VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

By Own Correspondent| Demoted Zanu PF youth official Pupurai Togarepi using the microblogging site Twitter took a jab at MDC supporters who allegedly vandalised a bus in Chitungwiza yesterday.

Togarepi tweeted:

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 drankard lead them who only wants to see things vandalised, Wake up, these people need picture evidence to convince NGOs to give them money.

Togarepi was referring to a group of MDC youths who clashed with ZRP in Chitungwiza yesterday, a ZUPCO bus was vandalised during the scruffle. 

By A Correspondent|Former Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo  has been temporarily granted his passport by the court to allow him to travel to South Africa to seek medical help.

Chombo has been in court since May last year trying to get his passport as he said he wanted to go seek medical attention in South Africa.

The judgement that released his passport reads:

The application for revival of a temporary variation of applicant (Chombo)’s bail conditions granted in judgment No 753/19 succeeds with no order as to costs.

Accordingly, the applicant’s passport is temporarily released to him for the period March 3, 2020 to March 16, 2020. The clerk of court, Harare Magistrates’ Court, is ordered to immediately release the applicant’s passport as aforesaid to be returned on March 16, 2020.

In lieu of the release of the passport, the applicant shall surrender to the clerk of court title Deed No 6205/88 to Stand 461 Marlborough Township Extension 3, Marlborough, in the name of Nimrod Willard Chiminya and the title deed to be given back to the applicant upon return of the passport

Chombo’s passport was seized by suspected state security agents at RGM international airport in May last year.-Newsday

• In silence, onlookers walked past his body sprawled beneath a wanted poster offering $30,000 for him, dead or alive.
• New twist.
• ZIMBABWE, THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING CROP ECONOMY SUDDENLY CRASHED FOLLOWING MNANGAGWA’S PRONOUNCEMENTS

By Staff Correspondent| ZIFA’s spokesperson, Xolisani Gwesela has responded to allegations by some quarters in Matebeleland who attack him saying that he is the son of the notorious so called dissident, Ranson or Richard Gwesela.

Gwesela is an infamous “immortal” character who the Zimbabwean military claimed they were after between 1983 and 1987 when they continued to kill civilians until a total more than 22,000 people were massacred. He was immortal for a whole 4 years and only “killed” when ZANU PF now wanted to sign a unity accord with Joshua Nkomo’s ZAPU party in 1987.

Thousands of people sensationally flocked to a police station in Gweru on the 18th November 1987 for a glimpse of the bullet-riddled corpse of Zimbabwe’s most wanted “fugitive.”

Zimbabwe Republic Police say Richard Gwesela, a former guerrilla fighter, was a gang leader who terrorized the people of two provinces for four years.

Gwesela was alleged to have murdered 20 people in the Midlands and neighbouring Matabeleland provinces. He also was said to have raped women and robbed villagers.

In silence, onlookers walked past his body sprawled beneath a wanted poster offering $30,000 for him, dead or alive.

The state media said Gwesela was the country’s most wanted man, and was killed in a gunbattle with Zimbabwean security forces near Gweru “on Sunday,” earlier.

His death was reported for the first time three days later, on the Wednesday. There were no independent investigations to confirm the state media report.

His mother and an uncle identified the corpse as Gwesela, and police fingerprints confirmed the identity, according to the state media report.

″Gwesela had killed more than 20 people since he started operating in the area,″ Enos Nkala, home affairs minister in charge of police, told reporters. ″Now he is going to join them, whether in heaven or hell, we don’t know,” he said.

NEW TWIST.

33 years later, some Mthwakazi activists have begun claiming ZIFA’s Gwesela was rewarded the sports job for a sterling role the supposed father played as an insider who staged for Emmerson Mnangagwa during Gukurahundi in order to kill civilians, pursuing Emmerson Mnangagwa’s terror operation to kill people under the guise of flushing out dissidents.

One activist makes the above chilling allegations (pic).

Responding however, ZIFA’s Mr Xolisani Gwesa told ZimEye, the so called Gwesela was not even a real Gwesela.

He said: “This writer is waffling. I am shocked by these ghastly falsehoods.

“I am the son of the late Chief Gwesela whose real name was Cornelius Nobody Gwesela Ndebele who died in 1996.He was never a dissident. The so called “dissident Gwesela” was never a Gwesela and his real name was Zedious Mangena.

“I am holder of a Masters Degree in Media and Society studies, Post grad Diploma in Media , Bsc Honours degree , Diploma in Management and Diploma in Sport Management.

“I have over 15 years experience in media management and sport management and events coordination. I joined Zifa purely on merit.

“The Gweselas are also from Zhombe and not Lower Gweru. The Gweselas are also from Zhombe and not Lower Gweru.”

ZIMBABWE, THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING CROP ECONOMY SUDDENLY CRASHED FOLLOWING MNANGAGWA’S PRONOUNCEMENTS

Rhodesia, was once the worst hit African economy by both United Nations sanctions and a debilitating 14 year running civil war from within, and yet by 1976, it had been hailed as the world’s fastest growing crop economy. So what really went wrong? Soon after 1980, it was handed over to Robert Mugabe and his state security minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, who less than 3 years later launched a military crackdown against civilians who he personally described as cockroaches who must be wiped out using DDT. That operation destroyed the economy in ways exactly similar to the recent 1 Aug 2018 military crackdown (which the Finance Ministry has told The Motlanthe Commission has cost the nation USD16 billion.) Zimbabwe’s economy began crumbling following Mnangagwa’s words on the 4th April 1983:

“Blessed are they who will follow the path of the Government laws, for their days on earth will be increased. But woe unto those who will choose the path of collaboration with dissidents for we will certainly shorten their stay on earth.”

As Minister of State Security, Mnangagwa was in charge of the brutal massacre of more than 22 000 Ndebele. He labeled dissidents ‘cockroaches’ and the killers of the Fifth Brigade army unit as ‘DDT,’ an insecticide.

Economy data shows how the country’s GDP crashed down following the operation, and effects were immediately felt from 1983 all the way to 1985.

Fast forward to the period 2004 – 2018 more evidence shows the correlation between economic performance and the rule of law, specifically human rights adherence.

A UK based academic investigates human rights violations and economic decline. In the graphs below revealed by ZimEye.com, it is displayed that for instance in the 14 years since 2004, investor interest has either risen or declined in a direct consequential correlation with Human Rights.   Dr Admore Tshuma from Kent University was asked by SABC: What were you aiming to achieve?, and he answered as follows: “the study is a socio-economic perspective. The study explores how the future in South Africa may unfold if expropriation of land without compensation goes ahead. “The aim is not to take a side in this argument, but to unpack the perspective, of human rights and economic paradigms. This is the first time that such a question has been examined by social science using an objectively collected data. The main aim is not to diminish claims for redistribution of land, but to highlight the detriment of the expropriation of land without compensation. “In this study I am very mindful of the sensitivity of the issue of land and I am also aware that there is little consensus of what benefit expropriation of land will produce for South Africa.

“Hence the basic aim is to suggest an alternative and progressive policy on what could constitute an economically sensible cause of action if South Africa is to pursue.

“In this case Zimbabwe remains an empirical case study, for such a social policy, a public policy. The primary focus in this study is to illustrate the interaction between human rights and the economy, also to highlight the model of retributive Justice in response to growing calls for the land question in South Africa as what happened in Zimbabwe.

“And some of my objectives basically are to raise awareness of the potential long term social economic harm that may result in the expropriation of land, it is also to show the interaction, the inter-twinement … the globalisation of the world, how world nation states have become smaller: how the international law has become supreme…part of what I am looking into, and basically the project in the end, it demonstrates the growing recognition that deep-rooted problems of Human Rights violation… are most likely to affect the economy, it is a very broad subject…”

– AP/ZimEye

The fine for public drinking and other penalties has gone up.

The fines for schedules 1 to 3 where public drinking falls into along with public fighting is now between $200 and $500.

It will come across as a hindrance as the fine for public drinking was now the value about one pint of lager in a bottle store which meant it would not be a deterrent for those doing so on street corners as become common in Harare’s Avenues and some suburbs.

It had become a bit weird with people drinking heavily and getting involved in fights, all happening in public spaces. Incidentally being drunk in public alone can be cause for arrest according to the liquor act.

A fine can be paid but one can be detained until the payment is done.

ZANU PF Mashonaland Central province has disowned their former youth league leader Godfrey Tsenengamu after his suspension by the party  and labelled him an opposition leader.

The provincial spokesperson Alfred Mafunga confirmed the case.

“As Mash Central Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) on Saturday we passed a resolution to expel Tsenengamu because we know him as a Zimbabwe Partenership for Prosperity (ZIPP) leader not ZANU PF,”said Mafunga.

Tsenengamu told Bulawayo24 news that he is not worried about being expelled from the party but they should follow party guide lines.

“Do not be bothered comrades about my expulsion,l am not refusing to be expelled,it is not the first time ,history is repeating its self ,l am waiting for their resolution on all the silly allegations l am facing just like what the G40 did in 2014 and 2015 when l was arrested five times in my view my case is so serious which warrant suspension without hearing,” he said.

ATT: All bonafide doctors working in government-funded hospitals across Zimbabwe.

