HARARE - Mbada Diamonds’ principals, Mauritius-registered Grandwell Holdings (Grandwell)’s hope of resuming mining operations in Marange were derailed yesterday after the High Court dismissed its application in which it sought to compel Marange Resources (Marange) to pay renewal fees for its special mining grants. 

Grandwell had dragged the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), Mbada Diamonds (Mbada) and Marange to the High Court, accusing the latter of failing to honour its obligations.

However, High Court judge Lavender Makoni yesterday handed down the ruling stating that, “the application is dismissed with costs”.

The litigation emerged after Mines minister, Walter Chidakwa, cancelled operations of all companies that were conducting operations under the Special Grants in the Marange diamond fields in February. 

Narrating the background of the matter in their court affidavit, Grandwell’s chairman, David Kassel, said his firm entered into a joint venture and shareholders’ agreement with Marange and Mbada in 2009.

According to clause 6,3 of the joint venture agreement, “Marange undertakes that it shall forthwith after the signature date and thereafter for the duration of this agreement, pay all necessary fees and make application for the renewal and/or continued existence and do all that may be necessary so as to ensure that the Special Grants and rights thereunder are in good standing and remain valid for the duration of this agreement allowing Marange to mine and prospect the concession areas in perpetuity.”

The agreement further stated that Grandwell and Marange Resources would be equally represented on the board of directors.

In terms of the contract, Marange undertook to pay renewal fees in respect of the special mining grants.

However, Kassel said, “In breach of its contractual obligations, the second respondent (Marange Resources) did not pay renewal fees in respect of the special mining grants. It sought instead an exemption from payment of the renewal fees without knowledge or approval of the applicant (Grandwell Holdings) and the third respondent (Mbada Diamonds).”

He claims that the exemption application was turned down, but Marange did not pay the renewal fees.

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The firm said it took the derivative action in a bid to force ZMDC and Marange to meet its contractual obligations.

A derivative action is a lawsuit brought by a shareholder of a corporation on its behalf to enforce or defend a legal right or claim, which the corporation has failed to do.

Kassel said the firm was being prejudiced as it has to pay wages and other business costs at a time when it is not mining adding that its property was depreciating in value arising from being non-functional, derelict and lacking in care and maintenance.

He said the government completely ignored its obligation and pursued a consolidation agenda, which sought compulsory merging of all seven diamond mining firms in the country into one, with the State owning 50 percent of the merged entity — Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company.

However, in response Marange’s chief executive, Mark Mabhudhu, said the application was premature, further arguing that Grandwell did not follow the agreed procedures prior to approaching the court.

“Clause 17 of the shareholders agreement also addresses deadlocks between shareholders when the prerequisite majority to approve a resolution cannot be obtained. It provides that in such an event, a mediation notice shall be given to all directors to meet and attempt to negotiate an amicable settlement.”

“If they fail to resolve it then the secretary of the company shall then give notice of the deadlock to the chairpersons of both the applicant and second respondent to mediate on the deadlock and if that fails the dispute is referred to a panel of experts. No attempt has been made by the applicant to utilise this procedure or even explain why it considers it inadequate or unsuitable,” Mabhudhu said, adding that the firm never breached any of the contractual obligations.

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HARARE - After a humiliating defeat at the hands of independent candidate Temba Mliswa, Zanu PF is now allegedly sharpening its rigging tools and has ring fenced rural areas ahead of the 2018 elections, the main opposition MDC has said.

Former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC, which is credited with helping Mliswa win the Norton by-election yesterday said rural areas will soon be sealed off by Zanu PF where people will be intimidated to vote for the faction-riddled party.

In a statement yesterday, MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said Zanu PF plans to raid certain rural areas and use partisan distribution of food to curry favour with potential voters.

“We are also aware of the fact that the crumbling regime has decided to ring fence all rural areas as they strategise to rig the forthcoming harmonised elections. Villagers are being forced to attend Zanu PF meetings throughout the rural areas and traditional leaders have been ordered to draw up lists of all known and suspected opposition political party supporters,” Gutu claimed.

Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo’s mobile phone was not available yesterday, while the party’s political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere did not respond to questions sent to his mobile phone.

However, United Kingdom-based law professor Alex Magaisa, who is also a former top aide of Tsvangirai, opined that Zimbabwe could be hurtling towards the dark days of 2008, when violence and intimidation became the order of the day.

He pointed out to the violent skirmishes that flared up in Norton as Zanu PF supporters descended on Mliswa’s backers and the silence from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) as ominous signs of worse things to come.

The respected academic said that although voters managed to overcome intimidation and also chose to ignore gifts in form of residential stands from Zanu PF to vote for an independent candidate, the threat is still hanging above voters’ heads.

“It is probably an indication of a maturing voter, who refuses to be bought by cheap and insincere gifts. If voters are taking the gifts and still voting according to their wishes, this would be the start of an important revolution in voter behaviour,” said Magaisa.

Still Magaisa warned that Zanu PF could respond to the rebuff in Norton with its “stone age tactics of violence”.

“It remains to be seen how Zanu PF will respond to the defeat. It might choose retribution, using violence to punish voters or simply withdraw the residential stands, feeling jilted by the voters”.

The Norton by-election was characterised by brazen electoral malpractices such as intimidation, violence, vote buying and yet Zec chose to bury its head in the sand, the analysts said.

According to Magaisa, opposition parties should not mistake the critical 2018 election for Norton as the political arena is still tilted in favour of Zanu PF.

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“What remains true is that the electoral landscape is still skewed in favour of Zanu PF and Zec continues to underperform in its role as a neutral, impartial and effective supervisor of elections. Mliswa’s success should not deceive the opposition or anyone into thinking that all is well in respect of election machinery in Zimbabwe,” said Magaisa.

Pointing out to the year 2008 when a bruised Zanu PF unleashed a reign of terror on ordinary Zimbabweans who had dared to vote Tsvangirai for president in that year’s March elections, analysts say Zimbabwe will tailspin to the dark days when some areas where sealed off by the ruling party with the aid of the country’s security apparatus.

In Norton, Zanu PF rolled out residential stands, food hampers and other freebies to entice voters but the electorate - that is reeling from economic hardships spawned by Mugabe’s 36 years rule - was unmoved.

Immediately after the announcement of the Norton results, Kasukuwere went on twitter and cryptically said “a lesson has been learnt”.

“Norton has eluded us. Key lessons have been learnt. Thank you to our supporters for coming out and voting for our candidate,” said Kasukuwere.

In its statement the MDC, which was backing Mliswa, was also cautious saying in as much as the Norton by-election was a “triumph” against Zanu PF, it does not necessarily mean that the electoral playing field is now even.

“Whilst we are very pleased that Mliswa won the parliamentary by-election that was recently held in Norton, the MDC remains acutely aware of the fact that the electoral playing field is far from even. Although Mliswa emerged the winner by more than 2 600 votes, the by-election itself was neither free nor fair,” said Gutu in a statement.

The MDC has vowed to boycott all elections in the country until the full implementation of requisite electoral reforms that are consistent with the country’s relatively progressive Constitution.

Through the National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera), the MDC and other political parties have been pushing government to implement reforms before 2018 elections and Gutu yesterday said “the game has just began.

