Zimbabwe is set to clear its arrears with Mozambique and South Africa after securing a US$100 million facility from Afreximbank and revive a 30-year trilateral agreement with the two neighbouring countries as part of immediate-term solutions to stabilise local power supplies.

The trilateral agreement signed in 1990 allows Zimbabwe to negotiate for “firm and competitively priced” electricity from Cahora Bassa and Eskom, while paying off arrears is expected to unlock 550 megawatts (MW) from the regional utilities.

The Sunday Mail understands that President Emmerson Mnangagwa discussed the matter with his Mozambican counterpart, President Filipe Nyusi, during his visit to Maputo a fortnight ago.

Government has prioritised establishing stable power supplies to drive economic growth.

Separately, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) has already paid two European companies to restore two units at Hwange Thermal Power Station — units three and six — by March this year.

Zesa executive board chairperson, Dr Sydney Gata, was bullish that the country would experience relatively milder load-shedding than last year.

“Frankly speaking, we should not have had the severe load-shedding that we experienced last year. Zesa and the past ministry failed to renew a primary agreement that was due for renewal in 2012. This trilateral agreement provides Zimbabwe first right of refusal to import 500MW of firm power at a very competitive tariff from Cahora Bassa,” said Dr Gata.

“This agreement was a result of the Mozambique government assisting us to access what was South Africa’s share of Cahora Bassa, at a time when SA also had a surplus. So with considerable support from Mozambique’s government, SA surrendered 500MW of its entitlement to Zimbabwe for which we were to build the Bindura-Cahora Bassa lines, also called the Bindura-Songo lines, which would reach to Dema substation.”

The agreement reportedly expired in 2012 but was not renewed.

Government is presently renewing it.

Two units at Hwange, which have been down for a number of years, are expected to be up and running by March, adding 300MW to the grid.

Two foreign companies are currently working to revive the plants.

Dr Gata said: “We have been able to pay in advance to the French and Italian companies, who are the original suppliers, for the overhaul maintenance of the two units and it should be completed by mid-March. This means that we will add another 300MW or so.”

Arrears clearance

Dr Gata added that the country could secure more power from regional utilities once it cleared its arrears.

He, however, noted that although a US$100 million facility had been secured from Afreximbank, there were delays in processing the transaction owing to the December holidays.

“The second unfortunate thing is that while Zesa has raised through a bank US$100 million to pay for arrears to Eskom; Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), which is the power utility for Mozambique; and Cahora Bassa, which is like the ZPC (Zimbabwe Power Company) of Mozambique, there has been an inordinate delay in procuring borrowing certificates and guarantees from Government. It took almost two months to get the certificate.

“By the time they were issued just before Christmas, everybody had gone on holiday and we were not able to process. As people come back from the holiday, we are pursuing with the bank to clear the arrears and activate support of up to 400MW from Eskom and 150MW from EDM.”

Overall, the country’s debt to the regional utilities initially stood at US$70 million.

“In respect of Cahora Bassa, it is both to pay for the arrears and also renegotiate an extension of the old agreement.

“In respect of Eskom, the condition precedent is to pay for the arrears. With EDM it is also to pay for the arrears.”

Restructure

As part of efforts to improve Zesa’s efficiency, the parastatal would be restructured by mid-March through a rebundling process.

“I have set up a board committee for the rebundling but it is a fairly easy exercise to undertake with respect to policy and structure because the Government has decided what it wants to do. We may appoint a consultant to help us with the structure.

“In my case, I was the person appointed to establish the old Zesa in 1986, in January, when I was given the assignment to amalgamate the six units that existed then,” said Dr Gata.

The subsequent structure that was assumed by the local power utility then, Dr Gata added, was similar to that of the Central Electricity Generating Board of the United Kingdom.

He said retrenchments were “unavoidable at the top” as a result of the ongoing exercise.

The majority of middle managers and other staff will be spared.

In a separate interview, Energy and Power Development Minister, Fortune Chasi, confirmed a major shake-up was looming at Zesa.

Speaking after a meeting with leaders of the Energy Sector Workers Union of Zimbabwe in Harare, Minister Chasi said disciplinary action had commenced against those involved in shady dealings at the power utility.

“We have already started implementation of the contents and recommendations of the forensic audit, key of which is disciplinary hearings around individuals who may have been involved in any acts of misconduct that have caused loss to Zesa.

“I want to assure you that anyone who deprived Zesa in an illegal way, the law will catch up with them.”

He said the forensic audit will be presented before Parliament soon.

Government would not tolerate a perfunctory approach to work by Zesa workers, he said.

“I was briefed of incidents where we had managers who had the arrogance to tell consumers that they would not switch on power or fix faults. We have these reports and we will take appropriate action.”

-State Media

Jane Mlambo| Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has refused to accept the High Court decision to award custody of the couple’s children to his estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa.

Chiwenga has has since filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the ruling made by High Court judge Christopher Dube-Banda late last week.

Chiwenga was ordered to return the couple’s three minor children to the custody of Marry as well as allowing his estranged wife access to the couple’s sumptuous matrimonial home in Borrowdale and three high-end luxury cars.

The ruling was made after Chiwenga allegedly threw Marry out of the couple’s home and ordered armed soldiers to bar her and to prevent her from entering the premises.

Chiwenga also took custody of the couple’s children after Marry was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on a myriad of charges which include numerous counts of money laundering, externalisation, fraudulently solemnizing a customary marriage while the powerful vice President was bedridden.

She is also facing the rather serious charge of attempting to murder the Vice President when he was critically ill in South Africa.

MORE than 20 000 residents in Mzilikazi District in Bulawayo will receive monthly payouts of US$9 with effect from this month as part of efforts by some non-governmental organisations to end hunger in urban areas.

Last year, most of the money and food handouts were concentrated in rural areas but both the Government and NGOs have moved in to help thousands of people facing food shortages in urban areas. 

An NGO, DanChurchAid (DCA) said working with the World Food Programme (WFP) has secured US$2,1 million that will be distributed to vulnerable families in Mzilikazi District.

The organisation has already identified beneficiaries who will start receiving the money end of this month. DCA country director Mr Mads Lindegard said the organisation believes in restoring the dignity of individuals and families.

“Resilience building is designed to empower urban poor by building capabilities to respond to a crisis such as food insecurity by way of engaging in gainful income generating activities. 

“We will be giving individuals US$9 every month for 12 months and 20 000 individuals will benefit. 

“The cash distribution programme will in a way support local markets and as beneficiaries of the cash distribution will be buying from their local retailers and vegetable vendors,” said Mr Lindegard.

He also said compared to rural areas, people in urban areas have no land to farm, so they are more prone to food shortages, especially those that are not working. 

“Rural people have land so if they receive adequate rains, they will definitely harvest grains that will last them the whole year whereas urban people have to buy food which is expensive,” Mr Lindegard.

In Mzilikazi District, the survey to identify beneficiaries was conducted by the Department of Social Welfare, DCA and WFP. 

“Our vision is to see households with capabilities to prepare for and withstand risks and shocks such as climate change and droughts. 

“We are trying to build communities that are resilient. 

“Our overall goal is a world without hunger and we are working as hard as we can to find funds to extend the programme to assist all food insecure people in Bulawayo,” he said.

In an interview, the Minister of State for Bulawayo Metropolitan Provincial Affairs, Cde Judith Ncube said she was pleased with the programme because it will complement Government efforts to provide food security.

“I am glad that these NGOs have come to assist the people of Bulawayo considering the high costs of basic commodities and I am certain that this money will make a difference in those people’s lives,” she said.

-State Media

AN expedition to harvest the much sought after mopani worms (amacimbi) almost turned tragic for a security guard employed at Whitewater High School in Matobo District, Matabeleland South, as he found himself wrestling with a leopard which he miraculously fended off by choking it.

Mr Abednigo Moyo of Halale Village, situated near the famous Njelele Shrine, used bare hands to wrestle and choke the big cat after it attacked him while he was harvesting amacimbi .

His brother who had also accompanied him to the amacimbi expedition emerged from the bushes and finished off the vicious predator by axing it. So daring was Mr Moyo that his final technique to outfox the predator saw him shoving his hand into its mouth in an attempt to block its windpipe.

For all his efforts to save his life, he was, however, later arrested for poaching. He appeared before a Plumtree magistrate on Thursday last week facing charges of killing an endangered animal. He was remanded out of custody to 3 February on $300 bail.

Sunday News tracked Mr Moyo last week who narrated his near brush with death and how he fought the animal to its death. Mr Moyo said the incident happened on 13 January at Gumela Farm situated along the Bulawayo-Maphisa Growth Point Road.
“The day started well,” he recalled.

“My brother Isaac, his wife and I went to Gumela Farm owned by Mr William Ncube and we sought permission to harvest amacimbi at his property, which we were granted.”
He said while they were harvesting the delicacy he heard his dogs barking and decided to go and investigate.

At that point his brother and his wife were harvesting amacimbi on the other side of the farm. When I reached the area, it was a thicket and I could not see anything, my brother and his wife continued to harvest
amacimbi ,” said Mr Moyo.

He said he then decided to continue with harvesting but all of a sudden, he heard an unusual sound of something approaching from the thicket.
“Before I could even see or react, a leopard emerged charging towards me. I tried to run but it was too late, the predator attacked me and I don’t know how I gathered the strength and managed to grab it by the neck before it could savage me,” he said. Mr Moyo said, however, the grip was not strong and the leopard freed itself but it slipped and lost balance.

“I realised that if I don’t do something the animal would kill me. It was either I die fighting or I get mauled.”

He said when it opened its mouth ready to sink its teeth on him, he shoved his hand into its mouth and grabbed its windpipe. “It was painful because at the same time, the leopard was biting my hand but I was choking it from inside while the other hand was fending off its claws.

I was also screaming at the same time. The struggle went on for a minute or two and I could see the animal was also losing power from the choke,” he said. Mr Moyo said his brother heard him screaming and rushed to investigate.

“When Isaac arrived, the leopard was already losing strength. He then axed it and that is how I managed to eventually free myself. It died and we left it there,” he said. Mr Moyo was rushed to Natisa Clinic for treatment.

“I called at my workplace and told them what had happened and after that I went to Natisa Clinic where I was given some injections and the wounds were stitched. It was not serious because that same night I managed to report for work,” he said.

But his woes were not yet over despite the heroics to save his life. “In the morning rangers came to my homestead and arrested me and my brother for poaching.

The rangers were carrying the skin of the leopard and told us that we had killed an animal classified as an endangered specie and we were taken to the police. It is the law but I wonder what else I could have done under such circumstances.

The issue was either I get killed to save the endangered leopard or fight for my life.”-State media

THERE was drama at a Johannesburg hotel in South Africa yesterday when a Zifa delegation was barred from attending the Cosafa annual general meeting where the organisation was reviewing its 2019 performance and making resolutions for this year.

Zifa president Felton Kamambo was leading his association’s delegation, which included acting vice-president Philemon Machana, chief executive Joseph Mamutse and lawyer Chenaimwoyo Gumiro.

The quartet had ignored a Cosafa warning that they would not be allowed into the indaba on the grounds that Zifa had outstanding financial obligations with the regional body in line with its statutes.

It is understood that the Namibian and Angolan football associations also faced the same fate. But unlike Zifa, Angola and Namibia did not show up at the meeting’s venue in Johannesburg.

