Farai Dziva|Zanu PF’s plan to unleash terror on opposition members has been exposed.

According to MDC deputy spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka, Zanu PF is planning to abduct influential opposition members.

See statement below :

As despondent Zimbabweans brace for action to consign poverty and end their suffering, the Mnangagwa regime is planning to engage in nationwide terror tactics and abductions in a vain attempt to cow and intimidate a determined people
President Chamisa’s call for nationwide action has shaken the regime to the core.

The regime is now planning violence, night abductions and an assortment of terror tactics against innocent Zimbabweans in a vain attempt to stop an idea whose time has come.

The regime has now fallen into its default mode of violence.

Impeccable sources said the meeting held by JOC early this week had put in place elaborate plans to abduct and torture MDC leaders and party youths in the various townships in Harare so as to engender fear in the country in a desperate bid to stop Zimbabweans from engaging in peaceful action to express their displeasure at the parlous economic situation.

Own Correspondent|Police in Gwanda rounded up 21 teenagers at a Vuzu party at an excluded place out of Gwands town on Saturday.

The 21 were all between the ages of 14 and 19. Most of them are still school going while a few were school dropouts.

They were arrested in possession of large amount of alcohol most of which was the smuggled in low cost whiskies and brandies.

Reports indicate that senior police officers in the Police Internal Security Intelligence, PISI, called parents of the children to witnesse the corrective measures the police were taking on their children.

The police finally decided to let the children back into the custody of their parents after giving them a huge lecture on the dangers of Vuzu parties.

Vuzu parties have been topical to a point where some people now think they know every nitty gritty about these delinquent activities.

Vuzu parties were common in Bulawayo last year before the community decided to come together and bring the vice to an end.

Several meetings were held where scaring details on the parties were revealed by some young people.

A Bulawayo youth, Trevor Gurajena, left people stunned when he revealed the four types of vuzu parties that include plain, $5 party and “blesser” sponsored vuzu parties.

Gurajena said the plain vuzu parties are the ones whereby youths sponsor themselves just for socialising and, of course, unprotected sex.

“For this one, youths just contribute some money to host a party. Usually it’s a way of relaxing the mind after a hectic school term and also a farewell party after a school holiday. Youths indulge in unprotected sex, take drugs and have fun,” he said.

Gurajena said these rowdy youths use “passwords” to code each other so that they get into kombis that usually park near Haddon and Sly.

“There is a signal that youths use which is not known by everyone. If you are at Haddon and Sly for instance and you hear a certain code or whistle, you know that it’s time to go and you have to jump into the kombi. Youths who fail to read these codes are automatically out of the list,” he said.

What left people tongue tied is the $5 vuzu party.

Gurajena said on top of paying transport fares and money to buy drugs, youths pay a $5 subscription to join a sex race.

The subscriptions, he said, are set aside throughout the party and will be given as an award to honour the boy and girl who win the race.

“It’s a race and you have to prove a point. Two people, a boy and a girl who manage to sleep with at least 10 partners during that night are given the royal crown,” he said.

Gurajena said those who are crowned are highly regarded.

The third one, Gurajena said, is the blesser sponsored party where an adult forks out money to hold the party.

“Youths don’t pay anything here as someone does it for them. This is usually done by people who want to test the efficiency of their drugs.They find it easy to test it on youths,” he said.

His explanation stirred the hearts of parents as they tried to imagine their children in such a pit.

Farai Dziva|The trial of MDC deputy chairperson Job Sikhala has been postponed to 03 – 07 February, the party has said.

The trial was initially scheduled for January 27-30.

“The Treason trial of the MDC Deputy National Chair Hon Job Sikhala that was scheduled to kick off on Monday 27-31 January 2020 has been postponed to 03 – 07 February for the State has indicated its unpreparedness on the case,” said the Movement for Democratic Change in a statement.

It was at the time of writing believed the National Prosecuting Authority intends to cook up evidence against Sikhala having failed to prove a prima facie against him for treason.

The latest decision comes barely 3 days to his trial on allegations of subverting or attempting to overthrow a constitutional government.

This is a charge according to the State papers which emanates from a purported video downloaded from the Twitter account of one Jones Musara, a ZANU PF activist based in Toronto, Canada.

In the video aforesaid Jones Musara purports that Sikhala addressed people urging them to overthrow Mnangagwa.

A constitutional government is that which drives its authority from the governed through a free and fair election devoid of manipulation and fraud.

A number of ZANU PF activists and their surrogates were celebrating that the hour of Sikhala fix had come.

Sikhala has been arrested 63 times from 2000 to present. Records show he was never convicted on any case from rape to murder. All turned out to be persecutions disguised as prosecutions.

COMMENT AND ANALYSIS:

One good soul in this party of the deranged once said that the late Robert Mugabe was different from this clown we currently have among ourselves masquerading as a President.

Mugabe would not interfere with the judiciary. He would only interfere on matters that directly threatened his power, like the Presidential election petition challenging his legitimacy. That he would not mind how the judiciary deals with other matters outside threat to his power. So he goes on to say that, that’s why the late Morgan Tsvangirai was acquitted on two crucial cases.

One when he threatened to remove Mugabe violently if he didn’t want to go peacefully.

The second one being the Ari Ben Manashe drama which was packaged as a Treason trial. He further says that our present clown phones directly Public Prosecutors and judiciary officers to give instructions.

The charge Sikhala is facing is a specie of Treason. It has a mandatory sentence of 20 years in prison without an option of a fine.

The demented ones in the club of fools, which ZANU PF people are, waffle that you deserve what you are getting because you were not supposed to say what you said. In the State papers the overzealous “unknown reward” seeking ignorant police officers say that by threatening to remove Mnangagwa from power Sikhala was seeking to change the hands of power before his term expires in 2023.

In the study of constitutionalism, an individual does not constitute a government. A government is constituted by its three branches, that is, the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature. Mnangagwa is an individual who is not all or any of that. He can go today, the Executive may remain as constituted minus him, the Judiciary will remain the same, so is the Legislature. When individuals turn themselves into governments, you must know that, that country is cursed. And let it be known that Mnangagwa is not government. Government is instituted in terms of the constitution with its distinct branches.

Mnangagwa is not all that. He is just a Sherwood Farm fish farmer who occupies an office which is not defined to belong to him. It can be occupied by anyone if he perishes today.

So anyone in his or her perverted disposition who thinks that this trial is going to be sadza eating jamboree should take a strange dog for a wife.

Those extractors of the purported documentary from a ZANU PF malcontent living far away in Canada must be prepared for the nightmare of their lives.

We saw the overzealous ones during the Treason trial of Morgan Tsvangirai behaving as if everybody was borrowing the air we breath from them including Augustine Chihuri. When you meet them in streets today they look pathetic and deranged, with nothing to show for the bombastic self they were demonstrating during the material time. Since time immemorial, Sikhala has never received the level of solidarity, prayers and encouragement like what he is currently receiving. This is a demonstration that the people of Zimbabwe are not fools as envisaged by someone who encourages everyone to feed on vegetables daily until Kingdom comes.

Be reassured that gloves are off. The titanic battle has begun. In his life he has lost battles but not a war. This is a war, not a war for myself but for everyone who believes in a free and democratic Zimbabwe.

THE MDC Matabeleland North and Bulawayo provincial structures have “temporarily” buried their differences to support the under-fire Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni with a solidarity rally planned for next month.

The two were at loggerheads after Matabeleland North petitioned the national leadership to dissolve the Bulawayo provincial structures blaming the latter for the party’s waning support in Matabeleland.

The MDC Matabeleland North province last year said the endless chaos obtaining in Bulawayo was disturbing, and affecting its support base before petitioning the party leadership to dissolve the structures.

Attempts by the party leadership to bring the provinces together to iron out their differences had been futile until the Ndiweni’s chieftainship battle came up. Ndiweni is fighting his recent removal as Ntabazinduna Chief by Government.

The Southern Eye on Sunday was told attempts aimed at bringing the two provinces to work together during a meeting held on Saturday January 18 suffered a false start after the Matabeleland North province boycotted the meeting.

The party leadership reportedly did not take the issue lightly and directed that a follow-up meeting be held on Wednesday January 22 to force the two provinces to iron out their differences and jointly organise a Ndiweni rally.

In separate interviews last week, MDC Matabeleland North deputy chairperson Jabulani Hadebe and Bulawayo spokesperson Swithern Chiroodza both confirmed the follow-up Wednesday meeting where they resolved to jointly organise the solidarity rally in support of the outspoken Chief.

“We had a meeting with Matabeleland North and other individuals from Matabeleland South province where we agreed to try and converge to have a solidarity rally for Ndiweni. The date of the solidarity rally is not yet set, but we are very sure that the party will be offering solidarity to him. Even during the liberation struggle, people supported progressive chiefs and it is incumbent upon the MDC to support the progressive ideas of Chief Ndiweni,” Chiroodza said.

“When it comes to violence, Gukurahundi and the general civil strife that Zimbabweans face, Ndiweni is found condemning those and it’s so much unlike chiefs from Mashonaland who participate in the murder of fellow countrymen by taking orders from the ruling party to starve villagers who do not toe the Zanu PF political line.

“And so if a chief condemns such kind of Stalinism, and evil deeds, that chief, in this case Chief Ndiweni, truly deserves our support.”

Ndiweni has approached the High Court seeking to overturn a Local Government ministry decision to remove him as substantive chief on grounds his chieftainship is being contested by his elder brother, Joram, who argues he is the heir to the throne.

An alleged speedster who filmed himself doing 308km/h in an Audi TTS on a highway in Gauteng has been tracked down and arrested.

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula welcomed the arrest in a statement on Sunday.

The 36-year-old male had been driving a red Audi on the N1 southbound in Midrand in a 120km/h zone.

“Officials from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) used various investigative techniques to identify, locate and arrest the suspect,” read the statement.

“The alleged speedster, who resides in Midrand, was tracked down at a funeral in Limpopo by undercover investigators.

“He faces charges of reckless and negligent driving as well as related charges in terms of the National Road Traffic Act.”

The RTMC warned last Thursday that it had identified the motorist and urged him to “come forward and present himself or we will visit him at his place of residence in Midrand”.

The video, which starts with a speed of 243km/h on the dashboard, was widely shared on social media.

Own Correspondent|The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has been taken to the High Court by a businessman, who is claiming $6 027 000 from the national broadcaster for using his original audio-visual works.

Dillan Prinsloo is suing ZBC for copyright infringement and the latter is yet to respond to the lawsuit.

According to court papers, Prinsloo is the owner and author of certain audio-visual works which he created in 2017, entitled Beautiful Zimbabwe, consisting of original visual clips numbering up to 41.

Among the visual clips are those titled Sunrise Time lapse, Nyanga Mountains, Vumba Mountains, Balancing Rocks, Gorges Sunrise, Chilijo Cliffs, and many more.

“The original audio-visual works aforesaid are eligible for copyright in terms of S10 (1) (d) of the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act chapter 26:05 and Prinsloo, as the author and owner, at the material time when the original audio visual works aforesaid were first made, was a citizen of Zimbabwe and, therefore, a qualified person in terms of section 9 (2)(a) of the Act,” he said in his declaration.

According to the businessman, the original audio works were first published in Zimbabwe in 2017 and that at all relevant times he was the author and owner of the copyright on the original works and still remained the owner and author.

“During the period June 2019 to September 2019, the defendant (ZBC) directly copied Prinsloo’s original audio-visual works aforesaid, and broadcast them in its television in whole and in combination with other works,” he said adding that ZBC’s conduct was not authorised by him and did not fall under the category of any of the acts permitted by Part III of the Copyright Act.”

“In the premises, the conduct by the defendant aforesaid constitutes infringement of the plaintiff’s copyright on his original audio-visual works, in that the defendant, not being owner of the copyright, and without the plaintiff’s authority, copied or caused to copy the plaintiff’s original visual works aforesaid, in Zimbabwe which plaintiff as the owner has the exclusive rights to do or authorise.”

Prinsloo said at all relevant times, ZBC knew or alternatively, reasonably ought to have known that its conduct constituted infringement of his works.

