HARARE - Activist and cleric Evan Mawarire — who is facing treason charges — has been further remanded to Tuesday while a High Court judge goes through bail application arguments.

Mawarire was arrested last week on Wednesday on subversion charges in the wake of violent anti-government protests that were sparked by a fuel price hike.

Justice Tawanda Chitapi yesterday deferred bail application judgment to next week. This was after the State opposed Mawarire’s bail application on the grounds that if released he is likely to incite more violence once granted bail.

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“There is a likelihood that the accused person might commit a similar offence if granted bail considering that in one of his videos he said after the three days of the stay away he was going to make another call on what should be done next if government does not meet the Zimbabweans’ demands,” prosecutor Mirirai Shumba said.

Shumba also said Mawarire’s application should be thrown out as he might also abscond and skip trial considering that if found guilty he faces a long term prison term for his crime.

Mawarire through his Lawyer Tonderai Bhatasara, however, has offered to surrender his passport and title deeds as assurance that he will not run away.

“My client is also willing to deposit an amount of $500 or any amount that the court considers sufficient and adequate for his bail. He is also willing to report to Avondale police station every Friday if granted bail,” Bhatsarara said.

Justice Chitapi, however, said he will deliver the judgment next Tuesday, saying he needs time to deliberate on it considering its seriousness.

Mawarire is in detention at Chikurubi Maximum Prison in Harare. His charges centre around a video he flighted calling for a national stay-away which erupted into violent protests.

In 2017, the #ThisFlag leader also coordinated a shutdown and was arrested for the same offence as the one he is alleged to have committed now.

Mawarire was, however, acquitted of attempting to overthrow the then president Robert Mugabe-led government.

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HARARE - Zimbabwe lost one of its finest musicians ever when Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi passed away in Harare on Wednesday afternoon after a long battle with diabetes.

Before his death, Tuku had produced at least 66 albums in a long musical career dating back to the pre-independence days.

His songs were laden with social commentary and uplift lyrics; there is a Tuku song that can relate to every life situation.

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Zimbabwe has truly lost an icon, who transcended from being a mere musician into a symbol of national pride.

However, what is distressing is that Zimbabweans seemed insensitive to the Mtukudzi family in this greatly distressing moment.

Even before there was any official confirmation of the music superstars’ death from his family and management team, social media was already awash with rumours of his passing on.

Of course, social media has brought this urgency of trying to break news but at times this goes against the spirit of Ubuntu.

Although he was a renowned musician with followers all over the world, what some people forget is that Tuku was also a family man. 

He was a husband, father, uncle, brother and son to his family.

At the time most people were busy circulating his death rumours, there was a greater part of his family members that had not been notified of his passing on.

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Imagine the trauma and anguish Tuku’s family and friends went through by learning of the star’s death through social media.

To make it worse, in the past Tuku was also the subject of many false death hoaxes on social media.

In 2016, he had a classy response to his so-called death when he released a short video with Suluman Chimbetu and said: “Tell them that when I die I will phone them.”

Although this time it’s true, the social media trolls have not stopped either as they continue to persecute Tuku even in death.

Some insensitive people were circulating a mug shot of a decomposing body claiming it was Tuku.

Although it was not Tuku’s body in the picture that has gone viral, it was totally tasteless and insensitive for people to even think of sharing such a picture.

All this happening barely a week after the government had restored Internet connectivity to Zimbabweans after a blackout during last week’s stay-away. We should respect the dead and not abuse social media.

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HARARE - Harare City Council(HCC) has honoured three of Zimbabwe’s most illustrious personalities — including the late Oliver Mtukudzi — as part of rewarding them for their immense contribution to the country and the capital.

Mayor Gomba announced yesterday that Mtukudzi who was declared a national hero but will be buried tomorrow at his rural home of Madziwa, has had the honour of having Willowvave Road renamed after him.

Arguably Zimbabwe’s most successful footballer George Shaya and veteran Chimurenga music maestro Thomas Mapfumo were also honoured by the HCC for their contribution to sport and music, respectively.

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“Tuku’s death has opened our eyes that it is important to honour people while they are still alive, hence the initiative to honour and promote artistes and footballers.”

“We have sat down and agreed as a council to rename Willowvale Road to Oliver Mtukudzi Road.

“If organisations like the United Nations (UN) can honour and mention Tuku as a legend, we also as the City of Harare should play a part as we are from a country where Tuku was born and raised to stardom,” Gomba told the Daily News.

Willowvale Road is one of Harare’s busiest roads linking traffic from south-western high density suburbs to the central business district.

Crucially, it also leads to the late gangling musician’s once stomping ground of the sprawling Highfield township where he was born and raised on his way to becoming a superstar.

Mtukudzi died in the capital on Wednesday afternoon after succumbing to a heart problem.

He was bestowed with the national hero status but will not be interred at the Heroes’ Acre as it was his wish to be buried alongside his relatives in Madziwa.

Gomba said 73-year-old Mapfumo had been given the Freedom of the city — meaning that he will be exempt from paying rates among and other things — as defined in the city’s policy.

“We are also looking at and still discussing on an additional package for Mukanya, where we will give him a residential stand which is likely to be in Cranborne…it’s something that we are still discussing,” Gomba said.

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He also revealed that there were still discussing how to reward another yesteryear  musician — Zexie Manatsa who had a trailblazing career in the early years of Zimbabwe’s independence — until he hit a rough patch which relegated him to religious duties.

The diminutive Shaya who was nicknamed Mastermind by Dynamos fans during his heyday because of his knack for changing the game in an instant, was given the befitting honour of having the Vietnam stand at Rufaro Stadium, named after him.

In the history of Zimbabwean football there is no player who has ever won the coveted soccer star of the year on three occasions except the “Mastermind” who won it a record five times.

Last year, HCC also made a resolution to name Third Street after the much-loved MDC founding president who lost his battle with cancer of the colon on Valentine’s Day in 2018.

In 2012, government reversed the naming of Enterprise, Rotten Row and Churchill roads arguing that council did not consult them.

Enterprise Road was supposed to be named Solomon Mujuru, Rotten Row, Enoch Dumbutshena and Churchill, Walter Kamba, who was the first black vice chancellor to head the University of Zimbabwe in 1980.

Government changed names of several roads after independence to honour heroes, prominent Zimbabweans and leaders of friendly states.

Roads named after the country’s liberation struggle icons are Josiah Tongogara, Herbert Chitepo, Jason Moyo, George Silundika, Joshua Nkomo, Josiah Chinamano and Simon Vengesai Muzenda.

Regional leaders who were honoured with street names include Nelson Mandela (South Africa), Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana), Julius Nyerere (Tanzania), Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia), Sam Nujoma (Namibia) and Samora Machel (Mozambique).

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HARARE - Zimbabwe has once again attracted unwanted global interest in the wake of the trail of terror left by the country’s security forces.

In an unusually candid rebuke of Zimbabwe, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa — a sister liberation movement to Zanu PF — has raised serious concerns about the deteriorating political and economic situation in Zimbabwe.

It also warned that the vicious and on-going crackdown by Zimbabwe’s gung-ho security forces against opposition and pro-democracy groups could cause regional instability.

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The ANC’s warning comes as South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), is putting massive pressure on Ramaphosa and his government to take urgent steps to stop the crackdown against dissenting voices in Zimbabwe.

The DA also warned ominously that should  Ramaphosa fail to intervene in the matter decisively, the party would soon call upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

The ICC is an international tribunal that sits in The Hague, in the Netherlands. It has powers to prosecute individuals fingered in serious crimes related to wanton killings, genocide, crimes against humanity and war transgressions.

In a strongly-worded statement issued on Thursday, regarding events in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the ANC said pointedly that South Africa and Africa no longer countenanced the use of guns against ordinary people, with the African Union targeting to end the practice by the end of next year.

“In the wake of recent announcements of fuel price hikes, citizens have protested, with tragic loss of life.

“The fuel price hikes understandably have dire impact on the cost of living of ordinary Zimbabweans. This is a matter of serious concern to the ANC.

