The government blocked Gweru mayor councillor Josiah Makombe from meeting the European Union ambassador Timo Olkkonen on Tuesday.

Officials from Midlands Provincial Affairs minister Larry Mavhima informed Makombe a few minutes before the scheduled meeting with Olkkonen that the government had not cleared it [the meeting].

Reports suggest that the government was afraid that the EU will fund projects in Gweru that will, in turn, boost the profile of the MDC Alliance-led council.

Said Makombe:
Everything had been set for the meeting and actually all councillors had taken their seats in the parlour waiting for the arrival of the EU ambassador.

However, I got a call informing us that the meeting had not been cleared.
It was shocking.

We had planned to reach out to the EU for funding of critical projects such as revamping our water system and revival of self-help projects for vulnerable members of our city.

During his visit to Gweru, Olkkonen toured Whawha prison to assess conditions at the facility.

Meanwhile, secretary for the
Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana said government blocked the meeting because it was not cleared by the Ministry Foreign Affairs Affairs.-The Standard

Own Correspondent|The story of a bitter love rivalry between two Zimbabwean women based in South Africa which ended with the violent haircut with a knife is still fresh in the minds of many people.

One Tamuka attacked her rival, Belinda, in the love triangle cutting her hair with a knife in the process.

News received indicate that the man who was in the centre of the squabble was on Monday shot dead.

Follow details on the murder in the live ZimEye video downloading below:

Own Correspondent |The Associated Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe reached a deal with the Chamber of Mines that will result in members’ salaries being almost tripled in the first quarter of 2020.

“We managed to cobble out an agreement for the mining industry covering January to March 2020,” AMWUZ President Tinago Ruzive said in a statement. “The increase is based on the dollar value principle for those miners who may be paying above the minimum due to various reasons or merit.”

The increment in the southern African country grappling with triple-digit annual inflation rates and food shortages will result in the lowest-earning employee receiving ZW$3,450 ($192.20) a month, compared with ZW$1,200 previously.

The mining sector has 40 000 registered employees, according to the Chamber of Mines. The union had initially sought a 67% increase for its lowest-paid members.

MIDLANDS State University (MSU) lecturers have joined the growing list of State universities’ workers who have downed tools in the past few days following a meeting on February 28.

MSU employees on Friday wrote a letter to the university’s council and Vice-Chancellor informing them about the decision to suspend lectures until their grievances are addressed.

“We write to advise that we had a joint general assembly meeting for both teaching and non-teaching staff today (28-02-2020) in the Great Hall at the main campus. Members made and adopted the following resolution: That all employees at Midlands State University are incapacitated to come to work with immediate effect,” read part of the resolutions by the workers.

The lecturers also resolved that they will only report back to work after they have been capacitated.

“That all members will be waiting for the employer to capacitate them so that they report for work. That all heads of departments should allow subordinates to receive capacitation before coming to report for duty and should not force or victimise them,” the workers said.

The workers also demanded their salaries should tally with what regional universities are paying fellow lecturers.

The MSU’s job action comes after students from National University of Science and Technology (NUST) last year staged a demonstration and 15 students were arrested for protesting against the continued industrial action by lecturers who are demanding a pay hike.

Last semester, MSU lecturers were reportedly conducting lectures from Monday to Wednesday only, while NUST lecturers were only conducting lessons for the conventional students.
On Tuesday, lecturers at NUST in Bulawayo stopped conducting lectures citing incapacitation.

Lecturers at the Zimbabwe Open University have also reportedly informed authorities that they were downing tools.

Bankers have called for the economy to minimise the use of cash in the wake of acute cash shortages while also calling for the enforcement of Bank Use Promotion Act that compels businesses to deposit cash at the end of a trading day.

BAZ chief economist Ms Dephine Mazambani said this while giving oral evidence before Parliament’s Portfolio committee on Budget and Finance chaired by Chikomba Central Legislator Fellex Mhona this afternoon.

Bankers also called for a level playing field between them and mobile money transfers. Mrs Mazambani said while bankers and mobile money transfers provide similar services of a platform of cash movement, their regulatory terrain was different. She said mobile money transfers were regulated by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) while bankers fell under the central bank.

Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce chief executive Mr Chris Mugaga said the economy was re-dollarising despite spirited denials by the central bank. He said evidence on the ground showed that the economy was indeed re-dollarising.

Mr Mugaga said business was being affected by what he called political noise in the country. He said the impression created when one goes out of the country was that there was no peace in the country.

ZNCC has also expressed concern on the disparities between subsidised prices and market prices which they said was too high and open to arbitrage.

They said another concern was that despite there being subsidies, the products and services were not there particularly, maize meal and transport.

The below summarises everything that the Zanu-PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has communicated offguard at podiums from 1983 to 2020 and it is all about carrying out terror attacks against civilians, the first statement which resulted in the economy crashing between 1983 and 1985 got 22,000 civilians killed under the guise of searching for an individual man named Richard Gwesela, back then, said to be an immortal and was only killed 4 years later, and whose passing away was sensationally announced by the state-controlled-media 3 days after the supposed death.

……. 

RETWEET! – Mnangagwa in Mwenezi clearly threatened brutality against doctors and lawyers also threatening to shorten the lives of people who make noise. pic.twitter.com/fJx5dOemL5

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 17, 2019

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

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

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

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

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) February 24, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The high fees have also exposed female students to sexual predators who take advantage while other students had either dropped out or had deferred their studies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Dr Takavafira Zhou said reduction in number of enrolled students owing to fees had a ripple effect on universities as they will fail to fund important sectors like research, innovation and development.

“University lecturers will be no better than high school lecturers. There is also likely to be lowering of standards of learning and teaching at universities,” said Dr Zhou.

He said the new fees would create a situation where children from richer families would access tertiary education while the poor would languish at home destined to become employees of children from richer families.

PTUZ secretary general, Mr Raymond Majongwe said the worst affected by the fee hikes were children from disabled parents.

He said while others would hustle through moonlighting or look for sex work, disabled persons had no any other alternative to raise fees.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive, Dr Sifiso Ndlovu said teachers were unable to further their studies owing to high fees.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo today teamed up with stakeholders in a tour of the National Sports Stadium in Harare as Government moves to resolve stadium crisis.

Minister Moyo, was accompanied on the inspection visit by the Deputy Minister of Youth, Arts, Sports and Recreation, senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, Sports and Recreation Commission, ZIFA, sports administrators and a team of technocrats comprising architects and engineers.

Minister Moyo, whose ministry is directly in charge of the giants facility, was accompanied on the inspection visit by the Deputy Minister of Youth, Arts, Sports and Recreation Tinoda Machakaire, senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, Sports and Recreation Commission, ZIFA, sports administrators and a team of technocrats comprising architects and engineers.

The National Sports Stadium was condemned late last year by CAF after it failed to meet minimum requirements to host international matches.

As a result, Zimbabwe have been barred from playing their next Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Algeria at home after the other stadiums – Barbourfields and Mandava – were also deemed unfit.

Of all the stadiums, Barbourfields Stadium was initially approved but later banned for minor repairs. Logic would have seen July Moyo and the team rushing to Barbourfields Stadium to do the little renovations needed and get the stadium ready for the month end tie with Angola. The National Sports Stadium needs a lot to be done and can not be expected to be ready by month end.

The MDC is dismayed by the clear miscarriage of Justice in the case of Honourable Charlton Hwende in terms of which the Court handed down a ruling granting the State’s application for a postponement.

The case was further remanded to the 18th March 2020.

It is our considered view that the Judgment is devoid of merit and smacks of a political ruling and ignores the well-articulated submissions of the Defence Counsel.

We are at a loss as to why the State’s prevarication, which State stood to suffer no prejudice if the Accused had been removed from remand.

To the contrary, Honourable Hwende has been deprived of his freedom for almost a year and it is apparent the State’s house is not in order. We believe that this is an appropriate case to have a judicial review of the matter so that justice can be done

The persecution of our Members continues unabated. Several of our youths are appearing at the Chitungwiza Magistrates Court on yet more spurious charges. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the courts will do the right thing but past experience cautions us to brace for the worst.

