It is high time that government makes it mandatory for all passengers service vehicles, lorries and haulage trucks to have speed limiter. This will prevent avoidable accidents that are due to overspeeding and negligence such as the bus accident that recently happened near Odzi River.
Drivers of public service vehicles must be allocated points which are deductable upon committing a traffic offence and once the driver has used up the points he should be suspended from driving the passengers service vehicle (PSV)
In addition drivers of PSVs must get regular-including snap check- breathalyzer tests as well medical examinations.
We are concerned that passengers are being driven by drunk or physically ill drivers. Putting a 100 or more lives in the hands of a drunk or physically ill driver is the kind of stuff that nightmares – that do become real- are made of.
Police must put in place speed traps and must be availed with breathalyzers.
ZIMBABWE LET’S SAVE LIVES. The Talmud says, ‘ He that saves a life saves the world entire.’
Tafadzwa Goliati president of
Passengers Association Of Zimbabwe
Gift Kamuriwo has been banned from all football-related activities for three years.
Kamuriwo who was Black Rhinos’ team manager last season was involved in a match-fixing incident in the 3-0 defeat against Herentals in October.
The former Warriors player confessed to the club’s executive that he received money from Herentals official Oliver Chirenga to influence the outcome of the game. He revealed this following internal investigations after his bosses raised a red flag.
The issue was reported to the Premier Soccer League who delivered their judgement on Wednesday.
In a statement, the League said: “Gift Kamuriwo was found guilty of breaching Order 31.2.3 of the PSL Rules and Regulations which makes it an offence on the part of player or official who: Accepts any inducement, reward or bribe referred to in order 31.2.2
“Kamuriwo has been banned from participating in any football related activity for a period of three years as from the 1st of January 2020.
“One year of this period is suspended on condition that the accused pays a fine of RTGS $10 000 (Ten thousand dollars). During his period of banishment, the accused shall not be allowed to watch or be near any football stadium in Zimbabwe.
“The fine of RTGS $10 000 (Ten thousand dollars) together with the costs of the hearing is to be paid by 31 January 2020.”
Chirenga was handed a ten-year ban in the judgement while Herentals were fined RTGS $300 000 and their 3-0 result in the game was forfeited, leaving them relegated.Soccer 24
Farai Dziva|Le Havre have confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Lyon on Tinotenda Kadewere’s transfer.
The Zimbabwean forward who joined the Ligue 2 side in 2018 will play along with Warriors team-mate Marshall Munetsi of Stade de Reims in the French top-flight.
However, that will only happen in the next season as the 24-year old will be loaned back to Le Havre until the end of this campaign.
It’s believed Lyon will pay €15 million for the striker as he becomes the most expensive Zimbabwean footballer.
The 24-year-old former Harare City player currently leads the Ligue 2 scoring chart with 18 goals in 20 matches.
The news put an end to the interest from other European clubs who were chasing his signature.
The Premier Soccer League Disciplinary Committee has released the judgment in the matter involving Herentals FC and Black Rhinos FC.
Herentals FC and their official Oliver Chirenga were charged for attempting to influence the outcome of their Castle Lager PSL match against Black Rhinos FC which was played at the National Sports Stadium on the 19th of October 2019.
The Club was found guilty of contravening Order 31.1.3 of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Rules and Regulations which makes it an offence on the part of a club where:
Its players, officials, servant or duly authorized (expressed or implied) representatives, for any corrupt, dishonesty or lawful purpose in connection with a game played under auspices of the League, or in connection with the affairs of the League, give, offer or promise, whether directly or indirectly, any inducement, reward or bribe of whatsoever nature, to anybody whatsoever.
Herentals FC were fined RTGS $300 000 (Three hundred thousand dollars). In addition, in line with Article 18(2) of the Fifa Disciplinary Code 2019, the results of the Herentals FC vs Black Rhinos FC match played on the 19th of October 2019 be and is hereby forfeited. The fine of RTGS $300 000, together with the full costs of the hearing, shall be paid by the club by 31 January 2020.
In the event that the Club does not comply with any part of this penalty, the Club shall not be allowed to participate in any football or football-related activities for the next ten (10) years. The current owners of the club will have to show cause why the same penalty should not be imposed on them.
Herentals FC official, Oliver Chirenga was charged for contravening Order 31.2.2 of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Rules and Regulations which makes it an offence on the part of a club or official:
For any corrupt, dishonest or unlawful purpose in connection with a game played under the auspices of the League, or in connection with the affairs of the League, gives, offers or promises, whether directly or indirectly, any inducement, reward or bribe of whatsoever nature, to anybody whomsoever.
Zimdancehall artiste Boss Pumacol has released a diss song seemingly mocking Enzo Ishall and Prophet Passion Java after their fall out.
Although it is evident that the song is targeted at Enzo and Passion, Pumacol has dismissed the rumours saying that the song is targeting the so called rich promoters who fake promoting youths.
“What l sing come to me as a flash of inspiration,the motivation coming from what we encounter in our daily lives.
“The song mastanzi imhene is a reality song which everyone can relate to and there is no illusion within it.Our industry is remaining stagnant and one of the main reason is the existence of fake promoters or should l say sponsors.
“Certain individuals are timing artists that are on the spotlight and use these artists to make their names popular.They never fulfill their obligations towards the artist!In the end it is the artist who is blamed,” said Pumacol.H-Metro
By A Correspondent- Dan Kasukuwere, the brother of exiled former Cabinet Minister Saviour Kasukuwere was reportedly arrested on Wednesday for allegedly skipping the country’s border through unauthorised points.
The development was announced by Cde Setfree Mafukidze who posted on Twitter saying:
“@Hon_Kasukuwere brother Dan Kasukuwere arrested on allegations of skipping the border through unauthorized points despite the fact that he has produced a valid passport which shows legal exit and entry, he is currently held at CID Law and Order Harare Central Police. Harassment?”
@Hon_Kasukuwere brother Dan Kasukuwere arrested on allegations of skipping the border through unauthorized points despite the fact that he has produced a valid passport which shows legal exit and entry,he is currently held at CID Law and Order Harare Central Police.Harrassment? pic.twitter.com/fpKD2VXpjp
World Leprosy Day is the last Sunday in the month of January and commemorated globally. This year in 2020 it’s on the 26th January. Events of the day are mainly to raise awareness of the disease in our communities.
The theme is “Ending discrimination, stigma and prejudice.” For many years when the disease used to be common those affected were treated as outcasts and would usually be thrown out of the community from others.
Leprosy is an infectious disease that affects skin and nerves. It progresses slowly such that symptoms might take as long as 5 years and in some individuals 20 years before they manifest.
Symptoms include painful pale skin ulcers and long lasting lumps. Since it also affects nerves loss of feeling and muscle weakness might also be present. If eyes are affected it causes blindness.
Early diagnosis and treatment is important in management of leprosy to avoid complications. Diagnosis is by a skin biopsy.
Treatment depends on symptoms one presents with but however antibiotics are used to treat the disease. If there is nerve damage it is not treatable and will lead to disabilities.
In Zimbabwe there is a Leprosy center located in Mutoko called Mutemwa Leprosy Center.
The centre cares for those affected by the disease helping them recover and receiving treatment.
For more information follow/ like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
Farai Dziva|Opposition party MDC will hold a solidarity rally for Chief Felix Ndiweni on February 1.
This was confirmed by Matabeleland North deputy provincial chairperson Jabulani Hadebe in an interview with the
Chronicle:
“Yes, as a party we organising a solidarity rally for ‘Chief Ndiweni on February 1’.
We are working with our counterparts in Bulawayo to prepare for it.
We have taken the stance that traditional leaders should be respected instead of their offices being politicised.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa removed Ndiweni from the Ntabazinduna chieftaincy on November 30 last year and subsequently stripped him of all Government benefits accruing to him.
By Tawanda Ruzanhi- Our political dynamics require a game changer to break the perennial stalemate between the two main protagonists of our failed politics, Zanu PF and MDC A .
At the core of this gridlock is the vanity of the leadership of Emmerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa who have failed to answer not just the national consensus and call on genuine dialogue but regional signals on the need for national convergence and unity of purpose, the most recent being an unusual and out of tradition advisory from Naledi Pandor , South Africa ‘ s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation ( DIRCO).
The impatience of regional leaders with Zimbabwe expresses itself through South African Ministers personal opinions on the Zimbabwe crisis and opinion articles in regional mainstream media where Zimbabweans are now being caricatured in the same vein as Mexicans in the United States of America.
They decry that Zimbabweans have turned to all form of vices from prostitution to all manner of crime in their countries and want to take down the region with them.
Even this has not moved Zimbabwean political actors to some serious engagement of solving a national crisis only rivalled by that of Venezuela. It is this evident lack of empathy that has prompted Zimbabweans to start looking outside the 2018 electoral rivals for a solution.
Perhaps this election was not inclusive in its leadership offering and the solution may actually lie elsewhere , is the argument in many chatrooms that include homes, kombis , saloons ,bars , fuel queues , funeral and wedding gatherings etc.
Wherever two or three people meet and inevitably the national crisis becomes the subject there is a desperate conclusion that there is leadership failure both in Zanu PF and MDC. Many including Statehouse itself and Nelson Chamisa have resorted to the divine , prayer and more prayer, but prayer without national resolve is futile.
Talk has begun in earnest on alternative leadership and politics and all sorts of names thrown in from Kasukuwere and his Wabantu Movement, Strive Masiyiwa to Walter Mzembi and his recently announced People ‘ s Party , and many others . Today I zero in on the name that the public seems to mention often including our mainstream media, Walter Mzembi.
Often described as a vibrant and technocratic politician, Mzembi’s name continues to disrupt on the political landscape long after being unceremoniously despatched from both Zanu PF and Government in November 2017 together with his G40 colleagues.
Seemingly back in politics after a two year sabbatical which he announced himself in December 2017, it appears he is exploiting a political vacuum that is manifesting in our politics and growing by the day.
Many are now increasingly betting on him as their preferred choice for the highest office.
This narrative is being reinforced by the anticlimax that Chamisa’ s 20th January SONA delivery turned out to be. His lengthy monologue in Mbare, which sounded more like a freshman ‘ s political wishlist confirms the vacuum that now clearly beckons in opposition ranks so undesirable at this juncture in our politics.
Who will give traction to the second liberation agenda seems to be the burning question . Many in different quarters have suggested Mzembi as a viable option to save the current political impasse.
The former Masvingo South Member of Parliament is receiving wide endorsements from students, politicians across the political divide, labour unions, business community even within the military ranks who view him as a practical and mature politician.
The former Tourism Minister who is linked to the new kid on the block , People’s Party is viewed as a more acceptable third way option amongst the current political players.
According to impeccable sources within the Party , recruitment is full steam with deployments taking place on a daily basis . Pressure is mounting on Mzembi to make a public statement accepting officially the People’ s Party nomination as its interim President. Mzembi who is widely believed to be in South Africa, is viewed by many as their last hope to break the current political stalemate.
Mzembi seems muted by a new legislation in South Africa on Asylum seekers and refugees that takes away political rights of persecutees of tyrants in Sub Saharan Africa and its highly likely that him and his colleagues are studying the impact of this legislation on their political futures before taking any further steps on their careers.
Mzembi’s announcement as the leader of the People’s Party has send Zanu PF into some panic mode over the new political party’s surprise appearance on the political scene.
Zanu PF had not seen or factored an early comeback of the vanquished G40 functionaries, letalone Mzembi who is remembered for attempting to bring Emmerson Mnangagwa and his former boss Robert Mugabe together after the coup.
His heart seemed at the time and until recently to be with his old party , an accusation thrown at him often. However Mzembi continues to be name dropped on the political scene especially his association with People ‘s Party raising fears within the ruling Zanu PF circles that he an existential threat to their prospects in the future.
The Party remains uncertain on the former Masvingo South legislator’s next move who has not spoken to accept or deny his links with the People ‘ s Party.
Mzembi has remained in the background, allowing his Party to speak with many other people pushing for his name in the political ring. Respected development and political Analyst Cladius Madhuku has weighed in saying Mzembi resembles good leadership skills and he is presidential material. He certainly commands the clout for office and is accepted across the political divide.
The rumour mill says he enjoys a modicum of respect within the military who remember his succinct speeches and policy deliverables at the Army Staff College and his practical interventions for the Army itself during his tenure as Tourism Minister.
Believed to be turning 56 this year, he seems to be almost where Robert Mugabe himself and Morgan Tsvangirai were agewise when they both became Prime Ministers in 1980 and 2009 respectively.
Zimbabwe has this age thing where it loathes immaturity which could be Chamisa ‘ s undoing as he glides through the 40s. His rejection by peers like Gutu , Khupe , Mwonzora and others was informed partly by the age and immaturity factor. G40 downfall itself was the cynical collapse of an age based ambition inside Zanu PF.
Within the ruling Zanu PF itself there are wide sympathies with Mzembi who is seen as an unfair victim of highhandedness by a jealous tribal cabal from his Karanga group who linked his promotion to Foreign Affairs Minister a month before the coup with the demise of Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Unlike Mugabe who always assembled a team of rivals for Cabinet believing the best performance came from his foes his successor has preferred bleating greenhorns for office and discrediting Mzembi and other G40 colleagues as disloyal suited his purging plans hence their persecution and ommission from public office deployment.
Interestingly the Corporate world misses Mzembi and describes him as pragmatic and sober citing his successful stint at Tourism and national branding efforts that brought the only sectoral UN General Assembly to Zimbabwe.
Many people wonder why the Harare administration continues to persecute him but perhaps the answer is now shaping in their hearts and minds that he remains a contender for office and hence Mugabe was so fond of him he would spite his inner circle often describing him as his best Minister, performance ratings confirmed by independent media annual Cabinet scorecards at the time. This of course created many enemies for him , especially from succession contenders inside Zanu PF.
Apart from high local ratings the former Foreign Affairs Minister continues to receive attention from the international community, largely a product of his run for the post of UNWTO Secretary General which he narrowly lost in 2017 two months before the coup.