“South Africa has a proud record of working towards building a continent and world which is safer and better. It is therefore incumbent upon the ANC and the South African government to assist the people and leaders of the DRC and Zimbabwe to do everything in their power to bring about political stability and peace in their countries, so that they can deal with the economic challenges they are facing.

“All initiatives in this regard should be guided by the objectives of Sadc and the African Union, in particular the objective of the AU Agenda 2063, to silence all guns by 2020,” the ANC said.

“The ANC continues to engage with all political parties in Zimbabwe and the DRC, to encourage them to work towards a peaceful solution and political stability, so that all efforts can go towards socio-economic development and reconstruction.

“The ANC notes that unless the situations in both countries are attended to quickly and effectively, an increase in economic and political refugees is inevitable.

“We therefore believe that it is in the best interests of the two countries and their neighbours, including South Africa, to explore all avenues, to ensure that the situations in the DRC and Zimbabwe are stabilised as soon as possible,” South Africa’s governing party added.

Last week, police and soldiers were engaged in running battles with protesters who flooded the streets of Harare, Bulawayo and other towns — to demonstrate against the steep fuel price hikes which were announced by Mnangagwa ahead of his tour of Eastern Europe.

Property worth millions of dollars was also destroyed and looted in the mayhem which ensued, after thousands of workers heeded a three-day strike call by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU).

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At the same time, security forces unleashed a brutal crackdown against the protesters, the opposition and civil society leaders — in a move which received wide condemnation in the country and around the world.

At least 12 people died, while 78 others were treated for serious gunshot wounds, according to rights groups and medical doctors.

Only this week, rights groups reported continuing human rights abuses by security forces — including galling allegations that soldiers had raped women and girls during their much-condemned crackdown against innocent civilians.

Also this week, Mnangagwa promised to probe the accusations against security forces, vowing that heads would roll if his government established that the abuses had indeed taken place.

The under pressure 76-year-old Zanu PF leader announced these bold moves soon after he returned to the country late on Monday evening, after he cancelled his scheduled trip to Switzerland where he was due to attend this year’s meeting of the World Economic Forum (Wef) — which ended yesterday

Writing on Twitter, Mnangagwa said he would leave no stone unturned in dealing “decisively” with rogue members of the security forces found to have taken part in human rights abuses and the deaths of civilians during last week’s chaos.

“One week ago, I announced measures to stabilise our nation’s crucial fuel supply. I was aware that these measures may not be popular, and this was not a decision we took lightly. But it was the right thing to do. What followed was regrettable and tragic. Everyone has the right to protest, but this was not a peaceful protest.

“Wanton violence and cynical destruction; looting police stations, stealing guns and uniforms; incitement and threats of violence. This is not the Zimbabwean way,” Mnangagwa said in the first part of his tweets.

“Likewise, violence or misconduct by our security forces is unacceptable and a betrayal of the new Zimbabwe. Chaos and insubordination will not be tolerated. Misconduct will be investigated. If required, heads will roll.

“I invite leaders of all political parties as well as religious and civil leaders to set aside our differences and come together. What unites us is stronger than what could ever divide us. Let’s begin a national dialogue. Let’s put the economy first. Let’s put the people first,” Mnangagwa added.

Meanwhile, the DA’s shadow minister for International Relations, Stevens Mokgalapa, warned Ramaphosa to ditch his “quiet diplomacy” on Zimbabwe and order Mnangagwa’s administration to halt on-going rights breaches by security forces.

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“If Ramaphosa fails to intervene and advise Mnangagwa to stop the military clampdown on civilians, the DA will be left with no option but to approach the International Criminal Court (ICC) to consider a preliminary investigation into these violations as outlined in the Rome Statute.

“The ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor is empowered by the Rome Statute to … determine whether there is sufficient evidence of crimes of sufficient gravity falling within the ICC’s jurisdiction, whether there are genuine national proceedings, and whether opening an investigation would serve the interests of justice and of the victims.

“The DA strongly believes that the human rights crisis currently obtaining in Zimbabwe is of sufficient gravity to warrant an ICC investigation because, according to the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, at least 12 people have been killed, 78 shot at and 240 have faced assault, torture, inhumane and degrading treatment,” Mokgalapa said.

“... Ramaphosa and his government seem intent on sitting on their hands over the Zimbabwe crisis in much the same manner as Thabo Mbeki’s failed diplomacy.
“In 2008, people were attacked and murdered with impunity in another State-sanctioned military clampdown targeting innocent civilians after a disputed election,” Mokgalapa added.

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HARARE - Presently, Zimbabwe has an acute shortage of critical drugs and medicines. Around 80 percent of available drugs and medicines are imported with the remaining 20 percent locally manufactured.

This is despite local pharmaceutical manufacturers’ ability to produce many of the medicines on the Essential Drug List for Zimbabwe. 

The unavailability of foreign currency to import both finished medicines and raw materials for local manufacture of medicines and drugs has created a huge healthcare delivery gap. India accounts for 60 percent of Zimbabwe’s medicines imports and the balance of 40 percent coming from South Africa, Germany, the United Kingdom, the USA and a few others. 

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NatPharm, the State drug procurement, warehousing and distribution entity under the Health and Child Care ministry, is a significant player in the medicines and drugs market. 

There is need to reconsider opportunities for local manufacturing and possibly widen the product range to cover common diseases.   

The value of Zimbabwe’s pharmaceutical market is unknown ranging from $200 million to $500 million. What is known is over $400 million worth of drugs are imported into the country annually.  Most of which are basic drugs of which 75 percent could be locally manufactured with any surplus exported into the region.

The five main local manufacturers Varichem, Plus 5, CAPS, Datlabs and Pharmanova have a role to play. Unfortunately, the current state of equipment and manufacturing processes has affected their ability to produce vital drugs and medicines with more than $40 million needed to retool the sector. 

In addition, challenges emanate from management changes over the years, which has in some cases resulted in non-renewal of manufacturing agreements and trade licences. 
South African pharmaceuticals prefer to manufacture at home but seem reluctant to set up base in Zimbabwe or other Sadc countries. 

The requirement by South African laws that medicines and drugs be airlifted rather than road or rail transported has made it almost impossible to export Zimbabwean manufactured medicines into that country.

To effectively compete in the manufacture of drugs Zimbabwe must modernise its equipment, skills levels and avail adequate foreign currency. We must focus on critical drugs and medicines in which competitive advantages exist. 

As for the state of drugs, new drugs are expensive while supply of old drugs is inconsistent which sometimes results in resistance. Although the Global Fund has ensured that HIV/Aids drugs are always available, the bigger problem is with antibiotics.

It is important that NatPharm supplied drugs are effectively used in government hospitals and the public sector.

Zimbabwe’s drugs and medicines regulatory environment is effective. The medical regulatory authority that oversees the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry is the Medical Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ). MCAZ is responsible for pharmaceutical surveillance, licensing, enforcement, laboratory services, Evaluation and Registration activities for the sector. It was established by the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act (Masca) (Chapter 15:03) has done a fairly good job. 
Registration processes are rigorous and thorough for both imports and exports. The aim is to ensure citizens are safeguarded against obvious threats. 

Unfortunately, pharmacies have increased prices for medicines and drugs by as much as 400 to 500 percent. The extent to which the general populace is turning to the black market for medicines and drugs should be ascertained. The proliferation of unlicensed medicine sellers is a major concern as unscrupulous people take advantage of the current situation and smuggle various untested medicines and drugs into the country. This drives future health complications. 

The absence of a strong medicines regulatory environment in some neighbouring countries has fuelled the proliferation of unlicensed and dangerous drugs into Zimbabwe and the region. It is critical that the authorities effectively clamp this and ensure that drugs and medicines are readily available through formal channels. The pricing must be right.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe acknowledges the health sector is failing to import enough antibiotics and drugs for ailments such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension. This poses a question on how supplies can be improved. There are solutions.

Pharmaceutical companies have in the past fifteen years depended on internally generated funds to finance acquisition of plant, equipment, machinery and working capital. This has hampered innovation and recapitalisation, leading to inefficiencies and loss of regional competitiveness. 

