HARARE - The two-day Miombo Magic Music Festival, set for Christon Bank, Harare, will kick off tomorrow with a star-laden line-up that includes Suluman Chimbetu, Ammara Brown, Hope Masike, Gemma Griffiths and Josh Meck.

Now in its sixth edition, the festival will also include artistes such as Tribes Afro, SoulBone, Black Mamba Man, Flying Bantu, Bulawayo’s Djembe Monks, Fiddelicious, The Circuit Party and DJ NonStop.

On Sunday — the second and final day — the festival will host eight acts which include Café Ole, Ann Sellberg, Sipite Girls, Cello Culture and the Jah Army Band, Vera, Steve Chikoti and rock musician Rob Burrell.

According to Miombo Magic Music Festival artistic director, Gus Le Breton, this year’s edition will offer non-stop music.

“There is going to be only one stage hence it will be one band after another; it will be music non-stop throughout the festival,” Gus Le Breton said, adding that they had gone out of their way to ensure music fans get the best sound.

“For this edition, we have set up a good sound system which will be manned by acoustic experts such as our own Vusa Moyo and we have also managed to persuade Keith Farquharson (the Ex-Ilanga band member who won the best South African Music Awards (Sama) gong for best sound engineer in 2011) just for this event.”

In keeping with its tradition since it was launched, fans will have the option of either camping at the venue or shuttling back to town.

“Fans can come with tents or they can move to town and back as we have shuttle services from Christon Bank to Harare,” he said.

Sadly, there will not be any Miombo Magic Festival next year due to the tough economic situation.

“We don’t have corporate sponsors, we have tried this year but we were not successful as it was tough … we have no sponsors... we encourage people to buy tickets so that the festival will continue running.

“As of now, we are happy with the response from music fans as we are only targeting 1 000 people. Next year we are taking a break and the festival will resume in 2019,” Le Breton said.

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HARARE - A woman tried to hire a hitman to kill her lover’s wife, a court has heard.

Judith Makwara appeared before Harare regional magistrate Temba Kuwanda yesterday facing allegations of conspiracy to commit murder.

Makwara is a congregant at Lead International Ministry and is suspected of having an extramarital affair with the church’s chief executive officer Lovejoy Tirivepi – Charity Muzorewa’s husband.

During trial, Keith Vera — engaged to hire the hit man — told the court that he met Makwara when she brought her visitors from England to stay at his guest house in Marlborough.

“When Makwara brought her guests to my lodge, she told me that she was renovating a house in Hatfield and since I was in the construction industry, we began communicating. She later told me that Muzorewa’s husband who was in England was the one who had assigned her to manage renovations at the Hatfield house,” Vera said.

“On one of the occasions, she told me that Muzorewa had returned from England and she wanted bouncers trained in karate. I took her to Mbare and I introduced her to Clover Musariri, my former trainer.

“We had a meeting and Makwara told Musariri that she wanted Muzorewa beaten up. She also intimated that she would need security after Musariri would have completed the mission. When the meeting ended, Musariri had told Makwara that he needed money to complete the assignment.”

According to State papers, Musariri had been promised $2 000 by Makwara for killing Muzorewa.

The case was postponed to May 30 for continuation. Prosecutor Chipo Matambo said the matter came to light on April 14, around 12pm, when Muzorewa received a phone call from Musariri informing her that he had been assigned by Makwara to kill her. It was alleged that Musariri then requested to meet with Muzorewa but she refused fearing for her life. She filed a police report the following day.

Muzorewa said she became aware that Makwara was having an adulterous affair with her husband and believed that to be the motive behind the murder plot.

It is further stated that Muzorewa fears that since the first murder plot failed, Makwara may find new hit men that are not as moral as Musariri.

The police managed to interview Musariri on April 22 and recorded a statement from him which shall be produced during trial.

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HARARE - A Harare man has been jailed for five years for having sex with his girlfriend’s 13-year-old sister.

Talent Chitsinde, 27, of Tynwald South, was initially charged with rape when he appeared before Harare regional magistrate Temba Kuwanda but was later convicted of having sex with a minor after it was proven that the act was consensual.

Regional magistrate Kuwanda suspended two years on condition of good behaviour meaning Chitsinde will serve an effective three years in jail.

“The accused person exposed the victim to the risk of contracting HIV and sexually transmitted infections at such a tender age. One wonders why the accused person was so cruel to target a 13-year-old girl,” Kuwanda said in his ruling.

