I am a 29-year-old mother of two boys. I wish to make it public that I am extremely appalled with a case of impersonification and misrepresentation of my baby boy LaMaine by Yolanda “Tinodaa” Mpofu, real name Yollendah Mpofu from Zimbabwe based in South Africa and currently in Nigeria. (NB she deleted her facebook photos after I confronted her) Yollandah Tinodaa Mampofu and Yollandah Tino are her other facebook accounts…

The summary of the sad story is, Yolanda Mpofu was in a relationship with a Jeff. Yolanda is alleged to have fallen pregnant to Jeff but they did not stay together since 2017 after they had a fall out.

Fast forward, Yoland Mpofu then abstracted my child’s photos on social platforms which she used to masquerade LaMaine as her child with Jeff who apparently she was not staying with.

Naturally, Jeffy having known that he parted ways with Yolanda Mpofu when she was pregnant, he believed that the photos of the purported child was real and his.

This was all a lie – Yolanda Mpofu impersonified my baby for self-enrichment. It is alleged that Yolanda started receiving “child support/ maintenance” money from 2017 and according to the claims and some bank deposits, she was getting around R3000 for child support.

I am made to understand she further received extra several thousands of Rands for child care and support from Jeff as and when she demands.

The matter came to light when Jeffy saw the pictures of my child on my Instagram and he sent me a message to ask about what he called “Temi’s photo (implying my child LaMaine).

He then confronted me alleging that I was being presented to her as the baby minder (cousin) by Yolanda Mpofu, yet I am the mother of LaMaine and not Temi as Jeffy claims.

He further sent me all new born baby photos that I used to post since LaMaine was still a baby, claiming he had received them from Yolanda and that he had grown a strong bond with the baby though she didn’t want him to see the baby.

The matter is horrendous. It has disturbed not only my peace but poses huge security threats to my child and myself. I want it to be known that if my child has been used for extortions as is the case by this woman, the world should be worry and know about this girl called Yolanda Mpofu.

It is my plea that if there are many who have been scammed by the legendary pretends of this lady, please take note that she is dangerously continuing with her shenanigans and the society should be worried by this person.

I am making it public for the rest of the world to know in case something happens to me and my child.

I feel very insecure as I do not know how much my child’s photos were used and the ultimate intention of this woman by the name Yolanda Mpofu.

I have also received further disturbing information about her which I will also expose.

Pray for me and my child.

A mining venture involving the army and a Chinese firm, Wanbao Rexco, has failed to take off amid claims the Asian company is siphoning resources from the mine, Business Times heard this week.

The military and Wanbao Rexco are partners in Global Platinum Resources (GPR) which was established in 2004 and sits on over 520 million ounces of platinum resources along the Great Dyke.

Wanbao Rexco has spent over US$80m in exploration and feasibility studies and the dispute centres on allegations that the company only employed Chinese explorers to carry out pre-feasibility and feasibility studies at inflated prices. A recent audit also stoked suspicions after US$20m was unaccounted for.

The Chinese company postponed operations at GPR in 2018 and is understood to be spending US$1m yearly in care and maintenance.

Business Times understands that the government of Zimbabwe through Zimbabwe Defence Forces entered an agreement to get fire arms in 2008 with the Chinese government through Wanbao Rexco in exchange of platinum resources.

Harare is now mulling cancelling the deal and looking for another joint venture partner. GPR technical manager, Retired Brigadier General Livingstone Chineka, told Business Times that there are fed up by the antics of the Chinese firm.

“We are fed up with Wanbao Rexco since they came here in 2004 employing their own people and exploiting the country’s platinum resources for absolutely nothing, we can’t accept that,” Chineka said.

“It has suspended the operations until now [2020, a year which it said it will begin real mining] because we refused them to continue more feasibility studies after we realised that the prefeasibility study they carried out cost US$25m against our feasibility study which cost US$15m which mainly comprised of local personnel.”

He added: “As GPR we have stopped operations; we now want to meet Vice-President Chiwenga to map the way forward.”

The deal was consummated when Chiwenga was still in charge of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. GPR is said to have untapped platinum claims of 86,7km2 which is way bigger than those controlled by Ngezi, Mimosa and Unki mines combined. Chineka said their partners have suspended operations based on false interpretation of the feasibility study.

“We are convinced that the argument about the project is not based on the economic viability of the project but completely driven by financial difficulties on the part of our partners or that they don’t want us to be the part of the operations at GPR as they have realised that we can do the same or better job at reduced costs,” he said.

He said the problems arose after Wanbao Rexco failed to respect and honour the local community as all personnel and materials came from China without any benefit to the local population.

Chineka said exercise books, tissues and all stationery material came from China. Efforts to get comment from Wanbao Rexco were fruitless as calls to their numbers went unanswered.

Zimbabwe holds the world’s largest deposits of platinum after South Africa and has been pushing mining firms operating in the country to build refineries to stop the export of raw platinum ore to earn more foreign currency.

Zimbabwe sees China as an all-weather friend after it looked East at the turn of the millennium due to problems with the western countries. Chinese companies are accused of allegedly ill-treating locals, a charge Beijing has refuted.

Business Times

Below is a statement from the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office;

The Presidency can confirm that President Cyril Ramaphosa will not attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, from 21 to 24 January 2020, and the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London on Monday 20 January 2020.

The President has taken this decision to give attention to pressing domestic priorities and preparations for the governing party and Cabinet Makgotla.

The President is further currently engaged with preparations towards South Africa’s assumption of the Chairship of the African Union at the 33rd African Union Summit on 9-10 February 2020.

South Africa will be represented in Davos and London by senior government and civil society representatives led by Minister of Finance Mr Tito Mboweni and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Dr Naledi Pandor respectively.

The President is confident that the nation will benefit from the participation of the government and civil society delegations in the Davos and London events.

STATE MEDIA– Subsidised roller meal is being diverted to the black market by buyers who grab consignments as they reach the shop shelves.

The buyers then offload the roller meal to informal traders who often repack it into smaller bags, with these two sets of middlemen more than doubling the $50 price of the original 10kg bag.

In addition, black market informal traders demand cash only, which many needing mealie-meal have to get from another set of informal traders, mobile money vendors, who gouge a premium of between 25 percent and 35 percent.

This comes amid concerns that some people were panic-buying the roller meal in the face of shortages.

The Government is fighting back by increasing supplies, with a freer flow of maize-meal expected from next week.

It will work with the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) to monitor shopkeepers to ensure the maize-meal is distributed fairly and that shops take precautions to stop the middlemen from grabbing bulk of deliveries.

It is understood that many of the “professional buyers” have connections to retailers who sell it as it arrives.

The middlemen take it to the parallel market and sell the full 10kg packets, or repackage into anything from 500g, popularly known as “tsaona” (emergency), to 5kg.

A 10kg pack of roller meal is then sold, for cash, for between $75 and $110, while 5kg is sold for $55, a 2kg pack costs $15, while 500g costs $9.

Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza yesterday assured consumers that supplies of the subsidised roller meal will soon improve.

“During the course of the holidays, there were some challenges where some companies failed to deliver, which induced panic-buying and hoarding,” she said. “However, this has since been resolved as Government is augmenting local production with maize grain imports.

“As of yesterday, the ministry verified with GMB that maize grain is available. The import deliveries have been coming on a daily basis and are expected to alleviate the mealie-meal shortage.”

Minister Nzenza said her ministry was working with CZR, which has promised to institute measures to at protect consumers.

“The president of CZR Mr (Denford) Mutashu has assured that in order to protect the consumer, they are monitoring the retail shops so that mealie-meal is not only available, but is also sold at the subsidised price of $50 per 10kg and is distributed to all Zimbabweans fairly,” she said.

Mr Mutashu said the supply of roller meal remained constrained, but millers had assured retailers that supplies would improve next week.

“Current supply is still constrained as millers require more maize to meet demand, but I have just had a meeting with the millers and they have assured me that from next week, there will be mealie meal in the supermarkets,” said Mr Mutashu.

The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) said it was using “free funds” and had since procured 50 000 tonnes of maize from South Africa.

A consignment is expected to arrive next week.

“This is to complement what GMB has and we are also going to prioritise roller meal production from the privately sourced maize,” said GMAZ spokesperson Mr Garikai Chaunza.

Efforts to get the list of millers working with Government were fruitless.

The subsidy is handled by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, which deals with individual grain millers.

Under the new subsidy scheme, maize is sold at market prices, but the subsidy is paid to millers who have to prove that the roller meal has been milled and delivered.

-State Media

Jane Mlambo| Respected academic Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya has suggested that any discussions to arrest the country’s problems should include the military which he said has been in a coalition arrangement with the ruling Zanu PF party.

Posting on Twitter this morning, Ruhanya said military partisanship was the biggest elephant in the room when it comes to addressing the political problems facing the country.

“Military has turned itself into a political party. Been in a coalition gov with ZANU PF since 1980. Any discussion to address the Zimbabwe problem must include the Military and its ZANU PF Coalition partners so that their demands. Military partisanship must be addressed,” said Ruhanya.

Ruhanya’s organisation the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute has been involved in a lot of research that laid bare the involvement of the security apparatus in the Zanu PF power equation.