In addition, some infrastructural challenges have emerged. In some cases, manufacturers have limited access to good quality water at high pressure to feed the reverse osmosis plants. Intermittent supply of electricity is sometimes another challenge. Sinking boreholes and installing standby generators to ensure consistent supply of water and electricity has its challenges. On the other hand, Indian pharmaceutical competitors have access to concessionary loans and export incentives. The country’s economic instability is a factor but policy incoherence has often been highlighted as another negative factor in local pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Funding

In October 2017, Health and Child Care minister Obadiah Moyo advised the industry that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) had disbursed US$6,7 million and another $3,3 million from a total requirement of US$29 million. This was positive but inadequate. Of the $3,3 million, $1,5 million was given to NatPharm to fund public sector supplies and $0,8 million to local manufacturers to increase capacity for the local and export markets. The balance of $1 million was allocated to private sector pharmacies to import essential drugs and medicines for chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure among others.

It is important to ascertain the correct monthly foreign currency requirements for the pharmaceutical sector. The sector needs $8 million or more monthly. In 2018, the sector advised that the future looked uncertain as the RBZ was failing to clear over $50 million of outstanding invoices for drug imports backdating to 2017. 

The long outstanding invoices for drug imports must be cleared. 

Importing raw materials to increase capacity utilization will create economies of scale and lower production unit cost while increasing employment levels. It has also been proven that for every job created in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry seven other jobs are created in other supporting industries like packaging, laboratory instruments services, consumables, transport, ICT, sugar and others.  

According to McKinsey and Company the value of Africa’s pharmaceutical industry jumped to $20.8 billion in 2013 from just $4.7 billion a decade earlier. Growth is continuing at a rapid pace and predicted to be over $40 billion by 2020. That’s good news for multinationals and pharmaceutical companies seeking new sources of growth as developed markets stagnate. It’s also good news for patients who are now accessing medicines previously unavailable on the continent. Zimbabwe can get a slice of the cake.

Global pharmaceutical companies need local business partners-manufacturers, packaging companies and distributors to help them navigate the continent’s many markets. 
Given widely varying consumer preferences, price points, manufacturing, and distribution infrastructures they must invest in local partnerships to understand varying regulatory environments including partnering governments. Johnson & Johnson partnered with the South African government to introduce an education program for maternal, newborn, and child health that operates via mobile-phone messaging.

The US’s 330 million people constitute 46 percent of global medicine expenditure. It is the world’s largest pharmaceutical market with China second. Developed market spending growth will be driven by original brands, while pharmerging markets will continue to be fuelled by non-original products. 

On other hand, Africa’s 1.04 billion people account for 14 percent of global population and carries 40 percent of global diseases burden. Africa produces only 3 percent of global medicine output. The pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in Africa contributes only 25 to 30 per cent of the continent’s needs.

Generic drugs are the way to go for a developing country like Zimbabwe. They are 70 to 90 percent cheaper than brand name drugs making them more affordable for a large majority of Zimbabweans and Africans at large.  

The manufacture of life-saving drugs is concentrated in few African countries with South Africa topping the list at 70 percent and an additional 20 percent in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. Eighty-five percent of drugs sold in Africa are imported with Senegal importing 80 percent of its medicines. 

Currently, most generic come from India. Today no African country is entirely self-sufficient in pharmaceuticals. This raises concerns for both for governments and patients. As a result, in 2001 the 55 members of the African Union signed the Abuja Declaration to support the development of a plan for pharmaceutical innovation in Africa. To date this has not been followed through and operationalised. 

A focus on local manufacturing  

Poor access to basic generic medicines is a good reason to produce local medicines and to be less dependent on other countries. Local production can facilitate access to medicines for those in need. Most Zimbabweans have no health insurance. 

So either the government buys and imports the drugs from outside for distribution to the national health system or the patient has to pay from their own pocket.

Local production has some benefits. Saving of foreign currency, creation of jobs, increase of exports, technology transfer, raw materials produced locally will be cheaper, improvement of self-sufficiency in drug supply. Local production improves medicines security of supply which is of national security importance.

The problem is that these benefits are not always there when drugs are produced but sometimes even with these the price cannot compete with prices from India and China. This is because of economies of scale, export subsidies and other factors.  

Zimbabwe is one of the few countries in Sadc with a strong pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, second only to South Africa. Others are improving. 

In the 80s and 90s Zimbabwean pharmaceutical companies were exporting pharmaceutical drugs to South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique. The companies had registered products in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Uganda and South Africa. All this was lost in the last 20 years. 

The big challenge is to produce high quality drugs that meet WHO standards. This can be easily resolved by bringing in technical know how from abroad but it is not always feasible as big manufacturers are protective. 

The opportunities    

A company from Bangladesh has set up a plant in Kenya valued at US$20 million in one of Kenya’s EPZs for pharmaceuticals manufacturing. The plant will cover EAC, Comesa and Sadc market. It is strategic.  Zambia’s imports of pharmaceuticals have increased by 90 percent since 2010 from $115 million in 2010 to $220 million in 2014. The top five sources of medicaments for Zambia in 2014 were South Africa, India, UK, Denmark and the US, with Zimbabwe coming a distant 14. 

Zimbabwe could do better given its proximity. Both countries are members of the Comesa and have Sadc preferential trade schemes.

The capacity to generate foreign currency from exports is huge from the Sadc market. More than 75 percent of the medicines consumed in Sadc are imported. The Sadc pharmaceutical market is worth more than $6 billion.

Prerequisites for success in manufacturing medicines

True, to succeed in the production of medicines Zimbabwe needs good pharmacists, biologists, chemists, doctors, and technicians. But this alone is not enough. The economy must start working again. In fact, part of the reason we were able to manufacture and export drugs and medicines in the 80s and 90s is because our economy was working.   

The Anti-monopolies and Tariffs Commission must be more visible to guarantee equity and fair play in the pharmaceutical industry to avoid dominance by the big players and countries. Issues of pricing and competition are critical to avoid collusion that is detrimental to patients.

With respect to local production of pharmaceuticals, at policy level there is a perceived conflict between pharmaceuticals industrial policy which aims to promote local manufacturing while the health policy aims for maximum access to essential medicines. These two must be aligned.  

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MUTARE - A Mutare man who tried to defraud Sakunda Energy by tendering bogus fuel coupons has been slapped with a $50 fine.

Patrick Kutama, 32, of Sakubva, was convicted of fraud on his own plea of guilt. 

Magistrate Perseverance Makala ordered him to pay the fine to secure his release or serve a 20-day jail sentence.

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Kutama was charged with fraud as defined in section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act chapter 9:23.

Prosecuting, Percy Musukuto told the court how on January 11 at 1830 hours, Kutama approached Sakunda Energy Service Station intending to refuel his vehicle with petrol.

He tendered two 20-litre coupons which Mary Marume, the fuel attendant, went into the office to verify their validity before fuelling the vehicle.

She then realised that the two coupons’ serial numbers 402022423 and 40184131 were already used.

There was a potential prejudice of $52,80 if he had succeeded.

The attempted fraud was reported to the police, leading to Kutama’s arrest. 

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HARARE - The CEO Africa Roundtable is holding its annual gathering from February 13 to 15 in the resort of Victoria Falls, with business persons set to discuss two key topics — discovering new opportunities and forming lasting business relationships.

Set for the classic Elephant Hills Resort Hotel, the CEO Roundtable has invited interested parties to attend the edition and link up with company executives who will help widen their scope on business related issues.

“CEO Africa Roundtable is a high-level platform for chief executive officers and senior executives in both private and public sector, created to engender cross-fertilisation of critical economic and business knowledge in and around Africa.”

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The 6th edition of the CEO Africa Roundtable will be attended by top company executives, investors and public officials, who will network, discover new opportunities and form lasting business relationships.

Last year, the roundtable’s aim was to see action on some of the toxic elements that characterised the business environment such as fiscal deficits, corruption, Cabinet composition to diplomatic tensions with the international community.

This year’s edition runs under the theme: “From talk to unified action towards a more responsible and inclusive national economy.” 

