HARARE City council has banned the rearing of chickens in backyards saying this was against by laws.
Director of Health Services Dr Prosper Chonzi insisted that council by-laws (1962) have to be respected.
“No poultry house shall be placed nearer than three metres from any boundary or nearer than six metres from premises used for human habitation,” he reminded residents. “No person shall keep any poultry by reasons of continued crowing, quacking clucking, gobbling or like noise tends to destroy the comfort of neighbourhood.”
He said those found on the wrong side of the law will be prosecuted. Howeversaid the poultry projects were their only source of income adding that not every unemployed person could sell tomatoes and trinkets.
“I lost my job in June last year and, with my $200 retrenchment package I started keeping poultry for sell. This is my only source of income; how do they want me to survive with my family,” said Milton Moyo from Budiriro 5 high density suburb.
A Mt Pleasant resident said the city needs to change its outdated by-laws as life in Zimbabwe has changed.
“They wrote to me saying that if I continue to keep poultry I will be prosecuted but this is my house,” declared Tim Mandishona.
“The said neighbours are my customers and they never complained about any noise. We will meet in court! “This Smith regime law must be abolished to suit our Zimbabwean way of living.”
Mandishona said if the local authority felt residential areas were not ideal then it must provide them with alternative places to operate from.
Most residents in Harare are making a killing by keeping poultry in their backyards as customers shun South African imports which they say are genetically modified and tasteless.

A BULAWAYO woman went berserk and stabbed her police officer husband with a fork on his private parts following an argument over WhatsApp messages.
Chengeto Gumbo Kanengoni, 25, who is employed at Mashonaland Turf Club, allegedly went on to stab Joseph Manhokwani once on his right arm and several times on his back before biting him on his left and right upper chest.
She also hit him on the leg with an electric iron. Kanengoni had gone through her husband’s mobile phone and seen a message in which Manhokwani was talking about his mother, with his sister.
The content of the message was not disclosed when Kanengoni appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Marilyne Mtshina facing a charge of domestic violence. Kanengoni was remanded out of custody to February 16.
Prosecuting, Raymond Makhaza told the court that on February 5 at around 7PM, Kanengoni came back from work and found her husband preparing supper when she got inside the house and locked the door.
Makhaza said Manhokwani asked his wife why she had locked the door and Kanengoni told him she went through his phone and came across WhatsApp messages in which they were discussing her mother-in-law.
“The two had a misunderstanding which led to Manhokwani leaving the house for a few hours to avoid quarrelling,” said Makhaza. When Manhokwani came back home the same day at around 10PM they both retired to bed.
The court heard how Kanengoni later woke up and started shouting at her husband. She grabbed a steel kitchen fork and stabbed her husband on his jewels.
Makhaza told the court that Kanengoni went on to bite Manhokwani on his left and right side of the upper chest before hitting him on his right leg with an electric iron.
While Kanengoni was assaulting her husband their neighbour Alouis Chipato came to his rescue and took them to his house where Manhokwani narrated how he was always being threatened by his wife and her sister.
The matter was reported to the police leading to Kanengoni’s arrest. chronicle

An elderly man from Lupane allegedly tied up his teenage niece on different occasions so that his 59 year old friend could rape her.
Philimon Mlindema Sibanda of Gweshanga Village, who was the girl’s guardian, allegedly went on to force his niece to marry Freddy Ndlovu after a series of rapes, in exchange for a cow.
The two allegedly agreed on the marriage terms at a beer drink.
Ndlovu, also known to villagers as Mareza because they allege he is a serial bed-hopper – would have sex with the girl on the floor while his wife slept on a bed in the same room.
The complainant, from Silwane Village in the same area was 16-years-old when the alleged rape occurred in 2007.
The two elderly men were on Friday dragged before Hwange regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga facing rape charges.
Both denied the crime arguing that the sex was consensual.They were both remanded out of custody to March 4 for continuation of trial.
Ndlovu told the court Sibanda offered him the girl at a beer drink.
“We were at a beer drink with Sibanda when he offered the girl to me. I went to his homestead where he showed me three girls and I chose the complainant and paid a beast as lobola,” he said.
Ndlovu left the court in stitches when the magistrate asked whether the intercourse was consensual.
“Your worship, she agreed because she didn’t pinch me like those other women usually do when they’re forced into sex,” he said.
Sibanda denied tying up his niece and claimed the marriage was consensual as the two were in love.
“I never tied her up, instead she told me she was in love with Ndlovu and they got married properly. I didn’t doubt her since Ndlovu is also called Mareza because of his notoriety with women,” said Sibanda.
The complainant, however, told the court she was forced because her uncle tied her hands so that Ndlovu could have sex with her.
Prosecuting, Tawanda Sigauke told the court that the trial delayed because police could not locate the complainant who had relocated to Botswana with her new husband, after she fled Ndlovu’s homestead.
“On February 2, 2007, Sibanda called the complainant and told her that he had found a husband who wanted to marry her. On February 7, Ndlovu visited the co-accused and Sibanda introduced him to the girl as her husband to be.” said Sigauke
The girl didn’t consent, the court was told.It is alleged that Sibanda demanded and got a beast from Ndlovu.
“On the same night on February 7, Sibanda tied up the complainant’s legs and hands and locked her in the same bedroom hut with Ndlovu. The first accused laid the complainant on the floor, pulled up her skirt,tore off her panties and had sexual intercourse with her without her consent. The accused rested for a while and raped her for the second time without her consent,” said the prosecutor.
The court heard that Sibanda untied his niece in the morning while Ndlovu left for his homestead.
Ndlovu returned to Sibanda’s homestead a few days later.
Sibanda allegedly forced his niece to sleep in the same room with Ndlovu where he allegedly raped her twice at night, it is alleged.
The prosecutor said in the evening the girl fled as Ndlovu wanted to rape her again and she slept at a neighbour’s homestead.
Sibanda followed her and tied her hands before handing her over to Ndlovu who took her to his homestead as a wife.
At home, Ndlovu told the court, he had sex with the girl on the floor while his wife slept on the bed.
The matter came to light when the complainant narrated her ordeal to Lamlela Ncube who then helped her report to the police leading to the two men’s arrest.-chronicle

THE continued dry spell in most parts of the country has seriously affected crops, especially maize, threatening hopes of good yields. The outbreak of armyworms and quelea birds has worsened the situation for maize and sorghum farmers.
The Meteorological Services Department had forecast heavy rains in some parts of the country from Friday last week to tomorrow (Tuesday).
Farmers in the southern parts of the country have lost hope of a harvest and said even if the rains come, the crops would not recover.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union president, Mr Abdul Nyathi, said most farmers in Masvingo, Matabeleland North and South have been severely affected, especially those who planted maize.
“The maize is a write-off and it will never recover even if it rains as we have gone for too long without rains. There is still hope for some small grains if it rains.
“At the moment it is very hot in Gwanda and the crops have wilted.
“The situation is bad and farmers have lost hope.
“The season has been so bad,” he said.
Mr Nyathi said the rains had not been favourable for crop production as they were heavy in some areas causing flooding and leaching while some areas did not receive enough for crop development.
“In some areas maize was affected by leaching and it is yellow and not developing well. This will compromise yields.
“The armyworms have done some damage and now we have received reports of web worm which is affecting maize,” he said.
He said the armyworm outbreak was under control.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Mr Wonder Chabikwa said the crop condition in most parts of the country was good except for the southern regions where maize has been severely affected by the dry spell.
“The southern parts of the country have gone for 10 days without receiving rains and the weather is hot.
“If we get to 14 days without receiving rains most of the crops in the southern region will be a write-off.
“We hope it rains so that those who planted small grains will have food.
“We have encouraged farmers in the dry areas to grow small grains but some of them prefer maize, which they say tastes better,” he said.
Plant Protection and Research Institute director Dr Godfrey Chikwenhere said while the armyworm outbreak was now under control there were new challenges caused by quelea birds and web worm.
“The armyworm is not causing any problems at the moment as the moths are now laying eggs. Quelea birds have wrecked havoc in Mashonaland Central in Muzarabani area and West Nicholson in Matabeleland South.
“We are being assisted by the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority in controlling the birds,” he said.
He said the web worm was affecting maize in Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central and some parts of Mashonaland East, especially areas around Harare.
Dr Chikwenhere said teams from the PPRI and Agritex were on the ground to assess the damage and curb the pest.
He advised farmers to drive away the birds during the day.
Meanwhile, the MSD head of forecasting, Mr Tich Zinyemba, said there will be an increase in rainfall activity across the country, with a bias of heavier falls to the north-east in Mashonaland Provinces; Harare and the North of Manicaland.
“These falls should be increasing gradually as the week progresses with 30mm in 24hrs being expected in some areas. The amounts should gradually decline from north to south.
“Please note that we are experiencing high temperatures at the moment, and therefore these can result in violent storms, in terms of strong winds, hail and lightning. We urge the public to take the necessary precautions to avoid damage to life and property,” he said.
Zimbabwe is expected to receive normal to above normal rains during this season but these are not good for Agriculture.
Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Dr Joseph Made, has said there was need to invest in irrigation to aid agriculture.
He said due to climate change, farmers could no longer rely on rain-fed agriculture as the patterns were no longer predictable.-herald

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairperson Justice Rita Makarau has urged Government to expedite the alignment of laws with the new Constitution to enable the body to fulfil its duties of preparing and managing the voters’ roll.
Justice Makarau was speaking at a luncheon hosted by the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on Friday in honour of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s elevation to the vice presidency.
“All lawyers celebrate your (Mr Mnangagwa) appointment as the Vice President and we have no doubt that your appointment is in recognition of your leadership qualities and immense sense of nationalism.
“Your ministry is saddled with the mammoth task of aligning laws to the new Constitution. It is important that we ensure that ZEC is mandated to prepare, register and keep the voters roll,” said Justice Makarau.
Chapter 12 of the Constitution empowers ZEC to prepare for, conduct and supervise all elections and referendums in Zimbabwe.
It is also the electoral commission’s duty to ensure that the elections are free and fair; to register voters or supervise registration of voters; and to compile voter’s rolls and registers, or supervise the compilation of these, and ensure their custody and maintenance.
Justice Makarau said the realignment of laws with the new Constitution will erase any ambiguity regarding the composition and functions of the electoral body.
Speaking at the same luncheon, chairperson of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Mr Elasto Mugwadi said his commission cherished Vice President Mnangagwa’s pronounced view and advocacy for the removal of the death penalty from the statute books.
“The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission recognises the efforts and contributions you (VP Mnangagwa) have made and continue to make in advancing human rights in Zimbabwe going back to the liberation struggle in which you courageously, unflinchingly and heroically participated to remove an unjust system grounded on racial discrimination and separate development,” Mr Mugwadi said.
Vice President Mnangagwa thanked staff in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for organising the luncheon that allowed relaxed interaction with staff.
“I have been part of you as the Minister of Justice before my recent appointment to the post of Vice President, and the good thing is that I am still a part of you while I am serving in my new post as the Vice President. I hope that we will continue working well together,” VP Mnangagwa said.-herald

Grace Mugabe jetted back into the country this morning after undergoing surgery in the Far East.
She arrived at the Harare International Airport Sunday morning accompanied by her husband President Robert Mugabe.
Thousands of Zanu PF supporters thronged the airport to welcome Grace who returned home after undergoing surgical procedure to remove the appendix.
Grace told Zanu PF supporters of her medical history saying the latest surgery is the third one after undergoing the first one in 1986 where she had surgery to remove tonsils and the second one in 1996 when she had a gall bladder surgery.
Grace and her family continue to enjoy the luxuries of Asian medical facilities as millions of the country’s woman and girls fail to access affordable medical care in the country.
Grace and Mugabe were welcomed by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of the Senate Cde Edna Madzongwe, Defence Minister Dr Sydney Sekeramayi, ministers Simon Khaya Moyo, Miriam Chikukwa, Oppah Muchinguri, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and service chiefs.
 

Megachurch preacher Uebert Madzanire who calls himself ‘Angel’, has taunted the Zimbabwean police following an arrest warrant issued on his head.
 
Angel received the warrant for his arrest after he absconded a court hearing in Zimbabwe.
He had been away doing church planting business in Texas, United States, and doing work in the United Kingdom when he was served the warrant in absentia.
Writing after landing in the UK, Angel, lambasted saying, “All my haters this is a dedication to you.”
He also wrote boasting of his whereabouts saying. “If you’re wondering where I am this valentines day – in London with ” Belle”. If it hurts you to know I am OK, I don’t CARE.” PICTURES-

Warrant of arrest for ‘fraudster’ Prophet Angel
A warrant of arrest has been issued for Spirit Embassy Church leader Prophet Uebert Angel Mudzanire after he failed to appear in court to answer to fraud charges involving a luxury vehicle worth US$300 000.
The police Vehicle Theft Unit is looking for the flamboyant preacher who is understood to be shuttling between the United Kingdom and the United States. He left Zimbabwe in May 2014.
Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe issued the warrant on Christmas Eve when he did not appear in court to respond to allegations of lying to businessman Mr Ndabazinengi Shava that he would “harvest” several vehicles and money if he “seeded” his Bentley Continental to the preacher.
Efforts to get a comment from Prophet Angel over the last fortnight were unsuccessful while church officials in Harare were tight-lipped.
The warrant reads, in part: “Whereas from the information taken upon oath, there are reasonable grounds of suspicion against Ubert Angel Mudzanire, founder of Spirit Embassy Church with no further particulars known, committed a crime of fraud as defined in Section 136 Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 which occurred sometime in June 2013.
“It is alleged that he intentionally misrepresented to Shava Ndabazinengi. . .being the director of Faith-Edge Holdings (in Harare) that if he cedes his motor vehicle, a Bentley Continental, black in colour on registration number ACO 1759, engine number CKHOO2121, chasis number SCBDH23WOBC68373, complainant would in eight months receive several vehicles, assets and money as blessings and if nothing materialises the accused person would return the same motor vehicle to the complainant when in actual fact all this was not true and instead the accused person sold the car without the complainant thereby converting the proceeds to his own use.
“These are (police) therefore in the State’s name to command you that immediately upon sight apprehend and bring the said person or cause him to be apprehended and brought before the court of a magistrate to be examined and to answer to the said information and to be further dealt with according to law.”
After spending 12 years overseas, Prophet Angel returned to Zimbabwe in March 2011, and his congregation grew rapidly as multitudes embraced his charismatic style and “miracles”.
The church held services in the Harare International Conference Centre auditorium; subsequently in the Rainbow Towers grounds and later at Harare Exhibition Park.
He suddenly relocated to the UK last year amid speculation that he was seriously ill, a fugitive or bankrupt.
Prophet Angel is yet to comment on all these issues, though recent tweets on what is believed to be his Twitter account indicate he is preaching in the US and the UK.
The fraud allegations came to public knowledge in 2014 when Mr Shava approached the courts.
Prophet Angel’s co-accused, Anderson Tagara, a Harare-based businessman, has already appeared in court and will be back in the dock this Tuesday.
At Tagara’s initial appearance, Prophet Angel was named the “main perpetrator of the case”.
Sundaymail

A worker abused by businessman Phillip Chiyangwa through the indigenised Zimbabwe Glass Company, has killed himself.
The victim, a 37-year old Gweru man, committed suicide by downing a poisonous substance after he was kicked out of his in-laws’ house, where he was staying with his wife and two children.
Chiyangwa has abused workers as he stopped paying them for several years while yet splashing money on lavish parties, brand new vehicles, and squandering resources on an untold number of girlfriends who last year he was reported blowing more than $50,0000 per month on.
Some of Chiyangwa’s victims are disabled employees.

