HARARE - The main opposition MDC yesterday warned the government to not use unconstitutional means to deal with hundreds of thousands of vendors that authorities want off the streets by Friday next week.

MDC spokesman Obert Gutu said as "the so-called deadline" for vendors to move away from the streets or face unspecified action approached, "we call upon the Zanu PF regime to desist from employing unconstitutional and illegal methods when dealing with street traders.

"The MDC calls upon all local authorities that we control to hold formal, detailed discussions with the vendor associations in each urban area and to agree on the way forward. In no way should the municipal police be used in any exercise to ban traders from urban areas," he said.

President Robert Mugabe's controversial wife Grace okayed the chaotic trade by vendors in urban areas in March -- and their numbers have since shot up in the past few months, amid rising poverty levels, rapid de-industrialisation and shocking levels of unemployment which is all blamed on Zanu PF's misrule.

There was widespread consternation among the poor when Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo told a news conference in Harare recently that street vendors were being given a seven day ultimatum to "regularise their operations".

Chombo was supported by a senior military officer, Brigadier General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwa from the Joint Operations Command -- which comprises service chiefs from the army, air force, police, prisons and intelligence -- who went on to issue a warning to anyone "entertaining the idea of resisting" the move.

Not only have authorities since backed down from using security agents in the mooted exercise, Sithembiso Nyoni -- the Small to Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development minister -- also later extended the deadline to June 26, saying this had been prompted by the need to have a smooth transition to new and approved trading sites.

“What the ministry has come up with is a holistic approach to the vendor issue that is going to address the short term, medium term and long term economic plight of the informal sector,” she said.

The MDC, which controls the majority of local authorities in the country, said it supported the right of vendors to make a living for themselves and their families.

"As such, the party will do everything within its power to provide vendors with recognition, protection and security in their places of trade.

"The MDC will regularise the activities of vendors by granting them licences to operate in return for a nominal fee that is currently set at $1 a day.

"The MDC will also negotiate with the recognised representatives of vendors in order to come up with the right conditions under which vendors can undertake their business activities.

"We will endeavour to provide shelter and toilet facilities for all street traders and as the country’s largest and most popular political party. We will not cooperate with any attempts to violate the rights of vendors," Gutu said.

Harare City Council has so far identified 14 sites where vendors will operate from in a move expected to bring some semblance of sanity to the now unsightly capital which used to be known as the Sunshine City because of its beauty and cleanliness.

“The points include Fourth Street, Crisp and Seke, the open ground at City Sports Centre, Luna Park, the holding bay and another to be established in the eastern part of Harare," Tendai Mahachi, the Harare town clerk said.

"We are geared to ensuring there is proper vending. Other countries have rationalised vending and we too want to follow suit,” he said.

HARARE - Zimbabwe is teetering on the verge of total collapse and could drag the whole Southern African region into unprecedented chaos if President Robert Mugabe and his ruling Zanu PF are not reined in soon, the main opposition MDC led by former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai has warned.

Warming up to the idea of confronting Mugabe and Zanu PF head-on as suggested by liberation struggle stalwart Rugare Gumbo, the MDC said yesterday that the longer the nonagenarian and his party remained in power, the worse things would turn for long-suffering Zimbabweans -- many of whom live on less than a dollar a day.

The main opposition's comments came as Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa revealed earlier in the week that Mugabe's broke government did not have the money to source maize for millions of Zimbabweans who are staring hunger in the face, amid desperate calls for Western donors and the corporate world to fund the $300 million emergency project.

At the same time, industrial contraction and company closures continue to throw hundreds of people on the ever growing jobless list every month, compounding the country's dire and deepening poverty levels.

MDC spokesman, Obert Gutu, said everything that could go wrong in Zimbabwe had since gone wrong and was destined to get worse with Mugabe and Zanu PF in power.

"It is apparent that the Zanu PF regime is totally clueless regarding how to extricate the country from this debilitating economic mayhem and liquidity crunch. We are at the deep end.

“Zimbabwe is crying out for an urgent economic and financial rescue package. The Zanu PF regime’s main challenge is lack of political legitimacy. This is a renegade and rogue administration that is completely and utterly incapable of rescuing the situation in the country.

“Time is of the essence. The future of Zimbabwe is firmly in our hands. None but ourselves can set us free. There is a total failure of government and the centre can clearly no longer hold.

"The MDC calls upon all patriotic and peace-loving Zimbabweans to join hands in finding lasting and effective solutions to extricate our beloved motherland from the prevailing political and socio-economic quagmire,” Gutu said.

“Robert Mugabe and his rogue administration are bankrupt and are unable to harness adequate financial resources in order to import the maize that is now urgently required. The situation cannot be more desperate than what it is right now,” he added.

Pointing to the brutal factional and succession wars devouring Zanu PF and that are worsening the plight of ordinary Zimbabweans, the MDC said ruling party bigwigs were callously ignoring bread and butter issues for their personal aggrandisement.

"The country is on virtual auto-pilot as the nonagenarian Head of State continues with his endless, fruitless, purposeless and expensive foreign jamborees. It is high time that the renegade Zanu PF regime is called to order.

"The streets of the country’s major cities, towns and growth points are teeming with thousands of desperate vendors who are struggling to eke out a living day in and day out.

"There is virtually no meaningful domestic and foreign direct investment (FDI) that is flowing into Zimbabwe mainly because the Zanu PF regime has effectively lost control of the state apparatus,” Gutu added.

As a result, the MDC's call was that it was time the country was "put back in the spotlight" by regional and continental bodies.

“It would be folly for these two organisations (Sadc and the African Union AU) to proceed as if there is no crippling crisis in Zimbabwe.

"Robert Mugabe and his rogue Zanu PF regime should be confronted and told, in no uncertain terms, that the deteriorating political and economic situation in Zimbabwe is now a serious threat to both regional and continental security and stability,” Gutu warned.