The ZHDA Annual General Meeting (AGM) is set to be on Saturday, 14 March 2020.

The AGM was supposed to be held in October 2019. However, because of the industrial action at that time, conditions were not permissive enough to organize the AGM & hence it was postponed to the above-mentioned date. The inconvenience this might have brought to some is sincerely regretted.

You are hereby all invited to the event. The agenda is to elect a substantive National Executive Committee and National Council in accordance with the ZHDA constitution. The venue will be at ZIMA house in Harare and the meeting will begin at 1330, to end at 1600.

Interested candidates should apply now by sending an email of the application letter, curriculum vitae and copies of academic documents. Mention in your letter the position you are contesting for and the hospital you are stationed at.”

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

Today 29th of February 2020, MDC Manicaland Youth Assembly led by its Chairperson Kelvin Kambiro and other youth provincial members visited Chimanimani East Ward 16 for a door to door campaign program and planning meeting. The team successfully engaged the people despite being threatened and confronted by the ZANU PF MP for Chimanimani East Joshua Sako and military intelligence who were distributing rice, cooking oil and tshirts to the Tiya villagers paChigayo.
This is an attempt to buy votes from poverty stricken Cyclone Idai victims.It clearly shows ZANU PF agenda to rig the by election and thwart the peoples voice. Young children from the ages of 9, some in Grade 4 were frogmarched, forced to attend the rally. The people of Chimanimani East Ward 16 vowed to vote for the MDC young and promising Erasmus Brightwell Murada a.k.a BaDiana on the 14th of March 2020.

The vibrant Youth Chairperson was accompanied by Provincial Youth Secretary Munyaradzi Rimbi, Provincial Youth Organising Secretary Cloud Nengomasha, Secretary for Political Education Daniel Kitano, Secretary for small and medium enterprises Nyasha Rutanhira, Secretary for ICT Privilege Gwatidzo, Deputy Secretary for local government Precious Gwatidzo and Provincial Security Officer Walter Mutwayo.

Together we will make Zimbabwe better again.

Young people are the leaders of today and tomorrow.

We are in charge

MANICALAND YOUTH ASSEMBLY INFORMATION DESK

By A Correspondent| MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has said his party will never join POLAD.

He was responding to a statement by Presidential spokesperson George Charamba who tweeted under his pseudo name Jamwanda and predicted that Chamisa was set to join POLAD.

Said Chamisa:

“Let this be clear, we will never ever join what they call POLAD. That congregation is not meant for solving people’s problems but lift ED and give him false legitimacy. George Charamba must stop feeding people with the lies.

Such cheap propaganda is one of reasons for failure. You lie that oil has been discovered in Muzarabani, an investor has been found and drilling would start in 2020.

We are in 2020, where is the oil, the drilling and that investor of yours?”

Some victims of the 1 August 2017 and the January military crackdowns have announced they are slapping the British government with legal action over allegedly habouring ZANU PF terrorists in the UK who are encouraging attacks against civilians in Zimbabwe in contravention of the Terrorism Act, 2000.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

By Own Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) said it has identified dealers responsible for selling grain and mealie-meal on the black market resulting in severe shortages of the product on the formal market.

ZACC spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure told a local publication that the culprits, some who are high-profile people, will be arrested soon.

He said:

There are intense investigations currently underway. Several arrests will be made soon. It is a matter receiving utmost attention from the commission.

Some of the culprits are high profile in terms of the quantum involved.

We always thoroughly investigate. Very soon you will see for yourself.

The government has pegged the price of subsided mealie-meal $70 for a 10kg bag, but the product is being sold for nearly double the official price.

Meanwhile, Grain Millers’ Association of Zimbabwe chairperson Tafadzwa Musarara was last week quizzed by Parliamentarians after he failed to account for US$27 million which the association received from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to import wheat.

By A Correspondent| Member of Parliament for Uzumba Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (ZANU PF) has castigated Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation reporters for being “uncouth” and “unethical” when conducting their duties.

Mudarikwa claimed to have been a victim of a smear campaign by a ZBC reporter who contested against him during the ZANU PF primary elections. He said:

Individuals at ZBC pretend that what they are doing is pro-government and yet it is for their benefit.

This has to do with their editorial policy, which is primitive and uncouth. As long as the board does not correct such behaviour, I will not advertise on ZBC, and my companies will not advertise on ZBC because most of your reporters that take part in primary elections are rabid.

Makonde MP Kindness Paradza (ZANU PF), asked why ZBC journalists that would have lost in the party’s primary elections are allowed to return to the newsroom.

ZBC chairperson Josia Tayi told the disgruntled MPs that there is no law that prohibit journalists from participating in primary elections.

However, Mbizo MP, Settlement Chikwinya (MDC) argued that ZBC cannot hide behind the law when the issue is about ethics.-Standard

Heavily armed riot police officers totalling around 50 raided my house yesterday at 5am. I was in bed by the time they arrived. My wife woke me up and told me that there were strangers at the house as people in the vicinity were shouting.

I woke up and went outside and realized ferocious faced elements breathing as if there was shortage of oxygen. We anticipated those who shouted from a distance and on social media that they were coming to besiege my house.

I quickly noticed and realized one ZANU PF youth in riot gear and I noticed these were ZANU PF youth in police gear. I asked him when he joined the police.

He started mumbling in broken English endlessly and could not even understand him. One of them told me that they were under the Command of the Officer In Charge St. Mary’s and that she wanted to talk to me.

I asked her to talk to me but already the road was full of a huge crowd that was shouting why they persistently abuse my fundamental rights to peace and happiness while I have never wronged anyone.

The people were alerted to the threat that was posed against myself by a shadowy ZANU PF group and wanted to see how these demented cowards were going to carry out their threat.

The Officer in Charge, St. Mary’s then asked me to report to St. Mary’s Police Station as she wanted to inquire something from me. I went to St. Mary’s Police Station and waited endlessly for more than two hours and no one showed up.

After arriving at St. Mary’s Police Station I was told that one Supritendent Chuma is the one who wanted to talk to me. I waited and waited until I left. When I arrived back I was briefed that they wanted to dissuade me to St. Mary’s Police Station while they remain behind attacking my house and everybody inside.

I found people in running battles with the police all over and I just went into my house and sat. I was later told that when they asked me to go to the Police Station, they arrested 12 people who had visited me.

The whole chaos that took place in the area was as a result of aggression by the people who were in riot Police gear one whom I identified to be a ZANU PF youth who is not a member of our Police Services.

It must be known to all Zimbabweans that with the identification of a ZANU PF youth in riot Police gear, it must be known that all those people who are attacking and abusing human rights in Zimbabwe are ZANU PF who have been given police riot gear.

But this will never absolve the police from civil liabilities of paying constitutional damages for the violation of my liberty, peace and happiness. The Jestina Mukoko case is very clear.

A person can claim constitutional damages against those who violate your constitutional rights. I am compiling the names of all those who disturbed my constitutional rights and I am going to sue them in their individual capabilities.

I have the right as a lawyer to seek the remedies available from the Courts.

Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala
MDC National Vice Chairman

Statement By The MDC-T|The MDC-T, notes with great disappointment and disdain a tweet from Professor Jonathan Moyo, which purports that the MDC-T through its President Dr Khupe, sought funding from a ZANU PF, faction going by the name of G40 through her then aide Mr Witness Dube.

The truth of the matter is that Prof Moyo has relations with many Zimbabweans including those in opposition politics and even those close to Dr Khupe.

The MDC-T would like to put it on record that at no stage did the Party ever sought funding from any ZANU PF, faction directly or through a proxy. The meeting between Prof Moyo and Mr Witness Dube, took place at the request of Professor Moyo, in which he sought to appeal to Mr Witness Dube, that he (Witness) persuades Dr Khupe, to ignore the violent and unconstitutional ascendancy of Mr Chamisa to the MDC-T leadership.

It is common knowledge that Dr Khupe, dismissed that proposition with the contempt it deserves and went ahead to call for an extraordinary congress the following month in which Adv Gutu, was then elected Vice President thus the movement splitting into two after the said meeting.

It cannot therefore, be correct, that Prof Jonathan Moyo, arranges a meeting with Mr Witness Dube, on the 28th March 2018, on the strength of his private relationship with Mr Dube, and that personal meeting somehow constitutes a delegation (plural) for funding by the MDC-T, which had its extraordinary congress on the 21 April 2018.

What is apparent for everyone is that Prof Jonathan Moyo, is clutching at straws in his desperate attempt to hide from the general public that MDC-A is either a ZANU PF G40 project or has been taken over by the same.

A meeting with Mr Dube, who happened to be one of DR Khupe’s aides at the time, will not be enough to implicate Dr Khupe, and the MDC-T, in Prof Moyo’s absurd accusations.

The issue of the legitimate successor to the late MDC-T President Dr. Tsvangirai, was dealt with at the Bulawayo and Harare High Courts and both Courts ruled in favour of President Dr Khupe.

Therefore Prof Moyo must stop with the mischief of inserting Mr Kuda Tagwirei, in some tenuous conspiracy theory and instead Prof Moyo, must accept that he wasted his money trying to launder an illegitimate person and the long arm of the law has caught up with his imposter president of the MDC-T.

