By A Correspondent- The government has liberalised the importation of grain, maize meal and wheat flour after being hit by a second successive drought and chaos in the milling sector following attempts by the government to introduce a targeted subsidy.
 
In a statutory instrument 60 of 2020, the government announced that these products could now be imported without the need for an import licence.
 
“Pursuant to listing grain, maize meal and wheat flour on the open general import licence individuals and corporates may import these products without the need for an import licence,” the government said in Statutory Instrument 60 of 2020.
 
The Control of Goods (Open General Import Licence) Notice, 2018, published in Statutory Instrument 237A of 2018 is amended by the insertion of the following products to the General Import Licence; grain, maize meal and wheat flour, the new statutory instrument said.   
 
The government recently introduced a subsidy for roller meal to cushion the vulnerable from spiralling prices. This has however resulted in maize meal shortages due to rent-seeking behaviour and chaos in the maize milling sector.  The Government has also failed to pay for the subsidy with millers saying they were holding 10 000t which would be released to the market if the government pays the $120 million it owed them.
 
Government has also announced, under SI 61 of 2020, that anyone with free funds can now legally pay US$318 for an emergency passport. -finx

By A Correspondent- An illegal foreign currency dealer was shot and killed by robbers outside a lodge in Bulawayo’s Kumalo suburb who with reports claiming that they went away with US$20 000.

Madakwa Mapako (48) was gunned down at around 8 PM on Thursday near Continental Lodge where he had gone to make a transaction, his young brother Pardon revealed.

Bulawayo Province Police spokesperson, Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident but said the deceased was killed in the company of his girlfriend.

Said Ncube:

Police are investigating a case of murder which occurred outside a hotel in Bulawayo where a male adult, Madakwa Mapako was shot on the chest by armed robbers.

The deceased had gone with a girlfriend to the hotel where he was only booked for 30 minutes. Upon getting out of the hotel, as he was trying to get into the car, a man emerged from the back and grabbed him. Two men joined in and in the ensuing scuffle. Mapako was shot on the chest.

However, Pardon accused the police of inefficiency, saying his brother had been stalked by the robbers since February 21 and a report was made to the police.-Statemedia

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa who labels his torture victims, “cockroaches” who must be wiped out using DDT chemicals, has announced that soon people are going to be arrested for keeping cockroaches, the same cache-phrase he used when he got 22,000 Ndebeles killed during the period the late President Robert Mugabe just before his death apologised saying was a moment of madness. 

Said Mnangagwa, “very soon village inspectors will start going from house to house, if they find cockroaches, you will be given first warning and on the second we will arrest anyone found with cockroaches.”

Continue reading “President WeMapete: Mnangagwa To Deploy Police to Search For Cockroaches”

CONFIRMATION OF SECOND CASE OF COVID-19 IN SOUTH AFRICA

The Minister of Health wishes to advise all South Africans that a second case of COVID-19 has now been confirmed in South Africa.

The 39-year-old lady who is from Gauteng is a direct contact to the first case from KwaZulu-Natal. She was part of the group of 10 that had travelled to Italy.

The public must be notified that we have information and know the whereabouts of all the other 10 people who were part of the group that had travelled to Italy.

All those who came back to South Africa, are currently being tested. We are now awaiting their test results to come out. Since being traced, they have remained in isolation to avoid any further contact with third parties.

The second patient who has now tested positive for COV-19 will now be immediately admitted to a public health facility in Gauteng that government has identified as one of the hospitals that are ready to receive COVID-19 positive patients.

We are now following all the protocols that we have already publicly announced to the public in dealing with this case. We will keep the public fully informed on all relevant developments.

We also wish to notify the public that our embassy has advised us that a 39 year old male South African who works in Daegu, South Korea has also tested positive for COVID-19.

He was due to return to South Africa and has since remained in South Korea. We are now following up with the South Korean authorities firstly to obtain formal confirmation of this case and also the details of where our citizen is being treated.

We continue to call for calm and cooperation from the public and the media during this period. We also request that the privacy of the patients, the affected individuals and families be respected.

Our commitment to doing everything in our power to mitigate against the uncontrollable spread of COVID-19 in our country remains.

Dr Zwelini Mkhize
Minister of Health
Date: 07 March 2020
End…

By A Correspondent| Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Nick Mangwana has been criticised over a tweet in which he highlighted the harmful effects of cockroaches.

Mangwana’s post on the microblogging site Twitter has been considered ill-advised, following President Mnangagwa’s utterances during the national clean up campaign on Friday where he warned that citizens will be arrested if the pests were found in their dwellings.

Mangwana’s post reads:

Cockroaches are pests that have been implicated in the transmission of many diseases. They prefer the night when they come out looking for food. They contaminate utensils & food because they carry a staggering amount of germs which cause diseases such as Typhoid, Dysentery & polio.

Zenzele: Nick do you remember that in 1983 at a rally in Victoria Falls Mnangagwa said “We had a problem of cockroaches and we decided to bring in DDT” ( referring to the 5th brigade? #Asakhe

Fadzayi Mahere: This is a repulsive new low even by your standards, @nickmangwana. Please don’t take Zimbabwe further down the gutter. Understand that you’re the spokesperson for Govt. There are certain things you simply cannot say given our context and history. This is most regrettable.

Dr Gatsheni Zebalon Ndlovu: Defending your Gukurandi boss, who referred to Matebeles as cockroaches who needed DDT to eliminate them. Didn’t say it, Nick!

Mems_Mthoe_: Corruption is the cockroach that has been implicated in poverty. It prefers lucrative deals were it comes looking for bribes. It has contaminated the financial sector and caused joblessness and it drains a staggering amount of money from state coffers…

allcoolnamesaretaken: Zanu pf is the biggest cockroach we have in Zimbabwe. It must go tanetaa isu tavhizuka isu.

By A Correspondent- The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) regional director Julitta Onabanjo is unhappy with the rate at which the number of teenage pregnancies continue to rise in Zimbabwe.

Onabanjo’s comments came in the wake of a recent Unesco report which revealed that 6 159 girls dropped out of school last year due to early unintended pregnancies.

Speaking to the media during a tour of Tariro Clinic in Hopley, Harare on Monday, Onabanjo emphasised the urgent need for the Zimbabwean government to intensify the fight against the problem that is cutting the future of young girls short.

“We always say one teen pregnancy that is unplanned and unwanted is just simply one too many. So, we really have to do more to ensure that young people have the information and ability to access the services that can ensure that they can make the right choices as to when they can have a baby,” she said.

The government last year revealed that Hopley has a population of 200 000 of which 65 000 are youths. Of that number, 21 percent of the girls have had teenage pregnancies, while 18 percent were in child marriages.

Onabanjo said the Hopley youths have to be assisted with more information on how to avoid teenage pregnancies and make the choice to be involved in sexual relationships at the right time.

“This community is brilliant and indeed it is a community of hope, but when I see how many young girls are here with little babies, you can tell that the prevalence of teen pregnancies is far too high.

“These young girls should be in school; they should be waiting to be able to have a real relationship. We can’t have children having children, not only is it a risk in terms of the outcome of the pregnancy, but also the deaths.

“A lot of the maternal deaths that we see are amongst young girls and this we can’t accept,” the UNFPA regional director added.

Meanwhile, the 2019 Multiple Cluster Indicator Survey (Mics) results have shown that over 100 000 women aged between 20 and 24 years fell pregnant before turning 18 in the country in the last five years.

According to the updated 2012 population census projections report, the country has a total of 734 742 women aged between 20 and 24.

The Mics report conducted between 2014 and 2019 said about 176 338 of those women fell pregnant before celebrating their 18th birthday.

“Twenty-four percent of women aged 20 to 24 years have had a live birth before age 18. One in four women aged between 20 and 24 years had a live birth before age 18,” the report said.-DailyNews

By A Correspondent- Scres of citizens, who claim they were assaulted by soldiers during last year’s fuel price hike protests, have taken Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri to the High Court demanding compensation.

In the applications, the “victims”, who are from different parts of the country, cited Muchinguri-Kashiri and Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander Valerio Sibanda as respondents.

Among some of the complainants, who are represented by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, are Richard Simba, Ganizani Mnzinga, Gilbert Mutare, Samson Silocha, Paul Damiano, Stewart Kamunwo, Tinashe Phiri and others. They are demanding $300 000 each.

“The plaintiff’s claim is for damages arising from the unlawful conduct of the defendants’ employees, who, at all material times, were acting within the normal course and scope of employment.

“The plaintiff avers that on the 14th of January 2019 at around 1700hours, he was at his home in Ruwa when three uniformed Zimbabwe National Army officers armed with rifles came to his home and accused him of having blocked the roads and burnt tyres,” Simba said in his court papers.

He said one of the army officers went on to assault him on the buttocks, hand, chest and legs using thick sticks and the butt of a rifle.

“As a result of the assault, plaintiff was injured across his body, particularly his buttocks, hand, chest and legs. The plaintiff avers that the assailants acted unlawfully by assaulting him. As a result of the attack, the plaintiff suffered pain and suffering, humiliation and degradation.

“Further, the assault on plaintiff was a violation of his right to personal security and bodily integrity, including freedom of violence from both public and private sources of the person as protected by the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” he said.

He demanded $300 000 in damages, an amount similar to the one made by each of the other victims.

In Phiri’s case, he said he was assaulted by the soldiers while at Chiwari Shopping Centre in Rusape. He claimed in court papers that he was assaulted while selling his wares.

Mnzinga on the other hand, said he was assaulted while at his home in Kuwadzana, Harare, while Mutare was at a bus terminus in Rusape.

Silocha, who is also suing Chengetai Chapata, a Zimbabwe National Army member, told the court that he was assaulted by soldiers while in Dzivaresekwa, Harare.

Damiano, who also cited Harare mayor Herbert Gomba as a respondent, said he was assaulted while on his way home, while Kamunwo was attacked in Dzivaresekwa.

Muchinguri-Kashiri and Sibanda have since entered their appearance to defend in all the applications. The matters are still pending before the High Court. -DailyNews

By A Correspondent- Grain millers are in the habit of hoarding government’s subsidised maize meal to sell on the black market, a development that has led to serious shortages of the product, Parliament heard yesterday.

This was said by minister of Industry Sekai Nzenza in the Senate while responding to a question by MDC Senator for Bulawayo Gideon Shoko regarding the progress made by the recently established taskforce to ensure transparent and equitable distribution of maize meal in light of the current shortages.

“Our committee is still very much alive and operational, but the challenge we are facing is that we have not been getting enough maize.

“The other challenge is that whenever it is there, we have a problem with millers who are hoarding the maize meal to sell on the black market at prices ranging between $116 and $160 per $10 kg against government’s endeavour to have citizens getting the product at $70 per 10 kg,” Nzenza said.

