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….
Opposition MDC Secretary for Local Government, Engineer Elias Mudzuri has called party leaders to come together and fight for change as a single unit instead of concentrating on personality fights.
Mudzuri who was speaking to ZimEye this afternoon said the current power clashes in the party were only elongating Zanu PF’s grip on power.
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.
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
“Happy Easter from Hwange, where the lions came last night to say hello to us whilst in ? down. Stay safe and sending love #AmalindaSafariCollection ?? ”
By A Correspondent- The zonal maize meal distribution system is aimed at curbing the rampant movement of people in search of the basic commodity as well as improving social distancing while queuing for the product at shops as part of efforts to restrict the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Grain millers will on Tuesday introduce a zonal maize meal distribution system, which will see the product being delivered to all residential shops at selected urban areas as part of efforts to ensure the public conforms with the country’s National Lockdown policy.
In a statement, the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) chairman, Mr Tafadzwa Musarara, said the organisation has partnered with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to introduce a zonal maize meal distribution system in cities and towns where the demand is high as a way of improving suppliers and reducing decongestion.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police has agreed to members of Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe nationwide supplying maize meal using a zonal system in the main seven hotspots namely Harare, Mutare, Bulawayo, Marondera, Kwekwe, Gweru and Chitungwiza.
This arrangement will provide for more shops to receive and sell maize meal so that consumers buy the product in their respective areas of residence. The police will provide the necessary passage and will deploy details to oversee the delivery and selling of the maize meal,” read the statement. Mr Musarara said the arrangement would be carried out during the course of the national lockdown.
“This exercise, which will run during the currency of the lockdown is vital in ensuring social distancing during queuing and will allow more households to buy the product at their nearest retail shop. The zonal based maize meal distribution will commence on Tuesday,” he said.
In a separate statement ZRP Chief Staff Officer (Operations) Commissioner Isaac Tayengwa confirmed the arrangement.
“Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe has agreed with Zimbabwe Republic Police to have mealie-meal delivered to consumers according to a zoning system. The system will allow the consumers to access the commodity from supermarkets and retail shops in areas where they stay,” he said.
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe now has 14 cases of coronavirus, an increase of one from Friday, the ministry of health reported early Sunday.
The ministry offered no further details about the latest case, but a provincial tally accompanying the update suggested the positive sample was from Bulawayo, which now has two confirmed cases.
The previous Bulawayo case was that of Ian Hyslop, a 79-year-old old pensioner who lived with his wife in a gated retirement home. He died on April 4, but due to delays in getting his sample to Harare the results were only confirmed on April 7.
Some 47 people who came into contact with him have been traced, officials said, including seven staff members at Ganda Lodge in Hwange where he went on safari with his wife between 14 and 16 March. The seven were “asymptomatic”, the ministry said without confirming whether specimens had been collected for testing.
The update for Saturday, posted on the ministry’s Twitter handle at 1.33AM on Sunday, “came later than anticipated because they carried out a massive number of tests… using one lab,” government spokesman Nick Mangwana said.
The health ministry said its main lab in Harare, the only one testing for coronavirus so far, examined 84 samples from four provinces, obtaining 79 results of which one was positive for the virus which causes a disease known as Covid-19.
“The samples were from Bulawayo (58), Harare (23), Mashonaland East (2), and Mashonaland Central (1). Of the 79 samples available at the time of the print, one tested positive for Covid-19. More details to follow later,” the update said.
The ministry says to date the country has run 547 tests, which health experts say is too low for a population of 15 million.
Three people, all men aged 79, 50 and 30, have died from the virus, critics of the government’s handling of the crisis say the numbers are understated because of the low testing, and the secrecy surrounding a community of about 500 Chinese nationals who arrived in the country since January.
Meanwhile, the ministry of health said it had established a new testing lab at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo which will handle all samples from the southern parts of the country, starting on Easter Monday.
The lab, to be run in conjunction with the National University of Science and Technology, has capacity to test 300 samples daily, officials said.-Online
Zimbabwe African People’s Union bids farewell to yet another illustrious son of the soil, Comrade Naison Mgatsho Msebele, who succumbed to a short illness in a London hospital on the 8th of April 2020.
Naison Mgatsho Msebele was born in 1943 in the then Lower Gwelo, Rhodesia. He went through his education paces and afterwards, worked for Bata Company and for the Bulawayo City Council before leaving for the UK in the late 1970s with his wife, Sithandiwe and their young family.
In the UK he worked and held a number of positions including political and economic analyst, refugees advocate with Amnesty International, a local government manager, and in latter years he trained as a teacher then psychotherapist. He continued with his education and resultantly held multiple degrees in politics, economics and psychotherapy, to name a few.
Before Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, Mr Msebele was a loyal and committed cadre of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union – ZAPU and was treasurer of the UK chapter of the liberation movement. He also served as advisor to the ZAPU delegation to the Lancaster House talks, a delegation that included his cousin and mentor, the late national liberation hero TG Silundika.
Comrade Msebele would remain a loyal member and supporter of the mother party even after the end of active participation on its and indeed national politics.
The most loved and cherished father, khulu, brother, uncle, friend and comrade, Comrade Msebele’s values went beyond his immediate family and borders. He was passionate about family, community and the nation and was always ready to assist through whatever means and ways, regardless of ones background. His home always had an open door to all with uBaba Msebele becoming an embodiment of the spirit of ‘’Ubuntu.” His African culture but also his Christian faith was always central to his identity and personality.
He was an active and respected leader and board member of the SDA church in the UK (Plaistow)
He is survived by seven children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. While we mourn this loss, the mother party would like to thank the Msebele family, his children, grandchildren for generously allowing us a share of the love, care, warmth and wisdom of the larger than life character and their very own, ubaba Msebele. We convey our deepest condolences to family and friends. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Iphithule Thembani kaMaphosa Secretary for Information Publicity and Marketing Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU)
By A Correspondent- In a refreshingly candid admission, Vice President Kembo Mohadi says the government should do more to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Speaking to the Daily News On Sunday – after a meeting with doctors in Harare on Friday – the usually introverted Mohadi said bluntly that he was not happy with what the country had done to prepare for the lethal disease.
He also conceded that the number of people who have so far been tested for the virus in the country, at less than 500, did not reflect well on Zimbabwe’s efforts to combat the global pandemic.
This comes as Zimbabwe has registered its third death from coronavirus, from the 13 people who have so far tested positive for the deadly disease — a development that has made the country’s Covid-19 mortality rate among the highest in the world, at 27 percent.
It also comes as health experts have also raised the red flag over Zimbabwe’s preparations for Covid-19, citing a glaring lack of testing kits, intensive care units, ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE), among other critical things.
“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,” Mohadi said.
“The same with Bulawayo, we have an international airport there. So, there is a possibility that we might be having people that might have been somewhere who might have sneaked into the country without us knowing. We need to do the necessary sampling,” the VP added.
Mohadi also disclosed that the government would soon dispatch teams to hunt for possible cases at busy ports of entry such as Victoria Falls and Beitbridge.
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 Nomusa Garikai- “The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a blog on the outbreak’s impact on Africa last month that “social distancing” was not realistic for the most vulnerable, and the notion of working from home was only possible for the few,” reported a local publication.
“The very measures that are crucial to slowing the spread of the virus will have a direct cost on local economies,” said IMF. “The disruption to people’s daily lives means less paid work, less income, less spending, and fewer jobs.”
In Zimbabwe the lockdown was imposed when the country had less than 10 known corona virus patients and most of whom had recently arrived from outside the country. It would have made more sense to trace, test and isolate all those the patients had been in contact with. A nationwide lockdown was certainly uncalled for at that stage.
If we assume there were a lot more people infected than the 10 the regime admitted, which is very likely, but even then a nationwide lockdown did not make any sense given people still continued to meet in numbers to collect water, queue to buy maize meal, vegetables, etc. as Mnangagwa himself witness during in impromptu tour of Harare Suburbs last weekend.
WHO has underlined the importance of washing hands regularly with clean running water as one of the key measures to stop the spread of corona virus. It is shocking that Zimbabwe is still failing to guarantee the supply of clean running water to 90% of the population.
Government has made no concerted to improve the supply of clean water, even major hospitals like Parerenyatwa and Mpilo Hospitals still experience water shortages.
Why Zanu PF jumped at imposing nationwide lockdown when it cannot supply even something as basic as clean water has to do with the regime’s autocratic tendency than sound scientific advice and common sense.
South Africa has tested more than 47,000 people, as of 3 April 2020, and has 67 mobile testing units. President Cyril Ramaphosa has decided, based on the data from field tests, to extend the lockdown by another two weeks!
Zimbabwe has only tested 400 people and has one fixed testing centre based in Harare. The country has only 500 test kits donated by WHO. A few weeks ago, Mnangagwa allocated US$4.5 to Thokozani Khupe and her fellow POLD member to travel around lobbying for the lifting of the sanctions, for example, but failed to spend even one dollar to but corona virus test kits! Mnangagwa will probably extend Zimbabwe’s lockdown too, based on his autocratic instinct, Caesar’s will!
If this corona virus is going to behave like the common flu, then we must expect the numbers of infected people to increase significantly as we get into the cold months of May, June and July. This is the time when a nationwide lockdown would have made sense. Assuming that by then the government would have done something to ensure there is clean running water, etc. and thus improve on basic hygiene and social distance.
Zimbabwe’s ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown was ill-advised. It will have little positive impact in slowing the spread of the virus, if at all. But worst of all, for a nation with no welfare system to help the most needy in society meet their basic needs, it is very hard to sustain a nationwide lockdown for a couple of weeks much less a couple of months.
Ending the lockdown when the infection is getting worse is insane and yet that is exactly what the country will be compelled to do to avoid people starving to death!
“Kupedzera miseve pamakuguvo, hanga dzisati dzasvika!” (We have wasted our arrows on the crows when the guinea fowls are yet to come!) Worse still, it is the man-eating hyenas, not the harmless guinea fowls, we have to fight off!
By A Correspondent- A mentally ill woman from Bulawayo’s Emganwini township has been arrested after axing her husband to death during a fight she had with her daughter over remote control.
“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.”
According to Ncube, the wife was angry that the husband did not intervene in the matter and decided to follow him to the bedroom and axed him while he was sleeping.
“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.
“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 source who spoke to this publication said the woman was a well known mental ill patient who did not manage t6o get her medication because of the lockdown period.
The woman was arrested and currently assisting police with investigations.
By A Correspondent- As Zimbabwe and the rest of the world battle the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, EcoCash has moved to remove all processing fees for cash transfers designated as COVID-19 relief, to enable the Government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)s and any other relief organizations to freely give the support to vulnerable groups and communities at no extra cost for the transfers.
The CEO of Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe, the holding company of EcoCash, Mr Eddie Chibi, said the goal of the company was to use their digital solutions to address the current epidemic.
“We are a digital capability company and our goal is to create as many digital solutions as possible to address the current COVID-19 crisis so that lives are saved, first and foremost,” said Mr Chibi.
“The wide distribution of some of our products and services means that we can use our platform and smart data network to reach even the most vulnerable in our country, and create services that bring convenience to millions of citizens.”
Mr Chibi said his company was currently working with the government and development agencies to avail their platform and digital services network to deliver relief where its needed most “as quickly as possible”.
Mobile money and digital electronic transfers become a vital mechanism through which help can be extended to vulnerable groups in times of crisis, speedily and in a convenient and safe manner.
The EcoCash platform has over 11 million customers registered in Zimbabwe and accounts for the bulk of transaction volumes processed in Zimbabwe. It has over 200 000 outlets, accounting for the country’s largest distribution network of agents, merchants and partners for the payments of good and services.
During the COVID-19 epidemic, the ability for people to send money and pay merchants (shops, pharmacies, hospitals, and many others) through their mobile phones minimizes the need for physical contact, and therefore lowers the risk for potential transmission of the virus between individuals.
Zimbabwe is among the countries with the highest level of digital financial inclusion in Africa.
EcoCash launched proximity payments two years ago, a proposition that allows shop till operators to enter a customer’s number on a point of sale (POS) machine and the customer receives a push message at ‘far proximity’ confirming the payment on their mobile phone. EcoCash is currently working with supermarkets to increase the adoption of proximity payments, according to its CEO Ms Natalie Jabangwe.
