Last Thursday, Mahofa said she had barred Mzembi from taking over part of the Masvingo farm which is home to the province’s largest hatchery project that produces 100,000 day-old chicks per week.
But the Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi has vowed to stay put on the farm which the Provincial Affairs Minister Shuvai Mahofa described as “strategic” to the province.
Barquest Farm, which is owned by Hellen Mitchell, is located near Lake Mutirikwi.
Mahofa said Mzembi should relinquish any claim to the property, adding that land would be found for him elsewhere.
But Mzembi yesterday told The Chronicle that Senator Mahofa had no power over land matters as she can only make recommendations to the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Douglas Mombeshora.
“The correct position which I wish the public to know is that I was offered Subdivision 1 equivalent to 367.51 ha in extent of Barquest Extension, which was gazetted many years ago for the purposes of compulsory acquisition and resettlement by the government of Zimbabwe, leaving the Mitchells with an ungazetted portion in excess of 500 ha to pursue their business and family interests,” said the minister.
“On my portion, as I’ve already shared with the Mitchells, I’m going to develop a hatchery, abattoir and processing plant for a poultry venture whose business elements are on file with the provincial and national government. I intend to complement the production statistics that Cde Mahofa has alluded to and she has all the information in the submission that led to my being allocated the farm.”
He added: “In the meantime, I wish to advise all that I’m now the legitimate occupant of Barquest Extension that I was offered by the government and I will commence operations after due process.”
The minister said Mahofa was best advised to engage the Minister of Lands directly and to use official channels when dealing with the matter.
He said as this was official government business, the matter has its own channels of communication and does not need amplification through the media.
He went on: “My muted silence on the matter in the face of a barrage of attacks from public media and colleagues in government and the party shouldn’t be misconstrued as an admission of guilt.
“There’s a modicum of communication that’s generally expected of us at this senior level both in government and the party that I’m observing, notwithstanding how right or aggrieved I may feel about certain issues at play.
“However, because this matter is already planted in the mindset of readers through various articles that seem to suggest that I’m grabbing a viable chicken business belonging to the Mitchells, in very brief remarks I wish to state my position to the contrary.”
Senator Mahofa had earlier said the farm was strategic to Masvingo province in terms of supply of chicks and eggs. She said besides supplying day-old chicks and eggs to Masvingo, Mitchell’s hatchery project also serviced Manicaland and Midlands provinces.
Sen Mahofa said she had already informed officials in the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement in Masvingo to identify another farm for Minister Mzembi.
She said other senior officials in the province like Zimbabwe Chiefs’ Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira wanted to take over the farm a few years ago but were stopped because of its strategic importance to Masvingo.
Sen Mahofa said the Masvingo provincial leadership would not tolerate the take-over of productive farms that benefit the majority of the people.-chronicle

Yesterday Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko  officially opened a classroom block at Majiji High School in Bubi District. Mphoko told pupils at this school  to focus on their studies and shun the habit of illegally  travelling to South Africa, saying there was nothing for them there but death in the neighbouring country.
Mphoko, a Zimbabwe’s former ambassador to South Africa,  donated 300 books worth $7,000 to Majiji High School,saying
“I’ve come to talk to the children. I want you to know one thing. Don’t think there’s life for you across the border. In these books is where your life is, there’s nothing for you in South Africa.
Concentrate on your education and not crossing to South Africa illegally,” said the Vice President.
The Vice President said he was speaking from experience as he had come across cases of young boys and girls who left school and ended up being exploited to become sex slaves and homosexuals.
VP Mphoko showed the pupils pictures of people who were attacked in South Africa during xenophobic violence. One of the pictures was that of a foreigner who was burnt after a tyre was put around his neck and set alight.
The VP said youths should set their sights on opportunities in the country after completing school.
He had another picture of amagumaguma (people who help others skip the border) carrying a child after the mother fled the police while crossing the Limpopo River illegally into the neighbouring country.
“What do you think this umagumaguma did to this child after the mother had fled? Obviously he threw the child into the water. You pay omalayitsha between R1,000 to R1,500 to cross illegally. Those who don’t have the money, if you’re a girl, omalayitsha — upon reaching South Africa — will detain you at their house and tell their friends that they’ve a young girl.
“They’ll hire you to their friends and by the time they recoup their money, you would have fallen sick and come back home in a coffin carrying flowers on your chest. The boys on the other hand would be hired to homosexuals.
“There’s no better place than home. Don’t rush to South Africa, there’s death there.”
VP Mphoko toured the school and officially opened an A-Level classroom block.
Majiji High School is the third school in Bubi district that has received books from the Vice President and the sixth in Matabeleland North province.
VP Mphoko has 11 tonnes of books that he will be distributing to schools around the country. He will soon visit Matabeleland South and Bulawayo.
Majiji High School head, Fisani Dube, said the school faced a number of challenges among them water problems and classroom shortages due to overwhelming enrolment.
“Honourable Vice President, we face a number of challenges particularly in the rainy season as some pupils are forced to stay for weeks or a month from school as River Mbembesi would be flooded and they cannot cross. We’re appealing for assistance to construct a bridge because this affects pupils’ performance,” said Dube.
The school with an enrolment of 513 pupils recorded a 100 percent pass rate in last year’s Advanced Level examinations.
VP Mphoko donated a personalised diary to Lower Sixth pupil Qaphela Nyathi, who was honoured as the best pupil at the school.
Speaking at the same occasion, Bubi legislator Clifford Sibanda thanked the VP for the gesture. -chronicle

Kaukonde meets Mnangagwa

-Report- by Newsday-
OUSTED top allies of ex-Vice-President Joyce Mujuru — who have been in hibernation since last year — yesterday made a surprise appearance in Marondera at a function addressed by Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in a move described by many as a way of reaching out to the new leadership.
Mnangagwa, who is also Justice minister, was on a mission to explain the new Constitution to people in Mashonaland East.
The Mujuru loyalists who attended the event included former Higher and Tertiary Education minister Olivia Muchena, former Zanu PF provincial chairperson Ray Kaukonde and former Provincial Affairs minister Simbaneuta Mudarikwa.
It was not that comfortable for the three who spent several hours glued to their seats as Mnangagwa arrived to officiate at the event, over four hours late.
Kaukonde and Muchena sat side by side in the second row for the whole day while Mudarikwa spent much of the time outside in the sweltering heat.
After the event, Mudarikwa could not wait to mix and mingle with the people going straight to his vehicle while others headed for lunch.
Chiefs’ Council provincial chairperson Senator Chief Enos Musarurwa told Mnangagwa about the presence of Kaukonde and other ousted officials.
He said their appearance at the event meant they had endorsed the current leadership led by President Robert Mugabe.
“I am glad that some of the faces that had since disappeared have shown up, meaning that they have endorsed the current leadership. I acknowledge the presence of some of the worms (makonye) and I assure you that we will deal with them,” said Musarurwa.
Mujuru and several other officials were fired by President Robert Mugabe for allegedly plotting to topple him from power.
Kaukonde, who is Marondera Central MP, was accused of being the chief facilitator and bankroller of the Mujuru faction.
His appearance in public yesterday was the first since December last year.
Recently party members called for him to be recalled accusing him of abandoning his constituency.

A Harare High Court judge has ordered police to intensify the search for missing pro-democracy activist Itai Dzamara who was allegedly abducted in the capital city’s Glen View high density suburb by five unknown assailants on Monday.
High Court Judge David Mangota on Friday ordered the authorities to intensify investigations into the alleged abduction of Dzamara – leader of the Occupy Africa Unity Square pressure group – that is calling for President Robert Mugabe to step down for allegedly failing to run the country democratically and pushing Zimbabwe’s economy into the abyss.
One of Dzamara’s lawyers, Charles Kwaramba, confirmed that the ruling that was made following an urgent application filed by the activist’s wife, Sheffra, on Thursday.
The attorney said the judge, however, refused to order a search of the country’s intelligence holding cells and military bases citing security reasons.
This followed submissions by state counsel, Fortune Chimbaru, representing Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi , Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri and Central Intelligence Organization boss Happyton Bonyongwe, that the state was not aware of Dzamara’s whereabouts and was equally concerned.
A police report and court documents show that Dzamara was abducted by five unidentified men who were travelling in a white Isuzu vehicle.
Justice Mangota ordered the state to report back to the court every two weeks on the police’s progress in the investigations.
MDC founding president, Morgan Tsvangirai, is accusing Mr. Mugabe’s government of kidnapping Dzamara – a charge that Zanu PF spokesperson, Simon Khaya Moyo, has denied.
Police Commissioner Chihuri on Thursday also urged his officers to intensify their investigations into Dzamara’s disappearance while Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who described Dzamara’s kidnapping as “barbaric”, told parliament that the perpetrators would be brought to book if apprehended.
Local and international civic groups, the United States, European Union, Canada and other foreign governments and entities, have condemned the former journalist’s abduction.
Dzamara’s family and the pro-democracy movement in the country are worried about his abduction. In 2008, a number of MDC activists were abducted only to be found dead a few weeks later.
Human rights activist Jestina Mukoko was abducted in the same year. She was detained incommunicado for three months but no-one has been brought to book over the issue. The same applies to MDC activists and atrocities committed on innocent civilians in the early 1980s by a national army crack unit, the Five Brigade, which left almost 20,000 people dead in the Midlands and Matabeleland regions.

The Morgan Tsvangirai led MDC- UK branch has petitioned the United Nations to bar President Robert Mugabe from attending the 3rd United Nations Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan and order the aging Zimbabwean leader to reveal and ascertain the safety of the abducted human rights activist Itai Dzamara.
President Robert Mugabe flew to Japan via the Far East early this week to attend the 3-day, UN conference starting tomorrow.
The party’s Asia Pacific Region  representative Jacqueline Zwambila on Friday said Mugabe should be ‘booted’ out of the meeting and be ‘ordered to return home and put ‘his’ house in order.
“We call on the United Nations and regional countries, especially the host country, Japan, to demand the immediate release of Itai who was abducted on Monday in broad daylight,” the former Zimbabwe ambassador to Australia [lightbox link=”http://www.zimeye.com/wp-content/live_images//2015/03/Jacqueline-Zwambila.jpg” thumb=”http://www.zimeye.com/wp-content/live_images//2015/03/Jacqueline-Zwambila-186×232.jpg” width=”186″ align=”none” title=”Jacqueline Zwambila” frame=”true” icon=”image” caption=””] said. 
“Even if we consider that he was arrested, the 48 hour period of a lawful detention has elapsed without him brought to court. But his was not even an arrest because he was just bundled into a car – a practice that has been condemned by the Supreme Court in the case of Jestina Mukoko”.
Dzamara was abducted by unknown assailants in Harare on Monday, and up to now his whereabouts are unknown. 
The journalist cum –human rights activist had been staging peaceful demonstrations demanding for the stepping down of President Mugabe. 
The European Union, America and the Australian Governments through their local embassies on Tuesday expressed concern over the forced disappearance of Dzamara. 
MDC-T Members of Parliament yesterday walked out of Parliament in protest of Dzamara’s abduction.
 
 

A massive jailbreak has occurred as an inferno broke forth at the notorious Chikurubi Maximum prison in an incident that has seen emotional prisoners fighting off armed prison guards, ZimEye.com can reveal.
Hundreds of blankets and property worth thousands of dollars have been set ablaze as more than 200 prisoners vowed to die “if need be”. Chikurubi, a female and male prison located on the outskirts of Harare, is known for overcrowding and extremely poor sanitary conditions with cells typically measuring 9 metres (30 ft) by 4 metres (13 ft) and there can be as many as 28 prisoners housed in each cell.
“They were being given for their daily food sadza with Royco Usavi mix,” a source told ZimEye.com .
One prisoner has since been shot dead, according to a source at the site although this could not be immediately verified.
The more than 200 rioting prisoners are said to have since taken over the prison as “guards fled the scene”. Armed reinforcements have been called from the army who at the time of writing were seen in lorries heading to the institution, SEE INTERACTIVE MAP –
More to follow as the development unravels….

A 15-YEAR-OLD student at Ekuphumuleni Secondary School in Lupane, who was allegedly sexually abused by a teacher and hs testified to the same, has changed her statements, exonerating the educator, as she told the court that she was forced to make the claims by police officers who allegedly harassed and beat her up.
The teacher, Charles Muchavaka (35), got into trouble after he allegedly proposed love to the 15-year-old female learner, who accepted and the two allegedly had sexual intercourse while at the teacher’s cottage.
Muchavaka pleaded not guilty to a charge of having sexual intercourse with a young person when he appeared before Lupane resident magistrate Aelene Munamati. The state, represented by Sanders Sibanda, called the pupil to testify on Wednesday and she suddenly changed her statement, claiming the teacher never slept with her.
She said police officers investigating the case assaulted her to induce confession that the teacher had slept with her. “He never slept with me. I was forced by the police to say that he slept with me,” she said.
The magistrate remanded the case to March 16 for continuation and the State has lined up her mother to testify in the case on the day.Sibanda told the court that the student lives at Jotsholo in Lupane and attends the same school where Muchavaka teaches.
It is alleged that the matter stemmed from the fact that the head at the school and other teachers suspected that some male teachers were sexually abusing students.
That is when it was discovered that the learner was not at school, although she had been seen earlier. The head ordered that all teachers’ rooms be searched and Muchavaka refused to have his searched.
It is the State’s case that on February 2 this year Muchavaka proposed love to the student and she accepted.
On February 5 he called her to his room, where he asked to have sexual intercourse with her and she agreed. The love affair was reportedly discovered when the head found out the girl was not at school during a roll call.
Efforts to locate her on the day failed, only for her to resurface the following day. The head then took her to the police where she was questioned and revealed that she had been in the teacher’s room at the school.
It is alleged that the girl told the police that she slept with the teacher and enjoyed the encounter. The girl was taken to hospital for testing where a medical examination confirmed she had sexual intercourse.
A medical report was compiled and a report was made to the police, leading to Muchavaka’s arrest. southern eye

A vendor was pummelled when he demanded sex from a mother and his daughter after he gave them two mangoes.
Martha Zembe (55) was so incenced by Amos Magororo’s demand that she launched herself on him, before sitting on him and hitting him with a stone. She was arrested and hauled before court.
Magistrate Sibonginkosi Mkandla ordered Zembe to pay $200 fine for the offence. It is the State case that on January 24, 2015 at Kyle Dam, Magororo (30) approached Zembe and gave her two mangoes an offer which she gladly accepted.
After offering the mangoes to the accused person, it was heard in the courts that Magororo then asked for sex from Zembe and her daughter.
“Akati unoda kurara neni kana apedza neni ozorara nemwana wangu (He said he wanted to make love to me and thereafter make love to my daughter),” said Zembe.
This did not go down well with the accused person who felt denigrated by the young vendor’s request. She then took the matter into her own hands to discipline the 30 year old who she thought was ill-mannered. Mirror

[lightbox link=”http://www.zimeye.com/wp-content/live_images//2015/03/2015-03-13-09.30.39.jpg” thumb=”http://www.zimeye.com/wp-content/live_images//2015/03/2015-03-13-09.30.39.jpg” width=”710″ align=”right” title=”2015-03-13 09.30.39″ frame=”true” icon=”image” caption=”ZAPU Youth Front leader Arnold Dube at the embassy entrance in London today”]Zimbabwe’s embassies in UK, South Africa and other countries face disruptions today as diaspora ZAPU youths stage protest against the occupation of Maleme farm by ZANU PF CIO operative Rodrick Mashingaidze.
The youth told Zimeye.com that Mugabe and his government should brace up for a total resistance over displacement of people from their lands declaring they will close down the embassies till 2018.
ZAPU youth front leaders in UK said similar protest will take place in United States, Canada and other countries.
Today’s protest in London will extend to Saturday where ZAPU members will stand shoulder to shoulder with civil rights group Zimvigil to protest the illegal abduction of Itai Dzamara.
ZAPU YOUTH FRONT statement issued yesterday reads:
ZAPU YF protest against the occupation of Meleme farm tomorrow at Zimbabwe Embassy in London. Similar protest are to happen at Zimbabwe embassy in South Africa and America also.
The Youth Front of ZAPU will also like to invite all ZAPU Cadres and all Zimbabweans to join them and the civil rights group Vigil on Saturday at 12 pm at Zimbabwe embassy to protest the illegal abduction of Itai Dzamara.
We demand the release of Itai Dzamara and a full investigation as where he is and what has happened to him. The YF is committed is committed to protect the rights and well being of our fellow country men and will do that by all means necessary.
Join us 8:30 am Friday and 12 pm on Saturday at address: Zimbabwe House 429 Strand, London, WC2R 0JR
The Revolution Is A Relay!
By ZAPU YOUTH FRONT

Judges have ignored threats by president Robert Mugabe and have now proceeded to hear the grand lawsuit by expelled ZANU PF Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa who is suing the head of state and other agents for his and his nephew Temba Mliswa’s expulsion from parliament.
Their application will now be heard next week Monday at the Constitutional Court.
Robert Mugabe committed high contempt of court when he threatened any judge who would consider hearing the lawsuit.  [READ MORE – Mugabe Threatens Judges Hearing Didymus Mutasa’s Case  ]
The two argue in their application that Zanu PF did not follow due process in reaching its decision to have them expelled.
They are being represented by a legal team from Nyakutombwa and Mugabe Legal Practitioners.
Part of their lawsuit states that they seek to bar the looming by-election in Headlands and Hurungwe West constituencies. The government agents and Respondents in the case are National Assembly Speaker Advocate Jacob Mudenda, President Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairperson Justice Rita Makarau.