The military was instrumental in toppling the late former President Robert Mugabe in November 2017 with the then Commander Constantino Chiwenga addressing a press conference where he said the military was justified in intervening in Zanu PF succession disputes.

They later replaced Mugabe with his then deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa who had to resign from the army to take up an executive position as vice President.

Former South African leader Thabo Mbeki will bring terms of reference for political dialogue between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and MDC’s Nelson Chamisa when he returns to Zimbabwe by month-end, Business Times heard this week.

Mbeki was in the country last month where he met Mnangagwa, Chamisa and leaders of other fringe parties that also make up the Political Actors Dialogue. The former South African President was expected to come back after Christmas holiday to bring to the table the warring parties.

Chwani Mtetwa, first secretary for political affairs at the South African Embassy in Harare, told Business Times that Mbeki is coming back to the country this month, although the working schedule has not been released.

“We know that former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki is supposed to be coming back at the end of this month to resume the political dialogue between Zanu PF and MDC leaders and we will let you know once we have information on the matter as we are in the process of communicating with him,” Mtetwa said.

“We are hearing from the corridors that the South Africa government is behind the talks and we are also communicating with the South Africa government to know what is happening.”

Churches under the ambit of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) have been ratcheting up pressure for Chamisa and Mnangagwa to dialogue which is billed to halt the economic freefall amid fears of unrest over the deteriorating environment. ZCC general secretary Kenneth Mtata said churches last month made presentations to Mbeki and is hopeful to meet the former South African leader when he returns to Zimbabwe this month.

“The political dialogue is a process and is not a one day event and it shall continue and we hope also to be included in the dialogue and we are glad that the dialogue process is starting to take shape and ready to take off and all the stakeholders must be involved,” Mtata said. “The way forward in the country is dialogue to resolve the problems we are facing as a country. We need each other to move the country forward.”

Writing on microblogging site early this month, Mtata said the currently proffered solution models to Zimbabwean challenges were maintenance model (maintain status quo until 2023), revolution model (force a replacement of current government by new leadership) and consensus model (find mutually agreed transitional process through dialogue. He said the choice of any model must be based on whether it produces lasting and sustainable results and whether it is possible to achieve with least risks to life.

“So while at face value a revolution promises permanent solution, in reality it can give you what you didn’t bargain for. Consensus demand exchange of ideas, outcomes may not be perfect but have broad ownership,” Mtata said.

He warned: “A nation that does not satisfactorily act on the cries of the vulnerable creates inevitable conditions for a revolution. Once its fires have been lit, no amount of ammunition can stop it.”

Mnangagwa and Chamisa have been haggling on the modalities of the talks. Mnangagwa wants the talks to be conducted under Polad.

Chamisa’s MDC is opposed to the participation under Polad arguing the bulk of the parties that constitute the grouping have no political relevance as they have no any representative in Parliament. This has seen Chamisa snubbing Polad meetings demanding to attend any dialogue convened by an international statesman as an arbitrator. While the parties haggle over the modalities of dialogue, the economy has taken a battering with rising prices which have eroded the purchasing of the local currency pushing the majority to the brink.

Last month, a UN agency said Zimbabwe is facing its worst hunger crisis in a decade with half of the population (7.7m) food insecure. World Food Programme spokesperson Bettina Luescher said that almost US$300m was needed urgently to supply some 240,000 tonnes of aid to avert hunger caused by a climate disaster and economic implosion.

Mbeki was midwife to the inclusive government that ran from 2009 to 2013. This came after Mbeki secured the Global Political Agreement in which Zanu PF and the two MDC formations agreed to work together after the disputed 2008 elections.

Recently, South Africa minister for International Relations and Co-operation Naledi Pandor said sustainable solutions to the country’s problems should emanate from Zimbabwe.

Pandor said Zimbabwe’s social, economic and political problems can be addressed by local people being helped by the international community, instead of having the Southern African Community (SADC) only focusing on targeted sanctions imposed by the West on some Zanu PF officials.

Speaking at a symposium in Pretoria focusing on problems bedevilling Zimbabwe, Pandor said solutions should come from Zimbabweans themselves.

“There are complex challenges in Zimbabwe to be resolved by people of Zimbabwe with nations of the SADC. Sustainable solutions to come from Zimbabwe … We know there are serious and seemingly intractable political factors that might need attention, in fact, that need attention if solutions are to be effective or implementable. The political formations in Zimbabwe remain at loggerheads and have apparent deep antipathy toward each other which makes joint decisionmaking and planning extremely difficult,” Pandor said.

Political analyst and University of Zimbabwe lecturer Lawrence Mhandara said both political parties need a third party to mediate. “MDC are talking of the legitimacy of President Mnangagwa arguing that he did not win the elections in a legitimate way and Zanu PF are saying we won the elections and MDC should accept them as the legitimate leaders of the country. This is a sticking problem that must be resolved by the third party and Mbeki knows that he has a lot of work to do and he has experience to break the impasse. MDC accepted him to break the ice but they will have problems with him because he is Pan African and does not want western world interference,” Mhandara said.

Mhandara also said the situation has not yet reached a mutual hurting stalemate as it is not similar to the 2008 situation. – More: Business Times

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT ??????

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” —JFK

Here's a little message from EcoCash's CEO – Natalie Jabangwe.#ABigThankYou #EcoCash pic.twitter.com/DyTDbv17if

— EcoCash Zimbabwe (@EcoCashZW) January 16, 2020

Own Correspondent|Security guards at Good Hope Mine in Kadoma have shot and killed a member of the notorious Team Barca Machetes Gang in Kadoma.

The 27 year old thug was part of a gang of over 60 machete wielding criminals that were attempting to force entry into the mine by disarming the mine security guards.

The deceased was gunned down whilst trying to disarm one of the three security guards who were guarding the mine.

Police confirmed the incident:

A 27 year old man was shot dead by a security guard at a mine in Battlefields, Kadoma. The deceased was part of about 60 illegal miners who raided a mine which was being manned by 3 guards. When they were challenged to leave, the deceased, armed with an axe and a knife menacingly

— Zimbabwe Republic Police (@PoliceZimbabwe) January 16, 2020

“A 27-year-old man was shot dead by a security guard at a mine in Battlefields, Kadoma. The deceased was part of about 60 illegal miners who raided a mine which was being manned by 3 guards. When they were challenged to leave, the deceased, armed with an axe and a knife menacingly.

“charged towards one of the guards intending to disarm him, he was shot by one of the guards who realised that his colleague’s life was in danger. The rest of the illegal miners fled from the scene after the incident” said the police.

The police also promised to descent heavily on machete-wielding criminals.

“Violence of any form will not be tolerated and likeminded elements are warned that the wrath of the law will be severely applied,” the police said.

Correspondent|Abuse of the media by practitioners has led to serious social and security problems in the country, says Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa.

Speaking during a lecture at Zimbabwe National Defence University on Thursday, Minister Mutsvangwa said the dominant West has sought to reconquer Zimbabwe through control of its national mindset.

Said Minister Mutsvangwa: “The Zimbabwe Government born of the democratic sacrifice of the majority is given to resist. This is the foundation of the epic fight for the control of the media space.”

She called on those who frequently use the social media to be responsible as they can be used by those with evil agendas to cause total mayhem in families and the country at large.

“Social media has been used to peddle falsehoods about individuals, Government and Government officials as well as about whole countries. Such stories, if they can be called stories at all, have negative effect on security.”

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

WHO IS BEHIND THE MACHETE GANGS? 

Speaking at his party’s Goromonzi conference on the 14th December 2019, Emmerson Mnangagwa revealed he is concerned about propaganda rather than human life losses. He clearly threatened to use the state apparatus to ensure secrecy when he carries out another military crackdown like the one in January 2019. Last January when soldiers protested against the fuel price rise, (even criticised by pro ZANU countries such as Russia), his security minister Owen Ncube switched off the internet for 3 days during which period 17 people were shot dead and several women raped. This time speaking at Goromonzi, Mnangagwa described the January 2019 protests where 17 people were killed by state agents as “nonsensical”.

“The January nonsense and periodic mischievous activities by the opposition elements such as those we witnessed this year must be nipped in the bud,” he said. “Never again shall we allow the loss of precious lives of our countrymen to feed the agenda of a notorious few.”

He repeated exactly what he told a French journalist earlier in the year, while blaming the MDC party for the mass murders which he did and while denying human loses saying no one was killed.

Show me the graves, said Mnangagwa in the below interview. He also announced that he is hunting down every woman who reported rape. 

From his own words, it is without guessing that the Zanu-PF leader has unleashed a repeat of the same operation this January but this time per his own words, using methods of disguise, so that he does not lose propaganda “reputation”. VIDEO BELOW…

State Media|Zimbabwe is now, for the first time, assembling computers and other technological gadgets locally following the establishment of Zimbabwe Technology Company (ZITCO).

ZITCO is a joint venture between TelOne, Chinese company Inspur and a Government-owned entity and is involved in the assembling of computers, laptops, tablets and other technological gadgets.

It is the first company in Zimbabwe to assemble computers locally and has the capacity to produce 150 000 gadgets annually at its plant in Msasa, Harare.

ZITCO products will go a long way in substituting the importation of technological gadgets that are draining the country of foreign currency.

President Mnangagwa toured the company yesterday and hailed the achievement.

