By Jane Mlambo| High riding Zimdancehall star Winky D who is billed to launch his much awaited new album titled Njema at HICC tonight has sparked debate on and offline with the trailblazing artist topping trends on micro-blogging site Twitter.
Winky D has courted so much controversy after releasing one of the new tracks on Njema, titled Ijipita which many interpreted to be a social commentary on the current economic and political situation in the country.
Yesterday, there were reports that the album had been banned on air while scheduled interviews with a number of national radio stations were cancelled.
Later, there were also reports that the Ninja President as he is affectionately called had been summoned to Harare Central Police Station to explain the contents of his songs.
While all this has been happening, Zimbabweans have been following the events closely with some accusing the government of interfering with the work of artists.
A scan on Twitter has revealed that Winky D is the most talked about person in Zimbabwe with 2019 tweets while the album title Njema came second ahead of Mugabe and the menacing mashurugwi who have been grabbing headlines for their heinous crimes against humanity throughout this year.
POLICE WHISTLEBLOW: GINIMBI LURED BY AN UNDERAGE GIRL, DISCOVERS SHE’S AN UNDERAGE BOY.
Businesman Genius Kadungure has been reportedly lured by someone he was made to believe is a young girl only to discover that “she” is a young man. The trick is usually used by law enforcement agents in Europe to trap paedophiles, and many are langushing in prison cells over this.
This is not the first time the business man has done this. In a recent engagement, he video flirted with a well known young Zimbabwean teenager who is based in the United Kingdom, and the latter is heard screaming that she is scared her father will discover.
In the below video he gets the shock of his life when when the “young woman” changes voice into “her” real one while screaming for his mama!
By Josiah Mucharowana| It is a political axiom that dictators the world over leave power spectacularly regardless of their perceived invincibility.
There was Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, husband to the infamous late Imelda Marcos who had a fetish for expensive shoes. Her shoe collection amounted to 500 pairs, an outlandish figure for someone with two feet amid a grinding sea of poverty.
Marcos himself presided over a regime with ghastly tales of brazen human rights abuses, economic failure and monumental corruption for twenty years.
At the turn of his autocratic rule, he had to be airlifted from the presidential palace in Manila to Honolulu, Hawaii where he died in exile on 28 September 1989 of heart and lung complications. The wife and children returned again to participate in Phillipino politics.
Romania had it’s own ruthless version in Nicolae Ceausescu. He was killed by firing squad on Christmas Day, 1989, following a popular uprising. His cadaver was tied on a helicopter dangling like low hanging fruit as it flew across the cities for all to see before he was thrown into the sea.
There is never a marked grave for him, the fear was his followers would have promoted him to martyrdom.
Then came deep-throated Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. Famous for his colorful dressing at one point wearing twenty seven metres of cloth in a single dress. He also loved tents in a big way even pitching them wherever he went including France. He famously met George W Bush in the desert tent in Tripoli.
Across Africa, Gaddaffi was famously flamboyant and his entourage drew eyes for grand entrances at African Union summits, coming in well after proceedings have started with a coterie of female bodyguards that also passed as concubines. The Amazons took turns to please his fantasies nocturnally without a whimper- it was part of duty.
His death came as a shock to the world when NATO forces closed in on him surrounding the Capital Tripoli. He had to run for safety to his rural birthplace with a trusted colleague who carried a bookcase of his favorite reads while he carried his much -loved gold pistol by the hip.
Reportedly, Gaddafi’s last days were spent in derelict and abandoned buildings dodging NATO bombs and bullets. Libya was ablaze while it’s first citizen scavenged for food in the woods. When his end came on October 10 ,2011, his capture and subsequent death at the hands of common Lybian people send shock-waves across the world. Tied and pulled at the back of a Land-cruiser vehicle around the streets of Lybia almost naked, Gadaffi was a reminder political power is ephemeral. The once tough soldier heart-rendingly begged for mercy for people to save his life to no avail. Dust, stones ,sticks and brute punches rained on him like a tonne of bricks. The sight of his displayed corpse lying in state at a city mosque was grotesque as was his decades- long, iron fisted rule of the oil rich country.
Nonetheless equally famous was the late Robert Mugabe, feared, revered, loved and despised in equal measure. He passed on 6 September 2019, Glen eagles Hospital ,Singapore. His death became a taking point right until burial taking days with twists and counter plots between government and the Mugabe family over who had the final say on his final burial place. At one point he was relegated to his famous, multi-million US dollar mansion in Borrowdale. His cadaver in a family house for long, it was an African first against traditions.
Finally buried in Zvimba, his rural home, his grave was encrusted in reinforced concrete for fear his body parts would be dug up for ritual purposes.
San Abacha was a dyed- in-the wool dictator. He was widely reviled for a regime marred with gross human rights abuses and is even disdained for killing Ken Saro Wiwa, a poet , writer and Nobel Peace nominee. Wiwa’s remains and eight others were never located forcing his UK based son to stage a funeral where he buried copies of his books and writings in a coffin.The move shone a spotlight on the heartlessness of the regime and when his end came on 8 June 1998, Abacha is said to have died of a heart attack airborne from Mauritius in the company of two prostitutes. As an ageing dictator, he overdosed on Viagra to make good his performance. He was buried the same day as per Muslim tradition. Officially, he was poisoned by soldiers in the inner circle opposed to his rule. In toto, it proved he was mortal after decades of ruthlessly crushing dessent and making people disappear.
Mobutu Sese Seko, the self styled ‘ King of Zaire’, died on the 7th September 1997 . He succumbed to cancer and remains buried in a cemetery in Rabat, Morocco. For over three decades he had ruled The Congo with an iron fist and had amassed millions in fortune. His wife took his twin sister as his concubine but when he passed on, his funeral wake was sombre and solemn, unfitting his larger-than- life political stature.
Colourfully, Sadam Hussein will go down I history as a dictator who was buried with his head dislocated from the entire corpse after being executed by hanging on 30th December 2006, Saddam and his sons , Uday and Qusay had infuriated western countries so much so that when American army tanks rolled into Bhaghdad, he took a stash of American dollars with him to an underground tunnel complete with tinned foodstuffs only a stone ‘s throw away from an American military roadblock. Upon his capture, he had an overgrown beard and was living like a homeless low-life once again a reminder that dictators have never won against the will of the people forever.
In equal measure Uganda had Idi ‘Dada’ Amin who only ruled for eight years killing over half a million citizens in extrajudicial purges.
Thenceforth,he was touted as the most ruthless dictator if all time earning himself the title of ‘ Butcher if Uganda’. Talkative and largely built, he was a man who brooked no dissent. When the end came, he fled to Libya then the Saudi Arabian city of Riyadh where he passed on.
These and many more including North Korean leader Kim Jong lI , who was responsible for the arrest and torture of thousands of people including starvation, left the political stage unceremoniously leaving citizens bewildered.
Nevertheless, Zimbabwe I currently in the merciless hands of one dictator. The world has seen the successive rise to dictatorial power by Emmerson ‘ Dambudzo’ Mnangagwa.
Within a year in office after taking the reins of power forcibly in a military coup from Robert Mugabe, he has ran down an already broken economy forcing millions to track back into the diaspora en-masse. The political deadlock between Zanu PF, his party and the opposition voices has wooed away potential investors into the country despite spirited attempts to market the country as ‘open for business’. Poorly paid civil servants work half-hearted and the majority of citizens look thin like children fed begrudgingly by a cruel foster mother.
Food is scarce and highly priced making it a Herculean task to afford a decent meal.
The transport sector, the wheels that move any economy globally has since started grinding to a standstill at a tortoise pace owing to unavailable fuel charged at exorbitantly exploitative prices.
And yet visual optics from a political jamboree held at Sherwood farm in recent days when the President allowed an invasion of his privacy by members of POLAD, a grouping of political actors seeking to dialogue on issues affecting the country, show the president feeding fish with perceived political nemesis. Mnangagwa has shown dictatorial tendencies in many ways than one. Twice Zimbabwean soldiers unleashed hot lead on unarmed and unsuspecting civilians wishing to express and register displeasure on the way they are governed.
Mnangagwa, as first citizen can only stand akimbo in amazement instead of taking the bull by the horns in fixing the economy. He had surrounded himself with a cesspool of political sycophants who can never challenge his authority even when the need arises.
The Presidential Advisory Board has become an ‘old boys club’ where underhand business dealings milk state coffers against national progress.
The Tagwirei family hold monopoly over fuel coming into the country in dribs and drabs making a lot of coins from the poor in the process. But in Africa when an old man messes his compound, children should not be told he is blessing the homestead. Mnangagwa lack advisors who shoot from the hip and have themselves become ‘ criminals’ around the Presidency they purported to dislodge under Mugabe. The world has always judged a man by the work of his hands and Mnangagwa should battle tooth and nail to shrug off the tag of a dictator lest his end sooner or later will be high drama and spectacular like those before him.
A real leader should strive to leave behind a legacy of progress, dedication to national duty and immense love for people’ s welfare.
Josiah Mucharowana is a Zimbabwean trained journalist living in Pretoria.. Feedback: email [email protected] cell; 084 587 4121
By Patrick Guramatunhu| There are many, many reasons why Zimbabwe is in this mess and stuck, cannot get out. One of those reasons has to be the country’s fixation with ill-advised solutions, especially when they promise quick returns with little or no effort on the nation’s part.
“2020 is a defining year on whether Zanu PF will sink itself and Zimbabwe with the crisis or whether it shall rise to the task and do what everyone expects it to do, reach out to the MDC Alliance and its leader Nelson Chamisa to map the way forward. All realities are pointing to serious negotiations and dialogue desperately needed to rescue Zimbabwe from the current precipice, regardless of pontification and bravado that Zanu PF protagonists otherwise display in public,” said one political analyst Alexander Rusero.
“I hope when (former South African President Thabo) Mbeki completes his power analysis, he will find the wisdom to include in his dialogue framework civil society and representatives of the commissioned commanders of the Zimbabwe National Army, who wield immense power behind the scenes,” said Phillan Zamchiya, another political analyst.
All these people who have been calling for dialogue between Mnangagwa and Chamisa have all argued that this will be the panacea to the nation’s teething economic and political problems but have all failed to say how that would happen.
By failing to stamp out corruption and, worst of all by failing to keep his promise to hold free, fair and credible elections Mnangagwa has confirmed that Zimbabwe is still a pariah state, same as Mugabe days. Getting Mnangagwa and Chamisa will not change the political reality of Zimbabwe being a pariah state, for example!
Chamisa has often said he has the key to economic recovery, but he has never said how he was going to achieve this fit. Before the July 2018 elections Chamisa claimed that “MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections!” Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year’s elections, as we all know. Take it from me, Chamisa has no clue what to do to revive the economy.
The solution to Zimbabwe’s worsening economic situation and political paralysis lays in, first of all, acknowledging the reality that the July 2018 elections were flawed and illegal.
“The electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability,” stated the EU Election Mission final report.
“As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”
The regime denied 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora the vote compare this to the 2.4 million Mnangagwa says he garnered to win the presidency.
ZEC failed to produce a verified voters’ roll, a common sense and legal requirement. This was something as essential to elections as bee wax is to a bee hive!
Second, acknowledging that an election process that lacks transparency, cannot be traced or verified and is so flawed and illegal it has failed to meet international standards on elections cannot still produce a legal and legitimate result.
At the very heart of Zimbabwe’s pariah state status is the profound statement: a state who government has no democratic mandate to govern and is per se illegitimate.
President Mnangagwa has managed to get all the country’s opposition parties, except for MDC and one or two others, to public endorse him and his Zanu PF party as the winners of the 2018 election and therefore the legitimate government. As we can see that has had no effect. Zimbabwe is a pariah state and shun as one.
All those calling for political dialogue between Mnangagwa and MDC are holding that a public endorsement of Mnangagwa and Zanu PF as the winner of the July 2018 elections will help remove the pariah state stigma. Again, this is just wishful thinking.
To remove the pariah state stigma, country’s illegitimate governing party, Zanu PF, must be publicly denounced as such and asked to step down. A caretaker administration will then be appointed and tasked to implement the democratic reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections.
Those clamouring for political dialogue in which Zanu PF is to play a role acknowledge the regime is illegitimate and are searching for a way of granting it legitimacy through the back door. This is just a waste of time because political legitimacy can only be conferred by the people in a free, fair and credible elections. There is no provision for backdoor deals with corrupt and incompetent opposition leaders desperate for a seat on the gravy train.
Worst of all, any solution in which Zanu PF is allowed to return power is a waste of time because the party will use the power to block the implementation of the reforms. If Zanu PF is in office come 2023 elections, then we can be 100% the party will rig those elections too!
If Zimbabwe’s corrupt and incompetent opposition had not given the July 2018 elections some modicum of credibility by participating in the flawed elections and then by endorsing the result as legitimate; there is no doubt that Zanu PF’s claim as the legitimate government would have fizzled to nothing by now. People like Zamchiya with their foolish suggestions are encouraging Mnangagwa to hang on and thus delaying the resolution of this mess.
Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown has reached crisis point. 90% of our people are poor with 34% of them living in extreme poverty, according to a recent WB report.
Zimbabwe cannot afford to waste time and treasure on gimmick solution like political dialogue to appease Zanu PF. Zanu PF is illegitimate and must step down! Period!
-SOURCE: zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
Express.co.uk|A SCIENTIST dubbed “China’s Dr Frankenstein”, who created the world’s first babies specially ”gene-edited” to prevent HIV infection, has been jailed for three years after being convicted of illegally practicing medicine.
He Jiankui, then an associate professor at Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, said in November 2018 that he had used gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to change the genes of twin girls, Lula and Nana, to protect them from getting infected with the virus in the future. The backlash in China and globally about the ethics of his research and work was fast and widespread, with He variously dubbed “rogue,” “China’s Frankenstein,” and “stupendously immoral”, according to sciencemag.com.
He and his collaborators forged ethical review materials and recruited men with AIDS who were part of a couple to carry out the gene-editing.
His experiments ultimately resulted in two women giving birth to three gene-edited babies, according to Xinhua.
The court also handed lesser sentences to Zhang Renli and Qin Jinzhou, who worked at two unnamed medical institutions, for having conspired with He in his work, Xinhua News Agency reporting.
Zhang was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 1 million yuan, while Qin was handed an 18-month sentence, but with a two-year reprieve, as well as a 500,000 yuan fine.
The court said: “The three accused did not have the proper certification to practice medicine, and in seeking fame and wealth, deliberately violated national regulations in scientific research and medical treatment.
“They’ve crossed the bottom line of ethics in scientific research and medical ethics.”
He had also forged documents to get past the ethics review, as well as fabricating information which resulted in medical doctors had unknowingly implanted gene-edited embryos into two women, the court found.
At the time of his revelation in November last year, He said: “I feel a strong responsibility that it’s not just to make a first, but also make it an example.
“Society will decide what to do next.”
However, speaking after the announcement, Dr Kiran Musunuru, a University of Pennsylvania gene-editing expert, told The Guardian the results as “unconscionable – an experiment on human beings that is not morally or ethically defensible.”
Julian Savulescu, a professor of practical ethics at the University of Oxford, added: “If true, this experiment is monstrous.
“The embryos were healthy. No known diseases. Gene editing itself is experimental and is still associated with off-target mutations, capable of causing genetic problems early and later in life, including the development of cancer.”
“There are many effective ways to prevent HIV in healthy individuals: for example, protected sex.
“And there are effective treatments if one does contract it.
“This experiment exposes healthy normal children to risks of gene editing for no real necessary benefit.”
The latest developments are certain to provoke an ongoing debate about medical ethics, coming just weeks after the birth of the world’s first monkey-pig hybrids in a Chinese lab.
The incredible experiment saw two piglets born with DNA from both pigs and cynomolgus monkeys, although both died within week.
The goal of the research is to grow human organs inside live animals for use in human transplants, although just 10 piglets were born from more than 4,000 implanted in sows.
California stem cell biologist Paul Knoepfler said: “Given the extremely low chimeric efficiency and the deaths of all the animals, I see this as fairly discouraging.”
Maputo — Ossufo Momade, leader of Mozambique’s main opposition party, Renamo, on Monday declared that he regards the validation of the results of the 15 October general elections by the Constitution Council as “null and void”.
Addressing a Maputo press conference, Momade said the ruling by the Council, which is the country’s highest body in matters of constitutional and electoral law, was null because it “did not accept the truth of the elections”.
Renamo maintains that the elections were a “mega-fraud”, but it presented very few complaints of polling station irregularities to the district courts, even though appealing to the district courts was an innovation put into the amended electoral legislation in 2014 at Renamo’s insistence.
From election observation groups and from the media, it is clear that widespread fraud and irregularities did take place, but Renamo failed to use the legal channels at its disposal to prove its case.
The Constitutional Council admitted there had been irregularities, but claimed these did not “substantially” alter the results. However, the Council made no attempt to quantify the irregularities.
Momade repeated his threat to hold nationwide demonstrations to protest against the election results, but he gave no hint as to when such protests might be held.
He also insisted that the Renamo which he leads has nothing to do with the attacks against civilian buses and trucks on the main roads running through the central provinces of Manica and Sofala. It was the government’s responsibility to put an end to this situation, he said.
“Once again we distance ourselves from the armed attacks in Manica and Sofala and we repeat that the residual forces of Renamo are waiting calmly in their bases, under the command of the Renamo General Staff, for the outcome of the demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration process”, he added.
“Residual forces” is the polite term for the members of the Renamo militia. Under the terms of the peace agreement signed on 6 August between Momade and President Filipe Nyusi, all Renamo’s militiamen are to be disarmed. Some will be recruited into the armed forces and the police, while others will be reintegrated in civilian society.
But almost no information has been made public since the signing of the agreement. One specific deadline was that all Renamo bases were to be dismantled by 21 August. As far as is known, not a single base has yet been dismantled.
Renamo is in deep trouble because it has split, with a faction calling itself the “Renamo Military Junta” denouncing the peace agreement, and threatening to kill Momade.
Once again Momade insisted that the “Military Junta” is not under the control of the Renamo General Staff. “Any act undertaken by that group is entirely their responsibility and the responsibility of those who command them”, he said. “It has nothing to do with Renamo, the Party which I lead”.
Momade accused the police and the defence ministry of trying to deceive the public by associating the Manica and Sofala attacks with Renamo.
Repeatedly police spokespersons have blamed the attacks on “Renamo armed men” and have refused to draw any distinction between the Military Junta and the Renamo mainstream.
Momade also denounced the terrorist groups, inspired by Islamic fundamentalism, who have been committing atrocities in the northern province of Cabo Delgado since October 2017.
