Leader of the main opposition party, Nelson Chamisa claims he did not grab power in the MDC but stepped in after a vacuum was created following Dr Thokozani Khupe’s six-month absence from party meetings.

Speaking at the Bulawayo Media Centre Tuesday, the MDC leader said it was “lies” that he grabbed power from Dr Khupe, as she had ditched the party, and was not attending meetings after a rift developed between her and Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai, the party`s founding leader died on February 14, 2018.

“People always lie that Chamisa grabbed power when Tsvangirai died, no! Nature has a vacuum, we could not allow a vacuum to be there because there was supposed to be a leader who was going to act during Tsvangirai’s funeral,” he claimed.

Chamisa said the MDC leadership set to decide what to do at a meeting where Dr Khupe was invited to attend but did not come.

“She didn’t come because she actually had not been coming six months prior, as they had a big issue with Tsvangirai,” he alleged.

Asked to clarify what those issues Tsvangirai and Dr Khupe had, Chamisa said, “Ah it was a lot of issues. Khupe was not happy with the alliance (with other political parties ahead of the 2018 elections) so we tried, and it’s common cause, to adjudicate between Khupe and Tsvangirai. We said ‘Please Khupe come.’ Khupe said ‘I will never come to Tsvangirai’s house, we need a neutral venue, Tsvangirai said mhhh, it’s ok.”

Chamisa claimed he initially refused to be at the helm of the MDC when Tsvangirai suggested he wanted him to be the acting leader.

“When Tsvangirai said ‘Please Chamisa you must act, I said look, please, I don’t want to die early, let Khupe act. I am still young. I only had to act because there was a vacuum and we couldn’t be an embarrassment in front of international diplomats, showing a party that is disorganised,” he indicated.

The MDC leader said he was chosen after a vote by the party’s national council.

“This was a routine national council meeting, not convened for dealing with purposes of Tsvangirai’s death but just coincided with his death. We wanted to deal with other issues around (Elias) Mudzuri and myself,” he narrated.

Chamisa said he had to clarify his position so that people know he did not grab power.

“Bulawayo you are every lucky today, you found me off my guard, and I am saying these issues openly, which is very important,” he said.

The MDC leader said he had tried to engage with Khupe numerous times, even to the extent of reaching out to Khupe’s religious leader from the Roman Catholic Church.

He highlighted it would be more difficult to reach out to her now, seeing the “proximity” that had been established between Khupe and President Emmerson Mnangagwa
“It is so difficult, especially now I see that ED has stolen my sister. She’s spending more time with ED and I am worried about that, I am genuinely worried. We come a long way with Thokozani but when I see the proximity, that is something worrisome to me.

“The last time I saw them at the farm (Mnangagwa’s farm at Kwekwe), my heart ached. I wish I could invite Thoko, to my rural home, I don’t have a farm but I wish I could do the same,” Chamisa said.

He noted it would be good for his party to work with Khupe “because to add is to strengthen and to subtract is to weaken and there’s no individual who is less important so I will continue to reach out, hopefully, she still believes there is going to be rapprochement and I hope that it works.”

Reached for comment, Khupe’s spokesperson, Khaliphani Pugeni, rubbished these claims and said Chamisa flouted the then MDC-T constitution.

“For starters, MDC-T has a constitution, which is regulated and is not about someone becoming one’s favourite person to take after in a succession and the process Chamisa is speaking is not how it is in the constitution. These matters were exhausted in court, were the Bulawayo and Harare high courts made judgments that Dr Khupe is standing on strong legal footing whereas the other is standing on mobocracy,” Pugeni said.

He refuted Khupe had boycotted going to Tsvangirai’s house, meetings and added she was one who even brought his corpse to Zimbabwe from South Africa.

“If Dr Khupe was in foul of constitutional provisions by not attending meetings, the party could have acted but up to today, the party didn’t act until he usurped power through violence and now has come up with all excuses. The only meetings, she could not attend were those called by Chamisa or Mudzuri as they were unconstitutional but any constitutional meeting called by Tsvangirai, she attended.”

Pugeni said Chamisa reached out once to Khupe where “he made demands to say she was going to do as he says or he will unleash his boys on her. Dr Khupe was then hunted like a wild animal, not only physically but also in a violent social media campaign. She was put into groups she did not want to receive messages. I don’t think anyone at this time can be fooled by Chamisa’s claims.”

-Byo 24

LECTURER at the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) told a first-year student that she would fail her course if she refused his sexual advances, while he also tried to turn her into his “pimp”, as he asked her to scout for female students for him and fellow lecturers to prey on.

Mr Gerald Kwinjo, a lecturer in the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department, was found guilty of sexual misconduct after a disciplinary hearing constituted by the institution.

Mr Kwinjo was accused of “making unwelcome sexual advances or verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature which has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with the individual’s work or academic performance, undermine job security or creating an intimidating, hostile, abusive or offensive learning environment.”

Mr Kwinjo’s alleged victim is a first-year student (name supplied) studying towards a Bachelor of Technology in Chemical and Process Systems Engineering.

According to the aggrieved student, represented by Dube-Tachiona and Tsvangirai Legal Practitioners at the hearing, Mr Kwinjo got her phone number against her will and went on to pester her for sexual favours.

“On several occasions, Mr Kwinjo requested our client’s cellphone number and she persistently refused to give him until she felt threatened and pressurised to give him.

On several dates, the lecturer proposed to our client that the two of them go swimming and beer drinking as well as dates, invitations which she refused, thus inviting anger and scorn from him,” read part of the allegations made against Mr Kwinjo.

In WhatsApp chats that Sunday News is in possession of, Mr Kwinjo repeatedly asked his victim to come for beer drinking sessions and went to the extent of requesting that she abandons school work so she can be with him.

According to the victim’s lawyers, such incidents had led to a breakdown in the relationship between lecturer and student, leading to Mr Kwinjo’s threat that he would fail her on the courses she was taking.

“Mr Kwinjo went to the extent of instructing our client to find girls on his behalf and on behalf of other lecturers who are his friends, thus attempting to turn our client into a sexual pimp.

Recently, Mr Kwinjo advised our client that because she refused to co-operate, he would fail her in the course he teaches (Drawing).

Despite the fact that she had been passing all her coursework, she was thus failed because she refused his sexual advances, refused to act as his pimp and refused to go on drinking sprees with him.”

In an emailed response to the Sunday News, the Harare Institute of Technology confirmed that Mr Kwinjo had been found guilty, although the institution’s director of communications and international relations Mr Tinashe Mutema was non-committal about the punishment that had been handed to Mr Kwinjo. 

His victim’s lawyers had expressed fears that should he be given a slap on the wrist he would go on to revenge and victimise her again as she was still only in her first year.

“This note confirms that the accused was found guilty of breaching the Harare Institute of Technology Code of Conduct when he was charged with making unwelcome sexual advances or verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature which has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with the individual’s work or academic performance, undermining job security or creating an intimidating, hostile, abusive or offensive learning environment. The decision of the disciplinary committee has been formally communicated to the accused.

The university has advised the complainant to report the case to the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

That the Harare Institute of Technology hauled Mr Kwinjo to a disciplinary hearing process is testimony that the university strongly abhors sexual harassment.”

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) are presently constituting and resourcing units expected to lead efforts of recovering money and properties acquired through corruption.

Asset forfeiture is designed to disincentivise corruption by making it unprofitable.

In an interview, Prosecutor-General Mr Kumbirai Hodzi said the NPA had made headway in implementing a comprehensive strategy for asset recovery.

“There is plenty of effort being made now by Zimbabwe on assets forfeiture. NPA has just finished organising the Assets Forfeiture Unit. It is a joint effort with other departments. The same training has been passed onto SACU (Special Anti-Corruption Unit) and other departments like ZACC. Already assets running into millions of dollars are in the process of being recovered,” he said.

“In addition, there is a new Act which is coming into place very soon that will also allow even civil proceedings for confiscation of assets.”

Separately, ZACC Commissioner John Makamure said law enforcement agencies are currently tracking 14 cases to recover millions of dollars from proceeds of crime.

He said two other asset forfeiture applications had been referred to the NPA and filed at the High Court.

“Section 27A (4) of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act [9:24] as amended provides that the Asset Forfeiture Unit in the NPA shall work in cooperation with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Financial Intelligence Unit and other investigative agencies for the purposes of facilitating identification, tracing, freezing and confiscation of property.

“This provision gives mandate to facilitate identification, tracing, freezing and confiscation of property believed to have been acquired through proceeds of crime.

“The unit is currently seized with 14 cases under asset tracing investigations. These run into millions of US dollars.”

Commissioner Makamure said ZACC had provided its officers with international training to sharpen their skills in asset recovery.

“Upon assuming office, the current commission resolved to restructure the Asset Recovery Unit after three benchmarking visits were made to the Nigeria Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Botswana Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crimes and Tanzania Anti-corruption Agency.

“The unit now comprises four lawyers and several investigators. It will be further strengthened this year through the recruitment of more staff and implementation of training programmes.

“The Asset Recovery Unit conducts asset tracing investigations, apply for warrants of seizures and freezing orders and then draft asset forfeiture applications for referral to the National Prosecuting Authority.”

He said the corruption-fighting body believes that once the ill-gotten wealth has been recovered it had to be directed to “productive expenditure” such as infrastructure development and social services delivery. In addition, ZACC has partnered local and international agencies involved in asset tracking and recovery, Commissioner Makamure said.

SACU head Mr Tabani Mpofu said: “The assets forfeiture unit is something that we are currently working on and is dependent upon inter-departmental cooperation between the NPA, ZACC, the Attorney-Generals’ Office and SACU.

“We are sharpening the teeth and widening the net to ensure that we recover ill-gotten gains from those convicted of crime.”

Last month, the PG’s Office approached the High Court seeking an order to seize a residential stand and vehicles belonging to a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority official, Desberia Mutara, who was employed as a revenue officer at Beitbridge Border Post.

In other countries, assets forfeiture has become a major deterrent to high-profile crimes.

Last year, South Africa’s NPA said it had recovered R11,8 billion from the proceeds of corruption.

-State media

By Jane Mlambo| Trailblazing whizkid Maud Chifamba has passed her last examination to be a Chartered Accountant at the age of 22.

Chifamba who made headlines in 2012 after enrolling at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) at the age of 14, made history once again when at the age of 18, she walked across the stage in a cap and gown to receive a Bachelor’s of Accountancy Honors degree, becoming the youngest graduate in the university’s 63-year history.

Posting on Twitter yesterday, Chifamba said;

And as of today, she passed the final qualifying exam to be a CA(Z). She is 22 now.

On God, i have no words.

Maud Chifamba (CA)Z

Loading! What a journey it has been. @tumai_mafunga

THE Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) has scoffed at MDC-A leader Mr Nelson Chamisa’s claims that former South African President Thabo Mbeki was failing to communicate with President Mnangagwa to facilitate dialogue between the ruling Zanu-PF and his party.

Speaking at a press briefing in Bulawayo last week, Polad said Mr Chamisa was not the former president’s spokesperson.

The political grouping also said it would be meeting Mr Mbeki in the next two weeks as it continues its regional and international re-engagement drive.

Mr Chamisa told the Bulawayo Press Club earlier last week that Mr Mbeki had told him that President Mnangagwa was neither taking nor returning his calls.

Polad thematic sub-committee chairperson of international relations and re-engagement, Mr Kwanele Hlabangana, said they were not going to be distracted by the opposition leader’s misleading statements.

“I do not think President Mbeki suddenly has a new spokesperson in the form of Chamisa. As far as we are concerned, dialogue is moving smoothly actually. I can tell you that in the coming two weeks as Polad we will be meeting with President Mbeki, so I wonder what Chamisa is talking about,” he said.

“Further, we believe there is a misguided notion that dialogue is about individuals —that is (between) President Mnangagwa and Chamisa — which is not true. It is about political organisations . . .”

Mr Hlabangana also described allegations that Polad had already squandered US$5 million on international trips as “hot air”.

“As we engage, we will be meeting a number of stakeholders in the diplomatic community. Interestingly, I hear in the media that we are globetrotting and spending US$5 million, let me assure you that is hot air, we have not even taken a single trip outside Zimbabwe.

“The only engagements we have done so far were with the local diplomatic community here in Harare. So far we have met with the US ambassador, His Excellency Brian Nichols; we have met also with the British ambassador (Melanie Robinson), we have met with the EU ambassador (Timo Olkkonen) and we also had a discussion with UNDP,” he said.

Polad, he added, was not an extension of Government. “Polad is not there to rubber stamp everything being done by the Government, we raise our concerns, we make our recommendations, we urge Government to do certain things because the whole idea is to have Zimbabwe rejoin the family of nations.”

Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba on Friday also dismissed Mr Chamisa’s claims.

“I don’t know what he was referring to, he is not a member of the Mbeki house as far as I know or is he a member of the Mnangagwa household, so he wouldn’t know what goes on between the two of them.

“In reality, the two met briefly on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa and had a bit of a chat and I can assure you that the President of Zimbabwe, out of courtesy, updated the former president of South Africa on the developments in the country,” Mr Charamba said.

-State media

Farai Dziva|Controversial Deputy Information Minister Energy Mutodi has sparked social media war after describing the late legendary MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai as a “sellout who reversed the gains of the liberation struggle.”

