This information is for travellers who have been to countries or territories with confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19).

As part of its efforts to strengthen Zimbabwe’s fight against the spread of COVID-19 from affected countries, the Government advises that as a country we continue to be guided by, and follow World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines and advice on travel requirements.

As such all travellers from countries with confirmed COVID-19 cases are screened at ports of entry on arrival.

Please note that travellers arriving from countries with local transmission of Covid-19 are in addition to being screened, advised to self-quarantine for 21-days.

Self-quarantine means staying at home and avoiding situations that could facilitate the transmission of the coronavirus such as;

Going to school or other crowded places

Social gatherings and events where you may meet many people

On arrival, travellers with signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath) are immediately ferried to designated isolation centres (such as Wilkins Hospital) for further clinical management and assistance.

Recommendations for travellers
Travellers from affected areas intending to come to Zimbabwe should delay or avoid travel if they have a febrile illness. We advise that travellers from countries with local transmission should subject themselves to clinical screening by their medical practitioner before they travel in order to get a medical certificate that indicates that they are clear of signs and symptoms of COVID-19.

Equally, it is critical for ALL travellers to avoid unnecessary travels to and from countries with confirmed cases.

All travellers are also advised to practice good personal hygiene including washing hands with soap and water frequently, covering the nose and mouth with tissue paper or flexed elbow when coughing and sneezing as well as follow proper food hygiene practices to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Inserted by Secretary for Health and Child Care, Dr Agnes Mahomva

BULAWAYO mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni yesterday called on the people of Matabeleland region to rise above political differences and come in their numbers for the main programme of the Independence Day celebrations held in the city for the first time since 1980.

Harare province has hosted the past 39 Independence Day celebrations and the Government last year, in line with its devolution thrust, resolved to decentralise the main programme of national events.

Bulawayo province was since been selected to host this year’s main Independence Day at the iconic Barbourfields Stadium.

In an interview yesterday, Clr Mguni lauded the Government for taking national events to other provinces in the country.

“This is a good development for the city and the region. Therefore, residents must rise above politics and participate in this as it’s for a national cause. These national events should be devolved to other centres and communities so that people in those areas feel that they are part of the country. It was not good that all national events were being held in Harare, the country is bigger than Harare,” said Clr Mguni.

He said the City of Bulawayo is also looking forward to economically benefitting through hosting the national event.

Clr Mguni said he is hoping Government would also provide necessary resources towards hosting of Independence Day celebrations.

“We also want to encourage Government to assist us in sprucing up infrastructure that is going to be used during the day. We need assistance in rehabilitating our roads. Some of our roads are in bad shape because of the rains so we want assistance in rehabilitating them as we are anticipating increased traffic flows. We also have water problems that we hope Government would chip in to address as the city host the momentous event,” said Clr Mguni.

He said as Bulawayo hosts Independence Day, the city is also cognisant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) that is causing havoc globally and has been confirmed in the neighbouring South Africa.

Clr Mguni said Government should provide adequate health care materials to the city to improve the city’s health preparedness in anticipation of increased volumes of people visiting the city.

Acting Bulawayo provincial development coordinator Mrs Khonzani Ncube said the province has started to mobilise resources and people to attend the national event.

“This is a national event and we don’t want it to be politicised. Already our teams are on the ground mobilising people to attend the event. There is no excuse for members of the public not to attend. Buses are going to pick up residents to and from Barbourfields,” said Mrs Ncube.

She said Government was working with business community, sports, art sector, civic society, the church among other societal institutions to make the event a success.

State Media|Government will not hide any case or death related to coronavirus in the country and should there be any confirmed case, information will immediately be available and recourse taken.

Only laboratory tests can confirm Covid-19 and these are done locally and other specimen are also sent to South Africa for confirmatory purposes.

To date, three of the five suspected cases sent for isolation at Wilkins Infectious Disease Hospital, have since tested negative.

One of the suspected cases is under isolation and health workers are running all necessary tests. Another male adult has also been quarantined and was being monitored after travelling from Italy.

He has no COVID-19 symptoms and test results were negative.

In an interview yesterday following the death of a Mutare-based Chinese woman, Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Obadiah Moyo said subsequent laboratory tests were negative of the virus.

The woman had returned from China on January 24, but presented to her doctor on March 6 complaining of shortness of breath.

She was referred to Wilkins Hospital for Covid-19 tests, but died on her way.

“There is no reason why we should hide such a condition of international importance. Once we get confirmation, we will immediately circulate to everyone because there are also precautionary measures to be taken at individual level, so there is no reason for us to hide any confirmed case,” said Dr Moyo.

He said after all, Zimbabwe was not the only country at risk of the disease adding that many other countries, including neighbouring South Africa have since confirmed cases.

In a statement yesterday, the Health and Child Care Ministry says preparedness measures have been stepped up through heightened surveillance at national, provincial and district level with special focus on all ports of entry.

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Education goes compulsory, non-compliant …
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Body exhumed for second post-mortem
Body exhumed for second post-mortem
Independence celebrations to usher defining decade
Independence celebrations to usher defining decade
‘Govt will not hide coronavirus stats’
‘Govt will not hide coronavirus stats’
The statement advises the public to be guided by its COVID-19 Situation Reports (SitReps) that are issued frequently.

South Africa yesterday confirmed a third case of coronavirus involving the wife of the first patient.

All the three confirmed cases were part of a group of 10 people who had travelled to Italy, nine of whom returned to South Africa.

South Africa’s Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize said results of the other six travellers were expected by tomorrow.

“This morning we received results of the direct contact of the first patient, his wife. She had also travelled with him to Italy as part of the group of 10. I now wish to advise the public that she has tested positive for Covid-19 and is therefore the third confirmed case in South Africa.

“We expected the results of the other six group members who had travelled to Italy within the next 48 hours,” said Dr Mkhize.

He also noted that the first patient’s children tested negative, but were still under surveillance.

Meanwhile, SADC is convening an emergency meeting of all SADC Health Ministers, scheduled to take place today in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Government through the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services tweeted that Health ministers are expected to come up with a position regarding member States’ preparedness.

“An emergency meeting of all SADC Health ministers is being convened to take place on Monday 9 March in Dar es Salaam, where a position will be taken on the preparedness of the member countries as they pave the way forward on how to tackle Coronavirus in the region,” reads the post.

To date, about 3 700 people have died of coronavirus in different parts of the world and over 102 000 others have been tested positive.

State Media|It is now compulsory for all children to attend school from early childhood development (ECD) level before Grade One all the way to Form Four and parents who deprive their children of those 12 years of education can be fined or jailed for up to two years.

The Education Amendment Act gazetted on Friday states in two clauses that “every child shall be entitled to compulsory basic State-funded education” and that “any parent who deprives their child of the right to basic State-funded education shall be guilty of an offence”.

The maximum fine for parents found guilty is level 6, now set at $4 800, or to a maximum of two years’ imprisonment. Magistrates have discretion to impose lighter fines or lower jail terms, depending on mitigating and aggravating features. Thus a well-off person next door to a suitable school is more likely to be hammered with a steep fine or jail term than a poor parent far from a school, but who promises to reform instantly.

The clauses replace a non-mandatory clause that stated compulsory primary education was an objective and parents had a duty to send their children to primary school.

The same amendment Act defines basic State-funded education as education from ECD up to Form Four, adult education up to Form Four, and any other category declared by the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education in a gazetted notice.

The same definition states that pupils shall not be required to pay fees or levies and that the State shall provide them with learning and teaching material, facilities, infrastructure and resources.

However the amendment Act does not abolish school fees and in fact in another amended clause states that the Education Minister shall continue to set school fees at State schools and when doing so shall take into account the “location and status” of the schools.

No administrative details have been announced yet on how the compulsory clauses will be implemented, but the ministry policy in the past has been that parents who can afford to pay fees should pay, and that schools should sue parents who can but do not. At the same time the Government has introduced funds to pay fees of children whose parents cannot afford them and the budget for this was increased this year.

The amendment Act also brings into law administrative policies already followed by the Ministry. First no pupil can be excluded from school for non-payment of school fees; and secondly every child of school-going age is entitled to be enrolled at the primary or secondary Government school nearest to their home unless that school is already full, when the head of the school must issue a written certificate stating this. This second clause significantly strengthens a previous clause now repealed.

These two clauses should help to create the necessary administrative climate to enforce compulsory education.

While most Zimbabwean families do send their children to school until form four, there is a significant minority who do not, with teenage girls particularly in danger of early withdrawal from the school system either through parental poverty or because of serious ultra-traditionalist views of the place of women in society, usually by parents who also believe in early marriage of girls.

Girls get further support in the amendment Act. The State now has to ensure the provision of sanitary ware and other menstrual health facilities to girls in all schools and “no pupil can be excluded from school … on the basis of pregnancy”.

The rights of all in education are enhanced.

No one can now “be discriminated against by the imposition of onerous terms and conditions in regard to his or her admission to, suspended, excluded or expelled from any school on the grounds of his or her nationality, race, colour, tribe, place of birth, ethnic or social origin, language, class, religious belief, political affiliation, opinion, custom, culture, sex, gender, marital status, age, pregnancy, disability or economic or social status, or whether they were born in or out of wedlock.”

Local authorities have to provide land for school infrastructure.

Non-Government schools are now placed in two categories for the required registration. Government, local authority and “non-profit faith-based schools” do not have to pay registration or annual fees. Non-Government schools not falling in to the non-profit faith-based category must pay the prescribed fees. There has been a growing number of private schools run as businesses in recent years.

The long debate over language teaching has been resolved in the amended Act in a single clause.

In the first sub-clause, every school shall endeavour to teach every officially recognised language, a declaration of desire rather than compulsion, but must ensure that the language of instruction is the language of examination and ensure that the mother tongue id the language of instruction at early childhood education, two declarations of compulsion.

The Minister’s power op regulation have been extended to include the use of emerging technologies, the manner of conducting feeding schemes and how to manage cases if sexual abuse.

Pupil discipline is now moved into law from the previous position of administrative policy.

Responsible authorities have to draw up a disciplinary policy for all schools, meeting standards set out in the Minister’s regulations.

Neither the Minister’s regulations nor the school policies shall permit treatment that does not respect the dignity of the pupil, or that amounts to physical or psychological torture, or to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.

Disciplinary measures must be moderate, reasonable and proportionate in light of conduct, age, sex health and circumstances of the pupil and must be in the best interests of the child. No pupil can be suspended without first being granted, with their parents, to make representations. Caning is totally banned.

Disabled pupils get a break. All registered schools shall provide infrastructure, s”subject to availability of resources” suitable for use by pupils with disabilities and the Secretary of the Ministry shall monitor and enter the premises of all registered schools to ensure the rights of pupils with disabilities are taken into account during teaching and learning. All schools have to submit a plan when setting fees explaining how they shall advance the rights of pupils with disabilities.