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HARARE - President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said the blockade on Internet connections and social media services imposed during violent protests against the 150 percent fuel price hike does not mean he was intolerant to criticism but was a key decision meant to temporarily restrict access to prevent the wanton looting and violence, and to help restore calm.  

Mnangagwa said the government had to consider all options to control protests that turned violent, saying social media was being used by criminal elements to commit crimes.

On January 15, authorities blocked the Internet. Some services were briefly restored on January 16.

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By January 18, the Internet was once again inaccessible and the block was extended to include email communication. 

Zimbabwe’s biggest mobile operator, Econet Wireless, said then the government had ordered it to suspend its services until further notice. 

Rights groups slammed the move saying it severely limited the ability of human rights defenders to document and expose human rights violations during the protests and furthermore put them at increased risk by restricting their ability to communicate. 

Mid-afternoon on January 18, Econet Wireless issued another statement saying that they had received “a further instruction under ministerial directive to open access to the generality of Internet services except for specified social media applications.” 

Government had restored a partial service, but maintaining a blackout on social media apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter

Rights groups such as Front-Line Defenders strongly condemned “the severe restrictions to freedom of expression” suggesting Mnangagwa was against free speech.

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But Mnangagwa said on microblogging site Twitter on Friday: “I believe deeply in freedom of speech and expression, and these rights are enshrined in our Constitution. 
You only need to look at a newspaper or read my social media comments to see the level of criticism I get, and I welcome this. 

“What we saw last week was the social networks being used to plan and incite disorder and to spread misinformation leading to violence. In response, the decision was taken to temporarily restrict access to prevent the wanton looting and violence, and to help restore calm. 

“I am aware of the criticism of this decision, and we did not take it lightly. The measures were temporary, tactical and aimed at restoring the peace. This has been achieved, all restrictions have been removed and I look forward to continuing to freely engage on social media.”

Internet services were only restored after the High Court ordered the government to restore all service in full, ruling that the State Security minister Owen Ncube overstepped his authority when he issued the decree. 

The High Court ruling came after press freedom group Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Zimbabwe chapter and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZHLR) had filed a joint urgent application arguing the Internet shutdown was an abuse of the Interception of Communications Act and did not provide provisions empowering government to totally shutdown the net.

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BULAWAYO - For years, Bulawayo residents have been known to be easy-going when it comes to nationwide anti-government protests compared to Harare, which has somewhat emerged as the citadel in expressing grievances on national political issues.

Some theories have been flying in the past that residents of Bulawayo are too timid to engage in acts of anti-government protests as the Gukurahundi massacres, where an estimated over 20 000 innocent civilians in the region were wiped out by the North Korea-trained Fifth Brigade, is still fresh in many a mind.

But to the contrary, Bulawayo has in the past engaged in various protests but not of the magnitude recently witnessed. Perhaps it highlights the depth of the problem at hand, they led from the front, staging an unpredictable heavy and massive protest though characterised by violence, looting and burning of supermarkets.

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The residents burnt tyres, barricaded roads, looted shops and burnt vehicles and other properties as part of showing their anger against deepening economic crisis in the country. A cop was killed in the city by anti-government demonstrators.

However, when they thought government had heard their grievances, little did they know that the worst was to come as heavily-armed soldiers were soon to be deployed in the second largest city.

At first, their presence was interpreted as the now-common scare tactics to maintain peace and put down any lawlessness.

But alas, they were wrong!

Many thought the soldiers would just be in the city for a few days, but again alas they were wrong.

The soldiers have since last week been on a rampage, particularly in the high density suburbs where they have caused mayhem and unrest, embarking on night raids, beating and torturing innocent civilians they accuse of looting, burning shops and killing a cop.

It did not only end there as soldiers also went on to beat kombi drivers, touts and vendors forcing them to review their prices downwards.

As if that is not enough, soldiers have created a curfew where anyone seen moving after 8pm is subjected to torture in a move that has heightened fears among residents if freedom will ever return to the once-free city.

Soldiers in trucks and some travelling on foot have remained a common sight.

The crackdown by soldiers has continued unabated even after President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who replaced Robert Mugabe after a soft coup in November 2017 and promised to break with his strong-arm politics, promised this week to investigate security services’ actions against protesters.

Rights groups say a dozen people have died in the unrest, though police put the figure at three.

For the past week, a number of civic society in the city have been taking turns to visit the affected residents to offer much needed help to most of those who could not access medical treatment due to the prevailing rising costs of drugs and non-commitment to the medical practitioners at the government hospitals who have been working two days a week.

On the other hand, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and the Legal Resource Centre Foundation have been out in full force helping over 500 suspects who have been arrested in the aftermath of the protests.

The Daily News on Sunday paid a visit to a number of victims in such suburbs as Nkulumane, Sizinda Tshabalala, Mabuthweni and Iminyela where the army reportedly wreaked havoc.

Gory sights of various forms of injuries characterised the victims with fear among residents written all over the face. It took a lot of persuasion to convince the residents to grant this paper interviews.

“It’s bad, my son was thoroughly beaten by members of the army who came here forcing their way inside my house in the middle of the night,” said an elderly woman who refused to be named fearing she might be targeted again.

“They said they wanted boys from the age of 14 and men below 45 as they wanted to discipline them. They forced them to lie down on their stomachs and got thoroughly beaten and threatened for ‘allegedly killing a police officer’. As you can see my husband and my son are both nursing injuries,” said the mother of two, pointing at her son who had a broken arm in plaster.

A tour of the suburbs revealed serious day and night torture by the army, in a development that, analysts described as a clear move to silence and intimidate the masses from engaging in anti-government protests.

A consortium of civic society groups and churches going under the tag Matabeleland Collective this week expressed their concern at the way the state has abused the army in unleashing violence against its citizen.

“It is sad to note that the death of the police officer, hooliganism, rape, theft and mayhem led in part to deployment of the military armed with live ammunition within our city ready to shoot or beat first and never ask questions or investigate for true criminal behaviour,” Matabeleland Collective spokesperson Jeni Williams said.

She said the crackdown was reminiscent of the Gukurahundi era.

“The Matabeleland Collective take full cognisance that the level of social unrest was only surpassed by the Gukurahundi campaign of early 1980s where high density 
suburbs were cordoned off and police and soldiers went door-to-door beating and arresting people.”

The consortium, which has 66 members from this region, also noted that over a thousand have been subjected to the door-to-door campaign by the army.

“We estimate that more than    1 000 residents were subjected to this treatment despite there being two people in remand prison charged with the death of the police officer. Toddlers, sisters and mother watched their male relatives beaten in horror.

“While they went door-to-door in these suburbs, they also targeted anyone along the way found outdoors after 7pm as if there was an official curfew,” Williams said.
The unrelenting crackdown which has continued unabated has irked the residents, and various stakeholders.

 “We strongly condemn the arbitrary arrests of residents by the police and army. More than 500 residents have so far been arrested with many of them being picked up from their homes at night and some have actually ran away and abandoned their homes,” Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (Bpra) acting coordinator Emmanuel Ndlovu said.

“Unless the socio-economic concerns of the masses are addressed, the arbitrary arrests and beatings will not solve anything,” he said.

Bulawayo mayor Solomon Mguni said he was disturbed by the arbitrary arrests and militarisation of the streets.

“We wish to condemn the wanton harassment and dragnet arrests of residents by the security services in the name of clamping down on illegal protests. We are disturbed by the militarisation of the streets of Bulawayo.

“We condemn State-sponsored violence, harassment of the elderly and children through indiscriminate firing of teargas volley, arrests and assaults. We urge the government to investigate this unprecedented level of misconduct by the security services.”

Zimbabwe National Army spokesperson, Alphios Makotore, was however adamant that the soldiers were not involved in any brutal attacks on civilians, instead saying those involved were rogue elements.

“The Zimbabwe National Army has noted with concern allegations of misconduct and acts of violence by people purporting to be members of the organisation,” he said.

“The actions by these bogus elements have subsequently put the image of the organisation into disrepute,” Makotore added, urging residents to report violations to military police.

