By Fanuel Chinowaita- MDC Youth Assembly National Secretary for the Disabled Muslin Hwiza has accused the Zanu pf run government of failure to fulfil the needs of the disabled in the country.

Hwiza blasted Zanu Pf of being masters of “empty promises” most of which are given towards election time.

“Zanu pf have failed to maintain the needs for the disabled, it promised to offer good services to the institutions  that we thought would take us far such as Jairos Jiri, St Giles, the hospitals, Schools, Roads ,toilets etc.

“It promised to offer good services but nothing has improved, even the taxes the government is getting for  the disabled,  it is used for other purposes which are not for us”, said Hwiza.

The Secretary for the disabled also said that the government had failed in ensuring that the disabled get befitting infrastructure

She said:

“Even most buildings in the country have got stairs and no access for those who are on wheelchairs, are visually impaired and those who limp.”

Hwiza vowed to fight for the disabled people in the country. She urged other disabled people to stop supporting  the current government which she said always looked down upon them. She urged them to support MDC which she said had disabled people at heart.

“Disabled people’s rights are suppressed, I therefore  want to raise a voice for the disabled.

“I have hope and therefore I urge my fellow disabled friends that  new government in waiting, of MDC will not only improve but change our lives. It will be sweet.”

Further more, MDC Youth Assembly National Secretary for the disabled has urged other disabled to be strong and be able to fight for what rightfully belongs to them. She said they must be also very active in politics because it is their constitutional right also.

Muslim also encouraged other disabled people to stop just crying and do some projects which gives them money.

“My advise is don’t be sympathy seekers but be bold and stand for your rights. Let’s all show our other side of life and also participate in politics.

“Ndakakura ndichinzi politics is dirty but its us people  and those greedy people  who makes it dirty. When I first joined politics was scared and worried on  how I was going to do it. So  I asked God to help me and he is still doing so it was tough I don’t want to lie but you should be committed and listen to other people’s advices.

“Let’s  engage ourselves in projects, fulfilling our dreams wake up and smell the coffee, think from outside the box not from inside the box.

“Simplicity makes you whole and humility pays. I pledge, wish , fight for our right as the disabled.

“Disability is not inability you and me can make it. We can change someone’s life through  endurance”, said Muslin Hwiza.

By A Correspondent- Luke Tamborinyoka, the deputy spokesperson of the opposition MDC led by advocate Nelson Chamisa has said that the party has not received any cent from anyone other than its members.

These remarks come a few weeks after exiled former Minister of Higher Tertiary Education, Professor Jonathan Moyo claimed that Patrick Zhuwao the nephew of former President Mugabe funded the party’s 2018 elections campaign.

There were also allegations, which Chamisa refuted, that Sakunda boss, Kuda Tagwirei also funded the party’s campaign.

Below is the full text issued by Tamborinyoka:

The MDC is a mammoth organization with countrywide endorsement that has been funded solely by ordinary Zimbabweans who have always toyed with the idea of change over the years.In the last election, the 2, 6 million votes received by President Nelson Chamisa came from the entire nation and from across the political parties.

But there has been a negative campaign against a broad and united front of Zimbabweans, united solely by a common desire for justice, equality, freedom and democracy.

That emerging common front of diverse Zimbabweans has been actively encouraged by the illegitimate regime’s unbridled incompetence. We will not pander the whims of those against the emerging united front fighting for democracy and transformation in this country.

We will not close our doors to any Zimbabwean who wishes to join the train of change; this rolling change juggernaut that has shaken this regime to the core.

The nation is tired of the patently false narrative that the MDC is funded by the so-called G-40. That is a red-herring. We are not shamed to state that the MDC has not received any cent from anyone other than its members who have unstintingly supported the cause.

We are a proud people’s movement that has survived for two decades from the support of ordinary Zimbabweans who have braved murder and violence for wanting the best for their country.

A new Zimbabwe is definitely on the horizon.

Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy National Spokesperson

Press Statement|MDC family and all Zimbabweans who cherish justice, freedom, liberty and democracy are hopeful that Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama who have languished in prison for many years will be freed at last.

Their Appeal was heard by the Supreme Court today the 3rd of March 2020. Although the Court reserved Judgment, we hope that there will be no inordinate delay which sometimes happens in our courts as the matter is very clear and straight forward.

The High Court convicted them of murder in a highly flawed judgment relating to the unfortunate events in Glen View where they and 25 others were accused of murdering a police officer Petros Mutedza. This was persecution of the highest order and it was the police who were responsible for the mayhem that ensued after unjustifiably interfering with the rights of people who were peacefully gathered at Glen View 3 shopping centre.

While the majority were eventually freed when charges were either dropped before the trial and others at the close of the State case or at the conclusion of the trial, the duo have suffered the brunt of State repression after a political judgment bereft of legal logic was delivered. As the MDC we were delighted by the brilliant articulation of the issues by their lawyers and in our view, the State had no answers.

Apart from misdirecting itself on factual issues in finding corroboration where there were contradictions, the Court based the Conviction on the doctrine of common purpose which has not found its way into the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act. Our prayer is that the Court will do the right thing and uphold the appeal and find all the Appellants not guilt. We trust that this will be sooner rather than later, Justice delayed is Justice denied.

There are also other cases where there have been unjust convictions for instance that of Tonderai Samu and Others which was postponed to the 16th of March 2020 .The State’s house was not in order, they failed to file Heads of Argument in time. We demand Justice for all our leaders and other Zimbabweans who are victims of political persecution by an Illegitimate regime.

Innocent Gonese
MDC Secretary for Justice and Legal Affairs

Media Statement|On Saturday 28 February 2020, Zimbabwe Human Rights Associations (ZimRights) members in Chitungwiza witnessed disturbing incidences of violence which resulted in the destruction of property and seven arrests and assaults of civilians by the Zimbabwe Republic Police. ZimRights spoke to four victims of police brutality, including one who was very critical.

ZimRights notes with concern that this violence was triggered by increasing hate speech from a group calling itself Concerned Citizens Forum, which over the years has been targeting civil society organisations in an anti-rights crusade. Reports from ZimRights community monitors confirm that Concerned Citizens Forum last week started circulating posters on social media threatening to invade the homes of opposition leaders whom it accused of calling for sanctions and causing suffering on Zimbabweans. In a pre-emptive act, opposition youths moved to offer protection to their targeted leaders, leading to violent scenes that were recorded in Chitungwiza.

ZimRights is concerned with these developments upon a population that is carrying an overwhelming economic burden and calls on Concerned Citizen Forum to stop its hate speech which is threatening to trigger anarchy in the country. Real concerned citizens know the sources of their suffering and are doing their best to remain patient in the face of provocative elements.

Zimrights further notes with concern, the police’s heavy-handed response of effecting random beatings of residents, which has further stoked the already simmering tensions.

Zimrights continues to urge the state security agents to exercise restraint and to ensure the safety of people in accordance with their mandate

ZimRights notes that the developments in Chitungwiza are evidence of the tensions in the country which have reached frightening levels. Already, thousands of Zimbabweans are on a stampede to leave the country as the situation looks as hopeless as ever. It thus becomes imperative on the leadership of Zimbabwe to find lasting solution to the current challenges before the situation gets out of control.

ZimRights calls on the leadership of Zimbabwe to urgently begin genuine and inclusive dialogue to resolve the country’s challenges.

ZimRights, a broad grassroots movement of ordinary people across Zimbabwe, remains ready to support authentic dialogue that changes the situation of ordinary people. Equally so, ZimRights will radically stand in opposition of private entities, political parties and individuals who seek an elite pact of leaders without an inclusive transformative agenda.

ZimRights membership across the country will continue to monitor the situation in the hope that a peaceful solution will be found as soon as possible before the country is set ablaze.

Issued by the ZimRights Information Department

Email – [email protected]

Correspondent|Government says it has thrown its full weight behind a last ditch refurbishment of the National Sports Stadium (NSS) in a bid to avoid the embarrassment of hosting Zimbabwe’s African Cup of Nations (Afcon) match against Algeria in a neighbouring country.

This comes after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) last week condemned all the country’s stadiums as unfit to host international matches.

Speaking after the Cabinet Tuesday briefing, Acting Sport minister Kazembe Kazembe said work on the NSS started on Tuesday to align it with the requirements of Caf.

He said engineers and architects are on the ground.

Kazembe said in two weeks the stadium will be 75 percent complete following renovations and other work underway at the National Sports Stadium.

“As we are speaking right now there are people who are working on the National Sports Stadium,” he said.

“They started this morning. Yesterday, there was a meeting of all stakeholders at the National Sports Stadium, a similar meeting took place in Bulawayo.”

#PostCabinetMediaBrief Cabinet noted that corrective action is being taken to upgrade the National Sports Stadium to meet the standards prescribed by CAF. pic.twitter.com/AT5MfUGtvi

— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) March 3, 2020

Correspondent|President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba has dismissed reports that Zimra was holding on to dialysis equipment belonging to Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo. 

Charamba said the equipment was long released after the provision of duty free certificates by the hospital to clear its movement. 

“This is plain untrue and  poor lies; the equipment has long been released after duty-free certificate was provided by relevant authorities. It is standard to withhold imported stuff until production of duty free certificate for tax exemption. The key thing is applying in time,” said Charamba.

Government came under fire after reports that Zimra was holding on to the donated equipment meant to save lives. 

The dialysis equipment  was donated by the International Society of Nephrology. 

Zimra demanded  £3000 to release the equipment meant for an ongoing training programme for doctors and nurses at the hospital.

“Whatever the purpose, documentation has to be provided for tax compliance. Don’t kick a fuss as if ignorance is an excuse. Find out beforehand. Government offices are within reach, not this cheap bad-mouthing of Government, Nxa!,” said a furious Charamba. 

Correspondent|A MAN who allegedly kidnapped and tortured two men over 70 grammes of gold shortfall leading to the death of one of the victims, has been arrested.

Acting Midlands Provincial Spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende yesterday confirmed the arrest of Willard Mugadza for allegedly kidnapping the pair.

“I can confirm the arrest of Willard Mugadza of Gweru in connection with the murder of one Fabian Mabhugu and abduction of one Lenny Hwehwe,” she said.

Insp Mukwende said that it is alleged that Mabhugu and his workmate stole gold from Mugadza who was their employer.

“Mugadza hired some people who kidnapped and tied both men to trees while assaulting them,” she said.

Insp Mukwende said the duo was abducted last week on Tuesday and taken to Chirumhanzu by thugs allegedly hired by Mugadza.

Mabhungu was stripped naked and tied to a tree with webbing. He was whipped, punched and kicked for several hours on end until he lost consciousness.

Hwehwe was also so severely beaten doctors fear he will require a catheter to pass urine for the rest of his life.

She said the now deceased Mabhugu sent a message to his relatives informing them about their abduction and a report was made to the police leading to their rescue.

“The two were then rushed to Gweru Provincial Hospital where Mabhugu died on Sunday at around 3PM,” said Insp Mukwende.

Hwehwe was discharged from hospital on Monday, and was due to give a statement to the police.

He told reporters: “I’m in pain. We were abducted and assaulted over missing gold by our boss. That’s all I can say now.”

He said they were abducted on February 25 and savagely beaten for the next two days until they were freed on Thursday, reportedly after police began questioning ‘Dread’.

Fabian’s aunt, Theresa Mabhugu, said ‘Dread’ and his savage enforcers wanted the two artisanal miners to admit to stealing the gold, and reveal where they hid it.

She said Fabian and Hwehwe were returned to them on Thursday and they took them to Gweru Provincial Hospital where her nephew succumbed to his injuries.

“We have been to the police to file a report and we are also awaiting a post-mortem report,” she said.

Brutality against artisanal miners by mine owners is a common occurrence around Zimbabwe.

Last year, police arrested Kadoma miner Litten Chikowore after video emerged on social media showing him repeatedly striking a hapless man with a truncheon next to what appears to be a mine shaft.

State Media|THE iconic Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo will play host to the 40th Independence celebrations next month, the first time since 1980 that the main programme is being held outside the capital, Harare.

Preparations for the historic celebrations are already at an advanced stage with various committees set up to make sure the celebrations are a success.

In an interview yesterday, Bulawayo provincial coordinator Mrs Khonzani Ncube said Barbourfields was selected because it can accommodate many people that include visitors from the other nine provinces.

“We have started preparations for the celebrations for the main Independence Day celebrations that will be held in Bulawayo and for the first-time outside Harare. The committees are working flat out to make sure that the celebrations are a success. We have included an additional committee to deal with accommodation to cater for visitors from outside Bulawayo,” said Mrs Ncube.

“We settled for Barbourfields because it has a bigger capacity compared to White City Stadium and again, we considered the catchment from Makokoba, Mzilikazi, Nguboyenja suburbs among others close to the stadium.”

Mrs Ncube said residents living far from Barbourfields would be provided with transport to the venue and back.

“We are also expecting visitors from the other nine provinces who are coming to join us in celebrating this milestone. Bulawayo is known for its hospitality and we will pull all stops to make sure that everyone feels welcome,” she said.

“We are greatly honoured to be the first province to host the celebrations out of Harare, it doesn’t put any pressure on us but it is an inspiration for us hence we want to make the celebrations historic and memorable.”

Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister Richard Moyo said they will provide transport to those living close to Bulawayo.

