By A Correspondent- The RBZ has relaxed lockdown restrictions for Money Transfer Agencies to enable remittances to be received and be distributed to people who might need to use them during the lockdown.

Here is a full text of the directive that will see MTA operating within banks opening from Tuesday to Thursday.

PRESS STATEMENT ON PROVISION OF INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE SERVICES BY MONEY TRANSFER AGENCIES DURING THE NATIONAL COVID-19 LOCKDOWN PERIOD

Further to His Excellency the President’s Directive of 6 April 2020 on the need to provide critical services to the public during the National Lockdown period, and in light of the feedback from the recipients of diaspora remittances, the Bank wishes to advise the public that the following additional services will be provid. by Money Transfer Agencies (MIAs) during the Lockdown Period as follows: –

• MTAs with branches operating in retail outlets shall, with effect from Wednesday the 8th of April 2020, operate daily within the timelines prescribed for opening of retail outlets or shops; and

• MTAs owned by banks and those with own banking halls and branches outside banks and retail outlets or shops, shall open for business three times a week, that is, on Tuesday to Thursday, between 0900 and 1 500hrs. To allow for operational adjustment, this directive takes effect from Wednesday the 8th of April 2020.

The decision in respect of the extension of the above services is to allow for the receipt of foreign currency remittances which cannot be transacted on any digital or electronic platforms.

In order to prevent and mitigate the spread of Covid- 19, MTAs shall be required to spread remittance payout access points and to strictly observe the social distancing guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the World Health Organisation from time to time.

John P Mangudya Governor

6 April 2020

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that his country is going to weigh on the options on whether to continue with the national lockdown, relax the regulations or end it, as it has socio-economic implications.

Mnangagwa made these sentiments after touring a number of suburbs in the capital Harare on yesterday. Some of the areas he visited include Mabvuku, Tafara, Kuwadzana, Mufakose, Budiriro, Glen-View and Chitungwiza.

The president said: “I wouldn’t want to prejudge our decision. We are going to review the situation. If we think that it is containable, we may go back because it has its own socio-economic impact.

“So, we have to weigh the possibilities of relaxing or continuing at the end of 21 days. But, what I can say is, currently, I am very happy with the response of our people. Zimbabwe is on Day 7 of the lockdown which was imposed to stop the spread and transmission of the novel Coronavirus,” he said.

Apparently, according to official reports, nine (9) people have so far tested positive for the virus and one of the cases has since died.

The country registered are mixed reactions over the lockdown. Zimbabwe’s economy is highly informal with an unemployment rate of above 90 percent, and most citizens survive on buying and selling.

Some citizens and businesses are already feeling the knock of the lock down and are appealing for the relaxation of regulations while others are saying safety first, saying there are no two ways about it.

President Mnangagwa today received donations of materials used to fight the Covid-19 pandemic from three organisations that have joined the fray to battle the spread of the virus.

The President received the donations at State House in the presence of Vice Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi. First to present its donation was Timber Care which operates in Manicaland. The firm donated a consignment of 10 000 face masks and promised to deliver another donation of ventilators.

The late former Vice-President Joshua Nkomo’s participation in the 1979 Lancaster House talks was frowned upon by the military element in his-PF-Zapu, Zipra, which felt the negotiations were a “self-created” onslaught for the former liberation movement, Zanu-PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu has claimed.

Mpofu opined last week that the major achievement of the Lancaster House Conference ‘in preserving the interests of Britain and America was the outwitting of Nkomo’ at the talks.

He writes, “During the preparations for the Lancaster negotiations, it is said that Nkomo ignored the guidance from ZPRA’s command structure to take part in the Lancaster Conference.

“It was our view in the military that ZPRA had outdone Smith’s forces and it was only logical for war to be continued with no retreat as this was the only justified means to seize power.

“It is also believed that Nkomo’s decision to take part in the Lancaster Conference was largely driven by the advice he was receiving from some Whites who were perceived to be misleading him to political oblivion.

“Therefore, Zapu’s participation in the Lancaster Conference seemed more politically correct in the eyes of those in the political strata, but the military front had wide resentments about participation in the Lancaster.”

“Moreover, the exclusion of Russia as an interested stakeholder in the transitional roadmap set at the Lancaster Conference was indicative of Britain and America’s monopolistic determination to shape Zimbabwe’s independence politics.

“Key African countries which had assisted both Zanla and ZPRA in the execution of the armed struggle were excluded in the Lancaster arrangement.

“This exposed Nkomo to more isolation considering his feared links to Russia.

“Automatically, this placed Zanu at an advantageous position, though Josiah Tongogara was on record for recommending a united approach to engaging the colonial powers whose strategy to divide the PF seemed well-calculated.

“Nkomo decided to participate in the Lancaster Conference against the advice which he had received from Zapu’s lifelong Russian allies.

“Nkomo’s decision also served as a swipe to Zipra commanders’ instruction to him not to participate in the Lancaster talks.

“The friction between the military and Nkomo’s political decision precipitated more internal contradictions between the combatant forces and those at the height of political decision-making.

“In a way, the military remained radically defiant to negotiation while Nkomo became a victim of the political limelight which was constructed for him since the Geneva Conference days.

“This explains why in the fast-tracked flow of events towards the 1980 election Nkomo was isolated.

“Some in the military ranks especially the Late Lookout Masuku felt betrayed when Nkomo decided to take part in the Lancaster Conference which was perceived as a self-created onslaught for Zapu.”

Below is Obert Mpofu’s article in full:

The Lancaster Conference and the Build-up to Nkomo’s temporary setback

In 1979, Nkomo’s Zapu and Mugabe’s Zanu delegations under the PF banner took part in the final push for diplomatic transition at the Lancaster Conference held in London.

This roadmap towards the election which brought Zimbabwe’s majority rule followed a ceasefire proposal by Ian Smith’s government between 10 September and 21 December 1979. Britain, the USA, and the Frontline States took part in this conference.

The conference’s proceedings were chaired by Lord Carrington who at the time was a trusted British foreign policy strategist.

While Nkomo was the centre of attraction in the Geneva negotiation, Mugabe seemed to have attracted inconceivable popularity during the Lancaster Conference.

His fame at the Lancaster Conference was a culmination of the divisive tactics deployed by the imperialist forces since the Geneva negotiations.

However, the proposal for equal and universal suffrage was at the centre of the conference’s deliberations.

Britain’s preference for Mugabe was mainly caused by Nkomo’s proximity to Russia which had aided ZPRA’s military triumph.

Consequently, on the part of the British and the US, it was strategic should Mugabe take charge of the post-independent state.

This would be good in ensuring the obliteration of Russia’s political influence in Southern-Africa.

Zapu’s post-Lancaster triumph entailed victory of Soviet hegemony in independence Zimbabwe and the region at large.

The peripheral placing of Nkomo during the Lancaster negotiation became the major starting point of his political demise.

Nkomo’s diplomatic purging was working in the interest of the Cold-War situation at the time in favour of British interests.

The diplomatic decapitation of Nkomo was engineered by the British in a bid to have absolute control of the post-independence transitional process without Russia’s antagonising interferences.

The British had direct economic interests to secure in post-independence Zimbabwe. Therefore, a sustainable political environment needed to be created to preserve the West’s economic interests in independent Zimbabwe.

Resultantly, the Patrioc Front ( a united force between Zanla and Zira) had to be tactically split.

During the preparations for the Lancaster negotiations, it is said that Nkomo ignored the guidance from ZPRA’s command structure to take part in the Lancaster Conference.