Correspondent|A Grade Six pupil at Masuku Primary School in Tshabalala, Bulawayo is battling for life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Mpilo Central Hospital after being knocked down by a bus on Friday.

Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident.

“The incident involved a Mayezane Tours bus (under the Zupco contract) which was heading to town when it knocked down a pupil who was on his way to school.

“The driver seemed to have failed to exercise due caution as students were crossing the road. The bus had 60 passengers on board and no one was injured,” said Insp Ncube.

He urged motorists to exercise caution and be on the lookout for pedestrians.

However, Insp Ncube said police have also noticed that pedestrians were also not exercising caution when crossing the roads.

“We have realised that most pedestrians just cross the road anyhow. In town I have seen some crossing when the robot is red therefore I would advise members of the public to be extra careful on the roads and to follow traffic lights because they are not only meant for cars but pedestrians too,” said Insp Ncube.

The military taskforce set up by government to oversee Zupco operations following the fuel price protests in January last year, is furious with company bosses over the IT server handling the database for the tapcard system. This comes amid shocking weekly revenue shortfalls detected in an audit conducted by the company’s Risk Department.

ZimEye reveals the massive looting at the current rate showing for instance at at least $22,000 in the snap audit cited 2 weeks ago.

Where do you think they are hiding the Zupco IT server? 

Where do you think Directors are hiding the Zupco IT server?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) March 1, 2020

– ORIGINAL ARTICLE BELOW –

readers advised – there were frantic efforts from many quarters in both Zimbabwe and UK to stop this report from being published.

By Simba Chikanza | PART 1 | Within 3 days of Emmerson Mnangagwa striking a deal with the Belarusian government on the 17th Jan 2019, revenue money had already started disappearing from the transport company, ZUPCO, an exclusive ZimEye investigation based on the latest internal risk audit reveals.

In this documentary, several offices are probed by ZimEye and they include [see the satellite map below], the company’s Willowvale, and Belvedere buildings. 

 – military taskforce

 –embarrassing cash leaks detected

-shortfalls on scan machines

-machine discovered inside a toilet with no ID number

-Zupco’s Tagwirei speaks to ZimEye [interview]

Fearing rising protests, Mnangagwa had launched the “noble” venture of purchasing hundreds of buses in order to lower the burden of transport costs. This would have worked well and the quality of life improved. But the multi million dollar investment is now set for another disappointment, as an embarrassing audit in ZimEye’s possession reveals how more than $22,000 vanished, the looting beginning right within 72 hours of the Belarus meeting. The conclusion from the snap audit are that the company policy on the timing of banking revenue receipts was violated.

At the centre of Zupco’s scandal, is the notorious collusion of two directors, the CEO and the Director of Operations:

– The Acting CEO – [substantive post, Financial Director], Mr Everisto Madangwa.

– The Marketing (Acting Divisions Operations Manager) Tito Chirau … he is Madangwa’s enforcer of corruption.

Chirau has gained the reputation of being the ZUPCO Tagwirei, as it were, – a man who has taken over operations, marketing, and accounting, and the 5th department he is now in charge of is the HR department.

Military led taskforce

There is a task force team in ZUPCO appointed early last year by the minister of Defence through the Ministry of Local Government. The taskforce oversees the safety of buses, and it comprises, the ZDF, the police, and the CIO. The head of the taskforce delegation is Col Richard Mapanda, and he is deputised by Ass Comm Moyo, and DIO Ndabezihle Ndoro. This team was generally effective in the first few weeks of 2019, but from around April time they were rendered inept by a systematic cartel comprising at least three bigwigs: The chairman of ZUPCO, Dr Talon Garikai, is the Vice Chancellor of Harare Institute Of Technology. Everything happening in ZUPCO is now being run from the HIT. The tap card system came from HIT. Stationery supplies are coming HIT. The booking of Intercity buses system, is being run by the HIT, which means that ZUPCO is now literally operating from HIT.

Embarrassing Cash leaks detected

The cash amount of leaks detected from the snap audit are respectively:
– RTGS 19267.00, ZAR 2070.00 and RTGS 378.

In a summary, the report says: “the Accountant and Cashier were invited to explain and justify the departure from the company’s policy regarding the timing of banking revenue receipts. In their written responses, they attributed this departure to the temporary shift of the cash office from Willowvale Depot to Belvedere Depot as well as transport problems to transmit the cash receipts to the bank.

“It was however established that the temporary shift took place on 20 January 2019. Willowvale cash office resumed its operations on 12 February 2019. Their explanation does not hold water as the delays in banking continued beyond the 12 February 2019 when CIT – cash in transit services were available to the Depot.”

When a decision was passed to bring in the police and the anti-corruption commission, ZACC, to investigate, an accountant was then used to make some diversionary responses, on the 15th October 2019.

• shortfalls on scan machines

• machine which was discovered inside a toilet with no ID number inside it

Further to all this, there was last year a scandal of shortfalls on scan machines, which resulted in machine number 8 which leaked thousands to an unknown receiving account. This happened in October 2019. There is machine number 8 which was stationed at Willowvale Depot, it caused shortages running up to the thousands. That machine was tracked by IT, it was found the machine was not sending money to accounts, it was sending somewhere else. When the audit was being conducted Chirau blocked that investigations. There is a machine which was discovered inside a toilet, and was found without an identification number, and no sim card in it, but found inside a toilet. The identification number and the sim card would have made it easy to track the operator and the account number where the money is being routed.

Zupco has since fired its Risk, & Audit Control Manager, a Mr Chimbanda in the first week of February. Mr Chimbanda who had been appointed Risk Manager on the 1st August 2019, was suddenly fired within 6 months just before commencing a human resources audit. Impeccable sources revealed to ZimEye, he had at the time attempted to do an indepth risk audit, following several scandals in the human resources department, that have seen unqualified drivers being employed. This comes amid the rising spate of accidents. The CEO and the Operations Division blocked the audit and rushed to remove Chimbanda from the post.

The audit comes as it is revealed Chirau drafts what he terms a non renewal list through which long serving employees are randomly lined up for dismissal, and in their place, his own personal handpicks are given the jobs.

After Chimbanda was removed, he (Chimbanda) raised a complaint with the Task Force, but they did nothing at all.

Hot Questions the two ZUPCO bosses must answer are as follows:

– Has the more than $22,000 bankage shortage between Jan and June 2019 been finally restored?

– How come this shortage was not publicly declared?

– Why did you fire the Risk Control manager, Mr Chimbanda at a time when the June audit findings are still to be addressed?

– Why did you block the HR audit when it was needed seeing the number of non qualified drivers and rising number of accidents?

– Why did you block the HR audit and then you start firing people using your own non renewal list not based on an audit?

– Why have you allowed Eng, Talon Garikai to continue holding multiple posts without declaring his asset s according to the Companies Act ?

– In your estimation how many weeks does Zupco have before it requires capital injection from government?

– Why haven’t you addressed the conflict of interest in the TapCard system managed by the ZUPCO Board chairman’s other organisation, HIT ?

– Why did you reject the task force member from the CIO who was appointed to work with the HR officer… and investigate allegations of job seekers being made to pay bribes of 20 USD to get jobs?

– In October 2019, Mr Chirawu and Madangwa you promised the sacked Lewis Matutu that you were going to fire 100 conductors to replace them with 100 Zanu PF youths. Why have you continued in this course of action and is this not abuse of office?

– To Mr Chirau, records show that you on the 22nd January 2020, you telephoned HR department to reinstate Mr Liberty Masomere, (work ID 9083), who is colonel Richard Mapanda’s secretary’s brother, was that not abuse of office?

Zupco’s Tagwirei speaks to ZimEye [interview]

While efforts to get a comment from the demoted Risk Manager were fruitless, ZimEye managed to get a hold of the Operations Director, Mr Tito Chirau who briefly spoke to ZimEye. He at first denied the existence of the audit report, saying the only persons who can be called auditors are external auditors. He also said the Risk & Audit Control Department does not conduct any audits. Towards the end of the interview, he once again discredited the audit report this time however acknowledging its existence saying it was truly prepared by the Risk Department.

Will this money which leaked, the $22,000 be returned?, he was questioned. He replied saying,
“Eeeeh, please speak to the CEO,” he said.

He continued loudly charging, “ you can call the CEO and speak to him.”

But you are the Operations Director Mr Chirau, he was asked, and he went on to reply saying:
“What I can tell you right now is that there is nothing factual from all that you are saying, but anyway, I will just refer you to the CEO.”

The audit is not factual?, he was asked. He said, “yes it’s not factual, everything that you have there it’s people who don’t want to see ZUPCO succeeding, and the funny thing is you are just being verbose and loud, but when we speak about numbers, numbers don’t lie.

“And I can tell you right now that all those things that you are speaking about, if you are humble enough to speak to the CEO and gather facts, then you are going to see that it’s just people who are just trying to smear ZUPCO for their nefarious means.

“ZUPCO is one of the most successful government initiatives and a lot of people don’t like it, and you can tell that from your tone, you seem to have just believed those people who don’t want to see ZUPCO succeed.

