MAGUNJE legislator Cecil Kashiri has raised concern over a head of buffalo that escaped from Matusadona National Park last week and has reportedly killed a minor and injured two women in Hurungwe.

“A head of buffaloes is believed to have escaped from a nearby game park last week. A schoolgoing minor was attacked and killed in Magororo, Hurungwe West constituency on Thursday. Four buffaloes were seen at Masaga area in Menoembwa and believed to have moved to Badze River in Magunje constituency. In Karereshi a woman was also attacked by a buffalo and taken to Magunje Hospital and we gather she has been transferred to Karoi Hospital. Another woman was attacked at Chishumba in Magunje constituency,” Kashiri said.

Chief Nyamhunga also confirmed that the buffaloes were wreaking havoc among his subjects, adding that authorities were not doing enough to curb human-wildlife conflicts.

Hurungwe chief executive officer Luke Karivhina confirmed yesterday that rangers had been deployed to track the head.

“We are getting updates from local communities and we have deployed our rangers to help in dealing with the head. This is all what I can confirm for now,” he said.

“We hereby urge parents to make sure that children come home early and are safe and not to try and attack the vicious animals. We are not sure of the number of buffaloes that escaped, given the distance between the areas where they were spotted, it is possible that there could be many more out there.”

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said: “We have received two reports where buffaloes attacked two villagers around Hurungwe. Our team has managed to kill one buffalo so far. Our challenge is that we have overpopulation of these animals, hence they invade communities. We are there to safeguard nature and citizens.”

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Socialite Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure’s mother has died.

Ginimbi made the announcement on twitter and said:

Today it’s one of my darkest days in my life, but who am I to question God. I did all things that money can buy, but this thing called Life it is only God that gives it. My mother, my world is now in heaven. RIP

By A Correspondent- Award-winning musician, Andy Muridzo was bashed after he was caught red handed relaxing with a married woman at her matrimonial home in Waterfalls yesterday.

Muridzo, who was on Saturday awarded the traditional Folk (Chinyakare/Chimurenga) category ZIMA award, told H-Metro that he had not been aware that the woman, Rai Dhladla,31, was married to Lenon Zaranyika.

Baba Keketso was in the company of one Simba, who fled from the scene and later returned with cops along with a female Mend only identified as Queen.

It is claimed that Muridzo, Simba and Queen arrived at the house at around 2am and a mole tipped Zaranyika, who then went home and attacked the “disrespectful” Muridzo.

In an interview with H-Metro, Muridzo said he was given hiding so painful he contemplated fighting back but feared Zaranyika had a gun.

“I was caught unaware and severely beaten. I thought of fighting back nekuti umm zvibhakera zvandarohwa zvanga zvichirwadza. “To be honest with you I was not aware that this woman was married and we were about to have some drinks with my friends.

“I and not in love with his wife, Queen is the one I am in love with and I do not know why she ran away leaving me exposed and unable to justify my relationship with her,” said Muridzo.

Simba later told H-Metro that he had no choice, but run away when he saw Zaranyika charging towards Andy, forcing him to jump over a precast wall at the house “I noticed that the man was armed, mdara ndamhanya ndikasvetuka durawall Queen azobuda nepaka corner sezvo gate ranga ravharwa,” said Simba.

Queen could not be reached for comment by the time of going to print. Meanwhile, Itai confirmed cheating on Zaranyika, arguing that her husband has been denying her
conjugal rights for some time and has more than one lover to take care of her needs.

“My husband has been cheating on me and at one time we spent more than four weeks without having se.x kana kundibata zvake. I am still young and besides that I have a high se.x drive and I need se.x from time to time and he was not available and that is why I decided to have boyfriends to quench my se.xual appetite “Andy was severely attacked and I felt sorry for him, I will accompany him to one of his shows and comfort him.”

She said she no longer had anything to hide about her marriage. “He phoned my father informing him that he caught me having se.x on our matrimonial bed and that hurt me so much that I am no longer ashamed of disclosing everything about our marriage.

The first time I cheated, I confessed everything to him and we moved on, but he decided to take our two children to boarding school leaving me with the younger ones.

“Four of my relatives came here and begged my husband to forgive me, he did and we continued with our marriage” said Itai.

Zaranyika seems set to end the marriage if yesterday’s drama is anything to go by as he, at one time put Itai’s clothes in a suitcase readying her to vacate.

“My wife started cheating when I was away in Egypt and upon confronting her over some love messages I found in her mobile phone, she confessed to her shenanigans.

“Her relatives pleaded with me, but I decided to take our school-going kids to a boarding school so that they would not see their mother doing silly things. ‘We have been legally married for the past nine years and due to her shenanigans, I resolved to deny her the conjugal rights she is talking about and looked for alternative accommodation.

“Her evil acts have exposed her, She now wants to tarnish my image and that of my friends and bosses and is now threatening to cook stories to that effect.”

THE highly-indebted government will be allowed to borrow from non-State institutions without Parliament scrutiny if the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 2) Bill is signed into law.

The Bill to amend the Constitution for the second time is currently before Parliament and will undergo public hearings. It will also clip Parliament’s powers of oversight over international treaties on non-State loans.

Clause 23 of the Bill to amend the Constitution proposes that the current section 327(3) of the Constitution must be altered so that Parliament’s powers of oversight are clipped in terms of approving agreements entered into with international organisations even if those agreements impose fiscal obligations on Zimbabwe.

This is despite the country’s heavy indebtedness whereby according to the Parliament of Zimbabwe budget office, by the end of 2018 the total external and internal debt had reached US$20 billion. Of that amount, the external debt was US$11,5 billion including loans from Afrexim Bank, while the domestic debt was around US$8,5 billion.

Section 327 (3) of the Constitution which will be amended reads: “An agreement which is not an international treaty, but which has been concluded or executed by the President or under the President’s authority with one or more foreign organisations or entities; and imposes fiscal obligations on Zimbabwe does not bind Zimbabwe until it has been approved by Parliament.”

Constitutional law expert and lecturer James Tsabora said there is danger in clipping Parliament’s oversight on foreign borrowings, especially if the borrowings are of a fiscal nature and have an effect on taxpayers.

“Although there is a danger on amending the Constitution to clip Parliament’s oversight role, it is also international practice that a country chooses which treaty goes through Parliament for approval and which does not go through Parliament,” Tsabora said.

“However, if the amendment goes through there is a danger in terms of foreign borrowings given that Zimbabwe has over-borrowed from foreign institutions which has landed us into the problems we are in right now, and Parliament is important to put in checks and balances,” he said.

Tsabora said if Parliament’s oversight role on loans and treaties is curtailed, government has the obligation to ensure that whatever it does is constitutional.

“What it means is that before the President approves the treaties and loans he must also ensure that they are constitutional. The current situation is that the Constitution allows for double oversight by Parliament, and also by checking its constitutionality.

“Parliament must debate loans and treaties. However, with the current system of Parliament where Zanu PF has a two thirds majority, Parliament’s oversight role has been weakened and it means that treaties will just be endorsed, yet any laws with a public finance bearing need to be fully debated,” Tsabora said.

Legal think-tank Veritas said Parliament’s oversight role over the State’s expenditure is enshrined in section 299 of the Constitution, adding that it is fundamental for good governance which is one of the founding values of the Constitution.

“Clause 23 of the Bill will emasculate this power. Over the past few decades the government has entered into innumerable loan agreements with foreign governments, banks and other entities, paying little or no regard to how the loans can be repaid. As a result Zimbabwe’s foreign debt is enormous, crippling the country’s development.

“To amend section 327 so as to remove or reduce Parliament’s powers will be utterly pernicious and will encourage a return to reckless spending by the government, mortgaging the birth wright of future generations,” Veritas said.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- The government of Zimbabwe has said that it is targeting to build 100 000 houses every year to minimise accommodation shortages.

The government intends to partner with private businesses who have the requisite financial resources. The government’s “ambitious” initiative was revealed by Minister Daniel Garwe while touring Mabvazuva Housing Scheme under Goromonzi Rural District Council, Housing and Social Amenities.

He said:

They (Exodus and Company) are basically developing land which we availed to them, providing on-site and off-site infrastructure, roads, water and sewer reticulation…

The target that we were given by Government is 100 000 per year, but because of other challenges, if we achieve between 20 000 to 30 000 per year we would have done well.

This is however not the first time the government has pledged to build houses. In 2014, then Minister of Local government, Ignatius Chombo announced that the government would build “313 368 housing units across the country in the next 38 months.”

The National Housing Delivery Programme which falls under the Social Services and Poverty Eradication cluster in ZIMASSET remains a pie in the air

Own Correspondent| The country’s Vice President Constantine Chiwenga has allegedly reassured Kambuzuma’s Joshua Nkomo residents to stay put at their stands despite eviction fights with businessman Billy Rautenbach who claims the place.

The residents have been fighting running battles with police who are allegedly being sent by a land cabal that involves Rautenbach, Harare State Minister Oliver Chidawu and Local Government Minister July Moyo.

In an endeavour to defend themselves the residents have lately roped in the assistance of Kambuzuma legislator Willias Madzimure and Norton legislator Temba Mliswa to advance their cause following the arrest of their leaders.

Most of them have pending court cases with sanctions against addressing public gatherings.
Addressing the residents recently Mliswa advised them that he had conferred with VP Chiwenga and he had stated that they should stay put.

“VP Chiwenga told me that you have to stay put at your stands and the government will find a way to compensate Billy for his land, if indeed it is his”.

“No government can come and remove so many people from their residential places, it has never happened and it’s impossible to do that even from a humanitarian standing”, he said.

Chiwenga previously came and addressed the residents of the area during the 2018 election campaign and talked about their issues.

