Own Correspondent|While President Emmerson Mnangagwa was going to the mountain telling Zimbabweans to forget about meat and eat vegetables on Friday, a top Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) boss identified as Brigadier General Cuthbert Dube was being exposed for allegedly stealing 30 tonnes of beef from the army.

According to a report by Zim Morning Post, his driver was nabbed in possession of the loot.

The Zimbabwe Military Police detained the driver who revealed that the meat belonged to his superior who had instructed him to deliver it to a yet to be ascertained location.

The army boss in question is report to be having a generally bad record of abusing army property.

“His driver was nabbed after a stop and search.

“The military police acted on a tip-off and the driver said he was sent by his superior who is well known of abusing army property,” revealed a source to the media house.

ZNA spokesperson Alphios Makotore told Zim Morning Post that the information has not yet reached to him.

“Well, I am still on vacation and I have not been made aware of such information at this juncture,” he said.

Source: Zim Morning Post

Own Correspondent: In one of his teachings, Jesus Christ condemned the kind of a father who when his children ask for bread he gives them a stone or a snake when they ask for fish.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday turned himself to be typical of the biblically condemned father when he offered Zimbabweans vegetables when then demanded for meat.

Residents of Kuwadzana in Harare posed questions to him highlighting their daily challenges amongst which they raised a concern on the high meat prices.

Instead of offering a means of providing residents with meat, Mnangagwa said there was nothing he could do and instead offered the residents vegetables.

“On that one (meat), there is little I can do, but you can substitute meat with vegetables, even the doctors say the vegetables are healthier,” said President Mnangagwa.

“They are rich in vitamins, I also take a lot of vegetables.”

Zimbabwe through the years has been known to be a meat country where good quality beaf was affordable to all Zimbabweans with enough excess to export to the world with Europe being one of the top destinations for Zimbabwean beaf.

With that kind of history, for Mnangagwa to tell Zimbabweans to eat vegetables instead of a traditional meat filled meal is a sign of failure on his part.

The statement gives an echo of his predecessor former President Robert Mugabe who at the peak of his failures told the world that if Zimbabweans can no longer afford the staple maize meal then they should eat rice.

Luke 11:11 King James Version (KJV)

¹¹ If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a snake?

Emmerson Mnangagwa’s carefree, patronizing and condescending attitude towards the economically hard hit masses was at full glare in Kuwadzana during his routine monthly publicity stunt disguised as clean up campaign.

While the poverty stricken masses clearly tried to drive their point home that prices of basic commodities has gone beyond reach of many, Mnangagwa chose to pull a Marie Antoinette on the suffering citizens.

Just as Marie Antoinette, the infamous French Queen triggered the 1789 French Revolution by mockingly telling the Paris mob to substitute bread for cakes, Mnangagwa condescendingly bragged to the Kuwadzana gathering that they should instead substitute meat for vegetables.

It is not mendacious that the country has become a hellhole to ordinary citizens due to Mnangagwa’s elitist and anti people austerity policies.

What is ironic and more piercing is the fact that the very same man who ridiculously shocked the whole nation by munching ‘mazondo’ in a hired luxurious plane want us to believe meat is a luxury.

Only last week, the austerity king hosted an expensive banquet at his Sherwood farm with his POLAD acolytes where five course meals were on parade yet the very same man want us to be full blown grazers.

If anything, Mnangagwa’s carefree utterances in Kuwadzana should never be taken lightly especially if citizens are to borrow a leaf from the Paris mob’s reaction to Marie Antoinette utterances.

Simply put, Mnangagwa’s Kuwadzana utterances are a cause for concern as far as issues of national peace and security are concerned.

If Mnangagwa is a national leader as he claims, then he should understand that leadership comes with responsibility.

A good leader does not feast amidst poverty as was the case in Sherwood last week but should be able to feel what those in the periphery of periphery feel.

An open letter to @alexcrawfordsky:
Hi Alex Crawford,

For those of us living at the Victoria Falls both in Zambia and Zimbabwe, we are picking up the pieces after your whirlwind of a visit to incorrectly inform the world that the mighty Victoria Falls was in danger of drying up. I have heard some tall stories before but this one really takes the biscuit.

We have all lost bookings and business in some way as a result of your misinformation and some people’s lives have taken a very definite turn for the worse. Not that you would care much for them now that you are back in your comfortable home in Johannesburg. For someone who was brought up for some of the time in Zambia and Zimbabwe as a child you surely do not have any sympathy for those people whose well being you have now adversely affected.

I have been round to speak to the people you “interviewed” to create your story and not one of them is particularly pleased with your “investigative” work. Indeed, a couple insisted that you told them what to say which means that you created the news that you purported to be reporting on. Others have said that you twisted what they said, loading the questions you asked them and in some cases left out large parts of their interviews with you which would have brought the whole report into a more understandable perspective. You totally ignored others who tried to reason with you over what you were saying.

You now stand here amongst the locals as a sham, the creator of falsified news and the manipulator of facts.

I personally got hold of you at the airport before you flew out to offer you some points you had neglected to mention because I was already hearing reports from people that you were trying to give a twisted picture of what was really happening here. You indicated that you would get in touch with me to clarify things and get the story straight. To date you have done absolutely nothing. How insincere you have turned out to be.

We are all worried about the effects of climate change. The climate has been changing constantly over many generations but between 1914 and 1924 we had 5 of the lowest years of the river on record and yet no comment has been made about the climate creating the problem back then. It is quite normal to have a very high water level every 10 years or so (2018, 2009, 1997, 1969, 1958) as much it is normal to have very low year one too each decade (2015, 2005, 1995) none of which you made a mention of during your various reports. You clearly came here with a set agenda and you had every aim of sticking to this despite people telling you that perhaps your story was out of kilter with reality. One wonders where you got your story from and whose agenda you were propping up.

We are resilient people living on either side of this mighty river and we all know that you were in fact stirring up an incorrect story. There are climatic issues here for sure. Rain patterns are changing. The cutting down of the forests to produce charcoal are have a devastating effect for sure. The low water at Kariba is exacerbating this issue. The water being taken off above the Falls to produce hydro electric power is also contributing to the reduction of water going of the Falls, but did you mention this? No, and yet you were standing within 500m of the canal itself. How could you have missed this startling piece of evidence. If they just stopped taking water off during the day we would have water going over the Eastern Cataract every day of year. Imagine that! But why didn’t you point this out? Because it didn’t fit your narrative.

We live far closer with nature than most people and surely have a greater understanding than many of the local situation. If your story was closer to the truth we would not feel so upset nor so absolutely let down by both you and Stephen Sackur. Remember that it is the likes of us that looked after you when you were reporting from inside Zimbabwe when you needed us most and now you come back and stab us neatly in the back. You got your story out back then because the noble acts of the local people here. Far from being a fair reporter, you are a manipulator of the truth to a point where is not recognisable to those who know the true facts.

Tourism is a very fragile industry and takes time to build up. It takes a single moment of violence to turn it upside down like in Kenya with the bombings. Or the Ebola outbreak which was closer to London than here but affected us more that the UK. And now your badly thought out, scantily researched idea that the Victoria Falls was somehow going to dry up will do the same. You were staying at the hotel right on the edge of the Zambezi river. Did it not occur to you that even at low water this 4th biggest river in Africa, the biggest volume river emptying into the Indian Ocean could supply the water for London more than 5 times at one go? Do you seriously think that it is going to dry up? Are you out of your mind? As you sipped you gin and tonic at that hotel did you do just some very basic arithmetic to try and understand what you had just rather insanely said to the outside world? The children at the local school in grade 2 would seem to have better knowledge of the shear enormity of this river. The rafting guides who work on the river below the Falls where the river is often over 300 feet deep know better than you. 300 feet! That is twice the height of Niagara Falls for crying out loud. That is when it is at its lowest! It is the 33rd biggest river in the world. Not the little dribble of a river called the Vaal near you.

