Wedding bells could be tolling soon for Samantha “Gonyeti” Kureya, pictured, who early this year became the first woman to be nominated for the Outstanding Comedian category by the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama).
The rising comedian told the Daily News on Sunday that she has been dating a Harare-based gynaecologist for close to year.
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“We are happy with our relationship and we want to take it to the next level. I am not prepared to identify him yet because we want to keep it away from the radar,” said Gonyeti.
Gonyeti added that her beau has no problems dating a comedian.
“He is very supportive and sometimes drives me to shows. The only frustrating thing for him is the fact that sometimes I hardly get adequate time to see him.
“At times I get very busy with shows and rehearsals and sometimes going for two weeks without taking a break and this frustrates him a lot,” said the 31-year-old-comedian, who also claims that she has already been introduced to her beau’s relatives.
“His relatives love, respect and take me seriously despite my job. It will possibly be difficult for many people to accept but when I am at home I am completely different from Gonyeti the comedian.”
Gonyeti ventured into the acting industry in 2008 but she only became a household name seven years later when she joined P.O Box TV which later rebranded to Bustop TV.
At Bustop TV, Gonyeti formed a formidable partnership with Prosper “Comic Pastor” Ngomashi Sharon “Magi” Chideu.
Despite the fact that Comic Pastor quit the Luckie Aaroni- Bustop TV, Gonyeti has not looked back. Along with fellow Bustop TV member Magi, Gonyeti landed the Zimbabwe International Women Awards (Ziwa) gong in the People’s Choice category last year.
Gonyeti’s career as Zimbabwe’s leading female comedian then went a gear up this year when she became the first woman to be nominated for the Outstanding Comedian category by Nama.
She was nominated for the Nama gong along with Nqobizitha “Q the Boss” Dube and Ntandoyenkosi Moyo who is better known is local comedy circles as Ntando Van Moyo.
Though the award was eventually won by Q the Boss, Gonyeti believes being nominated for the award was a massive endorsement of her talent.
“It shows that what we are doing as women is also being appreciated. I think I was nominated because people are now appreciating what women have to offer and how we are impacting lives positively. My career can only go up from here,” she said.
BULAWAYO - Black Rhinos moved into second place on the Castle Lager Premiership log standings following their slender 1-0 victory over Bulawayo City in the early kickoff at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
Stix Mutizwa’s side continue to send warning shots to the top flight big boys as they are now on 14 points from seven matches, just one behind log leaders Ngezi Platinum Stars.
Many expected the army side to struggle after gaining promotion from the Northern Region Division One as they had not made any major signings to beef up their squad.
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However, Mutizwa has galvanised his players to play as a team and are difficult to break down.
Yesterday, Chauya Chipembere scored a penalty through goalkeeper Hebert Rusawo five minutes after the break.
Rhinos were awarded the spot kick after Zibusiso Sibanda had fouled the tricky winger Milton Kureva inside the penalty box.
Rusawo sent his opposite number Aaron “Arusha” Ngwenya the wrong way to secure maximum points for the army side.
Chauya Chipembere coach Mutizwa was a happy man with the result which he attributed to hard work in the team.
“I always tell my boys we are coming from Division One and this is a different league. We have to try and collect as much points in the first half of the season because it’s going to be difficult in the second half of the season,” he said.
“My boys are getting confident with each game;our secret for the wins in hard work and more hard work.”
Bulawayo City coach Mandla Mpofu said: “Of course we are disappointed losing three points at home. First half we played well but we were not creating opportunities. We only created one opportunity the whole 90 minutes.
“We still have a good team that can compete and win. I think I am not demoralised, we will go back and work.”
Amakhosi remain in 11th place on the log with eight points from eight matches.
BULAWAYO - How Mine coach Kelvin Kaindu was left disappointed with his side’s failure to convert the numerous chances they created in the goalless draw against FC Platinum at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
The gold miners had been on a four-match winning streak before yesterday’s encounter but missed some good chances to extend that run.
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“I think its two vital points that we lost at home. We had opportunities to win the game in the first half but we failed to utilise our chances,” Kaindu said.
“It was a difficult game, where both teams didn’t play their usual game. We are always offensive and creating those chances but our conversion rate is not good and we need to work on that.”
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza was also not pleased with how his side had failed to find the target.
“Like I said the other time, it’s always about missing chances. We are not scoring. Second half we really pushed and created opportunities that we did not utilise,” Mapeza said.
“Football is about winning matches by scoring. Without scoring your ball possession won’t count. People won’t accept it if we don’t score. Its work in progress we will go and rectify our mistakes.”
Kuda Musharu could have opened the scoring in the 20th minute but his shot from inside the box hit the cross bar after being set by Godfrey Nguwodzawo.
Before that Chikurupati anchorman Marvellous Mukumba had wasted an opportunity to break the deadlock after he failed to connect an Adolf Muganyi cross with only FC Platinum goalkeeper Peros Mhari to beat.
Gift Mbweti failed to take advantage of the How Mine defence’s lapse in concentration moments later when he shot weakly at goal after being setup by Charles Sibanda.
In the second period, Rodwell Chinyengetere had a chance to score but his shot was blocked for a corner by Praise Tonha.
Mbweti then failed to beat How Mine keeper Munyaradzi Diya in a one-on-one situation.
