affected by coronavirus, one of the government’s senior scientific advisers has said.
The warning from Sir Jeremy Farrar comes as UK hospital deaths are set to pass 10,000 on Sunday.
In response, Business Secretary Alok Sharma said countries were on “different trajectories”.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been discharged from hospital after being treated for coronavirus.
On the advice of his medical team, Mr Johnson will not immediately return to work and will continue his recovery at his country residence, Chequers, a No 10 spokesman said.
He had three nights in intensive care before returning to a general ward on Thursday.
The total number of coronavirus hospital deaths in the UK currently stands at 9,875, following a rise of 917 recorded on Saturday.
The figure does not include deaths outside of hospitals, such as in care homes or in the community.
On Sunday, a further 657 deaths were announced in England, 24 in Scotland, 18 in Wales and 11 in Northern Ireland.
The latest UK-wide figures have not yet been confirmed by the Department of Health.
Ministers are continuing to urge people to stay at home over the Easter weekend to curb the spread of the virus, despite warm and sunny weather across parts of the UK.-Online
The total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections in South Africa on Sunday increased to 2,173, with confirmed deaths still at 25.
In a statement on Sunday evening, Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize said the increase in COVID-19 infections was 145 from the previously reported cases on Saturday.
The total number of tests conducted to date was 80,085.
“We are also seeing an increase in tests conducted at public laboratories. Of the 5,032 tests conducted in the past day, 3,192 were done in public laboratories,” Mkhize said.
By A Correspondent- The number of Zimbabweans who have died of COVID 19 continues to grow daily as the scourge wrecks havoc globally.
Below is a list of Zimbabweans at home and abroad who have tragically passed away so far.
However, it should be noted that the list will be updated as and when this publication gathers more information regarding those that have also died but whose identities have not yet been availed.
May their dear departed souls rest in eternal peace…..
Ian Hyslop
11. Ian Hyslop (79) from Bulawayo passed away on April 4 2020 in Zimbabwe due to COVID- 19.
Rutendo Mukotsanjera
10. Rutendo Mukotsanjera: A prominent public health officer and human rights activist, Rutendo is said to have passed away on Friday in the United Kingdom.
Her relative, singer Cindy Munyavi who the previous night had made a plea asking christians to support the late Mukotsanjera’a family with prayers announde the sad passing of her daughter, the following day.
Said Munyavi:
“Zorora murugare Rutendo meaning may your dear departed soul rest in peace..ndarwadziwa meaning i am in pain…thank u for your prayers. Mwari vaita kuda kwavo (it was the Lord’s will).”
“She was an amazing person. COVID-19 is such a harsh reality and it takes losing a loved one for one to realise what a monster it is. Please stay at home, for your sake and others,” she added.
9. Duran Velempini from Birmingham died end of March and worked for the NHS in the UK.
8. Naison Msebele a 77 year old retired economist who worked for Lambeth Council in London and came to UK in the 70’s died on at London Royal Hospital.
7. Marko Siwela (over 70) from Sheffield, UK.
Dr Paul Matewele
6. Dr Paul Matewele (57), who was a senior lecturer in microbiology immunology at London Metropolitan University, died at Barnet Hospital in London.
Speaking from her base in the United Kingdom, Dr Matewele’s niece, Ms Mary Matewele, said;
“We are at a loss of words on the passing on of our family member Dr Matewele. We are still to get information from the hospital on when we are going to bury my uncle.
“The burial arrangements are reportedly being facilitated by the hospital in light of the pandemic and losing a loved one from the virus which has affected the whole world is heartbreaking.”
Dr Matewele grew up in Pelandaba suburb in Bulawayo and moved to the UK at the age of 19 to further his studies. He published several studies on the dangers of life-threatening bacteria being passed through cash and public transport.
5. Thandi Matho Thobela: Ms Thobela, is reported to have travelled to Zimbabwe last month for the burial of her sister. Efforts to get a comment from her family in Zimbabwe were unsuccessful as they declined to speak. They, however, confirmed the passing on of Ms Thobela.
While her details were still sketchy, a friend, veteran journalist Ezra Tshisa Sibanda confirmed that Ms Thobela had recently visited Zimbabwe. “This is shattering, I’m heartbroken and lost for words.
“Surely l still can’t understand how Mathobela has gone like that. A super woman who has also succumbed to Covid-19, her family has confirmed.
“She was a lovely person, very caring and a true humanitarian. Mathobela’s mum MaTshuma is devastated and can’t believe what has happened to her loving daughter and recently she also lost her own sister in Zimbabwe and Mathobela went there not knowing a month later she would be dead as well,” posted Sibanda on his Facebook page.