Her response came despite the fact that the taskforce was set up ostensibly to make follow-ups with retailers to curb diversion of the maize meal to the black market.

When MDC senator for Masvingo Tichinani Mavetera suggested that the government needed to direct the maize meal to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), Nzenza said the option was under consideration.

She also said the government was still in the process of coming up with a database for extremely vulnerable individuals who are eligible for the subsidized maize meal.

Meanwhile, deputy Energy minister Magna Mudyiwa was taken to task by senators who wanted to know why the government was issuing out licences to sell copper wire which is not produced locally and that Zesa Holdings was grappling with copper cables theft and vandalism of transformers.

“Unfortunately, the issuance of the licence is done by the Home Affairs ministry, not us. We have, however, engaged with the ministry to try and convince them to reconsider their position regarding that,” Mudyiwa said.

She also responded to a barrage of questions from the legislators who demanded to know the rationale of allowing some fuel service stations to sell their product in US dollars in a development that has seen those that are supposed to sell using local currency now selling in hard currency.

Mudyiwa requested that she be furnished with the names of such service stations for the government to take action.

“We only have a few selected ones who supply diplomats and some non-governmental organisations that are allowed to sell in foreign currency. The rest must sell in our own currency. Anyone doing that is violating the law and we will be happy to have their names,” Mudyiwa said.-DailyNews

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwean human rights defender and founder of Female Prisoners Support Trust Rita Nyampinga was on Wednesday recognised as one of 12 International Woman of Courage (IWOC) Award winners for 2020 by the United States of America government ahead of International Women’s Day on Sunday.

The International Women of Courage Award also referred to as the US Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award, is an American award presented annually by the United States Department of State to women around the world who have shown leadership, courage, resourcefulness, and willingness to sacrifice for others, especially in promoting women’s rights.

Nyampinga was honoured by the US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in Washington DC where First Lady Melania Trump was guest of honour.

The citation for Nyampinga read out by Kelley Eckels Currie, who oversees the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues at the US Department of State, praised her for her work in defence of women in detention.

“A steadfast human rights defender and activist, Rita is being honoured for her protection of and respect for the rights of prisoners, especially women in detention, and for fighting for a fair and just legal system in Zimbabwe,” read part of the detention.

In a telephone interview with the Daily News from Washington yesterday, Nyampinga said the award was a milestone for Zimbabwe as the honour places the country on the global map as far as human rights are concerned.

“When we speak of human rights it should not only be limited to political rights, but should also stretch to civil, economic and social rights as well. As Zimbabwe we are working towards achieving these rights.

“The award shows that Zimbabwe is in the spotlight and can work as one unit to achieve a common goal,” Nyampinga said.

The Female Prisoners Support Trust founder has been spearheading different rehabilitation programmes for female prisoners and ex-convicts in the country, while pushing for social, gender and economic justice.
She has facilitated rehabilitation of over 300 ex-convicts to date.

Speaking during the awards ceremony, Melania Trump praised Nyampinga and the other winners for often risking their safety to help others, adding that they were the faces of true heroism.

“It is an honour to be here again to celebrate these inspiring women and the incredible impacts they are making through the work they have dedicated themselves to all over the world,” Trump said.

Since the inception of this award in March 2007, the Department of State has recognised 146 women from 77 countries.

The women honoured alongside Nyampinga hail from Malaysia, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijian, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, China, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Syria and Yemen.

By A Correspondent- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday abandoned a clean-up campaign scheduled for Mvurwi after only a handful of party officials turned up, leading to a bitter meeting of the Zanu-PF provincial officials.

Chiwenga then assigned minister of Agriculture Perrance Shiri to stand in for him after only a few Members of Parliament, councillors, Zanu-PF officials and government workers turned up for the clean-up exercise.

To explain Chiwenga’s absence, Shiri told the officials gathered at Mvurwi High School that Chiwenga had returned to Harare to attend to a “special assignment”.

“Vice-President was called back to Harare on his way here and he has assigned me to deliver his speech on his behalf,” Shiri said.

But the provincial leadership called for an emergency Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting at Umvukwes Primary School soon after Shiri’s address to iron out squabbles between the province’s Zanu-PF MPs and war veterans.

The meeting was so tense that security details and media were ordered out as tempers flared. But that was not before a NewsDay staffer was forced by Zanu-PF chairperson for Mashonaland Central province Kazembe Kazembe to stand before the PCC and explain a story published by the newspaper about the tiff between MPs and war veterans in the province which was affecting the party’s mobilisation efforts.

The story alleged a rift between the liberation war fighters and MPs in the area who they accused of abusing food donated to the province to advance personal interests.
Provincial war veterans leader Sam Parirenyatwa and his executive wrere also chucked out of the meeting.

“Since we are all here, l thought it is wise to meet and address issues coming from the newspaper that we are sabotaging the President, me included,” Kazembe said.

“We should not be emotional about it; let us talk about the issue. I am being advised that the reporter who covered this story is in here. What is happening to our security, Simbarashe Sithole please stand up and tell us if your story is true because you are here by default,” he added.

The disgruntled war veterans accuse Kazembe of failing to mobilise crowds for the party’s rallies.

In 2018, Mnangagwa aborted a rally in Bindura after only a handful of people attended, while his wife had a run-in with party executives after a few people turned up for her family fun day at Chipadze Stadium in October last year.

“This is clear Kazembe is failing to mobilise people, hence the presidium is snubbing us now and again due to poor attendance, people do not want the truth to be told that is why they are chasing us away from their PCC meeting,”  one veteran said.

But the MPs hit back, charging that the war veterans were misguided and accused them instead of sabotaging Mnangagwa.

“We gave the President all the seats and what the war veterans are doing is very wrong to accuse us of sabotaging the President. This rift will not end, we will continue fighting until we die,” said a legislator who refused to be named.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Minister of State for Mashonaland East Province Apolonia Munzverengwi this week opened a pay toilet and commissioned $2,5 million maintenance equipment at Chikomba Rural District Council offices.

The Chikomba RDC used revenue from rate payers to construct the pay toilet and purchased a grader and a refuse truck using a government devolution grant.

In 2018, former Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa made headlines after he was caught on camera commissioning a garbage bin in Rusape.

Munzverengwi, who was the guest of honour at the event, urged local authorities to consider the needs of the residents before utilising government devolution funds.

“President Mnangagwa initiated the devolution programme to enhance a bottom-up communication process which ensures that the real problems faced by the people are addressed at local level,” Munzverengi said on Wednesday.

“It is important that before utilising the devolution grants from the government, authorities should inquire from the residents how they want the fund to be used. I am happy that Chikomba RDC managed to purchase a refuse truck and a grader, equipment key for efficient service delivery.

“I also applaud the council for being business-minded and construct a pay toilet which will serve the community at the same time generating more revenue for the local authority. I have been informed that the residents are paying their rates very well, a clear indication that they have confidence in the council administration,” she said.

Chikomba RDC council chairman Israel Dhikinya encouraged the residents to contiunue paying their dues for continued efficient service delivery.

After commissioning the toilet and equipment, Munzverengwi also toured the various projects being carried out by the council which include construction of schools and clinics. She also had an interface with councillors, heads of government departments and business people.

Chiefs, local legislators and several Mashonaland East Province council chief executives also attended the ceremony.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- A three-month-old infant died when his mother fell from an ox-drawn Scotch cart and landed on her back where the infant was strapped.

The horrific accident occurred in Nyazura last week.

The mother, Beatrice Bauren, 28, was in the company of Enock Manwei, 14, when they approached a steep slope and one of the oxen got off from the yoke.

The cart overturned resulting in Bauren being thrown overboard where she landed on her back crushing the baby. A report was made to the police who attended the scene.

The body of the baby was taken to Mutare Provincial Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem. Manicaland police spokesperson Tavhiringa Kakohwa confirmed the horrific accident and urged the public to always consider safety in all matters to avoid unnecessary loss of life.

“People should be cautious in everything they do. Security checks should always be a priority before anything you do to avoid the loss of life with things which could have been easily avoided,” said Kakohwa. -DailyNews

By A Correspondent- A snap survey by the state media has revealed that most service stations in Bulawayo which sell fuel in local currency were on Friday without fuel while it was accessible at those which sell in foreign currency.

The publication further reports that only Engen and Total had fuel which unfortunately had run out at 1 pm. Motorists remained in elongated queues hoping that there will be new deliveries.

One motorist who spoke to The Chronicle, Mr Ozias Moyo lamented over the fuel crisis saying that it has adversely affected his business.

He said:

Right now, my tank is empty that is why you are seeing me pushing my vehicle while in the queue. I should have been in Maphisa at 10AM where I have business interests but I’m still here.It’s a great inconvenience… But we are left with no option but to queue as we have no access to foreign currency. In case I get the foreign currency, it would be too little to buy enough fuel.

Only recently, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe gave fuel dealers the green light to sell the commodity in foreign currency.

This comes when there is a huge scarcity of foreign currency in the country. Foreign currency is readily available on the parallel market but the rates are very high as dealers take advantage of its unavailability on the formal market.-Statemedia

Did You Know That A Large Fleet Of Zupco Buses Are Mnangagwa's Personal Vehicles?

– And Zupco's entire IT database server and TapCard money software is owned by the Board Chairman, Talon Garikai.

Jump on ZimEye today as we interview Zupco bosses. https://t.co/RMz9FsvEJW pic.twitter.com/673PIIkDZw

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) March 7, 2020

By A Correspondent- South Africa has passed a Border Management Authority (BMA) Bill, which is expected to improve security at all the country’s entry points.

This most likely means the number of people who illegally enter the neighbouring country would be reduced, once the bill comes into law.

Zimbabwe is believed to have the highest number of migrants living and working in South Africa with some crossing illegally into that country. Beitbridge border is the biggest inland port in Southern Africa and handles huge volumes of both human and vehicular traffic amid high levels of border jumping.

In a press statement issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, Advocate Bongani Bongo, the passing of the bill was welcomed as is intended to remedy the fragmented border management model, which is said to have resulted in a variety of challenges in relation to control of the country’s borders.

The BMA Bill is intended to establish a border management authority and a single implementing entity under a single executive authority.

The committee is hopeful that President Cyril Ramaphosa will quickly assent the Bill into law to enable processes for the establishment of the agency to begin swiftly.

Commenting on the move, African Diaspora Forum Chairperson (ADF), Dr Vusumuzi Sibanda described the move as good but said it did not address the reasons behind border jumping.

“It’s a good thing because the BMA is going to make sure the borders and ports of entry are not particularly porous. There are places where for example, others can cross via the bush, which means it will be difficult for people to do so if they have officials deployed to stop that,” he said.