At a time when Zimbabwe is reeling under sanctions that ZANU PF calls “evil” the same government deploys nothing to do, thoughtless CIO agents who move around in an unmarked twin cab to kidnap a man who is holding lawful but peaceful protests as guaranteed in the Zimbabwe Constitution. This is the very country that has been ignored by China as not being serious. The same country that has not been trusted with serious financial aid because of a wanton appetite to focus on childish luxuries.
This is the very country that has been trying to polish its image so that it can appear to be in good behavior and appeal for the removal of economic sanctions. This is a country that has been ordered by the Bretton Woods, the IMF and World Bank to improve its human rights records in exchange for financial aid. A country whose Ministers are crying daily for sanctions to be removed so that they can explore better shopping malls for their wives and children in the West. Others like the Mugabe family even want their children to try the NBA in LA in the USA. Sadly, this is the very country that continues to isolate itself through careless abrupt decisions that cost the nation at large.
Zimbabwe’s economy is on life support. Nothing is moving. Minister Chinamasa is getting tired and running out of ideas. There are no jobs. The farms are not producing because people are lazy and just want to be cell-phone farmers. The mines are at a standstill. Chiyadzwa diamonds were sapped and the proceeds fell into private pockets as blood diamonds money. Now Zimbabwean leaders wake up and try to mislead the world that they know nothing about Itai Dzamara’s kidnapping after carefully arranging for the disappearance. Who believes that?? It is already known the world over. The CIO acts on orders. They are following strict orders from the top. But then Zimbabwe is never going to be taken seriously before the World. This is a country where NIKUV arranges for elections to be forged and stolen.
A nation where only the few top leaders live comfortably as the whole nation suffers. This is a country with leaders without ethics who simply say anything to anyone with impunity. A country with a Constitution that must remain a paper theory. A country where many are terrorized by the CIO that is supposed to protect them. A country where the CIO has become a Mugabe private wing to protect ZANU PF and Mugabe interests yet it survives on tax dollars. A country where 10 000 people are ghost workers in civil service and their supposed salaries are openly pocketed by Government Ministers. The World is watching. Zimbabwe has become a big joke. People are suffering because the leaders are childish if not cruel to the masses.
No one takes them seriously. Very soon the economy will come to a standstill. It is even worse in that the human rights records and the rule of law continue to be spurned willy-nilly. People either perish by arranged traffic accidents where they get killed somewhere by bullets and are planted on the highway in smashed cars that run under fallen trees. The whole CSI scenes are arranged in early hours of the morning. The world now knows that.
At times people get kidnapped and are sent to Mahehe underground camp where the CIO practice torture and then they rush to Banket to see the Malawi sangoma who must magically subdue the dead souls to block avenging spirits from hounding the CIO. Some even drink the blood of those they kill as some take out some body parts for evil rituals. That’s why many people who disappear emerge as dead bodies with missing parts like tongues, eyes, etc etc. How evil is that? And who doesn’t know that? Everyone keeps wondering where the nation is going when there is no rule of law and nothing is working. And the Zimbabwean leaders still expect the world to take them seriously when all the major global news headlines are crying foul over the Itai Dzamara kidnapping. They are actually making the Zimbabwean situation worse.
Jones N.Mhlanga

STATEMENT BY RESTORATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (ROHR) ZIMBABWE ON THE ABDUCTION OF POLITICAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST ITAI DZAMARA
ROHR Zimbabwe has noted with grave concern the abduction of Political and Human Rights activist and leader of Occupy Africa Unity Square movement, Itai Dzamara purportedly by “unknown” people on Monday 9th March, 2015.
We cannot help but notice that this has all the hallmarks of the state agents and is reminiscent of numerous such abductions in the past, notably that of Jestina Mukoko on 3rd December, 2008 and Paul Chizuze on 8th February in 2012. The former went through an ordeal over a protracted period at the hands of state agents whilst the latter has not been found up to date.
ROHR Zimbabwe is urging the government of Zimbabwe to respect, among other things, the rights of citizens to express themselves and to associate with any movement or persons sharing their views as is enshrined in not only the Constitution of Zimbabwe but also in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the AU’s African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, and the Declaration of Principles of Freedom of Expression in Africa, to all of which Zimbabwe is a signatory.
Rather than seeking to eliminate dissenting views, the Government of Zimbabwe should be addressing the issues that are causing the dissent and should be promoting an environment and a culture that encourages and promotes all freedoms and rights of its citizens which in turn would ultimately lead to greater participation of citizens in governance issues.
We know that it is a ‘big ask’ to ask the Government of Zimbabwe to institute a thorough investigation into the abduction of Itai Dzamara as this is tantamount to asking the Government to investigate itself.
We urge the government of Zimbabwe to cease the culture of brutal repression at par with, if not worse than, that of the Smith regime.
Until the Government of Zimbabwe heeds our call and that of many other human rights, civic and political groups, we will continue to take all necessary action to demand the release of Itai Dzamara.
By Panyika Anselm Karimanzira
Spokesperson
Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe

A Grace Mugabe daughter at heart has lost her bid to represent Zanu PF in the Hwedza North by-election.
Aplonia Munzverengi will be remembered for last week scattering around posters with Grace Mugabe’s portrait on them as she prided herself as Mrs Mugabe’s daughter.
But yesterday Munzverengi came third in a poll won by one David Musabayana. The seat fell vacant following the death of Simon Kundai Musanhu, who died in January at the age of 47. Musabayana, who is an economist by profession, beat seven other prospective candidates after garnering 2 227 votes.

His closest rival, Antony Parehwa, polled 1 583 followed by Aplonia Munzverengi, who got 1 533.
Announcing the results at the Hwedza Council offices on Wednesday night, presiding officer George Rutanhire who is also a Zanu-PF Politburo member, thanked the people of Wedza for voting peacefully. He urged party members to desist from vote-buying.
Rutanhire’s remarks came in the wake of reports that some prospective candidates were dishing out donations on the election day to sway voting patterns in their favour. “If you were using money to win support that should stop forthwith,” he said.
“Zanu-PF is a big institution and it was not built through vote buying. We fought the liberation struggle without being paid and where is this spirit coming from? “We are going to report everything to our leaders that we have seen here and make our recommendations.”
Rutanhire urged Zanu-PF members to be united saying Wedza constituency should be exemplary in terms of discipline.
He said other by-elections were likely to be held soon in 17 constituencies with MDC-T Members of Parliament if the Speaker considered the letter written by the faction seeking to recall the MPs.
In that regard, Rutanhire urged Zanu-PF to be ready for the polls and deliver resounding victory. Speaking to the Herald after being declared the winner, Musabayana said he was ready to be a servant of the people of Wedza. He said his priority was to ensure that people had access to safe drinking water.
Musabayana said most people in Wedza were drinking water from unprotected sources, exposing themselves to water borne diseases such as cholera.
“We have several projects that we have lined up such as fish harvesting and contract farming that we think if implemented may help to create employment for our youths,” he said.
Mashonaland East provincial chair Aenias Chigwedere said the primary elections had exposed some discrepancies that needed to be rectified.
Others who contested in the primary elections were Lawrence Muroyiwa, Nathan Matemera, Rodwell Zinyemba, Faith Chisango and Brain Nyaguse.

MDC-T Bulawayo East legislator Thabitha Khumalo yesterday stormed Njube Hall topless after violence erupted at the party’s district rally yesterday.
She briefly disrupted an address by the party’s vice president Thokozani Khupe, alleging she was undressed by police officers. Party leader Morgan Tsvangirai who was supposed to address the rally, had returned to Harare, where MDC-T officials said he had to deal with a crisis at the party’s headquarters.
The streets of Njube turned into a battlefield as MDC-T youths fought among themselves, accusing each other of being “Zanu-PF spies.” Baton-wielding police officers moved swiftly to restore order. A number of youths sought refuge at the police station as their colleagues bayed for their blood.
Senior party officials that include national organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe, national chairperson Lovemore Moyo, and Khupe seemed unmoved when Khumalo, clad in her bra, burst into the hall with a group of youths.
Bhebhe waved an agitated Khumalo aside saying: “We will deal with that later,” as Khupe continued with her address.
Khumalo alleged three other women were stripped naked by what she claimed were Zanu-PF supporters. A number of MDC-T supporters, however, said she gave her T-shirt to one of the women who were allegedly stripped.
Khumalo fumed: “We’re talking of Women’s Day and you are undressing women and they’re walking stark naked because there’re people with an upper hand. I’ve three women at the police station who had their clothes removed by Zanu-PF supporters.”
In her address Khupe admitted there were divisions in the party. She said power hungry members would not be tolerated in the party.
“Don’t be power driven, let’s be focused, our aim is to remove Zanu-PF from power. We’ve some elements in the party who joined the party to get leadership positions.”
“There are also some elements who think they’ve people here, no one owns anyone in this party, we’re here because of you so as from today no-one can come here and say that these are my people,” said Khupe.
She denounced the MDC Veteran Activists Association (VAA) saying it was sowing divisions in the party.
“We’re saying to VAA you cannot create structures within the party but you can be an affiliate group to the party, subscribing to the provincial leadership.
“We’re saying to the veterans use your energy to fight for the cause that saw the establishment of the party,” said Khupe.
Also present at the rally were national youth chairman Happymore Chidziva, Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo, his deputy Councillor Gift Banda, other councillors and the MDC-T provincial leadership.
Suspended Bulawayo provincial vice chairperson Dorcas Sibanda was conspicuous by her absence at yesterday’s rallies.
Lovemore Moyo said the party was fraught with divisive elements.
“We’ve heard your cries that there is indiscipline and we’ve moved forward to ensuring discipline in the party. We want to assure that my office will change things,” said Moyo.
The party officials denounced party legislators Matson Hlalo, Reggie Moyo and Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, who won seats on the MDC-T ticket but later defected to other formations. chronicle

Lawmakers of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formation led by Morgan Tsvangirai stormed out of parliament on Thursday after acting Speaker of Parliament, Reuben Marumahoko, blocked Kuwadzana East legislator Nelson Chamisa from introducing a motion to discuss the alleged abduction of Occupy Africa Unity Square leader and pro-democracy activist Itai Dzamara early this week.

Mkoba lawmaker Amos Chibaya attracted the ire of the acting speaker when he led his colleagues in singing a song denouncing the system after Marumahoko refused to give Chamisa’s motion the nod. He was ejected from the House shortly afterwards and members of his party stormed out in protest.
Chamisa’s said Dzamara’s disappearance was an issue of national concern hence his motion. He said he was disappointed by the acting speaker’s decision to postpone the motion to next Tuesday.
Earlier Marumahoko had said the matter had been adequately answered yesterday when Justice Minister and Deputy President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Dzamara’s abductors would be brought to book. Mnangagwa was responding to questions from lawmakers.
Chamisa said parliament cannot conduct business as usual when Dzamara has not been accounted for.
MDC -T chief whip Innocent Gonese addressed his colleagues after the walkout. He said given past cases of political violence where activists were abducted and found dead later, Dzamara’s case was of national importance and should be discussed in Parliament.
Dzamara was abducted by suspected state security agents on Monday and there has been no word about his whereabouts since.
Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba says the police are investigating Dzamara’s alleged kidnapping but she did not have any fresh information today. Pressure has been mounting on Harare to find Dzamara or to release him if he’s being held by state security agents. The civil society has also been calling for his immediate release. VOA

Am currently marooned inside Harvest House, the MDC headquarters. An armoured police vehicle with some 40 or so policemen is right at the entrance while about 50 armed police are at the back of the building. There are about 12 of us still inside the building. They are saying they want a police helmet and a baton, without explaining where, how and why those things should be inside the building. When I tried to go out, about 10 armed riot police charged towards me, saying no one will go out of the building without the police getting their helmet and baton. Cry, the beloved country, under the AU and SADC chair.  

– Luke Tamborinyoka, Morgan Tsvangirai’s Spokesperson.

 
Zimbabwe’s main opposition party said Thursday that police had closed its headquarters, arguing that they were doing so because they feared an upswing in popular violence following the alleged abduction of an anti-government activist.
Police are investigating the disappearance on Monday of former journalist Itai Dzamara. The government has denied claims by the opposition that he was abducted by state security agents.
The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said police had closed its headquarters following a rally demanding Dzamara’s release on Wednesday.
“Heavily armed police have barricaded our headquarters,” with several party members unable to come out, MDC representative Obert Gutu said. He also accused police of assaulting more than 13 party members after Wednesday’s rally.
There was no immediate comment from the government. Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba defended the heavy police presence in Harare’s central business district, saying police needed to maintain order following the protest, which left at least seven people injured.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai cut short a visit to southern Zimbabwe.
Representatives of civil society organizations meanwhile said they would pressure the Southern African Development Community and the African Union to remove President Robert Mugabe as their chairman if Dzamara did not return.
Mugabe, 91, is the only leader Zimbabweans have known since independence from Britain in 1980.
Sapa-dpa

The seemingly “ever-shifting” Zimbabwean government has announced it is grabbing all diamond mining operations in the country.
In a move likely to further discourage already strained foreign investment, and this being the fourth time that government has shifted its policies in less than 10 years, the Ministry of Mines has announced that all diamond mining operations in the country are now to come under one firm in which the state will have a 50 percent shareholding. Mines minister Walter Chidhakwa announced on Thursday, adding that the miners have until Monday to accept the proposal.
President Robert Mugabe’s government has stakes of varying degrees in all firms operating in the Marange fields on the eastern border with Mozambique, but the new proposal could see Rio Tinto Plc’s Murowa Diamonds, which operates in south-central Zimbabwe, coming under government control.
Murowa, 78 percent owned by Rio, with the balance owned by Zimbabwean-listed spin-off RioZim, produced 344,000 carats of predominantly gem-quality diamonds in 2014.
Chidhakwa told a parliamentary portfolio committee on youth indigenization and economic empowerment that the state would own 50 percent of the new entity, which would include seven miners in Marange.
“At some point we started by saying we will first merge Gye Nyame and Kunesa concession into Marange. But we have realized that it is actually better just to bring everybody together in the first instance,” Chidhakwa said.
Gye Nyame Resources, a joint venture between the state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) and Bill Minerals, represented by Ghanaian businessman William Ato Essien, had its licence revoked last year due to insolvency and failure to adhere to environmental requirements.
The company, which was granted mining concessions in Marange in 2011, was placed under final judicial management last June.
Other miners in the Chiadzwa area include Marange Resources, Diamond Mining Company (DMC), Anjin, Jinan and Mbada Diamonds.
“The new structure was given to them on Monday to consult their boards of directors. They will be coming back on Monday to tell us the outcome of their discussions with their boards. But we are very clear, this is a regulatory matter and we have said to them the only way you can participate in diamond mining in Zimbabwe is by being in this company,” Chidhakwa said.
He added that said government was ready to buy out mining companies that are not willing to be part of the consolidated unit.
“If you do not want to be in this company, we might have to work out ways, methods of parting ways, the kind of compensation that we need to give to those who may not want to participate in this company,” he said.
“I expect that on Monday, we will be meeting with the companies so that we hear the positions of their shareholders and we know who will be proceeding into the future and who will not be with us as we go into the future.”
He said while some mining companies have run out of alluvial diamonds deposits at some concessions allocated to them, Zimbabwe still has viable reserves of the precious stones.
“Because government already owned 50 percent in each and every one of these companies except in the case of Murowa but Murowa was also expected to comply with the indigenization and economic empowerment act,” he said.
The mining sector had been the most dynamic sector of Zimbabwe’s economy over the last five years, with an average annualised growth of 35 percent.
“We are not cancelling their mining licences but that would be ultra vires the law but we are saying let us together form one big company and you own a lesser percentage of a bigger company. Getting all this to be agreed upon and getting all the shareholders to buy in is a process that you must go through so that as you forward, you move forward with everybody,” Chidhakwa said.

The Marange-Zimunya community has threatened to stop all diamond mining activities in Chiadzwa to compel firms operating in the area to honour their US$50 million pledge to the community share ownership scheme.
There are five diamond mining companies operating in Chiadzwa and all have failed to honour the US$50 million pledge to the community share ownership scheme.
Acting Chief Marange said traditional leaders cannot stop the community any more from interfering with mining activities as the diamond companies appear to be disregarding authorities of the land.
The Chairman of the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Scheme, Chief Zimunya said there is no excuse for diamond mining companies to fail to pay their dues to the trust as the companies are extracting the resource day and night.
The Minister of State for Manicaland Province, Mandi Chimene said government should put punitive measures to force the mining companies to comply.
The Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Scheme was launched by President Robert Mugabe in July 2012 and on the occasion, the diamond mining companies pledged US$50 million.
Only US$400 000 has been released.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Walter Chidhakwa has blamed the previous Ministers of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment for not following proper procedures on the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust.
Chidhakwa said there is so much confusion in the whole issue, hence the need to bring all stakeholders together and deliberate on the way forward.
“There is so much confusion and there is need to correct some of the things which were not done properly as miners maintain they were not consulted, hence non-movement for the community share trust,” he said.
This response came after the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment chaired by Gokwe Nembudziya legislator, Justice Mayor Wadyajena summoned Minister Chidhakwa to give his side of the story.
“We have heard about US$10 million meant for all companies or it was meant for one company as literature also points different figures of between US$5 million and US$10 million. Things have not been done properly,” said Wadyajena.
Legislators took the minister to task by producing correspondence between the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the Ministry of Youth Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment.
In all the circus, the biggest losers are the local people as the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust has failed to take off owing to non-funding.

The European Union said reluctance by President Robert Mugabe to realign laws with the new constitution was promoting gross human rights violations like the abduction and disappearance of human rights activist Itai Dzamara early this week.
For this reason the Western bloc said it was pouring  $1.28 million to  support  the country’s judiciary system so that it becomes ‘consolidated’ and fully equipped   to carry out its constitutional role of   ‘promoting democracy and rule of law’.
“What we need to do and what we shall do, very shortly, in partnership again with the civil society, the Parliament and the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentarian Affairs, is to provide support to the Judicial Service Commission to contribute to an improved administration of justice,” EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe Philippe Van Damme, told delegates witnessing the launch the support to constitutional alignment process in Harare Thursday.
The funding which will go for  two years will be  be channelled through the Centre for Applied Legal Research and directed to provide technical support to the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for technical support.
EU said they were also going to fund the establishment  o f independent commissions  prescribed by  the  new constitution and  equip them.
“What we will do in the next steps, is make sure that the Constitutional Commissions are established and receive the human and financial means to fulfil their constitutional mandate in an independent way, and design a sector-wide approach to support the judiciary system in its various dimensions, in order to consolidate democracy, the respect for the human rights, the rule of law,” Ambassador Van Damme pledged.
EU and other western donors supported the country’s constitution making process during the tenure of the inclusive government which led to the adoption of the new Charter nearly one and a half years ago.
 

