Talent Chiwenga appeared before a Mutare magistrate on Tuesday facing charges of smuggling radio and teargas equipment.
The Harare-based clergyman allegedly smuggled five Kenwood two-way communication radios, solar battery chargers and teargas injectors through the Forbes Border Post.
Chiwenga appeared before Mr Nottbulgar Muchineripi, who granted him $400 bail and remanded him to March 31.
He was charged with contravening a section of the Customs and Excise Act.
Chiwenga was represented by Advocate Tariro Paul Machiridza, while the State was represented by prosecutor Perseverance Musukuto.
Ms Musukuto told the court that on December 11, 2019, Chiwenga drove from Mozambique to Zimbabwe through the Forbes Border Post in the company of Lovemore Kanyuru and Darlington Moyo.
The court further heard that after immigration formalities, Chiwenga passed through the customs and clearing counter without declaring goods in his possession.
“A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority official later asked Chiwenga to take his goods for scanning, where it was discovered that the goods were not declared, which then led to his arrest,” said Ms Musukuto.
The value of the goods was not mentioned in court papers.
State Media|Tobacco farmers will this year have unlimited access to foreign currency from the sale of their crop after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) designated tobacco proceeds as free funds.
Last year farmers were getting 50 percent of their earnings in United States dollars with the rest in local currency at the prevailing interbank rate.
However, most farmers could not access foreign currency due to stringent control measures where they were expected to submit applications for foreign exchange.
In line with Government efforts to promote production, RBZ has effected changes to the foreign currency allocation.
Under the new regulations farmers are can keep the money in their foreign currency accounts for an indefinite period and will be free to conduct inter-FCA transfers or make any foreign transfers without restrictions.
The development was announced in a statement co-signed by RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya and Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) chief executive Dr Andrew Matibiri.
“The 50 percent foreign currency portion shall be paid directly into the growers’ foreign currency bank accounts (FCAs) and the 50 percent local currency portion directly into the growers’ local currency bank accounts or e-wallets on the day of the sale,” said the RBZ and TIMB.
“To facilitate adequate preparations and importation of inputs for the next growing season, the foreign currency entitlements for growers shall be treated as free funds and may be retained in their FCAs for an indefinite period.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, holders of such funds are permitted to conduct inter-FCA transfers or effect foreign payments without any restrictions and the FCA balances will not be subject to any liquidation requirements,” reads the statement.
The bank and the board also advised that farmers will still be required to adhere to the stipulated booking requirements at the auction or contract floors.
Under the new payment modalities growers who require cash to settle immediate requirements shall have access to cash, at a rate of $1,50 per kg of delivered tobacco up to a maximum of $2 000. There will be adjustments to the local currency maximum cash withdrawals as the season progresses.
Meanwhile, farmers have welcomed the new payment modalities.
RBZ and TIMB met stakeholders in the industry including farmer organisations after most farmers incurred losses last season.
Tobacco Association of Zimbabwe president, Mr George Seremwe said they were happy authorities consulted farmers.
“We are happy with the developments. Our concerns have been addressed. We have seen the liberalisation of the foreign currency rate and we hope it will work.
“With these developments we expect to see many farmers going back to the land next season.
“We hope the RBZ will closely monitor banks. Last year farmers had challenges with some banks. We also hope unscrupulous buyers will be eliminated this season,” he said.
Zimbabwe National Farmers Union, executive director, Mr Edward Dune applauded the RBZ, but said a 100 percent allocation of foreign currency was ideal.
“Hopefully, authorities will deliver on their promises this time. Last season, we got the same promises, but farmers ended up not accessing the foreign currency we just pray that goal posts will not be changed.
“Some farmers have lost faith in the system and this is the reason why there has been a decline in the number of farmers growing tobacco this season,” he said.
Tobacco Industry Development Support Institute for Southern Africa director, Mr Jeffrey Takawira said there had been a slight improvement, but added that farmers should not be taxed.
“There has been an improvement in the FCA management, but farmers should be exempted from taxes, as this will erode their profits. We also hope there will be consistency in these developments,” he said.
Zanu PF Politburo member Chris Mutsvangwa last night took MDC-Alliance vice president Tendai Biti to task for inviting illegal sanctions that have ravaged the country’s economy.
In a highly-charged panel discussion hosted by Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN) in partnership with the United Nations on Sustainable Development Goals last night, Mutsvangwa said Biti and his peers were conspiring with detractors to smuggle back colonial rule.
“You went to America with your colleagues to ask for sanctions and this is the problem that we have of domestic elements conspiring with foreign countries against their country,” he said.
“This is the bane of Africa.”
Mutsvangwa said the liberation struggle was an essential element of Zimbabwe’s history, adding that people could not develop without knowing their history.
He said freedom fighters sacrificed their lives for all Zimbabweans to enjoy.
Biti said there was nothing special about participating in the liberation struggle.-State media
THE domestic football fraternity plunged into mourning yesterday following the death of Highlanders legend, Barry Daka.
Daka, who starred for Bosso both as a player and coach, passed away yesterday morning at his Barbourfields home after a short illness.
He was 71.
Bosso paid tribute to their former player and coach on Twitter.
Former Warriors coach, Sunday Chidzambwa, who worked with Daka at different points in their careers, said the game had lost one of its pillars.
“We have lost a legend, someone I had known for a long time both as an opponent and a workmate,’’ said Chidzambwa.
“I started to play against him while he was still with Wankie in a Castle Cup before we met again in several other high-profile matches.
“He was one of the most talented, soft-spoken and down-to-earth person who liked his job.
“We travelled together several times, he was my assistant, and he helped me with a lot of ideas.’’
The Botswana Football Association president, Maclean Letshwiti, also sent their condolences to the Daka family.
The coach guided a number of clubs in that country.
“It is with great sadness that this morning we learnt of the untimely passing of highly-respected coach Barry Daka.
“Daka served many clubs in Botswana, his country and in other African countries.
“Coach Daka has certainly contributed to our football development, nurturing and developing a number of local players over the many years he has spent with several clubs in Botswana.
“His untimely death is certainly a great loss to the region and, in particular, to many aspiring coaches who were inspired by his tactical acumen and technical ability to guide players and lead teams.
“Our hearts are with his family, friends and clubs such as Mochudi Centre Chiefs, Ecco City Greens, and Notwane with whom he had relations through football.’’
Veteran football journalist, Charles Mabika, said the sport had lost someone who introduced football to several young players.
“He had an eye for talent as he is the one, together with Roy Barreto, introduced players like Peter Ndlovu, Adam Ndlovu (late) and Benjamin Nkonjera (late), to mention but a few, to professional football.
“We have lost a father figure who saw it all from playing to coaching.”
Former DeMbare coach, David Mandigora, said Daka was one of the people who were interested in working with young footballers.-State media
Spanish top flight La Liga has been suspended for “at least the next two rounds of matches” as a result of the Real Madrid squad going into quarantine because of coronavirus.
It comes after a Real Madrid basketball player, who shares training facilities with the La Liga club, tested positive for the virus.
Real are due to play at Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The Spanish club has closed the facilities of its sports city.
“The recommendation has been made to quarantine both the basketball first team and the football first team, given that the two squads share facilities in Ciudad Real Madrid,” a Real statement said.
La Liga said it will “revaluate” the situation following the completion of quarantine “in the affected clubs and other possible situations that may arise”.
Real, who are second in La Liga, were due to host Eibar on Friday, and had already cancelled all pre-match media duties.
The coronavirus outbreak, now declared a pandemic, has led to widespread disruption of sporting fixtures around the world.-State media
THE Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has with immediate effect approved a 57 percent upward review for voice, data and SMS tariffs to catch up with the “constantly rising operating costs” affecting the telecoms sector.
Potraz said the current prices have become sub economic due to the continual deterioration of the country’s economy, hence the increase intends to maintain sustainable operations within the company’s telecommunications’ business, according to a circular to operators seen by The Herald
Finance & Business.
“Tariff thresholds for telecommunication services were last adjusted in October last year using the August 2019 Telecommunication Price Index (TPI) figures.
“The current tariff thresholds have been rendered unsustainable as the operating environment continues to deteriorate due to constantly rising operating costs.
“Accordingly, the authority has found it necessary to review tariff thresholds for telecommunication services by up to 56,64 percent based on the TPI, for the period October to December 2019 that was computed in consultation with operators,” said Potraz director general Gift Machengete in a statement released yesterday.
Prices for on net calls per minute, SMS per message and mobile data per megabyte moved up from $0,75, $0,19 and $0,15 to $1,17, $0,30 and $0,23 respectively.
Meanwhile, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe (EWZ) recently made an average of 20 percent upward review for its SMS and data bundle prices aligning them with the prevailing inflation rate.
Econet Group Media and Corporate Affairs Executive Fungai Mandiveyi confirmed the data bundle and SMS price increment.
“The review is on average, a 20 percent adjustment to try and catch up with inflation and other rising costs – including electricity and diesel and it is well within the authorised threshold.”
The new data tariffs, which came into effect on Wednesday, come as a result of the significant weakening of local currency which
has lost 93 percent of its value from 1: 2,5 when the interbank rate was introduced in February to the current 1:40.-State media
For an efficient exercise program it’s important for you to run in the right clothes, shoes should be a half size bigger than your actual size, to give your feet room for wiggling…
That having been said, here are the benefits of jogging:
Jogging helps prevent hypertension and heart issue
Jogging greatly reduces the risk of developing a lot of diseases, among these diseases is heart disease. This exercise works out your cardiovascular system; this in turn keeps your heart healthy and sound.
Jogging also helps to keep high blood pressure away.
It lowers the LDL or the bad cholesterol, in the blood if you start jogging.
Hypertension is known to have long term effects on your body that could lead to seriously threatening conditions like atherosclerosis and aneurysms if you don’t start now to check it.
Jogging helps you avoid some cancers
Some researchers believe strongly that jogging is very helpful in preventing some cancers, due to the aerobic nature of the exercise, it achieves this by better oxygenating the entire body whenever we jog.
When cells don’t get an adequate supply of oxygen they tend to mutate more vigorously, often turning harmful. Jogging basically helps supply oxygen to all areas of the body thereby preventing some cancers.
Jogging helps the muscles
Jogging helps new muscle grow and makes old ones stronger and a lot more efficient. Usually the muscle that benefits most from the jog, aside from your heart is the diaphragm.
The diaphragm controls your breathing and is also the muscle that separates the lungs and the heart from the abdominal cavity.
Since it works by contracting and letting the lung draw in air, which would happen a lot during the course of jogging, it gets stronger as a result makes the lung able to cope with strenuous activities.
The legs clearly picks up on the action too. The nature of jogging which is of course gentle means you can complete a large number of low weight extensions with your legs, without getting them to grow massive, but still strengthens them.
Jogging can help avoid diabetes
Jogging goes a long way in the war against diabetes . Being overweight and living an inactive life usually increase your risk of diabetes. So starting a jogging routine and adopting a healthy lifestyle can help you prevent diabetes.
Jogging helps your brain
The body’s organs greatly benefit from the increase in oxygen driven to them, and although every organ benefits enormously, the most impressive in its improvement is the brain.
Recent experiments have shown jogging helps create new neurons in the brain, neurons are cells found in the brain, and an increase in their number helps the memory and learning capabilities, it also tackles diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease.
The benefits of jogging to the brain also extends to, increased Neuro-plasticity which means the brain is more equipped to adapt to a change like pregnancy.
Jogging also helps your brain increase its cognitive ability, and further releases hormones which improves your mood and also your self-motivation and a whole lot of other psychological benefits.
Jogging has psychological benefits
Jogging has much more to offer than your scale can show you, after introducing jogging as a regular routine for you, you would definitely notice some positive changes in your psychological health and your energy levels.
Jogging sometimes could be recommended for people suffering from depression or even addiction, but you definitely don’t have to be going through any of these before you notice improvements.
Jogging helps you by causing a state of euphoria, which is known as the runner’s high, which you get after a period of moderate exercising. The feeling is as a result of the release of endorphins.
Jogging also acts as an anti-depressant, it reduces stress, and increases your energy levels, so if your work stresses you out or the kids stress you out, a gentle jog would increase your capability to deal with all those stressful activities.
Jogging strengthens your immune system
Jogging increases the functionality of the immune system. It makes your body much stronger and better at resisting infections, like the common cold. This doesn’t really apply to marathon runners though, because they exert themselves to the extent of their body being weakened.
This improved immune system is due to the increased physical strength, which makes the filtering devices in the trachea stronger and also increases the production of white blood cells, and the fact that it lowers stress fatigue and depression means your immune is less at risk of being lowered by stress, which could weaken your immune system temporarily.
Jogging strengthens bones
Jogging not only strengthens your bones, it can also prevent certain bone diseases from forming.
The importance of healthy bones cannot be over stated, because not only does the bone carry your weight; red blood cells are produced by the bone marrow.
Jogging also aids in building stronger and much more flexible joints.
Jogging helps in weight loss
One of the major reasons people jog is to lose weight . The way cholesterol is burnt in the veins and arteries, that’s the way fat burns in the body as well.
So if you are jogging to lose weight, I advice you take it slow, get good shoes and run on softer surfaces like grass to reduce the pressure to your knees.
You could also couple your jogging routine with a good weight loss diet.
Jogging as an anti-ager
Basically all the health benefits of jogging are all meant to contribute to anti-aging. So after a short period of taking routine jogging exercise you will definitely feel and be in a better state both physically and mentally.
And of course higher energy levels and a positive view to life can help maintain a youthful outlook to life.
More oxygen and blood gets to your skin, keeping it firm and in shape, this results to slowing down wrinkle development.
Credit :Pixabay.com
Compiled by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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Farai Dziva|Sungura legend Alick Macheso has officially commissioned a classroom block at Enterprise Primary School in Shamva.
Movement for Democratic Change leader Nelson Chamisa praised Macheso, affectionately known as Cheso power for “giving back to the community.”
“Well done Alick Macheso for commissioning a classroom block at Enterprise Primary in Shamva.
We must always remember our past & look back as we strive to make better our rural communities.Thank you ‘Baba Sharo’ @alicckmacheso3 for leading the way.
smartcommunities #smartschools,”wrote Chamisa on Facebook.
Farai Dziva|
The tiny Kingdom of Lesotho has literally closed borders in a bid to curb the deadly Coronavirus.
In a letter addressed to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, a Lesotho government official indicated:
This correspondence serves to inform the SADC Secretariat that the Lesotho Government has suspended ALL travel, From and INTO Lesotho.
This embargo is imposed as a precaution against the risk of infection by the Coronavirus associated with international travel.
The Government of Zimbabwe has announced new exams fees and the payment deadline barely weeks after reverting to 2015 fees.
According to the publication, grade 7, O level and A-Level students at Public and private schools will pay the following fees to sit for their exams:
This means that Grade Seven candidates registered at private institutions will pay a total of $264 for all their five subjects while those at public institutions will pay $125 for all subjects.
At Ordinary Level candidates will pay $190 per subject at private institutions and $90 at public institutions.
Advanced Level candidates will pay $351 and $165 per subject at private and public institutions respectively.
Those re-sitting for public examinations will also pay full examination fees.
The government has released $150 million to ZIMSEC to cushion parents who might be burdened with the exam fees hike, leaving parents to pay the remaining 53% of the fees.-State media
Mnangagwa Passes a Psychiatric Test. By Dr Masimba Mavaza| The president of Zimbabwe cracked a joke when he was commissioning a mortuary in Masvingo. He spoke of the morgue appreciating how cool it was. In short the president was confirming that the mortuary was built to the standard and indeed fit for the purpose it was built for.
By Dr Masimba Mavaza| The president of Zimbabwe cracked a joke when he was commissioning a mortuary in Masvingo. He spoke of the morgue appreciating how cool it was. In short the president was confirming that the mortuary was built to the standard and indeed fit for the purpose it was built for.
Mortuary is a room or building in which dead bodies are kept, for hygienic storage or for examination, until burial or cremation. The bodies will need a below zero temperature in order to see the burial day without decomposing. So it is therefore necessary that those who officially open the mortuary should have the efficiency of tasting the coldness either by putting a hand and get personal approval that it is indeed a mortuary not an oven. The president in a humorous way checked it and proved it.
