By A Correspondent- A field orderly at Camsasa Clinic in Guruve was last week arraigned before the courts for possession of two elephant tusks.

Last Chaatama (39) pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded in custody to December 31 by Guruve resident magistrate Shingirai Mutiro.

Prosecutor Albert Mazhindu alleged that on December 17, a team comprising Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority officials and police officers were tipped that Chaatama had some ivory and they visited his homestead at night.

On arrival, they found a minor who advised them that the accused was not at home.

The team conducted a search at the residence in the presence of the minor and found the ivory weighing 4,8kg valued at US$1 200 hidden in a sack in a tobacco ban.

The minor told the officers that the ivory belonged to Chaatama, who was later apprehended.

In another case, a 19-year-old Chiweshe robber was sentenced to four years in jail by a Concession magistrate for robbing two women of cash.

Takudzwa Banda, of Mupandenyama Village in Chiweshe, was convicted by magistrate Nyasha Machiriori, who conditionally suspended two years of the sentence.

Prosecutor Kumbirai Nyamvura told the court that on September 24, Banda and two accomplices assaulted Shylet Midzi and Caroline Midzi before snatching a handbag, which contained some money and three cellphones.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Fresh details have emerged on the Herentals FC Match Fixing allegations levelled against them by Bulawayo Chiefs.

The state media reports that an official from Herentials reportedly first approached The Twitter Kings’ coach and when they were unsuccessful they then approached players.

According to the publication:

Chiefs reportedly notified the PSL about Herentals’ alleged underhand dealings, claiming that an official from the Students (name withheld) and another from a Bulawayo-based club (name withheld) first made overtures to “bribe” coach Thulani Sibanda before turning to the players after the Chiefs gaffer dismissed their approaches.

Herentals on the last matchday came 1 hour late to their last match of 2019 despite the PSL directive that all games were to kick off at the same time to reduce match-fixing dealings. Herentals is also in another match-fixing storm after Black Rhinos reported them to PSL.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- The Defence and War Veterans ministry and commander of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Edzai Chimonyo have filed court papers challenging a $340 000 suit filed by a Harare man who claimed he was assaulted by soldiers during the January fuel hike protests.

Slyden Zvinowanda is seeking compensation from the army after claiming he was attacked by soldiers in Mufakose, Harare.

However, the Defence ministry and Chimonyo have filed an appearance to defend before making a request for further information.

In order to fully respond to the claim, the ministry demanded Zvinowanda’s address, his full name and a copy of his national identity card.

The ministry also demanded to know if Zvinowanda received any medical treatment, the name of the hospital that attended to him, if he reported the alleged assault to the police, if there are any witnesses and a justification of the amount being demanded.

Zvinowanda is demanding $200 000 for shock, pain and suffering as well as $140 000 for contumelia.

-DailyNews

By A Correspondent- In a move that has left civil servants angry and disheartened the govt on the 11th hour has reneged on its promise to give civil servants a cushioning allowance for the festive season.

This was revealed by the Apex Council’s secretary-general David Dzasukwa who spoke to the publication and said:

We were all frustrated and angry because we expected that the government had come with a proposed figure, but we were shocked when the employer announced to us that in fact they had nothing for us because the budget had already been done without factoring in the Cola.

We were told by the employer that the only time an adjustment to our conditions of service was possible is January next year so we are going to be meeting early next month as the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) to consider that.

Own Correspondent|ZANU PF politburo member Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube says that President Emmerson Mnangagwa though not offended by his book, he questioned him on why he opted to write and release a book his life, ‘Quiet Flows The Zambezi, while still alive.

Contrary to many Zimbabwean politicians, particularly from the old guard that fought the country’s war of independence, often seek to have their books published by posterity when they are gone for fear of a backlash from those they may have offended in their writings.

Dube feels he had to break tradition and pen his own story when he was still alive.

“…So I thought I should put just a little bit in my biography, sharing my story and not what I heard from others.

“Even our President (Mnangagwa) asked me, he said how do you write a book when you are still alive but if I leave it until I am dead, I won’t be able to defend the book,” said the politician.

Dube added, “Zimbabwe has a lot of stories to tell. We lost thousands of people during the liberation war…those stories are told passively. We (former combatants) are the people to tell those stories in detail for the benefit of young people.

“The story of our liberation is so big.”

In his book, Dube shows his disapproval for a lost opportunity by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to embrace his MDC rivals just when then national leader Robert Mugabe was ousted in a popular military coup November 2017.

The Zanu PF top official says President Mnangagwa has not been offended by his candid comments.

“We are in new dispensation. I don’t think anyone has been offended by what I wrote,” he said.

Matebeleland North Provincial Administrator, Lastiso Dlamini seeking has been dragged by Siboniso Lesley Maseko the wife of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Brigadier–General Simo Maseko over allegations of an adulterous relationship with the army boss.

Mrs Maseko, through her lawyer, Godfrey Nyoni is seeking $500 000 as compensation for the alleged affair. In her court papers, Siboniso said:

On diverse occasions and at various places including but not limited to Dlamini’s place of residence, the defendant committed and still continues to commit adultery with my husband, Simo Maseko.

I have further demanded that the defendant desists from continuing with her adulterous affair with my husband. Despite such demands, the defendant has continued with her actions.

She claims that she suffered damages for continued disrespect, loss of comfort, society, companionship and services of her husband in the combined sum of $500 000 which she says Dlamini should pay with an interest of five percent from the date of issue of summons to the date of full payment.

Dlamini is yet to respond to the accusations.

A GRANNY (84) from Bulawayo’s Emganwini suburb was burnt to death after the room she was sleeping in caught fire when a lit candle allegedly fell on her bed during Zesa load shedding on Sunday.

An ambulance crew pronounced Elizabeth Mguni dead upon arrival at her family’s home following a distress call.

The incident occurred at about 9PM while the suburb was also without water due to the Bulawayo City Council’s water shedding exercise.

Mguni’s nephew Mr Loveson Mguni said his aunt had retired to bed while the rest of the family was still killing time in the lounge.

“She went to bed early and the rest of us were still chatting in the lounge. Due to Zesa load shedding we had placed a lit candle in her room and also lit a mosquito coil. We don’t even know how the fire broke out. But I just saw my wife who was lying on the couch suddenly screaming and dashing to her room. She said she smelt smoke,” said Mr Mguni.

He said the granny had already been burnt on the face as well as back.

“The fire was concentrated on her pillow. But she was seriously burnt on her back and her face. We suspect she could have died due to suffocation.

“There was just too much smoke that was coming from her room. We managed to pull her out of the room while our neighbours reported the incident to emergency services and an ambulance was called. By the time it arrived we had managed to put out the fire. However, the ambulance crew pronounced her dead on arrival,” he said.

Mr Mguni said they also called police.

He said they put out the fire before it spread to other rooms.

“If it wasn’t for that little water that was stored in the house, we could be telling a different story. We didn’t have running water in the house due to water shedding,” he said.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango said the matter was being treated as a sudden death.