He accused the defence and security forces of being inert and failing to take action against the insurgents. “I don’t understand the reason for this apathy”, he said.
Former Warriors coach Kalisto Pasuwa’s manager Gibson Mahachi has opened up on why he (Pasuwa) was reluctant to apply for the vacant national team head coach post.
The post has been vacant since veteran coach Sunday Chidzambwa resigned just after the AFCON finals in June and Pasuwa, who recently defended the Malawian Super League with Nyasa Big Bullets and out of contract starting today, is according to his manager, owed US$100 000 in oustanding dues by the country’s football governing body.
“Get me right, no Zimbabwean coach can say no to the call to serve his country,” Mahachi told The Herald.
“Pasuwa feels the same, and if the call comes today, he is ready, but for now there are certain outstanding things that need to be sorted out first.”
“Pasuwa did his best with the national team under challenging conditions. He always puts his country first. Of course, just like anyone else, he wasn’t a perfect individual. But it’s public knowledge he wasn’t paid his monies in his last job.
“We have written to ZIFA several times, but we got no response. That is bad business practice,” he agued.
AN eight-year old girl drowned at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo while playing in a swimming pool with friends.
Alexis Ncube was with her friends Tanaka Ncube and Mikeila Kambarami aged 12 and eight when the tragedy occurred last Friday.
The death of the minor is one of the two deaths at the sports precinct over the weekend. An intoxicated teenager died at the same venue on Saturday when she attempted free entry into a Winky D musical concert.
Alexis was buried yesterday at Athlone Cemetery.
Sources said the trio went to the deep end of the pool where they were seen struggling to stay afloat.
“Two of the children were pulled out by a worker at the club while the third disappeared under the murky water. No one dared to go in after her and someone had to call for help from a person who was passing by,” said a witness.
Bulawayo Police Spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango yesterday confirmed the incident.
“We are investigating the case of a juvenile’s sudden death which happened at Queens Sports Club on December 27 at around 3PM,” said Chief Insp Simango.
Natasha Ncube (28) is the one who saw the that three were at the deep end of the pool and the deceased was failing to stay afloat.
“Ncube could not swim but she attempted to rescue the children by instructing them to hold hands. Ncube managed to pull out the two and the now deceased’s hand slipped off,” said Chief Insp Simango.
She said Ncube sought assistance from three workers at the club who rushed to the scene but to no avail.
“Ncube approached another unidentified male patron who dived into the swimming pool and managed to retrieve the juvenile. They rendered first aid and she was ferried to Galen House Casualty where she was pronounced dead upon arrival,” she said.
Alexis’ family declined to comment on the tragedy.
The Chronicle
ZimEye investigates the origins of a story circulating Tuesday morning claiming that former South African president Thabo Mbeki has died. We perform a fact check on the social story which reveals it is a 2016 mishap. LIVE VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
High riding Zimdancehall star Winky D who is billed to launch his much awaited new album titled Njema at HICC tonight has sparked debate on and offline with the trailblazing artist topping trends on micro-blogging site Twitter.
Winky D has courted so much controversy after releasing one of the new tracks on Njema, titled Ijipita which many interpreted to be a social commentary on the current economic and political situation in the country.
Yesterday, there were reports that the album had been banned on air while scheduled interviews with a number of national radio stations were cancelled.
Later, there were also reports that the Ninja President as he is affectionately called had been summoned to Harare Central Police Station to explain the contents of his songs.
While all this has been happening, Zimbabweans have been following the events closely with some accusing the government of interfering with the work of artists.
A scan on Twitter has revealed that Winky D is the most talked about person in Zimbabwe with 2019 tweets while the album title Njema came second ahead of Mugabe and the menacing mashurugwi who have been grabbing headlines for their heinous crimes against humanity throughout this year.
State Media|A MAN from Bulawayo has been awarded top British award, the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for his services in music, education and Zimbabwe/United Kingdom relations.
Mr Michael Bullivant (73), former Deputy Headmaster at Milton High School and the Principal of the Zimbabwe Music Academy (ZMA) in Bulawayo, was awarded the OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in her New Year’s Honours 2020 list released yesterday.
The OBE is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations and public service outside the civil service.
The bespectacled Mr Bullivant who lives in Suburbs with his wife Lindsay, said he was speechless and at the same time happy.
“I’m thrilled and feel very honoured to have been awarded with the OBE like anyone else. I’ve been working for the Zimbabwe Music Academy for the past 14 years but I’ve been involved in music for the past 40 years. I became Chairman of Performing Arts Bulawayo in 1978 there about,” said Mr Bullivant.
Also on the list of OBEs are England Cricket all-rounder Ben Stokes and coach Trevor Bayliss.
A man who loves classical music, Mr Bullivant said music has been his passion since he was young and hence his involvement with the Zimbabwe Music Academy.
“Music has been my passion since my school days and I’ve tried to share it all these years. There have been ups and downs to find money to keep things going especially these days to find money to keep the academy going. People have less and less spare money and music has become a luxury so it’s quite a struggle to keep things going,” said Mr Bullivant.
At the ZMA, Mr Bullivant said he wants people from all walks of life to use the facilities at the academy.
“We are trying to bring in more people with expertise to help us expand our influence. People like Emmanuel Nkomo (Djembe Monks) has taken over as the drumming teacher. He’s one of the people who I’m hoping will help me expand into those other areas.”
Former Education Minister David Coltart congratulated Mr Bullivant on this honour.
Born on June 15 1946 in England in a county named Lincolnshire, Mr Bullivant learnt at King Edward VI Grammar School in Spilsby. He moved to the then Rhodesia in 1975 and started teaching History at Milton High School.
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has suspended emergency services and refuse collection this week citing shortage of fuel.
In a statement yesterday, the Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube said other services that have been affected include water and sewer faults.
“The City of Bulawayo would like to advise members of the public that there may be an interruption in collection of refuse city wide this week due to shortage of fuel. Other services that are affected include water, sewer faults and ambulances,” said Mr Dube in the statement.
He said the local authority’s Ambulance Services will not be able to respond speedily to calls.
“The City of Bulawayo will be prioritising calls and responding to critical emergencies in the following manner – road traffic accidents, undiagnosed incidences at public places/home, maternity cases referred from municipal clinics, maternity cases from other places and other incidences with trained medical person in attendance. In the event that an ambulance is required, the public is advised to use alternative means of transport until the situation improves,” said Mr Dube.
A 19-year-old woman who died at the Bulawayo 2019 Shutdown at Queens Sports Club on Sunday morning could not get an ambulance according to witnesses who said when they phoned for one, they were told the vehicles had no fuel.
Mr Dube said BCC was working on ensuring speedy restoration of normal services encouraging residents to keep the city clean.
“Residents are encouraged to keep the City clean and desist from dumping refuse in open spaces. Uncollected refuse should be kept within household properties and will be collected when refuse collection resumes,” said Mr Dube.
At the beginning of this month, the BCC stopped refuse collection services in some parts of the city due to fuel shortages.
Mr Dube said then that council faced a myriad of challenges which were mainly as a result of failure by residents to settle their bills, late approval of council budget, hyper- inflation and foreign currency demands by suppliers.
Early this year, BCC Finance director Mr Kempton Ndimande said council requires 80 000 litres of diesel and 50 000 litres of petrol per month for its fleet.
A MOTHER and her daughter from Kensington plots on the outskirts of Bulawayo died after allegedly drinking a poisonous concoction they got from a self-proclaimed prophet.
Ms Thokozani Ncube (51) and Ms Sithandazile Nyathi (30) died shortly after drinking a ‘cleansing’ concoction they allegedly got from a prophet named Brian Mpofu from Cowdray Park suburb.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning at about 6.30AM with the pair dying within 15 minutes of taking the deadly poisonous concoction.
Ms Ncube’s sister, Ms Elizabeth Ncube said the family could have lost three members as a 15-year-old boy was supposed to drink the same cleansing concoction but the prophet later stopped him from taking it.
“We were not there when this occurred but what we have been told is that they went to consult a prophet in Cowdray Park on Saturday. S’tha is the one who sought the services of the prophet and requested her mother to accompany her. They went there with our 15-year-old nephew who narrated to us what really transpired.
“He said the prophet gave the three of them some substance to induce vomiting claiming that he was casting out a bad spell. After that he gave them a concoction consisting of bluestone, aloe vera and lemon which he said they were going to drink at home the following day before eating anything,” said Ms Ncube.
She said tragedy struck at home when the two women drank the concoction.
“Prior to drinking the mixture, we are told that the prophet sent them a message, instructing them not to give it to the boy but share his dosage. Soon after drinking the mixture they started complaining that it was making them bleary, complaining of stomach cramps. S’tha instructed the boy to give her a bucket so that she could induce vomiting. My sister was of the view that probably that was how the medicine worked and she did not attempt to induce vomiting. When they boy brought the bucket, S’tha was already struggling to breathe prompting the boy to call his uncle who is my late sister’s husband. We are told before my sister’s husband could attend to S’tha, he discovered that his wife (my sister) was not responding when he called her in her bedroom and when he went in to check on her he discovered that she had white fluids coming out through her mouth and nose.”
She said they called a nurse who lives nearby who tried to administer first aid but the pair was already dead.
Ms Ncube said they called police who attended to the scene and confirmed the two were dead before ferrying their bodies to United Bulawayo Hospitals for post mortem.
Another aunt Seyiso Ncube, said S’that had returned from Durban, South Africa on Christmas Eve and was in contact with the prophet she located while still in the neighbouring country through WhatsApp. She said they did not know why S’tha needed the services of a prophet.
However, sources claimed that S’tha sought a prophet’s services after ‘feeling pressures’ that she was not getting married.
Meanwhile,the family said it is appealing for assistance to bury the two.
“We can’t say when they will be buried as police are still conducting investigations but we are appealing for help to enable us to bury my sister and her daughter,” said Ms Ncube.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango said investigations were in progress.
“Yes, we received a case where mother and her daughter died after drinking some poisonous substance they were given by a self-proclaimed prophet. I can’t say much at the moment as it could jeopardise our investigations. We have however, arrested a suspect in connection with the pair’s death,” said Chief Insp Simango.
State Media|A kombi-load of machete-wielding robbers attacked a well-secured Glen View 1 home of a Harare foreign currency dealer last week, critically injuring the dealer, his brother and father, while a smaller gang with a firearm attacked another dealer in the same neighbourhood, shooting him once on the side of the head and twice in the leg.
The first three are still in critical condition in hospital where they were rushed once police were summoned, while the dealer who was shot thrice, Edmore Kanyangira, is recuperating from home.
The raids are part of a growing spate of armed robberies against homes of people known to be currency dealers or owners of cash-rich businesses, with police pleading with the public not to keep cash at home.
The incidents in Glen View are among a spate of crimes committed by armed gangs most of whom are using machetes.
On Saturday, a policeman was killed while on duty in Battlefields near Kadoma and had his body chopped by members of a machete gang that also left a fellow police officer injured.
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe yesterday assured the nation that police will bring all those behind the machete attacks to book.
“The police are seized with the matter and investigations are ongoing. The perpetrators will be brought to book in accordance with the law. We urge people to desist from taking the law into their own hands,” he said.
“Crimes are committed by people who live within our communities, people we probably know. We have a collective responsibility to ensure that there is peace and tranquillity in our country. I, therefore, urge all peace loving Zimbabweans to work and cooperate with the police to bring the culprits to book.”
On the Glen Viw incidents, the first well-planned assault by the gang of more than 15 started around midnight when the kombi pulled up at the gates.
Gang members leapt out and used hammers to break gate locks and hinges. Once through the gates, they switched to axes to chop through the main door and gained entry.
Inside, armed with machetes and iron bars, as well as hammers and axes used to gain entry, they struck the man and his family, getting away with $9 000, a laptop, car keys and cellphones.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the gang was travelling in a commuter omnibus when it raided the house around midnight.
“We were woken up by a loud banging noise as the gang used hammers to force open the gate,” he said. “When they managed to enter the yard, they used axes to strike the main door.
“The gang warned neighbours not to come out of their houses. They were told to mind their own business.”
Mr Fungai Mutasa, said he was inside his house when he heard noise next door.
“The group was making a lot of noise and when we decided to go out to investigate, we heard some of them threatening to deal with anyone who got in their way,” he said.
He said he feared for his family as he was not sure whether or not the gang would also raid other houses in the area.
After ransacking the dealer’s house, the gang disappeared into the darkness.
People in the area said they now fear for their lives, especially moving around during the night.
Said Mr Leroy Chigogo: “With all such incidents that have happened in this area, it’s now not safe to move around during the night as you can
be attacked. Police should increase patrols during the night.”
When The Herald visited Kanyangira at his home yesterday, his wife and children were still in shock.
“I heard noise at around midnight when a gang of about four broke into my son’s room and demanded to know where we kept our cash,” he said.
Edmore Kanyangira with wife Theresa Toto, who were robbed at gun point in Glenview.-Pictures: Justin Mutenda
“After assaulting my son (21), they proceeded to the dining room, grabbed my daughter and demanded cash, while threatening to kill her. I confronted one of them and managed to overpower him.
“During the struggle, three other robbers came in and started assaulting me, demanding to know where I keep my cash. When they realised I was not giving in, one of them instructed the others to kill me. That is when they shot me first in my left leg and later in the head, but fortunately the bullet only grazed my head.
“When I collapsed, they threatened to kill my wife who gave them $10 000, US$300 and cellphones.”
Since the beginning of the year, there have been reports of murder and violence committed by machete-wielding gangs in gold-rich areas across the country in what seemed to be gold panner wars.
But of late, machete gangs have been targeting people dealing in cash in Harare suburbs.
Since the beginning of the month, machete gangs have attacked people in Glen View, Zengeza, Kuwadzana and Mufakose.
On Saturday, a policeman was clubbed and hacked to death and his colleague was seriously injured, while defending workers at Good Hope Mine in Battlefields from an invading machete gang.
Following the attacks in the city, police yesterday conducted crime awareness campaigns, urging people not to keep large amounts of money in their houses.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi warned people against keeping large amounts of cash in their homes.
“We would also want to urge members of the public to desist from keeping large amounts of cash in their houses or moving around with it,” he said. “They should also avoid discussing issues involving cash with other people as they might end up being robbed.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said people should also beef up security at their homes.
The incidents come after early this month, another gang raided the house of a fuel dealer in the same area and got away with cash.
They also come hardly a week after a machete gang terrorised residents of Kuwadzana.
Early this month, a machete-wielding gang killed a man at Zengeza 2 Shopping Centre, Chitungwiza, for allegedly flirting with a sex worker they had hired for the night.
Asst Comm Nyathi said people moving around carrying dangerous weapons like machetes intending to harm police officers and other people can only have themselves to blame when the full wrath of the law falls on them.
Own Correspondent|The opposition MDC last week grievously pushed government in parliament to make sure that enough fuel is availed in the country during the festive season.
In a hot debate, Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development Magna Mudiwa had refused to commit government to making sure that fuel is availed during the busy period. The Deputy Minister claimed government had no capacity to pay for the fuel.
“We do have enough fuel at our depots in Mabvuku and Masasa but it is bonded. This means that we need to pay before we can withdraw that fuel. We are discussing with RBZ who issue letters of credit to fuel traders so that they access the fuel. I can assure the nation that we do have enough fuel at our depots save for the lines of credit,” Mudiwa said.
MDC Mutasa South Member of Parliament Regai Tsunga responded,
“The issue that has been raised by the Hon. Minister is likened to a father who tells his children that there is mealie-meal in the storehouse when they are hungry yet the children are not eating sadza. According to her, diesel and petrol are in the reservoirs but no one is consuming them. The Minister’s responsibility is to ensure that the fuel reaches service stations. We would like to know the plans that the Minister has to make sure that there is fuel at service stations and not tell us about the reservoirs. We want fuel for consumption.”
Long fuel queues since disappeared in most parts of the country, with many service stations having supplies.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) provided Letters of Credit to fuel dealers towards this festive season, allowing them to draw on the stocks already pumped into Zimbabwe.
In particular, the Letters of Credit guaranteed the payment of the foreign currency component, usually a little over 60US cents a litre for petrol and diesel.
This is the landed price and includes all costs of procuring the fuel and pumping it from Beira into Zimbabwe.
The rest of the pump price comprises local mark-ups, pumping and handling charges, plus excise duties.
A Letter of Credit is letter issued by a bank to another bank (especially one in a different country) to serve as a guarantee for payments made to a specified person under specified conditions.
Over the past months, some filling stations had effectively closed and displayed “no petrol or diesel” signs, leaving motorists and commuters stranded.
There was a rush for fuel before the public holidays when many managed to fill up and demand may increase from this week’s levels as people start returning home or resuming more normal work and school trips.
Own Correspondent|MDC-T Vice President Obert Gutu an advent fan of the President Emmerson Mnangagwa led Political Actors Dialogue, POLAD, says every Zimbabwean will soon be in love with the political grouping.
Speaking to state media in an interview on Monday, Gutu said they are setting information centres throughout the country to conscientise Zimbabweans about the Mnangagwa led group.
“We are setting up a cutting-edge information sub-committee that is going to disseminate information relating to POLAD activities to all corners of Zimbabwe.
“Within the next 90 days, virtually every Zimbabwean will be hearing, thinking and even dreaming about POLAD. We have got the requisite technical skills and intellectual fire-power to repackage and rebrand POLAD.”
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) leader Professor Lovemore Madhuku said POLAD will make good on constitutional, electoral and economic policy reforms.
Prof Madhuku advised Government bureaucrats not to bypass POLAD, especially on constitutional amendments.
“In 2020, we will make concrete all our proposed reforms in various aspects, particularly constitutional and electoral reforms and economic policy reforms.
“We will seek to ensure that all the constitutional and electoral reforms required for the 2023 general election are in place by end of 2020.
“We will seek to ensure that all arms of Government appreciate the role of POLAD. For example, we will expect the Minister of Justice to delay his proposed Constitutional amendments until POLAD has completed its proposals so that only one omnibus Constitutional Amendment Bill incorporating POLAD proposals that would have been accepted by Government is presented to Parliament,” he said.
Source: State Media.
Own Correspondent|President Mnangagwa led Parties Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) partners have announced plans to engage SADC, African Union, European Union and United Nations member states purportedly to explain their mandate as they continue with their simingly futile efforts to finding lasting solutions to the country’s economic challenges.
MDC-T vice president Mr Obert Gutu told state media yesterday that they plan to engage important global players.
“We are going to engage all SADC countries in order to explain to them the key objectives and major focus of POLAD. We will also engage the AU, the EU and the United Nations, our plate is already full even before the New Year starts,” said Mr Gutu.
POLAD co-convener Retired Justice Selo Nare said some of their successes this year include visiting Cyclone Idai victims and mobilising resources for the affected communities.
