HARARE - Zimbabweans, and women in particular, have united to roundly condemn Wednesday’s chaotic scenes in Parliament in which police roughed up opposition legislators after authorities bizarrely moved to eject an MDC MP who was wearing a jacket decorated in the colours of the national flag.

Female MPs have also told a stunned nation how they had allegedly been groped by the manic police during the pandemonium.

The unprecedented move by the police to storm the National Assembly 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.

Rights groups which spoke to the Daily News yesterday said Chinomona was at fault in the sad saga, adding that she should be held accountable for the chaotic scenes which they said had brought Parliament into disrepute.

“Considering that the session was being chaired by a woman, we expected her to be honourable and responsible enough to protect fellow women. But unfortunately, this did not happen.

“It is also our expectation that police should be taking a lead in creating a safe environment free of harassment for all, but surprisingly, they are taking the lead in perpetrating sexual harassment as evidenced by recent developments.

“It is in that vein that we want Parliament and the commissioner-general of police, Augustine Chihuri, to act quickly to rectify this anomaly so as to restore the dignity of women who no longer feel safe even in the august House,” an official with Justice for Women Zimbabwe (JWZ), Bridgette Nyandoro, said.

On its part, the Zimbabwe Women in Politics Alliance (Zwipa) said the chaos in Parliament showed that the police had lost their moral and legal mandate to protect the people.

“ZRP has a record of sexually harassing and brutalising women and this has been going on without action being taken.

“As an organisation that represents the rights of women, we are calling for an urgent inquiry on the conduct of the police,” the organisation’s founder and national coordinator, Linda Masarira, said.

“In May a (police) inspector who was leading the anti-riot police at Africa Unity Square in Harare fondled my left breasts as he was trying to arrest me.

“It was a mammoth task to open a docket and the docket has since gone missing for the third time and the police are reluctant to take the matter to court,” Masarira who languished in remand prison for more than two months following her arrest in Harare during the July 6 stay-away, fumed further.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC said Wednesday’s scenes were a sign that Zanu PF and key State institutions such as the police had no regard for the rule of law in the country.

“Zimbabwe degenerated into a banana republic years ago. The Zanu PF dictatorship has absolute contempt and utter disrespect for the doctrine of separation of powers.

“To them, Parliament is just an underfunded, weak and castrated appendage of the Executive arm of the State. This is why Zanu PF thugs and hoodlums, fully dressed in police uniform are deployed at Parliament masquerading as duly attested members of the police force.

“The Speaker of Parliament is virtually a ceremonial head of an institution that is emasculated. Practically, he doesn’t have any power. Zanu PF is a mafia organisation! warts and all,” its spokesperson Obert Gutu thundered.

An agitated MDC vice president, Nelson Chamisa, has also blamed Chinomona for disobeying the rules of Parliament by allowing police to storm the august house.

“We have authorities here and hence police officers cannot come to Parliament and I challenge you (Chinomona) to show us where in the Constitution this is 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,” Chamisa said.

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.

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, Zimbabweans 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.

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HARARE - Mystery surrounds stunning claims emanating from South Africa that six Zimbabweans suspected of plotting to overthrow President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF government are being held by that country’s authorities following their arrest two weeks ago.

Determined efforts by the Daily News yesterday to get more information on the claims from both South African and Zimbabwean law enforcement agencies, to establish their veracity, failed to yield results.

Police spokesperson Charity Charamba politely declined to comment on the issue, saying she was still to be briefed on the case.

South African authorities similarly asked for patience from the media, adding that it was premature to make “definitive pronouncements” on the matter.

But with Zimbabwe fumbling on a knife edge that has seen growing citizen unrest over the past few months — due to a cocktail of challenges that include gross misrule by Zanu PF, the country’s dying economy and worsening poverty levels — Mugabe’s panicking government has been visibly on high alert, as seen in its heightening reliance on the security sector to crush dissent.

It is in this toxic climate that South Africa’s New Age newspaper, owned by the infamous Gupta family, which allegedly bankrolls and controls President Jacob Zuma, reported yesterday that the six Zimbabweans had been arrested by Pretoria’s crack law enforcement agency, the Hawks, on charges  of plotting to topple Mugabe from power.

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It said the suspects, five men and a woman aged between 22 and 34 years of age, were being held in custody in Limpopo Province, which borders Zimbabwe.

They were apparently arrested at the Grobler’s Bridge Border Post in Witpoort, near Lephalale, allegedly on their way to Mozambique to receive military training to force regime change in Zimbabwe.

“According to the Hawks, the suspects were arrested with the help of foreign military assistance. Their arrest comes shortly after claims by a Zimbabwean ‘terrorist’ group, ‘Smoke That Thunders’, that Mozambique’s Renamo bandits had offered them a military training base.

“The group claimed they were preparing to forcefully end Mugabe’s 36-year rule before Christmas. In a video posted online, a man who identifies himself as the group’s commander, Jeff Judah Hosana, said the Mozambique-based group was recruiting men between the ages of 20 and 45,” the New Age reported.

It also quoted Information permanent secretary and Mugabe’s spokesperson, George Charamba, saying Zimbabwe was yet to receive reports about the arrests, adding however that Harare was aware of claims that Renamo had offered training to the group.

“They (South Africa) may have communicated with our security cluster because they have their own way of handling such issues.

“There were claims that Renamo offered to train them, but we never took that seriously. But, in any case, they know what awaits them,” Charamba is reported saying.

The six suspects, who have apparently already appeared in the Lephalale Magistrates’ Courts, face charges related to terrorism and contravening South Africa’s Immigration Act.

A Hawks source told the newspaper: “It appears they were recruited to undergo military training in Mozambique in order to overthrow the Zimbabwean government”.

Another police source also told the newspaper that the suspects were still in the holding cells.

“The matter is being handled by the Hawks and they don’t want anyone near the suspects because they are still interrogating them,” the second source claimed.

Watering the story somewhat, Zimbabwe’s ambassador in Pretoria, Isaac Moyo, is quoted saying the issue had not been mentioned during a meeting that Harare had with a South African delegation in Harare last week.

“We have not heard anything regarding that matter from our South African counterparts. We had a meeting in Zimbabwe last week where these issues were discussed but this was not brought up,” Moyo said.

South African State Security Department spokesperson, Brian Dube, also said he was not aware of the arrest.

“Normally, when we conduct such operations we do them jointly with the Hawks, but I can’t confirm this one,” he said.

Zuma is due to travel to Zimbabwe next week, as a follow-up to economic and trade agreements signed by the two countries last year, when Mugabe visited South Africa.

Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson, Clayson Monyela, refused to comment on the arrests ahead of Zuma’s trip, saying it was a police matter.

“It’s an arrest and it is being handled by the police,” Monyela said.