HARARE - Football can be really be cruel. That’s exactly how Yadah FC will probably look at their clash against visiting Chicken Inn yesterday.
A share of the spoils could have sufficed for both teams, as no team deserved the full points really.
Both teams played like bunch of primary school boys going about their midweek kick around and the match was eventually a big yawn until midfielder Innocent Mucheneka scored an unlikely winner for the visitors with what was virtually the last kick of the game.
Even Chicken Inn coach Rahman Gumbo admitted that his side were not at their usual self as they struggled to break down the home side.
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“We have won yes and I think it’s down to our impressive away form. We have won all games on the road and also I complacency crept into the boys especially considering that they watched this side being beaten 7-2 in Bulawayo last week,” Gumbo said.
“Also we were missing about seven players through injury but I think Yadah did well, they played much better than they did last week against Bantu. But I never doubted that we would win this game.”
Going into yesterday’s match all eyes were on the Yadah FC technical area, and at least there were some changes.
Themba Ruzive came in as stand-in coach for the home side — but Jairos Tapera’s fate remains clouded in mystery.
Former coach Kudakwashe Masawure — who guided Yadah FC into the Premiership — was also on the bench albeit as a “physic trainer”.
The game itself was stripped bare of any excitement, quality at least the entire opening half.
For Yadah they would have been proud of the way they exerted themselves following last week’s shameful outing in which they were given a thorough shellacking by Bantu Rovers in Bulawayo.
In that match, Yadah travelled to Bulawayo missing their entire technical team, and like “lost sheep” the 7-2 hiding sent social media into overdrive with the Walter Magaya side being ridiculed with all sorts of mockery.
Chicken Inn on their part didn’t display their usual flair as a number of regulars like Darryl Nyandoro, and Clement Matawu were not in the team.
The handful of fans who paid their way into the National Sports Stadium perhaps were the most hard done after paying their way to watch a match that lacked intensity and energy.
The real value for entertainment was probably the Yadah FC fans who tried in vain to cheer their boys to give them a better show worthy of their loud voices.
The two teams just didn’t show up really as they blew hot and cold and it was certainly a thoroughly dispiriting show performance from both sides.
Players like Tafadzwa Kutinyu, Teenage Hadebe, Kudakwashe Gurure and Obadiah Tarumbwa played as if they had weights in their ankles and struggled to make use of the wider National Sports Stadium pitch.
In the end, a lapse in concentration deep in injury time proved costly for the home side as they allowed Mucheneka to ghost in from the blind side to tap in, what proved to be the winner.
Ruzive played down the absence of Tapera, insisting his side are doing well despite losing their third match on the spin.
“I thought we played very well and could have won the game but the right back somehow lost his cool and allowed their player to cross the ball from, which we conceded,” he said.
“We are disappointed to lose but then we aren’t dropping our heads because we are doing what we have been doing when coach Tapers was here, I’m sure he will be back, for our next game against FC Platinum.”
ALEXANDRIA - Just three years ago Valentine Musarurwa could hardly believe he would command a first team place in the CAPS United first team after being registered as part of the club’s developmental players.
By then Musarurwa, who has since become one of the most talked about young players in the local Premiership, was only limited to a role as a bench warmer with limited opportunities in the starting team.
But the arrival of coach Mark Harrison in 2015 proved to be a turning point for the now 21-year-old defender as shortly afterwards Makepekepe were hit by a player exodus due to financial constraints.
With the club in crisis, Harrison had to rely on the young players who were willing to play despite all the background noise due to the precarious financial situation at the Harare giants.
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Musarurwa’s first game for the Green Machine was against Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium — something he feels contributed a lot in shaping his career.
“I told myself that if I could perform against Highlanders then I can go on and play against anyone,” Musarurwa told the Daily News on Sunday.
“I was introduced as a second half substitute and after the game coach Harrison came to me and said ‘Well done’. We won the match 2-0 and since then I think my game has improved a lot.”
The Makepekepe graduate played in his biggest game of his career so far in Friday night’s 2-0 defeat to Egyptian giants Zamalek here in the African Champions League and impressed with a disciplined display silencing the menacing White Knights skipper Shikabala.
Despite ending on the losing side, Musarurwa had done enough to convince those who came to watch that he is a man on a mission while admitting his progress has also surprised him.
“I have never expected anything like this,” said Musarurwa, who has earned rave views for the way he has acquitted himself in the CAPS United’s team.
“It’s amazing the opportunities you get at this club thanks to coach (Lloyd) Chitembwe. You are given your opportunity and it’s a question of taking your opportunity and grasping it. I have given my best and all I can do is to see what happens.”
“It was a great experience playing against Zamalek one of the biggest teams in Africa. I am just taking a game at a time. You look at the names of your opponents and get excited about facing these players and I am really enjoying it.”
Asked if he was nervous at Borg El Arab Stadium, where United went down in the end after holding their own for long periods, Musarurwa said: “Once I got a touch of the ball, the nerves kind of went away and I settled into the game.
“Remember, it was not my first international match. I also played twice against TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi and in Harare.
“So, it was nothing much of a difference. In any case the TP Mazembe game, for me was the most difficult match.
“Of course against Zamalek it was one of the biggest stadia that I have played in and the feeling was great despite losing the match.”
Chitembwe also praised Musarurwa’s rise saying he is destined for greatness.
“Not many players can achieve what he has achieved in the shortest period of time,” Chitembwe said.