Liberation struggle stalwart and spokesperson of the “original” Zanu PF that uses the slogan “People First”, Rugare Gumbo, said on Tuesday that the only way positive change would take place in the country was if Zimbabweans agitated for this constitutionally but robustly from Mugabe and the ruling party — and not employ “empty boycott protests”.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily News in the wake of the post-congress Zanu PF’s hollow victories in last week’s by-elections which were boycotted by the main opposition MDC, Gumbo said Zimbabweans needed to do more to foster democracy in the country.

He also defended his Zanu PF formation’s “moral support” for a number of independent candidates who took part in the by-elections even as they were “always aware that our erstwhile comrades are grand masters in vote manipulation”.

“That was a bogus and sham election full of irregularities and intimidation. The CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation), and post-congress Zanu PF party members were running the show.

“Zec (the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) failed to conduct a free and fair election. It allowed Zanu PF to supervise the whole process and what really happened was unbelievable — a lot of intimidation and a lot of violence.

“This whole process must be overhauled. It is a rotten system which stinks to high heaven,” the straight-talking Gumbo said.

Asked whether the main opposition was right in boycotting the elections, Gumbo said in his view staying away from electoral processes would not on its own give the “shameless post-congress Zanu PF any sleepless nights” — but would instead allow it to enjoy what it had always dreamt about, “the creation of a one-party state”.

“Let us take them head-on. They want to push their programmes without any opposition. But what we have had are mere by-elections. When we go to national elections, it will be difficult for them to cheat as they did in these by-elections,” he said.

Gumbo a former Cabinet minister with intimate knowledge of the modus operandi of Zanu PF said his “power hungry” erstwhile comrades were not easily shaken by “petty resistance” — hence his call for a more robust approach to demands for change.

HARARE – Benjamin Lock kept his hopes of a home soil tournament victory alive after dismissing France’s Roman Bauvy yesterday at Harare Sports Club.

The Florida State University student stormed into the semi-finals of the Zimbabwe F1 Futures tennis tournament after accounting for Bauvy in a tightly-contested quarter-final 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.

That victory set up a date with Evan King of the United States.

King came from a set down to dismiss South Africa’s Loyd Harris 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-1 to book his slot along Lock in the semi-finals. 

Lock had earlier fought fiercely to beat Portugal’s Vasco Mensurado 7-6(2), 6-2 in the second round of the $10 000 event.

In the first round, Lock beat Samuel Bothwell in a match he lost the first set 2-6 before showing his class by winning the next two 6-3, 6-2.

The 22-year-old recently clinched the Mozambique F1 Futures at Clube de Tenis de in Maputo and is hoping to add another trophy to his cabinet.

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s hope of changing their fortunes at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup has not been going according to plan as they currently occupy last place ahead of today’s final round in Nagoya, Japan.

St John’s College’s Kieran Vincent has, however, been the only bright spark of the Zimbabwean team which has so far shot a combined score of 17 over par following rounds of 220, 218 and 218.

The country’s leading junior golfers are currently in 15th place, five strokes adrift of 14th placed Brazil and a dispiriting 33 strokes adrift leaders Sweden.

Sweden are on 16-under for the tournament and have a four-stroke lead over Japan and defending champion Norway (-12).

“We played well yesterday but lost our cool on the back nine so today we went into the round focusing on staying calm.  We’re going to try to do the same thing tomorrow,” Swedish coach Carl Magnusson said after their third round.

“We know not to take anything for granted.  Last year, Norway came out of nowhere to win so anything can happen.”

Canada is currently on a tie for fourth with Korea at 11-under.

The United States sits in sixth at nine under par, ahead of Chile (-2) and South Africa (-1).  Mexico is ninth at three over, followed by New Zealand (+5), China (+6) and Scotland (+6).

Italy (+9), Brazil (+14) and Zimbabwe (+17) finish out the boys’ field.

Apart from the disheartening team standings for Zimbabwe, Vincent has been standing toe to toe with some of the world’s best junior golfers.

He is currently on three under par for the tournament following impressive cards of 71, 70 and 69.

To put his inspiring run into perspective, Vincent is only five strokes adrift of boy’s individual leader Joaquin Niemann of Chile.

Falcon College’s Justin Kersten is Zimbabwe’s next best placed golfer tied on 49 with 10 over par following rounds of 76, 72 and 75.

The duo of captain Jack Allard and David Amm are singing the blues, sitting just four places above the bottom in position 56th  with 14 over par for the tournament.

HARARE - Last week’s dethronement of Miss Zimbabwe 2015 Emily Kachote over alleged nude pictures has been described as unfair by gender activists and modelling experts contacted by the Daily News.

The Miss Zimbabwe Trust, chaired by Marry Chiwenga, wife of Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander general Constantine Chiwenga, booted out Kachote over claims that the beauty queen posed for naked pictures.

Legislator and lawyer Jessie Majome wants to see a criminal case opened against the person who leaked these pictures, if indeed they are in existence.

“If the pictures do exist, whoever took them should be prosecuted, there should be a criminal complaint filed against that person,” said the Harare West parliamentarian.

“I am not interested in whether the pictures are there or not, but we should question why as women we allow ourselves to be treated in this way.”

Majome believes beauty pageants are patriarchal by nature.

“I have an ideological problem with the whole beauty pageant concept. It always leaves women vulnerable and the end result is not good for them,” she said.

“Women and men are equal human beings but that is set aside in this beauty industry. It exposes women to dehumanisation.

“I think the whole industry is an arena for sexual exploitation of women; the idea is for the exploitation of the woman’s sexuality. It dismembers the anatomy of a woman for patriarchal satisfaction. It shows that women are not valued because if you don’t value something you objectify it, which is the same here.”

Gender activist Virginia Muwanigwa, ‎the director at Humanitarian Information Facilitation Centre (Hifc), insisted that Kachote should be treated in line with Zimbabwean laws.