MDC youth assembly would like to state categorically, without fear of contradictions, that we will not fold hands while the regime attempts to use every platform necessary and unnecessary to destabilize the movement.

1. The regime wants to use all the avenues including the Supreme Court judgement to destabilize the party by parroting an idea that a judgement will be issued to choose new leadership for the MDC.
2. There are those, for reasons best known to themselves, who believe that such a time will come when Zanu PF will foist a leadership on us. Never.
3. On cheap corruption allegations against the party, this is a fabricated narrative to divert us from the real crisis affecting the people of Zimbabwe.

Their intention is to equalize our party with Zanu, whose corrupt oligarchy have stashed loot worth a whopping US$7 billion outside the country, according to ZACC.
We, therefore, state as follows:

1. The Movement for Democratic Change gathered in Gweru on the 26th of May 2019 at our 5th national congress elected a leadership whose outcome is a matter and fact of public knowledge. No leader of this great movement will emerge from Zanu PF.
2. The President is not a signatory to any party account.

This is a task constitutionally mandated to the Secretary-General and the Treasurer General who are signatories and anything related to party funds shall be unveiled in the audit report.

The people must know that this is a hatchet job to malign and besmirch the character and image of our leadership.

1. Those who in their infinite wisdom, or lack of it thereof, are made to believe that there is or they can be another leadership outside that of President Chamisa and his team are day-dreaming.
2. As the vanguard of the party, whose key values are justice, freedom and solidarity, we respect anyone’s freedom to lead the movement, but only through a democratic process as the one we conducted in Gweru. Those imagining themselves at 44 Nelson Mandela without the popular mandate of the people must wake up from their slumber.
   We will not allow such shenanigans.

Our focus is and shall be on taking the fight to the doorstep of this callous, brutal and ruthless regime.
Our sole intention is to transform the concrete realities of our people.

Wamba is in charge!
Until victory
Aluta continua
Comrade Ostallos
Secretary-General
MDC Youth assembly

Secretary for Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights Norman Matara has said Zimbabwe’s healthcare system is weak and will not be able to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak.

Speaking in an interview with
NewsDay on Friday night, Matara urged the government to up its game in terms of surveillance.

He said:
We have a very weakened healthcare system; we lack basic equipment and we (will be) taking samples to South Africa.
We don’t have enough resources at the quarantining centre.

We don’t have (equipment for computerised tomography (CT) scan, recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for diagnostic.

We only have two in the public health sector, at
Chitungwiza and Parirenyatwa. We don’t even have an adequate ventilator for a continuous supply of oxygen.

We need to step up our game in terms of surveillance.

South Africa, which shares a porous border with Zimbabwe, has so far recorded two confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Meanwhile, there have been no deaths on the African continent from the virus, with confirmed cases having also been recorded in Senegal, Algeria and Nigeria.-NewsDay

Farai Dziva|A veteran of the struggle for democracy in Masvingo Province, James Mushonga has died.

Mushonga was the MDC provincial vice secretary.

In a statement the opposition party said Mushonga died in a horrific accident in Nyanyadzi on Sunday.

” MDC Masvingo Provincial vice sectretary Mr James Mushonga is no more.

He was involved in a car accident today in Nyanyadzi and died on the spot,” said the party in a brief statement.

By A Correspondent| Primary and Secondary Education ministry permanent secretary Tumisang Thabela has urged teachers to sacrifice more time with struggling examination class pupils to catch up, but warned against charging parents money for the tutorials.

Speaking to the media in Shurugwi on Thursday on the sidelines of a handover ceremony of a bus to Impali Primary School and new laboratory block for Selukwe Chrome Secondary School – both projects funded by Unki Mine to the tune of US$300 000, Thabela said she used to dedicate more time for pupils herself when she was still a teacher.

“I am a teacher, I used to hold extra lessons in the evening for boarding learners and even during the weekends, but it was just to catch up, it had nothing to do with money,” she said.

“If the teacher says I think we are behind and arranges with the parents and the pupils to come for extra lessons and there is no cost passed on to parents, I think that will be good also. As government, we would want such arrangements. However, there should be no charge for such extra-lessons.”

The permanent secretary’s statements come at a time teachers in Midlands schools are charging between US$5 and US$10 per subject for extra lessons, to augment their meagre salaries.

However, Thabela said government policy is that no parent must be charged to have their children taught by teachers outside normal hours or on weekends.

She said government would crack the whip on any teacher found charging money for extra lessons.

“Holding extra lessons at a cost is not allowed and those found doing the opposite will be disciplined,” she warned.-Newsday

By Own Correspondent| Four members of the police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) here have found themselves in trouble after a man from whom they extorted US$400 after accusing him of engaging in illegal activities, wrote to the police boss demanding his money back.

Tafirei Mark Mandizha alleges that sometime in January this year, police detectives approached his place of residence Northwood looking for him but he was away in Harare.

Mandizha’s maid informed the detectives that her boss was not home and would return the following day.

The four detectives only identified as Mazhambe, Dondo, Mupazviripo and Nezanyuta returned the following morning and found Mandizha back and allegedly searched his premises without a search warrant accusing him of engaging in illicit deals.

Mandizha alleges that the search was characterized by threats and harassments and was called outside his house by Mazhambe and Dondo who demanded US$1 000 cash for them to stop investigating him.

Mandizha alleges that he told the detectives that he only had US$100 but that offer was rejected before the detectives settled for US$400.

In a complaint letter dated February 04, 2020, and addressed to the Officer in Charge Chivhu Police, Mandizha claims that after paying the money, he was threatened with unspecified actions if the matter ever came to light.

“My wife and I were harassed in front of our maid and kids as one of the detectives was holding a gun. They searched everywhere even in my cars saying that I was partaking in deals that give me a lot of money and that their bosses had instructed them to launch the raid.  

“Dondo and Mazhambe, on behalf of others, demanded US$1 000 so they could leave me alone but I told them I did not have that money. After more threats, I was terrified and told them that I only had US$100 but they rejected it and pushed the figure to US$400. We had to go to town to my nephew where I borrowed another US$300,” alleges Mandizha.

Contacted for comment, Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza said he had not received the letter but will make inquiries.

The picture was sent by the Passengers Association of Zimbabwe president Tafadzwa Goliath.

He said the accident occured in Odzi, Nyanyadzi.

Details of the tragedy were still sketchy by the time of writing.

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has appealed to Zanu PF supporters to stick with the ruling party despite the deepening economic problems in the country.

Mnangagwa was speaking at a rally at the Matizha business centre in Serima, Gutu on Friday where thousands of Zanu PF supporters were bussed to the venue.

He said the multifaceted crisis facing the country should not drive ruling party supporters away from Zanu PF.

“You know where we are coming from and where we are going,” Mnangagwa said.

“We got problems as a country. But these are not problems that can force you to leave the party. These are problems that unite us to build our country.

“Yes, we have economic challenges, but they will pass.

“We shall come to a time when we shall say we went through hardships and hunger, but the period of plenty is coming.

“I do not think next year is a drought period…..In the night, defend your party, during the day defend your party, whether you went to bed without eating or not.”

Zimbabwe is in the grip of hyperinflation and is struggling with shortages of foreign currency, fuel, medicines, mealie meal and rolling power cuts, among others.

The International Monetary Fund recently warned that without genuine political dialogue in Zimbabwe, chances of an economic turnaround were dim.

Mnangagwa has refused to engage in direct talks with his main rival Nelson Chamisa, who is challenging his legitimacy following the controversial 2018 elections.

On Friday the Zanu PF leader described Masvingo as a “one-party state” after the ruling party won 25 seats out of 26 seats in the 2018 general elections.

“Masvingo is a one-party state,” he said.

“The leadership and structures are strong from the grassroots to the top.

“Your coming here in your thousands shows that the structures are working.

“Of course, there may be one or two who are not party members, it is there and understandable.”

Mnangagwa poured scorn on Chamisa for continuing to challenge his election victory, saying the stance would not change anything.

“We want peace and harmony in our country. We want a relationship and interaction based on non-violence,” he said.

“We do not want violence, burning of property and blocking roads. We want unity.

“Of course, we have to disagree, but whatever we do, we must debate, not to say if I don’t get my way, nothing will go ahead.

“The sun will rise and set, January will come and go till December, while you are saying I won the elections, and we rule and rule while you are still stuck in the 2018 elections.

“We are now eyeing 2023.”

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF fear a popular uprising by ordinary Zimbabweans who are enduring the worst economic crisis in the country for a decade, expelled former Zanu-PF youth leader Godfrey Tsenengamu has revealed.

This comes as the church, regional peers and Western powers are stepping up their pressure on Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa to get to the negotiating table, in a bid to turn around the country’s sagging fortunes.

To make matters worse for the country, the ruling party is struggling to contain growing fissures within its ranks — which are approximating the ugly levels that led to the dramatic ouster from power of former president Robert Mugabe via a military coup in November 2017.

Speaking to the Daily News On Sunday yesterday in an exclusive interview, Tsenengamu – who says he now feels “free” to express his views openly, claimed that the centre no longer held in Zanu-PF which expelled him last Wednesday, for allegedly denigrating the party’s top leadership, including Mnangagwa.

“These people are very much aware that they are underperforming in government, but are putting on brave faces.

“They know that things are not well in the country. So, they will not allow anyone in the party to say the truth because that would cause trouble for them.

“They will chase away anyone who reasons. That is why you see them choosing words like anarchy, negative shows, sideshows. You can literally touch the desperation in them,” Tsenengamu let rip.

The fearless former youth leaguer, who has now been expelled from Zanu-PF for the second time, also confirmed that there was serious discord in the ruling party, which he claimed was affecting progress and delivery in government.

This comes as there has been widespread but unconfirmed talk that Mnangagwa is allegedly at odds with his deputy and former army general Constantino Chiwenga — the man who catapulted him into the presidency in 2017 through the coup that felled Mugabe.

“If you look at the party, it is not only the leadership, but also … the grassroots that is in flux. We have a problem within the top leadership because they are not sincere and true to their words.

“They are always playing games, playing hide and seek with each other. There is a lot of mistrust among the leadership. It is saddening that we might witness the same scenarios that we witnessed during the G40 (Generation 40) era.

“This is the beginning of chaos in the party that has so many lawyers who chose to ignore their own constitution and ignore corruption,” the unleashed Tsenengamu told the Daily News On Sunday.

“There is a lot that is happening in the party that shows clearly that the centre can longer hold,” he said further .

The former youth league national political commissar was cut loose last Wednesday by Zanu-PF’s politburo, days after he also let rip at Mnangagwa for allegedly “reneging on his earlier promises” made before he ascended to power.

Then, Tsenengamu had been on suspension, together with former youth league secretary Pupurai Togarepi and his deputy Lewis Matutu, after the trio accused some prominent businesspeople with links to the ruling party of corruption.

