Farai Dziva|MDC vice president Tendai Biti has said Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is directly responsible for the MaShurugwi menace.

Addressing MDC supporters in Masvingo on Monday Biti said:

Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s record of cruelty is well documented.

He is directly responsible for the MaShurugwi menace.

Mnangagwa created those gangsters.We are going to use legal and Constitutional means to make sure MaShurugwi are brought to book,” said Biti.

Farai Dziva|Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe(PTUZ) Secretary General, Raymond Majongwe has said teachers can no longer abide by the Public Service Commission dress code because of Incapacitation.

Majongwe said teachers can no longer afford to buy formal wear due to the escalating economic crisis.

See Majongwe’s letter to PTUZ members:
Following intensive consultations with the generality of membership on dress code, comrades we are reiterating our position earlier communicated to Public Service Commission that due to serious incapacitation it is increasingly becoming difficult to adhere to the prescribed dress code when on duty.

Unlike everyone else who is getting a dressing allowance, teachers are not getting any support in this regard. We have therefore taken a position to say when reporting for duty put on anything that you can afford …

We cannot afford expensive dresses and suits while our stomachs are empty.

By A Correspondent- In a terrifying incident, a 27-year-old South African man allegedly murdered his two-month-old infant in a what is suspected to be a ritual inspired killing.

Speaking to the South African publication, Sowetan, Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lt General Mondli Zuma confirmed the ghastly crime and strongly condemned the evil deed. 

This painful and senseless act took place on Tuesday, 28 January 2020, at KwaMhlanga at approximately 2pm.

Police in Mpumalanga have arrested 27-year-old Irvin Lotta Mahlangu following the death of the baby.

It is regrettable to hear of incidences where children, like this little one, are allegedly murdered by their own parents who are supposed to be protecting them. Children are the future and a home is regarded as the first line of defence where children should be nurtured as well as protected.

The accused was not asked to plead when he appeared at the KwaMhlanga magistrate’s court last Thursday facing a charge of murder. Mahlangu was remanded in custody until February 6 for formal bail application. 

According to prosecution, Mahlangu, on the day in question had a heated argument with the mother of the baby over alleged rituals he was performing on the child.

A scuffle is reported to have ensued and Mahlangu who was armed with a knife stabbed the toddler. The 22-year-old mother became so terrified as Mahlangu threatened to kill her as well.

She, however, broke her silence by screaming for help as well as broke windows in an effort to get attention from people and fortunately neighbours notified police, but unfortunately, the child was certified dead on the scene. Police opened a murder case and Mahlangu was immediately arrested.

VICE-PRESIDENT Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry, who is in custody over charges of allegedly assaulting her house maid, has accused her husband of engineering the allegations after his initial failed attempts to have her locked up for failing to surrender a second passport in the attempted murder charge.

Marry said Chiwenga was using State resources to ensure that she is incarcerated at all costs and even on flimsy charges. Marry said this in her bail appeal application filed at the High Court on Monday this week and the matter is set to be heard today.

Through her lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa Marry said: “She (magistrate Bianca Makwande) also misdirected herself in her failure to consider and take into account that the charges are mere allegations engineered by a disenchanted spouse (Chiwenga) and that the presumption of innocence still operates. She also erred and misdirected herself in equating allegations of common assault to attempted murder.”

“The applicant (Marry)’s husband had attempted to engineer a breach of her bail conditions by pretending she was in possession of a passport which was actually in his possession. The likelihood of his having engineered the assault charge in order to achieve what he failed to do by lying about the passport was a factor the magistrate ought to have taken into account.”

Last Saturday, Marry was remanded in custody by Makwande, who ruled that she had a propensity to commit violent crimes, an assertion dismissed by Mtetwa.

“She (Makwande) also erred and misdirected herself in her conclusion that two alleged incidents arising from circumstances where one spouse is fighting another constitute evidence of “propensity” to commit violent crimes, particularly where no evidence of such propensity was led in respect of incidents unconnected with the acrimonious end of marriage,” Mtetwa said.

In her defence, however, Marry said it was not possible for her to assault the complainant in the matter, one Delight Munyoro, taking into account that she has a swollen hand and also the sitting position of Munyoro who was in her vehicle at the time of the alleged assault.

“She further erred and misdirected herself when she failed to consider and take into account the visible festering wounds and a swollen hand displayed to her making it unlikely that such a swollen hand and arm would have been used to assault the complainant (Delight Munyoro). Any use of such visibly damaged hand and arm would have resulted in more pain for the appellant (Marry) than to the complainant, who is a stout and well-rounded woman,” Mtetwa said.

“She erred and misdirected herself when she failed to take into account the physical difficulties of a backslap on the left cheek using the left hand on a person who was sitting in a motor vehicle whose right cheek would have been nearer to the applicant”.

Mtetwa further said the magistrate failed to consider and take into account the many weaknesses in the State allegations and instead treated the allegations as if they were proven fact in both cases.

“In all of these circumstances, appellant contends that the magistrate’s many misdirections led her to come to the wrong conclusion and that this court set aside her ruling as being based on the wrong bail principles and that the State provided no compelling reasons why she should not have been admitted to bail.”

In her chronological order of events, Marry said on January 28, 2020 she went to collect her children from school following the ruling by the High Court and when she got there, she saw Munyoro sitting in a vehicle in the company of security details from the army and the Central Intelligence Organisation.

Marry said she then asked Munyoro why she had instructed her (Marry) younger children not to speak to their siblings and Munyoro responded that she (Marry) should be grateful and thankful that she was caring for the children as Chiwenga could not look after them.

“Although there was a verbal exchange between them, there was no physical contact as complainant had armed personnel and was also sitting in the car,” Mtetwa said, adding her client was surprised to later learn that she was wanted by the police for questioning on charges of assault.

-Newsday

Trafigura has bought out Kudakwashe Tagwirei from Sakunda, which could help the company, one of the world’s largest oil and metals brokers, to stave off the likely impact of growing Western and local pressure on its long-time Zimbabwean partner.

Trafigura held a minority stake of 49% in Trafigura Zimbabwe, with Tagwirei’s Sakunda, which operated Puma Energy, holding the controlling interest.

“In December 2019, Trafigura Pte Ltd signed an agreement to become the 100% owner of fuel supply business Trafigura Zimbabwe. This follows the purchase of Sakunda Holding’s 51% stake in the company which is currently awaiting final regulatory approval,” a spokesman for Sakunda said in a statement.

Puma Energy is jointly owned by Trafigura and Sonangol, the Angolan fuel company.

The company says, despite the shareholding change, it remains in the Zimbabwe fuel business, despite a continuing forex crisis.

“This will bring improved clarity on Trafigura’s activities in the country, an opportunity for more robust financing of Trafigura Zimbabwe and aims to help improve the security of supply of fuel to Zimbabwe.”

The company adds: “USD liquidity remains tight, contributing to a challenging business environment for suppliers and consumers. Nevertheless, Trafigura is committed to continuing to work closely with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to provide credit and flexibility, notwithstanding its limited commercial role in the country.”

Government sources suggest Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and Tagwirei separately met Trafigura officials in Switzerland in January. An attempt by Tagwirei to hold a joint meeting, presumably to stave off the forced buyout, had failed after Ncube declined, officials say.

Sakunda has been at the centre of several controversies regarding Government spending, including its involvement in fuel procurement and commodities under the Command Agriculture scheme.

Government has been under pressure to loosen Sakunda’s grip on commodities supply, both for grain and fuel. Plans are under discussion within Government on how to end the company’s control of fuel distribution, despite strong political fighting over the future of Tagwirei’s ties to top figures in the administration.

US sanctions threat
Recently, the two US senators wrote to the American State Department and Treasury to add to the sanctions list the names of those involved in “public corruption”, raising talk that Sakunda and Tagwirei could be listed.

Tagwirei has been the target of strong criticism from the US Ambassador Brian Nichols, who has described his relationship with the Government as corrupt.

“An American firm won the tender for the construction of the Dema Power plant in 2016, but the government cancelled the contract and awarded it to Sakunda Holdings, which had not even placed a bid,” Nichols complained last year.

The Sakunda deals, under which the company received US$366m in Treasury Bills for Command Agriculture in 2018, was also subject to criticism by the IMF in 2019. Maturity of the bills, the IMF team noted privately to Treasury officials, had driven money supply by as much as 80% last year.

Zimbabwe is running a Staff Monitored Programme with the IMF, under which its implementation of the Transitional Stabilisation Probramme (TSP) is being monitored. However, Zimbabwe has missed many targets under the SMP, which the IMF will make public in a report expected shortly.

Trafigura’s PR push
In October 2019, Trafigura was forced to release a statement saying it had nothing to do with Sakunda’s operations outside of the fuel business.

“Trafigura Zimbabwe is only involved in petroleum supply and distribution, and the joint venture company was renamed from ‘Sakunda Supplies’ to ‘Trafigura Zimbabwe’ to differentiate our joint activities marketing fuel, from that of the wider Sakunda group of companies – in which Trafigura has no involvement,” Trafigura said then.

This was the first sign that the company was keen on distancing itself from the Tagwirei controversies.

Trafigura has, for over the past decade, been working hard to clean up its image worldwide after a series of scandals. The most prominent of these was the dumping of toxic materials off the coast of Ivory Coast, which led to the arrest and jailing of senior executives in 2006. Since then, the company has appointed new management, and has run a strong PR campaign to win back credibility.

US sanctions on a business partner would hurt the Trafigura’s image.

Based in Geneva, the company is owned by 600 top employees and turns annual profits of about US$1 billion from its commodity broking around the world.

Tagwirei’s recent deals
Tagwirei has been deepening his investment in mining, and has made several deals over the past year.

Through his Landela Mining, Tagwirei has recently become the local 50% partner in Great Dyke Investments, which is developing the US$500 million Darwendale platinum project. Landela and Afromet JSC now have equal 50% stakes in the project. Afromet JSC is 100% owned by Russia’s investment and industrial group Vi Holding, which has spearheaded the Darwendale project since its inception in 2013.

Obey Chimuka, MD of Fossil Contracting, a company associated with Tagwirei, now sits on the GDI board. Chimuka has in the past sat on the boards of the ZMDC and Marange Resources. He also sat on the board of Sakunda Supplies, according to his company’s website.

In October 2019, Sotic International, a Mauritius-based commodities company in which Tagwirei and Trafigura are partners, bought UK-listed Asa Holdings’ controlling 74.13% stake in Bindura Nickel Corporation. Bindura then appointed three Tagwirei associates to the board; Christopher Fourie, a director of Sotic International, Jozef Behr, the commodity company’s head of trading, and Chimuka.

It remains unclear whether Trafigura will also unwind this partnership.

Tagwirei already has an interest in Africa Chrome Fields and has been tied to a bid for ferrochrome producer Zimbabwe Alloys.

At the ongoing Mining Indaba in Cape Town, Tagwirei’s Landela Mining and BNC, together with Freda Rebecca, hosted an investment event and a cocktail for the Ministry of Mines.

-NewzWire

By Jamwanda| The Zanu-PF Politburo has just begun at the Party Headquarters and the President and First Secretary, Emmerson Mnangagwa is making his opening remarks.

He urged the Party to be more hands-on in supervising Govt, and to show discipline in all it does.

He hinted at Party mid-term review to allow the Party to reflect and introspect. Noting challenges of the year gone by, the President and First Secretary assured the Nation that Zimbabwe will be guaranteed food security in spite of the regional drought. Food distribution has to reach all reach all citizens regardless of political affiliation.

The President also noted the impact of the drought on livestock, hinting that a Livestock Saving and Recovery Programme will be announced soon. The fight against inflation and for sustainable mono-currency regime would be intensified in the year. He was very strident in urging all Party structures to abhor violence in the mining sector, calling those involved “malcontents”.

The President reiterated that Zimbabwe which turns 40 in April this year, will for the first time hold and observe the anniversary outside Harare.

The fight against corruption would be intensified, said the President, urging members of the Party to show leadership in that fight. He stressed all organs of the Party had to serve the Party, and to do so with discipline.

The text above has been extracted from George Charamba’s Twitter account @jamwanda2

By A Correspondent- A 25-year-old Bulawayo woman from Douglasdale died after drinking a lethal concoction she got from a Sangoma who has since been arrested.

Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident yesterday. 

“We are investigating a culpable homicide incident which occurred in Douglasdale suburb where a 25-year-old woman died after drinking a concoction given to her by a traditional healer.

“At the moment we cannot say much as investigations are still in progress. However, the suspect has been arrested and is assisting police with investigations,” said Asst Insp Msebele. She urged members of the public to be cautious when dealing with sangomas and faith healers.

She also urged faith-based healers to take extra precaution when administering medication to their clients to avoid unnecessary loss of lives. 

According to sources, Musiyiwa is a member of the Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers’ Association (ZINATHA) and also a member of the Bulawayo Polytechnic College examination board.