“The unlawful conduct of the defendant caused plaintiff damage of $6 027 000 as he cannot, as a result of the defendant’s infringement, sell or license the original audio-visual works aforesaid,” he said.

Chief Mugabe born Matubede Mudavanhu has banned the selling of traditional beer in his area after 6pm to avoid violence and skirmishes that are frequent in the villages.

The final straw to this decision was a poisoning incident that occurred at a beer drink in his area.

He has also put in place a law to control the price of beer and forces anyone who brews traditional beer to give free booze to the village head. The free beer for the village head is called musumo in Shona.

Chief Mugabe said that the law requires anyone selling beer to have a license. He said that although this law excludes villagers, selling beer after 6pm is not allowed.

“This law has always been there; no one is supposed to sell traditional beer after 6pm. A lot happens at ndari and criminals including those from outside the area hide at these binges before they strike at night.

“I will therefore with immediate effect be enforcing the law that bans the selling of beer after 6pm”, said Mugabe.

Mugabe said that many cases of adultery reported in the area involve men who get courage to get into neighbours’ homes after drinking beer.

He also said late night ndari are noisy and they disturb children studying at home.
Villagers must always inform the village head before they brew traditional beer, said Chief Mugabe.

#MasvingoMirror#

Standard|AMACIMBI (mopane worms) as they are called since they feed on leaves of Mopane trees, have become a source of conflicts involving locals and outsiders.

In Zimbabwe, amacimbi are not only considered a delicacy and an important source of nutrition, but a source of income for many, especially in rural Matabeleland.

Amid warnings of another spell of hunger, a bountiful of amacimbi in parts of Matabeleland South province such as Kezi, Solusi and Gwanda, among others, is seen as coming at the right time to hedge against the impact of food shortages in the coming months.

An unprecedented rush for amacimbi from “outsiders”, especially from Bulawayo and other parts of the country, who have literally camped in rural Matabeleland bushes has, however, alarmed and angered locals who say they are being robbed of their resources.

Scores of “outsiders” have camped in the bushes, cutting down trees in search of amacimbi, leaving locals seething with anger over fears of either extinction or reduced numbers of the delicacy worms in future.

“It’s our natural resource; it’s our resource and that of our children and future generations to benefit from, but then outsiders are disregarding all that by cutting down the trees,” lamented Peter Moyo, a Solusi villager.

“There has to be regulation on the harvesting of amacimbi, outsiders must be licensed by our traditional leaders as we cannot continue to allow this situation where outsiders come here to finish off our resource, leaving us with nothing, with no source of income, and with no Mopane trees after they have either cut them or burnt them down.”

The “outsiders” stand accused of also fouling the environment by bathing and relieving themselves near the rivers.

More in Home

A Forestry Commission official also expressed concern over the indiscriminate harvesting of the common property food resource.

“We seem not to have any problems with the local communities who have established intact indigenous natural resource management systems,” the official said.

“The main culprits are outsiders who are fuelling environmental damage. In some areas, these people have started veld fires while in other areas they are cutting trees in order to catch the worms.”

The cutting-down of trees, deforestation, is a major concern in Zimbabwe among other southern African countries, according to a Food and Agriculture Organisation report by Sasha Naidoo, Claire Davis and Emma Archer van Garderen, from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa titled Forests, rangelands and climate change in southern Africa.

“Deforestation and forest degradation comprise a large proportion (approximately one-fifth) of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” the report reads in part.

“Deforestation in the Sadc region is a major concern and has been identified as one of the priority areas for regional action due to its contribution to increased concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and to land degradation and its negative impact on biodiversity and the balance of associated ecosystems.”

However, this is of little concern to amacimbi harvesters who are not resident in parts of rural Matabeleland South where the insects are found, with experts warning that this is a recipe for conflict.

“All I need is money,” said Jacqueline Ndlovu, from Bulawayo, who had travelled with her friends to Kezi, Matabeleland South, in search of amacimbi.

A 20-litre bucket of amacimbi fetches US$25 or 375 rands with the price set to go up as demand increases as the worms deplete. A small cup of the commodity is being sold for anything upwards of ZWL$10.

Chief Nyangazonke of Maphisa in Kezi, Matobo district, lamented the cutting-down of trees by “outsiders” who have descended in his area in search of amacimbi, saying they risk being charged at his court for looting a resource that naturally belonged to locals.

“There should be no cutting down of trees, and neither should there be fouling of our environment by those who have camped in our bushes,” Nyangazonke said on Friday.

The traditional leader urged his subjects to take ownership of their natural resource to avoid a situation where outsiders “leave them with nothing”.

“As traditional leaders, we have our traditions which call on visitors to register their presence with traditional leadership structures . However, these people here for amacimbi do not do so, that is disrespect and that worries us,” he said.

“Locals must take control and ownership of this resource. It’s their natural resource and they must benefit from it. At the same time, we are not chasing anyone away, but we are saying let us be responsible; let us harvest amacimbi in an environmentally sustainable way to avoid conflicts with locals who will surely want to fight against such practices.”

Analysts warn unless this common property food resource is managed in a sustainable manner, there could be highly reduced numbers and market failure for the resource in the future.

They also recommend that government improves the property rights and institutional arrangements that govern the exploitation of mopane worms by supporting communities to establish indigenous natural resource management systems.

“It is important that government takes the harvesting of mopani as an important contributor to food and nutritional security of locals, and an important contributor to the gross domestic product,” said Effie Ncube.

“For that to happen authorities need to educate and train amacimbi harvesters and farmers to ensure it is done in an environmentally sustainable way.”

Ndodana Moyo, a villager in Kezi, however, feels authorities have let them down by giving free rein to “outsiders” to loot their resource.

“It is for this reason that you see some gold panners resorting to the use of machetes to defend their claims,” Moyo said.

“In our case, the outsiders have literally flooded our area and you cannot continue to have that kind of situation…eventually this will cause serious friction in the communities and we will end taking up arms to protect our resource from looting.”

Deputy Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Energy Mutodi has defended the government’s seizure of farms owned by former and current ZANU PF members considered to belong to the G40 faction .

Mutodi said there was nothing amiss in the sequestration of farms owned by Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere and Robert Zhuwawo as the intention is to ensure productivity.

Said Mutodi:
Government is taking back all underutilised and in some cases, abandoned agricultural land as we move forward to ensure food security in the country.

The names you have mentioned are former ministers who are in self-imposed exile and have neglected their farms.

We are facing critical shortages of maize, soya beans, oranges and other raw materials because several farms that used to be productive are now lying idle.
It is a clear government policy that such underutilised farms are repossessed by the government and subdivided to create smaller highly productive farm units.

Reports suggest that Mandiitawepi Chimene, Walter Mzembi and Kudzanai Chipanga’s farms are also in line for repossession as President Emmerson Mnangagwa goes for broke against his rivals.- The Standard

Farai Dziva|Zanu PF’s plan to unleash terror on opposition members has been exposed.

According to MDC deputy spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka, Zanu PF is planning to abduct influential opposition members.

See statement below :

As despondent Zimbabweans brace for action to consign poverty and end their suffering, the Mnangagwa regime is planning to engage in nationwide terror tactics and abductions in a vain attempt to cow and intimidate a determined people
President Chamisa’s call for nationwide action has shaken the regime to the core.

The regime is now planning violence, night abductions and an assortment of terror tactics against innocent Zimbabweans in a vain attempt to stop an idea whose time has come.

The regime has now fallen into its default mode of violence.

Impeccable sources said the meeting held by JOC early this week had put in place elaborate plans to abduct and torture MDC leaders and party youths in the various townships in Harare so as to engender fear in the country in a desperate bid to stop Zimbabweans from engaging in peaceful action to express their displeasure at the parlous economic situation.

Here is a full list and winner and other nominees nominated in that category.

Best Female Artist of the Year

• Gemma Griffiths
• Tammy Moyo
• Shasha
• Ammara Brown
• Janet Manyowa

Best Male Artist of the Year

• Ishan
• Takura
• Asaph
• T Gonzi
• Freeman

Best Group/ Duo of the Year

• Fusion
• Firm Faith
• Vabati Vajehova
• Sinazo

Best Newcomer of the Year

• Ishan
• Joyfull Praise Choir (JPC)
• Mambo Dhuterere
• Garry Mapanzure

Best Album of the Year

• Gango – Freeman
• Franceesca – King98
• Mutare – Shasha
• Ramba Wakadzvanya – Baba Harare

Genre AwardsZimdancehall

• Freeman
• Ndunge Yut
• Enzo lshall
• Nutty O
• Bazooka

Sungura

• Nicholas Zachariah
• Mukoma Panga
• Peter Moyo
• Greatman

Hip Hop

• Takura
• T Gonzi
• King 98
• Asaph
• Cal_vin

Afropop

• Ishan
• Ammara Brown
• Rocki
• Tammy Moyo

Contemporary Gospel

• Janet Manyowa
• Minister Michael Mahendere
• Joyfull Praise Choir (JPC)
• Sharon Manyika

Traditional Gospel

• Mambo Dhuterere
• Mathias Mhere
• Rev TT Chivaviro
• Joyfull Praise Choir (JPC)

R&B & Soul

• Gemma Griffiths
• Brian Nhira
• Nyasha David
• Berita

Jazz

• Willis waTaffy
• Diana Samkange
• Vuyo Brown
• Sylent Nqo

Dance (House/Gqom/Kwaito/EDM)

• DJ Stavo
• Novuyo Seagirl
• Reverb 7
• Huby Blakes

Tshibilika

• Clement Magwaza
• Ndux Jnr
• Madlela Skhobokhobo
• Bolomba

Traditional Folk (Chinyakare/Chimurenga)

• Andy Muridzo
• Baba Harare
• Greatman
• Agga Nyabinde
• Diana Smkange

Traditional Folk (Ezomdabu/Imbube)

• Indosakusa
• Sotja Moyo
• Charles Mahlaba
• Ukukhanya Kwezwe

Best Alternative

• Sylent Nqo
• Vimbai Zimuto
• DJ Chrxn
• Huby Blakes

Special AwardsZim Icon – Retro Female

• Chiwoniso Maraire
• Busi Ncube
• Stella Chiweshe
• Susan Mapfumo

Zim Icon – Retro Male

• Simon Chimbetu
• Lovemore Majaivana
• Leonard Dembo
• Tongai Moyo

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Andy Brown

Best International Zim Artist

• Shasha
• Brian Nhira
• Queen Vee
• Buffalo Soldier

Best Collaboration

• ‘Mugarden’ – Winky D ft. Gemma
• ‘Ngaibake’ – Freeman ft. Alick Macheso
• ‘Kure’ – Ishan & Ti Gonzi
• ‘You Are More’ – Janet Manyowa ft. Nqubeko Mbata

Best DJ

• DJ Stavo
• Judgement Yard
• Gospel DJ Unlocked
• Reverb 7

Best Promoter

• Impala Car Rental
• Brai Out Zw
• 2Kings Entertainment
• Pablos

Best Corporate Sponsors

• Econet Wireless
• Delta Corporation
• Impala Car Rental
• United Refineries (Roil)

Technical AwardsBest Music Video

• ‘Ngaibake’ – Freeman ft. Alick Macheso
• ‘Ndimi’ – Janet Manyowa
• ‘Zvemoyo’ – Takura
• ‘Vavengi’ – Queen Vee

Videographer of the Year

• Umsebenzi Ka Blaqs
• Andy Cutter
• Simdoc Films
• Naxo Films

Producer of the Year

• Oskid
• Reverb 7
• Jamal
• Rodney Beats

Engineer of the Year

• GT Beats
• Rodney Beats
• Tammy Bhima
• Msizkay

Public Vote CategorySong of the Year

• ‘Murgaden’ – Winky D ft. Gemma Griffiths
• ‘Kure’ – Ishan & Ti Gonzi
• ‘Ngaibake’ – Freeman ft. Alick Macheso
• ‘Reurura’ – Seh Calaz & Mambo Duterere
• ‘Sadza neMuriwo’ – Jah Prayzah

A woman proven to be calling from dancer, Bev Sibanda’s husband’s UK home speaks to ZimEye offloading allegations that he has stolen her car and run away.

