Farai Dziva|Calvary Prayer Group, led by Prophet Isaac Makomichi, has launched an intercession programme for Zimbabwe in the wake of the deepening economic crisis.

The programme also seeks to eradicate corruption through rigorous prayers.

Makomichi, who is also the president of Vulnerable Youth Support Network Trust, has pointed out that the current socio-economic quagmire requires God’s intervention through intercession.

“Calvary Prayer Group comprises Makomichi and several apostles and prophets.I am working closely with Apstole Tapiwa Tongodzai and more than 30 prophets,”said Makomichi.

“People are flocking to the group because of the work that the prayer group is doing,” said one believer.

” Calvary Prayer Group has lined up several programmes meant to seek God’s intervention in the country’s problems.

Let it be known that God can perform great miracles.We were given the authority to declare prosperity in businesses.

Those who lost their lovers are also experiencing great miracles,” said a member of the group in an interview with ZimEye.com.

Farai Dziva|Former MDC T deputy president has urged MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to join POLAD as it is the right platform for dialogue.

Gutu claimed that by joining POLAD Chamisa would speak from a well informed point of view .

“I think they are missing a huge opportunity to impact purposefully in the governance of this country because if you just lambast and trash POLAD without you understanding what it is about, it does not make sense to me and for any right thinking person.

We are saying POLAD is for those political parties that had a Presidential candidate in the 2018 harmonised elections.

I believe the best thing you have to do is say okay I am not happy with POLAD but I want to join then use that opportunity to say I am not happy with it because of A, B, C, and D. Don’t just throw tantrums, no one will listen to you.

I believe POLAD can be improved upon but conceptually it is a brilliant opportunity for Zimbabwe to come together,” Gutu told a state run daily paper.

"Our crisis must be properly diagnosed….ours is a governance crisis": Chamisa pic.twitter.com/2EfkqNnYek

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) January 30, 2020

ZAOGA church on celebrating ED: We were just praying for @edmnangagwa because only prayer will change Zimbabwe | EMPTY or LOADED PRAYERS?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) January 29, 2020

By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo man has been fined $1 000 for negligent driving after he lost control of his vehicle and hit two pedestrians.

Steadness Sigabela (59) of Pumula South suburb hit Ms Juliet Mazhavawe (29) and Ms Priscilla Ncube (13) of Pumula East while they were crossing the road near Ingwegwe Primary School in the suburb.

Sigabela pleaded guilty to negligent driving when he appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Mr Urgent Vundla.

Mr Vundla fined him $1 000 or 20 days in prison.

Sigabela is expected to have paid the money on or before February 29 this year.

He apologised before the court and begged for the magistrate’s lenience.

Sigabela alleged that he had visited his victims and assisted them with their hospital bills.

Prosecuting, Ms Magret Takawira said on November 27 last year at around 8AM, Sigabela was driving a Ford Ranger registration number AEK 4213 along Hyde Park Road in Pumula East suburb.

The court heard that Sigabela was trying to overtake another car when he hit Ms Mazhavawe and Ms Ncube from behind.

“As the accused person was driving, he negligently hit the two pedestrians who were walking on the road side with the front right side of his vehicle,” Ms Takawira said.

Ms Mazhavawe sustained bruises on the left hand and leg while Ms Ncube sustained chest and pelvis pains.

The State proved that Sigabela was negligent in his driving in that he was moving at an excessive speed and given the circumstances, he failed to stop or act reasonably when an accident seemed imminent. He also failed to keep a proper look out.

Ms Mazhavawe and Ms Ncube were referred to Mpilo Central Hospital for medical examination.

The matter was reported to the police leading to Sigabela’s arrest

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has been accused of trying to arm-twist the Judiciary by threatening Judge President Justice George Chiweshe and accusing him of allegedly leaking to the media a ruling on his messy divorce with his estranged wife, Marry Mubaiwa, before it was handed down in court.

Last week, Chiwenga was ordered by the High Court, which falls under Justice Chiweshe, to surrender three minor children he illegally took from his embattled wife after engineering her arrest on allegations of trying to kill him.

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

Marry’s lawyers have already been invited to inspect the record of appeal, a few days after the notice of appeal was filed, a process that normally takes long.

Chiwenga, through his lawyers Manase and Manase Legal Practitioners, have written to Justice Chiweshe accusing him of being compromised as Marry’s relative, although the Judge President was not handling Chiwenga’s divorce case.

“Our client advises us that you are related to the applicant (Ms) Marry Mubaiwa, and she has made numerous bald assertions in public that you are related and have sorted and influenced all matters involving her in her favour to the prejudice of our clients,” part of the letter read.

“We, with respect, wish to register our client’s concern over allegations emanating from the said relationship with the applicant and complaining over the conduct of the applicant in accessing court judgments and orders before they are handed down to both litigants.”

Chiwenga accused Judge Chiweshe of leaking the ruling to the media before it was delivered to him, querying how the judgment was reported on by the media before it was handed down.

Chiwenga’s lawyers gave Justice Chiweshe 48 hours to respond to their concerns.

But Chiwenga’s complaint was viewed by political analysts as an attempt to usurp the independence of the Judiciary.

Former ZimRights director and political analyst Okay Machisa said Chiwenga had misdirected his complaint and was trying to interfere with the independence of the Judiciary.

“Let’s go to the basics. We have the three pillars of the State: The Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary. These are three independent bodies which don’t interfere with each other. Unfortunately, there’s now interference from the Executive,” Machisa said.

“What’s given is actually the breach of the law. To have the Executive interfering, it’s fundamentally wrong for the VP to do so. If you look at Justice (Christopher) Dube-Banda’s judgment, it’s clear on how the VP should behave, not to use the military in his personal divorce case.

“What he is doing is to arm-twist the Judiciary, especially Justice Chiweshe to resign. These are threats being given to the Judiciary. Let’s not talk of the Judge President, but the Judiciary which has been dented. Let’s observe the independence of the Judiciary and not force it to dance to our gallery. We are perpetually denting our Judiciary in the eyes of the world.”

Another analyst Eldred Masunungure concurred, saying Chiwenga’s military relationship with Justice Chiweshe was above all most important than that of the judge with Marry because of the judge’s military background.

“The judge’s relationship with Marry is superseded by the connection he has with the military, where he was an attorney and reporting to Chiwenga, where he has that allegiance to the military,” Masunungure said.

“You and I couldn’t have used that same avenue of going straight to the Judge President. On the other hand, is it not a matter of one’s lofty office being used to advance a personal household matter? Is he not overlapping the limits on which as a citizen he has the right to lodge a complaint?” he further queried.

— Newsday

By A Correspondent- A security guard employed by Lupane State University (LSU) is on the run after allegedly stealing 53 solar panels from the institution’s campus in Lupane, Matabeleland North last week.

Police sources told this paper that 13 solar panels have since been recovered from the security guard’s house.

In a telephone interview yesterday, LSU spokesperson Mr Zwelithini Dlamini confirmed the theft but said he could not give details. “Yes, it’s true but I haven’t received the full report from the police. I am in Bulawayo and I will get to know the full details once I get the final report from the police”, he said.

Asked whether the security guard stole the panels, Mr Dlamini said he could not pre-empt investigations.

“Like I said I cannot give you the details because I am still waiting for the police but there is a case of theft of solar panels at the campus,” said Mr Dlamini.

An official from the University who spoke on condition of anonymity said cases of theft of property were now rife at the institution.

“Yes, it’s true that solar panels were stolen here last week. In fact, the one who stole them is the security guard who works here because some of them were recovered at his house and he is on the run now,” she said.

Matabeleland North police spokesperson, Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Six armed Central Intelligence Operatives (CIO)  allegedly robbed  a  command agriculture farmer of his United States American dollars at gun point recently in Waterfalls,Harare.

According to police sources six suspects who were using a black Mercedes Benz with Botswana number plates and a Toyota Wish on January 23 stormed at Albert Mubaiwa’s (35) residence and robbed him of US$20 000 after seeing 27 tonnes of fertilizer in his house.

“Six robbers pounced on Mubaiwa and introduced themselves as CIOs while possessing a CZ riffle and accused him of possessing command agriculture fertilizer, he agreed that he possessed the fertilizers but all the papers were above board but the suspects demanded money from him which he surrendered US$20 000,’ said the source.

It is further alleged that Mubaiwa made his investigations and discovered that the Mercedes Benz  used in the robbery belonged to Constable Milton Murairwa of Mbare station.

Mubaiwa then searched for Murairwa’s number and met him before being promised back his money, he managed to recover only $50 before filing a police report at Waterfalls police station under rrb number 4288780.

By A Correspondent- Twelve machete-wielding illegal gold panners were arrested for allegedly raiding the home of a 75-year-old Nkayi businesswoman while she was sleeping with her family.

Stanford Tshuma (25), Lucky Chininga (23), Bathabile Moyo (21), Ayanda Sibanda (44), Gift Mukuza (24), Venson Moyo (29), Mthabisi Moyo (25), Hezekia Ncube (31), Mehluli Ncube (32), Nkululeko Moyo (25), Mimi Mpofu (20) and Ntabiso Mthethwa (20) all from Belmont area in Nkayi allegedly broke into Ms Besie Khumalo’s home on the night of January 17 armed with machetes and axes.

They however, went away empty handed after the victim screamed prompting her neighbours to come to her rescue. They were arrested following an identification parade.

By A Correspondent- A Zanu PF commission of inquiry set up by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in August last year to investigate bigwigs accused of corruption by the party’s youth league has not met since then to deal with the matter.

Mnangagwa directed all provinces to nominate central committee members to the 10-member commission following the decision by the youth league to name and shame people it accused of corruption.

