Own Correspondent|Details just received indicate that the opposition MDC Bulawayo provincial executive has censured Bulawayo City mayor Solomon Mnguni and five other councillors after they agreed to renew the town clerk’s contract.

The province has reportedly banned the and the five councillors from accessing the party offices while their issue is being looked into.

Their offence is that they fast trekked the renewal of Bulawayo City Council Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube’s contract.

Dube, a war veteran with strong links to the ruling ZANU PF was unceremoniously appointed as the Mayor of Bulawayo through a government directive five years ago.

Clr Mguni recently confirmed in a report that Dube’s contract had been extended by a further five years after endorsement by the five councillors at committee level.

The general purposes council committee voted six to one in favour of extending Mr Dube’s contract.

MDC provincial chairperson Mr Swithern Chirowodza confirmed the ban saying the councillors will only be allowed to access party offices when they reverse Mr Dube’s contract renewal

More to follow

Health and Child Care minister Obadiah Moyo has said Zimbabwean students stranded in China after the coronavirus outbreak should stay in the Asian country because their return might be “dangerous”, inadvertently confirming the government’s lack of preparedness to handle the fast-spreading deadly virus.

We speak with some of the Zimbabweans live from China.

Watch Live video downloading below:

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Farai Dziva|Senator Morgen Komichi has distanced himself from a purported resignation letter written in his name last week.

See MDC statement below :

MDC Mobilises Zimbabweans For Political Action

The MDC National Standing Committee (NSC) met today(Tuesday) and restated the Congress resolutions of May 2019 – pursuant to the big five fights as articulated in #Agenda2020.

The party is currently mobilising Zimbabweans across the country for a big political action to push for a people’s government.

The people’s party resolved to work with all progressive forces in pushing for a peaceful and non-violent people’s action meant to return the country to legitimacy and democracy.

The people’s party took hours deliberating on the deteriorating situation across the country, the threat of the corona virus, hunger and starvation, the collapsed social services sector, the sky-rocketing fees and food prices, the power and fuel shortages and the general high cost of living that has affected every household in Zimbabwe.

To this end, it was resolved that, a big political action be mobilised and organised.

The NSC also noted that the people’s party’s call and quest for genuine and sincere dialogue to resolve the national situation has been spurned and turned down by Mr. Mnangagwa.

The people’s party has therefore drawn a line in the sand until the possibility of dialogue becomes a viable and available option.

The NSC received a report of the state, health and hygiene of the people’s party. In this regard the NSC discussed the persistent and desperate machinations by the illegitimate regime to portray the people’s party as a house in turmoil by manufacturing fake letters and false communication in the names of certain of our leaders.

To this end, Senator Morgen Komichi, a respected people’s party leader himself, took advantage of today’s meeting to dismiss the false communication manufactured in his name.

He also reaffirmed his unstinting faith and loyalty to the party and its leadership and expressed his undying faith in the MDC as the sole repository of hope for the people of Zimbabwe.

The people’s party leadership also discussed and noted the need for message discipline and consistency and emphasized that all communication be done by its relevant designated officials.

The people’s party notes with extreme concern the deteriorating health situation in the country and in particular the threat of the corona virus, and has since directed the Secretary for Health and Child Welfare, Dr Henry Madzorera to actively state the position of the people’s party on the matter.

Zimbabweans are demanding for a people’s government, an improvement of their livelihoods and restoration of their dignity, a decisive end to corruption, respect of human rights and a return to constitutionalism and democracy.

ChangeThatDelivers

MDC Communications

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Farai Dziva|Former Government Minister Jonathan Moyo has threatened to sue the Permanent Secretary in The Ministry of Information, Nick Mangwana for misinterpreting his remarks about “a planned coup” against Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Moyo also questioned Mnangagwa’s “mental fitness” following the remarks he made during the official open of a mortuary at Gutu District Hospital on Friday.

Mnangagwa stunned all and sundry when he said the first family members who place the body of their deceased relative in the mortuary should win a prize.

Moyo said :

The macabre comments made by Mnangagwa in Masvingo only last week constitute a prima facie case for an inquiry into his mental fitness to be in the office that he holds. No sane person will make fun of the death of another person’s loved one; in the manner Mnangagwa did!

Iwe @nickmangwana
you quote me in today’s #Herald claiming I said “there will be a coup in Zimbabwe in February 2020” & the #KwekweAgreement “is supposed to be consummated on March 7, 2020”.

I give you 48 hours to put the evidence of the quotes here. If you fail, I’LL SUE YOU,” declared.

Farai Dziva|Former Government Minister Jonathan Moyo has threatened to sue the Permanent Secretary in The Ministry of Information, Nick Mangwana for misinterpreting his remarks about “a planned coup” against Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Moyo also questioned Mnangagwa’s “mental fitness” following the remarks he made during the official open of a mortuary at Gutu District Hospital on Friday.

Mnangagwa stunned all and sundry when he said the first family members who place the body of their deceased relative in the mortuary should win a prize.

Moyo said :

The macabre comments made by Mnangagwa in Masvingo only last week constitute a prima facie case for an inquiry into his mental fitness to be in the office that he holds. No sane person will make fun of the death of another person’s loved one; in the manner Mnangagwa did!

Iwe @nickmangwana
you quote me in today’s #Herald claiming I said “there will be a coup in Zimbabwe in February 2020” & the #KwekweAgreement “is supposed to be consummated on March 7, 2020”.

I give you 48 hours to put the evidence of the quotes here. If you fail, I’LL SUE YOU,” declared.

By A Correspondent- Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube and RBZ governor John Mangudya released a statement that says they are putting a system in place that will allow foreign exchange to be traded freely amongst banks and permit a true market exchange rate to be determined.

Part of their statement reads:

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.

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.

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.

The RBZ will continue to be a significant player in the market, providing liquidity to stabilise the exchange rate, where necessary. This mechanism will be immediately operational. All the foreign exchange requirements will be available through the interbank market which will use a market determined exchange rate.

Watch the live video loading below for the full text of this statement…

By A Correspondent- Two men have been arrested for allegedly robbing a tuckshop owner of groceries worth $3 000 and $2 000 cash at gunpoint.

Dumolwenkosi Dube (27) from Filabusi and Mthabisi Moyo (27) from Kwekwe who were armed with a pistol, went to Ms Nodebate Ndlovu’s tuckshop at Stanton Mine in Esigodini and found her with two other people. They allegedly ordered the three to lie down while pointing a firearm at them before robbing Ms Ndlovu.

Dube and Moyo were yesterday not asked to plead when they appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda facing an armed robbery charge. They were remanded in custody to March 17. Prosecuting, Miss Faith Mutukwa said the pair robbed Ms Ndlovu on December 5 last year at around 7PM.

“On 5 December 2019 at around 7PM Dube and Moyo went to Ms Ndlovu tuckshop in Stanton Mine and ordered her to open the door as they wanted to see her. Ms Ndlovu who was in the company of Mr Alfred Ndlovu and Ms Nomalanga Ncube refused to open and ordered the pair to leave,” she said.

