State Media|The festive holiday death toll has reached 24, with 59 injured after three more people were killed in road accidents on Christmas Day.

Four people died on Christmas Day last year.

Police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi attributed the accidents to speeding and human error.

The number of accidents recorded on Christmas Day this year declined from 131 last year to 94.

Police arrested 128 touts in a blitz on Christmas Day, while 165 vehicles were impounded for various defects and 797 tickets were issued.

Meanwhile, police have named the victims of the fatal road accident which occurred at the 178km peg along the Harare-Nyamapanda Road on December 20 with a village in Mudzi district, losing 10 people.

William Chikowe, Erica Chikowe, Mandi Chikowe, Francis Chikowe, Erica Chari, Evelyn Kambizi, Christine Dawaka, Leeroy Kanetsa (1), Lenny Tsuro and Douglas Tsuro all from Tapfuma Village in Nyamukoko, Mudzi, have since been buried.

The other two killed in the accident were Aaron Matthew Mutepfa (20) of Kotwa and Tashia Chapinduka (5) of Stoneridge, Harare.

Victims of another fatal road accident that occurred along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road on Sunday were named as Zindava Tabonashe (23) of Mutare, Trevory Fungai Nyakuvanikwa (33) and Musiza Rose Nobuhle (25).

“Police will remain firm on the ground for the rest of the holiday to ensure a crime free atmosphere is provided to all Zimbabweans.

“We are appealing to all road users to be cautious and to consider the safety of others.

“Drivers are urged to be observant, alert and consider the conditions of the road particularly potholes,” said Assistant Commissioner Nyathi.

“They should avoid speeding and be on the lookout of pedestrians, animals and the effects of the current weather on tyres as they travel either on highways or feeder roads.

“This includes residential areas and other built up areas. Let’s play our part to make roads safe and not death traps.”

Farai Dziva|MDC vice chairperson Job Sikhala believes his political rivals plotted last night’s accident.

In an interview with ZimEye.com Sikhala said:
“I was travelling to my rural home in Gutu for Christmas when the accident happened last night.

I was approaching Featherstone when the accident happened.To be precise the accident happened at the 30 km peg to Featherstone.

Some suspicious looking individuals drove a herd of cattle straight into my vehicle resulting in the accident.”

He added:”I was travelling with my family but I am relieved to say my children are safe and out of danger.

I am still in hospital because I sustained internal injuries.

As you know we are always under threat and there are people who trail us – that is a known fact so we cannot rule out foul play. By the look of things everything was planned by my political opponents.

These things happen as a way of trying to intimidate us but we will remain resolute.”

Own Correspondent |Zimbabweans will always remember how international visitors were taken on tour of former President Robert Mugabe’s Gushungo Dairies, the tide has moved from Mazowe to Kwekwe.

While Zimbabweans were having a gloom Christmas on Wednesday, the First Family was busy at its Pricabe Farm in Sherwood on the outskirts of Kwekwe, hosting a Chinese delegation that wants to invest in the agriculture sector.

The delegation from the China Lesso Group is here at the invitation of First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa following her recent visit to the Asian country.

The firm deals in agriculture, home equipment and PVC products and is interested in investing in irrigation technology.

Speaking to journalists during the tour of the farm where there are thriving maize and soya bean crops, the President said his family was playing its part in producing for the country.

“No, no I am not (getting my hands dirty). This is life. This is what God said in Genesis, idyai zveziya (enjoy the fruits of your sweat) and that is what we are doing,” President Mnangagwa said.

“These (China Lesso Group) are some of the companies that she met in China who have come and have a bias towards agriculture and they are looking around to see the type of soils, the type of climate and the type of crops that we grow in Zimbabwe so that they can adjust their plans in order to invest in the agricultural field in Zimbabwe and I am saying we will offer them land and they can grow crops here both for domestic consumption as well as in the area of citrus fruits for exports.”

In her remarks, the First Lady said it was her duty as a citizen to market the country to investors.

“When I went there, I was just representing Angel of Hope Foundation and they had invited me on the foundation issues,” she said.

“But when I was there it changed to be a big project for Government and as a citizen I have been selling my country to them to come to Zimbabwe and do something with us. That’s what you are seeing.

“But I must say I am most interested in what they said today that they are also prepared to train our farmers and to take them to China to get more experience there.”

Head of delegation Mr Tang Hai Bo said there was room to improve the country’s agricultural sector.

“We have already visited six farms, but I want to say there is a lot of scope for cooperation and there is a lot of potential for us to improve agriculture and also the training of Zimbabwean farmers,” he said.

The delegation has visited farms in Harare, Mashonaland West, the Midlands and Matabeleland South.

Source: State Media

The Government has said that there is no going back on the 2018 election outcome, hence there cannot be a special dispensation – beyond the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) – to accommodate any political players.

This was said by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Dr Sibusiso Moyo, in a statement yesterday.

He said Sadc Executive Secretary, Dr Stergomena Tax’s recent comments in support of inclusive dialogue was on point and should be welcomed by all progressive Zimbabweans.

“Dr Tax is completely on target in her appeal to all political leaders to come together in support of this ongoing national dialogue, aimed at healing the toxic polarisation which continues to divide our nation and providing a viable platform for all to be heard and for all to contribute towards lasting solutions to the many challenges which confront our young nation,’’ he said.

“There can be no going back on the 2018 election outcome. There can be no special dispensation – beyond Polad – to accommodate any political players,’’ Dr Moyo said.

“Dr Tax was merely appealing to all such political players – MDC A included – to put the national interest first and to join the process.

‘’The Government of Zimbabwe fully subscribes to that appeal,’’ he said.

Recently the MDC- Alliance leadership took to social media to blast Dr Tax over her comments and interpreted it as her implied criticism of the MDC-A’s continued refusal to join Polad.

“It is unfortunate, but not surprising, that various MDC spokespersons have turned their sights and censure upon Sadc Executive Secretary, Dr Stergomena Tax, for her recent comments in support of inclusive dialogue between and amongst all national leaders in Zimbabwe,’’ Dr Moyo said.

He hailed the recent visit by former South African President Thabo Mbeki and said it resonates well with President Mnangagwa and Sadc’s call for an inclusive process of national dialogue.

“That is what is needed. That is what His Excellency (President Mnangagwa) has repeatedly called for. That is what the region would hope to see.

“Since Dr Tax made her perfectly reasonable comments, MDC A spokespersons have taken their public utterances and, it seems, their misconceptions surrounding President Mbeki’s efforts, to an altogether different level — perhaps intentionally seeking to undermine his well-intentioned efforts while also further exposing the opportunism which often characterises the MDC A and elements of its leadership,’’ he added.

Dr Moyo said the Government and Sadc will not be deterred by the unbecoming behaviour exhibited by the MDC-A by refusing to dialogue with other political parties that has derailed the Polad from achieving inclusivity.

‘’Neither Government nor our Sadc friends will be deterred by such immature antics. It is the stubbornness of the MDC A leadership — fixated, perhaps, on its 2018 electoral and judicial defeats, delivered in rapid succession — which has thus far prevented the Polad process from attaining the desired inclusivity. Their posturing is neither helpful, nor is it unsustainable.’’

Polad is a culmination of an engagement process that was initiated by President Mnangagwa when he invited for dialogue leaders of the 23 parties that took part in last year’s elections.

The process is meant to foster unity and enhance nation building and the parties held their inaugural meeting in February.

The dialogue is part of wider efforts to cement national healing and nation-building. This week President Mnangagwa had a successful meeting with leaders of political parties participating in the Polad on National Unity Day in Kwekwe .

Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has been criticized for declaring that Zimbabweans should embrace the local currency- regardless of its strength.

Angry Zimbabweans expressed outrage on various social media platforms – accusing the Zanu PF leader of showing a carefree attitude towards suffering masses.

Mnangagwa made the remarks at the belated anti-corruption day commemorations.

“The Reserve Bank has been giving banks $30 million, up from $10-$14 million which they had been giving them after I spoke to the central bank governor.

We will take further measures if the situation does not improve,” said Mnangagwa.

“Mozambicans have their currency called Metical, Botswana has the Pula and South Africa has the Rand, in Malawi they have theirs and Zambia has the Kwacha. The citizens do not care whether their currency is strong or not, they take ownership of it,” he added.

Own Correspondent|THE seven Namibians who were shot dead in the Zambian capital at the beginning of this month were buried on Tuesday morning.

They were each buried in their respective villages in Ohangwena region.

The men were identified as Daniel Mbishi aged 32, Wilson Tetela (39) Haitembu Elifas (40) Elifas Ndeshikeya (29)David Mweuxwange (39), Samuel Kambonde age (42) Patrick Waandja age (34).

Their remains were repatriated from Zambia last week Thursday by road.

Winie Haihambo, a relative of one of the slain men, was the first family member to identify the deceased.

“Being a student in Zambia, I got the first chance to identify my brothers alone in the mortuary after the news broke.

“I must confess that it was a horrible and sad experience to go up and down the offices alone, yet in mourning,” she narrates her ordeal.

She expressed her gratitude to the Namibian High commission in Lusaka for the assistanced rendered to the families.

“My special thanks goes to Ms. Bernadette Shooka (acting high commissioner). It was not easy, but with her vast experience,” she said.

The seven were shot and killed by the Lusaka Police on 5 December after allegedly receiving a tip-off from members of the public about suspected criminals staging a robbery.

The international ministry’s acting executive director Rebecca P. Iyambo in a media statement this week said investigations into what happened on 5 December in Lusaka continue.

“The Namibian Police continues to engage their Zambian counterparts on the matter,” she said.

Iyambo reiterated the ministry’s call to Namibian citizens travelling abroad to always notify the nearest Namibian embassy or consulate.

Source : The Namibian

Own Correspondent|In his Christmas day message Zimbabwe’s president Emmerson Mnangagwa admitted that people in his country are suffering. Most Zimbabweans spent the holiday enduring shortages of cash, electricity and fuel.

The southern Africa country is in the grips of its worst economic crisis in a decade with the second highest inflation in the world. Close to half of its 14-million people face hunger after a ravaging drought.

The International Monetary Fund has said Zimbabwe’s economy will contract by 6.5% in 2019, its worst decline since 2008.

This is the worst holiday season since Mnangagwa wrested power from Robert Mugabe in November 2017. Prices of basic goods are beyond the reach of many while workers salaries have been eroded by inflation.

On Christmas Day residential suburbs in the capital Harare were without electricity for hours, while many motorists spent much of the day in fuel queues, dampening the festive mood. Doctors who have been on strike demanding higher wages, continued with the industrial action.