“It’s not about her being a fellow woman, we need to know what principles this organisation is operating on. They should also know that as a people who do have rights and laws that protect us,” she told the Daily News.

“When I look at the conditions of entry like the boyfriend issues, where does the boyfriend come in? Why should my having a boyfriend deter me from entering, does that mean that they can’t stomach that I am taken? For some of us it seems it’s like the girls are now being marketed as a commodity.”

Like Majome, Muwanigwa felt if indeed the pictures existed, the culprit who leaked them should be prosecuted.

“For me the pictures are not the issue, the issue is what are they doing to the culprit? What is the Trust doing to protect the girls from predators? The Trust should investigate this guy, whoever he is, what his intentions are and how he ends up dating potential queens,” she said.

“I think there is some syndicate operating to leech the girls. Can someone tell me what his role in the pageant is? It is a case of revenge pornography. Up to now I have not heard of anyone having been arrested over this issue.”

Muwanigwa added that women should consider boycotting these pageants.

“I don’t have enough facts to defend her on the whole issue, but this is a place we are beginning to think as gender activists that women and girls should stay away from. It profiles you as a person; it then uses moralistic judgments,” said the Hifc director.

“If you enter that pageant you are then exposing yourself as an individual without the guarantee that they will protect you when things go haywire. It’s unfortunate that it is women who are haunted by these things.”

Ronald Tisauke, a former owner of a modelling agency, has been disappointed by the way the Miss Zimbabwe Trust has handled the Kachote issue.

“I think it could have been handled better; the pageant has been riddled with enough scandals. But they are in the shoes so they know better why they had to dethrone her after such a long wait for nude pictures, which we had forgotten about,” he said.

“But it’s also not a bad thing that they are setting a no-nonsense precedence. The brand was tainted already before the nude pictures saga, the issue only affirmed what was there,” said Tisauke.

HARARE - Sensei  Samson Muripo believes So-Kyokushin fighter Tangayi Mhlanga will illuminate the 2015 Grand Prix Barcelona that takes place on Saturday in Spain.

Mhlanga left the country for the European nation on Wednesday and is set to showcase his great arsenal of techniques at the Pabellon Deportivo La Bastida.

He will contest in the middleweight category that boasts of Germany’s Sergej Braun, Daniel Sanchez and Adrian Aguilera of Spain.

The Karate Kyokushinkai tournament will be hosted by Rengokai Spain Federation in cooperation with World Fighting Kyokushin Organisation (WFKO).

The Highfield-based fighter comes into the tournament with his confidence on a high having defied odds to be crowned the African Champion in Johannesburg in January.

The 25-year-old proved a force to reckon with at the WFKO tournament, winning the championship belt that came with an all-expenses-paid for trip to Russia to compete in the World Championships in April.

“We are happy for the young man who was crowned the African Champion earlier this year in Johannesburg,” Muripo said.

“We prepared him well. He will do us proud.

“I am happy to see such young karatekas getting opportunities at a very young age. I can confidently say the World Championship title which I was crowned as the first African in 2009 will not end with me.

“My heart smiles seeing my students showing great promise and I believe they are going to achieve even more.”

The Grand Prix Barcelona is one of the preliminary tournaments for the World Grand Prix 2015.

HARARE - New Zimbabwe Under-18 assistant coach Graham Kaulback is upbeat about helping the side raise their game ahead the 2015 Craven Week that takes place in South Africa in July.

The Zimbabwe Sevens and Old Georgians’ scrum-half takes charge of his first training session today  at Gateway High School since replacing Brandon Brider who was named Zimbabwe Under-19 and Under-20 coach early this year.

The Young Sables will be aiming to better last year’s performance in which they lost all three matches.

Paul Roos Gymnasium will host this year’s Under-18 Craven Week from July 13 to July 18 in Stellenbosch.

“I think it’s a good side, really balanced.  There are some awesome and powerful forwards as well as a dynamic backline,” Kaulback told Daily News yesterday. 

“We are going to prepare the guys as best we can and just go down to South Africa and try and post some impressive results otherwise we wouldn’t be competing.”

The Old Mutual Zimbabwe Under-18 Craven Week team will be coached by Godwin Murambiwa.

The Young Sables’ team includes five players who represented the country at last year’s Craven Week whilst a number of players have graduated from the national Under-17 side.

The 22-member team includes not less than eight Falcon College rugby players, highlighting the Esigodini-based side’s strength in schoolboy rugby this season.

Financial services giant Old Mutual are the main sponsors of the junior national side travelling to South Africa.

Squad: Jordan Zietsman, Stuart Dodington, Sam Phiri, Ackim Sibanda, Levi Fagnoli, Brian Muntanga, Campbell Nyakudya, Benjamin Meridith (Falcon), Kevin Chisango, Angus Bruce, Sam Barnett, Tarisai Mapfumo, Tinashe Muchena (St Georges), Tinotenda Vheriwa, Cuan Zeederburg (Peter House), Aiden Burnett, Cameroon Harrison (St John’s), Liam Kenny, Ernest Mudzengerere, Russell Dhina, Shingi Katsvere (Prince Edward).Young Sables gear up for Craven Week

HARARE - Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PHD) leader Walter Magaya yesterday told the hugely mismanaged and out-of-sorts Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) that “he is there to support the players and not to settle the association’s debts.”

Magaya has recently been bailing out national teams financially so that they could fulfil their assignments.

He is, however, concerned over the misuse of the sponsorship by the football association.

The Warriors were handed R560 000 by the hugely popular preacher prior to their participation at the Cosafa Cup recently but the money hardly made its way to the players or technical staff with Warriors head coach Calisto Pasuwa reportedly getting a paltry $100 ever since he assumed the position.

Addressing players in the presence of Zifa’s chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze during yesterday’s training session, the PHD Ministries founder said Zifa should not divert his sponsorship. 