“Another major highlight was the positive response by Government in subsiding mealie-meal after POLAD’s engagement with responsible ministers.
“The response by SADC to POLAD in solidarity with the Government on the unconditional removal of sanctions was also a major success,” said Rtd Justice Nare.
Two Zimbabwean men have been arrested for allegedly stealing fuel worth more than R3 million at a Transnet station in Warden, Free State.
A Hawks team arrested the pair, aged 38 and 43 on Sunday after a tip-off that four tankers were reportedly transporting the fuel to Gauteng.
“Four tankers laden with stolen diesel and petrol were intercepted near a farm in Presentkraal Street. They have been seized for further investigation,” Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha said yesterday.
“The incident is one of many that are still under investigation by the Hawks which is now becoming a serious national threat.”
Ramovha said the pair, who are both Zimbabwean nationals, were expected to appear in the Warden Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. They face charges of theft and damaging essential infrastructure.
— News24.
State Media|The Kadoma policeman, Constable Wonder Hokoyo, who was hacked to death by machete wielding artisanal miners, is set to be buried today in Triangle, Masvingo.
Family spokesperson Mr Benjamin Mutubuki, who is a brother to the late Cnst Hokoyo, told The Herald yesterday that the body was sent to Harare for post-mortem.
“It will be carried to Masvingo tonight (last night),” he said.
“We were all waiting for the body and are now leaving for Triangle where we expect his body to be laid to rest tomorrow (today).”
Mr Mutubuki said Cnst Hokoyo (27) — who lost his parents at a young age — was hard-working and keen to uplift his family.
“Being the young brother of Wonder who has mysteriously passed on in Battlefields, I am still finding it difficult to accept his passing on because he was the elder brother who was taking care of us,” he said.
Mr Mutubuki urged Government to criminalise the use of machetes in gold mining areas.
Cnst Hokoyo’s father-in-law, Mr Venson Nyasulu, said he was still waiting for him to come for introductions.
“Hokoyo was my son-in-law and we were yet to meet after he recently paid bride price for my daughter,” he said.
“I was actually waiting for him to come home, only to receive a phone call that he had been attacked by these machete wielding thugs.
“My son-in-law died on duty, protecting the people of Zimbabwe. Now he is no more. He was still young and left behind his wife and a little child.
“I am in pain and cannot accept this. Only God knows how to punish the perpetrators.”
The family requested to visit the crime scene yesterday and was escorted by Officer Commanding Kadoma District, Chief Superintendent Kezias Karuru, and the Officer-in-Charge, ZRP Battlefields, Inspector Happiness Nyadzawo.
Cnst Hokoyo joined the force in 2013.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has described the killing of Cnst Hokoyo as “callous and unwarranted”, adding that police officers on duty or in their spare time have a right to life, which is God-given and constitutionally guaranteed.
“This fundamental right is sacrosanct and should be respected and protected by all and sundry in a free and democratic society, which Zimbabwe is,” said ZHRC.
“The law, of course, must take its full course in the barbaric instances of this nature.”
By A Correspondent- Opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has vowed to turn on the heat on President Emmerson Mnangagwa come 2020 accusing him of failing to satisfy the people’s needs.
Chamisa bemoaned the levels of poverty in Zimbabwe’s rural communities saying Mnangagwa’s government was using poverty to hoodwink and manipulate the suffering masses politically.
Chamisa who spent his Christmas at his rural home in Gutu, Masvingo province said:
“I was at my rural home in Gutu this Christmas and I’m deeply concerned by what I saw.We are called to ensure that no one is left behind,to make sure that we protect the weak,poor and vulnerable.Poverty should not be used as a tool for oppression.The crisis in Zimbabwe is man-made,” said Chamisa.
“I also visited relatives in Bikita and Zaka. Where we once had small businesses and thriving townships, we are left with abandoned buildings and deserted towns. Parents cannot afford to take their children to school. Teenage pregnancies are increasing.”
Chamisa said Zanu-PF continues to use food as a political weapon in the wake of a donation of rice by Mnangagwa to rural constituencies.
“Crops in the fields wilting and dying. Food continues to be used as a political weapon to sow divisions,hate and instill fear. Clinics have totally collapsed. There is no money and no food. This can’t continue.The solution to this crisis is political. It’s time for real change and reform,” said Chamisa.
“We will roll out plans and action aimed at restoring dignity, promoting development and pushing for real change in Zimbabwe , particularly in the rural areas. 2020 we will leave no stone unturned. We will turn up the heat in the fight for freedom and a decent life for every Zimbabwean.”
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, ZUJ, has said it is deeply concerned by increasing threats to journalists working in Masvingo Province.
This follows threats made to Hevoi FM News Editor Regis Chingawu by a ruling Zanu PF councillor, Sengerayi Manyanga.
The councillor reportedly wants to control the radio station’s social media policy but his attempts have been thwarted.
Chingawu, a member of the ZUJ National Executive, told the national office last night that he did not feel safe and believed his life was now in danger.
The threats were made at the radio station’s offices towards midnight on Saturday 28 December in Masvingo town.
The small community of journalists in Masvingo has been left traumatised by the developments as they have recorded a huge increase in threats to freedom of expression in the province in the last quarter of the year.
According to information received from Masvingo, the councillor for ward 10 in Masvingo town is reported to have laid an ambush at the Hevoi FM News offices on the night.
Upon realising that Chingawu would not reveal himself , the councillor angrily confronted the security officer at the radio station and demanded to know Chingawu’s whereabouts and threatened to mobilize against the senior journalist.
The councillor was accompanied by a mob which remained in the background as he laid siege on the radio station.
A police report was made at Masvingo Central Police Station yesterday.
ZUJ Secretary General Foster Dongozi said the issue of the safety and security of journalists continued to be a major concern for the Union with political parties and some security forces continuing to be the major culprits.
“We have also noticed a worrying trend in Masvingo Province in which the safety of journalists is threatened by rogue politicians and security details.
“The same rogue councillor has threatened to close another media organisation in the province while Masvingo Mirror senior journalist Nkulumani Mlambo was hounded out of a public event attended by donors by security aides in Chiredzi recently.”
The Secretary General called on the Zanu PF leadership in Masvingo to condemn acts of violence and impunity against journalists and freedom of expression.
“If journalists are harmed in Masvingo we will know who the culprits are. But beyond that, we can also see that there are some rogue and renegade elements who want to frustrate Zimbabwe’s global re engagement policy by continuing to soil its image so that it remains a pariah state.
“The government has assured us at the highest level that it does not have a policy of impunity against journalists and we would want it to take stern measures against those violating the rights and safety of journalists.”
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
By A Correspondent- The arrest and persecution of Marry Chiwenga has the potential to expose the regime and bring about a regime shift, an independent observer has revealed.
Being the closest person to the vice president Constantino Guvheyo Chiwenga, Marry is being persecuted as she knows a lot of secrets which could expose the country’s former army general and she is a key player in the ongoing political struggles within Zanu Pf.
Said the observer:
“Marry knows a lot…. and we have Mnangagwa saying by 2030 i will still be here? Is he scared? Why is he telling us? With this happening, maybe Marry will say more. She knows one or two secrets…Will she go alone? And as you know most of the divorces don’t go very well, they are nasty. So this one is a very painful one to the VP and to Marry.”
Writes Simba Chikanza: Touching a woman has always led to a regime shift in Zimbabwe since 1980.
– Why is Mnangagwa panicking?
Every major regime shift in Zimbabwe has had a woman tied to it, all depending on how the woman is treated, a ZimEye caller analyses saying.
Zimbabwe’s economy began crashing from 1990, when Robert Mugabe began cheating on his ailing wife, Sally, John Smith continues.
A parallel report alleges Sally was assassinated while in hospital, in events that saw the current Health Minister who was just a dialysis technician, suddenly being conferred by ZANU PF the title medical doctor, without any qualification or training. (This is not to suggest that he had anything to do with her death, it is still history.)
When Mugabe finally married his girlfriend, Grace, on 17 August 1996, there was a major regime shift, that suddenly hit the country like an earthquake. War veterans as it were, besieged state house and forced him to dish out $50,000 to them each. The economy crashed as a result. War veterans emerged the new national stock holders.
The next major regime shift, began in 2014 and it was a woman behind it. Grace Mugabe got Vice President Joice Mujuru kicked out of power.
She would later kick out Emmerson Mnangagwa in Nov 2017. There was another major shift this time at a military level, a real coup. It was all about a woman. Grace was derided and called a prostitute. But many analysts say she could have actually become a better president because she was the better compromise, and the best bridge between the group made up of liberation fighters obsessed with the past, and the young population who are driven by a desire for the future.
The Zim economy has never been the same and Mnangagwa looted 5,9 billion from the central bank, RBZ within 5 months of removing the woman.
She would later mock the usurpers saying that they are running the country like a tuckshop.
It was one woman back then.
Today, we have not one, but 3 (three) of them, women in the presidium and every one of them, there is currently something happening around them, that is national, suddenly. Where are we going as a nation?
Mnangagwa has announced saying in 2030 I will still be here as president. Who is he talking to, and why is he panicking?
So far, his own wife, Auxillia has chased the ZANU PF leader through a maize field. She is no push over. CIOs are currently crying saying we are in trouble, the previous First Lady used to scold us at podiums, the new one literally beats us up at work.
This month, another woman is involved though differently. This is Mnangagwa’s deputy’s wife who has been abused by her husband. He earlier in the month sent policemen to brutally arrest her while stark naked inside her bathroom. No other woman has been treated like this since 1980. Police charges have been laid against her which point the same finger back to Chiwenga first and his boss, Mnangagwa second.
All her 5 kids were taken away from her, in violation against the law.
Will the land of Zimbabwe allow a woman to be abused like this?
By Tawanda Mhizha| Respected politician and academic Dr Walter Mzembi is preferred by many across political divide as the alternative solution for the Zimbabwe crisis. The long serving Tourism Minister and UNWTO Candidate for Secretary General post breaks his silence to weigh in with a prescription on the dialogue between two protagonists, incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his nemesis Nelson Chamisa. By offering such alternatives and solutions, many have described Mzembi as mature, sober and level headed in dealing with national question which remain unanswered. Mzembi suggested that the invaluable role of public opinion, for instance, civic society, the church, cross party agents, lobbyists, etc. and the building of the national consensus on the need to talk or talk about talks, and ultimately the escalation of it all too party agendas, the government, and right up to the main protagonists is very much needed.
Mzembi in one of his quotes he appealed to the public to be on the lookout for selfish people seeking to outlaw and spike comradely conversation or opinion by these change agents seeking national convergence. They need your protection and encouragement in their apostolic burden to unite the country. In his public service career , Mzembi the former Foreign Affairs Minister, hinted that he hosted by several Governments in the USA, UK, South Africa and other entities and observed that families members who belong to different political parties dine and debate hours on end over their political beliefs without exchanging blows or spilling blood, and this is political maturity. From the time Mzembi served as a Government Minister till the time he quit his role as Minister of Foreign Affairs, we have never heard a single day when the former Tourism Minister having spilled blood even at party level.
He is one of the well-respected politician across political divide who is sober, mature and level headed. Dr Walter Mzembi is a deferred potential Presidential aspirant who could change the Zimbabwe political landscape if given chance to bounce back in the mainstream politics. Studying from a distance the former Foreign Affairs Minister has clearly calibrated his re-entry into politics and may not be in a hurry to get into the mainstream politics. Mzembi a calculative politician, has avoided responding to media taunts, cheap and personal pot shots at his person which has obviously been a project for deliberate besmirching by his enemies in the current administration.
After a near successful run for the post of United World Tourism Organisation Secretary General for which he received a rare commendation from the then cabinet of Zimbabwe for excellent statesmanship and defense of brand Zimbabwe it was a cold blooded act of malice for the very same Government two months later to withdraw its goodwill and persecute him for his loyalty to the late President Robert Mugabe. The last man standing before a detach military coup, Mzembi’s diplomatic skills have been tested to the limit even in his self-imposed political sabbatical but he has responded with an characteristic golden silence, only broken after nearly two years with another of his trade-mark diplomatic epistles urging dialogue between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Advocate Nelson Chamisa as the closet solution to resolving the current national crisis. It is a fact that Mzembi authored the current diplomatic policy approach he announced on the day current President Mnangagwa was fired from both his Government position as Vice President and party Vice President.
Why had Mugabe taken a keen interest in promoting Walter Mzembi to the ministry of Foreign Affairs portfolio bringing him closer to him at Munhumutapa building at a time he was dropping his ester while deputy and personal assistant from the struggle opting for this suave diplomat, Walter is the subject of intrigue in the succession matrix of the time. Clashing the karanga brothers of the shumba clan, was a dangerous card for a seemingly “out of touch” Mzembi who had just returned from a near successful UNWTO campaign for the post of Secretary General.
What were the calculations on the part of Mzembi himself, did he have an option to choose disloyalty to a President who was openly fond of him against Karanga brotherhood solidarity? This brings to us Mzembi’s own ambitions for Presidency which many Zimbabweans have been stoking against evident failure by his clansmen to run the country. Is he the man or his ester while brother Savior Kasukuwere, popularly known as Tyson wabantu, or is a collaboration between them possible for a common goal? The question for political market is also asking is the governance coupling between the Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi and MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa forming a possible grand coalition with other progressive elements to usher in a new era.
A typical American family has both democrats and Republicans but they do not wish each other ill or death, nor they do they express their differences in ideology and beliefs in medieval political sloganeering reminiscent of the byzantine or crusaders era, they debate. The question is why Mzembi of all the people? During the Government of National Unity, Mzembi sat next to the then Former ICT Minister and current MDC – Alliance President Nelson Chamisa for five years in the cabinet and their relationship was cordial and friendly.
Mzembi who commands a huge following among students, corporate world, business community and other respected entities because of his tolerance and accommodative stance. During the GNU era, Mzembi defied the Zanu PF stance and caucuses which had made a ruling that Morgan Tsvangirai, the then Prime Minister of Zimbabwe must not be saluted even on public gatherings, defied the odd and went to accord him respect within the precincts and boundaries of officialdom and protocol, earning some in despicable label in the process. No wonder Tsvangirai saw it fit to conscript Mzembi, albeit him with protestations from Zanu PF, into his delegation for the famous June 2009, 21 day, 14 country re-engagement trip. Mugabe, consented Mzembi’s inclusion notwithstanding protestations from the Zanu PF party. The delegation included Tendai Biti, Elton Mangoma, Priscilla Misihairambwi – Mushonga, and later Mumbembegwi who later joined the delegation in London.
Mzembi on dialogue and Mbeki’s surprise appearance
What the opposition misread at the time was the necessity of a transitional authority perpetually accountable to SADC and AU for its deliverables, not an autonomous GNU because , as events and time would prove, not a single of the agreed reforms under the Mbeki – brokered talks was implemented in five years, not even one, hence our current national crisis. The facilitator himself, very well meaning as he was and a man of high integrity , was consumed by untimely courtyard politics at home, removing a very pertinent point of reference in terms of accountability, and as it turned out later half the GNU became a cat and mouse government as we headed for 2013 elections. A railroad into elections without reform is as good as political suicide as SADC warned Tsvangirai the former Prime Minister at that time. The MDC component in Government was outfoxed at every stage by the experience and disdain of its senior partner, Zanu PF. Suffice to mention that the MDC existed in the inclusive Government a very disillusioned partner, confirming the fears of the western hemisphere during the 2009 era. In the recent past, MDC were accessories in settling the unending succession struggles of Zanu PF and now face a far more complex situation than before. The MDC’s difficulty is not made easier by the new empty stadiums syndrome which is sweeping the country and negatively affecting the two main parties in equal measure.
…Tawanda Mhizha is a political analyst who can be contacted at [email protected]…..
By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo woman was left shocked after her estranged husband’s mistress brazenly told her to forget getting back her husband whom she is now cohabiting with.
A heartbroken Clara Bashaka said after the boast, she suspected that her estranged husband Richard Chiwara’s alleged mistress, who is a police officer, gave him a powerful love portion that caused him to turn his back on his family.
She strongly believed the way Chiwara bolted from her life and that of his three children was as a result of muthi.
Bashaka poured her heart out after Chiwara approached the courts seeking a restraining order to stop her from disturbing his newly found love by coming to where he is now staying with his alleged mistress.
“She (mistress) has done something to him. I still love him but his girlfriend who is a police officer affirmed that she has done something to him and is not going to come back to his family. She said they were going to stay together forever. I even took his clothes with the view that he was going to come back home but that didn’t work,” lamented Bashaka.
Her lament came after Chiwara passionately begged the court to grant an order that sternly stops her from coming to his workplace and where he is currently staying.
“We have separated and I don’t want her to come to my workplace and where I am currently staying. After we separated, I went to her aunt and told her that I no longer love her. She took my clothes and left me with one shirt. She is also insulting and threatening me. She once dumped the children at my workplace saying she was going to South Africa,” said Chiwara.
Bashaka however, defended her actions saying she went to his workplace because Chiwara was no longer giving her money to buy food.
In her ruling the presiding magistrate Adelaide Mbeure ordered Bashaka not to insult her estranged husband and not to visit his workplace and where he is now staying with his alleged mistress.
-StateMedia
Touching a woman has always led to a regime shift in Zimbabwe since 1980.
– Why is Mnangagwa panicking?
By Simba Chikanza| Every major regime shift in Zimbabwe has had a woman tied to it, all depending on how the woman is treated, a ZimEye caller analyses saying.
Zimbabwe’s economy began crashing from 1990, when Robert Mugabe began cheating on his ailing wife, Sally, John Smith continues.
A parallel report alleges Sally was assassinated while in hospital, in events that saw the current Health Minister who was just a dialysis technician, suddenly being conferred by ZANU PF the title medical doctor, without any qualification or training. (This is not to suggest that he had anything to do with her death, it is still history.)
When Mugabe finally married his girlfriend, Grace, on 17 August 1996, there was a major regime shift, that suddenly hit the country like an earthquake. War veterans as it were, besieged state house and forced him to dish out $50,000 to them each. The economy crashed as a result. War veterans emerged the new national stock holders.
The next major regime shift, began in 2014 and it was a woman behind it. Grace Mugabe got Vice President Joice Mujuru kicked out of power.
She would later kick out Emmerson Mnangagwa in Nov 2017. There was another major shift this time at a military level, a real coup. It was all about a woman. Grace was derided and called a prostitute. But many analysts say she could have actually become a better president because she was the better compromise, and the best bridge between the group made up of liberation fighters obsessed with the past, and the young population who are driven by a desire for the future.
The Zim economy has never been the same and Mnangagwa looted 5,9 billion from the central bank, RBZ within 5 months of removing the woman.