On arrival at the hotel, the Zifa delegation found their way blocked by the security team that was manning the entrance to the boardroom.
Last night, Zifa issued a statement on the Johannesburg debacle.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association wishes to inform all football loving stakeholders of the outcome of the 2020 Cosafa Annual General Meeting.

“Regrettably, the Zifa delegation was denied entry into the conference room by hired security details that were placed for that purpose on the allegations of not being in good standing. This was despite efforts by Zifa to pay any dues through Fifa over and above overtures made since Friday to get Cosafa secretariat to provide other details, invoices and/or amounts that may have been owing.

“Such information was deliberately withheld for the entire week before and during the AGM and was only revealed after the meeting in the form of two additional invoices.

“Zifa is convinced this was deliberately done to ensure the association would not have a say in congress deliberations, especially after having given to Cosafa prior notice to move a motion to discuss the various transgressions by the Cosafa president.

More fully appear in the 2019 Cosafa audit report, which included questionable payments done to Dr Chiyangwa, which Zifa believed were excessive, including proposed redressive action to be taken.

“Zifa is however happy to inform all football loving stakeholders that the association has neither been banned nor suspended, but was simply stopped from attending the AGM.

“Soon after the AGM, Cosafa secretariat finally gave the Zifa delegation two invoices of R10 000 and USD$3 000 for 2020 affiliation and the appeal on the Warriors ban respectively,’’ Zifa said.-State media

A BULILIMA man is battling for life at the Plumtree District Hospital after he was stabbed with an okapi knife in the head and ribs by his friend in a beer brawl.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the incident which occurred on Wednesday at around 9PM at Mbila Bottle store in Bulilima.

He said the suspect only known as Key was on the run and he appealed to members of the public with information on his whereabouts to contact the police.

“We recorded an attempted murder case which occurred at Mbila Bottle Store in Bulilima. The complainant Mr Noel Ndlovu (20) and the suspect only known as Key were drinking beer at the bottle store when they had a misunderstanding over an unknown issue.

“Key pulled out an okapi knife from his pair of trousers and stabbed Mr Ndlovu in the head, ribs and arm before fleeing. Mr Ndlovu was assisted by a well wisher who ferried him to Plumtree District Hospital.

Investigations are underway and Key is still on the run. We appeal to anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact any nearest police station,” he said.-State media

A woman proven to be calling from dancer, Bev Sibanda’s husband’s UK home speaks to ZimEye offloading allegations that he has stolen her car and run away.

The below LIVE program follows verification checks by ZimEye showing that the caller is truly from Mr Mufudzi Chambuka’s home.

An earlier investigation by ZimEye Saturday, proved that what the state owned Herald, the H-Metro claimed that he is a medical doctor, is not true.

The damning allegations are uttered by the complainant whose name cannot be disclosed for ethical reasons.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Police have recovered 31 machetes and arrested seven people suspected to be in the business of making and supplying them to gangs that are terrorising mining areas and towns.

This followed a raid at Siyaso in Mbare, Harare, where the machetes were being manufactured and sold.

Siyaso is a home industry in Mbare where various implements are made for sale.

The arrests come as police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga yesterday spoke strongly against the current wave of machete attacks on citizens across Zimbabwe.

He was speaking in his welcome remarks during a tour of Gweru Central Police Station by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe.
Machetes cost between US$6 and US$10 at Siyaso.

Sources said before “Operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere/No to Machete Gangs” was launched last week, there was a huge demand for machetes in mining areas.

“Information we have gathered is that some people were coming to buy machetes to protect themselves from attackers and that is why there was huge demand for these weapons,” said a source.

“Some of the people were coming from mines to buy machetes in Mbare. The sellers would sell more than 20 machetes per day.

“But when the operation was launched last week, the sales drastically went down as people were afraid of being found in possession of the machetes.”

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said on Thursday police raided Siyaso and Matapi in Mbare where they arrested the seven suspects.

“Yesterday (Thursday) we conducted raids at Siyaso and Matapi where seven accused persons were arrested for selling machetes to the machete gangs,” he said.

“We recovered 31 machetes.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said some of the suspects escaped during the raid.

Police have, for the next three months, prohibited the carrying of weapons by members of the public.

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

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

“In accordance with Section (4) (1) of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA) Chapter 11:23, Officers Commanding Police Districts, also known as regulating authorities, have now prohibited the carrying, whether openly or by concealment, in public places or public thoroughfares or public display of catapults, machetes, axes, knobkerries, swords, knives, stones or daggers or items capable of use as weapons and likely to occasion public disorder or a breach of peace,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.-State Media

Those who say that MDC leader @nelsonchamisa should not talk of having military on negotiation/dialogue table should answer what Generals Tongogara, Masuku, ZIPRA and ZANLA leadership were doing at Lancaster. There is nothing new. Zanu PF can’t selectively talk of the law

— Pedzisai Ruhanya (@PedzisaiRuhanya) January 24, 2020

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa said dialogue should be inclusive of the army but Zanu PF has responded trashing the suggestion arguing that the army cannot be involved in politics. Do you think that dialogue should be inclusive of the army?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) January 25, 2020

By A Correspondent| Zinara has fired Mr Ostern Chimedza who was the Tolling Manager at the roads administration company.

The state media reported that Mr Chimedza was fired for presiding over tollgates leakages.

A leaked letter seen by the publication from the ZINARA CEO to Mr Chimedza reads in part:

This letter serves to notify you that your contract as tolling manager will be terminated on 15 January 2020

Chimedza before being fired was shown several audit reports showing corruption activities at the country’s tollgates but he failed to take corrective measures according to the publication.

This comes barely 5 weeks since ZINARA fired cashiers after they discovered tollgates leakages that resulted in ZINARA losing millions of dollars.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission is seeking to retain part of its recovered proceeds from looted funds to fund its operations, an online publication has reported.

This was revealed at a Transparency International Zimbabwe(TIZ) Corruption Perceptions Index Results Report launch by ZACC Commissioner John Makamure who said:

We are cognisant of the budgetary limitations, we are making proposals for retention of a percentage of assets recovery so that we are able to capacitate  ZACC.

The fiscus will never be able to fund this anti-corruption fight. We all know that it’s not possible at the moment.

ZACC has been accused by the populace of catching and releasing criminals and ZACC defended their commission by saying their mandate starts and ends with catching criminals, prosecution is left to the National Prosecution Authority

-NehandaRadio

South African travel and tourism executives have lamented the high cost of holidaying in the Victoria Falls, saying it is one of the most expensive tourism destinations in the world.

The executives told businessdigest during the recent 2019 Africa Tourism Leadership Forum (ATLF) and Awards in Durban that Zimbabwe should try and make Victoria Falls affordable so that Africans can also marvel at one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

The executives said in the spirit of promoting intra-Africa trade, African countries should devise strategies that will allow its people to travel across borders to visit tourism destinations.

The three-day meeting, whose theme was “stimulating intra-Africa Travel through thought leadership” was attended by chief executives in travel, aviation, hospitality and tourism sectors.

ATLF is a Pan-African dialogue platform that brings together key stakeholders of Africa’s travel, tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors to network, share insights and devise strategies for intra-Africa travel and tourism growth across the continent, whilst enhancing the brand equity of “Destination Africa”.

Travelstart senior commercial manager Linda Balme said it costs under R10 000 for South Africans to travel to Thailand, Bali or other such destinations including flights and accommodation for seven nights at a three-star hotel.

She said for a four-star hotel it costs around R12 000, while a special holiday package to Victoria Falls for three nights costs more a South African one.

“That does not include any excursions which the Thailand Tourism Board will throw in. Coming from outside, it is important that we make airfare affordable, accommodation affordable, even if it is in the low season of travel so that we allow Africans to travel internally,” she said.

“Just give us better deals and we will fill rooms. It is better to have a hotel that is full than one that is 60% with euros and pounds. Rather fill it and it will generate more tourism and it will be more beneficial for everyone and it will keep trade going between the two countries and the continent as a whole. We need more airlines supporting those routes and more locals visiting Victoria Falls.”

In South Africa, 74,4% of tourism comes from within Africa.

World Travel Tourism Council regional director-Africa Jillian Blackheard said: “As more Africans travel within our own countries and the continent, the low-hanging benefits for the travel and tourism sector are negated trends of seasonality, increased occupancy based on short lead time sales, tourism product diversification and demand outside limited traditional tourism regions and increase in tourism supply chain and demand for local circular economy.”

In another interview, Steward Travel coordinator and national tour guide PJ Mulaudzi said the Victoria Falls was no doubt the most expensive destination in Southern Africa.

“We cannot tell them what to charge. But when you go to Zambia, things are far much cheaper. You have a situation where even airlines are taking advantage of the Zimbabwean issue. On any given day it is 30-40% cheaper to fly out of Livingstone to Johannesburg than it is to fly out of Victoria Falls,” he said.

He said what tourists pay at a five-star hotel in South Africa is the same amount of what they pay for a bed and breakfast (BnB) in Victoria Falls.

“The hotel in Sun City is R2 500 a night and in Victoria Falls, you would have paid R10 000 for that kind of hotel,” Mulaudzi pointed out.

He said Zimbabwe needs to invest in upgrading its facilities in Victoria Falls otherwise it will continue to lag behind Zambia.

“I will give an example. The development in Victoria Falls is no way near what is happening in Zambia. The excuse they always come up with on the Zimbabwean side is that it is a national heritage site so they cannot do developments. Livingstone is also one. You go to the falls from the Zambian side and the hotel key is your entrance fees. You don’t pay not even a cent if you stay in a hotel there. If you are a non-resident, you pay US$20.”

Mulaudzi added that: “On the Zimbabwean side, which has 70% of the Falls, you pay US$30, which is a fair price. But the interesting thing is that on the Zambian side, they have state-of-the-art facilities -the toilets, the craft market. You check into any hotel in Zambia, you get ponchos (raincoats) complementary of the hotel. On the Zimbabwean side, you can stay in a US$1 000-per-night hotel, they don’t even give you anything.

“You go to the Falls and you have to pay entrance fees. You pay US$30 to enter the Falls and the toilets they have there were built by David Livingstone himself in 1855. They cannot even upgrade their toilets. The toilet paper you find, if you are lucky to find any, is the cheapest toilet paper but you have paid US$30.”

He said a visitor also has to pay US$1 for a one-quarter page leaflet with information about the Falls and a map of the trail in addition to the entrance fees.

“It is a matter of they just want to take, take and take and they don’t want to give anything back. There is a need to intervene,” Mulaudzi said.

He said there was also need to relook the payment structure at the Matobo National Park and the levy for the helicopter rides.

“You go to Matobo National Park and US$15 per person to enter. The only thing you go to Matobo to see is Cecil John Rhodes’ grave and the bushmen paintings. You have paid US$15 at the gate and, when you get to the paintings, there is someone there waiting for you to pay US$10 to see the paintings. You go to the grave, there is someone waiting there to pay to US$10 to see the grave. So why did I pay the entrance fee because it is only the grave and the paintings they have got?” he said.

“Go and check the toilets they have at the paintings. The seats are broken, there are holes and it doesn’t flush. There are these 200 or 500-litre drums of water and you have to take the water and put in the toilet and they are charging you US$10. If they want to charge that money, why not charge one entrance fees at the main gate? Again, they just want to take, take and take and not give anything.”

On the helicopter rides, he said: “The helicopter ride is US$150 and when you get to the helipad, there is someone waiting there and they want US$15 for Parks fees. Why not just charge US$165 and sort each other out later? You can’t even pay it by credit card, they want hard cash.”