Ms Javangwe said:
“Customers should be able to order over the phone or online and make a proximity payment from the comfort of their home without the need to travel to the shop. Our partnership with Vaya makes goods delivery safe and convenient”.
She said so far Food World and Spar shops were piloting the proximity payments at scale, before a full telesales and proximity scale-up operation is launched across the country with other retailers.
“Digital has changed everything in this global crisis. Work and communication has moved to the digital sphere in an unprecedented fashion,” Ms Javangwe said.Agencies
Recently we have read so much about the history of our Party, Zapu and its leadership.
Some of the writings and postings have been from people known to be extremely hostile to our party and more so individuals who have done all they could to destroy the economy of this country thus ruining the future of every youth.
It is therefore shocking to read a posting from Mr Nicholas Ncube portraying the Zanu PF secretary for Administration Obert Mpofu as equal to Joshua Nkomo the first President of Zapu and Dumiso Dabengwa the recently departed second President of Zapu.
This fellow shamelessly insults our party claiming that without these 2 leaders, there is no longer Zapu. Then he wants the people to listen to Obert Mpofu.
We know Dr. Obert Mpofu as the loyal son of the tyrant and disgraced Robert Mugabe. No one called him so. He declared it himself. Robert Mugabe, the man who massacred over 20000 Zapu supporters and Ndebeles was Dr. Mpofu`s father in ZanuPF.
Dr. Obert Mpofu loyally obeyed Robert Mugabe as he totally ravaged the entire socio-economic life line of this country. Nicholas Ncube thinks that all of us have short memories or that we can be blinded by some food left-overs.
We shudder to read something from one calling himself a researcher who waffles around in a vain attempt to defend a man who has been part of a gang that practically administered the crushing of all vibrant parastatals like Zisco, Cold Storage Commissions, the National Railways of Zimbabwe, Air Zimbabwe just to name a few because the least is endless.
We are astounded by the absence of simple logic that should help one to understand that Dr Obert Mpofu was the Minister of Mines during the days of the diamond mining in Marange. What did the nation gain from that huge project?
Mpofu`s father Robert Mugabe bemoaned the disappearance of 15 billion US dollars a few months before he was overthrown by soldiers. Soon after the coup Nicholas Ncube`s hero changed and rushed to call his ‘father’ a dictator. This is a typical behaviour of a cunning opportunist who is always ready to usurp any space for self-aggrandisement.
While God the Creator gave everyone brains to use, we do not understand how one finds heroism in a man who has been a Cabinet Minister in a government that saw the collapse of a health system leaving everyone exposed to the all pandemics including this very covid-19.
Is it reasonable for anyone, let alone a researcher to spend time talking about who is gaining more support between Zapu and the MRP in a desperate effort to defend a Secretary for Administration of governing a party that has no clue about how to address the problem of our crumbled currency and the ever rising prices of everything?
Why does one get the audacity to reject reality and ignore even his own economic predicament but choose the luxury of defending and promoting a self-confessed son of a dictator? Or is it part of the state sponsored corruption that beneficiaries of the looters now invade the free press to just sing for their supper?
As the youth we know who has put us into this socio-economic situation. We know for sure who has made us more vulnerable to death through the covid-19 since hospitals have no medicines and the infrastructure is dilapidated. It is none other than the ZanuPF machinery of which Obert Mpofu has been and still is the leader.
Our future is not based on distortions of history to prop up some disastrous leadership let alone attempts to inherit some heroism of people with whom one fundamentally differed during their lifetime. The youth will benefit nothing from obvious perpetual political opportunism.
We, in the Zapu Youth Front will cherish a leadership with a vision that will shape our destiny. It is an expensive absurdity to defend a man whose record and that of his party have been a persistent and systematic destruction of the economy.
By A Correspondent- A 25-year-old Bindura man committed suicide after a misunderstanding with his wife after he squandered money on girlfriends.
Iaan Chivanevana, of Sango Farm in Bindura, hanged himself on Tuesday after a fight with his 19-year-old wife.
Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe confirmed the incident.
“I can confirm a sudden death case in Bindura where a man committed suicide by hanging himself with an electric cable,” Mundembe said.
Chivanevana allegedly went home drunk after squandering the family savings with girlfriends.
When his wife complained, he assaulted her until she ran away. Chivanevana then locked their bedroom hut before hanging himself with an electric cable.-Standard
By A Correspondent- Some churches are offering their buildings to the government so that they can be used as isolation centres for coronavirus centres.
The Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe is one of the churches that have offered their facilities to the cause. The church’s vice president Pastor Trevor Masuku announced during the launch of the “I am for Bulawayo fighting COVID-19” initiative on Friday that they had already pledged their facilities.
He said:
We met with the President a week ago where we said that churches have huge auditoriums and buildings they are occupying, all over the country, which during this period are not being utilised hence we are availing them for use as isolation centres whenever they are required for use by the Government.
This comes amid plans to turn Hillside Teachers College and Elangeni Training Centre into isolation centres. A few days ago, the Minister of Local Government, Mr July Moyo, directed local government authorities to handover health institutions in their jurisdictions to the Ministry of Health and Child Care so that they can be used in the fight against the pandemic.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- The government of Zimbabwe has disqualified businesses who are wantonly increasing prices of their commodities for cushioning facilities.
This was announced by the Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Dr Sithembiso Nyoni who also that the government was putting in place SMEs and informal sectors’ cushioning facility that was announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently.
She said:
We are saying all rural and urban retail shops that are fond of wantonly increasing prices of commodities should not bother to apply for the cushioning facility, as their applications will be rejected forthwith.
Her remarks come when some businesses are taking advantage of the 21-day national lockdown to increase prices of their commodities since they have little competition.
The majority of local companies have closed in adherence to the lockdown regulations and the few who are operational are taking advantage of that.
The government intends to cushion businesses since the closure of borders and the lockdown resulted in their businesses going down as they can no longer purchase commodities to restock.-StateMedia
By Own Correspondent| As Zimbabwe and the rest of the world battle the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, EcoCash has moved to remove all processing fees for cash transfers designated as COVID-19 relief, to enable the Government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)s and any other relief organizations to freely give the support to vulnerable groups and communities at no extra cost for the transfers.
The CEO of Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe, the holding company of EcoCash, Mr Eddie Chibi, said the goal of the company was to use their digital solutions to address the current epidemic.
“We are a digital capability company and our goal is to create as many digital solutions as possible to address the current COVID-19 crisis so that lives are saved, first and foremost,” said Mr Chibi.
“The wide distribution of some of our products and services means that we can use our platform and smart data network to reach even the most vulnerable in our country, and create services that bring convenience to millions of citizens.”
Mr Chibi said his company was currently working with the government and development agencies to avail their platform and digital services network to deliver relief where its needed most “as quickly as possible”.
Mobile money and digital electronic transfers become a vital mechanism through which help can be extended to vulnerable groups in times of crisis, speedily and in a convenient and safe manner.
The EcoCash platform has over 11 million customers registered in Zimbabwe and accounts for the bulk of transaction volumes processed in Zimbabwe. It has over 200 000 outlets, accounting for the country’s largest distribution network of agents, merchants and partners for the payments of good and services.
During the COVID-19 epidemic, the ability for people to send money and pay merchants (shops, pharmacies, hospitals, and many others) through their mobile phones minimizes the need for physical contact, and therefore lowers the risk for potential transmission of the virus between individuals.
Zimbabwe is among the countries with the highest level of digital financial inclusion in Africa.
EcoCash launched proximity payments two years ago, a proposition that allows shop till operators to enter a customer’s number on a point of sale (POS) machine and the customer receives a push message at ‘far proximity’ confirming the payment on their mobile phone. EcoCash is currently working with supermarkets to increase the adoption of proximity payments, according to its CEO Ms Natalie Jabangwe.
Ms Javangwe said: “Customers should be able to order over the phone or online and make a proximity payment from the comfort of their home without the need to travel to the shop. Our partnership with Vaya makes goods delivery safe and convenient”.
She said so far Food World and Spar shops were piloting the proximity payments at scale, before a full telesales and proximity scale-up operation is launched across the country with other retailers.
“Digital has changed everything in this global crisis. Work and communication has moved to the digital sphere in an unprecedented fashion,” Ms Javangwe said.
By A Correspondent- Cowdray Park and ZANU PF Councillor, Mr Kidwell Mujuru has refuted claims that he diverted government subsidised mealie-meal to the black market.
The Sunday News reports that residents were left fuming last Monday after a truck delivering the product at TM Cowdray Park in Bulawayo only offloaded half the load before being allegedly diverted by Clr Mujuru to the new stands popularly known as Esigodweni.
Responding to the allegations, Mujuru said that it is not true that the intention was to supply the black market.
He said:
I think people misread my intentions. It is true that the truck took some of the roller meal to the area you are mentioning but this was solely so that people from the area can benefit too because most of them were failing to get to TM or even the terminus where the product was sold.
As a local councillor I then got in touch with the suppliers and asked them to go to Esigodweni and deliver the product.
This comes when the country has a huge shortage of mealie-meal due to the El Nino induced drought and poor agricultural policies since two decades ago.-StateMedia
Harare, 11 April, 2020- The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe would like to unreservedly apologize for the document which has some spelling mistakes which is circulating on social media platforms.
We would like to inform the public that the internal document leaked before it was edited. The spelling mistakes were in all the English, Shona, and Ndebele languages ( documents), and there was not intention whatsoever, to offend any particular grouping. The corrected document is now available. We, however, take the blame given the fact that the leaked and unedited document unintentionally ended up in the public domain and was consumed by innocent citizens.
One again we would like to unreservedly apologize for this unfortunate eventuality.
The decision to announce the maize meal zoning measure was urgent and it was meant for the benefit of our citizens, during the difficult time we are faced with.
Garikai Chaunza GMAZ media and public relations manager.
We have added drones to our methods of raising awareness about #COVID-19. As drones pass your neighborhoods, we ask you: 1. Listen carefully the message. 2.Don’t leave your home to view the drones. 3.Don’t gather in large groups when drones deliver messages. Stay Home, protect https://t.co/G5eQL8aF5Jpic.twitter.com/KM8ZrgxU9t
The Gauteng Liquor Forum has given government until Tuesday to lift or amend the regulation on the total ban on the sale of alcohol, or it will approach the Constitutional Court.
In a letter written to President Cyril Ramaphosa, the forum, which represents 20,000 micro and small businesses in Gauteng, said they operated in the pursuance not only of their financial wellbeing but also in the exercise and protection of their legal and constitutional rights.
“More importantly the lockdown regulations restrict the movements of persons and goods. In particular, regulation 11B(1)(b) provides that all businesses and other entities shall cease operations during lockdown, save for essential services and goods,” the letter reads.
The forum said since the declaration of the national state of disaster, its clients’ businesses had been “gravely” affected by the prohibition on a total ban on the selling of alcohol.
“The extension of the lockdown period to April 30 2020 will most likely ruin their businesses. They do not have access to other means of surviving, while the lockdown continues,” the forum said.
The forum said while it did not object to measures to ensure that the spread of the coronavirus was contained, its clients were concerned that the regulations were unconstitutional as a whole and there was no authority under the law and the constitution to issue the regulations.
“It is also notable that the entire framework for disaster management is not subject to any parliamentary scrutiny and the risk for abuse of power is manifest.
“The total ban on the selling of alcohol is unreasonable and it has no rational connection to the mischief which is sought to be prevented,” said the forum.
“Even when the president announced an extension to the lockdown period, no opportunity was given for representations to be made on the issue of relaxing some of the draconian provisions such as the total ban on alcohol and cigarettes.”
In the letter, the forum also demands that minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma immediately remove, amend or lift the regulation which places a total ban of the selling of alcohol.
“Unless we receive the written undertaking from the honourable president by no later than 12pm on Tuesday April 14 2020, our clients will have no option but to approach court on an urgent basis for appropriate relief,” the letter reads.
Police minister Bheki Cele touring a shopping centre on Saturday.
Times Live|One of the biggest sources of police minister Bheki Cele’s headaches, since the Covid lockdown was announced, is the growing spate of alcohol theft.