It was our view in the military that ZPRA had outdone Smith’s forces and it was only logical for war to be continued with no retreat as this was the only justified means to seize power.

It is also believed that Nkomo’s decision to take part in the Lancaster Conference was largely driven by the advice he was receiving from some Whites who were perceived to be misleading him to political oblivion.

Therefore, Zapu’s participation in the Lancaster Conference seemed more politically correct in the eyes of those in the political strata, but the military front had wide resentments about participation in the Lancaster.

Moreover, the exclusion of Russia as an interested stakeholder in the transitional roadmap set at the Lancaster Conference was indicative of Britain and America’s monopolistic determination to shape Zimbabwe’s independence politics.

Key African countries which had assisted both Zanla and ZPRA in the execution of the armed struggle were excluded in the Lancaster arrangement.

This exposed Nkomo to more isolation considering his feared links to Russia.

Automatically, this placed Zanu at an advantageous position, though Josiah Tongogara was on record for recommending a united approach to engaging the colonial powers whose strategy to divide the PF seemed well-calculated.

Nkomo decided to participate in the Lancaster Conference against the advice which he had received from Zapu’s lifelong Russian allies.

Nkomo’s decision also served as a swipe to Zipra commanders’ instruction to him not to participate in the Lancaster talks.

The friction between the military and Nkomo’s political decision precipitated more internal contradictions between the combatant forces and those at the height of political decision-making.

In a way, the military remained radically defiant to negotiation while Nkomo became a victim of the political limelight which was constructed for him since the Geneva Conference days.

This explains why in the fast-tracked flow of events towards the 1980 election Nkomo was isolated.

Some in the military ranks especially the Late Lookout Masuku felt betrayed when Nkomo decided to take part in the Lancaster Conference which was perceived as a self-created onslaught for Zapu.

It is also alleged that Tongogara’s insistence on the need to maintain the PF compelled Nkomo’s dependence on collective negotiation.

As such, his close allies in ZPRA viewed Nkomo as more dependent on the advice of outsiders than his close military staff and Russian counterparts.

As warned by the Russians and his top military men, it turned out that Nkomo’s Lancaster participation lacked strategic calculation.

All forces at play during this conference were working to his disadvantage.

After excesses of infiltration and divisions, Zanu reconvened after the Lancaster and broke away from the PF arrangement ahead of the 1980 election. The Lancaster Conference only managed to produce a Constitution which determined the path for universal suffrage and the subsequent independence of Zimbabwe.

One of the results of the Lancaster Conference on the political front was the outwitting of Nkomo by the British and her allies.

The second goal of this conference was to reproduce the West’s hegemony through the divide and rule strategy which left the Patriotic Front fragmented and fragile.

In the 1980 election, Zanu, however, proved popular and had a majority of 57 seats of the 80 Common roll seats.

Zapu only had 20 seats mainly in the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces.

However, Zapu was invited into a coalition Government.

At that particular point, it was clear that Zapu had lost absolute national traction as its political presence was only felt more in Matabeleland and Midlands.

The regional redefinition of the nationalist movements outside their erstwhile Patriotic Front arrangement of 1976 facilitated the possibilities for future conflict.

In no time the post-independence elation was terminated through Gukurahundi.

As a result, this marked neo-colonial triumph. The Mugabe-led Zanu had acquired diplomatic legitimacy, and moreover, it had also proved to be a popular political party.

A SLOWDOWN in the number of deaths and infections has offered a faint glimmer of hope that some European nations may finally be turning a corner.

Officials in Spain announced just over 6,000 new cases yesterday, down from more than 7,000 during the previous 24-hour period.

Confirmed fatalities also dropped to 674, taking the national tally to 12,418. It is the first time that deaths have fallen below 800 in the past week.

Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has insisted that the nation was ‘starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel’.

But in a TV address he also announced that the lockdown measures will carry on for another two weeks until April 26

Spain, France, Italy and Germany record slowdowns in deaths and cases, warn of difficult months ahead

A SLOWDOWN in the number of deaths and infections has offered a faint glimmer of hope that some European nations may finally be turning a corner.

Officials in Spain announced just over 6,000 new cases yesterday, down from more than 7,000 during the previous 24-hour period.

Confirmed fatalities also dropped to 674, taking the national tally to 12,418. It is the first time that deaths have fallen below 800 in the past week.

Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has insisted that the nation was ‘starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel’.

But in a TV address he also announced that the lockdown measures will carry on for another two weeks until April 26.

Meanwhile, Italy registered 525 deaths — down from 681 on Saturday and 766 a day earlier. A total of 15,887 people have now died. The number of confirmed cases was 128,948, up from 124,632. There was also a drop in the number of patients in intensive care for the first time. Rome’s main hospital for treating victims said more patients are now being discharged than admitted.

Health minister Roberto Speranza announced government proposals to try to prevent a second wave of infections when the lockdown is eventually relaxed.

The measures involve increased testing and contact tracing. However, Mr Speranza said it was too early to say when Italy would be able to lift its nationwide lockdown.

It began on March 9 and is officially due to end on April 13 but is widely expected to be extended.

Mr Speranza told La Repubblica newspaper: ‘There are difficult months ahead. Our task is to create the conditions to live with the virus, at least until a vaccine is developed.’

Deaths fell from 588 to 441 in France, where nearly 7,000 people are in intensive care, overwhelming hospitals and medical staff.

A total of 7,560 people have now died, and Europe’s biggest food market — in Rungis, south of Paris — is being transformed into a makeshift morgue.

Meanwhile, Germany confirmed new cases rose by just over 6,082, a slight decrease from the 6,174 infections reported a day earlier.

However, the government cautioned that it was ‘far too early’ to identify a trend in the country, where more than 1,150 have now died.

Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the national lockdown could stretch beyond Easter — with curbs on movement until at least April 19 — but said the figures gave cause for ‘very cautious hope’.

She said: ‘The rise in confirmed new cases is going a bit slower than a few days ago. But it is definitively way too early to identify a trend and therefore it is also too early to ease some of the strict rules we have set for ourselves.

By A Correspondent- President Mnangagwa today received donations of materials to be used to fight the COVID-19 pandemic from three organisations that have joined the fray to battle the spread of the virus.

He received the donations at State House in the presence of his deputies Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi.

First to present its donation was Timber Care which operates in Manicaland. The firm donated a consignment of 10 000 face masks and promised to deliver another donation of ventilators.-StateMedia

A Zanu PF official says the ruling party is too busy to focus on MDC battles. ..watch video below :

By A Correspondent- A Chitungwiza man was bashed by his wife and her lover after catching them red-handed.

Juliet Madeira ran off to South Africa with her lover Wilson Mapfumo after being arrested for cheating and beating her husband Sam Madeira.

“I am married to Juliet Madeira (nee Machanyangwa) in terms of the Marriages Act Chapter 5:11 and the marriage still subsists.”

He said his wife beat him up after he got tipped off by someone and caught her in bed with Mapfumo at oz:o5am. “I reported the case at St Mary’s police station in Chitungwiza RRB Number 228244o,” said Madeira.

“Juliet and Wilson were arrested but were released after paying a fine and have been staying together as husband and wife since, although she is still married to me,” complained Madeira.

Madeira said, “When Juliet left to go stay with her lover she took all our matrimonial property to her lover’s house.” Madeira went on to complain that when he filed for adultery damages at the courts, his wife and her lover fled to South Africa.