The below LIVE program follows verification checks by ZimEye showing that the caller is truly from Mr Mufudzi Chambuka’s home.

An earlier investigation by ZimEye Saturday, proved that what the state owned Herald, the H-Metro claimed that he is a medical doctor, is not true.

The damning allegations are uttered by the complainant whose name cannot be disclosed for ethical reasons.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

By A Correspondent| Opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa told party supporters af Stoddart grounds in Mbare last week that political dialogue should include the army, to avert the securocrats meddling in politics.

ZimEye ran a poll to establish whether Chamisa is right and if the army should be included in political dialogue.

According to the poll outcome so far, 74% of the respondents agree with Chamisa that the army should be players in the political dialogue while 15% are opposed to the idea. At least 5% of the respondents are at a crossroads and said they do not know whether the army should or should not be part of the dialogue. Another 6% prefer not to comment on the matter saying leave me out of it.

By Own Correspondent| Workers at Saviour Kasukuwere’s Concorpia Farm in Mazowe are concerned about their future following the government decision to withdraw its land offer letter to the exiled former cabinet minister.

Some of the workers are originally from Mozambique and face a bleak future if they are kicked out of the farm.

Kasukuwere told a local publication on Saturday that he will present a strong case to Lands minister Perrance on the developments he has made on the farm.

He said:

We will put our case to the minister in terms of what we are doing. We are doing cultivation on 120 hectares of land which we opened ourselves.

It initially just had citrus only, but we invested on centre pivots, opened the land for irrigation and brought in the water.

We did a lot and borrowed from financial companies. There were only two houses for workers and we have now built more to cater for more than 100 workers. The farm was just a small part of the estate and no one was using it.

Shiri last week wrote to Kasukuwere notifying him of the ministry’s intention to withdraw the land offer letter ostensibly for planning purposes

-Standard

AN expedition to harvest the much sought after mopani worms (amacimbi) almost turned tragic for a security guard employed at Whitewater High School in Matobo District, Matabeleland South, as he found himself wrestling with a leopard which he miraculously fended off by choking it.

Mr Abednigo Moyo of Halale Village, situated near the famous Njelele Shrine, used bare hands to wrestle and choke the big cat after it attacked him while he was harvesting amacimbi. His brother who had also accompanied him to the amacimbi expedition emerged from the bushes and finished off the vicious predator by axing it. So daring was Mr Moyo that his final technique to outfox the predator saw him shoving his hand into its mouth in an attempt to block its windpipe.

For all his efforts to save his life, he was, however, later arrested for poaching. He appeared before a Plumtree magistrate on Thursday last week facing charges of killing an endangered animal. He was remanded out of custody to 3 February on $300 bail.

Sunday News tracked Mr Moyo last week who narrated his near brush with death and how he fought the animal to its death. Mr Moyo said the incident happened on 13 January at Gumela Farm situated along the Bulawayo-Maphisa Growth Point Road.

“The day started well,” he recalled. “My brother Isaac, his wife and I went to Gumela Farm owned by Mr William Ncube and we sought permission to harvest amacimbi at his property, which we were granted.”

He said while they were harvesting the delicacy he heard his dogs barking and decided to go and investigate. At that point his brother and his wife were harvesting amacimbi on the other side of the farm. When I reached the area, it was a thicket and I could not see anything, my brother and his wife continued to harvest amacimbi,” said Mr Moyo.

He said he then decided to continue with harvesting but all of a sudden, he heard an unusual sound of something approaching from the thicket.

“Before I could even see or react, a leopard emerged charging towards me. I tried to run but it was too late, the predator attacked me and I don’t know how I gathered the strength and managed to grab it by the neck before it could savage me,” he said. Mr Moyo said, however, the grip was not strong and the leopard freed itself but it slipped and lost balance.

“I realised that if I don’t do something the animal would kill me. It was either I die fighting or I get mauled.”

He said when it opened its mouth ready to sink its teeth on him, he shoved his hand into its mouth and grabbed its windpipe. “It was painful because at the same time, the leopard was biting my hand but I was choking it from inside while the other hand was fending off its claws. I was also screaming at the same time. The struggle went on for a minute or two and I could see the animal was also losing power from the choke,” he said. Mr Moyo said his brother heard him screaming and rushed to investigate. “When Isaac arrived, the leopard was already losing strength. He then axed it and that is how I managed to eventually free myself. It died and we left it there,” he said.  Mr Moyo was rushed to Natisa Clinic for treatment.

“I called at my workplace and told them what had happened and after that I went to Natisa Clinic where I was given some injections and the wounds were stitched. It was not serious because that same night I managed to report for work,” he said.

But his woes were not yet over despite the heroics to save his life. “In the morning rangers came to my homestead and arrested me and my brother for poaching. The rangers were carrying the skin of the leopard and told us that we had killed an animal classified as an endangered specie and we were taken to the police. It is the law but I wonder what else I could have done under such circumstances. The issue was either I get killed to save the endangered leopard or fight for my life.”

His brother is also out on $300 bail.

Strive Masiyiwa has thanked all doctors who accepted his offer and returned to work.

The UK-based billionaire gave the update through his Facebook page on Friday. HigherLife Foundation founder Strive Masiyiwa said 1 504 doctors have accepted the offer that he made last year, and expanded this year, for them to call off a debilitating strike that had crippled Zimbabwe’s health sector.

Below is Masiyiwa’s update:

#Update on Zimbabwe’s doctors: As many of you know, my wife and I renewed our offer to the striking Zimbabwean public hospital doctors. The offer closed this evening, and we have been stunned by the response:

1 504 doctors completed the forms, as well as the Resumption of Work process. I had no idea there were that many doctors involved! They have all gone back to work!

This brings the total number of doctors that will be back at work next week to 1866 [including the 362 who accepted the original offer] According to reports I received entire wards at major hospitals, and even entire clinics were re-opening today. That is just remarkable! A miracle!

I really want to extend my own gratitude to these doctors, I know it has not been easy for them. And I’m the first to agree that’s this is not where they want to be.

As part of our foundation’s initiatives we also extended the Free Transport to both doctors and nurses, using Vaya Commuter Shuttles, for another six m

onths. Vaya is also making Free Water Deliveries to 19 hospitals and clinics on a weekly basis.

I really want to urge the relevant authorities to re-engage on this issue and find a satisfactory, and long term, sustainable solution. Meanwhile, I want to also appeal to every member of our society in Zimbabwe, to remember that these are Community Hospitals, and they serve everyone.

This morning I spoke to some church leaders who are keen to help with things like food for doctors and patients. I think this would be a great start. If you are a member of a church why not get involved:

Let’s approach this with the spirit of Cyclone Idai Disaster Response. We need food, blankets, and other forms of support. Everyone has something to offer. Let’s do this.

Strive Masiyiwa

State Media|Syndicates operating illegal backyard abortion “clinics” are using knitting needles, spoons, dishwashing liquid, dangerous pills and assorted concoctions to terminate pregnancies of young, vulnerable and scared women.

An abortion is the medical process of ending a pregnancy so that it does not result in the birth of a baby. Some of these terminations fail, thereby posing serious health risks to those that attempt to abort.

These backyard abortions are putting the lives of hundreds of women at risk, while a lot more are dying and suffering in silence because of the stigma associated with them. Victims often refrain from seeking medical help until it is too late to remedy the damage.

Last week, The Sunday Mail Society conducted an in-depth investigation into the vice which seems to have reached alarming levels in Harare.

The entry point into the investigation was Mercy Tsivo (not her real name), who lives in Harare’s Kuwadzana high-density suburb. As we sat down with her, there was a hint of pain in her captivating smile. Beneath that smile is a layered story of abuse and exploitation by her boyfriend.

But to get her full story, it is important we start from the beginning.

The 19-year-old was nearly four months pregnant when she decided to get rid of the pregnancy. However, she could not go to the hospital as an abortion without compelling reasons is illegal in this country.

Her only solution was a backyard abortion.

She vividly describes the agonising pain she endured when she tried to clandestinely terminate the pregnancy through an illegal abortionist in Mbare.

“When the pain started, I called him and begged him for help because I was bleeding so much. The pain became more and more severe. I could not sit or stand, or lie down. I could not move. He told me not to contact him again, as it was not his problem. He told me to go to the hospital if I had problems. After that, I never got hold of him again,” said Tsivo.

She almost bled to death, with pieces of her uterus in her blood, when she was found by her friends.

Ever since that fateful day, Tsivo is still bleeding. She emits an unpleasant smell.

What was meant to be a simple procedure turned out to be a nightmare — things went awfully wrong at the backyard “clinic”.

“I was haemorrhaging to death from that botched abortion. They first gave me a prescription drug called Cytotec. After a while, I felt an excruciating pain that tore through my spine,” she said.

Cytotec, according to medical experts, is a medication used to prevent and treat stomach ulcers, start labour or cause an abortion, among other things.

“They then used forceps to open my cervix. They dug the foetus out using a spoon and a knitting needle, it was agonising but I had no choice,” she said, adding that she still feels that something is still inside of her womb.

Tsivo is one of the thousands of women across the country who constantly navigate the hazards associated with illegal backyard abortion “clinics” that are thriving in Harare.

Clandestine backstreet “clinics” offering illegal abortions are one of the prime causes of unnecessary maternal deaths across Africa, statistics have shown.

The lack of facilities for safe procedures makes the statistics even worse.

Network of abortionists

“Street doctors” and traditional healers, who trade at the famous Mupedzanhamo Market in Mbare, are at the heart of this gory business. They are the chief suppliers of concoctions, which they believe completely terminate pregnancies. They also work with unscrupulous doctors, bringing together a coterie of operatives and runners from the major hospitals.

Information gathered by The Sunday Mail Society shows that some doctors at Zimbabwe’s major referral hospitals are facilitating the unlawful termination of unwanted pregnancies using prescription drugs.

One of the infamous drug is popularly known as chigeza mudumbu. It is largely believed to be Cytotec. Illegal street doctors are cashing in on the tablets that have now flooded the market.

Their operations bring together runners and middlemen such as traditional healers, “street doctors”, accredited health practitioners and even hairdressers, who are cashing in on the growing demand. Sources said health practitioners from public hospitals are the major players in the thriving backyard abortions market.

Some are now even renting apartments in the Avenues, where the abortions take place, an indication that demand for their services is high.

In case the procedure does not go according to plan, the syndicates smuggle their patients into health centres for treatment.

Pretending to be in need of help, The Sunday Mail Society team was directed to Matapi Flats where we met a woman who would help an “imaginary girlfriend” to abort her five-months pregnancy.

She demanded US$12 for the pills (chigeza mudumbu).

Another dealer that we met at Fife Avenue Shopping Centre said they used pills such as Misoprostol to induce pre-term labour and abortion.

“We get them from our ‘doctor friends’. We source some of them from pharmacies at a much cheaper price. We then resell the drugs for US$12. For our services, we charge US$20,” she said.

There are two ways to terminate pregnancy — either through taking the prescription drugs or through a minor surgical procedure.

Doctors say a medical abortion involves taking pills (the abortion pill), usually 24 to 48 hours apart, to induce a miscarriage.

The surgical abortion is when a pregnant woman goes through a procedure to terminate the pregnancy.

Abortions at private clinics cost an arm and a leg, ranging from US$150 to US$300. This is probably why many are opting for the backyard abortion “clinics”.

‘Unsafe abortion is life threatening’

Sometimes illegal providers overdose women, giving them mixtures of laxatives, aspirin and medication used for stomach-related ailments.

At times, backyard doctors remove the foetus using household equipment like wire hangers and fire tongs.

However, once they have taken their victims’ money, they usually disappear. Most of them cannot be tracked or traced as they change phone numbers and locations.

A Harare specialist doctor and gynaecologist, Dr Alfred Nyoni, said most women are resorting to backyard abortions because of poverty.

“There are more girls who are resorting to illegal abortions because of poverty. Most of them lack proper information on birth control pills, hence the unwanted pregnancies,” he said.