Studying from a distance he has clearly calibrated his re-entry into politics but he certainly is not easily prompted into the toxicity of Zimbabwean politics. Now that he has literally been thrown into the ring the Nation is waiting anxiously for his next moves.
From London his Secretary General appears to be the authorised voice of his People ‘ s Party and so far he has acquitted himself very well in protecting his boss while presenting the alternative narrative so badly needed to break the current impasse.
Could Dr Walter Mzembi turn out to be the “David ” that Lloyd Msipa has presented to us or a modern day ” Joshua ” who will take us to Canaan?
That we need redemption from failed politics and a melting economy is no longer the debate but who is going to be the first amongst generational equals is the question on everyone ‘ s mind.
The liberation generation is now past its sale by date , it’s time for new politics and new purposed minds. I submit like many that Mzembi fits the bill for a redemption presidency we so urgently need.
By A Correspondent- Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) launched its perceptions and indexes on corruption at Avondale centre Harare this morning (Thursday).
According to the findings by TIZ and Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (ZACC) women are impacted by the corruption in more spheres of life than men.
ZACC Chaiperson Justice Loice Matanda Moyo said, “Most of the men are the engineers of corruption therefore women became more vulnerable and suffer the consequences of corruption.
Women need to go beyond being 52% of the population of the country.”
She further stipulated that it is also the role of civil society to fight against gender corruption and raising public awareness.
Speaking on the same event Mette Sunnergren, Head of Development Cooperation from Sweden embassy remarked that women are more likely exposed to corruption in crucial situations.
TIZ and ZACC are looking forward to the signing of their Memorandum of Understanding aimed at fighting corruption in the first quarter of the year.
By A Correspondent- Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Dr Gideon Gono has been dragged to court by his tenant for allegedly trying to evict him.
The tenant, Dr Nongerai Moses Makurumidze, who runs a sports science and a research college at the Natvest Industrial Complex while renting the premises from Gono accused Gono of violating their agreement.
In his court papers in which Gono, Clark Makoni and fellow tenants, Mbonje, Dzobo, Matoko, Tambara, Mujeke and Chigondowa are respondents, Makurumidze said:
Your Worship, I had an agreement with Dr Gono. He was initially leasing the property to me but they are now ignoring the original agreement and are trying to evict me without any legal procedures. We are in the process of setting up a proposed university of sport and they all know it but his workers terrorise my clients and staff.
He added that Gono’s workers are disregarding the agreement he had with Gono saying that they had the mandate to evict Makurumidze.
Meanwhile, Chigondowa who works for Gono said that Makurumidze was evicted by Gono and it is surprising that he kept coming back.
“Tsvaira Zimbabwe campaign is an MDC initiative set to be launched by our President Nelson Chamisa and it has nothing to do with Zanu PF”, says Senator Lillian Timveous as she speaks on her party’s recently unveiled “Agenda 2020”.
By A Correspondent- Senator Lillian Timveous has described as a source of inspiration MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s recently unveiled Agenda 2020 adding that the “roadmap” paved way for Zimbabwe’s developmental trajectory.
Chief Svosve speaks to Senator Timveous in an exclusive interview.
Watch the video loading below as she speaks about this and more.
ZANU PF Councillor for Chiredzi Ward 16, Emmanuel Nyathi has died. Nyathi died on Sunday on his way to Collin Saunders Hospital in Triangle on Sunday.
His death was announced by Chiredzi Rural District Council chairperson, Edward Matsilele who told News Day that Nyathi Nyathi has been unwell for some time. He said:
We have lost a dear friend, a brother and a father. As you know we held our last full council meeting while he was in Harare where he was seeking treatment.
As council, we would like to express our deepest condolences to the Nyathi family and the people of Ward 16.
His departure means that Chiredzi will have another by-election after it held another one in November last year following the resignation of Andrew Ndebele (Zanu PF), who was voted for in the July 2018 harmonised elections.
Ndebele resigned in June last year due to poor health and the seat was evemtually won by Zanu PF’s Arnold Rukanda who defeated John Mazhata (MDC Alliance) in a by-election.
MDC has been struggling to penetrate the rural vote with analysts saying that the party will not dislodge ZANU PF as long as it does not have the support of the rural electorate.- NewsDay
By A Correspondent- A police officer attached to a unit that protects foreign diplomats has been arrested and charged with theft after ambushing a woman and stealing her mobile phone.
Locadia Munyu, 23, was walking home from work along Chalkmead Road in Harare’s Greendale suburb at around 5PM when a man emerged from the trees on the side of the road and snatched her phone before fleeing.
Munyu screamed for help and members of the public who were nearby gave chase and apprehended Talent Vhengere, who later turned out to be a constable attached to the Police Protection Unit Diplomats, based at ZRP Tomlison.
An internal police memo says 31-year-old Vhengere was apprehended while still carrying the Itel A15 mobile phone snatched from Munyu.
He also had his police identity card. Vhengere was detained at Rhodesville Police Station and was due to appear in court on Thursday.Some police officers and soldiers have resorted to a life of crime to supplement their meagre incomes.
A police officer in the rank of constable earns $1,133 Zimbabwe dollars (about US$65) per month.
ZANU PF Councillor for Chiredzi Ward 16, Emmanuel Nyathi has died.
Nyathi died on Sunday on his way to Collin Saunders Hospital in Triangle on Sunday.
His death was announced by Chiredzi Rural District Council chairperson, Edward Matsilele who told News Day that Nyathi Nyathi has been unwell for some time.
He said:
“We have lost a dear friend, a brother and a father. As you know we held our last full council meeting while he was in Harare where he was seeking treatment.
As council, we would like to express our deepest condolences to the Nyathi family and the people of Ward 16.”
His departure means that Chiredzi will have another by-election after it held another one in November last year following the resignation of Andrew Ndebele (Zanu PF), who was voted for in the July 2018 harmonised elections.
Ndebele resigned in June last year due to poor health and the seat was evemtually won by Zanu PF’s Arnold Rukanda who defeated John Mazhata (MDC Alliance) in a by-election.
MDC has been struggling to penetrate the rural vote with analysts saying that the party will not dislodge ZANU PF as long as it does not have the support of the rural electorate.- NewsDay
Farms belonging to former Zanu PF officials who refused to follow Emmerson Mnangagwa have been taken away.
Among these are Professor Jonathan Moyo, Patrick Zhuwawo and Saviour Kasukukuwere.
I have seen the letter taking over Saviour Kasukukuwere’s farm, and the reason for the farm being taken over was “downsizing for replanning purposes”.
While Kasukukuwere’s farm is being downsized for re-planning purposes, greedy Emmerson Mnangagwa is “renting pieces of land on neighbouring farms”. It is interesting to know who these farmers are who Emmerson Mnangagwa is renting from.
Hasn’t Emmerson Mnangagwa been saying that farmers who are not fully utilising the land will have the farms taken away from them and given to those who will make them productive? Hasn’t Emmerson Mnangagwa been preaching about one man one farm, just like Mugabe used to? There is more than meets the eye.
There are stories told before Emmerson Mnangagwa became the leader of Zanu PF and later declared winner of the 2018 elections by the constitutional Court that Emmerson Mnangagwa used to protection fees to some white farmers around him who would be made to pay him half the profits of their yields so that they would not lose their farms as part of the land reform programme.
Such stories about Mnangagwa holding these white farmers at ransom in exchange of farm security must be investigated, but that is a job for another day.
What is public knowledge now is that the Constitutional Court declared President, Comrade Emmerson Mnangagwa is double faced, who downsizes his opponents’ farms while protecting some lazy farmers who are underutilising land when thousands of unemployed youths, including some in Zanu PF do not have any land to farm.
Zanu PF has made land a Zanu PF only asset, and that is not what the war of liberation was fought for.
Kennedy Kaitano
Some background reading
ED, Acting President Chiwenga, spend day at farm, and ED renting land from neighbours
Farai Dziva|CIO operatives last week visited Progressive Teachers Union President Takavafira Zhou’s offices in Masvingo and quizzed him over the union’s agenda.
Said Zhou:
“I explained to the CIOs that the shutdown of shops is not part of our agenda, but staying away from work because of incapacitation.
They also interrogated us on our 2014 banner, whose other writing thread demanded ‘accountability over diamonds and other minerals’ and I explained our expectation of responsible leadership that should judiciously use minerals for the benefit of all Zimbabweans as opposed to self-aggrandisement and economic banditry.”
As despondent Zimbabweans brace for action to consign poverty and end their suffering, the clueless and illegitimate Mnangagwa regime is planning to engage in nationwide terror tactics and abductions in a vain attempt to cow and intimidate a determined people.
Impeccable sources within the Joint Operations Command in Harare have intimated to the MDC leadership that the entire system has been rattled. President Chamisa’s call for nationwide action has shaken the regime to the core. The regime is now planning violence, night abductions and an assortment of terror tactics against innocent Zimbabweans in a vain attempt to stop an idea whose time has come.
The regime has now fallen into its default mode of violence. Impeccable sources said the meeting held by JOC early this week had put in place elaborate plans to abduct and torture MDC leaders and party youths in the various townships in Harare so as to engender fear in the country in a desperate bid to stop Zimbabweans from engaging in peaceful action to express their displeasure at the parlous economic situation.
The terror tactics are meant to ensure that Zimbabweans get scared away from their democratic and Constitutional right to express their unhappiness at the deteriorating situation in the country. On Tuesday, President Nelson Chamisa told the nation that the endemic poverty in the country, the joblessness, power and fuel shortages, the rising cost of basic commodities and the deteriorating living conditions were the signal that the people needed to act to end their situation.
Since then, the regime has gone on a default mode and is now planning nationwide terror tactics to cow a nation determined to express itself.
Zimbabweans are determined to end their suffering. From Msampakaruma to Mandidzudzure, from Plumtree to Kanyemba, Zimbabweans are bracing for action. The people are determined to sonorously express themselves as the situation in the country gets more and more untenable.
No weapon fashioned against the people shall prosper. Intimidation and terror tactics will not work as everyone, including our uniformed forces, are ready to take decisive action by confronting this illegitimate and clueless regime.
We thank the patriotic Zimbabweans who continue to keep us updated on the heinous plans to jeopardize the people’s intention to legitimately and constitutionally express themselves.
Zimbabweans are ready for action. Our uniformed forces who can hardly afford a meal are ready for action. Villagers, civil servants, lecturers, students and farmers are ready. The unemployed youths are ready. Our elderly people are ready.
No machete or wicked plan will stop an idea whose time has come.
Farai Dziva|CIO operatives last week visited Progressive Teachers Union President Takavafira Zhou’s offices in Masvingo and quizzed him over the union’s agenda.
Said Zhou:
“I explained to the CIOs that the shutdown of shops is not part of our agenda, but staying away from work because of incapacitation.
They also interrogated us on our 2014 banner, whose other writing thread demanded ‘accountability over diamonds and other minerals’ and I explained our expectation of responsible leadership that should judiciously use minerals for the benefit of all Zimbabweans as opposed to self-aggrandisement and economic banditry.”
By A Correspondent- Government will soon introduce $50 notes to address the currency crisis in the short term as the Zimbabwe dollar (ZWL) continues to devalue, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has said.
In June 2019, government reintroduced the ZWL as the sole legal tender without enough foreign currency or market confidence, which has seen it continue to devalue and raise the annual inflation rate to its current 520%.
“First of all, we are doing two things ,we are injecting cash into the economy, feeding the economy, but we want to do it in a non-inflationary way whereby we exchange electronic currency for physical cash,” Ncube (pictured) said yesterday in an interview with American media company Bloomberg during the ongoing World Economic Forum, in Switzerland.
“The second thing is that we are introducing higher denominated notes going $10, $20 and $50 during the course of 2020 that is what we will be doing, introducing higher denominated notes making it easier for citizens to transact.”
With the ZWL dollar continuing to devalue, the current notes of $2 and $5 are worth 12 and 29 US cents, respectively, making it harder for businesses to transact. Already, coins less than $1 are increasingly being rejected in the formal and informal markets as inflation increases.
Further, the reintroduction of the ZWL dollar as the sole legal tender created cash shortages that have seen businesses offer cheaper prices for goods and services paid for in cash compared to electronic money.
This has added to inflationary pressures that are being driven by the devaluating ZWL dollar as the foreign currency shortage bites.
In his Bloomberg interview, Ncube revealed government’s intention to allow civil servants wages to catch up with inflation as the devaluing ZWL has led to a significant wage erosion.
For example, an average monthly salary of US$500 prior to the reintroduction of the local currency was equal to ZWL$500 post currency change, as at yesterday’s rate of ZW$17.67 to the US dollar, this translates to US$29, representing a US$471 loss in value.
“We are engaging constructively with the civil servants. In fact, just as I left, two days before I left, we increased the wages to cushion the civil servants and we expect the private sector to do the same. What has really happened, through the currency reform agenda, there has been what we call ‘wage compression’ in economics,” Ncube said.
“So, we are having the wages now catch up with the adjustment to the exchange rate because retailers are still pricing in US dollars in their heads and translating that into domestic currency, so it has squashed the purchasing power of wages. And, we are closing that gap by allowing wages to rise, so we know the issue and are dealing with it.”
The civil servants’ recent wage increment of 97% means that the least paid worker would take home ZWL$2 033, coupled with a cushioning allowance of $750 for January.
Added together, the least paid worker would be taking a total of ZWL$2 783.
However, the Total Consumption Poverty Line for an average family of five persons stood at ZWL$3, 656 in November last year with consumer bodies putting that figures between ZWL$4 000 and ZWL$5 000.
By A Correspondent- Defence ministry camp commander Laxwell Ngara yesterday appeared in court facing fraud charges after he allegedly produced fake documents claiming $306 135 as payment for cleaning services rendered to the ministry by Maids on Wheels (Pvt) Limited.
Ngara (51), who appeared before Harare magistrate Hosea Mujaya, was granted $1 500 bail.