“My support is going towards these boys and this must be made very clear, Mr Mashingaidze,” Magaya said.

“My support is not on you (Mashingaidze) or Zifa. I am not a political person — do you understand (Mr Mashingaidze)? My support is for these guys and whatever I gave, should go straight to these guys.

“I know you have your own zvikwereti (debts) but find your own ways to sort them out. I am only concerned with these boys. I want to support them so that I can change their lives.

“I heard the boys did not get any cent from the previous money I gave you, even the coach I heard he did not receive anything which is not good.

“I love my nation, it’s not a good thing, it’s embarrassing  that every time you will see a big organisation like Zifa moving around with a begging bowel, it’s actually embarrassing.

“My call is to assist people because I am a man of God and I want to uplift the spirits of these boys so that they will know God is alive.

“My main aim is for all of them to give their lives to Jesus at the end of the day.

“It is also a way of penetrating their hearts motivating them to pray.

“When they see that all this is coming from a Man of God I believe that their hearts will also desire to pray and worship Him.”

On possibilities of him adopting the national team, Magaya said: “It’s never been done like that, I have never seen one person adopt a national team, but I have to think about this as you know that when you do something like this you are also attacked, so I must be prepared for these attacks.

“I believe that there is always light at the end of the tunnel,” added Magaya.

Magaya also rescued the Warriors after agreeing to cover the national team’s expenses when they face the Comoros in 2016 African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifier at Rufaro Stadium on Sunday.

Only last week, the national team only started training on Wednesday for last Saturday’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) away match to Malawi.

The players refused to travel to Blantyre on Thursday as they demanded their match fees and allowances which resulted in them missing their flight. They eventually travelled by road.

The Warriors resumed training yesterday for the Comoros tie with 24 players turning up under the watchful eye of Pasuwa.

HARARE - Angeline Vere has been appointed as Telecel Zimbabwe (Telecel)’s new chief executive with effect from June 1, 2015.

The trained lawyer, who has been the company’s general manager for years, takes over from Francis Mawindi who was axed in 2013.

James Makamba, Telecel’s board chairman, on Thursday said Vere’s appointment was “in line with the company’s equal employment opportunity and empowerment policies”.

“The board wishes her well as the organisation gears itself to tackle exciting opportunities that are designed to unlock its true potential,” he said.

Vere joined Telecel in 2004 as legal manager and in 2010 was subsequently promoted as company secretary and legal director.

She has more than 17 years of experience in the telecommunications industry having worked for companies such as Post and Telecommunications Corporation (now TelOne) and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe among other companies.

The latest development comes as Zimbabwe’s third largest mobile telecommunications company was last month given the green light by the High Court to continue operations after the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz) cancelled their licence and gave the company one month to wind up business.

VICTORIA FALLS - Zimbabwe will craft a “debt repayment plan” to address the country’s over $10 billion debt overhang by August, the African Development Bank (AfDB) to Zimbabwe representative said.

Mateus Magala, the AfDB local chief envoy, told delegates at the ongoing Buy Zimbabwe 2015: Buy Local Summit, in Victoria Falls, that the ministry of Finance, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) were in deliberations on the way forward over the debt situation.

“The ministry of Finance created a group to see that by August, Zimbabwe can have a road map on how to resolve its debt to various international institutions owed,” he said, adding that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, John Mangudya and the Finance ministry permanent secretary, Willard Manungo were also part of the team tasked to help the country out of its debt predicament.

Magala said while the optimum debt ratio benchmark for a country like Zimbabwe was 40 percent, the current national ratio stood between 52 to 54 percent.

“What this effectively means is that the country’s current debt levels are unsustainable,” he said.

Zimbabwe is saddled with an external debt of nearly $10 billion and owes the IMF $124 million in arrears accrued since 2000, while an additional $1 billion owed to the WB.

Early this year, Finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa, announced his strategy to settle the country’s colossal international debt, saying he would negotiate with multilateral lenders first as they are owed the most — then have them mediate for the country to other owed institutions like the Paris Club so that confidence would be restored in the country thereby attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Economic experts however, say financial institutions including the WB and AfDB are barred by law from extending loans to Zimbabwe because of the outstanding debts.

Last year, Dominique Fanezzi, IMF head of mission to Zimbabwe, said the country was not going to get debt relief from multilateral institutions, due to its indebtedness.

Meanwhile, Magala said the country needs to invest about $2 billion annually to close its infrastructure gap and boost economic development, with a cumulative need of raising $14 billion for infrastructure development by 2020.

He also said the country needed to invest about $1,2 billion of the $2 billion in power generation projects alone.

“This is the harsh reality of the situation, if the government doesn't do anything about this the country will always lag behind in development related issues,” he said, adding that the country also had to re-brand in order to become attractive to investors.

He said the risk of investing in Zimbabwe was so great that investors skirted the country as they were “afraid of what might happen to their investment.”

GWERU - The Zimbabwe Association of Dairy Farmers (ZADF) says 85 percent of milk consumed by citizens is imported, a situation that has forced government to come up with a policy to stop milk imports in three years.

ZADF Midlands chairman Emmanuel Zimbandu said in the wake of such disturbing statistics, government will be working on a policy to stop the importation of milk so as to boost local industry.

“It is a sad state of affairs that 85 percent of the milk being consumed in Zimbabwe is being imported despite us having a local industry,” Zimbandu said.

Local milk producers are faced with a daunting task of providing 5 million litres of milk, while the deficit has been filled by foreign firms.

Darry Cotzee, the Dendairy general manager said government’s imposition of a 25 percent levy on imported milk, has since boosted the local sector.

“The support that we have got from government is fantastic because the levy has helped reduce the number of foreign products that were landing on our markets at a cheaper price than local brands. It was a huge concern for us but with the levy, we see more uptake of local products,” said Cotzee.