He said the Zimbabwe National Parks and state tourism departments were to blame for this.

“The people I have a problem with are the national parks and the tourism authority, which are under the government. They must look more at promoting the destination more than taking and taking. At Victoria Falls if you charge me US$30 and I have clean facilities, I have no problems with paying. I just don’t understand, with the US$30, why they do not provide quality toilet paper, renovate or just buy new seats, which cost just R500 or R600, which is nothing compared to what they are charging,” he said.

Mulaudzi, however said the best tourist destinations, which are well-maintained and value for money were the Antelope Park in Gweru, the Great Zimbabwe Monument and Hwange National Park.

A MAN from Njube in Bulawayo has been arrested on charges of stealing a bus parked in Thorngrove after it was involved in an accident four years earlier.

The bus, which had Botswana registration, belonged to a Zimbabwean living in the neighbouring country.

Bongani Dube (41) was not asked to plead to theft charges when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Lizwe Jamela on Thursday and was remanded out of custody to February 7.

The complainant is Kaiser Dhliwayo Saungweme (68).

The bus was involved in a road accident along the Bulawayo-Gweru Highway sometime in 2015.

Saungweme took the bus to a garage in Thorngrove suburb for safe keeping as it was foreign registered.

It is alleged that between December 2015 and March 2019, Dube approached Jobert Maplanka who had custody of the bus and misrepresented to him that he bought the bus from Saungweme.

He also claimed he had already finalised sale transactions with Saungweme despite the fact the he (Saungweme) was in Botswana.

He went on to show Maplanka telephone calls made to Saungweme as a way of convincing him that the transaction had been finalised.

It is alleged that through the misrepresentation, Dube took the bus which was without a gearbox and stripped it of parts and components.

He also sold the shell to scrap metal dealers.

The total value of the stolen property was approximately US$31 400 and nothing was recovered.

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

State Media|A MINE worker was shot dead while several others were injured when about 10 robbers armed with a gun and machetes went on the rampage attacking people in Maphisa, Matobo District on Thursday night.

The armed robbers who targeted a mining compound and shops, randomly fired shots.

Corgen Moyo (42) who was employed at Antelope Milling Stamp, died on the spot after the armed robbers shot him while forcing their way into his room at the mine compound.

After raiding and shooting Moyo dead, the robbers moved to Falcon Complex, about a kilometre away, where Zanu-PF district offices are also housed and attacked workers at the shops.

There, the armed robbers also randomly fired shots and got away with R4 000 and US$80.

A Chronicle news crew yesterday visited the areas that were subjected to terror.

There was a sombre atmosphere as people were still trying to come to terms with what had befallen them the previous night.

By 2PM yesterday, Moyo’s body was still to be removed from the scene as police at the scene were waiting for the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) detectives from Gwanda.

Maphisa is 84km from Gwanda.

The victims revealed how the armed robbers randomly fired at people while attacking some with machetes.

“These people arrived just before midnight and it’s not like we had gone to bed. Some of us were still killing time at a fire place. They invaded the compound carrying a gun that we suspect was an AK47. They were also armed with machetes and started shooting at random. Some of us managed to escape as we were outside,” said one of the survivors.

Moyo’s brother, Mr Forget Moyo said he witnessed his sibling’s killing as they were together in their room when the armed robbers pounced on them.

“I was preparing to go to bed and my brother was already asleep. I heard noises coming from outside and a few minutes later someone was at our door. I tried to push the door to prevent them from entering but they overpowered me. They had already fired a shot and the bullet went through the door. When they entered the room I bolted out and by then I had not realised that the bullet had hit my sleeping brother,” said Forget.

He said he was later to learn that his brother had been shot dead.

Their father, Mr Nathaniel Moyo, who was among other family members that had arrived at the mine compound, said he received a call at about midnight from one of his sons alerting him that Corgen had been killed.

“When I arrived here, I requested to see my son and the police officer allowed me to enter the room. Indeed, he was dead, a bullet went through his forehead and exited through the back of his head. We are now waiting for the police to complete their investigations so that we can also do what we have to do. But we are concerned that police have taken too long to start investigations. 

“The body should have been taken to a mortuary by now but it’s still stuck in the room as we wait for detectives. We are worried that his body will end up decomposing,” said Mr Moyo.

He said the armed robbers had robbed him of his son who left behind a wife and four children, one of them still breastfeeding.

Antelope 12 Milling Stamp manager Mr Taurai Vengesai said everyone at the mine compound was now living in fear following the raid by the robbers.

“We are all terrified by this attack on innocent people who were going about their business. How safe are we in mining areas when armed robbers can just pounce on us any time? We have been told that they also raided the Complex where they attacked several people and got away with cash,” said Mr Vengesai.

He said police should swiftly react to reports of armed robberies.

“From the time we reported to the police that we had been raided, police officers should have rounded the suspects at the complex. 

“Those guys were walking about but police took their time to arrive at the scene and the robbers eventually disappeared. 

“We are told that two days back, armed robbers also raided Hakuna shops, 10km from Maphisa Centre. 

“The investigating CID officers are yet to arrive at the scene. Maybe if they had swiftly attended the matter, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” he said.

Mr Vengesai said his company had to provide fuel to enable police officers to attend to the robbery scene.

At Falcon Complex, some victims said shots were also randomly fired as the robbers made their way into several shops.

They attacked three women, some with machetes demanding money.

One of the victims, Miss Elizabeth Moyo said the armed robbers used the machete to hit her after she declined to reveal where she kept the money. 

“Fearing for my life I revealed where the money was and they got away with R4 000 and US$80,” said Miss Moyo.

Another shop attendant Miss Mongiwa Moyo said she was treated at Maphisa District Hospital after the savage attack.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they were investigating the case. He said the victim was shot twice on the   left eye and right shoulder and he died on the spot.

Outspoken Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni has flown out to the United Kingdom for an emergency eye operation, in the process putting preparations for his end of the month Ntabazinduna Meet-the-People rally in limbo.

The beleaguered chief, who was deposed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa last month, left Zimbabwe on the afternoon of Saturday 25 January 2020.

In an interview with Nehanda Radio, Chief Ndiweni said, “doctors have put me on an emergency trip to the UK for an eye surgery. They say I will be there (sic) two to three weeks.”

“I am at the airport now. I will certainly be back for the Meet-the-People rally. For now I am taking heed of the doctor’s advice,” said the popular traditional leader.

Chief Ndiweni’s sudden exit has perplexed Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leaders who were preparing to show solidarity by attending the rally.

“We were expecting to be with Chief Ndiweni at the end of this week. But now we have to prioritise his good health. We therefore wish him a speedy recovery,” said MDC Bulawayo Provincial Spokesperson, Swithern Chirowodza.

Chief Ndiweni drew the ire of ZANU PF when he asked for the return of cattle seized from his father, the late Paramount Chief Khayisa Ndiweni, during the 1982 – 1987 Gukurahundi crackdown on ZAPU supporters in the Midlands and Matabeleland.

Ntabazinduna villagers also lost cattle to the Fifth Brigade, while the local school was seized and turned into a base for the Fifth Brigade. In recent years the school was turned into a police training depot.

“Chief Ndiweni’s trip to the UK has been very secretive, which perhaps shows that he is being cautious,” said a social commentator who requested to speak anonymously for fear of being victimised.

Since his request for the return of seized cattle and for the Ntabazinduna Police Training Depot to be restored as a school, Chief Ndiweni has run into problems with President Mnangagwa and ZANU PF Secretary for Administration, Obert Mpofu.

On 16 August 2019, he was sentenced to 24 months in prison by Bulawayo Magistrate, Gladmore Mushowe allegedly on charges of destroying a villager’s property in Ntabazinduna. Six months were suspended for five years leaving the paramount chief to serve an effective 24 months in prison.

Twenty three subjects of the chief were also convicted and sentenced on similar charges. Chief Ndiweni, who is represented by Professor Welshman Ncube of Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers, is out on bail after lodging an appeal with the High Court.

MDC leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa commented on the arrest saying the “trumped up charges and arrest of Chief Ndiweni is a direct attack on Zimbabwean culture and traditional leadership. This attack opens yet another fresh national wound that will be difficult to heal.”

In December 2019, Mnangagwa dethroned Chief Ndiweni after his legitimacy was challenged by two Matabeleland North chiefs allegedly acting at the behest of Chief Ndiweni’s brother, Jorum.

For his part Chief Ndiweni is buoyed by The Inkosi Advisory Council, The Ndiweni Elders, the Ntabazinduna community and other stakeholders who have pledged allegiance to the outspoken chief. 

Nehanda Radio

By A Correspondent- Former Zanu PF Harare provincial commissar Shadreck Mashayamombe has opened the lid on how the ruling party used land to buy votes ahead of national elections.

Mashayamombe is one of the key members of the G40 cabal that had coalesced around the late former President Robert Mugabe and his wife, former First Lady Grace, and was involved in massive campaigns for the ruling party in the capital.

Amid suspicion of vote-buying by Zanu PF using land, Mashayamombe confirmed yesterday that the ruling party won some seats in and around Harare in previous elections using land as a bait.

This corroborates a report by the land audit chaired by Justice Tendai Uchena that also confirmed use of State land for votes.

“My biggest question about the land commission is that why is the report not published properly so that every interested person can access it? This is political and it exposes how our institutions are captured because some of those accused were never summoned by the commission to give their side of the story,” Mashayamombe, who is reportedly facing arrest over land issues, said.

“All those 137 co-operatives’ leadership who are being sacrificed today were used to mobilise votes for Zanu PF in peri-urban areas. Now they are being dumped.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa last year instituted a commission to probe the issue of land in the country and was presented with a report by Justice Uchena that said government lost more than $3 billion in potential revenue to land barons.

The report implicates several former Zanu PF bigwigs, including Mashayamombe, former Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo, Grace, among others who are reportedly facing arrest.

Zanu PF national commissar Victor Matemadanda yesterday said he was not involved when land was used as a vote-buring gimmick.

“I was not part of that. I wouldn’t want to comment on what I don’t know and what I was not part of. You need to ask those who were sending them,” he said.

According to NewsDay, Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya-Moyo was not picking calls yesterday.

Observers have often accused Zanu PF of creating land barons while pushing to garner votes, particularly ahead of the 2013 harmonised elections.

The Justice Uchena report read in part: “The commission established with serious concern that most new residential estates on urban State land throughout the country have no services such as roads, water reticulation, sewage reticulation and amenities, yet these settlements are already occupied.

“The identification and occupation of farms in and around urban areas was a complex process which involved creation of new urban settlements by aspiring or sitting Members of Parliament as a way of mobilising political support, abuse of political office in the allocation and appropriation of urban State land.”

The report further stated that there was use of names of top ruling party leadership to exert undue influence on government institutions and processes.

-Newsday

POLICE have intensified the search for a top Defence ministry official, Danison Muvandi, who is on the run after allegedly swindling government of $306 135 in a cleaning service scam.

Prosecutor George Manokore said this while remanding other top Defence ministry officials, Peter Muchakadzi and Kunofiwa Madondo, who are facing similar charges.

Manokore told magistrate Hosea Mujaya that the police had arrested three suspects, Muchakadzi, Madondo and Laxwell Ngara and their trial date would be decided after the arrest of Muvandi.

Allegations are that from March to June 2019, Ngara connived with Muvandi, Muchakazi and Madondo and misrepresented to their superiors that the Defence ministry had received cleaning services from Maids on Wheels (Pvt) Limited.