To many children, the phrase “angry birds” only refers to a video game. To Zhombili Primary School pupils, “angry birds” refers to birds that are in the habit of breaking classroom windows with their long, thick and downward-curving bills. The school in Insiza District, Matabeleland South Province, was closed for a week after southern ground hornbills (insingizi) destroyed classroom and teacher’s cottage windows.
Zhombili Primary School, situated at the border of Matabeleland South and Midlands provinces, had to be closed at the request of parents who complained that their children were now afraid to go to school. Pupils started going to school on Monday last week.
School Development Committee chairperson Mr Douglas Sibanda told the Sunday News that the birds were making life for the entire community miserable. He said the birds had unsettled teachers but vowed that they were going to “deal with the birds with everything in our hands”.
“The big problem we face is that these birds are destroying windows and we are appealing to people who have an idea of how we can deal with them to come forward and assist us. Parents have mooted an idea of having parents on guard during weekends, as that is when these birds come down to the school,” said Mr Sibanda.
A teacher, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the birds were a “menace to the school and the community at large”.
“We thank you for coming to hear our plight. Insingizi are a menace to the school and the community at large. They are destroying both classroom and teacher’s cottage windows,” said the teacher.
“Looking at how big the birds are, early childhood and Grade One to Two pupils were afraid to come to school and parents requested to have the school closed for a while so that they can try to chase them away. The school is not manageable because these birds are now daily phenomenon.
“We cannot afford to hire a caretaker because the school does not have the money to pay. Parents are not paying school fees and the little money we get from donors is not even enough to take us for the whole term. The school cannot also afford to be repairing windows all the time because that means it has to neglect other important issues.”
Our news crew which visited the school on Thursday afternoon saw some pieces of glass around the school.
The same teacher, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the birds usually come and destroy the windows when there is no one at school. Most windows of the three classroom blocks were broken and only a handful had been repaired.
A villager, who resides near the school, Mr Mbuso Mahlangu said insingizi were common in the area. He disputed the belief that the birds might be sending a message to the community.
“We don’t know why insingizi are destroying windows. I do not want to think that this might be something unusual because if that is the case, the community will take action. As it stands, the community just took it as a passing phase which needs to be addressed accordingly so that pupils can go to school without fear,” said Mr Mahlangu.
The southern ground-hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) is the largest hornbill in the world and features a striking red facial and throat skin that contrasts with its black plumage. This species is named for its habit of walking on the ground as it feeds, and it is less often seen in flight. -Sundaynews

CIVIL disturbances that rocked Zimbabwe in the early years of Independence were part of a region-wide conspiracy to destablise Southern Africa and not part of any anti-Ndebele agenda by Shonas, Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko has said. In an interview with The Sunday Mail at his offices in Harare, the VP opened up on what triggered the violence that is commonly referred to as Gukurahundi.
Hostilities formally ended on 22 December, 1987 when President Mugabe and Dr Joshua Nkomo signed the Unity Accord that joined their two parties in today’s Zanu-PF.
VP Mphoko said there was no way Zimbabwe could come to terms with this dark chapter in its history — which President Mugabe has referred to as a regrettable “moment of madness” — if citizens did not speak frankly about what happened.
Key to this healing, VP Mphoko said, was analysing the roots of the problem; which he traced to a wider conspiracy formulated within the context of the Cold War politics that sought to discredit black nationalist rule as informed by Socialist and Communist ideological underpinnings.
“There is one point which has not been articulated to my satisfaction: The issue of Gukurahundi,” said VP Mphoko, who was Zapu Chief of Logistics and the direct link between President Mugabe and Dr Nkomo during the Second Chimurenga.
“Now, there were two Gukurahundis. This must be understood — two Gukurahundis. The first Gukurahundi was a proclamation by President Mugabe in 1975 as a New Year’s message to his advancing forces that let’s turn this year into what he regarded as Gukurahundi.
“That was a proclamation during the war, a revolutionary demand that ‘this is how we should defeat the enemy’. Meanwhile, on the Zapu side, the old man (Dr Nkomo) proclaimed a similar situation as a turning point in the armed struggle. There is Gukurahundi here by Mugabe; there’s a turning point there by Joshua Nkomo. This was a pre-Independence Gukurahundi; pre-Independence turning point by the two leaders.”
He said that first Gukurahundi ended on 18 April, 1980 when Zimbabwe attained Independence via the military and diplomatic onslaught by President Mugabe’s Zanu and Dr Nkomo’s Zapu.
VP Mphoko continued: “Now, I have always said the post-Independence Gukurahundi was a conspiracy of the West. This I maintain . . .
“When Portugal gave up its overseas territory in 1974 . . . the Rhodesians, the South Africans, General (Hendrik van den) Bergh who was head of the BOSS (apartheid Bureau for State Security) and Ken Flower who was head of CIO here, they almost walked to Portugal to protest to the Portuguese.
“‘Why are you doing this? You have opened the gates in Mozambique. ANC terrorists will walk into South Africa. Rhodesian terrorists will walk into Rhodesia. The terrorists of the ANC from Angola will walk into Namibia and into South Africa. Why did you do this? Can’t you reverse this?’
“The Portuguese said, “No, we can’t do that. Find your own solutions’. South Africa and Rhodesia insisted ‘you have opened gates to Communism’.
“So then, what do they do? Information we have is that the Americans, the British, the South Africans and Rhodesians . . . (decided) ‘we need to find a solution to contain the situation’.
“So they came up with a buffer zone in Mozambique and Angola to stop ANC from both sides; to stop ANC and the Patriotic Front forces on this side. They created — in Mozambique — Renamo, which was heavily supported by South African military intelligence.
“And they created Unita in Angola . . . which was heavily supported by the South Africans. Unita was supported by the Americans: $15 million every year for 27 years.
“They were given some of the best weapons to make sure no Communism passes to Namibia, passes to South Africa; no Communism is passed from Mozambique to South Africa and also to Zimbabwe. That is what happened. They created that.
“Now, because their concern was South Africa, they wanted to protect their interests in South Africa from the Mozambican front and the Angolan front that side.
“Come Zimbabwe becomes independent: South Africa gets the same threat now. Zimbabwe is independent; the front is open.
“So what do they do? They create — from a myth, from nothing: ‘Ah, Zapu wants to overthrow you (the Zanu Government)’. (This was) in order to justify, to create something.
“So that is what happened. So the Gukurahundi after the war had nothing to do with Mugabe — nothing! That is a fact. People can say what they want, but that was a Western conspiracy. You can never hear the British condemning that — never! They can’t say anything. They never said anything. They never condemned anything because it was their baby.
“They knew what they were doing because they were protecting South Africa. So that point should be emphasised; it is very important.”
VP Mphoko said greater awareness of this history was crucial for Zimbabweans to stop being divided by external forces.
“Our people should be very careful not to be used . . . the Rhodesians, the British have always wanted a war between the Shonas and Ndebele.
“They have always wanted that and this is historical. And up to now, there is so much suspicion between the Shonas and Ndebele because of these things. We have lost relatives, I was a victim also. The people who were affected will never forgive you and that is what they wanted.
“It is going to go a long way to heal. That is where the problem is. They have achieved it. But we have to be very analytical as a people to understand the source.
“If we don’t do that then we will continue for years and years. But if we understand and be analytical, then you will understand that yes, it was a conspiracy.”
VP Mphoko, who also heads the National Healing and Reconciliation portfolio, said his work was cut out for him in this regard.
“That is a very sensitive area because people lost lives. But we need to solve a situation. We need to heal those wounds. It would be very important that eminent persons in the affected areas participate in the healing system. That’s very important.
“You see, we should avoid the tendency of: ‘Wow, jobs have opened up, this is an interesting ministry . . .’
“No, no, no. It’s a very serious matter. It needs eminent people. There are people who were killed . . . where people have died you have to be very careful.”
VP Mphoko said unity between Shonas and Ndebeles pre-dated the Unity Accord with the first formal and nationwide collaboration coming in 1972 after the Organisation of African Unity meeting in Benghazi, Libya.
“That was the time of Cde Herbert Chitepo and JZ (Cde Jason Ziyapapa Moyo) when we formed the Joint Military Command in Mbeya (Tanzania).
“And I must emphasise here that the Joint Military Command was the first unity between Zanu and Zapu . . . “In the meeting, and we were very clear, we don’t want anyone to have an advantage over the other. This is a win-win situation.
“If Chitepo becomes Chairman, then the Commander of the Army will be from Zipra. If JZ Moyo becomes the Chairman, then the Commander of the Army will be from Zanla. So that’s what happened.
“Chitepo became Chairman, and then Mangena Nikita became Chief of Staff.
“And we were sharing positions. Josiah Tongogara became Chief of Operations. I became Chief of Logistics. And Robson Manyika became Commissar; John Mataure became (Chief of) Personnel and Training and then Gordon Munyanyi became (Chief of) Military Intelligence and so forth . . .
VP Mphoko said thereafter, following an attempt by Bishop Abel Muzorewa, Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole and Cde James Chikerema to take over Zanu in Mozambique, unity between Zanu and Zapu again came to the fore.
When their attempts were rebuffed, the trio approached the OAU Liberation Committee saying no material assistance should be given to Zanu fighters.
“So, everything was completely cut off, and that is when we had a lot of sicknesses in the camps because there was no food, no medical assistance. A number of people died.”
He said during a tour of the camps with Mozambique’s leadership as well as Bishop Muzorewa, Rev Sithole and Cde Chikerema; Cde JZ Moyo witnessed firsthand the dire situation.
“When he got back to report to the Revolutionary Council about the trip, he talked about the problems in Mozambique; affecting our people in Mozambique — Zanla; Zanu people.
“Moyo insisted that we have to rescue that situation because we have identified each other, Zapu and Zanu, as allies, we have to protect the revolution to deny the reactionaries from taking over what is there.
“So, we came up with a plan to rescue that situation. Sithole and others had put a condition that the Zanla (cadres) should join Muzorewa, Chikerema or Ndabaningi. If they don’t, no food; nothing!
“. . . we had to come up with a limited strategy to rescue Zanu from this crisis. The limited strategy was to form Zipa (Zimbabwe People’s Army) on the same lines as we did with the Joint Military Command of 1972.
“Hashim Mbita (head of OAU Liberation Committee) promised JZ Moyo that: ‘If you do that we can rescue the situation. That’s the only way we can do it.
If you don’t do it now, we can assure you that Zanu and Zapu are likely to be de-recognised and then Frolizi and Muzorewa recognised at the next Liberation Committee meeting in Addis Ababa’.
“The most important thing here is that the formation of Zipa was mainly to rescue Zanu from collapse. Any other interpretation is not correct.”
VP Mphoko said as Chief of Logistics, he secured supplies and arms in Tanzania and took them to Zanu fighters in Mozambique.
“Zanla in Mozambique became alive again . . . And when our mission was accomplished, we withdrew as Zipra because we had finished our mission . . . Our mission was to rescue Zanu from collapse and this is what we did.”
He, however, pointed out that finding each other as Zanu and Zapu had not been easy.
“The relationship between the two parties was very hostile in the early days. But those who meet at the front crossing, you cannot try to fight each other because enemies are close. We met John Mutaure on several occasions at the front there and then we had a common approach long before the leadership . . .
“The military people, we had our own relations. You would find a Zanu fellow or he would find you stranded on the way from Tanzania to Lusaka with a tyre puncture. He is going that side; you are coming this side. You would say, ‘Take my spare wheel. Take it to Lusaka, but don’t take it to (your) place’.
“And this is how things were. So, that relationship in the military is older than the unity between the two parties.”
VP Mphoko also singled out the formation of the Patriotic Front as another landmark in Zanu-Zapu ties. “After the withdrawal of our Zipra command in Mozambique, unfortunately when we were planning these things, other people had their own views. They wanted a third force. They wanted to control and so forth.
“Now this is very critical. What happened was when these people wanted a third force, we refused. We came with a mission to rescue Zanu. The people who knew about that were the Zipra Command and Rex Nhongo (General Solomon Mujuru). Not the rest.”
He said there was pressure from the likes of Wilfred Mhanda to depose the leadership, to the point of even claiming that Dr Nkomo was collaborating with the Smith regime.
Through that tense period, President Mugabe emerged as the natural leader, acceptable internally and within the Frontline States; with Dr Nkomo playing a pivotal role in convincing the likes of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere of Tanzania to realise that Bishop Muzorewa, Rev Sithole and company had in fact become destablising factors.
“That’s how those boys lost. From that time, they were told to toe the line and the Frontline Heads of State recognised Zapu and Zanu.
“And when those young fellows left, they were in actual fact told by Nyerere and Samora Machel to toe the line. So they refused. They wanted to exist as a separate entity but they couldn’t and ended up having problems with the Mozambican government.
“So when we went back to Maputo that is when we formed the Patriotic Front on October 30, 1976.
“That’s when we formed the Patriotic Front because the feeling was that we should go to (the) Geneva (Conference) as one.
“Immediately after forming the Patriotic Front, the co-leaders of the Patriotic Front, created a Commission of Inquiry to find out what led to the collapse of Zipa. What was highlighted were the fights that took place in the camps.
“So, the Commission from Zanla was led by (Cde Simon) Muzenda, (Dzingai) Mutumbuka, Rex Nhongo, Josiah Tungamirai and Mark Dube. The Zapu side was led by George Silundika, Dumiso (Dabengwa), Gordon Munyanyi, Ambrose Mutinhiri and I . . .
“That commission went to Tanzania collecting evidence; went to Zambia and the camps in Mozambique to collect evidence. But we knew what was there. Well, we knew about our mission which was limited.
“But there was another element where there were clashes in the camps. That element was a foreign element, which reveals heavy infiltration, the anti-unity element within the liberation struggle.”
VP Mphoko said after that commission, he remained in Mozambique as a Zapu representative after the withdrawal of Zipra, on the instruction of the Zipra command.
“When Mozambique became independent, we wanted a presence as Zipra. We sent a man called Tom Ndebele in 1974 to go and be our man there.
“He disappeared. So when I remained there, one of my tasks was to establish what happened to him. He was arrested. There had been too many Rhodesians . . . So he was arrested, thrown into a prison called Mashava and he died there. They killed him there.
“That was an interest we had. Frelimo was a partner and military ally and so forth. I had worked with Frelimo before. When they opened their Tete front in 1968, I personally delivered weapons to their front there.
“I had worked with them personally from a logistical point of view. And I remained there in Mozambique, as a representative now of Zapu.
“When we went to Tanzania when the leaders had decided to . . . Zapu and Zanu, I was told by the old man, Joshua Nkomo, to go back and represent Zapu.
“And then I said to the old man: ‘Mdala, I have a problem being there in Mozambique. The relationship between Zanu and Frelimo and I am squashed there, sandwiched’.
“The old man said to me: ‘You must go back and make sure that that situation also favours you’.
“Those were his instructions. So, I went back. Now, after the formation of the Patriotic Front that’s when I was co-ordinating the two leaders of the Patriotic Front. That was my biggest mission.” Sunday mail

Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party has rubbished the Reserve Bank’s new monetary policy for 2015. FULL STATEMENT:
The monetary policy statement by the Reserve Bank Governor smacks of a neo-liberal agenda as among other measures it seeks to cause a general wage freeze in Zimbabwe at a time when minimum wages are far below the poverty datum line of USD450 per month.
The MDC therefore condemns the anti-worker monetary statement. We reject the misplaced view that wages are the only cost drivers. Far from it. Public utilities, imports, corruption and profiteering are some of the causes of inflation not wages. The MDC will fight and resist labour market flexibility which is being introduced by the clueless Zanu PF regime.
The monetary policy statement is clearly anti-worker and not pro-poor. How can millions of Zimbabweans whose Zim dollar bank balances were ravaged by government-induced hyperinflation only get US$5 as compensation? This can only mean that the Governor is bereft of any new ideas to deal with the residual effects of hyperinflation.
The Governor, like his Minister of Finance, are presiding over a comatose economy and no amount of financial engineering is going to reverse deflation and the liquidity crunch. The so-called “rebalancing” of the economy is a pie in the sky. What needs re – balancing is the politics of the country which makes the economy hostage. The talk of competitiveness in the absence of foreign direct investment (FDI) will not work. Competitiveness requires social dialogue and the full consummation of the Kadoma Declaration.
The Monetary Policy Statement is a damp squib. The financial sector is like a jungle without GPS. Most banks are on the verge of collapse and depositors risk losing their savings. The US$200 million borrowed from Afrexim bank for the resumption of interbank facilities is not enough as it will be swallowed by non-performing loans and externalization.
The MDC is of the view that the Governor is biting more than he can chew. He must focus his attention on the odious RBZ debt of USD 1.3 billion and explain to Zimbabweans how the debt was accrued. The MDC rejects the RBZ Debt Assumption Bill and calls upon Governor Mangudya to publish the list of beneficiaries and measures he intends to institute in order to recover public funds.

