Cheat Trapped In Sex Fling With Man’s Wife, Drops Dead

A Gokwe man from Chomvuri village under Chief Nemangwe died after he slept with a married woman in a suspected case of Runoka.

Man's hand as Runyoka intensified its lethal sting
Man’s hand as Runyoka intensified its lethal sting

A reliable source said that Wellington Nyamuziwa who worked at a grinding mill in Gokwe was in a relationship with a married woman.
“Welly was in love with someone’s wife. The two have been in a relationship for quite some time without the woman’s husband knowing. Sometime in August Welly got sick. He went to the hospital and doctors said they could not find anything wrong with him”, said the source.
“He also consulted healers but none could save him. His whole body was swollen and he was complaining of severe stomach cramps. Before he died he confessed that he had slept with the woman and he thought that could be the reason for his sickness”, added the source.
It is understood that the village headman Ernest Masanzi then summoned the woman’s husband for a meeting. He asked him if he was the one who had put the deadly Runyoka on Nyamuziwa. He however, denied knowing anything concerning the matter. b metro

QUIZ: What was Emmerson Mnangagwa’s full war name during the Chimurenga conflict? *Win this brand new tablet…

Kasukuwere Buying Deadly Weapons From Crimea, Russia, Says MDC-T’s Pfebve

Accused of buying weapons... Minister Kasukuwere
Accused of buying weapons… Minister Kasukuwere

Zimbabwe’s Environment Minister Savior Kasukuwere who caused a stir following his trip to Ukraine’s contentious Crimea province, is in that region to buy weapons to crush opposition supporters, Morgan Tsvangirai’s EU ambassador Elliot Pfebve has claimed.
In a lengthy statement titled “Crimea Kasukuwere must explain” Mr Pfebve wrote saying Kasukuwere has met senior Russian army generals and his visit to Crimea was just a smoke screen but he is there needing to purchase weapons since Zimbabwe is under an international ban for such.
Below was his full statement:
The surprise visit to Crimea by Saviour Kasukuwere is a smoke screen of what is happening behind the scene. Kasukuwere is neither educated nor has expertise to lecture Russia on how to weather sanctions as reported by the press, but he is there for a grand plan to establish a triangle of death in preparation for 2018 General Elections.
The Zimbabwean delegation secretly left Harare for Russia to meet the Russian Federation Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who doubles as the General of the Russian Army to purchase arms for Zimbabwe clandestinely operations believed to be destined to be given to the Militia which ZANU PF 6th congress voted to resume their training and deployment. Because Zimbabwe is still under arms embargo, ZANU PF sought the go between of a Chinese business man Zhang Lou, a long time friend of the Russian ruling elite who controls the arms manufacturing company. The deal was signed by Emerson Mnangagwa and the money will be deposited in China for Russia. Kasukuwere therefore is in Russia in his capacity as the newly appointed ZANU PF Commissar, remember Border Gezi and Elliot Manyika. Mugabe seemed to have this appetite of handing the keys of brutality to Mashonaland Central but not bothered to develop the impoverished province. Albeit he doesn’t seem to run short of stupid hands willing to spill blood for a living. The appointment of Kasukuwere as the Commissar, a brutal CIO turned politician is no coincidence; the next elections will be blood.
In a related development, the purging of progressive forces in ZANU PF which saw VP Joice Mujuru, Rugare Gumbo, Nicholas Goche and Didymus Mutasa among others was to ensure that only brutal people were appointed in the politburo and Central Committee running to the 2018 elections. These people believed in a reformed ZANU PF and it costed their jobs. Evidence has shown that ZANU PF government has recently bought lethal drugs, which they will use to target opponents by poisoning them in food and drinks using money raised from Toll Gates. All politicians, opposition or progressively within ZANU PF must be warned that many of you will be poisoned amid a spate of carefully crafted accidents.

Zimbabwe: 35 Gay Activists Attacked

Gay Star News|Thirty-five members of an LGBTI group Friday (19 December) were injured in an attack on a party in Zimbabwe.
A dozen unidentified men Friday (19 December) crashed an end-of-year party thrown by the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) at a private venue in the capital Harare.
All LGBTI events in Zimbabwe are held in private because gay sex is illegal in the south African country.
‘Three vehicles forced their way into the venue of the party demanding to join the event,’ the group said in a statement.
‘One of the occupants of the vehicles produced a pistol and threatened the GALZ security team that was manning the gate for denying them access to the event.
‘The unidentified men numbering between 12 and 15 entered the venue and started beating people using logs, iron bars, empty beer bottles and clenched fists. The men also demanded cash and gadgets from the members present in the hall whilst attacking them.’
An estimated 35 members suffered injuries in the attack.
A similar incident occurred in June 2013 when five unknown men wielding hammers violently forced entry into GALZ offices.
The group said President Robert Mugabe’s anti-gay rhetoric had created a climate and culture of impunity and lawlessness, where LGBTI people are hunted down in their communities, vicinities, and homes.
GALZ called for the police to act swiftly by arresting the men ‘that have led a de facto coup of the country’s public spaces rendering them inaccessible’ and protect all citizens regardless of gender and/or sexual orientation.
Partner organization the International HIV/AIDS Alliance expressed ‘extreme concern’ over the attack.
Gavin Reid, the alliance’s regional advisor on men’s sexual health and rights for East and Southern Africa said: ‘The International HIV/AIDS Alliance calls upon the Zimbabwean police to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.
‘It’s the duty of the Zimbabwean government to protect and promote the rights of all its citizens and to ensure that all Zimbabweans are able to enjoy their full constitutional rights including the right to life, to personal security, to freedom of assembly and association, and to freedom from torture.’

Sex With Kaukonde Rumour False, Minister Speaks Out

Expelled Deputy Minister of Transport, Petronella Kagonye has spoken out since her ouster from her job saying the spurious allegations are false.
Kagonye showcased her facts that she has been framed and President Robert Mugabe was fed on falsehoods about her conduct leading to the sacking.
Commenting on her dismissal, Kagonye said she wishes to get an opportunity to clear her soiled name. “I accept what the President has said because I did not become his follower to get a position,” she told the state media.
“I remain loyal to President Mugabe. But all I want is for the truth to prevail particularly on allegations that I was dating (ousted Mashonaland East provincial chairman Ray) Kaukonde and that I have children with several ministers,” she said of Kaukonde who was attacked by President Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace for allegedly working with ex Vice President Joice Mujuru in the latter’s plots to get rid of Mugabe.
Kagonye added: “I have also been accused of being a member of ‘gamatox (the Mujuru’s group)’ yet I have been fighting the gamatox team including Kaukonde since I came into politics.
“All I want is for a chance to clear my name because there are people who have been spreading lies about me and those are the same people who took the wrong information to His Excellency.
“I have never been part of gamatox. I have always been loyal to President Mugabe and will continue to support him in everything he does because I follow his principles.
“I accept his letter and everything he said but I am certain that I will get an opportunity to set the record straight and clear a number of issues that have been claimed.
“I have documentary evidence against those people who have been spreading wrong information about me.”
Mugabe who has to date expelled 16 ministers, including Mujuru s currently in the Far East for his annual holiday.

Grace Mugabe Wants to Be MP for Mazowe


PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is reportedly planning to recall some of the Zanu PF MPs linked to former Vice-President Joice Mujuru soon and call for by-elections that would see his wife, First Lady Grace Mugabe, contest the Mazowe South seat to enable her to qualify for a Cabinet appointment.
Report By Newsday
The seat currently falls under sacked Justice deputy minister Fortune Chasi who recently crossed swords with the First Lady after he allegedly attempted to block her land grab in the Mazowe area.
Sources said the plan to recall the “dissident MPs” and purge Chasi to pave way for Grace was hatched long back and that partly explains the First Lady’s vitriol attack on Chasi at her Mazowe Orphanage Centre in August this year.
According to sources, Grace wanted the parliamentary seat to enable her to land a Cabinet post following her recent elevation to the Zanu PF central committee and politburo.
Grace remains the favourite candidate to take over from Oppah Muchinguri, who doubled up as Zanu PF Women’s League secretary and Gender minister.
Sources said Mugabe deliberately left the ministry vacant to allow the planned purge to run its course and create a vacant parliamentary seat for his wife.
“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has already been informed to prepare for by-elections. Some MPs perceived to have been working with Mujuru would be recalled and by-elections will be recalled,” said a source privy to the developments.
Mugabe, the source said, would announce another Cabinet reshuffle soon after his return from his annual leave, and continue his purge on perceived party dissidents.
To date, the 90-year-old Zanu PF leader has purged his deputy Mujuru and 16 Cabinet ministers that he fingered to be involved in the alleged plot to oust him.
Mujuru has already been replaced by her antagonist former Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“The plot to make Grace an MP started a long time back, that is why Grace herself attacked Chasi. She was preparing groundwork for his ouster so that she could take over the seat,” the source added.
Chasi was kicked out of government on Sunday alongside six other ministers, bringing to 16 the number of government ministers who have been axed since the beginning of this month.
According to Chief Secretary to the Cabinet and the President’s Office Misheck Sibanda, the ministers’ performance and conduct were below standard and they were also accused of corruption, fanning factionalism and plotting Mugabe’s ouster.
The Zanu PF axe has also claimed the scalps of former party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and nine former provincial chairpersons suspected of being involved in the alleged plot to topple Mugabe.
However, some MPs, who seem to be the target of the move, have vowed to contest as independent candidates should they be recalled, a move that is set to split Zanu PF votes in favour of opposition candidates.
“We will contest as independent candidates if we are recalled,” said one MP.
According to political analyst Ibbo Mandaza, about 100 MPs belong to the Mujuru camp. If they are all recalled, he said, Mugabe would have to dissolve Parliament and call for a general election, which might not work in his favour.
“Only a few will be sacrificed and recalled from Parliament to avoid a general election,” the source said.
Analysts yesterday said although the ongoing purge on alleged anti-Mugabe officials had created enough drama, interest had now shifted to the unfolding of Grace’s grand plan to topple Chasi through a forced parliamentary recall.
Chasi could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Speaking at her Mazowe property in August, Grace accused Chasi of “hating the First Family for no reason”.
“I must be open and honest. In this constituency, we have a new MP, I don’t know him personally, but his name is Chasi and he is a problem. He is stressing me a lot, andishungurudza zvisingaite (he has given me so much grief),” she said.
Grace seized some 870 hectares of land belonging to Mazoe Citrus Estate, which is owned by Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed Interfresh Holdings, to expand her vast real estate portfolio in the district where she also runs an orphanage.
She claimed to have found the land lying idle, allegations disputed by Interfresh.
The company has since revealed that the seizure of the land threatened its very survival after worried international financiers reacted by blocking credit lines, citing increased sovereign risk.
Grace said up to 1 000 villagers were coerced to invade the property in a bid to stifle her operations.
Meanwhile, sources added that the Zanu PF purge was set to be extended to the diplomatic missions, permanent secretaries and other government bodies early next year.
Sources revealed that Mugabe wants some ambassadors recalled, although they did not say who were the likely targets.
Ambassadors serve four-year terms that can be renewed depending on foreign policy considerations, but the insiders revealed that some may be recalled way before their terms of office expire.
The last diplomatic mission reshuffle was in September.

Woman Strips Naked for Tsvangirai | Letter

By Erikson Moyo
A woman known to all of us stripped naked before former prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and all this happened several months before newspapers started destroying his image saying he is a womaniser and all sorts of things written by that Jukwa character Edmund Kudzayi. I was there myself Mr Tsvangirai has never ever abused any woman, they were all throwing themselves before him. You once printed this true story of Morgan Tsvangirai and I feel it is important to re-tell it again how it all happened to set records straight. President Tsvangirai will be vindicated.
(London)A woman stripped all her clothes to show her wounds before Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at the Avenues clinic in Harare, the MDC leader has said.
Speaking at a recent London meeting in October, Tsvangirai said that when he returned to Zimbabwe from his Botswana exile in 2008, a woman who had been beaten by ZANU PF supporters and was in the Avenues Clinic in Harare, stripped herself completely naked before his eyes, something uncommon in African culture, as she showed him her wounds.
“I saw a lady. Munoti hanzi madzimai hamufukure; who took all her clothes off and showed me the wounds of being beaten … by ZANU PF. But she was [rather] smiling”, Tsvangirai said, just after mentioning three young men from the Chiweshe area who despite their painful wounds, told him while in the hospital:
“We are [only] here to be treated, we are going back to finish this thing.”
“I am saying this just to remind you where we have come from. I cant even talk of people who have lost all their loved ones, Tsvangirai said before pointing at “Pachedu” Roy Bennett.

Morgan Tsvangirai at the London meeting – 19 October 2011

Tsvangirai was addressing MDC supporters in London on the 19th October when he said this.

FIFA’s Sepp Blatter Wants To Remain Boss ‘Like Mugabe’

Blatter with Robert Mugabe when he visited Harare three years ago
Blatter with Robert Mugabe when he visited Harare three years ago

LONDON — Sepp Blatter has “every intention” of running for a fifth term as the head of world football’s governing body, according to officials close to the Fifa president.
Blatter who is 78 years old and was jokingly referred to as someone imitating Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, is described as feeling “invigorated” and “on a high” after an agreement by Fifa’s executive committee last week to publish further details of former chief investigator Michael to Garcia’s report into the 2018/2022 World Cup bidding process.
Blatter must submit a formal nomination by the end of next month and the Fifa president was asked on Friday whether he would definitely run as a candidate.
“We will see on February 1 who are the candidates for the election,” he said.
“Probably you will see my name there because I’ve been asked by a lot of national associations to do so.
“But let me pass Christmas, or let’s say the fiestas at the end of the year and give me then the opportunity to say: ‘Yes, I will be present.’”
SkySports News understands Blatter feels his position as Fifa president has been “strengthened” following last week’s executive committee meeting in Marrakesh.
— SkySports

Civil Servants: Bonuses Only for Army Police, and CIOs

Harare – Zimbabwe’s civil servants have been given a Christmas shock, instead of a present – they’ won’t be getting bonuses.
President Robert Mugabe, who is out of the country on his annual holiday, said in a statement there wasn’t enough money to pay the country’s 248 000 civil servants bonuses.
The annual bonuses will only be paid to those working in the security forces.
“This is scandalous,” Ladistious Zunde, a teachers’ union leader told the Associated Press. “Our members cannot plan for anything in the face of uncertainty and the future is bleak since this has happened before and industries continue to close.”
Zunde said the government promised to pay outstanding bonuses in January, but that he and other civil servants were doubtful.
Christmas spending is down this year, according to Harare street vendors.
– AP

TB Joshua Seeks MDC-T Leader’s Family’s Forgiveness During Christmas

seeking clemency at time when he is threatened with arrest...TB Joshua
seeking clemency at time when he is threatened with arrest…TB Joshua

TELEVANGELIST Temitope Balogun (TB) Joshua has invited the family of slain MDC-T leader Greenwhich Ndanga  killed in a building collapse at his church in Nigeria in September, to spend Christmas with him.
A fraction of the total number of families of victims has been invited to spend the festive season with the popular preacher, it has emerged as other families were left excluded. ZimEye.com has it on good authority that a large group from the Ndanga family is travelling but scores of other victims have been excluded amid shady circumstances all believed to be because of the media power connected to the Ndanga name since the deceased was a prominent MDC-T leader.
This development comes at a time when Joshua faces imprisonment for evading a judicial order to appear before the investigating coroner to testify on the circumstances of the building collapse.
A total of 116 people died in the September 12 building collapse, with three Zimbabweans, Catherine Ndlovu, Jane Sibanda and Greenwich Ndanga.
Other Zimbabwean families of two deceased victims confessed ignorance of the invites for the five-day trip.
A relative said Sibanda’s father was in the rural areas and was unaware if he had been invited.
A neighbour to Ndlovu’s family said he had not heard them plan a trip to Nigeria and it was highly unlikely they would be travelling.
The invited families will take part in the annual candlelight service held at the church.
According to the church, TB Joshua will fully fund the families’ five-day trip.
Families will also be afforded the opportunity to visit the site of the collapse, if it’s safe to do so.
Synagogue Church of All Nations spokesperson, Kirsten Nematandani, said 44 families have confirmed their visit to the televangelist and that this isn’t the last visit.
“There will be another batch that will be going out there and this is based on the fact that some families already have in place plans for Christmas and New Year and others don’t have the relevant documents like passports that could take them over,” he said.
“Those are the factors, but at this point in time we are certain of 44 confirmations and they are all looking forward to going there.”
Some families reportedly wanted to see where their relatives collapsed so they could have closure.

— eNCA/SouthernEye/ZimEye

REVEALED-Mphoko In Charge Of CIO and Army


Newly appointed Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko whose links to the infamous Gukurandi massacres which slew 22,000 people in the 80s, have raised a stench, is in charge of the intelligence and military portfolios, it has been revealed.
The development is set to confirm the central reasons why the new Vice President previously unknown in Zimbabwean politics, was catapulted from the dark to Mugabe’s side.
Mphoko who has a long past as a notorious CIO agent, was quickly handed the portfolios by President Robert Mugabe shortly after his appointed him Acting President, Emmerson Mnangagwa has revealed.
Mnangagwa told directors of various companies at his Kwekwe farm, the ministries given him are the Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development; Health and Child Care; Lands and Rural Resettlement; Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; Mines and Mining Development; Tourism and Hospitality Industry; Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development; Sport, Arts and Culture and Small to Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development. Mphoko on the other hand already in charge of “national healing”, is now in charge of all the security ministries that include Home Affairs, Defence and Presidential Affairs.
He would also oversee the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development; Foreign Affairs; Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment; Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development; Energy and Power Development; Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development; Information, Media and Broadcasting Services and Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services.
“There are two new Vice Presidents and we have been allocated responsibilities,” Acting President Mnangagwa said.
“I am not really new in Government. I have been around for a bit since 1980 and I have moved around a bit. So, on the average I understand how Government works.”
Speaking about the year 2015, Mnagagwa said Government would commit its energy towards resuscitation of industry.
“Overall we want to grow our economy. We want to improve the lot our people. We want to create employment, to grow our industry, our mining sector and our manufacturing sector.
Mnangagwa said Government was dependent on captains of industry to know what challenges are inhibiting growth of the economy.
He said Government was more focused on projects with quick results and restore hope in the generality of Zimbabweans.
“There are areas which can quickly show results and there are others which require longer gestation to realise the benefits,” he said.
“Because of what has happened in this country we would want to prioritise these issues and see things that can quickly bring about creation of employment, bring about development, bring about hope in our people and this will depend on yourselves telling us from where you work to say in our area these are things we want you to address.”
Mnangagwa said he would soon invite the captains of industry sector by sector to discuss challenges and opportunities presenting in their areas.
Meanwhile President Mugabe’s office has said that Vice President Joice Mujuru, nine ministers and six deputies were fired for allegedly expending work time on factional activities within the party.

Prof Moyo’s Savage Attack on Dabengwa Uncalled For

The senseless savagery attacks on Dr Dumiso Dabengwa- the ZAPU President by Mr Jonathan Moyo cannot go unchallenged. First it has to be noted that Moyo’s attack on Dr Dabengwa is baseless, empty and full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
Mr Moyo is probably confusing shouting with being wise, factual and sensible, if this was the case then Mugabe would win the trophy.
Dr Dabengwa calmly exposed Mr Mphoko’s liberation credentials including Mr Mphoko’s CIO involvement. That was done respectfully and with maximum dignity.
Now let us look at it objectively, when ZIPRA and ZANLA joined hands to form ZIPA and when the joint venture did not materialise, Mr Alfred Nikita Mangena withdrew his ZIPRA contingent which was based in Mozambique and where Mr Mphoko was based representing ZIPRA. Upon the withdrawal of the ZIPRA forces Mr Mphoko refused to leave Mozambique. ZANLA forces were predominant in Mozambique. His refusal to obey his commander’s orders made him to automatically operate outside the structures of ZIPRA and ZAPU. It is not clear when Mphoko joined ZANU but most likely this is the time when he jumped ship to join ZANU/ZANLA.
Let us move on to post independence era, Dr Dumiso Dabengwa was responsible for seconding ZIPRA and ZAPU cadres to the CIO department. Mr Mphoko did not join the CIO through ZAPU/ZIPRA channels. This on its own for all discerning and truth loving people reveals where Mphoko belonged at that time. That is with ZANLA or ZANU.
At that time Mr Mnangagwa was the Minister for State Security, and the CIO fell under his control. This means that Mugabe has decided to appoint his trusted CIOs into the second highest office on the land. These individuals are trusted by Mugabe because they were complicity in his genocide and other human rights violations. They will protect his interests.
Mr Moyo has no right to tell Dumiso Dabengwa about ZIPRA or ZAPU, it is public knowledge that Mr Moyo has always been a ZANU member; he was never a ZAPU/ZIPRA member. When he ran away to study in America he was a ZANU member and since then he has never joined any other Party besides ZANU.
What is of interest here is that Mr Moyo does not dispute the fact that Mphoko was a ZANU/ZANLA member, but he tries to defend the indefensible by stating that Mphoko never renounced his ZAPU membership. Ok, Mr Moyo, answer this question for me, has Mr Morgan Richard MthandazoTswangirayi renounced his ZANU PF membership? Where and When?
Dr Dabengwa cannot be compared to people like Mr Moyo, who can be easily be equated to paper tigers umlilowamaphepha or udlawu. Dr Dabengwa is calm, mature, and respects everyone regardless of their warped views.
Next time before you talk about Dr Dumiso Dabengwa Mr Moyo, you better be advised to spend four weeks on the mountain top fasting and praying for you are not his equal. Dr Dabengwa never abdicatedhis liberation responsibilities and he is not about to because light-weights like Mr Moyo say so.
Written by: Thulani Nkala
Released by: ZAPU Europe Information, Publicity and Marketing Department.
[email protected]

No Price Controls In Zimbabwe

STATE MEDIA:The Zimbabwean government has ruled out price controls in the economy saying it will instead focus on cost reduction mechanisms for industry in line with regional and global trends.
The Minister of Industry and Commerce Mike Bimha says the government will not interfere in the pricing structures as modalities are being put in place to facilitate the restoration of product competitiveness to regain lost market shares.
His sentiments come in the wake of speculation that the government might resort to price controls in an effort to facilitate price reduction for several commodities and utilities in the economy.
“The pricing reduction structures are being made to create a platform to unlock productivity and boost competitiveness,” said Bimha. 
The government is also in the process of implementing a cost reduction policy that will enable local industry to improve the quality of products.
It is anticipated that such a plan will, in the long term, result in the reduction of the high import bill averaging more than US$2 billion yearly.

VIDEO: Shock as Kasukuwere Flies Into Ukraine’s Crimea to Support Russian War

There was shock on Monday when Zimbabwe’s Environment Minister Savior Kasukuwere flew into Ukraine’s war-torn Crimea to voice his support for Russia’s armed annexation of that territory. (Also WATCH VIDEO: Ukraine Crisis Covered By Zimbabwean Journo – DOCUMENTARY).
While it was not clear if Kasukuwere is acting of his own accord or on official mandate from President Robert Mugabe, analysts said such a move could spark Zimbabwe’s further isolation from the worldwide business community at a time when the country was attempting to regain its international foothold.
“At present Russia is struggling economically and its currency has plummeted because of this Crimean war, and so Minister Kasukuwere’s move will not do good to Zimbabwe,” commented political analyst Davis Moyo.
Added UK based political analyst, Dr Nkululeko Sibanda, “I simply say let South Africa annex parts of Matebeleland and Midlands and we hear what these fools would say.”
Only two days ago, Russia was slapped with a new wave of sanctions over the same issue.

Zimbabwe was one of 11 UN General Assembly members who supported Crimea annexation referendum.

Prophet Oiled Me, Asked Me To Take Off My Underwear, Then Raped Me

A PUMULA South woman is four months pregnant after she was allegedly drugged and raped by a Chosen Embassy Church prophet at his home in Emganwini during a prayer session.
The woman, who was accompanied by her husband when she visited The Chronicle offices yesterday, said she was raped by the prophet Amos Ngwenya on September 2 after she went to his house for a deliverance prayer session following the death of her nine-month-old daughter in April.
The couple said they would keep the baby because it was one of God’s innocent creations.
She said Ngwenya somehow drugged her and she fell unconscious, only to find him on top of her when she woke up. Ngwenya vehemently denied the allegation.
“I went to prophet Ngwenya’s house at Emganwini and I found him alone there. He invited me inside and we were in the living room, then he started praying for me,” she said.
She said Ngwenya started prophesying telling her she had lost her child in April and to prevent the death of her other child who is five years old, she had to receive prayer at that very moment.
“He instructed me to kneel down and I complied. He took out holy water and started. sprinkling me with it. He then anointed me with oil at the same time praying. Ngwenya then instructed me to remove my panties and I did in front of him,” she said.
Ngwenya, she said, smeared her with oil on her whole body, splashed her with water and she felt dazed and passed out. When I woke up I found him on top of me in between my legs. I was terrified and then he warned me never to tell anyone since this was all part of praying,” she said.
She said Ngwenya then gave her three stones, water in a bucket and instructed her to go wash her whole body with it. He advised her not to throw the water away since he was supposed to pray over it.
“Ngwenya also said I shouldn’t have sexual intercourse with my husband for seven days for my prayer request to be fulfilled,” she said.
“I was so scared and confused I didn’t tell even my husband until when I realised I was pregnant. I went to the prophet’s house in confidence because I trusted him as a divine messenger who could solve my life’s problems,” she said with tears streaming down her eyes.
She said she was having sleepless nights following the rape. “I went to Mpilo Central Hospital on December 17 and the doctor told me that I was four months pregnant,” she said.
The woman’s husband said he accompanied her to report the matter at Nkulumane Police Station leading to Ngwenya’s arrest the following day.
He said Ngwenya spent two days in police cells and was released on Friday. The husband with tears in his eyes said: “I wasn’t present on the day she was raped. Only my wife can say what happened.”
He said what Ngwenya did was despicable since him and his wife were members of his church.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo could not be reached for comment. chronicle

Byo Comedians In Car Crash

Clive Chigubhu and Babongile Skhonjwa. Pic:Babongile Skhonjwa Facebook Page
Clive Chigubhu and Babongile Skhonjwa. Pic:Babongile Skhonjwa Facebook Page

RadioDialogue|Popular Bulawayo stand up comedian and club dee jay, Babongile Skhonjwa, is reportedly in a critical state following a car accident in the early hours of Monday.
Skhonjwa was in the company of another comedian, Clive Chigubhu, and Leeward Charamba.
The cheerful Skhonjwa is in Intensive Care Unit at Mpilo Hospital.
The trio, where last spotted at Horizon Pub at Pioneer House in the city centre where South African female dee jay, Zinhle, was performing.
According to a close friend of the two, who spoke on condition of the two, Skhonjwa was driving towards the western suburbs when the accident occurred.
“Skhonjwa was driving along Luveve road in the company of Clive Chigubhu and another person. It looks like he failed to negotiate the curve at the Nguboyenja flyover and he rammed into the concrete at the centre of the road and his car hit one of the street lamps before overturning.
“All passengers were thorn out the car and Skhonjwa was badly injured. I understand Clive has since been treated and discharged. I am not sure of the condition of the other person,” said the friend.
Contacted for a comment, Bulawayo Police provincial spokesperson, Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo confirmed the accident.
“There was an accident today along Luveve road around 03.00 hours involving artists who were coming from a show in the city centre. The driver failed to negotiate the curve resulting in the car overturning,” said Inspector Moyo.
According to sources at the hospital, Skhonjwa suffered broken ribs and punctured lungs.
Skhonjwa and Chigubu are popular figures in the comedy circuit and have shared the stage on several occasions.