“As seasoned and experienced campaigners for peaceful, democratic change, the MDC will never, ever sit on its laurels and believe that the electoral playing field is now even simply because Temba Mliswa won the Norton by-bylection. Far from it, if anything, we have decided to up the ante and ensure that our fight for the adoption of electoral reforms goes a gear up.

“We are dealing with a morbidly recalcitrant and stubborn dictatorship in the form of the Robert Mugabe-led Zanu PF regime. This is a dictatorship that will stop at nothing to make sure that it remains in power so that they can continue to loot and cannibalise the little that is now left of our national economy,” said Gutu.

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HARARE - The unusual statement by the army this week that the government should deal more decisively with corruption, by aggressively pursuing public officials implicated in graft, has fuelled fears that Zanu PF’s succession wars have become even more intractable — and that service chiefs are now heavily at the heart of the ugly ructions.

Analysts who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said the controversial remarks by Major General Douglas Nyikayaramba were a clear sign that the military was now a major player in Zanu PF’s seemingly unstoppable factional and succession brawls that are having a dire impact on both the party and the country.

This comes as senior military bigwigs, including Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander, Constantino Chiwenga, are said to be supportive of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s mooted presidential aspirations — a claim the top securocrats deny.

“The public statements by senior military officials that the levels of corruption are now a security threat are not the first time that they have inappropriately interfered in civilian affairs.

“For several years, the military has interfered in Zimbabwe’s political and electoral affairs including the 2008 presidential run-off election where the army played a major role in supporting political violence. The fact is the military has no business commenting on civilian issues,” human rights lawyer Dewa Mavhinga said.

“It is unconstitutional for the military to involve itself in factional politics. But also shows clearly that the military factor is on the side of Mnangagwa and against the G40 in the party’s succession politics, and the military factor may be the decisive one in the end.

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“Using anti-corruption as a disguise to fight factionalism in Zanu PF will ultimately undermine the real fight against corruption which is a major challenge for Zimbabwe today.

“State institutions, including the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) and the military should be non-partisan and should deliver their constitutional duties without fear or favour.

“They should not act or speak on behalf of factions, but only on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe,” Mavhinga added.

On its part, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC said the military’s “alleged concern” about rampant corruption in the country “should be taken with a very big chunk of salt”.

“Firstly, I must say the MDC has no business getting itself involved in the politics of Zanu PF’s terrible factionalism. That said, it is clear that the G40 faction is being battered left, right and centre, and are like a dead man walking.

“However, the military’s concern about corruption is not sincere. You will remember that top dogs within the military have been linked to massive looting of diamonds in the Chiadzwa and Marange diamond fields and we never heard the military publicly dissociating itself from these serious allegations,” spokesperson Obert Gutu told the Daily News.

Former civic leader McDonald Lewanika also said while the military may have expressed sentiments that resonated with ordinary Zimbabweans, they had no business “dabbling in civil affairs”.

“Corruption has now become the new proxy war, which ironically (Higher Education minister) Jonathan Moyo himself, who is at the centre of some of the current scandals, tried to use to deal with opponents to his faction in Zanu PF two years ago.

“While the military can venture opinions on key national issues, we need to be wary of celebrating their interventions when it mimics our calls as the military has no place in civilian affairs,” he said.

The concerns come as Moyo and his politburo colleague, Saviour Kasukuwere, have been fingered in corruption storms by Zacc and Parliament respectively, with Zanu PF insiders saying both men are G40 kingpins, a party faction which is rabidly opposed to Mnangagwa succeeding President Robert Mugabe.

Giving oral evidence before the parliamentary portfolio committee on Defence and Security on Monday, Nyikayaramba said corruption had become a security threat in the country and thus needed to be dealt with decisively.

And on Tuesday, another committee recommended the arrest of Kasukuwere over alleged criminal abuse of office during his tenure at the Indigenisation ministry, where he stands accused of misrepresenting facts on $10 million meant for communities in the rich diamond mining area of Marange.

“With the findings... revealing clear deception bordering on criminal abuse of office, the committee calls upon the Zimbabwe Republic Police... and all relevant authorities to institute formal proceedings... to investigate the conduct of... Kasukuwere, officials from the ministry of Youth... National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board as well as the diamond mining companies in relation to the MZCSOT (Marange Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust ),” said Justice Mayor Wadyajena of the Youth and Indigenisation committee.

“The committee further recommends... Mugabe to establish a commission of inquiry... to investigate the intricate web of deceit, corruption and fraud related to the establishment... of the MZCSOT,” he said.

“Further, that particular attention must be paid to a likely covert strategy meant to discredit and malign the office of the president,” Wadyajena said.

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HARARE - There was complete pandemonium in Parliament yesterday after police ill-advisedly stormed the National Assembly to rough up opposition legislators following a bizarre attempt by authorities to eject an MDC MP from the august House for wearing a jacket adorned in the colours of the Zimbabwe flag.

The unprecedented action by the police — which even some Zanu PF legislators described as “utterly shocking” — came after acting Speaker of Parliament Mabel Chinomona surprisingly ruled that MDC MP Costa Machingauta be removed from the House for proudly wearing his colourful jacket: arguably one of the highest demonstrations of patriotism and nationalism by a citizen.

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To add to the mayhem and sense of doom on the day, dozens of female MPs told the Daily News afterwards that they had allegedly been sexually abused by the manic police officers who pounced on them.

Most MPs were also in agreement that the police had infringed on the Constitution by invading Parliament and roughing up legislators, thereby ignoring a key tenet of Zimbabwe’s constitutional democracy — the separation of powers between the Executive and Parliament.

On the other hand, both political analysts and ordinary Zimbabweans alike were united in bemoaning the government’s “mad criminalisation” of the use and wearing of the national flag, where supposed offenders now risk having to serve a two-year jail term or being fined $200 under new laws governing the use of the flag.

Click to watch video:

What began as a routine, light-hearted point of order by Zanu PF MP for Zvishavane John Holder, who argued that Budiriro legislator Machingauta was improperly dressed, quickly turned nasty when Chinomona ruled that he be ejected from Parliament.

This saw Parliament security and the sergeant at arms attempting to carry out the order, with Machingauta vociferously protesting that there was nothing unparliamentary about the way he was dressed.

This subsequently saw police manning Parliament invading the august House to enthusiastically carry out the order, sparking even wilder protests from MDC legislators who argued that this latter action was unconstitutional and in violation of the rules of the House.

MDC vice president Nelson Chamisa pointed out that parliamentary rules under order 110 did not give police any authority to enter into Parliament to eject a member as it was ultra vires the doctrine of separation of powers in a constitutional democracy.

Opposition MPs formed a barricade using chairs in a desperate attempt to try and block the dozens of police officers who had come in and forcing their way towards Machingauta.

However, the police, with Chinomona’s encouragement, as well as cheering from a section of Zanu PF MPs, eventually managed to force their way and took Machingauta out.

“I wish to state and put it on record that we, as the opposition, are very clear and alive to the fact that standing rules and orders of this House do not give any authority to the police to eject a member of this House,” Chamisa argued on a point of order after Machingauta’s departure.