Mutodi stunned all and sundry when he claimed in a tweet on Saturday “Tsvangirai invited sanctions.”

The late MDC leader is regarded by many as a doyen of democracy and a veteran of the struggle for democratic change.

“As we reflect on the life of Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, we believe he was a sell-out who fought to reverse the gains of the liberation struggle. For inviting sanctions, we view him as really a sell-out and a coward who believed whites are a better race than blacks,”claimed Mutodi.

Mutodi’ s remarks have attracted the wrath of hundreds of social media users who described the former rhumba musician as a man who has gone out of his way in a desperate bid to please his handlers.

Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has said everyone should play a role in fixing the country’s socio-economic woes.

Chamisa made the remarks at the Morgan Tsvangirai Anniversary in Masvingo on Friday.

Read Chamisa’s full speech below :
…Some people I hear them saying Nelson Chamisa you must lead from the front, but this is the struggle; I have come a long way … but when we do our thing we will not be forced to do things.

When people are brave and they stand up to it guns will not work the sound of the gun will not be heard.

You don’t debate about solidarity; we must go together, fight together, we weep together and we enjoy together. So now Mai Sikhala we want to thank you. Some of you do not know that for the struggle to move there are heroes, thank you very much. I thank you all, these are the people who when there are problems they are there. I saw them where the police were.

Excuse me our Secretary-General and all the leadership assembled here, the chair of the women and the youth.

I was once a youth.

We said this is not Valentine’s Day it is Morgan Tsvangirai Day.

The second thing we are gathered here; we are gathered here because one of our heroes had been arrested… another one will be appearing in court on the 28th of February.

When you arrest one of us you have arrested all of us.
So we have come here for this party is now large.

There is no party which is greater, larger than this one the whole of the African continent. It is a fact that the MDC has 28 out of 30 mayors in the whole of Zimbabwe. It is a fact that this party was voted in by more than 2.6 million people.

Some people I hear them saying Nelson Chamisa you must lead from the front, but this is the struggle; I have come a long way … but when we do our thing we will not be forced to do things.
I said for people to do what they should do they do it according to the right timing.

When I came here I found the police waiting and some of my people told me president if your go through this way you will be teargassed so I passed through the middle of them.

We will not allow police to be used for wrong things, a police officer has a badge of honour. That is why you see the police, their badge it says for the law, for the people, and for the country, so the police must not be used to assault us. Our people after throwing targas at me they don’t have a bag of tea, after throwing teargas at me they don’t even have an underwear to wear. After throwing targas at me, their shoe is still opened wide.
Mr Sikhala I saw your zvidobi. They are zvidobis of the struggle. Aaah Maiguru, are these the dobis you are getting at home? LAUGHTER.

The first thing is love the second thing is hope the third thing is sacrifice.

This is the life of Morgan Tsvangirai.
Everywhere I go people are saying Nelson Chamisa Morgan Tsvangirai left you directions to the way.
I will not be misled.
Mnangagwa does not have a clue. Chiwenga has no clue.

Today (Friday) as we speak Morgan Tsvangirai talked about hope, he said no matter how difficult life becomes you should remain holding onto hope you will get there.

We will get there we will get there when we get there.

Tsvangirai represented sacrifuce. He used to eat bans and cream soda. He was a basic man. That is what I said no matter how broke we are we must never compromise the struggle.

Our only gift to the people is to lead them and deliver the struggle. Real love is to represent the people and to do what they want.

Yes, we will correct the problems of Masvingo party leadership. We want to ensure we get 26 out of 26 not what we saw in Mwenezi(sic).

Can ZANU win over here?
Tsvangirai was a man of love and unity he told me to unite with Biti and Welshman. The vision has got nothing to do with too many people a vision is with one person.

So to all those who follow when I say jump you must jump when I say run you must run. That is why you see soldiers are told to march left right left right.

We said that this year we have 5 critical zones:
Number 1 – the fight we have is that there must be a people’s government not this one of the constitutional court not this one of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

When people are brave and they stand up to it guns will not work the sound of the gun will not be heard.

Mnangagwa tells people that they must eat potatoes and vegetables while he himself is feasting on meat while he is on a private jet.

Number 2 – We are fighting for a people’s budget not the kind of life that we are seeing when people cannot afford basics we want our dignity returned to the people.

Number 3 – We want to address the problem of corruption. We are missing $3bln. Who is responsible Mr Biti?

Biti replies: it is Mnangagwa!
I said those people I will tell you myself.

They know what we are doing.
The 4th thing – is the one that we have come here such as this one of Sikhala. We are struggling with this issue of Mashurugwi. We must not call them that. They are Mnangagwa’# people.
Number 5 – is the issue of the constitution Emmerson Mnangagwa is messing with the constitution; he is now possessed with the demons of Ian Smith and Robert Mugabe.

Mugabe changed this 19 times, Mnangagwa wants to change it 27 times in one year.

So what is the way forward the way forward is for you and me where you are, looking at me, let us fix our country there is no one else with powers more than you as an individual, everyone let us fix the country we don’t want to get to May, June while we are in this problem, we can fix it. Until when will we drink from boreholes? While we use generators?

What kind of a country is that in which: school fees rtgs; a whole government forming a committee of roller meal! A whole government setting up a committee for mealie meal.

If you give us this thing we will not take a day before you start enjoying the country and getting suffocated with goodness.

I told Emmerson Mnangagwa why don’t we use the United States dollars while we fix the country?

give the soldiers the US dollar give the police officers the US dollars so that people can survive, why do you want the people to live on rtgs dollars?
Let us not insult others. MDC let us be full of love.
My last words that I leave you the people of this province that one has been on this issue of dialogue.

I told him I am ready to talk, I had been sent by our council. We want to give peace a chance and so I told Emmerson Mnangagwa let us agree, you stole the elections we are not going to go ahead to 2023 before we are clear that you stole the elections.

There will be no elections in this country until we resolve this issue. The elections must be respected. This year we have a right to fix the country all of us all of us all of us all of us all of us all of us.

Emmerson Mnangagwa will not be able to run this country- he is refusing dialogue.

And now he is busy saying Nelson Chamisa is the problem. I am advising him that this country is burning. I am saying to him hear me so that we can fix this country before it is too late.

By A Correspondent- Fast food outlet Chicken Inn, a part of Simbisa Brands, has been accused of selling rotten chicken and exposing customers to serious health risk. 

Renowned playwright Raisedon Baye took to Twitter on Valentines’ Day to register his displeasure over the Chicken Inn products.

“Chicken Inn should stop selling meat that has gone bad. No matter how you burn the meat with oil meat that’s gone bad will always be meat that gone bad. People’s health must not be sacrificed on the altar of profits. Never!,” complained Baye. 

“Some of used to trust Chicken Inn.”

Journalist Mthulisi Mathuthu, commenting on Baye’s tweet, said Chicken Inn has a history of serving bad food. 

They still do that. I noticed that in 2001 and confronted them! Wrote a story too,” he said. 

Taf Masiye, tagging Simbisa Brands, said his family was also affected by Chicken Inn food.  

“@SimbisaBrands come here! I was on a trip to Zim recently and my whole family ate poisonous food from the chicken in across from Holiday Inn Harare. We couldn’t even attend the wedding we traveled for because of food poisoning. 5 days of illness and a ruined holiday!!,” he said. 

Baye said the bad service had become a daily occurrence. 

“This is happening every day and people keep quiet. The health of consumers is no longer important,” he said. 

Simbisa Brands appeared to ignore the complaints only for Chicken Inn FC, sponsored by the company to offer an apology. 

On behalf of our parent company we apologise sir. We know our parent company tries it’s best to always put its best foot forward.  We know you have come to watch us play before. Kindly get in touch tomorrow we will replace your meal,” said the team.

Reasons why Simbisa did not respond to the allegations could not be established at the time of writing.

 By A Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Republic Police has released the names of the Kwekwe accident victims, with the death toll having risen from 7 to 9.

In a statement on Friday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the deceased’s next of kin had been informed.

The names of the deceased are as follows:

Lovemore Chininga (23), Pauline Nyamadzao (19), Molina Moyo (58), Urgent Zvidza (50), Nothabo Makoni (two-month-old), Maria Nyoni (50) and Nyasha Paso (38).

Ass. Insp Nyathi also revealed that two bodies were yet to be identified and are being held at Kwekwe General Hospital mortuary.

He invited members of the public to approach the institution and assist with the identification.

The accident occurred on Monday this week when a ZUPCO bus was hit by a Honda Fit and ploughed into two kombis that were parked by the roadside.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- The Honda fit belonging to a Harare man, who was reported missing on Monday, but whose body was discovered in Avonlea is still missing, police have revealed.

The driver, Claudius Nyanga, who was reportedly grisly murdered and his body was thrown in a trench near a maize field in Avonlea was taxi driver on the Vaya platform.

He went missing around 8pm on Monday while he was on his way to fetch his client in Msasa Park but his body was found close to his neighbourhood late on Wednesday afternoon.

On Wednesday there had been reports that his Honda Fit (AEJ5112) had been spotted in Epworth and crime experts suspect that the murderers either reside there or frequent the area.

While the Honda Fit had a tracking device, it failed to work at the crucial moment when the deceased’s client, who was waiting, contacted the family to check on his whereabouts.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the Zimbabwe Republic Police said:

“A taxi driver who went missing on 10/2/20 was found dead in a shallow well on 12/2/20 in Emerald Hill, Harare. His hands were tied with shoes laces & he had injuries on the right side of his head. The light green Honda Fit vehicle, registration number AEJ-5112 is still missing. The case is being investigated.”

Nyanga’s son, Alfred, told H-Metro that the family was alarmed of their father’s disappearance after his client told them that he had not arrived to pick him up.

“This client is like family to us and baba vanogara vachimutakura saka ndiye akatozofona kuti mdhara havasati vasvika then we started calling him but number yavo yairamba until the next morning when we reported the case ku police.

“We looked for my father everywhere kuma hospitals, mortuary muma streets even pama shops but hatina kuvawana until hanzvadzi yamhamha found leads on baba’s disappearance kuGreencroft. I was heartbroken seeing my old man in a terrible state dumbu ranga rava kutozvimba mudhara looked so lifeless ndakarwadziwa ndanga ndisati ndamboona baba vakaita seizvozvo,” narrated Alfred.

Claudius’ second son Tendai told H-Metro that he was very saddened by his father’s death and he was aggrieved by the vehicle tracking system that failed to help them locate their father’s car.

“I’m really hurt nemafiro ababa, ndiri kubatikana ne Econet. We paid for the car tracker but haina kuti batsira they kept telling to us kuti their server was down

“Zvinorwadza kuti we paid for the tracker when the car was registered for VAYA asi hazvina kubatsira,” he said.

Munyaradzi Dondo who resides in Greencroft close to where Nyanga’s body was found said that this was a second case in the same area where a taxi driver was murdered and thrown in the drain.

“This is the second time we are having a case like this, hatina kana noise yatakanzwa on Monday night or anything suspicious even Tuesday yacho but we were shocked when we received a message in our neighbourhood WhatsApp group of the missing man,” he said.

Mourners gathered at his homestead in Bluffhill described Claudius as a loving and generous man who had a heart for everyone.

“Tarasikirwa zvikuru as Catholic society yepa Mabelreign; baba vanga vane rudo iavava and he was a devoted Catholic vachishandira Mwari nemazvo.

“Saka church yedu ichambodzokera sure chaizvo tarasikirwa nemunhu aibata basa guru,” said Mbuya Mushanga Claudius’ churchmate.

Another mourner interviewed by H-Metro described Nyanga as a hardworking man who did everything in his power to get a living.

“Mudhara uyu aisava neusimbe, his nickname was doctor because he was a doctor for everything.

“Aishanda and aisazeza basa.

“He was an inspiration to everyone especially the young generation through his hard work and commitment,” he said.

Claudius Nyanga is survived by a wife, four children and six grandchildren

By Own Correspondent| South Africa’s Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni said modern-day “pentecostal” churches led by pastors who lead their congregates to perform bizarre antics such as eating snakes should be taxed.

Posting on Twitter, Mboweni invited his followers to suggest ways by which the taxation can be instituted.

He said:

Any ideas about how to impose taxation on these mushrooming handy clappy, snake eating “Churches”. The time to tax them is now!!

In July 2015, the pastor of the End Times Disciples Ministries church in Soshanguve Penuel Mnguni was pictured while one of his congregants opened his mouth as if to swallow or bite the snake.

Several pictures were posted on the church’s Facebook page, with a caption that read:

Man of God declared a snake to become chocolate (chomp) and the congregation ate it. We have the authority to change everything into anything and it will obey because of our authority.News24

By A Correspondent| Following his meeting woth civil society organisations in Matabeleland, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his door remained open to dialogue as a way of addressing the challenges bedevilling society.

He said:

Today I was in Bulawayo to meet Matabeleland civil society organisations and discuss issues facing the region, as part of an ongoing dialogue with local groups.

We are committed to dialogue and cooperation as a means to address and resolve issues between the different strands of our nation.

We will continue to talk and to listen, and to deal with our differences with sensitivity, compassion and respect.

To the people of Matabeleland and all Zimbabweans, my door remains open.

By A Correspondent- Six Chipinge villagers were on Monday dragged to court for allegedly murdering a 28-year-old man whom they caught stealing a goat.