Nigeria president Goodluck Jonathan has appealed to USA to send troops to fight Boko Haram in Nigeria, raising questions as to the military strength of Nigerian Army.
Speaking to Wall Street Journal, Jonathan said the U.S as friends must help fight ISIS backed Boko Haram.
The 57-year-old president of Africa’s largest democracy said in an interview that he has been asking the U.S. since early 2014 to send combat soldiers along with military advisers to Nigeria to battle Boko Haram. Citing intelligence reports, he said the militants were receiving “training and funds” from Islamic State, the jihadist group whose leadership is based in Iraq and Syria.
“Are they not fighting ISIS? Why can’t they come to Nigeria?” Mr. Jonathan said, in his first interview with Western media this year.
“Look, they are our friends. If Nigeria has a problem, then I expect the U.S. to come and assist us.”

Many prospective A level students are being turned away from various schools dashing any hopes for higher education. Zimpolicy and ZimEye can exclusively reveal that most schools are opting to enroll pupils with 9As and only those that attended O levels at their schools, leaving external students without any hopes of getting places at schools of their choice. The situation is even worse for those students with grades B and C as they are not even considered for selection.
Some parents found themselves in a dilema as they tried to secure A level places for their children in various schools. “I wanted to take my son who got 9As, 3 Bs and a C to St Ignatious school but they wouldn’t take him. Instead, they enrolled about 40 of their own who had 9 As or better, 26 girls and only 3 boys from other schools.
The boys from other schools had 13 As each. The Head explained to me that since there was so much competition for limited places,the fairest criteria for enrollment was the number of As scored.I thought that was only fair and did not take offence.I don’t think anyone will fail to get a place.Its just a question of each one going where they belong.” said one parent.
The allegations are that the head teachers are compelling for bribe money in order to take pupils from outside.This has left parents with no option but to enroll their chidren at those schools which are not their first preference.
Meanwhile a comment from the Education Ministry was not forthcoming at time of writing.

Three Zvishavane boys have been arrested after they forced a Grade One boy to have sex with a dog for fun.
The three two aged 11 and one 13 have been charged with conspiracy to commit bestiality. The matter could not proceed as one of the boys failed to turn up in court. It will now be heard on April 8, 2015.
It is the State case that on November 26 last year, the three minors from Murambadziwa Village under Chief Masunda forced a Grade one pupil to have sexual intercourse with a dog. The three boys were curious to see if a dog’s sexual feelings could be aroused by a human being.
The three accused were playing with the complainant at one of the accused’s home. One of the accused suggested that the complainant have sex with the dog that belonged to the 13-year-old. The owner of the dog then grabbed his dog’s legs and brought it near the complainant.
While this was happening, another accused was busy removing the complainant’s shorts. The complainant said in court documents that he could not fight back because he was afraid of being beaten by the three.
One of the 11-year-old allegedly pinched the complainant and pulled him by the ears as he ordered him to have sex with the dog. He also threatened to shoot the complainant with a catapult if he refused to take instructions.
One of accused caressed the dog so that it would not bite them or run away while the sexual act was taking place. When the dog appeared ready, the three placed the dog on the complainant’s lap and forced the boy to have sexual intercourse with the dog.
The boy then had sex with the dog until the dog started barking. It was then that the three freed the complainant and the dog. The matter came to light after the complainant informed his parents. mirror

BRITISH investors visiting Zimbabwe had “unpleasant disagreements” with a cabinet minister after some of them tried to ask who would succeed the country’s nearly 91-year-old leader, the minister told state TV on Friday.
Ignatius Chombo, the local government minister, told the 19-strong delegation that who Zimbabweans vote for was none of the visitors’ business.
“We… had some little unpleasant disagreements when they wanted to refer to the succession in our own country,” Chombo said in comments carried on the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation’s evening news bulletin.
“So I told them that who we vote for in Zimbabwe is our business and not their business.”
President Robert Mugabe’s government has been pinning its hopes on a spate of recent visits by potential foreign investors to bring cash inflows and avert what threatens to be another major economic downturn.
Fragile after the 2000-2008 crisis, things are not looking good in the cash-strapped country where there are frequent reports of retrenchments.
On Thursday the state-run Herald newspaper was reported to be embarking on a retrenchment exercise. The state-owned bus company has also sent 100 workers on unpaid leave.
Analysts say the country’s indigenisation policy, which compels large foreign and white-owned firms to part with majority shares to local black shareholders, is holding back investment.
Last month Mugabe told a visiting French business delegation that the handover of majority shares only applies to natural resource-based sectors like mining.
Chombo told the British delegation that “it is really up to them to discuss with the relevant ministers and also the minister of indigenisation on what plans would be like for a particular investment,” ZBC reported.
A Belgian business delegation is due in the country in April.

A Nyoka villager Samson Makwenjere aged 58, under Chief Nemangwe is set to appear before the traditional court for assaulting his wife for erroneously giving his relative a chicken drumstick, which he said was supposed to be in his plate as the father.
Kerina Makwenjere (51) sustained a dip cut on her forehead, after she was struck with a cooking stick, by her husband of more than 30 years, and opted not to take the case to the police, as she sought justice from Chief’s traditional court.
ZimEye.com managed to get comment from Chief Nemangwe’s representative, who confirmed receiving the report and promised to update us on the court dates.
“We are going to preside over Makwenjere’s assault incident and hope to stop all domestic disputes amicably. We have been busy with domestic disputes the whole of last year especially during cotton harvesting period. We are going to preside over this issue before the end of February and handover appropriate justice,” said the Chief Representative.
Makwenjere told ZimEye.com that he was annoyed by her wife’s disrespect by issuing a drumstick to a stranger. “Kerina was so disrespectful, as she is aware that a husband is the person who must eat a drumstick and back of a chicken every time a chicken is prepared for supper or lunch. I know that she was incensed by the assault, but she must also take the culpability for the cause of this altercation,” he said swearing and swinging his hands.
Meanwhile, Kerina is breathing fire with anger, after revealing to ZimEye.com during interviews that her husband has become greedy. “I want him to be tried by the Chief for wounding me. He has become so greedy since last year after he failed to receive his pension. He is angry with everyone at home as if we have caused this problem.
I think he will learn a lesson after the publication of this story in your newspaper, my son. Tell the world that a 58 year old man committed grievous bodily harm to his wife for the love of chicken drumstick, which I gave to his close relative,” she swore.

President Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace under a cloud of thick mystery is nowhere to be seen almost four weeks after her husband returned from holiday without her, amid suggestion at Mugabe’s instigation that she had gone under an operation for appendicitis.
 
When he returned on January 22, he told Zanu (PF) supporters and government officials at the Harare International Airport that his wife had undergone appendectomy and was recuperating in the Far East country.
Close to a month later, Grace has not returned unconfirmed reports say her condition has deteriorated and could be in a coma in the intensive care unit in Singapore.
However, presidential spokesperson, George Charamba, recently dismissed the reports.
“There is nothing like that,” he said. “It is those reports that are in a coma,” said Charamba.
He, however, did not shed light on Grace’s condition, adding to the mystery on her health.
There has be no official word on whether Grace’s two sons, Robert Junior and Chatunga, are with their mother.
It is not clear whether Chatunga passed his A-Level studies that he should have completed a year ago.
Mugabe returned from Singapore alone and did not comment on his children, save to say that they had undergone routine medical checkups.
Government has denied a claim that Mugabe underwent a major operation, while more reports have indicated that he could soon go back for further surgery.
The president, turning 91 on February 21, tumbled to his knees recently on his return from an African Union (AU) summit where he had just been made chairperson of the continental body. – TheZimbabwean

IT never rains, but pours for former Zanu-PF secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa as the Makoni Chieftainship council of elders yesterday publicly disowned him, saying he was the dynasty’s nephew and not of royal blood.
The council — led by Chief Makoni — said Mutasa was not of royal blood as he wanted everyone in the country to believe.
Mutasa all along claimed to be a Makoni or a Nyati, but for the first time, the clan publicly disputed his kinsmen status, saying he could not assume office as a bonafide member of the clan.
Chief Makoni, who was flanked by Mr Moses Gwasira and Ishe Muchembere during a Press conference at his court in Rusape, said this explained why Mutasa in the early 80s unsuccessfully launched a campaign to clinch the Mutasa chieftainship of the Shumba clan in Manicaland.
His bid crumbled after he failed to elucidate the genealogy and connectivity to that chieftainship.
This has also raised suspicion that he could be of the Shumba totem.
“Didymus Mutasa is not of royal blood because he is a nephew. His great grandmother was a muzvare (daughter of the Makonis called Marutse).
“He is tarnishing the image and integrity of the dynasty by his claims to be a Nyati. Our dynasty is being viewed with suspicions because of him, and this has prompted us to come in the open to expose his roots,” said Chief Makoni.
“He is neither a Nyati or a Makoni. The Mutasas were once our enemies, we fought wars against them to liberate our land and there is no way we could be of the same totem with them. Here is a nephew who adopted the totem of his uncles for lack of or ignorance of his own totem. Didymus Mutasa, thus, has no standing in the determination of matters that relate to the Makoni clan and Makoni Chieftainship. He wanted my throne. He frustrated the whole process for many years. He wanted to be Chief Makoni. He is greedy. He is evil and stops at nothing to grab power,” said Chief Makoni.
It is claimed that Mutasa is a descendant of one “Matambura”, a male born of a female sibling (Marutse) of the family of Chigudu, of the Zendera house.
The Makoni clan stems from its great grandfather Gunguwo, who had five sons, Fusire, Muswati, Zendera, Nyamanhindi and Nyakurukwa.
Marutse was a sister to Zendera who was allegedly killed in 1840.
After his death, Marutse and Zendera’s children were scattered in Mapore and other parts of Mutasa area.
The name Mutasa was derived from a suitor who allegedly rejected paternity.
Mutasa wanted to impose his late brother John Mutasa’s son Tichafara Topira Mutasa, popularly known as Rungutai, as Chief Makoni.
His interference was resisted by the likes of Moses Gwasira, Thomas Vhunduke Gwasira and Makoni District administrator Mr William Mashava.
Mutasa was working with a self-claimed installer and fire kindler of the Makoni dynasty one Paradzai Mukuwapasi.
Mukuwapasi wrote several letters to Mr Mashawa at the instigation of Mutasa, to fast-track Rungutai’s ascendance to the throne.
Rungutai serves as the Headlands constituency Zanu-PF political commissar.
Mutasa dispatched Mukuwapasi to Mr Mashava’s office to fast-track the process on numerous occasions, but the move suffered a still birth as the dynasty elders argued that the Mutasas where not on the family tree, and therefore not of loyal blood.
“He is not of loyal blood as he would want everybody to believe. The central role he played in 2014 as the eldest ‘living father’ of the Zendera family at my inauguration as Chief Makoni was purely political and out of coercion. It was a give and take because we wanted the process to go on as he had stalled it for two years. It was not based on connectivity to the chieftainship,” said Chief Makoni.
Another elder referred the Mutasas, who claim to be ‘Nyati Rutombo’ ‘Nyati Chena’ as ‘Nyati yemubhuku’, not Nyati of Makoni.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Manicaland Mandi Chimene, attended the meeting and thanked the council of elders for biting the bullet and clarifying Mutasa’s true origin.
Mutasa’s political career took a nose dive after being linked to former VP Joice Mujuru’s cabal that wanted to depose or assassinate President Mugabe to facilitate Dr Mujuru’s ascendance to the Zanu-PF and national Presidency.
This was then followed by a series of events including his failure to get a Central Committee seat, being sacked from Government as well as impending disciplinary hearing by a special committee led by VP Phelekezela Mphoko that was recently set up by the Politburo.
Mutasa is threatening to sue Zanu-PF challenging some amendments made to the party’s constitution and that the outcome of the 6th Zanu-PF National People’s Congress was a legal nullity.

A security guard ran amok and shot dead two sisters before turning the gun on himself at Mtimukulu farm near Lake Chivero today.
In a pre-valentine blood bath and a typical Friday the 13th episode, the two sisters Jill and Jean Mahebe were shot dead under unclear circumstances by a guard who was dating one of them.
When the ZBC News arrived at the farm, the two sisters’ bodies were still lying at the scene of the crime while the body of the murderer who has been identified as Tawanda Galasi was lying in a nearby bush guarded by police details.
The elder of the two daughters’ Jean only turned 23 on Thursday the 12th of February.
The motive of the brutal killing is not known and witnesses were baffled as they claimed the three had shared some goodies a few minutes before the incident.
The father of the two girls Joseph Mahebe who was in a state of shock told the ZBC News he cannot imagine life without his two daughters.
The day had started like any other normal day for the girls’ mother, but Friday the 13th of February turned out to be a day of horror.
Though the circumstances are still unclear, initial evidence is leading to a crime of passion.
Most of the people who gathered called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the security of the gun.

School kids and several people were injured on Friday afternoon in separate accidents across the city, Harare. Six people were injured when two commuter omnibuses fleeing from a City of Harare traffic police vehicle veered off the road near the Chicken Slice foud outlet along Chinhoyi street

In a surprising development, Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo has endorsed Bulawayo’s opposition MDC mayor Martin Moyo to be the new Zimbabwe Local Government Association (Zilga) chairman, a move that has courted the ire of the association’s Zanu PF members.
There were suggestions within Zilga’s Zanu PF caucus yesterday that the move was playing out along the ruling party’s ugly factional and succession wars of the past few months, with other sources saying that it may be a desperate bid by government to attract donor support to the country.
Zilga is an association of mayors and other local government leaders, whose mission includes promoting local government and its role in development and the provision of services.
While repeated efforts by the Daily News to talk to Chombo yesterday did not yield positive results, disgruntled Zanu PF Chombo backs MDC mayor.
Zilga members claimed that the newly-installed ruling party secretary for administration was meddling in the association’s business by voicing his support for Moyo — a move they said was outside the minister’s brief.
The minister, who has invited all district chairpersons and mayors for a crucial meeting scheduled for the Rainbow Towers in Harare today, apparently worked throughout the week to build support for the opposition mayor of Zimbabwe’s second largest city.
However, it is still not clear if Moyo, a close confidant of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, will secure the necessary votes to sail through unopposed at the Zilga ballot, which Chombo wants held before March 1.
Zanu PF has a majority 79 chairpersons and mayors countrywide in the 92-member strong Zilga.
“The disquiet highlights the broader split in the ruling party. Chombo has been persuading the Zanu PF chairpersons to back Moyo, and has told the chairpersons that to him the Bulawayo mayor was unchallenged and has virtually locked up that race.
“Ahead of this weekend’s meeting, the minister has been focused on the chairman’s nomination, and has been calling chairpersons and mayors, rounding up and even strong-arming them to back the Bulawayo MDC mayor, ostensibly because he is appealing to donors, mainly Germans, who can help unlock cash to bankroll the financially-troubled Zilga,” a well-placed source said yesterday.
Chombo had allegedly first met the chairpersons and mayors behind closed doors at a meeting held in Bulawayo last week. Assuming each chairperson and mayor in the 92-member conference participates, a candidate needs at least 46 votes for victory, although Chombo is said to want Moyo to stand unopposed.
The victorious leader will wield significant power in terms of the direction and tenor Zilga will take over the next three years.
That dynamic has frustrated many Zanu PF chairpersons and mayors given that the MDC has only 13 mayors in the 92-strong bloc.
“Chombo is raising fundraising arguments and is keen to build support from ambivalent Zanu PF chairpersons and mayors.
“He is also pledging to ensure a deputy Zilga chairman from Zanu PF.
He is proposing installing Alderman David Mutasa from Makoni as Moyo’s deputy,” another source added.
Chombo’s support of Moyo also comes as the minister is allegedly stitching a deal to introduce Easipark in Bulawayo.
The source said the disgruntled Zanu PF chairpersons were “working the phones” in a bid to derail Chombo’s plans.
“For now, the minister’s plan is short of critical votes, and his strategy risks hitting a brick-wall.
“In practice, democracy is governed by its most popularly understood principle, that is majority rule,” said another unhappy Zanu PF chairperson.
“The side with the most votes must win, and we are surprised why Combo wants us to back an MDC candidate. Many fear opposing him but certainly there is disquiet over this,” he added.
Another disgruntled chairman said, “Why doesn’t Chombo go with his proposal to president Mugabe that we must support an MDC mayor? What is he trying to do? Kutengesa ikoko. (He is a sell-out)”. – DailyNews

Defiant Bulawayo medical practitioner, Doctor Nkonzo Ndebele was yesterday arrested for failing to pay $350 per month maintenance order imposed on him by a Bulawayo maintenance court in September last year.
Appearing before magistrate Tinashe Tashaya and prosecuted by Adelaide Chimbete, Dr Ndebele was remanded into custody until the 2rd of March to answer charges why he has not met the maintenance order since it was issued by the court. A dejected Nkonzo was denied bail by the prosecutor after he had previously failed to appear in court to answer the maintenance charges.
Dr Ndebele who according to his estranged wife makes about $30 000 every month from his numerous surgeries in town, was ordered by the court to pay $350 per month for the upkeep of their six-year-old daughter. He was also ordered to pay all the costs of the child’s school fees and buy uniforms at least once each term.
Since the order was effected in September last year, Ndebele has not adhered to any of the provisions of the order. Instead huge amounts of money have been spent on legal fees as the two continue to fight over the apportionment of the property acquired over their eight year customary marriage.
In recent press reports, Ndebele was quoted to have said he was above the country’s laws and no one would do anything to him. He has since violated a restraint order against his wife issued by the courts and is currently on bail for contempt of court.