Although Togarepi did not take part in the infamous press conference that caused the ensuing ruckus, he also paid the price for allegedly failing to rein-in Tsenengamu and Matutu.

And while Matutu appeared to have heeded the party’s directive to go for ideological re-orientation, Tsenengamu remained defiant — raising temperatures last week when he accused Mnangagwa of mimicking Mugabe’s ways.

Speaking exclusively to our sister paper the Daily News then, Tsenengamu — who was already facing expulsion from Zanu-PF after his home province of Mashonaland East called for his ouster — threw barbs at Mnangagwa for having allegedly failed to “live up to his promises”.

“I was looking at what the president wrote in November 2017 after he had been expelled. He spoke against party capture, vindictiveness … about ideas of making Zimbabwe great again … and against corruption.

“Where has he gone wrong? Maybe it is premature to judge him because he has been in power for a short period of time.

“But I am worried because he has not delivered on his vision. I am hoping that he will deliver,” Tsenengamu said.

He also said that his suspension from Zanu-PF, as well as that of Matutu, was also contrary to the promises Mnangagwa had made in his 2017 speech while he was in short-lived exile in South Africa, after fleeing from Mugabe and his goons.

“In 2017, we said expulsions were wrong and this is exactly what they (Zanu-PF and the ‘new dispensation’) are doing.

“I have been suspended for a year without a hearing and now they are threatening to expel me, again with no reason.

“If you look at the letter that was written by the president when he was in exile, he spoke against corruption and blasted the former president for pursuing his family interests,” Tsenengamu added.

He told the Daily News On Sunday yesterday that things were “falling apart” in Zanu-PF, while claiming further that the leadership was “just putting a show of unity” in public — “masking deeper faulty lines” in the party.

“But they will always avoid discussing issues affecting the party or the country at large. They are in denial. They know we have a crisis in the country, but will always pretend that all is well.

“You see them taking pictures together and having programmes together, but deep down the mistrust runs deep because they are just trying to manage public perception.

“The leadership is not in agreement in terms of how to deal with issues like corruption. There is also no sincerity to unite the party and that is why there was never an attempt to unite the party following the demise of the G40,” Tsenegmau said.

“Those people were Zanu-PF, but only belonging to a different faction. It was a political contestation, but now you see them going after former G40 ministers, taking their farms.

“This raises questions about the quality of our leadership. As long as our leaders are vindictive and survive on toxic politics, we will never have genuine peace and unity in the country.

“I don’t know what they are afraid of. What I discovered while in Zanu-PF is that they are always afraid,” Tsenengamu bellowed further.

“If you look at what they said before they got in power and what they are doing now, it is worlds apart. The crackdown on the opposition and civil society exposes their fears.

“The leaders whom we thought we knew before the new dispensation and those that are leading now are different.
“Because they know that people are disgruntled they are always finding ways of silencing dissenting voices,” Tsenengamu said further.

“If you could have them expel me for speaking against corruption, what about those who threaten their power? They will unite on the surface … but remain divided inside,” he added.

Daily News

The Mirror|An experiment will see brave volunteers being paid £3,500 to be infected with a form of coronavirus in a bid to find a vaccine.

A willing and able few will have to live in quarantine in a laboratory in east London where they will be infected with two common – but much less serious – strains of the virus that has killed over 3,500 people worldwide so far.

Hvivo, the company which owns the laboratory at Queen Mary BioEnterprises Innovation Centre at Whitechapel in east London, will infect batches of 24 volunteers with the 0C43 and 229E strains of the virus.

These are thought to cause very mild respiratory symptoms and are far less serious than the killer Covid-19 rampaging through the world currently.

However, it is thought a vaccine that can combat these smaller bigs, could take on the killer coronavirus bringing an end to the global panic.

Volunteers will be held in isolation for two weeks, and will not be able to exercise or have physical contact with other people. Their diet will also be restricted. The most effective drugs and vaccines will then be used on real patients.

Nurses and doctors involved will need to wear protective clothing and ventilators while working in the lab and taking nasal swabs, doing blood tests and collecting any dirty tissues infected with the virus.

Hvivo’s plans will have to be agreed by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency before testing can begin, which is aimed at finding effective new viruses and antiviral medications in a contained environment.

The experiment is part of a $2bn (£1.53bn) worldwide race to find a vaccine for the deadly virus, particularly for the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

The reward for finding the vaccine is particularly appealing, and likely to be much higher than the €1.9bn (£1.6bn) French drugmaker Sanofi made from selling huge numbers of flu vaccine last year.

Hvivo’s experiment has attracted the attention of Chinese pharmaceuticals firms, who will be ploughing money into the study.

Cathal Friel, executive chairman of Hvivo’s parent company, Open Orphan, said it placed the company at the “forefront of the fight against the outbreak”.

State Media|INDIGENOUS farmers whose farms were appropriated by Government under the Fast-Track Land Reform Programme can now apply to repossess their land under new regulations gazetted on Friday.

Farms which were protected under Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreements (BIPPAs) and Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), including those owned by indigenous corporates, could also be returned to their previous owners upon application for repossession.

In terms of Statutory Instrument 62 of 2020 — Land Commission (Gazetted Land) (Disposal in Lieu of Compensation) Regulations, 2020 — former landowners under these categories can either opt for repossession or monetary compensation.

An amendment to the Constitution in 2005 provided for the acquisition by, and vesting of full title in the State, of agricultural land for resettlement purposes.

As a result, all land that had been gazetted for acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act, including that which was owned by indigenous farmers or protected by bilateral treaties, was summarily acquired by the State.

Effectively, this deprived indigenous farmers of land they had duly acquired through purchase, thereby disempowering them in the name of empowering their fellow indigenes.

In addition, the compulsory acquisition of farms protected by international treaties resulted in diplomatic complications for the State, which was accused of failing to respect property rights and international accords.

A senior official in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, who requested anonymity, told The Sunday Mail that the new regulations are designed to address the wrongful disempowerment of indigenous farmers.

“The way agriculture land was acquired, in a way, disempowered black farmers in the name of empowering landless blacks,” said the official, who is not authorised to talk to the press.

“Also, the way farms which were protected by BIPPAs were acquired was not the way they were supposed to be taken. These are the wrongs that the SI (Statutory Instrument) is trying to address. In essence, these former land owners can opt for either compensation or apply to get their land back.

“Getting the land back is, however, not automatic. There is a process that has to be followed, which includes application and an assessment of the application on a case-by-case basis.”

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi referred questions to the Lands Ministry.

Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Permanent Dr John Basera said he could not comment.

Procedure

Reads the regulations in part: “The object of these regulations is to provide for the disposal of land to persons referred to in Section 4, who are, in terms of Section 295 of the Constitution, entitled to compensation for acquisition of previously compulsorily acquired agricultural land. Identification of persons to whom these regulations apply.

“These regulations apply to the following persons who, before agricultural land owned by them was compulsorily acquired under the Land Reform and Resettlement Programme (hereinafter in these regulations referred to as “acquired agricultural land”), were the owners thereof under a deed of grant or title deed or had completed the purchase of their farms from the State in terms of a lease with an option to purchase — (a) indigenous individual persons (or where such persons are deceased, their legally recognised heirs); (b) individuals who were citizens of a BIPPA or BIT country at the time their investments in agricultural land were compulsorily acquired under the Land Reform and Resettlement Programme (or where such persons are deceased, their legally recognised heirs); (c) partnerships, if the partners who held any farm jointly were — (i) indigenous individuals; or (ii) citizens of a BIPPA or BIT country; (d) private companies whose shareholding is wholly or predominantly owned by — (i) indigenous individuals; or (ii) individuals who were citizens of a BIPPA or BIT country.”

The regulations invite the categorised former land owners to apply to the Lands Minister (Perrance Shiri), who then refers all such applications to a committee chaired by the director of the Department of Lands Management.

The committee then reviews the application before recommending to the Minister whether or not to allot the land in question to the applicant.

The applicant must submit a copy of the deed of grant or title deed or lease and identity documents.

In the case of an applicant who is a citizen of a BIPPA or BIT country, they are required to submit a copy of the relevant BIPPA and a passport showing that the applicant was a citizen of the BIPPA or BIT country when the farm was acquired.

“If in the opinion of the committee — (a) an applicant qualifies to obtain title to a farm in part or in full, the committee shall make the appropriate recommendation to the Minister; (b) an applicant does not qualify to obtain title to a farm in part or in full, the committee shall inform the applicant in writing accordingly and give him or her reasons why he or she does not qualify.

“In considering a recommendation of the committee, the Minister shall invite the Land Commission to make representations, if any, on the recommendation within a period (not being less than seven days) specified by the Minister.

“The Minister may reject any application on the basis that granting it would be contrary to the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, regional or town planning or the general public interest.

“The Minister shall notify every applicant in writing of the outcome of his or her application and, where the application is rejected, the reasons for the rejection.

“The Minister’s decision upon an application shall be final.”

The Sunday Mail has gathered that in cases where a farm has been subdivided to a lot of people who would have settled and are productive, the applicant will be given the option of being reallocated another farm.

Some of the countries covered by BIPPA include Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Malaysia and Switzerland.

A BIPPA is a legal instrument that establishes specific rights and obligations to meet the primary purpose of protecting foreign investments against discriminatory measures like policy inconsistencies by the host state.

In principle, it ensures reciprocal encouragement, promotion and protection of investments, thus enabling conditions conducive to increase investment.

Following acquisition of BIPPA-protected farms by Government, some former owners took Government to the International Court for the Settlement of International Investment Disputes where a group of 40 Dutch farmers won a US$25 million settlement.

Agreements under BIPPA require that Government pay fair compensation in currency of the former owner’s choice for both land and improvements. Official figures show that 197 out of 258 farms measuring 977 000 hectares under BIPPA were acquired for resettlement under both A1 and A2.

During the land reform, Government acquired around 14 million hectares of large scale commercial farms out of the 15,5 million hectares that were previously owned by white commercial farmers.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

Secretary for Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights Norman Matara has said Zimbabwe’s healthcare system is weak and will not be able to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak.

Speaking in an interview with
NewsDay on Friday night, Matara urged the government to up its game in terms of surveillance.

He said:
We have a very weakened healthcare system; we lack basic equipment and we (will be) taking samples to South Africa.
We don’t have enough resources at the quarantining centre.

We don’t have (equipment for computerised tomography (CT) scan, recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for diagnostic.

We only have two in the public health sector, at
Chitungwiza and Parirenyatwa. We don’t even have an adequate ventilator for a continuous supply of oxygen.

We need to step up our game in terms of surveillance.

South Africa, which shares a porous border with Zimbabwe, has so far recorded two confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Meanwhile, there have been no deaths on the African continent from the virus, with confirmed cases having also been recorded in Senegal, Algeria and Nigeria.-NewsDay

THE number of people suffering from mental health related illnesses and seeking medication at Ingutsheni Central Hospital in Bulawayo has more than doubled in the past five months, an official has said.