“We will be holding our own provincial celebrations but will assist those who live in areas close to Bulawayo like parts of Umguza district with transport so that they join others in Bulawayo for the celebrations,” he said.

The Matabeleland South provincial coordinator, Ms Thandiwe Ncube, yesterday said they will hold a meeting today to discuss modalities.

The Government last year resolved to rotate among provinces the holding of the main programme of the Independence Day celebrations that had since 1980 been held in Harare in a move to further promote unity and inclusivity.

Speaking during a meeting with civil society organisations from Matabeleland region at State House in Bulawayo last month, President Mnangagwa said this year’s main Independence Day celebrations will be held in Bulawayo for the first time in recognition of the role the city played in the liberation war history.

“We have already made a decision that beginning this year we will be holding our National Independence Day celebrations outside the City of Harare. For 39 years, independence main celebrations were held in Harare but I realised that Independence is not for Hararians. As a result of that we have now chosen to celebrate our 40th year of independence in the City of Bulawayo,” he said.

“The nationalism of this country was here, the likes of Burombo (Benjamin) were from here.

“Furthermore, Bulawayo is the second largest city in our country. I’m counting on all stakeholders in Bulawayo and the greater Matabeleland region to ensure that our 40th Independence Day celebrations are historic and a memorable success.”

State Media|THE country’s electricity supply has improved in the past few weeks with consumers confirming the reduction in the power outages.

While complaining about what they view as “steep” charges, following an upward review of power tariffs last week, individual consumers and corporates have said they are now experiencing slight relief from prolonged power cuts of up to 16 hours a day that dominated year 2019.

The improvement in supplies means that businesses now have more productive hours and reduces costs incurred in sourcing alternative power such as generators.

As of yesterday, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) indicated that existing power stations were generating a combined 694MW, slightly above previous months, with Kariba Hydro and Hwange Power Stations increasing production.

The combined output, however, remains far below the national demand for power estimated at above 1 500MW and much lower than installed capacity of above 2 000MW. A combination of reduced water levels due to climate change and ageing equipment in major thermal stations, hampered adequate power generation.

According to the ZPC daily generation update, Kariba is generating 372MW, Hwange 305MW while Munyati is producing 17MW. Bulawayo and Harare Thermal Power are off the grid.

Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) vice president, Mr Joseph Gunda, said the drop in outages was real.

“We notice that in both domestic and industry there has been some kind of improvement. But I suppose it’s a result of the hike in tariffs. Perhaps Zesa is generating a lot of revenue because of that,” he said.

“The hike in tariffs for uninterrupted supply of power is good for the industry but its magnitude was a bit on the high side. It could have been discussed and there should have been input from industry.”

Mr Gunda, who is also general manager for General Beltings, said while the power utility seeks to improve supplies, there has to be consideration on the “cost effect” of tariff reviews.

“If Zesa increases tariffs, we as well increase charges. Who can absorb them, the industry cannot absorb them? So, they also have to factor all those things into our production processes,” he said.

Last week Zesa increased electricity tariffs by 19,02 percent from 41c/kwh to 49c/kwh, citing the upward movement in exchange rates and inflationary pressures at macro-economic level. The new cost means 50kw/hr will now cost $24,50. The power utility is already implementing a stepped prepayment tariff system, which penalises those who consume more power.

Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Matabeleland regional chairman, Mr Golden Muoni, said the supply side has shifted for the better but industry still needs more.

“We see a slight improvement in power supply, because of some improvement in power generation. The availability of power is that sometimes it’s there in the morning until the end of the day, but not all of the days where you have that,” he said.

“We are saying it is better than the last quarter of 2019 where there was no guarantee of production time, which was lost. You could maybe get four or five hours of production time,” he said.

Bulawayo Chamber of Small to Medium Enterprises chairperson, Mr Energy Majazi, said that electricity supply has greatly improved their operations.

“Power is now available most of the times, but we are not saying that Zesa is perfect. At times we may not have it, but it is better than in the past, we realise that now we go for days without power cuts,” he said.

“The situation has improved a lot and we are grateful and hope this status will remain.”

The business leaders said the recent increase in power tariff has added a burden in their operations. “The challenge comes on the tariff side, as you know SMEs don’t have their own space and depend on property owners.

“So, we get higher bills there and they determine how much SMEs should pay. This is hard for us,” said Mr Majazi.

Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) regional manager, Mr Comfort Muchekeza said while the electricity situation had slightly improved, more needs to be done to ensure adequate supplies.

He urged consumers to self-regulate when using of power due to high tariffs. While Zesa officials could not be reach for comment, the Zambezi River Authority recently reported that water levels at Lake Kariba had increased, giving impetus for improved generation capacity. The giant power station has a combined 1 050MW capacity following the commissioning of Kariba South units.

The Supreme Court has reserved judgement in the high profile matter in which two jailed opposition MDC activists Last Maengahama and Tungamirai Madzokere are appealing against their 2016 conviction on charges of murdering police Inspector Petros Mutedza.

The duo were arrested in 2014 and convicted in September 2016. They were jailed 20 years each. On Tuesday the duo submitted their appeal to the Supreme Court.

In a statement seen by Nehanda Radio, MDC Secretary for Justice and Legal Affairs, Innocent Gonese said the opposition party was hopeful that Maengahama and Madzokere would be freed at last because the matter was clear and “straightforward.”

“The MDC family and all Zimbabweans who cherish justice, freedom, liberty and democracy are hopeful that Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama who have languished in prison for many years will be freed at last.

“Their Appeal was heard by the Supreme Court today the 3rd of March 2020. Although the Court reserved Judgment, we hope that there will be no inordinate delay which sometimes happens in our courts as the matter is very clear and straightforward.

“The High Court convicted them of murder in a highly flawed judgment relating to the unfortunate events in Glen View where they and 25 others were accused of murdering a police officer Petros Mutedza.

“This was persecution of the highest order and it was the police who were responsible for the mayhem that ensued after unjustifiably interfering with the rights of people who were peacefully gathered at Glen View 3 shopping centre,” Gonese said.

Maengahama and Madzokere, together with Yvonne Musarurwa, were convicted in September 2016. Musarurwa was released in 2017 after benefiting from a presidential amnesty aimed at easing congestion in the country’s prisons.

In September 2016, Justice Chinembiri Bhunu handled the case which had been fraught with controversy and slapped Madzokere, Musarurwa and Maengahama with jail sentences after they were convicted of murder with actual intent.

“While the majority were eventually freed when charges were either dropped before the trial and others at the close of the State case or at the conclusion of the trial, the duo have suffered the brunt of State repression after a political judgment bereft of legal logic was delivered.

“As the MDC we were delighted by the brilliant articulation of the issues by their lawyers and in our view, the State had no answers.

“Apart from misdirecting itself on factual issues in finding corroboration where there were contradictions, the Court based the Conviction on the doctrine of common purpose which has not found its way into the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act.

“Our prayer is that the Court will do the right thing and uphold the appeal and find all the Appellants not guilt. We trust that this will be sooner rather than later, Justice delayed is Justice denied,” Gonese said.

Below is a summary of the grounds of appeal

1. The High Court relied on the evidence of “eye witnesses” who contradicted each other.
2. That there was a fabrication and a predetermined effort to investigate only MDC members.
3. That the verdict was based on the doctrine of common purpose. This doctrine was quashed by the Criminal Codification & Reform Act
4. That the Court placed at e crime scene people with valid alibis
5. That individuals were judged on the account of one witness when other witnesses confessed that accused were on the other side of the road.
6. That no witness specifically identifies the appellants throwing stones yet the Court makes a strange finding that they were seen committing the crime. Could this be what Joshua Nkomo referred to as “the law of the rule?”

The MDC has bemoaned what it called “political persecution by an Illegitimate regime” of the citizens of Zimbabwe. “There are also other cases where there have been unjust convictions for instance that of Tonderai Samu and Others which was postponed to the 16th of March 2020.

“The State’s house was not in order, they failed to file Heads of Argument in time. We demand Justice for all our leaders and other Zimbabweans who are victims of political persecution by an Illegitimate regime,” Gonese added.

– Nehanda Radio

TWELVE beneficiaries of residential stands being developed by the late Vice-President Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo’s family have gone to court over the family’s alleged failure to service their stands and provide title deeds.

The 12 families, who bought the residential stands between 2002 and 2005, said despite having fully paid for the properties, ANZAC Investments, a company owned by the Nkomo family and led by Dr Nkomo’s daughter Ms Thandiwe Nkomo, has not yet serviced the area in breach of the agreement of sale entered between the parties.

Peter Anthony Johnson, Ryan Campbell Johnson, Courtney Johnson, Bekezela Ndlovu, Rosemary Ndlovu, Vuyani Ndlovu, Barnabas Dube, Agnella Maphala, Busiso Maphala, Edson Maporisa, Pretty Maporisa and Zinhle Ndlovu, through their lawyers Vundhla-Phulu and Partners, filed summons at the Bulawayo High Court citing ANZAC Investments and its director, Ms Nkomo, as defendants.

They want an order directing the defendants to comply with the terms of the agreement of sale by transferring the properties into their names.

The plaintiffs also want the defendants to service the area by connecting a water reticulation system and constructing access roads in line with the provisions of the subdivision permits issued by the Bulawayo City Council.

The lawyers said despite their clients having finished paying for the properties, the defendants have neglected and failed to transfer the stands into their names in violation of the terms of the contract.

“ANZAC Investments breached the agreements of sale by failing and neglecting to fulfil the conditions imposed by the Bulawayo City Council to provide a reticulated water supply to the properties concerned from the city’s water reticulation system and piped culverts to the entrances of the properties as well constructing access roads to the specification approved by the city’s director of engineering services,” said the lawyers.

“The second defendant (Ms Nkomo) acted unlawfully and with gross negligence when upon receipt of funds by ANZAC Investments, she failed to ensure transfer of the respective stands to the purchasers some of whom have since developed the stands and are now residing on those plots without title deeds.”

The plaintiffs also want the defendants to pay the legal costs.

The defendants are yet to respond.

In October 2016, Ms Nkomo indicated that Anzac Investments was struggling to raise close to US$5 million for the servicing of land for constructing houses at Mqabuko Heights.

The project involved the development of two upmarket suburbs — Mqabuko Heights and Whitestone — comprising of residential stands, open spaces, a commercial centre, primary and secondary school sites.

Ms Nkomo, at the time, told council that the company wanted to engage the municipality or a private player in a joint venture in selling the remaining stands. Council, however, rejected her request, saying it was going to set a wrong precedent.

While some countries have started the evacuation of their citizens from China due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Zimbabwean government has no plans to repatriate students from China.

This was revealed by the country’s Health and Childcare Minister Obadiah Moyo who said the students are better off in China than in Zimbabwe. Said Moyo:

“We have discussed the issue of our students based in China and as a Government, we appreciate that the students are better off in China than here.

“In the event that one gets infected, they stand better treatment opportunities in China than Zimbabwe.

China has already been through the treatment journey with treatment successes having recorded so we have agreed that the students stay in China.”

Moyo was speaking to reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting on Monday.

Meanwhile, China and Zimbabwe have agreed on warning their respective nationals against unnecessary travels as the globe frantically fights to contain the virus.

State Media|The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has earmarked US$120 million this month to import around 200 million litres of fuel for the general local currency market, with US$18,5 million letters of credit confirmed for immediate draw-downs.

The allocation is about 20 percent higher than the normally required US$100 million a month to help end recent shortages.

RBZ manages the foreign currency required for importing fuel while for the general local currency market.

Oil import companies buy the forex through their banks to pay the cost of landing the fuel in Zimbabwe, a cost that hovers around US$0,60 a litre.

The energy regulator then sets the maximum retail Zimbabwe dollar price.

Those licensed to sell petrol and diesel in foreign currency need free funds to import fuel.

The development follows several weeks of fuel shortages that have seen long queues, a flourishing black market and many kombi operators pushing up their fares.

RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya said in a statement last night that eight oil companies can start collecting their allocations from the National Oil Infrastructure Company depot today.

Under normal circumstances, he said, the allocated funding, administered by local commercial banks with help from the RBZ, should result in the disappearance of long winding fuel queues and end the shortages.

Allocations of the initial US$18,5 million are US$9,5 million, more than half the total, to Trafigura which supplies Puma, Trek and Genesis service stations, with Total allocated US$2,5 million, IMIG US$1,52 million, Petrotrade US$,1,25 million, Engen US$700 000 and Raven Energy US$500 000.

Dr Mangudya expected that fuel imported using free funds under the direct fuel import facility would significantly improve fuel supplies.

“To ensure that the DFI facility is not abused, the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) and the bank’s exchange control division are finalising the establishment of a robust system to monitor all filling stations designated by Zera to sell under the DFI facility,” he said.

Dr Mangudya said the US$120 million facility earmarked for fuel procurement, was more than enough to cover Zimbabwe’s fuel needs, especially for March.

Ordinarily, he said, Zimbabwe required US$100 million to pay for fuel imports enough to take through the country for a month.

Dr Mangudya, said the US$18,47 million availed under LCs facility can purchase a week’s supply.

Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi said Government was constantly making efforts to improve the supply of fuel in the country.

“Now, we will be able to know for example who accessed what and in what currency they sold that fuel because there are situations where people access our foreign currency on the formal system or formal allocation and they do whatever they want with that fuel without reference to the national interest,” he said.

