HARARE - Former Vice President Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) yesterday piled the pressure on President Robert Mugabe in his escalating quarrel with disaffected war veterans loyal to embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily News yesterday, in the wake of the former freedom fighters defiantly contradicting Mugabe about their position and role in Zanu PF, ahead of their meeting with the nonagenarian in Harare on

Thursday, ZPF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said the war veterans had the capacity to liberate themselves and the nation.

This follows Mugabe’s calculated assault on restless ex-combatants on his return from Japan at the weekend, where he made it abundantly clear that he would not be dictated to by them, adding that the once powerful Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) was subordinate to Zanu PF, and not the other way round as some former freedom fighters think.

Gumbo also urged the war veterans to be brutally frank with Mugabe in their highly-anticipated engagement with him on Thursday — and to ensure that they pressed him on Zimbabwe’s deepening political and economic rot, in a noble endeavour to reshape the country’s future for the better.

“As a democratic, inclusive and people-centred party, whose main thrust is to BUILD our beloved country through the promotion of the values of the liberation struggle, of self-determination, self-dignity and self-pride, we urge the war veterans to seize the opportunity of their meeting with Mugabe.

“They must remind him and his government of the need for a peaceful and democratic Zimbabwe where every citizen enjoys the fundamental freedoms of association, choice, speech and the right to demonstrate and choose a government of their choice.

“We also believe that war veterans, as nationalists, should take this opportunity with their patron to register their and the nation’s displeasure at the poor economic policies that are being pursued by Mugabe’s administration, that are hostile to industrial growth, foreign direct investment, job creation and the reduction of poverty,” Gumbo said.

His sentiments came as the government’s ill-advised deadline for all foreign-owned firms to transfer most of their shares to Zimbabweans passed last Thursday amid widespread condemnation that this will only serve to deepen the country’s economic problems and those of long-suffering citizens.

“It is our firm belief that the veterans of our liberation struggle will also speak against the threat to close the few industries and banks that are soldiering on in an economic environment that is patently unfriendly to investors to the detriment of the majority of Zimbabweans.

“We also believe that the welfare of our war veterans is of utmost importance, and that it is against the liberation war values of self-determination and self-dignity to reduce these gallant sons and daughters of the soil to charity cases who survive on the benevolence of the State president.

“It is therefore, incumbent upon the war veterans to speak and act against a system that has pauperised them while enriching a few unscrupulous individuals who obscenely flaunt their corruptly-gotten wealth in the form of 50-bedroomed mansions while the generality of Zimbabweans are reeling in poverty and struggling to feed themselves.

“We urge war veterans to remind Mugabe that true leaders do not boast about the houses they build. They boast about the investment they make in people, how they BUILD people.

“We acknowledge that many lost their lives and that many were maimed for life in the liberation of this country and it is with this understanding that we urge the war veterans to remind Mugabe that he owes it to those who paid the ultimate price to make Zimbabwe a democratic, and not a pariah state,” Gumbo added.

Referring to when police fired teargas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of veterans who had gathered in Harare last month, the ZPF spokesperson said the unprovoked attack had “cast a dark shadow on Zanu PF”.

“Who would have dreamt that 36 years after independence, our liberators would be targets of attack by the party and the government that they helped to create?

“Under normal circumstances, we expect the patron of the war veterans to be fully behind the expectations of our liberators and their fight for the unhindered exercise of their fundamental democratic rights, including that of congregating for the purposes of demonstrating. Anything other than that poses a big question of ‘whose side is he on and why?’” he asked rhetorically.

Gumbo said it was little wonder that more and more war veterans — who were already an integral part of the structures and organs of ZPF — were allegedly making a beehive to join the new kid on the political block.

Amid all this, Zanu PF insiders say the stage is now delicately set for a potentially explosive encounter that could radically reshape Zimbabwe’s turbulent political landscape when Mugabe meets the restless war veterans in Harare on Thursday to try and iron out their deepening differences.

In a daring act of defiance on Sunday, war veterans aligned to Mnangagwa openly contradicted Mugabe, saying they were “equal partners” in Zanu PF and that the ZNLWVA was not just an affiliate organisation of the governing party as the nonagenarian said on Saturday, on his return from Japan.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily News then, the spokesperson of the Mnangagwa-aligned ZNLWVA formation that is led by former War Veterans minister Christopher Mutsvangwa, Douglas Mahiya, also said it was folly for anyone to think that former freedom fighters did not have a key role to play in Zanu PF.

“Just as you cannot separate Jesus from God, and cannot separate Jesus from the Holy Spirit, you cannot separate war veterans from Zanu PF. After all, we (war veterans) are the ones who introduced Zanu PF to the masses during the war of liberation.

“If someone wants to separate us from Zanu PF, I think it will be a betrayal of the liberation struggle,” Mahiya said as he unapologetically contradicted what Mugabe had said — setting the stage for a potentially bruising battle when Mugabe meets war veterans, who for some time now have felt excluded from both national politics and the dividends of democracy.

Mahiya said further that ex-combatants “are not supporters of Zanu PF but are members of the party”, and as such were not supposed to operate under the leadership of people they had taught politics.

“During our training as liberation fighters, we were taught how to use the gun and also taught how to handle the masses in terms of politics. So you cannot say we must go under them while we are the ones who were educating them. War veterans have a big role to play in Zanu PF politics,” he said.

Prodded to comment further on the view that war veterans should play second fiddle to Zanu PF, Mahiya said this was a misunderstanding as each party needed the other, adding that one side could not dictate to the other on issues that had to do with how the party must be run. The issue is not about direction. As war veterans, we already have direction. However, the direction must not constantly be renewed because if you do so you will lose that direction.

“You cannot renew the direction that we had, the direction of fighting the colonial regime. We think that as war veterans we are taking the right direction. Now, it’s about how government functionality and programmes benefit the people that we fought for,” he said.