Some people who spoke to Business Day in Harare said they had failed to travel to their rural homes — as is the norm during holidays in the country — because of high costs of public transport.

Many Zimbabweans now say they were better off under Mugabe as Mnangagwa’s administration has been accused of mismanaging the economy and failing to clampdown on rampant corruption.

In a Christmas message to Zimbabweans, Mnangagwa said he understood people’s hardships.

“I know that many of you still suffer. I am not blind to your situation, nor am I deaf to your cries.

“I commit to you that we will continue to reform with an eye on the long term; for we must not reform only for ourselves, but for our children and our children’s children.”

Mnangagwa said his government was undertaking “deep, broad, and meaningful reforms” and has achieved some positives such as balancing the budget.

However critics accuse Mnangagwa of paying lip service to reforms as his administration continues to brutalise any opponents of government, in the same manner as Mugabe.

In January this year, at least 17 people were killed in a military crackdown on protests over a fuel hike.

Those who voice concern over government’s policies are frequently assaulted, detained or abducted by state security agents.

The leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change  Nelson Chamisa said Zimbabweans had suffered one of their worst Christmas holidays in living memory because Mnangagwa was not committed to the wellbeing of ordinary people.

He said “instead of dispensing love at Christmas, Mnangagwa was dispensing agony to his people”.

“The people are suffering because we have deprived them of happiness and merrymaking. They are without cash, without fuel, without electricity, without water and even without freedom,” Chamisa said.

MERRY CHRISTMAS … No Christmas break for vendors, whose business peaks during the festive season, as this vendor tries to sell a Christmas tree to motorists in central Harare yesterday

CHAOTIC scenes characterised Christmas Eve as thousands of people jostled to get cash from their banks to finance their travelling, food and other necessities, but were left disappointed.

A survey by NewsDay in Harare, Bulawayo and other cities witnessed the rush for cash, which however, was in short supply, making it one of the worst ever festive holidays in independent Zimbabwe.

While government ministers and officials took time to rest either at their farms or on holiday in foreign lands, long queues at the banks characterised the Christmas Eve, with many saying they were failing to travel to their home areas because they had no cash, while shopping in a hyper-inflationary environment was proving to be
difficult.

Motorists were queuing for fuel, which is in short supply across the country, while some workers had to endure the festive holidays without salaries.

Those who spoke to NewsDay said there was nothing to celebrate this Christmas because of the crises.

“We cannot say there is a festive season this Christmas because I cannot afford to buy anything. I am even struggling to buy basic commodities. Prices have been rising drastically and my salary is not tallying with the prices. I also have to be preparing and saving for school fees for my children, therefore, I am only buying few things and focusing on 2020 basic needs,” Nomsa Mapara, from Harare, said.

Spiwe Chuma, a vendor, also said she could not tell if it was Christmas or not because she was just trying to make ends meet.

“Hatina chatinacho (we have nothing). Things are not adding up. I’m only a vendor and there is no profit,” she said.

Small business and boutique operators said the festive season had been a let-down and were facing huge losses.

“Compared to last year, this year’s sales are low. Last year around the same time, we could not be entertaining anyone because this place would be packed with last-minute customers. Business is generally low and we are not expecting to make much profit. After today, we are not looking forward to making any profit,” Joachim Tamburai said.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions confirmed that a number of workers were going for Christmas empty-handed after their employers failed to pay salaries.

Most parts of Harare were without water and electricity ahead of the holiday, killing the celebratory mood.

Harare’s ward 16 councillor, Denford Ngadziore, fumed at council management for failing to plan ahead of the festive season, a situation that has led to Harare’s taps running dry.

“Failure to have water in most suburbs in Harare during the festive season is a clear testimony of failure to plan by the council management. Heads must roll. Someone should be answerable and accountable,” he fumed.

“When we closed last week at the last full council meeting, we were promised that all was well, both workers’ salaries and the water situation. This is pure negligence and incompetence and what is surprising is there is no official statement explaining the situation to residents.”

Despite all the pessimism and lamentations, President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday claimed he was fully aware of the people’s suffering.

“I know that many of you still suffer. I am not blind to your situation, nor am I deaf to your cries. I commit to you that we will continue to reform with an eye on the long term; for we must not reform only for ourselves, but for our children and our children’s children,” he said in his Christmas message.

“We are undertaking deep, broad and meaningful reforms. We have put the economic fundamentals in place. We have balanced the budget. We are engaging the world. We are continuing to open up the political and media spaces. We are clamping down on corruption. And we are building a new Zimbabwe (in which) the people come first.”

Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to “look forward not backward, inwards not outwards”.

“Let us focus on how best we can look after our families, our communities and our nation. How we can make Zimbabwe a better place for all,”he said.

“I wish you all a peaceful and merry Christmas. God bless you all and God bless the nation of Zimbabwe.”

“There are complex challenges in Zimbabwe … We know there are serious and seemingly intractable political factors that might need attention, in fact, that needs attention if solutions are to be effective or implementable.

The political formations in Zimbabwe remain at loggerheads and have apparent deep antipathy toward each other which makes joint decision-making and planning extremely difficult,” said South Africa International Relations and Co-operation minister Naledi Pandor on November 18, 2019 at a symposium on the Best Path Towards a Prosperous Zimbabwe at the University of South Africa in Pretoria.

Pandor’s message came exactly two years after Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed power as President in November 2017 following a military coup that deposed long time ruler, the late Robert Mugabe.

Upon assuming power, Mnangagwa premised his message on rebuilding Zimbabwe, insisting on the need to “let bygones be bygones” and his swearing in was attended by Mugabe’s long-time nemesis, Morgan Tsvangirai (the late MDC leader), a clear sign that Mnangagwa meant well.

Two years down the line, all hope is slowly fading, and Mnangagwa is leading a deeply divided nation, plagued with economic challenges that observers insist, require a political solution.

Mugabe’s loyalists, better known as the G40 cabal, including former ministers, Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo, Patrick Zhuwao and Walter Mzembi, among others, remain exiled, fleeing possible persecution and prosecution at the hands of Mnangagwa.

Chamisa is on record describing Mnangagwa as having betrayed Tsvangirai after having earlier agreed to a “transitional mechanism” with him as part of the transition.
“Tsvangirai told me that ‘Chamisa, we are now going to help remove the poverty caused by Mugabe, but the assurance I have is that we are going to have a transitional authority’,” Chamisa was quoted as saying.

“I said to him, this was a good thing, but asked him if he was sure about the people he was dealing with and he said ‘let us give them time’. We gave them time and they betrayed my old man.”

According to a leaked intelligence report in early 2017, Mnangagwa and Tsvangirai allegedly engaged in secret talks to form an arrangement post-Mugabe, with Tsvangirai telling Reuters in June of that year that he would not rule out a coalition with political opponents, such as Mnangagwa, and wanted white farmers to come back into a “positive role”.

Tsvangirai supported the military intervention and Mnangagwa’s takeover, even rallying his supporters for the action at Parliament in the days Mugabe was about to be impeached.

Mnangagwa acted as if he meant well even by visiting an incapacitated Tsvangirai later on at his Highlands mansion, a sign that made many believe, the unifier was in town.

But alas, Mnangagwa pushed for polls and opted to go it alone, and it is that decision observers say which led to the prevailing socio-economic crisis that was to be born out of the unresolved July 2018 elections, and there is no hope for Zimbabwe as it stands.

In Chamisa’s words, had Mnangagwa not betrayed Tsvangirai and implemented the agreed transitional mechanism, the story would have been different.

Mnangagwa’s woes started after the July 30 harmonised elections, where the Zanu PF leader narrowly won, but his victory was challenged.

Moyo, a former government spin-doctor, claims Mnangagwa lost to Chamisa and evidence is supposedly contained in his book Excelgate, which was set to be launched last week before suspected Zanu PF supporters interrupted it, chasing out guests, including diplomats.

As Zimbabwe waited for results of the delayed presidential election results, soldiers shot and killed six people in Harare, injuring scores in the process after opposition supporters took to the streets protesting the delay.

A commission of inquiry into the killings led by former South African President Kgalema Monthlante called for unity among political actors and up to now, this and other recommendations are yet to be fulfilled.

Another huge dent on Mnangagwa’s administration was to come on January 14, hours after he sparked a fire that would lead to at least 17 deaths, more than 80 sustaining gunshot injuries, with more than 300 cases of torture at the hands of the police, the military and Central Intelligence Organisation operatives.

Mnangagwa made a surprise announcement of a 150% hike in fuel prices that led to violent protests across the country.
Shortly after making the announcement, Mnangagwa flew to Russia, but had to cut short the trip following the widely condemned attacks on civilians.

The January shootings were to be the beginning of a tough year for Zimbabweans, characterised by week-in, week-out price hikes of fuel, cash shortages, doctors’ and nurses’ strikes and hospital closures, among other challenges.

Over half the population is facing starvation caused by drought and a wobbly economy, with ordinary citizens evidently losing faith in the ruling party’s ability to resolve the crisis.

In its latest central committee report, Zanu PF stated that the economy remains a “latent security” threat, but blamed the United States, the MDC, some civic society organisations and even drought for its failure.

“The most latent security threat that has grave consequences is the unstable economy which is largely propelled by the thriving parallel market (black market),” the report by the party’s national security department read.

The report further stated that ordinary Zimbabweans have lost confidence in the direction the economy was going and were “angry”, while government also took to blaming natural disasters for the crisis.

“Formal trading prices are determined by the parallel market exchange rate which has been sharply rising on a daily basis.

This has resulted in inflation also rising to unprecedented levels. Prices of all commodities and services have followed suit to unsustainable levels. Most people are failing to make ends meet, so are poverty levels that are rising very much throughout the country. As a result, anger is brewing among the citizens, while there is loss of confidence on the direction the economy is taking,” the Zanu PF central committee report said.

“Owing to the incessant price hikes of commodities, food security situation is exacerbated by the fact that there were poor harvests experienced due to the El-nino induced drought.”

Zanu PF lamented the high unemployment in the formal sector due to company closures, and raised fears that unemployed graduates can be used by detractors to work against the ruling party.

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition blamed all this on the incumbent leadership that focuses on pettiness, giving the much-publicised divorce of Mnangagwa’s lieutenants, Vice-Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi as examples
“The most unfortunate thing that we are lacking as a country is leadership,” Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition spokesperson Marvellous Khumalo said.

“Instead of the national leadership to focus on addressing the economic challenges that we have, the social, political and other related challenges that are bedevilling the country at the moment, we are witnessing a host of the sideshows taking place. The arrest of Marry Chiwenga, all this is being done and is raking attention from the leadership and the country at large yet we have important things, bread and butter issues to attend to,” he said.
“It is sad.”