“I am not even surprised because he works probably twice harder than anyone else. He is one player who can go and achieve a lot of things if he keeps his feet on the ground. He is playing like a seasoned player yet he will be turning 22 this year.
“He is something special and we are very fortunate to have him in our ranks.”
At the moment, Musarurwa is hoping to one day strike a contract outside the country but for now he is clearly determined to enjoy his game at CAPS United while it lasts and continue his development.
“I just want to continue playing well and see what happens in the future,” Musarurwa said.
“My hope is to play outside the country in the coming years. But of course what is important for me now is to keep on working hard.”
And after starting their campaign on a losing note Musarurwa, who also at a short stint with Harare United before joining United, is however, not bothered and believes they have what it takes to bounce back in the next matches.
“We still have a lot of matches to play and I am sure we will bounce back. It was a difficult way of losing, we had done well but it’s all part and parcel of football,” Musarurwa said.
“We need to quickly forget about this defeat and start thinking about our next matches. This game is now water under the bridges and what is important now is our next matches.”
ALEXANDRIA - CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe believes his team is on the right track despite their 2-0 defeat to Zamalek in the African Champions League Group B opening match on Friday night.
The Zimbabwean champions had done well to keep the White Knights at bay but were finally undone by two second half headers from Bassem Morsi and substitute Stanley Ohawuchi.
After having been on top of his game especially in the first half, Makepekepe goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda was at fault for both goals as he should have at least got his hands to the ball.
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Chitembwe refused to put the blame squarely on his goalkeeper as he preferred to talk about the positive signs his team had shown against the five-time African Champions.
“We played a good team with a lot of experience and history in African football and I felt my boys gave a good account of themselves,” Chitembwe said after the match.
“The application was good especially in the second half but unfortunately the result did not match the effort. Technically, we were slightly better than the more seasoned Zamalek in my view and physically we finished stronger than them.
“I think where we did not exactly apply ourselves well was probably on the mental aspect.
“Concentration is one key area of mental fitness and I even said it to the boys that the only chance that these boys could breach our goal is when we make mistakes.
“It never looked like they were capable of hurting us from open play but we lost concentration and they capitalised on it but seriously speaking the result did not reflect the way these boys performed.”
The reigning Zimbabwe Coach of the Year believes this was a good learning exercise for his players most of them who are playing in this stage of the competition for the first time.
“To me this is the only way these boys would get experience because for some of these players it’s their first time playing at this level. And for them to apply themselves in such a way is very commendable,” he said.
“It shows these boys are more than capable of re-writing history especially for this football club and if there is a generation of players that can change the fortunes of this club then it is this generation.
“What is more important in this is the experience that is being acquired and I am happy with how these boys are improving.
“It comes down to experience you need to have experience to compete at this level and I am confident of a better future.”
CAPS’s next match in the competition is against USM Alger of Algeria on May 24 in Harare and Chitembwe is confident they will get a positive result.
Alger began their Group B campaign with a 3-0 home win over Al-Ahli Tripoli on Friday night.
“Teams that win things normally have a certain degree of experience and today the boys played like seasoned campaigners which give us hope going forward.
“We actually had a chance of prevailing given how we dominated especially in the second half,” he said.
“The performance gives us the hope that going forward we have a great team a team that can compete against anyone. It also gives us the belief that there is something these guys are doing right for them to be able to perform the way they did at this level of the game.”
But before Makepekepe can think of that game against the Algerians, they have a demanding domestic fixture as they have to travel to Nyamhunga on Thursday to face ZPC Kariba before going to Bulawayo for a date with Chicken Inn next Sunday.
ALEXANDRIA - After losing to Egyptian giants Zamalek in their African Champions League Group B opening match, there was more bad news for CAPS United after the injury to captain Hardlife Zvirekwi.
The Green Machine had done well to hold the White Knights in the first half but they conceded two headed goals from Bassem Morsi and substitute Stanley Ohawuchi in the second period at the Borg El Arab Stadium.
Makepekepe coach Lloyd Chitembwe revealed that his skipper would be ruled out for at least two to three weeks.
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Zvirekwi, one of the standout performers for the Green Machine against the White Knights, pulled a muscle towards the end of the game.
His injury is a big blow for United as they are fighting on two fronts with important fixtures in the next 14 days for the Zimbabwean champions.
“Hardy is likely to be out for the next two to three weeks because of fatigue-inspired injury,” Chitembwe said.
“It’s sad but we just hope he recovers and continue from where he left off. He pulled a muscle towards the end of the game.
“I knew one day it was going to catch up with him and it’s very unfortunate because he has played continuous football for more than 14 months.”
Zvirekwi’s injury will force Chitembwe to make some tweaks with his squad and he believes he has capable cover.
“He will definitely not be part of the team that will play in our upcoming league matches (against ZPC Kariba and Chicken Inn) and also our next champions league fixture against USM Alger next week,” he said.
“He will be greatly missed because his experience is invaluable to the team.
“But we will try and see what we can do to move forward. We will push Vale at the right back, Ronny leftback and with Rusike back I am sure we will find balance.”
HARARE - After the cancellation of the Harare derby last week, local football fans are in store for a blockbuster Castle Lager Premiership match when Highlanders host Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium today.
There is no love lost between these two eternal rivals of Zimbabwean football, with the fixture whenever they meet, a highlight of the domestic Premiership.