Mahiya added: “What we are experiencing is tantamount to total chaos in the country and total destruction of the party,... we will be left with nothing at the end of the day.

“Zanu PF is being manipulated to produce a different product altogether, which is a misdirection of the liberation war . . . our former enemies have infiltrated us,” he said.

HARARE - Affirmative Action Group (AAG) president Chamu Chiwanza has defended Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) benefactor Wicknell Chivayo for withdrawing his sponsorship from local football.

Chiwanza said it is understandable for Chivayo to pull out as people are not showing appreciation for his efforts.    

Chivayo, who has made his fortune in the transport and energy sectors and openly flaunts his riches on social media, pulled the plug on his three-year $1 million sponsorship deal with Zifa after it was reported Warriors coach Kalisto Pasuwa has not been paid for the last two months.

Chivayo claims $600 000 has already been released to Zifa in just three months, but did not give a breakdown of when and how the said amount was used by the association.

“We just want to support Wicknell (Chivayo). We are very delighted with the commitment he has made in football,” Chiwanza said.

“What Chivayo has been doing is in line with AAG. When locals are empowered, we expect them to empower others exactly what he was doing.”

Chiwanza said Chivayo needs everyone’s support.

“I am making an appeal from the media and everyone involved to support such initiatives like this one. How many people can buy coaches cars let alone paying salaries?” queried Chiwanza.

“We need more people like Chivayo. He has come with a noble thing to support the country and he gets negative publicity. It definitely discourages you considering the amount of money involved.”

Chiwanza has, however, pleaded with Chivayo to bury the hatchet with Zifa and try to resolve the impasse.

“I’m encouraging him (Chivayo) to review his decision and continue doing the good job. We need him.”

HARARE - Tributes continue to pour for former Zimbabwe cricket umpire Ian Robinson who succumbed to lung cancer on Sunday.

The Robinson family will conduct a private cremation this week and a public memorial will be held at the Highlands Presbyterian Church, in Harare next Wednesday. 

Sports and Recreation Commission director-general Charles Nhemachena described the late cricket umpire as a dedicated and devoted individual, who raised the Zimbabwean flag on various international platforms.

“It is with a deep sense of shock and sadness that we have received the news of the passing on of Ian Robertson one the longest serving Cricket Umpires and Administrators,” Nhemachena said in a statement.

Robinson played cricket for Hatfield Sports Club before embarking on a career in umpiring beginning with the domestic first class in 1978.

His international debut was in Zimbabwe’s inaugural Test match against India in 1992 at Harare Sports Club in 1992.

He went on to officiate in 28 Tests, 90 One Day Internationals and three World Cup tournaments in 1992, 1996 and 1999 and also served as a Zimbabwe Cricket Union (now ZC) board member for 14 years and nine years as an employee of the same board.

Langton Rusere, who made his international umpiring debut last year to join the prestigious 34-member panel on the ICC International Panel (IP) of umpires in the world, said he took up officiating after he was inspired by Robinson.

“...I was inspired by Ian. He achieved stuff that no other umpire will ever get to achieve,” Rusere told the Daily News yesterday.

“...He really challenged me to try and comprehend the laws of the game like he did. He was always on point. I wanted to know the laws as much as he did and I feel good about myself when we would debate on the laws and he’d say ‘that’s right’, sad loss indeed.”

Former Zimbabwe cricket coach Alan Butcher said he was shocked to learn about Robinson’s death.

“Shocked to read of the death of Zimbabwe umpire Ian Robinson, shared some fun cross Zim road trips with him 2012/2013... RIP Ian,” Butcher wrote on his Twitter account.

Former ZCU board member Nick Chouhan said Robinson was a respected player and administrator.

“Ian Robinson was a fine gentleman and well respected cricketer, both as a player and a cricket administrator. I had a pleasure of playing against him and also working with him in my years on both the Mashonaland and Zimbabwean Cricket boards,” Chouhan said.

“He will be remembered all over the world as an International umpire who represented at the highest levels. He will be sorely missed.”

HARARE - Despite the problems engulfing the Mighty Warriors camp over unpaid bonuses, coach Shadreck Mlauzi is confident the ladies will dispatch Zambia in today’s African Women Cup of Nations final qualifier.  

Zimbabwe take on their northern neighbours at Rufaro Stadium this afternoon in the first leg qualifier with the return leg set for Lusaka this coming weekend.

With morale in the team’s camp reportedly at its lowest ebb owing to financial problems, Mlauzi said the prospect of qualifying for the finals is pushing his charges to do well.

The winner between the two countries will qualify for the tournament to be hosted by Cameroon later this year.

“At this level of the qualifiers, I think the ladies are mentally prepared and ready,” Mlauzi told the Daily News yesterday.

“It’s not going to be an easy match. There is no doubt about that and I know that. But we will be tough mentally. We only have one option of beating them if we are to qualify.

“We have put our paces together very well and we are ready. Nonetheless, we respect them just like we respect any other side.

“Our plan is to win by a huge margin so that it will be easy for us in the return leg. Remember the return leg is on Sunday and we would want to go there with the job half done.”

With some of the team’s regular players ruled out for the tie owing to different ailments, Mlauzi is confident with the replacements.

Rudo Neshamba, who is struggling with a knee injury, has been ruled out so is defender Eunice Chibanda, who was suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the previous qualifier against Tanzania.

Vice captain Nobuhle Majika is set to undergo a late fitness test to be considered for selection today.     

“We have a strong squad and I think the guys who have been called in are equally good,” Mlauzi added.

The Africa Women Cup of Nations was until 2015 called the Africa Women’s Championships and is a similar to the men’s version of Africa Cup of Nations.

Seven teams will qualify to join the host nation, Cameroon for the competition, which begins from November 19 to December 3 this year.

HARARE - It appears the local match-fixing investigation involving Zimbabwean players and officials is already losing steam after the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) dropped charges against two players.

