Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson on Sunday said he warned the late prominent human rights champion Dewa Mavhinga against coming to Zimbabwe.

Mavhinga died mysteriously two weeks ago in Johannesburg.

Addressing mourners at the burial of the veteran human rights defender in Hwirisha, Chikomba, President Chamisa narrated how he tried to stop Mavhinga from visiting Zimbabwe.

President Chamisa, quoted by NewsDay said:

“I had told Dewa to defer his visit to Zimbabwe, but he insisted that he would come.

He told me that he was in the southern region visiting other countries including Mozambique.

He inquired why I was stopping him from coming to Zimbabwe. I also insisted that he should not come to Zimbabwe. About four weeks ago, we held a virtual meeting with Dewa and three others for over an hour planning the way forward on the 2023 elections. Dewa was a veteran, a stalwart, very resolute and a beast on fighting for human rights.

It is not possible to become a human rights defender without a human rights attacker.

He was a defender because our people are being attacked. We have been robbed as a country, as the whole world, as a generation.”

President Chamisa also posted on Twitter:

In CHIKOMBA Hwirisha..Laying to rest a Hero and Democrat DEWA MAVHINGA. A leader par excellence.A solid family anchor.A community leader in development. A global icon. A human rights defender.A pillar & Cde in the struggle for freedom. An intellectual giant. RIP beloved brother.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson on Sunday said he warned the late prominent human rights champion Dewa Mavhinga against coming to Zimbabwe.

Mavhinga died mysteriously two weeks ago in Johannesburg.

Addressing mourners at the burial of the veteran human rights defender in Hwirisha, Chikomba, President Chamisa narrated how he tried to stop Mavhinga from visiting Zimbabwe.

President Chamisa, quoted by NewsDay said:

“I had told Dewa to defer his visit to Zimbabwe, but he insisted that he would come.

He told me that he was in the southern region visiting other countries including Mozambique.

He inquired why I was stopping him from coming to Zimbabwe. I also insisted that he should not come to Zimbabwe. About four weeks ago, we held a virtual meeting with Dewa and three others for over an hour planning the way forward on the 2023 elections. Dewa was a veteran, a stalwart, very resolute and a beast on fighting for human rights.

It is not possible to become a human rights defender without a human rights attacker.

He was a defender because our people are being attacked. We have been robbed as a country, as the whole world, as a generation.”

President Chamisa also posted on Twitter:

In CHIKOMBA Hwirisha..Laying to rest a Hero and Democrat DEWA MAVHINGA. A leader par excellence.A solid family anchor.A community leader in development. A global icon. A human rights defender.A pillar & Cde in the struggle for freedom. An intellectual giant. RIP beloved brother.

By A Correspondent- A 20 year old Form 6 pupil at Churchill Boys High School was arrested for writing the Ordinary Level Shona examination for a friend whom he charged US$3.

Leon Chimufombo on Saturday appeared before Harare magistrate Noticia Shenje and was charged with contravening the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council Act and sitting, or attempting to present himself at an examination with the intention of impersonating another person.

He was jointly charged with Tanaka Mudorozi (18), who is the student that sought his services.

The duo was represented by Lucky Dube and was released on free bail to January 17.

The complainant, Zimsec, is represented by its security and loss control manager only identified as Nyabonde.

The State alleges that Mudozori gave his school uniform to Chimufombo so that he would be disguised as a Form 4 student and sit for the Zimsec Shona Paper 1, 2021 examination on his behalf.

The plot was exposed by an invigilator who noticed that Chimufombo was writing the exam for Mudzori since he knew the latter.

Chimufombo was arrested and he implicated Mudozori, who was also apprehended.

By A Correspondent- A leader of the Johanne Masowe Echishanu, Andby Makururu has pledged allegiance to the ruling Zanu-PF party, saying President Emmerson Mnangagwa was economically empowering members of his sect.

“I realised that if a person is poverty stricken,  he or she will start to think to vote for the opposition party, but President Mnangagwa  has always urged us to work hard,” Makururu told members of his sect at a prayer session.

He said members of his sect, one of the largest apostolic groupings in the country, would support Mnangagwa in the elections expected in 2023.

“All my church members are going to vote for Mnangagwa in 2023, and how I am going to do that, you can ask me. Poverty is the number one enemy, and so I am supporting my church members with poultry, bakery and other projects so that they can self-sustain,” he said.

“Mnangagwa has the country at heart and we are fully behind him. As church leaders, we are there to provide spiritual guidance to the President.”

Recently, Makururu launched a women’s empowerment programme under which women from the sect would get loans from the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank to start businesses

By A Correspondent- New political outfit, Freedom Alliance unveiled its leaders at a congress held at White City Stadium in Bulawayo at the weekend.

The congress ran on Friday and Saturday.

Public policy and development expert Samukele Hadebe was voted president, while former Peace and Reconciliation minister Moses Mzila Ndlovu, who is also the leader of Alliance for National Salvation (Ansa) is one of the deputy presidents.

Other deputy presidents are former Mthwakazi Republic Party vice-president Presia Ngulube and Senzeni Mpofu.

Nkayi businessman Mqondisi Ndebele was voted national chairperson, while Beauty Ndlovu will deputise him.

Njabulo Ngwenya was voted the secretary-general, Kauhelo Sebata is the senior deputy secretary-general, and Sipho Moyo was voted the deputy secretary for administration, and Nhlanhla Ncube clinched the deputy secretary-general (communications) post, and the treasurer-general is Nomathemba Ndebele.

Freedom Alliance was formed by different stakeholders in Matabeleland who include individual citizens, civic society members, political parties, the diaspora community and church organisations.

The outfit maintains that it was not a political party, adding that it sought to address governance and development imbalances that have affected Matabeleland region since independence through mobilising votes for people with the region’s interests at heart regardless of political affiliation ahead of the 2023 elections.

Ncube said the Freedom Alliance was formed soon after the Matabeleland people’s convention held from May 9 to 14 this year.

“It includes people from various walks of life, organisations and those from diverse cultural backgrounds who came together to form Freedom Alliance,” Ncube said.

He said their target voters were people from Matabeleland and Midlands regions.

“The alliance is not a political party; hence everyone retains their positions in their political parties. They remain members, but they become an alliance to harvest the efforts and energies to see the end of Matabeleland marginalisation, poverty, abuse and resource exploitation,” he said.

By A Correspondent- University of Kent law lecturer Alex Magaisa said that exiled former ZANU PF officials, the so-called G40 kingpins, have not changed and will still abuse power if given another chance.

Posting on the microblogging site, Twitter, Magaisa said the likes of Patrick Zhuwao and Jonathan Moyo are still as vile as they were during the Robert Mugabe era and behave as if they have title deeds to name-calling.

Magaisa was responding to Zhuwao, a nephew to the late former president Robert Mugabe, who had suggested that his latest BSR was a personal attack on Jonathan Moyo and other former G4O kingpins. Below is Magaisa’s post in its entirety:

[Patrick Zhuwao] you say I want to silence you and your friend, Prof Jonathan Moyo. I have no such power.

You silenced yourselves by the egregious abuse of power during your time in govt.

You lost the moral authority to speak on issues that you now claim to be champions of.

Check your friend’s record when he was Information Minister and how many journalists, media houses and citizens he mocked and silenced when he had the power to promote freedom.

Daily News press bombing, Capital Radio, ZBC journalists, foreign journalists like Andrew Meldrum.

You behaved like demigods as if power would not end. And I haven’t even mentioned the abuse of Morgan Tsvangirai, the name-calling and the disgusting, cruel and hurtful words when Itai Dzamara was abducted and caused to disappear in 2015 when you were all in government.

And even now, you both behave like you have title deeds to name-calling. I wanted to show that you have not changed, notwithstanding the pontification over the last 4 years of exile.

You’re still the same vile characters who revel in using uncouth language towards others.

You clearly haven’t come to terms with losing power. And your conduct in recent days confirms what I (and probably others) always suspected: that if given another chance in or near power you will be just as vile and dangerous as you were during the Mugabe regime.

The axe might forget, but the tree never does. It’s tough and traumatic to be in exile; to be unable to return home because kwakaberekera ngwena.

Humility is an underrated but beautiful thing. Respect the people that suffered abuse. Deal with the reality of the post-power phase.

Meanwhile, Zhuwao did not take Magaisa’s criticism lying down but sarcastically referred to the academic as “Mighty Professor Magaisa”. Said Zhuwao:

I don’t claim to be a champion of anything oh Mighty Professor [Alex Magaisa]. I only urged my colleagues to not give up politics because the ranks of the opposition are bereft of politically astute characters.

Press Conference announcement- "Is the #SupremeCourt serving its purpose or now an instrument of #injusice by the #rich and #powerful?" pic.twitter.com/9FH3rNiRnP

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) December 20, 2021

By A Correspondent- Bus operators are increasing security measures on their buses following a rise in armed robbery cases on buses.

Zimbabwe Passenger Transport Organisation chairman Sam Nanhanga on Sunday said they were going to use metal detectors to prevent people with machetes or guns from boarding buses. Said Nanhanga:

We are going to have metal detectors to make sure that no persons with guns and other harmful metal objects board the bus.

Even if a person is just carrying a machete, they will be detected and will not be allowed to get into the bus.

From now, we are going to use those detecting gadgets because if we do not do that, we will be victims of robberies, especially during this festive season.

This is to ensure the safety of the passengers and the bus crews as well.

Buses have become easy targets for armed robbers who sometimes board buses pretending to be passengers while carrying dangerous weapons.

Last week on Tuesday evening, a gang of armed robbers pounced on a CAG Travellers Coaches bus at the 325km peg along the Harare-Chirundu highway.

The robbers, who have since been arrested, undressed all passengers before escaping with the clothes and more than US$20 000.

By A Correspondent- A twenty year old man from Kezi, Mtsuli Village under Chief Malaba, Matabeleland South province, committed suicide following a misunderstanding with his grandfather over an unspecified issue.

Indications are that after the argument, the now-deceased Ashton Ncube packed his clothes and left home by bicycle.

He hanged himself on a tree using a shoelace last Thursday.

Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena last Friday told Southern Eye that: “I can confirm that police in Matabeleland South are investigating a case of sudden death involving Ashton Ncube (20), who allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree using a shoelace on December 16 at around 10am following an alleged misunderstanding with his grandfather,” Mangena said.

She said on December 12, Ncube was berated by his grandfather over his behaviour, which did not go down well with him.

Mangena said Ncube’s body was discovered by villagers in a nearby bush.

The villagers informed his grandfather before reporting the matter to police.

“His body was transferred to St Joseph Hospital for post-mortem.  We urge members of the public to consult third parties to resolve their differences.  No problem is beyond solution,” she said.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has apologised to its customers in Harare for a power outage that it blamed on underground cable faults.

In a public notice, ZETDC said the areas affected by the power outage are Overspill, Solani, Munyuki, Makomo, Kubatana Primary School area, Glenwood, Mabvuku, Tafara, New Ardbennie Industrial area, Sunshine Bazaar, Plymouth road and Simon Mazorodze road, Tynwald South, ZIMRE, Kuwadzana, Sawley Way, Admiral Tait road and Chinyika road, Gletwyn, parts of The Grange and Hayhill, Chitungwiza Unit L and the surrounding areas.

Power outages are common in Zimbabwe during the rain season, with the problem of load shedding worsened by trees falling on power lines, plunging households into darkness.

ZETDC has often been criticised by electricity users for its failure to respond timeously to faults.

By A Correspondent- A campaign to decriminalise sex work was last week launched in Bulawayo with the aim of lobbying policymakers to consider sex as a profession.

The campaign was launched by the Sexual Rights Centre (SRC) last week on Wednesday which emphasised that sex workers should speak with one voice in fighting for their rights.

SRC programmes co-ordinator Nombulelo Madonko yesterday told Southern Eye that they want sex work to be decriminalised.

“We are launching the decriminalisation of sex work in Zimbabwe strategy with the Zimbabwe Sex Workers Alliance.  This launch will be held together with sex worker-led organisations to garner support towards crafting of policies to decriminalise their profession,” Madonko said.

“We will lobby other sex workers throughout the country to join the campaign through their provincial co-ordinators,” she said.

Madonko said sex workers would also drum up support from their counterparts in the rural areas.

“We are using the footprint of the provincial co-ordinators to speak to sex workers and capacitate them to ensure that we get their support. We want sex work to be decriminalised because the operating environment is not what it was about 10 years ago.

“We are thankful to the June 2015 Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling that correctly interpreted the law, which was being misused to arrest sex workers. After getting arrested, sex workers were charged for contravening council by-laws with crimes such as loitering and blocking pavements,” she said.

Madonko said the ConCourt ruling allowed sex workers to do their work freely at night on the streets without being arrested.

She said sex workers had encountered several other challenges including being assaulted, murdered by clients, adding that their body parts were being used for ritual purposes.

“I will refer to the most recent case where a sex worker was found dead in a hotel room and had the number 666 inscribed on her stomach. This is not the only case. There are a number of murder cases of sex workers that go unreported, but they come to our attention at SRC.”

She said sex work should be recognised like any other job, adding that sex workers should be respected and allowed to operate freely.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Bulawayo residents in Pumula North are living in fear due to heavy blasting works at a nearby Chinese quarry mine.

A Chinese firm, Haulin Quarry Mining Company is conducting quarry mining on the outskirts of Pumula North suburb near Pumula High School and Methodist village.

Residents expressed concern over the explosion and noise pollution emanating from the mining site.

They told Southern Eye that they felt the ground shaking from the blasting activities at the site.

Chairperson of the Unemployed Association and founder of the Pumula Leadership Forum Givemore Mangena said they were worried about the effects of the blasting that might lead to infrastructural damage.

“We are worried about our houses and the school.

“The noise is too much and it might demolish our houses and the school,” he said.

Mangena said residents were considering reporting the matter to the Environmental Management Agency (Ema) so that it demands an environmental impact assessment from the Chinese company, and to find out if the residents’ properties are safe.

The Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association executive council secretary for administration Thembelani Dube, said the effects of explosions were discussed by the residents and the director of Haulin Quarry Mining Company, Hau Haung.

He said the outcome of the meeting was that they would be a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the company and residents on the issue.

“A verbal agreement is not enough, a memorandum of understanding should legalise the company’s dealings in the community in case there are infrastructural damages.

“The affected people should be compensated in the event of a crisis,” he said.

Dube said Haung showed them that the company was properly documented.

He said Ema and council were also engaged on the possible effects of the Chinese company’s blasting activities.

“The positive issues outnumbered the negatives, hence Haung was allowed to operate.

“The company’s 10-year lease is set to expire in 2031,” he said.

Haung agreed to sign a MoU with residents, and assured them that the company will ensure that the blasting does not cause any damage to their houses.

“”I am sorry about the damage caused, it will never happen again.

