State Media|NR Barber, a mining firm, is seeking the Constitutional Court (Concourt)’s permission to challenge last month’s Supreme Court ruling which converted United States dollar debts to the Zimdollar at a rate of 1:1 in line with Statutory Instrument 33 of 2019.

The company is basing its challenge on its submission that the Statutory Instrument was unconstitutional and that it should have been declared so at the appeal hearing which overturned a previous High Court ruling that debts in US dollars retained their value in that currency.

The firm lost its case last month after Zambezi Gas Private Limited, a mining services provider, successfully appealed to overturn the earlier ruling by the High Court, which was in favour of NR Barber.

The Supreme Court found that the statutory instrument made it clear that debts contracted before the statutory instrument were to be converted at 1:1.

NR Barber was owed $3 885 000 plus interest by Zambezi Gas Zimbabwe (Private) Limited since 2014 and at that stage the debt was effectively denominated in US dollars

In an urgent chamber application, NR Barber, which has hired top lawyer Advocate Thabani Mpofu, is seeking leave to appeal the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on January 20 this year.

Alternatively, the company seeks leave to approach the Concourt in terms of Section 85(1) of the Constitution, challenging the decision of the Supreme Court; that section allows anyone in their own interest, in the interest of someone unable to act for themselves, or in the public interest, to approach “a court” alleging that a fundamental right has been infringed and the court may grant appropriate relief including a declaration of rights and an award of compensation.

NR Barber is under judicial management. But the company’s judicial manager, Mr Antiock Kurauone, stated in an affidavit that the court’s decision, had an effect of violating the company’s rights.

The mining firm, which is a legal person in terms of the law, contends that the judgment has an effect of violating its property rights as enshrined under Section 71 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the section on property rights in the declaration of rights.

In its request to appeal, NR Barber has submitted that its rights under Section 56 (1) of the Constitution guaranteeing a fair hearing were breached as well as its right under the fair hearing provisions in sections 69 (2) and 69 (3) which go into detail on rights in civil cases and disputes. It argues that the lower court erred in proceeding on a “false basis being that the validity of Statutory Instrument SI33 of 2019 was not challenged and was consequently not an issue before it”.

But Mr Kurauone, in his affidavit, said the court should have considered the statutory instrument and found it void as being promulgated “contrary to provisions of Section 2 of the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) Act” and then found that the High Court judgment should stand.

SI33 of 2019 abolished the multi-currency regime and reintroduced the Zimdollar.

Zambezi Gas did not honour its debt despite several court orders against it, until the Government, through SI33, made it clear US dollar balances were converted to the RTGS dollar, a new local currency, at the rate of 1:1.

The gas firm paid RTGS$4 136 806.54 into NR Barber’s bank account in May last year saying that was the final settlement of its debt and the interest that had accrued.

On the date of payment, the amount was equivalent to just US$144 788.23 at the interbank rate.

This prompted NR Barber to seek to attach Zambezi Gas’ property, leading to the latter approaching the High Court, seeking a declaration that it had fully met NR Barber’s debt.

The High Court ruled in favour of NR Barber, stating that debts contracted in US dollars would continue to hold the US dollar value.

Zambezi Gas immediately appealed against the decision at the Supreme Court, which overturned the High Court decision in favour of Zambezi Gas.

Seven people were killed, while 55 others were injured when a Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) bus, two kombis and a Honda Fit collided at the 290km peg along the Kwekwe-Harare highway yesterday afternoon.

According to eyewitnesses, tragedy struck when the Honda Fit encroached into the lane of the Harare-bound bus, resulting in the vehicles side-swiping.

The bus then hit a kombi parked on the left side of the road, which then hit another kombi which was parked in front of it.

Three of the six passengers who were in the Honda Fit died on the spot and so did one in one of the kombis and two on the bus.

One other passenger, who was on the bus, succumbed to his injuries on admission to Kwekwe General Hospital.-State media

Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has suspended the party’s Provincial Executive.

Chamisa announced the suspension during a heated provincial meeting in Masvingo on Sunday.

“From what I have gathered we are now temporarily suspending the provincial executive,” said Chamisa.

He also condemned the persecution of MDC vice chairperson Job Sikhala.

“I asked Honourable Sikhala to go to Bikita to represent the party.

If you persecute Sikhala then you are persecuting me as well.

If you arrest Sikhala it means you have arrested me because he went Bikita to campaign for the party,” said Chamisa.

“I also want to stress that we are not interested in the formation of another GNU.What we want is a Transitional Authority.

POLAD was created to serve Mnangagwa’s interests so we will not join the discredited platform,” added Chamisa.

Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has described the persecution of the opposition party’s vice chairperson Job Sikhala as a desperate attempt by Emmerson Mnangagwa to silence democratic voices.

Chamisa made the remarks during a heated provincial meeting in Masvingo on Sunday.

“I asked Honourable Sikhala to go to Bikita to represent the party.

If you persecute Sikhala then you are persecuting me as well.

If you arrest Sikhala it means you have arrested me because he went Bikita to campaign for the party,” said Chamisa.

“I also want to stress that we are not interested in the formation of another GNU.What we want is a Transitional Authority.

POLAD was created to serve Mnangagwa’s interests so we will not join the discredited platform,” added Chamisa.

Farai Dziva|Teachers are now selling sweets and biscuits to pupils in a bid to compensate for the poor salaries they are earning.

Responding to a directive from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to stop selling sweets to pupils and students, teachers declared they would continue come up with initiatives to sustain themselves and their families.

Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe(PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou acknowledged he received the government directive.

However defiant PTUZ members have vowed to defy the directive.

“We are selling sweets and biscuits to pupils as part of efforts to atone for our poor salaries,” said a PTUZ official.

Farai Dziva|
Five people died in Bulawayo 2019 after they being instructed by a prophet to stop taking ARVs.

National Aids Council Bulawayo Provincial Manager, Sinatra Nyathi, quoted by Health Times, urged people not to discontinue their medication for whatever reasons.

“Remember, when someone is on ART, the ARVs are responsible for suppressing the viral load to levels where we don’t want it to be detectable in their bloodstream.

So if you don’t take your drugs, you are actually giving the virus the change to multiply and most of the time when the person’s virus has multiplied to those levels, most of them they will not make it.

That is why we have got a challenge to say people are going to the prophets and faith-based organisations and say prophet so and so prayed for me and I threw away the drugs.”

Pindula|Prominent journalist and filmmaker, Hopewell Chin’ono has claimed that a member of the A ZANU PF politburo told him that Sakunda boss, Kuda Tagwirei bought all ZANU PF cars member and is also the one paying their salaries, and provides fuel to them.

Posting on microblogging site, Twitter, Chin’ono said:

A senior ZANUPF insider explained to me how one of the businessmen accused by @LewisMatutu of corruption is used by the party to fund its programs.

The insider said Tafadzwa Musarara was protected by the President bcoz like Tagwirei, he helps the party in rural constituencies! pic.twitter.com/9UJiJPhbal

— Hopewell Chin’ono (@daddyhope) February 10, 2020

In other words, ZANUPF has been captured by a cartel King!

This confirms what the Prosecutor General said earlier!

The remarks are said when the politburo has recently suspended Youth League deputy secretary, Lewis Matutu and Political Commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu for violating party code of conduct after they named Tagwirei at a press conference as the cartel bleeding the country.

Tagwirei was also in the news recently after Vice President Constantino Chiwenga revealed in his court papers that the businessman was the one who bought him the luxurious cars he has, a gesture that was seen as a purchase of favours from the former army boss.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has announced that it has started investigating Tagwirei on corruption allegations that were raised by him by the ZANU PF Youth League.

ZACC’s seriousness in fighting corruption has since been questioned after Prosecutor General, Kumbirai Hodzi this Monday startled the nation by alleging that the Commission was one of the institutions protecting cartels in the country.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has claimed that it has begun investigations on corruption accused Sakunda Holdings boss, Kuda Tagwirei.

The alleged investigation was reportedly triggered by a report that was made by ousted former ZANU PF deputy Secretary for the Youth League, Lewis Matutu and the League’s Political Commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu.

ZACC spokesperson, Commissioner John Makamure told Nehanda Radio that although the Commission is investigating the businessman, it is still waiting for the evidence it requested from Tsenengamu and Matutu. Makamure said:

We are investigating. If anyone makes a report, we investigate. We request those who file complaints to also assist with evidence. It makes our job easier.

We met them (Tsenengamu and Matutu); we asked for evidence and we are waiting for that evidence; not to say we are not looking into that issue, no.

Tagwirei was last week named by the ZANU PF Youth League as one of the individuals who are bleeding the economy by engaging in underhand dealings.

Tsenengamu and Matutu lost their party posts following the announcement a development which prompted others to say that Tagwirei was being protected by political elites within the ruling ZANU PF.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police in Gokwe have announced that that they have recovered a Nissan Caravan and two cellphones which were abandoned by wanted murder suspects who fled after being sighted at a shopping centre.

Police say the suspects are wanted in connection with a case murder which occurred in Kadoma.It is said that the  suspects abandoned vehicle was abandoned after some warning shots were fired. The manhunt for these suspects is still ongoing.

1/2 Police in Gokwe recovered a Nissan Caravan and two cellphones on 7/2/20 which were abandoned by wanted murder suspects who fled after being sighted at a shopping centre. The suspects are wanted in connection with a case murder which occurred in Kadoma.

— Zimbabwe Republic Police (@PoliceZimbabwe) February 10, 2020

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) is investigating if Harare businessman Tonny Sarpo indeed performed community service, given as an alternative to a jail term for vehicle theft, at Morris Depot.

This follows two conflicting reports from the police on queries by the Department of Community Service. The first report said Sarpo, who is a director of an engineering company, had not reported for community service, while the second report said he had reported, but giving some work dates that fell on weekends.

The department’s officers, who visited the depot in mid-January, failed to locate Sarpo. Apparently, Sarpo had asked the court to be allowed to do his community service at Morris Depot. As is required, community service officers made a follow up and were told by police officers at the quartermaster’s office that Sarpo had never reported for work since his sentence in December last year.

The director of community service in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ms Loice Majonga then wrote a report to the Harare Magistrates’ Court and a warrant of arrest was issued against Sarpo.

Police responded saying Sarpo was performing community service at the depot workshop and submitted signed roster sheets.

However, the court order directed the businessman to do community service during weekdays, but the police report showed that Sarpo performed unpaid work even on weekends.

The same report showed signatures of the offender and that of the police supervisor on December 21 2019, which was a Saturday, on January 9, 2020, which was a Thursday and the next day, a Friday. But then there were also signatures for January 11, which was a Saturday.

However, on the strength of the police statement that the businessman performed community service, a Harare magistrate cancelled the warrant of arrest. ZACC was then called in. The person whose car was stolen has been active in following up the matter and made a formal complaint. ZACC chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo confirmed receiving the report from the complainant.

“I can confirm that we received a report of possible corruption involving a man who is said to have defaulted on community service. I have referred the report to the investigators, who are now investigating the case.”

Ms Majonga insists that the offender never performed community service. In her letter to the businessman’s lawyers, Ms Majonga said there was need for an inquiry.

“The Community Service Department notes your interest in this matter and would like to advise that it stands by its initially established position that your client never reported at Morris Depot to do community service.

“Furthermore, please take notice, that the breach enquiry procedure has already been initiated and it is our considered view, buttressed by the community service policy framework or terms of reference that such matters be handled by way of conducting breach enquiries,” reads the letter dated January 21 2020.

The quartermaster’s office at Morris Depot on January 15 commented as follows:

“Please be advised that we never saw this person at our premises ever since.”

Contrary to the January 15 report, Inspector J. Bvonyongwa wrote another statement later saying: “I hereby confirm that the above mentioned man has been reporting for duty at this workshop as indicated on the attached duty roster from December 21 2019. When the court made a visit through the Community Service office to Morris Depot, on the 15th of January 2020, they visited the wrong office, which is not conversant with the goings on at the workshop.”

Daily News|HARARE City Council has taken legal action against debtors with 10 000 summons having been issued to defaulting ratepayers so far.

The local authority is owed more than $1 billion by business, the government and residents and has been battling to provide services like clean water and garbage collection due to its financial incapacitation.