Lately however they have found themselves fighting alone as the ZANU PF officials have abandoned them.

Rumors persist that top party officials are also seeking to benefit from Rautenbach’s enterprise to develop a medium density suburb instead of the high density currently developing.

The  recently completed Justice Tendai Uchena Land Commission report revealed that the majority of land barons in  country are either from or connected to ZANU PF and have fleeced the country of over US$3.

NBC News|NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — One of the last things Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna did before boarding the helicopter flight that led to their deaths was attend Sunday church and take communion, according to his priest.

Father Steve Sallot, a Eucharist priest at the Orange County church the Bryant family attends, was one of the last to see him alive.

He told Eyewitness News that Kobe and Gianna stopped by Our Lady Queen of Angels in Newport Beach, California and received communion before boarding the fatal flight.

“He was here before the 7 a.m. mass and that’s our first mass of the day. So he would obviously have been in the prayer chapel before that and he was leaving about 10 to 7,” Sallot said.

The helicopter crash was reported at 9:47 a.m. that morning in the Calabasas area.

Fans, family and the community are sharing memories of the nine people killed in the Sunday morning crash.

On Monday, parishioners at Our Lady Queen of Angels prayed a rosary for the lives lost.

A memorial was also growing outside the Bryant family home in Orange County.

Eyewitness News ran into fans from as far as Turkey outside the home Monday.

Asu Gokdelen was visiting with her family from Istanbul. She remembered seeing Bryant during his first game in 1996 when she was a student at USC.

“When we heard the news we were very sad … we wanted to visit this place and give our condolences,” Gokdelen said.

Locally, Bryant, his wife and daughters were honored and respected daily.

The Newport Coast community called them generous neighbors.

Krave Kobe Burger Grill Newport Coast had a wall honoring Bryant in the restaurant that was put up prior to his death.

“That was a wall of fame, we like to call it, and a tribute for what he’s done for the community,” said Nima Farokhirad, the restaurant’s vice president of operations.

Most of the nine occupants of the helicopter that crashed Sunday were Orange County residents who knew Kobe through youth sports connections.

In a statement, the Chester family mourned the loss of Sarah Chester, a wife and mother, and Payton Chester, a sister and daughter- both part of the St. Margaret’s Episcopal School community. The mother and daughter were both onboard the helicopter heading to Mamba Sports Academy where Payton trained.

“Payton had a smile and personality that would light any room … She found joy on any court and loved all of her teammates and coaches,” the statement read, adding, “Sarah was full of life and the glue of our family. She was a tireless force in support of her family.”

Christina Mauser, another Orange County mother killed Sunday morning, was a top assistant coach of the Mamba girl’s basketball team. Mauser leaves behind three young children and a husband, Matthew Mauser.

“She was absolutely amazing at what she did and as good as she was at the Xs and Os she was with how to treat the girls,” Matthew Mauser said, adding, “I just wanted to watch our kids grow. I just want my wife.”

The president of Whittier College released a statement Monday extending her condolences. Sarah Chester was once a student there with many family ties to the college and Sarah met her husband at Whittier College.

Own Correspondent| Veteran trade unionist and former Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Lovemore Matombo died yesterday.

According to those close, to the developments, Matombo died in his home in Greendale, Harare on Monday.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary general Raymond Majongwe confirmed Matombo’s death.

“Cde Lovemore Matombo former President of the ZCTU, President of CASWUZ, President of TUCZ has passed on. He passed on around 5pm at his Greendale home today. This gallant unflinching labour Cde will be greatly missed,” said Majongwe.

At the time of his death, Matombo was the President of Commercial and Allied Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe (CAWUZ), a splinter trade association of the ZCTU he formed after his fallout with main trade union body.

MATABELELAND North Provincial Development Coordinator, Ms Latiso Dlamini, who is being sued by a Bulawayo woman for $500 000 in damages for allegedly engaging in an adulterous relationship with her husband of 21 years, is challenging the lawsuit.

The aggrieved woman, Mrs Siboniso Lesley Maseko (nee Gumede), is accusing her rival Ms Dlamini of Khumalo suburb in Bulawayo of having a love affair with her husband Brigadier-General Simo Maseko. 

Mrs Maseko said their marriage was solemnised in terms of Chapter 5:11 of the Marriages Act on December 20 in 1998.

Ms Dlamini, through her lawyers Dube-Banda, Nzarayapenga and Partners, has filed opposing papers challenging the lawsuit.

In her defendant’s plea, she said she was not aware that Brig-Gen Maseko was married to the plaintiff when they fell in love.

“At the time Simo Maseko and I got to know each other, I was not aware of his marriage to the plaintiff (Mrs Maseko). It is after sometime that I learnt of their separation, which had been ongoing for a period of four years,” said Ms Dlamini.

She said Mrs Maseko has been harassing her at both her workplace and residential place. Ms Dlamini said the money that Mrs Maseko is demanding from her was not justified. 

She wants the court to dismiss Mrs Maseko’s application with costs, arguing that the claims are baseless.

“There is no justification for the amount claimed as damages for contumelia. Equally, I submit that I am not liable for any loss of comfort or companionship for a husband I have not lived with for a period exceeding four years. It is my position that there is no basis for the claim of damages, which are not of my doing,” she said.

Mrs Maseko, through her lawyer Mr Godfrey Nyoni of Moyo and Nyoni Law Firm last year filed summons at the Bulawayo High Court citing Ms Dlamini as a defendant.

In papers before the court, Mrs Maseko said she discovered that Ms Dlamini and Brig-Gen Maseko have been seeing each other since 2017. She said the two suspected lovers would meet at the defendant’s house among other secluded places.

“On diverse occasions and at various places including but not limited to Ms Dlamini’s place of residence, the defendant committed and still continues to commit adultery with my husband, Simo Maseko,” said Mrs Maseko.

She said despite Ms Dlamini being aware of their marriage, she remains defiant.

Mr Nyoni said as a result of Ms Dlamini’s actions, his client has suffered damages amounting to $500 000.

“As a result of the defendant’s actions, plaintiff has suffered damages for contumelia in the sum of $300 000. My client has furthermore suffered damages for loss of comfort, society, companionship and services of her husband in the sum of $200 000,” he said.

Mr Nyoni said Mrs Maseko wants the $500 000 to be paid with an interest of five percent calculated from the date of issue of summons to the date of full payment. 

She also wants the court to order Ms Dlamini to pay the legal costs she incurred.

State Media|THE Government has warned teachers against abusing pupils to further personal agendas saying there are many lawful channels to air their grievances without involving the learners.

This follows last week’s incident where a science teacher at Njube High School in Bulawayo, Mr Brian Mutsiba, allegedly mobilised and incited 153 Form One, Form Three and Form Six pupils to demonstrate against purported “fees increase and poor teachers” remunerations among others issues.

Mr Mutsiba has been on the run since last week’s protests which, according to latest information, was stage managed.

Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo said it was inexcusable for teachers to sacrifice learners to advance their personal interests.

“Teachers should not use school children to push their demands. They have got their unions and they have so many channels through which they can air their views without involving pupils. It becomes very unfair to use pupils. They should not sacrifice learners to achieve their objectives. We expect professional conduct from our teachers and we expect them to follow the normal procedures of grievance resolutions that are provided for at law,” he said.

Moyo said Government was closely following social media reports that schools in Bulawayo would stage a demonstration on Monday next week.

He said he was convinced that some anti-Government elements wanted to use minors as a shield to cause anarchy in the city.

“I think it’s now people who want to abuse the innocence of our children. I don’t think it’s our learners who are organising this thing. We are monitoring the situation. The message to school heads is that they have to keep a lookout for such conduct. We don’t prevent teachers from airing their views but they should not use schoolchildren. To pupils, they should not let teachers use them to solve their problems as this will disturb their education, it will disturb their careers,” said Moyo.

He urged parents to discourage their children from participating in illegal protests.

Meanwhile, Moyo said Mr Mutsiba is facing charges of mobilising children to partake in action outside the school’s authority and that of their parents.

He said if Mr Mutsiba remains absent from work for two weeks without justified reason, his salary will be docked.

“In terms of Statutory Instrument 1 of 2000, if someone is absent from work for a continuous period of 14 days without good cause or without permission his salary is supposed to be stopped. And he would then be charged for absenteeism. If he still wants his job he should have come forward and explained what really happened but his absence is now compounding the narrative that he organised the demonstration which is outside his normal course of duty,” Moyo said.

State Media|GOVERNMENT and its workers yesterday agreed on an increased pay package, understood to be more than double the pay of the lowest paid, but failed to agree when it can get into effect.

The Apex Council – an umbrella body representing all civil servants – wants the new pay scales to be backdated to January 1 this year but the Government wants to stagger the increase over several months with the full new scales coming into effect in April.

A meeting was held in Victoria Falls yesterday between the Apex Council and a nine-member team seconded by Government under the National Joint Negotiating Forum.

Speaking to our Harare Bureau after the meeting, Apex Council secretary-general Mr David Dzatsunga said they agreed on the new package but the dispute was now on the implementation date.

“We agreed to disagree,” he said. “As the Apex Council, we want the new package to be effected from 1 January 2020 and Government is saying it can stagger the payment up to April. We said that is not possible in this hyper-inflationary environment. We agree to wait and see what will happen because we could not sign for that staggered arrangement. 

“The ball is now in the Government’s court because these workers are working for the same Government. They have children who are not going to school now and it’s a cross that the employer should carry and see to it that the welfare of its workers is taken care of.”

Mr Dzatsunga refused to reveal the package offered by Government, saying doing so would lead to speculative tendencies on the market. 