“Juliet and I have a 12-year-old son that she abandoned when she left me,” said Madeira. Madeira also went on to say that Juliet left before the boy even started pre-school and now he is in grade six.

“My wife and I were leaders together at the ZAOGA FIF Church and what surprises me the most is that Wilson and Juliet are now serving together as leaders in my church.”

When Juliet Madeira was contacted for comment all she could do was insult her ex-husband. “You and Sam both, you are stupid. I think you don’t have anything to do better lockdown and mind ur bzns.

“Abaiwa ngabude mad*** evanhu. Kuswero tambisa mabundles uchamafunga hako),” the messaged this reporter.-StateMedia

Zanu Pf Director of information Tuboy Mugwadi has trashed reports that his party is involved in MDC infightings

He said the MDC is slowly fading into oblivion and his party already had an upper hand and was set to win the 2023 elections.

Said Mugwadi

“… the MDC headquarters is going to become a market. there wont be any opposition to talk about…. we knew that this party had no mandate from the people because it was western sponsored..our courts are second to none in the region… MDC are cry babies who are in politics yet they do not have a thick skin…”

video loading below…

Farai Dziva|Marondera Central MP Caston Matewu has written a letter to Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe asking him to consider paying members of the police force a risk allowance as they are badly exposed to Coronavirus.

See Matewu’s statement:

I have since written to the Hon Minister Kazembe Kazembe asking him to consider giving our esteemed Police a risk allowance like that being given to members of the health sector for the enormous work they are carrying out to keep our town safe and to maintain daily order.

Their work means we can all stay at home and they remain at greater risk when interacting with residents at a daily basis.

They are also working without protective clothing putting themselves at much more calamity. We need to all appreciate their work in this time of need like we do our nurses and doctors hence the need to appropriately renumerate them in these difficult times

I thank you

Hon C Matewu (MP)
Marondera Central

Farai Dziva|Residents of the ancient city of Masvingo are finding it difficult to purchase prescribed medicine because police are forcing pharmacies to close at 1 pm.

Police officers in Masvingo say they are following orders from their superiors.

“We are simply following instructions from our bosses,” said one police officer.

Zimbabwe is currently under a 21- day lockdown meant to curb the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.

“Masvingo residents are finding it difficult to buy medicine after 1 pm because police have instructed pharmacies in the city to operate for only four hours; from 9am to 1pm every day,” a COTRAD official said on Sunday.

On Friday, overzealous cops attacked residents in Rujeko Suburb, accusing them of breaching lockdown restrictions.

MDC former Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora and his ally Morgen Komichi will soon be expelled from the MDC, Professor Welshman Ncube has revealed.

In a meeting with the MDC North America Province over the weekend  Professor Ncube said expulsion letters will be served to Komichi and Mwonzwora by the Secretary-General as soon as they are prepared.

However, Ncube said no decision has been made yet to recall them from parliament even though they were seconded by MDC Alliance.

He added that the MDC Alliance would strengthen our security and intelligence in order to deal with party malcontents in a timely manner.

Read the full minutes of the meeting below:

For the benefit of some of our members who missed the meeting, here are some of the highlights from the meeting:

1. The VP gave a political and legal background of what the Supreme Court judgement means to MDC Alliance. The politics of it is that ZANU PF does not want dialogue with MDC Alliance but with Khupe, hence this calculated plot to remove President  Advocate Nelson Chamisa from MDC Alliance. Again the VP assured us that the judgement affects an entity called MDC-T and not MDC-Alliance. He told us not to panic, to stay focused and vigilant. He reminded us to avoid traps from rejects Komichi, Mwonzwora and Khupe. The renegades are vigorously hunting for support from within all our structures in the party. Let’s be vigilant.

2. On a question on whether the renegades will be officially expelled. He said expulsion letters will be served to Komichi and Mwonzwora by the Secretary-General asap. No decision has been made yet to recall them from parliament even though they were seconded by MDC Alliance. The VP promised the party would strengthen our security and intelligence in order to deal with party malcontents in a timely manner.

3. On another question where a member asked why the part looked unprepared for the decision, the VP said The MDC Alliance Executive were aware of what was coming. Our leadership was not caught unaware. They discussed this at length during their last meeting on March 10th, 2020.

4. The VP told members that ZANU PF cannot dictate the leadership of our party.  He said starting afresh with a new party is not necessary since our party was rebranded and strong, the question of leadership was settled during the 2019 inaugural MDC ALLIANCE congress.

5.  The party is preparing for the 2023 election through the branch supremacy program. The election preparation will be polling station-based and that the party will not be short of election and polling agents come 2023. The party is vigorously pushing for electoral reforms to be implemented before the next election.

6. The VP fully and clearly explained why the party appealed the initial High Court judgement.

7. The President has appointed him and VP Biti to act as point persons and lead responses to this judgement. Organizing and Communication departments will be handling frequently asked questions.

8. VP appealed to external Assembly provinces to help fundraise for the party

9. The VP expressed serious concern about the government honestness and readiness to deal with COVID-19 in Zimbabwe. He said people are on their own basically since the health system collapsed a long time ago. The situation is dire since most people cannot even survive a 2-day lockdown and most people are not practising social distancing since they have to queue for food especially meal-meal. He said even the police are seen packed and packing people in their lorries. The general attitude is that people are not taking this pandemic seriously at all.

On behalf of the province, chairman Chief Svosve reassured the VP that  MDC Alliance NAP stand with the people of Zimbabwe and with our President, Advocate Nelson Chamisa. He sends revolutionary greetings to the President.

Mr F. Manyanga

MDC ALLIANCE NAP Communications Desk

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance secretary-general Chalton Hwende has dismissed MDC-T acting president Thokozani Khupe’s claims that she is part of the Alliance.

Hwende asserted that Khupe refused to meet the then MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai when he invited her for meetings in 2017 because she was angry with the trade unionist because of his decision to form the MDC Alliance. Said Hwende:

“When Pres Tsvangirai was sick he tried to have meetings with Khupe as someone that he had worked with for a long time.

“But She hated MT’s decision to form the MDC Alliance so much that she refused to come and see him only to appear at the Funeral claiming to be the Chief Mourner.

The Sunday Mail of 6 August 2017 reported that Khupe and other top officials did not attend the launch of the MDC Alliance the previous day following an earlier confrontation with Tsvangirai over the alliance.

According to the report, Khupe accused Tsvangirai of dictatorial tendencies after he reportedly signed the pact without the blessings of his comrades.

Meanwhile, Khupe has since declared that she is part of the MDC Alliance and will seek to find out how funds allocated to the party under the Political Parties Finance Act were used.

The MDC Alliance consisted of the MDC-T then led by Tsvangirai and later Chamisa, Transform Zimbabwe, Professor Welshman Ncube’s MDC, Zimbabwe People First, the Multi-Racial Christian Democratic Party, People’s Democratic Party, and Zanu Ndonga.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Teachers Association has urged the government to consider postponing the June and November Examination until the threat from the deadly Coronavirus has passed.

ZIMTA issued a statement after the Zimbabwe Examination Council said the exams are going despite the Coronavirus threat.

Said ZIMTA, “If Zimbabwe is in Lock- Down, then the rules that apply to all Zimbabweans should surely also apply to ZIMSEC. Clearly Teachers are not ready to risk lives because ZIMSEC chooses not to abide by the rules. But why have one institution putting teachers’ lives under risk?”

Read their full statement below:

1. The Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA), applauds the President of Zimbabwe, the Government of Zimbabwe and all Zimbabweans, for heeding to the Lockdown call and all current efforts from various stakeholders that are aimed at stopping the spread of COVID -19 amongst ordinary Zimbabweans.