Zimbabwe’s Human Rights Commission has accused security forces of systematic torture. The opposition says it fears soldiers are able to shoot and kill without being held accountable, after an official inquiry said the army shot civilians to quell post-election violence last August.

Respected lawyer David Coltart yesterday said the deployment of the troops against civilians was worrisome and unjustifiable.

“The fundamental difference between what happened this year and what happened in 1983 is that the crackdown was confined to Bulawayo and its surrounding areas whereas now it’s a countrywide operation,” Coltart said.

“The other difference is that the government then had more authority to do what it did in that they created a state of emergency which allowed certain fundamental rights to be suspended by the government by deploying the troops but now there is no state of emergency … there is no justification of the deployment particularly now that the unrest has come to an end,” he said.

Coltart emphasised that what is currently unfolding was unlawful and unconstitutional as these were clear crimes against humanity coupled with a systematic persecution of the civilian population by the military.

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HARARE - Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa was yesterday prevented by overzealous State security agents from entering the National Sports Stadium in Harare to attend the funeral programme of the late global music legend, Oliver Mtukudzi.

The decision to bar Chamisa soured the somber mood at the stadium, with many people who witnessed the unsavoury incident telling the Daily News on Sunday that they feared this could impact negatively on the mooted talks between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the opposition.

Earlier in the day, MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora had tweeted about the incident, describing the action of the security agents as “cowardly and totally unacceptable”.

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“The decision by State agents to bar @nelsonchamisa from entering the National Sports Stadium is cowardly and totally unacceptable.

“Although Hon Zwizwai and myself tried to remonstrate with the government ministers present, it was to no avail,” he said.

But Information permanent secretary Nick Mangwana defended the security agents’ conduct saying Chamisa had himself to blame for the incident as he had allegedly insisted on driving into the sports facility with his entourage, which was not deemed acceptable from a security point of view.

“Let us not be consumed with pathetic narcism. This weekend is all about Tuku.

“It’s amoral to be so self-consumed to the extent of trying to overshadow a deceased superstar on his own final journey and swansong. This is not the first time someone has disrespected a funeral,” he tweeted.

Meanwhile thousands of people from all walks of life thronged the giant stadium to bid farewell to the 66-year-old master of song whose death has left the music industry poorer without him.

His friends, colleagues and government officials described him as a rare talent and unifier who had time for almost “everyone” he encountered during his long and rewarding career.

Mtukudzi will be buried this afternoon at his rural home of Madziwa despite being accorded the national hero status by government.

While glad that he had been given the highest honour, his family said it was his wish to be buried alongside his relatives in Mashonaland Central Province.

Mtukudzi died in Harare on Wednesday after battling diabetes for more than two decades.

His death came almost nine years after he lost his son Sam who died in a car accident on March 15, 2010 while driving home with his boyhood friend.

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HARARE - The ongoing savage crackdown by the military against innocent civilians — including killings, rape, torture and horrendous beatings of law-abiding citizens — has become a full-blown international human rights crisis for President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government, the Daily News on Sunday can report.

Such is the extent of the global public relations disaster that now confronts Zimbabwe’s so-called new dispensation — as a result of the dreadful conduct of the country’s security forces over the past two weeks — that even hitherto friendly powers such as Britain are now turning against Zimbabwe.

And from the United States of America to Germany, China and South Africa, the only coverage being given to Zimbabwe these days in those countries’ mainstream media only relates to the brutal clampdown by authorities against dissenting voices.

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Similarly, churches and global human rights organisations are churning out statement after statement on the military’s atrocities in the country, meaning that Zimbabwe once again finds itself in the position which obtained in the last two decades of former president Robert Mugabe’s ruinous rule — as a pariah among the global family of nations.

Not surprisingly, the United Kingdom is planning to take Zimbabwe’s ongoing human rights abuses to all relevant multilateral forums — including the United Nations — Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said last week.

“We all celebrated the demise of the Mugabe regime, feeling and hoping that a new chapter of Zimbabwean history was commencing. We are very concerned about the disproportionate response of the security forces to the recent protests,” British minister of State in the Foreign Office, Mark Field, added.

On its part, Amnesty International has called on authorities to reign in the security forces, and to see to it that they are held to account for the ongoing brutal human rights violations.

“At least 12 people have been killed and dozens more injured by the security forces since protests began on 14 January.

“Up to 700 people, including minors, have been detained after being arrested on trumped-up charges or brought before courts in hearings that do not meet fair trial standards. Hundreds have been denied bail,” Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s regional director for southern Africa, said at the weekend.

“The onslaught by the security forces has seen people killed, arbitrarily arrested, abducted, reportedly raped and jailed on suspicion of taking part in protests. 
Children as young as 11 years old have been detained on frivolous charges.

“The Zimbabwean authorities must immediately halt their menacing threats towards civil society leaders, activists, opposition leaders, and suspected organisers of protests.

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“The authorities must ensure that those who violated and continue to violate human rights face justice,” Muchena added.

He said Amnesty International had documented a systematic pattern of human rights violations, including restrictions on public assembly, excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests, and the recent Internet shutdowns by authorities.

“A Zimbabwe that is prosperous and based on the rule of law will never be built by brutalising dissent. The authorities must immediately stop this merciless crackdown on activists, civil society leaders, and others who are guilty of nothing more than exercising their right to freedom of expression.

“President Mnangagwa has called on all Zimbabweans to come together during this difficult moment. That must include respecting human rights,” Muchena said.

On its part, the military has denied that its members are responsible for the killings, rape and beatings — saying the perpetrators of these atrocities are “bogus 
elements” working to sully the image of security forces.

“The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has noted with concern allegations of misconduct and acts of violence ... The actions of these bogus elements have subsequently put the image of the organisation into disrepute,” it said this week.

However, local churches and rights groups have disputed this rebuttal and also challenged the government to act to bring justice to the victims of the violence, which they say has reached “epidemic levels.”

In a rare rebuke of the government, the founder and senior pastor of Celebration Church, Tom Deuschle, said it was heart-breaking that dozens of victims of sexual violence in this conflict were children.

“I spoke to one of Zimbabwe’s fine nurse counsellors yesterday. Stories of more than 23 children she had treated— all brutalised physically + sexually during recent political upheaval.

“They all identified police as perpetrators! Unacceptable! Cannot be swept under the carpet,” the respected cleric wrote on Twitter.

Last week, the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe also issued a withering criticism of the government, saying it should end the rights abuses in the country by the military.

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“We, the Bishops of the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe, have observed with increasing concern and alarm the state of our Zimbabwean nation from the time of the military-assisted political change that took place in November 2017, to the total shutdown of Zimbabwe’s major cities and rural trading centres that began on Monday, 14 January 2019.

“We witnessed with sadness and concern the dissipation of hope for a united nation and a promising future when our politicians failed to harness the palpable oneness and goodwill prevailing among Zimbabweans across the political divide during and immediately after the political events of November 2017.

“Government’s heavy-handed and intolerant handling of dissent and expression of rights by … the dissatisfied population resulted in injury and death to innocent ordinary people,” the bishops said in their letter sent to the Vatican last week.

Meanwhile, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday that the government had launched probes into the alleged abuses by security forces.

“Everything will be investigated and no stone will be left unturned. We need peace to prevail,” she said.

Police also said they were separately investigating all accusations made against their officers and urged people to report “without fear” all those who had perpetrated the violence.

“The ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage wishes to acknowledge reports of alleged rape, sexual abuse and assaults that have been perpetrated by security forces during the recent operation.

“So far, the police have received one such report from St Mary’s, Chitungwiza, and the case is already under investigation.

“We take these rape allegations very seriously and investigations will be instituted immediately once complainants file reports with the police.

“Let me assure all Zimbabweans that … government takes an exception to anyone who perpetrates any form of crime, especially rape perpetrated against women and children,” Home Affairs minister Cain Mathema said at the weekend.

Human rights groups said it was “shocking “ that brutal acts of sexual and gender-based violence continued to be perpetrated even after Mnangagwa had promised to take action.