“Dube and Moyo began banging the door with logs in a bid to get it open and Ms Ndlovu eventually opened to find out what the accused persons wanted. Dube and Moyo entered the shop while armed with a pistol and ordered the trio to lie down.”

Miss Mutukwa said the pair then demanded cash from Ms Ndlovu and she handed them $2 000. They further took some groceries from the shop and fled.

In another case, two men have been arrested while their accomplice is still at large for allegedly defrauding a gold and diamond buyer of US$3 000 under the pretext of selling him the minerals.

Philip Mpofu (63) from Nkulumane in Bulawayo and Mandlenkosi Sibanda (33) from Filabusi were not asked to plead when they appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Sibanda facing a fraud charge.

They were remanded in custody to March 16.  Prosecuting, Mr Mncedisi Dube said the pair and their accomplice only identified as SaThembelani met the complainant Mr Tshiyane Ncube on January 18 and indicated that they were selling gold and diamond pieces.

”On 18 January Mpofu, Sibanda and their accomplice met Mr Ncube at Stanmore Business Centre in Gwanda and told him that they were selling pieces of gold and diamond which were in Esigodini. They convinced Mr Ncube to give them US$3 000 after indicating he would go with SaThembelani to Esigodini to collect the minerals,” Mr Dube said.

He said along the way SaThembelani indicated that he wanted to relieve himself and disappeared.  Mr Ncube reported the matter to the police leading to the accused’s arrest.  Mr Dube said Mpofu and Sibanda were arrested on February 6 near Marcs Garage in Bulawayo after being chased by the police for about 50 metres. -StateMedia

A second patient has been cured of HIV after undergoing stem cell transplant treatment, doctors said on Tuesday (March 10), after finding no trace of infection 30 months after he stopped traditional treatment.

The so-called “London Patient”, a cancer sufferer originally from Venezuela, made headlines last year when researchers at the University of Cambridge reported they had found no trace of the AIDS-causing virus in his blood for 18 months.

Ravindra Gupta, lead author of the study published in The Lancet HIV, said the new test results were “even more remarkable” and likely demonstrated the patient was cured.

“We’ve tested a sizeable set of sites that HIV likes to hide in and they are all pretty much negative for an active virus,” Gupta told AFP.

The patient, who revealed his identity this week as Adam Castillejo, 40, was diagnosed with HIV in 2003 and had been on medication to keep the disease in check since 2012.

Later that year, he was diagnosed with advanced Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a deadly cancer.

In 2016 he underwent a bone marrow transplant to treat blood cancer, receiving stem cells from donors with a genetic mutation present in less than one per cent of Europeans that prevents HIV from taking hold.

He becomes only the second person to be cured of HIV after American Timothy Brown, known as the “Berlin Patient”, recovered from HIV in 2011 following similar treatment.

Viral tests of Castillejo’s cerebral fluid, intestinal tissue and lymphoid tissue more than two years after stopping antiretroviral treatment showed no active infection.

Gupta said the tests uncovered HIV “fossils” – fragments of the virus that were now incapable of reproducing, and were therefore safe.

“We’d expect that,” he said.

“It’s quite hard to imagine that all trace of a virus that infects billions of cells was eliminated from the body.”

Researchers cautioned that the breakthrough did not constitute a generalised cure for HIV, which leads to nearly one million deaths every year.

Castillejo’s treatment was a “last resort” as his blood cancer would likely have killed him without intervention, according to Gupta.

The Cambridge doctor said that there were “several other” patients who had undergone similar treatment but who were less far along in their remission.

“There will probably be more but they will take time,” he said.

Researchers are currently weighing up whether or not patients suffering from drug-resistant forms of HIV might be eligible for stem cell transplants in future, something Gupta said would require careful ethical consideration.

“You’d have to weigh up the fact that there’s a 10 per cent mortality rate from doing a stem-cell transplant against what the risk of death would be if we did nothing,” he said.

Castillejo himself said that the experience had prompted him to come forward and identify himself in order to help spread awareness of HIV.

This is a unique position to be in, a unique and very humbling position,” he told The New York Times.

Sharon Lewin, an infectious disease expert at the University of Melbourne and member of the International AIDS Society, said Castillejo’s case was “exciting”.

“But we need to also place it in context – curing people of HIV via a bone marrow transplant is just not a viable option on any kind of scale,” she said.

“We need to constantly reiterate the importance of, prevention, early testing and treatment adherence as the pillars of the current global response to HIV/AIDS.”-AFP

By A Correspondent- The Government has urged citizens to minimize trips to neighbouring South Africa in the wake of the deadly coronavirus outbreak which has so far killed over 3, 500 people, mainly in mainland China.

South Africa so far has 13 recorded cases of the coronavirus, amid indications the number could rise, while no positive case of coronavirus has been recorded in Zimbabwe.

Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Judith Ncube has since urged residents to avoid unnecessarily crossing the border to the neighbouring country in the face of reported cases in the neighbouring country. 

“As Bulawayo we first have to observe that this coronavirus is there, it’s very real. We should take precautionary measures that have been laid down by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

“We should wash our hands, avoid shaking hands among other things. We should also minimise on our travelling to the neighbouring country as part of measures to ensure that we remain safe from the virus. It is my prayer that the virus does not reach Zimbabwe,” said Minister Ncube.

She discouraged people from illegally crossing the border especially along Limpopo River as they will not be screened for the virus.-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- South African health ministry on Wednesday confirmed another six cases of the coronavirus, and this brings the total number of patients to 13.

Four of those infected are in Gauteng.

One is a 33-year-old woman, who returned from Italy on March 1. The other two are a couple, aged 34 and 33, who travelled to Germany and returned to SA on March 9.

A 57-year-old man, who travelled to Austria and Italy, is also on the list. He returned to SA on March 9.

KwaZulu-Natal has one confirmed case.

The patient is a 40-year-old man, who travelled to Portugal and returned to SA on March 7.

In the Western Cape, a 36-year-old man, who travelled to multiple countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Turkey, has tested positive.

He returned to SA on March 9. 

“All the patients have now been advised. Those who are symptomatic have started receiving treatment,” said ministry spokesperson Dr Lwazi Manzi. 

“Some of these patients are already in hospital, while some, specifically those who are asymptomatic, are in self quarantine,” she added.

The National Institute for Communication (NICD) said as of Tuesday, 3,642 people had been tested in SA.

“We confirm that we have identified six new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country. This brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa to 13,” the NICD said in a statement.

“The additional cases were not part of the group of 10 people who travelled to Italy. The patients have since been isolated and are receiving care at a designated health care facility. All tracing of possible contacts that the patients may have been in contact with are being traced.

“The identification of additional imported cases of Covid-19 is not unexpected and is likely related to increasing numbers of cases in other parts of the world, leading to increased importation risks.”

All the cases identified to date had been in travellers from affected countries. “At this time there is no indication that Covid-19 is circulating widely in the community in South Africa.”

The NICD said to ensure an effective response to Covid-19 it had expanded testing for Sars-CoV-2 to include other public health laboratories in the National Health Laboratory Service and laboratories in the private sector.

