HARARE - Listed hotelier Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) has grown its revenues by $1 million in the four months to April 2016 due to strong performance.

RTG chief executive Tendai Madziwanyika yesterday told shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) in the capital that the hospitality group reduced its costs by $1,3 million in the period under review.

This comes as the hotel group has reduced its operating costs by $5 million in the past three years.

“Occupancy grew to 48 percent from 38 percent recorded in 2015 while market share increased to 32 percent compared to 27 percent recorded during prior year,” Madziwanyika said, adding that RTG’s revenue generation programmes will remain the driving force for growth in the domestic and foreign markets.

“While Zimbabwe hotels registered strong performance, Rainbow Hotel Mozambique revenues were down by 46 percent in comparison to same period in 2015,” he said, adding that the unit had continuously recorded declining revenues year on year.

“The subdued performance is attributable to the current political instability in Mozambique,” Madziwanyika added.

Despite the current liquidity crisis being experienced in the country, Madziwanyika noted that RTG was now focused on rebuilding its balance sheet to create a sustainable capital structure which will be key to the completion of its turnaround strategy.

Meanwhile, the hotelier’s shareholder and businessman Nicholas van Hoogstraten caused a stir at the AGM after it emerged that the group had proceeded to restructure a $13,6 million loan from fellow shareholder National Social Security Authority (Nssa) under “questionable procedures”

In a statement attached to its full year results to December 2015, RTG chairman John Chikura announced the hotelier had restructured the Nssa credit facility into a seven-year loan at an interest rate of six percent per annum.

The funds had become current at the end of 2015, with Chikura stating that the restructuring afforded RTG capacity to service its debt and invest in its properties.

However, Van Hoogstraten alleged the process had been done in a “manner that violated many corporate governance stipulations” arguing the board that had voted for the restructuring had composition of Nssa workers presenting a conflict of interest.

“When I was shown the first term sheet, which I was unhappy with, I expressed my views. While we cannot air our laundry in public, I have been told to express my views.

“I will say this now, this arrangement was not done properly. I have a problem with the way the matter was handled especially considering some of the people who voted for this restructuring are with Nssa,” the businessman said.

This comes as the auditor general, Mildred Chiri, last year queried two transactions involving a total of $14,4 million between the Nssa and RTG, after it became apparent the social security fund was releasing money to a firm that was virtually insolvent.

Nssa — a critical shareholder in RTG — has caught flack over its investment choices in the past.

HARARE - Zimdancehall icon Winky D is certainly on top of his game.

He is one of the few Zimdancehall acts that have international acclaim owing to his make-believe skills.

As such his fame transcends the music industry and is now clinching several corporate deals.

Winky D, whose journey began in Kambuzuma, his home ground, has propelled to dizzy heights, inspiring many ghetto youths.

He has been engaged by Population Services International (PSI), providing jingles for the circumcision drive.

Currently, the artiste is enjoying a good work relationship with organisations such as Delta Beverages as he regularly features in its various events such as beer festivals, Castle Tankard and Campus Nights just to mention a few.

The Disappear hit-maker has been a regular feature at Castle Tankard events since 2010 save for 2014 when the event clashed with his tour of South Africa.

OK Supermarkets also engaged him for its OK Grand Challenge promotion.

He has also been engaged mobile phone dealer G-Tel, among others.

Jonathan Banda, who manages the high-riding artiste, said the corporate world fell in love with 33-year-old chanter since 2010 because of high level of professionalism that the musician exudes.

“One secret of life is that be good every time and fortune will follow you. As a band, we are guided by principles of professionalism.

“Winky D has been consistent in the provision of good acts and he is not known for wrong reasons such as controversies.

“We always deliver polished acts whenever we perform and that is the secret behind our success story,” said Banda.

Winky D, whose albums include The People’s Devotee, Chatsva, Cum 2 Tek Ova, Igofigo and Vanhu Vakuru among others, is among pioneers of Zimdancehall music in the country.

Since the launch of his musical career, the Igo Figo singer has performed on almost every continent and has won a number of musical awards.

Some of his awards include Zim Dancehall Awards— Best Song gong with track Rokesheni, Best Social Message (Mafirakureva), Best Live Performer and Best Video and Choreography, Best Artiste 2013 (male) among others.

He won the National Arts Merit Awards with album Igo figo and People’s Choice award in 2010. Disappear earned him Song of the Year gong in 2015.

The Ninja President, as Winky D is affectionately known by his fans, has shared the stage with international musicians such as P-Square, Capleton and Beenie Man, among others.

HARARE - Zimbabwe’s woes with the bat continued after the locals slipped from a healthy 104-4 to 126-allout as India completed a 3-0 Killer Cup ODI series win following yesterday’s 10-wicket victory.

With India already enjoying a 2-0 series lead, the hosts were desperate to win yesterday’s match to save some face.

Captain Graeme Cremer should be regretting the decision to bat after winning the toss for the first time in the series, as his charges uncharacteristic batting display saw them scoring a paltry 26 from 48.2 overs.

“We didn’t see through the new ball to put up 260-270 which we thought was par. We got stuck in the  middle period, and then lost grip,” Cremer said after the match.

“We just couldn’t rotate strike, and that put pressure on our batsmen.

“We have a T20 squad, and we know we can challenge good teams on our day. We’ll have to pick ourselves up to try and compete in that series.”

India powered themselves to a 10-wicket win with both openers scoring half tons.

Debutant Faiz Fazal scored 55 runs from 61 deliveries while man-of-the-match and series KL Rahul top scored with 63 from 70.