Minister Chasi said the new framework would enable Government to monitor and tighten the regulatory framework through ZERA.

He said while information asymmetry was not the only bottleneck, this latest approach will help deal with some of the malpractices.

Minister Chasi said the environment was characterised by opacity of information.

State Media|Banks and money transfer agencies traded accusations in Parliament on Monday over an uneven playing field.

Bankers Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ) accused money transfer agencies such as EcoCash, One Money and Telecash of enjoying an unfair advantage over financial institutions.

This came out during a meeting convened by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget and Finance chaired by Chikomba Central MP Felex Mhona (Zanu PF), who had invited banks, money transfer agencies, business and industry to hear their views on how the economy could be improved.

During the meeting, BAZ chief economist Dephine Mazambani said money transfer agencies were regulated by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, while banks were regulated by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), but yet both provided similar services of collecting and dispensing money.

“Money transfer agencies and banks are not regulated the same way,” she said. “We are regulated by the RBZ while they are regulated through Potraz.

“Our regulation terrain is different, but one of the key challenges is that while we are regulated differently, sometimes you see that we offer similar or the same products or services which creates an uneven playing field and sometimes pose a risk to the financial sector, seismic risks. It is the regulatory environment that we are hoping that can be levelled.”

Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe chief executive Mr Eddie Chibi, which owns EcoCash, said Mrs Mazambani’s views were misdirected.

“EcoCash is under the direct oversight of RBZ,” he said.

“We are regulated under the National Payment System Act and we make as frequent returns and engagement with the central bank as any other financial services sector in Zimbabwe, including banks.

“For certain services, we are also regulated by the RBZ Financial Intelligence Unit where we submit all our suspicious transactions reports and other general issues which we pick. We have invested in a robust system which tracks transaction in terms of any suspicions of fraud and money laundering which we share with the RBZ on a regular basis.

“In terms of our remittances services, we also get regulated by the Exchange Control division of the RBZ, including the licence which we have for the EcoCash Bureau de Change.”

Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce representative, Mr Archie Dongo called on Government to narrow the gap between cost of subsidised products and the price on the market to avoid arbitrage.

He said while subsidies were meant to address affordability of products and services, there was need to rationalise the cost of the end product and how much the market was charging.

“We fully understand the thrust of subsidising certain products for the benefit of the general populace, particularly in an era of austerity,” said Mr Dongo.

“The demand that has been created by lowering of prices is quite high, but the supply has been reduced or is inadequate, for example, when you use Zupco, the queue will tell a story that not everybody who wants to use Zupco will be able to use it.

“The gap between subsidised price and market price is rather wide. The gap is creating very lucrative arbitrage opportunities for some people.”

• 

• 

• 

• 

Cabinet update on the Corona virus: out of a total 6169 travelers, only 2 were taken in for checks (1 Zimbabwean and 1 Chinese national from Human province. ) pic.twitter.com/b12UMxlvzs

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) March 3, 2020

State Media |PEOPLE visiting Zimbabwe from countries affected by coronavirus (Covid-19) without valid medical certificates showing they are negative, will be sent back at the port of entry as the country strengthens its fight against the spread of the virus.

The stringent measures were approved by Cabinet yesterday.

Coronavirus originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan and has spread to various parts of the world, recording a death toll of over 3 000.

The medical clearance certificates should show that the visitors were examined for symptoms and tested for Covid-19 at a Government-designated institution in their home country.

Those who fail to produce the certificates will be immediately deported, Cabinet resolved.

So far, over 6 000 people have been screened of the virus at ports of entry, mainly Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.

Responding to questions from journalists during a post-Cabinet briefing in Harare yesterday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said the Government was taking the tough measures to ensure Zimbabwe was not affected by the virus.

“Those who come without medical certificates showing that they were examined by Government doctors from their countries of origin, we will simply say ‘thank you for the visit, but we are sending you back,” said Dr Moyo.

“We are doing this to ensure that we don’t have people who bring coronavirus into our country. We will take all stringent measures to ensure that we don’t have coronavirus in Zimbabwe.”

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa gave a detailed brief on Cabinet deliberations on Covid-19.

Zimbabwe has not yet recorded any case of Covid-19. The minister said the two suspected Covid-19 patients isolated so far tested negative and had been discharged, adding that Government would continue to monitor them.

All Government emergency agencies, including the Department of Civil Protection, have been directed to be prepared for Covid-19 outbreaks.

She said spot checks on visitors on the 21 self-quarantine period should continue to be enhanced.

“There was a report that was given by the Minister of Health and Child Care which was an update on the national preparedness and response progress regarding the 2019 Coronavirus/Covid-19 virus,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

#PostCabinetMediaBrief Cabinet resolved that all visitors from #COVID19 affected countries should hold valid medical clearance certificates against the virus, which show that they have been examined for symptoms & tested for COVID-19 at a designated Gvt hospital in their country pic.twitter.com/4WbleBi4O9

— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) March 3, 2020

Zanu PF Political commissar, Victor Matemadanda in an interview with The Herald said MDC Youths who locked horns with police officers who raided Job Sikhala’s house on Saturday were being used to destroy the little that is used to benefit the masses.

Matemadanda even took a swipe at MDC run councils and said they were not a genuine revolution as they were destroying the little that is there.

Said Matemadanda:
….However there is a party (MDC Alliance) that purports to support the disadvantaged people knowing that the roads had potholes and some still have potholes and they still have the audacity to buy tires and burn the tires on those roads which is destroying national infrastructure.

That same group goes on to burn ZUPCO buses which they are fully aware that many citizens depend on those buses so I wonder what agenda they are trying to push.

There is no revolution that destroys the little that people have, no wonder why MDC run councils are very poor in terms of service delivery.

Zimbabweans are not fools and they worry about their lives and the country’s development not these jokes.

These people are telling young people destroy stuff yet they have good cars and they can afford to fly out of the country that is why they are sending young and innocent citizens to destroy the little they have and when they destroy those young people are not able to fly out of the country,
Meanwhile, Infomation Minister Mutsvangwa also condemned the violence that took place on Saturday and said opposition leaders were supposed to promote peace and love.-State media

Farai Dziva|Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union(ARTUZ) secretary general, Robson Chere has been forced to transfer to a peripheral school.

Chere believes the move is calculated to stop him from speaking on behalf of suffering teachers.

See Chere’s statement below:

They have failed to defeat the power in me. And they have forcefully transferred me to this school in Svove Rural .

To them it’s a defeat because they were pushing my resignation, or even termination of my employment status, that is the reason why I have not been receiving my salary since January.

Teaching is my profession and my passion and I shall continue defending the right to education and workers’ rights.

I have already started mobilising my new learners at the new school and the community to demand better educational facilities from the Government and a demonstration on this issue is loading …

My lawyers have appealed against the decision and the Public Service Commission has since written to me requesting an out of Court Settlement.

Farai Dziva|Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union(ARTUZ) secretary general, Robson Chere has been forced to transfer to a peripheral school.

Chere believes the move is calculated to stop him from speaking on behalf of suffering teachers.

See Chere’s statement below:

They have failed to defeat the power in me. And they have forcefully transferred me to this school in Svove Rural .

To them it’s a defeat because they were pushing my resignation, or even termination of my employment status, that is the reason why I have not been receiving my salary since January.

Teaching is my profession and my passion and I shall continue defending the right to education and workers’ rights.

I have already started mobilising my new learners at the new school and the community to demand better educational facilities from the Government and a demonstration on this issue is loading …

My lawyers have appealed against the decision and the Public Service Commission has since written to me requesting an out of Court Settlement.

THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has seized dialysis equipment donated to Mpilo Central Hospital over unpaid customs duty amounting to 3 000 pounds, a development that has affected an ongoing training programme for doctors and nurses who will use the equipment.

Zimra is demanding duty upfront before it can release the medical equipment comprising peritoneal dialysis catheters, renal biopsy, needles, sutures, suturing trays and sterile packs to be used in the treatment of patients with kidney complications.

The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) donated the equipment, which was supposed to be used to interpret kidney biopsies, as well as perform peritoneal dialysis for kidney patients.

After the training of medical staff, the donated equipment will remain at Mpilo for use in treating patients. ISN educational ambassador Dr Nitin Kolhe together with two senior nurses, Sisters Carol Rhodes and Claire Mcguire from the United Kingdom, are at Mpilo Central Hospital to conduct the programme, which started yesterday and ends on Friday.

In an interview, Mpilo Central Hospital’s head of the renal unit Dr Shepperd Kajowa said the seizure of the equipment by Zimra impacted negatively on the ongoing training programme, which is aimed at equipping doctors and nurses who will use the equipment in the treatment of patients with requisite skills.

He said after the training programme, the health institution will be able to offer, for the first-time, peritoneal dialysis for kidney patients in the Matabeleland region as the equipment will remain in use at the hospital.

“The other aspect is on biopsies which will enable us to start offering that service and it will help us improve our diagnostic ability when dealing with patients with kidney related ailments. Biopsy involves taking a very tiny piece of the kidney and examining it under a microscope so that we are able to get the exact diagnosis from the histology,” said Dr Kajowa.

“It is very essential in that it helps us find what exactly would be wrong with the patient, something that we are not offering at the moment.”

Dr Kolhe said failure to release the equipment would be a major blow to the training as they need to use the machines for demonstration purposes for those who will be using it.
“Zimra has kept the machines and this has so far affected our training session.

If the equipment is not released, we would have travelled over 400 miles to Bulawayo for nothing. They are saying we should deposit a duty of 3 000 pounds. I bought an Ultra Sound Machine because I was not sure if they had such equipment in Bulawayo and we will be taking the machine back but the rest of the things they are supposed to be used by the institution after the training programme,” he said.

Dr Kolhe said they had been advised that Mpilo Hospital had sent a letter to Zimra and were hopeful that the equipment would be released soon.

Mpilo Central Hospital chief executive officer Mr Leonard Mabandi said they had already applied to Zimra for the equipment to be released.

“What l can say is that we are expecting the equipment be cleared because we have already applied for free clearance. We had to learn on Sunday, the day they were flying, the value of the equipment they were carrying,” he said.

Zimra Commissioner-General Ms Faith Mazani said she was not aware of the development.
“I don’t have facts and therefore it would be difficult for me to comment.

However, if Mpilo Central Hospital has an issue they can contact me and then I can assist them. Even if the equipment has been seized by Zimra, I need to first know the reason why It was confiscated,” she said.

Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Chamunorwa Mangwiro said he was yet to be furnished on the matter.

“I am not privy to that issue as I am yet to be informed. Mpilo Central Hospital chief executive officer is supposed to write a detailed report and send it to us then we take it up from there,” he said.-State media

The MDC Secretary-General Charles Hwende has sent a final warning to Douglas Mwonzora telling him that he must desist from discussing party matters on social media.

In a letter written on Tuesday Hwende said, “We note with concern that you continue to discuss party business in the media not withstanding the decision of the party to restrict such to authorized officers

“You also continue to discuss party business on social media in violation of the party’s social media policy.  This letter serves a s a final warning to you that such conduct will not be tolerated by the party.”  

MDC Statement|The MDC is a mammoth organization with countrywide endorsement that has been funded solely by ordinary Zimbabweans who have always toyed with the idea of change over the years.

In the last election, the 2, 6 million votes received by President Nelson Chamisa came from the entire nation and from across the political parties. But there has been a negative campaign against a broad and united front of Zimbabweans, united solely by a common desire for justice, equality, freedom and democracy.

That emerging common front of diverse Zimbabweans has been actively encouraged by the illegitimate regime’s unbridled incompetence. We will not pander the whims of those against the emerging united front fighting for democracy and transformation in this country. We will not close our doors to any Zimbabwean who wishes to join the train of change; this rolling change juggernaut that has shaken this regime to the core.

The nation is tired of the patently false narrative that the MDC is funded by the so-called G-40. That is a red-herring. We are not shamed to state that the MDC has not received any cent from anyone other than its members who have unstintingly supported the cause. We are a proud people’s movement that has survived for two decades from the support of ordinary Zimbabweans who have braved murder and violence for wanting the best for their country.

A new Zimbabwe is definitely on the horizon.

Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy National Spokesperson

Statement on mealie meal supplies

Harare, March 3, 2020- The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) is happy to announce that we have so far managed to import 10 000 metric tonnes of maize from South Africa, whose efforts have been made possible by the government which has given us the opportunity to import.

We are, however, waiting for a review of the price of roller meal subsidy from the government so that we pump the product into the market and hope to improve the supply of the commodity within the next 30 days.

Millers are currently owed an excess of ZWD120 million by the government in roller subsidy refunds dating back from last December, and this is affecting the constant supply of roller meal. Under normal circumstances, the subsidy payments should come within seven days.

Our National Chairman, Mr. Tafadzwa Musarara, is on a regional and international crusade where he is engaging with grain producers and suppliers, as we intensify grain procurement with the aim of complementing government efforts of ensuring food security.

The CoronaVirus epidemic has also affected our trips to Asia and related destinations where we intend to procure rice, maize, and wheat.

GMAZ remains committed to fulfilling our mandate and moral duty of ensuring national food security.

Garikai Chaunza

GMAZ media and public relations manager

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to grant an amnesty to prisoners, the Minister of Information Monica Mutsvanga has said.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet briefing Mutsvangwa said Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi brought the proposal and it was approved by Cabinet.