“It is important to note that testing of persons who meet the case definition is free at the NICD and testing is conducted 24 hours, seven days a week. Active surveillance for Covid-19 among individuals with acute respiratory symptoms will be fast-tracked to understand the spread of Covid-19. If a private laboratory identifies a positive case, samples will be sent to the NICD to verify and confirm the results.”-wires

By A Correspondent- The p0rn0graphic content was unwelcome to the group members prompting them to make a police complaint.

Gweru City Council Director of Engineering services Robson Manatsa has landed himself in a p0rn scandal after he shared p0rn0graphic content in the Gweru Residents and Ratepayers WhatsApp group.

Manatsa is believed to have mistakenly sent the content on the group which was immediately rebuked by the group and he deleted it but it had already been viewed by the group participants.

Acting Midlands province police spokesperson Ethel Mukwende confirmed the police report which is under CR14/03/20. Mukwende told H-Metro that investigations on the matter were ongoing but she could not confirm reports that the city boss is on the run.

A member of the Whatsapp group, Simbarashe Leboho lodged a complaint with the police.

By A Correspondent- Police are currently looking for a Bulilima man who is on the run after fatally assaulting his neighbour over a chicken he suspected him of stealing. The fugitive, Khawulani Ngwenya allegedly beat his neighbour, Mbikeni Tshuma, to death after meeting him at Ntonga Business Centre.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson, Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebelle revealed that the incident occurred last Friday in Ntambana Village in Bulilima. I can confirm that we recorded a murder case in Ntambana area in Bulilima.

The accused person Khawulani Ngwenya met the now-deceased Mbikeni Tshuma at Ntonga Business Centre at around 8 PM and began accusing him of stealing his chicken.  Ngwenya picked up a brick, grabbed Tshuma by the collar and struck him on the head. He then force-marched Tshuma to his homestead where he is suspected to have further assaulted him.

Tshuma was found dead the following morning along a footpath which is a few metres from Ngwenya’s homestead by a passerby. He is suspected to have died as a result of the injuries sustained during the attack. The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene. Chief Insp Ndebele sternly urged people to try to resolve any disputes amicably.

As police, we continue to urge people to desist from engaging in violence when faced with disputes but rather find amicable ways of resolving their differences such as engaging third parties. We continue to record murder cases over trivial issues which can be easily resolved. Some of these cases will be as a result of mere accusations such as this case in which Ngwenya accused Tshuma of stealing his chicken.

If at any case someone is wronged, they should let the law take its course and not take the law into their hands. According to state media, the suspect force-marched the now-deceased to his home where he tied his feet and legs before viciously assaulting him with a sjambok. After the ordeal, the victim was released.

Badly injured, he then staggered to a neighbouring homestead where he collapsed in the kitchen hut. He was found the following day at around 2 AM by Mr Mbekezeli Sibanda who then reported the case.

By A Correspondent- The Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe has released the following statement detailing the incapacitation being faced by teachers despite the recent salary hike.

Read the full statement below:

We said it in February that teachers did not need a salary increase but restoration of their purchasing power parity. Those who thought Ptuz was radical need to look at basics. When teachers got that so called salary increase in February a standard pocket of potatoes was $80 cash. It’s now $200 or more; 1 litre milk was $15, and it’s now $27, bread was $17, it’s now $24.

The salary of teachers is being eroded against US$ with US$10 now trading at $400. Rentals are now charged in US$ with a single small room costing between US$30 and US$50; fuel has virtually dried except at garages selling in US$ and 1 litre cost US$1.25. The economy has fast dollarised, never mind the official daylight denials.

We reiterate our long held view that teachers do not need a salary increase or cushion but restoration of the US$520 salary or its equivalent in terms of inter-bank rate. Any other claim is ludicrous lunacy that must be never intertained by trade union leaders worthy their salt. The more things appear to change in Zimbabwe, the more they remain the same.

Yes, the government and Apex talked of continued negotiations after the increase. But have you ever heard of any further negotiations after Victoria Falls meeting? Virtually Nothing. Govt has gone to sleep once again and Apex is deep in its slumber.

We call upon teacher-trade union leaders to smell the coffee and seriously interrogate the plight of teachers. We also call upon Apex to rise to the occasion and show workers fruits of further negotiations that you alluded to from the Victoria Falls meeting.

The cause of workers cannot be surrendered even under difficult conditions. Extra ordinary times call for extra ordinary actions and extra ordinary solutions. Teachers are their own liberators.

Venceremos

Dr Takavafira M. Zhou (Ptuz President)

The current bank exchange rates for the ZWL$ today are as follows:

• USD to ZWL$: 18.2622
• ZWL$ to RAND: 0.8753

Data according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

Black Market Rates

• OMIR 52
• USD to ZWL$ zimrates.com 39.5
• USD to ZWL$  zwl365.com 38.7
• USD to ZWL$ bluemari.info 38.5
• USD to BOND: zimrates.com 28.8

More: marketwatch.co.zw

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By A Correspondent- Flamboyant businessman Phillip Chiyangwa risks losing half of his wealth after his wife Saniso Katerere instituted divorce proceedings against him.

Katerere who has been customarily married to Chiyangwa for the past 26 years is demanding shares in over a dozen companies after sensationally claiming that Chiyangwa started his businesses with the money he got from selling her father’s properties. Katerere claimed that she sold two of her father’s upmarket houses to lay the foundation for Chiyangwa’s business empire.

Katerere accused the flamboyant Zvimba MP and former ZIFA president of being physically, emotionally and verbally abusive to her during their marriage, prompting her to quit the union.

In her declaration to the High Court, Katerere said. “The defendant (Chiyangwa) stands to be unjustly enriched if there is no equitable distribution of the assets acquired during the existence of the parties’ unregistered customary law union consummated sometime in 1993,”

“Plaintiff contributed significantly to the establishment and growth of the defendant’s business empire and investment vehicles directly through financial means, labour and skill and indirectly by providing the defendant with emotional, physical, domestic support as a wife and as a mother to four of his children from other unions.

Katerere is demanding the equivalent of US$3,500 per month for the maintenance of the couple’s child born in 1999 who is is still in school. She is also demanding university fees, medical aid, flight tickets to and from university and any extra requirements raised from time to time by the university until he finishes his undergraduate studies or becomes self-sufficient whichever occurs earlier plus costs of suit.-ZimLive

By A Correspondent- Simbarashe Sithole a Zimbabwean journalist was on 6 March 2020 reportedly arraigned before Zanu PF politicians by the party’s provincial chairperson for Mashonaland Central Kazembe Kazembe at a meeting in Mvurwi to explain a story about an alleged rift between MPs and war veterans in the province.

According to NewsDay, the story published by the newspaper alleged a rift between the liberation war fighters and MPs in the area who they accused of abusing food donated to the province to advance personal interests.

“I am being advised that the reporter who covered the story is in here. What is happening to our security, Simbarashe Sithole please stand up and tell us if your story is true because you are here by default,” the newspaper reported in its NewsDay Weekender edition of 7 March 2020.