India captain MS Dhoni, who has not been called into the thick of the action throughout the series, commended his players for putting a good show against the locals.

“I think the execution has been really good, and that’s the key factor. The fast bowlers and the spinners took wickets and put pressure, so I’m happy with the bowling performance.

“I don’t mind winning games easily, that’s what you are supposed to do,” Dhoni said.

“Yes, it would have been nice if a few of the other batsmen would have had a break. I think after a long time, I will take some time off cricket after this series (T20s). Don’t think my daughter still recognises me.”

Vusi Sibanda top scored for the locals with 38 runs while Chamu Chibhabha and Timycen Maruma chipped in with 27 and 17 runs respectively.

After 32.5 overs Zimbabwe looked set for a respectable total on 104/4 but the Indian bowlers seized the momentum from the hosts grabbing the remaining six wickets for only 22 runs.

Indian bowlers Barinder Sran and DS Kulkarni picked three wickets apiece as Zimbabwe’s batsmen struggled to manoeuvre on the crease.

Meanwhile, former skipper Elton Chigumbura dismissed social media reports linking him with resignation saying he still has a couple of years left in his career.

Zimbabwe will now be focusing their attention on the T20 series against the touring Asians which starts on Saturday.

Another poor performance with the bat can see the locals humiliated again by India during the three-match series.

HARARE - A 51-year-old Epworth man who raped and sired a son with his biological daughter was jailed for 18 years yesterday.

Although the man (name withheld) denied the rape charges saying his daughter had consented, presiding magistrate Aidonia Masawi convicted him after a full trial.

Prosecutor Norman Tsarwe lashed out at the father and said “his conduct was (like) that of a chicken that feeds on its own eggs”.

“This is a one of the most unusual cases that are presented before our courts. The accused person’s moral blameworthiness is high considering that it is a taboo in our culture,” Masawi said.

“I cannot begin to wonder the kind of relationship that the accused person will have with a son that he produced with his daughter.

“…clearly the accused person’s place is in prison. If he could violate his own flesh and blood, what more the community at large?”

Tsarwe proved that sometime in 2010, the victim was at home with her father.

The court heard that her father approached and dragged his daughter into the bedroom before raping her.

The victim would confide in her friends about the incidents but this did not help as most people in her neighbourhood were aware of the abuse.

The complainant began staying with her aunt before she started working as a housemaid in Harare’s Avenues area.

During weekends, the father would go and collect his daughter at her workplace before proceeding to lodges situated in Queensdale and at Mugoni near Kopje.

The accused person would continuously rape his daughter claiming that he was the one who had broken her virginity, hence was responsible for the pregnancy she was carrying.

The girl conceived but did not reveal that her father was responsible until she gave birth to the son who is five-years-old now.

She later went to Hopley Farm and began staying with her brother while their father catered for rentals and other expenses.

The court heard that she confided in a female neighbour about the rape incidents.

The unidentified neighbour later discussed the issue with the complainant’s brothers who subsequently neglected her because she had been impregnated by their father.

They later engaged their grandfather to resolve the issue without involving the police.

However, the grandfather took advantage and raped the girl, after promising that he would conceal the offence.

The accused person moved in with his daughter at Retreat in Waterfalls and they stayed there as husband and wife.

In May this year, an unknown informer dropped a note disclosing the rape issue at Chitungwiza and Waterfalls police stations.

This prompted the matter to be investigated at Epworth Police Station before the complainant was located.

The accused person then fled to Ruwange in Nyanga to consult a witchdoctor for police not to pursue his rape case.

However, the n’anga sold out the accused person to Ruwange police and he was arrested.

He told the police details that he forced himself on the girl after being advised by a traditional healer that he could become rich.

RUSAPE - MDC Manicaland deputy treasurer David Tekeshe and party activist Willard Nyazorwe have been acquitted of disorderly conduct and assaulting police officers after a lengthy trial.

Magistrate Shingi Mutiro set the duo free citing gross inconsistencies and conflicting accounts by State witnesses.

Three police officers, two constables and a chief inspector testified during the trial.

Magistrate Mutiro ruled that the police interrupted a peaceful celebration by MDC members after one of their colleagues had been granted bail.

Magistrate Mutero also concurred that Tekeshe had bitten the cop in self-defence.

Tekeshe had admitted during trial to biting the cop but insisted it was only to save his skin in a sustained assault by more than 20 baton-wielding cops.

He also maintained that he was justified in resisting an illegal arrest as he was merely celebrating the release of a colleague on bail after he had been arrested as he sought permission to convene a demonstration in Rusape in October 2015.

The State was alleging that on October 23, 2015 the duo led an attempt to hold an illegal demonstration against President Robert Mugabe before they insulted and assaulted police officers.

“There is no law which prevents people from celebrating... such people cannot be arrested for disorderly conduct,” the magistrate said in his ruling, adding that both the police order to disperse the MDC activists and the assault were illegal.

“No police officer is entitled by law to use more force than is necessary and the evidence points to the accused biting in self defence,” Mutiro charged.

The magistrate accused the two constables — Ticahona Merika and Rozalla Ndlovu — of lying to the court that they had not seen Tekeshe being assaulted or seeing him covered in blood contrary to their superior chief inspector Brian Makomeke’s open admission.

Mutiro threw out the constables’ narrative as being patently false to cover up for the brutal assault of Tekeshe.