The commission included William Mutomba (Manicaland), Sheilla Mabasa, (Mashonaland West), Hillary Masaiti Mombeshora (Mashonaland Central), Max Zvidzai (Midlands), Tshinga Dube (Bulawayo), Rodwell Zinyemba (Mashonaland East), Sibangumuzi Khumalo (Matabeleland North), Patrick Hove (Matabeleland South) and Clemence Makwarimba (Masvingo).
Dube, who is also a Zanu-PF politburo member, confirmed to a local publication that the committee was yet to meet to discuss the issue.

“We never sat as a committee, it’s true. When the president appointed us we were happy to take up the task, but we needed some leadership. We didn’t know who the leader of this group was. We are waiting to hear from the president,” said Dube.

The former War Veterans’ minister and chief executive of Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI) added that it was important for the team to work with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc).

“We also have to hear from the chairperson of Zacc. I think we cannot deal with corruption without her (Zacc chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo). She will give us points of reference, but we never wrote a letter to Zacc,” he said.

Zanu-PF youth league deputy secretary Lewis Matutu told the Daily News yesterday that there was need for the commission to immediately fulfil its mandate in order to restore public confidence.

“We want the committee to take action so that the public can continue to have confidence in the party. The party must be on the forefront in the battle against corruption.

‘We are eagerly and impatiently waiting for the committee to deal with the issue.

“This matter must be concluded so that we can continue to fight corruption as youths. It’s an issue that we will raise in our internal platforms. We are worried about the delays. We want the matter to be looked into with urgency,” Matutu said.

Matutu threatened to name and shame more corrupt bigwigs if the ruling party fails to decisively deal with graft.

“We have warned these people previously and this is the second and last time before we name and shame them. The same cartels we named last year are continuing, they have connections.

“We cannot continue to suffer like this, with salaries of public sector workers being affected and putting pressure on the government.

“We know them by name and some of them are in the private sector. They are taking advantage of government programmes to access cash … that is why the rates have shot up because they have cash to buy foreign currency on the black market. We are watching them,” added Matutu.

Last year, the ruling party youths named individuals, private sector executives and party bigwigs it claimed were corrupt.

Some of the bigwigs named include Zanu-PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, together with former ministers Joram Gumbo and Prisca Mupfumira. Mpofu has since taken Matutu to court on defamation charges.

Mupfumira was subsequently arrested on allegations of looting the National Social Security Authority, while Gumbo was briefly arrested and released by Zacc, again on charges of graft.

Mupfumira is on bail, while Zacc says it is still investigating Gumbo.

-DailyNews

By A Correspondent- The mediation by former South African President Thabo Mbeki on the political stand off between Zanu-PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa and MDC president Nelson Chamisa is urgently needed to bring to an end to the deepening economic crisis in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is facing an economic collapse that has partly been blamed on the controversial 2018 elections which Chamisa claims to have won but accuses Mnangagwa of manipulating  processes to have himself declared as the winner. 

Chamisa, speaking to SABC News on Wednesday, said it was sad that he has not met Mnangagwa since they were, Parliamentarians two years ago. 

“I have not met with President Mnangagwa since our days in Parliament, that is two years ago which is quite sad as people who compete in an election are supposed to have a conversation post election to find out the way forward to the country, this is one of my saddest moments and very disappointing that you go to an election and only meet through the ballot and beyond that ballot you are not able to communicate or converse,” he said. 

“That is why we thought that President Mbeki, when he came, would facilitate for a conversation as you know in Africa, where ever there is a negotiation, even a marriage negotiation, there has to be a negotiator because that is our nature as a people.”

Chamisa said to be able to deal between the acrimony between himself and Mnangagwa, it would be useful to have a credible negotiator. 

“We think that the avenue and platform created by President Mbeki will go a long way in creating this kind of conversation,” he said. 

The MDC leader said there are indications that Mbeki will return to Zimbabwe to try and find a solution to the political crisis. 

Mbeki visited Zimbabwe towards the end of 2019 and held talks with Mnangagwa, Chamisa and other political players in what sources said was an effort to bring especially Zanu-PF and MDC Alliance to the negotiating table. 

“We have even emphasised that it is more urgent now than ever before because the situation in the country is taking a nose dive and things are going south in many ways,” said Chamisa. 

“As we speak, right now people’s salaries are being eroded, we don’t have electricity, the situation has gone out of hand with unemployment hitting almost 98 percent, the young people, the most industrious, Zimbabwe and who are hardworking are lacking in everything on issues of survival.”

By A Correspondent- State universities could end up charging up to $15 000 a semester once all ancillary fees, accommodation and meals have been factored in. 

The Government set maximum tuition fees between $3 500 and $5 000 per semester for universities, depending on course, while tuition at colleges was set at between $500 and $1 500. Ancillary fees, accommodation and meals were left to the institutions to determine. 

The ancillary charges include registration, examination, maintenance, medical aid, technology, students union, sports levy, laboratory, travel, student development, fieldwork and graduation fees and can total $3 660. 

Investigations have shown that universities are trying to go back to their proposed high charges by hiking ancillary and accommodation fees. 

At the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), where tuition for a medical student was set at $4 995, the total including ancillary fees is $8 655. 

Students staying on campus will also have to pay accommodation fees, which has not been invoiced but is said to be between $8 000 and $10 000. 

Those from outside Harare who opt to rent rooms in Mount Pleasant and Vainona near campus, will probably have to pay their landlords anything between $1 200 and $1 800, often demanded in foreign currency. 

Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira has, however, encouraged parents and guardians to take advantage of the student loan scheme, saying Government had no jurisdiction over ancillary fees. “People should take loans because they are meant to be used,” he said. 

“The loan scheme is meant to be used because we can see that our fees are still lower than that of high schools. There is no way a student can go to a university without chemicals, equipment and stuff meant for Parents should capitalise on the loan scheme and they have to understand that this is not a cash economy hence we encourage them to take loans. 

“We want our students to have access to education and we have agreed that students on attachment should pay 60 percent of the tuition fees. They should access these loans because they are guaranteed by the Government.”

Parents and guardians said these were private loans which they were expected to immediately start paying back. 

“The repayment is set to commence the next month after the loan application is approved. So a student with no one to guarantee the ability to pay won’t get the loan,” a disgruntled parent said. 

“In the case of the UZ, the loan applications are processed via the University of Zimbabwe Cadetship Office, but the ultimate decision-maker is CBZ (Bank), and repayment is by debiting a salary at not more than 40 percent of applicant’s net income. 

“At the end of the day the parent is left with nothing. Government is forgetting that we already have other loans and stop orders.” 

Responding to the high cost of ancillary fees, Prof Murwira said the Government was assisting university operations by giving each university $6 million for operational costs such as water and electricity.

“We are now helping universities on their operations and each university has received $6 million for operational costs. 

This was last done in 2009, but we have restarted it; supporting universities budget wise. 

“We also encouraged universities to increase agricultural programmes to ensure that their food is coming from their farms. Our main aim is never to have students outside the class, but to make sure that they are in class. Levies are normally a function of how the economy functions,” he said. 

UZ director of information and public relations Mr Daniel Chihombori said the final accommodation fees will be given on February 24 to allow parents and guardians time to look for the money. Last semester, UZ students paid $1 200 as accommodation fees. 

Harare Institute of Technology communications officer Mr Jefry Makumbe said the institution was reviewing accommodation fees and these would be published as soon as they are approved. 

At Harare Polytechnic, students paid $1 540 for accommodation but the figure is reportedly under review. 

Bindura University of Science Education director of public relations Mr James Gutura said they proposed their fee structure last week and it is yet to be approved by the parent ministry. 

Mutare Polytechnic College students staying on campus will have to fork out $6 990. 

At Kwekwe and Gweru Polytechnic colleges, students said they paid $3 500 for food and $730 for accommodation over and above $1 300 for tuition. At Masvingo Polytechnic, resident students are paying $3 500 per semester for accommodation but sources said the figure would be reviewed soon, while at Masvingo Teachers’ College resident students are paying $3 500. 

A source at Bondolfi Teachers’ College said many students were going for off-campus accommodation because of the $4 000 being charged by the institution per semester. 

Great Zimbabwe University director of information Mr Anderson Chipatiso said campus accommodation fees for the forthcoming semester will be decided after consultation with the institution’s students representative body. 

At Midlands State University, authorities said they were yet to come up with a food and accommodation fee structure with the new semester expected to start mid-February. 

However, students at the two institutions said they were told to budget for between $8 000 and $10 000. 

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- A 34 year old man from Makokoba suburb in Bulawayo has appeared in court charged with possession of articles for criminal use and malicious damage of property.

Lennon Ncube (34) was not asked to plead to possession of articles for criminal use and crime of malicious damage to property when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Lizwe Jamela.

He was remanded in custody to February 14.

The court was told that on January 26 Ncube in the company of his friends who are still at large arrived at Spar 24 supermarket located along Fife street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue, Bulawayo using an unlicensed red Mazda Supremacy vehicle.

He disembarked from their vehicle and went to Honda fit parked at the exit point of the supermarket belonging to Dodzani Ngwenya (48) who resides at Nketa, Bulawayo.

Ngwenya secured his vehicle by closing all the windows, locked all the doors and went to a flea market opposite Spar 24 supermarket.

It is alleged that Ncube used an unknown object to damage the passenger front door of the vehicle not knowing that there were some police officers who were watching him.

The police officers pounced on him and one of Ncube’s friends jumped into their vehicle and drove off with others leaving him behind.

He ran along 5th Avenue as police officers where after him shouting “thief”, Ncube was intercepted by members of the public leading to his arrest. 

It is alleged that when Ngwenya proceeded to his vehicle he discovered that Ncube had used an unknown object and forced to open the front passenger door as a result damaged the locking system of the car.

It is the state that police officers searched Ncube and discovered a universal remote control.