MISA Zimbabwe Position

This incident clearly constitutes intimidation and harassment of journalists.

MISA Zimbabwe reminds political parties and members of the public that there are civilised ways of seeking recourse whenever one is unhappy with the contents of a published story.

We, therefore, urge aggrieved members of the public or public officials to approach the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe where they can lodge complaints against the media for recourse. -MISA

By Fanuel Chinowaita – The situation we are in now is so terrible!! Each day, week, month Zimbabwe is loosing value and ‘that’ which it used to have.

Fellow country men, a lot was done and it seems as if nothing is being done. It is because of the careless and diabolic Government which does not respects it’s people

Let’s go back to Morgan Tsvangirai. The man who challenged Robert Mugabe when it was not fashionable to do so. He was beaten, arrested and accused for treason and finally “killed”.

This man, with other comrades who died along the way did a lot, tried every avenue to remove the government of Zanu pf  but up to now we are gripped with an iron hand. We are suffering in our own mother land.

While fighting for a better Zimbabwe we lost comrades like Isaac Matongo, Shepherd Jani, Susan Tsvangirai, Tonderai Ndira, Learnmore Judha Jongwe, Rebecca Mafikeni, Chokuda, Paul Chizuze, Itai Dzamara and so many.

We wrote many statements, did so many press statements calling for the removal of Zanu pf. The message was sent  and received.

However, the message is sent to adamant people who are drunk with power and people who are careless. We have tried almost everything to free ourselves but the government of Zimbabwe is blocking and erasing the little hope we have.

It is the high time we should work with messages which are already in the Zanu pf’s inbox that it must go. I don’t see it necessary to keep on doing Press statements and having new policies as if we are the government.

It is now high time we should unite and confront the regime.

Gone are the days when we praised someone for just issuing a statement that Zanu pf has failed and must go. That was  done long back. The message was delivered.

It’s now time for Action to remove Zanu pf.

TWO men have been arrested for allegedly robbing a tuckshop owner of groceries worth $3 000 and $2 000 cash at gunpoint.

Dumolwenkosi Dube (27) from Filabusi and Mthabisi Moyo (27) from Kwekwe who were armed with a pistol, went to Ms Nodebate Ndlovu’s tucksho at Stanton Mine in Esigodini and found her with two other people.

They allegedly ordered the three to lie down while pointing a firearm at them before robbing Ms Ndlovu.

Dube and Moyo were yesterday not asked to plead when they appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda facing an armed robbery charge. They were remanded in custody to March 17.

Prosecuting, Miss Faith Mutukwa said the pair robbed Ms Ndlovu on December 5 last year at around 7PM.

“On 5 December 2019 at around 7PM Dube and Moyo went to Ms Ndlovu tuckshop in Stanton Mine and ordered her to open the door as they wanted to see her. Ms Ndlovu who was in the company of Mr Alfred Ndlovu and Ms Nomalanga Ncube refused to open and ordered the pair to leave,” she said.

“Dube and Moyo began banging the door with logs in a bid to get it open and Ms Ndlovu eventually opened to find out what the accused persons wanted. Dube and Moyo entered the shop while armed with a pistol and ordered the trio to lie down.” 

Miss Mutukwa said the pair then demanded cash from Ms Ndlovu and she handed them $2 000. They further took some groceries from the shop and fled.

In another case, two men have been arrested while their accomplice is still at large for allegedly defrauding a gold and diamond buyer of US$3 000 under the pretext of selling him the minerals.

Philip Mpofu (63) from Nkulumane in Bulawayo and Mandlenkosi Sibanda (33) from Filabusi were not asked to plead when they appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Sibanda facing a fraud charge. They were remanded in custody to March 16. 

Prosecuting, Mr Mncedisi Dube said the pair and their accomplice only identified as SaThembelani met the complainant Mr Tshiyane Ncube on January 18 and indicated that they were selling gold and diamond pieces.

‘’On 18 January Mpofu, Sibanda and their accomplice met Mr Ncube at Stanmore Business Centre in Gwanda and told him that they were selling pieces of gold and diamond which were in Esigodini.

They convinced Mr Ncube to give them US$3 000 after indicating he would go with SaThembelani to Esigodini to collect the minerals,” Mr Dube said.

He said along the way SaThembelani indicated that he wanted to relieve himself and disappeared. 

Mr Ncube reported the matter to the police leading to the accused’s arrest. 

Mr Dube said Mpofu and Sibanda were arrested on February 6 near Marcs Garage in Bulawayo after being chased by the police for about 50 metres.

-State Media

By A Correspondent- The government of Zimbabwe has dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming contaminated meat is on the market.

This was communicated by the Agriculture Minister Perence Shiri after yesterday’s post-cabinet briefing.

Shiri said:

But let me also talk about what has been coming out on social media whereby someone was broadcasting that some infected cattle were being slaughtered in Mhondoro and sold to butcheries in  towns.

We have two to three extension workers in every ward and no report has been received to that effect, especially from Mhondoro, and that now casts doubt on the authenticity and reliability of the report.

Watch the live video loading below:

Shiri also said they were intensifying their inspections all over the country to ensure that clean safe meat is on the market.-ZimEye/ StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Political commentator Pedzisayi Ruhanya has lamented that Zimbabwe is a broken nations considering the fact that some people now buy degrees using their official positions.

Through his twitter account Ruhanya said:

“You know that Zim is a broken society when people buy degrees using official positions and others call themselves medical doctors when they are not and run a ministry they know little about. Professionals resist reporting to a masquerade. That’s another problem in Health sector.”

His remarks come in the woke of claims that Health minister Obadiah Moyo is not a qualified doctor and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s doctorate is questionable like the one of the former first lady Grace Mugabe.

NetOne Cellular chief executive officer, Lazarus Muchenje, has won a court case in which he was challenging his suspension.

Mr Muchenje was suspended on February 20 for alleged incompetence in the execution of his duties as the CEO of Zimbabwe’s second largest and State- owned mobile phone company.

The board also suspended acting chief finance officer Mr Tinashe Severa. Some of the allegations the board cited include; failure by Mr Muchenje to provide documentation to the company’s auditors, unprocedural procurement of fuel and violation of exchange control rules by NetOne’s bureau de change units.

In challenging the board’s decision, Mr Muchenje argued that the special resolution to suspend him was patently unlawful and a nullity. He further argued that there was no lawfully convened board meeting and there was no lawful resolution passed at the purported board meeting of February 2020.  

He cited Ms Susan Mutangadura, Mr Winston Makamure, Dr Ranganai Mavhunga, Mr Paradzai Chakona and Dr Douglas Mamvura as respondents. However, Dr Mamvura is yet to attend a single board meeting since his appointment in October last year.

Dr Mamvura was appointed on October 18 last year by the then Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Kazembe Kazembe. However, he has never been invited for meetings, despite the board, through company secretary Mr Tinashe (also acting CFO) having been advised about his appointment.

The matter was heard before Justice Chirawu-Mugomba yesterday who ruled in favour of Mr Muchenje, saying the resolution to suspend him was made by an improperly constituted meeting.