Makandiwa, Tuku Doctorate “Parasite” Awarded Best Businessman 2014

The man criticised  for allegedly ‘blood-sucking’ singer Oliver Mtukudzi’s reputation by awarding the veteran singer a doctorate, Enrico Sibanda, has received a top businessman of 2014 award.
Sibanda who also handed preacher Emmanuel Makandiwa’s wife and businessman Phillip Chiyangwa the same doctorate award, was placed in the top 20 of prominent businessmen for the year 2014 at a function on Saturday night. Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko attended the function among a host of other high profile dignitaries.
Sibanda is the founder of the Zimbabwe based International Institute of Philanthropy a non-academic organisation which dishes out doctorates to people noted for acts of community kindness. Despite the criticism , the certificate Sibanda received at the function, refers to him as “Dr,” although he holds no such valid academic paper.
Sibanda told ZimEye.com “We are really honoured and humbled. You will realise that not so long ago there was so much controversy that came with our work in particular specific reference to the IIP doctorate, and people were mixing issues to the point that the then Minister of Higher Education Dr Olivia Muchena had to actually make it clear of our work (sic) in parliament and  apparently, (on ) the issue of philanthropy, not that it is new. We as Africans Zimbabweans in particular have always practiced philanthropy, but I think it was the word philanthropy that was not common. It’s not a word that is commonly used here in Zimbabwe and you will find that after what happened to us, in terms of the publicity people began to use the word more often here in Zimbabwe.

PICTURES:
 

GMB Collapses, Sends 3600 Workers Home


THE cash-strapped Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has collapsed, ordering all its 3 600 employees to go home on a compulsory two-week long unpaid leave each month, starting next month as it battles what it claims is a crippling financial squeeze. Reports however show that since the farm invasions began in 2000, the government owned company has reached a state of collapse.
By 1977, the GMB was ranked number four worldwide in proving food on the entire planet (READ MORE), but that rating has since fallen down to number an embarrassing 195.
Southern Eye|In a circular dated December 18 and addressed to all staff members, GMB deputy general manager human resources, Sibongile Muchirahondo, admitted that the parastatal was facing financial problems hence the decision to cut down on the number of working days.
GMB has not paid its employees for the past four months and owes farmers who delivered grain in the 2013 to 2014 summer cropping season $37 million.
The parastatal, which prides itself in being the granary of the country, has many branches dotted around the country. Part of the circular reads: “The Grain Marketing Board is currently experiencing serious financial challenges resulting in accrual of salary arrears and statutory obligations for the past four months. This has therefore, adversely affected employee welfare.”
Muchirahondo said there were a number of other factors that had affected GMB finances, which included non-remittance of handling fees and storage charges by the government, depleted working capital for commercial activities, uncompetitive selling price due to high maize procurement pricing, competition from imports and unaffordable salary or wage bill of around $2 million per month.
“In view of the above and in terms of the provisions of Section 12D of the Labour Act (Chapter 28:01) on compulsory unpaid leave or short time work as a measure to avoid retrenchment, employees shall be proceeding on two weeks compulsory rotational unpaid leave monthly effective January 2 2015 until further notice,” Muchirahondo said.
“Notice of seven days shall be served to individual employees before proceeding on compulsory unpaid leave. Employees shall receive half of their monthly gross earnings and benefits commensurate to days worked.”
Muchirahondo pleaded with depot managers to follow the new directive.
Workers yesterday accused their bosses of insincerity over the salary issue saying top GMB officials recently bought themselves 30 top–of-the range Toyota D4D off-road vehicles.

Chinotimba Rejects Holiday Prize, Chooses to Donate to Poor Villagers


Buhera South Legislator Joseph Chinotimba who has been awarded Human Rights Defender of the Year, has rejected his prize saying will rather donating it to his constituency’s poor people.
The MP said he is giving the luxury-prize handed him Friday to poor villagers from his community who can not make a meal during the Christmas and festive period.
“I refuse to use this prize for my own pleasure. This is for the people who elected me to that post, the very people who struggle every day to make ends meet,” said Chinotimba.
He added saying that in direct response to his decision “the award sponsors (Holiday Inn) have promised to purchase building material for the classrooms destroyed by the rains. They also promised to do more for my constituency, so far World Vision is the only organisation helping in the area,” he said.
The controversial legislator received the award last week in a development that caused loud whispers across the whole country as numerous human rights activists protested saying he does deserve any recognition whatsoever in relation to the betterment of humanity in the country.
“How can this same person who murdered people be the same who gets such a top award,” questioned London activist Tim Nkomo.
The award has received sharp criticism from the white Zimbabwean community who were victimised by Chinotimba’s war veterans association during Robert Mugabe’s chaotic farm invasions which began in 2000.
Defending the award in which Chinotimba was ranked tall alongside notable international figures the likes of fearless lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, journalist Jestina Mukoko, Mrs Rebecca Chisamba, and Harare West MP Jessie Majome, the ZimRights organisation said the recognition was a collective and populist nomination from provinces across the country.

Grace Fires 16 Ministers Accused of Being Mujuru


STATE MEDIA: PRESIDENT ROBERT Mugabe has by wife Grace’s side fired an additional seven ministers from Government for alleged conduct and performance below the expected standard, bringing to 16 the number of ministers who have been sent packing as Government gears up for the accelerated implementation of Zim-Asset in the post-congress period.
Two weeks ago President Mugabe revealed he is daily under intense pressure from his wife to do things he would never do. “I am being forced to do against my will as you can all see, and I just have to listen always,” he told a stunned ZANU PF audience at the congress in Harare.
The 15 ministers, along with former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru who was also dismissed earlier this month, stand accused of reneging on their Government mandate by expending their energy and time on alleged graft and factional politics through which they sought to topple President Mugabe through unconstitutional means, including assassination.

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda yesterday said the President had relieved two ministers and five deputy ministers of their duties in terms of Section 108 (1) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013.
“In terms of Section 108 (1) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013, His Excellency the President, Cde R G Mugabe, has further relieved the following Ministers and Deputy Ministers of their duties and functions with immediate effect, as it had become apparent that their conduct and performance were below the expected standard and outcome:-

  • Hon Flora Buka, MP : Minister of State for Presidential Affairs.
  • Hon Sylvester R.G Nguni, MP: Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office.
  • Hon Paul Chimedza, MP: Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care.
  • Hon Tongai Muzenda, MP: Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services.
  • Hon Tendai Savanhu, MP: Deputy Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement.
  • Hon Petronella Kagonye, MP: Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development; and
  • Hon Fortune Chasi, MP: Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal And Parliamentary Affairs.

Section 108(1)(a) of the Constitution, that deals with the tenure of office of Ministers and Deputy Ministers, stipulates that; “the office of a Minister or Deputy Minister becomes vacant if the President removes him or her from office.’’
The seven are part of the group of ministers that was under investigation since the first group was booted out alongside Dr Mujuru on December 8 this year and are accused of having been part of the former VP’s inner circle.
Cde Buka was eyeing the post of secretary for Women’s Affairs that was then held by Cde Oppah Muchinguri and is reported to have used money, including abducting party members in pursuit of her goal.

She was implicated in the kidnapping saga ahead of the Zanu-PF Women’s League Conference in August when she abducted and held 50 members of the Women’s League, including Gokwe Gumunyu MP Cde Melania Majovana, hostage at a lodge in Gokwe in a bid to force them to vote for her.
Cde Buka, a former teacher from the Midlands from 1990 to 1995, once served as Minister of State in Vice President Simon Muzenda’s Office before being appointed Minister of State for Land Reform in August 2002.
She also served as Minister of State in the late VPs John Nkomo and Joseph Msika’s offices.
She was appointed Minister of State for Presidential Affairs after last year’s harmonised elections.
Whereas former Mashonaland East provincial chairman Cde Ray Kaukonde was identified as the political nerve centre of the Mujuru faction, Cde Nguni was the administrative equivalent.
He was first appointed deputy Minister of Agriculture in 2005 before being appointed Minister of State in former VP Joice Mujuru’s office in 2009.
He was retained, in the same capacity last year.
Cde Chimedza, who is reported to have harboured ambitions of succeeding his boss — Dr David Parirenyatwa — at the Ministry of Health and Child Care, is described by those close to him as a reckless fellow who jumped head first into factional activities in the hope of realising his dream. Cde Chimedza was appointed in 2013 as Health and Child Care Deputy Minister.
Cde Muzenda, son to national hero and Vice President Dr Simon Muzenda, is accused of attempting to ride on his father’s name for factional interests which the late national hero known as the Soul of the Nation would have frowned upon. He was appointed last year as Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
Cde Savanhu, who considered himself the Godfather of Harare along with ousted provincial chairman Cde Amos Midzi, is accused of using violence against political opponents. Together with Cde Midzi, Cde Savanhu, is accused of bussing people to Harare International Airport to demonstrate against the First Lady ahead of President Mugabe’s return from Rome where he had gone for a beatification ceremony at The Vatican.
Cde Kagonye, who was said to be very close to Cde Kaukonde, was also accused of fanning factionalism and divisions in Mashonaland East together with Cde Kaukonde as well as working with the MDC-T.
She stands accused of swindling over 9 00 stand beneficiaries, four housing cooperatives of $25 000 by ordering a transfer of the money into her co-operative named Glorious Properties.
She was also new to Government, having been appointed last year.
Cde Chasi, apart from dabbling in factionalism, was also fighting against the First Lady’s philanthropic activities at her orphanage in Mazowe.
A lawyer by profession, Cde Chasi was elected MP for Mazowe South in 2013 and become Deputy Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs on 10 September the same year.
Amai Mugabe in August this year, lambasted Cde Chasi, accusing him of terrorising her in Mazowe, where she runs a children’s home.
Cde Chasi was said to be spreading falsehoods and other unfounded allegations aimed at tarnishing the name of the First Family.
Amai Mugabe said Cde Chasi also made false allegations that she engineered the eviction of a certain sangoma who was staying at Henderson Farm, yet the Sangoma was expelled by the Mashonaland Central provincial leadership for gold panning.

Biti Flies to UK for Star Rally 31 Jan

MDC Renewal Secretary General and top Zim barrister, Tendai Biti flies to the United Kingdom for a star rally in January.
The large function will be held just outside London in the UK’s most Afro-populated town of Luton on the 31st January.
Accompanying Biti is Renewal Boss, Sekai Holland who will present her first maiden speech to diasporans. Also present will be former Tsvangirai aide Gorden Moyo.
The function begins at 2PM at the Lewesey Community Centre, LU4 OSW.
POSTER:

Prisons Boss Dupes Nurses $9000

A SENIOR Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Service (ZPCS) officer based in Bulawayo allegedly defrauded more than 50 unemployed nurses who paid him (more than $9,000) between $150 and $500 each after lying that he had secured jobs for them.
Superintendent Tendai Masakure, 45, who is employed in the ZPCS’s health department, allegedly lied to the nurses that he had secured them jobs at Premier Services Medical Aid Society.
He was allegedly paid the money between October 22 and November 30 this year.
Supt Masakure allegedly preyed on the desperate nurses who have failed to secure employment.
Victims told Chronicle that he invited them to his office at Mhlahlandlela Government Complex where they were made to pay him amounts ranging from $150 to $500 depending on the individual.
ZPCS national spokesperson Chief Superintendent Elizabeth Banda confirmed the scandal, saying investigations were underway.
“I can confirm receiving information on that. As an organisation we don’t condone such behaviour. Investigations are going on. Information is being gathered,” said Chief Supt Banda.
One of his victims yesterday narrated how they were conned by Supt Masakure.
“I was introduced to him by a friend and he asked for $500 from each of us to process our papers and get us uniforms. I was told to invite another person looking for employment as there were two vacancies so I told another friend of mine,” said a victim who declined to be named, fearing victimisation.
He said Supt Masakure used the same modus operandi to dupe other job seekers and he was aware that about 30 people fell victim.
“We only realised that we were told the same story when we got to his offices. Most of us knew each other so we became suspicious. We’re all told that they’re just two to three vacancies but it’s shocking to see so many of us. He also started dodging us when we inquired when we would be called for interviews,” he said.
Another source said they were convinced that Supt Masakure was genuine as he used his office to conduct interviews.
“It’s not something that happened in the streets. He actually called us to his offices at Mhlahlandlela and everything seemed legitimate. We are desperate for jobs and to me paying $150 was a small sacrifice, considering I’d get a job that might enable me to take care of my family for a long time,” he said.
Supt Masakure who was reportedly questioned has not been arrested and his cellphone has been ringing unanswered.
Chief Supt Banda said she could not pre-empt the ZPCS investigations by making assumptions on possible penalties that will be imposed on Supt Masakure if he is found guilty.
Although a comment could not be obtained from Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo, police sources confirmed the matter was under investigation.
Since 2009 nurses have been struggling to get employed following government’s decision to freeze nursing posts.
More than 3,000 nurses, according to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, are on the streets after graduating. Chronicle

Cheating Wife Said My Manhood Is Too Small

A HARARE man told the Civil Court last Friday that his second wife was cheating on him because he had a small manhood as he sought an eviction order.
Shakemore Tembo claimed Snodia Nyamayaro was in the habit of sleeping with other men at shebeens. Tembo also accused Nyamayaro of breaching his peace. “She told me in my face that my manhood was too small to satisfy her in bed after I had asked her why she was having extramarital affairs,” he said.
Tembo told magistrate Mr Tendai Kasinahama that he no longer loved Nyamayaro and wants her evicted from his house.
Tembo claimed Nyamayaro was having adulterous relationships with drunkards she hangs around with at shebeens.
“I am willing to separate with her, and as for the property she is free to take whatever she wants, but I do not want to see her at my house anymore,” he said.
Nyamayaro denied the allegations.
“He is just fabricating stories to please this honourable court to grant him his application only because I am not doing anything bad to him,” she said. Mr Kasinahama dismissed Tembo’s application.-Herald

Job Sikhala is HIV Victims Basher?

Dear Job Sikhala
It is with great sadness that I write this letter to you my brother. The letter is also directed to your fellow compatriots in the MDC T leadership. My concern and disappointment is directed to you because you area leader in one of our main opposition parties, yet your Facebook postings do not exhibit the national leadership burden you shoulder. You angrily responded to a Whatsapp chat and attributed it to Renewal MDC members without showing us any evidence of who is really responsible for making the chat public. Out of all the other political parties in Zimbabwe such as, Zanu, Zapu, Mavambo and the MDC led by Ncube, you didn’t give evidence as to who is responsible. It seems you just wanted to use this as an excuse to insult Tendai Biti. Did you consider that in your own MDC-T you have made many enemies ready to reveal your unbecoming private discussion, or even fake some with the aim of derailing your leadership position in the party? Nonetheless, that is beside the point. It is what you wrote about Tendai Biti, whose followers you think are responsible for the Whatsapp chat, that has drawn my attention and wrath;
‘We have found you bastards. You thought our silence is being naive. Strange characters familiar with us tried to play silly games with us by creating a false chat between me and our party Spokesman Obert Gutu, painting a picture of being sexual attracted to Beverley Sibanda. The crowded fools tried to imply that our Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora and someone we don’t know whom they were referr…ing to as the Premier also love to have a go at Beverley Sibanda. We don’t chat amongst ourselves because we meet daily. We phone each other as we like. These bastards know that myself, Obert Gutu and Douglas Mwonzora are inseparable friends and tried to play funny with our names. We have caught the culprits. Their nest sieves like the devil’s wool. We now know you. We will painfully hit back on you. Wait and see. We are angry and bitter. We are family man who do not play such silly games. Expect our response soonest to your stupid behavior. Wait and see.
‘Xxxxxxx Enda ku page re Renewal unotaura matuzvi ako iwayo ayo. Don’t come to my page to talk your nonsense dze Renewal. I know who did it and we will give them their own food. Tingaswera tichitevedzera zve AIDS dzana Biti idzo. Wait and see when it comes out. It’s now war. Nxaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa’
Assuming you are right and have illegal access to Biti’s confidential medical records, you should be aware that Biti would be only one individual out of roughly 1.5 million Zimbabweans who are HIV positive. How many, out of that figure, do you think support MDCT or are in leadership positions from branch to national executive council? The United Nations Zimbabwe National Aids Council confirms that 15% of Zimbabwe’s population is living with HIV. In essence, Zimbabwe is one of the countries in southern Africa that has experienced one of the harshest HIV and AIDS epidemics in the world. With leaders like you, we have to sadly acknowledge that despite the government and NGOs’ efforts for a high level of awareness, HIV and AIDS victims remain highly stigmatised in the country. It is because of leaders like you, that those living with HIV are often perceived as sinners, and are subsequently discriminated against. Leaders like you Sikhala, are the ones who are working against society and are encouraging the spread of aids – your discrimination leads to less people getting tested, in fear of a positive result which will alienate them in all aspects of their lives. Even some of those who are aware of their HIV + status fear coming in the open because of leaders like you, who are helping to deny them access to vital care and support.
You are therefore causing more socio-economic harm than the Zanu oppressors you claim to be fighting. How do you feel about your statement that clearly discriminates and alienates those living with HIV? I am very offended because I have relatives, friends and cadres trying to cope with life because they are HIV positive. We have relatives and friends who do not seek required medical attention and support because they fear people like you who ostracise them. I shudder to think of the kind of society you and your supporters intend to install in Zimbabwe. Sikhala, you are no mere activist or supporter, but a leader who was at one time president of his own party and dreamt of being president of Zimbabwe. You may have the support of a couple of other idiots who hate Biti for his political stance, but this does not absolve you of your harmful conduct akin to hate speech. If you were in any other democratic country you would have long resigned for shaming your party by discriminating against others and peddling hate speech. But then, MDC T being a party full of liars, pretenders, womanisers, women bashers, fraudsters, violent thugs, and other vile characters in our politricks, I don’t expect you to do anything other than laughing it off in a drunken stupor.
I however urge you to be aware that out of the 35 million people living with aids, 71% of these belong to Sub-Saharan Africa. And out of that, please do bear in mind that Eastern and Southern Africa has 17.1 million [and Zimbabwe has its huge share of roughly 1.5 million] adults and children infected with HIV. Even today, because of people like you Sikhala, infections continue unabated, with 48 per cent of the world’s new HIV infections among adults, 55 per cent among children, and 48 per cent of AIDS-related deaths taking place in southern Africa. To make matters worse, UNIAIDS indicates that 54% of those infected do not know that they have the virus – meaning that you, your relatives or some of the pathetic imbeciles praising you may be unaware they are living with HIV. How many of these HIV+ positive Zimbabwean adults have been voting for MDC T hoping for a better life under the party? These sad statistics should make you realise that Tendai Biti is nothing in the face of this pandemonium; it needs you to help curb it. If Biti is HIV+, kudos to him. He is showing others that no disease can stop them from achieving their dreams; he is an able lawyer and leader of a viable opposition party. And you Job, what are you other than a political prostitute who has been selling his soul from MDC to MDC led by Prof Ncube to your own MDC99 and then back to MDC T? Because noone in the party leadership found it necessary to condemn you for this conduct, I am sure fellow Zimbabweans are now aware the kind of people leading MDC T.
I will again, repeat what I said in your face book posts;
‘Ummm Job, you being crude about the Aids issue. Dont insult people because you assume they have Aids. Its pathetic. Most of your supporters have Aids, and yet you want to rule them. Are you going to drive them to the sea or poison them to death to create an MDC T aids free Zimbabwe?
Job, you are a leader with a lot of young followers; you need to choose your words wisely. You dont need to alienate people with your conduct or insults. You can not just take personal issues and generalise them on the Zim populace. If you hate Biti or whoever, do it outside health issues as they impact on everyone, including yourself. You mean to say you have no relative suffering or who died of aids? You want us to dig deeper and list them for you? No, its crude and against principles of humanity! You dont have to seek cheap publicity when you are already known. Its bad to be known for wrong reasons as it eventually cheapens your character and weakens you as a leader. Aids has no political boundary yet you seem to be saying MDC T discriminates against HIV+ people. Aiwa akomana, munaita muchisarura mashoko enyu musazoti tave kukanganisa kana tokugamhai nawo mangwana’

Mphoko Linked to Gukurahundi Massacres

Some angry Zimbabweans have called on newly-appointed Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko to either resign from his post or apologise profusely and unreservedly for his “thoughtless” views on the 1980s Gukurahundi massacres.
This was after controversial utterances were attributed to Mphoko at the weekend which seemingly absolved the Zanu PF leadership led by President Robert Mugabe for the massacres, and instead shifted the blame to apartheid South Africa and the West.
Mugabe himself has since described the massacres as “a moment of madness” in the country’s history.
“When Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, Apartheid South Africa was under threat from the ANC through Zimbabwe.
“Western intelligence together with the South African intelligence BOSS and the out-going Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) designed a strategy to destroy the lines of military supply of the ANC and MK under the pretext that the newly-independent Zimbabwe was under threat of being attacked by former Zapu/Zipra in Matabeleland.
“That falsehood was intended to create a military force to deal with the perceived threat. That is how Gukurahundi was formed and that is how it became a Western conspiracy,” Mphoko was quoted by online media as allegedly saying at the weekend.
Mphoko’s phone was first answered by a man claiming to be his son and then a security aide when the Daily News on Sunday called him for comment yesterday, with both men pointedly refusing to identify themselves by name but nevertheless denying emphatically that the VP was the author of the offending sentiments.
“It is not the vice president but his son,” said the first man who answered Mphoko’s cellphone, adding, “but I can tell you that he did not write that letter. Let me hand you over to his aide”.
“This is the work of his political enemies who want to tarnish his image. You know it happens in politics. I suppose he did not write that letter,” said the other man who said he was Mphoko’s aide, adding further, “You Daily News people I will not give you my name because I don’t want it associated with this”.
In the offending weekend comments, Mphoko is alleged to have said that he was a Gukurahundi victim himself, as he had allegedly been arrested together with Edward Ndlovu, Welshman Mabhena, Sydney Malunga and others.
Okay Machisa, the ZimRights director, called on the former ambassador to apologise to the nation if the utterances were true.
Machisa said by insinuating that Gukurahundi was a creation of foreigners, Mphoko was insulting Zimbabweans.
“What he (Mphoko) needs to understand is that he is now a vice president which is a post that comes with respect.
“So, for him to provoke the people saying it was caused by foreigners is very unfortunate as he is inflicting more pain to the victims,” said Machisa.
Mphoko’s alleged insinuations also infuriated the opposition MDC which came out guns blazing, demanding that he resigns forthwith.
Obert Gutu, the MDC spokesperson said it was regrettable that the VP was failing to acknowledge that Gukurahundi was a crime against humanity perpetrated by Mugabe’s government.
Gutu expressed shock that Mphoko could refuse to acknowledge that the atrocities which led to the death of an estimated 20 000 innocent people had nothing to do with the West.
“If anything, the VP owes the people of Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in particular, and Zimbabweans in general, an unconditional apology.
“In view of his lack of empathy for the unprecedented suffering brought about by Gukurahundi, the VP should do the honourable thing and resign because he is a complete and utter disgrace to Zimbabwe,” Gutu said.
Last week Dumiso Dabengwa, the Zapu President, told Mphoko to “shut up” about his liberation struggle role, accusing him of having been a Zanu cadre who was now embellishing his struggle role.
This was after Mphoko had claimed to have been commander of a joint operations force of Zipra and ANC’s Umkhonto Wesizwe.
Responding online to Mphoko’s alleged utterances, a Thulani Nkala said this was not the first time the VP had allegedly uttered similar sentiments.
“In 2009 in Botswana, when Mphoko was the ambassador there, he termed the genocide the conspiracy by the Western nations. Yesterday, he went on to try and expand on what he meant when he raised the conspiracy argument.
“To all discerning people, what Mphoko is trying to do is to absolve Zanu PF of its cruel and dirty chapter in the history of the nation.
“Could it be that Mr Mphoko is singing for his supper? Could it be that Mr Mphoko does not realise that his vice presidency will be short-lived and he would have soiled his legacy if ever he had one?” he said.
Nkala went on to allege that some people were beginning to think that Mphoko was part of the Gukurahundi massacre and that he did not want to come clean on his CIO involvement.
“It is public knowledge that the CIO played a nefarious role during the genocide, abducting, torturing and killing Zapu leaders and ordinary people. Unless and until Mr Mphoko explains his activities between the years 1981 and 1987, people will never take him seriously as he will be viewed as part of the establishment,” he said.
-DailyNews