“We have authorities here and hence police officers cannot come to Parliament and I challenge you (Chinomona) to show us where in the Constitution is this  provided. I have consulted with legal gurus here and there is nothing like that.

“Our biggest problem though is that some of the police officers who entered (the House) harassed and sexually abused female MPs, which is a very serious offence.  But I know that this is easy to ignore when you are not a victim.

“We underscore that in terms of section 148 of the Constitution we need to respect our MPs for who they are. So, until we have an explanation of how the police ended up in here, we will have difficulties co-operating with you from now onwards,” the agitated Chamisa added.

Some of the MPs who were allegedly abused by the police include Lwazi Sibanda, the MDC MP for Tsholotsho, who claimed that she had her undergarment torn as one of the officers pulled her by the skirt, while another legislator, Susan Machuma, alleged that one of the officers had fondled her breasts.

Chinomona who was getting advice from Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda, promised that the matter would be investigated thoroughly.

However, she maintained that according to the rules of Parliament, police had authority to come in to arrest persons who could be interrupting the business of the House, adding that they did not need a warrant of arrest to do so.

But Chamisa insisted that Chinomona was being misled by Chokuda whom he said was failing to differentiate between an ordinary person and an MP.

Addressing the media soon after their subsequent walkout, Chamisa said what had transpired in the House was an “embarrassment” to the country.

“This is unheard of in the history of the country and it undermines the rules of law, especially section 148 of the Constitution. The sad thing is that we have received reports that one of our MPs had her undergarment torn by the violent police and it’s a worrisome development.

“We are also worried that we do not know where they have taken Machingauta to. That is why we have walked out in protest. It’s embarrassing,” he said.

The Zimbabwe flag has become a subject of much debate in the country both at home and internationally over the past few months, following a campaign by exiled clergyman Evan Mawarire who used it as a rallying tool in a social media drive dubbed #ThisFlag.

Then, the flag became the embodiment of a growing defiant spirit among Zimbabweans protesting against the country’s misrule by Zanu PF and the attendant economic rot.

And it was in the aftermath of that campaign that the panicking government invoked Rhodesian statutes and said it was now a criminal offence to sell or manufacture the flag without the Justice ministry’s permission — further threatening to imprison “offenders” as it sought to tighten the screws on dissenters.

In a strongly-worded statement in September, the Justice ministry warned: “The ministry of Justice as the administrative authority in charge of the national flag is concerned with the increasing incidences whereby members of the public have been using the national flag in a manner that is prohibited by the Constitution and the relevant Act of Parliament regulations”.

“The sale and use of the national flag is governed by the Flag of Zimbabwe Act and the regulations made in terms of the Act, namely, the Flag of Zimbabwe (use and application of the Flag) regulations, 1987, Statutory Instrument 194 of 1987.

“The Act makes it a criminal offence for any person to burn, mutilate or otherwise insult the national flag or any reproduction thereof, in circumstances which are calculated or likely to show disrespect for the national flag or to bring the national flag into disrepute,” Virginia Mabiza, the permanent secretary in the Justice ministry, said then.

During the official opening of Parliament by Mugabe on October 6, another MDC MP, Trevor Saruwaka, was barred from entering the august House for wearing a jacket adorned with the colours of the Zimbabwe flag.

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HARARE - The Sri Lankans are in town and while most fans are debating how long Zimbabwe will last, only a handful of supporters are aware that Zimbabwe will be playing their 100th Test match when they take to the field for the first of two matches on Saturday at Harare sports Club.

Sri Lanka have had a topsy-turvy time of it of late.

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They were outplayed by a rampant England team, but then bounced back in fine style to crush the Australians 3-0 in a home series, which many felt Australia would win, despite their inability to play spin.

A combination of typical Australian arrogance and complacency saw Sri Lanka outplay the Baggy Greens in every department, and although Australia salvaged some pride by winning the limited over series, Sri Lanka will be the more confident of the two teams when they face off in the two match series.

The tourists suffered a major setback when their skipper Angelo Mathews was ruled out of the tour due to injury, so talismanic left arm spinner Rangana Herath will lead the team in his absence.

The 39-year-old Herath was the chief destroyer in Sri Lanka’s 3-0 whitewash win over Australia, and will be well aware of Zimbabwe’s continued problems when facing spin, none more so then left arm spin.

Newly-appointed coach Heath Streak has spent a number of years on the sub continent and would have come across a number of left arm spinners, as well as pitches which suit the slower bowlers, and one hopes that he would be able to convince the board to prepare more livelier pitches than the low and slow pitches we have become accustom to over the last 10 or so years.

A slow and sluggish pitch will play right into the Sri Lankans’ hands, and Herath, who is one of the world’s best spinners would have an absolute field day, should we continue to prepare sub continental like pitches.

Zimbabwe have trimmed down their squad and left out John Nyumbu, Richmond Mutumbami and Brian Vitori, who according to reports felt he wasn’t ready for the demands and pressures of Test cricket, after undergoing a change of his bowling action.

If I were to be put on the spot and choose my starting line up, it would be as follows: 1. Tinotenda Mawoyo, 2. Brian Chari, 3. Hamilton Masakadza, 4. Sean Williams, 5. Craig Ervine, 6. PJ Moor, 7. Regis Chakabva, 8. Graeme Cremer, 9. Donald Tiripano, 10. Carl Mumba, 11. Chris Mpofu.

If you read last week’s column, you would have noted that I was a little hesitant of the inclusions of both Masakadza, due to lack of form and Mpofu due to lack of game time.

However, the selectors have shown faith in Masakadza, and the reason given is that he proved to be one of the few shining lights in Zimbabwe’s nightmare tour of Bangladesh back in 2014, and despite his lack of runs should be given another run at the top of the order.

Mpofu has by all accounts been bowling well, and because he is the spearhead of the seamers should be given the new ball.

Personally, I do still feel uneasy about both inclusions, however, if they have made the final squad, it would seem pretty senseless leaving them out.

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HARARE - New Zimbabwe cricket coach Heath Streak will lead the country for the first time when the hosts take on Sri Lanka in the first Test at Harare Sports Club starting on Saturday.

Streak, a former Zimbabwe Test captain and assistant coach, was appointed earlier this month to take over from Dav Whatmore, who was sacked in June following the side’s disappointing showing at the ICC T20 World Cup in India. 

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Despite this being Zimbabwe’s only second Test series inside two years, Streak wants his side to be competitive and is aiming to win the two matches.

Sri Lanka come into this series high on confidence following their recent Test success over powerhouses Australia.

“Preparations have been excellent with Pakistan A games ahead of this Test series. We respect Sri Lanka but our focus will be on what we can do and knowledge of our conditions,” Streak told the Daily News yesterday.

“They (Sri Lanka) like us, have some exciting youngsters but hopefully our senior players can stand up and perform. They are coming off a good home series against Australia. We will be playing with attitude to win not just compete.”

Zimbabwean selectors have trimmed the provisional 20-man squad that were called into camp to prepare for the series by axing five players.

Opener Chamu Chibhabha, wicketkeeper-batsman Richmond Mutumbami, all-rounder Prince Masvaure, seamer Brian Vitori and spin bowler John Nyumbu were all dropped from the squad to face the Asians in the first Test.