The value of the damaged door is US$50

By A Correspondent- Marry Chiwenga nee Mubaiwa, the estranged wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has said that the former army boss has no prospects of success on appeal against the High Court ruling on child custody since his application was infuriating and in bad faith.

These remarks were made in Marry’s court application which seeks authority to implement a last Friday High Court order allowing her access to her children, matrimonial home and cars pending the hearing of an appeal filed by Chiwenga.

The former model, in her application on Tuesday, said:

The respondent filed a notice of appeal immediately after the handing down of judgement … Its effect was that I could no longer be able to enforce the judgement…

There is need to protect the honourable court from the respondent’s unholy abuse of court processes…

I aver that the respondent does not have any prospects of success on appeal whatsoever, in any event, there is no irreparable harm to be suffered by him if leave to execute pending appeal is granted.

Marry also said that it would be in the best interest for the children to be with her. She also said that she has been a “squatter” in other people’s homes since the time she was locked out of their matrimonial home in Borrowdale.

DailyNews

TWELVE machete-wielding illegal gold panners were arrested for allegedly raiding the home of a 75-year-old Nkayi businesswoman while she was sleeping with her family.

Stanford Tshuma (25), Lucky Chininga (23), Bathabile Moyo (21), Ayanda Sibanda (44), Gift Mukuza (24), Venson Moyo (29), Mthabisi Moyo (25), Hezekia Ncube (31), Mehluli Ncube (32), Nkululeko Moyo (25), Mimi Mpofu (20) and Ntabiso Mthethwa (20) all from Belmont area in Nkayi allegedly broke into Ms Besie Khumalo’s home on the night of January 17 armed with machetes and axes.

They however, went away empty handed after the victim screamed prompting her neighbours to come to her rescue. They were arrested following an identification parade.

The accused persons are facing charges of unlawful entry into premises in aggravating circumstances.

The 12 men, through their lawyers Mashayamombe and Company Attorneys, have filed an application for bail pending trial at the Bulawayo High Court citing the State as a respondent.

According to court papers, it was stated that on January 17 at around 2.55AM, the 12 accused persons went to Ms Khumalo’s home armed with machetes and axes.

Upon arrival, they allegedly struck the main kitchen door using an axe and damaged burglar bars to gain entry into the house.

Three of the accused persons entered the complainant’s bedroom carrying machetes and axes while the other eight remained outside.

The complainant heard the noise and she woke up; screaming, prompting her neighbours to wake up.

The neighbours and some of the complainant’s family members teamed up and confronted the accused persons and they fled the scene after realising that they had been outnumbered.

The accused persons were arrested on the same day following a police report. The complainant managed to positively identify the accused persons during an identification parade.

In their bail application, the accused persons are denying the charges and argue that the alleged machetes and axes were not found.

They are saying that the State case is weak.

“The applicants know nothing about the offence and worse the use of weapons and the identification parade fell short of the requirements. The State has proffered presuppositions and baseless assumptions,” said the accused persons’ lawyer.

The accused persons also dismissed the investigating officer’s assertion that there were likely to abscond if released on bail. They further argued that there were no compelling reasons warranting their continued detention.

“Cogent reasons for fear of abscondment must be proffered not to merely state the word as if its mention is mandatory in every opposition to bail. The accused persons will not abscond and the accused persons to date have not directly or indirectly interfered with any witnesses. It is humbly submitted that the State has no compelling reasons for continued detention,” said the lawyer.

The accused persons offered to pay $200 bail each and to report once a week at Nkayi Police Station as well as not interfering with State witnesses as part of the bail condition. They also offered to reside at their given addresses until the matter is finalised.

The State is yet to respond to the application.

Gangs armed with machetes have been terrorising people across the country.

Last Friday, a seven-member gang armed with machetes, axes, iron bars and bicycle chains besieged Nyaradza Business Centre in Gokwe South before searching and robbing people and businesses.

Recently, a gang of machete wielding men pounced on a gold mine at Inyathi in Matabeleland North where they allegedly attacked workers before they went away with half a tonne of gold ore. Three of the suspects have since been arrested and the matter is still pending before the court.

Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga has since issued a stern warning to the machete terror gangs that the law will soon catch up with them. Police have since issued orders to prohibit carrying of dangerous weapons in the gold mining areas.

By A Correspondent- Delta Beverages Zimbabwe, an integrated beverage company with a diverse portfolio of local and international brands in lager beer, traditional beer, Coca-Cola franchised sparkling and alternative non-alcoholic beverages has released an update which reflects the erosion of incomes.

The trading update for the year which ended 31 December 2019 indicated that beer volumes went down over the Christmas period, once a traditionally strong quarter for consumer spending. However, there was a recovery in soft drink sales as supply improved.

Delta attributes the relatively poor performance to a poor farming season which robbed the company of inputs such as sorghum and maize.

The company predicts that the status quo will prevail for a sustained period of time due to a huge deficit in foreign currency and inputs such as maize.

We present Delta’s trading update in full below

Own Correspondent|FORMER Cabinet Minister, Supa Mandiwanzira has been ordered to pay a $297 598 debt to Westlake International Finance Limited incurred seven years ago in US Dollars or equivalent Zimbabwean dollars at the prevailing inter-bank rate at the time of payment.

The judgement is likely to cause confusion after he Supreme Court last week ruled that all debts incurred before February 22 last year must be settled in the local currency at a 1:1 rate against the US dollar in line with Statutory Instrument (SI) 33 of 2019.

The SI abolished the multi-currency regime and reintroduced the Zimbabwe dollar.

Chief Justice Luke Malaba made the landmark ruling in an appeal case involving Zambezi Gas Zimbabwe (Pvt) Limited against mining services provider N.R. Barber (Pvt) Ltd and the Sherriff of Zimbabwe.

Mandiwanzira’s debt arose after his firm Tarcon (Private) Ltd borrowed the funds from the finance company.

Mandiwanzira who is Zanu PF MP for Nyanga South, and Florence Erina Ziumbe, are respondents in the matter.

Ziumbe is the founder of PROWEB.

The matter was heard by High Court judge, Joseph Mafusire.

“You are required and directed to attach and take into execution the movable goods of Supa Collins Mandiwanzira of 7 Kenilworth Road, Highlands Harare and Florence Erina Ziumbe of 18 Fletcher Road Mt Pleasant, Harare the above mentioned defendants and of the same cause to be realised the sum of US$297 598 or its equivalent in Zimbabwean dollars at the interbank exchange rate applicable at the time of repayment,” reads part of the writ of execution.

According to court papers, Mandiwanzira and Ziumbe bound themselves as sureties and co-principal debtors to the loan but Tarcon failed to repay the full amount, forcing Westlake International Finance Limited to approach the court for recourse.

Mandiwanzira and Ziumbe had opposed the claim but the judge trashed their arguments.

President Paul Kagame has exercised his prerogative of mercy to grant clemency to 18 minor inmates who were serving their respective sentences in the juvenile prison located in Nyagatare district in Eastern Province.

The decision was announced Tuesday in a communiqué released after a an extraordinary cabinet meeting chaired by President Kagame.

According to the communique, the beneficiaries to the clemency are those that displayed good conduct and scored highly in the national examinations at both primary and Ordinary Level, according to the communique.

They include 16 males and two females.

The clemency allows the young inmates to go out in society and pursue their studies in ordinary schools but they have to maintain a high level of discipline and avoid committing any other crime.

According to Senior Superintendent of Prisons Hilary Sengabo, the spokesperson of Rwanda Correctional Services, the clemency was extended to all inmates who sat exams and will be released and continue their studies out of the juvenile prison, revealing that all of them had been already placed in different schools by Rwandan Education Board (REB).

“They are going to be released immediately to continue their studies to the schools that admitted them,” Sengabo told The New Times on Wednesday.

The juvenile facility was launched in 2014, to accommodate inmates between the ages of 14 and 18, who are convicted of various crimes. It also offers secondary education and vocational training to the inmates.

The presidential pardon to juvenile inmates based on their academic performances and good conduct comes for the fourth time in a row since 2017.

New Times Rwanda

A Landcruiser in @edmnangagwa motorcade has just been involved in an accident along Borrowdale Road, near the Racecourse. Details are still sketchy but reports say the Cruiser landed on its side. It’s not yet clear if the Presidential Guard personnel who use it were injured.

— Stanley Gama (@gama_stanley) January 29, 2020

Correspondent|A member of the newly formed political party, the People’s Party led by former Tourism Minister, Walter Mzembi has resigned merely weeks after his appointment.

Vince Musewe who had been appointed as the party’s secretary for research and economic affairs reportedly said that the risk of being the only senior party member in the country outweighed the benefits associated with the post.

The development was confirmed by party secretary-general Lloyd Msipa who said that the fallout was driven by Musewe’s desire to get paid for holding the post. He said:

We are looking for membership not mercenaries; this is a people’s project and we could, therefore, not pay him for belonging to the party.

He said he was going to be vocal and this would affect his other sources of income, therefore, he needed to be paid. The party is not about that, so we parted ways, but it’s important for me to note that it was him who came to us expressing interest in holding that position.

Musewe also confirmed his departure from the party saying that the “risk benefits are not worth my while at this stage”.

Own Correspondent|VICE President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Ms Marry Mubaiwa, on Tuesday allegedly assaulted the family housemaid at Hellenic School in Borrowdale following an altercation over custody of children.

Ms Delight Munyoro (36) had gone to the school to pick up the children but clashed with Ms Mubaiwa at the school.

She reportedly wanted access to the children.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed receiving an assault report saying Borrowdale Police Station was handling the matter.

“I confirm that the police have received a report made by one Delight Munyoro (36) to the effect that Mary Mubaiwa assaulted her.

“The incident is said to have occurred at Hellenic School at around 12:05 (on Tuesday).