We yearn for a just society where the rule of law prevails and the National Prosecuting Authority is not abused to harass and persecute people for political reasons.

We yearn for a truly people’s government that respects the rights of citizens as enshrined in the Constitution.

Innocent Gonese
MDC Secretary for Justice and Legal Affairs

ZANU-PF politburo member and former army general Retired Lieutenant Engelbert Rugeje has been nominated to temporarily act as Chief Charamba of Bikita following the death of his father.

Rtd Lt Gen Rugeje (58) is a Zanu PF Politburo member and once served as the ruling party’s National Political Commissar following his retirement from the army.

President Mnangagwa promoted Rtd Lt Gen Rugeje from the rank of Major General upon his retirement to enter full time politics.

His nomination to act as Chief Charamba came by virtue of him being the oldest surviving son of the late Chief Charamba, Mr Timothy Charamba.

The late substantive Chief Charamba died on July 16 last year at the age of 97.

Rtd Lt Gen Rugeje on Monday confirmed the new development, adding that the move was in line with their Duma custom.

He said the Charamba family chose him by virtue of being the oldest surviving son of the late chief.

“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 seal of approval from the President,” said Rtd Lt Gen Rugeje.

“At the moment 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. The family sat down and agreed that as the oldest surviving son I get the appointment but it’s not a final decision as there are many processes to follow.”

The Charamba chieftainship belongs to people of the Duma clan who dominate Bikita District.

The Duma clan members in Bikita unofficially fall under the paramount chieftainship of Mazungunye a descendant of the great ancestor of the Dumas.

Rtd Lt Gen 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.

By A Correspondent- The ongoing Grain Marketing Board US$9 million saga, which has sucked in President Emmerson Mnangagwa and former Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa, may be just a tip of the iceberg considering how corruption has become so widespread and indicates that chances of success in our fight against the problem may be next to nil.

Then the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) identifies US$7 billion worth of properties belonging to former and current leaders in government and captains of industry stashed away in Switzerland, US, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mauritius and Spain.

The disturbing revelations on GMB, which emerged when Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) boss Tafadzwa Musarara appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Agriculture show that perhaps all the talk about fighting corruption by top government officials is a mere public stunt with no matching action on the ground. This is so because many of the politicians are the beneficiaries of graft in one way or the other.

This is quite a depressing development as it demonstrates beyond doubt that there is no sincerity in what our leadership is doing, as many of them are in it just for the benefit. Their involvement in politics has got nothing to do with having the interests of the country at heart but they are just there for the filthy lucre that has cost the country dearly.

It is also sad that the money was meant to rehabilitate GMB silos to be able to store grain, but someone saw an opportunity to help themselves to the money at the expense of an entire nation, which would benefit from the restoration of those silos.

This kind of culture has been allowed to go on for too long. And now it is quite clear that the problem has been treated with kid gloves because those who are supposed to spearhead the fight against corruption are actually beneficiaries of the vice.      

The very same people that should be spearheading the fight against corruption are the ones fuelling it. So in simple terms, there is no fight against corruption.

There is just one big deception that they are fighting corruption when they are actually fuelling and propagating it. It is a tragedy on a grand scale.-Newsday

By Own Correspondent| ZimEye interviews Mr Sibonile Marwirana Myambo, a visually impaired man who has a vision to turn Zimbabwe into a garden of Eden, literally, and has has ready started this by creating a large conservation hectarage in Chimanimani, now set to become a major national tourist attraction.

“My vision is to create another Garden of Eden as a way of averting the causes of global warming,” said Mr Myambo.

He began this project 6 years ago and having successfully built this massive garden, he now wants the whole country to implement his concept.

He said instead of focusing on addressing the impact and symptoms of global warming and environmental degradation, his aim is to address and redress the root causes of the problem.

Working with 10 other villagers, Sibonile Mwarwirana has vowed that being blind will not deter his vision for a clean and environmentally sustainable community.

Watch the live video loading below for this and more…

Seven people including a two-year-old toddler, with some of them believed to be Zimbabweans perished on Sunday evening when the vehicle they were travelling in rammed into a haulage truck trailer in the area  between Musina and Beitbridge Border Post along the N1 highway.

Limpopo police  confirmed the news this morning and said they were investigating a case of culpable homicide after a Musina bound Toyota Fortuner rammed into a haulage truck that was travelling towards the border.

South Africa Police Services provincial spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed the incident adding that they were yet to identify the deceased.

“The Police in Musina have registered a case of culpable homicide after seven people lost their lives when a Toyota Fortuner smashed into the side of a truck on the N1 road between Musina and Beitbridge at around 2130 hours on Sunday night,” he said.

“The truck had reportedly just moved from the Petros Truck Stop which is located next to the road, turning onto the N1 road towards Beitbridge when the Fortuner, coming from the northerly direction towards Musina, rammed into its trailer.

Emergency personnel had to remove the deceased from the wreckage of their vehicle that was trapped under the truck. All the deceased, a baby boy aged about two years, three women and three men, were in the Fortuner. The truck driver was alone and did not sustain any injuries”.

-Online

Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has said every Zimbabwean has a role to play in the struggle for change.

According to Chamisa, Zimbabweans “should not be in such a mess.”

“Zimbabwe has too many smart, educated and talented people to be in such a mess.Zimbabweans are running the world all over but our country has been run down.

We must all give our country a new life,a new direction& a new image.Change will not just happen.We must cause it to happen,” tweeted Chamisa.

Seven people including a two-year-old toddler, some of them believed to be Zimbabweans died on Sunday evening when the vehicle they were travelling in rammed a haulage truck trailer between Musina and Beitbridge Border Post along the N1 highway last night.

Police in Limpopo, this morning, said they were investigating a case of culpable homicide after a Musina bound Toyota Fortuner rammed
a haulage truck that was travelling towards the border.

South Africa Police Services provincial spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed the incident adding that they were yet to identify the deceased.

“The Police in Musina have registered a case of culpable homicide after seven people lost their lives when a Toyota Fortuner smashed
into the side of a truck on the N1 road between Musina and Beitbridge at around 2130 hours on Sunday night,” he said.

“The truck had reportedly just moved from the Petros Truck Stop which is located next to the road, turning onto the N1 road towards
Beitbridge when the Fortuner, coming from the northerly direction towards Musina, rammed into its trailer.

Emergency personnel had to remove the deceased from the wreckage of their vehicle that was trapped under the truck.

All the deceased, a baby boy aged about two years, three women and three men, were in the Fortuner. The truck driver was alone and did not sustain any injuries”.

Brigadier Mojapelo added; “The process of identifying the deceased has already begun as they are unknown at this stage.

Police investigations into the circumstance of this incident are unfolding”.

The N1 highway is one of the busiest roads which links South Africa with the rest of Sadc especially those from Malawi, DRC,
Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The road has become a death trap with over 60 people including Zimbabweans and Malawians having died in accidents in the last 24 months.

In November 2018, five Zimbabweans died following a collision between a Toyota Quantum and Sable Class bus (cross-border) they were travelling in near the same spot.

The Toyota Quantum and the bus were travelling to Zimbabwe from Johannesburg when the driver of the former made an abrupt U-turn in front of the bus resulting in the collision.-State media

By Own Correspondent| “My vision is to create another Garden of Eden as a way of averting the causes of global warming,” said the blind man from Chimanimani.

He said instead of focusing on addressing the impact and symptoms of global warming and environmental degradation, his aim is to address and redress the root causes of the problem.

Working with 10 other villagers, Sibonile Mwarwirana has vowed that being blind will not deter his vision for a clean and environmentally sustainable community.

Watch the live video loading below for this and more…

Farai Dziva|In a desperate attempt to redeem his waning political career, demoted Zanu PF youth league leader
Pupurai Togarepi, has accused NGOs of “sponsoring violent protests in Chitungwiza.”

Contrary to Togarepi’s assertion, overzealous ZRP cops assaulted hapless citizens in Chitungwiza as government agents attempted to raid MDC deputy chairperson, Job Sikhala’s house.

“Zvinozikamwa ndozvokupwanya mabhazi. Zvanzi vana ve Zimbabwe varwadziwe vagovhotera zvimbwasungata.