The stunning claims come after the commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, Philip Valerio Sibanda, indicated in August that the army was training its officers in cyber terrorism to counter the threat posed by social media.

Contacted by the Daily News last night, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC, which has often been accused by Zanu PF of training insurgents, distanced itself wholly from the saga, with spokesperson Obert Gutu saying they had “no link whatsoever to any groups that operated outside the law”.

The shadowy group that goes by the moniker “Smoke That Thunders” has been posting videos online, threatening to take its war to Mugabe, in addition to asking for donations from the public to fund its anti-government cause.

“We are not intimidated by what you say Robert Mugabe. Where we come from we have traditional leaders and they have told us you are not one of us,” the self-styled commander of the group, Hossana, is recorded as saying.

In another video, Hossana appeals to well-wishers to fund their cause to remove Mugabe and even goes on to provide their banking details.

“These people (ostensibly Zanu PF) are demon-possessed. They have been in power for 36 years and they keep on wasting our time . . . we cannot keep millions of people jobless, so we want to remove these people,” Hossana, who claims that the intention is to create a new Zimbabwe based on Christian values, adds.

The group has also claimed that Renamo, which is presently involved in talks with the Mozambican government to reach a peace deal, had offered them military training.

In another one of his of videos — which have gone viral online — the group declares that Mugabe would be gone before this coming Christmas.

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ALEPPO - Rebels in Syria have announced a big offensive aimed at breaking the government siege of east Aleppo.

A UK-based monitoring group said the rebels had fired "hundreds" of missiles into western Aleppo, killing at least 15 civilians.

They are also reported to have targeted al-Nayrab military airport to the east.

About 275,000 people have been besieged in the east by pro-government forces for several months.

Syria and its ally Russia have recently intensified air strikes on the east.

The attacks are so far coming from rebels outside Aleppo but it is understood that rebels inside the city will join the offensive.

"All the revolutionary factions, without exception, are participating in the battle," the military spokesman for the Fastaqim faction inside the city said, AP news agency reports.

They include Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, as well as fellow Islamists Ahrar al-Sham.

Rebels fired Grad missiles at al-Nayrab, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) monitoring group said. Up to 115 people were killed or wounded, it added.

They also detonated two car bombs against government positions to the south-west of the city. One was a tank driven by a French suicide bomber from Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, a spokesman for the group said.

The area around the Hmeimim air base near the coastal city of Latakia - the main airport used by the Russian air force - was also reportedly targeted, the SOHR said.

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LAGOS - Nigeria will invest $10bn (£8bn) in its oil-rich south to end an insurgency by militants, the oil minister has said.

The money would be used to build infrastructure, including roads and railways, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu said.

Militant attacks have severely disrupted oil production, fuelling a recession in the West African state.

The militants have been demanding that the government spend more of its oil wealth on tackling widespread poverty in a region, known as the Niger Delta.

They also accuse multinational firms of polluting the environment, destroying the livelihoods of farming and fishing communities.

HARARE - Parcelling of land to Zanu PF youths in Norton ahead of last Saturday’s by-election which eventually won by an independent candidate and former legislator Themba Mliswa is akin to vote buying, political and social commentators contend.

In a bid to win votes in the hotly contested Norton by–election pitting Zanu PF candidate Ronald Chandiedza, Mliswa and David Choga of the National Constitution Assembly (NCA), Zanu PF unveiled 5 000 residential stands to its party youths.

The stands were handed over to them by the party’s secretary Kudzai Chipanga.

Election Resource Centre (ERC) director Tawanda Chimhini said reports received by his organisation pertaining to campaigning ahead of the Norton by-election suggest vote buying especially considering unchallenged indications that residential stands had been parcelled out at rallies with those doing so explicitly giving conditions for the stands being support for one political party.

“While the code of conduct for political parties, the instrument that regulates conduct of political parties, candidates and their supporters, does not make mention of vote buying, it does mention bribery among the prohibited conduct during elections.

“Section 6 (f) of the Code of Conduct notes that no political party or any of its members or supporters and no candidate or any of his or her supporters may bride a voter to exercise his or her vote in a particular manner.

“That being said, there is no doubt that the parcelling of stands on a partisan basis during campaign rallies is in clear violation of the code of conduct and the involved candidate, political party and their supporters should be held accountable for such violation if investigations verify the violation.”

Chimhini said the fact that media reports have noted the possible violations should be enough to prompt action from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

“However the unfortunate element in terms of mechanisms that exist to curb possible violations to the code of conduct is the glaring absence of enforcement provisions. This, in the ERC's view, is one of the many gaps that have over the years been left in the legislative and administrative frameworks of our election.

“Sustaining vague provisions that could easily address electoral irregularities could be a deliberate strategy to give an unfair advantage to the parties with access to resource.”

Chimhinhi said the ERC insists that given what has been obtaining in by-elections and in order to improve the credibility of our election processes ahead, “it is inevitable that the legislative and administrative frameworks for elections be exhaustively, inclusively and transparently reviewed.”

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka said Norton has provided ample evidence why reforms are necessary ahead of the 2018 election.

“If you have people being beaten up at a sanctioned rally as Zanu PF did to Mliswa's supporters and when you have overt vote buying as confirmed by this distribution of stands ahead of an election, then you know we have to brace for a violent election.

“And in all these instances, ZEC maintains the silence of the grave even though what is happening is a gross violation of election regulations.

“They must brace for the mother of all wares because we are not going to relent on comprehensive reforms to ensure that the people's will is upheld and respected,” said Tamborinyoka.

He added that the signs that came from Norton were very disturbing. “We are a long way off from credible elections.”

Playwright Leonard Matsa said: “It’s sad our politicians think of our people's welfare nothing beyond political fodder especially during elections.

“While they might see vote buying as political dexterity, this is in fact affirmation of policy failure and inability to appeal through service.”

Political commentator Mcdonald Lewanika said the use of land (re)allocation to buy voters they cannot persuade is an established Zanu PF of strategy, “first in the rural areas as we saw in the 2000s and now as we see in Norton and as we saw (Saviour) Kasukuwere do to mobilize young people to feign support for Mugabe ahead of their march in May.

“While it is good that people get land for farming and housing, those getting it must know that it is a poisoned chalice as it is mortgage against Zanu PF of support and because of the improper way it is done can be taken away at any time after they have delivered the vote.”

Lewanika said while this is tantamount to vote buying, as a strategy it cannot be used to buy majority votes in the 2018 election.

“Land is finite and at some point those who are lucky enough to receive and hold on to it need to ask when the price is fully paid, while for those receiving food, they need to ask whether they are willing to exchange a fish for their votes instead of fishing rods through sound and fair governance,” said Lewanika.

Media activist Tabani Moyo agreed that this is the software that Zanu PF has employed over these years starting with the land grabs when it saw that it was losing grip in the face of new opposition then.