He added that local producers risked going out of business owing to cheaper imports, but the industry was now poised for growth.

“The other problems that we have been experiencing in the last three months include lumpy skin, but due to the availability of vaccines, the outbreak was contained and the damage was minimised,” Zimbandu said.

HARARE - The Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) has launched a prepaid tolling card for the motoring public’s “convenience and especially those in the logistics sector to have total control, and oversight of their operations”.

In launching the initiative Wednesday, Transport minister Obert Mpofu said the use of information communication technologies was critical in the development and management of transport infrastructure.

“The manual system was prone to counterfeiting and prejudice... as fake licences, and toll books could be produced on the black market,” he said.

“This new system will not only maximise revenue collection, but also increase transparency and accountability on the administration’s activities. This will also enable visible development to the motoring public who fund the development,” Mpofu said.

Albert Mugabe, the Zinara chairman, said the new cards were part of a two-pronged exercise to increase accountability in the administration’s revenue collection strategies.

“As an organisation, we are ramping up our responsiveness to the motoring public and its expectations. This is also a proclamation that we are serious about customer service,” he said, adding that the prepaid tolling card would benefit motorists in that it would reduce costs and prove a scalable payment solution to fleet owners.

“The card can be linked to a particular vehicle’s registration number and transactions will only go through if these match,” Mugabe said.

According to the Zinara boss, the parastatal also wants to move into remote frequency identification tags.

As Mpofu has called for enhanced “user-funding” of the rehabilitation programme for Africa’s roads, Mugabe said this week that they were investigating a corridor master development plan for the $2 billion upgrade of the 900 kilometre-long Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu highway.

HARARE - The new Land Rover Discovery Sport, the world’s most versatile and capable premium compact sport utility vehicles (SUV), is now available in Zimbabwe following its launch in the country on Wednesday.

Nigel Clarke, operations director of Jaguar Land Rover sub-Sahara, said the vehicle’ progressive new design approach defines the new Discovery family with optimised volume, proportions and stance.

“Its design leadership combines with engineering integrity to result in a dynamic profile, the ultimate use of interior space and 5+2 seating configurability,” he said.

Clarke noted that the new car will see Jaguar Land Rover’s local agency — Premier Auto Services — delivering a good product to the people of Zimbabwe.

“We started working with Moses Chingwena (Premier Auto Services’ chairman) almost four years ago and there have been a lot of significant changes.

“Currently just over a 1 000 cars have been sold in Zimbabwe and in the period we have had four launches of new vehicles,” he said.

Under the dealership agreement, Premier Auto Services import and sell complete vehicles and provide back-up service locally.

Other aspects of the agreement also allow the extension of the franchise enabling Premier Auto Services selling branded Land Rover goods in their outlets.

Manfred Chaniwa, Premier Auto Services acting dealer principal, said the Discovery Sport which comes with an all-alloy Si4 2,0 litre petrol engine and the 2,2 litre turbodiesel feature, costs $64 000 at an entry level model.

Land Rover’s spirit of adventure is reflected in Discovery Sport’s interior, which has been designed with customers at its core.

It features high-quality materials and a strong vertical centre console graphic to reflect the premium design of the exterior, while the core Discovery value of versatility is evident everywhere.

Storage solutions are integrated into the cabin and up to four 12V power points and six USB charging sockets can be specified for all three rows of seating, allowing multiple electronic devices to be charged simultaneously.

A host of innovations have allowed Discovery Sport to introduce the versatility of 5+2 seating into the premium compact SUV class for the first time.

An all-new multi-link rear axle not only provides engaging driving dynamics but it also provides ample and flexible cabin space behind the second row.

Coupled with supple long-travel suspension, the innovative rear axle also ensures the Discovery Sport is comfortable, refined and rewarding to drive on-road, while retaining the breadth of all-terrain capability for which Land Rover is world-renowned.

As with every new Land Rover, safety has been a key priority in the development of the new Discovery Sport, resulting in a first-in-class pedestrian airbag, autonomous emergency braking, and a state-of-the-art bodyshell featuring both ultra-high-strength steel and lightweight aluminium.

This represents a fraction of the advanced equipment available in Discovery Sport, which also includes Head-Up Display, an all-new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and tilt-and-slide row-two seating for maximum interior configurability.

HARARE - Fashion lovers it’s that time again! The Fashion Market is back on June 27 at Honeybear Guestlodge in Harare.

This year's edition, a collaboration with Model Management International, will bring to you a winter Wonderland-themed event as well as a Fashion show called ‘Diversity’ that brings together local designers.

The Fashion Market is a proudly Zimbabwean event celebrating local upcoming and independent fashion design talent. Established in 2014, The main focus of this initiative, among other things, is to develop the local fashion into a lifestyle market by selecting the best and most talented Zimbabwean designers to take part in the market.

The Fashion Market is much more than a mere pop-up market; it is a networking/ business initiative that aids designers in making the right connections and collaborations that will be beneficial for their business growth

Selling everything fashion related across menswear, womenswear to accessories, The Fashion Market is a place where designers can come together in one space to promote and sell their goods to the local market. This event not only promotes local design, but also provides the public with a space where they can easily access all the best local fashion design Zimbabwe has to offer.

The Winter Wonderland  edition is featuring an array of new designers namely Wa Boaz, a local accessories designer specialising in beautiful bags infusing African print, croc skin, leather and print. A must for every ladies wardrobe!

House of Tatusi brings you a collection of vibrant, high quality dresses and skirts tailor-made by a group of seamstresses in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Started by three sisters, the goal is to make contemporary styles with a focus on fit and quality.