They allegedly manufactured receipts purporting Maids on Wheels rendered cleaning services on different dates and all the fake invoices added up to $306 135.

The State alleges the trio sourced five fake invoices with a total value of $306 135 and originated minutes dated June 19, 2019 addressed to the finance and human resources director, Muvandi, who is the owner and signatory to the Maids on Wheels bank account.

The accused persons then allegedly attached the five invoices to the minutes with instructions for the payment without attaching the required award-of-tender letter specifying the job done and signed by the chairman of the procurement management unit.

It is alleged on June 20, 2019, the trio then took a payment request form to the chief accountant, who processed the payment.

Investigations revealed that no requisition was raised by the procurement management unit for cleaning services and there was no tender awarded to Maids on Wheels.

-Newsday

Police have recovered 31 machetes and arrested seven people suspected to be in the business of making and supplying them to gangs that are terrorising mining areas and towns.

This followed a raid at Siyaso in Mbare, Harare, where the machetes were being manufactured and sold.

Siyaso is a home industry in Mbare where various implements are made for sale.

The arrests come as police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga yesterday spoke strongly against the current wave of machete attacks on citizens across Zimbabwe.

He was speaking in his welcome remarks during a tour of Gweru Central Police Station by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe.
Machetes cost between US$6 and US$10 at Siyaso.

Sources said before “Operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere/No to Machete Gangs” was launched last week, there was a huge demand for machetes in mining areas.

“Information we have gathered is that some people were coming to buy machetes to protect themselves from attackers and that is why there was huge demand for these weapons,” said a source.

“Some of the people were coming from mines to buy machetes in Mbare. The sellers would sell more than 20 machetes per day.

“But when the operation was launched last week, the sales drastically went down as people were afraid of being found in possession of the machetes.”

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said on Thursday police raided Siyaso and Matapi in Mbare where they arrested the seven suspects.

“Yesterday (Thursday) we conducted raids at Siyaso and Matapi where seven accused persons were arrested for selling machetes to the machete gangs,” he said.

“We recovered 31 machetes.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said some of the suspects escaped during the raid.

Police have, for the next three months, prohibited the carrying of weapons by members of the public.

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

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

“In accordance with Section (4) (1) of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA) Chapter 11:23, Officers Commanding Police Districts, also known as regulating authorities, have now prohibited the carrying, whether openly or by concealment, in public places or public thoroughfares or public display of catapults, machetes, axes, knobkerries, swords, knives, stones or daggers or items capable of use as weapons and likely to occasion public disorder or a breach of peace,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.-State Media

South African Finance Minister Tito Mboweni says remarks by businessman Patrice Motsepe to US President Donald Trump were not representative of the South African government.

Motsepe has come under fire over his remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos where he told US President Donald Trump that Africa loved him.

This has invited the wrath of the opposition EFF who lashed at Motsepe for misrepresenting Africa to the US President.

By A Correspondent- Zvishavane communities are living under deplorable conditions amid revelations that they have non functioning toilet facilities.

Watch the video loading below for this and more……

By A Correspondent- Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has said it will start disconnecting water supplies to defaulting rate payers in Ward 7 encompassing suburbs such as Makokoba, Mzilikazi and surrounding areas.

In a statement yesterday, the Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, said Mzilikazi Revenue Hall will be open today and tomorrow from 8AM to 3PM to facilitate settlement of bills. Mr Dube warned Bulawayo rate payers of impending water disconnections and urged individuals and businesses with outstanding debts to settle them or risk having their water disconnected.

“The City of Bulawayo will be carrying out water disconnections in Ward 7 comprising of Makokoba, Mzilikazi and surrounding areas on all residential and commercial properties whose accounts are in arrears. Residents are encouraged to avoid being inconvenienced by these necessary recovery measures by approaching any of Council’s Revenue Offices and request to enter into a payment arrangement that will protect them against any of the recovery measures being taken,” he said.  

“Ideally, a payment arrangement acceptable to Council involves an initial payment of 10 percent (minimum) of the total outstanding debt, followed thereafter by monthly payments of current bill in full plus 10 percent (minimum) of the outstanding debt until the debt is paid in full.”  

Mr Dube urged residents to visit revenue offices, district offices in their areas or the Revenue Hall for payment arrangements. He said residents can also contact the credit controller .

Council is owed more than $100 million by residents and businesses

-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- Former Zanu PF Harare provincial commissar Shadreck Mashayamombe has opened the lid on how the ruling party used land to buy votes ahead of national elections.

Mashayamombe is one of the key members of the G40 cabal that had coalesced around the late former President Robert Mugabe and his wife, former First Lady Grace, and was involved in massive campaigns for the ruling party in the capital.

Amid suspicion of vote-buying by Zanu PF using land, Mashayamombe confirmed yesterday that the ruling party won some seats in and around Harare in previous elections using land as a bait.

This corroborates a report by the land audit chaired by Justice Tendai Uchena that also confirmed use of State land for votes.

“My biggest question about the land commission is that why is the report not published properly so that every interested person can access it? This is political and it exposes how our institutions are captured because some of those accused were never summoned by the commission to give their side of the story,” Mashayamombe, who is reportedly facing arrest over land issues, said.

“All those 137 co-operatives’ leadership who are being sacrificed today were used to mobilise votes for Zanu PF in peri-urban areas. Now they are being dumped.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa last year instituted a commission to probe the issue of land in the country and was presented with a report by Justice Uchena that said government lost more than $3 billion in potential revenue to land barons.

The report implicates several former Zanu PF bigwigs, including Mashayamombe, former Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo, Grace, among others who are reportedly facing arrest.

Zanu PF national commissar Victor Matemadanda yesterday said he was not involved when land was used as a vote-buring gimmick.

“I was not part of that. I wouldn’t want to comment on what I don’t know and what I was not part of. You need to ask those who were sending them,” he said.

According to NewsDay, Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya-Moyo was not picking calls yesterday.

Observers have often accused Zanu PF of creating land barons while pushing to garner votes, particularly ahead of the 2013 harmonised elections.

The Justice Uchena report read in part: “The commission established with serious concern that most new residential estates on urban State land throughout the country have no services such as roads, water reticulation, sewage reticulation and amenities, yet these settlements are already occupied.

“The identification and occupation of farms in and around urban areas was a complex process which involved creation of new urban settlements by aspiring or sitting Members of Parliament as a way of mobilising political support, abuse of political office in the allocation and appropriation of urban State land.”

The report further stated that there was use of names of top ruling party leadership to exert undue influence on government institutions and processes.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- A mine worker was shot dead while several others were injured when about 10 robbers armed with a gun and machetes went on the rampage attacking people in Maphisa, Matobo District on Thursday night.

The armed robbers who targeted a mining compound and shops, randomly fired shots.

Corgen Moyo (42) who was employed at Antelope Milling Stamp, died on the spot after the armed robbers shot him while forcing their way into his room at the mine compound.

After raiding and shooting Moyo dead, the robbers moved to Falcon Complex, about a kilometre away, where Zanu-PF district offices are also housed and attacked workers at the shops.

There, the armed robbers also randomly fired shots and got away with R4 000 and US$80. A Chronicle news crew yesterday visited the areas that were subjected to terror.

There was a sombre atmosphere as people were still trying to come to terms with what had befallen them the previous night.

By 2PM yesterday, Moyo’s body was still to be removed from the scene as police at the scene were waiting for the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) detectives from Gwanda.

Maphisa is 84km from Gwanda. Late Corgen Moyo’s father Nathaniel (right) and relatives at the scene The victims revealed how the armed robbers randomly fired at people while attacking some with machetes.

“These people arrived just before midnight and it’s not like we had gone to bed. Some of us were still killing time at a fire place. They invaded the compound carrying a gun that we suspect was an AK47. They were also armed with machetes and started shooting at random. Some of us managed to escape as we were outside,” said one of the survivors. Moyo’s brother, Mr Forget Moyo said he witnessed his sibling’s killing as they were together in their room when the armed robbers pounced on them.

“I was preparing to go to bed and my brother was already asleep. I heard noises coming from outside and a few minutes later someone was at our door. I tried to push the door to prevent them from entering but they overpowered me. They had already fired a shot and the bullet went through the door. When they entered the room I bolted out and by then I had not realised that the bullet had hit my sleeping brother,” said Forget.

He said he was later to learn that his brother had been shot dead. Their father, Mr Nathaniel Moyo, who was among other family members that had arrived at the mine compound, said he received a call at about midnight from one of his sons alerting him that Corgen had been killed.

“When I arrived here, I requested to see my son and the police officer allowed me to enter the room. Indeed, he was dead, a bullet went through his forehead and exited through the back of his head. We are now waiting for the police to complete their investigations so that we can also do what we have to do. But we are concerned that police have taken too long to start investigations.  

“The body should have been taken to a mortuary by now but it’s still stuck in the room as we wait for detectives. We are worried that his body will end up decomposing,” said Mr Moyo.

He said the armed robbers had robbed him of his son who left behind a wife and four children, one of them still breastfeeding. Antelope 12 Milling Stamp manager Mr Taurai Vengesai said everyone at the mine compound was now living in fear following the raid by the robbers.

“We are all terrified by this attack on innocent people who were going about their business. How safe are we in mining areas when armed robbers can just pounce on us any time? We have been told that they also raided the Complex where they attacked several people and got away with cash,” said Mr Vengesai. He said police should swiftly react to reports of armed robberies.

“From the time we reported to the police that we had been raided, police officers should have rounded the suspects at the complex.  

“Those guys were walking about but police took their time to arrive at the scene and the robbers eventually disappeared.  “We are told that two days back, armed robbers also raided Hakuna shops, 10km from Maphisa Centre.  

“The investigating CID officers are yet to arrive at the scene. Maybe if they had swiftly attended the matter, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” he said.

Mr Vengesai said his company had to provide fuel to enable police officers to attend to the robbery scene. At Falcon Complex, some victims said shots were also randomly fired as the robbers made their way into several shops.

They attacked three women, some with machetes demanding money. One of the victims, Miss Elizabeth Moyo said the armed robbers used the machete to hit her after she declined to reveal where she kept the money.  

“Fearing for my life I revealed where the money was and they got away with R4 000 and US$80,” said Miss Moyo.

Another shop attendant Miss Mongiwa Moyo said she was treated at Maphisa District Hospital after the savage attack. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they were investigating the case. He said the victim was shot twice on the   left eye and right shoulder and he died on the spot.

-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- A notorious Bindura thief who went on stealing spree on Christmas day was jailed 6 years by a Bindura magistrate yesterday.

Peace Museto (31) of house number 395 Runyararo street,Chipadze in Bindura pleaded not guilty to six counts of unlawful entry and theft before magistrate Blessing Makati.

The magistrate sentenced him to six years behind bars and conditionally suspended 2 years.

Prosecutor Vincent Marunya told the court sometime in December Museto broke in six houses and stole,gas tanks,blankets, television sets and cell phones.

On Christmas day police received a tip off that the convict was selling the stolen goods at his homestead and they acted swiftly.

Some goods we’re recovered while others were not.

While sentencing him the magistrate ordered the convict to give back the unrecovered goods to the complainants.

Paul Kagame born 23 October 1957 is a Rwandan politician and former military leader. He is the 4th and current President of Rwanda having taken office in 2000 when his predecessor, Pasteur Bizimungu resigned.