The camp commander, who was responsible for supervising contractors and the upkeep of Defence House, is the fourth official from the Defence ministry to be arraigned before the courts after Peter Muchakazi, Kunofiwa Mervyn Madondo and Simbarashe Zvineyi appeared in the dock on similar charges.
Allegations are that between March and June 2019, Ngara connived with Danison Muvandi, who is on the run, Muchakazi and Madondo, who are on remand, and misrepresented to their superiors that the Defence ministry had received cleaning services from Maids on Wheels.
The State alleges the trio sourced five fake invoices valued at $306 135 and originated minutes dated June 19, 2019 addressed to the director of finance and human resources, Muvandi, who is the owner and signatory to the Maids on Wheels account.
The accused persons then allegedly attached the five invoices to the minutes with instructions for payment without attaching the required award-of-tender letter specifying the job done and signed by the chairperson of the procurement management unit.
It is alleged on June 20, 2019, the trio reportedly posted the payment request to the chief accountant, who released the funds into Maids on Wheels’ bank account.
Investigations revealed that no requisition was raised by the procurement management unit for cleaning services and there was no tender awarded to Maids on Wheels.
Meanwhile, former Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) board vice-chair Idah Mupamhanga, who is facing criminal abuse of office charges, was yesterday further remanded to March 4 after the State indicated that it was waiting for the docket to be completed.
State representative Charles Muchemwa told the court that they would be in a position to provide a trial date for Mupamhanga by March 4.
Mupamhanga, who appeared before magistrate Mujaya, was represented by Brighton Pabwe of Samkange and Venturas Legal Practitioners.
Allegations are that on June 21, 2016, ZimParks, through its then commercial services director Tarisai Musonza, wrote to Mabalengwe Safaris, represented by Rodgers Madanhure, advising them not to renew their lease agreement for Matetsi Unit 1 — a hunting concession in Victoria Falls — which was expiring at the end of that year.
It is alleged that Mupamhanga, without a board resolution, unlawfully instructed the ZimParks legal department to prepare a memorandum of agreement leasing Matetsi Unit 1.
Upon receipt of the money, she allegedly concealed the transaction from the ZimParks board and transferred the money from her bank account into ZimParks’ account without disclosing the nature of the transaction.
It is alleged that in January 2017, Mupamhanga entered into another memorandum of agreement to lease 19 Zambezi Lodges to Adage of Success (Pvt) Ltd without the knowledge of the board. She cited under-utilisation by ZimParks.
The court heard that in the same year, Mupamhanga called for a meeting which was attended by senior ecologist Roselyn Mandisodza and the then acting director-general Godfrey Matipano and told them that she wanted to venture into gold exploration inside protected areas to fund wildlife conservation.
Without the knowledge of the board, Mupamhanga allegedly instructed Mandisodza to get a quotation for a metal detector and the ecologist obtained a quotation and proforma invoice of $11 000 from Excelight Investment.
By A Correspondent- Former Zanu-PF MP for Highfields West, Psychology Maziwisa, has been fired by former First Lady Grace Mugabe from his recently appointed role as General Manager at Alpha Omega dairies over suspected cases of alleged thefts of money and ice creams.
Impeccable sources within the Mazowe-based business operation owned by the Mugabe family have revealed how Maziwisa, who recently sold a house he had bought for his son as he fell on hard times, had been appointed into the job by Grace Mugabe based on their previous “good working relationship in the G40 faction” of Zanu-PF.
When President Emmerson Mnangagwa replaced the late former President Robert Mugabe in November 2017, most of the G40 kingpins fled the country, but some like Maziwisa stayed put and maintained a low profile as they were not perceived to be a threat to the new leaders at the Zanu-PF headquarters.
Maziwisa, a lawyer by training but who hardly made a name in the profession as he went straight into Zanu-PF politics, reportedly fell on hard times and got a job at the dairy facility founded by Mugabe and his wife.
However, Grace Mugabe in an intriguing turn of events yesterday fired Maziwisa “after it was discovered that he was stealing money from ice cream sales,” Zimbabwe Voice has been told.
“He (Maziwisa) was working with his IT counterpart named Amon Saizi, who is an elder at the ZAOGA and a friend to Simba Chikore,” Zimbabwe Voice heard.
Chikore, who is married to Grace Mugabe’s only daughter Bona, comes from a powerful ZAOGA family.
“Saizi was brought by Simba to be his spy in the company but later teamed up with Mazivisa and started stealing both cash and the ice-cream boxes.
“EcoCash sales would be remitted to their numbers and they would spent the money,” it has been revealed.
Chikore is said to be keeping a close tab on the Gushungo Holdings businesses as he invested his money into some of the projects.
Meanwhile, Maziwisa has been also accused of taking money from cattle sales to fix his personal car.
“There has been a massive abuse of property by some of the top managers at the Gushungo Farm ever since the Mugabes lost power in November 2017. It’s like a free-for-all moment for the workers, as Grace herself is also unwilling to review salaries and allowances despite the poor economic situation.”
Meanwhile, Grace Mugabe’s personal driver has also been accused of bedding a girlfriend in the car which is used by the former First Lady.
By A Correspondent= South African police have arrested a Zimbabwean man suspected to have shot and killed a senior cop in Johannesburg.
In a video clip circulating on social media, the man is seen being assaulted by police who also declare war on Zimbabwean nationals.
The police officers could be heard saying they are tired of Zimbabweans committing crimes in South Africa declaring that they will get rid of all of them.
In his defense, the man claims he did not know that the person he shot was a policeman.
It could not be immediately verified if the man was actually Preymore Dube whose picture was distributed on various platforms and said to have shot the senior cop.
Dube allegedly shot Diepsloot police captain Oupa Matjie, 54, three times on the head and he died on the spot.
By A Correspondent- At least 132 people in Harare, including political heavyweights, face arrest for allegedly selling State land, corruptly allocating themselves stands, fraud, abuse of cooperative funds and criminal abuse of office.
This follows an audit report into Harare land sales by the commission led by Justice Tendai Uchena that traced the land transfers in urban areas since 2005.
Others stand accused of selling cooperative stands without authority from the Registrar of Cooperatives, malicious damage to property, as well as subdividing land reserved for recreational activities and schools.
Prominent names recommended for investigation in the Harare land audit report include former First Lady Grace Mugabe, former Cabinet Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo, ex-Local Government permanent secretary Engineer George Mlilo, ex- Cabinet minister Ms Nyasha Chikwinya, businessman Dr Phillip Chiyangwa, former Harare South legislator Mr Shadreck Mashayamombe and CAPS United vice president Mr Nhamo Tutisani.
The majority of the other people on the list are leaders of housing cooperatives set up by political heavyweights.
Our Harare Bureau understands the commission handed over the report to State arms for further investigations.
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo yesterday confirmed receiving a copy of the audit report, saying investigations were likely to start on Monday.
“Yes, we were given a copy of the land audit report by the Commission and our general manager (investigations) is liaising with the police so that we know who is doing what to avoid stepping on each other’s toes when investigating.
“We hope investigations will start on Monday after we have agreed on the cases that ZACC and the police will be investigating,” she said.
Mrs Mugabe is accused of grabbing stands at Carrick Creach Farm in Harare and transferring ownership into the names of her relatives without payment. Some stands at the farm were allegedly allocated to people who were later pushed out by Mrs Mugabe, according to the report.
Dr Chombo, according to the report, should also be investigated for allocating himself vast tracts of land on the same farm allegedly registering several stands under three companies without paying. Dr Chombo is also under spotlight for allegedly corruptly facilitating Mrs Mugabe’s land grab.
The report states that Dr Chombo “unlawfully took several stands and registered them in the names of his three companies without paying for them, well aware that the farm had not been handed over to the Ministry of Local Government by the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement.” The three companies were listed as Comverol Enterprises Pvt Ltd, Cayford Pvt Ltd and Cavford Pvt Ltd.
Some of the stands had been allocated to other beneficiaries, who were later allegedly pushed out by Dr Chombo. The Commission of Inquiry recommended that Dr Chombo should be investigated for abuse of office.
At the same farm, three Local Government officials – Mrs Rejoice Pazvakavambwa, Mrs Rhory Shawatu and Mrs Ruramai Chembwa – were also allegedly involved in illegal land dealings.
Mrs Pazvakavambwa is accused of allocating herself a stand that had already been allocated to someone else while Ms Shawatu is said to have facilitated the transfer of stands allocated to Arusome Properties (Pvt ) Ltd before specified conditions had been met. Mrs Chembwa is accused of abusing her office by acting as debt collector for Arusome in the name of the Ministry.
The Commission said all stands improperly allocated at Carrick Creach Farm must be recovered.
“Ministry of Local Government should recover the 50 stands unlawfully transferred to Arusome. It should also recover all the stands unlawfully taken and transferred by the former Minister Dr I. Chombo and former First Lady G. Mugabe.
“The stands should be given back to the beneficiaries to whom they had been allocated before they were grabbed by the former minister and former First Lady…”
Dr Chombo’s name also featured in another reported improper allocation at Philadelphia Farm where he stands accused of allocating himself five stands before registering three of them in the names of his cronies.
At Ordar Farm, Dr Chombo is accused of unlawfully handing over acquired State land to Sensene Investments (Pvt) Ltd, linked to businessman Dr Chiyangwa. Dr Chiyangwa, according to the report, should also be investigated for alleged fraud after demanding, through his company Pinnacle Properties, payment from settlers at Stoneridge Farm in Harare.
According to the report, Dr Chiyangwa’s, whose company owned subdivision A of Stoneridge Farm, was offered alternative land at Tantallon Farm to pave the way for desperate home seekers.
Despite being offered alternative land, it came out that the businessman’s company continued demanding payment from the occupants, a development that was viewed as potentially fraudulent by the Commission.
Dr Chombo is also implicated in Stoneridge Farm allocations after allegedly abusing his office as a minister to instruct officials in his ministry to enter into a deed of settlement with Pinnacle Holdings without being authorised by Cabinet.
Mr Mashayamombe, former legislator for Harare South, features prominently in the land audit report for illegally selling State land at Saturday Retreat Estate under an entity called Solomon Mujuru Housing Trust.
He also allegedly entered into an agreement of sale with the Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ).
Mr Mashayamombe allegedly sold more State land at Rest Farm without a memorandum of agreement with the Local Government Ministry.
Former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Eng Mlilo also faces abuse of office investigations after allegedly facilitating the illegal transfer of Nyarungu Estate to Jetmaster, a company associated with Dr Chiyangwa. Eng Mlilo, according to the report, should also be investigated for bribery and corruption.
Former National Assembly member for Hatcliffe Mr Tongesai Mudambo reportedly appropriated land to himself and sold State land reserved for solving double allocation problems at Hatcliffe North Farm.
Ex-Minister of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development Ms Chikwinya is accused of illegally selling State land without developing it under Pilgrims Rest Developers at Hatcliffe North Farm.
CAPS United vice president Mr Tutisani is accused of illegally subdividing open spaces and school sites into residential stands at Hatcliffe North Farm. He is also accused of selling State land without fully developing it.
Two police officers —Taruvinga Jindu and Watson Tundu — allegedly received stands to influence outcome of some land investigations they were conducting at Philadelphia Farm.
By Own Correspondent| Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has renamed the Chairman’s Enclosure at Harare Sports Club in honour of the late Mr Peter Chingoka.
Mr Chingoka
served as ZC chairman from 1992 to 2014, working selflessly and tirelessly to
develop and elevate the game of cricket in Zimbabwe to world-class standard.
He passed away
on 22 August 2019.
The renaming
ceremony – which took place today as Zimbabwe faced Sri Lanka in the first of
two Tests at Harare Sports Club – was attended by the late Mr Chingoka’s widow
Shirley, children, grandchild, brothers and other relatives and friends.
In his address
at the event, ZC chairman Mr Tavengwa Mukuhlani hailed the late Mr Chingoka for
the “pivotal role he played in bringing full membership and Test status to
Zimbabwe”.
“He played a
pivotal role in nurturing and developing young cricketers across the racial
divide,” Mr Mukuhlani said.
“For a youngster
who makes his debut – we have three kids who have made their Test debut in the
match currently underway – Peter was their father; to those who have played 30
odd Tests and their form has dipped, he was a mentor; and to those approaching
retirement, he was an advisor.
“What we are
doing today is to demonstrate to the Chingoka family and the cricket family
what Peter meant to us and what he continues to mean to us as an organisation
and as a sport.
“I’m not a keen
history student, but one thing I have realised is that when you lead people you
must not distort history and this occasion today makes the history of ZC
correct.
“We stand here
to rename the Chairman’s Enclosure which was built when Peter was chairman in
2003 when we hosted our group games for the World Cup.
“We found it
befitting that the place that was his second home be renamed to Peter Chingoka
Balcony.
“We would have
failed in our leadership at ZC if we do not honour one of our own – and indeed
Peter is one of our own.
“We stand here
to remember a legend, a legend in administration, a legend in our
country.
“We cherish the
moments we have had with Peter and the part that he played in the history of
cricket in Zimbabwe.”
Speaking on behalf
of the Chingoka family, Mr Patrick Chingoka thanked ZC for honouring his late
brother.
“As a family, we
feel greatly honoured – in fact, we have no words to express ourselves with
respect to what ZC has done for our brother,” he said.
“This was not
Peter’s second but his first home. Thank you for the honour that you have
bestowed on him. We will always cherish this.”
The first black
Zimbabwean cricketer to play at a high level, the late Mr Chingoka was a gifted
seam bowler and lower-order batsman whose greatest achievement was his
appointment as captain of the South African African XI that played in the
Gillette Cup, a List A knockout competition, in 1975-76 and 1976-77.
After playing
club cricket for Universals, Mr Chingoka decided to go into cricket
administration.
On 15 January
1983, he made history again by becoming the first black member of the then
Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) board of control.
Mr Chingoka was
to make immense contributions to the game over the years as Zimbabwe became a
force to be reckoned with on the international arena.
He was appointed
ZCU vice-president in 1990 and took over as president in 1992, shortly after
Zimbabwe gained Test status.