The source revealed that the deceased had visited the traditional healer with her cousin but the cousin later returned home after realising that the queue was too long. The deceased was served at about 3PM and she was given a mixture to drink and started groaning like a possessed person making cow-like sounds. She also started vomiting while jumping towards the precast wall before falling unconscious,” said the source.

He said Musiyiwa waited for some time before calling her husband to the shrine and they took Sibanda to the United Bulawayo Hospitals where she was pronounced dead on arrival. 

Sibanda’s husband Mr Ketumetsi Moyo (26) was in shock and wasn’t aware that his wife was consulting a sangoma.

-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, commended the Malawi Constitutional Court for upholding the Constitution and urged all stakeholders to respect its judgment on an electoral petition.

In a statement issued a day after the Constitutional Court in Malawi handed down its ruling, Mnangagwa said:

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) acknowledges the decision of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Malawi that was delivered on 3rd February 2020, which nullified the results of the Presidential Election held on 21st May 2019. SADC notes that the Constitutional Court also ordered that a fresh election be held within 150 days.

SADC commends the Constitutional Court for upholding the Malawian Constitution, and the electoral law in the conduct of the petition.

SADC urges all stakeholders to respect the judgment of the Constitutional Court, and maintain peace and tranquillity, whilst the relevant national institutions prepare for fresh elections.

SADC will continue to support the Republic of Malawi in the election process, as guided by the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, and will remain seized with the developments in Malawi.

Trafigura Pte Limited has parted ways with its Zimbabwean partners Sakunda Holdings owned by businessman Mr Kuda Tagwirei.

Trafigura Pte Limited now owns 100 percent of Trafigura Zimbabwe after acquiring Sakunda Holdings’ 51 percent stake.

Trafigura Zimbabwe supplies fuel through Puma, Redan and Sakunda service stations and reportedly has interests in the Feruka Oil pipeline.
However, the deal awaits regulatory approval.

Further, Trafigura expects the transaction to improve clarity on the company’s local operations.
Trafigura Pte, which is head-quartered in Switzerland, held a minority 49 percent stake in Trafigura Zimbabwe through Puma Energy, while Sakunda Petroleum had the controlling stake of 51 percent, in line with local content laws that applied at the time of the investment.

The Second Republic has since tweaked the local content laws to attract more investors under the policy, “Zimbabwe is Open for Business”.

Trafigura Zimbabwe was only involved in petroleum supply and distribution.
The joint venture company was renamed from Sakunda Supplies to Trafigura Zimbabwe to differentiate the joint activities of marketing fuel, from those of the wider Sakunda Group of companies.
Mr Tagwirei’s mobile phone went unanswered last night and had not responded to a text message by the time of going to print.

However, a Trafigura Pte Ltd spokesperson yesterday confirmed Trafigura, Tagwirei part ways the transaction.

“In December 2019, Trafigura Pte Ltd signed an agreement to become the 100 percent owner of fuel supply business Trafigura Zimbabwe. This follows the purchase of Sakunda Holding’s 51 percent stake in the company which is currently awaiting final regulatory approval,” said the spokesperson.

“This will bring improved clarity on Trafigura’s activities in the country, an opportunity for more robust financing of Trafigura Zimbabwe and aims to help improve the security of supply of fuel to Zimbabwe.

Trafigura Zimbabwe will continue to ensure that petroleum products are made available in line with ZERA (the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority)’s regulated price build-up and quality standards.

“USD liquidity remains tight, contributing to a challenging business environment for suppliers and consumers. Nevertheless, Trafigura is committed to continuing to work closely with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to provide credit and flexibility, notwithstanding its limited commercial role in the country.”

The Trafigura spokesperson assured interested parties in Zimbabwe that the ownership change will not “cause any interruption to Trafigura’s supply of fuel to Zimbabwe”.

ZERA acting chief executive officer Mr Eddington Mazambani could neither confirm nor deny the transaction.

“Trafigura is not a licensee so ZERA wouldn’t have their shareholding structure. Trafigura or Sakunda are best placed to comment,” he said.

-State Media

Lesotho’s first lady is set to be charged with murder in connection with the 2017 killing of her husband’s ex-wife.

Maesaiah Thabane, who fled the country on 10 January to escape arrest, returned to the African kingdom on Tuesday afternoon and handed herself in to police in the capital Maseru.

Officials said she had been hiding in neighbouring South Africa. Thabane fled the country on 10 January to escape arrest.

Deputy commissioner of police Mokete Paseka said Thabane would be kept in custody and taken to court once the director of public prosecutions has prepared the charge sheet.

An arrest warrant for the first lady was issued the day she fled the country after refusing to report to police for questioning in connection with the death of Prime Minister Thomas Thabane’s former wife Lipolelo.

The killing occurred two days before the prime minister’s inauguration for a second term, and two years after a court ruled that Lipolelo was the lawful first lady and entitled to benefits.

Mr Thabane married his current wife some two months after Lipolelo’s death.

Two weeks ago, police interrogated the prime minister over the alleged use of his mobile phone to communicate with whoever was at the scene of the killing.

Outgoing prime minister Thomas Thabane was questioned by police two weeks ago.

The 80-year-old prime minister last month announced he planned to step down as his ruling party said he was no longer fit to lead the southern African nation.

He did not specify when he would resign, adding it would occur “when all is in order”.

-SkyNews

The First Lady of Lesotho has been charged with murdering the prime minister’s previous wife.

Maesaiah Thabane turned herself into police on Tuesday and is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

Her husband, Prime Minister Thomas Thabane, has also been questioned.

His estranged wife, Lipolelo Thabane, was shot dead outside her home in the capital Maseru two days before his inauguration in 2017.

The couple were involved in bitter divorce proceedings at the time.

By A Correspondent- Namibian Police (Nampol) have arrested another Zimbabwean for the alleged murder of his friend in a dispute over Namibian $20 (USD$1.34) in the Oshakati area.

Legton Meki (41), who went on the run on Sunday after allegedly fatally assaulting Botham Chipuriro (51) with a brick in the head was arrested on Monday afternoon as he tried to escape to Zimbabwe.

The police said the suspect was picked up while walking along the Ohangwena-Eenhana main road. Nampol spokesperson responsible for community affairs division Warrant Officer Frieda Shikole told the media that the incident occurred around 11:40pm.

“Indications are that the two Zimbabweans (both male) were passengers in a taxi they hired from Ondangwa. Along the way, the suspect paid the taxi fee on behalf of the deceased, but the driver gave the change to the wrong man and an argument ensued,” said Warrant Officer Shikole.

He said the argument resulted in a fistfight between the two men when they got to their destination. During the fight, Meki allegedly picked a brick and repeatedly assaulted his compatriot in the face and head. He then disappeared from the crime scene on foot.

According to the police, the suspect has been detained at the Ondobe Police Station pending transportation to Oshakati where he will be charged and tried for murder.

The incident comes a few days after three Zimbabweans were arrested for killing, mutilating and burning the body of a nine-year-old girl in Windhoek.

Two of the accused persons Rachel Kureva, the mother of the minor, and Caroline Nkata have since appeared in the Windhoek magistrate court charged with murder, obstructing the ends of justice and violating a dead body.

They were remanded in custody to April 17 for trial, while another suspect Edward Nkata is yet to be charged and recuperating from the hospital under police guard.

Edward was injured after a vehicle transporting him from Otjiwarongo to Windhoek was involved in a road traffic accident. 

-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- The committee, which is chaired by Ruth Labode, was investigating reports of the deteriorating state of healthcare, conditions of service of medical personnel, as well as lack of equipment and essentials at the country’s public health institutions.

Sally Mugabe Central Hospital (formerly Harare Central Hospital) was almost deserted yesterday as MPs in the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee Health toured the institution.

Sally Mugabe Central Hospital chief executive officer (CEO) Tinashe Dhobi yesterday confirmed that the 1 200-bed hospital was now operating at around 45% capacity compared to the 70% of a few months ago.

The hospital was severely affected by a strike by doctors which began in September last year, while lack of water and high consultation fees have also resulted in deterioration of services.

“Normally, our bed occupancy is between 50% to 70%, but due to industrial action we dropped to even less than 20%, but as we speak we are at 45%,” Dhobi said. “Besides those who are admitted at the hospital, which is around 700 patients, we see 1 700 patients in casualty and after the industrial action some departments are about to open.”

Dhobi told MPs that around 1 500 maternity cases used to be handled by the hospital per month, but these have now declined to an average 400 cases. The hospital is also underfunded, and has severe water problems which has resulted in only four theatres out of 15 working. It is also straddled with a debt of $32 million.

The hospital CEO was, however, at loggerheads with MPs after he responded to their questions evasively and in an antagonistic manner resulting in the committee warning him that Parliament had powers to charge him with contempt. Dhobbi also downplayed some issues that specialist doctors were raising at the hospital, which included lack of equipment and that most theatres were not in working condition.

But the hospital clinical director Christopher Pasi admitted there was serious shortage of equipment, water and nursing staff, severely crippling theatre operations.

-Statemedia

WINDHOEK – The ruling in the legal battle over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) without verifiable paper trails and the results of the November 2019 presidential election, will be made public in the Supreme Court early next month.

Chief Justice Peter Shivute, after having listened to arguments and counter-arguments by lawyers representing the two parties in the matter, said the Supreme Court will deliver judgement on 06 February 2020.

In the matter, five candidates who contested the presidential election – independent candidate, Dr Panduleni Itula; Henk Mudge of the Republican Party; Epafras Mukwiilongo of the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters; Ignatius Shixwameni of All People’s Party; and Mike Kavekotora of the Rally for Democracy and Progress – are claiming in their papers before the Supreme Court that the presidential election was allegedly rigged in the favour of Swapo’s Hage Geingob.

The five applicants, in their court papers, also included a 126-page affidavit and annexures in which they outlined why the results of the presidential election should be nullified and a re-run be organised as soon as possible.

The applicants want the Supreme Court to issue an order declaring that the presidential election is null and void and also for the court to overturn the final results ‘on the grounds of irregularities in connection with the use of the EVMs’.

Chief Justice Shivute heard the case alongside judges Sylvester Mainga, Elton Hoff, Dave Smuts and Baiitse Nkabinde.

South African senior counsel Jeremy Gauntlett represented the five applicants.

William Mokhari, also a South African senior counsel, appeared for the Electoral Commission of Namibia and the Namibian government.

– Nampa

More than 300 foreigners await deportation after they were arrested last year, the Department of Immigration in Zimbabwe has said.

The Immigration Department’s spokesperson Mrs Canisia Magaya said 300 were Malawians en-route to South Africa.

Two Nepalese were arrested for illegally dealing in drugs in Emerald Hill, Harare.

“The Nepal nationals, Rai Membar Dhwoj (29) and Rai Naba Raj (38) were apprehended recently while staying with a local drug dealer who has a previous conviction.

The current bank exchange rates for the ZWL$ today are as follows:

USD = ZWL$17.4454
ZWL$ = RAND0.8499

Data according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

Black Market Rates:

USD = ZWL$25 zimrates
USD = ZWL$25 zwl365
USD = ZWL$24.7 bluemari
USD = BOND19.5 zimrates

– Marketwatch

HEALTH minister Obadiah Moyo was yesterday grilled by Parliament over Zimbabwe’s preparedness to deal with the coronavirus should it be detected in the country.

Moyo had appeared before the Ruth Labode-led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health to respond to a petition by the Senior Doctors Hospitals Association (SDHA) on the dearth of Zimbabwe’s health system and other grievances by doctors pertaining to conditions of service.

SDHA president Shingai Nyaguse doubted the country’s preparedness, but later when Moyo appeared before the committee, he said Zimbabwe was well prepared.

“Our laboratories are not at a stage of testing for the coronavirus. What it means is that the World Health Organisation (WHO) will be taking samples of suspected cases to laboratories in South Africa. Our infectious diseases hospitals should also be prepared with oxygen,” Nyaguse said.

But Moyo said all the ports of entry, and airports were ready to tackle the virus should it emerge.

“We have adequate thermo scanners at our borders. As far as isolation is concerned, we make sure that all visitors are well checked and should there be symptoms, we will put them in quarantine. The best quarantine facility is in Victoria Falls, where there are tourists,” he said.

“We are aware that the treatment utilised is antiretroviral drugs which works. The coronavirus emanates from animals and is transmitted to persons. It is a respiratory illness. We must educate people to always cover their mouths when coughing and wash hands.”

Moyo said his ministry had identified equipment for testing of the coronavirus.

“The equipment is there, but what is missing are test kits so that we do not continue to send samples to South Africa,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR), in a statement, said the government must enforce adequate surveillance measures at all ports of entry into the country.

“Such mechanisms must be in place to diagnose suspected patients, provide treatment facilities which minimise further spread to others and/or health workers and to do contact tracing for all suspected traces. Active surveillance, prompt diagnosis and effective treatment of infected individuals have been shown to be the mainstay of containing outbreaks,” ZADHR executive director Calvin Fambirai said.