“There is no foul play suspected in this case and we are treating the matter as a sudden death. We however, want to appeal to members of the public to avoid leaving lit candles especially around children and the elderly,” said Chief Insp Simango.

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has revealed that he fired the previous Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) chaired by Job Wabira because the commissioners were corrupt.
Mnangagwa said this on Friday last week during a no-holds barred 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.

“Corruption did not begin in Zimbabwe. Even during the time of Jesus, corruption was there and they fought it, and so we will also continue fighting corruption,” he said.

“I dismantled the previous Zacc because the public did not have confidence any more in that commission because it was a corrupt commission and how could they have dealt with corruption when they were corrupt themselves?

“I then created a new commission and at the helm is a lady, Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo, who has a good history with a strict background in terms of administration, is a former judge and a no-nonsense person and so we now have a commission that can fight corruption.”

He did not say why the “corrupt” commissioners were still walking free.

But APNAC chairperson Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga told Mnangagwa that even if he had changed commissioners, the staff employed by the previous commission was still at Zacc.

APNAC secretary-general Tatenda Mavetera then played Mnangagwa a satirical video circulating on social media which depicted government taking a “catch and release” stance towards bigwigs alleged to be involved in corruption crimes.

The video sent Mnangagwa into stitches as it showed a President ordering his subordinates to write down names of all corrupt people to be arrested for graft, except his name and the first lady’s.

He was then grilled on issues of corruption by youthful business executives Munenyasha Hove, managing director of Hollard Logistics, Rumbidzai Muzite, the director of Brand Advocate, and Domingo Samu, a chief executive officer of a security company.

The young businesspersons raised issues of corruption in the transport sector and services sector like the passport offices.

“There are cameras at the Registrar-General’s Offices, but a lot of bribes take place in closed doors and Zimbabweans are denied rights to passports. Land ownership must be a basic right and each family must have a stand, but people are asked to pay bribes in order to get land,” Muzite said.

“Health is also a basic right, but people who do not have connections at hospitals are dying because they cannot access treatment. People fail to get blood at hospitals after being told that it is in short supply, but when those who are connected come to get it, they only spend 10 minutes and they are treated. Medicines are also stolen from hospitals and sold on the streets.”

Mavetera said there was massive corruption at Zesa, where transformers were being stolen, while the country is experiencing electricity shortages.

Mnangagwa said he should, instead, be congratulated for solving the land corruption issues in the country.

“You should congratulate us because as soon as we took over, we set up the Urban Land Commission and a lot of things have been happening. We now know who the land barons are and the bigwigs in government and the private sector that are involved. We must now use legislation to deal with the culprits,” he said.

“The video by Mavetera was interesting. However, we must let Zacc investigate first and when there is a prima facie case, arrests must be made. We have no authority to say to magistrates that one person is guilty and the other is not. It is true that people are arrested and let go and I am very angry with that. You see a person taken to court and they are granted bail and then the case is postponed and postponed.”

Mnangagwa said there were corruption cases that came to the courts and surprisingly, the prosecution then promotes the weakest point and the entire case is lost.

“So there are weaknesses, but my administration will continue to tighten and tighten, and those with sins will continue kuunyana (to shrink),” he said.

State Media|President Mnangagwa yesterday afternoon took people at the Kwekwe long-distance bus terminus by surprise when he visited and bought eats from vendors.

He alighted from his motorcade and headed straight towards the marketplace and bought groundnuts, snot apples (matohwe) and maize cobs. Commuters, kombi crews and vendors jostled to catch a glimpse of the President at the marketplace.

The President took time to listen to concerns raised by vendors.

The President was accompanied by State Security Minister Owen Ncube.

Patricia Moyo, who sold groundnuts to President Mnangagwa, said he paid using local currency and asked her about the challenges she was facing.

“We heard his motorcade and suddenly he appeared. I was elated when he headed straight to my market where he asked how much I was charging. After I told him, he took money out his pocket and paid. I even gave him change,” she said.

She was happy to have told her problems to the highest office in the land.

“I am hoping that he is going to address our challenges like he promised. I, for one, told him the problems we are facing and he promised to look into them,” said Moyo.

A commuter omnibus operator, Thabani Sibanda, said he never thought the President would visit a market place and bus terminus.

A GRANNY (84) from Bulawayo’s Emganwini suburb was burnt to death after the room she was sleeping in caught fire when a lit candle allegedly fell on her bed during Zesa load shedding on Sunday.

An ambulance crew pronounced Elizabeth Mguni dead upon arrival at her family’s home following a distress call.

The incident occurred at about 9PM while the suburb was also without water due to the Bulawayo City Council’s water shedding exercise.

Mguni’s nephew Mr Loveson Mguni said his aunt had retired to bed while the rest of the family was still killing time in the lounge.

“She went to bed early and the rest of us were still chatting in the lounge.

Due to Zesa load shedding we had placed a lit candle in her room and also lit a mosquito coil. We don’t even know how the fire broke out. But I just saw my wife who was lying on the couch suddenly screaming and dashing to her room. She said she smelt smoke,” said Mr Mguni.

He said the granny had already been burnt on the face as well as back.
“The fire was concentrated on her pillow. But she was seriously burnt on her back and her face. We suspect she could have died due to suffocation.

“There was just too much smoke that was coming from her room.

We managed to pull her out of the room while our neighbours reported the incident to emergency services and an ambulance was called. By the time it arrived we had managed to put out the fire. However, the ambulance crew pronounced her dead on arrival,” he said.

Mr Mguni said they also called police.
He said they put out the fire before it spread to other rooms.

“If it wasn’t for that little water that was stored in the house, we could be telling a different story.

We didn’t have running water in the house due to water shedding,” he said.State media

On the 17th of December 2019, Cabinet at its 45th meeting approved several amendments to the Constitution. Some of the notable proposed amendments relate to the appointments of Vice Presidents, the Prosecutor General, Public Protector, promotion of judges and the terms of office of judges. The other notable proposed amendments relate to the composition of the provincial councils and the extension of the provision on the women’s quota which was scheduled to end in 2023.

The Constitution provides for its amendment. Although amendments to the Constitution are allowed these ought to be necessary for the promotion of the rule of law and protection of the principles of democracy. Our Constitution is a democratic document which came out of extensive consultations. It is a national document which should be enduring. Amendments to the Constitution must be necessary for the enhancement of enshrined rights, accountability and good governance. Amendments must not be retrogressive.