He cracked a further joke about daring a winner who will be the first to bring a corpse in the new mortuary. It is a well known fact that mortuaries are for the dead. It is further known that once mortuary is built the next thing is to receive the dead. Talking about it must not be a taboo. It is a very normal talk said in a humorous atmosphere. You can not officially open a mortuary with tears in your eyes. Why would you build it if you are afraid of the dead.
People have a very backward thinking being Afraid of even making a will. They are afraid that they will die. There is a wrong view that any talk about the dead is disrespectful.
Do we owe the dead respect, even if we disagreed with them profoundly, even if we were harmed by them in some way, even if we think that their influence on their times was largely negative, and their legacy damaging?
Yes we respect our dead and the construction of the top of the range mortuary is a sign of such a respect.
But bad taste and false comparisons aside, the question remains: must we respect the newly dead merely in virtue of their being dead? We might be mindful of the grief of family and friends, but still feel that a judgement about the life and legacy of an individual should be an honest one so the opinion about where the dead are to be kept must an honest opinion. Thus for the president to say the mortuary was cool was not out of this world.
The standard trope is: de mortuis nil nisi bonum – “Of the dead say nothing but good”. So the president spoke of the place where the dead are kept.
Why should one not speak as one did when the person was alive? The story of an individual’s life cannot be complete without the truth about what people felt at the moment of summing up, whether it is in mourning or rejoicing. Let us say what we think, and be frank about it: death does not confer privileges. It should be known that the felt quality of life is the final measure of the effect on individuals, and they have a right to their say. If given a choice an individual will chose a proper befitting mortuary.
Respect for the dead is a hangover from a past in which it was believed that the dead might retain some active influence on the living, and that one might re-encounter them either in this life or a putative next life. But no dead will be angered by the high sense of humour bestowed on our president.
President Mnangagwa has opened a new chapter in the state of the dead. Future historians will be glad that people have begun to speak frankly of their estimations of major figures when they die. Frank opinions explain far more than the massaged and not infrequently hypocritical views expressed in obsequies.
The democratic value of frank expression of opinions about people and public matters should not be hostage to squeamishness or false ideas of respect – let us respect ourselves instead, and say what we truly feel.
Last month the people of China went in their millions to the graves of their ancestors to perform the annual ritual of putting paper money and cakes on them. Honouring the dead is not only a form of remembrance but propitiation. In our more rational age we know that the only thing left of the dead is influence and memory in the minds of the living. It is the influence which is the target of praise or condemnation when summings up are offered. The president’s praise of the mortuary was literally a positive comment on a job well done.
The social media went overdrive lambasting the president , it is common that some jokes will never be understood if one is under a million blankets of paganism.
The Shona culture encourages madzisahwira to joke at funerals. These jokes are meant to alleviate the stress and make lighter the somber mood. But in this case this was not at a funeral and the statement was simply a product of a lighter moment.
Zimbabwe is blessed to have such a humorous president.
Farai Dziva|
Jurgen Klopp has questioned Atletico Madrid’s type of football after his Liverpool side was eliminated from the Champions League in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.
The Reds failed to keep alive their title defense when they lost the second leg 2-3 after extra time to record a 4-2 aggregate defeat.
Klopp believes Madrid should play “proper football” instead of relying on counter-attacks.
Speaking to BT Sport after the match, the gaffer said:
“I am completely happy with the performance. It’s so difficult to play a side like this.
“I don’t understand with the quality they have the football they play. They could play proper football but they stand deep and have counterattacks.
“We accept it of course but it doesn’t feel right tonight. I realise I am a really bad loser, especially when the boys put such an effort in against world class players on the other side who defend with two rows of four.
“We know in the last two years we had some lucky moments in the Champions League, you have to, to reach two finals, but today it was everything was against us in the decisive moments.”
Gini Wijnaldum’s first half goal sent the tie into the extra time and Roberto Firmino doubled the Reds’ lead just four minutes in.
Atletico then came from behind through Marcos Llorente’s double and a late goal from Alvaro Morata to make it 4-2 on aggregate.
A Harare man yesterday appeared in court for allegedly trying to kill his wife with rat poison after she refused to give him her cellphone password.
The court heard that George Lovell (age not supplied), who suspected that his wife was cheating on him, went on to point a gun at her, stealing her cellphone and assaulting her.
Lovell was facing attempted murder charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Rumbidzai Mugwagwa.
He made complaints against police whom he accused of over-detaining him.
Mrs Mugwagwa remanded Lovewell in custody and advised him to approach the High Court for bail.
The court heard that on March 6, Lovell followed his wife who was at a funeral and started shouting at her accusing her of having boyfriends yet she was married.
It is the State’s case that Lovell took a cellphone and US$200 which was in his wife’s bag and went back home.
The court heard that the complainant returned home the following day and Lovell assaulted the complainant with a belt and clenched fists all over her body demanding the phone’s password.
Lovell allegedly went on to cover the complainant’s head with a plastic bag while pointing a gun at her and continued to assault her leading the complainant to become unconscious.
After assaulting the complainant, Lovell took rat poison and forcibly opened the complainant’s mouth while was demanding her password.
The complainant then pleaded with Lovell not to end her life as she was willing to give him the password.-State media
CANADIAN Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife announced they were self-isolating Thursday as she undergoes tests for the new coronavirus after returning from a speaking engagement with “mild flu-like symptoms.”
Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau’s symptoms have subsided since she recently got back from Britain, but as a precaution the prime minister “will spend the day in briefings, phone calls and virtual meetings from home,” according to a statement.
Trudeau also cancelled a meeting Thursday and Friday with Canada’s provincial and territorial leaders in Ottawa, but still planned to speak with them and world leaders by phone about measures being taken to curb the spread of the virus in Canada.
Gregoire-Trudeau’s symptoms had included “a low fever late last night.” She immediately sought medical advice and testing.
Trudeau has exhibited no symptoms, and was advised by doctors “to continue daily activities while self-monitoring.”
“However, out of an abundance of caution, the prime minister is opting to self-isolate and work from home until receiving Sophie’s results,” said his office.
Since the novel coronavirus first emerged in late December 2019, 127,070 cases have been recorded in 115 countries and territories, killing 4,687 people, according to an AFP tally compiled at 1200 GMT on Thursday based on official sources.
Canada has so far reported more than 100 cases in six provinces, and one death.
Also Thursday, the Canada’s Juno music awards cancelled its upcoming gala show, planned for Sunday evening in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
“We are devastated to cancel this national celebration of music, but at this time of global uncertainty, the health, safety and well-being of all Canadians must stand at the forefront of any decisions that impact our communities,” organizers said in a statement.
And in Quebec province, Premier Francois Legault unveiled a series of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, including placing all travellers returning from overseas under quarantine for two weeks.
Quebec also banned indoor gatherings of more than 250 people.
AFP
There are fresh fears in the country- amid the continuing plunge of the Zimbabwe dollar on the black market and the ever rising prices of basic goods- that things could deteriorate to the horror levels of a decade ago, when the local economy imploded, causing immense pain citizens.
Zimbabwe will adopt a “managed float” exchange rate regime, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube said yesterday, abandoning strict control of foreign exchange by the central bank in the latest move in a series of currency reforms that have so far failed.
The country, which has seen bouts of hyperinflation since the 2008, has taken steps to ease its heavy reliance on the United States dollar, part of a raft of economic reforms by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who replaced longtime leader Robert Mugabe after an army coup in 2017.
Last June it made its interim currency the country’s sole legal tender, ending a decade of dollarisation and taking another step towards relaunching the Zimbabwean dollar.
The central bank has controlled the interbank forex trading market, which was introduced in February 2019.
The latest move will see banks play a bigger role in foreign currency trades, narrowing the gap with the unofficial market by allowing trade on a more transparent platform.
“Zimbabwe has had no transparent and effective foreign exchange trading platform for a long time. Consequently, official rates have not been effectively determined, while a thriving parallel market has developed,” Ncube told reporters in Harare.
He said the Reuters electronic forex trading platform was being put in place immediately.
“This platform will allow foreign exchange to be traded freely among banks and permit a true market exchange rate to be determined.”
Last month the International Monetary Fund warned that delays by Zimbabwe in implementing foreign exchange and monetary reforms risked undermining the new currency and the government’s re-engagement internationally on debt arrears.
Ncube said Bureaux de change will access hard cash from the central bank, adding that there would be no limit for them to finance exporters.
The central bank will gradually discontinue allocating foreign currency to fuel companies who will have to bid for it on the interbank market.
“The central bank shall provide the ministry of finance and MPC with precise data on daily/weekly forex inflows and estimated amounts available for release into the interbank market. It will also liberalise use of free funds for importation of goods and services. This process has already commenced with direct fuel imports. Other measures to liberalise the use of free funds are being considered,” said Ncube.
Ncube said the country was generating sufficient foreign currency, but it was not being properly managed.
“The foreign currency supply is enough, so the issue is not about supply. The issue is on the efficacy of the system. We have a lot of foreign currency around,” he said.
Ncube instructed the central bank to terminate the gold incentive facility once the Reuters system becomes fully functional adding the central bank will introduce minimum interest rates on all bank deposits, including trust accounts underpinning mobile banking wallets to incentivise savings and holding of the domestic currency.
By A Correspondent- A Victoria Falls man who kicked and punched his wife to death for gossiping about him with neighbours, has been sentenced to five years in jail for culpable homicide.
Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo, who is on circuit in Hwange, found Japhet Mapfumo (41) of House Number 2525 Chinotimba not guilty of murder but guilty of a lesser charge of culpable homicide on Monday.
Mapfumo who was represented by Mr Thulani Nkala of Dube, Nkala and Company told the court that he was provoked by his late wife Annastacia Tshuma who was aged 44 who he found telling a neighbour Ms Caroline Masuku that he was cheating on her.
Mapfumo said he acted under the influence of alcohol, adding that the deceased was also violent.
The judge said the court considered Mapfumo’s mitigation but had a duty to protect the sanctity of life by passing deterrent sentences.
“The court considered that the accused is a first offender who pleaded guilty to the charge and was drunk when he committed the crime. The court also considered that Tshuma hit her head on a concrete slab which worsened the situation. However, violence in all its forms must be discouraged. Domestic violence is a cancer and this court has a duty to guard against that,” she said before sentencing Mapfumo to five years.
Mapfumo who has been out of custody on bail since the incident in April last year, will however serve an effective three years after two years were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
For the State Mrs Martha Cheda had implored the court to exercise its role to protect the sanctity of life and pass a sentence that discourages violence in solving disputes.
Details of the case were that Mapfumo beat up Tshuma until she fainted and carried her home where he slept next to the body until the following day when it was discovered that she was dead.
“On 22 April at around 11PM, the now deceased Annastacia Tshuma visited a neighbour Ms Caroline Masuku and told her that her husband Japhet Mapfumo was cheating on her. As she was narrating her story Mapfumo, who appeared sober arrived and overhead her talking about him.
“Mapfumo punched Tshuma twice on the back of her head. The now deceased staggered and fell headlong on concrete slab on the door step. She staggered back to her feet and Mapfumo punched her again on the back of the head. He kicked her on the abdomen and she fell down,” said the prosecutor.
The court heard that Tshuma screamed once before losing consciousness.
Ms Masuku who witnessed the attack, woke her father Mr Dabison Masuku, who restrained Mapfumo and told Mapfumo to take his wife inside the house.
Mapfumo carried the unconscious Tshuma and placed her on the bed.
He slept next to the body until morning when he discovered that she had died. -StateMedia
When it rains in Harare during rush hour, chaos usually follows. This was certainly the case one afternoon as Market Square swarmed with people. Some ran to find cover from the downpour. Others hurried to board buses.
When Rumbidzai Manyanga arrived at her 65-seater bus destined for the high-density suburb of Budiriro, the crowd was wet and fed up. Seeing the conductor approach, they rushed towards the door.
The 24-year-old had to maintain all her composure as she managed the impatient commuters. She asked everyone to calm down, reassuring them that everyone would be able to get on board. She sorted the queue into those with prepaid tap cards, who got on first, before dealing with those paying by cash.
Manyanga is an employee of the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco), a parastatal that was resuscitated in early 2019 to ease the country’s transport problems. To date, its fleet contains over 1,000 buses and omnibuses. Its staff force contains thousands of drivers and conductors. Half are women.
This is a remarkable fact in Zimbabwe where public transport jobs have long been the preserve of men. Given this, applying for the role was a tough decision for Manyanga.
“I was afraid to apply for the role but I later became bold enough to try it,” she says. “Some friends could laugh at me saying I was doing a masculine job.”
The first days of the job in June 2019 were particularly difficult and Manyanga was called insulting names by customers. “Working with the public is not an easy task. I had to be strong,” she adds.
According to Zupco, there is now the same number of men and women working for the organisation. This is a big change from just a few years ago. When Eskina Mukamba, 45, started driving a bus from the city centre to Machipisa in 2016, there were hardly any female bus drivers. Some commuters would refuse to board her bus.
“Some people lacked trust in me as their driver. They could not board the bus, fearing for their lives,” she says.
Mukamba believes the recent increase in female drivers has changed these perceptions. Commuters are getting used to seeing women at the wheel of buses, while employers treat them equally to their male counterparts. Both men and women work from 5am to 9pm four days a week and are paid about 1000 Zimbabwean dollars ($35) a month. “We are treated the same,” she says.
Evaristo Madangwa, Zupco’s acting CEO, echoes this. “There are no inequalities. We give them the same salaries and working hours,” he says. “We want to adhere to the Constitution which calls for 50/50 gender equality.”
Staying driven
According to Wadzanai Vere, executive director of the Self Help Development Foundation, the increase of women occupying previously male-dominated spaces is the result of efforts spanning several decades. Some of these took the form of legal challenges such as the passing of the Legal Age of Majority Act in 1982 and amendments to the Constitution in 2013.
Vere, however, emphasises how far there is still yet to go and the many barriers still facing women in Zimbabwe. “Despite all the efforts by various actors and authorities, the effect of socialisation, religion and culture continue to negate the dividends earned over the years,” she says. Among other things, there is clearly a still a big challenge in convincing communities that women can do jobs previously associated with men.
This is certainly the case in the public transport sector, though some believe that women might actually have an advantage when it comes to driving buses.
Tafadzwa Goliathi, president of Passengers Association of Zimbabwe, suggests that female bus drivers are more likely to follow traffic rules and are less accident-prone than their male colleagues. Tatenda Chinoda, a spokesperson for the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, concurs that no major traffic incidents since 1980 has involved a female bus driver, but adds out that women have not driven buses in large numbers until very recently.
Drivers and female bus conductors like Manyanga and Mukamba, however, tend to be more concerned with other records. Having seen so many women join the ranks in recent months, Mukamba says she will work tirelessly to ensure that even more women now take up the roles in the public transport sector.
“I wish to become a trainer for drivers in the coming years and provide driving mentorship to young women,” she says
Some Bulawayo supermarkets on Tuesday were rejecting payment in Ecocash and swipe when residents were buying the subsidies mealie meal.
A survey done in some of the shops such as Cover Supermarket and Oceans established that the shops were accepting only cash and rejecting Eco cash and swipe much to the inconvenience of many residents who now relay on the two payment methods due to escalating cash shortages.
“I have asked the till operators here if they accepted Ecocash but they told me that they want cash only. I am stranded now and have not been having mealie meal for days now. The only method available for me is Ecocash since I do not have a bank account and the cash is difficult to get,” said one resident who was queuing for the staple product at Cover supermarket.
An one said it s high time we will make noise in these shops, these methods are provided for us by the government and financial institutions and it is known that there is a shortage of cash, why then would some one demand payment for such a staple food in cash only,” fumed another queuing resident.
The shops have been not having mealie meal for a long time and residents who saw a truck parking in front of these shops run to queue anticipating to get something. However the product got finished while many were still in a queue.
HARARE – The Chinese government on Thursday pledged to upgrade Zimbabwe’s main isolation center for suspected coronavirus patients in the capital Harare.
Also, the Zimbabwean government announced it was stepping up its preparedness after neighbouring South Africa on Thursday confirmed its first case of the virus, the first such case in southern Africa.
Addressing the media after touring Wilkins Hospital in Harare which has been designated to deal with the virus, Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Guo Shaochun said China will support Zimbabwe and other African countries to deal with coronavirus which has now been reported in seven African countries.