Bloemfontein Celtic duo of goalkeeper Patrick Tignyemb and midfielder Lantshene Phalane have had their cases dropped by the PSL Disciplinary Committee.

“The case against Bloemfontein Celtic players . . . Tignyemb and . . . Phalane related to the allegations of match-fixing has been removed from the roll and postponed sine die by the PSL Disciplinary Committee. This was confirmed through a memo sent to the club by PSL Persecutor Naude Becker,” Celtic said on their official website.

“This will obviously come as great news to the club, supporters and most significantly the players who have been psychologically affected in the process.

“Hopefully, this will eradicate the negative perception created by those allegations and allow the players to focus on their game.”

When a legal case is postponed sine die, it basically means the matter has been dropped and there is no date set to resume the proceedings.

Before Celtic came public with the latest details, the South African PSL spokesperson Lux September had, however, said the hearings will be held today.

The South African PSL had earlier last month summoned eight individuals to appear before a formal disciplinary hearing.

Besides the Celtic duo, the league had also reportedly summoned Zimbabwean goalkeeper Washington Arubi, who plays for the University of Pretoria.

AmaTuks goalkeepers coach Tendai Tanyanyiwa was also asked to appear together with defender Partson Jaure.

Polokwane City goalkeeper George Chigova is also another Zimbabwean, alleged to have played a leading role in fixing matches across the Limpopo.

The match-fixing cartel was exposed after the Zimbabwe Football Association made contact with a Leeroy Waguta, who was a member of the syndicate.

Zifa managed to convince Waguta to turn “whistleblower” and divulge information which in turn saw board member for development Edzai Kasinauyo being suspended for his involvement.

Warriors assistant coach Nation Dube, ex-Zifa CEO Henrietta Rushwaya, former association programmes officer Jonathan Musavengana and ex-Warriors coach Ian Gorowa have also been charged to appear before the Zifa Disciplinary Committee for their involvement in the scandal.

However, with Zifa solely relying on the evidence they have decoded from e-mails, phone records and WhatApps screenshots obtained from Waguta, it will be largely difficult to build a strong case against the alleged fixers.      

According to the information provided by Waguta, the Celtic duo of Tignyemb and Phalane were key players in fixing Absa Premiership matches involving their club.

But it appears the all that information was wrong, considering the route taken by the South African PSL to throw away the charge against the two players.

With what is happening in South Africa at the moment, the current Zifa board might find themselves in the same scenario of the previous executive led by Cuthbert Dube during their Asiagate match-fixing scandal.

Dube and his board spent almost two years conducting interviews and hearings into the scandal while at the same time spending a vast amount of money.

The Asiagate match-fixing investigation crumbled after Fifa refused to endorse or recognise the recommendations made by the Dube-led Zifa executive to ban the individuals implicated in the scandal.

TRIPOLI - One of two rival governments in Libya has announced that it is stepping down, a justice ministry statement has said.

The announcement comes less than a week after the arrival in Tripoli of a UN-backed national unity government.

The Tripoli-based administration said it was standing down to prevent further bloodshed.

Since 2014 Libya has had two competing administrations, the one in Tripoli backed by powerful militias and the other in the eastern city of Tobruk.

The Tobruk-based administration, formed by the House of Representatives, still opposes the UN-backed body.

"We inform you that we are stopping our work as an executive power, as the presidency and ministers of the government," said the statement by the self-declared National Salvation government.

This authority was set up by the former parliament, the General National Congress (GNC).

Correspondents say the statement carried the stamp of the government but did not have any names or signatures of ministers.

The UN-brokered unity government arrived in Tripoli last week and is now operating from the city's naval base as it strives to restore peace in a country ravaged by factional conflict.

Western countries want the unity government to unite as many factions in Libya as possible against an increasingly powerful affiliate of the group known as Islamic State.

But it is not clear how the new administration, led by the Presidency Council, will be able to assert its authority given the opposition it will inevitably face elsewhere in the country.

Some rival lawmakers in December signed up to the United Nations agreement to form a unity administration, but the deal has not yet been backed by all the country's many militia brigades that formed after the uprising.

The deal saw the formation of a nine-member Presidency Council, which includes the unity Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj.

The UN says it is considering lifting sanctions on Libya's estimated $67bn (£46.8bn) sovereign wealth fund if the government can regain control of the country.

HARARE - Zimbabwe’s governing Zanu PF party is expected to reclaim the parliamentary seat in an easy by-election in Guruve South in Mashonaland Central.

The constituency votes on April 23.

Zanu PF is fielding Patrick Dutiro, who will square off with the National Constitutional Assembly’s Simbarashe Mutsvene.

The mainstream MDC is boycotting all elections until fundamental electoral reforms have been enacted.

The seat fell vacant after Zanu PF representative Criswell Mutematsaka lost the seat in terms of section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution after he was expelled from the governing party.

The sudden death on March 17 of

Edgar Chidavaenzi, Zanu PF MP for Mazowe North, created another vacancy in the National Assembly. 

The resulting by-election should be completed within 90 days or not later than June 16.

The statutory instrument calling the by-election has not yet been gazetted.

Zimbabwe Electoral Constitution (Zec)’s General Notice 57/2016, gazetted on March 18, confirms that Zanu PF’s George Gangarahwe was elected a member of the National Assembly with effect from March 6.

On March 18, Zec also gazetted the names of the persons nominated by the respective parties to fill the two party-list vacancies in the Senate.

Tabeth Murwira is Zanu PF’s nominee for the Mashonaland East seat formerly held by Olivia Muchena, while Victor Mapungwana is the mainstream MDC’s nominee for the Bulawayo seat formerly held by Matson Hlalo.

HARARE - Zimbabwe’s Parliament reconvened yesterday for the first time after the Easter recess.

Parliament’s two-week Easter recess began after the National Assembly and Senate sittings on March 17.

All portfolio committee and thematic committee business had also been suspended.