“So please go speak to the CEO and I am sure if there is merit at what you are asking, he will be able to prove to you that it is all lies, the bunch of people who are probably aggrieved for wrong reasons, who are peddling these things they are all over the place. Speak to the CEO, and he will help,” he ended.

So the copy of the June audit that you have which one is it?, he was asked.

He answered saying, “the problem that you have is you are trying to be high sounding and clever for nothing. Eeh, what is an audit report? What is an audit report?

“An audit is done by approved auditors and the auditors they produce a report and this is a public company; those reports are there for government they are there for everyone to see.

“So when you speak of an audit, you see … you are trying to fight a battle for people who are aggrieved, and I am shocked I don’t know which country you are living in. ZUPCO is the biggest success story of the government; buses are on the road, and more buses are coming. So when you begin to say these things I wonder what agenda you are trying to drive at.”

Why do you say so? This is an audit by your Risk department, he was asked.

He replied:
“So you see in this conversation all you are mentioning is the Risk department, and the Risk department is the one that has been featuring in all those articles that you are talking about. So you guys are fighting the battle of one aggrieved department, or one aggrieved worker without probably going directly to ZUPCO,” he said.
I am not fighting any battle for a worker, ZimEye’s Simba Chikanza said. To this he hit back saying,
“You are, the thing that you are raising you are trying to be high sounding, but I think you didn’t take time to go through the questions that you want to ask, for example you are talking about an audit, an audit, an annual audit is done by big companies that went to tender and was chosen that’s the company that does audits for ZUPCO. So if you are talking about an internal audit report that was generated by someone, and you are saying that the Risk department generates audit report, which company has got a Risk department that generates audit reports?

“No I am telling you now, I am calling you now, audit reports are done by the office of the auditor, the Risk department does not do audits. So if you come to ZUPCO,” he concluded just before putting the phone down.

Efforts to get a comment from the CEO, and the Zupco board Chair were fruitless up to the time of publishing.

– THIS ARTICLE IS ONLY PART 1 OF THIS SERIES: EXPOSING CRIMINALS STATIONED AT ZESA. JUMP ONTO ZIMEYE.COM FOR MORE

For the full interview:
AUDIO LOADING BELOW – ZIMEYE.COM

Armed police siege St Mary’s

The illegitimate ED regime has gone utterly berserk in Chitungwiza, with heavily armed police sealing off St Mary’s, persecuting party leaders and indiscriminately arresting party youths in this high density area of Chitungwiza.

Among those arrested is National Youth Assembly spokesperson Stephen Sarkozy Chuma while the MP for the area and MDC Deputy National Chair Hon. Hon Sikhala was summoned to the police for no clear reason.

The police went on an orgy of violence in St Mary’s, breaking doors and barging into private homes in search of anyone suspected to be MDC.

No reason was given for the siege and the State-sanctioned violence. Last week, Zanu PF distributed fliers mobilising their supporters to siege the rural home of President Nelson Chamisa in Gutu as well as the urban homes of Vice President Tendai Biti and Deputy National Chairperson Hon. Sikhala.

The MDC regards the siege in St Mary’s and the incessant harassment of party leaders as needless persecution. The regime is treating the MDC as a terrorist organisation when it is a legitimate political party represented in Parliament and running the majority of local government councils.

The MDC has declared 2020 as the year of Action and no amount of intimidation will cow the nation from sonorously expressing their displeasure at the illegitimate regime that has dismally failed to address the challenges facing the people.

It is the people who are truly sovereign and terror tactics will not work. State-sanctioned violence will not stop any idea whose time has come.

Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy National Spokesperson

By Own Correspondent| A Bulawayo woman has been keeping part of her severed middle finger for the past five months to use “as evidence” at the civil court following domestic violence.

Tendai Ncube (59) of Beuna Vista dried the tip of the left-hand finger after it was bitten off by a neighbour on 20 November last year while they fought over a bucket of maize.

Ncube said she went for treatment at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UHB) and was told to throw the finger away but she insisted that she will discard it once the matter is settled (by the civil court).

Meanwhile, a consultant pathologist, Dr Blessing Zambuko, said the normal procedure was to submit the severed part of the finger to hospital authorities.

He said:

The normal procedure is that one must submit the limb to a hospital who will then send it to the laboratory for examination or they hand it over to the police who will send it to forensic pathology for examination.

After all, is done, all specimen will not be returned to the patient but shall be properly disposed of by incineration. Under normal circumstances, the limb cannot, and must not be kept in the home.

Ncube suffered permanent disability following the biting incident as she cannot use the affected hand as two of the fingers can no longer bend.- Statemedia

Own Correspondent|Police in Chitungwiza besieged MDC National Vice Chairman Job Sikhala’s house in the early hours of Saturday morning and arrested the party youths who are alleged to have been guarding Sikhala’s house in anticipation of ZANU PF youths who threatened to invade the house.

The arrests forced MDC members to take to the streets in protest causing police to beat citizens indiscriminately in Zengeza and doing door to door patrols.

In a statement yesterday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the youths had been mobilised by some senior opposition party officials.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police condemns acts of violence by unruly youths who were obviously mobilised to engage in disturbances at Chigovanyika in St Mary’s, Huruyadzo shops and Zengeza 2 shops in Chitungwiza this morning (Saturday),” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

“The MDC youths were burning tyres and interfering with the smooth flow of traffic in the suburbs.

“The youths went on to shatter a Zupco bus windscreen, while some passengers were attacked, with some losing their cellphones.

“Police moved in and restored order in the area. “Eleven have since been arrested and are in police custody.”

He warned members of the public against acts of violence, intimidation or harassment of innocent individuals, groups and businesspersons.

“Members of the public are, therefore, urged to follow the due process of the law in undertaking various activities.

“Police will not hesitate to effect arrests on anyone who disregards the laws of the country.”

St Mary’s Member of Parliament Job Sikhala professed ignorance of demonstrations in his constituency, but alleged that police had raided his house in the morning.

“I was never arrested. What happened is I was asked to meet Superintendent Chuma at St Mary’s Police Station. I went there and waited for him for two hours and when he did not show up, I left,” he said.

“It’s absolutely nonsense to say that there was a demonstration in St Mary’s. What happened is that the police raided my house at 5am. There was no march that took place. It’s nonsense!”

State Media|Border officials intercepted 92 minors who were being smuggled through Beitbridge Border Post last year and arrested more than 16 000 people for illegal crossings in the six months to June 2019.

A parliamentary inquiry into the state of border posts said this was indicative of porous borders.

The minors were subsequently referred to the Department of Social Welfare. The findings, which were collated from oral testimonies from Government officials and visits to Beitbridge and Forbes border posts, are contained in a report that was tabled in Parliament last week by chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services, Brigadier-General Levi Mayihlome (Retired).

“The committee noted that the Department (of Immigration) has on record a total of 92 minors whom they had referred to the Department of Social Welfare after being intercepted at Beitbridge Border Post in 2019. In addition, a total of 82 deportations had been effected from January to June. Thus, on average about 15 people being trafficked per month,” said Brig-Gen(Rtd) Mayihlome.

“Statistics submitted to the committee showed that a total of 16 187 have been arrested for illegal crossing from January to June 2019. This is a significant number and it can be quantified that on average 1 350 people are being arrested on monthly basis,” he said.

Security services were reportedly finding it difficult to patrol the country’s border lines because of their vast expanse.

The Zimbabwe-South African border stretches for 255 kilometres, while the border with South Africa extends to 1 231km.

The stretch between Zimbabwe and Zambia covers 797km and the borderline with Botswana is 813km.

However, of the 255km length separating Zimbabwe and South Africa, “border policing is being done in areas covering less than 50km and the remaining area becomes easily accessible for illegal crossing”, Parliament noted. Border officials and law enforcement agents were also poorly resourced and poorly equipped to adequately and meaningfully police both border areas and ports of entry and exit.

For example, ZRP officials deployed to man the areas have not been paid travel and subsistence allowances for the past 12 years, and are owed in excess of US$300 000.

On average, the deployments take more than 30 days.

The report said: “The committee was told that travelling and subsistence allowances were last paid in 2008 . . . Members were dividing their meagre salaries between themselves and their families in order to sustain themselves whilst on deployments at large distances far away from their ordinary places of residence.

“The committee learnt that the Department (of Immigration) did not have vehicles for border patrol operations and currently they are relying on private hire to chase criminals. At Beitbridge Border Post, the committee was informed that currently nine motorbikes were being used to patrol the whole stretch for anti-smuggling along the Limpopo River from Chikwarakwara on the east up to Shashe River . . .”

Police officers deployed at the country’s ports of entry also do not have luggage scanners and rely on “physical searching methods”, which are largely considered to be ineffective in detecting smuggled items. Beitbridge Border Post, for example, handles 12 000 travellers daily, with the number rising to more than 28 000 during peak periods such as the festive season.

This, Parliament argues, results in smuggling of goods, drugs and precious minerals.

According to the report, “border control officials also lacked skills, decent accommodation, office space and they usually work for long hours daily”, which opens them up to corruption.

Out of the 186 immigration officials that were implicated for corruption, 177 were convicted and nine were acquitted.