“So far there is no confirmed case of coronavirus in Zimbabwe and it’s not because we are lucky. It is the outcome of the cooperation between China and Zimbabwe. We will support the Zimbabwe government to adopt necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
“This afternoon I toured Wilkins Hospital and I now have a rough idea about the facility. China would like to assist particularly African countries in fighting against the coronavirus,” Guo said.
Guo said the Chinese government will provide fund and equipment to upgrade Wilkins Hospital so that it could provide better conditions for suspected coronavirus patients.
Zimbabwean Health Minister Obadiah Moyo thanked China for the kind gesture, saying it will not only boost the country’s capacity to deal with the virus but ensure a clean and conducive environment for medical staff and patients that meets World Health Organization requirements.
The facility has so far handled two suspected cases of the virus since it was set up in January.
Moyo said following the detection of the virus in South Africa, Zimbabwe needed to ramp up its preparedness and continue to strengthen its response mechanisms, including making all its borders and points of entry full proof.
“It is very frightening that it (coronavirus) is around the corner. We have to be prepared,” he said.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) on Thursday donated coronavirus protective equipment to Wilkins Hospital worth about 100,000 British Pounds (129,390 U.S. dollars).
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The leader of the opposition MDC, Nelson Chamisa is waiting for the signal from former South African president Thabo Mbeki on when talks with President Emmerson Mnangagwa will begin despite an intensification of campaign as parties eye the 2023 polls.
Mbeki was given the greenlight by South Africa to oversee dialogue between President Mnangagwa and Chamisa as Pretoria moves to end the crisis in Zimbabwe.
This saw him visiting Zimbabwe in November where he met Mnangagwa, Chamisa and other fringe political players that make up the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad). Mbeki was due to come back after Christmas.
MDC presidential spokesperson, Nkululeko Sibanda said the party was still waiting for communication from Mbeki’s office to know when the talks can resume and was looking to resolve the political question to avoid another disputed election in 2023.
He said Chamisa was in constant touch with Mbeki.
“We are waiting for communication from Mbeki who had informed us that he wants to contact Mnangagwa and we can know when the dialogue can start as he informed us that Mnangagwa did not want dialogue with Chamisa but we are ready for dialogue,” Sibanda said.
“There is need to move forward but we need genuine reforms going towards 2023 elections so that we know that we have finished the unresolved legitimacy dispute of 2018.”
South Africa’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mphakama Mbete told Business Times that his government was ready to help to facilitate the dialogue.
“We shall continue to support former President Thabo Mbeki’s initiative with the logistics he needs if he comes back to the country to talk to political parties.
Last year his visit was a private initiative being handled by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation but we support it.
We are also waiting to know from our government in Pretoria when he is coming back to Zimbabwe,” Mbete said.
Debate on whether or not the military should be involved in the talks is gaining momentum following the historic role that has been played by the army on issues relating to governance.
On the eve of the 2002 Presidential election, the military —then Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander Vitalis Zvinavashe — said the presidency was a “straight jacket” and they would not support anyone without liberation war credentials to occupy State House.
Talks between Mnangagwa and Chamisa are expected to restore the lost confidence in the economy which has seen the local currency depreciating against the dollar over the weeks amid fears of a spike in prices.
Zanu PF is adamant that talks should be held under Polad. Chamisa argues that Polad is composed of Mnangagwa’s cheerleaders.
His fears were confirmed after one of the Polad principals, Taurai Mteki, retraced his Zanu PF roots. Obert Mpofu, Zanu PF Secretary for Administration, said his party was not keen for any talks with Chamisa outside Polad.
“If Chamisa wants dialogue with President Mnangagwa, he must come to the Polad.
Former President Mbeki is aware that we have started dialogue under the Polad and this is the best platform we have and must be accepted by all Zimbabweans who want to see the country progress,” Mpofu said.
“The door is still open for Chamisa to join the Polad dialogue rather than to wait for outsiders; we are not going to wait for outsiders to determine what we can do to resolve our problems.
We shall go ahead with Polad going towards the elections.” Mpofu said Zanu PF was going ahead with preparations for the 2023 polls.
Last week, Mnangagwa told the party’s Politburo meeting that party members had to intensify campaigns and meetings with the electorate in constituencies.
“There is an imperative need to prepare for the 2023 harmonised general elections, which we must win by at least sixty five percent.
To do that the party needs to start strategic programmes and recruit more membership so that they can become the bedrock of a promising Zanu PF electorate,” he said.
STATEMENT OF UTM ON ALLIANCE WITH THE MALAWI CONGRESS PARTY
We, the members of the UTM (hereinafter “the Party’) acting through our duly elected leaders and together with our existing alliance partners;
Appreciating the undoubted importance of unity among all Malawians, irrespective of political persuasions, to the attainment of this country’s development goals;
Recognising that cooperation between well-meaning and unselfish Malawians sharing common political ideologies and interests is indispensable and in the interests of ordinary Malawians;
Realising that there is a groundswell of support for a united front among Malawians discontented with the sad state of affairs in this country;
Hereby announce that we have resolved to form an electoral alliance with the Malawi Congress Party for the purposes of contesting in the May 2020 Presidential Elections;
The Party’s President and State Vice-President, Rt. Hon. Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima has been mandated to conclude the final details of the Alliance Agreement on behalf of the Party;
It is further hereby announced that the signing ceremony of the Alliance Agreement shall take place at Bingu International Conference Centre on 19th March 2020 at 10:00 hours.
DESPITE other sporting bodies cancelling their competitions due to the ravaging effects of the Coronavirus globally, the Confederation of African Football says all its scheduled competitions will go ahead as planned.
In a statement released on Wednesday night, Caf said it was monitoring the evolution of the disease noting that no African country has to date been declared a high-risk area.
“CAF wishes to inform Member Associations and the entire African football family that we are closely monitoring the evolution of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) around the world and in particular the African continent. According to World Health Organization (WHO), no African country till date has been declared a high risk.
Consequently, CAF has decided to maintain the schedule of all competitions. Also, CAF has been informed of the restrictive measures taken by the authorities of some Member Associations and is in contact to find solutions on a case-by-case basis, with the option of the organization of matches behind closed doors.
Regarding the Total African Nations Championship (CHAN) Cameroon 2020, a delegation from the CAF Medical Committee is scheduled to visit Cameroon from 14-15 March 2020. The purpose of this mission is to assess all the preventive measures taken by the Local Organizing Committee. The competition is scheduled for 4-25 April 2020,” read the statement by the continental football mother-body.
Three players have been dropped from the Warriors squad for Chan tournament after failing to report for camp.
The Highlanders trio of Prince Dube, Ariel Sibanda and Peter Muduhwa didn’t join the rest of the squad that’s camping in Harare after their club refused to release them.
Bosso are preparing for the Castle Challenge Cup against FC Platinum this weekend, and they want to retain the services of the players.
Zifa quoted the squad in their camp update on Thursday with Dube,Sibanda and Muduhwa all missing on the list.
The association didn’t reveal more details but it certainly looks the trio will not join the initial ten-day camp which started on Monday.
It remains to be seen whether they will be called back for the final preparations before the team fly out to Cameroon for the Chan finals which begin on 4 April.
Here is the list of players confirmed by Zifa:
Goalkeepers: Nelson Chadya, Talbert Shumba.
Defenders: Xolani Ndlovu, Qadr Amini, Frank Makarati, Partson Jaure, Liberty Chakoroma, Ian Nekati, Rapheal Muduviwa.
Midfielders: Malon Mushonga, Moses Muchenje, Devon Chafa, Trevor Mavhunga, Kelvin Madzongwe, Phenias Bamusi, Juan Mutudza, King Nadolo, Wellington Taderera, Ishmael Wadi, Valentine Kadonzvo, William Manondo, Kelvin Chibunyu, Ralph Kawondera.
Strikers: Obriel Chirinda, Stanley Ngala, Grey Kufandada.
Birmingham Mail live|first coronavirus case in the Premier League could be confirmed after it emerged three players from the same club are displaying symptoms.
Nearly 500 cases have been confirmed in the UK after a sharp rise on Wednesday and Prime Minister Boris Johnson is chairing an emergency meeting today to step up the government’s response.
The idea of playing Premier League and EFL matches behind closed doors to limit the spread of the virus is on the agenda and the Telegragh is now reporting a scare at an unnamed top-flight club.
They claim that all players at one of the 20 clubs will be tested today after three members of the first-team squad showed symptoms. The report states: “One player first showed symptoms of the virus earlier this week and was immediately placed in self-isolation. He appeared to be getting better but has since relapsed with two others subsequently displaying symptoms”.
Results are expected back tomorrow and if any are positive, the club’s weekend fixture will be called off and will lead to further pressure on the Premier League take action over all matches as has happened in other European leagues.
In Italy, sporting events have been cancelled until April and a host of fixtures across the continent, including Champions League and Europa League ties, will be played behind closed doors.
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The Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal has shifted its ruling on whether to stay the judgement of the Constitutional Court that nullified the May 21 presidential elections from 2pm to later today.
On February 3 this year, Constitutional Court nullified May 21, 2019 presidential elections and reverted the presidency positions prior to the polls, demoting Everton Chimulirenji and reinstating Saulos Chilima.
On Thursday, the panel of 7 judges of the Supreme Court of Appeal met in a chamber and listened to arguments from petitioners and respondents.
Lawyer representing MEC, Tamando Chokhotho said there will be chaos in case the Supreme Court rules against the Constitutional Court ruling.
On the other hand lawyer for Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Titus Mvalo argued that MEC’s arguments are baseless and unfounded hence a possibility that the Supreme Court will also throw away the application.
The actual hearing of the whole case is expected to start at 15 April where President Peter Mutharika and MEC appealed against the Constitution Court ruling describing the ruling as a ‘miscarriage of justice’
SOME service stations selling fuel in foreign currency have hiked prices, reportedly in response to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority’s (Zimra) foreign currency duty demand for petrol and diesel sold in hard currency.
Zimra said in line with Statutory Instrument 161 of 2019, companies that imported fuel in forex since August 2019 should pay taxes in hard currency in retrospect.
Zimra said duty imports for petrol will charged at US$0,45 cents per litre for unleaded petrol and US$0,40 cents per litre for diesel.
It could not immediately be confirmed that the Statutory Instrument contributed to fuel price hikes. A survey revealed that fuel prices have gone up for most stations selling fuel in foreign currency.
Previously, diesel and petrol were being sold for between US$1,18 and US$1,36 per litre but the pump price jumped up to US$1,51 for petrol and $1,43 for diesel.
Flo service stations that were selling both diesel and petrol at between US$1,18 and US$1,25 per litre last week have increased their pump price with petrol being sold at US$1,43 and diesel at US$1,29 per litre.
At Zuva Service Station along Leopold Takawira Avenue petrol was being sold at US$1,51 per litre and US$1,36 for diesel.
A fuel attendant who requested anonymity said the price increase was due to the introduction of duty payments in foreign currency.
“This forex duty is now dipping into the pocket of profits so the price has to go up to avoid operating at a loss. The only problem is that we are paid in local currency yet we serve people in forex all day,” said the fuel attendant.
At Busuman Service Station along Fife Street between 14th and 15th Avenues, the pump price for both diesel and petrol had not changed at US$1,25 per litre.
It was the same situation at Classic Cars Station in Belmont, as it sold both petrol and diesel for US$1,25
The discrepancies in forex fuel prices had seen motorists demanding to know why it seems Government was not regulating the commodity sold in foreign currency as it does with fuel sold in local currency.
Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi last week revealed that the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) would be announcing new fuel prices on or before the 5th of every month.
Minister Chasi said Government was still working on modalities of regulating companies selling fuel in foreign currency.
Zera acting chief executive officer Mr Eddington Mazambani, responding to Chronicle’s emailed questions, said they were still working on regulations to govern stations selling fuel in foreign currency.
“There are regulations that will deal with operators who may attempt to violate the direct fuel import facility. Zera requested all interested operators to submit their applications to be considered for licensing to sell fuel in foreign currency. The applications are being compiled and a detailed analysis and classification of sites to be licensed by province and town will be availed in due course,” said Mr Mazambani.
He said once all the regulations have been put in place operators who will violate the law, will be penalised.
“A combination of civil and criminal procedures will be applied as part of enforcing the regulations. Punitive penalties are in place,” he said.
Mr Mazambani said operators who will be granted licences to sell fuel in foreign currency will be advertised in mainstream media as well as Zera’s social media platforms.
Farai Dziva|
Jurgen Klopp has questioned Atletico Madrid’s type of football after his Liverpool side was eliminated from the Champions League in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.
The Reds failed to keep alive their title defense when they lost the second leg 2-3 after extra time to record a 4-2 aggregate defeat.
Klopp believes Madrid should play “proper football” instead of relying on counter-attacks.
Speaking to BT Sport after the match, the gaffer said:
“I am completely happy with the performance. It’s so difficult to play a side like this.
“I don’t understand with the quality they have the football they play. They could play proper football but they stand deep and have counterattacks.
“We accept it of course but it doesn’t feel right tonight. I realise I am a really bad loser, especially when the boys put such an effort in against world class players on the other side who defend with two rows of four.
“We know in the last two years we had some lucky moments in the Champions League, you have to, to reach two finals, but today it was everything was against us in the decisive moments.”
Gini Wijnaldum’s first half goal sent the tie into the extra time and Roberto Firmino doubled the Reds’ lead just four minutes in.
Atletico then came from behind through Marcos Llorente’s double and a late goal from Alvaro Morata to make it 4-2 on aggregate.
Italian giants Juventus have confirmed that one of their players has tested positive for Coronavirus.
Football activities have temporarily been put on hold in the country as the deadly pandemic has escalated, resulting in the suspension of all Serie A games till further notice.
The Old Lady confirmed early Thursday morning via a statement on their website that defender Daniel Rugani tested possible for the virus.
“The footballer, Daniele Rugani has tested positive for Coronavirus-COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic.
Juventus Football Club is currently activating all the isolation procedures required by law, including those who have had contact with him,” read the statement.Soccer 24
Farai Dziva|
The tiny Kingdom of Lesotho has literally closed borders in a bid to curb the deadly Coronavirus.
In a letter addressed to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, a Lesotho government official indicated:
This correspondence serves to inform the SADC Secretariat that the Lesotho Government has suspended ALL travel, From and INTO Lesotho.
This embargo is imposed as a precaution against the risk of infection by the Coronavirus associated with international travel.
Coronavirus affects both animals and humans and it can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Anyone anywhere can be infected by the virus. It infects people through coughing and sneezing, touching an infected person’s hands or face or touching infected objects an infected person has touched.
It is like all the other viruses that cause common cold and is common in winter.
Symptoms include a runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat, fever and a feeling of being unwell. In people with an immunocompromised immune system such as children, elderly, those with heart diseases they might develop respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis.
There are ways people can protect themselves from catching the virus.
Prevention methods include: washing hands with soap and water or using a hand rub always. Avoid touching the eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with infected people. Those infected should also cover their nose, mouth when coughing.
If infected one needs plenty of rest, lots of fluids and manage the symptoms such as sore throat, fever. If there is a pneumonia or bronchitis one should also receive appropriate treatment for that respiratory tract infection.
Because this is a communicable virus it spreads fast therefore always protect yourself and your community.
Prevention is always better than cure.
Compiled by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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For an efficient exercise program it’s important for you to run in the right clothes, shoes should be a half size bigger than your actual size, to give your feet room for wiggling…
That having been said, here are the benefits of jogging:
Jogging helps prevent hypertension and heart issue
Jogging greatly reduces the risk of developing a lot of diseases, among these diseases is heart disease. This exercise works out your cardiovascular system; this in turn keeps your heart healthy and sound.
Jogging also helps to keep high blood pressure away.
It lowers the LDL or the bad cholesterol, in the blood if you start jogging.
Hypertension is known to have long term effects on your body that could lead to seriously threatening conditions like atherosclerosis and aneurysms if you don’t start now to check it.
Jogging helps you avoid some cancers
Some researchers believe strongly that jogging is very helpful in preventing some cancers, due to the aerobic nature of the exercise, it achieves this by better oxygenating the entire body whenever we jog.