Cele, who has frequented the Western Cape since the lockdown started, visited shopping centres in Mbekweni, in Paarl, and Kraaifontein on Saturday. He hinted that a syndicate could be behind the burglaries.
Cele, who was accompanied by the police top echelons, said 16 liquor stores had been burgled – and that the Western Cape was leading with the break-ins. Quite sobering was Cele’s revelation that two police officers and a liquor store manager had been bust for supplying an underground market. Cele vowed to deal harshly with those found selling liquor during this period.
“I don’t know where this tendency comes from,” said Cele.
“It started in Langa. When I asked some of the suspects who have been arrested why they did it, they said they are hungry. I asked them how can they steal alcohol when they are hungry.”
Police minister Bheki Cele said it was alarming that police officers have been arrested for links to illegal alcohol trade during the lock down in the Western Cape. Police minister Bheki Cele said it was alarming that police officers have been arrested for links to illegal alcohol trade during the lock down in the Western Cape. Image: Philani Nombembe Cele said some of the burglaries seemed planned while others were spontaneous.
“In some cases, people just see alcohol and decide they want it. Whilst in other cases there is some of planning that goes on. For instance, in Mbekweni they had a saw which they used to cut the chains. They also used a shovel to break the door. You cannot say that happened spontaneously. It tells you that people sat down and planned it,” said Cele.
He said some of the cases were very intricate.
“There is more complex corruption as well like at the store where we arrested police officers. We agreed with the national police commissioner that he should fire them immediately. They must leave the force completely,” Cele said.
“They were arrested with the store manager. They were engaged in underhanded dealings, selling the alcohol. It means these things are happening. We have other initiatives as police that we cannot reveal at the moment before engaging the business community and liquor traders.
“Under this Disaster Management Act, all bottle stores are illegal. This means that we have to arrest anyone who sells alcohol and seize everything including refrigerators. That is what we are going to do.”
Cele interacted with shoppers and urged them to maintain the required distance the queues. In both Mbekweni and Kraaifontein, residents came in numbers to shop.
In a subsequent statement, the police ministry said 21 suspects, four of whom were allegedly behind the first looting incident at a Shoprite Liquor Store in Langa, Cape Town, over the first weekend of the lockdown, had been arrested.
Cele also said he was concerned at the alleged involvement of police members in some of the liquor-related crimes during the lockdown.
Two Warrant Officers from the Delft Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit in the Western Cape, have been arrested together with a liquor store manager and a cashier in Strand, after police on Thursday responded to a tip-off and pounced on the suspects inside the store, buying liquor that was allegedly going to be resold illegally elsewhere.
And in Mpumalanga province, two officers from the Pienaar district were arrested on Friday night, on a charge of defeating the ends of justice after the state vehicle they were driving was stopped and found to have been illegally escorting three bakkies, each loaded to capacity with liquor. The three vehicles allegedly belong to a tavern owner who was also arrested with two other drivers for contravening the lockdown regulations in relation to the restriction on the movement of liquor.
National police commissioner, General Kehla Sitole, has sanctioned urgent departmental investigations into the two cases. If found guilty, the officers could face dismissal.
Cele’s office said he has called for an urgent meeting where, together with SAPS management, they will “engage liquor retailers to address this problem and work out a collaborative strategy towards mitigating this emerging risk.”
Cele called on all citizens to abide by the lockdown regulations.
“The general crime picture since the Covid-19 lockdown continues to reflect a decrease. . .Our law-abiding citizens must continue to work with law enforcement against criminals as we together ensure the survival of the human race against the Covid-19,” said Cele.
Correspondent|A supermarket manager and cashier were arrested together with two Cape Town police officers. The two cops been arrested for allegedly buying alcohol during the national lockdown.
The incident took place in Delft on Thursday at around 11:00 when the two officers allegedly went to the supermarket to buy liquor to the value of R4 000.
” A supermarket manager and a cashier with two police officers were arrested after purchasing and sale of alcohol in Delft,” said national police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo.
The two police officers are stationed at Strand police station and have been charged under the Disaster Management Act.
They appeared in court on Thursday and were released on bail of R1 000 each, added Naidoo.
The supermarket manager and cashier have already been released on a warning, he said.
The Rwandan State Minister for Regional Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, who is well known for shooting from the hip and disparaging Uganda and its officials, has been sacked.
The firing of Nduhungirehe, who in the past described South Africa’s foreign minister as a “prostitute”, was announced at midnight by Prime Minister Eduardo Ngirente.
“Today, 09th April 2020, the President of the Republic has removed from office Amb Olivier Nduhungirehe for consistently acting based on personal opinions over government policies, while serving as Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in charge of East African Community,” said Ngirente.
The development confirms earlier reports that President Kagame had personally warned Nduhungirehe against his reckless remarks in vain.
In the international community, Nduhungirehe is considered an amateur in diplomacy.
His sacking didn’t seem to surprise many, with some Rwandans welcoming the development.
“We are not surprised, in fact it’s long overdue -that man had brought shame and disrepute to the position he held,” said a one Fred Ganza.
“A man who engaged in twitter wars/ arguments, threw around insults like a child in a playground. It was often embarrassing to accept he held role of authority. Bye bye.”
Nduhungirehe is known for being abusive, disrespectful and divisive – explaining why Kagame decided to get rid of him.
Many saw Nduhungirehe was partly responsible for the escalation of the Kampala-Kigali conflict as he fueled daily attacks on Ugandan officials.
His removal from office will be seen as a big step in restoring bilateral relations between Uganda and Rwanda.
Robert Mugabe and Emmerson Mnangagwa during the Gukurahundi era
The ink is not yet dry on our article where we wrote calling the Shona supremacist government of Zimbabwe to put aside tribal hate and marginalisation and distribute covid19 resources equally in Matabeleland and Mashonaland. But the stubborn and hateful Zimbabwe government has just done the opposite.
11 days into coronavirus lockdown announced by the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Matabeleland is yet to receive covid19 equipment.
Thorngrove and Ekusileni Hospital earmarked to accommodate covid19 patients in Matabeleland have no facilities but Wilkins hospital and Rock Foundation Medical Centre in Harare, Mashonaland designated for the same purpose by the government of Zimbabwe are fully equipped.
“I’m saying if something had to happen, I’m not a medical (officer) depending on the intensity they would have to go to Wilkins,” said July Moyo, Minister of local government after he was asked if Thorngrove Hospital was prepared to cater for even one positive patient. Again the Shona supremacists are placing the lives of their own Shona people ahead of those of Matabele people by centralising testing and treatment of covid19 in Harare. A 79 year old person died of coronavirus in Bulawayo while waiting for test results to be delivered from as far as Harare.
Fellow Matabeles the intentions of the Shona supremacist government are very clear and very evil. The aim is to let the people of Matabeleland die of coronavirus. This is in line with their long standing program and plans to obliterate Matabele nation. July Moyo’s message to the people of Matabeleland was very clear, “we want you to die of coronavirus”.
Zimbabwe has no ambulances and fuel. So what means of transport are covid19 patients from Matabeleland going to use to get to Harare which is more than 400km away? Who amongst arrogant and tribally prejudiced Shona doctors and nurses in Harare will treat Matabele people with respect and dignity?
This justifies our calls for the restoration of Matabeleland state where we shall enjoy our rights to self determination- to control our political space, economy and practice our culture. Enjoy our God given rights to life, equality, security and live life to the fullest without fear of being killed, abused and intimidated by genocidists.
If you are Matabele and still think Zimbabwe is a good place for you, better think again before it is too late. Learn a lesson from the actions of the Shona supremacist government. In difficult times like these when they should protect you from the invisible enemy, covid19, they hide medication and all equipment very far in Mashonaland, catering for their own Shona people.
Do not be deceived by none extent devolution.
Those who believe that there is devolution in Zimbabwe must read chapter 14 of the Zimbabwe constitution.
“Whereas it is desirable to ensure: a. the preservation of national unity in Zimbabwe and the prevention of all forms of disunity and secessionism”, goes the preamble which is the introduction that summarises and explains the intention of the whole chapter.
Oppressors are not smart. Are they? Idiots in Harare are not even shy to write this nonsense in their constitution. Putting it in black and white that the intention of chapter 14 which merely mentions the word devolution, is to preserve the so called unity. Also putting it clear that the other aim of the chapter is to prevent any form of secessionism (Matabeleland restoration cause) What nonsense!
Article 1.1 of the same chapter says, “Whenever appropriate, governmental powers and responsibilities must be devolved to provincial and metropolitan councils and local authorities which are competent to carry out those responsibilities efficiently and effectively.”
This is unsophisticated deception. There is nothing to implement because there is no devolution in Zimbabwe. Just the word devolution mentioned in the constitution to deceive the gullible.
Matebeleland demands total independence and sovereignity not the non-existent and non-decript devolution.
Those who are genuinely waiting for the implementation of devolution will wait forever.
This explains why the so called devolution is yet to be implemented 7 years after it was mentioned in the new Zimbabwe constitution in 2013 when all else in the constitution has been implemented.
Who will find it “appropriate” to implement devolution in Zimbabwe? Is it Zanupf? Is it MDC? Unfortunately Zanupf and MDC belong to the same evil league of oppressive Shona supremacists. Check how much MDC Alliance is losing on court cases trying to protect tribalist Chamisa who grabbed power from Thokozani Khupe because she is Ndebele.
This is a wake up call to all the people of Matabeleland to realise that we are on our on in Zimbabwe. All the peoples of Matabeleland in diaspora, should it be individuals or business people, let us unite and contribute financially and otherwise towards efforts to equip covid19 hospitals in Matabeleland which are Ekusileni and Thorngrove Hospital. More hospitals and centres must be identified in the rural areas as well.
This is a harsh reminder that the Shona supremacists wish us dead. Where is the so called party of excellence, MDC which claims that Matabeleland is its strong hold? Nowhere to be found! We will definitely see them during the next elections.
Above all, Matabele nationals should join MLO in their numbers to fight for the restoration of Matabeleland state. If that means we must go under ground to get military skills and Ak 47ns to liberate ourselves from Zimbabwe, let it be. This is not time to ask them why they are marginalising us. It is time to shoot our way to Matabeleland independence.
A ZUPCO bus was on Wednesday involved in a road accident after it collided with a haulage truck along Samora Machel Avenue. Fortunately, there were no fatalities and only four passengers escaped with minor bruises.
The accident is suspected to have occurred after the haulage truck driver lost control of the vehicle.
The ZUPCO bus driver who was only identified as Munyonga said that the haulage truck likely had faulty brakes which is the reason why it failed to stop. The collision occurred at a traffic light controlled intersection at Seventh Street and Samora Machel Avenue.
‘I had few passengers on board heading to Sally Mugabe Heights and four of them escaped with minor bruises,’ said Munyonga. ‘Traffic lights were in favour of me when the haulage truck suddenly hit my bus while I was already by the intersection along Seventh Street. ‘The Haulage truck driver apologised saying his truck brakes failed and was left with no option other than swerving to the pavement to avoid me and I thank God who saved people’s lives,’ he added.
Attempts to get a comment from the haulage truck driver were not fruitful as he referred all questions to the police.
‘I was coming from Msasa that is all I can say at the moment since the accident is now being attended by police,’ said the truck driver.
A police officer who was attending the accident told the publication that it was the third accident they attended to along Samora Machel Avenue on the day of the accident.
By Dr Muzvare Hazviperi Betty Makoni |Amidst all the scary information circulating about coronavirus on social media and in mainstream news, you are virtually alone and “watching yourself die”.
It is a different virus and no one wants you near them for fear of spreading it further. As a lone patient, imagine reading that you are going to die and that there is no treatment . . . and you must stay home.
I fell critically ill on March 16. I had lost hope. But thanks to the National Health Service (NHS), England’s publicly funded health system, a doctor listened to my plea after I told him that my breathing had deteriorated.
An NHS 111 doctor saved my life. All I recall was his Indian accent. I am now breathing normally. I have hope to live again. I will be tested for coronavirus again next week.
Getting infected
I started with mild symptoms around March 3 2020. Mind you, mild symptoms can be managed at home. Prior to that I felt an uneasiness and tiredness of the body for a week or so. I had a sore throat and fever. I did not bother to measure my temperature because the symptoms were similar to flu.