He said this called for health workers to be mobilised, trained, equipped and well protected to deal with any suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus.

-Newsday

ZIMBABWE’s tobacco output is expected to decline by 13 percent to 225 million kilogrammes this year from a record high of 259 million kilogrammes in the last season due to drought.

The 2019/20 summer cropping season has of late been hit hard by the extremely hot weather conditions, which have largely affected output across the agriculture sector as some crops such as maize have wilted while deaths caused by drought in livestock have been recorded across the country in Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North and Masvingo, among others.

Speaking by telephone yesterday, Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) chairperson Mr Patrick Devenish said initial estimates indicate that 225 million kilogrammes of tobacco would be delivered to the auction floors this year.

“The earliest estimate of the crop is approximately 225 kilogrammes although the irrigated crop is very good in quality, the dry land crop suffered the effects of drought and also the planting season began late because of the late onset of the rainy season,” he said. 

“The irrigated crop (tobacco) is of very good quality and the dry land crop, not all of it but quite a lot of it is suffering as a result of drought and it needs a bit of some rains.” 

In a separate interview, TIMB chief executive officer Dr Andrew Matibiri said together with Agritex they were presently undertaking a crop assessment, which exercise would be complete in the next two weeks.

“We are currently undertaking a crop assessment together with Agritex which will give us the date when the 2020 tobacco marketing season will start. 

“So far, what we have observed during the crop assessment is that the tobacco crop is now growing well after the rains most parts of the country have received,” he said. 

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president Mr Wonder Chabikwa said the irrigated crop established in the first week of September was ready for marketing while a majority of the dryland crop was largely affected by the dry spell.

“The irrigated crop planted on the 1st of September last year is ready for marketing; reaping and curing was done in December. On the other hand, a majority of the dryland crop was affected by the dry spell. 

“However, the crop stands a chance of a huge recovery if the rains that are being received in some parts of the country continue,” he said.

The golden leaf is one of Zimbabwe’s top foreign currency earners and the country generates an estimated US$1 billion annually from exporting the crop across different parts of the world.

Statistics from TIMB indicate that the hectarage planted under tobacco as at December 2019 spiked by 2,8 percent to 81 977.

-State Media

By A Correspondent- Two men from Ntabazinduna in Matabeleland North appeared in court for allegedly stealing a solar panel worth $15 000 from a homestead.

Brian Sibanda (27) and Mkhokheli Ndlovu (20) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Lizwe Jamela charged with theft.

The court was told that on January 29, at around 10pm, Sibanda and Ndlovu connived and went to Fiso Bernard’s homestead at village 1 Battlefields to steal solar panel which was in the yard.

They were traced by Saul Masuku and Mike Mpofu who followed their foot prints leading to their residence.

A report was made to police which led to the arrest of Sibanda and Ndlovu after recovering the solar panel at their bedroom.

The value of the stolen property is $15 000 and was recovered.

By A Correspondent- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry Chiwenga nee Mubaiwa, who is in remand prison for allegedly assaulting a maid, yesterday took her freedom bid to the High Court where she challenged a Harare magistrate for denying her bail.

Mubaiwa was on Saturday remanded in custody after a Harare magistrate said she was unsuitable for bail.

She is accused of assaulting the family’s maid at Hellenic School in Borrowdale following an altercation over the custody of children last week.

Harare regional magistrate Ms Bianca Makwande on Saturday denied Mubaiwa bail on the basis that she had a propensity for violence.

The assault allegedly occurred while Mubaiwa was on bail for attempted murder, money laundering and fraud.

In her bail application, she is seeking the setting aside of Ms Makwande’s decision.

“Appellant (Mubaiwa) therefore prays that the court a quo’s ruling be set aside and that she be admitted to bail on the following terms and conditions; that bail terms and conditions set in ACCCRB No25 and 26/19 be and are hereby extended to cover the assault charges.

“That the appellant not interfere with Delight Munyoro, Batsirayi Furukiya and all other named witnesses and any other condition that the court may deem necessary and appropriate in the interest of justice.”

Mubaiwa accused the magistrate of failing to take into account, the background and the full circumstances of the case, including the fact that a superior court had granted her bail on more serious charges.

-Statemedia

LILONGWE, Malawi – Malawian President Peter Mutharika plans to challenge a court decision overturning his 2019 poll victory, his spokesman said on Wednesday, in a move that could spark fresh opposition protests.

After six months of hearings that gripped the southern African country, five top judges on Monday ruled that Mutharika was “not duly elected”, citing massive and widespread irregularities including the use of correction fluid on results sheets.

The judges ordered a fresh poll within 150 days.

But Mutharika’s spokesman, Mgeme Kalilani, described the ruling as “a serious miscarriage of justice and an attack on the foundations of the country’s democracy”, telling AFP that Mutharika would appeal.

He did not say when Mutharika would bring the challenge, but the 79-year-old president has up to six weeks to appeal.

On Tuesday, Lazarus Chakwera, the leader of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party, who came a close second to Mutharika, hailed the landmark verdict as a victory for democracy and Africa.

Addressing more than 10,000 jubilant opposition supporters who thronged his party’s Lilongwe headquarters, Chakwera said “this is a great day”.

“It is democracy that has won. It is Malawi that has won. It is Africa that has won. And now justice has been served,” he said.

Mutharika was declared the winner of the May 21 election with 38.5 percent of the vote, Chakwera losing by just 159,000 votes.

Chakwera went to court to challenge the result.

In their unprecedented ruling, the constitutional court judges concurred that “the irregularities and anomalies have been so widespread, systematic and grave… that the integrity of the results has been seriously compromised”.

The court said only 23 percent of the result sheets had been able to be verified, and that the outcome announced by the electoral commission “cannot be trusted as a true reflection of the will of the voters”.

It is the first time a presidential election has been challenged on legal grounds in Malawi since independence from Britain in 1964, and only the second African vote result to be cancelled, after the 2017 Kenya presidential vote.

Allegations of vote-rigging sparked protests across the normally peaceful country shortly after results were announced.

Mutharika’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) urged citizens to “maintain peace and order”.

In Zomba, the former colonial capital and now fourth-largest city, opposition supporters sang and danced in the streets on Tuesday, calling on Mutharika to step down following the historic ruling.

The Southern African Development Community commended the court for “upholding the Malawian constitution” and pledged to “support… the election process”.

Mutharika, 79, will remain president until the new election, the court ruled.

“It is a good time to be alive in Malawi. We have demonstrated that democracy does and can work in Africa. And this victory is not for us, it is for generations to come,” said Lameck Hango, who celebrated with his friends in Lilongwe.

Another Lilongwe resident, Johnson Banda, said he was “very happy with this judgement”.

“It’s a true indication that Malawi has true democracy.”

But Mutharika supporter Chimpele Tsamwa was less pleased.

“The judgement is not what I expected nor wanted — but then all in all we trust the courts and have to go with what they have said. That’s the beauty with democracy,” he said.

The international community has urged calm.

“We call upon all Malawians to respect the decision of the court and to adhere to the path outlined in Malawi’s constitution and electoral laws, including on the right to appeal,” said Tibor Nagy, the top US diplomat for Africa.

-AFP

By A Correspondent- The Meteorological Services Department has forecasted that heavy rains, thunder and lightning will hit Matabeleland North, Harare and Midlands starting today.

A statement published by the MSD said:

For tomorrow (today) we are expecting isolated thunderstorms for Matabeleland North, Midlands, Harare, all Mashonaland and Northern Districts of Manicaland Province with sunny and hot conditions. Bulawayo, Matabeleland South, Masvingo and southern districts of Manicaland Province are expected to be sunny, hot and dry, with lower chances of isolated rains.

Meanwhile, some parts of the country have not yet received decent rainfall since the onset of the rainy season.

-Statemedia

MDC has reportedly suspended one of its Bulawayo councillors, Ward 9 councillor Donaldson Mabutho from all party activities for allegedly ‘selling out internal information to members of the intelligence.’

Mabutho who is also the MDC Bulawayo Provincial Youth Organising Secretary is said to have been suspended two weeks ago by the National Youth Assembly.

Pending a hearing to determine his fate, Mabutho has allegedly been excused from all party activities but still retains control of his ward seat that covers areas of Mpopoma, Matshobana and Kelvin North 2.

According to well-placed sources within MDC provincial structures, Mabutho was suspended for allegedly parcelling out party information to operatives from the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).

Sources said, “He was suspended for his alleged collaboration to hostile security agents and was also trying to recruit some CIO members from Magnet House.”

 “A date for his hearing has not been determined but his sitting before the party’s National Disciplinary Committee must be within two months,” sources claimed.

In an interview with CITE, Councillor Mabutho denied the suspension claims, insisting he had not received any letter to such effect.

“The first thing is those who said such about me must provide the documentation proving that I was suspended. I have not received any letter written from the party’s national office and whoever said so is lying,” he said

Mabutho noted that he was going about his duties both in the party and city council.

“As it is, I am in my office,” he said.

Reached for comment, MDC Bulawayo Provincial Chairperson, James Sithole, said he heard the suspension reports but could not confirm the claims.

“I have heard the rumours and I say these are unofficial because such wouldn’t happen without my knowledge. If this is true then the suspension would have been done by officials on top,” he said.

MDC Bulawayo Provincial Spokesperson, Swithern Chirowodza, said he does not comment “on security matters of the party” while National spokesperson, Daniel Molokele, who is out of the country said he was unaware of the matter.

-CITE

By A Correspondent- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry Chiwenga nee Mubaiwa, who is in remand prison for allegedly assaulting a maid, yesterday lodged a bail appeal at the High Court.

Mubaiwa was on Saturday remanded in custody after a Harare magistrate found her unsuitable for bail.

She is accused of assaulting the family’s maid at Hellenic School in Borrowdale following an altercation over the custody of children last week.

Harare regional magistrate Ms Bianca Makwande on Saturday denied Mubaiwa bail on the basis that she had a propensity for violence.

The assault allegedly occurred while Mubaiwa was on bail for attempted murder, money laundering and fraud.

In her bail application, she is seeking the setting aside of Ms Makwande’s decision.

“Appellant (Mubaiwa) therefore prays that the court a quo’s ruling be set aside and that she be admitted to bail on the following terms and conditions; that bail terms and conditions set in ACCCRB No25 and 26/19 be and are hereby extended to cover the assault charges.

“That the appellant not interfere with Delight Munyoro, Batsirayi Furukiya and all other named witnesses and any other condition that the court may deem necessary and appropriate in the interest of justice.”

Mubaiwa accused the magistrate of failing to take into account, the background and the full circumstances of the case, including the fact that a superior court had granted her bail on more serious charges.

-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists that Cabinet on Tuesday held is first meeting for the year 2020.

Flanked by the Chief Secretary to the Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, Finance & Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, Public Service, Labour & Social Welfare, Professor Larry Mavhima, Health & Child Care Minister, Dr Obadiah Moyo, Minister of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said the government‘s priority is to guarantee food security and ensure every effort is being directed towards that front.

Addressing the first Cabinet Decisions Matrix for the year, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said President Emmerson Mnangagwa acknowledged challenges facing the nation.

“While noting the progress registered by the Second Republic, particularly the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), His Excellency the President acknowledged the challenges that the people had bravely endured,” she said.

“He then laid out the business for 2020 based on set principles. He stated that the year 2020 heralded the era of productivity, economic growth and employment creation. His Excellency the President reiterated that as Cabinet, our immediate priority must be to guarantee food security and directed that all efforts be focused on that front,” she highlighted.

Senator Mutsvangwa noted that President Mnangagwa encouraged cabinet ministers and government officials as well as other political leaders to spend more time with the rural and marginalised people to ensure nobody starves due to the drought and lack of food and ensure they improve the quality of life of the people in rural areas.

She said Cabinet also resolved to support a monocurrency economy, competitive pricing and products while the Security sector was implored to deal decisively with machete gangs and other malcontents bent on causing disorder and chaos.

Senator Mutsvangwa said the Minister of Energy & Power Development, Advocate Fortune Chasi had also tabled a report on the proposed Amendment of the Electricity Act Chapter 13.9 which relates to wanton damage and theft of electricity equipment and infrastructure. The proposed amendment advocates stiffer penalties for damage to ZESA’s infrastructure or vandalism and /or theft of transformers, transformer oil and copper cables which has become rampant.

She said a total of 929 transformers in the Northern Region, 625 in Western , 525 in Harare alone while 24 in the Eastern region were either damaged or vandalised during the past year.

The Amendment seeks to Renew part of the Electricity Act and penalties to make them more deterrent, advocating for mandatory sentences of up to 30 years in jail as opposed to fines.

“There is need for deterrent sentences for would-be-offenders and to ensure adequate surveillance and even the introduction of electronic monitoring gadgets to ensure better security,” said Senator Mutsvangwa.

