Following the solidarity meeting we had today, it was agreed that we should STOP applying because HLF is trying to arm-twist us into accepting.
We have received information that members are now being forced to sign assumption of duty, which is now forcing our members back to work, also the government is asking for a list of those who applied which shows their finger in this HLF plan.
So we are advising our members to withhold the HLF application processes with immediate effect.
We will patiently wait in the trenches until there is a reasonable offer from the government. ALUTA
By A Correspondent| A 24-year-old man hoodwinked the Mamelodi Hospital into accepting him to work as a student doctor while he did not have qualifications.
For a full month, the man carried a stethoscope and reported for duty at Mamelodi Hospital daily as a student doctor from one of the SA’s medical schools.
The man, identified as Richard Phumlani Magudulela, is now wanted by police for impersonating a student doctor after using what was later discovered to be a fraudulent letter bearing the letterheads of the University of KwaZulu-Natal to convince the hospital to take him in.
Dr Naing Soe, CEO of the hospital, said Magudulela started on September 29 and was last seen on October 31 as the hospital had been doing background checks on him.
Soe said when Magudulela first came to the hospital he found a manager “who was generous and kind” and wanted to help him secure space as a student doctor.
Magudulela’s letter “from UKZN” was later discovered to be fake.
“As the hospital’s CEO I’m appealing to the public to help the police arrest this man because he must face law for what he did,” said Soe
The hospital and the provincial department of health have since launched an investigation into the matter.
Soe said student doctors always worked under supervision of highly qualified doctors and were not allowed to attend to patients on their own.
“So far the hospital have not received complaints from patients about getting wrong treatment [by the fake medic].
“Since 1 November when the hospital discovered the truth about the young man, he has never shown his face at the hospital… the man has been barred from entering the premises but I’m afraid the man can still dupe unsuspecting community members as he always carries fraudulent documents and a stethoscope.”
The hospital is now on a campaign to warn all its patients against Magudulela.
A patient at the hospital who didn’t want to be named said: “I’m glad the bogus doctor was [exposed] before he could ruin people’s lives.”
Mamelodi East police spokesperson Const Lethabo Mashiloane confirmed that a case of impersonating a medical doctor has been opened.
An American academic has given a graphic account of the moment the London Bridge stabbing attack began, saying it “felt like a warzone”.
Bryonn Bain told the BBC that victim Jack Merritt had been the first person to confront Usman Khan when he launched his knife assault during a prisoner rehabilitation conference on Friday.
“I saw people die, I saw things that I will never be able to unsee,” he said.
Vigils have taken place for Mr Merritt, 25, and second victim Saskia Jones, 23.
Three other people were also injured in the attack before Khan was shot dead by armed officers on London Bridge – two are still in hospital in a stable condition.
Prof Bain said former offenders attending the University of Cambridge-linked conference “stepped up and intervened” to tackle Khan, and people at Fishmongers’ Hall owed their lives to the actions of those who had previously spent time in jail.
He said two men from his performance poetry workshop immediately ran towards shouts from elsewhere in Fishmongers’ Hall in the City of London as the attack began, and as shouts grew louder he also went to assist.
“That’s when I ran down and saw the scene unfolding there,” he said. “I was able to see the attacker.”
He added: “It felt like a warzone… it felt like total chaos.”
Prof Bain said course co-ordinator Mr Merritt was “the first line of defence”.
“I want to honour him,” Prof Bain said of Mr Merritt. “I want to honour his father’s wishes which have been explicit to not have his life be used for political purposes to ramp up draconian policies, because that’s not what he was about.”
Mr Merritt’s father criticised newspaper coverage of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s pledge to review the early release of convicted terrorists.
Writing in the Guardian, David Merritt says his son “would be seething at his death, and his life, being used to perpetuate an agenda of hate that he gave his everything fighting against”.
The article calls for a justice system that focuses on rehabilitation, rather than revenge, and criticises indeterminate sentences, saying his son worked for “a world where we do not lock up and throw away the key”.
Prof Bain added: “I want to make sure that as much as possible that we uphold the heroes of the day, were formerly incarcerated people, some of the folks who are often easiest to dehumanise.
“They stepped up and many of the folks in that space would not be here today if it weren’t for these guys who did time in prison and literally saved lives.”
In other developments on Monday:
Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended his response to the attackafter Mr Merritt’s father criticised newspaper coverage of Mr Johnson’s pledge to review the early release of convicted terrorists
Mr Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attended a vigil at the Guildhall near London Bridge to honour those caught up in the attack
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the best way to defeat the hatred shown in the attack was to focus on the values of hope, unity and love
BBC News learned the attacker, Usman Khan, 28, had been under investigation by the security service MI5 since his release from prison last year, but given one of the lowest priorities. He had been convicted of a terrorism offence in 2012
As part of his release conditions, Khan was obliged to take part in the government’s desistance and disengagement programme – which aims to rehabilitate those involved in terrorism
Vigils for the victims of the attack were also held in Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University, which Ms Jones had previously attended.
Mr Merritt and Ms Jones both studied for masters degrees at the University of Cambridge’s institute of criminology and had been taking part in an event for its Learning Together programme – which focuses on education within the criminal justice system – when they were killed.
By A Correspondent- President Mnangagwa today met members of the Inter-Denominational Council of Churches at State House to discuss various issues affecting the country.
The churches were led by the patron of the organisation Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi of the Zion Christian Church.
They stressed that any political dialogue in the country should be premised on the acknowledgement of President Mnangagwa as the elected Head of State and Government.
By A Correspondent- A Correctional Officer at Chikurubi Maximum Prison committed suicide in a suspected stress induced act.
He was found hanging on a tree branch in the near bush at Chikurubi Prison. The reasons for committing suicide is not yet known, but some family members say he had told them earlier on that he wanted to commit suicide.
His family members said earlier that day, he threatened committing suicide when he took a small piece of wire at their home wanting to hang himself in the house.
His family members said when he left the house to commit suicide, they could not restrain him as he had changed and became uncontrollable.
By A Correspondent- A Kwekwe family was left homeless after their family house was destroyed by fire on Tuesday night.
The Moyce family of number 9 Grey Street Glenwood Kwekwe was left stranded without food, clothing or property after their house, worth a million dollars was destroyed by fire. They only retrieved two bibles still intact out of the ashes.
Vincent Moyce who witnessed the fire right from the start, narrated the tragedy which befell his family.
“It was on Tuesday night and there was no electricity so we were preparing to go to bed using candle as our source of light at around 11pm, so my kids were in the bedroom using candles and I was out of the bedroom helping one of my kids who was not feeling well.
“One of the kids who was in the bedroom then alerted me about the fire in the bedroom so I rushed in there and found the mattress and the curtain burning I tried to put off the fire on the mattress but my efforts were in vain as the ceiling of the house also caught fire.
“I awakened everyone in the house because the situation was getting out of hand; things started to explode in the house and sounded like gunshots such that our neighbours thought that someone was firing gunshots.
“We connected the hosepipe and tried to put off the fire whilst our neighbors also tried to get in touch with fire brigade which arrived late because the fire had already destroyed our property,” said Moyce.
Vincent’s brother Thomas Moyce who is still coming to terms with what happened appealed for help from well-wishers in cash or kind to rebuild their house and clothe the children since everything was burnt to ashes.
“The tragedy has been a huge setback on us because we lost some things of sentimental value which we cannot recover because everything was burnt; our property was burnt we did not retrieve anything except two bibles.
“We are kindly appealing to well wishers to help us with building materials so that we can rebuild our house because right now we are homeless.
“We need clothes, food, blankets and every basic commodity that is needed for a person to live because we just came out of the house empty handed,” said Thomas.
Everyone came out of the house alive and no one was injured, however, the family lost valuable documents such as certificates and children’s birth certificates.
By A Correspondent- The Central Africa Building Society (CABS) plans to close four more branches in Harare and Norton.
The development comes after the bank announced in August that it was closing four branches, one in Nkulumane Bulawayo, Mt Pleasant in Harare as well as Dangamvura and CA House branches in Mutare.
In a short statement to customers, CABS managing director Simon Hammond said:
All services will be available at the nearest branches, or any other CABS branch nationwide.
CABS is a subsidiary of Old Mutual Zimbabwe Limited, Zimbabwe’s largest life assurance organization.
It offers a diverse range of financial products and services that includes transaction and savings accounts, mobile banking, mortgage loans, money market investments, term deposits and payroll loans.
By A Correspondent- Former Zanu PF politburo member, Jonathan Moyo, says he will never rejoin the ruling party as he believes it to be Zimbabwe’s number one existential threat.
Writing on Twitter on Monday, Moyo said:
This is an emphatic message that it’s finally over. There’s no going back. It’s time to move on. ZanuPF is Zimbabwe’s number [one] existential threat. Association with it is toxic, by definition!
I kept hoping that ZanuPF was reformable until the 15 November military coup that gave me a rude awakening!
Moyo fled from Zimbabwe during the military coup that overthrew the late former President Robert Mugabe in November 2017.
He has been living in exile in an East African country ever since he fled from Zimbabwe.
PRESIDENT EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU has frowned upon anyone who calls Zambia premitive for refusing to accept gay rights which he said was not the order of nature adding that it is unbiblical.
“We are saying no to homosexuality, why should you be saying we are only going to be civilized if we allow it, are you saying we are very premitive because we are frowning upon homosexuality?” President Lungu asked Sky News Reporter Alex Crowford yesterday.
President Lungu went on to observe the order of nature, “Even animals do not do it so why should we be forced to do it because we want to be seen to be smart, to be seen to be civilized and advanced.”
A noise on homosexuality arose when a judge sentenced two gentlemen to fifteen years imprisonment for crime against the order of nature.
American Diplomat added his voice ordering Zambia to rethink the law in a rather undiplomatic manner threatening Zambia’s sovereignty.
Some opposition chancers opted to support the diplomat but went mute after many Zambians stood on the platform of being a Christian Nation on social media.
However, President Lungu has been unequivocal about his position on the matter as Zambia’s leader.
He has observed that unlike other leaders who seemingly would bend at the monetary advantage of accepting gay rights he would rather stick to biblical principles.
“If you want to be tying your aid to homosexuality… If that is how you will bring your aid then I am afraid the Western can leave us alone in our poverty and we will continue scrounging and struggling and see how we can get going,” President Lungu said.
President Lungu added that he is of the personal view that gay people can be counseled adding that he may look at a shorter punishment but will not accept to repeal the law.
By A Correspondent- Initially, Hwangwa had intended to urinate on Chivaura to have him released after the latter confessed but chose to fart on him so that the car could be lifted to release his trapped leg.
Hwangwa claimed that one of the wheels had been stolen and wanted Chivaura to call his accomplice to return it before urinating on him for freedom.
He neither confirmed nor denied using juju to trap thieves saying what he wanted was the items he lost to thieves from Chivaura.
“What I want is my wheel and the jack from him before I free him,” said Hwangwa.
“As for using juju or not using juju that has nothing to do with me ngaadzose zvinhu zvangu chete,” he said.
Chivaura claimed that he was in the company of one Almeda who fled the scene leaving him stuck and had to cry for help.
He was trapped around 5am only to be released after 8am.
One of the security guards Claud Usai manning the place said they heard calls for help from Chivaura who claimed that his leg had been trapped.
Residents came to the scene, not to rescue him but to assault him. They splashed him with used engine oil accusing him of stealing vehicle wheel caps, batteries and other accessories.
“We are losing our car accessories that include batteries, wheel caps and other things left in cars daily. You (Chivaura) and your partners in crime are reaping where you did not sow,” one of the residents said.
“People are being attacked during the night at corner Hebert Chitepo Avenue and Third Street every week, we want to believe that you are involved,” the resident added as he assaulted Chivaura.
A police officer who arrived at the scene rescued him from further beatings and took him to Harare Central Police Station.
NewsDay|A ZANU PF legislator has urged people in his constituency to put aside sloganeering and focus on national development.
Beitbridge East MP Albert Nguluvhe on Saturday said national development knows no tribe, political affiliation or race and Zimbabweans should tackle it as a united people to achieve real results.
“Let us leave slogans for 2023 and for now concentrate on developing our country. We are a people together and national development is a common goal we should aim at,” he said.
Nguluvhe was speaking during a fundraising dinner for Beitbridge Government Primary School.
The dinner, called “Stretching the Walls of Beitbridge Government Primary School”, was meant to raise funds for a double-storey classroom block at the school with a 15-classroom deficit.
Just like the Beitbridge Mission, St Joseph’s, Dulivhadzimo and several other schools in the border town, the institution has inadequate classroom blocks for the 1 548 students, with some of them taking classes under trees.
Children at these schools have insufficient toilet facilities apart from a host of other factors affecting proper education.
Nguluvhe, who was addressing Beitbridge urban residents who voted for an MDC local authority in the 2018 elections, said infrastructure development in schools, hospitals and roads should be everyone’s common goal.
“Those are the core areas we should look at. Not for us, but for our children,” said Nguluvhe, who for the first time shared his liberation war history and told people how he was trained by the KGB of Russia.
A former bodyguard of the late former President Robert Mugabe, Nguluvhe became legislator for Beitbridge East after narrowly beating MDC candidate Patricia Ndlovu, who also attended the fundraising event.
“We must change our mentality about tribes, ethnicity and political groupings when we speak development. As for education, let us nurture children who will be employers rather than workers,” he said.
School head, Faith Siyoka Moyo, said despite the challenges the school faced, their pass rate remained high.
“This year, we have an average pass rate of 94% despite these obtaining challenges. Our children have poor toilets and we have turned what should be their playgrounds into classrooms under trees,” she said.
The school, the pioneer learning centre then reserved for whites in 1971 with only 13 students, needs 35 000 standard bricks and other material inputs such as concrete, sand and 1 200 bags of cement to complete the block, which will end open-air learning.
Thousands of dollars were raised from ticket sales and several other activities during the function held at the disused giant former Rainbow Hotel, now just a white elephant.
Moyo’s remarks exposed the dire need of schools in the border town, where the local authority has failed to build new schools.
Apart from deputy mayor Munyaradzi Chitsunge, council officials were conspicuously absent.
Correspondent|Tension between Zambia and the United States has deepened following the sentencing of a homosexual couple to 15 years in prison by a central district court.
Amid choice words being exchanged between the US ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote and Zambia’s Foreign minister Joseph Malanji, the envoy described the relations between the two countries as “decaying.”
“Let us stop the facade that our governments enjoy ‘warm and cordial’ relations. The current government of Zambia wants foreign diplomats to be compliant, with open pocketbooks and closed mouths,” Mr Foote said.
The sentencing of the couple, which Mr Foote called “harsh and barbaric”, appeared to be the trigger for undiplomatic release of frustrations including over access to President Edgar Lungu and implementation of a US-led reform of the country’s energy sector.
“Discriminatory and homophobic laws, under the false flags of Christianity and culture, continue to kill innocent Zambians, many of whom were born with the virus. Your citizens are terrified of being outed as HIV-positive, because of the inaccurate and archaic associations between HIV and homosexuality,” Mr Foote said. He added he had been threatened over his stance without disclosing by who.
Mr Malanji said Lusaka had complained to Washington over what it viewed as the envoy’s interference in its internal affairs.
Amid threats of severance of ties by the US, President Lungu told Sky News that his government was ready to forfeit aid if it was tied to acceptance of homosexuality in a predominantly Christian nation. The US says it has spent more than $4 billion in the last 15 years in HIV/Aids support.
More than one million Zambians are on anti-retroviral medicine.
Mr Foote appeared to threaten a US aid cut as he complained about corruption. “I hope the government of Zambia commits to improve its decaying relationship with the United States but that is a decision for it to make.”
He accused critics of his and the US position on homosexuality of hiding behind Christian values.
“Targeting and marginalising minorities, especially homosexuals, has been a warning signal of future atrocities by governments in many countries. In my heart, I know that real Zambian values don’t merit your country’s inclusion on that list, ever.”
He said Zambia’s Constitution protected the fundamental rights of all Zambians regardless of their sexual orientation, and criticised the government for high handedness in dealing with dissent.
He blamed “domestic politics” for delays in implementing energy sector reforms jointly developed by Zambia and US energy experts by 2018 that would have ensured better access to electricity.
“This plan has been dormant for over a year, because of domestic politics,” said Mr Foote. Zambia is undergoing lengthy power rationing after a prolonged drought that has seen the Kariba Dam, which it shares with Zimbabwe, shut in favour of imports from Mozambique.
He said he had, after much struggle, only managed to meet President Edgar Lungu five times during his two years in Lusaka as appointments kept being rescheduled.
MUTARE– A top human rights defender, Farai Maguwu has raised alarm over unclear circumstances surrounding a partnership deal between Vast Resources and Botswana Diamonds, which could leave the Chiadzwa community in the cold.
Botswana Diamonds reportedly concluded an agreement with Vast for the development of diamond concessions in Marange, with a separate agreement covering the joint development of diamond properties outside of the Marange Diamond Fields.
Previously, Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) entered into an agreement, which is under finalization, with Katanga Resources- a joint venture of Vast Resources and Chiadzwa Community Development Trust.
Katanga Resources joint venture with ZCDC is for the purposes of exploring and mining at the Chiadzwa Community Diamond Concession and marketing the diamonds from the operation.
However, Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) director Farai Maguwu said the recent signing of a deal between Vast Resources and Botswana Diamonds paradises community interests in gem extraction.
Maguwu said Zimbabwe was being robbed of her natural resource wealth through intricate syndicates linked to powerful politicians which are using the community as a smokes screen to cover rampant corruption.
He said the public has been misled to believe that the community will benefit from the deal through a company owned by one Newman Chiadzwa, who is working in cahoots with a powerful politician.
“The agreement is as opaque as other previous agreements that saw Zimbabwe being robbed of more than $15 billion within six years of continuous pillaging. The involvement of Chiadzwa Mineral Resources is a smokescreen to cover up for corruption.
“CMR is owned by Newman Chiadzwa and it is not owned by the Marange community. Newman will be co-benefiting with the son of a very powerful politician without whom he wasn’t going to get the concession.
“So, corruption is written all over the agreement and any self-respecting government would not mortgage such a precious resource for close to nothing as we are witnessing,” he said.
In a social media post, Maguwu castigated the move to have an agreement of a joint venture between Vast Resources and Botswana Diamonds to form a new entity called Newco without parliamentary approval which he said will see more diamonds leaving the country in unorthodox ways.
Maguwu said the new development puts the givernment under scrutuny for signing numerous mining contracts and warned that the country’s general populace will not benefit anything at all if politicians are left to push unclear mining deals.
“So, London listed African Consolidated Resources (ACR) has changed its name to Vast Resources, formed a joint venture with a Consultancy Partner, Botswana Diamonds to form Newco, in which Vast has 97.5 percent shareholding whilst Botswana Diamonds has 2.5 percent they have secretly returned to Marange.
“This JV looks 100 percent foreign. So, where is the Zimbabwe national interest in all this? Who is responsible for these deals? I know for real parliament is not involved. Government ministries and departments in Mutare are in the dark,” said Maguwu.
He added, “As long as the country is run like this, when politicians sell national assets for personal gain, when unpatriotic leaders invite foreign syndicates to loot whilst they collect resource rents, forget about economic recovery.”