But my body was unusually weak. I ignored it (the sickness) for one week and kept on (taking) Ibrofen. One day I took Ibrofen but the sore throat pain overpowered it. I was shocked but ignored it all the same.
Then my breathing became laboured. My GP (general practitioner) said I had coronavirus symptoms and should not go to the surgery. He asked if I had had contact with any infected persons. I told him that someone at my workplace was in hospital.
He advised me to call an ambulance.
I had questions as to how I had contracted the virus. I washed my hands every 30 minutes. I had lots of sanitisers in my home and at the office. I had a clean and well-ventilated small office.
I think it (infection) must have happened face to face with someone I later learnt tested positive. Four of us in the same office suffered symptoms of coronavirus. Three tested positive by March 16 2020. All four of us survived. Coronavirus is deceptive and someone can have it without knowing. I could even have been infected during shopping or anywhere for that matter.
Avoid self-medicating
Treating the wrong symptoms with home remedies is wrong (but this can happen since) testing is no longer done outside hospital. It puts lives at risk.
I have empathy for everyone in self-isolation experiencing chest tightness and lack of breathing like I went through. Due to a lack of understanding of what was going on, I initially tried the following:
Small inhaler for flu, which did not work;
Took Ibuprofen, inflamed my chest and was eventually overpowered by pain; and Ear Drops could not stop the itching.
None of the above which I had used for flu before worked. I had extremely dry skin. I better understood the symptoms in my native Shona language and I believe if I write it in my mother tongue it might help a lot of people out there.
Below are some Shona words for some coronavirus symptoms based on personal experience. I believe they need be translated into Ndebele and other languages as well so that people understand them according to their contexts.
Even here in UK, BME (black and ethnic minority) communities should make an effort to have interpreters. Missing the symptoms can have serious consequences for your health.
Symptoms in ChiShona
Here are some of the terms: Kuzarirwa (difficulty breathing), gararwa muchipfuva (mucous build-up in the chest), kurukutika (tiredness), kukarakata pahuro (sore throat), kutemwa nemusoro (headaches), gosoro (dry cough), kurutsa (vomiting), kusvotwa (nausea), kusada kudya (loss of appetite), kuzungaira (confusion), kuvaviwa munzeve nemaziso (itchy eyes and ears), kuoma mukanwa (dry mouth), kuchaya (running stomach), kutsva nekutohorwa (fever), kubuda furo (frothing), chirungirira (heartburn) and kusafamba mudumbu (constipation).
I also had puffy face and my eyesight became blurred.
Getting treatment
Medics came to my house on March 19 in PPE gear. I was lucky to get a swab test and a bit of breathing support. They did not think I was a hospital case. To them breathing was not gone at all.
I got my coronavirus results at home on a Saturday via phone. I was video-assessed by a clinician. The doctor gave me some antibiotics. They worked very quickly that Saturday and the following Sunday. Gararwa started to clear and yellow thick stuff started coming out. Since then I have been Skype-assessed daily for effectiveness of antibiotics and other medication.
Do not let the situation deteriorate to your lungs. That is the advice I got during all this. Those who are at an acute stage really go through a horrible time.
On scan, lungs turn into honeycomb and they appear as ground glass particles. They later remain as scars. I did not go this far. Mine was just mucous build-up in the chest which was causing respiratory shutdown. I made a mistake of taking Ibuprofen, which inflamed my chest. I
t blocked my breathing. It was gararwa on chest but once I took antibiotics the yellow mucous started coming out. The dose was high because “to attack such a big enemy one needs a strong army”.
How I pulled through
When one is told they are positive with coronavirus, whether at home or hospital, the trick is to stay calm. Accept the results and forget about death news going round.
Your mental health plays a supportive role to your treatment. Focus on whatever medication you are given for the symptoms because so far there is no known treatment.
Do not expose yourself to any family member. You may unknowingly cause death to loved ones with underlying health conditions. I unapologetically isolated myself. None of my children were allowed in or near my room.
Isolation has some stigma attached to it. I received some terrible messages from friends and relatives.
Some of the questions were harmful and played on my mental health. I managed to block them and focused on the doctor who was supporting me. So believe in what your doctor tells you. Agree to try medication even to help others in future.
Create your own “hospital ward”, which is well ventilated. Make sure the room is not entered by anyone no matter the reasons. You are your own nurse. Check your own temperature and keep records. When you cannot breathe and talk, they can use your notebook to know what was going on.
Your medicines, water bottles, vitamins should be in full supply.
Learn some breathing exercises too. Just master your breathing on your own. I forced my lungs to breathe. I had a five-minute jog daily in my room. It helps your chest to ease and open naturally as well.
Cough up and blow out. Sleeping posture that helped me is face down over a heap of blankets. Learn to regularly steam bath (kunatira).
Drink lots of water.
It cleanses antibiotics and other medications. Water flushes toxins out of your liver and kidneys.
I have gone vegetarian. Tomatoes have been the best. I am reacting to any meat or fish products. Soup mixed with lemon is good.
Keep windows of the house and especially your isolation room open. You need fresh air for good breathing. Use natural air too.
Avoid sunlight when taking certain medication. Take antibiotics religiously and also monitor side effects.
Know your body very well. Do not doubt symptoms. Do not delay treating secondary symptoms. The virus is very deceptive and stubborn. It will not go unless it conquers the body.
Before (coronavirus attacks) please keep your immune very strong. Take vitamin capsules and vitamin from fruits and vegetables.
Post recovery tips
It is not over yet. I must go for antibodies tests. I have been advised these are done regularly to see if immune is strong against the virus.
This is done for the next six months and to be cautious I will not do anything that involves human contact until I finish all the tests. I am confined to the house for six months.
I am cautious about being re-infected. I am aware that people differ in terms of immune systems but mine would need tests first.
My job is flexible and remote-working will remain in place until I am tested. Not much is known about this virus. Reinfection is said to be 14 percent in China. Prevention is better than cure. Not everyone develops antibodies to fight the virus.
It might take a long time for me and some people out there to deal with all mental health issues caused by shock, anxiety, loneliness, denial and anger coupled with knowing death was imminent.
I am creating a therapy manual for all like me who went through this near death experience and felt their own unique “loss”. Patient knowledge is very important and hopefully researchers and medical experts will work hand-in-hand with current and former patients to develop treatment and tests that can ease pain and anxiety.
Let us work together to find a solution. There are many (people) testing positive and surviving.
I am grateful to my emergency doctor on NHS111 who supported me. I am grateful to all friends and family who stood by me.
Standard|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.
“All banks should ensure that people queue a meter apart and depending on the size a banking hall should not have more than 10 people at a time,” the group said.
“All banks should provide at all entry and exit points hand sanitiser that has at least 60% alcohol.
“There should be clear signage at all bank entrances discouraging people showing Covid-19 symptoms from accessing the bank.”
As of Friday, Zimbabwe had recorded 13 coronavirus cases with three fatalities.
Mnangagwa has taken his large motorcade to Norton this morning. Afterwards he will go Chegutu, and then Kwekwe soon after. Govt says ED is traveling around in order to assess the COVID-19 preparedness in these areas. | WISE or STUPID?
By KENNETH MUFUKA|In the debate over the just released Constitutional Court decision concerning the dispute between Sister Thokozani Khupe and the MDC-Alliance, the question that must be answered has not been posited in the MDC-Alliance portfolio.
My learned brother, Alex Magaisa, has traced the problem to 2016. In appointing two additional deputies (in addition to Khupe) MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai sought unsuccessfully to marry the law and what he deemed necessary for the good of the party.
Law professor Richard Christie told us as students that when such an issue arises, the leader must execute a legal fiction, whereby he performs all the legal requirements, while in fact undermining the spirit of the law. My friend Fabian Mabaya has a gift of simplifying difficult issues. A man who seeks a second wife is required by custom to consult his first wife (kuti sadza riwande). The legal fiction is not whether she approved (very unlikely), but that the procedures were followed in good faith (again unlikely that there was good faith).
My information is that Tsvangirai ran roughshod over the hierarchy. I was home at the time, and the explanation, which was whispered in hushed tones was that Mr T was doubtful of Khupe’s ability to steer the ship through the storms when he (Mr T) went to meet his maker.
Be that as it may, there is no bitter woman as one scorned. Further, Mr T’s appointments were ultra vires. Do not blame Zanu PF for that self-inflicted wound.
But there is more which my learned brothers have only skirted. If, there is a chance that aspiring secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora was at least by December 2018, according to brother Hopewell Chin’ono, allegedly in secret consultations with Zanu PF, then you have a perfect Judas Iscariot problem.
I have not yet posed the question which the MDC-Alliance must answer.
If as seems now clear, the court challenge on the part of Khupe and her supporters was generated (and possibly financially supported) by Zanu PF surrogates, one wonders how deep the rot inside MDC-Alliance is.
If former party chairperson Morgen Komichi, as a leaked email letter supposes, was in consultations with the judiciary before the public court pronouncement was made, one wonders how many Judases are lurking inside the MDC-Alliance itself.
Issues not settled It is true that the MDC-T has moved on and morphed into a new creature called the MDC-Alliance since February 2018. I know it and our readers know it.
That may turn out to be a chimera in the eyes of Zanu PF and the enforcers.
I see only dark clouds gathering. The enforcers can be found in the High Court and in the Supreme Court. Already Khupe wants an account of the $7 million from government sent to the MDC during preparations for 2018 elections.
The aim is to drag the matter, raise all sorts of issues, imply malfeasance galore, never be satisfied with answers and then return to court.
Here is part of my question: In the eyes of the court, who is the legal entity called MDC?
The next issue will be the recall of all MDC-Alliance parliamentarians. Now you will say: “Ken, please be reasonable. All MDC parliamentarians fall under MDC-Alliance banner. The old MDC has ceased to exist.”
My brothers, how many times have I told you that Robert Mugabe introduced a state of anomie? When white farmers approached the Supreme Court for relief, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku wended in the middle of the night (no pun on his name) his way to consult Mugabe.
Chidyausiku boasted about it.
I return to Mwonzora. If Mwonzora was in cahoots (we must say allegedly), all the secrets of the party and expenditures are deeply compromised.
Magaisa points out the hypocrisy of the people who are celebrating the court’s decision also say that they are guardians of Mr T’s legacy. There is even a more glaring example in Zanu PF. While the Zanu PF stalwarts overthrew the tyrant Mugabe for misbehaviour, they also say that they are guardians of “Restore (Mugabe’s) legacy”.
Were I to count the number of hypocrites in Zimbabwe’s political life, I would not see the end of it.
The fact that Khupe polled 45 000 voters as compared to 2.3 million for MDC-Alliance’s Nelson Chamisa is irrelevant to the matters at hand. The point is to build her up, pretend that she is Mother Maria walking in Jerusalem. The whole MDC-Alliance will be dragged into an all-out war over trivialities until the elections.
If Chamisa loses the election, the name of Khupe will disappear from the face of all Zimpapers titles as if by magic.
Conclusion and mortal question With this evidence in plain sight, first, that MDC members at a very high level were complicit with the authorities in pursuing a legal case against their own party, it is established that the authorities have an interest in the outcome of the case.
The MDC-Alliance will be facing new charges in the near future, abuse of party funds, recall from parliament and other trumped-up charges by Sister Khupe and her surrogates.
The MDC-Alliance and its protagonists, who, we now know, have the sympathy of the authorities, can present itself before the judiciary if it has some assurance that the judiciary is an impartial referee.
That is a mortal question. If the answer is negative, as I have referred to earlier, the MDC-Alliance is playing in a state of anomie (lawless state).
Common sense points in the direction that continued participation in the polity that does not provide an impartial judiciary is suicidal to the MDC-Alliance.
But prudence dictates that such unfair systems, long established, cannot be changed without great suffering to the populace, because such systems monopolise instruments of violence.
Americans saw the oppression by English monarch George III very clearly. If they participated, usurpations continued with only one aim, to confirm the King’s tyranny. If they resisted, they faced loss of life and limb.
I want somebody to tell me that by participating in the 2023 elections, there is hope in achieving an outcome other than the present dispensation.
Mirror|Matthew Takaona, who is a former president of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) and a consultant with The Mirror was arrested and detained without charge by Police in Masvingo on Saturday as he was assessing the effects of a Government order to reopen vegetable markets in the midst of the Covid 19 threat.