We are having a drought for sure and before you go all alarmist on us we will probably have another one next year too. Life is going to hard for all of us. Trying to run businesses and keeping our great workers in employment is going to be a struggle but we will do it some how because care for our people and our tourists. You, it would seem, just love to stir things up even when there is no story. You cleverly came at the time of the year when the river is at its lowest like it is EVERY YEAR. A week after your departure the water was rising as it always does each year and two weeks later the Falls are almost completely different from when you were here spreading such alarm and despondency. Believe me we have lost bookings on account your unprofessional and unethical reporting. I stood with people at the Falls in Zambia yesterday and they could not believe what they were seeing. “But Alex Crawford said they were drying up”! I told them “Alex Crawford does not really come from here despite what is says on her CV and what little time she spent here in her entire life certainly does not make her a specialist on the region. She had no facts to prop up her story. Just a camera without wide angle to give the complete picture.” Yes, your cameraman played a part in this farce.

And the sad thing is that other news stations around the world have now followed up with their own stories about the Falls drying up, because it is the want of some journalists to copy a story and churn out the deception, all based on your ill thought out, careless, inaccurate, hopelessly wide of the mark reporting.

For us this has undone to an extent the marvelous work you have done over the years and we now have to ask ourselves how much of it you created and how much of it was true. I was a firm believer that one should only trust half of what one sees on TV. You are the living proof that even 50% was just a little too generous.

You should be ashamed of yourself. But why let the truth get in the way of a good story? You had your premeditated script to stick to and heavens knows what was the financing behind it because let’s face it money makes the world go round. You gained your 30 pieces of silver with your recent trip to our area. Enjoy spending it on what frivolous items you think more important than the people whose lives you have messed up.

But let us all at The Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Zambia tell you something, Alex Crawford of Sky News, the Victoria Falls has as much chance of drying up as there is of Hell Freezing Over, Pigs Flying, Ravens leaving the Tower of London or even spaghetti growing on trees. Research your work next time properly and thoroughly like a professional should do and get the story right.

Getting an apology out of you and a full retraction would of course be as likely as say …The Victoria Falls themselves completely drying up as you told us might actually happen. Let us see if you have the moral courage to eat humble pie.

Own Correspondent|ZANU PF government taking advantage of its two thirds parliament majority is going ahead with its unpopular mutilation of the 2013 people driven constitution.

The Constitutional Amendment Bill of 2019 was gazetted yesterday after it was recently approved by Cabinet, setting the stage for the removal of the provision for running mates and other sections the party viewed as undesirable.

According to Section 328 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) Act 2013, after gazetting the Constitutional Amendment Bill, Parliament will have to invite members of the public to express their views on the proposals.

The views can be gathered through public gatherings and written submission, with Parliament obliged to convene meetings and provide facilities to enable the process.

History, however, shows that ZANU PF has never taken hid of the submissions made by members of the public on these consultations. The party has also always strategically infiltrated the hearings by sending rowdy party members to disrupt the hearings so that no inputs are recorded.

The Bill will be passed at its last reading in the National Assembly and the Senate by the affirmative votes of two-thirds of the membership of each House.

When the Bill is presented to the President for assent and signature after being passed, it should be accompanied by a certificate from the Speaker that at its final vote in the National Assembly, it received the affirmative votes of at least two-thirds of its membership.

The President of the Senate should also present a similar certificate indicating that members of the that House affirmed the Bill with at least two-thirds of the membership.

The removal of the running mates clause will allow the President-elect to appoint the two Vice Presidents.

The 2013 Constitution, through Section 92, had a 10-year transitional clause that provided for the joint election of the President and two running mates selected by the Presidential candidate.

But the Constitutional Amendment Bill published in yesterday’s Extraordinary Government Gazette will repeal the provision of the running mates.

ZANU PF moved for the abrogation of the provision, arguing that the concept had the effect of creating parallel centres of power.

The party falsely argue that the concept is not an international best practice.

An analysis of the Bill shows that clauses 1 to 8 dispense with the running mate concept of the vice-presidency and in its place, the two vice presidents will be chosen on the President’s own authority.

Clause 9 reads: “This clause adopts the provisions of paragraph 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution as the operative provisions relating to the question of the succession to the Presidency (given that the Vice-Presidents are not elected as running mates).”

The Bill also seeks to allow the President to appoint up to seven (instead of five) additional ministers outside Parliament.

It further proposes to extend by another 10 years, the provision of the election of 60 female members in the National Assembly under proportional representation, while also providing for the setting aside of one constituency per province for youths.

According to the Bill, this will be done on proportional representation.

In addition, the Bill proposes to empower the President, acting on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), to appoint sitting judges to vacancies in the higher courts without subjecting them to the public interview procedure.

Another key feature in the Bill is clause 14, which will allow judges of the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court to annually extend their tenure after reaching the age of 70, for up to five years subject to a favourable medical report regarding mental and physical fitness of the judge to continue in office.

“Clause 19 will provide for the appointment of the Prosecutor-General by the President on the advice of the JSC, without the intervention of a public interview procedure, and makes a special provision for his or her removal for cause by a Tribunal,” reads the passage of the clause.

Clauses 20, 21, 22 and 25 of the Bill seek to remove members of Parliament from membership of the provincial council.

This will see the merging of provisions relating to provincial and metropolitan councils by removing the special provisions relating to the latter (they will no longer be chaired by mayors, but be elected in terms of Section 272 like provincial councils), and provide for the election of 10 of the members of Metropolitan Councils by a system of party-list proportional representation.

Source: State Media

By A Correspondent- Zpra Veterans Association has described the Political Actors Dialogue which is being conducted by the President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the other losing 18 presidential candidates in the 2018 elections as a waste of time and resources after some of the members demanded cars and allowances from government recently.

Some of the members of POLAD demanded allawances and cars from government during their meeting with Mnangagwa at his farm in Kwekwe.

Zpra Veterans Association Secretary General Petros Sibanda said the whole POLAD thing was a waste of time and resources.

“POLAD is a waste of time and resources. It can not mend the economy,” he said.

He said genuine dialogue must be open to all stakeholders and indicated that it may be well focused if it would lead to a transitional authority which will result to the reforms needed for the country to move forward.

He said the fact that they are now claiming allowances and cars exposes that POLAD was not formed on good intention.

By A Correspondent | ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has said he could use the army to assault the people of Kuwadzana if they wish bad of the nation’s rainfall.

Addressing Kuwadzana residents yesterday, Mnangagwa said, “Asi deno taiziva kuti vanhu vekuKuwadzana vasingade kuti mvura inaye taingoti army kombai tirove.” – once we discover that it is the people of Kuwadzana who wish the rain not to fall, we would (or will) deploy the army to surround them so we assault them.” Directly translated

By A Correspondent- Homicide detectives in Manicaland have launched a manhunt for a self-proclaimed prophet in Buhera, who is a fugitive from justice, after he injected two patients with a suspected toxic substance while purportedly curing them.

The incidents — leading to the deaths of Peneil Zvinowanda (69) and Ellen Marime (57) — occurred on December 24 and 25, 2019 in Mukutukutu village in Buhera.

Manicaland police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa has declared Kudakwashe Ziwange (33) a “wanted man” and appealed to members of the public with information leading to his arrest to approach the nearest police station.

Ziwenge’s last known address is 74 Tsoka, Rimuka, Kadoma.

Ziwenge allegedly visited his mother, Mweya Munaki (52), in Madhume village, Buhera, and administered an unknown medicine leading to the death of two patients.

“Kudakwashe Ziwange, from Kadoma, visited his mother, Mweya Munaki of Madhume village under Chief Nyashanu. Ziwange is a self-proclaimed prophet and he gave (an unknown) medicine to the two deceased persons under the guise of healing them,” said Insp Kakohwa.

The first victim was Zvinowanda, who approached the suspect for treatment after enduring 20 years back and legs ailment. Zvinowanda was given 17 injections of an unknown traditional medicine and left the place in deteriorating condition.

“The brother of deceased Tawanda Nyamanjo (51) saw the deceased lying by the roadside and took him to their homestead where Zvinowanda died upon arrival,” he said.

The body had bruises and wounds on the knees, elbow and back.

He was reportedly bleeding from the mouth and nose.

The body was taken to Murambinda Mission Hospital for a post-mortem.

On December 25, the suspect was approached by Marime, who was seeking a remedy for legs that she claimed had been painful for five years.

Marime was accompanied by her nephew, Mauto Nyikadzino (57).