“The accused persons’ claim that they were assaulted could not be reasonably be deemed false considering that they admit that they had come anticipating a demonstration. One wonders why the two denied that the accused persons were assaulted. They are clearly trying to hide something,” Mutiro said.

Mutiro also noted that the cops were not agreed on what the duo said during their arrest, with Mereka saying Tekeshe said police were Mugabe’s dogs — something Makomeke claimed was said by Nyazorwe.

The magistrate also said it was unbelievable that any party slogans and songs were sung as none of the State witnesses remembered anyone of the said songs.

“The court wonders how the people present at the same place, at the same time could have the different versions of what transpired. It’s strange that there can be three truths,” Mutiro said.

Public prosecutor Tirivanhu Mutyasiri had earlier in the case tried to salvage the case by abandoning a long-list of State witnesses after the three cops turned hostile to the case by giving conflicting reports.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights’ duo of Blessing Nyamaropa and Taurai Khupe were representing the duo.

HARARE - Government has bowed to popular pressure and decreed that the State backed traditional complementary cancer medicine, pending an independent investigation of whether or not they work.

This comes in the wake of herbalists claiming an 80 percent success rate in curing cancer, against a 2 percent success rate by the medical side.

Yet supporters of evidence-based medicine fear the process will confer credibility on dubious treatments.

Permanent secretary in the Health and Child Care minister Gerald Gwinji said yesterday they recognise indigenous knowledge systems.

“We have a Directorate of Traditional Medicine within the ministry of Health and Child Care, attesting to the value our government attaches to indigenous knowledge systems,” he said.

“The challenge however, comes in proving the effectiveness of some of the interventions thereof.

“By its nature, traditional practice is based in secrecy, making it difficult to get the opportunity to repeat the same intervention under a controlled measured environment to validate the claims.”

Zimbabwe has lots of registered complementary practitioners, practising homeopathy, herbal and traditional treatments, anthroposophy medicine — which among other techniques uses mistletoe to treat cancer and neural therapy, which is based on injecting local anaesthetics near nerve centres.

This comes as herbalist Newton Mudzingwa successfully cured a Murambinda man plagued with Kaposi Sarcoma cancer over the past eight years.

Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals consultant clinical oncologist Anna Mary Nyakabau questioned whether herbalists claiming to cure cancer meet objective measures of efficacy linked to an evidence-based evaluation.

“They are claiming success in terms of what, relieving pain, has the lump gone, or what? Ask them to elaborate,” she said.

“In most cases, cancer cannot be cured through one method, it’s usually a combination. It is a complex disease which needs a number of treatments.”

For men and women who were put on chemotherapy and radiation with a variety of cancer types, the risk of dying from those cancers within five years was 98 percent, yet those who underwent herbal treatment it was 20 percent, researchers found.

HARARE - Five activists, including Itai Dzamara’s brother Patson, who were arrested for alleged robbery while occupying Africa Unity Square, remained in remand prison yesterday even after their bail quantum had been slashed from $1 000 to $400.

The five activists are failing to raise the required bail funds.

Dzamara was jointly charged with Oliver Chikumba, 32, Tatenda Mombeyarara, 33, Pride Mukono, 26, and Makomborero Haruzivishe, 33, on two counts of robbery and defeating the course of justice.

They appeared in court yesterday represented by Trust Maanda who won an application to have the bail quantum slashed.

“The fifth accused person is a student at the University of Zimbabwe in his final year, Dzamara looks after his ill mother, and the fourth accused person is a single parent with five children and unemployed,” he said.

“The accused persons have not been able to pay bail because of the huge quantum…If the court may reduce the bail from $1 000 to $30 and $100 respectively.”

Presiding magistrate Tendai Mahwe reduced the bail amount from $1 000 each to $400.

According to State papers on June 9 around midnight the two complainants disembarked from a commuter omnibus at Fourth Street Bus Terminus.

They passed through Africa Unity Square on their way to Copacabana Bus Terminus to get transport to Mufakose.

Dzamara and his accomplices then allegedly confronted the complainants and snatched their handbags before searching them

They allegedly stole the three ladies school uniforms, red jersey, pair of trousers, jean skirt and wallet with $30.

The other complainant lost three school jerseys and one floral dress, the court heard.

When the complainants screamed for help, three police officers who were on duty near Parliament rushed to the scene

The accused persons allegedly resisted arrest and reportedly took away constable Nhidza’s cap and baton stick while dragging him to a silver Honda Fit along Jaison Moyo Avenue, the State claims

Dzamara and his accomplices were later arrested and police claim they recovered the stolen property valued $80.

The activists reject the charges as trumped up.

HARARE - Suspended Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni yesterday savaged Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere, saying he is in a dilemma of fulfilling his party duties which is in conflict with his ministerial role.

Addressing a press conference at Harvest House, Manyenyeni said Kasukuwere, who is also Zanu PF political commissar, is required by his party to destroy opposition parties, while as a minister he is required to make sure that MDC-dominated councils perform.

“We have got a minister in dilemma, his party job demands that he decimates the opposition parties, his ministerial job demands that the council performs, that’s the crisis we are facing and at this point in time, he is putting his party way ahead of his ministerial duties,” Manyenyeni said.

“The anti-corruption is currently at Town House investigating the appointment of the town clerk, they are trying to make sure that the appointment will not hold.

“If you look at the five selection processes, we were only involved with one, the four was out-sourced from independent professional parties, that’s the most elaborate selection process ever taken into public sector in this country and its results are tormented by the system.