The hospital’s clinical director, Dr Wellington Ranga, revealed in an interview that from November, instead of giving drugs to the “usual figure” of between 1 500 to 2 000 outpatients, as many as 5 000 people were  flocking through Ingutsheni’s doors every month. This has resulted in drug stocks at the hospital depleting. Unlike other hospitals which charge for their services, Ingutsheni does not demand a fee for both drugs and services.

In the past, there had been stigma attached to getting one’s medication at the institution but as prices at local pharmacies skyrocket, many are now turning to Ingutsheni.

“That comes with its own problems. I say that because here medication is not paid for by the patients. So, people in town now know that we have sodium valproate and so things have now changed.

“From around November or December our numbers from pharmacies almost doubled. This is because there are some people who don’t like coming to Ingutsheni but buying some medication in town will cost you $300. Then that person hears that they only have to go to Ingutsheni outpatients and they’ll get it for free,” said Dr Ranga.

He said NatPharm, that supplies the drugs had also raised questions on the sudden increase in drug demand at the hospital.

“The number of outpatients we served used to be between 1 500 to          2 000 but now we’re going to as many as 5 000 people which is a significant increase. We are actually saying we are becoming victims of our own strategies because we were saying let’s keep these drugs but people have realised that getting them from Ingutsheni works. Even NatPharm has been asking how come our consumption rate has gone up all of a sudden. This is a dicey situation that we are trying to play around with. Do we deny some people and say go back and get your drugs where you used to get them? You can’t do that in mental health,” he said.

Dr Ranga said the institution had never experienced such a situation in its history.

“We have discussed it and it is something that we are seeing really as a phenomenon for the first time and so there’s no case study that we can turn to on how to respond to a situation like this. We are not sure because of the nature of mental health because if someone says they have epilepsy and they have been on phenobarbitone for the past 20 years then you can’t deny them that medication. We will continue giving them, but that will put constraints on us because we had worked out our budget, we thought the drugs would last for a certain time but with these ones we’re not so sure. They might run out,” he said.

Ingutsheni chief executive officer Mr Nyasha Chibvongodze, said although the economic pressures had made the acquisition of foodstuffs difficult, the hospital was still in a good state compared to other health institutions.

“As a country we did not have a good harvest last year and so the Grain Marketing Board is constrained in terms of maize availability. If we place an order of 250 bags of 50kg maize they can say we cannot do that at the moment, we can only supply you with 100 bags.

“The danger also comes in when you want to pay for the 250 bags upfront as they also can’t assure you of locking in that price until delivery. So, that’s where we stand. In terms of protein we are well stocked,” he said.

-State Media

Former Zanu-PF national political commissar and member of the once-powerful G40 faction Saviour Kasukuwere attacked President Emmerson Mnangagwa for allegedly dividing citizens by his government’s decision to create subsidised basic commodities shops for the army.

The Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube recently announced that soldiers will soon be buying subsidised goods from garrison shops that will be funded by a special tax levied on every other civil servant.

In a telephone interview with TellZim News, Kasukuwere, who is in self-imposed exile, warned that the plan will back-fire.

“What is the rationale really? All civil servants are equal and they should be treated as such. They are working for the country and no one is more special than the other.

“Zimbabweans have suffered enough and they should be rewarded for their toil. Civil servants are yearning for salary increments but their government is busy deducting their salaries.

“Mnangagwa has no decency at all and he lives large while his people suffer. He was presented with a golden opportunity to unite the country but he plundered it and killed those that challenged him,” said Kasukuwere.

In his announcement, Ncube said all civil servants except members of the military will be levied a 2.5 percent ‘garrison shop’ tax which will be channeled towards the revival grocery shops for the defense forces.

Many people have, however, criticised the move as part of desperate efforts by a failed government to pacify a restive military.

“This is what happens when the country is in the hands of a mafia. The mafia does not care about anyone else but themselves.

“They are very selfish and they would rather watch everyone die than let their interest get threatened. To them, Zimbabwe can burn just as long as they are enjoying. No one cares, this is the unfortunate situation that we find ourselves in,” said Kasukuwere.

He said President Mnangagwa was desperate to find ways of pacifying the army which he knew very well could show him the exit door anytime.

 “The army is running the country. Mnangagwa is trying to save himself from sleeping with one eye open at night. We all know the role played by the army to propel Mnangagwa to where he is today so if he forgets the same people will kick him out.

“You have seen Mnangagwa using the army to crush dissent so it is only logical for him to make sure that his boys are happy,” said Kasukuwere.

The 2.5 percent ‘garrison tax’ will add to the two percent transactional tax and bank charges which already are a heavy burden on the poorly-remunerated government workers.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou lashed out at Ncube’s latest policy announcement which he said was designed to worsen poverty in the country.

“For the Finance minister and the rest of cabinet to agree to tax civil servants 2.5 percent to set up shops that will sell subsidised commodities to members of the army is lunacy.

“The cabinet must be reminded that if they are so much interested in uplifting the image of the army, they must pay the army well so that they can buy from shops of their choice.

“Reducing soldiers to ridicule and subsidisation by civil servants is dangerous and a national security threat as it compromises the civilian-military relations,” said Zhou.

-TellZim

By A Correspondent| MDC stalwart James Mushonga has died.

Mushonga died in a horrific crash in Nyanyadzi on Sunday.

He was the MDC provincial vice secretary.

In a statement the opposition party said Mushonga died on the spot, but did not disclose details of the horrific crash that claimed his life.

” MDC Masvingo Provincial vice sectretary Mr James Mushonga is no more.

He was involved in a car accident today in Nyanyadzi and died on the spot,” said the party in a brief statement.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife says she fears for her life as unknown people are allegedly stalking her.

Marry told a British newspaper The Times that her life had been turned upside down since her initial arrest in December last year on allegations of trying to kill her husband and money laundering.

A divorce battle involving Chiwenga and the former model transfixed the country with murky allegations of attempted murder, voodoo and drug addiction.

According to Marry (39), however, the reality of her estrangement from Chiwenga, the former general who toppled Robert Mugabe, is even darker.

In an interview with The Times, the former model described “feeling thrown to the wolves”, her terror following late-night car chases and fears that her calls are being monitored since her 62-year-old husband demanded a divorce three months ago.

Her comments have shed rare light on the upper echelons of power in Zimbabwe and painted a picture of lavish wealth enjoyed by an unaccountable few, while millions lurch towards starvation as the economy withers.

“I will never be left to live in peace. It will be a life in and out of jail, or no life at all,” she said following her recent spell in prison.

Marry is accused of trying to murder her husband and other charges including money laundering. She insists that she is innocent.

“My protection has been taken away and if anything happened to me, there would be no witnesses. It could easily be explained away,” she said.

In papers filed in court, the couple’s wrangling over cash, a contentious 600-acre farm and luxury cars have been laid bare.

This month she is appealing to the Supreme Court for custody of the three children she shares with the former army chief: two boys and a girl aged nine, eight and six.

She said that being refused access to them since her arrest in December “has broken my heart open”, adding that she fears “command justice” directed from higher powers will ultimately thwart her efforts.

“It feels like David and Goliath with the state machinery being used against one woman,” she added.

Born into a wealthy family, Marry met her husband a decade ago when they were neighbours in an upmarket suburb of Harare.

“I knew nothing of politics and now probably know too much,” she said in a call from Harare, where she has been staying with her mother since losing access to the family mansion.

She described her relationship with President Emmerson Mnangagwa (77) as “very good”, but she is reluctant to draw him into the turmoil.

“I’ve been involved at the highest level of the ruling party for a decade and lived through Operation Restore Legacy [the Mugabe ousting].

“My husband has many enemies — within his own party, the opposition party and Zimbabweans generally who are facing many challenges now.

“That makes me feel very vulnerable.”

Marry remains a divisive figure. The designer wardrobe and extravagant lifestyle that she lost in her separation drew comparisons with Grace Mugabe, the unpopular widow of the late president.

Yet her arrest and willingness to stand up to the feared Chiwenga, who has been blamed for a string of violent crackdowns, has seen the public mood soften towards her.

She dismissed the allegations that she disconnected her husband from life-support equipment at a South African hospital last July, and questioned why no allegation was made against her until five months later when Chiwenga demanded a divorce.

“Too much of a coincidence,” she concluded.

She is also accused of illegally transferring almost US$1million out of Zimbabwe to buy cars and property in neighbouring South Africa without her husband’s knowledge.

Marry denies laundering money and said that any cash she had access to was no secret, claiming it had come from cash allowances given to Zimbabwe’s elite.

“We all got that and if you save it all, it’s enough to buy you a property outside the country. Everybody has one,” she said.

-The Times

Farai Dziva|A veteran of the struggle for democracy in Masvingo Province, James Mushonga has died.

Mushonga was the MDC provincial vice secretary.

In a statement the opposition party said Mushonga died in a horrific accident in Nyanyadzi on Sunday.

” MDC Masvingo Provincial vice sectretary Mr James Mushonga is no more.

He was involved in a car accident today in Nyanyadzi and died on the spot,” said the party in a brief statement.

By A Correspondent| The Zimbabwean government has obfuscated the identity of a Coronavirus suspect who died last night, who according to sources privy to developments is a Chinese national. The state has however revealed that the fourth (4th) victim is a mere “suspected” covid-19 case.

The fourth victim, a female, was Sunday morning reportedly isolated after presenting herself first at a general practitioner before being referred to Wilkins Infectious Disease Hospital.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said the latest person was taken for isolation at Wilkins but could not provide further details saying health workers were still running the necessary tests.

The development comes after South Africa confirmed a third case of the disease also known as Covid-19.

“Yes, I can confirm that there has been another case taken in at Wilkins, but we still do not have results pertaining her status; We will announce the results to everyone, once we get them,” Moyo told the state media.

The government has continued to say a Mutare woman, a third victim, died before arrival at Wilkins having tested negative. But other reports said she is a Chinese national.

ZimEye was at pains last night to establish the victim’s identity following fears the government has not done its duty to perform a travel history search and to publish it so that possible infections can be controlled.

Government’s twitter account last night reported that this woman who presented to her general practitioner complaining of shortness of breath tested negative to tests conducted on her copse.

“A Mutare woman who returned from China on 24 January, presented to her GP on 6 March complaining of shortness of breath. She was referred to Wilkins Hospital for Covid-19 tests but died on the way. Subsequent tests at Wilkins indicated negative for Coronavirus,” reads the post.

Government also said a male adult who travelled from Italy has also been quarantined and was being monitored for Covid-19 symptoms.

The government however contradicted itself saying “the man has no COVID-19 symptoms and test results were negative.”