NetOne argued that the matter had been brought before the wrong court, saying the Labour Court had jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Justice Chirawu-Mugomba, however, ruled it was a constitutional matter which had nothing to do with labour issues. NetOne also disputed the draft minutes, which had the resolution to suspend the CEO but could not provide alternative minutes.

The state cellular firm had appointed Retired Justice Moses Chinhengo to preside over the disciplinary hearing on Friday last week. Early last month, NetOne chairman Mr James Mutizwa and other two board members resigned.

People with knowledge of the matter believe they were pressured to relinquish their positions by some high ranking officials in the ministry.

NetOne is the oldest mobile network provider in the country.

In light of the resignations, sources said the role of the committees had now been usurped by individual board members who are now carrying out the work of committees as individuals and without any structured meetings.

NetOne, formed in 1996 as the first cellular network in Zimbabwe is the country’s second largest mobile phone operator with about three million subscribers.

…

Own Correspondent|HEALTH Minister Obadiah Moyo on Tuesday went all out to dismiss Zimbabweans who are worried over the possible existence of Coronavirus in Zimbabwe describing them as being mischievous.

Minister Moyo blasted social media users who have been vocal on the scourge accusing them of spreading lies on the real coronavirus situation in the country.

According to him, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country yet.

Presenting a ministerial statement in the Senate, Moyo told the legislators that as of Sunday, 60 people who had entered the country through the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, had been placed under surveillance.

“I want to emphasise that there is no case of COVID-19 disease in Zimbabwe,” he told the senators.

“We do not want to have any case of coronavirus in Zimbabwe. We are fighting by all means to make sure that we do not have any case of the virus, yet some people are actually saying ‘it is too late, it (coronavirus) arrived a long time ago’.

“These are very mischievous people. I do not think it is being done on a political basis. It is being done by people who are just mischievous,” said Moyo.

“Let me give you figures Madam President of travellers who are arriving from other countries with confirmed (coronavirus) cases.

“At Robert Mugabe International Airport on Sunday 5 585 travellers came through this airport with 60 people now under surveillance.”

Commenting on an unidentified Mutare woman who returned from China on January 24 and later died, Moyo said the now deceased died before she got to the hospital and her body was immediately isolated and went through all tests which came negative for coronavirus.

Correspondent|Rights groups are renewing their demand that Zimbabwean officials investigate the case of a pro-democracy activist who went missing five years ago. Itai Dzamara was a fierce critic of the late president Robert Mugabe and his former deputy, now president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

On Monday, Sheffra Dzamara the wife of missing activist and journalist Itai Dzamara delivered a letter to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s offices in Harare.

“My wish is that Mr. Mnangagwa responds to my letter and invites us — the Dzamara family and we sit down,” Dzamara said. “She wants the Zimbabwean leader help her understand what happened to her husband.

“This is important, even to the children, as they need closure or they will grow up with anger, especially the boy. If they really want to do it, within a day we would know where Itai is or what happened to him,” she added.

Itai Dzamara vanished in Harare on March 9, 2015, after going out for a haircut. Rights group Amnesty International suspects he was abducted by state security agencies.

“Imagine not being able to tell your children if they’re father is alive or died,” said Robert Shivambu, the Amnesty International spokesman in southern Africa.

“Someone knows where Itai Dzamara is, but they have chosen to subject his family to five long years of uncertainty. Today, we’re joining [the] family in calling on the Zimbabwean authorities to conduct a thorough independent, effective and transparent investigation into his disappearance,” Shivambu added. “We need to see any inquiry with findings that are made public and suspected perpetrators brought to justice as well as an end to the harassment and intimidation of activists and critics in Zimbabwe.”

On Monday, Ministry of Information Secretary Nick Mangwana released a statement saying the “government feels very strongly that no Zimbabwean should disappear without trace and empathizes with the Dzamara family in their quest for their loved one’s safe return. To this government, every Zimbabwean counts.”

However, there was no indication the government will help the family learn the whereabouts of Dzamara.

After he went missing, Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights obtained a High Court order asking police to locate the missing activist. Charles Kwaramba is one of the organization’s lawyers.

“The best I can sum it up is that it has been a tragic trail of no action,” Kwaramba said. “Nothing has happened. No serious efforts being made to ensure that closure is brought to the matter, in terms of us finding Itai or efforts to recover whatever remains of him.”

Rights groups think Dzamara was abducted because he held protests against then-president Robert Mugabe, who had been in power for 35 years at that point.

Sheffra says her two children, 12-year-old Nokutenda and 8-year-old Nenyasha, still feel their father’s absence.

“My kids are still young and need daddy’s love,” Dzamara said. “Daily they ask me: When will daddy come? The boy at times asks: Mom did daddy die? It pains me as I have no answers, so they get confused. So it pains me as I do not have answers and the government does not give answers too. So it really pains me that they are growing up without their daddy and not knowing what happened to him.”

Several demonstrations to force Harare to reveal what happened to Dzamara have not yielded results. But Sheffra remains hopeful that the government will one day give her an audience — and an explanation of what happened to her husband.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been rapped for joking that he helped build a mortuary in Kwekwe and offered a reward to the first family that put their kith and kin there.

Mnangagwa made the joke as he commissioned a mortuary built by a local businessesman in Masvingo last Friday.

He said when he was MP for Kwekwe, years ago, he helped build a mortuary and offered a prize for the first people to put their families there.

The video of Mnangagwa making what has been described as an embarrassing joke, started circulating on social media on Tuesday.

He was roundly condemned for his behaviour.

MDC Alliance Vice President Tendai Biti said, “Whatever did Zimbabwe do to deserve this?”

Setfree Mafukidze said, “Some of the things our President says are just shocking why does the man not simply stick to prepared speech rather than try to crack jokes which are totally senseless if not insensitive?How many people were killed violently in Mbizo,Kwekwe during his 2 attempts to retain Kwekwe?”

MDC senior member and lawyer Fadzai Mahere said,” What do we call it when the president offers a prize for the family of the first person to occupy a mortuary he has built? We need new leaders.”

Watch video downloading below:

State Media|Government has put in place a taskforce of skilled detectives to investigate thoroughly the disappearance of Itai Dzamara, who went missing in March 2015.

Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana said the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) was also offering a US$10 000 reward to anyone with information on the whereabouts of Dzamara.

The force was making regular appeals to the public for those with information to come forward, he said.

Mr Mangwana was reacting to comments by the European Union (EU) on its Twitter handle in which it urged the Government of Zimbabwe to “shed light and serve justice” on the disappearance of Mr Dzamara.

He said the police had submitted more than nine reports to the High Court of Zimbabwe in compliance with an order from that court.

The reports are also available for the public to scrutinise.

“Government feels very strongly that no Zimbabwean should disappear without trace and empathises with the Dzamara family in their quest for the safe return of their loved one,” said Mr Mangwana.

He said it was undiplomatic, unhelpful and misleading to insinuate that the Government of Zimbabwe did not intend to shed light on Mr Dzamara’s disappearance, as if it had a hand in lit.