“We have instituted investigations into the matter and so far no arrests have been made. We are yet to locate the accused person,” he said.

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Own Correspondent|MDC Alliance secretary for external affairs Gladys Hlatshwayo has hit headlines on allegations that she was evicted from her lodgings at a cottage in Mabelreign after failing to settle utility bills.

Hlatshwayo was residing at Number 7, 12th Avenue, Mabelreign, as a tenant occupying a three-roomed cottage.

She owes Mrs Memory Matiyenga, the owner of the property $377 in council bills and an additional amount for 660,40 units of electricity.

Her actions forced Mrs Matiyenga to serve her with a termination of the lease agreement on September 11, 2019, and was expected to vacate the premises on December 31, but failed to do so.

According to Mrs Matiyenga, her tenant was not forthcoming thereby forcing her to seek legal recourse.

Mrs Matiyenga is reported to have at one time engaged MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to intervene in the issue but nothing came out of it.

Ms Hlatshwayo occupied the cottage in January last year.

“I unknowingly leased my cottage to Ms Hlatshwayo, who is an MDC executive member, as of January last year. She has been giving me a torrid time to get monthly rentals, water and electricity bills.

“I have tried to deal with the case in a civil way but I am now at the receiving end. I have reached out to his superiors but it didn’t yield any results.

“I engaged MDC leader Chamisa over the matter, who promised to solve the issue, but nothing has materialised.

“I issued her with a three-months’ notice of termination of tenancy on September 11, 2019 which expired on December 31. She paid her rentals as and when she felt like,” said Mrs Matiyenga.

On December 22, she left her goods locked inside and only pitched up on January 2 this year.

“In the process, I approached the Civil Court as a legal route. I was advised to issue her with summons. I followed all the legal processes and she was served with summons which she never responded to.

“A default judgment was handed down and she was served with a warrant of eviction on January 24, giving her 48 hours to vacate my cottage. She had January 27 and 28 to respond. Yesterday at 7.45 pm she sent her relatives to collect her goods, but later locked the doors and vanished with the keys,” she said.

Hlatshwayo accused Matiyenga of having a “hidden agenda.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about, I think she has an agenda I do not know. Its best you talk to her because I do not know what you are talking about,” said Hlatshwayo.

Matiyenga said Hlatshwayo was paying $2000 a month but had still to pay her rent for January.

“She was paying $2000 and she went without paying January rentals, she went on to drop the keys at my brother’s house 3:10pm on Wednesday, hours after we had broken into the house,” said Matiyenga.

State Media|CLOSE to 300 doctors and nurses left Zimbabwe’s public health sector in 2019 to join private practice locally and in neighbouring countries as a result of poor working conditions.

This was said by Health Services Board (HLB) chairperson Dr Paulinus Sikosana while addressing stakeholders at the ongoing National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) and Health Service Bipartite Negotiating Panel workshop here.

The HSB is a negotiating partner at the NJNC as it represents the health sector particularly doctors.

Dr Sikosana said the brain drain, which almost crippled the country’s health delivery system, is a result of economic challenges.

“Public health continues to lose its workforce to the private sector locally and abroad. While the situation was a bit stable between 2010 and 2016, between January and June 2019, about 51 nurses and 14 doctors left the public health sector in search of greener pastures. The numbers increased between June and December when 155 nurses and 43 doctors also left,” said Dr Sikosana.

He said the brain drain was a huge blow to the country’s health sector.

“This is a wake-up call to us as public health and we have sought to interrogate this with the Sadc region. What is certain is that the economic downturn dealt the country a huge blow in its efforts to address the challenges,” Dr Sikosana said.

He said the HSB, which was established in 2005, will continue to engage its workers for a win-win situation and improvement of their working conditions.

Dr Sikosana said Government remains committed to forging synergies in the NJNC for holistic frameworks because workers representation is fundamental.

He said plans are underway to reintroduce the health worker retention scheme for all health workers.

“There is a need for adequate financial rewards in the health sector while we should also make sure the tools of trade such as medicines and equipment are readily available for members,” said Dr Sikosana.

He said the HSB was also investing in technology as a long-term remedy for brain drain where part of the clinical work can be done electronically and digitally.

Last year, the HSB summoned hundreds of doctors to a disciplinary hearing for violating some labour provisions with 448 of them eventually being fired for failing to report for duty.

GOVERNMENT and civil servants’ representatives yesterday agreed on a salary increment ranging between 133 percent and 172 percent, which will see the lowest-paid worker earning $2 500 per month starting next month with the highest paid getting $4 631.

The Apex Council said the package was a mere 31 percent of what they had tabled.

The increment would be backdated to January 1.

There will also be a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) based on the total package, also to be paid starting February and backdated to January.

Since civil servants had received their January salaries, the workers will be paid the difference in four equal instalments starting February until the end of April, when another salary review is expected.

Negotiating parties under the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) signed the agreement in the early hours of yesterday.

Speaking at a Press conference, Apex Council president Mrs Cecilia Alexander said the deal was a provisional agreement while negotiations continued.

“We wish to advise our members that as NJNC we have reached a provisional agreement as we continue with negotiations,” she said.

“Having taken note of the challenges being faced by our members due to (the) rising cost of living and the state of the economy.

“In our wisdom we agreed that let’s continue to negotiate, but at least let’s reach some point where we can say for now we sign for something so that our members can get something to live on.”

Mrs Alexander said they had pressured Government to consider paying the January shortfalls over three months after failing to agree on a once-off payment.

She said their initial position was based on the October 2018 salaries, which they wanted matched with the interbank rate.

Mrs Alexander said the decision was a compromise for the sake of incapacitated workers.

The Apex Council, which had earlier declined to sign the agreement, said they were motivated by the commitment made by Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima on behalf of Government.

Prof Mavima had earlier told the NJNC workshop that Government was committed to social dialogue and that he would personally engage Treasury for better salaries.

He said the agreement was a critical moment for the country and will help restore normalcy in the civil service.

Government team leader on the Health Service Bipartite Negotiating Panel, Dr Maxwell Mareza Hove, said as negotiators they were elated to have struck a balance between workers’ needs and the national cake.

The Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association advised its members to do everything possible to deliver public service as required.

State Media|Government has advised local farmers not to panic over the desert locusts that have invaded East Africa, as systems have been put in place to monitor their movement.

The invasion by the migratory pests poses a threat to food security in the sub region.

The locusts have so far affected Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Zimbabwe is a member of the International Red Locust Control Organisation for Central and Southern Africa (IRLCO-CSA).

The IRLCO-CSA promotes and undertakes effective control of significant populations of red locusts in recognised outbreak areas in the territories of contracting governments.

The organisation also offers services within limits of resources in the coordination and reinforcement of national action in the region against red locust swarms, which escape from recognised outbreak areas.

The IRLCO-CSA also undertakes control of migrant pests in member countries, including armyworm, grain-eating birds and tsetse fly.

When one of the member states is attacked by locusts, the organisation dispatches planes and pesticides.

Department of the Plant Quarantine and Plant Protection Services Institute (PQPPSI) under the Department of Research and Specialist Services entomologist, Mr Shingirayi Nyamutukwa, said they were working with IRLCO-CSA in monitoring the movement of the pest.

If there are any indications they may come to Zimbabwe, farmers will be advised accordingly.

“We are monitoring the movement of locusts regionally to see which directions they are taking,” he said.

“We also receive reports and updates on the pests.

“We will be checking on the migration pattern of the swarms.

“If we see that they are coming, we will alert farmers.

“Mr Nyamutukwa said the outbreak of the locusts was a result of favourable breeding conditions.

“As they eat, they will be laying eggs and moving,” he said.

Own Correspondent|THE National Prosecution Authority (NPA) has finally removed all police, army and prison officers who have been working as prosecutors at the country’s courts.

The prosecutors seconded to the NPA by the uniformed forces have since returned to their work stations following last year’s Constitutional Court ruling that employment of serving members of security services was unconstitutional.

A period of 24 months was given to the NPA and Prosecutor-General Mr Kumbirai Hodzi to disengage all serving members of the security forces.

In an interview on the sidelines of the ongoing training of NPA, Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers by Ugandan anti-corruption judge, Justice Lawrence Gidudu in Harare yesterday, Mr Hodzi, said his organisation adheres to court rulings.

“In relation to the judgment you are alluding to, I met the Minister of Finance and Economic Development (Professor Mthuli Ncube) on Monday and we were given authority to recruit as many officers.

“They will be seconded to the NPA and the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) will have a pick,” he said.

“Other officers who were seconded from sister agencies will go back to their respective stations. It was a national emergency when they were recruited at the time. A lot of them have already reported back to their respective stations.”

Correspondent|Zimbabwe opposition leader Nelson Chamisa is in South Africa on a diplomatic offensive to pressure President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in Zimbabwean affairs, to prevent further economic decline.

Chamisa, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has made several appeals to Ramaphosa to facilitate dialogue between him and President Emmerson Mnangagwa, to break the political impasse.

Chamisa has challenged Mnangagwa’s legitimacy, and accused him of stealing the 2018 elections.

While Mnangagwa has started dialogue with some of the opposition parties that contested the 2018 election, Chamisa and leaders of three other political parties, have refused to meet with him, insisting on a neutral mediator.

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who mediated talks between former late President Robert Mugabe and late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and other MDC formations after a violent and disputed 2008 election, has expressed willingness to assist in talks, and has even been to Harare to meet with concerned parties.

Chamisa told VOA Zimbabwe Service that he wants Pretoria to intervene because the political temperatures in Harare are rising.

Reacting to Chamisa’s regional initiative, ruling Zanu-PF party secretary for administration, Paul Mangwana, said there is no crisis in Zimbabwe that calls for regional intervention.