2. We are confident that the current efforts of stopping further infections of COVID 19 will not go to waste. However, there is an observation that there seems to be some Government departments which seem to be flouting , the Lockdown regulations with impunity, and this has become a cause for concern for members of the Teaching fraternity.

3. During this time of LockDown, the Association has documented all sorts of complaints against, the ZIMSEC administration, whose directives to Teachers seem to work against the rules of the current lockdown which Zimbabwe is in. Some teachers are currently in a dilemma over following the rules of Zimbabwe’s lockdown or ZIMSEC directives, which for example require that teachers travel to their nearest centers to administer registering processes for June exams as soon as they can. In some cases Heads of Schools are also calling teachers to travel to School offices to attend to frivolous charges and disciplinary hearings? ( all this happening during the Lock-Down period ?)

4. Furthermore, Educators just like the rest of Zimbabweans are under distress from the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. Learners have had to adjust to long-distance learning. Just as it is uncertain of what the effects of COVID 19 will be on Zimbabweans, so it is also for Educators who are being hurried to register students for June exams by ZIMSEC, by all means necessary.

5. In reference to the above therefore, ZIMTA is calling on the government of  Zimbabwe to consider postponing the sitting of June and November examinations until a well informed analysis of the impact of COVID 19 has been done.

6. In the advent of long distance learning, which some schools have adopted, we call upon government to ensure that Teachers’ Jobs continue to be protected during and after the COVID 19 pandemic. It is critical for government to provide and protect Qualified Teachers who will remain key ingredients to the provision of quality public education in Zimbabwe.

7. Critical to attaining quality Public Education, is the Learners’ welfare. In light of this observation, the Association is calling on the responsible authorities to ensure, that as schools re-open, COVID -19 Testing kits are provided and mandatory in ALL schools, for use by government trained teachers who shall work alongside health-care givers to curtail the spread and re-infections of the virus at source.

8. As Educators, we stand ready to work with the government of Zimbabwe in combating and eradicating the COVID 19 Pandemic, amongst Educators, Learners and Parents. Educators look forward to the government’s support in achieving this vital goal.

By A Correspondent- The opposition MDC Alliance youth wing plans to stage rolling protests at the end of the national lockdown period to force President Emmerson Mnangagwa to step down.

Mnangagwa’s departure would pave the way for the formation of a National Transitional Authority that will implement necessary reforms ahead of fresh, credible polls, the opposition youths said.

Speaking during an interview with NewsDay on Sunday, MDC Alliance national youth spokesperson Stephen “Sarkozy” Chuma warned Mnangagwa that he faces the prospect of a long winter. Said Chuma:

As the MDC youth assembly, we said it before and we would like to reiterate that Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is not going to last beyond June of this year.

Not even an extension of the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown will save him from massive public outbursts.

Before lockdown, we said we are taking the battle to Mnangagwa’s doorstep and we really mean what we say.

Certainly, we are going to give the old man a very long winter that will give birth to a leader from (the) people and not the courts.

The MDC Alliance has attempted to hold demonstrations in the past which were either blocked by the courts or crushed by the police.

The government has been using the loathsome Public Order and Security Act (POSA) to block the opposition from holding demonstrations.-Newsday

THE generality of people living on the streets of Bulawayo are totally ignorant of the need to protect themselves against Covid-19, making them vulnerable to the pandemic.

Personal hygiene and social distancing are key elements in terms of combating the spread of the deadly global pandemic, which has so far claimed more than 60 000 people with more than 1 million infected globally.

Zimbabwe has nine confirmed cases and one of them fatal.

A Chronicle news yesterday took to the streets of Bulawayo and observed that street kids and homeless people in general are vulnerable to contracting Covid-19 as they are living in squalid and unhealthy conditions.

The new crew visited Bulawayo’s Centenary Park where some of the homeless people live in a filthy environment. They are susceptible to other diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

They live in makeshift structures situated near a stream overflowing with effluent.

Ms Eunice Saungweme is one of the homeless people who were ordered to vacate the city’s central business district as part of Government measures to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Eunice Saungweme and Grace Moyo

She is now staying in a makeshift structure at Centenary Park.

Despite the risk of contracting diseases, Ms Saungweme seemed unfazed as a tin simmering with isitshwala stood next to her. A few metres away from her makeshift structure is the stream of effluent.

There is a strong stench emanating from an underground conduit that carries off drainage water and human waste.

“We used to stay at a veranda in front of Jet clothing shop at corner Jason Moyo Street and Leopold Takawira Avenue until police came and ordered us to vacate on Monday because of coronavirus. I am now staying here in the park and we use sewer water, which flows through a stream to cook and bath,” she said.

Bernard Kariyesu

“What is coronavirus? I am hearing of it for the first time. All I want is food and nothing else and so this thing of preventing diseases is not applicable to me when my stomach is empty,” he said.

His wife, Ms Grace Moyo chips in: “We were ordered to vacate our spot in the central business district because of coronavirus and we decided to come here.

-State Media

By A Correspondent- A man who was arrested for allegedly failing to self-isolate in Gauteng and instead traveled to Limpopo two weeks ago has recovered from COVID-19 and is seeking legal advice.

Bongani Ngobeni from Nkambako village in N’wamitwa, outside Tzaneen, yesterday denied that he was informed of his status before traveling home, saying “malicious allegations” were made against him.

Ngobeni was forced into quarantine by the Limpopo department of health two weeks ago after it emerged that he had tested positive and traveled to the province.

Ngobeni was tested again last week and the results came back negative on Friday.

Ngobeni yesterday told Sowetan that he was worried that the country now knew him as “a selfish person who is above the law” and said that was not the case.

“I just want to set the record straight that I was never informed of COVID-19 positive results and besides, I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to travel because I was going to be quarantined. I’m still weighing my options, including seeking legal advice to clear my name,” he said.

“I was never arrested because it was my relative who called the department of health and police to meet us at a nearby garage as the clinic was not equipped to deal with the virus test. The police came, but I was not charged for anything,” Ngobeni said.

MEC for health Phophi Ramathuba said Ngobeni’s results came out positive and tracer teams in Gauteng struggled to locate him until he was found in Limpopo.

Ngobeni said since he was informed about his status, he told his family members to stay far away from him and even went to a private clinic.

“I wanted to be sure when I went to the clinic because I did not show any symptoms. I still feel the same way I was before the quarantine,” he said.

Ngobeni told Sowetan that it was only when he had traveled to Limpopo that he
received a call from his employer, telling him that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

“We did our COVID-19 test on March 18 at our workplace and on the 26th, I traveled home in a bakkie, alone. The following day, I got a call from my employer that my results came out positive,” he said.

Ngobeni said his family was very supportive.

“My family has been very supportive. My neighbors as well. Also, I didn’t travel in a taxi when I came back home, I was driving,” he said, dismissing allegations that he may have put the lives of other passengers at risk.

Department of Health spokesperson Neil Shikwambana confirmed that Ngobeni has been discharged.

NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Ndzingi said Ngobeni was not brought to court and the NPA did not have a COVID-19 case in Ritavi.

Shikwambana said the department intends to make Ngobeni an ambassador for COVID-19 in the province, particularly on the importance and the benefits of isolation after testing positive. Ngobeni said he would not comment as he had not been approached by the department on this.

By Dorothy Moyo| The renegade former MDC-T spokesman Obert Guru has failed to publicly support his boss, Thokozani Khupe.