Grace Mugabe’s future  distant and  near, looks very dark after she was stripped into the open by expelled ZANU PF Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa.
Mutasa in his most latest correspondences to Grace’s husband, Robert, serialised Grace Mugabe’s moral failures in both depth and detail that now create a master-precedent for future lawsuits against her with or without her husband.
The revelations now legally empower every Minister, and other party  officials fired through her cyclonic tirade  who can now sue her for impropriety, legal analysts said Thursday.
In a damning letter written to Mugabe at the end of January this year, Mutasa also said the nonagenarian had done absolutely nothing to date to mitigate the ructions bedevilling the party, as well as the chaos spawned by his wife.
“The nationwide rallies and meetings conducted by the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe became divisive and acrimonious, directly threatening party leaders and members perceived to be associated with the party Vice President and second secretary Amai Joice Teurai Ropa Mujuru.
“Contrary to expectations that your excellency would intervene objectively and restore sanity; you ominously joined the fray and became judge and juror, over all and sundry,” Mutasa said.
Grace entered mainstream politics last year, following her unexpected nomination to lead Zanu PF’s Women’s League.
But Mutasa, in his letter — which is an annexure to the Constitutional Court application that he filed together with his nephew Temba Mliswa challenging their disputed expulsion from Parliament last week — believes Grace’s entrance into politics was a major source of the problems bedevilling the party, particularly when she embarked on her controversial “Meet the people” rallies around the country.
During the rallies, Grace ruthlessly savaged a number of party bigwigs — chiefly Mujuru — accusing them of corruption and planning to topple her 91-year-old husband from power.
In the letter, Mutasa said pursuant to Grace’s utterances at her rallies, several party cadres perceived to be linked to Mujuru had been booted out from their offices through irregular votes of no confidence.
He described the purges as “unprocedural and unconstitutional”.
“The nomination process for central committee positions was fraught with intimidation, threats of violence, violence, repression and as such, in no way, could it have been free, fair and constitutional.
“Constitutional amendments were railroaded before the congress in direct contravention of the constitutional provisions that regulate such amendments, in particular Article 30 of the party Constitution read with Section 253,” Mutasa said.
He said the events in the period prior to, during, and after the congress resulted in the forced removal of constitutionally-elected party leaders in nine out of 10 provinces.
“The politburo and central committee meetings immediately preceding that congress were shrouded in threats, fear and total failure to express individual opinion.
“This is based on the glaring summary suspensions, expulsions and direct malicious accusations of treason and singularisation of individuals by the president,” Mutasa said.
He added that the actions resulted in a “highly divided party, illegal and unconstitutional structures in Zanu PF with no legal basis to form a credible government”.
“Your Excellency, sanity needs to be restored in the party and we appeal to you to decisively take the necessary and corrective actions for the welfare of the party and nation.
“We are confident of your desire to expeditiously resolve this fundamental and critical matter for the good of the valiant liberation party and legacy,” Mutasa said.
Mutasa also queried the way the ruling party’s congress delegates had been accredited, adding that the way the issue had been handled disregarded Zanu PF’s standing rules and procedures.
“Numerous elected leaders were barred from attending that congress through direct and unrestrained threats to their safety and well-being.
“Several members and senior leaders of Zanu PF, including myself, do not regard that December meeting as a congress,” he asserted.
Mutasa, together with former Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, have since filed a High Court application seeking to nullify the congress.
“The present application is one that seeks a declaration to the effect that the first respondent (Zanu PF)’s congress that was held in December 2014 was a nullity and was held in breach of the respondent’s own constitution.
“Connected to the illegality of the congress is the unlawfulness and unconstitutionality of certain appointments and decisions that were made and of certain constitutional amendments that were made,” Mutasa said in his High Court affidavit. (DailyNews/Additional Reporting)

President Robert Mugabe is keeping his loyalists on tenterhooks as he delays replacing ministers he fired following a brutal purge, triggering frenzied jostling in his divided Zanu PF.
The party’s merciless purges, targeted at ex-vice president Joice Mujuru and her perceived loyalists — have claimed 17 ministers and deputies amid fears that residual elements linked to the widowed ex-VP could also be dropped from Cabinet.
“The President should reward those who worked for the party against Mai Mujuru and all those who wanted to remove him from power. We know the ‘gamatox’ (Mujuru loyalists) ministers and they should be chucked out from Cabinet,” said a source.
Ministers, who are still in government, linked to Mujuru include Sydney Sekeramayi (Defence), David Parirenyatwa (Health and Child Care), Lazarus Dokora (Education) and Andrew Langa (Sports and Recreation).
With the Constitution limiting Mugabe to appointing ministers from a pool of legislators in Parliament, the nonagenarian is presently limited to pick from those who were either elected during the 2013 elections or he appointed.
As it is, the Daily News is reliably informed that Mugabe might be forced to bring back some of the fired deputies who have thus far demonstrated unbridled loyalty to him and his increasingly powerful wife Grace.
“Three deputy ministers are coming back. Look at Tongai Muzenda (axed deputy minister of Labour) he is the son of the late vice president Simon Muzenda and there is pressure for him to be brought back because he has remained loyal to the president,” said the source.
Mugabe has thus far fired, Didymus Mutasa (Presidential Affairs minister), Webster Shamu (Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services), Francis Nhema (Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment), Olivia Muchena (Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development), Dzikamai Mavhaire (Energy and Power Development), Nicholas Goche (Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare), Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs minister) and Munacho Mutezo (Energy and Power Development deputy minister).
While Mugabe has come up with replacements for most of the Cabinet posts, he is still to name the new minister of Women and Gender Affairs — with his wife Grace, who is now the secretary for women affairs in Zanu PF, likely to be appointed to the post.
Among those who have also been axed from government are, Flora Buka, minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Paul Chimedza deputy minister of Health and Child Care, Sylvester Nguni minister of State in former vice president Mujuru’s office), Muzenda, Petronella Kagonye deputy minister Transport, Fortune Chasi deputy minister of Justice and Tendai Savanhu the deputy minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement deputy minister.
But Mugabe has kept those accused of belonging to the Mujuru faction guessing and on the other hand Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s camp is keen on ensuring that they benefit from the reshuffle through appointments to influential posts.
Because of the looming reshuffle, many people are mudslinging and there is a raging war to discredit other people who have remote links to Mujuru, sources said.
The sources in Zanu PF accused Mugabe of taking long in rewarding his foot soldiers who “smoked out Mujuru” before the party’s controversial congress held in December last year.
“There are a lot of ‘gamatoxes’ (Mujuru supporters) that still need to be smoked out of Cabinet, as well as the key security sector and the civil service if factionalists are to be defeated once and for all,” said a party official close to Mnangagwa. daily news

The trial of Abundant Life Global Ministries pastor, Danmore Magorimbo entered day three with the state seeking clarification on a voice conversation transcript brought in as evidence.
Magorimbo is facing charges of indecent assault, attempted rape and rape but is denying all the three charges.
The trial kicked off with the state asking the complainant what Magorimbo was referring to when he was recorded saying ‘God told me the sacrifice must be dry and skin to skin,’ to which the complainant answered ‘the pastor wanted unprotected sexual intercourse with her.’
The state represented by Michael Reza also asked the complainant why the accused said it was tough to have sexual intercourse with her, and she replied that he knew that what he was doing was wrong.
The state further questioned the complainant why Magorimbo said she (the complainant) must not cause harm to the man of God and why he felt threatened when he had consensual sexual intercourse and she replied that, the accused person has been gripped by fear and wanted her not to take action as he knew what he did was wrong.
The pastor was recorded telling the complainant that, “Heavens sat down and sought how to enforce you. How it will assist you to fight and it saw it fit you to take power from the man of God. That is why it has to be dry, because heavens saw it fit that you lead the life of a man of God, life is in the blood and you know sperms are blood, it was God’s will so don’t take it lightly.”
The state said the statement proves the accused had sexual intercourse with the complainant and wanted to instil fear into her.
Magorimbo is alleged to have raped the complainant after tricking her that by having sexual intercourse with her, he will be able to drive away evil spirits allegedly unleashed on her by her husband.
-ZBC

FORMER Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono has been sued at the High Court in Harare over a $2,2 million debt, barely two weeks after Oasis Motors approached the same court over a $1,5 million debt.
This brings the total amount Gono is being sued for at the High Court over his failure to pay debts to $3,7 million. In the latest case, a South African company, ASP Marketing CC, alleges that Gono, who is the director of Lunar Chickens, entered into various agreements for the supply of maize and soya beans that would be used to produce feed for the poultry business.
Lunar Chickens did not pay for the delivery, resulting in ASP Marketing approaching the High Court for an order compelling the poultry firm to settle the debt.
A fortnight ago, Gono made headlines over failure to pay a $1,5 million debt to Oasis Motors for vehicles he purchased for Lunar Chickens staff in 2010.
ASP director Alida Aletta Craukamp deposed a founding affidavit chronicling how Gono entered into the agreements for maize and soya beans deliveries and ended up failing to pay.
Craukamp said her company was in the business of purchasing and selling agricultural products like maize, soya beans and maize bags.
Gono, according to Craukamp, met ASP officials at his New Donnington Farm in Norton and they sealed a deal for the supply of maize to Lunar Chickens at the price of $395 per metric tonne.
Each delivery, according to the agreement, would be separately invoiced and payment would be done by telegraphic transfer within 60 days from the date of presentation of the invoice.
Between December 2009 and May 2010, ASP delivered to Gono 2,209,72MT of white maize at the agreed price. Lunar Chickens also signed another agreement in which it received 2,966,07MT of soya beans at the price of $495 per MT between June and July 2010 from ASP.
Several other consignments of grain were delivered to Lunar Chickens, but Gono failed to comply with the payment agreements, resulting in the matter spilling into the courts.
In respect of maize deliveries, ASP issued and presented its invoices to Lunar Chickens, but payment was not done within the stipulated 60-day period.
For soya bean deliveries, the deadline for payment was end of August 2010.
ASP officials met Gono in South Africa in 2011 and he undertook to pay the debt with interest.
In the same year, Gono acknowledged the debt and paid $140 000, leaving a balance of more than $2,2 million.
Despite demand, Gono has refused or failed to pay the debt, it is alleged.
Responding to the application, Lunar Chickens chief executive officer Velenjani Lupankwa argued that ASP had adopted the wrong route in claiming the debt.
He submitted that Clause 14 of the parties’ agreement stated that disputes of breach of contract should be referred for arbitration in South Africa and not the local High Court.
Lupankwa argued that the agreement relied upon was an illegal one as it infringed Section 11 of the Exchange Control regulations of 1996.
The company argued that no exchange control authority had been obtained to allow Lunar Chickens to send money outside the country and that the High Court cannot be asked to sanction an illegality. Lunar Chickens argued that ASP, being a foreign company, failed to pay security of costs rendering the application fatal.
Lunar Chickens also argued that ASP sued the wrong party as it dealt with New Donnington Farm (Pvt) Ltd and RT Feeds in the agreements.
It was also stated in the opposing papers that the three-year period stipulated under the Prescription Act as the period in which a claim may be made had since lapsed and that the claim must be dismissed.
Litigation, according to Lunar Chickens, ought to have been instituted at least by July 25, 2013. Lunar Chickens also argued that the maize and soya beans were imported without paying customs duty.
Gono, according to Lunar Chickens, had no authority to act on behalf of the company when he dealt with ASP, hence the company that was sued had nothing to do with the case.
Lunar Chickens denied ever dealing with ASP, urging the court to dismiss the application with costs. herald

Dodgy Employees from the Ministry of Land and Rural Resettlement have pocketed more than $61 000 after illegally selling land to desperate land seekers. Eight employees allegedly sold land to unsuspecting people in need of farms.  Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Dr Douglas Mombeshora confirmed the incident, adding the suspects have been suspended from work.
The matter is now with police who are  investigating the case.
“All the cases were related to corruption involving illegal selling of land. The employees were working as syndicates with some people who were not employed in the ministry. I believe the money collected from the land seekers could be above $61 000. Some of the land seekers paid for land using cattle and goats. They were made to pay money ranging from $100 to $7 000 per individual,” he said.
The employees are from Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Matabeleland South and one from the ministry’s headquarters in Harare.
Minister Mombeshora said the employees were arrested after the affected people made reports.
In some cases, the illegal land dealers were trapped. Minister Mombeshora discouraged people from seeking farms through unprocedural means.
“It is difficult to deal with issues of corruption. This case involves two parties, the land officer and the land seeker,” he said. “Most of the people who were duped knew that what they were doing was illegal.
“We have been to the districts and provinces telling people on the correct procedures of acquiring land.
“One has to apply and be on the waiting list. Land is for free and no one should pay any money even for transport or fuel. The moment someone asks for money it becomes an illegal deal,” he said.
Dr Mombeshora said land seekers were sometimes forced to pay for transport and fuel costs by illegal land dealers.
There are more than 500 000 people on the waiting list. -State Media

•    200 workers to be rendered jobless
•    Weekly production of 100 000 day old chicks stopped
In a development that has shocked the business community around Masvingo, Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi who has a derelict farm about 5km from Masvingo City has grabbed a productive hatchery project 20km away on the eastern shorelines of Lake Mutirikwi.
The move will see 200 workers at the farm owned by Hellen Mitchell losing jobs and a vibrant project which is the sole supplier of 100 000 day old chicks per week to Masvingo, Midlands and Manicaland provinces being shut down.
Mitchell has been given three months to wind up.
Barquest Farm is the only remaining meaningful industry in Masvingo after mostly Zanu PF politicians took over and destroyed every economic activity including conservancies that created thousands of jobs for Zimbabweans who are now economic refugees in their millions in South Africa and other countries.
Mitchell said she was not commenting on the matter.
Shattered workers were milling around the farm when The Mirror visited last week not sure what will happen next. Some of them were close to tears when they were approached for interviews.
Mzembi who is not new to such controversies confirmed the move to The Mirror. He said he would keep the Mitchells on the land but added that would also run a similar multi-million dollar project on the farm.
He said the peri-urban Farm near Stop Over which he ran derelict was his personal asset and he had title deeds to it. He said Barquest Farm was being given to him by Government under the land resettlement programme.
Asked why he could not do the same chicken project on the farm that he ran derelict, Mzembi said his project there was sabotaged by rogue elements who came and throttled 30 000 birds to death. He said all the birds were killed in one night.
This is not the first publicly known project run by Mzembi to fail. He used to have a supermarket in the city centre called BW which was also run down until workers failed to get salaries. The building is now abandoned and an eyesore.
Mzembi also made headlines in February 2013 when he and former MP Irvine Dzingirai declared that they had grabbed Renco Mine which is probably Masvingo’s biggest mining venture. There was a public outcry and the two only moved out of the mine after the court declared their move illegal.
The current land grab at Barquest is also not the first time that Mzembi has been linked to interests in the land around the Lake area. Sometime last year, the newly installed Chief Boniface Musara told The Mirror that it was Mzembi who worked to ensure that Musara was installed chief in that area. Musara was installed chief late last year.
Musara said he and Mzembi were from the same clan and that whole area around the lake and Masvingo peri-urban used to belong to their forefathers.
However, Chief Chikwanda and his people of the Vaduma totem are viciously resisting the appointment. In December last year Chief Chikwanda’s advisers resolved to approach Shuvai Mahofa and Josiah Hungwe as Zanu PF godfathers in Masvingo to have Musara’s chieftainship reversed.
Chief Musara was reportedly present when Mzembi and security agents went to the farm last week to announce the takeover.
Mzembi’s offer was signed by the Minister of Lands and Rural Settlements Dr Douglas Mombeshora.
When contacted for comment Mombeshora said those who think black farmers cannot be good farmers are from the opposition.
“As Zanu PF government we believe we should empower black farmers in the same manner the British and Ian Smith governments supported their farmers. Those who think black farmers are not good are from the opposition.”
However, MDCT Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora rubbished Mombeshora’s comment and said the new wave of farm invasions by Zanu PF was the last nail on their coffin.
“That’s total rubbish. It doesn’t need a rocket scientist to see that that’s the final on Zanu PF’s coffin. They have run down the economy and they are soon going to reach a dead end. After this where do they go,” said Mwonzora.
Mzembi has been inconsistent in as far as fresh land invasions are concerned. He was recently attacking his colleagues in Zanu PF for invading conservancies and thereby tarnishing the tourism industry abroad. Analysts also said that Zanu PF was contradicting its ZIMASSET goal of creating two million jobs by 2018 when it allows the loss of 200 jobs at Barquest Farm just to please one man who claims a piece of land simply because his forefather either stayed or passed through there.
Masvingo is the most deindustrialised town in Zimbabwe since the beginning of the land reform programme. The whole industry except a few hotels tottering on the brink has closed down.
The analysts also said the Mitchells who have financially supported Zanu PF over the years have learned the hard way about the Zanu PF politics.
“Let me put the record right. I am not invading the farm neither am I trying to push the Mitchells out but I was just allocated the farm. It’s unfortunate that currently their buildings are on that gazetted piece of land but I am willing to work with them. I am going to have the same project on the farm and I am going to invest over 1 million Euros.
“The other farm you are referring to is my personal farm and I have title deeds for that farm. I only abandoned that poultry project after some rogues strangled over 30 000 birds on the farm,” said Mzembi. – Mirror

A WHITE commercial farmer from Insiza District, Bruce Moffat, who is the grandson cousin-relation of former Rhodesian Prime Minister, Ian Smith was yesterday ordered to vacate Oaklands Farm which was acquired by the government for resettlement.
Moffat, grandson to Howard Unwin Moffat, Southern Rhodesia’s second premier from 1927 to 1933, was dragged to court by a Bulawayo woman, Sibongile Shava for refusing to vacate Oaklands Farm which was acquired by the government and sub-divided into three sections to accommodate newly resettled farmers in 2010.
The Moffats are cousin brother-relatives to the country’s last white Prime Minister, Ian Smith.
Sibongile, a widow of the late Vice-President Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo’s driver, Colleen Shava, was allocated Sub-division Two of the farm, but Moffat disputed her ownership of the property. He argued that he was in possession of a recommendation letter issued by officials from the lands office in Filabusi authorising him to retain two thirds of the farm.
Magistrate Singandu Jele ruled that Moffat’s letter could not supersede Shava’s offer letter, which was signed by the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Douglas Mombeshora. “The recommendation letter that the defendant produced in court can’t supersede an offer letter and as such Moffat can’t remain in occupation of Oaklands Farm. You’re accordingly ordered to vacate the farm forthwith,” said Jele.
Shava had approached the Small Claims courts seeking an order to evict Moffat from the property.
According to the summons, Moffat was cited as the defendant while Shava is the plaintiff.
In her claim, Shava sought the eviction of the white farmer whom she accused of arrogance.
“My plaintiff’s claim is that Bruce Moffat be evicted from my farm. I’ve tried to talk to him but he refuses to communicate with me insisting that I should talk to his lawyer,” she said.
Shava said Moffat refused to recognise her offer letter from the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement.
“Despite producing my offer letter, which I was given by officials from the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement in Filabusi, Moffat is refusing to vacate my farm, arguing that it isn’t genuine, which is why I had to resort to the courts seeking recourse,” Shava said.
Moffat queried the authenticity of the document, arguing that it lacked a date stamp among other things.
Moffat also argued that the Small Claims had no jurisdiction to handle the dispute because of the value of the land. According to the Small Claims Court Act, the court cannot handle cases involving money or property whose value is in excess of $10, 000.
However, in response, Jele said in the event that the land is acquired by the State it ceases to have value in terms of the Agricultural Land Settlement Act.
Oakland Farm has been at the centre of controversy since 2013 when Shava was allocated the land by the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement. She was given her offer letter on June 6, 2014.
According to the letter, which is in The Chronicle’s possession, Shava was offered Subdivision Two of the 216-hectare farm. chronicle

Retired judge and former Judge President, Justice Wilson Sandura has died.  He was 74.