He said the Government, under the Second Republic, will do everything possible to support the growth in technology to ensure Zimbabwe caught up with the rest of the world in terms of development.

Technology, the President said, was the way to go and Zimbabwe was partnering friendly countries to advance its technological capabilities.

“This has been an eye-opening event for me,” he said.

“I am on leave, but this man, Dr (Misheck) Sibanda (Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet), persuaded me to come, then I agreed to come.

“ICT is the way to go. We need to modernise our economy, we need to catch up with the rest of the world, the developing world, as well as the developed world.

“To do so, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel anymore. We need to access technology from those countries that are willing to engage and cooperate with us and China is one of such country. Fortunately, the Minister of

Finance (and Economic Development) Professor Mthuli Ncube is here. ‘Prof this is where you should put your money to preserve it’.”

President Mnangagwa said ZITCO required Government support to grow and supply both the domestic and international market.

“As this entity grows, it will deal with the domestic market and I see that in future it can also go in the external market, but for them to do so, they need to be supported by us.

“We have young people doing latest technology here. We always see those things in developed economies, now that is here in Msasa, Harare. Fantastic. This is what we want and let me assure you that as the Second Republic, we will support you and the ball is now in your court now that I know what is happening.

“The Chief Secretary has briefed me about this, but I never paid more attention to it until recently when he came back from leave. He went on leave, when he came back when I was on leave he phoned me and said Cde President, you need to see this establishment because they need to be supported and I am happy.

“I also informed the Vice President, Acting President now (General Constantino Chiwenga) last night that I wish you should come and I don’t think he is regretting that he has come because as we were walking around, he said this is what we should have done many years back, but as it is, once we have begun, we should do everything that we can to ensure that your vision is realised and it becomes our vision.”

Briefing journalists, TelOne projects executive Engineer Jeremia Munembe said: “We are in a partnership with various other stakeholders into this ICT assembly plant and we got this plant through the Office of the President and Cabinet.

“We are looking at assembling desktops, laptops, tablets and other ICT devices in this factory and the benefits of that are import-substitution and we will spend less and we will also be able to empower and create employment not only in this plant, but also to downstream industries.

“We are also looking at opportunities where we will work with other small to medium enterprises and innovation companies in terms of software components. We are looking at a number of products that feed into laptops, desktops and ICT devices.”

State Media|Harare City Council senior managers reportedly secretly quadrupled their salaries, instead of a proposed 50 percent increment, angering councillors who have called for the immediate reversal of this followed by negotiations for a uniform pay rise for all staff.

The least-paid municipal worker will be getting $1 100 a month, while the top bosses will be pocketing between $22 000 and $33 000 a month.

Following the new salary changes, Town Clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango will be pocketing $33 000 a month, directors $28 000 and other managers $22 000.

According to a leaked document, Eng Chisango’s salary was increased to $32 912, including a stationery and education allowance of $2 904, while directors were in the range of $25 000 to $28 000.

Human resources and general purposes committee chairperson Councillor Jacob Mafume yesterday said councillors were taken aback to learn about the 300 percent salary hike that quadrupled the top brass’ pay.

“We have not been able to increase any salary,” he said. “There is a proposal from management which is nowhere near such a figure of 300 percent. The basic salary was to be increased by 50 percent.

“We can only adjust the salaries by providing cushioning for all council employees which we have been doing as per need. We will look at the proposals and see whether they make sense in the current environment.

“And like we have been doing with all employees where the lowest is now earning $1 100, we hope revenues are increasing so we can offer a living wage.”

Harare’s acting corporate communications manager Mr Innocent Ruwende refused to be drawn into the matter, instead referring all questions to Clr Mafume.

Association president Mr McSteven Nyabvure raised a red flag over senior managers’ decision to secretly increase their salaries without council approval.

“The managers should instead prioritise offering quality services, rather than salary hikes,” he said. “We understand things are hard, but the salary increases should be done across the board, not for selected individuals.”

Sources within council said the managers and councillors were now at loggerheads, with some councillors calling for Eng Chisango’s sacking.

“Some councillors want Eng Chisango fired as they allege that he is incompetent and undermining their authority,” said a source.

During the last full council meeting, councillors took a swipe at management for failing to improve service delivery.

They said management was toothless after failing to remove illegal pirate taxis that were operating in Town House’s backyard.

Meanwhile, the 15 refuse trucks bought by Harare City Council in South Africa are still stuck there almost three years on, as the council cannot raise over US$2 million required for their delivery.

But there are conflicting figures on the amount required for delivery of the trucks, with council claiming that US$3,3 million was needed, while the supplier says US$2,4 million is all that is required.

The 15 trucks holed up across the Limpopo River are part of the 30 compactors bought by the local authority from automotive manufacturer, FAW Group Corporation.

Harare’s indifferent approach in taking delivery of the trucks when it was facing a shortage has raised suspicions among some that there could be a deliberate ploy by some council officials to continue delaying the process so that companies they contracted to collect refuse in some areas continue to benefit.

Others question why council was not using the money it was collecting for refuse to source the foreign currency required to import the trucks.

The acquisition of the refuse trucks has been mired in controversy after revelations that council may have already been prejudiced of about US$228 000 after it took delivery of 10 single-skip trucks instead of double-skip trucks it had ordered from FAW Zimbabwe.

A standard single-skip truck in South Africa, where the trucks were sourced, costs about R400 000 (US$28 700), while a double-skip truck costs R800 000 (US$57 500).

Mr Ruwende yesterday said money billed for refuse collection was not meant for capital projects.

“The trucks are 15 and they are with the suppliers, not at the border,” he said. “In terms of capital projects, they are not funded by rates as there are huge figures involved.”

Mr Ruwende said council had enough Zimbabwean dollars to buy the required US dollars for delivery of the trucks which they paid to FAW Zimbabwe, but foreign currency challenges remained an issue.

“Government has been assisting us with various projects and we have been engaging it over the matter,” he said.

Asked if council was pinning their hopes on a customs rebate, Mr Ruwende said: “We will only get a rebate when the trucks are at the border.”

FAW Zimbabwe operations director Mr Patrick Masocha confirmed council’s position.

“The arrangement was that RBZ would avail forex, but so far we have only received $900 000, which was paid for the 20 trucks that were delivered,” he said. “The other 15 trucks are at our plant and we took council officials there to see them.”

Mr Masocha said there was no bad blood between them and Harare City Council due to the delays in the delivery of the trucks, as the situation was beyond both parties.

State Media|The passport backlog will be cleared within three months following measures put in place by the Government, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe, whose ministry runs the Passport Office, has said.

Minister Kazembe took over the ministry from Cain Mathema in the last cabinet reshuffle late last year. Throughout his term in charge of the ministry, Mathema had been making the same assurance on the passports back log.

For the past two years, the demand for passports has been growing, with some people reportedly still waiting to have applications from August 2018 processed.

Minister Kazembe was in Bindura yesterday at the Registrar-General’s Office as part of his nationwide tour of critical departments under his ministry to see for himself the challenges affecting the smooth operations of the department.

“On the issue of passport backlogs, the Government has put in place mechanisms that will ensure that the backlog is cleared within the next three months,” he said. “Give the department three months and I can assure you that by the end of March the backlog will be cleared.”

Passport fees remain unchanged contrary to media reports suggesting that they had gone up, he said.

Minister Kazembe said there were procedures which needed to be followed before the fees could be increased and if they were to be increased, the public would be notified through the normal channels.

The minister, who also has the police under his ministry, visited the Mashonaland Central Provincial Police Headquarters in Bindura and urged the Zimbabwe Republic Police to maintain a peaceful environment so that the country can attract investment to make the envisaged Vision 2030 a reality.

His comments come against the backdrop of a police blitz which saw over 900 machete-wielding illegal gold miners being arrested in Mashonaland Central this week.

A 16-year-old girl was fatally crushed by tractor trolleys while she was picking tobacco at Willmode Farm in Mvurwi, raising calls to stop children from working on farms.

The tragedy happened on December 29 last year when Faith Maurukira, who was employed as a general worker, fell from the tractor before being run over.

A witness, who is also the farm manager Mr Zvinashe Guyo, confirmed the death.

“The girl went to the field in the morning with others as usual and her task was to follow behind the tractor trolleys and pick those leaves that would have fallen from the moving tractor en-route to the barns,” he said.

“At that time, I was in the next field from which the girl was coming.

On her way, the girl boarded one of the trolleys, but after moving for a few metres, she called on the driver to slow down so that she could pick the tobacco leaves that had fallen.

“The driver could not hear her and she then jumped from the trolleys and was hit by an axle at the back.”
Faith died on the spot.

Efforts to get a comment from Mashonaland Central Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe were fruitless.

Faith’s aunt, Happiness Gavhiyo, said when they arrived at the scene, the girl was bleeding profusely.

“We received a message that Faith had fallen from a tractor and upon arrival, she was already dead with both her hands broken and bleeding from the mouth, nose and ears,” she said.-State media

Nephew to late former president Robert Mugabe Mr Robert Zhuwao has approached the High Court challenging the reversal of his offer letter for a 232-hectare farm in Zvimba by the Government.

In the matter, Mr Zhuwao cited Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri in his personal capacity as the respondent.

In his application, Mr Zhuwao is requesting the court to review and set aside Minister Shiri’s decision to withdraw a land offer letter issued to him under the Land Reform and Resettlement Programme in 2004.