Committee meetings also resumed yesterday.

The General Laws Amendment Bill is awaiting final stages in Parliament, while the Gwanda State University Bill and the Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences Bill is awaiting second reading in the National Assembly.

The Special Economic Zones Bill is awaiting a Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC) report to the National Assembly.

The Public Finance Management Amendment Bill, the Minerals Exploration and Marketing Corporation Bill, the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Bill and the Pan-African Minerals University of Science and Technology Bill are all awaiting introduction in this session.

Meanwhile, the Banking Amendment Bill, the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill and the Zimbabwe National Defence University Bill have sailed through Parliament, and are awaiting presidential assent or gazetting.

HARARE - The Zimbabwe government is reluctant to take effective steps to address legislation which excessively violates human rights, a coalition of 21 civil society groups has told the United Nations (UN).

This comes after the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council has started its Universal Periodic Review (UPR), scrutinising the human rights records of all UN members.

In a joint submission to the UPR, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum and Civicus, said they were alarmed by the recent enforced disappearance of human rights defender Itai  Dzamara and the failure to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into his abduction as well as the failure to align over 400 pieces of legislation to the new Constitution, adopted in March 2013.

“The failure to harmonise all laws in line with the new Constitution remains a prevailing concern,” the rights groups told the UN.

All members of the UN are expected to submit themselves every four years to scrutiny of their human rights record.

Zimbabwe underwent the UPR process from October 2011 to March 2012 and is due for another review. During the review by the Human Rights Council in October 2012, 177 recommendations were made and Zimbabwe accepted 130.

“During its initial review, Zimbabwe accepted 131 recommendations, including committing to reviewing and amending pieces of legislation which excessively and unwarrantedly restrict civil society space such as the Public Order and Security Act (Posa) which regulates protests and public gatherings and the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Act by which CSOs are legally registered and allowed to operate in the country,” the NGOs report reads.

“However, despite these pledges, government has failed to take effective steps to address deficits in these laws. Moreover, the authorities have continued to invoke both the Posa and PVO Act to suppress the work of human rights defenders and civil society.”

The rights groups said Zimbabwean authorities have continued to deny civil society groups the right to assemble without hindrance and done little to investigate violations against human rights defenders.

The use of violence, including beating by baton sticks and the use of teargas and water cannons should be discouraged, they said. Police officials should be trained in crowd control methods in accordance with the UN Basic Principles on the use of force and firearms.

Permanent secretary in the Justice ministry Virginia Mabhiza, has claimed government has made major efforts to protect human rights.

“I can say we have done a lot as the government of Zimbabwe with our first point being the enactment of the new Constitution,” Mabhiza said.

“Our Constitution has always been hailed for its expansive Bill of Rights which is justifiable, where the citizens have the rights to take government to court for non-implementation on what the Constitution provides for.”

The permanent secretary also attributed the establishment of independent constitutional commissions to the ministry’s concerted effort in improving human rights in the country.

“The Human Rights Commission is fully independent, up and running, we are also working towards the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission whose principles have been to Cabinet, I am told the Bill is now at an advanced stage of presentation,” she said.

“The Gender Commission is now in force and commissioners have taken oaths of office. These are some of the milestones that we have since achieved, with the whole idea being to improve the human rights situation.”

Since imposing sanctions in 2002 over electoral fraud and human rights abuses, the EU has eased measures to encourage political reform in Zimbabwe, although it has kept its ban on President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace, as well as an arms embargo.

HARARE - Zanu PF’s legislator for Bikita West Munyaradzi Kereke yesterday made sensational claims that former Vice President Joice Mujuru, ex-Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono, ex-Information minister Webster Shamu and Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo fabricated rape charges against him.

Kereke said this during the continuation of his rape trial before Harare regional magistrate Noel Mupeiwa.

He is being charged with indecent assault and rape after he allegedly sexually molested his wife’s two nieces.

“On June 13, 2013 a meeting was convened in which the complainants’ guardian, Moyo, Shamu, Mujuru and three chiefs from Bikita West were present,” the ex-RBZ governor advisor said.

“After the meeting, I was presented with minutes by the chiefs who felt that Mujuru had violated my rights.

“She had resolved that I was not a perfect candidate to contest in (Bikita West parliamentary) elections because I had a pending criminal case.

“They wanted to ruin my political career but I successfully challenged that in the Constitutional Court.”

Kereke also claimed his former boss Gono was bitter that he had exposed his alleged “corrupt conduct” during his tenure as Reserve Bank governor.

“During my time at the Reserve Bank, I learnt that Gono had promised to buy houses and give $10 500 holiday allowances to anti-corruption bosses,  . . . Gumbo, Wutaunashe and Harried. Soon after the houses had been bought and payments were made, I protested because he had abused State money,” Kereke said.

“When I reported the case, that is when my issues with Gono started. He teamed up with security officer Grasham Muradzikwa, who is responsible for booking firearms (at the RBZ) to trump up allegations against me.”

Kereke claimed that the complainants and their guardians were bitter that he had turned down their requests for money.

“The complainants had been out of school for months because their fees had not been paid. They called and sent text messages asking for $8 000 to cover fees and air tickets to United Kingdom where their mother resides but I turned them down.

“Their guardians also asked for money which I did not tender to them before other political vultures joined the bandwagon.

“Shamu came to me demanding $2 000, saying he could help me manage the rape allegations but I reported the matter and he was trapped and the matter is even known by the highest office on the land.”

HARARE - It has emerged that the Kwekwe-based Zanu PF terror group that goes by the sick moniker “Al-Shabaab” went berserk at the weekend, attacking party youths who attended a homecoming rally for President Robert Mugabe at Harare International Airport on his return from Japan.

Two Zanu PF Kwekwe district officials, Pambanani Phiri and Lisbon Jaure, told the Daily News yesterday that they were attacked by a well-known Midlands

party provincial executive member and his “Al-Shabaab” gang for “selling out” the province by attending the Saturday rally — as the factional and succession wars devouring the former liberation movement continue to escalate.