Chiwenga is embroiled in a nasty divorce with his wife of eight years, Marry, and so far, a lot has been exposed and the VP is likely to be kept busy at the courts in 2020, joining Mohadi who has had violent confrontations with his estranged wife, Tambudzani, including an incident whereby the Vice-President chased after her at their Beitbridge home, armed with an axe and threatening to kill her.

Chiwenga accuses his wife of wanting to kill him while he was hospitalised in South Africa.

Marry, who is also accused of fraud and money-laundering involving close to US$2 million, was remanded in custody to December 30, but has made a High Court application for bail.

This comes after a lengthy absence from the political scene by Chiwenga, who was receiving treatment in China following suspected poisoning.

In Mnangagwa’s short reign, the police and military have launched a massive crackdown across the country, which has also seen MDC supporters being violently dispersed during gatherings in what the opposition party describe as “an unofficial ban” of the party and closure of the democratic space.

Several people, most of them ordinary Zimbabweans, were injured, while others were arrested last month ahead of Chamisa’s Hope of the Nation Address that was quashed by the police.

Chamisa was to survive an incident in which he claimed to have had gunshots targeted at him last month during a tree planting event in Marondera, although the police claimed otherwise.

But in the entire crisis, Chamisa yesterday said he would push for change in 2020.
Recently, he was also quoted as saying something would happen to change the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans by May 2020.

“My biggest Christmas gift is the hope I see in 2020. Change will come, if it doesn’t come, we go and get it for the people,” Chamisa said.

His statement also comes as former South African President Thabo Mbeki jetted into Harare last week to meet almost all political actors who included Mnangagwa, Chamisa, Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) and also with the churches on a “listening exercise” to understand the challenges affecting Zimbabwe.

Mbeki has promised to come back for more talks before year end.

While Mbeki has brought renewed hope to suffering Zimbabweans, with Chamisa warming up to possible dialogue with his nemesis convened by a neutral interlocutor, Mnangagwa dashed the hope by insisting that there would be no talks outside Polad, a grouping the main opposition party has sworn never to join.

Political analyst Eldred Masunungure thinks it is too early to celebrate.

Mbeki was at the centre of talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai that led to the Global Political Agreement of 2009 that saw Tsvangirai becoming Prime Minister in Mugabe’s government, an arrangement that led to some brief stability before it ended in 2013.
Meanwhile, Kasukuwere has thrown his hat into the opposition political ring, vowing to challenge Mnangagwa if he chooses to answer to calls by a movement dubbed “Tyson Wabantu” that is pushing for him to lead.

Said Kasukuwere of the situation in the country: “It is not hatred of each other that will take our country out of this challenge, but a need to collectively confront the elephant in the room.

The pain in our society is deep and sharp. Let’s accept our failings and correct our steps. It’s the economy and politics.”
— NewsDay

Farai Dziva| Outspoken
ZANU PF MP for Gokwe-Nembudziya, Justice Mayor Wadyajena has charged that Zimbabweans should not blame Zanu PF for the “tough” Christmas season.

Wadyajena said in spite of the state of the economy, individuals should fend for their families.

He described as foolishness, the assertion that the ruling party ruined this year’s Christmas saying the state of the economy was no justification for a dull holiday.

“It’s folly to claim
@ZANUPF_Official stole your Christmas! Things are tough but it’s still your responsibility to put food on the table. Let’s pull up our socks & do something for ourselves & country instead of accusing every successful person of being crooked. Merry Christmas,” Wadyajena posted on Twitter.

Farai Dziva|MDC vice chairperson Job Sikhala believes his political rivals plotted last night’s accident.

In an interview with ZimEye.com Sikhala said:
“I was travelling to my rural home in Gutu for Christmas when the accident happened last night.

I was approaching Featherstone when the accident happened.To be precise the accident happened at the 30 km peg to Featherstone.

Some suspicious looking individuals drove a herd of cattle straight into my vehicle resulting in the accident.”

He added:”I was travelling with my family but I am relieved to say my children are safe and out of danger.

I am still in hospital because I sustained internal injuries.

As you know we are always under threat and there are people who trail us – that is a known fact so we cannot rule out foul play. By the look of things everything was planned by my political opponents.

These things happen as a way of trying to intimidate us but we will remain resolute.”

By Own Correspondent|Josiah Magama Tongogara Legacy Foundation has indicated its intentions to engage the government over 26 December which it wants officially declared Tongogara Day.

Tongogara is one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent nationalists who led the liberation struggle against the Smith regime.

He died in 1979 in a horrific car accident in Mozambique, immediately before Zimbabwe attained independence.

Watch the video below for more.

-StateMedia

“There are complex challenges in Zimbabwe … We know there are serious and seemingly intractable political factors that might need attention, in fact, that needs attention if solutions are to be effective or implementable.

The political formations in Zimbabwe remain at loggerheads and have apparent deep antipathy toward each other which makes joint decision-making and planning extremely difficult,” said South Africa International Relations and Co-operation minister Naledi Pandor on November 18, 2019 at a symposium on the Best Path Towards a Prosperous Zimbabwe at the University of South Africa in Pretoria.

Pandor’s message came exactly two years after Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed power as President in November 2017 following a military coup that deposed long time ruler, the late Robert Mugabe.

Upon assuming power, Mnangagwa premised his message on rebuilding Zimbabwe, insisting on the need to “let bygones be bygones” and his swearing in was attended by Mugabe’s long-time nemesis, Morgan Tsvangirai (the late MDC leader), a clear sign that Mnangagwa meant well.

Two years down the line, all hope is slowly fading, and Mnangagwa is leading a deeply divided nation, plagued with economic challenges that observers insist, require a political solution.

Mugabe’s loyalists, better known as the G40 cabal, including former ministers, Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo, Patrick Zhuwao and Walter Mzembi, among others, remain exiled, fleeing possible persecution and prosecution at the hands of Mnangagwa.

Chamisa is on record describing Mnangagwa as having betrayed Tsvangirai after having earlier agreed to a “transitional mechanism” with him as part of the transition.
“Tsvangirai told me that ‘Chamisa, we are now going to help remove the poverty caused by Mugabe, but the assurance I have is that we are going to have a transitional authority’,” Chamisa was quoted as saying.

“I said to him, this was a good thing, but asked him if he was sure about the people he was dealing with and he said ‘let us give them time’. We gave them time and they betrayed my old man.”

According to a leaked intelligence report in early 2017, Mnangagwa and Tsvangirai allegedly engaged in secret talks to form an arrangement post-Mugabe, with Tsvangirai telling Reuters in June of that year that he would not rule out a coalition with political opponents, such as Mnangagwa, and wanted white farmers to come back into a “positive role”.

Tsvangirai supported the military intervention and Mnangagwa’s takeover, even rallying his supporters for the action at Parliament in the days Mugabe was about to be impeached.

Mnangagwa acted as if he meant well even by visiting an incapacitated Tsvangirai later on at his Highlands mansion, a sign that made many believe, the unifier was in town.

But alas, Mnangagwa pushed for polls and opted to go it alone, and it is that decision observers say which led to the prevailing socio-economic crisis that was to be born out of the unresolved July 2018 elections, and there is no hope for Zimbabwe as it stands.

In Chamisa’s words, had Mnangagwa not betrayed Tsvangirai and implemented the agreed transitional mechanism, the story would have been different.

Mnangagwa’s woes started after the July 30 harmonised elections, where the Zanu PF leader narrowly won, but his victory was challenged.

Moyo, a former government spin-doctor, claims Mnangagwa lost to Chamisa and evidence is supposedly contained in his book Excelgate, which was set to be launched last week before suspected Zanu PF supporters interrupted it, chasing out guests, including diplomats.

As Zimbabwe waited for results of the delayed presidential election results, soldiers shot and killed six people in Harare, injuring scores in the process after opposition supporters took to the streets protesting the delay.

A commission of inquiry into the killings led by former South African President Kgalema Monthlante called for unity among political actors and up to now, this and other recommendations are yet to be fulfilled.

Another huge dent on Mnangagwa’s administration was to come on January 14, hours after he sparked a fire that would lead to at least 17 deaths, more than 80 sustaining gunshot injuries, with more than 300 cases of torture at the hands of the police, the military and Central Intelligence Organisation operatives.

Mnangagwa made a surprise announcement of a 150% hike in fuel prices that led to violent protests across the country.
Shortly after making the announcement, Mnangagwa flew to Russia, but had to cut short the trip following the widely condemned attacks on civilians.

The January shootings were to be the beginning of a tough year for Zimbabweans, characterised by week-in, week-out price hikes of fuel, cash shortages, doctors’ and nurses’ strikes and hospital closures, among other challenges.

Over half the population is facing starvation caused by drought and a wobbly economy, with ordinary citizens evidently losing faith in the ruling party’s ability to resolve the crisis.

In its latest central committee report, Zanu PF stated that the economy remains a “latent security” threat, but blamed the United States, the MDC, some civic society organisations and even drought for its failure.

“The most latent security threat that has grave consequences is the unstable economy which is largely propelled by the thriving parallel market (black market),” the report by the party’s national security department read.

The report further stated that ordinary Zimbabweans have lost confidence in the direction the economy was going and were “angry”, while government also took to blaming natural disasters for the crisis.

“Formal trading prices are determined by the parallel market exchange rate which has been sharply rising on a daily basis.

This has resulted in inflation also rising to unprecedented levels. Prices of all commodities and services have followed suit to unsustainable levels. Most people are failing to make ends meet, so are poverty levels that are rising very much throughout the country. As a result, anger is brewing among the citizens, while there is loss of confidence on the direction the economy is taking,” the Zanu PF central committee report said.

“Owing to the incessant price hikes of commodities, food security situation is exacerbated by the fact that there were poor harvests experienced due to the El-nino induced drought.”

Zanu PF lamented the high unemployment in the formal sector due to company closures, and raised fears that unemployed graduates can be used by detractors to work against the ruling party.

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition blamed all this on the incumbent leadership that focuses on pettiness, giving the much-publicised divorce of Mnangagwa’s lieutenants, Vice-Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi as examples
“The most unfortunate thing that we are lacking as a country is leadership,” Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition spokesperson Marvellous Khumalo said.

“Instead of the national leadership to focus on addressing the economic challenges that we have, the social, political and other related challenges that are bedevilling the country at the moment, we are witnessing a host of the sideshows taking place. The arrest of Marry Chiwenga, all this is being done and is raking attention from the leadership and the country at large yet we have important things, bread and butter issues to attend to,” he said.
“It is sad.”