When cells don’t get an adequate supply of oxygen they tend to mutate more vigorously, often turning harmful. Jogging basically helps supply oxygen to all areas of the body thereby preventing some cancers.
Jogging helps the muscles
Jogging helps new muscle grow and makes old ones stronger and a lot more efficient. Usually the muscle that benefits most from the jog, aside from your heart is the diaphragm.
The diaphragm controls your breathing and is also the muscle that separates the lungs and the heart from the abdominal cavity.
Since it works by contracting and letting the lung draw in air, which would happen a lot during the course of jogging, it gets stronger as a result makes the lung able to cope with strenuous activities.
The legs clearly picks up on the action too. The nature of jogging which is of course gentle means you can complete a large number of low weight extensions with your legs, without getting them to grow massive, but still strengthens them.
Jogging can help avoid diabetes
Jogging goes a long way in the war against diabetes . Being overweight and living an inactive life usually increase your risk of diabetes. So starting a jogging routine and adopting a healthy lifestyle can help you prevent diabetes.
Jogging helps your brain
The body’s organs greatly benefit from the increase in oxygen driven to them, and although every organ benefits enormously, the most impressive in its improvement is the brain.
Recent experiments have shown jogging helps create new neurons in the brain, neurons are cells found in the brain, and an increase in their number helps the memory and learning capabilities, it also tackles diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease.
The benefits of jogging to the brain also extends to, increased Neuro-plasticity which means the brain is more equipped to adapt to a change like pregnancy.
Jogging also helps your brain increase its cognitive ability, and further releases hormones which improves your mood and also your self-motivation and a whole lot of other psychological benefits.
Jogging has psychological benefits
Jogging has much more to offer than your scale can show you, after introducing jogging as a regular routine for you, you would definitely notice some positive changes in your psychological health and your energy levels.
Jogging sometimes could be recommended for people suffering from depression or even addiction, but you definitely don’t have to be going through any of these before you notice improvements.
Jogging helps you by causing a state of euphoria, which is known as the runner’s high, which you get after a period of moderate exercising. The feeling is as a result of the release of endorphins.
Jogging also acts as an anti-depressant, it reduces stress, and increases your energy levels, so if your work stresses you out or the kids stress you out, a gentle jog would increase your capability to deal with all those stressful activities.
Jogging strengthens your immune system
Jogging increases the functionality of the immune system. It makes your body much stronger and better at resisting infections, like the common cold. This doesn’t really apply to marathon runners though, because they exert themselves to the extent of their body being weakened.
This improved immune system is due to the increased physical strength, which makes the filtering devices in the trachea stronger and also increases the production of white blood cells, and the fact that it lowers stress fatigue and depression means your immune is less at risk of being lowered by stress, which could weaken your immune system temporarily.
Jogging strengthens bones
Jogging not only strengthens your bones, it can also prevent certain bone diseases from forming.
The importance of healthy bones cannot be over stated, because not only does the bone carry your weight; red blood cells are produced by the bone marrow.
Jogging also aids in building stronger and much more flexible joints.
Jogging helps in weight loss
One of the major reasons people jog is to lose weight . The way cholesterol is burnt in the veins and arteries, that’s the way fat burns in the body as well.
So if you are jogging to lose weight, I advice you take it slow, get good shoes and run on softer surfaces like grass to reduce the pressure to your knees.
You could also couple your jogging routine with a good weight loss diet.
Jogging as an anti-ager
Basically all the health benefits of jogging are all meant to contribute to anti-aging. So after a short period of taking routine jogging exercise you will definitely feel and be in a better state both physically and mentally.
And of course higher energy levels and a positive view to life can help maintain a youthful outlook to life.
More oxygen and blood gets to your skin, keeping it firm and in shape, this results to slowing down wrinkle development.
Credit :Pixabay.com
Compiled by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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Speech title: Creating a People’s Government at a local level
We are fighting for a people’s government at the local level, activity must be people centred.
The people are the masters not central government
Fighting for a better life and livelihoods should be a key focus of local authorities
Fight against corruption,the party has established an integrity Committee to investigate and follow up on tips from citizen whistle blowing
Restoration of the people’s rights including the right to water and right to dignity
Councillors must lead the fight in defence of the Constitution.What is needed is Constitutional alignment not Constitutional amendments
Other countries are urbanising while Zimbabwe is ruralising urban centres.
We have to change the environment which we are working in,a hostile environment in particular central government interference and economic challenges. A government which disorganises and destablises organised delivery activity.
We have tasked Hon Biti ,Hon Mudzuri and their team to deal with all unconstitutional issues affecting local authorities.
10.Local authorities must foster environmental friendly policies in particular the protection of wetlands.
Local authorities must plan in advance on expansion and population growth.
Local authorities must be innovative, responsive, accountable and transparent while embracing the use of ICTs.
Devolution must be devolution in the proper sense as opposed to the perverted version Zanu PF is attempting to implement.
The Summit must focus on re-imagining what SMART cities and SMART should look like in respect of public transport, internet connectivity, clinics and schools.-MDC Communications
Farai Dziva|MDC president Nelson Chamisa has accused Central Government of deliberately stifling development in rural and urban councils.
Chamisa made the remarks at a Rural and Urban Councils Summit held by the opposition party in Harare on Wednesday.
Read below Chamisa’s statement:
Title: Creating a People’s Government at a local level
We are fighting for a people’s government at the local level, activity must be people centred.
The people are the masters not central government
Fighting for a better life and livelihoods should be a key focus of local authorities
Fight against corruption,the party has established an integrity Committee to investigate and follow up on tips from citizen whistle blowing
Restoration of the people’s rights including the right to water and right to dignity
Councillors must lead the fight in defence of the Constitution.What is needed is Constitutional alignment not Constitutional amendments
Other countries are urbanising while Zimbabwe is ruralising urban centres.
We have to change the environment which we are working in,a hostile environment in particular central government interference and economic challenges. A government which disorganises and destablises organised delivery activity.
We have tasked Hon Biti ,Hon Mudzuri and their team to deal with all unconstitutional issues affecting local authorities.
10.Local authorities must foster environmental friendly policies in particular the protection of wetlands.
Local authorities must plan in advance on expansion and population growth.
Local authorities must be innovative, responsive, accountable and transparent while embracing the use of ICTs.
Devolution must be devolution in the proper sense as opposed to the perverted version Zanu PF is attempting to implement.
The Summit must focus on re-imagining what SMART cities and SMART should look like in respect of public transport, internet connectivity, clinics and schools.-MDC Communications
Zimbabwe faces a grim future if government does not immediately step up efforts to prevent a full scale corona virus outbreak in Zimbabwe. The fact that COVID-19 is spreading so fast around the globe, and that our neighbour South Africa has already reported 7 cases should send a cold chill down our spine, for many reasons. The question is when, not if, COVID-19 will come to Zimbabwe.
COVID-19 outbreak comes at a time when our health delivery system is weak and lacks resilience. Even the most basic day to day health care delivery is virtually non-existent to the citizenry. Public confidence and trust in our healthcare system is at an all-time low. Routine surveillance and epidemic intelligence has suffered greatly due to the challenges bedevelling the system.
Zimbabweans are extremely worried by the possibility that we may already have had cases that went undetected and unreported. Poor surveillance will yield very dangerous statistics. The bungling in the handling of the few cases reported in the media betrays high levels of unpreparedness on the part of government. Citizens are worried by the track record of our government over the past forty years.
This government’s default position in the face of any threatening epidemic is denial and false reassurances to the populace, presumably to cover up for their perpetual unpreparedness. That’s how HIV took over Zimbabwe, and that’s why cholera killed over 4000 citizens in 2008-9. A good government should be transparent and keep its citizens correctly informed.
Citizens are gravely worried about mis-information regarding detail of suspected cases. And if a suspected case flees from hospital untested, that is serious bungling and unpreparedness on the part of the whole system.
As a people’s party , we are here to help government manage this complex outbreak of international concern. This is not a partisan issue, but a matter for all Zimbabweans. When this pandemic is over, we all want to look back and proudly say we did all we could as a people, we prevented all cases that could be prevented, we detected early all cases that came into the country, and we successfully prevented all loss of life through astute and well-resourced clinical management. We also want to boast that there was no loss of life among our health care workers due to this exposure. Then we will have matured as a nation, regardless of all our other toxic politics.
Situational analysis:
Currently we are not prepared to handle a single case of COVID-19. This is evidenced by the panic and confusion that attends the arrival of a potential case at any of our institutions, whether that be in Harare, Masvingo, or anywhere else in the country.
The health care workers are still asking questions about what to do if a suspected case should come to their institution. There are no national guidelines. Health workers don’t even know where and how to send pathology specimens for diagnostic workout, and where to quarantine a case. The two isolation centres in the two major cities are not adequate to service the nation. It seems to us that the Personal Protective Equipment for health workers has not yet been prepositioned in all districts.
We are behind time.
Training of trainers in COVID-19 screening, detection and management is only underway now and this is late! Our ports of entry are poorly staffed and poorly equipped, and our self-quarantine procedures are useless, because there is no adequate monitoring and enforcement.
What should be done?
As the people’s party, we advocate for a health system that is resilient. Such a system is vigilant in disease surveillance, supported by a universal comprehensive primary care coverage. That health system should be able to quickly identify and isolate a disease outbreak and target resources to it. There should be minimisation of disruptions to provisions of essential health services during the outbreak.
We urge the government to work closely with the citizens, and keep correct and accurate information flowing. Government should work hard to have an informed public who will take prevention confidently into their own hands. There should be established call centres in every district which people will use to inform the system that they suspect they are infected.
We should not wait for people to come to institutions. We should test them at home.
Resources must be availed for that and our community nursing and environmental health technician departments should be capacitated to carry out their duties.
For the life of this pandemic, government should have clear guidelines on travel curtailment, particularly to and from the affected areas. Bear in mind that the whole world is potentially affected now, but there are some hot spots. Government should continue to assess the situation and advise the nation on when to cut down on public gatherings.
The issue of the incapacitation of doctors and other health workers continues to linger in the shadows. Our health workers need to be well resourced and motivated so that they show up for work that may be difficult and dangerous. This is already a national emergency. During the 2008-9 cholera outbreak we had to incentivize the health workers to undertake the risky work they were expected to do. That was part of the secret of our success. Now is the time to improve the morale of health workers, before disaster strikes!
What is the nation’s budget for COVID-19 response? Do we have enough resources, have we declared a national emergency, have we asked for international help where we need it?
There are doubts in the population about the efficacy of our laboratory testing capacity, because the government just says we got kits from this donor and that donor.
Zimbabweans are literate! Tell us the kits. We want to know their sensitivity and specificity. We also want to know how many of the tests you have done were confirmed negative by the World Health Organisation collaborating laboratory in South Africa. We don’t want COVID-19 to end up with its epicenter in Zimbabwe, as did HIV, because of poor and delayed responses.
We wish to assure the current government that the MDC and its President stand ready to assist in any manner possible to ensure that COVID-19 does not become a major problem in Zimbabwe. The COVID-19 response must be multi-sectoral AND non-partisan.
Complete transparency and accountability to the nation are key.
Henry Madzorera
Secretary For Health and Child Welfare
Movement For Democratic Change
Farai Dziva|Sungura legend Alick Macheso has officially commissioned a classroom block at Enterprise Primary School in Shamva.
Movement for Democratic Change leader Nelson Chamisa praised Macheso, affectionately known as Cheso power for “giving back to the community.”
“Well done Alick Macheso for commissioning a classroom block at Enterprise Primary in Shamva.
We must always remember our past & look back as we strive to make better our rural communities.Thank you ‘Baba Sharo’ @alicckmacheso3 for leading the way.
smartcommunities #smartschools,”wrote Chamisa on Facebook.
The Government of Zimbabwe has announced new exams fees and the payment deadline barely weeks after reverting to 2015 fees.
According to the publication, grade 7, O level and A-Level students at Public and private schools will pay the following fees to sit for their exams:
This means that Grade Seven candidates registered at private institutions will pay a total of $264 for all their five subjects while those at public institutions will pay $125 for all subjects.
At Ordinary Level candidates will pay $190 per subject at private institutions and $90 at public institutions.
Advanced Level candidates will pay $351 and $165 per subject at private and public institutions respectively.
Those re-sitting for public examinations will also pay full examination fees.
The government has released $150 million to ZIMSEC to cushion parents who might be burdened with the exam fees hike, leaving parents to pay the remaining 53% of the fees.-State media
By A Correspondent- Some Bulawayo supermarkets on Tuesday were rejecting payment in Ecocash and swipe when residents were buying the subsidised mealie meal.
A survey done in some of the shops such as Cover Supermarket and Oceans established that the shops were accepting only cash and rejecting Eco cash and swipe much to the inconvenience of many residents who now relay on the two payment methods due to escalating cash shortages.
“I have asked the till operators here if they accepted Ecocash but they told me that they want cash only. I am stranded now and have not been having mealie meal for days now. The only method available for me is Ecocash since I do not have a bank account and the cash is difficult to get,” said one resident who was queuing for the staple product at Cover supermarket.
An one said it s high time we will make noise in these shops, these methods are provided for us by the government and financial institutions and it is known that there is a shortage of cash, why then would some one demand payment for such a staple food in cash only,” fumed another queuing resident.
The shops have been not having mealie meal for a long time and residents who saw a truck parking in front of these shops run to queue anticipating to get something. However the product got finished while many were still in a queue.
By A Correspondent- In a very disturbing development, a lustful 40-year-old man from Lower-Gweru allegedly raped his 9-year-old daughter twice.
The alleged offender was arrested and recently appeared in court.
Speaking before the court, he sensationally claimed that he had not committed the crime but alleged that his daughter was raped by goblins he got from a traditional healer.
The man who cannot be named to protect the identity of the minor revealed that he got the goblins from a sangoma in the form of charms which later transformed.
I deny the allegations. It wasn’t me who raped my daughter. I believe it was some charms. They turned into goblins and raped her and she started bleeding profusely.
The court heard that on November 23 the suspect allegedly took advantage of his wife’s absence and raped his daughter after asking her to bring water to bath in his bedroom.
The complainant obliged and she brought the water to the accused in his bedroom. Upon entering the bedroom, the accused grabbed the complainant by the waist and he lifted her to the bed and romanced her.
The complainant started crying while the accused was silencing her by saying that they were not fighting but just playing before he threatened to kill her if she continued crying.
The suspect then allegedly raped the complainant before ordering her to go and clean herself since she was bleeding.
After bathing the accused called the complainant to his bedroom before raping her again. The complaint started bleeding again.
The court heard that when the complainant’s mother returned home, she noticed a change in her behaviour. The woman quizzed her daughter and she opened up leading to the man’s arrest.
The presiding magistrate, Mrs Phathekile Msipa, remanded the suspect in custody to March 20 for the continuation of trial.
By A Correspondent- In a disturbing development, a South African man allegedly raped his friend’s girlfriend at his house after taking advantage that his associate was not there.
The alleged rapist, Siyanda “Viper” Madubula, reportedly pounced on his friend’s girlfriend and had s.e.x with her without her consent. The matter was exposed after an audio clip allegedly recorded during the crime leaked.
On the day of the incident, Mabula is reported to have gone out for drinking spree with complainant’s boyfriend who passed out after having one too many drinks. Aware that the complainant was all alone at his friend’s house, he seized the opportunity and went there.
In the heart-rendering recording which has been making rounds on social media, the victim who refers Madubula with his moniker, Viper, begs him to stop but he turns a deaf ear to her plea and rapes her. “Viper I can’t breathe. Please don’t hurt me. Rather masturbate, you are scaring me. My boyfriend knows my story. I’ve been raped twice before and now this. You are opening old wounds.” the helpless woman can be heard.
The disturbing incident was confirmed by Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinan who also revealed that a case had been opened against Madubula.
“We can confirm that we are aware of a voice recording in circulation on social media and it forms part of police investigation. A case of rape in relation to this incident has been opened. A 25-year-old suspect was charged with rape,” said the police spokesperson.
The victim’s sibling (name withheld) told online publication, The Star, that his sister recorded the clip so as to present it before her boyfriend to expose Madubula for making s.e.xual pursuits at her. Unfortunately for her, she was raped that very night.