4. Mellisa Jacqueline: A Zimbabwean student at St. Andrews University in the USA died after contracting the coronavirus (COVID-19), according to a family spokesperson, Takudzwa Mandaza.
Mandaza said his 19 year-old young sister, Mellisa Jacqueline, died. He said the family is devastated by the death of Mellisa, whose mother lives in Michigan, USA.
“Her dad passed on a while back and she was in Michigan with her mum and other siblings studying at St. Andrews University … She was asthmatic and she tested positive for the coronavirus and passed away in hospital,” Mandaza said on the 25th of March 2020.
Gardner Madzongo
3. Gardner Madzongo: Madzongo, who lived in Luton (UK), reportedly died after battling for his life in the Intensive Care Unit at Luton and Dunstable Hospital, according to his friends on social media.
Eshmael Mungazi, Madzongo’s best friend, posted on Facebook that he was “feeling heartbroken’’ by the death. Madzongo, who lived in Luton for a long time, was reportedly taken ill after experiencing severe respiratory problems.
Sikhanyisiwe Kaziboni
2. Sikhanyisiwe Kaziboni: She was a Health worker who also reportedly succumbed to COVID-19.
Zororo Makamba
Zororo Makamba- Son to businessman James Makamba, the veteran broadcaster was Zimbabwe’s first victim of COVID-19. -Nehanda/ZimEye
By A Correspondent- Socialite Zuva Habane has been hospitalised.
It could however not be immediately established why Habane is in hospital.
She posted the picture below and wrote:
“Hakuna munhu wesimbi veduwe meaning no one is made of steel. negative energy got me F….ckd up! take it easy with the fake news. One love brb gang gang.”
By A Correspondent- Four million vulnerable Zimbabweans, including informal traders, are set to receive part of the $800million-worth Coronavirus grant through the state-owned cellular network – NetOne’s One Money mobile payment system starting next week, the Social Welfare minister, Paul Mavima said.
As part of the government’s efforts to caution millions of Zimbabweans affected by the 21-day lockdown, more than four million vulnerable beneficiaries will be registered on one of Zimbabwe’s mobile payment networks – NetOne through which each individual will get ZWL$200.00 Coronavirus grant.
“Vulnerable people including those who work informal jobs and survive from hand-to-mouth will get $200 each, so if it’s a family of four, they get $800,” Mavima said.
NetOne, a state-owned cellular network with less than a third of the country’s mobile transfer users was controversially chosen for the distribution of grants due to its comparatively lower transaction charges as opposed to Econet, whose Ecocash service handles over 98 percent of mobile money transactions in the country.
“Econet is very expensive and NetOne charges are very low. It’s for their own good (the beneficiaries) so that they make the best of their money.No-one is saying they should stop using EcoCash, but for this scheme, it’s NetOne,” minister of SMEs, Sithembiso Nyoni is reported saying.
The procedure on how to identify the vulnerable and the criteria through which this grant is to be distributed to the four million vulnerable Zimbabweans is however not specified.
Social Welfare minister, Paul Mavima reportedly said;
“As we register people for the grants, we give them a NetOne SIM card. We have entered into an agreement with NetOne such that when they [beneficiaries] get a line, they also get a ZimSwitch bank card they can use to swipe when transacting in shops.”
According to the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur observations, above 65% ( far more than the stated vulnerable) total Zimbabwean population live below the poverty line. There is an estimated 8 million people requiring urgent action to reduce food consumption gaps and save livelihoods from both urban and rural areas.-statemedia
A dispute between a daughter and mother over which television channel to watch turned fatal when the latter went on to axe her husband for allegedly failing to reprimand their daughter during the misunderstanding.
Police details yesterday escorting the murder suspect Ordetta Mpofu (44) (handcuffed) after indications at the crime scene where she allegedly murdured her husband in their house at Emganwini suburb on Friday night. (Picture by Nkosizile Ndlovu)
The incident happened on Friday night at Bulawayo’s Emganwini suburb when Ordetta Mpofu (44) allegedly axed her husband, Mr Thembani Mpofu (52), an employee of the Bulawayo City Council three times on the head for failing to support her during the fight over the remote control with their daughter.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident and said investigations were in progress.
“Police in Bulawayo are investigating a case of murder which occurred on 10 April in Emganwini. On the day at around 7.45pm, the now deceased (father) was watching television with his wife and their two children. One of the children changed the channel they were watching and that did not go down well with her mother who asked her to return to the previous channel,” said Insp Ncube.
Insp Ncube said a misunderstanding arose between the mother and the daughter while the father was watching and did not interfere.
“A misunderstanding arose between the daughter and her mother. The mother became angry and the father didn’t intervene and indicated that he was not involved in their misunderstanding and retired to bed.