Harare council spokesperson Michael Chideme said the local authority is owed in excess of $900 million and the issuing of summons is just the tip of an iceberg in recovering debt as many more summons were being processed.

“We are urging debtors to do payment plans or to pay up before legal action is taken, and residents entering into payment plans should at least pay their current bills,” Chideme said.

Among debtors that owe the local authority is the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, the National Social Security Authority (Nssa), Norton Town Council, Chitungwiza Town Council, and National Railways of Zimbabwe.

Government entities such as Nssa, NRZ and Telecel are also in the top debtors’ list that also includes Crest Breeders, Irvine’s Day Old Chicks, Simon Muzenda Housing Co-operative, Caps (Pvt) Ltd, among others.

FIRST Mutual Holdings Limited (First Mutual) has denied owing MDC vice president Tendai Biti $15 million, which the politician claimed related to his retirement package policy.

Biti told the court that upon retirement, the pension fund was supposed to pay him the contractual $15 million sum assured after the company debased his policy.

But First Mutual has denied tersely ever owing the MDC vice president. First Mutual said it did not reach any such agreement with Biti.

“Defendant (First Mutual) denies that is conducts the business of an insurer. Defendant avers in particular that it did not contract or reach any agreement with plaintiff (Biti) in the manner and respects herein alleged or at all and puts plaintiff to proof hereof. As a consequence of the above averments, defendant contends that the relief sought by plaintiff is not justified at all,” First Mutual said.

The Harare East MP told the court that in 1993, while he was a partner at Honey and Blanckenberg law firm, his pension contributions were with his consent converted by First Mutual into a pension policy.

“The annuitisation phase commenced with a payment of $15 648, 04 and the written projection given by defendant was that upon attaining the retirement age of 60, plaintiff would be paid a capital value of $4 133 593 and an annual pension of $782 066, 47 giving a total assured sum of $15 000 000,” Biti said.

The parliamentarian, however, said, “In breach of the agreement between the parties and taking advantage of the changes in currency that occurred in the 2009, defendant has unilaterally claimed that as at March 2009, the value of plaintiff’s policy was US$196, 76 and US$327, 28 as at December 31, 2015”.

Biti further told the court the unilateral position taken by First Mutual Holdings means that it will, upon his retirement, pay less than the agreed value of the policy.

“In terms of the purchasing power parity theory which constitutes an integral tacit term of the insurance relationship between the parties, plaintiff is entitled to a payment which preserves and reflects the total value by which he was insured,” he said.

He said that despite there being an agreement between the parties, First Mutual Holdings had refused, even in the light of the findings made by a presidential commission of inquiry, to take a position which recognises and upholds the essence of what was agreed.

He said this made it necessary for the court to declare the correct position for the guidance of the parties.

In his papers, Biti sought an order declaring that, “In terms of the insurance contract concluded between parties, upon the attainment by plaintiff of the retirement age of 60, plaintiff is entitled to payment of an amount which as at the date of such payment is equivalent to the value of $15 million such value being reckoned as at the 31st of December 1993”.

The race to succeed Pupurai Togarepi began in February 2019 when Godfrey Tsenengamu tried leading a coup against Togarepi and Matutu.

Many names have been thrown into the race with speculation rife that there are only 3 top contenders for the Youth league top post.

Tinomuda Machakaire known as TinMac is currently deputy Minister of Youth, he is Vice President Chiwenga’s ally and a Tagwirei in-law, making him a favorite given Tagwirei’s influence. However, President Mnangagwa is currently under fire for firing Togarepi over the cartels scandal which has Kuda Tagwirei at the centre. Appointing a Tagwirei ally would be a direct endorsement of cartels and corruption. President Emmerson Mnangagwa cannot afford that at the moment. Tino Machakaire is a pragmatic leader who has support at grassroots but his proximity to Kuda Tagwirei works against him.

The second name that has been touted in the race to succeed Togarepi is that of Energy Mutodi. While Energy Mutodi might be unpopular on twitter and social media he enjoys grassroots support in Mashonaland East, Masvingo and Manicaland provinces. Mutodi who holds a PhD in finance from the University of Cape Town is currently Deputy Minister of Information. Mutodi a close Mnangagwa ally who was persecuted by the Mugabe regime for his Mnangagwa allegiance is said to be the Palace favorite to land the Post. Mutodi is militant, and this is an important trait when commanding ZANU PF Youth League forces especially as we gear towards the 2023 elections. Mutodi is no stranger to controversy but he has mastered the art of political survival and shrewd political tactics which make him an asset to the Mnangagwa camp towards 2023.

The third name that has been thrown into the race is that of Terence Mukupe. Mukupe lost the Harare East constituency to Tendai Biti and subsequently lost the Deputy Minister of Finance post which he enjoyed prior to the 2018 elections. Mukupe has been a long term Mnangagwa ally, and is an in law to Oliver Chidawu. This makes him an integral part of the Mnangagwa inner circle. Mukupe is pragmatic, but currently seems too busy and preoccupied with personal business ventures. Mukupe has been posting pictures of a lavish lifestyle on social media while Zimbabweans languish in poverty. Many are of the view that Mukupe is out of touch with the needs of the people, Mukupe is soft and is not viewed as a capable ground commander who could rally the youth league into a successful 2023 campaign. Mukupe would face a lot of resistance from rural constituencies which are ZANU PF’s stronghold and most important base.

The decision lies solely with President Emmerson Mnangagwa as President and First Secretary of ZANU PF though he needs to choose tactfully as his chosen secretary for youth will be the face of his 2023 campaign which is already underway. The chosen Secretary needs to be someone who can really whip votes and command grassroots support and respect while maintaining a tight, disciplined ship.

A speeding ZUPCO bus has killed a dozen people on the spot while several others were seriously injured.

The incident happened on Monday afternoon at the Truckers Inn along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway just outside Kwekwe.

The bus rammed onto three vehicles after it had brakes failure while at a high speed killing some people who were not even in the bus, the injured were rushed to Kwekwe General Hospital.

According to witnesses the ZUPCO bus driver was speeding. They said the bus which was headed for Harare developed a mechanical fault and rammed into a Honda Fit vehicle travelling to Kwekwe.

“The ZUPCO bus driver failed to control the bus after ramming into the Honda Fit before hitting two other stationery commuter omnibuses which were parked on the roadside,” the witnesses said.

Three people travelling in the Honda Fit, two passengers in one of the commuter omnibuses died on the spot. The other dead passengers were travelling in the ZUPCO bus.

The police officer Commanding Kwekwe District, Conrad Mubaiwa said information on the exact numbers of the deceased and injured were going to be availed in due course. 

“We are still gathering information on what really transpired as police. We will be availing information on the number of the deceased and the injured in due course,” he said.

Own Correspondent|At One moment, the Matabeleland South MDC leadership was contemplating calling off the provincial interface meeting with party leader Nelson Chamisa as only a handful of people had turned up at the venue four hours after the scheduled start time of the meeting.

Heavy rains continued to bombard the town with almost all access roads into town from surrounding mines and villages flooding.

When Chamisa finally arrived after lunch, a little over one hundred people were inside the venue which has a capacity seating of about a thousand people.

Introducing the party President to the people, party National Chairperson Thabitha Khumalo rightfully estimated that that there were under 200 people in the hall a far cry from the huge numbers Chamisa had been addressing in other provinces.

As soon as the rains subsided, the never say die MDC supporters filled up the venue like a collapsed dam wall.

When Chamisa concluded his nearly two hours address the hall had been turned into a sea of red t-shirts and hats, wet as they were.

Chamisa did justice to the gathering as he delivered a pinpoint address on the issue currently affecting the county and the possible way forward the MDC will take.

Chamisa castigated President Emmerson Mnangagwa for his lacklustre approach towards the national dialogue indicating that he was ready to meet with Mnangagwa at any time.

Chamisa insisted that he will not under any circumstances join the POLAD platform which he said has no defined way forward for the country. Chamisa insisted that real talks to save the county are between him and Mnangagwa only.

Chamisa said that the MDC will not give up on wanting to engage with Mnangagwa for the setting up of a National Transitional Authority.

“We have been patient with Mnangagwa, if he does not want to volunteer to come to the negotiating table, we will find means of pushing him to come to the table,” said Chamisa to a wild cheer.

Giving direction to the party, Chamisa called on the party structures to bring down the running of the party to the newly set up branches.

“Every member of the party must belong to a branch and the branches will be the ones that will have a major voice in the running of the party,” he said.

“Our party has always been big at the top and small at the bottom and now it’s time to change the triangle and make it big at the bottom for balance.”

He further implored on the party structures to end the contour culture of imposing candidates especially in rural constituencies as that contributed a lot to the party losses in the rural areas.

“Never again are we going to have scavenging birds landing in constituencies they never live in wanting to be candidates then take off as soon as they lose,” said Chamisa.

Watch video downloading below:

https://www.facebook.com/ZimEye/videos/1832742180190409

By Jane Mlambo| Controversial Zimdancehall chanter Seh Calaz real name Tawanda Mumanyi has opened up on his relationship with troublesome colleague Soul Jah Love saying he needs prayers, support and love for him to overcome the current problems going on in his life.

In a touching message, Calaz said it is hard for society to accept that public figures also experience hardships, hence his call for people to pray for Jah Love.

Calaz opened up on his relationship with the Ndini Uya Uya hit maker saying they have gone through a lot in life from being friends, brothers and rivals.

“I don’t usually say this but this guy is one of the few artist I have respect for in this industry. He has been my friend, brother, rival for years. I think as a nation he needs more of our prayers, support and love. People go through so many personal hurdles and conflicts but as public figures most of the times nobody really knows the hardships you face in your personal life. It is easy to spend a lot of energy concentrating on keeping people happy and entertained asi uchirwisana nezvakawanda wega pasina arikuziva. Take time to listen to Souljah luv’s songs KANA NDAFA, NDIMI MAKAURAYA and more of his recent tracks before deciding to just look down on him and blame what you think is the problem when you are not really sure of what he has to fight everyday. I stand with him in what he is going through and I hope we all do the same and pray for strength for Makuruwani, Chibaba, tese tinoziva kuti dhanzi rinodhakwa kana ari low,” said Calaz.

1/2 Police in Gokwe recovered a Nissan Caravan and two cellphones on 7/2/20 which were abandoned by wanted murder suspects who fled after being sighted at a shopping centre. The suspects are wanted in connection with a case murder which occurred in Kadoma.

— Zimbabwe Republic Police (@PoliceZimbabwe) February 10, 2020

2/2 The vehicle was abandoned after some warning shots were fired. The manhunt for these suspects is still ongoing.

— Zimbabwe Republic Police (@PoliceZimbabwe) February 10, 2020

By A Correspondent- Two elderly men who “clashed” at their teenage girlfriend’s place have been arrested for causing a scene at her place.

The drama filled incident occurred at Queenspark East last week on Thursday.

The court heard that while Ebson Kandlela (61) was relaxing with his 17-year-old lover at her place they heard a knock at the gate.

The lady in question rushed to the gate and found out that it was her other lover Petro Matutu (42).  

She refused to open the gate while giving an excuse that her parents who are reportedly based in South Africa were at the house. As a result an argument ensued between the two. 

Hearing the noise Kandlela  rushed to the gate, he accused Matutu of disturbing them but that did not go down well with Matutu.

A fight broke out, Matutu hit Kandlela with a stone on the forehead leaving him with a deep wound on the face.

A police officer who was on patrol intervened and arrested the love rivals. They were arrested.

Kandlela took to the stand: “ I’m facing marital problems, as a result stress took its toll on me, that is why I had to fight with him over that lady. I’m embarrassed by what happened and I do not know how I will face my family.”

Matutu told court he felt hard done by her lover whom he has been pampering with a lot money for her upkeep.

“I have spent a lot money on her upkeep and that is how she pays me. I’m gutted by this! To make matters worse I had planned to marry her but shockingly things have taken a terrible turn,” said the worried looking Matutu. 

Magistrate Stephen Ndlovu found them guilty for disorderly conduct and fined them $300 each, failure to pay by end of this month they will languish in jail for two months.

-BMetro

Farai Dziva|Teachers are now selling sweets and biscuits to pupils in a bid to compensate for the poor salaries they are earning.