Speaking on Monday, Mr Gutu was caught off guard by reporter Costa Nkomo as he was asked concerning his backing for fellow lawyer Douglas Mwonzora in the place of Khupe.

It is custom tradition that a person declares their candidate of choice months in advance. But Gutu was aloof on supporting Khupe.

The development comes following last week’s Supreme Court verdict that ordered that their small party under Khupe must hold an extra ordinary Congress and elect a new leader in 90 days’ time.

Gutu is a sworn enemy of Khupe having clashed with her, eventually resigning from his post last year.

Gutu was asked, some say you are ruling behind Douglas Mwonzora. He immediately exploded with a loud laugh while saying, “Iwe mfana iwe, uri tsikamutanda here iwe? Hey young man, are you a wizard? LAUGH- All I am saying is whoever wants…” WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW… (credit newzimbabwe.com)

By A Correspondent- MDC top official Douglas Mwonzora has finally spoken out following massive social media speculation that he is keen on the opposition MDC forming a Government of National Unity (GNU) with the ruling Zanu PF party.

Social media has been filled with speculation and allegations that Mwonzora is eyeing the job of Prime Minister when the GNU comes into fruition.

The allegations came after members of the opposition MDC had a spectacular fallout after the Supreme Court ruled that 2018 presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa was not the legitimate leader of the party.

Mwonzora and Morgan Komichi welcomed the judgement but infuriated their erstwhile comrades when they seemed to have advance knowledge of how the court was going to rule. The has resulted in allegations that the two had been conspiring behind the scenes with Zanu PF and President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

However, Mwonzora has categorically denied the claims saying that it was a smear campaign meant to tarnish his good name following the seismic judgement.

In a statement on Sunday, Mwonzora said:

“It has come to my attention that there are WhatsApp chats that have been thrown onto the social media purporting to be coming from me.

“In those chats, an impression is being created that I am in discussions with the government to form a Government of National Unity in which I will be Prime Minister.

“The chats are fake and malicious.

“For the record, my goal is not to be Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.

“My dream is to see a just and prosperous Zimbabwe where people make their political choices freely and without fear. A Zimbabwe free of political acrimony and rancour. The screenshots being circulated are just fake, cheap and malicious. Unintelligently done.

By A Correspondent- A health officer in Chipinge was recently suspended from work after she allegedly divulged confidential information regarding suspected coronavirus cases on social media,

According to reports received, the health officer,  Shungu Masuku, an environmental health officer at the Chipinge town council, sent several messages to a WhatApp group informing the group participants that there were six serious potential cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) that the local authority was dealing with.

After news found its way to local authorities that Shungu illicitly leaked the information to the public, they immediately suspended her.

It is understood that the suspected Covid-19 cases had recently entered the country from South Africa- which is one of the African countries worst hit by the coronavirus epidemic.

The suspected cases are reported to have shown serious symptoms consistent with respiratory disease. They have since been tested and are awaiting results.

When she was contacted for comment , Masuku could not deny or confirm the development and instead referred the questions to the local authority.

Both the local authority secretary, Susan Dube and chairman Zivanai Nyakuchena professed ignorance over the matter. The publication however understands that the ‘whistleblower’ was suspended for divulging information that she had no authority to speak on.

Sources who spoke to the publication revealed that in mitigation, Masuku, claimed that she sent out the statement because she ‘genuinely’ wanted to warn people to heed Government’s call to stay at home and to adhere to regulations to do with the pandemic.

‘This health officer clearly wanted to help her fellow countrymen and then overlooked the bounds of her work. She must have been moved by the level of complacency among residents over the pandemic and therefore wanted to give them real examples to prickle their conscience.

The statement is powerful in a situation where very little information on patterns and distribution of the pandemic is available,’ said a source.

Below is the statement that Masuku allegedly sent to the WhatsApp group which was obtained by the publication.

‘In Chipinge we are doing six contact cases whose names and addresses were given from our entry points. One is in Medium, one in Gaza and four in low density. Saka lets be on the alert people. Tinogona kunge tinayo Covid 19 muno muChipinge (We may serious have Covid 19 here in Chipinge). Vanhu stay at home ndapota. Dutu parinozopera vamwe vedu vanogona kushaikwa nekusateerera (Please stay at home. We may lose many people here because of this pandemic. Please take heed, don’t lose your life by failing to listen to this message). From EHO Chipinge Town Council.’ said the statement that Masuku sent in the group.-MasvingoMirror

By A Correspondent- Former MDC-T Vice President Obert Gutu has threatened to invoke Section 129 of the Zimbabwe Constitution to recall all opposition members of parliament who will refuse to follow the dictates of the leadership of Thokozani Khupe.

Said Gutu:

“When the provisions of Section 129 (k) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe are activated, there shall be gnashing of teeth. When this happens (and by the way, it’s going to happen soon), then certain quarters will realise that the game has gone to another level. Kumagumo kunenyaya.” 

MDC Alliance MPs and Councillors have been issuing statements pledging loyalty to the leadership of Nelson Chamisa.

Section 129(1)(k) of the Zimbabwe Constitution says:

The seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the Member has ceased to belong to the political party of which he or she was a member when elected to Parliament and the political party concerned, by written notice to the Speaker or the President of the Senate, as the case may be, has declared that the Member has ceased to belong to it.

However political analyst and Constitutional lawyer Shephard Dube said the firing and recall of an MP is not as simple as What Gutu thought because the party has to follow the internal disciplinary procedure.

“What Gutu is saying sounds as if it’s a very simple thing but if we follow the spirit and the letter you will realize that it is more complex than that,” Dube said.

“The MDC Alliance members contested the elections under MDC Alliance and not under MDC-T. Remember there are people that came from the Welshman Ncube MDC and the PDP who are MPs. So how will Gutu recall them? In any case, there is legal precedence that an MP cannot be recalled if he is wrongly expelled from the party.

“Remember the case of Munyaradzi Kereke and Didymus Mutasa. In an out of court settlement, it was understood that Kereke had been sent a letter of purported dismissal by Mutasa on wrong allegations as Kereke’s dismissal from Zanu PF Party had not followed the Zanu PF constitutional process.

“Accordingly, the speaker of parliament ruled that Kereke remained a Member of the National Assembly, having been elected by the Bikita West Constituency under Zanu PF ticket and that he was a member of the Zanu PF Party.”-Online

By A Correspondent- Health and Child Care Minister Obadiah Moyo said the reason why Zimbabwe has tested less than 400 people for the novel coronavirus is that only those with symptoms are tested.

Zimbabwe’s health authorities’ stance contrasts with some countries were tens of thousands of tests are conducted daily, even for people who are not exhibiting symptoms for COVID-19.

Said Moyo:

There is talk that our figures (of people) who have been tested are low as compared to other countries.

We are testing only those presenting with symptoms synonymous with the coronavirus case definition.

Meanwhile, most countries that have confirmed coronavirus cases consider mass testing to be one of the most effective ways of curbing the spread fo the deadly disease.

Once a person is tested and confirmed positive, they are isolated for 21 days so that the virus is not passed on to other people.

Reports from China also indicate that over 20 per cent of the people who tested positive for the coronavirus did not exhibit any symptoms.-StateMedia

MDC Alliance top official and economist Tapiwa Mashakada has said the MDC-T and MDC-Alliance are two distinct parties that are registered with ZEC and they contested the 2018 General Elections separately each garnering seats in Parliament.

He made the remarks following the Supreme Court ruling that ruled that Nelson Chamisa is an illegitimate leader.