“On the 9th of December 2004, I was offered subdivision 1 of Cockington in Zvimba District, in the province of Mashonaland West, which is approximately 232.81 hectares in extent, he said.

“The offer was made in terms of the Agricultural Land Resettlement Act (Chapter 20:01). I accepted the offer and a clear contractual agreement between the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Settlement and myself.”

On April 26 last year, Mr Zhuwao was issued with a notice of intention to withdraw the offer letter on allegations that he had abandoned the plot since 2011.

He responded to the notice, but he never received a response on the submissions that he had made and on October 16 he received another letter notifying him of the immediate termination of his contract.

Mr Zhuwao argues that the attributed reasons for cancellation were fabricated.

“Despite all the challenges of vandalism of electrical infrastructure and theft, I have been farming to the best of my farm’s potential in the circumstances,” he said.

“Withdrawing my (offer) letter on the basis of unsubstantiated and spurious allegations without investigating the veracity of such allegations is a gross substantive and procedural irregularity. I am, therefore, not in breach of any of the terms and conditions attached to the offer. Since I was allocated the plot I have been farming tobacco, cereal crops, sunflower and poultry.”

Mr Zhuwao further said the letter was bogus and only the President had the powers to revoke offer letters, hence the need for the court to deal with the matter.
“The letter does not bear the official stamp of the ministry to verify its authenticity,” he said.

“Further, the letter does not contain any reasons for the decision. It is simply a cancellation ‘out of the proverbial blue’. It is my considered opinion that this letter is bogus and in any event, unenforceable as it is ultra vires the enabling legislation and it offends the principles of natural justice.

“The respondent has no jurisdiction to withdraw my offer letter because the enabling Act (Agricultural Land Resettlement Act [Chapter 20:01]) does not grant him the powers to do so. It is only the President who can cancel or withdraw offer letters, not the minister.”
The matter is yet to be heard.-State media

THE story of a man who was being seduced by his mother-in-law has taken a new twist as he claims his wife not only knew about her mother’s antics, but was actually encouraging him to have sex with her in order for them to get rich.

Manfred Nhemachena recently left many people disconcerted after he sensationally claimed that his estranged wife’s mother Beatrice Marabwa allegedly demanded to have sex with him because her husband was sexually starving her.

This was revealed at the Bulawayo Civil Court where his estranged wife, Tariro Nhemachena, had sought a protection order against him claiming he was abusing her.

Manfred and Tariro got married on 10 April 2010 and were blessed with a four-year-old son. Their marriage is still subsisting but they are now living separately.

B-Metro tracked Manfred to Nyamandlovu for more details of what was transpiring in his home and he spilled more beans than expected.

He claims his wife wanted him to poke her mother!
“It was not only traumatising but shameful, I have since lost my respect for her and I can no longer look at her the same way.

Thank God I didn’t give into her devilish demands,” said Manfred.

“I started noticing something unusual in 2015 when she came and briefly stayed with us.

I definitely didn’t have problem with that until she started demanding to sleep in my matrimonial bedroom.

“When I asked her why she wanted to join us in our bedroom she said her husband (his father in-law) was no longer sleeping with her”.

Shocked by his mother-in-law’s candidness, Manfred suggested that she go and see his relatives.

She reportedly rubbished the idea saying she was going to forcibly sleep with him in his matrimonial bedroom.

“Living true to her demands she moved into our matrimonial bedroom and out of fear I moved to another spare bedroom.

“The following day while dressed skimpily, she followed me to the spare bedroom where she found me sleeping and she tenderly sat on my legs. From that day she was the one who was now preparing breakfast and supper for me and ironing my clothes”.

Manfred said he was also disturbed seeing his mother in-law’s private parts.

“What was also happening was that when I came home late, she was the one who was always opening the door for me and she would be in a see-through night dress exposing all her vital parts.”

When he told his wife about her mother’s taboo demands and seduction moves, Manfield said he was shocked by her response.B-Metro

Farai Dziva|Marry Chiwenga, the estranged wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has alleged that the former army commander uses opiate drugs.

Marry made the assertions in her response to Chiwenga’s application for divorce in December last year.

“Defendant (Marry) avers in reconvention that the demise of the customary law union was brought about by the plaintiff’s (Chiwenga) acute paranoia brought about by poor health, his being under heavy doses of drugs including un-prescribed opiates, his surrounding himself with persons who want to take advantage of him and his belief that his ascendency to the position of presidency might be in jeopardy.

Defendant pleads that all assets acquired during the subsistence of the marriage were acquired with the full knowledge and participation of the plaintiff, whose name could not be used and who, on advice from the bank, procured his relatives to assist in the acquisition of the assets on the basis that plaintiff’s name could not be used as he was on the sanctions list.”

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife,
Marry , has rejected claims that her customary marriage to Chiwenga was terminated through the production of a divorce token (gupuro).

In her response to Chiwenga’s application for divorce last month, Marry revealed that she rejected the divorce token as it had been paid in foreign currency.

She said:
The defendant further claims in reconvention that the plaintiff has failed to follow proper customary law procedures to end the customary marriage and that, instead, plaintiff sent
(Anselem) Sanyatwe to give her a United States dollar bill which she declined to accept on the basis that it is unlawful in Zimbabwe to transact in United States dollars and that it was (up to) the plaintiff to give her
gupuro (divorce token) after following all proper customary protocol. Consequently, the customary marriage continues to subsist.

Marry also dismissed claims by Chiwenga that she is a drug addict saying she is in better health to care for the kids than Chiwenga who is a sickly absentee parent who is more in hospital than out.- NewsDay

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife,
Marry , has rejected claims that her customary marriage to Chiwenga was terminated through the production of a divorce token (gupuro).

In her response to Chiwenga’s application for divorce last month, Marry revealed that she rejected the divorce token as it had been paid in foreign currency.

She said:
The defendant further claims in reconvention that the plaintiff has failed to follow proper customary law procedures to end the customary marriage and that, instead, plaintiff sent
(Anselem) Sanyatwe to give her a United States dollar bill which she declined to accept on the basis that it is unlawful in Zimbabwe to transact in United States dollars and that it was (up to) the plaintiff to give her
gupuro (divorce token) after following all proper customary protocol. Consequently, the customary marriage continues to subsist.

Marry also dismissed claims by Chiwenga that she is a drug addict saying she is in better health to care for the kids than Chiwenga who is a sickly absentee parent who is more in hospital than out.- NewsDay

Farai Dziva|The amendment of the Constitution is a calculated gambit by Emmerson Mnangagwa -meant to consolidate power, MDC’ s Douglas Mwonzora has said.

“The proposed constitutional amendments are designed to further constrict democratic space and concentrate power in the President.

They are also designed to deal with Zanu PF’s succession conundrum. The concept of one centre of power at all levels is archaic.

We should never allow the planned mutilation of the People’s Constitution. Zimbabweans voted overwhelmingly for this constitution. It represents an incremental gain in its democratisation agenda. Never again should we allow concentration of power in one man,” argued Mwonzora.

By A Correspondent- Acting President Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga has called for unity among citizens adding that unity was important as life was very short.

Chiwenga urged religious leaders to work towards uniting Zimbabweans in order to foster development this year and beyond.

Speaking to journalists after witnessing the ordination of eight Roman Catholic Church deacons at the Roman Catholic Church Cathedral in Harare Tuesday, the Acting President called on all Zimbabweans to unite in prayer for the country.

He said the nation should turn to the church in seeking solutions to the social problems facing the country.

He said:

“It brings us joy when we see these young men making such a sacrifice, especially during these difficult times.

We want the priests to help bring people together, to be united so that they can work towards the same goals.

And to teach people to know that the most important thing is to remain united because we are here on earth for a very short time. After they finish their studies, during these nine to 10 years, we expect them to do the work of God and unite the people so that we can see the incidences of crime we are witnessing in the country being reduced.”

When you pray, your heart and mind evolve so that you can tell the difference between the good and the bad and you let go of the bad things.

So we want everybody’s heart and mind to evolve so they can discard what is bad and take what is right.”

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Parents are in panic mode as they are being turned away by some Harare City Council clinics when they take their children for vaccination against child killer diseases.

Hatfield Clinic has been mentioned many times by parents that have contacted the state media, saying it is refusing to entertain parents wanting to have their children vaccinated.

It is said that Hatfield Clinic always says it doesn’t have the required drugs.

Other clinics in Glen View and Budiriro are reportedly turning away parents seeking routine immunisation for their children, citing shortages of vaccines.

But the City Health Department insists all drugs are available to all clinics around town.

It has advised parents who fail to get their children vaccinated against the child killer diseases to approach them with exact details of clinics turning them away.

The parents should also have a list of the vaccines they would be seeking to enable the City Health Department to take appropriate action.

The City Health Department insists there are enough vaccines in all their facilities, and pleaded with those being turned away to provide adequate information for them to follow-up and take action.

In a survey yesterday, it was established that some clinics were indeed turning way parents seeking routine vaccinations for their children.

Said Ms Gamucirai Nyamwanza: “I was turned away from Hatfield Clinic last week and referred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals. When we went there on Monday, we did not get the service.

“They said we should check on Wednesday (yesterday). My child wanted the nine-month measles ruebella vaccination.”