However, it is speculated that the new pay offer will see the lowest paid Government worker earning at least $2 200 a month and probably more; a previous Government offer would have effectively doubled pay for the lowest paid.

Asked on their next move if Government sticks to its guns, Mr Dzatsunga said: “We believe Government has to do something if they want this country to work. They have to come with a survival package for the workers. The workers are struggling and Government as the employer should be sensitive to the plight of its workers.”

Mr Dzatsunga said the negotiating team from the Government was composed of people who could not make substantive decisions.

He said it was more ideal if such meetings could be attended by people like Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube who have a final say on how the Government purse is used.

Mr Dzatsunga denied allegations that they were abusing money by having their meeting in the resort town of Victoria Falls. The employees team was already in Victorial Falls for another workshop.

“Even in a crisis situation, people need to plan things,” he said. “We are here for our workshop that we planned last year with all stakeholders that have to do with Government workers salaries such as medical aid societies among others. Even the International Labour Organisation and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions are also here for that workshop. So it is not like we are here specifically for the salaries meeting only or that we are holidaying but we are having this meeting on the sidelines of our long pre-planned workshop.”

Zimbabweans are protesting after Chief Justice Luke Malaba invited a Ugandan judge to train judges ahead of the establishment of anti-corruption courts. The chief justice said Uganda had waged war against corruption and the head of its anti-corruption court, Justice Lawrence Gidudu, would run a training course for Zimbabwean judges, magistrates and other officials, Zimbabwe’s state-owned Herald newspaper reported.

Zimbabwe’s decision to establish special courts to deal with corruption cases comes after President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared corruption as the country’s biggest enemy, the newspaper reported.

The Zimbabwean information ministry’s permanent secretary, Nick Mangwana, tweeted the article. However, the news was not received well by Zimbabweans online who said Uganda was not the best country to learn from:

“Please stop wasting people’s resources. Do we actually need the assistance of Uganda to eradicate corruption in Zimbabwe?” Leonard Koni wrote.

“Uganda, anti-corruption…. How did you manage to put the two words in the same sentence NICK? Look at the countries you looking at for advice and help,” TB Mandlazi wrote.

“Uganda is not a good example of countries fighting corruption Maybe Rwanda, Singapore, Netherlands, Malaysia etc not these Museveni chaps. We’re very far from fully launching the fight against corruption,” Takudzwa Munangwa wrote.

“But why Uganda why not Rwanda or Kenya or South Africa,” Nelson Tuwadya wondered.

“Africa’s Least Corrupt Countries 1. Seychelles 2. Botswana 3. Cape Verde 4. Rwanda 5. Mauritius 6. Sao Tome and Principe 7. Namibia 8. Senegal. Source: Transparency International Corruption Perception Index,” Tarrysnun wrote.

Zimbabwe’s Chief Justice Luke Malaba told journalists that Justice Lawrence Gidudu, who heads Uganda’s anti-corruption court, will conduct a week-long training course in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.

Justice Malaba said Zimbabwe has a lot to learn from Uganda that has prosecuted and jailed corrupt people for years.

Uganda was ranked better that Zimbabwe in Transparency International’s 2019 corruption perception index.

Uganda was number 137 out of 180 countries while Zimbabwe was number 158. But Zimbabwe’s neighbouring countries – Botswana, Namibia and South Africa – were ranked better than Uganda by far.

Acting President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry Mubaiwa, gained custody of the couple’s three children on Friday last week, as part of an initially agreed out-of-court settlement, which was, however, aborted after the former army chief made a dramatic volte-face on Monday.

Family sources said there were negotiations between the Chiwenga and Mubaiwa families for an out-of-court settlement of their nasty divorce case in which the two are washing dirty linen in public, accusing each other of violence, drug abuse and witchcraft.The custody of the three minor children is one of the issues at the centre of the raging divorce case.

Chiwenga last week claimed he took the children out of the country on holiday in 2019 after he found them highly traumatised by what he described as his wife’s witchcraft practices.

According to insiders, the two families held negotiations throughout the day on Friday via an emissary only identified as Mupostori Shumba, who is said to have been asked to mediate by Chiwenga’s friends, among them, tycoon Kuda Tagwirei, who do not want their names tarnished in court.

Tagwirei has already been sucked into the matter after Marry indicated that one of the cars they are wrangling over, a top-of-the-range Mercedes-Benz S600 sedan, was bought by the fuel mogul.

Mupostori Shumba, sources said, was chosen as the mediator because he is also well-known to the Mubaiwas.The source said Mupostori Shumba spent the better part of last Friday shuttling between Chiwenga’s secretive Borrowdale house, where he has been staying since his return from a complex medical procedure in China in November last year, and the Mubaiwas.

“He (the madiator) first went to Chiwenga’s new residence before he met Marry and her family at a house in Newlands. All negotiations were conducted through him. He practically spent the whole day moving up and down,” a source said.

“As of Friday night, there was an agreement for an out-of-court settlement and, as part of that, Chiwenga had agreed to let Marry have custody of the children which is now the case. Basically, Marry wanted the general to first withdraw the criminal charges levelled against her and to agree on a property-sharing plan,” the source said.

“The impression we got from Mupostori Shumba was that Chiwenga was amenable to that arrangement as well. Marry actually said that it was not originally in her plans to divorce and say all the nasty things in public but she felt that since he had started it all, she had to respond in kind. So at the end of the day everyone thought progress had been made, only for us to get the shock of our lives when his lawyer on Monday told newspapers that Chiwenga was itching for a showdown with her in court,” the source added.

“There are suspicions that may have been influenced by some of his friends between Friday night and Monday to have a change of heart, from the look of things, which is very unfortunate considering the plight of the children in the whole drama.”

The source further said the warring parties had even agreed to allow their lawyers to work on a deed of settlement and finalise it in seven days.

“The negotiations ended with an agreement to allow lawyers from both parties to work on a deed of settlement which was supposed to be deliberated on by both parties over the weekend, but everything now appears to be in jeopardy,” the source said.

Last week, Marry, who was in the company of her lawyer Advocate Taona Nyamakura, appeared before High Court judge Justice Christopher Dube-Banda but the matter was not deliberated on after the parties agreed to attempt to settle the matter out of court.

Marry is claiming an equivalent of US$40 000 per month as maintenance for her upkeep and a total of US$7 500 per month for her three children, which money she said should be paid at the interbank rate.

Besides the claim of monthly maintenance, Marry also said her husband should be ordered to pay for the family’s holidays, school and medical expenses and casual clothes, all running into thousands of United States dollars.

-AMH

State Media|Government has set a target to build at least 100 000 houses every year, while at the same time intensifying the war against land barons.

Plans are afoot to introduce a new rule under which both the land baron and the one who buys fraudulently acquired land will be prosecuted.

To achieve the target of 100 000 houses, Government says it plans to avail land to private businesses with the necessary financial resources who will service the stands under a public private partnership.

Again, the Government will set minimum standards for the houses and flats in line with President Mnangwagwa’s vision for Zimbabwe to attain middle income economy status by 2030.

Yesterday, during a tour of Mabvazuva Housing Scheme under Goromonzi Rural District Council, Housing and Social Amenities Minister Daniel Garwe said the council’s partnership with Exodus and Company was an example of how public private partnerships can work.

“They (Exodus and Company) are basically developing land which we availed to them, providing on-site and off-site infrastructure, roads, water and sewer reticulation. We have actually added another requirement, renewable energy. Going to 2030 we need at least modernity in terms of design and modernity in terms of materials that are being used.

“We also need houses or structures that stand the effects of climate change and we have a standard design that we have agreed on with developers.

“The target that we were given by Government is 100 000 per year, but because of other challenges, if we achieve between 20 000 to 30 000 per year we would have done well.”

Minister Garwe said land barons will be tracked and prosecuted.

“Gone are the days where people are going to be buying stands from illegal dealers or land barons; that is a thing of the past.

“Anyone who is going to be seen or if we hear that there is a transaction between a home-seeker and an illegal land developer, both of them will go to jail because the home-seeker would have participated in an illegal deal knowing very well that he or she is being fleeced.

“We do not want to continue aiding the enemy or land baron in fleecing the home-seekers of their hard earned money. Caledonia is a classic example of how people have been fleeced of their hard-earned money,” he said.

Minister Garwe said the issue of land barons requires a collective approach.

“One of the issues we must address collectively is this issue of land barons. We know they were created a couple of years back.

“They are causing confusion, fleecing money from desperate home-seekers. That is going to be a thing of the past.

“We are aware of the settlements where land barons have been championing developments which are illegal right now, where there is no development, no roads, no sewers. There is absolutely nothing,” he said.

Minister Garwe said people who have already built houses will not have these demolished, but Government will chip in to assist in regularisation, specifically in the provision of the required services like roads and water network systems.

“Where there is need to provide such facilities (roads), we may need to demolish a house or two because there must be a road. In such cases people will be compensated,” he said.

Exodus and Company yesterday handed over 180 commonage residential stands to the Government which were received by Minister Garwe, who said civil servants will be accorded top priority in getting them.

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

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

This comes as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Sunday announced a US$10 million commitment in emergency funds and additional technical support to help responders in China and Africa contain the spread of the 2019-nCoV.

In a statement, the foundation said US$5 million will go to China while the other half will assist the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in scaling up public health measures against 2019-nCoV among African Union (AU) member states.

“These measures will include technical support to implement the screening and treatment of suspected cases, laboratory confirmation of 2019-nCoV diagnoses and the safe isolation and care of identified cases,” said the foundation.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care has confirmed that Zimbabwe is under threat from the disease due to its close relations with China.

Zimbabwe, however, does not have direct flights to and from China, which minimises the risk.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo yesterday toured Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport’s surveillance section to assess the screening of people coming into Zimbabwe.