Mabhazi haanei ne politics ndeeruzhinji. Ndozvinonetsa zvinhu zvekirango motungamidza chidhakwa chinongoda kuona zvakapwanyika.

Svinurai vanoda ma picture kunopuwa mari nama NGOs
Vandalising buses is what they do best, they think if they inflict pain on Zimbabweans they will vote for puppets. Buses have nothing to do with politics.

Those are problems that emanate from abusing drugs and letting a drunkard lead them who only wants to see things vandalised. Wake up, these people need pictorial evidence to convince NGOs to give them money,” claimed Togarepi.

By A Correspondent| A blind man from Chimanimani is leading a team of 10 others to create an innovative conservation project in his area.

Watch the live video loading below to hear his story and more….

By Own Correspondent| Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission Chairperson Loice Matanda Moyo has dismissed claims by suspended Zanu PF Youth league leaders Lewis Matutu and Godfrey Tsenengamu that business tycoon Kuda Tagwirei is corrupt and leading a corruption cartel that has captured the government.

She told the weekly Sunday Mail that the allegations by Matutu and Tsenengamu were baseless.

Matanda-Moyo confirmed that Matutu had formally reported the controversial oil mogul to the commission, but the information he brought failed to basic meet requirements to trigger any probe.

“What happened was that only one of the two came to ZACC and made a general report and said that so and so is corrupt,” said Matanda-Moyo.

“As ZACC, those are not the sort of reports that we expect. There are standards that have to be met. You have to meet basic standards to enable ZACC to open a file.

“Imagine if ZACC was to open a file based on a general allegation that so and so is corrupt, how many files would we have? We do not just take opinions, they must be some basis for saying someone is corrupt,” she said.

“We are not a political outfit. ZACC is apolitical and we do not want to be used in any political fights. If people have evidence and positive leads, we are their friends,” she added.

“But let me categorically state that we have never received any solid complaints regards their cases. What they said was just an allegation without any prima facie evidence. So whatever matters we are investigating are not because of them.”

By Jane Mlambo| Manicaland Senator and former MDC Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora has ignited a social media war following his post in which he hailed the late founding party leader Morgan Tsvangirai for what he described as selflessness and his vision for unity.

Mwonzora vowed to resist any machinations to divide the movement while hailing Tsvangirai for ‘making sure the people’s struggle was centred on people issues.’

“With President Tsvangirai in one of his meet-the-people tours in Ruwa. He abhored selfishness and made sure that the people’s struggle was centered on people issues. We shall follow his vision. We will no tolerate any attempts to divide our great Movement,” said Mwonzora.

The message was construed as an attack on current party leader Nelson Chamisa with hordes of social media attacking the veteran politician for seeking to push personal vendetta against current leadership following his congress loss to Charlton Hwende.

Leading the pack was motormouth journalist Hopewell Chin’ono who accused Mwonzora of seeking to divert the attention of Zimbabweans from bread and butter issues and nursing a 2019 congress grudge.

“Zimbabweans DON’T need this at this point in time @DMwonzora. We have NO water, electricity, jobs, medical care, hospitals have no medicines & a main opposition functionary is investing in factional battles?! Do you accept the MDC Congress outcome or not?” wrote Chin’ono.

“Someone was butchered and arrested and always on the runs with Zanu pf brutality and tgen someone was enjoying the benefits of destroying Tekere and ZUM.He got another assignment go and destroy MDC and with MDC’s naivity he was embraced and now he is still trying.anyangira yaona,” responded another Twitter user.

Another user by the name @TellinCalvin wrote, “I think we “ordinary supporters” hve tolerated you for too long Douglas… Don’t cry foul when we finally decide to shake nhata off our murivoooooo.”

But Mwonzora was not without his own supporters who hailed him for what they described as telling it as it is.

“The kind of LEADERSHIP that has disappeared in our party. Now we have someone WHO KNOWS IT ALL, who has EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL and has THE TOTAL SUPPORT of HIS GOD who IS IN IT TOO,” another user responded in support of the underfire Manicaland Senator.

By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo man landed himself in trouble after he was found in possession of six elephant task at a business centre in the city.

Police confirmed that  Shepherd Chivaka (48) was arrested by police following a tip off by public that he was dealing in ivory and they had spotted him looking for buyers at the shops.

According to a police tweet when the police visited the shopping centre they spotted his car which they pounced on and searched it and found the six horns. –

Council officials have clashed over vendors operating at Rufaro Stadium premises, mostly those selling potatoes on the back of their trucks.

Some of the officials wanted council to formalise the vendors’ operations and start levying them, but others felt the move would set a wrong precedence, and at the same time paint a bad picture of the stadium.

Speaking during a full council meeting last week, Finance and Development committee chairperson councillor Luckson Mukunguma said vendors at Rufaro Stadium should be formalised.

“Instead of confiscating their wares, let us formalise them and start charging them for operating at Rufaro premises,” he said.

“These people are operating in the car park and l see no problem if council levies them because as it stands, the system of confiscating leaves room for our officials to engage in corruption.”

But Councillor  Denford Ngadziore opposed the move, saying it would reduce the city officials to a laughing stock.

“For us to sit down and gazette that lorries be allowed to come and sell their potatoes at Rufaro Stadium premises, we would reduce ourselves to low levels as decision-makers of this honourable house,” he said.

-State Media

By A Correspondent- The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has closed six illegal mines in Matabeleland South as it intensifies its war against illegal mining activities in a bid to address land degradation.

Additionally, the environmental watchdog has ticketed 18 mines for environmental degradation and not complying with the law.

EMA national spokesperson Amkela Sidange told the Chronicle that between Monday and Wednesday last week, the parastatal conducted 300 inspections in several districts. She said:We have issued about 18 tickets to those found on the wrong side of the law that includes those operating without an EIA, those who are operating in a manner that harms the environment. We have issued six environmental protection orders for the cessation of operations until operators formalise their operations through the EIA process.

We have done more than 300 inspections and we have also done what we call environmental audits. An Environmental audit is when we get to a place where there is a project and audit key environmental elements such as issues of land degradation, issues of whether operators have the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and all other things that concern the environment.

Sidange added that EMA is concerned over the use of dangerous chemicals by some illegal miners which are harmful to them.

She also bemoaned the degradation taking place at Nugget mine in Matobo district where law enforcement agents are finding it difficult to arrest illegal miners.-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- A man from Douglasdale in Bulawayo has appeared in court for kidnapping, detaining and assaulting a fellow resident at knife point.

Nqobizitha Moyo (29) pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and assault when he appeared before  Bulawayo regional magistrate Mafios Moyo.

He is alleged to have kidnapped  Rangarirai Chinyota Nyoni (35) from his home, detained and assaulted him.

It is alleged that on September 10, 2019, Moyo kidnapped Nyoni from his home  and took him to his home where he detained and assaulted him.

Nyoni was only released after he promised to give Moyo money.

Nyoni reported to the police leading to Moyo’s arrest.

By A Correspondent- The Gweru City Council has declared its water is safe for drinking after laboratory tests showed it was not contaminated after two teenage boys died of diarrhoea last week.

There was a diarrhoea outbreak in Mkoba 12 that affected an undisclosed number of people and killed two 17-year-old boys.

Residents were living in fear of a possible repetition of 2018 where Mkoba 15, 18 and 20 high density suburbs were hit by a diarrhoea and typhoid outbreak, which killed 11 people and left more than 2 000 requiring medical attention.

Gweru Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe said although the water tests have come out clean, laboratory test results from stool samples taken from some of the affected people in the area were still to come out.

“After we got the report that there was a diarrhoea outbreak and two people had died, we sent the stool samples and water samples to Government laboratories through the office of the provincial medical director (Dr Simon Nyadundu). Ideally, we do not do it on our own for authenticity and transparency. However, since its rainy season we cannot dismiss a possible cross contamination in the area.

What happened is that the affected people are from the same suburb and we suspect that because of the incessant rains that we received recently, the water might have been contaminated probably at household level. We are not completely ruling out a possibility of typhoid because we are still waiting for the results from stool samples,” he said.