“This blasting is not a long-term thing.

“I have also ordered the engineers to reduce the explosives,” Haung said.

Ward 17 councillor Sikhululekile Moyo could not immediately comment on the issue as she said she was in a meeting.

The noise pollution is affecting people in Pumula South and Magwegwe West which is 3km away.

By A Correspondent- Former Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Peter Mutasa has alleged that he was being persecuted by  suspected Zanu-PF activists and that graft allegations against him were a plot by the ruling party to have him arrested.

In a statement, Mutasa said the government and Zanu-PF had engineered the corruption allegations.

“It is political vengeance and persecution. Unfortunately, it is led and supported by Zanu-PF enablers in ZCTU who seek to hoodwink workers into believing that this is a genuine concern. Firstly, the report to Zacc (Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission) was made just before the past ZCTU conference,” Mutasa said.

“Zanu-PF senior officials were already warning me of the impending audit and arrest. That is also why some publications were writing defamatory articles against me. In all the articles, they cited Zanu-PF enablers within ZCTU despite their denials.”

He said he had nothing to fear as the charges were trumped up and the whole thing was political persecution driven by vengeance.

On December 9, presidential spokesperson, George Charamba warned that Mutasa would soon be caged over alleged “transgressions” and misuse of funds during his tenure at the helm of the ZCTU.

Moyo said reports of his “imminent arrest” were given prominence last week towards the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition annual general meeting to harm his chances of getting nominated for the chairperson position.

“This report was meant to be used to cause my arrest should the voting delegates’ numbers support my re-election. This would ensure I was removed from the conference processes and lose by default. This was put on hold when the other team realised that they could win.

“Secondly, this report is meant to silence me against the regime or its backers in ZCTU.”

Mutasa lost the ZCTU presidency in October to Florence Taruvinga, who became the first female president of the organisation since independence.

Taruvinga works for Zesa as a technician and was ZCTU’s first vice-president.

Valentine Chikosi and Nicholas Mazarura were elected first and second vice-presidents respectively, while Douglas Chiradza was elected as treasurer-general.

Japhet Moyo remains the secretary-general.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has decried the plight of migrants in South Africa, whom it says were being denied healthcare among other necessities.

In a recent MSF’s Limpopo mobility survey report, it stated that denial of access to healthcare services in South Africa was common.

The report reveals a range of challenges faced by migrants on their journeys to and from South Africa, including high rates of sexual violence in border towns and communities, long stays in detention in South Africa for Zimbabweans, language barriers to healthcare access for central African migrants and more.

The report was released on Saturday in commemoration of the annual Migrants Day, which falls on December 18 each year.

The project co-ordinator for the MSF migration project in Beitbridge, Rinako Uenishi, urged authorities to assist migrants who face dehumanising challenges.

“Having arrived at these insights, we share our concerns with authorities to advocate for better migrant conditions,” Uenishi
said.

“Our interviews revealed that many migrants spend protracted periods in detention facilities, a quarter of respondents had spent more than a year locked up, with limited access to healthcare and basic needs. This is a real problem, both from a medical and human rights perspective.”

The MSF survey found that respondents spent time in more than two facilities on average, with living conditions in police stations reported as being poorer than prisons and the Lindela Repatriation Centre.

Only 26% of the interviewees had been tested for HIV and 9,4% for tuberculosis, most in Lindela or prison.

It said in police stations, the rates are much lower.

“There are some reports of transactional sex and forced sex in certain facilities, yet respondents reported very poor access to condoms in detention, especially in Lindela,” Uenishi said.

MSF regional migration referent Vinayak Bhardwaj said: “Many of those whose papers expire before they are able to renew endure inhumane and often illegal conditions of arrest and detention prior to deportation, heightening the risks of contagion during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Bhardwaj pointed out that the MSF team in Beitbridge reports an 80% positivity rate among returning residents who are tested for COVID-19 at the border.-newsday

By A Correspondent- Exiled former ZANU PF officials accuse UK-based Zimbabwean constitutional law expert, Alex Magaisa of an unwarranted attack against them using his blog, The Big Saturday Read (BSR).

Former cabinet minister Patrick Zhuwawo, who now resides in South Africa said Magaisa’s latest BSR, titled “Post Power Syndrome”,

… appears to target [Jonathan Moyo] in particular but mentions [Saviour Kasukuwere] myself in a weak attempt to make the article appear to be a conceptual piece although it is an ad hominem attack on [Jonathan Moyo].

An “ad hominem” response is an argument or reaction directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining.

Zhuwao, Kasukuwere and Moyo were alleged members of Generation 40 (G40) a ZANU PF faction that was attempting to take control of the ruling party during the late former president Robert Mugabe’s twilight years.

In a tweet on Monday last week, Prof suggested that the MDC Alliance should channel the US$120 000 donated by party supporters to buy party president Nelson Chamisa an armoured vehicle to purchase offices and bicycles for polling agents for the 2023 elections. 

Moyo wrote:

Dai ndiri shiri ndai buda mudungeon mangu ndobhururuka ndodzokera kudheni; ende dai ndiri 2023 presidential candidate ndine USD120K, ndaitsvaga vashandi vanoshandira musangano wangu kana kuti ndaitenga office, kana mabhasikoro emapolling agents kumaward centres!

In his latest BSR published on 17 December, Magaisa argued that people who have been in power for a long time manifest what psychologists refer to as “post-power syndrome” when they leave office. He wrote:

Post-power syndrome is a condition that afflicts individuals who believe they have power or status in society long after they have left their positions of power.

Typically, an individual who used to hold a position of power and influence, whether in a company, organization, or the state, but now they no longer have it.

We may, for convenience, refer to this stage when they no longer have power as the post-power phase.

For individuals suffering the post-power syndrome, they will be physically out of power, but mentally, they will still be wielding power and influence.

Turning to former ZANU PF officials who lost cabinet posts after the November 2017 military coup, Magaisa said:

The coup swept them away, leaving them without power. Some had to flee into exile while others were thrown from pillar to post in the politicized criminal justice system.

The post-power phase has not been easy for them although each of them has handled it in different ways. Some like Professor Jonathan Moyo remain vocal in the political arena, while by contrast, former police boss Augustine Chihuri has been on mute since the coup.

Mandi Chimene is allegedly holed up in Mozambique while others like Saviour Kasukuwere and Patrick Zhuwao are living in South Africa.

Dr Ignatius Chombo, who was detained and tortured during the coup, has been dragged around the courts to no avail.

Posting on Twitter, Moyo seemingly criticised Magaisa’s analysis, describing it as “egregiously unscholarly” and “anti-intellectual”. Said Moyo:

Zizi risina nyanga rinotora a concept from a political science textbook for undergraduate freshmen; roghaya kuti better riyishandise as a psychoanalytic tool for a sophomoric composition about the dynamics of political power; to entertain and amuse legions of thoughtless trolls!

It’s egregiously unscholarly and therefore anti-intellectual to lift concepts from undergraduate textbooks and abuse them to pre-analytically describe political phenomena that one has not empirically researched; and for which there’s no baseline research done by other scholars!

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday told mourners at the burial of the late human rights activist, Dewa Mavhinga that he had warned him not to come back to Zimbabwe, a few days before he died.

Mavhinga, who was southern Africa director for Human Rights Watch, succumbed to COVID-19 on December 6, in South Africa.

The Human Rights Watch said Mavhinga had died a few days after he returned to Johannesburg from a research mission in Zimbabwe.

He was laid to rest yesterday at his rural home in Chivhu, where several senior opposition party members, civic society members, and human right activists were in attendance.

“I had told Dewa to defer his visit to Zimbabwe, but he insisted that he would come,”Chamisa said.

“He told me that he was in the southern region visiting other countries including Mozambique. He inquired why I was stopping him from coming to Zimbabwe.  I also insisted that he should not come to Zimbabwe. About four weeks ago, we held a virtual meeting with Dewa and three others for over an hour planning the way forward on the 2023 elections. Dewa was a veteran, a stalwart, very resolute and a beast on fighting for human rights. It is not possible to become a human rights defender without a human rights attacker. He was a defender because our people are being attacked. We have been robbed as a country, as the whole world, as a generation.”

He also described Mavhinga as an intelligent cadre who was determined to fight rights abuse.

Mavhinga started his career in human rights as deputy co-ordinator at the forum’s International Liaison Office in London from April 2007 to April 2008. He then joined the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition regional office in South Africa before joining the Human Rights Watch.

He started as a senior researcher and advocate before being elevated to the position of director, a post he held until his death.

In 2012, Mavhinga co-founded the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute. He was also the founding chairperson of the Living Together Institute and also a board member for the Savanna Arts Trust Theatre Group.

By A Correspondent- The Ministry of Health and Child Care has directed authorities in boarding schools to ensure that learners in isolation must remain in school until they are cleared to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Schools officially closed on Friday last week but COVID-19 positive pupils will only be allowed to go home after they are cleared by health authorities.

Bulawayo Provincial Medical Director, Dr Maphios Siamuchembu confirmed the development. He said:

As schools closed, those children who are in isolation because they have tested positive for COVID-19 remain in their current isolation facilities until the end of their isolation period.

My office regrets any inconvenience caused, but we cannot deliberately allow infected people to go around spreading the virus.

Recently, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education communications and advocacy director, Taungana Ndoro revealed that over 100 schools had recorded COVID-19 cases countrywide.

Some private schools closed before the 17th of December to prevent the spread of COVID-19 following the detection of the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has launched an investigation into a case where a 15-year-old girl from Kadoma was married off to a Chinese national and forced to drop out of school.

The victim (name withheld) of ward 5, Chief Neuso in Sanyati district, Mashonaland West province was reportedly married off to the Chinese national and US$2 000 was paid to her parents as lobola on November 26 this year.

The Chinese national allegedly works at Ringxin/Mambo Mine as an engineer.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident to NewsDay.

‘‘As police, I can confirm that we have launched an investigation into the case. For now, we can’t comment any further despite the fact that we are still conducting investigations,” Nyathi said.

On Wednesday, the police in Sanyati intervened and rescued the girl, although her parents are insisting that the Chinese national is their son-in-law.

Sources say the Chinese nationals working at mines near Kadoma target young girls, mostly virgins, for marriage.

One Tichaona Mapara said the problem was being fuelled by poverty among families that live in the gold-rich area.

‘‘Several parents of unmarried virgin girls are also eyeing these Chinese men to marry off their young girls in early forced marriages,” Mapara told NewsDay.

Areas such as Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland West are the worst affected by child marriages.-newsday

By- The Government has declared Ntabazinduna Chief Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni a fugitive after a Bulawayo magistrate had issued a warrant of arrest against the outspoken traditional leader for allegedly violating his bail conditions.

On November 30 in 2019, Mnangagwa stripped of all Government benefits accruing to Chief Ndiweni.

The outspoken Chief was in August 2019 sentenced to effective 18 months in jail for what the state said, ordering 23 villagers to destroy property belonging to a family that he had banished from his area.

Aggrieved by the conviction and sentence, Ndiweni, through his lawyer Mr Dumisani Dube of Mathonsi Law Chambers, appealed at the High Court challenging the verdict of the lower court and the matter is still pending.
He was, however, later released by Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Thompson Mabhikwa on $500 bail pending appeal against both conviction and sentence.

-State media

“Arrest warrant for £7. 50 “

 Umkhulu Umkhulu Wamangwe , Emkheswa , Emdladla  Lo Ongange Ndlovu ,  Wena Uyisilo , Umkhulu Umkhulu Wamangwe , Emkheswa , Emdladla.

Esethukase , Othwalabesabe ,   Entazikusela Yase Mangweni ,  Elodunga Kandaba , Amalebe Omfula , Emadlodlongwane , Ibuhlasi benkosi , Ubuhlasi Bendlunkulu ,  Elingwe limqongo , Ilingwe lasemangweni , Amangwe , Amangwe-amqobo , Imputhi yamahlathi ,  Izezwe lezezwane.

 The Chiefs Residence, Ntabazinduna, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

  THE  CHIEFS CAMPAIGN FOR JUSTICE AND THE RULE OF LAW

CHIEF  NHLANHLAYAMANGWE  NDIWENI

 

PRESIDENT EMMERSON MNANGAGWA MUST  RESIGN

 

“Arrest warrant for  £7. 50 “

As already stated Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni will Challenge the “ arrest warrant “ because it has no merit.  The Chief is most keen that the appeal to the “ Damages to dry bushes court cases, for which he was incarcerated for and given an 18 month sentence , which has a total value of  damages to property,  of the sum  of USD. 10.00  “ must be heard at the High Court. Since it has now been two years of waiting for such a simple straightforward case to be heard .  And it is this case that has been used to try and issue an arrest warrant.  An international arrest warrant for £ 8.50  What is Zimbabwe coming to.  Once discharged from treatment from the hospital, here in the United Kingdom,, Chief Ndiweni will return to Zimbabwe, irrespective as to whether the “ arrest warrant “ is there or not.  For the Chief has work to do in Zimbabwe.

We live in amazing and interesting times. 

We observe a government in total disarray, lurching from one crisis into another crisis.  However, what is abundantly clear to all Zimbabweans, both in the country and outside the country, is that our minority government is afraid of The Vote. They have exhausted so much time and energy, trying to change the subject onto other things, in fear of The Vote.

Our government is evidently afraid, very afraid of the Zimbabwean citizen.

Here is a quotation that is centuries old, yet describes the current government.  It is taken from Tacitus, The Annals of Imperial Rome “ The more corrupt the State , the more numerous the laws “.  It is centuries old ,yet perfectly describes our government

in 2021.                                                                                                                                 1 There is no doubt that our legal system and judiciary have been state captured for sometime now.  The Zimbabwean High Court judge, in her affidavit, when fighting against Chief Justice Malaba and Emmerson Mnangagawa, trying to keep her job as a judge, eloquently stated that “ The judiciary has been politically weaponised “. A damning indictment from within the system.

We find the very first ever  “ Job description “ in the whole world, know to humankind , written in the scriptures.  This job description is very , very short but powerful, even by to days standards.  It is found in the old testament in the book of Exodus 18;21.  Moses listens to his father in-law “ Jethro “, advising him that he should appoint leaders and judges amongst the nation.  It says in the Good News Bible “ They must be God -fearing men who can be trusted and who cannot be bribed “.  A one sentence job description, that cuts through, politics, status, wealth, ideology, indeed everything.  This one statement defines a Magistrate or Judge.  With no other description required.  Not even whether they have a Law degree or legal experience. 

As a result of political meddling within the judiciary, by the current government, we have fallen far short of living up to that biblical definition, of what is a magistrate  or what is a judge.  Political meddling on a daily basis by the current government of the day.

We read in the press about a Chief Ndiweni who has been issued with a warrant of arrest, for breaking bail conditions and wonder who that could be.  Indeed we wonder what could possibly have gone wrong here, with the said Chief Ndiweni,  for such an event to occur.