She was allegedly given 15 injections of traditional medicine for the leg pains.

Her condition deteriorated and she died upon arrival at her homestead.

The body was taken to Murambinda Mission Hospital for a post-mortem. The body was inspected and razor blade cuts were detected on the left knee. She was also bleeding from the nose and mouth.

The cases were reported to the police, prompting Ziwange to flee the area. A manhunt has since been launched for him.

-ManicaPost

By A Correspondent- Addressing citizens in Kuwadzana Harare soon after his monthly clean up campaign, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he had no power to regulate the prices of meat promising to ensure that school fees was affordable to the majority of citizens.

Said Mnangagwa:

“I know that in government school, fees have not been hiked. That is what i have been told. It is well. I have heard your two grievances, on meat and school. Alleluyah. We will go and look into the two. But on meat, I do not have much power. But on school fees, there i can fix. Yes.

On council rates, the local authorities have been pleading with me to increase them, but i will refuse to have them effect the raise on rates. It is well. Let us now go back to our homes. My final words which i am giving you is on unity, respect. we want peace, peace and peace.”

Watch the video below…

https://twitter.com/ZimEye/status/1213026979596980225?s=20

By A Correspondent- A Victoria Falls man who was in the business of smuggling prohibited products from Zambia into Zimbabwe has been jailed for six months after being caught with cases of cane spirits and skin lightening creams.

Gracious Nkomo (45) of Chinotimba suburb was caught by ZimParks rangers who handed him over to the police after finding him in the bush near the border carrying a sack full of smuggled goods.

Nkomo, who once served 10 months in two separate previous convictions for a similar crime, pleaded guilty to smuggling when he appeared before the Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Rangarirai Gakanje yesterday.

He told the court that he survives on smuggling goods for resale. “I am not employed and I went to Zambia to buy those goods for resale as that is the only way I get money for my upkeep,” he said. 

The magistrate sentenced him to six months in prison before suspending two months on condition of good behaviour.

For the State, Mr Jacob Kuzipa said Nkomo smuggled cases of ice cane spirit and a variety of skin lightening creams.

Both products are prohibited in Zimbabwe.

“On 31 December 2019 around 2PM in a bushy area near Victoria Falls border post, a member of the National Parks and Wildlife Authority Mr Posent Mudenda was on patrol when he came across Nkomo carrying a sack and apprehended him. Mudenda ordered Nkomo to open his sack and he found cases of 33 by 200ml of ice cane spirit and different kinds of skin lightening creams,” said Mr Kuzipa.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Rice that was meant for Chivi South Constituency was stolen by some Zanu Pf party bigwig and its beneficiaries did not receive anything according to Chivi South legislator Killer Zivhu.

Speaking to the publication Zivhu said some of the people(MPs) who were given rice for disbursement are selling it in some shops in Masvingo:

The president gave us rice to donate to people who are facing hunger in our constituencies, but when I tried to go and collect it at the GMB  depot, I was told it had already been collected by a certain lady. (name provided)…

The rice is now being sold in various shops in Masvingo. The president has said corruption must stop, but there are some top officials who are involved in these deals.

-DailyNews

Zivhu said he reported the matter to Harare Central Police. The president expended 3000 tonnes of rice to all rural constituencies before Christmas. The rice had been donated to him by the Chines

By A Correspondent- A Binga man waylaid his aunt while she was coming from the river to fetch water before allegedly assaulting her to death for allegedly bewitching him.

Tutambulye Munkuli (25) of Lusulu area allegedly indiscriminately attacked his unidentified aunt using sticks and left her for dead.

This emerged when Munkuli approached the High Court seeking bail pending trial.

Munkuli is facing a murder charge in connection with the deceased’s death.

In his bail application filed at the Bulawayo High Court, Munkuli who is a self-actor, cited the State as a respondent.

In his bail statement, he argued that there were no compelling reasons by the State for refusal of bail.

He said he is a family man and a sole breadwinner taking care of his wife and step mother. He also offered to pay bail of $100.

“I am a family man and my family entirely depend on me as I am the only breadwinner. I also want to take care of my cattle since they are my only source of livelihood,” said Munkuli.

He also disputed the assertion by investigating officers and the State that if released on bail, he would abscond or likely to interfere with State witnesses.

The State, which is being represented by Mr Kudakwashe Jaravaza opposed the bail application, arguing that Munkuli was likely to interfere with witnesses and endanger the lives of his neighbours.

“The applicant is likely to commit further offences because he was threatening to burn down the deceased’s homestead. He is likely to endanger the life of the deceased’s son whom he alleged was bewitching him together with his mother,” he said.

Mr Jaravaza said there were compelling reasons warranting Munkuli’s continued detention given that he is facing a serious offence likely to attract a length jail term.

According to court papers, on November 5 last year, Munkuli spotted the deceased going to the river to fetch water. He then decided to waylay the woman on her way back.

When he spotted the woman approaching, Munkuli emerged from the shrubs and confronted he deceased who was carrying a bucket of water on her head.

He ordered the deceased to put the bucket down before indiscriminately assaulting her using sticks until she lost consciousness. Soon after committing the alleged offence, Munkuli fled from the scene leaving the deceased lying in a pool of blood. The woman later succumbed to the injuries.

A report was made to the police leading to Munkuli’s arrest

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- A naked hooker bolted out through a kitchen window, clutching her panties and wig in her hands after she was caught having se_x with a married man in a backyard restaurant in the Bulawayo city centre.

The drama filled incident which entertained onlookers for more than three hours occurred last week on Thursday at a building situated at corner Main Street and Robert Mugabe Way.

A fuming Yewukai Maradze (30) shouted that she found her husband Brave Mudawu (35) furiously pumping away at the unidentified hooker without protection at the restaurant she owns.

In a fit of rage, the restaurant owner grabbed her husband’s gen_itals and twisted them.

As he bellowed in pain and collapsed to the ground, onlookers cheered and urged her to mete out more punishment.

“This should be a lesson to you to mend your ways, now that tool of pleasure that was leading you astray is being twisted like a floor mop,” shouted a woman with apparent delight at the turn of events.

Maradze burst into tears as she told B-Metro at the scene how a friend informed her that her husband was performing bedroom gymnastics with a hooker at her restaurant.

“I was at a party of a friend when a friend phoned me and said she saw my husband with a hooker at my work place. I had to rush to this place and caught him red-handed having se_x with a short, dark, thin and flat-bottomed hooker,” said the teary Maradze.

She added: “My husband had the audacity to take keys to my kitchen and sleep with a pr0stitute at my place where I cook meals for my customers, this is horrible. I banged on the door and asked my husband to open the door but he refused. While I was at the door chihure chake (his pr0stitute) shot out of the window and ran off nak_ed.”

“I have been here for almost three hours asking him to open the door, but he does not want,” she said while her visibly drunk husband sheepishly peeped through the window. He was defiantly saying: “Handibudi (I won’t come out). You want to embarrass me.”

Maradze continued calling on her hubby to man up and face the music.

“Wear your trousers, you loose man and open the door,” she dared Mudawu.

She attempted to get into the room through the window, but her husband pushed her back while threatening to beat her up.

This reporter asked Mudawu for a comment through the window and he said: “What do you want to do with that information? Please leave me alone,” he said raising his voice.

More drama was yet to unfold as the man bolted out of the door in a boxer short. The angry woman who felt hard done by her husband followed in hot pursuit.

A fight ensued, but the woman was the winner as she grabbed her husband’s jewels and twisted them. The man keeled over in agony while trying to free himself from the vice-like grip of his wife. The wife did not let go but applied more pressure resulting in Mudawu passing out as a result of the excruciating pain.

Seething with anger, Maradze wanted to end her life: “It’s better I die because I cannot handle this. I have to drink poison.”

It took the intervention of the owner of the building, Precious Magwende, to bring the ugly situation under control.

“I don’t know why the man had se_x with a hooker at his wife’s kitchen, maybe it’s their ritual to attract customers. We are saddened by such unbecoming behaviour,” said Magwende

-BMetro

Own Correspondent|Zimbabwean officials, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa himself have been leaving Zimbabweans Confused on the exact situation regarding water levels at the mighty Zambezi River.

