By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been accused of deceitfully co-opting civil society organisations (CSOs) under the Matabeleland Collective (MC) in a bid to whitewash the 1980s Gukurahundi atrocities.

The group split in two early this month after Mnangagwa’s first move to address the issue sparked serious acrimony, with 17 organisations going on to form their own group known as the Matabeleland Forum (MF).

Mnangagwa has since then sought to co-opt the Matabeleland CSOs under the guise of dialogue in a move seen as an attempt to mollify growing dissent over the Gukurahundi massacres which his predecessor, the late former president Robert Mugabe, described as “a moment of madness”.

Gukurahundi – referring to a systematic mass slaughter of civilians accused of harbouring dissidents in the immediate aftermath of the bloody liberation war in the early 1980s – remains a highly emotive issue in the country, mainly because government has been reluctant to address it.

Last week, Mnangagwa met with the remnants of MC at Bulawayo State House as he continues to seek ways to address the atrocities, although his approach has been severely criticised as half-hearted and piecemeal.

The meeting has once more torched a storm, with MF members accusing their counterparts of receiving cash inducements to dance to Mnangagwa’s tune.

The MF says it pulled out of MC because the latter had drifted from the original mandate of holding the state to account for the genocidal campaign which saw the North Korean-trained 5th Brigade kill 20 000 civilians.

There were reports that during last week’s meeting, the MC leaders were treated to luxury hotel accommodation, free fuel and a huge feast—all at the taxpayer’s expense.

“Money has exchanged hands under the guise of organising the MC functions. There has never been accountability on where the money is coming from. We understand the state has been bankrolling the activities of MC. The money is not meant to muzzle MC, but the strategy is to discuss petty issues,” a Bulawayo CSO leader said.

“Mnangagwa is a schemer. He can use any tactic in the book to squash the voice of the people of Matabeleland.” Dumiso Dabengwa Foundation director Mthulisi Hanana told the Zimbabwe Independent that the MC had failed to ensure a genuine process of truth-telling, healing, justice and reparations for communities affected by the Gukurahundi atrocities.

“We agreed to say that let us save our organisation and we pulled out. We thought to ourselves that let us continue to engage. We are happy to engage the President, but there should be an unreserved apology. We also advocate for the release of the Chihambakwe and Dumbutshena Commission reports,” Hanana said.

Hanana said decision-making within the MC was now limited to a few individuals.

Habbakuk Trust director Dumisani Nkomo said: “This is the view of some of us that the collective, whilst like all Zimbabweans having a right to engage the President, may be compromised. There must be a critical distance between the state and non-state actors.”

Nkomo said independent CSOs will continue to demand closure for the Gukurahundi issue, adding that government was not serious about addressing the post-1980 massacres.

“The collective is within its rights to engage, what is key is how we as independent CSOs move forward and ensure the Matabeleland issue is comprehensively addressed. The government is not yet serious about addressing Gukurahundi,” Nkomo said.

Jennifer Williams, the leading MC figure and Women of Zimbabwe Arise director, denied being co-opted by government.”As MC, we co-ordinated organisations that are members and broader civil society in accepting His Excellency’s invitation to come see him 14 February 2020. “We also assisted members to get accommodated and receive transport costs as the state President’s guests,” Williams said.

The MF’s argument is that while an apology was necessary for healing, government should craft a legal framework to facilitate truth-telling, justice and reconciliation.

Communities affected by the Gukurahundi massacres have been failing to get identification documents like birth certificates, nearly 35 years after the killings.

A report on the implementation matrix discussed last year, presented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Virginia Mabhiza, identified 16 key issues surrounding Gukurahundi that were still outstanding.

These include exhumations which government is yet to authorise. The CSOs have also accused MC of snubbing traditional chiefs — largely viewed as a critical cog in the truth telling, healing and reconciliation process.

Chiefs were absent from Mnangagwa’s meeting last week with MC.-Independent

The Senior Hospital Doctors Association notes the developments in the University of Zimbabwe’s College of Health Sciences with great concern; developments which can potentially degenerate into a serious disruption of Health service delivery in the country.

The University of Zimbabwe has unprocedurally removed the chairperson of the department of surgery who still had about one and half years as chairperson and clandestinely replaced him against the provisions of Ordinance 43 which governs the appointment of chairpersons in departments in the University.

Final year medical (MBCHB) students who were supposed to write their examinations in December 2019 but were sent home when the teaching environment had deteriorated because of the incapacitation in hospitals have still not been recalled despite different departments indicating that conditions for teaching have improved.

Paradoxically, the final year class of 2020, which had also not finished its fourth-year studies has now been propelled ahead and is being taught as final year students.

There is no objective justification proffered for this, leaving students and their parents to speculate whether the University is pursuing a vindictive and punitive agenda.

This decision is not in the national interest as it will create an artificial shortage of junior doctors in a few months.

A group of specializing doctors who were due to write their examinations and complete their studies could not do so because hospitals were incapacitated. They have again been left in limbo with no commitment being made towards their cause.

While just under a week ago, news tabloids reported on the open heart surgery training centre that is being set up at Parirenyatwa hospital with the University of Zimbabwe’s involvement in partnership with a South African company, the University has just terminated Dr David Chimuka’s contract again.

He is the lead person and the most experienced heart surgeon in the country who was spearheading the program. He has been dismissed with no reasons provided despite a shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons.

He was the only one of the three cardiothoracic surgeons available who was working for the University. This points to victimization and a vindictive agenda.

The period from September 2019 to January 2020 has been a difficult time in the medical field. Doctors could not offer any meaningful service in the hospitals because of the incapacitation of hospitals which was well documented and publicized.

The situation had begun to improve despite the many challenges still being faced. The regrettable move by the University authorities threatens to cause regression of the little progress made in attempting to restore normalcy.

In seeking clarity, the members of the Department of Surgery of the University of Zimbabwe have suspended their work services with immediate effect as they await the Vice-Chancellor to address them and give redress to the issues of unfair dismissal of their chairperson and the termination of Dr Chimuka’s contract and the appointment of another chairperson in total disregard to the standing ordinance 43 of the University.

The lecturers who are all surgeons, want urgent attention to be given to the MBChB V 2019 group as well as the MMED students so that they can finish their studies since they were affected by circumstances beyond their control.

The Senior Hospital Doctors Association urges the University authorities and perhaps the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to quickly act to solve the challenges in the College of Health Sciences as this has potential to cause skills flight and more disruption to the health delivery system yet again.

By A Correspondent- Police in Harare yesterday quizzed seven Allan Wilson High School students for allegedly participating in a demonstration led by the school’s former head-boy recently, where he allegedly attacked Mnangagwa’s administration and made fun of his “sadza nemuriwo” (sadza and vegetables) statement.

The students’ lawyer, Tinashe Chinopfukutwa, from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, said his clients were initially told they would be charged for participating in an illegal demonstration around the Copacabana area in the central business district, but that was changed and they were asked to be witnesses.

“Initially, they were to be charged for participating in an unlawful gathering addressed by some young man said to be a former headboy of the school,” he said.

“This took place on February 7 around the Copacabana area. They then changed and they now want to make them witnesses, so they are recording their statements and they will be released.”

Chinopfukutwa said it was an impromptu protest and address by a former student, whose statement criticised government.

“He allegedly addressed them about sadza nemuriwo and basically criticising the government,” he said.

The statement sadza nemuriwo was made by Mnangagwa in January during an address at a clean-up campaign in Kuwadzana high-density suburb after residents had complained that they could no longer afford meat.

Mnangagwa jokingly advised them to stick to a healthy diet of sadza or potatoes with vegetables

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- A 29-year-old Guruve woman was dragged to court after she scalded her husband over a toilet se_x dispute.

Talent Chinemwamwasa, who hails from Nyamuseve village under Chief Chipuriro Guruve was not asked to plead on domestic violence charges. 

She was remanded in custody to February 24 after the State opposed bail citing that complainant is still hospitalized and that the accused could interfere with state witnesses.

According to evidence before the court, her husband Last Muzeza arrived at his home on the 17th of February at around 11pm.

Upon his arrival, he discovered that his wife was not in the house.

In his search for her, he went at the back of the house where their toilet is situated and saw the door slightly opened.

He called out his wife’s name and she shouted back saying that she was suffering from a stomach ache.

He decided to wait for a few minutes and then he heard funny sounds coming from the toilet.

His wife was apparently getting intimate with her lover.

As Muzeza advanced towards the toilet, his wife’s lover bolted out of the toilet and fled into the darkness of the night.

His wife also fled briefly but she came back some hours later after Muzeza had retired to bed.

Muzeza barred her from entering the house and told her to go back to her boyfriend.

The cunning Chinemwamwasa went into the kitchen and boiled water in a tin before seeking help from neighbours.

Accompanied by the neighbors, they knocked Muzeza’s bedroom window which he opened up and started talking to the neighbors.

As they were talking, Chinemwamwasa suddenly scalded her husband with the boiled water.

Muzeza sustained burns on the face head and stomach and is currently admitted at Guruve general hospital

By A Correspondent- It was Valentine’s Day without much love for a Bulawayo couple on Friday last week when the husband decided to put his wife on “shame parade” as punishment for allegedly committing adult_ery.

It apparently hit Itai Chikomberanwa, an ex-cop, like a punch to the gut when he discovered his wife Rosemary Chikomberanwa‘s extra marital affairs.

Itai discovered something shocking about the woman he loves after his 15-year-old daughter turned detective on her mother by sending him screenshots of her (mother) WhatsApp chat with erotic details she was exchanging with her alleged boyfriend while complimenting each other on what they did the previous day.