She would later mock the usurpers saying that they are running the country like a tuckshop.
It was one woman back then.
Today, we have not one, but 3 (three) of them, women in the presidium and every one of them, there is currently something happening around them, that is national, suddenly. Where are we going as a nation?
Mnangagwa has announced saying in 2030 I will still be here as president. Who is he talking to, and why is he panicking?
So far, his own wife, Auxillia has chased the ZANU PF leader through a maize field. She is no push over. CIOs are currently crying saying we are in trouble, the previous First Lady used to scold us at podiums, the new one literally beats us up at work.
This month, another woman is involved though differently. This is Mnangagwa’s deputy’s wife who has been abused by her husband. He earlier in the month sent policemen to brutally arrest her while stark naked inside her bathroom. No other woman has been treated like this since 1980. Police charges have been laid against her which point the same finger back to Chiwenga first and his boss, Mnangagwa second.
All her 5 kids were taken away from her, in violation against the law.
Will the land of Zimbabwe allow a woman to be abused like this?
By A Correspondent- A police officer stationed at Madlambuzi Police Station in Plumtree, who pretended to be the husband to his fellow officer’s wife in order to have sex with her, has been arrested and will appear in court soon for rape.
According to a source close to the couple, the accused knocked off from duty at around 10pm on 17 December and went to a bar. He found the victim’s husband taking alcohol at the bar and dashed to his colleague’s house.
He found the victim’s wife just having retired to bed. The accused sneaked into the bedroom.
“He went straight to the window and closed window curtains and got into the blankets. He slept behind her and started to rub his erect manhood against victim’s buttocks while at the same time touching her all over her body,” said a source close to investigations.
The victim could not sense that the man was not her husband.
“She touched and kissed him. She even turned to face him,” said the source.
The victim’s beard sold him out.
“During sexual intercourse the woman felt the beard prickling her, after that she became suspicious and removed the blanket and noticed that the person who was poking her wasn’t her husband. Soon after that the intruder who had seen that he was caught quickly apologised before he rushed outside the house to his place which is 40 metres away from the victim’s house,” said the source.
She screamed for help.
“She screamed to alert neighbours, but no one came. She informed her neighbour Merby Moyo. Later on when her husband came from the bar she narrated the sex ordeal to him. He advised her to make a police report,” said the source.
The intruder vehemently denied the allegations.
“When our bosses (names supplied) questioned him he denied ever sneaking into his neighbour’s house and having sex with his colleague’s wife. He said he is a married person and respects his wife,” said a source.
He is expected to appear in court soon.
-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- Former cabinet minister, Prisca Mupfumira, through her lawyer advocate Thembinkosi Magwaliba, has requested the financial audited report from the period between 2015 to 2018 from the National Social Security Authority (NSSA).
Mupfumira wants the report from the prosecution saying there were issues she wanted to ascertain before her trial commences.
She has also requested that the State furnishes her with a written agreement between NSSA and the Public Service Commission on a US$90 000 loan she allegedly authorised.
Mupfumira has also written a letter to the State demanding a Cabinet Minister’s handbook, which outlines her expected duties and responsibilities during her tenure in office.
The former Public Service Minister is jointly charged with the former secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Ngoni Masuka, on two counts of criminal abuse of office and another count of concealing a transaction from a principal.
Mupfumira’s trial was supposed to start this Monday but was postponed to January 16 and 17 2020.
The decision to defer the trial to next year was made after Mupfumira and Masoka told Harare magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi that they could not start trial without the documents.
-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- On Monday, the government denied that it had issued a directive blocking the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation’s (ZBC) scheduled interview with Zimdancehall artiste Winky D’s ahead of the launch of his new album (Njema) set for 31 December 2019.
However, in a petition whose source could not be immediately established written to the national broadcaster, the deputy director in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Censorship Entertainment and Control Unit expressed reservations over the album launch.
The petition reads:
RE: Petition Against Launch of Wallace Winky D Chirumiko’s Album.
We write to you so as to register our displeasure over the launch of an album by Wallace Winky D Chirumiko titled Njema.
It is understood by the general citizens of Zimbabwe that his music is now political for it carries political messages that are incitive.
The album launch seems to be an opener to a series of destabilization programmes as outlined by the enemies of this state.
The song ljipita among others are a clear attack on the authority as has been kasong kejecha.
We understand it is part of your obligation to censor such before it officially gets into the public. The album launch is set for 31st of December 2019.
Looking forward to your cooperation.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) recently arrested two foreign nationals after they violently confronted police officers who were in the company of municipal police.
Posting on its Twitter handle, ZRP said the officers had visited the foreigners’ premises as they were operating without a licence.
The statement reads:
“Two foreign nationals were arrested after they violently confronted some police officers who had accompanied City Council officers to their premises, which they were operating without a licence.
Members of the public are urged to cooperate with the police while they will be discharging their lawful duties.
By A Correspondent- The cancer of child marriage continues to raise its ugly head in Makoni where 89 under-age schoolgirls have dropped out of school to get married after falling pregnant.
The statistics are contained in a report by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in Makoni titled “Drop outs due to pregnancy – 2019”.
The schoolgirls fell pregnant between January and September 2019 and the figure could have been under-reported as some schools failed to submit their statistics on time.
The statistics could also have swelled in October, November and December.
So shocking and disturbing are the revelations that even juveniles in primary schools were not spared, as eight of them dropped out due to pregnancy.
Rural schools are the most affected as out of the 30 affected ones, only one is an urban school. Chiundu High tops the list with 18, followed by Inyati Mine High with 17. Nyamusosa Secondary School and Manonga have seven each while Ruombwe and Dumbamwe have six and five, respectively,
The 24 schools have statistics ranging between one and four.
The youngest girl to fall pregnant was 13 years old while out of the 89, only two are above 18. The shocking figures have left a lot of questions unanswered on whether young girls have clear understanding of abstinence, safe sex and the effectiveness of sexual and reproductive health education in schools.
It has been argued that there were serious gaps in youth sexual and reproductive health issues in rural and resettlement schools resulting in young girls being lured into risky and premature unprotected sex.
Such risky engagements expose them to devastating effects such as obstetric fistula, risk of HIV infection, physical, economic and spiritual trauma.
Makoni District National Aids Council Co-ordinator Mr Amnot Chipandamira said tremendous efforts were in place for the protection of the out-of-school girls, but results on the ground remain disturbing.
He said 1 945 girls are under the DREAMS project, but worryingly some of them were dropping out of school owing to pregnancy.
“Under the DREAMS project, 1 945 girls in primary and secondary schools are receiving funding in terms of fees, school uniforms and stationery. We are also taking drop-outs back to school so that they rebuild their lives. The programme has its fair share of success and challenges. Some girls are excelling, but we have sad scenarios where some beneficiaries are among those falling pregnant and dropping out.
“We are encouraging schoolchildren to abstain from indulging in sex before marriage. The education ministry does not allow condoms in schools as a matter of policy, so we do not educate them on safe sex methods. These girls are exposed to HIV, which is very sad. The HIV prevalence rate in the district is 11,3 percent,” he said.
Mr Chipandamira noted that out-of- school men were the main culprits targeting young girls.
“There is need to engage communities to protect young girls. Educating pupils while ignoring the community is a futile exercise. There is also need to regulate ‘bush boarding schools’ which are offering accommodation to learners close to schools. These are proving to be easy hunting grounds for child molesters,” he said.
Zimbabwe Rural Teachers’ Union president Mr Martin Chaburumunda bemoaned the situation saying there was need to engage community leaders to curb the scourge.
“It is not only peculiar to Makoni, but it is a national challenge. Schools offer Guidance and Counselling lessons where information relating to sex, diseases and general life issues is imparted to learners.
“Maybe there is need to review the content. Stakeholders must also be engaged because predators are found in their areas.
“School learners from disintegrated families are the most affected,” said Mr Chaburumunda.
Manicaland provincial education director Mr Edward Shumba was not readily available for a comment.
-ManicaPost
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Touching a woman has always led to a regime shift in Zimbabwe since 1980.
– Why is Mnangagwa panicking?
By Simba Chikanza| Every major regime shift in Zimbabwe has had a woman tied to it, all depending on how the woman is treated, a ZimEye caller analyses saying.
Zimbabwe’s economy began crashing from 1990, when Robert Mugabe began cheating on his ailing wife, Sally, John Smith continues.
A parallel report alleges Sally was assassinated while in hospital, in events that saw the current Health Minister who was just a dialysis technician, suddenly being conferred by ZANU PF the title medical doctor, without any qualification or training. (This is not to suggest that he had anything to do with her death, it is still history.)
When Mugabe finally married his girlfriend, Grace, on 17 August 1996, there was a major regime shift, that suddenly hit the country like an earthquake. War veterans as it were, besieged state house and forced him to dish out $50,000 to them each. The economy crashed as a result. War veterans emerged the new national stock holders.
The next major regime shift, began in 2014 and it was a woman behind it. Grace Mugabe got Vice President Joice Mujuru kicked out of power.
She would later kick out Emmerson Mnangagwa in Nov 2017. There was another major shift this time at a military level, a real coup. It was all about a woman. Grace was derided and called a prostitute. But many analysts say she could have actually become a better president because she was the better compromise, and the best bridge between the group made up of liberation fighters obsessed with the past, and the young population who are driven by a desire for the future.
The Zim economy has never been the same and Mnangagwa looted 5,9 billion from the central bank, RBZ within 5 months of removing the woman.
She would later mock the usurpers saying that they are running the country like a tuckshop.
It was one woman back then.
Today, we have not one, but 3 (three) of them, women in the presidium and every one of them, there is currently something happening around them, that is national, suddenly. Where are we going as a nation?
Mnangagwa has announced saying in 2030 I will still be here as president. Who is he talking to, and why is he panicking?
So far, his own wife, Auxillia has chased the ZANU PF leader through a maize field. She is no push over. CIOs are currently crying saying we are in trouble, the previous First Lady used to scold us at podiums, the new one literally beats us up at work.
This month, another woman is involved though differently. This is Mnangagwa’s deputy’s wife who has been abused by her husband. He earlier in the month sent policemen to brutally arrest her while stark naked inside her bathroom. No other woman has been treated like this since 1980. Police charges have been laid against her which point the same finger back to Chiwenga first and his boss, Mnangagwa second.
All her 5 kids were taken away from her, in violation against the law.
Will the land of Zimbabwe allow a woman to be abused like this?
By A Correspondent- President Mnangagwa yesterday lauded leaders of opposition parties under the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) for their zeal and commitment towards nation-building and unity.
He also said next year, the focus will be on boosting productivity across all sectors of the economy, creating decent jobs, empowering citizens and providing safety nets for the vulnerable.
The President said this while addressing thousands of congregants during the third edition of the annual National Thanksgiving and Dedication Service at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Grounds here.
The President thanked the organisers of the church service, Faith for the Nation Campaign — an inter-denominational grouping of local churches, saying the event created an opportunity for the nation to come together for thanksgiving, renewed and lasting blessings.
It is a platform where believers meet the country’s leadership to intercede for the nation.
The President extensively quoted from the scriptures as he spread a message of love, hard work and nation-building.
“I find it most refreshing to be working with leaders who do not keep good ideas in their back pockets as political capital for later, but who come forward with those ideas for the sake of our beloved country and that is patriotism. The spirit of unity among us while still respecting and accommodating our rich diversity, views and opinions must be a part of all of us,” said the President.
“Let us continue to love one another as one people united by one flag, national anthem and by the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
President Mnangagwa met leaders of opposition parties at his farm outside Kwekwe in the final Polad meeting for the year to review progress as well as mark National Unity Day on December 22.
Polad, a platform for political parties that fielded presidential candidates in the 2018 harmonised elections to contribute to social, economic and political progress, was launched in May this year and 18 political parties were represented.
President Mnangagwa advised parties that continue to undermine Polad that there was power in unity.
MDC-Alliance has rejected dialogue under the auspices of Polad, preferring to talk exclusively to Zanu PF, claiming other parties were not necessary.
The President urged churches to complement Government efforts in promoting the country’s economic growth and development in pursuance of the national vision of transforming the economy into an upper middle-income status by 2030.
He said the country’s economic growth hinges on collaboration between the Government and churches, among other players.
“Indeed, we recognise the important role played by the church as you intercede for peace, harmony, unity and development in our nation as well as for the country’s leadership in general. Guided by the Word of God, you the church have a vital role as we pursue the objectives of the national vision and confront a world with its many challenges,” said President Mnangagwa.
“Meanwhile, the Bible says in James 2 v 14, ‘Faith without works is dead.’ We recognise the many developmental projects and philanthropic works done by the churches of Zimbabwe in general. These include schools and health facilities dotted around the country and we acknowledge your contribution to various sectors of the economy.”
He urged churches to increase productivity in all their projects in pursuit of Vision 2030.
“We encourage you to increase productivity in all your respective projects, collectively as churches and in your individual pursuits. Vision 2030 depends on investment by each and every one of us for its success. Let us all put shoulder to the wheel and work for Genesis 3 v 19 says, ‘In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,” said President Mnangagwa.
He urged churches to continue playing a key role in protecting society’s moral fibre through preaching the gospel of love, peace, justice and forgiveness at household and national level.
“A strong spiritual leadership is integral as it influences the nation’s conscience and curbs wayward tendencies,” said President Mnangagwa.
Turning to devolution, he urged churches to promote local economic development through the utilisation of local resources.
“God gave us dominion over all things here on earth. During our lifetime, let us be good stewards of all that has been put under our care for the benefit of generations to come. Let us leverage our God-given resources to grow our economy. As we accelerate the implementation of devolution, I urge the church to promote local economic development from ward level upwards, through the full utilisation of resources found within our communities,” he said.
President Mnangagwa reiterated that the country would not revert to the multi-currency system and urged citizen to embrace the local currency.
“No country can develop without its own currency. As you are aware, we are now using our own currency and I urge all of us to accept it, use it and be proud of it and also defend it from all forms of attack. There is no going back to the multi-currency system,” he said.
The President said his Government remains committed to transforming the economy into an upper middle income in line with Vision 2030, despite illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States, UK and their allies.
“As Government, we are accelerating our quest to speedily attain Vision 2030, to become a middle-income economy. In 2020, we will focus on ensuring higher productivity across all sectors of the economy, creating decent jobs, empowering our people and satisfying their needs to improve their standard of living,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said the programmes to ensure the availability of affordable transport and healthcare were ongoing, with more Zupco buses expected to be delivered in the coming weeks.
The President said the Government has ordered more drugs and equipment for health institutions.
He said the Government will continue to ensure that vulnerable communities access food relief, including speeding up the rehabilitation, development and modernisation of infrastructure.
President Mnangagwa also appealed to churches to pray for more rains and a good harvest in light of the impact of climate change.
He commended churches and the generality of Zimbabweans for embracing the national clean-up campaign, which is conducted every first Friday of the month.
“As we strive to restore a spirit of cleanliness in our nation, I am pleased to see that the church is playing an active role in the national clean-up programme. Deuteronomy 23 prescribes that there must be a designated place outside the camp where refuse is disposed of. In the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 7, we are instructed to cleanse ourselves from the rubbish that might cling to us,” said President Mnangagwa.
“We also thank the Lord for the enthusiasm with which Zimbabweans from all walks of life and of all ages have embraced this programme. The ultimate aim is for all of us to adopt new attitudes and habits by making sure that filth, including corruption cease to be a feature of our lifestyle, surroundings and communities.”
-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- Police detectives investigating the weird six-metre long python case in which a commercial sex worker was allegedly found in possession of the giant reptile at a lodge are struggling to locate the Sakubva man who allegedly exposed the crime.
Simbarashe Mupuradzuva (40) who resides in Maonde is the key witness to the case.
He is the one who claimed to have discovered the snake and subsequently reported the matter to the police.
The chief suspect, Queen Mpofu, and the owner of the lodge, Loice Samhere, have since been arrested over the case and have appeared in court for initial remand.
The two women are facing charges of contravening Section 45 as read with Section 128 of the Parks and Wildlife Act which prohibits the hunting, keeping or possession of specified animals.
A police source close to the investigations said cops were failing to locate Mupuradzuva.
“If this witness is not located and summoned to appear in court to testify, this case will crumble like a deck of cards. He is the one who discovered the snake and he is the one who reported the matter to the police. He is no longer reachable on his mobile phone and officers have tried to look for him at his house in Sakubva but to no avail. No one really knows why he has suddenly disappeared, “ said the source who requested anonymity.
After the incident which went viral on social media, Mupuradzuva came out in the open and gave a harrowing account of how he discovered the snake at the lodge in an interview with The Weekender.
Initially, detectives arrested Mpofu over the case but Samhere was later picked up and subsequently apprehended over the same issue after Mpofu confessed to the cops that she was the owner of the snake.
Mpofu is alleged to have told the cops that she was only keeping the snake for Samhere.
However, Mpofu is now denying the case, saying she was never found in possession of the reptile.
-ManicaPost
The United Nations World Food Programme has announced saying it is running out of food by February 2020 if it does not receive US$200 million to feed 4.1 million struggling Zimbabweans currently facing starvation.
WFP’s Deputy Country Director in Zimbabwe, Niels Balzer, on Monday, called on countries to step up support to Zimbabwe, where millions of people are facing hunger. He said:
As things stand, we will run out of food by the end of February, coinciding with the peak of the hunger season – when needs are at their highest.
Firm pledges are urgently needed as it can take up to three months for funding commitments to become food on people’s tables.
Zimbabwe was hit by a severe drought during the 2018/19 rainy season, with the maize harvest dropping by 50 per cent.
In August, WFP had to launch an emergency lean season assistance programme, months earlier than expected.
By A Correspondent- Speaking at a Thanksgiving and Dedication service in Bulawayo recently, Reverend Andrew Wutawunashe of the Family of God Church (FOG) thanked President Emmerson Mnangagwa for calling on Zimbabweans to pray.
He said calls by the country’s first citizen on fellow Zimbabweans to pray unified the churches and showed that the country’s leader was sensitive to the people.
Said Wutawunashe:
“……We want to express particular appreciation for your sensitivity on calling upon the nation to pray. Our indigenous churches are rising up in unity.
Even when there have been challenges we want to thank God for leaders who have been sensitive to the people.
We have felt as we prayed and listened that as churches we must acknowledge before God that Zimbabwe is a blessed nation.”
The event was founded in 2000 and organised by Faith for the Nation Campaign. It brings together different church denominations.
This year, it was held at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds under the theme, “Counting our Blessings – Let us through homegrown unity affirm work and pray to achieve our national vision”.