However, all the attention in today’s match will be centred on Bosso striker Roderick Mutuma since this is his first league match against his former paymasters.
Mutuma had been a thorn in the flesh of Highlanders during his days at DeMbare and it was never envisaged that he might one day switch allegiance.
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Football is a crazy sport with Mutuma quickly turning into a cult hero with the Bosso fans ever since his move there at the start of the season.
The Bosso striker says he is not going to be overawed by the situation this afternoon as he wants to ensure his side gets maximum points.
“There is no doubt that this is a big game, it’s the big one that everyone has been talking about all week,” Mutuma said.
“The good thing about me though is that I’m now used to the pressure of playing in such big games.
“I have played in many big games before with Dynamos in the past and for me there is not much difference.”
With fellow forward Prince Dube injured, Mutuma is expected to lead the Bosso frontline and there is no doubt his former teammates will target him.
In order to psyche up his main striker, Highlanders coach Erol Akbay earlier this week advised Mutuma to be focused on the game and nothing else.
“I hope he is going to play a very good football because he knows every weakness of this team, he knows every player in the team,” the Dutchman said.
“So, for him it is a more emotional game but what I would like to say to him is he should simply focus on his own game, failure to do that he can’t play very well.”
Bosso come into this match hoping to reclaim top spot on the log after they were dislodged by ZPC Kariba yesterday.
“We have to win on Sunday (today) to make sure we stay on top and also to beat Dynamos is important because we are Highlanders. It is exciting for both sides therefore I can’t wait for the encounter,” Akbay said.
“The fact that we played them in the Independence Trophy means we can now make tactical decisions for them and we are ready for that.”
On the other hand, DeMbare are after an all out win this afternoon as they sit in 12th place on the log just one point off the last relegation spot.
DeMbare beat Yadah FC 1-0 in their last league match and were inactive last weekend following the cancellation of their match against CAPS United.
Today
Hwange v Triangle (Colliery), Shabanie Mine v Chapungu (Maglas), Harare City v Ngezi Platinum (Morris Depot), Highlanders v Dynamos (Barbourfields, SS)
PARIS - Emmanuel Macron is beginning his first day as French president, with picking a prime minster top of his to do list.
The appointment is crucial for Mr Macron, who needs to do well in next month's parliamentary elections to push through his planned economic reforms.
Later he will travel to Germany to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The 39-year-old former investment banker and economy minister was inaugurated yesterday in a ceremony at the Élysée Palace.
He promised to convince people that "the power of France is not declining - that we are on the brink of a great renaissance".
Mr Macron has kept his choice of prime minister a closely guarded secret, but the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says the candidate most hotly tipped is Édouard Philippe, the mayor of Le Havre.
Mr Philippe is not a member of the president's new party - La République En Marche - but of the centre-right Republicans.
This is significant, our correspondent says, because it would mean Mr Macron is trying to draw into his camp more leading figures from the conservative opposition.
The visit to Mrs Merkel is expected to be a cordial one, with President Macron having strong pro-EU views.
He has said he wants to reform the eurozone, giving it a common budget and its own finance minister, but he will need German backing.
For its part, Germany wants to see France carry out structural changes such as reducing public spending and reforming its rigid labour market.
Mr Macron has promised such reforms as he tries to revive the economy and reduce unemployment, but to realise them his party will need a majority in parliament.
HARARE - Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa has angrily dismissed reports on social media which quoted him mocking Tourism minister Walter Mzembi for his loss in last Friday’s United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) elections.
In a statement last night, Chiyangwa said the articles were false, damaging and malicious, as they were intended to put a wedge between himself and Mzembi.
“I have seen an image circulating on social media with me being quoted defaming …Mzembi. Let me urge those circulating this defamatory image to desist from doing so,” Chiyangwa said.
The Zimbabwe football and Cosafa chief who was recently appointed as the vice president of the powerful Caf Africa Cup of Nations Organising Committee added that he has respect for the Tourism minister and even sympathises with him.
“I have great respect for minister Mzembi and he displayed tireless effort in campaigning for the UNWTO post. I sympathise with him for the loss. The defamatory image circulating on social media should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves,” Chiyangwa concluded.
Mzembi, last Friday, came agonisingly close to winning elections to become secretary-general of UNWTO which were held in Madrid, Spain, before going down in the run-off.
In the end, Zurab Pololikashvili of Georgia was elected to become the next UNWTO secretary-general, beating Mzembi by a mere three votes — and despite having lost to the Zimbabwean minister by a similar margin in the first round of voting.
In the first round of voting, Mzembi polled 11 votes to Pololikashvili’s eight. But the Georgian swept to the position after polling 18 votes to the Zimbabwean minister’s 15 in the runoff.
HARARE - Ngezi Platinum Stars coach Tonderai Ndiraya was pleased with his side’s fighting spirit as they beat Harare City 1-0 to return to the top of the Castle Lager Premiership log yesterday.
Defender Qadr Amini scored a 20th minute penalty to secure the platinum miners second win on the road to take their points tally to 16 from eight matches.
Ndiraya’s side only other win on the road came last month when they beat Hwange 2-0 at the Colliery.
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“I’m happy with the fight we fought. This is only our second win away from home this season. We have had some good performances away from home in the past games but we could not get good results,” Ndiraya said.