Added Dr Nyoni: “Some of these women risk psychological trauma, womb infections, life-threatening bleeding and infertility. The illegal abortion industry is huge and women are losing their lives due to unsterile operations performed by individuals with no medical knowledge.

“For those that use these unsafe methods, the life-threatening consequences include severe haemorrhage, sepsis (severe general infection), poisoning, uterine perforation or damage to other internal organs. Urgently admitted to hospital, a woman may need a blood transfusion, major reparative surgery, or a hysterectomy — a complete and irreversible removal of the uterus,” said Dr Nyoni.

He also said although some women are able to access black market drugs, they may still suffer complications due to poor drug quality, incorrect dosages or inadequate information, or a combination of these.

The law on abortion

While abortion is illegal and controversial in Zimbabwe — a largely Christian nation — more than 60 000 women still undergo unsafe terminations each year, thereby risking death from haemorrhage, infection or shock.

This is according to the healthcare provider Marie Stopes International, headquartered in South Africa.

The Termination of Pregnancy Act stipulates that termination of a foetus is only legal when the life of the mother and her physical health is threatened or when there is a risk that the child will be born with physical or mental defects of such a nature that the child will be permanently

or seriously handicapped.

Those who break the law can be jailed for five years.

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care Dr Ruth Labode has called on the Health Ministry to revisit the Termination of Pregnancy Act with a view to expanding its scope so that young people and those suffering from debilitating health conditions such as diabetes and HIV/Aids can be allowed to abort.

Late last year, Family Health director in the Health and Child Care Ministry, Dr Bernard Madzima, said statistics from previous researches show that 16 percent of maternal deaths are due to unsafe abortions.

Half of the figures occur among adolescents.

The 2016 national adolescent fertility study by the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council showed that nine percent of adolescents between 10 and 19 years had fallen pregnant.

These pregnancies sometimes end in unsafe abortions, reads part of the report.

Campaigners say a comprehensive evaluation of the Termination of Pregnancy Act is required in order to save lives.

According to the United Nations, Zimbabwe’s maternal mortality rate of 443 deaths per 100 000 live births is triple that of neighbouring South Africa, where abortion is legal.

State Media|FORMER Child President and Goromonzi High School student, Innocent Chikwanda, scored 17 points in the 2019 Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) Advanced Level examinations.

Innocent wrote four subjects. These were Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science and Physics.

He said he now wants to study Electrical Engineering.

“I have always had a passion for Mathematics and got encouragement from my father, who was also good in the subject,” he said.

“Through my hard work and passion, I managed to do well in both school and as Child President. I never mixed the two.”

Commenting on the education system, Innocent said he was grateful for everything he was taught.

He said he was well equipped to face the job market with the skills he acquired through both the Junior Parliament and the education system.

Asked if he had any ambitions of ever getting into mainstream politics, the former Child President said his career would not revolve around politics.

He said politics is earthly, adding that he was a God-fearing young man who constantly read the Bible for guidance.

“Jesus Christ is my role model, I like listening to gospel music,” he said.

Chikwanda says if he were to be given the power to amend any law in Zimbabwe, he would amend the Marriage Act. He said he would love to see any adult who marries a minor being sentenced to at least 12 years in prison.

During his days at Goromonzi High, Innocent played handball and chess. He also participated in debate and public speaking.

The young man is grateful for his parents’ love.

He wished the current Junior Parliamentarians well in their exams.

“They should prioritise the important things in life, that is school. They were students before they became Junior Parliamentarians, therefore, first things first. They must not forget that being a Junior Parliamentarian is just a phase, it will pass.”

State Media|Implementation of healing measures for victims of civil disturbances that rocked parts of Midlands and Matabeleland provinces in the early 1980s is set to receive a fresh boost when Government meets a coalition of local civic groups early next month.

It is understood that authorities are convening a meeting with the Matabeleland Collective and the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) to review and stimulate the implementation of healing measures agreed to during an initial meeting in Bulawayo last year.

In April, Government met the Matabeleland Collective and agreed on measures to ensure healing among victims of civil disturbances that rocked parts of the provinces, in what has become to be known as Gukurahundi.

Resolutions from the meeting included ceding ownership of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project to locals, issuing of civic documents to surviving children of victims of the disturbances and exhumation of the deceased.

Government also committed to facilitate restorative justice measures, making good of President Mnangagwa’s promise that his administration would not shy from confronting the ugly past.

Now authorities are seeking to accelerate the implementation of the agreed interventions, which are being hampered by funding constraints and official bureaucracy.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs secretary Mrs Virginia Mabiza told The Sunday Mail that the meeting will assess progress made so far as well as look for ways to fast track implementation of the outstanding resolutions.

“As Government, we are alive to the fact that some of the items we agreed to last year remain outstanding,” said Mrs Mabiza.

“We will soon be convening a follow-up meeting to revisit the agreed implementation matrix and challenges hindering progress and implementation of some of the resolutions that we agreed on.

“Early February, we are going to have a follow-up meeting to iron out the outstanding issues such as issuance of birth certificates and exhumations that have not taken off the ground owing to a number of challenges.

“We will look at ways to jump-start implementation of those resolutions which are still outstanding and hope that can be done in the shortest possible period.

“The meeting will include the NPRC, the Matabeleland Collective and other stakeholders from the region including churches, religious and traditional leaders.

“As Government, we have shown our commitment in line with the President’s pledge to ensure there is national healing, cohesion and unity, .”

During the last meeting, Government committed to provide medical assistance for those injured during the disturbances.

Further resolutions being implemented at the national level include devolution of Government power and authority, promotion of local languages and engagement between the State and NGOs.

Matabeleland Collective co-ordinator Jenni Williams said: “Matabeleland Collective are aware that President E. D. Mnangagwa has agreed to engage stakeholders in Bulawayo mid-February 2020.

“The Collective are advised that the business of the meeting is to seek a consensus position on how Government will address Gukurahundi and unlock healing.

“Matabeleland Collective will fully participate in this consensus-building and is prepared to work with all organisations, stakeholders, traditional leaders and faith-based organisations so as to chart specific steps that need to be taken.

“The Collective call on all stakeholders to ensure they attend the consultations and consensus-building meetings so that Matabeleland has a strong voice for healing, equalisation and increased development of our region.”

Mrs Williams said implementation of some of the resolutions from last year’s meeting had been slow or non-existent in some instances.

She said Government’s proposed extension of the women’s quota in Parliament through a constitutional amendment, as resolved during last year’s meeting was a welcome development.

She added: “We have, however, been happy with continued engagement with Water Ministry on the taking over of the Zambezi project albeit at a very slow pace causing concern to our potential investors.”

Some members of the Matabeleland Collective however told ZimEye.com that the grouping has since nearly disbanded accusing Williams of running away with the project and turning it into her own organisation.

The members claimed that since the last meeting with Mnangagwa, things within the Collective have not been well with claims that “dirty funds” have been flying from Harare to Williams and a section of the Collective loyal to her.

Williams is further accused of going behind the backs of other members and registered the Collective as a Trust under her directorship.

The members claim that the entire leadership of the Collective resigned from holding office after the infamous meeting with Mnangagwa and Williams is said to be running the Collective on her own.

Some further claimed that they were not aware of the upcoming meeting with Mnangagwa indicating that noble as it may sound they will be boycotting the meeting unless an urgent General Meeting is held to sort out their internal issues.

State Media|Higherlife Foundation has extended by an additional six months the free transport programme for nurses and doctors employed at public healthcare institutions in Zimbabwe.

The extended offer comes a day after the Foundation extended an offer to pay doctors in the public healthcare sector through a special medical fellowship established by Higherlife late last year, in order to enable doctors to go back to work following a long and debilitating strike that has paralysed the country’s public healthcare delivery system.

At the close of business Thursday, the foundation said close to a thousand doctors had signalled their intention to take up the offer by collecting the Fellowship forms. It said over 800 had completed and returned the forms to take up the offer, which is open until close of business Friday.

In December last year, a total of 362, mainly junior doctors, took up the Fellowship offer from Higherlife Foundation and have already gone back to work.

In the statement, Higherlife Foundation said its focus remained on patient care. It said: “In line with our commitment to putting the patient first, we are pleased to announce that our free Vaya transport programme for nurses and doctors, which has been in place for the past six months, has been further extended and will run through to July 2020.

The foundation said along with free transport, its affiliate businesses (in which the Masiyiwa family has interests) would “continue to provide free water deliveries to all public hospitals and clinics in Harare”.

It said the foundation would continue to support the country’s healthcare system and ensure “our public medical staff are well resourced to carry out their work”.

A substantive chief executive officer for the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) will start work on April 1 as the face of a new executive that took over from the previous scandal-plagued management.

The parastatal, which is a key institution that pools and administers funds for local and national roadworks, has been without a substantive CEO for the past 18 months after Engineer Nancy Masiyiwa-Chamisa was suspended in July 2018.

She was subsequently fired in September 2019 for alleged incompetence and allowing corruption to fester under her watch.

Most of the former management has been jettisoned in a staff clear-out designed to refresh the institution.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Mail, Zinara board chairperson, Engineer Michael Madanha, said the new chief executive — whom he could not name as they are serving notice at their current company — would assume duties after approval of the appointment by Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Joel Biggie Matiza.

The chief executive will start work together with two other newly recruited directors — finance and human resources — as Government resets the parastatal in line with the drive to deliver targeted developmental projects.

Engineer Madanha said new structures and portfolios would be created to make the State entity both efficient and corruption-proof.

“As we restructure, there are some portfolios that we feel we need to fill, so you will see in the coming days we will be advertising for key personnel like loss control managers. We cannot have people stealing from Zinara and walking scot-free. They need to be prosecuted and we will make sure when we take such criminals to court, we will have enough evidence,” he said.

The current board intends to stabilise the institution after a spate of recent corruption-related scandals.

The former CEO was fired together with finance director Mr Simon Taranhike.

When she was appointed chief executive in September 2016, Eng Masiyiwa-Chamisa was replacing Engineer Moses Juma, who had been acting chief executive since 2014 when Frank Chitukutuku resigned unceremoniously.

Much of the work to reconfigure Zinara’s management was overseen by Mr Suston Muzenda, who was seconded from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.

During his six-month tenure he recruited Mr Gilfern Moyo, who replaced Mr Precious Murove as administration and human resources director; and Engineer Moses Chigonyati, who took over from Engineer Juma as technical director.

Ms View Mutize was hired to replace Ms Mathlene Mujokoro as corporate secretary, while Mr Garikai Mbanda was roped in to replace Mr Shadreck Matengabadza as audit manager.

In addition, Mr Naphtali Strauss Tembo has been recruited as the new finance manager.

Rationalisation

The ongoing restructure and rationalisation is expected to plug revenue leakages and ensure that Zinara concentrates on its mandate.

As part of the staff rationalisation exercise, the administration seeks to downsize from the current 650 employees to around 450, a complement which Eng Madanha believes is proportionate to the current size of the organisation.

As a result, fixed-term contracts for 96 employees which had expired have not been renewed.

About 70 percent of the problems that affected the parastatal, Eng Madanha said, had been eliminated.

A forensic audit by Grant Thornton in 2017 exposed deep-seated rot and corporate malfeasance at Zinara, which prompted the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development to commission a team to study the report and come up with actionable recommendations.

The experts mainly raised the red flag on contracts entered between the public entity and Univern for the vehicle licensing system and the computerisation of the tolling system, transit system, road access, radio licence and fuel levy, among other irregularities.

The previous Wilfred Ramwi-led board also stands accused of approving the elevation of staff without the requisite qualifications.

Even former chief executive officer Mr Frank Chitukutuku’s qualifications could not be authenticated by forensic auditors as personal files were not released.

Further, senior members of staff reportedly paid themselves allowances that were not approved by the board and were contrary to their contracts of employment.

Government has since been advised to conduct a lifestyle audit of Zinara staff and to demand reimbursement from members of the previous board who were overpaid.

Action on falsified qualifications by some of the staffers is also being demanded.