-StateMedia
Dr Masimba Mavaza | The 18th Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference in Goromonzi closed after a week of intensive and fruitful deliberations.
Participants should be congratulated, especially those who prepared presentations at short notice and those who attended for the party, not for their pockets.
It should be stressed that all conference deliberations, no matter how brilliant, will remain paper unless efforts are made to implement them.
Therefore, it is critical for all the relevant authorities to stay fully engaged and support policies and resolutions conference has come up with. In my view, discussions around priority areas of action were fruitful.
Here, I highlight some key points.
Productive capacity, as the main focus of the country, needs to be given high priority not only by agencies whose core mandate is closely related to the enhancement of such capacity but also by all other stakeholders.
It was encouraging to hear that many departments and organisations already have made commitments to streamline imports and prioritise local production.
With respect to the inclusion of issues relevant to production in domestic forums, it is important that the ministerial meeting on agriculture has already included concerns and contributions to action regarding productive capacity, which will, hopefully, be replicated going forward.
But this is only going to happen if Government, especially its relevant departments, stays on that path. The conference endorsed as a resolution that The Party is above government. The party controls directs and is above government. Government ministers at selected from a pool of competent elected representatives. In that spirit the party forms the government of the day So the government being a creation of the party must not lead the party. The party must take the leading role. in order to serve the electorate the government must deliver so the party must supervise the government. the government must therefore serve the party over and above all.
Being that as it may it becomes easier for the party resolutions to be implemented by the government to the best interest of the people.
Minister Mthuli announced the end of the austerity measures.
The Zimbabwean government austerity programme is a fiscal policy adopted in 2018 in the new dispensation. it is a deficit reduction programme consisting of sustained reductions in public spending and tax rises, intended to reduce the government budget deficit and the role of the welfare state.
The effects of austerity policies have proved controversial and the policies have received criticism from a variety of politicians and economists. This affected the progress of the Roadworks and variety of infrustructural developments. We also heard that major work with respect to the Harare-Masvingo Road did not start in March 2017 as promised in Masvingo Conference.
Broader market access and economic growth has been made despite global crises. Zimbabwe is expected to have an economic boom as austerity measures are now yielding fruits.
We need to intensify our efforts in these and other areas, and implement conference resolutions in order to attain such ambitious objectives.
It is also very clear that implementation of conference resolutions is closely linked to economic processes, and so is good governance at all levels, which facilitates implementation of economic policy. The minister for Implementation cde Joram Gumbo must now use his Gumbo to hit the ground running. implementing is an armchair task which need a chair with wheels.
Thus issues related to good governance were highlighted not only in the dedicated session, but are also relevant in all other priority areas for action. More so that the party is above government.
Sharing experiences and lessons learned was mentioned throughout the week.
This is a crucial part of meaningful implementation, follow-up and monitoring of the economy, and should be done more intensively at all levels.
Corruption has been declared an enemy of the state.
With a view to ensuring full engagement of all stakeholders, Zanu-PF discussed a comprehensive roadmap for implementation, follow-up and monitoring of the action programme regarding corruption and cash shortages. Mainstreaming the economy to suit national development strategies is one of the most urgent tasks at hand. The party needs full support in this respect.
Building on the country experiences, the implementation and follow-up component needs to be strengthened, involving all relevant structures.
Establishment of a working group on the indicators to monitor the implementation of the objectives, goals and targets of the party is also necessary.
With respect to monitoring and evaluation, a more inclusive and participatory process, coordinated by the Office of the President, with substantive input from the whole system and beyond, is needed. The President called on agencies to have focal points, and the party was supposed to set a list of sustainable deliverables.
This would have also been a useful instrument for monitoring, at different levels.
Specific follow-up measures, which include establishing a taskforce to work on the terms of reference for the joint gap and capacity analysis with the aim of setting up a workable live economy, would have been achieved.
In addition, the party also needs to keep the momentum of engaging all stakeholder groups.
It is important that conference resolutions be implemented so that we achieve that much-needed economic turnaround.
Conference should not be a mere event but a proper barometer of our work.
The survival of the party must justify the calling of a next conference. After the conference, something must be seen to be happening.
A complete turn and good fortune must be witnessed.
A conference must yield fruits and must be a focal point of progress.
The way forward should be to walk the talk and reach the destination.
The lies of “a dying economy” should be viewed with scorn.
A total turnaround should be seen after conference. That’s the way to go.
The conference witnessed first hand that there is no infighting in the presidium. Both Vice Presidents confirmed their allegiance to the President and showed that they work towards one goal of retaining ED in Office. There is a unity of purpose within the party and the need to disregard the fake news meant on causing disunity within the party.
Since the party is above the government the conference becomes supreme to the government and the conference is set to be the supervisory meeting scrutinising the workings of the government.
As we now roll into the New year we pray that all the resolutions be implemented.
Julias Muguwe | Part 2 : Chrome Mining Could Be A Saviour If Only We Stop Looting!
I do believe we all had a good Christmas.
As promised I will further explain why I believe Mining can bring this economy on track. I have tried to avoid using Geological jargon, as only the likes of Dr Chris Mutsvangwa will comprehend this. I hope he will find this not a vapid article. Firstly lets understand some basic Geology facts about the Zimbabwe Great Dyke so that we are all on the same page.
The Great Dyke is a linear geological feature trending sub vertically across Zimbabwe. Basically there are for chambers on the great dyke namely Musengezi Complex, Hartley Complex, Shurugwi Complex and Wedza Complex. These are just the main mineralised zones. They are simply the centres where magma was intruded from the ground. When settled the magma formed layers composed of different mineralisation, ie Platinum (PGMs) and Chromite. See schematic diagram below also showing the distributions of mines and chrome tonnages along the great dyke.
Facts About The Great Dyke.
• It’s highly mineralised with Chromite and Platinum (PGMs). Gold, Copper, Nickel, Silver, tin, asbestos and cobalt occur in association.
• Zimbabwe has the 2nd largest Platinum/Chromite deposit in the World after South Africa. A similar structure in South Africa is called the Bushveld Igneous Complex
• Chromite is mined throughout the Dyke, especially in the Darwendale, Lalapanzi and Mutorashanga areas.
• The three largest chrome mining companies are on the dyke are Maranatha Ferrochrome, Zimalloys and Zimasco.
• Platinum group metals are currently mined at Ngezi Mine south of Selous by Zimplats of the Impala
Platinum Group, at Unki Mine near Shurugwi by Anglo American and at Mimosa
Mine near Zvishavane by Zimasco for Impala Platinum. The Hartley Platinum Mine near Makwiro is not currently operating.
• Most of the chrome mining activities take place through tributaries. A tributary arrangement is a form of subcontracting or leasing of mining ground on a temporary basis to a third party to exploit minerals in return for paying an economic rent to the lessor-that is the owner of the mineral rights.
• Tributary owners mining in the Zim Alloys and Zimasco claims can only sell to them at their own prices. Zim alloys and Zimasco have smelter that’s why but not fully operational at the moment.
• The tributary miners are getting prices per ton ranging from US$55 to US$80 against an expectation of US$120 which made operations sustainable. There was very little room for negotiations.
• 70% of Chromite claims are owned by Zim Alloys and Zimasco and these are the high-grade ores. Towards elections in February 2017 Minister Chidhakwa embarked on a move to expropriate some of Zim Alloys land to Zanu Pf youth. I do not know if this was affected.
• 30 % are owned by individuals and Seven Chinese Companies brought in by a top Government official. It’s only the Chinese companies who export chrome and the rest of the small-scale miners sell to Chinese companies at prices determined by the Chinese.
• Out of the 7 Chinese companies only one is on record to have obtained papers through the MMCZ the rest is through a political heavy weight and fraudulently. This is why in the Midlands the Chinese disobey every mining law because they are untouchable.
• China is the biggest purchaser of Zimbabwean Chromite. This is another reason why our government gets goose pimples when you talk about China. They claim they are our Best Friends. I don’t know how much they pay our treasury or the individual who protects them or who mortgaged these claims to them. I also don’t know him.
• Currently, the sector employs less than 2 000 people and it is has the potential to employ over 7 000 people in a conducive environment.
Our Chrome Rankings (as at 2013).
….
World Chrome Resources [Source: International Chromium Development Association (ICDA)]
1. Zimbabwe is No 2 in the World in terms of proven resource.
2. Production wise no 6, Is this not worrying?
3. Clearly shows we are lacking in managing mineral resources In Zimbabwe
The Economic Crisis
We can all start asking questions why are we are in a mess given this large chromite resource. If you re-read the above facts you will have all the answers. I have in my past write up said the Mining industry is run by nonentities and with regards to Chromite I will once again explain. How do we live with the fact that we are no 2 in the world in terms of Chrome deposit but we are not even in the top five in terms of producing Chromite. Surely something is amiss. Of the seven Chinese miners only one has confidently admitted that it had acquired the claims through the proper channels. MMCZ once did an audit in 2013 and also confirmed that in one of its audits that there were some locals who were being used as fronts (corruption) by Chinese to acquire claims. It is also observed that there are several challenges affecting production of chrome which include; lack of investment for recapitalization, use of obsolete equipment leading to high production costs as well as high tariff and shortages of electricity. Other issues that this Mines ministry is sitting on is the fact that the government is taking long to put in place a modern mining title system which would address claim ownership identities and wrangles.
The question that arises in everyones head is: How much does Chrome mining contribute to the fiscus.? This information is not in my know how but what I know is between 2009 and 2011 the country exported chrome worth US$53 million dollars. At that time and possibly now chrome attracts a royalty of 2% and the chrome sector is charged a royalty of 20%. This means the treasury received about US11 million. How laughable is this? While producers had made substantial profits, the country lost a lot of revenue through the export of chrome ore because of the lack of value addition. This is where these ignomarases heading the mining industries lost some brain cells. If this ministry knows what its doing it should use the levies to built smelters so that even the chrome fines and be smelted. Only lumpy ore is exported. This adds value to the product and creates jobs. At one time in the past the government once allowed small scale miners to export chrome. There was a chrome mining Boom!
However due to the huge profit margins made from exports when compared with selling to the local smelter, the chrome miming on the Great Dyke was done without following proper mining procedures leading to sterilization of mining ground and serious environmental degradation. A lot of the small-scale miners sell their coal to the Chinese who are allowed to export. Don’t you think the government is losing money on this whilst the Chinese and their protectors are benefitting big time? Your guess is as good as mine. A lot of Zimbabweans are brainwashed by being given these lowgrade claims and forced to sell to the Chinese who are just being used as fronts. The Chinese created the impression within the community and in some government institutions that someone in a very ‘high’ office in government protected them. By the way when will ZACC start work on the Great Dyke?
Following the ban on selling chrome internationally small-scale producers were left with no option but to sell to the local smelters who offer an average price of US$60 compared to an average international price of between US$110 and US$235 per tonne. In the process, this created a standoff between the small-scale producers and the local smelters. There are so many Chrome miners who are stuck with Chromite they don’t know what to do with.
This is because local smelters only accept an ore grade of 40% and above and yet most small-scale producers own chrome claims with a lower grade content which is not accepted by the smelters but has a market outside the country particularly in Asia.
The Solution –Stop Monopoly
Productivity in the chrome sector is on a serious decline and yet the sector has a huge, rich and largely untapped mineral resource, which has not been of much benefit to the country because the people heading mining don’t know what they are doing. Therefore it is imperative for government and the key players in the sector to actively work together to create a conducive environment that will lure investment, which would spur the growth of the independent small-scale producers, largescale producers and smelters. In the same vein, value addition of chrome is critical for the country because it will create more jobs and generate more revenue for treasury. It is also imperative for government to amend the Mines and Minerals Act, which would create a platform for the sector to address issues of monopoly over\ chrome claims and for the resolution of disputes between farmers and miners through a restructured Mining Affairs Board, which can effectively address contemporary issues. Last but not least it is important that the mining communities are also empowered so that they derive long-term benefits from minerals mined in their vicinity.
One most important and critical thing that the Ministry of Mines need to do as of yesterday is to make sure Mining companies like Zim Alloys and Zimasco are forced to release ground and the Ministry of Mines can use current legislation and/or if its inadequate, a Statutory Instrument (SI) can be crafted to handle the same. The Ministry of Mines should speedily bring to Parliament the amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act so as to promote growth, transparency and accountability in the mining sector the same manner they have brought in those repressive laws. The problem lies with the current Mines and Minerals Act that allows for base metal/ mineral claims to be inspected by payment in perpetuity as opposed to Precious metals that cannot be continually inspected by payment but by declaration of work. So these mining houses have held on to the rich chromite claims for so many years whilst the people are suffering as long as they pass inspections.
In Zimbabwe its easy ,one just bribes the inspectors.
The Government should create a condusive environment that lures investment into the sector by ensuring that there are no policy inconsistencies governing the mining sector. This is not happening because some people are benefitting from the Chinese monopoly. The local communities are not even benefitting from these shareholding structures. The shareholding structure of Sino-Zim, the largest shareholder of chrome claims in the country should be addressed so that locals especially the mining communities benefit. At the same time the shareholding structure of the company, which I hear is 73% in favour of the Chinese ownership should be re-aligned according to the indigenous laws, so that local people can actively participate and benefit from the sector. This is the only arrangement that was done before the new dispensation, which was not in line with the Mugabe’s 49%-51% indigenization policy. So who owns the Chinese company??????
It is also of concern that Chinese operations – Chinese companies should be legalized and respect the labour practices, and cultural values of the country. They should also adhere to their (SCR) social corporate responsibilities and desist from behaving as untouchables. They do have the same behaviour in the gold claims they are exploiting. I have witnessed this in Makaha North East of Mutoko. We will talk about Gold in due course. What you need to note now is gold occurs in the greenstone belts in Zimbabwe. In Kadoma and Kweke we have greenstone belts being mined by artisanal miners. (Small scale). These do pay a fee to the claim owners some in the form of gold. This is where find avanoti MaShurugwe or Makorokoza vanetsa. They are above the law. A story for another day! In whose gold claims are they mining?
A quick solution to this mess will be for the Government to nationalise the great dyke chrome, built smelters so that even the fines are treated locally before exporting. Chrome mining on the Great Dyke is limited to ground excavation using excavators and surely any regime can afford this. We do have the experts in the country. In addition a proper EMA legislation put in place to avoid environmental degradation.
Once again the economy can be put back on track if we have the right people and doing the right things. The lives of Zimbabweans can be improved. It is highly unlikely that the mining comatose can be resolved by this regime because they are the ones who brought about this mess. Cry my beloved country. Watch the space for the Gold and Diamonds debacle. Same people exercising
Thievocracy!
Written by Julias Muguwe
Once again I write in my capacity as a Competent Registered Geoscientist with SAIMM-(South African Institute Of Mining and Metallurgy), A fellow of the Geological Society of England (GEOSOL) and a competent person with SACNASP ( South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions). Julias Muguwe is the MDC UK and IRELAND Portfolio Secretary For Mines And Energy
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) has reported that the hunger the country is facing will persist till 2021.
The report from FEWSNET also said food aid requirements will persist even after the harvest, the population’s food needs will not be fully satisfied as food security will be stressed.
The report reads in part:
The population in need of humanitarian assistance across Southern Africa will remain high throughout 2020. In worst-affected areas of the region, Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes will likely persist during the post-harvest period.
In late 2020, at the start of the 2020/21 lean season, FEWS NET anticipates regional food assistance needs will increase even higher than needs during the first quarter of 2020.
There was a severe drought in 2019 that left half the total population in need of food aid .
FEWS NET
An indigenous church leader has expressed gratitude to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for supporting the National Thanksgiving and Dedication event held this Sunday.
Speaking at the event held in Zimbabwe’s second city of Bulawayo, Reverend Andrew Wutawunashe of the Family of God Church (FOG) said:
We want to express particular appreciation for your sensitivity on calling upon the nation to pray. Our indigenous churches are rising up in unity.
We have felt as we prayed and listened that as churches we must acknowledge before God that Zimbabwe is a blessed nation.
Even when there have been challenges we want to thank God for leaders who have been sensitive to the people.
The event was founded in 2000 and organised by Faith for the Nation Campaign. It brings together different church denominations.
This year, it was held at the
Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds under the theme, “Counting our Blessings – Let us through homegrown unity affirm work and pray to achieve our national vision”. ZBC News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLa6xfKHCLw
– An analysis of national events since 1980.
– Touching a woman has always led to a regime shift in Zimbabwe since 1980.
– Why is Mnangagwa panicking?
By Simba Chikanza| Every major regime shift in Zimbabwe has had a woman tied to it, all depending on how the woman is treated, a ZimEye caller analyses saying.
Zimbabwe’s economy began crashing from 1990, when Robert Mugabe began cheating on his ailing wife, Sally, John Smith continues.
A parallel report alleges Sally was assassinated while in hospital, in events that saw the current Health Minister who was just a dialysis technician, suddenly being conferred by ZANU PF the title medical doctor, without any qualification or training. (This is not to suggest that he had anything to do with her death, it is history.)
When Mugabe finally married his girlfriend, Grace, on 17 August 1996, there was a major regime shift, that suddenly hit the country like an earthquake. War veterans as it were, besieged state house and forced him to dish out $50,000 to them each. The economy crashed as a result. War veterans emerged the new national stock holders.
The next major regime shift, began in 2014 and it was a woman. Grace Mugabe got Vice President Joice Mujuru kicked out of power.
She would later kick out Emmerson Mnangagwa in Nov 2017. There was another major shift this time at a military level, a real coup. It was all about a woman. Grace was derided and called a prostitute. But many analysts say she could have actually become a better president because she was the better compromise, and the best bridge between the group made up of liberation fighters obsessed with the past, and the young population who are driven by a desire for the future.
The Zim economy has never been the same and Mnangagwa looted 5,9 billion from the central bank, RBZ within 5 months of removing the woman.
She would later mock the usurpers saying that they are running the country like a tuckshop.
It was one woman back then.
Today, we have not one, not 2 [two], but 3 (three) of them, women in the presidium and every one of them, there is currently something happening around them, that is national, suddenly. Where are going?
Mnangagwa has announced saying in 2030 I will still be here as president. Who is he talking to, and why is he panicking?
So far, his own wife, Auxillia has chased the ZANU PF leader through a maize field. She is no push over. CIOs are currently crying saying we are in trouble, the previous First Lady used to scold us at podiums, the new one literally beats us up at work.
This month, another woman is involved though differently. This is Mnangagwa’s deputy’s wife who has been abused by the husband. He earlier in the month sent policemen to brutally arrest her while stark naked inside her bathroom. No other woman has been treated like this since 1980. Police charges have been laid against her which point the same finger back to Chiwenga first and his boss, Mnangagwa second.
All her 5 kids were taken away from her, in violation against the law.