The suspects – Aaron Chibhamu (58), Nhamo Simango (33), Miriam Sithole (46), Chauya Munjoma (48), Joshua Mlambo(28) and Farai Mlambo all from Matsaka Village under Chief Mutema – appeared before Mrs Elizabeth Hanzi facing murder charges as defined in Section 47 of Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act).

They are out on $500 bail each.

It was a State’s case led Mr Gift Bikita that on February 2 at around midnight the suspects apprehended Tichaona Makuyana whom they found in a pen trying to steal a goat.

The suspects started assaulting the deceased and they took him to Chipinge Central Police Station.

“Upon arrival at the police station the officers on duty ordered the now deceased to go to hospital since he was bleeding profusely but he died before he was attended to,” he said.

They will be back in court on February 28 for routine remand.-Manicapost

Watch the live update of the latest details regarding First Chisora who is in hospital.

By A Correspondent- Chaos broke out at Sakubva District Hospital on Tuesday afternoon after a mob that had brought a  seriously injured man was denied access without a police report.

The angry mob bayed for the hospital staff’s blood as they felt that the patient’s deteriorating health was more important than protocol.

The victim had allegedly been assaulted and robbed before he was dumped in a water tank by unknown assailants.

Good Samaritans brought him to hospital but their help was in vain as the nurses on duty requested for a police report first before attending to the patient.

There was a heated exchange of words between the mob and the nurses who kept citing protocol.

In an interview with The Manica Post, one of the Good Samaritans who carried the victim to hospital, Shawn Muchenga, said the hospital staff was acting inhumanely by asking for a police report instead of attending to a dying man.

Scores of Sakubva residents quickly gathered at the hospital’s entrance demanding that the patient get assistance.

However, the nurses were adamant and they told the mob that they had to first take the unconscious man to a police station and bring a police report.

“We cannot treat or admit him here because you have no police report.

“Go to a police station and make a report then you can come back with him,” one of the senior nurses told the mob.

But one resident who only identified himself as Simba shouted back: “You  cannot let him die at your doorstep simply because you are following protocol?”

The hospital later released its ambulance and ferried the patient to Mutare Provincial Hospital, which has a police base.-Manicapost

By A Correspondent- South African based businessman Sam Mshengu Chabalala has been remanded in custody to 21 February for a formal bail application over charges of allegedly trying to bribe a police officer into releasing an impounded vehicle and making a 2019 case disappear.

Mshengu was arrested on Thursday by the Hawks over corruption charges.

Hawks Spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi told the media that,”The businessman who was initially arrested last year and subsequently charged for fraud, corruption, and possession of an unlicensed firearm had been out on R200,000 bail following his arrest [last year in September] in Nelspruit.

“His latest arrest emanates from allegations that he attempted to corrupt a senior police official in Mpumalanga to get his impounded motor vehicle to be released and also to make his initial case disappear.”

Mshengu was alleged to have paid an R120,000 bribe to the officer.

If found guilty, Chabalala stands to not only lose the R120,000 “bribe” but also his luxury vehicle.

In 2019 the Hawks alleged that Mshengu was a Zimbabwean who had fraudulently acquired a South African ID.

“We found out that the accused first got his ID book in 2015. When home affairs wanted to find out his parents’ details and IDs, the accused labeled a certain lady as his mother. But the lady denied knowing him and her ID book got stolen in 2015. He also labeled two people as his brother and sister but they all denied knowing him or being his siblings,” Hawks spokesperson in Mpumalanga Captain Dineo Sekgotodi said then.

THE prospects for direct talks between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa — to end Zimbabwe’s growing political and economic crises — appear to be dead in the water, the Daily News can reveal.

This comes after the government vetoed former South African president Thabo Mbeki’s now anaemic mediation efforts yesterday, which have been aimed in part at getting the two political rivals to engage directly.

It also comes as the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) — which is among the many local and external groups that are pushing for dialogue between Mnangagwa and Chamisa — are saying a competent local mediator can do the job just as well as outsiders.

The latest development also comes at a time when Zimbabwe is battling massive food shortages due to a deadly combination of the country’s deteriorating economy and the severe drought that has hit the region.
Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba said his boss saw no need for Mbeki’s mediation because “any talks were to be held under the auspices of the political actors dialogue (Polad).

“Why would he (Mnangagwa) need to invite President Mbeki? Who wants President Mbeki to mediate?
“I don’t know about the South African embassy because that is their national. They can expect him in the country anytime.

“What would be wrong is for anyone to create an impression that the political dialogue in Zimbabwe requires external mediation,” Charamba said.

“It doesn’t, and that position has been made clear to all and sundry, including local players and well-wishers.
“The former president of South Africa is aware of that position by the government of Zimbabwe.
“He is also aware of the standing arrangement of interaction among parties which is called Polad, and that there won’t be any other,” Charamba added emphatically.

“As for the claims that President Mnangagwa did not make a call, or did not receive a call from or to President Mbeki, the truth of the matter is that there was no need for a call from either side.

“If anything, the two met on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) (at the weekend) strictly from a position of camaraderie … briefing a colleague about political developments in the country, economic developments … but more critically … about sanctions,” he said further.

“As you are aware the AU makes provisions for elder statesmen of Africa to sit in its sessions.
“But more critically, the president of Zimbabwe met with the president of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa and briefed him about the situation in the country … socially, politically, and diplomatically.

“I am making this point because I don’t want anyone to be left with a mistaken notion that the mere act of meeting with elements within the South African leadership implies a request from Zimbabwe for them to mediate.

“That request has never been made and will not be made,” Charamba said as he hammered the government’s position home.

Mbeki — who helped to broker the stability-inducing 2008 government of national unity between former opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and ex-president Robert Mugabe, who are both late — was in the country last December to try and nudge Mnangagwa and Chamisa to hold direct talks.

Previously, both Mnangagwa and Chamisa have said that they were interested in dialogue, although nothing concrete has developed despite those encouraging statements.

On his part, Mnangagwa has since been very consistent in his demands that any talks with Chamisa should be held under the platform of Polad — where he regularly holds meetings with leaders of fringe opposition parties — who a large cross-section of Zimbabweans has dismissed as tokens, particularly as the youthful MDC boss is not part of this structure.

Chamisa himself has also repeatedly ruled out joining Polad — demanding instead direct dialogue with Mnangagwa.

Charamba said further yesterday that it was time for Zimbabweans to “move on and forget about the 2018 elections, because nothing would change their (the polls’) outcome”.

“I hope people are counting the days that are passing, the months that are going irrevocably.
“We are past the mid-point of the term of the president and if there is anyone who thinks that their focus is retrospective and not prospective, then they have grief awaiting them come 2023.

“Let no one have any illusions that the young man (Chamisa) went to South Africa in the pursuit of dialogue … in the national sense … but … with the international community (in mind),” Charamba further told the Daily News.
Yesterday, Chamisa — speaking through his spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda — also said that the prospects for dialogue between him and Mnangagwa were “as good as dead” if the only platform for talks would be Polad.

“The issue of dialogue is dead in the water once it is taken to Polad because dialogue means two people engaging.

“What we know is that Mnangagwa is not taking President Mbeki’s calls despite having promised to do so,” Sibanda said.

Meanwhile, ZCC general-secretary Kenneth Mtata said yesterday that there was no imperative need for foreign mediation to end the country’s growing crises.

“In the context of a mediator, I think the mediator should be found among Zimbabweans. There is no need for a foreign mediator unless if we do not have the agreed human resources.

“Let us try to find a locally-agreed mediator and … reason as one person,” he said.
However, University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure, said the proposed Chamisa-Mnangagwa dialogue was “inevitable” — despite the latest developments.

“It is inevitable that they (Mnangagwa and Chamisa) will find each other and negotiate. Maybe this is (Charamba’s statements) part of the grandstanding to achieve concessions from both parties.

“It is inevitable that there would be some form of dialogue between the two … whether it’s open or behind the wall it is another matter.

“But we can deduce from this that behind the scenes something is happening,” Masunungure told the Daily News.

“I don’t think Charamba is telling the whole truth. Even if we suppose that it is the truth, that hardline position will soon be challenged by the hard reality on the ground,” he added.
In 2009, Mugabe was forced into forming a government of national unity (GNU) with Tsvangirai after the hotly-disputed 2008 polls.

Tsvangirai was widely believed to have beaten Mugabe hands down in those polls.
However, the results of the elections were withheld for six long weeks by stunned authorities — amid widespread allegations of ballot tampering and fraud, which were later confirmed by former Zanu PF bigwigs.

In the ensuing sham presidential run-off, which authorities claimed was needed to determine the winner, Zanu PF apparatchiks engaged in an orgy of violence in which hundreds of Tsvangirai’s supporters were killed — forcing the popular former prime minister in the inclusive government to withdraw from the discredited race altogether.

Daily News

Own Correspondent|Former ZANU PF  Cabinet Minister Walter Mzembi has joined the never ending and ineffective list of former ZANU PF bosses who opened up to want to expose their former party’s rigging tactics but eventually expose nothing.

Mzembi told weekend media that he is working on an article that will expose how ZANU PF has been rigging elections in the country.

Mzembi who denied that rigging is done on voting day said, “I am doing an article on what happens inside a Zanu PF cell from pre independence to date which keeps our people voting for Zanu PF. There is no rigging on voting day or after. The minds of our people have been rigged for over 40 years, get it?”

Mzembi said ZANU PF was implementing a silent election rigging strategy through the Roller Meal purchasing coupons introduced by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube claiming that it is a patronage system.

I am doing an article on what happens inside a Zanu PF cell from pre independence to date which keeps our people voting for Zanu PF. There is no rigging on voting day or after . The minds of our people have been rigged for over 40 years , get it ?

— Dr Walter Mzembi (@waltermzembi) February 14, 2020

“Beware of clientelism. This database is an exercise in smart vote-buying and patronage. Vote rigging in Zimbabwe is a process, not an event, this is the real V11 in the making that cannot be presented to the Constitutional Court but very deadly act!”

Beware of clientelism . This database is an exercise in smart vote buying and patronage. Vote rigging in Zimbabwe is a process not an event , this is the real V11 in the making that cannot be presented to the Constitutional Court but very deadly act! pic.twitter.com/ILbVKId5Df

— Dr Walter Mzembi (@waltermzembi) February 13, 2020

Jane Mlambo| A rare picture of a truck loaded with cabbage that broke down at the state house has ignited social media with people imagining the reaction of security aides who guard the residency of the first family

The area is highly secured and there are many unconfirmed stories of people being harassed and tortured over various transgressions ranging from breakdowns to immediate u-turns around the premises.

In the trending picture, about four men could be seen trying to push the loaded truck in what looks like an impossible mission.

WHAT DO YOU THINK COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THE DRIVER AND HIS CREW? –

Refresh this page for the updates…

MDC President Nelson Chamisa has hinted his party may be forced to boycott the 2023 national elections if Zanu PF does not own up to manipulating the 2018 elections in its favour.

Chamisa and his party maintain the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) rigged the 2018 poll in favour of the Zanu PF candidate, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The main opposition party has since then refused to recognise Mnangagwa as the legitimate leader of Zimbabwe.

Speaking Friday to hundreds of party supporters at Mucheke Hall in Masvingo where the party was celebrating two years since the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Chamisa suggested his party may boycott the 2023 elections.

“Zanu PF should accept they rigged the 2018 harmonised elections. If they do accept that, we might not take part in the 2023 elections until the 2018 elections dispute is resolved,” he said.

He also ruled out any prospects of dialogue between his party and Zanu PF, and instead, called for unity among Zimbabweans to fight the Mnangagwa administration.

“We need hope in this country, Mnangagwa has no hope in the direction the country is taking. Tsvangirai left a legacy of love, he was a unifier and before he died, he told me to incorporate the likes of Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube back into the party for it to succeed.

“We will ensure we lead the people properly until we deliver real independence to the people. That is what I was taught by Tsvangirai,” he said.

Chamisa told his supporters that he was anointed by Tsvangirai to lead the party and he carries the vision of the party and expects the entire MDC leadership to be disciplined in following the vision of the late iconic leader.

“We want a people’s government, not this one which was elected by the Constitutional Court. The people’s government will ensure our industries are restored and our people are employed. We are also fighting for the dignity of every Zimbabwean to be restored.

“Mnangagwa is taking us back to Rhodesia. He is now possessed with Robert Mugabe and (Ian) Smith’s demons. He is up to no good and is changing the country’s Constitution more that what the late Mugabe did in 40 years, but Mnangagwa wants to change it 27 times in one year.

“The way forward is for me and you to organise our country. The whole country should be prepared. We don’t want to reach May or June before we have dealt with these issues. Mnangagwa won’t lead this country after that,” Chamisa said.

Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has said everyone should play a role in fixing the country’s socio-economic woes.

Chamisa made the remarks at the Morgan Tsvangirai Anniversary in Masvingo on Friday.

Read Chamisa’s full speech below :
…Some people I hear them saying Nelson Chamisa you must lead from the front, but this is the struggle; I have come a long way … but when we do our thing we will not be forced to do things.

When people are brave and they stand up to it guns will not work the sound of the gun will not be heard.

You don’t debate about solidarity; we must go together, fight together, we weep together and we enjoy together. So now Mai Sikhala we want to thank you. Some of you do not know that for the struggle to move there are heroes, thank you very much. I thank you all, these are the people who when there are problems they are there. I saw them where the police were.