According to the story which the pained Itai decided to make public via the court, so er0tic were the messages which his wife was exchanging with her alleged lover while complimenting each other presumably after a series of steamy unprotected se_x romps.

Itai lamented his ordeal after his wife sued him for verbal, emotional and physical abuse. Rosemary accused her husband of constantly harassing her while threatening to kill her.

She said in a bid to instil fear, Itai was also sending graphic images of dead bodies of women having been killed or axed to death by their husbands.

“I have been married to Itai Chikomberanwa for 14 years but, I recently filed for divorce and the case is still pending at the Bulawayo High Court. I am making an application for a protection order because of the serious verbal, emotional abuse and harassment I am being subjected to by my husband,” bemoaned Rosemary.

She said the abuse had become so untenable as it occurred on a daily basis.

“My husband is constantly harassing me while threatening to kill me. He is sending graphic images of dead bodies of women having been killed or axed to death by their husbands. He is also stalking me, following me everywhere I go and this is causing a lot of hardships in my life.

“I am now living in constant fear and as an ex-police officer who has a history of being violent, he is capable of killing me.

“He once physically assaulted me in 2017 and as a result I am seeking the court’s intervention to stop him from causing distress, discomfort and abuse towards me,” she said.

Itai, however, rubbished his wife’s claims labelling her a “serial cheat”. He said the reason why she was seeking a protection order against him was to cover up her extra-marital affairs.

“I do not assault or insult her. The source of our problems is that she has been having extra-marital affairs since 2017. She once dated a police officer stationed at Queens Park Police Station. After I discovered the illicit relationship, I confronted them and we resolved the issue.

“I am a tobacco farmer and I spend most of my time away from home. The other day our 15-year-old daughter phoned me saying there was no food at home and their mother had gone for days and wasn’t at home. When I phoned her asking about her whereabouts, she insulted me saying I’m not her child,” said Itai.

He said he was the one who was being abused and disturbed by his wife’s philandering behaviour.

“On May 11 2018, that same 15-year-old daughter phoned me saying she had seen some dirty messages in her mother’s phone which she was exchanging with another man while complimenting each other on what they did the previous day.

“The reason why she is seeking a protection order against me is that she just wants to stop me from questioning her about her extra-marital affairs,” thundered Itai.

Rosemary, however, dismissed her husband’s allegations saying he was the one who was cheating on her.

“I know nothing about the issue of adult_ery. He is the one who is cheating on me as he had two other children out of wedlock”.

In a bid to maintain peace between the two estranged parties the presiding magistrate Adelaide Mbeure granted a reciprocal order which compels them not to stalk, verbally, physically abuse or threaten each other in any way.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- A Sakubva woman lost property worth thousands of dollars after her neighbour torched her bedroom accusing her of stealing her undergarments.

Lorraine Buwerimwe lost a double bed, blankets, duvets and other valuable items after Linda Mashingaidze allegedly went berserk and set her wooden cabin on fire following the alleged theft of underwear on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at No. 19A and 19B, OTS in Sakubva.

“Fortunately, we quickly put out the fire. The whole cabin could have been reduced to ashes,” said a neighbour, Polite Mupedzi.

When The Weekender caught up with the two women at the police station, Buwerimwe said there was bad blood between them.

“It all started when she accused me of stealing her pair of skin tights. She claimed that I had stolen them yet I had not, and I wondered why she kept accusing me. The misunderstanding got worse until I sought a protection order against her.

“Last month, she assaulted me and rushed to the police to report the matter. My life has been a living hell because of this woman. I do not know what wrong I did to her to warrant this sort of treatment. She always threatens to burn me alive and now she has burnt my house,” said Buwerimwe.

Mashingaidze denied ever burning the house saying instead it was she who had alerted neighbours to the fire.-Manicapost

By A Correspondent- Teachers at Ntenjane Primary School in Bulilima Matabeleland South, have vowed never to go back to work until the issue of goblins causing a reign of terror at the school is resolved.

Various teachers who spoke to the publication on condition of anonymity had different stories to narrate about the chilling experiences they are going through because of the goblins.

Said 3 different teachers:

We are now victims of escalating witchcraft and goblins that storm workstations from the world of evil to unleash spine-chilling fears and a reign of terror. I left in a rush and left all my belongings. I am not going back to that place

I sleep on my bed daily; however, I wake up almost daily on the floor, with my blankets and everything. I have had enough of it. I asked my pastor to pray about it and it stopped for a while. It has started. There is no way I am going back. Public Service Commission will have to make a plan for us

I wear my underwear when I sleep, but when I wake up, it is washed and is hung to dry on the washing line. It happened for two consecutive days and I told my husband about it. He came to pick me at school and scolded me for not telling him the first time it happened

Other teachers also said they found their dishes washed in the morning despite leaving them dirty before going to bed and some said they were finding strange objects in their compounds in the morning.-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- A computer whizzkid at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) who was arrested for hacking the school’s examination results database has been granted permission to travel to Switzerland to represent Zimbabwe.

20-year-old Tatenda Christopher Chinyamakobvu, a Level 2.2 Information and Technology student will be representing Zimbabwe at an International Hackathon in Switzerland after the courts relaxed his bail conditions.

Chinyamakobvu is part of a three-man team who aced a hackathon competition staged by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) in Kadoma recently.

Chinyamakobvu together with Munyaradzi Muneka and Elvin Kakomo developed an application that can tell when an accident occurs as well as the gravity of the accident and its location.

According to Techzim,

…the application has a panic button that users can hit for minor accidents. In the case of more serious emergencies which incapacitate the driver and passengers, it then uses the sound of the car crash to automatically trigger the panic button.

The application is meant to improve the responsiveness of emergency first responders.

For winning the Potraz Hackathon, Chinyamakobvu and his team won the right to represent Zimbabwe at the #Hack4SmartSustainableCities conference organised by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The event will run from April 5-6 in Geneva during the World Summit for the Information Society (WSIS) Forum.

Chinyamakobvu’s legal troubles started after he discovered a weakness in the examination results database at CUT and ruthlessly exploited the loophole to forge passing grades for himself and his colleagues.

He initially changed his won results for the CUPE119 course which he took and failed during the August to December 2018 semester. He changed the result into a passing grade as he did not want to retake the course.

After realising how easy it was, Chinyamakobvu then started charging his colleagues who had failed some courses so that he could alter their grades. For this very valuable service, he charged amounts varying from US$20 to US$80 depending on the number of courses which need to be hacked and altered. At the time of his arrest, he had changed the results of 7 other students.

Chinyamakobvu did his hacking from an Itel P33 cellphone and a Lenovo Thinkpad laptop from his home in New Canaan, Highfield, Harare. The devices have since been confiscated as evidence by the police.

Chinyamakobvu’s luck ran out when CUT Information Communication Technology director discovered that Chinyamakobvu’s results had been altered.  The subsequent investigation led to his arrest.

He was granted  $150 bail on the second attempt after Chinhoyi magistrate Ms Mithel Mabika initially denied him bail saying that he was a flight risk.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- United Kingdom-based football intermediary and only African woman match agent in the world, Ellen Chiwenga, has set her eyes on the Zifa presidency in the 2022 elections.

A member of the Association of Football Agents (AFA), the International Association of Fifa Licensed Football Match Agents (FIFMA), and Women in Football (WIF) from Zimbabwe, Chiwenga took to her Facebook timeline to announce her intended entry into mainstream football politics in two years’ time to challenge Felton Kamambo.

Should Kamambo choose to seek re-election as expected and wins, he will be in his second and final term according to Article 38 of the Zifa Constitution.

Chiwenga informed her friends on Facebook that she will contest the Zifa presidency when the present board’s four-year tenure expires in 2022.

Responding to a question by one of her Facebook followers, Kudakwashe Motsi, who asked if she was sincere in her intentions to run for the biggest football post on the domestic scene, Chiwenga said she was serious.

If she decides to run, Chiwenga has to relinquish her positions as a member of the Association of Football Agents (AFA) and the International Association of Fifa Licensed Football match Agents (FIFMA) as per Fifa requirements.

When Chronicle Sport contacted her yesterday, she could neither confirm nor deny that she was eyeing the Zifa presidency.

“My personal assistant will give you details, don’t worry,” Chiwenga said.

If she contests and wins, Chiwenga, who has been working in the world of football for more than 15 years, will become only the third African woman to lead a football association after Lydia Nsekera and Isha Johansen who were voted presidents of the Burundi and Sierra Leone Football Associations respectively.

According to her biography, Chiwenga legally represents athletes by checking their contracts and negotiating their employment. She is responsible for communication between managers and individuals she represents to ensure that both sides are satisfied.

She also arranges worldwide matches between teams belonging to different confederations, such as friendly matches and tournaments between national teams or clubs.

“With passion and relentless determination, Ellen works tirelessly to promote social and economic development through football. She transforms football into a powerful instrument of economic and human development that builds healthy communities, fosters growth, empowers women and inspires change around the world,” reads part of her biography.

In 2017, Chiwenga won the Personality of the Year Award under the Zimbabwe Achievers’ Awards and the African Woman of the Year in Football in 2018.

In the same year, she became an ambassador of FC Karachi in Pakistan. In August 2019, Chiwenga was appointed Global Goodwill Ambassador of Bring Hope Humanitarian Foundation (BHHF), a charity organisation that delivers humanitarian aid and medicines to internally displaced people, refugees and people in need around the world.

In November 2019, she was awarded the prestigious Football Black List Award for her outstanding work in football and in January this year, she was awarded the Medal of Knight of the Order of Lafayette.