“Viper is a very close friend of my sister’s boyfriend. The two had been drinking together earlier. The boyfriend passed out and Viper decided to go and attack my sister because he knew she had been waiting at her boyfriend’s house.
She recorded him after he started making s.e.xual advances at her. She wanted to use the clip to show her boyfriend that she is not cheating on him with Viper. She didn’t know that he was going to rape her,”said her sister.
The victim is a 21-year-old Walter Sisulu University student and her mobile phone has since been confiscated by the police as part of the ongoing investigations.
By A Correspondent- The government has banned hospitals from purchasing equipment from companies that do not offer after-sales services, saying it has been incurring high service costs.
Last month, the Senior Hospital Doctors Association blasted government for purchasing US$600 000 worth of obsolete equipment, which included theatre equipment, incubators and ventilators from an Indian supplier last year.
The doctors said some of the equipment was condemned by the engineers on arrival and that the manufacturer had long discontinued the lines and no longer manufactured spares for repairs.
Health permanent secretary Agnes Mahomva made the remarks yesterday while touring Mpilo Central Hospital, United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport.
She was part of the delegation which included Health minister Obadiah Moyo, Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister Judith Ncube and Global Fund executive director Peter Sands.
“We will not be able to sort every problem and issues that you come across. Let us be clear on that, service contractors are there. That does not take away the equipment that has already been bought,” Mahomva said.
“Let us make sure that the equipment we have works, but let us be clear that the new or replaced equipment should have service providers. You (Mpilo) are a procurement unit, you should work with your service providers. They are the ones who then buy the specifications for the equipment and become part of it.
“The challenge you have is now ours because of the equipment that was bought in the past, which have no service contractors. So let us work together to make sure that those machines are functioning.”
She said she was delighted that the power challenges at Mpilo had been sorted out. Mpilo was on Sunday last week plunged into darkness after daring thieves stole power cables.
“Last week, Mpilo Hospital chief executive officer Leonard Mabhandi came to our offices in Harare speaking about the interruption of power. We are delighted that everything is finally working and that there has been a software upgrade,” Mahomva said.-Newsday
By Showbiz Reporter| The Socialite Olinda Chapel on Thursday exploded following revelations of a bust up in Mai Titi’s relationship.
Olinda is still recovering from her own struggle with her child’s father, Tytan Skhokho.
The main similarity between the two is that they dated Ben 10s and their breakup is happening within days of each other. Another correlation is on how both women accuse their mates for the same thing – it is all about HIV status, and all about the woman saying she was used.
Speaking via live video on Thursday, Olinda said it is not easy to know a person and trust them at the same time.
Yes ndakauya mu life maZizo ndichiita zveku marketer, but in the end we fell in love and it was real. I don't know whatever happened… – Mai Titi pic.twitter.com/HFjqdQeINp
By A Correspondent- Bulawayo residents have threatened to take to the streets if maize meal shortages persist.
Residents queuing for the staple product expressed concern over the shortages, claiming that the obtaining situation was precarious and if not addressed, they would be left with no option, but to storm the streets demanding remedy.
Residents accused government of stretching their patience.
“We have been tested for too long and, believe you me, if things continue like this residents will end up taking to the streets because a hungry man is an angry man,” a Bulawayo resident, Lesley Mathe said.
The residents appealed to the relevant authorities and retailers to address the issue of mealie meal shortages, accusing some shop owners of selling the commodity on the black market for a higher price.
“We are sick and tired of corrupt officials working with corrupt retailers to buy mealie meal then sell it on the black market. We are now buying a 10kg of mealie meal for ZAR100 and this is beyond the reach of many,” Nombulelo Ncube of Mahatshula said.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Grain Millers’ Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) spokesperson Garikai Chaunza said the association had imported 10 000 tonnes of maize from South Africa which was already in the country.
“People should not panic as GMAZ has imported 10 000 tonnes of maize from South Africa and the maize is already in the country awaiting distribution. We will continue to import more maize,” Chaunza assured.-statemedia
By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo man was this week jailed for 45 years for stealing electricity copper cables.
Prosper Tshuma (26) of Iminyela, Bulawayo, was arrested after police received a tip-off from residents.
He appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mark Dzira on Thursday facing three counts of theft and will spend three-and-a-half decades in jail after being sentenced to 15 years in jail for each count.
He will, however, serve an effective 35 years after 10 years were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
The value for the stolen property was $484 and $460 for the first and second counts and nothing was recovered.
In the first count, the court was told that sometime in January, Tshuma connived with his friend only identified as Thabani, who is still at large, and went to Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution ( ZETDC) substation at Queens Sports Ground where he stole 1×4 metres of copper cables and earth wires.
In the second count, during the same month, Tshuma stole 1×5 metres of copper bar and earth wires at Chicken Inn ZETDC substation at 11th Avenue and 4th Street.
He was at it again last month when he stole 10kg copper gasket bars and earth wires at Powerssales ZETDC Substation at the corner of Carthan Road and Birmingham Road.
A report made to the police led to Tshuma’s arrest.-Statemedia
By A Correspondent- The number of coronavirus infections in SA has increased to 17, the health ministry said on Thursday.
And one of the new patients, in the Free State, is the first case of local transmission of the illness.
“This is an additional four cases from [Wednesday] ,” said health ministry spokesperson Lwazi Manzi in a statement.
The Mpumalanga and Free State provinces have registered their first cases.
In Mpumalanga, the patient is a 27-year-old woman who had travelled to the US.
“She returned to SA on the 7th March 2020,” Manzi said.
In the Free State, a 32-year-old man has tested positive.
“[He] came into contact with a Chinese businessman. This is the first case of local transmission, as all others have been by patients who had travelled abroad,” Manzi said.
Another case was registered in KwaZulu-Natal.
Manzi said the patient is a 38-year-man who is originally from Durban but now lives in Turkey. He was however, in the country, visiting his family.
“He had travelled to the UK and returned to SA on the 7th March 2020,” Manzi said.
In Gauteng, the latest infection recorded was that of a 43-year-old man.
The Johannesburg resident had travelled to New York via Dubai and returned to SA on March 8 2020.
“At this stage, all patients are in self-quarantine and have mild-to-moderate symptoms,” Manzi said.
“They are also on symptomatic treatment.”
Officials are trying to trace all the people who have come into contact with those who have since tested positive.-Statemedia
I worked for my fame and I worked hard for, to be where I am…
Yes ndakauya mu life maZizo ndichiita zveku marketer, but in the end we fell in love and it was real. I don’t know whatever happened…
Mai Titi: Yes Ndakauya muLife maZizo Ndichiita ZvekuMarketer But In The End …
Yes ndakauya mu life maZizo ndichiita zveku marketer, but in the end we fell in love and it was real. I don't know whatever happened… – Mai Titi pic.twitter.com/HFjqdQeINp
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reserved for war veterans 20% of mining claims in the chrome, nickel and steel sectors in what is seen as an act of appeasement.
Addressing a post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, Information minister Monica Mutsvagwa said the decision to give mining claims to the veterans of the 1970s liberation war was reached after Mines minister Winston Chitando had proposed that claims ceded by ZimAlloys be re-allocated.
“These claims will be re-allocated to other companies which will receive mining claims to sustain and expand ferrochrome production,” Mutsvangwa said.
“As per government policy, 20% of the ceded claims, being 2 348 hectares of the total ceded claims, which are a total of 11 747 hectares, will be allocated to war veterans. The modus operandi of the distribution of claims to war veterans will be announced in due course.”
Speaking at the same briefing, Chitando confirmed the development, adding that government was working on the modalities and also working on a chrome development policy.
“In line with the US$12 billion milestone by 2023 in the mining sector, the steel and chrome sector is targeting to achieve one million tonnes of ore from the 360 000 tonnes we had in 2018.
“In the roll out of the programme, we are looking at synergies between ferrochrome producers and individuals. Government is also working on a chrome development policy that will outline the modalities,” Chitando said.
War veterans have been Zanu-PF’s main campaign cogs during elections, propping up the ruling party during the reign of the late former President Robert Mugabe.
Since Mnangagwa came to power on the back of a November 2017 coup, the war veterans have made several demands, claiming their welfare has been neglected.
Zanu-PF is also amending its constitution to incorporate war veterans, war collaborators and detainees as a wing of the party.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- 2 stranded people who had been deported in Botswana allegedly stabbed and killed a motorist who had given them a lift in Plumtree, and burnt his body using tyres.
The matter came to light at the Bulawayo High Court where Mehluli Bhunu (26) of Maronga village in Dete in Matabeleland North and Trust Ngwenya (18) of Lusulu in Binga stood accused of murdering Memory Deredza.
One of the accused Bhunu narrated how they killed Deredza and said:
We were deported from Botswana and did not have enough money to proceed to Plumtree where my aunt stays hence we decided to hitchhike. The deceased offered us a lift but we did not disclose to him that we only had 50 pula, which we knew was not enough for the trip to Plumtree
Along the way, Deredza demanded 50 pula from each of us and we indicated to him that we only had 50 pula in our possession, but he insisted that it was not enough. I then spoke in Tonga to my co-accused and suggested that we request the deceased to stop on the pretext that we wanted to relieve ourselves yet our intention was to jump out and flee without paying
When I tried to follow Ngwenya, the deceased got suspicious and he blocked me from disembarking and I noticed a knife on the dashboard which i used to stab him.”
The duo set alight his body and drove away with his car and sold his stolen cellphone which led to their arrest.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- A Harare man yesterday appeared in court for allegedly trying to kill his wife with rat poison after she refused to give him her cellphone password.
The court heard that George Lovell (age not supplied), who suspected that his wife was cheating on him, went on to point a gun at her, stealing her cellphone and assaulting her.
Lovell was facing attempted murder charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Rumbidzai Mugwagwa.
He made complaints against police whom he accused of over-detaining him.
Mrs Mugwagwa remanded Lovewell in custody and advised him to approach the High Court for bail.
The court heard that on March 6, Lovell followed his wife who was at a funeral and started shouting at her accusing her of having boyfriends yet she was married.
It is the State’s case that Lovell took a cellphone and US$200 which was in his wife’s bag and went back home.
The court heard that the complainant returned home the following day and Lovell assaulted the complainant with a belt and clenched fists all over her body demanding the phone’s password.
Lovell allegedly went on to cover the complainant’s head with a plastic bag while pointing a gun at her and continued to assault her leading the complainant to become unconscious.
After assaulting the complainant, Lovell took rat poison and forcibly opened the complainant’s mouth while was demanding her password.
The complainant then pleaded with Lovell not to end her life as she was willing to give him the password.-StateMedia
Yes ndakauya mu life maZizo ndichiita zveku marketer, but in the end we fell in love and it was real. I don't know whatever happened… – Mai Titi pic.twitter.com/HFjqdQeINp
By A Correspondent- Government has slammed the United States government for placing State Security Minister Owen Ncube and Ambassador Anselem Sanyatwe on the sanctions list.
In a statement yesterday, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo said the move eroded trust and confidence in the relationship between Harare and Washington.
“We once again note with regret the inclusion of Honourable Minister Owen Ncube and Ambassador Anselem Sanyatwe as specially designated nationals on the OFAC US Treasury Sanctions list,” said Dr Moyo.
“Both officials were already placed on the State department visa and travel negative list during the course of 2019. In both cases, the US cited human rights abuses and political repression as the reasons for imposing the sanctions.
“The decision can only further erode trust and confidence in the relationship between Zimbabwe and the United States at a time when, more than ever, confidence-building measures are required to sustain the ongoing process of engagement between our two countries.”
In taking this action, Dr Moyo said, the US government appears unilaterally to have charged, tried, convicted, and sentenced two very senior Zimbabwean nationals, “surely the very antithesis of justice as we understand it”.
He said the holding to account of any individual or individuals anywhere in the world for alleged human rights abuses and or political repression must be evidence-based as scrutinised in and upheld by a court of law. “Any other approach is surely in itself a violation of those individuals’ human rights,” said Dr Moyo.
“Our Government does, however, register its deep appreciation for the bilateral assistance being provided to Zimbabwe in many areas.
“The US could be of even greater assistance by moving towards the lifting of the sanctions, which it maintains in place and which it renewed last week. Contrary to US government assertions, those sanctions inflict collateral damage way beyond the individuals and entities included in the OFAC list. This impacts negatively upon every Zimbabwean.”
Dr Moyo continued: “As I have said previously, regardless of these negative developments and the lack of even-handedness in the US approach to Zimbabwe, my Government will continue to engage in meaningful dialogue with the United States. In parallel, we will continue to travel the path of reform for the benefit of our people.”-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- A farm worker in Beatrice was killed while two others were injured on Saturday evening when the driver of a tractor they were travelling in lost control near a dam on the farm.
Tinashe Chimunhu (51), a casual worker at Mudehwe Farm, died on the spot after sustaining head injuries. His body was taken to Chivhu General Hospital for post-mortem.
The injured, Charles Mushure, who was driving without a licence and Tinei Mare, were admitted at Chitungwiza Central Hospital.
Mashonaland East police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza confirmed the incident. He said Mushure was driving the tractor within the farm with four passengers on board.
As he approached a dam wall, he lost control of the tractor, which veered off the road into the bush. The tractor then landed on its roof, trapping three passengers beneath it, resulting in the fatality.
Mwanza urged farm workers to ensure that their tractor drivers have valid permits to avoid unnecessary fatalities.
In other unrelated cases, two pedestrians were killed when they were run over by cars in separate accidents which occurred in the Beatrice area along the Harare-Masvingo Highway.
One of the victims is a 14-year-old and the other is a 38-year-old mentally challenged woman.
Mwanza confirmed the incidents, but said the victims could not be named because their next of kins had not yet been informed.-
Jane Mlambo| Following her nasty breakup with Ben 10 boyfriend Zizoe, Mai Titi has taken to Facebook to pour her heart out before cursing her HIV status which she said had brought so much misery to her.
According to Mai Titi, Zizo mocked her saying no one would lover because of her HIV status amid revelations that he brought another girlfriend at the house they were staying in UK.
Mai Titi went on Facebook live and poured her heart out saying her HIV status has brought her misery.
“And I wish you all the best with your girlfriend. Who am I I am just a nobody who came into your life and was there for you and I wish you all the best.
“I am not someone anochemera rudo stereki. Handichemeri ruso. Handisi type yacho. And handisi tyoe inochemera kudiwa.
“Wakangondiona ndiri one chi single mother ndichizviraramira…I will not allow you to break me…. Mwari achandipa murume anondina besides my condition.,” she said.
She said she cursed her status as it was responsible for the heartbreak she is currently going through.
She however vowed to use her pain to press on in life despite the breakup.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has tabled before government a demand that all wages be paid in the South African rand and that the country joins the Rand Monetary Union as the Zimbabwe dollar continues to lose value.
The economic situation continues to deteriorate and workers are reeling under the crisis which has seen the Zimdollar plunging against the United States dollar with black market rates reaching 1:38 as of yesterday.
Prices of goods and services have spiked in the past week, condemning workers to poverty.
Speaking at the Gweru labour forum meeting last week, ZCTU secretary-general Japhet Moyo, said the demand for rand-pegged salaries was officially tabled before President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration at the National Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF).
“We have made it clear to government that we demand the adoption of the rand currency for salaries of all workers. We said RTGS is not money,” Moyo said.
“For us, the rand is a far much better solution for the country to adopt the rand as the mode of exchange rather than to turn to the US dollar which is sought after by all the crooks in the World.”
He added: “If we say we want our salaries in US dollars, that will have a problem in the future because there are those people from other countries who can come to mop up the money.
“So we are saying the US dollar is risky because it can be mopped by outsiders if we are to be paid in the currency. But the rand is a stable currency. If we look at the past three years, the rand has lost maybe three or four points against the major currencies. So it’s a stable currency in our view.”
However, Moyo revealed that government, represented by the then Labour minister Sekai Nzenza and the incumbent, Paul Mavhima, has not been keen on the proposal.
Mavhima, however ,denied that he was non-committal, saying discusssions with labour were underway in the NTF.
“This is not true. Our discussions take place within the context of the TNF. Our next meeting will be next week on Monday. You should have followed TNF developments from last meeting in February,” Mavhima said.
But Moyo insisted: “The government has been non-committal on adopting the rand. The business community, has meanwhile, asked for more time for government to stabilise the economy before it is pressured into adopting the rand.