“The same has happened in the distribution of food and other basic requirements of our existence that have been politicized for narrow political ends.

“You also track it to the awarding of unplanned gratuities back then in 1997 that crashed the economy. It’s equally traceable in the failed companies grab through the infamous Empowerment act among others,” said Moyo.

He added that the footprints are also visible in the so called Command Agriculture, a shadowy scheme for political ends. “As elections draw nearer, you shall see an upscale in the dolling out of mining clams, residential stands, tenders as a way of releasing money from government for party activities.”

ZimRights director Okay Machisa said they have always maintained that there is no political will to implement the constitution fully. “Section 155 subsection 1d specifies clearly that any election or referendum must be free from violence and other electoral malpractices where vote buying is one of them.

“Parcelling of state resources especially residential stands at political rallies is clearly vote-buying. It’s very sad that instead of reforming for good, Zanu PF is expediting unconstitutional and illegal electoral practices.

“It is only that one day when the people will say enough is enough. And that day shall be fulfilled one of the days to come.”

Political commentator Maxwell Saungweme said what happened in Norton was simply vote-buying.

“It’s fraudulent electoral practice. That's how Zanu PF starts rigging elections. Rigging does not happen on voting or counting days. But it starts now with electoral malpractices such as this.

“Zanu PF has little hope to offer to the masses and it is likely that they will continue parcelling freebies and land to buy votes towards the run-up to 2018 polls.

“Opposition parties should start challenging some of these moves now in courts and in parliament and not wait for 2018,” said Saungweme.

Political commentator George Makoni said Zanu PF is targeting the youths through giving them housing stands because they are poor and desperate, hence they will accept the offer.

“It then becomes easy for the party to use them as cannon fodder in perpetrating violence. The youths’ constituency has also been targeted as a replacement of the party’s key campaigning constituency, the war veterans whose majority has parted ways with Zanu PF.

“The use of carrot and stick approach has always been Zanu PF’s strategy in all the past elections, particularly using their unfair advantage over the control of national resources,” said Makoni.

Media practitioner Rashweat Mukundu said the parcelling of land is certainly problematic close to Election Day. “It's akin to vote buying and the use of state resources for electioneering. These are genuine matters that ZEC must be concerned about.

“This stands for votes strategy will likely be used in 2018, but then you can only give out so much land.”

Social commentator Stephen Tsoroti said: “It's quite open that Zanu PF is using this ploy to win votes and it is going to be unfortunate if people vote thinking this is going to solve problems that are more than just owning a stand.

“Look, people need accommodation, but there are more urgent matters like solving the unemployment problem, corruption which is rampant and causing considerable damage to the economy.

“Issues of water provisions which are critical in Norton should be core issues of this by-election. Remember, the needs of the constituency must be addressed before parties jump into creating more problems.”

Human rights activist Dewa Mavhinga said the votes for stands strategy is blatant vote buying, illegal and unconstitutional “as it discriminates against youths from other parties and appears designed to buy votes in the Norton by-election.

“It is illegal and criminal for government food aid to be given on a partisan basis.”

Political commentator Rejoice Ngwenya said: “According to the constitution and electoral laws, it is illegal to do anything in a constituency during an election that is deemed to be buying of votes.

“The tragedy is that Rita Makarau is watching this unfolds; and we have so-called democrats like Qhubani Moyo in ZEC who should be preventing this.

“As we already have said, under the current circumstances of Zanu PF hegemony, it is impossible to guarantee free and fair elections. I suggest that those participating and contesting against Zanu PF raise this issue in the courts.”

Political commentator Phillip Pasirayi said the parcelling of land for housing only to Zanu PF youths in Norton was a vote-buying gimmick.

“Land is at the core of the ruling party's electoral strategy not only to retain the Norton constituency but also to win the 2018 elections.

“The Zanu PF strategy is to neutralise the MDC influence in urban areas through distribution of patronage resources such as land to youths and women.

“Part of the Zanu PF electoral strategy is to identify state land in urban areas for distribution to party supporters for housing,” said Pasirayi.

He added that it is sad because these youths don't have money to develop those stands, hence they will end up selling them.

MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said Zanu PF has since thrown all caution to the wind. “They were smelling a humiliating defeat in the Norton by-election and as such the regime decided to embark on a grandiose vote-buying scheme wherein un-serviced residential stands in Norton are being dished out like confetti to all prospective voters.

“In fact, this vote buying plot of dishing out un-serviced residential stands in urban and peri -urban areas will be Zanu PF's way of doing business as we approach Election 2018.”

WASHINGTON - She might be the breakout star of this year's campaign trail, but First Lady Michelle Obama won't be making the jump from surrogate to candidate.

That's according to her husband, who firmly told a radio show his wife "will never run for office."

"She is as talented and brilliant a person as there is, and I could not be prouder of her, but Michelle does not have the patience or the inclination to actually be a candidate herself, and that's one thing you all can take to the bank," President Barack Obama said on the "Sway in the Morning" show in an interview that aired Friday, part of a get-out-the-vote push for Hillary Clinton.

Michelle Obama has become a powerful surrogate for Clinton, appearing at large rallies in battlegrounds and denouncing Republican nominee Donald Trump.

She made her first joint appearance with Clinton on Thursday in North Carolina, where she praised her fellow first lady and issued a warning about being deterred from voting.

"That's the strategy -- to make this election so dirty and ugly that we don't want any part of it," she said. "So when you hear folks talking about a global conspiracy and saying that this election is rigged, understand that they are trying to get you to stay home. They are trying to convince you that your vote doesn't matter, that the outcome has already been determined and you shouldn't even bother making your voice heard."

Many Democrats have expressed an eagerness for the first lady to utilize her powerful speaking skills and wealth of popularity to make a bid for office herself. But she's consistently expressed a distaste for politics, even revealing she didn't want her husband to enter political life.

The President said in the interview Thursday the first lady would instead remain focused on the issues she's championed as first lady, including education for girls.

"We're going to be doing a lot of work, we'll just be doing it in a different way," he said.

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JOHANNESBURG - The biggest club story on the African continent this week has been the exploits of Pretoria-based Mamelodi Sundowns who defied all odds to beat Egyptian giants Zamalek 3-1 on aggregate and won the African Champions League trophy.

Now, they don’t come bigger for any club on the continent than winning the Champions League title.

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Having won 3-0 at home, it was always going to be a formality for the Gauteng side and although Zamalek scored a consolation goal in the second half during the second leg, the die had been cast.

Apart from pocketing a whopping R20 million in prize money, the victory also offers the winners an opportunity to compete in the Fifa Club World Cup whose edition will take place in Japan in December this year.

Now that is some incentive. Which player would not like to rub shoulders with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and company?