Mnangagwa has not warmed to regional intervention, opting for internal dialogue and has initiated his own domestic talks under the banner of the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD), a forum that brings together about 17 opposition parties that participated in the 2018 elections.

State Media|VICE President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Ms Marry Mubaiwa, on Tuesday allegedly assaulted the family maid at Hellenic School in Borrowdale following an altercation over the custody of children.

Ms Delight Munyoro had gone to the school to pick up the children, but clashed with Ms Mubaiwa at the school.

She reportedly wanted access to the children.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed Borrowdale Police Station was handling the matter.

“I confirm that the police have received a report made by one Delight Munyoro (36) to the effect that Marry Mubaiwa has assaulted her.

“The incident is said to have occurred at Hellenic School at around 12.05pm.

“We have instituted investigations into the matter and so far no arrests have been made. We are yet to locate the accused person,” he said.

Last week, Mubaiwa won her High Court appeal for custody of the couple’s three minor children and access to the matrimonial home, but VP Chiwenga filed a notice of appeal at the Supreme Court.

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

State Media|State universities could end up charging up to $15 000 a semester once all ancillary fees, accommodation and meals have been factored in.

The Government set maximum tuition fees between $3 500 and $5 000 per semester for universities, depending on course, while tuition at colleges was set at between $500 and $1 500.

Ancillary fees, accommodation and meals were left to the institutions to determine.

The ancillary charges include registration, examination, maintenance, medical aid, technology, students union, sports levy, laboratory, travel, student development, fieldwork and graduation fees and can total $3 660.

The Herald’s investigations have shown that universities are trying to go back to their proposed high charges by hiking ancillary and accommodation fees.

At the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), where tuition for a medical student was set at $4 995, the total including ancillary fees is $8 655.

Students staying on campus will also have to pay accommodation fees, which has not been invoiced but is said to be between $8 000 and $10 000.

Those from outside Harare who opt to rent rooms in Mount Pleasant and Vainona near campus, will probably have to pay their landlords anything between $1 200 and $1 800, often demanded in foreign currency.

Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira has, however, encouraged parents and guardians to take advantage of the student loan scheme, saying Government had no jurisdiction over ancillary fees.

“People should take loans because they are meant to be used,” he said.

“The loan scheme is meant to be used because we can see that our fees are still lower than that of high schools. There is no way a student can go to a university without chemicals, equipment and stuff meant for

Parents should capitalise on the loan scheme and they have to understand that this is not a cash economy hence we encourage them to take loans.

“We want our students to have access to education and we have agreed that students on attachment should pay 60 percent of the tuition fees. They should access these loans because they are guaranteed by the Government.”

Parents and guardians said these were private loans which they were expected to immediately start paying back.

“The repayment is set to commence the next month after the loan application is approved. So a student with no one to guarantee the ability to pay won’t get the loan,” a disgruntled parent said.

“In the case of the UZ, the loan applications are processed via the University of Zimbabwe Cadetship Office, but the ultimate decision-maker is CBZ (Bank), and repayment is by debiting a salary at not more than 40 percent of applicant’s net income.

“At the end of the day the parent is left with nothing. Government is forgetting that we already have other loans and stop orders.”

Responding to the high cost of ancillary fees, Prof Murwira said the Government was assisting university operations by giving each university $6 million for operational costs such as water and electricity.

“We are now helping universities on their operations and each university has received $6 million for operational costs. This was last done in 2009, but we have restarted it; supporting universities budget wise.

“We also encouraged universities to increase agricultural programmes to ensure that their food is coming from their farms. Our main aim is never to have students outside the class, but to make sure that they are in class. Levies are normally a function of how the economy functions,” he said.

UZ director of information and public relations Mr Daniel Chihombori said the final accommodation fees will be given on February 24 to allow parents and guardians time to look for the money.

Last semester, UZ students paid $1 200 as accommodation fees.

Harare Institute of Technology communications officer Mr Jefry Makumbe said the institution was reviewing accommodation fees and these would be published as soon as they are approved.

At Harare Polytechnic, students paid $1 540 for accommodation but the figure is reportedly under review.

Bindura University of Science Education director of public relations Mr James Gutura said they proposed their fee structure last week and it is yet to be approved by the parent ministry.

Mutare Polytechnic College students staying on campus will have to fork out $6 990.

At Kwekwe and Gweru Polytechnic colleges, students said they paid $3 500 for food and $730 for accommodation over and above $1 300 for tuition.

At Masvingo Polytechnic, resident students are paying $3 500 per semester for accommodation but sources said the figure would be reviewed soon, while at Masvingo Teachers’ College resident students are paying $3 500.

A source at Bondolfi Teachers’ College said many students were going for off-campus accommodation because of the $4 000 being charged by the institution per semester.

Great Zimbabwe University director of information Mr Anderson Chipatiso said campus accommodation fees for the forthcoming semester will be decided after consultation with the institution’s students representative body.

At Midlands State University, authorities said they were yet to come up with a food and accommodation fee structure with the new semester expected to start mid-February.

However, students at the two institutions said they were told to budget for between $8 000 and $10 000.

The Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) is the right platform for Zimbabweans to dialogue and the opposition MDC-A is missing out on an opportunity to purposefully impact on the governance of the country, former MDC-T vice president Obert Gutu has said.

Speaking in a wide ranging interview with The Herald, Mr Gutu said there was no onus in criticising the platform without fully understanding what it is intended to achieve.

Mr Gutu said Nelson Chamisa should at least join the platform and speak from a well informed point of view .

“I think they are missing a huge opportunity to impact purposefully in the governance of this country because if you just lambast and trash POLAD without you understanding what it is about, it does not make sense to me and for any right thinking person.

We are saying POLAD is for those political parties that had a Presidential candidate in the 2018 harmonised elections.

“I believe the best thing you have to do is say okay I am not happy with POLAD but I want to join then use that opportunity to say I am not happy with it because of A, B, C, and D. Don’t just throw tantrums, no one will listen to you,” he said.

“I believe POLAD can be improved upon but conceptually it is a brilliant opportunity for Zimbabwe to come together.”

He said it was important for Zimbabweans to be conscientised about the platform so that they familiarise with it and get to know exactly what its mandate and purpose is.

Mr Gutu called for the broadening of POLAD to accommodate all key drivers in the country’s economic revival in the near future.
“I believe there is still a lot to be done to make POLAD known.

People have to know what is POLAD, what is it about, people want to know and deserve to know; what is POLAD’s main thrust, what its main mission.
“Why don’t we broaden POLAD.

Right now it is just political actors but why don’t we have a POLAD that will have even the media, business, the church, women’s organisations, the youth because there are so many sectoral interests in this country. Then you make POLAD a colossal multi-faceted forum,” said Mr Gutu.

He dismissed notions by the MDC that dialogue should only be between the ruling Zanu PF party and themselves, saying: “The good thing about multi-party democracy is that the majority will have their way while the minority have their say, that is the fundamental guiding principle of a functional and authentic multi-party democracy.

All I am saying is if you exclusively say POLAD should be between Zanu PF and MDC you are totally off course.”

Mr Gutu said although he had resigned as MDC-T vice president it did not mean that he was against it as a constructive way to take the country forward.

“At POLAD I was one of the representatives of the MDC-T but let me put this clear, I am one of the people who passionately believe that if POLAD is restructured, if it is properly repackaged it is actually a game changer,” he said.-State media

VICE President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Ms Marry Mubaiwa, on Tuesday allegedly assaulted the family housemaid at Hellenic School in Borrowdale following an altercation over custody of children.

Ms Delight Munyoro (36) had gone to the school to pick up the children but clashed with Ms Mubaiwa at the school.
She reportedly wanted access to the children.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed receiving an assault report saying Borrowdale Police Station was handling the matter.
“I confirm that the police have received a report made by one Delight Munyoro (36) to the effect that Mary Mubaiwa assaulted her.

“The incident is said to have occurred at Hellenic School at around 12:05 (on Tuesday).

“We have instituted investigations into the matter and so far no arrests have been made. We are yet to locate the accused person,” he said.
Last week Ms Mubaiwa 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 VP Chiwenga 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 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 she was barred from the matrimonial home and custody of the children taken from her following the couple’s fallout.

Meanwhile, VP Chiwenga has filed an urgent chamber application at the Supreme Court to have his appeal in the custody case treated with urgency.
The lawyers want an urgent hearing of the appeal.

“It is apparent from the applicant’s founding affidavit, the papers filed in the High Court, the judgment of the High Court and the notice of appeal that the appeal concerns the immediate and urgent welfare of minor children, the administration of State protected properties and the security of a sitting Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

“The matters to which the appeal relate are in my opinion, of such an urgent nature that the application must be heard on an urgent basis for the determination of whether or not the appeal ought to be heard on an urgent basis,” reads the certificate of urgency.-State media

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The Zimbabwe Republic Police is hunting down Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Ms Marry Mubaiwa, over a report the says she allegedly assaulted the family maid at Hellenic School in Borrowdale.

This was following an altercation over the custody of children, the police said. Ms Delight Munyoro had gone to the school to pick up the children, but clashed with Marry at the school.

She reportedly wanted access to the children.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed Borrowdale Police Station was handling the matter.

“I confirm that the police have received a report made by one Delight Munyoro (36) to the effect that Marry Mubaiwa has assaulted her.

“The incident is said to have occurred at Hellenic School at around 12.05pm.

“We have instituted investigations into the matter and so far no arrests have been made. We are yet to locate the accused person,” he said.

Last week, Mubaiwa won her High Court appeal for custody of the couple’s three minor children and access to the matrimonial home, but VP Chiwenga filed a notice of appeal at the Supreme Court.

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

Meanwhile, VP Chiwenga has filed an urgent chamber application at the Supreme Court to have his appeal in the custody case treated with urgency.