In terms of Section 92 of the Constitution a presidential candidate chooses running mates who upon election become the national Vice Presidents. The rationale for these provision was to introduce non-disruptive succession planning whilst ensuring that in the event of a Vice President taking over the office of President he would be having the people’s mandate. The effect of the proposed amendment to Section 94 means that Vice Presidents will no longer be elected but appointed by the President. This removes the transparency and democratic process sought to be achieved by Section 92 in relation to the assumption of these important offices. In addition, the Vice President’s tenure will be at the pleasure of the President. An amendment is expected to cure a problem or mischief. This is not apparent in the present case. The proposed amendments further seek to change the procedures for the appointment of the Prosecutor General. The current procedure for the appointment of the Prosecutor General is similar to that of the judges. This is a transparent way of appointing this important office, which like the judiciary ought to enjoy prosecutorial independence. The proposed amendment whereby the President appoints the Prosecutor General upon consultation with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) is reverting to the old constitution. The current provisions promote transparency in the appointment process. This will not be achieved under the proposed amendment. It is not clear what mischief the proposed amendment seeks to address. The fact of the matter though is that the amendment is retrogressive. It emasculates a position that is pivotal to our criminal justice. The amendment will remove the Prosecutor General’s independence. The appointment system also does not guarantee meritocracy as the basis for appointment. This cannot be achieved by simply consulting the JSC. In any case in terms of section 339, such consultation may not be binding on the President.
Section 180 sets out the conditions that must be met in relation to the appointment of judges. The proposed amendment seeks to provide for the President to appoint a sitting judge to a higher court upon consultation with JSC. This approach seeks to reverse the elaborate, and transparent system currently in place. It is not clear why we should depart from the current system. The proposed changes will take us back to the pre 2013 era where judicial appointments were shrouded in a veil of secrecy.
The proposed extension of the tenure of judges albeit on a contract basis and subject to medical certification on fitness, is not desirable in a country with a vibrant legal profession. There are many legal practitioners who are fit to hold the office of judges.
The introduction of the office of the Public Protector should be based on a true desire to achieve administrative justice especially by public offices. The 2013 Constitution deliberately omitted this institution on the basis that the functions could be effectively undertaken by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission. The Ministry of Justice was recently lamenting that this commission is under resourced. Instead of properly funding the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, the Cabinet is creating another institution which will have its own resource chewing bureaucracy. On the other hand, the present Constitution already provides for the establishment of an independent complaints mechanism to deal with misconduct by members of the security sector. This has not been instituted and yet Cabinet finds it necessary to create the public protector’s office. The Executive is failing to diligently and without delay perform all constitutional obligations as provided in Section 324.
The proposal to remove MPs and Senators from provincial councils also appear ill conceived. The presence of these members was supposed to bring the nexus between national and local development. The prosed amendments will perpetuate the disconnect between the national Programmes and the local/Provincial Programmes thus creating development inertia.
The Law Society of Zimbabwe reiterates that the provisions to the Constitution ought to be guarded jealously. Any proposed amendments to the Constitution should be for the people and by the people.

The Law Society of Zimbabwe further reiterates its position that the Constitution of Zimbabwe should be jealously guarded and protected in pursuance of the supremacy of the rule of law. The proposed amendments to the Constitution in the most, are unnecessary, retrogressive and are not in the interest of transparency, good governance and respect for the rule of law. Accordingly, the LSZ categorically denounces them.

Law Society of Zimbabwe
“Committed to Justice and the Rule of Law.”

Farai Dziva| MDC T leader Thokhozani Khupe says she is humbled by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s efforts to resuscitate the economy.

See below a tweet posted by ZBC:

MDC -T President Dr Thokozani Khupe says she’s deeply humbled by the efforts made by His Excellency President ED Mnangagwa of resuscitating the economy as testified by what she saw at the President’s farm in Kwekwe. “I will continue supporting him”,she added.

Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has said Zanu PF cannot brag about unity when it is terrorizing hapless citizens.

Speaking about the Unity Day Chamisa said:

“It cannot be unity when you beat up people for saying they are hungry. If doctors say they are incapacitated and they want money, you fire them, when teachers say they want money, you set dogs on them. Is that unity?

It cannot be unity when it appears there are two countries in one. Unity shouldn’t be between parties for power, but it must be about institutions and for the good of everyone, tribes, religion, all provinces, seeing there is something for them.
Unity is important, but they think it is partisan.

There is no unity when you can’t resolve issues and hold free and fair elections…”

By A Correspondent| Hon Happymore Chidziva’s Christmas Event was yesterday morning reportedly ruthlessly disrupted by police and army officers.

This was after food had already be prepared, a cow donated by North America’s friends of Highfield constituency had been slaughtered and cooked.

MDC North America had spearheaded the fundraiser.

More to follow. Watch a live interview on ZimEye and VOA.

Paul Nyathi|The late tough Zimbabwean opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, in 2008 told then South Africa’s president, Thabo Mbeki, that he was not fit to serve as the region’s mediator in Zimbabwe’s political crisis owing to a “lack of neutrality”, and that “there will be no country left” if Mbeki continued to side with President Robert Mugabe.

And indeed since then there is no country left to talk about.

The warning came in a letter from the MDC leader to Mbeki made public just days after it was revealed that the then South African president had written a four-page letter to George Bush demanding that the US president stop criticising Mugabe.

In his letter, Tsvangirai accused Mbeki of colluding with Mugabe to play down the deepening political crisis, of blocking UN security council discussions on Zimbabwe and of trying to facilitate a controversial weapons delivery from China to the Zimbabwean military.

The strongest criticism by Tsvangirai was over Mbeki’s reaction to the escalating state-sponsored campaign of murder, violence and arrests against the opposition in the run up to the run-off presidential election between him and Mugabe in 2008.

At least 150 people were killed and thousands beaten and/or displaced.

The letter, dated May 13, 2008, accused Mbeki of ignoring evidence that Mugabe was planning the violence, including a leaked Zimbabwean military document outlining the strategy that Tsvangirai personally handed to Mbeki.

“When you started mediating, Zimbabwe still had a functioning economy, millions of our citizens had not fled to other countries to escape political and economic crisis, and tens of thousands had not yet died from impoverishment and disease. In fact, since the March 29 election, Zimbabwe has plunged into horrendous violence while you have been mediating. With respect, if we continue like this, there will be no country left,” wrote Tsvangirai.

“As you know, when MDC attempted to appeal to the UN security council to investigate and help stop the carnage, it was you, the so-called ‘neutral’ mediator, who blocked a possible road to resolution of the crisis.”

Tsvangirai said Mbeki continued to act as if everything was normal, even after the Zimbabwean government blocked the release of poll results showing that Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party had lost.

“Your lack of neutrality became increasingly evident when I arrived to the Lusaka summit to see you and Mr Mugabe on television together proclaiming there is ‘no crisis’ in Zimbabwe,” the letter says.

Tsvangirai also accused the South African government of facilitating the delivery of weapons via Durban from a Chinese ship that was eventually turned away by dock workers and legal action.

“Not only have you been unable to denounce the well-documented post-election attacks on our people, but your government even played a role in Zimbabwean government procurement of weapons of repression … and agree to allow passage of arms of war purchased by the same government through South African territory during the troubled post-election period,” he wrote.

The letter demanded Mbeki step down as the Southern African Development Community mediator on Zimbabwe, as the MDC no longer had confidence in him.

Mbeki denied knowledge of the letter even though the MDC said it had a receipt showing it was delivered to Mbeki’s office.