“When we came back from Harare, they approached us accusing us of selling out Midlands Province. Vakati tarasika gwara reprovince saka tinofanirwa kubuda muKwekwe. (They said we had lost the province’s way of doing things and as such we should leave Kwekwe).

“It was at that point that they began to assault us viciously with clenched fists. In the end, we managed to escape and report the matter to the police.

“However, when we arrived at the police station, we discovered that some of the people who had assaulted us were already there, making their own report and accusing us of beating them.

“As a result, the case was recorded as public violence, case number 104/16. We are still to get medical reports but we also made a report to the provincial chairperson, Tapiwa Matangaidze,” an aggrieved Phiri said.

Matangaidze confirmed receiving the report but would not shed more light on the matter, saying this would “jeopardise police investigations”.

The Midlands “Al-Shabaab”, named after the Somalia-based terrorist affiliate of al-Qaeda fighting to turn the country into a fundamentalist Islamic State, has been blamed for many attacks in the troubled province.

The terror group was earlier this year accused of tormenting a number of ministers that come from the Midlands.

Sources who spoke to the Daily News then claimed that the brazen thugs were being bankrolled by a regional party bigwig (name supplied but withheld on legal advice) — who allegedly promoted himself as a key supporter of Mnangagwa’s mooted presidential ambitions.

“This terror group is operating openly in the province and has in the last few days alone accosted a number of ministers, accusing them of siding with the G40 (ambitious Zanu PF Young Turks said to be rabidly opposed to Mnangagwa succeeding President Robert Mugabe),” one of the sources said.

The ministers who had come under pressure from “Al-Shabaab” allegedly included Makhosini Hlongwane, Joram Gumbo, Chiratidzo Mabuwa, Fred Moyo, Matangaidze, Anastasia Ndlovu, Tsitsi Muzenda and Jason Machaya.

“We are told that the situation is so bad that . . . Muzenda is said to have even approached national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere over the threats on her life by these misguided yobs,” the source said.

Contacted for comment at the time, a cautious Kasukuwere would neither deny nor confirm the claims, choosing to say he needed to first investigate the matter and establish the facts before commenting substantively.

“This group must be something operating outside the party structures because we do not have a structure by the name ‘Al-Shabaab’ in Zanu PF.

“I need to go on the ground to find out how it is working,” he said.

But a provincial party official said the “thuggish activities” of “Al-Shabaab” had heightened tensions between opposing factions in the Midlands, as the struggle for regional mastery in the burning governing party reaches a crescendo.

HARARE - With the warring Zanu PF’s politburo and central committee power structures meeting in Harare today and on Friday respectively to discuss, among other issues, dozens of outstanding disciplinary cases, things don’t look good for the party’s faction loyal to embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

While there has been a sense over the past few weeks that the former liberation movement would check back and reach out to all its disaffected members, in a desperate endeavour to head off the challenge posed by former Vice President Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First (ZPF), it emerged yesterday that Mnangagwa’s party foes were driving a hard bargain against his camp.

Well-placed Zanu PF sources told the Daily News that hardliners within the Generation 40 (G40) group — a party faction rabidly opposed to Mnangagwa succeeding President Robert Mugabe — were pushing for the confirmation this week of the suspension and expulsion of all of the beleaguered VP’s allies who were under the cosh in the party.

“There is no mercy for successionists. The resistance and other nonsense that has so far been put up by Team Lacoste (Mnangagwa faction) must come to and end, which is why the party leadership must endorse the expulsions of all the successionists,” a G40-aligned party official said.

It was even speculated among the VP’s camp last night that the push to have the Zanu PF National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) that is chaired by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko to recommend the confirmation of all suspensions and expulsions to the party was allegedly a strategy to emasculate former War Veterans minister Christopher Mutsvangwa ahead of the crunch engagement between Mugabe and ex-combatants tomorrow.

Contacted for comment on all this, the party’s national spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said as he had not had sight of the agenda of the politburo and the central committee meetings, he could not say much, referring the Daily News to party secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo.

But as party bigwigs meet in Harare, Midlands and Mashonaland West provincial co-ordinating committees are pushing for the expulsion of party deputy national secretary for administration July Moyo and Mutsvangwa from the former liberation movement, along with several other officials aligned to Mnangagwa.

Both Zanu PF acting Midlands chairperson Tapiwa Matangaidze and Keith Guzah, who chairs the Mashonaland West provincial disciplinary committee, told the Daily News that they expected Moyo and Mutsvangwa’s cases to be finalised as recommended.

“We sat as the Mashonaland West PCC on March 20 and resolved that Mutsvangwa be expelled from the party and also be recalled from Parliament because we felt that he dismally failed to adhere to Zanu PF’s ethos. We realised that he is an unrepentant character,” Guzah said.

“The politburo will most likely expel Mutsvangwa while Moyo may get away with a suspension, but whatever happens, the consequences for the party will be too ghastly to contemplate.

“Team Lacoste is ready to disengage if one considers the work they are doing on the ground. How else do you explain a situation where a party has two structures antagonistic to each other at every level?

“We are doomed as a party if these things are not handled carefully, and the opposition is watching us with glee. We may even see them participating in subsequent by-elections to test if there is still cohesion in the party and we risk being embarrassed by them in 2018,” a central committee member, who claims neutrality in the party, said.

Meanwhile, the other alleged Team Lacoste officials who could be in soup this week include former Midlands provincial chairperson Kizito Chivamba, Gokwe-Nembudziya legislator Justice Mayor Wadyajena and his Gokwe-Kana counterpart Owen Muda Ncube, as well as war veteran Victor Matemadanda who were all booted out of their troubled province last month.