The authorities continuously dismiss reports that the Victoria Falls on the river are at their all time low with a huge area of the falls dry to nearly the entire falls drying up.

Come let’s enjoy the wonder of thundering & ever majestic Victoria Falls! Good to know famous visitors across the world dismissed false reports that it ha/is dried up! I hope Zimbabweans too see how wonderful it is & promote it instead of the alarming & despondent @BBCHARDtalk?? https://t.co/AfMiZ5jJ6o

— Jessie F. Majome (@JessieFMajome) January 1, 2020

On the contrary, the authorities rush to lament at the extreme low water levels at the downstream Kariba Dam.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday joined the band wagon of mourners on the water levels at Kariba yet his office’s information department has been on the forefront dismissing reports that there is very little water going down the once mighty Victoria Falls.

A big question then needs to be answered as to where all the water falling in Victoria Falls disappears to in the 200km meander to the Kariba Dam.

A little more serious country across the Zambezi River, Zambia, has been very consistent on the situation at both the Victoria Falls and Kariba Dam.

Actually, the country’s President Edgar Lungu himself has taken time off to visit both features on the might river and get first hand sight of how desperate the situation is and spoken on it as it is than lie to the nation as we are being told by our authorities.

The Zambian President acknowledged that the impact of climate change on tourism is unprecedented.

Large portions of the Victoria Falls which are normally submerged are dry and exposing the rock formations around the falls.

He said though people are describing the falls, as being dead, and tourists are taking advantage of climate change to learn about rock formations.

“Let’s make use of what’s obtaining , am told there is a lot of excitement from tourists who come here to witness what is unprecedented, learn about rock formations, and what happens with this situation ” said President Lungu.

MINISTER of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Ezra Chadzamira (pictured)’s name has been dragged into the alleged diversion of 15 metric tonnes of donated rice meant to benefit villagers in Chivi South but ended up in Harare and other parts of the country.

The rice was allocated through Chivi South Member of Parliament, Killer Zivhu on the strength of a letter from the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Simon Masanga to Harare depot manager of the Grain Marketing Board Harare.

The rice which the Minister stole was part of the rice which was donated to Zimbabwe by the Chinese government and Mthuli Ncube deliberately omitted disclosing in his budget speech.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa was to later come out claiming that the rice was his personal donation to the rural people of Zimbabwe.

A couple, Veronica Mhlanga and her husband Donny Huruva, a relative to Chivi Rural District Council chairperson, Godfrey Huruva Mukungunugwa has been arrested over the matter and is assisting police with investigations.

The case was reported under Immediate Report (IR) 010074 and a Criminal Record (CR) is still to be opened.

Zivhu yesterday confirmed the incident.

“What happened is that MPs were given an allocation by the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) of 15 metric tonnes of rice each for their constituencies. When I went to collect it, I found that it had been collected by a woman by the name Veronica Mhlanga whom I don’t know. I then sent messages to (Zanu PF) councillors and MPs WhatsApp groups trying to trace the rice but didn’t get a positive response,” said Zivhu

He said he had to trace Mhlanga through her Facebook page and she allegedly confessed to having collected the rice after being given the green light by Mukungunugwa.

“They collected the letter on December 20 and took the allocation on December 24, but it hasn’t arrived in the constituency,” Zivhu said.

“After I made noise everywhere, they then delivered 100 bags on Monday at a councillor’s shop and said the remainder will be delivered in seven days. They said they had been sent by Minister Chadzamira to collect the rice. I have transport to ferry the rice for free and surprisingly the rice was distributed in Harare to people who don’t even come from Chivi South.

As I speak the couple has been arrested and is in police custody.”

Chadzamira yesterday refused to comment saying he was in a meeting.

However national police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the allocations for Chivi South and Gutu North were collected on Chadzamira’s instruction.

He added that the issue was being held at provincial level.

“From our investigations we have established that the rice in question was distributed in Chivi South constituency by the Department of Social Welfare on the directive of the relevant minister. We have also established that another consignment is on its way there. There’s no theft which took place,” Nyathi said.

Zivhu and Chadzamira have not been in good books after the provincial minister who is also Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chair recommended the summary expulsion of the legislator from the ruling party.

He accused Zivhu of treacherous behaviour after he called on Mnangagwa and MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to hold talks to resolve the country’s economic crisis.

Zivhu’s fate now lies with the Zanu-PF national disciplinary committee chaired by Oppah Muchinguri after he appealed against the decision by Chadzamira’s executive.

Own Correspondent|Denis Norman, the first Minister of Agriculture in Zimbabwe died in the United Kingdom on the 20th of December according to latest details on Wikipedia.

Norman, spent a total of twelve years in the Cabinet of former President Robert Mugabe and turned Zimbabwe’s agriculture to be the best in the region and arguably, the continent.

He was known as “Nothing Wrong Norman” due to his penchant for always turning lows into highs and putting a positive spin on difficult situations.

Norman headed the Commercial Farmers’ Union when Robert Mugabe came to power in 1980. Norman was appointed Minister of Agriculture that same year, and held the position from 1980 to 1985.

Mugabe asked Norman to leave the government after the 1985 elections.

Norman proceeded to head the Beira Corridor Group, before holding two positions – Minister of Transport and Minister of Power – from 1990 to 1997. As minister of transport, Norman began introducing safety regulations for public transport which current President Emmerson Mnangagwa is only trying to revive through his intensive ZUPCO revival project.

Surprisingly, government has not said a word on Norman’s death two weeks after his death.

Own Correspondent |About 4 000 Zimbabweans trying to make their way in or out of the country to be with their loved ones during the festive season.

The Department of Immigration intensified operations at Beitbridge Border Post, resulting in the arrest of 3 967 people for violating immigration laws.

Most of the arrests were related to border jumping, failure to get a passport stamped and travelling using stolen documents.

Statistics show that 200 undocumented children were intercepted going into South Africa or Zimbabwe with third parties between December 1 and 31.

The smuggling of minors into either country is rampant during the holidays.

A further 10 people were arrested for human smuggling and taken to court where they were fined between $1 000 and $2 000, while 60 others were refused entry into Zimbabwe from South Africa for not having visas or money to sustain their stay in the country.

Having torn passports and lack of valid travel documents also saw travellers being denied entry.

The assistant regional immigration officer-in-charge Beitbridge, Mr Nqobile Ncube, said they were working with their South African counterparts to curb the illegal movement of people.

“Our enforcement team has been hard at work conducting spot checks on all vehicles entering and leaving the country through the border, where we rounded up 3 967 in December for violating sections of the Immigration Act.

“We are also conducting patrols around the border with the help of other security agencies. We also had an all-female compliance and enforcement operation at the start of the festive season which helped clamp down on illegal activities at the border,” said Mr Ncube.

He said the minors who were intercepted were taken to the Department of Social Services for reunification with their parents.

“We still reiterate the need to travel in time to avoid last minute rushes and the avoidance of contracting human smugglers to convey children.

“Parents should desist from putting their children at the mercy of criminals,” said Mr Ncube.

He said border authorities were also ready to deal with an anticipated increase in human and vehicular traffic as Zimbabweans based in South Africa returned to their bases.

Source: State Media

By Own Correspondent| Two Zimbabwean political activists are in hiding after being abducted from their homes by suspected security agents and ruling Zanu PF officials.

Edinah Masuku (30) and Rest Phiri (35) both opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters have fled the country after being subjected to inhumane treatment at the hands of the country’s security agents.

Masuku said she is being tormented for expressing her democratic right.

“I am a staunch MDC supporter and have been mobilising people in my area to be resolute and challenge the Mnangagwa regime however, they have been coming after me until one day they abducted me before dumping me along Bulawayo road,”

“I was beaten on the feet and they even threatened to kill me should I continue to support MDC.” said Masuku

Phiri on the other hand says she was forced to flee her home after unknown men told her to desist from talking to people about MDC.

“They came to my house and forced their way in my bedroom. One of the men slapped me and they bundled me into a truck however, they could not take me away as my relatives called for help” she said

She alleges that a relative called informing her that her life was under threat and has to leave the country immediately.

“I was called by a relative informing me that my life was under threat and that I should leave the country as soon as possible. I fled the country because my life was in danger”

Abductions and torture of opposition political activists and anyone opposed to the ruling Zanu PF are not new in the country.