Responding to a question in the National Assembly, he declined to make a statement on the matter “because we don’t have the letter”.

By A Correspondent| Ten cases of suspected typhoid have been reported in Glen View, a Harare suburb which has over the years been a hot spot for cholera.

This was confirmed by Harare City Council Health Services Director Dr Prosper Chonzi who told a local publication that residents have been reporting to the clinics.

He said:

In Glen View, close to where the clinic is, people there are reporting at the clinic with symptoms consistent with typhoid, fever with temperatures of around 39 – 40, headache and abdominal discomfort, which are consistent with typhoid.

Most of them have gone to the clinic and gotten anti-biotic and so when their culture is tested the results will come out negative because they have been given anti-biotic.

Harare has been struggling to consistently provide water to several suburbs and when it does provide the water, it will be unsafe for most domestic uses including drinking.

The local government authority cites the inadequacy of chemicals caused by shortage of foreign currency and dwindling water levels in its water sources as the main reasons why water supply has been intermittent.

-StateMedia

Zimbabwe Premier League champions FC Platinum are set to unveil Hendrik Pieter de Jongh as the new head coach, Soccer24 can exclusively reveal.De Jongh opted not to extend his stay with Highlanders with his contract set to expire at the end of the month.

The Dutchman arrived at Bosso in September and signed a short-term performance-based deal. Following a successful three-month spell which included winning the Chibuku Super Cup, the club offered him a new contract but he turned it down this week and indicated he will be seeking a new challenge. 

De Jongh has signed a pre-contract with FC Platinum and will be unveiled in the new year. “Everything went quite fast and he will be the new FC Platinum head coach from January a source close to the deal told Soccer24. 

FC Platinum have been on the hunt for an experienced substantive head coach since the departure of Norman Mapeza.

Farai Dziva| MDC T leader Thokhozani Khupe says she is humbled by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s efforts to resuscitate the economy.

See below a tweet posted by ZBC:

MDC -T President Dr Thokozani Khupe says she’s deeply humbled by the efforts made by His Excellency President ED Mnangagwa of resuscitating the economy as testified by what she saw at the President’s farm in Kwekwe. “I will continue supporting him”,she added.

By Own Correspondent| Aspindale Residents who are challenging Billy Rautenbach’s ownership of stand 48 and 49 have been threatened to stop pursuing the Court challenge against the controversial businessman.

Sources within the cooperatives alleged that the leadership of the cooperatives were summoned to a meeting this week where Minister Jorum Gumbo instructed the residents to comply with Billy Rautenbach’s demands and to also withdraw the court case challenging Rautenbach’s ownership of the land under contestation.

It is alleged that Joshua Nkomo Cooperative was also instructed to withdraw it’s court case against the Ministry of Local Government with immediate effect.

The sources further alleged that the leadership of the housing cooperatives were told to stop complaining about the issue that Billy has no Title Deeds over the land and stop convening meetings with residents anymore.

Residents further alleged that the Minister also demanded that the Cooperative should stop inviting their legislators, Themba Mliswa and Willias Madzimure to come and address them on this issue.

A source who spoke to CHRA alleged that residents were also told that any resistance to Rautenbach’s demands will attract arrests and armed forces would be deployed to stop any resistance to Rautebach’s efforts.

“Billy has no right over that place as he doesn’t have title deeds Honourable Gumbo should be aware and not abuse people like this.”Charged Honourable Mliswa.

Information gathered so far have proved that the controversial business man, Billy Rautenbach does not have title deeds over the land .

Attempts by the Ministry of Local Government to withdraw the offer letter it gave the Cooperatives hit a brick wall after the High Court in July this year declared the cancellation of the offer letter “null and void.”

The Aspindale issue is a litmus test for the ED administration on dealing with land barons.CHRA calls on the Zimbabwe government to respect and protect the right to shelter for Aspindale residents.

The threats by the Minister Gumbo are clear violations of the constitutional provisionsof the freedom of assembly and association as well as the right to shelter.

In responding to the perpetual human rights violations and oppression of Aspindale residents CHRA has commenced a process of engaging the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission over the gross human rights violations under way in Aspindale ,in addition to a litigation process under way.

A 34-YEAR-OLD Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer is in soup after allegedly raping a colleague in the dark in the absence of her husband.

Philani Ncube of ZRP Madlambuzi was arrested after rap_ing a fellow cop last week.

Sources close to the investigation allege on December 16 around 9pm the complainant arrived at her place of residence from work and retired to bed whilst her husband was at a bar.

While asleep Ncube sneaked into the complanant’s dark bedroom and started fondling the complainant’s breasts and kissing while the complaint responded thinking that it was her husband.

He raped her once and while in the middle of sexual intercourse, the complanant’ managed to observe that it was not her husband and she was being raped.

She screamed for help and Ncube apologized before fleeing.

When the complanant’s husband came back from the bar the victim narrated her ordeal and she was accompanied by her husband to file a report leading to the arrest of the accused.
— Byo24

Farai Dziva|The Movement for Democratic Change has accused the ruling party Zanu PF of monopolizing Unity Day Celebrations.

Below is the party’s statement on Unity Day:
Towards a shared Zimbabwean dream

The liberation icon, Joshua Nkomo , said at the signing of the Unity Accord in 1987, “… unity is not just the signing of documents, unity is what follows.”

What has followed is a country at odds with its own ideals, a country that speaks the rhetoric of unity yet its citizens are imprisoned by deeply rooted divisions made worse by the government’s inability to acknowledge the trauma and suffering of its citizens.

The injustices of the past continue to be swept under the carpet.

The colonial-era injustices, the liberation war era injustices, and post-independence injustices must all be negated through a national process of truth-telling, nation-building, national healing and rehabilitative restorative justice.

The Gukurahundi atrocities remain glossed over and dismissed as mere “disturbances” while the victims continue to live with the trauma of unhealed wounds left to fester through insincerity and negligence.

The very fabric of the Zimbabwean dream continues to be eroded by the plague of greed and corruption as our people languish in poverty and hunger.

Murambatsvina left many homeless and hopeless. Violent elections and politically instigated violence have left many dead and wounded.

Government policies have eroded peoples’ savings and wealth.

Pensioners and the vulnerable are without any cushion against the brutality of the harsh economic circumstances.
This is not unity.

True peace and reconciliation require us to sincerely address the divisions in our society, to give voice to those who are marginalised and oppressed, to work together in common purpose to ensure the promises of liberation are enjoyed by every single Zimbabwean without fear or favour.

Until this day comes, we cannot claim to be united or free.

We cannot preach unity when we pursue economic policies that widen the divide between the rich and the poor. We have seen the imposition of austerity measures that punish the poor, for the mistakes made by the selfish, ruling elite.

These economic policies do not unite us. They divide us.
Inequality is growing. It’s one of the biggest threats to the security of our country, and to our unity as a people.
This is not the unity Joshua Nkomo signed for.

The MDC will continue to fight for a truly united Zimbabwe where the ideals of freedom, democracy, peace, and reform belong to every citizen of our beloved nation.