Low and behold as we read we realise that, that they are referring to Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Felix Ndiweni.  With shock and horror, my goodness that is us ! Wonders will never cease to happen, as our good brothers in Nollywood, Nigeria, like to say.. Imaging that, Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni again !

On the day of the judgement of our case, the Chief had an eye operation at one of the eye surgeons in Bulawayo at midday.  The eye condition was and continues to be serious, for he has had this condition for over 40 years now.  By 6 pm the Chief and his subjects had been found guilty and taken to Khami Remand Prison, to await sentencing the following day.  The eye was evidently puffed up, swollen and running with fluid, continuously.  Photographs taken of the court proceedings show the Chief wearing dark glasses, the ordinary day light was too bright for his eyes.

It was clear that the chief was still suffering from the after effects of the operation, but he did the best with what little medication he had for it. The following day they returned to the magistrates court, where upon the Chief was given an 18 month sentence for damaging dry bushes with a value of USD 10.  He was sent back to Khami to begin his sentence of 18 months.  Still in extreme pain from the operation the previous day. 

The case of the dry bushes, that had a value of USD 10,  had been politically driven by the government from beginning to end.                                                                      

The foot prints of Zanu PF were everywhere, in this matter.  The foot steps of political corruption were all over it.  The “ The unacceptable face of corruption in the country, Mr Obert Mpofu “, was deeply implicated. Indeed foot steps which will be addressed, when a proper government takes office, for corruption and misuse of public office.  For “ Justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done “, as stated by Lord Hewart, the then Lord Chief Justice of England.  For it would not be right and proper, to allow those who have been engaging in corruption, within this current government,  to get away without facing prosecution, since they would have unleashed untold sufferings upon  countless individuals.  As a country, that will have to be done, in order to draw a line under these terrible 41 years, that the people have been put through.  It must be seen that crime does not pay, no matter how long it takes.

Whilst in Khami Prison the Chief’s condition continued to deteriorate.  Indeed the inmates and prison guards, at the prison all did their very best, to assist with what ever they could.  However the condition, required a proper medical environment with proper treatment .  As any physician will concur that after care following any operation is vital.  However that was not the case for the Chief. As a result the incarceration of the Chief, was responsible for the deterioration of his condition. Hence he suffered a personal detriment and a disadvantage as a result.  For had he not been incarcerated, that deterioration would not have occurred.  His medical record of his condition clearly shows this.  A matter which will have to be addressed, through litigation in due course.

The Chiefs legal team lodged the appeal at the High Court, to obtain the Chiefs release from prison and also against the whole case.  The judge sitting over the matter was very swift and indeed scathing, about this whole fabricated case and immediately ordered the release of the Chief and accepted the appeal for the whole case.  The judges in his summation nearly quashed the whole original case about the dry bushes that had a value of USD 10, because it had no legal merit at all but held himself back, to allow due process.

The Chief was released that evening .

The following day in the morning the Chief went back to the eye doctor, who had operated on him, since the eye condition was now well advanced.  After examining the Chief, the doctor referred the Chief in writing, back to his eye hospital in the United Kingdom, where he has been treated for over 20 years.  Having had over the years, many procedures and operations there.

The Chief explained his condition to his legal team.  The Chief showed them the medical referral from the Bulawayo doctor to the Hospital in The United Kingdom. They said that on such medical evidence, the Chief was entitled for medical treatment, even with the bail conditions that were there.  Because the situation was evident and historical, spanning over twenty years duration.  They advised that he should go immediately for the treatment.  The legal team advised that they would also lease with the law enforcement agents where the Chief signs every Friday. The chief also went to sign on at Ntabazinduna police station.  When everything was in place for him to go to the united Kingdom for the medical treatment, the Chief signed at the police station and also reminded them,

that he was going to the United Kingdom for treatment.  The police also had sight of his medical referral and medical papers to that end.  At the Police station there was no electricity or a photo coping machine, to copy these documents.  The police said they would engage the Chiefs Legal team on this matter. 

With respect to the Chief going to the United Kingdom for medical treatment, authority was given by the police and it was a collective decision by the government and the Chiefs legal team.  

And so the Chief went to his hospital in the United Kingdom for treatment.  Where on arrive at the Heathrow Airport, within two hours he was on the operating table .

Had additional permission been required ,the Chief would not have gone to the United Kingdom for treatment, until such authority was given.

Most of the media houses and press reported the Chief flying out for medical treatment in the United Kingdom, some one and a half years ago. However the chief has returned to Zimbabwe during this period for some four months.  During which he resumed his regular Friday signing in at the police station.  The collective decision still being up held by all, that it was right and proper that the Chief receive medical treatment in the United Kingdom.

This politically motivated warrant of arrest, seems to imply that the Chief somehow absconded in the dead of night, when the prison guards were fast asleep.  The truth is indeed very clear .  For in this story, the facts are that the prison guards opened the prison cell gate for the Chief, gave the Chief some tea and bread, gave the Chief a packed lunch, provided the Chief with a car and then enabled the Chief to get onto an aeroplane.  And then today the prison guard is shouting “ PRISON BREAK

OUT ! , PRISON BREAK OUT !, THE CHIEF HAS ESCAPED !, THE CHIEF HAS

ESCAPED !  It is some what difficult to keep a straight face, when looking at these facts.  It is as if one is looking at the cartoon film of Tom and Jerry !  The cat chasing the mouse round and round a table, whilst throwing tea spoons at the mouse.

To make matters worse, for those who are of the view that some crime has been committed, the following happens.  The Chiefs mother, uMasuku passes away, within some months.  It is widely reported in the press. The Chief flys back to Zimbabwe for the burial of his mother. The very first Friday he signs in at the police station.  He meets all the local police there.  During the funeral preparations, during the funeral and after the funeral, the chief is still signing in throughout.  He works closely with the police and health workers, since covid is there, with respect to managing the crowds.  During that period, the President of the Republic Of Zimbabwe Emmerson Dambuzo Mnanagagwa, sends his condolences to the Chief about the passing away of his mother.  It is widely reported in the press.

Which means that from the President down the whole government,  they all knew that the Chief had returned from the United Kingdom, to come and bury his mother. Why was there no warrant of arrest issued out then, since they imply the Chief absconded in the dead of night.

To make matters even worse, for those that take the view that a crime has been committed by the Chief is this.  The Chiefs legal team are known to the authorities.    Why have they not worked with that legal team, if there were issues that needed addressing.

The covid restrictions stopped the Chief from being able to return to the United Kingdom for continuation of his treatment, for some months.  He continues to sign in every Friday.  The health workers come to the Chiefs Residence, to check the Chiefs sisters and the Chief, who also came with the Chief, from the United Kingdom.  They are all given a clean bill of health for covid.  The Chief under takes joint operations with the local  police.  Mostly transporting the police throughout Ntabazinduna, with respect to police work, since their motor cycle regularly breaks down, with engine problems or punchers.  All the while signing in every Friday.

When the flying travel restrictions are lifted, the Chief once again informs his local police station, that he is returning to the United Kingdom to continue his  treatment. The local police wish him a safe journey.  The police inform the Chief that he will  resume signing on Fridays when he returns.  The Chief flys back to the United Kingdom to continue with his treatment .  Once again he has informed the local police that he is returning to the United Kingdom and will not be there to sign on the Fridays.  The police say that the Chief can resume signing in on Fridays, again, when he returns. 

Whilst in the United Kingdom the Chief has spoken with Sargent Chisango on many occasions, with regard to matters in Ntabazinduna.  Even with respect to the recent matter, where a local large lorry, ran over a school child.  An accident, through no fault of the driver.  The Chief worked together with Chisango, for both families on this matter. The Chief has also spoken to Senior officers at  Mbembesi Police Station, with regard to a  mzukhulu who was destroying property at the homestead . The Chief had also asked Chisango to attend the homestead, and see this damage to property belonging to local resident of Ntabazinduna.  That matter is now a police case .  On his next call to the police, they informed the Chief of what was happening, at the Chiefs residence.  Indeed the Chiefs senior wife, wenhluNkhulu, also identified the police that attended the Chiefs homestead to see the damage. Pictures and videos were taken.  The Chiefs senior wife had returned to Zimbabwe just for a few weeks, having come from the United Kingdom. She was there at the police station when the matter of the chicken sheds being damaged was being discussed.  The Chief spoke to the officers on this occasion through her phone.

If there was a matter about the Chief absconding, why during so many occasions were they not brought to the Chief directly, or to his legal team.  Or were the police and government also breaking the law with the Chief ?

The Chief has a phone and the police have the number.

The Chief has a Twitter and the police know it.

The Chief has a facebook and the police know it.

So after a year and a half, of the chief being in the United Kingdom for treatment ,some government political spin doctor, suddenly realises that the Chief is not in Zimbabwe. 

But the problem for this political spin doctor is that the  whole government knew , that the Chief was not  Zimbabwe and they and the law enforcement agents, had been working with the Chief the entire time, having allowed the Chief to go for his treatment in the United Kingdom. 

The law enforcement agents having given their consent for him to be in the United Kingdom.   

Even the President of The Second Republic knew that the Chief was in the United Kingdom, for treatment.  For he to saw Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni, in videos and the media  at 10 Downing Street, representing the Campaign for the 5.5 million plus  Zimbabwean diaspora Vote.  The last time a Constitutional Substantive Chief stepped on the steps of 10 Downing Street was in late 1979, at the Lancaster House Conference. During those historic days, the current crop of leaders in the government, were spectators far away from the main event, that gave birth to the modern day Zimbabwe. They were not there at the top table, where decisions were made.  All of those who were there are now long departed.  Even the convener of the conference, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, of Her Majesty’s government,  is long departed. The chiefs that were present, those heady days , for our country were Chief Khayisa Ndiweni and Chief Jeremiah Chirau. Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe

Ndiweni repeated that event on the 2^nd December 2021, as the next Chief from Zimbabwe to step on the steps of Downing street. It is historic because that is where the agreement happened at Lancaster House just around the corner, from 10 Downing Street. An important event for our country.

By the reaction of the current government and their spin doctors, it is evident that they were not pleased that the Zimbabwean Diaspora Vote, for the 5.5 million plus Zimbabwean citizens in the diaspora, has reached this level.  But then how else could these Zimbabwean citizens advance their desire to vote in Zimbabwean elections, from wherever they are in the world.  The idea that they should all come back to Zimbabwe to Vote, is disrespectful to the Zimbabwean Diaspora, who have brought in over a USD One Billion every year to the country as remittances.  The Zimbabwean diaspora have tried for over ten years to engage the government on this matter.  The government repeatedly turned them down flat.  The Zimbabwean diaspora have gone to the High Court and Regional Courts, seeking the diaspora vote.  The government has still rejected them completely.  The logical next step that a people are entitled to is to take such a matter to other international organisations, governments and regional bodies.  So that diplomacy may be engaged to coheres, our stubborn government to do the right and honourable thing, for its citizens, in the diaspora. For one to take offence at the Chief leading on such an honourable campaign, is to show a lack of understanding about the very principle of democracy.

This whole matter about the “ arrest warrant “ is about politics and not about law.  

Currently the Chief has not been discharged from treatment at the hospital, since the condition was advanced by his period at Khami Prison, straight after the eye surgery on the same day, in Bulawayo.   There is a wealth of medical files and appointments covering the whole period the Chief has been in the United Kingdom.

Months and months on end going to the hospital once or twice a week. 

6

To add to the slowness of the whole matter, the covid pandemic , removed medical staff from hospitals to work in frontline positions, administering the covid vaccines.  Even some terminal cancer patients were not seen to during this period because of the need to vaccinate the general population against the covid pandemic. Tragically some critically ill patients passed away during this period.  Indeed the covid pandemic is a once in a generation event, that has shock the world.  Someone who does not appreciate such an event, is not serious and must be removed from public office if they hold such a position. Hence conditions like the Chief were treated slowly and are still being treated in that manner.  Until the staff return full time to their chosen areas of work.

For the Chief, in this regard of his long standing medical condition, there are files and files , covering twenty years of treatment in this one specialist hospital.

However, that is not to say the Chief is thus too incapacitated to fulfil his responsibilities as a Chief. The Chief has continued to work with his responsibilities in Ntabazinduna.  The Village Heads of Ntabazinduna are the first, in the country, to have Zoom meetings with their chief , thousands of miles away this year.  There are so many developments that have happened for Ntabazinduna during this period. Ntabazinduna Communal Lands  are now registered here in the international arena. Obtaining various partnerships, that are bringing development for Ntabazinduna, for their Clinics, schools, infrastructure, cash flow in the community, commercial agriculture, twining with other such areas in the world, twining with schools in the world, putting together enervative solar energy solutions for Ntabazinduna, student program for Ntabazinduna and many other low hanging fruits, that are about to be implemented.  The most  prominent of which is placing Ntabazinduna Communal Lands, in a position to internationally access funds and resources.

It is hoped that the current government would refrain, from hindering such possibilities for the people of Ntabazinduna and the country as a whole, in their respective rural areas. As they have done so, in the past ,with progressive ideas and attempts , that have not come from within the Ruling party.  But rather to put the interests of the people first and allow such enervation and development.  A wise government allows, supports and celebrates such developments, that even do not come from amongst their ranks, but will bask in the triumph of success, when it is achieved because it occurred on their watch.  It occurred whilst they were the government.  That is what clever and timeless politicians do, all around the world who are continuously re-elected.

For no organisation, or individual has a monopoly over knowledge.  For we as a country have been trying it, the Ruling party way for over 41 years now and we have come to a stand still as a country. We are daily informed, about this and that which is being resuscitated  for the country.  But the bigger question is, who broke it in the first place, that it now requires to be fixed and resuscitated.  We have only had the Ruling Party for 41 years.  The finger of blame must point there, to the Ruling party. For even during the Government of National Unity , GNU, it was the Ruling party that was in charge and that was resident at State House.  How is it that we have an International Airport that has broken radar, that hardly works ?  We wonder what the international Aviation Authority say, about Zimbabwe in this regard.

To date we in Zimbabwe have been unfortunate in that good progress has been stopped, because it did not come from our government, but came from independent individuals or came from the opposition.  We hope that has now changed and that the government will allow progress, for progress sake, irrespective from where it may come from.  No government can control everything within its jurisdiction.  Even the mighty authoritarian States like Russia and China, have failed in controlling absolutely everything in their countries.  

However, with respect to Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni and his bail, no crime has been committed here at all.  No bail condition have been broken here, since everyone was aware and agreed for Chief Ndiweni to receive treatment in the United Kingdom.  As one cabinet member said to another, in our current government sometime ago, “ one would need to have the small brain the size of a rat, in the body of a big elephant , in order to build such a case “ . Indeed, very colourful language used by a well known current  Zimbabwean politician.