Under the new agreement which replaces the Heritage Concession Agreement, Vast Resources and BOD joint venture vehicle Newco will hold the interests of Vast in the Chiadzwa Community JV and Katanga.
When the agreement between Katanga and ZCDC becomes effective, Botswana Diamonds will be issued with new shares representing 2.5 percent of Newco, while Vast will provide all capital requirements for the project commencement on a loan account to Newco, up to a maximum of US$10 million.
Own Correspondent | Former minister and Zanu PF politburo member, Professor Jonathan Moyo, has publicly thrown away his ZANU PF membership card into the trash.
The exiled academic, who spends long hours on social media, dedicated to attacking the person of ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa, went public in a dramatic act this afternoon, declaring, “This is an emphatic message that it’s finally over. There’s no going back. It’s time to move on. ZanuPF is Zimbabwe’s number [one] existential threat. Association with it is toxic, by definition!”
“I kept hoping that ZanuPF was reformable until the 15 November military coup that gave me a rude awakening!”
Curiously though, the card Moyo publicly trashed is an old ZANU PF one with the late former President Robert Mugabe’s face on it, a suiting souvenir, given the support the exiled academic received from him when he fled the country in 2017.
It was not clear what triggered this public ritual of cutting soul ties, with a party Zanu PF, just two years ago, he was ready to die even kill for.
Moyo is also rumoured to be among Advocate Nelson Chamisa’s close team of advisors, though he told a Twitter user yesterday, that he is not a member of the MDC, but supports that Chamisa won the 2018 Presidential election.
Gold producer Caledonia Mining Corporation has successfully completed the shaft sinking phase of its Central Shaft project at its 49%-owned Blanket mine in Zimbabwe.
It is well on track to increase gold production to 80 000 ounces per annum from 2022 and onwards following completion of the project in 2020.
The central shaft, at a depth of 1 208 m at shaft bottom, will now be equipped and commissioned over the next 12 months, Caledonia CEO Steve Curtis said.
The central shaft project is the largest investment in a series of investments at the Matabeleland South-based mine in a bid to increase production, improve operating efficiency and extend the life of the 113-year old mine even further.
It will also deliver significant increases in the company’s profit and distributable cash, the company believes.
The Central Shaft project, as part of the company’s life of mine extension plan at Blanket, has been in progress since early 2015 and the company has spent approximately US$44 million sinking the new shaft to unlock additional resources from deep underground.
Currently in the equipping phase, prior to commissioning (expected during the second quarter of 2020), gold production from Blanket mine is expected to progressively increase to the 80 000 ozpa of gold by increasing its production from the 50 000 oz to 53 000 oz of gold as per its 2019 production guidance.
Prior to the execution of the Central Shaft project, Blanket mine operated to a depth of 750 m, accessed via No.4 Shaft (the only operational shaft).
The Central Shaft project will extend this depth to just over 1 200 m, allowing the addition of three new production levels to the mine below the current 750 m level – on 26 (870 m), 30 (990 m) and 34 (1 110 m) levels.
The latest mine plan also allows for the development of a fourth production level on 38 level (1 230 m below surface) which will be accessed via a decline shaft.
The mine, although operated from the single No.4 shaft, comprises five significantly independent near vertical ore bodies.
The brainchild of COO Dana Roets, the Central Shaft – aptly named so because of its central location in relation to the five ore bodies – will enable the access of deeper ore bodies more efficiently.
“Because the current shaft is located on the extremity of the ore bodies, we only mine in one direction, but the centrality of the Central Shaft will allow us to mine more efficiently in both directions along the 3 km strike on all three levels.
“This will allow us to access the mining areas in approximately half the time and also reducing worker’s traveling time significantly,” Curtis explained.
Having reached shaft bottom at 1 208 m in July, the bottom and mid shaft loading stations have already been established and development work from the Central Shaft to the ore bodies is advancing well – with one of the production levels having already reached the ore body.
This development work has allowed for the simultaneous establishment of the ventilation shaft and ore raises via raisebore drilling.
“With 12 months to go from an equipping perspective, we are in a very good space to ramp up production to approximately 75 000 oz in 2021 until Blanket reaches the 80 000 ozpa target in 2022 and onwards,” said Curtis.
The company has lost some momentum at Blanket as a result of electricity supply interruptions experienced at the mine resulting from the broader unstable electricity supply challenges in Zimbabwe.
Caledoni has resultantly had to revise its production guidance downward from between 53 000 and 56 000 oz to between 50 000 oz and 53 000 oz of gold for 2019.
Curtis admitted that the electricity supply challenges in past 12 months have been particularly disruptive to the project, particularly during the month of July and in early August.
“This resulted in the heavy reliance on the 12 MW installed diesel generator back-up capacity at the mine – sufficient to run the entire mine at full capacity but insufficient to sustain both the mine and the Central Shaft project,” he explained.
The power situation has, however, improved substantially in late August and September thanks largely to a timely and coordinated response from the Chamber of Mines, the Ministry of Mines, the Ministry of Energy and Power Development and the Zimbabwean Energy Regulatory Authority, which introduced a new United States dollar-based electricity pricing structure for the mining industry to support the funding of imported electricity which is used exclusively to supply participating mining companies.
The electricity supply authorities have also implemented an uninterrupted power supply agreement for the mining industry in an effort to support the sector and electricity supply has stabilised following these changes.
Despite the improved electricity situation in Zimbabwe’s mining industry, Blanket has purchased an additional 6 MW of diesel generator capacity, taking its diesel generation capacity up to approximately 18 MW of total installed capacity.
While cognisant of the cost and availability of diesel in Zimbabwe, Curtis saied Blanket will be cautious in the way it uses this generation capacity.
With generators ranging in size from 1 MW to 2.5 MW, all of which have been synchronised into the mine’s electricity usage grid, Blanket has a significant amount of flexibility in that it will be able to switch on only what is needed when it is needed.
“The additional generators are on site and are currently being installed after which Blanket’s operations will be fully protected from the risk of unstable electricity supply and will ensure future reliability in the face of a potentially difficult electricity supply situation in the southern African region in the medium to long-term,” Curtis noted
PRESS STATEMENT ON FAKE NEWS ARTICLE CIRCULATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The Parliament of Zimbabwe has noted with grave concern, the flagrant and irresponsible abuse of social media by one person supposedly writing under the moniker, Monica Mashinda, in a brazen attempt to impugn the integrity of individual Members of Parliament and the institution of Parliament collectively.
The shameless author of the ‘fake news’ article circulating on Whatsapp, makes patently untrue and malicious allegations against named Hon. Members of Parliament under the headline “Legislators Caught Pants Down in Parly Toilet.”
The said allegations attempt to sully the image of Parliament and the characters of Parliamentarians by giving the impression of an institution devoid of morality and the decorum associated with what is rightly termed an august institution.
The Parliament of Zimbabwe would like to categorically dismiss this fake news article with the contempt that it deserves and to reassure the public that nothing of the sort has ever happened, nor, indeed, will it ever happen in Parliament.
The nature of the security and traffic of persons within Parliament Building is such that the alleged trysts would not happen.
Despite any misgivings that the public may have, Members of Parliament are guided by strict rules of decorum in their conduct which they earnestly endeavour to follow in and outside Parliament.
It is unfortunate and regrettable though that any right-thinking person, regardless of the fertility of their imagination, would unashamedly circulate news they know to be fake without any pangs of conscience particularly as it casts aspersions on the characters and standing of Honourable Members of Parliament or any other person for that matter.
It is our hope that the public can see through this malicious vendetta of vilification and character assassination for what it is.
Own Correspondent | MDC Alliance politician, lawyer Advocate Fadzai Mahere, has rubbished calls by the church for dialogue between party presidents, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa.
Wrote Mahere on her Twitter portal, “If everything is well & good, why is there need for dialogue? Why can’t the President just govern & solve the nation’s problems in accordance with his “mandate”? Why does he need Chamisa? What does he hope to achieve from this dialogue that he can’t achieve alone?”
The churches urged Chamisa, to drop the legitimacy demand as it was ‘foolhardy’ during a meeting with Mnangagwa.
He was meeting the Inter-Denominational Council of Churches at State House, earlier today.
Continued Mahere, “No talk about corruption by govt?
No condemning police brutality?
No mention of military killings?
No mention of public health crisis?
No talk about looming food crisis?
Nothing on abductions?
What values are guiding this section of the Church? Why does it smell of capture?”
GABORONE – Botswana on Monday hanged a 44-year-old man for murdering his boss, prisons services announced, despite mounting criticism from rights groups and the European Union.
Mooketsi Kgosibodiba was hanged at Gaborone Central Prison “in the early morning hours”, the prison said, in the first execution since President Mokgweetsi Masisi was elected to office in October.
In 2017, Kgosibodiba received a death sentence for the 2012 murder of his employer and his appeal was dismissed last year.
Two other people were hanged last year in the face of global condemnation, Amnesty International describing Botswana as the “only country in Southern Africa that consistently executes people”.
“There is no space for the death penalty in a country like Botswana,” said Amnesty International’s Deprose Muchena after Masisi’s election.
Muchena praised Botswana’s “great leadership role” in “denouncing impunity for human rights violations on the African continent” and encouraged the new government to change course on executions.
Masisi’s predecessor Ian Khama said last year that the death penalty was one tool to combat a rising murder rate and added that the government had “no plans to either abolish the death penalty or impose a moratorium”.
Executions across the world dropped by almost one-third in 2018 to the lowest figure in a decade, said Amnesty.
The death penalty in Botswana has been enforced since independence in 1966.
Amnesty says executions are often undertaken without prior notice — with even family members of the condemned notified only after the execution.
Vice.com|The end of Robert Mugabe’s brutal 37-year dictatorship over Zimbabwe in 2017 was greeted by scenes of wild jubilation on the streets of Harare by people who’d seen their dream of independence from minority white rule turned into tyranny under the aging dictator’s leadership.
But it was on social media that Zimbabweans first found their voice to rise up against the 93-year-old strongman, with platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter proving to be vital in mobilizing and coordinating countrywide protests.
Now, just two years later, activists say the government that replaced Mugabe’s is trying to silence those same social media accounts with legislation that bears all the hallmarks of China’s dystopian censorship and surveillance system.
“It is a terrifying piece of legislation”
Zimbabwe’s Parliament is weighing legislation that would authorize the use of surveillance technologies, grant sweeping powers to crack down on social media users, and allow the government to snoop on citizens’ private communications. The latest version of the bill — known as the Cyber Crime, Cyber Security and Data Protection Bill of 2019 — was passed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Cabinet last month and is currently being drafted for publication and approval by Parliament, where it’s expected to easily pass under Mnangagwa’s Zanu-PF party majority.
Activists warn things could get ugly soon after that.
“It is a terrifying piece of legislation,” Bekezela Gumbo, a researcher at the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute, told VICE News. “It has everything it needs to give the ruling Zanu-PF party and its agents in government the legal basis to imprison opponents using the internet.”
Although the public still doesn’t know exactly what the final version of the bill will contain, activists say it’ll likely be overly broad and lacking the sort of necessary protections that rights groups have called for in the past.
“The definitions of crimes were described in such broad terms that they could arrest people because they have said something on a social media platform to criticize the government or say something that is unfair to government,” Kuda Hove, a legal expert with the Media Institute of Southern Africa, told VICE News, referring to a previous draft of the bill he’d seen.
From Twitter to the streets
Zimbabwean medical staff march on the streets of Harare, Thursday Sept, 19, 2019. Zimbabwean doctors protesting the alleged abduction of a union leader won a High court ruling allowing them to march and handover a petition to the parliament.The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association has said its president, Peter Magombeyi, was abducted on Saturday after calling for a pay strike, and members say they will not return to work until he is found. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
Back in 2016, social media was the spark for the protests that would ultimately lead to Mugabe’s ouster in 2017. It was on Facebook, Twitter, and critically WhatsApp that the genesis of the protest movement began to take shape.
At the time, WhatsApp accounted for over one-third of all mobile data used in Zimbabwe as citizens shared anti-government news and information about demonstrations.
Officials were powerless at the time to stop the surge in online dissent, and they began exploring ways to curb it. It was during that period, as Mugabe was losing his grip on power, that the first version of the Computer Crime and Cyber Crime Bill was drafted.
Since Mugabe’s departure, the bill has seen a number of revisions. The most recent version remains shrouded in mystery, but it includes a vague mandate to protect “cyberspace,” according to Mnangagwa.
The president’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the latest bill approved by the Cabinet. The only official who would speak was Ivanhoe Gurira, the principal director at the Ministry of Information, who denied the bill was meant to promote censorship, claiming Zimbabwe has other laws that help protect access to information and freedom of speech.
When asked about the criticism from activists about the new law, Gurira said: “Only those people that want to operate outside the law would say so.”
But Mnangagwa’s government has already shown its willingness to restrict online speech.
In January, the government partially shut off internet access and blocked access to social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, and Tinder. The move came as the government struggled to contain protests over a sharp spike in fuel prices and generally deteriorating economic conditions. The internet shutdown was soon followed by a brutal military crackdown that left a dozen people dead and over 170 more injured.
Access to the internet was restored a week later, but only after the High Court ruled the government’s order was illegal. Free speech activists say the new cybercrime bill would essentially make another shutdown legal.
“With such precedent, it is indubitable that the underlying intention of the proposed law is to curtail citizens’ fundamental political and civil liberties, especially as government battles to contain the tanking economy and rising citizens agitation,” Nhlanhla Ngwenya, program director at the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, told VICE News.
The government has also arrested numerous individuals for online activities since Mnangagwa came to power, including Evan Mawarire, a pastor who was charged with inciting public violence after he posted messages in support of the labor protests on Facebook and Twitter.
“We’re in a country where the basic freedoms that are provided for in the constitution for citizens are being blatantly violated. People are not allowed to speak freely. The amount of arrests that have taken place of people who have spoken out or against the government is shocking,” Mawarire told CNN this week.
Now, under Mnangagwa’s rule, the government is hoping to expand its crackdown on free speech online — and to do that it’s taking its lead from the world’s worst abuser of the internet: China.
China’s deep ties
China and Zimbabwe have long and deep ties that stretch back decades and run to the very highest levels of government.
Many of Zimbabwe’s senior leaders, including Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, received military training in China back in the early 1960s.
“You can’t overstate how deep the ties go between these two governments,” Eric Olander, managing editor of the nonpartisan China Africa Project, told VICE News. “They go back a long way together and there’s no indication either side is wavering in their mutual commitment to one another.”
“You can’t overstate how deep the ties go between these two governments”
On the technology front, China is already helping the Zimbabwe government keep a closer eye on its citizens. As part of Beijing’s $71 million Belt and Road investment in the country, the Zimbabwe government has partnered with Chinese facial recognition company CloudWalk Technology to create a surveillance network similar to the one deployed to monitor Uighurs in Xinjiang.
The deal sees CloudWalk technology monitoring major transport hubs and using the data to build a national facial recognition database. The deal also gives the Chinese company access to a rich trove of data on African faces.
Critics worry the new cybersecurity law would augment this nascent surveillance network by monitoring citizens’ online activities as well as their offline movements. And while China’s involvement in Zimbabwe’s surveillance plans remain far from clear, experts expect Harare to lean heavily on Beijing’s expertise to roll it out.
“We probably don’t need a lot of evidence to draw the conclusion that China will likely lend its expertise to building this kind of digital surveillance, given the trust that exists between these two governments and China’s expertise in this area,” Olander said. “Plus, the Chinese have an entire mechanism in place to provide the financing, implementation, and training on how to use technology like this.”
In fact, the Zimbabwean government may have already been inspired by China during the drafting of the new legislation. Officials from the Zimbabwean government were among representatives from three dozen countries who travelled to China in recent years to for weeks-long seminars on information management, according to Sarah Cook, a senior China researcher with Freedom House.
With China’s expertise, Mnangagwa’s government could get closer to stemming the sort of upheaval that toppled his predecessor before it even begins.
“This law is a response to the use of social media by activists, citizen journalists, and researchers during protests, accountability monitoring, and political mobilization,” Gumbo said. “This is what the government doesn’t want, and the bill is a mechanism to avoid public scrutiny. It is meant to curtail freedom of expression.”
Own Correspondent | Zion Christian Church (ZCC) leader, Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, has been caught lying to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, after he publicly disowned the statement by the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations which called for a 7-year period without elections in the country.
Mutendi is quoted saying, surprisingly invoking the spirit of Nehanda at the church gathering, hosted by Mnangagwa, “the spirit of God has always been present ever since Mbuya Nehanda prophesied the revolution that would liberate the country, ‘tigare murunyararo. No to violence.”
ZimEye can reveal that Mutendi was neither present nor represented when the call for a 7 year Sabbatical was made, with LIVE Video evidence to prove this.
A national debate, was sparked after the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations, a group made up of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, and the Union for the Development of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe, called for a for a seven-year political sabbath under which there will be no political contestation.
The churches made the recommendation in a bid to unlock the impasse between Mnangagwa and MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa, as part of a solution to the multiple crisis, political and economic the country is faced with.
ZANU PF leader, Mnangagwa, is currently meeting the Inter-Denominational Council of Churches at State House, where MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa, is under pressure once again to accept his legitimacy.
Mnangagwa, told the gathering that the Constitution guarantees freedom of worship, this way people can live a Christian life, which exudes love Peace and Harmony.
Kaizer Chiefs and Warriors talismanic winger Khama Billiat has made another donation to a primary school, this time Nellmapius Primary in South Africa, today.
Through his Khama Billiat Foundation, the 29-year-old also donated a football kit and sanitary wear to his former school, Gwinyiro Primary in Mufakose last month.
Today’s donation is the second for the foundation since its inception.
“The Khama Billiat foundation embarked on its second project today… Nellmapius ext 6 Primary School in South africa…we are here to donate sporting kits,school shoes and sanitary pads. #inGodwetrust,” posted the Warriors star on his Facebook page.
By A Correspondent- Deputy Information Minister Energy Mutodi has trashed report that he was caught pants down with a fellow legislator in a toilet at parliament.
According to the report, Mutodi and Tatenda Mavetera, who is the Zanu-PF Seke-Chikomba women’s quota member of parliament who played role of Tendai Jari on the popular Studio 263 were allegedly caught having s_e_x in one of the toilets at parliament.
The reports alleged that a complaint was lodged with the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda.
Mutodi however refuted the claims attributing the report to his foes.
Said Mutodi:
“No matter how much appetite there is to assassinate and destroy characters, attempts to vilify Parliament as a sex haven by enemies of the government will not be tolerated.”
PRESS STATEMENT ON FAKE NEWS ARTICLE CIRCULATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The Parliament of Zimbabwe has noted with grave concern, the flagrant and irresponsible abuse of social media by one person supposedly writing under the moniker, Monica Mashinda, in a brazen attempt to impugn the integrity of individual Members of Parliament and the institution of Parliament collectively.
The shameless author of the ‘fake news’ article circulating on Whatsapp, makes patently untrue and malicious allegations against named Hon. Members of Parliament under the headline “Legislators Caught Pants Down in Parly Toilet.”
The said allegations attempt to sully the image of Parliament and the characters of Parliamentarians by giving the impression of an institution devoid of morality and the decorum associated with what is rightly termed an august institution.
The Parliament of Zimbabwe would like to categorically dismiss this fake news article with the contempt that it deserves and to reassure the public that nothing of the sort has ever happened, nor, indeed, will it ever happen in Parliament.