#NDNM returns to the market bringing once more everyone’s favourite sweaters and t-shirts just in time for winter all selling a message that each day comes with grace sufficient for that day which enables you to conquer each day and build on the past to achieve your future. #NDNM’s "New Day’ “New Mercies" theme is inspired by Lamentation 3 vs.22-24.Which reads “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion fail not. They are new every morning: great is they faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore I will hope in Him”

The Fashion show called Diversity which is aimed at raising funds for the Ryan Zeele Foundation will be hosting local designers who include Intissar who recently showcased at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week South Africa, TanaAfrica alongside #NDNM, ANAIA, Colin Ratisai, Loncrae and Zanorashe.

Tana Africa is a brand that is extremely exciting as they feature a collection of bespoke Crocodile and Ostrich handbags and accessories. This is the ultimate in luxury leathers, a perfect indulgence or treasure.

For the first time The Fashion Market will also be hosting a beauty bar with local make up brand Vault cosmetics who will bring their mobile brow bar and offering makeovers as well as Maruva beauty products proudly made in Zimbabwe .

As we continue to push the Where Are Your Clothes Made and Wear Local Campaigns, come and shop and interact with local designers in this relaxing environment.

Be sure to make your way to Honeybear Guestlodge on June 27 from 10am to 4pm for this alternative retail experience and meet and interact with top designers.

With live entertainment as well an amazing array of food by Chef Wali and Tsungi, this promises to be a fun day out for the whole family.

For more information on the Fashion Market and featured designers visit their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/fashionmarketzim.

*Rudo Nondo is the creative designer at ANAIA and founder of The Fashion Market, a market that promotes local designers. She is the country coordinator for Fashion Revolution Zimbabwe, a movement promoting ethical and sustainable fashion. Coming from a law and business background, Rudo has always been passionate about fashion and conscious consumerism and believes in fairness in the fashion supply chain.

HARARE - They say all that is blessed by your parents will reach greatness. So is the story of Myrah Dube, 24 an immensely talented afro-jazz diva whose father bought her first guitar while her mother bought her the first performance dress.

Growing up in Masvingo, she relocated to Bulawayo at the age of 11. “The music started at an early age and I remember that while at school in Masvingo I was a darling of our school as I could sing well and converse in isiNdebele, something few could do. Like they say being multi-lingual sometimes creates opportunities even when they are limited.”

The intrinsic passion saw her sing her way into church choirs but it was at Sizane High in Bulawayo that the tell-tale signs became apparent. “Sizane High was quite a launchpad and after High School I never looked back. I then enrolled at Zimbabwe Academy of music in Bulawayo because I felt I needed to start from somewhere.

“I was concentrating on Classic music particularly Beethoven and Mozart. The college experience was critical in teaching me technique, timing, how to present my music, how to compose and even how to read notes because at church and high school there was no such exposure.”

Today Myrah is also an all-rounder who can play piano, mbira, guitar and congas with ease.  While she is currently working with session musicians, she is in the process of assembling her own band.

The afro-jazz protégé has released a 10 track album titled Introducing Myrah recorded at Claude King Productions in South Africa. “The album was recorded in late 2014 but the marketing and distribution started this 2015 and I am really encouraged by the response. It is receiving favorable air-play on local radio in South Africa.

“The album which has everyone’s story from housewives, lovers and my faith as well as other everyday experiences has seen me being interviewed by BBC which is quite an honour.”

Plug songs on the album include Shumba Woye, Ndiri Ndega, Ndoenda, Ndotenda and, African Day while the song Nhamo bemoans social challenges that we have to grapple with on a daily basis.

And she is inspired by other musicians. “Locally I am inspired by artistes like Cynthia Mare, Tariro neGitare whose acoustic nights made me discover what I could do with my talent and of course Oliver Mtukudzi. I actually remember waiting for Mtukudzi at Pakare Paye for over two hours just to make sure I make the most of an appointment I had made with him. “Internationally, artistes like Tracy Chapman, Zahara, Lira, Fatoumata Diawara among others really give me the nudge to continue exploring new horizons.”

The songstress who also happens to be a fashion model said she does not doubt the depth of talent that “we have as a country but from my observation what most of our artistes lack is the professional approach and finesse required for one to make an impression when it matters.

“Some musicians lack proper management which is a pre-requisite for growth but I personally believe I am poised for greater heights in this industry. As Myrah, I have really done my homework and it is my hope that the groundwork done will give birth to results”.

The songstress is locally managed by Esteem Communications, a public relations consultancy company. And she has a professional approach to her art. “As a musician, I believe in professionalism and locally I have enlisted the services of Esteem Communications to handle my affairs.”

HARARE - Former Masvingo Provincial State minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti Chuma has filed an urgent chamber Constitutional Court (Con-Court) application seeking to bar President Robert Mugabe from calling for a by-election in his constituency.

Bhasikiti, who was Mwenezi East National Assembly member, was ejected from Parliament last week, following his expulsion from Zanu PF.

The Con-Court application comes barely a week after he filed two other High Court applications in which he sought to bar House of Assembly speaker Jacob Mudenda from declaring his seat vacant and another wherein he challenged his expulsion from Zanu PF.

“I contend that the actions (of expelling him from Parliament) of the second (Zanu PF) and third respondent (Mudenda), of proceeding to act in the manner they did, when they knew that the matter was to be heard by the High Court of Zimbabwe on the following day, was a flagrant breach of constitutionalism and the rule of law,” he said.

He said there was no alternative recourse if Mugabe and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission were to proceed in announcing a by-election date for his constituency.

“I believe that, it would be wrong and unconstitutional and indeed a breach of my fundamental rights to protection of the law, if a by-election were to be called for and proceeded upon, when my application has not been heard,” Bhasikiti said.

In the application, Bhasikiti, who is represented by Tendai Biti, said he did not receive any formal communication on the decision to expel him from the party.

He further made reference to the High Court applications, adding that due process was not followed when a decision to expel him was made.

“I have not received any charge. My own side of the story has never been heard or ventilated by anybody even up to now I am unaware of the reasons why I have been expelled,” he said.