Notwithstanding the lack of surveillance and scanning equipment, the border areas — which rely on “a multi-sectoral approach” to coordinate “a myriad of systems in place to control the movement of goods and people across national boundaries” — were most often characterised by confusion between the various departments.

“It was reported to the committee that there is confusion of who is in charge of the border between the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and Immigration Department since there is no Ports Authority. An appeal was made for the establishment of Ports Authority,” said Brig-Gen (Rtd) Mayihlome. But Parliament believes that the multimillion-dollar upgrade of Beitbridge Border Post will significantly transform management of the border area.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the US$241 million project in 2018 after it had been awarded to Zimborders in 2017.

It is envisioned that the project will see Zimbabwe and South Africa implementing the One-Stop Border Post concept.

The upgrade includes construction of commercial customs offices, facilities to handle vehicle traffic according to their categories, a bridge to link with South Africa, as well as upgrading some of Beitbridge’s key infrastructure.

Overall, Parliament believes that in addition to be paid their travel and subsistence allowances, the ZRP should be well-equipped with patrol kits including vehicles, scanners, drones, tents and other necessities.

It also recommends stiffer and deterrent laws against smugglers.

Government once considered introducing a Ports Authority to coordinate activities at the country’s ports of entry, but progress has been at a snail’s pace.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has identified some of the culprits that are hoarding and selling grain and mealie-meal on the black market, and arrests are expected soon.

There are reports shortages of mealie-meal are being compounded by unscrupulous millers and retailers who are funnelling the commodity to the parallel market.

Prices of subsided mealie-meal are pegged at $70 for a 10kg bag, but the staple is selling for over $120 on the alternative market.

There were long queues at large retail outlets such as OK and Pick n Pay in the capital last week as people lined up to buy the subsidised roller meal.

ZACC spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure told The Sunday Mail that the anti-graft body had identified some of the culprits involved in the roller-meal scandal.

“There are intense investigations currently underway. Several arrests will be made soon. It is a matter receiving utmost attention from the commission.

“Some of the culprits are high profile in terms of the quantum involved,” he said.

“We always thoroughly investigate. Very soon you will see for yourself.”

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the blitz against those involved in underhand mealie-meal deals had intensified.

“We are aware that the shortages of mealie-meal is at the heart of many Zimbabweans’ concerns and we have since launched a nationwide operation.

“The operation is targeting the hoarding of mealie-meal as well as those who are diverting it to the black market.

“We want to warn retailers and milling companies against this practice and our officers are now on high alert across the whole country. The full wrath of the law will catch up with them.”

He encouraged members of the public to report malpractices in the distribution of mealie-meal.

Last week, Grain Millers’ Association of Zimbabwe chairperson Mr Tafadzwa Musarara was grilled in Parliament after he failed to account for US$27 million which the association received from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to import wheat.

He could not provide evidence that the association used part of the money to repair Grain Marketing Board (GMB) silos.

The illegitimate ED regime has gone utterly berserk in Chitungwiza, with heavily armed police sealing off St Mary’s, persecuting party leaders and indiscriminately arresting party youths in this high density area of Chitungwiza.

Among those arrested is National Youth Assembly spokesperson Stephen Sarkozy Chuma while the MP for the area and MDC Deputy National Chair Hon. Hon Sikhala was summoned to the police for no clear reason.

The police went on an orgy of violence in St Mary’s, breaking doors and barging into private homes in search of anyone suspected to be MDC.

No reason was given for the siege and the State-sanctioned violence. Last week, Zanu PF distributed fliers mobilising their supporters to siege the rural home of President Nelson Chamisa in Gutu as well as the urban homes of Vice President Tendai Biti and Deputy National Chairperson Hon. Sikhala.

The MDC regards the siege in St Mary’s and the incessant harassment of party leaders as needless persecution. The regime is treating the MDC as a terrorist organisation when it is a legitimate political party represented in Parliament and running the majority of local government councils.

The MDC has declared 2020 as the year of Action and no amount of intimidation will cow the nation from sonorously expressing their displeasure at the illegitimate regime that has dismally failed to address the challenges facing the people.

It is the people who are truly sovereign and terror tactics will not work. State-sanctioned violence will not stop any idea whose time has come.

Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy National Spokesperson

Late former President Cannan Banana’s son Nathan did not know what awaited him when he took to Twitter to advice Zimbabweans to direct their frustration with the government to productive activities and not seek to gain social following while demeaning the country.

While that appeared like a genuine call on his fellow citizens, he may live to regret his decision after angry Zimbabweans descended on him like a tornado, with some using unprintable words to attack and condemn him.

“Some Zimbabwe tweets are like it’s a competition of who will get the most RTs for saying the worst things about their country rather than it being a competition on who has the best positive examples. There’s need to divert our anger and frustration to more productive activities,” tweeted Nathan.

Below are some of responses from angry Zimbabweans:

“With all due respect Mr Banana on these streets we critise, expose and complain about the wrong things done to us by the government. Zimbabweans deserve far better than what the government is offering. So we will not not stop. This is too much a burden”

“Nathan if u want to know what it is that our pple as a collective r wasting their time n imaginations on just luk around their lives. If u see poverty,corruption,bad governance etc just knw thats what the pple around wastes their imaginations on. Lets change this paradigm?”

“Blaming the victim and giving the villain a pass really?

So when people relate how they are without food, electricity , clean water and how the GoZ is actively impoverishing them you think the solution is to think positively?”

“What positive thing is there to talk about? U can share, we are listening?…other countries talk about bullet trains, car assemblies, Jobs created per month, stable inflation rates, economic growth, going to Mars, …what are we supposed to talk about as Zimbos?”

“What people encounter and need in life is so different wangu. If my father cannot get medication for his BP should we ululate? Tipembere here kuti they busy taking the chief to court just so MDC people can get food aid from govt of the day? Tipembere being forced kugara diaspora”

Sunday Mail: Can you please kindly provide us with a general overview of the just-ended workshop — that is, its intentions and resolutions?

Loice Matanda Moyo: The workshop was meant to train our investigators in tracing Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs). I realise that we were lacking in that regard and we solicited for help, for training, from the Unitted Nationas Office on Drugs and Crime (UODC) and World Bank. They sent StAR (Stole Asset Recovery Initiative) to train our officers in asset recovery.

It was a productive week and our officers have learnt a lot on how to trace assets from country of origin to country of destination, and the kind of evidence that is required in those matters.

It was a productive workshop and I want to believe that from henceforth, our officers are well-equipped in tracking IFFs and we are going to see an improvement in asset recovery.

In short, we are really stepping up the fight against asset recovery.

Sunday Mail: Now that your officers have been trained, what is ZACC’s next strategy to ensure the country recovers the wealth that has been plundered?

LMM: We have just set up the Asset Recovery Unit within ZACC and the strategy is to have officers who are well-equipped in the know-how, legalities and modalities of tracing these assets and recovering them.

Asset recovery is a process and it takes a lot of time. In Nigeria, for example, it took them 15 years to repatriate Sani Abacha’s wealth (The US$300 million that was stolen by former military ruler General Sani Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998). But I want to believe that with international cooperation, which is happening these days, it should not take more than five years.

Sunday Mail: You have mentioned that US$7 billion is stashed out of the country. May you please provide names of some of the people behind this?

LMM: No, we cannot give you any names at the moment. That will have the effect of jeopardising investigations. There will come a time when we will be in a position to reveal identities.

Sunday Mail: In the face of international law and immunity of foreign investments in some jurisdictions, how does ZACC seek to navigate these challenges in repatriating back the wealth?

LMM: Asset recovery is a process and that has been the reason why we conducted this training. These are some of the skills that have been imparted to our officers.

We are funded by Treasury and where we lack resources, we are confident that our cooperating partners will assist.

Sunday Mail: How many cases are on ZACC’s table right now and of these, how many are high profile?

LMM: We have over 700 cases under investigations now. Out of these, 74 relate to high-profile matters.

Sunday Mail: Given this high number of cases, do you have the capacity to handle the huge volumes?

LMM: We are in the process of strengthening capacity, we have recruited officers and some of them have been vetted. By Monday (tomorrow) we are going to have some of the new members joining us. We are expecting 20 officers to be joining us on Monday. All in all, we are going to have 60, but only 30 have been vetted so far.

Sunday Mail: Your critics say ZACC has been captured and there is no political will to investigate high-profile cases? What is your response?

LMM: There is political will to deal with both high-profile and low-profile matters. With regard to high-profile matters, our laws and rules are such that the accused are allowed to make interlocutory applications.

Some of these applications have the effect of suspending the main trial. Once that application is made at the High Court, this will stop proceedings before the magistrates’ courts.

That does not mean that the matter is over, but just that the process is pending and the case becomes longer. However, we are lobbying for changes in the rules of the courts so that even if a person makes an interlocutory application that application will not have a bearing on the matter before the magistrates’ court.

We want the cases to continue to trial while those applications are going through. In other countries such as Nigeria, for example, the Supreme Court has made those rulings that once you are charged with corruption and you make an application, that application does not have the effect of stopping trial.

Sunday Mail: Recently there were allegations raised by the now suspended Zanu-PF youth leaders, Godfrey Tsenengamu and Lewis Matutu, related to cartels and three prominent businesspeople. What is ZACC’s position on those allegations?