Meanwhile, as an emergency meeting of all SADC Health Ministers is being convened to take place tomorrow, Monday 9 March in Dar es Salaam, Zimbabweans scoffed at the government saying the meeting could easily be held via video conferencing and any physical movement can only be for the purpose of squandering allowance money.

This is a developing story…

Follow the live program below:

By Own Correspondent-Members of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) have told the labour body’s leadership to organise a mass stay-away to force the government to address the current economic crisis.

This emerged during a recent consultative meeting held in Harare, one of many by the labour body to chart the way forward in the wake of the failure by the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) — a platform which brings labour, business and government together —to resolve serious differences over wages and salaries.

The workers told the ZCTU representatives, led by the labour body’s president Peter Mutasa, that they were tired of all talk and no action.

“What we are seeing is that there is no political will from the government to resolve the current economic hardships we are facing as workers. These challenges started when the government introduced Statutory Instrument (SI) 142 (that outlawed the use of multi-currency and reintroduced the Zimbabwean dollar) which immediately resulted in workers losing their purchasing power.

“We appreciate the ZCTU leadership for engaging in discussion with the government and business through the TNF, but all talk and no action will not solve our problems as workers.

“What we are calling for is another massive stay away, bigger than the January 2019 stay away to shake up the government and trigger the appropriate action from this country’s leadership which has failed the worker,” a member of the ZCTU who identified himself as Kumbirai Moyo said.

The TNF meeting on salaries and wages held early last month reached a deadlock, with the government and labour on one side agreeing that there should be a blanket minimum wage while the business pushed for a sectoral approach to the minimum wage.

Another worker Leo Mukanhenge said workers should team up with other stakeholders in the mooted stay way.

“What we need now is action. This kind of action should not be the usual where we act alone but should include like-minded people who share the same struggle that we have like those in the informal sector and those fighting for human rights and justice,” Mukanhenge said.

Representing women, ZCTU member Sharayi Mutema said the current economic crisis is exposing women to abuse at the hands of water barons and other unscrupulous individuals seeking to take advantage of the transport crisis.

“As women we are saying that we are tired of this situation and we are demanding action. We are encountering all sorts of challenges at work but our struggle is not ending there. After work we struggle to get transport to return home and take care of the family.

“When we get home we are confronted by yet another challenge- lack of water-and we have to spend hours at long borehole queues just to get water for household use. Therefore we are saying as women enough is enough let us take it to the streets,” Mutema said.

Mutasa acknowledged the concerns raised by workers and indicated that the ZCTU leadership would deliberate on the issues raised and announce a way forward soon.

In January 2019, the ZCTU called for a three-day stay away triggered by fuel price increase. The stay away set in motion a protest which government responded to by sending armed forces who cracked down on the protesters resulting in the deaths of 17 civilians and the injury of many others.

“This struggle is not only for those who are employed, but for everyone in Zimbabwe including the unemployed, informal sector and the civil society. The state has failed and this is evidenced by lack of electricity and water, importation of grain, abductions and torture of those who speak out.

“Today as ZCTU leadership we have heard your call for action. Indeed this is the time to act because if we don’t act as the workers the government will not act for us and neither will business,” Mutasa said.-DailyNews

By A Correspondent| Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife says she fears for her life as unknown people are allegedly stalking her.

Marry told a British newspaper The Times that her life had been turned upside down since her initial arrest in December last year on allegations of trying to kill her husband and money laundering.

A divorce battle involving Chiwenga and the former model transfixed the country with murky allegations of attempted murder, voodoo and drug addiction.
According to Marry (39), however, the reality of her estrangement from Chiwenga, the former general who toppled Robert Mugabe, is even darker.

In an interview with The Times, the former model described “feeling thrown to the wolves”, her terror following late-night car chases and fears that her calls are being monitored since her 62-year-old husband demanded a divorce three months ago.

Her comments have shed rare light on the upper echelons of power in Zimbabwe and painted a picture of lavish wealth enjoyed by an unaccountable few, while millions lurch towards starvation and the economy withers.

“I will never be left to live in peace. It will be a life in and out of jail, or no life at all,” she said following her recent spell in prison.

Marry is accused of trying to murder her husband and other charges including money laundering. She insists that she is innocent.

“My protection has been taken away and if anything happened to me, there would be no witnesses. It could easily be explained away,” she said.

In papers filed in court, the couple’s wrangling over cash, a contentious 600-acre farm and luxury cars have been laid bare.

This month she is appealing to the Supreme Court for custody of the three children she shares with the former army chief: two boys and a girl aged nine, eight and six.

She said that being refused access to them since her arrest in December “has broken my heart open”, adding that she fears “command justice” directed from higher powers will ultimately thwart her efforts.

“It feels like David and Goliath with the state machinery being used against one woman,” she added.

Born into a wealthy family, Marry met her husband a decade ago when they were neighbours in an upmarket suburb of Harare.

“I knew nothing of politics and now probably know too much,” she said in a call from Harare, where she has been staying with her mother since losing access to the family mansion.

She described her relationship with President Emmerson Mnangagwa (77) as “very good”, but she is reluctant to draw him into the turmoil.

“I’ve been involved at the highest level of the ruling party for a decade and lived through Operation Restore Legacy [the Mugabe ousting].

“My husband has many enemies — within his own party, the opposition party and Zimbabweans generally who are facing many challenges now.

“That makes me feel very vulnerable.”

Marry remains a divisive figure. The designer wardrobe and extravagant lifestyle that she lost in her separation drew comparisons with Grace Mugabe, the unpopular widow of the late president.

Yet her arrest and willingness to stand up to the feared Chiwenga, who has been blamed for a string of violent crackdowns, has seen the public mood soften towards her.

She dismissed the allegations that she disconnected her husband from life-support equipment at a South African hospital last July, and questioned why no allegation was made against her until five months later when Chiwenga demanded a divorce.

 “Too much of a coincidence,” she concluded.

She is also accused of illegally transferring almost US$1million out of Zimbabwe to buy cars and property in neighbouring South Africa without her husband’s knowledge.

Marry denies laundering money and said that any cash she had access to was no secret, claiming it had come from cash allowances given to Zimbabwe’s elite.

“We all got that and if you save it all, it’s enough to buy you a property outside the country. Everybody has one,” she said.

Chiwenga did not respond to a request for comments.-TheTimes

By Own Correspondent| Former Zanu PF Politburo member Jonathan Moyo has clashed with Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information Publicity and Broadcasting services Nick Mangwana over a Chinese national who succumbed to corona virus in Mutare.

Mangwana had twitted that “a Mutare woman who returned from China on 24 January, presented to her GP on 6 March complaining of shortness of breath. She was referred to Wilkins Hospital for COVID-19 tests but died on the way. Subsequent tests at Wilkins indicated negative for Coronavirus.”

Responding to the tweet Moyo said, ” Why do you call a Chinese woman, “a Mutare woman”? Not to upset your Chinese friends? So Mnangagwa would rather put Zimbabweans at risk to appease the Chinese? How reliable are tests at Wilkins? How many Zimbabweans were exposed to the Chinese woman?

• a cough
• a high temperature
• shortness of breath.

By Own Correspondent| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appealed to Zanu-PF supporters to stick with the ruling party despite the deepening economic problems in the country.

Mnangagwa was speaking at a rally at the Matizha business centre in Serima, Gutu on Friday where thousands of Zanu-PF supporters were bussed to the venue.

He said the multifaceted crisis facing the country should not drive ruling party supporters away from Zanu-PF.

“You know where we are coming from and where we are going,” Mnangagwa said.

“We got problems as a country. But these are not problems that can force you to leave the party. These are problems that unite us to build our country.

“Yes, we have economic challenges, but they will pass.

“We shall come to a time when we shall say we went through hardships and hunger, but the period of plenty is coming.

“I do not think next year is a drought period…..In the night, defend your party, during the day defend your party, whether you went to bed without eating or not.”

Zimbabwe is in the grip of hyperinflation and is struggling with shortages of foreign currency, fuel, medicines, mealie meal and rolling power cuts, among others.

The International Monetary Fund recently warned that without genuine political dialogue in Zimbabwe, chances of an economic turnaround were dim.

Mnangagwa has refused to engage in direct talks with his main rival Nelson Chamisa, who is challenging his legitimacy following the controversial 2018 elections.

On Friday the Zanu-PF leader described Masvingo as a “one-party state” after the ruling party won 25 seats out of 26 seats in the 2018 general elections.

“Masvingo is a one-party state,” he said.

“The leadership and structures are strong from the grassroots to the top.-

By A Correspondent| An artisanal miner, Nqobizitha Moyo (29) of Douglasdale in Bulawayo was arrested and has been sentenced to three years in prison for kidnapping and assaulting Rangarirai Chinyota Nyoni (35) the brother of his partner.

The state alleges that Moyo kidnapped and assaulted Nyoni to force Nyoni’s younger brother, Innocent Mapuranga to meet and resolve a gold dispute.

The state further claims that on September 10, 2019, at around 11 pm, Moyo visited Nyoni’s house armed with a knife intending to settle a dispute with Mapuranga but he found his brother at home and kidnapped him.

Moyo reportedly assaulted Nyoni and released him after he promised to give him money the following day.

Moyo pleaded guilty when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mafios Moyo on Monday. The magistrate sentenced him to five years in jail but conditionally suspended two years.-Newsday

Own Correspondent|There are reports that another Coronavirus Patient has been detected in Masvingo, at Masvingo General Hospital.

The patient is reported to be a frequent traveller to Dubai.

The development comes short in the heels of revelations by ZimEye sources who told this news network, there have been more than 200 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Dubai as of late last week. The statistics however have remained unreported in the UAE.

This is a developing story more details to follow.

Former Zanu PF national political commissar and member of the once powerful G40 faction Saviour kasukuwere attacked President Emmerson Mnangagwa for allegedly dividing citizens by his government’s decision to create subsidised basic commodities shops for the army.

The Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube recently announced that soldiers will soon be buying subsidised goods from garrison shops that will be funded by a special tax levied on every other civil servant.

In a telephone interview with TellZim News, Kasukuwere, who is in self-imposed exile, warned that the plan will back-fire.

“What is the rationale really? All civil servants are equal and they should be treated as such. They are working for the country and no one is more special than the other.

“Zimbabweans have suffered enough and they should be rewarded for their toil. Civil servants are yearning for salary increments but their government is busy deducting their salaries.

“Mnangagwa has no decency at all and he lives large while his people suffer. He was presented with a golden opportunity to unite the country but he plundered it and killed those that challenged him,” Kasukuwere thundered.

In his announcement, Ncube said all civil servants except members of the military will be levied a 2.5 percent ‘garrison shop’ tax which will be channeled towards the revival of grocery shops for the defense forces.

Many people have, however, criticised the move as part of desperate efforts by a failed government to pacify a restive military.