“The accused person’s defence that the sexual intercourse was consensual was unacceptable in the circumstances. The legislator who crafted this law wanted to make sure that young girls are protected from sexual predators like the accused person who take advantage of them.

“The complainant lost her most cherished virtue which is her virginity. Imagine the burden that would have been created for the victim’s parents if she had fallen pregnant.”

Prosecutor Chipo Matambo proved that on March 13 last year, the victim was sent to Dzivaresekwa 1 Bar to buy electricity tokens and met Chitsinde on the way.

He asked the juvenile to accompany him to his friend’s place and she agreed.

When they arrived at the house, he raped the girl wearing a condom.

The girl lost her innocence and Chitsinde spent the whole night sexually abusing the child.

When the victim returned home the following morning, she narrated the ordeal to her aunt who filed a police report.

The girl was subsequently sent for medical examination.

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HARARE - The government must urgently investigate State police conduct at Anorld farm in Mazowe, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.

This comes after riot police harassed, beat up and illegally removed 200 families off the farm in Mazowe, Mashonaland Central province, in a farm seizure believed to be linked to President Robert Mugabe’s family.

The police have also been alleged to be illegally tearing down homes at Arnold Farm, leaving hundreds of people homeless and destitute in heavy rains and cold weather.

Residents have occupied the farm for 17 years, and HRW Southern Africa director Dewa Mavhinga said any process to evict them should respect their rights and follow due process.  “The government should urgently intervene in the Arnold Farm case to stop the on-going violation of court orders and abuses,” Mavhinga said.

About 100 riot police began demolishing homes at Arnold Farm on March 17 this year, forcing residents onto trucks and dumping them by the roadside 40 kilometres away.

The rights group said they made efforts to contact lawyers who represent the Mugabes, as well as provincial affairs and police officials, but did not receive any reply to questions regarding the ownership of Arnold Farm and the conduct of the police.

“The police affirmed in a court filing that the Arnold Farm ...which the families have occupied since 2000, is owned by the president’s family,” the HRW report said.

“The farm residents obtained a High Court order to stop the evictions, and barred the police from harassing them by demolishing their homes or attempting to evict them without a valid court order. The police told lawyers representing the farm residents they were acting on the orders of their ‘superiors’ but did not have a High Court order approving the eviction, as required by the law.

“Many families have lost their crops and livestock during the demolitions and now live and sleep in the open with no protection from the rain and cold. Police harassment has prevented the families from harvesting their corn, sugar beans, and groundnuts crops.”

When a Human Rights Watch team visited Arnold Farm on May 9, they witnessed four uniformed and armed riot police and six people in civilian clothes demolish homes and destroy property belonging to farm residents.

HRW said it interviewed five men whom the police had beaten on the soles of their feet that day for refusing to leave the farm.

The Arnold farm villagers were also arrested for refusing to move from the farm for trespassing.

According to the HRW, police cordoned off the area and  set up entry and exit checkpoints as well as patrols on the farm.

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HARARE - The court hearing of Mutasa Central MDC legislator Trevor Saruwaka’s legal challenge to his ejection from the National Assembly last October for wearing a jacket with the country’s flag colours has been deferred to June 22.

In the application, Saruwaka cited speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda and the chief security officer of Parliament as respondents.

High Court judge Lavender Makoni postponed the matter yesterday “to look at certain issues” surrounding the case.

In his court application, Saruwaka argued that Mudenda has no right to determine the colour of clothes he wears while in the National Assembly.

Saruwaka, who approached the High Court after he was thrown out from the National Assembly, said his ejection for wearing the flag-coloured jacket was unlawful and an infringement on his right to freedom of conscience and religion.

He further argued there is no provision in the Standing Rules and Orders of Parliament that bars him from wearing such colours.

Saruwaka, who is represented by Kudzai Kadzere from Kadzere, Hungwe & Mandevere Legal Practitioners, said he is an avowed follower of the Rastafari religion, adding that the colours on his jacket were synonymous with his religion.

“…it is respectfully submitted that, applicant (Saruwaka) being of the Rastafari religion has a right to freedom of conscience and religion in terms of Section 60 of the Constitution which right includes the right to propagate his religious beliefs whether in private or in public within the confines of the law.

“By arbitrarily denying applicant (Saruwaka) access to the National Assembly, respondents have elevated themselves above the Constitution without lawful cause. There is no legal basis upon which applicant can be barred from entering the National Assembly,” he argued.