Last month Takaona wrote a hard-hitting article on President Mnangagwa’s failings. The article titled President Mnangagwa can only be unwell was well read by many and shared on social media.
Takaona who was driving a marked Mirror car and had all his papers on him was ordered by an overzealous Police officer to make a u turn at a roadblock and go back to where he was coming from.
Takaona who was on his way back to the office told the constable that he was at work and had deadlines to meet but was told by the officer to obey the illegal order and go back.
Takaona who is also a former commissioner with the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) was then arrested as he tried to explain that he was providing an essential service according to the law. The officers threatened to handcuff him if he continued to complain against his arrest.
“I was baffled by the personalisation of simple issues at the roadblock. I had all my papers with me and the Police details at the roadblock clearly knew that the media is an essential service but still they insisted on enforcing an illegal order.
“I doubt if policing means harassment of citizens, taking away their rights and slighting them by throwing insults at roadblocks.
“Police has a serious need to retrain their junior offices because what they practise is at cross purposes with the Police Service Charter. There is an uncanny zeal to use force even when people are fully co-operating.
“The situation was made worse by the woman inspector in charge at the roadblock who instead of providing leadership joined her juniors in arguments with clients and insulting them. The leader at the roadblock was an excitable woman. Arrested people were being asked about their level of education or scolded for being too old,” said Takaona.
He said he was happy with the quick intervention of Assistant Commissioner Taonei Nyazema the Officer Commanding Masvingo who ordered his release.
Takaona also expressed his appreciation to ZUJ, MISA and fellow journalists who quickly pursued the matter and ensured that it was attended to swiftly.
State Media|Dates for the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) 2020 June examinations will be determined at the end of the lockdown period, it has been learnt.
Learners are worried that the exams might be postponed to pave way for the current fight against the coronavirus, while of teacher representative bodies are split on whether or not the exams should proceed.
Writing of Zimsec mid-year exams normally begins at the end of May.
Government imposed a 21-day national lockdown, which ends on April 19, to limit movements and, therefore, curtail the spread of the virus.
Primary and secondary schools had already been instructed to close earlier than scheduled as part of the unprecedented far-reaching measures to avoid infections.
Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education Mrs Tumisang Thabela said the outcome of the 21-day national lockdown would inform the way forward on the June examinations.
“For now it is a bit premature to talk about postponing the exams whilst we are still in the lockdown. We will be guided by the evidence in front of us once the lockdown is over.”
But preparations are still continuing.
The country’s primary and secondary schools examinations body says the window to register for the exams has since been extended to accommodate learners who might have been inconvenienced by the current restrictions.
In a statement, Zimsec said it would be guided by the outcome of the lockdown, with late June registrations set to be accommodated in the November sittings.
“Zimsec, like any other institution, is not privy to what will happen after the 21 days of the lockdown, but would like its valued stakeholders to know that a window for the registration for November 2020 examinations will be provided when the lockdown is lifted,” read part of the statement.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou said postponing the June examinations will be unfair to the candidates as most have had ample time to prepare.
“It is too early to make that decision now given that we are in a lockdown. Remember, schools were closed March, meaning most of the candidates had enough time to prepare for these examinations,” he said.
“So it will be unfair to postpone the examinations. We have a precedent of 2008, where children only had classes for 48 days and they still passed. I do not see any harm in not postponing the exams; if postponed, then they should be moved to July or early August.”
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA) secretary-general Mr Tapson Sibanda disagrees.
“Although it is not certain yet as to what will happen in the next few days, we are advocating for the postponement of the exams since candidates did not have enough time to prepare,” he said.
“However, we would like to applaud the Government for extending the registration dates.”
Some private colleges have postponed exams until next year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This follows the cancellation of both June and November Cambridge international exams for 2020 due the coronavirus pandemic
State Media|CHURCHES have availed their facilities to be turned into isolation centres during the Government’s fight against the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
This comes amid revelations that in Bulawayo work is underway to also have Hillside Teachers’ College and Elangeni Training Centre turned into isolation centres if the need arises. Speaking during the launch of the “I am for Bulawayo fighting Covid-19” initiative on Friday, vice-president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, Pastor Trevor Masuku, who is also the EFZ Bulawayo provincial chairperson, said they had already pledged their facilities to President Mnangagwa as part of their contribution to the fight against the spread of the pandemic.
The “I am for Bulawayo fighting Covid-19” initiative, which is registered as a Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO), is working with the Government to spearhead the establishment of Ekusileni Medical Centre as a national Covid-19 isolation centre. The organisation is also working on equipping other Covid-19 related facilities in Bulawayo including Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital and Mater Dei Hospital.”
Pastor Masuku said they had noted that in some cases it would be impossible for people to self-isolate due to their living conditions hence the need to identify other facilities for them to move into.
“We met with the President a week ago where we said that churches have huge auditoriums and buildings they are occupying, all over the country, which during this period are not being utilised hence we are availing them for use as isolation centres whenever they are required for use by the Government. As the church we recognised that in some of our communities it is impossible for one to self-isolate therefore we saw it fit that instead of having these churches turn into white elephants let them be used for a good cause in the fight against the spread of this pandemic,” said Pastor Masuku.
He also revealed that besides isolation centres, church buildings could also be used as feeding zones for the less privileged.
Speaking during the same launch, the initiative chairperson, industrialist Mr Busisa Moyo revealed that their Trust was not just on spearheading the reopening of Ekusileni Hospital but they would also work at equipping all the other facilities, including the churches and other centres in the city.
“As an initiative we are not centred on Ekusileni alone but rather we are working on the wholesome picture of fighting the spread of the pandemic in the city and country as a whole. Our team is already working on identifying other isolation centres in the city which we will equally work on equipping. Just yesterday (Thursday) I was talking to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Professor Paul Mavhima, who is a member of the Ad-Hoc taskforce on Covid-19 where we discussed the issue to turn Hillside Teachers College and Elangeni Training Centre into isolation centres, all these will thus need us to work together and equip them with the necessary facilities,” said Mr Moyo.
Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Judith Ncube confirmed that a number of facilities have been offered to be utilised for various Covid-19 related uses. People living on the streets will also be accommodated in such facilities.
“I have been busy in the past two days touring these facilities with my officials, seeing how we can utilise them during this crisis moment. We especially appreciate all those that have come forward because the only way we can defeat this pandemic is if we work as a unity,” she said.
Meanwhile, trustees of the “I am for Bulawayo fighting Covid-19” initiative that were presented during the launch include. They are Mr Moyo, Dr Lindiwe Majele Sibanda (Agriculture expert), Mr Douglas Bramsen (Masca chief executive officer), Ms Janah Ncube (international crisis management consultant), Mr Walter Chigwada (Zimplow managing director), Dr Wedu Ndebele (pediatrician), Professor Mqhele Dlodlo (Nust Vice-Chancellor), Mrs Sithandile Ngwenya (lawyer) and Pastor Masuku.
State Media|SPREADING fake news on social media and mainstream media about coronavirus (Covid-19) has been categorised as a Level 14 offence, the highest in the country and people liable will be jailed for 20 years, officials have confirmed.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in China last December and later on in most countries across the world, fake news especially on social media have become the order of the day. In Zimbabwe most of the fake news is spread through WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook social media platforms.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told Sunday News yesterday that the measure to categorise spreading of fake news about the pandemic as a Level 14 offence was part of Government’s efforts to ensure that the country effectively contains the spread of Covid-19.
“This is part of a Statutory Instrument (SI) under the Public Health Act, which now criminalises the peddling of falsehoods relating to this pandemic. The reason we had to come up with that SI was after we noted the proliferation of fake news, which were hindering the fight against the spread of the pandemic. We are using the Public Health Act which according to Section 68, empowers the Minister of Health and Child Care to make such regulations in times of emergencies, to help contain such viruses,” said Minister Ziyambi.
He said it was vital for people to realise the effect of spreading falsehoods on the functions of society as it had the danger of causing unnecessary panic and even affect Government efforts to contain emergencies.
“No society can function when lies are peddled willy-nilly, these could have a far reaching ripple effect that could even affect the nation more than the effects of the pandemic alone, hence the reason Government has decided to criminalise this practice especially on various social media platforms,” said Minister Ziyambi.
Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo who is a member of the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Covid-19 reiterated this when he said journalists also risk being jailed for writing falsehoods around the pandemic. Minister Moyo heads the sub-committee on resource mobilisation and co-ordination.
“The media are an integral part of this fight against this pandemic, of which they must give the people daily updates on what is happening on the ground. However, they must be responsible, falsehoods will exacerbate panic of which we are already scared of this pandemic and trying to understand it. In terms of jail term, one can spend up to 20 years behind bars, in terms of fines, it is the highest possible fine which we haven’t even as yet set a figure,” he said.
The minister said they were also monitoring people who forwarded false messages they received on their mobile phones as they were equally liable even if they had not originated the messages. According to Statutory Instrument 83 of the 2020 Public Health, Covid-19 Prevention, Containment, Treatment and Lockdown Order; “For the avoidance of doubt any person who publishes or communicates false news about any public officer involved with enforcing or implementing the national lockdown in his or her capacity as such, or about any private individual that has the effect of prejudicing the State’s enforcement of the national lockdown, shall be liable for prosecution under Section 31 of the Criminal Law Code and liable to the penalty there provided, that is to say a fine up to or exceeding level 14 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 20 years or both”.
A number of countries in the region have also promulgated laws to curb the spread of falsehoods on social media, with authorities concurring with the Zimbabwean Government that such acts hampered efforts being made to contain the pandemic.
In South Africa the government gazetted a new law under their Disaster Management Act where citizens could receive a fine or a six-month prison term for spreading fake news about the coronavirus. The Act classifies fake news as “publishing any statement through any medium, including social media, with the intention to deceive any other person about measures by the government to address Covid-19.” Last week, a man from Cape Town, South Africa was dragged to court for allegedly publishing falsehoods about Covid-19 testing.
Meanwhile, the Association of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe (AACZ) has called on members of the public to refrain from relying on unofficial social media platforms for information related to the coronavirus. AACZ president Archbishop Tsungai Vushe said people should rely on the mainstream media for relevant information and avoid being misled by some media platforms, which have become havens of peddling falsehoods.
“People should ignore rumours and fake news being disseminated on various media platforms about the coronavirus but rather they should stay informed through news or information from mainstream media such as newspapers, radio and television. We should also support our Government’s various initiatives and programmes in its bid to curb the spread of this deadly disease while we also co-operate with the Ministry of Health and Child Care,” he said.
Archbishop Vushe also applauded the Government for the 21-day national lockdown to contain the spread of the Covid-19.
“On behalf of my association, AACZ, we are very happy with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s decision to declare a 21-day national lockdown. As Christians we are praying indoors and we are always geared to pray for our national and the well-being of the people.
Furthermore, I’m urging all Zimbabweans not to panic as God is in control. Coronavirus is real and it’s there so let’s take this pandemic seriously. As Christians, we must be exemplary and good listeners remembering that God helps those who also help themselves,” he said. AACZ is a grouping of Apostolic and Zion sects with a membership of over 400 denominations.
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
By Commissioner John Makamure| ZIMBABWE Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) chairperson, Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo, recently issued a statement calling on those conferred with the mandate to manage Covid-19 donations to exercise a high degree of transparency and accountability or face severe punishment for abuse of the aid.
Part of her statement read: “The Commission is aware that the Ministry of Health and Child Care has received donations of money, medical equipment and medication donated by individuals, the business community, Non-Governmental Organisations, international organisations and the donor community on behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe.
“In the past, there have been incidences of failure by the relevant authorities to account for donations of similar proportions.
“The Commission, therefore, implores the responsible individuals in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, from the accounting officer, those in charge of hospitals, clinics and pharmacies to put in place systems that ensure transparency, accountability and fair distribution of all the said donations”.
Justice Matanda Moyo went further to state that: “The Commission would like to warn individuals against embarking on any corrupt and fraudulent activities. Those found on the wrong side of the law will be dealt with accordingly”.
Indeed these are not empty threats by the Zacc chairperson.
She issued the statement against the background of highly publicised incidences, in the past, where donated items towards a public emergency were looted by greedy and corrupt elements within society.