Said Mutsvangwa, “Cabinet approved the proposal to have a General Amnesty for prisoners. Cabinet noted that the country’s prison population currently stands at 22 000 against an official holding capacity of 17 000. The Amnesty will decongest the country’s prisons.”

Watch the video below:

#PostCabinetMediaBriefing Cabinet approved the proposal to have a General Amnesty for prisoners. Cabinet noted that the country's prison population currently stands at 22 000 against an official holding capacity of 17 000. The Amnesty will decongest the country's prisons. pic.twitter.com/QusUtJrymN

— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) March 3, 2020

A TEACHER from Magwegwe North suburb in Bulawayo was found hanging from a tree in a suspected suicide.

It is not clear why, Ntabiso Sibanda (54), a teacher at Sabelo Primary School in Inyathi, Bubi District of Matabeleland North could have killed himself, on Saturday afternoon.

Two boys who were searching for firewood near Magwegwe Sewerage Treatment plant discovered his lifeless body hanging from a tree.

The Chronicle on Monday visited his family at his Magwegwe North where mourners are gathered.

His younger brother, Mr Bonisani Sibanda said the family was in the dark on why he could have committed suicide and are looking for answers.

“He was an out of home teacher as you might be aware. He was not always around for us to assess if he was facing any problems. But when he was around us, we didn’t note anything amiss with him. We are also searching for answers as we are in the dark on what could have led him to end his life,” he said.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said investigations into Sibanda’s death were underway.

“We received a sudden death case where a 54-year-old man was found hanging from a tree in a bush in Magwegwe North suburb. The deceased is a teacher at Sabelo Primary school in Inyathi. He was found by two boys who were out looking for firewood.  The boys informed elders before the matter was reported to the police who retrieved his body,” said Insp Ncube.

He said Sibanda’s body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for post mortem.

Insp Ncube urged residents to seek counselling if they are facing challenges, instead of ending their lives.

“It’s unfortunate that a life has been lost. We strongly appeal to members of the public who might be going through personal issues to consult and seek counselling services to solve some of their problems.  Ending one’s life is not a solution,” said Insp Ncube.

Matabeleland North acting Provincial Education Director Mr Jabulani Mpofu said he was not informed of Sibanda’s death.

“I haven’t received any communication regarding this. I will make a follow-up on the issue. But since this did not happen at our school, information may take time to reach us,” said Mr Mpofu.

The 2019 Friendship Bench Services, African Mental Health Research Initiative report (AMARI) revealed recently revealed that more than 100 000 Zimbabweans suffering from depression and anxiety sought health care last year.

Depression is said to be one of the major causes of suicide.

FORMER Zanu PF kingpins — who for years determinedly worked to obliterate the MDC, but now claim undying love and loyalty to the party and its leader Nelson Chamisa — are causing great discord in the country’s main opposition, the Daily News reports.

So bad has the situation become that the MDC’s respected former secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora, was forced to warn his colleagues openly yesterday that the party needed to be wary of Zanu PF’s vanquished Generation 40 (G40) faction kingpins who are worming their way into the ranks of Zimbabwe’s biggest opposition party.

This comes after some G40 kingpins recently claimed that they had funded Chamisa and the MDC’s 2018 election campaigns — even as some of their grand assertions relating to the funds that they allegedly paid for this appear to be dubious.

It also comes after former minister and Zanu PF politburo member, Jonathan Moyo, said that he had met Mwonzora and then MDC treasurer Theresa Makone ahead of the 2018 polls, allegedly at the behest of the main opposition party’s late founding president Morgan Tsvangirai.

In addition, Moyo also recently insinuated that Mwonzora was working with a famous businessman to influence the outcome of a Supreme Court case involving Chamisa and the MDC’s former deputy president Thokozani Khupe — relating to the control of the assets of the country’s biggest opposition party.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily News yesterday, Mwonzora — who is now the MDC’s deputy secretary for international relations — said he was clearly a victim of a smear campaign by former Zanu PF officials who now claimed that they were pro MDC.

“I have never met Jonathan Moyo since he was removed from office in 2017. I have talked to him over the phone, but I never met him in person.

“Zimbabweans are being taken on a wild goose chase … so that that way people don’t organise, hoping that there will be a miracle.

“I also have got nothing to do with the Supreme Court judgment … as you may know, the party withdrew its case against me and now I am focused on my constituency,” an aggrieved Mwonzora said.

“My advice to the party is that let us be vigilant. We cannot be divided by outsiders. We have come from afar with this movement.

“I want to see the party succeed, that’s my aim and objective and I am sure that my colleagues share the same objective,” he added.

And in a further stunning revelation that exposes the rifts in the MDC relating to the party’s opaque engagements with former Zanu PF officials, Mwonzora said outright that it was a lie that the country’s main opposition party had got any support from G40 elements in the run-up to the 2018 general elections.

“I was the secretary-general of the MDC in 2018 and part of my duty as the secretary-general was to receive and record any donation from people.

“I did not see anything from Moyo or other former Zanu PF kingpins for that matter … absolutely nothing came to the institution,” the former MDC secretary-general said.

Mwonzora, who has been at loggerheads with Chamisa’s supporters since 2018 — following the death of Tsvangirai — said the smear campaign against him was gathering pace, which he claimed was a plot to cause divisions in the MDC.

“A desperate smear campaign has resurfaced against my person. The aim of the smear campaign is to keep the party internally focused, divided and weak.

“Unfortunately, the peddlers of these falsehoods do not understand the nature of our party.

“To all the MDC members and supporters I want to assure you that I am not and have never been in receipt of any money from a prominent businessman or anyone else for that matter. I don’t even know much about him,” Mwonzora said.

“At any rate, I am not a judge of the Supreme Court. I also notice a number of threats to my person. That is nothing new.

“I want to assure our MDC members that I have never and will never betray the people’s struggle. We must remember where we came from together.

“There are people who yesterday beat us up and murdered our brothers and sisters who now want to masquerade as our friends. We cannot allow them to divide us,” Mwonzora said further.

“I will never kiss the hand that murdered our youngsters, including Tonderai Ndira, Beta Chokururama and Godfrey Kauzani and many others for any reason whatsoever.

“Our founding father Morgan Tsvangirai left us this party so that we prosecute the people’s struggle. We welcome people to join our great movement. But we can’t allow the same people to divide us.

“The people of Zimbabwe are suffering and they are looking up to us to lead them to salvation. They are living in abject poverty and misery. We will fail them if we allow ourselves to be divided by enemies of democracy and progress,” Mwonzora added.

Writing on social media earlier, Moyo accused some opposition officials of trying to bribe the judiciary in order to ensure that Chamisa would lose the battle for the control of the party to Khupe.

He also said that he had met with Mwonzora in 2018, further slamming him for misleading people about his relationship with Chamisa.

“Besides the delegations from Thokozani Kupe’s MDC-T who wanted resources, and the high powered team of Mwonzora and Theresa Makone, we received on two separate occasions in February 2018 & April 2018, visitations by senior leadership from Joice Mujuru’s Rainbow Coalition.

“It should be clear that encounters and engagements in politics do not constitute relationships.

“February claims that the so-called G40 forged permanent links with Chamisa in 2018 are false and hypocritical, as they have come from hypocrites who sought our support,” Moyo said.

This comes as the MDC is witnessing escalating chaos among its structures nationally — some of which has readily been admitted to by the party itself and ascribed to leadership incompetence.
It also comes as the MDC is still struggling to heal the rifts that were caused by Chamisa’s highly-contested ascendancy to the party’s leadership in 2018, following the death of Tsvangirai — who succumbed to cancer of the colon on Valentine’s Day that year.

Speaking in Bulawayo last month, a day after dissolving the MDC’s Masvingo provincial executive, Chamisa himself bemoaned the factional and tribal wars that are threatening to destroy the party around the country.

“Tribalism is a new phenomenon that is emerging in the party of late … It is a headache for me.

“This is a new phenomenon that we have to confront and that is part of the reason why I am engaging structures to make sure we get to the bottom of this issue,” he told the media at the Bulawayo Press Club.

The 42-year-old opposition leader addressed journalists a day after he had wielded the axe on the entire Masvingo executive — amid claims of growing factionalism and leadership incompetence.

Chamisa told the press in the second city that he was determined to end the tribal wars which he said had also affected the Bulawayo City Council (BCC).

“I have seen that in local authorities, and now you hear these undertones of tribalism. It is important to understand that as the MDC this is an issue that we have to confront.

“When we formed the MDC, most of the people … were actually from Matabeleland, but we were not looking at regions.

“We were looking at the content of the character of an individual in terms of nation building. That is how it has always been,” Chamisa said then.

A UNIVERSITY OF Zimbabwe student who has been on the run after kidnapping one woman at Eclipse Night club last year has appeared at the magistrates’ court.

Anesu Taziva, 21, pleaded not guilty when he appeared before magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa who remanded him in custody to today for bail application.

Taziva is being charged with kidnapping and theft. Allegations are that on November 24 last year, Taziva was at Eclipse Night club when he connived with his two accomplices who are still at large to drag the complainant who was doing her business at the club into a motor vehicle they had.

The complainant tried to resist but it was in vain when Taziva and his team forced her to enter into the motor vehicle as they also got into the car and closed the doors. The three drove to Kuwadzana as they had ordered the complainant to keep quiet and follow their orders.

Upon arrival in Kuwadzana, Taziva and his team took the complainant’s cell phone, US$80 and some various items that were in the complainant’s bag.

They then dropped the complainant and drove off.

• H Metro

Statement on mealie meal supplies

Harare, March 3, 2020- The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) is happy to announce that we have so far managed to import 10 000 metric tonnes of maize from South Africa, whose efforts have been made possible by the government which has given us the opportunity to import.

We are, however, waiting for a review of the price of roller meal subsidy from the government so that we pump the product into the market and hope to improve the supply of the commodity within the next 30 days.

Millers are currently owed an excess of ZWD120 million by the government in roller subsidy refunds dating back from last December, and this is affecting the constant supply of roller meal. Under normal circumstances, the subsidy payments should come within seven days.

Our National Chairman, Mr. Tafadzwa Musarara, is on a regional and international crusade where he is engaging with grain producers and suppliers, as we intensify grain procurement with the aim of complementing government efforts of ensuring food security.

The CoronaVirus epidemic has also affected our trips to Asia and related destinations where we intend to procure rice, maize, and wheat.

GMAZ remains committed to fulfilling our mandate and moral duty of ensuring national food security.

Garikai Chaunza

GMAZ media and public relations manager

[email protected]

HIGH Court judge, Justice David Mangota has attacked the state for returning title deeds to exiled former cabinet minister, Saviour Kasukuwere’s Mutare Holiday home saying there was no justification for that action.

The judge said this in a recent ruling following the state’s application to appeal against his own ruling ordering the release of the deeds last year.

Mangota said the state failed to present its case technically such that its arguments was hanging on nothing to compel him to rule otherwise.

“The charges upon which the applicant’s prosecution was anchored were quashed. They became a nullity from which nothing flows,” said Mangota.

“He became a free man who was entitled not only to the bail which he deposited with the court but also to the title deed of his property. He surrendered the same to the court as a way of gaining his freedom. He gained the same when the court quashed the charges.

“Given the lackadaisical approach which NPA dealt with the applicant’s in lime matter, its apparent lack of interest in the same as measured against the weighty submissions which the applicant made mention of in his preliminary matter. I was left with no option but to grant his motion as he prayed for it,” ruled the judge.

Kasukuwere had applied for immediate release of his title deeds after charges against him were quashed.

The judge upheld Kasukuwere’s motion saying he was “satisfied that the state had no basis for continuing to hold onto the title deed of the applicant’s property. The state on its part did not support its position to the retention by it of the applicant’s property.

Mangota also ruled that Kasukuwere proved his case on a balance of probabilities and that the title deed of his property was, accordingly, released to him.

On October 9 2019, Mangota granted Kasukuwere title deeds to his home.

The title deed is number 7010/2003 of subdivision D of Manchester in the district of Umtali which was forfeited to the state by order of Senior Regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya on March 25 2019.

This was after he failed to return to the court after he was granted permission to visit South Africa on grounds that he wanted to seek medication.

Besides forfeiture of his property, Kasukuwere was also issued with a warrant of arrest.

He then approached the High Court with an application for review of the decision of the magistrate who ordered forfeiture of his property, an application he won before High Court judge. Justice Tawanda Chitapi quashed charges against him.

The ruling ordering release of his title deeds came at a time Prosecutor General Kumbirai Hodzi had applied for leave to appeal against Chitapi’s in the Supreme Court under case number SC550/19.

Hodzi then filed an urgent application saying he feared Kasukuwere would dispose his property leaving him with no any other recourse in case he wins the Supreme Court challenge.

But High Court judge Justice Benjamin Chikowero struck off the case from the urgent roll before he ordered Hodzi to pay costs of suit to Kasukuwere.

Through Zivanai Macharaga, Hodzi said the High court erred in clearing a fugitive.

Mangota however ruled that the conduct by the prosecutor who was handling the case, Macharaga’s of the president’s special anti-corruption unit was amiss.

“Their lack of consultation could not be blamed on the court or on the applicant. The blame lay squarely within their courtyard,” he said before he ordered release of Kasukuwere’s title deeds.