Responding to a directive from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to stop selling sweets to pupils and students, teachers declared they would continue come up with initiatives to sustain themselves and their families.

Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe(PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou acknowledged he received the government directive.

However defiant PTUZ members have vowed to defy the directive.

“We are selling sweets and biscuits to pupils as part of efforts to atone for our poor salaries,” said a PTUZ official.

By A Correspondent- Two suspected Zimbabwe Republic Police officers were severely assaulted by a mob during a foiled robbery attempt.

The duo, Question Karachi (36) and Kaziva Mayimbo (24) were not asked to plead on a robbery charge when they appeared before Concession resident magistrate Ruth Moyo, who remanded them in custody to February 19.

The State alleges that on February 4, the suspects together with two accomplices, who are still at large, connived to rob gold buyer Zachariah Machacha of Dutch mining syndicate in Mazowe.

The suspects, who were dressed in police uniform, threatened to arrest Machacha after misrepresenting that they were conducting operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere.

They handcuffed him and ordered him to surrender all the money in his possession.

The suspects searched him and stole US$30 and ZWL$500.

Angry residents who were watching allegedly pounced on the suspects and meted instant justice before effecting citizens’ arrest.

Two of the suspects fled while two were successfully apprehended and surrendered to Mazowe police.

-Newsday

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is on record issuing a five year pledge when he assumed power post 2018 harmonised polls. Do you think that he has fulfilled any of those promises?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) February 10, 2020

By A Correspondent- When president Emmerson Mnangagwa came to power, he made a number of promises which he said would be fulfilled within his first five-year term.

Mnangagwa pledged to put job creation first; have zero-tolerance to corruption; establish a modern, affordable healthcare system for all; develop infrastructure worthy of the new Zimbabwe, and generate unprecedented educational and employment opportunities for our youth.

At the moment, the health sector in the country is in a parlous state whilst the same can be said for all other sectors including education and industry.

Mnangagwa established an anti-corruption commission, ZACC, which some analysts say was meant to hoodwink the public into believing that authorities were not only paying lip service to the anti-corruption campaign.

The unemployment rate has been on the rise over the past twenty-four months as a result of closure of several companies who cited the increased cost of doing business in the country.

By A Correspondent- The director of the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare’s epidemiology and disease control, Portia Manangazira has said that Zimbabwe has no plans of quarantining visitors from the coronavirus-affected China.

Mananganzira said that it is expensive and against the World Health Organisation (WHO) regulations to quarantine those visitors. She said:

We have already started self-quarantining. Those under surveillance are advised to do minimal interactions for at least 14 days. Things like going to church and meeting should be avoided for now.

In the event that someone coming straight from Wuhan or other affected countries has shown symptoms of the virus, we will then quarantine them at the hospital. We cannot quarantine all travellers coming from affected areas in one place because it’s expensive and against World Health Organisation (WHO) regulations.

The deadly virus erupted in Wuhan, China in December last year and has since claimed more than 700 lives with thousands having tested positive to the virus.

Some countries including the United States of America have repatriated some of their citizens whilst suspected cases of the virus have since been quarantined.

The timing of the outbreak is very concerning considering that Zimbabwe’s health sector is collapsed.

-DailyNews

– Introduces Polad club To AU

– Complains about sanctions from the European Union and the United States of America.

ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa presented a speech in which he was a lone voice – practically “talking to himself” on the issue of targeted sanctions against the military he has used to kill over 24 people since the 1st August 2018 when he changed the national election results as fully filmed on the state broadcaster [ZBC].

Addressing African leaders in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the 33rd African Union Summit, Mnangagwa complained about sanctions from the US and the European Union, [although the only remaining EU sanctions are on the late president Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace, and the Zimbabwe Defence Industries].

Yesterday, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa ignored Mnangagwa’s request to introduce Mnangagwa’s anti sanctions agenda to the summit. The African Union as a whole, also completely avoided the topic as they emphasised rather the Silencing of The Guns By 2020 theme.

The theme of the year is: “Silencing the guns, creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development,” a direct contradiction to Mnangagwa as a person and as a leader – the United Nations has implicated him for using live ammunition since the 1st August 2018 when he changed election results.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

Mnangagwa said it’s not his country that is targeted by the United States and its allies as several countries on the continent and beyond are battling with economic sanctions imposed on them.

Mnangagwa said for international peace and cooperation, dialogue not sanctions is the right approach.

“This is in solidarity with the people and governments of South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi and Cuba who are equally suffering from similar unilateral sanctions. These imposed sanctions have been on for two decades. The EU has taken positive steps to repeal the sanctions regime, we urged them to complete the process by removing the remaining measures against Zimbabwe. My administration has reneged the European Union and the United States of America with a view to normalise our bilateral relations and put the past behind us,” he said.

Mnangagwa also briefed members of the African Union on developments on the ground as well as measures being adopted to enhance the livelihoods of the country’s citizens.

“In our quest to enhance national cohesion unity and political tolerance, we have established Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) which brings together various political actors in our country. Meanwhile, our efforts to revive the economy are ongoing, and the ease of doing business has improved as acknowledged by the global index on ease of doing business. We have opened up media space to more players under the new dispensation. Zimbabwe is therefore fully committed to continuing those voluntary reforms because they are good for our people and further facilitate sustainable development, national unity and peace,” he explained.

At the ongoing 33rd African Union Summit, Zimbabwe officially joined the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) despite outstanding issues. In June last year, Government said it would fully implement the AfCFTA after 15 years when the country is expected to have fully industrialised.
Zimbabwe is also a member of the G6 countries, a grouping that supports the AfCFTA but argues they face specific development challenges. – state media/additional reporting

Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has described the persecution of the opposition party’s vice chairperson Job Sikhala as a desperate attempt by Emmerson Mnangagwa to silence democratic voices.

Chamisa made the remarks during a heated provincial meeting in Masvingo on Sunday.

“I asked Honourable Sikhala to go to Bikita to represent the party.

If you persecute Sikhala then you are persecuting me as well.

If you arrest Sikhala it means you have arrested me because he went Bikita to campaign for the party,” said Chamisa.

“I also want to stress that we are not interested in the formation of another GNU.What we want is a Transitional Authority.

POLAD was created to serve Mnangagwa’s interests so we will not join the discredited platform,” added Chamisa?

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa is addressing party members in Gwanda as part of his national tour to meet the party’s provincial leadership.

Below are live updates of the meeting……

1445: Chamisa addresses the party structures in Gwanda

1440: Chamisa takes to the podium, turns the house wild with greetings in Ndebele

14:35 Thabitha Khumalo blasts the provincial leadership for failing to bring all the people in the structures to meet the President.

14:30 National chair person Thabitha Khumalo takes to the podium

14:15 Different constituencies updating Chamisa on progress made in setting up branch structures

1410: Nelson Chamisa has arrived in Gwanda at the Gwanda District Club for the meeting with the party structures.

1400: Party stalwarts brave the heavy rains pounding Gwanda District for an interface with party leader Nelson Chamisa.

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa is addressing party members in Gwanda as part of his national tour to meet the party’s provincial leadership.

Below are live updates of the meeting.

15:00 This year we want to put in place the people’s government. ZANU PF is the ruling party we are the leading party.

14:57 The second thing for our agenda is to win parliament. We will not continue losing elections because people impose candidates.

14:55 To achieve our objective, starting this year anyone who is in party leadership and fails to deliver will be substituted. Chamisa

14:51 Our Agenda 2020 main objective is to be the governing party in the country. We must be different from ZANU PF. Chamisa

14:50 Chamisa assures that as soon as he is done touring the provinces, he will visit all the 210 Constituencies.

14:40 Chamisa takes to the podium turns the house wild with greetings in Ndebele

14:30 National chair person Thabitha Khumalo takes to the podium introduces Chamisa to the house.

1410: Nelson Chamisa has arrived in Gwanda at the Gwanda District Club for the meeting with the party structures.

1400: Party stalwarts brave the heavy rains pounding Gwanda District for an interface with party leader Nelson Chamisa.

Farai Dziva|
Five people died in Bulawayo 2019 after they being instructed by a prophet to stop taking ARVs.

National Aids Council Bulawayo Provincial Manager, Sinatra Nyathi, quoted by Health Times, urged people not to discontinue their medication for whatever reasons.

“Remember, when someone is on ART, the ARVs are responsible for suppressing the viral load to levels where we don’t want it to be detectable in their bloodstream.

So if you don’t take your drugs, you are actually giving the virus the change to multiply and most of the time when the person’s virus has multiplied to those levels, most of them they will not make it.

That is why we have got a challenge to say people are going to the prophets and faith-based organisations and say prophet so and so prayed for me and I threw away the drugs.”

By A Correspondent- Long Cheng Plaza’s engineering section manager appeared in court last week for allegedly s_o_d_omising a general hand at the popular shopping mall in Belvedere, Harare.

Yichun Wang (46), who is being represented by lawyer Oscar Gasva, appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts charged with aggravated indecent assault.

Wang is denying the charges.

Prosecutor Constance Ngombengombe alleges that sometime in 2015, Wang called the general hand (name withheld) to his office and ordered him to report for night duty.

It is alleged that when the general hand reported for duty, Wang started asking for se_xual favours from him saying he would protect him at work for any misdemeanour.

The man turned down Wang’s request, but he insisted.

Ms Ngombengombe alleges that the general hand eventually yielded to Wang’s demands.

It is alleged that on the first encounter, Wang paid $3.

The court heard that since that day, Wang would sod0mise the man twice per week until he reported the matter to the deputy general manager.

It is said that the deputy general manager failed to take action, prompting the victim to lodge a complaint with the police leading to Wang’s arrest.

He is expected to appear in court on February 27 for trial.

Magistrate Amos Mubobo is presiding over the matter.

-Statemedia

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa will be addressing party members in Gwanda as part of his national tour to meet the party’s provincial leadership.

ZimEye will be giving you live updates of the meeting.

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

By A Correspondent- Young girls in southern Africa are selling se_x – sometimes for less than the cost of bread – to survive a hunger crisis ensnaring tens of millions, aid agencies said on Thursday.

In Angola, girls of 12 sell themselves for as little as 40 cents to feed their families as the south of the country faces its worst drought in four decades, World Vision said.

The United Nations says a record 45 million people in southern Africa face hunger amid a “silent catastrophe” caused by repeated drought, widespread flooding and economic chaos.

World Vision said staff had seen a significant increase in girls resorting to transactional se_x in Angola and Zimbabwe amid “huge levels of desperation”.

Robert Bulten, World Vision’s emergencies director in Angola, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation a girl might get 500 kwanzas ($1) for se_x – enough to buy about a kilo of beans or two kilos of maize – but could get as little as 200 kwanzas.

“We definitely know there’s an increase. It’s difficult to quantify because it’s taboo … but I would say a significant number (are doing this),” he said.

“We’re talking about girls between 12 and 17.”

Bulten said the price of some staples had doubled since last year. With the next harvest not due until June, he predicted hunger would worsen.

In Zimbabwe, CARE International said there were reports of girls as young as 14 resorting to selling se_x, especially en route to South Africa and near goldmines.

“Sometimes they earn as little as 5 RTGS ($0.31) for one se_xual encounter, which is really awful … it’s not even enough to buy a loaf,” said CARE’s regional gender expert Everjoy Mahuku.

ActionAid regional advisor Chikondi Chabvuta said women and girls “on the edge of survival” were forced into transactional se_x in Mozambique and Malawi.

Swathes of southern Africa have experienced their lowest rainfall since 1981, according to the United Nations, which says the crisis is fuelled by climate change as temperatures in the region rise at about twice the global rate.

Other countries affected include Zambia, Madagascar, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini.

Aid workers said many of the girls would normally be in school. In some cases, they had dropped out because of deepening family poverty, but many schools had also closed.

World Vision’s Bulten said the crisis in southern Angola had also increased the incidence of rape and child marriage.

Girls were at heightened risk of rape while walking long distances for water or foraging in forests, he said.

Families struggling to make ends meet may marry girls off early so they have one less mouth to feed, but Bulten said sometimes it was to keep them out of the prostitution.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the crisis had driven up child marriage in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho and Namibia.

-Wires

Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Emmanuel Zellers Gumbo, the Spokesperson for the Friends of Job Sikhala Solidarity Trust. I am not ashamed to declare today that I was the brains behind the Friends of Job Sikhala Solidarity Trust formation.