True unity must be beyond just the unity of parties or its leaders. It must be a unity of all people of our beautiful Zimbabwe in vision, ideals, values and destiny.

We must all build the Zimbabwe we deserve and want-the shared Zimbabwean dream.
United we stand.

THE Mubaiwa family has made a passionate plea to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and place jailed Marry Chiwenga (nee Mubaiwa), the wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, under house arrest to protect her honour.

Marry was remanded in custody last week, facing charges of attempting to kill the VP and fraud.

However, the family feels that her honour and respect has been dragged through the mud by incarcerating her with convicted criminals as she is innocent and coming from a ‘higher authority.’

“Coming from a higher authority like that, there is need to honour her. She is the wife of the Vice President, she needs to be respected and honoured regardless of anything else around,” Harrington Mubaiwa, an uncle to Marry told NewZimbabwe Sunday.

Harrington went on to suggest that Marry should instead be placed under house arrest.

“The best they can do is for her to be put under house arrest for now. There is nowhere she can go but there is need for a level of dignity for her,” he said.

According to the uncle, before her arrest Marry was staying with her five children. After her arrest, the VP took three of the children he sired with his wife while he sent the other two packing to stay with the Mubaiwa’s.

“It is illegal for Chiwenga to come and take the children,” said Harrington before accusing their in-law of using military and political power to influence the police and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to get back on his wife.

Chiwenga is a former army general and is also going through a messy divorce process with Marry.

However, the Mubaiwa family feels that Mnangagwa should intervene and rescue Marry from what it views is persecution not prosecution.

“But the President being a custodian of freedom, safety and liberty of the citizens must intervene because my daughter is being denied that right,” said Harrington.

“President Mnangagwa, I request you to take this matter and give my daughter Marry Mubaiwa the dignity she deserves. I want to appeal for ED Mnangangwa’s intervention in this case in such a way that our daughter is handled with the level of dignity and protection that every citizen should have.”

The Mubaiwa family said it was also saddened with how the arrest of Marry was being handled as it was a family issue not a criminal case.

“We know that when a family has a disagreement, the husband who is unhappy with his wife should approach parents of the wife and discuss the way forward. This has not been done and it shows how Chiwenga despises the Mubaiwa family.

“He should have thought as a strategic man. He should have thought about this and I am sure he considered it but found it to be unnecessary because he perceives that we don’t have powers.

“And coming from a higher authority like that there is need to honour Marry, she is the wife of the Vice President, she needs to be respected and honoured regardless of anything else around.

Marry will be back at the High Court Friday for her bail application hearing.

-NewZimbabwe

ZIMBABWE’s current mealie meal shortages have been blamed on the Industry and Commerce ministry which failed to register over 60 millers for maize subsidy, with millers withholding their stocks to avoid losses.

Mnangagwa’s government scrapped maize subsidies at the start of the month, but reintroduced them after a public outcry over high prices.

Government, however, introduced a new condition that millers should be registered with the Industry ministry to qualify for the subsidy programme, in a statement released on December 13 by the Finance ministry.

But some millers have complained that the registration process was very slow and about 60 millers have not been registered for the subsidy programme.

The millers are now withholding their stocks for fear that they may not be registered at all.

“The 60 millers are holding on to their maize stocks and cannot risk producing roller meal without being registered,” a miller who requested anonymity said.

“The few who have been registered are struggling to supply the market and this has caused serious shortages of the product on the market. Only highly priced refined mealie-meal being sold at around $115 per 10kg is found in the shops.”

The gazetted price of the roller meal is $50, which is seen as affordable for the public.

NewsDay observed yesterday that many retail shops did not have roller meal.

The registered millers include National Foods Limited (NFL) and Blue Ribbon Foods, which were allocated 28 000 tonnes and 10 000 respectively, out of the 40 000 which government has availed to millers.

Millers who spoke to NewsDay said they were being sent from one office to another without getting any assistance.

Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) spokesperson Garikai Chaunza confirmed receiving reports of delayed registration process from millers.

“We are receiving calls from our members asking if the association could assist them and it is our hope that the authorities would speed up the process, so that millers who are holding on to their maize grain start milling and supply the market given that we are in the festive season, where mealie-meal is one of the products on demand,” he said.

“We have the capacity to supply the nation throughout the festive season and what we are waiting for is that government registers us.

“Millers are now required to register with the Industry ministry and after that, approach the Finance ministry, which will give them the subsidy money before they go to GMB for maize collection. The process is cumbersome and millers are complaining that there is no transparency in the process.”

GMAZ used to facilitate the process for its members.

Last week, GMAZ Southern region members raised concern over what they described as a show of “unfair and anti-competitive behaviour,” shown by NFL, which allegedly met government privately and secured over half of the total subsidised monthly maize allocation of 40 000 metric tonnes outside the association.

However, according to the December 13 statement by the Finance ministry, not only GMAZ members qualified for the subsidy programme.

Industry minister Sekai Nzenza yesterday said the matter would be addressed.

“I am surprised that the process is taking long as the team is working hard to register millers. However, we need to resolve this matter quickly and there should be no shortages at all. Please do send the questions to my PA, Victoria Sigauke, and we will investigate,” she said.

-Newsday

Farai Dziva|MDC vice president Lynette Karenyi presented Christmas gifts to Gogo Tsvangirai, the mother of the late veteran opposition leader and trade unionist, Morgan Tsvangirai.

See statement below:
Blessed be the womb that bore our icon and MDC founding President, the late Dr Richard Morgan Tsvangirai.

Today, on behalf of the loving and caring MDC family, I felt honoured to pay a visit and hand over Christmas gifts to our late President’s mother Gogo Tsvangirai in Buhera.

It was an emotional moment that reminded me just how much sorrow the great Tsvangirai family has had to endure over the past few years.

The MDC, through the leadership of our President Nelson Chamisa, will continue to pay tribute and offer our gratitude to the Tsvangirai family for gifting us with a bona fide hero of social justice.

Gogo Tsvangirai and the entire Tsvangirai family, may you have a blessed Christmas and prosperous new year!

Lynette Karenyi
MDC Vice President.

NORTON’S Member of the House of Assembly Temba Mliswa has disclosed that he has turned down overtures by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for him to rejoin Zanu-PF, because “the party is full of corrupt people.”

Zanu-PF was also infested with unrepentant land barons, Mliswa said.

Mliswa made the revelations while handing over Christmas cheer donations to a community in his constituency.

Said Mliswa: “His Excellency President Mnangagwa said I should come back to Zanu PF, but how can I come back to a party whose leadership is so corrupt . . . The issue of land barons is the latest as exposed by the recent report. Besides our coming back shouldn’t be conditional just as the President’s come back was not conditional.

“I thought President Mnangagwa was going to recall all members fired by the G40 who include Amai Joyce Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa, Rugare Gumbo, Jabulani Sibanda since he was also fired by the same people and came back. Mr President why do you want us to write letters when you did not?”