The Government remains open to engagement with all diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe and will provide clarity on any matter of mutual interest using the agreed formal channels, said Mr Mangwana.

GOVERNMENT has introduced a new farming concept called Pfumvudza to maximise productivity per unit area, even during drought periods, to ensure household and national food and nutritional security.

Pfumvudza involves the utilisation of small pieces of land and applying the correct agronomic practices for higher returns.

The approach can be used in marginal areas and still give high yields.

Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri recently said if the new concept was applied by smallholder farmers it would ensure household food security, while large-scale farmers will produce for the Strategic Grain Reserve.

He urged Zimbabwe to emulate other countries that were food secure, yet did not have vast tracts of land.

Minister Shiri said an average family of four to six required a bucket of maize every week and could produce food to last it a whole year on a small piece of land.

“An average of about four to six members consumes a bucket of maize (20 kilogrammes of maize-meal) a week and if you use the potholing method you need 28 holes in which you sow two seed units per hole, you will get a total of 56 cobs and that is enough for one week,” he said.

“Each week the family can feed from 28 holes and with the 52 rows yielding an average of one tonne, while a family of four to six consumes about half a tonne, food security is guaranteed. It is possible to save half a tonne of maize, which can be sold.

“By using this concept, a farmer can also irrigate crops using a bucket and get a bumper harvest as opposed to planting maize on a large area without adequate resources and end up getting one bucket or less per hectare.”

Minister Shiri encouraged farmers to diversify and not only wait to produce maize as there were other highly nutritious crops that could be grown alongside maize.

Crops such as cassava and traditional grains can also boost household food security.

“A farmer can produce other crops the same way using the Pfumvudza concept,” he said.

“A farmer can produce a leguminous crop such as soyabeans that can be sold and meet other family requirements.

“If we embrace this new scientific approach we should be able to produce a bumper harvest. We can have this approach in marginal areas such as Mudzi, Matabeleland North, Masvingo, south of Manicaland and Rushinga, among others.

Minister Shiri said the 1,6 million households benefitting from the Presidential Inputs Scheme and A1 farmers could use this concept for household food security, while A2 farmers could produce for the Strategic Grain Reserve.

This is feasible if we borrow ideas from gurus in agriculture such as the Chinese, the European Union and countries in the Middle East.

Minister Shiri also gave the example of Europe where most farms were less than 10 hectares and in China where most peasant farmers owned less than a hectare each.

“In Israel, farmers own small farms; worse still in desert conditions and have to clear sand dunes to create space to grow crops, yet these farmers are major exporters of various agricultural products,” he said.

“If the truth can be said, our farmers are sitting on paradise, yet they do not realise it. We, therefore, need to educate our farmers so that together we transform the agricultural sector.”

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, 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 2014, 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 is set for this year’s national field day at President Mnangagwa’s Pricabe Farm on the outskirts of Kwekwe, that is scheduled for tomorrow.

The Department of Agriculture, Technical and Extension Services (Agritex), in conjunction with Seed Co, identified Pricabe as one of the best farms in terms of crop production this year.

President Mnangagwa has a thriving maize crop on 400 hectares and another 200 hectares under soyabeans.

The President has a 405-hectare farm, but is leasing some pieces of land from neighbouring farms.

Midlands provincial crop and livestock officer Mrs Madelina Magwenzi said everything was now in place for the big day.

“Pricabe Farm was identified to host this year’s Grand Field Day after assessments that were done found that there was massive land utilisation at the farm and would be an inspiration to many farmers who will be part of the event,” she said.

“It will be good for farmers from across the country to converge at the farm and bear witness to what the President is doing at his farm despite his busy schedule.

“We were organising the event together with Seed Co and everything is now in place for the day tomorrow.”

Pricabe Farm manager Mr Patrick Mnangagwa said they were humbled by Agritex and Seed Co’s decision to hold the Grand Field Day at their farm.

“Our farm was identified as the model farm to hold such an event, but Seed Co and Agritex are organising everything including the logistics,” he said.

Mr Mnangagwa said they were expecting between 12 and 15 tonnes of maize per hectare.

Business executives are being threatened with arrest by criminals pretending to be Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) commissioners and being hoodwinked into believing that their cases will be dropped if they pay bribes.

Zacc is now hunting down the criminals and has advised businesspeople on how the system works, so they can quickly report if they are being pestered by criminals.

Zacc spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure said the anti-corruption body would work closely with mobile phone operators to track down those making the threats.

“The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has received numerous reports of people masquerading as Zacc commissioners and threatening to arrest executives in the public and private sector for corrupt practices.

“Using mobile numbers that we suspect have been registered using the details of deceased persons or lost identity documents, these bogus commissioners claim that files had been opened at Zacc and then demand bribes for the cases not to proceed.”

Comm Makamure said ZACC had clearly laid-down procedures of handling investigations and commissioners were not directly involved.

Investigations are done by staff members who work in the investigation department, not by commissioners whose job is to provide policy direction only.

The procedure of investigations is that when a case is reported, it is assigned a reference number and a team of investigators.

Comm Makamure said it is the investigators who have contacts of suspects and witnesses.

State Media|The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) on Monday denied that it received funds meant for Command Agriculture from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).

The GMB said it was only a receiving agent for the input programme.

This was said by GMB operations manager Mr Clemence Guta and acting finance director Ms Constancia Dzenga before the Public Accounts Committee, which was chaired by Mr Tendai Biti.

The committee wanted to know how GMB had used the money received from the RBZ in connection with Command Agriculture.

The committee stated that in 2017, $847 million meant for agricultural inputs was paid directly to various service providers.

Mr Guta said GMB was not a procuring authority, but only received inputs at its depots.

“For the 2017/18 payments done by the RBZ, we were a receiving agent,” he said. “Once the inputs were delivered we distributed to farmers through vouchers.”

For the Presidential Scheme, Mr Guta said the role of GMB was to receive inputs and distribute them to beneficiaries on a list that was drawn up by the local leadership with assistance from Agritex officers.

On imports, Mr Guta said the GMB was a receiving agent, but identified suppliers through a tender process and payments were done by the RBZ.

“We were never involved in receiving money,” he said.

“We were signing contracts as a receiving agent and the RBZ would sign as the paying agent. For grain procurement, we received money to pay local farmers from Treasury.”

The legislators expressed concern over the failure by GMB officials to give the value of the inputs they received for Command Agriculture, with others describing this as gross negligence.

“We do not have the value in our records,” said Ms Dzenga.

“We recorded the inputs in terms of the tonnage received and not the value. We were involved in these schemes because of our depot network.”

The duo said although the parastatal charged handling fees, these were based on tonnage and not value.

The legislators wanted the figure so that they could compare it with the one that RBZ had given them.

The committee instructed GMB officials to avail all the relevant documents.

After the GMB, Croco Motors appeared before the same committee to furnish the legislators on the vehicles supplied to Government.

Mr Leslie Chingwena, who was representing Croco Motors, did not bring the required documents and promised to bring them on his next appearance.