“The people in business have also been saying they have trillions of dollars in their accounts and so they cannot allow for a change of currency overnight. However, as the ZCTU, we are pushing for all workers to be paid in the rand currency,” the ZCTU secretary-general said.
During the inclusive government, the then Finance minister Tendai Biti also called for the adoption of the rand, but Zanu-PF officials opposed the call, saying Zimbabwe would lose its sovereignty by using money from a neighbouring country.
Last year, government passed Statutory Instrument 142 which outlawed a multi-currency system it adopted in 2009 after the Zimdollar was driven out of circulation by hyperinflation..
Moyo revealed that the ZCTU had petitioned Nzenza to ask Cabinet to repeal SI 142, but she did not do so.
He revealed that the new minister Mavima has also rejected rand salary demands.
“Mavima, through a government technical committee at the NTF, has also said the workers cannot be paid in rands because changing the currency is now an issue that should be addressed by Parliament because S1 142 which introduced the Zimdollar as a mono-currency is now a law that would need to be repealed by legislators if need be. However, we are continuing to push government because the Zimbabwe dollar salaries are making all workers poorer because the currency keeps tumbling,” Moyo said.
By the time of going to print, Mavima had not responded to questions sent to him via WhatsApp and his phone was unreachable since Sunday.
Information secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana was also not responding to messages and calls.-Newsday
By Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo| Let me tackle this below as a development practitioner and Policy maker in a professional way.
In any given context, the description of any economy is measured not on currency but production and exports. Currency is not our problem, it is simply a drop on our major problems. If we practise good governance, currency will stabilize on it’s own.
If you remember very well the same Minister of Finance, Prof. Muthuli Ncube told us a few months ago in 2019, that we have over 3 Billion surplus money, and I find this interesting as a Policymaker, where is the 3 Billion when we have all these currency short falls and we are failing to meet the Government obligations such as Eskom bills, clearing our external debt which has ballooned to over 12 Billion including the local debt. Not even a single update has been issued over such matters.
The same Finance Minister, we praise the Lord, he is still the same person who can account what he said a few months back. Yesterday he came to tell the whole nation that we have a major currency problem.
Do you still believe that our major problem is currency and the cabinet has gone an extra mile to set up a taskforce to deal with currency stabilization program. Really? ? This is interesting. Is currency our major problem in Zimbabwe?
Few questions can be asked to the learned Prof and former Vice President of the African Development Bank :
1.Who is printing excessive notes on the market?
2.Who controls the black market?
Who is in charge of receiving money from RBZ using the Interbank rate ( 1:1) and throwing all the money on the black market?
We have witnessed new local currency in circulation, and not even a single statement has been issued to Parliament regarding excessive printing of notes
Where are the profits of the results of Command Agriculture or any regulations put in place to regulate Command Agriculture and GMB funds?
Why is it that the Minister has never issued a statement concerning the GMB rot or saga since money exchanged hands between RBZ and Finance? Not even a single ministerial statement regarding to that effect?
What is our debt position? Local & External debt?
What is fueling inflation? Is it currency problems or it is many inconsistencies?
Do we need a taskforce to handpick people who are operating the black market? Or we need ZACC and Police to do their job?
Why doing a merry go round on fiscal policy matters yet we are seeing the problems?
As a Policy Advisor I suggest the following measures to be taken to avert a crisis within the next (6) six months and restore sanity in our economy :
We need a clear Policy direction of this country. All these problems are as a result of too many inconsistencies within Zanu PF Government and this has destroyed trust within the vicinity of the few remaining investors.
NB : Nyika inogadzirwa nema Policies ari clear. Hapana chitsotsi apa meaning the country can only be fixed using clear policies, there is no two ways about it.
We need a clear Policy coordination. Conflicting statements within the Government must be dealt with.
A clear National Development agenda must be tabled. We need a proper Development agenda which must build trust and confidence
Smart politics is key.
Observe Human rights obligations as a necessity to deal with our crisis.
We need a genuine and proper dialogue to deal with all these problems.
Corruption is our major crisis. We can have as many taskforce as possible, as long as people are looting in Zimbabwe, we are wasting our time. There are so many leakages in the Government and not even a single ministerial statement has been issued by Finance Minister on the following :
(a) 5.9 Billion for Command Agriculture which went missing from RBZ.
(b) 1.3 billion which went missing from the same facility ( Command Agriculture) , and not even a single cent was recovered.
(c) GMB saga where officials used their companies and proxies to issue contracts without going to a proper tender system.
Clear Investment law to attract Foreign Direct Investment ( FDI). We need inflows to deal with cash crisis.
Development of a proper partnership deal framework for all deals in all critical sectors of the economy such as mining, agriculture, tourism and infrastructure development. All minerals are being sold for a song because of improper partnership deals.
Privatization is key to all potential State companies. All dysfunctional state companies must be closed because they are draining the fiscus.
Recommend the removal of Deputy Ministers. It’s not necessary to have them.
We have a huge and bloated senate. We can rather remain with Parliament
What is the position of our local and external debt?
We can merge ministries which are critical and phase out those which are not necessary.
Let’s print money after making careful assessment of our consolidation revenue funds, increase in productivity, balance of payments, increase in exports and inflows of FDI
Misguided priorities. Money is not grown on trees. In any given context, the description of any economy is measured on production and the amount of imports and exports.
We have a huge and bloated Foreign services. We need to cut a number of foreign missions and remain with strategic ones. Eg we can have one single foreign mission catering Zambia, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia.
Mono currency has been rejected by the market
Market forces which are in existence. Failure to dollarize the economy which has long dollarized itself. There are clear market forces.
Why is the Minister failing to issue a ministerial statement regarding the dollarization of the economy? Is it because printing of money is bailing the Government in buying forex?
Debate over dollarization of the economy is critical. Government is hesitant to make a Policy statement because they were benefiting directly from excessive printing of money and inflating exchange rates on the market.
Lack of confidence as a result of too many inconsistencies and there is need to make critical policy reviews .
Institutional reforms are critical.
Government lacks social capital. We lack appeal. This is a major crisis we have.
We need a clear re-engangement plan which is inclusive. We need to stop the arrogance and work on a clear re-engagement plan.
How much do we owe other countries? Our nature of deals must be disclosed to the public. We have ZUPCO deal where buses are already in Zimbabwe? In exchange of what? Government deals must be disclosed to the public.
By A Correspondent | ZimEye is about to go live as we prepare for Malawi’s Supreme Court verdict set to be announced this morning. The incumbent, Bingu Mutharika and the Malawi Electoral Commission has gone to the Supreme Court to appeal Malawi’s constitutional court ruling which annulled the results of the May 2019 vote, citing widespread irregularities, and ordered a new election to be held within 150 days.
Last night, the Malawi Congress Party’s Campaign Director Moses Kunkuyu updated ZimEye in a brief interview [watch below].
In the latest development, Parliament has approved bills to hold a new election on May 19 but Mutharika, is yet to sign them.
The hearing comes just as two activists were arrested for calling on supporters to march to the president’s official residence on March 25 if Mutharika refused to act by then.
By A Correspondent- Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) secretary-general Robson Chere has dumped his new school in rural Marondera, saying he could no longer work on an empty stomach after government froze his salary last year.
Chere, a science teacher was moved from Arcturus High School to Dimbe Secondary School in Marondera East constituency this year in a suspected politically-motivated transfer.
The firebrand trade unionist had his salary frozen by government after he was accused of indiscipline following his arrest during the January 2019 fuel protests.
In a letter seen by NewsDay, dated March 10, addressed to Dimbe Secondary School head one Mrs Zenda and copied to the provincial education director, Chere said he will only return to work after government releases his 14 months’ salary.
“I write informing you of my incapacitation to carry out my duties due to financial constraints to cater for my welfare. I have suffered severe emotional, psychological and social stress due to this problem. It has been 14 months since my salary was unlawfully ceased and I am finding it difficult to survive in this harsh economic condition,” read the letter.
Through his lawyers, Mtetwa and Nyambirai law firm, Chere has since approached the courts challenging the freezing of his salary, arguing that government had no basis to act in such a manner.
In the letter, Chere revealed that he has been surviving on hand outs from well-wishers. -Newsday
By A Correspondent- Government has announced new 2020 public examinations fees and released $150 million to Zimbabwe School Examination Council (Zimsec) to subsidise fees for those learning at Government schools, local authority and not-for-profit mission schools.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education announced the new examination fees structure and payment deadlines yesterday. As a way of cushioning parents and guardians, Government will subsidies candidates at government schools, local authority and not-for-profit mission schools by paying 53 percent of the total examination fees while learners from private institutions will pay the full amount.
This means that Grade Seven candidates registered at private institutions will pay a total of $264 for all their five subjects while those at public institutions will pay $125 for all subjects.
At Ordinary Level candidates will pay $190 per subject at private institutions and $90 at public institutions while Advanced Level candidates will pay $351 and $165 per subject at private and public institutions respectively. Those re-sitting for public examinations will also pay full examination fees.
After Zimsec increased examination fees last month, Government ordered it to revert to fees that were approved in 2015 when O-Level candidates were paying $15 per subject and $26 for A-Level. In a statement, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema said the new examination fees were arrived at after wide consultations with stakeholders in the education sector.
“Government is releasing RTGS $150 million to Zimsec with immediate effect to get the preparations for the 2020 June and November examinations going and will avail the balance to Zimsec once the total candidature from the public schools for the June and November examinations is ascertained,” said Minister Mathema.
When asked if those who had already paid following the 2015 fees structure as directed last month will have to top up to reach the new examination fees announced yesterday, the Minister declined to comment. He, however, said Government was subsidising examination fees to ensure that no learner fails to sit for public examinations.
“I would like to advise all parents and guardians of candidates in Grade 7, O and A-levels that, in 2020, Government will be contributing 53 percent of the examination fees for candidates in public schools while parents and guardians will take up 47 percent. All candidates from private schools and colleges at Grade 7, O and A-levels will meet the full cost of the examination fees,” said Minister Mathema.
“The public schools where 53 percent of the examination fees will be paid by Government are: government schools, local authority schools and not-for-profit mission schools.”
He said candidates who will register for the same subjects in June and November examinations, will bear the full costs for the November examination. Minister Mathema urged education stakeholders to support pupils as schools lay the foundation for their future.
“As we prepare our learners for life and work, I would like to exhort all who have a contribution to make to the success of our children to do everything possible so that they are sufficiently equipped to make a telling contribution to the sustainable development of our country.
Getting it right at primary and secondary education level will give the nation the confidence that we are building from a solid foundation,” said Minister Mathema. -StateMedia
Own Correspondent| Popular comedienne, Felistas Edwards commonly known as Mai Titi has confirmed that her relationship with her Ben 10 boyfriend Zizoe is over.
This followed a nasty exchange of words between the two when they were in the United Kingdom.
Mai Titi also accused Zizoe of bringing a woman, he confirmed was his girlfriend to the house they were staying in the UK.
He said he could not deal with her HIV status issues and needed a girlfriend which according to Mai Titi did not make sense to her.
“I will not allow anyone to tell me that no-one will ever love me if not me alone. I will say thank you Zizoe for loving me thank you ZizoE for appreciating me, thank you for standing by me in so many ways, for showing me kuti there is love at the end of the day and for being there for my children. But its not only you who can love me in my condition. You knew my condition from the word go you stood by me with that condition..”
She said she will not allow Zizoe to stigmatise her.
She said she met Zizoe when she was marketing his music but along the way “we fell in love. It was a marketing strategy but yakaguma irirudo. I do not know what happened to the love, maybe he was pressured.
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has advised citizens to maintain excellent levels of hygiene in the wake of the deadly coronavirus.
Mnangagwa issued the advise amid revelations by the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights secretary-general Norman Matara that Zimbabwe does not have basic equipment required in the identification of the coronavirus also known as Covid-19.
Matara said the country only had two World Health Organisation-recommended diagnostic computerised tomography (CT) scans adding that there were no adequate ventilators for continuous supply of oxygen needed by coronavirus patients.
Said Mnangagwa:
“I urge my fellow Zimbabweans to maintain excellent levels of personal hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough, and avoid unnecessary travel abroad. We must keep our nation, safe, secure and healthy.”
By A Correspondent- Woes mount for former First Lady Grace Mugabe’s business empire after a Mazowe gold miner she allegedly displaced during her late husband, former President Robert Mugabe’s rule applied for a spoliation order to repossess the farm and equipment where his mine is located.
The “spoliation order” is a common law remedy whose purpose is to promote the rule of law and to serve as a shield against cases of “self-help”, where parties take the law into their own hands and exercise “power” which they do not have.
The miner, Langton Chapungu, whose case was already in the High Court seeking the eviction of the former First Lady; together with two other individuals who were only identified in court papers as Tongai and Jemwa, made an application for spoliation order last week.
In the application dated March 5, 2020, Chapungu is seeking an order that Grace returns to him vehicles and farm equipment she allegedly grabbed from him along with the farm.
In his founding affidavit, Chapungu said sometime in 2008, Grace unlawfully dispossessed him of his property and said her actions were unlawful.
“Pursuant to the above, I am advised that a spoliation order is an order for repossession of property which had been unlawfully disposed using illicit means,” he submitted.
“I was in lawful possession and the possession was despoiled by the respondent (Grace). The applicant (Chapungu) wishes to submit before this honourable court that the respondent used her political muscles as a former President’s wife who was immune to prosecution, hence she decided to unlawfully take the law onto her hands.”
Chapungu said in spite of the knowledge that the property belonged to him, Grace proceeded to unlawfully grab it.
“There’s no other remedy which will afford applicant the same relief as that afford by spoliation. A spoliation order will be the only way to ensure that applicant can fully exercise his right over the property in question,” he said.
“The applicant is, therefore, justified in approaching this honourable court seeking an order of spoliation as per draft order. Wherefore it is on these humble respectful submissions that I pray that such despoiled property be returned to the applicant.”
Since Mugabe’s ouster from power in a November 2017 coup, the former First Family has not enjoyed peace.
Several lawsuits have been filed against Grace by farmers and miners who claim she dispossessed them of their land.
The family is facing similar threats from Harare property owners who were displaced to pave way for expansion of Mugabe’s Blue Roof mansion in Borrowdale.
The eviction bid comes after Mashonaland Central provincial mining director Tariro Ndhlovu, through a memo dated September 18, 2019, called on all mining claim owners in Manzou, Surtic, Smithfield, Arnold, Yarrowdale, Foyle Estate, Brecon, Bandari, Brundret, Maggiesdale and Glenbervile farms, some of which were owned by Grace, to get back on the farms.
Grace also risks losing one of her properties that form part of her family’s Blue Roof mansion in Borrowdale following a High Court ruling in June to let go of the land in favour of the applicants, Farai and Nyasha Chitsinde.
Grace had until today to move off the contested land.-Newsd
Zimbabwe Achievers Awards would like to inform the public that the ZAA 10th Anniversary celebrations and Awards Dinner Gala set for Friday 10 April 2020 in Victoria Falls have been postponed to December as part of wider protective measures taken in the interest of public health in light of the spread of the Corona virus.
The decision was made after wide consultations and advice from relevant authorities and actors such as the World Health Organization (WHO), governments and health experts and have come to a collective decision along with principal partners ZimThrive and other sponsors.
The ZAA 10th Anniversary event was set to welcome a large number of people based in various parts of the world, but in a bid to minimize the risk of the spread and impact of the virus the event will now be held in December in the resort town.
The event was part of ZimThrive’s homecoming initiative along with various other affected events and we are optimistic of a successful event once the precautionary measures are lifted and the situation under control.
“Following advice and guidelines from WHO, the Zimbabwe government and respective governments globally we feel that minimizing travel at the time will reduce the spread and impact of the virus.”
“Our key priority is the safety and health of our fellow Zimbabweans and we have collectively made the decision to postpone the impending homecoming set for 1-30 April 2020. The event will now take place from 1-31 December 2020,” read part of the statement released by ZimThrive.
As ZAA we put the public interest and safety above everything else and will continue cooperating with relevant health authorities regarding advice on the matter and apologize for any inconvenience caused in the meantime.