And for those who haven’t heard the news, Sundowns owner, mining mogul Patrice Motsepe has told the media and public that he would not take a single cent from the winnings. That money would be shared among the players. Wow!

That means certain players who played throughout the qualifiers like our own Khama Billiat might be having a fantastic Christmas. He might easily end up realising a staggering R1 million on his bank balance. Now that is not small change! Coming back to Sundowns conquering Africa; it all goes to show how meticulous planning can bring huge rewards.

When Motsepe bought Sundowns in 2004, the Mzansi game was dominated by traditional rivals Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.

But having pumped millions and millions of Rands into the club, the Brazilians have become the team to beat in Mzansi and with the Champions League title in the bag; this might catapult them to further dizzy heights. Motsepe is one club owner who doesn’t believe in cutting corners when it comes to reaping rich dividends.

His philosophy when he bought the club was to make it not only a giant in Mzansi but on the African continent.

To make sure his team stays at the top; he has bought only the best players and pays them well. In his own admission recently, he boasted that playing for Sundowns has changed players’ lives.

This might look a ridiculous way of achieving success but this is the trend the world over. Teams literally buy success by bringing on board only the best.

The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, and Manchester United among others spend millions and millions of dollars in bringing on their books only the best and that is exactly what Motsepe is doing.

They say money makes the world go round and for sure, Motsepe has made his billions do all the talking.

There is a lesson that can be learnt from how Motsepe has built his empire and the model of creating a success story.

From being a junior partner at a top Johannesburg law firm, to running a business from a car boot, Motsepe rose up to being one of the richest people in South Africa.

But that has not stopped him from remaining grounded. He remains modest, has time for the rank and file and attends most of the club’s matches.

While stories of financial difficulties by Zimbabwean clubs are well documented, running teams on a professional basis should not be compromised.

If you want the best from your players, you mustn’t short change them — after all they are the major role players in the bigger scheme of things. They must get their salaries on time, have adequate transport, stay in good hotels when in camp and fly to long distance fixtures.

Today, Motsepe is and his team are living their dreams because they did everything by the book.

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HARARE - Scores of emerging stars will take to the court at Belgravia Sports Club next month to celebrate the Zimbabwe Squash Academy Trust’s (ZSAT) seventh anniversary.

The SEF Prospero Capital-bankrolled squash tournament set for November 25 and 26 will see junior players battling for honours across Under 23, U19, U16, U14, U11 and U9 age groups.

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Founded by one of the country’s top squash coach Mashumba Mukumba the academy has proven to be a conveyer belt of repute, providing talent for the national team set up and grooming young players from both the low and high-density suburbs.

Children from different high density suburbs of Harare namely Kuwadzana, Dzivaresekwa, Mufakose, Budiriro, Glen view, Warren Park, Highfield, Chitungwiza, Mabvuku and Tafara have all found a home at the academy.

Mukumba believes the academy’s success would not be possible without the assistance of Belgravia Sports Club, stakeholders and parents who support players with resources.

As for next month’s event he is organising the tournament with the assistance of Talent Mushunje and Malvin Mubure and support from SEF Prospero capital (Pvt) Ltd.

“We have been getting support from in and outside the country since the opening of the academy,” Mashumba said.

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HARARE - Harare Rugby will hold its elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Prince Edward School Cricket Pavilion this morning.

All positions are up for the taking from the chairman, vice-chairman and secretary downwards while other positions will be filled by appointments to be made by the new board.

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The new board is set to take over from an interim one that has been running the affairs of the Harare League and will be mandated to lead until the 2019 World Cup and after which it will be a four-year term.

Roger Woodward, a member of the outgoing interim board said stakeholders converge to select a substantive board this morning.

“It’s normally a four-year term to coincide with the World Cup.

“The new board takes over from the interim one until after the 2019 World Cup and from then it will be a four-year term for each board elected into office,” Woodward told the Daily News yesterday.

The current board was an interim one but the chairman and vice chairman both resigned earlier in the year.

The remaining board members include Crispen Katogu, Gerald Chinyani of Police Defenders, Stu Irvine of Old Georgians, Lady Cheetahs captain Charity Mucucuti and Woodward.

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HARARE - Financial constraints have forced the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) to once again shift the Mighty Warriors’ camp to an unknown date.

The Mighty Warriors, who will represent the country at next month’s Africa Women Cup of Nations (AFWCON) in Cameroon, were scheduled to go into camp on Thursday to begin preparations but the camp was called off.

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Zifa communications officer Xolisani Gwesela yesterday told the Daily News the “association is still seized with logistics” saying they expect the team to go into camp next week.

But this will come as a huge blow to coach Shadreck Mlauzi and his technical team, who had expressed desire to have a long camp with the team to enable them enough time to fine tune the squad ahead of the tournament.

“We have postponed the camp again because we are still seized with logistics,” Gwesela said.

“We are now expecting them to start camp next week. It is true time is no longer on our side but we are doing all we can to ensure the team start its preparations.”

The Mighty Warriors were drawn against African powerhouses Cameroon, South Africa and Egypt in Group A.

Group B consists defending champions Nigeria, Ghana, Mali and Kenya.

The AFWCON finals will run from November 19 to December 3.

Mlauzi, who has already submitted his provisional squad, is a worried man.

“Yeah, obviously when things do not go the way you want you are bound to be worried,” Mlauzi said.

“We had wanted a long camp but we know things are difficult, so we will have to wait until the resources are there and we will make use of that time.

“What is more worrying is that time is no longer on our side and most of our opponents have already started preparing.

“We wanted to give a chance to some of the fringe players but at this rate it will be very difficult to tamper much with the team.”

As part of their preparations the Mighty Warriors played Egypt at Rufaro Stadium last month in a hastily-arranged friendly match which they won 2-1 and where Mlauzi had to largely do with a makeshift side after some league teams declined to release their players for national duty.

Earlier this week, 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.

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

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HARARE - Zimbabwe will reach a milestone of 100 Test matches when they take on Sri Lanka this morning at Harare Sports Club.

There is also another possibility of Zimbabwe capping their 100th Test player with seamer Taurai Muzarabani, Tarisai Musakanda (batsman) and Carl Mumba (medium seamer) all in line to make their debuts in the longer format.

Zimbabwe coach Heath Streak said he will not be taking any prisoners and would rather risk a loss in pursuit of victory and hopes the milestone will be celebrated with a win.

“It’s a nice stat as far as the 100th Test and the possibility of a 100th Test cap is certainly on the cards for tomorrow (today) so that will be something special and hopefully it’s gonna be made more special if we can go out there and really put up a good show and come out with a victory,” Streak said yesterday.

Zimbabwe has also recorded 53 centuries in the 99 Test matches they have played to date and the former captain is one of those players to have scored a century.