Dr Moyo said he was happy with the process adding that they were going to perfect some of the areas.

“It is necessary that as the Ministry of Health and Government of Zimbabwe that we protect our nation against any outbreaks of diseases and at this particular instance we are dealing and talking about the novel Coronavirus.

“The epicentre at the moment is Wuhan Province in China and we are very happy that we have been communicating with the Chinese Embassy and they have also advised us that they have also put a delay in travel and cancelling unnecessary travels to Zimbabwe so that is good.

“There are Zimbabweans who are also living in China and some who fly to China for business, we have heard one or two cases and we are currently monitoring them.

“We have to make sure that we have all the equipment necessary to detect any persons or visitors to make sure that they do not

and so we are making sure that our airports are well covered and that our personnel are well-trained in the processes of checking on all those who are coming to Zimbabwe,” he said.

Although no cases are confirmed in African nations, health officials in Côte d’Ivoire on Sunday said they were investigating a suspected case of a student arriving in Abidjan from Wuhan, the Chinese province at the epicentre of the outbreak. It is the first such case on the continent.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

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

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

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

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

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

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

A novel coronavirus, is a new strain of virus that has not been previously identified in human beings.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care said in the case of the disease spreading to Zimbabwe, it was prepared to deal with it despite the difficult operating environment.

Since last week, almost 70 people who arrived from Wuhan have been under monitoring for the signs and symptoms of the rare respiratory infection.

The people will be monitored for 21 days although they are not under quarantine. They are however, expected to inform the Ministry of Health of their whereabouts and are encouraged to report any symptoms.

Minister Moyo said the ministry was making all efforts to make sure the virus did not end up in Zimbabwe.

Seven machete makers, who were arrested last week at Siyaso in Mbare, Harare, on suspicion of supplying machetes to armed robbers and criminals in mining communities, were on Saturday remanded in custody.

Last week, police recovered 31 machetes during a raid in Mbare.

Siyaso is a home industry where a range of items are made and machetes cost between US$6 and US$10.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that the suspects appeared in court.

“Members of the public with information on people supplying machetes and other criminal activities should inform their nearest police stations,” he said.

Last week, Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga spoke against the wave of machete attacks during a tour of Gweru Central Police Station by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe.

Police officers commanding districts have prohibited for three months the carrying of weapons such as machetes, knives, catapults, swords and knobkerries

Asst Comm Nyathi urged the public to heed prohibition notices in their areas.

Failure to comply with the order, he said, will render one guilty of an offence that attracts a jail term.

Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga said: “Without mincing my words, I am disgusted by the violent nature of machete-wielding criminals who are threatening to turn our country into an unsafe and uninhabitable place.

“Over the past few weeks, cases of these criminal elements masquerading as gold panners have been on the increase. Consequently, we have recorded a surge in cases of murder, rape, armed robbery, among other illicit activities. Apart from terrorising communities, day and night, these hooligans are also invading legal mining claims killing many, including taking the lives of police officers. This is unacceptable. We can never allow criminals to do as they please while creating war zones.”

Comm-Gen Matanga said the machete attackers’ days were “absolutely numbered”.

THE Judiciary is imposing stiff penalties on convicted machete-wielding gangs to deter would-be offenders in the wake of a surge in cases of violent machete attacks on ordinary citizens, miners and businesspeople across the country.

Officially opening the 2020 legal year of the Gweru High Court circuit yesterday, Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Martin Makonese, warned the machete wielding gangs saying, time has come to end the menace.

He said stiffer sentences handed down in such cases should send a clear message that violence of any form will not be tolerated in a civilised and democratic society.

“During the year under review, there has been an upsurge in cases of violent crimes committed by marauding gangs of machete-wielding youths.

The country has seen violent gang wars amongst artisanal miners never seen before in the history of the country.
“Scores of innocent people have been injured and maimed.

Lives have been lost. There has been a relentless surge in youth gangs going on the rampage in all provinces of the country attacking and injuring people.

In all this, these criminal elements have resorted to the use of deadly machetes, axes, shovels, knives and other dangerous weapons,” he said.

Justice Makonese said the machete-wielding gangs had the tenacity to attack and even kill policemen in uniform.

“Unruly terror gangs recently killed a policeman, Constable Wonder Hokoyo, in Kadoma. Let it be known that we as the Judiciary will hand stiff penalties where appropriate on anycrimes.a convicted of these heinous crimes.a

‘‘These sentences handed down in such cases will send out a clear message that violence of any form will not be tolerated in a civilised and democratic society,” he said.- State media

Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Energy Mutodi will on Thursday be defending a $40 000 defamation lawsuit filed against him by former Minister of Defence Dr Sydney Sekeramayi and former Minister of Health and Child Care Dr David Parirenyatwa over comments he allegedly made on a Facebook page.

The matter will be heard before High Court judge Justice Jesta Charehwa.

The former ministers jointly sued Mutodi in October 2017 over statements posted on his Facebook page, insinuating that the two were behind the alleged food poisoning of the then Vice President Mnangagwa.

Mutodi, through his lawyer Mr Charles Chinyama of Chinyama & Associates, however, denied ever posting statements defamatory to the two ministers, saying someone could have mischievously abused his name and picture to open the account.

Mutodi then demanded an urgent civil trial saying further delays were inconveniencing him, but the pair did not respond, prompting him to demand the withdrawal of the matter.

In the summons, the two accused Mutodi of posting on his Facebook page an article titled “Two ministers top suspects in ED poison case”, which circulated countrywide and beyond the borders.

The article, according to the two former ministers, put them in bad light as it insinuated that they gave President Mnangagwa samoosas, sandwiches and grapes that were laced with poison.

The food, according to the online report, came from Minister Sekeramayi’s home.

The pair also argued that the article damaged their reputation as it insinuated that they abused their specialist knowledge and expertise as medical doctors to pick a convenient poison to harm the President.-State media

A CHIVHU family is regretting their children’s “success” after one of them was reportedly attacked by goblins for making it into the national chess team that travelled to Namibia recently.

Narrating their ordeal, Esther Tichaona, grandmother to twins Natasha and Natalie Choko explained how it all started.

“I was living in Chivhu with my two granddaughters who both play chess.

“Everything was going on very well until they were set to go to Namibia if they won the national championship.

“Before they participated in the national championships, Natalie was attacked. She said she would see things and she suddenly decided to drop out of the team just before they went to Namibia.

Akangoti handichada vakuda kuenda kuBindura kwakazosarudzwa team yaienda kuNamibia.

“However, Natasha decided to pursue her dream and she vowed that she will go as she was the captain for that team,” she said.

Gogo Tichaona continues:
“When they went to Namibia that is when it all started, we were told that it was so bad to the extent that she could not continue playing.

“They said they would sleep around 2am every day until they came back. They said the situation was bad that it also affected the other children.

“We went to some spiritual people who were helping us from Zimbabwe and they would call and help her over the phone.”

Natasha was ranked in lower percentile overall after she only played two games which she won.
The team returned home on December 25 and more strange things unfolded.

“When they returned from Namibia we went to people who we wanted to help the child. Each time she is under that attack she speaks in different voices,” gogo Tichaona continues.

“Mavoices avanenge vachitaura nawo unotonzwa kuti uyu ndinhingi uye vanenge vachitotaura kuti ungatangire vana vedu kukwira ndege iwewe ndiwe ani. Uye vanototaura kuti chess yacho uchaitambira kudenga.”

She added that they had to move the twins to Harare to escape the attacks.-H-Metro

Farai Dziva|The leader of opposition party PPPZ, Pastor Timothy Chiguvare says God has anointed him to be light of Zimbabwean politics.

See statement below:

LIGHT is coming to Zimbabwe , we ,are PPPZ we strongly believe that governments do not have to be political once elected into power. If a government is political then all its ministries will become political including the police ; the judiciary ; the prisons and the army.

Then there is no way the civil servants can serve the people (entire electorate) if the civil servants are political , it’s a TOTAL breakdown. The moment the government becomes political then “CORRUPTION” becomes the order of the day. CIVIL SERVANTS are not workers of a political party but servants of the people. This year 2020 our story must CHANGE , and Africa must learn from Zimbabwe’s government of the people by the people.

Politics is evil, is run by the forces of evil. It is the final battle of good over evil. Good will win because the LIGHT of God never fails. LIGHT is truth, it cannot fail. And TRUTH is a weapon for JUSTICE for all Zimbabweans. A government must stand as a leading LIGHT for the entire nation because there is a vast difference between a government and a political party.

There will be no JUSTICE whatsoever in a nation where the government and the judiciary is political. In a nation where the government is political there will be no political ; economic and electoral reforms.

And because of this reason Zimbabwe is in desperate need of a completely NEW and clean government , a NEW clean police force ; a NEW clean judiciary and a NEW army – and they must all be trained -“DUTY-HONOUR – COUNTRY” and be ready to serve the entire nation of Zimbabwe.

Political “SLOGANS” are not needed in government , a government must be pure and be free from POLITICS and be ready always to serve the people.

“A WEAKENED JUDICIACY TRANSLATES INTO A WEAKENED DEMOCRACY”

Farai Dziva|Information Ministry Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana says Russian President Vladimir Putin has imitated Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s call on citizens to eat vegetables.

Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to stop eating meat claiming it was not good for health.He said Zimbabweans should eat vegetables and potatoes.

“So President Putin joins President ED Mnangagwa in calling for citizens to eat more vegetables.

I hear someone retorted that vegetables and murivo are different things? Inga,” tweeted Nick Mangwana.

However, the Russian President mentioned not only vegies, but also, fish and meat.