He said he is entitled to the protection of the law.

“It is further submitted that, respondents do not have the power to determine the colour of the jacket applicant wears. The respondents are therefore acting outside the scope of their powers by ejecting applicant from National Assembly sessions on account of wearing the jacket in question,” he said.

He further said that according to the provisions of Standing Order 76 (7), only jeans, T-shirts and sleeveless outfits, are prohibited from the National Assembly.

“Nowhere is it mentioned that jackets such as the one worn by the applicant are prohibited,” he said, adding that his jacket does not in any way offend the national flag.

Saruwaka’s National Assembly “drama” took place after Mudenda ruled in June last year that the national flag would not be allowed in the House following a plethora of protests against President Robert Mugabe’s rule under the #ThisFlag campaign.

Several MDC parliamentarians, including Saruwaka, had entered the house with national flags draped on their necks.

The national flag became a protest symbol after it was popularised by cleric Evan Mawarire of #ThisFlag movement.

The pressure group demanded Mugabe’s resignation, citing government’s failure to deal with corruption, nepotism and a serious economic meltdown.

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HARARE - Zimbabwe’s controversial programme to redistribute land taken from white farmers cost 1,5 million jobs, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa has said.

“Right now our economy is highly informalised. I always give the statistics that in 1999 or thereabout, there were two million workers in the formal sector, by the time we reached 2005, because of the revolution in the land reform programme, the formal sector collapsed and the two million formal workers dwindled to half a million and could be just about less,” Chinamasa told the Senate last week.

“It is our responsibility to now move that economy from the informal and back to the formal again. That is the transition which we are now travelling. I am very happy with the progress that we are making so far.  It is a process and not an event, it cannot happen overnight.”

Critics say the country’s once strong agricultural base has been damaged by the chaotic land redistribution programme.

President Robert Mugabe introduced land reforms in 1999 aimed at addressing colonial imbalances whereby a few white farmers own most of the best agricultural land in Zimbabwe.

More than 4 000 farmers were forcibly evicted from their land in often violent struggles. The violence — and allegations of rigged elections and rights abuses — led western donors to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe.

“... in the agricultural sector...we were talking about 4 000 (white) farmers. There is no way an economy can grow and expand when a vital productive asset like land is held by one or two people.

“So, it is important that we realise that because we moved from that ownership of land and now we have the A1 farmers. We distributed that land to about 350 000 households, you can also multiply the number of people who are dependent on that piece of land. Now, that change caused disruption in our productive system. So, initially there was a fall of production, everyone was laughing at us.”

“I cannot see how we could have gone from that skilled land ownership to the current one where it is now owned by the majority of our people, without a transition.

“There has to be a transition and what we are talking about here Madam president is how to manage that transition from yesterday to today and tomorrow,” he said.

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HARARE - The Avenues Clinic has become the first hospital in the country to deliver a test tube baby in almost two decades after re-introducing In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) programme last year.

IVF is a process in which an egg is fertilised by sperm outside the body and the fertilised egg is later implanted into a woman’s uterus.

The baby boy was born at 29 weeks on April 2, weighing just over a kilogramme.

The woman who benefitted from IVF expressed her joy over becoming a mother.

The baby is, however, still in hospital as it needs to gain 20 more grammes, which he will likely have gained in the coming week.

IVF was stopped at the hospital in 2000 after its pioneer in the country Tony Robertson left the country.

“My husband and I had been trying to have a baby since we got married in 2012 without success,” the mother who preferred to remain anonymous said.

“I had tried everything, including herbal medicines, to get pregnant. However, I had ovarian cysts and blocked Fallopian tubes. It seemed IVF was the only answer.

“I phoned the Avenues Clinic to enquire about this and was given Dr (Tinovimba) Mhlanga’s phone number. After saving bit by bit for the procedure, I was put on the IVF programme.

“I had to inject myself to stimulate the ovaries, which was tough, but it worked out well. A scan showed there were six follicles. I went to the Avenues Clinic for the egg retrieval.

“After a few days, I was told all my eggs had fertilised in the IVF Laboratory at the Avenues Clinic. The doctors transferred three embryos into my womb. The other three were frozen.

“After 10 days, I had a blood test and it came out positive. I was so excited. I had tried so many things — both traditional and modern — but none of them had worked.

“I was also receiving pressure from my family to conceive so you can imagine how I felt when my pregnancy test came back positive. I was hoping for three babies from the three embryos.”