Excuse me our Secretary-General and all the leadership assembled here, the chair of the women and the youth.

I was once a youth.

We said this is not Valentine’s Day it is Morgan Tsvangirai Day.

The second thing we are gathered here; we are gathered here because one of our heroes had been arrested… another one will be appearing in court on the 28th of February.

When you arrest one of us you have arrested all of us.
So we have come here for this party is now large.

There is no party which is greater, larger than this one the whole of the African continent. It is a fact that the MDC has 28 out of 30 mayors in the whole of Zimbabwe. It is a fact that this party was voted in by more than 2.6 million people.

Some people I hear them saying Nelson Chamisa you must lead from the front, but this is the struggle; I have come a long way … but when we do our thing we will not be forced to do things.
I said for people to do what they should do they do it according to the right timing.

When I came here I found the police waiting and some of my people told me president if your go through this way you will be teargassed so I passed through the middle of them.

We will not allow police to be used for wrong things, a police officer has a badge of honour. That is why you see the police, their badge it says for the law, for the people, and for the country, so the police must not be used to assault us. Our people after throwing targas at me they don’t have a bag of tea, after throwing teargas at me they don’t even have an underwear to wear. After throwing targas at me, their shoe is still opened wide.
Mr Sikhala I saw your zvidobi. They are zvidobis of the struggle. Aaah Maiguru, are these the dobis you are getting at home? LAUGHTER.

The first thing is love the second thing is hope the third thing is sacrifice.

This is the life of Morgan Tsvangirai.
Everywhere I go people are saying Nelson Chamisa Morgan Tsvangirai left you directions to the way.
I will not be misled.
Mnangagwa does not have a clue. Chiwenga has no clue.

Today (Friday) as we speak Morgan Tsvangirai talked about hope, he said no matter how difficult life becomes you should remain holding onto hope you will get there.

We will get there we will get there when we get there.

Tsvangirai represented sacrifuce. He used to eat bans and cream soda. He was a basic man. That is what I said no matter how broke we are we must never compromise the struggle.

Our only gift to the people is to lead them and deliver the struggle. Real love is to represent the people and to do what they want.

Yes, we will correct the problems of Masvingo party leadership. We want to ensure we get 26 out of 26 not what we saw in Mwenezi(sic).

Can ZANU win over here?
Tsvangirai was a man of love and unity he told me to unite with Biti and Welshman. The vision has got nothing to do with too many people a vision is with one person.

So to all those who follow when I say jump you must jump when I say run you must run. That is why you see soldiers are told to march left right left right.

We said that this year we have 5 critical zones:
Number 1 – the fight we have is that there must be a people’s government not this one of the constitutional court not this one of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

When people are brave and they stand up to it guns will not work the sound of the gun will not be heard.

Mnangagwa tells people that they must eat potatoes and vegetables while he himself is feasting on meat while he is on a private jet.

Number 2 – We are fighting for a people’s budget not the kind of life that we are seeing when people cannot afford basics we want our dignity returned to the people.

Number 3 – We want to address the problem of corruption. We are missing $3bln. Who is responsible Mr Biti?

Biti replies: it is Mnangagwa!
I said those people I will tell you myself.

They know what we are doing.
The 4th thing – is the one that we have come here such as this one of Sikhala. We are struggling with this issue of Mashurugwi. We must not call them that. They are Mnangagwa’# people.
Number 5 – is the issue of the constitution Emmerson Mnangagwa is messing with the constitution; he is now possessed with the demons of Ian Smith and Robert Mugabe.

Mugabe changed this 19 times, Mnangagwa wants to change it 27 times in one year.

So what is the way forward the way forward is for you and me where you are, looking at me, let us fix our country there is no one else with powers more than you as an individual, everyone let us fix the country we don’t want to get to May, June while we are in this problem, we can fix it. Until when will we drink from boreholes? While we use generators?

What kind of a country is that in which: school fees rtgs; a whole government forming a committee of roller meal! A whole government setting up a committee for mealie meal.

If you give us this thing we will not take a day before you start enjoying the country and getting suffocated with goodness.

I told Emmerson Mnangagwa why don’t we use the United States dollars while we fix the country?

give the soldiers the US dollar give the police officers the US dollars so that people can survive, why do you want the people to live on rtgs dollars?
Let us not insult others. MDC let us be full of love.
My last words that I leave you the people of this province that one has been on this issue of dialogue.

I told him I am ready to talk, I had been sent by our council. We want to give peace a chance and so I told Emmerson Mnangagwa let us agree, you stole the elections we are not going to go ahead to 2023 before we are clear that you stole the elections.

There will be no elections in this country until we resolve this issue. The elections must be respected. This year we have a right to fix the country all of us all of us all of us all of us all of us all of us.

Emmerson Mnangagwa will not be able to run this country- he is refusing dialogue.

And now he is busy saying Nelson Chamisa is the problem. I am advising him that this country is burning. I am saying to him hear me so that we can fix this country before it is too late.

Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has said everyone should play a role in fixing the country’s socio-economic woes.

Chamisa made the remarks at the Morgan Tsvangirai Anniversary in Masvingo on Friday.

Read Chamisa’s full speech below :
…Some people I hear them saying Nelson Chamisa you must lead from the front, but this is the struggle; I have come a long way … but when we do our thing we will not be forced to do things.

When people are brave and they stand up to it guns will not work the sound of the gun will not be heard.

You don’t debate about solidarity; we must go together, fight together, we weep together and we enjoy together. So now Mai Sikhala we want to thank you. Some of you do not know that for the struggle to move there are heroes, thank you very much. I thank you all, these are the people who when there are problems they are there. I saw them where the police were.

Excuse me our Secretary-General and all the leadership assembled here, the chair of the women and the youth.

I was once a youth.

We said this is not Valentine’s Day it is Morgan Tsvangirai Day.

The second thing we are gathered here; we are gathered here because one of our heroes had been arrested… another one will be appearing in court on the 28th of February.

When you arrest one of us you have arrested all of us.
So we have come here for this party is now large.

There is no party which is greater, larger than this one the whole of the African continent. It is a fact that the MDC has 28 out of 30 mayors in the whole of Zimbabwe. It is a fact that this party was voted in by more than 2.6 million people.

Some people I hear them saying Nelson Chamisa you must lead from the front, but this is the struggle; I have come a long way … but when we do our thing we will not be forced to do things.
I said for people to do what they should do they do it according to the right timing.

When I came here I found the police waiting and some of my people told me president if your go through this way you will be teargassed so I passed through the middle of them.

We will not allow police to be used for wrong things, a police officer has a badge of honour. That is why you see the police, their badge it says for the law, for the people, and for the country, so the police must not be used to assault us. Our people after throwing targas at me they don’t have a bag of tea, after throwing teargas at me they don’t even have an underwear to wear. After throwing targas at me, their shoe is still opened wide.
Mr Sikhala I saw your zvidobi. They are zvidobis of the struggle. Aaah Maiguru, are these the dobis you are getting at home? LAUGHTER.

The first thing is love the second thing is hope the third thing is sacrifice.

This is the life of Morgan Tsvangirai.
Everywhere I go people are saying Nelson Chamisa Morgan Tsvangirai left you directions to the way.
I will not be misled.
Mnangagwa does not have a clue. Chiwenga has no clue.

Today (Friday) as we speak Morgan Tsvangirai talked about hope, he said no matter how difficult life becomes you should remain holding onto hope you will get there.

We will get there we will get there when we get there.

Tsvangirai represented sacrifuce. He used to eat bans and cream soda. He was a basic man. That is what I said no matter how broke we are we must never compromise the struggle.

Our only gift to the people is to lead them and deliver the struggle. Real love is to represent the people and to do what they want.

Yes, we will correct the problems of Masvingo party leadership. We want to ensure we get 26 out of 26 not what we saw in Mwenezi(sic).

Can ZANU win over here?
Tsvangirai was a man of love and unity he told me to unite with Biti and Welshman. The vision has got nothing to do with too many people a vision is with one person.

So to all those who follow when I say jump you must jump when I say run you must run. That is why you see soldiers are told to march left right left right.

We said that this year we have 5 critical zones:
Number 1 – the fight we have is that there must be a people’s government not this one of the constitutional court not this one of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

When people are brave and they stand up to it guns will not work the sound of the gun will not be heard.

Mnangagwa tells people that they must eat potatoes and vegetables while he himself is feasting on meat while he is on a private jet.

Number 2 – We are fighting for a people’s budget not the kind of life that we are seeing when people cannot afford basics we want our dignity returned to the people.

Number 3 – We want to address the problem of corruption. We are missing $3bln. Who is responsible Mr Biti?

Biti replies: it is Mnangagwa!
I said those people I will tell you myself.

They know what we are doing.
The 4th thing – is the one that we have come here such as this one of Sikhala. We are struggling with this issue of Mashurugwi. We must not call them that. They are Mnangagwa’# people.
Number 5 – is the issue of the constitution Emmerson Mnangagwa is messing with the constitution; he is now possessed with the demons of Ian Smith and Robert Mugabe.

Mugabe changed this 19 times, Mnangagwa wants to change it 27 times in one year.

So what is the way forward the way forward is for you and me where you are, looking at me, let us fix our country there is no one else with powers more than you as an individual, everyone let us fix the country we don’t want to get to May, June while we are in this problem, we can fix it. Until when will we drink from boreholes? While we use generators?

What kind of a country is that in which: school fees rtgs; a whole government forming a committee of roller meal! A whole government setting up a committee for mealie meal.

If you give us this thing we will not take a day before you start enjoying the country and getting suffocated with goodness.

I told Emmerson Mnangagwa why don’t we use the United States dollars while we fix the country?

give the soldiers the US dollar give the police officers the US dollars so that people can survive, why do you want the people to live on rtgs dollars?
Let us not insult others. MDC let us be full of love.
My last words that I leave you the people of this province that one has been on this issue of dialogue.

I told him I am ready to talk, I had been sent by our council. We want to give peace a chance and so I told Emmerson Mnangagwa let us agree, you stole the elections we are not going to go ahead to 2023 before we are clear that you stole the elections.

There will be no elections in this country until we resolve this issue. The elections must be respected. This year we have a right to fix the country all of us all of us all of us all of us all of us all of us.

Emmerson Mnangagwa will not be able to run this country- he is refusing dialogue.

And now he is busy saying Nelson Chamisa is the problem. I am advising him that this country is burning. I am saying to him hear me so that we can fix this country before it is too late.

Yesterday the 13th of February 2020, the ZANU-PF National Political Commissar Cde Matemadanda summoned us (myself and Lewis Matutu) as party cadres in order for us to give him our side of the story from the day we held the presser denouncing corruption and cartels to the day a decision was made by the leadership to relinquish us of our leadership positions in the national executive of the youth league and the 12 months suspension.

Yes we accepted his invitation and went to see him. We appraised him as tete vemusangano or mai vemusangano and he offered to engage Party Leadership over our issue in a bid to find common ground and build bridges. We accepted his gesture as party cadres.

Cde Matemadanda didn’t seek to silence us or force into any arrangement as is being circulated on social media. Neither did he urge us to continue with our fight against corruption and cartels. The decision to fight against corruption was and still remains personal and will not in any way involve any of our leaders.

Cde Matemadanda’s efforts are for the good of the party. It is his duty as Commissar “satete vemusangano kuti vavake musangano” and that’s exactly what he did by seeking to engage us.

As committed card-carrying members of the party we await feedback from his engagements with senior leaders of the party.

However, with or without these developments in our party, the fight against corruption and cartels continues. Let no one be hoodwinked by any amount of propaganda that we have deserted the struggle. Never.

The commitment and resolve to fight corruption remains unshaken. With or without party positions, the fight continues.

No amount of smear campaigns nor counter-accusations will force us to back down. It will not work!!

A prosperous and corrupt-free Zimbabwe is possible in our lifetime and neither backing down nor abandoning this fight against corruption and cartels is an option.

As such we continue to organize for our inaugural Conference planned for the 20th of February as we do so under the banner of the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Citizens Taskforce. Finer details on the conference shall be given to all interested in due course.

Let’s unite and fight corruption together. Let’s not allow our differences to distract us from uniting against this evil monster called corruption.

Forward ever, Backwards Never.

Thank you.

Yours in the struggle.

GODFREY TSENENGAMU

0775519111

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.

-State Media

OPPOSITION MDC vice-chair and Zengeza West legislator, Job Sikhala, who was facing treason charges, is now a free man after a court appearance that featured running battles between the police and his party’s supporters.

High Court judge Justice Garainesu Mawadze yesterday said the State failed to prove a prima facie case that Sikhala, indeed, wanted or planned to unconstitutionally overthrow President Emmerson Mnangagwa and or the government.

Sikhala, who was out on $5 000 bail allegedly uttered the words, “We will overthrow President Mnangagwa before 2023” at a campaign rally ahead of a by-election in Bikita last year.

Sikhala, through his lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, applied for exception to the charge, arguing that the charges were vague, meaningless and did not establish the essential elements recognised by the law.

Mtetwa argued at the start of the trial that Sikhala’s utterances did not constitute a crime and according to the charge sheet, putting the accused on trial would be unfair as nobody knows the allegations raised and according to the section under which Sikhala was being charged, he did not call for the unconstitutional removal of the President and neither did he call for the unlawful removal of government.