Journalist cum political activist Itai Dzamara remains missing after being abducted by suspected state security agents in March 2015.

Dzamara had been a critic of the then late President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF.

Human rights activists believe Zimbabwe’s security services are responsible.

By A Correspondent| As the United Nations announces that Zimbabwe’s food and liveability crisis is a result of human rights violations by the government, ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has turned the sharp stick onto something else, saying the poor rainfall is the cause.

Speaking Friday afternoon at Kuwadzana, Mnangagwa said Kariba has “no water.”

He went to the point of saying Kariba is now going into the third year without water.

His claims are opposite those of the NASA authority who reveal: As of December 27, 2019, water levels in Lake Kariba stood at 8.36 percent of what is needed for power generation. In December 2018, the lake stood at 51 percent; in 2017, it was 37 percent.

Another intrigue is the government has continued say Victoria Falls which feeds into Kariba is incessant with water while at the same time Mnangagwa is contradicting. The government spokesman Nick Mangwana says there is an abundance of water in Vic Falls.

Mnangagwa was speaking about the ongoing energy crisis.

For over 40 years to date it has been public knowledge that the nation cannot rely on Kariba dam for its energy sustenance and solar energy being the best alternative, Mnangagwa dished out a million dollar solar power contract to convicted Fraudster Wicknell Chivayo in 2015.

But Mnangagwa blamed everything on poor rains.

He told Harare residents:

"Look at how the sun is we are on the 3rd of January, there is no rain. I am sure you heard that in this way we are failing to get electricity, the dam used to give us 1050 in Kariba, the water levels have gone down. To the extent that we are now getting only 100 or 90 megawatt." pic.twitter.com/oBYUhdJ5Sk

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) January 3, 2020

“Look at how the sun is; we are on the 3rd of January, there is no rain. I am sure you heard that in this way we are failing to get electricity …the dam used to give us 1050 in Kariba, the water levels have gone down, to the extent that we are now getting only 100 or 90 megawatts.

“The other 900 we are failing because there is no more water. Now this is now poverty is it not?

“Because in the houses and in the factories we will be needing electricity. Now when things to get to this level it means that our dam will continue without water isn’t it? Now this will be poverty that will have come if water has not rained. Now that we are going into the third year without water our country will go into hunger.

“When the country is hit by hunger, people’s happiness goes low. Those hit by hunger will be unhappy. There is no way you can find a household without food for three days being happy.

“So now the government must work to strengthen what we are doing. In other countries that are far away like in America, that is where our made is coming from right now(sic).

“That money which was supposed to have been deployed in this country if there was rain, that is the money we are now using to buy maize from Ukraine, from Mexico, from South Africa, bringing it over here.”

Staff Report |Opposition MDC National Vice Chairman, Job Sikhala, will tonight, Friday, be live on ZimEye.com at 7pm local time.

Sikhala who is also the Zengeza West MP was involved in a horrific traffic accident on Christmas Day when his car was involved in a serious head-on collision along the Harare-Masvingo highway.

He was on his way to his rural home. The vehicle suffered extensive damage but the MP seems to have made it out with no major injuries.

Make a date with Sikhala tonight on ZimEye.com.

Security guards had to send for reinforcements to subdue a muscular 25-year-old man who tried to make off with a $29 bottle of perfume from a supermarket in Bulawayo.

“All I wanted was to get my girlfriend a present on her birthday on Christmas day,” said a sweaty Elijah Moyo after the guards had finally apprehended him.

He was caught by a security guard at TM supermarket near Basch Street Terminus also known as Egodini while shoving a 90ml Yardley Gorgeous perfume under his armpit. The perfume costs ZW$28,99.
A manager at the shop, Lameck Homela, explained how they caught Moyo.

“He was spotted by our security guard on CCTV while stuffing the perfume under his shirt. The guard tried to stop him from leaving without paying for the spray. While he was trying to arrest him, he caused a scene and dropped the perfume on the floor,” said Homela.

“He was tall and looked very strong, our security guard tried to handcuff him, but the man grabbed his arm and twisted it while threatening to beat him up. We had to call for reinforcement and they finally managed to handcuff him and put him in the back room,” said Homela.

He said they called the police who took him to Bulawayo Central Police Station where a docket of theft was opened.
During trial at the Tredgold magistrate court, Moyo said: “Your Worship, I apologise for what I did.

I had no money on me as I’m not gainfully employed, I wanted to surprise my girlfriend with a present since it was her birthday on Christmas day. A desperation to make her happy drove me to steal the perfume.

Kindly forgive me,” he pleaded with the magistrate.
The magistrate remanded him out of custody to next week on Tuesday for sentencing.

Cases of theft at supermarkets are rife, just recently a man was arrested after he was caught stuffing biltong in his underwear.B-Metro

Learnmore Jongwe was the MDC’s first and youngest spokesman. He was reportedly assassinated while in prison.

Get your copy of ZimEye.com on Saturday with video features of ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa as he descended into the late Learnmore Jongwe’s neighbourhood wrapped in a colour bomb attire where he also threatened to return soon. The feature is part of a series to be published throughout the weekend – ZimEye.com

You see these brand new buses titled ZUPCO? We bought these buses, and more are still coming. I will be returning to this place to inspect if they're still as clean. – #EDTODAY – credit ZBC pic.twitter.com/r308qfQfU6

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) January 3, 2020

Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa stunned all and sundry when he announced that meat is not good for people’s health.

Addressing citizens in Kuwadzana Harare soon after his monthly clean up campaign, Mnangagwa said he had no power to regulate the prices of meat promising to ensure that school fees was affordable to the majority of citizens.

Said Mnangagwa:

“I know that in government school, fees have not been hiked. That is what I have been told. I have heard your two grievances, on meat and school. Alleluyah.

We will go and look into the two. But on meat, I do not have much power. But on school fees, there i can fix. Yes.

On council rates, the local authorities have been pleading with me to increase them, but i will refuse to have them effect the raise on rates.

It is well. Let us now go back to our homes. My final words which i am giving you is on unity, respect. we want peace, peace and peace.”

Mnangagwa: I have heard your two petitions…On meat prices, I don't have much power, but school fees I can certainly fix – Video credit @ZBCNewsonline pic.twitter.com/17K7YNNS0w

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) January 3, 2020

By A Correspondent- Addressing citizens in Kuwadzana Harare soon after his monthly clean up campaign, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he had no power to regulate the prices of meat promising to ensure that school fees was affordable to the majority of citizens.

Said Mnangagwa:

“I know that in government school, fees have not been hiked. That is what i have been told. It is well. I have heard your two grievances, on meat and school. Alleluyah. We will go and look into the two. But on meat, I do not have much power. But on school fees, there i can fix. Yes.

On council rates, the local authorities have been pleading with me to increase them, but i will refuse to have them effect the raise on rates. It is well. Let us now go back to our homes. My final words which i am giving you is on unity, respect. we want peace, peace and peace.”

Lydia Banda-Ndethi has reportedly been demoted for not attending an event that the VP Chiwenga officiated, the Southern Eye established.

Banda, who was the Binga DDC and is now deputy director local governance in the provincial development co-ordinator’s office, Matabeleland North, allegedly violated the Public Service Regulations act when she chose to attend an event facilitated by an NGO over an event the VP was officiating.
According to Newsday, Banda was told in writing:

You allegedly prematurely left the function that the Vice-President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Chiwenga was officiating in July 2018 at the Manjolo Business Centre opting to attend to a NGO programme. You had lopsided priorities to the extent that the activities of NGOs were taking precedence ahead of government business.NewsDay

Mnangagwa: I have heard your two petitions…On meat prices, I don't have much power, but school fees I can certainly fix – Video credit @ZBCNewsonline pic.twitter.com/17K7YNNS0w

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) January 3, 2020

By A Correspondent- A 40-year-old man from Colleen Bawn has been arrested for allegedly raping his co-tenant’s 13-year-old daughter.

He was not asked to plead when he appeared briefly before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Sibanda facing a rape charge. He was remanded in custody to January 9.