Gweru City Council public relations and communications officer Ms Vimbai Chingwaramuse, said the two teenage boys were from Mkoba 12 Infill and died in the past 10 days.

“I can confirm that we noticed that two boys aged 17 succumbed to what looks like a bout of diarrhoea and are both from Mkoba 12 Infill suburb. The deaths were recorded around 17 February.

We received information through our weekly disease surveillance report from our clinics that there were two deaths which occurred and it is suspected that the deaths could be linked to diarrhoea,” said Ms Chingwaramuse.

She said the city health rapid response teams have been deployed to Mkoba suburbs to take samples for laboratory testing.

“The city health response team is on the ground collecting stool samples and water samples in Mkoba suburbs and especially in Mkoba 12 Infill suburb where these two cases were recorded. We are still waiting to get results which will guide us to know the problem.

We also need to find out how the two boys could be linked. Meanwhile, we urge all residents with diarrhoea symptoms to immediately visit their nearest health institutions for medical attention.

At the same time we urge residents to ensure that they drink clean water from clean sources and to consume well cooked food after washing their hands before eating and after visiting the toilet,” said Ms Chingwaramuse.-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- A three-day training workshop to equip Zanu-PF cadres in Mashonaland West Province with the party’s ideology in line with President Mnangagwa’s call for unity ended in Chinhoyi yesterday.

The workshop was facilitated by the Chitepo School of Ideology and drew delegates from the provincial coordinating committee (PCC), Central Committee, National Consultative Assembly (NCA), war veterans and collaborators and Members of Parliament. It was held at Chinhoyi University of Technology.

Chitepo School of Ideology principal, Munyaradzi Machacha, said the workshop was not for academic purposes, but for imparting knowledge to party cadres on how to view and analyse events.

“The course’s package included party ideology, party structures and leadership, international relations, national and party history, media communications, business and economics, defence and security, party and Government policy as well as current affairs,” he said.

Mashonaland West was the third province to undergo the training workshop after Mashonaland Central and Manicaland. The remaining provinces will be covered soon, said Machacha.

Mashonaland West chairperson, Ziyambi Ziyambi, said the workshop came at an opportune time, as the province was moving towards attaining a united Zanu-PF in line with President Mnangagwa’s growing call for unity.

“We made a resolution as a province to ensure that our cadres attend the orientation and ideology training workshop so that we impart the necessary party ideologies to them,” he said.

“We are hoping that the whole province will be united in the aftermath of the workshop.” Ziyambi revealed that the workshop, which had been slated for five days, was done in three days to allow members to attend to other issues.

“The workshop had a crash programme, which was done within a space of three days instead of the initial five to allow our members to attend to other party, personal and national issues,” he said. Delegates thanked the Zanu-PF leadership for arranging the programme.

Provincial Women’s League chairperson, Josephine Mangove-Shava, commended President Mnangagwa and the national party leadership for facilitating the ideological training workshops, saying women in the province managed to learn more about the party’s ideology, structures, history, business and economics.

Provincial youth commissar, Tapiwa Chitate, said the workshop had created a firm base for political stability and unity within the Youth League.

“As youths, we have been given enough orientation and I am quite positive the youth leadership will be rejuvenated as they work on party issues,” he said.

Chitate said many youths from all the seven districts in the province had managed to attend the workshop, adding that the youth leadership would soon arrange meetings in their various administrative districts and constituencies to disseminate the information learnt for the purpose of consolidating unity and mobilising voters for the 2023 elections.-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- Stakeholders from Matabeleland South Province have welcomed the national dress set to be worn for the first time at this year’s Independence Celebrations in Bulawayo, saying it will serve as a source of identity for the nation.

This emerged during a Matabeleland South provincial stakeholders consultative meeting on the national dress which was held in Gwanda Town on Wednesday where stakeholders selected emerald lime as the suitable fabric for the national dress.

Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, Gwanda District Development Co-ordinator, Ms Kiliboni Ndou said there was a need for the entire province, especially youths to embrace the national dress.

“We had discussions as a province and chose emerald lime as the suitable fabric for the national dress. The fabric we chose encompasses all cultures not only in Matabeleland South but the entire nation. It has colours of the flag, the Zimbabwean bird and the chevron pattern which makes it suitable.

“We will embrace the national dress and we hope youths will embrace it as well. The national dress is very important as it signifies unity and identity just as the national flag. We hope that as time goes on the national dress will not only be worn during State functions but we will have designated days where all citizens wear it,” she said.

National Arts Council of Zimbabwe programmes officer for Matabeleland South, Mr Percy Vela said the national dress was an important aspect of the nation’s culture. He urged designers to come up with designs that will be relevant to all age groups.

Speaking during the meeting, acting Matabeleland South provincial development officer in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small to Medium Enterprise Development, Mr Nhlanhla Magagula said each province had been tasked to select one fabric from four different samples which they saw fit for the national dress.

He said the most popular fabric will be used to make the national dress. Mr Magagula said a fashion show was going to be held in Harare on a date yet to be advised where designers will showcase various designs for the national dress using the chosen fabric and one design was going to be selected and adopted.

“The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small to Medium Enterprise Development has been engaged to focus on the issue of the national dress working together with the office of the First Lady. Each province has been tasked to select a fabric from four different materials which they see best to be used for the national dress. Once the fabric has been selected a fashion show will be held where designers will come up with designs they will showcase then one will be selected which will be the national dress. The national dress will be worn at this year’s Independence celebrations,” he said.

Mr Magagula said designers would be expected to come up with designs for executive, traditional and sports category.

The search for the national dress started in 2005 but did not yield any results, prompting the First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa to take it upon herself to ensure the programme succeeds.

Speaking on the matter in Harare recently, the First Lady said the national dress should reflect a lot more on the country’s traditions, history, national heritage and aspirations. She said it also had to be a tool that unites Zimbabweans as a people despite different cultural values and help in celebrating the country’s cultural diversity.-Statemedia

Farai Dziva|The 12 MDC members who were arrested in Chitungwiza on Saturday are still in holding cells.

Heavily armed police details are blocking people from entering the courtroom.

The 12 are expected to appear in court today.

MDC Youth Assembly spokesperson, Stephen Chuma, who is among the 12 MDC members who were arrested on Saturday said :
“We are not going to be intimidated by this evil regime’s fascist antics.

We know they are trying to frustrate us by unlawful arrests. They will not break our spirits and will to see a just society. As we said before, we are prepared to pay the ultimate prize for our people’s freedom.”

he number of deaths globally in the new coronavirus outbreak passed 3 000 on Monday, as China reported more 42 deaths.

The new fatalities were all in the virus epicentre Hubei province, the National Health Commission said, bringing the overall toll in mainland China to 2 912.

Health officials also reported the lowest daily tally of fresh infections since late January, with 202 new cases.

In China, the number of reported new cases has gradually been declining, and there were only six confirmed new infections outside Hubei.

One worker at a time, virus-hit China’s factories sputter back online

Chinese factories are struggling to resume full operations amid virus-induced travel disruptions and safety measures. The situation in Wenzhou, a trade entrepot for centuries and now a major producer of much of the world’s shoes, eyeglasses and cl…

The virus emerged late last year in Hubei in central China, but has now spread to more than 60 countries around the world.

The United States and Australia reported their first fatalities over the weekend, while infections nearly doubled in the past 48 hours in Italy, Europe’s hardest-hit country.

The World Health Organisation said on Sunday that the virus appears to particularly hit those over the age of 60 and people already weakened by other illness.

The agency noted that most people with the COVID-19 illness only experience mild symptoms, while around 14% suffer severe disease like pneumonia and 5% become critically ill.

It said the mortality rate in the outbreak appears to be between two and five percent.

The seasonal flu has an average mortality rate of about 0.1% but is highly infectious, with up to 400 000 people worldwide dying from it each year.

Other strains of coronavirus, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), have established mortality rates of 9.5% and 34.5%, respectively.

-AFP

By A Correspondent- Heavily armed anti riot police Monday morning descended on Chitungwiza magistrates courts where 12 MDC supporters are set to appear in court following their arrest on Saturday barring other party stalwarts from entering the courtroom.