A number of other women confirmed being turned away from Hatfield Clinic, but now suspect that the nurses do so to enable them to spend the day sitting.

“I have a feeling that the nurses at Hatfield are deliberately turning away parents claiming they don’t have vaccines, to enable them to stage a sit-in.

“It appears they still want to continue with their strike, affecting the lives of children and other older patients in the process,” said Mrs Tendai Garwi of Hatfield.

But some parents yesterday said they were being served normally at some clinics around town.

Ms Mollisa Dube of Glen Norah, who was seeking vaccination for her nine-month old baby from Rutsanana Clinic, said she was assisted.

She said some mothers that came earlier than her also had their babies vaccinated.

“I came here in the morning with my baby seeking the six-weeks vaccination and the baby has been vaccinated.

“They have been vaccinating since morning because when I got here, there were other women who wanted to get their children vaccinated, and they were helped,” said Ms Dube.

Another parent, Mrs Agnes Mahlangu of Western Triangle said she has been visiting the clinic for the past three days for treatment, and saw babies being vaccinated.

“I have been coming here for the past three days seeking treatment for something else, but I have noticed mothers immunising their babies from the baby clinic as usual,” she said.

City Health director Dr Prosper Chonzi said the local authority had enough vaccines in all its facilities.

“There are rumours going around that our clinics are turning away parents who are seeking vaccines for their children.

“This is not true because if you go round our clinics you will find children being vaccinated,” said Dr Chonzi.

“If there are people who are being turned away, they should report to council so that we investigate the reasons behind the particular institutions turning away parents.”

Dr Chonzi added that all city council nurses had returned to work.

“The turnout of nurses as of yesterday was 100 percent and our chief pharmacist has also assured me that all vaccines are in stock,” he said.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry, has rejected claims that her customary marriage to Chiwenga was terminated through the production of a divorce token (gupuro).

In her response to Chiwenga’s application for divorce last month, Marry revealed that she rejected the divorce token as it had been paid in foreign currency.

She said:

The defendant further claims in reconvention that the plaintiff has failed to follow proper customary law procedures to end the customary marriage and that, instead, plaintiff sent (Anselem) Sanyatwe to give her a United States dollar bill which she declined to accept on the basis that it is unlawful in Zimbabwe to transact in United States dollars and that it was (up to) the plaintiff to give her gupuro (divorce token) after following all proper customary protocol. Consequently, the customary marriage continues to subsist.

Marry also dismissed claims by Chiwenga that she is a drug addict saying she is in better health to care for the kids than Chiwenga who is a sickly absentee parent who is more in hospital than out.

The Election Resource Centre (ERC), notes with great concern the government’s insatiable appetite to amend the 2013 constitution even before completing aligning of all laws to the constitution.

The government through the admission of President Emmerson Mnangagwa admitted that more needs to be done to align all laws with the 2013 Constitution.

It is disturbing that the same government that is calling for dialogue and national cohesion on one hand is shutting the door on all other stakeholders in an important exercise such as amending a constitution that was overwhelmingly supported by Zimbabweans in 2013 on the other.

While recognising that government can initiate changes to the legislation, the political context of extreme polarisation and encouragement for Zimbabweans to work together by regional partners, ZANU PF and government would have more to gain from an inclusive approach to changing policies than stubbornly doing it alone banking on their Parliamentary majority.

The ERC acknowledges that there is nothing illegal about a broad based, inclusive approach to considering and implementing policy reforms including changes to the Constitution.

It is unfortunate that the proposed changes have a direct bearing on future elections particularly on issues of inclusion and election dispute resolution given the disputed nature of previous ones.

The ERC would have hoped that any constitutional changes, once deemed to be necessary and a priority, seek to strengthen the credibility of future election processes rather than weaken them.

Furthermore, judicial officers whose appointment is at the discretion of the Executive undemines perceptions of fairness in the event of disputed elections given that the executive is an interested party in elections as the incumbent.

ZANU PF may enjoy a Parliamentary majority, but the abuse of such control of the legislature in passing legislation that erode principles of democracy such as separation of powers is ill advised.

It is of great concern that the developments are coming at a time when reforms should define the country’s attempt to extricate itself from current challenges including international isolation, clawing back the gains of the 2013 Constitution will only serve to widen the rift between those in
authority and those outside of it.

Watch the video loading below for the full text of the above statement and more…

By Own Correspondent| Deputy Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Energy Mutodi, who claims to be a holder of a doctorate degree, has been mocked for his tweet on Thursday calling Advocate Thabani Mpofu a “half-backed” lawyer instead of “half-baked”.

Commenting on Mutodi’s infamous tweet, United Kingdom-based constitutional law expert and political commentator Alex Magaisa wrote:

Lawyers have been called many things but “half-backed” has to be a first. (Credit goes to Zimbabwe’s information deputy minister (Orwellian Minister of Truth).

One Gerrard Belts responded with a question, asking Mutodi if President has become divine.

He wrote:

Agova Jesu here anoita resurrect?

Mutodi had earlier ridiculed Advocate Mpofu, a lawyer who became a household name because of his legal jargon when he represented MDC leader Nelson Chamisa during his challenge of presidential election results at the Constitutional Court in 2018.

Mutodi wrote:

A half-backed lawyer Thabani Mpofu purports that a President on leave cannot perform executive functions. Even after delegation, the principal is still accountable & responsible for the actions of his proxy. He can resurrect from his leave & perform executive duties at any time.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA) Board chair Michael Madanha said that he is not aware of the letter which revealed that tolling cashiers earn over $6 000 per month.

Speaking to the state media on Thursday, Madanha said the $6 000 reported on social media circles could be the gross income of a ZINARA tolling cashier.

He said:

I have no knowledge of the letter and where it was generated to speak on it or comment but if you are saying the amount in question is in the district of $6 000 it could be the gross income.

Madanha’s remarks follow the circulation on social media of an offer letter dated January 10 believed to have originated from Zinara written on the institution’s letterhead.

While Madanha confirmed that a general manager with the institution is getting paid around $20 000, ZINARA Acting Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Moses Chigonyati refused to comment on the matter indicating that it was a private matter as the employers and organisation had signed non-disclosure agreements.

By Own Correspondent| President  Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday explained why he was performing some of his official duties while he is supposed to be on his three-week annual vacation.

Speaking after a tour of a laptop assembling plant at Telone’s Msasa factory in Harare on Thursday morning, Mnangagwa said:

I did not want to come here because I am on leave. But, the Chief Secretary (Dr Misheck Sibanda) insisted that I should come and see this establishment saying it needs the support of the government. After touring the facility, I must say I am happy.

I also informed Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is the acting President now, that I wish (he) could accompany me to see this innovation.

I don’t think he is regretting, because as we were walking around we said this is what we should have done many years ago.

The plant is a culmination of a process which started back in 2018 and saw Telone getting into partnerships with various local and international partners to form a company called Zimbabwe Information Technology Company (ZITCO).

The plant currently produces 50 000 laptops per year. It also produces desktops and tablets.

-Statemedia

https://twitter.com/MemoryMushore/status/1217418384192819205?s=19

By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo based Tyson Wabantu activist was arrested appeared in court on Monday charged with illegal distribution of the movement’s campaign fliers in the city.

Andifasi Banda, the Bulawayo Tyson WaBantu interim provincial mobilisation and recruitment secretary appeared before magistrate Lizwe Jamela facing a charge of contravening section 8(11) of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act.

Banda, alongside former Zanu PF members, particularly from the G40 faction, last month unveiled the Tyson Wabantu movement in Bulawayo during roadshows held in the city’s high-density suburbs.

According to the State, Banda, who applied for police clearance on behalf of the movement to hold the roadshow allegedly failed to comply with the directive or condition under which the procession or public demonstration was authorised.

He allegedly went on to organise the procession of persons and vehicles where fliers written #Tyson Wabantu for My Hope, My Choice, My Voice were distributed in pursuit of a common purpose of demonstrating support for a political organisation namely National Patriotic Front (NPF), the State alleges.

Banda was remanded out of custody and advised that the matter would proceed by way of summons.

Banda, who is also the national commander of the Zimbabwe National Service Graduates Association, an association of the National Youth Service graduates, was represented by human rights lawyer Mehluli Dube.

Exiled former minister Saviour Kasukuwere, who is reportedly behind the Tyson Wabantu movement, did not hide his interest in leading the political project in an interview with a South Africa television station in December last year.

The movement, that draws its members mainly from Zanu PF’s G40, NYS members and expelled G40 members has set its sights on dislodging the ruling Zanu PF party from power in the 2023 elections.

— Newsday

WFP News Release

16 January 2020

JOHANNESBURG/LONDON – A record 45 million people – mostly women and children – in the 16-nation Southern African Development Community are gravely food insecure following repeated drought, widespread flooding and economic disarray.

As the crisis deepens, the world must step up now to save lives and enable communities to adapt to climate change, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.

“This hunger crisis is on a scale we’ve not seen before and the evidence shows it’s going to get worse,” said Lola Castro, WFP’s Regional Director for Southern Africa.

“The annual cyclone season has begun, and we simply cannot afford a repeat of the devastation caused by last year’s unprecedented storms”.

“While our most pressing priority are the millions in need of immediate support, building the resilience of the many more threatened by increasingly frequent and destructive droughts and storms is absolutely essential,” Castro added.