“MDC-T has 3 seats, MDC-A has 79 seats. Both parties held their separate Congresses. MDC-T held theirs in 2018 and MDC Alliance held it’s Congress in Gweru in May 2019. So where is the wrangle?” Mashakada asked.

“The Supreme Court has pronounced it’s judgement and ordered Dr Khupe to hold another Congress which is a second bite of the cherry. In a democracy people are free to pursue their own political affiliations as long people know the difference between MDC-T and MDC-A.”

He said the MDC-A leader is Advocate Nelson Chamisa who was elected at the Gweru Congress.

“The judgement does not order MDC-A or Advocate Chamisa to comply with anything. For MDC-A it is business as usual while for MDC-T it is Congress time – in 3 or 4 months. There is no conflation of the 2 parties which in my view will continue to exist separately as 2 seperate entities,” Mashakada said.

“The Court Judgement did not pronounce itself on Assets therefore the status quo remains. I remain a proud member of the MDC Alliance led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa and it is my inalienable democratic right.”

Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa has vowed that he will personally never take any Coronavirus vaccine giving extremely weird reasons for his stance.

Makandiwa also claims to have seen the Covid 19 coming sometime ago and he is an outspoken individual. Now he has his conspiracy theory on the Covid 19 vaccine, he says the vaccine is harmful to our health. “Him and his family would rather go to jail than to be forced to take the vaccine”. He continues to say the cure has been found but some greedy people are holding it back because they are making money out of this Covid 19.

Government has warned that it will take drastic action against anyone who spreads inaccurate information on the Coronavirus.

Watch video downloading below:

Emmanuel Makandiwa has told all other prophets to stop claiming that they also predicted the coming of the Coronavirus instead insisting that he is the only one to have done so some five years back.

He was conducting his international online sermon on Facebook, Sunday, titled The Church The Cure.

“Do you remember that I said a disease is coming and I said it is coming from the sea,” Makandiwa said.

“I go by what God is saying rather than what men are saying because men are capable of darkening the councils of God.

“Now that the disease is around, most people (Prophets) feel obligated to talk about it.

“Whatever you hear being said by the people, whether they are politicians, scientists, women or men of God, you must understand that talking of the coronavirus is very suicidal.

“Before we had this pandemic, we had an opportunity as men of God to talk about it for us to believe, we should have said something about it before.”

On three occasions, he told his congregants of a demonic spirit from the sea that will go on a rampage killing millions by contaminating the atmosphere.

Added Makandiwa: “I see there is a lot of pressure, certain individuals they feel obligated because they look at the magnitude of this disease, how it has destroyed established structures and systems, money has been lost, time has been wasted, at this point they are saying I should have seen this.

“Hear me child of God, he cannot be coming now telling you concerning the end of something that he did not talk to you about concerning its beginning.

“Have you seen the thing before it started for you to see how it is going to end?

“Somebody who was able to see this before is in a better position to see because that person is strategically positioned, he stands a better chance of seeing how again it is going to end and if I were you, I would believe that person.

“When the disease is about to go, I will know, there is noway that we can have an argument in that area.”

So far, the disease has claimed more than 64 000 and infected over a million worldwide.

Zimbabwe only has nine confirmed cases and one related death.

THE military has been roped in to complement police in enforcing the 21-day lockdown, a strategy that is being implemented by other countries throughout the world to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had been enforcing the lockdown which has seen nearly 2 000 people being arrested countrywide for defying the stay-at-home order.

Police and soldiers are now jointly manning roadblocks and conducting patrols in suburbs to ensure that the public complies with the lockdown measures.

Defence and War Veterans Affairs Deputy Minister Victor Matemadanda said the deployment of the military was an operational issue which should be embraced as most countries have jointly deployed security forces for improved efficiency.

“At a personal level I don’t get involved in an operational matter. That is for the Joint Operations Command (JOC). But obviously when you see them working together like I have always said, they get involved at the request of the Zimbabwe Republic Police,” said Deputy Minister Matemadanda.

“But anyway, it’s not a new phenomenon in Zimbabwe, every other country that has taken (lockdown) measures has deployed the police and the army – all security agents to make sure that this is contained. If the deployment is being done now, I think Zimbabwe was even the last because everywhere else, soldiers are deployed because it is an emergency situation.”

To contain the virus, countries across the globe have implemented lockdowns and the military is playing a crucial part.

As part of lockdown enforcement measures, neighbouring South Africa on March 27 deployed both the army and police to ensure the public complies with the 21-day lockdown.

In Zimbabwe, the lockdown began last week on Monday and during this period people are required to stay at home, with only those providing essential services allowed to report for work. Only those providing essential services such as shops selling food and pharmacies are authorised to open. Travel between cities and provinces has been banned and within towns and cities, only Zupco buses provide public transport.

Movement of people and large gatherings are some of the fastest ways the virus is spread, hence the need for citizens to confine themselves at home.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Sunday took his huge motorcade of heavily armed security details around Harare’s high density suburbs as he took time to check on the compliance to the national lockdown.

Mnangagwa’s tour started in Mabvuku and Tafara. He then proceeded to Kuwadzana before moving to New Marimba, Mufakose, Glen View, Budiriro, Highfield, Glen Norah and Chitungwiza.

He did not leave his vehicle because of the need to maintain social distance and did not address anyone in the residential areas though scores of residents had to come out of their homes into the streets to get sight of the huge motorcade.

The tour revealed that people generally took heed of the lockdown.

Most market stalls were unoccupied and people fetching water from community boreholes did so in an orderly manner, with police and municipal police helping to keep order at the boreholes.

President Mnangagwa commended the people for their discipline.

“We have been to Mabvuku, Tafara, Kuwadzana, Glen View, Budiriro, Highfield, Chitungwiza and so on; I am so amazed by the discipline our people have. Right through, people were in their homes. Those who were out, like in Mabvuku where I saw some people fetching water but with total discipline, were well organised. I am so happy and I think that people actually appreciate the reason why the Government has imposed this lockdown.

“I really appreciate that they heeded the call by Government to keep the social distance.”

Perhaps unaware of the hard hands of the police in enforcing compliance, Mnangagwa applauded Zimbabweans for “exercising self-discipline.”

“In some other countries, police beat up people for them to disperse and I admire and praise our people for the discipline. For the three hours we drove around, I saw very few policemen but people are complying, which is good and I praise our people for the discipline they have shown.

Police have detained hundreds of people for contravening regulations imposed for the 21-day lockdown in Zimbabwe — with a journalist facing up to a year in jail.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had been enforcing the lockdown which has seen nearly 2 000 people being arrested countrywide for defying the stay-at-home order.

Police and soldiers are now jointly manning roadblocks and conducting patrols in suburbs to ensure that the public complies with the lockdown measures.

“This is also my first lockdown experience and I wanted a direct experience by going around seeing how our people are reacting to the lockdown and what I saw is amazing. I think if this discipline is kept, I am hopeful it will mitigate against the spread of the pandemic.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa says that government will make an assessment and decide on whether to extend or end the Coronavirus lockdown after the 21 day lockdown.

He acknowledged that there was an economic and social impact that had to be considered.

Speaking after touring many high-density suburbs in Harare and Chitungwiza to see for himself what was happening, he said Government was alive to the economic and social implications of the lockdown, but he would not prejudge that decision.

“I would not want to prejudge our decision. At the end of the 21 days, we are going to review our decision; if we think that it is containable we may go back because it has its economic impact,” he said.