The main aim of the formation of the trust is to compliment the support from the MDC party against his persecution that was packaged by the authoritarian and unpopular illegitimate regime of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Firstly, I would like to thank the MDC People’s President Advocate Nelson Chamisa for the immense support he gave to our friend Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala during his trying times. He truly demonstrated that he is a people’s President.

We would like to further thank the MDC family for standing with us throughout this critical period in the history of our country. Friends and relatives can’t be mentioned as it is our obligation to stand with one of us during such times.

In our thousands we complimented the efforts of all Zimbabweans in fighting on the corner of our dear friend Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala. Our solidarity is purely love for the man and our frowning on injustice and dictatorship. It is motivated by no any other agenda but purely protection of our dear friend from abuse by the State and his enemies.

We have managed to build a fortress around our dear friend of which anyone who dares us must be warned in advance that we are prepared to die for him. Why we are prepared to die for him, is now public knowledge to our dear Zimbabweans. Our friend has gone through multifaceted abuse by the regime since time immemorial.

We think that all along we did not render enough support for him to thwart the evil machinations of this evil regime of ZANU PF against his person. The persecution our friend went through for years can not be allowed to persist unchallenged.

Today’s press conference was called for two important developments since Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala appeared in Court for his trial on the 3rd of February 2020.

Firstly, the police issued a very sickening press release on its Twitter handle informing the world about the burglary and theft that took place at the house of the presiding Judge Hon Garainesu Mawadze who is trying our dear friend’s case at the High Court sitting in Masvingo.

The police in their press release insinuated that the unlawful entry and theft that happened at the Honourable Justice’s house had anything to do with his presiding over our dear friend’s trial. We did not take lightly to such innuendos.

This is not only scandalous but defamatory in all material respects. Suggesting that a man of a man of implacable standing like Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala may be suggested to be linked with such disgrace is crossing the red line.

We took the statement as a declaration of hostility against us and we have already taken remedial measures by instructing our lawyers to sue the police not only for defamation but for constitutional damages for the violation of our dear friend’s right to dignity.

The brand of our friend is unquantifiable but we have instructed our lawyers to sue the police to the tune of $50 million Zimbabwe dollars. $25 million for defamation and another $25 million for constitutional damages. Quantification was done in consideration of the brand and public life space our friend is occupying in Zimbabwe.

He is a freedom fighter, a people’s public representative and a legal practitioner of implacable record in Zimbabwe. An attempt to damage his public standing by the police force that has turned into a rogue element against the citizens of Zimbabwe can not go unchallenged.

Secondly, Ezra Chadzamira a ZANU PF mandarin in Masvingo addressed the people in Mwenezi, during the Council by election saying that no matter the number of people who come to support our dear friend Hon Job Sikhala, he will go to prison under whatever circumstances.

Firstly, before going into detail, let me hasten to say that Chadzamira is an idiot of no substance and has no history to be taken as anything by anyone in Zimbabwe. He is just a jester who got a junior appointment by Emmerson Mnangagwa after the coup as a resident Minister for Masvingo Province.

He is unknown beyond the parameters of his house gate. He seeks attention by attacking our dear friend. We also wonder what knowledge he has over the judgement awaiting our dear friend Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala for him to boldly say such statements.

It is dangerous for anyone no matter who you are to interfere with the judiciary. This undermines the administration of justice in our country. It is unfortunately further confirming ZANU PF’s interference with the operation of the judiciary. Let this idiot be warned that his utterances are a recipe for serious conflict in the country in the event that it is confirmed that he interfered with the administration of justice in our country. The consequences are ghastly to contemplate in the event that his utterances come to fruition.

I thank you.

Emmanuel Zellers Gumbo
Friends of Job Sikhala Solidarity Trust Spokesperson.

Watch the video downloading below for this statement and more……….

By A Correspondent- The National Aids Council (Nac) Bulawayo provincial manager Sinatra Nyathi has raised concern over the deaths of people with HIV and Aids who stopped taking antiretroviral drugs after being told to do so by faith healers and “prophets”.

Nyathi said the issue was slowing down mitigatory programmes which sought to stem further spread of the disease as well as prolong lives of those infected.

“I was saddened to witness the deaths of about five people who I knew personally who succumbed to the disease after being told to stop medication by their prophets,” Nyathi told NewsDay recently.

“Although Nac has been working with churches in their interventions there remained a big headache (given) the mushrooming of new churches which are led by these prophets and faith healers.

“We are urging people on antiretroviral therapy (Art) not to throw away their drugs. We are currently raising awareness in the communities.”

Although she could not provide statistics on the number of people who have died after defaulting, Nyathi said any death linked to this was an issue of concern.

She also said while they had nothing against prayer, their worry was on patients being discharged from taking medication in the absence of a qualified doctor.

“We are not saying people should not pray, but patients must continue taking their medication as prescribed by their doctors,” Nyathi said.

Defaulting on Art often leads to viral resistance, treatment failure and increased risks of disease progression.

Last year it was reported that about 4 000 HIV positive people in Bulawayo were on second and third line Art after defaulting from the recommended first line regimen.

“There is need for further engagement with the faith-based organisations and impress upon them the need to ensure that those on Art are allowed to do so without any interruptions,” Nyathi said.

Previously there have been many false claims on cures for Aids. In 2018 leader and founder of the PHD Ministries Walter Magaya announced his controversial HIV and Aids herbal remedy, Aguma.

He was widely condemned for prematurely announcing cure before seeking government clearance.

He was subsequently charged with contravening section 40(1) of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act, which criminalises the distribution of unapproved medicines and misleading advertisement of such.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe is working towards ensuring that by end of this year, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, receive sustained Art and have viral suppression.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Chitungwiza’s Zengeza 2 administration office will soon house a passport application and collection office in an effort to decentralise issuance of passports and civil registration documents to districts and to decongest provincial offices, Chitungwiza acting town clerk Tonderai Kasu has said.

This follows a request made by the office of the Registrar-General (RG) last year for it to be allowed to renovate vacant offices at Chitungwiza Town Council to create room for a passports centre so as to decongest the Makombe Building passport office.

Chitungwiza, however, opted to offer the office of the Registrar-General space at Zengeza 2 administration offices as opposed to the town council head office.

“The current space we (Chitungwiza Town Council) are operating on now is a temporary space as it was meant for building a school so it was not going to make sense for us to give it to the RG’s office, but instead we allocated them a permanent space in Zengeza 2, because our long-term plan as council is to build a proper structure in Zengeza.

“The other influencing factor for our choice is that Zengeza is a central place and is close to business centres, something that is conducive for a place that will be frequented by a lot of people,” Kasu said.

Mayor Lovemore Maiko said Chitungwiza is one of the most populous towns in the country and as such the proposed passport office will serve a very significant number of people.

By A Correspondent- Former Zanu-PF Secretary for the Youth League Kudzanai Chipanga is set to bounce back into mainstream politics after the ruling party’s Manicaland Province recommended that he be brought back to the youth league, amid revelations that Chipanga met President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week.

Chipanga was appointed the Youth League secretary by former President Robert Mugabe in 2016 after the sacking of Pupurai Togarepi (56) who had sided with war veterans and then Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Zanu-PF factional fights between the G40 and Lacoste.

The former Makoni West legislator played a stellar role in organising the youth interface rallies which were used by Mugabe to lash at his opponents in his last year in power.

Ironically, Chipanga replaced Togarepi who was yesterday fired from the Zanu-PF Politburo for indiscipline after he supported the naming and shaming of Zanu-PF linked businessmen.

Several sources close to the developments are quoted confirming to Zimbabwe Voice under conditions of anonymity that Chipanga’s return to lead the Zanu-PF Youth League is as good as a done deal.

“Chipanga has the backing of Zanu-PF chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri who he approached with his pleas to be allowed back in.”

“Most of the leadership in Manicaland are agreed that Chipanga’s energy is needed in the youth league as 2023 elections beckon. His case was discussed in the Politburo meeting yesterday, but the issue generated more heat than light as some officials, particularly those from the Midlands Province, were not agreeable to bringing him back yet.”

The source further said President Mnangagwa was however agreeable to having Chipanga back, but did not want to force his decision through.

“In the end, the President indicated that he will consult with his fellow leaders in the Presidium and others to reach a decisive conclusion. But it looks like it’s a done deal,” said the source.

Chipanga was fired from the ruling party in 2017 after the fall of Mugabe.

Alongside Innocent Hamandishe, he worked with then political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere to drive massive support towards rallies that both Robert Mugabe and the former First Lady Grace held countrywide especially in their last year in power.

Another source, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Chipanga had wormed his way into the heart of the top leadership, including President Mnangagwa.

“He (Chipanga) is sincerely remorseful and willing to work for the party. The leadership believe he is what is lacking in the Youth League, and are intent on bringing him back. It’s a matter of time before those who have their reservations, however justified, give in.”

Chipanga is considered a typical Zanu-PF Youth with the “right grooming”, sources said. Coincidentally, Zanu-PF leaders Lewis Matutu and Godfrey Tsenengamu were suspended from their positions recently for indiscipline, with the Politburo indicated that the duo lacked an understanding of party ideology and were to undergo compulsory training at the Herbert Chitepo Ideological College.

The 38-year-old graduated from the Border Gezi Training Centre in Mt Darwin, where he did his national service programme after completion of secondary school.

He has remained quiet and not intent to criticize the ruling party since his dismissal.

-Wires

By A Correspondent- A Harare police woman has been arrested for allegedly leaking classified information meant for her superiors to the public, through WhatsApp.

Lorine Mugoronji now faces criminal charges, yet to be disclosed, as well as disciplinary action under the Police Act.

In a statement, National Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said officers must always concentrate on their mandate of crime prevention and investigation.

“Constable Lorine Joyce Mugoronji of Harare has been arrested for using the WhatsApp platform to leak police information which was meant for commanders and is now facing both criminal and disciplinary charges.

“ZRP reiterates that the responsibility of police officers on any duty is to concentrate on crime prevention, detection and investigation,” he said.

Asst Comm Nyathi said police officers must not spend time on their cellphones while on duty.

“In this regard, police officers on any deployment point, shall focus on allocated tasks and serve the public according to set standards. Police officers will thus not be allowed to focus on their cellphones at the expense of duty or abuse WhatsApp platforms, Twitter, Facebook or any other social media sites,” he said.

ZRP is on record urging members of the public to desist from abusing social media platforms through recording and posting footage and images of accidents and scenes of murder, among other issues.

-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- Police officers must not use social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, etc while on duty, and rather focus on crime prevention and investigation.

This was said by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) National Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.

He said:

… police officers on any deployment point, shall focus on allocated tasks and serve the public according to set standards.

Police officers will thus not be allowed to focus on their cellphones at the expense of duty or abuse WhatsApp platforms, Twitter, Facebook or any other social media sites.

Ass Comm. Nyathi’s remarks follow the arrest of a Harare-based policewoman for allegedly leaking classified information meant for her superiors to the public, through WhatsApp.

The police officer, Lorine Joyce Mugoronji now faces criminal charges as well as disciplinary action under the Police Act.

-Statemedia

Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Emmanuel Zellers Gumbo, the Spokesperson for the Friends of Job Sikhala Solidarity Trust. I am not ashamed to declare today that I was the brains behind the Friends of Job Sikhala Solidarity Trust formation, to compliment the support from the MDC party against his persecution that was packaged by the authoritarian and unpopular illegitimate regime of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Firstly, I would like to that the MDC People’s President Advocate Nelson Chamisa for the immense support he gave to our friend Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala during his trying times. He truly demonstrated that he is a people’s President. We would like to further thank the MDC family for standing with us throughout this critical period in the history of our country. Friends and relatives can’t be mentioned as it is our obligation to stand with one of us during such times. In our thousands we complimented the efforts of all Zimbabweans in fighting on the corner of our dear friend Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala. Our solidarity is purely love for the man and our frowning on injustice and dictatorship. It is motivated by no any other agenda but purely protection of our dear friend from abuse by the State and his enemies. We have managed to build a fortress around our dear friend of which anyone who dares us must be warned in advance that we are prepared to die for him. Why we are prepared to die for him, is now public knowledge to our dear Zimbabweans. Our friend has gone through multifaceted abuse by the regime since time immemorial. We think that all along we did not render enough support for him to thwart the evil machinations of this evil regime of ZANU PF against his person. The persecution our friend went through for years can not be allowed to persist unchallenged.