The nature of the security and traffic of persons within Parliament Building is such that the alleged trysts would not happen.
Despite any misgivings that the public may have, Members of Parliament are guided by strict rules of decorum in their conduct which they earnestly endeavour to follow in and outside Parliament.
It is unfortunate and regrettable though that any right-thinking person, regardless of the fertility of their imagination, would unashamedly circulate news they know to be fake without any pangs of conscience particularly as it casts aspersions on the characters and standing of Honourable Members of Parliament or any other person for that matter.
It is our hope that the public can see through this malicious vendetta of vilification and character assassination for what it is.
K.M. Chokuda CLERK OF PARLIAMENT OFFICE OF THE CLERK PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE 02 DEC 220 P. O. BOX CY298. CAUSEWAY HARARE, ZIMBABWE
263chat|Sungura music maestro Alick Macheso was yesterday honoured by local paint company, Nash Paints with a whopping ZWL$200 000 as appreciation of the singer’s talent and input towards the massive growth of Nash Paints brand.
Receiving the gift on behalf of her husband, Mai Shero was on cloud nine hailing Macheso for maintaining good relations from the initial day he was appointed Nash Paints brand ambassador.
“I’m very happy and thankful for what God has done for us. Too bad he is not here but this gesture by Nash Paints is just testimony to the good rapport that exists between my husband and Nash.
“From the day Macheso was announced as Nash Paints brand ambassador there were never challenges or disagreements. May God add more blessings to Mr and Mrs Mutarisi,” she said.
Nash Paints also unveiled a new product in their stock called Carvello, a German car paint.
Own Correspondent |ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is currently meeting the Inter-Denominational Council of Churches at State House, where MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa, is under pressure once again to accept his legitimacy.
Mnangagwa, told the gathering that the Constitution guarantees freedom of worship, this way people can live a Christian life, which exudes love, Peace and Harmony.
He goes on to quote from Acts 17v28, “nokuti maari ndimo matinorararama ,munyika yandakakupai ndimo matigere”.
Indigenous churches are important as they relate with the land.
Chamisa has refused to join other political parties, under the banner of Polad (an acronym for Political Actors Dialogue), arguing that sticky issues have to be dealt with first, through the facilitation of an independent mediator, endorsed by the international community. Among the key issues raised by Chamisa, is Mnangagwa’s legitimacy based on the 2018 disputed Presidential elections.
A close ally of Mnangagwa’s ,Reverend Andrew Wutaunashe,used the platform to implore Chamisa to accept Mnangagwa’s legitimacy. Another church leader Reverend Mutendi is reported to have disowned a widely circulated statement attributed to the churches which called for a seven year sabbatical, under which it was proposed no fresh elections would be held.
State media reports that some of the churches in attendance are ZAOGA, ZCC,Johanne Masowe, Jekemisheni, Bethsaida, African Apostolic Church (Mwazha), Johanne Marange amongst others. In total 110 indigenous churches are represented.
The curtain will fall on the 2019 season during the second weekend of December, the Premier Soccer League confirmed on Monday.
The league still has two games to play and Match-day 33 will commence Tuesday, next week with final fixture scheduled for the second weekend of December.
This means there will be no games this coming weekend.
“The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Matchdays 33 and 34 fixtures shall be played from Tuesday 10 December 2019 to Sunday 15 December 2019,” the PSL said in a statement.
“The full fixtures will be released during the week.”
Meanwhile, Chicken Inn stand a little chance in the title race while CAPS United and FC Platinum are firmly in control with the former on top of the table with 58 points. The Platinum Boys are two behind in the second position.
Marvelous Nakamba was a notable absentee in the Aston Villa team which drew 2-2 in the league against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Zimbabwean midfielder had become a regular at the Birmingham-based outfit ever since he made his Premier League debut against West Ham in mid-September. He started in eight successive league games before he was dropped in the 2-0 victory over Newcastle on the weekend after the international break.
Nakamba, whom many people thought will return to the first XI for the Sunday’s game in Manchester, was again missing and sat out for the match.
His absence, however, has nothing to do with his form as the 25-year old has been getting high-performance ratings whenever he featured in the team.
As evidenced in Villa’s last two games, coach Dean Smith has shifted to an all-attacking midfield. Douglas Luiz who played wide in the past games took the central role while Conor Hourihane indirectly replaced the defensively-minded Nakamba by playing on the wing.
The tactical change has paid off with Hourihane doing the damage after bagging a goal and an assist in the game against Newcastle.
But this doesn’t mean the Warriors midfielder has fallen out of favour at the EPL side.
It’s similar to Willard Katsande’s situation when Ernst Middendorp took over at Kaizer Chiefs in December 2018.
There was a change in tactics and the former Warriors captain took some time to adapt. When he returned to the fold towards the end of last season, Katsande put some great performances which earned him praises from the coach.
Middendorp said: “He is absolutely an example of how you want to have it as a coach. Here and there it doesn’t work, but come back, train, working hard, discuss how to do better.
“I was always criticising his backward play and passing to the side, but if you see him now, that’s what he has taken into account to improve his forward-thinking, passing and even his movement.
“That was lacking in the beginning and we struggled to get it right, but he’s definitely on a good way as we saw.”
City of Johannesburg speaker Vasco Da Gama has satisfied himself with a legal opinion, after he postponed a special council meeting on Thursday in order to seek clarity.
Speaking to News24 on Monday, Da Gama said the election of a new mayor would now take place on Wednesday, following rules set out in the Municipal Structures Act.
Da Gama postponed the sitting last week, citing the need to seek a legal opinion on the interpretation of the Municipal Structures Act in relation to the council rules on what constituted a majority in the council.
Da Gama said council rules stipulate a 50% plus one majority rule during council elections, while claiming the Municipal Structures Act was ambiguous on the matter.
The council has a total of 270 seats. Only one councillor, who died, was absent during the council sitting.
“We got some clarity. The reason for the postponement was finding clarity on what majority constitutes. Majority constitutes 50 plus one, but we have got to explain the different arrangements and how it works. It can be a complicated,” he told News24.
Legal advice
Da Gama added that the explanation of the rules for Wednesday’s sitting would be sent to all 269 councillors before Tuesday.
He explained how Wednesday’s sitting would unfold, including the announcement of the three mayoral candidates – the ANC’s Geoff Makhubo, the DA’s Funzela Ngobeni and the EFF’s Musa Novala.
Council would then elect a new mayor, who would then address the sitting and indicate his readiness to appoint mayoral committee members.
Meanwhile, Da Gama also has to contend with frustrated Gauteng Cooperative Governance MEC Lebogang Maile, who wrote a sharply worded letter, criticising the reasons for the postponement.
In the letter, Maile said he would be seeking legal advice on the matter, accusing Da Gama of contravening the peremptory provisions of the Constitution and other applicable local government legislation.
Da Gama said he had received a letter from Maile’s office, adding that he would respond to it in due time.
Da Gama accused Maile of making the allegations in his letter to “confuse voters”.
Farai Dziva|Warriors forward Knox Mutizwa shot to the top of the ABSA Premiership goalscoring chart following a beautiful strike from 12 yards in Golden Arrows’ 1-2 defeat to Black Leopards.
The goal took Mutizwa’s tally for the campaign to eight.
Kuda Mahachi’s form in front of goal continued when he scored for SuperSport United in their 1-1 draw with Stellencbosch, after also scoring for Matsansansa against Maritzburg United in midweek.
Mahachi’s compatriot Onismo Bhasera was also in the starting eleven for the Pretoria-based outfit.
Own Correspondent | Ignoring the stinking poverty in the country, the ruling ZANU PF party is set to treat itself on a mega feast, for its annual conference, to be held in Goromonzi, next week.
Zimbabwe is on the brink of man-made starvation, with 60% of the population now considered food-insecure – UN expert @HilalElver, recently revealed in a damning report.
The report further states, “In rural areas, a staggering 5.5 million people are currently facing food insecurity, as poor rains and erratic weather patterns are impacting harvests and livelihoods”, she said. “In urban areas, an estimated 2.2 million people are food-insecure and lack access to minimum public services, including health and safe water”.
All this is nothing to the ruling party, with reports that it has secured, 67 of the 150 beasts to be slaughtered during the annual conference to be held in Goromonzi next week, where it expects to spend over $5 million to feed at least 7 000 delegates. The beasts sourced from party members — among them legislators, provincial members and supporting partners — will be kept at a paddock near the venue, Goromonzi High School. Zanu PF Mashonaland East provincial secretary for administration Kudzai Majuru said they had started collecting the cattle. “After all the pledges, we have started collecting 67 beasts that we are assured of getting. Starting from today (yesterday), the truck is already moving around collecting the cattle to be kept at a paddock near the conference venue. We are happy with the progress so far and we are well on course as far as the preparations are concerned,” he said recently. The Zanu PF provincial leadership recently said the party wanted to source 400 goats and5 000 chickens to feed the 7 000 delegates expected to grace the event. Zanu PF has a penchant for splashing huge amounts of money during its functions, with government departments such as Zesa Holdings, Zimbabwe National Water (Zinwa) and TelOne, among others, chipping in as well. Currently, the District Development Fund and Zinwa have drilled four boreholes at the venue, while roads have been graded and resurfaced bringing a new look in the district that has poor infrastructure despite its proximity to the capital city. Roads that link to schools providing accommodation like St Johns High have been worked on, while the one linking to Chinyika Clinic has been rehabilitated. Newsday
Farai Dziva|Marvelous Nakamba’s Aston Villa restricted Manchester United to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.
Dean Smith’s men arrived at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ oozing with confidence after dispatching Newcastle at Villa Park last Monday and dully took the lead in the 11th minute through an absolute stunner from skipper Jack Glealish.
They thought they had doubled their lead moments later but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) ruled out Trezeguet’s goal for offside.
On the stroke of half- time, Marcus Rashford headed home United’s equalizer. A goal apiece at the break.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men came back for the second stanza looking more dangerous and defender Victor Lindelof nodded them in front for the first time in the game with a header into the top corner.
Villa restored parity minutes later through Tyrone Mings and that would be the last goal of the game as the two sides settled for a share of the spoils.
Nakamba did not feature as he was was an unused substitute through out the game.
Walter Magaya’s birthday jacket was on Saturday auctioned for US$12 000.
Congregants at Prophetic Healing and Deliverance bid for his birthday party attire at his belated birthday party that was held at Yadah Hotel on Saturday.
Shocked by the pledge, prophet Magaya donated the money to a group of women to buy their sanitary wear saying many were failing to afford the sanitary wear due to economic hardships.Credit H-Metro
The MDC Youth Assembly detests state (mis) behavior whereby the police and military personnel connived to spray live bullets and chemical weapons on the People’s President, Nelson Chamisa and innocent civilians in Marondera yesterday.
It is devoid of logic that at a time when the nation is yearning for a Midas touch on health services and other basics, Emmerson Mnangagwa’s failed regime chose to provide bullets and teargas instead of the much needed health support.
In a week where UN Special Rapporteur on food security, Ms Hilal Elver thronged our shores and gave a damning assessment of a country facing starvation, Mr Mnangagwa’s police state sought to arrest hunger by spraying bullets on its own citizens.
Afforestation and reforestation have been sounded out as low cost remedies to climate change whose effects directly impact on food security and to their credit the MDC leadership chose to lead from the front by undertaking a tree planting program starting in Marondera on the International Tree Planting Day.
Overtly the Marondera program was a good cause but somehow this military regime in its wisdom or lack of it chose to exhibit its cowboy mentality by spraying live bullets on people working towards a noble cause.
Ironically Emmerson Mnangagwa and cabal held their own gathering in Kadoma in the very same week without any disturbances from security agents.
Save for noise pollution to the Kadoma neighborhood, the Mnangagwa gathering served no purpose nor benefit to the starving ordinary citizens!
It is no secret that our people are facing multi layered challenges ranging from ever rising prices of basic commodities, empty hospitals and power outages.
The last and worst thing our hungry people need right now are bullets and teargas!
It has become clear that this heartless regime instead of arresting hunger and poverty, has become an enzyme that aid in exterminating its own citizens through bullets and chemical weapons.
As the MDC Youth Assembly, we would like to warn the irresponsible state security agents that they are taking more than which they can chew!
From 01 August 2018 to Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House police violence, surely we have had enough of this nonsense!
We have been pushed too far and like any other normal beings we are forced to retaliate in the best suitable fashion!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
Farai Dziva| Government functionaries have been stunned by the decision by a Chinese company, R and F to pull out of a deal to acquire a stake in ZISCO.
According to the Herald, the government wanted to renegotiate the deal, agreed on under the previous administration.
“R and F wrote to the Government advising that it was no longer interested. The parties could not agree after the new dispensation ordered the deal to be re-looked into.
There are several issues the Government was not happy with. It is not like the Government wanted to side line the investor, but wanted a win-win situation.
Under the deal, R and F would have acquired ZISCO’s majority shareholding, thus paving the way for the resuscitation of the iron and steel plant at a cost of US$1 billion,” a source told the state run publication.
Farai Dziva|The Highlanders executive will meet today to decide whether the club will participate in the 2020/21 CAF Confederation Cup season.
The Bulawayo giants sealed their place at the inter-club tournament after beating Ngezi Platinum Stars 1-0 in the Chibuku Super Cup.
Bosso last took part in continental competitions in 2008, and in 2012 they withdrew just before the preliminary round started, a move that attracted with a three-year ban from CAF.
The suspension saw them barred from participating in the 2014 Confederation Cup after winning the Mbada Diamonds Cup.
Speaking to Chronicle, Highlanders chairman Kenneth Mhlophe said after their executive meeting they will forward the matter to the board, with the final decision expected at the end of this week.
“On Monday we will have a meeting as an executive to map the way forward,” said Mhlophe.
“Remember, playing in Africa needs adequate resources and planning, so we have to sit down, present the case to the board and come up with a decision that is good for the survival of the club.
“We will also engage our sponsors on the issue before making a decision. We don’t want to rush and confirm our participation before addressing key issues. We also don’t want to get the club sanctioned by Caf for failing to participate. I think by the end of the week, a decision would have been made.”
The leadership of ZAPU was defined by sharp age difference. The youth who were radical and the adults who were diplomatic. The youthful leaders realised that the old political methods had failed and that a new leadership had to be found to confront the enemy by force of arms led to the formation of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU). From its inception, ZANU aimed at armed struggle as the main thrust of national effort. The only language which could be understood by the colonisers was a message from the gun. The barrel of the gun was the best way to achieve independence. The youth have understood that one needs violence to stop violence. It was only war which brings peace and the freedom of Zimbabwe is watered by the blood of the heros. Within a few months of its formation it began recruiting cadres for training in China and Ghana.
ZANU agitated for political change leading to majority rule based on one man, one vote. ZANU, however, went further by emphasizing that one man, one vote could only be gained by an armed revolutionary struggle. The unilateral declaration of independence in 1965 rendered the traditional political methods of struggle (strikes, demonstrations, noncollaboration, and appeals to Britain) impotent. In fact, both ZANU and the People’s Caretaker Council had been banned in August 1964, leaving them no option but to operate as underground movements. In those circumstances, external bases became necessary, and these were established in Zambia and Tanzania. As Mozambique became independent, another base area presented itself. In April 1966 ZANU engaged the enemy in what has become known as the Battle of Sinoia. That battle inspired many other encounters with the enemy during 1966–68. ZANU reckons that the second War of Liberation (Chimurenga II) began in April 1966. It became evident that the strategy of conventional battles was costly in terms of losses—human and material—because the enemy was stronger in manpower and equipment. A revision of strategy and tactics was called for, and a period of tutelage of ZANU cadres occurred in the Tete area of Mozambique between 1970 and 1972. ZANU then relaunched the struggle in December 1972, in the northeastern part of Zimbabwe, after having cultivated popular support over a period of nearly two years. Thenceforth, the struggle was sustained until the cease-fire arranged under the Lancaster House Agreement, save for a brief period in 1974–75 under a détente arrangement.
In the wake of the détente exercise, sharp contradictions developed in ZANLA, the armed wing of ZANU, as some commanders turned renegade after being infiltrated by the enemy. The enemy strategy was clearly to destroy the forces that now covered most of the northeastern zone. Thomas Nhari and Dakarai Badza, who became leaders of the rebellion, kidnapped some members of DARE (the Revolutionary Council) headed by Herbert Chitepo, and at the rear camp base of Chifombo, on the Zambian side near Tete, they assassinated scores of cadres, male and female, for refusing to join them. Nevertheless, the rebellion was crushed.
The enemy was not deterred by this failure. Within four months of the release of the detained nationalist leaders as a result of the détente, Herbert Chitepo was killed on March 18, 1975, when a bomb blew up his car. For most of 1975 the armed struggle made no progress and indeed suffered serious reversals, especially since the newly formed ANC umbrella organization, led by Bishop Abel Muzorewa, had neither direction nor set purpose other than that of stopping the war and negotiating with the Smith regime. The ZANU wing of the new composite body felt offended by the tactics employed against them by the front-line states (Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, and Angola), which had coerced them into joining the ANC.
Following the shocking death of Herbert Chitepo, the ZANU Central Committee met in March 1975 to review the party’s strategy. It was decided at that meeting that the Robert Mugabe then secretary-general of the party, should leave the country immediately for Mozambique and Tanzania where he would undertake the reorganization of the party’s external wing and its fighting wing, ZANLA. Mugabe requested that a companion, Edgar Tekere, then secretary for youth in ZANU, accompany him. On April 4, 1975, they left for the eastern border where, at Nyafaro, they were joined by Chief Tangwena who led them into Mozambique.
The Conflict Intensifies
The failure of the Victoria Falls talks held between the Smith delegation and that of the ANC led by Bishop Muzorewa convinced the front-line states that Smith was still not amenable to political change. There was no alternative but the continuation of the liberation war, which was rekindled in January 1976 using Mozambique as a rear base. After some dissension the ZANLA commanders finally began to work in unison, expanding their military zones stage by stage and transforming many of them into liberated and semiliberated zones. By 1978 the armed struggle had had such remarkable progress that the collapse of the Smith regime was just a matter of time. But between the Victoria Falls conference in 1975 and the final constitutional conference at Lancaster House in 1979, two other constitutional conferences occurred: the 1976 Geneva Conference based on the Kissinger proposals and the meetings based on the Anglo-American proposals, held first in Malta in January 1978 and then in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, in March 1978.
As the idea of a conference to discuss the plan proposed by U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger—which aimed at stopping the war on the basis of ultimate majority rule—took shape, all the leaders of the nationalist groups were invited to a meeting with the front-line states. At this meeting ZANU stood as ZANU for the first time. The meeting had been called to provide a forum for reaching some modicum of unity on nationalist strategy for the prosecution of the struggle. As this could not be done with the ANC, now completely divorced from the war, Pres. Julius Nyerere of Tanzania took various nationalist leaders aside and advised them to form a political front so the political leadership could agree on a common political strategy for the proposed Geneva Conference. It was this idea that led to the formation of the Patriotic Front, which was to adopt a common position for all future constitutional conferences. The Geneva Conference, however, was a fiasco. Smith would not accept the British proposals and the Patriotic Front rejected the Kissinger plan completely.