Prosecuting, Miss Faith Mutukwa said the man raped the juvenile on November 29 after he entered her bedroom in the middle of the night while her parents were asleep.

“The accused person who is a co-tenant with complainant’s parents opened the complainant’s unlocked bedroom door in the middle of the night. He got into her blankets and started caressing the complainant who was asleep. He removed the complainant’s underwear and raped her.

“The complainant woke up to find the accused person raping her and when she tried to scream for help he covered her mouth with his hand. The accused person threatened to kill the complainant if she revealed the matter to anyone and she remained quiet. He further bought her underwear in order to buy her silence,” she said.

Miss Mutukwa said the matter came to light on December 2 after the complainant’s mother saw the underwear and she questioned her daughter about it who went on to reveal that she had been given by the accused who had raped her.

She said the matter was reported to the police resulting in the arrest of the accused person. 

-StateMedia

By The Community Water Alliance| A serious crisis of potable water has hit area under Chief Gambiza, Ward 10 particularly Maveni village in Chiwundura.

Citizens have resorted to unsafe water sources. Community Water Alliance ward structure witnessed citizens digging shallow wells on the banks of Kwekwe river. There are very few pools left along Kwekwe river and majority of citizens do their laundry there.

A touching story witnessed by CWA ward structure in Maveni was that of Richard Bidi, a person with visual and sensory impairment who had to hustle along Kwekwe river in search of the precious liquid. Richard has visual and sensory impairment (blind, deaf and dumb) Richard could not distinguish between raw water in a pool along the river and raw water from shallow wells dug by citizens on the river bank. The risk of water borne diseases are highly likely for citizens with same condition as Richard Bidi. For more information on Richard Bidi’s daily water struggle CWA refers concerned citizens to his sister Maphosa who can be reached on +263 772 306 081.

Community Water Alliance implore the Government of Zimbabwe to uphold the constitutionally guaranteed right to potable water by ensuring availability of water 24/7, physical and economic accessibility and provision of quality potable water. CWA also calls for water provision framework that is sensitive to Persons with Disabilities.

By A Correspondent- The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr Sekai Nzenza has issued a statement over the maize Roller Meal subsidy programme.

The statement is issued when retail shops are reportedly running out of mealie meal.

We present the Minister’s statement in full below.

Mnangagwa: I have heard your two petitions…On meat prices, I don't have much power, but school fees I can certainly fix – Video credit @ZBCNewsonline pic.twitter.com/17K7YNNS0w

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) January 3, 2020

By A Correspondent An 18 year old recently lost his life last night when he was stabbed on the left side of the chest at Ngundu nightclub. He had accidentally stepped on the accused person’s foot and the latter refused to accept his apology, the Zimbabwe Republic Police said in a statement.

The report continued:

Police are looking for Sipathokuhle Gurajena (20) a female adult of Maribha village, Chivi, who fled from the scene after committing the offence.

This is a developing story.

By Own Correspondent| Known as Skella, the Zimbabwean man left his home on the 25th of December 2019 to go and buy christmas groceries for his family but he never returned.

His wife and 2 children raised alarm after he did not return only for his body to be discovered 3 days later.

Skella, who is from Sunningdale in Harare, is believed to have been killed by robbers although the police are yet to confirm the cause of his death.

His body has not yet been repatriated as it is yet to go under post mortem and it is currently still in Durban, South Africa.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for more details on this atory and more.

Farai Dziva|Deputy Information Minister Energy Mutodi has said opposition leader Nelson Chamisa should forget about the formation of a Government of National Unity.

In an interview with Voice of America on Thursday Mutodi described the youthful Movement for Democratic Change leader as a “cry baby.”

“The boy must face the reality.We cannot talk about the 2018 polls at this juncture.

The truth of the matter is we have a President who won the elections in 2018 so what is the noise about?

The young man’ s demands do not make sense and let me emphasize the fact a platform for dialogue has been created – POLAD.

We will work with those who have a positive approach to nation building,” said Mutodi.

As we enter a new year, we continue with our ‘National Clean Up Campaign’, this time in Kuwadzana. 2020 must be a year of taking action and working hard for a cleaner, better and brighter future for all. I wish you all a blessed weekend. pic.twitter.com/3lJv9AH7zR

— President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) January 3, 2020

By Own Correspondent| Dam level statistics availed to ZINWA show that half the dams in Masvingo are below 50% full.

2 dams in Chivi, Bangala and Tokwane have already dried up according to a local publication:

Here are the dam levels statistics according to the publication:

1. Lake Mutirikwi is currently at 39% and the
2. Recently-commissioned Tugwi-Mukosi Dam, with a capacity of 1, 9 million cubic metres currently at 38%, while
3. Muzhwi is at 35%.
4. Bangala Dam, which is the only source of water in Nyajena, has dropped to 9%
5. Tokwane is at 14%.
6. Manjirenji Dam has significant level of 58%,
7. Siya with 55%,
8. Manyuchi with 50%
9. Nyajena with 86%.

A drought ravaged Zimbabwe in 2019 and affected human beings and livestock. Different organisations have predicted that there will be another drought in 2020.

-Newsday

Jane Mlambo| Controversy surrounds the death of a Chipinge man, Sam Mambanda who was shot dead on the new year’s eve with locals who claim to know the deceased disputing claims that he was a lecturer in South Africa.

A search on Google did not reveal anything on Mambanda except the stories published following his death.

Sources who spoke to ZimEye said Mambanda was not an academically gifted person even from his primary and secondary education.

They did not dispute the fact that he was working in South Africa, they did not agree to the narrative that was an educationist but a dealer who could have been shot by the people he crooked.

“There are reports that his last robbery case was hijacking a truck full of cellphones, he was not a lecturer at all that can never be true,” said a source who spoke to ZimEye.

The source added that Mambanda once proposed love to a certain village girl but was rejected because of being uneducated.

Another source said Mambanda was shot dead after he accidentally the people he duped in South Africa.

“Some are saying ndaa yaakabairwa ngeyeukujuta mare vakamufuravo Joni vochoozoshongana uno (Some are saying he was shot by the people he conned in South Africa, they then met here by accident),” the source said.

Surprisingly, all the stories on his death did not mention the university he was working for further putting doubts on the authenticity of such claims.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his two deputies Kembo Mohadi and Constantino Chiwenga today led different teams during the clean up campaign held across the country.

Mnangagwa was in Kuwadzana while Mohadi was in Rhodesville with Chiwenga taking his charges to Ruwa.

The national clean up campaign was introduced in 2018 and is held nationally on the first Friday of every month.

See pictures below…

State Media|AT least two Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers have gone missing and are feared dead after a tussle with suspected poachers in Lake Kariba.

The rangers who were patrolling the lake had an encounter with an as yet unknown number of poachers believed to be from Zambia and managed to apprehend them.

A tussle later ensued as the rangers were transferring the poachers to Kariba for further handling.

Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the incident adding that investigations into the whereabouts and status were underway.

“I can confirm that our rangers that were on patrol in Lake Kariba are missing after being in contact with suspected poachers.

“The matter is still under investigations and we are working closely with our counterparts in Zambia,” said Mr Farawo.

Reports are that the rangers encountered the poachers and managed to effect an arrest before allegedly taking them to their Changa Camp for safekeeping of their boat as exhibit.

On their way back, it is alleged that the poachers fought the rangers in the middle of the lake on their way to Kariba town and managed to overpower them.

The matter came to light when the rangers’ patrol boat was found floating on the shores of Lake Kariba on the Zambian side with it’s engine removed.

Encounters in Lake Kariba with poachers are on the increase.

Details of what happened and whether the rangers are still alive are still sketchy.

Correspondent|Former Zimbabwean Minister of Information, Professor Jonathan Moyo has claimed that his book, Excelgate, has diagrams which show how the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission created a new route to transmit presidential election results to Harare.