All Africa

Correspondent|THE SADC Climate Services Centre has warned several countries in the region, including Southern and Central Zimbabwe of heavy rains forecast over the next few days.

Other areas in the region receiving torrential rain include Namibia, central-eastern Angola, north-western Botswana, Comoros, central-to-south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, northern Madagascar, northern Malawi, Mauritius, north-eastern Mozambique, central and northern parts of Tanzania, central South Africa, north and southern parts of Zambia.

The CSC said there are indications that rainfall amounts may exceed 100mm in 24 hours and these rains are likely to result in local flooding in certain areas.

“National Meteorological and Hydrological Services are urged to closely monitor these events and update relevant institutions such as Disaster Risk Management Agencies at member states level to support preparedness and actions taken to protect lives and property,” CSC cautioned.

The next advisory will be issued if a serious event is detected within in the region.

A Cabinet Minister says a decision by legislators to call teachers trade unions to contribute on the recent increase of tuition fees at universities and colleges raised eyebrows given that the educators did not fall under the Ministry that superintended tertiary institutions.

Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said he was concerned at what had motivated Parliament’s portfolio committee on High and Tertiary Education to call teachers representative body who fell under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

The committee chaired by Hwange Central MP, Mr Daniel Molokele (MDC Alliance) on Monday invited Progressive Teachers Union and Zimbabwe Teachers Association together with student representatives at various tertiary institutions to discuss on the impact on the recent increase of tuition fees at universities and colleges.

During the meeting, teachers representatives and students took turns to berate Prof Murwira for the high fees which they said were not justified given that most civil servants could not afford them.

In an interview, Prof Murwira said while the committee was properly placed to deal with the issue of tuition fees, it was the calling of teachers’ trade unions that left him with a lot of unanswered questions.

“I am failing to understand the prudence of calling PTUZ and Zimta. What value will they bring on a platform to discuss tuition fees at universities and colleges. They fall under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and not my ministry. I am actually surprised on what really is the motivation for such a decision,” said Prof Murwira.

Government today started the refurbishment of the National Sports Stadium in Harare following a series of meetings held yesterday.

The giant facility, together with all other venues was condemned by the Confederation of African Football prompting Government to pull resources together to upgrade the stadium.

The AFCON qualifying tie between the Warriors and Algeria had been taken away from Zimbabwe and was set to be played on neutral soil but that ban could be lifted after ZIFA lodged an appeal with CAF.

State media visited the National Sports Stadium this afternoon and witnessed workmen attending to the playing turf, which is one of the major areas recommended for upgrading by the CAF inspectors last November.

Media tribunes, turnstiles, sitting bays, doping rooms as well as ablution facilities will also be attended to.

More to follow

Correspondent|Female Parliamentarians from all political parties have held a peaceful demonstration in the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon.

The parliamentarians grouped together and demonstrated by sitting on the floor in the chamber calling on Government and Parliament to do more to protect women and their rights as enshrined in the Constitution and various international treaties the country is signatory to.

The demonstration was organised by the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Committee, a grouping of all female Parliamentarians from all parties in the August house.

PARLIAMENTARIANS have called on economic stakeholders to be honest when meeting President Emmerson Mnangagwa over the deteriorating state of the economy blamed on the unusual growth in the money supply, thereby depreciating the Zimbabwe dollar.

Yesterday, the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC), Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), Bankers Association of Zimbabwe, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe Limited made presentations to the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Parliamentary Committee.

The presentations were in response to the 2020 Monetary Policy Statement released last month, which failed to address the continued depreciation of the Zimdollar, which has brought hyperinflation and worsened business and consumer livelihoods.

“You come here and tell us the economy is not well, but we are shocked when you meet HE (Mnangagwa), you paint a good picture and say the economy is on the right track. Can you tell us why?” Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee chairperson Felix Mhona asked.

In response, ZNCC chief executive officer Christopher Mugaga said: “You raised the issue of ‘when you meet HE’ you are nice. I don’t know, I am not sure. Maybe it’s a case of an approach we use, but the truth of the matter is maybe — being a spokesperson for the chamber — there are a number of issues that are not in order.

“I think from the times of the unusual appetite to print money from the days of (former central bank governor Gideon) Gono up to now, we have been ever so talking. I think you hear my colleagues are delving into the issues. I think a number of minds know what money supply is, everyone wants it to stop. It’s not normal”.

Mugaga said the moment the Zimdollar was introduced in a statutory instrument, it was already a disaster and he called on the quality of policy-making to improve.

He said as a first step in fixing the economy, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube needed to be honest.

“Last time we met parliamentarians, we spoke about how policies are being missed ‘Nicodemously’ … or how they see the light of day without Parliament having agreed to it,” Mugaga said.

The reason why the increase in the money supply causes a currency to depreciate is due to more currency chasing the same quantity of goods, resulting in firms increasing prices to restore value.

As a result, inflation is accelerated, affecting business and consumers alike.

The increase in money supply has been blamed on government borrowing to fund its excessive expenditure, which both the World Bank and International Monetary Fund have raised concern over.

“The problem we are having in the economy is growth in the money supply. Just to highlight that in the last quarter of 2019, the money supply was $35 billion and in first quarter of 2020, it is now at $46 billion, which is quite a huge growth in money supply,” CZI chief economist Tafadzwa Bandama said.

“We also want to highlight as CZI that supply of services to government must be rationalised, especially when it comes to payment. If say a supplier does a job for $3 million, for example, instead of giving them the whole $3 million which they will use to rush to the parallel market, it’s better to pay in tranches so that we do not have a run on the exchange rate.”

She said if they were paid in full, it would cause a depreciation on the exchange rate.

• NewsDay

Own Correspondent|POLICE in Kwekwe on Monday finally decided to bring sanity to Kwekwe when they conducted raids on hundreds of illegal miners doing their business within meters of the city’s central business district.

The raid saw the arrest of 215 of the suspected illegal gold panners.

Police deployed four truckloads of its highly armed anti riot details to conduct the raids saw the police spend long hours engaged in running battles with the miners.

The running battles even spilled into Kwekwe Central with the CBD in virtual police lockdown as the law enforcement agents were hunting for the illegal miners.

Kwekwe Central police could not accommodate all those arrested, and they had to be distributed Redcliff and Amaveni holding cells.

Authorities had to screen some of the artisanal miners who ended up paying fines.

Midlands Chief Prosecutor Samuel Pedzisayi said in an interview that authorities had to conduct vetting and clearance sessions at the court.

“I am based in Gweru, but we had to come down to Kwekwe because of the nature of the case. We realised that personnel here will be overwhelmed as 215 were arrested.

“However, it was realised that some who were arrested were at legally registered mining claims. So, we had to free those, and depending on the veracity of the issue after screening, some had to be released and be allowed to pay fines.

“What we want to do is to deal with the real culprits who are illegally prospecting; those indeed need to face prosecution and are going to face the wrath of the law. We don’t condone illegal mining activities,” he said.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Lawyer Artwell Chinamatira who was representing some of the miners said the dragnet was inhumane.

“These arrests are very inhumane the only crime committed by my clients is to fend for their families. These are the people who are trying to eke out an honest living for their families,” he said.

By Staff Reporter- Florence Ganye (47) is a bitter woman.

She frowns while narrating how her case was handled at Chitungwiza magistrates court, some 27 kilometres away from Harare’s main capital.

“I am serving community service for an offence that I never committed. My only crime was to reprimand the policewoman not to shout vulgar words at the borehole in front of minors while insulting everyone else who was in the queue for water,” she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by two others who were also convicted to more than 70 hours of community service at Seke 8 primary, a local government school in the same neighbourhood.

Added her colleague:

“It’s a travesty of justice. Our systems are captured.”

Abuse of office

Detailing the events leading to their arrest and conviction, the three women shared their story.

Ganye said trouble started when a policewoman (name supplied) came to the borehole in plain clothes and started challenging everyone including the elderly waiting in the queue for water.

The policewoman reportedly told everyone that she was jumping the queue simply because she was a police officer.

“Imagine being in the queue for water for over 5 hours only for someone to just come and jump the queue while shouting vulgar words insulting the elderly men and women in the presence of minors.”

The development irked community members who started reprimanding her but the boastful police officer who is in her early thirties told everyone that she was using her uniform to show the community that she had the powers to do as she pleased at the free for all borehole.

The community members reportedly refused her to jump the queue and she then went to report an assault that never happened at Chitungwiza Town Centre.

Bribe

Out of the many community members, she chose three women, Ganye included who were hauled to court and convicted.

Ganye and her colleagues alleged that the police woman sought for a US$50 bribe to have the case withdrawn but the trio refused.

“I was innocent and I assumed that the courts would be fair but I was warned that without any money, we would be found guilty. True, we were found guilty even when we never assaulted her.”

Ganye is like many others who feel that the country’s justice system is captured.

Scarred

Another Epworth woman, whose 11 year old daughter was raped by a fellow tenant also had no kind words for Zimbabwe’s courts.

Narrating her experiences, she accused the court officials of receiving bribes to discharge the guilty while convicting those who are innocent but fail to pay bribes.

“My daughter is a slow learner but she quickly disclosed what had happened to her and we sought medical help which confirmed that she had been raped.

The medical affidavit was there to prove that she had been violated but the perpetrator is walking scot free. His relatives came out in full force and they were moving from one office to the next during trial. I am sure they paid the court officials. I am not happy with the conviction.

It was as if my daughter is mad and could not identify who raped her because the case was just thrown out.”

She said the courts destroyed her hopes that justice would be delivered.

“My daughter is scarred for life because everyone in the community is just pointing at her and identifying her as that mentally challenged girl who was raped.

Even some mothers do not want their daughters associating with her because they label her and say she is now an adult because she had sex. It is as if she chose to be raped.

What pains me the most is that the man who did this to her is out there and was freed by the courts.”

The Constitution of Zimbabwe in section 69(3) guarantees to every person the right of access to the courts, or to some other independent and impartial tribunal or forum established by law for the resolution of disputes.

The Constitutional principles set out in section 165 of the Constitution dictates the mandate of the judiciary, stating that in exercising its authority, the Judiciary must remain cognisant of the need to do justice to all, irrespective of status; dispensing justice efficiently and with reasonable promptness.

Confidence In The Judiciary?

Presenting his speech on the official opening of the 2018 Legal year on January 15 2018, Justice Luke Malaba, the Chief Justice of Zimbabwe said:

“The Judiciary must always be conscious of the fact that its role is paramount in the safeguarding of human rights and freedoms and the rule of law. Access to justice is the hallmark of any civilised and democratic society.”

He added that these can only be achieved if all the arms of Government diligently play their respective roles in a transparent, just, accountable and responsive manner.

“The role of the Judiciary in the administration of justice becomes key. It is a critical role because of the constitutional duty thrust on the Bench to exercise judicial power impartially, promptly and in a manner that safeguards public confidence in the judicial system.”

Cartel Captured

Prosecutor General Kumbirai Hodzi, in an interview with a local publication alleged that a cartel made up of police officers, lawyers, prosecutors, the media and judges working with powerful politicians has corrupted the justice delivery system in Zimbabwe.

He alleged that the cartel, had even attempted to kill him to get its way.

Patrick Zhuwao, a former cabinet minister who is now in self imposed exile, in his article titled the Zhuwao Brief concurred with another former cabinet minister Professor Jonathan Moyo that the systemic capture of Zimbabwe’s judiciary started manifesting itself in 2016 and came to the fore on 21st August 2019 when Justice Chitapi quashed charges against Honourable Saviour Kasukuwere.

Said Zhuwao:

“In a rare judgment, Justice Chitapi described how the magistrate in the Kasukuwere case, as a judicial officer, “openly confessed that he was conducting proceedings under pressure from certain persons. He was therefore not independent and impartial as his duties required him to be.”

Unite And Fight

The opposition MDC led by Nelson Chamisa is also on record saying that the country’s justice delivery system is captured.

Said Chamisa:

“It is a call to action when the country’s Prosecutor General confirms that cartels have captured state institutions. This reflects a captured and compromised state and that the regime is not fit for purpose. Politics aside, we must now unite in this BIG fight against corruption.

“The PG confirms the serious and systemic nature of rot permeating the State. As ever, the fish rots from the head. If the top prosecutor is moved to make such public complaints then he is not getting support from the political leadership to perform his constitutional role.”

However, addressing legislators in the 9th parliament recently, Vice President Kembo Mohadi trashed the allegations by the prosecutor general and said his remarks were personal.

Said Mohadi:

“What he (PG) said is his own opinion…..But for what we are doing as government over the claims is that we will investigate as to whether what he said was true or not. He needs to explain to us what he meant by ‘State capture’ and what is actually taking place. Until he comes to us and explain the issue, investigations are yet to take place.”

Corrupt

Zimbabwe is viewed as one of the world’s 20 most corrupt countries, according to the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), a report compiled by graft watchdog, Transparency International.

According to the report which ranks 180 countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, Zimbabwe is number 160 on the index, which uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

The southern African country scored a paltry 22, which is below the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 32.

However, the position is an improvement when the country was at its worst in 2008, where it was number 166. This was attributed to the country’s economic crisis, when the country’s inflation rose to an estimated 89.7 sextillion percent year-on-year in mid-November 2008.

But there is general consensus among citizens, that the justice delivery system in the country is “captured”.