“At around 9.30pm, the mother armed herself with an axe, got into their bedroom and axed her husband three times on the head while he was asleep leading to his death,” said Insp Ncube.
The provincial police spokesperson said the mother confessed to her daughter that she had killed her father for failing to reprimand her during the misunderstanding.
“She got out of the bedroom and told her daughter that she had killed her father. The daughter got into the bedroom and discovered that her father was bleeding profusely, she then screamed and informed her brother,” said Insp Ncube.
A report was made to the police who attended to the scene and found the man already dead. The accused was arrested and is assisting police with investigations. Insp Ncube urged members of the public to unite as families.
“As police we urge members of the public to be patient with each other in their respective families. It was needless really to lose such a precious life over a channel of a television. Let’s all exercise self-restraint,” said Insp Ncube.
When Sunday News visited the suburb yesterday afternoon, police officers were doing indications with the accused at the crime scene.
Efforts to get a comment from the family were fruitless as the news crew was chased away by one of the family members who threatened to unleash gangsters.
A workmate of Mr Mpofu said his colleague was working in the Engineering Department.
“Yesterday (Friday) we came to drop off our colleague and we were shocked in the morning to hear that he had been killed by his wife. Mpofu was a good man and for him to die in this nature is painful to us as his colleagues,” said one of the colleagues who refused to be named.
Soldiers check a gun as they stand on an armoured vehicle parked in the central district of Harare, Zimbabwe.
CHIREDZI residents are now living in fear of army brutality as soldiers patrolling the streets late at night are beating up people and taking some of them to unknown destinations.
The soldiers were deployed during the 21-day nationwide lockdown to help the police to enforce the presidential decree.
This was revealed by Jonathan Mupamombe, the chairperson of Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association, in an interview with the NewsDay Weekender.
According to Mupamombe, the soldiers are targeting mostly tuck-shop owners who operate during the late hours and vegetable vendors going to markets early in the morning.
“Soldiers are beating up people at night. We have one tuck-shop owner whose whereabouts are not yet known after she was taken by soldiers around 10pm yesterday. Some vegetable vendors are still nursing injuries after they were severely beaten in the early hours of the day,” he said.
The security agents have allegedly upped human rights abuse since the start of the lockdown.
Recently, a journalist, who works for a provincial paper, was picked up by police in town at the instigation of a Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) district boss soon after visiting Chiredzi General Hospital.
There was a suspected COVID-19 death at Chiredzi District Hospital and police detained the TellZim journalist, who was coming from the hospital to verify the case after nurses at the hospital had reportedly refused to handle the body because they did not have protective clothing.
Police officer commanding Masvingo, Assistant Commissioner Taoneyi Nyazema urged citizens to report all cases of abuse.
This was after reports of police brutality against alleged lockdown violators.
Zimbabwe National Army Masvingo provincial spokesperson Sergeant Shelon Mudhara said: “I cannot give you an accurate comment right now because I have to investigate the matter. Maybe people were just lying about the whole thing. I will come back to you.”
At Nyika in Bikita, police and soldiers besieged the growth point, forcing several shops to close.
The police also allegedly destroyed unmanned vending stalls without notice, in the process destroying goods worth thousands of dollars.
Some businessmen accused the police of corruptly allowing some of the shops to operate.
“We heard the President saying groceries shops must be open from 9am to 1pm, but the police closed all our shops and corruptly left a handful of shops. We do not know which criteria they used,” one businessman said.
“Butcheries were forced to close and some had just slaughtered beasts for sale and the meat is now rotting. They left shops that include N Richards, Tsongoya, Chikwavire and other businesses owned by whites.”
He added: “The police did not give vendors warnings. They just came and destroyed their vending stalls while they were at home observing the lockdown.”
THE number of coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 14, the Ministry of Health and Child Care has said.
In a statement on Saturday evening, the Ministry said the latest case was from Bulawayo. Bulawayo now has two cases, including a 79-year old man who died on 4 April.
“The Ministry would like to report that today, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory tested 84 samples. The samples were received from four provinces, Bulawayo (58), Harare (23), Mashonaland East (2) and Mashonaland Central (1). Of the 79 results available at the time of print, one was positive for Covid-19.”
The 14 positive cases include three deaths. The Provincial Medical Director for Matabeleland North, Dr Purgie Chimberengwa, said the second Covid-19 positive case from Bulawayo was a man whose samples were first collected when he was in Tsholotsho, where he had tested negative in the first round of testing.
“In Matabeleland North, as of today (Saturday) we have managed to test a total number of 13 people in the province, 11 were tested in Hwange, one in Bubi and one in Tsholotsho, both the Bubi and Tsholotsho cases have a travel history to South Africa.