Furious Rage Against Mugabe Grows

There is an unprecedented groundswell of anger across the political and social divides in the country against President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF’s misrule, with analysts saying yesterday that this boded well for keenly-anticipated national elections scheduled for 2018.
Among the prominent political players who have raised their voices against the country’s deteriorating political and economic climate are opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Zapu president Dumiso Dabengwa, MKD leader Simba Makoni, United MDC leading lights Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti, outspoken war veteran and former legislator Margaret Dongo, and former Zanu PF stalwarts such as Didymus Mutasa, Rugare Gumbo and ex-war veterans’ leader Jabulani Sibanda.
Analysts told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday that it was good that key opposition figures were increasingly speaking out against undemocratic tendencies in Zanu PF and the country.
However, they added, this did not mean that the opposition was in a position to take Mugabe and Zanu PF head-on at the moment.
Dewa Mavhinga, who is with Human Rights Watch, said while the criticism of the ruling party was good for democracy, the fact still remained that power in Zimbabwe did not reside in political parties per se and was also not secured through normal democratic processes like elections.
“Instead, those who wield political power like President Mugabe and the ruling Zanu PF party rely on State institutions including the highly-partisan and politicised leadership of the security forces.
“Therefore, although Mujuru and company may add to the number of people unhappy with Mugabe’s dictatorship, the key to seriously confronting Mugabe and Zanu PF lies in reforming security forces and other State institutions which are under Mugabe and Zanu PF’s partisan control,” he said.
He added that any grand coalition that could emerge in the country would not necessarily be effective going forward for as long as State institutions like the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission were allegedly in Mugabe’s and Zanu PF’s pocket.
“The only successful political grand coalition against Mugabe and Zanu PF is one that cuts the political umbilical cord that unites Zanu PF and the State and stops Zanu PF from getting its life-blood from the State.
“With genuinely strong, independent and democratic institutions in place, including an independent and non-partisan Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, a political grand coalition would not even be necessary as Zanu PF would naturally be history,” he said.
Mavhinga said Mugabe’s former allies, who were now disgruntled with his misrule, just like the opposition, were hamstrung by the fact that they were long-standing beneficiaries of Mugabe’s patronage and Zanu PF’s corrupt tendencies.
“This might compromise them and prevent them from joining hands with opposition forces to fight Mugabe who can easily have them stripped of all their wealth and social status overnight.
“In order to protect their ill-gotten wealth, many of these Zanu PF rejects may decide to quietly walk away from the political scene without openly challenging Mugabe in a grand coalition,” he said, citing the threats to arrest former Vice President Joice Mujuru and takeover former senior party official Ray Kaukonde’s farm as examples.
Analyst Shephered Mntungwa said it was good for Zimbabwe’s nascent democracy that leading opposition figures were speaking with one voice against Mugabe’s and Zanu PF’s misrule.
“It’s unprecedented that the opposition is speaking with one voice against misrule in the country. Zimbabweans are generally used to hearing a divided and confused opposition that is more adept at sniping against each other than pushing the ruling party.
“To that extent, the opposition can be positive going into the critical 2018 elections, particularly if one takes into account the likelihood that President Mugabe, who is the glue that holds Zanu PF together, will probably not participate in those polls,” he said.
But Kent law lecturer, Alex Magaisa, said an anti-Mugabe approach alone was not enough to unite the ousted Zanu PF cadres and opposition parties.
“This has been the approach for the last 15 years and it has not worked. Besides, everything shows that we are entering a post-Mugabe phase and therefore uniting because you are against Mugabe is by itself not enough.
“Zanu PF is busy reinventing itself but there is no traction in the opposition forces. So I am not very optimistic that there will really be a formidable force against Zanu PF. The opposition elements have to get over their often petty differences first and identify an ideological point that unites them,” Magaisa said.
Criticism of Mugabe and the ruling party has been strident over the past few months, particularly since feisty First Lady Grace Mugabe entered the political fray — amid allegations that there had effectively been a “bedroom coup” at State House, as many of her threats and pronouncements have come to pass.
In addition, Mugabe, who turns 91 in February, has fallen out with most of his trusted former liberation war colleagues, who have since criticised him and the party of liberation, particularly its controversial damp squib “elective” congress that was held in Harare earlier this month.
They have also gone on to accuse Mugabe of subverting the party’s constitution and making unilateral decisions to suit his and Grace’s interests.
Former Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa, for one, has described the congress as a “farce”.
“Even the most impartial observer could not fail to regard the recent Congress of the governing party, Zanu PF, as a farce,” he said.
Expelled former Zanu PF spokesperson Gumbo described the congress as a circus that could mark the last rites of the former liberation movement.
Gumbo like former war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda, believed Zanu PF had been hijacked by chancers.
Sibanda, like Gumbo, has since been expelled from the party, and also been incarcerated under controversial circumstances for allegedly undermining Mugabe and coining the widely popular “bedroom coup” saying.
His case is still pending at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts.
Former Home Affairs minister, Dabengwa has also added his voice on the unsavoury goings-on in Zanu PF, asserting that he is devising a new plan to fight the ruling party.
“As Zapu, we are in discussions with the ousted Zanu PF cadres, the likes of former Vice President Joice Mujuru, Gumbo, Kaukonde, Mutasa and the engagements are on course as we try to put our heads together to prevent dictatorship because we foresee that there is the possibility of it in the party.
“The ousted cadres shouldn’t take their fate lying down,” Dabengwa was quoted in lickspittle State media yesterday.
Even outspoken former Zanu PF party legislator, Margaret Dongo, panned Mugabe and the ruling party for their misrule, alleging that the nonagenarian was in fact being abused by some party officials who harboured sinister motives.
But political analyst Pedzisayi Ruhanya criticised the opposition for not doing enough to push Mugabe and Zanu PF.
“The opposition is in comatose. Where is Tsvangirai? Where is Welshman? Where is Biti?” he asked, adding that Zanu PF could even afford to do what it was doing because there was no vibrant force challenging it.
He told the Daily News on Sunday that the MDC formations were “descending and not ascending”, adding that there was a danger that they might even sink into political oblivion.
“If Zanu PF is having problems, it does not mean Tsvangirai is gaining ground. The critical aspect is to look for long term reforms in the electoral process,” he said.-Daily News

Govt Performs U Turn on Land Reform, Starts Charging Rentals

The’ ever shifting’ Zimbabwean government has reneged on its liberation war promise to restore to the people the ancestral lands taken by the racist former Ian Smith government. The government has decided to strip poor resettled farmers their citizenship rights to the land, treat them like foreigners, charging them rentals.

Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora quoted by the state media has said Government will introduce land rentals for all resettled farmers to ensure maximum utilisation.At least 300 000 people have been resettled while an equal number is on the waiting list. Addressing participants recently at the National Defence College course 3 /2014 on the “Land Tenure System and its Implication on National Security”, Dr Mombeshora said A1 farmers will be charged a flat figure while A2 farmers will be charged per hectare.

Dr Mombeshora said part of the money will be used to conduct a land audit that will be carried out next year.

“Government has introduced land rentals which have been approved. What is remaining is to present it to Cabinet. What is now left are the figures. I have to sit down with the Minister of Local Government and Public Works Dr Ignatius Chombo to see what is the reasonable figure to charge our farmers,” he said.

Dr Mombeshora said all contract farmers and joint ventures were only allowed if they were registered with his ministry to curb the danger of farmers selling back the land to former colonisers.

He warned all resettled farmers not to lease land without approval from Government.

“Government is allowing contract farming, joint ventures and partnerships for resettled framers as long as they are registered with the Minister to ensure improved productivity,” he said.

He said Government was stressing the issue of maximum farm sizes according to ecological regions to ensure that as many people can assess land.

“During Phase One of the land reform covering the period 1980 to 1998, Government managed to resettle 71 000 households on 3,5 million hectares against a target of 162 000 households in the first 10 years.

“In October 1998, there was a donor conference organised to speed up the implementation of the land reform programme. Soon after the conference, the inception of phase two was implemented up to June 2000 and 4 697 families were resettled. – State Media

Mnangagwa Escapes Madhuku |OPINION


By Stewart Murewa | It is quite interesting that a constitutional expert Lovemore Manduku, of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), has been thrown into political oblivion after his plans to stop Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa crumbled this week.
 
Madhuku first lost faith of his handful supporters when he refused to relinquish his chairmanship post after his term of office expired. This showed that the man is not a realist but the antitheses of realist. According to their constitution the man should have not continued hanging on to power. The button should be passed on to the next person, according to the NCA constitution.
 
Our learned friend, who purports to be democratic and a guru in constitutional law, has become confused and run out of political ideas. Surely how can a person of his caliber try to stop the swearing in of the two Vice Presidents who do not belong to his party or pressure group? This buffoon, of dubious political credentials, wants to get relevance after failing to gain prominence in the compilation of the new constitution.
 
Madhuku wanted to stop the swearing in of the Vice Presidents using some clauses of the current constitution. It is now a fascinating paradox that he is now accepting the constitution which he used to lambast. The man is now confused as the party which he wanted to form did not find takers. The NCA, as a pressure group, did not have an impact which it desired, and as a pressure group we know that it has a life span and that has expired. A pressure group ceases to have relevance after the desired impact has been achieved.
 
Now the new constitution has been written and adopted; there is no more relevance for Madhuku and his few supporters, if they are there of which we doubt very much. I feel very sorry for the man of political misfortunes. We know that the man is power hungry like Morgan Tsvangirai. The MDC-T has rejected coalition with Madhuku because they know that he is power hungry and he has no support to add value to their party.
 
The National Constitutional Assembly is now broke as the donors are no longer giving funds to a non-functional and irrelevant organisation. It would be prudent for Madhuku to concentrate on lecturing and leave politics as he has failed to get political recognition. The man was barred from practicing as a lawyer as he misused trust funds. So how can we trust such a person as a politician. We want people with a clean record.
 
We should not be confused by political amateurs in the likes of Madhuku who are agents of political change. Instead we should concentrate on implementing our economic blue print Zim- Asset. Together we will build Zimbabwe and prosper.

Magaya Gamatox | Letter

Dear Editor,
There was a Miniskirts march in Harare. Now it’s high time we should come together as one and ask the Government and Police why they haven’t even asked about the death of 11 people at magaya’s crusade. My fellow countrymen 11 souls just gone like broillers at a party. A pregnant woman is gone some breadwinners of families are gone and nobody has even felt that loss.

Recently his soo called soo called spiritual father has done the same EVIL ACT. Let’s not listen to their lousy selfish justification “eeehhh it’s work of the enemy…later on they run to press to seek glory by saying they had foreseen the vision….WHY DON’T THEY AVOID IT….THEY’RE LIERS AFTER MONEY.
IF YOU DON’T DEAL JUSTICELY ON THIS CASE RATHER BRING BACK GUMBURA. This magaya case should be looked deep into as well as that girl who is said to have committed suicide in Botswana after she was found in possession of fake diamonds on her church business trip yet her relative confirms that she had affair with Magaya DOCTOR AMAI. IS THIS MAGAYA GAMATOX TIME TO END NOT YET ARRIVED. HE HAS CAUSED ENOUGH HARM
By Trevor Craig

‘Satanic’ Doctors Exposed at Byo Hospital

SATANIC
Evil medics as they blocked Mrs Mushiringi from leaving the hospital, after denying her treatment for 4 weeks

Doctors at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) have been caught red handed and exposed for said ‘sickening Satanic acts’ having caused a woman crushed in bus accident in November to be denied treatment for four weeks and at the end of the period to block the relatives from her flying out for the much needed attention in South Africa.
The relatives of the woman (pictured) who had been languishing at the hospital where she had been awaiting surgery for close to a month after being involved in a bus accident, are up in arms with the hospital after a surgeon they claim to have initially referred them to his private practice blocked them from flying her to South Africa where they were going to pay less.

Report by Robin Muchetu| The woman who was supposed to be flown out on Friday, initially had received a clearance letter from the hospital on 12 December, allowing her to travel on an Air Zimbabwe passenger flight.
However, after having booked the flight, relatives of the woman were barred by hospital officials from collecting her and a letter disowning the woman’s initial clearance was sent to Air Zimbabwe which then cancelled her booking.
According to the letter written on behalf of the orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Collin Msasanure, the initial letter which authorised the movement of the severely injured patient, Ms Naume Mushiringi, for further treatment in South Africa was done by a junior doctor without approval from his superiors.
Ironically, the initial letter by the junior doctor, a R D Machanja, was also written on behalf of Dr Msasanure.
Ms Mushiringi (49) was admitted to the hospital on 25 November last month after being involved in a bus accident the previous day in Beitbridge where a Mandaza cross-border bus rammed into a stationary haulage truck injuring 40 and killing two people.
She was initially admitted to Beitbridge Hospital but was transferred to UBH for specialist treatment. According to UBH, she suffered a right supracondylar femur fracture and a left intercondylar femur fracture, whereby both her legs are broken severely. Mrs Rebecca Dzvene, an elder sister to Ms Mushiringi narrated their ordeal to the state media.
“When Naume was admitted we thought she was going to be treated soon enough but all the hospital did was give her pain killers as she waited for an operation,” she said.
She said the doctors that attended to her sister said she would need an operation to correct the fractures on her legs and they initially set a date for the operation but it was cancelled. Mrs Dzvene said the set dates were further cancelled throughout December as the hospital claimed that it had no resources to carry out the operation.
Ms Mushiringi’s relatives and another family with an injured relative at the same hospital claim they were offered services by Dr Msasanure outside the hospital at an exorbitant fee.
The Mushiringi family said they were told they had an option of moving their patient to a private hospital and get the operation done in no time but were charged over $10 000 which they could not afford.
Another family also claimed they were charged $3 000 for the treatment of their relative and they equally could not afford and were now stuck at UBH.
These claims were dismissed by Dr Msasanure who said doctors and specialists were not allowed to refer patients.
“It is not correct what they say; doctors are not allowed to refer patients to their private practices. The patients went and consulted privately at my office and as per norm, they were given quotations which they could not afford and it is not a crime that they failed to pay.
“It is not true that I summoned them to my office,” Dr Msasanure said.
Frustrated by the postponement of the dates and Dr Msasanure’s charges, Ms Mushiringi’s relatives decided to send her to South Africa for treatment and informed the hospital.
“We informed the hospital and they produced documents which they said needed to be taken to Air Zimbabwe so that they process a ticket for us. The doctor also filled in a form that proved that our patient was in a position to travel by air and it was used to secure a ticket.
“After we booked the flight we came to the hospital to get our relative on Friday morning as the flight was scheduled for 2pm but as we waited we received a call from the airline informing us that our ticket had been cancelled,” she said.
The relatives were surprised that the hospital had facilitated a cancellation of tickets without their knowledge and demanded answers from the authorities.
A letter written on behalf of Dr Msasanure informed Air Zimbabwe of the reversal of previous communication that authorised Ms Mushiringi to travel to South Africa.
The letter also apologises on behalf of the junior doctor who had “wrongfully” given clearance to the patient on behalf of Dr Msasanure.
A hospital spokesperson who spoke to the Sunday News said the junior doctor did not follow the set procedures and cleared the patient without notifying his superiors.
“The junior doctor completed a form that was sent to Air Zimbabwe without the consent of Dr Msasanure and it authorised the patient to travel by air for further treatment yet in actual fact the patient was in no position to do that.
“This is when Dr Msasanure wrote to Air Zimbabwe and reversed the previous letter and this then meant we had to stop the patient from travelling as we feared for their safety on board,” explained the spokesperson.
The hospital said they recommended that the patient be transported via an air ambulance that is well equipped and manned or via a road ambulance but the relatives decided otherwise.
“Patients are not supposed to be ferried via a commercial passenger flight as that is a very high risk. That is why we suggested an air or road ambulance but the family ignored this call and they went on to book their own commercial passenger flight and we could not let that happen,” said the spokesperson.
The cancellation of the flight infuriated the relatives of Ms Mushiringi who felt that they were being held hostage by the hospital.
“We are not happy with the cancellation as we want her to be treated as soon as possible as she is in great pain following the accident. We want her in South Africa where she will be operated on and her life gets back to normal,” Mrs Dzvene said.
The Mushiringi family said due to the long time their relative has been in hospital, she had since developed bed sores.
“Vatoita maronda nekurara, she has very little movement and we had to purchase a fan so that she can have some air when we turn her on her side and we are not happy about this,” said Mrs Annaline Mugumbo, a sister to Ms Mushiringi.
Documents in possession of Sunday News show one letter authorising Ms Mushiringi to be moved to South Africa stating that she is fit to travel by air and it is dated 12 December 2014. It is signed by Dr Machanja on behalf of Dr Msasanure.
Another letter barring her from travelling is also available and it is signed on behalf of Dr Msasanure, dated 19 December 2014. Air Zimbabwe’s area manager also counter signed and noted the changes from UBH.
A third letter also dated 19 December 2014 is also available which discharges Ms Mushiringi as per request of the relatives to a different hospital. It also states that she is fit for road or air ambulance travel. It is signed by a Dr Chataika on behalf of Dr Msasanure.
However, the hospital spokesperson said the reasons for the delay in operating on the patient was due to the shortage of equipment and other resources which he said were “an open secret”.
“We are all aware of the current situation in our hospitals and this has made us fail to execute our mandate fully, that is why there was a delay in procedures,” he said.
Some of the Mushiringi family members lambasted the hospital for initially allowing them to travel in the process raising their hopes and later denying them that opportunity at the last minute.
“How does a junior doctor authorise such a serious thing without getting permission only for the senior doctor to come and reverse the situation? We had actually thought we were making a breakthrough but now our hopes are shattered,” said Mrs Mugumbo.
They also questioned why the junior doctors operated without supervision such that they make serious decisions that put the lives of patients at risk.
“Where was the consultant (Dr Msasanure) when all this was happening, it’s a sign they are busy attending to other issues important to them and they do not have time for patients,” fumed one relative.
The family on Friday afternoon took the severely fractured Ms Mushiringi home as they said they had lost faith in the hospital and staff.
“It is better she is discharged than to leave her here; she is equally frustrated and she said she cannot stand another night at UBH so we are taking her home and mapping a way forward from there,” said Mrs Dzvene.
Ms Mushiringi was then made to sign forms to show that she was being discharged at her own will and also that she refused medical treatment from UBH.
By late last night Ms Mushiringi was reported to have been admitted to a hospital in the Midlands where her family hopes she would get treatment that will make her strong enough to travel to South Africa by road. Air Zimbabwe reportedly told the family that they would only be refunded their airfares after six weeks, and that the airline would penalise them for the late cancellation by deducting a percentage of the fares. –

Mnangagwa Not Anointed Mugabe’s Successor – Prof Moyo

denial...Jonathan Moyo
denial…Jonathan Moyo

STATE MEDIA: The recent appointments of Vice-Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko have generated much debate. Of particular interest has been the succession issue and the rise of VP Mphoko, who — as a diplomat —had not been at the forefront of public politicking.
The Sunday Mail Acting Editor Mabasa Sasa spoke to Government spokesperson Professor Jonathan Moyo, who is the Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister, to get a clearer picture of the recent developments and their implications.
Q: Cde Minister a number of media outlets have been awash with reports that the appointment of VP Mnangagwa, who is currently Acting President, has resolved the succession problem in Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe. Is that the official position in Government?
A: In the first place, Zanu-PF does not have a succession problem in so far as the so-called succession problem is based on the presumption that President Mugabe should designate his successor.
It would be unconstitutional and indeed undemocratic for the President to do that.
As such, those who want the President to designate a successor are either charlatans or enemies of constitutionalism and democracy.
Ironically, these same forces would be the first to jump up and down making all sorts of noises if the President were to designate anyone as his successor.
In the second place, your question is significant only in so far as it confirms that there are some people out there who, for irrational reasons best known to themselves, are bent on confusing an appointment with an anointment or who do not understand the difference between the two.
Neither the Zanu-PF constitution nor the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe has a provision for an anointment of a successor. But both provide for the appointment of vice-presidents.
In the case of the Zanu-PF constitution, one must win election to the Central Committee before being eligible for consideration for appointment as Vice-President and Second Secretary of the party.
And in the case of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the current succession provision does not allow for automatic elevation but requires the political party of the previous incumbent to nominate the successor in accordance with its internal constitutional procedures; and the Zanu-PF constitutional procedure provides for the convening of an Extraordinary Congress to elect a successor should that be necessary.
What this means is that the President can neither appoint nor anoint a successor in terms of both the Zanu-PF and the State constitution.
Happily both constitutions have very clear and well-grounded provisions for succession as to render utterly inconsequential, all the idle talk that Zanu-PF has a succession problem.
Anyone who wants to succeed President Mugabe will have to win the hearts and minds first of the membership of Zanu-PF and then of Zimbabweans.
There’s nothing less or anything more.
Q: But just the other day Acting President Mnangagwa seemed to be describing the period since his appointment as a “new era”, thereby implying a succession transition is underway Cde Minister…
A: That suggestion is in your mind and not in what Acting President Mnangagwa said.
The fact that we are in a new era is indubitable.
What needs to be unpacked is the content of the new era. Those who think it’s about succession are mistaken.
What is new about this era is that the 6th Zanu-PF National People’s Congress resoundingly rejected the politics of two or more centres of power that had taken root in the party over the last decade or so.
Notwithstanding her rhetoric to the contrary, a major distinguishing feature of the Joice Mujuru vice-presidency was the systematic abuse of the power and authority of her office in pursuit of constructive disloyalty to President Mugabe whom she and her cabal of quislings were determined to depose by any means available.
What you should understand here is that the Mujuru power grab was based on the abuse of the authority of the vice presidency as an elective office that was a potential and real centre of power.
That is how things played out between December 2004 and December 2014.
The Zanu-PF Constitution has been amended, not by President Mugabe but by the party’s 6th National People’s Congress, to root out the structural defect that made it possible for a VP to abuse his or her election to setup an alternative centre of power to compete with the President and First Secretary of the Party.
In this regard, we have a new era. There’s another important sense in which we have a new era. Structurally speaking, when a vice president uses an alternative centre of power to compete with his or her boss, the result is policy gridlock.
It is for this reason that, for example, that Zim-Asset was very difficult to implement over the past year. And this kind of gridlock gets worse when the competition becomes, as it did during former VP Mujuru’s decade, factionalised.
The ensuing factionalism assumes the form of an organised opposition to the President and his policy programmes thereby generating a running conflict that harms the public good and national interest.
The good news is that the ruling party has put the structural enablers of factionalism behind, and doing so surely makes for a new era.
The essence of this new era is that both Government and governance are not about filling this or that position in order to use it to grab power for purposes such as succession but that they are for service delivery to enable businesses to generate wealth and national income to create employment to uplift the livelihoods of citizens and residents.
As we speak, this requires all of us from the vice presidents downwards to consciously and deliberately assist President Mugabe who has the solid electoral mandate to govern our country and who has directed that we prioritise the accelerated implementation of Zim-Asset in accordance with the resolutions of the 6th National People’s Congress.
Put bluntly, we have a duty to assist President Mugabe to consolidate and cement his legacy through service delivery promised in the Zanu-PF 2013 election manifesto upon which President Mugabe’s electoral mandate is based.
Q: Moving on to VP Mphoko, there’s been talk in some circles that his appointment is a violation of the 1987 Unity Accord, that the VP ceased being a member of PF-Zapu well before Zimbabwe’s Independence. Has there been such a violation of the Unity Accord? Is there any truth to the allegation that VP Mphoko quit PF-Zapu and is thus ineligible for his present appointment?
A: Well, Article 4 of the historic 1987 Unity accord clearly stipulates that the President and First secretary of Zanu-PF should appoint two Vice Presidents and Second Secretaries of Zanu PF: one from the former Zanu and another from the former Zapu.
There cannot be any serious debate whatsoever that VP Mphoko is from former Zapu and that he was in the Zipra hierarchy.
Also, there’s no evidence that can be objectively and independently corroborated to suggest that VP Mphoko quit Zapu or was expelled there-from before or after our country’s heroic Independence in 1980. This is the factual position.

Soldier Chopped To Pieces By Gold Panners

A GWERU soldier based at the Zimbabwe National Army’s 5 Brigade base in Kwekwe was last week brutally murdered by a group of unidentified men suspected to be gold panners who allegedly chopped his body into pieces before putting his remains in a sack and throwing them on a railway line.
The incident occurred on 12 December this year when Leornard Dumbu (28) of Mkoba Village 14 in Gweru died after he was chopped into pieces by a group of unidentified men suspected to be gold panners following a misunderstanding during a beer drink at Battle Fields shopping centre in Kwekwe.
The men allegedly threw Dumbu’s remains on a railway line after packing them in a sack.
Dumbu was later discovered by passersby after he was reported missing at 5 Brigade.
Witnesses said Dumbu had a misunderstanding with a group of amakorokoza which degenerated into a fight.
The witnesses said Dumbu went missing following the altercation with the gold panners.
“Dumbu went to Battlefields where he was drinking with other patrons. He had a misunderstanding with some imbibers who are suspected to be gold panners.
“Dumbu then went missing following the altercation with the gold panners. His remains were later discovered by passersby on a railway line near Battlefields in Kwekwe packed in a sack. His body was chopped into pieces,” said the witnesses.
When Sunday News went to his funeral, friends and relatives who had come to bid farewell to Dumbu could not view the body before burial because his remains were in pieces.
Dumbu’s uncle Mr Leonard Tawanda Mzembi confirmed his nephew was brutally murdered by unidentified men at Battlefields.
“The information that we have is that he went to Battlefields for a beer drink. He was last seen alive there before his remains were found along a railway line the following morning chopped into pieces. The incident occurred last week Friday. His remains were removed by police from the scene.
“We are suspecting foul play and we hope that the culprits will be hunted down and face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
Mr Mzembi said the family was still failing to come to terms with the horrendous incident.
The victim’s brother, Nyasha Dumbu, who was almost in tears when he narrated the ordeal, said the family was left embittered by the tragic incident.
“I was deeply saddened and pained by the loss of my brother. I am still failing to come to terms with this incident,” he said.
Police could neither deny nor confirm the incident. Acting Midlands police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende said she was not aware of the incident.