He argued that his rights were violated in a manner that breached what is expected in terms of the party’s constitution.

“In short, second respondent (Zanu PF) is guilty of blatant, fascist and illegal actions,” he said.

MUTARE - The Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC dismissed claims that 55 of their members defected to Zanu PF as a “work of fiction”.

Trevor Saruwaka, MDC’s Manicaland provincial spokesperson said the youths who were paraded on national television recently were not in their registers.

The Mutasa Central Member of Parliament invited “anyone who cared for the truth to come and inspect it”.

ZBC claimed in a report this week that 55 MDC supporters had dumped the party over what they said was their leadership’s selfishness and lack of ideas.

Zanu PF’s provincial leadership and its youth league are reported to have welcomed the 55 into President Robert Mugabe’s faction-riddled party.

Saruwaka scoffed at what he said was an inside hatchet job which exposed itself by making reference to a non-existent “Mutasa” district.

“I was surprised to read ZBC online claiming fictitiously that one Lazarus Mushaishi a supposedly ex-provincial “standing committee” member plus the former youth organising secretary for “Mutasa” district together with 55 youths had defected to Zanu PF,” Saruwaka said.

“For starters we do not have in our records anyone by that name, our records are available for perusal to anyone who may care to find out. Secondly, in MDC-T, we do not have provincial standing committee members, the MDC-T structure only has a standing committee at national level chaired by the party president, Dr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai. We also don’t have a district called Mutasa in our structures but it is either Mutasa Central or South or North so again for someone to purport to hold a position of organising secretary for Mutasa is madness,” Saruwaka said.

He added that it was beyond him how a bona fide member of MDC would miss all those points.

“It will not only be unbelievable but laughable,” Saruwaka said before laying into Mushaishi.

“If, however, one goes to analyse the name Mushaishi then it is understandable that it’s a mistake because the name speaks for itself —  the one who errs — Mushaishi,” Saruwaka said.

He also said Zanu PF should not attempt to divert attention from its mandate by celebrating “meaningless birthdays” by parading fake defectors when the over two million jobs it promised in its manifesto had not yet materialised.

“Let me also take the opportunity to advise Zanu PF the next time it celebrates its meaningless birthdays not to run away from the failures of their failing leader by parading their own members masquerading as MDC-T defectors but instead parade the 2,3 million jobs they promised Zimbabweans,” Saruwaka said.

“They must wake up from their slumber and answer to the demands from Zimbabweans for jobs, affordable education and healthcare, social security for the underprivileged and the elderly, basic amenities to all our citizens and tell us and the rest of the world the whereabouts of civil rights activist Itai Dzamara,” he said.

HARARE - Brainworks Capital Management Limited (Brainworks), the company at the centre of Zimbabwe’s controversial indigenisation deals says government abandoned the implementation of the transactions almost two years ago.

Zimbabwe’s indigenisation laws compels foreigners to cede 51 percent shareholding to locals. The deals were stopped after the Daily News exposed anomalies which would have seen government losing millions of dollars to a private company for “facilitating” the indigenisation deals.

George Manyere, Brainworks’ chief executive told the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment parliamentary portfolio committee that because the controversial deals did not sail through, they were not even paid a cent from government through the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board (Nieeb) or from the companies.

“In this particular case the transactions were abandoned, there was no success to them. In that context we just felt we also had to abandon the expenses we accumulated,” said Manyere.

He noted that they had agreed a time based fee with Nieeb where they would be paid $500 an hour apart from up to two percent commission based on the value of every successful transaction.

“I would like to indicate to this committee that we never got paid either by the company that was indigenised or neither by Nieeb. We spent a year working on these transactions. With all the costs of travel, accommodation and time spend negotiating with various companies, we never got compensated,” Manyere said.

According to Manyere, based on the term sheets agreed between Brainworks and Nieeb, they were charging between one up to two percent depending on the size of the transaction value.

He revealed that Zimplats’ indigenisation deal was worth $971 million, Mimosa’s deal was valued at $550 million, Unki Mine was $242 million and Blanket Mine was $18 million.

Based on the total value of the transactions if Brainworks were to charge an average of 1,5 percent fee on each transaction, the Newlands-based firm could have raked more than

$26 million apart from the $500 per hour consultation fees.

Manyere admitted that Brainworks was handpicked by Nieeb, an agency under the Indigenisation ministry’s ambit to act as a financial consultant for several indigenisation deals that later collapsed after the Daily News investigation.

Manyere said Nieeb did not owe them anything when the transactions were abandoned because their services could only be paid if the transactions had succeeded.

“It was at our discretion that we decided not to bill Nieeb. If we stick with the mandate letter that we signed with Nieeb, yes, we can quantify that amount in terms of time spent multiplied by $500. Our primary business is not to proffer services on a time- based fee and say we get $500 per hour.

“We do our work based on success and for us it was at our own discretion we felt that morally and particularly because of the client which we were offering our services, that is government, we took it upon ourselves that the fact that the transactions had been abandoned it was at our own discretion to forego the payment,” Manyere said.

HARARE - The trial of five Harare men accused of duping Walter Magaya’s wife of $116 000 in a botched car deal failed to kick off yesterday after one of the accused applied to be exempted from the charges.

Victor Ngonidzashe Matiyenga, a car dealer who runs a car sale at Greencroft Shopping Centre and represented by Simon Mupindu when he appeared before regional magistrate Noel Mupeiwa, argued that the State outline did not link him in any way to the offence and questioned the validity of him being jointly charged with other accused persons.

The matter was subsequently remanded to July 2 pending the outcome of Matiyenga’s application.

Oceane Perfumes managing director Hupenyu Ignitious Prosper Mashangwa, Kudakwashe Larry Mapfumo, Cosmas Mushininga and Clifford Tinashe Gonde are also facing  charges of conniving and facilitating evasion of payment of duty on a motor vehicle which had been purchased for Walter Magaya’s wife.