This leaves youngsters Tarisai Musakanda and Carl Mumba on the brink of making their Test debuts while seamer Chris Mpofu is poised to end his five-year hiatus from Test cricket.

The 30-year-old quick last played for Zimbabwe in the longer format in 2011 against New Zealand in his home town of Bulawayo and would be keen to make it 10 Test matches since making his debut 11 years ago against Bangladesh in Chittagong.

Convener of selectors Tatenda Taibu explained the decisions to drop the five players.

“Vits (Vitori) has a personal issue to deal with, Prince needs to hit a certain fitness level to be able to achieve all-round selection, Richy has potential but we now want to see that mixed with big scores and with John it’s a tactical decision,” Taibu said.

Meanwhile, the visitors’ coach Graham Ford bemoaned injuries to some of his key players including captain Angelo Mathews, deputy captain Dinesh Chandimal and pace bowlers Nuwan Pradeep, Dhammika Prasad and Dushmantha Chameera but said he is looking forward to a good series.

“Obviously, it will be different conditions for us. We were on home soil against Australia and we are  a lot more comfortable at home so this will be a bit of a challenge,” Ford said on arrival on Tuesday.

“We also have a couple of injuries and some new young players in the squad. He (Mathews) is a world class player, one of the best players in the world so obviously it’s a big loss but when you lose a player like that it’s an opportunity for somebody young to step into his shoes.”

Zimbabwe Test Squad: Graeme Cremer (Captain), Tinotenda Mawoyo, Hamilton Masakadza, Carl Mumba, Sean Williams, Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza Butt, Malcolm Waller, Christopher Mpofu, Regis Chakabva, Donald Tiripano, PJ Moyo, Brian Chari, Taurai Muzarabani, Tarisai Musakanda.

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HARARE - Permanent secretary in the Sports ministry Godfrey Chipare said national football teams — Mighty Warriors and the Warriors — will not receive any funding from the government for their Africa Cup of Nations assignments later this year and next year.

Appearing before parliamentary portfolio committee on Sports and Recreation, Chipare revealed that his ministry was told by Treasury to look for funds from elsewhere.

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Financial constraints have since delayed the start of preparations for the Mighty Warriors team who are scheduled to participate at next month’s Africa Women Cup of Nations (AFWCON) in Cameroon.

The Mighty Warriors, who are pitted against Cameroon, South Africa and Egypt in Group A, had suggested a long training camp.

With less than a month before the tournament starts the Mighty Warriors are still in the dark on the preparations.   

Zimbabwe senior national team, the Warriors will also be heading to Gabon next year January for the Afcon and already they have missed a chance to play international friendly matches owing to a lack of funds.

“Our Mighty Warriors will not be sustained adequately in terms of their finances,” Chipare said.

“We were told that we should not expect any money from Treasury for the Mighty Warriors. We were told to look for funds from elsewhere.

“In January, the Warriors will be proceeding to Gabon. It’s a success story by your ministry but it requires funding also but Treasury said they are not going to give us any funds.

“And it is in these areas that your secretary really wants to see stakeholder’s partnership on the part of your esteemed committee. We have given up on trying to get funds from Treasury and that’s why we are looking elsewhere and this a national project and we appeal through your committee to the whole nation to support the sport and recreation.”

Chipare said the Sports ministry has since come up with an independent committee responsible for fundraising for the Mighty Warriors.

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HARARE - Harare City coach Moses Chunga feels his team’s Castle Premiership clash against CAPS United tomorrow at Rufaro Stadium may provide more clues as to whether they are heading in the right direction.

Chunga, who replaced Taurai Mangwiro in June, has overhauled the Sunshine Boys by promoting a number of the club’s youth players from their development side despite an indifferent season.

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Despite being inconsistent, Chunga’s youthful side has been blowing hot and cold but on their day can be menacing as evidenced by their 2-1 home win over FC Platinum earlier this month.

That defeat saw FC Platinum surrendering pole position to current log leaders CAPS United.

Tomorrow, Harare City will once again come face to face with a side that is pushing for their first championship in over a decade.

“This is a new a game for us and we are treating it the same way as other matches that we have played before,” Chunga told the Daily News yesterday.

“We are very happy that our development is getting to fruition. I think for us this match against CAPS United at this stage of the season is a blessing in disguise. We are going to see if they are ready for the big stage.

“Remember, this is our project for next season and the stage will give us clear indications whether we are going in the right direction. We are not looking at what they want to achieve, we are only concerned about our progress.”

Chunga, who was once in the ranks of CAPS United before being forced out by a section supporters following a string of poor results, played down any talk of a revenge.

“I don’t dwell much on revenge,” he said. “It’s only a coincidence that I was with them at some point. I have since moved on and my task now is to see Harare City winning games. If we beat them it will be in the name of fair play.”

Since Chunga started work at Harare City, he has presided 18 league matches winning nine, drawing twice while losing seven times.

The former Dynamos coach also led the Sunshine Boys to the semi-finals of the Chibuku Super Cup before they were knocked out by FC Platinum last weekend.

Against CAPS United tomorrow, City will be without speedy winger Martin Vengesai and goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupanedengu, who are writing their exams.

On the other hand, CAPS United know they cannot afford to lose this game as it could put a massive dent on their title aspirations.

The Green Machine currently sit at the top of the log table with 54 points, one ahead of second-placed Highlanders and three ahead of third-placed FC Platinum.

Fixtures:

Tomorrow: Harare City v CAPS United (Rufaro Stadium), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Hwange (Baobab Stadium), Chapungu v FC Platinum (Ascot Stadium), Highlanders v Tsholotsho (Barbourfields Stadium)

Sunday: Border Strikers v Triangle United (Dulibadzumu Stadium), Dynamos v Mutare City Rovers (Rufaro Stadium), How Mine v Chicken Inn (Luveve Stadium), Bulawayo City v ZPC Kariba (Barbourfields Stadium)

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HARARE - Following the loss of Dynamos’ property and that of former executive members due to a $250 000 debt, an insider has revealed to the Daily News how money is siphoned out of the club.

The Glamour Boys are currently reeling after CBZ Bank was awarded a writ of execution to attach the club’s property over a debt dating back to 2011.

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Dynamos board chairperson Bernard Marriot Lusengo, his late predecessor Richard Chiminya, former executives Farai Munetsi, Harrison Mbewe and Michael Ignatius George also lost property as they were named in the suit.

However, a key figure in the DeMbare setup has come forward detailing how the club loses thousands of dollars at every home match due to lack of good cooperate governance and accounting procedures.

As the country’s biggest and most supported club, the Glamour Boys enjoy good crowds at their home matches even if their form has been topsy-turvy this season.

According to the informant, Dynamos should have easily serviced the CBZ loan as, at an average, they netted between $20 000 and $25 000 at their home matches when they were winning the championship between 2011 and 2015.

That figure has dropped to between $12 000 and $16 000 this season due to the economic crisis which has gripped Zimbabwe.

DeMbare have a sponsorship agreement with BancABC which caters for all the players’ salaries, training and playing kit while their transport costs are taken care of by an agreement with Nyaradzo Funeral Services.