Justice Sandura died at the Avenues Clinic in Harare where he was receiving treatment after being involved in an accident on the 27th of February this year.

A legal practitioner, Tendai Ammon Toto described the retired judge as a professional who left a legacy in the law profession and the country at large. Toto said the law profession has learnt the death of Justice Sandura with shock, saying there is no doubt he contributed immensely in post independence Zimbabwe’s law development.

Justice Sandura retired from the bench on the 29th of July 2011 at the age of 70.  In 1989, he became prominent when he presided over a commission to investigate the abuse of office by government officials in acquiring motor vehicles through Willowvale motors.  The high profile case became known as the Willowgate scandal.

Democracy activist Itai Dzamara is reported to have been found at Harare Central Police Station Wednesday afternoon, but the reports have not been verified.
A message circulated on Wednesday claimed that the 36 year old man has been located inside the cells. This came just as photographs of the dead body of a burnt man of the same height as him was circulated on social networks.
ZimEye.com had at 4PM been promised to receive an official statement by Police Spokesperson Charity Charamba who said she would issue it out in an hour’s time but her telephone number became unreachable shortly afterwards.
The Central Intelligence Organisation’s agents are said to have abducted the activist and journalist when he went missing in Harare’s Glen View outpost on Monday morning.
Dzamara was violently apprehended by five unknown men at a barber shop as on Monday morning who sped from the scene in a white Isuzu twin cab vehicle according to witnesses. His abductors were travelling in that bakkie vehicle which had a “blurred” number plate, the Lawyers for Human Rights’ group said.
Witnesses have said the men accused him of stealing a cow.
On the day of his abduction, Dzamara’s phone was ringing continuously without being answered. The following day, Tuesday it responded as having been switched off just as his wife and family struggled to know his whereabouts.
While a social networking page speculated Wednesday with a photograph of a burnt man alleged to be that of Dzamara, the ZLHR reported that they “have since filed an urgent… application to compel whoever is holding Dzamara to bring him before the court so as to determine if he should really be in detention.”
Dzamara had been staging an on-off protest in central Harare calling for President Robert Mugabe to step down. Police in the capital beat him unconscious in November 2014, and attacked a rights lawyer who had gone to his defence.
Police Statement:
The Police told ZimEye.com on Wednesday afternoon they have launched “a massive search” to find facts on the abduction Itai Dzamara on Monday. A junior Police spokesperson told ZimEye.com “but at present the assailants are not known, and so we are doing out best.” The most senior of spokesperson Charity Charamba answering calls, told ZimEye.com she would communicate fully in an hour’s time Wednesday concerning Dzamara. “I am in a meeting at the moment, please call me back after an hour,” she said in part.

Several ZANU PF campaign posters seen splattered in and around Hwedza North, bearing an illustrious photograph of First Lady Grace Mugabe have sparked controversy amid growing belief that she is now the automatic successor of her husband for the Head of State position.

The large posters display Grace Mugabe in full colour ink in ways that have never been seen of a President’s wife since the days of the late Sally Mugabe.
Previously posters used to carry portraits of Robert Mugabe alone.
Grace at the end of last year vocally indicated there is no reason why she can not be made President of Zimbabwe: “They say I want to be president. Why not? Am I not a Zimbabwean?,” she said in a loud tirade against her detractors, two months before she appeared in the politburo last month flanking the President as a  deputy visual.
The posters come after Robert Mugabe last year attempted to reason with party colleagues saying, “Why do you not want the President’s wife to lead,” in an utterance interpreted to mean he means the headship of the entire nation.
The development has attracted an uproar from the public with some Zimbabweans on social networks screaming out obscenities in protest.
One Zimbabwean said the poster shocker indicates Grace is now far much higher than Mugabe himself and her predecessor Oppah Muchinguri who was Women’s League leader was never treated under such recognition.
“One thing I find striking is the presence of the current secretary for women’s affairs’ picture. was Cde Muchinguri’s picture ever used in that manner?”
 
One prolific Facebooker, burst out saying,  “I would rather die poor than licking another man or another woman’s **s. We all know who has taken us to this point in our lives. A past so cruel and a present so divisive and a future so bleak.
“Another chembere has been roped in wechidiki muchingopemberera nxaaaaa woke up folks you are being used.
“We want to talk about the future of Zimbabwe here. But the people being imposed to represent the masses does not show the future. They all represent the past.”
Meanwhile Mrs Mugabe has challenged the head of the army saying that post can be taken by a woman pick at any time

Zimbabwe’s Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku has fired a warning on Robert Mugabe  instructing him to refrain from publicly commenting on matters under consideration by the courts.
 
Chidyausiku in a grand statement the first of its kind in Zimbabwe’s history issued on a sitting Head of State, said Mugabe’s statements are in violation of the sub-judice court protocol bar.  Robert Mugabe last week abused his office and committed the highest contempt of court by threatening and also violating court protocol by saying the case raised by expelled party Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa and former Spokesman Rugare Gumbo was useless and any judge who even considers it for hearing must appear before him for questioning.
 
Mugabe went further denigrating the office of Zimbabwe’s honourable High Court judges saying he will have their qualifications questioned if they entertain the pair who are challenging their ouster from both party and leadership.
 
In a statement read on his behalf by the Chief Registrar of Superior Courts Mr Munamato Mutevedzi at a Press conference Tuesday, Justice Chidyausiku took a direct swipe at Mugabe saying the aged President should not seek to interfere with the administration of justice.
 
“The Chief Justice calls upon all to refrain from publicly commenting on matters under consideration by the courts in violation of the sub-judice rule,” said Chief Justice Chidyausiku.
He said the courts will not be swayed by the comments and that all the pending cases will be dealt with in terms of the law.
“Notwithstanding the comments and reports on pending matters, the Chief Justice reassures all that matters before the courts are and will be determined in accordance with nothing other than the law,” he said.
The head of the Judiciary said he issued the statement in response to comments carried in the public media regarding pending court cases.
“The Chief Justice notes with concern the proliferation in the public media of inappropriate comments on matters pending before the courts, contrary to the time honoured and internationally accepted practice of refraining from publicly commenting on matters that are sub-judice,” he said.
“However, such reports and comments must not seek to, or be perceived as seeking to prejudice, influence or interfere with the due administration of justice or fair trials of the matters reported on.”
Didymus Mutasa and former spokesperson Mr Rugare Gumbo have moved to seek the nullification of the ZANU PF December 2014 party’s congress and its outcome.
Addressing thousands of people gathered at Chinyika Ranch Ward 2 in Chirumanzu-Zibagwe Constituency to witness a ground-breaking technology, the exothermic (Alluminathemic) demonstration by African Chrome Field, President Mugabe last week reportedly said it would be interference with Zanu-PF’s internal matters if the Judiciary entertained the court challenge by Messrs Mutasa and Gumbo.
Professional Legal analysts reveal Mr Mutasa is now unlikely to get a fair court hearing following the President’s comments.
Constitutional lawyer Dr Alex Magaisa and University of Zimbabwe lecturer Professor Lovemore Madhuku also talked about the case, with Prof Madhuku being quoted as calling on Chief Justice Chidyausiku to issue a statement demanding that the Executive stops interfering with the Judiciary.
But Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo who has no legal training whatsoever said that the lawyers were misdirecting themselves in twisting the President’s statement. He said Mugabe was entitled to this legal defence, and was within his rights to challenge the court’s jurisdiction as a respondent in the matter. Moyo said it was entirely up to the court, which would hear the case, to determine whether or not it had the jurisdiction that had been wrongly presumed by Messrs Mutasa and Gumbo.
Legal analysts have however laid their full facts that Mutasa and Gumbo’s case has become compromised. More to follow…

…Today the world woke up to news pointing and suggesting that prolific activist Itai Dzamara has been murdered by the CIO. This development comes as the grand women’s boycott nears that Dzamara inspired when he wrote his master-letter to Robert Mugabe telling him to leave…. READ ON
 
A sixth and last letter to all women in Zimbabwe in preparation for the grand boycott!
“Passive resistance”
This is the sixth and last letter, a two days before the grand boycott starts.
This time we ask not only men/ husbands, brothers, sons, men friends, men in the police- and the armed forces of the Republic of Zimbabwe. We are extending our cause to the Honourable Members of Parliament in the opposition. We are saying to those Members of Parliament who are in the opposition please smell the coffee and come and join us in the Grand Boycott by not only staying away from Parliament but actually resigning and make the government of Zimbabwe collapse and we start all over again in the general elections.

Please Mai Mujuru, tell your fellow Members of Parliament who have been purged just like you to resign this March and bring that government to a standstill. Please President Tsvangirai, tell your Honourable Members of Parliament to resign from the sitting Parliament and bring that government to a standstill. Please Honourable Holland/Biti/Ncube/Mangoma, tell your sitting Members of Parliament to march out of Parliament and resign so as to make the government of Zimbabwe collapse and we start all over again and have credible elections without rigging.
Mai Mujuru, you have nothing to lose but all to gain if you told your fellow Members of Parliament not only to boycott Parliament but to actually resign from Parliament and call for fresh elections. If you did that you will make history for yourself and your legacy will be: it’s Mai Mujuru who brought down a despotic government that has no respect for other fellow citizens. Mai Mujuru, you lost your hubby, one, you lost your Vice Presidency, two, you lost your Parliament Seat, three, you lost the Zanu party membership, four, you are labelled a killer five, you are told you are now a witch, you solicited witch doctors to kill “The Great Leader” six. Now what is there to lose still if you told yourself that enough is enough? Parliament Speaker, Mudenda has shown us how hypocritical he can be to throw out Mutasa and Mliswa out of Parliament but not doing the same in the same situation with MDC-T MPs. It is the fear that Zanu PF the government will collapse if your MPs left the Parliament and resigned. Use this fear Mai Mujuru, let them fart on their dresses and trousers. This is yet a golden opportunity to bring change in Zimbabwe that will surprise you to capture that fear Zanu PF has and use it to change the statuesque forever.
President Morgan Richard Tsvangirai, instead of boycotting the By-elections, tell your MPs to resign and bring the government to a halt, to a standstill. Boycotting by-elections is not effective, you know this yourself. Why go for ineffective solutions and never consider very bold and effective moves to change government? You are no longer beholden of Zanu PF, Richard Morgan. The answer to Zimbabwe’s problems is right on your reach, you fail to act at the spur of the moment all the time the past 15 years as opposition leader. You can do two things, boycott By elections and tell your MPs to resign and the government will have no option but to call for elections, general elections Can’t you see this as the most possible solution to oust Zanu from power? Work together with Mai Mujuru and the renewal team that has MPs in Parliament too, to tell your MPs to resign and disable the Parliament. Do not think too much about the stomachs, sacrifice were it is effective once and for all.
Dear UMDC and your valued Members of Parliament, let’s bring change, make us all proud by working together with MDC-T and Mai Mujuru to all at the same time boycott _Parliament and also resign from Parliament and bring the government to a stop! There shall be a standstill that will set shock waves across Zimbabwe and inflict fear to the ruling Zanu PF, fear of change that will be inevitable only by your resignation from Parliament participation.
Let’s also think it at a different angle. This Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe is bloated. We have a President, two Vice Presidents, several Ministers, and numerous Members of Parliament. The good question what for? Which economy are they administrating as our economy is collapsed? The unemployment is 90% and companies are closing down every month. Is this bloated Parliament a way of giving people employment or what? If so then it shows very poor management skills on the part of an African government. How can we have such a big administrative government and with little or nothing to administrate? Ever since the Parliament sat after the elections what significant projects have been implemented by the Parliamentarians? Which department is designated to address the curse of rape cases that are rising by the day? What are the women Parliamentarians saying in Parliament about it?
Why do opposition members of Parliament continue to sustain the government they purport to hate with passion? It was understandable perhaps back then when Biti wrote a letter to Parliament speaker to halt their dismissal from Parliament following a letter from MDC-T to expel the Parliamentarians from the renewal team. The significance of it was going to be minimal indeed just scoring cheap political ends. Now we have a larger opposition in Parliament that can change and shift the politics if there is some political will from all opposition to change. Can you not see that the purging of Mai Mujuru out of Zanu is a blessing in disguise? God is giving us answers and we do not utilize those possibilities because of selfishness in politics, no less.
Please opposition Members of Parliament, we shall take you seriously if you boycott Parliament and also stage a blanket resignation of all opposition MPs and bring down this government openly and constitutionally. We shall then know you and respect you; you are politicians who serve the interest of the people of Zimbabwe.  Let your continued stay in parliament not be construed as the politics of the stomach, whereby you are saying “we are fine until the next elections; at least we have our monthly pay.” (Pangu pakanaka until 2018 elections) If that is so, then you will have demonstrated meanness in your politics. Then you are not servants of the people. You know better than me dear opposition Honourable Members of Parliament that millions of people especially in the country side and indeed in towns and cities are languishing in abject poverty unprecedented in the history of Zimbabwe. We are indeed a laughing stock in Africa and the world. We are people who know how to cry and show self-pity and nothing beyond crying. We run away from problems and seek asylum in far off countries. We cannot always run away from problems. Let’s face our government head on bring it down and change it to the democratic system that we all want. I am a text book case of one of those who thought staying in a far away country (Germany) will give me the freedom I yearned for. It is my conscience I could not silence. It constantly tells me that you must go back home and work hard for those young girls and boys who deserve better future in Zimbabwe.
We also ask the 90% unemployed citizens to be vigilant the whole of March. Taking to the streets will be harmful please do not go out into the streets and demonstrate. We do not want any more drop of blood as we have shed already enough of it the past 35 years. Taste the waters and see if the police and the armed forces are going out in the streets and demonstrating, bring down the rot Zanu PF government. Your support will be necessary in the event of any police and army demonstrations in towns and cities. We need more than courage to do this exercise. We need commitment and dedication to take this grand boycott to action. I do not know any section of our societies who are happy about what is happening politically in our country except those in the corridors of power, those who are eating and their stomachs are full because of dire selfishness. It is therefore very easy to take this grand boycott to action as everyone is just fed up with it all. God will hear our prayers and he will answer them by and by. Let’s take those opportunities He opens up for us to grab and utilize. This opposition Parliamentary boycott and collective resignation of MPs was an absolute opportunity never to be missed by any one person in the opposition party.
Dear women of Zimbabwe please see to it that you have enough food in the kitchen shelves as the day is coming that we want to use to bring change in the country we all love most. Remember we have only this one country. We cannot be in servitude for so long, it is not normal at all. Zimbabwe belongs to all of us and not selected few. We want the national resources shared equally to all citizens and not a few selected ones.  Let’s look and learn from other countries how they serve their citizens, we could do the same. We want development in the country and not these dilapidated infrastructures left to us by Ian Douglas Smith. We have never managed to do better or at least maintain them. Zimbabwe is now a byword for a failed state.
“I repeat; peaceful protests and industrial actions are the only way that is going to bring a change of government in Zimbabwe. Forget about the ZANU PF controlled ballot system“. By Zanda Shumba
Fasting during the time of boycott is essential as we are telling God to bring change in our lives. We cannot afford to live the lives of servitude for 35 years. We the citizens of Zimbabwe want to break the bondage and be free. We fast by giving up exactly what we think is very important in our spiritual lives, sex. Fasting is a holy and blessed time to talk to God in complete humbleness and dedication. We lift our heart and ask God to hear our humble prayers. I rest my case in you citizens of Zimbabwe.
Yimi Ugogo omncane
Ndini Chirikadzi Yenyu
Yes we can!
 