Valley Seeds sales manager Mr Tich Maponga and accountant Mr Godwin Tiya also appeared before the same committee to explain how they won the tender of supplying chemicals, seed and knapsack sprayers and why they had gone through the RBZ, which did not have a department that deals with agricultural chemicals.

The pair could not give satisfactory answers and were told to bring the contract documents and proof of supply and payments.

“We supplied chemicals for fall armyworm,” said Mr Maponga.

“For this season we supplied seed, chemicals and knapsack sprayers. We were never paid in foreign currency, but at interbank rate.”

GOVERNMENT has urged people to avoid unnecessary travel to South Africa until the neighbouring country is safe from coronavirus (Covid-19) to minimise the risk of exposure.
Seven South Africans have so far tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the virus closer to home.

So far, no positive case of coronavirus has been recorded in Zimbabwe.

Globally more than 100 000 people have so far tested positive for Covid-19 which has killed more than 3 700 across worldwide.

The virus has been recorded in nine countries on the continent Senegal, Tunisia, Togo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, South Africa and Egypt which has the highest number of cases and first death in Africa.

A number of travel-associated cases of coronavirus have been identified in other countries.

Early this month, President Mnangagwa restricted international travel, especially outside Africa, while civil servants were banned from foreign trips as Government takes measures to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus.

Many Zimbabweans work in South Africa and thousands travel there for business.

Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Judith Ncube has since urged residents to avoid unnecessarily crossing the border to the neighbouring country in the face of reported cases in the neighbouring country.

“As Bulawayo we first have to observe that this coronavirus is there, it’s very real.

We should take precautionary measures that have been laid down by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

We should wash our hands, avoid shaking hands among other things. We should also minimise on our travelling to the neighbouring country as part of measures to ensure that we remain safe from the virus. It is my prayer that the virus does not reach Zimbabwe,” said Minister Ncube.-State media

THE Government of Zimbabwe has put in place a taskforce of skilled detectives to investigate thoroughly the disappearance of Itai Dzamara who went missing in March 2015.

Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana said the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) was also offering a US$10 000 reward to anyone with information on the whereabouts of Dzamara and was also making regular appeals to the public for those with information to come forward.

Mangwana was reacting to comments by the European Union (EU) on their Twitter handle in which they urged the Government of Zimbabwe to “shed light and serve justice” on the disappearance of Dzamara.

He added that ZRP had also submitted more than nine reports to the High Court of Zimbabwe in compliance with an order of that court. The reports are also available for the public.

“Government feels very strongly that no Zimbabwean should disappear without trace and empathizes with the Dzamara family in their quest for the safe return of their loved one,” said Mangwana.

He added that it was therefore undiplomatically unhelpful and misleading to insinuate that the Government of Zimbabwe did not intend to shed light on Dzamara’s disappearance, as if it had a hand in it.

The Government remains open to engagement with all diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe and provide clarity on any matter of mutual interest using the agreed formal channels, said Mangwana.

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 April 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.”

Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi speaks on Marriage Bill in Parliament.Watch video below:

A man from Gokwe last week axed 5 people to death and torched a hut for reasons yet to be ascertained, The Chronicle reports.

The incident happened in Binga ‘s Lusungu area on Friday.

The deceased were identified as
Mr Sibanda’s 7 year old Shan, Mr Admire Nyangarai, his wife Ms Bibeat Munsaka, the couple’s one-year-old baby Loice Compassion Nyangarai, who was axed while on her mother’s back and Ms Chiravigwa Shumba, whose age not given but originally from Makope Village under Chief Sayi in Gokwe.

All of the victims lived in close proximity to 20-year-old Christopher Gotore of Marapira area under Chief Jiri in Gokwe who was living at the Nyangarais when he committed the heinous crime.

ZRP confirmed the incident, Gotore is in custody at the moment.-State media

“We have recently managed to develop a vaccine, against theileriosis, and we are using it …”

By Simba Chikanza| In a story that could be a real relief to many Zimbabweans, the minister of Agriculture, Perrance Shiri has announced a breakthrough saying the government has developed a cure for the disease that has seen many cattle being killed in various parts of the country.

He made these revelations during the cabinet briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

“We have experienced quite a number of cattle deaths and mostly due to 3 causes: anthrax, foot and mouth disease, and theileriosis,” he began.

He continued saying anthrax is very difficult to identify its source.

He went on to say: “The only way around the problem is to vaccinate the livestock in those areas where it would have been identified and that’s exactly what we are doing, thus the statistic of the cattle that has been vaccinated carried out so far.

“And foot and mouth disease, this is a disease which is normally spread by discharges,(sic), they are the carriers of the disease and once they get into contact with the livestock in particular cattle they easily spread that disease, the best way of controlling the mouth disease is by erecting fences, so as to separate the farming areas, and the National Parks areas; we can also carry out vaccinations once there is an outbreak in an area as we have been doing exactly like that.

“Then the last one is theileriosis which has accounted to most of the deaths, this is a tick bone disease, of which the ticks, are the type of tick which causes theileriosis, is prevalent during the rainy season, which is the month of December to March hence farmers are expected to keep their cattle frequenting the dips; we are looking at once every week so as to eliminate the ticks.

“We have recently managed to develop a vaccine, against theileriosis, and we are using it in the affected areas as for the exact statistics for the number involved and where the deaths occurred you can come to the ministry.”

It could not be established at the time of writing how many cattle have been treated using this developed vaccine. The name of the vaccine could neither be established at the time of writing. Furthermore, it was not clear if the vaccine has been professionally peer reviewed. VIDEO:

• HAVE YOU UTILISED THIS BREAKTHROUGH VACCINE? – TELL US OF YOUR EXPERIENCE: ZIMEYE.COM. +447426863301

ZIFA have secured Orlando Stadium as the venue for the Warriors’ 2021 AFCON qualifier against the Desert Foxes while the association continue to sell the nation a dummy that they are battling to have the match played in Zimbabwe.

Authoritative sources in South Africa told The Herald yesterday that ZIFA chief executive, Joseph Mamutse, yesterday sealed a contract with his South African Football Association counterparts for the match to be held at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

This is in sharp contrast to the song which the ZIFA officials have been singing in public saying they were confident of getting the Confederation of African Football to give the greenlight to Barbourfields to host that blockbuster showdown.

A number of ZIFA officials have, in the past few days, given an impression that they are waiting for CAF to make a decision, possibly this week, amid hopes in their camp that the big game will be played here in Zimbabwe.

However, The Herald can reveal that Mamutse, who is in South Africa on business, signed an agreement with his SAFA counterparts for the match to be held at Orlando Stadium.

‘‘Mamutse is here in SA for a FIFA workshop, he met with SAFA (officials) today and signed the agreement, the match is at Orlando Stadium,’’ said the sources.

‘‘Some ZIFA guys are likely to travel to Johannesburg on Wednesday or Thursday to work on the logistics.’’

ZIFA have been sending signals to the Government, which intervened with a massive programme to renovate the National Sports Stadium and Barbourfields, that they were hoping to get the match played in Zimbabwe.