Clearly the warrant of arrest will be legally challenged, since it has no merit.

Should medical treatment permit, the Chief would return to Ntabazinduna immediately.  Whether the “ arrest warrant “ is still in place or not, for that is not an issue.  What is at issue, is the legality of the “ arrest warrant “. For the Chief has far too many matters to deal with in Ntabazinduna and indeed all of his wishes and aspirations are there for his people.  For there are now ways by which their daily lives can be improved, dramatically.

The chief is most keen that this issue of the “ arrest warrant “, means that the government is now finally willing for the Chiefs appeal, against the “ dry  bushes that had a value of USD 10, case “, will now be heard by the High Court.  The government has not wanted this appeal to be  heard, since it knows the appeal will be successful and the case and conviction both quashed, within a few minutes in the High Court. It would be disingenuous on the part of the government, to advance the matter of the “ arrest warrant “, whilst they still have absolutely no intention, for the appeal to be heard in the High Court, for the “ case of the dry bushes that had a value of USD 10 “.

The government has employed delaying tactics, to keep the Chiefs bail conditions active indefinitely, by design.

The government is seeking to politically control the Chief by indefinitely keeping the bail conditions active.

The government hopes that the bail conditions for the Chief will control and hinder his daily work.

The government hope that the Chief’s bail conditions may be used to stop the Chief’s Campaign for the Human Right to Vote , for the 5.5 million plus Zimbabwean diaspora.

The government has for sometime goaded the Chief to break his bail conditions by transgressing upon them by design. An example of this provocation is the illegal settlements in Ntabazinduna, being advanced by the government.

The government is silent on the appeal case and does not want to talk about it.

The government does not want the embarrassment of loosing the appeal in the glare of the media.

The government finds it’s self cornered by this case, that with hindsight they should have not have allowed Obert Mpofu to fabricate on its behalf.

The government does not wish to afford the Chief, the opportunity to advance numerous litigations, as a result of loosing the Chiefs impending appeal, with respect to corruption and misuse of public office, by various individuals in the government.  The facts for these litigations are there and only await the conclusion of the “ The case of the dry bushes that had a value of USD 10 “.

The government still holds to the idea of a Zanu PF, chief of Ntabazinduna.  Even though that would be against the law and against the Constitution and against the Traditional Leaders Act.  Not to mention that the people of Ntabazinduna do not accept such a Zanu PF Chief.  For the current Chief has and continues to work with all political parties.  To this end the Chief has hosted, all the political parties in his Homestead and on the Communal lands.

The public should once again view this matter as the government yet again not being truthful and abiding by the Rule of Law.  But rather the government seeking to effect Rule By Law.  Where the bastardised law is used to assault the innocent Zimbabwean citizen .  A principle that is at odds with democracy.

The truth of the matter is that once again , here is political corruption at work. The government lashing out because it could not get it’s own way. The final realisation at last, that it is not a political island or a geographical island.  That Zimbabwe as a country and government , must live amongst the brotherhood and sisterhood of nations.  It cannot extricate it’s self from this international community, just because it wishes to effect bad legislation upon its citizens and subjugate them daily behind closed doors.   In particular, that the Chiefs campaign for the 5.5 million Zimbabwean Diaspora vote will happen, whether it agrees to it or not. For through MyRight2Vote and other Zimbabwean organisations and the international arena, they will be facilitating an independent Zimbabwean diaspora Vote , parallel with the next elections when ever they are called.  These parallel Zimbabwean diaspora elections will be independent of the Zimbabwean Election Commission , ZEC.  They will be independent of the Zimbabwean government.  But through international Hard Edged diplomacy, by the international arena, SADC, African Union, United Nations, towards  the Zimbabwean government, will be thus  effected.  So the Zimbabwean diaspora parallel elections are vital, in order for the country to progress.

In the 2018 elections only 4.8 million people vote in total.  At the very same time there were 5 million Zimbabwean citizens in the diaspora who were denied the right, the Human Right to vote in the 2018 elections.  To have another 5.5 million plus Zimbabwean  citizens, independently voting in the next elections in 2030 would push the total number of citizens that could vote in those 2023 elections to well over the 10 million plus.  This would make the 2023 elections the largest plebiscite in the history of the country. 

It is not important what the current governments position is on the diaspora vote. The independent vote will go ahead and Hard Edged diplomacy, will coerce the current  government to include the Zimbabwe Diaspora Vote in 2023.  Of course, currently the government rejects the Zimbabwean diaspora Vote.  However in 2023 they will have no choice but to accept fellow Zimbabweans having voted from across the globe.  For just one day in politics is indeed a very long time.  Time in which the impossible that is rejected, becomes the possible that is accepted. 

The principle of the  Zimbabwean Diaspora elections  is already accepted by the world at large. For the day the Zimbabwean diaspora vote in those independent global elections, is the day that we all get the first properly elected government in Zimbabwe, in 41 years.  It is evident that such words send shock waves through our government.  For they have already said through their, then Acting Political Commissar Patrick Chinamasa, that they fear that their candidate, Emmerson Dunbudzo Mnangagawa would lose such an election, such a plebiscite.  It is a rare thing to see our government openly acknowledge and accept defeat, within the public domain.  That shows the importance of the independent parallel Zimbabwean diaspora Vote, that the Chief is leading.

As a Constitutional Substantive Chief, he is entitled to lead such a campaign and it is not at odds with his responsibilities as enshrined in the Traditional Leaders Act. For the ability for one to vote is a Human Right.  A human Right is humanity. Humanity is ubuntu.  Ubuntu is contained in the peoples customs and traditions. The very thing the chiefs are instructed in the Traditional Leaders Act to keep and protect the peoples customs, Traditions, practises and norms.  We have come full circle.  The Right, the Human Right to Vote for every single Zimbabwean on planet earth.

To date the preparations for the Zimbabwean diaspora Vote are making remarkable progress.  No doubt this has reached our government.  However, where the government goes wrong, is that it now is no longer about Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni when it comes to the Zimbabwean diaspora Vote.  The Vote has grown wings of it’s own and can now fly, whether Chief Ndiweni is there or not. The box was opened and the will of the people, could no longer be restricted or contained as before. The international arena is not a closed confined space as within Zimbabwe. It cannot be contained and made to do “ X “ or to do  “ Y “ , as is the case within the confines of Zimbabwe.

The current government has spent a great deal of time and resources closing down the democratic space in the country.  We cannot remember the last time the “ proper “ opposition parties, were allowed to protest and march, as is their Constitutional Right.

Even the War Veterans, on anti-Sanctions day, tried to march and protest about the poor state of the country and how the current government was applying sanctions upon them, due the hardship of their daily lives .  The elderly men and women, were rained down upon with baton charges and riot shields.  Nurses trying to protest about being paid pea nuts, are baton charged , beaten up and arrested.  Doctors trying to protest against working conditions, are bashed and beaten up until unconscious.  When they come round, they are given a form to sign, saying that they are now being drafted into the health service, as military doctors. Military doctors who do not have the right to strike for wages and conditions.  Teaches try to ask for more money, a living wage and not the pea nuts they are currently paid, when the government feels like it.  They to are baton charged, beaten down, false charges fabricated against some,  who are then arrested.  Trade unions try to protest for their Unions and are baton charged and beaten up.  Fabricated charges are quickly made up and some are arrested. Students try and campaign, they are baton charged arrested, some charged and detained.

We have a common thread that joins together all of these professions. The nurses, doctors, teachers, Trade Unions, Civic Organisations, Faith Groups, Students and some Chiefs and Traditional Leaders. 

That common denominator is that some of us have been arrested, fabricated charges brought against us and detained.

Are we really, really expected to believe in the cold light of day, that all of these individuals in these professions are criminals  Surely that would be to stretch the imagination somewhat.

It is now such a common occurrence, that it does no longer raise an eye brow any longer. It is something the common ordinary Zimbabwean citizen knows, that our government perpetrates such deeds against  innocent people. That our government regularly breaks the law and shreds the 2013 Constitution.   Where as to the really guilty criminals from the government they have a “ catch and release strategy “.  This is where an individual from the government, is caught red handed by the public doing something illegal.  Where that deed can no longer be hidden , from the general public.  The said individual is arrested.  Paraded in front of the media. Detained for a short while. And then under cover of darkness, mysteriously released, never to be caught again. “ Catch and release strategy “,  

It is only the very, very few Ruling party members that are allowed to gather in a rally and clap hands for the resident at State House.  But even they to have changed.  Now they are paid USD 2 each, to go on the buses to clap for Mnangagwa, as we all saw at his welcome rally from the Climate Change

Conference. Times have indeed changed ! The Ruling party has to rent a crowed .

The Ruling party has a rally at the drop of a hat.  The “ proper “ opposition, Trade Unions, Civic Organisations, Faith Groups and society in general, are not allowed to gather in large numbers.

The democratic space has been completely shut down by the government.

Preparations are now  at an advanced stage for the coming elections. 

The government has put all its eggs into one basket, which is the Rural vote.  And in order to ensure that the vote is theirs, they are focusing on the Chiefs and Traditional leaders.

Hence the recent events and government out cry at the words spoken by

Chief Murinye of Masvingo.  An uncle to President Emmerson Dumbuzo

Mnangagawa.  He said , my child ED, you are surrounded by crocks, thieves, looters and corruption.   Wherever I look I see mines operated by looters,businesses operated by crocks .  People you are surrounded by in your government.  If you do not sort this out you will not pass these elections coming.  Paraphrased , words to that effect.

These words have created a storm in a tea cup. 

The Chief was speaking at the end of a funeral as is customary.  At this juncture the Chief will say some words of comfort to the bereaved family.  Say some words to the gathered community.  Say some words about local matters.  And then say some words about broader matters ,that he sees, as the peoples leader in that jurisdiction. What Chief Murinye said was right and proper.

A chief should not, cannot, must not be, muzzled in order to please the government of the day.  Anyone who clearly believes that they must  be muzzled, does not understand the institution of Traditional Leaders and should be kept far away from them, until they read up about the institution and understand the institution.  The institution does not belong to the government of the day.  Far from it.  It never has and will never be.

A chief is not paid a wage or a salary by the government.  A chief is given an allowance by the government of the day.  Which means that the government can choose to give the allowance this month and then ship the next three months, without giving anything to the chief. In doing this allowance, the government is making sure that the Chief is NOT a government employee.  Therefore, they do not receive holiday pay or allowance, no sick pay , no widows pension and no pension. Taking into consideration that the institution of Traditional leaders is a unique institution that is hereditary, there is no education bursary for the Chiefs family, to ensure that at least there are academically educated Chiefs. Because the role of Chief, is evolving and has not remained static.  So that it benefits the community with a Chief, that knows IT and many other modern administration skills.  As a result their community will benefit greatly.  There is no induction for Chiefs or protocol, ethics or etiquette training for new Chiefs or indeed refresher training for elder Chiefs.

An imaginary situation can be thus.  On Monday morning we find a young man who is a loud mouth, emergency taxi conductor, being loud mouth and swearing as he goes along, propositioning every pretty young girl , he comes across during the day, in his taxi.  By Sunday of that same week, he is being given the official robes of Chieftaincy, by Minister of Local government of Housing and Rural Development, July Moyo.  One would fear, fear, fear for that community the young man has been made Chief of. 

The possibility of such an occurrence  is very, very, likely when the government of the day continues to meddle in the affairs of Traditional Leaders. 

More so, as the current government continues to interfere with chieftain succession matters.  For they are entering into an arena full of customs and traditions , like a bull in a china shop.  The end result being a Chieftaincy Clan, being left in shock and trauma for decades, before they can rectify the situation.  All because the government of the day, wished to install an individual who was a supporter of the government, a supporter of the Ruling party, a supporter of Zanu PF.

The war of liberation was also about our keepers of our customs, traditions, practises and norms, the Traditional Leaders, The Chiefs.  Keeping them and protecting them.  Not as we saw , The Vice President of The republic of Zimbabwe, shockingly, irresponsibility abusing Chief Murinye.  Basically publicly threatening and intimidating and harassing Chief Murinye.  What chance the Chiefs independence come the 2023 elections for Chief Murinye and his people.  A people. A nation in it’s completeness.  

There is no medical health policy or insurance in place.  Bearing in mind that this individual , the chief,  will never retire from being a Chief and will die as a chief. With age, the body does require a great deal of medical attention.  In all probabilities, a young Chief will outlive a number of governments during their life time. In short , the chief really does not receive much from the government of the day.  Aside from their allowance of about USD 250  a month equivalent in Bonds. An amount that can be consumed at one sitting at a good restaurant for lunch for four people .  They may be given an attendance allowance for some meetings.  Once again it is an allowance.  At the complete whim of the government.  Yes the Chiefs were give the 4 X 4 Isusu Twin Cabs.  Once again a gift .  Nothing that binds the Chief to the government of the day.  Besides many Chiefs cannot afford to maintain the expensive cars, let alone buy a spare wheel for the car, should a tryer burst.

And so the government of the day is using these gifts to the Chiefs, as a debt of loyalty to the government.  That the Chief must do the governments biding because they accepted one of their gifts. A 10kg bag of rice here.  A 2 liter bottle of cooking oil here.  Three bottles of orange squash here.  Twenty litres of diesel there. The Chief is being kept living on a hand to mouth basis design by the current government.

And so to Chief Muriney of Masvingo.  He does not own his allegiance or Chieftaincy to the government of the day.  He is an ordinary individual that should be allowed to speak his mind.  For within his jurisdiction amongst his subjects, he will have people who will support many different political parties.  Should he align himself with a particular political party, how then will those people in his jurisdiction feel, who support different political parties, relate to him.  And so the Chief must be neutral and independent.

Indeed the Constitution of Zimbabwe, in the Traditional Leaders Act does say that the Chiefs must not get involved in partisan politics.

The government of the day has found it difficult to adhere to the globally acceptable of good governance and democracy, that is the separation of powers within an administration.  Each seperate institution being the check and balance to the other  seperate institutions.  Politicians seperate and on their own, Judges seperate and on their own, Law enforcement agents seperate and on their own, military seperate and on their own, Traditional Leaders seperate and on their own.  Each is independent and operates under their own procedures and protocols.  In government and democracy, these institutions balance off each other, so that The Rule of Law is maintained.  Democracy.

The institutional of Traditional Leaders should have had a completely independent seperate ministerial portfolio headed by a Substantive Chief.  The minister of women is a women.  The minister of youth is a youth, the minister for people living with disabilities is also such a person and so on.  Hence the minister for Traditional leaders and Chiefs should have been a Substantive Chief.

How does an office junior  investigate and sit in judgment upon their senior.  Is that really possible, normal and acceptable if we are serious about advancing the country ?  Minister July Moyo is being asked to investigate Chief Murinye for conduct, as a result of what he said at the funeral.