Prosecutor Tawanda Zvekare opposed the application for exception, saying Sikhala used the word overthrow, fight and war and had, therefore, called for a coup against Mnangagwa before elections.

In delivering judgment before a packed courtroom in an tense atmosphere, while the police and hundreds of MDC supporters were engaged in running battles outside the courtroom, Mawadze rapped the State for the “bizarre suggestion” of a coup because of the mere use of the words “war or fight”, saying the prosecution conflated the State and the President.

Mawadze added that Sikhala’s statements were taken out of context and that Zvekare had “put a spin, to the utterances”.

“The Constitution provides for the removal of an elected President before his term expires, even against his wishes. It also provides for the legal overthrow of a government. From the accused’s statements, there is no reference to the use of unconstitutional means,” Justice Mawadze said, citing the removal of late former President Robert Mugabe from power in November 2017.

He added that there were two distinct legal provisions in the Constitution to remove the President and the government from power.

“Accused is well suited to initiate constitutional processes as a legislator. I am not persuaded by the State’s submissions in that the accused’s statements relate to breaching section 22 of the Constitution. I do not find the nexus between the two. There is nothing criminal in the utterances,” the judge said.

“I find the accused’s application for exception to be meritorious as it goes to the root of the charge. It is, therefore, ordered that the exception is upheld and the accused’s not guilty plea is upheld by the court.

“It would be a sad day for judicial jurisprudence if people were tried on semantics.”

The court had to be briefly adjourned after one of the teargas canisters found its way into the courtroom, leaving everyone chocked and in tears.

Sikhala said he would instruct his lawyers to sue for $50 million the State as well as the police officers who tortured him when he was arrested.

The judgment drew wild celebrations from the crowds, who were singing and chanting party slogans.

— NewsDay

By A Correspondent- Six Chipinge villagers were on Monday dragged to court for allegedly murdering a 28-year-old man whom they caught stealing a goat.

The suspects – Aaron Chibhamu (58), Nhamo Simango (33), Miriam Sithole (46), Chauya Munjoma (48), Joshua Mlambo(28) and Farai Mlambo all from Matsaka Village under Chief Mutema – appeared before Mrs Elizabeth Hanzi facing murder charges as defined in Section 47 of Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act).

They are out on $500 bail each.

It was a State’s case led Mr Gift Bikita that on February 2 at around midnight the suspects apprehended Tichaona Makuyana whom they found in a pen trying to steal a goat.

The suspects started assaulting the deceased and they took him to Chipinge Central Police Station.

“Upon arrival at the police station the officers on duty ordered the now deceased to go to hospital since he was bleeding profusely but he died before he was attended to,” he said.

They will be back in court on February 28 for routine remand. -Manicapost

By A Correspondent- Chaos broke out at Sakubva District Hospital on Tuesday afternoon after a mob that had brought a  seriously injured man was denied access without a police report.

The angry mob bayed for the hospital staff’s blood as they felt that the patient’s deteriorating health was more important than protocol.

The victim had allegedly been assaulted and robbed before he was dumped in a water tank by unknown assailants.

Good Samaritans brought him to hospital but their help was in vain as the nurses on duty requested for a police report first before attending to the patient.

There was a heated exchange of words between the mob and the nurses who kept citing protocol.

In an interview with The Manica Post, one of the Good Samaritans who carried the victim to hospital, Shawn Muchenga, said the hospital staff was acting inhumanely by asking for a police report instead of attending to a dying man.

Scores of Sakubva residents quickly gathered at the hospital’s entrance demanding that the patient get assistance.

However, the nurses were adamant and they told the mob that they had to first take the unconscious man to a police station and bring a police report.

“We cannot treat or admit him here because you have no police report.

“Go to a police station and make a report then you can come back with him,” one of the senior nurses told the mob.

But one resident who only identified himself as Simba shouted back: “You  cannot let him die at your doorstep simply because you are following protocol?”

The hospital later released its ambulance and ferried the patient to Mutare Provincial Hospital, which has a police base.-Manicapost

By A Correspondent- South African based businessman Sam Mshengu Chabalala has been remanded in custody to 21 February for a formal bail application over charges of allegedly trying to bribe a police officer into releasing an impounded vehicle and making a 2019 case disappear.

Mshengu was arrested on Thursday by the Hawks over corruption charges.

Hawks Spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi told the media that,”The businessman who was initially arrested last year and subsequently charged for fraud, corruption, and possession of an unlicensed firearm had been out on R200,000 bail following his arrest [last year in September] in Nelspruit.

“His latest arrest emanates from allegations that he attempted to corrupt a senior police official in Mpumalanga to get his impounded motor vehicle to be released and also to make his initial case disappear.”

Mshengu was alleged to have paid an R120,000 bribe to the officer.

If found guilty, Chabalala stands to not only lose the R120,000 “bribe” but also his luxury vehicle.

In 2019 the Hawks alleged that Mshengu was a Zimbabwean who had fraudulently acquired a South African ID.

“We found out that the accused first got his ID book in 2015. When home affairs wanted to find out his parents’ details and IDs, the accused labeled a certain lady as his mother. But the lady denied knowing him and her ID book got stolen in 2015. He also labeled two people as his brother and sister but they all denied knowing him or being his siblings,” Hawks spokesperson in Mpumalanga Captain Dineo Sekgotodi said then.

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has sent a solidarity message to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping regarding COVID-19.

The disease which has since been renamed the Covid-19 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) but was in the past called coronavirus has killed over 1500 people in mainland China according to media reports. However, only 3 deaths were recorded outside China in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Japan.

The message which was released by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services is dated the 31st of January 2020, although it was publicised on Friday.

Read the solidarity statement:

My Dear Brother, Comrade and Friend, I wish to express my solidarity and that Of the Government and Of the Republic Zimbabwe with the Government and People Of the Republic of China at this difficult time that your country is faced with coronavirus epidemic.

Allow me to acknowledge with satisfaction, the swift response taken by your government to contain and eradicate the coronavirus resulting in minimum loss of life.

My Dear Brother. I wish to reiterate my government’s full support to your endeavours in mitigating and eradicating the epidemic and stand ready to assist in our modest way. In addition, we take solace in the fact that 2020 being the year of the rat, China will continue to prosper.

My Dear Brother, Comrade and Friend, please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.

Yours sincerely.

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE

By A Correspondent| The Chinese ambassador’s face appeared suddenly pale on Saturday as ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa announced to the Asian country that Covid-19 deaths are declining.

He also said the cases are declining, altogether contradicting China itself, the United Nations and other health authorities.

VIDEOS LOADING BELOW…

Mnangagwa was at the time meeting the Chinese envoys in the capital, Harare.

Mnangagwa said this just as more than 2,600 new cases of the coronavirus were being confirmed in China with deaths up by 143, health officials announced, and just as the United States urged its citizens to leave a virus-struck cruise ship under quarantine in Japan.

Mnangagwa said, “We are happy that the cases are declining, the deaths are declining, and this is good both for our brothers and sisters in China.”

More than 2,600 new cases of a coronavirus have been confirmed in China with deaths up by 143, health officials said on Saturday, as the United States urged its citizens to leave a virus-struck cruise ship under quarantine in Japan.

The Reuters news agency reports how: China is struggling to get the world’s second-largest economy back to work after an extended Lunar New Year holiday with the central bank pledging to support companies, but travel bans and quarantine orders are frustrating business as usual.

Beijing has told those returning to quarantine themselves for 14 days, while the transport ministry said travel volumes were about a fifth of what they usually are after the holiday, which was extended for 10 days to help stall the virus.

The total number of infections across mainland China was 66,492 after 2,641 new cases were confirmed as of Friday, the National Health Commission said.

The death toll rose by 143 to 1,523, it said, with most of the new deaths in central Hubei province and in particular the provincial capital of Wuhan, a city of 11 million people where the outbreak began in December.

Of all the cases worldwide, 63,859 are in mainland China.

The figures have been collated by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

Adam Kamradt-Scott, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Sydney, quoted by SKyNews, said the figures show drastic measures implemented by China to stop the spread of the coronavirus “appear to have been too little, too late”.

Commenting, the Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr. Guo Shao Chun said COVID-19 will temporarily affect the Chinese economy, however it will not affect the existing political, social and economic ties between the two countries.

– Reuters/SkyNews/Agencies

Applications for the three year Diploma in Registered General Nurse Training to be conducted by the Ministry of Health and Child Health Care are invited from suitably qualified holders of the following qualifications;

• A minimum of 5 Level subjects with passes in English Language, Mathematics and a Science subject and two others (that exclude practical subjects such as Fashion and Fabrics. Metal Work, Graphic Art, Art and Woodwork at Grade C or better obtained from not more than two sittings with full certificates as Examination Result Slips are not accepted

• Must be aged between the ages of seventeen (17) and thirty (30) years on the date of commencement of training which is 04/05/2020.

The portal for applications is open from 1 February 2020 and applications must be submitted not later than 28 February 2020 using the following Electronic Platform www.mohcc.gov.zw and click on the e-nurse link which will lake you to the registration pager. “Register on the website in order to start your application. Please do not forget the ID number that you used to register as well as the password.”

For the shortlisted candidates, the following should be presents, at interview, original and certified copy of Birth Certificate, National Identity Card, Ordinary Level Certificates, Marriage Certificate where applicable, Advanced Level Certificate if attained and 2 passport size pictures with the applicant’s name at the back. Submission of two references of which one must be from the Headmaster of the school where Level Examinations were undertaken will be required from the selected candidates.

Manual verification of the academic and identification certificates will be done un the day of interviews.

The cost of accessing the Electronic Application Form is $30 ZWL and applicants should follow the instructions on the website for payment (No additional payments arc required as this is the only fee to be paid).

The invitations for interviews which will be held at specified interview venues will be through the MoHCC e-Recruitment Platform Only candidates who meet the recruitment criteria will be shortlisted for interviews Successful candidates will be informed via the MoHCC Electronic Platform and arc required to have a satisfactory Medical Examination conducted by a Government Medical Officer.

Accepted candidates will he deployed to where training posts exist throughout the country.”

By Showbiz Reporter| Musician and ex husband to socialite, Olinda Chapel, Tytan Skhokho, has spoken following allegations of child neglect by Olinda.

Speaking Friday afternoon, Tytan said, “Nandi has never been left with anyone else all the weekends I have had her!

“This was a mere discussion about what I will do (since her mom insisted I can’t have her a day or two earlier, which I had suggested) seeing as it’s my party this weekend and I have work.

“I mentioned that during the few hours I will be out, she will be with same family members who I reside with, who have met Nandi and taken care of her with me everytime she has come to stay with me! This situation has broken my heart because it’s about my daughter!”

By A Correspondent- The government of Zimbabwe has refuted reports claiming that 118 Chinese nationals resident in the country were confirmed to have coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting used its Twitter handle to dispel the rumours. 

It said:

Govt has noted a circulating message alleging that 118 Chinese nationals have been quarantined. This is false and has no basis in truth.

Govt would like to assure the Nation that there is no case of Covid-19 in Zimbabwe. Our Health system remains in a high state of preparedness.

Meanwhile, Health and Childcare Minister Obadiah Moyo said Zimbabwe is now able to test for and diagnose COVID-19 after attaining the necessary test kits.

Moyo told local media that Zimbabwe would be conducting tests at the National Health Laboratory Services housed at Sally Mugabe Hospital in the capital, Harare when he toured the institution recently.

https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1228653866658541568?s=20

"Zimbabwe will never be a colony!"…. I suspect the ED military junta would sell Victoria Falls if the price was right?

— Jongwe Rachembera ☄? (@JongweRachembe1) February 13, 2020

By A Correspondent- Former Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko, who is facing a charge of corruptly causing the release of two government officials arrested for sleaze, has turned the tables against officer-in-charge at Avondale Police Station, saying he should have resisted his illegal directive.

Magwaliba said Mphoko had been refused adequate time and facilities to prepare his defence and the right to challenge the evidence.

“The State does not identify if there is any Act of Parliament and which section of that Act of Parliament or which sections of the code of conduct the accused violated. The prosecution expects the accused to plead in the dark. This is not consistent with the right of the accused person to a fair trial,” Magwaliba submitted.

Magwaliba said the allegations by the State clearly indicated that it was not Mphoko who released Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) bosses Davison Norupiri and Moses Juma from police custody on July 14, 2016, but the officer-in-charge.

He said his client could only be charged for obstructing the course of justice. 

“If the officer-in-charge complied with a lawful order, then he had a complete defence to any charge of misconduct or criminal charge that he could face for releasing the two,” the lawyer said.

“But if the officer-in-charge avails himself of the defence of complying with an illegal order, still Mphoko would not be guilty of any offence since he was not a member of a disciplined force to give command,” Magwaliba added.

After filing the application for exception, Magwaliba asked the court for time to have a record of the proceedings transcribed before the State could orally respond to his application, saying he needed to note facts that are in the record for a response from the State’s submission.

However, prosecutor Michael Reza elected to respond to Mphoko’s application by February 27 before Mujaya delivers his ruling on March 4.

Mphoko is facing a charge of criminal abuse of office after he, on July 14, 2016, allegedly instructed police officers at Avondale Police Station in Harare to release two Zinara officials from holding cells without the following procedure while he was Acting President.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa has shared pictures of his teary self and other top party leaders after they were teargassed by the police in Masvingo on Friday.