Chiwenga is embroiled in a nasty divorce with his wife of eight years, Marry, and so far, a lot has been exposed and the VP is likely to be kept busy at the courts in 2020, joining Mohadi who has had violent confrontations with his estranged wife, Tambudzani, including an incident whereby the Vice-President chased after her at their Beitbridge home, armed with an axe and threatening to kill her.

Chiwenga accuses his wife of wanting to kill him while he was hospitalised in South Africa.

Marry, who is also accused of fraud and money-laundering involving close to US$2 million, was remanded in custody to December 30, but has made a High Court application for bail.

This comes after a lengthy absence from the political scene by Chiwenga, who was receiving treatment in China following suspected poisoning.

In Mnangagwa’s short reign, the police and military have launched a massive crackdown across the country, which has also seen MDC supporters being violently dispersed during gatherings in what the opposition party describe as “an unofficial ban” of the party and closure of the democratic space.

Several people, most of them ordinary Zimbabweans, were injured, while others were arrested last month ahead of Chamisa’s Hope of the Nation Address that was quashed by the police.

Chamisa was to survive an incident in which he claimed to have had gunshots targeted at him last month during a tree planting event in Marondera, although the police claimed otherwise.

But in the entire crisis, Chamisa yesterday said he would push for change in 2020.
Recently, he was also quoted as saying something would happen to change the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans by May 2020.

“My biggest Christmas gift is the hope I see in 2020. Change will come, if it doesn’t come, we go and get it for the people,” Chamisa said.

His statement also comes as former South African President Thabo Mbeki jetted into Harare last week to meet almost all political actors who included Mnangagwa, Chamisa, Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) and also with the churches on a “listening exercise” to understand the challenges affecting Zimbabwe.

Mbeki has promised to come back for more talks before year end.

While Mbeki has brought renewed hope to suffering Zimbabweans, with Chamisa warming up to possible dialogue with his nemesis convened by a neutral interlocutor, Mnangagwa dashed the hope by insisting that there would be no talks outside Polad, a grouping the main opposition party has sworn never to join.

Political analyst Eldred Masunungure thinks it is too early to celebrate.

Mbeki was at the centre of talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai that led to the Global Political Agreement of 2009 that saw Tsvangirai becoming Prime Minister in Mugabe’s government, an arrangement that led to some brief stability before it ended in 2013.
Meanwhile, Kasukuwere has thrown his hat into the opposition political ring, vowing to challenge Mnangagwa if he chooses to answer to calls by a movement dubbed “Tyson Wabantu” that is pushing for him to lead.

Said Kasukuwere of the situation in the country: “It is not hatred of each other that will take our country out of this challenge, but a need to collectively confront the elephant in the room.

The pain in our society is deep and sharp. Let’s accept our failings and correct our steps. It’s the economy and politics.”
— NewsDay

By A Correspondent| Justice Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi has been criticised for his remarks which indicated that the government has given the police authority to shoot machete gangs popularly known as Mashurugwi.

The minister had, in an audio-recorded interview with VOA said that killing of terrorists was common practice worldwide.

He said:

Even in America terrorists are killed, machete criminals are terrorists, I talked to the Minister of Homes Affairs for the police to shoot them.

The people called Mashurugwi will be arrested, we will deny them bail because they would threaten their victims after bail application.

He also said that Mashurugwi has become a threat to public security as a result measures are being taken by his ministry and the Ministry of Homes Affairs to enable the police to shoot the gang when need be.

Some legal practitioners have however said that the order is likely to create “another Gukurahundi” referring to the killings which occurred in Matebeleland and some parts of Midlands on the aftermath of Independence.

-MiningZimbabwe

Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has been criticized for declaring that Zimbabweans should embrace the local currency- regardless of its strength.

Angry Zimbabweans expressed outrage on various social media platforms – accusing the Zanu PF leader of showing a carefree attitude towards suffering masses.

Mnangagwa made the remarks at the belated anti-corruption day commemorations.

“The Reserve Bank has been giving banks $30 million, up from $10-$14 million which they had been giving them after I spoke to the central bank governor.

We will take further measures if the situation does not improve,” said Mnangagwa.

“Mozambicans have their currency called Metical, Botswana has the Pula and South Africa has the Rand, in Malawi they have theirs and Zambia has the Kwacha. The citizens do not care whether their currency is strong or not, they take ownership of it,” he added.

Farai Dziva|Former Cabinet Minister Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo has indicated that there will be no talks outside POLAD

However, Former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Moyo has described the remarks
as false bravado.

“IT’S POLAD OR NO TALKS, declares @MinisterSBMoyo to himself, in a display of false bravado with a boomerang effect that has brought down delusional governments around the world,” tweeted Jonathan Moyo.

At a time the nation is grappling with an incessant economic crisis, the Zanu PF government has pointed out that POLAD is the ideal platform for dialogue.

On the other hand MDC leader Nelson Chamisa insists POLAD is a Zanu PF project meant to hoodwink the international community into believing that there is genuine dialogue in Zimbabwe.

Exiled former minister Patrick Zhuwao who is also a nephew to the late founding leader of Zimbabwe Robert Gabriel Mugabe has applied to join the second biggest South African opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

The EFF is a big admirer of late former Robert Mugabe’s controversial land reform programme.

Zhuwao said he will just be an ordinary card carrying member and will not seek to run for public office because in any case he doesn’t qualify since he is refugee. Speaking to City Press, Zhuwao had the following to say:

“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.”

“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 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.”

Patrick Zhuwao fled to South Africa in November 2017 after his uncle was overthrown in a military coup that helped Mnangagwa take the leadership of both Zanu PF and Zimbabwe. Zhuwao was part of Zanu PF faction named G-40 which comprised of Savior Kasukuwere, Walter Mzembi, Professor Jonathan Moyo among many other. G-40 was bitterly opposed to Mnangagwa’s bid to succeed the aging Robert Mugabe.

-Online

By A Correspondent| Justice Minister  Ziyambi Ziyambi in an interview with a local publication clearly stated in Shona that ZRP has been given the green light to shoot machete welding Mashurugwi.

Ziyambi justified the decision to shoot MaShurugwi and likened the Machete Welding gangs to terrorists and said no one sympathises with terrorists.

Political commentator Dewa Mavhunga said it is against the law to shoot  MaShurugwi without taking them to court first.

By A Correspondent| Former Political Science lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, Shakespeare Hamauswa who is also opposition MDC legislator for Warren Park constituency has said that the government’s Transitional Stabilization Programme (TSP) is doomed to fail.

The TSP is being implemented by the government in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Hamauswa posted on Twitter saying:

Transitional Stabilization Programme will not bring desired economic outcomes unless backed by a Political Transitional Authority. Cure the politics and economic stability and growth will be a bonus.

The government says that the TSP which runs from October 2018 to December 2020, was initiated in a bid to set the economy on a recovery path after years of stagnation.

Authorities observe that among other things, the TSP acknowledges policy reform initiatives of “the new dispensation to stimulate domestic production, exports, rebuilding and transforming the economy to an upper middle-income status by 2030.”

Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi’s remarks that the police been instructed to shoot the notorious machete gangs have attracted criticism amid concerns that that the idea to give the police power to shoot will create another genocide like Gukurahundi.

In an audio-recorded interview with VOA, Ziyambi said that the government has instructed the police to shoot notorious machete gangs.

The Minister reiterated that the notorious machete wielding criminals have become a threat to public security as a result, measures were being taken by his ministry and the Ministry of Homes Affairs to enable the police to shoot the gang when need be.

Minister Ziyambi said that the gangs were a terrorist group that deserves to be killed without fear in the same way Osama Bin Laden was killed.

“Even in America terrorists are killed, machete criminals are terrorists, I talked to the Minister of Homes Affairs for the police to shoot them,” said Ziyambi.

Minister Ziyambi also said that the government of Zimbabwe is working towards denying bail to all machete wielding criminals because they would threaten their victims not report.

“The people called Mashurugwi will be arrested, we will deny them bail because they would threaten their victims after bail application,” he said.

-Online

Jane Mlambo| Controversial Norton parliamentarian Themba Mliswa has praised President Emmerson Mnangagwa as a passionate farmer who shunned the temptation to grab multiple farms, in his latest praise song of the Zanu PF leader.

Posting on Twitter, Mliswa said Mnangagwa is a real farmer who runs a productive farm urging other farmers to emulate him if the country is to avert food shortages.

“One thing you can never take away from @edmnangagwa is how he is a real farmer, passionate and effective. He runs a very productive farm run professionally and he isn’t a multiple farm owner. If most of our farmers could emulate that we won’t have food shortages,” said Mliswa.

Last week, Mnangagwa took POLAD members to his farm in Sherwood, a move widely condemned by the general public who felt it had confirmed suspicions that he has captured most opposition parties under the POLAD platform.

During the chaotic land reform in the early 2000, Zanu PF leaders including the late former President Robert Mugabe grabbed multiple farms some of which in the name of his children.

Could Mnangagwa have shunned the temptation to grab more than one farm?

By A Correspondent| Independent legislator for Norton Temba Mliswa has said that Zimbabwean farmers must take a leaf from President Emmerson Mnangagwa who is “professionally” running his farm.

Posting on Twitter on Thursday following a tour of Mnangagwa’s farm in Kwekwe by a Chinese Tesso Group and Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) forum members recently, Mliswa said:

One thing you can never take away from @edmnangagwa is how he is a real farmer, passionate and effective. He runs a very productive farm run professionally and he isn’t a multiple farm owner. If most of our farmers could emulate that we won’t have food shortages.

These remarks are made when most of the Zimbabwean farmers are failing to produce enough to feed themselves let alone sustain the local industry and export.

Most of the farmers bemoan lack of government support and lack of adequate resources, among them, machinery and other inputs.

Jane Mlambo| According to the Zimbabwe Republic Police, a Karoi couple committed suicide over suspected reports of infidelity.

The body of the woman was found hanging on an electric pole while that of the husband was found hanging at a nearby farm.

According to ZRP, there were numerous reports of domestic violence in the couple’s marriage, something that could have prompted the unfortunate turn of events.

Police have not released further details on what transpired leading to the suicide events.

Read below an update from the police:

By A Correspondent| Japan this Thursday executed a 40-year-old Chinese man convicted of murdering a family of four, making him the first foreigner to be executed since the disclosure of details on sentences carried out began in 2007.

This was revealed by Japan’s Ministry of Justice which also indicated that the execution was the 39th since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to power in 2012.