“Our Tsholotsho case got to 21 days and the guidelines say when you have been isolated for 21 days, there is need to be tested two more times, 24 hours apart. Unfortunately the man tested positive this time round and we are seized with the matter as we need to continue managing him as he continues in isolation,” he said.
PSG and Brazil Forward Neymar Jr. has finally confirmed rumors about his mother dating a 22 years old boy whose name is yet to be made public.
Neymar’s mum sometime ago splitted from her husband; Neymar’s Father.
She has now moved on and is in a relationship with someone who is way too much younger than her – in fact he is the same age with her last born; Neymar’s younger sister.
She recently shared a photo of herself and her rumored lover on Instagram and Neymar alongside his father have reacted to the picture.
Neymar’s comment: “Be happy mommy ❤ love you”
While his father’s quoted: “????”
See the Photo below:-
Also in confirmation to these rumors, her page has pictures of her lover alongside with Neymar. He seems to have given his approval to their relationship.
See photo of Neymar and His mother’s rumored lover below:-
Own Correspondent|Veteran MDC senior member Elias Mudzuri has finally come clean on where he stands regards the Supreme Court ruling that cleared Nelson Chamisa illegitimate leader of the opposition party.
Mudzuri who had not ditched Chamisa in the aftermath of the ruling, on Saturday told The Standard news editor Everson Mushava that he accepted the court ruling literally declaring himself against Chamisa.
Mudzuri made a surprise declaration when he concurred with the court ruling that his and Chamisa’s appointments as vice-presidents by the late founding party leader Morgan Tsvangirai were irregular.
“I accept the ruling and as a party we have to face it for the purposes of uniting the party mainly because of various reasons amongst which are, first, as a social democratic party, we are bound by the rule of law, constitutionalism, democracy and respect for institutions.
“We have no other option, but to accept the outcome of court processes.
“Secondly, MDC is an institution that is respected and as the largest opposition political party poised to replace Zanu PF, we must respect our founding principles and values and also observe international best practices governing progressive democratic institutions.
“Thirdly, the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land outside constitutional issues and has made a landmark ruling in a case pitting the party against an ordinary member seeking redress on what he believed had been a denial of his democratic right to elect a leader of his own choice.
“As a grassroots-based party, we respect feedback on our decisions from the ordinary members.
“Finally, I also acknowledge as pointed out in the judgement, that as a party, we did not get proper advice on certain constitutional processes that needed to be followed in choosing a successor to our late icon Dr Morgan Tsvangirai (may his soul rest in peace).”
KIGALI-Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame today [Tuesday 07 April 2020] launched the 26th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi urging Rwandans to pause to reflect on the tragedy in which over one million people were killed in cold blood.
On the 7th of April 1994, the hardline government began a campaign to exterminate the Tutsi ethnic group which ended in July the Rwanda Patriot Front led by President Kagame defeated the genocidal regime and its militias.
In launching the commemorations, President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame, laid a wreath and lit a flame of hope at Kigali Genocide Memorial, where over 250,000 Genocide victims are laid to rest.
“Today, we pause to reflect on the tragedy we experienced and what we lost, both individually and as a nation,” President Kagame said in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital.
“We will continue to educate new generations of Rwandans about what happened to our country, and what we learned from it. We are putting those lessons into practice for the benefit of those who come after us.
The lessons of our history have united us. They teach us the value of good leadership that cares for the well-being of all citizens.”
He added: “We have learned the importance of working together to build a better future for all Rwandans. The resilience and collective compassion of Rwandans will continue to serve us well as a nation, as we navigate new challenges, including those we are experiencing today.”
President Kagame said this year’s commemorations were being held amid unusual measures due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“Let me begin by thanking Rwandans around the country, as well as our friends, who are following today’s commemoration from their homes,” President Kagame said.
“I also thank you for participating in these unusual measures that are necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic in Rwanda and around the world.”
He said this year’s commemoration was challenging for survivors and families and for the country because people cannot be together physically to comfort one another.
“It is not an easy thing to do,” he said, adding: “Rwandans are used to coming together with solidarity and collective strength. We do this through our national ceremonies, and activities such as Walk to Remember, Night Vigil, and group discussions in our communities.”
A lock down has been introduced in Rwanda to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 which has affected 104 people.
But President Kagame said, the circumstance would not prevent Rwanda from fulfilling its obligation to commemorate this solemn anniversary, honour those were killed and console survivors.
He said the Rwandan story will help the world become a better place.
“Everyone who lives on this globe is interconnected. So we will continue to contribute to making our world a better place by sharing our story and our ideas for innovation, whenever it can be helpful,” he said.