“ . . . For me I was more known as a bowler so it was a special occasion, I mean everyone loves to score runs but to score a Test century was something that I really cherished and enjoyed and looking forward to hopefully one or two of our guys doing that during the course of this Test,” Streak said.

“We are under no illusion that they (Sri Lanka) are a good side even without the likes of Angelo Mathews and with a few young guys they have just come off the high; they have beaten Australia at home so they will be confident but they lack a little bit of experience that they had back at home in terms of the conditions and also personnel so we gonna try and make the best of that.”

Mid West Rhinos batsman PJ Moor is set to play in his second Test after making his debut against New Zealand in August.

Moor might be handed the wicket-keeping gloves after Richmond Mutumbami was dropped from the 15-man squad.

Another player with keeping abilities, Regis Chakabva is also in the squad and the selectors will make their choice this morning.

“It’s a consideration and obviously we will finalise the team . . . but he has done it in the past; PJ is a super fit guy, he works hard he’s a great role model as a young guy for other youngsters in terms of his work ethic and what he does.”

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HARARE - CAPS United title hopes will be put under renewed scrutiny this afternoon when they clash against neighbours Harare City in a Castle Lager Premiership tie at Rufaro Stadium as the title race reaches its climax.

The Green Machine presently 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 with only three matches left before the season ends.

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The title race has come down to a dogfight between these three sides and today’s game presents Makepekepe with a chance to advance towards their first title in a little over decade.

Lloyd Chitembwe’s charges are aware they have to maintain their impressive form lately, which has seen them topple FC Platinum from the top.

For CAPS United to be crowned champions at the end of the season, they need to win their remaining three fixtures and their assistant coach Mark Mathe believes they have now rolled up their sleeves to work towards the that.

“It’s a really important few weeks for a lot of teams, not just us,” Mathe told the Daily News after the team’s light session at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.

“We definitely feel like we can go there and win, it’s just a case of playing the way we can and not getting drawn into the occasion.”

Mathe said their players needed to show character to cross the finish line ahead of Bosso and the platinum miners.

“It’s all about our application, if we get that right and our attitude right and not take anything for granted, we have a real chance of winning,” Mathe said.

“At this stage, we need strong mental strength as we have demonstrated in our previous matches. In fact, we need more character in all the remaining three matches.

“For now we need to focus on the Harare City match. We have been talking to the players and they know what is expected.” 

While Mathe is confident of collecting maximum points he reckons it will not be an easy match.

The former Highlanders coach has not forgotten how they benefited to go top of the log after Harare City defeated FC Platinum 2-1 at Rufaro Stadium earlier this month.

“We are expecting a very tough game against Harare City,” he said.

“I have watched some their matches and they are a descent team. Remember they have a great coach in Moses Chunga. I think he has done well so far for the club. They will definitely not make it easy for us. But as CAPS United, we will fight for maximum points.”

Makepekepe are boosted by the return of Leonard Tsipa and Phineas Bamusi, who were suspended in their last league match while midfielder Archieford Gutu has also recovered from an injury.

Tsipa is the league current top scorer with 11 goals and his absence as the Makepekepe focal point in attack was evident when they toiled before coming back to draw 3-3 with Dynamos in their last league outing.

Harare City, on the other hand, are on a rebuilding mission and Chunga this week revealed the match against CAPS United may provide more clues as to whether they are heading in the right direction.

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HARARE - Although she took up the sport only recently, Demi Ferreira has hit the big time in the fitness bodybuilding category.

Last weekend, the 19-year-old was crowned Ms Zimbabwe Junior Bikini Fitness champion at the contest held at Harare International School.

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On the same night, she went onto compete in the Women Bikini Fitness category and finished in second place in only her third major competition.

The former Chisipite Senior School student took up the sport in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and now her goal is to recruit more people to be health-conscious.

“Being healthy and living a healthy lifestyle is my passion and I want to help and influence others to feel, look and project a healthy living,” Ferreira tells the Daily News on Sunday.

“Well, firstly I don’t come from a very wealthy upbringing so that has taught me to appreciate everything that comes my way.

“I started with my first competition end of last year and loved the entire experience and was overwhelmed with the feeling I had as I stepped on stage.

“So, I then wanted to better myself in this industry and see how much further I can grow as an athlete.

“I have also done one international competition which was held earlier this year in South Africa- the Arnolds Classic Africa.

“When I win or even just stepping on stage I feel overwhelmed with happiness and truly grateful to the Lord. I was so astonished to win gold and let alone silver as well. I feel truly blessed.”

Ferreira lit up the Harare International School auditorium in Mt Pleasant with her sound track Watora Mari by local music star Jah Prayzah in collaboration with Tanzanian singer Diamond Platinumz .

The track kept the audience captivated as she went about her business on the ramp while posturing well to the line “Ukazunza mazakwatira watora mari” prompting the crowd to demand her back on stage.

“My trainer Precious Mujuru motivated me to use the sound track as it would bring out more character in myself and give the audience something they would enjoy.

“I do understand a bit of Shona but not much but I do understand the lyrics of the song,” Ferreira says.

“I did not expect the crowd’s reaction to be so bold and uplifting and certainly did not expect a second call back on stage.

“My heart was filled with so much joy and love for those who cheered me on even though they didn’t know me. I think my overall placing with the silver was totally unexpected I had no idea I would place so well against women who have been doing this their whole lives.”

She says she is grateful for the support she is getting from family and friends and currently she is studying towards a personal trainer certification with the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

“My family and friends are outstanding support systems especially my boyfriend (Wayne Edwards) whom I have been with for six years. He keeps me focused and on track daily and without him I wouldn’t be who I am today,” she says.

“My mom (Paula Ferreira) and dad (the late Michael Ferreira, who passed away two years ago) have also been a huge motivation towards a healthy lifestyle.

“I am currently studying to be an ACE Personal Trainer with Debi and Austin Jeans. I have two sisters that live overseas in the UK whom I absolutely adore- Abby-jai and Beaulieu

“ I intend to reach international level again and place in the finals and most of all nothing in life would ever be possible without the Lord Almighty.”

While she has strong family support around her, Ferreira has a strong bond with her mother Paula.

“My mom provides for me and looks after me and the whole process and preparations leading up to competitions wouldn’t be possible without her,” she says.

“She is the one who helps me with fees to go to gym and paying for my personal trainer and spray tanning.

“Basically everything regarding the comp and that I love her and appreciate everything she does for me.”

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MUTARE - Sakubva is gangland. And most of those involved in this war are using martial arts as they seek to gain territory over rivals.

This has led to all those who practice the sport being invariably labelled mobsters whether they are members of a gang or not.

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Recent violence outbreaks between different gangs for control over territory only worsened the high density suburb’s stigma of the sport.