We would also like to advise that at the moment all other editions on our regular calendar are going ahead as planned with ZAA South Africa scheduled for April 25th, ZAA UK on May 30th and ZAA USA edition taking place on June 6th 2020. Any enquiries pertaining to the events can be addressed to [email protected]
We would also like to thank all stakeholders, media and partners who have been playing a key role in preparations and look forward to hosting the event in December. The exact dates will be announced in due course after completion of consultations.
We belong to the Geo Support Group whose membership comprises several senior Zimbabwean media practitioners based at home and abroad.
We have come together for a noble cause to appeal for contributions in support of our colleague, Geoffrey Nyarota. He must undergo coronary angioplasty, surg…
Malawi Police at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe have intercepted and seized 2, 259 masks from a Chinese national who attempted to export them to coronavirus disease hit China.
The impounded face masks
According to KIA police spokesperson Sapulaine Chitonde, Liu Rishan, 38, whose passport number is E27915003, was intercepted on Tuesday while on his way back home on Ethiopian Airlines after a visit to his relative in Lilongwe.
Upon his arrival at KIA’s main entrance door to the departure’s lounge, Chitonde said, officers manning the X-ray machine observed some strange items which were detected by the machine and physical search was instituted which exposed the said medical masks mixed up with some biscuits and chocolates.
“He was asked to produce supporting documents following the stop order by the government, dated 14 February 2020, which temporarily restricted exportation of medical products following the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus in China.
“Rishan failed to produce the documents leading to the seizure of the masks,” said Chitonde.
Meanwhile, Director of Airport Police Securities Tiyese Chiumbuzo has since warned those buying the masks or any other Coronavirus related products with an aim of smuggling them out to stop it at once.
He has further reminded all security agents manning all the Airports in the country as well as the land borders to be vigilant and enhance the searching of passengers.
Rishan, however, told the police that he wanted to export the masks to help his family back in China from contracting the deadly Coronavirus.
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has advised citizens to maintain excellent levels of hygiene in the wake of the deadly coronavirus.
Mnangagwa issued the advise amid revelations by the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights secretary-general Norman Matara that Zimbabwe does not have basic equipment required in the identification of the coronavirus also known as Covid-19.
Matara said the country only had two World Health Organisation-recommended diagnostic computerised tomography (CT) scans adding that there were no adequate ventilators for continuous supply of oxygen needed by coronavirus patients.
Said Mnangagwa:
“I urge my fellow Zimbabweans to maintain excellent levels of personal hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough, and avoid unnecessary travel abroad. We must keep our nation, safe, secure and healthy.”
This govt which has been running our country since 1980 they don't respect the view that the constitution is higher than other laws. They take the view that the constitution is like any other law… And here I am speaking as Lovemore Madhuku the citizen – @ProfMadhuku@HealZimpic.twitter.com/P513ICAvtR
By A Correspondent| As government goes ahead to push through constitutional amendments to turn Emmerson Mnangagwa into a monster leader with powers far greater than President Robert Mugabe’s, just what type of a country is this lovely nation about to turn into? Hard Video V11s show the ZANU PF leader saying he believes that all election winners are mere corpses, literally.
In a chilling warning during the same function where he said if he were God, he would deprive all MDC supporters of oxygen, Mnangagwa told a Masvingo gathering in May 2015, democracy is only found among corpses.
He spoke in the Shona vernacular saying, “to all of us here I always ask where are the majority, among the living or among the corpses?
“They are among the dead.
“Democracy says we must go to the majority. That’s why there is death on earth.
“It’s democracy, those who win elections are the majority.”
"All of us here I always ask where are the majority, among the living or among the corpses? They are among the dead. Democracy says we must go to the majority. That's why there is death on earth. It's democracy, those who win elections are the majority" – Mnangagwa. @TeamZim3pic.twitter.com/87CIBvLGZ3
Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation have postponed all World Cup 2022 qualifiers in Asia which were scheduled for March and June due to the coronavirus.
Several cases of the disease have been reported around the word with the most hit areas being found in the eastern continent where the virus originated.
The development was confirmed by the world football body in statement on Monday.
Here is the statement.
Following consultation with Asia’s member associations, FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have agreed to postpone the upcoming Asian qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ as follows:
Matches originally scheduled to take place during the international window of 23-31 March 2020 and 1-9 June 2020 are postponed to later dates
FIFA and the AFC will discuss further details of the postponed matches
However, in order to support the member associations concerned, and provided that the safety of all individuals involved meets the required standards and that the member associations due to play each other mutually agree, the match(es) may still be played during the international windows of March or June 2020, but always subject to prior approval from both FIFA and the AFC.
FIFA and the AFC have also agreed to postpone the AFC Futsal Championship Turkmenistan 2020, which serves as the qualifiers for the FIFA Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2020, until 5-16 August 2020.
The upcoming qualifiers for the Olympic Football Tournaments are foreseen to be played as scheduled, with the exception of the women’s Olympic qualifiers play-off between Korea Republic and China PR, which will now take place during the international window of 1-10 June 2020.
FIFA and the AFC will continue to assess the situation in relation to COVID-19 and will decide whether further changes to the schedule of Asian FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers are required, always with the aim of protecting the safety and health of all individuals involved.
MNANGAGWA RETIREMENT: I would like to propose that on this topic of retirement of people who are 70 and above, Mr Mnangagwa who is 76 be added to the list. – @mdczimbabwepic.twitter.com/7pLD5MxW4e
State Media|Foreign exchange will be traded freely among banks as Zimbabwe’s financial authorities upgrade official forex trading by bringing in an electronic trading platform, allowing a managed float of the Zimbabwe dollar, introducing measures to mop up excess corporate liquidity, spreading Government disbursements evenly to prevent bulges in money supply and curbing black market trading.
Announcing the new raft of measures yesterday as part of Government efforts to stabilise foreign exchange trading, exchange rates and inflation, Finance and Economic Development Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube said a broad-based taskforce will oversee the package of new policy measures designed to open markets in a phased manner.
He told bankers and journalists that the taskforce will be spearheaded by his ministry and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and will include members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) and the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC).
The planned policy interventions were part of the de-dollarisation roadmap and come as a result of a recent surge in the black market exchange rates driven by a bulge in Zimbabwe-dollar holdings by a small group of corporates and an official foreign exchange trading platform that needed to be more transparent and effective.
The high liquidity by the small number of corporates, with 200 holding about half of Zimbabwe’s total money supply according to the latest RBZ report, was interacting with a limited pool of free funds largely fed by Diaspora transfers, pushing up black market rates.
The programme is designed to prevent the bulges in holdings, mop up some of the corporate liquidity and ensure the official market is more responsive and open.
RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya, said the measures to stabilise the exchange rate were critical given its pass through effect on inflation.
Minister Ncube said Government was cognisant of the fact that unrestrained money supply was one of the fundamental causes of inflation and depreciation of the exchange rate, as happened prior 2009.
“In order to stabilise the exchange rate and hence to lower inflation, the Government has decided to implement a holistic package of key policy measures. In this regard, currency taskforce has been set up,” Minister Ncube said.
He said Zimbabwe will introduce a managed floating exchange rate trading system and an electronic forex trading platform, which will allow foreign exchange to be traded freely among banks to determine a true market exchange rate.
The minister said the country had no transparent and effective foreign exchange trading platform, which resulted in official rates not being effectively determined, giving rise to a thriving black market.
The official exchange rate stood at $18,5 to the US dollar.
Bureaux de Change will also participate on the electronic platform. The minister said the Bureaux de Change rules were being liberalised so that they can conduct a wide range of transactions including financing importers.
On its part, the RBZ will provide liquidity to stabilise the exchange rate where necessary, which will be accessed at the market determined interbank exchange rate.
The interbank market has been using the mid-rate to determine the daily exchange rate since September last year to avoid free-fall of the domestic currency.
Treasury will maintain cash budgeting, thus severely limiting growth in local currency money supply, as part of the measures to stabilise the rate and inflation. It will also smooth expenditure disbursements so that large payments do not disrupt the forex market. Treasury Bills will be pre-planned to cover the whole year with approval by the Monetary Policy Committee.
It is now accepted by many in the markets that some of the surges in black market rates are driven by those who have received a large payment and want to lock it into foreign exchange.
The RBZ will mop up excess liquidity held by corporates and other large holders of Zimbabwe dollars in the banking system by introducing short-term corporate bills.
Minister Ncube said to ensure success of the policy measures, Government was implementing certain regulatory changes that will be effected as a matter of urgency.
“Our laws and enforcement regime are not as effective as they should be when it comes to crimes relating to foreign exchange and financial fraud. The current legal and institutional framework relating to curbing of trading on the parallel market is quite inadequate.
“Government will be reviewing all the laws and institutional framework in order to bring them in line with international best practices and more importantly monitor the effectiveness of institutions charged with implementing the laws,” he said.
The then CIO-Director General-Albert-Miles-Ngulube
By Farai D Hove| The government has for a while published claims that Emmerson Mnangagwa did not conduct a bloody military coup against his former boss.
But over 600 soldiers were killed during the coup that removed former President Robert Mugabe, the late ZANU PF leader’s party spokesman, Jealousy Mawarire has alleged.
Mawarire made the allegations while arguing on the Twitter website. He said President Mugabe attended his last graduation ceremony “… as a hostage, he hadn’t even changed clothes for 3 days; he had new army security. “
He then said the killings were the hallmarks of a real military coup.
“His top aide, Albert Ngulube had been bludgeoned, another, Peter Munetsi, had been killed & 600 more, mainly soldiers, had been killed, wonzwa munhu achiti hapana coup – then you hear someone saying it was not a coup.”
Mawarire had not at the time of publishing revealed the names of the soldiers he alleges were killed in November 2017.
RGM attended the graduation as a hostage, he hadn't even changed clothes for 3 days, he had new army security, his top aide, Albert Ngulube had been bludgeoned, another, Peter Munetsi, had been killed & 600 more, mainly soldiers, had been killed, wonzwa munhu achiti hapana coup. https://t.co/laz0y7Xd2O
Fox News|Federal immigration authorities in Boston last week arrested a Zimbabwean national who had allegedly overstayed his visa by 20 years and is charged with felony rape, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Monday.
Alois Mutare, 42, was arrested by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) as part of a wider crackdown on illegal aliens, illegal reentrants and other immigration violators in the New England area.
Mutare, a Zimbabwean citizen, legally entered the U.S. in 1999, but violated the terms of his admission and overstayed his visa by near 20 years, according to a press release from ICE.
Boston police arrested Mutare in December 2019 on felony rape charges. Mutare was indicted on those charges earlier this month, ICE said.
ICE agents arrested Mutare after he was released from a local criminal court on March 4.
He remains in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings before a federal immigration judge, ICE said.
ICE officers have arrested more than 200 immigration offenders in recent weeks. More than half of those individuals had convictions or pending criminal charges for rape, drug trafficking, sexual assault and assault during the enforcement efforts, ICE said.
Todd M. Lyons, acting field office director for ERO Boston, said the multitude of arrests demonstrates the “threat that sanctuary policies pose to our communities.”
“Our officers will continue to arrest public safety threats that are released back to the communities, even as we remain committed to working with our local law enforcement partners to keep communities in the region safe,” Lyons said.
“While today’s announcement adds two new names to the SDN list – Owen Ncube and Anselem Sanyatwe – for human rights abuses, there remain several others who need to be held accountable for their actions and we urge the administration to update the list as needed.”
Jeff-Flake
By A Correspondent| US Senators are submitting more ZANU PF names to the US sanctions list. This was revealed in their latest communication to the state department.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Chris Coons (D-Del.), member of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, today applauded the decision by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to update the list of sanctioned individuals for Zimbabwe following their January letter to Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo requesting an update.
“We are pleased to see the Departments of Treasury and State act on our request to update the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list (SDN list) for Zimbabwe,” said the senators. “The removal of persons no longer deemed appropriate and the addition of those responsible for recent human rights abuses is just one of the tools we will continue to encourage the U.S. government to use to hold leaders accountable for corruption and the erosion of democratic rights.
“As Zimbabwe’s leaders continue to blame their deepening political and economic crises on the political opposition, peaceful protesters, and foreign governments, they are failing to take responsibility for the suffering of the Zimbabwean people, for which they alone are responsible. We applaud the United States’ decision last week to extend the Zimbabwe sanctions program for another year,” they continued.
“While today’s announcement adds two new names to the SDN list – Owen Ncube and Anselem Sanyatwe – for human rights abuses, there remain several others who need to be held accountable for their actions and we urge the administration to update the list as needed.”
Background: In 2003, the United States began to impose sanctions on select individuals in the ZANU-PF regime and entities known to facilitate human rights abuses, undermine the rule of law, and engage in the looting of state resources for personal or political gain. While the targeted sanctions have been in place, the U.S. has continued to invest in humanitarian and development aid for Zimbabwe, spending more than $2 billion over the last ten years. The government of Zimbabwe has used misinformation to blame U.S. sanctions for the country’s political, economic and humanitarian situation.
In its first changes to the SDN list for Zimbabwe in the post-Mugabe era, the U.S. Treasury Department on March 11, 2020, removed four individuals, and added Anselem Sanyatwe and Owen Ncube.
Correspondent|Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp speaking to BT Sport: “For the score to go 2-1 was not cool, it was a blow but it’s not a big problem. The second goal was a bigger problem.
“After the second goal the legs were a bit tired. Everything that looked really natural in the first 90 minutes became a bit stiff. The crosses did not have the same quality We wanted the first time crosses like for the first goal, which was brilliant and the boys forget to do that.
“I am completely happy with the performance. It’s so difficult to play a side like this.
“I don’t understand with the quality they have the football they play. They could play proper football but they stand deep and have counter attacks.
“We accept it of course but it doesn’t feel right tonight. I realise I am a really bad loser, especially when the boys put such an effort in against world class players on the other side who defend with two rows of four.
“We know in the last two years we had some lucky moments in the Champions League, you have to, to reach two finals, but today it was everything was against us in the decisive moments.”
The Guardian|A Zimbabwean student has become the first person in the UK to be convicted for using a 3D printer to manufacture a gun.
Tendai Muswere, 26, pleaded guilty at Southwark crown court on Wednesday to the charge of manufacturing a 3D printed gun.
Police had initially gained access to Muswere’s home in Pimlico, central London, in October 2017 using a drug warrant, but found components of a 3D printed gun capable of firing a lethal shot during the search.
Muswere, a student who does not hold a firearms licence, told officers he had printed the firearm for a “dystopian film” as part of a university project – but later refused to comment on what the film project was about.
Muswere claimed he was unaware the weapon he had printed was capable of firing. A subsequent police search of Muswere’s browsing history revealed he had watched videos demonstrating how to manufacture a firearm capable of firing live ammunition using a 3D printer.
During a second search of his property, in February 2018, police found further components of a 3D printed gun.
The Metropolitan police said there was not widespread concern about the printing of guns in London. While plans for guns can be created or downloaded online, not all parts can be printed off – in other words, a gun cannot be manufactured by simply downloading plans online and using a 3D printer.
Problems arise around tracing 3D-printed guns and although possession of such weapons is illegal in the US and the UK, enforcing the law is difficult because it is not necessarily known who is making them. The ease with which they can be produced and used is also of concern to authorities.
Acting DS Jonathan Roberts, who led the investigation, said: “Muswere claimed that he was printing the firearms for a ‘dystopian’ university film project but he has not explained why he included the component parts necessary to make a lethal barrelled weapon. We know that Muswere was planning to line the printed firearms with steel tubes in order to make a barrel capable of firing.
“This conviction, which I believe is the first of its kind relating to the use of a 3D printer to produce a firearm, has prevented a viable gun from getting into the hand of criminals and is an excellent example of great partnership working between detectives, neighbourhood police and our forensic colleagues.”
During the search of Muswere’s home, cannabis plants and evidence of cannabis cultivation were found.
Juventus defender, Danielle Rugani has tested positive for Coronavirus even though he’s not showing signs yet(asymptomatic).
The deadly virus has been affecting the Italian Serie A lately with lots of matches being played behind closed doors and a lot of others suspended.
Rugani becomes the first high profile player to test positive for the virus and its a very dark moment for the team and the whole footballing world as a whole.