Will the land of Zimbabwe allow a woman to be abused like this?
Farai Dziva|The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is likely to reduce the number of constituencies in Bulawayo Province to 10.
Bulawayo Province currently has 12 constituencies.
Constituencies in Masvingo Province will also be reduced to 23 according to a preliminary report released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
See table below :
Farai Dziva|The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is likely to reduce the number of constituencies in Bulawayo Province to 10.
Bulawayo Province currently has 12 constituencies.
Constituencies in Masvingo Province will also be reduced to 23 according to a preliminary report released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
See table below :
By A Correspondent- The wife of the vice-president, Retired General Constantino Chiwenga, Marry Mubaiwa, has been further remanded to the 14th of January 2020 when she appeared for routine remand at the Harare magistrates court on Monday.
Her High Court bail and appeal hearings are set to be heard this Tuesday. Marry Mubaiwa is facing charges of attempted murder of her husband, the vice president Rtd Gen Constantino Chiwenga, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud. Marry has since denied allegations that she tried to kill her husband, the vice president.
In the 13-page bail application at the High Court, the 38-year-old Mubaiwa denied attempting to kill vice president Chiwenga and said the charges were fabricated.
She also argued that her former husband had brought the murder charges against her in an attempt to force her hand in divorce proceedings that are pending in the high court.
Mubaiwa who was remanded in custody on the 16th of December 2019 is facing charges of attempted murder on vice president Chiwenga, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud.
Mubaiwa told the court through her lawyers that her alleged offence occurred when the vice president was already physically frail and nursing injuries sustained in a bomb attack in Bulawayo in June last year.
In denying charges of attempting to murder her husband, Mubaiwa told the high court that Rtd Gen Chiwenga had asked President Emmerson Mnangagwa to make arrangements to have her sent to China, where he was being treated, and also gave her money.
Mubaiwa said in her bail application that President Mnangagwa “even sent his personal security with US$30,000 for her personal upkeep and use”.
All this occurred after July 2019, Mubaiwa’s lawyers told the court, adding that “it is inconceivable that this would have happened had she tried to murder her husband”.
As part of her bail conditions, Mubaiwa said she was willing to pay ZWL$10,000 as a bail deposit, surrender her passport to the court and report once every fortnight on Fridays at Borrowdale Police Station, in Harare.
Her lawyers asked that the former model be released on bail pending the commencement of her trial.
Mubaiwa said she was in poor health, traumatised and had lost weight owing to the ordeal she had endured since being arrested.
Her lawyers told the high court that Mubaiwa was a mother of young children who need their mother’s care. “Pre-trial detention will deny them of that,” they argued.
They added that Mubaiwa had no capacity to flee the country to escape prosecution.
— StateMedia
The wife of the vice-president, Retired General Constantino Chiwenga, Marry Mubaiwa, has been further remanded to the 14th of January 2020 when she appeared for routine remand at the Harare magistrates court on Monday.
Her High Court bail and appeal hearings are set to be heard this Tuesday. Marry Mubaiwa is facing charges of attempted murder of her husband, the vice president Rtd Gen Constantino Chiwenga, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud. Marry has since denied allegations that she tried to kill her husband, the vice president.
In the 13-page bail application at the High Court, the 38-year-old Mubaiwa denied attempting to kill vice president Chiwenga and said the charges were fabricated.
She also argued that her former husband had brought the murder charges against her in an attempt to force her hand in divorce proceedings that are pending in the high court.
Mubaiwa who was remanded in custody on the 16th of December 2019 is facing charges of attempted murder on vice president Chiwenga, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud.
Mubaiwa told the court through her lawyers that her alleged offence occurred when the vice president was already physically frail and nursing injuries sustained in a bomb attack in Bulawayo in June last year.
In denying charges of attempting to murder her husband, Mubaiwa told the high court that Rtd Gen Chiwenga had asked President Emmerson Mnangagwa to make arrangements to have her sent to China, where he was being treated, and also gave her money.
Mubaiwa said in her bail application that President Mnangagwa “even sent his personal security with US$30,000 for her personal upkeep and use”.
All this occurred after July 2019, Mubaiwa’s lawyers told the court, adding that “it is inconceivable that this would have happened had she tried to murder her husband”.
As part of her bail conditions, Mubaiwa said she was willing to pay ZWL$10,000 as a bail deposit, surrender her passport to the court and report once every fortnight on Fridays at Borrowdale Police Station, in Harare.
Her lawyers asked that the former model be released on bail pending the commencement of her trial.
Mubaiwa said she was in poor health, traumatised and had lost weight owing to the ordeal she had endured since being arrested.
Her lawyers told the high court that Mubaiwa was a mother of young children who need their mother’s care. “Pre-trial detention will deny them of that,” they argued.
They added that Mubaiwa had no capacity to flee the country to escape prosecution.
— StateMedia
By A Correspondent- Winky D’s manager has been reportedly called in for questioning by the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
Journalist Maynard Manyowa, revealed this on social media adding that the album launch scheduled for tomorrow will likely be cancelled.
He said:
“Am told Winky D’s manager has been called in by The Zimbabwe Republic Police & is currently at CID Law and Order, at Harare Central Police Station. A senior Police source tells me he is unsure if its a detention but says this is more likely to do with Winky D’s album launch tomorrow, which maybe cancelled if clearance and permission wasn’t sought prior.
The source adds that the launch may be classified as a political gathering or a gathering to air political statements, which the senior source says means Winky ought to have asked for POSA (Public Order and Security Act) clearance.
Also says Police are concerned that people offended by Winky’s songs may cause violence.
Another reason he says police may try to put forward is that they apparently don’t have adequate resources to maintain peace, law and order at the show as their resources are stretched thin over New Year.
These among others maybe put forward as reasons for cancelling the show. If it does happen that they take that route.
I tried and failed to get any official comment from any senior police figures. None of the three I know who can speak on behalf of the police as a whole is picking calls.
The Information ministry this afternoon denied reports that government had banned radio stations from interviewing Winky D and gagging his scheduled interview with radio personality Chamvary. However, the interview was not done despite being advertised.
Own Correspondent|President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s panicking government has ordered the state controlled Power FM radio station to cancel a scheduled interview with Zimdancehall superstar Winky D.
The popular musician, real name Wallace Chirumiko, is set to launch a new album called “Njema” which has unnerved the government because of what it perceives as politically charged songs.
Winky D was also supposed to hold an interview with Star FM on Monday afternoon and was supposedly cancelled on government insistence.
Sources claim the government has even gone further to instruct all radio stations to stop playing his music especially the new album.
“The song Ijipita has thrown the Zanu PF government into panic and they are moving to ban his music. They have already told Power FM to scrap their interview with him,” the source told us.
The Ministry of Information however denied the government was involved in cancelling the interview;
“We have noted an article on an online publication making a false claim that Govt has banned one of our local artists from being interviewed on national radio. These are unfounded falsehoods. Members of the Media are advised to fact-check with us on related matters,” they tweeted.
Last year Winky D was pelted by bottles by suspected Zanu PF hooligans before he could perform his controversial hit song, “Kasong KeJecha” in Kwekwe.
Video footage showed the singer being attacked with bottles as he was preparing to go on stage.
The title KaSong KeJecha appeared to embrace the opposition MDC Alliance’s slogan ‘kudira jecha’ although Winky D’s manager, Jonathan Banda disputed this saying the song has a social interpretation and the “Ninja President” as he is known was not affiliated to any political party.
Meanwhile all is set Winky D’s “Njema Album Launch” at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) on Tuesday, the 31st of December.
Source: Nehanda Radio
By A Correspondent- An indigenous church leader has expressed gratitude to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for supporting the National Thanksgiving and Dedication event held this Sunday.
Speaking at the event held in Zimbabwe’s second city of Bulawayo, Reverend Andrew Wutawunashe of the Family of God Church (FOG) said:
“We want to express particular appreciation for your sensitivity on calling upon the nation to pray. Our indigenous churches are rising up in unity.
We have felt as we prayed and listened that as churches we must acknowledge before God that Zimbabwe is a blessed nation.
Even when there have been challenges we want to thank God for leaders who have been sensitive to the people.”
The event was founded in 2000 and organised by Faith for the Nation Campaign. It brings together different church denominations.
This year, it was held at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds under the theme, “Counting our Blessings – Let us through homegrown unity affirm work and pray to achieve our national vision”.
-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- Auditor-general Mildred Chiri has raised a red flag over the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF)’s non-compliance to International Accounting Standard 21 in respect of its 2018 financials.
IAS 21 outlines how to account for foreign currency transactions and operations in financial statements, and also how to translate financial statements into a presentation currency.
ZIMDEF reported revenues amounting to US$46 021 743 for 2018, up from US$44 261 474 in 2017.
However, in reporting its 2018 financials the fund failed to take into account the effects of the changes in foreign exchange rates.
This was in addition to reporting its financials in United States dollar, even though the Zimbabwe dollar is presently the reporting currency.
Zimbabwe adopted a multi-currency system in 2009, which was largely underpinned by the United States dollar, and listed firms adopted the US dollar as their book keeping currency. But there have been significant monetary shifts in the period between then and now.
Said Mrs Chiri in her comments on ZIMDEF’s financials:
“The fund has maintained its functional currency as the US$ and has presented the financial statements in US$ using the official foreign exchange rate of 1:1. Had the fund applied the requirements of IAS 21, many of the elements of the accompanying financial statements would have been materially impacted and therefore the departure from the requirements of IAS 21 is considered to be pervasive.
“The financial effects on the financial statements of this departure have not been determined. A sensitivity analysis of how different exchange rates would impact on the statement of financial position has been presented… However, these amounts presented may not reflect the opening balances, in RTGS dollars going forward.”
IAS 21 has become of particular importance in Zimbabwe due to the currency developments that have taken place since the beginning of the year.
Earlier in February Zimbabwe’s monetary authorities responded to calls for a free floating exchange rate system and set up the foreign currency interbank market.
And in June the Government effectively ended the long-standing multicurrency system and re-introduced the Zimbabwe dollar through Statutory Instrument 142 of 2019.
Between February and October 2019, the local currency (RTGS dollar, then later Zimbabwe dollar) has moved from trading at a rate of 2,5 to the United States dollar, to around 16 to the US dollar on the interbank market.
ZIMDEF was established in terms of the Manpower Planning and Development Act and is administered by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development; its contributions are employer contributions only based on cost to the employer of the employment of staff.
The payment is based on 1 percent of the total wage bill inclusive of allowances, bonuses, benefits, National Social Security Authority, Medical Aid, National Employment Council and Pension contributions.
-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- Prof Mthuli Ncube said this recently in the Senate during debate on the Finance (No. 3 Bill) on the 2020 budget.
He said in order to climate proof agriculture, there was need to invest more on irrigation, adding that a budget of $500 million was allocated towards that. In 2020, Ncube allocated $11,3 billion towards agriculture.
“We have set aside a budget of the order of $500 million for irrigation because we wish to climate proof our agriculture,” Ncube said.
“We have also set aside a budget of the order of $250 million to deal with dam construction, but also to acquire meteorological equipment for us to track weather patterns.
Everyone knows that the drought has been severe and it has depressed agriculture by as much as 18% of gross domestic product (GDP) and overall GDP of minus 6,5%,” he said.
The Finance minister said financing agriculture could be through partnering with banks, and also crowd sourcing in the private sector.
“To achieve this we need to deal with the issue of the 99-year leases which have not been accepted by banks,” he said.
Rejoice Timire (Senator representing people with disabilities) then asked Ncube to explain what he will do to ensure that there is enough water in the country to support agriculture.
“Dams are a long term relief to irrigation, but Zimbabwean people are suffering because there is no water. Women are suffering because they are getting water from faraway places. Even in urban areas there are long queues of people trying to look for water,” Timire said.
Ncube said to alleviate water problems, the 2020 budget allocates $233 million to the District Development Fund (DDF) for the purpose of drilling boreholes, mainly in the rural areas.
“We have another budget for about $45 million for the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) to do likewise because they have different capacities. Zinwa is capacitated to drill deeper boreholes, especially in the drier areas, but we are aware that the Chinese have also given us aid for drilling boreholes where they pay contractors to drill boreholes,” he said.
On perennial water crisis in the urban areas, Ncube said: “In the budget we have allocated resources for chemicals and for upgrading the infrastructure in the urban areas,” adding that some of the devolution resources must focus on funding water and sanitation.
-Newsday
Letter To Editor
I have followed the recent rise of machete wielding Mashurugwi gangs attacking and killing willy-nilly in day light with impunity.
The recent callous murder of a police officer by these gangs is evidence that the country lacks leadership directed at protecting citizens.
The machete gangs are armed and a threat to civilians in all parts of the country, but the government is turning a blind eye like they are a sanctioned military wing just as Gukurahundi and Green Bombers was.
The action of the Mashurugwi resembles that of the infamous Green Bombers, Zanu PF’s political army. It therefore does not surprise that the carnage inflicted by these Mashurugwi is still allowed to go on.
Who is benefiting from these marauding gangs? There is a danger that they could soon be turned into a political army killing people for political reasons.
There is every need to address this situation and establish the facts as why the government is not responding with full force.
What makes it more questionable is the government’s inaction in bringing these Mashurugwi to to order yet it would disproportionately respond to unarmed civilians genuinely protesting the state of the country’s economic hardship.
This is seriously unacceptable and a threat to peace and order to the general public more concerned with putting food on the table in these difficult economic times.
The country is currently void of national leadership concerned with economic development and rule of law.
It’s rational to say that since the Mnangagwa regime came to power the main concern has been his personal protection and securing his presidency through ruthless suppression and killings.
It absolutely necessary that Nelson Chamisa and his MDC ask government why there is simple no action against these murderous gangs. The country needs answers!
ZIMBABWE is set for a tougher year ahead if political leaders fail to find common ground and tackle the socio-economic crisis that has left the country on a cliff-edge, observers have said.
The country witnessed one of the worst Christmas holidays in memory as many endured the day without water, electricity and cash.
Observers say Zimbabwe’s only hope was for a political solution to the crisis, starting with talks between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.
Political analyst Alexander Rusero said 2020 would be a defining year for Zimbabwe and the political leaders must do the right thing for the country.
“2020 is a defining year on whether Zanu PF will sink itself and Zimbabwe with the crisis or whether it shall rise to the task and do what everyone expects it to do, reach out to the MDC Alliance and its leader Nelson Chamisa to map the way forward. All realities are pointing to serious negotiations and dialogue desperately needed to rescue Zimbabwe from the current precipice, regardless of pontification and bravado that Zanu PF protagonists otherwise display in public,” Rusero said.
Another analyst Phillan Zamchiya wrote that Mbeki may need to be broad in his push for talks and include civic society and the military.
“I hope when (former South African President Thabo) Mbeki completes his power analysis, he will find the wisdom to include in his dialogue framework civil society and representatives of the commissioned commanders of the Zimbabwe National Army, who wield immense power behind the scenes,” Zamchiya said.
“Most party hardliners across the MDC and Zanu PF will view leaders who compromise with mistrust in such a polarised polity. Not to compromise is seen as improving one’s political profile among die-hard members of the party. Contrary to this is that most of the general supporters who bear the day-to-day suffering of the Zanu PF misrule see democratic compromise as a source of strength, not as a sign of surrendering and signifying end-of-life.”
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general Japhet Moyo last week said 2019 has been tough for workers and there were no indications that 2020 would be better.
“We are not sure if the majority of workers will be able to pay their fees come January. We have already seen shocking figures coming from schools on what is going to be the fees,” he said.
Mbeki was recently in Zimbabwe to meet all political players and other stakeholders to help break the impasse.More in Home
He promised another visit before year end to try and bring the warring parties together, but ever since his departure, Mnangagwa and Chamisa have taken turns to bring lists of conditions before dialogue could commence.
The future remains bleak for university students after their fees were raised from $800 to around $12 000, far beyond the reach of many.
Many who spoke to NewsDay yesterday said there was no option, but to drop out of college.
Mnangagwa has insisted that no dialogue will be held outside the Political Actors Dialogue platform (Polad), while Chamisa has said he will never agree to join the group.
Opposition vice-president Tendai Biti said one of the biggest fights in 2020 would be to stop Zanu PF from amending the Constitution to give more power to the President.
“One of 2020’s biggest fights will be against Zanu PF’s pernicious attempts to amend the Constitution. The creation of an imperial president should be resisted. Presidential authoritarianism and first past the post has failed Africa from Togo, Kenya, Cameroon to Zambia,” he charged.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLa6xfKHCLw
– An analysis of national events since 1980.
– Touching a woman has always led to a regime shift in Zimbabwe since 1980.
– Why is Mnangagwa panicking?
By Simba Chikanza| Every major regime shift in Zimbabwe has had a woman tied to it, all depending on how the woman is treated, a ZimEye caller analyses saying.
Zimbabwe’s economy began crashing from 1990, when Robert Mugabe began cheating on his ailing wife, Sally, John Smith continues.
A parallel report alleges Sally was assassinated while in hospital, in events that saw the current Health Minister who was just a dialysis technician, suddenly being conferred by ZANU PF the title medical doctor, without any qualification or training. (This is not to suggest that he had anything to do with her death, it is still history.)
When Mugabe finally married his girlfriend, Grace, on 17 August 1996, there was a major regime shift, that suddenly hit the country like an earthquake. War veterans as it were, besieged state house and forced him to dish out $50,000 to them each. The economy crashed as a result. War veterans emerged the new national stock holders.
The next major regime shift, began in 2014 and it was a woman behind it. Grace Mugabe got Vice President Joice Mujuru kicked out of power.
She would later kick out Emmerson Mnangagwa in Nov 2017. There was another major shift this time at a military level, a real coup. It was all about a woman. Grace was derided and called a prostitute. But many analysts say she could have actually become a better president because she was the better compromise, and the best bridge between the group made up of liberation fighters obsessed with the past, and the young population who are driven by a desire for the future.
The Zim economy has never been the same and Mnangagwa looted 5,9 billion from the central bank, RBZ within 5 months of removing the woman.
She would later mock the usurpers saying that they are running the country like a tuckshop.
It was one woman back then.
Today, we have not one, but 3 (three) of them, women in the presidium and every one of them, there is currently something happening around them, that is national, suddenly. Where are going?
Mnangagwa has announced saying in 2030 I will still be here as president. Who is he talking to, and why is he panicking?
So far, his own wife, Auxillia has chased the ZANU PF leader through a maize field. She is no push over. CIOs are currently crying saying we are in trouble, the previous First Lady used to scold us at podiums, the new one literally beats us up at work.