Mhlanga a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist praised his team for the work which he said required good coordination.

“Sister Florence Marechera is the backbone of the programme. She organises everything. The counsellors do an excellent job in counselling patients, which is an important role as undergoing IVF can be traumatic,” Mhlanga said.

Before its disruption, the programme had helped conceive 52 people who are now adults.

The IVF team is made up of Mhlanga and Robertson, both of whom are specialist obstetricians and gynaecologists; medical laboratory scientists Tinei Makurumure and Robertson’s wife, who are the embryologists, and Marechera, a nursing sister who is the programme’s counsellor and coordinator.

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HARARE - Another crisis is looming at State hospitals, after fed up nurses gave notice to the government that they would soon embark on a crippling strike — as they press for improved working conditions and the dismissal of the Health Services Board (HSB) secretariat, which they accuse of failing to act on their grievances.

This comes as chaos continues to ravage public hospitals which have been hit by shortages of drugs and key personnel, as well as new outbreaks of communicable diseases such as cholera, malaria and typhoid.

“We feel the HSB does not understand us and how we operate. We have been raising our grievances since 2010 and up to now, 11 years later, they have not yet addressed those issues.

“The purpose of the HSB is to address the conditions of service for health workers, but this is not happening,” Zimbabwe Nurses Association secretary general, Enock Dongo, told the Daily News yesterday.

He said all nurses, regardless of qualifications and experience, were being classified under the lowest grade.

“Even when you have been working as a nurse for 10 years, and when you should be considered to be a senior, you get the lowest salary of about $285. It’s all because your grade doesn’t change. You remain grade D1, instead of maybe D3.

“Someone can also have three or four diplomas on top of a nursing degree and still be in that low grade. We have specialities in midwifery, intensive care and physiotherapy, but all that is not being recognised.

“We want the HSB secretariat to be removed ... and we will not stop demonstrating until they are removed. They are non-medical people and they don’t even know how we operate as health workers,” Dongo said.

“When we discuss our issues with the board, they appear to understand, but the problem comes with implementation … that’s where the problem is. We cannot have the lives and professions of over 35 000 people in disarray because of a few people, and we are saying we are fed up,” he added.

Public hospitals are struggling under the weight of a myriad other problems, including the shortage of drugs and continued under-funding by the government.

Despite the humongous problems bedevilling the public health sector, the misfiring Zanu PF government has continued to overlook its urgent needs, as demonstrated by the allocation of a measly budget to hospitals this year.

In his budget presentation in December, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa reduced the vote for health from $331 million to a disappointing $282 million — a figure that falls way short of meeting the big demands of the public health sector.

This has seen Zimbabwe’s public health sector lurching from one crisis to the other over the past two decades, as the country’s stone-broke government struggles to pay workers and stock hospitals.

Early this year, health services across the country were crippled when doctors and nurses staged a national strike, pressing for improved working conditions.

In 2016, major referral hospitals also had to suspend many services as a result of the shortage of drugs, including painkillers — exposing how much things have fallen apart in the country since the early 2000s.

United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and Harare Central Hospital were among the major health facilities that had to suspend normal services as a result of drug shortages, including pethidine — a synthetic compound used as a painkiller, especially for women in labour and during caesarean operations.

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HARARE - As the unrelenting pressure being exerted on under-fire Zanu PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere (pictured) continues to mount, angry war veterans say it is time he is “cut loose” to save the ruling party from imploding.

Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, voluble war veterans leader and former Cabinet minister, Christopher Mutsvangwa, said it was high time that Zanu PF acted “decisively” against Kasukuwere before “irreparable damage” was done to the deeply-divided ruling party.

Mutsvangwa’s call came following Kasukuwere’s announcement earlier this week of the hotly-debated decision to bar an ex-intelligence operative, Pearson Mbalekwa, from participating in the impending Chiwundura by-election — and as the former liberation movement’s ugly tribal, factional and succession wars continue to escalate.

Mutsvangwa said the Mbalekwa decision had been taken in an unprocedural manner, adding that Kasukuwere was “now behaving like the owner of Zanu PF”.

“That is (Mbalekwa decision) an abuse of power and personalisation of Zanu PF by a clueless and disorderly G40 (Generation 40),” Mutsvangwa said, referring to the Zanu PF faction which is rabidly opposed to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeding Mugabe.