Moyo claims that his book exposes how ZEC in connivance with the ruling ZANU PF manipulated 2018 elections. He posted on Twitter saying:

1/3 #EXCELGATE has 18 diagrams. The first two are from @ZECzim's website, uploaded on 6 February 2019 by unsung #ZecHeroes. They show how #ZEC invented a route against the one prescribed by law, to transmit the results of the presidential election to Harare for illegal collation! pic.twitter.com/Q9CXIhtfq0

— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) January 2, 2020

2/3 Then on 8 February 2019 the unsung #ZecHeroes got #ZEC commissioners to approve the #ZEC Report on the 2018 elections, compiled in terms of s241 of the Constitution. The report, tabled in Parliament on 27 June 2019, has the third #ZEC diagram which confirms the illegal route! pic.twitter.com/Nn3m60yG90

— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) January 2, 2020

3/3 While @ZECzim denied in the ConCourt running the presidential election illegally, it's Report done in terms of the law and tabled in Parliament confesses to a gross illegality, that exposes Mnangagwa's "victory" as a result of an invalid election & fraud. No need for any V11! pic.twitter.com/qCWh8f03AS

— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) January 2, 2020

Own Correspondent|Government has reintroduced maternity fees which were scratched out when Emmerson Mnangagwa took over presidency from former President Robert Mugabe in a military coup in 2017.

Health and Child Care Permanent Secretary Dr Agnes Mahomva announced the new hospital fees in a circular to hospitals dated December 31, 2019.

“The Ministry has approved new hospital fees with effect from the 1st of January 2020. Please note that the decision has been reached after taking into account the plight of the general populace as well as the inflationary environment that we are in. May you ensure immediate implementation of the new fees as per attached schedule,” read Dr Mahomva’s circular.

The maternity fees that were scrapped to curb maternal and infant mortality.

Ante-natal general ward per day will cost $200 at Parirenyatwa Hospital, $160 at central hospitals such as Mpilo Centra Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), $120 at provincial hospitals and $80 at a district hospitals with the same amounts being charged for post-natal care.

Caesarean birth will cost $2 500 at Parirenyatwa Hospital $2 500 at central hospitals and $1 500 at provincial hospitals and $1 000 at district hospitals.

Patients admitted to a general ward will pay fees ranging between $80 and $200 for adults while children above five years of age will pay between $40 and $100. Outpatients receiving treatment at Parirenyatwa Hospital will pay a user fee of $200 while those at central hospitals will pay $160.

Patients at provincial hospitals will pay $120 while those receiving care at district hospitals will pay $80.

Children above the age of five years pay $100 for a general ward at Parirenyatwa Hospital, $80 at central hospitals, $60 at provincial hospitals and $40 at district hospitals.

The fees charged for a general ward for adults are the same as the fees for initial consultation at hospitals while subsequent consultation fees are pegged at $130 at Parirenyatwa hospital, $100 at central hospitals, $80 at provincial and $50 at district hospitals.

Subsequent consultation fees for chldren above five years are fixed at $60 at Parirenyatwa Hospital, $50 at central hospitals, $35 at provincial hospitals and $25 at district hospitals.

Consultation fees for chronic illnesses exclusive of drugs are fixed at $100 at Parirenyatwa hospital, $80 at central hospitals, $60 at provincial hospitals and $40 at a district hospitals for adults while children above the age of five pay $50 at Parirenyatwa hospital, $40 at central hospitals, $30 at provincial hospitals and $20 at district hospitals. The Intensive Care Unit fees for adults at Parirenyatwa hospital are pegged at $260, $200 for central hospitals, $150 at provincial hospitals and $100 at district hospitals while fees for children above five years are pegged at $130 at Parirenyatwa hospital, $100 at central hospitals, $80 at provincial hospitals and$50 at district hospitals.

Psychiatric patients at Parirenyatwa Hospital will pay $200, $160 at central hospitals, $120 at provincial hospitals and $80 district hospitals.

A health practitioner who preferred not to be named said reintroducing maternity fees will affect gains made in fighting maternal deaths.

“I think it’s a retrogressive step. All the gains that were made by allowing mothers free access to ante-natal and post -natal health care have been reversed. Most women will now be forced to give birth at home thereby risking their lives and that of their babies.

“Recently we were celebrating that the mortality rates had dropped by 29 percent to 462 per 100 000 live births. This gain will definitely be reversed by the reintroduction of maternity fees. There is need for Government to re-visit the issue of maternity fees to save mothers and their babies,” said the practitioner.

State Media|The legal dispute between the trustees of Elections Resource Centre (ERC) and National Chiefs’ Council president Fortune Charumbira has taken a new twist, with the non-governmental organisation approaching the High Court again, this time seeking an order to have the chief punished for defying a court order.

Chief Charumbira allegedly defied a High Court order to apologise over utterances he allegedly made sometime in October 2017 at the official opening of the National Chiefs’ Council annual conference when he urged other chiefs to rally behind the ruling Zanu PF during the 2018 harmonised elections.

This, according to the ERC, was contrary to the provisions of the Constitution, which oblige traditional leaders to be non-partisan and apolitical.

ERC then approached the High Court last year and Chief Charumbira was ordered to issue an apology, but he did not do so, prompting the ERC to approach the court again.

In the founding affidavit filed last week, ERC executive director Mr Tawanda Chimhini castigated the chief’s behaviour, arguing that it did not only defeat the course of justice, but also showed disrespect to the judicial system and the constitutional order.

The ERC also wants Chief Charumbira to pay for the cost of the suit.

“Because of the attitude of the respondent (Chief Charumbira), who has disdainfully failed and or refused to comply with the court order and attracting unnecessary court proceedings, he should be (ordered to pay) costs (of suit) on a legal practitioner and client scale,” it said.

“It is imperative that respondent be punished for disobeying the court order and bringing the court into disrepute. He should be compelled to obey the court order.”

When the order was granted last year, Chief Charumbira applied for rescission of the court order which he did not pursue.

ERC then successfully applied for the rescission of default judgment and it was dismissed for want of prosecution.

The case is yet to be heard.

State Media|State run Herald Municipal Correspondent Blessings Chidakwa (BC) had a one-on-one with  Mayor Councillor Herbert Gomba (HG) to get his views on the just-ended year.

Extracts of the interview:

BC: Your Worship, what can you say were council’s major successes in 2019?

HG: We managed to transform some sections of the city. I am sure that you heard the President saying our green project (beautification of Samora Machel Avenue) was one of the best.

This year had so many challenges, but for the first time in years the municipal officers received a bonus and pay. We have reduced what we owed to our creditors from $505 million to roughly around $250 million. That debt was choking the city.

We managed to construct and finish some long-standing projects such as Kuwadzana Library, Tariro Hopley Clinic, Highglen Gleneagles round-about and Mabvuku Polyclinic.

We also introduced a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and we are now trying to secure foreign currency to buy a bigger server than the one that we have. Relations with Government also improved. We said let us work together to solve the problems around the water situation in Harare and we are working collectively because we have engaged.

For the first time in 38 years, we are working as a team. You even saw the President touring Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant to get an appreciation of the situation on the ground and how Government can assist because in our discussions we had indicated that there are issues that we can address as a local authority and others which require Government’s involvement.

The discussion resulted in us being given the green light to draw water from Lake Manyame.

BC: Mayor, you highlighted the issue of water which is topical as no suburb in the city is receiving water on a daily basis. Will there be any changes this year?

HG: In terms of water, we have tentatively agreed with Government to draw more water from Manyame Dam and currently we are doing some works at the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant, replacing the clarifiers, filters and the actuators and that is going to assist us to be able to purify and distribute more water to our people and now that cleaner water is going to come from Manyame.

We have received communication from central Government that they are going to give us US$9,3 million and that is going to assist us to be able to purify and distribute more water to our people.

Government has deployed engineers who are working with our technical people to make sure we work as a team because it is a collective responsibility between central Government, local authority and residents.

BC: Will drawing water from Manyame translate to improved supplies or it just cuts treatment costs compared to drawing water from Lake Chivero?

HG: It’s common sense that if you draw water from Manyame, which is cleaner than that of Lake Chivero, we are bound to have less costs in terms of purification processes and more water is going to be purified. Right now we are losing a lot of water through backwashing and that entails less backwashing because we are going to be purifying more water that is cleaner.

BC: Council also battled with refuse collection citing fuel challenges, yet other companies and organisations managed to offer uninterrupted services notwithstanding the fuel challenges. Can you please shed more light on this?

HG: On failure to access fuel, residents need to understand that it was not because we did not have the money to buy the fuel, but we paid for it and our deliveries were delayed.