LMM: Some of those persons were already under investigations by ZACC, but the Zanu-PF Youth League members were not the complainants.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sunday Mail: What is the latest in terms of decentralising ZACC?

LMM: The Judicial Service Commission has provided for the setting up of anti-corruption courts in six or seven provinces. This year, they are expecting to put up these courts in these provinces. As ZACC, we are only in Harare and have offices in Bulawayo and Gweru that are manned by not more than two officers each.

We now want to decentralise to other parts of the country and to make sure that our offices are really capacitated to deal with corruption cases in these provinces, and they can feed into the courts. By the end of this year, we should be in six provinces — Midlands, Bulawayo, Manicaland, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West and Masvingo.

Sunday Mail: ZACC has previously indicated that it was seeking prosecutorial powers. Is there any update on this?

LMM: We are still using the Prosecutor-General’s Office for prosecuting our matters. There is nothing new as yet.

IN a bizarre incident, a Bulawayo woman has for the past five months been keeping part of her severed middle finger, which she first allowed to dry after it was bitten off by a neighbour following a misunderstanding over a bucket of maize.

Ms Tendai Ncube (59) of Beuna Vista dried the tip of the left hand finger and has been moving around with it in her handbag since the incident happened on 20 November last year.

“I will always keep this fingertip as evidence that my neighbour bit me over a bucket of maize, I am still hurt,” she said, showing Sunday News the tip of her finger. 

According to Ms Ncube, who survives on picking plastic bottles and selling them to local companies in the city, trouble started when she borrowed a bucket of maize from Mrs Bekezela (Matsha) Matshazi who lives in the same suburb.

“Matsha is my good friend, she is 62 years old and is my neighbour. I have a big stand and I planted my maize there so one of the people who assisted me in ploughing the land needed to be paid so I asked Matsha for a bucket of maize which I intended to use as payment. My daughter had said she would bring me the maize from her home in Cowdray Park the following week but I needed to pay the worker earlier,” she said.

Ms Ncube said her daughter had promised to bring the maize on a Friday but she failed. 

“The next Wednesday early in the morning Matsha came to my house and as usual I went to the gate to welcome her but she was not in a friendly mood. She started shouting saying she didn’t want to see me ever again as I had not delivered the maize. So I reached out to hold her hand so that we get into the house to avoid attracting the attention of neighbours but she started to beat me up and I held her trying to push her away and she grabbed my hand and bit my finger,” added Ms Ncube.

She said her daughter then came outside after hearing their noise and found them wrestling on the ground.

“When my daughter came out of the house, that is when Matshazi spit out my finger which she had bitten off and walked away. I then composed myself and saw that my finger was now on the ground with threads of flesh hanging. I then screamed at her saying she had bitten off my finger over a bucket of maize and she shouted back a statement that I did not hear,” she said.

Ms Ncube said she rushed to report the matter to the police and passed through her friend’s home where people had gathered after hearing about the incident.

Ms Matshazi is said to have arrived at the police station before Ms Ncube and made a police report saying she was assaulted.

The matter was heard before the courts where Ms Matshazi was found not guilty as she argued that she was “defending herself from assault”. Ms Ncube said she will take the matter to the civil courts as she still feels justice was not served and that she also catered for her own medical bills which she says her friend should have taken care of.

Doctors have, however, said she suffered permanent disability after the incident and she now has trouble in that she cannot use the affected hand as two of the fingers can no longer bend. She also says she can no longer work in her fields or pick up plastics as she used to before the incident.

The friendship also has turned sour as Ms Matshazi does not talk to Ms Ncube anymore.

“She does not respond to my greetings and I am actually scared of her now. I also feel the courts did not do justice as she never even apologised to me. I am very bitter,” she said, waving the remains of her finger in the air.

Asked why she still keeps a part of the finger, she said she will stop doing that once she feels that justice on the case has been delivered.

“After I went for treatment at UHB they told me to throw it away but I didn’t. I will discard the finger once the matter is settled,” she said.

However, Dr Blessing Zambuko a consultant pathologist said the normal procedure was to submit the severed part of the finger  to  hospital authorities.

“The normal procedure is that one must submit the limb to a hospital who will then send it to the laboratory for examination or they hand it over to the police who will send it to forensic pathology for examination. After all is done, all specimen will not be returned to the patient but shall be properly disposed of by incineration. Under normal circumstances, the limb cannot, and must not be kept in the home,” said Dr Zambuko.

-State media

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.”

-State media

Sports minister Kirsty Coventry on Saturday visited the National Sports Stadium amid government’s effortts to renovate local stadiums.

This comes after CAF sanctioned all local stadiums from hosting international games citing failure to meet stipulated standards, a setback which has put government, especially Coventry as the minister in charge, under scrutiny.

The former Olympic gold medalist visited the giant facility and declared the following on her Twitter page:

 “Bringing all stakeholders together at the National Sports Stadium to get it right. I’m very optimistic about the changes that are required to get it to the level required by CA. It’s not over yet.”-Soccer 24

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

STATE broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) yesterday told Parliament that government’s numerous programmes were draining its coffers, resulting in the current financial crisis.

ZBC board chairperson Josiah Tayi poured his heart out when his board appeared before the Prince Dubeko Sibanda-led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media to give oral evidence on the state of affairs at the public broadcaster.

Tayi told Parliament that licence fees charged by ZBC could not sustain its operations, resulting in the institution failing to appropriately remunerate its staff, with some workers earning as low as $300 per month.

“Hybrid operations created confused funding models and the corporate lost its government grant from funding scheme and licensing was presumed to be enough to fund the broadcaster,” he said.

“Licensing is meant to be a gatekeeper and buffer on the budget, but demands of diaries by government departments and ministries are perceived wrongly that the services were free and such an approach created a downward spiral on ZBC with a disastrous end.

“The national mandate constitutes 80% of ZBC costs and 5% of funding to ZBC is licence costs, of which payment of licences has dwindled and yet they are supposed to be part of the funding model.

Another problem with licensing is that it has not been reviewed for a long time. It is sad that broadcasting licences are not reviewed regularly just like what happens with tollgates and other service providers.”

The ZBC board chairman said despite an increase in operational costs, there was little support from the fiscus and yet 60% of costs they incurred were of imports of broadcasting components.

Tayi said some of the major challenges experienced by the ZBC included electricity outages, non-payment by government departments, non-taking over of their legacy debt by government, high indebtedness on medical aid and employee pensions and acute foreign currency shortages and non-acquittals of foreign currency purchases of equipment.

The committee expressed concern over political and commercial interference at ZBC.

ZBC head of programmes Gilbert Nyambabvu said inadequate equipment and poor salaries exposed staff to manipulation and bribery.

“If people are not paid well, they are vulnerable to cheque book journalism. Do we also have regulations to ensure editorial independence?” Nyambabvu asked.

But Sibanda could have none of his explanations, saying lack of equipment was no excuse for being biased.

-Newsday

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has denied allegations that it gave President Emmerson Mnanagwa’s daughter Farai Mnangagwa US$250 000 on Friday without any receipts.

RBZ was responding to allegations raised by Professor Jonathan Moyo who had said, “Farai Mlotshwa (nee Mnangagwa) was today given USD250K in cash by the Dealers Section of @ReserveBankZIM ‘s Treasury Division. On 19 February 2020, RBZ was ordered to pay her USD 5m in tranches of USD 1m over five weeks. There’re no invoices for the transactions! 

Farai Mnangagwa is married to lawyer Gerald Mlotshwa.

RBZ in a statement posted on Twitter responded denying the allegations saying no such transaction had happened.

“The Reserve Bank would like to dismiss the article circulating on social media on USD250 000 as fake news. The Reserve Bank only deals directly with Banks and Bureaux de Change.”

Fake News on USD250 000 Cash
The Reserve Bank would like to dismiss the article circulating on social media on USD250 000 as fake news. The Reserve Bank only deals directly with Banks and Bureaux de Change.

Moyo responded to RBZ statement saying it was a fake denial.

“FAKE DENIAL. It’s known that Shavano and Mawire directed communications to deny, deny & deny some more. Mawire even sought to have staff involved in the Farai Mnangagwa transaction detained, but was stopped by security’s Muradzikwa who warned the detention would confirm the deal.”

The MDC-T, notes with great disappointment and disdain a tweet from Professor Jonathan  Moyo, which purports that the MDC-T through its President Dr Khupe, sought funding from  a ZANU PF, faction going by the name of G40 through her then aide Mr Witness Dube.

The truth of the matter is that Prof Moyo has relations with many Zimbabweans including those in opposition politics and even those close to Dr Khupe.

The MDC-T would like to put it on record that at no stage did the Party ever sought funding  from any ZANU PF, faction directly or through a proxy.  The meeting between Prof Moyo and Mr Witness Dube, took place at the request of Professor  Moyo, in which he sought to appeal to Mr Witness Dube, that he (Witness) persuades Dr Khupe, to ignore the violent and unconstitutional ascendancy of Mr Chamisa to the MDC-T leadership.