Zanu PF Political commissar, Victor Matemadanda in an interview with The Herald said MDC Youths who locked horns with police officers who raided Job Sikhala’s house on Saturday were being used to destroy the little that is used to benefit the masses.

Matemadanda even took a swipe at MDC run councils and said they were not a genuine revolution as they were destroying the little that is there.

Said Matemadanda:
….However there is a party (MDC Alliance) that purports to support the disadvantaged people knowing that the roads had potholes and some still have potholes and they still have the audacity to buy tires and burn the tires on those roads which is destroying national infrastructure.

That same group goes on to burn ZUPCO buses which they are fully aware that many citizens depend on those buses so I wonder what agenda they are trying to push.

There is no revolution that destroys the little that people have, no wonder why MDC run councils are very poor in terms of service delivery.

Zimbabweans are not fools and they worry about their lives and the country’s development not these jokes.

These people are telling young people destroy stuff yet they have good cars and they can afford to fly out of the country that is why they are sending young and innocent citizens to destroy the little they have and when they destroy those young people are not able to fly out of the country,
Meanwhile, Infomation Minister Mutsvangwa also condemned the violence that took place on Saturday and said opposition leaders were supposed to promote peace and love.-State media

Farai Dziva|Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union(ARTUZ) secretary general, Robson Chere has been forced to transfer to a peripheral school.

Chere believes the move is calculated to stop him from speaking on behalf of suffering teachers.

See Chere’s statement below:

They have failed to defeat the power in me. And they have forcefully transferred me to this school in Svove Rural .

To them it’s a defeat because they were pushing my resignation, or even termination of my employment status, that is the reason why I have not been receiving my salary since January.

Teaching is my profession and my passion and I shall continue defending the right to education and workers’ rights.

I have already started mobilising my new learners at the new school and the community to demand better educational facilities from the Government and a demonstration on this issue is loading …

My lawyers have appealed against the decision and the Public Service Commission has since written to me requesting an out of Court Settlement.

On Saturday 28 February 2020, Zimbabwe Human Rights Associations (ZimRights) members in Chitungwiza witnessed disturbing incidences of violence which resulted in the destruction of property and seven arrests and assaults of civilians by the Zimbabwe Republic Police. ZimRights spoke to four victims of police brutality, including one who was very critical.

ZimRights notes with concern that this violence was triggered by increasing hate speech from a group calling itself Concerned Citizens Forum, which over the years has been targeting civil society organisations in an anti-rights crusade. Reports from ZimRights community monitors confirm that Concerned Citizens Forum last week started circulating posters on social media threatening to invade the homes of opposition leaders whom it accused of calling for sanctions and causing suffering on Zimbabweans. In a pre-emptive act, opposition youths moved to offer protection to their targeted leaders, leading to violent scenes that were recorded in Chitungwiza.

ZimRights is concerned with these developments upon a population that is carrying an overwhelming economic burden and calls on Concerned Citizen Forum to stop its hate speech which is threatening to trigger anarchy in the country. Real concerned citizens know the sources of their suffering and are doing their best to remain patient in the face of provocative elements.

Zimrights further notes with concern, the police’s heavy-handed response of effecting random beatings of residents, which has further stoked the already simmering tensions.

Zimrights continues to urge the state security agents to exercise restraint and to ensure the safety of people in accordance with their mandate

ZimRights notes that the developments in Chitungwiza are evidence of the tensions in the country which have reached frightening levels. Already, thousands of Zimbabweans are on a stampede to leave the country as the situation looks as hopeless as ever. It thus becomes imperative on the leadership of Zimbabwe to find lasting solution to the current challenges before the situation gets out of control.
ZimRights calls on the leadership of Zimbabwe to urgently begin genuine and inclusive dialogue to resolve the country’s challenges.

ZimRights, a broad grassroots movement of ordinary people across Zimbabwe, remains ready to support authentic dialogue that changes the situation of ordinary people. Equally so, ZimRights will radically stand in opposition of private entities, political parties and individuals who seek an elite pact of leaders without an inclusive transformative agenda.

ZimRights membership across the country will continue to monitor the situation in the hope that a peaceful solution will be found as soon as possible before the country is set ablaze.

Zanu PF National Political Commissar Victor Matemadanda has warned the opposition MDC to focus on the national agenda which is centred on increased productivity and development than senseless demonstrations whose sole purpose was to foster regime change.

Matemadanda accused the MDC of ‘destabilising’ the country saying if they were a real people-centred party they would realise there was a need to focus on economic resuscitation instead of incapacitation.

“National interest should be our position as the New Dispensation has emphasised on the need for economic resuscitation which resulted in austerity measures being put in place to try and pull resources and put them into the productive sector because President Mnangagwa emphasised on the need to improve productivity.

“However there is a party (MDC Alliance) that purports to support the disadvantaged people knowing that the roads had potholes and some still have potholes and they still have the audacity to buy tires and burn the tires on those roads which is destroying national infrastructure,” said Cde Matemadanda.

The pressure group has been sighting lack of leadership and direction within the opposition party’s rank and file, which has seen infighting in the opposition party escalating.

By A Correspondent| The Constitutional court will today hear an appeal by MDC stalwarts Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama.

The duo were arrested in 2014 and convicted in September 2016 over the murder of a police officer Inspector Petros Mutedza. They were jailed 20 years each.

Said the party spokesperson Daniel Molokele:

“The court has adjourned till 1PM today

The matter will be heard once the court resumes after 1PM

We are urging all our leaders and members to still come over and show their solidarity

The matter will be heard at the Constitutional court just next to the High court, along Machel Avenue.”

Parents of children studying in China are in a meeting with the deputy Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe to understand the safety of their children in that country following the outbreak of the Covid 19 (coronavirus).

Deputy Ambassador Zhao Baogang says to date, no single Zimbabwean nor any other foreign student has been infected by the virus. He assured parents that China will do all it can to ensure the students’ safety.

He, however, says China was prepared to assist those who need to evacuate their children should they chose to do so. Deputy Ambassador Zhao said it was not advisable to evacuate foreign nationals from China saying it may actually further complicate the situation.
About 2000 Zimbabwean students are studying in China.

-State media

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

• USD to ZWL$: 18.0383
• ZWL$ to RAND: 0.8564

Data according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

Black Market Rates:

• USD to ZWL$ zimrates.com 31.10
• USD to ZWL$  zwl365.com 30.80
• USD to ZWL$ bluemari.info 30.50
• USD to BOND: zimrates.com 24.10

More: marketwatch.co.zw

Work on the National Sports Stadium is expected to start today to align it with the requirements of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and avoid the embarrassment of national football teams playing their home games in other nations.

Engineers and architects were on the ground yesterday, assessing what can be done immediately to correct the situation.

A high-powered delegation spent almost four hours at the stadium yesterday assessing what needs to be done.

The delegation, led by Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo, comprised over 30 senior officials from the Government, the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) and ZIFA

“First, we have looked at the technical aspect of it,” said Minister Moyo. “We have toured the whole stadium. We have assessed the rooms that are required by CAF and the equipment that is required. The resources are now being mobilised so that work can start today.

“We are sure that all the short-term and medium-term requirements that were analysed by CAF as gaps in this stadium and at Barbourfields Stadium, we can do it.”

Minister Moyo said the delegation looked at major issues that need to be addressed urgently to enable the forthcoming Warriors matches to be held at the stadium.

“It’s mostly civil works and where there is manufacturing that is to be done, we have looked at companies which have capabilities and we think we should invite those companies to give us specifications,” he said.

“They have to produce a proforma of the specifications that are required by CAF after which we can then ask them to give us how much it will cost.

Minister Moyo was at the stadium just before 7am and was taken through the stadium by officials and discussed, in detail, all the CAF requirements.

He also saw the extent to which the country’s main stadium had deteriorated.

Minister Moyo later sat down with Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Deputy Minister Tinomuda Machakaire, permanent secretaries Zvinechimwe Churu (Local Government and National Housing) and Thokozile Chitepo (Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation), and the rest of the officials.

The officials included SRC director general Prince Mupazviriho and ZIFA president Felton Kamambo.

They discussed the implementation of each and every demand by CAF.

Minister Moyo apparently had his eye on today’s Cabinet meeting at which he is likely brief his colleagues about actions being taken to ensure that both the National Sports Stadium in Harare and Barbourfields in Bulawayo were brought to international standards.

That will end, once and for all, any discussions about Zimbabwean national football teams playing their matches outside the country.

Minister Moyo talked about the availability of funds to repair both stadiums and said they would prefer that most of the material required be sourced from local manufacturers and, therefore, create employment while benefiting the local economy.

Minister Moyo and Deputy Minister Machakaire agreed with the officials that some of the issues raised by CAF would be addressed “immediately”, while others would take some time.

The urgent, and most important concerns, will be addressed shortly to enable matches, at the end of the month, to be played in Zimbabwe, they agreed.

Besides taking the bull by the horns locally, Government has also launched a diplomatic offensive, and Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister, Kirsty Coventry, who also toured the giant stadium on Friday and spoke to the officials and ZIFA, scheduled to travel to Zurich, after her meetings in Lausanne, to take the matter up with FIFA officials.

Minister Coventry can now talk to FIFA president, Gianni Infantino as a colleague since the world football governing boss was recently inducted into the International Olympic Committee, on whose executive board, Africa’s most decorated Olympian serves.

-State Media

By Jane Mlambo| The lady at the centre of a social media tiff between South African based preacher Shepherd Bushiri and Terrence Mukupe has come out open on her alleged relationship with the former Deputy Finance Minister whom he accused of consulting sangomas in his quest to become President.

In a statement released today, Rachel J said Mukupe is a broke man whom she took care of including sending his numerous kids to school.

She also accused Mukupe of believing in occultism, jumping from sangoma to sangoma in search of evil powers to become a President.

“On the issue of cultural activity and occultism it’s really shocking coming from a man, with incisions (nyora) all round his waist, who jumps from sangoma to sangoma every weekend trying to attain evil powers to become a President,” said Rachel J.

“Do not let us spill your beans. Kindly advise us on where we can deliver your tsvimbo and black and red occult (machira emudzimu) cloths which you left at our daughter’s previous residence.

“Do not deny this as your relatives who stayed with Rachel J have all the knowledge of your occult activities,” she added.

By A Correspondent| The ruling ZANU PF party will on Wednesday 4 March 2020 hold an ordinary session of the Politburo.

In a statement on Tuesday, party Secretary for Information and Publicity and Party Spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said the session will be held at the Party Headquarters at 10 AM.

The statement reads:

3 March 2020

NOTICE CONVENING THE ORDINARY SESSION OF THE POLITBURO

The Secretary for Administration Dr O.M Mpofu wishes to advise all members that there shall be a Politburo meeting to be held on Wednesday 4 March 2020 at the Party Headquarters commencing 1000 hours.

All members should be seated by 0945 hours sharp.

Cde Ambassador S.K. Moyo
Secretary for Information and Publicity & Party Spokesperson

Following a week of social media hype over the South African based preacher Shepherd Bushiri and Zanu PF member Terrence Mukupe fight over singer Rachel J, her family has now issued a statement attacking the former Harare East legislator for ‘spreading falsehoods’ about their daughter.

The family said Rachel J was never married to Mukupe while accusing him of physically attacking the singer at her residence resulting in her emotional trauma.

Below is the full statement…

“We as the Rachel J family, have decided to come out and address the accusations being levelled against her that are being circulated on social media by a Terence Mukupe.

“It has taken us this long because, we wanted our daughter and sister to give birth in peace, and the fact that Rachel J being the private person she is, didn’t want to get involved in this social media fiasco, and also her dealing with the emotional trauma after she was attacked by Terence Mukupe at one of her residence and she had to seek a protection order against Terence Mukupe.

“We want to state that these are malicious and defamatory statements issued. As you know, Terence Mukupe relies on unseemly and ungodly false attacks on others to maintain relevance.

“These allegations are unequivocally false, totally unsubstantiated and uncorroborated, and it’s a malicious and desperate attack on Rachel J and our family by a disgruntled individual who swore before the Police and witnesses that he would do everything in his power even if it meant fabricating material to destroy Rachel J, anyone close to her as well as discrediting her to her business contacts. He swore if he can’t have Rachel J no one else.

“Reason being Rachel J had terminated their relationship. Because she had discovered that Terence Mukupe had once again impregnated Tracy Winterboer, who just gave birth a week ago a few days before Rachel J’s giving birth.

“This being the second child sired with the same woman during Rachel J’s relationship with Terence Mukupe. What’s disturbing is he secretly moved this woman to South Africa near Rachel’s place of residence so that he can be close to her.

“What hurts us is the treatment she is getting from this man who constantly cheated and humiliated her by siring 4 kids whilst in a relationship with Rachel J, whom she embraced looked after and welcomed into her own home. Rachel has shown love and commitment toward his kids by assisting them with education, food and clothes.

“Terence Mukupe should realise that he is a father, he should stop this humiliating behaviour and take care of his 10 kids. For a man blessed with so many kids, he must stay away from public humiliation and realise that his kids will have no one to look up to and also for a man who claims to love his so called wife but humiliate her in public over infidelity whilst he was sleeping with different women in her office, it is puzzling.

“Terence Mukupe is no stranger to rejecting his unborn babies. He only comes through claiming the paternity after the expenses have been covered. What annoys us is the fact that Terence continues to deny this child in public whilst privately he and his family are requesting to be a part of this child’s life, claiming it’s theirs.”