The Chinese man, Wei Wei, had committed the murders in mid-2003 with two accomplices who were also Chinese nationals.

Wei’s accomplices reportedly fled to China where they were arrested. One of them was executed in China in 2005 and the other received a life sentence.

Japan and the United States of America are the only members of the Group of Seven nations to retain the death penalty.

-StateMedia

Condolence message:

Memory Memo Banda MDCA councillor Ward 2 since 2013 on her second term in 2018-2023*

Death comes too suddenly is deadly and swift. It has robbed our constituency of a youthful leader and talent we have lost continuity and institutional memory in the mold and make of councillor Memory Memo Banda.

She will be greatly missed by all the constituency particularly those from her ward 2 base, I learnt with sadness the passing of the MDC-A Councillor, Memory Memo Banda of Ward 2.

May God put her in a special place from where she will be watching the people who loved and cherished her.

May the dear lord comfort her family and May her dear soul rest in eternal peace.

Accept my deepest condolences.

Hon. Dexter Nduna
Chegutu West Constituency.

Own Correspondent| Controversial MDC deputy president Obert Gutu has said those calling for the disbanding of POLAD were daydreaming as former South African President, Thabo Mbeki who is currently presiding over dialogue is impressed with the platform.

Posting on Twitter, Gutu said Mbeki appreciates what POLAD had achieved

“Legitimacy? What legitimacy? Dream on! You will soon wake up from your horrible and terrible nightmare! POLAD rocks,” wrote Gutu on Twitter.

“President Thabo Mbeki appreciates the remarkable achievements made by POLAD since its formation hence reluctant to dissolve it.

“We outlined to him POLAD’s achievements profile & he was impressed. To expect Cde.Mbeki to advocate for the disbanding of POLAD is like wishing that one day Lucifer will conquer Heaven. It won’t happen.”

By A Correspondent| Exiled former Tourism Minister, Dr Walter Mzembi has praised President Emmerson Mnangagwa for dissolving the old Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) saying that it was compromised.

Mzembi, however, believes that more action could have been taken against the former ZACC officials who were dismissed over corruption allegations.

He posted on Twitter after Mnangagwa had told an anti-corruption event  organised by the African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC), in conjunction with Zacc and the Transparency International Zimbabwe (TI-Z) to commemorate the Anti-Corruption Day symposium why he dissolved the commission.

Mzembi said:

On point @edmnangagwa but can their investigations over their tenure be reviewed? We appealed over their corrupt conduct when we were still together in Cabinet to no avail. How is their partisan work sustained to date?

Thank you @edmnangagwa for firing the old ZACC, but bring them to book based on information I submitted both at the High Court and in a letter to you, and many others will submit, incarceration of colleagues based on this was wrong too.

Mzembi is not the first to call for action on corruption as Mnangagwa’s critics have questioned ZACC’s commitment to fighting corruption.

Mzembi who is in exile stands accused of corruptly abusing office during his tenure as Tourism Minister.

By A Correspondent| A new political party, the Independence of Zimbabwe African Organisation of People’s Power Pinda Panyanga United Front (IZAOPPOPP UNF) has been formed in Zimbabwe.

The existence of the party was confirmed by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s chief elections officer, Mr Utoile Silaigwana who in a letter to acknowledge the party’s existence said:

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) acknowledges receipt of your party profile documents, the contents of which have been noted.

Your organisation has been included on ZEC’s stakeholder database and mailing list for notification when appropriate meetings that require your input arise.

The party leader, Mr Edson Rupondo told the state media in an interview that he formed the “nationalist and pan-Africanist” party to enhance democracy in the country.

He said:

“What we want is a democratic Zimbabwe and we respect the liberation struggle. Our party will be nationalist and pan-Africanist.

We simply want to use other avenues through a structure like a political party to advocate for the citizens’ interests.

The development takes place when Zimbabwe is not short of political parties considering that over 100 political parties contested in 2018 elections yet the country is still in disarray.

-StateMedia

Own Correspondent| Youthful MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has chided his political rival Emmerson Mnangagwa for “feeding the fish instead of feeding hungry people.”

Chamisa, qouted by Newsday, said he was going to the holidays with a heavy heart thinking about the suffering masses.

He said : “Any serious and credible leader’s core business is the well-being and interest of the people they lead. On that score, I walk into the Christmas holiday depressed, challenged and burdened because my thoughts, mind and conscience are with the people of Zimbabwe who are suffering.

They are suffering because we have deprived them of happiness and merrymaking.

They are without cash, without fuel, without electricity, without water and even without freedom
I wish I could have the luxury of feeding my fish at the farm with my friends, but I can’t. It is just impossible. We must feed the people not the fish.”

Jane Mlambo| Opposition MDC-T President Thokozani Khupe has sensationally claimed that the POLAD platform was introduced by the late founding party leader Morgan Tsvangirai when the movement resolved to pursue peaceful means to bring about the government of the day to dialogue.

In her christmas message, Khupe lambasted those who castigated POLAD saying her party has already made great strides by pushing for free sanitary for school girls.

“During the 2014 congress led by Richard Morgan Tsvangirai, we resolved that we will engage in whatever peaceful means to bring about the government of the day to dialogue, therefore it can be correct to say that POLAD is the brainchild of the late president (Tsvangirai),” Khupe said.

“The former Deputy Prime Minister said there has been a “lot of noise coming from outside having said about POLAD”.

“It must be noted that POLAD is not the panacea to all our problems, it is through POLAD that a party with only two representatives of parliament of 350 MPs has managed to persuade government to set aside at least $300 million to attend to the indignity and health hazards of the girl child due to lack of access to sanitary wear.

“There are complex challenges in Zimbabwe … We know there are serious and seemingly intractable political factors that might need attention, in fact, that needs attention if solutions are to be effective or implementable.

The political formations in Zimbabwe remain at loggerheads and have apparent deep antipathy toward each other which makes joint decision-making and planning extremely difficult,” said South Africa International Relations and Co-operation minister Naledi Pandor on November 18, 2019 at a symposium on the Best Path Towards a Prosperous Zimbabwe at the University of South Africa in Pretoria.

Pandor’s message came exactly two years after Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed power as President in November 2017 following a military coup that deposed long time ruler, the late Robert Mugabe.

Upon assuming power, Mnangagwa premised his message on rebuilding Zimbabwe, insisting on the need to “let bygones be bygones” and his swearing in was attended by Mugabe’s long-time nemesis, Morgan Tsvangirai (the late MDC leader), a clear sign that Mnangagwa meant well.

Two years down the line, all hope is slowly fading, and Mnangagwa is leading a deeply divided nation, plagued with economic challenges that observers insist, require a political solution.

Mugabe’s loyalists, better known as the G40 cabal, including former ministers, Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo, Patrick Zhuwao and Walter Mzembi, among others, remain exiled, fleeing possible persecution and prosecution at the hands of Mnangagwa.

Chamisa is on record describing Mnangagwa as having betrayed Tsvangirai after having earlier agreed to a “transitional mechanism” with him as part of the transition.
“Tsvangirai told me that ‘Chamisa, we are now going to help remove the poverty caused by Mugabe, but the assurance I have is that we are going to have a transitional authority’,” Chamisa was quoted as saying.

“I said to him, this was a good thing, but asked him if he was sure about the people he was dealing with and he said ‘let us give them time’. We gave them time and they betrayed my old man.”

According to a leaked intelligence report in early 2017, Mnangagwa and Tsvangirai allegedly engaged in secret talks to form an arrangement post-Mugabe, with Tsvangirai telling Reuters in June of that year that he would not rule out a coalition with political opponents, such as Mnangagwa, and wanted white farmers to come back into a “positive role”.

Tsvangirai supported the military intervention and Mnangagwa’s takeover, even rallying his supporters for the action at Parliament in the days Mugabe was about to be impeached.

Mnangagwa acted as if he meant well even by visiting an incapacitated Tsvangirai later on at his Highlands mansion, a sign that made many believe, the unifier was in town.

But alas, Mnangagwa pushed for polls and opted to go it alone, and it is that decision observers say which led to the prevailing socio-economic crisis that was to be born out of the unresolved July 2018 elections, and there is no hope for Zimbabwe as it stands.

In Chamisa’s words, had Mnangagwa not betrayed Tsvangirai and implemented the agreed transitional mechanism, the story would have been different.

Mnangagwa’s woes started after the July 30 harmonised elections, where the Zanu PF leader narrowly won, but his victory was challenged.

Moyo, a former government spin-doctor, claims Mnangagwa lost to Chamisa and evidence is supposedly contained in his book Excelgate, which was set to be launched last week before suspected Zanu PF supporters interrupted it, chasing out guests, including diplomats.

As Zimbabwe waited for results of the delayed presidential election results, soldiers shot and killed six people in Harare, injuring scores in the process after opposition supporters took to the streets protesting the delay.

A commission of inquiry into the killings led by former South African President Kgalema Monthlante called for unity among political actors and up to now, this and other recommendations are yet to be fulfilled.

Another huge dent on Mnangagwa’s administration was to come on January 14, hours after he sparked a fire that would lead to at least 17 deaths, more than 80 sustaining gunshot injuries, with more than 300 cases of torture at the hands of the police, the military and Central Intelligence Organisation operatives.

Mnangagwa made a surprise announcement of a 150% hike in fuel prices that led to violent protests across the country.
Shortly after making the announcement, Mnangagwa flew to Russia, but had to cut short the trip following the widely condemned attacks on civilians.

The January shootings were to be the beginning of a tough year for Zimbabweans, characterised by week-in, week-out price hikes of fuel, cash shortages, doctors’ and nurses’ strikes and hospital closures, among other challenges.

Over half the population is facing starvation caused by drought and a wobbly economy, with ordinary citizens evidently losing faith in the ruling party’s ability to resolve the crisis.

In its latest central committee report, Zanu PF stated that the economy remains a “latent security” threat, but blamed the United States, the MDC, some civic society organisations and even drought for its failure.

“The most latent security threat that has grave consequences is the unstable economy which is largely propelled by the thriving parallel market (black market),” the report by the party’s national security department read.

The report further stated that ordinary Zimbabweans have lost confidence in the direction the economy was going and were “angry”, while government also took to blaming natural disasters for the crisis.

“Formal trading prices are determined by the parallel market exchange rate which has been sharply rising on a daily basis.

This has resulted in inflation also rising to unprecedented levels. Prices of all commodities and services have followed suit to unsustainable levels. Most people are failing to make ends meet, so are poverty levels that are rising very much throughout the country. As a result, anger is brewing among the citizens, while there is loss of confidence on the direction the economy is taking,” the Zanu PF central committee report said.