“They accuse us of under-performing as an MDC-run council, and we need to look for the right tools for the job for us to perform, we were trying to do that but they blocked us.” Manyenyeni was last week suspended for the second time within 24 hours of re-assuming his duty.

MDC secretary for Local Government Eddie Cross said since their party won control of the urban councils, the Local Government minister has abused his powers under the Urban Councils Act and the Town and Country Planning Act to subvert and control the MDC Councils.

“The appointment of the minister of Local Government as the political commissar of the Zanu PF party confirms the role he is playing as a key player who can use his position and his ministry and its considerable resources to establish control over all MDC-led councils.

“The suspension and dismissal of mayors and council chairpersons and even entire councils on spurious grounds in order to intimidate and control councils and to sometimes replace them with partisan commissions which then have controlled all council activity, abuse their positions to make political appointments of senior staff and to misuse council revenues.

“The minister’s abuse of his powers has extended to continuous interference with council decisions and activities, long delays in the approval of council budgets and orders to rescind council decisions affecting basic issues and the general governance of council affairs.”

Efforts to get a comment from Kasukuwere were futile.

HARARE - Zimbabwe's economy, already at its lowest in decades, will get worse before it gets better, with the US envoy saying it will take time before liberalising reforms turn net positive, and Harare needs to bite more such bullets for a sustainable turnaround.

American envoy Harry Thomas Jnr urged the government to stop blaming sanctions and get its house in order, saying the economy was in a “deep hole.”

The diplomat said unless and until the government comes up with sound economic policies, strong anti-corruption and transparency policies, the southern African nation’s crisis was not going to end anytime soon.

“Let’s not kid ourselves, you are in a deep hole and it’s going to take a long time to get out,” he told reporters at a public discussion in Harare yesterday.

“It’s going to take some time because it’s a crisis, you need sound economic policies.”

Thomas, who has clocked 100 days working as an envoy in Zimbabwe, said the introduction of the bond notes also risked deterring foreign investors.

“… also the bond notes caused unease, so people who were looking to invest are going, what does this mean?

“And if I come in, can I get my money out? So that’s a real concern right now and I don’t thing that is linked to just American potential investors but also global investors,” Thomas said.

After getting several questions from the public on whether the sanctions imposed on 98 Zimbabweans and 68 entities by the American government were the reason behind the country’s economic crisis, the 60-year-old said the sanctions were not to blame but were being used as an excuse for bad behaviour.

“This notion that sanctions are the reason Zimbabwe is in this economic state is a myth and it’s incorrect and it’s an excuse. The reason Zimbabwe cannot access International Monetary Funds, World Bank funds, African Development Bank funds, has nothing to do with sanctions, it had not been able to access that for 15 years before sanctions were imposed,” Thomas said.

“We did not design your economic programmes, the reason that foreign firms do not come here is because of uncertainty in economic planning and corruption.  “When people are taking their money out, no matter how they do it, those are Zimbabweans; it has nothing to do with sanctions. It has to do with lack of sound economic policies and transparencies.

“People use it as an excuse; there are people who say that oh!, I am on the sanctions list, I cannot do this, I can do this as an excuse of bad behaviour.  But to say that sanctions are hurting people is incorrect.  I am really bothered as I go around, as I see people who do not have water, people struggling.”

Apart from trade with Zimbabweans, Thomas said America has also been able to support Zimbabwe through aid.

The United States has been active in supporting the Zimbabwe’s vulnerable communities, with the powerhouse this year contributing $55 million towards food aid.  The country also supports the country’s HIV/ Aids prevention programmes.

HARARE - As the country’s economy continues to die, the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) hit a seven-year low on Wednesday, as foreign investors flee the market as if it’s infected with the deadly Ebola virus.

Although the ZSE once ranked among the biggest and best performing bourses in Africa, investors have known nothing but pain since President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF won the hotly-disputed 2013 national elections — with the bourse losing more than $3,4 billion of its value over the past three years alone.

The exchange, which has operated from Harare since 1951, now has a paltry 63 listed companies, with a total market value of $2,5 billion — down from an all-time high market capitalisation of nearly $6 billion that was recorded in the first week of August 2013, just after the end of the stability-inducing government of national unity.

Market watchers who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said the low trading levels that were being recorded on the ZSE were “clear evidence of weak investor sentiment over the country’s political leadership and their stewardship of the economy”.

“We are likely to see this downward trend continue throughout the year, as there is no evidence of the government’s willingness to revive the economy.

“In the absence of strong political will to embark on key economic reforms, we expect the economy to weaken further and the sell-off by foreign investors to continue,” a trader with a local stock-broking firm said.

His comments came after foreign sell-offs dominated Wednesday’s trade at $122 418, compared with foreign inflows amounting to $67 441.

Economic experts said the low turnover levels were having a significant negative impact on the viability of the stock market, local stockbrokers and the Securities Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe.

Early this month, ZSE chief executive Alban Chirume said the bourse was in the process of cutting jobs and would also soon announce a strategy to generate additional income, after revenue fell by half in 2015, amid little signs of recovery in the foreseeable future.

“The continuing low trades and lack of approval of new products has necessitated the need to review our cost structure,” he said.

Experts have also noted that the ZSE’s poor performance was on the back of poor operating fundamentals in the economy, as reflected by frighteningly high company closures, horrific retrenchment figures and the limited corporate access to affordable long term capital.

Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabweans have known since the country attained its independence from Britain in April 1980, is widely blamed for the country’s economic ills, after continuously implementing disastrous policies such as the chaotic land reforms of 16 years ago that decimated Zimbabwe’s economy by half and pushed the country from being a regional breadbasket to a basket case.