But one of its most eminent sportsmen is now fighting the tag. As a four-time national kickboxing champion, Knowledge Nyamhoka, is trying to bring back integrity to martial arts.

Hailing from the notorious part of Sakubva — Japan — which is well known for its running battles between warring gangs, Nyamhoka is tired of being branded a mobster.

“Martial arts and gyms were, for long, associated with violence and thugs but we are rehabilitating that image,” he tells the Daily News on Sunday.

Nyamhoka dominated the local kickboxing circuit and won the national championship between 2002 and 2005 before leaving for South Africa as the economy imploded.

He is back in Zimbabwe and now runs a gym at Sakubva Beithall.

Nyamhoka is largely a self-taught Third Dan Black Belt master having started his career in martial arts with Wushu, a combination of various styles.

“I was trained by a Japanese master for about a year when I was only a 14-year-old before he left the country and I started reading and practising on my own and with the help of other martial artists in Sakubva,” he says.

“I later settled for kickboxing but because we didn’t have a proper grading system I was graded through the competitions I would enter and win. I was never defeated in the ring in more than 40 fights.

“I then started this gym to share with others what I learnt over the years in a more formal environment. I had even wished to have my own academy but I’m converging everything in this gym.”

Nyamhoka, also works with Rebuild Sakubva, an organisation that is working to rehabilitate the suburb’s image.

“We now have old people and women visiting our gym,” he says.

Rebuild Sakubva executive director Lucia Nkomo said the gym now has more females members than men.

“The slimming belt is their favourite. There are also free aerobics every Thursday afternoon which attract a lot of women as they now appreciate the benefits of fitness,” Nkomo said.

She said Nyamhoka was winning his battle as people were now coming from all over the city to the Beithall.

“We have people from all the city’s suburbs and from all walks of life coming to this gym at the heart of Sakubva. We have pastors, doctors and other professionals coming which was unimaginable only a short time ago,” she said.

Nyamhoka said more and more people are also embracing the rather new thinking that you do not build muscle and martial art skills to go around terrorising members of the public.

“We have a strict disciplinary code that you are not coming to this gym to build skills to assault people,” he says. “We do not want any of our members associating with violence.”

An instructor at the gym Charles Makukutu said:  “We have about 120 members who come here for body building, power lifting, kickboxing and general fitness.

“We always emphasise that we are here to develop ourselves and stay fit as well as to be able to defend ourselves not to cause others harm and so far, we are being very successful.”

Although there is proliferation of gangs around Sakubva due to the high unemployment rate among youths and drug abuse, at least there are some people who are trying to stop the violence.

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HARARE - Tsholotsho yesterday produced a sensational performance to derail Highlanders’ chances of winning the Castle Lager Premiership title when they defeated the Bulawayo giants 2-1 at Barbourfields Stadium.

There was drama before the match when the entire Tsholotsho delegation paid their way into the stadium avoiding using the usual entry point designated for the teams.

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Tsholotsho, who are fighting tooth and nail to remain in the Premiership, are deep in the relegation, went on to win the match courtesy of a brace by Nixon Gama.

Bosso, who had won seven consecutive Premiership matches prior to yesterday’s game, failed to rise to the occasion.

They were otherwise wasteful in front of goal as their players ran out of ideas in the final third.

Simon Munawa could have opened the scores for the home side in the third minute but his effort from inside the box went over the bar.

Highlanders’ inform play-marker Rahman Kutsanzira also had his effort from the edge of the box saved by Tsholotsho keeper Nickel Marichi.

Gama finally broke the deadlock 17 minutes into the match when he got to the end of an inch-perfect cross from captain Nkosilathi Moyo on the left side before tapping home with Highlanders defenders nowhere near action.

Bosso tried in vain to come back into the game in the first half and on two occasions striker Prince Dube had his efforts saved by Marichi.

Gama completed his brace five minutes after the break when he connected with a cross from Rodrick Mufudze to beat Bosso keeper Ariel Sibanda for the second time.

Highlanders upped up their game after the introduction of veteran forward Ralph Matema and Godfrey Makaruse for Benson Phiri and Gabriel Nyoni.

Matema gave Bosso some hope when he scored in the 59th minute when he curled past Marichi following some good work by Kutsanzira, Erick Mudzingwa and Dube.

Bosso kept piling on the pressure and Mudzingwa could not believe his eyes 65 minutes into the match when his header from a Dube corner kick hit the crossbar.

As time went on Highlanders, started to panic and they were hurrying their efforts in front of goal and on many occasions indecision in the attacking third was their worst enemy.

After the match Highlanders coach Erol Akbay was disappointed by the way his team defended and also the chances they missed.

“It was a good game from both teams. Same old story coming in again, we are not scoring. We are losing concentration, we made two stupid mistakes and they scored and we are just not scoring. After this, I think championship is over for us,” Akbay said.

Tsholotsho assistant coach Farai Tawachera said: “It was a difficult match. We had planned very well for this match. Our game plan worked. We have watched Highlanders play so many times and realised they are poor in defending crosses and we scored from crosses.

“As for relegation survival, it is still game on. We will work hard and see what happens in our last two matches.”

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HARARE - On a day the country was supposed to be celebrating a great milestone of 100 Test matches and our 100th Test player, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) bigwigs decided to grab all the headlines — albeit for the wrong reasons.

Yesterday, ZC officials denied accreditation to journalists from our stable and those from other independent media houses from covering Zimbabwe’s first Test against Sri Lanka at Harare Sports Club.

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Despite sending all the relevant information to process our accreditation on time, in a terse email, ZC media manager Darlington Majonga said: “We regret to inform you that your application for media accreditation was not successful. Please note Zimbabwe Cricket reserves the right to approve or reject applications in its sole discretion.” 

ZC is trying to hide behind a finger here because we are perfectly aware of the true reasons behind this move.

Our stable and some of our colleagues from other media houses are being punished for the objective coverage of the game.

It is not our fault that ZC delayed paying players their match fees and awarding them contracts for the 2016-17 season resulting in a strike which delayed training by at least a week.

The media did not present a falsified audited report to the ZC board members at this year’s Annual General Meeting purporting that it was the final report from HLB Zimbabwe Chartered Accountants.

It’s certainly not our fault that ZC delayed by over three months handing their audited financials to the International Cricket Council (ICC), a prerequisite for all Full Members.

We are certainly not at fault for the collapse of the Zimbabwe Professional Cricketers Association, leaving local players without a union and vulnerable in times of contract negotiation.

The media is not at fault for allowing some of the young cricket talent abandoning the game to look for greener pastures overseas.

We are also not responsible for ZC’s blunder of providing Zimbabwe A players with expired energy drinks during matches against Pakistan A.

Our only crime is that we reported on all these anomalies.

While we have highlighted the wrong things in our local cricket, we have also reported on the positives.