It is common knowledge that Dr Khupe, dismissed that proposition with the contempt it deserves and went ahead to call for an extraordinary congress the following month in which Adv Gutu, was then elected Vice President thus the movement splitting into two after the said meeting.

It cannot therefore, be correct, that Prof Jonathan Moyo, arranges a meeting with Mr Witness  Dube, on the 28th March 2018, on the strength of his private relationship with Mr Dube, and  that personal meeting somehow constitutes a delegation (plural) for funding by the MDC-T,  which had its extraordinary congress on the 21 April 2018.

What is apparent for everyone is that Prof Jonathan Moyo, is clutching at straws in his desperate attempt to hide from the general public that MDC-A is either a ZANU PF G40  project or has been taken over by the same.

A meeting with Mr Dube, who happened to be one of DR Khupe’s aides at the time, will not be enough to implicate Dr Khupe, and the MDC-T, in Prof Moyo’s absurd accusations.

The issue of the legitimate successor to the late MDC-T President Dr. Tsvangirai, was dealt  with at the Bulawayo and Harare High Courts and both Courts ruled in favour of President Dr  Khupe. Therefore Prof Moyo must stop with the mischief of inserting Mr Kuda Tagwirei, in  some tenuous conspiracy theory and instead Prof Moyo, must accept that he wasted his  money trying to launder an illegitimate person and the long arm of the law has caught up with his imposter president of the MDC-T.

The illegitimate ED regime has gone utterly berserk in Chitungwiza, with heavily armed police sealing off St Mary’s, persecuting party leaders and indiscriminately arresting party youths in this high density area of Chitungwiza.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Among those arrested is National Youth Assembly spokesperson Stephen Sarkozy Chuma while the MP for the area and MDC Deputy National Chair Hon. Hon Sikhala was summoned to the police for no clear reason.

The police went on an orgy of violence in St Mary’s, breaking doors and barging into private homes in search of anyone suspected to be MDC.

No reason was given for the siege and the State-sanctioned violence. Last week, Zanu PF distributed fliers mobilising their supporters to siege the rural home of President Nelson Chamisa in Gutu as well as the urban homes of Vice President Tendai Biti and Deputy National Chairperson Hon. Sikhala.

The MDC regards the siege in St Mary’s and the incessant harassment of party leaders as needless persecution. The regime is treating the MDC as a terrorist organisation when it is a legitimate political party represented in Parliament and running the majority of local government councils.

The MDC has declared 2020 as the year of Action and no amount of intimidation will cow the nation from sonorously expressing their displeasure at the illegitimate regime that has dismally failed to address the challenges facing the people.

It is the people who are truly sovereign and terror tactics will not work. State-sanctioned violence will not stop any idea whose time has come.

Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy National Spokesperson

HARARE Magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa will on Monday 2 March 2020 hand down a ruling on a bid by the State to keep Kuwadzana East constituency legislator Hon. Chalton Hwende under prosecution without
being put on trial on charges of plotting to overthrow President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

When Hon. Hwende appeared before Magistrate Mugwagwa at Harare
Magistrates Court on Friday 28 February 2020, it was anticipated that
the State would indict him for trial at the High Court.

But prosecutors from the National Prosecuting Authority told Magistrate Mugwagwa that the State was not ready to do so and applied that the opposition MDC Alliance party Secretary-General’s matter be postponed to 16 March 2020.

However, the application for postponement of the matter was vigorously opposed by Hon. Hwende’s lawyer Harrison Nkomo of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, who argued that the opposition legislator should be
removed from remand as the state had taken close to a year without
putting his client on trial.

Magistrate Mugwagwa will hand down her ruling on both the state’s bid
to keep Hon. Hwende under prosecution and his lawyers’ challenge of
further remand.

Hon. Hwende was arrested on 5 March 2019 and charged with subverting
constitutional government as defined in section 22(2)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly posting some messages on Twitter encouraging members of the public to revolt against President Mnangagwa’s government.

Prosecutors allege that Hon. Hwende posted some messages on Twitter
between 28 December 2018 to 31 December 2018, which had the effect of
inciting people to revolt against and overthrow President Mnangagwa’s
government.

In response to Hon. Hwende’s messages, the state alleged, members of
the public committed various acts of public violence and hooliganism
throughout Zimbabwe between 14 January 2019 to 16 January 2019 after
they were incited to engage in mass protest.

By A Correspondent| Everything has been shut in Chitungwiza following running attacks against civilians in Chitungwiza.

13 people who had simply visited their MP, Job Sikhala had been reported arrested at the time of writing.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW.

Zengeza MP Job Sikhala told ZimEye, ‘the battle is still ongoing, everything has been shut down in Chitungwiza and St Mary’s, and there are no buses nothing is moving.”

He was asked to comment about possible casualties and he said, “injuries I haven’t received anything but what I heard is that the police without moving hunting door-to-door, trying to hunt for MDC persons, MDC members houses in St Mary’s and what I understand is that 13 of those people who visited my house were arrested.”

29 February 2020

Sydney Barson | At least 38.1％ of orphans in Zimbabwe are in Matabeleland North Province where 17 Grade 7 girls from the same school dropped out of school to get married, if a 2009 study is anything to go by.

Speaking at the launch of the Zimbabwe Education Fund Trust (ZIMEFU) in Lupane yesterday, Econet Sales and Marketing Manager Thandekile Chibanda applauded the launch of ZIMEFU as an important development to assist orphans and curb teen pregnancies so rampant in the province.

‘’According to a 2009 study, 38.1％ of all orphans in Zimbabwe were living in Matabeleland North Province, these statistics could be more by now. Therefore the launch of ZIMEFU will go a long way alleviating the plight of thes young ones.‘’ said Chibanda.

She highlighted several successful people who impacted the world yet grew up as orphans.

Speaking at the same occasion Kusile Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer Mr. Chuma said ZIMEFU is a welcome development in Lupane and urged the new organisation to work alongside government as partners and not competitors.

Founded by Gibsom Mwinde ZIMEFU was registered as a Trust in January 2020 and to date the organisation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the local authority.

The newly instituted Trust seeks to provide sanitary wear in schools in Lupane and Binga, pay school fees and provide uniforms for orphans and vulnerable children.

Board member Laison Mwinde also highlighted that 17 Grade 7 girls dropped out at some school where he was teaching in Binga to get married hence the rationale to change mindsets in such communitites.

In a solidarity message Lupane Women Development Trust Manager Mrs Mufukare urged the new organisation to remain focussed and leave politics to politicians before donating a sewing machine and 40 reusable sanitary towels. They also received donations in form of clothes, and more sanitary wear from other players.

Their mission statement is to eradicate poverty in Africa through sustainable education and empowering every school going girls and boys in remote areas

ZIMEFU’s motto is Inspire orphans,inspire your world.

Todate the Trust shall be operating in Lupane and Binga only though plans for expansion are there.

The trustees are Naome Nkiwane, Tamuka Nyoni, Laison Mwinde, Sithembekile Riyano while Gugulethu Nkomo is the District Coordinator.

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

By A Correspondent| Zimbabwean students studying in the Chinese city of Wuhan have accused the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa of abandoning them in the midst of a deadly coronavirus outbreak.

A Zimbabwean student who spoke to a local publication on condition of anonymity revealed that some countries within the Southern African region are assisting their nationals in the Chinese city while they have received nothing from their government.

Said the student:

Zimbabweans are desperate. The coronavirus situation is bad. Everything is closed and some people have run out of food. Government is not helping. Some countries are helping their students who are here.

Zambia, Botswana, Ghana and Namibia gave their nationals some money, and we have not received a cent from the government. For us, we now survive from the benevolence of some Zimbabweans living in China to complement the help we get from the Chinese government.

We managed to get the ambassador (Martin Chedondo)’s contacts a few days ago and we spoke to him, but he did not promise anything, while other countries are giving financial assistance to their distraught citizens.

The students, who are estimated to be around 350, were caught up in the COVID-19 outbreak which occurred in the middle of December.

Chinese authorities have restricted movement in parts of the country to curb the spread of the flue-like ailment.-Newsday

By A Correspondent| Bulawayo City Council has suspended ambulance, refuse collection, attendance to water and sewer faults due to fuel shortages for the second time in just over two months.

In a statement on Thursday, Bulawayo Town Clerk Christopher Dube told residents that Council will not be able to offer them ambulance services as well as the collection of refuse and other services until the fuel situation improves.

Said, Dube:

The City’s Fire and Emergency Services will be prioritising calls and responding to critical emergencies in terms of the following services;

Road traffic accidents referred Council clinic maternity cases and public collapses. The public is advised to use alternative means until the situation improves.

The City of Bulawayo would like to advise residents that there may be an interruption in numerous services such as the collection of refuse, attendance to water and sewer faults due to fuel shortages.

Residents are advised that Council is working on ensuring a speedy delivery of fuel supplies so as to resume normal services.

BCC issued a similar statement on 29 December last year. However, the suspension did not come into effect as the situation immediately returned to normalcy.-Statemedia

By Own Correspondent| The government has given police and magistrates’ courts the green light to impose fines of between $200 and $120 000 for various criminal offences.

The new fines schedule was published in the Government Gazette on Friday and comes into effect immediately.