Dr Sibanda noted the BMA would be effective if officials deployed to man the borders also did not force illegal immigrants to pay bribes as means of passage into South Africa.

“Some of the problems that we have are related to corruption where people have to pay at the border just to go across and even if they don’t have papers. Those are the issues that need to be addressed but I doubt the BMA is going to improve on that,” he said.

Dr Sibanda also urged South Africa to lobby neighbouring countries to solve their political and economic challenges to stem the high number of illegal migrants in South Africa.

“I don’t think the solution to illegal immigration lies in a border management agency, it actually lies in solving the political instabilities and poor economic conditions that prevail within Africa. These are factors that are going to continue forcing African people and others from Asia, who are poverty-stricken to find greener pastures,” he said, adding that illegal migrants also included those from Europe.

“There are others who come in thinking there are better investment  opportunities, so it has nothing to do with border management.”

Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa, Ngqabutho Nicholas Mabhena said they will not condemn their host country for wanting to improve their border systems.

“We will not condemn South Africa when it is putting proper systems to manage its border system because even as Zimbabweans we want to manage our borders effectively, so that every person who visits Zimbabwe uses correct entry points.

“Likewise South Africa is organising themselves in terms of managing their ports of entry so that people use the normal channels to enter and we certainly support such,” he said.

Mabhena added that the BMA Bill seeks to make sure all ports of entry are properly managed.
“We are yet to see how the officials will perform. But as the Zimbabwe community in South Africa, we don’t encourage anyone to use an unofficial entry point to enter the country. We encourage everyone to acquire a Zimbabwean passport and use the correct channels,” said the chairperson.

“Usually what happens is people do come through using legal papers to enter South Africa and are given a number of days but then do not go back, as they take their passports back to zimbabwe through other means so that they are stamped at the border. Since there will be new management systems, we will see how it works out.”

He noted that besides strengthening borders, South Africa must work on implementing the white paper on international migration gazetted in 2017, which looks at improving immigration strategies.

“Since the South African parliament is now amending the Immigration Act, we call on them to incorporate the proposals that are listed in the white paper on international migration,” Mabhena said.-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- The Parliament of Zimbabwe has passed the Freedom of Information Bill which is the centrepiece of three proposed laws that will repeal the strongly opposed Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).

The Bill, according to The Herald got overwhelming support from legislators from all parties including the opposition MDC led by advocate Nelson Chamisa.

The Bill seeks to give effect to Section 62 of the Constitution which provides for the right to access to information as enshrined in the Declaration of Rights.

Speaking on behalf of the Portfolio Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services following the passage of the Bill, Mbizo legislator Mr Settlement Chikwinya (MDC-Alliance) said that he was impressed with the “inclusive” process.

Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi thanked all members for working together adding that he wished “this culture is continued when we are producing more Bills in future.”

Zanu PF representative for Makonde, Kindness Paradza, said he was happy that AIPPA would be repealed as he was once hounded out of the party after he castigated the Act in 2003.

The Bill, after its passage, was referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee and will be transmitted to the Senate thereafter.-Statemedia

Correspondent|EcoCash agents country-wide will soon begin issuing out United States dollars to locals receiving money from abroad through Cassava Fintech International (CFI)’s Sasai Remit platform.

The development comes at a time when Ecocash agents which used to cash-out the greenbacks before the bond notes era are struggling with cashing out of the local currency owing to the cash crisis Zimbabwe is in.

Launched in August last year, Sasai among other things allows users to remit money to many parts of the world at lower charges.

Cassava International Remittances general manager, Shepherd Hondoyemoto, who said Sasai’s international remittances had brought great relief to Zimbabweans living in the Diaspora wishing to remit funds home, added Ecocash agents would be soon disbursing US dollars.

“So you will see in the next coming couple of days to weeks, those key constituents, those, those key districts will have agents representation and they will still be offering US dollar cash, not bond,” said Hondoyemoto.

“Every remittance, you will get it in US dollar cash.”

He said that would ensure that people living in rural areas and other places far away from towns and cities do not have to travel long distances to access their cash from abroad.

“We said the most important thing is to go to that model where we are covering every part of the country,” he said.

“Our services should be at your arm’s length.”

He said there has been an increase in the number of Zimbabwean sending money home via Sasai Remit.

“The coming on of Sasai with its #RemittanceFeesMustFall offer has been very well received by Zimbabweans across the globe, and this is evidenced by the increase in remittance volumes we have seen coming in via Sasai,” Hondoyemoto said.

At its introduction, the platform offered free charge on remittances for 30 days after which it moved to a mere 2,5 percent.

263chat|The CEO Africa Roundtable (CEO ART) has invited the country’s two political protagonists, the ruling Zanu PF and the main opposition MDC party to its seventh summit to be held in Victoria Falls in a fortnight, 263Chat Business has learnt.

The CEO ART is a high level platform for regional chief executives from both private and public sector with focus on fertilization of critical economic and business knowledge across Africa.

However, the body believes a highly polarized political environment prevailing in the country is toxic for business.

“We all know that our challenges are predominantly political. So we are saying this platform provides proponents of convergence for our key political parties to come and face each other and discuss issues. Whether they agree or disagree it’s crucial that they sit at a round table such as this. We wait to see if they heed the call or not,” board chair of CEO ART, Oswell Binha told reporters at a press briefing.

Zimbabwe’s polarized political environment has made it difficult for the country to attract the much needed external capital further plunging the economy into abyss.

A contested presidential election of 2018 and a crackdown on opposition party members and activists by the state have seen the tumultuous political manifestations spill over to the business operating environment.

“We are expecting the major political players who include Dr Nkosana Moyo, J M Busha, Zanu PF and the MDC president, in addition to civil society and private sector leaders to discuss deeply the socio-political and economic tribulations of Zimbabwe in a pluralistic manner in pursuit of holistic national solutions,” Binha added.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa blame each other for not committing to a dialogue.

Recent attempts by former South Africa president, Thabo Mbeki to bring the two to a negotiating table have also been futile.

CEO ART will see over 200 delegates from across the region attending this year’s addition in Victoria Falls to discuss strategies that foster business growth in Africa’s ever dynamic business operating environment.

VICE-PRESIDENT Constantino Chiwenga yesterday abandoned a clean-up campaign scheduled for Mvurwi after only a handful of party officials turned up, leading to a bitter meeting of the Zanu-PF provincial officials.

Chiwenga then assigned minister of Agriculture Perrance Shiri to stand in for him after only a few Members of Parliament, councillors, Zanu-PF officials and government workers turned up for the clean-up exercise.

To explain Chiwenga’s absence, Shiri told the officials gathered at Mvurwi High School that Chiwenga had returned to Harare to attend to a “special assignment”.

“Vice-President was called back to Harare on his way here and he has assigned me to deliver his speech on his behalf,” Shiri said.

But the provincial leadership called for an emergency Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting at Umvukwes Primary School soon after Shiri’s address to iron out squabbles between the province’s Zanu-PF MPs and war veterans.

The meeting was so tense that security details and media were ordered out as tempers flared. But that was not before a NewsDay staffer was forced by Zanu-PF chairperson for Mashonaland Central province Kazembe Kazembe to stand before the PCC and explain a story published by the newspaper about the tiff between MPs and war veterans in the province which was affecting the party’s mobilisation efforts.

The story alleged a rift between the liberation war fighters and MPs in the area who they accused of abusing food donated to the province to advance personal interests.
Provincial war veterans leader Sam Parirenyatwa and his executive wrere also chucked out of the meeting.

“Since we are all here, l thought it is wise to meet and address issues coming from the newspaper that we are sabotaging the President, me included,” Kazembe said.

“We should not be emotional about it; let us talk about the issue. I am being advised that the reporter who covered this story is in here. What is happening to our security, Simbarashe Sithole please stand up and tell us if your story is true because you are here by default,” he added.

The disgruntled war veterans accuse Kazembe of failing to mobilise crowds for the party’s rallies.

In 2018, Mnangagwa aborted a rally in Bindura after only a handful of people attended, while his wife had a run-in with party executives after a few people turned up for her family fun day at Chipadze Stadium in October last year.

“This is clear Kazembe is failing to mobilise people, hence the presidium is snubbing us now and again due to poor attendance, people do not want the truth to be told that is why they are chasing us away from their PCC meeting,”  one veteran said.

But the MPs hit back, charging that the war veterans were misguided and accused them instead of sabotaging Mnangagwa.

“We gave the President all the seats and what the war veterans are doing is very wrong to accuse us of sabotaging the President. This rift will not end, we will continue fighting until we die,” said a legislator who refused to be named.

NewsDay

By A Correspondent| Just as sociallite Edith Chibamu wrote in to ask to have her picture chopped off a 1 Aug 2018 video clip, the UK based woman who streamed the live video on the 1st over August 2018 ( and also in January 2019); encouraging acts of terrorism in Zimbabwe, Flora Mashingaidze, on Wednesday night, announced saying she is not scared of being deported.

The two are the first to incite terror attacks in Zimbabwe which have seen up to 25 civilians being killed to date since the 1st August 2018 when rogue soldiers were used to change the election results.

In one of her videos, she scoffed as she encouraged that the soldiers must continue their terror attacks against civilians to punish them for protesting. An investigation done during the Motlanthe commission and afterwards, including a United Nations probe, have all shown that the terrorists were not even targeting protesters but any civilian and the killings were done for the purpose of forcing government and civilians into a political slide of the perpetrators’ desire.

“But I’m not scared of being deported, but it’s just wrong, youre just giving people the wrong information and now I’ve been blocked from my Facebook, most people will now think Ruramai has been deported or arrested,” she said. – video below.

Another video shows Flora laughing and encouraging the terror attacks on civilians in January 2019.

SHOULD WE DELETE THE PICTURE AS ASKED BY EDITH CHIBAMU?

"But I'm not scared of being deported, but it's just wrong, youre just giving people the wrong information and now I've been blocked from my Facebook, most people will now think Ruramai has been deported or arrested." pic.twitter.com/zudDKAfy2s

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) March 5, 2020

State Media|SCANDAL-RIDDEN Herentals FC were ejected from the Premier Soccer League (PSL) annual general meeting yesterday, with the league’s board of governors resolving that they will only be admitted if they are cleared for match-fixing.

Herentals are fighting to overturn the PSL disciplinary committee’s decision to dock three points from them after being found guilty of match manipulation in a league match they hammered Black Rhinos 3-0.

The board of governors also resolved that Herentals will not take part in any league matters until their case is concluded.

On Monday Herentals appeared before the PSL disciplinary committee to defend another match fixing case reported by Bulawayo Chiefs.

The Harare club pleaded guilty to taking football matters to court the following day after filing a High Court application last month challenging the guilty verdict for the Rhinos match case before exhausting “proper” football channels.

Taking football matters to court attracts “heavy sanctions” under Fifa, Zifa and PSL codes.