Chiwenga is also a member of the Right to Play’ Partnerships Committee.-Statemedia

Health and Child Care Minister Obadiah Moyo has urged legislators to stop travelling to China for business or shopping until such a time when coronavirus has been contained.

Speaking in the National Assembly, the Health Minister said it was by God’s grace that the country has not reported a confirmed case of the disease.

“Let us stop this issue of travelling to China completely. No travelling to China please, at this stage, stay in your country and stop shopping. Let us stay in our country; it is by God’s grace that we do not have it here.

“I was praying last night about that woman who was admitted at Wilkins Hospital that she does not turn out to be positive and by God’s grace she turned out to be negative. So, we are lucky and this is why you have seen me personally going to the borders.

“I will not leave any stone unturned and when I get to the borders, I will make sure that I educate everyone and it has to be done like that,” he said.

Minister Moyo added that he has challenged all border personnel to keep watch and ensure the disease does not enter through the borders.

“So, I have challenged every border and every person who works at the border, not just health personnel but the immigration, the police, the soldiers and everyone who works at the border has to wake up.

“We all have to remind each other when someone is doing the wrong thing. we do not want to allow someone who has got a fever to come into Zimbabwe without being stopped and that is exactly how we managed to pick up the case at the airport the day before yesterday.

“It is a serious issue which we have to put a lot of respect and we are all going to monitor each other’s performance wherever we are. We pray that this scourge will not enter into Zimbabwe and it will not enter if we all cooperate with each other,” he said.

-Open Parly

Popular Malawian prophet Shepherd Bushiri has told former Deputy Finance Minister Terrence Mukupe to respect his wife Rachel J after the latter claimed his wife had been bedded and impregnated by the controversial church man.

Rachel J is famous for singing a song with Enzo Ishall titled Ngoro which has been described as vulgar.

Below is Bushiri’s statement

It is not in my nature to respond to allegations levelled against me. However, it has come to my attention that Terence Mukupe, a disgraced former deputy minister in Zimbabwe has made false allegations that I am responsible for his wife’s pregnancy.

The basis of his allegations are screenshots of chats and messages purportedly between me and his wife.

For the purposes of clarity.

I am not on WhatsApp. Neither am I on iMessenger. This has been the case since late 2017. Those with access to me will know this. Those who do not, please stand guided, I AM NOT ON WHATSAPP or iMESSENGER. I have not been for 3 years.

Secondly, I have not traveled out of South Africa in the last 13 months, and therefore have not met this man’s wife in Malawi as he believes. This ought to be public knowledge.

Thirdly the contact number in his pictures is NOT mine and has never been mine. Therefore whoever was speaking with this man’s wife isn’t me.

Given all this, it is therefore impractical and impossible for his allegations to be materially true.

Sadly this guy’s lies are part of a pattern of libel and slander that has been directed at me for over a decade.

The bible teaches us to forgive and ignore, but there also comes a time when those that make defamatory and highly damaging allegations about others must face the music of their choice.

I have consequently engaged my lawyers in Zimbabwe to urgently seek legal recourse.

As you may know, since 2019 I have been suing every newspaper that carries fake stories about me. This is on record. I have been suing and winning, and media house after media house has been apologising and paying damages for their lies. It is a strategy that has become policy.

I therefore call on Terence Mukupe to respect his wife, his marriage and his children. For him to tell the whole world that his wife was impregnanted by another man paints him in bad light but also opens his wife to all forms of abuse.

A man has a duty and obligation to protect his wife and Terence must not open her up to abuse and name calling.

I call on him to respect my family and everyone else. These false allegations stay on the internet forever and will harm many lives. If they were true it would make sense. But these are lies.

To sue him, win and take money from him would be unfortunate, as his already doing all this to me for money. Sir, fear God, don’t be desperate to the level of selling a good name of yourself with cheap lies like these.

But as I said, if he chooses otherwise, we will have no option but to make yet another example out of him.

We cannot tolerate and allow slander, libel and defamation to go unchallenged.

Lastly, I pray that Mukupe makes peace with his wife and whoever is responsible for her pregnancy.

God Bless you Zimbabwe. I love you!

ZimEye reveals footage of ZRP cops raiding former ZANU PF senior Jeppy Jaboon’s pub in Luck Street in the capital late Thursday afternoon. The footage shows cops literally stealing beer. There is also evidence of them smashing the doors before stealing money kept in a safe in there. They also attempted to delete CCTV footage. Shortly afterwards they arrested over 150 people.

RETWEET! – @PoliceZimbabwe cops stealing beer before arresting 150 people at Jeppy Jaboon's pub yesterday pic.twitter.com/7irZLP3QGw

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) February 21, 2020

By A Correspondent- The government of Zimbabwe has warned opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa over his threats to unleash unsanctioned protests in the wake of authorities’ failure to arrest the country’s deepening economic and social crises.

Speaking to the Daily News on Thursday, Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe said police can deal with any illegal disturbances.

He said:

Whoever breaks the law will be dealt with according to the law. The law enforcement agents in our country can deal with any illegal disturbances.

The police have a constitutional mandate to protect the peace-loving people of Zimbabwe as well as their properties.

Meanwhile, police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said conveners of demonstrations should always follow proper procedures.

He said:

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)’s mandate is to maintain a peaceful environment. Our role is to make sure that people are living in a peaceful environment.

It’s is clear what is supposed to be done when someone wants to protest or petition, he or she must follow proper procedures.

While addressing a press conference in Harare on Tuesday, Chamisa said the people of Zimbabwe are not weak, therefore, Zanu PF and the government should not take them for granted.-DailyNews

INDUSTRY in Bulawayo yesterday challenged government to stop crying about sanctions, but start creating a conducive operating environment, give them fuel and forex for raw materials as well as sort out the exchange rate.

Speaking during a business breakfast meeting held in Bulawayo yesterday, captains of industry told Industry and Commerce minister Sekai Nzenza that government needed to address issues of currency, policy inconsistency and stop blaming sanctions.

“We want to challenge you and your colleagues in government, can we stop the cry about sanctions. In our industry here in Bulawayo we have some glaring evidence of sanctions busting companies. Companies created specially to subvert sanctions during the Smith regime,” Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries Matabeleland Chapter president Shepherd Chawira said.

“We toured Delta with your predecessor minister Mangaliso Ndlovu in November last year and we were shown old beer brewing chambers bought from the European Union when the brewery was built and alongside those were a number of others built by a company established locally here to bust sanctions.”

“Sadly, the company closed down in the 2000s due to the economic meltdown. So we are saying, give us fuel, give us forex for raw materials, sort out our exchange rate and give us policies which create a conducive operating environment and there won’t be any sanctions to talk about,” he said.

Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce Matabeleland Chapter vice-president Golden Muoni challenged government to be sincere about addressing the currency issue.

“Where is our problem? Currency. Do we have a currency which we have trust over, in which men and women are able to transact? Who are the manipulators of that currency? Where are they?
Are they not known? What are we doing? So who is the problem?” he said.

“We can have these conferences and talk shows but if we don’t go deeper and address this issue of allowing people to destroy our currency, we are going to face a lot of challenges. We are going to leave this economy in shambles and we are going to be part of those people who failed,” Muoni said.

“We want a stable currency. Let us revisit the issue of currency as a matter of urgency. Do we want to use the US$ or bond note? We must have a clear monetary policy which is well defined and allow the business to plan. As we are speaking some are transacting in US$, others are refusing the bond notes. Right now as we are speaking, many garages have no fuel in town but there are garages with fuel which is sold in US$. So, are we using the US$ or bond notes? Which currency are we using? That needs to be addressed.”

Government last year announced the return of the Zimbabwe dollar as the sole legal tender, albeit with inadequate foreign currency and mineral backing causing the currency to lose value within a short period of its introduction.

The Zimbabwe dollar has plunged more than 85% since it was reintroduced. Businesses also demanded to know how much foreign currency was allocated to companies in Bulawayo through the interbank system.

Bulawayo City Council business development officer Kholisani Moyo said since Bulawayo was regarded the industrial hub of the nation, more resources needed to be channelled towards it.

In her earlier address, Nzenza had told industry that government was aware of the issues of import licences, delays at border posts and policy inconsistencies.

“The informal economy continues to grow at a very fast pace. Our production levels are low. These are some of the problems that I already know as a Minister of Industry and Commerce. I also acknowledge that our policies have not been consistent,” she said.

“There are issues that we as government need to address. Issues of import licences, export licences, problems at the border, we are aware of those problems and we would like to work together to address those. Our policies need to be consistent.”

She said there was no doubt that most of the challenges that the country was facing such as inflation, currency instability, and other macro-economic imbalances emanated from low productivity in industries.

“In that regard, we need to put more emphasis on production and more production,” she said.

-Newsday

A woman was attacked by a hippopotamus while she and her husband were on a wildlife tour in Africa, according to tour operator Wild Horizons.

On Saturday, a married couple was on a canoe safari — consisting of three guests and two guides — on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. One of the guides saw hippos on the right side of the river, and instructed guests to paddle to the left, away from them, Wild Horizons said in statement.

As they paddled, a hippo emerged underneath the canoe the woman was in, capsizing it, the tour operator said. The hippo then attacked her and pulled her under water as she attempted to swim to shore.

The head guide pulled her onto the river bank and administered first aid, according to Wild Horizons. The woman was then airlifted to a local hospital.

The Tampa Bay Times identified the couple as Odessa, Florida, residents Kristen and Ryan Yaldor. Ryan Yaldor’s mother, Martine Yaldor, confirmed the details reported by the Tampa Bay Times to ABC News.