ZANU strategy following the failure of the Geneva Conference was twofold. First, the ZANU leadership had to be restructured. Second, the liberation war had to be intensified, and more arms had to be procured from allies and friends. The political restructuring of ZANU affected mainly the composition of its Central Committee. At a meeting held at a ZANLA military rear base outside Chimoio which lasted for nearly two weeks, it was decided that the new Central Committee would consist of elected members chosen from various constituencies. It was at this meeting that the Mugabe was elected president of the party; Simon Muzenda, vice-president; Edgar Tekere, secretary-general; Josiah Tongogara, secretary of defense; Meya Urimbo, national political commissar; Teurai Ropa, secretary of women’s affairs; and several others to various positions. For the first time, several members of the ZANLA high command were now also members of the Central Committee so that they too could participate in the policymaking function of the party. The successful restructuring of the party marked a final phase in the protracted effort to save ZANU and establish it as the national vanguard movement.
At the end of 1977, Britain and the United States published their so-called Anglo-American proposals. The result was the Malta meeting between the Patriotic Front and an Anglo-American team at which the Patriotic Front emphasized the need for accepting certain fundamental democratic principles, such as universal adult suffrage, free elections, restructuring of public service, and the disbanding of the Smith regime’s illegal army. Negotiations on these principles failed.
In the absence of a political solution, armed struggle remained the only option open to ZANU. Formation of the Patriotic Front had resulted in the recruitment of many cadres for the military struggle, but these activities became confined to the northwest and western areas of Zimbabwe and never reached the magnitude of the more comprehensive and more effective ZANLA operations. They complemented the ZANLA operations, however, and by the end of 1979 martial law had been extended to 95% of the country. Between December 1972 and December 1979 (when a cease-fire was agreed to at Lancaster House) the death toll amounted to about 20,000 people. The “internal settlement” of 1978 that gave rise to the Muzorewa regime in what was called Zimbabwe-Rhodesia only worsened the situation and invited more daring raids from the guerrilla forces.
ZANU, having concentrated on party restructuring in 1977, termed 1978 the Year of the People, when the party and the people would be united so that ZANU and the people would be one. The following year, 1979, was designated Year of the People’s Storm (Gore regukurahundi), when the struggle would escalate and enemy bases and administrative centres would be stormed and destroyed. The collapse of the Muzorewa-Smith regime was inevitable. On Aug. 1, 1979, a few days before the Commonwealth heads of government meeting opened in Lusaka, Zambia, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher told the British Parliament that her government was “wholly committed to genuine majority rule in Rhodesia.” The Commonwealth meeting produced an agreement on Rhodesia that recognized the principle of new elections based on one man, one vote under British authority. Britain undertook to convene a constitutional conference to be attended by both the black and white leadership. A cease-fire also had to be established to create an atmosphere of peace for the nation.
The Lancaster House conference was attended by the Patriotic Front (ZANU and ZAPU) delegation, jointly led by the Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo, and by the Zimbabwe-Rhodesia delegation, with Bishop Muzorewa, Silas Mundawarara, Ian Smith, and Ndabaningi Sithole as the principal members. The British delegation was led by Lord Carrington, who chaired the conference. Lord Carrington’s diplomacy was characterized by a bias in favour of the Muzorewa group. Muzorewa’s strategy became one of refraining from opposing any of the British constitutional proposals, and the Patriotic Front poked fun at his delegation and referred to its members as “the yes men.” On the other hand, the Patriotic Front put up a firm and principled stand and won some useful concessions, although they too conceded ground. They refused to be driven into walking out of the conference, as desired by the Muzorewa group and some members of the British team. The proposals that caused serious debate were: 1. The composition of the House of Assembly and Senate which granted disproportionate racial representation to the white community. In the House of Assembly they have 20 out of 100 seats, and in the Senate 10 out of 40 seats. 2. The need to pay prompt and adequate compensation for the deprivation of property especially as this affected the right to acquire land for the resettlement of the peasants. The issue here was that Britain had to raise large funds for this purpose. 3. A constitutional amendment procedure requiring 100% concurrence of the total membership of the House of Assembly on certain issues.
4. The cease-fire arrangements and positioning of the warring forces during the cease-fire. 5. The status of the guerrilla forces which Lord Carrington finally accepted as “lawful forces,” while at the same time refusing to accord them an equal status with the white Rhodesian ones. The Zimbabwe constitution agreed at the Lancaster House conference and granted by Britain represents a hard-earned political victory achieved principally through a sustained and bitter armed struggle. It was far from perfect, but it contained more positive than negative aspects and, insofar as it granted independence within a democratic political order, it constituted a viable base on which political power could be built. It was basically this inherent potential that made it acceptable to the Patriotic Front.
The constitution is the supreme law of the country. There is also a formidable Declaration of Rights enshrining the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual and protecting the rights to life, personal liberty, and freedom from slavery, forced labour, and inhuman treatment. It grants protection against the arbitrary deprivation of property and arbitrary searches of persons or their property. It secures the protection of the law, the protection of the freedoms of conscience, of expression, of assembly, and of association. It also protects freedom of movement and forbids discrimination on the grounds of race, tribe, place of origin, political opinion, colour, or creed. The constitution creates the usual organs of government—Parliament, which consists of the Senate and a House of Assembly; the Executive, whose authority is vested in the president acting on the advice of the Cabinet; and the Judiciary. Elections to the House of Assembly are every five years and on the basis of adult suffrage (18 years and upward).
A New Nation is Born The first elections were held in early March 1980, and of the 80 common roll seats, ZANU (PF) won 57, PF (ZAPU) won 20, and the UANC 3. All the 20 white seats were won by the Rhodesia Front (now the Republican Front). The Senate, 14 of whose seats are filled by an electoral college of the common roll seat holders in the House of Assembly, is dominated by representatives of ZANU (PF).
The resounding ZANU (PF) electoral victory was undoubtedly an expression of the unity and solidarity built over many years between the party and the people through the instrumentality of the armed struggle. The Rhodesia public, for years fed on propaganda that Robert Mugabe was a rabid racist full of animosity and vindictiveness, was shocked to hear the new prime minister call, in his first post-election address to the nation, for national reconciliation so that those who had been enemies might recognize their inevitable oneness as dedicated Zimbabweans with a common destiny. The prime minister proceeded to demonstrate the meaning of national unity and reconciliation by including in his Cabinet four (now five) ZAPU members and two whites (one later resigned for reasons of health). ZAPU also has three deputy ministers. Another dimension of the prime minister’s policy of reconciliation was a request to Lord Soames, who administered the country during the three-month transitional period, to join hands with him in running the country until independence. Under a gentlemen’s agreement, Lord Soames remained governor until April 18, 1980, when the Union Jack gave way to the Zimbabwe flag. Confidence having been established, the most urgent tasks of the new government became the creation of greater peace, the unity of the people, the resettlement of refugees, the rehabilitation of communities affected by the war, and the rebuilding of the economy. Homes were quickly found for the refugees returning from Mozambique, Zambia, and Botswana, numbering a quarter million, and the internally displaced persons, numbering nearly two million, and they were given plots for cultivation.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, other international agencies, and friendly countries assisted generously with resettlement aid. The program went so smoothly that, despite the existing land hunger among the peasants, a bumper maize (corn) harvest has been realized. The manufacturing, commercial, and mining sectors also performed well during the first year of independence, and a growth rate of 14% was achieved, most of it due to the manufacturing sector. The need for new machinery and spare parts, however, stands in the way of greater expansion.
Zimbabwe’s mineral resources include gold, chrome, asbestos, nickel, iron ore, coal, copper, tin, and emeralds. Its major agricultural products are tobacco, maize, cotton, wheat, sugar, groundnuts (peanuts), soybeans, beef, and dairy products. The country’s infrastructure—its railway and road systems, hydroelectric and water systems—is very sound, despite a current railway locomotive shortage and a need for better roads in the rural areas.
The Task Ahead
In March 1981 the government convened a Zimbabwe Conference on Reconstruction and Development (Zimcord). During the Lancaster House conference, Britain had proposed that, since the resources it was able to give Zimbabwe would be inadequate, it could help Zimbabwe sponsor a donors’ conference to solicit aid for land development and reconstruction. The Zimbabwe Ministry of Economic Planning and Development took the proposal seriously, assessed the financial requirements needed over a three-year Transitional National Development Plan, and convened the conference in Salisbury. It had been estimated that Z$1.2 billion would be needed, but in reality about Z$1.3 billion was pledged by donor countries, the largest single amounts coming from Britain and the United States. Soon the Transitional National Development Plan will be announced. Its emphasis will be on raising the development in the peasant sector, neglected for decades by successive colonial regimes.
During the war years the Zimbabwe African National Union adopted a socialist philosophy based on Marxist-Leninist principles. Socialism is the guiding philosophy of the present government. Upon the attainment of independence, however, the government made it clear that its programs would occur in a socioeconomic context in which the historical, traditional, and objective circumstances of the country were recognized. Outright nationalization of the various sectors is not a feasible proposition, given the lack of technology, managerial skills, business experience, and even ideological consciousness among the majority of the people. The working class must first develop worker consciousness in terms of its roles, needs, and duties. Similarly, the workers’ technical and managerial skills must be substantially developed before any self-management programs can be undertaken.
Most of these aspects will be taken care of under the development plan, which is the formulation of the policy enunciated as “Growth with Equity” in preparation for Zimcord. To the extent that the promised funds become available, it should be possible to fulfill most of the objectives the government is setting for itself and for the people during the next three years.
Since its assumption of power the present government has taken some revolutionary steps in reforming the socioeconomic system. Primary education has been made free, and health care free for all those earning less than Z$150 dollars a month.
Secondary education is now available for every child who completes his or her primary education, although this is not yet free. Racial discrimination has been abolished. The public service is fast being africanized. The monthly minimum wage, starting at Z$75 in July 1980, went up to Z$85 in January 1981 and to Z$105 in January 1982 for industrial, mining, and commercial workers, although the monthly minimum wage for farm and domestic workers has risen only from Z$30 to Z$50 over the period. Zimbabwe has become a member of the Organization of African Unity, the United Nations and agencies, the Nonaligned Movement, and several other international organizations. It has, by joining the Nonaligned Movement, declared itself committed to the principles of that organization. Within the southern African region, Zimbabwe found itself, upon independence, within the brotherhood of the front-line states. It thus participates in discussions and consultations regularly held by these states on matters of mutual concern, especially on the problems posed by the system of apartheid in South Africa and that country’s continued illegal occupation of Namibia in defiance of the United Nations, as well as by its acts of unprovoked aggression and sabotage against neighbouring states. Alongside other front-line states, Zimbabwe insists that Namibia must be granted independence on the basis of the UN Security Council Resolution 435, which was passed in 1978.
Zimbabwe has also become a member of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference, whose inaugural meeting was held in Arusha, Tanzania, in 1979, followed by a conference held in Lusaka of heads of government of nine southern African states: Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Malawi. The objectives of SADCC are stated in the Lusaka Declaration of April 1, 1980: 1. The reduction of economic dependence, particularly, but not only, on the Republic of South Africa. 2. The forging of links to create a genuine and equitable regional integration. 3. The mobilization of resources to promote the implementation of national, interstate, and regional policies. 4. Concerted action to secure international cooperation within the framework of our strategy for economic liberation.
In July 1981 a summit meeting was held in Salisbury to appraise the work so far accomplished at the ministerial level of SADCC. Each of the members has been assigned a task. Zimbabwe is to develop a Southern African Food Security Plan. A simple coordinative machinery was also decided upon. The headquarters would be in Gaberones and the president of Botswana, Quett Masire, would remain as chairman of SADCC. Zimbabwe was chosen to provide an executive secretary. These two officials, assisted by a secretariat in Gaberones, will have the responsibility to steer, coordinate, and administer the work of SADCC.
Zimbabwe submitted its nominee for the post of executive secretary to SADCC and at the present writing approval is still being awaited. We should never take our independence for granted. There is no age limit in guarding our freedom. Blood flow in the bushes caves and villages. The freedom fighters were prepared to shed the last drop of blood in exchange of freedom.
Part of the article adopted from RG Mugabe writings.
Own Correspondent | As the Chinese government continues to openly show its hand in the volatile local politics, the country’s deputy ambassador to Zimbabwe, Zhao Baogang, has controversially called out ‘ chameleon’ Jonathan Moyo.
Baogang, was responding to Moyo’s assertions in a recent widely circulated interview that Zimbabwe was a puppet of the Chinese government. He took to Twitter, posting a curt response to the exiled academic and politician Moyo :“in the past decades he changed colors many time just for power.he is power thirsty and his words never believable.”
To which a visibly annoyed Moyo, attacked the diplomat back posting a response: “
Obviously democracy is alien to your communist self. It’s your coup colours that are now known to Zimbabweans. Just because you got away with murder in 2017, does not mean you’ll cross that river at the same place again. You’ll soon learn that Zimbabwe is not chicken business!”
Below is the interview, published in the local daily Newsday, in which Moyo gives his views on role of the Chinese government, that Baogang who was at the airport to welcome General Constantino Chiwenga, back from China, was forced to respond to. Jonathan Moyo | What happened has no precedence, save perhaps in banana republics. And the fact that it happened the way it did, has certified Zimbabwe as a banana republic. You cannot have the senior vice-president, who had been away critically ill and was receiving treatment in China for some five months, returning on a special Chinese plane to be received by China’s deputy ambassador in Harare, who was head of the welcoming party with no government or ruling party officials. That’s unheard of. The inescapable impression, if not reality, is that China was demonstrating its muscles and exposing Zimbabwe as a Chinese puppet.
While it is tempting to conclude that the Chinese did not give the Zimbabwean government flight arrival details, which is not sustainable because Chiwenga’s Zimbabwean security was there in numbers, this clearly means that things have fallen apart. There’s now a shell of a government with no centre.
Zanu PF bigwigs did not expect Chiwenga to return, looking brand new, with the Chinese calling the shots and Zimbabweans playing second fiddle. Mnangagwa was offering Joice Mujuru the vice-presidency held by Chiwenga, while Zanu PF bigwigs were busy jostling for the same position and harassing Chiwenga’s allies in the military, government and in Zanu PF; and hoping that the party’s Goromonzi conference would consign Chiwenga to the dustbin of political history.
So, the return of a well-made up and well-groomed Chiwenga, with a presidential look, has turned things upside down in the corridors of power. A different power matrix is definitely loading, and the question is not whether it will materialise, but how it will do so and when.
In another act of provocation the police yesterday fired live shots aimed at the People’s President Advocate Nelson Chamisa.
The action by police in the past weeks have shown that Mnangagwa is worse than Ian Douglas Smith and Robert Mugabe.
The continuous use of force by the police shows that Zimbabwe is far away from implementing the much needed reforms.
And instead of giving peace a chance the government is pushing the citizenry to retaliate and defend themselves.
As a province we feel Mr Mnangagwa’s government is attacking the people’s president to trigger social unrest.
Retaliation is what the Gukurahundi architect is waiting for so that he can justify another Gukurahundi.
The attack on the president shows a government that is in panic mode, a government that thrives on cannibalism, a government that wants threaten the citizenry.
What they are not realising is that by joining the democratic struggle shows that we are ready to pay the ultimate price. No amount of intimidation, maiming, torturing and subjugation of our rights will deter us.
We will definitely not retreat nor surrender till the fruition of our goal, which is the achievement of an egalitarian society.
Farai Dziva|The country’s main opposition party, MDC, has described the firing of bullets at Nelson Chamisa as a desperate attempt by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to cow the youthful leader into submission.
See statement below:
MDC SA PROVINCE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
(Office of the Provincial Communications Secretary)
The MDC SA Province condemns the acts of babarism exihibited by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police,acting on instructions from the Mnangagwa regime.
We condemn the firing of bullets at the people’s presidential choice President Nelson Chamisa in Marondera.
We want to warn these Zanu pf thugs against injuring the anointed one.There is noone with monopoly over violence.We are a social democratic and non violent people,but we will never tolerate seeing ourselves always at the receiving end of the Zanu pf brutality for over two decades now.Enough is enough.
The attempted assassination of our president is a slap in our face and a provocation which we will never tolerate at all.
Mnangagwa be warned.
On behalf of MDC SA COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
Innocent Nsingo
(MDC SA COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY)
+27731355093
(Office of the Provincial Communications Secretary)
The MDC SA Province condemns the acts of terror exihibited by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, acting on instructions from the Mnangagwa regime.
We condemn the firing of bullets at the people’s presidential choice President Nelson Chamisa in Marondera.
We want to warn these Zanu pf thugs against injuring the anointed one.There is noone with monopoly over violence.We are a social democratic and non violent people,but we will never tolerate seeing ourselves always at the receiving end of the Zanu pf brutality for over two decades now.Enough is enough.
The attempted assassination of our president is a slap in our face and a provocation which we will never tolerate at all.
Mnangagwa be warned.
On behalf of MDC SA COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
Innocent Nsingo
(MDC SA COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY)
+27731355093
The shooting of live bullets, a confirmation of the state’s addiction to violence.
On Sunday the 1st of December, the violent regime unleashed yet another another section of the state apparatus in their desperate show of power.
The ZANU-PF led government has for long come to terms with the reality that they are unpopular and too weak to convince the nation hence they have mastered the regrettable art of coercion.
Yesterday was one such day of many others when madness superseded rationality resulting in the unjustified, unnecessary and uncalled for firing of live bullets.
The people’s President Advocate Nelson Chamisa was in Marondera for the tree planting day ceremony were he was to plant trees in selected areas within the municipal area. Just the knowledge that he will be stepping on the Marondera soil, as usual sent the state into panic which led to deployment of several heavily armed police officers. Shockingly, the activation of the police officers was directed to people who were only armed with tree seedlings to champion a sustainable green environment.
This was the state’s strategy to bar the people’s President from showing leadership to the nation, which he has always done even in the face of state sponsored multi-faceted prohibitions. Yesterday’s events led to the firing of live bullets in the direction of President Chamisa. This clearly shows that the idea was to shoot the people’s President, something which deserves utmost condemnation and action.
I have read some lame tweet from the state, which tried to justify and sanitize the evil act. We would like to categorically state that no amount of word weaving will transform such acts of madness into sense. The fundamental point to note is that, lives are precious and peace is priceless. We do not at any point as a nation deserve violence especially from the state which has a responsility to protect citizens. Those who were behind the acts must be brought to book because such is unacceptable from professional police officers.
We call upon the police commissioner to provide us with all the names of those who were on duty in Marondera at the particular time. This will help not only the nation but even the esteemed police services to know individuals with terroristic tendencies in their midst.
We may not be armed with guns and bullets; but we are armed with people and love. We will not tire in working with the people in showing our unconditional love for the nation. We shall unreservedly show love for the nation by working towards a new Zimbabwe, where all freedoms are upheld, where justice prevails and where solidarity defines us.
Obey Sithole
MDC Youth Chairperson
December 2, 2019.
Farai Dziva|A daring Chivi man forced himself on his former employer’s sister to recover unpaid wages.
According to New Ziana, Solomon Chikono, (25), of Mavuto Village, Headman Watungwa, Chief Chivi, was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment by Masvingo regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga.
Chikono has previous rape convictions.
He raped his victim twice on the same night with each of the two counts attracting a sentence of nine years, with six months suspended for each count.
He will, however, serve an effective 16 years and six months after a further two years of the total sentence were conditionally suspended for five years.