As the “lean” season deepens ahead of the annual cereal harvest in April/May, the international community must accelerate both emergency assistance to millions of desperately hungry people in southern Africa, and long-term investments to enable the region’s vulnerable to withstand the worsening impacts of climate change.

With temperatures rising at twice the global average and most of its food produced by subsistence farmers entirely dependent on increasingly unreliable rains, southern Africa has had just one normal growing season in the last five years.

In many places, this season’s rains have again arrived late, and experts forecast continuing hot and dry weather in the coming months, presaging yet another poor harvest.

WFP plans to provide lean season assistance to 8.3 million people grappling with “crisis” or “emergency” levels of hunger in eight of the hardest-hit countries: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini and Malawi.

To date, WFP has secured just US$205 million of the US$489 million required for this assistance and has been forced to resort heavily to internal borrowing to ensure food reaches those in need.

Zimbabwe is in the throes of its worst hunger emergency in a decade, with 7.7 million people – half the population – seriously food insecure. So too are twenty percent of people in Zambia, a longtime regional breadbasket now having to restrict cereal exports and accept outside assistance.

Twenty percent of the population of drought-stricken Lesotho are also now severely hungry, as are ten percent of Namibians.

In a context of already high rates of malnutrition, population growth, inequality, and HIV/AIDS, the hunger crisis is being aggravated by surging food prices, large-scale livestock losses and mounting joblessness.

Families across the region are eating less, skipping meals, taking children out of school, selling off precious assets and falling into debt.

“If we don’t receive the necessary funding, we’ll have no choice but to assist fewer of those most in need, and with less”, said Castro.

“Nor will we be able to adequately expand longer-term activities vital to meaningfully combatting the existential emergency that is climate change”.

By A Correspondent- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry, has rejected claims that her customary marriage to Chiwenga was terminated through the production of a divorce token (gupuro).

In her response to Chiwenga’s application for divorce last month, Marry revealed that she rejected the divorce token as it had been paid in foreign currency. She said:

The defendant further claims in reconvention that the plaintiff has failed to follow proper customary law procedures to end the customary marriage and that, instead, plaintiff sent (Anselem) Sanyatwe to give her a United States dollar bill which she declined to accept on the basis that it is unlawful in Zimbabwe to transact in United States dollars and that it was (up to) the plaintiff to give her gupuro (divorce token) after following all proper customary protocol. Consequently, the customary marriage continues to subsist.

Marry also dismissed claims by Chiwenga that she is a drug addict saying she is in better health to care for the kids than Chiwenga who is a sickly absentee parent who is more in hospital than out.

By A Correspondent- Marry Chiwenga (nee Mubaiwa), the estranged wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is claiming the equivalent of US$40 000 per month as maintenance from the retired army general for her upkeep, which money she said should be paid at the interbank rate until she died or remarries.

In her response to Chiwenga’s application for divorce last month, Marry is also claiming tens of thousands of US dollars for herself and her children to spend annually on their international holidays. She said:

… defendant claims in reconvention personal maintenance in an amount equivalent to US$40 000 per month payable in Zimbabwe dollars calculated at the interbank rate prevailing on the date of payment until her death or remarriage.

The plaintiff must pay the entire school account in respect of each child at a Catholic school, including school fees, levies, top-ups, costs of extra lessons, costs of all extra-curricular activities, costs of school and sports uniforms, sports equipment and all other school-related costs.

That plaintiff pays for the defendant and her children annual holidays; one fully expensed international holiday per annum at a five-star facility inclusive of spending money of not less than the equivalent of US$25 000, one fully expensed regional holiday per annum at a five-star facility inclusive of spending money of not less than the equivalent of US$15 000, one fully expensed local holiday per annum and spending money of not less than US$25 000 per person

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Acting President Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga has urged religious leaders to work towards uniting Zimbabweans in order to foster development this year and beyond.

Speaking to journalists after witnessing the ordination of eight Roman Catholic Church deacons at the Roman Catholic Church Cathedral in Harare Tuesday, the Acting President called on all Zimbabweans to unite in prayer for the country.

He said the nation should turn to the church in seeking solutions to the social problems facing the country.

He said:

“It brings us joy when we see these young men making such a sacrifice, especially during these difficult times.

We want the priests to help bring people together, to be united so that they can work towards the same goals.

And to teach people to know that the most important thing is to remain united because we are here on earth for a very short time. After they finish their studies, during these nine to 10 years, we expect them to do the work of God and unite the people so that we can see the incidences of crime we are witnessing in the country being reduced.”

When you pray, your heart and mind evolve so that you can tell the difference between the good and the bad and you let go of the bad things.

So we want everybody’s heart and mind to evolve so they can discard what is bad and take what is right.”

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- The saying ‘all is fair in love and war’ proved to be true after a jilted ex-lover gate-crashed the wedding of her former boyfriend and allegedly tried to poison the food but was caught red handed.

Long time sweethearts Christopher Chitongo, an inspector with Chikomba Rural District Council (RDC), and a Muganyi, a computers teacher at Runyararo Primary School, had a nasty break up which resulted in the former seeking a peace order after the latter had refused to let go.

Chitongo, who was customarily married by the time he had an affair with Muganyi, decided to end the relationship and focus on his marriage.

Chitongo wedded his wife on December 21, 2019 and the news of the wedding did not go well with Muganyi who is alleged to have sneaked into the wedding venue in violation of the peace order.

Muganyi is said to have visited Chitongo’s wedding venue as early as 04:00hrs and went straight to the kitchen where the catering team was busy preparing food.

She is said to have been spotted by one of the people in the catering team who went on to alert others. The team went and confronted Muganyi who is said to have been in possession of some poison which she allegedly confirmed that she wanted to sprinkle on the food.

The police was called and Muganyi is said to have spent the whole day locked in police cells to allow the wedding to proceed.

Sources said that Muganyi wanted to disrupt the wedding by poisoning people but her plan was quickly foiled.

“There was a peace order barring Muganyi from coming anywhere near Chitongo’s place but she violated it. Chitongo himself saw the poison and called the police on his ex-lover,” said the source.

-TellZim

By A Correspondent- Parents caught looking for Form One places at various schools yesterday blamed middle persons who were promising them vacancies claiming that they were connected to school heads.

Most of the parents at the schools visited by H-Metro expressed displeasure over people and other school staff demanding money from them.

One of the parents who got a place at Vainona High School at the last hour said she was asked to pay US$40 by one of the staff members at one of the boarding schools.

“I was promised a Form One vacancy at Howard Mission and I paid the middle person some United States dollars only to block my contact on the last minute,” said the parent.

“Kuma boarding schools uko ndiko kunemazinyaya nekuti ukatadza kuburitsa ma US inoenda kuma headmaster wotoziva kuti hapana hapana.

“Headmasters are kings when it comes to school vacancies. Vana vakafoira vanopfumisa ma headmaster nechiwoko muhomwe vamwe vachifa nezvirwere vapfimba madzimai asina kukwana.

“I was forced to look for alternative place after the person who pocketed my money failed me.

“Most of the boarding schools we were told to return next term when they expect some to have transferred their children to other schools due to exorbitant fees.

-H-Metro

By A Correspondent- A man from Fort Rixon in Matabeleland South province has been hauled to court after he allegedly fatally kicked his wife after she pulled his hair during a domestic fight.

This was heard by Bulawayo magistrate Lizwe Jamela when Thembani Nkomo (34) appeared before him charged with murder on Monday.

He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to January 27.

The court was told that on January 6 in Zimbili A village, Nkomo kicked Sukoluhle Mpofu in the lower abdomen.

This was after Mpofu had pulled him by his hair.

Nkomo’s wife was admitted at Filabusi Hospital following the assault and passed on three days later. The matter was reported to the police, leading to Nkomo’s arrest.

-Newsday

The dates for the Warriors’ four remaining Group H 2021 Afcon qualifying matches have been changed.

The back-to-back games between Zimbabwe and Algeria which were initially scheduled for August will now take place on 23 and 31 March 2020.

The qualifying match away in Botswana is now set to happen during the June international break while the final Group H encounter against Zambia at home will take place in the September international break.

The change of dates follows a decision by CAF and host nation Cameroon to hold the tournament in January-February period instead of the June-July period.

The shift was necessitated by the wet conditions which occurs during the mid-year in West Africa.

Meanwhile, the Warriors are currently in second position in the pool with four points, two behind log leaders Algeria.

By A Correspondent– President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday explained why he was performing some of his official duties while he is supposed to be on his three-week annual vacation.

Speaking after a tour of a laptop assembling plant at Telone’s Msasa factory in Harare on Thursday morning, Mnangagwa said:

I did not want to come here because I am on leave. But, the Chief Secretary (Dr Misheck Sibanda) insisted that I should come and see this establishment saying it needs the support of the government. After touring the facility, I must say I am happy.

I also informed Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is the acting President now, that I wish (he) could accompany me to see this innovation. I don’t think he is regretting, because as we were walking around we said this is what we should have done many years ago.

The plant is a culmination of a process which started back in 2018 and saw Telone getting into partnerships with various local and international partners to form a company called Zimbabwe Information Technology Company (ZITCO).

The plant currently produces 50 000 laptops per year. It also produces desktops and tablets.