Fifa article 64 prohibits taking matters to court.

The PSL board of governors also resolved that in future, any club that takes football matters to court will be expelled. Herentals are facing a dilemma and could be expelled from the league if they don’t withdraw their court case.

Turning to newly promoted clubs that haven’t paid affiliation fees or have paid part of the $208 000 that also includes a security deposit, the PSL spokesperson Kudzai Bare said the board resolved that those teams pay up by Friday, March 13 or be expelled.

Cranbourne Bullets are the only paid up team out of the four that were promoted.

Tenax and Bulawayo City have made part-payments while Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) side Whawha are yet to pay.

Tenax, Bulawayo City and Whawha were allowed to observe yesterday’s meeting.

“If they fail to pay by March 13 they will be thrown out of the league. If one club fails to pay, the board resolved that the team that finished as best losers, that’s position 15, will be recalled. If two fail to pay, then the season will start with 16 paid up clubs,” Bare said.

She said the fixtures will be released after March 13 when all outstanding matters have been resolved.

Bare added that they are finalising with their sponsor and the fixtures will be released when they conclude the sponsorship deal.

Other issues that were raised include concerns about referees. It was resolved that PSL engages the Zimbabwe Soccer Referees Committee, after some clubs complained that it appears some referees were “following” certain teams. 

The Nelson Chamisa led MDC has issued another statement blasting the ruling party’s political commissar Victor Matemadanda who reportedly said those who want cheaper food must join the army.

The MDC posted this statement on Facebook:

The ill-conceived statement by one Victor Matemadanda that anyone who wants cheaper goods must join the army is grossly misplaced and an insult to the suffering people of Zimbabwe.

Matemadanda was implying that everyone should become a soldier if they want affordable goods and a decent life, yet it is impossible for every citizen to be a soldier. Every nation has diverse competences and thus giving reason for division of labour.

There is no privilege at all in buying from a garrison shop as every citizen must be able to procure goods and services wherever they want.

The history is that all military camps and police depots had garrison shops, then commonly known as army canteens but these were designed to service young recruits normally confined to the barracks and hostels during training.

Re-introducing shops for experienced professionals is an insult. In any case, apart from the rest of the citizens who have not been granted the privilege to buy from these special shops, they are inadequate in addressing all the needs of our uniformed officers:

There is a serious shortage of cash in the country, how are the garrison shops going to solve the cash crisis in the economy?

There is a serious shortage of fuel in the country, is fuel going to be available in the garrison shops?

Will electricity that is in short supply in the country be available in the garrison shops, even for the soldiers? Will the garrison shops provide our uniformed forces with school fees for their children and will their relatives and extended families benefit from these shops?

The garrison shops are likely to give a rise to a black market as the securocrats are likely to buy from these shops and resell at inflated prices. The shops will only cause bad blood between the securocrats and members of the public and the nation is tired of these divide and rule tactics by the regime.

The prudent panacea is to find real long-lasting solutions to the crisis ravaging the country. We need our securocrats, like everyone else, to be accorded decent salaries that would enable them to live a decent life in their motherland.

Matemadanda must just go to Hell.

Emmanuel Chimwanda
Secretary for Defence and Security

State Media|FUEL is readily available for motorists buying in foreign currency, but not for those using local currency who have to queue for hours to access the commodity.

This supply situation of diesel and petrol has exposed social imbalances as those with foreign currency find it easy to access fuel while the rest spend long hours in queues, in some cases failing to get it. Long, winding queues at service stations selling in local currency and people waiting for public transport for hours drive home the impact of the fuel shortage.

In Bulawayo on Thursday most fuel stations selling the commodity in local currency did not have the product except for Engen and Total service stations but by 1PM it had run out. Yesterday motorists were queuing at most service stations hoping there would be deliveries. The situation was different for those selling in forex as they had short or no queues at all as motorists refilled their tanks with much ease.

Motorists told Chronicle that while buying fuel in local currency is much cheaper, some of them were forced to buy at service stations charging in foreign currency as it was convenient.

Mr Ozias Moyo who was queuing at Engen Service Station which sells in local currency at the corner of Fife Avenue and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street said he had joined the queue at 8AM but had not refueled by 1PM.

He was not sure if he was going to get the petrol as there were claims that it was running out.

“Right now, my tank is empty that is why you are seeing me pushing my vehicle while in the queue. I should have been in Maphisa at 10AM where I have business interests but I’m still here. It’s a great inconvenience. My business has been greatly affected. But we are left with no option but to queue as we have no access to foreign currency. In case I get the foreign currency, it would be too little to buy enough fuel,” said Mr Moyo.

Ms Beatrice Sibanda said the situation is even worse for women as some men jump the queue.

At the Zuva Service Station which sells in forex along Leopold Takawira Road, diesel was going for US$1,36 but there was no queue. They were waiting for a petrol delivery. The fuel station has pumps for those buying in local currency, with petrol pegged at $20,30 per litre while petrol was $19,04 diesel, but nothing was available.

At Busuman Service Station along Fife Street between 14 and 15 Avenues there was a continuous flow of traffic as motorists refilled their vehicles with much ease at US$1,25 per litre for both petrol and diesel. A motorist who only identified himself as Ranger and was refilling at Busuman said he opts for the service station as he had heard that the fuel lasts longer.

“The reason why we are buying from this station is because there are no queues and the fuel last longer. For instance, if I buy 10 litres here, the fuel comes from Botswana it’s not blended and it can last me three and a half days but if I buy the ethanol blended fuel from other stations it just lasts me two days. This also means I will not be buying from other recently licenced foreign currency selling stations as they are selling blended fuel even if they do not have queues,” said Ranger.

Chronicle could not immediately verify his claims. However, he said he was able to access foreign currency as his operations are in the mining sector.

There was also no queue at Flo Service Station that sells in forex along Khami Road where petrol and diesel were being sold for US$1,18 per litre.

The discrepancies in the price of fuel sold in forex was attributed to the absence of a gazetted price in forex.

Asked why there was no gazetted price for fuel being sold in forex, Energy and Power Development Minister Advocate Fortune Chasi said Government is working on a framework to address that.

“We have set up the Direct Fuel Import arrangement which principally deals with those that import fuel directly. A framework has been developed but in addition to that we have a regulation that will soon kick in to ensure that there is regulatory clarity in this area. The publication is imminent,” said Adv Chasi.

For those who do not have foreign currency, trying to get fuel is now a huge inconvenience.

In Gwanda motorists are struggling to access fuel which is in short supply and some are forced to buy it from the black market in forex. There is no licensed service station selling in forex in the mining town.

A motorist, Mr Leonard Sibanda said: “The fuel situation in this town is so bad that it’s either there is no fuel at all at all service stations or there will be only one service station with fuel and there will be long queues. I have opted to buy fuel from the black market which is going for R110 for 5 litres as the situation is unpleasant. This situation has to be addressed as soon as possible.”

Ms Faith Shumba said when fuel was there it was difficult to buy it as most service stations were demanding cash.

In Gweru, fuel was readily available at service stations like Flo in the central business district and Clemond in Woodlands Park which sell the commodity in United States dollars There wasn’t any fuel at service stations that sell in local currency in the CBD. Such service stations like Zuva said they last received supplies more than a week ago.

In Victoria Falls only Zuva service station had fuel on Thursday which was being sold in United States dollars. A litre of petrol was being sold for US$1.25.

In Plumtree, fuel is in short supply both at service stations and on the black market.

Fuel on the black market was also in short supply with dealers saying they were having problems getting forex to source the commodity in Botswana.

In Beitbridge, some people have resorted to crossing into Musina to buy the commodity. There are also three service stations that sell fuel in forex.

Speaking in the National Assembly during the Wednesday’s Question and Answer session, Power and Energy Development Deputy Minister Magna Mudyiwa said the decision to blend fuel with ethanol, was meant to increase volumes.

“I think we are aware that we are having a serious shortage of fuel in the country. So, if we do not blend our fuel we will need much more forex to buy the fuel. So that is why we had a policy to do the blending,” she said. “Currently, we are blending at five percent, at some point we went to as far as 20 percent. We do not have enough fuel in the country so there is no choice for motorists to choose whether they want to use the blended fuel or the unblended.”

Deputy Minister Mudyiwa said while Government was addressing problems in the sector, foreign currency challenges continue to hinder adequate supplies.

“I will, in future, be making unannounced visits to homes countrywide to check on hygiene standards there. I don’t want to find a home with cockroaches.

State Media|The national clean-up campaign has made significant impact towards fostering a culture of cleanliness among citizens, the President has said. He made the remarks during a clean-up exercise, which was attended by hundreds of people at Mupandawana Town yesterday.

This was the first time the programme was undertaken in a rural area, where the President led the cleaning of Mupandawana Bus Terminus amid ululation from the people.

Speaking after the 2-hour long clean-up, the President commended strides made so far in inculcating a culture of cleanliness.

He said the fight against littering should start at household level.

“We hope that the clean-up exercise will become a daily habit and I am very happy that Samora Machel Avenue in Harare is now very clean and people have even planted flowers, something that started after we initiated the clean-up campaign.

“Even visitors who come to the city will commend Samora Machel Avenue and say ‘what a clean city this is’ and that is what we want,” said the President.

Taking the clean-up to rural areas, said President Mnangagwa, demonstrated seriousness in the fight against litter.

About 65 percent of Zimbabweans live in rural areas, hence the decision to move there.

The President said the Second Republic valued cleanliness as evidenced by top Government officials who led the clean-up in various parts of the country.

He challenged both rural and urban local authorities to develop waste management policies to tame the scourge of littering.

“In rural areas in particular, putting in place a waste management policy is very important because every single day there is a family that throws away litter,” he said.

The President urged leaders, from village heads and chiefs, to encourage cleanliness, starting with homes.

“I will, in future, be making unannounced visits to homes countrywide to check on hygiene standards there. I don’t want to find a home with cockroaches.

“A home that has cockroaches shows that people staying there are not tidy; they don’t clean their homes and wash their utensils. Smartness should start in the home,” said President Mnangagwa.

He commended the Mupandawana community for keeping their area clean.

The President went down memory lane and narrated the challenges encountered during the liberation war when fighters rarely washed their clothes, forcing some of them to burn them to control lice.

President Mnangagwa advised people to drink water from clean sources or treat it before drinking.

Public transport operators were challenged to have litter bins in their vehicles to prevent the indiscriminate littering.

He further called upon people to plant fruit trees at their homes and have vegetable gardens for healthy living.

Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu commended President Mnangagwa for conceiving the clean-up campaigns.

He said the President’s decision to lead from the front demonstrated servant leadership, and called on everyone to heed the cleanliness drive.

Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Ezra Chadzamira said the province was ahead in implementing the clean-up campaign, with many prominent institutions adopting streets and places, which they keep clean.

Cabinet ministers Owen Ncube (State Security), Professor Amon Murwira (Higher and Tertiary Education), Dr Obadiah Moyo (Health and Child Care) and Zanu PF politburo members Cdes Sydney Sekeramayi, Mike Bimha, Josaya Hungwe, Engelbert Rugeje and Lovemore Matuke, traditional leader Chief Gutu, joined the President during the clean-up.

Own Correspondent|The spate of armed robberies in the country is on a concerning increase with thousands of dollars lost everyday throughout the country in varied incidents of robberies.

Of major concern is that, government through the police and Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to turn a blind eye to the scourge which is threatening to turn the country into a chaos.

In a recent incident, robbers attacked the home of Chitungwiza businessman Mr Ernest Mangwiro Nyamayaro, popularly known as “Mukanya”, on Thursday morning and made off with $149 000 in what is believed to have been an inside job.

Mukanya, who operates a potato business, owns properties in and around Chitungwiza.

The six armed robbers first attacked the security guard on duty at his Riverside house in Chitungwiza, tied him up, and then entered the house to confront the businessman’s wife before forcibly taking away five cellphones and the cash.

Police have urged people not to keep cash at home and to ensure that even their employees do not know where or when cash is being carried.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed yesterday that the robbers attacked at 4.50am. “We believe that the robbers had inside information that the businessman had cash at home. We are still investigating the case,” he said.

He urged people to tighten security at their homes and business premises and avoid keeping large amounts of cash. “They should also not divulge any information pertaining to movement of cash to anyone or even their employees,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.

Last week, two Harare businessmen —Mr Tawanda Nyambirai and Mr Rodney Dangarembizi — lost more than US$220 000 to a gang of eight armed robbers.

The robbers, who are yet to be arrested, first stormed Mr Nyambirai’s TN Holdings head office in Harare and then Mr Dangarembizi’s business premises at Chisipite wearing masks.

Last month, another gang of armed robbers stole a car and grabbed substantial amounts of money from illegal foreign currency dealers at Makoni Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza.

A high-level diplomat with the Embassy of Zimbabwe was arrested in January this year after forcing his way into a Gaithersburg home at random.

35yo Macmillan Moyana faced up to 50 years in prison. Prosecutors, however, dropped all charges because of diplomatic immunity.

Government has since recalled the officer from Zimbabwe’s embassy in Washington following the allegations. Moyana is now facing disciplinary action according to Public Service Commission (PSC) regulations.

He was arraigned before the courts in January, but the charges were later dropped due to diplomatic immunity.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade spokesperson Mrs Constance Chemwayi confirmed the incident yesterday.

“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,” Mrs Chemwayi said in a statement.

According to media reports, the incident occurred at around 2 am on a Friday in late January.

Mr Moyana allegedly went to a house where a woman was sleeping with her two children.

The woman went to her front door and cracked it open, thinking it was merely a friend, family member or neighbour in need of assistance.

That is when the suspect tried to bum-rush the door, forcing entry into the house, and hitting the victim with the door, according to court documents.

Court documents note that the victim was still “foggy” from being awoken unexpectedly.

The victim stated that the suspect broke the panel of the door, but she was able to force him back and lock the door.

The woman called for help and when the police arrived, Mr Moyana was found in a nearby wood line near the victim’s house screaming and yelling.

Mr Moyana was charged with home invasion, second-degree assault, third-degree burglary, reckless endangerment, and trespassing.

All five counts carried a combined total of up to 50 years in prison, although they were later dropped.

The National Assembly on Thursday passed the Freedom of Information Bill with the full support of Zanu PF and opposition MPs after a lengthy drafting and amending process to ensure the final version was a product of consensus.

The Bill is the centrepiece of three proposed laws that will repeal the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and bring Zimbabwe’s information-related laws into conformity with the Declaration of Rights in the Constitution.

The other two, the Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill and the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill, will be debated in Parliament soon.

The Bill was passed with minor amendments, with the concurrence of all political parties in the House.

The Bill seeks to give effect to Section 62 of the Constitution which provides for the right to access to information as enshrined in the Declaration of Rights.

The drafting process involved, at an early stage, input from the relevant Parliamentary portfolio committee, one of the committees that are chaired by an opposition MP, to ensure consensus was built.

Generally, legislation that involves rights does not generate ideological differences, but needs everyone to figure out how best to implement the right effectively.

The Bill sets out the procedure of access to information held by public institutions or information held by any person, which is necessary for the exercise or protection of a right.

It also sets out considerations for making available, on a voluntary basis by entities, certain categories of information thereby removing the need for formal requests for such information.

The Bill also sets out the scope of limitations on the right of access to information, the rights of third parties, the role of principal officers of entities and information officers in its implementation, procedures for internal and court appeals in respect to requests for access to information and the time limits within which these processes must be carried out.

Speaking on behalf of the Portfolio Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services following the passage of the Bill, Mbizo legislator Mr Settlement Chikwinya (MDC-Alliance) thanked Government for the inclusivity in coming up with the Bill.

“At the point of drafting these laws, that is the laws which are repealing AIPPA, from the point of drafting Parliament was included. We went to Nyanga with the drafters and we had our input,” he said.

“At consultation stage and even at the point of cleaning up the areas where we did not find each other, we had a round-table meeting where the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Information and Parliament were involved. I believe that such a process will remove some of the political undertones which we may have in terms of suspicion. So I hope that the precedent can actually be sustained.”

Zanu PF representative for Makonde, Cde Kindness Paradza, said he was happy that AIPPA would be repealed.

“I just want to say that I am so happy for this 9th Parliament that we have all agreed to make sure that we tear down AIPPA which was a bad law and that Bill is going to repeal this law. So, we are very happy. I am vindicated because in 2003, I stood up here and I said this was a bad law and I was hounded out of the party because of that. I just want to put it on record that I am so happy because I am vindicated,” Cde Paradza said.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi thanked parliamentarians from across the political divide for the manner in which they debated the Bill.

“I want to thank the Honourable Members for the robust debate. I enjoyed it,” Minister Ziyambi said.

“I think the procedure that we used when we debated this Bill, we have had long sessions where we shared ideas and that is the reason why you saw we had a lot of concurrence on a lot of issues pertaining to this Bill. It is my wish that this culture is continued when we are producing more Bills in future.”

Following its passage in the National Assembly, the Bill was referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee and will be transmitted to Senate thereafter.

Other Bills that are part of media reforms, including the Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill and the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill, will be debated in Parliament soon.

-State Media

By Jane Mlambo| Controversial ZEC Chairperson, Priscilla Chigumba and his Chief staffer Utoile Silaigwana are currently in South Africa where they are attending a conference on the impact of social media on electoral integrity in Africa.

Posting on its Twitter account, ZEC said the conference will equip the two with knowledge on harnessing social media.

A SELF-STYLED prophet allegedly raped a teenage girl after ordering her to bring her private parts’ fluids so that he would mix with his to cast out evil spirits that were tormenting her.
It is alleged a 19-year-old teenager was tormented by evil spirits.

Her father took her to Prophet Merryward Marara (36)’s shrine in Southwold suburb in Bulawayo.

It is said on the day in question there were a lot of people, as a result Merryward asked the young woman’s father to go and leave her behind. The unsuspecting father left her and returned home.

It is alleged that the prophet told her that her ex-lover cast a bad spell on her and for her to be delivered she needed to bring her vaginal fluids that he would mix with his sperms.

It is said he told the young woman to return the following day at 5pm.
It is reported she returned the following day at 5pm.

The accused person allegedly told the unsuspecting woman that
the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he had to have sex with her and failure to that evil spirits would torment her to death.

The prophet remained with her alone when other people who had come to be prayed for had left.

He allegedly told her to spread a white cloth on the ground and lie on it. The minor complied and he raped her once with a condom.

The prophet then ordered the minor to write her ex-boyfriend’s name on a paper and poured water into the condom which had his sperms.
Merryward allegedly held the condom in the air and prayed for it and gave it to the complainant to bath with the mixture for five days.

The teenager returned home and narrated the whole ordeal to her aunt. The aunt advised her to make a police report leading to the arrest of Merryward.

He appeared before regional magistrate Mafios Moyo facing a rape charge.

He pleaded not guilty. He was remanded out of custody to next week on Wednesday for continuation of trial.

-B-M-Metro

A man from Denver Suburb thanked his lucky stars on Friday when a snake found in his house saved him from further attacks from robbers who had already axed him countless times all over his body.

Mike Zheve (52) who had gone to Mutare for a few days went back home where he stays alone on Friday to find a snake waiting to be his knight in the dark night against intruders who had violently made their way into his house by axing down his door.

“I was sleeping when I heard a loud bang on my door.

Before long the two males were already inside my house beating and axing me all over my body demanding that I surrender my Huawei P20 phone, watch and all my money to them,” said Zheve.

Zheve said he got suspicious of the duo who seemed to know the type of phone he was using even though they hadn’t seen it.
“I took the watch off and gave it to them.

As I retrieved the money where I kept it, we saw a huge snake just next to my bed in the same room.

We all got a fright and the other guy quickly stroked it with the axe,” said Zheve.

-State Media

By A Correspondent| The government of Zimbabwe on Friday gazetted a new amended Statutory Instrument 61 of 2020 which allows citizens with free funds to pay passport fees using foreign currency.

The gazette reads in part:

The Exchange Control (Exclusive Use of Zimbabwe Dollar for Domestic Transactions) Regulations, 2019, is published in Statutory Instrument 212 of 2019, is amended in Section 4 (“Transactions Excluded from Scope of “Domestic Transactions”) by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (f).

(g) payment for emergency passports, that is the payment out of free funds (as defined in Section 2 of the Exchange Control Regulations, 1996) of any fee for the issuance of a passport within twenty-four hours of the fulfilment of the requirements for such issuance by the person in whose name passport is to be issued.

Last year in June, Zimbabwe through Statutory Instrument 142 of 2019 banned the use of foreign currencies for domestic transactions thereby leaving the Zimbabwe dollar which was reintroduced by the same SI as the sole legal tender in the country.

De-dollarisation is, however, proving to be a mammoth task for Zimbabwe particularly because most of the commodities in the country are imported and traders are rejecting the local currency which is rapidly shedding value against major currencies.

Emmerson Mnangagwa has castigated the opposition for what he described as “violent and reckless behaviour.”

Mnangagwa made the remarks in Gutu on Friday.

”No country can develop unless it’s stable.

You can’t hold dialogue with Zupco buses so it doesn’t make sense to attack them,” said Mnangagwa.

He added:”Those who have grievances must find proper ways of expressing themselves.They must use the proper channels of communication.”