One peculiar thing about Kagame is that he is the tallest president in Africa standing at 6.2 ft. Surprisingly, he is the shortest in his family

A photo which went viral last year showed Paul Kagame standing at 6.2 feet being dwarfed by the giants in his family

The photo was taken during the wedding ceremony of Paul Kagame’s daughter known as Ange Kagame

The wedding was a private affair. Ange Kagame married her longtime boyfriend, Bertrand Ndengeyingoma.

See other pictures of Paul Kagame

The National Archives of Zimbabwe has stressed that it facilitated with the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) Agency a genuine ISBN, 978-1-77929-583-5, for Professor Jonathan Moyo’s recent book, “Excelgate — How Zimbabwe’s 2018 Presidential Election was Stolen” and notes that publishers need to deal with Amazon when that company is using an out of date list of ISBN numbers.

The National Archives said in a statement that it has two statutory functions: to provide a national archival service and to manage the National Reference Library.

Zimbabwean publishers, including authors who self-publish, have to deposit a copy of all works within 30 days of publication and the National Archives then generates a Zimbabwe National Bibliography listing all published material each year.

The National Archives works hand in glove with the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) Agency, which provides unique group prefixes and ranges to each ISBN registration agency.

Its agency in Zimbabwe is the NAZ.

As the local agency, NAZ facilitates issuance of ISBN to all local publishers for their proposed publication titles, charging a nominal fee. The publisher can use the number to generate a bar code.

The National Archives said in their statement that in the case of Prof Moyo’s recent publication with Sapes Books, all the normal processes were followed in the application and issuance of an ISBN.

Sapes Books then told the NAZ that they had failed to upload the number on the Amazon online platform and Prof Moyo accused the National Archives of sabotage.

NAZ subsequently wrote to the International ISBN Agency on the issues regarding the failure to upload the book on Amazon. In an emailed response dated January 6 2020, Nick Woods, who is the operations manager of the ISBN Agency, reassured NAZ that ISBN 978-1-77929-583-5 for the publication was “perfectly valid”. The authority further assured the publisher to freely use this ISBN to identify their publication.

The ISBN Authority stated that Amazon sometimes uses “an incomplete and out of date list to validate ISBNs entered to its website”.

In this case, the publisher was supposed to approach Amazon which offers online advice on steps to be taken to rectify problems of this nature.

State Media|Zimbabwe is on high alert after a coronavirus outbreak claimed 26 lives in China and has since spread to other countries like Japan, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and the United States of America.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care is monitoring 22 people coming from Wuhan in China, the hotspot of the novel coronavirus virus, for the signs and symptoms of the rare respiratory infection.

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

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

The virus is highly contagious.

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

In an interview, Secretary for Health and Child Care Dr Agnes Mahomva confirmed that Government was on high alert.

Dr Mahomva said 22 people coming from Wuhan were being monitored by the Ministry of Health for signs and symptoms of the rare respiratory infection.

“We are very much alert of the coronavirus and Government will take stricter and more targeted measures to curb the spreading and coming of the new virus into the country,” she said.

“We have already ramped up efforts to screen individuals arriving from China and all affected countries for possible signs of the infection. We were in a meeting yesterday discussing measures to contain the new coronavirus.”

She said Zimbabwe took the WHO warning seriously.

“We stand very much guided by the WHO. We know they are a strong technical arm of the world and when they provide that kind of guidance, we take it very serious,” she said.

WHO representative Dr Alex Gasarira has argued Government to ensure the availability of trained personel at the country’s entry points for assessing and managing ill patients detected before travel and on arrival.

“WHO recommends that all countries, including Zimbabwe, should undertake actions as included in the International Health Recommendations,” he said.

“There should be clear procedures and means in place to communicate information on ill travellers and also strengthening capacity for active surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, contact tracing, case management, infection, prevention and control as well as risk communication.”

State Media|Chippa United owner, Siviwe Chippa Mpengesi, says Norman Mapeza is the Pitso Mosimane of Zimbabwean football and has placed a R20 million (about US$1.384m) release clause on the former Warriors skipper to deter potential suitors.

The Cape Town-based tycoon, known for firing coaches, says he is proud to have finally recruited a gaffer who knows what he is doing, who has a track record of success, and who has already made a huge difference in the short time he has been in charge of his team.

Mpengesi was speaking to leading South African sportscaster, Robert Marawa, on the hugely popular “Marawa Sports Worldwide,’’ radio show — which airs during weekdays on MetroFM on Thursday.

The businessman said it was a pity that some people had chosen to nail him with a reputation as trigger-happy happy, when it comes to firing coaches who come into his stable, when in most cases most of those gaffers would have failed to meet the targets set by the team.

He said his mission was to preserve his club’s Premiership status, and that usually called for him to make decisions he believed were for the good of his team, and the community which supports them, and this usually meant parting ways with the coaches.

Although he had taken a lot of the flak, for the decisions he had taken in the past, Mpengesi wondered why some of those coaches, who left his stable, were not successful at the clubs which they joined after leaving his team if they were as good as some people claimed.

Mpengesi said Mapeza had always been on their radar and could possibly have joined them at the start of the season, but the coach might have been discouraged from making the giant leap by people who claimed that coaches did not last at Chippa United.

In a candid interview with Marawa, the businessman spoke highly of the former FC Platinum coach, crediting him with transforming the Zvishavane side into a dominant football club in Zimbabwe with three straight league titles, and saying those who were eyeing his signature would have to part with a fortune.

He said:

His mission was to create a football club that could compete in the South African Premiership and not one that would always be fighting relegation.

The fear of being relegated from Super Diski has pushed him to take some of the decisions, like parting ways with a number of coaches, because preserving his club’s PSL status was not negotiable.

Some of the coaches who have been recruited to take charge of Chippa United has not performed, as expected, and — given that this is an industry where results are all that matters — decisions have to be taken in the best interest of the team.

It was unfortunate that a reputation has now been created, which appeared to suggest that Chippa were the graveyard of football coaches, which was unfortunate, since those who have come there have been given a chance to make a difference.

The coaches who have been dismissed, in the club’s history, have also not been dumped but have been given good terminal benefits consistent with their status.

Mpengesi said Mapeza was protected by the contract he signed and the club would have to pay a lot of money, in the event of a divorce, but — so far — there was no need to worry about that because their partnership was proving to be a success.

‘‘Coaches must not be afraid of being fired,’’ he said.

‘‘They must trust their players. Coach Mapeza, he is protected, even if we want to fire him, it won’t be easy. I’m happy (his agents) did that but, also, he must pay us a lot of money, if another club wants to take Norman, they must come with a big bag of cash.’’

Asked what amount would be needed to take away Mapeza from his stable, Mpengesi said the club that wants him would have to part away with R20 million.

‘‘Currently, Norman is one of the top coaches, he is the Pitso of Zimbabwe,’’ said Mpengesi, who also revealed he was paying Mapeza an attractive package.

‘‘It’s confidential,’’ he said. ‘‘You can ask him, from Zimbabwe to South Africa, I’m sure he is happy. For the first time we have a coach who has achieved five clean sheets.’’

He said some clubs appear to be interested in Mapeza, but did not have the money to get him out of Chippa United.

Mapeza and his compatriot, Kaitano Tembo, clashed again last night in a South African Premiership match when SuperSport United hosted Chippa in Pretoria.

Tembo, who has been doing well with SuperSport United, also spoke about Zimbabwe’s chances in their 2022 World Cup group.

‘‘Well, I think we are in a relatively good group which I feel with good preparations we have an opportunity to do well in this group,’’ he told The Saturday Herald.

‘‘Ghana, they have been one of the powerhouses of African football in the past but they haven’t been convincing and consistent in their previous matches going back to the previous AFCON tournament.

‘‘They have just appointed a new coach which means their camp is not yet settled. We can definitely take our chances and take them on because we have quality players and having Knowledge Musona playing regularly is a huge boost for the Warriors.

‘‘Bafana Bafana — this is probably the biggest fixture in this group because we are neighbours and there is some rivalry between us.

‘‘The players from both teams have played with and against each other and they know each other very well so this is going to be an exciting and very interesting fixture.

‘‘Ethiopia — they have improved as a team and cannot be taken lightly. They are very difficult to beat at home. Overview, we have a very good team with some good individual players that are capable to beat anybody on a good day.

‘‘But, for us to do well, we will need good preparations and make sure that we win our home matches because all the three teams are beatable.’’

The Zimbabwe Community in South Africa is organizing a crime summit in Berea, South Africa on the 6th of February 2020 after Zimbabwean nationals have been accused of killing one Detective Captain Oupa Matjie of the South African Police Services.

Read the full statement below: In the wake of the brutal murder of Detective Captain Oupa Matjie, we as the Zimbabwean Community in South Africa express our sincerest condolences to his family, to the SAPS and the South African nation at large.

We are saddened and furious that the alleged murderers are said to be Zimbabwean nationals!

As the Zimbabwe Community, we abhor and loathe criminals and would like to distance ourselves from any Zimbabwean nationals who commit crimes in South Africa and thus tarnish the good name of the majority of our countrymen who are hard-working and earn their living honestly.

The stiffest and harshest punishment must be meted out to those criminal elements who create environments of fear amongst the communities where Zimbabweans and South Africans live harmoniously with each other.

We implore the community not to see such disdainful conduct as a representative of the Zimbabwean community but as

acts of very few criminal elements in our community whom Zimbabweans are also daily victims of! Therefore whatever wrath must be directed at criminals via the law agencies instead of the ordinary Zimbabwean nationals.

A huge outcry has been raised where in Hillbrow, Yeoville and particularly Berea, some roads have become no-go areas and violent criminals are terrorising the community all day, robbing, stabbing and even with reports of deaths of our people.

The Zimbabwe Community in South Africa is organising a crime summit in Berea on the 6th of February to attend to these concerns by the community and we argue all stakeholders to participate in this crime summit. We all must work together to stop crime. Crime is crime and these criminals do not segregate their victims by nationality. Let us stop crime!

Bongani Mazwi Mkwananzi
Spokesperson
+27 73 984 0241

Ngqabutho Nicholas Mabhena
Chairman
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Correspondent|TOP journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has claimed that Vice President Chiwenga’s estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa was related to the judge President Justice George Chiweshe.

Marry is currently involved in a messy divorce wrangle with her VP husband with the custody of the couple’s assets and children at the centre stage.

On Friday, the High Court granted an application by the former model to be allowed access to her minor children, family home and assets, a ruling that was immediately appealed by the VP.

In a Tweet, Chin’ono, a journalist who has taken a stance against high level corruption through some thought provoking commentary on social media, has drawn a food for thought scenario over the invidious situation Chiweshe finds himself in.

He says Marry is a blood relative to the top judge, once subordinate to Chiwenga when both fought the war and later serving in the military.

Let me add some fun facts.
The Judge President, Justice George Chiweshe, is Marry’s uncle(sekuru).
The Judge President was also deputy provincial commander to Chiwenga during the war.
They were both soldiers in ZANLA.
I am not suggesting anything, I am just adding to this story https://t.co/PE70gCAdaw pic.twitter.com/Kku3Bnb5Vw

— Hopewell Chin’ono (@daddyhope) January 24, 2020

State Media|Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) tolling manager Mr Ostern Chimedza has been fired for presiding over financial leakages at tollgates running into millions of dollars.

His dismissal comes barely two months after Zinara fired 30 cashiers for fraud and theft at tollgates.

Last year, the Government restructured Zinara, resulting in the dismissal and resignation of several senior managers.