This means, the club should have enough disposable income to cater for other critical expenses like the CBZ loan but that has not been happening.      

According to the insider, DeMbare no longer bank their gate takings with treasurer Webster Marechera making payments to Marriot and board finance director Owen Chandamalea from his car’s boot.

“The problem started when (Robson) Rundaba was removed from the post of finance director, leaving everything to do with money in the hands of Marechera,” revealed the source.

“When Rundaba was still in charge; after all home games we would surrender all the money to Securico guards, who would keep it at their offices until the next day.

“Monday morning, we would take the money to the bank and a meeting was then held to see which service providers and debtors were paid first. Then the players’ bonuses were also deducted from these gate takings.

“The extra money would remain in the bank and at the end of each year, an audit will be conducted. But since Rundaba was moved from the finance portfolio not a single cent has been banked.”

The source added: “At the end of every match, Marechera takes something between $500 and $700 to give to Chandamale. He then drives to hand Marriot at least $2 000.

“Marriot used to receive his money at the stadium but they changed the venue to Queens Hotel in town after people began to ask questions. Meeting in town became risky as well and they now do the exchange at his house.”

The rest of the board members have no say and even president Kenni Mubaiwa, who is in charge of the executive, is powerless to stop the rot.

“I’ve seen a lot of supporters and even you in the media crucifying Mubaiwa for the club’s decline but that is not correct. He was at the helm when the club won four consecutive championships,” said the source.

“Mubaiwa’s wings have been clipped in recent years and he does not have any control of the club anymore.

“He tried to stamp his authority on the issue of properly managing the gate takings but he was shot down by the board.

“He tried to change things at the club but he was frustrated. I don’t think he is still interested in the club since he has his own businesses to run.”

The source added: “Marechera and team manager Richard Chihoro are the root of all the club’s problems since they were hand-picked to occupy those positions by Marriot.

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Marechera unconditionally refuted the allegations. “I do not know anything about giving out money to board members,” he said.

Regarding the CBZ loan, the DeMbare treasurer said: “When the loan was accessed, I was not part of Dynamos. When I took over, the club was fully aware of the loan. I have been briefing the board on a regular basis regarding the loan.

“There is no money in the economy, everything is bad and there was no way we could pay the loan in this environment.”

Marechera promised to provide the Daily News with the club’s audited financial reports from recent years later this week.

Mubaiwa, however, confirmed that the Glamour Boys no longer banked their gate takings.

“If we bank the money, it creates a problem for us when we want to pay the players because you can only withdraw $100 per day,” Mubaiwa said.

“Things are now tough in Zimbabwe and as Dynamos, we are also affected by the economic challenges.

“Once we get cash at hand, it is better to pay our players straight away rather than having them go to the bank to wait in long queues.”

Mubaiwa added: “There is nothing wrong with this in terms of good corporate governance. All the money is accounted for and whoever gets paid signs for the money. Our auditors go through our accounts at the end of each year.”

Regarding the CBZ loan Mubaiwa said: “We were paying at least $10 000 every month to service the loan when we assumed office. We paid close to $200 000 but all the money was going towards the interest.

“As I said before, the economy is not performing well and we reached a stage where we could not pay that monthly instalment hence the attachment of the property. CBZ have records of our payments.”

Efforts to get a comment from Marriot and Chandamale proved fruitless as their phones were not being answered.

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HARARE - More than a dozen aircraft are expected to take part in the 2016 Vintage Air Rally, which starts on the Mediterranean island of Crete on November 12 and will include two Zimbabwean stops on its route down through Africa to Cape Town, where it will arrive on December 17.

The event is being arranged by international events and logistics organisation Prepare2go, and will follow a route used eight times previously by the company with rallies involving more modern aircraft, including helicopters.

“It is a most exciting event and we are delighted the organisers have chosen to include not only one but two Zimbabwean destinations in its itinerary: Victoria Falls and Bulawayo,” said a spokesperson for Inspiration Zimbabwe, local organising partner for the rally.

“The rally, with 15 vintage aircraft confirmed as participating, will attract major attention among aviation and travel enthusiasts across the world and there will be substantial print, broadcast and electronic coverage of the rally before, during and after the event, which will be beneficial to Zimbabwe’s travel and tourism sector.”

More than 50 people will travel in the rally, including pilots and navigators of the vintage aircraft, organisers and support crews, the latter travelling in five support aircraft and five support helicopters.

Vintage aircraft are those manufactured before 1939, and some of those taking part will have been originally produced in the 1920s. The route is similar to that taken over the years by pioneering aircraft developing routes across Africa, as well as by the famous Flying Boats used by the predecessor to British Airways in the 1940s and 1950s.

The aircraft assemble in early November in Crete and leave there on November 12, travelling to Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa, ending the event with a gala dinner in Cape Town on December 17. They will fly in loose formation along the route of more than

6 000 nautical miles and will enjoy access to some of the continent’s greatest attractions, including Victoria Falls.

“It’s an exciting and ambitious route and event and we are looking forward to ensuring that their Zimbabwean stay will be both enjoyable and fruitful, as they experience some of our top tourist attractions and the hospitality of the Zimbabwean people,”  said the spokesperson.

The rally participants will stay several nights in Zimbabwe, basing at The Victoria Falls Hotel alongside Zimbabwe’s premier tourist attraction from December 6 and, after being based at Holiday Inn Bulawayo, departing from Bulawayo on December 10.  They will use their time in the country to visit attractions and meet local aviation and vintage car enthusiasts, and the entire event will be filmed and recorded for post-event publicity.

“This is a unique opportunity to showcase Zimbabwe to the world and we look forward to the support of Zimbabwean organisations in partnering the organisers to make the rally a success,” said the Inspiration Zimbabwe team, adding that Puma Energy was already a partner, supplying fuel for Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.

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HARARE - Dendera music star Suluman Chimbetu and Zora star Leonard Zhakata will share the stage at a family show to be held at Extra Mile in Harare on Sunday.

Before the Sunday Family show, Zhakata would have performed at Gwaya Gwaya Night Club in Chinhoyi after which he will share the stage with Franco Slomo of Extra Kwazvose at Chikangwe Tavern in Karoi tomorrow.

Seh Calaz, Ricky come to Mutare

Zimdancehall artiste Ricky Fire will perform at Club Mandisa tonight in keeping with the Mutare entertainment venue’s mission to host top artistes.

Tomorrow the same venue will host another Zimdancehall star Seh Calaz who will be supported by teenage sensation Tipsy.

Spring Gospel Concert on tonight

Jazz star Rute Mbangwa, gospel music star Bethen Pasinawako and Francis Hawu Juma, better known as Flabba, will share the stage at the Anglican Cathedral Garden tonight.

Machipisa foot-bridge to be turned into theatre venue

EDZAI Isu Trust Community will hold a ground-breaking ceremony at Harare’s Machipisa Shopping Centre to mark the conversion of the disused Machipisa foot-bridge into a community theatre venue.

The event, which will run from 10am to 1pm, will be graced by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe representatives, officials from various corporates and local community leaders.

Edzai Isu Trust founder Tafadzwa Muzondo is looking forward to completing the project.