Mliswa, who recently indicated this is his last term as MP since he now wanted to look for money, said Zanu-PF will continue losing elections in Norton because of the land barons in that town who are aligned to the ruling party but are untouchable.

“Mr President Norton residents voted Zanu PF out because of land barons who you are protecting. It’s a system that was started by former (Local Government) minister Ignatius Chombo and people like Justice Mayor Wadyajena, Killer Zivhu (Chivi South MP) and Cuthbert Mupamhi have been fingered by the report,” Mliswa said.

Mupamhi, however, said Mliswa is the one who is corrupt because he wants to politicise the land issue by roping in the President.

“If there is one person who is corrupt in this whole issue, it is Temba Mliswa. He has been fighting me since he was Zanu PF provincial chairperson; he wants my private land… I was arrested by Zacc and cleared” he said.

-Online

By A Correspondent| Norton legislator  Themba Mliswa turned down the president’s invitation for him to rejoin the ruling party and said its infested with corruption and he won’t join the ruling party again.

Mliswa said this as he was handing over Christmas presents from Norton residents and companies to the president when he said;

His Excellency President Mnangagwa said I should come back to Zanu PF, but how can I come back to a party whose leadership is so corrupt . . . The issue of land barons is the latest as exposed by the recent report. Besides our coming back shouldn’t be conditional just as the President’s come back was not conditional.

I thought President Mnangagwa was going to recall all members fired by the G40 who include Amai Joyce Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa, Rugare Gumbo, Jabulani Sibanda since he was also fired by the same people and came back. Mr President why do you want us to write letters when you did not?

Themba is among the group of politicians that were sacked from the ruling party together with Mujuru in 2014.

-Newsday

The new Zimbabwe Progressive Doctors’ Association (PDAZ) yesterday said it wants serious discussions with the Health Services Board and has compiled its monetary and non-monetary expectations.

The list has already been sent to the board for its consideration.

The association believes junior doctors have legitimate grievances, the same that led to the job action, but that these must be addressed in meaningful negotiations while doctors are at work.

In an interview, PDAZ spokesperson Dr Anesu Rangwani said they were hopeful the employer would put a meaningful offer on the table.

“We want to be progressive, but we are not going to label anyone who has not been coming to work because doctors did not down tools for no reason,” he said.

“However, as PDAZ we are saying the past should stay in the past. Yes, incapacitation was there, our grievances still stand and they are still genuine, but what we need now is a solution. We need to forge a way forward.

“We have commenced the process (of negotiating with Government) and we have since submitted our proposals in terms of what we expect as salaries and non-salary benefits. There is nothing solid yet, but we are hopeful that an agreement is imminent.”

Although he could not provide the exact number of PDAZ membership so far, Dr Rangwani said the response from fellow junior doctors had been encouraging.

He said following their launch in Harare recently, a number of junior doctors had been signing resumption of duty forms from their respective health institutions, a sign that many were taking heed of their call to return to work and pursue negotiations while on duty.

“Initially, people were sceptical, but a week later following our launch in Harare a number of junior doctors returned to work and that has been our call for people to go back to work and give negotiations another chance,” said Dr Rangwani.

He said PDAZ’s vision was driven

by the Hippocratic Oath that doctors take, which places patients first before anything else.

“The idea of coming up with a different association from the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors’ Association (ZHDA) came around day 81 when we realised that weeks had gone by with no solution in sight,” said Dr Rangwani..

“A group of doctors with like-minded thoughts then came together and formed PDAZ with the hope of breaking the longstanding labour dispute between Government and junior doctors. Our grievances remain the same with those presented by the ZHDA but we differ in approach,” said Dr Rangwani.

Since its formation, PDAZ has been calling on its members and fellow junior doctors to return to work.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care show that all junior doctors at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Chitungwiza Central Hospital and most from Harare, Mpilo and United Bulawayo hospitals, had by Friday not only signed their resumption of duty forms, but actually availed themselves for work.

PDAZ’s call also followed a 48-hour moratorium provided by President Mnangagwa to the striking junior doctors to return to work despite earlier dismissal by the HSB.

Higher Life Foundation (HLF) also offered a $100 million education facility as scholarships for the doctors to complete their education.

The ZHDA had rejected both offers, arguing that it needed to solve its labour dispute with the employer first before any other interventions from well-wishers.

Most junior doctors went on to apply for the HLF incentive nicodemously and have since returned to work, leaving ZHDA out in the open.

Some senior consultant doctors have also started trickling back at work, joining several others who never downed tools since the beginning of the strike.

-State Media

By Own Correspondent| The recently launched Progressive Doctors’ Association Of Zimbabwe has hit the ground running as they are claiming they understand that incapacitation is there and have started to negotiate for better incentives with the government.

PDAZ spokesperson Dr Anesu Rangwani in an interview with the publication said:

We want to be progressive, but we are not going to label anyone who has not been coming to work because doctors did not down tools for no reason.

However, as PDAZ we are saying the past should stay in the past. Yes, incapacitation was there, our grievances still stand and they are still genuine, but what we need now is a solution. We need to forge a way forward.

We have commenced the process (of negotiating with Government) and we have since submitted our proposals in terms of what we expect as salaries and non-salary benefits. There is nothing solid yet, but we are hopeful that an agreement is imminent.

Doctors have been on strike since 3 September 2019 citing incapacitation

-StateMedia

By Patrick Guramatunhu- Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) members meet at Mnangagwa’s Sherwood farm, near Kwekwe. The grouping will never come up with any solution to the nation’s many teething problems!

“It was a request made by POLAD members. The programme is very simple, a couple of hours of business and then another couple of hours touring the farm. So it is almost like a farmers’ field day after the serious business of talks,” explained George Charamba.

“It does clinch the notion of productivity which has been the President’s watchword that we should work, work and work for our economy to grow.”

Charamba is Mnangagwa’s spokesperson and spin doctors. He is never short of an explanation, often irrational as is the case here. 

Zimbabwe is a banana republic complete with Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland type institutions and characters. 

Here is what we know about POLAD; it is a gathering of individuals, exact number is unknown, mostly presidential candidates in last year’s rigged elections.

All who join are required to public affirm the elections were free, fair and credible and that one Emerson Mnangagwa is the legitimate President of the banana republic. 

POLAD is a talk-shop with not rules, no minutes are taken, no quorum, no power to call anyone to appear before gathering and no one is expected to tell the truth or talk sense.

Most important of all, Mnangagwa, the chairperson of POLAD by virtue of being the founder and funder, will, as a rule of thumb, ignore everything said in the talk-shop. 

This compares very favourably with Lewis Carroll’s fairytale.

“Alice and the other animals are still wet, prompting the Dodo to suggest a Caucus race. The Dodo marks out a course, sets everyone in place, and yells “go.” explained sparknotes.

“The animals run around haphazardly until the Dodo declares half an hour later that the race is over. The Dodo says that all of them have won the Caucus race and elects Alice to confer prizes. 