Following the solidarity meeting we had today, it was agreed that we should STOP applying because HLF is trying to arm-twist us into accepting.
We have received information that members are now being forced to sign assumption of duty, which is now forcing our members back to work, also the government is asking for a list of those who applied which shows their finger in this HLF plan.
So we are advising our members to withhold the HLF application processes with immediate effect
We will patiently wait in the trenches until there is a reasonable offer from the government.
ALUTA
Farai Dziva|The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association has indicated that its members are being forced to sign assumption of duty forms.
See statement below:
02/12/19 URGENT ZHDA UPDATE
RE: HIGHERLIFE FOUNDATION OFFER
Following the solidarity meeting we had today, it was agreed that we should STOP applying because HLF is trying to arm-twist us into accepting.
We have received information that members are now being forced to sign assumption of duty, which is now forcing our members back to work, also the government is asking for a list of those who applied which shows their finger in this HLF plan.
So we are advising our members to withhold the HLF application processes with immediate effect
We will patiently wait in the trenches until there is a reasonable offer from the government.
ALUTA
Farai Dziva|The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA ) has indicated that its members are being forced to sign assumption of duty forms.
See statement below:
02/12/19 URGENT ZHDA UPDATE
RE: HIGHERLIFE FOUNDATION OFFER
Following the solidarity meeting we had today, it was agreed that we should STOP applying because HLF is trying to arm-twist us into accepting.
We have received information that members are now being forced to sign assumption of duty, which is now forcing our members back to work, also the government is asking for a list of those who applied which shows their finger in this HLF plan.
So we are advising our members to withhold the HLF application processes with immediate effect
We will patiently wait in the trenches until there is a reasonable offer from the government.
ALUTA
Parliament will this week start debates on the 2020 national budget in a move that is expected to set the tone for its approval before end of the year.
The opposition MPs were conspicuous by their absence during the budget presentation and with the current standoff, the debate will not be without controversy.
Proposals in the budget that was presented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube in November will be scrutinised by Members of Parliament in terms of resource allocations.
The portfolio committee on budget, finance and economic development chairperson, honorable Felix Mhona, said the legislators will this week be making their own contributions.
“We expect all the relevant input to come into motion from the key members of Parliament as we seek to ensure the approval process of the budget.”
Presenting the $63,3 billion 2020 budget, Professor Ncube, said the country is expected to record an economic recovery of up to three percent next year.
By Farai D Hove| The ministry of information has said no bullets were fired at MDC President Nelson Chamisa in Marondera Sunday morning.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Their announcement flies opposite that of the MDC who say of a truth bullets were fired and several people injured.
Zimbabwe’s largest political party was holding a tree planting session at Dombotombo Clinic when party members fled for cover after armed police officers had swooped in to disrupt it.
Below is the government’s statement following the suspected assassination attack on Chamisa.
“Police in Marondera had to deploy tearsmoke to disperse an aggressive crowd that was closing in on them. This was after leadership of a political party tried to hold a rally at Dombotombo Clinic without notifying police. For the avoidance of doubt, no firearm was discharged”
By A Correspondent| Harare Mayor councillor Hebert Gomba’s visit to China is partly funded by the Chinese contrary to state media reports alleging that the visit is set to gobble over US$32k.
Below is the invitation letter from Nanning Municipal People’s Movement:
By A Correspondent- A man from Cowdray Parks who was hired to fumigate a house in Northend Bulawayo allegedly raped the maid at the house before begging her not to report the matter and apologizing for the offense.
Langton Magura (42) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Nomasiko Ndlovu charged with rape.
He will be back in court on December 5.
It is alleged that November 16 Magura was hired by a Northend resident to spray the house against inserts.
Magura went to the house and found the maid who showed him the rooms to spray. He is alleged to have told her that her breasts were attractive before raping her after spraying the house.
The maid later phoned her employer to tel him of the ordeal and the matter was reported to the police leading to Magura’s arrest.
Magura after committing the rape had pleaded with the maid to forgive him.
THE Joint Operations Command (JOC) in Manicaland last week raided artisanal miners operating in gold-rich Odzi district to restore sanity following the death of four panners in bloody clashes at Odzi 1 and 2 mines.
In recent weeks, JOC has also raided illegal miners along Mutare River where alluvial gold mining is rampant.
Manicaland provincial mines director Omen Dube yesterday confirmed JOC’s intervention.
“We raided illegal miners in Odzi, especially after a recent incident where a miner was killed. Police and the army invaded illegal miners in Odzi. I will be in office on Monday (today) so that we can conduct a meeting on how effective the operation was,” he said
“We want this operation to be continuous because with the economic hardships, we are very aware that they (illegal miners) are going to come back again.
“We have done similar operations along Mutare River, where alluvial mining is rampant. You know that it’s easy to trap gold along Mutare River, so the miners need easy money.”
Acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Luxon Chananda confirmed the operation, but could not provide details.
Chananda said the programme was implemented by the district operations office.
“I can confirm that we carried out a joint operation with the Ministry of Mines, but I cannot provide details because this was a district operation, so I will also need to be apprised on the operation,” he said. “However, it is the mandate of the police to respond to any distress calls and ensure that there is peace in the country.”
By Patrick Guramatunhu|“I want to thank you all for your prayers. Those prayers made me to survive,” a reinvigorated VP Chiwenga told his audience.
“Since I started falling sick in October last year, there were not many who thought I would heal completely. There were not many who thought I would be standing before you like this.
“The sickness is called idiopathic oesophageal stricture. It means that you cannot take in food and also you cannot even vomit. It involves blocking of the oesophagus and I spent a lot of time in the intensive care unit.”
VP Chiwenga thanked President Emmerson Mnangagwa for facilitating his treatment in China.
Yes, VP Chiwenga, you must thank President Mnangagwa and your fellow Joint Operation Command, junta behind the Zanu PF dictatorship, members who staged the November 2017 coup and secured you lot’s strangle hold on power and your position as a member of the country’s exclusive ruling elite. Whilst members of the ruling elite have continued to enjoy five-star health care service the ordinary Zimbabweans have no access to even the most basic health care service.
It is no secret that the country’s health care, same as education and all the other basic services, had all but collapsed years ago due to decades of poor funding. The collapsing local health care did not bother the ruling elite because they preferred to shop for their health care needs up market as with everything else; money was not a problem for them.
The ruling elite’s extravagance knew no limits, it normal for them to travel half way round the world for route health care checks. In 2012 the President Robert Mugabe traveled to Singapore eight times for routine eye test, each trip costed US$3 million plus. A few years later his daughter, Bona, too travelled to the Far East for the birth of his grand son, the whole palaver costed US$ 10 million, at least! All this money was public money taken away from the country’s own health care services and thus accelerated the collapse of local health service.
VP Chiwenga attended last Tuesday’s cabinet meeting and must have learnt of the cabinet’s decision to summarily sacked doctors for daring to demand a living wage and not the pittance US$40 per month. Indeed, it was VP Chiwenga who fired the nurses early this year for demanding a living wage.
The sacking of the doctors was just the coup de grace to the health care service; it is now all but dead.
With no doctors, no nurses, no working equipment, no medicine, no water, no electricity, no food, no fuel, etc., etc. it is no surprise that the death toll in Zimbabwe soaring up. Zanu PF committed mass murders in the Gukurahundi massacre, the regime is guilty of yet another massacre, a “soft genocide” as some people are calling it. Zimbabweans are dying like flies of all manner of easily treatable diseases and ailments including malaria, high blood pressure, etc.
40 years of this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF rule has turned the clock back 300 years plus for the millions of ordinary Zimbabweans dying of poverty, hunger, disease and dumb anguish. The whole nation is being sacrificed to feed the insatiable greed for power and wealth of the ruling elite whose arrogant indifference to the suffering and deaths of others is insufferable.
“We are the most educated country in Africa, but I do not understand what has become of the young people . . . Every day, they want to make rich pickings, with little sweat,” said VP Chiwenga of the striking doctors.
“Where is that spirit coming from?
“Let us put the interests of our country first and have a unity of purpose. That is the Zimbabwe we want.”
A Zimbabwe in which the local public health care services is all but dead and hundreds of thousands are suffering and hundred are dying everyday of curable diseases is NOT the Zimbabwe we, the ordinary people, want.
Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year’s elections, just as it has done repeatedly for the last 38 years, and thus denied us, the ordinary people, a meaningful say in the governance of the country, a meaningful say in what we want.
The Zanu PF dictatorship has brought heartbreaking suffering and deaths to millions of Zimbabweans. The economic situation in Zimbabwe is unsustainable and must be dismantled as a matter of urgency.
This Zanu PF regime is illegitimate and must step down to allowed the nation the political time and space to finally implement the democratic reforms necessarily for free, fair and credible elections.
The cup is full and overflowing; enough is enough. Zimbabwe needs meaningful political change and to end the tragic human suffering brought about by the 40 years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule.
ZANU PF has secured 67 of the 150 beasts to be slaughtered during the annual conference to be held in Goromonzi next week, where it expects to spend over $5 million to feed at least 7 000 delegates.
The beasts sourced from party members — among them legislators, provincial members and supporting partners — will be kept at a paddock near the venue, Goromonzi High School.
Zanu PF Mashonaland East provincial secretary for administration Kudzai Majuru said they had started collecting the cattle.
“After all the pledges, we have started collecting 67 beasts that we are assured of getting. Starting from today (yesterday), the truck is already moving around collecting the cattle to be kept at a paddock near the conference venue. We are happy with the progress so far and we are well on course as far as the preparations are concerned,” he said recently.
The Zanu PF provincial leadership recently said the party wanted to source 400 goats and 5 000 chickens to feed the 7 000 delegates expected to grace the event.
Zanu PF has a penchant for splashing huge amounts of money during its functions, with government departments such as Zesa Holdings, Zimbabwe National Water (Zinwa) and TelOne, among others, chipping in as well.
Currently, the District Development Fund and Zinwa have drilled four boreholes at the venue, while roads have been graded and resurfaced bringing a new look in the district that has poor infrastructure despite its proximity to the capital city.
Roads that link to schools providing accommodation like St Johns High have been worked on, while the one linking to Chinyika Clinic has been rehabilitated.
By Dr Nkululeko Sibanda 01 December 2019 Presidential Spokesperson
As part of President Chamisa’s smart environment agenda he has a declared December of every year a smart-climate and tree-planting month. This to motivate the nation and the country to plant and preserve trees.
The President would like to encourage the people to plant and conserve trees. This would enhance biodiversity and increase the chances of food security in the country while mitigating against the impact of climate change on our country and on the globe.
In order to kick start this declaration, President Chamisa arranged to visit Marondera and plant trees, while raising awareness towards the smart environment agenda.
The President made appropriate arrangements with the local authority to visit a local school that requires the planting of trees, as it has an open expanse of clear land.
However, as morning arrived the school had been barricaded by about 200 heavily armed security personnel that included both uniformed and non-uniformed individuals.
When we arrived at the scene we were informed that there had been orders from on-high to the effect that the event should not be allowed to take place.
Under these circumstances, the Mayor and the local MP arranged to move the event to areas under their control, which the police hard not barricaded or declared interest in.
The police had been fully aware before the event and never said that they were stopping the event because it was an illegal meeting or gathering, they simply said that had then received instructions to prevent tree planting from taking place.
In fact, they were so crude as to search our car for any seeds or seedlings and almost caused a whole situation after mistaking at tissue paper pack for a secret stash of seeds.
The President started by planting trees at Marondera Municipal offices and then proceeded to Dombotombo clinic where the process continued.
The situation started off very calm and quickly unravelled as soon as a group of heavily armed security personnel, who were in police uniform arrived.
The personnel were more armed than those experienced in previous public situations. Almost every one of them had at least an AK47 rifle and those that handled the police dogs also carried with them pistols. They had at least 4 police dogs, in each car and had individuals dedicated to tear gas operations.
These state agents did not talk to anyone even when they were attempts to understand their aggressive approach and demeanour.
The shooting of live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas began almost as immediately as the vehicles came to a halt.
Let there be no doubt that this event was not a political gathering or a meeting but a tree-planting event to which the President was encouraging our society to take care of mother earth.
The callous and unconscionable behaviour and attitudes towards such an event are troubling and, honestly, unredeemable.
The world must now be awake to the dangers of situations of unhinged, insecure, almost barbaric and a savage relationship that these state apparatuses want to have with the country.
A government whose single purpose and excitement is to harm citizens and to cause the most extreme violence is a danger to itself, its neighbours and the national security interests of Zimbabwe and continues to bring shame and unnecessary disrepute to Africa and her heroic people.
By A Correspondent- Teachers and parents want better conditions and facilities at primary schools, especially in rural schools, to improve Grade 7 pass rates.
This comes as the 2019 Grade Seven national pass rate declined to 46,9 percent from 52,08 percent in 2018.
However, a pass rate of more than 50 percent was recorded in all subjects. Although Grade 7 is an examination in four subjects with results in each subject carrying a mark from 1 (the highest) to 9, it is generally accepted that a level 6 or better is a pass mark in a subject with a pass at Grade Seven being a pass in all four subjects.
Three hundred and twenty-three thousand two hundred and seven (323 207) pupils set for the 2019 Grade Seven examinations, slightly down on last year’s 326 685.
Indigenous languages recorded the highest subject pass rates, with Shona and Ndebele recording above 80 percent. Kalanga, Xichangana and Tshivenda had pass rates above 70 percent, while Tonga and Nambya had a 60 percent pass rate.
In 2019, more girls were registered than boys but this year’s results show a decline in pass rates for both boys and girls. But girls, on average, performed better than boys, as has been the case since 2015, by a margin of 6,34 percent.
There is a general consensus that the learning environment requires improving for the national pass rate to go up.
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Union (ZIMTA) chief executive officer Dr Sifiso Ndlovu said: “There is no stability among rural teachers because they are always seeking for better (working environments).
“This deters continuity in learner-teacher relationship which results in poor results in the long run. Another issue is that the ministry is deploying teachers to communities where they do not speak the indigenous languages.”
Educationist Dr Peter Kwaira said there was need to create a stable environment, as the prevailing situation affected both teachers and students.
“As an academic, the most fundamental factor for good results is a conducive environment. The environment affects all participants; that is parents, pupils and teachers.
“It’s not a blame game but the social welfare of all participants has a negative impact on Grade Seven results. There is need to beef up resources at all primary schools so that we invest in the future generations.
“Some parents are stressed to the extent that they cannot assist their children in doing homework, which is vital for the pupils in the long run. As a nation we should all work together to improve the education environment.”
However, Zimsec board chairman Professor Eddie Mwenje has cautioned the country against ringing the alarm bells yet.
“The issue is that we had just a spike in 2018 but this year’s national pass rate of 46,9 is within the ranges we were getting in the previous five years,” he said.
“We are still happy and hope we maintain the 2018 national pass rate. All participants should thrive to enhance the quality of our educational sector for the betterment of the country.”
By A Correspondent- The state media has revealed that Harare Mayor Councillor Herbert Gomba and four senior council officials are set to spend US$32 500 on a reciprocal five-day visit to the Chinese city of Nanjing later this month.
The same state media has however remained mum on how much of the tax payers’ money the country’s vice president Constantino Chiwenga spent for the estimated 4 months that he spent in China receiving specialist care.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has also come under fire for hiring private jets whenever he is globe trotting but the same state media is mum to how much has been spent on the president’s luxury jaunts neither has it reported on how much the government entourage blows for international trips.
However, according to the state media, the mayor, who belongs to the opposition MDC will be accompanied by the acting business development manager; city planner; waste water manager; and public and international affairs officer.
The trip to China was sanctioned by the city’s 1 891st ordinary full council meeting held at Town House last Thursday.
The meeting also approved the allocation of US$3 760 and $227 692 for two international and two local trips, respectively.
Council officials have already gone on one local and one foreign trip.
Human resources and general purposes minutes confirmed the approval of the trips, which come at a time when council is not collecting garbage citing fuel challenges.
Council has also encouraged residents to honour their obligations to enable it to perform its functions.
Harare City Council’s budget proposals delivered recently will result in the average bill for a high-density household rising to $225 a month, while water charges will be quadrupled, with rentals for council property also set to be doubled.
Government officials, depending on rank, usually get US$1 000 per day for food and accommodation when on international trips.
An online search yesterday showed that an average return ticket to China from Harare during the period December 15 to 31, costs about US$2 500 (business class) and US$1 250 (economy).
A number of hotels, ranging from three-star to five-star in Nanjing, are charging between US$57 and US$300.
The mayor’s trip has outraged Harare residents as it comes a few months after another one to the United States, which gobbled US$40 000 in ratepayers’ money.
Harare Residents Trust (HRT) director Mr Precious Shumba said no direct value had accumulated from council officials’ trips despite the fortunes spent.
“We do not have anything to celebrate from these trips. They are money-making ventures where councillors and senior management take turns to spend ratepayers’ money.
“If we are talking about exposure, we should see a change in the conduct of those that have gone on the trips,” he said.
Residents who spoke to The Herald said council should live within its means.
“If council is failing to pay its workers or collect refuse because it has no money, then where is it getting the money to send officials on these useless trips?” said Mr Lovemore Mazodze of Kuwadzana.
“If council has money for trips, then it should have money for essential services. We are tired of getting excuses.”
Harare’s acting corporate communications manager, Mr Innocent Ruwende, defended council’s position on trips saying: “Networking between cities is one of the most effective ways to strengthen capacity to solve major problems bedevilling the city.”
Council recently organised two training workshops at Kadoma Hotel and Conference Centre where each of the 60 attendees pocketed between $5 100 and $25 000 in allowances over three days.
On another trip, council splashed $198 450 on allowances, accommodation, dinner and breakfast for two councillors and 10 officials during the annual conference of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants Zimbabwe held in Bulawayo from November 13 to 16.
Meanwhile, Harare City Council has proposed a 17-fold increase in charges for hiring its properties including public halls, stadiums and open grounds.
Hiring Mbare Netball complex for a musical show will cost $5 000 up from $300, City Sports Centre $10 000 from $3 600, training for two hours at Rufaro Stadium will cost $1 000 from $300, use of a public hall in high-density areas will now be $500 up from $50.
Users expressed outrage over the proposed hikes, with music promoters saying the new charges will push them out of business.
According to the council’s finance and development committee minutes, council resolved to approve the increase of user charges applicable to council facilities which fall under the Department of Housing and Community Services.
“The charges that were being levied for user fees were now insignificant as they had been eroded by the prevailing hyperinflationary environment, hence the need to revise the charges and user fees upwards,” read the minutes.
Mr Partson Chimbodza of Chipaz Promotions said the increase will have a negative impact on the music industry. “The arts industry will likely suffer as a hike in venue charges translates to an increase in gate charges.
“Attendances may decline as revellers are likely struggle to cope with the new gate charges,” he said.
PSL spokesperson Mr Kudzai Bare declined to comment on the proposed hikes saying she would only do so after receiving official communication from council.
“I cannot comment on behalf of PSL based on speculations from the media. I will only speak after council has communicated formally,” she said.
Political gatherings at open grounds, Rufaro Stadium, Mbare Netball Complex, etc, will be $1 800 from $150, $6 000 from $2 000 and $4 000 from $300 respectively.