Kereke Kicked Out of Parliament…if

Bikita West legislator Munyaradzi Kereke is no longer an MP and a by-election for his constituency will have to be conducted, if state media reports are found to be true that he has joined ZANU PF.
This was revealed by law lecturer Alex Magaisa who quotes section 129(1)(l.) of the new constitution which strips independent MPs of their legislative mandate if they choose to join a political party. This means that unlike the case of Jonathan Moyo who was an independent before the New Constitution was enacted and successfully managed to transfer his constituency to ZANU PF, Kereke is now jobless unless he is re elected.
Magaisa wrote also wrote claiming that the same restrictions may apply to the MDC-T’s demand for the removal of MPs who have crossed over with the MDC Renewal Team.
Below was his argument:
I have read that Dr Munyaradzi Kereke, National Assembly independent MP for Bikita West has been re-admitted into Zanu PF. This raises an important constitutional issue, which this brief note addresses.
In terms of the Constitution, when an MP who was elected as an independent candidate becomes a member of a political party, his seat becomes vacant. This is in accordance with section 129(1)(l.) of the Constitution, which provides that:
“The seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant –
(l) if the Member, not having been a member of a political party when he or she was elected to Parliament, becomes a member of a political party”.
Therefore, if a person campaigned for election and won a seat as an independent, he must remain as such or give up his seat when he joins a political party.
In the case of Kereke, it must be established that he ran for the Bikita West seat as an independent and that he was not a member of Zanu PF. It appears that Kereke ran as an independent when his erstwhile party, Zanu PF, chose another person, Elias Musakwa as its candidate. Reports at the time from Zanu PF was that Kereke had expelled himself by running for Parliament contrary to his party’s orders. Kereke ran as an independent and trounced Musakwa.
He was not alone in taking this route. His counterpart in Mashonaland East, veteran lawyer Jonathan Samukange also ran as an independent, contrary to his party’s orders and also defeated the Zanu PF candidate. Indeed, throughout Parliament’s tenure so far, Kereke and Samukange have been referred to as independent MPs.
The fact that Kereke has now been reported as having been “readmitted” into Zanu PF might be read as an indication that he has now become a member of a political party when at the time of the election he was not and therefore this triggers the operation of s. 129(1)(e.) of the Constitution.
This effectively means that a vacancy has arisen by operation of law. The Speaker of the National Assembly is therefore required to declare that the seat has become vacant. Section 39(1) of the Electoral Act requires the Speaker to notify the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the President that a vacancy has arisen.
Since a vacancy has arisen, it needs to be filled in terms of s. 158(3) of the Constitution. The President has the power to call elections in terms of s. 110(2)(e.) of the Constitution and also provisions of the Electoral Act.
Looking at the bigger picture, this adds to the number of by-elections that must now be held within the next three months. It will not exactly be a mini-general election but given the spread across the country – Mt Darwin, Bikita and Chirumanzu – it will yet again, raise the political temperature which often accompanies elections in Zimbabwe. If they want, they could concede to the MDC-T’s demand for the removal of MPs who have crossed over with the MDC Renewal Team. In that case, it will resemble a mini-general election given the numbers and spread of MPs affected.
Politically, therefore, the new vacancies present a challenge over their position in elections. Will they contest or will Zanu PF have a free-ride given that all three seats were effectively in Zanu PF’s hands? That is a question that needs to be addressed.
Meanwhile, it would be interesting to see how they will manoeuvre in this respect but in terms of s. 129(1)(l.) a vacancy appears to have arisen in Bikita West and it now needs to be filled.

PICTURES:Food Donations For UK Zimbabwe Embassy Staff

[lightbox link=”http://www.zimeye.com/wp-content/live_images//2014/12/IMG-20141220-WA00011.jpg” thumb=”http://www.zimeye.com/wp-content/live_images//2014/12/IMG-20141220-WA00011.jpg” width=”721″ align=”right” title=”IMG-20141220-WA0001″ frame=”true” icon=”image” caption=””][lightbox link=”http://www.zimeye.com/wp-content/live_images//2014/12/IMG-20141220-WA00021.jpg” thumb=”http://www.zimeye.com/wp-content/live_images//2014/12/IMG-20141220-WA00021.jpg” width=”721″ align=”right” title=”IMG-20141220-WA0002″ frame=”true” icon=”image” caption=””]
Pictures of food donations to the Embassy of Zimbabwe in London went viral on social networks following revelations that the government of Zimbabwe has not paid diplomatic staff for months to date and the foreign missions face ejection from the properties they occupy over non-payment of rentals.
An appeal notice for Christmas food donations was put up at the London embassy building entrance today, as seen on pictures.
Members of the public have left food staffs on the door step in response to the appeal. Food items donated include a bag of potatoes, peanut butter, pasta, bath soap among other basic necessities.
Early this year it emerged that Zimbabwe’s embassies were struggling with a debt of $13 million. Reports said so poor were the foreign missions that some were relying on “high maintenance vehicles.”
It is believed that the diplomats have not been paid for the past 20 months as the government struggles to balance its books.
At the time of posting the embassy was already closed. It is believed disgruntled Zimbabweans, unhappy with the political and economic crisis under the Zanu PF government made the Christmas food appeal on behalf of the unpaid embassy staff, something however loudly communicated as an insult in protest.

BREAKING NEWS: Stunner In Horror Car Crash


Zim Rapper Stunner had a horror car crash early Saturday afternoon(today) when his blue car rammed into another motorist.

The accident occured along Enterprise road in Harare and his colleague traveling with him, Tally B suffered injuries requiring hospitalisation.
While details on how the accident occured were sketchy at the time of writing, ZimEye can exclusively reveal that Stunner whose real name is Desmond Chideme was being questioned highlands police at the time of writing.
More to follow..

PICTURES: Bulawayo Turned Into a River


Bulawayo City streets and avenues were yesterday temporarily turned into a river due to poor drainage systems.
As seen in the pictures, pedestrians were forced to negotiate their way around the whole city in a bid to find a better crossing place in the street corners. Bulawayo City Council also blamed the carelessness on its residents for the allegedly blocking the drainages through littering.
Several residents who spoke to ZimEye, accused the City Council of failing to renew the drainage pipes, which they said were done way back more than a hundred years ago in the early years of Rhodesia.
An organisation based in the suburbs of Bulawayo, called ZDDT(Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust) has attempted to reduce the littering menace through a cleaning exercise as they engage councillors in their ‘Let’s keep our City Clean Campaign,’ but which work has not been enough.

BREAKING NEWS: Dabengwa Joins Mujuru, Kaukonde, Denounces Congress Fraud | FULL AUDIO

dabsZAPU Leader Dumiso Dabengwa has announced his decision to side in sympathy with ousted Vice President Joice Mujuru and her so called ‘camp’ as he proclaimed that expelled spokesman Rugare Gumbo, cadres Ambrose Mutinhiri and Ray Kaukonde, are not going take their fate lying down. “We have it on reliable authority that people like Rugare Gumbo, Ambrose Mutinhiri Ray Kaukonde, and others are not going to take their fate lying down….”, he said…FULL AUDIO BELOW:

Mudiwa Hood Scoops Prestigious ZimHipHopAward

Mudiwa with his lady. FULL PHOTO COVERAGE BELOW...
Mudiwa with his metal. FULL PHOTO COVERAGE BELOW…

Zimbabwe’s shining gospel rapper, Mudiwa Hood has scooped another outstanding music award.
Mudiwa who six years ago invaded the airwaves, was last night featured as the best gospel act at the ZimHipHopAwards in Borrowdale where he got the best song of year award.
This means Mudiwa has won (12) twelve awards in two years since his debut song in April 2012.
The function was held at the famous WingWah International Restaurant.
Mudiwa whose real name is Mudiwa Mtandwa, also performed on the night and put on a great performance that got everyone on their feet.
He told ZimEye.com soon after the well attended function, “Well first of all I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for his grace upon my life. He is such a faithful God…Winning these awards humbles me each day…it comes as a motivation to do better for his Kingdom.”
Beyond his music feats, Mudiwa is the brand ambassador of Sterkinekor Zim, 4may Boutique and Ocean Collection perfumes.
He encouraged Christians to continue their fight of faith, “I am happy to receive best song of year award…God is faithful…As Christians we are not here to compete with each other but this is necessary in our fight of faith as we wait on Jesus to come…lets us push more gospel to the world, heaven full and hell empty,” he said.

Sex Thug Sued $10,000

A HARARE man who engaged in an adulterous relationship with a married woman and was playing the fatherly role to the woman’s child after being duped that he sired the child is being sued for $10 000.
The plaintiff, Andrew Nyakuya filed his papers against Edson Chokuda at the Chitungwiza Civil court through his lawyer Phillip Hamunakwadi of Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers claiming that he had suffered immense pain as a result of the affair.
“The defendant’s behaviour with the plaintiff’s wife clearly shows that the two had unprotected sexual intercourse on several occasions which led to the birth of the innocent child aforementioned.
“As a result of the defendant’s delictual and wrongful conduct of intruding into plaintiff’s marital relationship, the said relationship got so unstable if not outlandish thereby prompting plaintiff’s wife to file for divorce”.
Nyakuya added that he continuously suffered immense pain as his wife has “stubbornly declared that defendant is a better man than him in every respect and aspect”.
Nyakuya is claiming damages of $4 000 for loss of consortium $6 000 for compensation for contumella he suffered and the cost of the suit from Chokuda.
The alleged affair came to light in November 2014 after Nyakuya discovered at the Registrar General’s office that his wife Betty Nyakuya had sired a child with the defendant (Chokuda) and had named the child Chiedza Chokuda.
Nyakuya, who is still legally married to Betty under the Marriage Act Chapter 5.11 said the same child was staying with him and his wife as Cynthia Kudakwashe Nyakuya.
He added that his wife was criminally charged and convicted at Chitungwiza magistrates court where she pleaded guilty and further acknowledged that he was the father of the child –not Chokuda.
Chokuda who resides in Highfields was given seven day to reply to the application after having received the summons on December 17. – Newsday

Chinotimba Beats Tsvangirai In Human Rights Record


MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was ‘beaten’ by controversial legislator and pioneer of violent farm invasions, Joseph Chinotimba with the latter souping a top Human Rights Award.
VOA| The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) on Thursday honored outstanding rights advocates, among them Movement for Democratic Change legislator Jessie Majombe and Joseph Chinotimba of Zanu PF.
Majome, who had been nominated in four categories, won the Outstanding Female MP medal which she dedicated to her sons and family.
“To God be the glory,” she wrote on her Facebook.
“Thank you Harare Westerners, my parents Ken Majome and Amai; and my wider family. I dedicate this to my sons Tivake and Vheneka.”
Chinotimba, whose captivating sense of humor has exhilarated fellow lawmakers in parliament and ordinary people, beat four contenders to win the inaugural People’s Choice Award.
Other winners in various categories include musician Sulumani Chimbetu, TV talk show host Rebecca Chisamba and Rita Nyamupinga.

Police Raid Mujuru Prep’


Police are all set to launch a massive raid into Joice Mujuru’s private space and properties, beginning the first ever arsenal on the former Vice President since First Lady Grace Mugabe began calling for her ‘blood’ in September.
This development also comes after Acting President who is the main Mujuru rival for the presidency, Emmerson Mnangagwa, made a grand announcement that he is from today beginning a nationwide police scouring operation on everyone and anyone perceived to be engaged in corruption. All this taking place in Robert Mugabe’s absence, will be seen as simple retaliation on Mujuru who while she was Vice President in 2007, there was a raid launched on alleged Mnangagwa accomplices as Ngwena was accused of plotting a bloody coup, in an investigation which resulted in a historic purging that saw ‘innocent’ military officers convicted and jailed.

State Media: Police were on Thursday issued with warrants by the courts to search companies linked to former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru as investigations into allegations of her corruption and abuse of office intensify. Dr Mujuru was recently fired from Government for behaviour inconsistent with the discharge of her duties.
Sources yesterday said police made the application to look into Cde Mujuru’s companies and her other assets before provincial magistrate Mr Vakai Chikwekwe in his chambers and their request was granted.
Chief magistrate Mr Mishrod Guvamombe could not be reached for comment, but a highly-placed source at the Harare Magistrates Courts said: “It is true that police sought a search warrant against companies allegedly linked to former Vice President Joice Mujuru yesterday (Thursday) before the provincial magistrate at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts”.
Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba’s mobile phone went unanswered.
The granting of the search warrants followed police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri’s warning that they will investigate all cases of corruption without fear or favour as directed by President Mugabe during the zanu-pf 6th National People’s Congress early this month.
“In the same vein, let me assure the nation that the Zimbabwe Republic Police shall leave no stone unturned in bringing all perpetrators of corruption to book,” he said.
“This stance is in line with the organisation’s constitutional mandate and more importantly with His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe’s sentiments during the official opening of the 6th zanu-pf National People’s Congress when he said and I quote; “Vakaita mhosva chaidzo chaidzo dzecorruption hwabuda humbowo hwakanaka, vachatongwa. Ruzivo rwatinenge tapihwa kana wanga uri minister, civil servant, basa rinobva rapera. Tipei humbowo hwakanaka”.
President Mugabe was speaking on the background of a host of corruption allegations which had been levelled against Cde Mujuru and her cabal who also sought to unconstitutionally unseat President Mugabe.
Officially opening the congress, President Mugabe warned that all those involved in corruption would be prosecuted regardless of their positions in society and Government.
Since then, seven ministers and one deputy have been dismissed from Government for charges that include reneging on their duties and pursuing factional politics.
These are Didymus Mutasa (Presidential Affairs), Webster Shamu (Information Communication Technologies, Postal and Courier Services), Francis Nhema (Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment), Olivia Muchena (Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development), Dzikamai Mavhaire (Energy and Power Development), Nicholas Goche (Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare), Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (Minister of State for Mashonaland East Province) and Munacho Mutezo (Deputy Minister Energy and Power Development).
The Herald is reliably informed that a number of officials who worked with the ex-VP have been put on forced leave as investigations into her illegal deals gather momentum.
Dr Mujuru is accused of extorting shareholding in companies, demanding 10 percent bribes, illicit dealings in diamonds and gold, attempting to defeat the course of justice, extorting investors, undermining the authority of President Mugabe and seeking to depose the President through unconstitutional means.
The police are still gathering evidence on the allegations and the cases are being handled by the Criminal Investigations Department.
First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe exposed VP Mujuru during her meet the people rallies in October when she brought to the fore her secret deals that smacked of corruption.
The former VP has avoided giving direct responses to the allegations.
Addressing war veterans at her Children’s Home in Mazowe in October, Dr Mugabe said Dr Mujuru was not only involved in illicit diamond and gold deals, but also coerced foreign owned companies using her office to dispose 10 percent shareholding in organisations she has interest in for protection.
The other allegations that were levelled against Cde Mujuru included working with the MDC-T and Western governments that are hostile to Zimbabwe.
Cde Mujuru is said to have duped the ruler of Ras al Khaimah, Sheikh Saud Al Qasimi, of millions of dollars in a botched diamonds deal.
The illicit diamond deals were done through Africa Consolidated Resources, a company the Mujuru family has interests in.
The First Lady also accused Cde Mujuru of dividing Zanu-PF in an effort to depose President Mugabe using former Mashonaland East provincial chairman Cde Ray Kaukonde’s financial muscle to subvert party structures.
Cde Mujuru also allegedly received cash payments from Kenyan and Indian financiers who had invested in the Mujuru family owned duty-free-shops at Harare International Airport before elbowing them out in a manner that bordered on extortion
The former Vice President did not only receive the cash payments in violation of the Companies Act and income tax regulations, but is accused of having used her political status to force the lawyers of the aggrieved parties, Musunga and Associates to renounce agency and forcing the investors out of the country after they had pumped over $1 million into the company.
In 2011, Cde Mujuru reportedly directed Secretary for Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Mr Ringson Chitsiko to issue her family business with a permit to import chickens from Brazil against a Government ban on such imports.
This was after she had allegedly struck a deal to import chickens from Brazil when she travelled to that country on official Government business that same year.
The permit was issued despite there being a legal instrument banning the importation of chickens as a way of protecting local farmers.
Some of the chickens were reportedly delivered to the Zimbabwe National Army in an effort to buy their allegiance in her illegal regime change efforts.
In another case of abuse of office, the disgraced former vice president was also fingered in a $105 000 loan dispute pitting her family mining venture, Great Zimbabwe Mining Circle Trust against a Harare businesswoman Anne Thokozani Ncube.
The former vice president’s daughter Noreen Nyorovai Mujuru, Dumisani Nkosi Nyoni, Clive Kudakwashe Madzikanda and Valentine Garacho used an unregistered Notarial Deed of Trust to swindle the businesswoman of her money.
Repeated efforts to get her money back have proved in vain, with Cde Mujuru’s name being invoked whenever she made enquiries.
Ms Ncube was later enticed to buy an Amarok vehicle from Mr Tirivanhu Mudariki, a business associate of Cde Mujuru, but was stopped by police who advised her that the vehicle had been reported as stolen.
Cde Mujuru was also accused of covering up a fatal accident involving her daughter Chipo Mujuru-Makoni in December 2012.
The accident claimed two lives.

Ian Smith and Nelson Chamisa | Breaking News from History

historymysteryzimbabweDID YOU KNOW? ….That the late former Prime Minister Ian Smith in 1948 became the youngest MP at the age of 29 a record which was broken by young MDC politician, Nelson Chamisa who in 2003 became an MP at 25 (the youngest ever Zim politician since Cecil John Rhodes). Also like today’s Chamisa, Ian Smith, achieved top honours at school and University, and was an achiever driven to succeed in anything he set his hand to. He did not need an AK47….READ MORE…

By Mike Watson: Ian Smith attained BCom (Economics) Rhodes, attended Gwebi College, was a famous world war 2 fighter pilot based in Egypt, Italy, Denmark and Germany attaining the rank of Flt Lieutenant. He achieved top honours at school and University, and was an achiever driven to succeed in anything he set his hand to. He did not need an AK47, he did it by using his intelligence, ability, personality and hard work. He wasn’t handed anything on a plate; he worked hard for all he achieved. His vision as a leader and role model is legendary.

Massive Delta And Econet Losses Push ZSE Down

 The industrial index ended the week down dropping 1.07 points to 163 points dragged down by losses in Delta and Econet.
Delta was the biggest loser shaking off 1,31 cents to 107,69 cents while the leading telecoms company dropped a cent to 59 cents. Powerspeed eased 0,26 cents to trade at 1.55 cents and Pearl lost 0,20 cents to 2,80 cents.
Cafca gained four cents to 50 cents while Afdis was up with two cents to 46 cents. Padenga added 0,20 cents to 8,90 cents.
The industrial index which has been down for the 10 consecutive days shook off 4.34 points for the whole week.
The mining index remained steady at 64.51 points with Bindura, Falgold, Hwange and RioZim at 5,60 cents; three cents; 4,80 cents and 15 cents respectively. Mining index lost 2.20 points week on week trading.

ZANU PF Defrauds Own Members US$20 000 In Massive LASCH Scam

President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party has been exposed for duping its own members who are farmers more than $20,000 in a sophisticated countrywide scam using the powerful LASCH Enterprises Private company.
Zanu PF Youth League using the LASCH Enterprises Private Limited joint venture officials were today arrested for duping hundreds of farmers of more than US$20 000 through a dubious farm-inputs scheme.
As some residents, police, NASCH Investment officials and senior ZANU PF officials were on Friday seen by ZimEye locked in a marathon meeting at Mutoko Rural District Council Offices, the following suspects Friday appeared in court facing the serious fraud charges: Tapiwa Zengeya (48), Evans Simbarashe Zininga (34), Patience Chipere (38), Christopher Tegwe (46), Fungai Mudondo (38), Shiella Taderera (40), Stephene Mapfumo (43) and Charles Mashumba (46) who all appeared before Mr Milton Serima charged with several counts of fraud and money laundering.
Mr Serima granted them US$500 bail each with the state’s consent.
The accused were all ordered to surrender their passports and to report thrice a week to CID Serious Fraud.
Prosecutor, Miss Sharon Mashavira alleged that sometime in July, LASCH officials and their accomplices who are still at large, Nelson Mahupete and Christina Madakudya, formed a joint venture with Zanu PF Youth League purportedly for the supply of agricultural inputs in the form of fertiliser, seed and farming chemicals to A1 commercial farmers on credit.
The complainants were made to fill in loan application forms bearing LASCH Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd and Zanu PF Youth League logos.
The gang, allegedly recruited district co-coordinators who mobilised complainants to pay US$36 as joining fee, US$30 per hectare as insurance fees and US$5 as an AREX fee, which was payable direct to AREX offices.
It is alleged that the insurance fee varied in line with the number of hectares required by the farmer and the loan was to be recovered from the complainant’s respective Grain Marketing Board (GMB) account after harvest.
As a result, between July 17 and December 11, the court heard that the complainants made several deposits into the company’s bank account.
They presented the bank deposit slips to their designated co-odinaters who issued them with LASCH and ZanuPF Youth League receipts.
The court further heard that LASCH’s bank account received a total of over US$1 million from the farmers but as at December 16 the account had a credit balance of US$500.
It is the state’s case that the gang withdrew the funds and bought themselves motor vehicles in November.
The state alleged, the complainants approached the accused persons to facilitate the delivery of their inputs but nothing materialised prompting them to make a police report.
According to the state, the complainants for now were prejudiced of US$27 497 and nothing was recovered.
 
Meanwhile Mudzi Rural District Friday stormed into their council offices to formally voice their anger. What infuriated the residents was that while the rains are now falling at a time they should have been a step ahead in their farming activities, their hopes have been dampened as they now spending more time trying to recover their “lost” hard earned cash.
The residents paid: $2 to AREX, $36 as administration fee, and $30 for a 25kg of maize seed, 8Heavy multiplication x50kgs basal fertiliser and 6Heavy multiplication x50kgs top dressing fertiliser.

Do Blame Us for Not Challenging Mugabe On Time – Gumbo

FORMER Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, who was expelled from the party just before its recent sixth congress, says he and other senior party officials hounded out of the party are partly to blame for their misfortune as they allowed President Robert Mugabe to dictate the pace of events and direction of the party without a challenge.
Gumbo, who said Zanu PF had emerged from the congress weaker following the purging of senior officials, including former Vice-President Joice Mujuru, however said he had no regrets over his expulsion.
He was expelled by the party’s most powerful organ outside congress, the central committee, on allegations of throwing Zanu PF into disrepute after he continued criticising Mugabe following his five-year suspension last month.
He was suspended after being accused of being part of a plot to assassinate Mugabe alongside other senior officials sympathetic to Mujuru such as secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa and politburo member Nicholas Goche. Gumbo was also accused of speaking on behalf of the Mujuru faction and advancing his own agenda rather than presenting the party’s position. “We have to accept blame for what is happening,” he said.
“We have been too quiet for too long. We were hoping that there would be an improvement; that the party would be rejuvenated but that has not happened even after the congress.”
Gumbo said he would remain loyal to the revolution and not necessarily Zanu PF leaders and would thus continue speaking his mind.
“How can I be a loyal to Zanu PF leaders when I have been thrown out?” he said, when asked if he remains committed to the party and its leadership. I am loyal to the revolution. I will speak about what is unjust and undesirable in the society. I am not quitting politics.
“I consider what has happened to be part of a circus or mahumbwe (child’s play) because serious leaders don’t behave in such a manner.”
Gumbo said although he was thrown out of the party on the basis of “outright lies”, he was not bitter but gobsmacked.
He said he would watch events in Zanu PF from the terraces while taking time to reflect on what has been transpiring.
Gumbo said after the congress he hoped Mugabe and his supporters’ energy would be channelled towards reviving the economy which he said had been negatively affected by the long-drawn succession battle in Zanu PF. “The main issue is the economy. It is the heaviest casualty of the infighting. Companies are closing and retrenching, there is a severe liquidity crunch, people have no money,” he said.
“We needed to concentrate our energy on that and that’s what still needs to be done.” After congress Mugabe dismissed Mujuru and eight ministers deemed loyal to her.
The casualties were Didymus Mutasa (presidential affairs), Webster Shamu (ICT), Nicolas Goche (labour), Dzikamai Mavhaire and his deputy Munacho Mutezo (energy), Olivia Muchena (higher education), Francis Nhema (indigenisation) and Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (Provincial Affairs for Mashonaland East).
Indications are that Mugabe will reshuffle his cabinet again in January where he is likely to drop more ministers aligned to Mujuru. independent

Bond Coins Are Vital for Zim – RBZ Boss

The introduction of bond coins was a “confidence-building measure” after the hyper-inflationary and pre-dollarisation era’s “financial trauma”, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya has said.
The Central Bank boss was speaking at an Institute of Chartered Accountants Zimbabwe (Icaz) breakfast meeting yesterday where he stated that a “measure of resistance” to the new initiative was anticipated.
“…it is an issue of trust and confidence. We are introducing the coins as a gradual measure to regain confidence and trust from the market, so yes resistance is very natural and expected, but let us not live in the past,” Mangudya said.
This was after the Harare meeting had quizzed the governor on the policy rationale — a move also in motion in Ecuador and Panama — and with the executives almost expressing doubt or uneasiness on market preparedness.
However, the former CBZ Holdings Limited chief executive said that they expected the negative sentiment or pessimism to taper off or subside with time and as the market warms up to the idea.
Crucially, Mangudya told the accountants to relax as government had “no intention to defraud Zimbabweans of their hard earned cash” through this monetary initiative.
“The problem is that Zimbabwe is a financially-traumatised society. It is as bad as (a violated) individual, but please relax,” he said, adding the operations would be kept at below 5 percent of total money supply.
The new coins, which went into circulation yesterday, are worth $10 million and thus translating to an inconsequential two percent of total banking deposits of approximately $5 billion in circulation.
Mangudya acknowledged “people’s fear about the Zimbabwe dollar’s return and, hence, the need to guard against this”, but fundamentals were not ripe for this.
Crucially, he said the coins would not help fix the country’s liquidity problems, but were simply meant to establish market confidence.
“The fundamentals are not yet right (for the local currency return), but Zimbabweans must be more worried about poor governance issues (such as corruption) than bond coins,” the former bank executive said.
The special coins of 1c, 5c, 10c and 25c are part of a five-year $50 million bond, which government has secured with a foreign lender and are only useful in Zimbabwe.
At least 30 million rand worth of coins would also be imported to augment the programmes.
After ditching the Zimbabwe dollar in favour of foreign currencies in January 2009 after hyper-inflation had reached 500 billion percent, Zimbabweans have generally been sceptical about the government’s financial motives.
But like Ecuador and the Panamanian balboa — countries that have also dollarised — the special coins have the same value as the greenback.
For their daily transactions, Zimbabwean businesses mainly use the American dollar and South African rand, but usually round-off prices and give consumers vouchers or sweets due to a critical lack of coins. – DailyNews

Livestock Thieves “Develop Goat Horns”


In a bizarre case that could result in a reduction in stock theft in Bulawayo, a New Mazwi village couple in the business of stealing livestock in Bulawayo, reportedly developed “goat horns” shortly after stealing goats from a nearby resettlement area of Robert Sinyoka.
The two in a short space of time subsequently died from the said “protruding goat horns” that developed soon after their nefarious act.
Dixon Phiri and his wife Nomvelo Tshuma, are reported to have stolen an undeclared large number goats from the mentioned resettlement, and slaughtered the beasts for sale at the Mazwi village. The unsuspecting meat-lovers were treated from stolen relish but were not affected.
According to the Mazwi village head, Jesta Banda, the two were very secretive about where they were acquiring their meat for business. “We were alerted by villagers from the nearby resettlement, that someone or some people were stealing goats from the area. I then informed my fellow villagers to be careful if they were involved in the disappearance of the said goats. No one confessed to the stock theft and the owner warned that he was going to trap the perpetrators, with his traditional juju, that will expose the thieves,” she said.
The village head Ms Banda further told ZimEye.com that the exposure did not take a week, before the husband developed horns on his forehead, causing villagers to realise who the goats’ thief was. As if it was not enough, the wife also developed goat horns on her private parts, forcing her to confess to the village head.
“We attempted dialogue with the goats’ owner, but unfortunately he was not available from the time he threatened with action. He was said to be in Checheche, contacting rituals to deal with the disappearance of his goats,” said the village head.
This reporter managed to reach to the wife of the goats’ owner, who refused to be identified, and she said, “we warned them before my husband went to do the rituals but they did not come forward to tell us, thereby forcing us to do the plan B.”