His influence
extended beyond the borders of Zimbabwe, becoming a respected member of the
International Cricket Council board while he also spearheaded the development
of cricket throughout Africa through the Africa Cricket Association which he
led for some time.
After stepping
down as ZC chairman in 2014, Mr Chingoka remained in service to the game as an
esteemed and admired source of wisdom and guidance for the cricket family up to
the time of his passing.
By A Correspondent- The State is seeking to establish where Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry Mubaiwa, is currently residing after the retired general refused her access to the couple’s matrimonial home being number 614 Nick Price Drive, Borrowdale Brooke.
The State says it is also concerned about Marry’s whereabouts in view of the on-going property dispute which is pending before Justice Christopher Dube-Banda.
This emerged yesterday when Prosecutor-General Kumbirai Hodzi’s office approached the High Court with a bail variation application seeking an order to compel Marry to surrender her second passport after it emerged that she only surrendered her ordinary passport when she was granted bail by High Court judge Justice Pisirayi Kwenda early this month.
VP Chiwenga argued that Marry was still a flight risk as she has two other passports which she did not surrender.
The bail variation matter was yesterday heard by Justice Kwenda but a determination was not made after the State represented by Albert Masamha requested for time to consult Marry and establish if averments by her husband that she was in possession of the diplomatic passport are true.
Justice Kwenda also allowed Marry’s lawyer Taona Nyamakura to establish from his client where she is currently residing.
The bail variation application is set to continue on January 31, 2019.
Zimbabwe Warriors forward Tinotenda Kadewere has signed a four and half year deal with French giants Lyon. He was immediately loaned back to his club Le Havre until the end of the season, according to L’Equipe..
Earlier today RMC Sport reported that “Lyon will imminently” announce the signing of 24-year-old Zimbabwean attacker Tino Kadewere from Ligue 2 outfit Le Havre, for a deal worth €15m including bonuses.
“Tino” has scored 18 goals this season in 20 matches, and will in the end return on loan to HAC for the rest of the current campaign as part of the arrangement.
Kadewere represents Lyon’s second attacking signing this week, having sealed the loan of Karl Toko Ekambi officially yesterday from Villarreal.
The Zimbabwean has been described by European journalists as a “technically gifted striker” with “excellent dribbling and passing skills.”
By A Correspondent- Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza has castigated the “alarming level” of corruption perpetrated by officials in State entities in the transport sector.
Speaking during the official opening of a strategic planning workshop organised by his ministry in Mutare on Wednesday, Matiza chided officials over corruption and incompetence. He said:
It is sad to note the alarming level of corruption in the transport sector. Your presence here is not only to discuss business processes and to forget about ethical dilemmas affecting government operations. I hope you can attach as much importance as I do to the fight against corruption.
… we take umbrage and deep exception to corruption and incompetence accusations levelled against some of our departments and parastatals, but that will not change the public’s perception.
On the government’s austerity measures, Matiza said tangible progress has been made following the introduction of fiscal and financial reforms which he claims have stabilised the economy.
He added that the country has now entered the second phase whose thrust is increased productivity accompanied by the radical socio-economic transformation
Government has revealed that higher currency denominations including a $50 dollar note will be introduced in the next few months as it moves to address cash shortages.
Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube revealed this during an interview with Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum underway in Davos, Switzerland.
Prof Ncube said Government was carefully injecting cash into the economy so as not to trigger inflation.
“First of all, we are doing two things, we are injecting cash into the economy, drip feeding the economy. But we want to do it in a non-inflationary way where we are changing electronic currency for physical cash,” said Prof Ncube.
“Second thing, we are introducing higher denomination notes $10, $20 and $50 during the course of 2020. That is what we would be doing; introducing higher denominations notes to make sure that it’s easy for citizens to transact. That is going to happen in the next few months.”
He said Government has made several strides to stabilise the local currency with month on month inflation figures steadily dropping.
Prof Ncube said the high inflation rate was however normal as the local currency was finding its footing among other currencies.
“But year on year remains high but that is expected when you liberalise a currency and it’s trying to find its equilibrium and it’s trying to find its footing. We however believe in the last few months it has been quite stable, actually. It has stopped the transmission of currency volatility into pricing so I believe we are on our way to dealing with inflation. It will take time but it is headed there,” he said.
Prof Ncube said Government will continue engaging civil servants to address their salary concerns.
He said Government was aware that retailers and service providers were pricing their products and services against the US dollar.
“Wages have to catch up with adjustment to exchange rates because retailers are still pricing in US dollars in their heads and translating that to domestic currency. It has squashed the purchasing power of wages and we are closing that gap by allowing wages to rise. We know the issue and we are dealing with it,” said Prof Ncube.
He said Government was partially privatising some of its entities as it wants the private sector to lead the economic turn around.
Prof Ncube bemoaned the severe effects of climate change which have affected the country’s economic performance.
“We decry the impact of climate change. For us it is real. We had a cyclone last year, followed by drought, it has impacted on food output. We are importing food and we have also been receiving support from the international community. We are shifting our budget to finance and climate-proof our agriculture. We are investing in irrigation we are investing in drought resistant crops. We are doing everything we can but also we appreciate the support from the international community,” said Prof Ncube.
A BULAWAYO senior police officer and two accomplices, one of them a Zambian, have appeared in court for allegedly poaching rhinos at Bubye Valley Conservancy at Mazunga area in Beitbridge.
Nhlanhla Nkomo (43), who is an Assistant Inspector stationed at Pumula Police Station, Stanley Katandika (50), a Zambian national and Owen Nyoni (35), a former ZimParks ranger appeared before Beitbridge magistrate Mr Toyindepi Zhou facing charges of violating a section of the Parks and Wildlife Act (poaching) and possession of a firearm or ammunition without a certificate.
They were remanded in custody to February 3.
The three accused persons were apprehended last week by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) rangers following a tip off.
Prosecuting, Misheck Guwanda said on January 17 the three accused persons were cornered by ZimParks rangers who were patrolling inside Bubye Valley Conservancy, which is a protected area.
They were allegedly hunting for rhinos when they were intercepted by the rangers who managed to recover a loaded firearm and ammunition.
The court heard that Nkomo tried to flee to evade arrest and he was only arrested following the assistance of game scouts and tracker dogs.
By A Correspondent| There was horror yesterday when the case of a large machete gang reportedly numbering 300 men who surrounded the Matapi police station (Mbare) on Wednesday afternoon took a twist when the officer in charge affirmed that the 3 MDC members who went to report their case of assault and were abused by the machete gang, were unlawfully arrested.
The three complainants who are all brothers, Jonathan, Cleopas and Eriya Chinodya, had gone to the Matapi to report an assault when they had more salt added to injury- a large gang surrounded the police station and was given sway to besiege the building as well as assault one of them.
At 2.46pm(GMT), MDC leaders including local MP Starman Chamisa and Godfrey Kurauone(assisting three victims), told ZimEye they were still trapped inside the Matapi police station by the gang.
In the latest development officer in charge of the police station who presided over the arrest of the three -speaking to zimeye.com at 9 p.m. affirming that the 3 complainants were unlawfully arrested.
Insp Jihani affirmed with a confirming “all right, okay.” answering to the question concerning the unlawful arrest.
But why did you arrest the three complainants, the boys who came to file a police report and then you arrest them; is that proper?, ZimEye’s Simba Chikanza asked.
Jihani then replied saying, ” they were identified by complainants saying they are the ones who beat us,” he said.
No, the boys who came to report and where later supported by counsellor Godfrey Kurauone, those guys had come to report that they were assaulted; how can you then arrest them when they have come to make a report?, he was asked.
Jihani replied with an affirmative, “all right, okay.”
To this Simba Chikanza retorted again asking: ” so you do know what happened and now you confidently changed the story right?”
He then became unresponsive and his phone was abruptly cut off.
4 hours ago, the police boss Commissioner Godwin Matanga contacted for a comment, told ZimEye “I will investigate.”
As we are convinced a law is being broken, we hereby display the Officer In Charge’s cellphone on the LIVE video for the purposes of international enforcement. International lawyers are in the way preparing dockets to effect arrest on ZRP cops, and government officials abusing diplomatic impunity who are commiting crimes against humanity in Zimbabwe to get them arrested once they land in foreign lands. VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
CHAPUNGU United have bounced back into the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League after Herentals were docked three points and fined $300 000 for attempting to influence their league match against Black Rhinos on October 19, 2019.
The judgement was handed down by the PSL disciplinary committee yesterday.
The docking of three points means The Students, who had ended the season in 11th position with 41 points, now drop into 15th place with 38 points, two less than TelOne and Chapungu.
In a statement yesterday, the PSL said Herentals and their official Oliver Chirenga were found guilty of contravening Order 31.1.3 of the Castle Lager PSL Rules and Regulations which make it an offence on the part of a club where its players, officials, servants or duly authorised (expressed or implied) representatives give offer or promise, whether directly or indirectly, any inducement, reward or bribe of whatsoever nature to anybody to influence the outcome of league matches.
The three points were forfeited in line with Articles 18(2) of the Fifa Disciplinary Code 2019.
“The fine, together with the full cost of hearing shall be paid by the club by January 31. In the event that the club does not comply with any part of this penalty, the club shall not be allowed to participate in any football or football related activities for the next 10 years,” said the PSL in a statement by media officer Kudzai Bare.
It said the owners of the club must also show cause why the same penalty should not be imposed on them.
Chirenga, who was charged for contravening Order 31.2.2 of the Premiership Rules and Regulations, was slapped with a $20 000 fine and banned from any football related activities for 10 years.
During the same period, he shall not be allowed to watch local football or be near any football stadium in Zimbabwe.
Chirenga is expected to pay the fine by January 31.
Former Black Rhinos manager Gift Kamuriwo was banned from participating in any football related activity for a period of three years from January 1, 2020.
“One year of this period is suspended on condition that the accused pays a fine of $10 000 and during this period, he shall not be allowed to watch or be near any football stadium in Zimbabwe,” reads the judgment.
Kamuriwo was found guilty of breaching Order 31.2.3 of the Premiership Rules and Regulations.
The 2020 resolutions by African countries including the creation of a continental passport, are unrealistic, DW’s Claus Stäcker writes.
The first of the electronic passport was unveiled at the 27th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Kigali, Rwanda in 2016 where they were issued to heads of state. Currently, the only other Africans eligible to travel on the passport are Ministers of Foreign Affairs and permanent representatives of AU member states based at the Union’s headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia / Photo: African Union
Home Affairs and Cultural Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe Kazembe has warned corrupt officials at the Passport Office allegedly taking bribes to process travel documents, urging those with evidence of such corruption to come forward so that the law could take its course.
Minister Kazembe was speaking after a familiarisation tour of the passport production plant at the Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks in Harare yesterday.
“As a ministry, we remain committed to ensuring that every citizen who needs a passport gets one without hurdles,” he said.
“In this respect, Government has committed resources for the purchasing of consumables so that we clear the backlog in the first half of the year. If we are to meet our targets, we need to up our production from the current 2 500 to 8 000 a day. For this vision and thrust to be a success, you have to work extra hard in meeting the targets.
“In my interactions with various members of the public and media, since I took over this portfolio, I have been inundated with calls alleging corrupt tendencies in the Passport Office. Let me reiterate once again that corruption in all its forms will not be tolerated and anyone caught outside the law will be dismissed forthwith. It is incumbent upon all of us that we deal with the few bad apples among us who are tarnishing the good name of the department.”
Minister Kazembe described his visit to the passport production plant as an eye opener.
He said the fee to obtain a passport remains $53 although discussions were underway to review this and allow locals with free funds to pay in foreign currency.
“The challenges that we have been told are real,” said Minister Kazembe.
“However, we must also try to strike a balance because at the end of the day access to those documents is a constitutional right so those discussions are still going on and it’s a process to improve that. As of now those costs have not been increased.”
Minister Kazembe was accompanied by his deputy Mike Madiro, Registrar-General Mr Clement Masango and Deputy Registrar General Mr Henry Machiri.
Own Correspondent|Former First Lady Grace Mugabe is amongst a list of v132 people up for arrest for allegedly selling State land, corruptly allocating themselves stands, fraud, abuse of cooperative funds and criminal abuse of office.
This follows an audit report into Harare land sales by the commission of Inquiry led by Justice Tendai Uchena that traced land transfers in urban areas since 2005.
Other prominent names recommended for investigation in the Harare land audit report former Cabinet Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo, ex-Local Government permanent secretary Engineer George Mlilo, ex-Cabinet minister Ms Nyasha Chikwinya, businessman Dr Philip Chiyangwa, former Harare South legislator Mr Shadreck Mashayamombe and Mr Nhamo Tutisani.
The majority of other people on the list are leaders of housing cooperatives set up by political heavyweights.
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo yesterday confirmed receipt of a copy of the audit report, saying investigations would start soon.
“Yes, we were given a copy of the land audit report by the Commission and our general manager (investigations) is liaising with the police so that we know who is doing what to avoid stepping on each other’s toes when investigating.
“We hope investigations will start on Monday after we have agreed on the cases that ZACC and the police will be investigating,” she said.
Mrs Mugabe is accused of grabbing stands at Carrick Creach Farm in Harare and transferring ownership into names of her relatives without payment.
Some stands at the farm were allegedly allocated to people who were later pushed out by Mrs Mugabe, according to the report.
Dr Chombo, according to the report, should also be investigated for allocating himself vast tracts of land on the same farm allegedly registering several stands under three companies without paying.
Dr Chombo is also under spotlight for allegedly corruptly facilitating Mrs Mugabe’s land grab.
The Commission of Inquiry recommended that Dr Chombo be investigated for abuse of office.
“Ministry of Local Government should recover the 50 stands unlawfully transferred to Arusome. It should also recover all the stands unlawfully taken and transferred by the former Minister Dr I. Chombo and former First Lady G. Mugabe.
“The stands should be given back to the beneficiaries to whom they had been allocated before they were grabbed by the former minister and former First Lady,” wrote the commission.