And amid all this, the stage is delicately set for a potentially explosive encounter that could radically reshape Zimbabwe’s turbulent political landscape when Mugabe meets restless war veterans in Harare tomorrow to try and iron out their deepening differences.

In a daring act of defiance on Sunday, war veterans aligned to Mnangagwa openly contradicted Mugabe saying they were “equal partners” in Zanu PF and that the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) was not just an affiliate organisation of the ruling party as the nonagenarian said on Saturday, on his return from Japan.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily News, the spokesperson of the Mnangagwa-aligned ZNLWVA formation that is led by Mutsvangwa, Douglas Mahiya, also said it was folly for anyone to think that former freedom fighters did not have a key role to play in Zanu PF.

“Just as you cannot separate Jesus from God, and cannot separate Jesus from the Holy Spirit, you cannot separate war veterans from Zanu PF. After all, we (war veterans) are the ones who introduced Zanu PF to the masses during the war of liberation.

“If someone wants to separate us from Zanu PF, I think it will be a betrayal of the liberation struggle,” Mahiya said as he unapologetically contradicted what Mugabe said at the weekend.

He said further that ex-combatants “are not supporters of Zanu PF but are members of the party”, and as such were not supposed to operate under the leadership of people they had taught politics.

“During our training as liberation fighters we were taught how to use the gun and also taught how to handle the masses in terms of politics. So you cannot say we must go under them while we are the ones who were educating them. War veterans have a big role to play in Zanu PF politics,” he added.

Prodded to comment further on the view that war veterans should play second fiddle to Zanu PF, Mahiya said this was a misunderstanding as each party needed the other, adding that one side could not dictate to the other on issues that had to do with how the party must be run.

“The issue is not about direction. As war veterans, we already have direction. However, the direction must not constantly be renewed because if you do so you will lose that direction.

“You cannot renew the direction that we had, the direction of fighting the colonial regime. We think that as war veterans we are taking the right direction. Now, it’s about how government functionality and programmes benefit the people that we fought for,” he said.

Mahiya also admitted openly that Zanu PF was “collapsing like a deck of cards” because of its seemingly unstoppable factional and succession wars.

“What we are experiencing is tantamount to total chaos in the country and total destruction of the party, and if we leave people destroying the party as war veterans we will be left with nothing at the end of the day.

“Zanu PF is being manipulated to produce a different product altogether, which is a misdirection of the liberation war. This thing is becoming tense because our former enemies have infiltrated us,” he said.

LOME - Togo have appointed Claude LeRoy as their new national team coach to replace Tom Saintfiet.

Frenchman LeRoy, 68, has worked on the continent for almost 30 years and has coached at a record eight Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

He has signed a three-year contract and is tasked with trying to qualify Togo for the 2017 Nations Cup in Gabon.

Togo are third in their qualifying group, two points behind leaders Liberia, who they play away in June.

LeRoy admitted: "We need a miracle to qualify for the 2017 Nations Cup, perhaps as the best second-placed team."

However, Le Roy has the pedigree to turn around Togo's fortunes.

He guided Cameroon to the 1988 Nations Cup title and has only failing to reach the quarter-finals once.

Among the other countries he has coached at the continental championship are Senegal, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

HARARE - Award-winning film maker Patience Tawengwa recently attended the Annual Harvard Business School Africa Conference in Boston as part of promoting Milele-a Pan-African production house she formed last year to uplift young African artists.

The premier annual event, where the keynote address was delivered by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, was attended by luminaries such as South African television host and the founder of Ndalo Media, Khanyi Dhlomo and Ecobank Chief Operating Officer Evelyne Tall.

Tawengwa’s visit to Boston followed her trip to the Lusaka International Film and Music Festival late last year.

The award-winning film maker told the Daily News that attending the Harvard Africa Business conference, which is dedicated to increasing awareness of business opportunities on the African continent, was very strategic for Milele.

“The television/film/theatre industry is a multi-billion dollar global industry which unfortunately is not taken very seriously in Zimbabwe and most of Africa at the moment.

“It is up to us to change that story and make the case for serious investment by beginning to adopt a business approach to what we do. I read a report which said that “the global revenue for the film industry will grow from 88.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to 104.6 billion in 2019.

“But the disappointing thing is Africa doesn’t have even five percent of that market share yet we are consumers of movies, television shows etc. Something is wrong with that picture,” she said.

Tawengwa, who has been a key player in the Zimbabwean film industry for over a decade, added that she is determined make Milele a key Pan-African television and film business.

“I am building Milele into one of the few woman-founded and led Pan-African television and film production studios in Africa and to do that we need to seriously understand the business of what we do.

“We can sit around and complain, daydream or wish we had an industry like the global ones we so admire or we can just get up and do what we can to create the rewarding industry we want, it’s not easy but it can be done,” the respected film-maker said.

As part of its agenda to bring together African film makers, Milele co-produced with some partners from the continent a short film called “The Sojourner.”

The Harare-based organisation is currently in the process of developing an original television series titled “Somewhere in Africa” which looks at the world through the perspective of a post-colonial African woman President. The series seeks to employ 26 African artists

“The main star of the show I am proud to announce will be Zimbabwe’s very own leading actress Sandra Chidawanyika-Goliath.

“It is a work in progress which we will produce in collaboration with both African and International partners,”Tawengwa told the Daily News recently.

HARARE - If the country entertains any hopes of reasserting itself as a bastion of democracy and good governance ahead of the much-anticipated 2018 general elections, like President Robert Mugabe wants the world to believe, the forthcoming by-elections scheduled for April 23 in Guruve South and Mazowe North, Mashonaland Central Province and other parts of the country should be seen as a litmus test.

This has to be seen through peaceful campaigns, a sure sign of growth and maturity in the contestants, their parties as well as their supporters.

The Guruve seat fell vacant after the Zanu PF representative Criswell Mutematsaka lost the seat in terms of Section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution when he was expelled from the governing party while the sudden death on March 17 of Edgar Chidavaenzi, Zanu PF MP for Mazowe North, created another vacancy in the National Assembly.