The New Mazwi alleged goat thieves died last week after horns grew to about 16 cm, while the wife died three days later after complications with horns that had reportedly grown in between her womanhood.
The deceased couple left behind two minors and a teenager brother who is now looking after his siblings, with the help of fellow villagers. The Mazwi villagers are a combination of former Killany squatter camp dwellers, many who have a history of robing NUST students and Khumalo suburb dwellers.

TB Joshua Building Was Illegal, Rushed and Dodgy- TownPlanner Says

Lagos – A town planner who worked for influential Nigeria preacher TB Joshua told an inquest on Thursday that the building which collapsed at Joshua’s church, killing 116 people, did not have planning approval, was rushed and decrepit.
Bisi Adedire, who served as a consultant for Joshua, said that lack of approval did not mean the building was unsound but told the coroner that he warned church officials they were ignoring regulations.
“I told the church they have contravened the law in a way by building without approval but they said they could regularise it,” he told the inquest into the causes of the deadly accident.
Joshua, a self-proclaimed prophet, has claimed the collapse in September may have been sabotage and has on three occasions ignored summonses to testify.
His followers include influential politicians and business people in Africa and around the world and his loyalists have suggested the collapse is part of a conspiracy to undermine him.
Adedire stressed that having planning approval does not guarantee the quality of a building and argued the church’s failure to follow protocol was an administrative issue which likely had nothing to do with the collapse.
Lagos officials have said others buildings at Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations compound were shoddily built.
Rafiq Arogunjo, of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), again dismissed a theory advanced by Joshua and his supporters about aerial sabotage.
Church loyalists have claimed that a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft, which had been flying nearby, was responsible for the collapse.
“The aircraft was no longer in flight when the building collapsed,” Arogunjo said.
“I don’t see any nexus between the aircraft and the collapse. I think the investigators should look into the structural integrity of the building.”
– AFP

Didymus Mutasa Hits Mugabe


Former Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s camp through its Administration Secretary designate Didymus Mutasa, has slapped President Robert Mugabe in the face, writing the first ever explosive letter by defiant ex-senior security officials to Sadc leaders pulling them to intervene following their inglorious booting out from senior positions, in what is increasingly looking like a long drawn out and acrimonious fight.
Mutasa as Presdiential Affairs Minister has in his hands top ZANU PF secrets from the time of the war, and he is feared to carry the full database detailing when, by who, and how killings, were reportedly carried out by the Mugabe regime.
Speaking from India yesterday, the former Zanu PF secretary for administration said he was hopeful that their appeal would be heard by the regional group despite their nemesis, President Robert Mugabe, being the head of the regional grouping.
“We are sending this issue to Sadc knowing that President Mugabe is the chairman and we trust that the bloc will deal with it accordingly,” he said.
“If it fails, that will be the first time Sadc would have failed to solve such issues. All those who take their cases to the courts, take them because they believe they are doing the right thing and by taking the issue to Sadc, we believe we are doing the right thing.”
Mutasa, who is nursing his sick wife in India, could not be drawn to divulge the contents of his letter to Sadc presidents. However, it is believed that he questioned the conduct of the Zanu PF congress.
The former Zanu PF bigwig is believed to have questioned the party’s constitutional amendments which paved way for Mugabe to pick his successors without an election.
Mutasa, however, denied that he would be seeking asylum in South Africa as reported.
“That is not true,” he said.
 
“Whoever told you that tell him or her that he is lying.
“Zimbabwe is my country. I have no other home, why should I run away from my home?
“If I could visit my country during Rhodesian times, what can stop me from coming home now? What have I done?”
Mutasa said it was unreasonable for someone to claim that he was running away from his country when opposition leaders like MDC-T’s Morgan Tsvangirai still resided in the country despite their open opposition to Zanu PF.
Expelled Zanu PF spokesman and a key Mujuru ally, Rugare Gumbo, said he supported Mutasa’s bid, although he said he was not part of the lobby.
“I am not part of Mutasa’s lobbying, but we support what he has said,” he said.
Asked what they would do if the Sadc initiative failed, Gumbo said: “We will cross the bridge when we get there.”
Gumbo and former war veterans’ leader Jabulani Sibanda were expelled from Zanu PF on allegations they plotted to remove Mugabe from power.
Mutasa and several other Zanu PF officials believed to be aligned to Mujuru were unceremoniously demoted by the party and fired from their government positions.- SouthernEye/Additional Reporting

Chinese Caught Stealing Gold from Blacks, ZANU PF Told


Chinese businessmen in Mashonaland Central have been caught red handed, usijg a highly sophisticated method of stealing gold from black miners, ZANU PF offices here have been told.
Chinese Gold Milling Companies in Mashonaland Central dis-empowering Artisanal Miners.
This concern was raised by thousands of small scale miners based at Kitsiyatota in Bindura during a meeting called by the re-instated Provincial Chairman Dick Mafios. The miners in unison told the Chairman that instead of promoting indigenisation and empowerment, the millers were stealing their produce – gold.
 
One Chinese firm, (name supplied) was accused of having machines which ‘rob’ the miners of their gold. The design of the milling plant at Timsite is such that 25% of the free gold especially fine gold is lost to the dump thereby prejudicing the miners. The ‘lost’ gold is then processed and recovered by Timsite at the newly commissioned CIP Plant and is never accounted for but sold on the black market or packaged for China.
 
It has been submitted by sources that the Chinese businessmen at Timsite installed a copper plate on the Ballmill discharge end for purposes of rcovering the free gold ‘stolen’ from the miners. Surprisingly, the recovered gold about 1.5kgs a day, is not recorded into the company books.
 
The ZANU PF Chairman was also told of the ill-treatment miners receive from the millers and how they pay bribes in-order to be served. The no nonsense chairman promised to deal with named and shamed politicians who were abusing their offices to get shares from the Chinese miners. Those who were named include Linda from Harare, Cosy and Mai Mbereko. Captured below are pictures of part of the miners meeting addressed by Mafios.

Dualising Harare -Beitbridge Highway Now At Advanced Stage

Horror Mermaid Seen Killing Mavambo Leader VIDEO?

HIGHLIGHTS: Another male (white Zim boy) taken away for three days in the same Hunyani river; On the death of MKD official Liberty Mukwakwami. Was it by crocodile, mermaids, political assassination or a covered up accident?
fakemermaid
The death of Liberty Mukwakwami, MKD official at first appeared as a simple crocodile death. But later on a different story started to unravel. It was a political assassination. It was a mermaid. It is a mystery.
In order to unravel this story we have to examine the evidence piece by piece and then come to an informed conclusion.
1. It was by a crocodile
A crocodile hunts mainly at night but can also hunt during the day, but I have never heard of it hunting in the early morning. But…. maybe it did.
If it was a crocodile and there were no teeth marks, it was a crocodile that is so old it has no teeth. This is unlikely but not impossible. If it has no teeth it will continue to hunt humans because it cannot catch fish. On the other hand humans are slow moving and drown easily. They have no teeth or claws or beak to hurt the crocodile. They cant fight back. They are weak. So goats and sheep and people are easy prey. It is the only prey a croc can catch, so it will develop a habit of catching these victims. So if there are continuing reports of a big crocodile catching people, and livestock, then it was a crocodile that did actually hunt and kill Liberty. So what’s abnormal about the 4 days aspect? Crocodiles usually catch their prey and tear off a limb, but they also catch their prey, drown it and store the body until it has rotted and become soft. Then it can be easily eaten.

When I was in Chinhoyi High School in 1972, my friends and I went to Hunyani river near the town. A white boy who was swimming upstream from us was taken by a crocodile. His body was wedged under a rock and it stayed there for three days until found by the aqua unit and recovered. Bacteria inside the stomach multiply and cause gas to build up in the body. The body then floats because of this gas ‘balloon’, but it can take a few days as was the case here. There is nothing strange about the 4 days release of the body.
So if Liberty’s friends did see a crocodile, then this crocodile will continue hunting humans and livestock until shot by the police. If this does not continue, then there was no crocodile and Liberty’s friends concocted the story.
 
2. It was a mermaid.
It was not a mermaid. A person who enters the water because of a mermaid does so by focussing on the seduction of the mermaid. They are bewitched/enchanted. But Liberty was engaged in a Whatsapp chat. Because he was not focussing on a mermaid, no mermaid was involved. Case closed. But who has concocted this story? Is it ZimEye? Is it the police? Is there a video or photographic evidence? Is it the friend(s)?  If they are the friends, then they are hiding something. They first of all tell a dramatic story of a person on Whatsapp chat getting caught by a croc. ….. Then when the body is discovered without any teeth marks, they change the story to a mermaid. Unprovable, but it hits a button with the people who love ascribing everything to spirits. The fearful. The mystical. The spiritually possible. Whoever invented this story is either a journalist or a person with something to hide.
 
3. It were friends who saw Liberty swimming and drowning and were afraid to help him.
They were afraid relatives would blame them and make a claim of thousands of USD as ‘compensation’. They felt guilty seeing their friend cry for help but not give it…. and die a horrible death. They then wove a wonderful, fantastical story about a croc….. then when it was seen that its not a crocodile they changed to mermaid. If the story changed, the police should take them in for questioning and find out the real truth. If they have always told the same story then probably it is n not them.
4. It was a political assassination
He was grabbed and drowned. The friends were intimidated and terrorised into claiming it was a croc. When the body was found the murderers fed national media with the mermaid story. I would say that this is unlikely. Not in public with friends.
Conclusion
It was not a mermaid. It is amazing how easy it is to bring the mysterious word of spirits into explaining any natural event. Zimbabweans we have to repent of all attention to any other god/spirit/ancestor other than Yahweh and Jesus. I grew up in Guruve and I know the way  a natural event can be ascribed to a spirit  in order to justify something or confuse an explanation. Billions of dollars a year in Zim are being  given to money-grabbing prophets and spirit mediums money to bring luck and ward off vengeful spirits. It is ant biblical, it is anti God and it is bringing the economy down. Sipepa Nkomo traditionally is claiming that dams [Gokwe, Mtshabezi dam at Gwanda and Mutare] must be dedicated to spirits or it wont work but in the west no dams are dedicated to spirits and they work. This is not in scripture. Don’t be misled Zimbabweans! How many times do we have to be conned into believing that a N’anga can create diesel in Chinoi and that Mermaids are behind these deaths?steve-blomefield How many times do we have to bury people who were deceived by Satan into thinking they had a great spirit calling and entered water only to drown and their life be cut short? Police need to dig deeper. Question the friends more. Question locals to find out if this is a croc that is incapable of hunting because it is so old it has to trap weak, toothless, clawless, slow moving humans. It has a pattern that is known in the area.
Steve Blomefield

Kanyekanye Booted Out Of Another Company


It never rains but pours for the controversial Chairman of the now defunct Capital Bank and the Rainbow Tourism Group, Mr Joseph Kanyekanye who has of late been forced out of another company, ALLIED Timbers Holdings.
Kanyekanye has against his job role a history of controversy and ZimEye last year exposed massive looting at the Capital Bank where he was chairman. The bank was soon pushed out of service. See: Workers Stranded as Indigenous “Capital Bank” Collapses.
This time Kanyekanye has fallen out with the board over differences on operational issues, a situation that may force him to resign. The new board, chaired by Mr Emmanuel Fundira, and Dr Kanyekanye reportedly failed to agree on “critical operational issues” but the exact nature of the differences could not be immediately established at the time of going to print. CONTINUE READING…
EXCLUSIVE_investigative-articles-exclusive-3
Other board members are Conrad Gotora, Tendayi Mavhunga, Itai Ndudzo, Anne Mutsa Mazita Madzara, Mahommed Orma, Eve Mkondo, Caleb Garura and Charity Moyo.
Dr Kanyekanye, former Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president, is on paid leave with the board still to decide his fate.
“The fallout resulted from sharp differences in opinions on critical operational issues,” said one source, without specifying the nature of the differences.
“It is most likely they will negotiate for his exit package.”
Dr Kanyekanye said he applied for leave prior to the last board meeting which was granted
“But if there are any sinister moves (to be taken while I am away), I will not be bothered,” he said.
Contrary to speculation that he could have been suspended, Dr Kanyekanye said “there are no charges”.
Allied spokesperson, Ms Veronica Gutu said the matter was being handled by Mr Fundira who could not be reached for a comment at the time of going to print yesterday.
In his absence, group marketing director Mr Francis Chinyani is the acting chief executive.
Apart from Allied, Dr Kanyekanye also served as chairman of Rainbow Tourism Group Limited and chairman of Capital Bank Corporation. He also served as a non-executive director of starafricacorporation Limited. He has a BSC (Hons) degree in wood science from the University of Wales and an MBA from the University of Zimbabwe.
Allied Timbers is wholly owned by the Government. Its operations involve plantations, harvesting, processing and marketing of timber such as teak.
The company’s operations are highly concentrated in the Eastern Highlands, Midlands and Matabeleland areas.
The company is currently exporting its products to Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa and plans to expand its export market.
In a recent interview, Dr Kanyekanye said treated pole exports had grown by 80 percent on the back of increased supplies into the Zambian market. He said the company had also started exporting sawn timber into the lucrative market.
Dr Kanyekanye said the surge in exports was expected to translate to improved production on the domestic front by moving most of the country’s timber products into the Zambian market. (ZimEye/State Media)

‘Cuba And Africa: US Policy Clearly Unsustainable’

COMMENT by UK based politicial commentator, George Shire, on US President Barack Obama’s policy shift on Cuba announced Thursday.
The Euro – American archive which has been driven by militarism and a fortress Europe has reached a sticky end. The USA and others are very much aware that the economic matrix of power is shifting to the global south.
On the African continent I see a new problem space emerging (a decolonial and Dewestern moment) just as powerful and decisive as was the independence moment. What the west does is of no significance.
They know the writing is on the wall and all this raproachment is window dressing. Our global futures lie in an enlightenment led by the global south and the north knows that their dominance and policies are unsustainable. – George Shire

Obama Regrets Punishing Zimbabwe Ally Cuba

US President has expressed regrets for punishing Cuba in recent years for their 50 year old scuffle with the island nation. In a statement, Obama described the old US policy on Cuba, which is Zimbabwe’s top international ally, as “an outdated approach that has failed to advance U.S. interests for decades” [ALSO READ COMMENT By George Shire].
Below was his statement address:
Yesterday, after more than 50 years, we began to change America’s relationship with the people of Cuba.
VIDEO:

We are recognizing the struggle and sacrifice of the Cuban people, both in the U.S. and in Cuba, and ending an outdated approach that has failed to advance U.S. interests for decades. In doing so, we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries.
I was born in 1961, just over two years after Fidel Castro took power in Cuba, and just as the U.S. severed diplomatic relations with that country.
Our complicated relationship with this nation played out over the course of my lifetime — against the backdrop of the Cold War, with our steadfast opposition to communism in the foreground. Year after year, an ideological and economic barrier hardened between us.
That previous approach failed to promote change, and it’s failed to empower or engage the Cuban people. It’s time to cut loose the shackles of the past and reach for a new and better future with this country.
I want you to know exactly what our new approach will mean.
First, I have instructed Secretary of State John Kerry to immediately begin discussions with Cuba to re-establish diplomatic relations that have been severed since 1961. Going forward, we will re-establish an embassy in Havana, and high-ranking officials will once again visit Cuba.
Second, I have also instructed Secretary Kerry to review Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism — a review guided by the facts and the law. At a time when we are focused on threats from ISIL and al Qaeda, a nation that meets our conditions and renounces terrorism should not face such a sanction.
Third, we’ll take steps to increase travel, commerce, and the flow of information to — and from — Cuba. These steps will make it easier for Americans to travel to Cuba. They will make it easier for Americans to conduct authorized trade with Cuba, including exports of food, medicine, and medical products to Cuba. And they will facilitate increased telecommunications connections between our two countries: American businesses will be able to sell goods that enable Cubans to communicate with the United States and other countries.
Learn more about the steps we’re taking to change our policy.
These changes don’t constitute a reward or a concession to Cuba. We are making them because it will spur change among the people of Cuba, and that is our main objective.
Change is hard — especially so when we carry the heavy weight of history on our shoulders.
Our country is cutting that burden loose to reach for a better future.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama

BREAKING NEWS: Prophet Uebert Angel Struck By Cancer

Harare preacher Uebert (Madzanire) Angel has been struck by brain cancer, this reporter is reliably told.
Prophet Angel as he is popularly known is currently battling a cancerous brain tumour, senior church sources confirmed Wednesday.

Eubert Angel with ZANU PF's Psychology Maziwisa
Eubert Angel with ZANU PF’s Psychology Maziwisa

“Major Prophet has been fighting this attack from the devil over the last few months but its now over, he has won, he always wins over the devil” one of the sources said.
This reporter was able to confirm that Angel is currently domiciled in the United Kingdom privately receiving treatment.
“Yes it is true that prophet moved to the UK but it was just for a prayer retreat and perhaps treatment purposes which has always been normal. But it was so that he could spend time with his children,” a family source said Thursday morning.
Angel has a spacious farmhouse on the outskirts of Nottingham where he relocated more than seven months ago shortly after he attended President Robert Mugabe’s birthday celebration in Marondera.
It was not possible to physically locate which hospital and the medial professionals treating the preacher, but it was believed they are based in the West Midlands area of the United Kingdom.

Students Reject ‘Illiterate’ Muchinguri as Minister Of Education

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) has rejected the new Higher Education minister Oppah Muchinguri, saying she is not qualified to hold that post.
The development follows an uproar on Muchinguri’s qualifications after it was revealed she obtained a dodgy masters degree from the University of Zimbabwe whose lecturers have admitted to assisting ZANU PF politicians graduate with flying colours.
Makomborero Haruzivishe, the Zinasu spokesperson, told the Daily News that the appointment of Muchinguri to replace Olivia Muchena, who was sacked last week, was a retrogressive step.
“As Zinasu, we mourn the appointment of Oppah Muchinguri as the minister of Higher Education,” he said.
“This dubious appointment literally highlights the burial of higher educational system whose massacre we witnessed with pain a few months ago with the equally dubious distribution of dubious doctorates.”
Haruzivishe further accused the government of deliberately running down universities and colleges.
“As Zinasu, we are strongly against the current trend of perpetuation of mediocrity which is resulting in the depreciation of our educational standards in Zimbabwe. “This perpetuation has been embodied in the doctoring of doctorates for academically shy political individuals and now the appointment of Muchinguri who neither  knows the basic concepts of appreciating modern day academic and educational systems nor can help pioneer the development of our higher educational system to spearhead socio-economic revival,” Haruzivishe said.
Although Muchinguri does not hold a doctorate, she holds a masters degree from the University of Zimbabwe.
Haruzivishe said government is not committed to improving the standards of education and welfare of students.
“As Zinasu, we have now come to terms with the fact that our government is totally not committed to our welfare and as such is doing all it can to sabotage us,” he said.
“The appointment of Muchinguri to the post of minister of Higher Education should not have been treated as just a mere seat filling exercise for our universities.
“It requires a real academic with the requisite acumen to revolutionise our educational system and spearhead its growth for the sustainable development of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Thus an academic is required not a baby sitter.”
The Zinasu spokesperson said the students’ body is holding a meeting this week to chart a way forward following the appointment of Muchinguri.
“We denounce this irresponsible appointment in the strongest possible terms and we are to hold our general council meeting this week to come up with a clear way-forward to make our government wake up from this deep slumber they are in and view academics and education with a more responsible eye,” he said. – Daily News/Additional Reporting

Hope Masike LIVE in Harare Tonight

Zimbabwean song bird Hope Masike is tonight staging in Harare at Gabys by Travel Plaza.
Hope performs in a rare, intimate set.

“Bring loved ones to celebrate good music, good wine and the good festive season,” Hope announced earlier in the week.
The function has been sponsored by Robertson Winery.

LATEST On ex-CIO Boss Nicholas Goche

goche900DEVELOPMENTS ON THE DREADED FORMER CIO Boss Nicholas Goche, who was booted out of ZANU PF authority last week, have seen the whole Mashonaland Central grind to a halt in fear, shock  and uncertainty.
Goche’s farm soon went under an invasion by Mnangagwa supporters two weeks ago before being shoved away by Korekore youths allegedly hired by Goche.
The youths were reportedly paid in kind for their standing to defend Goche with the latter dolling out a bag of top dressing fertilizer to each person.
Mr Goche was reported ill and bedridden from the time of the last Politburo meeting before the ZANU PF congress.
Meanwhile Goche’s right hand man, a certain Muchemwa whose car was impounded by rogue youth during nominations for the Central Committee in Bindura, was seen moving around in Goche’s ‘white landcruiser with named district chairpersons. …More to follow….
 

Chiyangwa Granny Sues Husband’s Girlfriend for Adultery

going to court...Tsitsi Chiyangwa
going to court…Tsitsi Chiyangwa

AN ELDERLY married woman from Mbare, Tsitsi Chiyangwa, has said she has filed papers for adultery damages against a young woman from her neighbourhood whom she accuses of having a love affair with her husband who is believed to be a member of an apostolic church sect.
Although she could not reveal how much she was suing for, Tsitsi Chiyangwa said she wants compensation from her husband’s girlfriend, Miriam Chiyamba for having an affair with her husband.
Tsitsi claimed that her husband, Andrew Chiyangwa, was her ‘property’ and by virtue of Miriam snatching him away from her – it was like destroying her property.
“I am married under Marriage Act Chapter 5:11 which states that a husband must marry one woman. “My husband is now sleeping at her house and she always accommodates him. “At one point she came to my place of residence in the company of three police officers demanding to take my husband,” she said.
She said that what irked her most is the fact that Miriam is of the same age to her third born child.
And that she vowed not to terminate her relationship with her husband saying it was part of her job.
“She told me that she came from Mutare to Harare to work and snatching other people’s husbands was her work.
“I just want her to leave Andrew Chiyangwa alone, he is my husband. “If the court leaves her continuing having a love affair with my husband I will do something that will end up with me being locked up,” she said. Miriam admitted having an affair with Tsitsi’s husband.
She said that she found nothing wrong in having an affair with Andrew. “I started having an affair with him in 2009 and we have a child together. “I don’t see if there is any problem with me falling in love with him,” she said.
However, magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti dismissed Tsitsi’s application on the grounds that the court had no mandate to stop the relationship. – H Metro

MDC-T To Build New Mujuru Surbub In Harare

THE MDC-T-dominated Harare City Council has set itself on a collision course with the Zanu PF government after proposing to name a new suburb in Budiriro, Harare, and some of the capital’s roads after liberation war heroes and democracy campaigners among them the late Retired General Solomon Mujuru and the late MDC-T spokesperson Learnmore Jongwe.

Honoured...Gen Solomon Mujuru
Honoured…Gen Solomon Mujuru

The issue was raised during a full council meeting on Tuesday where councillors said it was improper for the roads in the city’s suburbs to be named after birds and trees while there were deserving people who sacrificed their all for Zimbabwe.
The move came a day after city mayor Bernard Manyenyeni blasted Zanu PF for naming some parts of Harare after President Robert Mugabe and his wife, First Lady Grace.
Manyenyeni on Monday indicated the Zanu PF move was illegal and ordered the ruling party to pull down its signposts at the Civic Centre Grounds in Harare, which were renamed Robert Mugabe Square and the main access road as Dr Grace Mugabe Way.
The local authority argued that the naming of city roads and other infrastructure within its area of jurisdiction was the sole prerogative of city fathers.
Debating the issue, Glen Norah councillor Herbert Gomba cited the late decorated liberation war hero Mujuru who died in a mysterious inferno in 2011 as befitting the status of having a city road named after him.
“We should be seen to be naming some of those roads after people who played critical roles in the history and development of our country. For example, there are people here who played critical roles in the project (Budiriro housing project) like former mayor Muchadeyi Masunda and town clerk Tendai Mahachi.
“We have focused on animals and some of the names are all over, if you look at Mufakose, Mbare and other areas, there are the same names,” Gomba said.
Council chief whip councillor Peter Moyo, while seconding Gomba’s statement, said: “Look at what Masunda did for this city. Look at Solomon Mujuru, people who fought for this country. Look at Learnmore Jongwe who fought for democracy in this country.”
Moyo said there was need to have some of the places named after these personalities.
The debate came after Old Mutual project managers had sent through a list seeking approval for suburb and street names for the roads providing access to the Budiriro stands created in the CABS project.
“The names were derived from names of indigenous trees, fruit trees and birds. The naming of the suburb and roads is very important for identification purposes,” the project managers said.
Council and CABS jointly built more than 3 000 houses in Budiriro, a suburb they wanted to name Ruvheneko Park until the debate on Tuesday.
Other roads were supposed to be named Muchakata, Muchechetere, Muuyu, Muzhanje, Mukwakwa and Mupani, among other names.
Before the expiry of their term of office last year, the Masunda-led council was pushing for the renaming of some of the roads after luminaries.
Other luminaries council has identified include slain United States human rights activist Martin Luther King Junior, the late Zanu-Ndonga leader Ndabaningi Sithole and the late career civil servant Sarah Kachingwe. newsday

The Truth About Mermaids

Fake Imaginary Creatures of Crafty Machination by a manipulative crook seeking human attention”

“An individual should know that the most fascinating creature on earth is none but themselves”
Three men have been killed in Chinhoyi’s Hunyani river which stretches to President Robert Mugabe’s home area, a development local community leaders claim is due to angry mermaids which are attacking and abducting men who dare to encroach the river. In addition to these incidents, certain black Zimbabwean workers two years ago refused to perform work on two dams desperately

Mermaid and Doll Jozef Szekeres by Elf Fin
Mermaid and Doll Jozef Szekeres by Elf Fin

needed by local communities in Mutare and Gokwe  complaining that ‘Mermaid creatures’ were stopping them from switching on the pumps. Following their refusal, a group of workers of white race origin were assigned by the then Minister of Water Resources to the site. They came back saying that they do not want to do the job. Are Mermaids real, and are they not part of a highly sophisticated political plot to possess and control a community through fear and terror?
Minister Sipepa Nkomo told ZimEye following the publication of the mermaid claims in the state owned Herald:
“I saw the story in the Herald and I did not actually say the words that they said about me. All I reported was what I am getting from my staff,” he said.
 