“Doing so is an investment in hope which makes us better people, and reminds us that no one person is self-sufficient.”
In his message to mark the Anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres honored those who were killed.
“Today, we recall the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda — when more than one million people were systematically murdered in just 100 days,” he said.
Mr Guterres said the world must shun hate speech and xenophobia, and reject the forces of polarization, nationalism and protectionism.
“Only by recognizing that we are all one human family sharing the same planet will we be able to rise to the many global challenges that confront us – from COVID-19 to climate change,” he said
He praised Rwanda saying its remarkable recovery is a global inspiration.
“Since the genocide, Rwanda has demonstrated that it is possible to rise from the ashes, to heal and to rebuild a stronger, more sustainable society,” Mr Guterres said.
“As we look ahead to accelerating efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, let us take inspiration from the ongoing lesson of Rwanda.”
The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat has urged all African nations to bring to book Genocide fugitives, as well as combat genocide ideology and denial.
He made the remarks through a statement issued on April 7, 2020 the day on which Rwanda starts commemoration week in memory of the over one million victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
“As we remember the fallen mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters in Rwanda, we should not be oblivious of the fact that genocide is always well planned, deliberately executed with impunity, yet genocide is also always followed by denial,” he said.
“We should, therefore, redouble our efforts in fighting genocide ideology, its denial as well as impunity. If genocide ideology persists, its denial will continue unabated and impunity will reign. This task should not be the responsibility of the leadership and people of Rwanda alone,” he observed.
Fighting impunity, he said, should equally be at the heart of the continent’s collective efforts as AU member states as well as the international community by arresting, prosecuting or extraditing indicted fugitives.
“Last year at its 836th meeting held on 3rd April, the AU Peace and Security Council called upon countries to arrest, prosecute or extradite fugitives accused of genocide. It is imperative that countries move towards implementation of this decision,” he pointed out.
Nelson Chamisa|Happy Easter Sunday my dear friends. Christ is risen. May He plant our feet on higher ground.The Lord will never fail us. Sin,deception& death are defeated. #COVID19 shall be defeated.The CROSS is a place of Salvation, Hope, Victory, Peace,Promise, Love, Truth and Forgiveness. There is hope for the world.There is hope for us too. And Zimbabwe shall be saved!
Master Jesus Christ said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” -John 11:25-26
There is life after death. There is hope for the world. And Jesus is with you today! #HappyEaster
Emmerson Mnangagwa|I would like to wish all Zimbabweans at home and abroad an Easter filled with blessings, peace, love and the hope of a brighter tomorrow.
I know that in the past, Easter would see families, friends and worshippers gather together to remember the gift of eternal life. Sadly, this is not possible this year as we continue to observe the essential lockdown we instituted to prevent the spread of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
I urge us all to continue to stay at home, practice good hygiene and observe social distancing.
May Easter also remind us that seemingly irresolvable human problems are not eternal. There is hope. This situation will not last forever. Things will go back to normal; but in the meantime, we must be patient and responsible.
We pay tribute to the men and women constituting the essential services and who are keeping our country functional during this lockdown period, and to all those who are giving generously towards our fight against COVID-19. Together we are stronger. With discipline and unity, we will prevail.
I once again wish you all a peaceful, blessed, safe and happy Easter Holiday.
Dynamos captain Partson Jaure says he is now fine and is sure he will play football again.
The defender was involved in a car accident last month when he lost control of the vehicle and veered off the road at Prince Edward School in Harare.
The player sustained a fractured skull and needed surgery. He is expected to start training in 12 weeks.
Speaking to the Standard newspaper, Jaure who was discharged from the hospital last week, says he still hopes to lift the league championship with Dembare.
“I want to thank God that the worst didn’t happen because I know it could have been worse and I could have lost my life,” he said.
“I feel fine now and I look forward to bouncing back strong and still achieve my dreams.
“I am definitely going to play football again, but I need to recover first and come back to do the work. I still believe that I can lift the league trophy with my team Dynamos at the end of the season.”-Soccer24
National team winger Kudakwashe Mahachi still prefers South African stadium as Zimbabwe’s alternative venue for the Afcon qualifier against Algeria.
Initially scheduled for March, the game was postponed to a later datedue to coronavirus and as it stands it is likely to be hosted outside the country after CAF banned all local stadiums due to their low standards.
Speaking to the Citizen newspaper, the SuperSport United winger said: “I think we are going to be playing here (SA) but I don’t know. It is up to Zifa to decide which venue they are going to take the game but we are prepared for the game. Anywhere we go we are going to do the job.
“The players playing in Europe, they always want to come and play in the fields here in South Africa because they saw the quality in the 2010 World Cup,” he added.