A BULAWAYO man was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for stealing a jerrycan valued at $725 from a parked vehicle.

Thabani Sibanda (29) from Emakhandeni suburb stole from Mr Alvis Ncube (62) of Barbourfields suburb.

Sibanda had pleaded guilty to theft before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Lizwe Jamela.

Three months of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the period.

 A further nine months were suspended on condition that he does 315 hours of community service at Emakhandeni Primary School from March 9.

 Sibanda told the court that he survives by baking cupcakes and making potato fritters so he stole the jerry can which he wanted to sell to raise money to buy flour after his wares were taken by police.

 Prosecuting, Mr Terrence Chakabuda said on February 25 this year, Sibanda stole the 20-litre jerrycan from Mr Ncube’s car, which was parked near Choppies Supermarket along Fort Street.

“The complainant spotted the accused person and through the aid of police officers who were on patrol, they managed to apprehend the accused person and the jerrycan was recovered,” said Mr Chakabuda. 

-State Media

There is nothing new about the renewal of the illegal sanctions imposed by the United States and Zimbabwe will continue engagement and re-engagement with the international community, President Mnangagwa has said.

He was addressing a packed Zanu PF rally at Matizha Business Centre in Gutu, organised by the Zanu PF provincial executive in Masvingo.

Earlier, the President had led a clean-up at Mupandawana Bus terminus.

This week, the US extended its illegal sanctions regime against Zimbabwe by another year, but the President said there was nothing new since the country had been under the same embargo for the past two decades.

Countries willing to work with Zimbabwe, said President Mnangagwa, should first acknowledge the land reform programme and accept that it was a closed chapter.

“You may have heard that the US renewed its sanctions on us. There is nothing new there. We have been with these sanctions for the past 20 years. These are the same sanctions they have renewed. As Zimbabwe, we have a policy of engagement and re-engagement. The whole of Sadc is standing with us. You may recall that on October 25, 2019, Sadc countries in their respective countries had various programmes calling the Americans to remove their sanctions on Zimbabwe.

“All embassies of Sadc countries and the African Union (AU) also did the same. When we went to the United Nations in September last year, our continental organisation, the African Union told the UN to call for the removal of all forms of sanctions on Zimbabwe.”

President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe would continue calling for the unconditional lifting of the sanctions.  He said the sanctions were unjustified.

President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was a peace-loving country which had not committed any crime against the Americans or the British. In any case, he said, it was the British who wronged Zimbabwe by grabbing its land.

“Actually, it’s the British who committed a crime against us when they came here and took our land.

“We waged the armed struggle and took back our land and said they (British) should also go back to their country. They were not happy with that, but the land reform programme is irreversible and to us it’s a closed chapter. Those who want to be our friends should befriend us knowing that land reform is irreversible. We are not going back on that. Embrace us as we are, then we work together like that.”

President Mnangagwa emphasised the need for production at household level.

He said his administration had declared 2020 as a year of production.

Turning to party politics, President Mnangagwa called for unity and discipline.

“I want to say to you all, we want building of the party. I am happy that here in Masvingo you are a one Party State. You have shown love both to the party and to me as your leader. You must defend your party all the time. We don’t want people who defend the party during the day and denounce it at night. Be truthful to the party all the time.”

-State Media

THE son of the late popular traditional healer Sekuru Ndunge born, Charles Makuyana, Jabulani and his estranged wife are embroiled in a bitter court wrangle over the distribution of property following their divorce recently.

Makuyana has approached the Chipinge magistrate courts seeking to distribute property with his estranged wife, Ethel Loreen Jenhu to whom he was customarily married since 2003 until their divorce last year.

In his particulars of claim, 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 contented that his estranged wife has in her possession two Honda Fit vehicles, a stand in Glenview Park suburb in Chipinge and household property.

“During the union’s blissful seasons the parties were blessed with a minor child (name given) born in 2004. Plaintiff (Makuyana) purchased stand number 1961 Usunga from Defendant (Jenhu)’s mother, Beauty Chumuriwo and developed it into a full house. Plaintiff was given three motor vehicles to use by his later father namely a Toyota Prado, Toyota Bubble and Toyota Picnic and also acquired the movable property,” said Makuyana.

He said 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.

“Defendant will be unjustly enriched at the expense of plaintiff if acquired property is not distributed in terms of the proposed method. Defendant should get two Honda Fit vehicles, household property and a stand in Glenview suburb in Chipinge,” he said.

However, Jenhu opposed the claim arguing that her former husband included property which did not belong to them and had also left out other properties.More in Home

“It is denied that the Plaintiff (Makuyana) gave any financial assistance to the Defendant to start a chicken or transport business. If anything, the Plaintiff was frantically trying to thwart the Defendants’ efforts. The two Honda Fit vehicles were acquired by the Defendant and Plaintiff didn’t contribute anything. It’s vehemently denied that Defendant acquired any stand in Chipinge. Plaintiff is put to strict proof thereof,” Junhe said in her response.

“That constitutes bad pleading. The suggested distribution pattern is flawed, unjust and unfair. It includes property that doesn’t belong to the parties at law and fact, it further omits without legal justification of several other properties that should be included. The Plaintiff‘s prayer is unjust and unfair and in some instance, incompetent and should be dismissed with costs. Wherefore the Defendant prays that the claim be dismissed with costs.”

Chipinge magistrate Joshua Nembaware then referred the matter for trial.

-Newsday

FORMER Labour minister and nephew to the late former President Robert Mugabe, Patrick Zhuwao has lashed out at President Emmerson Mnangagwa, describing him as a trivial leader whose pettiness risked exposing many people to hunger.

He was reacting to the seizure of his farm by government. In a letter dated February 11 by Lands minister Perrance Shiri, Zhuwao has been ordered off his 827-hectare Diandra Farm in Mashonaland West province.

But Zhuwao, a self-exiled former member of the vanquished G40 faction, has angrily reacted to the seizure of his farm, saying: “Despite the fact that we made personal investments that have significant impact on contributing towards food security, it is sad that Mnangagwa’s pettiness is putting people’s lives at risk of famine.

“We financed the operations from bank loans which we consistently paid back despite the various disturbances that l encountered. We have over 1 000 overhead sprinkler units which can irrigate 150 hectares. We also invested in centre pivot irrigation equipment for 187,5 hectares. Due to the continuous requirements for electricity during tobacco curing, we have 230 KVA standby power generation capacities.”

He said the farm was an integrated hybrid cropping and livestock enterprise relying on state-of-the-art technology that he claims to have introduced since he took over the farm.

He said the farm was structured to produce a special breed of quality beef cattle weaners for new farmers who need fast growing, but hardy and resilient cattle.

“We were so successful in terms of quality stock that we won Zimbabwe Agricultural Society prizes for the best beef cow in 2012, second best beef cow in 2016, and second beef bull in 2012,” he said.

“On the tobacco front, we were amongst the pioneers of hydroponic floating tray technology for tobacco seedling production. We became so competent at this technology that the Tobacco Research Board would regularly visit us to see what innovations we were working on. We even had a technical delegation visit us from Iran to learn about tobacco seedlings production using deep water culture hydroponics.”

-Newsday

Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has castigated the opposition for what he described as “violent and reckless behaviour.”

Mnangagwa made the remarks in Gutu on Friday.

”No country can develop unless it’s stable.

You can’t hold dialogue with Zupco buses so it doesn’t make sense to attack them,” said Mnangagwa.

He added:”Those who have grievances must find proper ways of expressing themselves.They must use the proper channels of communication.”

A man from Denver Suburb thanked his lucky stars on Friday when a snake found in his house saved him from further attacks from robbers who had already axed him countless times all over his body.

Mike Zheve (52) who had gone to Mutare for a few days went back home where he stays alone on Friday to find a snake waiting to be his knight in the dark night against intruders who had violently made their way into his house by axing down his door.

“I was sleeping when I heard a loud bang on my door.

Before long the two males were already inside my house beating and axing me all over my body demanding that I surrender my Huawei P20 phone, watch and all my money to them,” said Zheve.

Zheve said he got suspicious of the duo who seemed to know the type of phone he was using even though they hadn’t seen it.
“I took the watch off and gave it to them.

As I retrieved the money where I kept it, we saw a huge snake just next to my bed in the same room.

We all got a fright and the other guy quickly stroked it with the axe,” said Zheve.-B-Metro

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

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.”

A SELF-STYLED prophet allegedly raped a teenage girl after ordering her to bring her private parts’ fluids so that he would mix with his to cast out evil spirits that were tormenting her.
It is alleged a 19-year-old teenager was tormented by evil spirits.

Her father took her to Prophet Merryward Marara (36)’s shrine in Southwold suburb in Bulawayo.

It is said on the day in question there were a lot of people, as a result Merryward asked the young woman’s father to go and leave her behind. The unsuspecting father left her and returned home.

It is alleged that the prophet told her that her ex-lover cast a bad spell on her and for her to be delivered she needed to bring her vaginal fluids that he would mix with his sperms.

It is said he told the young woman to return the following day at 5pm.
It is reported she returned the following day at 5pm.

The accused person allegedly told the unsuspecting woman that
the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he had to have sex with her and failure to that evil spirits would torment her to death.

The prophet remained with her alone when other people who had come to be prayed for had left.

He allegedly told her to spread a white cloth on the ground and lie on it. The minor complied and he raped her once with a condom.

The prophet then ordered the minor to write her ex-boyfriend’s name on a paper and poured water into the condom which had his sperms.
Merryward allegedly held the condom in the air and prayed for it and gave it to the complainant to bath with the mixture for five days.

The teenager returned home and narrated the whole ordeal to her aunt. The aunt advised her to make a police report leading to the arrest of Merryward.

He appeared before regional magistrate Mafios Moyo facing a rape charge.

He pleaded not guilty. He was remanded out of custody to next week on Wednesday for continuation of trial.-B-M-Metro

In some shocking recent events – Zimbabweans were on the 3rd January 2020 told that the army will be unleashed on them once they are suspected to have stopped the rain, literally. These utterances are not new, they have been running for a while 37 years since the 4th April 1983 during a time when there were no sanctions against anyone in Zimbabwe; As Emmerson Mnangagwa began making these pronouncements that resulted in the economy crashing badly between 1983 and 1985, 22,000 civilians were killed under the guise of searching for a fictitious armed dissident named Richard Gwesela.

Fast forward to 2018, Mnangagwa launched another crackdown, this time for the purpose of changing election results, all announced on the state broadcaster, ZBC. The Kuwadzana surbub was worst hit, confirmed by medical experts who attended the injured and maimed. 5 months later, he launched another one, during the fuel price protests. A year later he suddenly announces to the Kuwadzana residents that he will redeploy the army once he suspects they are responsible for stopping the rain. In the space of just 2 years, 25 people have been killed by live ammunition in the open streets by military personnel. Scores others have died due to economic mismanagement.