“We are confident that with support from various stakeholders we have worked with over the years and seed funding from Africalia, we will establish a symbolic and artistic bridge of creativity for community entertainment, engagement, empowerment and development,” said Muzondo.

SA DJ to perform at Harare Halloween Party

TOP deep house South African DJ Chunda Munki will bring his unique sound to Zimbabwe for the first time at The Jam Tree in Mt Pleasant tonight in an event dubbed the “Day of the Dead.”

Music Festival and Family FunDay tomorrow

The Hatfield Community Hall will host a family fun day filled with music and family fun activities for the whole family from 12 noon tomorrow.

Ladies Night

Tinkabell Restaurant will host a Ladies Night tonight. Tables of 10 will get a free bottle of wine in the midst of music, cabaret show and lots of games.

HARARE - President Robert Mugabe’s regime continues to manipulate the magnanimous relief effort by western governments and aid agencies, forcing the humanitarian agencies to make painful choices — either to stop dealing with the rogue and unsavoury government or turning their back on needy civilians.

As first reported by the Daily News this week, aid agencies and representatives of western governments confronted the government at an emergency meeting held in Harare on Monday over its obstructions to humanitarian assistance from opposition supporters, with regime officials only enabling the flow of aid to those who bolster the 92-year-old president’s regime.

The government’s grain importation and distribution programme is also widely sledged for political bias; deficiency of transparency and responsibility; and unrestrained levels of corruption and mismanagement.

There have also been a myriad of grievances over violence and intimidation by war veterans, Zanu PF youth, youth brigade members, and the politicians who organise food distributions.

Humanitarian missions must take concrete action to respond to this blatant abrogation of human rights in a way that protects desperate and hungry villagers.

The western-coordinated humanitarian response must operate independently of the political priorities of the Mugabe government.

The politicisation of aid, where politicians, organised groups of war veterans, members, Zanu PF party youths, youth militias have used relief aid for their own ends, has left thousands of desperate civilians without aid, while scores are dying from inadequate medical care and lack of food.

While the international aid system in Zimbabwe functions relatively tightly, the Mugabe regime has curiously gained significant and substantial influence over the relief effort, with aid workers and programme managers warning that international relief food was being diverted or distributed unfairly and less was reaching the targeted population.

No self-respecting aid group would want its name associated with a brutal tyrant who uses their aid as a political weapon.

The government now faces calls for an independent inquiry into its actions, with the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) head of Vulnerability Analysis Unit, Joao Manja, stating they have received over 1 000 complaints through a hotline in six months from April, over flawed “selection of beneficiaries, issues related to registration, from the quantity of the food basket even issues related to exclusion of vulnerable households or wrong inclusion of certain households”.

United Kingdom Department of International Development (DfID) humanitarian advisor Mira Gratier called for the urgent depoliticising of the international aid effort and controlling aid flows.

United States Agency for International Development (USAid) Humanitarian Assistance and Resilience office director, Jason Taylor, warned they could be forced to suspend cooperation with government because of the Mugabe regime’s influence and misuse of international aid.

The threat by humanitarian missions to suspend cooperation is of deep concern, and too ghastly to contemplate.

Yet the ultimatum is the culmination of months of frustration about the delivery of aid to communities that do not support the opposition, and mounting concern over the government’s sneaky strategy — criticism Social Welfare minister Priscah Mupfumira maintains is unfair.

The government has repeatedly denied politicising aid and defended its actions, insisting it remains completely impartial. In a briefing to the aid agencies on Monday, Mupfumira claimed aid agencies work very well with key government departments to support the delivery of humanitarian relief, and stated Mugabe had said no Zimbabwean would die of starvation.

Despite Mupfumira’s hollow remonstrations, politicisation of food aid remains widespread, especially in Zanu PF strongholds, yet the impartiality of the humanitarian operations is fundamental to saving lives. The charities’ focal point must be squarely on reaching people in need. If this persists, who then must feed opposition supporters?

Others feel threats by western countries to withdraw from embattled and drought-torn Zimbabwe may be as difficult to deliver on as earlier promises to protect civilians here, but the prospect nevertheless stir fears of devastating consequences for most of the country’s desperate citizens.

While the warning gives the impression of a new, get-tough attitude with the government, the consequences of such a pull-out would almost guarantee worse impunity and widening of the politicisation of food on the remaining and sole government aid programme.

Essentially, the aid agencies must work with all to reach all.

This comes as 4,5 million people are facing food shortages and need aid, according to the UN, as the El Nino-induced drought continues to devastate the country, and malnutrition is on the rise.

UN resident and UNDP resident representative in Zimbabwe Bishow Parajuli has warned that the drought conditions in many parts of the country have been unprecedented and have severely increased the vulnerability of the poor, depriving them of their livelihoods, including livestock and agricultural production as well as access to water, nutrition, health and education services.

The ongoing aid effort is the most expensive and challenging to date, with the UN appealing for $730 million in humanitarian relief for Zimbabwe after government declared a state of national emergency with effect from February 3, and allowed for the establishment of a standing Cabinet Committee on emergency response chaired by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The dedication of relief agency staff has to be hailed. It is also all the more reason to be dismayed by the Daily News’ exclusive revelations that food aid worth millions of dollars have gone exclusively to people close to Mugabe.

Concerns that the regime might kick the aid agencies out of Zimbabwe entirely, should they become too outspoken, are real.

With China’s Ambassador to Harare, Huang Ping, announcing that his government will provide rice worth $24,6 million and the Brazilian and South African government confirming their further commitment to the ongoing humanitarian response, the president could feel he has little to fear.

Yet it is worth considering the precedents again given that previously non-western governments have failed to adequately provide an emergency response.

This comes as the international community has dismally failed to diffuse the highly charged political situation in Zimbabwe, where tensions are running high between the government and its political opponents as well as between the government and major international donors now.

A sturdy and equitable humanitarian response is the very least required. The aid agencies’ span for leverage may be very limited, but it is not non-existent.

Complaints about politicisation of aid and other amenities were part of the background music in the run-up to the recently-held Norton by-election, where Zanu PF got a hiding from sports personality and businessman Temba Mliswa.

Zanu PF must stop playing politics while children are suffering.

HARARE - Zimbabwe's largest mobile telecommunication firm by assets and investment, Econet, has grown its subscriber base to over 10 million, latest data show.

Statistics released by the Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) on Tuesday revealed that Econet subscriber base increased by 7,4 percent from 9,2 million in the first quarter of this year to 10 million in the second quarter.

On the other hand, NetOne grew its subscribers from 5,4 million to 5,68 million — translating to a 4,5 percent increase in the period under review.

The country’s third largest mobile telecommunication company Telecel also saw its subscriber base surging by 5,9 percent to 4,5 million in the second quarter from 4,2 million in the first quarter.

“The total number of mobile subscriptions in the country increased by 6,2 percent to reach 20 257 180 from 18 992 082 recorded in the previous quarter,” the regulator said.

Potraz added that the number of active lines in the quarter under review was 13 010 873 — representing a 0,9 percent increase from 12 900 173 recorded in the previous quarter.

“The mobile penetration rate also increased from 96,5 percent to 97 percent,” Potraz said.