State Media|Stephen Margolis, who runs the Stephen Margolis Resort along Chitungwiza Road in Harare, yesterday appeared in court facing accusations of failing to return a clients’ vehicle he took as surety for using his wedding facilities.
Margolis (68) appeared before Harare magistrate Yeukai Dzuda facing theft of trust property charges. He denied failing to return Moline Rufaro Mapandu’s Honda Fit, which she gave him as surety when she used his wedding facilities and failed to pay the full amount at once. Margolis told the court that Mapandu entered into an agreement with his company, not with him in his personal capacity.
“I plead not guilty to the charges. She entered an agreement with my company, not me,” he said. Allegations against the businessman are that on February 27, 2016 Mapandu decided to use Margolis’ wedding facilities.
It is said that the parties agreed on a certain amount, with Mapandu making an initial payment of $1 100 and promising to settle the balance within six weeks.
The court heard that Mapandu then handed Margolis her Honda Fit as security.
Mapandu, according to the State, managed to raise the remaining amount and approached Margolis at his Margolis Plaza offices.
Upon her arrival, she was received by Margolis’ secretary who reportedly told her that he was out of the country and asked her to return once Margolis returned.
Magistrate Dzuda was told that Mapandu was shocked to be shown an agreement of sale for the Honda Fit.
Irked by the businessman’s act, Mapandu lodged a complaint with the police leading to his arrest. Margolis is expected back in court on February 18 for trial.
State Media|Universities have deferred the start of lectures for first year students from March to August to allow the synchronisation of programmes across colleges so that students can transfer and be able to continue from where they left.
The move also seeks to accommodate foreign students under the Study in Zimbabwe Programme.
The synchronisation of the programmes will be in tandem with Statutory Instrument 133 of 2018, which provides for the new arrangement.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said in an interview yesterday that the recruitment of students can go ahead now even though they will start learning in August.
“Universities have postponed the start of lectures for first year students so that their programmes can be structured in such a way that if a Civil Engineering student from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) wants to transfer to the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) for the second semester onwards, that would not be a problem since the programmes are the same and they started at the same time,” said Prof Murwira.
“We have the Study in Zimbabwe Programme, where universities are trying to attract international students and the Zimbabwe Qualifications Framework, where they are trying to synchronise their programmes, following Statutory Instrument 132 of 2018.
“So, based on this, universities said they are working on the synchronisation of programmes and they will be ready for students to start their lectures in August 2020; that is for first year students, but they will be admitted even now.”
Prof Murwira said starting in August was not new as the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) always started in that month since it did not have two intakes per year.
He said universities had their meeting on January 9 and agreed that for them to implement the Zimbabwe Qualifications Framework, they needed to start lectures for first year students at the same time.
Prof Murwira said after a meeting on Tuesday on the Study in Zimbabwe Programme, universities said they would be ready with the synchronisation exercise by June 30, 2020.
The universities will also be required to implement the new Education 5.0 Curriculum which emphasises on technology and innovation.
Prof Murwira said Education 5.0 sought to broaden the terms of reference for the universities through the addition of innovation and industrialisation.
“Our universities, instead of having three terms of reference which are teaching, research and community service (Education 3.0), we are now doing Education 5.0, which has innovation and industrialisation,” he said.
“Universities are now being given five terms of reference, that is why we are building innovation hubs to make sure that industrialisation and new products become the responsibility of universities, just like Silicon Valley is the industrial park for Stanford University.
“That is why at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) we are starting what we call the Cattle Artificial Insemination Programme, which has potential revenue of US$140 million, which we have already finished.”
Prof Murwira said it was important to review syllabuses offered at universities, in line with Vision 2030 of an upper middle income economy.
“We will introduce new programmes relevant to the country’s economy,” he said.
“We do not want to short-change our parents by churning out some unemployable graduates. The ministry is working on reviewing the curriculum in line with the country’s economy.
“We want to introduce new programmes such as solar technicians, farm management, locomotive technicians, leather technicians, irrigation technicians, and avionic technicians, among others, which are relevant to the country’s economy and in line with Vision 2030.”
On farm management, Prof Murwira said skills offered at the moment were only 12 percent of requirements, hence the challenges with managing farms.
“We are producing what we call Ivory Tower mentality, meaning universities are doing something which has nothing to do with the country,” he said. “We are not training for our country, but for other countries.
“Most developed countries have transformed their economies through their education systems. This is what we are looking at.”
Taking turns to act Vice Presidents Kembo Mohadi and Constantino Chiwenga
Correspondent|Vice President Kembo Mohadi will be the Acting President until the end of the month when President Mnangagwa returns from his annual vacation.
“Starting this morning (yesterday), Vice President Kembo D. Mohadi takes over as Acting President until end of the month when His Excellency the President, Cde E.D. Mnangagwa resumes State duties after a year-end break. Dr Constantino Chiwenga reverts to his role of Vice President,” Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Mr George Charamba said yesterday.
President Mnangagwa started his annual leave after ending last year on a high with the successful hosting of the Zanu-PF 18th Annual National People’s Conference in Goromonzi in December.
In a statement earlier in the month, Mr Charamba had said President Mnangagwa would be on leave for three weeks until the end of the month and during his vacation, Vice Presidents Chiwenga and Mohadi would take turns to act.
Mnangagwa has not had the rest he needed when Chiwenga was acting President as he showed signs of not trusting his second in charge by sporadically taking over some executive duties while Chiwenga was there.
The President is spending his vacation in the country.
State Media|Supreme Court this week ruled that all debts incurred before February 22 last year must be settled in the local currency at a 1:1 rate against the US dollar in line with Statutory Instrument (SI) 33 of 2019.
The SI abolished the multi-currency regime and reintroduced the Zimbabwe dollar.
Chief Justice Luke Malaba made the landmark ruling in an appeal case involving Zambezi Gas Zimbabwe (Pvt) Limited against mining services provider N.R. Barber (Pvt) Ltd and the Sherriff of Zimbabwe.
Zambezi Gas had appealed against a High Court judgment which instructed the gas company to pay a May 2018 debt using the interbank rate and not 1:1 rate which was effected in February 2019.
N.R. Barber’s lawyers argued that in interpreting SI 33/19, the court should have regard to the principle of parity.
The firm enjoined the court to have regard to the fact that a judgment was a judicial fact that resulted from adjudication.
The contention was that in interpreting the statute, the court should place N. R. Barber in the position it would have been in had SI 33/19 not been enacted.
It was argued that the SI was a bridge between the US dollar and the RTGS dollar and in that regard, the court should have considered the interbank exchange rate as a means of arriving at parity.
But Chief Justice Malaba ruled that the payment of RTGS$4 136 806,54 made by Zambezi Gas was in full and final settlement of the debt in terms of Section 4(1) (d) of the S.I. 33/ 2019.
He found that the arguments by N.R. Barber were devoid of merit.
“Counsel (N.R Barber lawyer) would like the court to believe that a conversion of a foreign currency denomination to a local currency denomination amounts to a lesser value in the local currency,” he said.
“This reasoning is wrong at law. There can be no parity to talk about once it is accepted that the RTGS dollar is a currency denomination with a set legal value.
“It is the legal tender used in Zimbabwe and as such carries a specific value. Once a conversion of the value of an asset or liability denominated in United States dollars is made to the value of RTGS dollars, the converted value remains the same, as the two different currency denominations both carry value.”
Chief Justice Malaba noted that no exchange rate could be applied as the judgment debt remained a judgment debt with a value after it was converted to the local currency.
“The RTGS dollar has the value given under the one-to-one (1:1) rate and it remains on that value even after the effective date,” he said.
“The first respondent (N. R. Barber) and likewise the court a quo was wrong at law in trying to find parity by adding value on the RTGS dollar through the interbank rate.”
Section 4 (l)(d) of SI 33/19 stated that for such unique liabilities, including judgment debts, a rate of 1:1 between the US dollar and the RTGS dollar would apply.
The transactions entered into after the effective date, would fall under the provisions of section 4(1)(e) of SI 33/19, added the Chief Justice.
To this end, Chief Justice Malaba said the payment of RTGS$4 136 806,45 made by the appellant as settlement of the judgment debt was a full and final settlement of the judgment debt in terms of Section 4(1)(d) of SI 33/19.
The court heard that N.R. Barber offered services to Zambezi Gas in May 2018 charged at US$3 885 000.
Following the promulgation of S.I 33 of May 2019, Zambezi Gas paid RTGS$ 4 136 806,54 to N. R. Barber being debt plus interest.
N. R. Barber then approached the High Court to force Zambezi Gas to pay an additional US$3 992 018,31 arguing that RTGS$4 136 806,54 Zambezi Gas had paid was equivalent to US$144 778,23 as per the payment date’s interbank rate in May.
Zambezi Gas was challenging a US$3 885 000 lawsuit, which the High Court had ordered the company to pay N.R Barber regarding a mining services the latter had provided at Entuba Coal Mining Concession in Hwange in 2014.
The ruling will see Zambezi Gas paying N.R Barber Z$3 885 00.
Mafongoya & Matapura law firm represented N.R Barber in the matter.
Grace Mugabe being consoled by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo
4 months after the government lost the battle to obtain former president Robert Mugabe’s corpse, the state media has reported that his widow, Grace now faces arrest.
Emmerson Mnangagwa fought a two week fight to get Mugabe’s body as the family raised fears he wanted to use it for ritual purposes. Around that time, the ZANU PF party rushed to threaten Grace with seizure of the family home as well as the former president’s farms.
The full report published in the Chronicle says:
At least 132 people, including political heavyweights, face arrest for allegedly selling State land, corruptly allocating themselves stands, fraud, abuse of cooperative funds and criminal abuse of office.
This follows an audit report into Harare land sales by the commission of Inquiry led by Justice Tendai Uchena that traced land transfers in urban areas since 2005.
Others stand accused of selling cooperative stands without authority from the Registrar of Cooperatives, malicious damage to property, as well as subdividing land reserved for recreational activities and schools.
Prominent names recommended for investigation in the Harare land audit report include former First Lady Grace Mugabe, former Cabinet Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo, ex-Local Government permanent secretary Engineer George Mlilo, ex-Cabinet minister Ms Nyasha Chikwinya, businessman Dr Philip Chiyangwa, former Harare South legislator Mr Shadreck Mashayamombe and Mr Nhamo Tutisani.
The majority of other people on the list are leaders of housing cooperatives set up by political heavyweights.
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo yesterday confirmed receipt of a copy of the audit report, saying investigations would start soon.
“Yes, we were given a copy of the land audit report by the Commission and our general manager (investigations) is liaising with the police so that we know who is doing what to avoid stepping on each other’s toes when investigating.
“We hope investigations will start on Monday after we have agreed on the cases that ZACC and the police will be investigating,” she said.
Mrs Mugabe is accused of grabbing stands at Carrick Creach Farm in Harare and transferring ownership into names of her relatives without payment.
Some stands at the farm were allegedly allocated to people who were later pushed out by Mrs Mugabe, according to the report.
Dr Chombo, according to the report, should also be investigated for allocating himself vast tracts of land on the same farm allegedly registering several stands under three companies without paying.
Dr Chombo is also under spotlight for allegedly corruptly facilitating Mrs Mugabe’s land grab.
The report states that Dr Chombo “unlawfully took several stands and registered them in the names of his three companies without paying for them, well aware that the farm had not been handed over to the Ministry of Local Government by the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement.”
The three companies were listed as Comverol Enterprises Pvt Ltd, Some of the stands had been allocated to other beneficiaries, who were later allegedly pushed out by Dr Chombo.
The Commission of Inquiry recommended that Dr Chombo be investigated for abuse of office.
At the same farm, three Local Government officials — Mrs Rejoice Pazvakavambwa, Mrs Rhory Shawatu and Mrs Ruramai Chembwa — were also allegedly involved in illegal land dealings.
Mrs Pazvakavambwa is accused of allocating herself a stand that had already been allocated to someone else while Ms Shawatu is said to have facilitated the transfer of stands allocated to Arusome Properties (Pvt ) Ltd before specified conditions had been met.
Mrs Chembwa is accused of abusing her office by acting as a debt collector for Arusome in the name of the ministry.
The commission said all stands improperly allocated at Carrick Creagh Farm must be recovered.
“Ministry of Local Government should recover the 50 stands unlawfully transferred to Arusome. It should also recover all the stands unlawfully taken and transferred by the former Minister Dr I. Chombo and former First Lady G. Mugabe.
“The stands should be given back to the beneficiaries to whom they had been allocated before they were grabbed by the former minister and former First Lady,” wrote the commission.
Dr Chombo’s name also featured in another reported improper allocation at Philadelphia Farm where he stands accused of allocating himself five stands before registering three of them in the names of his cronies.
At Ordar Farm, Dr Chombo is accused of unlawfully handing over acquired State land to Sensene Investments (Pvt) Ltd, linked to businessman Dr Chiyangwa.
Dr Chiyangwa, according to the report, should be investigated for alleged fraud after demanding, through his company Pinnacle Properties, payment from settlers at Stoneridge Farm in Harare.
According to the report, Dr Chiyangwa, whose company owned subdivision A of Stoneridge Farm, was offered alternative land at Tantallon Farm to pave the way for desperate home-seekers.
Despite being offered alternative land, it came out that the businessman’s company continued demanding payment from the occupants, a development that was viewed as potentially fraudulent.
Dr Chombo is also implicated in Stoneridge Farm allocations after allegedly abusing his office as minister to instruct officials in his ministry to enter into a deed of settlement with Pinnacle Holdings without being authorised by Cabinet.
Mr Mashayamombe, former legislator for Harare South, features prominently in the land audit report for illegally selling State land at Saturday Retreat Estate under an entity called Solomon Mujuru Housing Trust.
He allegedly entered into an agreement of sale with the Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ).
Mr Mashayamombe allegedly sold more State land at Rest Farm without a memorandum of agreement with the Local Government Ministry.