-StateMedia

Own Correspondent|One of the country’s top supermarkets, Choppies, has found itself in trouble with citizens after advertising a highly intoxicating spirit liquor to be on Back To School Special.

Normally, items put on Back To School Special are expected to be those that are needed by school children as they make their way back to school. The liquor on Back To School Special left many critics wondering if the giant supermarket chain previously owned by Former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko could have been encouraging school children to buy the brew.

See picture below:

The issue of unpaid fees is a complex one. Schools believe if they let a child with unpaid fees access the results after national examinations then they’ve rendered service for free since the chances of that child paying are next to none.

The online results portal potentially gave students an option to avoid the fate of withheld results but it now appears the schools have found a way to stop children owing fees from accessing the results.

Headmaster’s or system centre admins as ZIMSEC prefers to call them can activate and equally deactivate users – which prevents candidates from accessing their results.

The system centre admins can also reset a users’ password rendering their account useless and ensuring they cant create a new one since they’ll get an error informing them that the account they are trying to make already exists.

Zimpricescheck also reported another way in which schools can prevent students/former candidates from accessing their results:

“They just create an account in the name of the student. When the student tries to create an account they will be told the account already exists.”

Whilst this method is easily fixable by a student resetting their password, the system level deactivation might be harder to go around.

Techzim

Own Correspondent|Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and police at Forbes Border post in Mutare have intercepted over two tonnes of Mbanje at the Forbes Border Post in Mutare on Thursday afternoon.

The Mbanje was packed in 92 bags weighing a total 2134kg.

The loot was discovered in a truck coming from Malawi and the truck has since been impounded at the border.

The driver of the truck fled after being intercepted.

More to follow….

Own Correspondent|THE trial of former Minister Prisca Mupfumira and former Permanant Sectretary in the Ministry  of Public Service and Social Welfare, Ngoni Masoka, today failed to start after the State failed to furnish them with some documents they had requested on their last court appearance to prepare their defence.

Mupfumira and Masoka, through their lawyers Thembinkosi Magwaliba, who is acting on lawyer Zivanai Makwanya’s instructions and Lawyer Farai Mushoriwa respectively, had requested National Social Security Authority audited financial statements from the year 2015 to 2018 Cabinet Circular 4 of 2010 and Masoka’s  duties and responsibilities in his former capacity as Permanent Secretary.

The case involves a US$90 000 debt they acquired from National Social Security Authority and reportedly purchased a Land Cruiser VX-L 200 series instead of a Mercedes Benz and instructed the purchase of air tickets worth US$10 215 and paying accommodation of R113 559 without approval.

The State led by Mr Clement Chimbare acknowledged that they were in default of the court’s order to furnish the two with the documents to prepare their defence.

Prosecutor Chimbare promised to furnish Mupfumira and Masoka with the papers on January 24 without fail.

Mupfumira and Masoka are being charged with two counts of criminal abuse of office and another count of concealing a transaction from a principal.

Magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi set February 5 and 6 as the new trial dates.

Own Correspondent|Information Deputy Minister Energy Mutodi has called highly acclaimed Advocate Thabani Mpofu A Half Baked Lawyer this after Mpofu wrote a hugely circulated opinion that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is no longer eligible to be the country’s President.

Mutodi said Mpofu needed a judge to help him interpret the constitution.

The Deputy Minister tweeted:

A half-baked lawyer Thabani Mpofu purports that a President on leave cannot perform executive functions. Even after delegation, the principal is still accountable & responsible for the actions of his proxy. He can resurrect from his leave & perform executive duties at any time.

— Dr Energy Mutodi (@energymutodi) January 16, 2020

You don’t quote the constitution verbatim without applying your mind to it. You need common law & authoritative texts to fully understand what legislators intended to achieve when they introduced those statutes. Thabani needs a Judge to help him understand the Constitution

— Dr Energy Mutodi (@energymutodi) January 16, 2020

Vice President Chiwenga’s wife Marry Chiwenga is leaving no stone unturned in their dirty divorce.

The ex-model is demanding that Chiwenga compensates her for injuries sustained from the White City Stadium bombing in 2018.

In her defendant’s plea at the High court, Marry said;

 “Plaintiff (Constantino Chiwenga) pay the Marry Mubaiwa’s cost for reconstructive surgery and all other medical associated costs arising from injuries she suffered from bomb blast in Bulawayo whilst accompanied Plaintiff on his party activities.”

Marry is also demanding a further US$40 000 per year for going on vacation with her family. US$25 000 will be for international holidays while the other US$15 000 is for regional holidays.

“One fully expensed international holiday per annum at a five-star facility inclusive of spending money of not less than the equivalent of US$25 000. One fully expensed regional holiday per annum at a five-star facility including of spending money of not less than the equivalent of USD$15 000″.

She is also demanding a further $25 000 in local currency per person every year so that they can have a local holiday. She did not specify the number of people who would be receiving the $25 000 in local currency for local holidays. Apart fromdemanding US$40 000 per month as maintenance she also demanded that the Vice President should pay for the children’s school fees.

She is also claiming $40 000 personal maintenance.

“The Defendant claims in reconvention personal maintenance in an amount equivalent to USD40 000 per month payable in Zimbabwe dollars and calculated at the interbank rate prevailing on the date of payment until her death or remarriage” .

Zimbabwe has joined Japan, South Africa and Nigeria in signing a currency swap deal with China, which it hopes will improve trade between the two countries.

Zimbabwe Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube confirmed the deal in an interview with the state media on the sidelines of a meeting between Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Chinese Foreign minister, Wang Yi at the State House in Harare.

The top Chinese official is on a five African nation diplomatic offensive taking him to Egypt, Djibouti, Eritrea, Burundi and Zimbabwe. Beijing says the visit marks its two decades of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Said Ncube, “We have entered into a currency swap arrangement, what this means is that there are those who would be investing in Zimbabwe from China and those who require their proceeds to be remitted back to China which is normal.”

He added, “So, the idea is those individuals will then swap (currency) so that those who are investing in Zimbabwe are able to give them a domestic currency and they use the foreign currency which they are bringing in for investment to pay those who are exiting.”

Harare, under targeted sanctions by Washington and the European Union, has increasingly turned to China for assistance. Some economists have warned that Beijing is creating debt traps for desperate African nations like Zimbabwe.

University of Zimbabwe economics Professor, Tony Hawkins, says Zimbabwe Service that the deal shows desperation on the part of Zimbabwe to revive its struggling economy.

“It’s a sign of desperation of the times really … You know the real issue for the economy is getting some kind of international agreement and all these policies that they’re chasing after at the moment are all efforts to minimize the impact of not having access to IMF money, World Bank money Africa Development Bank money and so on.”

Hawkins says Harare must address its economic crisis and stop “fiddling around the edges of the problem rather than tackling the problem.”

The chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, Chris Mugaga, concurs. “Knowing fully well that Zimbabwe is in a quagmire where the currency conundrum, is hitting not only business, but even the ordinary household, so, given that background, I think this current swap is an attempt to find solutions, especially to the current account deficit where China is the biggest beneficiary. As you know we continue importing more from China than what we are selling to Beijing.”

Economist Dr. Godfrey Kanyenze of the Labor and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe says the Gresham law, an economic term for filtering bad vs. good currency, will be in full swing as the strong Chinese currency is set to chase away the weak Zimbabwe currency, known as bonds.

“The problem is that the one (Chinese investor) who is coming here to Zimbabwe may have misgivings because of the context of chronic high inflation.” He adds, “The context of volatility and uncertainty, which therefore implies that they may not really want to change their money in large amounts.”

However, investment banker Gilbert Muponda says the deal is likely to benefit Harare, which has been isolated by the West.

“I think it’s a welcome development because Zimbabwe has been experiencing an acute shortage of foreign currency and this arrangement is going to reduce the demand of the US dollar, because what it entirely means is that those people who are comfortable with receiving Chinese Yuan, can match their requirements with those who have the Yuan as well.”

He continued, “the net effect is that you are going to avoid using the US dollar, which is in short supply and selling at a premium, so this is a good move by the two authorities. As you know, Zimbabwe previously used to get a lot of money in terms of balance of payment in terms of payment support, and grants and things like that and access to the IMF, which supported the currency.

“Now the lack of that support now is bringing extra pressure on the Zimbabwe dollar. Therefore, if you remove some of the people who are demanding the US dollar and they start using the Chinese Yuan, it makes a lot of sense.”

Zimbabwe is facing its worst economic crisis in decades characterized by hyperinflation, currency and fuel shortages and power outages that can go for 18 hours.

Nearly eight million people, roughly half the population, are food insecure, according to the World Food Program.

Correspondent|Estranged wife to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Marry Chiwenga, has revealed that her husband sent unpopular August 1 massacres commander to deliver to her his traditional divorce token, known as Gupuro in Shona.

In her court papers as the couple goes through a messy and rather nasty divorce, Marry said that she declined to accept the token which was a US Dollar note as US Dollars are not an official currency in the country.

Marry has refused to back down in the fight and is giving as good as she is getting.

In her response to the Vice President’s divorce petition filed in December, Mary argues that the couple’s customary marriage is still subsisting because Chiwenga failed to follow the dictates of cultural protocol to enable him to terminate the marriage.