Kristen Yaldor was attacked on her 37th birthday, a source close to the family told ABC News. Kristen Yaldor was in the front seat of the two-person canoe, while her husband was seated in the back, the source said.

When the hippo hit the canoe, Ryan Yaldor was ejected toward the island, but Kristen Yaldor was thrown toward the hippo, which pulled her under quickly after she hit the water, the source said.

It took Ryan Yaldor less than 30 seconds to swim to shore from the middle of the river, and when he turned around and screamed for his wife, she popped out of the water, her right leg still in the hippo’s moth, the source said.

Kristen Yaldor then punched the hippo several times in the face, and it eventually released her, the source said. She then swam toward shore, and Ryan Yaldor helped her out of the water and into the nearest canoe, the source said, adding that a helicopter arrived about 45 minutes later.

She was first taken to a clinic in Zimbabwe and then transferred to a hospital in Johannesburg, a journey that took 14 hours from the time of the attack, the source said. The hippo’s teeth caused a ragged fracture to Kristen Yaldor’s right femur, for which she has received two surgeries — one to repair the break and a second to remove the dead tissue, the source said. She may need additional surgery as well.

The couple was not made aware of the elevated danger surrounding hippos because of calving season, the source said, adding that they had “no idea” a baby hippo was present, and that the mother hippo was protecting her calf.

The U.S. Department of State confirmed to ABC News that it was aware of reports of an accident involving American citizens in Zimbabwe.

Wild Horizons detailed its extensive safety procedure in a statement. On each river trip, a back-up vehicle on land follows the canoe, and each guide is equipped with a cell phone and hand-held radio, according to Wild Horizons.

The source close to the Yaldor family said the guides were delayed in getting help because they weren’t able to reach anyone on their radios and their cell phones didn’t work on the island.

Before embarking on the tour, guests are given a safety briefing and are required to practice paddling, in an effort to ensure they “are familiar with the mechanics of rowing down a river, and are competent to do so,” Wild Horizons said.

“We would like to stress that while our guides are expertly trained and qualified to manage trips such as these, and that every preparation is painstakingly made, nature is unpredictable,” Wild Horizons said in the statement.

Hippos are known for their aggressive behavior and kill about 500 people per year in Africa, the BBC reported.

Wild Horizons has been operating in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and along the Zambezi River for nearly three decades, it said.

ABC News’ Conor Finnegan, Ben Gittleson, Kirit Radia and Lisa Silverstein contributed to this report.

By A Correspondent- Former tourism minister Walter Mzembi speaking to a local publication explained how the ruling party rigs elections. Muzembi claims the ruling party has access to the voter’s prior to the elections and preys on people’s poverty to get votes.

Mzembi said:

Zanu PF, and by extension its government, is held together by a culture of fear, intimidation, vengeance, retribution and violence …

The merchandising of fear and retribution is the central theme of the Zanu PF bible and there is ample evidence to attest to this over the last 50 years … There are thousands of Zanu PF members who for fear of losing farms or business opportunities, jobs and food aid, stay beholden to a system their inner souls have long rejected and which they cannot proudly stand up and defend.

Curiously, no matter how enlightened many of these people are, they believe the system has a way of telling how they would have voted. Emancipation from mental slavery is one of the tasks ahead of us.

Any successful strategy to dislodge Zanu PF from power must disrupt and destroy the DNA of violence and fear resident in every one of it is nearly 50 000 cells countrywide. Needless to mention that it will be a bloody exercise

Zanu PF polling model is based on giving everyone responsibility or a position in its structures starting with the cell where 21 office holders serve 29 members to make 50 members in a cell. Reality is there are 1 036 785 grassroots officeholders who defend their positions come every election apart from branch, district, provincial, national office holders.

When you add women and youth league positions, everyone in Zanu PF is an officeholder. These positions are an insurance policy to patronage benefits. Everyone from the president down to an ordinary member belongs to a cell and submits to the authority of the cell chairman who coincidentally may be the village headman.The village headman keeps a party membership exercise book that is also linked to food and inputs distribution and other freebies like party regalia.

This book is also linked to the voter registration master copy which every Zanu PF MP and councillor gets. With the introduction of roller meal committees and coupons and the imminent couponisation of the economy, village headmen can expect to dispense and be part of a food rationing chain.

As long as the State has monopoly over food distribution, Zanu PF’s hegemonic grip on the masses will remain intact. This grip is most firm during by-elections when the entire State machinery descends on a ward conflated with Zanu PF campaigns,” said Mzembi.

Shedding light on how the 2008 presidential elections were conducted, Mzembi said initially he was picked by Mugabe to be a member of a committee that was planning the campaign but was elbowed out by Mnangagwa who then took charge and launched a brutal campaign that led to the deaths of scores of opposition members and led the international community, including Sadc, to declare the elections a sham.

Zimbabwe’s election history is replete with violence. Whilst they are held timeously, there are also simultaneous cycles of violence and because I was already an adult in the 1985 elections, the country witnessed heinous violence against Joshua Nkomo’s Zapu , Edgar Tekere’s Zum (Zimbabwe Unity Movement) in 1990, Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC in the 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2013 elections all of which are in the public domain. The 2008 elections, which resulted in the GNU of 2009-2013, tops the bill because of its unprecedented violence. Every Zanu PF senior member knows who collapsed Mugabe’s peaceful rerun committee in 2008 and took charge of one of the country’s most violent electoral episodes. I was in this committee of 15 later 22, leading a subcommittee on business and traditional leaders with Sthembiso Nyoni

… one day in May 2008, … Mnangagwa walked into our meeting and told everyone that he was now taking charge and these academic exercises we were engaged in were now over! Our rerun committee was sent packing and brutality of the highest order took over, Tsvangirai succumbed and the rest is history.

Clearly, ‘the most potent weapon in the mind of the Oppressor is the mind of the Oppressed’ but for Zanu PF it is the desperation of the people arising out of the poverty this party and its government preside over and seek to perpetuate.

Therefore, a Zanu PF government will never truly empower communities to be self-sufficient and self-sustaining because poverty is an instrument of control and line of credit to power retention.

To that extent as long as Zimbabweans are under a Zanu PF government the economy will not be revived, food insecurity will continue, health delivery will remain a mirage because these vulnerabilities are the ultimate instruments of mass control and mobilisation by the Junta government.-DailyNews

By Jane Mlambo| Leader of the National Constitutional Assembly yesterday told a public meeting organised by Heal Zimbabwe that President Emmerson Mnangagwa came from nowhere to occupy his current position.

Madhuku made the remarks while trashing the constitutional amendment number 2 which was gazetted on the 31st of December 2019.

He said the bill though retrogressive was an opportunity for Zimbabweans to push for a broader amendment to the constitution especially the widely demanded electoral reforms.

Madhuku said as POLAD, they have pushed a position to have the bill withdrawn to allow every citizen to input changes they want in the constitution including the part on succession following the resignation or death of a sitting President.

He made reference to the resignation of the late President Robert Mugabe which gave rise to Emmerson Mnangagwa saying the ideal situation is to allow the country to go to elections and elect a new leader or to have parliament sitting as an electoral college chose chose someone to take over the reigns of power.

WATCH THE FULL PRESENTATION ON THE VIDEO LOADING BELOW

By A Correspondent- The body of a Bulawayo Lodge employee was found in one of the lodge’s rooms with a deep cut in the forehead and his hands tied on his left leg.

Edwin Ndelelo Nyathi who was a caretaker in Bulawayo’s Matsheumhlope suburb’s body was found on Tuesday and his family said the autopsy report said he might have died on Saturday as his body was already decomposing when his body was discovered.

His brother spoke to the publication and said:

My brother was brutally murdered.We don’t know who could have done it. He lived alone at the lodge where he had been working for the past 15 years. We suspect it could have been a robbery gone wrong. Although we did not see his body, we were told that both his hands were tied to his left leg.

He also had a deep cut in his forehead and was found in a pool of blood and there was also a brick in the room,A neighbour stumbled on his body before informing the police on Tuesday. His body was already decomposing and the postmortem report suggests that he could have been killed on Saturday.

Nyathi was not married and he had no children.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- A pupil from Kwekwe’s Goldridge School was sent packing after he took a photo of his teachers’ payslips and uploaded them on social media and captioned them “even my father gives me more”, Bulawayo Metro reports.

According to the publication:

The named pupil (19) found himself in the firing line after he reportedly accessed the salary list and posted it on social media and shared with friends.

The pupil, whose father is a member of the College Board, went on to denigrate the teachers by captioning the picture “even my father gives me more than this” and “liking” the teachers who called for his expulsion.

A source believed that the student accessed the salaries list from his father. Salaries in most organisations in Zimbabwe have remained relatively low despite skyrocketing inflation.

By Cheriel Dzobo in Chipinge| Villagers who attended a community dialogue meeting organised on Valentines day in Vheneka village have complained that efforts by humanitarian organisations and government to avert hunger were being undermined by those bent on promoting their political party interests.

Participants recommended the establishment of a stakeholders platform that would help the equitable distribution to reduce the current status, where known political players are bulldozing their way to determine who should be recipients of the food handouts from both government and non Non Governmental Organisations.

The 2017 Zimbabwe Poverty Report states that poverty is much higher in rural communities than in urban areas and that at least 6 out of every 10 or 60.6 per cent of households have per capita consumption expenditures below the upper poverty line. At the same time, 76.9 per cent of rural households are deemed poor. Zimbabwe boasts of a constitutional provision for the right to food and water for its citizens.