“It is apparent from the applicant’s founding affidavit, the papers filed in the High Court, the judgment of the High Court and the notice of appeal that the appeal concerns the immediate and urgent welfare of minor children, the administration of State protected properties and the security of a sitting Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

“The matters to which the appeal relate are in my opinion, of such an urgent nature that the application must be heard on an urgent basis for the determination of whether or not the appeal ought to be heard on an urgent basis,” reads the certificate of urgency. – state media/additional reporting

Farai Dziva|The country’s main opposition party, MDC there is fresh evidence of how how the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission rigged the elections in favour of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Below is part of the contents of a document compiled under the party’s Agenda 2020:

While the Constitutional Court made its determination of the application I initiated challenging the controversial ZEC declaration and announcement of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa as the winner of the 2018 presidential election, and while we respected that decision as we disagreed with it, there is now a new development after the case.

The development is coming from ZEC itself, which shows beyond any argument or doubt that the results of the 2018 presidential election were transmitted, captured and collated unlawfully, improperly and irregularly as to void the election and invalidate any result that was declared and announced following the unlawful, improper and irregular transmission, capture and collation of the results from the country’s 1,985 ward centres to ZEC’s national command centre in Harare.

The compelling evidence of how the presidential election was rigged by ZEC, is enough for anyone and all of the 2,6 million voters who cast their vote for us to go to court on grounds that their political rights enshrined in s67(1) of the Constitution were violated.

There’s also now a clear and present basis for taking the matter of the 2018 presidential election to the African Court on Human and People’s Rights.

Such actions would be well within the BBI, as an expression of the people’s action to restore legality and legitimacy under the MDC’s Agenda 2020.

Those who say the 2018 presidential election should be forgotten about, and focus should now be on 2023, ain’t seen nothing yet. It’s them who should forget about covering up the giant 2018 election fraud.

Especially now that ZEC itself has, perhaps inadvertently or even mischievously, came out with incontrovertible evidence that election was not conducted in substantial compliance with the law.

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Farai Dziva|The entire Rusape community has been stunned by an incident in which a drunk man crushed his mother’s head.

Read the ZBC version of the story below:

A 44-year-old Rusape man from Chigwedere village is in police custody after he allegedly pounded his 77-year-old mother to death.
ZBC News reports that on Monday, Muzowaka who was under the influence of alcohol pounded his unsuspecting mother, Monika Mucheke, with a granite stone in the head and she died instantly.
The incident was confirmed to the ZBC News by Manicaland police spokesperson, Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa who added that the accused is already in police custody assisting with investigations. Kakohwa said:

“Semapurisa tiri kuferefeta nyaya yemwana mukomana akatsonda mai vake nedombo mushure mekunge anwa doro kunonzi kwaStella, (as the police we are investigationg a case in which a son crushed his mother with a stone after he had consumed alcohol at a place called Stella) .

We encourage members of the public to try and solve issues amicably saying that the law will take its course on all offenders.”

By A Correspondent- The fight over control of Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) properties in Marondera has spilled into the courts, with a faction aligned to Cossum Chiangwa applying for a peace order against a rival group led by Amon Madawo.

On January 5 this year, Marondera police had to intervene when violence broke out at the church’s Divine Truth Revival Centre in Cherima high-density suburb after Madawo’s followers were accused of invading the premises and disrupting a prayer session led by local cleric Milton Gwizo.

Gwizo yesterday approached the civil court seeking a peace order against his rivals Frank Magume, Akedias Tigere, Christopher Ringisai and Tinashe Moyo.

The court ordered both parties to go back and draft a peace agreement to be signed by the magistrate on February 5.

There was wild jubilation at Marondera Civil Court as members of the Madawo faction celebrated the ruling that will see them sharing the premises with their rivals.

The AFM church split into two factions in 2018 as Chiangwa and Madawo fought over leadership of one of the country’s biggest Pentecostal denominations

By A Correspondent- Home Affairs Minister, Kazembe Kazembe has said that the passport backlog which dates back to 2018 needs to be cleared this year.

Kazembe proposed the computerisation of the system to allow passport seekers to apply online. Speaking in Chinhoyi where he toured provincial registry offices, Kazembe said:

We have a backlog of 355 thousand passports, they need to be processed and that backlog has to be cleared before year-end. The major challenge is the lack of consumables. Decentralisation is an ongoing process. The solution is computerisation. There is no decentralisation that beats applications via online.

Kazembe also proposed that Registrar General’s offices have to be solar-powered to avoid delays due to power cuts. His remarks come when there are reports suggesting that the government intends to allow local citizens with “free funds” to apply for passports using foreign currency, particularly the United States dollar.

The biting economy has forced a number of Zimbabweans to contemplate going abroad to search for greener pastures and as a result, the RG’s office is overwhelmed by the demand when it already had insufficient resources for printing passports.

-Statemedia

By A Correspondent- A man from Nyamandlovu in Matabeleland North has appeared in court facing charges of raping a minor after enticing her with an offer of sweet reeds.

The accused (23) was not asked to plead to rape when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Lizwe Jamela on Monday.

He was remanded in custody to January 31.

The court was told that on April 2017, the girl (name withheld for ethical reasons) visited her grandfather in Nyamandlovu, where the accused was employed as a domestic worker.

It is alleged that during the same month, the accused asked the girl if she likes sweet reeds and she expressed interest.

He then took the minor to the fields under the pretext that they were going to harvest some sweet reeds and raped her.
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He allegedly threatened to kill the minor’s grandmother if she ever revealed the abuse.

The girl did not tell anyone until November 2018 when her aunt, who is a traditional healer asked her if she was hiding something from her. That was when the girl revealed the rape. They reported the matter the minor’s mother.

The court was told that on January 21 this year, the girl’s mother escorted her to the police and filed a report which led to accused’s arrest.

The girl was referred to Nyamandlovu Hospital for medical examination.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- According to a local daily, authorities have put 94 people who travelled from countries affected by the coronavirus to Zimbabwe on a monitoring program.

The publication reported that so far, none of the people on the 21-day monitoring program is exuding any worrying signs.

This was revealed by  epidemiology and disease control director, Portia Manangazira, who spoke to the publication and said:

We are following up on those people by checking … symptoms daily. However, none of those monitored are showing any worrying signs at the moment.

Speaking about the govt’s preparedness to deal with Coronavirus, the Health Minister, Obadiah Moyo said:

There is a drug called Kaletra which has been found to be effective, although it’s not a permanent treatment.

For now, the quantities of the medicines that we have are adequate for the task. We are ready … it’s just now an issue of monitoring at our ports of entry,

Coronavirus has up to date killed 132 people in China and over 4500 people have been affected worldwide.

-DailyNews

By A Correspondent- Mealie meal shortages have reached worrying levels across the country, as residents in the capital endure long queues to acquire strictly one packet of the scarce commodity, amid indications the situation will get worse in the coming weeks.

There were long winding queues in the few shops that had mealie meal since last week, with retailers battling to contain the swelling queues.

It also emerged that some licensed retailers were taking the commodity to the black market, where they were selling clandestinely in foreign currency which many cannot afford to get hold of.

At one major retail outlet, consumers were restricted to one 10kg bag of the commodity, while names, identity document numbers and other personal details were noted to block people from buying more than one pack.

The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) yesterday conceded the crisis, but said the organisation was bringing in more than 50 000 tonnes of maize by the weekend.

“We are importing maize and we have lorries coming through and by weekend, I am sure they will be in Harare. Bulawayo received last week and that is part of the 50 000 metric tonnes of maize from South Africa,” GMAZ spokesperson Garikai Chaunza said.

“We expect another delivery of 50 000 metric tonnes. Most of the trucks are at the border now and if everything goes on well logistically, by weekend, they will be in Harare.”
Chaunza said the imports were by private players to augment government efforts.

Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers president Denford Mutashu said the mealie meal crisis may soon be over after promises by millers that several tonnes were making their way into the country.

“Mealie meal is on the way. We met millers a few days ago and they have maize already in the country and government is running around to secure maize. As an association, we have made a resolution that mealie meal should go to accredited retailers,” he said.

“In the short to medium-term, we will have lots of mealie meal, but currently, demand is very high after the subsidy. That made it difficult to have mealie meal at one place at the same time as a truckload would be finished within 30 minutes upon being offloaded.

“Going forward, we should have lots of maize and have lots of mealie meal. We must not focus on importing. We must put effort on production of maize.”

Mutashu said a few supermarkets were getting mealie meal, while a large number of those in the informal market, which he said constituted 70%, were not getting anything.

He said they had trained monitors to ensure there were no illicit deals in the purchasing of mealie meal.

“We had situations where some would sell a few packets of mealie meal, then reserve the rest for small shops, where they sell in foreign currency. With the monitors in place, that should be a thing of the past,” Mutashu said.

Government has been criticised for not doing enough to acquire adequate maize for the nation with the opposition MDC party accusing Finance minister Mthuli Ncube of lying in Davos, Switzerland, during the World Economic Forum where he told the international media that no one would starve.

-newsday

By A Correspondent- Machete gangs, otherwise known as MaShurugwi, have reportedly gone underground following a nationwide police blitz which has seen nearly 2 000 illegal gold miners caged for terrorising communities in gold-rich parts of the country.

A source close to the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s crack team tasked to flush out the rogue miners yesterday said they had managed to restore sanity in most mining areas although there were isolated cases being reported.

“It’s quiet now. We have not encountered the machete gangs since the arrest of some of the gang leaders. Most of them have run away from the mining areas,” a source close to the crack team said.

“Yes, there could be some isolated cases, but the menace has since gone. We will remain on the ground so that we totally comb the mining areas and rid them of the machete gangs even those isolated reports.”

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the police will continue to maintain a heavy presence in the identified hotspots to ensure all trouble causers are accounted for.