In this expose, Bulawayo preacher Steven Blomefield explains his experience with so called “mermaids”.
“In 1989 I dealt with a woman at Biri dam who felt compelled to dive into the dam, allegedly by a mermaid called ‘Masvikasei’. After the evil spirit was removed she was able to collect water from the dam. However, it shows that this problem affects both men and women, and that this problem has been happening for decades.” [SEE Blomefield’s full commentary]
This article is the second in a series which explores the truth about Mermaids
ZimEye religion correspondent Edson Gwende argues:
There is no such a thing. No such creature exists. These are mere Human beings playing witchcraft and then claiming to be coming to us as “Mermaid” creatures. How come these creatures have never been caught on camera? The purpose of all this is to create uncertainty and fear; Once there is fear, then a cunningly devised religion can using that fear be formed and SOMEONE somewhere receives the worship of mankind. That someone is not God, but is certainly the devil himself!
The Devil loves attention; especially the attention that can be obtained from human beings who are in reality God creatures. Once the devil obtains that attention, he from it receives raw fascination, because God almighty has forever turned his face against him, so if he can get attention from human beings, then he has accomplished his mission of getting not only the attention a God creature(human being), but also the fear and subsequent worship from them. He obtains all this by creating uncertainty in the hearts of mankind.
Mermaid theory just like Ghost mythology, mythology which was created to steal the attention of mankind and through that attention and fear, demons can perchance obtain life and short live to be on planet earth.
To begin with, human beings are the only legal bosses who are also Lords over planet earth, and that is why Jesus had to become a human being, because there was no other way He would have achieved something in man’s world. He would have been an illegal entrant had it been otherwise. Human beings are really great creatures God himself even delights to listen to.
To be a human being is such a privilege and it takes a little bit of learning to perceive that.
When he created world, God set these laws in motion and as reflected in Genesis 1:27 and many other scriptural passages, which prove that man is really a God creature with ultimate authority over this planet next only to God Himself.
If you want to live a life of strength, read the Bible and pray for God to open your eyes. Through the Bible you will realise that the most fascinating creature on earth is actually none but you!

Nigeria to Shoot Dead 54 of its Own Soldiers for Refusing to Fight Boko Haram

nigerianarmyA Nigerian military court on Wednesday ruled it will shoot dead 54 soldiers who refused to go and fight Islamist trouble group Boko Haram.
The military court sitting in the capital Abuja Wednesday ruled the 54 were guilty of the high crime of mutiny.
“The soldiers, who were found guilty of mutiny, were accused of refusing to help recapture three towns that had been seized by Boko Haram in August,” The convicted soldiers will face a firing squad, their lawyer admitted.
The troops have in recent years regularly complained that they are outgunned by Boko Haram, they are not paid in full and they are abandoned on the battlefield without enough ammunition or food, reports stated Wednesday.
The trial began mid-October after the officers allegedly disobeyed orders by their senior officers to join operations against Boko Haram in the northeastern state of Borno.
A two-count charge of criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny was, therefore, slammed on the soldiers. Four other soldiers were lucky, discharged and acquitted, having pleaded and found not guilty to the accusation.
The convicted soldiers were said to have committed mutiny against the authorities of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army on Aug. 4, in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State.
The convicts were the second batch of mutinous soldiers condemned to death by military courts in Nigeria this year. Xinhua/ Additional Reporting

Govt To Squander $9Million for Chiefs

THE government is set to spend almost $9 million on traditional chiefs’ cars after a parliamentary committee recommended that each of them receive $35 000 instead of $18 000 to buy vehicles.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government recommended that traditional chiefs be allocated $35 000 each to procure vehicles of their choice, as their terms of office were much longer than those of legislators.
Committee chairperson, Irene Zindi, on Tuesday told Parliament that the committee heard that $18 000 was not enough, as it could only buy single cab trucks instead of the twin cabs chiefs desired.
According to a parliamentary record, while debating the 2015 national budget debate in the National Assembly, Zindi said the committee was of the conviction that since the tenure of chiefs is longer than that of parliamentarians, they should be given the $35 000 and pay over a longer period.
“Furthermore, the officials informed your committee that chiefs could only get vehicle loans up to $18 000 instead of $35 000 based on their current allowances,” Zindi said.
“With $18 000, they can only buy single cab trucks rather than the twin cabs they desire. Your committee was of the conviction that since the tenure of chiefs is longer than that of parliamentarians, they should be given the $35 000 and pay over a longer period. On the same note, chiefs also felt that it was high time that their allowances were reviewed.”
During the chiefs’ annual conference in Gweru recently, President Robert Mugabe told them they could get any car they wanted and the government would bankroll the purchases.
If the government approves this, it will further raise questions on where its priorities lie, as for example, the authorities only spent $205 000 on schools last year and $180 000 on HIV and Aids awareness programmes.
In 2012 the more than 250 traditional leaders made shock demands to be given diplomatic passports and guns for personal security.
The chiefs, who are paid $300 in monthly allowances and drive government-issued cars, stand accused by Mugabe’s opponents of dabbling in politics. – SouthernEye

Woman Killed By Own Garden-Boy

A MAN from Changwa Area in Plumtree allegedly killed his employer over an unknown dispute before committing suicide three days ago.
Matabeleland South Acting police Spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nkosilathi Sibanda confirmed the incident.
“The incident happened around 10pm on December 15 at the Osabeni Area in Plumtree,” he said.
Sibanda identified the deceased as Loveness Moyo (34), while the alleged assailant was identified as Derick Ncube (36).
“Ncube was employed by Moyo as a domestic worker and was residing with her,” he said. “At around 10pm Ncube armed himself with an axe and went to Moyo’s room where he found her asleep with her daughters aged 14, five and a six-month-old baby.”
Sibanda said Ncube struck Moyo on the face several times before turning to the 14-year-old daughter.
“Ncube struck the 14-year-old twice on the forehead and in the right arm before he hanged himself with a rope in his hut,” Sibanda said. “At around 7am on Tuesday the five-year-old daughter woke up and discovered her mother and her sister lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
“She took his six-month-old sibling and went to her aunt Bekezela Moyo, who mobilised her neighbours and went to Moyo’s homestead, where they found them lying in a pool of blood.”
Sibanda said when the neighbour went to the homestead they found the 14-year-old lying on the floor unconscious with deep wounds on the forehead.
“The 14-year-old was rushed to United Bulawayo Hospitals and her condition is very critical,” he narrated.
The bodies of the two deceased were taken to Plumtree hospital for a post mortem, Sibanda said.
He said they were still investigating the case and advised people to involve third parties in solving their disputes. – SouthernEye

BREAKING NEWS: World Bank Shoves $100Million Fund for ZIMASSET


The World Bank has set up a multi-donor trust fund for Zimbabwe which could raise $100 million next year, a gesture signalling that the institution was re-engaging with the bankrupt southern African country.
The global development agency suspended aid to Zimbabwe in 2000 after it defaulted on its arrears. The new endowment would fund government investment projects and provide technical support, World Bank country director for Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi, Kundavhi Kadiresan, told a joint media briefing with finance minister Patrick Chinamasa on Wednesday.
She said the European Union, United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Denmark and Sweden and the World Bank State and Peace Building Fund have pledged $44 million towards the fund.
“We are currently starting a new multi-donor trust fund which is called the Zimbabwe Reconstruction Fund (ZimRef) and again contributions will come from many development partners with over $40 million committed and we expect the money in the coming year. It could easily increase to $100 million,” she said.
“The main purpose of this fund, ZimRef is basically to help us expand our activities here and it will go beyond technical assistance, capacity building and analytical work. For the first time we will also have activities including investment projects. To that end we will be working very closely with government on some of the priority areas (and) help to implement ZimAsset.”
She said the fund signaled improved relations between Zimbabwe and international financiers. The country owes the IMF and the World Bank $124 million and $1billion respectively, while its external debt totals around $10 billion.
“We have renewed our efforts to find the resolution of the outstanding arrears that Zimbabwe owes to the World Bank,” Kadiresan said.
Finance minister Chinamasa said he is considering a parallel process of growing the economy and carrying out a public sector audit before undertaking a retrenchment exercise to create fiscal space.
He said he would work closely with the World Bank in carrying out the exercise. On Tuesday he told Parliament that the number of government workers had risen from 315,000 in 2009 to 554,000 this year.
With recurrent expenditure hovering around 82 percent, mainly driven by the public sector wage bill, government has struggled to fund capital projects, social spending and clear arrears accrued from multilateral financial institutions.
“In my earlier conversation with the World Bank, I asked for technical assistance (on) how to tackle the wage bill. I would want to see what options are there,” Chinamasa said.
“We need that rationalisation but above all we need to understand what basically composes our payroll. For that of course I will also need some money and the ZimRef fund will also be an easy pot for me to dip into.”
The desire by government to reduce its wage bill and create fiscal space for capital projects also signals a desire to meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) targets under its staff monitored programme (SMP), an informal and flexible instrument for dialogue between IMF staff and a member country on its economic policies.
At the conclusion of the first SMP in June this year, government had missed key benchmarks such as the reduction of the government wage bill and enhancing transparency in diamond mining and trade.
It was also behind in implementing some legislative reforms, especially in the mining and financial sectors.
However, the IMF expressed satisfaction with Harare’s commitment and agreed on a new monitored programme which is expected to lapse next October. A successful conclusion to the programme could open the door to financial assistance, the IMF said.
In 2010, a group of western donors set up Zimbabwe Multi-donor Trust Fund (Zim-Fund), which is managed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in a bid to support the then unity government’s economic recovery efforts. The fund focuses on infrastructure projects, mostly water, sanitation and energy.

Chinamasa Dishes Out $300Million to Army, Yet Dolls Peanuts to Health, Education

Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa came under fire from legislators yesterday when he revealed he dished out a whopping 309Million to the Ministry of Defence in his 2015 budget allocation announcement.
There was chaos in parly yesterday when MDC legislators took control of the house as they demanded that Chinamasa goes back to the drawing board.
While the house was in Committee stage debating funds allocated to the various ministries by Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa, MDC-T legislators stormed into Chinamasa’s face protesting that why is that Education adn Health put together are far below Defence at a time when the countrb is not at war.
Chinamasa in his budget shoved to the Ministry of Defence US$309 105 000 in the 2015.
“We are not in a war. Our defence budget is too big. Some of the money should have been allocated to the ministries of education and health,” said Mr Thamsanqa Mahlangu MDC-T representative for Nkulumane.
He was immediately supported by other legislators among them Mr Innocent Gonese (MDC-T Chief Whip), Mr Settlement Chikwinya (MDC -T).
In his debate, Muderedzwa, however, defended the allocation saying it was actually low considering the military needs. This raised the ire of the MDC formations with Bulawayo East legislator Ms Dorcas Sibanda (MDC-T) raising a point of order that Muderedzwa had used unparliamentary language.
However, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mabel Chinomona, overruled the objection.
This resulted in chaotic scenes as the MDC formations legislators led by Mr Chikwinya attempted to leave the House.
They were encouraged to leave by the zanu-pf legislators who resorted to shouting, “Go! Go!”
The MDC legislators then broke into song for a few minutes before order was eventually restored and debate continued.
In his response Minister Chinamasa, refuted the allegations that the defence budget was too high saying he had actually left out most of the military requirements.
“I have cut to the bone on the defence budget where I have not provided for purchase of new equipment. In fact, what cost more is not paying salaries but equipment.
“There is no uniformed forces in the whole world which don’t recruit on a planned basis otherwise you will have an army of old people which can’t go to the front.
“An army which doesn’t train becomes even a danger to itself and I haven’t provided for training in the Budget because when they train, they use live ammunition and real guns,” Minister Chinamasa said.
Turning to the other issues Minister Chinamasa reiterated that the fiscal space was tight resulting in low allocations to all ministries.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly adopted the various appropriations to the various ministries as contained in the Estimates of Expenditure while the Finance Bill that will effect the various policy measures announced in the Budget was referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee yesterday.
Debate on the Budget resumes today.

Magaya Murder Case Hots Up In Botswana


The investigation against Harare preacher Walter Magaya in which he stands accused of sending his girlfriend Chipo Chakanyuka ‘to be slaughtered in a Botswana jail’ has taken a twist with a group of respected lawyers across the border vowing to investigate to the last drop of evidence after Magaya begged investigating journalists for mercy saying “please forgive me.”
The legal experts have voiced they will soon come out into the public as soon they have concluded their inquiries in what they suspect was a botched assassination plot involving Tswana assailants, something which the Girl Child Network has also chipped in wanting to hear into it.
Walter Magaya was in September fingered by independent witnesses and the Chakanyuka family after their kin Chipo, Magaya’s former girlfriend as per submissions, died while on church duty having been arrested following accusations she was in possession of diamonds in what was claimed to be suicide using a doek, but Chipo’s corpse was found having no neck marks whatsoever to prove the hanging theory.
The latest police documents availed, show that police have found out the so called diamonds were actually fake stones and the automatic assumptions are now that they had been planted in order to incriminate the late Chipo Chakanyuka.
With the fake diamonds however were also 18 grams of gold Chipo was said to have been found in possession of. But a close Chakanyuka relative has made submissions that before death Chipo who was not even a gold trader being the PHD church’s Chief Usher, had told her cousin via phone from jail in Botswana that she suspects a named PHD church staffer, was responsible for planting the gold into her bag before she left Harare for Botswana.
Another topical issue at the height of investigations is the head-cloth (doek) alleged to have been used by Chipo to commit suicide. Chipo’s mother was denied access to this cloth and she was eventually forced to leave Botswana without it having yet demanding it be availed so that she is satisfied that suicide was committed by her daughter. Botswana prison officials have confirmed that they do not allow arrested suspects to enter the cells with such items like doeks, scarfes, belts, and they are further given prison clothes even while they are on remand.
The highly suspicious circumstances have attracted criticism from the Zimbabwe Girl Child Network organisation as pressure mounts on Magaya to speak out on what truly happened. Commented Girl Child Network boss, Betty Makoni, “on moral and ethical grounds we are hoping Prophet Magaya tells the world what happened to this young woman. Botswana is a country with a trusted police and we await the full story.
People with information on what happened to the deceased are asked to contact the organisation via Whatsapp number +447951522790. Said Makoni,
“Our group of women call upon anyone with information on Chipo to send to WhatsApp +447951522790. Meanwhile we appeal to everybody to donate to Chipo’s children as one of the children is a baby. This case points to organised murder and so we are hoping more people will send us information in confidence. Be rest assured your name will be kept secret,” said Makoni.
 
Begging for mercy
Mr Magaya in response to the probe is on record admitting to a local daily that he paid $6,000 towards her funeral costs.
“Why do you hate me, you The Zimbabwe Mail why do you hate me, yes I know that you hate me, every journalist in the country does not hate me but you the Zimbabwe Mail you hate me. I know that you are being used by someone and I know you will hate me to the last bone of your life. I know you are Pharisees and Sadducees.  I can’t have an affair with someone and do miracles that I do.  I know I am not a God of man but I am a man of God. I can’t do a sin and perform those miracles. I helped Chipo change her life; she was a stripper in beer halls and I helped her change her life. I have a video of her mother saying at the grave site that her daughter was into gold smuggling.
“If I have done anything wrong for you vanhu ve Zimbabwe Mail please forgive me,” an emotionally charged Magaya said surrounded by his security guards, Pastor Max and Nyangoni at their Waterfalls church.
“I paid more than $6000 towards Chipo’s funeral,” he said.
Asked to comment on her daughter being a stripper, Tambudzayi hit back: “My daughter was never a stripper; he should name the beer hall where he saw her and say what he was doing there himself. He must know that he will never get away with this. He is just trying to get defence on his side, but there is God in heaven and he will never get away with it.”
According to the aunt, Chipo went to Botswana with some church members on September 19, to buy church uniforms under the leadership of a certain Mai Nyangoni.

Bribery Rife In Uganda’s Judicial System

In the second season finale of Al Jazeera’s award-winning Africa Investigates, Emmanuel Mutaizibwa leads a team of reporters who go undercover inside Uganda’s court system to reveal the price of justice, exposing a chain of corruption that is rotting the country’s judiciary to its core.
Although the Global Corruption Perception Index ranks Uganda at 142nd out of 170 countries, the country’s law courts used to be seen as free from graft. However, a recent report from the country’s Anti Corruption Coalition has confirmed an increasingly widespread view – that corruption has seeped into one of the most sacred institutions of the land.
In the documentary, the investigation begins in Kasangati, a suburban town just north of the capital city, Kampala. The Magistrate’s Court in Kasangati plays a central role in the town, but Emmanuel and his team discover that it’s as much a place for buying and selling as the town’s market.
Emmanuel meets a number of litigants who claim that court officials had swindled money out of them. The only way to substantiate these claims is for Emmanuel to take the plunge and dive into this murky court system.
Posing as litigants and armed with undercover cameras, Emmanuel’s team climb a hierarchy of corruption, where they are forced to use bribe money to navigate past officials at every step.
Money is demanded from the very first instance of reporting a crime and the practice reaches shocking heights within the court itself, from the police up to a senior magistrate.
Emmanuel then confronts Uganda’s anti-corruption authorities with the video evidence.
“Judicial corruption eats away at the fabric of society,” says Al Jazeera English’s executive producer Diarmuid Jeffreys.”
“If police and court officials can be bought off, then how can they ever be trusted?  That’s why this story is so important,” he added.

Emmanuel’s remarkable investigation was given extra weight by ordinary citizen activists; hard-working Ugandans determined to hold the corrupt to account and protect the principle that justice should be fair,  impartial and honest.

Uganda: Watch  Temples of Injustice, the fifth and final episode of the second season here on Zimeye.

Man Tried to Burn Up Family – Court Papers

An abusive man poured paraffin on the entire house, his wife Kudakwashe Masharu and two children, in a bid to set them ablaze following a misunderstanding, the Harare Civil Court heard. Masharu claimed at the court that her husband Robert Chapita was in the habit of assaulting her with an iron bar. She was seeking a protection order against Chapita whom she accused of breaching her peace.
“He once poured paraffin on the entire house, me and the children before trying to set us ablaze,” she said. Masharu told magistrate Mrs Babra Masinire that Chapita was in the habit of verbally and physically abusing her with an iron bar in front of their children.
“My husband is violent towards me at all times,” she said.
“He embarrasses me in front of our children and this is now affecting their performance at school.” Masharu said she was now living in fear of losing her life because of Chapita’s violent behaviour.
“I want this honourable court to bar him from verbally and physically abusing me because he is making my life horrible,” she said. Chapita failed to show up at the court.
Mrs Masinire granted the protection order in default which barred Chapita from verbally or physically abusing Masharu.
She also ordered Chapita to keep peace towards Masharu at all times. -State Media

Zim Ambassadors No Salary for 20 Months – Tsvangirai

Zimbabwe’s ambassadors have not been paid for more than 20 months, Morgan Tsvangirai’s party has said in a development that has left the community shell-shocked and with the MDC leader describing it as an embarrassment.
Tsvangirai in his special Christmas message said diplomatic missions across the world are also at pains financially failing to pay rent and could be evicted anytime soon.
Said Tsvangirai,  “to cap our embarrassment, we have just been told our diplomats have not been paid for over 20 months and our diplomatic missions risk being ejected from properties we occupy in foreign capitals around the world.
“We have failed to pay our annual subscriptions to the African Union as well as our SADC mandatory pledges, even though President Mugabe is at the helm of both institutions. Our current sad reality is worlds apart from the make-believe world depicted in ZimAsset, a Zanu PF policy programme that has failed to assume any life outside the neatly packed blueprints in government offices.
“The ambitious programme had promised the creation of  2,2 million jobs, the construction of 250 000 low-income homes, a growth rate of nine percent per annum, 310 public schools and 300 more clinics up to 2018.
“But there has been a huge chasm between that dream and the sad reality. There has been no statecraft in the cockpit of State and the mediocrity in the corridors of government is alarming, even by Zanu PF’s usual poor standards.
“Last-week’s so-called cabinet reshuffle failed to inspire any confidence in the nation as it was simply a shuffling of the chairs in the Titanic. The ‘new’ brooms are the same ‘old’ characters who have failed to deliver over the years.
“Mugabe has lived true to the adage that there is always so much deadwood in a Zanu PF Cabinet that one can make an ark”

Let’s Give Mnangagwa, Mphoko A Chance Please

It is worrisome that the recent swearing in of two Vice Presidents, Comrades Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, has been received negatively by some analysts and members of the public claiming that the two are hardliners and radical elements in ZANU-PF and the government.
 
I am quite sure that the two comrades having been leaders before, so their elevation to become the two deputies to the President will actually add value and boost their working experience, thus shaping them into good leaders.
 
In recent weeks some sections of the media were awash with articles humiliating the two Vice Presidents stating that nothing good is expected to come from them. This is however, untrue because the background of these two Vice Presidents tells it all that there are hard workers.
 
It is imperative to note that these two comrades, just like other leaders, have important tracks of their accomplishments that can be easily followed. Unfortunately, the media and a number of analysts focus their attention on mistakes rather than what people have done well. However, President Mugabe recognized the meaningful contributions that these comrades have been putting on the economic development table and believed that they should be elevated so that they contribute more to nation building.
 
A constructive example is that of the then Defence Minister Mnangagwa, who through his hard work and initiatives built a state of the art Defence College in Harare.
 
Like our two Vice Presidents, good leaders are responsible for everything that happens in an organization or a country, and they are rightly held accountable for everything that happens either good or bad.
 
Good leaders know quite well that they are not simply in charge of making plans and reaching targets, but they are rather responsible for making sure that their country is doing what it is meant to do, and ensuring that the standards of living of the people are improved.
 
President Mugabe’s swearing in of his deputies portrays that he has great trust in these two leaders and that he is quite sure that their appointments to the presidium make tangible and productive things happen. It is a leader who has a vision, takes initiatives, influences people, makes proposals, organizes logistics, solves problems, and most of all takes responsibility that we need.
The complex problems that exist in our country will require people who are able to lend an active hand and work together in solving them. The new Vice Presidents and the newly appointed ministers need to be supported for them to deliver.
Lately, Zapu leader, Dumiso Dabengwa has described Vice President Mphoko as a sellout (a case of sour grapes?). Such statements are unworthy to be coined on state leaders as they damage their reputation and image. Therefore, those who are found guilty of waffling such disturbing statements should be brought before a hearing as they will be undermining the authority of the President who appointed them. It is important for public to give due respect to their leaders.
As new leaders in the office, I believe they should be given their chance to perform and dish out what they have that contributes to the development of the country.

Doctors Sue Government for ‘Satanic’ Salary Cuts

DOCTORS File Urgent Chamber High Court Application to reverse Salary Cuts
 
Zimbabwe’s doctors are in the next few hours taking government to court over random salary cuts amounting to $529,36 their employer recently enforced the medical experts have described as “Satanic.” The development now causing employee disaffection could see patients across the country being put at risk.
In a statement the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association announced it will “tomorrow morning file an urgent chamber High Court application to challenge the decision by the Ministry of Health and Child Care to deduct an alarming total of $529,36 from the salaries of all doctors who are accused of participating in a legal industrial action.
“The ZHDA through its lawyers as represented by Mr Emmanuel Samuntombe will challenge the illegal salary deductions as they have been done outside the confines of the law, have not been done procedurally as per the requirements of our current labour laws and are also an infringement of the right to industrial action as stipulated in section 65 and 76 of the new constitution of Zimbabwe.
“The application will immediately seek to bar the paymaster from effecting the intended salary deductions before the next revised salary date. This decision has been made after an urgent meeting held between the ZHDA leadership and their legal practitioners this afternoon.
“In a document availed to doctors at Paridenyatwa hospital since morning today the Public Service commission as directed by the Ministry of Health and Child Care doctors will have their salaries for December and January be deducted by an average of $264,48 each month to a whooping total of $529,36.
 
“This satanic move is intended to be implemented in the background of doctors earning around $283 as basic salary and some meagre allowances. The ZHDA is shocked that within the top echelons of the Ministry of Health and Child Care they are individuals who continue to habour nefarious ,retrogressive and dangerous intentions to set doctors into engaging into a collision course with the government , their patients and even their morality.
“This is evidenced by the recent utterances made by Dr Paul Chimedza in the private media recently where he described doctors as drunkards and chain smokers. The ZHDA maintains it’s position that it will not fall into the trap being set by Dr Paul Chimedza and his inner cabal meant to anger, incite and frustrate young doctors who are currently playing a pivotal role in the provision of health care to all government hospitals in Zimbabwe , into a rebellious lot who daily strike against government ineffectiveness and mediocre decision making.
 
“The ZHDA and it’s members will never be intimidated or unnecessarily be coerced by the deputy Minister’s remarks and of-course his recent docking of salaries so that it loses track of what the government is set to deliver beginning January 2015. This gross negligence being exhibited by the Ministry of Health and Child Care has never been witnessed since time immemorial or rather it is the most illogical decision made by a government official since the pre historic era.
 
“It is shocking that a Ministry led by seemingly learned officials illegally decides to punish its employees even without subjecting them to a hearing or any formal charge and conviction.
 
“The ZHDA will relentlessly fight this injustice and insanity as it falls short of the existing legal statutes that govern the relationship between employees and their employers. Meanwhile our members will deliberate today on whether or not they will afford to come to work,or if they come to work at what level of effort will they be dispensing their responsibilities.
 
“It is very clear that from this provocation passive resistance which protects our members from the venom of the embattled deputy Minister and his cabal will be instituted.
“This shall greatly compromise the quality of health services to innocent patients , and our hardworking tax payers. Finally we urgently call upon the portfolio committee on health, the cabinet and the acting President to immediately rein in on the Ministry of Health so as to stop this unprecedented on-slaught on the moral and finances of doctors in Zimbabwe.
“This definitely will open flood gates of lawsuits by doctors individually, as an association or by different interest groups .”