However, the increasingly frail nonagenarian blames targeted restrictions — notwithstanding overwhelming evidence to the contrary — that were imposed on him and a few Zanu PF apparatchiks by the West on account of his government’s poor human rights record.

HARARE - Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) elder Dzikamai Mavhaire has said Joice Mujuru joined the liberation struggle against minority white rule at least four years earlier than President Robert Mugabe.

Addressing thousands of people at a rally held at Mawungwa Business Centre near Mpandawana in Gutu, Mavhaire blasted Mugabe for surreptitiously anointing himself life president.

“VaMugabe 1976 ndokuenda paMozambique asi vana Mai Mujuru vanga vatovapo 1972, saka mukuru wehondo ndiyani ipapa? (Mugabe went war in 1976 yet Mrs Mujuru was already there in 1972, who is the lord of the war between the two?) he asked rhetorically.

He said Zimbabweans must resist attempts to let Mugabe continue ruling even after he was bedridden.

“Takapa munhu nyika kusvika aita sekuru, ikozvino ava tateguru, mukadzi wototi kunyange apinda muguva achatonga arimo, ndingataurirwe izvozvo nanaMarujata ini (We gave him the mantle to rule and now he is old, he is now an ancestor, and his wife now tells us that he will rule even from the grave, can we take that nonsense from Marujata?)”  he said referring to an unstable, loose, sharp-tongued and divisive village woman in a famous Shona novel Gara Ndichauya.

Mavhaire, who has been in and out of government since 1980 due to his sharp tongue, also admonished traditional chiefs to stop being agents of coercion for Mugabe’s Zanu PF, contrary to their much-vaunted role as custodians of national culture and traditional values.

HARARE - Former Vice President and now Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) leader, Joice Mujuru, yesterday launched a blistering attack on President Robert Mugabe — describing the Zanu PF strongman’s recent rant against war veterans, that invoked ugly memories of Gukurahundi, as “reckless”.

The popular widow of the late liberation struggle icon, General Solomon Mujuru, also bluntly told the increasingly frail nonagenarian that his injudicious tirade risked threatening the country’s relative peace and stability.

Speaking through her spokesperson, Gift Nyandoro, Mujuru also said the ill-thought utterances were testimony that Mugabe was not remorseful about the killing of an estimated 20 000 innocent civilians by the army, mainly in Matabeleland and the Midlands, in the early 1980s.

“We note with grave concern as the Zimbabwe People First family the reckless utterances by Mugabe when he threatened war veterans with the use of violence in the manner he did during the ‘alleged dissidents’ era.

“Such utterances have no place in today’s global village that seeks to establish love, peace and harmony, as the ever-lasting foundation of humanity’s togetherness. We believe that a leader who trusts the use of force and violence in crushing opposing views is a hallmark of intolerance to say the least.

“It is on public record that people who were Zimbabwean citizens and civilians for that matter, were killed, raped, tortured and had their homes and properties destroyed by the notorious and infamous Fifth Brigade mainly in and around Midlands and Matabeleland,” Mujuru chided Mugabe.

She added that she was “disturbed” that her former boss was keen to “evoke memories of the Gukurahundi era in a manner typical of a president boasting of a genocidal record, wherein documented evidence suggests that over 20 000 civilians were killed on unfounded allegations of supporting dissidents”.

Mujuru also pointed out that there were many citizens who were still “traumatised” by the Gukurahundi atrocities and that many children had grown up without parents “because of the heinous act of political barbarism”.

She vowed that when she was elected into power in 2018, she would work to close “the sad chapter”, by ensuring that all perpetrators of the massacre were made to account in their individual capacities, while victims were compensated.

She said real closure of the matter could only be achieved through “honest engagement” of victims and affected communities — in apparent reference to Mugabe’s previous description of Gukurahundi as “a moment of madness”.

“Each and every one of those who were involved should be able to explain the role they played in those atrocities if we are to put closure to the Gukurahundi chapter and move forward as one country.

“If anyone is to be found on the wrong side of the law, then as a law-abiding nation we should let the law take its own course,” Mujuru said, adding that there was need to set up “a genuine and non-partisan” commission of inquiry to look into the Gukurahundi atrocities.

She said such commission would ideally involve all stakeholders, including churches, civil society bodies and political actors among others, because Zimbabweans had “fought for people power and not one-man power”.

Mujuru also said political atrocities that had been committed since 2000 against opposition MDC supporters, including the abduction of journalist-cum human rights activist Itai Dzamara, would also be investigated under the ZPF government.

“The painful disappearance of people like Dzamara, a democracy activist among others, should not be taken lightly. Wrong doers need to be held accountable. That also goes to the victims of illegal operations like Murambatsvina, wherein people were displaced and traumatised.

“Only then, if we genuinely come together as Zimbabweans, the dream to have another prosperous Zimbabwe should be possible — a Zimbabwe that does not live in fear of its leadership and a Zimbabwe that is driven by wishes of the people,” she said.

Mujuru also expressed sadness that the 1987 Unity Accord between Zapu and Zanu had up to now failed to address the Gukurahundi atrocities.

“It has failed to bring closure to the sad Gukurahundi chapter but it is simply a decoy of political supremacy by one man over the rest. Our heart bleeds when the president of a country threatens sons and daughters who went to war to liberate our country from the yoke of oppression and suppression with violence.