“On the issue of cultural activity and occultism it’s really shocking coming from a man, with incisions (nyora) all round his waist, who jumps from sangoma to sangoma every weekend trying to attain evil powers to become a President.

“Do not let us spill your beans. Kindly advise us on where we can deliver your tsvimbo and black and red occult (machira emudzimu) cloths which you left at our daughter’s previous residence.

“Do not deny this as your relatives who stayed with Rachel J have all the knowledge of your occult activities. He became violent after Rachel had cut off all financial support towards him, his children and baby mothers. After having lost Rachel everything including vehicles he became a violent man. No one of any gender, adult or child deserves this kind of abuse. Attacking a defenseless pregnant woman is a sign of weakness and should never be supported in our society.”

1. Rachel J was never married to Terence Mukupe, formally or customarily. She is a single woman. As family we have never met Terence Mukupe nor has he ever set foot in any of our houses. He should not confuse dating to marriage. We are grateful for Rachel refusing to marry this man, because of his infidelity and misuse of her wealth. Initially we were shocked because Rachel has never dated a politician. She has always believed in love, and not relationships based on money since she is an independent woman.
2. Because of Rachel’s naivety she allowed this man to move in to her home. Having moved in without anything in his name, she transformed his life into a respectable member of society with something to his name and his family is aware of this. Rachel has always been a serial entrepreneur with vast business interests in the cleaning industry, mining, fashion, media, transport and logistics. She welcomed the idea to work with this man and fought by all means to build a business empire with him.
3. As a family we are in deep shock and distress, with the developments that are taking place, considering the amount of resources poured into the life of Terence Mukupe by Rachel J. Just to name a few we are all aware of what went into the last political campaign which she sponsored from the massive billboards, regalia, media, campaign vehicles, sarongs (mazambia) and newspaper. These resources could have been put to better use as a family. Rachel has always protected Terence reputation in making people believe, he was the one taking care of her. Yet he solely relied and lived off Rachel, funding his 5 baby mother’s, kids and girlfriends.
4. The claims being levelled at Rachel J, of being impregnated by Prophet Bushiri are unbelievable with his evidence stating that they met in 2018, how is it possible for her to carry a pregnancy for two years.

“We are confidently waiting for Terence Mukupe to through for a DNA test. Terence statement that Rachel asked for forgiveness is false.

“The claims that Terence Mukupe ceded R100 000 are totally baffling for a man who doesn’t even have a property to his own name and was failing to pay school fees for his children by that time.

“Whose house was repossessed by the bank. Rachel has been paying rentals for his family to still be able to continue living in that property. He has been failing to clear his debts and the lawyers have been communicating with Rachel who has been helping him to clear those debts.”

“Terence Mukupe should give us evidence of the plane tickets he paid for Rachel to go to Malawi, and also evidence of him expressing interest to do business with Prophet Bushiri whom he has never met. No one stands to gain from publicly humiliating someone, instead it leaves scars.

“Terence Mukupe should realise that Rachel J is not only a business woman but also a mother, and the damage he has caused is irreparable. He has caused great emotional pain to her daughter and this will leave a scar for life. Regardless of the fact that Rachel J has decided to stay in recluse and quiet over this issue we felt it in our best interest as a family to come out and clear a few issues which were raised.

“This is a truly hurtful time for us, because we know the type of a person Rachel is who has done nothing but show love and commitment to this man. Wisdom is understanding that relationships come to an end, and this should be done amicably without abusing the other partner. We should be the ones fighting and humiliating him, because he never looked after Rachel instead it was vice versa to a man who showed no love and appreciation.

“We pray that God guides Terence Mukupe in the right path. The more that we choose not to talk about domestic violence, the more we shy away from the issue, the more we lose.”

By Own Correspondent| The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) said the increase in money supply as the government borrows to fund its excessive expenditure is stoking inflation.

A CZI official urged the government to desist from making one-off payments to its suppliers, but rather pay in tranches so that they won’t rush to the parallel market to but foreign currency.

Speaking before the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Parliamentary Committee on Monday, CZI chief economist Tafadzwa Bandama said:

The problem we are having in the economy is the growth in the money supply. Just to highlight that in the last quarter of 2019, the money supply was $35 billion and in the first quarter of 2020, it is now at $46 billion, which is quite a huge growth in the money supply.

We also want to highlight as CZI that supply of services to the government must be rationalised, especially when it comes to payment. If say a supplier does a job for $3 million, for example, instead of giving them the whole $3 million which they will use to rush to the parallel market, it’s better to pay in tranches so that we do not have a run on the exchange rate.

Several business executives who appeared before the Committee blamed government policies for the economy’s poor performance.- Newsday

By Jane Mlambo| Opposition supporters in Bikita could be in trouble once again following the nomination of former Zanu PF Political Commissar Engelbert Rugeje to assume the role of Chief Charamba in his home village.

Rugeje, a former army boss with a history of terrorising opposition supporters, assumed the role following the death of his father.

With Zimbabwe’s history of traditional leaders meddling in politics and siding with the ruling Zanu PF, Bikita villagers could be forced to tow the line or risk being either denied food aid or displaced.

Rugeje has since confirmed the new development, saying his appointment was in line with their Duma custom.

“It is not that I have been appointed substantive chief because there are still many processes that have to be followed for one to be a substantive chief that will culminate with the sealing of approval from the President,’’ said Lt-Gen Rugeje (Rtd).

‘‘What happened was in line with the Duma traditions and customs whereby after the death of a chief, there is a person who is appointed to look after the late chief’s family and responsibilities (sarapavana),” Rugeje told the Herald.

According to the Herald, Rugeje is not the first retired army general from Bikita to become chief.

Retired Major-General Gibson Mashingaidze, who also hails from the same district, was a few years ago appointed Chief Mkanganwi and is also part of the Duma clan.

Correspondent|Magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti has cornered the state to investigate suspected rights abuses of 12 opposition supporters who were Chitungwiza over the weekend following violent clashes between police and residents.

The 12 who include MDC Youth Assembly Spokesperson Stephen Chuma among others appeared before Chitungwiza magistrates court today.

The dozen’s lawyers, Moses Nkomo, Jeremiah Bhamu and Job Sikhala had told the court that the accused persons were denied access to their lawyers.

They also said that even the lawyers were denied to talk to the accused persons when they arrived at St Mary’s police station and also that the accused were not notified of the charge which they were being arrested for until the end of the day since morning.

“This is a serious violation of the law. The state must investigate and bring the findings in the next court remand date without fail,” said magistrate Muchuchuti.

However, asked to respond to the allegations, the state said that they will investigate the matter as it was their first time to hear of issues.

The dozen were arrested on Saturday following violent clashes between riot police and alleged MDC supporters in the dormitory town of Chitungwiza.

Source: All Africa

Own Correspondent|Opposition MDC Secretary for Legal Affairs and former Education Minister, David Coltart has attacked Education Minister Cain Mathema’s unpopular sentiment that schools should be turned to be of economic value to the country.

Coltart demanded for government to leave children to learn not turn them into labourers.

The proposal by the new Minister of Education to turn schools into special economic zones must be rejected. Pupils find it hard enough as it is passing exams without having to work for profit. Let schools be schools not businesses. pic.twitter.com/MNAuQ879yb

— David Coltart (@DavidColtart) March 2, 2020

State Security Minister Owen Ncube declined to answer a question from a Senator who had posed a question in Ndebele saying he does not understand the language.

Ncube, a close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was acting Leader of the House during Senate’s question and answer last Thursday when MDC Senator Siphiwe Ncube asked him a question in Ndebele.

“I would like to ask the Minister if they are aware that teachers have letters of agreement with schools that teachers should go to school once a week giving reasons that the money that they get is only equivalent for them to be coming to school for teaching lessons once a week,” asked Sen Ncube.

The State Security Minister, also from Mnangagwa’s Midlands province, responded saying:

“Unfortunately I did not get the question as I do not understand Ndebele,” he said.

The deputy president of the Senate Michael Nyambuya asked for any government official to answer tree question.

Deputy Defence Minister Victor Matemadanda , also from the Midlands province, responded to the question but first asked if he could speak in Shona.

Said Nyambuya after objections from the floor, “Minister you are right. You do not demand they talk in that language. You chose Ndebele and he is choosing Shona, but anyway you may answer the question in Ndebele.”

Parliament was on Wednesday forced to adjourn earlier than planned when MDC MPs angrily voiced their disapproval over the ‘shallow’ manner with which State Security minister Owen Ncube was responding to questions

ZBC has told the parliamentary portfolio committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services that it will soon enact a policy that prohibits its staffers from contesting in future political elections.

This comes after the State broadcaster came under fire after some of its employees contested in the 2018 harmonised elections on Zanu-PF ticket and many critics said this compromised their objectivity when covering events.

“We are working on a policy which will change the culture of the organisation.

“We are aware of the concerns raised pertaining to the employees who dabbles in politics and the new policy which is being crafted is going to change that,” ZBC acting chief executive officer Wisdom Hombarume told the Prince Sibanda (Binga North) chaired committee yesterday.

In 2018, the ZBC staffers, who included Tendai Munengwa, Andrew Neshamba (Zanu-PF Mt Darwin South) and Richmond Siyakurima (Zanu-PF Uzumba), among others, participated in political elections.

ZBC board chairperson Josaya Tai said there was no law that prohibited journalists from participating in any election.

Turning to the State broadcaster’s operations, Tai said his board was determined to transform ZBC into a competitive news organisation.

“We are here for culture change. Our thrust is on rebranding the public broadcaster,” Tai said.

He said ZBC is bedevilled by a number of problems, chiefly poor funding.

“We need foreign currency in our operations and it is a challenge to access it.

“There is poor funding mechanisms considering that licensing contributes only five percent of total revenue.

“To make matters worse, the licences fees were last reviewed in 2009.

“Non-payment of ZBC by government agencies or arms further bleeds the broadcaster. As a result, the broadcaster has a service debt of about $100 million,” Tai said.

“Owing to poor funding, the State broadcaster is being accused of bias towards a certain political party.

“They say he who pays the piper dictates the tune.

“The staffers are not well remunerated hence some of them will end up being compromised by certain individuals in politics,” he said.

Correspondent|Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has threatened to drive out all non-local teachers in Matebeleland, accusing them of contributing to low pass rates while blaming authorities for failing to address the issue of recruitment.

The party argues that in line with government policy, school children especially those in the Early Childhood Development classes have to be trained or taught in their mother language so they understand better.

This issue has been raised numerous times by a number of stakeholders in Matebeleland while authorities have been reticent about it.

Addressing a rally at Tshabalala Hall, Saturday, MRP leader, Mqondisi Moyo, declared ‘2020 as the year of radical change’ and vowed the party would address systematic unfairness.

“The pass rate in Matebeleland is continuously dropping because our children don’t understand when taught by Shona teachers. We were once arrested in Lupane for speaking out against a non- Ndebele speaking headmistress. Now to our surprise we heard Lupane West Member of Parliament, Martin Khumalo, saying he doesn’t want Shona teachers yet he wasn’t arrested,” he said.

Moyo questioned why opinion leaders in Matebeleland were termed tribal when they spoke about such issues.

“Current minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Cain Mathema also confirmed that government policy was children should be taught in their mother language, yet he has not been arrested. Nkayi South MP, Stars Mathe has also spoken about the issue.

“Even President Emmerson Mnangagwa when he was at Bulawayo State House recently, concurred the policy said children should be taught in their mother tongue. How come these individuals have not been arrested unlike us, is it because they are in Zanu-PF? Be geared, we are chasing away Shona teachers who can’t speak local languages this year,” Moyo claimed.

In 2016 at Lupane, some MRP members including villagers and the school development chairman were arrested after they demanded the removal of a non-Ndebele speaking headmistress, Millet Bonyonge, from Mlamuli Secondary School.

The headmistress was later transferred with six other teachers from the same school by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

Recently, members of Parliament took the education Minister, to task on the government’s skewed teacher recruitment policy, which they said favoured outsiders at the expense of locals but Mathema failed to answer satisfactorily.

Meanwhile, the MRP leader also said the party would reclaim land, mines and building that had been possessed at the expense of locals.

“People from other areas were resettled here such as in Umguza. We will carry out our own land reform programme. We are also looking at mining claims that were given to outsiders and buildings were locals have been pushed out,” Moyo underscored.

Source: Byo24

PUBLIC NOTICE

All Fuel Sector Companies

SELECTION OF SITES FOR DIRECT FUEL IMPORTS (DFI) AND TRADING IN FOREIGN CURRENCY

Petroleum companies are requested to submit proposed sites to sell fuel in foreign currency procured through free funds based on the following criteria: –

1. A maximum of two (2) sites in Harare and Bulawayo per petroleum company: and

2. A maximum of one site in all the other towns and cities.

Please note that selected sites will be expected to do 100% direct fuel imports (DFI). For companies that do not hold procurement licences, the submissions should include the name of the supplier of the fuel to be traded in foreign currency.

Petroleum companies are advised to make submissions before the end of day on Tuesday, 3 March 2020.

PRESS STATEMENT

Diesel supply

In view of the significant decrease of the diesel price on the international market, the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) met the oil marketing companies (OMCs) on 29 February 2020 and deliberated on the impact of the decrease on the local market.