Eng Mlilo faces abuse of office investigations after allegedly facilitating the illegal transfer of Nyarungu Estate to Jetmaster, a company associated with Dr Chiyangwa.
Eng Mlilo, according to the report, should be investigated for bribery and corruption.
Former National Assembly member for Hatcliffe Mr Tongesai Mudambo reportedly appropriated land to himself and sold State land reserved for solving double allocation problems at Hatcliffe North Farm.
Ms Chikwinya is accused of illegally selling State land without developing it under Pilgrims Rest Developers at Hatcliffe North Farm.
Mr Tutisani is accused of illegally subdividing open spaces and school sites into residential stands at Hatcliffe North Farm. He is also accused of selling State land without fully developing it.
Two police officers —Taruvinga Jindu and Watson Tundu — allegedly received stands to influence the outcome of some land investigations they were conducting at Philadelphia Farm.- state media
A man in Gwanda lost R2 000 and $50 after a sex worker he had engaged teamed up with two men and attacked him while they were on their way to her house.
Thubelihle Ndlovu (23) from Jahunda and her accomplices Xolani Ndlovu (25) and Ndodana Ndlovu (21) both from Marriage area in Gwanda are expected to appear at the Gwanda Magistrate’s Court on a date yet to be advised facing a robbery charge. They will proceed by a way of summons pending further investigations.
According to State papers, Mr Proud Sibanda (32) met Thubelihle at Cry Mantengwane Nightclub in Gwanda and they agreed to have a session at her home.
“On 10 January at around 4AM, Mr Sibanda who was in the company of his friend only identified as Frank were at Cry Mantengwane Nightclub when Mr Sibanda approached Thubelihle who is a commercial sex worker seeking her services for the night.
“They agreed to spend the rest of the night at her house and they left the nightclub and headed there,” he said.
“Along the way they were joined by Frank who was also going home. Along the way Xolani and Ndodana started following them from behind. Thubelihle then instructed them to attack Mr Sibanda and Frank and take their money.”
The State papers further said Frank managed to escape but Xolani grabbed Mr Sibanda from behind before he could escape.
They searched his pockets and took a wallet which contained R2 000 and $50. Ndodana went on to hit Mr Sibanda with an empty beer bottle on the head and with a brick on the back and they fled from the scene leaving him lying on the ground.
The State papers said Mr Sibanda was assisted by some passersby who took him to Gwanda Provincial Hospital where he was treated. The matter was reported to the police resulting in the arrest of the accused persons.-state media/
Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa on Tuesday called for a holistic approach towards attaining the people’s freedom.
Chamisa made while presenting “Vision 2020 in Mbare, Harare on Tuesday.
“Fellow Zimbabweans,
Our country is at a crossroads. We stand where they stood, lets make history. Get involved.
We are the biggest shareholders of this country as brought back or we claim it with urgency.
Freedom is not a distant phenomenon. Freedom is not far away from us. It is next to us, within is and around us. There is no greater power than a people united!
Freedom must come. If doesn’t come we must bring it. We are its vehicles and conveyancers.
If not you, then who?”
He added:”Power is not somewhere remote. Power is within us, the people!
We have heard you cry for action. Action is not the responsibility of one person. Do not allow individuals to personalise the struggle for freedom. Stand with us to restore this country. It is time pull together to mend the social fabric that has been torn apart by this tragic failure of leadership.
Fellow citizens,
I would like to assure every person who has ever put their faith in this movement that we will not abandon the cause. The path ahead may seem unclear, but we are resolved and continue to work tirelessly to bring about change that transforms the lives of every woman, man and child who belongs to this soil.
Ours is an inter-generational mandate that requires each individual to look inside themselves and ask what action they can make to harness the winds of change.
The time is now. If we are to achieve freedom, prosperity and equal opportunity the we have to act as one, individually and collectively.”
As other nations revealed moves to improve the rule of law and economic climates, Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube on the other hand, announced he will be printing higher currency denominations including a $50 dollar note.
Ever since his Chatham House appearance in October 2018, when Mthuli misled British investors on the rule of law in Zimbabwe, the country has grown worse.
Prof Ncube made his latest statements during an interview with Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum underway in Davos, Switzerland.
He said Government was carefully injecting cash into the economy so as not to trigger inflation.
“First of all, we are doing two things, we are injecting cash into the economy, drip feeding the economy. But we want to do it in a non- inflationary way where we are changing electronic currency for physical cash,” said Prof Ncube.
“Second thing, we are introducing higher denomination notes $10, $20 and $50 during the course of 2020. That is what we would be doing; introducing higher denominations notes to make sure that it’s easy for citizens to transact. That is going to happen in the next few months.”
He said Government has made several strides to stabilise the local currency with month on month inflation figures steadily dropping.
Prof Ncube said the high inflation rate was however normal as the local currency was finding its footing among other currencies.
“But year on year remains high but that is expected when you liberalise a currency and it’s trying to find its equilibrium and it’s trying to find its footing. We however believe in the last few months it has been quite stable, actually. It has stopped the transmission of currency volatility into pricing so I believe we are on our way to dealing with inflation. It will take time but it is headed there,” he said.
Prof Ncube said Government will continue engaging civil servants to address their salary concerns.
He said Government was aware that retailers and service providers were pricing their products and services against the US dollar.
“Wages have to catch up with adjustment to exchange rates because retailers are still pricing in US dollars in their heads and translating that to domestic currency. It has squashed the purchasing power of wages and we are closing that gap by allowing wages to rise. We know the issue and we are dealing with it,” said Prof Ncube.
He said Government was partially privatising some of its entities as it wants the private sector to lead the economic turn around.
Prof Ncube bemoaned the severe effects of climate change which have affected the country’s economic performance.
“We decry the impact of climate change. For us it is real. We had a cyclone last year, followed by drought, it has impacted on food output. We are importing food and we have also been receiving support from the international community. We are shifting our budget to finance and climate-proof our agriculture. We are investing in irrigation we are investing in drought resistant crops. We are doing everything we can but also we appreciate the support from the international community,” said Prof Ncube. – state media/ additional reporting.
Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa on Tuesday called for a holistic approach towards attaining the people’s freedom.
Chamisa made while presenting “Vision 2020 in Mbare, Harare on Tuesday.
“Fellow Zimbabweans,
Our country is at a crossroads. We stand where they stood, lets make history. Get involved.
We are the biggest shareholders of this country as brought back or we claim it with urgency.
Freedom is not a distant phenomenon. Freedom is not far away from us. It is next to us, within is and around us. There is no greater power than a people united!
Freedom must come. If doesn’t come we must bring it. We are its vehicles and conveyancers.
If not you, then who?”
He added:”Power is not somewhere remote. Power is within us, the people!
We have heard you cry for action. Action is not the responsibility of one person. Do not allow individuals to personalise the struggle for freedom. Stand with us to restore this country. It is time pull together to mend the social fabric that has been torn apart by this tragic failure of leadership.
Fellow citizens,
I would like to assure every person who has ever put their faith in this movement that we will not abandon the cause. The path ahead may seem unclear, but we are resolved and continue to work tirelessly to bring about change that transforms the lives of every woman, man and child who belongs to this soil.
Ours is an inter-generational mandate that requires each individual to look inside themselves and ask what action they can make to harness the winds of change.
The time is now. If we are to achieve freedom, prosperity and equal opportunity the we have to act as one, individually and collectively.”
A Bulawayo senior police officer and two accomplices, one of them a Zambian, have appeared in court for allegedly poaching rhinos at Bubye Valley Conservancy at Mazunga area in Beitbridge.
Nhlanhla Nkomo (43), who is an Assistant Inspector stationed at Pumula Police Station, Stanley Katandika (50), a Zambian national and Owen Nyoni (35), a former ZimParks ranger appeared before Beitbridge magistrate Mr Toyindepi Zhou facing charges of violating a section of the Parks and Wildlife Act (poaching) and possession of a firearm or ammunition without a certificate.
They were remanded in custody to February 3. The three accused persons were apprehended last week by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) rangers following a tip off.
Prosecuting, Misheck Guwanda said on January 17 the three accused persons were cornered by ZimParks rangers who were patrolling inside Bubye Valley Conservancy, which is a protected area.
They were allegedly hunting for rhinos when they were intercepted by the rangers who managed to recover a loaded firearm and ammunition.
The court heard that Nkomo tried to flee to evade arrest and he was only arrested following the assistance of game scouts and tracker dogs.
– Chronicle
Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa on Tuesday called for a holistic approach towards attaining the people’s freedom.
Chamisa made while presenting “Vision 2020 in Mbare, Harare on Tuesday.
“Fellow Zimbabweans,
Our country is at a crossroads. We stand where they stood, lets make history. Get involved.
We are the biggest shareholders of this country as brought back or we claim it with urgency.
Freedom is not a distant phenomenon. Freedom is not far away from us. It is next to us, within is and around us. There is no greater power than a people united!
Freedom must come. If doesn’t come we must bring it. We are its vehicles and conveyancers.
If not you, then who?”
He added:”Power is not somewhere remote. Power is within us, the people!
We have heard you cry for action. Action is not the responsibility of one person. Do not allow individuals to personalise the struggle for freedom. Stand with us to restore this country. It is time pull together to mend the social fabric that has been torn apart by this tragic failure of leadership.
Fellow citizens,
I would like to assure every person who has ever put their faith in this movement that we will not abandon the cause. The path ahead may seem unclear, but we are resolved and continue to work tirelessly to bring about change that transforms the lives of every woman, man and child who belongs to this soil.
Ours is an inter-generational mandate that requires each individual to look inside themselves and ask what action they can make to harness the winds of change.
The time is now. If we are to achieve freedom, prosperity and equal opportunity the we have to act as one, individually and collectively.”
Farai Dziva| Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications) George Charamba has claimed that MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s Vision 2020 presentation yesterday was full of contradictions.
Charamba further claimed Chamisa’s speech was a “complete nothing full of contradictions”.
“If you try and strip this whole so-called agenda speech of all the flowery nature of his language, what stares you in the face is a series of contradictions,” Charamba told a state run paper.
“He now seeks to introduce the military into the dialogue without realising that he is running foul to the Constitution. At one level, you can’t be saying security forces must be apolitical, but at the same time you are making them a stakeholder in a political dialogue.
“Secondly, he has lifted the issue of legitimacy as a precondition for dialogue. The question then that stands is what else remains? When he says legitimacy is not a precondition, so what else necessitates a dialogue yet in fact all along and by his own confession including his interaction with churches, he was saying the number one question is the question of legitimacy?”
“Jubilation over a second hand plane, whilst Paul Kagame opens a 2.5 Billion dollar car industry”
Emphasis over ma vegetables and potatoes, as Edgar Lungu of Zambia embarks on a solar project to end the notorious load shedding.
“Every district in Zambia has a hospital, and he launched a 4000 road network for the whole country”.
Refurbishment of Kenneth Kaunda New Airport, and launch of Spaghetti road project in Lusaka.
We have become a laughing stock in Zimbabwe to receive another 1994 model used plane which some impeccable sources claim this was Zimbabwean plane which has been brought for the second time. Whilst the whole cabinet left Munhumutapa offices, using State Resources to celebrate what they call a clinched deal on airport, whoever made arrangement of those chairs is deliberately doing this to embarrass the “Presidency” and expose the office to enemies and vultures of criticism. Don’t forget not so long, the former Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa opened a bin in Rusape all the way from Harare, splashing State resources and putting a ribbon on a bin whilst UK has snubbed Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is the only country that has been snubbed perhaps judging by these silly mistakes and the lightweight presidential events, the overall conclusion is to snub the failed State Presidency.
Botswana donated bandages perhaps to bandage the wounded Presidency from citizens’ anger. Just this past weekend Mnangagwa and Chiwenga were posing for photos in the maize field, and you can easily tell their minds are limited to those photo shoot outs and posing in different styles holding maize cobs whilst over 6 million people are starving.
To them it’s about farming and poverty that has been exhibited by photo shoots in maize fields. Not even a single industry has been visited.
All those lies packaged by failed propaganda team led by Nick Mangwana who peddled falsehoods that Mnangagwa built over 2000 schools perhaps in the Atlantic Ocean near Mozambique. They have been gagging Zimbabweans by their falsehoods and taking literally everyone for granted. All they can simply do is to claim that we have done this and that.Our major problem is we have “Presidents” who love photo shoots or shootouts, they love Herald front page every day. They were too ambitious when Mugabe was alive to the extent that they admired him without really taking notes on how he handled himself in public and his PR stance.
It was photo shoots alover Harare International Airports and even the journalists covering the event were wondering exactly what these boys and girls were doing. Perhaps it is raka raka of today. We have a crisis emanating from a legitimacy tag hovering over Munhumutapa building. The fast gasping oxygen tightening propaganda team is losing control and the centre can’t hold and the bottom line everyone has concluded in the corridors of power and shake shake building >
“State Presidency has expired, and exhausted, and generally the public sentiments are Mr. President simply resign from this office. Even the ever smiling Chasi who could hardly spend a day without posting a twitter is now exhausted with lies and the Energy Ministry is too big for him. All he can do is to post about candles and water levels in Kariba. Its four months now after the ZPC board has been appointed, it is reportedly that the board is already stinking with corruption, millions has already been looted. Their eyes are on farms, looting Command Agriculture facility, looting inputs and everything etc.
Coincidentally, Mugabe was the best farmer during his tenure as President, and Mnangagwa is also the best farmer during his controversial lightweight tenure. Surprisingly he is the best farmer. Congrats Murambwi.” Shumba”, why don’t you pose for photo shoots with Kuwadzana residents were sewer is spilling in the public roads? The ever smiling President in the Maize fields. The Office of the President has been reduced into a packrat club which has a chairperson who does not have the knowledge of his roles. Honestly if it was a village head role, wheels should have come off and ED would have been recalled. If a State college can charge $4000 and then the following day a State President can pose for photo shoots in a maize field then one wonders if there are special Management Courses that can be introduced or leadership is an inbuilt thing which does not require all this.
The honest truth is the man has literally failed and asante sana part is what the whole nation is expecting!
Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo is a Policy Advisor and Researcher and he is also a leading Thinker for Zimbabwe Institute of Strategic Thinking and he can be contacted at [email protected]
Farai Dziva| Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications) George Charamba has claimed that MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s Vision 2020 presentation yesterday was full of contradictions.
Charamba further claimed Chamisa’s speech was a “complete nothing full of contradictions”.
“If you try and strip this whole so-called agenda speech of all the flowery nature of his language, what stares you in the face is a series of contradictions,” Charamba told a state run paper.
“He now seeks to introduce the military into the dialogue without realising that he is running foul to the Constitution. At one level, you can’t be saying security forces must be apolitical, but at the same time you are making them a stakeholder in a political dialogue.
“Secondly, he has lifted the issue of legitimacy as a precondition for dialogue. The question then that stands is what else remains? When he says legitimacy is not a precondition, so what else necessitates a dialogue yet in fact all along and by his own confession including his interaction with churches, he was saying the number one question is the question of legitimacy?”
Farai Dziva|Professor Jonathan Moyo has related how state security agents “brutally killed” his father on January 22, 1983.
Moyo said members of the Fifth Brigade, together with CIO operatives were instructed by Perence Shiri and Emmerson Mnangagwa to “kill his father.”
“On 22 January 1983 my father Melusi Job Mlevu was brutally murdered by Perence Shiri’s Fifth Brigade & Mnangagwa’s CIO. They tortured him in front of his family; had him dig a shallow grave under torture, pumped bullets into his body & left the grave open,” Moyo posted on Twitter.
Farai Dziva|Professor Jonathan Moyo has related how state security agents “brutally killed” his father on January 22, 1983.
Moyo said members of the Fifth Brigade, together with CIO operatives were instructed by Perence Shiri and Emmerson Mnangagwa to “kill his father.”
“On 22 January 1983 my father Melusi Job Mlevu was brutally murdered by Perence Shiri’s Fifth Brigade & Mnangagwa’s CIO. They tortured him in front of his family; had him dig a shallow grave under torture, pumped bullets into his body & left the grave open,” Moyo posted on Twitter.
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has informed former Zanu PF Political Commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere about the decision to repossess his farm.
According to a letter written by the Ministry of Lands, government has decided to take over the farm for replanning purposes.
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has informed former Zanu PF Political Commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere about the decision to repossess his farm.
According to a letter written by the Ministry of Lands, government has decided to take over the farm for replanning purposes.
By A Correspondent- Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said universities are free to charge operational levies as only tuition fees have been capped at $5 000 per semester.
Murwira made the remarks following the National University of Science and Technology’s (NUST) announcement of new fees. Said Murwira:
The levies are a must. Technology levy and other things are necessary but what we control as Government is the tuition.
We cannot determine how much accommodation fees cost when we do not own it. As we say we want more productivity at universities. For example, last year the University of Zimbabwe did not increase fees, you know why?
Because they have a very productive farm at seven tonnes per hectare and milling company which mills mealie-meal.
So, it means their prices were moderate. So that is what we are trying to encourage all other universities so that we don’t have too high prices for accommodation.
According to the NUST communication and marketing officer, Lindiwe Nyoni, each programme or faculty has certain levies that are charged to ensure its smooth running for the benefit of the students as well as the effective running of the university.
By A Correspondent| The case of a large machete gang reportedly numbering 300 men who surrounded the Matapi police station (Mbare) on Wednesday afternoon took a twist when the officer in charge affirmed that the 3 MDC members who went to report their case of assault and were abused by the machete gang, were unlawfully arrested.
The three complainants who are all brothers, Jonathan, Cleopas and Eriya Chinodya, had gone to the Matapi to report an assault when they had more salt added to injury- a large gang surrounded the police station and was given sway to besiege the building as well as assault one of them.
At 2.46pm(GMT), MDC leaders including local MP Starman Chamisa and Godfrey Kurauone(assisting three victims), told ZimEye they were still trapped inside the Matapi police station by the gang.
In the latest development officer in charge of the police station who presided over the arrest of the three -speaking to zimeye.com at 9 p.m. affirming that the 3 complainants were unlawfully arrested.
Insp Jihani affirmed with a confirming “all right, okay.” answering to the question concerning the unlawful arrest.
But why did you arrest the three complainants, the boys who came to file a police report and then you arrest them; is that proper?, ZimEye’s Simba Chikanza asked.
Jihani then replied saying, ” they were identified by complainants saying they are the ones who beat us,” he said.
No, the boys who came to report and where later supported by counsellor Godfrey Kurauone, those guys had come to report that they were assaulted; how can you then arrest them when they have come to make a report?, he was asked.
Jihani replied with an affirmative, “all right, okay.”
To this Simba Chikanza retorted again asking: ” so you do know what happened and now you confidently changed the story right?”
He then became unresponsive and his phone was abruptly cut off.
4 hours ago, the police boss Commissioner Godwin Matanga contacted for a comment, told ZimEye “I will investigate.”
As we are convinced a law is being broken, we hereby display the Officer In Charge’s cellphone on the LIVE video for the purposes of international enforcement. International lawyers are in the way preparing dockets to effect arrest on ZRP cops, and government officials abusing diplomatic impunity who are commiting crimes against humanity in Zimbabwe to get them arrested once they land in foreign lands. VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
By A Correspondent- A 54-year-old Zvishavane man has appeared in court after he was allegedly caught pants down rap_ing his seven-year-old niece by the minor’s brother.
The man who cannot be named for ethical reasons, allegedly rap_ed his niece, a Grade Three pupil, four times in 2017 in his bedroom.
The man pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Gweru Regional Magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa facing four counts of rape.
He was remanded in custody to February 3 for continuation of trial.
Prosecuting, Mr Talent Tadenyika said on an unknown date in 2017, the complainant was living at her grandmother`s homestead.
Each time she passed through the accused person’s homestead from school, the man would tell her to come back after changing her uniform.
“When she came back the accused person’s wife would either go to the river to wash or to fetch water at the borehole. The accused`s son would go away leaving the complainant in the company of the accused who would then rap_e her,” said Mr Tadenyika.
The court heard that at one time, the girl left home and went to the accused person’s house.
Her brother was later sent to look for her.
While at the man’s house, he allegedly peeped through the window and saw the accused person rap_ing his sister.
The brother ran away in fear and did not tell anyone.
The matter came to light when the complainant`s brother later approached her and asked her what had transpired.
As she was telling him, her aunt overhead her and told her mother leading to the arrest of the accused person
By A Correspondent- Presidential spokesperson George Charamba has trashed as a series of contradictions opposition MDC alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s Agenda 2020 statement delivered in Mbare (Tuesday).
Charamba questioned why the military should be included in the dialogue arguing that Chamisa was backtracking on the preconditions for dialogue.
He said in the state run media:
If you try and strip this whole so-called agenda speech of all the flowery nature of his language, what stares you in the face is a series of contradictions.
He now seeks to introduce the military into the dialogue without realising that he is running foul to the Constitution. At one level, you can’t be saying security forces must be apolitical, but at the same time you are making them a stakeholder in a political dialogue.
“Secondly, he has lifted the issue of legitimacy as a precondition for dialogue. The question then that stands is what else remains? When he says legitimacy is not a precondition, so what else necessitates a dialogue yet in fact all along and by his own confession including his interaction with churches, he was saying the number one question is the question of legitimacy?”
Watch below the full speech by Chamisa to hundreds of party supporters who turned up at Stoddart grounds:
Writes Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo- Its nothing but dramatic monologue entangled over “failed State Presidency”.
“Jubilation over a second hand plane, whilst
Paul Kagame opens a 2.5 Billion dollar car industry”
Emphasis over ma vegetables and potatoes, as
Edgar Lungu of Zambia embarks on a solar project to end the notorious load shedding.
“Every district in Zambia has a hospital, and
he launched a 4000 road network for the whole country”.
Refurbishment of Kenneth Kaunda New Airport,
and launch of Spaghetti road project in Lusaka.
We have become a laughing stock in Zimbabwe to receive another 1994 model used plane which some impeccable sources claim this was Zimbabwean plane which has been brought for the second time.
Whilst the whole cabinet left Munhumutapa offices, using State Resources to celebrate what they call a clinched deal on airport, whoever made arrangement of those chairs is deliberately doing this to embarrass the “Presidency” and expose the office to enemies and vultures of criticism.
Don’t forget not so long, the former Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa opened a bin in Rusape all the way from Harare, splashing State resources and putting a ribbon on a bin whilst UK has snubbed Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is the only country that has been snubbed perhaps judging by these silly mistakes and the lightweight presidential events, the overall conclusion is to snub the failed State Presidency.
Botswana donated bandages perhaps to bandage
the wounded Presidency from citizens’ anger. Just this past weekend Mnangagwa
and Chiwenga were posing for photos in the maize field, and you can easily tell
their minds are limited to those photo shoot outs and posing in different
styles holding maize cobs whilst over 6 million people are starving.
To them it’s about farming and poverty that
has been exhibited by photo shoots in maize fields. Not even a single industry
has been visited.
All those lies packaged by failed propaganda team led by Nick Mangwana who peddled falsehoods that Mnangagwa built over 2000 schools perhaps in the Atlantic Ocean near Mozambique.
They have been gagging Zimbabweans by their falsehoods and taking literally everyone for granted. All they can simply do is to claim that we have done this and that.Our major problem is we have “Presidents” who love photo shoots or shootouts, they love Herald front page every day.
They were too ambitious when Mugabe was alive to the extent that they admired him without really taking notes on how he handled himself in public and his PR stance.
It was photo shoots all over Harare International Airports and even the journalists covering the event were wondering exactly what these boys and girls were doing. Perhaps it is raka raka of today. We have a crisis emanating from a legitimacy tag hovering over Munhumutapa building.
The fast gasping oxygen tightening propaganda team is losing control and the centre can’t hold and the bottom line everyone has concluded in the corridors of power and shake shake building >
“State Presidency has expired, and exhausted, and generally the public sentiments are Mr. President simply resign from this office. Even the ever smiling Chasi who could hardly spend a day without posting a twitter is now exhausted with lies and the Energy Ministry is too big for him. All he can do is to post about candles and water levels in Kariba.
Its four months now after the ZPC board has been appointed, it is reportedly that the board is already stinking with corruption, millions has already been looted. Their eyes are on farms, looting Command Agriculture facility, looting inputs and everything etc.
Coincidentally, Mugabe was the best farmer during his tenure as President, and Mnangagwa is also the best farmer during his controversial lightweight tenure. Surprisingly he is the best farmer. Congrats Murambwi.” Shumba”, why don’t you pose for photo shoots with Kuwadzana residents were sewer is spilling in the public roads? The ever smiling President in the Maize fields.
The Office of the President has been reduced into a packrat club which has a chairperson who does not have the knowledge of his roles. Honestly if it was a village head role, wheels should have come off and ED would have been recalled.
If a State college can charge $4000 and then the following day a State President can pose for photo shoots in a maize field then one wonders if there are special Management Courses that can be introduced or leadership is an inbuilt thing which does not require all this.
The honest truth is the man has literally
failed and asante sana part is what the whole nation is expecting!!!
By A Correspondent- A Rural Electrification Agency (REA) employee based in Bulawayo has been taken to court for allegedly stealing 3 500m of aluminium conductors worth $100 000.
Maxwell Muchetu (36), appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Lizwe Jamela on Monday charged with theft and was not asked to plead.
He was granted $500 bail and remanded to February 6.
The court was told that on January 17 at 2pm, Muchetu and Patricia Noko, who is still at large, stole 3 500m HD aluminum conductors from their employer’s storeroom.
They loaded it into a Toyota Hilux driven by Moses Zivengwa to whom they misrepresented that he had been hired by REA to transport the conductors.
Zivengwa allegedly took the conductors to Thandolwenkosi Mhlanga at number 144A Fife Street and 15th Avenue in the city centre for safekeeping.
Ananias Manjoro saw the pair taking out the company’s property without paperwork and reported the matter to REA official Prince Trust Ndlovu.
Investigations led to Muchetu’s arrest and the recovery of the conductors.
By A Correspondent- Police have launched a manhunt for a Bulawayo teacher who allegedly incited pupils at Njube High School to demonstrate against the recent school fees hike and the poor salaries earned by their teachers.
This was confirmed by the Zimbabwe Republic Police national spokesperson Paul Nyathi in an interview with the Daily News. Said Nyathi:
We are investigating the case of a teacher who is alleged to have taken manila, written messages and accompanied the students on a demonstration.
We have not yet apprehended the suspect, but we are confident that he will be arrested soon.
Brian Mutsiba, a biology teacher at the school and a former prisons officer, is accused of having mobilised 153 Form 1, Form 3 and Form 6 learners to stage a demonstration against the absence of teachers and the recent fees hike.
He is accused of having removed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s portrait from the staff room and taking down the Zimbabwe flag from its mast at the school before embarking on the march.
End of an era. Bhadella Wholesalers are closing down this Friday January 24,. Sadly they are forced to close down with immediate effect due to the economic situation. They have been in operation for 88 years.
In his seminal statement yesterday, the people’s President Advocate Nelson Chamisa was unstintingly consistent, particularly regarding the party’s position on the illegitimacy of Mr Mnangagwa, given the public secret that the man now misgoverning the State brazenly pilfered the people’s mandate in the 2018 plebiscite.
Contrary to the rantings by one George Charamba that President Chamisa has dropped the issue of illegitimacy, the people’s President yesterday said the damning electoral theft of the 2018 polls had been exposed in a report compiled by ZEC and tabled before the National Assembly by government on 27 June 2019. The ZEC report, he said, had all but confirmed Mr Mnangagwa’s illegitimacy.
President Chamisa was unambiguous that the pilferage of the 2018 Presidential election will never and should never be forgotten about. In any event, topping the five fights enunciated in Mbare yesterday by the people’s President is the fight for a true people’s government, for comprehensive reforms and a return to legitimacy.