“We are going to continue working with stakeholders to see that the peace which we have established is maintained. We will continue being on the ground to combat crime in the long run,” Nyathi said.

Over 1 800 illegal miners and gang members have so far been nabbed under operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere/No to Machete Gangs.

Last week, the crack teams arrested the Ziga gang members and Macheto brothers who had terrorised miners in Kadoma and Kwekwe.

The leader of the Ziga gang, which is believed to be behind the murder of Constable Wonder Hokoyo in December, Phelandaba Tshuma was arrested in Mt Darwin while trying to jump the border into Mozambique.

His vehicle, a Toyota Hiace, was found laden with an assortment of machetes and explosives.

The police have also raided underground machete suppliers in Mbare, Harare leading to the arrest of seven suspects and recovery of 31 machetes.

The Judiciary Service Commission has also set up special courts to specifically deal with machete gangs amid calls for imposition of stiffer and mandatory jail sentences.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- LEAD president Linda Masarira has urged the government to set up a quarantine centre for people coming into the country from areas near the Wuhan region in China where the Coronavirus originated.

In a Twitter thread, Masarira said the country was not ready to deal with an epidemic of this magnitude in case it hits Zimbabwe.

Here is a full thread of Linda’s twitter warning:

1/ Seems like we are underestimating this virus in Zimbabwe. Look at what is happening in Wuhan. The facts are there to see why is this part of the world on lockdown because they know how dangerous the virus is. If we are not careful this will wipe out the human race. @MoHCCZim

2/ We need to urgently push for a quarantine Centre for everyone coming from that China region. Zimbabwe is not equipped to deal with an epidemic of that magnitude. If only one person enters with country with it we are in trouble

3/ I have gathered that there are no longer any people coming from the epi center as China has already instituted massive state wide quarantine. Reports state that there are 22 already in Zim who are under medical surveillance rather than quarantine

4/ So people are just following them up and waiting to intervene if they develop symptoms. We know that this type of virus often spreads before symptoms develop so that’s a potential gap. There is need for precautionary measures to be in place to save lives.

5/ Just next door in South Africa, “Port health professionals routinely conduct temperature screening for all international travellers. Fortunately, OR Tambo International Airport is the only port of entry for all flights from Asia

Kenya and Ethiopia have recorded the first cases of the virus in Africa.

By A Correspondent- Civil servants this morning finally agreed to take the improved salary offered by their paymaster at the JNNC workshop in Vic Falls, the state media reported.

Speaking at the sidelines of the workshop, Public Service Minister Paul Mavima said:

We are so excited that the parties have finally managed to reach an agreement and resolved all the sticking issues. The nation is now assured of continued service delivery and we would like to make it clear that we will continue to improve the condition of service for the workers.

The negotiations had been going on for close to a month and the civil servants had rejected both offers offered by the government.

It is still not clear if the government offered the civil servants more money or they are going to honour their second offer which will see civil servants earning between ZWL$2200 and $3500

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has given Judge President George Chiweshe a 48-hour ultimatum to explain how the judgment on child custody was allegedly leaked before it was officially handed down in court.

Chiwenga suggests that the judgment was leaked to his estranged wife, Marry Mubaiwa-Chiwenga and a local newspaper. Through his lawyers, Manase & Manase Legal Practitioners, the former army boss said:

The purpose of our writing is to register our client’s complaint in the manner in which the judgment in the above matter has been handled…

The applicant in this matter attended the parties’ children’s school at 8am today (Friday January 24) armed with an order of this court and stated to the school authorities that she had been granted an order by the High Court to have access to the children…

We also wonder why the said judgment, before it was handed down, got publicised in the Independent newspaper advising the public that Marry Mubaiwa had won the case she had filed.

Chiwenga claimed in the letter that the former model is related to Justice Chiweshe adding that their relationship could have influenced the court’s decision on the matter.

VP Chiwenga lost the case but has since appealed against the ruling at the Supreme Court.

By A Correspondent- Dethroned Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni of Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North, has left the country for the United Kingdom for a cataract operation.

Cataract surgery is a procedure to remove the eye lens and, in most cases, replace it with an artificial or a clear synthetic version.

The operation is carried out to clear the clouding of the lens inside the eye which causes blurred vision.

Ndiweni, who recently underwent eye surgery in Bulawayo, left for the UK on Saturday on the advice of doctors, his spokesperson Nothiwani Dlodlo said yesterday.

“Yes, he left for the UK on medical grounds. His doctors said he needs an urgent cataract surgery,” Dlodlo said.

In earlier tweets, Ndiweni confirmed undergoing surgery in the city last week, adding he will also use the time to write President Emmerson Mnangagwa a short letter.

“Thank you all for the prayers and support! As I lay in surgery and grappled with the likelihood of losing my sight, I thought of all the things I should have done with it. One of those things, which, thanks to God’s mercy, I will do now is write a short letter to @edmnangagwa,” Ndiweni tweeted.

“Yes, recently my doctors advised that there is nothing more they can do for my sight in http://Byo. At the insistence and expense of some Ntabazinduna villagers and colleagues I am en-route to UK for an emergency operation.”

Ndiweni is challenging his removal as Ntabazinduna Chief by the Local Government ministry which has claimed that his chieftainship was being contested by his elder brother, Joram who says he is the heir apparent.

The ministry also stripped Ndiweni of all benefits accruing to him.

The government, through Local Government permanent secretary Zvinechimwe Ruvinga Churu, has filed a notice of opposition challenging Ndiweni’s application, arguing that his removal was lawful.

The matter has not yet been set down for hearing.

-SouthernEye

By Patrick Guramatunhu- The Americans continue to exert maximum pressure on SADC leaders to abandon their folly of supporting the Zanu PF anti-sanctions propaganda and embrace the drive for democratic reforms in Zimbabwe. 

“The United States Ambassador to Botswana Craig Lewis Cloud has defended sanctions against Zimbabwe saying they were targeted at officials abusing human rights and the rule of law,” reported Byo24News.

“In a meeting with SADC executive secretary Dr Stergomena Tax on Tuesday to discuss the sanctions against Zimbabwe, Cloud said his country is one of the biggest supporters of Zimbabwe in terms of aid, contributing well over US$2 billion, since its Independence.

“Today Ambassador Cloud and Dr Tax discussed the root causes of U.S. sanctions in Zimbabwe, namely human rights abuses and anti-democratic efforts,” said the US Embassy in Botswana.

It is bad enough that we are having to deal with this Zanu PF government that has no respect for the truth, reality and reason and instead, uses its absolute power, to corrupt and distort the truth, reason and reality and impose them on everyone. 

There is a mountain of evidence, for example, to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that corruption and mismanagement are the root causes of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown. Whatever economic hardships are caused by sanctions, they are a tiny fraction compared to those caused by the mismanagement and corruptions. 

Zanu PF has blown the effects of sanctions out of all proportion for it selfish propaganda purposes. It is disappointing that outsiders like SA President Cyril Ramaphosa and other SADC leaders have been conned into believing Zanu PF propaganda and lies. 

President Mnangagwa blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections. He denied 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora a vote (he claimed victory with 2.4 million votes) only to assure them they will vote next time. ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, a legal and common sense require. 

The whole election process lacked transparency, could not be traced and verified, etc. And yet Mnangagwa maintained the elections were “free, fair and credible”! Sadly, SADC leaders, once again, believed the Zanu PF lies. 

Zimbabwe’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections is at the very heart of the country’s worsening economic meltdown because the nation was stuck with the corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF. 40 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruptions have destroyed the country’s once upon a time robust and vibrant economy. 

Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs who have rigged elections to secure their long stay in power. As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, ravished by mismanagement, corruption and lawlessness, there will be no meaningful economic recovery. None!

Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown has pushed unemployment rate into the nauseating heights of 90%, a recent WB report revealed that 90% of the population now live in poverty and 34% in abject poverty. The World Food Programme, USA and EU have stepped in to source food to feed 8 million Zimbabweans who would be starving, otherwise. 

After decades of neglect, Zimbabwe’s public education and health care have all but collapsed. Teachers, doctors and nurses have stopped going to work because their wages do not cover their transport costs let alone food, accommodation, etc. 

There is no denying that Zimbabwe is a failed state and, more pointedly, in serious, serious economic trouble and the danger of social and political instability is real and immediate. 

Zimbabwe’s economic and political mess is a man-made problem – chronic bad governance born out of the country’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. The solution is self-evident – hold free, fair and credible elections. 

Zanu PF has usurped the people’s democratic freedoms and rights to impose the de facto one-party dictatorship complete with its carte blanche powers to rig elections. It is sad that even now with Zimbabwe’s very survival at stake, SADC leaders should continue to believe Zanu PF lies and propaganda at the expense of truth, reason and reality. 

The solution is for the illegitimate Zanu PF regime to step down so the people of Zimbabwe can implement the democratic reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections. Zanu PF cannot be trust to implement the reforms because no tyrannical regime will ever reform itself out of office. 

Besides, SADC made that mistake of entrusting Zanu PF to implement the reforms, or be it together with MDC, during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and not even one reform was implemented. Not one!

“Thank you, Your Excellency Ambassador Cloud, for visiting the Secretariat and for the extensive discussion on impacts of sanction on the economy of Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans; and the need to walk the talk in supporting the ongoing political and economic reforms in Zimbabwe,” SADC executive secretary, Dr Stergomena Tax answered. 

This is so infuriating! What “ongoing political and economic reforms”  is she wittering about when Mnangagwa has said the last elections were free, fair and credible and SADC itself agreed with him!

The sanctions are helping to highlight Zanu PF’s failure to hold free, fair and credible elections and hence the reason they must stay. 