She further says that she never got the customary Gupuro because of this failure to follow protocol.

While Mary concedes that Chiwenga sent retired Lieutenant General Anselem Sanyatwe to give her US$100 as a divorce token, she argues that she refused to accept it because of a breach in protocol.

Says Mary in her court papers,

“The defendant (Marry Mubaiwa Chiwenga) further claims in reconvention that the plaintiff (Constantino Chiwenga) has failed to follow proper customary law procedures to end the customary marriage and that, instead, plaintiff sent (Anselem) Sanyatwe to give her a United States dollar bill which she declined to accept on the basis that it is unlawful in Zimbabwe to transact in United States dollars and that it was (up to) the plaintiff to give her gupuro (divorce token) after following all proper customary protocol. Consequently, the customary marriage continues to subsist.

Sanyatwe was head of the National Reaction Force that used live bullets on protestors and killed 6 civilians and injured 35 more on August 1, 2018.

Source – iHarare

PARENTS caught looking for Form One places at various schools yesterday blamed middle persons who were promising them vacancies claiming that they were connected to school heads.

Most of the parents at the schools visited by H-Metro expressed displeasure over people and other school staff demanding money from them.

One of the parents who got a place at Vainona High School at the last hour said she was asked to pay US$40 by one of the staff members at one of the boarding schools.

“I was promised a Form One vacancy at Howard Mission and I paid the middle person some United States dollars only to block my contact on the last minute,” said the parent.

“Kuma boarding schools uko ndiko kunemazinyaya nekuti ukatadza kuburitsa ma US inoenda kuma headmaster wotoziva kuti hapana hapana.

“Headmasters are kings when it comes to school vacancies. Vana vakafoira vanopfumisa ma headmaster nechiwoko muhomwe vamwe vachifa nezvirwere vapfimba madzimai asina kukwana.

“I was forced to look for alternative place after the person who pocketed my money failed me.

“Most of the boarding schools we were told to return next term when they expect some to have transferred their children to other schools due to exorbitant fees.-H-Metro

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday explained why he was performing some of his official duties while he is supposed to be on his three-week annual vacation.

Speaking after a tour of a laptop assembling plant at Telone’s Msasa factory in Harare on Thursday morning, Mnangagwa said:

I did not want to come here because I am on leave. But, the Chief Secretary (Dr Misheck Sibanda) insisted that I should come and see this establishment saying it needs the support of the government. After touring the facility, I must say I am happy.

I also informed Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is the acting President now, that I wish (he) could accompany me to see this innovation. I don’t think he is regretting, because as we were walking around we said this is what we should have done many years ago.

The plant is a culmination of a process which started back in 2018 and saw Telone getting into partnerships with various local and international partners to form a company called Zimbabwe Information Technology Company (ZITCO).

The plant currently produces 50 000 laptops per year. It also produces desktops and tablets.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Police are reportedly looking for Zimbabwe Football Association president Felton Kamambo in connection with 28 cases of fraud.

According to an internal police memo circulating on social media, all police stations in the country were advised to seize the football administrator on sight.

Read the unconfirmed memo dated 16 January 2020:

“All stations are advised to arrest and detain Felton Kamambo upon sight. He is the current Zimbabwe Football Association president.

He is wanted by this station to answer twenty eight counts of bribery as defined by Section 170 (b) (ii) of the Criminal Law Codifictaion and Reform Act Chapter 9:23 CMM Harare Central CR 224/12/19 and CCU DR 07/12/19 refers stop if located, arrest CMM detain and advise this LOC for escort by a return signal or contact the officer in charged Commercial Crime Unit on 0242 753264 or 0242 748836.”

By A Correspondent- Acting President Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga has urged religious leaders to work towards uniting Zimbabweans in order to foster development this year and beyond.

Speaking to journalists after witnessing the ordination of eight Roman Catholic Church deacons at the Roman Catholic Church Cathedral in Harare Tuesday, the Acting President called on all Zimbabweans to unite in prayer for the country.

He said the nation should turn to the church in seeking solutions to the social problems facing the country.

He said:

“It brings us joy when we see these young men making such a sacrifice, especially during these difficult times.

We want the priests to help bring people together, to be united so that they can work towards the same goals.

And to teach people to know that the most important thing is to remain united because we are here on earth for a very short time. After they finish their studies, during these nine to 10 years, we expect them to do the work of God and unite the people so that we can see the incidences of crime we are witnessing in the country being reduced.”

When you pray, your heart and mind evolve so that you can tell the difference between the good and the bad and you let go of the bad things.

So we want everybody’s heart and mind to evolve so they can discard what is bad and take what is right.”

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- A man from Fort Rixon in Matabeleland South province allegedly fatally kicked his wife after she pulled his hair during a domestic fight.

This was heard by Bulawayo magistrate Lizwe Jamela when Thembani Nkomo (34) appeared before him charged with murder on Monday.

He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to January 27.

The court was told that on January 6 in Zimbili A village, Nkomo kicked Sukoluhle Mpofu in the lower abdomen.

This was after Mpofu had pulled him by his hair.

Nkomo’s wife was admitted at Filabusi Hospital following the assault and passed on three days later. The matter was reported to the police, leading to Nkomo’s arrest

-Newsday

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife,
Marry , has rejected claims that her customary marriage to Chiwenga was terminated through the production of a divorce token (gupuro).

In her response to Chiwenga’s application for divorce last month, Marry revealed that she rejected the divorce token as it had been paid in foreign currency.

She said:
The defendant further claims in reconvention that the plaintiff has failed to follow proper customary law procedures to end the customary marriage and that, instead, plaintiff sent
(Anselem) Sanyatwe to give her a United States dollar bill which she declined to accept on the basis that it is unlawful in Zimbabwe to transact in United States dollars and that it was (up to) the plaintiff to give her
gupuro (divorce token) after following all proper customary protocol. Consequently, the customary marriage continues to subsist.

Marry also dismissed claims by Chiwenga that she is a drug addict saying she is in better health to care for the kids than Chiwenga who is a sickly absentee parent who is more in hospital than out.- NewsDay

PARENTS caught looking for Form One places at various schools yesterday blamed middle persons who were promising them vacancies claiming that they were connected to school heads.

Most of the parents at the schools visited by H-Metro expressed displeasure over people and other school staff demanding money from them.

One of the parents who got a place at Vainona High School at the last hour said she was asked to pay US$40 by one of the staff members at one of the boarding schools.

“I was promised a Form One vacancy at Howard Mission and I paid the middle person some United States dollars only to block my contact on the last minute,” said the parent.

“Kuma boarding schools uko ndiko kunemazinyaya nekuti ukatadza kuburitsa ma US inoenda kuma headmaster wotoziva kuti hapana hapana.

“Headmasters are kings when it comes to school vacancies. Vana vakafoira vanopfumisa ma headmaster nechiwoko muhomwe vamwe vachifa nezvirwere vapfimba madzimai asina kukwana.

“I was forced to look for alternative place after the person who pocketed my money failed me.

“Most of the boarding schools we were told to return next term when they expect some to have transferred their children to other schools due to exorbitant fees.-H-Metro

Farai Dziva|The amendment of the Constitution is a calculated gambit by Emmerson Mnangagwa -meant to consolidate power, MDC’ s Douglas Mwonzora has said.

“The proposed constitutional amendments are designed to further constrict democratic space and concentrate power in the President.

They are also designed to deal with Zanu PF’s succession conundrum. The concept of one centre of power at all levels is archaic.

We should never allow the planned mutilation of the People’s Constitution. Zimbabweans voted overwhelmingly for this constitution. It represents an incremental gain in its democratisation agenda. Never again should we allow concentration of power in one man,” argued Mwonzora.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) Board Chairperson Rashid Mahiya on Tuesday 14 January 2020 asked Harare Magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa to set him free after arguing that the State had taken long to put him on trial on charges of plotting to overthrow President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

Mahiya, who is also the Executive Director of Heal Zimbabwe Trust (HZT) was arrested on Monday 25 February 2019 and charged with subverting constitutional government as defined in section 22(2)(a)(i) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Prosecutors claim that the CiZC leader connived with some unidentified accomplices and convened a meeting at Wild Geese Conference Centre in Pomona suburb in Harare for members of CiZC and HZT between 3 December 2018 to 6 December 2018.

During the meeting, prosecutors alleged that Mahiya incited participants including some from Interpeace, a peacebuilding organisation headquartered in Europe, and the general populace of Zimbabwe, to subvert a constitutional government by urging all Zimbabweans to engage in acts of civil disobedience, passive resistance to law, public violence, hooliganism and rampant looting across the country.

Prosecutors claimed that as a result of Mahiya’s undisclosed utterances during the meeting held at Wild Geese Conference Centre and also those of his unidentified accomplices, members of the public engaged in acts of violence, wanton destruction of both government and private property and carried out rampant looting from shops across the country from Monday 14 January 2019 up to Wednesday 16 January 2019 during anti-government protests held in Zimbabwe.

On Tuesday 14 January 2020, Mahiya’s lawyer, Tonderai Bhatasara of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights protested before Magistrate Mugwagwa that his client’s trial had taken long to commence.

Bhatasara argued that Mahiya has been religiously attending court sessions without being put on trial and hence he should be removed from remand and be set free.

ENDS
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights