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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 12 are expected to appear in court today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-AFP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They claimed paying rates at council district offices.

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

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

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

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

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

-State Media

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

However, Minister Ziyambi said  such suggestions were misdirected.

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

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

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

Minister Ziyambi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-State Media

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They claimed paying rates at council district offices.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The suspected patient was coming from another province.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

However, Minister Ziyambi saidsuch suggestions were misdirected.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

| ZTN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Government has been providing rice and maize to vulnerable families.

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

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

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

……. 

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

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 17, 2019

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

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

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

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

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) February 24, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.