THE anti-Mujuru Zanu PF purge has infected Parliament where Ray Kaukonde (Marondera Central MP) and Enock Porusingazi (Chipinge South) were yesterday stripped of their chairmanship of Parliamentary Portfolio Committees and reduced to ordinary members.
The move occurred as Zanu PF threatened to reshuffle its administrative staff both at head office and provincial offices, a move observers described as meant to flush out all workers perceived to be sympathetic to Mujuru
Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda announced the development yesterday, saying it was a normal reshuffle, although it was widely believed to be part of the ongoing purge of pro-Mujuru legislators.
Mujuru was last December dismissed from her party and government posts alongside 16 Cabinet and deputy ministers, nine Zanu PF provincial chairpersons and other senior party officials on allegations of plotting to unconstitutionally topple President Robert Mugabe from power.
Kaukonde, who was chairperson of the Industry and Commerce Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, was immediately replaced by Masvingo Central MP Edmore Mhere (Zanu PF).
The former Mashonaland East Zanu PF provincial chairman, however, remained an ordinary member of the same committee.
Porusingazi’s chairmanship of the Foreign Affairs Portfolio Committee was taken over by another perceived Mujuru ally Epworth MP Amos Midzi (Zanu PF), who was previously the chairman of the Transport and Infrastructural Development Parliamentary Portfolio Committee.
Chegutu West MP Dexter Nduna (Zanu PF) will now chair the Transport and Infrastructural Development Committee. Porusingazi becomes an ordinary committee member.
Other perceived Mujuru camp MPs who chaired portfolio committees like Hurungwe West MP Temba Mliswa (Education, Sport, Arts and Culture) and Mbire MP David Butau (Lands and Agriculture) survived the axe as they were not affected and will continue leading their respective committees.
Dismissed ex-ministers and their deputies were also assigned to committees as ordinary members, save for former Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa and ex-Justice deputy minister Fortune Chasi (Mazowe South MP) whose future in the House remains unclear following campaigns to have them recalled.
Former Information Communication Technology minister and Zanu PF political commissar Webster Shamu and Mashonaland East’s ex-Provincial Affairs minister Simbaneuta Mudarikwa will now sit in portfolio committees as ordinary members as well as deputy ministers Paul Chimedza, Tongai Muzenda and Petronella Kagonye.
In Senate, ex-Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development minister Olivia Muchena, fired Energy and Power Development minister Dzikamai Mavhaire, and ex-Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Flora Buka were assigned to sit in different committees as ordinary members.
Mudenda also told the House that the Standing Rules and Orders Committee had made a decision to include a clause in the Parliamentary Standing Rules and Orders outlining penalties for offences of truancy by ministers during question and answer sessions.
“Section 107 (2) of the Constitution clearly states that the Vice-President, ministers and deputy ministers must attend Parliament, which is compulsory. Once the House has adopted the new Standing Rules and Orders, we shall proceed in terms of contempt because we as Parliament must protect the Constitution,” Mudenda said.
On Wednesday, party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo told journalists in Harare that the staff restructuring exercise was the brainchild of secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo.
Khaya Moyo said Chombo had presented a report on staff complement from across the provinces and head office to the politburo, but declined to disclose finer details of the report.
“Cde Chombo gave an exposé on proposed administrative reorganisation at the headquarters and provinces. He gave a detailed staff complement province by province starting with the headquarters, but I can’t, however, give you reports on that,” Khaya Moyo said.
He added that the issues were more administrative and internal party matters which he could not disclose to the media.
However, Zanu PF insiders said the clean-up exercise was targeting workers employed during the Mutasa era.
Mutasa was accused of employing some people to the party without following procedures while ousted former party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo was at one point under fire for employing people perceived to be anti-Zanu PF. Zanu PF insiders said the administration and commissariat departments had been tasked to restructure the party after the divisive congress last December which saw several party heavyweights sidelined.
Meanwhile, Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa told Senate that the Zimbabwean woman who died in Conakry, Guinea, and was initially believed to have succumbed to Ebola, had in fact died of malaria.
Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi also told Senators that Equatorial Guinea footed the bill of Zimbabwean security forces who provided VVIP security at the just-ended Africa Cup of Nations football tournament.

HOME Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi could be heading into another bruising legal battle after a private pegger gave him mining claims on a wildlife sanctuary, Longueville Farm, in Gwanda, belonging to a war veteran and former police commander, Andrew Mupungu.
The pegger, identified as Brighton Kwaipa, is licensed by the Mines and Mining Development ministry to peg mines in Matabeleland South.
He reportedly pegged five blocks of the wildlife sanctuary, which translated into 50 hectares of land, reportedly without advising Mupungu in April 2014.
To make matters worse, the area Kwaipa pegged the main shaft is inhabited by zebras and a large number of pythons — a protected species under Zimbabwean law.
The farm has large numbers of sables, kudus, elands, impalas, guinea fowls and waterbucks.
Efforts to get a comment from Mohadi and Kwaipa were fruitless as they could not be reached on their mobile phones.
However, Mupungu, a former Bulawayo-based Criminal Investigations Department Law and Order Section commander, yesterday confirmed the developments to Southern Eye.
“Kwaipa is the one who pegged the area without my knowledge,” Mupungu said.
“The law says if peggers are given the right to peg, they should advise the owner of the land if it belongs to a private person like me. If he had informed me I could have spoken to Mohadi.
“I am a war veteran; we meet and he’s my former minister. If I had been given that chance, I was going to tell him that I keep wildlife and that doesn’t go hand in hand with mining.
“The damage has already been done and there is no remedy as the paperwork is now complete.”
Mupungu said he was seeking legal advice to stop the acquisition of his land before Mohadi invests money developing the mining claims.
Mupungu said coincidentally, Kwaipa pegged mining claims for his (Mupungu) Pioneer Syndicate in Filabusi where he also later pegged for another person identified as Eziel Dube, creating a dispute.
“I gathered that last week Mohadi’s brother went to my farm with surveyors to set in motion the mining,” he said.
“I don’t know whether it’s deliberate that Kwaipa created a dispute for us in Filabusi in 2013, which is still ongoing, and in Gwanda he has created a conflict for me with the minister.”
A new legal battle in this matter could weigh heavily on Mohadi’s reputation as he has been at the Bulawayo High Court several times over claims that his family members wanted to grab land from villagers.
He has been linked to company grabs.

THE Zimbabwe National Roads Administration will no longer handle funds collected from tollgates because it did not put the money to good use and, in some instances, failed to account for it, a Cabinet minister has said.
Money collected from tollgates will now be handled by a board constituted by various Government ministries.
Speaking in an interview after addressing students of the Joint Command and Staff Course (JCSC) Number 28 at the Zimbabwe Staff College yesterday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Obert Mpofu said Government recently appointed the board of experts, who are also helping with restructuring the management of Zinara.
“Also, currently appointed is a board that has been drawn from various stakeholders such as the Ministry of Finance, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and the District Development Fund and the President’s Office,” he said.
“Funds are scrutinised before disbursement and the board is very effective as proved by our tollgates collections ranging from $1,7 million to $2 million per month.”
The establishment of the board is expected to result in the quick rehabilitation of the country’s road network which has been affected by potholes.
“This initiative has helped a lot as proved by the improvements in our roads, the payment of permits and licences has also risen,” said Dr Mpofu.
Zinara has been accused by several stakeholders of failing to properly handle the money raised from toll gates as the road network continued to deteriorate.
Dr Mpofu said Government was working on 10 toll gates out of the 30 that were on plan for commissioning this year.
“The City–Harare International Airport road will be completed in the next few weeks,” he said. “Government undertook the project single handedly which showed us that the ministry can do its own things without involving outsiders if allowed to implement proposed programmes.”
Dr Mpofu said regional trade corridors needed rehabilitation with the first project being the Plumtree-Harare Road (823km) now at 90 percent completion.
“Our focus is directed on rehabilitating and upgrading Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu (feasibility study done and estimated cost is $1,8 billion), Harare-Nyamapanda (feasibility study to be done in 2015 with an estimated cost of $360 million) and Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls (feasibility study is under way with an estimated cost of $800 million),” he said.
The minister said the state of the transport system and infrastructure in Zimbabwe was critical in the development of continental trade and in promoting economic linkages.
“Transport is a major component of any economic development in a country,” he said “Our primary strategic thrust is to rehabilitate and upgrade the bulk of the basic infrastructure assets of the country and reinforce the existing integration of Zimbabwe’s infrastructure network with those of the other countries in Sadc region.”
Dr Mpofu said key features of the proposed programme included increased resource allocations for both upgrading and maintenance of the transport infrastructure facilities.
“Government through Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) has undertaken the Harare International Airport runway rehabilitation project which is at 65 percent, acquisition of materials for airfield ground lighting system and will shortly be working on the remaining aero-bridges.” said Dr Mpofu.
He said there was need for a second runway at the airport to ensure that further expansion will not encroach into housing development projects.

An ambulance veered off the road and overturned along Chiredzi-Roy Highway killing a 19-year-old pregnant woman and a nurse while seriously injuring the driver.
Memory Ndlovu of Muhlanguleni Primary School in Chikombedzi was being ferried from Chiredzi District Hospital to Masvingo General Hospital after developing complications with her pregnancy when the accident occurred.
Ndlovu died on the spot, while Julia Shereni (33), a nurse at Chiredzi General Hospital, who was accompanying her, died on admission at Musiso Mission Hospital in Zaka after sustaining severe injuries.
Acting Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa yesterday said the driver of the ambulance, Simon Jengwa was battling for life at Masvingo General Hospital after sustaining severe injuries.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that Jengwa, who was driving the Land Cruiser ambulance failed to negotiate a curve at the 53km peg along the Chiredzi-Roy Highway and lost control of the vehicle which veered off the road to the left side and overturned once before landing on its wheels on the right side of the road,’’ he said.
“Ndlovu died on the spot after sustaining a deep cut on the forehead while Shereni succumbed to serious head injuries upon admission at Musiso Hospital.’’
Asst Insp Dhewa said the ambulance was extensively damaged and taken to the Vehicle Inspection Department depot in Masvingo.
He urged drivers to exercise caution on the roads, saying police were worried about the high number of fatal accidents along the province’s roads.
Last year, Masvingo Province recorded 1 974 road accidents that claimed 31 lives.

A jilted woman broke into her ex-husband’s bedroom and sliced his buttocks with a razor blade while he was asleep, the Harare Civil Court heard yesterday.
Leonard Shumbaimwe claimed Nyaradzo Mahembe was always threatening to kill him with a razor blade each time she visited his house. Shumbaimwe was seeking a protection order against Mahembe whom he was accusing of breaching his peace.
“This woman is violent. I got seriously injured after she broke into my bedroom and sliced my buttocks (with a razor blade) while I was asleep,” he said.
Shumbaimwe told magistrate Ms Ruth Kamangira that Mahembe was also in the habit of verbally and physically abusing him even at his workplace.
“She follows me to my workplace insulting me all the way and at times she physically abuses me in front of my workmates. This is embarrassing me,” said Shumbaimwe.
He told the court that Mahembe was making his life horrible through her violent behaviour.
“I can’t even sleep at night because she is always threatening to attack and kill me with a razor blade,” he said.
Shumbaimwe claimed Mahembe once destroyed his company car at the height of a misunderstanding.
Mahembe denied the allegations that were being levelled against her by Shumbaimwe and accused him of not maintaining their minor children.
“I only go to his house to ask for money to buy food for the children only because he is neglecting them,” she said.
Mahembe claimed Shumbaimwe was trying to avoid her because she is HIV positive.
Ms Kamangira granted the order in Shumbaimwe’s favour which barred Mahembe from verbally or physically abusing him.
She ordered Mahembe to keep peace towards Shumbaimwe at all times. herald

A Matobo man has admitted to raping a 91 year old woman and in mitigation pleaded saying he viewed her as a young woman having been seduced by a mini-skirt the nonagenarian “was wearing”.
Mr Nicholas Ndlovu from the nearby Natisa village area, admitted guilt before Gwanda magistrate Joseph Mabeza when he conceded how he invaded the elderly woman[name withheld]’s house on the 23^rd November last year.
He on that day entered the granny’s property after claiming he needed a glass of water to drink.
After being given the first glass of water, the man then withdrew to take out a knife having begged for a second one. It was at the point of her returning that he then flung the sharp knife towards her threatening to kill her if she protests.
The court heard that he then knocked the elderly to the floor descending there and raped her once.
Upon rising up, he once again threatened her, this time telling her that if she dare told anyone, he would come back and kill her.
But word soon reached Chief Malaki Masuku when two neighbours were alerted by the woman leading to Mr Ndlovu’s arrest.
The prosecutor sounded that there are records that Ndlovu had barely a few weeks before been released from prison having served a seven year sentence for a similar rape attack in 2007.
Magistrate Mabeza ruled that a sentencing will be done tomorrow, Friday.

AT least 20 people were injured, while four cattle were killed at Christmas Pass (Mutare) Thursday afternoon when an ISUZU lorry carrying 15 cattle lost balance after one of its front tyres burst and crashed into a Trip Trans Yutong bus travelling from Harare to Mutare. The lorry was travelling from Chinhoyi to Chipinge.

NehandaRadio|Baba Jukwa bounces back barely 48hours after Jonathan Moyo enters Twittersphere and social networking website Facebook.