Another report was also tabled on the country’s successful participation at the just ended World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland . A Zimbabwe delegation which was headed by Finance & Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube attended the 50th edition of the WEF held in Davos from 20-24the January 2019 which discussed zero tolerance to corruption, competitive level playing field among other important issues as well as a Zimbabwe Investment Forum which was attended by a number of international investors, companies and interested persons in Switzerland.

Responding to questions from journalists during the post-cabinet briefing, Professor Ncube said ZWL$11 billion had been set aside for agriculture both the command and presidential inputs programmes as the country did not receive the expected rains.

“We are importing 100 metric tonnes of grain and opened up credit lines, so far so good and we hope to build adequate reserves at GMB targeting non-GMO Genetically Modified Organic maize and GMOs for immediate consumption, as part of efforts to ensure food security we are also working with organisations such as World Food Programme (WFP) among others on that front, and am glad we are on top of the situation with efforts of the government,” said Professor Ncube.

Senator Mutsvangwa said Professor Larry Mavhima, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare also reported on the Tripartite National Forum (TNF) to Cabinet outlining progress made so far on key socio-economic issues in the country.

“The idea of a TNF is for the country to come together and seek solutions to challenges, industrialise and find each other as government, employers, employees-labour to come up with strategies that move the country towards the aspirations for the country to be middle income economy by 2030.

“The report recommended the Need to develop and come up with monitoring mechanism for maintaining fiscal policy that target inflation, while discussion also included productivity issues, full operationalisation of the TNF, Expediting labour reform, income policy, salaries and wages, social services, development programme and shared economic vision, and more importantly the Social contract,” she said

Senator Mutsvangwa said the main TNF meeting is set for this Wednesday at NSSA House where several government officials including Ministers of Finance & Economic Development, Health & Child Care, Industry & Commerce, Justice, Legal & Parliamentary Affairs, Lands & Agriculture, Information, Publicity & Broadcasting Services would take part.

On Power Supply & Development, Engery & Power Development Minister, Advocate Fortune Chasi also gave an update on electricity generation in the country which he described as still depressed due to low rainfall received in the country.

The firts 2020 cabinet meeting was preceeded by the commissioning of the e-Cabinet system in the Cabinet room at Munhumutapa which was presided over by President Mnangagwa.

The Digital method of running government business is aimed at activating more productivity and growth. The Government is going paperless to accelerate the improvement and expedite government business.

By A Correspondent- The 2020 tobacco output is expected to dip 13% following the drought that ravaged the country last year.

This was revealed in an interview with TIMB Chairman Patrick Devenish who said:

The earliest estimate of the crop is approximately 225(million) kilogrammes although the irrigated crop is very good in quality, the dry land crop suffered the effects of drought and also the planting season began late because of the late onset of the rainy season

The irrigated crop (tobacco) is of very good quality and the dry land crop, not all of it but quite a lot of it is suffering as a result of drought and it needs a bit of some rains.

Last year farmers sold 259 million kilogrammes at the auction flows, a record all-time high.

-Statemedia

By A Correspondent– The Zanu-PF politburo will today sit in a potentially explosive meeting, two days after members of the party’s youth league accused some of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s allies of corruption and for being responsible for part of the economic crisis facing the country.

Zanu-PF youth league deputy secretary, Lewis Matutu and political commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu on Monday held a Press conference at the Media Centre where they alleged Mnangagwa’s ally and fuel mogul, Kuda Tagwireyi, among others, were allegedly the faces of corruption in the country.

Sources said Matutu was prepared to defend himself over the comments.

Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (Gmaz) chairperson, Tafadzwa Musarara, who was also yesterday alleged to be corrupt, said the statements by Matutu and Tsenengamu were false, malicious and defamatory.

Musarara said his company or himself have never participated in the maize meal or grain subsidy initiative.

“It is common cause that the country is currently experiencing a shortage of maize induced by drought. I am working, through a Gmaz private sector initiative, to augment government efforts in the importation of grain,” he said.

“Contrary to suggestions that I am responsible for the shortage of maize meal, I am actually working to ensure that the current shortages are addressed.”

Following the shock name-dropping by Matutu and Tsenengamu, there are reports that factions were emerging in Zanu-PF.

Insiders alleged party chairperson Oppah Muchinguri, backed by some politburo members were looking to push out the military component in the party and leave Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga exposed.

Posters were doing the rounds on Zanu-PF social media groups, insinuating that cutting off Tagwirei from government tenders and governing inner circles would cripple Chiwenga’s power bid.

In court papers, Chiwenga’s estranged wife Marry said the Vice-President harboured presidential ambitions.

Matutu and Tsenengamu, however, distanced themselves from the factions saying their project was not sponsored.

Matutu, however, refused to discuss politburo issues ahead of the meeting saying the naming and shaming had been done outside the party’s jurisdiction.

“I don’t discuss politburo meetings outside where they are not supposed to be discussed, we will answer any questions if raised in the meeting,” he said.

Tsenengamu said he was aware of people within the party who were trying to use them to push an agenda to set out Chiwenga against Mnangagwa.

“We have seen the attempt to build factions so that we are distracted from the bread and butter issues which is basically corruption. That won’t work. This person has funded G40, has funded Gamatox, he will get into bed with anyone who has power, we are aware of that and hence not moved,” Tsenengamu said.

Zanu-PF secretary of administration Obert Mpofu said the naming and shaming was not an agenda item because the two did not issue the statement on behalf of the party.

“We are not aware of the factions that you are talking about and from the information that I have, they addressed the Press conference in their individual capacities and did not speak for the party. The party is not part of that and it’s not part of this,” he said.

By A Correspondent| The Zimbabwe defence forces yesterday vehemently shot down complaints from residents of Mvuma, Bulawayo and Gweru over military jets allegedly tormenting them since Zengeza MP Job Sikhala’s trial in Masvingo on Monday.

Added to the mention of jets were sightings of soldiers jogging in the streets while holding a military flag accompanied by a bullet proof military truck.

Watch video- Soldiers toy toying at the Masvingo High Court as Job Sikhala' s treason trial commences pic.twitter.com/jIWsISoX4g

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) February 3, 2020

Responding to the complaints, military spokesman Overson Mugwisi told ZimEye his position is there is nothing unusual with the military presence.

He said the sightings were happening near Thornhill Airbase in Gweru and the jogging was a mere routine exercise. (Listen to the brief interview below).

” No no no no we dont want to create stories you are saying that the soldiers were jogging? Where were they jogging?”

In Masvingo, near the High Court our reporter replied.

“Where update supposed to jog and end?,” he replied.

” We might be wasting time talking nothing here, soldiers jog and train every morning, And they can take any direction and if you ask me why the soldiers are jogging…”

Jogging with a flag, our reporter retorted.

Col Mugwisi then asked, “were they jogging in court?”

He then hit back with a question, “what flag?”

The soldiers are clearly seen in the below video jogging while holding a military flag.

On the airforce jets, Col Mugwisi said there is nothing new as this was done around the area near Thornhill Airbase.

However replying to Col Mugwisi’s comment, a resident reiterated to ZimEye saying:

“What I do know these planes are different to the jets that normally fly out of Thornhill. I’ll try and find out what they look like from someone whose house they fly over to land.

“Normally when the jets are flying around for training they stay close to the base and we know it’s the jets, because they fly around. These planes come in and land and then leave about 2 – 3 hours later. They are big planes ✈️ that make lots of noise on take off”

By A Correspondent | Marry Chiwenga’s cousin, Genius Kadungure was unreachable early Wednesday morning a development that led to confirmed revelations that he has been arrested.

ZimEye was at pains to establish the man’s whereabouts at 7.am. His Whatsapp status said he was last online at 2.50pm on Wednesday.

A male Mubaiwa family member told ZimEye, “I haven’t talked to him ever since his mum passed away.”

Soon after that, his lawyer, Jonathan Samkange confirmed he has been arrested.

“Yes it’s true my client has been arrested. He’s currently detained by the police CID Anti-Corruption Unit for fraud after they suspected that his Bentley vehicle was undervalued to misrepresent on the payment of duty,” he said.

Police investigations allege that around the 22nd December last year, Kadungure allegedly undervalued the cost of a vehicle so that he pays less duty.

The report says he connived with a clearing agent and manufactured a purchase invoice which they tendered to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).

Kadungure was last year ordered to pay an additional US$58 655,09 duty on top of another US$81 469 already paid to Zimra for his recently imported Bentley Continental GT vehicle.

Papers say the vehicle in question is valued at R1,9 million.

The development comes after Kadungure streamed up [online] a video of himself buying a two-seater Ferrari 488 Spider sports car for US$350 000.

Meanwhile, Ginimbi also has a pending case on money-laundering still to go for trial.

All this comes as his cousin , Marry was facing a pile of incriminating allegations from her husband, Constantino Chiwenga, a development that has seen her being returned to prison.

The Nelson Chamisa-led MDC has engaged independent auditors after at least $1,9 million was withdrawn by top party officials from the bank accounts last year and spent on personal projects while the party has been failing to pay its workers and fund key party programmes.

“We are faced with that challenge whereby $1,9 million was stolen and used for other purposes,” a source told NewsDay.

Last year, the MDC received more than $4 million under the Political Parties Finance Act.

Government released more than $12 million to both the MDC and Zanu-PF to share according to the numbers garnered in the 2018 harmonised elections.

MDC treasurer-general David Coltart confirmed to NewsDay that a team of independent auditors would start work this week after unconfirmed reports that the money had been abused by unnamed top officials and individuals.

He could, however, not be drawn into confirming or denying the theft reports.

“We are starting an audit today because the party, at my request, has agreed to have an audit. We will have a standard audit and until maybe the audit reveals the irregularities, I am not aware of such,” Coltart said.

“Whether it is $190 000 or $1,9 million, I am not aware of any irregularities. I am not saying they are not there. I am not an auditor and that is why we have an audit. An independent firm will be doing the audit of the MDC books since 2019 and it is the first for the MDC and for any political party. It is the first time a political party has subjected itself to an audit.”

This is not the first time the MDC has been in the eye of a storm over alleged abuse of funds.

In 2014, the party split into two distinct camps amid accusations that donors were not happy with how the leadership had used funds.

As a result of alleged lack of accountability in party finances, the insiders said donors had withdrawn financial support to the main opposition following the 2014 allegations leading into a serious financial crisis.

-Newsday

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

https://youtu.be/LnzdGyx561Y

TEARS FOR ED https://t.co/QCXzCEiyTv

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) February 4, 2020

Own Correspondent|Uncompromising MDC Deputy National Chairman Job Sikhala on Monday told President Emmerson Mnangagwa that he should not think that he will be in power forever as will soon be out of office.

Sikhala said this while impromptuly addressing hundreds of MDC supporters who thronged Masvingo High Court to show solidarity with him at his treason trial.

Sikhala said Mnangagwa should leave his job, insisting Zimbabwe did not belong to the Zanu PF leader’s mother.

The MDC deputy national chair said the Zanu PF led government has turned university graduates into money changers (illegal foreign currency dealers) yet they could be entrepreneurs and professionals working in their right jobs to help develop the troubled country.

“As long as long as Emerson Mnangagwa is there, we shall remain under the auspices of a dictator.

“Africa had a problem of individuals who have been accommodating dictatorship, Africa has been betrayed because it’s people have been threatened by dictators.

“We want to develop this country. No longer should a Zimbabwean be frightened by Emmerson Mnangagwa to demand what is rightfully yours,” Sikhala said.

He added that the time was now for Mnangagwa to leave office.

“He will go whether he likes it or not. This is not his mother’s country,” he said.

Sikhala is set to appear again in Masvingo on 14 February at the High Court.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

HEAVY rains accompanied by thunder and lightning will lash Matabeleland North and northern regions of the country with effect from today, the Meteorological Services Department said yesterday.

In a statement, the MSD said the rainfall distribution will not be uniform, with a few localised significant downpours in some areas.

“For tomorrow (today) we are expecting isolated thunderstorms for Matabeleland North, Midlands, Harare, all Mashonaland and Northern Districts of Manicaland Province with sunny and hot conditions. Bulawayo, Matabeleland South, Masvingo and southern districts of Manicaland Province are expected to be sunny, hot and dry, with lower chances of isolated rains,” said the MSD.

The latest weather forecast brings little joy for Bulawayo residents as the city’s supply dams, which are now at a critical 34 percent capacity, are situated in Matabeleland South province.

Most crops around the country have been written off as they have succumbed to dry and hot conditions over the past weeks, a major characteristic of the 2019-2020 cropping season.

The MSD urged the public to take the usual necessary precautionary measures to stay safe from the violent thunderstorms and for those in areas that will be hot and dry, to guard against dehydration.

“Such a thundery phenomenon is usually superseded by lightning. This poses a potential threat to the tallest objects such as trees, poles and even persons in an open field.