“Why does Tyson (Kasukuwere’s nickname) also issue a statement from a foreign country (he is in Mexico with Mugabe)?  There ought to be an acting PC (political commissar).

“Kufa kwemujoni company haivharwi (Work does not stop because the boss is not there or has died).

“Even the president does not do that. He leaves behind an acting president when he travels. For security and protocol, pronouncements of State have to be issued from the seat of power. What if Kasukuwere is kidnapped in a foreign land and is under duress?

“Crass ignorance and compulsive dictatorial proclivity to the abuse of State power is the hallmark of G40,” added the garrulous Mutsvangwa.

Mutsvangwa also attacked Kasukuwere earlier this week — claiming that the G40 was nearing its end, following the ongoing and relentless assault on its leaders by Mnangagwa’s backers, Team Lacoste.

“The end is definitely nigh for the G40 cabal and its diabolic power grab pretences. The inescapable reality is that the G40 is facing its waterloo. Its organisational paucity has been exposed glaringly.

“And the people of Zimbabwe are poised to mete out terrible punishment to these would-be power grabbers for their crimes that delivered an economic meltdown unprecedented for a peacetime nation,” he said then.

Mutsvangwa also said the current onslaught on Kasukuwere — who insiders claim is one of the G40 kingpins — was “a sign” that the faction was nearing its end.

“The drowning Kasukuwere … has long been the bete noire of the war veterans association ... This political charade has finally run out of its course.

“It has been a torrid season (for the G40), with the (Jacob) Mudenda inquiry, the vote of no confidence by 10 party provinces and the thorough drubbing of the G40 pretender by chairman (Ezra) Chadzamira in the Masvingo party provincial elections,” he said.

Kasukuwere has been fighting to save his political career over the past few weeks, with his Zanu PF enemies pushing for his ouster from both his party and government positions, over a raft of charges which include allegedly plotting to topple Mugabe from power.

Also under fire has been his brother Dickson Mafios, who is the acting Zanu PF chairperson for Mashonaland Central.

Kasukuwere’s fate was set to be decided at last week’s postponed politburo meeting, after a probe team appointed by Mugabe to investigate allegations against him had completed its work.

Insiders have also previously told the Daily News that Kasukuwere’s party rivals are “systematically working for his demise” — in the same manner former Vice President Joice Mujuru was chased out of the warring former liberation movement in 2014.

Nicknamed Tyson for his combative style of politics, Kasukuwere on Tuesday ordered Zanu PF’s Midlands Province to overlook Mbalekwa for the forthcoming Chiwundura by-election — which became vacant last month following the death of Kizito Chivamba.

“The party received names from the contestants who were prepared to stand in the Midlands Province. Out of the 21 candidates, 20 were approved by the party and … Mbalekwa’s application was turned down for various reasons.

“That is the position of the party. So, whoever emerged at the top, outside the candidature of Mbalekwa  will stand for the party,” Kasukuwere, who is attending the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction Conference with Mugabe in Mexico, said.

Mbalekwa who was sacked from Zanu PF after the so-called Tsholotsho Declaration in 2004, in which Mnangagwa was then accused of organising a palace coup against Mugabe, had triumphed in the party’s primaries.

A former intelligence operative, Mbalekwa joined opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC, before being elected MP for Zvishavane in 2008.

His closest rival, Brown Ndlovu, has now been chosen to represent Zanu PF in the impending mini-poll, following the withdrawal of Mbalekwa.

Mbalekwa told the Daily News yesterday that he had withdrawn after the “sudden illness” of his daughter, which allegedly happened after he had won the party’s primary elections.

“I only received the news of my child’s illness at midday on Tuesday, well after the election. So, I had no choice but to withdraw because I realised I could not cope under the circumstances,” he said.

Midlands is one of the nine provinces that have passed a vote of no confidence in Kasukuwere, and is said to be a Team Lacoste stronghold.

Meanwhile, Midlands Province has accused Kasukuwere of trying to settle political scores, as Mbalekwa had been cleared and re-admitted into the party in 2013.

“Mbalekwa re-joined the party and was rehabilitated. Charges from Tsholotsho do not stick because if we were to use that as a yard stick then Jonathan Moyo should not be a minister and member of the politburo.

“Similarly, Daniel Shumba would not be an MP and chairman of a parliamentary portfolio committee, and July Moyo would not be deputy secretary for administration, and Mark Madiro would not have been a member of the central committee.