Leaked correspondence seen by The Herald showed that Mr Chimedza’s contract was terminated on January 15.

Zinara acting chief executive officer Engineer Moses Chigonyati could not be reached for comment, while the institution’s chairman Engineer Michael Madanha refused to discuss the matter.

“This letter serves to notify you that your contract as tolling manager will be terminated on 15 January, 2020,” reads part of the leaked correspondence.

Sources said Mr Chimedza was facing a slew of corruption allegations bordering on bad corporate governance.

As tolling manager, he was reporting to former finance director Mr Simon Taranhike, who was fired on charges of corruption.

A source said Mr Chimedza was furnished with several reports of internal audits showing evidence of corruption at tollgates, but failed to take corrective measures.

It is suspected that he could have been part of the looting syndicate at tollgates, which included cashiers and their immediate supervisors, as confirmed by one of the cashiers at the Skyline tollgate.

“In particular, he did not roll out and implement effective tolling systems, leaving a porous system susceptible to theft and fraud by tolling cashiers,” the source.

“Mr Chimedza failed to act on evidence from internal audit, as well as the system provider which had pointed towards revenue leakages.

“In this regard, there were numerous recorded cases of misconduct by tolling cashiers at Skyline, Shamva and Eskbank tollgates as evidenced by variances between amounts recorded in the tolling system and the amounts that were eventually banked.

“Furthermore, he failed to supervise his subordinates in the maintenance of tolling booths, thereby falling short of expectations in terms of his job description, which alluded to the need to maintain all toll booths and plazas operationally functional in order to avoid disruption of operations, leakages and congestion.

“Mr Chimedza also failed to take appropriate disciplinary action against tolling cashiers who had excesses and shortfalls which were only picked via internal audit spot checks.”

As part of cleansing the institution, Zinara fired 30 cashiers recently after unearthing systematic scams at four tollgates involving cashiers, supervisors and police officers manning the gates.

The loot was shared with everyone involved, from the supervising tollgate controllers down to the cleaners on an agreed hierarchy scale.

Fourteen of the fired cashiers were based at Skyline tollgate along the Harare-Masvingo Highway, while the other 16 were from Dema, Shurugwi and Shamva tollgates.

The cashiers were given away by the sophisticated control system supplied by Univern Enterprises that showed videos and registration numbers of all vehicles that passed through the tollgates daily.

A mismatch between the punched registration numbers and plates on actual vehicles that passed through the gate were noted by the system, prompting Univern to compile reports for Zinara’s attention.

State Media|Detective Captain Oupa Matjie was shot dead by the four suspects alleged to be Zimbabweans by media reports in South Africa.

According to the media reports, Praymore Dube, Bongani Moyo, Mongameli Mpofu and another one only identified as Ronny shot Det Capt Matjie (54) in the neck and he died on the spot.

Det Capt Matjie and a colleague were tracking suspects who were wanted in connection with a case of attempted murder and robbery when they came into contact with the suspects, and one of them opened fire.

Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, Mr David Hamadziripi, yesterday said that he has since directed the Johannesburg Consulate to verify the nationalities of the four suspects.

“The nationalities of the Diepsloot murder suspects is yet to be verified. You cannot claim that one is a Zimbabwean simply because of their accent without looking into their identity documents. I have directed our officials at the Johannesburg Consulate to verify whether those suspects are indeed Zimbabweans or not,” he said.

Mr Hamadziripi, however, condemned the fatal attack on the South African police officer and urged Zimbabweans resident in the neighbouring country to desist from any form of criminality.

“We strongly condemn any act of criminality by either our people or anyone in South Africa. We want our people to abide by the laws of our host country in as much as we would also want foreign nationals in Zimbabwe to respect our laws,” he said.

Last week, Capt Matjie and his colleague only identified as Sergeant Thipe conducted a joint tracing operation with Diepsloot Crime Prevention following a case of attempted murder and robbery which occurred in the area.

“The case had been allegedly committed by the four suspects. During the tracing that was led by the informant who called the main suspect known as Praymore Dube to supply him with the live ammunition, the target told the informant to meet with him first at Ext 01 and changed again to Tanganani open space at Diepsloot Ext 3,” said South African Police Service (SAPS) in a statement.

It is reported that the detectives then hid their vehicles before taking cover in an open ground.

The informant walked to meet Dube while a police officer in civilian clothing followed him. Dube is alleged to have noticed some unusual movements and started to shoot ran-domly.

Dube reportedly managed to escape and Capt Matjie grabbed him from behind, as he ran through a passage to the informal settlement where he was staying. He, however, shot the detective on the neck. After the shooting, Dube and Moyo fled.

Mpofu was later arrested and he appeared at the Randburg Magistrates’ Court on charges of house robbery and attempted murder.

He was remanded in custody while the other suspect who was not named is in hospital under police guard after he was injured while being apprehended. The other two suspects were arrested in Pine Heaven informal settlement in Krugersdorp.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Police Minister General Bheki Cele last night said they were deploying a Tactical Response Team to Dieplsoot to attend to the community’s policing concerns.

“We have deployed a Special Operations Team to the township to tackle criminality. In the next 24 hours, members of the Technical Response Team (TRT) will start operations in Diepsloot to increase police visibility,” said the minister.

General Cele said police will conduct regular patrols, cordon, and searches as well as roadblocks.

He added that the Special Operations Team will by Monday have other members of various SAPS components working from the township.

These will include officers from Crime Intelligence, Public Order Policing, and Forensics Services.

“The Firearms Liquor and Second Hand Goods Control unit will also conduct raids and shut down all establishments operating outside the law.

“A team from Detective Services will look into cold cases and allegations that some investigations involving undocumented foreigners remain unsolved. We also made an undertaking that the officials from Department of Home Affairs immigration services, should work with these teams so we have a clearer picture of the statuses of people in this township. But this is not to say the focus is on foreign nationals only, we will be hard on criminality regardless of nationality,” said General Cele.

Diepsloot Township population is estimated to be 350 000, mainly a mixture of South Africans and immigrants from SADC.

Former President, Robert Mugabe’s widow, Grace has challenged the case in which she and her late husband are being accused of confiscating a truck belonging to Sun Marine Shipping (Private) Limited after chasing away its driver.

The incident allegedly occurred back in 2014 when Mugabe was still in power and soon after the driver had delivered goods from South Africa at the former First Family’s farm in Mazowe.

Sun Marine Shipping took the case to court seeking to recover its truck but Grace has challenged the move saying this was done out of time allowed by the law.

She also challenged the authority of Cutmore Makumbirofa who disposed of an affidavit on behalf of the company.

“It cannot be disputed by the applicant that the cause of action arose in 2014, the deponent has not attested to being present in 2014 when the dispute arose and cannot speak to events which took place in his absence as this amounts to hearsay,” reads part of the heads of arguments.

“Respondent persists with this averment that this matter is not properly before the court and should be dismissed accordingly.

“In the present case, the set of facts that applicant is basing this entire claim on occurred on July 1 2014, the case was only brought before the court in August 2019, over five years from date alleged spoliation occurred. No evidence has been placed before this court that before 2019 there was any demand from the applicant.

“Prescription begins to run as soon as the debt is due, therefore the three years in which the applicant should have instituted these proceedings lapsed on June 30 2017. A further two years passed before applicant saw it fit to bring this present case, with respect the applicant filed this application long after the claim prescribed and accordingly, this court should not entertain this matter.”

An affidavit filed by Makumbirofa, on behalf of the company last year alleges that the driver had to run for his life after he was attacked by Mugabe’s two employees identified as Mr Mugombi and Mr Nhari.

It was his submission that the two were instructed by the Mugabes to do so.

The driver allegedly left all his belongings including his clothes and the truck which was then confiscated by the Mugabes.

He was accused of having damaged one of the machines while transporting it to the farm.

The couple’s company, Alpha Omega was cited as the respondent in the application in which Sun Marine Shipping is seeking its properties back.

The court heard that the goods are still in the truck which is still parked at Gushungo Holdings workshop.

He said despite demand, the respondent insists the truck now belongs to it because it is entitled to damages for repair of UHT packaging machine which was damaged while on transit.

But Sun Marine said alpha Omega should have approached the courts for recourse.

Makumbirofa said he was once called by the farm officials to discuss releasing the truck.

He was advised to get quotations by Alpha Omega operations manager, Jemwa and did so but still the truck was not released.

He alleged that the truck has been vandalised and things removed include two diesel truck heavy duty batteries, eight rear new tyres, two super single tyres, one from the trailer and another from the spare wheel, driver’s side mirror covers, trailer storage bins, wheel nuts, landing platform on trailer jumbo legs, inner blocking filter and other accessories.

The case was argued before High Court judge Justice Munangati Manongwa on Tuesday.

All Africa

Zimbabwe’s vice president Constantino Chiwenga and the military were on Friday criticised for abusing state resources, when soldiers were used in a divorce-related dispute.

Judge Christopher Dube-Banda handed out a scathing ruling saying the military’s involvement was ‘frightening’ and ordering that Chiwenga’s wife should regain custody of their children and be allowed to access the family’s luxury home.

The ruling is the latest twist in a case that has gripped the southern African nation with allegations of black magic, attempted murder and drug addiction. The case has provided a glimpse of the luxurious lives of Zimbabwe’s ruling elite as the rest of the country grapples with economic collapse, hyperinflation and hunger.

It is unacceptable and anathema to the constitutional values of this jurisdiction that the military may be used to settle a matrimonial dispute.

Custody

The wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Marry, had approached the court seeking custody of the children and access to the house, a farm and vehicles. She said they were taken from her by Chiwenga when she was detained for more than three weeks on accusations of trying to kill him and money laundering.

After his wife was released from prison on bail earlier this month, Chiwenga refused to give her custody of the children and vehicles, and used soldiers to block her from entering their house in a wealthy suburb of the capital, Harare.

“It is unacceptable and anathema to the constitutional values of this jurisdiction that the military may be used to settle a matrimonial dispute,” the judge said.

“This is frightening. What happened to the applicant (Marry) must be a cause of fear and concern to all law-abiding citizens,” he said.

He ordered Chiwenga to return the children as well as three Mercedes-Benz vehicles and a Lexus to his estranged wife “forthwith.” He also said soldiers should not block Marry from accessing their home and farm.

A messy divorce

Chiwenga, who as army commander led a coup against former president Robert Mugabe in 2017, separated from his wife, a former model, after he returned from four months of medical treatment in China in December.

He claimed his wife tried to kill him while he was on a hospital bed in neighboring South Africa before he was airlifted to China. He described her in court papers as “violent” and a drug addict who used black magic.

On her part, Marry accused her husband of being a “dangerous” man who “can summon the army when it suits him … to deal with perceived opponents” and suffering from “acute paranoia brought about by his poor health” and “his being under heavy doses of drugs, including un-prescribed opiates.”

The divorce case has not started, but even in its preliminary stages the bitter wrangle has “gone a long way to expose the depth of moral decay that has pervaded our national leaders,” the privately owned The Standard newspaper said.

“The divorce case presents our national leaders as completely out of touch with the reality that the citizens of this country are among the poorest in the region and the continent,” the weekly newspaper said in an editorial this week.

AP

State Media|Marry Mubaiwa, the estranged wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has won her High Court appeal for custody of the couple’s three minor children and access to the matrimonial home.

But her joy was short-lived after the Vice President filed a notice of appeal at the Supreme Court, challenging the lower court’s decision.