 The mystery surrounding controversial Facebook blogger Baba Jukwa grows even more after the popular character resurfaced on Thursday and began posting again. The last time the page was updated was 11 August 2014.
Baba Jukwa taking notes in Nyoka and Kunyepa satire of a cabinet meeting
Baba Jukwa taking notes in Nyoka and Kunyepa satire of a cabinet meeting
“From meetings within and without over here one thing is fixed: There are three animals crawling: The Snake, The Crocodile, and The Hippo. Death is the end of at least two, and only one animal will survive this war before Zimbabwe is set free forever. Didymus is no fool hear me great people,” he posted on Thursday.
This was followed by another post, an hour later saying;
“List of people to disappear in February: You’ll remember I told you of how many officers will die in 2014 before it all happened. Three more junior CIOs are going to disappear between 15 February and 5 March.
“You will not hear much of them and it will be like nothing has happened. But their bodies will be turned into ashes. I will give you the updated full list on Monday and will also tell you where and how this is all to go. Watch your back vafana watch!!!,” the blogger said.
The page currently has over 409 000 followers. It grew in popularity towards the 2013 elections as it delivered juicy reports on Zanu PF politburo meetings and several scandals involving senior government officials. The page also quickly grew into a platform for naming and shaming people involved in corruption, theft, murder and other vices.
Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi was arrested last year following claims that he was in fact Baba Jukwa. He is facing charges of attempting to subvert a constitutionally elected government, banditry, insurgency and demeaning the office of the President and is jointly charged with his brother Phillip.
Jonathan Moyo and Edmund Kudzayi
Jonathan Moyo and his sidekick Edmund Kudzayi
Since Kudzayi’s arrest the number of posts on the page has declined considerably. In the past the page has been taken offline and come back online again. The latest period, 6 months, is the longest the popular page has been offline.
Last month Kudzayi threatened to take legal action against the police accusing them of dragging their feet in investigating the Baba Jukwa saga.
Through his lawyer Admire Rubaya, Kudzayi wrote a letter dated January 12, 2015, and copied to prosecutor-general Johannes Tomana, the then Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, among others. Mnangagwa is now the Vice President.
“It is common cause that our client was arrested in June 2014, where the State claimed it had ample evidence and would be ready for trial by July of the same year. Seven months have since passed,” Rubaya said.
Interestingly Baba Jukwa is back on Facebook exactly three days after Information Minister Jonathan Moyo officially announced he had joined Facebook and Twitter. It was Moyo in his capacity as Information Minister who appointed Kudzayi to be editor of the state owned but Zanu PF controlled Sunday Mail newspaper.

Investigations into the alleged plots to assassinate President Robert Mugabe are complete and the police are consulting Prosecutor General Johannes Tomana on what to do next.
“The police have done their work concerning the issue but they have to get the opinion the Prosecutor General on the matter before they can proceed. Yes, the investigations were done and now the Prosecutor General has to give his opinion on the matter,” said Home Affairs Deputy Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi in a telephone interview.
He said people implicated in the alleged plot would be arrested should the police find overwhelming evidence against them, and promised action “soon”.
Ex-Vice President Joice Mujuru, former Zanu (PF) Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa, ex-minister of Public Service Nicholas Goche and ousted spokesperson Rugare Gumbo stand accused of plotting the assassination.
The alleged plot came to light following a scathing attack on Mujuru by Mugabe’s wife Grace last year. Grace blamed Mujuru for working in cahoots with forces opposed to Mugabe’s rule to unconstitutionally unseat him.
Mutasa reportedly revealed during the run up to Zanu (PF’s) December congress that Mugabe would be shot if he did not allow Mujuru to take over from him. Gumbo stands accused of saying that Mugabe’s fate would be similar to that of late Democrat Republic of Congo (DRC) President Laurent Kabila, who was shot by one of his aides in 2001.
Goche is accused of having approached hit men in South Africa and Israel to plot the assassination of Mugabe. Other allegations against Goche are that in September last year he warned that there would be war before congress.
Once Mugabe’s close confidant, Mutasa has maintained that he is unfazed by plans to have him and other officials arrested for trying to kill the Zanu (PF) leader.
Last month, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Secretary Virginia Mabiza said government officials were living in fear following an attempt on Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s life.
Last year, burglars broke into Mnangagwa’s office at Zanu (PF) Headquarters in Harare and reportedly sprinkled cyanide on furniture and floors in a bid to assassinate him. Three staffers were reportedly affected and later treated.
There has been growing criticism in Zanu (PF) circles of the manner in which the police was handling the issue of the alleged assassins loyal to Mujuru. Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri has been fingered as a Mujuru loyalist.
However, the ZRP is on record distancing itself from factional wars within Zanu (PF) saying that the force was non-partisan in its operations. Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, was evasive when asked about police progress on the alleged plots to assassinate Mugabe. “I am in a meeting at the moment. Call me later when I finish,” she said. Efforts to contact her later proved fruitless as her mobile phone went unanswered.
A source at the PG’s office who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that the police were making a number of consultations on the way forward. “The Prosecutor General’s office is currently seized with the issue. I think any course of action that the police take would be based on recommendations from Tomana,” said the source. – TheZimbabwean

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa caused a stir Thursday when he came out opposing Justice Bere on the illegality of spot fines charged by police officers on motorists.
Mnangagwa against the judge, defended spot fines saying they are an administrative process that was put in place for the convenience of the justice delivery system.
His words and direct swipe at a sitting judge came at the peak of wide media coverage this week over spot fines.
In an interview with the State Media on the sidelines of a presentation at the Zimbabwe Staff College, Vice President Mnangagwa, who is also the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, said while the judge made his comment outside a court of law, what is important is whether the payment of spot fines is done in accordance with the law or not.
 
He said the payment of spot fines was “made to ease the administrative processes in the payment of the fines for travelling motorists”.
 
But last week Justice Bere blasted the police for demanding spot fines from errant motorists explaining that “there is no law which compels a motorist to deposit a fine with the police if he desires to challenge the alleged offence. But it looks like the motorists are being forced to pay these fines on our public roads irrespective of their attitude to the charges.
“It occurs to me that any collection made by the police must be made in terms of Section 356 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act (Chapter 9:07). That piece of legislation does not support the manner in which the spot fines are being collected and handled by the police,” Justice Bere said.
 
Police defiance
In response, the police defied Justice Bere’s Monday utterances saying they will continue collecting spot fines.
Senior Lawyer and MDC Secretary for legal affairs, David Coltart, said the outburst from the police was not surprising as spot fines had become a source of revenue for the ZRP.
“I am not surprised by this remark because we all know that the number of road blocks and the rampant fining which takes place at them is a key source of revenue for the ZRP,” said Coltart.
“The Chief Superintendent is correct in saying that remarks at the opening of the High Court are not binding as a judgement would be. However the ZRP should not be so dismissive of the learned Judge’s remarks and a more temperate reply would have been more appropriate.”
Coltart attacked the police for wanting to convict people instead of leaving that role to the courts.
“The ZRP are not there to convict people-they are there to identify crime/infractions of the law and then to bring those to the Courts to decide whether there is guilt or not. That right is entrenched in Section 69(1) of the Constitution which states “Every person accused of an offence has the right to a fair and public trial within a reasonable time before an independent and impartial court”,” said Coltart.
 
Abuse of Authority
However Mnangagwa said the government is worried about the abuse of authority by some police officers who are demanding bribes saying it requires the participation of all stakeholders to curb the vice. In his presentation to the officers attending the Joint Command and Staff Course Number 28 at the Zimbabwe Staff College, Vice President Mnangagwa said corruption and fraudulent activities are derailing efforts in achieving goals set out in the new constitution.
The establishment of independent commissions such as the Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Prosecuting Authority were deliberate efforts by the country to allow independence in the prosecution of cases.

In a more well-mannered way of appealing to well-wishers, Entembeni old people’s 50 inhabitants are in need of food, clothing and basic medication as their home is struggling to look after them.
This came to light during a drama which was held in honour of the aged and orphaned community in Bulawayo recently.

The Entembeni dwellers, an average age of 80 years old, are impoverished and in dire need of food and basic medical support.
For several years to date, Entembeni people have been surviving on hand-outs from well-wishers who are also struggling. The nurses at the home are fighting tirelessly to work with available resources such as using firewood to prepare lunch for the 50 old folk.
The old people appealed to drama actors to share their pleas to the international world and well-wishers to assist in kind, especially medication.
The old people’s plight was highlighted by the drama after the theme of the drama appealed to the veterans to open their hearts and empty their troubles.
The drama theme entered the hearts of the elderly Entembeni Old People’s home dwellers, who have since begged the group for more shows, which they said are ‘taking them to their heydays’.
The Nurse in Charge, Ms Maphosa, told ZimEye.com of how much they appreciated the drama performances, and the community work carried by the group.
“Please come again with your shows because old people are missing you and your show,” said a Nurse in Charge at the centre.

A Zimbabwean man based in Gwanda decided to convert a $5 note to $50 by adding a zero to it.
A 32-YEAR-OLD man will spend three months in jail for adding a zero to a $5 note to make it look like $50.
Godness Owen Godha, of no fixed abode was arrested as he tried to buy a pint of beer using the fake $50 note.
The $5 note had zeros added on all the corners using a green mighty marker, to make it appear like a $50 note.
Godha admitted he wanted to buy beer using the fake money but denied being the one responsible for adding a zero to the note.
Gwanda magistrate, Arafat Kozanai, convicted Godha of possessing a fake note and sentenced him to an effective three months in prison.
Godha told the court he had been given the fake note by one Maphala, who is a teacher at St Christopher’s School in Gwanda Town.
“I had a bunch of notes and had not realised that I had fake money,” he said in his defence.
However, magistrate Kozanai said in trying to defend himself, Godha had actually raised points that exposed him that he had knowledge of possessing fake money.
“You put these zeros to make it look like $50, but your attempts failed. You have great knowledge of where you found the money. So you should go to prison where you belong otherwise you will end up painting other monies,” said Kozanai.
Prosecuting, Getrude Zvidzai said Godha tried to buy beer at Njula bottle store using a fake $50 but the cashier immediately noticed it.
The matter was reported to some detectives who were at the bottle store leading to Godha’s arrest. – Chronicle

“I killed my own child…” UK Zim woman confesses
On the 30th January a mother of two, Emily Munemo, died after being found stabbed twice in her kitchen in Hillingdon, London. A man who sired two children with the deceased was soon charged with her murder. ZimEye.com was within 24 hours of the arrest contacted by a UK based anonymous woman who complained alleging ZimEye is publishing falsehoods. Today we are herewith joined by this woman who claims to be Gibson’s first wife.
She in this interview says she was troubled by the deceased and confesses killing her own child because of the late Munemo. I am not speaking in Gibson’s defence at all, but I just need to release myself, she tells ZimEye.com
FULL AUDIO :

A woman yesterday told the court that her son was in the habit of demanding to share her bed every time he came home drunk.
Elizabeth Bheka claimed Nathan Takadza also verbally abused her using vulgar words in front of her other children. Bheka made the revelations at the Harare Civil Court where she was seeking a protection order against Takadza whom she accused of breaching her peace.
“He comes home drunk during midnight and knocks on my bedroom door demanding to share the same bed with me,” she said.
Bheka told magistrate Ms Ruth Kamangira that Takadza was trying to chase her out of her matrimonial home which was left in her name by her late husband.
“My son is threatening to set me ablaze or poison my food if I don’t move out of my house where he is chasing me out everyday,” said Bheka.
She told the court that Takadza was in the habit of selling her household property and sometimes exchanged it for alcohol. Takadza did not turn up in court. Ms Kamangira granted the protection order in default which barred Takadza from threatening and verbally or physically abusing Bheka.
She also ordered Takadza to keep peace towards Bheka at all times. herald

The exiled and bed ridden Grace Mugabe has in absentia been handed more than 67 kilometres of prime Mazowe land, ZimEye.com can reveal.
The development means Mrs Mugabe will now own the richest land between Harare and Bindura.

Mrs Mugabe currently in a foreign hospital and recovering from a critical operation, has by proxy utilised the strained police, army and the Department of National Parks to carve for herself 6700 hectares of Mazowe land meaning she now becomes the biggest land owner in Mashonaland Central.
This was revealed through the lawyer for the abused Manzou villagers who have taken Mrs Mugabe to court and won three High Court rulings in a roll against her.
Mr Gift Mtisi of the Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights read out papers to ZimEye.com presented him showing how the government’s has deliberately carved out 6700 hectares for Grace.
Mr Mtisi revealed that the Manzou residents who woke up to the shock of 100 zebras transported from the Zambezi area and offloaded onto their village by the Department of National Parks under Grace’s command, have since been handed offer letters to take new farm lands, and Mrs Mugabe will now move in to take up a total 6700 hectares.
“The area called Manzou is not one farm, it covers a number of farms,” Mtisi said.
He continued, “the lawyers for the authorities were saying…Manzou comprises three distinct farms, and in total they are ranging in size 6700 hectares.”
Mrs Mugabe caused constenation last year when she announced she was evicting 200 whole families including vulnerable children from Manzou farm to make way for her animal farm project.

Chinhoyi- A man who attempted to rescue the late Mavambo Kusile Dawn party official Liberty Mukwakwami killed by a crocodile in December, met bad luck when he was today struck by the same crocodile(according to witneesses).
The man, in his 30s, whose name has been withheld until after relatives are notified, was killed at the same spot that Mr Mukwakwami disappeared last year. [READ MORE –  Horror as Mystery Crocodile Kills Mavambo Leader During Whatsapp Chat].
He was fishing in the river at the time of the attack, ZimEye.com has been told.
The rare 16-foot crocodile which killed Mr Mukwakwami reportedly sneaked in on him while he was snagging a fishing line late Wednesday afternoon.
The large reptile well-known amongst Chinhoyi residents, is said to be still at large in the waters.
 
A Mermaid?
Community superstitious speculation has been rife that because all casualties for years to date are men, the croc it is not real, is actually a mythical mermaid. Last year several people told ZimEye.com the croc attacks are those a mermaid which is backfiring on men. But investigations carried out by ZimEye.com have shown that the crocodiles are now a problem in the area after they were released following a recent farm invasion on a plot previously owned by a white farmer who used  the reptiles for croc farming.
Meanwhile scores of villagers are currently congregated close to the river-side at a place called Muteputepu whre the attack took place.
ZimEye.com will inform our valued readers as events unravel.

Mission schools have this year dominated the ZIMSEC national ‘O’ level top 100, accounting for 75 percent.
The major talking point has been rural and high density schools which are forced to take students who failed Grade 7 yet they are rated together with schools that take the cream.
Another part of the ZIMSEC rating system that has been queried is the failure to recognise schools that have many candidates.
Pamushana in Bikita had 239 candidates but recorded 01.63 percent.
In contrast, the top rated school Monte Casino had only 83 candidates.
Other schools that had high numbers of candidates yet made it into the top 100 are St Dominics (237), Gokomere (236) and Goromonzi (205).
The worst performing schools were in Matabeleland South Province.
Meanwhile, Mathematics and Integrated Science were the most problematic subjects for students who sat for the 2014 ‘O’ level examinations, with the former recording a dismal 21 percent while later has 21,9 percent.
There is a general belief that the subjects are tough but analysts say the problem is linked to the brain drain that has attracted competent teachers to neighbouring countries.
High pass rates were recorded in Literature in English with 82,54 percent, Physics 89,08 percent, Statistics 77,96 percent, Additional Mathematics 79,62 percent, Home Management 82,46 percent and Computer Studies 78,43 percent.
But why do students continue to register low passes in Science and Mathematics subjects?
An analyst, Pardon Mugari cited ill-equipped laboratories, brain drain and unacceptable teacher to pupil ratio as some of the contributors to low pass rate in the subjects.
According to the November 2014 examinations top 100 best performing schools released by ZIMSEC, government schools once again played second fiddle to church schools while private colleges were the worst performers.
The percentage pass rate continued to go down, with the rate for school candidates standing at 22.38 percent while private candidates recorded a mere 8.47 percent.
The total number of candidates examined in the November 2014 ‘O’ level examination session was 316 003.
Candidates who sat for five subjects and above was 173 856 while those who passed five subjects and above with a grade C or better were 36 031.
On a worrying note, male school candidates performed better than their female counterparts with a 27.23 percent pass rate compared with 18.76 percent pass rate for girls.
However, mission schools once again maintained their stranglehold on the top 100, accounting for 75 percent.
The mission schools dominated the top 10 with only ZRP High School in Harare, Nyanga High School and Knowstic Academy spoiling an almost clean sweep.
Schools from Manicaland Province were the top performers with four of the schools making it into the top 5 while the Midlands Province provided Anderson and Regina Mundi into the top 10.
Mashonaland East has St Ignatius College and St Dominics Chishawasha in the top 10.
However, experts are querying the way ZIMSEC is rating the schools, alleging the system is flawed.-ZBC

At least three people are murdered every month in Masvingo, it has emerged.