However, despite the increase in subscribers, total mobile revenues declined by 3,7 percent to record $161,5 million from $167,7 million recorded in the previous quarter.

“This decline in revenues was fuelled by the decline in voice traffic,” Potraz said.

HARARE - The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya yesterday said the introduction of bond notes will not result in food shortages or an increase in inflation.

Mangudya said the currency, set to start circulating early next month, was aimed at boosting exports and subsequently grow the economy.

“The issue is about the economy and not bond notes,” he told delegates attending a breakfast meeting organised by the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce in Harare.

“Zimbabwe is facing many challenges including current account deficit, lack of fiscal space and lack of access to foreign finance…hence the need for an investment-led growth to counter these challenges,” he said.

In the grip of its worst drought in a quarter century that has left over 5,5 million people facing food shortages, Zimbabwe is also running out of cash, forcing the central bank to impose limits on imports and withdrawals from banks.

However, there have been fears that central bank’s plan to introduce bond notes to ease the dollar shortage could open the door to rampant money printing, as happened in 2008 when inflation hit 500 billion percent, wiping out people’s savings and pensions.

To deal with such fears, Mangudya said the RBZ will only introduce bond notes in smaller denominations of $2 and $5 to hedge against inflation and build people’s confidence in the currency.

The bond notes, backed by a $200 million Afreximbank facility and pegged at par with the United States dollar, are also expected to reduce illicit financial inflows which had become rampant following the collapse of regional currencies due to a fall in commodity prices and a strengthening of the greenback.

Speaking at the same occasion, Consumer Council of Zimbabwe executive director Rosemary Siyachitema said people were sceptical of the new currency and wanted assurance that the economy will not slide back into the hyperinflationary period.

“We interviewed about 300 consumers and they expressed fear of being impoverished again. We lost a lot of wealth and became poor because of the policies that were made,” she said.

Mangudya, however, dismissed talk of a return to the local currency as “unfounded rumours” and indicated that it was imperative for the country to implement investor friendly policies to lift domestic production.

“We have assured the public before and we would like to continue to do so that the country’s economic fundamentals do not support the return to the Zimbabwe dollar. The multi-currency system is here to stay,” he said.

Zimbabwe has since January 2009 used foreign currencies including the US dollar, British pound, Chinese yuan and South Africa Rand among others after dumping its own currency that had come to symbolise a decade of economic collapse.

The roots of country’s economic malaise can be traced back to 2000 when President Robert Mugabe introduced a controversial land reform programme that led to the forced seizure of white-owned farms.

Since then the country has been blighted by political and policy instability, while its infrastructure has crumbled.

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HARARE - Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights representatives for 105 protestors that were nabbed over demonstrations in Harare have threatened to boycott trial proceedings demanding that State complies with a court order to investigate their clients’ torture by police.

Obey Shava and Trust Manda represent the group that was advised to appear for trial commencement on December 6.

They appeared before Harare magistrate Bianca Makwande facing allegations of public violence.

On the initial remand in July this year, Shava complained that his clients had been subject to inhuman treatment and torture at the hands of the police who arrested them.

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An order was subsequently issued for the State to investigate the complaints by Harare provincial magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe.

However, prosecutors professed ignorance of the issuance of the said order when they advised accused persons of their trial date.

The magistrate had to peruse through the record to establish if the court had issued such an order before advising the State to compile and present the report before trial commencement.

“May it be placed on record that on December 6, if the State fails to investigate the complaints as ordered we will be making an application that the trial proceedings be put in abeyance until they abide,” Shava said.

“When we initially appeared in this court, complaints were raised against the conduct of police details against our clients before an order was issued. State ought to comply with the court’s orders.”

According to State papers, on July 4 this year, police received a tip-off that protesters from Greater Harare Association for Commuter Omnibuses were demonstrating in Epworth, Zimre Park and Mabvuku.

The court heard that the rioters had blocked traffic flow at Chans Shopping Centre using boulders, drums and burning tyres.

The demonstrators allegedly forced passengers to disembark from commuter omnibuses until police moved in to calm the situation.

The court heard that the accused persons began charging at the cops throwing stones and threatening them with death.

Police officers who sustained injuries from the attacks are still receiving medical attention.

Accused persons were later arrested. 

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HARARE - Harare City Council (HCC)'s environmental management committee has expressed concern at the mushrooming of refuse dumps across the city due to lack of collection in some places for nearly nine months.

The Herbert Gomba-led committee said the increase in refuse dumps was because of the non-availability of refuse bins at district offices.

Ward 14 councillor Samuel Chinyowa said suburbs have gone for the nine months without proper refuse collection.

“There are countless heaps of rubbish all over the high density suburbs and it seems like no one is going to collect the refuse. I have complained about the issue but every time I am sent to different offices to address the refuse problem,” Chinyowa said.

He added that if the rubbish is not collected, it could soon breed flies and rodents, as well as be the vehicle to spread diseases such as cholera.

Braeside and Arcadia residents have also complained that the suburb has gone for more than six weeks without refuse collection, arguing that open spaces have been converted to dumpsites.

The Environmental Management Agency (Ema) has said each local authority is encouraged to make and develop a system in line with waste management.

Ema said the waste management programme should provide mechanisms, systems and procedures for giving effect to every stakeholder’s obligations in terms of legal frameworks, local people’s norms and standards of proper waste management.

“Most cities, towns and growth points are characterised by litter and illegal solid waste dumps on street corners and along sanitary lanes. According to Practical Action Southern Africa (2006), more than 2,5 million tonnes of household and industrial waste are produced per annum in urban areas across Zimbabwe,” Ema said.

Last week, Environment minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said Harare was shockingly dirty and polluted.

“Harare has become one of the dirtiest cities. We litter, we throw kaylites and plastics out of our car windows. Our drainages are constantly blocked by plastics.  What type of a people have we become? These plastics end up in our dams. Can you imagine raw sewer in this day and age?” she said.

HARARE - Parliament's Health portfolio committee has urged government to declare the health crisis a national disaster to enable mobilisation of donor assistance.

They said the move will curb continued suffering of Zimbabweans.

This come as government pre-allocated $50 million for the Health ministry in the 2017 budget — excluding salaries — against an expectation of $1,2 billion urgently needed to stabilise the sector reeling from a crippling crisis  of medicines.

The meagre allocation, presented by the Health ministry at a pre-budget meeting on Tuesday, raised stakeholders’ fears that if ill-quipped, the sector would be condemning its citizens to “death”.

The fund will see $29 million going towards recurrent spending and $20 million towards capital expenditure.

Further compounding the health sector’s woes is that of 2016’s $28 million recurrent expenditure and $20 million capital spend budget, Treasury has only released $8,7 million and $1,5 million respectively and the year nears its end.

Part of the ripple effects, Members of Parliament were told on Tuesday, are that children under five years, who should be receiving free medical care, are being charged by some government hospitals a bid to stay afloat.

The concerns prompted Parliament’s Health portfolio committee acting chairperson, Prince Dubeko, to enquire why Cabinet had not yet approached President Robert Mugabe to declare the crisis a national disaster.

“When are you going to declare the health sector a national disaster? Have you recommended this to the president?” Dubeko enquired.