“May our well-meaning war veterans know that we are together in making Zimbabwe prosperous again. Genuine war veterans know that in whatever we do, we put ‘People First’ and not ‘fight first’.

“Genuine war veterans know that we fought for freedom of association, assembly and expression. We never fought for the creation of a family dynasty. I therefore urge genuine war veterans to remain steadfast in safeguarding the gains of our independence,” she said.

During his Zanu PF central committee rant a fortnight ago, Mugabe launched one of his fiercest attacks on members of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, who are agitating for embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa to succeed him.

Mugabe described the war veterans’ remarks as tantamount to a rebellion, threatening to deal with them severely if they continued on their stubborn path.

“The dissidents tried it. They were war veterans, and you know what happened. Lots of trouble, lots of fighting, lots of suffering of course, to our people and these dissident activities cannot be allowed,” he thundered ominously.

DAR ES SALAAM - About 630,000 counterfeit mobile phones have so far been disconnected in Tanzania, the telecom authority says.

A government ban on using fake phones came into force at midnight, causing communication difficulties for those who owned them.

Tanzania joined Cameroon, South Africa and Nigeria in efforts to boost security and health measures by disconnecting the phones.

About 3% of mobile phones in Tanzania are fake, official figures show.

The country has about 33 million mobile phone subscribers, out of an estimated population of 49 million people.

Some 1.2 million fake phones are expected to be disconnected, local media reports.

The BBC's Sammy Awami in the main city Dar es Salaam says that some people have complained that they did not know they had bought fake phones.

But overall, the ban has been welcomed and many are wondering if it will also lead to a crackdown on other counterfeit goods, he says.

The opposition Civic United Front (CUF) has said the ban "punishes" innocent Tanzanians for the government's failure to prevent fake phones from entering the market.

Deputy Communication Minister Edwin Ngonyani said the shutdown would "strengthen efforts by the government to bring to book criminals who have been using fake handsets which cannot be traced".

Counterfeit handsets lack authentic International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers that are crucial to identifying and tracking mobile phones, making it easier for criminals and militant Islamists to escape detection.

The Tanzania Communication and Regulatory Authority said the switch-off was also meant to protect users' health.

The fear is that fake handsets, which are not subjected to safety tests, emit more radiation and contain harmful elements, such as lead.

HARARE - In recent weeks, Zimbabweans have witnessed a sad and grim experience of human trafficking.

Dozens of Zimbabwean girls and women — weary of the country’s endless woes — returned home in tears after promises of a better life in Kuwait turned out to be a painful and miserable ordeal.

These women and girls were courageous.

They travelled thousands of kilometres to Kuwait — where most of them knew no-one, let alone the unfamiliar Asian culture — in search of economic opportunities and a better livelihood.  That was no mean feat.

Kuwait is uncharted territory for Zimbabweans.  Surely, what compelled most of these women to go as far as Kuwait is certainly neither the love of money nor a luxurious life.

They were not tourists in Kuwait. Actually, they were economic refugees.

The opportunities offered in Kuwait, though they turned out to be a scam, seemed to be a chance for them, some decently educated, to escape Zimbabwe’s worsening poverty and unemployment.

Of course, this is not the first time for Zimbabweans to migrate en-masse.

Around 1998-2000, scores of Zimbabweans migrated to the United Kingdom and other European countries in search of greener pastures.

But there is something peculiar about this latest Kuwait saga. It goes to show how hard-pressed and desperate the ordinary Zimbabweans have become at the hands of the ruling Zanu PF government.

It exposes President Robert Mugabe and his administration’s failure to manage the economy. It displays Mugabe’s bad and poor leadership, and lack of capacity to clean the economic mess he created.

Since the 92-year-old leader won the controversial July 2013 election, Zimbabwe’s economy has nose-dived, with hundreds of firms shutting down, thousands losing jobs and the few remaining investors pulling out of the country.

In the run-up to the polls, through which he effectively wrestled power from then Prime Minister in the unity government — Morgan Tsvangirai — Mugabe made ambitious promises to Zimbabweans.

Among the promises, made under the much-crowed about Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation, Mugabe promised to create 2,2 million jobs.

But three years down the line, Zanu PF has not created any single job. Mugabe’s promises were empty. This has led to the scores of Zimbabwean women, left with not much choice, trooping to Kuwait in search of jobs.  And sadly, they have been abused and turned to “slaves”.  

Mr President, all Zimbabweans want are better, stable and predictable lives. They want jobs so that they can put food on the table, pay their children’s school fees and own decent homes. 

Mugabe is to blame for the humiliating and traumatising ordeal the Zimbabwean women went through in Kuwait.

HARARE - Zimbabwe's largest financial services group by asset base, CBZ Holdings, has advised the small to medium enterprises (SME’s) to make their businesses attractive to investors.

“The SME sector represents a substantial portion of all economic activity in the country,” CBZ Bank head of SMEs Lawrence Chidembo said but added that the industry lacked necessary skills to attract funding.

“We feel that the SMEs sector can carry the country forward and Umaa Group of Colleges is one of those institutions that have grasped this concept.

“They have a lot of products targeting SMEs, especially in the agriculture sector, while some are still in the pipeline to meet the growing financing needs of this segment,” he said.

The Cleopas Kundiona-led Umaa consists of Umaa Institute Zimbabwe, Umaa Harare and Umaa Elite College.

Internationally, SMEs are recognised as engines for economic growth by virtue of their contribution to employment and wealth creation, income generation and the strategic linkages with large companies across economic clusters.