Indeed, after nearly two decades of the sanctions, the Americans must review the sanctions to make them tougher and far reaching. People like Professor Mthuli Ncube, Minister Kirsty Coventry and opposition leaders like Nelson Chamisa and Tendai Biti must be added to the sanctions list for working with Zanu PF knowing fully well the regime rigged elections. 

The West must seriously consider imposing sanctions on some of the SADC leaders. By believing Mnangagwa’s lies and propaganda, these leaders are closing their eyes to the truth, reason and reality and it is the ordinary people of Zimbabwe and of the whole SADC region who are paying dearly for the folly. Something to force these leaders to open their eyes will not be amiss!

What Zimbabwe needs is to implement reforms and a chance to elect competent leaders – that is not too much to ask.

By A Correspondent- Home Affairs Minister, Kazembe Kazembe has said that the passport backlog which dates back to 2018 needs to be cleared this year.

Kazembe proposed the computerisation of the system to allow passport seekers to apply online. Speaking in Chinhoyi where he toured provincial registry offices, Kazembe said:

We have a backlog of 355 thousand passports, they need to be processed and that backlog has to be cleared before year-end. The major challenge is the lack of consumables. Decentralisation is an ongoing process. The solution is computerisation. There is no decentralisation that beats applications via online.

Kazembe also proposed that Registrar General’s offices have to be solar-powered to avoid delays due to power cuts. His remarks come when there are reports suggesting that the government intends to allow local citizens with “free funds” to apply for passports using foreign currency, particularly the United States dollar.

The biting economy has forced a number of Zimbabweans to contemplate going abroad to search for greener pastures and as a result, the RG’s office is overwhelmed by the demand when it already had insufficient resources for printing passports.

-Statemedia

Strive Masiyiwa’s daughter Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa took to Twitter to celebrate her latest achievement the opening of her international school in Domboshava.

Masiyiwa tweeted:

We did it! A year ago I sat with my team and I told them I wanted to build an international school in an area people would least expect. We opened our doors this week and it is beyond what we could’ve dreamt or imagined. 

The school opening was confirmed by Higherlife Foundation which also tweeted:

It was all smiles and excitement yesterday(14 January 2020) at the opening of @Simba_Edu Prep School- a first of its kind early years learning centre in the heart of #Dombashava Congratulations to team Simba on the successful opening of the school. More on Simba here:simbaeducation.com

According to Simba Education Website:

Simba Education is an early years services company with innovation at its core. We design technology solutions, learning experiences and other products that lower the barriers of accessing an affordable early years education

GOVERNMENT is working on modalities to clear the passport backlog which has gone beyond 350 thousand.

Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage minister, Kazembe Kazembe who was in Chinhoyi where he toured provincial registry offices says government is working flat to clear the passport backlog which has been attributed to the shortage of foreign currency for procuring consumables.

On whether there are plans to decentralise passport issuing offices to district level, minister Kazembe said the most effective way is going digital and allow applicants to apply online.

“We have a backlog of 355 thousand passports, they need to be processed and that backlog has to be cleared before year-end. The major challenge is the lack of consumables. Decentralisation is an ongoing process. The solution is computerisation. There is no decentralisation that beats applications via online,” he said.

He stressed that the registry offices should all be solar powered as there have been delays in the processing of identity documents due to power cuts.

Several applicants who had an interface with the minister during his tour expressed concern over the slow pace with which they were being served.

Minister Kazembe’s tour of Mashonaland West provincial registry offices is the third leg of his national tour. Earlier this week he visited Gweru registry.

The government last year pegged passport fees for diasporans at US$318 to allow those living in the diaspora to speedily access the document as the local cost of getting a passport, ZWL$58, is not enough to meet production costs. However, there has been an outcry from the general public alleging that corrupt registry staff are now charging everyone who need to acquire a passport in US dollars. Government has promised to look into the allegations of corruption.

The People’s Republic of China has pledged to help Zimbabwe prevent the spread of the Coronavirus adding that in the event that symptoms of the virus are detected in Zimbabwe, the Asia giant will help contain it.

VICE President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife Marry, pictured, has filed an application seeking to implement a High Court order allowing her access to her children, matrimonial home and cars pending the hearing of an appeal filed by her husband.

Marry and Chiwenga are embroiled in an acrimonious divorce that has seen the two trading accusations and counter-accusations, among them, drug abuse and witchcraft.

Marry – who is facing fraud, attempted murder, externalisation and money laundering charges – was recently released on $50 000 bail and was denied access to the matrimonial home, cars and children by Chiwenga.

She approached the court and access was granted to her last Friday.

However, the Vice President wasted no time in filing an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the ruling, rendering the ruling in favour of Marry useless.

Marry in her application yesterday accused Chiwenga of abusing court processes for personal gains.
She insisted that Chiwenga’s appeal had no prospects  of success as it was “vexatious and mala fide”.  

“The respondent filed a notice of appeal immediately after the handing down of judgement in HH127/2020.
“Its effect was that I could no longer be able to enforce the judgement and more specifically I could … spend time with my minor children at the matrimonial home.

“There is need to protect the honourable court from the respondent’s unholy abuse of court processes.

“I maintain that I will suffer severe and irreparable prejudice if leave to execute is to be refused and I aver that the respondent does not have any prospects of success on appeal whatsoever, in any event, there is no irreparable harm to be suffered by him if leave to execute pending appeal is granted.

“To achieve substantial justice, I pray that the application should be allowed,” Marry said in her court papers.
She said Chiwenga was using the appeal as a strategy to buy time.

Marry also highlighted that her legal practitioners wrote a letter to all state security officials concerning the abuse of State powers by Chiwenga, which he has not challenged in his affidavit.

“It stands to reason that respondent cannot be allowed to continue having custody of the children on the basis that he unlawfully awarded himself the custody of children and it comes down to a question of what is in the best interests of the minor children.

“I aver that it is not good for the children to be separated from their mother and their siblings, until such a time when the appeal is determined.”

Marry also added that no harm would be occasioned on Chiwenga if she was permitted to continue staying at their matrimonial home.

“I do not have any place to go, I have been a squatter in other people’s houses and this jeopardises my freedom in light of my bail conditions and it is convenient for me to continue residing at our matrimonial home,” she said.

State Media|CMED (Private) Limited has finally dragged Croco Motors to court for failing to deliver two outstanding vehicles bought in 2018.

CMED, a State-owned enterprise, has approached the High Court claiming the supply and delivery of two Datsun Go 1.2 vehicles.

It is also claiming $416 000 in damages for loss of business calculated from December 2018 to January 2020, together with interest at the rate of five percent per annum from the date of summons to date of full payment.

The damages are for breach of contract, to be paid in the sum equivalent to the current market value of the two vehicles.

Reads the summons: “Plaintiff (CMED) operates a driving school business and on average each car does 350 lessons a month at $40 a lesson. The car also gets hired for VID road tests and gets hired on average every month ten times at $200 per each car hire.

“A combination of the car hires and lessons meant that the two cars were supposed to generate $460 000 from the date that the defendant was supposed to have delivered the cars in December 2018 to date, which period is now 13 months.”

In the summons, CMED said in September 2018, it entered into an agreement with Croco Motors for the supply of six Datsun Go 1.2 vehicles at an agreed purchase price of US$113 400, including value added tax and customs and excise duty.

The agreement stipulated that delivery was supposed to be done within six to eight weeks.

CMED completed the payment on September 13, 2018, but Croco Motors only delivered four vehicles and to date has refused to deliver the remainder.

CMED is demanding that the automotive company pays the cost of the suit.More in Home

Croco Motors is yet to respond to the claims.

A Murewa man facing a murder charge after stabbing his father to death claims he killed him for causing poverty in their family.

Elliot Rewu, who stabbed his father Chamunorwa Makumborenga three times on the head in April last year, told the High Court yesterday that he suspected that his late father’s hand in witchcraft which he claimed was hindering his progress and that of his siblings.

Soon after committing the crime, Elliot told his mother Varaidzo Makumborenga that he had done the job for his siblings and no one would bewitch them ever again.

According to the agreed facts with the State, Elliot confessed to killing his father on a morning the deceased had planned to seek a protection order against him.

“I attacked him because I couldn’t understand why he was pursuing a court order against me.
“He never told me what I had done to deserve such treatment,” Elliot told the court.
He said he always suspected his late father of practicing witchcraft.

“I came home one day and met unfamiliar visitors in our living room, greeted them before asking my mother who the people in the kitchen were.
“To my surprise my mother was not seeing the people physically but I did.

“My late father’s hand in witchcraft was also evident by how some of my siblings and I would struggle with life, nothing that we did seemed to have life in it,” claimed Elliot.

The matter has been set for judgment next Monday before High Court Judge Tawanda Chitapi.-H-Metro

A Murewa man facing a murder charge after stabbing his father to death claims he killed him for causing poverty in their family.
Elliot Rewu, who stabbed his father Chamunorwa Makumborenga three times on the head in April last year, told the High Court yesterday that he suspected that his late father’s hand in witchcraft which he claimed was hindering his progress and that of his siblings.

Soon after committing the crime, Elliot told his mother Varaidzo Makumborenga that he had done the job for his siblings and no one would bewitch them ever again.

According to the agreed facts with the State, Elliot confessed to killing his father on a morning the deceased had planned to seek a protection order against him.

“I attacked him because I couldn’t understand why he was pursuing a court order against me.
“He never told me what I had done to deserve such treatment,” Elliot told the court.
He said he always suspected his late father of practicing witchcraft.

“I came home one day and met unfamiliar visitors in our living room, greeted them before asking my mother who the people in the kitchen were.
“To my surprise my mother was not seeing the people physically but I did.

“My late father’s hand in witchcraft was also evident by how some of my siblings and I would struggle with life, nothing that we did seemed to have life in it,” claimed Elliot.

The matter has been set for judgment next Monday before High Court Judge Tawanda Chitapi.-H-Metro