Chamisa and his top executives had gone to Masvingo High Court where MDC Alliance national deputy national chairperson Job Sikhala was acquitted on treason charges by Justice Garainesu Mawadze.

“In Masvingo at the court where police fired teargas to disperse the thousands of supporters who had come to give solidarity to the people’s Vice Chairman Cde Job Sikhala,” Chamisa captioned the pictures.

By A Correspondent- Parliamentarians are set to get a personal trainer to help them in their fitness trainings.

This was revealed by Norton independent legislator Temba Mliswa who told parliament that:

“I rise to just notify Hon. Members of the Sport Clubs that you were given some track suits to train and we have resumed training.

From next week we will be training at Girls High School from 6 to 7 am. If it is raining we have also organised indoor facilities for us to do that. It is important that when a company does sponsor us we are seen to be doing what we are supposed to do.

Any Members that do not have any tracksuits will be given along the way. I implore you to come because this is your life, this is about your health more than anybody else.

We will have a personal trainer that we have engaged who will be working with you according to your levels of fitness and so forth.

All Members are invited to attend at Girls High School on Monday from 6am to 7am.

I thank you.”

By A Correspondent- Harare West legislator Joanna Mamombe has called on parliament to clarify and ensure that the issue of age of consent for sexual activity for young girls is clarified to protect the girl child.

She requested that if the Marriages Bill comes back to Parliament, the issue of sexual consent should also be clearly stated.

Said Mamombe:

“I also want to add my voice to the Marriages Bill debate. Firstly, I want to talk about the issue of harmonisation of the Marriages Bill.

This consolidation has assisted us women and the Zimbabwean population because it has been aligned to the new Constitution. So, that is the first thing I want to say.

Let me advise this House that as a Member of Parliament for Harare West Constituency, we were also able to hold consultations in Harare West informing them what the Bill talks about and they also gave their opinions to their Member of Parliament.

So, I will also talk about some of the issues that were expressed by the people in Harare West Constituency.

Firstly, there was an issue about child marriages which was welcomed by Harare West Constituency because when we look at the issue of child marriages, we hear no one has the right to marry a child who is under the age of 18.

It is something that was welcomed by the Harare West Constituency and other people in Zimbabwe because this had become a menace and was violating the rights of the girl child, especially those who wanted to go to university. The other issue was on consent to sexual activity.

The Bill does not address the issue of age of consent to sexual activity. My request is that if this Bill comes back to Parliament, the issue of sexual consent should also be clearly stated.

Thirdly, was the issue of chiefs that chiefs- are now marriage officers. This was welcomed before it was the magistrates and pastors but there were also questions that if the traditional leaders…

The issue that I was talking about is on traditional leaders as marriage officers which was a welcome development but there were questions on the distance for people to go and register their marriage and also the issue of funding that mostly people do not have money to go to the urban centres to see the magistrate or the pastors.

The issue was that once the traditional leaders are accorded this privilege of being marriage officers, is there a payment that will need to be done because if a traditional chief normally charges a goat or a sheep before your case is brought before the court. So that is the question that was raised that if one wants to register a marriage are you not required to produce a goat.

          The other issue was of distance. So that issue of distance, will it be addressed since traditional leaders have vast areas to take care of? Furthermore there was the issue of whether the chiefs will be trained in order to be marriage officers. That was one of the issues. 

Mr. Speaker Sir, the other issue I want to talk about is that of civil partnerships.  Taking from those who debated on Tuesday on this civil partnership issue, my view is that all of us are in agreement that Zimbabweans are against the issue of civil partnerships.  

We know that this Bill is bringing in the issue of gender balance between men and women but there is also an element of discrimination or denigrating women especially when we look at those who are married under Chapter 5:11. 

The residents of Harare West say that if possible, the Minister should remove Clause 40 because it violates the rights of those who are in a civil marriage, Chapter 5:11.  For those who want to be in polygamous marriages, they should proceed with their choice but without infringing on the rights and benefits of those in a monogamous marriage. 

Lastly Mr. Speaker Sir, it was the issue of HIV and Aids.  As this Bill is coming into place, it proposes to decriminalise willful transmission of HIV and AIDS. This issue was welcomed because it affects women the most, especially the young women.  They are the ones who are affected by this matter.

This Bill is being welcomed by the people because it will reduce the number of women at Chikurubi Prison  since they are the ones arrested for having willfully transmitted the disease to their partners.  Because of our biological make up, we are ones who give birth and mostly the disease is discovered in women, hence they are affected and end up imprisoned.  

It is an issue that was welcomed by the women.  There are women at Chikurubi Female Section that are there because of this issue. 

There are also issues that were raised by the residents that this Bill is harmonising marriages in Zimbabwe but there are certain things that are not in the Bill.  Amongst other things that were mentioned by the residents was that in the event of death, who then takes inheritance?  The inheritance issue was not addressed by the Bill.

The issue of inheritance was of importance and concern to the residence because it is not clear. If we say a Bill is coming in to harmonise our marriage laws, it should then bring all Acts that address the issue of marriage so that whoever wants to know about our marriage laws can use one Act than to have different Acts. 

There was also the issue of the rights of men and women bordering on who has the right to custody of children in the event that they divorce. The issue of guardianship is not addressed in the Bill. Our request Mr. Speaker is that the issue of guardianship should be addressed in the Marriage Bill. It should be in the Bill so that you do not need to refer to other Acts. 

Lastly Mr. Speaker, is the issue that the Bill does not clearly explain the issue of child marriages.  The issue should be clear.  The clause is there but it is not clear when we say child marriage, what exactly we are referring to.  

I am saying this in cognisance of the SADC Model Law on Child Marriages and protecting those in marriage as mentioned by Hon. Kwaramba on Tuesday.

So we want this to be clear in the Bill and also on what happens if a parent marries off a child below the age of 18.  We do not want just one clause but we want it to be comprehensive and show that we have the political will to address the issue of child marriages.  With these words Mr. Speaker, this is my view in terms of the Marriages Bill. I thank you. 

By A Correspondent- Fast food outlet Chicken Inn, a part of Simbisa Brands, has been accused of selling rotten chicken and exposing customers to serious health risk. 

Renowned playwright Raisedon Baye took to Twitter on Valentines’ Day to register his displeasure over the Chicken Inn products.

“Chicken Inn should stop selling meat that has gone bad. No matter how you burn the meat with oil meat that’s gone bad will always be meat that gone bad. People’s health must not be sacrificed on the altar of profits. Never!,” complained Baye. 

“Some of us used to trust Chicken Inn.”

Journalist Mthulisi Mathuthu, commenting on Baye’s tweet, said Chicken Inn has a history of serving bad food. 

They still do that. I noticed that in 2001 and confronted them! Wrote a story too,” he said. 

Taf Masiye, tagging Simbisa Brands, said his family was also affected by Chicken Inn food.  

“@SimbisaBrands come here! I was on a trip to Zim recently and my whole family ate poisonous food from the chicken in across from Holiday Inn Harare. We couldn’t even attend the wedding we traveled for because of food poisoning. 5 days of illness and a ruined holiday!!,” he said. 

Baye said the bad service had become a daily occurrence. 

“This is happening every day and people keep quiet. The health of consumers is no longer important,” he said. 

Simbisa Brands ignored the complaints only for Chicken Inn FC, sponsored by the company to offer an apology. 

On behalf of our parent company we apologise sir. We know our parent company tries it’s best to always put its best foot forward.  We know you have come to watch us play before. Kindly get in touch tomorrow we will replace your meal,” said the team.

By A Correspondent- A Harare man, who was reported missing on Monday, was grisly murdered and his body was thrown in a trench near a maize field in Avonlea.

Claudius Nyanga, who was taxi driver on the Vaya platform, went missing around 8pm on Monday while he was on his way to fetch his client in Msasa Park.

His body was found close to his neighbourhood late on Wednesday afternoon.

On Wednesday there had been reports that his Honda Fit (AEJ5112) had been spotted in Epworth and crime experts suspect that the murderers either reside there or frequent the area.

While the Honda Fit had a tracking device, it failed to work at the crucial moment when the deceased’s client, who was waiting, contacted the family to check on his whereabouts.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the Zimbabwe Republic Police said:

“A taxi driver who went missing on 10/2/20 was found dead in a shallow well on 12/2/20 in Emerald Hill, Harare. His hands were tied with shoes laces & he had injuries on the right side of his head. The light green Honda Fit vehicle, registration number AEJ-5112 is still missing. The case is being investigated.”

Nyanga’s son, Alfred, told H-Metro that the family was alarmed of their father’s disappearance after his client told them that he had not arrived to pick him up.

“This client is like family to us and baba vanogara vachimutakura saka ndiye akatozofona kuti mdhara havasati vasvika then we started calling him but number yavo yairamba until the next morning when we reported the case ku police.

“We looked for my father everywhere kuma hospitals, mortuary muma streets even pama shops but hatina kuvawana until hanzvadzi yamhamha found leads on baba’s disappearance kuGreencroft. I was heartbroken seeing my old man in a terrible state dumbu ranga rava kutozvimba mudhara looked so lifeless ndakarwadziwa ndanga ndisati ndamboona baba vakaita seizvozvo,” narrated Alfred.

Claudius’ second son Tendai told H-Metro that he was very saddened by his father’s death and he was aggrieved by the vehicle tracking system that failed to help them locate their father’s car.

“I’m really hurt nemafiro ababa, ndiri kubatikana ne Econet. We paid for the car tracker but haina kuti batsira they kept telling to us kuti their server was down

“Zvinorwadza kuti we paid for the tracker when the car was registered for VAYA asi hazvina kubatsira,” he said.

Munyaradzi Dondo who resides in Greencroft close to where Nyanga’s body was found said that this was a second case in the same area where a taxi driver was murdered and thrown in the drain.

“This is the second time we are having a case like this, hatina kana noise yatakanzwa on Monday night or anything suspicious even Tuesday yacho but we were shocked when we received a message in our neighbourhood WhatsApp group of the missing man,” he said.

Mourners gathered at his homestead in Bluffhill described Claudius as a loving and generous man who had a heart for everyone.

“Tarasikirwa zvikuru as Catholic society yepa Mabelreign; baba vanga vane rudo iavava and he was a devoted Catholic vachishandira Mwari nemazvo.

“Saka church yedu ichambodzokera sure chaizvo tarasikirwa nemunhu aibata basa guru,” said Mbuya Mushanga Claudius’ churchmate.

Another mourner interviewed by H-Metro described Nyanga as a hardworking man who did everything in his power to get a living.

“Mudhara uyu aisava neusimbe, his nickname was doctor because he was a doctor for everything.

“Aishanda and aisazeza basa.

“He was an inspiration to everyone especially the young generation through his hard work and commitment,” he said.

Claudius Nyanga is survived by a wife, four children and six grandchildren.

-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- Zanu PF linked lawyer, Tinomudaishe Chinyoka has said that the criminal justice system must learn from the treason case of MDC’s vice-chairperson, Job Sikhala.

Chinyoka said that treason cases are down the pecking order hence the need for the system to give priority to cases which are ‘critical’. Posting on Twitter, Chinyoka said:

One hopes our criminal justice system learns from the acquittal of @JobWiwaSikala to review all pending ‘treason’ cases. There are crimes crying for prosecution, treason just isn’t one of them.

His remarks come after the High Court yesterday acquitted Sikhala of treason charges that were raised against him last year after he had remarked at his party’s rally that the MDC would overthrow president Emmerson Mnangagwa before 2023.

Last saw a number of opposition political parties’ members and human rights defenders arrested over allegations that they were planning to overthrow a ‘constitutionally’ established government.

Some have said that pending corruption cases have to be prosecuted first considering the effect corruption has on the already ailing economy.

Own Correspondent|We will be going live shortly with the leader of the Matabeleland Collective which had a meeting with President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday.

we then conducted a strategic retreat we came up with a position paper which is contained in now paper which people can find online and once we had crafted that position paper within sought to fulfill the mandate that we had been given at the city whole to go and tell tell the leader what we had been told by the people of Zimbabwe.

yesterday was the second time of meeting the president what were the key issues that you discussed with him.

it took us quite a while to get that appointment it took us through…. Eventually we had a letter of acceptance on the 2nd of march 2019…but I think for us what seemed very t is that we ever people of matabeleland we have stayed for a long time in the pain of this massacre Gukurahundi… So we recommended the low hanging fruits position and we explained…. And we then identified and implementation matrix that we we submitted and the president then took that matrix into his cabinet… We are continuing to engage the president and cabinet…

yesterday we were asked by his excellency to report back on the success of the implementation of this matrix.

we were hosted by him yesterday he wanted feedback from us.

in his update the president said that he is disappointed that very little has been achieved a year later.

you were all so unhappy you know in a negotiating process like the one we are in one has to be patient so we were then told mid December last year that the president wishes to come and ask us for an official and public update we done we then decided to wait… We then reported frankly and brutally to the president we are not happy to the implementation but along the way we have started to build a lot of trust and that is why the president….

how has the general response from the people of matabeleland on the achievement of the failures that you have come up with in your meeting with the president

will overwhelmed by the amount of people who said they wanted to come and meet the president and logistics became quite serious the logistical nightmare especially in the security environment we had very little time in planning so we were overwhelmed by the people…

but we must find a way to find closure…

Qu – that’s president Emerson and look genuine

Answer …

Qu – from your last engagement with him to your yesterday with him have there been any steps taken towards solving the issue?