The aid that was meant for victims of Cyclone Idai is a case in point.
Zacc has a constitutional mandate to combat and prevent such malpractices.
Section 255 of the National Constitution outlines the functions of the Commission as follows:
to investigate and expose cases of corruption in the private and public sectors; to combat corruption, theft, misappropriation, abuse of power and other improper conduct in the public and private sectors;
to receive complaints from the public, and to take such actions on the complaints as it deems appropriate; to refer corruption matters to the National Prosecuting Authority for prosecution; to direct the Commissioner-General of Police to investigate cases of corruption and report to the Commission on the findings of such investigation; to promote honesty, financial discipline and transparency in the private and public sectors; to require assistance from members of the Police Service and other investigative agencies of the State; and to make recommendations to Government and other persons on measures to enhance integrity and accountability, and prevent improper conduct in the private and public sectors
Ensuring proper management of public and donated resources, in furtherance of a national cause, is no doubt in line with the constitutional functions.
The Commission will not sit idly and allow the aid to be plundered at a time when the United Nations has already declared Coronavirus the worst crisis since World War II.
Zimbabwe is already experiencing other huge economic challenges and cannot afford wastage and theft of the few available resources (that have largely been diverted from other pressing needs) to fight the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Commission would like to remind those in charge of the resources that, first and foremost, the laws of the country must be fully complied with in the management of public and donated resources.
The Constitution, the supreme law of the land, has numerous provisions to promote transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
For example, Chapter 9 outlines basic values and principles governing public administration.
Some of these include a high standard of professional ethics; efficient, transparent and economical use of resources.
Section 298 outlines principles of public financial management.
They include transparency and accountability in financial matters; prudent, economical and effective use of public funds; and responsibility in financial management.
Another important statute is Statutory Instrument 144 of 2019 Public Finance Management (Treasury Instructions), in particular Sections 114 and 115.
Section 114 provides for all gifts or donations, in cash, to be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund or relevant public fund set up for that purpose.
All gifts or donations, in the form of assets, will form part of public property and shall be treated and accounted for through the Public Finance Management System as such.
In circumstances where there is no clarity on the purpose for which a gift or donation shall be applied, Treasury shall provide guidance. Accounting officers are required to maintain a register of all gifts and donations offered or accepted during the year.
It is the responsibility of accounting officers to ensure that any conditions restricting the use of donations are complied with.
Section 115 deals with reporting and audit of gifts and donations. It provides for all gifts, donations or sponsorships received during the course of the financial year to be disclosed as a note to the financial statements of the ministry. The records relating to gifts and donations should be made available for audit by internal audit, Auditor-General, and private audit firms that may be engaged by donors.
An internal audit shall be instituted for the gifts and donations registers at least once a year.
We have in place the public procurement law which must not be violated in the process of expediting procurement to address the extra-ordinary situation.
The Commission’s view is that those suppliers who have acted irregularly before or are under investigation for other offences must not be engaged by the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe.
Once again, Zacc will descend heavily on such greedy individuals in the public and private sectors bent on illegally enriching themselves at the expense of the general citizenry.
Offences of bribery, use of false documents, concealing a transaction to one’s principal, conflict of interest, money laundering, embezzlement and abuse of power as a public officer will be thoroughly investigated and dockets swiftly compiled for submission to the National Prosecuting Authority for prosecution.
Zimbabwe has in place adequate statutes to punish the offenders.
For example, the Public Finance Management Act outlines in Chapter 9 what constitutes financial misconduct by public officials.
Notwithstanding any other enactment, financial misconduct is a ground for the dismissal of, or other disciplinary sanction prescribed under Section 87 of the Act against an accounting officer or public official.
Section 91 (1) provides that an accounting officer shall be guilty of an offence and liable, upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding level ten or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years or to both such fine and such imprisonment, if that accounting officer willfully or in a grossly negligent way fails to comply with Section 10 or a requirement of Part IV of the Act.
These provisions speak about the role and functions of accounting officers and preparation and reporting of financial statements, respectively.
Section 91 (5) provides that any person who, under examination by an internal or external auditor, in terms of Part VIII of the Act, makes any statement which he or she knows to be false or does not have reasonable grounds to believe to be true, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level seven or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
The Commission urges the members of the public to report cases of corruption in the management and distribution of the Covid-19 donations on the following platforms [email protected], [email protected] , twitter @ZACConline and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission face book page. The Commission toll free lines are 08004367/08010101.
The Commission would also like to call upon Parliament to fully exercise its oversight role on State revenues and expenditure role as provided for in Section 299 of the National Constitution.
The provision states: “Parliament must monitor and oversee expenditure by the State and all Commissions and institutions and agencies of Government at every level, including statutory bodies, Government-controlled entities, provincial and metropolitan councils and local authorities in order to ensure all revenue is accounted for; all expenditure has been properly incurred; and any limits and conditions on appropriations have been observed”.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committees are empowered by the Public Finance Management Act to receive monthly and quarterly financial reports and any other reports relating to management of public funds.
We therefore expect that when the situation normalises and Parliament returns to work, the reports on the usage of Covid-19 resources will be submitted to the relevant portfolio committees in a timely manner for scrutiny.
Commissioner John Makamure is the Zacc spokesperson and chairs the Committee on Prevention and Corporate Governance.
A Zimbabwean human rights lawyer Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda has been appointed into a group which will advise International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director, Kristalina Georgieva.
The external advisory group will provide perspectives from around the world on policy responses to the impact of the coronavirus.
“Even before the spread of Covid-19 and the dramatic health, economic, and financial disruptions it has brought, IMF members confronted a rapidly evolving world and complex policy issues,” Georgieva said in a statement.
“To serve our membership well in this context, we need top-notch input and expertise from the widest range of sources, inside and outside the Fund.”
She said the advisory group is compose of “eminent individuals with high-level policy, market, and private sector experience”.
Gumbonzvanda will sit in the advisory group with former Nigeria’s Finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, (Senior Minister of Singapore and Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore), Kristin Forbes (Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology), former Australia,’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Lord Mark Malloch Brown, former United Nations Deputy Secretary-General.
Other members are Feike Sijbesima (Honorary Chair, DSM, Former CEO, Royal DSM) , Raghuram Rajan (University of Chicago professor), Santander group executive chairman Ana Botín, Harvard’s professor Carmen Reinhart, Mohamed A. El-Erian (Chief Economic Adviser, Allianz) and Scott Minerd, chief investment officer, Guggenheim Investments.
Writing on microblogging site, Twitter on Friday, Gumbonzvanda said: “Am honoured to join the external advisory group to IMF Managing Director @KGeorgieva, in these challenging times with #COVIDー19. We had our first meeting today. A feminist, justice & human rights values grounded in our community reality inform my work.”
Gokwe Nembudziya legislator Justice Mayor Wadyajena has dashed to the defence of under-fire health minister Obadiah Moyo saying criticism against him is not taking into account lack of resources and running an incapacitated ministry.
Posting on Twitter, Wadyajena said ministerial allocations are not disbursements calling for his capacitation before judging his performance.
“All this empty noise about how DrMoyo ought to be fired is stupidity on steroids. How do you expect more testing with no reagents? How do you expect isolation centres when there’s no money? @MoHCCZim’s budget allocations AREN’T actual disbursements! Capacitate him 1ST, then judge,” said Wadyajena.
Obadiah has been under fire amid deepening calls for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to fire him for incompetency.
Those pushing for his dismissal includes Presidential Advisory Council member Trevor Ncube and Hopewell Chin’ono among others.
They argue that Moyo is failing even basic things like proper communication on the coronavirus leaving the country vulnerable.
By Dr Austin Jeans| As I write this piece, stewing as it has in my brain for some days, we find ourselves at the start of the Easter period, a time most notably celebrated as a message of great hope by Christians worldwide.
At the same time we find ourselves amidst the global viral COVID19 pandemic, as declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has dramatically changed life as we knew it. Globally the number of confirmed infections stands at over 1.6 million with nearly 95,000 deaths despite a raft of containment measures adopted to different degrees by individual Governments of the countries of the world.
As a continent with its current burden of COVID19, Africa sits quite far down on the ‘scoreboard’ with a total of 12,000 cases to date in 52 countries, a death toll of 576 and only three African countries thus far having over 1000 confirmed cases (South Africa 1900 cases, Algeria & Egypt 1600 cases). When you compare these figures to other countries like the USA (currently at 469,000 cases, over 16,500 deaths) or Spain (153,000 cases, 15,000 deaths) and Italy (143,000 cases, 18,000 deaths) it poses some really pertinent questions.
Are we in Africa simply behind the pandemic curve and thereby poised on the brink of an ‘avalanche’ of COVID19? Do the relatively few cases so far identified in Africa (and specifically here in Zimbabwe) point to effective early containment measures or a capacity failure thus far to test adequate numbers of people in the population at large? Is it possible that COVID19 in Zimbabwe will not actually become the ‘infection armageddon’ being experienced in other countries where exponential numbers of very sick people overwhelm hospital care facilities and health care workers? As the World Bank reports on economic indicators that predict a devastating impact on the economies of Sub-Saharan Africa, the consequences of this global crisis and the actions taken thus far to combat it are of paramount concern to each and every one of us. We are all looking to our political leaders for the exit strategies that will keep us safe but at the same time mitigate our national and individual economic demise! Is there hope? I think there is.
In Zimbabwe we sit 12 days into the 21 day national ‘lock-down’ instituted on 31 March by our Government in line with similar measures put in place by other countries including our South African neighbours.
As we explore this situation I feel there is much hope for optimism especially when we look at some of the pertinent COVID19 issues in more detail. At the same time there are some concerns with regards to key components of our Public Health capacity to respond to the challenges that may lay ahead.
It is a perspective that could easily be overtaken by future events but we need sound structured debate to take place at all levels of our society.
This will hopefully guide decisions made by our Government that balance the probability (or lack of) for a local COVID19 pandemic versus the very certain dire economic, health and food security consequences for our country and it’s people if we opt to maintain a prolonged shut-down of the bulk of our formal and informal economy.
The points I want to address that give me room for hope are:The current scale of the COVID19 problem in Zimbabwe.
Factors that may reduce the likelihood of this ballooning to pandemic proportions. a) Climate b) Outdoor environs c) Population age demographics d) Metabolic health e) BCG vaccination status f) Early containment (lock-down) measures
The current scale of the COVID19 problem in Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe’s COVID19 statistics sit at 395 tests having been done (on symptomatic cases), revealing 11 positive COVID19 tests and 3 deaths have been registered. So what do these figures tell us about Zimbabwe’s COVID19 ‘status’? Do we really only have so few cases? There are two indicators by which one can gauge whether or not COVID19 has taken substantial root in a country.
Firstly, that widespread testing to detect actively infected cases is being carried out which then provides an infection rate, the second indicator is that health facilities are reporting significant numbers of atypical pneumonia cases and/or associated deaths.
Testing: are our health authorities currently carrying out a significant community-wide testing program? We can evaluate this by looking at the number of tests for COVID19 infection (expressed as tests done per million people in a population) carried out so far. If we look at some comparators, Switzerland is high up on the ‘leader-board’ having done 19,000 tests per million, Hong Kong 12,900/million, Germany 11,000/million, Canada 9000/million, UK nearly 3000/million, South Africa over 1000/million, India 102/million and Zimbabwe has done 26 tests per million.
This indicates that we really have no idea of the actual scale of COVID19 cases in our country if we base this on the very small number of tests carried out thus far.
The key to responding appropriately in a pandemic is aggressive widespread testing of the community to detect the virus positive cases which allows for effective contact tracing, isolation of those infected for 14 days and monitoring for those cases who progress to more severe illness.
Also understand that one of the really important statistics learned from those countries ahead of us in this viral pandemic relates to the likelihood of a large number of ‘silent’ infected cases who have no symptoms at all (‘asymptomatic cases’) which various studies have shown can be between 25%-80% of infected cases. A recent finding in Lombardi, northern Italy, a hard hit COVID19 region where 40 out of 60 blood samples (67%) from ‘healthy’ (i.e. having no illness symptoms) blood donors were found to be positive for coronavirus shows how prevalent this may be.