Nomazulu Thata is a political activist who resides in Germany. This call to boycott is a call to all women citizens of Zimbabwe of all political parties and non political oriented persons at the dawn of the International Women’s Day 2015. She can be contacted on: [email protected]

Dear Editor.
A Zimbabwean man was brutally beaten up assumably for mere public drinking. A source said, “I have contacted the ZRP through their Whatsapp hotline and they say they are aware of where it happened and I have impressed upon them to publicise the findings of their investigations, if any are being done. This is so inhumane!” VIDEO:

Zimbabwe’s much resented ruler Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace on Tuesday flew of Zimbabwe to Japan.
Sendai, Japan to attend the third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.
The meeting will run from the 14th to the 18th of this month, the State Media reported saying. Mugabe was seen off at the Harare International Airpiort by the two vice presidents, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekheze Mphoko, cabinet ministers, service chiefs and the Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Yayishi Tendai Herashimi.
At the meeting, Mugabe will join other world leaders, experts on disaster management and the United Nations family dealing with disaster risk reduction. Some issues to be discussed at the meeting include long term agreements on disaster risk reduction and measures to reduce the effects of climate change.
In his remarks in Harare ahead of the conference in Japan, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Ignatius Chombo said Zimbabwe will learn a lot from the summit.
Chombo said Zimbabwe has faced several natural disasters especially floods in Muzarabani and in Tokwe-Mukosi, adding that the forthcoming meeting will give Zimbabwe an opportunity to learn from world experts on disaster management. – State Media

In a circus development, another Zimbabwean bank has been indigenised just as the the rest of the country’s so called indigenised banks crumbled.
Report by Daily News:
Nedbank Group Limited (Nedbank)’s Zimbabwean unit MBCA Bank (MBCA) has been indigenised in line with the country’s empowerment policy.
The bank – 74 percent owned by the South African Nedbank – said its empowerment compliance plan was approved by Zimbabwe’s Indigenisation ministry.
Although President Robert Mugabe’s government has hinted that indigenisation thresholds will be on a sectorial basis, the country’s empowerment policy – enacted in 2008 – compels foreigners to cede majority shareholding to black locals.
While he did not give detail on the compliance plan, MBCA chairman Richard Zireva said in the institution’s financials for the year to December 2014 that all the preliminary processes were completed last year.
He said the bank’s empowerment plan – which had been under discussions for over a year – “was approved… during the course of the year and implementation is underway”.
MBCA is one of the four foreign-owned banks required to comply with the indigenisation policy, aimed at empowering economically disadvantaged Zimbabweans.
The other foreign owned banks are British-owned Barclays Zimbabwe and Standard Chartered Bank of Zimbabwe, and Stanbic Bank – a unit of South Africa’s Standard Bank.
Last year, the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe (Baz) indicated that foreign banks were yet to comply with the indigenisation policy due to authorities’ delays in approving their compliance plans. – Business Live
This is despite government’s pressure for the institutions to conform with the law, with former Empowerment minister Savior Kasukuwere giving them numerous ultimatums.
In December, businessdaily gathered that Nedbank planned to rename MBCA to Nedbank Zimbabwe sometime this year.
Charity Jinya, MBCA’s managing director, neither denied nor confirmed the plan.
“It is currently too early to confirm our plans on rebranding. We will advise you once definitive plans are in place,” she said at the time.
This came as two years ago, MBCA embarked on a partial rebranding exercise by changing its predominantly blue colour to green, a colour also used by Nedbank.
Then, the bank’s spokesperson Dedrey Mutimutema said they were partially rebranding in line with Nedbank’s strategies.
“Our plan is to align our activities, make up, and design with the rest of the Nedbank group,” she said.
Meanwhile, MBCA posted a 33 percent increase in profit after tax to $5,4 million for the period under review on the back of a rise in net interest income.
Profit after tax for MBCA grew from the 2013 figure of $4 million.
“This increase was attributable to $2,222 million growth in net interest income on the back on increased lending to our customers. The bank’s total income grew from $22,617 million to $25,5 million representing a 13% increase from the prior year,” MBCA managing director Charity Jinya said in the same statement.
The group’s operating expenses grew at a lower rate at 7,4 percent resulting in an increase in profit, with the balance sheet for the group at $188,936 million from $179,689 million due to repayments from major customers in the period under review.
Loans and advances constituted 49 percent of the total balance sheet compared to the same period 2013. Loans deposit ratio increase to 67 percent from 59 percent in 2013.
Jinya also said the operating environment continues to be challenging due to low investment inflows, lack of competitiveness and low levels of productivity.
Meanwhile, MBCA posted a 33 percent increase in profit after tax to $5,4 million for the period under review on the back of a rise in net interest income.
Profit after tax for MBCA grew from the 2013 figure of $4 million.
“This increase was attributable to $2,222 million growth in net interest income on the back on increased lending to our customers. The bank’s total income grew from $22,617 million to $25,5 million representing a 13% increase from the prior year,” MBCA managing director Charity Jinya said in the same statement.
The group’s operating expenses grew at a lower rate at 7,4 percent resulting in an increase in profit, with the balance sheet for the group at $188,936 million from $179,689 million due to repayments from major customers in the period under review.
Loans and advances constituted 49 percent of the total balance sheet compared to the same period 2013. Loans deposit ratio increase to 67 percent from 59 percent in 2013.
Jinya also said the operating environment continues to be challenging due to low investment inflows, lack of competitiveness and low levels of productivity.

The abduction and eventual murder-likely of Unity Square Protest activist Itai Dzamara took a twist when an enraged MDC_T leader Morgan Tsvangirai moved in to blast the government.
Tsvangirai broke his silence when he shoved away from his birthday celebrations on Tuesday announcing that he holds the ZANU PF controlled government responsible for the attack on Dzamara.
Below was his full statement:

Today is supposed to be my birthday and I never budgeted that on what was supposed to be my day of joy, I could end up talking about a morbid abduction and disappearance of an innocent citizen.
As a party, we fear for the worst.
The callous abduction of Itai Dzamara has come as a complete shock to me, to the MDC and to Zimbabweans at large.Only yesterday, we heard he was abducted from a hair salon and driven away in an Isuzu vehicle by five unknown men. Late afternoon yesterday, I received a call from his wife, saying Dzamara had been abducted and the family could not find him.
To the MDC family, his abduction and disappearance comes as a shock because at our rally at Zimbabwe Grounds on Saturday, he gave a solidarity speech in which he supported our call for action and protests against the deteriorating situation in the country.
We are in no doubt as to the perpetrators of this abduction. We hold Mugabe and his regime responsible for this morbid and senseless act. The President, who is also AU and SADC chair, cannot preside over a country where innocent citizens get abducted and disappear.
Only recently, the Vice President of the country was saying he was trained to shoot and kill. It is no wonder that with such reckless and misguided talk from the top leadership of the country, an innocent Zimbabwean is abducted in very suspicious circumstances.
We hold the State culpable. We hold Zanu PF responsible. We demand a full investigation and arrests of the culprits so that Zimbabweans can live in the comfort that we have a government that cares and takes seriously its responsibility to protect citizens.
The circumstances of Dzamara’s abduction are very familiar to the MDC family, which has lost many cadres in similar circumstance. Tonderai Ndira, Tichaona Chiminya, Beta Chokururama and many others have been abducted and in most cases found murdered. In 2008, many MDC activists were maimed, raped or murdered and seven years later, no single arrest has been made in connection with the crimes.
Today, in an almost similar script, Dzamara is abducted in broad daylight and that is why we fear for the worst. We thought this country had moved on and was past these barbaric and shameful acts. We thought we had moved to full civilization but it appears the leopard has remained faithful to its spots.
This is a morbid message to Zimbabweans, to SADC, to Africa and the broader international community that the demon is back; that violence remains very much part of our political culture.
We all know that Dzamara has been leading public but constitutional protests against the government, for which he has previously been brutally attacked by State security agents. For us, there is no wonder as to the identity of the people behind his abduction and disappearance.
Zimbabweans should join us in demanding that the truth be revealed about what has happened to this innocent man. We in the MDC demand nothing short of a full investigation and the immediate arrest of the perpetrators of this barbaric act.

A body suspected to be that of abducted outspoken government critic Itai Dzamara has been seen near Goromonzi-Harare turn off by the roadside.
Police officers are at the sight right now but they are chasing away and confiscating cameras of people near the scene, a source told ZimEye.com
Dzamara, formerly a journalist, was abducted on Monday morning by five men two days after he organised a successful anti Mugabe rally in Harare and had begun working with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
ZimEye.com could not at the time of writing verify from the photos that the body is truly that of Dzamara.
Meanwhile telephone calls to his mobile phone failed as it reported to be switched off. The previous day it had been ringing without being answered.
Goromonzi hosts the site where intelligence agents once tortured Econet Wireless founder Strive Masiyiwa when President Robert Mugabe fought to strip the businessman of his cellphone company innovation in the 90s.
…More to follow as details and the story unfold…

HIGH Court judge Justice Martin Makonese has bemoaned the disintegration of the family unit which has left many families and couples with no platform for settling disputes, leading to an upsurge in crimes of passion.
Officially opening the first session of the Hwange High Court circuit, Makonese said the breakdown in family referral pathways has often promoted violent crimes, which were being worsened by harsh economic conditions, among both poor people and the rich.
“It is my view that the general disintegration of the family unit coupled with harsh economic conditions has left many families or couples in distress with no platform for settlement of domestic disputes,” he said.
“What is of interest is that these crimes of passion occur among both the rich and poor.”
Makonese called on stakeholders such as traditional leaders, police, civic society and the general public to shun turning a blind eye to families and relationships in distress, but insisted courts would continue imposing stiffer sentences.
The media has been awash with reports of grisly passion murders committed because of misunderstandings arising from love triangles and extramarital affairs.
On Valentines’ Day, a disgruntled security guard gunned down his lover and her sister in Kariba before turning the gun on himself.
A few days later, a 30-year-old Wedza man committed suicide after axeing his wife to death following allegations of an extramarital affair.
Makonese noted the rise in divorce cases, which was further adding to the disintegration of the family unit, was a result of misunderstandings arising from prevailing economic conditions.
“While I’m still on matters of the family, it is saddening to note that divorce cases continue to increase,” he said.
“It seems that most relationships are being stretched by the prevailing economic conditions.
“I would urge couples to receive adequate counselling before entering into marriage contracts.
“In this regard, the church and traditional leaders have a duty to give moral direction to young couples.”
The Bulawayo High Court processed 474 divorce cases last year and dealt with an average of 10 unopposed cases every week.
A total of 13 murder cases are lined up to be heard during the circuit, including that of Wonder Munsaka from Binga who is alleged to have gruesomely murdered his wife in a domestic dispute before chopping off her head and putting it in a box. – SouthernEye

Mugabe heir-elusive Emmerson Mnangagwa has fired back at National Constitutional Assembly leader Professor Lovemore Madhuku who is seeking to nullify his appointment and that of Phelekezela Mphoko, the latter two, as Vice President’s of Zimbabwe.
Mnangagwa speaking on Monday labelled Madhuku a mischievous” fellow.
He pleaded with the public saying the challenge must be dismissed.
Madhuku last year challenged the VP appointments saying it was unconstitutional.
He is contesting the specific assignment of Mnagagwa and Mphoko to double their duties as Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation respectively.
Prof Madhuku argued that Section 103 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe does not allow serving Vice Presidents to hold any other public office.
In his founding affidavit, Prof Madhuku said the decision was against the will of the people who contributed to the crafting of the Constitution.
Prof Madhuku said since President Mugabe decided to work with one Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru in 2013 after his election, he cannot now make a U-turn and appoint two to replace Dr Mujuru.
However, in an opposing affidavit filed by the Attorney General’s Office recently, VP Mnangagwa urged the court to throw out the application.
“On the basis of the foregoing, I therefore, humbly submit that applicants’ application is not only entirely without merit, but is mischievous and it should, therefore, be dismissed with costs on the higher scale,” he said.
VP Mnangagwa scoffed at the application by Prof Madhuku saying such a substandard case was not expected of a professor.
“I have perused and understood the founding affidavit of Professor Lovemore Madhuku, the second applicant and respond thereto in the paragraphs that follow.
“I have, however, always assumed that the term ‘Professor’ which appears in his name was a professional title or designation, and not part of his name. No doubt, I was wrong in this assumption,” said VP Mnangagwa.
He defended President Mugabe’s actions saying they were supported by law.
“In any event, I respectfully submit that the provisions of paragraph 14(2) (a) and (b) (of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution) fully authorises first respondent (President Mugabe) to act in the manner that he did in initially appointing one Vice President and then subsequently two Vice Presidents after dismissing the initial appointee.
“I believe that the problem applicants suffer from is that they fail to read and interpret the Constitution as a living or organic document which adapts itself to a variety of situations or circumstances in order to achieve the purpose intended by its makers,” said VP Mnangagwa.
He also submitted that the President was legally correct in assigning the VPs to the ministerial duties.
“Finally, with regard to the assignment by first respondent of the administration of certain ministerial duties, I respectfully submit that first respondent is authorised to make the assignment in terms of the specific provisions of Section 99 of the Constitution, and that the reference to appointment to ‘any other public office’ in Section 103 of the Constitution excludes the specific provisions of Section 99 as both sections appear under the same Part 2 of Chapter 5 of the Constitution dealing with ‘The Executive’.
“Applicants’ submissions that the assignments made by first respondent are unconstitutional is therefore, entirely, without merit, and should be dismissed by this honourable court,” reads the affidavit.
VP Mnangagwa challenged the citation of the two VPs as respondents by names in the constitutional application.
“I wish to object to the manner of my citation in these proceedings, and also that of third respondent (VP Mphoko).
“Both of us are VPs of the Republic of Zimbabwe and that should have been included in our citation in order for the provisions of the State Liabilities Act to have been complied with.
“In the event those provisions were not complied with, and the proceedings against us should, therefore, be struck out merely on the basis of such non-compliance,” he said. The parties are yet to file heads of argument before the matter is set down for hearing.

Kombi operators in Nkulumane have staged an indefinite strike refusing to operate as they protest against an unscrupulous police force robbing them of their hard earned cash.
Running battles erupted in Nketa, Nkulumane, Sizinda and eMganwini townships between armed Zimbabwe Republic Police and scores of kombi drivers and touts. The country’s public transport operators are complaining of sustained harassment by the police who demand spot ‘fines’ without stating the offence committed.
Hundreds of people in Nketa, Nkulumane and Emganwini high density suburbs in Bulawayo were left stranded.
School children, workers and other travellers were left stranded when commuter operators parked their vehicles in protest over alleged harassment by the police.
When the ZBC News arrived in the suburbs, hundreds of people could be seen milling around while others had to walk to work upon realising that time was not on their side.
A representative of the striking commuter omnibus operators said they decided on the industrial action not to carry passengers as police are demanding too much money from them.
Riot police had to be called in after some rowdy commuter operators threatened to overturn some private cars which were carrying people.
Efforts to get a comment from the Bulawayo Police Spokesperson, Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo were fruitless as he referred this reporter to National Traffic Police Spokesperson, Inspector Tigere Chigome who was said to be in a meeting.

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa will have expired 10 years beyond the retirement age when he becomes President of Zimbabwe.
This will be so if Mrs Stop It, does not stop him.
Mrs Stop it, the motor-mouth-Grace Mugabe, is reported to be aiming for the rulership of the ZANU PF party despite her having no liberation credentials and she last year openly ranted saying there is no reason why she cannot lead the country. Why not? Am I not a Zimbabwean?,” she said during her vitriolic tirade expelled vice president Joice Mujuru, and would later this year also declare that Zimbabwe must have a female Army Commander.
Mnangagwa on the other hand is said to be enjoying full backing of the greater part of ZANU PF including the security chiefs and being born 15 September 1942, he will be 75 at the time of the 2018 elections when his boss Robert Mugabe is expected to have over power. Speculative reports say Mnangagwa known for his gross disrespect for women, having also sired a battalion of random children, will not for a minute tolerate Grace Mugabe and might sa claimed, “put her out”.