Prosecutor Rufaro Mazvimbakupa alleged that Admire Mango a senior overseer at Magaya’s church wanted to import a high-powered motor vehicle for the cleric’s wife.

Mango sought for a supplier of Land Rover Discovery 4, 2014 model and was referred to Mashangwa.

The two had a verbal agreement that Mashangwa would import the car from South Africa and deliver it by August 22.

Mashangwa was given $80 000 and imported the vehicle on September 15.

He then approached Mango asking for $36 000 which he said was meant for import duty and registration fees.

The vehicle was registered under number ADM 3240 with Central Vehicle Registry.

After importing the vehicle, the group reportedly misrepresented to Zimra officials that the vehicle was a 2004 model and that Magaya had bought it on January 24, 2009 at a KM public auction in Matabeleland.

Due to the misrepresentation, Zimra undervalued the vehicle at $18 000 and the accused persons were made to pay 5 percent of the amount, which is $900.

The anomalies were discovered by Zimra on March 13 this year leading to the seizure of the vehicle and issuance of a notice of seizure to Magaya.

The accused persons’ actions caused Magaya’s wife to be prejudiced of a vehicle that was acquired at $116 000.

HARARE - Zanu PF has distanced itself from a vendors’ representative group that goes by the bizarre name of Queen of Grace ZimAsset Trust (QGZT) which is allegedly coercing street traders to buy $5 membership cards from the organisation for protection.

This comes as government has ordered vendors to vacate the streets and relocate to designated areas in urban areas.

Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said yesterday that he had no knowledge of a link between the group and the ruling party.

“I don’t know about it. Maybe you should have asked honourable (Sithembiso) Nyoni (SMEs minister). Yesterday, she was addressing vendors in her capacity as a government official and not on behalf of the party,” Moyo said.

On Tuesday, Nyoni addressed vendors led by QGZT, a group which claims to have links with controversial First Lady Grace Mugabe and Zanu PF, going on to castigate unregistered vendor associations who were urging vendors to defy government’s directive to move to designated sites.

Nyoni recently gave vendors time, until June 28, to regularise their trade with local authorities after Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo and a military official had earlier given them until June 8 to vacate the streets.

Amid all this, there have been claims that there is a proliferation of bogus informal groups who are abusing Grace’s name in a deliberate effort to gain acceptance and to be exempted from scrutiny by authorities.

When contacted for comment, Monica Mutsvangwa, the secretary for information in the Zanu PF women’s league, also distanced the first lady from the vendor outfit.

“The first lady has nothing to do with that,” she said tersely.

This latest development comes on the back of the recent arrests of former Zanu PF Harare youth league provincial chairperson Godwin Gomwe and others that include Muchineripi Mupindu, Hamphrey Madenyika, Norah Toronga, Fidelis Ndaradza, Haruwandi Munyawiri and Josephine Hadziyendi  on charges of abusing Grace’s name in an alleged extortion racket.

The charges against Gomwe and his alleged accomplices arose after reports that they had participated in a meeting in February where they allegedly instructed complainants to affiliate to an unregistered consortium in the name of Dr Amai Grace Mugabe Consortium.

The court heard that Gomwe allegedly told complainants that this would bring them closer to the First Family and instructed each co-operative to pay $120 joining fees — after which they would be issued with receipts.

A report was subsequently made to the police after the group approached the consortium members demanding more money, the court heard.

Pedzisai Ruhanya, a media and democracy scholar told the Daily News yesterday that a new political constituency could be in the making with vendor associations claiming to be affiliated to Zanu PF emerging.

QGZT, which has been in the limelight as champions for vendors’ rights, has often claimed to be an arm of the ruling party.

During a clean-up campaign hosted by the vendor organisation, its chief executive officer Ephraim Chizola said their parent body was the Zimbabwe Liberation War Collaborators Association (Zilwaco).

As part of its patronage and allegiance to the organisation, Queen of Grace issues out cards to its members which they produce to trade in the streets freely.

Ruhanya, said the scramble for vendors signified the shifting political economy of Zimbabwe in the wake of massive unemployment and lack of production in industry.

He said associations such as QGZT were “a joke run by the same Zanu PF that created the mess in the first place”.

The Zimbabwe Democracy Institute director said the dearth of the economy had created new social bases which Zanu PF wanted to capitalise from for political mileage.

“There are four social bases in Zimbabwe — vendors, informal traders or cross borders, new farmers and makorokoza. Because these bases have a large number of organised people, political parties want to capture them for their own purposes.

“These parties want to enhance their political fortunes in time for the forthcoming elections, creating contestations of power and economic resources,” Ruhanya said.

He said that organisations such as the Queen of Grace used political patronage by issuing vendors with cards and promising vending space so that they could push Zanu PF’s agenda and ideology.

He said the situation in Zimbabwe with regard to the new social bases was a result of Zanu PF’s failure because of its officials’ corrupt activities.

“If a proper demographic survey is conducted, you will find out that many of these vendors and others in the various social bases are very sophisticated people who know what they want. If Zanu PF is very serious about championing the cause of the people let them open up industries and allow foreign direct investment.

“You will find that once that happens and people have formal jobs, vendors will be off the streets in a flash,” he said.

In a statement this week, the MDC said they would do everything within their power to provide vendors with recognition, protection and security in their places of trade.

The party said it would negotiate with representatives from vendor associations to come up with conditions under which vendors could undertake their business activities.

“We will endeavour to provide shelter and toilet facilities for all street traders and as the country’s largest and most popular political party, we will not cooperate with any attempts to violate the rights of vendors.

“The MDC calls upon all local authorities that we control to hold formal, detailed discussions with the vendor associations in each urban area and to agree on the way forward. In no way should the municipal police be used in any exercise to ban traders from urban areas,” read part of the statement.