July Moyo carries his own personal ID card / birth certificate.  It says July Moyo, born such and such, date of birth, place of birth. Chief such and such.

Chief such and such

Chief such and such

Chief such and such

That means that July Moyo is under his Traditional Chief in rank.

July Moyo’s Chief can summon July Moyo

July Moyo is therefore junior to his Chief.

So then, how can July Moyo investigated the conduct of someone senior to him.  It makes fore a nonsense when one looks at protocol.

A  councillor is junior to a Chief

A member of parliament is junior to a Chief

A Minister is junior to a Chief

A Vice President is junior to a Chief

A President is only partially equal to a Chief

And when one looks at their respective job descriptions the clarity is even more

clear.  Politicians are only elected for a given period .                                                 14 A chief is chief  for life.  A minister and Vice President can only speak for the portfolios they are responsible for .  A Chief can speak about everything day or night.  Indeed a functioning institution of Traditional Leaders is the day facto opposition to the government, so that it may scrutinise legislation in the House of Senate, if the official opposition is some how in difficulty and not able to hold the government of the day to account. Hence, the discussion about Traditional Leaders is not just an academic discussion. But that it is vitally important debate that can only but enhance our democracy.  For here in the run up to the elections of 2023.  We see an attempt to pin down the institution of Traditional Leaders by the government and in particular the Ruling Party.  This is classed as advance “ electoral fraud and vote rigging “.  Here there is no need for “ V11 “ forms.  Right before us, chiefs are being press ganged to ensure that their people in their respective areas vote for the Ruling Party. Totally contrary to the ideas and principles of a free and fair election process that should not be allowed in a Zimbabwe of 2021 – 2023.

It is for this reason that we are concerned at the attempt at intimidation and threat to Chief Murinye and Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni should be taken most seriously indeed.

As already stated Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni will Challenge the “ arrest warrant “ because it has no merit.  The Chief is most keen that the appeal to the “ dry bushes with a total value of USD 10 , case “ must be heared at the High Court. Since it has been two years now.  Once discharged from treatment from the hospital Chief Ndiweni will return to Zimbabwe, irrespective as to whether the “ arrest warrant “ is there or not.  For the Chief has work to do in Zimbabwe.

15

By A Correspondent- There was violence Sunday at Chinhoyi University of Technology during the Mashonaland West PCC meeting, which was turned into an electoral college to discuss the impending elections.

Zanu PF youths disrupted the meeting accusing the leadership of imposing candidates who would contest in the impending elections.

Zanu PF secretary for security, Lovemore Matuke, the guest, arrested the situation and called for peace.

“As a party, we castigate violence and hate speech,” said Cde Matuke.

“Our common enemy is the opposition, while we tussle for internal positions, it shouldn’t create a rift between party members. Our party is known for conducting peaceful elections.

“We anticipate that the election is going to be held in free and fair manner, while logistics have to be met prior to the election which will be conducted by officials from other provinces.

The recently elected district members will vote in the provincial elections.

“Provincial positions are open to the district, District Coordinating Committee (DCC), central committee and Politburo members. For central committee and Politburo members, they should first relinquish their positions before vying for the provincial positions.”

 Matuke said there would be thorough verification of the applications by aspiring candidates.

Addressing the same gathering, Zanu PF secretary for information and publicity, Christopher Mutsvangwa said while the party was getting into provincial elections, the outcome was supposed to leave it stronger ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections where it eyes a resounding victory.

He said the party’s policies were in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030, while a double-digit economy was achievable by next year.

Five candidates have successfully submitted their CVs for the provincial chairman post for Mashonaland West — acting chairman Cde Abia Mujere; outgoing youth chairman Vengai Musengi; Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mary Mliswa-Chikoka; Makonde DCC chairman Kindness Paradza and former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation chief executive and provincial war veterans league chairman Happison Muchechetere.

-Herald

By-Opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, Sunday attended the burial of the late human rights activist, Dewa Mavhinga, at his rural Chivhu home.

Chamisa told mourners that he had warned him not to come back to Zimbabwe a few days before he died.

Mavhinga, who was southern Africa director for Human Rights Watch, succumbed to COVID-19 on December 6, in South Africa.
The Human Rights Watch said Mavhinga had died a few days after he returned to Johannesburg from a research mission in Zimbabwe.
He was laid to rest yesterday at his rural home in Chivhu, where several senior opposition party members, civic society members, and human right activists were in attendance.
“I had told Dewa to defer his visit to Zimbabwe, but he insisted that he would come,”Chamisa said.
“He told me that he was in the southern region visiting other countries including Mozambique. He inquired why I was stopping him from coming to Zimbabwe. I also insisted that he should not come to Zimbabwe. About four weeks ago, we held a virtual meeting with Dewa and three others for over an hour planning the way forward on the 2023 elections. Dewa was a veteran, a stalwart, very resolute and a beast on fighting for human rights. It is not possible to become a human rights defender without a human rights attacker. He was a defender because our people are being attacked. We have been robbed as a country, as the whole world, as a generation.”
He also described Mavhinga as an intelligent cadre who was determined to fight rights abuse.
Mavhinga started his career in human rights as deputy co-ordinator at the forum’s International Liaison Office in London from April 2007 to April 2008. He then joined the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition regional office in South Africa before joining the Human Rights Watch.

He started as a senior researcher and advocate before being elevated to the position of director, a post he held until his death.
In 2012, Mavhinga co-founded the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute. He was also the founding chairperson of the Living Together Institute and also a board member for the Savanna Arts Trust Theatre Group. Newsday

By A Correspondent- A Harare woman has been arrested for allegedly killing her husband over infidelity.

Below is the statement by the police:
1/2 Police in Hre are investigating a murder case occ. on 18/12/21 at 2200 hours. The victim, Farai Tsatse (39) had an altercation with his wife, Leoba Muzondo (35) over infidelity issues. In the process, the victim tried to assault the suspect with a half brick and missed her.

1/2 Police in Hre are investigating a murder case occ. on 18/12/21 at 2200 hours. The victim, Farai Tsatse (39) had an altercation with his wife, Leoba Muzondo (35) over infidelity issues. In the process, the victim tried to assault the suspect with a half brick and missed her.

— Zimbabwe Republic Police (@PoliceZimbabwe) December 19, 2021

By -A Chinese national is wanted by the police in connection with a child marriage case involving a 15-year-old Sanyati girl.

The girl is said to be from Ward 5, Chief Neuso in Sanyati district, Mashonaland West province.

Reports suggest that the victim (name withheld), was married off to the Chinese national and US$2 000 was paid to her parents as bride price on 26 November this year.

The Chinese national works as an engineer at Ringxin/Mambo Mine, the report further alleges.

Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident to NewsDay. He said:

As police, I can confirm that we have launched an investigation into the case. For now, we can’t comment any further despite the fact that we are still conducting investigations.

Police in Sanyati on Wednesday rescued the girl but her parents say the Chinese national is their son-in-law.

NewsDay reported sources as saying the Chinese nationals working at mines near Kadoma target young girls, mostly virgins, for marriage.

Poor families in the gold-rich area marry off their young daughters to Chinese men in an effort to make ends meet, one Tichaona Mapara observed.

The problem of child marriages is said to be rife in the three Mashonaland provinces.

More: NewsDay

By- Chief Murinye, has exposed the misuse of farming by powerful and connected politicians.
In audio clips that have gone viral on social media, Chief Murinye, born Ephias Munodawafa, narrated how a 30-tonne haulage truck filled with Command Agriculture fertiliser from a top politician’s farm was transported from Masvingo, back to Harare for reselling on the black market.
Chief Murinye said he alerted the police about the truck but no action was taken against the unnamed senior ZANU PF official. He said:
Nothing ever happened regards that matter, not even a word about the truck. And you are saying hear no evil, see no evil, and know no evil? Kill me if you want, l died a long time ago.

The traditional leader unintentionally revealed how, as a chief, he has violated the Constitution by engaging in partisan politics.
In his rants, Chief Murinye claimed he was loyal to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and ZANU PF and at one point he played a prominent role to help the ruling party win previous elections.

Murinye however, said he was saddened by the plunder of the country’s alluvial diamonds by a few individuals while the majority of the population wallows in poverty. He said;
If you go to South Africa, they go nine kilometres down to dig for diamonds, while workers piggyback ice blocks because it would be hot.
But, we were blessed with diamonds that we dug on the surfaces using hoes. Now show us or tell us where you stashed those diamonds?
If l ask, you start labelling me an opposition MDC member or that l have rebelled. Who do you want to ask you?
No, you never hear me talk with such a cheeky tongue, but if you see a python wriggling in the sand, and inching closer to humans ask yourself what it means.

The traditional leader apparently spoke in response to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who on Friday mocked him saying he made the rants under the influence of an illicit brew called Mutoriro.
Chief Murinye had told a funeral wake last weekend that Mnangagwa risked losing the presidential election in 2023 or being overthrown in a coup if he failed to act against corrupt top Government and party officials.

Zanu PF youth member, Sybeth Musengezi, has vowed to maintain his case against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ascendency to the helm of the ruling party.

Musengezi alleges Mnangagwa illegally took power in 2017 from then-president Robert Mugabe following a military coup.

He approached the High Court in Bulawayo last month and filed an application asking the court to invalidate Mnangagwa’s alleged power grab.

Mnangagwa’s lawyers wrote to Musengezi last month demanding he withdraw the case, but he is having none of it.

In his application before the High Court, Musengezi said that the ZANU PF Central Committee appointed Mnangagwa as the party president and first secretary on 19 November 2017 in violation of the constitution.

He wants the decision by the Central Committee declared null and void. Musengezi said:

I realised that he is an illegal leader, he ascended to power in an illegal manner through the 19 November 2019 meeting which was held against the party constitution.

According to the party constitution the meeting that they purported to have held on19 November 2017 was not convened properly the person who superintended that meeting did not have the mandate as per the party constitution, only President Mugabe at that time could preside over that meeting in his absence.

Cde Mphoko Phelekezela who was the Vice President is the one who was supposed to take over in the event that President Mugabe is not available because Emmerson Mnangagwa had been expelled.

Mnangagwa was voted the president of Zimbabwe in 2018, less than a year after taking over from late president Robert Mugabe, who had ruled the country for37 years.

More: NewZimbabwe.com

Tinashe Sambiri|
President Nelson Chamisa’s documentary was launched last night in New York at the film forum.

Scores of Zimbabweans in America attended the historic launch.

Tawanda Dzvokora the MDC A chairperson for North America Province was among the guests alongside MDC A provincial and Branch leaders.

Dzvokora said: “We spoke to those who watched the documentary and they could not hold back their tears.

The film is a true reflection of what happened on August 1 2018. Innocent citizens were shot dead by the military acting on Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s directive.

August 1 is a black day for the nation.”

Mr Gwekwerere the district Chairperson under which NY falls flew from Florida to attend the event.

The film is emotive and most of the people who watched it cried- especially Zimbabweans who had to relive the August 1 2018 painful events.

One of the journalists who covered the August 1 killings, Obey Manaiti was at the film launch. He described the documentary as a true record of what happened.

Another MDC A official present at the event said: “The documentary is a must watch for every Zimbabwean.”

https://fb.watch/9_nyJcWygq/

Tinashe Sambiri|
President Nelson Chamisa’s documentary was launched last night in New York at the film forum.

Scores of Zimbabweans in America attended the historic launch.

Tawanda Dzvokora the MDC A chairperson for North America Province was among the guests alongside MDC A provincial and Branch leaders.

Dzvokora said: “We spoke to those who watched the documentary and they could not hold back their tears.

The film is a true reflection of what happened on August 1 2018. Innocent citizens were shot dead by the military acting on Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s directive.

August 1 is a black day for the nation.”

Mr Gwekwerere the district Chairperson under which NY falls flew from Florida to attend the event.

The film is emotive and most of the people who watched it cried- especially Zimbabweans who had to relive the August 1 2018 painful events.

One of the journalists who covered the August 1 killings, Obey Manaiti was at the film launch. He described the documentary as a true record of what happened.

Another MDC A official present at the event said: “The documentary is a must watch for every Zimbabwean.”

https://fb.watch/9_nyJcWygq/

Tinashe Sambiri|
President Nelson Chamisa’s documentary was launched last night in New York at the film forum.

Scores of Zimbabweans in America attended the historic launch.

Tawanda Dzvokora the MDC A chairperson for North America Province was among the guests alongside MDC A provincial and Branch leaders.

Dzvokora said: “We spoke to those who watched the documentary and they could not hold back their tears.

The film is a true reflection of what happened on August 1 2018. Innocent citizens were shot dead by the military acting on Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s directive.

August 1 is a black day for the nation.”

Mr Gwekwerere the district Chairperson under which NY falls flew from Florida to attend the event.

The film is emotive and most of the people who watched it cried- especially Zimbabweans who had to relive the August 1 2018 painful events.

One of the journalists who covered the August 1 killings, Obey Manaiti was at the film launch. He described the documentary as a true record of what happened.

Another MDC A official present at the event said: “The documentary is a must watch for every Zimbabwean.”

https://fb.watch/9_nyJcWygq/

Tinashe Sambiri|The Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa wants Cecil John Rhodes’ remains to be exhumed and returned to the UK.

Addressing traditional leaders in Harare on Friday, Mr Mnangagwa said Rhodes’ remains can be removed from Matopos and taken to the United Kingdom.

According to Mr Mnangagwa, Rhodes’remains are not needed in the country.

He also claimed that Rhodes’ spirit was disrupting communication with ancestors.

“We have Rhodes’ remains in Matobo.

“What do you think about it? If you go to the shrine, you don’t know whether you are talking to Rhodes or our ancestors.

His remains must be returned to where he hailed from and we can also have our ancestral remains which are being kept in Europe,” charged Mr Mnangagwa.

Political observers say Mr Mnangagwa’s political grandstanding will not resolve the deepening political crisis in the country.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwean government has – under unclear circumstances – frozen a multi-million diamond deal involving a London-listed British company, Vast Resources Plc, as the post-coup administration increasingly prefers non-western investments.

While the current administration headed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa looked eager to re-engage the United Kingdom and other western nations immediately after the 2017 military-assisted takeover from the late Robert Mugabe, relations soured after the general elections in late July 2018.

The UK had warmed up to the change of power from Mugabe, a long-time foe, and even expressed eagerness to have Zimbabwe readmitted into the Commonwealth, a club of mostly former British colonies.

But protests that took place on August 1, 2018 as election results were being announced and the army killed numerous citizens while clamping down on suspected anti-government activists disrupted Harare’s plans for international re-engagement as the administration was accused of gross human rights abuses.

Because of the resurgence in isolation by European governments and the United States, Harare is increasingly preferring investors from China, Russia, Belarus and a several fringe nations that the Mnangagwa government is more comfortable with.