The filing of a notice of appeal effectively suspends the court ruling until the determination of the appeal.

Justice Christopher Dube-Banda ordered that the custody of children be restored to Mubaiwa and barred the Vice President from interfering with her access to the Borrowdale Brooke house.

Mubaiwa had sought the intervention of the High Court after the children were taken from her and she barred from the matrimonial home following the couple’s fallout.

“The respondent is hereby ordered to restore the custody of the minor children, namely Tendai Dominique Chiwenga (born 4 November 2011), Christian Tawanazororo Chiwenga (born 15 November 2012) and Michael Alexander Chiwenga (born 13 February 2014) to the custody of the applicant within 24 hours of this order,” ruled Justice Dube-Banda.

“The respondent is hereby ordered and restrained from interfering with applicant’s access to use and enjoyment of the property known as 614 Nick Price Drive, Borrowdale Brooke, Borrowdale, Harare.”

VP Chiwenga was also restrained from blocking Mubaiwa from accessing the vehicles.

However, the VP filed a notice of appeal, outlining errors he says the High Court made in the matter.

He argued that the High Court erred in not finding that where an applicant for spoliation order alleges more than unlawful possession and adverts to the merits of her possession the matter goes outside the purview of urgency.

“Urgency in these circumstances must be established on the basis of the ordinary rules relating to urgency,” read the notice of appeal filed at the superior court, hours after the ruling.

The surge in black market foreign exchange rates recorded in the past few days from US$1:$22 to US$1:$25 has been traced to a Chinese firm which shipped millions to the black market.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)yesterday froze the bank account of China Nanchang pending further analysis.

RBZ said it was undertaking surveillance to identify more culprits involved in the parallel market transactions.

The parallel exchange rate had been steady, failing to breach the US$1:22 mark for the last four months, but all of a sudden there was a jump in the last two days.

The rate has remained at US$1:$17 on the interbank market.

In a statement yesterday, RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya said: “Earlier today (yesterday), the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe issued a statement raising its concern on the illegal activities of foreign exchange rate manipulators who have been engaging in activities that have exerted pressure on the exchange rate in the last few days.

“The bank escalated the matter to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) for investigation and the FIU has so far identified one entity (China Nanchang), which has used its bank account to inject millions of dollars into the parallel market in the last few days.

“The FIU has ordered the freezing of the identified account pending further analysis and is undertaking ongoing surveillance to identify more culprits involved in the parallel market transactions, particularly on the EcoCash platform.”

Dr Mangudya said RBZ remained focused on its mandate to ensure market stability.

“To this end, the bank will work closely with the FIU to identify and take appropriate action in terms of the law, against any culprits involved in illicit foreign currency activities and manipulation of the foreign exchange rates,” he said.

Economist and Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member Mr Eddie Cross told The Herald yesterday that China Nanchang could have offloaded funds it obtained from Government as payment for dam construction.

“I understand that the Government paid the contractor on the Gwayi/Shangani Dam and they have gone into the parallel market to buy US dollars,” he said.

“The Ministry of Finance needs to manage peaks in State spending.”

In September last year, the RBZ froze bank accounts held by 10 companies on suspicion they were engaging in money-laundering activities and fuelling the foreign currency parallel market.

The bank accounts were unfrozen after the FIU allegedly failed to get evidence linking the firms to illegal foreign currency dealings that saw the local unit crashing, triggering price hikes.

Mr Cross urged the RBZ to be “much tougher” when dealing with alleged currency manipulators to foster currency stability.

Economist Mr Persistence Gwanyanya said the local currency was concentrated in the hands of a few, a situation that was driving currency instability.

“In the recent past, RBZ’s Financial Intelligence Unit froze a couple of accounts suspected to be destabilising the market and we saw some stability being experienced in the market,” he said.

“Currency stability experienced in the last four months is partly attributable to this intervention.

“However, worryingly, the major issue regarding the source of this liquidity, which ends up in the hands of the few, has remained unaddressed.

“This exposes Treasury, as well as ministries and other Government entities that depend on its support in respect of liquidity. Injudicious management of cash flow or liquidity by these entities continues to be one of the major drivers of currency instability.”

Mr Gwanyanya urged Treasury to address the injection of huge sums of money to a few beneficiaries by either itself or other Government and related entities to curtail diversion to the parallelmarket.

Jane Mlambo| South Africa’s opposition leader Julias Malema has torn into businessman Patrice Motsepe who recently told American President Donald Trump that Africa loved him.

Motsepe made the remarks during the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos.

But Malema believes Motsepe misrepresented Africa just for his own business interests and nothing else.

Read EFF’s full statement below;

The National Archives of Zimbabwe has stressed that it facilitated with the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) Agency a genuine ISBN, 978-1-77929-583-5, for Professor Jonathan Moyo’s recent book, “Excelgate — How Zimbabwe’s 2018 Presidential Election was Stolen” and notes that publishers need to deal with Amazon when that company is using an out of date list of ISBN numbers.

The National Archives said in a statement that it has two statutory functions: to provide a national archival service and to manage the National Reference Library.

Zimbabwean publishers, including authors who self-publish, have to deposit a copy of all works within 30 days of publication and the National Archives then generates a Zimbabwe National Bibliography listing all published material each year.

The National Archives works hand in glove with the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) Agency, which provides unique group prefixes and ranges to each ISBN registration agency.

Its agency in Zimbabwe is the NAZ.

As the local agency, NAZ facilitates issuance of ISBN to all local publishers for their proposed publication titles, charging a nominal fee. The publisher can use the number to generate a bar code.

The National Archives said in their statement that in the case of Prof Moyo’s recent publication with Sapes Books, all the normal processes were followed in the application and issuance of an ISBN.

Sapes Books then told the NAZ that they had failed to upload the number on the Amazon online platform and Prof Moyo accused the National Archives of sabotage.

NAZ subsequently wrote to the International ISBN Agency on the issues regarding the failure to upload the book on Amazon. In an emailed response dated January 6 2020, Nick Woods, who is the operations manager of the ISBN Agency, reassured NAZ that ISBN 978-1-77929-583-5 for the publication was “perfectly valid”. The authority further assured the publisher to freely use this ISBN to identify their publication.

The ISBN Authority stated that Amazon sometimes uses “an incomplete and out of date list to validate ISBNs entered to its website”.

In this case, the publisher was supposed to approach Amazon which offers online advice on steps to be taken to rectify problems of this nature.

Jane Mlambo| Self exiled former Zanu PF politiburo member, Professor Jonathan Moyo has mocked vice President Constantino Chiwenga who yesterday lost a High Court challenge barring his ex-wife Marry Mubaiwa from accessing their Borrowdale mansion as well as the custody of children.

Posting on Twitter, Moyo said the High Court ruling left Chiwenga exposed like a Army General without a gun and uniform.

“Marry Chiwenga has won big in the High Court; leaving Chiwenga exposed like a General not only without a gun but also without a uniform,” said Chiwenga.

The court ruling in the hands of ZimEye ordered Chiwenga to restore the custody of children to Marry within 24 hours as well as allowing her access to their Borrowdale home.

Chiwenga and wife Marry Mubaiwa have been going through a divorce that has seen a lot of their personal secrets being laid bare in the public including how the once powerful army commander abused office and government privileges.

Police have recovered 31 machetes and arrested seven people suspected to be in the business of making and supplying them to gangs that are terrorising mining areas and towns.

This followed a raid at Siyaso in Mbare, Harare, where the machetes were being manufactured and sold.

Siyaso is a home industry in Mbare where various implements are made for sale.

The arrests come as police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga yesterday spoke strongly against the current wave of machete attacks on citizens across Zimbabwe.

He was speaking in his welcome remarks during a tour of Gweru Central Police Station by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe.

Machetes cost between US$6 and US$10 at Siyaso.

Sources said before “Operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere/No to Machete Gangs” was launched last week, there was a huge demand for machetes in mining areas.

“Information we have gathered is that some people were coming to buy machetes to protect themselves from attackers and that is why there was huge demand for these weapons,” said a source.

“Some of the people were coming from mines to buy machetes in Mbare. The sellers would sell more than 20 machetes per day.

“But when the operation was launched last week, the sales drastically went down as people were afraid of being found in possession of the machetes.”

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said on Thursday police raided Siyaso and Matapiin Mbare where they arrested the seven suspects.

“Yesterday (Thursday) we conducted raids at Siyaso and Matapi where seven accused persons were arrested for selling machetes to the machete gangs,” he said. “We recovered 31 machetes.”

Asst Comm Nyathi said some of the suspects escaped during the raid.

Police have, for the next three months, prohibited the carrying of weapons by members of the public.

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

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

“In accordance with Section (4) (1) of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA) Chapter 11:23, Officers Commanding Police Districts, also known as regulating authorities, have now prohibited the carrying, whether openly or by concealment, in public places or public thoroughfares or public display of catapults, machetes, axes, knobkerries, swords, knives, stones or daggers or items capable of use as weapons and likely to occasion public disorder or a breach of peace,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

Speaking at the Gweru event yesterday, Comm-Gen Matanga said: “Without mincing my words, I am disgusted by the violent nature of machete wielding criminals who are threatening to turn our country into an unsafe and uninhabitable place.

“Over the past few weeks, cases of these criminal elements masquerading as gold panners have been on the increase. Consequently, we have recorded a surge in cases of murder, rape, armed robbery, among other illicit activities.

“Apart from terrorising communities day and night, these hooligans are also invading legal mining claims killing many, including taking the lives of police officers. This is unacceptable. We can never allow criminals to do as they please while creating war zones, while we stand akimbo.”

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

In Mashonaland Central Province yesterday, police embarked on awareness campaigns urging people to desist from illegal mining activities and carrying machetes as they risked being arrested and prosecuted.

The campaigns were mostly carried out in mining areas where such activities are rampant.

By Thursday, the number of illegal miners arrested countrywide in the week-long police operation to restore law and order in mining communities rose to 1 823, with the latest batch including a suspected member of the Ziga machete gang that allegedly killed Constable Wonder Hokoyo at Battlefields recently.

-State media

The surge in black market foreign exchange rates recorded in the past few days from US$1:$22 to US$1:$25 has been traced to a Chinese firm which shipped millions to the black market.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)yesterday froze the bank account of China Nanchang pending further analysis.

RBZ said it was undertaking surveillance to identify more culprits involved in the parallel market transactions.

The parallel exchange rate had been steady, failing to breach the US$1:22 mark for the last four months, but all of a sudden there was a jump in the last two days.

The rate has remained at US$1:$17 on the interbank market.

In a statement yesterday, RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya said: “Earlier today (yesterday), the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe issued a statement raising its concern on the illegal activities of foreign exchange rate manipulators who have been engaging in activities that have exerted pressure on the exchange rate in the last few days.

“The bank escalated the matter to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) for investigation and the FIU has so far identified one entity (China Nanchang), which has used its bank account to inject millions of dollars into the parallel market in the last few days.

“The FIU has ordered the freezing of the identified account pending further analysis and is undertaking ongoing surveillance to identify more culprits involved in the parallel market transactions, particularly on the EcoCash platform.”

Dr Mangudya said RBZ remained focused on its mandate to ensure market stability.

“To this end, the bank will work closely with the FIU to identify and take appropriate action in terms of the law, against any culprits involved in illicit foreign currency activities and manipulation of the foreign exchange rates,” he said.

Economist and Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member Mr Eddie Cross told The Herald yesterday that China Nanchang could have offloaded funds it obtained from Government as payment for dam construction.