He said, “You are right, this has to be adjusted timely and the basket should be looked into.”

“Experts say its structure requires an improvement because, I do not remember the exact figures, but the bulk of it consists of potato, fats and all, bread and bakery, while vegetables and fruit are too scarce and fish and meat do not occupy their due place in the basket.”

 By Talent Gondo- A delegation from the United Nations (UN) Electoral Needs Assessment Mission is in the country to evaluate the capacity and needs of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

ZEC chief elections officer Mr Utloile Silaigwana said the visit aimed at determining whether the UN should provide electoral assistance to Zimbabwe or not.

“I can confirm that the UN Electoral Needs Assessment Mission delegation is in the country and we met with them on Monday (last week). We discussed the possible needs and areas of support to the electoral processes in line with the existing ZEC-United Nations Development Programme Memorandum of Understanding,” he said.

“Basically this is an assessment mission with a view to recommend whether the UN should provide electoral assistance that may be required such as capacity building, support to stakeholder engagements and other support to the various ZEC needs to improve the conduct of elections,”

Mr Silaigwana said African Union chief electoral officer Mr Akinyemi Adegbola was part of the delegation.

The visit by the UN delegation comes at a time Government has committed to undertaking electoral reforms.

Government is currently in the process of amending the Electoral Act in line with recommendations made by observer missions during the 2018 harmonised elections.

Electoral reforms are part of Government efforts to transform the political and economic environments.

The reforms are also in line with the New Dispensation’s pledge to incorporate views of other players into different laws that affect society and open up the democratic space.

As part of a broad electoral reform package, Government is considering the provision for the electronic transmission of Presidential election results which allows for the swift release of final result tallies opposed to the current legislative regime where ZEC has up to five days to announce results.

The electoral body is in the process of obtaining objective reviews from seconded staff, political players, civil society organisations and election observers who participated in last year’s harmonised elections on how the election was managed and to capture the aspirations of all Zimbabweans on how they want the election managed.

ZEC has also unveiled a strategic plan that intends to realign its operations with the electoral cycle compliant emphasising on rebranding, alignment of electoral laws and regulations to the Constitution.

Mr Silaigwana said ZEC was focusing on stakeholder engagement, improvement of procurement processes through the establishment of an independent procurement management unit and moving towards programme-based budgeting.

The team remains in the country meeting other arms of Government and will re-engage.

-StateMedia

By Talent Gondo- Rudo Chimhanda is one of the many Zimbabweans who have sought refuge abroad following political persecution from the Zanu Pf led regime.

For Chimhanda, like thousands others, her only crime is being a staunch supporter of the opposition MDC.

It has not been an easy road considering that the persecution has also shifted and is being directed to her family, who are living in fear of Zanu Pf.

Now based in Germany, Chimhanda now fears for her family which is being tormented.

“In the January 2018 demonstration against fuel price increase protesters attacked me. I took refuge at my parlour upon arrival at the salon there were two double cab vehicles, three men got out, and started beating me up. I was taken to what looked like an army barrack. I was tortured and kept there for 8 days, no food no water” recalls Chimhanda

Dumped in the high density suburb of Highfields, with swollen eyes and with her eyeglasses taken she could not see properly. She sought help from passerby.

“I was dumped in Highfields Zimbabwe grounds. I could not walk my eyes were swollen, I couldn’t see properly my specs had been taken. I managed to seek for help my crime was being a strong member of the MDC where I do not hold any position except assisting my residential MP” she said

At her massage parlour she interacted with people from across the political divide but a large number were from her favourite party.

“As a member, I offered the MDC leadership to come for treatment at the parlour, I did this in order to market my business being influential people they would draw in clients.

In August I participated in demonstration. When the police started to fire bullets at the protesters, I took refuge at my parlour, here other protestors followed.

“Suddenly the army arrived, I was beaten up and thrown in a truck and taken to Harare central police station. I was tortured and questioned before they took me to Goromonzi where I was tortured before being taken to court” said Chimhanda

She was only released on bail after the magistrate observed swells. She had to seek help from the MDC who took her to a safe house and was able to escape to South Africa.

Her security was under threat prompting her to escape to Germany where she is now based. Her parents are now being persecuted for their daughter’s sins.

By A Correspondent- The youthful MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa, said there was little the government could do to stop the mass protests they are organising as a party because the season is ripe.

Chamisa who used a metaphor “they can’t stop an idea whose time has come” to further make his point, also said he was unfazed by the government’s threats to jail him if he does anything unlawful.

Speaking to the publication Chamisa said:

I cannot be in the habit of paraphrasing my speeches. I said what I said and that is it. Abaiwa ngaabude (tough luck to anyone who feels troubled by this).

But we must thank the government for reminding us that they are the barrier and that they fear being broken

Chamisa launching his 2020 Agenda told his party supporters that he had given them a signal to take action against the current administration’s misrule.

-Daily News

By A Correspondent- ZCTU has come out to say they are talking to other unions to organise a massive strike so that the government through state security agencies will not victimise striking workers.

ZCTU said a strike needs collective effort to be successful.

This was revealed by the ZCTU president Peter Mutasa who spoke to the publication and said:

The workers know the system is brutal so if one sector, if teachers or doctors embark on a strike they will be easily targeted by the State security.

What we are doing now is that we are going to call for a general strike, we are currently consulting general workers and different unions even those who are not members of the ZCTU. The general strike is the only way to go because they will not be able to victimise all workers.

This year, workers across sectors are going to down tools. Workers are going to engage in various sustained peaceful protests. Only fools will begrudge workers for resisting slavery and economic dictatorship.

Meanwhile, the government offered civil servants 140% salary increment which they also rejected, the government in the month of January 2020 has offered civil servants 2 salary increments and have paid them a cushioning allowance. 

-DailyNews

By A Correspondent- In rejecting the government’s latest salary increment offer, rural teachers have said they will embark on a strike if the government doesn’t review their offer to match what they are demanding.

Read the full statement below:

Salary increment not the solution.

27-01-2020

Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, ARTUZ has been following the purported salary negotiations being championed by the discredited and illegal APEX Council at the equally bogus National Joint Negotiating Council, NJNC.

We reiterate our unadulterated principled viewpoint that Statutory Instrument 141 of 1997 which establishes the NJNC is ultra-vires to section 65 of the constitution of Zimbabwe. We are aware that the government is reluctant to align the law to the new constitution as they intend to perpetuate the tilted begging framework provided for at NJNC. Our mandate is to organize the civil servants to reject the legal nullity called NJNC and push for the establishment of a genuine collective bargaining framework.

We note that as was expected the parties at NJNC are almost agreeing on some salary increment. A salary increment for civil servants will trigger a new wave of inflation and an equilibrium will only be attained when the new salaries attain the same value of US$ 35 which we are rejecting now. The economy has redollarised with prices of government services chasing the United States Dollars rate. Our demand for interbank rate indexed salaries is the only panacea which can bring relief for the workers.

Civil servants constitute the majority of the formal jobs in Zimbabwe. The underpayment of civil servants has catalyzed the rapid contraction of the economy. Aggregate demand has been severely lowered leading to scaling down of production and the firing of workers. The dream of growing the GDP will never be realized if we continue on this path.

To save our economy from further contraction we urge the government to urgently restore the purchasing power parity of civil servants.

Our education sector has virtually collapsed because of underpayment of teachers. Destroying our education threatens the developmental plans of our nation. It is imperative that we urgently reverse the erosion of our education system.

Teachers will remain severely incapacitated if they do not receive interbank rate indexed salaries. Our members will not report for duty. We are currently earning 7% of our US$ 500 salary which was robbed from us by the employer.

We will be escalating the fight by taking to the streets in coming days. We will pressure duty bearers to realise the urgency of resolving the salary crisis. For now we remain resolute and stay put at home until interbank rate indexed salaries are approved.

By A Correspondent- Harare mayor Herbert Gomba has said the local authority needs $45m per month to buy water chemicals and other things to produce water.

The council is struggling to supply clean water to the residents.

“Council needs $45m each month to buy water chemicals and other things to produce water for a month and all residents are able to pay is $25m, the waste management account is in loss charging $6,50 yet fuel is $17 per ltr, residents must understand this,” he said.

By A Correspondent- ZIMRA in 2019 surpassed their target of $18.6 billion and collected $23.19 billion.

This was revealed by the Finance Minister who said ZIMRA employed all of its mandated methods like garnishees and tax audits to collect revenue thereby surpassing their target.

Speaking at the international customs day commemorations in Harare today,  Professor Ncube said:

I am proud to announce that ZIMRA collected a total of ZWL$23,19bn in duties and other taxes for the year ending December 31,2019 against a target of ZWL$18.6bn.  So, when I talk about surpluses, ZIMRA is at the core of it.

-BusinessTimes

By A Correspondent- There are reports that musician Andy Muridzo and his friend Simba The Lion were today detained and held at gunpoint by a man identified as Lenon in Waterfalls.

Andy Muridzo and Simba were drinking with female friends when a man appeared with a gun and frog-marched them into the house.

Ana Andy vanga vakagara panze vachinwa doro nana queen then ndopa pasvika Lenon ne pfuti meaning Andy was sitting outside with his female friends including Queen when Lenon arrived with a gun. Lennon ndi ex wa Itai ndobva aona vari two two ndobva aburitsa pfuti akavapinza mumba achiti uri kuitei nemukadzi wangu meaning Lennon is an ex boyfriend to Itai and he thought that they were couples and he frog marched them into the house asking what the two guys were doing with his wife” said the source.

They were detained in the house and the police and state security agents had to be called to intervene.

“Patozouya ma C10 ndoazoburitsa vakomana vachizobva pano meaning central intelligence officers had to be called and they were the ones that were able to diffuse the situation,” revealed the source.