Suspended ZANU-Pf Youth leaders retract their corruption list after meeting with Deputy Defence Minister.

In a very stunning development, suspended Zanu-pf youth leaders who recently caused a stir within the ruling party after naming and shaming individuals associated with the President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputies have shockingly, ‘retracted’ their claims on state-run national television, ZBC.

This comes after the corruption crusaders, suspended youth secretary Lewis Matutu and political commissar Godfrey Tsenegamu were recently given marching orders over their ‘misguided activism and failing to follow procedure.

The youth leaders earlier this month named businessmen Tafadzwa Musarara as well as oil moguls Kuda Tagwirei and Billy Rautenbach as the people behind the suffering in the country during an explosive press statement.

However, their anti-corruption campaign seems to have backfired and have been forced to make a dramatic u-turn in their corruption claims.

Watch the video below…

https://www.facebook.com/ZimEye/videos/2944195695641609

PARLIAMENT has started investigations into a series of alleged misconduct acts by the main opposition MDC MPs who either refused to stand up for President Emmerson Mnangagwa when attending Parliament or decided to walk out on the state leader since 2018.

In a letter dated 12 February 2020 and served to one of the accused MDC MPs, a committee to investigate the matter has already been set.

“The letter serves to inform you that the privileges committee has commenced investigations into allegations of misconduct regarding your conduct on the occasions that the Head of State has attended Parliament in the performance of his constitutional duties,” reads part of the letter signed by the Clerk of Court, Kennedy Chokuda.

“A matter of privilege regarding the conduct of Honourable Members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-A) was raised in the House on Thursday, 14 November 2019.

“The matter of privilege raised was to the effect that whenever His Excellency, The President, Hon. E.D. Mnangagwa attended Parliament in his official capacity as Head of State and Government, Hon Members of the MDC-A Party either did not rise as a mark of respect or walked out of the House.

“Such behaviour was found to be grossly disrespectful of the office and person of the Head of State and Government in terms of Parliamentary custom and practice which the institution of Parliament in any jurisdiction is expected to observe.

“Such conduct was also found to undermine the dignity and integrity of the august House.

“The Chair therefore, ruled that there existed a prima facie case of contempt of Parliament hence the appointment of the Privileges Committee to investigate the matter and come up with corrective measures.”

The MDC legislators walked out on Mnangagwa as he presented his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2018.

The committee, as per details in the letter, is set to determine whether the actions and any other that may arise in the course of investigations do not constitute contempt of Parliament.

However, the letter does not specify when the investigations will resume.

Own Correspondent|Public relations practitioners and communicators should be sufficiently equipped to enhance their capacity in rebranding Zimbabwe, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa has said.

Minister Mutsvangwa was addressing the inaugural Institute of Public Relations and Communication Zimbabwe (IPRCZ) workshop held yesterday in Harare.

Zimbabwe is on a rebranding offensive since the inception of the New Dispensation in 2017 after the country’s ranking as a viable tourism and investment destination slumped over two decades owing to bilateral differences between Harare and London.

Immediately after his inauguration in 2017, President Mnangagwa adopted the “Zimbabwe is open for business” policy and sought reengagement with the international community.

Mnangagwa hired a four lobby and public relations (PR) firms in a desperate bid to spruce up his government’s battered international image and bolster the diplomatic re-engagement drive that has fallen off the rails amid a growing backlash over the deteriorating human rights situation in the country.

President Mnangagwa’s administration engaged London-based BTP Advisers—which joins United States-based Mercury International Limited, Ballard Partners and Avenue Strategies—in a quest to help Zimbabwe return to the community of nations after decades of isolation.

Minister Mutsvangwa noted that Zimbabwe had for long endured bad reputation, pointing out that both Government and the private sector had a responsibility to portray the country’s true image.

“Public relations practitioners must be capacitated to be able to represent their organisations and the country at large. We want to see more of training and workshops for public relations practitioners and communicators so as to enhance their capacities in terms of rebranding the country to a better and more prosperous Zimbabwe,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.

Running under the theme; “Earning trust, establishing valuable relationships to rebranding Zimbabwe in line with vision 2030,” the meeting intended to brainstorm best ways possible to reposition Zimbabwe to its rightful place among other countries.

Economist and member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Mr Eddie Cross said Government, especially the Finance Ministry, should be at the forefront of communicating the state of the economy to avoid misinterpretation of events by the general public.

Cross further indicated that Zimbabwe does not need the many American experts engaged by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to speak for Zimbabwe and take away millions of dollars.

Cross echoed Mutsvangwa’s sentiments that locals should be engaged to do the job.

Mr Cross implored Zimbabweans to select the kind of information they disseminate about their country, particularly on social media platforms.

“Communication is at the heart of understanding where we are, the problem of confidence in our country, in our Government can only be addressed by communication.

“We need to market our country and communicate a good message about our country. Zimbabwe has achieved macro-economic stability but we need to explain why we have inflation to basically make it clear to the people.

“Communication is not simple, communicators are required to be frank and we should use all our tools at our disposal for our people to regain confidence in our country,” said Mr Cross.

The convener of the meeting and executive director of IPRC, Mr Proctor Nyemba weighed in saying public relations should be in sync with Government’s vision.

“This meeting’s objective was to create an engagement between the public sector and Government on how to manage the public relations of the country. We want both of them to have a common vision on how to envision 2030,” he said.

MDC-Alliance vice national chair Job Sikhala was yesterday acquitted on subversion charges by Masvingo High Court Judge Justice Garainesu Mawadze, with ZANU PF Aligned “experts” celebrating the judgement claiming that it is a sign that the rule of law was alive and well in Zimbabwe.

Justice Mawadze also upheld Sikhala’s application for exception to the charge, saying it was meritorious. He upheld Sikhala’s not guilty plea he had entered earlier on, ruling that it would “be a sad day for the country’s jurisprudence if a person is charged on the basis of semantics”.

Justice Mawadze said the basis of the charges was Sikhala’s statement that was taken out of context. “The State put a spin to the alleged utterances by the accused. The statements should prima facie speak for themselves. The State used a wrong approach. Mr Zvekare proffered his own subjective interpretation but the charge has to be clear if accused is to have a fair trial.”

Commenting on the judgment, Mr Joel Mambara, a lawyer, said Zimbabwe had always demonstrated that there was rule of law.

“Rule of law is an elusive concept. When justice is in your favour, there is rule of law. When you are properly tried and found guilty, there is no rule of law,” he said.

“One is confounded when each time the beneficiaries of the rule of law shout the loudest that there is no rule of law. This is done ostensibly to entrench their positions and to win donor sympathy. Justice has not only been always done, it has been seen to be done. Sikhala’s matter is a living example.”

Veteran lawyer Mr Tinomudaishe Chinyoka said the prosecution was always doomed from day one.

“There was no crime committed and the Prosecutor General (Mr Kumbirai Hodzi) should never have agreed to prosecute the matter,” he said.

Government has dismissed as false, claims by MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa that President Mnangagwa was evading former South African President Mr Thabo Mbeki in an equally “fallacious” narrative that he wanted to facilitate political dialogue between Zanu PF and the opposition party.

Speaking at the Bulawayo Press Club on Wednesday, Chamisa claimed that Mr Mbeki had told him that President Mnangagwa was neither taking nor returning his calls to talk about the “dialogue”.

In an interview at the State House in Bulawayo yesterday, Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said President Mnangagwa and Mr Mbeki actually met at the recent African Union Summit in Ethiopia.

“I don’t know what he was referring to. He is not a member of the Mbeki house as far as I know, or is he a member of the Mnangagwa household, so he wouldn’t know what goes on between the two of them,” said Charamba.

“In reality, the two met briefly on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa and had a bit of a chat and I can assure you that the President of Zimbabwe, out of courtesy, updated the former President of South Africa on the developments in the country.”

Charamba said the MDC-A’s wish for a Mr Mbeki-driven dialogue will not be realised as there already is the Political Actors Dialogue set up for engagement between political players in the country.

“By the way, there is a misconception to say that President Mbeki came to Zimbabwe to mediate between MDC and Zanu PF,” he said. “That’s not true, it is actually a wish by the MDC which will not be realised.

“The President has made it clear that the only available platform for national political dialogue is the Political Actors Dialogue. Anyone or everyone interested in engaging Zanu PF or any other party will do so within the context of Polad and no other platform.”

Charamba said Polad was not structured around size, imagined or real, but around the need to depoliticise the society, debate developmental issues for the country to move forward in harmony.

“It is not about the electoral strength of respective parties, after all, let it not be forgotten that the offer for dialogue is actually voluntary. It is not a requirement of the Constitution, it is not a logical outcome of a winner takes all kind of electoral system,” he said.

“It is really a wish on the part of the President to carry on board everyone who participated in the 2018 elections in the spirit of harmony and in the spirit of ensuring that all energies of the country are harnessed towards a common purpose.”

State Media

“When people are brave and they stand up to it, guns will not work, the sound of the gun will not be heard.”

Nelson Chamisa, 14th February 2020.

Below is a side transcript of MDC leader Nelson Chamisa at Masvingo on Friday. Chamisa spoke at length saying his party is demanding a people’s government not one created by a constitutional court.

He also said he refuses to be forced into action by people with agendas. He said, “Some people I hear them saying Nelson Chamisa you must lead from the front, but this is the struggle; I have come a long way … but when we do our thing we will not be forced to do things.”

FULL TEXT: When people are brave and they stand up to it guns will not work the sound of the gun will not be heard.

You don’t debate about solidarity; we must go together, fight together, we weep together and we enjoy together. So now Mai Sikhala we want to thank you. Some of you do not know that for the struggle to move there are heroes, thank you very much. I thank you all, these are the people who when there are problems they are there. I saw them where the police were.

Excuse me our Secretary-General and all the leadership assembled here, the chair of the women and the youth.

I was once a youth and I used to refuse to be used. I would sing Hatidi zvekupihwa order nemasaskamu!

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

https://youtu.be/USi3zhzwa5U

I think you the whole standing committee…

We said this is not Valentine’s Day it is Morgan Tsvangirai Day.

The second thing we are gathered here; we are gathered here because one of our heroes had been arrested… another one will be appearing in court on the 28th of February. When you arrest one of us you have arrested all of us.

So we have come here for this party is now large. There is no party which is greater, larger than this one the whole of the African continent. It is a fact that the MDC has 28 out of 30 mayors in the whole of Zimbabwe. It is a fact that this party was voted in by more than 2.6 million people.

Some people I hear them saying Nelson Chamisa you must lead from the front, but this is the struggle; I have come a long way … but when we do our thing we will not be forced to do things.

I said for people to do what they should do they do it according to the right timing.

When I came here I found the police waiting and some of my people told me president if your go through this way you will be teargassed so I passed through the middle of them.

We will not allow police to be used for wrong things, a police officer has a badge of honour. That is why you see the police, their badge it says for the law, for the people, and for the country, so the police must not be used to assault us. Our people after throwing targas at me they don’t have a bag of tea, after throwing teargas at me they don’t even have an underwear to wear. After throwing targas at me, their shoe is still opened wide.

Mr Sikhala I saw your zvidobi. They are zvidobis of the struggle. Aaah Maiguru, are these the dobis you are getting at home? LAUGHTER.

The first thing is love the second thing is hope the third thing is sacrifice. This is the life of Morgan Tsvangirai.

Everywhere I go people are saying Nelson Chamisa Morgan Tsvangirai left you directions to the way.

I will not be misled.

Mnangagwa does not have a clue. Chiwenga has no clue.

Today as we speak what Morgan tsvangirai talk about hope he said no matter how difficult life becomes you remain holding onto hope you will get there. We will get there we will get there when we get there.

Tsvangirai represented sacrifuce. He used to eat bans and cream soda. He was a basic man. That is what I said no matter how broke we are we must never compromise the struggle.

Our only gift to the people is to lead them and deliver the struggle. Real love is to represent the people and to do what they want.

Yes, we will correct the problems of Masvingo party leadership. We want to ensure we get 26 out of 26 not what we saw in Mwenezi(sic). Can ZANU win over here?

Tsvangirai was a man of love and unity he told me to unite with Biti and Welshman. The vision has got nothing to do with too many people a vision is with one person. So to all those who follow when I say jump you must jump when I say run you must run. That is why you see soldiers are told to march left right left right.

We said that this year we have 5 critical zones:

Number 1 – the fight we have is that there must be a people’s government not this one of the constitutional court not this one of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

When people are brave and they stand up to it guns will not work the sound of the gun will not be heard.

Mnangagwa tells people that they must eat potatoes and vegetables while he himself is feasting on meat while he is on a private jet.

Number 2 – We are fighting for a people’s budget not the kind of life that we are seeing when people cannot afford basics we want our dignity returned to the people.

Number 3 – We want to address the problem of corruption. We are missing $3bln. Who is responsible Mr Biti?

Biti replies: it is Mnangagwa!

I said those people I will tell you myself. They know what we are doing.

The 4th thing – is the one that we have come here such as this one of Sikhala. We are struggling with this issue of Mashurugwi. We must not call them that. They are Mnangagwa’# people.