Projects

Eng Madanha said Zinara will finance the construction of an additional Norton toll plaza to cater for the dualised Harare-Bulawayo highway, including the relocation of the Dema (Seke) tollgate and the reconstruction of the Skyline toll plaza.

“Our parent ministry has resolved that all tollgates in the country should have the same design, and as we rehabilitate our highways, we are adopting new designs, which will be uniform throughout the country, especially with security features that make it almost impossible to bypass a toll plaza,” Eng Madanha said.

The Skyline toll plaza, just outside Harare on the Masvingo highway, was destroyed during the January 2019 violence that rocked the country.

The new toll plaza is earmarked to be built across the Manyame River, “so that motorists cannot bypass it”.

Eng Madanha said no urban tollgates are planned for Harare, “at least not in the foreseeable future” as there are plans to consolidate revenue collection from the existing ones.

The Harare-Beitbridge highway, Eng Madanha added, is due for completion by 2023 as the road authority is seeking to add more contractors to ramp up construction.

“Currently, we have five contractors working on 20km each and that is not enough if we want to complete that road in the next three years. We need to engage more contractors to achieve this.”

State Media|Government and representatives of civil servants are set to meet again today after the latter turned down Government’s revised salary offer made on Friday, which would see the lowest grade employees earning between $2 200 and $3 500 per month.

A National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting between Government negotiators and public sector workers’ representatives under the Apex Council also failed to agree on the effective date of the proposed salary increment.

Parties will reconvene today after consulting their constituencies.

Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Simon Masanga, claimed he was out of the country and referred further questions to union leaders.

Apex Council secretary-general, Mr David Dzatsuga, confirmed Government’s revised offer, but could not reveal the quantum of the proposed increase.

He, however, said he was hopeful that today’s meeting might possibly break the deadlock.

“The outcome of the meeting was not conclusive,” said Mr Dzatsunga.

“The employer came with a revised offer which we did not immediately agree to before we consulted our members. As you are aware, we get our mandate from our members.

“We also disagreed on the issue of the effective date of that offer.”

Government is reportedly pushing for the pay increase to be made in February since it paid a cushioning allowance to civil servants this month, but unions insist it should be effective from January 1.

“We will meet tomorrow (Sunday) to hear from the other side and what they have been directed to do by their principals,” he said.

Government’s salary offer, Mr Dzatsunga added, was not yet concrete.

“It is premature to talk about figures at the moment and we are under strict instructions not to speak about the figures because these are still proposals and nothing has been concretised as yet.

“We are hopeful that there will be an agreement.”

Public Service Association and Apex Council president, Mrs Cecilia Alexander, confirmed that Friday’s meeting was inconclusive.

“The NJNC meeting was held today (Friday), where Government brought an increased proposal from the 14 January offer.

“However, the meeting has not made any conclusive agreement as both parties have agreed to consult and meet at the shortest time possible.

“The figures that Government brought cannot be disclosed because they are not yet final.”

Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe president, Mr Takavafira Zhou, believes the latest offer falls short of their expectations.

“Government wants to offer between 130 percent to 140 percent increase and this does not address the workers’ concerns.

“Ours is a dispute of right because Government reduced its workers’ salaries unilaterally.

“Workers do not need a salary increase, all they need is the restoration of the (purchasing) power parity (of their previous salaries).

“The gist of the matter is to restore parity back to the US$500 salary for the least-paid worker, in terms of the interbank rate.

“The offer they came with, which is of between $2 200 and $3 400, does not address the challenge.”

Government offered its workers a 100 percent salary bump during the last round of negotiations, which would have seen the lowest-paid civil servant earning around $2 033 per month.

The unions then held consultative meetings with their members last week, who insisted on an adjustment that would see the lowest-paid worker taking home the equivalent of US$475 (about $8 075) on the interbank market.

In addition, public sector workers also received cushioning allowances ranging from $400 to $700 depending on grade last week.

Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, recently indicated that Government — which also has to finance food and power imports in the wake of last year’s drought — would progressively review salaries in line with improved revenues.

State Media|Government has finalised the tertiary institutions tuition fee structure, a move that is meant to end speculation and confusion on the exact amount to be paid to institutions of higher learning.

Tuition fees for medicine and veterinary sciences in all State universities have been pegged at $5 000 while sciences, engineering and technology students will pay $4 000. Humanities and social sciences students will fork out $3 500.

For polytechnics, teachers’ colleges and industrial training colleges, the tuition fees have been pegged at between $500 and $1 500 from national certificate to higher national diploma.

In a Press statement Thursday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Fanuel Tagwira, said it is the role of Government to bear the brunt of making higher education affordable.

“The Ministry wishes to advise the public that the new fee structure for universities, polytechnics and teachers’ colleges and industrial training colleges has been finalised,” said Professor Tagwira.

“The cost of offering higher and tertiary education is much higher than what students pay as the bulk of the actual cost is borne by Government in the interest of making higher and tertiary education accessible and affordable by many students.

“Details of the cost of ancillary fees, accommodation and meals can be found on the website of each institution as well as the Ministry website.

“Please note that in the case of universities, these costs vary from one university to the other as circumstances of the institutions are very different,” he said.

Professor Tagwira said due to economic challenges, the Ministry has put in place loan facilities to help students.

“The Ministry is aware of economic challenges that many students are currently facing; consequently, the Ministry has put in place a Higher and Tertiary Education Loan Scheme to be accessed through the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe (CBZ).

“Forms are available at the institutions and on their websites,” he said.

He added that amenities fee payable in tertiary institutions is pegged at $1 500 term.

The statement, he said, was meant to give the correct information to the public regarding payment of tuition fees in higher and tertiary institutions.

THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has granted the National Railways of Zimbabwe permission to charge in foreign currency for goods exported under the Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) conditions.

NRZ board chairman Advocate Martin Dinha said the approval by the Central Bank for the rail entity to charge in foreign currency for goods exported under CIF conditions would go a long way in enabling the parastatal to repair its equipment and infrastructure.

“The authority to charge exporting customers in foreign currency is a welcome and progressive development for the organisation. With this approval NRZ can now approach its various exporting customers to inform and familiarise them with this new development. While NRZ has traditionally been collecting foreign currency from customers who are into export business, the foreign currency generated from this source has not been enough to requirements, though it assisted the organisation in repairing its rolling stock and infrastructure,” he said.

Adv Dinha said charging in foreign currency would also enable NRZ to improve its coffers to capacitate its business as well as procure essential spare parts.

“The intervention by the Central Bank is critical for NRZ considering that foreign currency has been essential in funding the organisation in hiring wagons and locomotives from the region to address resource and capacity gaps, hire inter-change, as well as procuring spares and accessories for wagons, locomotives and infrastructure maintenance. And at this juncture, the need for foreign currency for the organisation has become huge and urgent especially to hire locomotives and wagons for the movement of imported grains, to alleviate drought-induced shortfalls, among communities in Zimbabwe,” he said.

The approval for NRZ to charge in foreign currency came after the rail entity’s appeal to the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development last year. NRZ submitted an appeal to RBZ seeking permission to be allowed to charge all exporters for railage in foreign currency. In its response to NRZ dated 31 December 2019, the Central Bank agreed in principle for the company to charge railage collection under the CIF basis.

“Please kindly note that in terms of the current Exchange Control administrative arrangements, where a transporter has shipped goods under the Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) basis; the respective transport or railage portion may be received by the transporter in foreign currency. Under the circumstances highlighted, National Railways of Zimbabwe may receive such portion of railage charges in foreign currency. Kindly, therefore, submit a specific application through your Authorised Dealers to have the necessary Exchange Control administrative structure for this arrangement to be operationalised”, read the RBZ response.

However, the move to allow NRZ to charge in foreign currency has been viewed by captains of industry as likely to compromise players in various sectors of the economy. Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries vice-president Mr Joseph Gunda said allowing NRZ to charge in foreign currency was unfair since businesses are only allowed to trade in local currency on the local market.

“The challenge we have is that, if NRZ is allowed to charge in foreign currency, it means we have to get the foreign currency ourselves. It seems there is now a contradiction here, so are we now saying companies are trading in foreign currency?” he exclaimed.

Mr Gunda said it was important to note that the manufacturing sector imports most of its raw materials using foreign currency, which is scarce in the country and ought to be put in good use to enhance productivity.

“We are now being forced to compromise the amount of foreign currency we get. Instead of us buying raw material we are now forced to use that money to pay current expenditure like working capital. I don’t see that benefiting the economy. If you allow NRZ to charge in foreign currency we might as well allow everybody because it compromises others. It means industry is being squeezed because with the foreign currency we get through the interbank market to buy raw material, we are being forced to pay NRZ,” he said.

Mr Gunda said there was a need for wider consultation to be done before allowing NRZ to charge in foreign currency. 

Association for Business in Zimbabwe (Abuz) chief executive officer Mr Victor Nyoni said industry has noted with concern the use of foreign currency in transacting by certain sections of the economy. 

“As the industry we have been complaining that some sections of our economy are dollarising and our attitude is that anything that comes from authorities particularly the Government, that gives a sort of an impression that foreign currency is the right currency to deal in, it gives the impetus to the whole economy that people should shun our local currency,” he said.

-State media

Jane Mlambo| Below is a message circulated by the ruling Zanu PF party calling on its members to apply for the Presidential scholarship programme.

Of concern is that despite the programme being national with a department created solely to administer it, Zanu PF has set up a parallel application process where party members apply and send emails to a party address [email protected]

Nine poachers were shot dead in incidents of armed confrontation with Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) rangers with at least 280 arrests last year, amid an intensifying crackdown on poaching by authorities.

Statistics from the wildlife management authority show that over 288 suspected poachers were arrested in 2019, up from 70 apprehended in 2018. Owing to intensified patrols in conservancy areas, the number of recorded illegal incursions has fallen from 720 in 2016 to 301 last year.

Furthermore, the number of armed contacts between game rangers and suspected poachers has gone down from 35 in 2016 to just 12 last year.

In the four years between 2016 and 2019, a total 32 suspected poachers have been killed in armed confrontation with rangers.

During the period, authorities recovered 64 rifles, 485 rounds of ammunition and 264 elephant tusks.

ZimParks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo attributed the heightened war against poaching to joint patrols with other security stakeholders through transfrontier conservation areas.

“We are scaling up our anti-poaching activities throughout our conservation areas,” he said.

“The fight against poaching is not an easy one, it is a collaborative effort which requires support not only from our communities, but our partners as well.

“We are not going to rest until sanity prevails. We are cautiously optimistic that our efforts to thwart this menace are bearing fruit as exhibited by the latest figures.

Mr Farawo said joint patrols were being held through the Okavango Zambezi TFCA, Greater Limpopo TFCA and the Greater Mapungubwe TFCA.

Figures show that 20 elephants were killed last year either through poisoning or gunshots, a marked decrease from the 400 jumbos killed in 2015.

Also, 16 black and white rhinos were killed by poachers last year, down from 30 that were killed in 2016.

In 2013, poachers killed more than 300 elephants and countless other safari animals by cyanide poisoning inside Hwange National Park in an incident that sparked international outrage.

Conservationists described the incident as the worst single massacre of wildlife in southern Africa for 25 years.

Government has since ramped up anti-poaching activities with officials deploying latest technology such as drones in the fight against the menace.

-State Media

Zimbabwe is set to clear its arrears with Mozambique and South Africa after securing a US$100 million facility from Afreximbank and revive a 30-year trilateral agreement with the two neighbouring countries as part of immediate-term solutions to stabilise local power supplies.

The trilateral agreement signed in 1990 allows Zimbabwe to negotiate for “firm and competitively priced” electricity from Cahora Bassa and Eskom, while paying off arrears is expected to unlock 550 megawatts (MW) from the regional utilities.

The Sunday Mail understands that President Emmerson Mnangagwa discussed the matter with his Mozambican counterpart, President Filipe Nyusi, during his visit to Maputo a fortnight ago.

Government has prioritised establishing stable power supplies to drive economic growth.

Separately, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) has already paid two European companies to restore two units at Hwange Thermal Power Station — units three and six — by March this year.

Zesa executive board chairperson, Dr Sydney Gata, was bullish that the country would experience relatively milder load-shedding than last year.

“Frankly speaking, we should not have had the severe load-shedding that we experienced last year. Zesa and the past ministry failed to renew a primary agreement that was due for renewal in 2012. This trilateral agreement provides Zimbabwe first right of refusal to import 500MW of firm power at a very competitive tariff from Cahora Bassa,” said Dr Gata.

“This agreement was a result of the Mozambique government assisting us to access what was South Africa’s share of Cahora Bassa, at a time when SA also had a surplus. So with considerable support from Mozambique’s government, SA surrendered 500MW of its entitlement to Zimbabwe for which we were to build the Bindura-Cahora Bassa lines, also called the Bindura-Songo lines, which would reach to Dema substation.”

The agreement reportedly expired in 2012 but was not renewed.

Government is presently renewing it.

Two units at Hwange, which have been down for a number of years, are expected to be up and running by March, adding 300MW to the grid.

Two foreign companies are currently working to revive the plants.

Dr Gata said: “We have been able to pay in advance to the French and Italian companies, who are the original suppliers, for the overhaul maintenance of the two units and it should be completed by mid-March. This means that we will add another 300MW or so.”

Arrears clearance

Dr Gata added that the country could secure more power from regional utilities once it cleared its arrears.

He, however, noted that although a US$100 million facility had been secured from Afreximbank, there were delays in processing the transaction owing to the December holidays.

“The second unfortunate thing is that while Zesa has raised through a bank US$100 million to pay for arrears to Eskom; Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), which is the power utility for Mozambique; and Cahora Bassa, which is like the ZPC (Zimbabwe Power Company) of Mozambique, there has been an inordinate delay in procuring borrowing certificates and guarantees from Government. It took almost two months to get the certificate.

“By the time they were issued just before Christmas, everybody had gone on holiday and we were not able to process. As people come back from the holiday, we are pursuing with the bank to clear the arrears and activate support of up to 400MW from Eskom and 150MW from EDM.”

Overall, the country’s debt to the regional utilities initially stood at US$70 million.

“In respect of Cahora Bassa, it is both to pay for the arrears and also renegotiate an extension of the old agreement.

“In respect of Eskom, the condition precedent is to pay for the arrears. With EDM it is also to pay for the arrears.”

Restructure

As part of efforts to improve Zesa’s efficiency, the parastatal would be restructured by mid-March through a rebundling process.

“I have set up a board committee for the rebundling but it is a fairly easy exercise to undertake with respect to policy and structure because the Government has decided what it wants to do. We may appoint a consultant to help us with the structure.

“In my case, I was the person appointed to establish the old Zesa in 1986, in January, when I was given the assignment to amalgamate the six units that existed then,” said Dr Gata.

The subsequent structure that was assumed by the local power utility then, Dr Gata added, was similar to that of the Central Electricity Generating Board of the United Kingdom.

He said retrenchments were “unavoidable at the top” as a result of the ongoing exercise.

The majority of middle managers and other staff will be spared.

In a separate interview, Energy and Power Development Minister, Fortune Chasi, confirmed a major shake-up was looming at Zesa.

Speaking after a meeting with leaders of the Energy Sector Workers Union of Zimbabwe in Harare, Minister Chasi said disciplinary action had commenced against those involved in shady dealings at the power utility.

“We have already started implementation of the contents and recommendations of the forensic audit, key of which is disciplinary hearings around individuals who may have been involved in any acts of misconduct that have caused loss to Zesa.

“I want to assure you that anyone who deprived Zesa in an illegal way, the law will catch up with them.”

He said the forensic audit will be presented before Parliament soon.

Government would not tolerate a perfunctory approach to work by Zesa workers, he said.

“I was briefed of incidents where we had managers who had the arrogance to tell consumers that they would not switch on power or fix faults. We have these reports and we will take appropriate action.”

-State Media

Jane Mlambo| Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has refused to accept the High Court decision to award custody of the couple’s children to his estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa.

Chiwenga has has since filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the ruling made by High Court judge Christopher Dube-Banda late last week.

Chiwenga was ordered to return the couple’s three minor children to the custody of Marry as well as allowing his estranged wife access to the couple’s sumptuous matrimonial home in Borrowdale and three high-end luxury cars.

The ruling was made after Chiwenga allegedly threw Marry out of the couple’s home and ordered armed soldiers to bar her and to prevent her from entering the premises.

Chiwenga also took custody of the couple’s children after Marry was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on a myriad of charges which include numerous counts of money laundering, externalisation, fraudulently solemnizing a customary marriage while the powerful vice President was bedridden.

She is also facing the rather serious charge of attempting to murder the Vice President when he was critically ill in South Africa.

MORE than 20 000 residents in Mzilikazi District in Bulawayo will receive monthly payouts of US$9 with effect from this month as part of efforts by some non-governmental organisations to end hunger in urban areas.

Last year, most of the money and food handouts were concentrated in rural areas but both the Government and NGOs have moved in to help thousands of people facing food shortages in urban areas. 

An NGO, DanChurchAid (DCA) said working with the World Food Programme (WFP) has secured US$2,1 million that will be distributed to vulnerable families in Mzilikazi District.

The organisation has already identified beneficiaries who will start receiving the money end of this month. DCA country director Mr Mads Lindegard said the organisation believes in restoring the dignity of individuals and families.

“Resilience building is designed to empower urban poor by building capabilities to respond to a crisis such as food insecurity by way of engaging in gainful income generating activities. 

“We will be giving individuals US$9 every month for 12 months and 20 000 individuals will benefit. 

“The cash distribution programme will in a way support local markets and as beneficiaries of the cash distribution will be buying from their local retailers and vegetable vendors,” said Mr Lindegard.

He also said compared to rural areas, people in urban areas have no land to farm, so they are more prone to food shortages, especially those that are not working. 

“Rural people have land so if they receive adequate rains, they will definitely harvest grains that will last them the whole year whereas urban people have to buy food which is expensive,” Mr Lindegard.

In Mzilikazi District, the survey to identify beneficiaries was conducted by the Department of Social Welfare, DCA and WFP. 

“Our vision is to see households with capabilities to prepare for and withstand risks and shocks such as climate change and droughts. 

“We are trying to build communities that are resilient. 

“Our overall goal is a world without hunger and we are working as hard as we can to find funds to extend the programme to assist all food insecure people in Bulawayo,” he said.

In an interview, the Minister of State for Bulawayo Metropolitan Provincial Affairs, Cde Judith Ncube said she was pleased with the programme because it will complement Government efforts to provide food security.

“I am glad that these NGOs have come to assist the people of Bulawayo considering the high costs of basic commodities and I am certain that this money will make a difference in those people’s lives,” she said.

-State Media

AN expedition to harvest the much sought after mopani worms (amacimbi) almost turned tragic for a security guard employed at Whitewater High School in Matobo District, Matabeleland South, as he found himself wrestling with a leopard which he miraculously fended off by choking it.

Mr Abednigo Moyo of Halale Village, situated near the famous Njelele Shrine, used bare hands to wrestle and choke the big cat after it attacked him while he was harvesting amacimbi .

His brother who had also accompanied him to the amacimbi expedition emerged from the bushes and finished off the vicious predator by axing it. So daring was Mr Moyo that his final technique to outfox the predator saw him shoving his hand into its mouth in an attempt to block its windpipe.

For all his efforts to save his life, he was, however, later arrested for poaching. He appeared before a Plumtree magistrate on Thursday last week facing charges of killing an endangered animal. He was remanded out of custody to 3 February on $300 bail.

Sunday News tracked Mr Moyo last week who narrated his near brush with death and how he fought the animal to its death. Mr Moyo said the incident happened on 13 January at Gumela Farm situated along the Bulawayo-Maphisa Growth Point Road.
“The day started well,” he recalled.

“My brother Isaac, his wife and I went to Gumela Farm owned by Mr William Ncube and we sought permission to harvest amacimbi at his property, which we were granted.”
He said while they were harvesting the delicacy he heard his dogs barking and decided to go and investigate.

At that point his brother and his wife were harvesting amacimbi on the other side of the farm. When I reached the area, it was a thicket and I could not see anything, my brother and his wife continued to harvest
amacimbi ,” said Mr Moyo.

He said he then decided to continue with harvesting but all of a sudden, he heard an unusual sound of something approaching from the thicket.
“Before I could even see or react, a leopard emerged charging towards me. I tried to run but it was too late, the predator attacked me and I don’t know how I gathered the strength and managed to grab it by the neck before it could savage me,” he said. Mr Moyo said, however, the grip was not strong and the leopard freed itself but it slipped and lost balance.

“I realised that if I don’t do something the animal would kill me. It was either I die fighting or I get mauled.”

He said when it opened its mouth ready to sink its teeth on him, he shoved his hand into its mouth and grabbed its windpipe. “It was painful because at the same time, the leopard was biting my hand but I was choking it from inside while the other hand was fending off its claws.

I was also screaming at the same time. The struggle went on for a minute or two and I could see the animal was also losing power from the choke,” he said. Mr Moyo said his brother heard him screaming and rushed to investigate.

“When Isaac arrived, the leopard was already losing strength. He then axed it and that is how I managed to eventually free myself. It died and we left it there,” he said. Mr Moyo was rushed to Natisa Clinic for treatment.

“I called at my workplace and told them what had happened and after that I went to Natisa Clinic where I was given some injections and the wounds were stitched. It was not serious because that same night I managed to report for work,” he said.

But his woes were not yet over despite the heroics to save his life. “In the morning rangers came to my homestead and arrested me and my brother for poaching.

The rangers were carrying the skin of the leopard and told us that we had killed an animal classified as an endangered specie and we were taken to the police. It is the law but I wonder what else I could have done under such circumstances.

The issue was either I get killed to save the endangered leopard or fight for my life.”-State media

THERE was drama at a Johannesburg hotel in South Africa yesterday when a Zifa delegation was barred from attending the Cosafa annual general meeting where the organisation was reviewing its 2019 performance and making resolutions for this year.

Zifa president Felton Kamambo was leading his association’s delegation, which included acting vice-president Philemon Machana, chief executive Joseph Mamutse and lawyer Chenaimwoyo Gumiro.

The quartet had ignored a Cosafa warning that they would not be allowed into the indaba on the grounds that Zifa had outstanding financial obligations with the regional body in line with its statutes.

It is understood that the Namibian and Angolan football associations also faced the same fate. But unlike Zifa, Angola and Namibia did not show up at the meeting’s venue in Johannesburg.

On arrival at the hotel, the Zifa delegation found their way blocked by the security team that was manning the entrance to the boardroom.
Last night, Zifa issued a statement on the Johannesburg debacle.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association wishes to inform all football loving stakeholders of the outcome of the 2020 Cosafa Annual General Meeting.

“Regrettably, the Zifa delegation was denied entry into the conference room by hired security details that were placed for that purpose on the allegations of not being in good standing. This was despite efforts by Zifa to pay any dues through Fifa over and above overtures made since Friday to get Cosafa secretariat to provide other details, invoices and/or amounts that may have been owing.

“Such information was deliberately withheld for the entire week before and during the AGM and was only revealed after the meeting in the form of two additional invoices.

“Zifa is convinced this was deliberately done to ensure the association would not have a say in congress deliberations, especially after having given to Cosafa prior notice to move a motion to discuss the various transgressions by the Cosafa president.

More fully appear in the 2019 Cosafa audit report, which included questionable payments done to Dr Chiyangwa, which Zifa believed were excessive, including proposed redressive action to be taken.

“Zifa is however happy to inform all football loving stakeholders that the association has neither been banned nor suspended, but was simply stopped from attending the AGM.

“Soon after the AGM, Cosafa secretariat finally gave the Zifa delegation two invoices of R10 000 and USD$3 000 for 2020 affiliation and the appeal on the Warriors ban respectively,’’ Zifa said.-State media

A BULILIMA man is battling for life at the Plumtree District Hospital after he was stabbed with an okapi knife in the head and ribs by his friend in a beer brawl.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the incident which occurred on Wednesday at around 9PM at Mbila Bottle store in Bulilima.