“Men in army uniforms allegedly raped three Form One girls today in Old Phumula, Bulawayo, & 11 men in army uniforms ordered people at Bhangu shops in Mpopoma, Bulawayo to close their shops & go indoors ... no reasons given for directive,” Human Rights Watch director for southern Africa , Dewa Mavhinga said on Twitter.

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HARARE - Tributes for the late music superstar Oliver Mtukudzi who passed away on Wednesday continue to pour in and the Daily News brings you some from various places.

Television personality Lovemore Banda: “Three years ago, your newspaper carried an interview in which Tuku said he valued the love from children because they do not lie. 

“Last night my little daughter cried. When I asked why she said it was because their class was supposed to visit Pakare Paye Arts Centre in the third term and now they will not ‘because Oliver will not be there.’”

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Renowned stone sculptor, musician and businessman Bryn Taurai Mteki: “Tuku deserves the national hero status because he has to be rewarded for being the great Ambassador of Zimbabwe. We need to show the world that we are truly democratic.

“He is the finest musician in Africa to emerge from Zimbabwe and in his time as a musician he managed to conquer the world.

“He is the grandmaster of the arts industry and is not replaceable at all. Tuku is a legend, he is my father and friend. I vividly remember my encounters with him in the United States when we shared memories and diaries as people coming from the same ghetto of Highfield.

“Tuku and I were neighbours in Highfield were we grew up just opposite Highfield Community School while Tuku lived near Old Highfield Clinic. I say do well our national hero!”

Singer Kelly Rusike: “No words are apt to describe the loss and pain we all feel... His contribution to the industry was second to none...

“A legend, a friend and a dear big brother gone to soon...RIP Samanyanga.”

Singer Goodchild: “It’s so sad Nzou has a left us! He has left a big void in the Zimbabwe music industry. One of the greatest musical exports has left us, he has left us as orphans. What a legend! From vinyl through to cassettes, iPods, to the disc-man and now to smart phones, his music still plays. The melodies, rhythm and strong social messages in his music, well received in Zimbabwe and beyond our borders, has stood the test of time and will play on for many years to come. May his family, friends and fans find comfort in knowing that mudhara has played his part, fought a good fight and it’s time for him to rest. We will forever cherish your contribution to the Industry.”

ZIPP president Blessing Kasiyamhuru: “It is with deep sadness that I received news that our very own Zimbabwean music icon, Mtukudzi has passed on to glory. Mtukudzi who stepped onto the music scene in 1977, grew to become the most internationally-acclaimed musician to ever come out of Zimbabwe. At the time of his passing on he had done over 60 albums which celebrate and are rooted in our local Zimbabwean culture and heritage. He has left an example of how important it is to make your nativity a central aspect of your music as an artiste.

“The other lesson he has left for all of us is how important it is to utilise your God-given gift and live out your calling to the fullest.

“He even surpassed being just a musician, diversifying himself into mentoring other musicians, being an entrepreneur, a philanthropist and human rights activist. His life was well and fully-lived and his legacy shall live on. 

“His music shall forever be with us, his contributions to society shall forever be appreciated & his accomplishments shall forever inspire us. Mtukudzi passed on culture through his songs. He passed on cultural knowledge through his lyrics as well as Shona idioms and knowledge. 

“He would sing about how Shona customs were carried out, how to respect and the troubles in our society. Also sang gospel songs to encourage the lowly in spirit. 
Humour was also found in his songs while serenading those in love with songs like Svovi Yangu.

“My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved family, friends, colleagues & the nation of Zimbabwe at large. May God’s Spirit console everyone at this time of mourning. Our beloved Mtukudzi shall be sadly missed but his legacy shall eternally be etched in our hearts. May his dear beloved soul rest in eternal peace, power and glory!”

Radio personality Tendayi Chakanyuka: “I am still numb. It’s yet to sink in. That I will never see my ‘father-in-law’ again.... and he will never again hug me and say ‘hello daughter in law’.... a symbol of humility he was. Regardless of his popularity and international-recognition, he remained unbelievably grounded. A voice of reason, a father figure, a genuinely ‘jolly good fella’ who remained true to his identity, his beliefs and values.... I salute this true icon and I’m heartbroken. 
Fambayi zvakanaka Nzou, you ran a good race. To amai Mtukudzi nemhuri... words fail me. Mwari Munyaradzi ngaave nemi panguva ino. RIP baba, and thank you for your immense contribution to our industry over the years’’.

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HARARE - Zora musician, Leonard “LKZ” Zhakata was angered by the government’s failure to accord Dick “Cde Chinx” Chingaira national hero status when he died in 2017.

The Mugove hitmaker poured his heart out at the late national hero, Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi’s funeral in Norton last week.

“To be honest, personally I was angered by the government’s decision when they declared Cde Chinx a provincial hero instead of national hero. If, seriously, the government failed to honour illustrious individuals such as Cde Chinx, then who will be the true heros?” Zhakata said.

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“However, today (last week) I am happy because one of my wishes has been granted in the form of Mtukudzi’s national hero status,” Zhakata said.

Zhakata said he has his own wish list of national musical heros.

“My list is made up of three musicians and these are the late Cde Chinx, the late Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo,” he said while receiving applause from the mourners.

Mtukudzi died last week at the age of 66 at Avenues Clinic in Harare after developing heart problems.

He was declared a national hero and was buried yesterday at his rural home of Madziwa, about 140km from Harare.

On Saturday, thousands of Mtukudzi fans and mourners thronged the giant National Sports Stadium in Harare to bid farewell to the legendary musician before his body was ferried to One Commando Barracks in the capital from where it was then taken by helicopter to Madziwa.

At National Sports Stadium, scores of musicians like Jah Prayzah, Killer T and Mathias Mhere among others took turns to entertain the crowd.

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HARARE - Gospel music supremo Charles Charamba says the death of superstar and national hero Oliver Mtukudzi is a big loss to the arts industry and they will pray for the widow Daisy to be strengthened.

Charamba said Tuku was an icon and a shield to all the musicians and his death will be felt.

“This is a big loss to the nation and the arts sector at large. He was an icon and a shield to all the artistes and his death will be felt. Just the knowledge of his presence was enough comfort to all of us. Reality is now here, he is no longer there,” he said.

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“To Mai Mtukudzi, we will pray for her to be strengthened. She has lost a big chunk of herself. She has lost half of her soul and it’s not easy,” he added.

Charamba said Tuku deserved the national hero status and that he was his personal hero.

“Tuku to me is a personal hero. He deserved the national hero status and before conferment,  he was already a hero in people’s hearts and he will forever be in their hearts,” he said.

Charamba and wife Olivia were at the funeral and he gave the closing prayer after President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s address.

The singer said Tuku’s life should be celebrated as his contribution to the country is well documented.

“His life should be celebrated. What he did is well documented. To us in the Christian world, we say he is sleeping,” he said.

Charamba’s words were echoed by sungura giant Alick Macheso who said the gap left by Tuku will be difficult to fill.

“He was an icon to us,  someone we looked up to and the gap he left is too huge to fill. He was a brother to me and the loss is also on a personal level,” he said.
Tuku died on Wednesday at Avenues Clinic after succumbing to a heart problem.

He was declared a national hero and his family chose to have him buried at his rural home in Madziwa.

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HARARE - Mbudzi People’s Market, situated on the outskirts of the capital along the Harare–Beitbridge highway is a teeming mall serving communities from the sprawling south western high density suburbs and recently was a subject of mobs who tried but in vain to disrupt business. 

Reporter Blessings Mashaya speaks with Felix Ormachea, the manager of the mall and below are the excerpts of the interview.

Q: What inspired the establishment of Mbudzi People’s Market?

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A: Two things inspired the creation of the centre; the first being the Eastern European model where you have the informal sector trading in a centralised formal location bringing products directly to the customers, cutting out the middleman and thus giving the consumer a better pricing model.
Secondly, the opportunity for a formal covered large retail market centre which is lacking in the place where it is.

Q: At what cost was the market built? 

A: It cost around USD 4 million at the time of opening after construction was completed about two years ago.

Q: How many tenants do you have and which communities are you serving?