“Alice passes mints to all the animals, leaving herself without a prize. Finding a thimble, she hands it to the Dodo, who in turn presents it back to her as her prize. Alice solemnly accepts the thimble but cannot help feeling that the gesture is absurd.”

Zimbabwe is a country in serious, serious economic trouble. Unemployment has been 80% plus for the last two decades now. 34% of the population are now living in extreme poverty, according to a recent WB report.

The country’s health care has all but completely collapsed, hundreds are dying everyday of easily treatable ailments. If the country is ever going to get out of this mess and end the tragic human suffering and deaths, it needs a forum where there is going to be serious debate.

The root cause of the country’s economic meltdown is the failure by key state institutions like parliament and cabinet to come up with solutions to the nations many problems.

The Zanu PF dictatorship has usurped the people’s power to elect competent MPs and parliament is now full of party loyalists whose primary concern is to please and appease the dictator. There is no quality debate in parliament. Cabinet is not any better! 

Whatever little parliamentary and cabinet debates there was still, it is all going as POLAD, the talk-shop, takes over as the supreme policy and decision making body in the land.

“It is almost like a farmers’ field day after the serious business of talks!” Yeah, right! Name one “serious business” POLAD has accomplished; one year after it was launched and with millions of taxpayers’ money spent on its talk-shops?

If Zimbabwe is to ever get out of the economic and political mess, four decades of Zanu PF dictatorship have landed the nation in; we  must end the curse of rigged elections, the foundation on which the dictatorship stands, and restore good governance. 

POLAD seeks to stifle all meaningful debate and democratic discourse under the pretext of unity. It is just another foolish “caucus race” from the Dodo Mnangagwa at a time the country is desperate for a way out of this man-made hell-on-earth.

By A Correspondent| Speaking on the Unity Day commemorations Nelson Chamisa said there was no Unity to celebrate right now because ED’s government has failed to unite a populace beleaguered by a myriad of grievances.

Speaking about the Unity Day Chamisa said:

It cannot be unity when you beat up people for saying they are hungry. If doctors say they are incapacitated and they want money, you fire them, when teachers say they want money, you set dogs on them. Is that unity?

It cannot be unity when it appears there are two countries in one. Unity shouldn’t be between parties for power, but it must be about institutions and for the good of everyone, tribes, religion, all provinces, seeing there is something for them.

Unity is important, but they think it is partisan. There is no unity when you can’t resolve issues and hold free and fair elections

Unity Day commemorates the end of the Matabeleland genocide popularly known as Gukurahundi.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Government has declared a state of national disaster the accident in which 13 people died when a commuter omnibus they were travelling in burst its tyre and veered off the road at the 186 km peg along the Harare Nyamapanda highway, in Mudzi.

Declaring an accident a state of national disaster enables the State to mobilise resources to assist the injured and bereaved families with cash and burial arrangements.

Mudzi District Development Coordinator, Mr Robert Muzezewa, who chairs the District Civil Protection Department, said they are busy assisting bereaved families following the accident.

“We are going to set up a centre at Mtoko Hospital where the bodies of the deceased were taken and we will assist the families with burial arrangements…Although we were overwhelmed we had to recall other members of staff who were on leave to come and assist us,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mashonaland East Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Apolonia Munzverengwi has sent a message of condolence to the families of the deceased.
In a statement, Munzverengwi also wished those injured in the accident a speedy recovery.

By A Correspondent| The real Chiwenga “Tezvara,” Hannington Mubaiwa came on camera first the 2nd time last night.

He joined a news review with Chief Svosve on ZimEye.com [program below]. Hannington Mubaiwa was a contractor in Zimbabwe, before relocating to the United States Of America. He is now a Social Scientist, who designs transformation-al economies and comes from a business background.

FULL LIVE VIDEO LOADING BELOW

He tells ZimEye, I was the one who built the houses in places such as Kuwadzana, Harare, Zimbabwe the 3000 houses built there. I am a scholar focusing on transforming economies of the future. I design mordenisation plans for Third World Countries. My study is national transformation.

By A Correspondent- Transport operators plying rural routes have significantly hiked fares as travellers visiting their rural homes for the festive season increase.

According to the state media here are the new fares for distances starting from Bulawayo:

1. Bulawayo-Nkayi route are now charging $80 for a single trip from $60 while those using kombis have to part with at least $120 from $100 for the same distance.
2. Kombis plying the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho route charge $70. Previously they charged $50.
3. Buses are charging $100 for a trip from Bulawayo to Lupane
4. From Bulawayo to Binga people will have to fork out $200 from $150 for a single trip.

Transport operators have however blamed the mayhem on the acute shortage of diesel, one operator who spoke to the publication said:

Usually during this time of the year, we increase fares due to demand, but in this case, the push factor is a shortage of diesel, which we are now sourcing from the black market at an exorbitant price. Unfortunately, we are then left with no other option but to pass the buck to our passengers.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent | As the year nears an end, the world’s only latest drone footage of the capital city, Harare CBD below, has been hailed by news readers as the a ” very good presentation unbiased truth with facts and visual proof.” SEE COMMENTS –

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Leku Mapika1 month agoVery good presentation unbiased truth with facts and visual proof. Very interesting indeed.

4REPLYMthaX TV1 month agoeven Highlanders vs Dynamos on this day failed to bring the masses they are usually the only ones who can pull the masses.

4REPLYMordecai Nyasha1 month agoShame

?2REPLYConnie Rodrigues1 month agoMy God is great my God is not sleeping my God is letting the truth be revealed where every knee shall bow and the will be spoken God is in control Amen

2REPLYChirandu Masango1 month agoCould it be???????REPLYCharlet Dube1 month agoed rule till your death my guy reform the economy we voted for you .. we love you

REPLYClive Nyathi1 month ago

This is what I call the best show of the true zanu pf membership

REPLYTatenda Inai1 month agoKkkk chaora chinhu ichi3

REPLYSparrow Sparrow1 month agoHaana chaanotaura2REPLYPerseverance Mazuru1 month agoVery true indeed n next time I hope no one will even attend ZANU meetings bcz they are bad people without people at heart at allREPLYLucky5 days ago1:57 each were given a box of chicken slice and a free drink as an incentive for attending. That’s how exactly the Shona people have kept ZANU pf in power for so long. Because of their love for food they would rather suffer for 4 years, then the 5th year towards elections ZANU would start campaigns by giving them free food at the rallies. Then they forget all the 4years suffering bcoz of a single plate of free food. I worked for the government in Mashonaland for a long time I know what I’m talking about. Shona people shit kindRead moreREPLYClifford Savage 011 month agoucharohwa uchiti could it be3REPLYlearnmore kaseke1 month agoANAMBWA AVA HAPANA ANOVADA SAKA MAVOTES VAKAWAANA KUPIREPLYSparrow Sparrow1 month agoTruth revealed thanks Simba2REPLYjoechimmie1 month agorubbish3REPLYchiedza Muringi1 month agoMany were bussed from outside2REPLYsiyabonga siyotula1 month agomnangangwa ibenzi iro vanhu ngavasiyane naye6REPLYView replyIt’sVeeBitch1 month agoMy people are waking up ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????well done well done8REPLYsiyabonga siyotula1 month agomukoma masimba madiii apo1REPLY

By A Correspondent- Alcohol Anonymous Zimbabwe took the time to list these 15 tips to help those who want to stay away from adult beverages and sober up the entire time during the festive season where food and beverages will be in abundance.