More often than not, we have heard law enforcement agents warning would-be perpetrators of intra and inter-party violence during elections to behave or face the wrath of the law.

Yet while we applaud the police stance, opposition parties have often complained about their supporters being intimidated and beaten up by known assailants who have gone scot-free while the law enforcement agents watch helplessly.

As it is, the mainstream opposition MDC is boycotting all elections until fundamental electoral reforms that include ensuring a non-partisan security sector, an electronic voters’ roll and alterations in the Electoral Act, among other improvements, have been enacted.

Government should take these by-elections as an opportunity to prove to all and sundry that it is committed to the basic tenets of democracy regarding elections as enshrined in the Sadc guidelines.

This will go a long way in not only winning back the opposition’s confidence, but also to deal with the legitimacy questions that have hovered around Mugabe’s rule since over two decades ago.

While the onus seems is entirely on Zanu PF to cleanse itself, it should be noted that voters must also keep the peace and make their point through the ballot box in support of their favoured candidate.

We also take this opportunity to urge newly-formed parties, including former Vice President Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First to participate in these elections so that they can be able to see first-hand how defective and skewed the electoral environment is.

That way, they will be able to sing from the same hymn book with others who have chosen to boycott the elections from experience.

HARARE - Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE)-listed pharmaceuticals manufacturer Medtech is facing an uncertain future should a strategic transaction fail to go through this year.

The group’s chairperson, Rose Mazula, yesterday said Medtech’s future lies in the

anticipated transaction, which will see the group place about 70 percent in its medical unit with a potential investor to raise funds.

“The board has made a decision to close the business should the transaction not be concluded in 2016,” she said.

This comes as the struggling company — whose auditors have cast doubt on its ability to continue as a going concern — concluded a transaction to acquire the 40 percent non-controlling shareholders interest in Medtech Medical and Scientific from minorities to allow for the disposal of the unit.

“As such, Medtech Holdings Limited had allotted 240 130 000 ordinary shares as the purchase consideration which increases the shares in issue to 3 039 764 872 ordinary shares,” she said.

Mazula also revealed that the pharmaceutical firm was also in the process of winding down operations at its Smart Retail unit this year.

“Smart Retail posted a loss before tax of $340 027. Operations at Smart Retail are being wound down and the business will be closed in 2016,” she said.

Smart Retail, which falls under the group’s FMCG segment together with Medtech Distribution, recorded a five percent decline in segment sales.

However, margins improved in both Medtech Distribution and Smart Retail due to exchange rate gains in Medtech distribution and a lower inventory write-off in Smart Retail.

“Inventory anomalies in Smart Retail have been rectified and a stock write off of

$244 595 was made in the income statement. The cumulative provisions for stock write-offs in Smart Retail of $589 922 have been reversed in the current year,” she said.

Medtech Distribution managed to post a profit before tax of $710 655 while the medical segment includes MMS and

Education and Laboratory Services Division including Laboratory Services did not perform well.

“Segment sales declined 15 percent mainly due the fact that the business is undercapitalised and has suffered slow debtor repayments. The medical segment posted a loss before tax,” she said.

Mazula said while the economic environment had remained challenging, the pharmaceuticals concern managed to record a profit before tax of $476 914 for the 12 months to December 2015 compared to loss before tax in prior period.

HARARE - The row between NetOne Cellular (NetOne) and suspended chief executive Reward Kangai’s allies has deepened with Bopela Group (Bopela) petitioning the Institute of Chartered Accountants Zimbabwe (ICAZ) to investigate the company’s chief financial officer Sibusisiwe Ndlovu.

This also comes as the “unwanted” executives coming under renewed fire over the Firstel Cellular (Firstel) empowerment and staff retention scheme, which was hammered out in 2005 — but has now taken a new meaning or course in terms in the context of factional fights within the State-owned firm.

Ndlovu, whose internal audit findings at NetOne have also implicated the likes of Bopela, leading to Kangai’s suspension, now stands accused of violating accounting principles on the basis that much of the detail of transactions she has flagged have already found themselves in the public domain. 

“In conducting her ‘audits’… has not been straightforward and honest in her findings and conclusions released to the press by the board chairman on her behalf,” Agrippa Masiyakurima said in a letter to ICAZ.

This was after NetOne chairman Alex Marufu last month reiterated that Bopela was one of the “suppliers of interest” that they wanted audited under the guidance of the Auditor-General’s office following revelations that management had siphoned millions of dollars from the parastatal through suspicious procurement deals.

While Kangai’s team has been accused of sabotaging the mobile operator through incompetence, ineptitude and focussing solely on “technical aspects of the business” at the instigation of Ndlovu’s reports, the under-fire group has also accused the former Metbank and Afre Corporation executive of concealing material information about her probation-period pregnancy, and sabotaging the network by starving 66 base stations of fuel.

Masiyakurima, whose first assignment with NetOne was to build about 100 base stations and through subcontracting jobs with Sectional Poles and Masimba, has not only found himself inexplicably at the centre of the on-going saga, but also claims to have used about $1,4 million of his personal money since he had not been paid for years.

However, he believes that by causing the “publication of her findings to the press while a full forensic audit is underway”, Ndlovu had torn professional competence and due care, confidentiality, integrity and objectivity to shreds.

“The accounting profession in Zimbabwe has enjoyed a high level of stability and integrity and cannot be hijacked by rogue and unprincipled chartered accountants, who will sell their professional ethics for a bowl of soup,” he charged in the letter also copied to the President’s Office, Information minister Chris Mushowe, the Auditor-General and the Public Accountants and Auditors Board.

According to the irate businessman, the International Federation of

Accountants’ code of ethics caution chartered accountants to exercise professional judgment and to guard against expropriating confidential information for one’s gain when a fraud is detected.