A: We have around 200 tenants. It is estimated that up to 500 000 residents are now living in the surrounding area that have access to the market.

Q: How much have you been affected by the current economic environment?

A: Since the introduction of the bond notes and RTGS monetary system compared to the US dollar the business has consistently declined, initially with our major tenant…closing down and not paying rent, then all rentals becoming almost half from what was initially expected and all resulting in us having to fund the market with 100 percent shareholder finance. 

Q: Does this sum up your three years into this project?

A: The last three years we’ve been in business have been extremely challenging and I will break them down into three parts.

Initially being a PPP (Private Public Partnership) joint venture between Augur and the city of Harare we had massive resistance from various individuals both within the city and ministry to get the necessary approvals, buy-in and support.

The second period of construction went more smoothly despite the unexpected large amounts of granite rocks that had to be blasted away we managed to finish the building in a record three months — from the time the concrete floor was poured and first brick laid until the market was ready to open. 

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However, we had very little cooperation from the Department of Roads to move both the buses and vendors who were illegally stopping and parking in the middle of the road to the designated places that we intended building.

The third and final phase after opening the market was for the city officials to support the opening and vetting of reliable tenants which never happened and this resulted in us in having to build them up on our own slowly for the first 12 to 24 months. 

Q: But you have continued in that environment? 

A: We believe in giving an opportunity to the informal sector and the SME (Small to Medium Enterprise) retailers. This has a massive empowering and social impact in the community to create jobs and wealth for aspiring business people in the high density areas.

Q: How are you copying in this environment? 

A: It is extremely difficult because on the one hand you have the retailers who expect to pay very little rental and yet on the other hand as foreign investors we need to show a return on investment of at least five to 10 percent in real US dollars.
However, to date we have not yet been able to remit even one US dollar to the investors.

Q: Is that the reason you are now charging half your rentals in US Dollars? 

A: The reason why we had requested to have payment in US dollars and the other half in local currency was to help cushion the retailers from paying the full rental in 
US dollars which is the stipulated currency in the lease agreements and because of the non-availability of the US dollars in the market.

Q: Why then did some of them resist this?

A: Largely most of the retailers understood and accepted this position initially but were then incited to resist by others who were bent on not paying. 

Q: Recently you were attacked by Zanu PF mobs over that, how have you dealt with the incident?

A: The elements previously mentioned who were not willing to pay, then, instead of coming to us to negotiate better terms, went to Zanu PF to lodge a complaint and get 
the party to pressurise and intimidate our management.

This to us as foreign investors was most shocking and disturbing.

Since the incident we reported the matter to the police and lodged a complaint to higher offices, however, to date no action nor apology has been taken. 

We remain uncertain as to our investment being safe especially with the recent civil disturbances witnessed  in the country.

Government needs to immediately take responsibility and assure foreign investors like ourselves that such incidences will not be tolerated and that our investment is secure in getting a return in real US Dollar payment by making sure the economy is operating in US dollars or there would be no sense in anyone making an investment into Zimbabwe.

Q: So does this speak to the issues of rule of law and property rights?

A: It is critical that the government makes a stand in the right direction to protect property rights and in a clear transparent non-corrupt way makes sure that the rule of law works.

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HARARE - Zimbabwean farmers should start growing smaller, naturally drought-tolerant grains such as sorghum and millet to ensure the country’s food security in a time of persistent drought, the World Food Programme (WFP) country director Eddie Rowe said.

In an interview with the Daily News, Rowe said because of the inconsistent rainfall patterns, farmers must immediately start growing alternate grains for food, cash and to improve their resilience to harsher weather conditions that have made the staple maize an increasingly risky crop.

Rowe’s remarks come as the Meteorological Services Department forecast that the 2018/2019 season would be characterised with below normal rainfall.        

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“The most glaring impact that we are seeing is that 80 percent of Zimbabwe is engaged in rain-fed agriculture, and so any climatic impact would have devastating effect on productivity and that’s what we are seeing now. More farmers should take up farming of small grains like sorghum and millet,” Rowe said.

“Most of the rural areas have not received adequate rainfall to enable them to cultivate the staple maize and that has a ripple impact on the urban population because almost 80 percent of food in the towns is produced in the rural areas.

“If we do not have production there, there would be high food prices in the urban areas because we would have to rely on imports of food commodities which would triple,” Rowe said.

He said the WFP was aware that farmers do not like eating sorghum, but they can get an income from the sales to buy their maize.

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BULAWAYO - Highlanders technical manager Madinda Ndlovu believes the club needs to maintain its identity in their development and recruitment policy as they seek to reclaim past glory days.

As the country’s oldest club and with nine Zimbabwean championships, Bosso have somehow fallen off their perch in recent years.

The last of those nine titles came way back in 2006.

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The closest Bosso came of winning the title since then was in the 2012 and 2013 seasons when they finished in second place on both occasions.

Ndlovu was hired to lead the team last year and assembled an exciting young and dynamic squad that finished the 2018 Castle Lager Premiership campaign in fifth place, some 27 points behind champions FC Platinum.

Although they started the season well, they lost their way midway through the campaign which greatly hampered their chances of challenging for the title.

Speaking at the club’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) yesterday, Ndlovu said they were working hard to bring in the players with the calibre and pedigree to compete and at the same time play entertaining football.

“We need to maintain the Highlanders philosophy. It entails making sure the fans from Soweto are up and happy,” Ndlovu told the Bosso members in attendance.

“We need to play the entertaining football but the entertaining football sometimes has results, sometimes it doesn’t.

“Our philosophy will be introduced from the junior teams to the first team. It will also help us identify those who qualify to play for Highlanders.

“We need talented players that have the discipline that protects the image of the team and the sponsors; players who will proudly represent Bosso and be ambassadors of the sponsors.”

Bosso have already signed strikers Bukhosi Sibanda and Prince Dube ahead of the start of the 2019 season on March 30.

Nqobizitha Masuku has also returned to the club while Cleopas Kapupurika has joined from Dynamos.

They have also recruited Mbekelezi Manzini Sibanda after he impressed during a trial period held earlier this month.

After an arduous negotiation, Bosso also managed to convince highly-rated defender Peter Muduhwa to sign a new two-year deal.     

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Also speaking at the AGM, Bosso chairperson Kenneth Mhlophe applauded the members and the fans for the support they gave the team last season.

“I want to thank the team and the supporters for the unity. We want to thank our sponsors and all those that have helped the club,” Mhlophe said.  

“Your contributions will go a long way in helping Highlanders. Together as a team we can make it.”

However, more importantly for Bosso, there was some good news on the financial front according to the treasurer Donald Ndebele’s presentation.

There was a remarkable improvement as the club narrowed its loses from $185 000 in 2017 to $35 000 last year.

On the credit front, Highlanders’ legacy debt now stands at $800 000 which signals a reduction of $30 000 from the 2017 financial report. 

This was mainly due to the improved attendance figures at home games at Barbourfields Stadium last season and the sponsorship package from their main shirt sponsor NetOne.

Bosso chief executive officer Nhlanhla Dube told the members that the club is making a number of adjustments to the constitution and secretariat in order to align with the Fifa Club Licensing requirements.

Meanwhile, candidates for the club’s next weekend’s election were also confirmed after they successfully filed their nomination papers.

Incumbent vice chairperson Modern Ngwenya is seeking a second term and will go against Longwe Ndlovu.

Ndebele is also seeking a second term as the Bosso treasurer and will have to fend off the challenge from Charles Ndlovu.

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HARARE - Old Georgians Sports Club (OGs) began their 2019 Harare Rugby Board Under-21 Championship Group B campaign with a lopsided 118-0 win over Yadah on Saturday at Old Hararians (OH).

Fly half Jerry Jaravaza was clinical with the boot as he managed to land all his 17 kicks in the huge win for the Groombridge-based side.

The other big winners in Group B this past weekend were Southern City, who beat Mbare 52-5 to get their campaign off to a good start.

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OH also started the season with a win after getting the better of Alex Sports Club in a match that finished 33-10.