Elbowed out

Investigations carried out  in collaboration with Information for Development Trust-a non-profit outfit supporting the media to probe bad governance-show that the Zimbabwean government has shelved a joint venture agreement between Vast Resources and the state-owned Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) after frustrating the London-listed entity for nearly three years.

It has been established that the joint venture (JV) was supposed to have been set up through Katanga Mining Pvt Ltd, a partnership between Vast Resources and Chiadzwa Community Company (CCC) that was previously named Chiadzwa Mineral Resources (CMR) and represents the Marange local community in the vast diamond fields in Manicaland province.

Government was being represented by the Mines and Finance ministries, investigations revealed, while Vast Resources was fronted by its chief executive officer, Andrew Prelea, and the Marange community, by Chief Godfrey Marange as well as Chief Solomon Marange.

The traditional leaders were the face of CCC, which is the special purpose vehicle for Royal Chiadzwa Trust.

In its 2021 first quarter report, Vast Resources described the ZCDC partnership as a key development that would enable Katanga Mining to procure a special grant for the exploration and mining of diamonds in Marange, and it remained confident that a deal would be hammered out in due course.

The Zimbabwean government claimed that the deal between Katanga and ZCDC was  sealed as far back as late 2019.

On October 13 2019, Winston Chitando, the Mines minister, said at a media briefing: “There will be an agreement, which will be signed towards the end of next week between Katanga and ZCDC.

“As government, we are obviously pleased.”

Katanga was formed on October 11 2019.

While no progress was registered towards the finalisation of the deal, investigations established, Vast Resources still went ahead and moblised financial resources to kick-start the project.

The company’s annual report for 2020 shows that it drew down its first US$7 million tranche from the Atlas Capital Markets facility on January 31 last year, as it anticipated the deal to sail through.

The real value of the planned investment could not be immediately confirmed.

But our follow-up on this matter established that, instead of the deal being finalised, the government froze the partnership between Katanga and ZCDC in 2020 but no communication was made to the concerned parties.

“We were advised by ZCDC that Katanga partnership is currently shelved,” said CMR chairperson, Newman Chiadzwa, whose community-run company, Royal Chiadzwa Trust, has a 20% stake in ZCDC through a community share ownership arrangement.

“We (Chiadzwa community) are shareholders in ZCDC but we don’t really know what is happening.

“I understand that the instructions (to shelve the deal) came from the ministry.

“That’s where most of the decisions are made,” he said.

Promises and lies

So far, the ministry of Mines has not offered a public explanation on why it made a U-turn on Vast, nor do the concerned suitors who this publication talked to know.

Vast’s Prelea, in a 2019 broadcast interview, indicated that government offered them a diamond concessions different from the one they had agreed.

But, according to him, Vast Resources agree to the unilateral changes as it was still keen on the diamond investment, a hope that it holds up to now, as shown in its first quarter report for 2021.

The sidelining of Vast Resources comes as the government is showing a soft spot for Russian and Chinese investors in the expansive diamonds fields.

In December 2018, through a video posted on the Information ministry Twitter handle, Chitando announced that Cabinet had adopted a new diamond policy that would see two private companies being allowed to explore and mine diamonds in Manicaland.

A month later, government revealed Anjin – a JV between the Zimbabwean army and Chinese company, Anhui – and Alrosa from Russia were those two private companies.

Five months down the line, Chitando announced during a radio interview that government had approved Russia’s Alrosa to partner ZCDC while Anjin had been allowed back into Marange.

It had been evicted by the late Mugabe for allegedly siphoning millions from Chiadzwa and its return, according to Polite Kambamura – who is Chitando’s deputy –  was done to salvage Chinese interests in Zimbabwe.

Anjin went on to grab the most lucrative mining portal from ZCDC, forcing it to the brink of collapse.

Local media reports have already suggested that that Alrosa has since been awarded 40 diamond concessions under unclear circumstances but investigations show that the company has not made any meaningful production to date.

The responsible authorities were not forthcoming with information regarding the Katanga deal.

Chitando did not respond to questions despite acknowledgement of receipt, while Kambamura said “kindly refer to ZCDC for finer details.”

The ZCDC chief executive officer, Mark Mabhudhu, referred enquiries back to the parent ministry.

“As you may know quite well, this issue falls under the purview of our shareholder who is the ministry of Mines and Mining Development.

“You may direct questions to them for credible answers,” said Mabhudhu.

The Office of the President and Cabinet played an active role in a restricted bid for a US$5 million job to fix Zimbabwe’s troubled aviation air communication systems.

The bid was limited to Russian and Chinese suitors, and the China Harbour Engineering Company, landed the contract in May this year even though it is still to commence work, seven months after.

The World Bank blacklisted CHEC at one time over unprofessional conduct and the Chinese multi-national has a history of non-delivery in Africa, the Caribbean and other parts of the world.

A Spanish company, Indira Systems, won the bid for the job in 2017, but like Vast Resources, was mysteriously stopped and the bid subsequently restricted to Russia and China.

Centre for Research and Development executive director, James Mupfumi was concerned that the “decision of who should mine in Marange is based on the whims of the executive and not on issues of transparency and accountability in the mining sector.”

Advocacy groups like CRD have been pushing for the publication of the diamond policy that the government claims to have crafted, but remains a top secret.

“When they got into power they opted for the diamond policy document,” Mupfumi said.

“That policy document is not even a public document.

“If you phone the ministry of mines today, you won’t get that document.

“You are told it’s a paper that guides the minister but we don’t have it.

“So now we have a situation whereby the issue of who comes in to mine is decided on the whims of those in the executive.”

Parties involved in the Katanga/ZCDC partnership questioned why Russia’s Alrosa joint venture and Anjin’s re-admission did not take time to approve while the Katanga partnership involving British investors was put on hold.

Bitter-sweet past

Vast Resources has a bitter-sweet past with the Zimbabwean government.

It changed its name in 2014 from African Consolidated Resources (ACR), according to its 2015 annual report.

The UK based miner took control of a diamond licence in Marange in February 2006 but was kicked out eight months later after the executive drew up a shortlist of other foreign investors of choice.

Still known as ACR, Vast Resources dragged the government to the High Court in 2009 under case No. HC 1390/07 in a bid to regain control of its concession.

The High Court ruled in 2010 that there were irregularities in the acquisition and registration of the claims that ACR obtained.

The company was further dragged before the High Court for alleged fraud and unlawful acquisition of diamond claims.

Court records indicate that in 2018, Vast had to withdraw a pending court case against government, supposedly with the hope of being readmitted back to the Marange fields through a partnership with ZCDC.

Newman Chiadzwa has also had a sour relationship with the government.

In 2010, he was sentenced to five years in jail and fined US$132 764 for illegally possessing 43, 028 carats of diamonds after a long legal battle with the state, according to court records. He was released after serving 16 months.

The following year, though, Newman successfully sued the government to recover diamonds worth US$300 million that the state had forfeited during his arrest.

    *This investigative story was produced with support from the US Public Diplomacy Section in Harare.-standard

By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo magistrate said landlords should stop the arbitrary eviction of their tenants as this violates the country’s laws.

Bulawayo Western Commonage resident magistrate Shepard Munjanja said this before granting a tenant protection order against his landlord last week.

The applicant, Eloff Ncube and the accused, Mduduzi Moyo of 8824 Pumula East appeared before magistrate Munjanja last week.

Ncube told the court that he was being harassed by his landlord into leaving his lodgings before the expiry of the three months’ notice that he had been verbally given. He said:

My landlord asked me to leave his house and we verbally agreed on three months’ notice which was effective from 15 October to 15 January next year.

But my landlord has now been harassing me to move before that date and even hired bouncers to force me to leave which is why I have come before the courts for reprieve.

Opposing Ncube’s application for a protection order against him, Moyo said his tenant was lying about his notice period. He said:

Ncube came to me desperate for accommodation telling me that his belongings were no longer safe and he needed a place to stay.

I gave him a place to stay and when I decided that it was time for him to leave, I gave him three months’ notice.

We had a verbal agreement on 29 August this year that he would be out by 29 November but he came to me and said he was having logistical difficulties and asked for a little more time which I granted him.

But now he is still there and is saying we agreed that he should move out by 15 January which is not true.

Munjanja however granted the protection order against Moyo and ordered him to allow his tenant to rundown his three-month notice while granting the latter a protection order against harassment.

He also advised Moyo to seek a court order before evicting his tenant ahead of the given three months notice. Said Munjanja:

I grant the order in favour of the applicant and advise you to seek a court order should he fail to leave by January 15.

Only through the courts can a tenant be evicted and I urge you and other landlords to bear this in mind.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Chief Murinye from Masvingo will face disciplinary action for his utterances last weekend attacking President Mnangagwa and hinting at an imaginary possible coup.

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga did not take kindly to the chief’s utterances and yesterday told the annual Chiefs’ Conference that such statements can only be said by a “drunk”.

“What we have seen in the past few days is never done,” he said. “Zvekuti munhu anosimuka otaura zvaanoda kuna paramount chief is never done. Zvinoitwa nemunhu anwa mutoriro. In this country it’s never done.

“We have one Munhumutapa (President Mnangagwa), we have one leader and it is that leader we give respect. It is that leader we show the entire nation what respect is all about.

So, what has been done by Chief Murinye is going to be investigated by the Minister of Local Government and the chiefs’ council and if found guilty, disciplinary action would be taken.

This is Zimbabwe. I thought I should say this, I respect Munhumutapa (President Mnangagwa) and no one touches him as long as I live.”

Zimbabwe Chiefs’ Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira distanced the traditional leaders from Chief Murinye’s utterances, saying they did not reflect their thinking.

“I want to tell the President that we are with you as an institution, what was said is an individual’s views and does not reflect the views of the institution, in fact, it’s the direct opposite of our views,” he said.

Earlier, Chief Charumbira had thanked the President for giving them audience to discuss issues affecting the country.

He said President Mnangagwa had restored the dignity of the institution of traditional leaders that was undermined by the colonial regime.

Chief Charumbira thanked the President for agreeing that chiefs change their official attire from the red robes and hat introduced by the colonial regime to new ones reflective of local customs and traditions

By A Correspondent- An unlicensed truck driver who allegedly ran over a seven-year-old girl in 2002 has been arrested, 19 years later.

Elton Chinomwaza (44), of Ruwa, committed the crime in 2002 and his case was not finalised before he left for Botswana.

Chinomwaza returned to Zimbabwe in 2016 and was arrested on Tuesday last week for negligent driving.

He hit Chipo Zhento now 26, who was in Grade Three resulting in her leg being amputated.

The case was reported under CR 23/2002 and the then investigating officer died in 2013 while the case was still pending.

Chinomwaza was expected to appear in court on Thursday for trial at Mbare Magistrates’ Court.

Speaking to H-Metro, Chipo said she was hit by the car along First Street Road in Kuwadzana and her leg was cut off on the spot. She said:

The accident occurred in 2002, whilst I was on my way from school with my colleagues and my right leg was cut off at the spot.

The accused person did not even show remorse by helping me since the day in question.

… I am the one who phoned him this month, informing him that I am Chipo the one he hit in 2002, but suddenly he blocked my cellphone number.

H-Metro reported a source as saying Chipo approached Southerton Police seeking advice over her case. Said the source:

There, the police ‘resurrected’ the matter after Chipo pursued it.

No one knew that justice would be served one day because this matter was swept under the carpet.

Chipo has been making some follow-ups on the matter since 2019. She made several follow-ups until she was assisted.

The case was set to be phased out in 2022 according to the law following 20 years without locating the accused person.

Another source narrated how a police officer located the accused using information from the Registrar General’s office and with help of Econet. Said the source:

A police officer located him through Registrar General’s information and also with the help of Econet.

During the time of the offence, he supplied his uncle’s cell number which then was used to trace him.

Through the efforts, he was apprehended whilst at his new house, in Ruwa.

Also speaking to H-Metro, Chinomwaza said when the accident happened in 2002, he had not yet acquired a driver’s licence. He said:

I recall this case it happened in 2002 when I was driving a UD Nissan truck along First Street in Kuwadzana.

It is so painful to meet the girl that I hit at the age of three, surely by now without the grace of God, she would have died on the spot since the situation was bad.

I was not licensed by that time until I acquired a license in 2017.

Chinomwaza revealed that he thought the case was over and did not think police officers were still looking for him. He said:

I did not expect to see police officers at my doorsteps, as I thought maybe the case is over because it has been 20 years since this happened.

The police officer who was investigating my case just told me to go back home and promised to call me for further developments but from there I was not called.

Chinomwaza said he suffered a mild stroke in 2018 and has not yet fully recovered.

He said he has hit hard times and is not in a position to render any form of assistance to his victim. He added:

… I will just wait for the court’s decision.

HMetro

General #Chiwenga is the worst thing that has happened to #Zimbabwe in the last 20 yrs. He is an unrepentant, uneducated, incorrigible dictator. No wonder he attempted suicide after failing an army exam.@NewsDayZimbabwe @zimlive @mhofela_mhofu @zanupf_patriots @mdczimbabwe

— Tendai Moyo ?? (@sda144) December 19, 2021

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa  has suggested that the remains of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes can be removed from the Matopos National Park in Matabeleland South and returned to the United Kingdom.

Mnangagwa told traditional leaders on Friday in the capital that the remains of the founder of the former British colony, Rhodesia, were of no importance to the country.

Rhodes, who was born in 1853 and died in 1902 was an imperialist, businessman and politician who played a dominant role in southern Africa in the late 19th Century, driving the annexation of vast swathes of land.

He founded the De Beers diamond firm which until recently controlled global trade.

Rhodes dreamt of an uninterrupted railway link stretching from Cape Town to Cairo, Egypt – the entire north to south controlled at the time by the British Empire.

Rhodes’ remains lie atop a granite hill in Matopos.

“We still have Rhodes’ remains in Matobo.

“What do you think about it? If you go to the shrine, you don’t know whether you are talking to Rhodes or our ancestors,” Mnangagwa said.

“His remains must be returned to where he hailed from and we can also have our ancestral remains which are being kept in Europe.”

In 2012, the late former president Robert Mugabe blocked ex-combatants and members of his ruling Zanu-PF party from exhuming his remains, saying his legacy was part of the country’s history.

In May 2020, the Rhodes Stable located at the Matopos National Park was burnt down by unknown people.

The stables, built in 1897, are one of the oldest buildings in the country where Rhodes used to shelter his horses.

In South Africa, statues and monuments of colonial-era leaders were once targets of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests.

In 2015, South Africa’s University of Cape Town removed the statue of the British colonialist and 19th Century figure, unveiled in 1934.-standard

By A Correspondent- A court in Bulawayo has issued a warrant for the arrest of former Ntabazinduna chief Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni, just days after he stood outside 10 Downing Street in London to petition the British government to press President Emmerson Mnangagwa over extending voting rights to Zimbabweans in the diaspora.