The 12 spent the weekend behind bars after they were arrested in St Marys Chitungwiza following clashes between anti riot police and suspected MDC supporters.

Unconfirmed reports allege that the police went on a rampage assaulting civilians before arresting known MDC stalwarts, including the party’s national youth assembly spokesperson  Stephen Sarkozy Chuma. Those arrested were reportedly picked up from their homes.

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

Illegal businesses on roadsides and at shopping centres in Harare, which were demolished by council in January, have resurfaced.

City of Harare destroyed illegal structures in Westlea, Dzivaresekwa, Waterfalls, at Zindoga Shopping Centre, Mbudzi roundabout area, Sunningdale and Mbare, as part of an exercise to clean the city.

Municipal police, together with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, also descended on businesses operating illegally along Tynwald Road in Westlea and Solomon Mujuru Drive (formerly Kirkman Drive) and along Bulawayo Road.

Those affected by the blitz included car dealers and those selling cabins, bricks, pre-cast walls, flowers, goats, sheep, cement and charcoal.

Yesterday, The Herald saw new tuckshops and other new structures at Zindoga Shopping Centre where people were cooking food for sale.

At Tynwald Road and Solomon Mujuru Drive, all the demolished cabins had been replaced and it was business as usual.

A car dealer along Solomon Mujuru Drive, who requested anonymity, said he had no choice but to re-establish his business since it was the one sustaining his family.

“I set up the business of breaking vehicles and selling parts on this spot about eight years ago and that is where I get my income,” he said.

“My whole family, wife and children are taken care of by this business, so I had no choice than to come back and continue with my business.”

Another dealer, Thomas Sengu, who sells bricks said, “We thought council was going to allocate us another place to operate from, but they went quiet, so we cannot let our families suffer. Business has to go on.”

Council spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme said those who re-established the illegal structures risked losing out.

“We will not get tired of removing such structures no matter how beautiful the new structures look,” he said.

“We are actually encouraging them to start removing their structures because when we come we will just demolish the properties and it will be a loss on their investment. We will not rest until the city of Harare is clean.”

Those operating along Solomon Mujuru Drive expressed sadness over the demolitions.

They claimed paying rates at council district offices.

Chairman of the Kirkman Traders Association Mr Fidelis Magava said they were not served with eviction notices.

“When we started these projects, we paid rates to council and we agreed to pay $300 every month to operate our businesses,” he said.

“Council then told us that there were people operating under electricity lines and they needed to be removed. We were shocked to see a front-end loader coming to destroy our businesses structures.

“If the clean-up is meant to create a safe environment for us, we have no problem with it. What worries us is that we have lost our property and council did not give us any notice.”

Addressing a Wetlands Indaba last month, Harare Mayor Councillor Herbert Gomba warned that the demolition of houses built on illegal sites was imminent.

-State Media

Government has announced that a traveller who was under observation after arriving into the country from Hunan Province of China has tested negative to the deadly virus.

Posting through the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, government made the announcement, dispelling fears of that the country could have recorded its first case.

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe’s Vice President Constantino Chiwenga says his estranged wife Mary could get all their kitchen utensils, a bed and three cars while the cash in her FBC Bank account (US$245 428) belongs to him.

This was revealed in a summons filed by Chiwenga’s lawyer, Wilson Manase at the High Court, where the former army general is seeking an order terminating their customary-law marriage.

Chiwenga is also demanding to be granted custody of the couple’s three minor children and half of Orchid Farm on Domboshava Road on the outskirts of Harare.

He also wants Marry to vacate his Borrowdale Brooke home on Nick Price Drive, to which he secured rights during his previous marriage to Jocelyne Chiwenga.

Marry was arrested in December last year and charged with money-laundering, fraud and attempted murder, charges which she denies.

She was later freed on bail after spending several weeks in custody but re-arrested on assault allegations involving a domestic worker.-Statemedia

There is no going back on the constitutional amendment process and any organisation with a view on how to improve the supreme law should do so within the context of ongoing consultative processes, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) had no authority to stop the Government from amending the Constitution.

He said the forum was free to make representations about its views on the Constitutional Amendment Bill that was gazetted in January.

Minister Ziyambi made the remarks in response to calls by Polad, led by Professor Lovemore Madhuku, imploring the Government to withdraw the Bill.

Prof Madhuku said the proposed amendments fell short of what the Constitution should address.

He used various platforms to say Polad had adopted a position that the Constitutional Amendment Bill should be withdrawn and fresh consultations begin.

Prof Madhuku had also argued that the current Constitution-making process embarked upon by the Government was not “people-driven”.

However, Minister Ziyambi said  such suggestions were misdirected.

“The current Constitution was a product of compromise,” he said. “Who is the people that Prof Madhuku is referring to? Laws are made by parliamentarians who are the representatives of the                                    people.

“With respect to a Constitution, it is gazetted and people are given three months to allow any person or institution to give input should he or she so wish before it can be debated in Parliament.

“Polad is not a statutory instrument. It is a platform for dialogue which like any other person or institution should submit its views about the Bill and it will be up to Parliament to take it up. So, suggestions to withdraw the Bill are misdirected.”

Minister Ziyambi

Minister Ziyambi said Zanu PF carries the mandate of the people.

“A Government is formed through a political party that would have won an election,” he said.

“A political party represents the people and in this case Zanu PF won elections and it carries the mandate of the people, so any suggestion that the current process is not people-driven is misplaced.”

Prof Madhuku criticised the proposed clause in the Bill which seeks to extend the retirement age of Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges from 70 to 75 years.

Minister Ziyambi said there was need to differentiate between retirement age and term limits for office bearers or individuals.

“To start with, who said that the proposed clause would benefit the present judges?” he said.

“His argument is not founded on law and he knows it. Judges have no term limits like independent commissions and the office of the President where one cannot be allowed to go beyond given term limits.

“Independent commissions and the office of the President have term limits where they can only serve for a maximum of two terms and that does not apply to judges, they have retirement ages. So, Prof Madhuku is lost on both fronts.”

On the appointment of judges, Minister Ziyambi said the President has always been the appointing authority.

“The President has a dual role,” he said. “He is Head of State and Government. When he appoints judges, he does so as head of Government.

“All what we are saying is, there is no need to interview sitting judges, except those individuals coming from outside the bench.”

Minister Ziyambi accused Prof Madhuku of double standards after he campaigned for the rejection of the current Constitution in the run-up to a referendum, only to turn around to push for its retention.

-State Media

By A Correspondent- Government expects to complete aligning all laws to the Constitution before year-end, with the outstanding 50 statutes to be tabled before Parliament within the next three months.

The enactment of the Constitution in 2013 meant more than 400 laws which were out of sync with some of the refreshed provisions of the supreme law had to be aligned, while 63 needed to either be repealed, extensively amended or redrafted.

Out of the 63 laws, 10 have been passed by Parliament and assented to by the President.

The General Laws Amendment (Statutory Bodies and Gender Parity Provisions) Bill No. 1 provided for minor amendments to 125 laws, while the General Laws Amendment (Statutory Bodies and Gender Parity Provisions) Bill No. 2 — which is still being developed — provides for minor amendments to 66 laws.

The Sunday Mail gathered that an Inter-Ministerial Task Force (IMT) on the Alignment of Legislation to the Constitution, which was created to expedite the process, is also updating Cabinet weekly, while all State law officers have been trained in legal drafting.

The Centre for Applied Legal Research (CALR) — a research institution that offers specialised legal training and technical support — oversaw the training.

Secretry for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs Virginia Mabiza said the task force is using a real-time Bill Tracker to expeditiously gazette new Bills.

“The Attorney-General is the driver of the alignment process and he is also the chief drafter,” said Mrs Mabiza.

“I agree he has been doing a lot on the ground, including developing a Bill tracking mechanism which they are using to quicken the process.

“We only have less than 50 pieces of legislation that require alignment and we are working on a strategy to table these Bills before the end of June.”

The IMT has divided laws requiring alignment into 10 different clusters —media and information laws; citizenship and movement of people; security; local government; social services; environment and natural resources; justice delivery; economic services; political and civil rights; and the cross-cutting clusters.