High Court judge Justice Francis Bere has bemoaned the increase in murder cases in Masvingo province where an average of three people are killed every month mostly over petty issues.
Addressing guests at the official opening of the Masvingo High Court Circuit on Monday, Justice Bere said the statistics were worrisome.
“I have noticed that over the years, we deal with an average of 12 murder cases per circuit which roughly translates to almost three murder cases per month and these figures are too high for a small country like ours,” Justice Bere said.
“We must be concerned as a country with our strange appetite to resort to violence as a way to resolve our differences. We must, as a people, learn to exercise restraint in the event of disputes and seek the intervention of both our traditional and civic leadership in the event of disputes. Spilling blood invariably leads to further complications.
“Always remember animals quarrel and fight to stamp their authority over others, but man must learn to debate and discuss in order to have permanent solutions to their challenges,” he said.
Justice Bere also urged the police to be techno-savvy in investigating matters to be brought before the courts and move with modern policing trends to avoid the culprits walking scot-free due to lack of evidence.
“It occurs to me that there is need for the ZRP as an institution to enthuse itself with modern trends in investigations, especially when dealing with more complex matters such as rape, armed robbery and murder cases.
“We would want to see more use of forensic examinations to avoid the culprits being let off the hook on some other technicalities,” Justice Bere said.
The judge also urged the police to remain cognisant of the people’s rights as laid down in the Constitution in order to avoid litigation. – Newsday

BINGA villagers under Chief Pashu woke up to a horrific sight when they discovered a partly devoured body of a school temporary teacher who went missing last week, reportedly after he was swallowed by a flooded river and attacked by crocodiles.
Reports from Binga district said the teacher, identified as Mlamuli Khumalo, was swept away by the flooded Nakapande River last week and his body had not been found for nearly a week until Thursday.
However, to the shock of villagers the body was discovered devoured by crocodiles with several parts, including bowels missing.
The teacher was recently deployed to teach at Kamalungu Primary School in the district under Chief Pashu.
However, Southern Eye yesterday could not establish where Khumalo comes from or locate his relatives, who have reportedly been informed of his death.
Binga councillor for Ward 4, Elmon Mudenda, confirmed the morbid incident.
“Yes, I heard that he tried to cross a flooded Nakapande River and was attacked by crocodiles, according to the police, but it seems the issue is quite complicated,” he said.
A police source confirmed that Khumalo was trying to cross the flooded river to school when he was swept away.
“He went missing for some days,” the officer said.
“However, his body was later recovered last week mauled by crocodiles.
“It was taken to Binga mortuary,” he said.
Another source said it was like watching a horror movie.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” he said.
“You could not look at the decomposing body. Crocodiles left it in bad shape. The scene resembled a horror movie.
“I haven’t seen such horror in real life except in movies.
“It was not a sight for those of a nervous disposition, it was shocking.”
He said Khumalo had recently been deployed to Kamalungu Primary School as a temporary teacher.
Although the roads to Kariangwe and Lusulu are in a better condition, the road network in Binga is generally poor, making it difficult for some of the remote areas to be accessed, especially during the rainy season. – SouthernEye

VENERANDA LANGA|DEFIANT former Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa yesterday turned up in Parliament almost two months after he went out of public life following his ugly fallout with President Robert Mugabe.
Mutasa, who is Headlands MP, sneaked into the House of Assembly shortly before Speaker Jacob Mudenda opened the proceedings and quietly sat next to former Information Communication Technology minister Webster Shamu for approximately 25 minutes before he left.
Mutasa’s stay in Zanu PF now hangs in the balance after top party officials have publicly called for his ouster after he denounced the party’s December congress resolutions as illegal and threatened to take the party to court over the matter.
The former Zanu PF strongman has refused to be silenced and even scoffed at threats to have him expelled from the party.
Mutasa has even defied Mugabe and at one time sought to have him reprimanded by his Sadc and African Union colleagues for “holding an illegal party congress” that endorsed the ouster of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru and several other party gurus.
They were relieved of their government and party posts over allegations of plotting to topple Mugabe from power. Several former ministers who were swept away in the December tide have of late been attending Parliament in their capacity as MPs, but keeping a low profile.
Morale among them seems low, and most of them have been wearing forlorn faces in Parliament.
This comes amid reports that the Zanu PF purge, which started in the run-up to the party’s December congress, is likely to be extended to chairpersons of thematic committees, the majority of whom are perceived as Mujuru allies.
Sources said the Parliamentary Standing Rules and Orders Committee met this week to discuss re-alignment of MPs to different committees and that Zanu PF might remove MPs aligned to the Mujuru faction from chairing parliamentary committees.
The axe is likely to fall on Hurungwe West MP Temba Mliswa (Education, Sport, Arts and Culture), Mbire MP David Butau (Lands, Agriculture and Mechanisation), Marondera Central MP Ray Kaukonde (Industry and Commerce) and Epworth MP Amos Midzi (Transport and Infrastructural Development) — all of whom were booted out of their provincial chairmanship on allegations of supporting Mujuru.
Mudenda announced last week that there was going to be a reshuffle of MPs in committees.
Meanwhile, opposition MPs yesterday continued to resist the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Debt Assumption Bill which is currently in the Second Reading Stage before the National Assembly.
However, Zanu PF MPs said if the opposition MPs described the RBZ farm mechanisation scheme as looting, then they might as well return the vehicles that the central bank bought for them during the government of national unity.
Hatfield MP Tapiwa Mashakada (MDC-T) said although he was in favour of passage of the Bill to enable the RBZ to assume a clean balance sheet, its quasi-fiscal activities which brought about the $1,3 billion debt were an act of recklessness.
Bulawayo East MP Tabitha Khumalo (MDC-T) said the Bill sought to normalise fraudulent activities.
Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya (MDC-T) said failure to force the farm mechanisation beneficiaries to pay back was a violation of the Constitution which demanded transparency and accountability. Mkoba MP Amos Chibaya (MDC-T) said there was need for people to know what debts they would be paying for.
But Zanu PF MP Masango Matambanadzo (Kwekwe Central) said opposition legislators benefited from the RBZ vehicle scheme and should therefore return the cars.
Chegutu West MP Dexter Nduna (Zanu PF) added that part of the debt was accrued in the purchase of MPs’ vehicles by the RBZ. – Newsday

The residents of Emakhandeni suburb in Bulawayo got the shock of their lives as they witnessesd a horrifying incident of a woman who totured her 11-year-old son.Nomalanga Maphosa tied up her son and repeatedly struck him with an iron bar on the head before burning him all over the body using a burning plastic paper.
There was blood every where as the woman was accusing her son of selling her dog.The incident happened on Tuesday around 8pm.
Nomalanga Maphosa, 29, yesterday appeared before provincial magistrate Willard Maphios Moyo facing a charge of ill-treatment /neglect of children and young persons.
She was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to today for trial.
Prosecuting Kingston Mkanganwi told the court that Maphosa assaulted her son because he had failed to disclose the whereabouts of the dog.
“She assaulted him after failing to disclose the whereabouts of the dog which disappeared sometime last year and she was accusing him of having sold it,” said Mkanganwi.
The court heard that on Tuesday last week around 8PM, Maphosa asked her son about the dog,
After the boy failed to disclose the whereabouts of the dog, she started accusing him of having sold it, the court heard.
Maphosa then allegedly tied the boy’s hands and legs with a rope and struck him four times on the head with a metal bar.
The court heard that Maphosa went on to light a plastic paper which she allegedly used to burn the boy all over the body.
The boy sustained some cuts on the head and blisters all over the body as a result of the torture.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has dismissed claims that spot fines are illegal, saying they are empowered by law to accept them on all offenders whether it is a criminal or traffic offence.
This follows statements by High Court judge, Justice Francis Bere during the official opening of the 2015 Masvingo High court legal year that spot fines are illegal.
In a statement, Police Spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi dismissed Justice Bere’s statement, saying it was his own personal views and made outside the court as it was not an issue brought before the court by someone.
He added that Justice Bere’s statement is not binding on police operations and the issue of admission of guilty is regulated by section 356 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act chapter 9.07.
“The issue of deposit fines was duly tabled before Parliament and approved by Cabinet and justified by Honourable Minister of Home Affairs on several occasions in Parliament, Portfolio Committees, deliberations and public fora. As an organisation, we view the quoted comments as interference on the separation of powers between the Executive, Parliament and Judiciary,” said Chief Superintendent Nyathi.
Chief Superintendent Nyathi urged the public to continue cooperating with the police on all activities to ensure the smooth delivery of justice in the country.
After Justice Bere’s statement, motorists were quick to call on authorities to scrap spot fines.

A Bulawayo woman has been caught in a fix after becoming intimate with her own father in law.
Sibusisiwe Sibanda fell in love with her father-in-law resulting in the pair moving in together. Ndebele culture regards one’s father in law, their own parent.
The father-in-law is widowed while the woman also lost her husband. The daughter-in-law Sibusisiwe Sibanda, moved out of her lodgings in Emakhandeni suburb to stay with her father in-law-cum-lover David Mwale in Njube suburb.
However, the two’s relationship was discovered after Mwale took one of his tenants Dorothy Nyathi as his live-in girlfriend much to the anger of Sibanda who had seen herself as his wife.
The two women — Nyathi and Sibanda — who are staying in the same house are reportedly fighting for Mwale’s attention.
So nasty is the bedroom war that Nyathi who apparently is overwhelmed by jealousy after suspecting that Mwale was allegedly clocking more hours in Sibanda’s bedroom last week approached the Bulawayo Civil Court seeking a restraining order against her claiming she was disturbing her relationship with Mwale.
At the court she made some stunning disclosures to the effect that Sibanda was madly in love with her father-in-law.
She said spirited efforts to evict her from the house have dismally failed as she was always receiving support from Mwale.
“I am married to David Mwale and we have been living peacefully until 2011 when Sibusisiwe moved in. She is subjecting us to harassment. Despite the fact that we live in the same house she does not talk to me. She is doing whatever she wants in the house without consulting me.
“Whenever I finish cooking for my husband she rushes to take the food to serve him. She is saying my husband is also her husband. I didn’t want to say this before the court but because of anger I am now revealing it. She is madly in love with my husband who is also her father-in-law. Really it’s a shame. The relationship started after the death of
her husband Isaac some years back. I want her to move out of the house since what she is doing is taboo,” said Nyathi.
In response Sibanda refuted Nyathi’s allegations maintaining that she would not move out of the house as long as Mwale “loves”
her as her only daughter in-law.
“Nyathi is not telling the truth. She is not married to
Mwale, she is just a live-in girlfriend who came as a tenant. She does not have
the right to evict me from the house since it does not belong to her. I am
staying there with the blessings of my father-in-law who said I should not go
anywhere,” she said.
Presiding magistrate Evelyne Mashavakure who however,
seemed to have been shocked by the revelations postponed the matter and said he wanted to hear Mwale’s side of the
story. b metro

Barely one month after one prophet claimed President Robert Mugabe is dying this year, a renowned Malawian prophet has said that Mugabe will die in less than 46 weeks’ time.
The Maravi Post newspaper reports Apostle Kenneth Eagle saying he “spoke to an angel” who spoke in clear words of Mugabe’s imminent exit from human life.
Kenneth Eagle of the Holy Tabernacle Ministries in the Lukuni township of Lilongwe, said he was just doing his job as watchman quoting Amos 3 v 7 which says “The Lord will not do a thing without revealing it to his seers”.
[ALSO READ -PROPHECY: Mugabe’s Exact Death Date, and Grace Mugabe’s Shocking Doom ]

ANTI-RIOT police yesterday descended at Maleme Ranch in Matopo and severely beat up villagers who had gathered for a prayer meeting on the farm.
The villagers were against the acquisition of the ranch by an official from the office of the president, Rodney Mashingaidze. The locals had at the weekend resolved to hold two days of prayer to stop the acquisition of the farm which belonged to a white farmer, David Cunningham.
The prayers were supposed to continue yesterday, but all hell broke loose when baton-wielding riot police descended on villagers and beat them up for allegedly trying to stop the farm acquisition.
Chief Malaki Masuku confirmed receiving reports that locals had been assaulted by the police.
“Yes, I have a report that my people are being beaten up by the riot police for holding peace prayers at Shalom campsite,” he said.
This follows reports that Mashingaidze on Friday led a group of 16 people from outside the region, who pitched tents around the ranch and ordered farm workers to stop their routine tasks at the farm.
A foreman was arrested and taken to Kezi.
Unconfirmed reports claimed Cunningham had been taken to the local police station.
Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele said he was not aware of the matter.
Local chiefs had been vehemently opposed to the acquisition and approached Provincial Affairs minister Abedinico Ncube, who has so far been indifferent to their pleas.
In response to the chiefs’ pleas, war veterans’ leader Chris Mutsvangwa warned traditional leaders in the province to stop meddling in land issues, but to stick to their mandate of safeguarding traditional values.
Mutsvangwa, who is minister in charge of the welfare of the former freedom fighters, said this while addressing hundreds of war veterans at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic, Gwanda, on Saturday.
“We respect our chiefs, but you should stop meddling in land issues, as it is not your mandate to do so. Concentrate on tradition,” he said. “Land is a revolutionary issue. We went to war because of land.”
Matabeleland South Senator Chief Nyangazonke and other chiefs challenged land officials to explain how Maleme Ranch was allocated to Mashingaidze without their approval. But Mutsvangwa said the chiefs were not mandated to allocate land.
War vets secretary-general Victor Matemadanda added the chiefs where working in cahoots with the provincial administrator Midard Khumalo, district administrators and land officials, who he said should be fired for engaging in corruption.
“Matabeleland South has the worst case of land corruption in the country and this is disgusting,” he said. “Traditional leaders, provincial administrator, district administrators and lands officials are involved in illegal dealings and we will have them fired.” southern eye

A 50-YEAR-OLD Chitungwiza male teacher who allegedly summoned a female student to his office where he hugged and kissed her and fondled her breast, appeared in court yesterday charged with indecent assault.
Cornelious Muradzi, a teacher at Genius College, however, denied the charge when he appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Lazarus Murendo. He was granted $50 bail and remanded to tomorrow for continuation of trial.
It is alleged that on February 5 at around 7:20am, the 17-year-old complainant was in class when Muradzi came to conduct a Shona lesson. The court heard that Muradzi asked the complainant why she had failed to come to school the previous day. He then summoned her to his office so that they could discuss the issue.
Prosecutor Norman Koropi told the court that as they were in the office, the complainant was overcome with emotion while explaining herself and Muradzi allegedly drew closer, hugged and kissed her and fondled her breast in a purported bid to console her.
The complainant immediately stormed out of the office and informed a janitor at the college, leading to Muradzi’s arrest. newsday

A lumpsum $670,000 poured out by government for unemployed graduates is set to disappear, it has emerged.
Sources say there is no framework set up by government for the funds to be accounted for. This money was set out clearly to assist graduates but government has no way of controlling it’s disbursement, a source in the Ministry of Finance said.
As at Monday it was revealed Teritary Education Minister Oppah Muchinguri does not yet have an available policy and procedure for the disbursement of the funds. This became clear when upon requesting a copy of the document ministry officials confessed that it dfoes not exist.  “There is no such a document, why don’t you call on Wednesday morning,” a woman who identified herself as the Minister’s Secretary said.
Government last week announced in the State Media it has set aside $670 000 from Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF) to fund projects for unemployed graduates, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Speaking in Harare last Thursday at an event organised by the Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union, (ZICOSU), Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Minister Oppah Muchinguri said through a programme called Graduate Entrepreneurship and Employment Promotion Programme (GEEPP), the money would be used to fund projects for the unemployed graduates, teaching them to be self-reliant and innovative.
Minister Muchinguri said the programme will cascade to all provinces, and in order to mobilise additional resources, she will create linkages with external partners by exploiting bilateral and multilateral agreements already in place.
“President Mugabe noted that the number of unemployed graduates on our streets was increasing. My ministry responded by deliberately resuscitating the Graduate Entrepreneurship and Employment Promotion Programme,” Muchinguri  said.