“This is what happens when the country is in the hands of a mafia. The mafia does not care about anyone else but themselves.

“They are very selfish and they would rather watch everyone die than let their interest get threatened. To them, Zimbabwe can burn just as long as they are enjoying. No one cares, this is the unfortunate situation that we find ourselves in,” said Kasukuwere.

He said President Mnangagwa was desperate to find ways of pacifying the army which he knew very well could show him the exit door anytime.

“The army is running the country. Mnangagwa is trying to save himself from sleeping with one eye open at night. We all know the role played by the army to propel Mnangagwa to where he is today so if he forgets the same people will kick him out.

“You have seen Mnangagwa using the army to crush dissent so it is only logical for him to make sure that his boys are happy,” said Kasukuwere.

The 2.5 percent ‘garrison tax’ will add to the two percent transactional tax and bank charges which already are a heavy burden on the poorly-remunerated government workers.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou lashed out at Ncube’s latest policy announcement which he said was designed to worsen poverty in the country.

“For the Finance minister and the rest of cabinet to agree to tax civil servants 2.5 percent to set up shops that will sell subsidised commodities to members of the army is lunacy.

“The cabinet must be reminded that if they are so much interested in uplifting the image of the army, they must pay the army well so that they can buy from shops of their choice.

“Reducing soldiers to ridicule and subsidisation by civil servants is dangerous and a national security threat as it compromises the civilian-military relations,” said Zhou.

— TellZim

MDC legislator for Harare West Johanna Mamombe’s further remand refusal bid was dismissed yesterday after a court ruled that there is no excessive delay in prosecuting her treason case.

Harare magistrate Rumbidzayi Mugwagwa said Mamombe faced a complex charge which required more time on investigations.

Mamombe is accused of attempting to overthrow President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government by influencing demonstrations which rocked the country in January last year.
The demonstrations followed the announcement of fuel price hikes by Mnangagwa which torched protests by civilians.

“The State has shown that there is progress in the matter and two law officers are said to have informed their opinions to the case,” Mugwagwa said.

“We are aware that the Constitution provides that trial should be dealt with within a reasonable period of time. In my view there has not been an inordinate delay as the nature of the offence committed requires more time.”

Mamombe was represented by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights’ Jeremiah Bamu who contested Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti’s request for further postponement of the matter to March 19 on the same reason that has been proffered since mid-last year.

“No valid reason has been given why further remand is sought. The same reason given today has been regurgitated for a long period of time and what comes out clearly is that State does not know whether to prosecute this matter or not,” Bamu said.

“That uncertainty at the level of the prosecutor-general is sufficient cause why this matter should be removed from remand.

“The State has failed since August 22 to process indict papers and have the accused person’s trial commence in the High Court.”

Allegations are that the opposition lawmaker addressed a press conference at Civic Centre in Marlborough, Harare where she called on citizens to engage in acts of civil disobedience with the intention to remove a sitting government through unconstitutional means.

Daily News

THE Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) has started the process of compiling more applications from petroleum companies which have expressed interest to sell fuel in foreign currency.

Late last month the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) instructed Zera to register all fuel service stations that have free funds, which they can use to import fuel for sale in foreign currency.

RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya indicated that the central bank had given exchange control approval for Zera to receive applications from fuel companies that have free funds for direct imports to be sold in hard currency.

Zera acting chief executive officer Mr Eddington Muzambani told Sunday News Business that the energy regulator had started the process of compiling applications from petroleum companies to sell in foreign currency.

“Zera requested all interested operators to submit their applications to be considered for licensing to sell fuel in foreign currency. The applications are currently being compiled and the detailed analysis and classification of sites to be licensed by province and town will be availed in due course,” he said.

Previously, only a few designated fuel service stations could sell fuel in forex in terms of Statutory Instrument 212 of 2019, which allowed only guests of State and diplomats to buy petrol, diesel or other petroleum products in foreign currency.

But Zuva Petroleum late last month announced it will be accepting foreign currency for fuel payments at eight of the firm’s service stations across the country, in Harare (four) and one each in Bulawayo, Mutare, Gweru and Victoria Falls.

Mr Muzambani said operators that are found liable to violating the Direct Fuel Import (DFI) facility risk having their licences cancelled.

“There are regulations that will deal with operators who may violate the DFI facility. A combination of civil and criminal procedure will be applied as part of enforcing the regulations. Suffice to say any violation of the DFI facility will result in cancellation of the licence under the provisions of the law,” he said.

Mr Muzambani said Zera has over the past few years charged a number of petroleum companies that had been selling fuel in foreign currency without a license.

“Selling fuel in foreign currency was done under the provision of the law as provided under SI 161 of 2019, SI 212 of 2019 and circular number 8 of 2019 of the RBZ. Other sites that attempted to sell fuel in foreign currency were given compliance orders or charged for violation of their licence condition,” he said.

08 March 2020- As we commemorate International Women’s Day running under the theme, “An equal world is an enabled world”, ZESN calls for a multi-stakeholder approach in ensuring gender equality in democratic, electoral and governance processes in Zimbabwe.

International Women’s Day comes at a time when ZESN and other CSOs are lobbying government and political parties to increase women’s representation in the government and participation as political candidates as a way of empowering women to achieve gender parity.

International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on 8 March and offers an opportunity to reflect on progress made with regards to gender equality, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history and development of their countries and communities.

The Zimbabwe Constitution under Section 17 calls on the State to promote full gender balance in Zimbabwean society, and in particular – with regard to promoting the full participation of women in all spheres of Zimbabwean society on the basis of equality with men and to take legislative and other measures to ensure that both genders are equally represented in all institutions and agencies of government at every level; and that women should constitute at least half of members of all Commissions and other elective and appointed governmental bodies established under the Constitution or any Act of Parliament; and that the State must take positive measures to rectify gender discrimination and imbalances resulting from past practices and policies.

ZESN notes with concern that despite this legislative framework to ensure gender equality, Zimbabwe is yet to achieve equal representation in public office and decision making positions.

There are no measures in place to ensure that political parties comply with the provisions of the Constitution for their appointments and candidate selection.

Furthermore, women are subjected to physical, verbal and emotional abuse thereby discouraging political contestation.

While Section 124 (b) of the Constitution provides a quota of 60 seats set aside for women for proportional representation in Parliament and counterpoises the constituency-based electoral system, the quota system does not have clear provisions on how to include young women, does not extend to local government, and expires in 2023.

The Network urges government to ensure that membership of Parliament and membership of any council of a local authority shall at all times reflect gender parity in order to achieve gender equality of representation between men and women pursuant to sections 17, 56(2) and (3) and 80(1) of the Constitution; and (ii) comply with any quotas reserved for the youth and persons with disabilities as may be prescribed by the Commission in consultation with registered political parties.

ZESN thus calls for the development of strong legal mechanisms to encourage and support the adoption of women as candidates so as to ensure gender parity in political and decision-making positions in line with the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, which states that “State parties shall ensure equal and effective representation by women in decision-making in the political, public and private sectors, including the use of special measures,” (Article 12. 1).

Ensuring that gender considerations are mainstreamed in electoral processes will go a long way in enhancing women’s participation in democratic governance processes.

The honeymoon seems to be over for Highlanders defender Peter Muduhwa after the player was accused of marking the wrong territory with allegations of infidelity threatening to rip apart his marriage.

Social media went into a frenzied overdrive in the last couple of days after a Facebook user accused Muduhwa of playing outside of his marital pitch with another woman.

The player married Vanessa Muduhwa (nee Gasela) in November last year.

Barely four months into the union, Muduhwa is accused of stepping out of marriage with another woman in a no-holds barred series of posts on social media.

So confident is the Facebook user’s claims of infidelity against Muduhwa that he dared the footballer to refute the allegations.

The first post was dropped on social media last Sunday and it read:

“Our new wedded couple it’s less than three months thy (sic) married but they are already planning a divorce. Our player has played hearts, what a world.”

A couple of minutes later the Facebook user who goes by the name Chey Chey tagged the player once again with two pictures and asked: “Who is the wife A or B?”

The pictures are those of Muduhwa with his wife Vanessa and another one where he is cosy with another woman.

Followers of the footie quickly came to the defence of Muduhwa with some questioning the Facebook user’s motives in posting pictures of him with another woman.

“Immaturity so Chey Chey whoever you are what are your motives??? What are you trying to achieve? Had I been you I was going to use my time wisely doing something productive like mastering English,” wrote one of the irritated followers, Matron Mattie D.

The accuser fired back by sending another cozy picture of Muduhwa with his “lady friend” and asked “Is this the same girl he married? Haters deserve to be humiliated.”

Another follower asked the wisdom of making infidelity accusations on social media.

“Chey Chey I know he (Muduhwa) is married to Vanessa but discussing this on Facebook won’t solve any problem, talk to him please,” said Eunice Dube.

Shepherd Rejour Markoo Dube said “Chey Chey is there any need of publishing such a rumour, why not mind your own divorce and leave them with their business.”

Chey Chey showed no chill and went on to draw a comparison between Vanessa and the lady with Muduhwa on the picture saying “A is beautiful, why didn’t he marry her while B (Vanessa) seems older than him (Muduhwa).

Muduhwa’s wife, seemingly unfazed by the allegations, said: “Our silence doesn’t mean that we are afraid of you or what. Uthunywe nguye yin ugal lo oku pic oyisendileyo (were you sent by this lady on the picture).”

“We are not divorcing anytime soon so Ayiii khohlwani (forget). This isn’t breaking us,” said Vanessa.

Efforts to get hold of Muduhwa proved futile after someone that claimed to be his spokesperson told this reporter to phone again at 10pm on Monday.

“Hello, who am I speaking to? Muduhwa is not around, call around 10 or 11 or leave a message.”

Repeated efforts to get hold of the player were unsuccessful and messages sent to his phone were not responded to. 

• B Metro

Correspondent|SOME commuter omnibuses operators are now demanding transport fares in US dollars in what could be seen as open defiance against an unpopular government decision to dump the multi-currency system in place for the local dollar.

The private operators now charge US$1 for a one-way trip from Chitungwiza to Harare with commuters from Harare CBD now asked to fork out US$0.50 for a single trip to the city’s high density suburbs.

“We are buying fuel in US dollars so it is only logical that we charge in the same currency,” said one tout only identified as Sam.

“My kombi plies the Warren Park 1 to town route which is not really strict on US dollar payments but my colleagues plying the Chitungwiza route are already demanding US$1 per person or equivalent for them to buy foreign currency on the black market at the end of their working day.

“Fares to Warren Park 1 and back have been rising everyday hence we have opted to encourage our passengers to pay US$1 per pair.”

The US dollar charges are similar to those charged during the US dollar period.

Government reintroduced subsidised transport through public transporter Zupco whose charges are way less than those charged by private transporters.