Under the media and information laws cluster, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act is being repealed and will be replaced by the three separate pieces of legislation —the Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill, the Freedom of Information Bill and the Protection of Personal Information Bill.

Both the ZMC Bill and the Freedom of Information Bill are before Parliament, while the Protection of Personal Information Bill will be tabled this month, according to IMT Bill Tracker.

Also under the same cluster, the draft Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill has been developed and stakeholder consultations were undertaken after principles for the Bill were approved in May 2019.

Under the citizenship and movement of people cluster, principles for the Citizenship of Zimbabwe Bill were approved by Cabinet on February 26 2019 and the draft Bill was prepared.

It is now awaiting submission to the Cabinet Committee on Legislation (CCL).

“Principles for the Immigration Amendment Bill were approved by Cabinet on February 5 2019. A draft Bill was prepared and is awaiting submission to the CCL,” reads the Bill Tracker.

Laws awaiting alignment under the security cluster include amending the Official Secrets Act, the Police Act, the Unlawful Organisations Act, the Defence Act, the Emergency Powers Act, the Interception of Communications Act, National Security Council Act and the Prisons Act.

“The Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Bill repeals and replaces the War Veterans Act and Ex-Political Detainees and Restrictees Act.

“The Bill was approved by Cabinet on September 10 2019 and was gazetted on November 1 2019.

“The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Bill was assented to on January 5 2018 and is now an Act of Parliament,” according to the last information from the Bill Tracker.

In addition, six laws will be aligned under the local government cluster to facilitate devolution.

Principles of the Provincial Councils and Administration Bill were approved by Cabinet in November 2018 and the draft Bill has been forwarded to the AG’s Office.

The Bill is now awaiting the outcome of the proposed Constitutional amendments for it to be completed.

According to CALR, 13 laws have now been aligned to the Constitution.

“CALR is providing technical and financial support to the Government for the alignment process.

“The technical support entails: technical legal research to identify gaps in laws that line Ministries administer; legislative drafting – development of draft Bills; stakeholder consultations – technical and grassroots; technical support to the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on the Alignment of Legislation to the Constitution (IMT)

“On the number of laws that have been aligned to the Constitution, there is a difference between alignment, reform and law revision.

“The IMT is concerned with alignment, which means ensuring that existing laws are in conformity to the provisions of the Constitution.

“IMT developed an IMT Bill Tracker which outlines the priority laws that need to be aligned and the stage that these laws are at.

“In terms of the Bill Tracker, 13 laws have been aligned; 50 laws are remaining.” -StateMedia

By A Correspondent- A second case of suspected coronavirus has been put under isolation at Wilkins Hospital while tests are being conducted.

Harare City Council Health Services director Dr Prosper Chonzi confirmed that there was a suspected case of a Chinese national who had been taken to the isolation facility.

“Yes there has been a suspected case of a person travelling from Hunan, China, who has been put under isolation facilities.

“A Chinese national arrived in Zimbabwe this afternoon (yesterday). At the time of arrival people thought the traveller had symptoms of corona virus.

We picked the person at the Robert Mugabe International Airport and isolated the traveller. As we speak the traveller is admitted at Wilkins Hospital under isolation while investigations are being carried out.  

We are waiting for the results and the traveller is in a stable condition and is not showing any symptoms or fever.

“We have to follow protocol as ascribed by the World Health Organisation and adopted by the Zimbabwean Government. The first suspected case involved a 27-year old Harare woman who was suspected to have contracted the disease after visiting Wuhan, China. The suspected patient was coming from another province.

When there is rumour of a suspected corona virus case, we investigate,”  said Dr Chonzi. The Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services yesterday afternoon tweeted a statement on the matter:  

“Government would like to inform the public that today, a traveller from Hunan Province in China was flagged up as needing assessment for corona virus. Full WHO Protocols were deployed. The traveller has now been taken to designated Isolatiossn Facilities where tests are being conducted.”

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), coronaviruses belong to a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).  

The virus is highly contagious and there is no cure for corona virus as with most viral infections. So far, only experimental treatments have been used in China with success in stabilising patients.

An ARV, Kaletra (ritonavir and lopinavir) has been used.  Corona virus symptoms include pneumonia, high fever, flu like symptoms, chest pains, diarrhoea and shortness of breath. Precautions include covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing, washing hands the same way as people do when guarding against cholera and typhoid.  Although Zimbabwe is located thousands of miles away from the source of the corona virus, it remains at great risk considering the volume of traffic the country gets from China for tourism and business.

Zimbabwean and Chinese authorities are encouraging travellers between the two countries to either delay or cancel unnecessary journeys to stop the spread of the novel corona virus (2019-nCoV), which has killed 81 people in the Asian country from 2 886 confirmed cases of infection in the past month.

Surveillance systems in Zimbabwe have also been activated with special focus being put at the main ports of entry and exit — Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Joshua Nkomo International Airport and Victoria Falls and Beitbridge ground ports. -Statemedia

Correspondent|YOUTHS belonging to a pressure group aligned to Zanu PF, who had threatened to occupy the homes of MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa and his aides over the weekend, have shelved the plan and instead, claimed the opposition was trying to use them in its factional wars.

Last week, the Concerned Citizens Forum, a pressure group linked to Zanu PF, had threatened to camp at Chamisa’s rural Gutu home, that of his deputy Tendai Biti in Harare and party vice chairperson Job Sikhala’s Chitungwiza residence.

The group was adamant the three top politicians were responsible for sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe by the West and the US.

The restrictive measures, the Concerned Citizens Forum claimed, were behind the worsening economic situation in Zimbabwe.

However, the forum’s spokesperson, Taurai Kandishaya said the plan had been shelved after the youths had noticed that MDC politicians would have seized the opportunity to use them as pawns to settle their factional fights and perpetrate violence.

“We have stopped the citizens from going as we discovered that MDC politicians wanted to take advantage of the programme and perpetrate violence. The citizens are not stupid and we realised that MDC wanted to involve us in their factional fights,” he said.

“Our plan is not a demonstration but we are saying to these politicians that they have called for sanctions to remain and as such, we want them to feed us, provide us with accommodation and pay school fees because they are the ones that are receiving the funds that Zimbabwe was supposed to get,” Kandishaya said.

He could however not reveal the group’s next plan.

Former Premier Soccer League fixtures-secretary, Beadle Musa Gwasira, has donated 100 bags of cement towards the developments that need to be done at Barbourfields Stadium.

Speaking to The Herald on Sunday, Gwasira said he has also pledged to provide the fridges needed in the dressing rooms for the match officials and doping experts. He said:

This is what has driven me to come up with this initiative hoping that if I can help Bulawayo City Council, as a proud citizen of this country, start working on the repairs needed at Barbourfields, others will also chip in because this is now a national cause.

… We can’t leave everything in the hands of the Bulawayo City Council, even though they own the stadium, we have to help them because this is a national cause now and every individual or company who cares about football should come together in this challenging hour.

Meanwhile, the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), is reportedly lobbying the Confederation of African Football (CAF), to reverse the ban on the use of Zimbabwean stadiums for international matches.

The stadiums were banned as they do not meet the minimum requirements established by CAF, forcing the Zimbabwe Football Association to look for alternative venues in neighbouring countries.

Illegal businesses on roadsides and at shopping centres in Harare, which were demolished by council in January, have resurfaced.

City of Harare destroyed illegal structures in Westlea, Dzivaresekwa, Waterfalls, at Zindoga Shopping Centre, Mbudzi roundabout area, Sunningdale and Mbare, as part of an exercise to clean the city.

Municipal police, together with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, also descended on businesses operating illegally along Tynwald Road in Westlea and Solomon Mujuru Drive (formerly Kirkman Drive) and along Bulawayo Road.

Those affected by the blitz included car dealers and those selling cabins, bricks, pre-cast walls, flowers, goats, sheep, cement and charcoal.

Yesterday, The Herald saw new tuckshops and other new structures at Zindoga Shopping Centre where people were cooking food for sale.

At Tynwald Road and Solomon Mujuru Drive, all the demolished cabins had been replaced and it was business as usual.