Today’s press conference was called for two important developments since Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala appeared in Court for his trial on the 3rd of February 2020. Firstly, the police issued a very sickening press release on its Twitter handle informing the world about the burglary and theft that took place at the house of the presiding Judge Hon Garainesu Mawadze who is trying our dear friend’s case at the High Court sitting in Masvingo. The police in their press release insinuated that the unlawful entry and theft that happened at the Honourable Justice’s house had anything to do with his presiding over our dear friend’s trial. We did not take lightly to such innuendos. This is not only scandalous but defamatory in all material respects. Suggesting that a man of a man of implacable standing like Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala may be suggested to be linked with such disgrace is crossing the red line. We took the statement as a declaration of hostility against us and we have already taken remedial measures by instructing our lawyers to sue the police not only for defamation but for constitutional damages for the violation of our dear friend’s right to dignity. The brand of our friend is unquantifiable but we have instructed our lawyers to sue the police to the tune of $50 million Zimbabwe dollars. $25 million for defamation and another $25 million for constitutional damages. Quantification was done in consideration of the brand and public life space our friend is occupying in Zimbabwe. He is a freedom fighter, a people’s public representative and a legal practitioner of implacable record in Zimbabwe. An attempt to damage his public standing by the police force that has turned into a rogue element against the citizens of Zimbabwe can not go unchallenged.

Secondly, Ezra Chadzamira a ZANU PF mandarin in Masvingo addressed the people in Mwenezi, during the Council by election saying that no matter the number of people who come to support our dear friend Hon Job Sikhala, he will go to prison under whatever circumstances. Firstly, before going into detail, let me hasten to say that Chadzamira is an idiot of no substance and has no history to be taken as anything by anyone in Zimbabwe. He is just a jester who got a junior appointment by Emmerson Mnangagwa after the coup as a resident Minister for Masvingo Province. He is unknown beyond the parameters of his house gate. He seeks attention by attacking our dear friend. We also wonder what knowledge he has over the judgement awaiting our dear friend Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala for him to boldly say such statements. It is dangerous for anyone no matter who you are to interfere with the judiciary. This undermines the administration of justice in our country. It is unfortunately further confirming ZANU PF’s interference with the operation of the judiciary. Let this idiot be warned that his utterances are a recipe for serious conflict in the country in the event that it is confirmed that he interfered with the administration of justice in our country. The consequences are ghastly to contemplate in the event that his utterances come to fruition.

I thank you.

Emmanuel Zellers Gumbo
Friends of Job Sikhala Solidarity Trust Spokesperson.

By A Correspondent-Former Ward 15 long-serving MDC councillor, Alderman Israel Mabaleka  (74) has died.  

He died yesterday at his house in Old Luveve suburb after battling diabetics for some time.

Ald Mabaleka, who was a councillor from 2000 to 2018 was described as a unifier and a hardworking man who had the people’s interests at heart.

His younger brother and family spokesperson Mr Justice Mabaleka said his brother was a senior citizen the community looked up to.

“It’s sad to come to terms with the fact that my brother has passed on. He was someone who listened to people’s complaints, a brother we all looked up to. He was our advisor, the one person we all turned to when in need and he knew how to help us,” he said.

Luveve MP, Stella Ndlovu echoed Mr Mabaleka’s sentiments saying Luveve had lost a great leader.

“Ald Mabaleka was a hard worker, a very responsible man. He once took over Ward 15 and 16 and he did tremendously well. He was equally available for both wards. He loved his people. Our Bulawayo is gone, our great shadow, we will never find someone like him, we will surely miss him,” she said.

The late alderman is survived by four children. Mourners are gathered at house number 3197 Old Luveve suburb.

-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo man heaved a sigh of relief after the court granted him a protection order against his co-tenant who threatened to stab him and make a false rape report against him.

Mr Ezekiel Phakathi said he was living in fear as Lovegirl Tshuma sometimes approached him armed.  

“The respondent came to my room on December 3 last year carrying a knife and other weapons to attack me. I did not fight back because she stated that if I touched her, she would accuse me of rape,” Mr Phakathi said.

“She also threatened me saying if she miscarries, I will be responsible for her loss. May the court assist me so that the respondent stops coming to my house with weapons and claim that she will make false accusations against me.”

Western Commonage magistrate Mr Urgent Mvundla granted an interim protection order prohibiting Tshuma from threatening violence and verbally abusing Mr Phakathi. He also barred her from entering Mr Phakathi’s place of residence or be sent to jail.

Another protection order was granted against Tshuma who also deprived Ms Athlete Moyo of her peace as she insulted and threatened to stab her over accusations of gossip.

“The respondent also used to shout at me in the company of her two sisters for no reason. She also threatened that if I report her to the police, she would pay the fine,” said Ms Moyo.

Mr Vundla granted an interim order prohibiting Tshuma from threatening violence, emotionally and verbally abusing Ms Moyo.

-Statemedia

VICTORIA Falls Mayor, Somvelo Dlamini (MDC Alliance) has been arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission officials on allegations of abuse of office by engaging in illicit land dealings especially commercial stands.

The opposition party’s ward 9 councillor, Dhlamini is under investigation for alleged abuse of office through corrupt activities involving the sale of commercial stands.

The Victoria Falls Mayor was taken from his home on Saturday and is still detained at the Victoria Falls police station for further investigations.

Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) Spokesperson, John Makamure said he will only make a detailed comment on Monday after getting finer details on the matter.

Dlamini’s arrest comes at a time the anti-graft body has intensified its drive to cleanse local authorities of corrupt officials.

ZACC has in the recent past reaffirmed its resolve to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the fight against corruption in line with the Second Republic’s stance of zero tolerance to graft.

-Online

By A Correspondent- Police in Chivhu have arrested three murder suspects, who shot and killed an 83-year-old woman after rap_ing and robbing her in December last year.

The suspects were arrested early this month and identified as Pride Gavajena (27), Givemore Mutego (27) and Allen Dzvova (29) all of Chief Nyoka, Chivhu.

The murder occurred on December 5, 2019 at Kandira village, Chief Nyoka, Chivhu.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the accused stormed their victim’s homestead armed with a home-made firearm and a sharp object, with the intention to steal some money after gathering information that she had received some money from her daughter based in South Africa. They allegedly broke into her house and stole an undisclosed amount of money and a cellphone, before one of them rap_ed and shot her in the head.

On February 3 this year, police investigations led to the recovery of the victim’s Nokia 1280 cellphone from a person who claimed to have bought it from the accused persons, leading to the arrests.

Nyathi said the accused persons have since appeared in court and were remanded in custody.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- A Gwanda man drowned in a river after he slipped and fell into the water while bathing.

Ward 17 Councillor Ephraim Nyathi confirmed the incident which occurred at Tuli River in Manama on Tuesday at around 11am.

He said Babongile Tlou (27) who was a taxi driver in the area was taking a bath in the river when he fell into the water.

“There is a man from Manama area which falls under my ward who drowned while he was taking a bath in Tuli River.

“People usually go to that river to bath without any problems. Babongile arrived at the river at around 11am and parked his car close by. While he was bathing, he is reported to have slipped and fallen into the river.

“His younger brother who was also at the river tried to pull him out but failed.

“He called out for assistance from some men who were fishing in the area and they rushed to assist. Unfortunately, by the time they pulled out Babongile’s body out of the water he was already dead,” he said.

Clr Nyathi said the community was shocked by the incident.

He said Babongile was operating a taxi which plied the Manama-Gwanda Town route. Babongile was buried at his home in Manama on Thursday last week.

Minister of State for Matabeleland South provincial affairs, Cde Abednico Ncube who also attended the burial expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Tlou family.

-Statemedia

Mainland China has reported another rise in cases of the new virus after a sharp decline the previous day, while the number of deaths increased by 97 to 908, with at least two more outside the country. 

On Monday, China’s health ministry said another 3,062 cases had been reported over the previous 24 hours, raising the total of those affected by the disease in Chinese mainland to 40,171.

Earlier, France closed two schools after five British visitors contracted the virus at a ski resort. Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam reported one new case each.

Meanwhile, the mother of a physician who died last week in the hardest-hit city of Wuhan said she wants an explanation from authorities who reprimanded her son for warning about the virus.

Monday’s rise was a turnaround from a significant reduction in new cases reported Sunday, 2,656, down by about 20% from the 3,399 new cases reported in the previous 24-hour period. That had prompted optimism that the “joint control mechanism of different regions and the strict prevention and control measures have worked,” in the words of a spokesman for the National Health Commission, Mi Feng.

Also Sunday, new cases were reported in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, the U.K. and Spain. More than 360 cases have been confirmed outside mainland China. 

“Dramatic reductions” in the pace of the disease’s spread should begin this month if containment works, Dr. Ian Lipkin, director of Columbia University’s Center for Infection and Immunity, said in an online news conference on Sunday. He assisted the World Health Organization and Chinese authorities during the outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Warmer weather will reduce the virus’s ability to spread and bring people out of enclosed spaces where it is transmitted more easily, Lipkin said. However, he said, if new cases spike as people return to work after the Lunar New Year holiday, which was extended to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, then “we’ll know we’re in trouble.”

The new U.K. case was the nation’s fourth, while Spain reported its second, as European authorities sought to contain the spread of the virus by tracking down people who came into contact with those infected.

Both of the new cases were acquired during trips to France, officials said.

-AP

By A Correspondent- MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has revealed that his party is on a membership drive in rural constituencies threatened to fire party legislators and councillors who he says have abandoned their constituencies.

Speaking at Sakubva Beit Hall, in Mutare on Saturday, where he met Manicaland’s provincial district structures, Chamisa said there would be no imposition of candidates in future elections.

Chamisa said he was going to introduce a new criteria of choosing candidates, which will start from branch level, seeking opinion of traditional leaders on upright candidates who should serve constituencies.

“We are strengthening our rural constituencies, this is where we are going to spend most of our time, we need to work very hard on our rural constituencies,” he said.

“We are having challenges with our MPs; they are not going to the people, we received reports that our MPs and councillors have abandoned their constituencies since they were voted into power in 2018, we are warning to recall them if they continue to do so,” he said

“We are aware that some MPs and councillors are taking their positions as jobs. We are not employment agents and we are not there to offer jobs, don’t expect to be employed or expect to be deployed by the party,” he said

“So I am warning you that if you MPs and councillors continue not to engage your people we are going to take your positions,” he said

“The MDC is the leading party and Zanu-PF is the ruling party, and MDC is bigger that Zanu-PF,” Chamisa said, adding that he wants to bring all the party’s veterans into the mainstream politics.

He also added that he wanted the army on the negotiating table.

“We want to bring out all our veterans into the mainstream of our politics, they have played a critical role since the formation of our party almost 20 years ago,” he said.

“As a party we have said no to government of national unity we need a transitional authority; there we can arrange for a credible election. We also want to bring the army on the negotiation table because Zanu-PF has been using the soldiers, so we would want to know what the soldiers want,” he said.

“We want the army to serve the people and not to serve a party, that is all we want,” he added.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has issued an ultimatum to all retailers and wholesalers to formalise their businesses with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) and other regulatory bodies or risk having their operations closed.

CRZ president Mr Denford Mutashu said the organisation was giving retailers and wholesalers a six-month ultimatum to comply with the country’s regulatory and statutory requirements. He said the organisation has over the years realised that a number of businesses were avoiding or evading payment of their tax obligations, in the process denying Government an opportunity to raise revenue.

“We are calling upon all unregistered retailers and wholesalers to register their business operations because as an association we have come up with an ultimatum, which puts the deadline for registration within the next six months, failure to which one might lose their business. The rampant disregard of authority has reached a serious level and the country is not benefiting from it. Only (unscrupulous) individual corporates or traders are benefiting,” said Mr Mutashu.

He said unregistered businesses were in the habit of selling sub-standard and uncertified products whose origins are unknown which tend to pose a health hazard to consumers.

“There are serious leakages where informal traders continue to sell products that are not suitable for human consumption,” said Mr Mutashu.