He said the suspect only known as Key was on the run and he appealed to members of the public with information on his whereabouts to contact the police.

“We recorded an attempted murder case which occurred at Mbila Bottle Store in Bulilima. The complainant Mr Noel Ndlovu (20) and the suspect only known as Key were drinking beer at the bottle store when they had a misunderstanding over an unknown issue.

“Key pulled out an okapi knife from his pair of trousers and stabbed Mr Ndlovu in the head, ribs and arm before fleeing. Mr Ndlovu was assisted by a well wisher who ferried him to Plumtree District Hospital.

Investigations are underway and Key is still on the run. We appeal to anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact any nearest police station,” he said.-State media

A woman proven to be calling from dancer, Bev Sibanda’s husband’s UK home speaks to ZimEye offloading allegations that he has stolen her car and run away.

The below LIVE program follows verification checks by ZimEye showing that the caller is truly from Mr Mufudzi Chambuka’s home.

An earlier investigation by ZimEye Saturday, proved that what the state owned Herald, the H-Metro claimed that he is a medical doctor, is not true.

The damning allegations are uttered by the complainant whose name cannot be disclosed for ethical reasons.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Police have recovered 31 machetes and arrested seven people suspected to be in the business of making and supplying them to gangs that are terrorising mining areas and towns.

This followed a raid at Siyaso in Mbare, Harare, where the machetes were being manufactured and sold.

Siyaso is a home industry in Mbare where various implements are made for sale.

The arrests come as police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga yesterday spoke strongly against the current wave of machete attacks on citizens across Zimbabwe.

He was speaking in his welcome remarks during a tour of Gweru Central Police Station by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe.
Machetes cost between US$6 and US$10 at Siyaso.

Sources said before “Operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere/No to Machete Gangs” was launched last week, there was a huge demand for machetes in mining areas.

“Information we have gathered is that some people were coming to buy machetes to protect themselves from attackers and that is why there was huge demand for these weapons,” said a source.

“Some of the people were coming from mines to buy machetes in Mbare. The sellers would sell more than 20 machetes per day.

“But when the operation was launched last week, the sales drastically went down as people were afraid of being found in possession of the machetes.”

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said on Thursday police raided Siyaso and Matapi in Mbare where they arrested the seven suspects.

“Yesterday (Thursday) we conducted raids at Siyaso and Matapi where seven accused persons were arrested for selling machetes to the machete gangs,” he said.

“We recovered 31 machetes.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said some of the suspects escaped during the raid.

Police have, for the next three months, prohibited the carrying of weapons by members of the public.

Asst Comm Nyathi urged the public to heed prohibition notices in their respective areas.

Failure to comply with the order, he said, will render one guilty of an offence that attracts a jail term.

“In accordance with Section (4) (1) of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA) Chapter 11:23, Officers Commanding Police Districts, also known as regulating authorities, have now prohibited the carrying, whether openly or by concealment, in public places or public thoroughfares or public display of catapults, machetes, axes, knobkerries, swords, knives, stones or daggers or items capable of use as weapons and likely to occasion public disorder or a breach of peace,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.-State Media

By A Correspondent| Zinara has fired Mr Ostern Chimedza who was the Tolling Manager at the roads administration company.

The state media reported that Mr Chimedza was fired for presiding over tollgates leakages.

A leaked letter seen by the publication from the ZINARA CEO to Mr Chimedza reads in part:

This letter serves to notify you that your contract as tolling manager will be terminated on 15 January 2020

Chimedza before being fired was shown several audit reports showing corruption activities at the country’s tollgates but he failed to take corrective measures according to the publication.

This comes barely 5 weeks since ZINARA fired cashiers after they discovered tollgates leakages that resulted in ZINARA losing millions of dollars.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission is seeking to retain part of its recovered proceeds from looted funds to fund its operations, an online publication has reported.

This was revealed at a Transparency International Zimbabwe(TIZ) Corruption Perceptions Index Results Report launch by ZACC Commissioner John Makamure who said:

We are cognisant of the budgetary limitations, we are making proposals for retention of a percentage of assets recovery so that we are able to capacitate  ZACC.

The fiscus will never be able to fund this anti-corruption fight. We all know that it’s not possible at the moment.

ZACC has been accused by the populace of catching and releasing criminals and ZACC defended their commission by saying their mandate starts and ends with catching criminals, prosecution is left to the National Prosecution Authority

-NehandaRadio

South African travel and tourism executives have lamented the high cost of holidaying in the Victoria Falls, saying it is one of the most expensive tourism destinations in the world.

The executives told businessdigest during the recent 2019 Africa Tourism Leadership Forum (ATLF) and Awards in Durban that Zimbabwe should try and make Victoria Falls affordable so that Africans can also marvel at one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

The executives said in the spirit of promoting intra-Africa trade, African countries should devise strategies that will allow its people to travel across borders to visit tourism destinations.

The three-day meeting, whose theme was “stimulating intra-Africa Travel through thought leadership” was attended by chief executives in travel, aviation, hospitality and tourism sectors.

ATLF is a Pan-African dialogue platform that brings together key stakeholders of Africa’s travel, tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors to network, share insights and devise strategies for intra-Africa travel and tourism growth across the continent, whilst enhancing the brand equity of “Destination Africa”.

Travelstart senior commercial manager Linda Balme said it costs under R10 000 for South Africans to travel to Thailand, Bali or other such destinations including flights and accommodation for seven nights at a three-star hotel.

She said for a four-star hotel it costs around R12 000, while a special holiday package to Victoria Falls for three nights costs more a South African one.

“That does not include any excursions which the Thailand Tourism Board will throw in. Coming from outside, it is important that we make airfare affordable, accommodation affordable, even if it is in the low season of travel so that we allow Africans to travel internally,” she said.

“Just give us better deals and we will fill rooms. It is better to have a hotel that is full than one that is 60% with euros and pounds. Rather fill it and it will generate more tourism and it will be more beneficial for everyone and it will keep trade going between the two countries and the continent as a whole. We need more airlines supporting those routes and more locals visiting Victoria Falls.”

In South Africa, 74,4% of tourism comes from within Africa.

World Travel Tourism Council regional director-Africa Jillian Blackheard said: “As more Africans travel within our own countries and the continent, the low-hanging benefits for the travel and tourism sector are negated trends of seasonality, increased occupancy based on short lead time sales, tourism product diversification and demand outside limited traditional tourism regions and increase in tourism supply chain and demand for local circular economy.”

In another interview, Steward Travel coordinator and national tour guide PJ Mulaudzi said the Victoria Falls was no doubt the most expensive destination in Southern Africa.

“We cannot tell them what to charge. But when you go to Zambia, things are far much cheaper. You have a situation where even airlines are taking advantage of the Zimbabwean issue. On any given day it is 30-40% cheaper to fly out of Livingstone to Johannesburg than it is to fly out of Victoria Falls,” he said.

He said what tourists pay at a five-star hotel in South Africa is the same amount of what they pay for a bed and breakfast (BnB) in Victoria Falls.

“The hotel in Sun City is R2 500 a night and in Victoria Falls, you would have paid R10 000 for that kind of hotel,” Mulaudzi pointed out.

He said Zimbabwe needs to invest in upgrading its facilities in Victoria Falls otherwise it will continue to lag behind Zambia.

“I will give an example. The development in Victoria Falls is no way near what is happening in Zambia. The excuse they always come up with on the Zimbabwean side is that it is a national heritage site so they cannot do developments. Livingstone is also one. You go to the falls from the Zambian side and the hotel key is your entrance fees. You don’t pay not even a cent if you stay in a hotel there. If you are a non-resident, you pay US$20.”

Mulaudzi added that: “On the Zimbabwean side, which has 70% of the Falls, you pay US$30, which is a fair price. But the interesting thing is that on the Zambian side, they have state-of-the-art facilities -the toilets, the craft market. You check into any hotel in Zambia, you get ponchos (raincoats) complementary of the hotel. On the Zimbabwean side, you can stay in a US$1 000-per-night hotel, they don’t even give you anything.

“You go to the Falls and you have to pay entrance fees. You pay US$30 to enter the Falls and the toilets they have there were built by David Livingstone himself in 1855. They cannot even upgrade their toilets. The toilet paper you find, if you are lucky to find any, is the cheapest toilet paper but you have paid US$30.”

He said a visitor also has to pay US$1 for a one-quarter page leaflet with information about the Falls and a map of the trail in addition to the entrance fees.

“It is a matter of they just want to take, take and take and they don’t want to give anything back. There is a need to intervene,” Mulaudzi said.

He said there was also need to relook the payment structure at the Matobo National Park and the levy for the helicopter rides.

“You go to Matobo National Park and US$15 per person to enter. The only thing you go to Matobo to see is Cecil John Rhodes’ grave and the bushmen paintings. You have paid US$15 at the gate and, when you get to the paintings, there is someone there waiting for you to pay US$10 to see the paintings. You go to the grave, there is someone waiting there to pay to US$10 to see the grave. So why did I pay the entrance fee because it is only the grave and the paintings they have got?” he said.

“Go and check the toilets they have at the paintings. The seats are broken, there are holes and it doesn’t flush. There are these 200 or 500-litre drums of water and you have to take the water and put in the toilet and they are charging you US$10. If they want to charge that money, why not charge one entrance fees at the main gate? Again, they just want to take, take and take and not give anything.”

On the helicopter rides, he said: “The helicopter ride is US$150 and when you get to the helipad, there is someone waiting there and they want US$15 for Parks fees. Why not just charge US$165 and sort each other out later? You can’t even pay it by credit card, they want hard cash.”

He said the Zimbabwe National Parks and state tourism departments were to blame for this.

“The people I have a problem with are the national parks and the tourism authority, which are under the government. They must look more at promoting the destination more than taking and taking. At Victoria Falls if you charge me US$30 and I have clean facilities, I have no problems with paying. I just don’t understand, with the US$30, why they do not provide quality toilet paper, renovate or just buy new seats, which cost just R500 or R600, which is nothing compared to what they are charging,” he said.

Mulaudzi, however said the best tourist destinations, which are well-maintained and value for money were the Antelope Park in Gweru, the Great Zimbabwe Monument and Hwange National Park.

A MAN from Njube in Bulawayo has been arrested on charges of stealing a bus parked in Thorngrove after it was involved in an accident four years earlier.

The bus, which had Botswana registration, belonged to a Zimbabwean living in the neighbouring country.

Bongani Dube (41) was not asked to plead to theft charges when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Lizwe Jamela on Thursday and was remanded out of custody to February 7.

The complainant is Kaiser Dhliwayo Saungweme (68).

The bus was involved in a road accident along the Bulawayo-Gweru Highway sometime in 2015.

Saungweme took the bus to a garage in Thorngrove suburb for safe keeping as it was foreign registered.

It is alleged that between December 2015 and March 2019, Dube approached Jobert Maplanka who had custody of the bus and misrepresented to him that he bought the bus from Saungweme.

He also claimed he had already finalised sale transactions with Saungweme despite the fact the he (Saungweme) was in Botswana.

He went on to show Maplanka telephone calls made to Saungweme as a way of convincing him that the transaction had been finalised.

It is alleged that through the misrepresentation, Dube took the bus which was without a gearbox and stripped it of parts and components.

He also sold the shell to scrap metal dealers.

The total value of the stolen property was approximately US$31 400 and nothing was recovered.

The matter was reported to the police, leading to Dube’s arrest.

State Media|A MINE worker was shot dead while several others were injured when about 10 robbers armed with a gun and machetes went on the rampage attacking people in Maphisa, Matobo District on Thursday night.

The armed robbers who targeted a mining compound and shops, randomly fired shots.

Corgen Moyo (42) who was employed at Antelope Milling Stamp, died on the spot after the armed robbers shot him while forcing their way into his room at the mine compound.

After raiding and shooting Moyo dead, the robbers moved to Falcon Complex, about a kilometre away, where Zanu-PF district offices are also housed and attacked workers at the shops.

There, the armed robbers also randomly fired shots and got away with R4 000 and US$80.

A Chronicle news crew yesterday visited the areas that were subjected to terror.