The confirmatory diagnosis is coming 2 days after Juventus’ 2-0 win over Inter Milan which was on Sunday meaning even Inter Milan players are currently at risk following exposure.
According to reports, the entire Inter Milan and Juventus squads are currently in quarantine and would be tested in due time.
Reports also say that UEFA will officially announce the postponement of the second leg of Juventus Round of 16 tie which is supposed to hold next week at Italy. The announcement is due to be made tomorrow as a precautionary action.
Football fans however are clamouring for the suspension of all footballing activities for the mean time pending the time the virus would be properly contained as health is more important than football and the lives of the players should matter more.
WASHINGTON |Taking dramatic action Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced he is sharply restricting passenger travel from 26 European nations to the U.S. and moving to ease the economic cost of a viral pandemic that is roiling global financial markets and disrupting the daily lives of Americans.
Trump made the announcement during a rare Oval Office address to the nation that he is suspending all travel from Europe to the U.S. for 30 days beginning at 11:59 p.m. Friday. After days of playing down the threat, he blamed Europe for not acting quickly enough to address the novel coronavirus and claimed that U.S. clusters were “seeded” by European travelers.
“We made a lifesaving move with early action on China,” Trump said. “Now we must take the same action with Europe.”
Trump said the restrictions won’t apply to the United Kingdom, and there would be exemptions for “Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings.” It also wouldn’t apply to cargo. He said the U.S. would monitor the situation to determine if travel could be reopened earlier.
Homeland Security officials later clarified that the new travel restrictions would only apply to most foreign nationals who have been in the “Schengen Area” at any point for 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States. The area includes Italy, German, Greece, Austria, Belgium and others. It doesn’t apply to legal permanent residents, immediate family of U.S. citizens or others “identified in the proclamation.”
The Oval Office address was an abrupt shift in tone from a president who has repeatedly sought to downplay the virus. Many Americans shared a similar mindset in recent weeks, but the grueling events of Wednesday changed the mood: Communities canceled public events nationwide, universities moved to cancel in-person classes, and families grappled with the impact of disruptions to public schools. The number of confirmed cases of the infection topped 1,000 in the U.S. and the World Health Organization declared the global crisis is now a pandemic.
Even as Trump spoke from behind the Resolute Desk, the pandemic’s ferocious rewriting of American daily life continued. The National Basketball Association suspended its season, and Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks announced that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, had tested positive for COVID-19.
After he spoke, the White House cancelled a planned trip by the president to Nevada and Colorado this week, “out of an abundance of caution.”
After a week of mixed messages and false starts, and as government officials warned in increasingly urgent terms that the outbreak in the U.S. will only get worse, Washington suddenly seemed poised to act.
Congress, for its part, unveiled a multibillion-dollar aid package Wednesday that was expected to be voted on by the House as soon as Thursday.
“I can say we will see more cases, and things will get worse than they are right now,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said in testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee. He said the virus is “10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu.”
After Trump’s address, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced a series of moves, including restrictions for 60 days on travel by servicemembers, Defense Department civilians and their families to, from and through the four counties currently designated by the Centers for Disease Control as the highest risk COVID-19 counties — China, Iran, South Korea and Italy. Esper said the restrictions include all forms of travel, including for what the military calls permanent change of station, in which a servicemember and his family move to a different home base or station.
Trump spoke after days of confusion in Washington amid mounting calls on the president to demonstrate greater leadership. In the hours leading up to his remarks, White House aides struggled to determine what action the president could take unilaterally and what required congressional action, as Trump personally weighed the public and political reactions to the options before him.
In his remarks, Trump focused more on the threat of travel continuing to bring in illness when, in fact, in parts of the country there is “community spread” — meaning people who don’t have a known travel exposure are becoming infected. He left unaddressed testing, the backlog that is hampering efforts to learn just how many Americans already are infected. And while he warned the elderly to avoid risky crowds, advised nursing homes to suspend visitors and told sick people to stay home from work, he didn’t address one of the biggest concerns — whether hospitals are equipped to handle the sick or will be overwhelmed.
Georgetown University public health expert Lawrence Gostin tweeted in reaction to Trump’s speech, “Most of Europe is as safe as US,” and COVID-19 “is already here; germs don’t respect borders.”
Trump said he was also directing agencies to provide unspecified financial relief for “for workers who are ill, quarantined or caring for others due to coronavirus,” and asked Congress to take action to extend it.
Trump said the U.S. will will defer tax payments for some individual and business filers for three months to lessen the impacts of the virus outbreak. He said the Small Business Administration will also make low-interest loans available to businesses to help them weather the storm.
“This is not a financial crisis,” he said. “This just a temporary moment of time that we will overcome together as a nation and as a world.”
Trump also reiterated his call on Congress to pass a cut to the federal payroll tax in order to stimulate the economy, though that proposal was dismissed by many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. He remained silent on his previous calls to provide assistance to industries hard-hit by the pandemic like airlines and cruise ships.
On Capitol Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled an economic assistance plan that was gaining bipartisan backing. Central to the package is free coronavirus testing nationwide and emergency funding to reimburse lost paychecks for those self-quarantining, missing work or losing jobs amid the outbreak.
The draft legislation would create a new federal emergency sick leave benefit for people with the virus or caring for a coronavirus victim. It would provide two-thirds of an employee’s monthly income for up to three months.
Facing a likely surge in unemployment claims, the package would also give states money for the newly jobless. It would provide additional funding for food and nutrition benefits for pregnant women, mothers and young children. It also would up money for “meals on wheels” and food for low-income elderly people.
“Right now we’re trying to deal with the direct impact of the virus on individual citizens,” said House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, whom Trump tapped to negotiate with Pelosi, urged Congress “to pass legislation quickly.”
“This is a little bit like a hurricane, and we need to cover these outside of normal expenses,” Mnuchin said.
The administration had floated several other strategies, including the rare idea of declaring a national disaster that could potentially unlock funding streams, according to a person unauthorized to discuss the planning and granted anonymity. But Trump ultimately opted against taking that step Wednesday.
Trump also provided new guidance to vulnerable Americans, warning, “The elderly population must be very, very careful.” He said the government is “strongly advising” that nursing homes for the elderly “suspend all medically unnecessary visits” and advised older Americans “to avoid non-essential travel in crowded areas.” Trump, who is 73 years old, is considered at higher risk because of his age.
Trump has repeatedly flouted the advice of public health experts, who have advised the public to stop hand-shaking and practice social distancing. But that didn’t stop him from calling on fellow citizens to help combat the virus’ spread. “For all Americans, it is essential that everyone take extra precautions and practice good hygiene. Each of us has a role to play in defeating this virus,” he said.
As pressure mounted for Washington to respond, the GOP leader in the House, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, signaled potential Republican support for the funding package in Congress.
“We need to do something,” McCarthy said. “I think they could become very bipartisan.”
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
Congress’ attending physician told staff there could be 70 million to 100 million coronavirus cases in the U.S. That’s on par with other estimates. A Harvard official has estimated that 20% to 60% of adults will get the virus, noting it’s “a pretty wide range.”
Pelosi’s goal is to pass an aid package before lawmakers leave town for a previously scheduled weeklong recess, and revisit potential stimulus measures later.
In Washington, tourists still arrived at the U.S. Capitol, but an official unauthorized to discuss the situation and speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that tours would soon be shut down.
This govt which has been running our country since 1980 they don't respect the view that the constitution is higher than other laws. They take the view that the constitution is like any other law… And here I am speaking as Lovemore Madhuku the citizen – @ProfMadhuku@HealZimpic.twitter.com/P513ICAvtR
By A Correspondent| As government goes ahead to push through constitutional amendments to turn Emmerson Mnangagwa into a monster leader with powers far greater than President Robert Mugabe’s, just what type of a country is this lovely nation about to turn into? Hard Video V11s show the ZANU PF leader saying he believes that all election winners are mere corpses, literally.
In a chilling warning during the same function where he said if he were God, he would deprive all MDC supporters of oxygen, Mnangagwa told a Masvingo gathering in May 2015, democracy is only found among corpses.
He spoke in the Shona vernacular saying, “to all of us here I always ask where are the majority, among the living or among the corpses?
“They are among the dead.
“Democracy says we must go to the majority. That’s why there is death on earth.
“It’s democracy, those who win elections are the majority.”
"All of us here I always ask where are the majority, among the living or among the corpses? They are among the dead. Democracy says we must go to the majority. That's why there is death on earth. It's democracy, those who win elections are the majority" – Mnangagwa. @TeamZim3pic.twitter.com/87CIBvLGZ3
BANKS and Bureaux De Change operators can now freely trade foreign exchange subject to market forces after Government liberalised the forex trading market as part of measures to arrest exchange rate volatility and inflation.
To buttress the decision, Treasury has with immediate effect introduced an electronic forex trading platform based on the Reuters system, which allows registered financial institutions to freely trade foreign exchange.
A broadly constituted Currency Stabilisation Taskforce has since been set up part of measures to arrest persistent exchange rate distortions and help create a true market exchange rate.
The interventions are meant to enhance transparency and effective foreign exchange trading on the formal channels, which have trailed behind the parallel market. This comes at a time when the country is experiencing price escalation largely driven by speculative parallel market activity. In the past few days the exchange rate volatility has seen US$1 hovering around ZW$40 for electronic transfer and ZW$25 for cash compared to US$1: ZWL$18 on the interbank market.
The rand has also jumped to ZW$2,50 for mobile money from about 1:1 at the beginning of the year.
In a press statement, Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, lamented the absence of a transparent and effective foreign exchange trading platform as he acknowledged that official rates have not been effectively determined amid a seemingly thriving parallel market. He said the trend has translated into unsustainable levels of inflation.
“To correct this anomaly, an electronic forex trading platform based on the Reuters system is being immediately put in place. This platform will allow foreign exchange to be traded freely amongst the banks and permit a true market exchange rate to be determined,” said Prof Ncube.
“The Bureaux de Change, will also participate on this platform through their authorised dealers. The trading rules of the Bureaux de Change are being liberalised so that they can conduct all wider range of transactions. This mechanism will be immediately operational.”
However, the minister said the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) would continue to be a significant player in the market by providing liquidity to stabilise the exchange rate, where necessary.
Prof Ncube said that Government was taking measures to stabilise the runaway exchange rate and bringing down inflation to sustainable levels in order to achieve macro-economic stability.
“To stabilise the exchange rate and hence, lower inflation, Government has decided to implement a holistic package of key policy measures. In this regard, a Currency Stabilisation Taskforce has been set up,” he said.
The taskforce will be spearheaded by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the RBZ and will include members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) and Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC). Prof Ncube would chair the taskforce, scheduled to meet at least once a week to review the conditions in the markets, monitor the behaviour of key variables such as the exchange rate and inflation, and to ensure that outlined measures are expeditiously implemented.
The taskforce has the mandate to put in place additional policy measures, where necessary so as to enhance macro-economic stability, which is an essential component of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) – a critical blue-print for economic growth and achievement of the goals Vision 2030.
As such, Prof Ncube said several specific steps and measures will be taken by Government and key stakeholders to ensure the success of the new system. For instance, the interbank market for commercial banks will be operationalised based on the Reuters system whose trading rules have already been agreed to. Prof Ncube said the Reuters system will generate a daily exchange rate and that banks will charge thin margins on Bureaux de Changes on transactions that are routed through them as authorised dealers. Similarly, Bureaux de Changes will be immediately liberalised as per RBZ rules, which are ready for implementation.
“There will be no limit on bureaux ability to finance importers…They can trade foreign exchange at +/- 5% of daily,” said Prof Ncube.
“Bureaux shall have a minimum float of USD20,000 and have access to physical cash available from RBZ subject to daily limits. Cash purchases can be paid for in ZWL at 1:1 or USD at daily exchange rate. All bureaux requirements shall be demand driven.”
The minister said the RBZ would monitor daily exchange rate and intervene where necessary so as to maintain a fully operationalises Reuters trading desk. Furthermore, the use of free funds for importation of goods and services will remain liberalised as is the case with direct fuel imports.
President Mnangagwa swears in retired Justice Simbi Mubako (right) to chair the tribunal set up to inquire into Justice Francis Bere’s conduct. Looking on is Vice President Constantino Chiwenga (second left), Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi (left) and Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda (fourth left) at State House in Harare yesterday.
President Mnangagwa yesterday swore in a three-member tribunal to inquire into the suitability of suspended Supreme Court judge, Justice Francis Bere, to continue holding office.
This follows allegations that he interfered with a pending civil court case involving the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) and his relatives.
Justice Bere was suspended last week.
This prompted President Mnangagwa to set up a tribunal chaired by retired judge Justice Simbi Mubako and comprises Advocate Takawira Nzombe and Mrs Rekayi Maphosa.
President Mnangagwa said he appointed the tribunal after receiving a letter from the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) dated January 15, 2020.
He said the letter advised him that the question of the removal from office of Justice Bere ought to be investigated.
“Now, therefore, I Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, the President of Zimbabwe, by virtue of powers vested in me, call upon Retired Justice Simbi Veke Mubako (Judge of Appeal) to take the oath of office,” said President Mnangagwa.
Speaking after the swearing-in ceremony yesterday, Justice Mubako said the tribunal would start work next week, but could not disclose how long it will take to complete the mandate.
“We are just going to start setting up our programme and we do not know how long it is going to take. It will depend on the evidence that is going to come and the complexities of the case. We do not know it yet,” said Justice Mubako.
He said a lot was expected of a judge, adding that they are supposed to be fit and proper.
Judges are required to uphold the dignity of the court and of justice in general and must have virtue.
Justice Mubako said President Mnangagwa wished the tribunal all the best of luck, and advised the members that he was confident they would deliver.
“We are starting work today (yesterday) laying the foundation, but proper work may start any time this week or next week,” he said.
It is alleged that Justice Bere telephoned Zinara lawyer Mr Itai Ndudzo of Mutamangira and Associates, asking him to consider settling a civil dispute pitting Zinara and Fremus Enterprises (owned by the judge’s relatives).
The complaint was first raised before Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza during a court hearing before Mr Ndudzo was asked to complain in writing.
The 26-year old Thai national who escaped from Wilkins Infectious Disease Hospital on Sunday afternoon pending tests for the new coronavirus causing Covid-19, but voluntarily returned to the hospital on Tuesday morning has tested negative.
The man, who arrived from his home country on February 14, was taken to Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital on Sunday after he had visited a private clinic in Harare where he reported a two-day history of coughing, mainly at night, fever and sneezing but left before samples could be taken.
Health authorities thought there was a very low possibility of Covid-19, as the man had arrived in the middle of last month and had not developed any symptoms within the incubation period.
City health director Dr Prosper Chonzi confirmed that the results of the tests carried on the Thai national came out negative and he had since been discharged.
He made these remarks during a tour at the isolation facility by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care yesterday.
“I can confirm that the Thai national who ran away from Wilkins Hospital on Sunday, resurfaced on Tuesday at the facility, had tests done and he tested negative.
“The man came in with his father and mother on Sunday, so they parked in the parking lot while he went to the reception.
“While he was there explaining his condition to the nurse in charge, he was told to wait while the nurse went in to wear protective clothing, but took this opportunity to escape,” Dr Chonzi said.
“He went to the parking lot where his parents were and they drove off.”
He said the incident was a clear indication that there was need to tighten the security at the hospital to prevent more cases of that nature from occurring.
“This incident opened our eyes as health officials.
“We realised that we need to strengthen our security at the isolation facility to ensure that there won’t be a repetition of the same incident in the future.
“We are currently working hard on tightening our security.”
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care chairperson, Dr Ruth Labode expressed concern on the incident saying Harare should consider legal action against those who escape from quarantine facilities meant to protect the whole country from Covid-19. “People should know that we are serious about this disease,” said Dr Labode.
The Thai man becomes the fifth person checked out in Zimbabwe after health authorities activated their “make sure” policy designed to stop any potentially- infected person from passing on the virus. But all have been found to be negative meaning Zimbabwe has no confirmed cases yet.
As of yesterday, more than 4 000 people had died from the coronavirus across the world and over 113 000 cases had been confirmed, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) with about 64 000 people now listed as having recovered from Covid-19 around the world as national health authorities and WHO intensify efforts to wipe out the infection, with Italy, now the second worst hit country after China taking the extreme step of a national lock-down to cut the chains of infection there.