Angry Mermaids Abduct Men in Zvimba & Chinhoyi – REPORT

In a bizarre sequel of events in the western town of Chinhoyi, mythical mermaid creatures in the Hunyani river which stretches from Mozambique to President Robert Mugabe’s homestead in Zvimba, are reportedly cited regularly coming out of the water attacking and killing every man who lingers around the river.
The incidents widely speculated in the Chinhoyi area, have seen at least three men being taken into the waters shortly before each person returns as a dead corpse, reports which the Department of National Parks however rule out declaring instead that the attacking animals are crocodiles. But traditional community leaders have maintained the creatures are actually mermaids and this is further evidenced in that they are “only attacking men” and no woman has ever been taken into the murky waters to date. A classical case cited is that of Mavambo leader Liberty Mukwakwami whose body returned after four whole days and without a single mark of a crocodile bite[READ MORE-Click Here ].
The Hunyani river said to be home to numerous so called ‘mermaids’, stretches into Zimbabwe from Mozambique then rising northwest of Marondera and flowing westward past Harare to Robert Mugabe’s homestead in Kutama, Zvimba. From Kutama, it then turns north past Chinhoyi and cuts through the Rukowakuona Mountains to the Lowveld later crossing the Mozambique border at Hunyani.
 
“Seyiko vari varume vega varikungotorwa pese pese vachitsakatika, pindurayika nhayi?,” a highly spirited woman who lives in the nearby block of houses around the Biri dam told ZimEye. 

She said there is “a female mermaid in the Biri dam”, and another one which lives in the main Hunyani river.
“She (the said mermaid) is angry for some reason and is taking revenge on men,” she said.
She added, “many women roam around the river and I myself pass through it every day and yet none of all attacks ever get women. Look at how Liberty Mukwakwami came back a dead man last week with no crocodile bite on his body [READ MOREBloody Crocodile which killed MKD Leader Was Actually a Human Being – Evidence],” she said.
“Many women here have their fields stretching to the river bank and so why have these crocodiles not attacked a single woman to date,” she said.
A study of the area by ZimEye has revealed however that the rising number of attacks on men can only be of crocodiles. This was found to be a reliable conclusion to the crisis as two white farmers previously involved in crocodile farming were chased away during ZANU PF’s chaotic land reform program, and the new owners who were ignorant, recklessly caused the animals previously domiciled within the confines of the farm, to escape into the Hunyani river, creating the present crisis.
ZimEye also found out that many are engaged in fishing activities with full body up the waist in the water, becoming easy prey for the crocodiles.

The Curious Case of Zimbabwe’s Bond Coins

coins bond
Zimbabwe’s new bond coins …freight or fraud?

Analysis|The RBZ on December 5 2014 unveiled a set of coins that are planned to go into circulation tomorrow on December 18 2014. The coins will be in denominations of 1c, 5c, 10c and 25c pegged at par against the US Dollar and the 50c coin being introduced in Marchs 2015.
The premise of introducing these coins has been that they will aid the correct pricing of goods and services which is currently constrained by the absence of lower denominations. An example of current adverse pricing at work is that sometimes instead of being given change in USD in a grocery store, you might be given sweets in lieu of US cents which tend not to be available.
On the face of it, the introduction of coins may be viewed as a noble gesture by the RBZ to save the average Zimbabwean consumer from the unideal commerce of being given change in sweets and chewing gums, but the more sceptical stakeholders see this as a solution to a non-issue in the face of other more competing challenges that face RBZ and the economy as a whole.
 
How we got here in the first place.
It is important to jog our memories to remind ourselves why the issue of Zimbabwe’s bonded coins is a concern for most people and financial institutions including the ZAPU Economic Affairs Research Institute.
 
On the 12th of April 2009, Zimbabwe had to take a humiliating but necessary decision to abandon its own sovereign currency. It was after a considerable time of hyper-inflation and inability by the government of the day to regain control of the economy due to ineffectiveness of the usual economic policy interventions.
It must be said that when a nation reaches a point that the central bank is ineffective, it indicates deep crisis in confidence in the manner that the system has been operated over a prolonged period. A brief visitation of history into the culmination of Zimbabwe abandoning its currency can probably be traced to 1997 and 1998 when the government made unplanned expenditures on the war in DRC and then paid gratuities to war veterans which made the country’s already adverse national budget deficit worse. Perhaps with just one of these events, the country would have temporarily pulled through the turbulent early 2000s without issues, but a combination of these two was just too much for the already strained budget. When a nation constantly spends more than it collects in taxes, it harms investor and international institutions’ confidence in the government of the day to be ever able to fulfil its obligations to them or anyone for that matter. In the case of Zimbabwe it is with reason as the nation is currently in arrears to the tune of circa $8billion with International Institutions in the last count in 2013.
From 1999, the ordinary man began to feel the effects of the early onset of an economic deterioration with the value of the Zimbabwe dollar falling and the cost of living significantly outstripping wages. In the early 2000s, again the unplanned land reform programme left the nation with less agricultural exports for years, meaning the already teetering economy was now facing a new problem of foreign currency shortages in addition to the existing national budget deficit problems.
With the nation faced with economic hardship brought on by budget deficit problems and foreign currency shortages, the inevitable rise in extreme corruption joined the forces that were helping bring down the economy. By 2006, the financial system was at meltdown with inflation at dizzy heights and exchange rates almost completely unpredictable on a day to day basis. The RBS decided on the 1st of August 2006to ‘redenominate the currency by ZW$1,000’ or in laymans terms wipe out 3 zeros from the value of people’s money; from cash savings, investments to bank balances which was probably the nail to the coffin of the Zimbabwe Dollar as we knew it. Over-night, people lost savings, pensions, bank balances, investments, insurance policies and even countries holding the Zimbabwe Dollar in reserves had lost literally overnight. This ‘redenomination’ was repeated again in September 2007, July 2008 and finally in February 2009. Again in laymans’ terms, the RBZ was deciding to wipe out the value of people’s hard earned money and investments at will and overnight.
It must be said that the process of ‘redenomination’ is unusual but not completely unheard of with one recent example being Turkey in 2005 who redenominated by TL1,000,000, but the fundamental difference is that no one lost any money or investments and it was done under the auspices of a stable economy.
In summary, the path that led to the demise of the Zimbabwe Dollar is lengthy, winding and multifaceted. The long and short is that corruption, breath-taking incompetence, a weak enforcement of economic crimes and some say sanctions made the Zimbabwe Dollar an unworkable currency. The result of this unworkable currency was hyperinflation, unstable foreign currency exchange and loss of faith in the currency by the people of Zimbabwe and International community at large.
Back to the issue of the coins..
In light of the trauma that Zimbabweans have faced with the Zimbabwe Dollar from 2006 to 2009, it is a surprise to many that these RBZ bonded coins are on their way when a request for USD denominated coins from the Reserve  Bank of America would have sufficed if the issue surrounding change was really a major problem facing Zimbabweans today. Its become currency amongst many analysts to view this as a way being used to return to the Zimbabwe dollar in small and gentle steps.
 
Now, there is no patriot under the sun who wouldn’t like to see the return of their sovereign currency, but the thought of the return of the days of economic instability and hyper-inflation make most people sick to the bottom of the stomach. We would all like the Zimbabwe Dollar to return, but timing is of the essence, and now or next year is not a good time according to many analysts.
 
The main reason for it being too early is that;

  1. All the individuals who were involved in Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown, corruption, catastrophic decision making and cataclysmic corruption are still the ones in charge of the levers of power today and can no doubt do it again;
  2. The re introduction of a currency new currency requires not only nationalism but economic cooperation with the international community which is currently absent;
  • Fundamentals such as national budget deficits, corruption, inflation/deflation, unemployment and other important economic indicators can undermine the new currency if not intact.

This begs the question, when is a good time and what are the fundamentals required to ensure it works.
 
The next piece will seek to explore the how the Government can reform the fundamentals of the economy to get it working again.
 
Written by MelusiMoyo.
MelusiMoyo is the head of ZAPU Europe Economic Affairs Research Institute.
Released by ZAPU Europe Information, Publicity and Marketing Department.

Wound Sugar Treatment Breakthrough, Yet UK Drags Feet

In a major breakthrough for incurable wounds, more than 70 patients have so far found hope and instant relief at the hands of a Zimbabwean researcher, Moses Murandu. Through a rare discovery, he uses simple granulated sugar that is applied onto problem wounds to trigger healing which takes noticeable effect from a space of minutes to a few hours.
The results now proven, will save the UK hundreds of millions of pounds, yet despite such proven positive results from the research, British authorities continue to drag their feet on acknowledging and approving the research findings.

Murandu’s study on sugar began way back in 2009 amid skepticism and questions if it would ever be a sustainable finding. Hordes of scientists crowded him questioning if it would ever live to its expectations. Some strongly hammered it saying it would trigger side-effects to many including those suffering from diabetes. But 5 years later, Murandu has proved beyond present question that sugar is “sweet,” to the wounds as much as it is to the tongue, providing groundbreaking healing in hours. The process occurs as harmful bacteria are killed off in just a matter of hours since sugar, a natural anti bacterial agent sucks out the water, the culprit which houses harmful bacteria, allowing the body to effortlessly heal itself.
ZimEye has followed through Murandu’s clinical tests for the five year duration and there has been no side effect whatsoever with healing occurring within 72 hours after application with neither pain, itching nor twitching.
In 2012 this reporter personally witnessed sugar being applied on one patient, Mr Allan Bayliss at a hospital in Birmingham, and the healing that subsequently followed within a few days’ time.
Another patient, a British designer of flying aircraft models, Ryan Ripley, was saved from horrific tormenting wounds from which he endured 13 years of never ending pain. He also had become wheelchair bound during that 13 year period as a result of the wound-ulcers. British doctors failed to diagnose the problem for 13 years until Murandu brought simple sugar and suddenly the long wait was over. He has since began setting up a charity to promote Murandu’s research.
As ZimEye followed up on another success story involving a leading UK accountant at the weekend, we found out that patients are still going through the back door to access treatment as volunteers. This patient told this reporter that he struggled to access Murandu’s services and only managed to do so by privately inviting him to a private Birmingham hospital.
At present the United Kingdom’s expenditure on each wound sits at £240 per potion, but Murandu’s method will slash that cost down to just under £1.
Despite this phenomenal success and cost benefit, the UK’s NHS authorities are yet to give the green-light use and so patients have to wait perhaps a few more years until that is done. Those lucky ones can only do so through the stressful back door as volunteer patients. This is all so despite Murandu completing his random control trials last year with groundbreaking success.
Email correspondences sent to the NHS authorities at the time of writing were not yet replied. Meanwhile UK government, Conservative Party politicians contacted, refused to comment saying the issue could only be addressed by health professionals.

Kwekwe:Electricity from Waste Gas


Kwekwe-based Steelmakers says it will from next year generate 18 megawatts from industrial waste gas to mitigate regular power cuts and reduce overheads after acquiring new technology.
General manager Alexander Johnson told The Source on Monday that the move to generate own electricity was driven by a desire to reduce high overheads which have had an impact on steel prices against soaring power costs for its plant which produces 30,000 tonnes of steel per annum.
“This project will generate electricity from waste gases to the tune of 18 megawatts (per month),” Johnson said.
“Additional energy required for operations of the steel plant will also be generated through separate coal injection.”
The 18MW will be enough to meet the requirements of the plant, Johnson added, enabling Steelmakers to be more competitive in the region.
He did not say where Steelmakers is importing the machinery from, but said it will use waste gases from industrial steel production.

NRZ, SA firm Sign Deal to Fix Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Rail Line

New Limpopo Project Investments (NLPI) a subsidiary of South African freight and shipping giant, Grindrod has entered into an agreement with the National Railways of Zimbabwe to service and market the 470 kilometre rail between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls to provide a North-South corridor.
The state-owned NRZ’s poor financial position has meant that it is not able to service its railway lines and most of the tracks are in disrepair.
The agreement with NLPI means that the South African company will service the railway line and market it, increasing earnings for the cash strapped parastatal. However, NRZ remains the owner and operator of the track, which completes the line between South Africa and Zambia through Zimbabwe.
NLPI acquired an 85 percent stake in BBR in June this year, making it the majority owner of the Bulawayo-Beitbridge rail line. The agreement with NRZ gives it access to the railway line from Beitbridge to Victoria Falls and access to Zambia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The involvement (NLPI logistics) in the North Line guarantees the required standards and level of service offered by the operator (NRZ) by ensuring the availability of funds necessary for the operational inputs, including rolling stock, fuel and so on. This level of service encourages the rail users of the corridor to enter into long-term railage agreements,” said NLPI in a statement made available to The Source on Tuesday.
The company added that it owns a fleet of rolling stock, comprising 35 locomotives and 600 wagons, which are already being utilised along the corridor.
“We have started to implement our plans by deploying new locomotives on this corridor and investing in rehabilitation and maintenance of the track,” Grindrod’s Andrew Thomas said in a later email.
The company is also rebuilding some of NRZ’s older locomotives at a cost of $2 million.
“Our objective is to significantly increase the total tonnage carried on the BBR railway line as part of our broader ambitions for the North-South Rail Corridor and we are putting in place the operational capacity, human resources, infrastructure and systems to support those objectives,” Thomas added.

Imara Sells-Off SA Stockbroking Subsidiary for $10mln

Pan-African asset manager Imara Holdings has reached an agreement to sell-off one of its Johannesburg subsidiaries, Imara S.P. Reid (ISPR) to MMI Strategic Investments for about $10,25 million (R120 million), the chief executive has said.
Mark Tunmer said ISPR, one of South Africa’s oldest stockbrokers established in 1938, had been an important contributor to the group but an increase in online share trading, escalating regulatory and compliance costs and generally changing market dynamics had necessitated the disposal.
“The purchase consideration to be received from MMI represents a premium to the current net asset value of ISPR. The board therefore believes a disposal under these terms is in the best interests of Imara,” Tunmer said in a statement released on Monday evening.
Details of the transaction will be published in a circular to shareholders next month, he said. Finalisation of the transaction was dependent on regulatory approval and was also subject to the approval of shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting next January.
Imara is an independent, Botswana-listed investment banking group with offices in Angola, Botswana, South Africa and the UK and associate offices in Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
It has also partnered with Chapel Hill Denham in Nigeria, Sterling Bank in Kenya, Namibia Equity Brokers and Mac Capital in Dubai.
Despite the sale of ISPR, Tunmer said Imara would retain a strong presence in the South Africa its asset management and corporate finance subsidiaries.

Mnangagwa Says He Needs MDC Supporters


Zimbabwe’s Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set on a mission to pull MDC supporters into his ZANU PF party, something which is his number one priority in order to restore the economy now that he is in the presidium, it has emerged.
Mnangagwa who has previously threatened to beat up all opposition part members deemed to have sold the country out, announced Tuesday he desires to pull over urban voters who are ‘genetically’ of the opposition.
He made the announcement to journalists saying with the ZANU PF congress now behind, the Zanu PF government is now faced with the challenge of putting food on the table and uplifting the standards of living of the ordinary people. Mnangagwa told the State Media ZANU PF’s economic development programme, ZIMASSET, provides the answer to various economic challenges bedevilling the country. He however vocally admitted that “the major task on the political front is that of mobilising” and winning the urban voters who in the last election remained under the influence of the opposition.
But his invitations are likely to go unnoticed as opposition members said they dread his having threatened to punish all who have been deemed to have sold out. “Wese anotengesa nyika ngaarobwe,” Mnangagwa loudly vocalised at a funeral last year.
The newly elevated Vice President has served the Zimbabwe government in various capacities since independence and was the Minister of Justice and Legal and Parliamentary Affairs before ascending to the vice presidency. He has to date continued to hold the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs portfolio.

Police Charge Driver Who Nearly Killed Newly Appointed Vice President Mphoko With a Pot

The road accident that nearly claimed the life of newly appointed Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko was caused by a pot that  fell from the moving vehicle carrying wedding utensils, it has been revealed as the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) said the driver of a truck that was involved in an accident with has been charged for negligence.
The charge follows police investigations on the accident involving  Mphoko’s vehicle and another motorist that occurred on Saturday along Enterprise Road near the Forestry Commission in Harare.
Police Spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba described as inaccurate, some media reports that the incident was stage-managed.
“After investigations, the attending officer concluded that the Toyota Hiace truck driver had failed to secure his load, remained in a dangerous position and drove without due care and attention. Drivers are warned not to immediately stop in the middle of the road if they encounter unforeseen situations. We encourage the media to report objectively after sourcing for facts on accidents especially those involving senior government officials,” she said.
On Sunday, Vice President Mphoko ruled out foul play, describing the accident as genuine.
He said the driver of a truck applied emergency brakes after dropping something, and this is what led to the accident.
“The truck was carrying wedding material, and after dropping what looked like a pot, passengers seated at the back of the truck then hit the roof signalling the driver to stop,” said Mphoko.
The accident comes barely two months after another Vice President,  Emmerson Mnangagwa’s vehicle was involved in an accident with a staff bus belonging to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals along Herbert Chitepo road in Harare.
 

More Victims of Zanu PF Farming Inputs Fraud Approach Police

The Zimbabwe Republic Police says more victims of the botched inputs deal which sucked in a local private company, Lasch Investments, and some senior Zanu PF officials continue to file police reports.
Police chief spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said out of the 115 complainants who have been interviewed by the police, none of them received fertilisers or seed from Lasch Investments.
Senior Assistant Commissioner Charamba revealed that farmers lost their hard earned cash of up to US$5 000 for some farmers as those who wanted more inputs were paying more.
In Mashonaland Central province, some farmers are reported to have deposited various amounts in an account belonging to Lasch Investments at a bank in Bindura and these farmers have proof of such payments.
The police have appealed to all farmers who have been duped to enter into such a deal to report to the nearest police station.
Meanwhile, the Lasch inputs saga continues with political undertones being down-played by directors of the company which prejudiced thousands of farmers across the country.
It has emerged that among the beneficiaries of the controversial inputs scheme were Zanu PF party district chairpersons.
With the recently held congress having courted controversy after the expulsion of a faction which had been heavily involved in vote buying, availing inputs to chairpersons who make up the Zanu PF electoral college could smack of ulterior motives.
Lasch director Tapiwa Zengeya denies this, saying the venture was 60 percent owned by his company with the Zanu PF youth league owning the other 40 percent.
The party youths were brought in to mobilise membership for the scheme.
The duped farmers are now spending hours in the rain and brave wet nights at Zanu PF headquarters hoping they will finally get their inputs.
Several victims have showed journalists receipts validating they have been duped of almost thousands of dollars.
One woman robbed of $2000.00 spoke to the State Media narrating her ordeal almost in tears. She said the amount was to ensure a 20-hectare crop in case she failed to pay back a US$10 000 loan she had been promised but never got.
 
 
 

Woman Buried Without Nose and Upper Lip

Gokwe Kudiwa community have been left whispering to each other, after a mother of three who passed on was buried without a nose and an upper lip, following scuffles and disagreements between her husband and in-laws.
According to women who were in the room where the corpse was lying, an animal that looked like a dog entered the thatched hut, and quickly devoured off the nose and upper lip from the dead body before it dashed out, as all women retreated to a corner after failing to identify the atrocious looking mammal.
The shocking incident took place in Kudiwa village of Gokwe South near Hovano, when a woman who came to work in the agro- town 25 years ago, ended up cohabiting with a man of her love and did not bother informing her parents of her whereabouts.
The woman identified as Ruramai Zhou, had been staying with Witmore Mudare of Kudiwa as husband and wife, and their relationship was blessed with three children, one girl and two boys, who are all in secondary school.
According to a close relative of the Mudare family who fought a protracted battle to settle the exasperating scuffle that left the family depleted, their brother was not officially recognised by his in-laws who are all based in Mberengwa. “Witmore has been cohabiting with his lover for more than 20 years and have three children. The woman got ill and died leaving us with no option but to look for her relatives, who rebutted their daughter’s death.”
She further narrated to ZimEye how their horror started, after their visit through friends accompanied by a Police Officer to the woman’s family. “The journey was the one I will never forget and all our family members are still in panic following the refusal by her parents to bury her before a 10 head of cattle was paid,” she said.
According to information made available to ZimEye, after the woman’s sudden death, the family tried in vain to persuade their in-laws who were a hard nut to crack. The family sought the help of the Police who accompanied them to Mberengwa, but the relatives refused forcing them to return to Gokwe to reinforce their pockets and more security for escort.
The Mudare family went back to Mberengwa, this time in the company of two Police Officers, who pleaded with the family to come and have their beloved laid to rest in a decent way. They agreed on condition that their demand of 10 beasts would be paid.
“We had to contribute, and villagers came to our rescue, with some of them donating four beasts, to save us from the marauding in-laws. After days of fundraising, we were allowed to bury the decomposing body. We discovered that she had lost her upper lip and nose,” added Sharai Mhondiwa, a sister to Witmore.
According to the village head representative of Kudiwa, who identified himself as Phineas Mwendamberi, the situation left a stain not to be forgotten. “We will have to gather as a village after the dust settles, to discuss with all young men to have an update on their marriages, as this has taught us many lessons in one month,” he said scratching his forehead.

Dabengwa Holds Crucial Press Conference

ZAPU supremo Dumiso Dabengwa is to hold a crucial press conference at 6PM today (Tuesday).
This comes after the recently appointed Vice Pesident Phelekezela Mphoko attacked Dabengwa on the issue of 1987 Unity Accord.
But yesterday Dabengwa and ZAPU high command hit back saying the new VP is a defector, a CIO-agent-cum ambassador who has deliberately chosen to exclude his secret agent back ground in his curriculum Vitae.
Dabengwa is expected to also speak on Zimbabwe’s economic which has hit a brick wall as Zanu PF concentrate on power struggles that have seen VP Joice Mujuru booted out.
“As far as Zipra commanders are concerned, Mphoko joined Zanu when he reneged from joining his contingent when they left Zipra to return to Zambia.”
Dabengwa said it is surprising that Mphoko hides that he was a member of the Central Intelligence Office (CIO) before he became a diplomat and advised him to shut up about Zapu.
“On attainment of independence in 1980, Mphoko was one of the few Zapu cadrés to be inducted into the CIO,” he said, in a statement written jointly with the Zipra high command.
“It may be significant that from the CIO, Mphoko was sent out to the Zimbabwe embassy in Austria.
“For some reason he does not mention this attachment as the beginning of his diplomatic career.
“This precedes his appointment to Russia, Botswana and finally South Africa which are quite publicised.”
More to follow……

Tsvangirai and Mugabe Team Up to Strangle MPs

  • A week of appointments

Last week was a very busy one for political appointments in both Zanu and MDC T. Congratulations to all the appointees, especially to our two vice presidents advocate Emmerson Mnangagwa and former Zipra commander, diplomat Phelekezela Mphoko. Let us all and pray that the two gentlemen will serve Zimbabwe with great distinction.
However, I hope I am not the only one concerned with the way both Zanu and MDC T constitutions allow those who lose elections to be returned as leaders through the back door of political appointments. The two parties’ constitutions entitled their presidents to appoint more than 10 individuals into their national organs. For Zanu, these appointments can subsequently go into governments. The constitutions give all power to the president, violating the supreme law of the country and very essence of democracy and the fundamentals of conducting of an election. Other than defying the whole point of elections, it ensures that bootlickers and lazy candidates will know they will still be appointed into leadership positions. If Vice President Mnangagwa lost twice as MP, why did he deserve a leadership post when his constituents have clearly indicated that they do not support him? As it is, he is now vice president and just a heartbeat away from the presidential throne itself? If we are to go by the recent Congress results; some of those who did not win have been brought back through these appointments. Doesn’t this become an insult to the whole process of elections when the losers are still appointed as leaders for the very populace that rejected them? I am also surprised as to why Vice President Mphoko was not subjected to an election if he was in line for this appointment.
With regards to these appointments, can someone explain what criteria a party-leader would use to opt for one loser whilst excluding another? I have no doubt that those who sing more praises than others get chosen. Anyone whose loyalty is not visible, or is dependent on the electorate gets excluded. In essence it means leaders are not necessarily where they are because of their support or performance. It also makes one ask, how effective is a leader forced on those who have rejected him in an election? How does that individual present himself as a leader before those who rejected him in an election? I think it’s an issue that needs revisiting if we are serious about democracy. However, we all know both Zanu and MDC T are allergic to democratic principles, leaving them their leaders as political demi-gods.
The two parties’ constitutions obviously create monsters out of leaders. To succeed, the leaders need to be surrounded by hero-worshippers who don’t need the electorate to vote for them. These unelected officials tend to be sources for ‘kitchen cabinets’ used to silence and destroy intra-party rivalries. They are not accountable to anyone but the leader from whose appointment they derive their power. All they care about is their position in the party or in government; hence do not have the electorate’s concerns at heart. They will thus diligently further the dictatorial tendencies of one who appointed them so that they retain their dependent positions. Such a constitution makes the leader take precedence over the party as an organisation instead of it being the other way round. The leader becomes an institution, the Alpha and Omega of the party; thus subsequently controls and owns the party through his appointments.
The recent reports that MDC T has asked its MPs to make $50 monthly mandatory contributions towards its president’s upkeep, and that those opting out from doing so will not be fielded in the next election, is a good pointer to this constitutional anomaly! The leader has power to dictate directly or indirectly whatever he wants in the party. This is effectively blackmailing and arm twisting democratically elected leaders into paying a protection fee, mafia style. Everyone who aspires to be an MP has to be beholden to the party president and his hatchet men. Surely, in a democracy MPs do not need to pay for the upkeep of the party leader.  Politics is not a career and thus leaders have to earn their own upkeep elsewhere unless if the party has funds to pay its officials. If MDC T can afford it, then it should pay Tsvangirayi accordingly and stop strangling the people’s elected representatives.
Our politics needs to go back to basics and the ethos of democracy. We cannot allow this gangster type of politics akin to mafia. This is how mafia gangs found themselves in for instance Italian and American politics. We therefore have to be wary of constitutions that allow leaders to own political parties that coerce or compel MPs to pay protection fees to the party leader. If this is allowed to be part of political culture, soon all party leaders will be surrounded by very powerful gangsters of unelected bootlickers, friends and relatives such as what we have just witnessed in Zanu.