However, the few buses plying the routes often find themselves too overwhelmed leaving commuters with no other choice than to depend on private transporters.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube scrapped the multicurrency system in an unpopular policy shift last year.

The move came at the expense of the national economy which had struck relative stability since the introduction of the US dollar, the South African rand and a basket of other major currencies that are easy to use among locals.

The chickens have since come home to roost as the Zim-dollar keeps eroding in terms of value, leaving businesses with no option but to go against government’s directive to charges goods and services in local currency.

Added Sam: “People have the US dollar, we cannot continue to pretend there is no US dollar anymore when we all know goods and services are being charged in that currency.

“Government knows the US dollar is there, that is the reason it has allowed fuel and other companies to sell in foreign currency.

“I am sure even Ncube and John Mangudya (RBZ governor) know the local currency is worthless on the streets.

“They should simply allow all of us to use it instead of forcing us to use their paper.”

Private taxi operators have for long been demanding transport fares in US dollars.

State Media|GOVERNMENT has dismissed findings by the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food that food shortages in the country are man-made saying the situation is a result of a combination of factors including sanctions and climate change.

In her preliminary report at the end of her visit, the Special Rapporteur, Ms Hilal Elve, who was invited into the country by Government last year on a fact-finding mission, concluded that the country was on the verge of a major man-made famine characterised by partisan food distribution and repeated droughts.

Presenting Government’s response to the rapporteur’s findings during the 43rd Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland last week, Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs Virginia Mabiza said the report failed to capture the correct picture.

“Madame President, indeed the Special Rapporteur correctly observed that the country faces economic challenges due to the continued imposition of illegal sanctions, which has hampered the realisation of socio-economic rights,” said Mrs Mabiza.

“This is being compounded by successive droughts and the devastating Tropical Cyclone Idai. These factors have negatively impacted on the food security of our citizens particularly the vulnerable.”

Mrs Mabiza accused the Special Rapporteur of exaggerating the scale of food shortages and insisted the shortages were not man-made.

She added that Ms Elve’s field visits were limited to places at the extreme end of the food situation spectrum.

“The Government of Zimbabwe wishes to reiterate that the Special Rapporteur’s view that the majority of the population is suffering from food insecurity is grossly exaggerated.

“Statistics to that effect are clearly illustrated in our submitted response. Furthermore, the assertion that Zimbabwe faces a man-made food crisis is a misrepresentation of our food security situation, which is a direct result of sanctions and the effect of climate change as correctly observed by the Special Rapporteur herself.

“While the Government acknowledges that there is a need for food aid, it is, however, of the view that the population sampled by the Special Rapporteur was limited and less reflective of the broader context of the food and agricultural situation in Zimbabwe.

“Her findings were limited to a few field visits, which at a minimum, are at the extreme end of the food situation spectrum.”

The Special Rapporteur, said Mrs Mabiza, failed to take into account safety nets and measures being implemented by the Government and how they are impacting on the enjoyment of the right to food.

Government is implementing programmes that include the targeted food handout scheme for food insecure households, distribution of subsidised maize meal, providing agricultural finance and inputs and importation of maize.

Mrs Mabiza said Government was importing grain to boost food security.

“Regarding sanctions, it is a historical fact that they were imposed by some Western countries in retaliation to Zimbabwe’s decision to launch the land reform programme in early 2000 to correct the skewed land tenure system inherited from the colonial era,” she said.

“These sanctions are illegal, unjustified and violate Article 41 of the United Nations Charter.

“As a result of these sanctions, in the past two decades, Zimbabwe lost potential revenue which includes: bilateral donor support; loans from multilateral lending institutions; denial of lines of credit; and the regression of infrastructure development.”

She added: “Madame President, the Government also brings to your attention other unfounded assertions by the Special Rapporteur, which include alleged partisan distribution of food aid and diversion of proceeds from mineral sales respectively.

“In respect of food distribution, the Government has put in place a structure for the transparent selection and distribution of food relief composed of public servants and NGOs.

“Regarding proceeds from the sale of minerals, revenue is directly transmitted to Treasury in a well-documented and audited structure.”

THE Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) has started the process of compiling more applications from petroleum companies which have expressed interest to sell fuel in foreign currency.

Late last month the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) instructed Zera to register all fuel service stations that have free funds, which they can use to import fuel for sale in foreign currency.

RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya indicated that the central bank had given exchange control approval for Zera to receive applications from fuel companies that have free funds for direct imports to be sold in hard currency.

Zera acting chief executive officer Mr Eddington Muzambani told Sunday News Business that the energy regulator had started the process of compiling applications from petroleum companies to sell in foreign currency.

“Zera requested all interested operators to submit their applications to be considered for licensing to sell fuel in foreign currency. The applications are currently being compiled and the detailed analysis and classification of sites to be licensed by province and town will be availed in due course,” he said.

Previously, only a few designated fuel service stations could sell fuel in forex in terms of Statutory Instrument 212 of 2019, which allowed only guests of State and diplomats to buy petrol, diesel or other petroleum products in foreign currency.

But Zuva Petroleum late last month announced it will be accepting foreign currency for fuel payments at eight of the firm’s service stations across the country, in Harare (four) and one each in Bulawayo, Mutare, Gweru and Victoria Falls.

Mr Muzambani said operators that are found liable to violating the Direct Fuel Import (DFI) facility risk having their licences cancelled.

“There are regulations that will deal with operators who may violate the DFI facility. A combination of civil and criminal procedure will be applied as part of enforcing the regulations. Suffice to say any violation of the DFI facility will result in cancellation of the licence under the provisions of the law,” he said.

Mr Muzambani said Zera has over the past few years charged a number of petroleum companies that had been selling fuel in foreign currency without a license. 

“Selling fuel in foreign currency was done under the provision of the law as provided under SI 161 of 2019, SI 212 of 2019 and circular number 8 of 2019 of the RBZ. Other sites that attempted to sell fuel in foreign currency were given compliance orders or charged for violation of their licence condition,” he said.

-State media

By Dr Ellane Simon
Zimbabwe Online Health Centre

The day is celebrated on the 8th of March every year.

2020 Theme is: An equal world is an enabled world.

It is just a day set aside to recognize social, economic, cultural and political achievements done by women that is an ordinary woman playing an extraordinary role. We do recognize what’s done by the women because back in the 18th and 19th century women were believed not to be able to do something extraordinary than their male counterparts.

Especially in the African culture there work was to get married, bear children, do house chores and farm while men would do all the other work. They were not even given a chance to go to school and attain education.

However as time moves people then realised that women can also do jobs that were labeled to be men’s jobs and actually do them better. A day was then set aside to celebrate those women who have done great works and to encourage women to also do great even those who think women are incapable to give them a chance to prove themselves.

The whole world thought it was a good initiative and on planning for tomorrow’s future kept that in mind.

When Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were formed they included women in their goals for 2030. Goal 5: Gender equality – Ending discrimination against women and girls is not only a basic human right but crucial for a sustainable future.

Empowering women and girls helps in economic growth and development.

It has been proven that girls who attend school are less susceptible to forced marriage, early pregnancy and gender-based violence. It is vital to give women equal rights to land and property, sexual and reproductive health, and to technology and internet to make the world a better place.

Facts and figures that shows women are treated differently from men as of 2018 showed that:

1. Women earn only 77cents for every dollar that men get for the same job.
2. 35% of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.
3. Women represent just 13% of agriculture landholders.
4. Approximately 750million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday.
5. 24% of national parliamentarians were women compared with 11.3% in the 90s but is still low.

All these facts still shows there are improvements in gender equality but there is still a gap that needs to be covered. Everyone should encourage the girl child that nothing is impossible, what a men can do a woman can do and what a woman can do a man can do.

In Zimbabwe gender equality is improving significantly and people are accepting it slowly. The girl child have equal access to education with the boy child and to even encourage girls continuing with their education at University level, some requirements are lower for the girls than boys. Early marriages and child marriages are no longer allowed. Women have a say on reproductive health issues.

Women are also allowed to have high positions of power in offices even in the parliament. Let’s empower women and girls in our communities to make a difference, to move from being ordinary to being extraordinary. All this is done to have an equal world which is an enabled world.

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Own Correspondent| Government of Zimbabwe could be hiding the correct country report and situation with regards to the novel coronavirus amid reports that a woman who came from China and got quarantined before being released could have died of the deadly virus.

Government insists she tested negative to the deadly virus.

Another unconfirmed report suggests that a Chinese national died of coronavirus in the country with government decided to conceal the information while hurriedly arranging for an urgent burial.

Just early this morning, an online publication Zimlive also posted related information on its Twitter handle adding to mounting fears that government could be playing hide and seek games with citizens.

“Not saying government is lying, citizens, but earlier today we got a news tip suggesting a Chinese national had died at Wilkins from coronavirus and health ministry had decided on a cover up. I dutifully asked Obadiah Moyo to clear it up. He read and ignored,” said ZimLive.

South Africa has so far recorded two confirmed cases of coronavirus.

The deadly disease has so far killed over 3000 people with close to a 100 000 now affected by the virus.

(Reuters) – A five-storey hotel being used for coronavirus quarantine collapsed in the southeast Chinese port city of Quanzhou on Saturday, trapping about 70 people, state media said.

A video stream posted by the government-backed Beijing News site showed rescue workers in orange overalls clambering over the rubble of the Quanzhou Xinjia Hotel and carrying people toward ambulances.

The hotel collapsed at about 7:30 p.m. (1130 GMT) and 34 people were rescued in the following two hours, the Quanzhou municipality said on its website.

By dawn on Sunday, 47 individuals had been rescued, according to state media outlet People’s Daily.

“I was at a gas station and heard a loud noise. I looked up and the whole building collapsed. Dust was everywhere, and glass fragments were flying around,” a witness said in a video posted on the Miaopai streaming app.

“I was so terrified that my hands and legs were shivering.”

A woman named only by her surname, Chen, told the Beijing News website that relatives including her sister had been under quarantine at the hotel as prescribed by local regulations after returning from Hubei province, where the coronavirus emerged.

She said they had been scheduled to leave soon after completing their 14 days of isolation.

“I can’t contact them, they’re not answering their phones, she said.

“I’m under quarantine too (at another hotel) and I’m very worried, I don’t know what to do. They were healthy, they took their temperatures every day, and the tests showed that everything was normal.”

Quanzhou is a port city on the Taiwan Strait in the province of Fujian with a population of more than 8 million.

The official People’s Daily said the hotel had opened in June 2018 with 80 rooms.

Beijing News’ video stream was viewed by more than 2 million Weibo users on Saturday evening, and the hotel’s collapse was the top trending topic on the Weibo (WB.O) site, China’s close equivalent to Twitter.

Some users demanded a investigation into how the hotel could have collapsed.