However, the SME sector in Zimbabwe face a number of problems, including limited access to finance from formal sources.

In an effort to boost employment and export generation, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe recently ordered banks to come up with innovative demand-driven financial products to cater for the SMEs.

“The majority of SMEs lack adequate infrastructure and funding to enhance business operations, and properly structure and drive their business towards viability. As such, there is significant scope for banks to understand the specific needs of SMEs and upscale their financial schemes and products appropriate for the SMEs,” central bank governor John Mangudya said.

As such, every banking institution in the country is now required to have an adequately capitalised SMEs business unit.

“Every banking institution shall follow a separate business strategy in financing SME loans with least formalities in executing documentation to ensure easy and speedy loan sanction and disbursement process,” Mangudya added.

HARARE - Zimbabwe's third largest telecommunication company, Telecel, has missed out on a $1 billion software deal between its parent company VimpelCom and Erickson.

The deal encompasses a complete overhaul of VimpelCom’s information technology infrastructure across 11 countries on a scale that is the largest and most ambitious in the telecommunication industry’s history.

“This marks a fundamental milestone in our transformation as we move ahead with our strategy to turn VimpelCom into a true digital pioneer,” VimpelCom chief executive Jean-Yves Charlier said.

VimpelCom, which sold its 60 percent shareholding in Telecel to cash-strapped and little-known Zarnet last year for $40 million, will digitalise and globalise its business support systems infrastructure using Ericsson’s software and cloud technologies.

The Digital Stack will accelerate product and service development, while the delivery and use of near real-time analytics, will allow greater personalisation of services for customers.

The project will cover 11 of VimpelCom’s 14 national operations, Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia, and Georgia, according to a company official.

Italy, where VimpelCom is hoping to merge its Wind operation with Hutchison’s Three, is not included, nor is Laos and Zimbabwe.

This comes as the Netherlands-headquartered firm is struggling to get the remaining $30 million from Zarnet and his since appealed to President Robert Mugabe to help expedite the payment, which has been delayed by Zimbabwe’s cash-crisis.

Businessdaily understands that according to the deal signed in October last year, VimpelCom was supposed to be fully paid by April this year and Zimbabwe has already breached the contract by failing to fulfil its obligations.

People knowledgeable about events at the New York Stock Exchange-listed telecommunication firm said the decision to leave Zimbabwe out of the deal was necessitated by uncertainties surrounding VimpelCom’s future in Telecel.

“We would have loved to stay in Zimbabwe and helped improve the country’s telecommunication industry but the way we were treated forced the management to think otherwise. Some of our technical people are still in Harare and once the payment comes through we will pull out for good,” said the sources.

Meanwhile, Charlier said the new Digital Stack will help VimpelCom better respond to its customers while also centralising and simplifying business, creating lean and agile operations that will result in a more efficient cost structure across its global footprint.

VimpelCom noted that there would be “a significant reduction in operating costs” and that “the improved technology structure will enable VimpelCom to fast-track its digital innovation strategy, particularly in the areas of mobile entertainment, communication, the internet of things, and mobile financial services.”

“This technology shift is a huge leap forward for VimpelCom and forms part of our strategy to transform into an agile business that understands our customers and answers their digital needs.

“Only by investing in the latest technology and going fully digital will we be able to provide these innovative and competitive services across the group,” VimpelCom group chief technology officer Yogesh Malik said.

VimpelCom offers services to customers in 14 markets including Russia, Italy, Algeria, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Georgia, Laos, and Zimbabwe.

HARARE - Experience counts for nothing when you continuously do the wrong things over and over again.

This is exactly the problem with the Zimbabwe cricket national team which was put to the sword by the touring India side during the just-ended Killer Cup ODI series at Harare Sports Club.

Zimbabwe came into the series bragging about having played more ODI matches than the visiting second string India whose combined game time was way below that of their captain MS Dhoni alone.

A number of the current crop of Zimbabwean cricketers were thrown into the deep end of international cricket following the ‘rebel’ saga of 2004 when experienced white players quit the game.

The likes of Hamilton Masakadza, Elton Chigumbura, Tawanda Mupariwa, Vusi Sibanda and Chamu Chibhabha were all fast-tracked into the team during that period.

If you combine the number of ODIs played by the quintet above, you will get a staggering 602 matches.

Against India, the hosts were totally hopeless as they lost the first ODI by nine-wickets before succumbing to an eight-wicket loss in the second game.

The Indians completed a clean sweep winning the final match by 10 wickets.

The visitors showed sheer determination to fight and win matches while for the hosts it was only a matter of fulfilling the fixtures.

It was however, not surprising to see the team struggling on the field as everything that happened in the build-up mirrored the disaster that was to follow.

The Tawengwa Mukuhlani-led Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) board in their wisdom found it fit to sack coach Dav Whatmore days before the first match.

Whatmore was sacked for the team’s poor performance at the ICC World T20 held in India back in February.

ZC spent four months reviewing that disastrous outing when it was clear the team had performed dismally losing to Associate nation Afghanistan and only to act on the eve of an important series against a top side like India.

It speaks volumes of the administration running the affairs of the game; a fish rots from the head and no serious cricketing nation can afford to make such ignorant decisions.

As if that was not enough, the board again in its wisdom went on to relief batsman Hamilton Masakadza from captaining the team in all formats replacing him with his deputy Graeme Cremer on an interim basis.

The towering batsman from Manicaland Mountaineers without any doubt felt hard done that the board would axe him having superintended over the team in only three T20s — he probably deserved a lit bit of time.