“We have to weigh the possibilities of relaxing or continuing at the end of the 21 days. I cannot say now what is going to happen after, but what I can say is that currently I am happy with the way people have responded. You know we declared a lockdown.

“This is the first time that this country is going through a lockdown, so I felt it was important for me to go around and see how people are taking this measure to be kept at home.”

Government has warned individuals, private organisations and pharmacies that are selling unapproved Covid-19 rapid test kits that do not comply with Ministry of Health and Child Care, and World Health Organisation (WHO) specifications and protocols, saying such tests may produce erroneous results.

Private companies and some pharmacies have been selling unapproved rapid Covid-19 test kits online in Zimbabwe.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said the sale of these unregistered kits was illegal and whoever is involved in such has to stop immediately as all rapid test kits have to be initially evaluated for their specificity and sensitivity by the National Micro Biology Reference Laboratory.

“It has come to our attention that there are a number of individuals, organisations and pharmacies that are selling unregistered coronavirus test kits.

“As Government, we strongly condemn this because these organisations are not following the WHO laid down specifications,” said Dr Moyo.

The minister reiterated that the ministry will follow the WHO protocol of testing those who fall within the case definition of the coronavirus as well as testing those who would have travelled from Covid-19 affected countries and their contacts.

However, individuals who want to confirm their Covid-19 status are not restricted and can be tested at registered healthcare facilities that utilise approved Covid-19 testing systems.

POLICE in Victoria Falls are investigating a case where four junior officers, who were seemingly drunk, allegedly ran amok and assaulted residents leaving two injured and hospitalised on Friday evening.

The beatings left Mr Munyaradzi Sakho (29) who is a former Triangle FC soccer player hospitalised at Victoria Falls Hospital with multiple injuries on the back and face while Mr Stanley Chiwambo (41) was treated and discharged.

The two were beaten at the houses facing Mukali Business Centre at about 8pm on Friday and the four suspected police officers allegedly fled from the scene as residents threatened to beat them up after Mr Sakho had collapsed as a result of the assault.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed the incident and said investigations were still going on.

“We are investigating with a view to identify the officers involved and find out what transpired.

We want to establish how and why they went to that house because they were not on duty. Correct facts will only come out after the investigations,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.-State media

A ZANU PF official and council chairman for Chikomba District, Israel Dhikinya is reportedly under fire from the party’s leadership in the district for allegedly working with councillors from the opposition MDC.

A letter dated March 24, 2020, has been sent to Joel Biggie Matiza, the party provincial chairperson, copied to the President’s Office and the district development co-ordinator notifying him of the resolution to bar Dhikinya from serving as the council chairman.

Dhikinya is accused of assigning an unnamed MDC Alliance councillor to distribute food to Zanu PF supporters during the official handover of government houses to Cyclone Idai victims in Masasa recently.

It reads in part:
We have resolved in the meeting of the Chikomba Zanu PF leadership that Cde Dhikinya, who is the chairman of the Chikomba Rural District Council, stops to operate as the chairman of the council representing Zanu PF as he is causing damage to the name of the party (sic) .

Dhikinya is also accused of denouncing the party and refusing to give council residential stands to Zanu PF youths for free.

The development was confirmed by ZANU PF provincial member in Chikomba District, Moses Matarutse.-NewsDay

A Chirundu motorist injured two police officers after he attempted to run over them while they were doing patrols to ensure that residents were in compliance with the 21-day national lockdown to control the spread of the COVID-19.

Andrew Matsika allegedly tried to run over Constable Chimberengwa and Constable Chinyandu after the two officers confronted him while he was fixing his car last Thursday.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they were investigating the incident.

He said:
Police are investigating an incident where the suspect tried to run over Constable Chinyandu, who suffered minor injuries, before engaging the reverse gear that saw Constable Chimberengwa suffer head injuries.

He was later ferried to Mutenderi Mission Hospital while Chinyandu was attended at Chirundu clinic.

Residents in the border town have complained that the law enforcement agents were using heavy-handed tactics to keep them at home.

Meanwhile, videos of police officers torturing residents found wandering on the streets during the lockdown have begun to surface online, with one report claiming that drunk officers beat a Victoria resident to a pulp after they found him standing in his yard.- The Standard

POLICE have, as per their recent warning, increased the number of roadblocks in the country – stopping and sending back both motorists and passengers in Zupco buses without a good reason to be on the roads.

This comes as more than 1 500 people have been arrested and made to pay fines for violating the tough measures that were recently introduced by the government, as part of measures aimed at ensuring compliance with the 21-day lockdown imposed by authorities.

In Bulawayo yesterday, hordes of bus passengers without letters of authorisation were forced to drop off at the roadblocks and ordered to return back home.

Similarly, many motorists intending to access the city’s central business district (CBD) were also ordered to go back home if they had no good reason to do so.

The CBD was virtually deserted, as most people complied with the lockdown regulations.

Police also barred people who wanted to buy farm produce at vending stalls, a day after President Emmerson Mnangagwa sanctioned fruit and vegetable trading in the country – following an outcry by rights and labour groups.

In the meantime, and with police enforcing compliance and turning away nonessential service providers from accessing the CBDs of major towns, this has resulted in shortages of basic goods and services in many high density areas.-NehandaRadio

By A Correspondent- A google search of a company called Big Brains did not yield any positive results.

The Big Brains company encountered is an e-learning startup with a different logo to the one on the letterhead below.

It is not clear whether this is genuine new or fake news.

MDC official Morgen Komichi has been accused by a Communications company Big Brains for failing to pay for speech services rendered to him on the 30th of March 2020.  The company said Komichi promised to pay on the 1st of April but he never honoured the promise.

One L. Mujokoro the head of Finance and Accounting said, “We hope that you are happy with our services whose outcome clearly achieves your objectives as outlined in your service requisition form.

“We, however, note with concern that despite your undertaking to effect payment of the said services on or before the 1st of April 2020, you have not paid the same and are now ignoring our calls. Your delay to effect this payment also affect third parties like our assigned staff members whom we pay on commission on a job to job basis.”

Komichi has been given a deadline of 7 April to pay the bill.

“We hope that you will appreciate the sacrifice and risk they took to attend to you during this lockdown period. In the interest of fulfilling our obligations to our commission-based staff, we write to remind that you attend to payment of the said amount before Monday the 7″ of April 2020.”

By A Correspondent- MDC top politicians, Welshman Ncube and Douglas Mwonzora have had ugly exchanges on twitter with the latter accusing the party vice president of plotting a coup against disputed party leader Nelson Chamisa.

The simmering rivalry within the main opposition has been ignited by a recent Supreme Court ruling declaring Chamisa’s rise to the party helm as fraudulent.

The exchanges followed claims by Ncube that party politicians who openly celebrated the Supreme Court ruling had been sold a dummy by the court.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court Tuesday upheld an earlier High Court order for the beleaguered party to revert back to its leadership elected in 2014 and to call for an extra-ordinary elective congress within three months.

Mwonzora and Morgen Komichi, two party leaders who emerged victorious from the cited congress, have openly welcomed the ruling, drawing wide condemnation from the party faithful for alleged treachery.

In a bitter exchange of words on Twitter, Mwonzora questioned whether Ncube was not throwing dust in  Chamisa’s eyes as he allegedly did with former president of the now defunct MDC splinter group Arthur Mutambara.

Ncube was first to lead an MDC revolt back in 2005, which saw the party split into two with the Ncube formation later inviting Mutambara to become its leader. Founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, now late, remained with the mainstream MDC.