In the midst of all of this, the Donald Trump administration yesterday decided to extend sanctions against Emmerson Mnangagwa and his party Zanu PF citing that the Zimbabwean government has “accelerated its persecution of critics and economic mismanagement in the past year, during which security forces have conducted extrajudicial killings, rapes, and alleged abductions of umerous dissidents.”

BELOW WAS THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PORTAL:

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days before the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288 of March 6, 2003, with respect to the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe’s democratic processes or institutions is to continue in effect beyond March 6, 2020.
In the wake of the resignation of former President Robert Mugabe in November 2017, Zimbabwe’s national elections in July 2018, and President Mugabe’s subsequent death in September 2019, Zimbabwe has had ample opportunity to implement reforms that could set the country on a constructive path, stabilize the southern African region, and open the door to greater cooperation with the United States. Unfortunately, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has yet to signal credible political will to implement such reforms. Indeed, the Zimbabwean government has arguably accelerated its persecution of critics and economic mismanagement in the past year, during which security forces have conducted extrajudicial killings, rapes, and alleged abductions of numerous dissidents.

These actions and policies by certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe’s democratic processes or institutions continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States. Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288 with respect to Zimbabwe.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 4, 2020.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa who labels his torture victims, “cockroaches” who must be wiped out using DDT chemicals, has announced that soon people are going to be arrested for keeping cockroaches, the same cache-phrase he used when he got 22,000 Ndebeles killed during the period the late President Robert Mugabe just before his death apologised saying it was a moment of madness. 

By A Correspondent | Video evidence to prove that Emmerson Mnangagwa is guilty for Gukurahundi is available, and still, what has changed in Zimbabwe since Gukurahundi apart from the signing of the unity accord and the signing of Robert Mugabe’s resignation letter Nice 2017? This is all the more proof that the Gukurahundi massacre did not at all end in 1984, it is still ongoing, proven by Mnangagwa’s statements before the 1 August crackdown, those just after the January 2019 killings while in Mwenezi, and those as late as last month while in Kuwadzana, Harare.

The People’s Party has since called Mnangagwa to order over the killings. The party says there is a clear continuation of a process of murder. It said:

What has changed in Zimbabwe since Gukurahundi apart from the signing of the Unity Accord and the signing of Robert Mugabe's resignation letter? | @PeoplesPartyZim @DrNkuSibanda @LloydMsipa @ZANUPF_Official. @edmnangagwa

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) February 24, 2020

We note with concern plans by the Emmerson Mnangagwa regime to fast-track the exhumation and reburial of victims of the Gukurahundi atrocities in which over 20 000 Ndebele civilians were killed.

Those who were killed were not possessions of the State but came from families that have the right to direct the manner and speed with which the exhumation and reburial of their loved ones must be conducted.

Mnangagwa in particular must take a step back from any process aimed at resolving Gukurahundi because he was one of the chief architects of the killings. At the time, serving as State Security Minister, he flatly denied that there were any such killings. Video evidence is available to support this claim. What has changed?

Gukurahundi cannot be resolved with a piecemeal approach. For there to be healing, reconciliation, unity and peace, the truth must lead together with justice and meaningful compensation.

The People’s Party believes that a national shrine equivalent to the Heroes Acre, and a memorial in the mold of the Holocaust Museum, must be setup for the reburial of all unidentified remains as well as those whose family members wish to have their loved ones buried there. This monument should serve as a reminder to future generations.

Further, it is important that the facts be litigated on national television in the same manner the Motlanthe Commission was broadcast after the killing of six unarmed civilians on August 1, 2018. The people of Matabeleland must be allowed to speak and be heard.

We believe that these substantive actions can open the path to healing from this great injustice that must never again be visited on the people of Zimbabwe.

By Nomusa Garikai- There those who have argued that the targeted sanctions imposed by USA and other western countries on the Zanu PF leaders and a few companies associated with the regime have missed the target and should be scrapped.

“Sanctions have become the most convenient excuse used by the regime for Zimbabwe’s economic failures,” they argued.

The counter argument was that sanctions highlight the regime’s repeated failure to uphold basic human rights including the failure to hold free, fair and credible elections.

Yes, the failure to police the sanctions has meant the targeted individuals have found many ways to circumvent the sanctions.

But even then, it was important that the sanctions stayed; the symbolic significance of the sanctions was just as important. 

Time has proven those who wanted the sanctions to stay, right! 

“US sanctions against Zimbabwe are aimed at achieving regime change-continuation of measures citing political & economic reforms is telling. Ironically, the US has befriended many rogue regimes well known for extrajudicial killings, genocide & corruption,” twittered Zanu PF Deputy Minister of Information, Dr Energy Mutodi.

The deputy minister was responding to the recent decision by USA US President Donald Trump to extend the sanctions imposed on Zanu PF leaders by another year.

“Mr Trump has missed a glorious opportunity to open a new page in the ZIM-US relations. Agonisingly, he may not be there to see another sanctions review anniversary, with Joe Biden in hot pursuit to take over the Presidency.”

There are four key points worth noting here:

1. First and foremost, the sanctions are aimed at forcing Zanu PF to hold free, fair and credible elections and to accept the reality that such elections can result in regime change, if that is indeed the democratic wish of the majority of the electorate. Zanu PF has been rigging elections because the party cannot stomach the prospect of being booted out of power! 

1. President Trump will certainly be very disappointed if he was to lose the elections this November but, like it or not, that is no excuse for him to even try to deny the American people their fundamental right to decide who is going to be their next president! (No doubt Mutodi and his Zanu PF friends would only be glad to show the Americans a few vote rigging dirty tricks!) The irony here is that President Trump would have been furious, rightly so too, if four years ago, he had been cheated of victory.

1. Zanu PF is not denying it has failed to deliver free, fair and credible elections the deputy minister is pleading that the US has turned a blind eye to other rogue regimes and therefore must do the same with Zanu PF. 

1. The most important point here is that Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because the nation has been stuck with this corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous Zanu PF regime for the last 40 years and counting. The party has usurped the people’s freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections. The economic meltdown has forced unemployment to soar to dizzying heights of 90% and millions of our people now live in abject poverty. The nation is facing a serious existential threat and the solution is to dismantle the de facto one-party dictatorship and restore the individual freedoms and rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections. Of course, every thinking Zimbabwean out there welcomes the retention of the sanctions as a way of forcing Zanu PF to accept democratic reforms. We want regime change, we are desperate for regime change. Fcuk you, Mutodi, and all your fellow Zanu PF thugs, for landing Zimbabwe in this mess with your no regime change nonsense!

BULAWAYO councillors yesterday boycotted a  local government and public works parliamentary committee hearing on service delivery.

Only one councilor Donald Mabutho of Ward 9 attended while council management, Town Clerk Christopher Dube chamber secretary Mrs Sikhangele Zhou attended.

The parliamentary portfolio committee had a meeting yesterday in council chambers to get firsthand information on issues affecting the city.

Chamber secretary Mrs Zhou said she had informed all the councilors about the parliamentary portfolio committee meeting   on Wednesday during a full council meeting.

Bulawayo mayor Solomon Mguni was not available for comment last night.

However, ward 4 councilor Silas Chigora in an interview said he attended the full council meeting on Wednesday and the chamber secretary did not make any announcement about the parliamentary meeting.

Ward 1 councilor Mulandu Ncube also said he was only informed about the meeting yesterday when the meeting had already started.

Members of the parliamentary portfolio meeting were disappointed by the absence of most of the councillors.

The parliamentary portfolio committee for local government and public works chairperson Miriam Rutendo Zhou said she was disappointed by the absence of city fathers, saying it shows that they did not have the interests of people at heart.

“What the councillors did we are not happy because we thought  they represent the people, but as policymakers, we thought they are the ones who represent people, I think you saw they was only one councillor who came in, we are not happy we are going to take it up to their Minister because they were elected to stand for the people not for themselves,” she said.

“Am sorry to say the policymakers from this side, except the one we saw, I don’t think they were serious, because this was the platform for them to bring those issues that affect the city to us, to make us understand, on Tuesday we are in parliament we start raising those issues, as it is now we did not get any information.”

Mrs Zhou said the parliamentary portfolio committee meeting was aimed at getting information that they can use to assist in the development of the city.

Bulawayo city is facing water, poor drainage and roads among other challenges.

Independent|EXPLOSIVE minutes of a meeting convened by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing minister July Moyo to resolve a land ownership row between five housing co-operatives and Billy Rautenbach show that the business mogul paid RTGS$60 000 (which was equivalent to US$60 000 at the time) to the Zimbabwe Republic Police for “protection” at the height of the dispute, the Zimbabwe Independent can reveal.

Rautenbach’s vast business interests range from ethanol blending (through his investment vehicle Green Fuel) to real estate and mining.At the centre of the land wrangle, which pits Joshua Nkomo, Leopold Takawira, Wadzanai, Mydek and Dzapasi housing co-operatives against Rautenbach is stand number 48 Aspindale Park Township of subdivision A of Aspindale Park of subdivion A of Lochinvar measuring 100,3134 hectares.

They are also fighting over the remaining extent of Salisbury Park of Lochinvar measuring 80,7875 hectares to which the business magnate holds title through Marimba Properties.

However, in 2010, government allocated the land to the co-operatives for settlement, which was subsequently parcelled out as residential stands to home-seekers by the co-operatives.

According to minutes of the meeting, dated July 25, 2019, Rautenbach intimated that in a bid to stop the illegal settlers from occupying his land, he paid the ZRP’s Support Unit RTGS$60 000, to secure his protection.

The minutes read: “He (Rautenbach) noted that despite having been asked to pay US$60 000 to ZRP Support Unit in order for his staff to have police protection whilst they conducted surveys on the stand. He stated that the ZRP Support Unit only came to the site one day and never came back.”

However, according to a quotation generated by ZRP (Harare South District Southerton) undersigned by Staff Assistant Inspector S. Mangena, the police expressed commitment to render security services to Marimba Residential Properties from May 9 to June 12, for a sum of RTGS$60 588.

The quotation reads: “Quotation in respect of security to be provided by police during your works on Stand 48 Aspindale Park Township: 09 May to 12 June 2019 from 0630hrs to 1600hrs. Reference is made to the above subject matter. You are required to pay a total amount of RTGS$60 588,00 for police security and insurance.

“You are also informed that payment should be made prior to the event. You are therefore required to pay cash or alternatively deposit the money into our account”.

Marimba Residential Properties deposited the amount into the ZRP Harare South District CBZ account 02323562250015.The quotation was generated on May 8, 2019.