A car dealer along Solomon Mujuru Drive, who requested anonymity, said he had no choice but to re-establish his business since it was the one sustaining his family.

“I set up the business of breaking vehicles and selling parts on this spot about eight years ago and that is where I get my income,” he said.

“My whole family, wife and children are taken care of by this business, so I had no choice than to come back and continue with my business.”

Another dealer, Thomas Sengu, who sells bricks said, “We thought council was going to allocate us another place to operate from, but they went quiet, so we cannot let our families suffer. Business has to go on.”

Council spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme said those who re-established the illegal structures risked losing out.

“We are actually encouraging them to start removing their structures because when we come we will just demolish the properties and it will be a loss on their investment. We will not rest until the city of Harare is clean.”

Those operating along Solomon Mujuru Drive expressed sadness over the demolitions.

They claimed paying rates at council district offices.

Chairman of the Kirkman Traders Association Mr Fidelis Magava said they were not served with eviction notices.

“When we started these projects, we paid rates to council and we agreed to pay $300 every month to operate our businesses,” he said.

“Council then told us that there were people operating under electricity lines and they needed to be removed. We were shocked to see a front-end loader coming to destroy our businesses structures.

“If the clean-up is meant to create a safe environment for us, we have no problem with it. What worries us is that we have lost our property and council did not give us any notice.”

Addressing a Wetlands Indaba last month, Harare Mayor Councillor Herbert Gomba warned that the demolition of houses built on illegal sites was imminent.

Correspondent|Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga is willing to let his estranged wife Mary Mubaiwa get all their kitchen utensils, a bed and three cars in their divorce.

But he draws the line at cash that he says belongs to him – US$245,428 that is kept in Mubaiwa’s FBC Bank account.

Chiwenga makes the disclosures in a summons filed by his lawyer Wilson Manase at the high court, where he is seeking a divorce order terminating their customary-law union.

The summons was filed in December but kept as a security file at the high court. The Sunday Times has now seen it.

Chiwenga is demanding that he be granted custody of the couple’s three minor children, with Mubaiwa being given “reasonable” access to them on weekends.

He also wants half of Orchid Farm on Domboshava Road on the outskirts of Harare. The farm was acquired while they were married.

A SECOND case of suspected coronavirus has been put under isolation at Wilkins Hospital while tests are being conducted.

Harare City Council Health Services director Dr Prosper Chonzi confirmed that there was a suspected case of a Chinese national who had been taken to the isolation facility.

“Yes there has been a suspected case of a person travelling from Hunan, China, who has been put under isolation facilities.

“A Chinese national arrived in Zimbabwe this afternoon (yesterday). At the time of arrival people thought the traveller had symptoms of corona virus. We picked the person at the Robert Mugabe International Airport and isolated the traveller. As we speak the traveller is admitted at Wilkins Hospital under isolation while investigations are being carried out. We are waiting for the results and the traveller is in a stable condition and is not showing any symptoms or fever.

“We have to follow protocol as ascribed by the World Health Organisation and adopted by the Zimbabwean Government.

The first suspected case involved a 27-year old Harare woman who was suspected to have contracted the disease after visiting Wuhan, China.

The suspected patient was coming from another province.

When there is rumour of a suspected corona virus case, we investigate,” said Dr Chonzi.

The Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services yesterday afternoon tweeted a statement on the matter:

“Government would like to inform the public that today, a traveller from Hunan Province in China was flagged up as needing assessment for corona virus. Full WHO Protocols were deployed. The traveller has now been taken to designated Isolatiossn Facilities where tests are being conducted.”

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), coronaviruses belong to a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

The virus is highly contagious and there is no cure for corona virus as with most viral infections.

So far, only experimental treatments have been used in China with success in stabilising patients.

An ARV, Kaletra (ritonavir and lopinavir) has been used.

Corona virus symptoms include pneumonia, high fever, flu like symptoms, chest pains, diarrhoea and shortness of breath.

Precautions include covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing, washing hands the same way as people do when guarding against cholera and typhoid.

Although Zimbabwe is located thousands of miles away from the source of the corona virus, it remains at great risk considering the volume of traffic the country gets from China for tourism and business.

Zimbabwean and Chinese authorities are encouraging travellers between the two countries to either delay or cancel unnecessary journeys to stop the spread of the novel corona virus (2019-nCoV), which has killed 81 people in the Asian country from 2 886 confirmed cases of infection in the past month.

Surveillance systems in Zimbabwe have also been activated with special focus being put at the main ports of entry and exit — Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Joshua Nkomo International Airport and Victoria Falls and Beitbridge ground ports.

The MDC national vice chairperson and Zengeza West Member of Parliament (MP) Job Sikhala, who on Valentine’s Day was acquitted of subversion charges by Masvingo High Court judge Justice Garainesu Mawadze, has vowed to sue President Emmerson Mnangagwa over the alleged torture he went through since he was arrested in July last year.

Sikhala had been charged with treason over alleged utterances he made in Bikita West last year in which he said he wanted to remove President Mnangagwa from power before the end of his term, a charge which Justice Mawadze ruled to be constitutional.

Addressing hundreds of MDC supporters at the Morgan Tsvangirai memorial soon after his acquittal, Sikhala narrated the harrowing incidences which he underwent during his incarceration saying he was abused, tortured and lost his liberties.

“I will never forgive them for the torrential abuse, persecution and torture on myself. When I get back into my office, I am going to sue Mnangagwa and his people for over US$50 million. I lost my liberty for almost a year. They took my passport which restricted me from going abroad to represent my other clients so that I could fend for my family.

“They charged me a RTGS$5 000 bail before devaluation so I paid an equivalent of US$5 000. Today the money has no value at all. When I go to collect my bail, RTGS$1 000 is going to Bikita East, RTGS$1 000 to Bikita West, RTGS$2 000 Masvingo central, RTGS$1 000 Chivi North and Masvingo West. This money was being held by Mnangagwa and must go to the people,” said Sikhala.

He said he does not regret to call for the ouster of President Mnangagwa saying he does not like the man and no one can force him to.

“Some people came out saying no, Sikhala you were reckless to say that statement but those people are the ones who are reckless because they want to protect Mnangagwa. 

“Mnangagwa has killed the future of the people of this country and he has to go. That is a clear and simple message. I knew myself as a lawyer that there was no case. To say Mnangagwa must go is not a crime because I don’t like him. I don’t think there is anyone who wants Mnangagwa to still be President until 2023,” said Sikhala.

He said he was abducted from holding cells at Harare Central police station by alleged state security agents and the army who threatened his lawyers with death if they followed.

“When I was arrested and put at Harare Central, the police told my legal team to go to Rotten Row High Court and that they were going to transport me there. I was left with Biti (Tendai) and Gonese (Innocent).

“While at the police station, a team of formally dressed man came and ordered me to come with them. I then told Biti and Gonese to follow me but they were threatened with death and they backed off.

“I was taken to the car park and I saw two Toyota trucks with members of the army and state security agents. There was also a Toyota Quantum minibus which had armed soldiers. I was then bundled into one of the Toyota trucks and my face was covered from there. I was driven for three hours without knowing where I was or was going.

My lawyers did not know where I was and so did the whole country so I had to act fast or that was my end,” said Sikhala.

Being a gigantic man in stature, Sikhala said he summoned the biggest fart ever which spoiled the air in the car forcing it into a halt with his alleged abductors allowing him to use the toilet.

“I told the people in the car that I could not breathe because the plastic which was covering my face was suffocating me. They did not listen and I had to hatch another plan.

“I then told them that I had to relieve myself and again they did not listen. I then had to summon the biggest fart ever and I sprayed the whole car and they then stopped because of the terrible smell. I knew that once they let me out of the car people would see me and alert others.

“They let me out of the car and I realized I was already in Gutu yet my lawyers were waiting for me at the Rotten Row court. People saw me and took pictures which then went viral on social media,” said Sikhala.

There is no going back on the constitutional amendment process and any organisation with a view on how to improve the supreme law should do so within the context of ongoing consultative processes, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) had no authority to stop the Government from amending the Constitution.

He said the forum was free to make representations about its views on the Constitutional Amendment Bill that was gazetted in January.