“Today we were not so good especially in the second half but we got the three points that are important to us.
“We also defended well in the second half. Harare City came back a changed side; they controlled the second half.
“What is key is that we got our chance and scored to get the three points as we now look forward to our next match.”
Harare City coach Mike Madzivanyika was disappointed with the way his side failed to win in front of their own fans.
“I’m not happy at all because we are failing to win at home. Today we also created some chances but we failed to score. They got their chance and scored; that was the difference between the two teams today.”
Ngezi started the match brightly and referee Brighton Chimene awarded them the spot kick after defender Raymond Uchena had brought down the lively Donald Teguru inside the box.
It was a bit harsh because Uchena had timed his tackle perfectly as he won the ball first but Chimene saw it differently.
Amini made no mistake from 12 yards outs with his spot kick beating City goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupanendenguto give the visitors the precious lead which they protected for the remainder of the match.
HARARE - The Zimbabwe government does not seem to proritise issues of mental health, if statistics are anything to go by.
Government statistics show that one in every four Zimbabweans suffers from mental illness, including those suffering from depression.
The creation of Friendship Benches located in the grounds of clinics around Harare, Gweru and Chitungwiza — as reported in our sister paper the Daily News on Sunday — appears to be a step in the right direction in efforts to help patients suffering from depression and anxiety, clearly moderate cases of mental illness.
At least 30 000 people have received mental health care through Friendship Benches, in the last six months, a figure that highlights the extent of mental illness in Zimbabwe.
However, since the country has only 13 psychiatrists and 12 clinical psychologists, it is the health grannies at the Friendship Benches who are leading the fight against depression.
Critically, it appears what these Benches do is to provide someone to talk to, someone those suffering from depression can share their problems with, a service they can easily get within their own communities if they had a different attitude towards mental illness. Instead, communities resort to ostracising those with mental illnesses or at times even tying them to trees.
If anything the patients’ illness may be exacerbated because essentially they have not been able to find someone with whom to share their problem before other medical interventions are sought.
What government should do now, besides rolling the intervention out to other areas of the country, is to help capacitate these Benches through further specialised training and improvement of the facilities so that they can cater for more patients who may need help.
This innovative approach has great potential to significantly improve the lives of millions of people with moderate and severe mental health problems where access to treatment is limited or nonexistent.
Also of great interest is the HIV component of the Friendship Bench since a lot of people living with the virus suffer from depression which if not treated worsen the outcome of the HIV itself as its progression can be hastened.
Zimbabwe has witnessed an increase in the consumption of substances like Bron Cleer and all sorts of cough syrups, mbanje (marijuana), lately cocaine, which are being brought in illegally and are abundant in our communities, making the establishment of these Friendship Benches a worthy development in relatively poor societies like Zimbabwe.
The issue of mental health remains crucial and mental health services must be readily available by taking mental health to the communities.
HARARE - Zimbabwe’s tobacco production has so far outpaced the previous year by most measures including volume and value sold.
Production and sales of tobacco rose from 66,8million kg in the prior season to 87,9 million kg as at day 32 of the marketing season following last year’s devastating drought that has left 4 million people facing hunger.
Statistics from industry regulator Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) showed that farmers had sold tobacco worth $244,7m, up 29 percent against $189,7m during the same period last season at the country’s auctions and to official tobacco buyers since the selling season started in March 15.
The outperformance, which is projected to prevail throughout the selling season, is driven by a better crop following an improvement in average rainfall, increased hectarage and funding.
Small-scale farmers have led the rebound, aided by the use of stable foreign currencies adopted by the government to replace a local unit destroyed by hyperinflation, and funding from China — which now dominates a market previously controlled by Western merchants.
TIMB, which regulates the sector in Zimbabwe, said new growers increased by 90 percent from 9 842 in 2016 to 18 743 in 2017 while total registration stands at 96 327 farmers, a 23 percent increase compared to previous season.
Thousands of mostly small-scale black farmers have taken over production of the bulk of the crop, once the preserve of white commercial farmers.
Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa said in a public lecture on command agriculture at the Midlands State University in Gweru last week that black tobacco farmers “are now producing more of the golden leaf than the white commercial farmers during the colonial-era regime”.
“When we took the land, taking it back to its rightful owners, tobacco production went down below 50 million kg... Now we are above 222 million kg of tobacco a year,” Mnangagwa said, adding the country had recovered and surpassed the 200 million kg which the white farmers used to produce.
TIMB said exports are 9 percent higher than the same period in the previous year at 45,6million kg compared to 41,6 million kgs last year.
The 2017 export revenue of $214,7 million is however 11 percent below last year at $4,71/kg against $5,84/kg.
TIMB said while the e-marketing system has stabilised, there is still need to increase the speed of the bidding process and user-training, while on the downside, cash challenges continue as some banks are failing to meet the withdrawal limits set by the Reserve Bamk of Zimbabwe.
Farmers have engaged police in running battles after protesting that they are spending weeks at auction floors as banks are struggling to provide cash as a liquidity crunch intensifies amid surging demand for cash.
The government directive, instructing tobacco farmers to open bank accounts whilst doing away with spot payments at the auction floors, has been a disaster, since banks are not issuing out the stipulated $1 000 for the initial sale.
The country is facing an acute shortage of foreign currency which has ruined industrial operations and disrupted the import of raw materials and other critical products like drugs.