Admission of guilt fine for levels one to three offences has been hiked to $200 from $20.

Levels 4 to 14 offences now attract between $1 500 and $120 000. The maximum charge used to be $10 000.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi gazetted the new standard scale of fines under Statutory Instrument (SI) 57 of 2020.

He said:

This notice may be cited as the Criminal Law Codification and Reform (Standard Scale of Fines) Notice, 2020. The First Schedule to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act is repealed and the following is substituted “First Schedule (Sections 2(1) and 280) Standard Scale of Fines.

The officer in charge will determine what the accused will pay for level one to level three and the fine will range between $200 and $500.

Some of the crimes under this level include driving without due care, public drinking and/or public fighting.-Newsday

By Own Correspondent| A teacher suddenly collapsed and died in front of colleagues and pupils at a primary school in Bulawayo’s Njube suburb on Friday.

The deceased teacher, identified as Freddy Murimirajaoba (53), was forced to abandon a Physical Education lesson after complaining of a headache and was taken to the headmistress’ office at around 9 AM where he collapsed and died.

Bulawayo police spokesman Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident.

He said:

“I can confirm that police are investigating the sudden death of a 53-year-old teacher at Mtshede Primary School who collapsed and died in the office of the headmistress.

We have information that the teacher had not been coming to school for a few weeks owing to poor health, and the headmistress had called him in to understand more about his health troubles when he suddenly died.

Murimirajaoba was from Mt Darwin in Mashonaland Central Province and had been at the school for 10 years. He was taking the Grade 3 class

TWO Bulawayo MDC activists, who were facing charges of fatally stoning a police officer during the January 2019 protests against fuel price hikes, were yesterday placed off remand after the State indicated that it was not yet ready to prosecute the matter.

Charles Thomas (54), of Njube, and Bernard Sibanda (18), of New Lobengula, were being charged with the murder of Constable Alexio Maune (32).

Through their lawyer Dumisani Dube, the two successfully sought to be placed off remand, arguing that the State had failed to formally charge them 13 months after their arrest.

State allegations were that the two activists stoned Maune in Entumbane on January 14, 2019, but the pair denied the charge, claiming they were victims of a dragnet arrest by police officers.

They both argued that they were not at the scene of the crime on that particular day.

GOVERNMENT has ordered a probe into issuance of passports at the Lupane registry office in Matabeleland North province following reports of underhand dealings and alleged victimisation of whistleblowers.

Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe told Southern Eye on Thursday that he ordered the probe after receiving complaints from some junior officers, who claimed harassment by their superiors for daring to expose the vice.

The junior officers claimed passport applicants were being made to bribe their way to get the travel document.

“You can neither confirm nor deny (the allegations) until you investigate, but yes, I have received a couple of letters. I don’t throw away the letters because information is power, I always make a follow-up. It is a matter under investigation,” Kazembe said.

“We have a couple of letters that I have sent to the (Home Affairs) permanent secretary to investigate. Dealing with corruption is a collective responsibility of everyone and, as such, we would want the informers to also come forward with more information. We will conceal their identities, even an anonymous call will help as we need that information,” Kazembe added.

Some of the junior staffers said they were recently suspended or transferred from Lupane by the provincial registrar Willard Sayenda, to ostensibly conceal the alleged illicit dealings.

But Sayenda refused to comment over the matter, saying it was confidential.

In one of the letters addressed to the Registrar-General Clemence Masango, the disgruntled workers said the alleged scam involved everyone, “including the head”.

“We would pay a tollgate fee to our boss (Sayenda) and we would do our passport applications (sic) as many as we want without even restrictions of the daily limited application which you had put,” the letter read.

“Lupane had few applicants and we had to heavily rely on Bulawayo clients who could not come to Lupane. We would take their fingerprints from Bulawayo, which is not procedural, but just an act of unlawful practice.”

Correspondent|President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appealed for help in pulling his debt-ridden country out of “financial isolation” across the country, Zimbabwe.

According to Emmerson Mnangagwa,he made his passionate call for international funding after he failed to secure new loans from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, African Development Bank and the paris club due to outstanding foreign debts of $8bn (£6.2bn).

Addressing the Africa forum on sustainable development in Zimbabwe’s northern town of Victoria Falls this week he said: “Our five-year national development plans running up to 2063 will endeavour to achieve an upper middle-income status by 2030“The need to remain alive to the shocks of drought and the impact of climate change through the necessary social safety nets cannot be overemphasised,” he said. “We appeal for multilateral support to augment our efforts.”

According to the president,the country is also facing rising.poverty levels and hyperinflation. Mnangagwa knows that only immediate political and economic reforms will secure fresh funding but he has stressed that change will cost money.

The government has given police and magistrates’ courts the green light to impose fines of between $200 and $120 000 for various criminal offences.

The new fines schedule was published in the Government Gazette on Friday and comes into effect immediately.

Admission of guilt fine for levels one to three offences has been hiked to $200 from $20.

Levels 4 to 14 offences now attract between $1 500 and $120 000. The maximum charge used to be $10 000.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi gazetted the new standard scale of fines under Statutory Instrument (SI) 57 of 2020. He said:

This notice may be cited as the Criminal Law Codification and Reform (Standard Scale of Fines) Notice, 2020. The First Schedule to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act is repealed and the following is substituted “First Schedule (Sections 2(1) and 280) Standard Scale of Fines.

The officer in charge will determine what the accused will pay for level one to level three and the fine will range between $200 and $500.

Some of the crimes under this level include driving without due care, public drinking and/or public fighting.

Former Cabinet Minister and ZANU PF Politburo member Jonathan Moyo has claimed that ZANU PF-linked controversial fuel mogul, Kuda Tagwirei has been plotting to use US$2.4 million to buy Justice Garwe, who is said to be drafting the judgment in the Khupe vs Chamisa case so that he gives MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe control of MDC properties. Said Moyo:

One momentous development this February is that Kuda Tagwirei has been plotting, with hypocrites who have maliciously alleged “G40” links with #Chamisa, to use USD 2,4m to buy the Supreme Court judgment for Thokozani Khupe in her case against #Chamisa to control the #MDC!

Kuda Tagwirei has been scandalously pledging to use cartel money “to compromise” Justice Garwe, whom they say is allegedly drafting the judgment in the Kupe case. A well-known co-conspirator in the matter has been calling the Supreme Court daily, asking for the judgment!

In 2018 the MDC secretary for Gokwe Sesame district, Elias Mashavira approached the High Court seeking an order that declares that Chamisa is neither the acting president nor president of MDC party.

This came after Chamisa had taken control of the MDC following the death of Morgan Tsvangirai in February of the same year. Mashavira is considered Khupe’s proxy in her battle to take control of MDC properties.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) is investigating circumstances leading to the release of a top Registrar General’s Office staffer Gorden Tsuro from jail, amid complaints of an irregularity.

Tsuro, who was in 2012 jailed three years for attacking his wife with an axe, unlawfully enjoyed freedom for seven years following the dismissal of his criminal appeal until last year when The Herald unearthed the scandal.

He was in November last year arrested and locked up in prison, but a month later the prosecution consented to the reinstatement of his 2013 appeal.

The prosecution, in a space of days after reinstatement of the appeal, again consented to Tsuro’s release on bail.

The Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) last week asked ZACC to investigate circumstances surrounding the release of Tsuro on bail, saying the prosecution might have acted improperly.

This week, ZACC chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo confirmed receipt of a complaint from SACU, saying investigations had already begun.

“We have opened investigations into the matter”, said the ZACC boss.

Head of SACU, Mr Thabani Mpofu, last week wrote to Justice Matanda-Moyo asking her to look into how an officer in the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) consented to the reinstatement of Tsuro’s appeal and release on bail after the appeal had been struck off the roll because he (Tsuro) had missed deadlines to pursue his appeal.

The Herald exposed the irregularity last year after Tsuro, who was sentenced to three years in jail in 2012 for attacking his wife with an axe, had his appeal dismissed by the High Court in 2013 after he failed to pursue the matter.

After the dismissal of the appeal, he was supposed to be sent back to the magistrates’ court to be committed to prison to serve his sentence, but he continued enjoying his freedom for six years with some thinking he had been acquitted by the High Court.

He was only arrested and committed to prison at the end of last year.

Investigations by The Herald revealed that Tsuro briefly showed up at work upon his release this year and went into his office, much to the surprise of his colleagues who thought he was serving jail time.

Authorities at the RG’s Office immediately suspended Tsuro to allow them to have an appreciation of his case after they read in The Herald that he had been committed to prison to serve his three-year-jail term.

Tsuro (49) was on June 26, 2012, convicted of seriously injuring his wife, Ms Rosemary Charlie, after striking her with an axe during a domestic dispute.

He was initially charged with attempted murder, but then Harare regional magistrate Mr William Bhila found him guilty of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

On the same date, Tsuro’s lawyers, Mupindu & Mugiya, filed a notice of appeal against both conviction and sentence at the High Court, but this was not pursued.

In terms of the law, such a dismissal of the appeal must be followed by the issuance of a warrant of arrest to apprehend the convict and commit him or her to prison.

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority has announced fuel prices effective Friday 28 February 2020.