There was a sombre atmosphere as people were still trying to come to terms with what had befallen them the previous night.

By 2PM yesterday, Moyo’s body was still to be removed from the scene as police at the scene were waiting for the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) detectives from Gwanda.

Maphisa is 84km from Gwanda.

The victims revealed how the armed robbers randomly fired at people while attacking some with machetes.

“These people arrived just before midnight and it’s not like we had gone to bed. Some of us were still killing time at a fire place. They invaded the compound carrying a gun that we suspect was an AK47. They were also armed with machetes and started shooting at random. Some of us managed to escape as we were outside,” said one of the survivors.

Moyo’s brother, Mr Forget Moyo said he witnessed his sibling’s killing as they were together in their room when the armed robbers pounced on them.

“I was preparing to go to bed and my brother was already asleep. I heard noises coming from outside and a few minutes later someone was at our door. I tried to push the door to prevent them from entering but they overpowered me. They had already fired a shot and the bullet went through the door. When they entered the room I bolted out and by then I had not realised that the bullet had hit my sleeping brother,” said Forget.

He said he was later to learn that his brother had been shot dead.

Their father, Mr Nathaniel Moyo, who was among other family members that had arrived at the mine compound, said he received a call at about midnight from one of his sons alerting him that Corgen had been killed.

“When I arrived here, I requested to see my son and the police officer allowed me to enter the room. Indeed, he was dead, a bullet went through his forehead and exited through the back of his head. We are now waiting for the police to complete their investigations so that we can also do what we have to do. But we are concerned that police have taken too long to start investigations. 

“The body should have been taken to a mortuary by now but it’s still stuck in the room as we wait for detectives. We are worried that his body will end up decomposing,” said Mr Moyo.

He said the armed robbers had robbed him of his son who left behind a wife and four children, one of them still breastfeeding.

Antelope 12 Milling Stamp manager Mr Taurai Vengesai said everyone at the mine compound was now living in fear following the raid by the robbers.

“We are all terrified by this attack on innocent people who were going about their business. How safe are we in mining areas when armed robbers can just pounce on us any time? We have been told that they also raided the Complex where they attacked several people and got away with cash,” said Mr Vengesai.

He said police should swiftly react to reports of armed robberies.

“From the time we reported to the police that we had been raided, police officers should have rounded the suspects at the complex. 

“Those guys were walking about but police took their time to arrive at the scene and the robbers eventually disappeared. 

“We are told that two days back, armed robbers also raided Hakuna shops, 10km from Maphisa Centre. 

“The investigating CID officers are yet to arrive at the scene. Maybe if they had swiftly attended the matter, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” he said.

Mr Vengesai said his company had to provide fuel to enable police officers to attend to the robbery scene.

At Falcon Complex, some victims said shots were also randomly fired as the robbers made their way into several shops.

They attacked three women, some with machetes demanding money.

One of the victims, Miss Elizabeth Moyo said the armed robbers used the machete to hit her after she declined to reveal where she kept the money. 

“Fearing for my life I revealed where the money was and they got away with R4 000 and US$80,” said Miss Moyo.

Another shop attendant Miss Mongiwa Moyo said she was treated at Maphisa District Hospital after the savage attack.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they were investigating the case. He said the victim was shot twice on the   left eye and right shoulder and he died on the spot.

Outspoken Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni has flown out to the United Kingdom for an emergency eye operation, in the process putting preparations for his end of the month Ntabazinduna Meet-the-People rally in limbo.

The beleaguered chief, who was deposed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa last month, left Zimbabwe on the afternoon of Saturday 25 January 2020.

In an interview with Nehanda Radio, Chief Ndiweni said, “doctors have put me on an emergency trip to the UK for an eye surgery. They say I will be there (sic) two to three weeks.”

“I am at the airport now. I will certainly be back for the Meet-the-People rally. For now I am taking heed of the doctor’s advice,” said the popular traditional leader.

Chief Ndiweni’s sudden exit has perplexed Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leaders who were preparing to show solidarity by attending the rally.

“We were expecting to be with Chief Ndiweni at the end of this week. But now we have to prioritise his good health. We therefore wish him a speedy recovery,” said MDC Bulawayo Provincial Spokesperson, Swithern Chirowodza.

Chief Ndiweni drew the ire of ZANU PF when he asked for the return of cattle seized from his father, the late Paramount Chief Khayisa Ndiweni, during the 1982 – 1987 Gukurahundi crackdown on ZAPU supporters in the Midlands and Matabeleland.

Ntabazinduna villagers also lost cattle to the Fifth Brigade, while the local school was seized and turned into a base for the Fifth Brigade. In recent years the school was turned into a police training depot.

“Chief Ndiweni’s trip to the UK has been very secretive, which perhaps shows that he is being cautious,” said a social commentator who requested to speak anonymously for fear of being victimised.

Since his request for the return of seized cattle and for the Ntabazinduna Police Training Depot to be restored as a school, Chief Ndiweni has run into problems with President Mnangagwa and ZANU PF Secretary for Administration, Obert Mpofu.

On 16 August 2019, he was sentenced to 24 months in prison by Bulawayo Magistrate, Gladmore Mushowe allegedly on charges of destroying a villager’s property in Ntabazinduna. Six months were suspended for five years leaving the paramount chief to serve an effective 24 months in prison.

Twenty three subjects of the chief were also convicted and sentenced on similar charges. Chief Ndiweni, who is represented by Professor Welshman Ncube of Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers, is out on bail after lodging an appeal with the High Court.

MDC leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa commented on the arrest saying the “trumped up charges and arrest of Chief Ndiweni is a direct attack on Zimbabwean culture and traditional leadership. This attack opens yet another fresh national wound that will be difficult to heal.”

In December 2019, Mnangagwa dethroned Chief Ndiweni after his legitimacy was challenged by two Matabeleland North chiefs allegedly acting at the behest of Chief Ndiweni’s brother, Jorum.

For his part Chief Ndiweni is buoyed by The Inkosi Advisory Council, The Ndiweni Elders, the Ntabazinduna community and other stakeholders who have pledged allegiance to the outspoken chief. 

Nehanda Radio

By A Correspondent- Former Zanu PF Harare provincial commissar Shadreck Mashayamombe has opened the lid on how the ruling party used land to buy votes ahead of national elections.

Mashayamombe is one of the key members of the G40 cabal that had coalesced around the late former President Robert Mugabe and his wife, former First Lady Grace, and was involved in massive campaigns for the ruling party in the capital.

Amid suspicion of vote-buying by Zanu PF using land, Mashayamombe confirmed yesterday that the ruling party won some seats in and around Harare in previous elections using land as a bait.

This corroborates a report by the land audit chaired by Justice Tendai Uchena that also confirmed use of State land for votes.

“My biggest question about the land commission is that why is the report not published properly so that every interested person can access it? This is political and it exposes how our institutions are captured because some of those accused were never summoned by the commission to give their side of the story,” Mashayamombe, who is reportedly facing arrest over land issues, said.

“All those 137 co-operatives’ leadership who are being sacrificed today were used to mobilise votes for Zanu PF in peri-urban areas. Now they are being dumped.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa last year instituted a commission to probe the issue of land in the country and was presented with a report by Justice Uchena that said government lost more than $3 billion in potential revenue to land barons.

The report implicates several former Zanu PF bigwigs, including Mashayamombe, former Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo, Grace, among others who are reportedly facing arrest.

Zanu PF national commissar Victor Matemadanda yesterday said he was not involved when land was used as a vote-buring gimmick.

“I was not part of that. I wouldn’t want to comment on what I don’t know and what I was not part of. You need to ask those who were sending them,” he said.

According to NewsDay, Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya-Moyo was not picking calls yesterday.

Observers have often accused Zanu PF of creating land barons while pushing to garner votes, particularly ahead of the 2013 harmonised elections.

The Justice Uchena report read in part: “The commission established with serious concern that most new residential estates on urban State land throughout the country have no services such as roads, water reticulation, sewage reticulation and amenities, yet these settlements are already occupied.

“The identification and occupation of farms in and around urban areas was a complex process which involved creation of new urban settlements by aspiring or sitting Members of Parliament as a way of mobilising political support, abuse of political office in the allocation and appropriation of urban State land.”

The report further stated that there was use of names of top ruling party leadership to exert undue influence on government institutions and processes.

-Newsday

POLICE have intensified the search for a top Defence ministry official, Danison Muvandi, who is on the run after allegedly swindling government of $306 135 in a cleaning service scam.

Prosecutor George Manokore said this while remanding other top Defence ministry officials, Peter Muchakadzi and Kunofiwa Madondo, who are facing similar charges.

Manokore told magistrate Hosea Mujaya that the police had arrested three suspects, Muchakadzi, Madondo and Laxwell Ngara and their trial date would be decided after the arrest of Muvandi.

Allegations are that from March to June 2019, Ngara connived with Muvandi, Muchakazi and Madondo and misrepresented to their superiors that the Defence ministry had received cleaning services from Maids on Wheels (Pvt) Limited.

They allegedly manufactured receipts purporting Maids on Wheels rendered cleaning services on different dates and all the fake invoices added up to $306 135.

The State alleges the trio sourced five fake invoices with a total value of $306 135 and originated minutes dated June 19, 2019 addressed to the finance and human resources director, Muvandi, who is the owner and signatory to the Maids on Wheels bank account.

The accused persons then allegedly attached the five invoices to the minutes with instructions for the payment without attaching the required award-of-tender letter specifying the job done and signed by the chairman of the procurement management unit.

It is alleged on June 20, 2019, the trio then took a payment request form to the chief accountant, who processed the payment.

Investigations revealed that no requisition was raised by the procurement management unit for cleaning services and there was no tender awarded to Maids on Wheels.

-Newsday

Police have recovered 31 machetes and arrested seven people suspected to be in the business of making and supplying them to gangs that are terrorising mining areas and towns.

This followed a raid at Siyaso in Mbare, Harare, where the machetes were being manufactured and sold.

Siyaso is a home industry in Mbare where various implements are made for sale.

The arrests come as police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga yesterday spoke strongly against the current wave of machete attacks on citizens across Zimbabwe.

He was speaking in his welcome remarks during a tour of Gweru Central Police Station by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe.
Machetes cost between US$6 and US$10 at Siyaso.

Sources said before “Operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere/No to Machete Gangs” was launched last week, there was a huge demand for machetes in mining areas.

“Information we have gathered is that some people were coming to buy machetes to protect themselves from attackers and that is why there was huge demand for these weapons,” said a source.

“Some of the people were coming from mines to buy machetes in Mbare. The sellers would sell more than 20 machetes per day.

“But when the operation was launched last week, the sales drastically went down as people were afraid of being found in possession of the machetes.”

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said on Thursday police raided Siyaso and Matapi in Mbare where they arrested the seven suspects.

“Yesterday (Thursday) we conducted raids at Siyaso and Matapi where seven accused persons were arrested for selling machetes to the machete gangs,” he said.

“We recovered 31 machetes.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said some of the suspects escaped during the raid.

Police have, for the next three months, prohibited the carrying of weapons by members of the public.

Asst Comm Nyathi urged the public to heed prohibition notices in their respective areas.

Failure to comply with the order, he said, will render one guilty of an offence that attracts a jail term.

“In accordance with Section (4) (1) of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA) Chapter 11:23, Officers Commanding Police Districts, also known as regulating authorities, have now prohibited the carrying, whether openly or by concealment, in public places or public thoroughfares or public display of catapults, machetes, axes, knobkerries, swords, knives, stones or daggers or items capable of use as weapons and likely to occasion public disorder or a breach of peace,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.-State Media

South African Finance Minister Tito Mboweni says remarks by businessman Patrice Motsepe to US President Donald Trump were not representative of the South African government.

Motsepe has come under fire over his remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos where he told US President Donald Trump that Africa loved him.

This has invited the wrath of the opposition EFF who lashed at Motsepe for misrepresenting Africa to the US President.

By A Correspondent- Zvishavane communities are living under deplorable conditions amid revelations that they have non functioning toilet facilities.

Watch the video loading below for this and more……