“Owing to the incessant price hikes of commodities, food security situation is exacerbated by the fact that there were poor harvests experienced due to the El-nino induced drought.”

Zanu PF lamented the high unemployment in the formal sector due to company closures, and raised fears that unemployed graduates can be used by detractors to work against the ruling party.

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition blamed all this on the incumbent leadership that focuses on pettiness, giving the much-publicised divorce of Mnangagwa’s lieutenants, Vice-Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi as examples
“The most unfortunate thing that we are lacking as a country is leadership,” Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition spokesperson Marvellous Khumalo said.

“Instead of the national leadership to focus on addressing the economic challenges that we have, the social, political and other related challenges that are bedevilling the country at the moment, we are witnessing a host of the sideshows taking place. The arrest of Marry Chiwenga, all this is being done and is raking attention from the leadership and the country at large yet we have important things, bread and butter issues to attend to,” he said.
“It is sad.”

Chiwenga is embroiled in a nasty divorce with his wife of eight years, Marry, and so far, a lot has been exposed and the VP is likely to be kept busy at the courts in 2020, joining Mohadi who has had violent confrontations with his estranged wife, Tambudzani, including an incident whereby the Vice-President chased after her at their Beitbridge home, armed with an axe and threatening to kill her.

Chiwenga accuses his wife of wanting to kill him while he was hospitalised in South Africa.

Marry, who is also accused of fraud and money-laundering involving close to US$2 million, was remanded in custody to December 30, but has made a High Court application for bail.

This comes after a lengthy absence from the political scene by Chiwenga, who was receiving treatment in China following suspected poisoning.

In Mnangagwa’s short reign, the police and military have launched a massive crackdown across the country, which has also seen MDC supporters being violently dispersed during gatherings in what the opposition party describe as “an unofficial ban” of the party and closure of the democratic space.

Several people, most of them ordinary Zimbabweans, were injured, while others were arrested last month ahead of Chamisa’s Hope of the Nation Address that was quashed by the police.

Chamisa was to survive an incident in which he claimed to have had gunshots targeted at him last month during a tree planting event in Marondera, although the police claimed otherwise.

But in the entire crisis, Chamisa yesterday said he would push for change in 2020.
Recently, he was also quoted as saying something would happen to change the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans by May 2020.

“My biggest Christmas gift is the hope I see in 2020. Change will come, if it doesn’t come, we go and get it for the people,” Chamisa said.

His statement also comes as former South African President Thabo Mbeki jetted into Harare last week to meet almost all political actors who included Mnangagwa, Chamisa, Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) and also with the churches on a “listening exercise” to understand the challenges affecting Zimbabwe.

Mbeki has promised to come back for more talks before year end.

While Mbeki has brought renewed hope to suffering Zimbabweans, with Chamisa warming up to possible dialogue with his nemesis convened by a neutral interlocutor, Mnangagwa dashed the hope by insisting that there would be no talks outside Polad, a grouping the main opposition party has sworn never to join.

Political analyst Eldred Masunungure thinks it is too early to celebrate.

Mbeki was at the centre of talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai that led to the Global Political Agreement of 2009 that saw Tsvangirai becoming Prime Minister in Mugabe’s government, an arrangement that led to some brief stability before it ended in 2013.
Meanwhile, Kasukuwere has thrown his hat into the opposition political ring, vowing to challenge Mnangagwa if he chooses to answer to calls by a movement dubbed “Tyson Wabantu” that is pushing for him to lead.

Said Kasukuwere of the situation in the country: “It is not hatred of each other that will take our country out of this challenge, but a need to collectively confront the elephant in the room.

The pain in our society is deep and sharp. Let’s accept our failings and correct our steps. It’s the economy and politics.”
— NewsDay

Farai Dziva| Outspoken
ZANU PF MP for Gokwe-Nembudziya, Justice Mayor Wadyajena has charged that Zimbabweans should not blame Zanu PF for the “tough” Christmas season.

Wadyajena said in spite of the state of the economy, individuals should fend for their families.

He described as foolishness, the assertion that the ruling party ruined this year’s Christmas saying the state of the economy was no justification for a dull holiday.

“It’s folly to claim
@ZANUPF_Official stole your Christmas! Things are tough but it’s still your responsibility to put food on the table. Let’s pull up our socks & do something for ourselves & country instead of accusing every successful person of being crooked. Merry Christmas,” Wadyajena posted on Twitter.

Farai Dziva|MDC vice chairperson Job Sikhala has said opposition politicians are always under threat.

Sikhala was involved in a terrible accident last night.

In an interview with ZimEye.com Sikhala said:
“I was travelling to my rural home in Gutu for Christmas when the accident happened last night.

I was approaching Featherstone when the accident happened.To be precise the accident happened at the 30 km peg to Featherstone.

Some suspicious looking individuals drove a herd of cattle straight into my vehicle resulting in the accident.”

He added:”I was travelling with my family but I am relieved to say my children are safe and out of danger.

I am still in hospital because I sustained internal injuries.

As you know we are always under threat and there are people who trail us – that is a known fact so we cannot rule out foul play. By the look of things everything was planned by my political opponents.

These things happen as a way of trying to intimidate us but we will remain resolute.”

Farai Dziva|MDC vice chairperson Job Sikhala has revealed details of the horrific accident that happened last night.

In an interview with ZimEye.com Sikhala said:
“I was travelling to my rural home in Gutu for Christmas when the accident happened last night.

I was approaching Featherstone when the accident happened.To be precise the accident happened at the 30 km peg to Featherstone.

Some suspicious looking individuals drove a herd of cattle straight into my vehicle resulting in the accident.”

He added:”I was travelling with my family but I am relieved to say my children are safe and out of danger.

I am still in hospital because I sustained internal injuries.

As you know we are always under threat and there are people who trail us – that is a known fact so we cannot rule out foul play. By the look of things everything was planned by my political opponents.

These things happen as a way of trying to intimidate us but we will remain resolute.”

Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has been criticized for declaring that Zimbabweans should embrace the local currency- regardless of its strength.

Angry Zimbabweans expressed outrage on various social media platforms – accusing the Zanu PF leader of showing a carefree attitude towards suffering masses.

Mnangagwa made the remarks at the belated anti-corruption day commemorations.

“The Reserve Bank has been giving banks $30 million, up from $10-$14 million which they had been giving them after I spoke to the central bank governor.

We will take further measures if the situation does not improve,” said Mnangagwa.

“Mozambicans have their currency called Metical, Botswana has the Pula and South Africa has the Rand, in Malawi they have theirs and Zambia has the Kwacha. The citizens do not care whether their currency is strong or not, they take ownership of it,” he added.

Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has been criticized for declaring that Zimbabweans should embrace the local currency- regardless of its strength.

Angry Zimbabweans expressed outrage on various social media platforms – accusing the Zanu PF leader of showing a carefree attitude towards suffering masses.

Mnangagwa made the remarks at the belated anti-corruption day commemorations.

“The Reserve Bank has been giving banks $30 million, up from $10-$14 million which they had been giving them after I spoke to the central bank governor.

We will take further measures if the situation does not improve,” said Mnangagwa.

“Mozambicans have their currency called Metical, Botswana has the Pula and South Africa has the Rand, in Malawi they have theirs and Zambia has the Kwacha. The citizens do not care whether their currency is strong or not, they take ownership of it,” he added.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Jane Mlambo| Opposition MDC-T President Thokozani Khupe has sensationally claimed that the POLAD platform was introduced by the late founding party leader Morgan Tsvangirai when the movement resolved to pursue peaceful means to bring about the government of the day to dialogue.

In her christmas message, Khupe lambasted those who castigated POLAD saying her party has already made great strides by pushing for free sanitary for school girls.

“During the 2014 congress led by Richard Morgan Tsvangirai, we resolved that we will engage in whatever peaceful means to bring about the government of the day to dialogue, therefore it can be correct to say that POLAD is the brainchild of the late president (Tsvangirai),” Khupe said.

“The former Deputy Prime Minister said there has been a “lot of noise coming from outside having said about POLAD”.

“It must be noted that POLAD is not the panacea to all our problems, it is through POLAD that a party with only two representatives of parliament of 350 MPs has managed to persuade government to set aside at least $300 million to attend to the indignity and health hazards of the girl child due to lack of access to sanitary wear.

Jane Mlambo| MDC-T President Thokozani Khupe has bragged about her party achievements in parliament saying it was only through her two party representatives that women and girls in the country will now enjoy free sanitary wear and education.

Khupe also equated herself to the late founding leader of the MDC Morgan Tsvangirai for sitting down with the late President Robert Mugabe to dialogue for purposes of rescuing the country.

“During the 2014 congress led by Richard Morgan Tsvangirai, we resolved that we will engage in whatever peaceful means to bring about the government of the day to dialogue, therefore it can be correct to say that POLAD is the brainchild of the late president (Tsvangirai),” Khupe said.

The former Deputy Prime Minister said there has been a “lot of noise coming from outside having said about POLAD”.

“It must be noted that POLAD is not the panacea to all our problems, it is through POLAD that a party with only two representatives of parliament of 350 MPs has managed to persuade government to set aside at least $300 million to attend to the indignity and health hazards of the girl child due to lack of access to sanitary wear.

“At the same time, our hard working Education Portfolio Committee chairperson Priscilla Misihairabwi has just informed that pursuant to our Education Bill which we championed as MDC-T in line with our manifesto, the Minister of Finance Prof Mthuli Ncube has set aside another $400 million as a pilot project for free education.

Too much hullabaloo has been said of our visit to His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s farm as a delegation of POLAD. I must state that categorically, having said POLAD is a 2014 MDC-T Congress resolution, it should therefore come as no surprise whatsoever for any sober minded person that we are in dialogue with Zanu PF under POLAD.”

Khupe said if former bitter rivals Tsvangirai and Mugabe could have tea together, she found nothing amiss with her dining with Mnangagwa.

By A Correspondent| Zengeza MP Job Sikhala was yesterday involved in a car accident. Full details of the mishap (including the legislator’s health) were sketchy at the time of writing and ZimEye was at pains to connect to him during the early stages of this developing story.

The accident was a collision with cattle, the MP later told ZimEye in the below short interview.

The MP was on his way to his rural home in Masvingo to celebrate Christmas.

At 2am (26th Dec), a source updated ZimEye saying Sikhala was now out of danger.

Meanwhile, the MDC North America Chair Chief Tawanda Svosve commented in the following lines:

” Job Sikhala’s Car. This is MDC Vice Chairman’s second accident in as many months. Trumped up treason charges & Accidents are all part of Zanu Pf’s modus operandi to distract and eliminate opposition leaders.”

• THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY –

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged his Ministers to work hard for the transformation of the lives of the electorate saying doing so is the only ticket to maintaining power.

He made the remarks at the anti-corruption event organised by the African Parliamentarians Network against Corruption (APNAC), in conjunction with Zacc and the Transparency International Zimbabwe to commemorate the Anti-Corruption Day symposium last Friday.
He claimed that the government’s failure to deliver public goods was probably as a result of ministers that are not doing their job.

He added:
“We are supposed to service our people. Who wants to be voted out? I want to make sure that we do things well so that we continue ruling.”

He made the remarks in response to allegations by the Speaker of the Junior Parliament, Christopher Mutasa, that there is corruption in the country’s education sector.
Mnangagwa who is set to run for president in 2023 has hinted that he may extend his rule to beyond two terms stipulated by the constitution.

The ruling ZANU PF has suggested that the constitution will be amended to accommodate him.
News Day

Farai Dziva|Controversial MDC deputy president Obert Gutu has said those calling for the disbanding of POLAD are daydreaming

“Legitimacy? What legitimacy? Dream on! You will soon wake up from your horrible and terrible nightmare! POLAD rocks,” wrote Gutu on Twitter.

“President Thabo Mbeki appreciates the remarkable achievements made by POLAD.

We outlined to him POLAD’s achievements profile & he was impressed. To expect Cde.Mbeki to advocate for the disbanding of POLAD is like wishing that one day Lucifer will conquer Heaven. It won’t happen.”

Farai Dziva|Professor Jonathan Moyo has said there is nothing to celebrate on Christmas day.

“On this bleak Christmas day for most Zimbabweans, it’s hard to find merry words for the occasion save to ask God to bless and favour everyone affected with the promise of a better day tomorrow,” Moyo tweeted.

He also attacked Emmerson Mnangagwa for despising the suffering people of Zimbabwe.

“Kubata musana while talking to people, especially pamusika, is rude behavior which is tantamount to looking down on the masses.”

Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has called for unity among Zimbabweans during the Christmas season.

See full statement :

Fellow Zimbabweans, during this time when we celebrate the life of Jesus Christ, let us internalise the values he left for us.

The values of loving our neighbours, of protecting and caring for the poor, and of peace and unity.

Since the beginning of the new dispensation, we have worked hard daily, guided by these values.

Indeed, at all times we must be guided by Holy Scripture, by a desire and determination for justice, peace and prosperity for all.

This Christmas, let us look forward not backward; inwards not outwards. Let us focus on how best we can look after our families, our communities and our nation.

I know that many of you still suffer.

I am not blind to your situation, nor am I deaf to your cries. I commit to you that we will continue to reform with an eye on the long term; for we must not reform only for ourselves, but for our children and our children’s children. We are undertaking deep, broad, and meaningful reforms.

We are continuing to open up the political and media spaces. We are clamping down on corruption. And we are building a new Zimbabwe where the people come first.

Whilst we have much more work to do, my promise to you is that we will continue to work with modesty and humility, guided by our faith and scripture, day and night, to build a better future for all.

God Bless you all and God Bless the nation of Zimbabwe.

Farai Dziva|Youthful MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has chided his political rival Emmerson Mnangagwa for “feeding the fish instead of feeding hungry people.”

Chamisa, qouted by Newsday, said he was going to the holidays with a heavy heart thinking about the suffering masses.

He said : “Any serious and credible leader’s core business is the well-being and interest of the people they lead. On that score, I walk into the Christmas holiday depressed, challenged and burdened because my thoughts, mind and conscience are with the people of Zimbabwe who are suffering.

They are suffering because we have deprived them of happiness and merrymaking.

They are without cash, without fuel, without electricity, without water and even without freedom
I wish I could have the luxury of feeding my fish at the farm with my friends, but I can’t. It is just impossible. We must feed the people not the fish.”

Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has called for unity among Zimbabweans during the Christmas season.

See full statement :

Fellow Zimbabweans, during this time when we celebrate the life of Jesus Christ, let us internalise the values he left for us.

The values of loving our neighbours, of protecting and caring for the poor, and of peace and unity.

Since the beginning of the new dispensation, we have worked hard daily, guided by these values.

Indeed, at all times we must be guided by Holy Scripture, by a desire and determination for justice, peace and prosperity for all.

This Christmas, let us look forward not backward; inwards not outwards. Let us focus on how best we can look after our families, our communities and our nation.

I know that many of you still suffer.

I am not blind to your situation, nor am I deaf to your cries. I commit to you that we will continue to reform with an eye on the long term; for we must not reform only for ourselves, but for our children and our children’s children. We are undertaking deep, broad, and meaningful reforms.

We are continuing to open up the political and media spaces. We are clamping down on corruption. And we are building a new Zimbabwe where the people come first.

Whilst we have much more work to do, my promise to you is that we will continue to work with modesty and humility, guided by our faith and scripture, day and night, to build a better future for all.

God Bless you all and God Bless the nation of Zimbabwe.

Farai Dziva|Youthful MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has chided his political rival Emmerson Mnangagwa for “feeding the fish instead of feeding hungry people.”

Chamisa, qouted by Newsday, said he was going to the holidays with a heavy heart thinking about the suffering masses.

He said : “Any serious and credible leader’s core business is the well-being and interest of the people they lead. On that score, I walk into the Christmas holiday depressed, challenged and burdened because my thoughts, mind and conscience are with the people of Zimbabwe who are suffering.

They are suffering because we have deprived them of happiness and merrymaking.

They are without cash, without fuel, without electricity, without water and even without freedom
I wish I could have the luxury of feeding my fish at the farm with my friends, but I can’t. It is just impossible. We must feed the people not the fish.”

Most hotels, lodges and other accommodation facilities are expected to be fully booked throughout the festive season, while the fuel supply situation in resort towns has improved significantly.

In non-resort towns and cities, hotel occupancy remains low with charges being reduced to attract local tourists.

Government, through the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), is prioritising resort towns such as Victoria Falls and Kariba in the allocation of fuel.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) corporate communications manager Godfrey Koti yesterday said there were no fuel queues in resort towns owing to Government and individual initiatives, while accommodation facilities were fully booked for the festive season.

“I am reliably informed by ZERA and other private players that there is fuel in resort towns and people are just going straight to the pump.

“There are no fuel shortages and we are very grateful that the relevant authorities made this possible and we just hope that the situation will stay the same.

“Judging from what I saw, Victoria Falls is fully booked. There will also be the Victoria Falls Carnival, so it is expected to be fully booked until after the New Year and we are also expecting the same for other resort areas,” he said.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) spokesman Mr Tinashe Farawo said all their accommodation facilities country wide were fully booked.

He said domestic tourists made the majority of bookings in line with ZimParks’ thrust to continue promoting domestic tourism.

“We have a thrust to promote domestic tourism and all our facilities are fully packed right now. We have been fully booked since the start of the festive season.

“The majority of the tourists we have booked are domestic tourists so we are doing something right because domestic tourism is what we are pushing for.

“The prices for accommodation are low and very affordable, they are not prohibitive. We also have international tourists but domestic tourists make up the highest numbers,” said Mr Farawo.

For Christmas Day in Victoria Falls, a room at bigger hotels such as Elephant Hills, Kingdom, Ilala Lodge, Safari Lodge and Rainbow Hotel costs between US$75 for a single room and US$500 for an executive suite.

“Some of the smaller lodges are fully booked for the Victoria Falls Carnival period between 29 and 31 December and these are mostly locals,” said a source in the hotel industry.

Tourism executive Mr Clement Mukwasi said bookings for activities are beginning to pick up.

“As for activities, bookings have started to pick up and we expect more people, especially for the helicopter flight, boat cruise and rainforest tours,” he said.

The festive season looks promising for those in the tourism and hospitality industry

in Manicaland Province with most hotels and lodges fully booked.

Leopold Rock is fully booked for the festive season.

The hotel charges $4 000 for a double room, inclusive of bed and breakfast.

According to Chimanimani Tourist Association secretary Mrs Jane High, the festive season has kept them busy.

“We are very busy and we are very happy with how the season is. Christmas and New Year are looking very good and we are fully booked with local people. We have no international tourists,” she said.

Mrs High runs the Frog and Fern Cottages in Chimanimani.

Most lodges in Chimanimani charge foreign tourists US$35 and locals at the equivalent bank rate.

However, in Mutare major hotels such as Mutare Holiday Inn are not fully booked.

The hotel charges $1 710 (single) a night and $2 208 (double).

The recently refurbished Golden Peacock Villa Hotel is also not fully booked. The hotel charges $1 800 (single) and $2 400 (double).

Manica Skyview is also not fully booked. The hotel charges $1 350 for a standard room and $1 650 for a double.

In Masvingo, major hotels and lodges have been witnessing average occupancy rates with most hoteliers saying business was lower this year compared to last year.

Major hotels here such as the Regency Flamboyant Hotel, Great Zimbabwe Hotel and Ancient City were around 40-50 percent booked for the festive season.

The cost of rooms at these major hotels hovered from about $1 000 for a single room to around $2 400 for a double room.

Regency Hotel Group director Mr Eddison Zvobgo (Junior) said the occupancy rate at his firm’s hotels was lower this time compared to the same period last year.

Last year, Regency Hotels such as Flamboyant in Masvingo and Fairmile in Gweru were 44 percent and 53 percent full last year, respectively, in December compared to this year’s 30 and 36 percent occupancy rate, respectively.

“Yes, the figures this year show that in terms of occupancy rate, we are below last year but as an industry, (tourism is) doing better than other sectors,” said Mr Zvobgo.

In Mashonaland Central, Umfurudzi Lodges in Shamva is fully booked and Mr Farawo urged people to come for day activities which include the elephant experience and game drive.

He said their charges were minimum and affordable to locals as part of the drive to promote domestic tourism.

However, some lodges in Bindura town are not fully booked.

Catherine Mashonganyika, who manages Twin Lodges in Bindura, said they are not fully booked.

Their executive rooms cost $600, while delux rooms are going for $700.

Mayfair Lodges in Bindura is not fully booked and accepting clients.

Mr Brian Chinyemba, an accountant at Mayfair, said their rooms, including bed and breakfast, are going for $900 while their executive room costs $1 100.

-State Media

MDC president Nelson Chamisa says he enters the Christmas season depressed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is taking time to feed fish at his farm with fellow POLAD leaders, while the rest of the people around the country are starving.