From the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (no.20) Act 2013, the provision extol the state to take “reasonable legislative and other measures, within its limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive realization of this right” of food and water. Thus, the Constitution emphasizes the achievement of fair distribution of humanitarian assistance to marginalized communities.

Chipinge district is classified as food insecure especially communities along the Save Valley. This has been compounded by current macroeconomic environment. This has presented extreme levels of vulnerability and risk for rural communities and put people’s lives and livelihoods under acute threat due to the fact that local capacities to cope with crisis are overwhelmed. In response to this predicament, PYCD conducted a community meeting on the 14th of February. The main objective of the meeting was to sensitive the community on the obligations of the state to ensure that every person has the right to food as espoused by the Constitution. From the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (no.20) Act 2013, the provision extol the state to take “reasonable legislative and other measures, within its limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive realization of this right” of food and water.

However, the local people bemoaned the politicization of the right to food. Political players within the community have an influence on decisions about levels of assistance and in turn affect the type of assistance people receive, and where and when they do so. The partisanship nature of humanitarian assistance in rural communities leads to a continuing need for relief assistance, creating a vicious cycle and trapping people into chronic poverty. This in turn creates tension within communities and possibly violent behaviors against each other.

“It is within your right to receive any assistance that can ameliorate your situation. The right to food is an inalienable right that no other person must abuse. Remain vigilant and report such cases as it is a serious violation.”
Artwel Sithole, PYCD Information and Social Media Officer is quoted as telling the community.

It is sad to note that most people in Chipinge have now resorted to crossing over to Mozambique and South Africa in search of mealie meal. The measures that the central government have since introduced in order to curb abuse of the food resources have been abused. Most shops in Chipinge have stocks of mealie meal from South Africa that is being charged in foreign currency, a move that is beyond the reach of many vulnerable communities in the district.

Nevertheless, the community meeting enhanced the community’s level of awareness on the right to food and the need to ensure equal access to humanitarian assistance.

This is part of the civic duties of PYCD to ensure that communities are not vulnerable to hunger and the cycle of poverty.

There will be no warning and no notice. We have since drawn the line in the sand. There will be more flash demos and we will not comply with undemocratic requirements. Hunger and joblessness do not give notice. #thepeople'sgovernment.

— Luke Tamborinyoka (@luke_tambo) February 21, 2020

By A Correspondent| The current foreign affairs minister SB Moyo was commandeering over 8112 youths in order to rig elections, just as the Zimbabwe National Army trained over 35000 youths in order to rig the 2013 elections, the Mugabe aligned NPF spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire has alleged.

Speaking during last light’s Heal Zimbabwe Trust debate on the constitution, Mawarire said the military has the final say in all elections.

He said that citizens can spend time worrying about constitutional amendments but at the end of the day the military has the final word on what happens on election Day.

He spoke narrating what he says happened in 2013. He said:

https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1230749550417068034?s=19

There were 35000 youths being trained by the army. 7000 were being trained in Bulawayo. Brig SBMoyo was commandeering 8112 youths. This is not allowed in either the constitution or the electoral act. But they do it. So how do you confront such people?

https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1230749550417068034?s=19

By Own Correspondent| Zimbabwe intends to build a second fuel pipeline in partnership with three other Southern African countries in a deal that will be funded by the Russian Government to the tune of US$1, 5 billion.

The deal puts a lid on the much talked about Mining, Oil and Gas Services (MOGS) deal which some politicians principally Christopher Mutsvangwa (Zanu-PF) and Tendai Biti (MDC) have been pushing for over five years without success.

The US$1.5billion Russian deal involves Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana and was mooted at last year’s Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi city with the blessings of all the respective Presidents.

A delegation from Russia is expected in Zimbabwe in March to fine tune the deal.
Construction of the second pipeline was rejected as an unviable business venture by Mozambique owing to failure by Zimbabwean oil companies to fully utilise the existing pipeline which has capacity to pump 180 million litres monthly.

About 40 percent of the existing pipeline is not being utilized.

“Russians hinted their interest in funding the second pipeline at last year’s summit in Sochi city as a government to government transaction for the southern region at a very nominal rate. If there is a second pipeline to be build then it is this one by the Russians because this is what the four Governments prefer than having it as a one nation project considering that 40 percent of the current pipeline is underutilised,” said a government source involved in the negotiations.

“Negotiations are now at an advanced stage and a team from the Russian government will be in the country next month.”

MOGS had attempted to build a second pipeline in the past years but Government rejected the deal after discovering that the project was meant to bankroll the opposition MDC party.

The South African firm has continously tried without success to use Christopher Mutsvangwa, Tendai Biti and Eddie Cross to land the deal.

The trio has been at the front of smeering Trafigura and Sakunda Holdings which they believe have been blocking them from landing the billion dollar project.

Sources highlighted that before agreeing on the second pipeline Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Botswana first discussed the upgrading of the Beira-Harare pipeline.
“The current pipeline can be upgraded up to 240 million litres monthly which can be expanded to 320 million litres hence continuous engagement at Presidential level to have volumes of scale,” said the source.

“However after deliberations the Russian deal was agreed on.”

The Government source also scoffed at media reports that Zimbabwe was losing US$400 million due to alleged Trafigura monopoly of the pipeline.

The existing pipeline has a capacity to pump 180 million litres monthly at a pipeline fee of 0.0789 cents per litre from Beira.

“Total revenue of the pipeline is USD$14 million monthly and multiplied by 12 months, it gives a revenue of US$170million annually hence assertions in the media that we are losing US$400million is mere fallacy,” said the source.

A NOIC insider indicated that 40 percent of the underutilised capacity of the pipeline at the going rate of 0.0789 cents per litre can amount to US$68million dollars which does not even tally with figures being thrown around.

“There are more than 20 companies which signed agreements with NOIC to pump fuel via pipeline and about six companies pump fuel on a regular basis thus Glencore, IPG, Trafigura, Praise Petroleum, Vivo and BP and one wonders how this can translate to monopoly.

“The pumping fees from Beira to Feruka are not set by Zimbabwe but by CPM of Mozambique as Zimbabwe doesnt own the pipeline. Government of Zimbabwe sets pipeline fees from Feruka to Harare meaning no other company can do that except government,” said the source.

Information ministry permanent secretary Nick Mangwana dismissed reports that Sakunda enjoys a monopoly over the pipeline, saying the company was only recouping its investment for rehabilitating the infrastructure.

Sakunda in 2014 invested millions into the refurbishment of the Beira-Feruka pipeline, and is recouping its investment.

“Trafigura assisted in refurbishing the pipeline and they are recouping their money from the use. The seven (US) cents applies to Zambia and DRC because they would be collecting the fuel from here.

Suppose we contract an energy company to help us build infrastructure, when they have finished they will say ‘from your power tariffs, add the two cents per kilowatt hour which we will use to recoup the costs’ and it will be done, but it doesn’t speak to a monopoly, it speaks to a PPP (public-private partnership). It’s a variant of the BOT (build, operate and transfer). Definitely, they don’t have the monopoly,” he said.

By A Correspondent| The Zimbabwe National Army trained over 35000 youths in order to rig the 2013 elections, the Mugabe aligned NPF spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire has said.

Speaking during last light’s Heal Zimbabwe Trust debate on the constitution, Mawarire said the military has the final say in all elections.

He said that citizens can spend time worrying about constitutional amendments but at the end of the day the military has the final word on what happens on election Day.

He spoke narrating what he says happened in 2013. He said:

https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1230749550417068034?s=19

There were 35000 youths being trained by the army. 7000 were being trained in Bulawayo. Brig SBMoyo was commandeering 8112 youths. This is not allowed in either the constitution or the electoral act. But they do it. So how do you confront such people?

https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1230749550417068034?s=19

Own Correspondent|THE National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) has with immediate effect parted ways with Commissioner Mrs Netty Musanhu over a long-standing matter of conflict of interest.

In a rather bitter statement yesterday, the commission said the conflict of interest issue has been in existence since Mrs Musanhu’s appointment to the commission in 2016.

Section 236(2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe states that: “Persons who are members of a political party or organisation on their appointment to an independent Commission must relinquish that membership without delay and in any event within thirty days of their appointment.”

Prior to her appointment to NPRC, Mrs Musanhu was as the Executive Director of Musasa Project, an organisation that works to protect and capacitate women who are victims of violence.

At the NPRC, she was in charge of the Victim Support, Gender and Diversity thematic area and Resource Mobilisation Role.

The commission did not reveal what was the outstanding conflict of interest issue that has forced Mrs Musanhu out of NPRC.

We publish the statement by the NPRC below:

A CHITUNGWIZA woman who claims to be a spirit medium was on Wednesday arrested for storming Munhumutapa Building – Office of the President and Cabinet – demanding an audience with the President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Asinuta Dendere was arraigned before Harare Magistrates Rumbidzai Mugwagwa charged with unlawful entry.

Dendere who claimed to be possessed by the spirit of Mbuya Nehanda said she will not stop until she delivers a “message from the spirits to Mnangagwa.”

“The spirits keep tormenting me they are not happy with how the government is running the country’s affairs,” she claimed.

“I am not a dog and the citizens of Zimbabweans are not dogs. Not body should treat us like dogs.”

Dendere stopped the reading of allegations, saying she is only violent because of government’s deficiencies.

The complainant is the state represented by Simbarashe Mangezi who is an employee at Munhumutapa Building.

Prosecutors alleged that on February 19 around 10am at Munhumutapa Building, Dendere stormed the entrance and started to behave mischievously saying she is a spirit medium and she wanted to enter into the building.

Mangezi apprehended the accused and reported the case which led to her arrest.