He also said most of the unregistered businesses were in the tendency of flouting labour laws.

“We are also receiving numerous complaints that these unregistered or informal retailers and wholesalers are willingly flouting labour laws with most of their workers working without any provision for off days as well as leave pay. Some of the workers are earning salaries below the minimum wage and we want to ensure that such violation of human rights is brought to an end,” said Mr Mutashu.

He said the organisation would be assisted by local authorities, law enforcement agents and licensing departments to identify unregistered businesses throughout the country.

“We are going to be working with the local authorities, police, licensing department to close in on all unregistered retailers and wholesalers so that we bring sanity in the sector,” said Mr Mutashu.

As part of its efforts to augment revenue collections from businesses, Government through Zimra rolled out a fiscalisation project a few years ago, in which the entities have to use fiscal tax registers that capture financial information and relays it in real time to tax authorities.

Zimra also went on a drive to register Small to Medium Enterprises registered to formalise operations of their businesses.

-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- Luxury life and driving a state-of-the-art car is everybody’s wish, but in Zimbabwe this is coming at a huge cost to the country’s drying revenue flows, following illegal activities that have spurred authorities to act.

While some of Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) employees and importers have enjoyed a fair share of advantage over the years through unscrupulous means of importing the cars, the net is closing in on a number of these individuals.

A document seen by the Daily News on Sunday compiled by Zimra chief loss control manager Tapiwa Manyika showed that the organisation was yet to recover $70 million through state-of-the-art cars that were imported into the country without paying the requisite duty.

Manyika said the opaque motor vehicle importation deals were heavily bleeding the country of potential revenue.

According to Manyika’s document, 485 motor vehicles were identified as having been fraudulently registered and 433 were last year published in the print media calling for owners to report to Zimra for verification of the clearance details.

“A total of 52 vehicles out of the 485 had data capturing errors that were verified and found to have been correctly cleared while 108 vehicles have been seized to date. There is huge impact on revenue collection. It is estimated that $70 000 000 will be recovered directly from this project. The project is expected to improve compliance which will be a major factor in the long term,” he said.

His document further showed that data capturing clerks were at the centre of the fraudulent car importation deals.

“Data capturing clerks have the highest impact on vehicles that are imported into the country without payment of duty. They are now a corruption hot spot,” Manyika said.

Recently, businessman and flamboyant socialite Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure was ordered by the High Court to pay an additional US$58 000 duty for his R1,9 million Bentley Continental GT car imported from South Africa.

Zimra claimed Kadungure had undervalued the car, which saw him making an initial payment of US$81 450 as duty for the motor vehicle.

The order for him to pay the extra money came after Kadungure rushed to the court seeking to stop a move by Zimra to impound the car.

While making these follow-ups, Zimra has been taking a tough stance on its members involved in corruption activities and has a strong lifestyle audit programme for its workers, which has seen a number of them being brought to book over the issues.

Manyika said at least 176 of its officials were either suspended or dismissed over corruption allegations between 2016 and 2019.

In a detailed breakdown, Manyika’s document showed that in 2016, 52 officials were affected, while in 2017 there were 35, in 2018, 55 and in 2019 there were 34 cases.

Some of the officials have since been brought before the High Court to give a justification of the properties that they owned vis-à-vis their salaries.

In a recent application, prosecutor Tapiwa Kasema from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) dragged Desberia Mutara to the High Court for her to explain the source of her wealth.

In terms of the court papers, Mutara was employed by Zimra from October 2014 as a revenue trainee, based at Beitbridge Border Post, before she occupied her current position of revenue specialist.

Kasema told the court that Mutara cumulatively earned $57 936 between October 2014 and February last year. She, however, declared on her Zimra asset declaration of 2018 that she acquired a residential stand in Mainway Meadows, Waterfalls, Harare, valued at $16 000, a Toyota Rav 4 worth $10 000 and two Toyota Corollas valued at $8 000 each.

Kasema said the total value of her properties was $117 000, which doubled her salary.

“I concluded that Desberia Mutara’s wealth is ill-gotten and the sources of the funds are proceeds of crime liable to forfeiture,” Kasema said.

He said he came to this conclusion because: “The first respondent (Mutara) is an employee of Zimra who earned the above negligible salary incapable of being the source of her wealth, there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that the first respondent is or has been involved in serious crime (whether in Zimbabwe or elsewhere), or a person connected with the first respondent is or has been, so involved.

Her being subjected to corruption such as bribery and smuggling of imports at Beitbridge Border Post where she was employed makes it more probable than not that her source of wealth was illicit enrichment”.

Kasema sought an order for the confiscation of the property in terms of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act.

Meanwhile, another ex-Zimra official Kennedy Nyatoti was also taken to court after he failed to explain his source of wealth.

Nyatoti and his estranged wife Tatenda Chisadza failed to explain how they acquired a residential stand in Mabvazuva, Harare, a Honda CRV, a Honda Fit and a Nissan Skyline, leading to an application for the forfeiture of the property in August last year.

Nyatoti, however, recently filed an application for dismissal of the application for want of prosecution.

“First respondent (NPA) has failed to prosecute its matter within the confines of the rules of this court. Its application lacks merit to the extent that prospects of success were very low hence the neglecting and/or omitting to pursue its action. Applicant (Nyatoti) humbly prays that application under case number HC 7091/19 be dismissed …,” Nyatoti said.

-DailyNews

By A Correspondent- The National Aids Council (Nac) Bulawayo provincial manager Sinatra Nyathi has raised concern over the deaths of people with HIV and Aids who stopped taking antiretroviral drugs after being told to do so by faith healers and “prophets”.

Nyathi said the issue was slowing down mitigatory programmes which sought to stem further spread of the disease as well as prolong lives of those infected.

“I was saddened to witness the deaths of about five people who I knew personally who succumbed to the disease after being told to stop medication by their prophets,” Nyathi told NewsDay recently.

“Although Nac has been working with churches in their interventions there remained a big headache (given) the mushrooming of new churches which are led by these prophets and faith healers.

“We are urging people on antiretroviral therapy (Art) not to throw away their drugs. We are currently raising awareness in the communities.”

Although she could not provide statistics on the number of people who have died after defaulting, Nyathi said any death linked to this was an issue of concern.

She also said while they had nothing against prayer, their worry was on patients being discharged from taking medication in the absence of a qualified doctor.

“We are not saying people should not pray, but patients must continue taking their medication as prescribed by their doctors,” Nyathi said.

Defaulting on Art often leads to viral resistance, treatment failure and increased risks of disease progression.

Last year it was reported that about 4 000 HIV positive people in Bulawayo were on second and third line Art after defaulting from the recommended first line regimen.

“There is need for further engagement with the faith-based organisations and impress upon them the need to ensure that those on Art are allowed to do so without any interruptions,” Nyathi said.

Previously there have been many false claims on cures for Aids. In 2018 leader and founder of the PHD Ministries Walter Magaya announced his controversial HIV and Aids herbal remedy, Aguma.

He was widely condemned for prematurely announcing cure before seeking government clearance.

He was subsequently charged with contravening section 40(1) of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act, which criminalises the distribution of unapproved medicines and misleading advertisement of such.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe is working towards ensuring that by end of this year, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, receive sustained Art and have viral suppression.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Chitungwiza’s Zengeza 2 administration office will soon house a passport application and collection office in an effort to decentralise issuance of passports and civil registration documents to districts and to decongest provincial offices, Chitungwiza acting town clerk Tonderai Kasu has said.

This follows a request made by the office of the Registrar-General (RG) last year for it to be allowed to renovate vacant offices at Chitungwiza Town Council to create room for a passports centre so as to decongest the Makombe Building passport office.

Chitungwiza, however, opted to offer the office of the Registrar-General space at Zengeza 2 administration offices as opposed to the town council head office.

“The current space we (Chitungwiza Town Council) are operating on now is a temporary space as it was meant for building a school so it was not going to make sense for us to give it to the RG’s office, but instead we allocated them a permanent space in Zengeza 2, because our long-term plan as council is to build a proper structure in Zengeza.

“The other influencing factor for our choice is that Zengeza is a central place and is close to business centres, something that is conducive for a place that will be frequented by a lot of people,” said Kasu.

Mayor Lovemore Maiko said Chitungwiza is one of the most populous towns in the country and as such the proposed passport office will serve a very significant number of people.

-Dailynews

By A Correspondent- Former Ward 15 long-serving MDC councillor, Alderman Israel Mabaleka  (74) has died.  

He died yesterday at his house in Old Luveve suburb after battling diabetics for some time.

Ald Mabaleka, who was a councillor from 2000 to 2018 was described as a unifier and a hardworking man who had the people’s interests at heart.

His younger brother and family spokesperson Mr Justice Mabaleka said his brother was a senior citizen the community looked up to.

“It’s sad to come to terms with the fact that my brother has passed on. He was someone who listened to people’s complaints, a brother we all looked up to. He was our advisor, the one person we all turned to when in need and he knew how to help us,” he said.

Luveve MP, Stella Ndlovu echoed Mr Mabaleka’s sentiments saying Luveve had lost a great leader.

“Ald Mabaleka was a hard worker, a very responsible man. He once took over Ward 15 and 16 and he did tremendously well. He was equally available for both wards. He loved his people. Our Bulawayo is gone, our great shadow, we will never find someone like him, we will surely miss him,” she said.

The late alderman is survived by four children. Mourners are gathered at house number 3197 Old Luveve suburb.

-Statemedia

Own Correspondent|Minister of Industry and Commerce Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu has expressed shock at the ravaging drought in parts of Plumtree his home area after he visited his fields this weekend in the area and found his crops in a serious wilting and drying state.

Matabeleland South has throughout this year’s farming season battled with very low rainfall that has seen most of the crop being written off pointing towards another draught.

Most areas particularly in Plumtree wrote of their crop as early as mid December last year.

Ndlovu who is also a legislator for Bulilima East said the situation was not promising in the area considering the state of crops.

“I took a walk this morning to my field and came back depressed. This is the situation right through my Constituency in Plumtree and it’s a complete disaster. We hoped to recover from the effects of the El Niño induced drought we experienced last year but this year looks like will be worse. We lost a lot of livestock particularly cattle and we can’t afford to lose more,” he said.

“Time for urgent mitigation measures; this years drought seriously threatens our basic rural livelihoods.”

Questions are raised how the Minister who is also the MP in the area only came to realise the drought effects now when people in his constituency have been appealing for drought power assistance from government since November last year. It had to be his field that succumbs to drought for him to begin realising the ravaging effects of the drought in the area.

Source: State Media

Correspondent|Twenty-seven-year-old Luckmore Hamandishe came face to face with death when a shaft collapsed at the Globe and Phoenix Mine in Kwekwe.

Hamandishe, who said he was among hundreds of artisanal miners that were underground when disaster struck, believes a lot of people perished despite the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) putting the number of the dead at three.

On Friday the CPU ended rescue operations at the mine where officially three people died and several were injured after being trapped underground.

The CPU said it could not establish the number of miners that were trapped.

Hamandishe said there were more than 200 people around the area when the accident happened and believes that government is understating the extent of the accident to protect bigwigs that were allegedly sending artisanal miners to their deaths at the abandoned mine.

According to survivors, a huge boulder moved at one of the tunnels at level four of the mine at around 10pm last Wednesday and the roofing of the shaft collapsed, trapping the miners.

“An underground level of a mine is about 35-40 metres so when we say level four, we are talking roughly of about 150 metres,” he said.

“That is where the disaster happened and I was about 15 metres from where the boulder fell. There were about 200 people on that level and only a few escaped.”

Hamandishe said there was a likelihood that there were people still trapped under the boulder. He said others might have drowned in a “dam” underground close to where the accident happened.

“Some people were pushed into the dam and I am sure they died through drowning,” he claimed.

“Others plunged into the dam as they tried to escape. When the water was splashed onto the walls of the mine, it became slippery and others who tried to scale up slipped into the water as well.

“A lot of bodies can be found if serious rescue operations are conducted.”

Hamandishe claimed some government officials made sure that the rescue operations were not thorough so that a few bodies would be retrieved and that would protect senior ruling Zanu PF officials who are allegedly behind the illegal mining activities at the mine.

Globe and Phoenix Mine is no longer officially operational and has been taken over by artisanal miners who often use unsafe mining methods.