One of the senior partners at a leading Bulawayo law firm, Cheda and Partners, Mlamuli Ncube, is being sued for $46,500 by a city businessman after he was allegedly implicated in a bungled sale of a house.The deal also involved a bogus estate agent, Charles Mawire, 34, who sold the property for $60,000 and allegedly issued fake title deeds to the businessman.
According to the summons issued at the Bulawayo High Court on February 2, Ncube was cited as the first defendant while Cheda and Partners is the second defendant. The businessman, Bernard Muntanga, is the plaintiff.
“Wherefore plaintiff claim payment of $46,500 jointly and severally with one paying the other to be absolved, being money due and payable to the plaintiff, the sum being owed by the first defendant who was acting within the course and scope of employment under the employ of second defendant in the abortive sale of House Number 8 Glenwood Road, Woodlands in Bulawayo,” said Muntanga through his lawyer, David Mhiribidi of Mutuso, Taruvinga and Mhiribidi Attorneys.
In the court papers, Muntanga is accusing Ncube and Cheda and Partners of failing to honour their agreement to settle the debt whose deadline was January 31, 2015.
“First defendant duly admitted liability of this sum in an acknowledgement of debt signed on December 10, 2014 wherein he had undertaken to pay the said sum on or before January 31, 2015, but failed and/or neglected to do so,” he said.
Muntanga is also claiming a collection commission fee in terms of the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) by-laws, an interest thereon at prescribed rate per annum and the cost of suit.
Ncube has up to Thursday to enter an appearance to defend at the office of the Registrar of High Court.
Mawire of Mpopoma Flats has since appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze facing a fraud charge and operating as an illegal practitioner.
Cheda and Partners has since been placed under voluntary curatorship by order of the Bulawayo High Court. Ncube and his partner, Sindiso Shepherd Mazibisa have since voluntarily agreed to surrender their practising certificates to the LSZ pending forensic audit of the law firm’s trust account. LSZ has appointed Advocate Perpetua Dube as the curator of the law firm until March 31 when the curatorship expires.
The latest development comes at a time when a third of the lawyers practising in Zimbabwe are being investigated by LSZ for various cases of fraud and corruption which they committed throughout the course of last year.
There were 1,240 registered lawyers in 2014, but almost 400 of them are under investigation, putting a dent on the profession for which honesty is a cardinal rule.

The collection of spot fines from motorists by the police and the impounding of their vehicles if they fail to pay up is illegal and must be stopped forthwith, a High Court Judge has said.
Officially opening the 2015 Masvingo High Court Legal Year yesterday, Justice Francis Bere said there was neither a legal framework nor any law which either compelled a motorist to pay a spot fine or which empowered police to impound someone’s vehicle.
He said Section 356 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act (Chapter 9:07), which is often cited on the matter, did not give police officers powers to force a motorist to pay a spot fine.
Justice Bere said spot fines and their retention by the police needed to be clarified as the matter has caused a lot of debate.
“It has been reported extensively in the media that these collections by the police are meant to meet the force’s pressing operational needs,’’ he said.
“I fully understand the predicament the Home Affairs Ministry finds itself in, but it occurs to me that currently there is no legal framework justifying the manner in which these collections are being done.
“There is no law which compels a motorist to deposit a fine with the police if he desires to challenge the alleged offence, but it looks like the motorists are being forced to pay these fines on our public roads irrespective of their attitude to the charges.
“Any attempt to refuse to pay is met by threats to have the vehicle impounded by the police.’’
Justice Bere decried the continuous flouting of legislation that governs the collection and retention of spot fines, a development he said was affecting the force’s ability to fully execute its core business.
“The Section (356 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, Chapter 9:07) compels the police to forthwith transmit all the documentation to do with the payment of spot fines to the court for confirmation by a magistrate,” he said.
“All these provisions of the law are being flouted, with everyone watching helplessly whilst this illegality continues. There may be no problems with the police operating as an extension of Treasury, but if that is what is desired, then the legal framework must be put in place to support such kind of a development.’’
Justice Bere said the police were “cursed” if it was true that the force was superintending co-ordinate collection of “security fees” to give commuter omnibus drivers free passage at roadblocks.
“Quite often, one hears of more illegal collections which are being made by the police,” he said.
“There is talk of well co-ordinated collections of security fees on our public roads, particularly from commuter omnibuses, which fees are meant to give commuters free and unhindered passage at police roadblocks.
“If this is true, then the department (police) is surely cursed. How can a nation continue to condone such malpractices which create a breeding ground for corrupt tendencies?
“We talk of determination for the need to rid this country of corruption. How can we achieve this when we allow our police officers to conduct themselves in such a corrupt manner? My view is that all these issues must be seriously looked at and corrective action be taken without further delays.”
Justice Bere said it was crucial for the police to jealously guard its repution as an international brand by fully and fairly playing its role in the justice delivery system.
Turning to the contentious issue of the death penalty, Justice Bere said there was urgent need to align certain laws with the provisions of the new Constitution to avoid confusion.
He said some High Court judges strongly believed that there should be no imposition of the death penalty at the moment until a new law that defines aggravating circumstances was created.
During the circuit of the High Court in Masvingo, Justice Bere will hear 11 murder cases. – State Media

The Harare Municipality Town Clerk has a pocket-dip of $63,000 available for his personal use every month, it has emerged. The Harare Residents Trusts writes revealing the shocking salary discrepancies in the council.

The Harare City Council has 16 grades of employees with Grade One being the Town Clerk, reportedly earning US$21 000 in monthly salary and allowances, excluding vehicles, housing, cellphone and workshops.
On top of this the City of Harare gives workers in Grades 1- 3 school fees assistance for a maximum of three children per year, each child receiving the equivalent of one month’s salary and allowances.
Following this approach, the Town Clerk on paper would be entitled to school fees allowance of US$63 000 if he has three children in school.
The HRT now reveals what each of the grades is entitled to from the coffers of the Harare City Council. We only reveal the minimum figures revealed.
Those in Grades 1-3
Grade Two (six employees)- each earns US $19 073.16
Grade Three (2 employees)- each earning US$13 622.50
Grade Four (32 workers)- each earning US $10 048.25.
Those in Grade Four are entitled to US$18 000 school fees every year if they produce invoices and birth certificates of their children.
Grade Five (28 workers)- each getting US$2 778.21
Grade Six (44 workers)- each earning US$2 387.23
Grade Seven (101 workers)- each getting US$2 126.57
Grade Eight (267 workers)- each getting US $1 848.14
Grade Nine (920 workers)- each earning US$1655.17
Grade 10 (439 workers)- each earning US $1 186.22
Grade 11 (1761 workers)- each takes US $997.62
Grade 12 (874 workers)- each earning US $821.78
Grade 13 (873 workers)- each earning US $683.40
Grade 14 (735 workers)- each earning US $560.97
Grade 15/16 (1 587 workers)- each getting US$472.36
The figures in the number of employees reflects the official figures after their rationalisation exercise. Before the rationalisation there were 44 workers in Grade 4 but have been reduced to 32 while there are now two employees in Grade Three from five.
These allowances exclude the other payments given to them, including vehicles, cellphones, housing and their attending of workshops. The HRT continues to investigate.

MDC Renewal Team secretary general, Tendai Biti, has described a grand coalition of Zimbabwe’s opposition political parties as the “only solution” to the country’s social, economic and political problems.
He said this while addressing Mutare residents at Joppa Hall in Chikanga suburb on Saturday.
His party has announced that it is re-uniting with the MDC party led by Welshman Ncube ahead of a planned launch of their United Movement for Democratic Change (UMDC) on March 1 2015 I Bulawayo.
It is not clear if the grand coalition Biti wants would include Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T.
“We are working with other political parties to build a grand coalition. A lot of work is happening. We have to work together to build this coalition,” Biti said.
He bemoaned the industrial decline in the border city of Mutare which used to be a bustling commercial zone.
“Mutare is now a ghost town, a pale shadow of its former glory. There were big companies here like Mutare Border Timbers, Mutare Board and Paper and Quest Motors, but now you cannot talk about that to the young generation without having to explain yourself why these companies are no longer there.
“At one stage in 1995, wealth in Mutare, alone was more than the wealth of the whole of Mozambique in terms of the GDP but now the city is now a scary centre of poverty,” Biti said.
He said the continuous economic decline as well as infrastructure deterioration in Mutare demonstrated Zanu (PF)’s cluelessness on how to remedy the situation.
“As the MDC Renewal Team, we will not leave the people suffering like. That is why we are offering the solution,” he said.
He said the economic challenges facing the people of Zimbabwe had resulted in many people living in squalid housing as they cannot afford decent housing, a situation he said was not conducive for raising families.
“The national constitution talks about the right to human dignity, that dignity has been taken away from men and women of Zimbabwe because they can no longer play their role of providing for their families including buying basic items like bread and milk,” Biti said. -TheZimbabwean

First Lady Grace Mugabe is furious over her husband’s fall and is reported to have caused the suspension of bodyguards now blamed for Mugabe’s sudden disgrace last Wednesday.
A worried First Lady, Grace Mugabe, is said to be apoplectic about the alleged poor planning and response by President Robert Mugabe’s aides when the nonagenarian fell at the Harare International Airport last Wednesday.
Sources told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday that so angry was Grace — whom Mugabe has said is recuperating from a minor operation in Singapore — that she had allegedly demanded the heads of all the implicated people to roll, including those of some security details.
“She was raving mad when she heard of the incident and felt that his aides and security team were negligent in this unfortunate issue. “As any spouse would do, she is clearly fearful that things could have turned really nasty on the day given the president’s age and state of health, and is thus keen to see that this is never repeated.
“This is one of the reasons why petrified government officials and State media have gone into overdrive to try and play down the incident, and to abuse anyone who has shone a negative spotlight on the incident,” one of the sources said.
Another source claimed that Grace’s anger emanated from the fact that Mugabe’s aides had seemingly not planned the airport rally and podium arrangements well, as well as the fact that security details had allegedly taken too long to react to the nonagenarian’s fall.
“She is angry because President Mugabe’s staff knew very well that he has difficulty walking, especially climbing and walking down steps, but did not appear to have factored this in at the airport.
“And when he tumbled over, the security team appears to have been taken unawares, which calls into question their alertness,” the second source said.
The increasingly frail Mugabe fell after he had just finished addressing his supporters after returning from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he took over the rotating ceremonial chairmanship of the African Union.
Although he appeared unhurt after the nasty incident — which occurred in full view of gathered bigwigs, Zanu PF rank and file members and journalists — it triggered visible panic among senior government officials and security chiefs, who all scrambled to try and help him get on his feet and to ensure that he was alright.
It apparently did not also assist Grace’s mood that photographs and video evidence of the fall had leaked on the Internet almost immediately after the incident, and despite
assurances that the secret service had confiscated and destroyed all images that had been captured by the private media.
This had created suspicions about the source of the images and whether State media or Zanu PF officials and members had been complicit in the damaging leaks that made global news.
Aggressive security personnel moved promptly to force gathered photojournalists, including a crew from the Daily News and the Daily News on Sunday, to delete their prized pictures of the fall.
“There is a witch hunt as we speak to sniff out the sources of the leaks, amid reports that Amai wants those responsible to be severely punished.
“You must remember how allergic she is to these kinds of intrusions as exemplified by her negative reaction to a pesky photographer in the Far East a few years ago,” another source said.
It is understood that the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) is now conducting an internal review to determine the facts around the president’s fall, although it is not known when this is expected to be completed — with the results expected to guide any security adjustments and personnel actions that may be necessary to ensure the health and safety of the First Family.
Meanwhile, other sources claim that there are efforts to get respected former African heads of States such as Thabo Mbeki and ailing former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda to persuade Grace — the self-evident power behind the throne — to let Mugabe retire owing to his failing health and advanced age.
“It’s Grace who holds the cards and has the final decision if Mugabe is to retire, but no one is very optimistic given Grace’s behaviour,” one of the sources said. daily news

MDC-T Spokesman Obert Gutu writes denying his boss Morgan Tsvangirai’s recent ban of Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter use. He did not do it, Obert Gutu says against the backdrop of a full letter penned by Mr Tavangirai in person which saysbthe contrary.
By Obert Gutu:
The MDC is a social democratic party whose main ethos and principles are benchmarked on tolerance, love, empathy, peace and harmony. As a party of excellence, the MDC deeply values, respects and upholds fundamental and basic human rights particularly freedom of expression and freedom of association. We would like to put the record straight that President Morgan Tsvangirai has not banned party members from using social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter etc. President Morgan Tsvangirai is a champion of democracy and free speech and indeed; his track record as the country’s most popular politician speaks for itself.
Throughout his political activism, President Tsvangirai has personally championed the cause for the opening up of both the public and private media space to enable all Zimbabweans to freely articulate and propagate their political and other views.
As a voluntary association, the MDC is bound by certain rules and regulations. Indeed, all voluntary associations the world over (including churches and business associations); have to abide by a certain code of conduct in order to achieve stability, unity and cohesion. MDC members are a disciplined group of cadres who very much appreciate the need to use social media platforms for the purpose of maintaining and promoting party discipline, unity and cohesion. The insinuation that party members are no longer allowed to use social media is thus palpably false misleading, preposterous and malicious.
Party members are free to use social media in accordance with the guidelines and standards that are being set up by the party leadership. Social media platforms should not be abused to promote hatred, division, gossiping and rumour -mongering. These guidelines are being made available to all party members who would like to use social media platforms to communicate amongst themselves. Should there be any doubt as to what these guidelines are, my office is more than willing and able to assist any party members who are keen to activate their social media platforms.
The MDC is a beacon of hope for all progressive and democratic – minded Zimbabweans and as such ; the party will do everything within its power to ensure that freedom of expression and freedom of association are not only respected but that they are also jealously guarded and protected.
MDC: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL
Obert Chaurura Gutu
MDC National Spokesperson

In pics, Vice President Pelekezela Mphoko addresses ZANU PF party elders in Gwanda hand-in-pocket.

Welshman Ncube led MDC want out Secretary General Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga has described the party she has fallen out of love with as a junk yard.
In a Facebook update, Misihairabwi Mushonga lamented at belonging to the Ncube led MDC as being sore to belong to a junk yard with an “ouch!!’ Mushonga said this responding to a letter written to the editor of The Daily News of February 7 by a G S Maphosa of Gweru calling on the longtime politician to resign from the party or face forced removal by party members.
In her damning statement Misihairabwi Mushonga challenged the party members to push her out of the party quickly to allow the party to “march to State House fast riding on donkeys”. Over the last weeks Mushonga has come out trailblazing against party President Professor Welshman Ncube who she has described as being difficult to work with.
“Just saw the letter in the Daily News, ouch it’s sore to be in junk yard, and am so waiting to be pushed out, no one is indispensable the sooner you do it the faster you march to statehouse riding on donkeys,” reads Misihairabwi Mushonga’s posting.
In the letter to the editor, Maphosa challenged Mushonga to leave the party immediately as her media statements make it clear that she is no longer an asset in the party. Maphosa claims that the departure of Mushonga from the party will be celebrated by members of the party as “good riddance of bad rubbish.”
“Priscilla is a good example of a person who has outlived her usefulness at a great party that she has always tried to destroy from within,” wrote Maphosa.
“As supporters of the party we will celebrate the departure of this deflated figure within our organisation. Her departure will obviously be seen as good riddance of bad rubbish and will give a new lease of life to the party,” said the letter.
In her response Mushonga challenged the party members to continue writing about her as it revealed to her that a lot more people in the party not only dislike her but hate her.
“…please keep writing it is so gratifying to know that that they are so many of you that really genuinely not just dislike me but hate me, Aluta continua I so await for the next installment . happy hating,” writes Mushonga.
Commenting further, Misihairabwi Mushonga challenges the members of the MDC to push her out of the party quickly and in style if her removal from the party would give party members peace of mind and what she calls “better satisfying sex”.
“If abusing me puts more money in their pockets, more peace, more joy and better satisfying sex more power to them if people are having lighter chests, lower blood pressure, if it helps you to write about me, I am more than happy to have more healthier people so write please write and when you are ready for the final push do it with style I can’t wait!”
Maphosa meanwhile in his letter warned party members siding with Misihairabwi Mushonga that no one will ever be allowed to be bigger than the party. Maphosa accused Mushonga of working with a cohort known as the “gang of four” which must disband urgently or face being exposed.
“The gang of four should disband now or risk being exposed.”
“Party members following this sellouts should be advised to stop it before their cover is blown. Party members thinking Priscilla Misihairabwi will one day be president of the MDC should wake up and smell the coffee. We are fed up with Misihairabwi,” reads the letter.
In her response Mushonga called on party members backing her “cause” to help those fighting for her removal to speed up the process.
“I don’t mind those that think that the revolution will be achieved by pushing me out the sooner they do it the faster we all can leave happily ever after, so let’s encourage them they may be the saviours we were looking for, they must know something we don’t know, that our
problems would just go as soon as this evil person Priscilla is banished please let’s support their cause,” she wrote.
“I hear them they genuinely believe they lives would be much better if it
wasn’t for me they may be right it might actually get better but the sooner they act instead of issuing threats the better it’s been two years, is it not time to deal with this woman who has brought so much misery and pain for a a whole party let alone a nation,” challenged Mushonga.
Meanwhile sources within the party revealed to the media that the Matebeleland South Province Standing Committee of the party was meeting in Gwanda yesterday to pass a recommendation to party’s National Standing Committee to dismiss Misihairabwi Mushonga from the party and recall her from parliament where she represents the province as a member of Muzingwane District. Efforts to get an update on the outcome of the meeting are still underway.