She was then taken to Harare Central Police station.

Harare magistrate Mugwagwa ordered that Dendere be examined by a psychiatrist.

She was remanded to March 4 and placed in the custody of her daughter-in-law.

Zim Morning Post

THE British government’s HM Treasury on Thursday updated its financial sanctions notices against Zimbabwe and ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida organisations.

View Financial sanctions, Zimbabwe at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-sanctions-zimbabwe.

View Financial sanctions, ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida organisations at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/current-list-of-designated-persons-al-qaida.

The European Union has renewed its arms embargo on Zimbabwe, as well as a targeted asset freeze on the state arms company.

In a statement on Monday, the Council of the European Union said the late former president Robert Mugabe’s name had been removed from the sanctions list, adding that an asset freeze and travel ban on four other individuals would remain, although suspended.

The four are Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Agriculture Minister Perrance Shiri, Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander Phillip Valerio Sibanda and former first lady, Grace Mugabe.

Mugabe, who died in September last year, is off the sanctions list.

The decision to review the Zimbabwe sanctions is the first since former colonial power Britain – which campaigned for the sanctions first imposed in 2002 – officially withdrew from the European Union.

Pledging its support for “economic and political reforms in Zimbabwe” the EU said it wanted to move towards a “more constructive EU-Zimbabwe relationship.”

“Taking into account the situation in Zimbabwe, including the yet to be investigated alleged role of the armed and security forces in human rights abuses, the Council agreed to renew its arms embargo and targeted assets freeze against one company, Zimbabwe Defence Industries, for one year until 20 February 2021,” the statement said.

“The existing restrictive measures against four individuals are suspended. The arms embargo, as well as the asset freeze against Zimbabwe Defence Industries, do not affect the Zimbabwean economy, foreign direct investment, or trade.”

The EU said in noted the ongoing acute humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe, and would renew its support in various sectors “such as economic development, primary health care, resilience building, as well as through humanitarian assistance.”

The EU sanctions were forced imposed in 2002 in response to the often-violent invasion of farms owned by whites, and human rights abuses.

Initially targeting over 100 officials who were banned from travelling to the EU and subject to an asset freeze, the sanctions regime has been relaxed over the years, although arms trade with Zimbabwe by EU states remains banned.

The EU said it “stands ready to review the whole range of its policies at any time, when justified, based on developments in the country.”

George Charamba, the spokesman for the presidency, said they expected Britain to shortly announce its own sanctions policy on Zimbabwe, which he said would be aligned with the more aggressive sanctions imposed by the United States.

“The British government is set to issue a statement in which it seeks to disagree with marginal concessions done by the EU on illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe,” Charamba wrote on Twitter.

“The goal is two-fold: to show independence of action vis-a-vis the EU; to align with the United States which retains virulent sanctions against Zimbabwe as the new UK Prime Miniser (Boris Johnson) closely aligns his policy with the US, and seeks to placate his home constituency against lingering British anger in respect of land reforms.

“UK does not want closure on land, which is why it has problems with Zimbabwe rejoining Commonwealth. Aluta!”

A caretaker (49) at a lodge in Matsheumhlope suburb, Bulawayo, was killed in cold blood and his body found with a deep cut on the forehead while his hands were tied to his left leg.

Edwin Ndelelo Nyathi’s decomposing body was found in one of the rooms at the lodge by his neighbour on Tuesday who alerted the police.

His family yesterday said Nyathi, who was employed at the lodge owned by a city medical doctor, could have been killed on Saturday.

His brother Mr Godwill Nare said they were informed of his death by neighbours who saw police removing his body from the scene.

“My brother was brutally murdered. We don’t know who could have done it. He lived alone at the lodge where he had been working for the past 15 years. We suspect it could have been a robbery gone wrong. Although we did not see his body, we were told that both his hands were tied to his left leg. He also had a deep cut in his forehead and was found in a pool of blood and there was also a brick in the room,” said Mr Nare.

“A neighbour stumbled on his body before informing the police on Tuesday. His body was already decomposing and the postmortem report suggests that he could have been killed on Saturday.”

He said Nyathi was a loner who was single and childless.

Mr Nare said his family was devastated as they do not have clues on what could have led to Nyathi’s callous murder.

“It’s difficult to tell what could have led to him being killed but police are investigating the murder. We hope that is what would bring closure to us,” said Mr Nare.

Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said they were appealing for information that could give leads into the gruesome murder.

“We are investigating a murder case where a caretaker at a city lodge was found dead by his neighbour. We appeal to members of the public who might have information which would assist us in solving this case to report to their nearest police station,” said Insp Ncube.

The medical doctor, who requested not to be named, said the lodge was not operational.

“He was caretaker at our lodge in Matsheumhlope suburb. The lodge was owned by my deceased spouse and is not operating at the moment.

“It ceased to operate after my husband’s death. It is a deceased estate and we hope after all legal issues are done it will resume operations. He lived alone and maybe that is what could have led to the murder incident being discovered very late,” she said.

State Media|The Zimbabwean woman who was quarantined for tests for coronavirus (Covid-19) at Wilkins Hospital in Harare was yesterday discharged a few hours after testing negative.

The 27-year-old woman, was in Wuhan, the epicentre of Covid-19, and passed through Guangzhou before she came to Zimbabwe.

Said City Health director Dr Prosper Chonzi: “We admitted this patient two days ago for a suspected coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. We placed her under isolation because that is what is required for us to do if one is suspected to be carrying the virus and we isolated her at Wilkins Hospital,” he said.

“The reason for admission was that she had a positive history of travel. She has done very well and we have since done the PCR tests for coronavirus.

“It has turned out to be negative and we are happy with the clinical health of the patient and we have since decided to discharge her today and follow up on her for the next 21 days to see if she develops any kind of fever or symptoms of Covid-19.”

Dr Chonzi said the woman showed neither signs nor symptoms of the virus and having tested negative there was no reason to keep her in hospital any longer.

“When she was admitted, she was not symptomatic; she had no cough, no high temperature and no signs of respiratory distress. We doubt very much that she will develop any kind of symptoms.

“There is no need for us to isolate her because she has no symptoms of the virus and the tests turned out negative. Normally, patients who pass on the infection will be symptomatic so for her we cannot keep her because she does not have a runny nose, she is not coughing or sneezing. So we don’t expect her to pass on the infection when is not symptomatic.”

Dr Chonzi said the woman will be placed under strict self-quarantine and surveillance for the next 21 days.

“We had moved our patients to Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospitals and the moment patients will be treated there, Wilkins Hospital will start functioning normally on Monday,” Dr Chonzi said.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said the Government was tightening security along the country’s ports of entry to prevent illegal crossing by people who may spread Covid-19.

He made this remarks while addressing parliamentarians who had asked on the state of the country’s preparedness towards Covid-19.

“We had a suspected case of coronavirus and it tested negative. In order to protect our nation, the candidate had to be isolated immediately. To me, this shows that our system is working well and is a sign of good preparedness,” he said.

“I can safely confirm that the Zimbabwean traveller was identified through our surveillance system at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport having noted that she had been to the epicentre of this coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.”

State Media|The Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) — a grouping of politicians who contested the 2018 presidential elections — yesterday held its maiden Economic Summit which drew together captains of industry, labour unions and development partners.

In his opening remarks, President Mnangagwa once again extended an invitation to parties that have not yet joined the national dialogue to do so.

One such party is MDC-Alliance led by Mr Nelson Chamisa.

The President said no one had monopoly on ideas.

“The cornerstone of the Second Republic is dialogue as a means of resolving the challenges that may arise in our nation and the sharing of knowledge among us as Zimbabweans,” he said.

“No one has the monopoly of ideas on how our country can speedily modernise, industrialise, develop and grow. It is only through dialogue and hard honest work that our collective efforts can be fruitful. As you may be aware, POLAD is a platform which seeks to enhance national cohesion, unity and political tolerance.

“In addition, the forum is committed to undertake remedial steps to address identified gaps to enhance economic stability, growth and sustainable development.

“In that spirit, this summit presents us with an opportunity to put our minds together towards the realisation of our national vision and aspirations. We have, as a Government, declared 2020 as the year of productivity and trade; as such, let us work in unity of purpose to achieve our development milestones and ultimately, Vision 2030.”

He said turning around the country’s economic fortunes was not an overnight event, but a process that could take time.

“The economy is an intricate ecosystem that requires our collective effort and hard work. It influences our day to day lives regardless of our creeds, socio-economic status, political or religious persuasions, among other things. I therefore, call upon my fellow countrymen and women to join hands and help chart a better future for the collective good of our country.

“In doing so, let us be realists and acknowledge that, to put our country back on its rails will not be an event, but a process. There are no quick fixes. We must be bold and stay on course, always seeking sustainable means to resolve our challenges. Let us act and speak with the collective good in mind and never be blinded by individual or sectoral benefits.

“In unity of purpose, let us provide proposals and recommendations that stimulate investment, productivity, decent jobs and fight poverty. Innovative ideas which will help Government to develop robust social safety nets for the more vulnerable members of our communities are also welcome.”

The President said his administration would be responsive to the requirements of the market. He urged Zimbabweans to explore ways of increasing productivity and attract local and foreign investment.

“As we consolidate and accelerate our economic recovery, let us be emboldened by the fact that Government is not on sabbatical leave. Policies and programmes are in place on which we can build. I therefore urge delegates, as you engage, not to gloss over the unique, specific realities, which we find ourselves in as a country,” said President Mnangagwa.

“Most of these are unprecedented in other economies. It is through a realistic understanding of our situation that our discourse would be more useful.”