“You must understand that it is illegal to mine here because the owners closed it down,” Hamandishe explained. “However, senior Zanu PF and government officials in Kwekwe have taken over the mine and they determine who goes underground and Zanu PF youths are the ones in charge of security at the mine.”

He claimed that police had failed to rein in the illegal miners because they fear censure from the political heavyweights who sponsor them.

“The godfathers have gold milling plants at their farms and that is where the gold ore is processed,” Hamandishe added.

On Friday relatives of the missing miners said they were being forced to pay as much as US$400 to people who were volunteering to go underground to search for bodies as the CPU had given up on the operation.

“We paid US$250 to some miners here, but they wanted US$400 so that they could go underground and search for the body of our uncle because we were told by people from his syndicate that he died,” said a man from Amaveni suburb who requested to remain anonymous.

“In the meantime, we have to bring them food as they continue with the search.”

Other miners claimed they had retrieved the body of a man they only identified as Kule Givy from Amaveni. They said he was very popular among the artisanal miners at Globe and Phoenix.

Some relatives who were observing the rescue mission from a distance said the government’s rescue operation was poorly coordinated.

“It is really painful,” said a man whose son was reportedly underground when the accident happened and had not been heard from since then.

“Some of the people trapped underground actually made the top officials behind their activities filthy rich,” he added.

“At this hour of need, we expected them to act.”

A day before the rescue operation was halted, the head of the CPU in Kwekwe Fortune Mupungu said they were trying to get “advanced equipment” from the Mines ministry for the rescue operation.

Mupungu, however, dismissed reports that his team had chased away artisanal miners who wanted to go underground to search for their colleagues’ bodies.

“We are actually trying to engage the Mines ministry officials so that they can come up with advanced equipment for the rescue operation,” he said on Thursday night.

Some artisanal miners claimed State Security minister Owen Ncube was one of the government officials behind syndicates operating at Globe and Phoenix Mine.

They claimed one of the minister’s nephews, only identified as Dhala, directed the syndicates’ operations.

Nick Mangwana, the government spokesperson, said allegations that there were attempts to hide the extent of the disaster were malicious.

Mangwana said the government had always been transparent about recent disasters and there was no need to deviate from the norm.

“The government will never under-report the number of Zimbabweans tragically caught in any disaster,” he said.

“There is no expedience in that. We proved it during Cyclone Idai when we gave the nation every single count, withholding nothing.

“But we don’t work with hype and hysteria, but information that comes from agents on the ground.”

Mangwana said in the past people had exaggerated the number of deaths from mining accidents and he cited the Battlefields incident where 28 artisanal miners died in flooded shafts at Silvermoon and Cricket 3 mines.

“In that disaster we were also accused of what you are accusing us of today,” he said.

Globe and Phoenix is the oldest gold mine in Kwekwe as it was pegged on the site of ancient gold workings in 1894 by prospectors Edward Thornton Pearson and Joseph Schukala.

The mine is located close to the Kwekwe central business district. Kwekwe Consolidated Mine Company, which was the last entity to officially mine gold, stopped operations at Globe and Phoenix in 2005.

Illegal miners that are allegedly sponsored by top government and Zanu PF officials in Kwekwe are allegedly allowed to make their way into abandoned shafts to hunt for gold and are shielded from arrest by the godfathers.

The artisanal miners come in large numbers from places like Silobela, Zhombe, Shurugwi and Gokwe and often don Zanu PF party regalia.

Zanu PF marshals who main the entrance to the mine allegedly bar anyone without the ruling party’s regalia from accessing the shafts.

The heavyweights behind the syndicates allegedly get 65% of the gold.

Kwekwe and the surrounding areas are rich in gold deposits and are popular with artisanal miners, known locally as “Makorokoza” or hustlers, who work in unsafe shafts using picks and shovels and generator-powered water pumps.

In the past month police have arrested hundreds of illegal miners involved in violent turf wars for mining claims.

Former Ward 15 long-serving MDC councillor, Alderman Israel Mabaleka (74) has died.

He died yesterday at his house in Old Luveve suburb after battling diabetics for some time.

Ald Mabaleka, who was a councillor from 2000 to 2018 was described as a unifier and a hardworking man who had the people’s interests at heart.

His younger brother and family spokesperson Mr Justice Mabaleka said his brother was a senior citizen the community looked up to.

“It’s sad to come to terms with the fact that my brother has passed on. He was someone who listened to people’s complaints, a brother we all looked up to. He was our advisor, the one person we all turned to when in need and he knew how to help us,” he said.

Luveve MP, Stella Ndlovu echoed Mr Mabaleka’s sentiments saying Luveve had lost a great leader.

“Ald Mabaleka was a hard worker, a very responsible man. He once took over Ward 15 and 16 and he did tremendously well. He was equally available for both wards. He loved his people. Our Bulawayo is gone, our great shadow, we will never find someone like him, we will surely miss him,” she said.

The late alderman is survived by four children.

Mourners are gathered at house number 3197 Old Luveve suburb.

Own Correspondent|MDC President Nelson Chamisa will today continue with his party structures audits and meeting when he meets with the Matabeleland South leadership in Gwanda.

Chamisa was the main speaker at Masvingo Provincial assembly on Sunday at party office, in Masvingo where he disbanded the Masvingo Provincial leaders and called for fresh elections.

An independent committee will be appointed to run Masvingo. Its agenda will be to restructure all disputed districts.

Own Correspondent|Emmerson Mnangagwa’s hopes of forcing the African Union to adopt his anti sanctions agenda yesterday fell flat when the incoming AU Chairman Cyril Ramaphosa ignored it altogether.

Since October last year, Mnangagwa had been lobbying AU states to adopt the agenda to get targeted restrictive measures against the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and other ZANU PF entities and persons, removed.

Watch video of a live discussion on the issue downloading below:

https://youtu.be/WSDMmktBp9E

AU SUMMIT SUNDAY SUMMARY

By Business Reporter| Emmerson Mnangagwa’s hopes of forcing the African Union to adopt his anti sanctions agenda yesterday fell flat when the incoming AU Chairman Cyril Ramaphosa ignored it altogether.

https://youtu.be/WSDMmktBp9E

Since October last year, Mnangagwa had been lobbying AU states to adopt the agenda to get targeted restrictive measures against the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and other ZANU PF entities and persons, removed.

After using live ammunition on his own citizens, killing many on 1 August 2018 to change election results, and in January 2019, causing the nation to lose more than USD16bln, Mnangagwa had also burdened the Southern African Development Community with a demand to get the restrictive measures removed on the 25th October 2019. (Watch below).

SADC then rushed to issue a call for a removing of the sanctions saying the African Union is behind the calls. But in the face of the AU’s ongoing Silencing Of The Guns 2020 agenda, Mnangagwa emerged the worst gun criminal.

The AU intends to declare a state-gun-abuse-free continent by the end of 2020.

On its statement the AU says: the AU Heads of State and Government adopted the Silencing the Guns by 2020 initiative as a flagship project that aims to end all conflicts in Africa by 2020. While good progress has been made in reducing state-driven conflicts, recurring conflicts in several regions is rolling back gains already made in achieving lasting peace. In 2020 the African Union will reinforce its efforts to silence the continent’s guns, focusing in particular on addressing the underlying root-causes and facilitating socio-economic development on the continent.

The AU chairmanship was taken up by South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday. 

Had the AU adopted Mnangagwa’s agenda, they would have made themselves vulnerable to critics at the summit which is being attended by the UN Secretariat. Between January and December 2019,  the UN publicly criticised Mnangagwa for using guns on its own citizens since the 1st August when the Zimbabwe Defence Forces was used to change 2018 election results as announced by the state broadcaster, ZBC. 

BELOW IS PRESIDENT  RAMAPHOSA’S STATEMENT WHICH TOTALLY IGNORED MNANGAGWA’S CALL FOR REMOVING TARGETED SANCTIONS: 

33rd SESSION OF THE AFRICAN UNION ASSEMBLY
09 FEBRUARY 2020
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

Excellencies,
33rd SESSION OF THE AFRICAN UNION ASSEMBLY
09 FEBRUARY 2020
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

Your Excellency, President El-Sisi, outgoing Chair of the African Union;
Your Majesties;
Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government;
Your Excellency, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission;
Your Excellency, Mr Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations;
Honourable Mohammed Shtayyeh, Prime Minister of the State of Palestine representing President Mahmoud Abbas;
Your Excellencies, former Heads of State and Government;
Heads of AU Organs;
Heads of Regional Economic Communities;
Commissioners of the AU Commission;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Fellow Africans,
I stand before you immensely humbled by this great honour that has been bestowed on South Africa. On behalf of the men and women of South Africa I graciously accept your collective decision that I should Chair the AU in 2020.
In executing this weighty responsibility I will rely on your continued support, wisdom and co-operation, especially that of the new Bureau members.
I want to thank our host, Nobel Peace Laureate Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the government and the people of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia for the excellent hospitality extended to me and my delegation since our arrival here in Addis Ababa.
I also thank my Brother, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for the outstanding and commendable manner in which he presided over the work of the AU during his term.
South Africa first chaired the African Union (AU) following its historic re-launch in South Africa in 2002 when President Thabo Mbeki, who is here with us today, became chair of the AU. We are indeed deeply humbled to have been afforded the opportunity once again to lead this august continental body of governance, and by the confidence that has been vested in us today.

Your Excellencies, we are mindful of our weighty mission, but also of the weight of history here in Ethiopia, a place with such deep and profound connections to Africa’s ancient past.
Up in the highlands of the north of Ethiopia in the 1st century, our ancestors tamed the harsh terrain and established agriculture, herded livestock, minted their own coinage, created their own alphabetical script, built towering monuments that stand even to this day, and forged expansive trade routes across the region.
Over the passage of and in the context of the time, our forebears understood that true progress and development could be advanced through trade and working together.
Today we stand at the cusp of the greatest step towards continental unity since the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that we adopted last year will enable us to work together through intra-Africa trade, as it will reignite industrialisation and pave the way for Africa’s integration into the global economy as a player of considerable scale.
It is the realization of the dream of our forebears, to see the rich resources of Africa being marshalled for the collective benefit of Africans.
Indeed we are a continent that is rich.
Africa is rich in natural resources yes, but also in history, in intellectual output, in culture, in a sense of humanity and in human capital.
As Africans living in this new era, we shoulder the greatest of responsibilities, to ensure that Africa’s wealth does not become her poverty; that her blessing does not become her curse; and that our endowment does not become our downfall.

It is to us that the task has fallen to build an Africa that is prosperous and at peace with itself.
An Africa that is capable of achieving the aspirations this august body set out in Agenda 2063.
An Africa connected through a vast network of roads and railways, enabling the free movement of goods, people and services.
An Africa whose vast tracts of land support agriculture, commerce and livelihoods.
An Africa whose mighty rivers are harnessed to create power and bring electricity to villages, towns, cities, homes and businesses.
As incoming AU Chair, we have set ourselves key priorities to enhance the progress that is already underway during the African Decade of Action.
We would like to deepen our work together in deepening the unity of our continent and advancing inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.
Our collective work to ensure political and economic unity, good governance, and peace should be strengthened by supporting integration, industrialization, economic development, trade and investment.
In pursuit of this priority, we will host the 13th Extraordinary Summit on the AfCFTA to be held back-to-back with the Extraordinary Summit on Silencing of the Guns in May 2020.
Working closely with President Mahamadou Issofou of Niger in his capacity as the AU Champion on the AfCFTA, we will work for the finalization of outstanding issues around the agreement.