The match between Mabvuku and Ancient City failed to take place after the latter failed to pitch up at Belgravia Sports Club.

Mabvuku were given the full five points on a 20-0 score line.

In Group A, XP HORNS were in irresistible form as they ran out 97-0 winners overs over Mufakose at Belgravia Sports Club.

Pitbulls were also too strong for Harare Sports Club as they emerged with a comprehensive 77-0 victory.

At the same venue, Chitungwiza also recorded a comfortable 44-0 win over Hatcliffe while the University of Zimbabwe beat Mutare Sports Club 44-12.

The round robin stage of the Under-21 Championship will run for the next seven rounds with each team playing each other.

The league will only take a break on the weekend of February 23 but will resume a week later.

The weekend of March 23 sees the semi-finals taking place with the top two teams from each group set to qualify.

The league will come to a conclusion on March 30 when the two victors from the semi-final clashes meet in the final.

Results:

Group A: University of Zimbabwe 40-12 Mutare Sports Club, Mufakose 0-97 XP HORNS, Chitungwiza 44-0 Hatcliffe, Harare Sports Club 0-77 Pitbulls Group B: Mabvuku 20-0 Ancient City, Mbare 5-52 Southern City, Yadah 0-118 Old Georgians, Alex Sports Club 10-33 Old Hararians.

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HARARE - President  Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government is under withering pressure to immediately withdraw troops deployed across large swathes of urban areas following protests over fuel price hikes.

This comes as soldiers are being accused of viciously beating up residents in high density suburbs and continuing to carry out attacks on selected targets.

The crackdown has largely targeted high density suburbs in the capital Harare and the second city of Bulawayo in what is being seen as a bid to instil fear in communities, imposing their control over the ghettos and as a form of punishment, rights groups have said.

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National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (Nango) — a non-party political, non-profit making organisation and non-denominational coordinating body of over 1 000 NGOs in Zimbabwe — pleaded with government to remove the soldiers saying their heavy-handedness has led to injuries, deaths and in some cases rape. 

Soldiers and police have allegedly raped and sexually assaulted dozens of women and girls in a campaign to punish urban communities for the fuel hike protests that turned violent — acts that constitute crimes against humanity. 

“We are still concerned with the continued presence of soldiers within communities and demand that soldiers immediately go back to the barracks and police play their role of protecting and serving citizens,” Nango said.

Mnangagwa, who was forced to cut short his crucial visit to Europe and central Asia to drum up investment to attend to the festering crisis back home, has denounced the continuing violence as absolutely “unacceptable”. 

He tweeted that violence or misconduct by the country’s security forces is unacceptable and a betrayal of the “new Zimbabwe”, and shall be investigated.

Home Affairs minister Cain Mathema said the rights violations are being probed.

Nango slammed what it called “the use of the army in fighting political battles”, suggesting that soldiers should stick to protecting civilians.

“In the same vein, we condemn the law enforcement agents that exude a semblance of being political. Law enforcement agents should at all times stick to their constitutional mandate. We therefore demand that political parties should refrain from giving instructions to enforcement agents,” Nango added.

Nango also condemned the wanton attacks and abductions of civilians and has demanded an immediate end to abuses to ensure citizens’ security. 

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Innocent members of the public allegedly suffered injuries from assaults with sharp objects, booted feet, batons, sjamboks and tarmac abrasions as the security forces were hunting down protesters.

State rights body Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), significantly, has also castigated use of the military in the repression.

“It is therefore disturbing to note that the deployment of the army in quelling civilian disturbances leads to loss of life and serious bodily injuries and other human rights violations, yet the government continues to make such deployments,” ZHRC commissioner Sheila Hillary Matindike said.

Amnesty International on Friday called on Zimbabwean authorities to act swiftly to ensure security forces are held to account for ongoing brutal human rights violations, including rape, torture, beatings and killings of civilians.

“The onslaught by the security forces in Zimbabwe has seen people killed, arbitrarily arrested, abducted, reportedly raped and jailed on suspicion of taking part in the protests. Children as young as 11 years old have also been charged,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s regional director for Southern Africa.

“The Zimbabwean authorities must immediately halt their menacing threats towards civil society leaders, activists, opposition leaders and suspected organisers of protests. The authorities must ensure that those who violated and continue to violate human rights face justice.”

This comes as the international community has called on government to put a stop to the crackdown which has seen soldiers sexually assaulting women in some parts of Harare.

The British State minister for Africa at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Harriet Baldwin has expressed her disgust over the rape reports and has called on Mnangagwa to investigate the issue.

“I’m sickened at reports that Zimbabwe’s security forces have raped civilians during their violent crackdowns. Sexual violence is an atrocity and who is commanding these forces? The UK urges Mnangagwa to ensure these perpetrators are brought to justice,” Baldwin said.

Nelson Chamisa’s opposition MDC Alliance said in a statement last weekend it was shocked by the surge in allegations of State-sponsored rape cases and harassment of the victims.

“Some of the women who were interviewed were followed, brutalised and arrested,” Bekithemba Mpofu, the MDC deputy national spokesperson, said.

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HARARE - Robert Mugabe is gone, but the army remains at the centre of our political life. Until that changes, the violence won’t stop. 

Like the fleeting blossom of Jacaranda trees in spring, faith in the government of Zimbabwe’s president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has waned, following another round of state violence towards unarmed citizens.

These days, on the streets of Harare, an unnatural silence and fear have displaced the wild cheers of celebration that accompanied the 2017 resignation of Robert Mugabe as president.

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Hope has turned into mourning in cities around the country, where a general strike opposing Mnangagwa’s 150 percent fuel price hike turned bloody. Our nation has had its moment in the sun — and is now trapped in a cycle of terror and unrest. Armed soldiers are a fixture on the streets, manning roadblocks and fuel stations.

The government resorting to military control of civilian life is the clearest sign of failed leadership by Mugabe’s successors.

It’s clear that until the military is removed from civilian spaces, Zimbabwe will only plunge into deeper political and economic misery.

The involvement of the military in civilian politics is not new. 

As far back as 1975, as the country struggled for its independence, young military officers at the main Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (Zanla) training camp wrote a communique that led to the removal of Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole as leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) liberation party. Sithole had helped found Zanu in 1963, but the military manoeuvred to replace him with Mugabe.

While the involvement of the military in civilian politics was more constrained during Mugabe’s authoritarian tenure, even the wily president eventually lost control — he was forced out of office at the hands of the military in November 2017. 

Since then, the military has felt more emboldened than ever in playing a stronger role in social, political and economic affairs. 

Retired officers have been appointed to key Cabinet, party and State positions, including the vice-presidency, ministry of Agriculture, the ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Parks Authority.

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A popular claim, in the era of rising authoritarianism, is that “strongman” leadership and militaristic discipline is necessary for economic reforms and a stable environment. 

The military is also standing in the way of citizens’ fundamental freedoms, and it prevents civilian politicians and the young, who did not participate in the 1970s liberation war, from truly taking part in the political process. 

The Zanu PF leadership has consistently rehashed liberation narratives to ward off any alternative leadership emerging, meanwhile it fails to develop new political and economic programmes to actually help Zimbabwe.

Until this system changes, Zimbabwe will continue to be deprived of the wealth of skills its varied citizens have to offer in rebuilding the country.

Restricting political options to those who participated in the war of independence and those who find favour with them, has stifled the emergence of any new vision to take the nation forward.

The task of removing the military from civilian and political life is not going to be easy. Mnangagwa’s party and the military have been intertwined since the 1970s, while he only came to power because of the military’s support. But make no mistake about it: Mnangagwa is the commander-in-chief — only he can lawfully deploy soldiers on to the street or make them step down. The buck stops with Mnangagwa when it comes to blame for the ongoing violence.

The wounds afflicting injured survivors may one day heal. But our politics will remain toxic as long as the military is at the centre of it. Any dialogue about the future must involve concerted, concrete plans to demilitarise Zimbabwean politics. Only then can the promise of a new Zimbabwe truly blossom.

•Mahere is a Zimbabwean lawyer and politician. This article first appeared in the United Kingdom’s Guardian newspaper.

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