Bulawayo magistrate Maxwell Ncube signed the arrest warrant on Thursday at the request of Canisious Chesango, the officer in charge of Mbembesi Police Station who accused the 58-year-old of breaching his bail conditions.

The warrant empowers police to “immediately upon sight thereof apprehend and bring the said accused person… before the magistrate.”

Chesango said Chief Ndiweni, 58, was released on bail by the High Court in August pending appeal against a two-year prison sentence for malicious damage to property. As part of the bail conditions, Ndiweni was required to report once every week at Ntabazinduna Police Station and also to reside at his Ntabazinduna home.

“The accused defaulted,” Chesango said in his application for the warrant.

Ndiweni was jailed for allegedly destroying property worth US$30 when he led 23 villagers to destroy a kraal and hedge of a family banished by the chief from his area. His lawyer Professor Welshman Ncube secured his release on bail pending appeal against the sentence, which Justice Thompson Mabhikwa said had prospects of success.

Chief Ndiweni led a protest outside the British parliament in October, urging the government to rescind an invitation to President Mnangagwa to attend the Cop26 climate change conference held in Scotland.

Then, on December 5 this month, Ndiweni – son of the late Chief Khayisa Ndiweni – handed a petition at the office of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, urging the UK government to remain engaged with Zimbabweans’ quest for democratic governance. In particular, the traditional leader called on the UK to support calls for Zimbabweans based outside the country to be allowed to vote in 2023.

“We want the five million Zimbabwean diasporans scattered around the four winds of the earth to be able to vote,” Ndiweni told reporters outside 10 Downing Street.

President Mnangagwa, swept into power through a military coup in 2017, initially promised Zimbabweans living outside the country a vote, but later went back on his promise.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- There is confusion at the Registrar General’s (RGs) office following the launch of e-passports as the government department is still issuing old passports, with its workers in the dark about the new development.

The e-passport which will contain key features such as an electronic chip was launched last week by President Emmerson Mnangagwa amid a global supply crunch of the chips.

The chip holds the same information that is printed on the passport’s data page.

There has been a shortage of the chips, also known as semiconductors, since 2020.

International chip companies and experts on national and international chip identity systems warn that the global shortage of microchips threatens the ability of governments and companies to issue biometric digital ID documents such as passports and national identity cards.

The Security Identity Alliance (SIA), a grouping of large scale European identity system providers, last month urged governments to take on responsibility as the chip shortage has spread to other areas of manufacturing covering all manner of consumer goods including washing machines, smartphones and others.

“Authorities in charge of issuing ID documents should estimate their needs in terms of document deliveries for the next few years and engage with their industry partners.

“The current situation calls for the optimisation of inventory management and accurate forecasting,” the SIA said in a statement last month.

Experts predict that the chip shortage will persist beyond 2023.

The Home Affairs ministry gazetted Statutory Instrument (SI) 273 of 2021 introducing the e-passport and announced that old passports would cease to be a legal travel document after December 31, 2023.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) last week challenged the SI arguing that the responsible minister did not have constitutional powers to ban old passports.

Investigations conducted by The Standard showed that the RGs office was issuing out old passports to citizens, who applied for the traveling documents before the introduction of the e-passports and even those that were submitting applications now.

The new ordinary e-passport costs US$100, with an extra passport application fee of US$20 that will be processed at CBZ Bank.

An ordinary passport was pegged at US$60 prior to the introduction of the e-passport.

Officials at the RG’s offices were in the dark when interviewed by this publication as members of the public raised alarm over the introduction of the e-passport, which was marred with policy inconsistencies.

Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe and his deputy Ruth Maboyi could not provide clarification on when the government would start issuing the e-passports.

Kazembe requested questions in writing, but later said he was busy.

“I am still busy at the moment. I will respond to your question later,” he said.

Maboyi said: “I cannot comment on that. The minister knows better how to respond.”

Several attempts by The Standard to get a comment from the acting registrar-general Henry Machiri were in vain as he was not picking his phone.

SI 273 of 2021 states that the passports in use will be unacceptable by December31, 2023, but  the Home Affairs ministry  had  issued a statement earlier saying that the old passports would be valid until they expired, which could be before or after December 31, 2023.

The country faces a shortage of passports and identity card document consumables, and has a huge backlog of more than 400 000 passports dating as far back as 2018 due to shortages of foreign currency to import the required consumables.

While launching the e-passport, Mnangagwa said the new system would enable production of 30 000 passports per day, starting next year to clear the backlog.

In 2016, the late former resident Robert Mugabe also launched the same e-passport.

When The Standard team visited the RG’s offices, there long queues of people seeking travel the documents.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Chief Murinye from Masvingo will face disciplinary action for his utterances last weekend attacking President Mnangagwa and hinting at an imaginary possible coup.

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga did not take kindly to the chief’s utterances and yesterday told the annual Chiefs’ Conference that such statements can only be said by a “drunk”.

“What we have seen in the past few days is never done,” he said. “Zvekuti munhu anosimuka otaura zvaanoda kuna paramount chief is never done. Zvinoitwa nemunhu anwa mutoriro. In this country it’s never done.

“We have one Munhumutapa (President Mnangagwa), we have one leader and it is that leader we give respect. It is that leader we show the entire nation what respect is all about.

So, what has been done by Chief Murinye is going to be investigated by the Minister of Local Government and the chiefs’ council and if found guilty, disciplinary action would be taken.

“This is Zimbabwe. I thought I should say this, I respect Munhumutapa (President Mnangagwa) and no one touches him as long as I live.”

Zimbabwe Chiefs’ Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira distanced the traditional leaders from Chief Murinye’s utterances, saying they did not reflect their thinking.

“I want to tell the President that we are with you as an institution, what was said is an individual’s views and does not reflect the views of the institution, in fact, it’s the direct opposite of our views,” he said.

Earlier, Chief Charumbira had thanked the President for giving them audience to discuss issues affecting the country.

He said President Mnangagwa had restored the dignity of the institution of traditional leaders that was undermined by the colonial regime.

Chief Charumbira thanked the President for agreeing that chiefs change their official attire from the red robes and hat introduced by the colonial regime to new ones reflective of local customs and traditions.-online

By A Correspondent- The MDC Alliance says it will not take a festive break from its rural mobilisation drive, but will instead ramp up the campaigns during that period to target gatherings in the countryside where people are merry-making.

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has been on a whirlwind tour in rural areas to drum up support for the opposition party ahead of the upcoming 2023 elections.

Chamisa’s entourage and his supporters have been attacked on several occasions during the rural campaigns by suspected Zanu-PF supporters.

The violence claimed the life of MDC Alliance activist Nyasha Zhambe of Gutu, Masvingo.

Zanu-PF recently admitted that Chamisa’s inroads into rural areas were a cause for concern for the party, which often boasts majority support in the countryside.

MDC Alliance secretary for rural mobilisation and strategy Happymore Chidziva told The Standard that they would capitalise on festive gatherings in the rural areas including encouraging new voters to register to vote in the upcoming elections.

“There is no festive season for us this time,” Chidziva said.

“We are not going to take a break; we are going on with our rural mobilisation exercise. We don’t break because those are the communities we live in, so we will keep on mobilising.”

The opposition party is targeting six million voters in its voter mobilisation campaign plan.

Zanu-PF party wants to increase the number of its registered voters to  five million and to ensure a 65% election victory.

Recently, Zanu-PF political commissar Mike Bimha told journalists that the ruling party had so far reached four million people following the restructuring exercise.

Chidziva said: “We are getting there. We have won the hearts of many people in the rural communities and that is why we are not breaking the mobilisation exercise.

“Voter registration is a key part of our electoral campaign and we target seven  million votes for change.”

The opposition party narrowly lost to Zanu-PF in the 2018 elections with Chamisa getting more than two million votes.

Zanu-PF has said it will use the March by-elections to gauge its popularity after conducting a restructuring exercise.-standard

By A Correspondent- The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has opened the Electronic Ministry Application Platform (EMAP), Form One e-enrolment process for 2022 Form One boarding schools.

A circular sent to provincial education directors and school heads by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs Tumisang Thabela, reads that the online application which begun last Monday will run up to 31 January next year.

Mrs Thabela said learners would be allowed a maximum of five applications at any given time.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will be running an electronic platform for enrolment platform for enrolling Form One boarding places for 2022. Parents and guardians who wish to send their children to boarding schools are advised to start applying through the platform (www.emap.co.zw <http://www.emap.co.zw>) with effect from 13 December 2021 to 31 January 2022.

“All applicants will be allowed to make a maximum of five active applications at any given time. An applicant who has been offered a place at one school will not be eligible to apply or be considered for a place at any other schools unless the offer is declined. Successful applicants will be notified through short message service (SMS) by the respective schools heads. Parents and guardians are, however, advised that there is limited boarding places,” said Mrs Thabela.

She said upon applying to a school, an applicant will receive a response which will indicate that the application is either pending, accepted, processed or rejected.

Mrs Thabela, however, noted that there were limited places, hence only candidates who were rejected would  be allowed to apply to other schools.

“Once you decline an offer there is no guarantee that you will get the same offer back. The offering of a place is done randomly from your shortlisted schools. Parents and guardians are advised to apply early because there are limited places for boarding places and only students who were rejected will be allowed to apply to other schools,” she said.

The e-enrolment process was introduced in 2016 in a bid to curb corruption that was associated with enrolment of learners at boarding schools.

At the start of the e-enrolment system there were 24 000 boarding places countrywide.

The e-enrolment has in the past been marred with confusion as some applicants claimed that the website was always down.

Parents and guardians have also said the new system was inconvenient as it gives them little time to prepare for the opening of the schools.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s angry threats against a chief from Masvingo, who warned that President Emmerson Mnangagwa risked losing the 2023 elections, has drawn further ire from the traditional leader.

Chief Murinye angered the authorities when he accused Mnangagwa and his top executive of entertaining corruption.

The chief was addressing mourners at the funeral of Public Service Commission official Elson Gonye.

Mnangagwa summoned chiefs to the capital in Harare on Friday where his deputy Constantino Chiwenga read the riot act and warned that criticising the President in public was unacceptable and would not be tolerated.

He said Murinye, born Ephias Munodawafa, would be investigated.

But Murinye in an interview with The Standard yesterday stood his ground and  human rights’ lawyers accused the presidency of violating the constitution by threatening traditional leaders.

“I am a chief in accordance with the tradition and my clan,” Murinye said.

“I am satisfied that what I said was not out of malice. It was because of my love for my party (Zanu-PF) and my president.

“I don’t have questionable allegiance.

“The problem is in every system when you step on other people’s toes – who think you are disrupting their bread and butter means, they make that noise.

“I am not afraid of being investigated.

“I don’t have a problem with that. At the moment, that is what I will say.”

Last night the chief confirmed it was him speaking in an audio recording where he says he dares the politicians to kill him for saying out his mind. He accuses government officials of seeking to kill him for lashing out at Mnangagwa.

Before Chiwenga’s threats, Murinye  had told The Standard that he was receiving threatening messages and calls from anonymous people, a known tactic used against government critics.

“I have plans to engage Mnangagwa on the issue I raised recently,” he said.

“The issues of corruption have to be addressed.

“Mnangagwa has the chance to remove the criminals surrounding him by reshuffling the Cabinet.

“The people whom he is sending on the ground are the ones, who are misleading him.

“We love our president and he is doing wonders, but the problem is the criminals around him.”

In audio clips that have gone viral on social media, Murinye threatens to expose corrupt Zanu-PF members to  Mnangagwa.

“If the president asks me about it, I will expose you,” he said.

“In South Africa they go nine kilometres underground looking for diamonds, but here in Zimbabwe we literally pick our diamonds from the surface.

“What are we doing with the proceeds of the diamonds?

“If I inquire then you call me an MDC member. Kill me if you want, I don’t care.

“Even if I am dethroned, I will stand for justice.”

Rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama said Chiwenga had no constitutional rights to preside over chiefs.

“Zanu-PF has over a very long time used traditional leaders to advance their interests, so if they (chiefs) then speak against the ruling party the leaders are riled,” Muchadehama said.

“Chiefs are prohibited by the constitution to support political parties.

“Government should not forget that just like any other citizens, chiefs are entitled to enjoy rights that are enshrined in the constitution.

“Government could have made use of the chiefs’ council or the chiefs’ ethics and integrity committee to take action against the chief.”

Political analyst Fidelis Duri said Chiwenga’s utterances showed that the ruling party wanted to control chiefs in violation of the constitution.

“Traditional leaders have always been the number one enemy to the ruling party since independence, but the leaders have pampered them with material things to buy their allegiance,” Duri said.

Chapter 15.2 of the constitution states that “traditional leaders must not be members of any political party or in any way participate in partisan politics, act in a partisan manner, further the interests of any political party or cause or violate the fundamental rights and freedoms of any person”.

Duri added: “That is why if the leaders act contrary to the expectations, the government goes after them.

“It is not new. We have seen Chief Ndiweni who was deposed after criticising the president.”

In December 2019, government dethroned outspoken Chief Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni of Ntabazinduna in Matabeleland North.

The Ndiweni clan protested his removal saying the government was interfering in the running of their chieftainship.

Chapter 283 of the constitution of Zimbabwe stipulates that the appointment, removal and suspension of chiefs must be done by the president on the recommendation of the provincial assembly of chiefs through the National Council of Chiefs and the minister responsible for traditional leaders and in accordance with the traditional practices and traditions of the communities concerned.-standard

By A Correspondent- Trevor Ncube, a member of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Presidential Advisory Council (PAC), has criticised Vice President Constantino Chiwenga for threatening a traditional leader, Chief Murinye, born Ephias Munodawafa.

Chief Murinye, who is reportedly related to Mnangagwa, last week publicly warned the President he would lose the 2023 presidential election or be overthrown in a military coup if he fails to deal with corrupt officials around him.

On Friday Chiwenga warned hundreds of chiefs gathered in Harare for a meeting with Mnangagwa against ignoring protocol when raising their concerns with the Government.

Chiwenga also said Chief Murinye would be investigated by the Local Government Minister July Moyo and president of the Chiefs Council Fortune Charumbira over his remarks.

Meanwhile, Ncube, who is also chairman of Alpha Media Holdings, a media house, said Chiwenga’s threats were shocking and chilling. He said:

This is shocking, chilling, and totally unacceptable in a democracy. Chiwenga spoke like a coup leader and not Vice President of a democratic Zimbabwe.

Political analyst Pride Mkono said Chiwenga’s reaction to Chief Murinye’s comments was an embarrassment. Said Mukono:

Threats on Chief Murinye are humiliating, especially coming from a Vice President who knows people have the right and freedom to say as they please.

This is not Mnangagwa’s country, it belongs to everyone. No one should be threatened after speaking of corruption as it is clear as daylight, Zimbabwe is troubled by graft.