How could President Chamisa ever be presumed to have dropped the people’s key fight? As a key signpost on Zimbabwe’s pathway to hope, the MDC wants an inclusive dialogue process. This sincere, credible and bankable dialogue process must be guaranteed by Africa and the broader international community.
It ought to be a truly national engagement and there is nothing unconstitutional about calling for the inclusion of the military, which in any case is discharged with the key mandate of protecting the nation State of Zimbabwe inclusive of its people, its territorial integrity and its interests. Even civil servants ought to have a seat on the envisaged national dialogue table if Zimbabwe is to have a sincere and meaningful dialogue that lifts the country from the plumbing depths of the current morass.
It is disingenuous that Charamba has today suddenly found his “legal” voice and has started pontificating about Constitutionalism, particularly with regards to the conduct of the military.
This inconsistent civil servant of loose political morals, who once served as Robert Mugabe’s spokesperson while working with his boss’s enemies in Zanu PF, was conspicuously silent when our soldiers were abused by Zanu PF to breach section 208 of the country’s Constitution which explicitly states that the Zimbabwe Defence Forces must not act in a partisan manner and must not further the interests of any political party.
Today Mnangagwa’s spokesperson suddenly finds his voice and starts lecturing us on Constitutionalism, even as his boss is using his party’s stolen Parliamentary majority to tear apart the very same sacred charter made and affirmed by the people themselves in a referendum!
The envisaged national dialogue is not a partisan but a national affair to do with the national interests of Zimbabwe as a nation State. It must be a truly inclusive process whose sole aim is to scaffold the nation and poise it to guarantee citizen security, democracy, economic growth and development. Calling for the military to partake in this important national process, particularly at this juncture, is not in any way inimical to the country’s Constitution.
On POLAD, President Chamisa spoke figuratively about being swallowed, in reference to the Crocodile, ED’s totem. This was a metaphoric allusion to Mnangagwa whose surrogates make up the tapestry of this comic coterie of actors, in the literal sense of the word.
President Chamisa was clear yesterday that he will not join POLAD, a Dzepfunde choir of like-minded politicians with no national following that always nods in agreement to everything that Mnangagwa says or does. There is neither diversity nor multiplicity in the POLAD platform as the numbers therein are simply a replication of Mr Mnangagwa. The MDC is clear that this is the season of action.
President Chamisa unequivocally stated yesterday that the economy has given us the signal; that Zanu PF has given us the signal and that this time something has to give, and it will give.
Zimbabweans are a heroic people and they are on the verge of sonorously and constitutionally expressing themselves.
Charamba’s rantings on behalf of Mnangagwa are a clear sign that the imminent seismic political shift to be driven by the people of Zimbabwe has rattled the system to the core.
The people shall govern. #thepeoplesgovernment.
Luke Tamborinyoka MDC Deputy national Spokesperson
By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo man has appeared in court charged with murder after he ambushed a woman who was selling cigarettes and tomatoes before hitting her with a wooden stick leading to her death.
Lucky Sibanda (39) of Dibuthibu village in Jambesi appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Lizwe Jamela.
He was remanded in custody to February 6.
It is alleged that in August 27 at Middle lands Farm, Liwellin in Bulawayo, Sibanda in the company of Michael Mbewe who is still at a large met the now deceased Tsitsi Theodora Hove in Cement Side on her way to sell cigarettes and tomatoes in surrounding villages of Spring Farm.
The two allegedly duped her into believing that there was a mine after Middlesland farm where tomatoes and cigarettes are high in demand and they asked her to accompany them there. Hove agreed to walked into the bush using footpaths.
When in the bush the two allegedly struck Hove with a stick causing her death.
The two stashed the body in some thickets after which they stole the Samsung J 1 cell phone, tomatoes and cigarettes.
The Samsung J1 cell phone which was stolen was recovered from a witness identified as Sibanda. Hove’s body was discovered by a herd boy who reported the matter to the police leading to Sibanda’s arrest.
She was identified by her husband through the clothes she was wearing.
By A Correspondent- Two Beatrice sisters were slapped with $100 fine each today (Wednesday) for assaulting their neighbour over a gossip.
Shamiso Chisamba (21) and Shupikai Chisamba pleaded guilty to the charge before Beatrice magistrate Anorld Mabhuro who fined them $100 each.
The court heard that on January 5 the sisters called a minor (who cannot be named go ethical reasons) at their homestead and confronted her over a gossip.
The pair withdrew her dreadlocks and assaulted her with clenched fists and she sustained a swollen face and shaking tooth.
A medical report was produced in court and taken as exhibit one.
By A Correspondent- A man from Bulawayo has appeared in court for allegedly violating a court order which prohibited him from insulting or threatening his ex-wife.
Collen Mutizwa (35) of Mzilikazi suburb allegedly insulted and threatened to stab Ms Joana Manyemba (31) if he ever saw her with other men.The two are tenants at the same house.
Mutizwa was not asked to plead to a charge of failure to comply with terms and conditions of a court order when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Lizwe Jamela.
He was remanded on $200 bail to January 27.
The court heard that on June 14 last year, Mutizwa was issued with a protection order which barred him from insulting or threatening his wife.
Prosecuting, Mr Denmark Chihombe said on Wednesday last week at around 9AM, Mutizwa went to Ms Manyemba’s bedroom window and started pulling down curtains.
He allegedly tore a mosquito net through the opening.
“The accused person began insulting the complainant and calling her a prostitute in front of her children.
“He also threatened to stab her with a knife if he sees her with other men,” Mr Chihombe said.
The matter was reported to the police leading to Mutizwa’s arrest.
By A Correspondent| 300 machete wielding men were reportedly given sway to surround Matapi Police station for nearly 5 hours, enter it and assault one of the three MDC members who had gone there to report an assault.
Somewhat adding salt to injury, the three “victims” were assaulted arrested while filing their report.
The three are Jonathan, Cleopas and Eriya Chinodya, all brothers.
They would soon see more violence as 300 men wielding machetes stormed into the police station and besieged it.
The siege lasted close to 5 hours according alto an account given by Masvingo councillor Godfrey Kurauone.
Efforts to get a comment from the police spokesperson Paul Nyathi were fruitless as his phone kept ringing without being answered.
When ZimEye contacted, the police commissioner Gen Godwin Matanga, responded by saying he would investigate. He said this soon after taking down the names of the complainants.
The latest update at 6pm (British time) was that the three “are now being transferred to Central Law and Order and the police have been instructed to deny them food apparently because of ‘security’ reasons and two of them are being charged with assault and another one on public violance but the charges may be altered at Central Police station.
“Central police has been instructed to bring more man power in order to facilitate the transfer ‘smoothly’. The lawyer Moses Mavhaire has been denied permission to see them ”
By A Correspondent- A Harare woman is at odds with her husband, who allegedly took their children for DNA tests secretly.
Pergy Chikore opened up at the Harare Civil Court where she applied for a protection order against her husband Tirinarwo Manyanga citing physical and verbal abuse.
Chikore and Manyanga have been fighting after the husband took the children for DNA tests without his wife’s consent. “We started fighting after Manyanga took my children for DNA testing after he accused me of cheating on him,” said Chikore.
She said her husband was also in the habit of insulting her in front of their children using obscenities. “He shouts at me in front of my children, telling them I am a prostitute and that he is not their father.
“He even insults my firstborn every day. “Manyanga abuses me every day, taking advantage that he bribes the police, and he cannot be sued for that. “I reported him several times, and nothing happened to him as he gives the police money.
“Sometimes he even goes to report first because he will be using a car, and by the time I get to the police station it will be too late,” said Chikore.
Chikore said she is now having some serious health problems as she is abused every day. In response, Manyanga denied the allegations.
“I love my children, and I never went for DNA tests,” said Manyanga. Magistrate Tildah Mazhandi granted the protection order in Chikore’s favor, urging the two to maintain peace with each other.
Own Correspondent|Zimbabwean inflation is beginning to stabilise, even with consumer prices increasing more than 500% on an annual basis, finance minister Mthuli Ncube said.
Year-on-year inflation remains high, “but that’s expected, that happens when you liberalise a currency”, Ncube said on Wednesday in an interview with Bloomberg TV at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
After a decade of using a basket of foreign currencies, including the rand and the dollar, last year Zimbabwe re-introduced its own tender. It has plummeted to 17.1950 per dollar since a 1:1 peg was removed in February.
The country’s statistics agency suspended publishing year-on-year inflation data after June, when monthly inflation peaked at 39.3%. It still releases the consumer price index (CPI), which shows annual costs rose 521% in December, the most since a hyperinflation episode in 2009.
While monthly price growth has cooled, it was still at 16.6% in December, whereas Ncube said in February it could be close to zero by the end of 2019.
Still, investors can believe his government’s pledge to rein in inflation because they have “walked the talk”, he said.
“We said that month-on-month inflation is going to be stabilising and going to be dropping, [and] that’s what has been been happening. We believe that we are on our way to dealing with inflation. It will take time, but we are headed there.”
Zimbabwe will introduce $10, $20 and $50 notes within the course of this year, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said in Geneva where he is attending the Davos conference.
Currently, the highest denomination note is $5 which is roughly 30 US cents using the interbank rate.
Ncube said the first step was to inject currency into the market through what he called “drip feeding” to prevent inflation from rocketing.
Zimbabwe stopped publishing year-on-year inflation figures in August last year and said it would do so from next month.
It, however, continued to publish month-on-month figures.
Bloomberg which interviewed Ncube, however, said Zimbabwe inflation currently stands at 520 percent a figure which Ncube did not dispute.
Moth-on-month inflation stood at 16.55 percent in December but Ncube said in his 2020 budget he expects this figure to fall to a single digit by the end of the first quarter and close the year at around two percent.
Herentals FC was found guilty of attempting to influence the outcome of their Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match against Black Rhinos on 19 October last year.
Resultantly, the club has been ordered to pay ZWL$300 000 together with costs for their hearing or risk being banned from football activities for 10 years.
We present the Disciplinary Judgment in full below.
Daily Mail|President Donald Trump has criticised Boeing as a ‘very disappointing company’ in a press conference today.
He cited the aerospace giant’s recent problems after the grounding of the 737 MAX plane, which he said had a knock-on effect for the US economy.
‘This is one of the great companies of the world, let’s say as of a year ago, and then all of a sudden things happen,’ Trump said in an interview on CNBC from the Davos economic forum in Switzerland.
US President Donald Trump holds a news conference at the 50th World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. He criticised Boeing as a ‘very disappointing company’
This ‘had a tremendous impact. You know, when you talk about growth, it’s so big that some people say it’s more than a half a point of GDP. So Boeing – big, big disappointment to me,’ he said.
Trump’s words come a week after he urged Boeing executives to resolve the Max issues quickly, telling CFO Greg Smith: ‘Get that going. Work together.’
Boeing had Tuesday officially pushed back the time frame for the 737 MAX to return to the skies, with executives stating they do not foresee regulators lifting a flight ban until June or July, months later than the original estimate.
The revelation sent shares plunging and overshadowed an earlier announcement of a first flight of the delayed 777X plane.
The timetable – the latest of several delays in the plane’s approval process – will create more headaches for airlines by pushing the Max’s return further into the peak summer travel season or possibly beyond it.
Employees at work on a MAX at the Boeing’s Renton, Washington, factory. Boeing had Tuesday officially pushed back the time frame for the 737 MAX to return to the skies
Boeing shares fell more than 5% by Tuesday afternoon.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Tuesday he believed that issues including the grounding of of Boeing 737 MAX plane had shaved some 0.5 to 0.7 of a percent point off the US growth rate.
The 737 MAX was grounded worldwide March 13, 2019 after two crashes claimed the lives of 346 people.
The first disaster happened in October 2018 in Indonesia, when a MAX flying as Lion Air flight JT 610 fell into the Java Sea 15 minutes after taking off from Jakarta.
All 189 aboard the plane died, including 180 Indonesians, one Italian and one Indian.
Investigators with the US National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) look over debris at the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 on March 12, 2019 in Bishoftu, Ethiopia
The second crash occurred in March 2019 when Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, which also was a MAX jet, took off from Bole International Airport in the Ethiopian capital and crashed.
Shortly after the first Max crash, Boeing began updating software that investigators say was triggered by a faulty sensor and pushed the plane’s nose down.
Boeing has made the software less powerful and tied it to two sensors instead of one. That work was done months ago, but the company is still working on changes to flight-control computers and pilot-training requirements. Another software issue was discovered last week, although one of the people familiar with the situation said it would not cause more delay in the plane’s return.
The FAA will ultimately have the final say on when the MAX can fly again.
Coach of Ghana’s 2022 World Cup qualifying group opponents South Africa, Molefi Ntseki says his country have been handed a tough draw.
The Bafana Bafana will be battling recent bogey side Ghana as well as fellow Southern African country Zimbabwe and perennial underachievers Ethiopia for the single slot to progress to the final qualifying phase.
But Molefi mentioned that is not going to be easy for his side as all the teams in the group are strong.
“Every draw is a tough one, because the expectation is that every team left in the top 40 is playing to be at the World Cup,” Ntseki stated on Wednesday.
“We are fully aware of Ghana and their qualities, we are fully aware of Zimbabwe, our neighbours, and Ethiopia. They did well to win their preliminary qualifier against Lesotho to be in the last 40.
“All the teams deserve to be at this stage. It will be a tough one.”
Ghana’s qualities are well known, but Zimbabwe and Ethiopia will also present mighty challenges for Bafana. Though Ntseki says their familiarity does being some advantage.
“We are talking of a South African national team here, we are not talking of club football. Most of the players from Zimbabwe are playing in South Africa.
“The good thing about it is that we can profile the players week in, week out,” he says.
“With Ethiopia, we are aware what has happened in the past, but we are talking about a different national team with different players and a different technical team.
“It is for us to do our best whenever we play those opponents. To qualify you have to beat your opponents, you have to play your ‘A’ game. We give both teams the respect they deserve.”
The last time South Africa qualified for the World Cup was in 2002 where they were bundled out from the group stage.