This month, another woman is involved though differently. This is Mnangagwa’s deputy’s wife who has been abused by the husband. He earlier in the month sent policemen to brutally arrest her while stark naked inside her bathroom. No other woman has been treated like this since 1980. Police charges have been laid against her which point the same finger back to Chiwenga first and his boss, Mnangagwa second.
All her 5 kids were taken away from her, in violation against the law.
Will the land of Zimbabwe allow a woman to be abused like this?
Facebook-owned messaging app- ‘Whatsapp’ is going to stop its operations on several smartphones soon. According to reports, the company has issued a notification stating that there are a number of Android and iOS-based smartphones which will not be able to run the most popular messaging app from February 01, 2020. The company further cited older versions of Operating System as the reason.
As per the information available on the company’s FAQ section, the devices still running on Android versions 2.3.7 and iOS 8 will not support the chat app after February next year.Scroll to continue with content
“For the following operating systems, you can no longer create new accounts, nor reverify existing accounts. However, you’ll be able to continue using WhatsApp on: Android versions 2.3.7 and older until February 1, 2020, and iOS 8 and older until February 1, 2020,” reads the statement.
The messaging app further clarified that that one can run the software on devices running Android OS 4.0.3+, iPhone (running iOS 9+), and KaiOS 2.5.1+, including JioPhone and JioPhone 2.
“We provide support for and recommend using the following devices: Android running OS 4.0.3+, iPhone running iOS 9+, Select phones running KaiOS 2.5.1+, including JioPhone and JioPhone 2,” the statement reads.
The company further claimed that chat app will not operate on Windows phone after December 31, 2019. In the FAQ section, it said “You’ll no longer be able to use all Windows Phone operating systems after December 31, 2019.”
– The EFF plans to become an international party and spread across the continent of Africa
– A former Zimbabwean minister has joined the party, bolstering its efforts to dislodge President Emmerson Mnangagwa
– The EFF adopted a resolution to challenge other governments across Africa at their last elective conference PAY
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have set their targets on Africa as the party plans to spread their message across the continent.
The first country on their list is Zimbabwe after a former Zimbabwean minister, Patrick Zhuwao, joined the EFF. Briefly, .co.za learned that this gives the EFF a legitimate reason to go after President Emmerson Mnangagwa and challenge his rule.
“Consequently, I have applied to join EFF as a fighter and ordinary card-carrying member in a branch within Gauteng Province.
I am happy to work as a ground fighter. I do not seek elected office; as a refugee, I am not eligible anyway,” Zhuwao said. “I have already served in senior leadership positions within Zanu-PF from the time I was elected district secretary (similar to subregion) in 1995 and rose through the region, province and national levels to the Zanu-PF politburo. I am putting aside my ego to help Africa develop a political culture that detracts from the entitlement mantra that has become so pervasive in liberation movements. We must fix the continent,” said Zhuwao.
The minister is currently in exile in South Africa and claims that under the current regime Zimbabweans are suffering according to city-press.news24.com. “It’s not just exiled [former president Robert] Mugabe ministers who are affected but other economic and political refugees from Zimbabwe who are scattered throughout South Africa, the continent and the whole world,” said Zhuwao. Zimbabwe is currently plagued by a myriad of problems, ranging from corruption, lack of foreign currency, drought and sanctions.
The scarcity of fuel and power have resulted in the annual inflation rising to 440%, the second-highest in the world. Mnangagwa’s current opposition, Nelson Chamisa, whose ideas differ widely from the president’s, has left the country divided across party lines.
Zhuwao said that while the Zanu-PF is in power and no reforms are carried out it would be an act of futility to contest the 2023 elections. Here is where the EFF enter into the picture.
The party decided at their recent leadership election to take the party international and spread across the continent of Africa. “I agree with CIC Malema’s view that Mnangagwa can be defeated. Chamisa won the 2018 presidential election which was stolen as proven in Professor Jonathan Moyo’s Excelgate book. Whilst I am not a member of MDC, I, however, respect the democratic expression of Zimbabweans who electorally expressed their wish for Chamisa to be president of Zimbabwe,” Zhuwao said. The EFF already have parties using their name in Namibia, Liberia, Malawi and Zimbabwe. The party has already enjoyed some success in Namibia after winning two parliamentary seats.
Citizen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLa6xfKHCLw
– An analysis of national events since 1980.
– Touching a woman has always led to a regime shift in Zimbabwe since 1980.
– Why is Mnangagwa panicking?
By Simba Chikanza| Every major regime shift in Zimbabwe has had a woman tied to it, all depending on how the woman is treated, a ZimEye caller analyses saying.
Zimbabwe’s economy began crashing from 1990, when Robert Mugabe began cheating on his ailing wife, Sally, John Smith continues.
A parallel report alleges Sally was assassinated while in hospital, in events that saw the current Health Minister who was just a dialysis technician, suddenly being conferred by ZANU PF the title medical doctor, without any qualification or training. (This is not to suggest that he had anything to do with her death, it is history.)
When Mugabe finally married his girlfriend, Grace, on 17 August 1996, there was a major regime shift, that suddenly hit the country like an earthquake. War veterans as it were, besieged state house and forced him to dish out $50,000 to them each. The economy crashed as a result. War veterans emerged the new national stock holders.
The next major regime shift, began in 2014 and it was a woman. Grace Mugabe got Vice President Joice Mujuru kicked out of power.
She would later kick out Emmerson Mnangagwa in Nov 2017. There was another major shift this time at a military level, a real coup. It was all about a woman. Grace was derided and called a prostitute. But many analysts say she could have actually become a better president because she was the better compromise, and the best bridge between the group made up of liberation fighters obsessed with the past, and the young population who are driven by a desire for the future.
The Zim economy has never been the same and Mnangagwa looted 5,9 billion from the central bank, RBZ within 5 months of removing the woman.
She would later mock the usurpers saying that they are running the country like a tuckshop.
It was one woman back then.
Today, we have not one, but 3 (three) of them, women in the presidium and every one of them, there is currently something happening around them, that is national, suddenly. Where are going?
Mnangagwa has announced saying in 2030 I will still be here as president. Who is he talking to, and why is he panicking?
So far, his own wife, Auxillia has chased the ZANU PF leader through a maize field. She is no push over. CIOs are currently crying saying we are in trouble, the previous First Lady used to scold us at podiums, the new one literally beats us up at work.
This month, another woman is involved though differently. This is Mnangagwa’s deputy’s wife who has been abused by the husband. He earlier in the month sent policemen to brutally arrest her while stark naked inside her bathroom. No other woman has been treated like this since 1980. Police charges have been laid against her which point the same finger back to Chiwenga first and his boss, Mnangagwa second.
All her 5 kids were taken away from her, in violation against the law.
Will the land of Zimbabwe allow a woman to be abused like this?
ZHRC CONDEMNS ATTACK ON POLICE BY MACHETE-WIELDING MOB
The ZHRC unreservedly condemns the callous and unwarranted attack by the unruly and greedy machete-wielding mob on the police in the discharge of their Constitutional mandate at Brompton, Battlefields leading to the sad loss of life of Constable Wonder Hokoyo as reported in the Herald of 29th instant.
The police on duty or in their spare time have, like anybody else, a right to life which is God-given and constitutionally guaranteed.
This fundamental right is sacrosanct and should be respected and protected by all and sundry in a free and democratic society which Zimbabwe is.
The law, of course, must take its full course in barbaric instances of this nature. The Commission condemns all similar past and presents barbaric and intentional murders with the contempt they deserve and exhort law enforcement agencies to ensure the law takes its full course in all such instances.
The Commission extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family of Constable Hokoyo, his workmates and the Commissioner-General and staff on this disturbing and untimely death of our gallant protector of law and public order and fundamental human rights.
May His Dear Soul Rest In Eternal Peace.
By A Correspondent- The government has dismissed reports that Zimdancehall kingpin, Winky D, has been blocked from being interviewed on all local radio stations ahead of the launch of his album set for the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) on Tuesday.
In a statement posted on its Twitter handle this Monday afternoon, the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services said:
We have noted an article on an online publication making a false claim that Govt has banned one of our local artists from being interviewed on national radio. These are unfounded falsehoods. Members of the Media are advised to fact-check with us on related matters.
Earlier reports had claimed that Winky D’s interview with Chamvary on Star FM today was cancelled and his music was set to be banned on local radio stations because of his song, Ijipita.
By A Correspondent- Mshika-shika gangs operating in the Central Business District (CBD) are reportedly stealing valuables from unsuspecting passengers, most of them cross border traders.
A local publication established that passengers who have their goods placed on top or back of the mushikashika cars are falling victim as the gang opens bags to steal some valuables in transit.
Most of these cases are occurring in pirate taxis plying the Roadport-Market Square route.
Melisa Mbengo, a cross border trader coming from South Africa yesterday said she had some of her groceries stolen by the Mshika-shika crew after she boarded a pirate taxi at Corner Jason Moyo Avenue and Simon Muzenda Street.
“I only realised when I got home that I was missing some baby clothes that I had bought in Johannesburg for my grandson.
“I know these touts sitting at the back would take some items in the bag and you won’t even notice until you get home.
“It’s just a short distance and they would have already taken so much from your luggage,” she said.
Some Mshika-shika crew interviewed by a local publication at the Simon Muzenda rank confirmed that there are several pirate taxi operators stealing from passengers in the CBD.
“There is a blue Honda Fit which was doing rounds from here and we can help you identify the car.
-HMetro
By A Correspondent- A Machete-wielding group known as “Team Barca” which were formally led by the gang leader who was killed in a gun exchange with the police near David Whitehead last month fatally hacked and clubbed a police officer at Battlefields mine on Saturday.
The officer, Wonder Hokoyo (27) and his colleague who was seriously injured in the attack, were defending Good Hope Mine workers from a marauding gang armed with machetes and logs and catapults.
Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and Kwekwe‘s Assistant Commissioner Muswere spoke to a local publication and said:
We have dispatched our Support Unit, DRG and dog section into the area to make a follow up on yesterday’s (Saturday) incident. Everyone is on the ground and we are looking for leads. This operation will bring the culprits to book.
-StateMedia
30 December 2019
ZACC Reporting Office 1
No.5 Golda Avenue
Strathaven
Avondale Harare
Re: Suspected Abuse of UNICEF Funds for Ward Nutrition Coordinators Salaries (WNC) by MoHCC
Dear Sir/Madam
We write to raise alarm on what we suspect to be a case of donor funds abuse meant for salaries personnel contracted as Ward Nutrition Coordinators across numerous districts in Zimbabwe.
For months on end throughout 2019, employees have received salaries well after the contract designated dates.
A particular case in point is where employees are awaiting November and December 2019 salaries despite their contracts having expired.
Kindly be advised we seek this to be an anonymous report and ZACC to launch an investigation into the handling of salaries of WNC by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
By A Correspondent- A 19 year old woman died at the Bulawayo 2019 Shutdown concert yesterday morning when she was choked by her jacket which was caught on the razor wire as she attempted to jump over a precast wall.
It’s suspected Shantelle Sibangilizwe Ndlovu of Cowdray Park suburb, was trying to gain free entry into the show where South Africa’s Nasty C, Mafikizolo, Nadia Nakai and Zimbabwe’s Winky D, Cal vin, Asaph and Novuyo Seagirl were performing.
Ndlovu who was hanging by the jacket from the razor wire behind the second VVIP, was discovered at around 3AM yesterday.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the incident saying police found Ndlovu semi-conscious.
“Informant who was part of the revellers at the 2019 Shutdown Music show informed police that there was a lady hanging from the razor wire at the durawall (precast wall). Police attended the scene and found the now deceased (Ndlovu) semi-conscious hanging by a jacket on the durawall with her feet on the ground,” said Chief Insp Simango.
She said that the late Ndlovu was found with some unknown brown substance in a sachet and was taken to hospital.
“She had visible scratches on her neck which were likely attributed to the razor wire. Police searched her and found in her possession a sachet of an unknown brown powder. She was taken to Mpilo Central hospital where the doctor certified her dead upon arrival,” said Chief Insp Simango.
A witness at the scene said Ndlovu had a pulse when she was discovered by a man who also wanted to use the same point she is suspected to have jumped from, to gain free entry.
“We went there after being alerted by the man and when we checked she had a pulse,” said the witness who declined to be named.
The witness said when they called an ambulance, they were advised that the ambulance had no fuel.
Mpilo Central Hospital clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya confirmed that Ndlovu was already dead when she arrived at the hospital.
-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- A Masvingo man is counting his losses after his car Mitsubishi Pajero valued at $141 500 was stolen while he was having quality time with his girlfriend.
Police sources allege Naison Marufu (36) visited his girlfriend Rutendo Charuka (25) at her place of residence on Saturday and left the car keys on the ignition while charging his phone.
On Sunday around 1am Marufu went to where he parked his motor vehicle and discovered the offence .
He then filed a police report at Chesvingo post.
-Wires
By A Correspondent- Marondera Municipality is planning on turning an idle state of the sewer plant into fish ponds.
A source that spoke to a local publication said;
The state-of-the art sewer plant is going to be turned into fish ponds, with council set to offer a lease to someone who has shown interest in fish farming. The BNRs are a modern sewer system such that if completed, they could have solved all the sewer problems in the town.
Marondera resolved to turn the sewer into fish ponds despite the town’s sewer problems.
-Newsday
ByA Correspondent- The community of Matshetsheni area of Gwanda district has been left in a state of shock after an 86 year old woman was allegedly rap_ed by her great-grandson.
While members of the community were busy celebrating the Christmas holiday at Nkazhe business centre in Matshesheni area, an 86 year old woman was being brutally rap_ed by her great-grandson who had just returned home for the festive season.
A neighbour who preferred anonymity told the ZBC news that the victim who is receiving treatment at Gwanda hospital was bleeding profusely when she came to her house calling for help around 3 am this Thursday.
“Gogo told me that she was sleeping in her hut when the suspect allegedly broke into and rap_ed her. She came to me around 3.24 am to seek help. She was bleeding badly and in a state of shock “ she said.
It is alleged that earlier on Christmas day the suspected rap_ist visited his great grandmother and gave her 30 Rand before breaking into her home in the wee hours of Thursday morning.
A relative of the suspect said it was not the first time the alleged se_xual predator has rap_ed women in the family.
The accused is alleged to have rap_ed his aunt in August 2011 before rap_ing another 67-year-old relative on the 25th of December the same year.
The community alleges that the serial rap_ist committed similar crimes in Plumtree and Mbalalabala in the past before fleeing to South Africa.
Meanwhile, the suspected serial rap_ist has been arrested after being apprehended by members of the community this Thursday.
Police in Gwanda confirmed the incident.
-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has implored Zimbabweans to pray for his deputy Constantino Chiwenga who was recently flown back to China for a medical review and is expected back home soon.
Mnangagwa made the call while addressing congregants during the third edition of the annual National Thanksgiving and Dedication Service at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Grounds in Bulawayo.
He said:
“I wish that as we pray, we also remember to pray for Vice-President Chiwenga who is back in China for medical review. He will be back in the country soon.”
VP Chiwenga returned home last month after his four-month-long stay in China where he was receiving treatment.
Dear Editor
It seems things are not well at All Souls Mission School in Mutoko District, Mashonaland East Province and Government through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should move in immediately to put the situation in order.
The school authorities are now bowing to the School Development Committee (SDC) who are now running the school like their personal tuckshop. Resolutions are now passed without proper consultations with the stakeholders who are the parents of the children at the school.
School fees are being hiked overnight in the pretext that there were approved by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. The SDC smuggle officials from the education ministry and declare that fees were approved by the same officials without the consent of the parents and no documents of approval from the same ministry are shown to the effect.
The recent hike of fees from about $2000 Zimbabwe dollars to $7000 Zimbabwe dollars has raised eyebrows for parents and many feel the decision was done without proper consultation and cannot fit in the recent announcement by the government that fees should not go beyond an increase above the range of 20 percent.
“Schools should not increase fees by more than 20 percent without Government approval, while charging in foreign currency is illegal.
It is also an offence for schools to sell uniforms or force parents to buy them at selected stores, Acting Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Kirsty Coventry has said.
This followed a request by legislator, Ms Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, for the ministry to comment on issues ranging from fees and also the 2019 Grade Seven results, among others.
Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga is the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education.
The increase in fees by All Souls High is being spearheaded by the SDC led by the Chairperson, Ms Wadzanayi Kanyuchi who has been using the back door to snub the parents a proper meeting.
Minister Coventry said fees increases should be agreed upon by parents during properly-constituted meetings.
“Our fees currently should comply with Statutory Instrument 121 of 2019 where pricing is done in local currency and this does not give room for rating fees according to the prevailing bank rate since all fees are in local currency.
“Application for fees increases should be below 20 percent increase and any other increases should be approved by the head of the ministry as directed in the Secretaries Circular Minute Number 6 of 2018.”
Some school which are better than All Souls have not increased boarding fees to that much, the SDC should work in unison with parents.
Parents who spoke to this writer said there are short changed with the SDC at All Souls School.
“The SDC is no-longer representing the grievances of the parents and we have lost trust in them whether they represent parents or there are doing it for their own benefit we don’t know.
“The SDC should be realistic you can’t jump from $2000 to more than $7000, how did they come to conclude such a figure, we deserve a decent pricing on the school fees.
“We are appealing to one of the administrators, Father Aaron Kamusekere to help us, it seems the school is under siege from the crop of committees who are not considerate. We suspect the current committee is concerned about making money of their own, taking advantage of the current economic situation to squeeze parents”, said one of the parents who preferred not to be published.
Another one who preferred to be identified as Mr Carlos, said the SDC are supposed to step down this December, and parents feel that Ms Kanyuchi and company are running the school SDC with a ‘we don’t care attitude’ and the question ticking in our minds is to fulfil whose motive?
Previous reports indicate that when Ms Kanyuchi was also a Chairperson at Chishawasha Primary school, she had some brushes with the school community when she played the same modus operandi of passing decisions without following proper route, many questioned her way of doing things.
“All my children did their education at All Souls School, it is my first time to witness and hear that decisions are passed by the SDC without full consultation with the parents and also a proper quorum,” another parent queried.
Also through an All Souls School WhatsApp group alleged reports are that Ms Kanyuchi used the platform to insult parents telling them to remove their children and find other schools if they feel that her decision as a chairperson was in bad taste adding that she had powers to decide on any matter without listening to anyone.
Whether consultation were done or not, parents feel, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should approach and investigate the Roman Catholic school for such mischievous that was going on for long now under the nose of the education authorities and nip it in the bud.
Minister Coventry said it was also illegal for schools to sell uniforms or compel parents to buy from selected stores.
“A circular was issued that outlawed the purchase of uniforms only at school level. Parents can buy uniforms anywhere to the best of their advantage and can even make them for themselves.