“I understand that the Government paid the contractor on the Gwayi/Shangani Dam and they have gone into the parallel market to buy US dollars,” he said.

“The Ministry of Finance needs to manage peaks in State spending.”

In September last year, the RBZ froze bank accounts held by 10 companies on suspicion they were engaging in money-laundering activities and fuelling the foreign currency parallel market.

The bank accounts were unfrozen after the FIU allegedly failed to get evidence linking the firms to illegal foreign currency dealings that saw the local unit crashing, triggering price hikes.

Mr Cross urged the RBZ to be “much tougher” when dealing with alleged currency manipulators to foster currency stability.

Economist Mr Persistence Gwanyanya said the local currency was concentrated in the hands of a few, a situation that was driving currency instability.

“In the recent past, RBZ’s Financial Intelligence Unit froze a couple of accounts suspected to be destabilising the market and we saw some stability being experienced in the market,” he said.

“Currency stability experienced in the last four months is partly attributable to this intervention.

“However, worryingly, the major issue regarding the source of this liquidity, which ends up in the hands of the few, has remained unaddressed.

“This exposes Treasury, as well as ministries and other Government entities that depend on its support in respect of liquidity. Injudicious management of cash flow or liquidity by these entities continues to be one of the major drivers of currency instability.”

Mr Gwanyanya urged Treasury to address the injection of huge sums of money to a few beneficiaries by either itself or other Government and related entities to curtail diversion to the parallel market.

-State Media

By Jane Mlambo| Job Sikhala, the opposition MDC deputy national chairperson Job Sikhala yesterday got a rude awakening after describing former MDC-T Deputy President Obert Gutu a sellout.

“People’s struggle SELLOUT, l believe surely that our late leader Mr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai was sold out by this man.
JUDAS ISCARIOT!,” Sikhala posted on Twitter.

However social media users who responded to the post told Sikhala he also sold out the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai when he formed his MDC-99 while Gutu stood with him until death.

Below are the responses to Sikhala’s post;

Whaat you are one of the biggest betrayers of Morgan R Tsvangirai (MHDSRIP) together with Biti,Welshman. Siyana naObert

Iwe Jobho, dont forget that this man stood with Tsvangirai until his death when you ditched him to form your fringe MDC 99. You only came to the party after Tsvangirai’s death…so who sold out Tsvangirai.

????that coming from you is an insult to MT’s legacy. The fact that we dont talk about it doesn’t me we have forgotten. Betrayal started nemi vakuru mukazodzoka marohwa nechando kunze.

Iwe Jobbo wakaita chako chiParty chainzi MDC 99 uchitiza Tsvangirai arimupenyu nhasi wavekuswero deedza zita rake musiye! Let Save rest without u traitors hanging on his name fo political survival.

MDC 99. The people know

U also left Tsvangirayi for Welshman Ncube and later left Ncube and formed MDC 99 wch did not receive adequate support and suffered serious defeats in both parliamentary and presidential elections. You and your disciple Joubert Mudzumwe, rejoined MDC-T in 2014. LIYAFANANA

You formed your own MDC when Morgan was still alive shame on you!!

Jane Mlambo| Self exiled former Zanu PF politiburo member, Professor Jonathan Moyo has mocked vice President Constantino Chiwenga who yesterday lost a High Court challenge barring his ex-wife Marry Mubaiwa from accessing their Borrowdale mansion as well as the custody of children.

Posting on Twitter, Moyo said the High Court ruling left Chiwenga exposed like a Army General without a gun and uniform.

“Marry Chiwenga has won big in the High Court; leaving Chiwenga exposed like a General not only without a gun but also without a uniform,” said Chiwenga.

The court ruling in the hands of ZimEye ordered Chiwenga to restore the custody of children to Marry within 24 hours as well as allowing her access to their Borrowdale home.

Chiwenga and wife Marry Mubaiwa have been going through a divorce that has seen a lot of their personal secrets being laid bare in the public including how the once powerful army commander abused office and government privileges.

The incident in Mbare calls for action.

Perceived MDC supporters at Mbare musika had their market stalls destroyed by Zanu PF organized militia.

Armed with with machetes,the Zanu PF MaShurugwi went about beating up suspected MDC supporters at Mbare musika.

Some MDC members had to seek refuge at Matapi Police Station .

Three MDC members have been arrested for reporting the matter to the police.

That’s how botched our Zimbabwean law is.

Innocent Nsingo, MDC SA Secretary For Information and Publicity

23/01/2020
We are happy to announce that our members have managed to maintain our stance of not reporting for duty until the government heed our call for a living wage. The incapacitation of our members and the rest of teachers cannot be solved by draconian labour laws that force them to report for duty within 14 days.

As Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, (ARTUZ) we have noted that the government is not taking our salary issue with seriousness, therefore we will register our discontent to the employer through peaceful street protests, our constitutional right as workers.

We congratulate our members and other teachers for withstanding the threats of victimization by the employer.

Parents sacrifice paying school fees in full for their kids in these harsh economic times, only to be let down by a government that is deliberately failing to provide it’s mandated service like education.

This act of wickedness to learners by the responsible government ministries need an urgent approach from all progressive Zimbabweans who have kids in schools to force the employer to pay a living wage to teachers.

It is time both teachers and parents unite, and question Professor Mthuli Ncube’s Transitional Stabilisation Programme Reforms Agenda, on page 270, where he lied to the citizens of Zimbabwe that his policy will prioritize the education sector in tandem with the Education Sector Strategic Plan to 2020, Sustainable Development Goal number 4 and also in line with the aspirations of the African Union on education, wherein focus is on harnessing the demographic dividend, addressing educational needs of marginalized groups ensuring that noone is left behind.

The propaganda propelled by school administrators sending wrong statistics of teachers attendences to district education offices and public service commission, pretending as if learning is taking place in schools is a sign of cruelty to innocent learners.

This must stop immediately. The employer and all education stakeholders must know that, no learning is taking place in schools because teachers are highly demotivated by peanut salaries.

ARTUZ INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
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Farai Dziva|The trial of MDC deputy chairperson Job Sikhala has been postponed to 03 – 07 February, the party has said.

The trial was scheduled for January 27-30.

“The Treason trial of the MDC Deputy National Chair Hon JobSikhala that was scheduled to kick off on Monday 27-31 January 2020 has been postponed to 03 – 07 February for the State has indicated its unpreparedness on the case,” said the Movement for Democratic Change in a statement.

It was at the time of writing believed the National Prosecuting Authority intends to cook up evidence against Sikhala having failed to prove a prima facie against him for treason.

The latest decision comes barely 3 days to his trial on allegations of subverting or attempting to overthrow a constitutional government.

This is a charge according to the State papers which emanates from a purported video downloaded from the Twitter account of one Jones Musara, a ZANU PF activist based in Toronto, Canada.

In the video aforesaid Jones Musara purports that Sikhala addressed people urging them to overthrow Mnangagwa.

A constitutional government is that which drives its authority from the governed through a free and fair election devoid of manipulation and fraud.

A number of ZANU PF activists and their surrogates were celebrating that the hour of Sikhala fix had come.

Sikhala has been arrested 63 times from 2000 to present. Records show he was never convicted on any case from rape to murder. All turned out to be persecutions disguised as prosecutions.

COMMENT AND ANALYSIS:

One good soul in this party of the deranged once said that the late Robert Mugabe was different from this clown we currently have among ourselves masquerading as a President.

Mugabe would not interfere with the judiciary. He would only interfere on matters that directly threatened his power, like the Presidential election petition challenging his legitimacy. That he would not mind how the judiciary deals with other matters outside threat to his power. So he goes on to say that, thats why the late Morgan Tsvangirai was acquitted on two crucial cases.

One when he threatened to remove Mugabe violently if he didn’t want to go peacefully.

The second one being the Ari Ben Manashe drama which was packaged as a Treason trial. He further says that our present clown phones directly Public Prosecutors and judiciary officers to give instructions.

The charge Sikhala is facing is a specie of Treason. It has a mandatory sentence of 20 years in prison without an option of a fine.

The demented ones in the club of fools, which ZANU PF people are, waffles that you deserve what you are getting because you were not supposed to say what you said. In the State papers the overzealous “unknown reward” seeking ignorant police officers say that by threatening to remove Mnangagwa from power Sikhala was seeking to change the hands of power before his term expires in 2023.

In the study of constitutionalism, an individual does not constitute a government. A government is constituted by its three branches, that is the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature. Mnangagwa is an individual who is not all that.

He can go today, the Executive may remain as constituted minus him, the Judiciary will remain the same, so is the Legislature. When individuals turn themselves into governments, you must know that, that country is cursed. And let it be known that Mnangagwa is not government. Government is instituted in terms of the constitution with its distinct branches.

Mnangagwa is not all that. He is just a Sherwood Farm fish farmer who occupies an office which is not defined to belong to him. It can be occupied by anyone if he perishes today.

So anyone in his or her perverted disposition who thinks that this trial is going to be sadza eating jamboree should take a strange dog for a wife.

Those extractors of the purported documentary from a ZANU PF malcontent living far away in Canada must be prepared for the nightmare of their lives.

We saw the overzealous ones during the Treason trial of Morgan Tsvangirai behaving as if everybody was borrowing the air we breath from them including Augustine Chihuri. When you meet them in streets today they look pathetic and deranged, with nothing to show for the bombastic self they were demonstrating during the material time. Since time immemorial, Sikhala has never received the level of solidarity, prayers and encouragement like what he is currently receiving. This is a demonstration that the people of Zimbabwe are not fools as envisaged by someone who encourages everyone to feed on vegetables daily until Kingdom comes.

Be reassured that gloves are off. The titanic battle has begun. In his life he has lost battles but not a war. This is a war, not a war for myself but for everyone who believes in a free and democratic Zimbabwe.

By A Correspondent- A business woman was recently assaulted by her business partner’s wife who accused her of having a love affair with her husband.

Sazingani Ndlovu (31) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Lizwe Jamela facing assault charges.

Ndlovu allegedly assaulted her husband’s business partner View Mazhanyuro (34).

Sometime in September 2019, Ndlovu went  to Mazhanyuro residential place a teacher at Milton High School and accused her of having a love affair with her husband.

On January 4 at around 7pm Mazhanyuro was with Ndlovu’s husband selling their stuff when Ndlovu arrived and shouted at her accusing her of  having a love affair with her husband.

Ndlovu also said Mazhanyuro was HIV positive and assaulted her with clenched fists several times all over the body.

She was referred to the hospital for medical examination.

Mazhanyuro reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of Ndlovu.

By A Correspondent- Zvido Zvashe apostolic church treasurer is in soup for contravening section 70 of the criminal codification  and reform act (having sex with a minor) and he appeared before Guruve magistrate Artwell Sanyatwe yesterday.

Batsirai Muchesa (26) pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded out of custody to February 6 for trial.

The state alleges that on 22 December around  5 pm Muchesa took his 15 year old girl friend who is also a congregant of his church to a nearby bush and had sex with her before releasing her around 7pm.

The minor told him that he she was 15 years old and the church leader was not bothered.

The matter came to light on January 18 where the complainant’s aunt was told by neighbours that Muchesa came at their house looking for her girlfriend.

The aunt went to her kitchen and saw  the two together,she quizzed the complainant on the matter and she confirmed that they had sex together.

A police report was filed at Guruve leading to Muchesa’s arrest.

Carson Kundiona represented the state.