“All these people were once expelled for their alleged involvement in the Tsholotsho meeting. But after serving their suspensions, they were re-admitted into the party and were rehabilitated,” a senior official told the Daily News in the aftermath of Kasukuwere’s directive.

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HARARE - A 48-year-old Harare man has been dragged to court for allegedly bashing his wife to death after she refused to leave a shebeen following a drinking binge.

Black Zondiwa Mayowa, of Marimba, appeared before Harare magistrate Barbra Chimboza charged with murder.

He was remanded in custody to June 9 and advised to apply for bail at the High Court as he faces a third schedule offence.

Prosecutor Sabastian Mutizirwa alleged that on May 22 this year, Mayowa and his now deceased wife Mercy Ruth Lobo were consuming liquor at a shebeen in Milton Park in Harare.

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The court heard that Mayowa told his wife that it was time to go home but she refused.

In a fit of rage, he allegedly started assaulting her.

One Ashipelego Ngwenya intervened and stopped Mayowa from assaulting his wife further.

Mayowa then dragged his wife home and along the way, he allegedly continued assaulting her.

When the couple reached 10 Dan Judson Road in Milton Park, one Innocent Garwe heard some noise and went outside to investigate.

He reportedly saw Mayowa attacking his wife with booted feet and ordered the two to move from his house.

Mayowa dragged Lobo for several metres from Garwe’s residence and left her at 11 Dan Judson Road before leaving the scene unnoticed.

According to State papers, the following morning, Thinkwell Mushiringi of 11 Dan Judson Road woke up at around 7am and discovered Lobo’s body outside his yard.

He filed a police report.

An hour later, Mayowa returned to the scene holding a jersey and shoes he had brought for his wife.

He was immediately arrested and admitted murdering his wife but said he only used a wooden stick to assault her.

Police recovered two blood-stained sticks and a quarter brick.

The deceased’s body had lacerations on the back and wounds on the face.

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BULAWAYO - Political parties coalescing under the Coalition of Democrats (Code) have called on all opposition forces to come together as part of the broader initiative to put an end to President Robert Mugabe’s hegemony.

This comes as the Code leadership is set to meet today here to discuss the electoral road map ahead of the 2018 polls, among other pressing issues.

The grouping is currently chaired by Zapu president Dumiso Dabengwa.

Zapu spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa told the Daily News yesterday that leadership from all political parties under Code will be meeting for the first time.

"We all are in agreement that the greatest weakness opposition has is its fragmentation,” Maphosa said, adding that “the leadership will be meeting its structures explaining what Code is all about”.

Maphosa, however, said the meeting was important as it showed unity among opposition parties.

“As Code, we are saying with or without electoral reforms, this dictatorship may not be defeated unless every opposition vote is pooled in one basket against Zanu PF,” he said.

As a result, he said the meeting was also going to focus on poll preparations as well as cement the call by Zimbabweans for opposition parties to come together.

“Our meeting is confirmation of our conviction and commitment to a united opposition front in the coming elections.”

Speakers lined up for the event include political party leaders Welshman Ncube,  Simba Makoni, Tendai Biti, Dabengwa, Gilbert Dzikiti, Farai Mbira, Barbra Nyagomo and Maxwell Shumba of ZimFirst.

The Bulawayo meeting follows the one held in Harare last week, which kicked off the launch of Code in the 10 provinces.

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HARARE - South African opposition leader Julius Malema has once again said President Robert Mugabe must step down, as he accused the long-time ruler of destroying the little left of his legacy by clinging on to power.

Reiterating his call for the leader to step down in an Africa Day speech, Malema — once an admirer of Mugabe and his revolutionary Zanu PF policies — pleaded with the increasingly frail nonagenarian to step down with immediate effect and allow others to take over.

His call, the third in less than six months, comes as Mugabe is eyeing a fresh mandate in next years’ election — when he would be 94.

“Of course Mugabe must go. Of course we don’t want leaders who overstay their welcome,” Malema said in Johannesburg on Thursday, adding that “but Mugabe is 100 percent right about land”.

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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader’s remarks come as President Jacob Zuma’s pledge to expropriate South African land has raised the spectre of violent seizures of farms like those that impoverished neighbouring Zimbabwe, and could hurt the economy by scaring off investors worried about property rights.

Mugabe, who turned 93 in February, is the only leader Zimbabwe has known since the country attained its independence in 1980.