Muridzo confirmed the horrific incident

“Munhu angosvika nepfuti isu tanga tichitozvinwira hedu doro. Aakuti muri kutsvagei pamba pangu meaning an unidentified man just came with a gun when we were having a beer and started querying what we were doing at his house. I have made a report at Waterfalls police station and i am currently waiting to hear from them,” he said.

Recently the artist who has somewhat gathered a reputation as a Casanova said he was quitting women and focusing solely on his music.

The musician broke up with his first wife Mai Keketso and then split up with his girlfriend Nyarie Mukucha has said he is single and not searching.

By A Correspondent- The passengers who survived the General Bande bus accident which killed 16 people along the Harare-Mutare road have blamed the driver for the accident saying that he ignored their pleas to slow down.

The accident which occured about 50 kilometres from Mutare when the bus collided with a haulage truck has so far claimed 16 lives. 14 people died on the spot while two others later died at Mutare Provincial Hospital. 40 other passengers were injured.

The passengers who are still recuperating at the hospital are all unanimous that the driving caused the accident because he was speeding and reckless.

Speaking to local publication, the Manica Post, one of the passengers said:

What happened is when we approached a curve along the road around Shamu village the bus was travelling at an excessive speed and the surface was bumpy. The bus spun out of control and then swerved to the left.

The bus driver at first tried to bring it back on lane but failed as it swerved again and slewed across the road resulting in the oncoming haulage truck ramming straight into the bus. In fact, the haulage truck driver tried to avoid hitting the bus but the distance was so close that he could not. The bus was left facing the Harare direction where we were coming from.

Another passenger who has since been discharged from the hospital added:

On about five or six occasions people warned the driver against speeding but somehow he kept on travelling at an excessive speed. It appeared to me that the passengers had resigned to fate and also hoping that maybe they would arrive safely since we were into the last 60 kilometres of the journey.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi revealed that the investigations carried out by the police corroborated that the driver was indeed speeding and refused to take heed of the passengers’ pleas for him to slow down.  Assistant Commissioner Nyathi said:

“We have also gathered that the bus driver had been warned against speeding prior to the accident but he did not take heed. It is unfortunate that we continue losing lives unnecessarily. We strongly warn motorists against speeding for their own safety and the safety of other road users.”

Unfortunately, the driver of the bus did not survive the accident to answer for his actions

By A Correspondent- A delegation from the United Nations (UN) Electoral Needs Assessment Mission is in the country to evaluate the capacity and needs of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

ZEC chief elections officer Mr Utloile Silaigwana said the visit aimed at determining whether the UN should provide electoral assistance to Zimbabwe or not.

“I can confirm that the UN Electoral Needs Assessment Mission delegation is in the country and we met with them on Monday (last week). We discussed the possible needs and areas of support to the electoral processes in line with the existing ZEC-United Nations Development Programme Memorandum of Understanding,” he said.

“Basically this is an assessment mission with a view to recommend whether the UN should provide electoral assistance that may be required such as capacity building, support to stakeholder engagements and other support to the various ZEC needs to improve the conduct of elections,”

Mr Silaigwana said African Union chief electoral officer Mr Akinyemi Adegbola was part of the delegation.

The visit by the UN delegation comes at a time Government has committed to undertaking electoral reforms.

Government is currently in the process of amending the Electoral Act in line with recommendations made by observer missions during the 2018 harmonised elections.

Electoral reforms are part of Government efforts to transform the political and economic environments.

The reforms are also in line with the New Dispensation’s pledge to incorporate views of other players into different laws that affect society and open up the democratic space.

As part of a broad electoral reform package, Government is considering the provision for the electronic transmission of Presidential election results which allows for the swift release of final result tallies opposed to the current legislative regime where ZEC has up to five days to announce results.

The electoral body is in the process of obtaining objective reviews from seconded staff, political players, civil society organisations and election observers who participated in last year’s harmonised elections on how the election was managed and to capture the aspirations of all Zimbabweans on how they want the election managed.

ZEC has also unveiled a strategic plan that intends to realign its operations with the electoral cycle compliant emphasising on rebranding, alignment of electoral laws and regulations to the Constitution.

Mr Silaigwana said ZEC was focusing on stakeholder engagement, improvement of procurement processes through the establishment of an independent procurement management unit and moving towards programme-based budgeting.

The team remains in the country meeting other arms of Government and will re-engage.

-Statemedia

A former ZBC Newscaster Musorowegomo Mukosi has been arrested on allegations that he hired men to assault his employees at a mine in Mt Darwin, The Herald reports.

Musorowegomo is said to have first accused his employees of stealing his gold before hiring bouncers to assault them.

The incident was confirmed by ZRP National Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who said:

We can confirm that Musorowegomo Mukosi has been arrested over violence incident which occurred at his mine claim in Mt Darwin over the weekend.

We are still investigating the case. So far we have received three reports of assault. We are however still in the process of verifying those that were attacked and injured as part of the ongoing investigations

State Media|Government is in the process of amending the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act to make respondents account for the source of their wealth.

Prosecutor General, Mr Kumbirai Hodzi said the civil based forfeiture will assist in fighting crime and corruption as it allow courts to forfeit tainted assets even in the absence of a conviction for a criminal offence.

Speaking at the Anti-Corruption training session for the judiciary, National Prosecuting Authority, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and Zimbabwe Republic Police in Harare on Monday morning, Mr Hodzi said: “It should be noted that the criminal justice system alone is not sufficient to efficiently and effectively deal with the problem of crime and corruption.

“This is particularly so in light of the rapid growth of organised criminal gangs and cartels which pose a threat to peace, security, rule of law, development and the realisation of human rights.

” In most instances, it is often difficult to bring some of the leaders of organised crime to book as they always ensure that they are far removed from the overt criminal activity concerned.

“We have been successful in arresting and prosecuting the level one poachers, that is those who do the actual poaching. Regrettably, the same cannot be said of the leaders who fund these gangs and are often far removed from the criminal acts in question.”

State Media|Since 2008, Zimbabwe has been enjoying a multi-currency regime introduced to restore sanity to the economy after years of hyperinflation.

It seemed like the only solution, the Zimbabwe dollar had all, but been rejected.

Zimbabwe dollar notes released in the morning would be worthless by evening.

The multi- currency regime brought with it certainty and the ability to plan into the future, something which had become impossible in the Zimbabwe dollar era.

This was a good aspect for both industry and consumers.

On the flip side though, the United States dollar soon emerged as the currency of choice.

Though under the multi-currency regime all regional currencies were to be accepted as a means of payment, the US dollar soon gained monopoly with currencies such as the South African rand and the Botswana pula initially being sidelined and later on being totally rejected in favour of the US dollar.

Thus the economy was dollarised.

There is no legislation which specifically introduced the US dollar as the sole currency for transacting in Zimbabwe, but the economy simply opted for the greenback.

The US dollar, while bringing about stability, also brought with it many challenges.

Use of the multi-currency regime meant the country could not make use of monetary instruments to influence economic activity.

As such, the economy was being run using only the fiscal function.

The multi-currency regime made locally-produced products more expensive as compared to imported products and thus made local products more expensive.

This had a negative impact on the country’s capacity to export and earn foreign currency.

The Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) introduced a raft of measures to restore macro-economic stability and stimulate productivity in the economy.

The monetary sector and currency reforms implemented under TSP, included the separation of FCA accounts and RTGS accounts, liberalisation of the exchange rate, the establishment of an inter-bank foreign currency market and conversion of local US dollar accounts into RTGS dollar accounts.

This process was gradual in order not to induce unnecessary shocks on the economy.

The entire process, culminated in the reintroduction of the Zimbabwe Dollar (ZWL) through SI33/2019 which has since been applied and interpreted by the Supreme Court in its recent judgment.

There has been an outcry against the judgment, with some stating that it will deter investors from coming to Zimbabwe because it undermines property rights.

Nothing can be further from the truth as the Supreme Court did nothing, but to interpret and apply the position of the law since the promulgation of SI 33/2019.

In essence, nothing has changed, the Supreme Court judgment changes nothing, but merely enforces the law in accordance with the intentions of the Legislature, bearing in mind at all times the mischief that the Legislature intended to cure.

It must be remembered that the State consists of the three arms: the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. The Judiciary’s role is not to create or strike down laws, but merely to interpret them and apply them.

In promulgating SI33/2019, the intention of the legislature was to strip the US dollar as a medium of exchange to preserve it as a reserve currency.

The Supreme Court had the occasion to interpret and apply the provisions of SI 33/2019 and bring the intention of the Legislature into practicality.

As stated above, it is the duty of the courts to interpret statutes and in so doing the court uses “Where the language used in a statute is clear and unambiguous, the words ought to be given the ordinary grammatical meaning.” (Per Malaba CJ).

The case for determination was whether the provisions of SI 33/ 2019 applied to judgment debts obtained in United States Dollars prior to the promulgation of the Statutory Instrument.

The court held that all debts accrued prior to the promulgation of SI 33/2019, including judgment debts obtained in United Sated dollars are now payable in ZWL at the rate of 1:1.

The court has not done anything save to interpret and apply the law as was promulgated by the legislature.

The outcry against the Supreme Court is thus misplaced.

There is nothing new that the Supreme Court judgment does, it merely applies the position of the law after the promulgation of the Statutory Instrument.

It is important to put the Statutory Instrument and the subsequent court judgment into the context of TSP.

The intention of the blueprint was to bring monetary and fiscal reforms which will consolidate the economy and increase productivity.

The Minister of Finance, from the onset, indicated that the continued use of the US dollar was no longer sustainable.