Minister Ziyambi made the remarks in response to calls by Polad, led by Professor Lovemore Madhuku, imploring the Government to withdraw the Bill.

Prof Madhuku said the proposed amendments fell short of what the Constitution should address.

He used various platforms to say Polad had adopted a position that the Constitutional Amendment Bill should be withdrawn and fresh consultations begin.

Prof Madhuku had also argued that the current Constitution-making process embarked upon by the Government was not “people-driven”.

However, Minister Ziyambi saidsuch suggestions were misdirected.

“The current Constitution was a product of compromise,” he said. “Who is the people that Prof Madhuku is referring to? Laws are made by parliamentarians who are the representatives of thepeople.

“With respect to a Constitution, it is gazetted and people are given three months to allow any person or institution to give input should he or she so wish before it can be debated in Parliament.

“Polad is not a statutory instrument. It is a platform for dialogue which like any other person or institution should submit its views about the Bill and it will be up to Parliament to take it up. So, suggestions to withdraw the Bill are misdirected.”

Minister Ziyambi said Zanu PF carries the mandate of the people.

“A Government is formed through a political party that would have won an election,” he said.

“A political party represents the people and in this case Zanu PF won elections and it carries the mandate of the people, so any suggestion that the current process is not people-driven is misplaced.”

Prof Madhuku criticised the proposed clause in the Bill which seeks to extend the retirement age of Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges from 70 to 75 years.

Minister Ziyambi said there was need to differentiate between retirement age and term limits for office bearers or individuals.

“To start with, who said that the proposed clause would benefit the present judges?” he said.

“His argument is not founded on law and he knows it. Judges have no term limits like independent commissions and the office of the President where one cannot be allowed to go beyond given term limits.

“Independent commissions and the office of the President have term limits where they can only serve for a maximum of two terms and that does not apply to judges, they have retirement ages. So, Prof Madhuku is lost on both fronts.”

On the appointment of judges, Minister Ziyambi said the President has always been the appointing authority.

“The President has a dual role,” he said. “He is Head of State and Government. When he appoints judges, he does so as head of Government.

“All what we are saying is, there is no need to interview sitting judges, except those individuals coming from outside the bench.”

Minister Ziyambi accused Prof Madhuku of double standards after he campaigned for the rejection of the current Constitution in the run-up to a referendum, only to turn around to push for its retention.

THERE was pandemonium at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals on Wednesday as doctors, nurses and patients scurried for cover. Apparently the sight of a woman who was recently held in isolation at Wilkins Hospital as authorities tested her for the Corona virus spooked most people.

However, it turned out to be a false alarm. The 27-year old woman, who was certified Corona Virus free, had been brought to the hospital to consult a mental health expert.

It was only after this was revealed that business returned to normal. However, a fire had been set and was raging on social media with wild claims that a woman had tested positive for the Corona Virus at one of Zimbabwe’s major referral hospitals.

The furore caused by the incident stung Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals into issuing a statement aimed at setting the record straight. “We wish to confirm that the patient who was originally isolated at Wilkins Hospital for suspected COVID 19 presented at Parirenyatwa on 26 February. “The patient was brought in by the City of Harare to our Mental Health Hospital where it was decided that the patient had to be seen by a physician first.

The psychiatrist followed up the patient and attended to her in our casualty department. “Since the consultations with the City of Harare were continuous throughout the process, the two parties eventually resolved that the patient should be referred back to Wilkins Hospital where she currently admitted for comprehensive evaluation and treatment,” reads part of the statement. Parirenyatwa further highlighted that the manner in which how the patient was handled was a subject of investigation. “A meeting was immediately called with key departments to review how the case was handled and to assess the hospital’s preparedness to handle similar cases in the future. “The meeting among other issues resolved that the rapid response team should improve in their communication, a screening tent should be set up outside casualty so that any suspected cases is immediately referred to Wilkins Hospital,” said the hospital. Commenting on the incident Harare City Health Director, Dr Prosper Chonzi: “This woman is still under (corona virus) surveillance even though she tested negative three times. “It was after we had been informed that she had tried to commit suicide that we sent a team to take her to the mental hospital for assessment. The visit had nothing to do with the corona virus.”

| ZTN

Farai Dziva|Masvingo based actor and drama icon, Sabhuku Vharazipi, whose real name is David Mubaiwa in Collaboration with the Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) produced a video skit calling for fair distribution of government aid by public officials.
The video skit provides an overview of how the government aid is being used for retributive purposes.

Public officials continue to use political lenses in the selection of beneficiaries of government aid.
The video also shows the inherent flaws and popular criticisms of aid distribution systems in Zimbabwe and Masvingo province in particular.

Specifically, it shows that the aid beneficiary selection process is not always based on equal opportunity or either guided by vulnerability but determined by political affiliation and power.

Consequently, most of those who are supposed to get aid fail to access it due to their political affiliation.

The actors point out that public officials must serve everyone under their jurisdiction regardless of their political affiliation.

The video also encourages public officials to consult the people during the process of selecting beneficiaries.

Masvingo is hit by severe drought and most people require food aid.

Government has been providing rice and maize to vulnerable families.

The selection processes for beneficiaries remain high jacked by traditional leaders and elected official who use the aid to punish their critics.

A COTRAD official, Ishmael Kupfuwa has also said there is need to involve VIDCOs and WADCOs and the general citizenry starting from the beneficiary selection process up to the distribution point for transparency and accountability purposes.
“Traditional leaders should rigorously undergo human rights trainings so that they understand and acclimatize to the human rights based approach when executing their paramount roles and responsibilities bestowed to them,” said Kupfuwa.
Click the link below to view the video: https://youtu.be/eUSgaU4P3kQ

The below summarises everything that the Zanu-PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has communicated offguard at podiums from 1983 to 2020 and it is all about carrying out terror attacks against civilians, the first statement which resulted in the economy crashing between 1983 and 1985 got 22,000 civilians killed under the guise of searching for an individual man named Richard Gwesela, back then, said to be an immortal and was only killed 4 years later, and whose passing away was sensationally announced by the state-controlled-media 3 days after the supposed death.

……. 

RETWEET! – Mnangagwa in Mwenezi clearly threatened brutality against doctors and lawyers also threatening to shorten the lives of people who make noise. pic.twitter.com/fJx5dOemL5

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 17, 2019

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

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

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

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

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) February 24, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The government blocked Gweru mayor councillor Josiah Makombe from meeting the European Union ambassador Timo Olkkonen on Tuesday.

Officials from Midlands Provincial Affairs minister Larry Mavhima informed Makombe a few minutes before the scheduled meeting with Olkkonen that the government had not cleared it [the meeting].

Reports suggest that the government was afraid that the EU will fund projects in Gweru that will, in turn, boost the profile of the MDC Alliance-led council.

Said Makombe:
Everything had been set for the meeting and actually all councillors had taken their seats in the parlour waiting for the arrival of the EU ambassador.

However, I got a call informing us that the meeting had not been cleared.
It was shocking.

We had planned to reach out to the EU for funding of critical projects such as revamping our water system and revival of self-help projects for vulnerable members of our city.

During his visit to Gweru, Olkkonen toured Whawha prison to assess conditions at the facility.

Meanwhile, secretary for the
Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana said government blocked the meeting because it was not cleared by the Ministry Foreign Affairs Affairs.-The Standard

By Own Correspondent| Villagers in Silobela are reportedly parting with various amounts of money to access food aid in the district as Zanu PF officials and village heads are demanding that they give them money to access food aid.

A villager from Jekiseni shopping center Ward 23 in Silobela spoke to the Southern eye said:

It is a sad situation here. Orphans, widows, under-privileged members of the society are not benefiting from the government food aid scheme.

The food aid is being abused and we see trucks getting into homesteads of a few people who are currently stocking the rice and maize in their backyards yet people are suffering.

A  local councillors’ aid is reportedly charging $45 per household which he says is for transporting the donated food from the DDF depot to their village for them to access the donated rice from China.

Most beneficiaries are being denied food aid because they can’t afford to pay the required $45. Similar cases of alleged food aid abuse have also been reported in Khoza, Bharange and Matimba villages.-Standard