Although there are a number of Zimbabwean internationals living in South Africa, Mahachi feels the level of support will be different from when they play in their actual home.
“As players we are very disappointed because the support that we got at home really motivated us. We need the 12th man so I think it might be difficult for us, but as a nation we have got experienced players and I think we can do the job.”-Soccer 24
Manicaland Resident Minister Ellen Gwaradzimba was allegedly chased away in Sakubva, Mutare by hungry and angry residents over the partisan distribution of mealie meal.
The minister was reportedly favouring Zanu pf stalwarts at the expense of everyone else.
A source who spoke to ZimEye who witnessed the incident said:
“Gwaradzimba came with Mutare Urban DISPOL Superintendent Florence Marume, Provincial Administrator, District Administrator and other JOC members with mealie meal so that she launches the door to door delivery during lockdown.
“When the Minister came with her team of provincial covid task force, we thought the process was going to be fair and non political.
“The majority were surprised when the Minister started using a list she was given by Zanu pf Chairperson.This angered hungry parents and youths who demanded to know why the Minister was segregating people on political grounds yet she had been preaching against that at the national COVID provincial task force meeting held at Queens hall.
“The hungry mob could not swallow it and started shouting at her. When she saw that the situation was turning tense she had to run for dear life with people shouting all sorts of obscene language at her.”
Efforts to get a comment from the minister were futile by the time of writing.
Last week, Zanu pf Chairpersons in and around Manicaland compiled lists of beneficiaries for the program, lists of which were compied by party stalwarts. It is also believed that the same lists will be used to distribute food and money which the government has promised to help its citizens with during the 21 Day Lockdown.
The Ministry would like to report that today, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory tested 84 samples. The samples were received from four provinces i.e. Bulawayo (58).
Harare (23), Mashonaland East (2) and Mashonaland Central (I).
Of the 79 results available at the time of print, one was positive for COVID-19. More details to follow later.
Additionally, in line with our decentralisation strategy for testing, training of lab scientists at the National TB Reference Laboratory in Bulawayo for COVID•19 testing is currently taking place. Once completed, these will provide COVID-19 testing services for the Southern Region starting on Monday next week.
Therefore, to date, Zimbabwe has fourteen confirmed cases, including three deaths.
Cumulative Tests Conducted: 547 COVID-19 Negative: 528 COVID-19 Positive: 14 Deaths: 3 Matebeleland North: 1 Bulawayo: 2 Harare: 7 Mashonaland East: 4 Total: 14 The Ministry continues to be on HIGH alert to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Active contact tracing for the late, case #11 from Bulawayo is in progress. To date, we have identified 47 primary contacts of this case.
The Ministry established that the tourist resort in Hwange, where case #11 and his wife visited between 14th and 16th March 2020, there were no other guests at the time of their visit. Following their departure, the lodge has not booked any clients to date.
Further, the Ministry established that all the 7 staff members that case #11 was in direct contact with during his stay were asymptomatic.
The Ministry would like to remind the nation that, the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to practise good personal hygiene and to practise social distancing.
For assistance, please call COVID-19 tollfree hotline number: 2019.
A dispute between a daughter and mother over which television channel to watch turned fatal when the latter went on to axe her husband for allegedly failing to reprimand their daughter during the misunderstanding.
The incident happened on Friday night at Bulawayo’s Emganwini suburb when Ordetta Mpofu (44) allegedly axed her husband, Mr Thembani Mpofu (52), an employee of the Bulawayo City Council three times on the head for failing to support her during the fight over the remote control with their daughter.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident and said investigations were in progress.
“Police in Bulawayo are investigating a case of murder which occurred on 10 April in Emganwini. On the day at around 7.45pm, the now deceased (father) was watching television with his wife and their two children.
One of the children changed the channel they were watching and that did not go down well with her mother who asked her to return to the previous channel,” said Insp Ncube.
Insp Ncube said a misunderstanding arose between the mother and the daughter while the father was watching and did not interfere.
“A misunderstanding arose between the daughter and her mother.
The mother became angry and the father didn’t intervene and indicated that he was not involved in their misunderstanding and retired to bed.
At around 9.30pm, the mother armed herself with an axe, got into their bedroom and axed her husband three times on the head while he was asleep leading to his death,” said Insp Ncube.
The provincial police spokesperson said the mother confessed to her daughter that she had killed her father for failing to reprimand her during the misunderstanding.
“She got out of the bedroom and told her daughter that she had killed her father.
The daughter got into the bedroom and discovered that her father was bleeding profusely, she then screamed and informed her brother,” said Insp Ncube.
A report was made to the police who attended to the scene and found the man already dead. The accused was arrested and is assisting police with investigations.