An international banking giant, HSBC, made huge profits by allegedly engaging in shady deals of over $270 million with some Zimbabwean citizens seven years ago, in the process, disadvantaging the poor southern African nation of the much-needed foreign currency, documents in Studio7’s possession have revealed.
These secret documents, obtained from the French newspaper, Le Monde, by the renowned International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a Washington-based journalist organization with members from more than 65 countries, including Zimbabwe, cover bank accounts up to 2007 said to have allegedly belonged to 198 clients connected to Zimbabwe by birth, or residence, amounting to $272 million.
The account records also show that HSBC in 2006/7 had accounts holding about $102 billion deposited by individuals and companies from 203 nations, Zimbabwe included.
The dealings between HSBC’s Swiss private banking arm show what some banking experts in Washington, who requested not to be identified, described as “illegal behavior by the bank, especially in hiding millions of dollars from tax authorities the world over.”
TOP LIST
Topping the list of individuals from Zimbabwe are politicians, doctors, business people, farmers, sports people and what the document refers to as “housewives”, though further investigations by Studio7 reveal that some of these so-called ‘housewives’ are directors of private companies and trusts.
The documents reveal that some of the political figures include former Zanu PF senator, Aguy Clement Georgias, who owns Trinity Engineering and a trucking company; the late Zanu PF youth boss and Zimbabwe Air Force commander, Air Marshal Josiah Tungamirayi; cricketer, Stuart David Robertson; businessman, Frederick Mutanda, chairman of Caps Holdings and the Patel family, among others.
Mukanda did not answer his phone, and Robertson was not reachable.
Georgias, whose account is now listed in the documents as closed, was added on the European Union (EU) sanctions list in April 2007, following his appointment as economic development deputy minister by President Robert Mugabe. He was removed from the sanctions list in February 2011.
The controversial politician took the EU to court claiming 6 million euros in loss of business after he was denied entry into Britain in 2007. But the EU’s general court rejected his application.
Georgias did not answer his phone when Studio 7 contacted him for comment.
MONEY WITHDRAWALS
According to documents in Studio 7’s possession, clients allegedly traveled to Geneva to withdraw huge sums of money, and in some cases, some of them were said to have been advised by HSBC on how to take a range of measures to avoid paying taxes in their home countries.
For example, on January 27, 2005 a Zimbabwean client (name supplied) met HSBC staff in Cape Town and was advised on how to take $500,000 in cash to support his son’s credit card request. The son had to emigrate to California to supervise property investments there by the client.
These internal discussions between the bank and clients will be made available tomorrow, including the amounts each individual had with the bank.
Reacting to reports of these alleged transactions, former finance minister, Tendai Biti, told VOA Studio 7 the suspected offshore banking by Zimbabweans indicate that the money did not come from a legal source. “One cannot send money outside Zimbabwe without the central bank knowing. At the time the transactions were made, the Zimbabwean laws were very strict when it comes to foreign exchange.”
Biti, who is a corporate lawyer, said the economy was on its knees when the transactions were made. “Most foreign currency was bought on the parallel market and it was difficult to trace it. Although there is no law that stops Zimbabweans from opening bank accounts in other countries, the law requires all residents to declare interest earned when filing tax returns.”
HSBC RESPONSE
In response to ICIJ inquiry, HSBC, with head office in London and offices in 74 countries and territories in six continents, admitted that its compliance culture and standard of due diligence in its Swiss private bank, as well as the industry in general, were significantly lower than they are today.
HSBC added that it had taken significant steps over the past several years to implement reforms and exit clients who did not meet strict new HSBC standards, including those where it had concerns in relation to tax compliance.
The bank further said, “As a result of this repositioning, HSBC’s Swiss private bank has reduced its client base by almost 70% since 2007.”
Asked for comment, a former senior government official who requested anonymity said, “Every truthful person knows that the hyper-inflation in Zimbabwe was not just the result of money printing pinned on former central bank governor, Dr. Gideon Gono’s door, but was also caused by a lack of foreign currency in Zimbabwe to buy raw material inputs for improved capacity utilization by the private sector.”
The official, who is a Zanu PF member, said any form of externalization of foreign currency into any foreign bank worldwide was a direct attack on the Zimbabwe’s economy.
MORE FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNTS
The official said the amount revealed in the Swiss account of HSBC was a tiny fraction of the estimated $4,5 billion in Zimbabwean money allegedly stashed in other banks in Switzerland, and almost up to $3 billion stashed in South Africa, Virgin and Cayman Islands, in offshore tax havens like Guernsey, Mauritius, Seychelles, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, China and Dubai.
“Zimbabwean people and business operators are some of the most unpatriotic and crafty people on this planet when it comes to economic patriotism and the monetary love for their country. Given the chance, they would sell the country and stash the money very very far away from Zimbabwe itself,” said the official.
Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa, was not immediately available for comment. Gono’s number was not reachable.
HSBC 1,9 BILLION FINE
HSBC was fined $1,9 billion in 2012 by the US’s Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations for allowing drug cartels to launder hundreds of millions of ill-gotten dollars through its US operations.
Ray Choto is a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists working with other ICIJ members on the HSBC scandal.
-VOA

ZANU PF bigwigs and ex-Zanla commanders who fought in the war of liberation, have been fingered in the case of rampant sexual abuse of female combatants who now demand compensation for their suffering.
Ex-women freedom fighters said comments attributed to Zanu PF Politburo member and war veteran Oppah Muchinguri, accusing former Vice-President Joice Mujuru of forcing young women to sleep with male combatants during the liberation struggle, have all but confirmed the shenanigans by “chefs”.
The women said the admission gives them a fresh opportunity to demand compensation for their suffering.
The war veterans said all along their claims for compensation for the abuse they suffered during the liberation struggle were suppressed by their colleagues in “higher offices,” who were now accusing each other of perpetrating the crime.
Muchinguri was quoted by The Sunday Mail a few weeks ago as saying: “When Joice came back from Zambia, in fact she did not undergo any form of training.
“A few days after she joined us in Mozambique, Joice physically assaulted me. I, Cde Duri and Cde Chitsotso, resisted sleeping with the likes of Cde [Didymus] Mutasa, Cde Bhombandiani and I was whipped for that. Imagine, Joice was there!
“We want you to understand how young female soldiers suffered as Joice engineered all these abuses.”
But Muchinguri denied Saturday ever making such allegations.
“I never said that. What I said was recorded and it is not correct that I said she [Mujuru] did that,” she told The Standard.
Mujuru, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, married her husband, the late former army commander General Solomon Mujuru in Mozambique. A number of other Zanla commanders and Zanu PF officials, among them Mutasa, also married women combatants.
Outspoken former female freedom fighter and Zimbabwe Union of Democrats (ZUD) president Margaret Dongo said what Muchinguri said was a tip of the iceberg as a lot was still to be revealed.
“The truth of the matter has not yet been told….abuses of female ex-freedom fighters were so high and sophisticated that they deserve to be paid damages,” said Dongo.
Another ex-combatant and prolific writer, Freedom Nyamubaya said the abuse of female combatants was a very sensitive matter.
“The issue of abused former female combatants by chefs is a hot potato. I talked about it in most of my books and poems,” said Nyamubaya.
Among Nyamubaya works, the poem, For Suzana is irresistible for its gentle narration of ordeals of a woman who sacrifices her life to train and carry arms for freedom before suffering humiliation through rape when her body becomes a “church for high-ranking monks to relieve their stress”.
Another female ex-combatant who only wanted to be identified as Chapwititi (her Chimurenga name), said it was sad to note that Muchinguri accused Mujuru when she knew very well that both of them were survivors (victims).
“It is very sad that Muchinguri can accuse Teurai [Mujuru] when she is aware that both of them are victims,” she said with tears in her eyes.
“We had tasked them to raise the issue once we were back but they forgot, probably because of the comfort they were now enjoying.”
A Chinhoyi-based single parent and female war veteran agreed, saying most of her colleagues in the struggle were abused despite their positions.
She said most of them failed to get married because most ordinary people did not understand them or feared their past.
“Most of us were abused including those in higher positions by these chefs during the war of liberation and we agreed while in Mozambique that we would push for compensation back home,” said the ex-freedom fighter.
“But after independence the women in higher offices including Muchinguri and Mujuru dragged their feet saying it was disrespectful to our leaders…zvino chaipa chii? [what has gone wrong?]”
But their male counterparts said sex among ex-combatants was consensual even with the povo (civilians).
 – Article originally published in The Standard

A record 28 CIO bodyguards have been suspended from work over Mugabe’s embarrassing fall last Wednesday.
Sources within the intelligence organisation reveal that the security men are being probed for either causing or at the least allowing Mr Mugabe to fall on himself.
The guards could even be charged for allowing the incident to occur, another source said.
“They could be charged for remaining immobilised as His Excellency tripped and fell …” they said.
The full list of names of the suspended could not be ascertained at the time of writing.
Mugabe after returning from Ethiopia on Wednesday fell after descending a staircase just after addressing people at the Harare International Airport. He had been addressing people bussed in from Harare’s High Density surbubs brought in to welcome and celebrate his elevation at the African Union summit.
The incident has seen several people blamed for it including expelled Vice President Joice Mujuru’s faction the State Media claimed supplied the carpet on which Mugabe landed his feet on Wednesday. READ MORE – Mujuru Faction Caused Airport Fall – Herald Editor

What a wonderful wedding in Rusape – people are now using donkeys and carts as a source of wedding transport.

Presidential heir apparent Emmerson Mnangagwa’s faction has muted a record three criminal charges against ousted Secretary for Administration, Didymus Mutasa, which may land Mutasa in prison in a matter of days.
The dramatic bill of charges include allegations that Mutasa,a Mujuru ally, looted $200,000 from a community project in Manicaland. He is also accused of dishing out farms to said “girlfriends”. It was claimed that one of the charges has been in the courts since 2004, but beyond a verbal claim by a ZANU PF militant, there was no evidence presented of supporting court papers to validate those claims. The below was the article by the Jonathan Moyo run State Media:

Disgraced former Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa allegedly looted development funds and assets of two schools in Nyanga, and converted the money to personal use.
The case is before the courts and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has opened its own investigations.
Nyafaru primary and secondary schools were constructed after independence on land President Mugabe gave the Tangwena people in appreciation for their help when he crossed into Mozambique in 1975 to prosecute the liberation struggle.
Mutasa is the director of Nyafaru Development Company (NDC) which oversees the running of the schools.
He and NDC chair Pearson Kasu allegedly grabbed four vehicles, including an ambulance, donated to the community.
Mutasa, it is alleged, also took at least 400 head of cattle from the Tangwena people and has over the years tried to take over their land.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora said: “The matter is before the courts. We cannot, at the moment, give the exact amounts that are alleged to have been looted. However, a report will be complete in the coming week.”
Nyafaru Secondary School Development Committee legal representative Mr Amon Toto said the case has been in the courts since 2004.
He alleges that Mutasa interfered with the school’s financial administration and took money for personal expenses.
In papers filed at the High Court, the school development committee wants Mutasa and his company barred from interfering further.
NDC, the Ministry of Education and Mutasa are respondents.
The papers read, in part, “On the other hand, the first respondent (NDC) through its officials have done everything in their power to derail development of the school including vandalising the school property through the thugs that they have been sponsoring.
“Establishing a bar selling alcohol within the premises of the school. In one instance, 72 window panes were broken by one of the agents of the officials of the first respondent.
“Despite the resolution of September 16, 2004, the first and third (Mutasa) respondents have been trying to disturb the smooth operations of the two schools in various ways.”
SDC chair Mr Nhamo Nyagondora said Mutasa and Kasu allegedly took 20 percent of school funds intermittently.
“We have since dragged Cde Mutasa to the courts so that NDC will be excluded from handling the schools’ affairs.
‘‘Cde Mutasa and his company are failing to explain to us the whereabouts of a tractor, an ambulance, two Land-Rovers and a five-tonne truck.
“He is also failing to account for the 400 cattle.
‘‘We are urging the relevant authorities to intervene so that Cde Mutasa is removed from being part of the Tangwena community. We have since told education officers that were dispatched from Harare how the NDC management was siphoning school funds for their personal use. We have failed to construct two classrooms as a result of this interference.”
Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister Mandi Chimene said: “We have met representatives from the Tangwena community who alleged that Cde Mutasa and his team were taking school funds for their personal use.
“Our office is going to visit the Nyafaru community and carry out an audit with the aid of education officers so that we establish the exact amount of money that is alleged to have been looted by the parties involved.”

The risk of President Robert Mugabe’s flights being compromised  by an unexpected plane accident has risen to more than 85%.
An aviation-watch consortium has drawn up statistics showing a sharp ascending rise in plane crash risk to levels worse than 65 years ago in 1950 when aviation technology was still primitive.
This has become so especially for those who fly across Asian skies where President Mugabe frequents for medical treatment.
“Aircraft passing through Asian airspace must take utmost precaution as the risk has risen to 90%”, said David Cohen, of the AVS organisation.

The highest ever number of fatalities was in 1972. In 1950 the number was lower than 700, but in 2014, it went past the 50 marker.
 
Cohen however added that the risk is now high for flights to Asian countries like Malaysia and Singapore where President Mugabe flies, “Pilots should research well every time before taking into the skies for the number of danger spots in the oceanic territories has risen.”

[codepeople-html5-media-player id=1] Zanu PF youths yesterday staged a demonstration at the Mbudzi roundabout in Harare after a party supporter was allegedly killed by a kombi crew on Wednesday.
Blaring car horns, the supporters invaded the roundabout singing revolutionary songs and threatening kombis.
Godwin Gomwe, Zanu PF Harare youth chair, said kombi crews should treat passengers with respect.
“Kombi crews should know that they are ferrying passengers and not sacks of maize,” Gomwe fumed.
“So they must respect passengers and treat them in a dignified manner because they are the source of their income.
“What happened is a tragedy and as a party, we lost a dedicated cadre.”
Zanu PF Harare youth league vice chair Edson Takataka blamed the police for kombis’ wayward behaviour.
“This must come to an end,” he said. “We are not just talking about our deceased cadre only, but all those who have suffered at the hands of these reckless and careless people.
“Police should do their work and enforce the law. We are having all these problems because our law enforcement agencies are sleeping on duty.”
Tapiwa Chibvunza, Zanu PF secretary for administration for Ushewokunze district, was allegedly killed on Wednesday by a kombi driver and a conductor. He was travelling from Harare International Airport to Hopley.
The kombi had been hired to ferry Zanu PF supporters to the airport to welcome President Robert Mugabe and on their way back to Hopley, a dispute between Zanu PF supporters and the kombi crew erupted.
This led to the kombi crew allegedly fatally beating Chibvunza with an iron bar.