HARARE - Utility back Stephan Hunduza inspired Old Georgians to a hard-fought 26-0 win over Matabeleland Warriors during Saturday’s Intercity Rugby League match at Police Grounds.
Both teams came into the match unbeaten after three rounds of action and it was clear from the first whistle that a tough encounter was on the cards.
The visitors dug deep to hold the Dragons in an entertaining first half that finished 0-0 as the two table toppers failed to get onto the scoreboard.
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However, Hunduza, who played in three different positions throughout the match, proved to be the difference between the two sides as he provided the cutting edge in the second period.
After having been on the wing in the first 40 minutes, the speedy Hunduza moved to scrumhalf after a yellow card to veteran Scotty Jones.
With a new halfback pairing of Hunduza and Boyd Rouse, the Dragons backline was now getting quick ball in the second period.
Hunduza would finally break the deadlock with two quick fire tries in a space of five minutes.
On the first occasion, the Zimbabwe international broke free with an overlap behind the Mat Warriors defence to score. Rouse missed the conversion.
The visitors, who had done well for the first 50 minutes to hold back the Dragons, were rattled and Hunduza scored his second when he intercepted a loose pass before racing clear to cross the whitewash.
This time Rouse was clinical with the boot to add the extra points to give the home side a 12-0 lead.
Shortly afterwards, Hunduza moved to centre with Graham Kaulback coming in to play at scrumhalf.
Tighthead prop David Makanda scored his fourth try of the season and his side’s third of the match when he finished off a well-worked lineout from inside the Mat Warriors 22 with Rouse adding the extra two points.
Replacement hooker Graham Cochrane scored the final try of the game to give the Dragons a bonus point win.
By that time the Mat Warriors players had been exhausted after the big shift they had put in the first half and some part of the second.
Although the scoreline might suggest a lopsided encounter, the visitors must be commended for the brave approach to the game which had Old Georgians, who have been the leading domestic team by some miles over the years, running out of ideas at times before Hunduza’s intervention.
Mat Warriors coach Rueben Kumpasa paid tribute to his team for the valiant effort against a strong Dragons side.
“I think we are a very young side; we are averaging between 23 and 25. Most of these boys are fresh from school and they don’t have much experience,” Kumpasa said.
“We haven’t played against tougher opposition like we faced today, I think if we had played maybe two or three tougher games before this game we would been much better in the second half.”
Intercity Rugby League results
Police Defenders 12-74 Harare Sports Club, Old Miltonians 5-30 Old Hararians, Old Georgians 26-0 Mat Warriors, Mutare Sports Club 70-5 Bulldogs
HARARE - Two Chitungwiza men reportedly murdered and stripped-naked a guitarist on his way back home from a choir rehearsal, a Harare court has heard.
Tapiwa Mangai, 37, and Solomon Gochera, 27, of Unit D in Seke, Chitungwiza appeared before Harare magistrate Barbra Chimboza on Saturday facing murder charges.
The duo was remanded in custody and advised to apply for bail at the High Court because they are facing a third schedule offence.
Prosecutor Nancy Chandakaona alleged that on November 9 last year around 11am, the now deceased Nigel Mutava went to Praise and Worship Church in Unit D in Seke, Chitungwiza for choir rehearsals.
The court heard that around 8pm, he left the church with other members but later parted ways as he proceeded to his residence.
It was alleged that along the way, Mutava was allegedly attacked by Mangai and his accomplices — who are on the run — and fell to the ground.
Mangai and his gang reportedly stripped Mutava of his jean trousers and used it to tie his hands and legs.
The court heard that they strangled Mutava to death and took his guitar, shoes, and satchel containing the now deceased person’s valuables.
Mangai and his accomplices fled from the scene.
A post mortem conducted by Mauriko Gonzalez concluded that death was due to asphyxia caused by strangulation.
Police made follow-ups on the culprits behind Mutava’s brutal murder and on May 11 arrested Gochera in Mbare.
During police “interviews”, Gochera implicated Mangai. He was subsequently arrested in town before allegedly making indications of how the offence was committed at the crime scene.
BULAWAYO - Highlnders hooligans masquerading as football fans forced the abandonment of their side’s Castle Lager Premiership match against Dynamos yesterday in protest over what was a highly contentious Christian Ntouba goal that was allowed to stand by match officials.
Bosso had taken a 24th minute lead through captain Rahman Kutsanzira but the match degenerated into total chaos when Ntouba equalised for the visitors.
Television replays showed clearly that the DeMbare forward was in a clear offside position when he got to the end of a shot from Elisha Muroiwa that had deflected off a Highlanders defender.
Far side assistant match official Thomas Kusosa did not raise his flag while referee Munyaradzi Majoni allowed the goal to stand.
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According to Law 11 of the Game, Ntouba gained advantage by playing a ball “That rebounds, is deflected or is played to him from a deliberate save by an opponent having been in an offside position”.
The law clearly goes on to describe what is termed as a deliberate save “A ‘save’ is when a player stops a ball which is going into or very close to the goal with any part of the body except the hands (unless the goalkeeper is within the penalty area)”.
Going by this explanation from the International Football Association Board, yesterday’s match officials should have disallowed Ntouba’s goal since it was not a deliberate pass by the Bosso defender but a deliberate save.
However, instead of allowing the match to go ahead, the unruly home supporters took the matter into their own hands when they started pelting the match officials with missiles from the Empakweni stand.