Insp Ncube urged members of the public to unite as families.
“As police we urge members of the public to be patient with each other in their respective families. It was needless really to lose such a precious life over a channel of a television.
Let’s all exercise self-restraint,” said Insp Ncube.-Sunday News
UNDISPUTED sungura kingpin Alick Macheso has paid tribute to Nicholas Zakaria, the “senior lecturer” who laid the way for him to rise from being a Khiama Boys bassist to lead his own trailblazing band which has been a permanent feature of Zimbabwean music for over two decades.
“Kwazvakatangira. Ndinotenda zvikurusa. More life mudhara, Happy Birthday.
Rudo pamberi. #BandRevanhu,” said Macheso in his birthday message.
Zakaria celebrated his 64 birthday early this week, and said he relished tales in his 40-year musical journey.
The musician who has earned himself nicknames such as “Senior Lecture” and “Professor” has seen a lot and his tales actually need a thick-volume memoire to be drained.
Zakaria has endured all the pain, beginning music at a time when the art was condemned socially and going through the changing music landscape for more than 40 years.
His musical journey is a tale of twist and turns.
The musician started music in 1975 in Mazowe with a group called Green Mangoes before he moved to the capital where he teamed up with Solo Makore, Shepherd Chinyani, Sam Chikudzura and Wellington Sakala to form Vhuka Boys around 1980.
Zakaria and Macheso Vhuka boys could not last longer as he decided to move on and form his Khiama Boys around 1984.
He recalls the ups and downs in the early days of Khiama Boys when he worked with Tineyi Chikupo, Cephas Karushanga, Lovemore Tom, Sam Chikudzura and Margaret Gweshe before Alick Macheso replaced Tom when he fell ill.
“When leader of Vhuka Boys Sherpard Chinyani decided persue other interests outside music I then decided to take most of the band members with me to start our outfit Khiama Boys,” he said.
Zakaria later married Gweshe and she dropped out of music to become a house wife. They are still together. -Zimbabwe Voice
Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Many countries around the world have seen cases of COVID-19 and several have seen outbreaks.
Authorities in China and some other countries have succeeded in slowing or stopping their outbreaks. However, the situation is unpredictable so check regularly for the latest news.
You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 hotspots (cities or local areas where COVID-19 is spreading widely). If possible, avoid traveling to places – especially if you are an older person or have diabetes, heart or lung disease.
Why? You have a higher chance of catching COVID-19 in one of these areas.
Credit: World Health Organisation
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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By Own Correspondent| Controversial pole dancer Beverly Sibanda’s husband Mufudzi Chambuka whose Facebook is Melusi Chambuka has mocked online media sites for misinterpreting his post in which he suggested that being single was better.
Posting on Twitter yesterday, Chambuka accused the media of publishing stories claiming that he was breaking up with Bev without investigating what he meant by “Better Single”.
“Lause community can only write a malicious story and put names in a village gossiping without investigation on who “BetterSingle”. Madzipwa neganda remhuru. Stay home,” said Chambuka.
In the post, Chambuka appeared to accuse Bev of using another man to milk him of his money.
“When wife lies to you using another man to steal from family account surely nokuti Zuze akaba chingwa chevarungu and horomori inot*ndira mutsime. Single it’s better!,” said Chambuka in an earlier post.
Bev shocked Zimbabweans when she was pictured at Harare Magistrates Court wedding Chambuka with widespread rumours that she was pregnant after the photo exposed what looked like a bump on her tummy.
She later posted a video mocking those who claimed she was pregnant while displaying test results.
Bev has been previously linked to footballer Khama Billiat, musician Andy Muridzo and Prophet Walter Magaya among other men who reportedly dated her.
12 Police officers and 3 Soldiers in South Africa have tested positive for COVID-19.
The cops tested positive for COVID-19 during regular SAPS testing processes and the cases were confirmed by the Police Commissioner who said:
We are looking after them. As and when that occurs, we then give them the necessary attention.
So the 12 that I was referring to, are part and parcel of our own testing processes that take place, While Surgeon General Lieutenant General Zola Dabula has confirmed that the South African National Defense Forces has 3 COVID-19 cases:
So far, from a total number of 184 suspected cases, 125 tests have been conducted. Of those, 105 came back negative and only 3 were positive. Another 15 are awaiting results with 3 appearing inconclusive.
The SAPS & SANDF are the ones who are working hard to ensure that South African lockdown restrictions are followed.-IOL
Child rights campaigner Dr Betty Makoni who recovered from coronavirus Speaks to ZimEye on her experience and how she overcame the deadly disease that has set the world ablaze.
The MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa is on a charm offensive to lure back some of the party’s founder members that fell by the wayside during previous splits as the battle for the soul of the country’s largest opposition party gathers pace.