In other words it is likely that hundreds even thousands of people have or have had COVID19 infection totally silently. There is even debate as to whether these asymptomatic cases are able to transmit the virus to another person. It does mean though that this is a potential double-edged sword in that we may have many potential ‘silent’ spreaders but also that we may already have a substantial number of people already past the infection and now immune; if the latter be the case this would be a good thing but only measurable when antibody testing for COVID19 becomes available (as opposed to current testing for the virus itself) which is a while away.
Anyway the conclusion has to be that as far as our current levels of testing are concerned in Zimbabwe, at this point in time we really have no idea what percentage of our population is infected and that fact, from a Public Health perspective, is something that our health authorities need to ramp up.
Severe cases: so at the other end of the scale, are Zimbabwe’s health facilities reporting significant numbers of severely ill people presenting with atypical pneumonia and/or associated deaths? The answer at this stage is that they are not (if our health authorities reporting systems are valid),. This fact gives us hope that we do not currently have an epidemic of COVID19 threatening our health delivery services.
Factors that may reduce the likelihood of this ballooning to pandemic proportions:
a) Our Climate: we know that influenza epidemics and outbreaks are seasonal in nature, being worse in colder seasons especially in the Northern Hemisphere countries and substantially reduced in summertime. Our warmer climate (even in the coming dry Zimbabwe winter) may significantly reduce the rates of COVID19 transmission by reducing the time that the virus can survive in droplets spread by inhalation or touch from person to person or on surfaces. So I propose that our climate is potentially a very positive factor that may reduce our risk of rapid spread of the virus.
b) Outdoor Environs: in Zimbabwe we are blessed with a predominantly outdoor environment where most people spend most of their time. Research on viral transmission shows that the risk of person to person spread is reduced by up to 18.7x in open spaces (outdoors) when compared to closed spaces (indoors).
Compared to many overpopulated countries and cities especially those with cold, wet winter months where the majority of those people are indoors most of the time, Zimbabwe is very different. In addition we can improve the situation further by wearing a non-medical fabric mask (as recommended by the WHO since this has been shown to reduce viral transmission), we should all be wearing one when out and about.
c) Population Age Demographics: the most optimistic factor of all that provides the biggest source of hope is the age demographics of our population in Zimbabwe. To give this context we need to understand one very important fact which is that in those countries who have experienced high rates of severe COVID19 disease and deaths, the most vulnerable and afflicted (amounting to over 95% of hospitalised cases) have been older people in the population (predominantly those over 65yrs and especially over 80yr old) and more specifically in those older folk who have other pre-existing health issues such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart, lung or kidney disease
COWDRAY Park councillor Kidwell Mujuru has refuted allegations that he was diverting Government subsidised mealie-meal to the black market.
Residents were left fuming last Monday after a truck delivering the product at TM Cowdray Park in Bulawayo only offloaded half the load before being allegedly diverted by Clr Mujuru to the new stands popularly known as Esigodweni.
“I think people misread my intentions. It is true that the truck took some of the roller meal to the area you are mentioning but this was solely so that people from the area can benefit too because most of them were failing to get to TM or even the terminus where the product was sold. As a local councillor I then got in touch with the suppliers and asked them to go to Esigodweni and deliver the product. It is not true that the intention was to supply the black market.
However, the sale of the mealie-meal only stopped after one person was detected to have bought more than 20 times because the owner apparently runs a tuckshop and wanted to re-sell the product.”
He said when that was discovered the culprit then mobilised other residents and they started disrupting the smooth process of selling the product in the area.
“This was an open space although I had asked our local police to control. The company (maize meal supplier) then said it cannot continue selling and they drove off. I have since arranged that we use Cowdray Park Primary School. I cannot be that irresponsible to divert mealie-meal to the black market, that would be blatant corruption,” said Clr Mujuru.
The mealie-meal black market is thriving in the suburb with some people selling a 10kg bag for $200 cash. Sunday News observed long winding queues at some of the shops where the product was delivered. However, most of the people were not observing social distancing as directed by the Government during the lockdown period.
Residents also blasted one of the retail shops where the owner was only accepting foreign currency and cash at a time.
“Where do they think we can get cash, when they purchase the mealie-meal at GMB (Grain Marketing Board) they use plastic money but now they demand cash or forex from us. I think shops such as these must not be allowed to sell mealie-meal, its best the supplier sells straight from the truck,” said a resident Mr Tawanda Nhopi.
JOHANNESBURG – The total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections in South Africa on Saturday increased by 2,028, with confirmed deaths now at 25, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said in a statement.
The total number of COVID-19 tests conducted to date was at 75,053.
REPORTING OF NEW DEATH
“It is with sadness that we report a new COVID-19 related death. This takes the total number of deaths to 25. The deceased patient is a 61-year-old male from the Western Cape. His underlying medical conditions included diabetes, hypertension, and obesity,” Mkhize said.
The minister conveyed government’s condolences to the family of the deceased patient and also thanked the health workers that treated him.
Zimbabwe yesterday recorded a new Covid-19 case to take the total number of confirmed cases to 14 from the 528 tests done so far.
In its daily update released yesterday, government said a new testing centre has been set up in Bulawayo and is already functional with tests from the Southern part of the country commencing at the new centre on Monday.
Below is the statement from the ministry of health and child care…
By Jane Mlambo| Barely less than six months after controversial dancer Beverly Sibanda’s picture at Harare Magistrates Court tying the knot wity her United Kingdom based husband ‘doctor’ Mufudzi Chambuka made waves on social media, the union seems to have hit the rocks.
Chambuka took to Facebook to express his anger after what he says was Bev’s scheme to milk him money using another man.
“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,” posted Chambuka.
Bev who has previously been linked to a number of celebrities including footballer Khama Billiat, musician Andy Muridzo and controversial Prophet Walter Magaya shocked many when she exchanged marriage vows to Chambuka at the courts.
Bev has not followed her husband to UK and is continuing with her strip-tease dance shows across the country raising questions if the marriage was really genuine.
Despite the privacy around Bev’s marriage, her manager, Hapazari Mapimhidze said the marriage had been according to tradition with Chambuka paying bride price before their wedding at Harare Magistrates Court.
MORE than 4 000 people have been arrested countrywide in the past two weeks for flouting various provisions of the 21-day lockdown which was put in place by the Government to combat the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19).
National police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said police were working tirelessly to ensure that people adhere to the lockdown regulations.
“We have so far arrested 4 198 people who have contravened the lockdown directive.
We are also working with traditional leaders and other community leaders in rural areas to ensure that they have relevant information with regards to Covid-19. We would want our communities to be fully aware of the lockdown and ensure that people also in rural areas comply with the directive. Our police stations in rural areas are vigilant and are implementing the lockdown,” he said.
Speaking during a Provincial Taskforce briefing of Members of Parliament yesterday, Midlands Provincial Taskforce chairperson on lockdown implementation, Commander 5 Brigade, Brigadier-General Simo Maseko said police and the army were working closely to ensure that people adhere to the lockdown.
“ZRP are the lead lockdown implementers and as the Zimbabwe National Army we are there to assist. I must say that we are not impressed with the compliance level in the province.
Also, we are at around 70 percent of compliance, we still have other problem areas. So far 666 people that flouted lockdown regulations have been arrested. Kwekwe is one of our problem areas.
The situation has, however, improved. We have covered all main centres in all districts. We are concerned with the general attitude of people.
People are flouting the regulations. However, we have managed to control them,” he said.
Brig-Gen Maseko said most Members of Parliament and councillors were illegally issuing exemption letters to people to flout lockdown regulations.
“Councillors and MPs have no capacity to issue exemption letters for travelling. That will not be recognised by our security forces.
We have a human approach. Our biggest problems are coming from exemptions. This has an effect on how we implement the lockdown. These are the challenges that we have been facing,” he said.-Soccer 24
Dates for the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) 2020 June examinations will be determined at the end of the lockdown period, it has been learnt.
Learners are worried that the exams might be postponed to pave way for the current fight against the coronavirus, while of teacher representative bodies are split on whether or not the exams should proceed.
Writing of Zimsec mid-year exams normally begins at the end of May.
Government imposed a 21-day national lockdown, which ends on April 19, to limit movements and, therefore, curtail the spread of the virus.
Primary and secondary schools had already been instructed to close earlier than scheduled as part of the unprecedented far-reaching measures to avoid infections.
Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education Mrs Tumisang Thabela said the outcome of the 21-day national lockdown would inform the way forward on the June examinations.
“For now it is a bit premature to talk about postponing the exams whilst we are still in the lockdown. We will be guided by the evidence in front of us once the lockdown is over.”
But preparations are still continuing.
The country’s primary and secondary schools examinations body says the window to register for the exams has since been extended to accommodate learners who might have been inconvenienced by the current restrictions.
In a statement, Zimsec said it would be guided by the outcome of the lockdown, with late June registrations set to be accommodated in the November sittings.
“Zimsec, like any other institution, is not privy to what will happen after the 21 days of the lockdown, but would like its valued stakeholders to know that a window for the registration for November 2020 examinations will be provided when the lockdown is lifted,” read part of the statement.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou said postponing the June examinations will be unfair to the candidates as most have had ample time to prepare. “It is too early to make that decision now given that we are in a lockdown.
Remember, schools were closed March, meaning most of the candidates had enough time to prepare for these examinations,” he said. “So it will be unfair to postpone the examinations.
We have a precedent of 2008, where children only had classes for 48 days and they still passed. I do not see any harm in not postponing the exams; if postponed, then they should be moved to July or early August.”
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA) secretary-general Mr Tapson Sibanda disagrees.
“Although it is not certain yet as to what will happen in the next few days, we are advocating for the postponement of the exams since candidates did not have enough time to prepare,” he said.-State media
THE country’s 10 provinces will soon have Covid-19 testing, referral and isolation centres, as members of the Cabinet taskforce were yesterday deployed to various stations countrywide to assess progress on readiness to combat the novel coronavirus.
This comes as the Global Fund last week released US$5 million to Zimbabwe out of the US$25 million that it has pledged to the country for the anti-Covid-19 fight.
To ease pressure on the country’s sole testing unit, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory in Harare, 167 testing machines are expected to be installed countrywide from rural clinics to provincial hospitals, in a development that will increase the number of people tested for the virus.
Starting this week, Mpilo Provincial Hospital is set to become the second Covid-19 testing centre after a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) unit was set up at the institution.
A detailed report on Covid-19 readiness is expected tomorrow after Cabinet ministers were tasked to work with provincial health officials to identify and refurbish the centres.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said under Government’s grand plan, all the country’s provinces would become autonomous in attending to Covid-19 cases.
“The vast majority of the testing will be conducted through the use of GeneXpert PCR machines.
Countrywide, we have 167 GeneXpert PCR machines but at the moment they cannot be used because they do not have the required Covid-19 cartridges.
“These cartridges are on order and are expected to arrive in the country within a week, or at the most two weeks.
“So if we can get all these 167 machines up and running we will be able to carry out testing in all the provinces down to the rural clinic level,” he said.-State media
Fellow Fighters, Patriots and beloved Christian brethren, it is with a heavy heart that today we begin our Easter commemorations for this year when the world is being ravaged by the Corona Virus pandemic.
Almost a hundred thousand people have perished, over a million are suffering and over 4 billion people are in quarantine and conditions that render any form of celebration are bleak and doomed. Whilst churches remain closed, EFF Zimbabwe calls upon you to reach out to each other by phone and fellowship together in these difficult and trying times.
Our very own motherland has not been spared, with 11 cases and 3 deaths having been recorded.
It is our hope, however, that this Easter’s commemorations will uplift your spirits. In such trying times, we find refuge in holding on to our faith which gives us hope for a better and brighter tomorrow.
Jesus Christ did not die in vain, death on the cross for one so blameless for our own Salvation was a heavy price to pay and quarantine pales into insignificance when one reflects on the suffering that He endured.
His Passion should move us to keep believing and hoping that a vaccine will be found and our miseries will soon be over allowing us to proclaim with Him that ‘It is finished.’
COVID-19 is but a transient misery that we have to endure and yet we have His blood to give us Hope. It is also our hope and prayer that our government will commit itself to providing for the sick and needy in such trying times in undertaking its Constitutional mandate and sworn duties as a sign of commitment and in solidarity with the nation.