All this could have worked against the confidence levels of the players although ultimately the players are wholly to blame for failing to rise to the occasion against a second string Indian side.

ZC also saw it fit to sack chief selector Kenyon Ziehl on the eve of the India series and replace him with Tatenda Taibu.

The former Test captain has been out of the game for the past four years concentrating on his chosen life in the church.

Although Taibu’s cricket credentials cannot be doubted; how can a man who has been out of the game since 2012 and who does not consume media products due to his religious beliefs, make informed decision as the chief selector?

With such inept administrators and below average players, the local game is headed for the doldrums.

HARARE - An array of golfers will converge at Chapman Golf Club today to battle for honours at the Insurance Institute of Zimbabwe (IIZ) annual corporate golf day.

The individual stableford scoring event, will host golfer from various firms.

“Golf really is a networking event. The economy at the moment is not where we would want it to be so part of the reason we hold this golf day is to share ideas,” said IIZ said in a statement

“IIZ is a professional insurance organisation and an independent examining body serving people working in and affiliated to the insurance industry.

“The other core function of IIZ is to promote efficiency and improvement in business practice among its members and the delegates that it trains.

“The Institute is a self-funding organisation which depends much on the subscriptions by its members and this tournament is being held to achieve the same goal of funding the institute.

“Expected companies coming to play Freight World Team, MBCA Bank Team, Auto Body, Smart Vest, SAUZ.”

IIZ are grateful to various sponsors who will make the event a possibility.

Among these are Grand Reinsurance, FBC Reinsurance, Colonnade Reinsurance, NiczoDiamond, First Mutual Life, Nyaradzo, Getsure Life, Marsh Insurance Brokers, Ruvimbo Funeral and Moonlight Provident Associates.

HARARE - Normalcy finally returned to the CAPS United camp with players training yesterday ahead of Sunday’s Castle Lager Premiership match against Mutare City Rovers at Sakubva Stadium.

The Makepekepe camp was rocked by a two-day industrial action which finally ended yesterday after the intervention of club president Farai Jere and his board, who launched a furious tirade at the players at their training ground yesterday.

After the meeting with Jere, the players were paid their outstanding dues which included their winning bonus for the match against Chicken Inn.

With the industrial action wasting two days of preparations, it had threatened to derail the Green Machine’s trip to Sakubva Stadium on Sunday.

Speaking at the club’s weekly press conference yesterday afternoon, United board chairman Lewis Uriri said they are now focussed on their trip to Mutare and to continue with their title charge after a good start to the 2016 season.

United currently sit in second place on the log after eight matches and trail leaders FC Platinum by only two points.

“The so-called sit-in industrial action is over and as we speak players are training. We are going to fulfil our weekend fixture in Mutare. We are not going there to Mutare as just a matter of form or to fulfil a fixture. We are going there serious to get maximum points.

“We have the position clear that we are here with those who want to work with us. In fact, going forward we will have a squad of not more than 25 players. A few of the players responsible for the sit-in are on their way out.”

The Green Machine coach Lloyd Chitembwe played down the team’s strike saying they are fully focused on the task at hand.

“From a coaching point of view, I am sure we started preparing for these games way back in January and we have had a good pre-season so missing training sessions for only two days will not affect the team’s performance,” Chitembwe said.

“The condition of the team remains good. Technically and tactically, we are okay. We haven’t lost anything, maybe we only need to work with the mental aspect and I don’t think that will be a problem. These players are very experienced to handle such situations.

“Remember they are professionals and they have a duty to take care of. I can say we are ready for the match. To me it’s a non-event just that it’s being dramatised so that it becomes an issue.

“I remember in 2004 we had serious issues than this but we went on to win the championship. Personally, I don’t think it’s something that can derail our ambition. It will not affect us in anyway.”

Fixtures:

Tomorrow: ZPC Kariba v Tsholotsho (Nyamhunga Stadium), Chicken Inn v FC Platinum (Postponed), Bulawayo City v Harare City (Barbourfields Stadium)

Sunday: Dynamos v Ngezi Platinum (Rufaro Stadium), How Mine v Highlanders (Barbourfields Stadium), Border Strikers v Chapungu (Dulibadzimu Stadium), Triangle United v Hwange (Gibbo Stadium), Mutare City Rovers v Caps United (Sakubva Stadium)

HARARE - Lobola writer and producer Joe Njagu is among the 1 000 fellows headed to America for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

The fellows are coming from 49 countries from Sub-Saharan Africa. They will visit 40 academic and leadership institutes across the USA.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, which began in 2014, is the flagship programme of President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (Yali) that empowers young people through academic course work, leadership training, and networking.

Njagu said it was a great opportunity for him as a filmmaker.

“This is a grand opportunity because I get to meet and visit film companies, Hollywood filmmakers. I am also going to be studying business and entrepreneurship at Cambridge University in Boston,” he said.

The fellows, who are between the ages of 25 and 35, have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive change in their organisations, institutions, communities, and countries.

Njagu is a filmmaker of note, whose fame came in 2006 when he teamed up with Ben Mahaka (Tom Mbambo in Studio 263) and Tatenda Mavetera (Tendai Jari) who expressed interest in his first script which they co-produced together and Ben Mahaka directed it. The film was called Bitter Pill and it went on to be the first Zimbabwean movie to be played on MNet.

Another film that put Njagu on the map was The Gentleman which starred Munya Chidzonga. Among the countries represented are Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Zimbabwe and others.