Anger has been building up against the authorities in China over their early handling of the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed more than 3,300 people globally, most of them in China.ADVERTISEMENT

The Fujian provincial government said that as of Friday, the province had 296 cases of coronavirus and 10,819 people had been placed under observation after being classified as suspected close contacts.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the committee responsible for working safety under the State Council, China’s cabinet, had sent an emergency working team to the site.

-Reuters

Farai Dziva|The leader of Masvingo based Calvary Prayer Group, Isaac Makomichi has called on Zimbabweans to stop taking alcohol for five days to seek God’s intervention as Coronavirus continues to ravage the world.

Speaking to ZimEye.com on Friday, Makomichi said Coronavirus(COVID-19) can be defeated by earnest prayers.
Makomichi is also the president of Vulnerable Youth Support Network Trust.

“I am calling on Zimbabweans to stop taking alcohol for five days – to pray against Coronavirus(COVID-19).

It(COVID-19) can be defeated by fervent prayers to God Almighty.

I am prepared to lead the national prayers against Coronavirus.

What we need is God’s protection.God is able to protect and save us from perishing,” said Makomichi.

He added:”Just like in the bible when there is a problem people must humble themselves before God and He will provide a solution.

That is what we are supposed to do.”

“She was referred to Wilkins Hospital for COVID-19 tests but died on the way…”

By Simba Chikanza| The Zimbabwean government risks being referred to the United Nations Security council after it failed to report a case of suspected Corona virus in a woman who returned from China in January and just yesterday presented herself to her doctor and died a day later.

The symptoms explained are synonymous with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and yet the Zimbabwean government has been silent on this amid revelations the state is neither checking people who enter through the RGM airport nor quarantining them.

To date the Zim government has submitted records to the United Nations and other bodies claiming that there are no cases at all of coronavirus in the country. And just today the live satellite map said the country is clear of coronavirus. However just 2 days before Parliament debated that they are several people who are currently current quarantined in Norton.

In the latest development, the government says “a Mutare woman who returned from China on 24 January, presented to her GP on 6 March complaining of shortness of breath.

“She was referred to Wilkins Hospital for COVID-19 tests but died on the way. Subsequent tests at Wilkins indicated negative for Coronavirus.”

• more follows….

Meanwhile, it was not clear if the ministry of health has done a contact tracing procedure so to ascertain potential viral spread.

By A Correspondent- A man from Zhombe’s Sikabela area shocked all and sundry after he ploughed and planted maize at a school’s assembly point arguing that the school boundary encroached into his yard.

The headmaster and pupils at Sikabela Primary School were left shell shocked when Agent Ncube brought his cattle and started ploughing at the school assembly point with his wife in tow with a bucket of seed maize, claiming it was his farm.

When the school authorities tried to intervene, Ncube threatened them with an axe and to strike whoever dared to stop him with lightning.

Ward 13 Councillor Cafemol Moyo confirmed the incident that has left the whole community shocked.

“It is true, we are having this problem where Ncube is claiming that the school encroached in his yard. We have tried to talk to him but to no avail. He remains adamant that the school was in his backyard and that the school should be moved,” said Cllr Moyo.

He said on the fateful day, he was called to intervene only to find Ncube busy with his cattle with his wife in tow, planting.

“I was called by the school authorities but when we tried to intervene, he threatened us with lightning and to chop us down with an axe,” said the councillor.

 He said authorities including police and the district schools’ inspector, had tried to intervene but to no avail.

“The Dispol has been here several times as well as the education boss in the district, but the man remains adamant. As it is we are hoping that the courts will solve the issue for us because what he is doing is jeopardising the proper learning of children and disobeying the authorities,” said Councillor Moyo.

He said Ncube claimed that the area was given to him by the then village head.

“He claims that he was born in 1978 and the school was pegged in 1981 and it was pegged in his place. We are now hoping that the courts will solve this impasse for us,” said Cllr Moyo.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Peace Project has reported that police recently banned the MDC’s women assembly rally, which was slated for Harare under unclear circumstances.

“On 21 February, the police banned the MDC Women’s Assembly rally slated for Harare’s Warren Park D Suburb at Pfukwa shops but earlier during the month, the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa convened a mini rally in Mbare which was escorted by the police,” ZPP reported.

“Reports of some traditional leaders who continued to violate provisions of Chapter 15 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe that prohibits them from getting involved in partisan politics were noted.”

ZPP said such behaviour compromises the administration of their duties which require that they govern in a non-partisan manner.

ZPP said it recorded a total of 195 violations up from 185 in January.

“Food and other aid related violations remained high with a total of 38 such cases being recorded. The aid was largely from the Department of Social Welfare. Mashonaland Central province recorded the highest number of violations at 53, followed by Harare with 33,” reads the ZPP report.

The Zimbabwe Independent’s headline alleging the misappropriation of ZW$ 2 million is false, baseless and appears to be yet another attempt to discredit the #MDC generally and its Party Leader @nelsonchamisa and Secretary-General.

As I have made clear to a variety of journalists in the last few weeks since this false story first emerged I am not aware of any money which has been misappropriated from MDC coffers by any official or party leader.

Since taking office as MDC Treasurer General last May I have implemented a variety of new measures to make the MDC accounting systems as transparent and orderly as possible.

These systems have included a strict banking culture and an agreement that our annual accounts will be subjected to an internal audit. President Chamisa is not even a signatory to our banking account and so it is impossible for him to have misappropriated money.

All of these measures have been wholeheartedly backed by President Chamisa.

Whilst our first audit for the financial year ended 31st December 2019 has not been done yet I have encountered no resistance to it from any quarter within the senior leadership of the MDC.

The attempts by some to portray the audit as some kind of investigation into alleged impropriety are misleading and utterly false.

The audit was agreed to last year and is a routine audit. I should also point out that this is the first time the MDC has conducted an audit of this nature and it is the first time any political party in Zimbabwe has ever subjected itself to an audit.

In all the circumstances the report in the Zimbabwe Independent is clearly designed to impugn the credibility and integrity of MDC President Nelson Chamisa, the Secretary Chalton Hwende and the MDC.

The Zimbabwean public need to be assured that our goal within the MDC is that it meets the highest international standards of accountability and transparency, which in turn will demonstrate that the MDC is competent to govern Zimbabwe as a whole.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwean government has said that it has recalled one of its diplomats, Mr Mcmillan Moyana who was based in the United States of America over “unbecoming behaviour”.

In a statement, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Mrs Constance Chemwayi confirmed the development saying:

The ministry can confirm that one of our junior officers in Washington was recently involved in unbecoming behaviour that is unacceptable among our diplomats.

The ministry swiftly took action and recalled him. He is currently under disciplinary action in accordance with the Public Service Commission regulations.

Reports suggest that the diplomat barged into a home in the US and was arrested and arrayed in court on charges of home invasion, second-degree assault, third-degree burglary, reckless endangerment, and trespassing which all carry a combined total of up to 50 years in prison.

He was however later released after being granted diplomatic immunity.-Statemedia

By Simba Chikanza| The Zimbabwean government risks being referred to the United Nations Security council after it failed to report a case of suspected Corona virus in a woman who recently returned from China and just yesterday presented herself to her doctor and died a day later.

The symptoms explained are synonymous with the novel coronavirus, and yet the Zimbabwean government has been silent on this amid revelations the state is not checking people who enter through the RGM airport and not quarantining those from affected regions.

To date the Zim government has submitted records to the United Nations and other bodies claiming that there are no cases at all of coronavirus in the country. And just today the live satellite map should the country is clear of coronavirus. However just 2 days before Parliament debated that there are several people who are currently current quarantined in Norton.

In the latest development, the government says “a Mutare woman who returned from China on 24 January, presented to her GP on 6 March complaining of shortness of breath.

“She was referred to Wilkins Hospital for COVID-19 tests but died on the way.Subsequent tests at Wilkins indicated negative for Coronavirus.”

• more follows….

By Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe MP Harare West Constituency

It’s been exactly 365 days plus two more days since I was arrested last year on the 4th of March and charged with Treason.

Yesterday, I appeared in court and made an application to be removed from remand.

Today, the Magistrate gave a ruling in favour of the state.

She ruled that the Treason case is complex hence state needs more time before setting a trial date at the High Court.

The case has been postponed to Wednesday the 18th of March 2020.

Despite all the persecution I presently face through these needless remands, I stand firm in my belief that even the purest fountain is not so free from mud, as I am innocent of these spurious allegations.

All I am asking for is my day in court, and the State’s failure to provide a trial date vindicates my position that it has no case worth taking to trial and is bent on keeping me on remand to please its political masters. This however will not deter me in my quest for a better Zimbabwe.

Many thanks to fellow Honourable Members of Parliament, Senior party leaders, Harare West MDC Members, Family and Friends for the unwavering support! A big shout out to my wonderful counsel Jeremiah Mutongi Bamu, I appreciate you…

Struggle for a new Zimbabwe is real !!!

By A Correspondent- Jabulani the son of the late renowned traditional healer, Sekuru Ndunge born Charles Makuyana has approached Chipinge magistrate courts seeking to distribute property with his estranged wife, Ethel Loreen Jenhu following their divorce recently.

In his court papers, Makuyana is seeking the return of three vehicles; a Toyota Prado, Toyota Bubble, and Toyota Picnic, which were given to him by his late father, four-car radios and a house in Usunga Suburb in Chipinge.

He also contended that he also helped Jenhu to start a chicken project from which she managed to buy the Honda Fit vehicles which she now uses as taxis and also bought a stand in Glenview suburb in the Eastern Highlands town.

However, Jenhu denied Makuyana’s claims that he gave her financial assistance to start a chicken or transport business adding that Makuyana was actually trying to thwart her efforts.

She also contends that Makuyana’s proposed property distribution format was unfair as it included properties which she acquired alone adding that Makuyana also omitted several properties which should have been included.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi has warned “unscrupulous” fuel dealers who are in the habit of hoarding fuel and then selling it at inflated prices in foreign currency that they will lose their licenses.

Chasi’s remarks follow reports of fuel service stations in Victoria Falls selling the product in foreign currency at between US$1.50 and US$1.59 per litre for petrol and diesel, respectively.

Speaking at the South Africa-Zambia and Zimbabwe Infrastructure Summit and Expo in the resort town on Friday, Chasi said:

Very soon there will be order in the fuel sector. We can’t have people accessing foreign currency from the Central Bank and then go on to sell fuel anyhow. For those that don’t comply I will simply take their licenses and tear them up because we can’t have our people being punished by unscrupulous dealers.

Government has expressed concern in the past regarding that type of conduct and yesterday the Ministry (Finance) expressed itself in very strong terms in terms of saying to those that are engaging in malpractices that we will de-licence them because we can’t have profiteering people.

Recently the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor John Mangudya said the Central Bank has given the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) approval to register fuel service stations with free funds for direct imports to be sold in foreign currency.

Meanwhile, ZERA has not yet approved any service station to sell fuel in foreign currency but the practice has already become rampant.-Statemedia