Here are the 15 tips to stay sober this festive season, in case you want to:

1. Tell a reliable person about your desire to stop drinking. This may hinder you from sneaking away to have a drink.
2. Stay busy.
3. Bring your own non-alcoholic drinks. This is important to remember if you think that only alcoholic drinks will be served.
4. Choose only to attend parties you will really enjoy. This can limit the stress of not drinking and will reduce the chances that you will.
5. Avoid attending parties with alcohol.
6. Let someone know where you will be. Tell your sponsor or a trusted friend when you attend a holiday get-togethers and have them call you to check up.
7. Take along a friend. An A.A. friend or someone else you trust will help in keeping you from drinking alcohol.
8. Tell the host you may have to leave early. If you are worried about feeling awkward leaving a party early, tell the host ahead of time that you may not be able to stay the entire night.
9. Show up at a later time. If you have been invited to a dinner party, showing up shortly before dinner may limit the amount of pressure to drink beforehand.
10. At parties, choose a non-alcoholic drink like water or soda. Alcohol is not required to enjoy the holidays.
11. Ask if any food dishes contain alcohol, especially if it is uncooked alcohol.
12. Have a backup plan. Call a friend and let them know you may need a ride or someone to hang out with that evening if the party you are attending is too tempting.
13. Attend an A.A. meeting or party so that you can find support in fellow members.
14. Schedule other plans. Figure out something else to do on the nights you are invited to parties where alcohol will be served. This will keep you from deciding to go last minute!
15. Remember that choosing not to drink is not rude. Forcing someone to drink is rude.

-AAZF

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management has lamented the ballooning elephants’ population saying it is now affecting the natural environment as populations continue to soar.

Speaking to the state media, ZimParks Director-General Mr Fulton Mangwanya said:

….We are also still grappling with over population of elephants as a country where we have over 83 000 against an ecological capacity of 55 000.

This causes serious disaster in terms of habitat destruction because elephants destroy vegetation, which will never recover as populations continue to rise,

According to the Director-General, the death of close to 200 elephants at Hwange national park this year was mainly due to the overpopulation due to depletion of natural resources that sustains life in these parks.

-StateMedia

Paul Nyathi|Traffic has surged in recent days, with officials at the Beitbridge border post saying more than 20,000 people are passing through the Zimbabwe side per day.

Many Zimbabweans living in South Africa make the annual journey home at Christmas time.

But due to the difficulty in obtaining a passport, some try to sneak through without permission.

Cash, power and fuel shortages in Zimbabwe don’t appear to have deterred many people from travelling home this Christmas.

The immigration department figures, suggest that at least 21,000 people are crossing through the border post each day. This figure is up from around 16,000 earlier this month.

Zimbabwe immigration staff says they’ve cancelled leave and beefed up their numbers.

Officials on both sides are usually overwhelmed at this time of the year and in January.

According to reports, officials say they’re clamping down undocumented travellers, especially children, who are smuggled across the border to be reunited with their families.

DUTCH coach Hendrik Pieter de Jongh has parted ways with Premiership football giants Highlanders.

The Dutch coach announced on his Twitter page yesterday that he will not be returning after the festive holidays as he is set to take up “new challenges” elsewhere.

De Jongh’s contract with Highlanders is set to expire at the end of the month.

“Big thanks to the Bosso family for the cooperation and the great success we had together. Only I go from 1 January 2020 for a new challenges. Thanks for the great time,” he tweeted yesterday.

De Jongh inspired Highlanders to a decent sixth place finish in the Castle Lager Premiership after finding the club wallowing in the relegation matrix when he arrived three months ago.

The Dutchman superintendented Bosso for 16 official games, winning eight times, drawing six and losing once.

Out of the 16 matches, 12 were league games that saw Bosso getting five wins, six draws and a loss, while the other four games were in the Chibuku Super Cup which Bosso won to lift the trophy without conceding a goal.

The Chibuku Super Cup victory ended Highlanders’ four-year trophy drought.

His success with the giants had endeared him to the club’s supporters, who had hoped to see him continue with the club’s revival next season.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has acknowledged the formation of a new political party called the Independence of Zimbabwe African Organisation of People’s Power Pinda Panyanga United Front (IZAOPPOPP UNF).

A letter signed by ZEC’s chief elections officer, Mr Utoile Silaigwana, reads: “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.”

In an interview with The Herald, the party’s leader, Mr Edson Rupondo, said he formed the party to be “the voice of the voiceless”.

Mr Rupondo said his party would be nationalist in nature and would uphold Zimbabwe’s national interests, ideals and ethos. “What we want is a democratic Zimbabwe and we respect the liberation struggle. Our party will be nationalist and pan-Africanist,” he said.

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

He said that constitutionalism was an important part of the party as every Zimbabwean citizen must act in accordance with the law.

“My thinking is informed by the fact that the law is a social institution which may be improved by intelligent human efforts or otherwise the spirits of our liberation heroes will not be pleased by the direction the country will be taking,” said Mr Rupondo.

PLUMTREE Border Post started operating round the clock on Friday to accommodate travellers during the festive season as the volumes have increased by 42 percent since Monday.

Normally the border post shuts down at 10pm daily.

In an interview on Friday, Assistant Regional Immigration Officer Mr Terence Njagu said in anticipation of increased traffic volumes, the border will operate for 24 hours up to tomorrow.

“Generally, from the beginning of the month, traffic has been low.

However, as soon as schools closed, traffic has increased and has been increasing each and every day. I think beginning this week, there was a 42 percent increase from the normal traffic that we were handling a week before,” said Mr Njagu.

“Most of the people work in industries, some in farms so word going on is that, most of them, are closing today, others closed yesterday, so we anticipate increased flows of traffic.

Averagely, we have 1 500 exits and 1 400 entries daily. Now we are clearing up to between 2 900 and 3,600 a day.”

He said two weeks ago the traffic flows stood at 28 000 at Mphoengs and Mulambaphele, the entry points that fall under Plumtree Border Post but last week the statistics jumped to 41 148.

Mr Njagu said immigration has beefed up staff and suspended staff holidays to efficiently deal with increased volumes. “We have instituted a 24-hour shift from today until the 24th of December.

Basically, we open the border at 6am, it will be opened continuously up to Christmas Day at 10 pm.

So, from today until Christmas Day there will be continuous clearance of people. This is meant to create time for our travelling public at any given time they want to pass through the border during that time, they will be served.

It eases pressure, it eases congestion and we ensure that everyone who is coming to Zimbabwe is served quickly and they enjoy their holidays,” said Mr Njagu.State media