The OMCs made a commitment to continue supplying diesel to consumers at the new price.

Zimbabwe is a net fuel importer, hence any movement on the global market has an effect on the local price.

ZERA is working closely with OMCs to ensure the country has adequate supply.

Surveillance on possible hoarding of fuel is being carried. The public is urged to continue using fuel efficiently.

ONLY one machete gang is still to be accounted for as all the others have been arrested across the country, the Minister of State for National Security in the President’s Office, Owen Ncube has said.

There has been an increase in cases of marauding gangs attacking and robbing people using machetes in the country in recent months.

Of late, the gangs have also been targeting law enforcement agents and recently a terror gang killed a police officer in Kadoma, Mashonaland West province.

Police responded by launching operations targeting the gangs, especially in mining areas and banning the carrying of dangerous weapons that include machetes in public.

Responding to a question posed by Senator Bekithemba Mpofu in the Senate last week on what his Ministry is doing about the machete-wielding gangs as they are a security threat, Minister Ncube said the issue of machete gangs is being dealt with.

“I would like to thank the Hon Member for asking such a pertinent question. The issue of MaShurugwi has been dealt with. I think we are only left to account for one group. All the other groups have been arrested. They have appeared in court and some of them have been sentenced. I thank you,” said Minister Ncube.

According to Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Deputy Minister Michael Madiro at least 35 people were killed and 15 women were raped in the last 13 months by the machete-wielding gangs.

A total of 382 people were assaulted and 225 robberies were recorded during the same period

“Throughout the country, from January 2019 to date, a total of 35 murders, 225 robberies, 382 assaults and 15 rape cases were committed by machete-wielding gangsters. However, there are numerous ongoing measures in all the provinces aimed at containing violent crimes perpetrated by artisanal miners,” Deputy Minister Madiro told Parliament last week.

He said police have stepped up efforts and launched a massive operation code named “Isitsheketsha kasiphele/Chikorokoza Ngachipere/ and No to Machete Gangs whose activities he blamed on lack of order within the country’s mines.

Cde Madiro said a National Task Force led by the ZRP Support Unit has since been set up, targeting one province at a time.

He said so far Mashonaland Central, Manicaland and Mashonaland East have been cleared of illegal panners.

GOVERNMENT is set to increase the price of subsidised roller meal following last week’s review of the maize producer price from $4 000 to $6 958 per tonne.

The imminent increase in the price of mealie-meal comes at a time when there is a serious shortage of the product countrywide.

This will be the second increase in the price of the subsidised mealie-meal after Government reviewed the price of a 10kg bag to $70 from $50 last month. The subsidised roller meal shortages have seen unscrupulous individuals hoarding stocks that they are selling on the black market at exorbitant prices.

The twelve members of the MDC Youth wing who were arrested at party Vice Chairman Job Sikhala’s home on Saturday have been denied bail.

The twelve were arrested while guarding Sikhala’s home leading to other party members of the opposition party taking to the street to resist the address.

Harare provincial magistrate Mrs Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro remanded them in custody to March 12.

As the twelve appeared in court, some of their colleagues in opposition party picketed around the court and barricaded access roads to the courts.

Police officer commanding Harare Province, Commissioner Bernard Dumbura, confirmed receiving the report.

“We received a report that the road had been barricaded and when our officers arrived, there was no one at the scene,” he said.

According to police, no one was injured neither was there any damage to property.

Police said they would remain firm on the ground to thwart any criminal activities and to ensure sanity prevailed.

The court heard bail applications from four defence lawyers, including MDC deputy chairperson Job Sikhala, but resolved to lock up the suspects after finding them allegedly unsuitable for bail.

Ms Muchuchuti ruled that there was strong evidence linking the 12 to the offence and that they deserved to be in custody in the public interest.

AN employee at the Registrar-General’s Office stationed at the Passport Office was jailed for 16 months yesterday after he was found guilty of conning a passport seeker of US$320.

Jowwett Zinyemba (48) was initially jailed for five years when he appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Yeukai Chigodora on fraud charges.

Mrs Chigodora set aside six months on condition that he paid back the US$320 to Dorcas Mazokera before or on March 13.

Zinyemba was convicted after a full trial.

For the State, Mr Strike Matongora said on January 6 this year at around 7am, Zinyemba approached Ms Mazokera who wanted to apply for her child’s passport and told her that he could facilitate.

Zinyemba reportedly told her that he was in a position to ensure that the passport was fast-tracked.

He convinced Ms Mazokera that he worked in room number 7 where passport applications were processed.

It was the State’s case that Zinyemba demanded US$320 for the services before disappearing.

Upon realising that Zinyemba had taken too long before returning, Ms Mazokera reported the matter to the police.

Zinyemba was arrested outside Makombe Building.

State Media|Supreme Court judge, Justice Francis Bere, is in trouble over allegations that he interfered with a pending civil court case involving the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) and his relatives.

President Mnangagwa has since set up a three-member tribunal to inquire into his fitness to continue holding the esteemed office.

The tribunal will be chaired by retired judge Justice Simbi Mubako.

Justice Mubako will work with two lawyers — Advocate Takawira Nzombe and Mrs Rekayi Maphosa.

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda said the inquiry would start after the swearing in of members of the tribunal.

“Please be advised that His Excellency, the President has appointed a Tribunal to inquire into the question of removal from office of Honourable Justice Francis Bere,” said Dr Sibanda in the document.

“The inquiry is expected to commence soon after the swearing in of the members and is to be concluded within three months from date of commencement.”

Justice Bere, reportedly telephoned Zinara lawyer Mr Itai Ndudzo of Mutamangira and Associates, asking him to consider settling a civil dispute pitting Zinara and Fremus Enterprises (owned by the judge’s relatives).

The complaint was first raised before Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza during a court hearing before Mr Ndudzo was asked to make the complaint in writing.

“The learned judge, indeed contacted me telephonically,” said Mr Ndudzo.

“The commercial dispute between my client (Zinara) and Fremus Enterprises Pvt Ltd was discussed in the course of the conversation.

“The learned judge’s relatives are co-directors of Fremus Enterprises Pvt Ltd. The learned judge inquired whether or not there would be possibility of payment being expedited to Fremus Pvt Ltd.

“I declined the request and the conversation ended abruptly on that note.”

Justice Bere responded to the complaint denying the allegations.

In a response to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), he said he only contacted Mr Ndudzo in the context of their personal relationship dating back to the days when they were both members of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Ethics Committee.

“In 2015, I was chairman of the ZIFA ethics committee and Mr Ndudzo was legal advisor to ZIFA,” he said. “We developed a personal relationship through ZIFA.

“I spoke to Mr Ndudzo in the context of the said personal relationship before litigation had commenced, and in circumstances wherein litigation was not apparent.

“This was prior to my transfer to Bulawayo High Court to head that court following the passing on of the late Mr Justice Mutema.”

Justice Bere said he visited his aunt, who, together with her husband, are co-directors of Fremus Enterprises.

“My aunt was critically ill,” he said. “The directors of Fremus wished to take my aunt to South Africa for immediate medical attention, but did not have the required resources.

“In talking to them, my sister’s husband disclosed that if only Mr Ndudzo had honoured his promise to release money owed to Fremus, they would not have been in that predicament.”

Justice Bere said he was relieved that his relatives were talking about Mr Ndudzo whom he knew through interaction at ZIFA.

“I reacted by immediately calling Mr Ndudzo whose number I already had by reason of the personal relationship we had developed,” he said.

“I inquired of him, whether or not there was any possibility of him expediting the payment to Fremus given the dire situation at hand.”

Justice Bere described the complaint as a falsehood meant to taint his clean record.

“In this exciting phase that we are in as a country, and in view of the much spoken about confrontation against the vice of corruption, there will always be excitable individuals who would wish to create some relevance in this noble fight,” he said.

“They are the greatest threat to this noble endeavour and stand in the path of, and indeed in this way obstruct, the genuine fight against corruption. It is in this spirit that the false complaint against me must be looked at.”

Mr Ndudzo, in a follow up letter, stuck to his story, saying he had no reason to frame Justice Bere.

“My client is a public institution to which the value of the matter would not in any way diminish its standing even in the face of an adverse outcome,” he said.

“There would under those circumstances, have been no reason or incentive for me to make unfounded allegations against the learned judge in the name of deriving an advantage.”

Mr Ndudzo denied having a personal relationship with Justice Bere, saying he was surprised to receive a call from him.

“I was not a legal advisor to ZIFA in the period in question (2015) and could not have developed a personal relationship with the learned judge based on this assertion,” he said.

“For the sake of completeness, I did not hitherto form a personal relationship with the learned judge even after I became legal advisor of ZIFA in 2016.

“It was against this backdrop that I was startled upon receiving the telephone call from the learned judge in 2017 as I had not had any prior communication with him.”

Meanwhile, Justice Bere has made headlines in the news over other allegations of conflict of interest in a ruling he made in the more than $2 million consultancy dispute between the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed Meikles Limited and Widefree Investments.

Widefree is linked to industrialist Mr Joseph Kanyekanye, a long standing client of Bere Brothers, a law firm founded by the judge.

Chief Justice Luke Malaba recently ordered investigations into alleged violation of judicial ethical conduct by Justice Bere after Meikles executive chairman Mr John Moxon filed a complaint with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) that Justice Bere was conflicted in giving a ruling against Meikles under Case Number SC 503 /18.

Meikles, which entered into a consultancy agreement with Widefree Investments trading as Core Solutions in December 2013, lost the case both at the High Court and Supreme Court.

The obligation of the agreement was that Core Solutions would assist Meikles in recovering funds owed by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Chief Justice Malaba acknowledged receipt of the complaint against Justice Bere, saying it raised issues relating to ethical conduct of the imputed judge and ordered investigations into his conduct.

“We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 20, 2018 addressed to Honourable Chief Justice, which has been referred to the Chief Justice for response,” read the letter dated September 28, 2018 and signed by Ms Anita Tshuma, the registrar of the Constitutional and Supreme Court.

“The Chief Justice has requested us to inform you that your complaint raises issues relating to the ethical conduct of the judicial officer concerned, which will need to be investigated by the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee.”

In a letter written to Chief Justice Malaba in September 2018, Mr Moxon said he had information of Mr Kanyekanye’s links with Justice Bere.

THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has seized dialysis equipment donated to Mpilo Central Hospital over unpaid customs duty amounting to 3 000 pounds, a development that has affected an ongoing training programme for doctors and nurses who will use the equipment.

Zimra is demanding duty upfront before it can release the medical equipment comprising peritoneal dialysis catheters, renal biopsy, needles, sutures, suturing trays and sterile packs to be used in the treatment of patients with kidney complications.

The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) donated the equipment, which was supposed to be used to interpret kidney biopsies, as well as perform peritoneal dialysis for kidney patients.

After the training of medical staff, the donated equipment will remain at Mpilo for use in treating patients. ISN educational ambassador Dr Nitin Kolhe together with two senior nurses, Sisters Carol Rhodes and Claire Mcguire from the United Kingdom, are at Mpilo Central Hospital to conduct the programme, which started yesterday and ends on Friday.

In an interview, Mpilo Central Hospital’s head of the renal unit Dr Shepperd Kajowa said the seizure of the equipment by Zimra impacted negatively on the ongoing training programme, which is aimed at equipping doctors and nurses who will use the equipment in the treatment of patients with requisite skills.

He said after the training programme, the health institution will be able to offer, for the first-time, peritoneal dialysis for kidney patients in the Matabeleland region as the equipment will remain in use at the hospital.

“The other aspect is on biopsies which will enable us to start offering that service and it will help us improve our diagnostic ability when dealing with patients with kidney related ailments. Biopsy involves taking a very tiny piece of the kidney and examining it under a microscope so that we are able to get the exact diagnosis from the histology,” said Dr Kajowa.

“It is very essential in that it helps us find what exactly would be wrong with the patient, something that we are not offering at the moment.”

Dr Kolhe said failure to release the equipment would be a major blow to the training as they need to use the machines for demonstration purposes for those who will be using it.
“Zimra has kept the machines and this has so far affected our training session.

If the equipment is not released, we would have travelled over 400 miles to Bulawayo for nothing. They are saying we should deposit a duty of 3 000 pounds. I bought an Ultra Sound Machine because I was not sure if they had such equipment in Bulawayo and we will be taking the machine back but the rest of the things they are supposed to be used by the institution after the training programme,” he said.

Dr Kolhe said they had been advised that Mpilo Hospital had sent a letter to Zimra and were hopeful that the equipment would be released soon.

Mpilo Central Hospital chief executive officer Mr Leonard Mabandi said they had already applied to Zimra for the equipment to be released.

“What l can say is that we are expecting the equipment be cleared because we have already applied for free clearance. We had to learn on Sunday, the day they were flying, the value of the equipment they were carrying,” he said.

Zimra Commissioner-General Ms Faith Mazani said she was not aware of the development.
“I don’t have facts and therefore it would be difficult for me to comment.

However, if Mpilo Central Hospital has an issue they can contact me and then I can assist them. Even if the equipment has been seized by Zimra, I need to first know the reason why It was confiscated,” she said.

Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Chamunorwa Mangwiro said he was yet to be furnished on the matter.

“I am not privy to that issue as I am yet to be informed. Mpilo Central Hospital chief executive officer is supposed to write a detailed report and send it to us then we take it up from there,” he said.-State media