Even the intervention of the police and the Highlanders marshals could not stop the chaos as more missiles rained from the terraces.
At some point it appeared as if order had been restored with the match likely to go ahead but as soon as Kusosa tried to go back to his position the missiles started to come down again.
This time around Bosso fans from the Soweto end invaded the pitch as police struggled to contain the chaos.
After about 40 minutes of stoppage, the players from both camps retreated back into their dressing rooms as the match had to be called off.
Match commissioner Edson Nkau confirmed that the match had been abandoned with both teams being informed of the decision.
Luckily, there was no teargas fired by the police or violence of any sort reported as the two sets of fans swiftly left the venue without any further incidents.
However, judging by precedence, the match is likely to be awarded to Dynamos since it was the Bosso fans, who caused the chaos that resulted in the abandonment of the match.
Although the match officials had clearly erred in allowing the Dynamos goal to stand, Highlanders fans reacted in an uncouth manner and should not have taken the matter into their own hands as they should have allowed the match to go ahead.
Now their team will face the full wrath of the Premier Soccer League as they are likely to lose points and fined heavily.
HARARE - Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC is set to hold a conference to unveil its policies ahead of next year’s much anticipated elections, party vice president Nelson Chamisa has said.
He told a Sapes policy dialogue forum in Harare last week that they have “polished up our policy documents because we believe it is not enough to criticise the status quo without giving Zimbabweans a clear picture of the new country we want to create, from a policy point of view.”
“In the coming few months we will be giving Zimbabweans an exciting bouquet of our policies detailing how we plan to deal with the infrastructural, social and economic decay that has brought us on the verge of being a failed State,” Chamisa, who also doubles as the party’s policy secretary, said.
Describing politics as “the struggle to win power or retain it to execute policies for the articulation and aggregation of settled interests,” Chamisa said the party’s policy document emphasises “smart governance, smart economics, smart institutions, smart social policies and smart foreign policies in a new Zimbabwe.”
“The key pillars of our economic policy shall be production, jobs creation, currency reform, economic revival, modernisation, and entrepreneurship, dealing with corruption and promoting technology skills transfer.
“Our policies, to be unveiled soon, are a door and a window of the great new Zimbabwe we want to create and unleash” he stressed.
The party expects its policy conference to lead to the production of two documents, the party’s policy document and another one that becomes its election manifesto.
“It is clear that the liberation generation’s mandate was liberation not transformation. Their remit was redistribution of wealth but not creation of wealth. The new generation has the unenviable task of transforming and creating wealth for the nation.”
The policy council will unveil the policy programme of the new MDC government, including what it will do in its first 100 days in power in to positively impact on the lives of the people.
HARARE - Zimbabwe has launched a new treatment for malaria, marking the latest step in a program to stem growing resistance to older treatments such as chloroquine.
This comes as multidrug-resistant malaria superbugs have taken hold in parts of Zimbabwe, threatening to undermine progress against the disease.
Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa said the decision to change the drug treatment has been informed by the high rate of resistance.
Zimbabwe remains a high malaria burden country, with over 89 000 cases of the deadly disease and 151 deaths recorded in the first nine weeks of 2017.
“What has happened with malaria is that there is a new first line drug treatment called artemisinin — which is the newest drug now that is being used for malaria. Other drugs such as chloroquine were found to be resistant in many areas,” Parirenyatwa said in an interview with the Daily News.
“In other words, if you give chloroquine, the person is not healed because the mosquito ‘bacteria’ was now resisting chloroquine, that’s why we went to artemisinin, and that’s our first line of treatment now.
“The resistance is rampant enough for us to sit down and say let’s change the protocol.”
Last week, three Health ministers from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi signed an agreement committing to fighting malaria by designing and implementing a comprehensive and coordinated response to the disease.
Malaria is caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through bites by the female anopheles mosquito.
“The burden of malaria now as you know, because of the flooding, the waters, there was more breeding sites of malaria but particularly along the borders , it’s along the borders with Mozambique that we have the highest burden and we went there,” Parirenyatwa said.
“That’s why we went to Mozambique to try and see how we can treat our people on both sides of the border.”
Other issues affecting the treatment of malaria in Zimbabwe, according to the Health ministry, were of people failing to access clinics to get treatment and some going to seek treatment when it’s too late.
The most affected areas are low lying areas including Beitbridge, as it is a transit town, Chiredzi, Chipinge, Mutare, Mutasa, Goromonzi, Centenary, Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe and Bindura.
HARARE - The downward review of charges on plastic money and electronic transactions will promote usage of e-channels by lowering transaction costs, economic analysts said yesterday.
This comes after Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangundya last week said he was working on a raft of measures to promote the enhanced use of plastic and electronic money which now accounts for 70 percent of retail transactions amid worsening cash shortages.
“The measures include charges or levies on plastic money and electronic transactions being reviewed downwards.
“In order to maintain this positive development and for more convenience to the transacting public, the bank is putting in place measures to make the use of plastic (including international credit cards) and electronic money cheaper and more attractive than using cash and to ensure that bank account holders are bona fide law-abiding and taxpaying citizens,” Mangudya said.
Financial research firm Equity Axis said: “Charges should be lowered to the extent that it makes economic sense to use e-channels when conducting very small value transactions. Demand for hard currency will thus gradually subside.”