There were no longer adequate US dollars circulating in the system to sustain meaningful economic activity and that is when the gap arose which led to the creation of the black market.

There being no adequate supply of the US dollar to finance the economy, it meant that the currency that was being held in our bank accounts was now a mythical US dollar, the actual United States dollar being absent from the system.

By the time the Statutory Instrument was passed, no one actually had real US dollars in their account anyway.

The deed had already been done and it was imperative that the law recognises this and puts it into application.

This judgment should come as a relief to everyone.

If the court had held otherwise, there would be pandemonium in the economy.

Insurance companies would have to pay claims in US dollars simply because the premiums were paid in US dollars.

There would be a run-in on banks as people demanded US dollars.

Ordinary people who had borrowed would be required to pay back in US dollars yet the truth is no one has US dollars anymore.

This would cause unnecessary hardship on everyone.

The economy is de-dollarising. By the end of TSP, market distortions, resulting in price disparities depending on whether one is using United States dollar, cash, EcoCash or transfer, should be a thing of the past.

At that stage the economy will have successfully de-dollarised.

The government through the justice minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, has said the police would not hesitate to arrest the MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa, if he carries out his breaking barriers initiative which he launched on Tuesday last week during his Agenda 2020 address, the DailyNews reported.

Calling Chamisa’s BBI treasonous, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said this to the DailyNews on Sunday:

“They are saying that they want to break all barriers and what it means is that they want to break the country’s laws. They speak about the rule of law but they are failing to respect the country’s laws … this means that they want to remove the constitutionally-elected government.

“They want to violate the country’s laws and they know the consequences. He (Chamisa) will be arrested. Law enforcement agents are ready. Indeed, there is no one who is above the law. If they continue with their move of breaking laws, he will be arrested.

“They have also developed a culture of inciting violence and making utterances that disturb the enjoyment of peace in the country. That is illegal and he will be arrested for that.”

Chamisa during his SONA said its high time people across political divide speak with one voice against the government’s misrule and called this, breaking barriers initiated by the government a statement that might have been interpreted to mean they were going to defy the law by the government according to their response.

— DailyNews

Own Correspondent|The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is clamping down on companies conducting business in foreign currency but paying tax in Zimbabwe dollars.

Government reintroduced the local dollar in June last year as sole legal tender and banned the widespread use of foreign currencies, mainly the the US dollar. While the tourism, mining and oil industries were granted exemptions to conduct trade in foreign currency, the tax body said some businesses were flouting the law.

Taxes, including pay-as-you-earn, value-added tax, income tax, capital-gains tax and mining royalties must now all be settled in foreign currency, Zimra said in a statement on Monday.

“Foreign currency means the US dollar, euro, British pound, South African rand, Botswana pula and any other foreign currency denominated under the Exchange Control Order,” it said.

As of January 1, for capital-gains tax purposes, all asset disposals will be assumed to have been in US dollars, unless documentary proof is submitted that the transactions were conducted in the local currency, Zimra said.

MDC Alliance vice chair JOB Sikhala’s trial for subversion has been postponed to Feburary 3 by the Masvingo High Court this morning.

Justice Neville Wamambo postponed trial to next week with the consent of both the state and the defence counsels.

The Judge said the postponement was because of the absence of the case’s trial presiding judge Justice Garainesu Mawadze who is away on official business.

Sikhala was represented by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights’s Mr Jeremiah Bhamu while Mr Tawanda Zvekare is leading the prosecution.

Political persecution continues to drive Zimbabweans away from home. One such person is Rudo Chimhanda whose family is under attack from Zanu PF. Her crime being an ardent member of the opposition MDC.

Now based in Germany, Chimhanda now fears for her family which is being tormented.

“In the January 2018 demonstration against fuel price increase protesters attacked me. I took refuge at my parlour upon arrival at the salon there were two double cab vehicles, three men got out, and started to beating me up. I was taken to what looked like an army barrack. I was tortured and kept there for 8 days, no food no water” recalls Chimhanda

Dumped in the high density suburb of Highfields, with swollen eyes and eyeglasses taken she could not see properly she sought help from passerby.

“I was dumped in Highfields Zimbabwe grounds. I could not walk my eyes were swollen, I couldn’t see properly my specs had been taken. I managed to seek for help my crime was being a strong member of the MDC where I do not hold any position except assisting my residential MP” she said

At her massage parlour she interacted with people from across the political divide and a large number were from her favourite party.

“As a member, I offered the MDC leadership to come for treatment at the parlour, I did this in order to market my business being influential people they would draw in clients.
In August I participated in demonstration. When the police started to fire bullets at the protesters, I took refuge at my parlour, here other protestors followed.

“Suddenly the army arrived, I was beaten up and thrown in a truck and taken to Harare central police station. I was tortured and questioned before they took me to Goromonzi where I was tortured before being taken to court” said Chimhanda

She was only released on bail after the magistrate observed swells. She had to seek help from the MDC who took her to a safe house and was able to escape to South Africa.

Her security was under threat prompting her to escape to Germany where is now based. Her parents are now being persecuted for their daughter’s sins.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

A SUSPECTED machete wielding man was fatally assaulted by members of the public and later died on his way to hospital.

Edmore Kaitano suspected to have been part of the four-member gang who went on a rampage robbing a shop at Jochoma village, setting five huts on fire and assaulting several villagers using machetes and a spear, died on their way to Sanyati Baptist Hospital.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident saying three of the other suspects have been arrested.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police arrested Takesure Mashonga Gasura, George Ncube and Pritchard Banda for robbery and malicious damage to property at Kenzamba in Chinhoyi,” said Ass Comm Nyathi.

“Banda is currently hospitalised after having been shot on the knee while resisting arrest and another suspect Kaitano was apprehended and fatally assaulted by members of the public.

“He later died.
“Police are warning machete gangs that they only have themselves to blame should they continue to harass and terrorise innocent members of the public.

“Police would like to assure the public that we are form on the ground to deal with all criminal elements,” said Ass Comm Nyathi.

Meanwhile, police have intensified the maintenance of law and order at Jumbo area in Mazowe and members of the public are advised that Jumbo Mine and its environs are now a no go area with immediate effect.-H-Metro

Farai Dziva|Information Ministry Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana says Russian President Vladimir Putin has imitated Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s call on citizens to eat vegetables.

Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to stop eating meat claiming it was not good for health.He said Zimbabweans should eat vegetables and potatoes.

“So President Putin joins President ED Mnangagwa in calling for citizens to eat more vegetables.

I hear someone retorted that vegetables and murivo are different things? Inga,” tweeted Nick Mangwana.

However, the Russian President mentioned not only vegies, but also, fish and meat.

He said, “You are right, this has to be adjusted timely and the basket should be looked into.”

“Experts say its structure requires an improvement because, I do not remember the exact figures, but the bulk of it consists of potato, fats and all, bread and bakery, while vegetables and fruit are too scarce and fish and meat do not occupy their due place in the basket.”

Farai Dziva|Information Ministry Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana says Russian President Vladimir Putin has imitated Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s call on citizens to eat vegetables.

Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to stop eating meat claiming it was not good for health.He said Zimbabweans should eat vegetables and potatoes.

“So President Putin joins President ED Mnangagwa in calling for citizens to eat more vegetables.

I hear someone retorted that vegetables and murivo are different things? Inga,” tweeted Nick Mangwana.

But those were not Putin’s exact words. The Russian president mentioned not only vegies, but also, fish and meat. He said, “you are right, this has to be adjusted timely and the basket should be looked into,” the head of state remarked. “Experts say its structure requires an improvement because, I do not remember the exact figures, but the bulk of it consists of potato, fats and all, bread and bakery, while vegetables and fruit are too scarce and fish and meat do not occupy their due place in the basket.”

By A Correspondent- Popular message service, Whatsapp, has already stopped supporting a number of devices on December 31, but there will be further restrictions from February 1.

From February 1 users older versions of iPhones and Android smartphones will no longer be able to create new accounts or reverify existing accounts.

This includes phones running on Android versions 2.3.7 and older, and iPhones on iOS 8 or older.

If you have an older smartphone and don’t want to lose all your chats on 1st February, there’s a fairly simple way to save your chat history.

Open the chat you wish to export, and tap on Group Info.

Scroll down and tap ‘Export Chat’. You’ll then be given the option to download the chat with or without media – note the attaching media will generate a larger chat archive.

Most smartphones are compatible with more up-to-date operating systems, for example, iOS 9 is available for iPhones going back as far as the iPhone 4s.

To find out which operating system your iPhone uses, go to Settings, then General, then Software Update – your current version will be displayed there.

And if you use Android, you need to go to ‘Settings,’ then ‘About Phone’ and then ‘Software Info’

-Techunzipped

A SUSPECTED machete wielding man was fatally assaulted by members of the public and later died on his way to hospital.

Edmore Kaitano suspected to have been part of the four-member gang who went on a rampage robbing a shop at Jochoma village, setting five huts on fire and assaulting several villagers using machetes and a spear, died on their way to Sanyati Baptist Hospital.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident saying three of the other suspects have been arrested.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police arrested Takesure Mashonga Gasura, George Ncube and Pritchard Banda for robbery and malicious damage to property at Kenzamba in Chinhoyi,” said Ass Comm Nyathi.

“Banda is currently hospitalised after having been shot on the knee while resisting arrest and another suspect Kaitano was apprehended and fatally assaulted by members of the public.

“He later died.
“Police are warning machete gangs that they only have themselves to blame should they continue to harass and terrorise innocent members of the public.

“Police would like to assure the public that we are form on the ground to deal with all criminal elements,” said Ass Comm Nyathi.