“Outdoor activities conducted in direct sun such as sports, farm work and construction may increase the risk of heat-related illness. Rainfall distribution will not be uniform with a few localised significant downpours,” said the MSD.

“Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, do not wait until you are thirsty. Monitor the young and the elderly as they tend to be more vulnerable in these hot conditions.

“It is advisable to try and plan outdoor activities in such a way that one is less exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day”.

VICE-PRESIDENT Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry Mubaiwa says she was certain someone was taking advantage of her husband’s paranoia to mislead and destroy him with outright lies.

Marry said this in a letter to Chiwenga’s lawyers, Manase and Manase Legal Practitioners, where she was demanding to be furnished with the letter of complaint written by the VP to Judge President George Chiweshe, accusing him of leaking a judgment on their legal battle over their three minor children’s custody.

The letter, written by Beatrice Mtetwa, accused Chiwenga of making lies to justify his intimidation of the Judiciary and try to influence the pending appeal. This was after Chiwenga accused Chiweshe of being compromised as Marry’s relative, although the Judge President was not handling Chiwenga’s divorce case.

This came after Justice Christopher Dube-Banda ordered Chiwenga to surrender three minor children he illegally took from Marry after engineering her arrest on allegations of trying to kill him.

But Chiwenga immediately appealed against the ruling, which also chastised him for being a threat to the constitutionalism by abusing his position as Vice-President through using the military to settle his divorce dispute.

Mtetwa, in her letter, in which she gave Chiwenga 24 hours to furnish them with the letter of complaint to Justice Chiweshe, denied that her client was given the judgment before it was handed and also denied that she visited the school before the ruling to access her minor children.

“Your letter further alleges that our client attended at the children’s school at 0800hrs on January 24, 2020 ‘armed with an order of this court’ and stated to the school authorities that she had been granted an order by the High Court to have access to the children,” Mtetwa’s letter dated January 30 read.

“That this is an outright lie is clear from the fact that the court order granted by Honourable Dube-Banda is, in fact, not an access order.”

Mtetwa said Marry denies visiting the school on the said date and also denies she had an order relating to the children as at 8am on January 24.

Marry, Mtetwa wrote, also denies seeing any school authority “as alleged in the article and if this quote in your letter was given to yourselves as instructions by your client, we are absolutely certain that someone is out to destroy your client through outright lies by taking advantage of his paranoia”.

According to Mtetwa, Marry only called the headmistress at 11:31am and again at 12:18pm, who did not pick calls on both occasions.

“When she called us, we advised that the execution of the order, once availed, is not done by her or ourselves and as at that time, she did not have a copy of the judgment or order as you allege. That you appear to be relying on nameless school authorities can only be because the discussion with the authorities only exists in the fertile imaginations of your informants,” Mtetwa wrote.

Mtetwa also barraged Chiwenga for “misinterpreting” a Zimbabwe Independent story to insinuate that it was on the judgment that had not been handed down, claiming “whoever has ascribed that interpretation to it suffers from extreme illiteracy as even a child who has just mastered reading would not interpret the article as being based on a judgment or court order”.

By accusing Justice Chiweshe of leaking the judgment, Mtetwa wrote, Chiwenga is alleging that both the Judge President and trial judge had been party to the alleged illegality.

“We consider it extremely serious to ascribe illegal conduct to a sitting judge, we request that you provide us with a copy of the complaint within 24 hours of this letter so that our client can take whatever action she considers necessary, including filing complaints to the law society as her integrity has been falsely assaulted through outright lies designed to influence the pending appeal.”

– News Day

Own Correspondent|Troubled Zanu PF has convened a Politburo meeting today for the first time this year on claims that they want to discuss issues affecting the country, including the pricing of basic commodities.

The politburo seating is however suspicious as it comes hot on the heels of a controversial press conference by the party youth league which appears to be undermining President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s authority.

Zanu PF youth league deputy secretary Lewis Matutu and national youth commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu early this week held a Press conference at the Media Centre in the city centre, with party insiders saying they had been ordered not to use the Zanu PF HQ by top party officials who described their conduct as an attack on President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“Matutu and Tsenengamu were told to use other venues, and not the Zanu PF

HQ,” a source based at the party headquarters told NewsDay yesterday.

“They were told by (party chairperson) Oppah Muchinguri that their Press briefing was a personal matter. It was a show of disrespect to President Mnangagwa. The President appointed a commission to look into allegations of corruption by the youths and he is still to receive a report from the commission. The youths’s actions will be, therefore, seen as a way of saying the President has failed.”

Zanu PF secretary for Information and Publicity Simon Khaya Moyo confirmed the meeting in a statement yesterday.

“The Secretary for Administration Cde Dr Obert Mpofu wishes to advise all members that there shall be a Politburo meeting to be held on Wednesday 5 February, 2020 at the Party Headquarters commencing 1000 hours. All members should be seated by 0945 hours sharp,” he said.

Own Correspondent |Trafigura Pte Limited has parted ways with its Zimbabwean partners Sakunda Holdings owned by businessman Mr Kuda Tagwirei.

ZANU PF youth leaders recently labelled President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ally Kuda Tagwirei “the most corrupt person in the country” at an extraordinary Press conference that also exposed growing factionalism in the party after they were barred from using the ruling party’s headquarters for their address.

Trafigura Pte Limited now owns 100 percent of Trafigura Zimbabwe after acquiring Sakunda Holdings’ 51 percent stake.

Trafigura Zimbabwe supplies fuel through Puma, Redan and Sakunda service stations and reportedly has interests in the Feruka Oil pipeline.

However, the deal awaits regulatory approval.

Further, Trafigura expects the transaction to improve clarity on the company’s local operations.

Trafigura Pte, which is head-quartered in Switzerland, held a minority 49 percent stake in Trafigura Zimbabwe through Puma Energy, while Sakunda Petroleum had the controlling stake of 51 percent, in line with local content laws that applied at the time of the investment.

The Second Republic has since tweaked the local content laws to attract more investors under the policy, “Zimbabwe is Open for Business”.

Trafigura Zimbabwe was only involved in petroleum supply and distribution.

The joint venture company was renamed from Sakunda Supplies to Trafigura Zimbabwe to differentiate the joint activities of marketing fuel, from those of the wider Sakunda Group of companies.

Mr Tagwirei’s mobile phone went unanswered last night and had not responded to a text message by the time of going to print.

However, a Trafigura Pte Ltd spokesperson yesterday confirmed Trafigura, Tagwirei part ways the transaction.

“In December 2019, Trafigura Pte Ltd signed an agreement to become the 100 percent owner of fuel supply business Trafigura Zimbabwe. This follows the purchase of Sakunda Holding’s 51 percent stake in the company which is currently awaiting final regulatory approval,” said the spokesperson.

“This will bring improved clarity on Trafigura’s activities in the country, an opportunity for more robust financing of Trafigura Zimbabwe and aims to help improve the security of supply of fuel to Zimbabwe.

Trafigura Zimbabwe will continue to ensure that petroleum products are made available in line with ZERA (the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority)’s regulated price build-up and quality standards.

“USD liquidity remains tight, contributing to a challenging business environment for suppliers and consumers. Nevertheless, Trafigura is committed to continuing to work closely with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to provide credit and flexibility, notwithstanding its limited commercial role in the country.”

The Trafigura spokesperson assured interested parties in Zimbabwe that the ownership change will not “cause any interruption to Trafigura’s supply of fuel to Zimbabwe”.

ZERA acting chief executive officer Mr Eddington Mazambani could neither confirm nor deny the transaction.

“Trafigura is not a licensee so ZERA wouldn’t have their shareholding structure. Trafigura or Sakunda are best placed to comment,” he said.

He referred further questions to the Competition and Tariff Commission (CTC) which handles mergers and de-mergers to check on potential monopolies that could arise.

CTC director Ms Ellen Ruparanganda asked for written questions and had not responded by the time of going to print.

Secretary for Energy and Power Development Dr Gloria Magombo said she was not aware of the transaction.

Matutu and Tsenengamu also named Green Fuels boss Billy Rautenbach and Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe chairperson Tafadzwa Musarara, who they said with the help of the central bank, they had monopolised the economy, fiddled with foreign currency exchange rates, while allegedly corruptly grabbing all government tenders.

“Let me talk about Tagwirei. I really want to know why he is the one who supplies everything to government — fuel. If we go to Command Agriculture, it’s him at the helm. There was an attempt to investigate him, but he evaded. He has tentacles everywhere, including the money on the black market, he controls that. We are waiting for him to dispute that because we also do these things after research,” Matutu said.

Source: State Media

State Media|Cabinet began its 2020 business paperless yesterday, following the launch of the first phase of the e-Cabinet project by President Mnangagwa. The project is part of a wider programme to modernise the public sector and includes the development of electronic systems to speed up the internal functions of Government and improve efficiency.

The project, launched yesterday, was initiated in 2005, but its implementation was stalled by inadequate financial and material resources.

The President said the e-Cabinet project will also speed up decision-making in Cabinet.

“Today’s event marks the completion of phase one of the e-Cabinet project which will see the Cabinet secretariat carry out paperless administrative and secretarial functions,” he said.

“This is indeed part of the contemporary ways of conducting meetings and storage of information. Through this system, members of Cabinet will now be able to conduct all their work within the Cabinet room on an electronic platform that should expedite decision-making, information analyses and the execution of action plans.

“Furthermore, the e-Cabinet system will result in a robust database which facilitates easy access to stored records of Government.”

President Mnangagwa said the second phase of the project will be completed by the end of June.

“However, we will continue to distribute physical copies of Cabinet documents outside the Cabinet room until phase two of the project when the Wide Area Network is completed. Phase two of the project is expected to be completed by end of the second quarter of this year.

“Meanwhile, I exhort all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the necessary security circuits are in place and constantly upgraded to prevent undesirable occurrences and loss of data. The system must be equally adaptive to new technologies as they evolve to enhance public administration efficiencies towards the realisation of Vision 2030,” he said.

The President said the Government, in the Second Republic, was determined to reform administration and governance of the public sector through the development and deployment of appropriate ICT designs and solutions.

“As a nation, the attainment of upper middle-income economy status should be driven by science, innovation and technology hence partnerships in this regard will continue to be supported by Government,” he said.

“Equally within the ambit of the integrated results-based management system, Government has developed a whole Government performance management electronic system for planning, managing, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of public management. The operationalisation of the National Data Centre from all Government information will be managed and must be accelerated. In that regard, all Government ministries and departments must ensure that all their flagship projects are completed.”

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga hailed the President for accelerating the pace of computerisation.

“A key determinant on the attainment of Vision 2030 is the use of ICTs. As part of that roadmap, His Excellency, the President set in motion and accelerated the pace for computerisation not only by providing computers to disadvantaged groups across the country, but by also breathing life into projects that had stalled due to various reasons.

“Under his watch we have witnessed the establishment of genuine pillars of technology driven systems to spur development. Through his visionary leadership technology hubs continue to be established at institutions of higher and tertiary learning,” VP Chiwenga said.

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda said the launch was an important development in Government.

“This is an important landmark in our journey to modernise Government and adopt new ways of doing business,” he said.

“This system will ensure that we create a modern Government which uses technology for better services delivery to Cabinet.”

Head of e-Government Unit, Brigadier-General (Retired) Charles Wekwete said the system was home-grown.

“The system itself was designed by local people and the team included software developers, software engineers, programmers and other specialists in security as well as hardware and networking,” Rtd Brig-Gen Wekwete said.

“The development used local and international software development tools that ensure quality, reliability and efficiency to international standards. The system has been tested for reliability and resilience and we are confident that it will perform to expectations.”

The personnel who developed the system were drawn from the Office of the President and Cabinet, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Post and Courier Services, Government internet service providers and experts from 23rd Century Systems.

The system will allow Cabinet members to interface through laptops while a common view touchscreen which will allow common view of documents being discussed in Cabinet and collaborative work in editing documents during its sessions.

A back end system will allow the Cabinet secretariat to support Cabinet in preparing documents, filing them and archiving them and giving access to members of the Cabinet to servers.

The back end system allows seamless communication between the secretariat, the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, and the Cabinet Room.

1. Inaugural e-Cabinet Meeting

His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde E.D. Mnangagwa, led Cabinet in launching the e-Cabinet Solution. The new paperless platform on which Cabinet will henceforth conduct its weekly meetings comes as one of the flagship e-Government projects to be completed by the Government of the Second Republic.

The occasion of the launch, which preceded the normal Cabinet meeting, marked a very significant step in the adoption of digital methods of running Government operations. As a nation, we endeavour to enhance service delivery to citizens through electronic means.

Furthermore, the e-Cabinet system symbolises close collaboration between Government and private sector partners in the adoption and implementation of electronic platforms for transforming interactions with citizens, investors and other nations. With the year 2020 heralding an era of productivity, economic growth and employment creation, information communication technologies and innovation will create an environment that is conducive for inclusive growth and productivity.