The Government and other stakeholders have been working overtime with the owners of the stadium, Bulawayo City Council, to get the stadium ready for inspection.-State media

A SOUTH AFRICAN man was sentenced to six months imprisonment for unlawful entry after he was found sleeping in the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe (AFM) church in Nkulumane 12 suburb.

Cougo Tsenang (31) who was residing in Nkulumane suburb was found asleep inside the baptism post by one of the congregants Ms Clara Tobaiwa (58) of the same suburb.

Tsenang pleaded guilty to unlawful entry when he appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Ms Gladmore Mushove.

The magistrate slapped him with six months imprisonment which was wholly suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offense within the period.

Prosecuting, Mr Kenneth Shava said on March 4 at around 8PM, Ms Clara and a Mrs Dube went to the church and realised that the window was open.

“The complainant unlocked the main door and entered the church and discovered that the accused person was hiding inside the baptism post,” said Mr Shava.

Ms Tobaiwa and Mrs Dube escorted Tsenang to the police station where they filed a report leading to his arrest.

By A Correspondent- A 26-year-old Thai national who on Sunday evaded health officials at Wilkins Hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe, before he could be tested for COVID-19, has surrendered himself to hospital authorities.

Harare City’s Health Director, Dr Prosper Chonzi told a local publication that the man is being kept until his results come out.

Said Chonzi:

We are keeping him until we get results. Physically his temperature is normal and he doesn’t have any symptoms. The police are happy that he is now back at Wilkins Hospital.

Following the man’s escape from the hospital on Sunday, health officials reported the matter to Marlborough Police Station and police officers had launched a manhunt before the suspect resurfaced at Wilkins.

Own Correspondent|Opposition MDC party has suspended Victoria Falls Ward 10 Councillor Nkanyiso Sibindi making him to be the second councillor to be suspended in as many weeks.

Sibindi was suspended from being councillor in the local authority and also removed from his position as Youth Secretary General for Hwange West District.

He is accused of insulting the party’s Matabeleland North provincial chairperson Prince Dubeko Sibanda.

Sibindi is accused of writing a letter titled, “Dictatorship Signs Emerging,” in which he labelled Sibanda a dictator.

“This is to notify our provincial chairman Dubeko Sibanda that we thought you came to visit Victoria Falls for consultative meetings whilst you came to meet your Zanu-PF colleagues to tell us what to do, and we will never accept such nincompoopery,” reads part of the letter.

“We thought you are a good father, but you have proven beyond doubt that you are full of yourself and you think being a chairman will make you turn Matabeleland North into an army barrack and we won’t listen to you. Go back to the drawing board and revise your leadership skills.”

Sibanda responded by suspending the councillor for undermining his authority.

“Your conduct is prima facie disrespectful and seeking to undermine an elected official of the party and in contravention of section 2 (1) (0) of Annexure C (Disciplinary code of conduct and Regulations of the party constitution,” read part of the suspension letter.

Speaking to journalists on the suspension, Sibindi said Sibanda is still holding a political grudge that he did not support his bid for the provincial chairperson`s post at the party’s congress.

“I have always told him that let’s prioritise service delivery and put politics aside and it seems it’s something hard for him to do,” he charged.

“He has no powers to even suspend me according to the constitution and to me, that is a null and void letter. On Friday instead of him attending the meeting with the residents, he secretly went to meet with the Town Clerk (Ronnie Dube) and other Zanu-PF cadres to impose a candidate to replace Somvelo Dhlamini as mayor.

“I refused that arguing that it was against the constitution and the following day l was told that l have been suspended.”

Own Correspondent|Media has recently been awash with reports that former MDC Vice President Morgen Komichi was unhappy and wanted out of the party.

Komichi has not been attending MDC events across the country, and was recently reported to have closed ranks with the family of party founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai which he visited without the party leadership’s knowledge.

A resignation letter from the party, purportedly written by Komichi was circulated on social media.

The MDC quickly labelled FAKE the letter.

MDC official twitter handle tweeted a photo with the letters FAKE inscribed on top of the letter that was circulating on social media claiming Morgan Komichi has resigned from the party:

In the video downloading below, Komichi has finally opened up on the matter:

Own Correspondent|A national alert has been raised on the disappearance of a Chinese couple on Valentine’s Day after visiting a friend in Eastlea, Harare.

Lei Ding (35) and his wife Chi Lifen (30), went missing after visiting a friend, but their vehicle was later found dumped along Arcturus Road, with keys in the ignition.

Their whereabouts since then remain unknown.

A national alert has since been raised and is being run on national television and radios offering ZWL$1 million to any one who may provide information leading to their discovery, dead or alive.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the disappearance of the two Chinese nationals,

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is investigating a case involving the missing of two Chinese nationals who were last seen on February 14, 2020 in Eastlea after visiting a friend,” Nyathi said.

“We are appealing to (anyone) who may have information on their disappearance or possible location to contact their nearest police station or the national complaints desk.”

Zimbabwe has strongly objected to the European Union’s calls for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to shed light on the fate of abducted pro-democracy activist and journalist, Itai Dzamara, who was abducted by suspected state security agents five years ago.

In a tweet, the European Union in Zimbabwe said, “Five years after his abduction, Itai #Dzamara remains missing. We call on Govt to shed light on his fate & serve justice, and to tackle all human rights violations decisively, in line with #Zimbabwe’s repeated commitment to human rights, freedoms & national healing.”

In a swift response posted on its twitter handle, Zimbabwe’s Information Ministry criticized the E.U, saying its tweet implied that the government had a hand in the abduction of Dzamara, the leader of Occupy Africa Unity Square, who wanted the late former president Robert Mugabe to resign for failing to properly run the country.

“Government feels strongly that no Zimbabwean should disappear without a trace and sympathizes with the Dzamara family in their quest for their loved one’s safe return. To this government, every Zimbabwean counts. It is therefore diplomatically unhelpful and misleading to insinuate that government does not intend to shed light into Mr. Dzamara’s disappearance, as if it had a hand in it.

“Government remains open to engagements with all diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe and provide clarity on any matter of mutual interest using agreed formal channels.”

Own Correspondent|Missing activist Itai Dzamara’s wife, Sheffra, has expressed dismay over the manner in which the government is handling the issue.

She told reporters on Tuesday that “there is nothing being done by the government to find my husband.

“It appears as if someone can just be abducted like that with the government not doing anything to find the person. It’s very sad. My children are always asking me about their father and I’m at the same time asking the government to provide answers to what happened to my husband.”

She sent a letter to President Mnangagwa on Tuesday appealing for his help to find her husband, who was abducted by people in an unregistered vehicle while he was at a barbershop in Glenview, Harare.

Nick Mangwana, permanent information secretary said since Dzamara’s disappearance on March 9, 2015, a taskforce of “skilled detectives was put in place to investigate the matter.”

The ministry said a reward of US$10,000 from the Zimbabwe Republic Police is on offer on information on Dzamara’s whereabouts.

“The police have regularly issued public appeals for information including in recent times. They have also submitted nine reports to the High Court of Zimbabwe in compliance with the order of that court. These reports are publicly available.”