After the President’s address, there were panel discussions chaired by various committee chairpersons.

First was the business panel where captains of industry outlined the challenges they were facing. Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) president Mr Henry Ruzvidzo said currency and exchange rate stability and policy consistency were key to economic development.

“Perhaps a national currency stabilisation plan which is still and time-bound is necessary,” he said.

Mr Ruzvidzo said the Government was there to protect market distortions and pointed out that uncertainty around business environments discouraged investment.

Ms Rosemary Kariuki of the World Bank acknowledged that 2019 was a difficult year globally and Zimbabwe was no exception.

South African Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mbaleka Mbete and his Chinese counterpart Guo Shaochun gave detailed accounts of their economic experiences and how their governments managed to overcome the challenges they were facing.

There was another panel discussion on labour and consumers where labour leaders explained the challenges facing workers due to relentless increases in the cost of basic commodities.

Ms Rosemary Siyachitema of the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ)said consumers were struggling to transact electronically due system challenges while other traders were refusing to embrace the use of plastic money.

A SOLDIER left many hearts sore and eyes teary when he revealed that he is tired of being beaten up by his wife who always comes back home drunk and in the company of males.

This came out at the Bulawayo magistrates’ court when Noel Moyo of Pelandaba West said in most instances his wife Nhlalwenhle Mqawana also assaults him with dangerous weapons so he decided to seek a protection order from the courts.

“I am applying for a peace order against my wife who is in the habit of assaulting me with dangerous weapons. She uses vulgar language, threatens me with death and is always coming home drunk and in the company of males,” said Moyo.

He added: “When I ask her why she tortures me she threatens me with death.

I work in Harare and most times whenever I delay to come home I get beaten by her. I am tired of being bitter, threatened, abused verbally and emotionally in the presence of my children. I am in the army and I do not want to take things into my hands so may the court grant me a peace order against this abusive woman.”

Western Commonage magistrate Urgent Vundla granted an interim order pending a final decision.-B-Metro

Zimbabwe School Examination Council Public Relation Manager, Nicky Dhlamini said review of examination fees was necessary to fund operations which will result in the successful running of national examinations.

He was responding to concerns from parents over the increase in exam fees amid fears that some pupils will fail to write their Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations.

“The last review was in 2015 which saw fees being pegged at US$15 since then, even though the economy and currency has changed, ZIMSEC did not change its fees.

“The fees review is not based on United State dollar rate but on cost of the running of examinations in Zimbabwean dollars.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare have programmes which will assist the underprivileged candidates whose cases are presented to them.

“ZIMSEC examinations are run based on the number of candidates who register. It is therefore not possible for us to foretell the number of candidates as ZIMSEC does not run on schools.
“ZIMSEC does not review fees autonomously.

There is a board of Directors which thoroughly vets the proposed figures before presenting them to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.-H-Metro

By A Correspondent| Men dressed as Zimbabwe Republic police cops last night raided the pub belonging to former ZANU PF strongman Jeppy Jaboon situated at 11 Luck Street, Harare.

The building is near the NetOne building in the CBD.

The development was told ZimEye minutes after the incident. Pictures below show the pub’s access door smashed in.

At the time of writing the full amount of money stolen could not be established.

“I don’t really understand what happened because these guys just came in their pickup with riot police and they just started arresting people,” said Mr Jaboon.

He continued saying they were

” …arresting people destroying property. I think you have seen the pictures. “

ZimEye asked on the possibility of the uniformed police being civilians who are robbers and we were told,

‘they came with three trucks loaded with riot police officers and they just started eating people and arresting people about 150 people (were arrested). ”

He explained that at the time, people were drinking beer as usual at his pub.

A comment from the ZRP could not be obtained at the time of writing.

Meanwhile ZimEye was perusing evidence submitted on the incident.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

Farai Dziva|A prominent twitter user,
Effort Makusha, a perceived Zanu PF sympathiser has dismissed as baseless reports that Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has collapsed.

Unconfirmed reports said Chiwenga was rushed to South Africa to seek urgent medical attention.

Makusha said Chiwenga attended a POLAD event in the capital, Harare today.

“President
@edmnangagwa
, VP Chiwenga this morning attended the inaugural economic summit which was held by the economic committee of the Political Actors Dialogue at Rainbow Towers in Harare.

All those reports of the collapse of the VP Chuiwenga are fake,”wrote Makusha on Twitter.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1230554101483630594?s=19

NEWS REVIEW: BITI, MADHUKU, MAWARIRE, MISIHAIRABWI https://t.co/EhjoG2XVDk

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) February 20, 2020

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) will hold its crucial meeting on Zimbabwe in Washington DC on Monday next week, businessdigest has learnt.The Bretton Woods institution will discuss the economic performance of the country and the meeting is considered pivotal in deciding the fate of the Staff-Monitored Programme (SMP) following the government’s failure to meet the set targets of the initial agreement.

“The IMF will hold a board meeting on Article IV consultation with Zimbabwe on Monday next week,” a source revealed.”The meeting will discuss the problems Zimbabwe is facing right now and the way forward as well as the SMP. The meeting will be based on the mission’s visit in December last year and there will be a report on the outcome of the meeting that will be published soon after the meeting.”

The IMF has already raised a red flag over the country’s failure to meet targets on inflation and government’s controversial spending, especially on deals with Sakunda Holdings, a company linked to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s backer, Kudakwashe Tagwirei.

Government has admitted that it failed to meet the targets set in the initial SMP, but feels that the process can still continue.In a prior meeting since the agreement to carry out the SMP was signed, the IMF painted a grim picture of the current economic situation in the country and was critical of government’s disastrous fiscal consolidation measures, which have resulted in a volatile exchange rate and hyperinflation.

The IMF said urgent measures needed to be taken to address the situation.”Policy actions are urgently needed to tackle the root causes of economic instability and enable private-sector led growth. The key challenge is to contain fiscal spending consistent with non-inflationary financing and tighten monetary policy to stabilise the exchange rate and start rebuilding confidence in the national currency,” the IMF said in a statement after its visit in September last year.

In his 2020 budget, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube said he had missed fiscal reform targets under the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) and the SMP.
The meeting on Monday comes after the World Bank last week painted a gloomy picture of the country’s economy.

In her presentation at the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries Manufacturing Survey Launch last week,titled The World Bank Outlook on Zimbabwe in the context and of the Regional and Continental Outlook, World Bank senior economist Stella IIieva noted that Zimbabwe has experienced economic decline over the years and with the prevailing currency distortions, its future was uncertain and this could lead to further economic collapse and massive poverty.

“Before 2019, the economy was growing faster than the regional peers, but GDP [gross domestic product] has fallen by 7,5%, this entails that uncertainty about Zimbabwe’s economic outlook is very high,” IIieva said.

“The economic outlook for Zimbabwe is likely to further deteriorate, requiring more social spending.”She said addressing distortions in the market is pivotal to the economy’s revival.

“Addressing price instability and distortions in the forex exchange market will be key to growth prospects, boosting firm productivity, enhancing trade openness and integration, mitigating the impact of the extreme weather, economic adjustments on the poor and it’s important that the poor have access to food and education,” she said.

Flamboyant Harare businessman Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure has been arrested on a fresh charge at the Harare magistrates court where he had come for routine remand for another matter in which he was recently granted bail by the High court.

Kadungure was last week granted $10 000 bail after a two-week stint in remand prison. He is facing fraud charges for allegedly undervaluing excise duty for a Bentley Continental GT to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).

On the fresh charge, Ginimbi is accused of forging documents which he used to import a Rolls Royce from South Africa thereby prejudicing Zimra US$90 260.10 for unpaid duty.

Hararae regional magistrate Mr Hosea Mujaya then freed Ginimbi on $5000 bail. As part of his bail conditions, he was ordered to report to police twice a month. He was also ordered to continue residing at his given address and not to interfere with State witnesses.

The matter was remanded to March 19.

Students at the Reformed Church of Zimbabwe (RCZ)-run Pamushana High School in Bikita East have reportedly involved in a beer binge and s.e.x escapades at the school premises after the institution hired a band to belatedly celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Reports said security guards, who discovered empty beer bottles and used c0nd0ms strewn all over school premises, advised the school authorities about the issue. The school authorities have since instituted investigations into the matter in an effort to bring the pupils involved to book.

Pamushana School Development Committee chairperson Charles Musimiki on Tuesday confirmed that students smuggled alcohol onto school premises.

“Children are involved in mischief whenever they are growing and tend to experiment on things. Remember, we are dealing with children who have reached adolescence, they tend to experiment on a lot of things. Yes, some brought in alcohol to experiment, but there is no evidence of sex orgies at the school. The matter is being blown out of proportion to tarnish the good name of the school,” he said.

Musimiki said he had since advised the school authorities to investigate the issue.

“Remember, schools are there to grow these pupils academically, spiritually and in extracurricular activities. The musical function wasn’t even a Valentine’s Day celebration, but they have always been held at the school and there is nothing sinister about them. Honestly, if a child drinks beer, would he be treated as if he has killed a person? The issue of used condoms is out of the question.

I went to the school, but didn’t notice any. As the SDC chairperson, I have a child who is at the school and I wouldn’t be happy to see him drink beer. So the matter is being investigated so that we brief parents on the correct position,” he said.

The school head, Raymond Ndega, said he was in a meeting, but confirmed some misdemeanour by pupils at the show. “The matter is being looked into so that we come up with the true picture. However, it’s a minor thing, but there is a parent who wants to tarnish our image. I will brief you about the facts later,” Ndega said.