Cabinet will therefore utilise the new paperless system to accelerate the implementation of policies and programmes within the 100-Day management cycles. Turning to the business before Cabinet, while noting the progress registered by the Second Republic, particularly the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), His Excellency the President acknowledged the challenges that the people had bravely endured.

He then laid out the business for 2020 based on set principles.

He stated that the year 2020 heralded the era of productivity, economic growth and employment creation. His Excellency the President reiterated that as Cabinet, our immediate priority must be to guarantee food security and directed that all efforts be focused on that front. He further directed all ministers, accounting officers and senior officers spend more time with communities in the countryside, implementing and monitoring key Government programmes that yield a better quality of life for all citizens.

Greater impetus must be placed on arresting inflation and consolidating the mono-currency regime. The growth of tourism sector should be stimulated through cross-cutting alliances, competitive products as well as pricing regimes. The security sector is bided to urgently bring to an end the current scourge of violence by the unruly machete-wielding gangs and malcontents.

1. Principles for the Proposed

Amendment to the Electricity Act [Chapter 13:19] to introduce Stiffer

Penalties for Crimes Related to Electricity Theft, the Destruction of and Tampering with Electricity

Infrastructure.

Cabinet considered and approved the Principles for the Proposed Amendment to the Electricity Act [Chapter 13:19] to introduce Stiffer Penalties for Crimes Related to Electricity Theft, the Destruction of and Tampering with Electricity Infrastructure, which was presented by the Minister of Energy and Power Development. ZESA has been experiencing increased incidents of vandalism including the theft of transformer oil and copper cable conductors. The thefts have resulted in ZESA incurring huge expenses in replacing the vandalised property, while the impact on business has been astronomic.

To date, more than 927 transformers have either been vandalised or stolen in the Northern Region, 625 in the Western Region, 525 in Harare Region and 94 in the Eastern Region. The salient features of the amendments will encompass the following: a) reviewing the current penalty regime for identified offences in order to make the penalties more deterrent; b) classifying such offences under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23], which governs heinous crimes, including rape and murder; c) compelling courts to impose mandatory sentences, as opposed to the option of fines, which may not be deterrent enough. For instance, tampering without lawful excuse with any apparatus for generating, transmitting, distributing or supplying electricity with the result that any supply of electricity is cut off or interrupted, which used to attract an imprisonment of not less than 10 years, will, under the amended law attract not less than 30 years of imprisonment.

Government will from time to time review such penalties to make them more deterrent to would-be offenders. Over and above the stiffer penalties, Government will also ensure that adequate surveillance machinery is put in place to apprehend offenders, including through installation of electronic gadgets to detect the crimes.

1. Report on Zimbabwe’s

Participation at the Fiftieth Edition of the World Economic Forum

Cabinet received an update from the Minister of Finance and Economic Development on Zimbabwe’s participation at the 50th edition of the World Economic Forum (WEF) which was held in Davos, Switzerland, from 20th to 24th January, 2020. The Forum was held under the theme “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World”. World leaders; government officials, business leaders, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), religious leaders and academics discussed emerging socio-economic challenges facing humanity.

The meeting urged companies to pay their fair share of taxes, exhibit zero tolerance for corruption, uphold human rights throughout their global supply chains and advocate for a competitive level playing field. As delegation leader, Honourable Mthuli Ncube, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, hosted a successful Zimbabwe Investment Forum in Zurich on Zimbabwe’s economic opportunities. Businesspersons from Switzerland and parts of Europe attended the event.

The Zimbabwe delegation assured its audience of the continual improvement in conditions for doing business.

1. Update on the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF)

Cabinet received a progress report on the implementation of the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) from the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.

Following the promulgation of the TNF Act on 5 June 2019, the TNF held its inaugural meeting on 26th June 2019 and mandated its technical committee to deliberate on key socio-economic issues affecting the country and came up with recommendations for consideration by the main TNF. The Technical Committee also developed the Terms of Reference for the clusters, which in turn came up with the following recommendations:

Economic Cluster

The cluster made recommendations on the following:

the need to develop monetary and fiscal policies that target inflation reduction;
the need to enhance foreign currency mobilisation and management; and
the need to carry out institutional reforms that promote productivity.
Labour Market Cluster

The cluster made recommendations on the following:

full operationalisation of the TNF and Zimbabwe National Productivity Institute;
expedite Labour Law reform and harmonisation;
formulating a New Employment Policy as well as an Incomes Policy;
developing initiatives for the mitigation of erosion of salaries and wages; and
labour broking.

Social Cluster

The cluster made recommendations on the following:

revamping the country’s social services delivery system;
improving relations between Government and trade union representatives;
expediting the implementation of Kadoma Declaration “Towards a Shared National Economic and Social Vision”; and
conclusion of a Social Contract.
The main TNF meeting will be held on Wednesday, 5 February 2020 at NSSA House, to consider the recommendations by the Technical Committee meeting, after which a report will be tabled to Cabinet for its consideration.

In attendance at the meeting will be the following ministers: Finance and Economic Development (Government Leader); Energy and Power Development; Health and Child Care; Industry and Commerce; Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement; and Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.

1. Update on the Country’s Power Supply Situation

Cabinet received an update on the country’s power supply situation, which the Minister of Energy and Power Development presented. Cabinet noted that electricity generation at the country’s major hydropower plant at Kariba remains depressed owing to low inflows into the lake in the wake of low rainfall in the catchment area. While every effort is being made to ensure that citizens and corporates continue to access electricity for sustaining operations, Government wishes to inform the nation that greater emphasis will be placed on power augmentation projects, with commencement of works at the Batoka Gorge site being scheduled for this year.

Focus is also being placed on renewable energy including the options of rooftop and solar farms set to gain momentum. An exercise to compute the space available for this option is being set in motion in order for the marketing to be undertaken with investors, many of whom have realised the immense potential that Zimbabwe possesses in relation to solar energy. Options for powering agriculture through smaller grids will be pursued as part of building resilience to climate change.

1. Update on the Coronavirus Outbreak

Cabinet received an update on the new scourge on the health front, namely, the coronavirus, which was initially discovered in the 1960s and has now claimed hundreds of lives in China in the latest outbreak. Among the symptoms of the viral infection are running nose, severe cough, fever and difficulties in breathing.

The Minister of Health and Child Care informed Cabinet that 221 persons are currently under surveillance in Zimbabwe for possible infection with the virus. The Minister also indicated that there is currently no vaccine against the virus, and emphasised the need for personal, family and community hygiene.

The Minister also indicated that there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus infection so far in Zimbabwe, although 221 persons are currently under surveillance for possible infection. He informed Cabinet that a Public Emergency Operations Unit is being set up as a National Command Centre at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals Coordination will include airports and other ports of entry. Rapid response units will also be set up in all provinces and at all border posts. Further updates will be made available in order to safeguard the nation at all times.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry Mubaiwa, who is in remand prison for allegedly assaulting a maid, yesterday lodged a bail appeal at the High Court.

Mubaiwa was on Saturday remanded in custody after a Harare magistrate found her unsuitable for bail.

She is accused of assaulting the family’s maid at Hellenic School in Borrowdale following an altercation over the custody of children last week.

Harare regional magistrate Ms Bianca Makwande on Saturday denied Mubaiwa bail on the basis that she had a propensity for violence.

The assault allegedly occurred while Mubaiwa was on bail for attempted murder, money laundering and fraud.

In her bail application, she is seeking the setting aside of Ms Makwande’s decision.

“Appellant (Mubaiwa) therefore prays that the court a quo’s ruling be set aside and that she be admitted to bail on the following terms and conditions; that bail terms and conditions set in ACCCRB No25 and 26/19 be and are hereby extended to cover the assault charges.

“That the appellant not interfere with Delight Munyoro, Batsirayi Furukiya and all other named witnesses and any other condition that the court may deem necessary and appropriate in the interest of justice.”

Mubaiwa accused the magistrate of failing to take into account, the background and the full circumstances of the case, including the fact that a superior court had granted her bail on more serious charges.

State Media|A fact-finding visit to Harare’s two biggest hospitals by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health yesterday exposed the acrimonious working relations between nurses and doctors who traded accusations of absenteeism and indolence before stunned lawmakers.

At Sally Mugabe Central Hospital (formerly Harare Central Hospital), the two parties issued conflicting statements on the status of the machinery that was recently imported from India, with doctors claiming that most of it was not functional while nurses said the opposite.

The committee headed by Dr Ruth Labode visited the hospital and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals following presentation of oral evidence by the Senior Health Doctors Association (SHDA), the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) and the Ministry of Health and Child Care on the situation at major public hospitals on Monday.

At Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, nurses and doctors clashed over flexible working hours that were introduced, resulting in nurses working between two and three days a week.

Doctors said the system was presenting challenges as there was a time when patients were left unattended.

Nurses, on the other hand, accused doctors of not working hard, but leaving most of the work to them.

They said doctors were supposed to work for eight hours, but most of the times they were not available and nurses had resorted to calling them whenever there was an emergency.

Tempers flared as staff held different views over the equipment imported from India.

Doctors said the equipment was not functional, while nurses said they were using the machines.

The committee found out that a few of the machines were functional while the rest had missing components.

Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro exonerated himself from the India equipment deal.

“The missing parts of the equipment from India are now at Natpharm and the Indian engineers are expected in the next two weeks to come for the commissioning of the machinery.

“I applaud the parliamentarians for the effort and listening to what is happening at the institutions. We are going to try to continue working together. It is now a policy issue that no gadget should be bought without the approval of the end user,” he said.

Hospital chief executive officer Dr Tinashe Dhobbie said: “The equipment that we received is working but when the equipment came most of the doctors were on industrial action hence they could not be taught how to operate it.”

He said the strike affected operations at the hospital.

“Normally, bed occupation is between 60 and 70 percent but during the industrial action it had dropped to 20 percent, and now it is picking up and is currently at 45 percent.

“We want to lobby Parliament so that we can get more money and resources. The flexible hours are not what we want. We are relying on the system as we wait for things to improve. I hope fundamentals are going to be addressed soon so that we have smooth transition from one nurse to another,” he said.

Parirenyatwa chief executive Mr Enock Manyawu said he would take into consideration the suggestions that came up during the meeting for the smooth running of the institution.

Concerns were raised over private pharmacies at the institution.

It was felt that management should improve accountability on revenue collected from patients.

Senior staff at Parirenyatwa expressed concern over the deterioration of working conditions and said it was worrying that the institution was training specialist nurses who were leaving the country.

Senior Government officials that were present ended up calling on stakeholders in the health sector to join hands and come up with sustainable solutions to challenges facing the industry.

A 25-YEAR-OLD woman from Douglasdale Suburb in Bulawayo died after drinking a poisonous concoction she got from a traditional healer ( inyanga ) who has since been arrested.

Belinda Sibanda died at the shrine of the inyanga , Belinda Musiyiwa (37), who is also a Bulawayo Polytechnic College examination board member.

The incident occurred on Sunday at about 3PM after the woman went to consult the
inyanga who also lives in Douglasdale.

Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident yesterday.

“We are investigating a culpable homicide incident which occurred in Douglasdale Suburb where a 25-year-old woman died after drinking a concoction given to her by a traditional healer.
“At the moment we cannot say much as investigations are still in progress.

However, the suspect has been arrested and is assisting police with investigations,” said Asst Insp Msebele.

She urged members of the public to be careful especially when dealing with faith-based healers.

“This is probably a second or third incident where clients have lost their lives upon visiting a traditional healer or self-proclaimed prophets.

Although we cannot discourage members of the public from approaching these groups for their spiritual issues, we urge them to exercise caution in dealing with them.

“We also urge faith-based healers to take extra precaution in administering medication to their clients. It’s very unfortunate that some people are losing lives in the process of getting help from them,” she said.-State media

ZIMBABWE’s tobacco output is expected to decline by 13 percent to 225 million kilogrammes this year from a record high of 259 million kilogrammes in the last season due to drought.

The 2019/20 summer cropping season has of late been hit hard by the extremely hot weather conditions, which have largely affected output across the agriculture sector as some crops such as maize have wilted while deaths caused by drought in livestock have been recorded across the country in Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North and Masvingo, among others.

Speaking by telephone yesterday, Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) chairperson Mr Patrick Devenish said initial estimates indicate that 225 million kilogrammes of tobacco would be delivered to the auction floors this year.

“The earliest estimate of the crop is approximately 225 kilogrammes although the irrigated crop is very good in quality, the dry land crop suffered the effects of drought and also the planting season began late because of the late onset of the rainy season,” he said.

“The irrigated crop (tobacco) is of very good quality and the dry land crop, not all of it but quite a lot of it is suffering as a result of drought and it needs a bit of some rains.”

In a separate interview, TIMB chief executive officer Dr Andrew Matibiri said together with Agritex they were presently undertaking a crop assessment, which exercise would be complete in the next two weeks.