Proposed charges for the hire of open grounds by churches for a period of four hours will be $500, up from $50
By A Correspondent- The President is not limited to the mandatory 2 terms stipulated by the constitution since Zanu PF can just change the law as insinuated by Obert Mpofu who assured the President he could rule beyond 2028 if he so wishes.
Speaking at a rally in Kadoma, the former home affairs minister said:
“Mr President, you can go beyond 2028 if you so wish because the issue of law can be taken care of in Parliament,”
When it was the president’s time to speak he echoed Mpofu’s statements by saying they could change laws to suit whatever they wanted.
“We can change the laws … there is nothing that we want that cannot be done because we command two-thirds majority in Parliament”
By A Correspondent- ZRP in Harare has arrested 8 people believed to be land barons including a former MDC Councillor for duping home seekers more than $18000.
Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and said:
Boniface Manyonganise (54) has been arrested in Chitungwiza for defrauding a complainant of US$700 through fictitious stand offers in Nyatsime area, Chitungwiza under Yemurai Housing Co-operative.
Moffart Siwizane (48) has been arrested in Kuwadzana 5 for misrepresentation in which complainants lost US$3 000 in a housing stands deal through Vanhuvatema Housing Co-operative. His accomplices Pedzisai Chibondo and Alista Kurumbi are being sought by the police.
Precious Maphosa, Silvester Mamova Taurai, Simukai Matangira and Kundishora Maruwabvu were also arrested for illegally pegging residential stands and cultivating on a stand in Waterfalls
These arrests are coming at a time the government has intensified its fight against corruption
On Sunday the 1st of December, the violent regime unleashed yet another another section of the state apparatus in their desperate show of power.
The ZANU-PF led government has for long come to terms with the reality that they are unpopular and too weak to convince the nation hence they have mastered the regrettable art of coercion.
Yesterday was one such day of many others when madness superseded rationality resulting in the unjustified, unnecessary and uncalled for firing of live bullets.
The people’s President Advocate Nelson Chamisa was in Marondera for the tree planting day ceremony were he was to plant trees in selected areas within the municipal area.
Just the knowledge that he will be stepping on the Marondera soil, as usual sent the state into panic which led to deployment of several heavily armed police officers.
Shockingly, the activation of the police officers was directed to people who were only armed with tree seedlings to champion a sustainable green environment.
This was the state’s strategy to bar the people’s President from showing leadership to the nation, which he has always done even in the face of state sponsored multi-faceted prohibitions. Yesterday’s events led to the firing of live bullets in the direction of President Chamisa.
This clearly shows that the idea was to shoot the people’s President, something which deserves utmost condemnation and action.
I have read some lame tweet from the state, which tried to justify and sanitize the evil act. We would like to categorically state that no amount of word weaving will transform such acts of madness into sense.
The fundamental point to note is that, lives are precious and peace is priceless. We do not at any point as a nation deserve violence especially from the state which has a responsility to protect citizens.
Those who were behind the acts must be brought to book because such is unacceptable from professional police officers.
We call upon the police commissioner to provide us with all the names of those who were on duty in Marondera at the particular time.
This will help not only the nation but even the esteemed police services to know individuals with terroristic tendencies in their midst.
We may not be armed with guns and bullets; but we are armed with people and love. We will not tire in working with the people in showing our unconditional love for the nation.
We shall unreservedly show love for the nation by working towards a new Zimbabwe, where all freedoms are upheld, where justice prevails and where solidarity defines us.
Obey Sithole
MDC Youth Chairperson
December 2, 2019.
By Patrick Guramatunhu- “I want to thank you all for your prayers. Those prayers made me to survive,” a reinvigorated VP Chiwenga told his audience.
“Since I started falling sick in October last year, there were not many who thought I would heal completely. There were not many who thought I would be standing before you like this.
“The sickness is called idiopathic oesophageal stricture. It means that you cannot take in food and also you cannot even vomit. It involves blocking of the oesophagus and I spent a lot of time in the intensive care unit.”
VP Chiwenga thanked President Emmerson Mnangagwa for facilitating his treatment in China.
Yes, VP Chiwenga, you must thank President Mnangagwa and your fellow Joint Operation Command, junta behind the Zanu PF dictatorship, members who staged the November 2017 coup and secured you lot’s strangle hold on power and your position as a member of the country’s exclusive ruling elite. Whilst members of the ruling elite have continued to enjoy five-star health care service the ordinary Zimbabweans have no access to even the most basic health care service.
It is no secret that the country’s health care, same as education and all the other basic services, had all but collapsed years ago due to decades of poor funding. The collapsing local health care did not bother the ruling elite because they preferred to shop for their health care needs up market as with everything else; money was not a problem for them.
The ruling elite’s extravagance knew no limits, it normal for them to travel half way round the world for route health care checks. In 2012 the President Robert Mugabe traveled to Singapore eight times for routine eye test, each trip costed US$3 million plus.
A few years later his daughter, Bona, too travelled to the Far East for the birth of his grand son, the whole palaver costed US$ 10 million, at least! All this money was public money taken away from the country’s own health care services and thus accelerated the collapse of local health service.
VP Chiwenga attended last Tuesday’s cabinet meeting and must have learnt of the cabinet’s decision to summarily sacked doctors for daring to demand a living wage and not the pittance US$40 per month. Indeed, it was VP Chiwenga who fired the nurses early this year for demanding a living wage.
The sacking of the doctors was just the coup de grace to the health care service; it is now all but dead.
With no doctors, no nurses, no working equipment, no medicine, no water, no electricity, no food, no fuel, etc., etc. it is no surprise that the death toll in Zimbabwe soaring up. Zanu PF committed mass murders in the Gukurahundi massacre, the regime is guilty of yet another massacre, a “soft genocide” as some people are calling it. Zimbabweans are dying like flies of all manner of easily treatable diseases and ailments including malaria, high blood pressure, etc.
40 years of this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF rule has turned the clock back 300 years plus for the millions of ordinary Zimbabweans dying of poverty, hunger, disease and dumb anguish. The whole nation is being sacrificed to feed the insatiable greed for power and wealth of the ruling elite whose arrogant indifference to the suffering and deaths of others is insufferable.
“We are the most educated country in Africa, but I do not understand what has become of the young people . . . Every day, they want to make rich pickings, with little sweat,” said VP Chiwenga of the striking doctors.
“Where is that spirit coming from?
“Let us put the interests of our country first and have a unity of purpose. That is the Zimbabwe we want.”
A Zimbabwe in which the local public health care services is all but dead and hundreds of thousands are suffering and hundred are dying everyday of curable diseases is NOT the Zimbabwe we, the ordinary people, want.
Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year’s elections, just as it has done repeatedly for the last 38 years, and thus denied us, the ordinary people, a meaningful say in the governance of the country, a meaningful say in what we want.
The Zanu PF dictatorship has brought heartbreaking suffering and deaths to millions of Zimbabweans. The economic situation in Zimbabwe is unsustainable and must be dismantled as a matter of urgency.
This Zanu PF regime is illegitimate and must step down to allowed the nation the political time and space to finally implement the democratic reforms necessarily for free, fair and credible elections.
The cup is full and overflowing; enough is enough. Zimbabwe needs meaningful political change and to end the tragic human suffering brought about by the 40 years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF rule.
By A Correspondent- A 35-year-old married woman was recently caught red-handed having se_x with a Form Four boy, but she has started threatening the husband with death if ever he ditches her, a civil court heard last week.
Mary Manjokonjo appeared before Civil Court magistrate Mr Noah Gwatidzo last week facing charges of verbally and physically abusing her husband, Collinias Rutanhike, after he confronted her about the extra-marital affair.
Rutanhike told the court that his wife constantly threatened to kill him.
“Your Worship, this person is my wife, but I no longer want her at my house. I do not want anything to do with her . . . ” he said.
“Earlier this year, I found out that the accused was having an extra-marital affair with a Form Four student, and she was even assaulted by a church mob that caught the accused red-handed at her rural home.
“The case appeared before a traditional court and the minor confessed . . . and claimed the accused would tell him that she was only giving him se_xual lessons.”
By A Correspondent- Disgraced pastor and founder of Kingdom Rulers International Church in Bulawayo, Greatness Tapfuma (37), who turned a 16-year-old congregant into a S_é_x Slave, infected her with HIV and g_eni_tal warts, is on the run after he absconded from court.
Legally, Tapfuma was supposed to have been taken back to prison last year when his appeal at the High Court was dismissed but the state media could not immediately get officials to explain why he has been a free man.
Tapfuma was scheduled to appear before Justices Marie-Anne Gowora, Francis Bere and Antonia Guvava during a Supreme Court circuit in Bulawayo last week to challenge the dismissal of his appeal against conviction and sentence by the High Court.
He however, defaulted resulting in a warrant of arrest being issued against him following an application by the State.
Tapfuma of Cowdray Park suburb made headlines in 2015 after he r_ap_ed the teenage congregant claiming to be driving out a death demon that wanted to kill her father and infected her with HIV and genital warts.
The disgraced pastor filed a notice of appeal at the Supreme Court soon after Justice Nicholas Mathonsi, who was then a High Court judge, dismissed his application in which he was challenging both conviction and sentence last year.
Tapfuma, who was out on $500 bail pending the outcome of his appeal, was legally supposed to have been taken back to prison following the dismissal of his appeal by Justice Mathonsi.
He was in 2015 convicted of two counts of rape by former Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Crispen Mberewere and sentenced to an effective 25 years in jail after five years were conditionally suspended for five years.
In his grounds of appeal, Tapfuma argued that in assessing the evidence and the credibility of witnesses, the judge failed to pay attention to the timelines in the matter.
“As a result of this omission, both the learned judge and the trial court reached conclusions of fact that cannot reasonably be supported on the record,” he argued.
Tapfuma said the judge erred by declining to order that the custodial sentences in the two counts run concurrently in light of evidence that the offences were inextricably linked in terms of common intent, locality and time.
He further argued that the judge failed to appreciate the significance and the discrepancies between the evidence of the two witnesses who testified.
Tapfuma said the evidence on record did not support conviction, arguing that it was fraught with contradictions and inconsistencies. He sought an order quashing his conviction and setting aside his sentence.
In dismissing Tapfuma’s appeal, Justice Mathonsi said the interests of justice dictate that “false men of God” should be incarcerated for lengthy prison terms to protect society from their evil acts.
He described Tapfuma as a s__xual pervert who sought to quench his s__xual ap_petite by ra__ping an innocent girl in the most callous and unimaginable manner.
According to the State papers, between October and November 2015, Tapfuma called the girl to his home and raped her in exchange for prayers for her father who he said was facing death. After raping the girl, Tapfuma ordered her to keep the s__xual act a secret as divulging it would provoke the death spirit to kill her father immediately.
The girl began to notice some blisters on her privates.
As her condition worsened in December, she tested HIV positive and that was when her mother asked how she got infected.
She then revealed what had been happening and a police report was made leading to Tapfuma’s arrest. A church elder approached her and tried to entice her to drop the charges in exchange for a house, a car or cash but she refused.
Business Tech|Department of Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi has announced a number of new visa changes heading into the festive season.
In a presentation on Sunday (1 December), Motsoaledi provided an update on some of the key pronouncements made by the department in July and confirmed government’s readiness to facilitate traveller and goods movement at South African ports of entry over the festive season.
Some of the most notable changes are outlined below.
E-visas
Motsoaledi said that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has started with the testing and piloting of its electronic visa application system.
“The decision to introduce e-Visa was informed by observable benefits of this system. It is reliable, client-friendly and convenient for visa applicants, airlines, trading partners and Home Affairs officials,” he said.
Once fully rolled-out, prospective visitors will apply online for visas, at home, office or place of work.
It will lessen administrative burdens, including those involved in receiving applicants at visa offices, printing visa stickers and returning passports to applicants.
Motsoaledi said that the department is currently testing the new system with Kenya.
He added that as part of the pilot, a team of DHA immigration and IT officials visited Kenya.
“This team is scheduled to return to Kenya next week on 9 December 2019. The first Kenyan tourist who applied for the visitors’ visa on the new e-Visa system arrived yesterday afternoon and more are expected this week as part of the pilot.
“We are continuously monitoring this pilot process to ensure that user experience is not compromised. In early 2020, we’ll include China, India and Nigeria to the pilot which will run until March 2020.”
Visa-free access
As part of efforts to attract tourists to South Africa, Motsoaledi said that his department has added the Republic of Tunisia to the list of countries which enjoy visa-free status to South Africa.
This means that tourists from this country will come to South Africa without requiring a visa and South Africans can visit Tunisia without a visa as part of reciprocity.
“The implementation date of this agreement will be decided and communicated after the two countries have agreed on a date,” he said.
“South Africa now has 83 countries which it has granted visa free status to. These countries are among the highest tourist sending nations globally.”
Festive season
Motsoaledi said that his department is working with border law enforcement agencies to ensure ease of movement for travellers over the festive season.
“We want travellers to enter and leave South Africa without hindrance in this peak period, and to do so in a manner that is legally permissible, without breaking any law of our country,” he said.
Motsoaledi said that capacity will be increased between Wednesday, 4 December 2019 and 13 January 2020.
“The ports of entry with traditionally high volumes of movement will have their operating hours increased by between one and seven hours.
“Border law enforcement entities have confirmed readiness to handle increased volumes of travellers and goods at all ports of entry. This increase in movement of people and goods, across borders, is due to the inflow and outflow of travellers such as tourists, cross-border workers, business, academics and those on educational activities.”
He said that Home Affairs will deploy close to 400 additional officials at selected ports, to assist with delivery of immigration services and offer technical support at the borders.
Most of these officials will be posted at the Beit Bridge Port of Entry with Zimbabwe, Lebombo, Maseru Bridge Port of Entry with Lesotho and the Ficksburg Port of Entry with Lesotho.
“We implore all travellers leaving and entering South Africa to ensure all their travel documents are in order to avoid unnecessary delays at ports. These include passports, visas, health certificates, permits for specified goods, plants and animals and vehicle insurance and bank authorised cross-border documents for vehicles.”
The below table shows the extended hours at the ports of entry:
By A Correspondent- Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday held a homecoming party where his wife and senior Zanu PF officials were conspicuous by their absence.
Chiwenga, who returned to Zimbabwe on November 23 after spending over four months at a Chinese hospital, did not mention his wife Mary’s name in his 25-minute long address to his relatives and church leaders that attended yesterday’s event in rural Wedza.
This followed reports that the former army commander dumped his wife while on his sickbed under unclear circumstances.
Chiwenga said people that stood by him during his illness were Health and Child Care minister John Mangwiro, who accompanied him to India and South Africa as well as China.
He also mentioned some of his close security details and a female nurse employed by the army.
“There are people who stood by me during all these days when I was battling sickness,” he said.
“Deputy minister Mangwiro, who is not here today was there for me till the end.”
He said if he had not been airlifted to China from South Africa chances were that he was not going to return home alive.
“President Mnangagwa didn’t only act like a leader, but also like a brother,” he said.
“He called Chinese President Xi Jinping so that I could be assisted there. It was bad and at one point I would even forget what I had done.
“If I had gone for a week or three days in South Africa, I could have been history,” he said.
Mary was also not at the Robert Mugabe International Airport to welcome her husband on his return from China.
Chiwenga, who arrived aboard a Chinese plan in the early hours of the morning was received by his brother and son as well as China’s deputy ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhao Boagang.
There were no government or Zanu PF officials at the airport. At the Wedza event where Chiwenga travelled by helicopter, soldiers outnumbered police officers.
The guests were mainly close family members, army generals, neighbours, villagers and members of the Roman Catholic Church.
Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs minister Aplonia Munzverengi was the highest ranked government official at the event while Zanu PF’s provincial vice chairperson Michael Madanha was the most prominent guest from the ruling party.
During Chiwenga’s absence, there were reports of resurgent factionalism in Zanu PF with some bigwigs allegedly pushing for his removal on the grounds that he was incapacitated because of his health woes.
Meanwhile, Chiwenga revealed that he was suffering from a blocked oesophagus. The oesophagus is a mascular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.
“After falling sick in October last year, no one thought I would be alive today,” the VP said.
He said he was confined to hospital wards for six months.
“I was in the intensive care unit for several months. I also spent several months in a ward,” he said.
“I was happy to see the sun for the first time in six months (on arrival in Harare) and that was last Saturday,” Chiwenga added, while standing just a metre from his late parents and siblings’ graves.
After the speeches, Chiwenga immediately flew back to Harare by helicopter while others, including villagers remained behind to feast.
Zanu PF supporters were seen trooping to the VP’s home long after he had left.
– Seventh-Day Adventists subscribe to a plant-based diet and they neither drink nor smoke
– The study showed early deaths among the Adventists are 30% lower while cancer prevalence is 30% lower than the general population
– The report also compared black SDAs and the general black population where it showed they live longer and healthier compared to the other people
– The study attributed the results to the diet and healthy lifestyle where they do not drink nor smoke
Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA) are more likely to live longer and have a lower likelihood of getting cancer, a new study reports.
The study showed that among SDAs, early deaths were 33% while cancer prevalence rates were 30% lower than the other population.
A Seventh-day Adventist church. The report showed members of its church were likely to live longer and healthier. Photo: The Standard.
According to Daily Mail, the study was carried out by a team from Loma Linda University, in California, United States where they said the attributed the results to the strict diet the church abides by.
Its members are always advised to stick to a plant-based diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and non-caffeine beverages and nuts for snacks.
Essentially, they follow a biblical diet, eating what people ate thousands of years ago.
A picture of vegetables. SDAs subscribe to a plant-based diet. Photo: Britannica.
They also do not smoke or drink alcohol, and they also use water as their beverage. They also exercise regularly.
The study also said Adventists created one of the world’s five Blue Zones. Blue Zones are places in the world where people live longer than the average person and have less chronic diseases.
In specific cancers, Adventists had 30% lower rates of breast cancer, 16% lower rates of colorectal cancer, 50% lower rates of rectal cancer and 30% lower rates of lung cancer.
The research also compared the black Adventists to the black population where it found cancer prevalence was 30% lower and 36% lower deaths.
As part of President Chamisa’s smart environment agenda he has a declared December of every year a smart-climate and tree-planting month. This to motivate the nation and the country to plant and preserve trees. The President would like to encourage the people to plant and conserve trees. This would enhance biodiversity and increase chances of food security in the country while mitigating against the impact of climate change on our country and on the globe.
In order to kick start this declaration, President Chamisa arranged to visit Marondera and plant trees, while raising awareness towards the smart environment agenda. The President made appropriate arrangements with the local authority to visit a local school that requires the planting of trees, as it has a open expanse of clear land. However, as morning arrived the school had been barricaded by about 200 heavily armed security personnel that included both uniformed and non-uniformed individuals. When we arrived at the scene we were informed that there had been orders from on-high to the effect that the event should not be allowed to take place.
Under these circumstances the Mayor and the local MP arranged to move the event to areas under their control, which the police hard not barricaded or declared interest in. The police had been fully aware before the event and never said that they were stopping the event because it was an illegal meeting or gathering, they simply said that had then recieved instructions to prevent tree planting from taking place. In fact, they were so crude as to search our car for any seeds or seedlings and almost caused a whole situation after mistaking at tissue paper pack for a secret stash of seeds.
The President started by planting trees at Marondera Municipal offices and then proceeded to Dombotombo clinic where the process continued.