But when quizzed about the RTGS$60 000 payment to the police, Officer Commanding Harare Province Bernard Dumbura professed ignorance over the matter, saying: “I cannot say it was paid or not, but if it was paid, it was not paid to me.”

He said he only met with Rautenbach’s lawyers to try and obtain a declaratory order, which would assert the business mogul’s rights to the land.

“I remember I was called for a meeting. After that meeting I met Billy’s lawyers to push for a declaratory order to assert his rights,” Dumbura said. “During the meeting, I said we needed to look into the issue with their lawyers and determine if the police was needed. I am not aware of any amount that was paid. As police we have procedures on receiving money. You don’t just receive money.”

The minutes, however, reveal that Rautenbach was promised that he would be refunded his money after making complaints against the police.“He (Rautenbach) was subsequently telephoned and informed that he would get a refund of his money,” the minutes read.

According to the minutes, Rautenbach warned that judging by how the land squabble had been handled by the government, investors would keep away from a country that disregarded property rights.

The minutes also show that to resolve the dispute, Rautenbach proposed that the occupants of the land were supposed to pay Marimba Properties for a period spanning 20 years, failure of which his investment vehicle was willing to buy out the illegal settlers.

“BR (Rautenbach) stated that he was willing to allow current occupants of the stands to pay Marimba Properties over 20 years and if any settler fails to pay for the property, then the company can buy back the property,” the minutes read. “He emphasised he was an investor in Zimbabwe and firmly believed that people will not invest in Zimbabwe unless government can secure property rights.”

Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Harare Province Oliver Chidawu, who also attended the meeting, according to the minutes, questioned the approach of the law enforcement agents who seemed to take sides with the illegal settlers.

“Oliver Chidawu noted that in a previous meeting with the ZRP, the ZRP legal department seemed to side with the co-operatives,” the minutes read.

Chidawu also took a swipe at law enforcement agents at Marimba Police Station, whom he accused of receiving bribes to obstruct the course of justice.

The minutes read: “Oliver Chidawu highlighted that the Officer-in-Command of Marimba Police Station had proved to be unhelpful, giving credence to reports that he has been compromised with stands and money. He noted that Waterfalls Police Station is also very corrupt.”

During the same meeting, Moyo implored law enforcement agents to contain the land ownership feud, which threatened to spiral out of control.

“July Moyo also requested the assistance of the ZRP on the issue of space barons in Harare and stated that in the spirit of devolution, it was incumbent upon provincial authorities to handle their issues before they are escalated to the National Joint Operations Command (Joc). He noted that it was not sufficient to merely remove land barons, but this must be followed up by prosecution in appropriate cases,” the minutes, seen by the Independent this week, read.

At the time of going to print, Moyo had not responded to questions sent to him. His mobile phone was not reachable.

 By A Correspondent| The high cost of university fees has exposed female students to sexual predators who take advantage of them amid revelations that the majority of students had either dropped out or had deferred their studies.

This was said by students from several different universities and polytechnic colleges across the country including teaching trade union representatives while giving oral evidence before Parliament’s portfolio committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology Development, Innovation and Tertiary Education.

The committee chaired by Hwange Central MP Mr Daniel Molokele (MDC Alliance) wanted to know the impact of recent fees hike in tertiary institutions.

Government, through Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology Development Minister Prof Amon Murwira pegged the fees at between $3 500 and $5 000 per semester depending on one’s programme arguing that there was need to balance the desire for quality education and affordability.

In their evidence, the students said there was need for the Government to reduce the fees and peg them at par with salaries that subsisted among civil servants.

They said loans that were introduced by the Government were not sustainable because they would become due for repayment after a semester or a year yet the concerned student would not have completed his or her learning.

Midlands State University Student Representative Council acting president, Mr Leon Mutakura said most students were struggling to raise the fees.

“At MSU, the fees have been pegged at $5 700, which is higher than what the Minister had gazetted. It is a threat and an assault on higher education. It is almost five times more than most parents’ salary. More than 400 students have deferred at MSU owing to the high fees,” said Mr Mutakura.

Zimbabwe National Students Union president, Mr Takudzwa Ngaidzore said Prof Murwira did not consult with relevant students but only convened a meeting after he had announced the new fee structure.

“The fee hike is not timely. Female students are being taken advantage of by ‘blessers’. Our survey showed that at least 50 percent of students had not registered,” said Mr Ngaidzore.- StateMedia

Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has castigated the opposition for what he described as “violent and reckless behaviour.”

Mnangagwa made the remarks in Gutu on Friday.

”No country can develop unless it’s stable.

You can’t hold dialogue with Zupco buses so it doesn’t make sense to attack them,” said Mnangagwa.

He added:”Those who have grievances must find proper ways of expressing themselves.They must use the proper channels of communication.”

By A Correspondent- A church meeting was disrupted last week after an angry daughter of the late Guta Ramwari founder allegedly burst into a meeting which her brother had convened and accused him of squandering church offerings before her brother retaliated by attacking her with a chair. 

In a fit of rage Joseph Tayali’s sister Sarah reportedly went a gear up with her demands as she threatened to shoot her brother if he did not surrender the money to her.

A church elder had to step in and stop the fight. Joseph reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of his sister.

Sarah appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Stephen Ndhlovu facing a charge of threats to commit murder as defined in section 186(1) as read  with section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform )Act (Chapter 9:23).

Due to lack of evidence she was found not guilty.

In arriving at his ruling the magistrate said:

“ There is lack of evidence and the evidence of the witnesses did not corroborate. He also noted that Sarah threatened to shoot and not to kill or murder the complainant.”

Prosecutor Nokuthula Chitsungo said Sarah stormed into the meeting and asked her brother to use a public address system but her brother stood his ground saying the meeting was private. Joseph asked her to sit down but she refused, as a result an argument heightened between the pair. In a bid to hit her he allegedly threw a chair at her.

It is said Sarah demanded her share of the church offerings and quarterly allowances while pointing out that she had a right to the share of offerings since the church was founded by her father. 

In her defence, Sarah submitted that they were children of the late Guta RaMwari church founder Taxwell Tayali and were both members of the church’s supreme council.

She stated that Joseph took absolute control of the church after their father’s death and had been embezzling funds and depriving her of monthly and quarterly allowances.

“However, by virtue of her right, accused person attended church meeting and this pissed complainant off who became violent and started shouting at the accused. Complainant even threw a chair at the accused and this resulted in a heated argument between the two,” Sarah stated in her defence outline.

She submitted that Joseph made a false report to the police and fabricated charges to get rid of her.-Statemedia

Farai Dziva|The Zimbabwe Republic Police must desist from tormenting innocent citizens, the Movement for Democratic Change has said.

See statement below:

The ZRP is brazenly violating the country’s Constitution and repressing citizens’ rights.

The ZRP is also treating the MDC as a terrorist organization in clear violation of the basic tenets of prudent policing as enshrined in the law and in international best practice.

Instead of servicing the Zimbabwean population in accordance with the laws of the land, the police service which clearly behaves like Boko Haram decimating and violating all forms of the rule of law.

We have seen the police service involved in serious human rights violations such as;
-Disregarding court orders
-Selective application of the law
-Unnecessary abductions and assaults on innocent members of the public
-Unlawful detentions
-Denying and disrupting MDC meetings and peaceful demonstrations

It is pertinent to state that when the police are notified of any demonstration or meeting, it is not for them to approve but to deploy their officers to facilitate the exercise of the right to assemble.

The police have become the source of all forms of riotous behavior and chaos in the country.

They cannot stop any meeting or demonstrations because it is not one of their duties to do so but to deploy their officers to make sure that no crime is committed.

We feel there should be a deliberate retraining programmes for all police officers.

There are so many criminal cases committed by the police, many of which go unreported for fear of victimization.

Only such cases like armed robbery, rape, extortion and others end up in courts.

We demand that the police should come up with serious reforms to align them with Constitutional behavior and with international best practice. The Constitution and the law are very clear that for the purposes of preserving the internal security and maintaining law and order in Zimbabwe, there shall be a police service and every member of that police service is charged with the general duty of maintaining law and order by taking all steps necessary for:

-Preserving peace
-Protecting property from malicious injury
-Preventing crime
-Detecting crime
-Apprehending offenders
-Suppressing all forms of civil commotion or disturbances that may occur in any part of Zimbabwe
-Upholding the constitution and enforcing the law without fear or favour
-The police service must be non-partisan, national in character, patriotic, professional and surbodinate to the civilian authority as established by the constitution.

Emmanuel Chimwanda
Secretary for Defence and Security
Movement for Democratic Change

By A Correspondent- The government of Zimbabwe has reportedly disbursed US$100 to every Zimbabwean student in Wuhan, China to purchase food online.

The development was announced by Linda Masarira, the leader of the LEAD political party.

She posted on Twitter saying:

May I congratulate our Government for an act of kindness to every Zimbabwean Student in Wuhan City China. Zimbabwe Government has disbursed US$100 for food online purchases to ZimStudents. This is was made possible after the local Chinese Ambassador discussions yesterday.

Wuhan province is the epicenter of the novel coronavirus and it is very risky for one to mix and mingle with others or to be in public places.

The government had in the recent past been underfire for allegedly neglecting the students who are living in a hazardous environment.

VIDEO- "We will arrest you for having cockroaches in your homes": Mnangagwa pic.twitter.com/c9ERQg2s0E

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) March 6, 2020

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican on Friday reported its first coronavirus case, saying it had suspended outpatient services at its health clinic after a patient tested positive for COVID-19.

The clinic inside the tiny city state — which has some 1,000 residents — will be deep cleaned, while the emergency room will remain open, spokesman Matteo Bruni told AFP.

The patient tested positive on Thursday.

The clinic is used by priests, residents and employees — including those now retired — as well as their relatives.

Bruni said the Vatican was getting in touch with all those who had passed through the clinic, as per protocol.

-AFP

By A Correspondent- Cameroon has confirmed the first case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The country’s Ministry of Health reports that the case is a 58-year old French citizen who arrived in that country on 24 February this year.

The ministry further reports that the case has since been quarantined.

Below is the Ministry’s statement in full:

By Jane Mlambo| Outspoken Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has dropped a bombshell against President Emmerson Mnangagwa saying his cabinet is the worst ever.

In a two-thread Twitter post, Mliswa said most of the cabinet ministers appointed by Mnangagwa do not have political nor economic traction and busy bunking parliamentary sessions despite the country being in an economic crisis requiring all decks on the cards.

1/ As far as I’m concerned this is the worst Cabinet ever! The majority have neither political nor economic traction. Even most Deputy Ministers are falling short. Whilst they should appear in Parly on Wednesdays they’re consistently absent & yet the economy is in a mess!

2/ This is the time they have to educate the Nation on their policies & strategies. Do they honestly understand the processes & procedures of Parly & their subsequent roles? Where’s their depth?