“ . . . she used information gained in her employment for personal advantage to . . . settle personal vendettas, causing harm to my business in the process,” Masiyakurima added.

In his petition, Masiyakurima submitted that the ongoing NetOne forensic audit should be suspended due to a number of irregularities.

“ . . . I submit that they have already made audit conclusions. I have doubts over the integrity of the records that are now under their care.

“I therefore appeal to your office to appoint a board of inquiry where viva voce evidence will be heard from interested parties, with the forensic auditors acting in an advisory role in conjunction with the Comptroller and Auditor-General,” he said to the Office of the President and Cabinet.

HARARE - After four years on the sidelines, Theatre in the Park is expected to make an explosive re-entry on the country’s theatre scene with the rip-roaring political satire that was banned by the Censorship Board in 2003.

The play tells the story of a woman living in a non-functioning state.

In a queue one day, she explodes with frustration, and is arrested for her outburst.

She is brought before the unnamed leader and boldly accuses him of greed and mismanagement.

In a statement, Rooftop Promotions founder and director Daves Guzha outlined the thrust of the play.

“The play imagines the success of a carefully imagined and executed indigenisation policy, which genuinely assists Zimbabwean businesses.

“It imagines a successful agricultural and land reform policy, which provides food enough for the country and the region.

“It asks why we have squandered our diamond resources and failed to sustainably exploit our platinum, gold and uranium. And it looks for a political system in which diversity of political opinion strengthens rather than factionalises the parties, and in which there is no need to hide behind the tinted windows of a bulletproof Mercedes,” said Guzha, who is part of the play’s cast.

He believes the play, which revolves around an ageing African dictator who does not want to give up power, is very relevant to Zimbabwe which has known only one leader since it gained independence from Britain in 1980.

“Over the past decades, we have watched the degeneration of leadership in Zimbabwe.

“The politicians seem more and more like mediocre actors playing to a crowd, forgetting their lines . . .  stumbling over the disintegrating stage,” said Guzha, whose organisation runs Theatre in the Park.

He added that the play was banned in 2003 after the Censorship Board declared that “it would cause alarm and despondency”.

“Unable to perform in our own community, we took the production to the international stage, performing to wide acclaim in theatres across the region and the world,” said Guzha.

The play, which will start at 5.30pm today, will feature its original cast that includes Daves Guzha, Jasen Mphepho, O’Brien Mudyiwenyama, who will be joined by veteran actor Mandla Moyo and actress Eunice Tava.

HARARE - Afro-fusion star Jah Prayzah has thrown his weight behind newcomer Sam Dondo who is scheduled to launch his debut album titled Zviuya in Harare next week.

Jah Prayzah, who will grace the album launch to be held at Alexandra Sports Club alongside music superstar Oliver Mtukudzi, sungura maestro Alick Macheso, dendera star Suluman Chimbetu and Zimdancehall icon Winky D, has described Dondo as “a huge talent”.

“I collaborated with him on one song Zviuya Zviri Mberi and I was really impressed by his vocal prowess and his capability to compose deep lyrics.

“If he maintains the standards, then the sky is the limit for him in the showbiz,” the Jerusarema hit-maker told the Daily News.

Apart from Jah Prayzah, Dondo’s highly-anticipated album, produced by Munyaradzi Viyali, also features dendera star Suluman.

Songs making the nine-track album include Zviuya Zviri Mberi, Kanganwa Nhamo, Dyara Minamato and Peka Uende.

Dondo, who fronts Impala Subway Crooners, told the Daily News that his songs reflect everyday life.

“My message is mainly centred on hope as I am inspired by what happens in the society. Zviuya Zviri Mberi is a song of encouragement in times of tribulation and sorrow. It is a hopeful message coming from father to his child,” said the 30-year-old artiste.

HARARE - Three Norton men who kidnapped a 14-year-old girl before taking turns to rape her were slapped with a 58-year sentence yesterday.

Knowledge Mpame, 28, Lloyd Sibanda, 22, and Foxen Mukozho, 29, who had been on the run since 2013, were finally brought to book.

Mpame, Sibanda and Mukozho were convicted of rape and kidnapping by Harare regional magistrate Themba Kuwanda.

Mpame was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment before five years were suspended on condition of good behaviour, while Sibanda and Mukozho got 19 years each, before six years were suspended.

Mpame got a bigger chunk of the sentence because he was HIV-positive at the time.

“The accused persons started their criminal career at the deep end. They committed the crime of kidnapping to perpetuate rape,” prosecutor Rufaro Mhandu said.

“What is most aggravating is the fact that they restricted the victim’s freedom to an extent that she was not able to relieve herself the whole night.”

Mhandu proved that on September 25, 2012 the complainant left her home and met Admire Mhiripiri. They walked together to Darwendale Dam Fisheries to look for her ex-boyfriend.

The court heard that Mhiripiri proposed love to the complainant but was turned down.

When they arrived at Hunyani Boating Club, Mpame and Sibanda were present and the complainant asked for water from them.

Mpame then told the juvenile that he stayed with her ex-boyfriend whom he claimed had travelled at that moment.

The two began walking towards Mpame’s house and he also proposed love to the juvenile but she refused.

When they arrived at the house, Mpame suggested that the juvenile wait for her ex-boyfriend inside since there were ants outside.

Mpame got into the house after 10 minutes and told the victim that screaming would not help her because his house was isolated from other homes.

He then wore a condom and raped her.

After the act, Mpame left the room and the girl tried to open the door to escape but found that it had been locked from outside.

Sibanda then came into the room after a few minutes and did not communicate with girl and raped her.

The court heard that when it was Mukozho’s turn to rape the girl, she tried to assault him but was overpowered. She was subsequently sexually violated.

The complainant was locked in the room for the rest of that night, only to be released the following morning.

She was escorted by Mhiripiri and met Hungwe who took her to her parents.

The complainant revealed the incident to her parents, before reporting the rape to the police.