The situation started off very calm and quickly unravelled as soon as a group of heavily armed security personnel, who were in police uniform arrived. The personnel were more armed than those experienced in previous public situations. Almost every one of them had at least a AK47 rifle and those that handled the police dogs also carried with them pistols. They had at least 4 police dogs, in each car and had individuals dedicated to tear gas operations.
These state agents did not talk to anyone even when the were attempts to understand their aggressive approach and demeanour. The shooting of live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas began almost as immediately as the vehicles came to a halt.
Let there be no doubt that this event was not a political gathering or a meeting but a tree-planting event to which the President was encouraging our society to take care of mother earth. The callous and unconscionable behaviour and attitudes towards such an event is troubling and, honestly, unredeemable.
The world must now be awake to the dangers of situations of unhinged, insecure, almost barbaric and savage relationship that these state apparatuses want to have with the country. A government whose single purpose and excitement is to harm citizens and to cause the most extreme violence, is a danger to itself, its neighbours and the national security interests of Zimbabwe and continues to bring shame and unnecessary disrepute to Africa and her heroic people.
By A Correspondent- The Chibuku Super Cup Champions 2019 are likely to forgo CAF Confederation opportunity due to financial constraints.
Highlanders beat Ngezi Platinum 1 0 to lift their major trophy in 4 years but their Africa return is in doubt.
A club source that spoke to a local publication said:
Unless the club’s sponsors chip in and avail the resources, the club cannot afford, unfortunately.
A lot of resources are required to play in Africa as you are well aware, resources that we don’t have. The club’s financial standing is well known, we just don’t have the resources.
Bosso has been having a great season ever since they hired a new coach Hendrik de Jongh to replace Madinda Ndlovu who resigned in June.
Correspondent|Exiled Matabeleland Liberation Organisation leader Paul Siwela has revealed that he recently sneaked back into the country to bury his father in Bulawayo.
Siwela escaped Zimbabwe in 2013 after he was charged by former President Robert Mugabe’s regime with treason alongside war veterans John Gazi and Charles Thomas after they distributed fliers calling for the secession of Matabeleland.
Gazi and Thomas have since been acquitted of the charges by the High Court, but Siwela remains holed up in an unknown country.
He said he had to return to the country last week to bury his 90 year-old father King Siwela, who died on Monday.
“”Yes it’s true that my father has passed on in Bulawayo. He was 90 years old and nine months and is survived by four children and 18 grandchildren as well as eight great grandchildren,” he said.
Siwela said he had last seen his father in August in neighbouring South Africa where he had gone for treatment.
“I am pleased that I have lived up to 57 years having my dad and was last with him in August 2019 when I had taken him for medical attention to South Africa,” he said.
Siwela confirmed that they had buried his father in Bulawayo on Thursday.
His mother died in 2016 and he could not return home to bury her as he feared for his life.
Mugabe’s government declared him a fugitive after he skipped the country in 2013.
Siwela says he still fears that he would be arrested if he returned to Zimbabwe as President Emmerson Mnangagwa was Justice minister when he was being persecuted.
At the time he was incarcerated for 90 days, with the state refusing to release him on bail on the grounds that he would continue with his subversive activities.
Siwela, who was one of the presidential candidates during the controversial 2002 elections, has in the past been a member of organisations that have been lobbying for the creation of a Mthwakazi State, carved out of the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces.
By A Correspondent- Manicaland JOC has raided Odzi gold panners to try and restore sanity after 4 gold panners died in those areas in the past few weeks, Newsday reports.
The operation was confirmed by Acting Provincial spokesperson Assistant Inspector Luxon Chinanda who said:
“I can confirm that we carried out a joint operation with the Ministry of Mines, but I cannot provide details because this was a district operation, so I will also need to be apprised on the operation. However, it is the mandate of the police to respond to any distress calls and ensure that there is peace in the country.”
The violent clashes at Odzi 1 and 2 mines have left 4 panners dead thereby increasing the need for the police and the army to intervene.
By A Correspondent- The Gokwe Nembudziya in a move that some have interpreted as allaying coup fears said the advent of the VP from his 4-month long medical trip will not result in a coup.
Justice Mayor Wadyajena said this while addressing people in his constituency.
Said the MP:
There were celebrations in the opposition that VP Chiwenga is back and ED is going. They said there is going to be a coup. Nothing like that will ever happen.
The President and his deputy are brothers and it is President Mnangagwa who spoke to his Chinese counterpart (Xi Jinping) to have his deputy flown to China for treatment because they say he was poisoned.
We hear you got calls from some ministers saying you must not bring the presidential inputs here. Whoever is calling you is working against the President.
That’s why youths say they are people targeting ED and Nicodemously, saying he must go and leave for a younger person. Leave to go where? The Constitution says he must serve for two terms.
The coup speculation was rife a week ago when the VP returned from China and no government official was there to welcome him at the Harare International airport.
By A Correspondent- A Bindura man has been convicted of resisting arrest and kidnapping a traffic police officer at a roadblock before assaulting other police details who intervened to rescue their colleague.
Godfrey Mhlanga of Simona village, Bindura, was sentenced to nine months in prison by magistrate Maria Msika. Four months of the sentence were suspended on condition that he pays a $1 000 fine while the remainder were set aside on condition of good behaviour.
Prosecutor Edward Katsvairo told the court that on September 13, Mhlanga, who was driving a Mazda pick-up truck was intercepted by a traffic officer Joseph Paribendipo at a roadblock in Bindura and was asked to produce a driver’s licence, which he failed to.
Paribendipo jumped into the truck and ordered Mhlanga to drive to the police station. Mhlanga instead drove in the opposite direction, threatening to assault Paribendipo.
Paribendipo’s colleagues identified as Assistant Inspector Mubaiwa and Constable Makuwasa pursued Mhlanga in a CMED vehicle and blocked him after a long chase. Mhlanga pulled off the road and tried to escape on foot, but was apprehended.
Mhlanga resisted arrest, pushed away Mubaiwa and broke his handcuffs in the process. The three officers had to use extra force to arrest the violent Mhlanga.
ZANU PF has secured 67 of the 150 beasts to be slaughtered during the annual conference to be held in Goromonzi next week, where it expects to spend over $5 million to feed at least
7 000 delegates.
The beasts sourced from party members — among them legislators, provincial members and supporting partners — will be kept at a paddock near the venue, Goromonzi High School.
Zanu PF Mashonaland East provincial secretary for administration Kudzai Majuru said they had started collecting the cattle.
“After all the pledges, we have started collecting 67 beasts that we are assured of getting. Starting from today (yesterday), the truck is already moving around collecting the cattle to be kept at a paddock near the conference venue. We are happy with the progress so far and we are well on course as far as the preparations are concerned,” he said recently.
The Zanu PF provincial leadership recently said the party wanted to source 400 goats and
5 000 chickens to feed the 7 000 delegates expected to grace the event.
Zanu PF has a penchant for splashing huge amounts of money during its functions, with government departments such as Zesa Holdings, Zimbabwe National Water (Zinwa) and TelOne, among others, chipping in as well.
Currently, the District Development Fund and Zinwa have drilled four boreholes at the venue, while roads have been graded and resurfaced bringing a new look in the district that has poor infrastructure despite its proximity to the capital city.
Roads that link to schools providing accommodation like St Johns High have been worked on, while the one linking to Chinyika Clinic has been rehabilitated.
Standard|Vice-President Kembo Mohadi has approached the High Court seeking to stop his former wife from selling his property following a nasty divorce.
Tambudzani Mohadi, a Zanu PF senator, in October succefully obtained two writs of execution against the VP as she sought to recover $259 666 as part of their divorce settlement.
The VP, however, is arguing that the two writs of execution issued by the registrar of the High Court on October 14 were “grossly irregular, misleading and misrepresented the facts of the matter.”
His lawyer Tafadzwa Muvhami said they wanted the court orders declared null and void.
The writs of execution against Mohadi were obtained by Tambudzani who claimed that the VP had failed to comply with a consent paper agreement, which he signed and was registered as a court order by High Court judge Justice David Mangota on March 1, 2019.
Mohadi said Tambudzani had failed to interpret the terms of the consent paper.
“The respondent’s writs of execution dated October 14, 2019 against the applicant are grossly irregular in that; they are inconsistent with the court order for which they are issued under, they are misleading and misrepresented to the extent that they relate to a non-existent court order and they seek to create terms of the court order which does not exist at all,” Muvhami said in his founding affidavit.
“The two writs of execution are clearly misleading, misrepresenting facts and not consistent with the order of this court in HC8128/18, regulated by the consent paper which is now part of the court order.”
According to the court papers, Tambudzani had sought to attach Mohadi’s movable goods at lot 1 of Lot 10 Farm, Jompembe in Beitbridge.
Mohadi argued that the writs were confusing in that they sought to attach property and interest at the rate of 3% per annum from February 28, 2019, and yet the court order was only granted on March 1, 2019.
Zimbabwe News Live|Troubles between VP General Chiwenga and his ex-model wife Mary Mubaiwa continues to mount after revelations that his DNA failed to match one of the young sons he thought was his, this is according to online Zimbabwe News Live publication.
Mary Chiwenga with her children
According to the media, unverified online sources disclosed that, Chiwenga (63) made the shocking discovery recently when DNA tests revealed the unnamed boy he had brought up as his own, was not his biological son.
“Since getting the DNA results, both Mary and Chiwenga have been on a journey to get answers, with Chiwenga banning Mary from his house — and Mary contemplating on her next move”, said an unnamed source.
The pair have been locked in a bitter fallout since Mary was banned from his Chinese hospital after she unplugged a cable supplying oxygen when he was seriously ill. She is also accused of having poisoned Chiwenga with skin bleaching chemicals.
Chiwenga is expected to reunite and marry his former wife who is based in Luton in the United Kingdom as soon as he finalises his divorce with Mary.
Correspondent|THE Bulawayo City Council has honoured late Zapu secretary for security, Canaan Ncube by allowing him to be buried at the revered Lady Stanley Cemetery.
This is after the Zanu PF politburo failed to accord the one time liberation fighter national hero status.
Ncube, who served under the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) intelligence during the liberation struggle, died aged 80 at a local hospital following a long illness.
He was also the inaugural chairperson of Zapu’s Bulawayo province after a section of the party’s leadership 2008 pulled out of the 1987 unity accord entered between the then Zanu and PF Zapu.
Said party spokesperson, Iphithule Maphosa, “As Zapu, we are shocked that this government which calls itself the new dispensation has failed to declare Ncube a national hero.
“Ncube deserves that status due to his outstanding role during the struggle.
“Anyway, we are not bothered by the Zanu PF government’s deafening silence on his status because burying him at the Heroes Acre or not, that will not change the fact that he is a hero.”
Maphosa, said the late liberation fighter will, instead, be buried at Lady Stanley Cemetery where some of his liberation war comrades are buried.
Lady Stanley Cemetery is a place reserved for the city’s most illustrious citizens.
It has however been converted into a de-facto Heroes Acre for ZIPRA veterans who have been denied the opportunity to be buried at the national shrine in Harare.
Some of the Zapu and Zipra cadres who have been interred at the cemetery include Lookout Masuku, former Matabeleland North, governor Welshman Mabhena; Isaac Nyathi, ZIPRA commander Swazini Ndlovu, Richard Dube and Ethan Dube.
“I think Ncube’s soul will be at peace at Lady Stanley because this is where some of his colleagues are buried,” Maphosa said.
“We are glad that the city fathers have honoured our gallant freedom fighter.”
Ncube is expected to be buried this Monday.
Zapu‘s president Isaac Mabuka said the national Heroes Acre has lost its dignity because it has been monopolised by Zanu PF.
“In any case, there is nothing special about Heroes Acre. Even the late former President Robert Mugabe who denied others hero statuses refused to be buried there. That place is now a circus,” said Mabuka.
The Zapu president said following the inception of the Emmerson Mnangagwa led government; his party expected the issue of national heroes’ status addressed.
“It is unfortunate that the new government continues to make the same mistake of choosing national heroes and heroines along partisan lines,” said Mabuka.
IF ever there were any doubts about Prince Dube’s dazzling strike that won the Chibuku Super Cup for Highlanders against Ngezi Platinum Stars at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday having crossed the line, still images show that the ball did go over.
Ngezi Platinum coach Rodwell Dhlakama was furious after first assistant referee Salani Ncube made the call that Dube’s ferocious strike had crossed the line, which led to the man in the middle, Brighton Chimene to point to the centre spot.
“It was the turning point of the game, the ball did not even cross the line, it hit the bar, came back into play and the referee had to give that goal. Where have you seen a goal given like that in this world?” fumed Dhlakama.
Still images however prove that it was a genuine goal by the 22-year old Dube, the fourth for the striker in the Chibuku Super Cup. Dube actually scored in of Bosso’s four matches in the Chibuku. The Warriors striker scored a goal each against Dynamos, FC Platinum, ZPC Kariba and Ngezi Platinum.
Pictorial evidence shows the ball which hit the cross bar, the ground then bounced back into play landed over the line before ricocheting off to an already beaten Nelson Chadya who handled. As Chadya was preparing to launch an attack, Ncube had his flag to signal that the ball had crossed the line with Chimene obliging by pointing in the direction of the centre circle.
The images show that it was a brave but correct call by the 34-year old Ncube, a member of the Fifa panel. It is even said that Match Commissioner Brighton Mudzamiri, the only Zimbabwean referee to appear at the Fifa World Cup finals when he did so at the 2002 tournament held in Japan/South Korea was impressed by the call made by the Minda High School Mathematics teacher.
Even the Bryton Malandule led Zifa Referees Committee is understood to have commended Ncube for his call as they believe that it is an indication that he was alert at that decisive moment in the game.
A football expert said for a goal to be given, the whole circumference of the ball has to be over the line and the images show that it did go over by some inches before bouncing back into play.
Oppah Muchinguri Led the SADC Observer Team in Namibia
All Africa |Namibia’s opposition parties are crying foul after incumbent president Hage Geingob was re-elected for a second term with a reduced majority on Saturday.
Geingob’s rivals are claiming vote manipulation and accused the SADC observer mission headed by Zimbabwe’s defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri of being unfit for the task.
Mike Kavekotora, the leader of the Rally for Democracy and Progress, said they were coordinating with the other parties about how to respond to alleged electoral malpractices.
The election was marred by allegations of faulty voting machines.
Geingob received 56 percent of the vote while closest challenger Panduleni Itula had 29 percent. Itula made history as the first independent candidate for the presidency, though he retained his ruling party membership.
Itula did not attend the announcement of the final results, also aggrieved by what he saw as vote manipulation.
The ruling SWAPO party for the first time lost its two thirds majority in Parliament. SWAPO polled 536,861 of the votes (65,5 percent), earning the party 63 of the 96 seats in the National Assembly, down from the 77 won in 2014.
Kavekotora, whose party won one seat in last week’s election, told reporters Muchinguri-Kashiri and her delegation were unfit to observe Namibia’s elections because of persistent vote rigging allegations against her Zanu PF party.
“The SADC observer mission was loaded with a lot of people from Zimbabwe. What do we expect from somebody who was coming from a rigged election in his or her own country? How do you expect that person to come and give you a proper observation in another country? That’s just impossible…,” Kavekotora said.
He said Muchinguri and her delegation could not do anything other than “rigging and basically supporting your friends in the country that you are now observing elections in.”
“We consider this matter to be very serious. We’re going to engage the other political parties and we’ll keep our options open and see what’s the right course of action. Namibia cannot be manipulated. We have to come to a point where we say ‘enough’,” he added.
Stergomena Tax, the SADC executive secretary, tried to address the issue in a tweeted response on Saturday night.
She said: “It should be noted that the current SADC Organ chair is Zimbabwe, thus, the SADC Electoral Observation Mission to Namibia was led by Zimbabwe, supported by Organ Troika Members – Botswana and Zambia. The mission comprised of observers from 11 members states.”
It is not the first time Muchinguri-Kashiri has faced tough questions over Zimbabwe’s lead role.
Shortly after arriving in Namibia before the November 27 vote, Muchinguri-Kashiri had a torrid time trying to explain her selection to lead the regional bloc’s election observation mission after being confronted by both the Namibian media and opposition politicians.
Muchinguri-Kashiri was giving the Namibian media and election stakeholders a briefing on the SEOM role on November 25 as well as giving their preliminary findings on the pre-election environment in Namibia.
One journalist asked Muchinguri-Kashiri how the Namibian electorate could trust the SEOM headed by members of the Zimbabwean government that saw six people die in elections last year.
“Why should we trust you to run a credible election here in Namibia under SADC when your election claimed six lives in Zimbabwe and why is it that the whole SEOM is made up of revolutionary parties representatives and no opposition politicians?” the journalist asked Michinguri-Kashiri.
Head of the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) to the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly Elections in the Republic of Namibia, Hon. Mrs Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri.
SADC News|The Head of the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) to the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly Elections in the Republic of Namibia, Hon. Mrs Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe on 29th November, 2019 presented the SEOM’s Preliminary Statement, highlighting the Mission’s observations of the pre-election and voting processes.
The Head of SEOM was accompanied by the Former Minister of Justice of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Alternate Head of the SADC Electoral Observation Mission, Honourable Patrick A. Chinamasa and the SADC Executive Secretary, Her Excellency Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax. The event was attended by senior officials from the Government of the Republic of Namibia, Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Corps, representatives of United Nations agencies, SADC Ambassadors accredited to Namibia, representatives of political parties, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Electoral Commission of Namibia, government ministries, the Police, religious and traditional leaders, academia, and the media fraternity.
In the Preliminary Statement, the Head of Mission applauded the level of compliance with the Electoral Law and the Electoral System stating that the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) had generally followed the country’s electoral laws and the electoral system in the execution of its duties. Furthermore, she said that political parties also showed respect for the country’s electoral laws and conducted their campaigns with due regard to the rule of law. The Head of Mission also commended the people of Namibia for maintaining political maturity and for their peaceful conduct during the elections, which she described as generally peaceful, organised and conducted in a professional manner enabling voters to express their democratic right. She further noted that the political and security environment in the pre-election and election period was calm with no visible political and security risk.
The Republic of Namibia was using the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) for the second time since the 2014 elections. The Head of Mission alluded to the concerns surrounding the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) stating that its lack of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) raised persistent perceptions, among the electorate and stakeholders, that they were not secure and could be hacked or manipulated and potential compromise the integrity of the electoral process. She said the lack of trust in the EVMs was further compounded by the loss of some of the EVM units, under unclear circumstances, which were lent to the ruling SWAPO Party in 2017. Moreover, there were issues arising from EVMs in several polling Stations relating to non-functional units, which delayed the opening or disrupted the voting and verification processes. The Mission recommended that relevant authorities take necessary steps to give effect to the provisions of the Electoral Act, as this may contribute to increasing public confidence in the electoral system, and in the use of EVMs. The need for voter education on the use of the EVMs was also raised.
The Mission further recommended that the National Assembly should consider amending the Electoral Act to ensure that the votes from special voting should be counted together with those from the main election in order to minimise speculation and undue influence on voters.
The release of the SADC Preliminary Statement was held in conjunction with the African Union Electoral Observation Mission (AUEOM), headed by H.E. Ernest Bai Koroma, Former President of the Republic of Sierra Leone; the Commonwealth Electoral Observation Mission, headed by Mr Musa Mwenye, former Attorney-General of the Republic of Zambia; and the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries (ECF-SADC) headed by, Mr Emmanuel Magade, Deputy Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
His Excellency Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, constituted SEOM to the elections in Namibia which deployed 59 observers in all the 14 provinces of the country. SEOM will issue its Final Report within thirty (30) days of the conclusion of the electoral cycle in accordance with the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2015).