A witness said on the day in question, there was a musical show, where a band which was hired by the school authorities performed for pupils as part of belated Valentine’s Day celebrations.

“The function was organised by the school authorities and went on until midnight. However, the night turned out to be a night of beer binge and s.e.x escapades by pupils,” the source said. “Beer was readily available for the pupils. Many pupils got drunk to the extent that they spent the following day sleeping in their dormitories and failed to attend church service.”

A concerned parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of having his child victimised, said: “Yesterday (Sunday), used c0nd0ms were seen all over the schoolyard, indicating that the school was turned into a brothel. The SDC chairman (Musimiki) visited the school and came face-to-face with reality. He saw used condoms all over the school and empty beer bottles and cans. The headmaster of the school was not at the school on the day in question.”

Pamushana was last year caught in the eye of a storm when RCZ disowned a newly-elected SDC after allegations emerged that people were bussed in to vote for the officials.

The minister-in-charge at Pamushana, Reverend Innocent Munenerwa, had to write a letter to provincial schools inspector Zedias Chitiga dismissing the elections won by Musimiki, a former MDC MP, as a sham and unprocedural.

Musimiki is also the chairperson of another school, Duma Primary just a few kilometres from Pamushana.

NewsDay

This govt which has been running our country since 1980 they don't respect the view that the constitution is higher than other laws. They take the view that the constitution is like any other law… And here I am speaking as Lovemore Madhuku the citizen – @ProfMadhuku @HealZim pic.twitter.com/P513ICAvtR

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) February 20, 2020

https://youtu.be/cUGW86RgYkk

Former MDC legislator Norman Mpofu has said the Bond money in Zimbabwe has been rendered useless and the authorisation of some firms to trade in forex is a clear sign that the local currency is no longer worth.

He said Zuva Petroleum, a Zimbabwe Fuel Company has been allowed to sell fuel  in American Dollars.

“That is a very loud message that bond is for the povo. Another message is that our leaders do not have confidence hence the do as I say not as I do message sent by the Zuva issue,” Mpofu said.

“Again the message is loud and clear that Zimbabwe is an Animal farm Government. Some animals are more equal than others.  Shockingly the same Zuva company represented by Adv Nelson Chamisa won a landmark court ruling reversing all the  gains made by labour unions over years.”

“I refuse to be cheated by other mortals. With immediate effect I will do all my business in foreign currency especially the rand which is common in Plumtree..  I will reluctantly accept the bond worse swipe and Ecocash in my dealings.”

He urged all my customers to openly buy with Rands in his shops.

“I announce that in return I will be buying my neighbours cattle in rands Ngikhathele ngamanga ka Mthuli.( I am tired on Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube’s lies.)” he said.

Own Correspondent|A Former ZANU PF MP, Irene Zindi has told a gathering that the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) is wasting government resources and playing a role that is meant for Parliament.

Zindi made the remarks while speaking at the start of a three-day capacity-building workshop for the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Manicaland committee in Mutare on Tuesday.

“Polad was given about $5 million to carry out some duties; are we not wasting government resources? She queried.

“I don’t know the purpose and intention of forming (Polad). Maybe it is for other political reasons.”

“Polad is not in the Constitution. They are now forming thematic committees, what for? This is something which is being done by the Parliament of Zimbabwe.”

POLAD hosted a highly expensive economic summit this Thursday at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).

The summit was attended by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, POLAD interlocutors and other stakeholders.

NPRC Manicaland provincial commissioner Patience Chiradza said the objective of the workshop was to capacitate provincial peace committees whose members included stakeholders such as church leaders, political parties, security details, civic society leaders among other stakeholders.

“We are saying let’s sit down and speak to resolve various conflicts we are facing in Manicaland province,” she said.

“We have identified various topical issues such as natural resource governance in the province. As you aware, there are diamonds and gold in the province and it is an area that we need to create peace especially after the emerging issue of illegal miners.”

263chat|Pressure group under the name Defending the Morgan Tsvangirai’s Legacy (DMTL) has come out guns blazing against Movement for Democratic Change leader Nelson Chamisa accusing him of destroying the party by not joining the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD).

Addressing journalists in Harare, group spokesperson Edwin Dzambara accused Chamisa of being a puppet of exiled Generation 40 (G40) members fighting the ruling Zanu PF.

“MDC alliance has been hijacked by ZANU PF G40 members. An example is when the MDC national council tried to pass a resolution to join POLAD last year and the idea was shot down by Kudakwashe Bhasikiti who proclaimed that never should MDC attempt to join hands with the government of Emerson Mnangagwa.

“This means that Chamisa uses G40 members to fight against ZANU PF factional fights, because no one challenged or objected this because Chamisa had rubber stamped it,” he said.

Dzambara said the admission through social media by exiled former cabinet Ministers that they funded the Chamisa was a clear testimony that he has been captured.

“Chamisa is being funded by the G40 members, particularly Jonathan Moyo and Patrick Zhuwao as evidenced by their recent admission on the twitter social platform that they donated US$6 000, there could be more funds which are yet to be revealed,” he said.

However, addressing the media yesterday, Chamisa dismissed POLAD as a charade and choir whose choirmaster is President Mnangagwa.

He also labelled POLAD a monologue where Mnangagwa will be speaking to himself.

Meanwhile, DMTL members promised to take unspecified action against Chamisa, saying they now have support from people aligned to Tsvangirai who are very disappointed with the way the party is being handled.

Mary had a stint in the cells after she was initially denied bail over allegations of externalisation of money and attempting to kill her ex-husband Vice President Chiwenga.

Female inmates at Chikurubi Female Prison have said Marry Mubaiwa was an introvert during her stint behind bars.

The women expressed their wish to have interacted with her. Speaking on the sidelines of the handover ceremony of a consignment of goods donated by Member of Parliament for Chivi South Killer Zivhu yesterday, inmate Pamela Chikami said:

“We wished to talk to Marry as our mother but we had no access to her. “We only saw her during her arrival and departure time.

“We also wished to socialise with her and have time to ask questions about how she also felt about being in prison,” said Pamela. Kayla Dlamini also expressed her concerns over Marry’s behaviour during the time she was in prison.

“Marry isolated herself when she was in prison. “We could not even talk to her since she was always in her room.

“We were happy the time she arrived as we thought that our meals were going to be different as compared to other days. “Unfortunately nothing changed when Mary was around us; we only had normal meals and services like any day before. “But we already miss her since she gave us hope as prisoners,” said Kayla.

H-metro

THREE machete wielding robbers have been arrested for allegedly attacking and robbing miners and villagers in Collen Bawn of over R25 000 and gold.

Philani Ndlovu (30) from Nkayi, Erick Sibanda (27) and Brighton Nyathi (24) both from Gwanda were not asked to plead when they appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda facing six counts of robbery. They were remanded in custody to February 26.

Prosecuting, Miss Faith Mutukwa said the gang which was armed with machetes, axes, knobkerries, catapults and stones invaded two mines and a store in Collen Bawn.

More details to follow…

Own Correspondent|THE trial of Njube-Lobengula MP Gift Banda, who is facing charges of forging signatures of a Bulawayo man resulting in him losing a residential stand worth US$60 000, has been set for 3 March.

MDC president Nelson Chamisa recently threw Banda, a former Bulawayo deputy mayor, under the bus when he declared that his party will investigate circumstances leading to him clandestinely acquiring a 3,5-hectare piece of land at Ascot race course.

Chamisa while professing ignorance on the purchase, said he was shocked that Banda was allowed to go ahead as this was against the principles of the opposition party.

He has since built town houses on the land. He revealed that they will investigate the circumstances leading to the purchase.

The sentiments by Chamisa came at a time when Mr Banda was out on bail in the case where he is accused of conniving with a local real estate company to forge signatures to sell a residential stand in Selbourne Brooke in Bulawayo.

“Going forward, within the party, certain elements have to be subjected to interrogation and enquiries so that we maintain the highest of standards, so there will be no sacred cows. Now that I am aware that is what the former deputy mayor did, we shall get to the bottom of it.

Banda, who is jointly charged with Mbonisi David Nkomazana (33) of Bard Real Estates on Thursday appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Tinashe Tashaya facing forgery charges. He was remanded to 03 March for commencement of trial.

Banda and Nkomazana allegedly forged Mr Nkululeko Ndlovu’s signature purporting that he had agreed to sell his stand in Selbourne Brooke Bulawayo to the MP.

More details to follow…

Health Minister Obadiah Moyo says government has taken adequate measures to curb coronavirus. ..

Watch video below. ..

Farai Dziva|The Permanent Secretary in the Information Ministry Nick Mangwana has stressed that no dialogue will take place outside POLAD.

Argued Mangwana :
Zimbabwe does not have a binary political system where there is one political party in Government and another which is the opposition.

Our system is quite plural; so we recognise every political party that is there.

All we are hearing now is that MDC can only come to discuss anything with Zanu-PF or President Mnangagwa when other people are excluded, making it a bilateral issue. No! We are including everyone.

By A Correspondent- The deputy minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Mike Madiro told parliament that there are only 3 pathologists in Zimbabwe.

He was responding to a question from Honourable Mpofu who had asked the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to inform the House why there are no pathologists in the Midlands Province, a situation which resulted in bodies having to be taken either to Bulawayo or Harare thereby causing more suffering to bereaved families who have to endure protracted periods of mourning before burying their loved ones.

Said Madiro:

“I wish to inform the House that there are only three pathologists in the whole country.  There are two in Harare and one in Bulawayo.  There is little doubt that such a situation is unhealthy and we believe that the Ministry of Health may wish to look into this matter so that it is improved.”