Ncube, who was secretary general of the splinter group, later took Mutambara’s job at a party congress, something that did not go well with the one-time deputy prime minister who was allowed to cling to his government job by then State President Robert Mugabe.

Charged Mwonzora, “We must equally ask are you (Ncube) not deliberately setting up Nelson Chamisa for failure so that you take over from him in 2024 as you did Mutambara some years back?”

“Given your rebellion against Tsvangirai it becomes a habit does it not? Only time will tell.”

Ncube responded: “We do not need to wait for time to tell, Chamisa is astute, very astute. He does not need me to make informed and strategic choices.

“Speaking for myself, and you can take this to your vault, I will not take over or rather I will not see to take over in 2024 or at any other time.”

Mwonzora finds himself fighting for his political life amid a volley of accusations by angry MDC members he was a party sell-out.

By A Correspondent- NewsDay and Voice of America correspondent Nunurai Jena, 55, was stopped at a police checkpoint in Chinhoyi and initially accused of using an expired press card before the officers charged him of disorderly conduct.

The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) on Thursday condemned the arrest a second journalist during Zimbabwe’s 21-day coronavirus lockdown. On Monday, police arrested and later released Gweru-based freelance journalist Kudzanai Musengi for possessing a 2019 press card.

The information ministry intervened in that incident and explained that journalists were yet to be issued with press cards for 2020, owing to delays by the Zimbabwe Media Commission in gazetting new fees.

Jena was taken to Chinhoyi Magistrates Court after his arrest but the court was closed and is now expected to appear at the same court on Friday. 

ZUJ secretary Foster Dongozi said:

“This is getting ridiculous and out of hand. Journalists have become a significant statistic in Zimbabwe. Let’s fight COVID-19, not journalists.”

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said it had deployed one of its lawyers, Kudzai Choga, to represent the journalist.

In a statement, the lawyers said:

“Jena was charged with contravening section 11(a)(b) of the Public Health (COVID-19), Prevention, Containment and Treatment (National Lockdown) Order, 2020 and with disorderly conduct as defined in section 41(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act after he was arrested while recording video footage of some police officers who were manning a checkpoint set up long the Chinhoyi-Chegutu highway in Mashonaland West province.

“Zimbabwe Republic Police members who arrested Jena claimed that he insulted some police officers who were manning the checkpoint by accusing them of being corrupt and thus hindered and obstructed them from carrying out their duties, including refusing to comply with their orders.

“ZRP claimed that Jena recorded video footage of them checking on and educating some pedestrians and motorists about the carriage and movement of people as stipulated in regulations gazetted by the government early this week to contain the spread of coronavirus, and without the consent of police officers.

“Jena was first quizzed for using a 2019 media accreditation card before the law enforcement agents backed down as its use is still valid.”

By A Correspondent- Former Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Godfrey Gandawa has urged opposition Members of parliament to resign from the August house and leave ZANU PF to fail on its own.

Said Gandawa on Sunday:

“Continuing to participate in corrupted processes only serves to legitimise an oppressive system. Resources permitting, opposition MPs should resign and allow the regime to go it alone. Only when we remove the futile hope offered by the system can we emerge with something new.”

By A Correspondent- The Deputy Minister of Information, Energy Mutodi has said that Zimbabwean music icon, Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo’s political choices are affected by his old age.

Posting on Twitter, Mutodi a former rhumba musician said:

Good music does not translate to good politics. I like Dr Thomas Tafirenyika Mapfumo’s music. He is excellent but he gets lost when it comes to politics. After witnessing the war & singing in support of the struggle, Mukanya is losing it all because of age.

Mukanya started Chimurenga music before independence. The music genre was a symbol for the struggle against injustice as it assumed a distinct and threatening presence in war-torn Rhodesia.

Mapfumo used music to ridicule the colonial regime, denounce poverty while advocating for freedom. When Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, Mapfumo turned his attention to looming corruption, grinding poverty, and the decaying rule of law by the Robert Mugabe administration.

His music, as in Rhodesia, was censored upon his release of the “Corruption” album in independent Zimbabwe forcing him to relocate to the USA in 2000 where continued with his music.

Mapfumo who briefly returned to Zimbabwe after the demise of the late Mugabe is also a staunch critic of President Mnangagwa’s administration.

By A Correspondent- Munyaradzi Sakho (29) said he was dragged from his yard and thoroughly beaten by four drunk police officers around 8 pm on Friday.

The former Triangle FC soccer player is now hospitalised at Victoria Falls Hospital after he sustained multiple injuries on the back and face.

Another victim of the brutal attack, Stanley Chiwambo (41), was also injured but was treated and discharged.

Struggling to speak from his hospital bed, Sakho told Sunday News that he was beaten by the police officers after he failed to tell them of his neighbour’s whereabouts.

He said:

I closed the butchery where I work and went to submit the day’s cash to the owner. I had just got home when they suddenly pounced on me when I was at the veranda.

I couldn’t even understand what they wanted because they asked for our neighbour and when I said I didn’t know his whereabouts they started beating me up and dragged me out of the yard.

Meanwhile, residents who live close to Mukali Business Centre where the assaults took place said the four policemen had been on duty patrolling in the suburbs during the day and were still in uniform when they allegedly committed the offence.

After committing the offence, the police officers fled from the scene when residents threatened to beat them up after Sakho had collapsed as a result of the assault.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said investigations were being conducted to ascertain what really transpired.-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- People’s Party youths have called on government to establish an independent investigations directorate to redress police brutalities against civilians.

The youths alleged that the brutalities by the police goes unnoticed hence the force continued perpetuating these injustices.

Said the youths:

“As People’s Party Youths, we call upon the government to establish an Independent Police Investigations Directorate to deal with the brutalities by ZRP. These officers go rogue unattended and its a crisis in communities.”

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he is impressed by how Zimbabweans are adhering to the lockdown regulations.

Mnangagwa spoke to the media after he had a drive-through tour of Mabvuku, Tafara, Kuwadzana, Mufakose, Budiriro, Glen View, Zengeza and Chitungwiza on Sunday to see how people are coping with the lockdown which is set to last for three weeks.

Said Mnangagwa, “Wishing a blessed Sunday to my brothers and sisters in lockdown. I am proud of the way you have responded to this challenging situation, with discipline, commitment, and spirit. The road is long, but we are on the right path. Stay strong and keep it up. Together, we shall overcome!”

Presidential  Spokesperson George Chamba said Mnangagwa wanted to see for himself how Zimbabweans were living during this period.

“The President was highly impressed by the level of self-discipline throughout the suburbs, with movements limited to securing necessities like water, medical services, and food. This unscheduled drive-through, caught everyone by surprise, including yours truly who scrambled out of bed to .catch up with the impromptu tour. This allowed the President to meet society in its spontaneous, unorganized form in order to gauge what really goes on behind protestations of compliance. Happily, Zimbabweans did not disappoint.

“Even on communal water points, joint ZRP and municipal police manned and organized communities for order and social distancing. It became clearer that the water supply situation in our cities and towns need urgent attention.”

Charamba added that the communities were happy to see the President visiting them.

“Communities really appreciated the fact of a leadership mindful of the need to show empathy and first-hand appreciation of how families are coping. The whistle trip became the only appropriate mode and approach in the wake of the severe lockdown during which crowds and crowding are disallowed.

Without discounting other possibilities, the President intimated that would keep reviewing the situation for appropriate adjustments and responses, bearing in mind the lockdown levies enormous social and economic costs on society.