Addressing chiefs in Harare on Friday at the annual Chiefs’ Conference, Chiwenga said Chief Murinye had acted like a person high on “Mutoriro”, an illicit drug. Said Chiwenga:

That is only done by those who drink Mutoriro, in this country, it is never done. We have one Munhumutapa (Mnangagwa).

We have one leader and it is that leader we give our respect to, it is that leader we show the entire nation what respect is all about.

What has been done by Chief Murinye is going to be investigated by the Minister of Local Government (July Moyo), the President of the Chiefs Council (Fortune Charumbira), his deputy, and his committee and found guilty then appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.

Such foolishness is not done, I hope you understand me. Chiefs are appointed and they are removed too.

I further thank my great Munhumutapa, and no one touches him as long as I live.

By A Correspondent | Vice President Constantino Chiwenga faces arrest over his utterances threatening King Munhumutama descendant and chief Murinye.
Chiwenga on Friday said Murinye must be punished over his criticism of corruption in government during the burial of a villager from his area.

Legal experts told ZimEye the constitution is clear on the offence allegedly committed by VP Chiwenga.
The prolific Chief Felix Ndiweni told ZimEye,
“I am calling for Lawyers in Zimbabwe if they can to report this matter of threats to the Chief for prosecution under the Traditional Leaders Act Section 48 containing the enclosed responsibilities ” Of Hindering a Traditional Leader in the course of their Work.”
“This is a Criminal Offence, level 5 fine and or imprisonment. It is very straightforward that that offence has been committed here against the Chief in question.
“He was doing his responsibilities as a chief. At funerals ALL Chief speak at the end of such occasions and MUST. bring in current local issues.”
Legal expert and ZANU PF aligned analyst, Dr Masimba Mavaza said there is nothing wrong the Chief did when he criticised corruption at the funeral of an MDC Alliance member.
Said Mavaza: ” People who are condemning Chief Murinye are tarnishing the name of our country Zimbabwe and the name of our good president. By believing that Murinye was asking for a coup when he asked if people want Valerio Sibanda is to be requested to come and arrest those criminals surrounding the president, means that he was asking for a coup is mischievous.
“This thinking will be suggesting that there was a coup in Zimbabwe in 2017; There was never a coup in Zimbabwe.”
It could not be established at the time of writing if the police are going to follow the constitution and perform an arrest of Chiwenga and contacted for a comment the vice-presidents phone was switched off for the good part of the day on Saturday. – ZimEye

By- President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the remains of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes should be removed Matopos National Park in Matabeleland and returned to the United Kingdom.

Mnangagwa told traditional leaders Friday in Harare that the remains of the founder of the former British colony, Rhodesia, were of no importance to the country.

Rhodes, who was born in 1853 and died in 1902 was an imperialist, businessman and politician who played a dominant role in southern Africa in the late 19th Century, driving the annexation of vast swathes of land.
He founded the De Beers diamond firm which until recently controlled global trade.
Rhodes dreamt of an uninterrupted railway link stretching from Cape Town to Cairo, Egypt — the entire north to south controlled at the time by the British Empire.
Rhodes’ remains lie atop a granite hill in Matopos.
“We still have Rhodes’ remains in Matobo.
“What do you think about it? If you go to the shrine, you don’t know whether you are talking to Rhodes or our ancestors,” Mnangagwa said.
“His remains must be returned to where he hailed from and we can also have our ancestral remains which are being kept in Europe.”
In 2012, the late former president Robert Mugabe blocked ex-combatants and members of his ruling Zanu PF party from exhuming his remains, saying his legacy was part of the country’s history.
In May 2020, the Rhodes Stable located at the Matopos National Park was burnt down by unknown people.
The stables, built in 1897, are one of the oldest buildings in the country where Rhodes used to shelter his horses.
In South Africa, statues and monuments of colonial-era leaders were once targets of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests.
In 2015, South Africa’s University of Cape Town removed the statue of the British colonialist and 19th Century figure, unveiled in 1934.

• Standard

By-Douglas Mwonzora’s MDC-T said it was not planning to recall Gweru City Mayor Josiah Makombe.

Mwonzora has recalled all elected party representatives, who are alleged to be aligned to the MDC Alliance and its leader Nelson Chamisa, to fix them.

MDC-T secretary for Information and Publicity Witness Dube told TellZim that they will only confirm recalls after they have been officially done. He said:

We can only talk about recalls that have been effected. What I can tell you is that the party assists its public representatives in fulfilling their mandate to the best of their ability.

Dube added that the party had a duty to recall errant members and when such a development is done, the party will publish the names in a statement. Said, Dube:

Where the party has to discipline its representatives to keep them in line it does so.

However, some public representatives so deviate to an extent that recalling them becomes the only option available for the party.

Tsvangirai once recalled an entire council of Chitungwiza because of corruption and this has always been the number one reason why our party would consider recalling any councillor.

Should our party be left with recalling as the only corrective measure on any councillor, such councillors will be communicated to and their names published in a party statement.

The MDC-T has recalled scores of MDC Alliance MPs and councillors and replaced some of the legislators with people rejected by the electorate in 2018.

By-elections are likely to be conducted during the first quarter of 2022 for constituencies left vacant by the recalls.

More: TellZim

By-A Masvingo traditional leader, Chief Murinye, said he was ready for the investigations that Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said would soon be lodged against him.

Born Ephias Munodawafa, Chief Murinye said he is not afraid of being investigated after his rant against corruption in high offices.

Chief Murinye set the cat among the pigeons when he accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his top lieutenants of entertaining corruption.

The traditional leader was addressing mourners at the funeral of Public Service Commission official Elson Gonye last weekend.

During the annual Chiefs’ Conference held in Harare on Friday, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga warned the traditional leaders to desist from criticising the President in public saying this was unacceptable and would not be tolerated.

Chiwenga also said Chief Murinye will be investigated for his utterances and disciplinary action will be taken against him.

But speaking during an interview with The Standard on Saturday, Murinye said his remarks were not out of malice but for the love of ZANU PF. He said:

I am a chief in accordance with the tradition and my clan. I am satisfied that what I said was not out of malice.

It was because of my love for my party (ZANU PF) and my president. I don’t have questionable allegiance.

The problem is in every system when you step on other people’s toes — who think you are disrupting their bread and butter means, they make that noise.

I am not afraid of being investigated. I don’t have a problem with that. At the moment, that is what I will say.

Last night Chief Murinye confirmed it was him speaking in an audio recording where he dared politicians to kill him for speaking out his mind.

Before Chiwenga issued the threats on Friday, Murinye had told The Standardthat he was receiving threatening messages and calls from anonymous people.

More: The Standard

By- Opposition MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa will spend this festive season in the rural areas targeting gatherings in the countryside where people are merry-making.

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has been on a whirlwind tour in rural areas to drum up support for the opposition party ahead of the upcoming 2023 elections.
Chamisa’s entourage and his supporters have been attacked on several occasions during the rural campaigns by suspected Zanu PF supporters.
The violence claimed the life of MDC Alliance activist Nyasha Zhambe of Gutu, Masvingo.
Zanu PF recently admitted that Chamisa’s inroads into rural areas were a cause for concern for the party, which often boasts majority support in the countryside.
MDC Alliance secretary for rural mobilisation and strategy Happymore Chidziva told The Standard that they would capitalise on festive gatherings in the rural areas including encouraging new voters to register to vote in the upcoming elections.
“There is no festive season for us this time,” Chidziva said.
“We are not going to take a break; we are going on with our rural mobilisation exercise. We don’t break because those are the communities we live in, so we will keep on mobilising.”
The opposition party is targeting six million voters in its voter mobilisation campaign plan.
Zanu PF party wants to increase the number of its registered voters to five million and to ensure a 65% election victory.
Recently, Zanu PF political commissar Mike Bimha told journalists that the ruling party had so far reached four million people following the restructuring exercise.
Chidziva said: “We are getting there. We have won the hearts of many people in the rural communities and that is why we are not breaking the mobilisation exercise.
“Voter registration is a key part of our electoral campaign and we target seven million votes for change.”
The opposition party narrowly lost to Zanu PF in the 2018 elections with Chamisa getting more than two million votes.
Zanu Pf has said it will use the March by-elections to gauge its popularity after conducting a restructuring exercise.

-Standard

By- President Emmerson Mnangagwa reverses the late President Robert Mugabe’s directive to respect the remains of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes in Matopos National Park in Matabeleland.

Mnangagwa, told Chiefs that Rhodes’s remains should be returned to the United Kingdom.

Mnangagwa said the remains of the founder of the former British colony, Rhodesia, were of no importance to the country.

Rhodes, who was born in 1853 and died in 1902 was an imperialist, businessman and politician who played a dominant role in southern Africa in the late 19th Century, driving the annexation of vast swathes of land.
He founded the De Beers diamond firm which until recently controlled global trade.
Rhodes dreamt of an uninterrupted railway link stretching from Cape Town to Cairo, Egypt — the entire north to south controlled at the time by the British Empire.
Rhodes’ remains lie atop a granite hill in Matopos.
“We still have Rhodes’ remains in Matobo.
“What do you think about it? If you go to the shrine, you don’t know whether you are talking to Rhodes or our ancestors,” Mnangagwa said.
“His remains must be returned to where he hailed from and we can also have our ancestral remains which are being kept in Europe.”
In 2012, the late former president Robert Mugabe blocked ex-combatants and members of his ruling Zanu PF party from exhuming his remains, saying his legacy was part of the country’s history.
In May 2020, the Rhodes Stable located at the Matopos National Park was burnt down by unknown people.
The stables, built in 1897, are one of the oldest buildings in the country where Rhodes used to shelter his horses.
In South Africa, statues and monuments of colonial-era leaders were once targets of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests.
In 2015, South Africa’s University of Cape Town removed the statue of the British colonialist and 19th Century figure, unveiled in 1934.

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By- Opposition MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa will spend this festive season in the rural areas targeting gatherings in the countryside where people are merry-making.

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has been on a whirlwind tour in rural areas to drum up support for the opposition party ahead of the upcoming 2023 elections.
Chamisa’s entourage and his supporters have been attacked on several occasions during the rural campaigns by suspected Zanu PF supporters.
The violence claimed the life of MDC Alliance activist Nyasha Zhambe of Gutu, Masvingo.
Zanu PF recently admitted that Chamisa’s inroads into rural areas were a cause for concern for the party, which often boasts majority support in the countryside.
MDC Alliance secretary for rural mobilisation and strategy Happymore Chidziva told The Standard that they would capitalise on festive gatherings in the rural areas including encouraging new voters to register to vote in the upcoming elections.
“There is no festive season for us this time,” Chidziva said.
“We are not going to take a break; we are going on with our rural mobilisation exercise. We don’t break because those are the communities we live in, so we will keep on mobilising.”
The opposition party is targeting six million voters in its voter mobilisation campaign plan.
Zanu PF party wants to increase the number of its registered voters to five million and to ensure a 65% election victory.
Recently, Zanu PF political commissar Mike Bimha told journalists that the ruling party had so far reached four million people following the restructuring exercise.
Chidziva said: “We are getting there. We have won the hearts of many people in the rural communities and that is why we are not breaking the mobilisation exercise.
“Voter registration is a key part of our electoral campaign and we target seven million votes for change.”
The opposition party narrowly lost to Zanu PF in the 2018 elections with Chamisa getting more than two million votes.
Zanu Pf has said it will use the March by-elections to gauge its popularity after conducting a restructuring exercise.

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By – Norton member of parliament, Temba Mliswa has challenged Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to respect divergent views and stop intimidating citizens who would have expressed themselves.

In a Twitter thread, Mliswa said the “New Dispensation” is operating just as the late former president Robert Mugabe did, that is, threatening people who held divergent views.

The outspoken former ZANU PF Mashonaland West provincial chairman was responding to Chiwenga’s threats to discipline a traditional leader for speaking his mind.

Chief Murinye of Masvingo ruffled Chiwenga’s feathers he warned President Emmerson Mnangagwa of a possible coup if he failed to deal with worsening corruption.

Commenting on Chiwenga’s chilling warning to Chief Murinye, Mliswa reminded the ruling elite that they do not own Zimbabwe. Below is Mliswa’s full Twitter thread:

News that VP Chiwenga threatened Chief Murinye is wrong & disturbing on every level. This is exactly how Mugabe operated, threatening all those who had divergent views. Leadership should listen to people & not threaten them. We are all under Chiefs. Politicians sandivo vene venyika.

There is freedom of expression which the Chiefs can also exercise and they speak on behalf of the people. They can’t be threatened over that. Chiefs were independent and apolitical but ZANU PF got them involved in politics yet when they press a divergent button you attack them.

You dragged them into politics so accept all versions of that involvement. We can’t be a country where people are afraid of expressing their views. Hatingarambe tichichikidzira vanhu. We can’t be a country known for abusing its people.

Some of us joined and pushed for the new dispensation because we felt that we would have a new narrative and a different governance system. You came up with the mantra the voice of the people is the voice of God. What has happened to that?

Chief Murinye should not retract what he said because it’s the truth. Let’s be tolerant of the truth. Mwari ndiye muridzi wenyika ino kwete imi. You cannot threaten us all for saying what is true. Hamusimi varidzi venyika.

If I had known that this is what the removal of Mugabe means then I would not have allowed myself to suffer imprisonment; go to foreign Gvts to lobby against their military intervention, stop SADC from sending troops etc. Let’s not forget who played which role.

When you are in power be humble, have equanimity, be magnanimous. Don’t abuse your power and bully those under you. Listen to the concerns of all, women, youths, war veterans, Chiefs, masvikiro, church leaders, etc then we know it’s the Zimbabwe that we want.

We have no desire to lead but simply need the leaders present to do things in the proper way. Leaders who push for our desires. I’m disappointed with all this. You, Hon VP, sacrificed for a better Zimbabwe but this is not the way to go about it.

You can’t be using that position to intimidate people. People should be free to greet you and laugh with you in the street not to fear you. Ushe madzoroand what goes around comes around.

By Farai D Hove | I stopped listening to Winky D when I found him performing with MDC Alliance regalia, says Zanu PF’s Shumba Nyamuziwa.

Writing on Saturday afternoon, Nyamuziwa responded to a complaint by a female lawyer by saying:

“Winky D has been MDC ever since that time he released the Jecha song and performing wearing the MDC regalias.

“I used to like him but ipapo zvakabva zvapera- on that day my love for him quickly ended.”

Nyamiziwa stressed saying the problem with the singer is that he performs while wearing MDC Allianc regalia.

The only regalia Winky D has performed wearing is prison garb.

“This prison garb is what you call MDC regalia? Winky D does not wear party regalia, ” said one BaOranji.

Meanwhile, the learned lawyer had earlier on passed her complaint saying she won’t listen to Winky “I love Winky D but because his music has been politicized and aligned, I won’t listen to it,” she said.