“Schools are not allowed to coerce parents to purchase uniforms at their schools,” Minister Coventry added.
Most schools have resorted to selling uniforms, usually at exorbitant prices as part of fundraising initiatives, although parents argue that some administrators use this to enrich themselves.
Efforts to contact the school Head Mr Shoko (on number supplied) concerning the issue were fruitless while the one for Father Kamusekere was not picked.
By A Correspondent- The wife of the vice-president, Retired General Constantino Chiwenga, Marry Mubaiwa, has been further remanded to the 14th of January 2020 when she appeared for routine remand at the Harare magistrates court on Monday.
Her High Court bail and appeal hearings are set to be heard this Tuesday. Marry Mubaiwa is facing charges of attempted murder of her husband, the vice president Rtd Gen Constantino Chiwenga, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud. Marry has since denied allegations that she tried to kill her husband, the vice president.
In the 13-page bail application at the High Court, the 38-year-old Mubaiwa denied attempting to kill vice president Chiwenga and said the charges were fabricated.
She also argued that her former husband had brought the murder charges against her in an attempt to force her hand in divorce proceedings that are pending in the high court.
Mubaiwa who was remanded in custody on the 16th of December 2019 is facing charges of attempted murder on vice president Chiwenga, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud.
Mubaiwa told the court through her lawyers that her alleged offence occurred when the vice president was already physically frail and nursing injuries sustained in a bomb attack in Bulawayo in June last year.
In denying charges of attempting to murder her husband, Mubaiwa told the high court that Rtd Gen Chiwenga had asked President Emmerson Mnangagwa to make arrangements to have her sent to China, where he was being treated, and also gave her money.
Mubaiwa said in her bail application that President Mnangagwa “even sent his personal security with US$30,000 for her personal upkeep and use”.
All this occurred after July 2019, Mubaiwa’s lawyers told the court, adding that “it is inconceivable that this would have happened had she tried to murder her husband”.
As part of her bail conditions, Mubaiwa said she was willing to pay ZWL$10,000 as a bail deposit, surrender her passport to the court and report once every fortnight on Fridays at Borrowdale Police Station, in Harare.
Her lawyers asked that the former model be released on bail pending the commencement of her trial.
Mubaiwa said she was in poor health, traumatised and had lost weight owing to the ordeal she had endured since being arrested.
Her lawyers told the high court that Mubaiwa was a mother of young children who need their mother’s care. “Pre-trial detention will deny them of that,” they argued.
They added that Mubaiwa had no capacity to flee the country to escape prosecution
-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- The wife of the vice-president, Retired General Constantino Chiwenga, Marry Mubaiwa, has been further remanded to the 14th of January 2020 when she appeared for routine remand at the Harare magistrates court on Monday.
Her High Court bail and appeal hearings are set to be heard this Tuesday. Marry Mubaiwa is facing charges of attempted murder of her husband, the vice president Rtd Gen Constantino Chiwenga, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud. Marry has since denied allegations that she tried to kill her husband, the vice president.
In the 13-page bail application at the High Court, the 38-year-old Mubaiwa denied attempting to kill vice president Chiwenga and said the charges were fabricated.
She also argued that her former husband had brought the murder charges against her in an attempt to force her hand in divorce proceedings that are pending in the high court.
Mubaiwa who was remanded in custody on the 16th of December 2019 is facing charges of attempted murder on vice president Chiwenga, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud.
Mubaiwa told the court through her lawyers that her alleged offence occurred when the vice president was already physically frail and nursing injuries sustained in a bomb attack in Bulawayo in June last year.
In denying charges of attempting to murder her husband, Mubaiwa told the high court that Rtd Gen Chiwenga had asked President Emmerson Mnangagwa to make arrangements to have her sent to China, where he was being treated, and also gave her money.
Mubaiwa said in her bail application that President Mnangagwa “even sent his personal security with US$30,000 for her personal upkeep and use”.
All this occurred after July 2019, Mubaiwa’s lawyers told the court, adding that “it is inconceivable that this would have happened had she tried to murder her husband”.
As part of her bail conditions, Mubaiwa said she was willing to pay ZWL$10,000 as a bail deposit, surrender her passport to the court and report once every fortnight on Fridays at Borrowdale Police Station, in Harare.
Her lawyers asked that the former model be released on bail pending the commencement of her trial.
Mubaiwa said she was in poor health, traumatised and had lost weight owing to the ordeal she had endured since being arrested.
Her lawyers told the high court that Mubaiwa was a mother of young children who need their mother’s care. “Pre-trial detention will deny them of that,” they argued.
They added that Mubaiwa had no capacity to flee the country to escape prosecution
-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- A man from Bulawayo has appeared in court for allegedly axing his neighbour twice on the head.
Mbongeni Mhlanga (29) of Hope Fountain suburb was in the company of seven unidentified accomplices who are still at large when they allegedly attacked Mr Mlindeli Ncube (34) of the same area.
Mhlanga is employed at Bonzo Mine in Hope Fountain.
He was not asked to plead to attempted murder when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Nomasiko Ndlovu. He was remanded in custody to January 10.
Prosecuting, Mr Nkathazo Dlodlo said on December 21 at around 11AM, Mr Ncube was on his way home from Bambanani bottle store with his three friends when they were approached by Mhlanga who was in the company of his accomplices.
“The complainant’s friends fled from the scene and left him surrounded by the accused persons. The accused person produced an axe and struck the complainant twice on the head causing him to fall down,” said Mr Dlodlo.
Mhlanga and his accomplices allegedly dragged Mr Ncube and left him at the gate to his house. The matter was reported to the police leading to Mhlanga’s arrest.
-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- The wife of the vice-president, Retired General Constantino Chiwenga, Marry Mubaiwa, has been further remanded to the 14th of January 2020 when she appeared for routine remand at the Harare magistrates court on Monday.
Her High Court bail and appeal hearings are set to be heard this Tuesday. Marry Mubaiwa is facing charges of attempted murder of her husband, the vice president Rtd Gen Constantino Chiwenga, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud. Marry has since denied allegations that she tried to kill her husband, the vice president.
In the 13-page bail application at the High Court, the 38-year-old Mubaiwa denied attempting to kill vice president Chiwenga and said the charges were fabricated.
She also argued that her former husband had brought the murder charges against her in an attempt to force her hand in divorce proceedings that are pending in the high court.
Mubaiwa who was remanded in custody on the 16th of December 2019 is facing charges of attempted murder on vice president Chiwenga, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud.
Mubaiwa told the court through her lawyers that her alleged offence occurred when the vice president was already physically frail and nursing injuries sustained in a bomb attack in Bulawayo in June last year.
In denying charges of attempting to murder her husband, Mubaiwa told the high court that Rtd Gen Chiwenga had asked President Emmerson Mnangagwa to make arrangements to have her sent to China, where he was being treated, and also gave her money.
Mubaiwa said in her bail application that President Mnangagwa “even sent his personal security with US$30,000 for her personal upkeep and use”.
All this occurred after July 2019, Mubaiwa’s lawyers told the court, adding that “it is inconceivable that this would have happened had she tried to murder her husband”.
As part of her bail conditions, Mubaiwa said she was willing to pay ZWL$10,000 as a bail deposit, surrender her passport to the court and report once every fortnight on Fridays at Borrowdale Police Station, in Harare.
Her lawyers asked that the former model be released on bail pending the commencement of her trial.
Mubaiwa said she was in poor health, traumatised and had lost weight owing to the ordeal she had endured since being arrested.
Her lawyers told the high court that Mubaiwa was a mother of young children who need their mother’s care. “Pre-trial detention will deny them of that,” they argued.
They added that Mubaiwa had no capacity to flee the country to escape prosecution.
— StateMedia
By A Correspondent- The government has issued a stern warning to schools that have increased their fees above the stipulated 20% cap.
The warning was communicated by the education ministry ‘s acting permanent secretary Johnsi Dewah who said:
Schools that defy the directive will be dealt with in line with the dictates of the law. We have sent a circular to all schools and the expectation is that the directive will be adhered to, failure of which will result in the law taking its course,
The government said schools were not supposed to increase 2020 fees by more than 20% without approval.
-DailyNews
By Wilbert Mukori- “Blacks are incapable of self government!” said John.
Bang! Came the explosive response from Chengetai.
John was a white student from St. Georges College. Chengetai and myself were black students from St Ignatius College. The two Colleges were ran by Jesuits priests and it was common for students from St Ignatius to visit the former to take advantage of its better facilities.
The year was 1976, at the height of the liberations war. Racial tension was high. Ian Smith’s white racist regime, had inflamed the blacks by passing a law compelling blacks students and other trainees to undergo military training and fight on the whites’ side in the ensuing civil war.
John’s racist remark was nothing new, if we, blacks, had heard it once we had heard it a thousand times!
Chengetai’s explosive response had taken us all by complete surprise; he hit the desk so hard, the message was loud and clear John had traded on his toes and only a fool will dare to that ever again.
Those of us who knew Chengetai well even more surprised. In all the years, I do not recall him ever raising his voice in anger at anyone. Talk of being calm, here was a vast expense of water the size of Kariba Dam and not a ripple! Out of this sheet of glass still came the twenty metres high Tsunami wave!
“I was not angry with John because he is a racist,” explained Chengetai, some months later. “His racist remark, devoid of truth, would have been water off a duck’s back.
“John’s remark was loaded. He forced me to face my deepest fears. I was very angry with myself and not with John.”
Zimbabwe used to produce enough food to feed her own people and have plenty left to be the breadbasket of the region. Ever since Mugabe seized the white owned farms to give to his cronies, mostly, the country has relied on food aid.
We are starving in a country that is, for all practical purposes, the Biblical Garden of Eden. A damning testimonial of the black majority rule!
It is no exaggeration to say the last four decades Zimbabwe has blundered from pillar to post as the country sunk deeper and deeper into this man-made hell-on-earth. It is not so much that Zimbabwe has made mistakes, it is bad enough to make mistakes, but worst of all the country has made the same foolish mistakes over and over again.
Zimbabwe has been stuck with the same corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF thugs for the last four decades. The party has systematically denied the people their basic freedoms and rights including the right to a free vote and even the right to life. The nation has had countless opportunities to end the Zanu PF curse of rigging elections and bad governance but has wasted them all.
Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2018 elections. The regime denied 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora the vote, this was more than the 2.4 million Mnangagwa says he garnered to win.
The regime failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, Pete’s sake! And yet many Zimbabweans, led by the country’s corrupt and incompetent opposition, have endorsed the election result and Zanu PF as legitimate.
If the people, in this day and age and with all the benefit of four decades of hindsight, have no clue what constitutes free, fair and credible election then they surely deserved rigged elections and bad government. And in this corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous Zanu PF dictatorship, Zimbabwe has one of the worst government in modern history.
The reality of the total economic meltdown that has left millions of Zimbabweans into abject poverty, the blatant vote rigging of the elections by Zanu PF, etc. have proven white racist like John were right that blacks are incapable of self-rule. But what clinches the case for me, is the water off a duck’s back reaction of most Zimbabweans to these economic and political realities.
Chengetai did foresee the bad governance and still he is disappointed to see the nation sink this deep into hopelessness and despair. He would be furious that Zimbabweans have buried their heads in the sand and would not face up to the realities of their own shortcomings. That, even now with the country desperate to end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance, the people would still participating in an election without something as basic as a voters’ roll! It is not rocket science!
“The essence of good governance is self-criticism!” Chengetai said, back in 1976. It is only now that the penny has dropped.
Zimbabwe is in a serious economic and political mess and to get out of the mess, the country needs to end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance. May 2020 be the year Zimbabweans took a hard long look at themselves and admitted their own serious shortsightedness and folly. May 2020 be the year of introspection!
The current bank exchange rates for the ZWL$ today are as follows:
Data according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
Black Market Rates:
More: marketwatch.co.zw
Dynamos have added two more players to their squad after signing former Prince Edward student Tanaka Chidhobha and Nkosi Mhlanga of Yadah FC.
The Glamour Boys confirmed the signings in a statement posted on social media on Sunday. The club also revealed it will bring more players in preparation for the 2020 season.
“We have signed two players, Tanaka Chidhobha and Nkosi Mhlanga from Yadah,” the statement reads.
“As we have always said, we are busy on the market & we want to assure you our supporters that 2020 is going to be a better year.”
Dynamos have already signed Partson Jaure who joined the Harare side as a free agent on a one-year contract.Soccer 24
Farai Dziva|Pep Guardiola will remain at Manchester City until the end of his contract, according to the club’s chief executive Ferran Soriano.
There are doubts over the Spaniard’s future after reports emerged suggesting he will leave Etihad before his deal expires in 2021.
The gaffer who won two successive league titles with City has been linked with a return to Barcelona.
“Pep has said so many times that he has a contract that covers this year, plus next year too,” Soriano told Goal.com.
“There is no discussion about this. Pep will stay and he’ll leave at the right time one day – and the club is strong enough to survive any change.
“But as Pep said many times, he’s not leaving.”
Guardiola moved to City in 2016 and his side have won seven trophies during his tenure.
THE ESTRANGED wife of the vice-president, Retired General Constantino Chiwenga, Marry Mubaiwa, has been further remanded to the 14th of January 2020 when she appeared for routine remand at the Harare magistrates court this Monday. Her High Court bail and appeal hearings are set to be heard this Tuesday. Marry Mubaiwa is facing charges of attempted murder of her husband, the vice president Rtd Gen Constantino Chiwenga, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud. Marry has since denied allegations that she had tried to kill her husband, the vice president. In the 13-page bail application at the High Court, the 38-year-old Mubaiwa denied attempting to kill vice president Chiwenga and said the charges were fabricated. She also argued that her former husband had brought the murder charges against her in an attempt to force her hand in divorce proceedings that are pending in the high court. Mubaiwa who was remanded in custody on the 16th of December 2019 is facing charges of attempted murder on vice president Chiwenga, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud. Mubaiwa told the court through her lawyers that her alleged offence occurred when the vice president was already physically frail and nursing injuries sustained in a bomb attack in Bulawayo in June last year. In denying charges of attempting to murder her husband, Mubaiwa told the high court that Rtd Gen Chiwenga had asked President Emmerson Mnangagwa to make arrangements to have her sent to China, where he was being treated, and also gave her money. Mubaiwa said in her bail application that President Mnangagwa “even sent his personal security with US$30,000 for her personal upkeep and use”. All this occurred after July 2019, Mubaiwa’s lawyers told the court, adding that “it is inconceivable that this would have happened had she tried to murder her husband”. As part of her bail conditions, Mubaiwa said she was willing to pay ZWL$10,000 as a bail deposit, surrender her passport to the court and report once every fortnight on Fridays at Borrowdale Police Station, in Harare. Her lawyers asked that the former model be released on bail pending the commencement of her trial. Mubaiwa said she was in poor health, traumatised and had lost weight owing to the ordeal she had endured since being arrested. Her lawyers told the high court that Mubaiwa was a mother of young children who need their mother’s care. “Pre-trial detention will deny them of that,” they argued. They added that Mubaiwa had no capacity to flee the country to escape prosecution. — state media – This is a developing story
A South African musician, Mrivi T, has dedicated an Amapiano song to Zimbabwean midfielder Willard Katsande after music heavyweights DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small did a track on Orlando Pirates player Thembinkosi Lorch.
The song was released this week and its lyrics praise Katsande’s performances on the field.
The 33-year old who has made over 250 appearances for the Soweto giants is one of the longest-serving players in Chiefs squad alongside goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune. He arrived at the club in 2011 from Ajax Cape Town.
Katsande is also the vice-captain of the team and has spent the majority of 2019 with the armband following a long injury spell of Khune.
And now reports in South Africa are suggesting he could extend his stay at Amakhosi as his current deal is set to expire in July 2021.Soccer 24
Makwinji Soma-Phiri
Born Makwinji Soma-Phiri
Nationality Zimbabwe
Occupation Footballer.
Children Ali
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Sunday Chidzambwa Makwinji Soma-Phiri
Makwinji “Kwinji 15” Soma-Phiri is one of the most talented strikers to have played for the Glamour boys.
Makwinji is one of the very few players to be considered legend by both Highlanders Football Club and
Dynamos Football Club
Career
Kwinji 15 made his name in the local footballing circles through his goal scoring prowess, he was also popular for scoring goals with his head.
Makwinji played for two top clubs in Zimbabwe and was part of Dembare’s all star line up 98 which included other veterans such as Ernest Chirambadare , Stewart Murisa , Masimba Dinyero and
Stanley Chirambadare .
Soma-Phiri and company went on to play in the final of the champions league although losing to ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast under dubious circumstances.Credit: state media
Farai Dziva|The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is likely to reduce the number of constituencies in Bulawayo Province to 10.
Bulawayo Province currently has 12 constituencies.
Constituencies in Masvingo Province will also be reduced to 23 according to a preliminary report released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
See table below :
Below are pictures of Gen Constantino Chiwenga’s wife, Marry as she arrived at Rotten Row magistrates court on Monday morning.
The development comes following reports alleging Marry’s health had worsened by Saturday night. Her uncle, addressed Zimbabweans Sunday night in an exclusive interview on ZimEye.com
ZimEye brings our valued readers and listeners an update from the Mubaiwa family on their daughter, Marry, who is the estranged wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga. VIDEO:
Our daughter is sick because of the bombing that took place. If she had not been married to Chiwenga she would not have been in the bombing. The bombing thing is a national thing and [she] should be treated by the government. – Hannington Mubaiwa pic.twitter.com/POpjVAYJLJ
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) December 30, 2019
https://youtu.be/xEnxJEpAPuE
The government has issued a stern warning to schools that have increased their fees above the stipulated 20% cap and the Daily News reports.
The warning was communicated by the education ministry ‘s acting permanent secretary Johnsi Dewah who said:
Schools that defy the directive will be dealt with in line with the dictates of the law.
We have sent a circular to all schools and the expectation is that the directive will be adhered to, failure of which will result in the law taking its course,
The government said schools were not supposed to increase
2020 fees by more than 20% without approval.Daily News
Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) has reported that the hunger the country is facing will persist till 2021.
The report from FEWSNET also said food aid requirements will persist even after the harvest, the population’s food needs will not be fully satisfied as food security will be stressed.
The report reads in part:
The population in need of humanitarian assistance across Southern Africa will remain high throughout 2020. In worst-affected areas of the region, Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes will likely persist during the post-harvest period.
In late 2020, at the start of the 2020/21 lean season, FEWS NET anticipates regional food assistance needs will increase even higher than needs during the first quarter of 2020.
There was a severe drought in 2019 that left half the total population in need of food aid .
FEWS NET