BC: But Mayor, what you are saying is contrary to the open admission by the city’s finance director before a full council meeting at the time that the failure to collect refuse in some areas in November was due to non-payment for fuel.

HG: Documents that I have seen clearly indicate that a payment of $1,5 million was done and after a week or so, the fuel had not been delivered.

It was not only City of Harare that was affected by lack of fuel. Even ordinary residents were failing to access fuel. These are challenges that are national in nature and these can only be addressed in the context of the procurement laws of the country.

BC: Harare’s roads are in a sorry state, with council having only managed to repair and maintain about 50 kilometres against its target of 1 000km. What can we expect in this New Year?

HG: What you need to understand is that council works within the confines of the country’s laws. So, according to the law, we are supposed to get money from Zinara, a collection agent, empowered by the Roads Act and the Road Licensing Act to collect resources through taxes and levies, which will then be channelled towards the maintenance of the country’s roads.

If Zinara fails to give us money and the law still mandates it to continue collecting revenue, then it should be held accountable for the state of our roads and not us. On our part, we are in discussion with City Parking to borrow $30 million for road reconstruction and resealing in the CBD. But beyond that, I have also scheduled a meeting with the Zinara chairman to impress upon him the need to expedite the release of money to local authorities so that they can be able to do what they are supposed to do within the context of the law.

BC: Mayor, your council has also been in the limelight for its penchant for spending money on trips and workshops. Do you have a specific budget for trips?

HG: You need to de-construct every invitation and separate it from your general understanding of invitations. There are ones which are specific in nature that say hotels (and) food are going to be paid by so-and-so.

The purpose of the invitation is paramount for you to understand as to why you would really need to visit. We do have budgets for every transaction that happens in the city, this is why Government approves each and every trip by a councillor, mayor or senior official.

We do have Cabinet authorities that then authorise us to go out and it’s too harsh for one to say our trips are not in sync with requirements of policy, yet we have mountains of Cabinet authorities in our offices which give us authority to go.

As for residents, I have received compliments from some who are grateful that our trips have yielded so much, particularly in the context of our announcement last week that we have received US$100 000. I am not sure which residents are complaining about our trips.

BC: There have been allegations of nepotism in council, with both councillors and senior managers fingered. What is your take on this?

HG: These allegations are coming from a few people and one of those people (name withheld), who is with a residents’ association, recruited his wife to work as a finance director in his organisation.

BC: So, can we justify nepotism on those grounds?

HG: I am not implying that it must be condoned. To answer your question, those allegations are false because we recruit on the basis of an invitation through an advert which people respond to through applications and those qualified are invited for interviews and if they are successful they get the job.

That is how we have been conducting our recruitment. We have not had any incidents of a councillor or councillors that have sat on a panel while their relative was being interviewed because the law is clear; in such cases where one has an interest he or she must declare them and recuse themselves from the process and that is what has been happening.

BC: While it is commendable that you installed a new billing system, there are still many challenges. What are you doing about these?

HG: The system is functional to a larger extent. However, what needs to be done is that we have appealed to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe for foreign currency to buy a bigger server. The system is being constrained by a small server. We are hopeful of getting the money because the RBZ Governor, Dr John Mangudya, has promised to avail resources during meetings we have had with him.

BC: How much forex do you need for the bigger server?

HG: We need roughly around US$150 000. A bigger server will enable us to meet the requirements of our stakeholders.

BC: Mayor, in terms of housing, the city has a problem of illegal settlements sprouting all over and there are cases of a lot of people that have been duped by land barons who are behind such activities. What is council doing about that?

HG: As council we are doing our part, that is to sensitise and educate residents on the dangers of dealing with land barons. But it is every resident’s right and responsibility to check on the authenticity of any transaction they enter into. You must never allow yourself to lose money through shoddy deals and beyond that, we have undertaken a comprehensive regularisation programme in which we go around looking at where people are settled illegally and assisting them to regularise their situations.

Own Correspondent|Goods worth millions of dollars were destroyed when a shopping mall housing small shops at the corner of Robert Mugabe road and Chinhoyi street in Harare caught fire early Thursday morning.

Harare fire brigade Assistant Divisional Officer, Mr Philip Marufu said they are yet to establish the cause of the fire.

Police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident.

“Our teams are on the ground carrying out investigations to ascertain the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage,” he said.

Marufu said they could not ascertain the cause of the fire.

“We cannot really determine the cause of fire due to the extensive damage to both the contents and the building, but due to experience, you can tell by the way the fire spreads, it could have been bottled in the building for quite a long time before it was reported,” he said.

Scores of traders were left counting their losses.

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Own Correspondent|RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya says that his priority in the new year is stabilising the exchange rate of the Zim Dollar and to curb inflation and this can be achieved if Zimbabweans love each other.

In an interview with state media, Mangudya said that he expects the economy to continue responding positively to the policies that Government is implementing.

Dr Mangudya conceded that last year was “generally tough” but said the central bank was “bullish” that 2020 will be better.

“Our message as the central bank is very clear; our key focus areas are on currency stability and reducing and stabilising inflation in Zimbabwe.

“It is necessary to ensure that we achieve the focus areas that were enunciated or pronounced by the President — productivity, economic growth and job creation.

“We need to ensure that the key drivers (for job creation, economic growth and increased production) are currency stability and making sure that we reduce and stabilise inflation and also that there is social cohesion in the country so that at least we all enjoy what comes in 2020.”

“So our story is very simple. Let’s keep moving; let’s keep praying for the country and let’s increase love among each other; for with love nothing is impossible. We want the spirit of togetherness, it helps on the monetary side, it makes it makes it much easier for us,” said Dr Mangudya. .

Turning to the availability of physical cash from banks, Dr Mangudya said the RBZ would continue to drip-feed the market.

He said the RBZ was happy public confidence in the local currency continues to rise.

“Its availability, as we have said before, will continue to be made on a gradual basis to ensure that by end of the second quarter of the year, the shortage of cash in the banks should be a thing of the past. People should be able to go to the banks to withdraw the cash that they need. That way, you are also improving confidence in the sector and it also helps people wanting to bank their money because they know they will get it back when they want it.

“The limitation (for increasing cash) is that the money needs to printed and the printing comes at a cost. It’s not done for free, we also need foreign currency to print money so we have to do it gradually otherwise it ends up being costly,” said Dr Mangudya.

He urged people to continue using plastic money.

“We have said it many times that our aspiration is to have money and notes in circulation of around 10 percent because South Africa and the rest of the world are on 15 percent, so we want to ensure that we are within that range. So far we are about 7 to 8 percent and we need that to increase, and that is what we are doing.”

Police have arrested three suspects, recovered a possible murder weapon and the getaway car reportedly used by members of a gang that killed a police officer two weeks ago at Good Hope Mine in Battlefields.

A machete allegedly used during the assault and an unregistered Honda Fit used as a gateway car were recovered following the arrest of Lyton Panashe Tshuma (18), Obvious Mawire (21) and Munyaradzi Chari (43).

This comes as police on Tuesday rounded up 100 illegal gold panners and vendors in separate raids at Good Hope Mine and Jumbo Mine in Mazowe, both epicentres of recent serious violence.

Support Unit, District Reaction Groups (DRG) and the Canine Section were part of police teams used in the raids.

Of the 100 arrested, 28 were netted at Good Hope Mine, while 72 were picked up at Jumbo Mine.

Police also impounded three vehicles that were loaded with gold ore.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, giving details of the arrests, said: “Police have intensified operations against criminal activities at mining sites.

In Mashonaland Central, 65 people were arrested for criminal trespass, while seven were arrested for prospecting for gold without a licence, 10 hammer mills, six generators, a compressor, a water pump, a box of explosives, alcohol and 47 dagga sachets were recovered.

“The 28 that were arrested at Good Hope Mine include 20 men and eight women and they were all arrested for prospecting for gold. About 90 percent of them are from Kadoma, while one is from Gokwe, three are from Harare, while one is from Murombedzi.”

Asst Comm Nyathi said they impounded a Hino truck (AFT 2634), Toyota Corolla (AET 9271) and a Honda Fit (AFB 6008) that were loaded with gold ore.State media