TWO teenage boys from Binga landed themselves in trouble when they allegedly took turns to rape a 12-year-old Grade 4 pupil, whom they had reportedly proposed love to.
The teenagers who are school dropouts aged 17 and 14, both from Dumbwe village under Chief Binga, allegedly took turns to rape the Grade 4 pupil, with one holding her down while covering her mouth to restrain her from screaming for help.
The two, who cannot be named to protect their identity and that of the complainant, shocked the courts last Tuesday when they claimed that they met the girl with her friend before escorting them while proposing love.
However, along the way, the complainant’s friend left and the older teen asked for sexual favours from the girl. Afterwards it was the turn of the 14-year-old to sleep with the girl.
“Your worship, complainant is my girlfriend, we did not rape her, but she agreed to the encounter, first with me, then with my friend,” one of the teenagers said when they appeared before Hwange regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga facing rape charges.
It is understood that sometime on March 27 last year, the complainant was with her friend on their way to their grandmother’s homestead when they were joined by the two teenagers whom they walked with for a short distance before parting ways.
The two later rejoined them and immediately got hold of the complainant’s hand and pulled her into a nearby bush, tripped her and the 17-year-old raped her. The juveniles then switched places, with the 14-year-old now raping her, while the former covered her mouth.
They dragged her to where the 17-year-old lives. The girl managed to escape and she told her grandmother what had happened and a report was made to the police. The trial continues on March 6. The two are denying the charges. Tawanda Sigauke prosecuted. southern eye

Nigerian preacher TB Joshua’s attempts to evade a coroner’s inquest into the mass death of 116 people killed by his giant church hostel last September, have been quashed by the Lagos State High Court which has ordered him into line. The preacher had used lawyers to obfuscate his appearance for questioning into the circumstances which led to the disaster which also killed top MDC-T cadre Greenwich Ndanga.
The Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Friday affirmed the witness summons issued on the Founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet T.B. Joshua, to appear before the Coroner probing the cause of death of the 116 persons in the church’s collapsed building on September 12, 2014.
The presiding judge, Justice Lateefa Okunnu, also held that the Coroner, Magistrate O.A. Komolafe, had the power to inquire into the cause of the building collapse in his mandate to determine the direct cause and manner of the victims’ death.
The Judge further held that the allegation of bias levelled against Komolafe by T.B. Joshua in the conduct of the inquest was unsubstantiated as the proof that T.B. Joshua adduced were mere conjectures which lacked any evidential weight.
“Having read the transcripts from the proceedings, I regret that I do not share the applicants’ point of view that the respondent had been biased or unfair and had breached the principle of natural justice,” Okunnu held.
The Judge also struck out the Coroner’s court as a respondent in the suit, on the grounds that it was not a juristic person that could be sued.
Following the collapse of the SCOAN’s six-storey guest house on September 12, last year, killing about 116 persons and injuring many, the Lagos State Government had set up the Coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of death and the circumstances leading to the mishap.
But weeks into the Coroner’s inquest, which began on October 13, 2014, T.B. Joshua had approached Okunnu asking for a judicial review of the Coroner’s proceedings.
In the said application, the prophet asked Okunnu to determine whether the witness summons served on him to appear and testify before the Coroner was not a breach of his right to fair hearing when no material fact had been placed against him before the Coroner.
He also asked the Judge to determine whether it was not beyond the power of the Coroner to venture into the possible cause of the building collapse.
T.B. Joshua also alleged that the Coroner had shown bias against him, arguing that the Coroner compromised his neutrality and demonstrated personal interest at the point when he threatened to order Joshua’s arrest for failure to honour the witness summons.
T.B. Joshua’s lawyers, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and Olalekan Ojo, also contended that the duty of the Coroner did not go beyond ascertaining the reason for the victims’ death.
According to them, it was beyond the Coroner to enquire into the possible reason why the building, wherein the victims perished, collapsed in terms of building approval and the quality of materials used in the construction.
They, therefore, urged the court to stop the Coroner from further extending his inquisitions into areas beyond his statutory scope.
They further asked the court to pronounce as null and void, all previous proceedings already conducted by the magistrate in excess of jurisdiction.
But Okunnu, on Friday, resolved all the issues raised in favour of the Coroner.
The Judge held that it was up to the Coroner to determine what types of material evidence and witnesses that would be relevant to his findings, adding that he had unlimited power to summon anyone in the execution of his duty.
“It is the Coroner himself that largely hunts for the evidence that he considers to be useful to him,” Okunnu held, adding that the Coroner “is a master of his own proceedings.”
The Judge added that by virtue of Section 26 and 27 of the Coroner System Laws of Lagos State, 2007, the Coroner was empowered to compel the attendance of any witness he considered to be useful to his inquisitions, including Joshua.
She held, “The Coroner has the prerogative of calling witnesses who he believes would be of assistance to his fact-finding mission.”
In the final analysis, the Judge adjudged Joshua’s application to be lacking in merit and consequently dismissed it.
Meanwhile, a Structural Engineer and Consultant to the Lagos State Material Testing Agency, Saheed Ariyori, on Friday told the Coroner that his examination revealed that there were no signs of stress on the building prior to its collapse.
The witness, who had earlier asserted that faulty or inadequate foundation was responsible for the collapse, however, admitted that he was not a professional in the field of sub-soil investigation, adding that there was an error of calculation in the report he tendered before the Coroner.
Further hearing in the inquest has been adjourned till March 12, 2015. – Punch

ZimEye.com is receiving reports that Unity Square protest activist, Itai Dzamara has been abducted by intelligence agents. While the reports could not be verified at the time of writing, telephone calls to Dzamara’s main cellphone were ringing continuously without being answered, something two of Dzamara’s friends said is worryingly unusual.
The two friends reported claiming he was on Monday morning abduted by Central Intelligence Organisation agents while one of the friends suggested that the development is likely an attack by Dzamara’s own colleagues, which is the continuation of an argument triggered last week when he was during an altercation, suspended from the movement.
But according to DARE party president Gilbert Dzikiti, Dzamara was trully abducted on his way out of a barbershop on Monday morning by security agents and taken away in a white Isuzu twin cab vehicle.
Wrote Dzikiti n full: Good afternoon Zimbabwe, my party intelligence department has just informed us that Mr Itai Dzamara has been kidnapped soon after leaving a barbershop by unkown four men in an Isuzu White twin cab in the city centre. We condemn such brazen acts of the violation of the constitution of Zimbabwe.
Individual freedoms must be respected and Itai Dzamara must be released from whoever has taken him immediately. Kidnappings have been in the increase in Zimbabwe.and militia is operating above the law which is not surprising considering recent speeches intimidating judges.
Lets all brace ourselves for action and action alone towards those who are trashing the constitution of the Republic Of Zimbabwe.An injury to one is an injury to us all.

Former Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has said several top-ranking Zanu PF officials have secretly toured his farm and are spreading falsehoods that he is destroying his citrus plantations as part of preparations to flee the country.Bhasikiti has claimed that some party bigwigs in the province were now angling to grab his farm after he was recently chucked out of office by President Robert Mugabe over allegations of supporting ousted former Vice-President Joice Mujuru.
This comes at a time Zanu PF has scaled up its campaign to purge all Mujuru loyalists with companies aligned to the faction denied government contracts. “I don’t know why they want to destroy my life because I have invested a lot in this farm. I heard some party officials from this area (Mwenezi) passed by, but they did not say anything,” Bhasikiti said.
“We started pruning in December last year and we are continuing with the process. Now that I have been relieved of my duties by the President, some party officials want to take advantage of that and push me out by spreading false reports,” he said.
Bhasikiti’s farm manager Simon Muchongu said they always pruned their citrus plants every five years to allow for development of new shoots.
“I have been around for the past 34 years and this exercise has always been done from December onwards to April. Since my boss took over this farm, this is the third time we have pruned the trees,” Muchonga said.
“We were shocked to see a ZTV crew coming and shooting only that section which was pruned last week and they refused to come and shoot this other section where we pruned in December and the shoots are already coming up.” newsday

In a shock move that is expected to trigger mass actions across Matabeleland Region, Villagers from Matobo North and South Constituencies and neighbouring Gwanda North Constituency have called on the President and ruling party to immediately recall their Members of Parliament and dismiss the Minister of State of Provincial Affairs for Matabeleland South allegedly for neglecting the people in the districts and disrespecting traditional leaders in the area.
Speaking at the volatile Maleme Ranch meeting on Sunday afternoon, villagers called on the president to immediately recall the MPs and the Minister as they have failed to listen to nor represent the wishes of the people. The meeting which attracted scores of people from the three districts that surround and benefit from projects run by Maleme Ranch which was supposed to be addressed by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, turned violent after the Vice President, the MPs and Provincial Affairs Minister failed to turn up at the last minute.
Speaker after speaker at the gathering claimed that the people of Matabeleland have been turned into orphans as a result of neglect by the people elected to lead the region. The speakers accused Provincial Affairs Minister Abednico Ncube for selling out the people’s land by signing fraudulent land allocation letters to people from outside the region while locals remained unsettled.
Ncube is understood to have allocated Maleme Ranch to a Central Intelligence Officer Rodrick Mashingaidze without approval of the lands committee and without consulting the local traditional leaders about the land. Mashingaidze who had since began occupying the farm and forcing villagers and the white owners out of the farm faced massive resistance from the people to occupy the farm forcing him to report the matter to the High Court on the basis of the allocation letter signed by Ncube. The High Court ruling is still pending.
On the other hand people from the two Matobo Constituencies and Gwanda North, want their MPs Never Khanye, Saul Mahalima Ncube and Madodana Sibanda removed from the august house because of what they call neglecting the constituencies and undermining the authority of the chiefs and other traditional leaders. The three MPs are accused of remaining silent through out the Maleme Ranch fiasco, ignoring calls from the chiefs for them to stop the land occupation but choosing to side with the people accused of grabbing the land.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the gathering , one of the leaders of the villagers accused the MPs and the Minister for “bowing to instructions from Harare instead of advising Harare of the wishes of the people on the ground.”
“We have a serious problem with these yes man MPs, they bow to instructions from Harare instead of telling Harare what people on the ground want,” he said.
“The Maleme Ranch issue has been dragging for over a year now and they are aware of it and its their people affected but they have not said a word about it in Parliament not even to the lands committee or Minister, so why are they there? They must just go,” he fumed.
Another of the leaders blamed the MPs for neglecting the people as evidenced by their failure to turn up for the meeting and stopping people from attending the meeting.
“If these MPs really cared they should have been here with us but because they don’t care they have never attended even a single meeting to sort this land problem out.”
“We are very well informed that the MPs were the ones sending their youth around telling people that the meeting had been cancelled and that anyone who would attend the meeting will be beaten by riot police or even get arrested,” said the leader.
“This attitude from our leaders is the one that caused this mayhem you see happening now. They don’t regard us as people and so we want them to feel that we are people too and they must go. If they cared they should have been here with us and its them that should have been explaining to us what really is happening here not Vice President Mphoko,” he said.
Sources within the villagers have indicated that a petition is circulating around the constituencies calling on President Mugabe and the speaker of Parliament to recall the three MPs and the Provincial Affairs Minister. The sources claim that they are happy because the move to oust the MPs and Minister is being led by known ZANU PF members united with those perceived to be opposition which makes it a genuine people concern not a political agenda.
“We are very happy that people of Matobo and Wenlock are united on this matter as one without political affiliation and agree to fight for what is theirs. We have people from both ZANU PF and opposition parties joining church leaders and other organisations to move this matter forward and so can not be made political,” said a villager.

Doctors who are Mujuru followers are seeking to block Econet Wireless’ breakthrough Dial A Doc technology saying it has not been approved, while yet the same doctors approve the work of untrained and amateur traditional doctors who operate under mere guesswork.
Econet which invested millions in this programme to help patients remotely obtain medical tests from practicing medical doctors, has come under attack from the “Mujuru” doctors who are from the ZANU-PF controlled MDPCZ and the Health Professions Authority of Zimbabwe (HPAZ)who now threaten to close it on unclear and controversial grounds.
“Econet is not the first one to offer such a programme,many doctors have done it before,advising patients on phone in programmes and there has never been a problem, so what’s wrong with Econet’s programme?”, a news reader blasted the doctors.
They continued, “The MDPCZ of Zimbabwe is talking nonsense!!! We have had doctors on radio programmes advising patients on a phone in programme. What s wrong with that?? They should come out open on what they really want from Econet. Dial-A-Doctor initiative the world over; has NEVER been registered as a Medical practice. Instead; the MDPCZ must be concerned if the doctors involved have no practising certificates. Pasi nevanhu vasingadi development vanoda kuramba vachirarama in the ancient world”
Meanwhile the State Media reported quoting the MDPCZ registrar Mrs Josephine Mwakutuya saying “it is a requirement at law that any form of medical or dental practice in the country be approved by the council.
This is to ensure that the public is protected from, among other things, incompetent, unprofessional or unethical medical service.
In the opinion of the council, such an unlicensed service that requires the expertise of doctors is illegal.”
Medical practitioners are required to register as provided for by Section 99 of the Health Professions Act (Chapter 27:19).
“The authority regards telephone health services as illegal, unprofessional and unethical practice as it falls short of minimal standards that must be met in patient care,” said HPAZ in statement.
Mrs Mwakutuya said her council wrote to Econet highlighting reservations over the launch of such a service.
“In both a letter and email dated December 12, 2014, the council wrote to the Econet chief operations manager offering advice that in its proposed Dial-A-Doc practice is medically unprofessional and also illegal.
To date, the council has not received a response,” she said.
Econet corporate communications manager Mr Ranga Mberi said they have responded to the Council and made sure that the advisory service is in line with the law and all health regulations.
“We advised the Council that Dial-A-Doc is not a medical practice. It merely provides a useful platform through which health advice is offered to subscribers, by fully qualified doctors,” he said.
Moreso, Ponai Medical Centre chief executive officer Dr Peter Mbizvo defended the mobile health service.
“It is a partnership between EcoHealth and us, the health service providers.
EcoHealth provides the platform while the health practitioners provide an advisory health service solution,” he explained.
“This is not replacing the need for face-to-face consultation. It is an advisory service targeted at the previously marginalised population.
It is about inclusivity for people who need health care the most but have limited access due to lack of resources and also due to distance. “We have a lot of challenges in our health service delivery system, largely due to lack of resources.
Dial-A-Doc was driven by the desire to improve access to health information by virtually cutting the distance between a patient and a doctor, and making access to health information easier and more available.”
In South Africa, Hello Doctor, a mobile-based health platform was launched in 2010 by the MTN group. Ghana also has a similar initiative – Vodafone Healthline – which was established in 2013 for Vodafone customers to seek medical advice and diagnosis via cellphones from medical experts.

A MOTHER of four collapsed in the dock and begged a judge to reconsider her sentence after she was jailed for bank fraud.
Former care worker Gertrude Cele and her husband Brian became embroiled a £48,000 scam, but she was snared by building society staff in Bolton as she tried to draw out £750.
Defending Martin Pizzey asked Recorder Michael Murray at Bolton Crown Court to let Gertrude Cele go home to her four children.
But Recorder Murray said that the fact that the 31-year-old was a mother of four should not shelter her from punishment — as she had previously committed five other frauds.
Gertrude Cele was jailed for a year while her 36-year-old husband was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 250 hours community service.
The couple had fled the tyrannical regime of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe in 2002 and arrived as asylum seekers, before working in the care profession, the court heard.
Gertrude Cele worked at a care home until February 2014 when a CRB check revealed she had lied on her application form about her unspent previous convictions.
According to Mr Pizzey, the couple had money problems.
But after meeting a friend at a baby shower last year and explaining their woes, that friend put Gertrude Cele in touch with a man called Curran, who offered to lend her money to start her own hair extension firm if she helped him move money around.
The court heard how Gertrude and Brian Cele went to the Furness Building Society in Knowsley Street, Bolton, on May 24 last year and opened two bank accounts after fraudulently claiming to be working as support workers.
A total of £30,000 was deposited into those accounts — with £18,000 more set to go in — when security staff noticed it came from cheques that “were clearly not genuine”.
Staff waited until Gertrude Cele arrived at the Furness’s Bolton branch on June 12 to try to withdraw cash and then alerted police.
The couple, both of Mobberley Road,Breightmet, admitted fraud.
After sentencing, Gertrude Cele, who is now a second-year university student, fell to the floor, weeping and then got up to beg the judge.
She said: “I understand what I’ve done. Please give me a chance. I am working to change my life. I cannot bear to be parted from my children. You might as well kill me.” – Bolton News

BREAKING NEWS: Maleme Farm Update[lightbox link=”http://www.zimeye.com/wp-content/live_images//2015/03/IMG-20150308-WA0000.jpg” thumb=”http://www.zimeye.com/wp-content/live_images//2015/03/IMG-20150308-WA0000-940×705.jpg” width=”940″ align=”right” title=”IMG-20150308-WA0000″ frame=”true” icon=”image” caption=locals and Zapu gather at the farm”]
ZAPU and the local people have run into the Maleme farm and forcefully removed the CIO Mashingaidze farm workers and invaders.
The situation is said to tense as the police support unit has been deployed.
Mashingaidze has been repossessing farms all over Matebeleland South in recent months and people have been left homeless without food and jobless.
Today, ZAPU sent comrades to occuppy Maleme farm and the invaders were booted out. This is not the first time ZANU thugs have tried to take over farms illegally. They currently own a lot of ZAPU farms which were used to feed the elderly and orphans.
There are now fears that the government will send its dreaded CIO force to crash local people who are resisting the takeover as the farm has benefited the locals and other people from different regions of the country.
ZAPU Commander in Chief Dumiso Dabengwa declared war when Zanu tried to take his farm and they were removed immediately by ZAPU youths.
ZAPU says it is will stand with people who have been displaced in all parts of Zimbabwe including Mazowe farm land grabbed by Grace Mugabe, displacing many people.
The party youth front says it is unapologetically in full support of ZAPU’s defence force and will continue to remove government CIO’s in people’s farms because ‘we fought for the land, so that the people of Zimbabwe can live freely in the land.’
“Those who were illegally removed in Marange must be given their land back. “Those who were illegally removed in Mazoe must be given their land back. Those who were illegally removed in Nyamendlovu must be given their land back.
“If I am a victim today, you will be a victim tomorrow. Injury to one is injury to all.reads ZAPU YOUTH statement.
From Matopo to Mazoe, Limpopo to Zambezi!
The youth wing further declared,’The people in the rural areas must be liberated. The youth in the cities must be given jobs!’