In 2016, most banks received a major boost in their non-funded income line due to increased transaction volumes on e-channels. This has seen the contribution of non-funded income to banks’ total operating income enjoying a huge share when compared to the previous year.
Equity Axis said use of e-channels has also its own downside which requires strong monitoring and investment in compliance monitoring systems which may in the short-term put pressure on imports, but was a cost financial services providers will incur as an adaptation to the new normal.
“The measure is aimed at encouraging the public to use formal channels when transacting, fight externalisation and cash hoarding,” the research firm said.
The apex bank has been able to allocate $100m into the economy on a weekly basis but the country has remained in the throes of a bank note shortage caused by a widening deficit as the local manufacturing industry weakens and low foreign direct investment inflows.
The central bank has established dedicated hotline numbers for the public to report individuals and firms or traders that may be involved in cash hoarding, selling or abusing or externalising of cash, or any related misdemeanour.
A reward equivalent to five percent of the reported and recovered cash amount will be offered by the Central Bank.
Equity Axis said: “A whistleblower facility has worked quite well for Zimra in enforcing tax compliance. Such a facility at RBZ will force the public to bank their cash and support the flow of cash in the economy. And maybe create jobs for a few professional whistleblowers.”
This comes as the country is currently battling a debilitating cash shortage and has introduced bond notes — a local parallel currency pegged at par with the US dollar last November under a $200 million Afreximbank loan facility but long bank queues have remained.
There is currently $140m in bond notes, $23m bond coins and an estimated $400-600m in circulation in the economy.
The RBZ claims a good agricultural season and firming mineral commodity prices are assisting in easing up forex challenges and settling external obligations but long bank queues have remained.
Mangudya has said foreign payments backlog has been reduced by more than 50 percent to $185m.
Companies that have reported their financials have attributed some of their under performances to foreign payments bottlenecks and delays in procuring imported raw materials.
Equity Axis said the $185m may not reflect the actual developments in the economy.
“Due to prioritisation of payments, some businesses and individuals have become disgruntled or are delaying submitting their payments obligation to banks and the numbers do not reflect such,” it said.
RBZ has said it will continue to provide forex allocation from an average of 25 percent of foreign exchange resources it receives from tobacco and mining exporters.
There is no end to foreign payments prioritisation yet as the economy still faces a huge trade gap.
Exports were $224,8 million in the month of March, which is a decline of six percent on the February level of $240 million, while imports continued on an upward trajectory for the third successive month, rising by 25 percent in March to $529,09 million against a February outturn of $424,3 million, official data showed.
March’s import bill was the highest since 2015 and the growth in imports at 25 percent is the fastest in 12 months.
The March exports outturn is also the lowest in seven months.
A curb in imports through prioritisation and controls such as statutory instrument 64 (SI64) has helped shore up liquidity, according to the RBZ. But some companies have said they have failed to import or maintain certain lines of businesses due to restrictions imposed by the policy.
However, the policy has started to bear positive results as noted in cooking oil sub-sector, furniture and some selected companies.
“Financial support will help revive the industrial sector which will in turn reduce the trade gap and thereby forex savings as import substitution bears fruits. There are chances that an improvement in the forex position may also result in an upsurge in imports as the economy becomes more liberal,” Equity Axis said.
HARARE - The body of ex-Namibian Chief Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe — who passed on in Windhoek on May 10 — is expected to leave by plane tomorrow, officials said.
Mutambanengwe’s body will be flown to Harare for burial after his death at Paramount Hospital in Windhoek due to renal failure, according to Justice Rita Makarau, who said it “will be repatriated with assistance of the Namibian government”.
The release of the body by Namibia has already been arranged to secure the late 87-year-old jurist’s return back home where his remains will be interred.
After Mutambanengwe officially retired from the Zimbabwean bench, he was appointed to the Namibian High Court in 1994 and went on to serve the Namibian Supreme Court until he resigned on health reasons.
A Zanu secretary for Foreign Affairs during the liberation struggle, he was appointed chairperson of the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (Zec) in 2010, but subsequently resigned.
He resigned from active judiciary duties in Namibia in February 2013, shortly before a scheduled referendum on a new Constitution for Zimbabwe.
Mutambanengwe continued to serve the high courts of Zimbabwe and Namibia from retirement, particularly in the later where he was on several times acting judge of appeal.
The Judicial Services Commission (JSC) tendered its condolences to the Mutambanengwe family at his untimely death.
“The news of the passing on of the late Justice Mutambanengwe is yet another painful blow to a Judiciary that is still trying to come to terms with the passing on of the late former chief justice, the honourable G G Chidyausiku,” JSC said in a statement.
Prominent Harare lawyer Jonathan Samkange described the late judge as “a great teacher”.
ZimRights director Okay Machisa said the death of former High Court judge has left a void in the judicial system of the country which will be very difficult to fill.
“His judgments were not pushed or swayed by politics but instead were premised on what the Constitution said and upon proper legal reasoning,” he said.
“Some of his controversial rulings on the land reform exposed the government, which it did not like, since the issue was at the centre of things. He was a legal and constitutional man. Even his resignation from Zec must have been because he was too principled to work under the control of politics and unprofessionalism,” Machisa said.
He is survived by his wife Juliana and three children and mourners are gathered at Number 36 Wallis Road in Mandara, Harare.