Chamisa’s rivals in the MDC Alliance, Douglas Mwonzora and Morgen Komichi a fortnight ago threw their weight behind MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe after the Supreme Court ruled that the main opposition party’s 2018 presidential election candidate was not the legitimate leader of the party.
Khupe was given the mandate to organise an extraordinary congress within three months to elect a successor to the party’s founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai using the 2014 structures.
Chamisa has remained mum about the judgement, but MDC Alliance insiders said his lieutenants were hard at work pushing to pull the rug from under the former deputy prime minister’s feet by wooing the party’s founder members to fight in his corner.
MDC Alliance secretary-general Chalton Hwende confirmed that some former party members had shown interest in recent weeks to retrace their footsteps to Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House.
Hwende said a committee led by the party’s deputy president Welshman Ncube had been tasked to handle the issue, “On day-to-day basis, we receive enquiries from former members and some of them from the MDC-T who want to come to the MDC Alliance and we have set-up a committee, which is led by vice-president Welshman Ncube, which also includes the national chairperson [Thabitha Khumalo] to deal mostly with former senior members who want to come back to the party,” he said.
“Without mentioning the names of the people, yes, I can confirm that there are a lot of former members who have indicated their interest to come back to the party.
“The politics is clear that someone is either with Zanu PF or MDC and we are calling for the people to join the MDC Alliance.”
Some of the former heavyweights whose names have been mentioned among those interested in joining the MDC Alliance are former Speaker of the House of Assembly Lovemore Moyo, who now leads the United Movement for Devolution (UMD), MDC-T chairman Abednicho Bhebhe, former Water and Climate minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, and top leadership of Zapu.
The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (Nango) has expressed concern over the closure of banks as part of the 21-day lockdown to control the spread of the coronavirus, saying it will leave the vulnerable badly exposed.
Nango, a grouping of pro-democracy and humanitarian non-governmental organisations in Zimbabwe, said the closure of financial institutions had crippled the work of its members.
The lobby group said its members needed access to money to carry out their work during the lockdown that began on March 30.
“The humanitarian sector needs to procure in large quantities commodities needed to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 for rural and urban communities and health centres,” Nango said in a statement on Saturday.
“Pharmacies need to import medicines that are critical not only in the fight against Covid-19 but also for chronic illnesses that affect a significant population in Zimbabwe.”
It added: “Civil society organisations in the women’s sector need to procure sanitary wear for underprivileged women that depend on NGOs to provide these for free.
“Citizens did not have ample time to prepare for the lockdown and need to restock food and other essentials.
“This necessitates some of them to transact in banking halls.”
As a compromise, Nango proposed that banks must open for at least four hours a day to serve their clients and that the banking halls must manned by personnel equipped with personal protective equipment.
Eng Elias Mudzuri is on ZimEye on Sunday afternoon to answer a series of questions surrounding allegations that he has crossed the floor to Thokozani Khupe’s party. VIDEO LOADING BELOW –
QUESTIONS:
Some in the MDC Alliance suggest you have crossed the floor to Khupe’s party is this true?
Will you stand for presidency?
Some legal experts say there was nothing unconstitutional with your appointment by the late Tsvangirai seeing there was a constitutional framework that empowered him to do so (after 4 amendments since 2009).
To what extent do you see the hand of the oppressive regime in this verdict?
If you believe that the Supreme Court ruling is on order, why didn’t you decline your appointment as VP by Tsvangirai in the first place?
Why are you busy challenging the legitimacy of a dead man’s actions Morgan Tsvangirai who can’t defend himself anymore, and not challenging the legitimacy of Emmerson Mnangagwa who is alive and killed 6 people on 1 Aug to change election results?
Is the Supreme Court ruling enforceable considering that so many things have happened since the death of Morgan Tsvangirai?
What do you think should happen to Dr Khupe’s presidency within her own party MDC T where she held her own congress? Should she also be expelled? What are the implications of the Supreme Court ruling on this party that she was leading, some of the members of whom are already in parliament?
Political analysts say the MDC has all but failed to defeat Zanu PF, do you buy that?
Can the MDC ever operate a united front following the death of Tsvangirai?
By A Correspondent| President Emmerson Mnangagwa and wife Auxillia have offered to assist with a disabled man in Amaveni, Kwekwe after touring Norton, Chegutu and their home town to assess comokinance with lockdown orders.
According to ZBC, Mnangagwa promised the disabled man from Kwekwe a wheelchair and other assistance.
Meanwhile, while the whole of Mnangagwa’s entourage were covered in face masks, Auxillia seemed to have disregarded the dangers of interacting with people without protection. See picture below….