CBZ Holdings Ltd (CBZH) has secured US$19 million from offshore funders for on-lending to small-scale tobacco farmers, an official has said.
More than two-thirds of the 100 000 farmers who produced US$685 million tobacco’s worth in 2014 were smallholder growers.
Tobacco is Zimbabwe’s number one agriculture export.
CBZH marketing and corporate affairs executive Mrs Laura Gwatiringa said regardless of rising bad debts, largely induced by poor harvests, agriculture funding remained a priority for the group.
In the 2014/15 farming season, CBZH advanced US$337 million towards horticulture, wheat, maize, piggery, poultry, soya, cotton, dairy, beef and crocodile farming.
A further US$58,5 million, 34 percent below the targeted US$105 million, has already been generated from the sale of short-term debt to help the struggling national silo, the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), pay for grain.
“The bank is active in the drive to capacitate GMB in providing a reliable market for grain farmers. This is being done through the raising of funds via Agriculture Marketing Authority bills,” said Mrs Gwatiringa.
In the year to December 2014, CBZH reported non-performing loans rose to 7,4 percent from 6,1 percent.
Many small-scale farmers fail to repay loans when their crops perform badly due to adverse weather, said Mrs Gwatiringa.
“The bank has also embarked on a farmer training programme that focuses on both financial and business management skills,” she said.
Agriculture in Zimbabwe oils economic development by providing jobs, food security and raw materials for manufacturing.
A 2012 report by the Zimbabwe Statistical Agency (Zimstat) estimates that as many as 71,8 percent of Zimbabweans are employed in the agricultural sector. In rural areas, this figure is as high as 92 percent.
In 2012, agriculture contributed 9,1 percent to total exports and 18 percent to GDP. In 2013, agriculture contributed 17 percent to GDP.
Meanwhile, CBZH reported that profit after tax for the year to December 31, 2014 fell 10 percent to US$33 million from US$36,7 million in the prior year on higher borrowing costs.
Basic earnings per share dropped to US5,6c from US6,3c, as interest expense spiked 24 percent to US$101 million.
The banking group will pay a final dividend of US$1,4 million, or USc 20 a share.
In the review period, net interest income came in at US$88,3 million and total deposits grew 6,3 percent to US$1,4 billion.
CBZH reported the balance sheet rose to US$1,6 billion from US$1,5 billion a year earlier.
Analysts have guided the group’s full-year 2015 net income to rise 4 percent on reduced costs, according to brokerage firm IH Securities.
“We believe the bank is unduly discounted to peers,” said the stockbrokers.
Shares of CBZH closed at USc10 in Wednesday’s trading.-sunday mail

ZANU-PF national Political Commissar Mr Saviour Kasukuwere has said the ongoing restructuring of the ruling party is in line with its Constitution and is not a witch- hunt.
The exercise began in earnest yesterday at Provincial Co-ordinating Committee meetings where itineraries for verification of party structures were set.
Kasukuwere told The Sunday Mail on the sidelines of the Mashonaland Central PCC in Bindura that the party would not condone victimisation of anyone.
He said the restructuring would further strengthen the revolutionary party and foster unity.
“The party rules say that every year cells are renewed; in other words, people hold elections to ensure that the cells have new leadership where possible.
“Secondly, branches are renewed after every two years, while districts are restructured every three years then four years for provinces and five years is when we hold the National People’s Congress.
“We are not doing this to purge anyone but to strengthen the party. Anyone who is in the party and feels like they want to contest they are free to do so and work for the party.
“There is no victimisation or personalisation or going for individuals; that is out of the question. We are strengthening our party, uniting our party. If you look at our terms of reference the party must be strong and united.
“After this process we will have a party that is rejuvenated, strong, vibrant and definitely united,” he said.
Zanu-PF Secretary for Security Mr Kembo Mohadi, who is leading the process in Mashonaland Central, said he was impressed by the provincial leadership’s commitment.
“I was here to introduce the programme to the province and that they should expect ABCD during the process. I was actually sensitising them on what we want.
They are now going to be doing what they are supposed to so that when the team comes everything will be in place. I think the province is ok and they are geared to work.”
Zanu-PF Harare province will hold its PCC meeting tomorrow.
In Chinhoyi, Zanu-PF Mashonaland West team leader Mr Josiah Hungwe briefed the PCC on the restructuring and affirmed that it would benefit the party.
Another Politburo member,Mr Douglas Mombeshora, said: “The restructuring exercise is a very important programme for the party which should be supported by every member of the party at whatever level.”
Provincial chair Mr Ziyambi Ziyambi said they would start with restructuring cells.
Mashonaland East team leader Cde Edna Madzongwe and her team, comprising Prisca Mupfumira and Chen Chimutengwende among other senior officials, visited the province yesterday.
Acting provincial chair Mr Aneas Chigwedere said it was resolved that vetting of party structures would be done on Friday.
In Midlands, Eunice Sandi-Moyo leads the team auditing structures, also starting on Friday.
Politburo member Mr Sydney Sekeramayi, who oversaw the exercise the exercise in Manicaland, said the programme would ensure the party had robust structures.
“We will work with the local leadership to ensure that the party has authentic members within its structures. The team is going to work with local leadership to ensure that there are authentic members in the party because in the past names were forwarded but did not match our membership on the ground.
“At the end of the exercise a clear picture will emerge of the party membership. Zanu-PF, like any other liberation movement will not be destroyed by individuals, because of its history.”
Masvingo team leader Mr Joram Gumbo met the PCC where it was resolved verification would be done on Saturday.
Acting provincial chair Paradzayi Chakoma said all was set for the exercise.
Addressing the Bulawayo PCC meeting at Davies Hall after conducting her duties as team leader in Midlands, Sandi-Moyo warned against exaggeration of party membership figures.
She was speaking ahead of the restructuring exercise of the lower tiers that will be presided over by Zanu-PF Secretary for Legal Affairs Mr Patrick Chinamasa today.
“We have to be honest and give people what is there – not what we assume. If we have 12 districts let’s have those 12 districts and avoid exaggerating because we will be fooling ourselves. What we must never forget is that the objective of this exercise is merely to win in the 2018 elections. Let us do things that will see us win,” said Sandi Moyo.
At recent meeting with the provincial leadership, Mr Kasukuwere slammed misleading claims about party structures in Bulawayo that were not supported by any evidence.
Politburo member Professor Jonathan Moyo, who led the Matabeleland South team, expressed his satisfaction with the progress made thus far.
“We are very happy that we are in a province that did exceedingly well in the July 2013 elections. There are 13 constituencies here, all of them won by the party. That alone is enough to tell how well organised we are as a province,” he said.
“The fact that this province won in the elections means that the state of affairs is very good. But because this is the party that represents the people and lives with them we need to verify our structures and also to appreciate the situation the people are facing.”
Zanu-PF National Spokesperson Mr Simon Khaya Moyo leads the Matabeleland North team.
Matabeleland North provincial chair Mr Richard Moyo said restructuring was already underway and hinted that non-performing leaders would be dropped.
The verification teams are expected to physically check on the existence of structures and tally cell members with identity documents.-sunday mail

The dreaded Joint Operation Command JOC is holding secret meetings at the Town House without consulting the Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni who is also barred from attending the meetings.
JOC which comprises the dreaded CIO, officials from the Zimbabwe Military Intelligence ZMI, Prison Services and the Zimbabwe Republic Police, spies on organizations which the ZANU(PF) government suspects of pushing for its removal.
The Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni told residents in Harare at a meeting which was arranged by a local resident’s pressure group the Combined Harare Residents Association on Wednesday that he was no longer safe at the Town House.
“The Joint Operation Committee (JOC) has been and comes to the Town House once a month or so (and carry out random meetings without protocol). As Mayor I do not know what they will be discussing about. I have nothing about JOC; they are a state organ, they have a duty to function in areas where they have an interest in.
“I have asked to join in one of the meetings and hear their outcomes. I do not think they are discussing anything malicious but in order to enhance trust, as the leader of the council I would need to hear what they are discussing,” Manyenyeni said.
The meeting was held under the topic “Who is in Charge at Town House, Understanding the Politics of Social Service Delivery in Harare” and was also attended by Constitutional Lawyer Professor Lovemore Madhuku, former Harare Mayor Engineer Elias Mudzuri and former Chitungwiza Chamber Secretary Mrs Last Madzivanyika.
The convergence was motivated by recent pronouncements by Harare Mayor, Bernard Manyenyeni that residents do not understand the role and powers of the mayor and hence place service delivery and performance expectations that are beyond his role and powers.

Harare(ZimEye)March is a dark month for Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, it has emerged, as attempts are made to trace the person who allegedly killed his wife, Susan.
 
In March 2007, the top leadership of MDC was brutally assaulted by police in Highfields at a prayer meeting that had been called by Save Zimbabwe Campaign.
Exactly a year later, March 2008 saw Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai emerging as the winner of the presidential poll but was robbed through electoral rigging leading to a bloody election rerun.
In March 2009, Prime Minister Tsvangirai lost his wife, Susan Nyaradzo Tsvangirai, through a tragic accident near Harare, plunging the nation into mourning. The lorry driver who hit Tsvangirai is said to have fallen asleep at the wheel.

Days later it was reported that the truck that killed Susan Tsvangirai was either owned or operated by Saviour Kasukuwere, a former spy agent in the CIO and the then Youth and Gender Development Minister in the new inclusive government.
The allegations were not investigated and six years later MDC cadres have continued in their belief that Mrs Tsvangirai was murdered.
Pictured is Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and son Edwin planting a palm tree on Sunday at his residence in memory of his late wife. {Picture by Privilege Musvanhiri} (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

 
 

A man from Rujeko Suburb in Masvingo became troubled after taking an aphrodisiac but failed to get a partner to quench his heightened sexual appetite.
It is alleged that Abner Chauke (30) took Viagra to boost his sexual stamina and wandered around when he failed to get a partner. It is the State case that on February 9, 2015 Chauke arrived at Gonyohori Abattoir in the Masvingo industrial area where he then found Merjury Rupanda (21) sleeping outside the house.
Chauke sat behind the complainant waiting to have sex with her. Rupanda then woke up to find the accused person behind her who then demanded for sex.
The complainant declined Chauke’s demands leading her to call for help from a next door neighbour Nyemudzai Chidyamasese and upon seeing the neighbour Chauke then disappeared into the bushes.
On February 15, 2015 the accused person was seen in town by the complainant and an alert was made leading to his arrest.
Chauke is set to appear at the Masvingo Provincial Courts on March 8, 2015 facing charges of criminal assault.-Mirror

PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE yesterday committed one of the highest levels of contempt against the courts when he threatened High Court judges currently processing a petition by expelled ZANU PF Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa and former Spokesman Rugare Gumbo.
Mugabe denigrated any judge who will handle Mutasa’s papers triggering the first desecration of the respected courts by an elected government official and a disregard of the law and court procedures.
The development now attracts a charge on Mugabe, legal experts warned when they also said Mugabe committed subjudice and abuse of office by commenting on the case while it is being heard when he said the court challenge by Mutasa and Gumbo, is a waste of resources that is bound to fail as no court could interfere with disciplinary matters of the revolutionary party.
Signalling he would cause every judge who chooses to hear the case to be expelled, Mugabe said he would immediately seek to humiliate such a judge. He spoke saying “if a judge or magistrate was going to consider the matter for possible hearing, he would immediately “question his or her educational qualifications”.
Mugabe said this while addressing thousands of people gathered at Chinyika Ranch, Ward 2, Chirumanzu-Zibagwe Constituency, to witness a ground-breaking technology, the Exothermic (Alluminathemic) demonstration by African Chrome Fields (ACF), meant to beneficiate chrome ore to ferrochrome.
Mugabe said Zanu-PF had proper structures and a constitution to be followed when dealing with disciplinary matters.
Messrs Mutasa and Gumbo, former secretary for Administration former secretary for Information and publicity respectively, last week took Mugabe and Zanu-PF to court, challenging their recent dismissal and seeking nullification of the party’s congress and its resolutions.
“Regai kumboita hanya neavo vanoti tinonomhan’arira party….ndiani akamboti policy yeparty, bumbiro reparty rinotibatanidza, ibumbiro renyika? Hutongi hwayo huri mubumbiro macho ndiro rinoratidza kuti kanamunhu aine godo, aine chigumbu kubva kubranch, anotongwa kubranch ikoko, kudistricts, kuprovince, zvose zvakarongwa province yopira nyaya kuCentral Committee, youya kuPolitburo. Politburo ndiyo inedisciplinary committee.
“Nyaya inokwanisa kubva ikoko yoenda kuCentral Committee yobva yozoenda kuCongress. Hapana nyaya inoenda kucourt inoenda kunamagistrate. Tati hatichakuda kumusangano wedu wakuenda kunamagistrate. Iye magistrate kuti abate nyaya iyoyo ndinoti aah wakafunda kupi?” Mugabe said.
The legal challenge filed at the High Court by the pair’s lawyers came a few hours after Mutasa was stripped of his Headlands parliamentary seat alongside his nephew Hurungwe West MP Temba Mliswa by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda after Zanu PF Secretary for Administration Ignatius Chombo notified parliament of the expulsion of the two.
He said the national laws gave the magistrates and judge the power to preside over cases, adding :”Zvekuti uzotonga zveZanu PF wazvizivira kupi?”
“Zvino iwewe kana wanzi hatichakuda mumusangano hongu unosungirwa kumhan’ara asi unomhan’ara kupartyka. Nyaya yako inogona kusvika KuCongress kana isipo kuCentral Committee.
“Zvinotonyadza kuti iwe wavakupembera, kuti munhu iyeye chokwadi munhu aive pamusoro peparty aine hukuru muparty asingazivi kuti nyaya dzeparty dzinotongwa muparty dzenyika mumacourt.”
Mugabe said the court challenge was a waste of resources.
“Kana fuza risingarayike regera rinokanda mari yaro mudziva zvichinzi ndimo mune hove inozobuda yawanda asingazive kuti simbi hadzipinduke dzichiva huni,” Mugabe said.

Continental pay-per-view television provider Multichoice Africa has announced an annual subscription fee increase on all DStv bouquets with effect from April 1.
In a statement, Multichoice Africa said the HD PVR Premium bouquet currently going for $87 has increased to $92, Premium bouquet from $77 to $81, Compact Plus from $51 to $55 , Family bouquet from $20 to $21, Access bouquet from $10 to $11. The Extraview access fee from $10 to $11.
The increase, Multichoice has said, was necessitated by increases in the operational costs such as satellite and channel costs, as well as the devaluation of currencies against the US dollar. “In determining a price increase, MultiChoice takes into account many factors including, the impact on the subscriber, current inflation, satellite lease costs, programming costs and efficiencies effected within the company”, reads the statement.
However, the South African tariffs in rands which is trading at 11.81 against the US dollar are cheaper than in countries that use the US dollar like Zimbabwe. – State Mediia

The First Lady Grace Mugabe has called on Zimbabwean women to stop waiting for other people to do things for them but instead stand up and take their rightful place in contributing to economic empowerment and national development.
Mugabe was addressing people at the launch of this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations at the Harare International Conference Centre on Friday.
The adoption of a new constitution in Zimbabwe and other improvements by the government since 1980 have what it takes to help women climb high up into positions of power in the corporate and political ladders.
This is the message delivered by the First Lady, who is also Zanu PF Secretary for Women Affairs while launching the celebrations. Mugabe implored women to empower themselves through education saying there is no reason why the country should not have females leading national defence and security arms of the state.
“Break gender stereotypes and enroll into male-dominated fields such as engineering, and others. “Give women opportunities to lead even companies’ boards of directors, believe in women, they can deliver,” said Mugabe.
The First Lady spoke of the need to start a special fund for the funding of women’s projects saying she is confident women can be trusted to payback loans while history has proven that most men abuse loans and in most cases are reluctant to pay back.
Mugabe condemned violence against women citing the recent incident where a woman was undressed by touts on the streets of Harare as unacceptable.
She said children must be given the chance to wear what they want taking into account their age and status in society. “Ungade here kuona mwana wako achibvarurirwa hembe mu street?…….hatidi hunhu hwakadaro. (Would you be happy to see your child being stripped naked in the streets? We condemn such behaviour). “Vanepfungwa dzekubvisa madzimai ma mini- skirt ndinoti stop it. (Those with such kind of thoughts of stripping women of their preferred clothes I say to them stop it),” said Mugabe.
The First Lady paid tribute to some churches that are empowering women by ordaining them into higher positions such as pastors and bishops. She hailed the teaching fraternity which plays a huge role in the moulding and bringing up of society, questioning why they are not adequately remunerated.
She noted that the ZIM ASSET economic blue print clearly emphasizes the need for gender mainstreaming.
Mugabe reiterated that the police to stop arresting and confiscating vendors’ commodities for sale as they are seeking to earn a living. “Police should not confiscate vendors’ goods in the streets. They should rather engage the vendors if they are selling at undesignated places,” she said.
Mugabe urged government to ensure a conducive environment is created for women to participate fully in all sectors of the economy, adding that women are co-drivers of the economy together with their male counterparts.
This year’s International Women’s Day celebrations are being held under the theme: “Beijing Plus 20 – The Journey Towards Women Empowerment in Zimbabwe – Successes and Challenges”.
Internationally, the theme is: “Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture It.”

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been systematically axed from succeeding President Robert Mugabe, it has emerged.
 Mnangagwa was exposed by his boss Mugabe for leading a faction aiming to replace him. This was affirmed during the last politburo meeting in December just before Joice Mujuru was booted from ZANU PF leadership. Weeks later it was revealed Mugabe has been so afraid of Mnangagwa that he hired Mnangagwa’s wife as a secret agent to spy in on him.
President Mugabe’s unexpected remarks that none of his two deputies, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, are guaranteed to succeed him have fuelled tensions in the faction-riddled Zanu PF amid reports that two cliques — one led by Mnangagwa and the other by First Lady Grace — are on a collision course, writes the Standard.
In an interview to mark his 91st birthday, Mugabe told Zimbabwe Television (ZTV) last week that his successor would come from any level of the party, throwing the pigeon among the cats in the process.
“A successor can come from any level of the party but usually the top levels, the central committee, the politburo,” Mugabe said.
“It may not be either of the VPs, it’s up to the people who choose who they think, at the particular time, is the most suitable candidate for the presidency, vodiscusserka (and debate on the candidate’s suitability). That’s how it should be. I was not appointed successor by anyone.”
Factionalism has taken root once again in the party despite the significant weakening of the faction led by former vice-president Joice Mujuru.
Zanu PF insiders told Zimbabwe Independent this week that although the faction led by Mnangagwa had made significant inroads in controlling the party, another force is consolidating and coalescing around Grace, who because of her proximity to Mugabe, has become a key player in the party.
The two camps, which joined hands in the run up to the December congress to thwart the Mujuru faction, are now engaged in a battle to control the party after getting rid of the common enemy. The Mujuru camp, however, remains active in Zanu PF despite being emasculated.
Mujuru lost the vice-presidency to Mnangagwa, while several party heavyweights linked to her lost their positions in Zanu PF and government in the run up to, during and after congress.
The casualties include former secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa, former spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, former political commissar Webster Shamu and politburo members Dzikamai Mavhaire, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, Francis Nhema, Nicholas Goche, Olivia Muchena and Angeline Masuku.
The Grace camp, which appears to be growing, buoyed by the fact that it has Mugabe’s ear, includes politburo members Savior Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo, Ignatious Chombo and Oppah Muchinguri, as well as Edna Madzongwe, Patrick Zhuwao, Shuvai Mahofa and Phillip Chiyangwa.
Mnangagwa, however, has loyalists who have stood by him for many years, among them, politburo members Josiah Hungwe, Kembo Mohadi, Patrick Chinamasa and Joram Gumbo. Other prominent members of the faction are July Moyo, Larry Mavima, Owen Ncube, Daniel Mckenzie Ncube, Tsitsi Muzenda and Pupurai Togarepi.