“We are currently undertaking a crop assessment together with Agritex which will give us the date when the 2020 tobacco marketing season will start.

“So far, what we have observed during the crop assessment is that the tobacco crop is now growing well after the rains most parts of the country have received,” he said.-State

By Farai D Hove| ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is an idiot, Zengeza MP (MDC)Job Sikhala has said.

While the description could be read as insult in some Zimbabwean circles, the Collins English dictionary defines an idiot as someone who is not so much incapable of learning but who is unwilling to learn. Zimbabwe whose borders were created by the British led pioneer column in the 1890s, is an English speaking country.

Speaking outside court in Masvingo on Monday, Sikhala reiterated saying, “that is exactly what he is, Emmerson Mnangagwa is an idiot who doesn’t deserve to be the president of this country.”

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa says the court ruling on the disputed elections in Malawi raises hopes of suffering Zimbabweans.

See Chamisa’s statement below:
I wish to congratulate the people of Malawi on the historic verdict of their judiciary which has shown courage to nullify the rigged election.

I commend their institutions, including the judiciary & security services, which have stood firm in defence of the Constitution.

It’s a reminder that where institutions retain independence & professionalism it is possible to correct wrong politics.

For too long our continent has been plagued by the scourge of unfair elections. It gives hope to see court’s checks & controls curtailing capture & abuse.

Malawians have a fresh opportunity, courtesy of the courage and wisdom demonstrated by their judges & the support of key institutions, to have a free & fair election.

Lest we forget, we here in Zimbabwe have an outstanding matter – the legitimacy of the rigged 2018 election.

SADC & AU are urged to draw key lessons from events in Malawi not to rush to endorse sham elections where people have legitimate concerns over processes.

SADC and the AU as institutions of resort deserve a renewal and re-orientation to defend African people’s interests.

The generation that rigs elections by violence, manipulation of state institutions, corruption, TIPPEX, EXCEL scandals &dictatorial tendencies by men from the past must be put to a stop.

Justice demands the young generation to lead the way.

Let us build a NEW AFRICA! #PeoplesGovernment

Own Correspondent| Human rights activist Makomborero Haruzivishe has been arrested on yet to be known charges.

According to MDC Youth Assembly Secretary General, Haruzivishe was assaulted and urgently needs help.

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

More to follow….

BINDURA South legislator Remigious Matangira (Zanu PF) and his driver Tichaona Svinurai (32) are in soup after they allegedly assaulted an MDC activist.

The matter came to light at Bindura Magistrates’ Courts where the duo appeared before the provincial magistrate Tinashe Ndokera on Thursday last week.

They were remanded out of custody to February 11 for continuation of
trial.

The State alleges that on June 22 Matangira (66) and his driver came across Saymore Mashokoro (45), an MDC activist, who was walking with a friend Evamore Kakurira and insulted the activist.

Mashokoro advanced towards the two and Matangira grabbed him by the collar while stepping on his foot, and his driver slapped the activist once in the face before releasing him.

He sustained a swollen foot and face. Mashokoro filed a police report resulting in the arrest of the suspects.

Clement Kuwanda prosecuted.-NewsDay

POLICE are keen to get to the bottom of a case where a Harare woman scalded her husband with cooking oil and left him battling for life.

Angela Nhekairo claims she scalded her husband Benson Nhekairo with cooking oil in a desperate bid to escape a beating.

However, holes are being poked into her story as witnesses come through and the police have since confirmed that investigations into the matter are well underway.

The case is being handled at Borrowdale Police Station under case number CR457/01/2020.

But as the police do their job Benson Nhekairo insists this is a case of attempted murder by a wife he labelled a pathological liar.

In an exclusive hospital bed side interview with H-Metro over the weekend an ailing Benson recalled the day he “almost died.”

“I was seated in the lounge when she poured the heated cooking oil on me. All this happened in full view of my 20 –year old daughter as well as maid,” he said.

“I am in pain and would want to rest while thanking God for saving my life but Angela’s lies cannot go unchallenged.

How does a woman who is being beaten get time to heat cooking oil for that long? She is on a mission to tarnish my image and that of the church.

“I am not an abusive husband and neither am I an elder at the church, ndingori mwana wesangano. I don’t know where the church is coming in…this a marital issue that is now being handled by our very able Zimbabwe Republic Police”
Benson, who has skin from his entire back and part of the face peeling off, claims his wife was out to take his life as part of an elaborate plan that she hatched in cahoots with a man she is allegedly having extra marital affair with.

“I am not a law expert but this is attempted murder. For 15-20 minutes she heated two litres of cooking oil before pouring it on me. It was planned. How cruel can a person be,” said Benson, struggling to contain his tears.

“I overheard my wife talking to her lover Farai Musiya… ,who she normally refers to as Baba Norm, planning to take our kids to Canada and decided to play it cool. On the fateful day I looked for my passport as well as those of the kids and could not find them in the drawer we always have them stored.

“I asked Angela about the whereabouts of the passports and she could not give a satisfactory answer. Instead of confronting her I went and sat in the lounge where the next thing I felt was a stinging heat that sent shivers down my spine.

“I have never felt such pain in my life. I took off my clothes in front of my daughter and maid, and yelled for help. We rubbed margarine and eggs on my skin in a desperate bid to reduce the pain.

As all this was happening Angela was on the phone with Cherly … and Farai Dhla… telling them that “it is done I have fixed him.”
“Clearly this thing was pre-meditated, she wanted to kill me but God is faithful, I am healing.

However, I am worried about the mental state of my daughter…she is traumatized because she watched all this unfolding,” said Nhekairo.-H-Metro

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

https://youtu.be/53lhyzan5ZA

Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Ezra Chadzamira is accused of trying to loot earnings for sugarcane farmers after he allegedly ordered Hippo Valley Estates to pay over $600 000 of their sale proceeds to Felistas Mnangagwa, whose address was given as the Zanu-PF headquarters.

The woman is believed to be President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s relative.

Rowesai Pedzisai and Fadzai Chigowi have filed an urgent High Court chamber application seeking an interdict stopping the Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle Limited from depositing the money into Mnangagwa’s account.

Pedzisai and Chigowi are represented by Obey Shava of Shava Law Chambers and in their application, they cited Hippo Valley Estates, Triangle Limited, Chadzamira, Agriculture minister Perrance Shiri and Felistas Mnangagwa as respondents.

In his application, Pedzisai, who is a sugarcane farmer at subdivision 78, said they had been carrying out production at the farm since 2017.

He submitted that he sold his sugarcane to Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle under a binding agreement that they would harvest the sugarcane from his farm and pay for the produce.

Pedzisai said before paying his dues, they deduct their harvesting costs. He said Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle harvested his sugarcane, but did not pay him as stated in the agreement.

The farmers then approached the High Court under case number HC 5812/19 compelling Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle Limited to honour its end of the bargain and the High Court ordered the two sugarcane milling companies to give a statement of account detailing the amount the farmers are to get and they confirmed that Pedzisai would get $573 074,67 and Chigowi $91 292.

Pedzisai said on January 23 this year, he was surprised to receive an email from Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle Limited’s lawyer advising him that they had been instructed by Chadzamira to release the payment for the cane proceeds to Mnangagwa.

“The email leaves no room for doubt that Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle intend to comply with the instructions despite the fact that they have acknowledged in writing that the proceeds for sugarcane harvested at subsection 78 of Triangle are due to me,” Pedzisai submitted.

He said he does not know Mnangagwa and it was clear she wanted to reap where she did not sow.

Pedzisai submitted that Chadzamira lied in his letter that Mnangagwa was the farmer who maintained subdivision 78.

“I aver that despite the acknowledgement by Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle Limited, they have advised that they are prepared to unjustly and most importantly, unlawfully enrich Mnangagwa through the stroke of a pen engineered by Chadzamira. Should this court not intervene, a grave injustice will ensue, which I submit is not capable of being remedied or repaired,” his lawyers said.

“I have valid agreements entered into with Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle Limited and submit that the sold proceeds are due to me and not to any other party.”

Pedzisai said if the proceeds are released to Mnangagwa, he will stand to suffer irreparable harm as the income is needed for further farming activities and payment of employees’ salaries.

According to the farmers’ lawyer Shava, the summon papers were served by the messenger of court at the given address at Zanu-PF headquarters on Sunday, but the officials present refused to sign for them.

Source Byo24

A HARARE magistrate has issued a warrant of arrest for MDC organising secretary Amos Chibaya and his deputy Sibusisiwe Budda after they failed to appear for trial on allegations of failing to stop party supporters from demonstrating against the police prohibition order.

The two, who were represented by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights members Obey Shava and Nonthokozo Dube were expected to appear before magistrate Grace Takundwa.

Shava, who is representing Chibaya, told the magistrate that his client was not feeling well and Dube also told the court that her client was on the way to court.

The two are on $400 bail and were ordered to report to the police every last Friday of the month, not to interfere with State witnesses, to surrender their passports and to reside at the given address.

Allegations are that on August 6 last year, Budha and Chibaya notified the regulating authority, for Harare Central Police district of an intended public demonstration in central business district (CBD) on August 16 last year, in the terms of section 25 of the Public Order and Security Act.

It is alleged on August 15, Budha and Chibaya were served with a prohibition notice by Chief Superintendent Billa James Simbanechako.

The State also alleged that on August 16, Budha and Chibaya convened a public demonstration or caused members of the public to gather for a public demonstration in the Harare CBD in defiance of the prohibition notice.

It is alleged Budha and Chibaya, as the conveners of the public demonstration, failed to comply with the prohibition notice and did not stop the public from engaging in the public demonstration when they had a legal duty to do so.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

https://youtu.be/LnzdGyx561Y

TEARS FOR ED https://t.co/QCXzCEiyTv

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) February 4, 2020

Correspondent|A daring Harare man masquerading as a soldier spent the whole of last year enjoying free Zimbabwe National Army transport but his luck ran out when his bid to seek medical attention at an army hospital backfired.

Christopher Madanhi (34), who works at a company in Msasa as a sales representative, would enjoy free rides on a ZNA bus to and from work while posing as an army captain and using a fake force number.

Madanhi was arrested for impersonation after he had gone to Msasa Garison Logistics Camp seeking medical attention. He pleaded guilty to the charge when he appeared in court yesterday before magistrate Mrs Rumbidzai Mugwagwa.

Madanhi pleaded for the court’s leniency, saying he has a family and that he is the breadwinner. He was fined $300 (or 30 days).

The court heard that between January last year and January this year, Madanhi would board the ZNA bus after providing a fake force number.

On January 31, he proceeded to Msasa Garison Logistics Camp seeking medical attention.

He provided a fake force number and an alert soldier noted that the force number he had provided was not of a commissioned officer yet he had identified himself as a captain. Investigations followed.

Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa and Ms Tatenda Mukurunge appeared for the State.

ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is an idiot, Zengeza MP Job Sikhala has said.

Speaking outside court in Masvingo yesterday, Sikhala reiterated saying, “that is exactly what he is, Emmerson Mnangagwa is an idiot who doesn’t deserve to be the president of this country.”

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THREE soldiers were arraigned before Guruve magistrates’ court yesterday facing an armed robbery charge in Kanyemba.

The trio  Joseph Hlongwane (24), Twice Kamuriwo (28) and Wellington Ngwarati (31) were not asked to plead before magistrate Artwell Sanyatwe.

He remanded them in custody to February 17 and they are to appear at Bindura regional court.

The state alleges on October 29 last year the soldiers were patrolling along Zambezi River, Kanyemba where they met the complainant Rakidho Rabeka who was in company of his friends Tobias Chimata and Nobert Chimata carrying 15 bags shelled maize.

The soldiers who were all carrying Ak riffles and dressed in military gear approached the complainant and advised him that he was under arrest for smuggling maize to Zambia.

The soldiers forced Chimata brothers to fetch nine buckets of water from the river before  upon the complainant and ordered him to roll in the mud.

The suspects took turns to assault the complainant with sticks while forcing him to sing revolutionary songs.

After hours of assaults , the complainant was forced to load the maize in a canoe and was taken to Kanyemba police station where they made the complainant offload his maize into the soldiers’s barracks.

He was ordered to leave the police camp in heist and never report the matter to anyone.

Rabeka fled and returned two days letter at the police camp where he reported the robbery case leading to the arrest of the soldiers.

Carson Kundiona represented the state.

Correspondent|Vice President Constantino Chiwenga influenced his childminder to fabricate assault charges against his estranged wife so that she is returned to prison, his wife’s lawyers say.

Marry Mubaiwa, who was denied bail by a magistrate last Saturday, has gone to the High Court seeking her freedom.

Through her lawyers, Nyambirai and Mtetwa, Mubaiwa denies prosecution claims that she slapped Delight Munyoro with the back of her hand following a row at Hellenic School in Borrowdale on January 28.