Health and Child Care acting secretary Gibson Mhlanga said the allocated amount was “piecemeal” and would not serve to alleviate the sector’s problems.

“It perpetuates the situation where we have shortage of drugs and we are just paying salaries and doing things here and there,” he said.

Mhlanga said hospitals were mainly being supported by user fees and at lower levels by partner funding, a scenario he said was unsustainable.

“As a result of the erratic support, the hospitals have faced continuous medicines and consumables shortage,” he said.

Health ministry Finance director Heather Machamire said the food situation in hospitals was so desperate that they had to approach the Social welfare ministry seeking food aid.

Zimbabwe Association of Church-related Hospitals executive Vuyelwa Sidile-Chitimbe, said the country was facing massive migration of urban citizens to rural and mission hospitals in a bid to access affordable health services.

This was in turn suffocating the meagre resources in those medical centres, he she said.

“Nurses are working on the ground without latex disposable gloves. They are delivering children without gloves,” Sidile-Chitembe said.

She said the system was also putting patients’ health at risk by delaying the distribution of drugs.

“So what does this mean to the health of the patient? It’s the system that’s letting them down…doctors are struggling to deliver no tools of the trade. Patients are complaining. We are killing our own people,” she said.

Government’s chief agent for procurement, storage and distribution of medical supplies, the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) is also saddled by its own problems, acknowledged its managing director, Flora Sikefu.

Government owes NatPharm $23 million and the debt has reportedly crippled most of its operations.

“Last week we were given $1 million by the ministry of Finance through the ministry of Health because of what has been happening at our health institutions where critical products were not available in central hospitals,” Sikefu said.

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HARARE - University of Zimbabwe academic, who is Emeritus professor in the department of African Languages and Literature, George Kahari, yesterday launched two books — The Standard Shona-English Dictionary of Names and The Odyssey of Shona Imaginative Narratives — at the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust offices in Harare.

Several top government officials, diplomats, fellow academics and artists attended the launch.

The Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust, in partnership with the European Union, the Swedish Embassy, Danida among other partners funded the projects.

In his speech Kahari — who boasts over 60 accolades which include the Cambridge-based International Biographical Centre’s IBC Lifetime Achievement Award — said the Standard Shona Dictionary of Names took 64 years to see the light of day.

“The Standard Shona-English Dictionary of Names is not a compilation of historical person’s names but of meaning, significance and symbolism behind personal family totems and tribal praise names.

“The names are metaphoric and reflect various families’ ‘Pride and Prejudice’ yearnings, hopes and their hatred towards their immediate and distant relatives . . . got editing funds from the European Union and printing funds for 275 sets of two books (3 000 pages) from the Swedish government”.

On the other hand, The Odyssey of Shona Imaginative Narratives is a “collation and collection of published/unpublished articles and addresses to local and international conferences, 1964-2016, a period of 54 years in 466 pages”.

An accomplished author with several titles under his belt, Kahari — who served as Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to West Germany, Republic of Italy and the former Republic of Czechoslovakia — has lectured at Boston and Lawrence universities, Macalester University College in the United States and the University of London (SOAS) in England among other top international institutions.

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HARARE - The disposal of the late national hero Josiah Tungamirai’s estate has spilled into the High Court after it emerged that some of his property was bonded by CBZ Bank over a $67 000 debt, reportedly owed by his late wife’s company.

The High Court has since ruled in favour of the cancellation of the mortgage bond following an application filed by the retired air chief marshal’s estate executor, Oliver Masomera, through his lawyers from Gunje and Chasakara Law Firm — against CBZ Bank and the master of the High Court.

Masomera told the court that he sold a block of flats in Harare in the process of winding up Tungamirai’s estate.

He said in February last year, he concluded the agreement of sale of the property but realised that Tungamirai had passed a mortgage bond in favour of the bank in 2003 for ZW$45 million, which hypothecated the property.

Masomera later sought to cancel the mortgage bond and the release of the original deed of transfer.

“In a series of correspondences exchanged between the parties, it became clear that first respondent (CBZ Bank) does not want to cancel the mortgage bond or release the deed of transfer,” Masomera said in court papers.

According to court papers, Masomera later learnt that a company owned by Tungamirai’s late wife Pamela Christine Tungamirai called Dig Up Marketing had borrowed $67 532, 92 from the bank.

Pamela had bound herself as a guarantor on the loan transaction.

However, Masomera said the bank then pursued Tungamirai’s estate on the basis that he once guaranteed Pamela on other transactions that were different from the one at hand.

Masomera, however, argued that Tungamirai was not a guarantor of the said loan, adding that the two had no nexus.

“The late . . . Tungamirai passed on before Dig Up Marketing had even borrowed money from first respondent (CBZ Bank),” Masomera said.

However, CBZ through its head of recoveries and collections, Noah Chakara, said the loan was released on the strength that her late husband’s flats were to be distributed to her.

Chakara said Tungamirai was therefore liable to the debt.

The High Court went on to give an order for the cancellation of the mortgage bond and the immediate release of his property’s deed of transfer.

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HARARE - Parliament's Youth and Indigenisation portfolio committee has summoned Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC) executive director, Livingstone Dzikira, to respond to allegations of abusing Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef) resources, after he failed to turn up for a hearing yesterday.

The Justice Mayor Wadyajena-chaired committee said Dzikira had been evading invites to appear before it, prompting the resolve to summon him.

“If you see Dzikira tell him...that the committee sat and resolved to summon him. Havasisina matiziro avachaita, havasisina manzvengero avachaita (he has got nowhere to run),” Wadyajena said telling the Youth ministry’s secretary, George Magosvongwe, yesterday.

This came after Magosvongwe, together with other ministry officials, attended the committee’s hearing, instead of ZYC, which had been scheduled to appear before the committee.

According to Magosvongwe, the youth council is a department under the ministry, which however enjoyed some “autonomy”.

Apparently, the ministry officials had ambushed the committee to make its pre-budget consultative presentation, as they just turned up in place of the youth council.

“We were not expecting you today. We were expecting the youth council. You don’t just turn up, what has changed ” Wadyajena said as he read out an earlier letter in which the ministry’s officials had given an excuse that they would not be able to attend yesterday’s meeting, citing various reasons.

“We were not prepared to meet you today; we understood the contents of the letter that you were not coming today,” he said.

ZYC has been accused of misappropriating 100 000 litres of fuel, from Zimdef, which the council said it had transferred to the Zanu PF Youth League to facilitate its activities.

The fuel allegations followed investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) into Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo and his deputy Godfrey Gandawa’s alleged fraudulent activities involving Zimdef funds.

There have been growing calls for President Robert Mugabe to suspend Moyo and Gandawa over the deepening scandal involving over $400 000, with Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa saying everyone, including vice presidents and ministers, is subject to criminal persecution.

During yesterday’s committee sitting, Wadyajena quizzed Magosvongwe if he as the accounting officer of the ministry and the youth council was aware of donations made by other government departments.

Magosvongwe said he would only know after the information had been availed to him.

In their presentation, the Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment ministry officials said they required $10 million more from the budgetary allocation in order to upscale the youth service as well as increase vocational training centres.

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