Party insiders say that the Grace faction is claiming that Mnangagwa and Mphoko are failing to be national figures by continuously associating themselves with their regions and tribes.
The group has reportedly gone to the extent of informing Mugabe about this, hence his public urging of Mnangagwa and Mphoko to assume the role of national leaders instead of being regional leaders. Mugabe made the call at the Harare International Airport on arrival from his annual holiday in the Far East last month.
“Although members of the two groups communicate, there is mutual mistrust and suspicion. The tensions have not exploded into a fully-fledged factional war but things are moving in that direction,” said a party official.
“The friction is spreading into government where the Mnangagwa faction, for example, prefers that Jonathan Moyo be removed from the Information ministry which they believe he has been using to destabilise their leader.”
Sources say the Mnangagwa camp believes those rallying around Grace want to use her to shipwreck their faction using a strategy similar to the one deployed against the Mujuru faction.
The sources say those in the Mnangagwa camp suspect that their rivals also want credit for thwarting the Mujuru camp and thus their demands they should have had more rewards when cabinet and politburo appointments were made.
As a result members of the two factions have been meeting regularly to strategise and discuss possible scenarios and solutions going forward, sources say.
Infighting in Zanu PF, insiders say, was continuing because of the realisation that Mugabe, who turned 91 last week, was now frail and therefore unable to exercise full control of the party.
There are fears in the party that Mugabe does not have the capacity anymore to complete his term because of the combination of old age and ill-health.
Officials say Grace has taken an interest in Zanu PF affairs because she realised that her husband would not last long and would thus want to secure her own political future to protect herself and family interests.
 
 

A Form Four boy has sent text messages to his headmistress detailing alleged steamy sexual encounters between the pair.
The headmistress’s husband who is based in South Africa saw them and went ballistic. Athorities at Mundondo Secondary School in Gutu have written to the district education officer seeking the transfer of the boy.
According to disciplinary hearing minutes dated January 27, 2015 in the hands of The Mirror, the student (name withheld) sent three messages to the headmistress at around midnight expressing how much he had enjoyed unprotected sex with her and how much he yearned for more.
Gutu acting district education officer, Sonnie Chirikure confirmed the case and said a report was sent to the Provincial Education Office and a team of investigators from the Psychology Department was dispatched to the school. The investigators could however, not interview the pupil because his parents quickly transferred him to another school in Gweru.
The offensive messages that were written in Shona indicate how the boy drools when he looks at his headmistress.The first message sent at 2120hrs read, “Ndiyani wangu uyu, ndiMai …. here?”
At 2134hrs, he sent a second message which read, “Mai …..ndinokuda, ndinokudisisa fanika mazi…ako ayo andakanyika ….aya handiakanganwe wena…”.
“Whose number is this? is this Mrs…..? Mrs…..I love you, I love you beyond explanation and when I look at your hips which I once ….without protection, I will never forget that”.
When pressed by the disciplinary committee on why he was saying this to the headmistress, the boy said he smoked mbanje and sent the messages when he was intoxicated. He said he sent out the messages at a time when he knew that she was with her husband in order to fix her for punishing his friends.
The Mirror has unconfirmed reports that the husband works in South Africa and had just came back and he is the one who discovered the messages.The boy also accused the headmistress of having taken away his friends’ mobile phone, and of being ruthless to students and hard to forgive.
The boy however, insisted during the hearing and in front of her mother that he loved his headmistress and given the chance he still wanted to sleep with her. He said he wanted to sleep with her because she was too beautiful. He said he would not marry her but just wanted to sleep with her.
The disciplinary committee headed by one T Dhliwayo concluded that the boy could have been influenced by watching too much pornography. The committee also concluded that the boy was so obsessed with his headmistress that given the chance he would rape her.
It therefore recommended that he be moved to another school.
The following are some of the excerpts from the hearing;
Q Unovada here Mai.. (Do you love Mrs…) ?
A Ndinovada nokuti vakanyanya kunakisa (I love her because she is too beautiful).
Q Iwe ukawana mukana wekuvaroora unoda here? (If you get an opportunity to marry her would you do that?)
A Kwete ndinoda kungorara navo chete (No I just want to sleep with here)
Q Wakambovapfimba here Mai….uye wakamborara navo here? (Did you ever propose love to her and did you ever sleep with her?)
A Kwete handina kuvapfimba asi zvishuvo chete. (No I did not propose love to her. I only have strong desires for her). – Mirror

MASVINGO — The Minister of State for Masvingo’s office at Benjamin Burombo House is being moved from the second to the ground floor because the new incumbent, Shuvai Mahofa, cannot climb the stairs owing to ill health and old age.
Government will incur unplanned costs to renovate the new office while civil servants will bear inconveniences as the office of the provincial administrator (PA) will now be a distance from the Minister of State’s office.
Renovations were already underway on the ground floor when a Mirror news crew visited the building on Wednesday this week.
Efforts to get a comment from Mahofa were fruitless as she kept on saying that she was in meetings.
Sources told the Mirror that that the minister had difficulty in climbing the stairs since she replaced Kudakwashe Bhasikiti in that position on February 23 this year.
Mahofa, who is 74 years old, is supported as she walks out of the official car and is also assisted as she negotiates the stairs to the office.
Inconveniences in the operations of the department will be experienced between the PA and the minister’s office as these two are supposed to operate next to each other.
The PA acts as the permanent secretary to the minister’s office.
Sources said the renovations were bringing in unbudgeted costs to the ministry.
Efforts by the Mirror to get the amount of the costs were fruitless.
“I am in a meeting right now, I cannot answer your questions,” said Mahofa.
Mahofa, who is a close ally of First Lady Grace Mugabe, was elevated to the post after Bhasikiti, who is linked to embattled former Vice-President Joice Mujuru, was booted out for allegedly planning to assassinate President Robert Mugabe. — Masvingo Mirror

The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) which was supposed to run between the 21st and the 25th of April will now take place from the 28th of April to the 2nd of May this year.
The change of dates has been attributed to unforeseen circumstances and the ZITF said exhibitors have been notified of the development.
ZITF Board Chairman, Mr Bekithemba Nkomo said circumstances beyond control have necessitated the postponement of the trade fair by a week.
Mr Nkomo said they have since communicated with the exhibitors who have indicated that they will still come for the fair, adding that he change in dates will not affect the quality of the trade showcase.
To date, 300 direct exhibitors have confirmed participation, an increase from the 283 that had registered by the same period last year.
20 direct foreign exhibitors have booked space to date.
The highlights of the five-day exhibition include the International Business Conference, the Ultimate Home Improvement Expo as well as Scholastica for the education sector.
Exhibitors from Germany, Kenya, South Africa, the United States and Namibia have confirmed their participation.

EXPELLED ZANU PF SECRETARY for administration Didymus Mutasa has made sensational claims that his former colleagues intend to kill him before a by-election is held in his former Headlands constituency, which he intends to contest.
Mutasa yesterday told Southern Eye he had got wind that there were some party members who were planning to kill him in the run-up to the election, as Zanu PF was running scared he would defeat their candidate in the polls.
“I hear that there is a plan to kill me during the campaign for the by-election in Headlands,” he said.
“That must be exposed.”
In statements that could reveal Zanu PF’s tactics in past elections, Mutasa claimed the party had already deployed soldiers and State security agents in the constituency to intimidate him and the electorate.
“Soldiers should be removed from rural areas,” he said.
“They are being misused to campaign for the illegal party candidates. Those party candidates should campaign for themselves without misusing State institutions like the army, police, the Central Intelligence Organisation and other civil servants.”
The unrelenting Mutasa said he was aware that there was a member of the Air Force in Headlands constituency who was harassing people believed to be supporting him.
“We know that Chiganze of the Air Force is in Headlands constituency harassing people who are believed to support me,” he said.
“That is evil and should be stopped immediately.
“Unfortunately, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission cannot do much to ensure fair play.”
Mutasa’s claims could be an indication that the heat is being cranked up in the war of attrition between factions in Zanu PF — one aligned to axed Vice-President Joice Mujuru and another to her successor Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mutasa, who was expelled from Zanu PF together with his nephew Temba Mliswa, has filed a lawsuit challenging the party’s congress last year, firmly taking President Robert Mugabe head-on.
This could be the first legal challenge to Mugabe’s legitimacy from a member of his own party and is bound to reveal some uncomfortable Zanu PF secrets.
Mutasa’s assassination claims echo those of former Copac co-chairman Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana, who was filmed in a BBC documentary claiming there had been an order to take him out as he had sold out.
“So when I visited the general and put my cards on the table. . . he grouped all the people who were involved in the plot — it was a powerful team,” he was recorded saying.
“Those who are in the know in my own party are saying we do not know how you survived.” – SouthernEye

PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE has claimed he was bearing the brunt of the economic hardships in the country, but inadvertently revealed that his salary had increased by a whopping 300% from $4 000 last year to $12 000 per month this year, at a time a majority of civil servants are paid less than $300, well below the poverty datum line.
Mugabe, who last year claimed his salary was $4 000 a month, did not reveal how his salary has multiplied threefold in less than 12 months without it being gazetted by the government.
Speaking at Harare General Hospital during the commissioning of medical equipment bought through a $100 million Export-Import Bank of China loan facility, Mugabe described his $12 000 mega salary as meagre and not in line with salaries of other leaders in the region.
The 91-year-old leader said he earned a sacrificial salary of $10 000 and allowances amounting to $2 000.
“We should all just be grateful that we have food on our tables,” he said.
“If there’s isitshwala and meat — that’s it.
“I am suffering just like you.”
Mugabe’s new revelations are in sharp contrast with the figure that he mentioned last year when he said he only earned $4 000.
The First Family controls a multi-million dollar empire in Zimbabwe, including farms, a dairy business and exclusive schools.
Mugabe’s expenses are largely footed by the government, including his numerous foreign travels, food, medical bills, accommodation, security and transportation.
Zimbabwe’s economy has been on a decline for more than a decade, with firms operating below capacity because of lack of capital, high unemployment and dilapidated road and rail networks.
Thousands of civil servants in the country are wallowing in abject poverty and are not being paid on time, while corrupt activities by senior government officials have reached unprecedented levels.
The 91-year-old leader yesterday blamed Zimbabwe’s economic problems on Western sanctions, most of which have since been relaxed.
Mugabe said the United States was now thumping its nose at China and yet they benefited from loans advanced by the country.
“I want (US President Barack) Obama to hear this, China sustained them during their economic crisis and they were never made to pay back those loans, but now they are snubbing China,” he said.
Mugabe praised China for standing by Zimbabwe even during the liberation war struggle. Commenting on the collapsed health delivery system, dogged by drug shortages and a mass exodus of skilled personnel, Mugabe said morale had remained low, as staff worked with obsolete and inadequate equipment.
“This new equipment will produce high quality services and instead of us trying to reinvent the wheel we will copy technology that is already there,” he said.
Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa said the equipment, some of which had already been sent to other hospitals in the country, would go a long way in boosting staff morale.
“Health professionals were increasingly becoming frustrated because they now lacked these tools of the trade,” he said.
Parirenyatwa said effective health delivery service was only possible if the required tools were made available. Part of the equipment included theatre tables, blood pressure monitoring machines and others.
Harare Hospital clinical director George Vera said that they had to devise ways and means to manage the constant drug supplies.
This follows recent reports that drugs including Betadine were in short supply at one of the oldest hospitals in the country.
“What should never be out of stock are emergency drugs like those used in the theatre,” he said.
“We aspire to keep our drug supply in acceptable levels.” – SouthernEye

Disgraced musician Energy Mutodi says he has discovered a ritual site he says was used by former Vice President Joice Mujuru “in her bid to cause misfortune, death or illness to her enemies among them President Robert Mugabe”.
But pictures the musician has put on display (which are 4 days old) have fresh blood on them meaning the chicken could were killed on or just after the same day President Robert Mugabe spoke of the Mujuru witchraft plot to kill him.

 
Reported Mutodi,
“A ritual site used by the disgraced former Vice President Joice Mujuru in her bid to cause misfortune, death or illness to her enemies among them President Robert Mugabe has been unearthed. Fresh images of the site showing at least ten beheaded chickens, arrows, clay pots and mudhombo snuf among other artifacts used in the rituals have been revealed and they are said to have been captured by a member of the Mujuru security team a day after the rituals had been partaken.
“The site whose exact location is reportedly in Mashonaland Central along the Dande river shows small, medium and large sized red and black strips of fine cloth some of which is tied into at least ten knots each enclosing different names of people, soil samples, some beads, snuff and blood believed to have been extracted from the chickens that lie lifelessly on bare ground and some on a traditional reed-made mate locally known as rukukwe or mhasa.
It is not yet ascertained if security details have already visited the said ritual site. The names of those whose names remain stuck on a flying red cloth strip pulverized with human waste are as follows:
1. Robert Gabriel Mugabe
2. Grace Marufu Mugabe
3. Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa
4. Ignatius Chombo
5. Saviour Kasukuwere
6. Jonathan Moyo
7. Godwin Gomwe
8. Energy Mutodi
9. Noah Taguta
10. Ezekiel Guti
11. Constantine Chiwenga
12. Alfred Nhepera
13. Chris Mutsvangwa
14. Patrick Nyaruwata
15. Shuvai Mahofa
“The discovery which confirms last year pronouncements by a Malawian self styled prophet who said that President Mugabe would not survive beyond the year 2015 has send shock waves among government officials and party members. President Mugabe first announced the plot recently at his 91st birthday televised speech and repeated it in Victoria Falls before a crowd of more than 20 000 on February 28. He said that his former second in command had hired two Nigerians who performed rituals to kill him, his wife Grace, Vice President Mnangagwa among others; adding that the rituals were being done while Amai Mujuru was half-naked. The next day, the private media was awash with reports that Mujuru had refuted the claims. They quoted her saying, “Handiite zvakadaro ini” (I do not do such things). Mujuru added that she grew up in an Appstolic Faith Church and was taught to believe in Christ always.
“However, it is common knowledge that liberation war fighters like herself depended on an African Traditional Religion which involves the use of black magic, animal sacrifices as well as spirit mediums to deal with day to day problems including predicting the future. Mujuru was simply trying to hide behind a finger when she completely dissociated herself from the ritual practices. Mujuru left school as a teenager to join other countrymen and women in Mozambique. While there, she got married to Zimbabwe’s most decorated soldier Solomon Mujuru whose war tag name was Rex Nhongo. She certainly witnessed many people lose their lives in the war and is not moved if someone was to die by whatever cause because she was trained to kill. At the peak of Diamond discoveries in Chiyadwa between the years 2009-11, several jobless youths were killed when they were mauled by police dogs or shot by police for trespassing into the former Vice President’s diamond fields by then known as ‘Mutaka waMai Mujuru’. “

The tempo in Parliament was raised to vibrating levels during this week’s questions without notice session when female parliamentarians took controversial Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa to task on some sanitary-wear lessons.
The question posed to Mnangagwa, who is also the Vice President, was on female prisoners failing to access sanitary-wear.
“What is government policy on availing sanitary-wear to female prisoners,” asked Ms Priscilla Misirahirabwi Mushonga.
Mnangagwa did agree and alluded to the fact that while he understood the necessity of availing sanitary-wear to female prisoners, his macho side might not really comprehend the matter.
“If it is a necessity, it must be provided,” said Mnangagwa.
The highlight moment came when the female parliamentarians displayed a sample of a sanitary pad and when the minister also hit back on how it can be used, the whole august house collapsed in laughter.
Mnangagwa had taken the pad and vocalised saying: “I am grateful to the MPs who managed to show me panty pads. However, what they failed to do was to demonstrate how they are used.”
Meanwhile, Mnangagwa also told parliament that his ministry has finished realigning the new Electoral Act, adding that 11 bills are set to be tabled before the house this Thursday.
A leading NGO has been coordinating efforts to provide women from disadvantaged backgrounds with sanitary wear and they have invented a cheap underwear device for the purpose.[READ MORE – Zimbabwean Women Rescued with Sanitary Pad Device]

A Standard Chartered bank Mutoko branch teller Rudo Chawatama who is alleged to have stolen $5000 from the bank in June 2013, appeared for trial at Magistrate court and was further remanded for continuation of trial. ZimEye.com in an earlier expose exclusively revealed how a top magistrate last year threw a party for the main suspect during the ongoing trial[ READ MORE– Drama as Magistrate Parties With Man Charged US$40,000 Theft Just Before Acquitting Him]

Ironically, the two witness who testified in the court were former teller Clemence Nkalimo and Branch manager Tafara Ben Maunze who are on bail pending appeal after being convicted for the “disappearing” of $40,000 from the bank in December the same year.
 
During trial proceedings it surfaced that teller Effort Chimhamba, who was the chief suspect in the $40000 theft offence but walked scot free in a mysterious circumstance, had his name largely mentioned during the trial proceeding. One of the chief evidence that is believed to be still with the CID investigation is that at the time of the investigation of the $5000 theft, Clemence Chimhamba is said to have deposited $3800 into a girlfriend’s bank account at a time he was earning not more than $350.
 
The then Mutoko magistrates court Edwin Marecha who has since been transfered to Chivi, mysteriously “joined hands” with lawyer Allan Moyo and found Effort Chimhamba not guilty and acquitted.