Meanwhile, police have intensified the maintenance of law and order at Jumbo area in Mazowe and members of the public are advised that Jumbo Mine and its environs are now a no go area with immediate effect.-H-Metro

Own Correspondent| Lloyd Msipa who was recently appointed Secretary General in exiled former cabinet minister Walter Mzembi’s party has alleged that President Emmerson Mnangagwa dispatched Military intelligents operatives to hunt down Saviour Kasukuwere, Godfrey Gandawa, Patrick Zhuwao and his party leader who are all in South Africa.

Msipa who made the allegations in a Twitter post today said the MID operatives had been instructed to kill the quartet and were moving around in a hired Audi Q5 and a Toyota Yaris.

“Meanwhile @edmnangagwa last week dispatched MID operatives to hunt down @waltermzembi @DrGGandawa @Hon_Kasukuwere @PatrickZhuwao & eminent exiles in SA with orders to kill. They hired black Audi Q5 & white Toyota Yaris @BidvestCarHire at OR Tambo,” alleged Msipa.

By A Correspondent- A 26-year-old man from Zvishavane f0ndled a woman’s brea_sts accusing her of serving him a small portion of sadza.

The matter came into light when the man, Audias Matumbura, appeared before Zvishavane magistrate Archie Wochiunga facing a charge of Indecent Assault as defined in Section 67 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23.

He pleaded guilty to the charge.

In mitigation, he told the court that he committed the offence under the influence of alcohol.

Magistrate Wochiunga had no kind words for Matumbura saying men who abuse women must be handed deterrent sentences.

“A man who abuses women should be handed a sentence that will be a lesson to would-be offenders.

“It’s the duty of the judiciary to create a society that is safe for women and children. You are therefore ordered to perform 310 hours of community service at Shabani Primary School,” he said.

On December 20 at around 10pm, the accused together with his friends went to Caravan Park where the complainant Mellisa Ngaruze works.

Upon arrival they ordered sadza and the complainant served them. Matumbura then started complaining that he was served a small portion of sadza.

He jumped over the counter and went behind the complainant and f0ndled her brea_sts.

The court heard that on December 28 the accused approached the complainant and insulted her over the same matter before f0ndling her brea_sts again.

The matter was reported to the police leading to Matumbura’s arrest.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Roman Catholic priest in-charge of St Bhakita Mission who is friendly to pets had a nightmare a few days before Christmas when a black mamba struck and killed a pack of his six dogs.

As if this was not enough misery, five dogs that Father Cephas Manyanye bought three weeks later all died after digging out and eating the carcasses of the killed dogs.

There are more dogs from the village which also died after being exposed to the dead dogs’ meat.

Narrating the story, Father Manyanye said that the 2,2 metre long reptile sleuthed through the mission yard attracting the attention of the six dogs kept.

Snakes are not uncommon at Bhakita, Masvingo Diocese’s newest mission pitched at the bottom of two bushy rocky hills. The snakes and dogs at the mission kept an unfriendly relationship but never went into direct fights.

“On this day I arrived at the gate to the mission house as dogs barked from a distance at the snake which was moving across the yard. However, the dogs got excited when they saw me and they started taking bites at the snake’s tail.

“The black mamba which had paid little attention to the barking dogs so far, got furious and struck one dog after another, killing all the six within seconds. Some died on the spot while others died a few metres away in the bush,” said Father Manyanya.

Father Manyanye said snakes are not usually hostile but after such confrontations they become aggressive.

“We see snakes at the mission almost every week and we stay in harmony with them. However after such a nasty confrontation, a snake, like many other wild animals tend to become aggressive and dangerous, I therefore had to kill it.

“I took an iron bar and placed it across its tail. A snake’s power is in the tail and it becomes weak once the tail is immobilised. I then took a stick and struck its head until it died,” said Father Manyanye.

Father Manyanye said he was close to his dogs.

“The dogs were my friends so I was pained when I lost them. They protected the mission and I had just taken them to a vet clinic when this happened,” said Rev Manyanye

-Mirror

By A Correspondent- A UK based woman who has been co- habiting with Beverly Sibanda’s new husband Mufudzi Chambuka has given the couple just a few days of wedding bliss arguing that knowing the man’s character, the raunchy dancer is in for a shock regarding her newly found love.

The woman, alleged that Mufudzi was a womaniser and conman who was in the habit of using and dumping women.

The UK based Zimbabwean, who availed evidence that she was co- habiting with Bev’s new husband claimed that Mufudzi owed her over US$5k and had disappeared with her Ford.

She said:

“I know Mufudzi Chambuka, give the new couple a few days and knowing Mufudzi, Bev will find out the real him. He is always on the phone texting women and i know in a few days, something will happen….

I know of a depressed woman who was also conned by Mufudzi. She has deactivated all her facebook accounts because of this. She was also conned by Mufudzi….

I am not jealous of Bev or Mufudzi, all i want is my money and my car from him.”

Watch the video down loading below for the exclusive live interview…….

Opposition MDC President Nelson Chamisa posted the below message following the death of American Basketball star Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crush;

Life is a flower!
Saddened by the death of Kobe and his daughter in a plane crash. Legends are ordinary men and women who make us feel we can do extraordinary things. They live life with the passion of one who will live forever. Taking risks, hoping, believing and inspiring the world one breath at a time. By the time they depart from this world, it is forever transformed by the simple reason that they chose to live and truly be alive.

A life well-lived is like a ripple in water, reaching unknown places and touching countless lives. May the Basketball legend Kobe Bryant’s tragic death be a reminder to us all that life itself is not guaranteed. We’re given a brief moment to impact the world & transform it. What matters is how we made others feel who remain. #RIPKobe

By A Correspondent- Tongues were sent wagging on Tuesday when a lone male baboon appeared at Benjamin Burombo Building which houses the Minister of State for Masvingo, Ezra Chadzamira’s offices where it spent most of the day relaxed on top of the two-storey building.

The baboon pitched up at around 9am and left the same way it came at 4pm.

It was temporarily forced from the roof by guards from the National Parks and it jumped into a nearby tree. However barely minutes later it climbed back onto the roof where it spent most of the day.

Scores of people took turns to watch the relaxed baboon with some saying that its presence in the Central Business District (CBD) is either a good or bad omen.

Efforts to get a comment from Chadzamira were futile as he is away on leave. His top aide Kudakwashe Machako who was present and was among those who are said to have taken videos of the primate could also not be reached for comment.

However Chadzamira’s PA confirmed the incident and said the baboon’s presence was quite a spectacle for many. She said that the baboon could have been pushed towards Burombo Building by street kids who were running after it.

“The baboon appeared from the gardens at the Civic center and walked down to Burombo Building. It climbed up the building, up the windows and onto the roof top where it appeared very relaxed despite noise from people on the ground,” said a guard at the building who declined to be named.

Chief Marozva of Bikita said it is scary news for a baboon to be seen in the middle of a city. He urged chiefs in the area to urgently discuss the matter because it can be loaded with meaning.

“It is a bad sign. There is no way a baboon can walk into town. There is a story behind this. Where did this baboon come from in the first place? Chiefs should convene a meeting and discuss the way forward after such an experience. It is scary to see a baboon in town,” said Chief Marozva.

Chairman of Chiefs’ Council in Masvingo, Chief Chitanga of Mwenezi said there is nothing significant about the baboon being spotted in town. He said baboons often come into town for food.

“A baboon can be seen in town anytime. There are different types of baboons and they associate closely with humans. This baboon could have been looking for food,” said Chief Chitanga.

Chief Chiwara of Gutu said the baboon could be a goblin kept by someone in town. He said people have used baboons for black magic and baboons can be used to stalk wives or fight enemies.

“Evil people use baboons to act on their behalf. A baboon can be sent to claim a debt or to claim a wife who runs away from her husband back to her parents. They are used in a scary way”, said Chief Chiwara.

-TellZim

By A Correspondent- Khama Billiat was stabbed on the hand with a screwdriver by his Baby Mama on Monday, a local South African publication reported.

The 22-year-old woman stabbed the soccer star and police have confirmed the development.

The woman went to Billiat’s Midrand home, with a police escort, and the 9 months old baby to ask Billiat to take care of his child.

However, Billiat, who was seeing the baby for the first time, refused to have anything to do with the baby and asked to drive to the Midrand police station to resolve the matter.

It was while at the Police station that the woman stabbed Billiat with a screwdriver. Billiat refused to open a case against the woman, whom he claims has been harassing him.

On her part, the woman says she is willing to take a paternity test. On the other hand, his coach has spoken on why he continues to miss the action.

Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp has revealed that he is planning on easing star Khama Billiat back into action.

Amakhosi have done pretty well without their talisman with players like Samir Nurkovic, Lebogang Manyama and Leo Castro sharing the scoring duties.

The likes of Eric Mathoho and Dumisani Zuma have also chipped in to ensure the Zimbabwean’s absence is not felt. The Glamour Boys remain top of the Absa Premiership standings with a 10 point cushion. They got back to winning ways on Saturday, scraping past a dogged Golden Arrows outfit at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

However, Billiat’s absence has been a concern to some fans, especially with the 29-year-old reportedly embroiled in papgeld drama. He last appeared for Chiefs against Maritzburg United in what was the last game of 2019 at Harry Gwala Stadium. Since then, he has missed Amakhosi’s last five games and is yet to feature this year.

Nevertheless, Middendorp has confirmed that Billiat will be back in action soon enough.

“We’ll take him (Billiat) in the training process this week and it can be possible that we will get him right in the next two weeks,” revealed Middendorp.

“If there’s a feeling that we have to take a week more, we’ll take a week more.”

Amakhosi will not be in action this weekend and will next face Royal Eagles on the 8 February at FNB Stadium in the Nedbank Cup.

-SundaySun