We must all ensure that the AfCFTA does not become a conduit for products with minimal African value addition to enter and penetrate our local markets under the guise of continental integration.
There must be a reasonable standard set for what constitutes a product that is Proudly Made in Africa.
We have to level the playing field for African businesses, so they are able to operate in a large-scale market unfettered by regulatory fragmentation. This is an integral part of rebalancing global trade relations.
The era of economic colonialism and imperialism, under which Africa is a pit stop in the global assembly line, has passed.
The success of the AfCTFA depends on Infrastructure development.
We must all drive the implementation of the Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative, so that priority and high-impact projects act as catalysts for the AfCFTA.
Beyond trade integration, we have trained our sights on supporting green growth on the continent, and on ensuring that the continent takes advantage of the opportunities presented by the green transition.
This includes new industries in energy, materials engineering, the circular economy, sustainable agriculture and clean production.
The 4th Industrial Revolution presents our continent with great opportunities. The uptake of digital technologies will lead to improved competitiveness and provides fresh opportunities for inclusive growth.
Millions of our continent’s young citizens are digital natives, and we must drive a skills revolution to enable Africa to take a quantum leap into the economy of the future. To give full effect to our attention to this important area of work, we should look to establish an Africa Artificial Intelligence (AI) Forum, that also includes the diaspora.
Your Excellencies
In this, the year that we conclude the Decade of African Women, we must advance women’s economic and financial inclusion, we must address the scourge of gender-based violence.
We want to focus on ensuring that there is accountability to global gender commitments.
We have heard the calls of the women and girls of Africa for liberation from the shackles of patriarchy, violence and economic exclusion.
We recall the words of the Egyptian novelist and activist Nawal el Saadawi, that women are half the society. You cannot have a revolution without women. You cannot have democracy without women.
We intend to work closely with President Akufo-Addo of Ghana to ensure the interests of women are mainstreamed, and want the years 2020 to 2030 declared as the Decade of African Women’s Financial and Economic Inclusion.
I believe that the work of the Pan African Women’s Organisation PAWO, an organisation that was founded in 1962, a year before the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to promote human rights and gender equality should be strengthened in order for it to play its rightful role.
We have to find more practical and sustainable ways of empowering the women of our continent: ways that go beyond the clichés and pronouncements made from podiums as we are wont to do.
Public and private procurements offer great opportunities as they account for 30% of the GDP of many countries on the continent.
Agenda 2063 calls for the allocation of at least 25 per cent of public procurement to be for women-owned businesses, yet women owned-businesses are given less than 1% of procurement.
We have to change this.
It is not unreasonable to advocate for preferential public procurement legislation to advantage women-owned businesses, and for the establishment of preferential trade and customs regimes for women.
The empowerment of women on our continent can be done. It must be done!
The representation of women in decision making structures in governments, parliaments and other sectors is far too low.
The women of our continent want and demand to occupy their rightful place in all decision making structures. They deserve 50% representation.
Those amongst us who have enabled the participation of more women in decision making structures have benefited immensely from the inherent wisdom, insights and energy. The women of our continent want to play a meaningful role in developing our continent. Let us not hold them back.
Violence against women continues to rage on our continent.
We will make the adoption of a AU Convention on Violence Against Women a priority, and for member states to ratify international protocols that outlaw gender discrimination.
We will support the good governance and democracy agenda, leveraging the excellent work of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) that we have been asked to chair.

We now have 40 members states that have joined the APRM. We will engage those Member States that have not ratified to do so, with a view to achieving universal accession by 2030.
We will make a contribution to promote peace and security in our collective effort to Silence the Guns.
Through the AU Peace and Security Council, the AU Commission and the collective membership, we will focus our efforts on conflict resolution across the African continent, especially those experiencing protracted conflicts.
We will work with President Denis Sasso N’Guesso, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the AU High Level Committee on Libya to convene an intra-Libyan Conference to promote ceasefire and dialogue.
We will continue to work the parties in South Sudan with a view to implementing the outstanding issues of the Revitalised Agreement, in order to pave the way for the formation of the Government of National Unity.
South Africa will also host the Extra-Ordinary Summit on Silencing of the Guns in May 2020 to look at the implementation of the AU Master Roadmap, and at the same time respond to emerging circumstances on the African peace and security landscape.
The Summit must come up with real actions we as Africans must take to end conflicts, and deal with acts of terrorism that are raging in many countries and regions such as the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and now spreading to other parts of Southern Africa as well.
We must also deal with the actions of other countries outside our continent that are fighting proxy wars and fuelling the ongoing conflicts.
The principle of finding African solutions for African problems must be our over-ridding theme in addressing all the conflicts on our continent as we work within the frameworks of the AU and the UN.
During our chair-ship we will champion the positioning of Africa as a strong, resilient and influential global player, and advancing AU-UN cooperation will be key. We must ensure that Africa continues to play an even greater role on the world stage.
It is therefore an imperative of the time that as Africa we continue to assert the primacy of multilateralism in world affairs. We must continue to advance this through bolstering the AU’s relationship with the United Nations (UN).
We must focus on the reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC), advancing the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development, meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), and giving effect to the 2016 UN commitments on HIV/Aids.
Our collective fortunes rely on international cooperation, and in ensuring we leave no-one behind.
That is why the African Union must continue with its support for the struggles of people everywhere that still suffer under the yoke of oppression.
Today we reaffirm our unwavering support and solidarity with the Palestinian people in their legitimate quest for an independent and sovereign State, as well as the right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination.
We must ensure that our independence and freedom as the peoples of this continent should be universal.
As the internationally acclaimed musician Jonas Gwangwa sang: “Freedom for some is Freedom for none”.

Our international cooperation must extend to the continental effort to address the global climate crisis.
As Chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) South Africa will prioritise all three Global Goals in the Paris Agreement, namely mitigation, adaptation and support.
Your Excellencies,
Our Union stands as a testament to the power of political unity.
Let us now resume the onward march towards economic integration, development, progress, growth and shared prosperity.
Our continent is definitely on the ascent.
It is indeed a regeneration moral and eternal, as described by the South African revolutionary Pixley isaka Seme.
Let us build the Africa we Want.
Let the Guns be Silenced.
Let our swords be beaten to ploughshares, and our spears turned into pruning hooks.
It is the actions that we take from this day onwards that will determine our continent’s destiny.
If we pursue our objectives with diligence and determination, and mobilize our people to support them, I am certain that ours can be a meaningful, effective and impactful Union.

In the words of the great son of the African soil, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o :
“Today is tomorrow’s treasury. Tomorrow is the harvest of what we plant today.”
Fellow African leaders, we salute you.
Through your leadership you have sown the seeds for meaningful African unity.
With all the actions we take to consolidate the unity of our continent, to foster economic integration, to empower the women of Africa and to Silence the Guns, let us now look eagerly to the harvest.
Our people await the harvest of our work.
As glorious is our past, so too will be our future.
I thank you.

State Media|IN a development likely to light the spirits and hopes of nation long plagued by crippling power cuts, latest official data shows water flows along Zambezi River, towards Kariba Dam, has picked up considerably.

Kariba Dam hosts Zimbabwe’s largest power station, the 1 050 megawatts Kariba South hydro power plant, which is generating power at sub-optimal levels due to critically low water levels after the drought experienced last year.

This has affected Zimbabwe’s power supply, which requires about 1 800MW at peak periods of demand, but can only generate around 500MW, also weighed down by the only other major power plant, Hwange.

Zimbabwe is supplementing its internal generation supply with imports, but this is not sustainable and consistent given the prevailing shortage of foreign currency also required for other critical needs.

Hwange Thermal Power Station has rated capacity of 920MW but can only average 450MW at best due to lack of spare parts and frequent breakdowns as a result of the plant’s advanced age. The power plant, which now requires constant reinvigoration through refurbishments has exceeded its design lifespan of 25 years.

The crippling power deficit, as internal generation saunters, has suffocated businesses, productive sector activities and household consumption as power rationing stretching for up to 18 hours or more takes its toll.

According to the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), which administers the affairs of Zambezi River and Kariba Dam significantly improved water flow was recorded at two key gauge stations, Victoria Falls and Chavuma.

The Zambezi River contributes over 75 percent of the billions cubic meters of water that flows in the giant lake. Roughly 20 percent of water that goes into Kariba Dam comes from Zimbabwe, the bulk is from north of Zambia.

“Throughout this week of February, the Zambezi River flow at Victoria Falls has continued to rise quite steadily above last year’s flows during the same period by 25 percent. However, this is still below the long term average by 29 percent.

“The flow in the Zambezi River at Chavuma shot up by 73 cubic meters per second between the 5th and 6th of February, indicating intense run off on the Zambezi headwaters. The flow is still soaring above the long term average by 41 percent and last year’s flows by 189 percent,” ZRA said.

The river authority said the flows in the month have exceeded what was recorded in 2014/15 at the same point in the year, giving a ray of hope for better run off at the station this year than last year.

Expectation is that the river flow will further pick up at Victoria Falls, which is downstream of Chavuma and nearer to Kariba as there is a four -week lag between flows at Chavuma and the resort town of Victoria Falls.

“The flow forecast indicates a possible slight improvement in flows this year compared to last year, though seemingly not good enough as it falls of the third worst year on record,” ZRA added in a statement.

Power generation at Kariba relies on availability of water, which also depends on the amount of rainfall received in any rainy season around Zambezi catchment area, mostly Barotse plains north of Zambia, and parts of Zimbabwe.

Lake Kariba has capacity of 186,6 billion cubic meters when full (486 meters) with only the upper later of 65 billion cubic meters being available for power generation.

Annual inflows into Kariba average 40 billion cubic meters.

“Under average conditions and assuming a generation of 550MW requiring approximately 22 billion cubic meters, it would take up to three years to fill the lake to maximum retention levels,” the authority said.

The total inflow into Lake Kariba in 2019, when the dam was affected by the drought that hit areas around its catchment areas, the total inflow into Kariba was 18,84 billion cubic meters, 70 percent below 2018.

On the other hand, the total outflow last year was 45,81 billion cubic meters comprising of 36 billion cubic meters turbine outflow discharge and 9,79 billion cubic meters water lost evaporation, which reduced reservoir storage by 26,97 cubic meters.

ZRA said the Southern Africa Regional Climate outlook last year forecast normal to above normal rains in Zambezi’s catchment areas from October to December 2019 and normal to below normal from January to March 2020.

Based on the projections, ZRA said it has allocated 22 billion cubic meters for power generation in February.

So far, in January the lake has received 3,15 billion cubic meters of water compared to 1,97 billion last year.

Currently, Zambezi River’s water flow is average 663 cubic meters per second compared to a long term average of 931 cubic meters per second. Kariba Dam currently hold only 8,36 percent of the usable live water for power.

State Media|Businesses selling goods and services in foreign currency face stiff penalties for defying the Government, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube has said.

Statutory Instrument 142 of 2019 prescribes the Zimbabwe dollar as the sole legal tender.

Previously the country used a basket of currencies, including the US dollar, to beat challenges of the hyperinflation era.

Of late, some service stations have been selling fuel in foreign currency, despite having bought the fuel from oil companies using Zimbabwe dollars.

Some grocers have also been insisting on foreign currency, in defiance of the law.

In an interview with Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN) last week, Prof Ncube said the Government will soon come up with penalties to be imposed on businesses that wilfully flout the law.

“Let me be clear. Zimbabwe is in a mono-currency situation. We introduced the Zimbabwean dollar, that is the domestic currency. But we also know that practically, realistically, it is taking long for Zimbabweans to adjust. Why? It is difficult to have that silver bullet where everyone complies,” said Prof Ncube.

“Of course, as Government we are forcing compliance. We will be introducing penalties for those who deviate. We recognise that we are in transition. We will get there. Our objective is to achieve mono-currency. We will make sure that the US dollar is pulled back. They are violating the law. We want to enforce the use of the Zimbabwe dollar.

“We also know that one of the reasons why the US dollar continues to be used is that we do not have enough Zimbabwe dollars in circulation. There is a cash deficit of domestic currency. That is why we have said we want to introduce more cash in a very prudent way. We have up to $5 notes now. We will move to $10, $20 and sometime in the future if we need a higher denomination, we will make an analysis and determine. There is no urgency in that.”

Prof Ncube said no country could develop without its own currency and Zimbabwe was no exception.

He said the Government will soon improve the interbank market for foreign currency following complaints from businesses.

“I think the best system is an auction system and not a market system. I don’t think we will go crudely as far as piling cash in a room but we will take the electronic route,” he said.

The interbank market was introduced in February last year and has had teething problems.

Prof Ncube said Government will enhance its funding on education and envisaged a situation where there would be several boarding schools in rural areas.

He said the health sector had surpassed education in terms of funding given that multilateral agencies would mobilise financial resources whenever there was an epidemic.

On the working conditions of civil servants, the minister said Government will continue to improve their salaries, adding that he was pained by the continuous erosion of workers’ wages.