Instead, the lawyers say the charge has been fabricated by Chiwenga who is allegedly using the legal system to frustrate his wife and gain an upper hand in their ongoing divorce battle.

The lawyers say last month, after Mubaiwa was freed on bail following her arrest in December on charges of money laundering, fraud and the attempted murder of her husband, Chiwenga had tried to get her bail revoked by claiming that she was hiding a second passport – which passport was later found to be in Chiwenga’s custody.

“The likelihood of him (Chiwenga) having engineered the assault charge in order to achieve what he failed to by lying about the passport was a factor the magistrate ought to have taken into account,” the lawyers said, said adding that Munyoro was Chiwenga’s servant and as such was likely to obey his instructions.

The lawyers admit that there was an exchange of words between Munyoro and Mubaiwa. The latter was furious after her two older children, whom she had before marrying Chiwenga in 2011, told her that Munyoro had instructed the couple’s younger children aged eight, seven and five to shun their siblings.

Mubaiwa’s children born out of wedlock attend Hellenic School, along with two of her children with Chiwenga. Until December, when Mubaiwa was arrested, all the children lived at the couple’s Borrowdale mansion.

“At the end of the day on January 27, 2020, the appellant (Mubaiwa) received reports from her older children that the younger children had shunned them. When she asked about their behaviour, they advised that Delight Munyoro, the woman who looks after them, had strongly warned them not to speak to their older siblings,” the lawyers said.

“On January 28, 2020, when she went to collect the older children from school, she saw the complainant (Munyoro) sitting in a vehicle with the usual security details from the army and Central Intelligence Organisation.

“She asked the complainant why she had instructed the younger children not to speak to their siblings and the complainant responded that applicant should be thankful and grateful that she was caring for the children as their father obviously cannot look after them. There was no physical contact as the complainant had armed personnel and was also sitting in the car.”

The lawyers say it was practically impossible for Mubaiwa to have backslapped Munyoro on her left cheek, because of where she was sitting in the vehicle. In any event, Mubaiwa’s lawyers say the back of her hands are swollen and painful.

Magistrate Bianca Makwande, who denied Mubaiwa bail, “failed to consider and take into account the many weaknesses in the state allegations and instead treated the allegations as if they were proven fact.”

The lawyers added: “She further erred and misdirected herself when she failed to consider and take into account the visible festering wounds and visibly swollen hand displayed to her making it unlikely that such a swollen hand and arm would have been used to assault the complainant.

“She further erred and misdirected herself when she failed to consider and take into account the physical difficulties of a backslap on the left cheek using the left hand on a person who was sitting in a motor vehicle whose right cheek would have been nearer to the appellant.”

Mubaiwa said any use of such visibly damaged hand and arm would have resulted in more pain for her especially taking into account that Munyoro is “a stout and well-rounded woman.”

The magistrate “also misdirected herself in her failure to consider and take into account that the charges are mere allegations engineered by a disenchanted spouse and that the presumption of innocence still operates. She also erred in equating allegations of common assault to attempted murder.”

Mubaiwa is asking the High Court to release her on her current bail conditions on the separate charges.

The matter is yet to be set down for hearing.

Own Correspondent|Zimbabwe’s Deputy Government Spokesperson Energy Mutodi has embarrassingly tried to discredit the widely praised Malawian Constitutional Court ruling on last year’s elections.

The World has overwhelmingly praised the judges throwing doubt at the credibility of the SADC observer mission which declared the elections free and fair.

In a highly uniformed Tweet on Tuesday, Mutodi said the SADC Observer Missions did not have the evidence of rigging when they pronounced the 2019 elections as free and credible.

Speaking a day after the the High Court of Malawi issued a court order nullifying the results Mutodi said,

“The basis for the nullification of Malawian Presidential results is the use of tippex to alter figures on election results forms. Such a practice is unprecedented and we believe Election Observer Missions did not have such evidence when they ruled the election credible.”

The basis for the nullification of Malawian Presidential results is the use of Tippex to alter figures on election results forms. Such a practice is unprecedented & we believe Election Observer Missions did not have such evidence when they ruled the election credible.

— Dr Energy Mutodi (@energymutodi) February 4, 2020

The court however made very little reference to the “tipex” issue in its judgement throwing in a number of factors that led to its decision to call for a rerun of the election.

Own Correspondent|Chairman of the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ), Tafadzwa Musarara has refuted allegations made against him by ZANU PF Youth League leaders, that he was diverting maize meal to the black market resulting in the shortage of the product on the formal market.

Below is Musarara’s statement released on Tuesday, February 4:

1. On Monday 3rd February 2020, Godfrey Tsenengamu and Lewis Matutu held a press conference in Harare whereat they made allegations that I am a corrupt businessman who is engaging in unethical business practices.

They said I am working with a clique of white people to divert maize meal to the black market and consequently that I am responsible for the current shortage of maize meal in the shops. It was suggested that I have abused the Government subsidy programme on maize meal.

2. The statement is false, malicious and defamatory.

3. I, as an individual or through my company, have not participated in the subsidy programme.

4. It is common cause that the country is presently experiencing a shortage of maize induced by drought. I am working, through Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe, on a private sector initiative to augment Government efforts in the importation of maize.

Contrary to the suggestion that I am responsible for the shortage of maize meal I am working to ensure that the current shortages are addressed. must point out that the brands produced by my company are not available on the black market.

5. Given the irresponsible statements that have been issued which as I have said
above are false, malicious and defamatory, I have instructed my legal practitioners to institute legal proceedings against the 2 gentlemen to vindicate my rights.

TAFADZWA MSARARA CHAIRMAN OF GRAIN MILLERS ASSOCIATION OF ZIMBABWE

Tafadzwa Musarara

By A Correspondent| A ten-storey building was almost engulfed by fire on Tuesday morning in an incident involving an electric kettle.

The kettle was left switched on overnight on the 5th floor of Megawatt Building in central Harare, which is owned by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA).

Harare fire department’s assistant divisional officer, Philip Marufu told the state media that the fire was immediately put out before it had done a lot of damage. He said:

There was a small fire on the fifth floor which actuated the sprinkler system and the fire was immediately put out then we shut the sprinkler.

The incident happened a few weeks after a shopping mall located at Robert Mugabe/Chinhoyi Street in Harare was completely gutted by fire.

-Statemedia

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa is reportedly planning to oust the party’ s national chairperson Tabitha Khumalo from the post of the leader of the opposition in parliament replacing her with MDC’ s Manicaland proportional representation MP, Lynette Karenyi-Kore.

Kore is also the Vice President of the MDC.

Reports coming from Harare indicate that during a meeting of MDC top leaders held in the capital recently Chamisa spoke in passing that the position of the leader of opposition has to be re-looked at and a reshuffle will be made.

The position of the leader of opposition is currently being reshaped by the government to give the office holder a senior status above other MPs.

Ibhetshu likaZulu Secretary General Mbuso Fuzwayo said the intended actions of Chamisa were a direct attack to the people of Matabeleland.

“If the reports are true that Chamisa wants to remove Khumalo and put Kore, we should read it as an attack on the region by a party that purpots to stand for democracy and equality. The actions should be read by people of Matabeleland that we are on our own.” Fuzwayo said.

In 2018 President Emmerson Mnangagwa told bloomberrg that, “Under our Commonwealth parliamentary democracy, the opposition is recognised; you recognise the leader of the opposition in Parliament. Under the former administration, there was no formal recognition of the opposition leader, but now under my administration, we are embracing the Commonwealth approach to parliamentary democracy, where you recognise the leader of the opposition and he is given certain recognition and perks in Parliament.”

Source: Byo24

Own Correspondent|The embattled ruling party Zanu-PF supreme body, the Politburo has called for an urgent meeting just a day after a very controversial and usual press conference by leadership of the youth league.

The meeting has been called for Wednesday at the party’s headquarters.

In a statement, Zanu-PF secretary for Information and Publicity Simon Khaya Moyo said:

“The Secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu wishes to advise all members that there shall be a Politburo meeting to be held on Wednesday 5 February 2020 at the Party Headquarters commencing 1000hours. All members should be seated by 0945hours sharp.”

ZANU PF youth leaders yesterday held an unprecedented press conference where they labelled President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ally Kuda Tagwirei “the most corrupt person in the country. ”

The extraordinary Press conference exposed growing factionalism in the party after they were barred from using the ruling party’s headquarters for their address.

Zanu PF youth league deputy secretary Lewis Matutu and national youth commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu held their Press conference at the Media Centre in the city centre a venue which has never been associated with a ZANU PF event of any kind.

Party insiders told media that they had been ordered not to use the Zanu PF HQ by top party officials who described their conduct as an attack on President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“Matutu and Tsenengamu were told to use other venues, and not the Zanu PF HQ,” a source based at the party headquarters said.

By Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala| I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people of Zimbabwe in your thousands who thronged Masvingo yesterday to stand with me during the commencement of my Treason trial.

You demonstrated the full show of solidarity strength. It was historic. It was never witnessed since time immemorial.

Despite threats, intimidation and blackmail you did not move an inch from your resolve to express the rights of our citizens to fight for what is good for this country. Our country has been under slavery for 40 years without recourse. Futures of generations destroyed.

Ten of thousands murdered by the regime by these same people who have been forcing themselves upon us. Poverty has become a normal phenomenon in our homes.

Joblessness has become our totem. Pennilessness is our daily bread. This situation can not be allowed to continue anymore. We have suffered enough. Enough is enough.

The statement was clear yesterday and does not need any oracle to interpret for us. Enough is Enough. This generation can not pass without liberating our country.

Attempts to use institutions of the State such as the judiciary to kill political expression is common only in pathetic dictatorships. Our country can not remain such forever.

Our struggle can not be won on deceit. Total commitment and keeping eyes on the ball is now my focus.

Wherever the struggle is at a certain level in all histories of the people’s struggle GOSSIPERS, prawl to derail the dreams of a nation. I saw wicked GOSSIPERS clinching to desperation on interpreting your mass solidarity.

Others even colluding with state security intelligence to stop you from fulfilling your desire to stand with me. It is noticed. My advice to you all is that please ignore those who live in illusions and remain focused.

GOSSIPERS are a weak link between the people’s struggle and their political failings. They start looking for shadows everywhere.

They manufacture idiotic stories to divide the house through their wicked efforts. They hate others for the good they do for someone. Don’t be dissuaded good people.

Ours is the people’s struggle of the downtrodden and the poor of the poorest. Our dream to reach the promised can no longer be postponed or derailed by GOSSIPERS.

Gossipers are spreaders of evil and watch them wherever you are. Look them directly into their eyes and tell them OFF.

We are waiting for the day of judgment on the challenge we posed to the charge, that it is not criminal for any opposition leader to seek the ouster of your opponent. Self created lawyers were salivating and giving pedestrian views when they never passed through a law school. As a practising lawyer on daily basis I know there is no crime in seeking the removal of an opponent from power.

These perforated ZANU PF hoodlums in their unschooled mind thinks that Mnangagwa is government or the State. This tragedy has been with Africa for long, where presidents have been equated to governments or the State. For goodness sake they are not.

So brilliant was my lead Counsel Beatrice Mtetwa that she did not enlight the State of Zimbabwe alone but Africa as the whole that idiot supporters of the incumbent governments must stop conflating the State and government to an individual. My lead Counsel was a Rockstar yesterday.

I received a message from one of the diplomats who came all the way from Harare to observe the trial, saying the jurisprudence on constitutionalism expounded by Beatrice was a masterstroke.

Such are legal concepts available only to those who had an opportunity to study deeper legal studies distinguishing how constitutionalism advances the rule of law, democracy and good governance.

The judgement is going to be delivered on an important day, the 14th of February 2020.

It will be the second anniversary in commemoration of the founder and father of democracy in Zimbabwe the Great unifier who put the MDC family together and people first before his individual desires on what the MDC was on its formative stages President Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.

Save mirai neni musi uyu mundisunugure kubva mumikanwa wemapumhi aya meaning the late Morgan Tsvangirai stand by me and exonerate me from these evil people who are accusing me of something that i didnt do. Vanhu vaya varikungoita madiro aGeorgina nenyika yechizvarwa meaning these people are doing what they want with our motherland.

Nditaririreiwo musi uyu Baba vedu meaning take care of me my father. Inga ndimi makauya kumba mukati mwana wangu, huya tipedzise zvatakatanga tose meaning isn’t you are the one who came to me on that day and asked me to come back and join you in finishing the journey to freedom.

Mhumi idzi dzinoda hugandanga wako padhuze neni. Inga handina kuramba wani Baba. Zuva iri ndokumbirawo ziso renyu meaning these evil people want to commit their atrocities on my person. I did not refuse the struggle my father please watch over me.

It is also the day of love. The day of St. Valentine. Those who love each other shall be in happiness. Can the devil deny me happiness on this great day. Only God knows.

Thank you once again great and good people. People power will never be stopped by the cheapness of our talk. The regime’s days are numbered.

I thank you.