James Bond Tells Kasukuwere to Stop Govt Smuggling of Baby Elephants

HOLLYWOOD star and former James Bond actor, Pierce Brosnan, has called on fans to protest the planned export of wild elephants from Zimbabwe to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China.
Brosnan, a long-standing campaigner for animal rights, said he was “deeply saddened” to read the “gruesome story” that 36 baby elephants had been taken from their mothers and were awaiting shipment “to the UAE and possibly China”.
The Bond actor posted a link to the Telegraph’s report about the export on his Facebook page and urged followers to write to the Zimbabwean government to express their outrage.
“We need your help and voices to protect these babies and to stop this shipment of wildlife cargo,” he wrote.
“Please contact the Zimbabwe Environment minister Saviour Kasukuwere and ask that he release these majestic endangered animals at once.”
Brosnan shared the environment minister’s Twitter and Facebook contact details, as well as a suggested Twitter hashtag, #ZimbabweElephants (sic).
The hashtag has already become popular, having had about 86 000 impressions in a 15-minute spell yesterday afternoon on Twitter.
The plight of Zimbabwean elephants has in the past attracted international attention, with Welsh footballer Aaron Ramsey saying he was shocked at stories of the animals being poisoned for their ivory. Kasukuwere responded by inviting the Arsenal star to Zimbabwe.
Kasukuwere admitted to The Telegraph earlier this month that elephants were being rounded up in Hwange National Park in the west of the Southern African country. The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said visitors witnessed the capture of young elephants by government helicopters and ground teams, who roped them together after separating them from their mothers by firing shots above the heads of the herd.
The Telegraph obtained photographs of an unknown number of elephants being held in wooden pens in a compound in Hwange administered by Zimbabwe’s cash-strapped parks authority. Kasukuwere said it was normal for wildlife to be captured in the country’s largest game reserve and exported “from time to time”.
But he denied reports the animals were destined for Chinese zoos, saying they were headed to the UAE. — Telegraph/Staff Reporter

10 Companies Shut Down Every Month

Ten companies (on average)  are shutting down every month as thousands are seen graduating across the country, entering the job seekers’ market.
4719 graduate at MSU 2014
3271 graduate at UZ 2014
2000 graduate at WUA 2014
1986 graduate at NUST 2014
1778 graduate at ZOU 2014
1679 graduate at CUT 2014
1065 graduate at BUSE 2014
1063 graduate at GZU 2014
505 graduate at AU 2014
484 graduate at Lupane U 2014
107 graduate at Catholic U 2014
18660 Total for 2014
75 companies close; 9617 jobs lost in 2013
4172 jobs lost between January and September 2014.
Average of 10companies close every month
Food for thought. How safe are Zim workers?

Top Pastor Admits Having Sex With Own Niece

A POPULAR MARRIED UNGUZA PASTOR has admitted having a series of intimate sessions with his own teenage niece for a period of over twelve months.
Pastor Lemison Moyo, 33, had sex with his 17 year old niece with his hypnotised wife’s permission for the lengthy period as he bought the victim gifts such as underwear, soap and lotion.
These issues were revealed as Pastor Moyo was yesterday acquitted of rape.
Pastor Moyo, was over the moon when regional Magistrate Chrispen Mberewere said it was clear that he had consensual sex with his 17-year-old Form Three niece on several occasions and that at law he could not be charged.
Moyo’s niece reported four rape incidents but when Moyo was giving his evidence in chief, he told the court that he could not count the times he had unprotected sex using different sex styles with his niece, a daughter to his wife’s sister.
“Though it is clear that you had consensual sex with your niece that does not mean it is morally acceptable. You claim to be a married pastor the main reason that made you confess your sexual escapades with your niece was you realised you were losing members. We expect a lot from you and Biblically, you must be having sex with your wife,” he said.
Magistrate Mberewere said Moyo who maintained that he was in love with his niece throughout his trial was a free man.
“As her guardian, morally you may be guilty of bedding a relative but we cannot criminalise that as she consented all the way. What Moyo did is shameful because it has been clearly been proven that you were sexually active with her. However, the court finds you not guilty of rape.”
An ecstatic Moyo left the court smiling and was joined by his wife and friends in celebrating his freedom. Moyo confided in a prophet from another church about the year-long sexual encounter, then the woman decided to report the matter to the police, leading to his arrest.
Testifying during the trial, the niece stated that she was still a virgin when Moyo started having sex with her from December 2012 to December 2013.
“My uncle used to rape me after discussing with his wife and they would assault me for no reason,” she said. “I finally got fed up and wrote my maternal aunt a letter narrating my ordeal and notifying her that l was contemplating suicide. She fetched me from Moyo’s house and took me to her friend who is a prophet and l gathered strength to tell the prophet everything that had happened.”
The girl said Moyo used to buy her gifts like underwear, soap and lotion and her aunt, who is married to Moyo, was aware of everything. “I was so scared and then l failed to tell anyone of the abuse because Moyo would threaten me.” State Media/Additional Reporting

Mujuru Kicked Out of Parliament, Herald Editor Throws Celebration


Former Vice President Joice Mujuru has had her political fate sealed with ZANU PF announcing it was invoking a shady section of the yet untapped New Constitution which means she lost her seat upon assuming the Vice Presidency in September last year.
This was so despite the fact that the New Constitution does not in any way restrict a sitting Vice President from returning to her constituency upon loosing her Vice Presidency. The development however led to the Herald’s editor throwing a celebratory article against Mujuru’s reputation.
JOICE-MUJURU---toilet-paper2
The article read in full : It never rains, but pours for beleaguered former Vice President Joice Mujuru who yesterday was quoted in some sections of the media saying she had accepted her dismissal from the Vice Presidency of Zanu-PF and the nation, and would soldier on as a card-carrying member and National Assembly member for Mt Darwin West. Unbeknown to her, she lost her Mt Darwin West Parliamentary seat 15 months ago, on September 11, when she assumed the Office of Vice President of Zimbabwe.
ALSO READ————mutasa-asylum
Section 129 (1) (c) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act of 2013 that deals with the tenure of seat of a Member of Parliament stipulates that, “the seat of a Member of Parliament shall become vacant upon the Member becoming President or Vice President.’’
Former Vice President Mujuru was, thus, going to Parliament as Vice President, not as Member of Parliament since Vice Presidents are not Members of Parliament.
Dr Mujuru was fired from Government, along with eight ministers, on December 9 for behaviour inconsistent with her official responsibilities in the discharge of her duties.

This came in the wake of allegations of high level corruption, bribery, extortion, abuse of office, undermining the authority of, and seeking to depose or assassinate President Mugabe that she faced.
Similarly, Vice President Mnangagwa ceased to be National Assembly Member for Chirumanzu-Zibagwe Constituency last Friday when he — along with VP Phelekezela Mphoko — took his oath of office before President Mugabe at State House in Harare.
Cde Mnangagwa’s National Assembly seat automatically became vacant by operation of the law when he assumed the Office of Vice President of Zimbabwe.
 
At law, Vice Presidents are not Members of Parliament, although they can sit there for debate, be leader of the House conduct business there, but they do not vote.
Similarly, while there has been speculation in some quarters as to what would become of VP Mphoko within 90 days if he did not find a seat, the same constitutional provision that strips VPs of their membership of the legislature means VP Mphoko does not need a seat to sit in the August House or retain his post as Vice President of Zimbabwe.
While National Constitutional Assembly leader Professor Lovemore Madhuku who filed a constitutional Court application challenging the appointment of Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko claimed that they should not be given ministries after VP Mnangagwa retained his Justice, Parliamentary and Legal affairs ministerial portfolio while VP Mphoko assumed the National Healing and Reconciliation portfolio that was previously held by late VP and national hero Cde John Landa, the two can hold such portfolios.
Section 99 of the Constitution stipulates that, ‘’the Vice-Presidents assist the President in the discharge of his or her functions and perform any other functions, including the administration of any ministry, department or Act of Parliament, that the President may assign to them.’’
To compound matters for the beleaguered former VP Mujuru, in terms of Section 103 she cannot be an MP, let alone hold any other form of employment, now that she has been vice president of Zimbabwe.
Section 103 stipulates that, ‘’the President and Vice President, and any former President or Vice-President , must not, directly or indirectly, hold any other public office or be employed by anyone else while they are in office or are receiving a pension from the State as former President or Vice-President, as the case may be.’’
ZEC has, naturally come underfire, for sleeping on the job in failing to call a by-election in Mt Darwin West yet they declared Buhera Sout, which fell vacant following the death of Cde Kumbirai Kangai on August 24 2013.
ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makaru, refused to comment on the matter yesterday referring all questions to the electoral body’s Acting Chief Elections Officer Mr Utoile Silaigwana.

However, Mr Silaingwana said; “I am sorry I cannot answer those questions off head. Do you mind sending your questions on e-mail so that I respond to you tomorrow?”
In terms of the new Constitution Schedule VI paragraph 14 there is no First or Second Vice President. This is why, in the event of the incapacitation of the President, the VP who acted last continues as acting president.
The issue of First and Second Vice Presidents is in the Running Mate clause Section 92 (2) that says, ‘’ every candidate for election as President must nominate two persons to stand for election jointly with him or her as Vice Presidents, and must designate one of those persons as his or her candidate for first Vice President and the other as his or her candidate for second Vice-President.’’
This section has, however, been put in abeyance till 2013 when it is supposed to come into effect. As such under the current constitution, the two Vice Presidents are at par, and either of them can act at the pleasure of the President.
When the President appointed the two VPs at the extra-ordinary Central Committee meeting last week he said I am appointing one from former Zanu and one from former Zapu in accordance with article 4 of the Unity Accord, he didn’t say first or second Vice President.
According to paragraph 14 (1) (b) of the Sixth Schedule to the new Constitution, ‘’…the President may from time to time nominate one of them to act as President whenever he or she is absent from Zimbabwe or is unable to exercise his or her official functions through illness or any other cause.’’
And where the President dies, resigns or is removed from office, paragraph 14(4) (a) says the Vice President who was last nominated to act acts as President until a new President assumes office.
There have also been reports attributed to the Prosecutor General that the appointments of the two Vice Presidents was done in terms of the old Constitution, the fact is the VPs were appointed in terms of the new Constitution since the Lancaster House Constitution was repealed on August 22, 2013 when President Mugabe was inaugurated, which was the effective date of the new Constitution in its entirety.
The idea that the two VPs were appointed in terms of the old Constitution is thus incorrect.
The PG’s claims have given the likes of National Constitutional Assembly leader Professor Lovemore Madhuku ideas to file an application saying the Constitution says the President must appoint not more than two vice presidents and had delayed in naming the two vice presidents.
Government spokesperson; Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo said it was ironic Prof Madhuku was approaching the court when by virtue of appointing the two VPs, the President had fulfilled Prof Madhuku’s wishes.
‘’Of course we have noted comments from a number of learned people who have commented on their fellow learned person in the name of Prof Madhuku showing how misguided he is but the bottom line is if you give Madhuku the benefit of the doubt and take his argument as correct that there has been a delay or there was a delay in having two because he admits there was no delay in having one, there was a delay in having two. What is the logical implication of that? How do you remedy a delay? You remedy a delay by fulfilling the requirement; you don’t remedy a delay by eliminating the requirement.
‘’If you go to court arguing that there has been a delay in doing something, you will be asking the court to ask for the fulfillment not to go without. So if Madhuku has an argument, his wishes have been fulfilled. And there is no reasonable court which will fail to see that,’’ Prof Moyo said.
The dismissal of former Vice President Mujuru and the appointment by the President of the two new Vice Presidents has been received with a lot of misinformation, disinformation and misrepresentation. And all of them based on either ignorance or misunderstanding of the new Constitution even from scholars of jurisprudence like Prof Madhuku, and former political advisor to MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, UK-based lawyer Mr Alex Magaisa.

60yr Old Woman Caught Having Sex With 15 yr Old Boy

A ZVISHAVANE man walked in on his 60-year-old wife having sex with a 15-year-old boy on their matrimonial bed, leaving their marriage of 31 years on the rocks.
The incident which left villagers of Chimurenga-Chrome Dry in Neta tongue-tied happened on Saturday at around 9PM. Villagers said the lovebirds had been having sex behind the man’s back for “a long time.”
Sakhele Khumalo, 63, told the the state media he is sending his wife Elizabeth Khumalo packing. He said he never wanted to hear his wife’s name mentioned in his presence as she had exposed him to the ultimate humiliation by engaging in extra-marital sex with a boy young enough to be her grandson.
Elizabeth denied she was caught with the boy (name withheld because of age), and said she would only leave her husband if they shared their property.
“Elizabeth has done the worst thing imaginable. She has committed adultery with a boy the age of her grandson. I can’t take her back, she has to leave my home and the property she’s demanding will only be moved from my home over my dead body,” fumed Khumalo.
Villagers narrated how all hell broke loose on Saturday when Khumalo got a tip-off about the affair.
They said he was not on duty at his workplace but pretended to Elizabeth that he was going to work at night.
“He left home around 7PM, boarded a lift towards work before disembarking after some distance. He went to a relative’s homestead only to go home around 9PM. Upon arrival, he peeped through the window and was taken aback by Elizabeth who was screaming like a teenage girl with sexual excitement. An emotionally charged Khumalo then quietly locked the door from outside with steel wire before rushing to inform his relatives who had long known about Elizabeth’s mischief,” said a villager.
Khumalo and his relatives were treated to “pornography” as the two nude lovers were still caressing each on his bed, when the relatives smashed the door. “On realising that they had been caught, the two bolted out of the rooms naked while holding their clothes before disappearing into the darkness. Up to today, no-one knows where the boy is,” said the villager.
Elizabeth flatly denied the affair but confirmed that she had marital problems with her husband.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m a God-fearing woman who wouldn’t dare do such a degrading thing in society. While I can confirm that we’ve marital problems with my husband, what people are saying is a lie. We’ve problems like any other family and our issue is being handled by the police as Khumalo is refusing to release my property,” said Elizabeth.
A villager, who identified himself as Michael Ndlovu, told the state media the teen had been having an affair with the granny behind Khumalo’s back for a “long time.”
“The affair between Elizabeth and the boy had become the talk of the village. Khumalo used to regard the boy as his son who does piece jobs in the village. He never thought he could be a rival suitor,” said Ndlovu.

Gukurahundi Troubles Zimbabwe’s History

One of Zimbabwe’s renowned historians and educationist, Dr PhathisaNyathi, has vowed to write history that includes Gukurahundi as it is known, rather than distorting the truth out of fear.
He was addressing guests at a recent talk –show which was organised by Her Zimbabwe, an organisation headed by FungaiMachirori, who is daughter to one of Zimbabwe’s best female journalists and former Chronicle editor, Edna.
“History must not be distorted because of the writer who would want to be self-censored for fear. If one cannot write the truth about the Zimbabwean history, then he or she must just desist from doing so, because only the truth is needed for tomorrow’s generation,” said Nyathi. [continue reading…]

The former secondary school teacher and headmaster spoke hard on people who pretend to be historians, but behind writing half-baked information that will further misinform the next generation.
Several speakers who were at the Bulawayo club for the event, expressed fear on telling the truth about Gukurahundi which was the worst nightmare for the people of Matabeleland, because this is when thousands of Ndebeles were slaughtered  in the name of restoring order in Zimbabwe.
Former Minister of the defunct Ministry of National Healing, David Mzila-Ndlovu, was has been quoted in the media expressing that his mother was killed during the Gukurahundi era. He revealed that his mother was tied onto a vehicle and dragged leading to her murder by the fifth brigade in the mid-80s.
Nyathi also told the Matabeleland youths  present at the talk-show, to stand up for the truth, and also to be brave if they want to achieve their goals. “You must stand up and rise to the truth, don’t be self-censored, because you will compromise the truth,” added Nyathi.
Raisdan Baya, an artiste and novelist, also appealed to the youths to be united and also to be bold on everything they want to do in life. His sentiments were also echoed by Soneni Gwizi, a disabled broadcaster and activist, who strongly discouraged fear and lack of confidence among the new generation.

ZESA Squanders Thousands Buying Grace Mugabe Flowers

At a time when the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) is struggling to pay its own workers , the parastatal has splashed thousands on media-‘flowers’ splashed on First Lady Grace Mugabe, attracting criticism even from people such as ZANU PF prolific activist Fidelis Fengu.
 
ZESA paid for advertorial flowers in the public media congratulating First Lady Grace Mugabe for her appointment as Zanu PF secretary for Women’s League.
 
The move has caused outrage as analysts said Zesa was a public institution and it was not right for them to spend public money for partisan political party interests.
 
Following the appointment of Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and former Ambassador to South Africa Phelekezela Mphoko as first and second Vice-Presidents respectively, new 10 ministers and Grace as secretary for Women’s League by President Robert Mugabe, Zesa has placed several advertisements on the public media, congratulating them for their appointments.
 
Youth empowerment activist, who is also a Zanu PF member, Fidelis Fengu said he believed that ZESA is an institution meant to serve the wishes of the people and should not be spending money on politics.
 
“Zesa should not spend any money on the politics of the nation,” he said.
 
“They should stick to their core business.
“They have no business trying to please politicians.
“Yes, the First Lady was chosen by the people, but the same people expect ZESA to deliver on its mandate, even the First Lady wants the people to be happy, so if Zesa spends money on politics even the First Lady won’t be happy.”
Human rights and governance expert, Dewa Mavhinga said Zesa’s “sycophantic congratulations” to the Vice-Presidents and Grace showed just how partisan and politicised State institutions have become.
“In a properly functioning democracy, heads of state institutions like Zesa should not be boot-licking politicians to keep their posts, they should simply deliver professional services like reliable electricity to Zimbabweans,” he said.
“Unfortunately, in Zimbabwe, state institutions compete to align themselves with Zanu PF in order to survive — all professionalism is gone.”
Western region chairman of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions Reason Ngwenya described the adverts as an abuse of public funds.
“As a public institution it is no doubt that the money they use to place those advertisements in the media are from us,” he said.
Women of Zimbabwe Arise leader, Jennifer Williams also said the abuse of the public funds from Zesa started at the time when the ministers ordered the channelling of funds from the parastatal to fund the First Lady’s campaigns.
“It is grossly irresponsible for Zesa to channel funds to political activities,” she said.
“It is not corporate responsibility as this is happening at a time when there is rampant load shedding, some institutions like schools are not electrified yet Zesa priorities funding Zanu PF programmes.”
Zesa is already in the eye of a storm, as some within Zanu PF have claimed that money was taken from the parastatal to fund fired Vice President Joice Mujuru’s campaigns.
The parastatal’s congratulatory messages may be seen as a face-saver from the parastatal, as former Minister of Energy Dzikamai Mavhaire and his deputy Munacho Mutezo were fired for allegedly siphoning money from Zesa to fund Mujuru’s so called factional activities.
Efforts to get a comment from Zesa failed yesterday, as officials’ phones went unanswered. – Newsday/Additional Reporting

Furor as Man’s Snake Invades House, Struck Dead

gokwe750In a bizarre situation that may force Chief Njelele to call for another traditional Indaba to look into a witchcraft quagmire that has rocked his homeland of Gokwe, a man in his late 60s demanded the life of a snake which was killed by Nyaradza township residents in the agro-town last week.
The snake which was causing unrest for the residents of the mentioned suburb, was entering houses of the residents and eating their foodstuffs at night. According to Ms Sibongile Gwabe, “the snake would open basins and feed itself from our left over meals. I saw the reptile with my own eyes eating from our dish at midnight while sitting on its tail, and I was at a loss of words,” she said shaking her head.
The neighbours organised and set a trap for the troublesome reptile and surrounded it, after they sprayed paraffin on all possible ways out. The residents then hit the snake with logs before taking it outside for view by the anxious crowd, who have estimated it to be close to two metres long.
Gwabe alerted her neighbours who thronged the place in droves as they also had seen the reptile in their houses before. The fellow citizen then teamed up and killed it before burning the reptile in paraffin and plastic papers fire.
“The snake started rising in the flame, (somewhat) threatening to free itself, but we were prepared to deal with it severely, because we wanted to have peace,” said another resident who identified herself as Mai Rudo.
As if it was not enough, in the early hours of the morrow day, an old man of about 68 years visited all the neighbours who gathered to kill the reptile and threatened with death if they don’t bring life to the snake they killed the previous night.
Nyaradza Township is a middle suburb in Gokwe town, with a population of a little over 3000 people. They reported the man to their residents’ chairperson, who alerted the police. The Gokwe Police referred the issue to Chief Njelele, as they said it was was more to do with cultural repercussions, carrying no criminal element in it.
Asked to comment, Chief Misheck Njelele blamed all witchcraft issues in his area on gluttony and egocentricity. “I will have to meet with my colleagues this time to clear off all evil doers from Gokwe. We have been tarnished enough and we have had enough of these issues,” he said angrily.
Last time an owl picked a male matured dog in broad day light during a traditional meeting that was called by chief Njelele to deal with witchcraft issues, and he had to call for an urgent meeting concerning the issue.
Gokwe has in recent years been awash with witchcraft scandals that left property investors with numerous questions on whether to build or not.

Didymus Mutasa Hopes for Political Asylum in India

ZANU PF’s expelled Secretary for Administration, Didymus Mutasa is consulting on options of getting political protection from India where he is domiciled at present.
ZimEye caught up with Mr Mutasa on Monday morning who spoke on his wife’s condition and replied back on the foreign protection issue. Mutasa who revealed he is seeking the assistance of foreign governments to deal with Mugabe, emotionally and abruptly fired back when further drilled in particular on his hopes of getting political asylum as speculated at the weekend. “I do not speak to the press (about that),” he said.
Mutasa however revealed his latest protest and attempt to get sympathy of foreign governments as he declared that Robert Mugabe is breaching the country’s laws. “The current Zanu-PF constitution which was adopted at the 6th congress swings all votes to the president alone and violates the supreme law of the country. It is therefore null and void,” he said.
The final outcome of Mutasa’s latest consultations were not clear at the time of writing as he refused to answer back any further.
Mutasa earlier in the year infamously earned the title “Gamatox” when he fired apparent threats to annihilate people considered a national nuisance by him. He was heavily criticised by First Lady Grace Mugabe in her whirlwind rallies as she taunted: “Pansi leGamatox!,” shortly before being sacked by the party for good.

Outrage as Mnangagwa is Likened to Jesus Christ

ZANU PF politburo members at the weekend torched storm when they likened Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa to God. During a party hosted by Mnangagwa at his rural home in Zvishavane, Mnangagwa was showered with the praises as he was also referred to as “a crocodile that could have struck in 1980 but did not as it does not hunt but waits for its time.” [ALSO READ – Mnangagwa Says God Wears Gushungo Label Clothes]
News readers reacted in anger learning of the development with some crying blasphemy.” ZPF is inviting a serious judgment upon themselves. This is blasphemy of the highest order,” wrote one infuriated reader.
Report by The Standard| Choruses of praise-singing and idolising shifted from President Robert Mugabe and the First Lady to new first VP Emmerson Mnangagwa who yesterday hosted a huge party at his Zvishavane home to celebrate his elevation to the new position.
Dozens of politburo and central committee members and senior military officers attended the party during which officials lined up to sing praises to Mnangagwa who is odds on favourite to succeed President Mugabe.
Masvingo political supremo and Psychomotor minister Josiah Hungwe likened Mnangagwa to Jesus Christ, referring to him as the “Son of Man.”
Asked to introduce Mnangagwa, Hungwe went into overdrive, showering Mnangagwa with colourful adjectives and likening him to “The Holy Son of Man”. He said his rise was planned by God.

Josiah Hungwe -FILE
Josiah Hungwe -FILE

“This man who has been made VP has various names that we all know but some of the names you don’t know them…He is known as the Son of Man…I can tell you that I received several texts from Bishop Andrew Wutaunashe (leader of the Family of God church) telling me that the Son of Man will be ordained VP way before these things happen and I just told him that I had heard him because I know he is a Man of God,” Hungwe said.
Several Zanu PF officials have in the past used the Messianic analogy on Mugabe and Mnangagwa was yesterday elevated to the same “divine” realm.
Mnangagwa could have become VP in 2004 but was blocked by Mugabe who preferred Joice Mujuru at that time. A decade later, Mugabe made a summersault and last week dumped Mujuru in favour of his long-time lieutenant.
Hungwe said Mnangagwa was a patient, principled and calculative VP whose meteoric rise to political stardom was ordained by Mugabe and God.
Hungwe said Mnangagwa, affectionately known as Ngwena (crocodile) behaved like a real crocodile which does not hunt for its prey but lays in wait in muddy waters only to strike without fail at the opportune time. He said Mnangagwa was the most resilient person in the country.
“It’s a matter of calculation because a crocodile does not hunt but waits for its time…those who wanted it to strike in 1980 got it all wrong. It only caught at the right time,” he said.
In the run up to the Zanu PF Congress the attention was on the first family as Grace Mugabe addressed nationwide rallies at which she denounced former VP Mujuru, while promoting Mnangagwa’s candidacy as VP. Party officials followed her around the country singing praises to her and the president.
Mnangagwa who arrived accompanied by former Labour and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo, was full of praise for President Mugabe for the appointment.
He said his family and close team had lined up parties to celebrate his appointment.
One of the parties, Mnangagwa said, would be held in Zvimba, Mugabe’s home area to thank him for his love.
Another one will be held at Mnangagwa’s Sheerwood Farm in the Midlands mining town of Kwekwe.
“July Moyo and Mai Mnangagwa have planned these parties. The first one will be in Zvimba where we are going to invite all the newly-appointed politburo members and central committee to thank the President and his family for his love,” Mnangagwa said.
The VP said he had travelled for 52 years in the company of Mugabe, a principled leader who at 90 was still stronger than a 41-year-old because God loves him. He also said that President Mugabe had taught him very important lessons of loyalty in his life.
His wife, Auxillia, who is also in the politburo, sweated heavily all afternoon as she jumped barefoot, dancing with other Midlands women thanking God for the appointment of her husband. She went down on her knees, thanking Mugabe and his wife, Grace for the elevation of her husband.
“The Mnangagwa family comes before President Robert Mugabe and Amai Grace to thank him for this appointment, she said.
The celebrations were however not without incident as deputy Mines minister Freddy Moyo, was ejected out of the heavily fenced compound on allegations that he supported Mujuru.
Youths led by Mnangagwa’s confidante, Owen ‘Muda’ Ncube, who manned the gates, screening delegates, fished Moyo out accusing him of belonging to the Majuru cabal accused of plotting to topple Mugabe. He was labelled “Gamatox” while many people thought to be previously aligned to Mujuru were also chased away.
Zanu PF politburo members including Jorum Gumbo, Mike Madiro, Chris Mutsvangwa, Shuvai Mahofa and Chief Fortune Charumbira, among others, including central committee members jostled to shake hands with Mnangagwa.
Prosecutor General Johannes Tomana accompanied by permanent secretary for defence Martin Rushwaya led top government officials and several army generals who also converged at the VP’s mansion to congratulate him.