As EFF Zimbabwe, we believe that an answer will be found, and it is our sworn duty to never surrender to hopelessness and give in to fear. We are Fighters.
We hold on nomatter the difficulties. We carry in our hearts the candle of hope, not only for a cure, but for better governance and improved service delivery so that our people are not needlessly placed in precarious life-threatening positions due to poor facilities and lack of critical basics.
God bless Zimbabwe, protect her people and brighten her future.
January 3 1983 Emmerson Mnangagwa as Minster of State for National Security of Zimbabwe oversaw the start of a brutal reign of terror on the Ndebele people.
Over a period of 4 years innocent men, women and children were beaten, burned alive or shot. 20 000 people lost their lives.
As the world mourns the 90 000 lives lost from COVID 19 we are reminded of the sanctity of life.
Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF do not respect the sanctity of life as evidenced in his “Bring a dead body to the mortuary” speech.
They can pretend to care about the people of Zimbabwe but their true nature is evident.
When COVID 19 is defeated they will return to their routine intimidation of people, criminal looting of natural resources, imprisoning and murdering those who dare to speak the truth.
Zimbabwe will again be left unprepared to handle new global health threats that could be far worse than COVID 19.
We cannot allow this to happen. We must not go back to business as unusual after COVID 19.
It is time for JUSTICE to reach the people responsible for destroying Zimbabwe; the judges who’ve been complicit, politicians at the forefront of crafting oppressive laws, police and army generals who have violated domestic and international laws.
Emmerson Mnangagwa MUST face justice for what he did to 20 000 innocent people.
President Charles Taylor of Liberia is serving a 50-year prison sentence for human rights violations in Liberia.
Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso has an international arrest warrant out for him for murdering Thomas Sankara and violating human rights during his 27-year term.
It’s high time we show corrupt politicians that NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.
Zimbabwe is a nation in shambles because of Zanu PF. With no transparency in the Zanu PF government, the people of Zimbabwe have no idea how much money is lost daily to corruption.
Our natural resources are managed under a thick cloud of corruption while millions of Zimbabweans face starvation and death. This is no longer acceptable and something needs to be done to stop this!!
It Is time for the people of Zimbabwe to UNITE and actually fight against corruption and stop talking about it.
To our brothers and sisters in the armed forces – For decades you have been used as pawns, as foot soldiers to prop up evil and corrupt men.
You have been given the green light to violate human rights by those who stand to benefit the most from oppressing the people.
By choosing to stand with corrupt politicians, millions of your countrymen are starving to death or dying in hospitals with no doctors or medicine.
The constitution of Zimbabwe compels you to protect the “PEOPLE” of Zimbabwe against those who would harm them both foreign and domestic.
Zanu PF has done more harm to Zimbabwe than any terrorist organization ever could.
To our brothers and sisters in the police – many of you served under Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri. Today he is in hiding.
During his term you were forced to turn a blind eye to government corruption and made to focus your attention on bread thieves and political activists.
Chihuri built a mansion in Chishawasha using resources meant for the Police. He enriched himself while low ranking officers lived in small government flats and struggled to feed their families.
Today Zanu PF politicians continue to steal in broad daylight in front of the whole nation because they believe they are untouchable. Our appeal to you our brothers and sisters in the uniformed services is to do the RIGHT THING.
Politicians have used you for power. WITHOUT YOU THEY HAVE NO POWER.
Stand with the people of Zimbabwe to hold Emmerson Mnangagwa accountable for the serious crimes he has committed.
He authorized the murder of women and children, and amassed a fortune from stolen diamonds in the Congo.
Cheating his way to the presidency does not absolve him of the crimes he has committed and promising dialogue over Gukurahundi will not right the wrong.
Instead of driving around in bullet proof cars under heavy police escort Mnangagwa must face a court of justice and answer for what he and his colleagues have done to Zimbabwe.
Our calls for justice will be labeled as treason or regime change agenda.
This is every dictator’s last stand to preserve control over the people. An order will be released to the army and police to be on high alert to intimidate the people calling for accountability.
But the true act of treason is betraying the people of Zimbabwe by plundering their natural resources and mortgaging the nation to foreign powers.
Creating laws to oppress the people and denying millions of Zimbabweans the right to vote- that is treason.
This is the hour of Justice- What Zanu PF has done to Zimbabwe is unforgivable.
We are a nation that can barely take care of itself. We rely on donations from foreign governments and local businesses to provide medicine for the sick or to save our people from hunger.
Children are taught right from wrong only to watch those who lead the country violating laws with impunity. COVID19 has given us the wake-up call we needed. Those elected to government must be held accountable starting NOW.
They have no special rights; they are not untouchable and most importantly they are NOT ABOVE THE LAW.
LET THE PEOPLE ZIMBABWE UNITE FOR JUTICE for our time has come to turn this ship of state and put it on a course towards true prosperity for ALL THE PEOPLE.
January 3 1983 Emmerson Mnangagwa as Minster of State for National Security of Zimbabwe oversaw the start of a brutal reign of terror on the Ndebele people.
Over a period of 4 years innocent men, women and children were beaten, burned alive or shot. 20 000 people lost their lives.
As the world mourns the 90 000 lives lost from COVID 19 we are reminded of the sanctity of life.
Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF do not respect the sanctity of life as evidenced in his “Bring a dead body to the mortuary” speech.
They can pretend to care about the people of Zimbabwe but their true nature is evident.
When COVID 19 is defeated they will return to their routine intimidation of people, criminal looting of natural resources, imprisoning and murdering those who dare to speak the truth.
Zimbabwe will again be left unprepared to handle new global health threats that could be far worse than COVID 19.
We cannot allow this to happen. We must not go back to business as unusual after COVID 19.
It is time for JUSTICE to reach the people responsible for destroying Zimbabwe; the judges who’ve been complicit, politicians at the forefront of crafting oppressive laws, police and army generals who have violated domestic and international laws.
Emmerson Mnangagwa MUST face justice for what he did to 20 000 innocent people.
President Charles Taylor of Liberia is serving a 50-year prison sentence for human rights violations in Liberia.
Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso has an international arrest warrant out for him for murdering Thomas Sankara and violating human rights during his 27-year term.
It’s high time we show corrupt politicians that NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.
Zimbabwe is a nation in shambles because of Zanu PF. With no transparency in the Zanu PF government, the people of Zimbabwe have no idea how much money is lost daily to corruption.
Our natural resources are managed under a thick cloud of corruption while millions of Zimbabweans face starvation and death. This is no longer acceptable and something needs to be done to stop this!!
It Is time for the people of Zimbabwe to UNITE and actually fight against corruption and stop talking about it.
To our brothers and sisters in the armed forces – For decades you have been used as pawns, as foot soldiers to prop up evil and corrupt men.
You have been given the green light to violate human rights by those who stand to benefit the most from oppressing the people.
By choosing to stand with corrupt politicians, millions of your countrymen are starving to death or dying in hospitals with no doctors or medicine.
The constitution of Zimbabwe compels you to protect the “PEOPLE” of Zimbabwe against those who would harm them both foreign and domestic.
Zanu PF has done more harm to Zimbabwe than any terrorist organization ever could.
To our brothers and sisters in the police – many of you served under Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri. Today he is in hiding.
During his term you were forced to turn a blind eye to government corruption and made to focus your attention on bread thieves and political activists.
Chihuri built a mansion in Chishawasha using resources meant for the Police. He enriched himself while low ranking officers lived in small government flats and struggled to feed their families.
Today Zanu PF politicians continue to steal in broad daylight in front of the whole nation because they believe they are untouchable. Our appeal to you our brothers and sisters in the uniformed services is to do the RIGHT THING.
Politicians have used you for power. WITHOUT YOU THEY HAVE NO POWER.
Stand with the people of Zimbabwe to hold Emmerson Mnangagwa accountable for the serious crimes he has committed.
He authorized the murder of women and children, and amassed a fortune from stolen diamonds in the Congo.
Cheating his way to the presidency does not absolve him of the crimes he has committed and promising dialogue over Gukurahundi will not right the wrong.
Instead of driving around in bullet proof cars under heavy police escort Mnangagwa must face a court of justice and answer for what he and his colleagues have done to Zimbabwe.
Our calls for justice will be labeled as treason or regime change agenda.
This is every dictator’s last stand to preserve control over the people. An order will be released to the army and police to be on high alert to intimidate the people calling for accountability.
But the true act of treason is betraying the people of Zimbabwe by plundering their natural resources and mortgaging the nation to foreign powers.
Creating laws to oppress the people and denying millions of Zimbabweans the right to vote- that is treason.
This is the hour of Justice- What Zanu PF has done to Zimbabwe is unforgivable.
We are a nation that can barely take care of itself. We rely on donations from foreign governments and local businesses to provide medicine for the sick or to save our people from hunger.
Children are taught right from wrong only to watch those who lead the country violating laws with impunity. COVID19 has given us the wake-up call we needed. Those elected to government must be held accountable starting NOW.
They have no special rights; they are not untouchable and most importantly they are NOT ABOVE THE LAW.
LET THE PEOPLE ZIMBABWE UNITE FOR JUTICE for our time has come to turn this ship of state and put it on a course towards true prosperity for ALL THE PEOPLE.
A Coronavirus patient who is a public transport bus driver in US has written from his hospital bed saying he got COVID-19 from his workplace. Below is his unedited announcement:
I’m currently in ICU fighting Covid 19. Been sick for almost 2 weeks and almost died. Its been a truly humbling experience and I dont think my perspective on life will ever be the same. To all my NFTA metro friends yes I have Covid 19 and I got it driving those contaminated buses. You should be concerned about going to work everyday. I wore gloves and a mask and still caught it. My mother is also diagnosed and she is admitted here in the hospital. Those mask and gloves wont save you from that NFTA bus exposure and what good is a paycheck if you aren’t alive to spend it? My fight isn’t over but I felt well enough to post this. Pray 4 me and my mom Barbara Jones and all the sick people. This is real. Stay indoors!
President Mnangagwa yesterday wished Zimbabweans, both at home and abroad, a happy and peaceful Easter holiday, but hinted that security arms will intensify patrols to ensure compliance with the 21-day national Covid-19 lockdown.
He said this year’s Easter holiday, which starts today, was unique in the sense that no gatherings were allowed as the country observes the lockdown aimed at containing the spread of Covid-19.
In his address on the eve of Good Friday at State House, the President said the difficulties and challenges being faced by the nation would not last forever.
“I am aware that in the past, the Easter holiday season would see most families, friends, as well as worshippers gather together to remember the gift of eternal life given to us by God through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,” said President Mnangagwa.
“Sadly, this will not be possible this holiday, as we continue to observe the essential lockdown we instituted to prevent the spread of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
However, do not despair for the Bible says in Matthew 18 verse 20, where two or three gather, the Lord is present with them.
“I urge us all to continue to stay at home, as well as practising good hygiene and observing social distance.”
The President wished citizens a joyful Easter filled with blessings, peace, love and the hope of a brighter tomorrow.
He said as the nation goes through this year’s Easter holiday, citizens should find hope and strength in the words of Jesus Christ in John 16 verse 33, who reminds people that in the world, there will be many trials tribulations, but called for peace, and to be of good cheer, since He has overcome the world.
“In the midst of the darkness, may the light of Jesus Christ shine,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said people should be further encouraged by the knowledge that Jesus Christ triumphed over death.
The President said as part of efforts to fight the spread of Covid-19, security arms will be intensifying patrols to ensure compliance and to curb the movement of pedestrians and vehicles.
Government plans to continue to scale up and improve its preparedness to handle the Covid-19 threat and consolidate the gains made in keeping the country safe.
President Mnangagwa applauded frontline workers that have dedicated their lives to fighting Covid-19.
“We pay tribute to the many men and women constituting the essential services and are keeping our country functional during this lockdown period.
We shall be moving with greater speed to provide the workers in the frontline with all the adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and personal protective clothing as well as the requisite training to ensure their safety in the wake of the Covid-19 threat.
In addition, I would like to commend the various stakeholders, from across the social spectrum, who are giving generously towards our fight against Covid-19. Together we are stronger,” he said.
The answer to the Covid-19 crisis, said the President, lay in people’s discipline and unity.-State media