Paul Nyathi|Parents with boarding children at the private run St Gorges will pay a staggering ZWL $44 000 for the first term only as communicated by this memo.
The fees announced come a week after the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education ordered that all school fees increases by private schools for next year are null and void, as they have not been approved by the ministry.
The warning came after a number of private schools sent similar circulars to parents indicating new hefty fees structures for next year, with some of the schools demanding that the fees be paid before the end of this year.
In an interview in Bulawayo a week ago, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry Mrs Tumisang Thabela said her office was yet to receive any application for fees review.
“We haven’t received their applications from what I know, because ordinarily what should happen is that they must follow the circular that guides them. The parent’s assembly should meet, deliberate and of course there is a need to take economic variables in to consideration.
“We are guided by what the parents say, if the attaching minutes and all the financial audited records indicate that they have utilised whatever they had and its justifiable to seek a rise, we accent.
“But where we don’t have, we do not authorise and currently I am not aware of that development from schools and particularly from the school in question.”
Paul Nyathi|Zanu PF Central Committee member, Joseph Tshuma, says and former legislator for the party in Bulawayo has condemned the unwarranted shooting at opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa in Marondera on Sunday by members of the police force.
In an interview with VOA News, Tshuma said the attack on Chamisa was uncalled for as Chamisa and his people were doing a noble thing, planting trees on National Tree Planting Day.
Tshuma claimed that the people who directed the Police to shot at Chamisa were doing so to sabotage President Emmerson Mnangagwa and called on government and the party to investigate the incident and punish those found to be responsible for the attack.
By Arts Correspondent- Gospel music has over the years been overshadowed by other music genres competing for visibility with dancehall, sungura, hip hop and mbira among others.
While many gospel musicians have thrown the towel, others like Nickson Tagara are clearly budding and have found their roots in the gospel music industry revealing that they are not retiring any time soon.
Tagara’s new album
Basking in the limelight following the release of his debut album titled “Kusanangurwa ne Nyasha”, the gospel artist traced his musical journey revealing optimism about a brighter future in the music industry.
He said this following the release of his album which was launched at a local radio station recently.
Nickson Tagara
Tagara said that he envisions blessings and elevation as he spreads the word of God through music.
“In about 10 years, it is my wish and dream that God will elevate me to befitting levels. I know he is a God of wonders and i am confident that just like he gives me the motivation and ability to spread his word as a musician, he has good plans for me which will see me soar high and convert souls through psalmodies.”
“My new album gives me hope and I have
faith that in the coming 10 years I would have grown into a big gospel singer
.I also look forward to inviting many lost sheep to Christ through my music,”he
said .
Tagara, a driver by profession revealed that he started his musical journey in 1997 when he was in Form 2 at Chemagamba 2 High School in Chinhoyi.
“I started singing in secondary school but it was not gospel. I would write and sing songs at home. I would sing everyday and anywhere.”
He added that gospel music is a calling from God and the lyrics come directly from the almighty
“I meditate on his word and the lyrics just come. My singing is a calling.”
The album was recorded and produced at VOT studios and it has eight tracks with one track that featured a veteran musician Munyaradzi Munodawafa called “Kuna Mwari”.
The album also features a song “Kusanangurwa neNyasha” which is also the title album amongst other songs.
Other songs to look out for on the album also include ,Ndinoda ndione , Kana Uchifara and Zvakazarurwa that also featured another gospel artist called sister Mary .
On his album, Tagara has included the praise and worship feel ,danceable,well-packaged rhythm while some of the tracks have a laid-back beat which has made his album a unique one .
His manager Pamela Nyabadza also said that they took their time to release the album as they wanted to bring out quality music.
Nyabadza also said that Tagara is hardworking and very easy to work with and they are releasing a video for one of the songs very soon.
Said the young female manager:
“Fans are loving our recent work ,we are thankful to God. We have set up our media platforms because many people are looking for our music.
We took our time in releasing the album since we did not want to just release a half baked thing.
I am also motivated to work with Tagara because like me, Nickson is goal driven and very hardworking. The future looks bright.
We will be releasing a video for one of the songs very soon.”
In his spare time, Tagara loves watching and playing soccer and spending time with his family.
On how he balances work, music and family. Tagara said:
“It becomes easy as I need God’s hand be it at work or at home, so sometimes I compose a song while working.
I do the rehearsals while enjoying work too or even when am home I compose a song and rehearse it together with my family.
I meet up with the guys for tunes and melodies then go to the studio for recording to come up with a well polished song.
So it’s all about doing one thing at a time in its rightful place without interupting the cause.”
Tagara is married to Lynn Mhizha and the young couple is blessed with two children, a boy named Aubrey and a month old baby girl called Makanaka.
Correspondents|THE ruling Swapo Party has lost its overwhelming parliamentary dominance after gaining 63 seats in the National Assembly election – just short of a two-thirds majority that would have enabled the party to push through constitutional changes despite opposition from other parties.
President Hage Geingob won re-election with 56,3% of the votes cast in the presidential election – a fall of more than a third from his 87% share of the vote in 2014. Independent presidential candidate Panduleni Itula received 29,4% of the votes in the presidential election, ending in second place after Geingob.
The ruling party enjoyed an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly since 1994 and reached a high point of winning 77 out of 96 voting seats in the 2014 election.
A total of 820 227 votes were cast in this year’s National Assembly election, according to results announced by the Electoral Commission of Namibia on Saturday evening.
Swapo received 536 861 of the votes, which is equivalent to 65,5% and earned the ruling party 63 of the voting seats in the National Assembly.
Coming in second is the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), which gained 136 576 votes or 16,6% of the total number of votes cast.
The quota to qualify for a seat in the National Assembly was set at 8 544 votes.
Eleven out of the fifteen political parties that contested the National Assembly election won seats in parliament.
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) is the biggest winner with 16 seats, followed by new entrants the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) with four seats.
The PDM won five seats in the National Assembly in the 2014 election.
Other political parties that gained seats in the National Assembly for the first time include the Christian Democratic Voice Party and the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF), which won one and two seats respectively.
The United Democratic Front (UDF), National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo), All People’s Party and Republican Party won two seats each, while the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) and Swanu scraped back into the National Assembly with one seat each.
The four parties that did not qualify for any seats in parliament are the former official opposition the Congress of Democrats, the Workers Revolutionary Party, the National Patriotic Front and the National Democratic Party.
In a short statement delivered after his re-election, Geingob downplayed the importance of a two-thirds majority in parliament, saying it could not prevent the National Assembly from passing important laws.
Geingob said the two-thirds majority can only be useful when deciding on crucial things such as amending the constitution.
PDM leader McHenry Venaani in an interview with The Namibian said it was good news that the two-thirds majority was broken.
“It will sanitise the politics of the country. It will sanitase the debate in the house, legislation and we will start listening to each other, because we are sitting with a government that doesn’t listen to anyone,” Venaani said.
State Media|BULAWAYO commercial farmer and the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo’s longtime friend, Gerhard Friedrich Georg, who died on Monday last week, has been declared a liberation war hero in recognition of the sacrifices he made during the liberation struggle.
Georg (90) died at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo after a short illness and was buried on Friday at Umvutshwa Park Cemetery in the city.
In a statement, Zanu-PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu confirmed that President Mnangagwa had conferred Georg liberation war hero status.
“His Excellency, the President and First Secretary to Zanu-PF, Cde Mnangagwa, has conferred liberation war hero status to the late Cde Gerhard Friedrich who died on November 25, 2019,” said Mpofu.
Georg’s daughter, Thabeth, yesterday said her father was a dedicated liberation cadre whose family was placed under constant surveillance by the Rhodesian Government after he decided to use his farm as a meeting place for freedom fighters.
“My father’s political contribution to the liberation struggle began when he met the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo in 1960. When he bought a farm in Siphaziphazi in 1965, he used it as both a residence and meeting place for political gatherings until he was forced to relocate his family due to constant surveillance by the Ian Smith regime,” she said.
Georg was born in Weilburg in Germany and migrated to Africa in 1954. He worked on several farms in South Africa before moving to Zimbabwe, which was then Rhodesia in 1956. He met Dr Nkomo in 1960 and the two forged a strong friendship.
In 1971, Georg was employed by a Rhodesian commercial farmer to manage a factory in Bulawayo where he would take maize meal and other food stuffs to feed freedom fighters resulting in him being incarcerated for five months. During the detention of some nationalists at Gonakudzingwa, Whawha and other detention camps, Georg would chip in and assist their families with food and school fees for their children. Between 1972 and 1994, Georg worked for the Bulawayo City Council starting off as a parks officer responsible for the maintenance and development of the city’s recreational parks and gardens.
He rose through the ranks to become senior parks officer in charge of the city’s environment, forestry and game projects. Georg was instrumental in the establishment of Umguza and Mazwi nature reserves on the outskirts of Bulawayo. He retired from the city council in 2013 and ventured into consultancy work for a plant nursery in Francistown in Botswana called German Society for International Co-operation and later St Luke’s Mission.
Georg is survived by nine children, 21 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Paul Nyathi|Police and ZANU PF have unashamedly continued to claim that they did not use live or rubber bullets at MDC leaders and few supporters who had gathered to plant trees in Marondera on Sunday.
The police say they used tear smoke to disperse the small MDC gathering at Dombotombo Clinic in Marondera claiming that it was unsanctioned.
The police claim that they fired the tear smoke, which apparently left holes resembling live bullets, “after part of the crowd, who had arrived in kombis, refused to disperse and continued to block patients from using the clinic.”
They said they first engaged the party supporters and their leadership to leave the venue because there had been no prior notification as required, but without success and they were forced to use violence.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said: “The Zimbabwe Republic Police dismisses allegations that live rounds of rubber bullets were used or fired when police officers in Marondera dispersed MDC supporters and activists on Sunday afternoon who had illegally gathered at Dombotombo Clinic and some leaders attempted to address the gathering without following the laid down notification procedures in terms of the law.
“Police only used tear smoke to disperse the gathering and politicians, with some who had been transported in kombis openly refusing to comply with lawful orders which had been given by the police.”
The MDC supporters who were at the scene posted a video clip on social media which showed that there were gunshots fired in the direction of the MDC leadership and supporters. Police and government officials however unwarrantedly dismiss the authenticity of the video.
ZANU PF spin doctor and government, Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Nick Mangwana claimed that the MDC was dramatising the incident which was highly life threatening not only to the MDC leadership but also innocent members of the community including patients at the clinic.
“It’s the usual opposition histrionics and dramatics. (MDC-Alliance leader Nelson) Chamisa tried to have a rally in Dombotombo Clinic, disrupting the delivery of care to the sick people there,” he said.
“Police were called in. At this point there were kombis full of rowdy people who were very aggressive. They started surging towards the police in an aggressive way. Police deployed tear smoke to disperse the people. There was no use of firearms and none of the police details was armed with live ammunition,” he said
Mangwana added: “What we are dealing with here is attention-seeking theatrics we have come to expect from an opposition which is devoid of ideas and political programmes.”
MDC-Alliance MP for Marondera Central Caston Matewu insisted that live bullets were used against supporters and party leader Mr Chamisa while he was conducting a tree-planting ceremony.
By A Correspondent| Zanu Pf Youth league leader Tendai Chirau has trashed reports that live ammunition was fired at opposition leader Nelson Chamisa as he was conducting his tree planting day in Marondera.
Said Chirau:
The difference between the sound of an AK 47 rifle and a tear gas gun is like day and night. This difference can only be figured by those who know. What was fired in Marondera is a mere teargas gun…
Zimbabwe’s representatives in the CAF Champions League FC Platinum suffered a 2-1 defeat in their opening Group B game against Al Hilal in Omdurman, Sudan on Friday night.
The hosts set an early and took the game to the Platinum Boys, forcing two successive saves from Francis Tizayi. They also got a couple of corner-kicks in the opening moments.
FC Platinum, on the other end, never created a chance until the 17th minute when Gift Mbweti sent his effort wide. The Zimbabwe champions came back again a few moments later with Devon Chafa and Never Tigere, but they both missed the target.
Despite making a couple of goal attempts, Al Hilal continued to hold the edge and broke the deadlock in the 26th minute through Mohamed Musa Eldai.
The Sudanese team had the ball in the back of the net again five minutes later but, fortunately for FC Platinum, it was ruled out for an offside.
The away side tried to pick up the momentum in the second half but failed to break beyond the last line. They, however, relied on shooting from a range and Kelvin Madzongwe got the team’s first strike on target just moments after the hour.
Eldai got his second of the day on the 70th minute to give the hosts a two-goal cushion.
FC Platinum fought back and pulled one back through Never Tigere who converted from a free-kick ten minutes from time. However, the goal was a mare consolation as it ended 2-1 in favour of Al Hilal.
In another Group B encounter also played on Friday, Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia edged a ten-man Egyptian side, Al Ahly 1-0 with Yassine Chikhaoui scoring the solitary goal in the second half.Soccer 24
SHDA would like to set the record straight on certain matters. Contrary to circulating media reports, we have not rejected the conciliatory gesture of His Excellency in which a moratorium of 48 hours was extended to doctors who had been dismissed from government services. The moratorium would allow fired doctors to return to work without questions being asked. We welcome the involvement of His Excellency as we believe the situation in our hospitals will now receive the level of attention it deserves.
As it stands, none of the prevailing factors that brought us to this point have been addressed, namely
1. A long term solution to our financial incapacitation by offering a living wage which will not be eroded by inflation.
2. Safe working environment for ourselves and the patients in terms of hospitals themselves.
3. Tools of the trade- we reiterate again that hospital drug supply remains poor, consumables remain inadequate, even syringes are a challenge, and the situation with equipment is as it was in March, because the Indian consignment was mainly unusable.
We cannot overstate the fact that at this point, should we all return to work tomorrow, there will be no change in the patient outcomes because of the poor state of the hospitals. Their families will just incur financial strain from medical and funeral bills.
However, we have now re-engaged our parent ministry and negotiations are at an advanced stage. We have kindly requested that the moratorium come into effect upon conclusion of these negotiations to the satisfaction of both parties. We hope that we can continue on this path of reconciliation and work together for a holistic and long- lasting solution.
English side Arsenal have sacked manager Unai Emery.
The club issued a statement on their website confirming that they have parted ways with the Spaniard.
“We announce today that the decision has been taken to part company with our head coach Unai Emery and his coaching team.
The decision has been taken due to results and performances not being at the level required.
We have asked Freddie Ljungberg to take responsibility for the first team as interim head coach. We have full confidence in Freddie to take us forward.
The search for a new head coach is underway and we will make a further announcement when that process is complete,” read the statement.Soccer 24
Allegations of live rounds being fired in Marondera.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police dismisses allegations that live rounds or rubber bullets were used or fired when Police Officers in Marondera dispersed MDC supporters and activists this afternoon who had illegally gathered at Dombotombo Clinic and some leaders attempted to address the gathering without following the laid down notification procedures in terms of the law.
Police only used tear smoke to disperse the gathering and politicians with some who had been transported in combis openly refusing to comply with orders which had been given by the police.
The facts on the ground are very clear on what happened. We urge members of the public and activists to comply with orders given by law enforcement agencies in their various activities in order to ensure that law and order is properly maintained by police without any hassles.
P.NYATHI [Assistant Commissioner) Senior Staff Officer [Press. Public and International Relations) to the Commissioner-General of Police POLICE GENERAL HEADQUARTERS
Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga yesterday revealed he was battling a disease of the oesophagus during his four-month stint in hospital.
The disease made it difficult for him to eat as he could not swallow anything.
He said this at a homecoming Roman Catholic Church mass held for him at his rural home in Wedza.
His recovery, he said, was nothing short of a miracle.
“I was telling colleagues that I spent close to six months without seeing the sun. I only saw it this last Saturday upon returning home,” he said.
“I want to thank you all for your prayers. Those prayers made me to survive. “Since I started falling sick in October last year, there were not many who thought I would heal completely. There were not many who thought I would be standing before you like this.
“The sickness is called idiopathic oesophageal stricture. It means that you cannot take in food and also you cannot even vomit. It involves blocking of the oesophagus and I spent a lot of time in the intensive care unit.”
VP Chiwenga thanked President Emmerson Mnangagwa for facilitating his treatment in China.
He also paid tribute to Chinese doctors and his team, led by Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro, which accompanied him to China and other countries where he sought treatment.
On the striking doctors who are still refusing to return to work, the VP Chiwenga said:
“We are the most educated country in Africa, but I do not understand what has become of the young people . . . Every day, they want to make rich pickings, with little sweat. Where is that spirit coming from?
“Let us put the interests of our country first and have a unity of purpose. That is the Zimbabwe we want.
“Yesterday (Friday), we had a meeting with church leaders, whose leaders included . . . Archbishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu and other church leaders.
“The President said Government had done all it could and it was no longer clear what the doctors really want. They got 30 percent, they refused; they got 60 percent and they refused again.
Government then gave them a 100 percent increment, but again they refused.
“All that time, people were dying because the doctors were not at work. Doctors should respect the sanctity of life.”State media
Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga yesterday revealed he was battling a disease of the oesophagus during his four-month stint in hospital.
The disease made it difficult for him to eat as he could not swallow anything.
He said this at a homecoming Roman Catholic Church mass held for him at his rural home in Wedza.
His recovery, he said, was nothing short of a miracle.
“I was telling colleagues that I spent close to six months without seeing the sun. I only saw it this last Saturday upon returning home,” he said.
“I want to thank you all for your prayers. Those prayers made me to survive. “Since I started falling sick in October last year, there were not many who thought I would heal completely. There were not many who thought I would be standing before you like this.
“The sickness is called idiopathic oesophageal stricture. It means that you cannot take in food and also you cannot even vomit. It involves blocking of the oesophagus and I spent a lot of time in the intensive care unit.”
VP Chiwenga thanked President Emmerson Mnangagwa for facilitating his treatment in China.
He also paid tribute to Chinese doctors and his team, led by Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro, which accompanied him to China and other countries where he sought treatment.
On the striking doctors who are still refusing to return to work, the VP Chiwenga said:
“We are the most educated country in Africa, but I do not understand what has become of the young people . . . Every day, they want to make rich pickings, with little sweat. Where is that spirit coming from?
“Let us put the interests of our country first and have a unity of purpose. That is the Zimbabwe we want.
“Yesterday (Friday), we had a meeting with church leaders, whose leaders included . . . Archbishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu and other church leaders.
“The President said Government had done all it could and it was no longer clear what the doctors really want. They got 30 percent, they refused; they got 60 percent and they refused again.
Government then gave them a 100 percent increment, but again they refused.
“All that time, people were dying because the doctors were not at work. Doctors should respect the sanctity of life.”State media
SHDA would like to set the record straight on certain matters. Contrary to circulating media reports, we have not rejected the conciliatory gesture of His Excellency in which a moratorium of 48 hours was extended to doctors who had been dismissed from government services. The moratorium would allow fired doctors to return to work without questions being asked. We welcome the involvement of His Excellency as we believe the situation in our hospitals will now receive the level of attention it deserves.