President Mnangagwa met POLAD leaders at his Sherwood farm near Kwekwe over the weekend, and part of the meeting involved touring the various projects taking place at the sprawling farm. Social media was awash with images of MDC-T President Thokozani Khupe and President Emmerson Mnangagwa throwing fish food into a pond.

Chamisa also said his conscience was troubled that millions of Zimbabweans will be without food, fuel, power and freedom during the festive period.

“Any serious and credible leader’s core business is the well-being and interest of the people they lead. On that score, I walk into the Christmas holiday depressed, challenged and burdened because my thoughts, mind and conscience are with the people of Zimbabwe who are suffering.

“They are suffering because we have deprived them of happiness and merrymaking. They are without cash, without fuel, without electricity, without water and even without freedom,” Chamisa said.

He said it was a difficult period for Zimbabweans, and he hoped that “this will be a vivid reminder of the urgency of our situation, the extraordinary circumstances”.

“I wish I could have the luxury of feeding my fish at the farm with my friends, but I can’t. It is just impossible. We must feed the people not the fish,” Chamisa said, in apparent reference to a video that featured Mnangagwa and MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe at Mnangagwa’s farm.

Chamisa said he sympathised with the people of Zimbabwe who will miss the usual delicacies usually associated with the festive season.

“I sympathise with the people and feel with them, the definition of a sensitive leader. The way Zimbabwe is suffering, high school fees, dysfunctional hospitals; in other countries, people are busy having their best meals, their delicacies on Christmas and visiting best places. But in Zimbabwe, the situation is different. I was in Germany, I could feel the sense of Christmas, but that is not the situation in Zimbabwe. (A) sad indictment of those in leadership. Instead of dispensing love, they are dispensing agony and sorrow,” Chamisa added.

-Online

JAPAN, the world’s third largest economy after the United States and China, is frustrated by Zimbabwe’s slow pace of implementing reforms, such as tackling corruption, which has dented the southern African country’s golden opportunity to repair frosty relations with the international community as well as attract foreign direct investment (FDI), the Zimbabwe Independent can report.

The Asian country in 2019 hosted the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (Ticad) meant to boost trade and investment relations between the country and the continent where it pledged to channel US$30 billion to Africa.

This year’s edition of Ticad, which President Emmerson Mnangagwa attended, was held in August in Yokohama. Japanese ambassador to Zimbabwe Toshiyuki Iwado told the Independent that the Asian country was hopeful that after the departure of former president Robert Mugabe in November 2017, the new Mnangagwa government would usher in much-needed reforms.

However, he added that optimism has since waned, degenerating into frustration over the government’s lack of appetite to implement a raft of promised reforms.

“I still remember the kind of euphoria after the military intervention in November, 2017.

At that time I tried to inform every Zimbabwean that this was an opportunity that could open a window for real reform. We were happy to hear that President Mnangagwa at the beginning stressed the importance of political and economic reforms,” Iwado said.

“I do not know the details of what is going on here, but unfortunately, the words coming out of his mouth have not been realised in a very smooth way. Now that euphoria is gone. Without knowing the reality, without transparency, how can one tackle corruption? After my two years in Zimbabwe, my question always is, government is always saying we are doing this, we are doing that. But I have never seen the results. My comment is, we are frustrated because we cannot see the change.”

With Zimbabwe generating about US$6 billion every year in export earnings, Iwado said he was baffled how that significant amount of money was not making meaningful change towards reviving the fragile economy.

He said Mnangagwa’s administration should prioritise the tackling of corruption. It is also vital, he added, for the government to be transparent in its policies, including on investment.More in News

“Statistics say US$6 billion is coming in every year. That amount is really significant if you can compare with neighbouring countries. Why is it that you cannot feel this US$6 billion in this country? Some say it is because of the corruption, some say a few people are just grabbing it. The point is, we do not know.

“How do you deal with US$6 billion coming in? The important thing is for this government to make this society transparent? That is the core issue, because from my side, Japanese companies need to judge, whether you like it or not, they need to judge. Without knowing what is going on here, how can they judge? The real problem from outside is that we cannot see what is going on.”

Iwado said Japanese companies were also unnerved by the abrupt suspension of the multi-currency system as well as the acute foreign currency crisis choking Zimbabwe’s imploding economy.

Rampant graft, he emphasised, was one of the big factors repelling investors. “Many Japanese companies, frankly, are interested in doing business in this country. Are they comfortable with the business climate of this country? Are local companies comfortable? Many investors have talked about bribes. It is a corruption issue,” Iwado said.

The Japanese ambassador also said a solution to the foreign currency crisis is needed if Zimbabwe is to attract investors. Both local and foreign investors are suffering owing to a lack of forex.

“There are some challenges you need to address, especially the foreign currency challenge. That is a must, to think about it, how do foreign investors operate without foreign currency? Suppose they come, they will have foreign currency in the bank, and every time they need to procure something they will have to go to the central bank to get approval to withdraw?” he asked. “This is my money, this is my company’s money. Why can we not use it? That is a serious issue.”

Iwado highlighted that the international community is puzzled why the government in Harare is not implementing reforms, including recommendations of the Kgalema Motlanthe commission of inquiry into the killing of civilians in the aftermath of last year’s general election.

The Motlanthe commission was instituted by Mnangagwa last year to probe circumstances around the August 1 fatal shooting of civilians in protests that ensued before election results were announced.

“I am not criticising anyone, but I am just very frustrated. For example, the Motlanthe commission says security forces are responsible for the killings, no one gets arrested. No one is investigated.”

Japan, he said, had suspended extending loans to Zimbabwe, and was offering only assistance grants. He said his country had completed the Nyakomba Irrigation Project in Nyanga after spending about US$16 million on the second phase. The Asian country has also funded a US$5 million road rehabilitation programme.

“We are also currently renovating the Chirundu-Makuti corridor at a cost of US$21 million. Recently in Mt Darwin, we pledged US$2 million for food aid targeting expectant mothers. In 2018, we channelled US$1 million to support the electoral system through UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). All of them are grants. We are not extending loans, unfortunately.”

— Zimbabwe Independent

THE opposition MDC says it is committed to “real dialogue” to solve the political and economic crises in the country, but will not be part of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Political Actors Dialogue (Polad).

Mnangagwa has been holding talks with leaders of fringe political parties that took part in last year’s elections to try to resolve the country’s political and soci-economic crisis, which continue to worsen.

MDC deputy spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka told NewsDay: “Polad is a political graveyard judging by the paltry votes garnered by all of its members, starting with Mnangagwa himself, whose votes Zec (the Zimbawbe Electoral Commission) whittled down a record three times.

“The collective position of all sane Zimbabweans is the position taken by president (Nelson) Chamisa, which is to snub such comedies at a time citizens are suffering. That Mnangagwa continues to talk about Chamisa betrays the real character that Zimbabwe needs for the country to move forward.”

Zanu PF and MDC leaders appear to be taking positions ahead of the expected return of former South African President Thabo Mbeki before the end of the year to push for talks to end the economic crisis.

Mbeki in his visit last week in Harare held meetings with the two protagonists in Harare as well as other political, civic society and church leaders.

However, Mnangagwa at the weekend told a meeting of his Polad partners at his farm in Kwekwe that he would not dialogue outside the forum.

“Mnangagwa cannot be the convener of an honest and sincere and credible dialogue. That gathering at his farm is a charade. We are talking here of unity of the people and not the unity of leaders over a bottle of whisky,” Tamborinyoka said.

“The people are suffering and this Polad political soliloquy has been on-going endlessly with no respite on the lives of the people. It is a self-serving charade. With that troop of political nonentities, Polad is akin to whistling in a political graveyard.”

MDC spokesperson Daniel Molokele weighed in, saying: “We are not interested in joining Polad. We are very clear that Polad is not a credible process. Chamisa is not in any political wilderness. He is the most relevant politician right now and is taking a principled stance in the interest of the people of Zimbabwe. The MDC itself is very happy not to be associated with Polad.”

Analysts who spoke to NewsDay yesterday called Mnangagwa’s dialogue platform a waste of time and resources if it does not involve Chamisa, the leader of the largest opposition party.

Political analyst Alexander Rusero also described Polad as a charade that Mnangagwa created.

“You can’t sit around with a bunch of electoral losers and pretend to be talking and in the process, leave out your main rival,” Rusero said.

“For starters, it is Mnangagwa who is setting the pace, agenda and at times venue to conduct the ‘dialogue’ meetings. That must not be the case. Real dialogue with real players will come, only after Zimbabwe has reached the mutually hurting stalemate like what happened in 2008.”

United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean lawyer and political analyst Alex Magaisa said attempts to trivialise Chamisa’s consent to dialogue were futile.“They have already tried it with the Political Actors’ Dialogue.

Without the biggest opposition leader, Polad was a sham from the beginning,”

Magaisa wrote on his blog on Saturday.“It has since proved to be no more than a group of enablers desperate to align with Mnangagwa and using attacks on Chamisa and the MDC Alliance to buy their way onto the gravy train.Polad was presented as an inclusive dialogue, but for Mnangagwa, it is just a platform to trivialise and dilute his main rival, Chamisa.”

He added that Chamisa would lose credibility among his party’s followers if he joins Polad, adding even if they gave it a new name, it would still be foul.

Notwithstanding the criticism, Polad on Sunday presented a list of what they termed the successes of the platform, which observers described as shameful.

Polad listed, among its success stories, a visit to the Cyclone Idai-ravaged Manicaland province, where together with Mnangagwa they toured affected areas.Manicaland was early this year hit hard by Cyclone Idai, which left 634 people dead and 257 missing.

Polad only visited together with Mnangagwa to witness the handover of donations and listing that as an achievement was largely criticised by observers.

“The visit to Cyclone Idai by Polad delegates led to conscientisation of the nation about the problem and the need for urgent intervention by different stakeholders,” the report to Mnangagwa by Polad read.

“The coming together of political actors under one banner and the official launch symbolised unity of purpose,” Polad said.The dialogue platform also listed an interface it had with the Finance and Industry and Commerce ministers as well as Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor and other government officials as a success.

Among other “success stories” mentioned by Polad was its participation in the anti-sanctions march in Harare.

Magaisa, however, criticised the so-called achievements, saying: “Mnangagwa’s Polad lists its ‘achievements’ in 2019.

They even claim credit for ‘conscientisation of the nation about (Cyclone Idai)’ apparently because of their ‘visit to Cyclone Idai’.

They obviously have an exceedingly generous estimate of their role and relevance. Deluded!”Also listed as a success was the participation by Polad members in Mnangagwa’s clean-up campaign held every first Friday of every month.

-Newsday