In the run up to this series, we kept our readers informed on all the latest developments in and around the team.

Our cricket correspondent Dean du Plessis tirelessly devoted acres of column space previewing this series.

Even on Friday, we covered the pre-match press conference but Majonga never told us that we will not be allowed to cover the Test series, only to notify us yesterday morning.

It’s a pity ZC is now resorting to Gestapo tactics to try and silence us from reporting about the game that is loved by many Zimbabweans, who rely on the media to give them updates on the matches.

However, we will not be cowed by such dilettantish tactics as we will continue to report objectively on the game whether good or bad.

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HARARE - For CAPS United, what mattered most were three points. That is all they wanted and that is all they got.

Lloyd Chitembwe came straight from church all suited and booted for yesterday’s match, rightly so because he knew the mission he was about to undertake.

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“I’m not dressed like this for the match, it’s a coincidence because I was coming from church...but I think it was a very good result for us but obviously performance wise I’m not so impressed because I thought it has a lot to do with anxiety.

“We were too anxious going into this match and it is something we are going to work on in the coming days for the last two matches,” Chitembwe said after the match.

Victory at the end of 90 minutes gave him a sense of renewed confidence of wrestling the title from the defending league champions Chicken Inn — their first in 11 years.

A leap above the next two hurdles — Ngezi Platinum (at home) and Chapungu (away) will leave the Green Machine in dreamland.

Their fans have the right to believe in their former skipper, their beloved CAPS United are only two victories from glory.

Veteran striker Leonard Tsipa scored probably the fastest goal in the Castle Lager Premiership this season in a winning cause for title-chasing Makepekepe.

Tsipa gave the Green Machine an ideal start with a goal after just 50 seconds when he headed home a Ronald Pfumbidzai corner.

The 35-year-old forward, who was making a return to the United fold after missing the last league match against Dynamos, rose high to head past Kelvin Shangiwa in goals for the Sunshine Boys.

And inside that opening hour, it looked as if City were in for a shellacking as United looked menacing whenever they went on the attack.

Tsipa thought he had scored his second of the afternoon in the 23rd minute when he cleverly dinked a Simba Nhivi layoff into the back of the net, only for the effort to be correctly ruled out for offside.

That would be Tsipa’s last meaningful contribution as he had to make way for Josta Ngodzo just after the half-hour mark. And his coach had nothing but praise for the league’s top goal scorer now with 12 goals.

“Look, Leonard is one guy who works his socks off whenever he is called to do duty and I am very happy for him,” Chitembwe said.

This was one match that Chitembwe knew his side could not afford to neither lose or draw as they continue their march towards glory.

Ironically, the last time the Green Machine lifted the title in 2005, Chitembwe, though in the twilight of his playing career, was part of that side. And now he knows he is only two victories away — regardless of the results that nearest rivals Highlanders and FC Platinum post — from penning his name into the United history books by becoming the first to win the coveted title both as a coach and a player.

Makepekepe are now on 57 points while FC Platinum moved into second place with 55 points following yesterday’s 2-0 win over Chapungu at Ascot Stadium.

Highlanders dropped to third place following the 2-1 loss to Tsholotsho at Barbourfields Stadium.

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HARARE - The biblical  story of how David slew Goliath in an epic battle has become a staff of legends but since history has a habit of repeating itself Temba Mliswa, a mere independent candidate, rose against all odds to triumph against the giant that is Zanu PF in an election that has the opposition believing again.

Mliswa’s poll victory has given opposition a spring ahead of the 2018 elections and there is a belief that there is a chink in Zanu PF’s usually intimidating armour.

After boycotting at least 15 by-elections in protest against an uneven political playing field — opposition parties led by the MDC, this time around lent their support to Mliswa in the Norton by-elections.

That Mliswa won the elections against Zanu PF’s Ronald Chandedza, who according to President Robert Mugabe is a thief, is now common knowledge, but it is the manner in which he won that has left many grappling for answers.

For the former fitness trainer hardwork, support from the MDC and belief propelled him to triumph against his former party.

“Even though I had limited resources I was in Norton everyday campaigning, meeting the people and listening to their grievances. I did not promise them anything but that I would be there whenever they needed me, that was my promise and they listened to me,” said Mliswa.

Amid growing talks for the opposition to form a grand coalition, Mliswa said Norton offered him the chance to test the feasibility of such a union.

“The election was testing the coalition and electoral reforms, I don’t have to be a member of the MDC but I support Tsvangirai. Zanu PF rigs elections but without war veterans they are nothing, we took the message to the people and that is what has to be done,” said Mliswa.

After an acrimonious fallout between Mugabe and war veterans, his former pillars of strength, Zanu PF went into the Norton by-elections divided and for the first time without the critical support of former freedom fighters.

Academic and scholar Pedzisai Ruhanya said it is now clear that without the support of the security sector Zanu PF is doomed.

“The Norton by election teaches us that without the security apparatus’ overt and covert involvement in the electoral affairs of Zimbabwe, Zanu PF is in huge trouble. The securocrats is the decisive power bloc in Zanu PF’s hegemonic projects,” said Ruhanya.

Instead of using war veterans as its storm troopers, Zanu PF led by its political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, who is also the Local Government minister, was doling out residential stands.

But despite dishing out gifts and using the youths to campaign — Kasukuwere, who is also a member of the generation 40 faction (G40) faction, failed to convince the people of Norton to vote for Zanu PF.

“Also interesting to observe is the failure of the Zanu PF strategy to use urban land to dilute opposition strongholds. Zanu PF is going back to get more efficacious stratagem because Kasukuwere’s  land for vote hypothesis appears to have been infirmed/dismissed or at least it has huge challenges/holes,” said Ruhanya.

Just like Ruhanya, Mliswa said the opposition should take comfort in the fact that without war veterans and the army Zanu PF is but a paper tiger.

“It is now clear that the war veterans are still important for the future of this country. So the election shows us that at the end of the day all we need are the war veterans and the biggest opposition party the MDC to win,” said Mliswa.

But that is perhaps being over optimistic considering that Norton was just one constituency.

In 2018 stakes will be much higher.

United Kingdom-based law professor Alex Magaisa, who is also a former top aide of Morgan Tsvangirai, opined that after Zanu PF’s embarrassing defeat 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.

“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 off of residential stands...”

The Norton by-election was characterised by brazen electoral malpractices such as intimidation, violence, vote buying and yet the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (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.

“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...” 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 voteTsvangirai 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 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”.

HARARE - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has insisted that President Robert Mugabe’s government will not receive any fresh capital until it repays all its debts and implement key economic reforms.

This was after the cash-strapped country last week cleared its 15-year-old $107,9 million arrears to the international money lender —– prompting the government to think it was now closer to getting new financial assistance from the IMF.

However, IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice on Friday said the cash-starved and drought-stricken nation was still miles away from accessing new loans.

“…the clearance of those arrears with the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, and others would be an important consideration for us in terms of moving forward with any support, any possible support for Zimbabwe,” he said.

“The settling of their arrears with the Fund, as you say, does not automatically provide Zimbabwe with access to IMF financing,” Rice added.

The IMF spokesperson noted that there were a number of steps that need to be taken before Zimbabwe qualifies for loans.

“It requires a decision by our board to lift the remaining remedial measures that had been imposed on Zimbabwe because of the arrears.

“I can go into the detail of those remedial measures if it’s helpful to you, but there are those remedial measures to be lifted. That’s the decision of the board, and then there’s also the issue of the clearance of arrears with other institutions.

“So a number of steps here before we would be considering any kind of financial assistance to Zimbabwe,” he said during a media briefing.

Information gathered by the Daily News on Sunday shows that the IMF’s executive board will only release its financial choke-hold once Zimbabwe pays off $601 million to the African Development Bank, $1,1 billion to the World Bank, and $240m to the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Zimbabwe, which is gripped by drought and possibly on the verge of total economic collapse, was recently awarded a $91,2 million package by the IMF that had been held for seven years pending the settlement of arrears to the financial institution.

Bretton Woods institutions — including the World Bank, the IMF and African Development Bank — froze their financial assistance to Zimbabwe in 1999 when the nation defaulted.

Western governments also imposed sanctions on Harare in 2001 over allegations of vote-rigging and human rights abuses.

In 2014, the IMF stated the government needed to pay off its arrears and restore confidence by implementing economic reforms, social development and poverty eradication programmes if it was to be awarded financial assistance to avoid an economic catastrophe. It has now emerged that, after drawing down its special drawing rights (SDR) holdings held at the IMF, Mugabe’s government was able to clear $107,9 million of arrears to the fund’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT), and was granted access to $91,2 million.

Created by the IMF, SDR is a supplement to the existing reserves of member countries and acts as an artificial currency.

After paying off its PRGT debt, Zimbabwe now has a balance of about $110 million in SDR holdings.

Economic experts who spoke to this publication agreed with Rice and said the recent clearance of arrears to the IMF will not translate to immediate capital and financial support from the Bretton Woods Institution.

“This was not our money to begin with, we got special permission from the IMF to use the money initially meant for development financing,” economist John Robertson said.

“It really is no big deal because it is just a fraction of the $1,8 billion arrears supposed to have been paid to these institutions before the year ends and from what I gather they are struggling to raise the money,” the respected analyst added.

International think-tank, NKC African Economics (NKC), noted that while the move paved way for re-engagement, the country still had a long way before accessing funding from international financiers.

“Zimbabwe’s enormous external debt overhang is impeding its access to the external financing necessary to stabilise the macroeconomic environment.

“Clearing outstanding arrears will pave the way for the country’s re-engagement process with external financiers and will open the taps to fresh funding,” the Oxford Economics company said.

“That said, the settling of the IMF obligation does not immediately translate to fresh funding from the multilateral organisation as it has reiterated that a credible plan to clear arrears with other international financial institutions and bilateral creditors is a prerequisite for access to the Fund’s resources,” NKC added.

Oxford University lecturer Blessing-Miles Tendi, said repaying debt alone may not be sufficient for the big three multilateral lenders to bring Zimbabwe back into the international financial fold.

“The key thing is that it is going to require a wide set of reforms in addition to just paying up debt for the IMF to free up financing.

“The ruling Zanu PF party has proven unable so far to engage in any kind of meaningful reform,” he said.

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HARARE - As an embarrassing defeat in the eagerly-anticipated 2018 national elections becomes an ever more distinct possibility, Zanu PF yobs are escalating their violent programme to scuttle the current public hearings on needed electoral reforms.

This comes as opposition parties continue to push for the much-needed reforms and a raft of other changes to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec)’s secretariat, ahead of the 2018 polls.

The public hearings, which are spearheaded by the  parliamentary portfolio committee on Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, are meant to gather people’s views across all the country’s provinces in line with the aspirations of Zimbabweans.

But twice last week, the Zanu PF thugs assaulted members of Parliament and members of the public who were attending the outreach programmes, bringing meetings to a premature end.

In both incidents, police appeared powerless to stop the mobs, who went scot-free despite their despicable acts against a lawful, government-sanctioned programme.

The MDC said yesterday that the thuggery by the Zanu PF youths who are being bussed in to disrupt the outreach meetings, was giving Zimbabweans a sneak peek into what the ruling party would do as the 2018 elections approached.

“They are terribly afraid. They know that if there are electoral reforms there will be free and fair elections and they will not win because they do not have the numbers as compared to MDC.

“It shows that Zanu PF does not want people to express their will. If you remember during Copac (the Constitutional Parliamentary Select Committee) meetings, they also did the same thing.

“They are being true to their nature. This is a rehearsal of what they are going to do in 2018,” MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said.

On Thursday, Zanu PF thugs ran amok, disrupting a public hearing on electoral reforms, before manhandling female legislators at Mutare’s Beit Hall, in similar nasty scenes as those witnessed during Wednesday’s chaotic events in Parliament where police were accused of molesting female MPs.

The apparently bussed-in ruffians attacked legislators Jessie Majome and Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga during submissions by civic groups who questioned Zanu PF’s parcelling out of land to ruling party youths in the run-up to last week’s Norton by-election which was won by gutsy independent candidate Temba Mliswa.

On Friday, bussed-in ruling party yobs also forced the abandonment of the outreach meeting at Iminyela Hall in Bulawayo.

Perhaps revealingly, no arrests were made in both nasty incidents.

“They (the police) are just refusing to maintain order and allow the meetings to go ahead. I have never seen the police acting so powerlessly.

“They are failing to give protection to parliamentary processes and I am wondering, and can only suspect that what they are doing is in sync with what is happening.

“Anyone who disrupts parliamentary proceedings is committing an offence and should be arrested. But police are refusing to act, so we were left with no option but to call the hearings off,” Majome said.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) has, meanwhile, also condemned the rowdy behaviour by Zanu PF youths.

“ZimRights is disturbed by the undemocratic and violent attempts by members of the ruling party at preventing citizens from making their voices heard regarding electoral reforms in the public hearings on the petition made to Parliament by the … ERC and 14 other organisations.

“The violent incidences by Zanu PF officials are ... in contempt of the constitutional role of Parliament, which is mandated to hear public views on issues of national interest so as to factor them in the legislative agenda,” ZimRights said.

Opposition political parties, coalescing under the banner of National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) have been pressing for electoral reforms ahead of the 2018 elections.

At one time, the grouping comprising 18 different parties, held protests which were ruthlessly crushed by police despite lawful court orders permitting the mass action.

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