Number 5 – is the issue of the constitution Emmerson Mnangagwa is messing with the constitution; he is now possessed with the demons of Ian Smith and Robert Mugabe. Mugabe changed this 19 times, Mnangagwa wants to change it 27 times in one year.

So what is the way forward the way forward is for you and me where you are, looking at me, let us fix our country there is no one else with powers more than you as an individual, everyone let us fix the country we don’t want to get to May, June while we are in this problem, we can fix it. Until when will we drink from boreholes? While we use generators?

What kind of a country is that in which: school fees rtgs; a whole government forming a committee of roller meal! A whole government setting up a committee for mealie meal.

If you give us this thing we will not take a day before you start enjoying the country and getting suffocated with goodness.

I told Emmerson Mnangagwa why don’t we use the United States dollars while we fix the country? give the soldiers the US dollar give the police officers the US dollars so that people can survive, why do you want the people to live on rtgs dollars?

Let us not insult others. MDC let us be full of love.

My last words that I leave you the people of this province that one has been on this issue of dialogue. I told him I am ready to talk, I had been sent by our council. We want to give peace a chance and so I told Emmerson Mnangagwa let us agree, you stole the elections we are not going to go ahead to 2023 before we are clear that you stole the elections.

There will be no elections in this country until we resolve this issue. The elections must be respected. This year we have a right to fix the country all of us all of us all of us all of us all of us all of us.

Emerson Mnangagwa will not be able to run this country he is refusing dialogue. And now he is busy saying Nelson Chamisa is the problem. I am advising him that this country is burning. I am saying to him hear me so that we can fix this country before it is too late.

State Media|President Mnangagwa yesterday said he takes seriously the grievances of the people of Matabeleland, including dialogue towards finding closure to the emotive and sensitive Gukurahundi issue.

He made the remarks at State House in Bulawayo where he met civic society organisations from Matabeleland in a frank and open discussion over a number of issues.

The President was accompanied by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe, Acting Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Dr Joram Gumbo and Registrar-General Mr Clement Masango to respond to concerns from the meeting.

Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs Virginia Mabhiza, who is also head of secretariat in the engagement and dialogue with Matabeleland civic society organisations, presented the implementation matrix from last year’s meeting with Matabeleland Collective, before the engagement was broadened to include all organisations from the region.

The President listened to submissions by speakers, including suggestions on how to find closure on Gukurahundi.

He praised the speakers for speaking from their hearts on Gukurahundi, saying the approach will lead to consensus in mapping the way forward.

“My Government is committed to promoting the spirit of cooperation and dialogue amongst all Zimbabweans, where dialogue totally eclipses confrontation as a method of choice in resolving thorny issues that may rise or have risen in our society.

“Allow me, therefore, to proffer a few words of advice in view of the issues that have been raised by the Matabeleland Civic Society which are of such sensitivity and pain, that they are always going to raise sharp differences and emotions in any discussion to resolve them.

“However, we must resist the urge to elevate any differences that arise out of discussions aimed at resolving the issues in Matabeleland to a level where they become permanent barriers that prevent meaningful dialogue amongst us.”

President Mnangagwa said his door remained open to everyone, even those who did not attend yesterday’s meeting on issues that affect the region.

“Let me assure you that, as I have demonstrated by convening this meeting today, I shall continue to monitor this dialogue very closely and hold all my officials accountable for the successful implementation of issues discussed here,” said the President.

“I reiterate that, as Zimbabweans, we are one. Together we can overcome any challenges that confront us.”

President Mnangagwa took time to respond to issues raised by various speakers.

Dr Dumisani Ngwenya from Matabeleland Collective asked President Mnangagwa if he was sincere about bringing closure to Gukurahundi.

“I think Cde Ngwenya, I’m very pleased with what you said because it came from your heart. A platform like this one is created for that purpose, once those grievances are stated,” said President Mnangagwa.

“Again, it will require all the stakeholders with grievances to come together and say how do we move forward and not how do we move backwards?

“You are wondering whether this Government is sincere, if I ask you, are you sincere? What would you say? And I believe what you were saying is sincere from your point of view, I also believe that you should believe me that after 39 years of silence, I say let’s talk about this thing and you doubt my sincerity. I don’t know what you would want to see.”

The President said Zimbabwe could not leave in the past, but learn from it and adopt the good things and never repeat the bad.

A representative of the Zipra Veterans Trust Mr Buster Magwizi raised the issue of Zipra’s properties.

President Mnangagwa reminded Mr Magwizi that there were engagements outside yesterday’s meeting that he was aware of, and advised him that the processes should remain in that platform.

The President urged Matabeleland Collective coordinator Mrs Jenny Williams not to lose heart in engaging the Government after she reported to him that a Cabinet Minister called her names.

President Mnangagwa said Government was working at achieving consensus on how best to address the exhumation and reburial of Gukurahundi victims in a manner that will not offend anyone.

“In due course, I will receive recommendations from all concerned parties, including the affected families, the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) and the traditional leaders and other civic society groups,” he said.

“It is my sincere desire that we conduct the exercise of these exhumations in a manner that will bring healing to those in pain and unity within our society.”

President Mnangagwa said it was Government policy that ECD children should be taught by people who spoke their mother language.

“The importance of access to quality and relevant education cannot be over emphasised, more so during the formative stages of our learners,” he said.

“My Government recognises the need to use 16 recognised national languages, in particular at ECD levels.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education reiterated this Government policy only last week. We urge communities to encourage those in the teaching fraternity with competences in various languages to come forward as building blocks for the success of the policy.”

President Mnangagwa said the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services was concluding processes to issue language-based community radio stations.

“These endeavours by my Government are designed to entrench the principle of inclusivity and unity in our diversity,” he said.

President Mnangagwa urged provinces to use devolution funds to pursue priority developmental projects in their respective areas.

Own Correspondent|President Emmerson Mnangagwa was in Bulawayo for a second meeting with the Matabeleland Civil Society leaders on Friday where he had a torrid time as Matabeleland demanded answers on how the government would bring closure to the Gukurahundi atrocities, which happened in the region in the early 1980s.

Mnangagwa was in Bulawayo to make a follow up on achievements made from his Match 2019 engagement with the Matabeleland Collective. In his first meeting, Mnangagwa had it easy as the group appeared uncoordinated and not sure how to handle him. Issues were presented haphazardly giving Mnangagwa a chance to ride above the grouping. In fact, the collective immediately split after Mnangagwa’s first engagement with a splinter section blaming the leadership for being too nice and soft with Mnangagwa.

Those who left the Collective have since formed a counter Matabeleland Forum which has vowed that it will never meet with Mnangagwa as such meetings will be tantamount to endorsing his “illegitimate” presidency.

The former members boycotted the engagement, claiming that the union had been hijacked by Mnangagwa’s blue-eyed boys.

Those who attended on Friday were in a no nonsense mood as they heavily grilled Mnangagwa on his failure to own up and bring closure to the Gukurahundi massacres.

Baster Magwizi, a former ZIPRA cadre and Zimbabwe National Army officer, challenged Mnangagwa to come out in the open and acknowledge his participation in Gukurahundi and offer a genuine apology to the people of Matabeleland.

“We must start with and acknowledgement that Gukurahundi happened. It occurred in the past, but it is still happening,” he said.

“That public acknowledgement sets benchmarks for an apology. As ZIPRA, we are victims of Gukurahundi. We were the first victims and when we were first victimised we ran home where we were butchered with our families.

“I was in the army, I saw it. This is not acrimonious nor vengeance, but we want public acknowledgement that Gukurahundi was a traumatic experience. We don’t want to take the matter to the international arena, we believe in home grown solutions. The president must release the Dumbutshena and Chihambakwe commissions. People must know what happened in Entumbane and Seke. There must be space for full disclosure,” said Magwizi.

A youth representative, Zibusiso Moyo said youths wanted to be told the truth on exactly what happened during Gukurahundi and why their parents were murdered.

She demanded that Gukurahundi history be put in books and taught in schools.

“It has to be documented and academically taught,” she said.

In his address, Mnangagwa tried to escape from Magwizi’s barrage claiming that he was also a founder member of ZIPRA in 1962 and would therefore want to be involved when ZIPRA discusses its issues.

Without words to say in response to the attack on his Gukurahundi involvement, Mnangagwa escaped the issue by calling for a careful consideration of the Gukurahundi issues.

“Gukurahundi requires careful consideration with due regard to families. My government is working on how best to solve this in a manner that does not offend anyone,” he said.

However, the Permanent Secretary in the Justice Ministry, Virginia Mabhiza, said the government was set to start exhumations of Gukurahundi victims.

“Exhumations are to be done orderly in a legal manner. Communities, faith-based organisations and NPRC (National Peace and Reconciliation Commission) are to work together legally,” she said.

“There were some who wanted to conduct illegal exhumations and government had to object. It was made clear that discussing Gukurahundi was not a criminal offence as long as the talks are not in bad faith or incite violence but to assist the healing process. Government hasn’t received any victimisation reports.”

Mabhiza said the Public Service and Health ministries were identified as line ministries to provide medical and psycho support services for the surviving Gukurahundi victims as counselling in communities.

Freelance journalist Tarisai Mudahondo survived a fatal accident that claimed seven people outside Kwekwe on Monday.

Mudahondo was among the Zimbabwe United Passengers Company (ZUPCO) passengers when the accident occurred.

Speaking from her Kwekwe home she said she cheated death and could not stand watching blood stained corpses.

“I was in the bus when l suddenly saw the bus veering off the road trying to avoid a head on crash with a Honda fit that had encroached into the Harare -bound bus’s lane,”said Mudahondo.

“The bus hit the fit, vendors and another kombi before uprooting a tree, it was so horrible as a lot of people were seriously injured and some died on the spot it was so disturbing to see blood all over the place and blood on dead bodies.”

The journalist said she  lost her belongings before being rushed to Kwekwe general hospital where she was admitted for two days.

“I lost most of my belongs soon after being rushed to the hospital where l was admitted for two days l was stitched on my leg and currently suffering chest pains the doctors said it was due to impact but on x-ray they said it is not affected.”

Meanwhile, ZUPCO buses have been heavily involved in fatal road accidents.

-Byo 24

Socialite and businessman Genius Kadungure, who is in custody, has filed a bail appeal with the High Court after Acting Chief Magistrate Mr Munamato Mutevedzi denied him bail last week.

He is facing fraud charges for allegedly undervaluing excise duty for his top- of-the-range Bentley Continental GT to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).

He paid US$81 000 instead of US$139 665, allegedly prejudicing Zimra of $58 665.

High Court judge Justice Webster Chinamora subsequently ordered Kadungure to pay an additional US$58 000.

Through his attorneys, Venturas and Samukange Legal Practitioners, Kadungure argued that Mr Mutevedzi erred in concluding that he committed an offence whilst on bail and that he was not a suitable candidate for bail.

The lawyers argued that this was despite the absence of a criminal record, and his incarceration negated the presumption of innocence applying to all pending charges.

The court failed to note that the same matter had been resolved at the High Court recently, they argued.

“The court a quo erred and misdirected itself in failing to give due regard to the fact that the charge against the appellant (Kadungure) pertained to an issue already determined by the High Court and that there was no prejudice to the fiscus with duty having been reassessed and paid, thus rendering the offence to lose its sting and a prosecution mala fide,” said Kadungure’s lawyers.

They argued that Kadungure was not a flight risk since he had handed himself over to the police.

“The State case is weak if regard is to the fact that appellant had since complied with the High Court order from which the present matter emanates,” they said.

The case is yet to be heard.

Kadungure is related to Marry Mubaiwa nee Chiwenga, the estranged wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, and there are suspicions the VP is behind his alleged persecution.

Chiwenga and Marry are going through a nasty divorce that has already seen the former army general get his wife arrested and spending several weeks in remand prison.

Kadungure, a first cousin to Marry is seen as the collateral damage in the VP’s war of attrition.

Legal experts say it is puzzling Kadungure who was already out on bail for a more serious offence involving over $5 million is now being denied bail over a case involving only $58 665.

-State media

Below is a press release from Eswatini on the first suspected case of COVID-19;

The country has registered the first suspected case of COVID-19, a condition caused by Corona Virus, on the 14th February 2020. The case was identified in one of the health facilities in the country, following which the MOH Rapid Response Team responded and blood samples were taken for further investigation.

The suspected case is under clinical management in the health facility observing all infection prevention
and control standards relevant for a suspected case.

The suspected case has history of travel to Mainland China, and arrived in the country on 6th February 2020 through Ngwenya port of entry and has been on the list of people being followed up on arrival according to the Ports of Entry health screening protocol.

In this regard, the Ministry would like to request everyone who has had recent travel to China, in particular the students studying there to call 977 to register as a returned traveller from China.

The Ministry of Health would like to remind the public that the country remains at high alert for the Corona virus. You are therefore urged to observe preventive measures as listed below:Cover nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing

Wash hands regularly with soap and water

Open windows in buses and venues where people congregate

If you have fever, cough, and difficulty breathing or flue-like symptoms and a history of travel, seek medical assistance

Health workers should screen all patients and take a detailed history of anyone presenting with flue-like symptoms

The situation is being monitored closely by the Ministry of Health with guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO). The public will continue to be informed on any further developments.

DR. V. MAGAGULA
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH SERVICES