Mugabe claims his land reform was aimed at addressing colonial imbalances whereby a few white farmers owned most of the best agricultural land in Zimbabwe.

Earlier, EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu had also said Mugabe should retire.

“We appreciate the land programme in Zimbabwe, but Mugabe’s overstay in power can’t be celebrated. We can’t celebrate god presidents,” Shivambu said.

Malema later said that if other Sadc countries did not adopt Zimbabwe’s land policies, the land issue was bound to fail.

“If Zimbabwe takes land and other countries near Zimbabwe don’t take land, then the land struggle will not succeed. They will simply leave Zimbabwe for South Africa like they did, and irritate us here,” he said.

In December, Malema’s militant EFF also made headlines when it said it was time for Mugabe to get off the political stage.

“We believe that the Zimbabwean president ... Mugabe should take a lesson and accept that other Zimbabweans can also lead, while maintaining and sustaining his great legacy.

“He must give way and not set an example that if one does the things he did for Zimbabwean people, like land expropriation, then one must stay in power till death,” part of the EFF’s statement read.

“Political power should not have to be taken to the grave. Great political leadership in the continent ought to live to see others lead the country to demonstrate to the whole world that theirs is an immovable legacy as Fidel Castro of Cuba did.

“In addition, this allows them to also give guidance and counsel,” the EFF, said, adding that Gambia’s Yayha Jammeh was “a great example” to many African leaders who wanted to stay in power till death.

“Staying in power till death does not help you see to it that the country can indeed go forward without you. It is inevitable that we all die. Thus, great leadership is one that allows to hand over so they can die knowing the country and their legacy is safe,” Malema’s party further said.

The nonagenarian is facing the biggest challenge to his 36 years in power, as rising discontent within his warring Zanu PF party where deadly tribal, factional and succession wars have taken the former liberation movement to the brink of yet another split.

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HARARE - Afro-fusion artiste Gary ‘‘Tight’’ Muponda — the son of popular musician Willom Tight — was yesterday hauled before the courts for allegedly bashing his wife after she found him with a girlfriend.

The 22-year-old artiste, who appeared before Harare magistrate Annia Ndiraya – represented by Gwinyai Shumba, was charged with contravening the Domestic Violence Act for physical abuse.

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He was released on $50 bail before the matter was postponed to June 2 for trial commencement.

The complainant is his 22-year-old wife — Amanda Manyuwa.

Prosecutor Devoted Nyagano alleged that on May 14 this year, Manyuwa arrived at their home and found Muponda inside the house with his girlfriend.

The court heard that Manyuwa entered the room and took her bags before proceeding to Muponda’s parents’ bedroom.

It was alleged that Muponda followed his wife to the room and began assaulting Manyuwa, stripping her naked in the process.

According to court papers, Muponda also told Manyuwa that he was going to kill her.

The court heard that Muponda’s girlfriend started taking pictures of Manyuwa while she was nude.

On the second incident, Manyuwa was preparing supper on May 18, when Muponda arrived and asked her where she had got money to buy meat.

It was alleged that Manyuwa told her husband that she had allegedly borrowed the money from her cousin.

This did not go down well with Muponda who accused his wife of lying and began bashing her with bare hands.

Manyuwa reported the matter to the police and was referred to hospital for medical examination.

Muponda has collaborated with music legend Oliver Mtukudzi on the song Inharo Dzegadzega and has produced various singles, including Ndazonyora and Tight Party.

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HARARE - Former Industry minister Nkosana Moyo has been slammed over his presidential ambition by Higher and Tertiary education minister Jonathan Moyo, who argued he has no chance at all against President Robert Mugabe in an election.

This comes as Nkosana recently said he was considering challenging Mugabe in the 2018 elections, as an independent candidate.

The Higher Education minister, who has had his fair share of contesting elections as an independent candidate, said Nkosana was not like France’s newly-elected President Emmanuel Macron.

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Macron — an investment banker turned politician — emerged as a surprise candidate in France’s recent election and gathered more popular support than his rivals.

“...he (Nkosana) thinks he can win the presidency as an independent candidate but unlike Macron he has no political base,” Jonathan slammed Nkosana — a former World Bank official — on Twitter this week.

He had earlier posted a picture of Nkosana, rubbishing its contents which said “Nkosana 4 (sic) president” adding “the man we have been waiting for.”

Jonathan commented: “Tell Macron--oops, I mean Nkosana & his backers that they cannot use the Zimbabwe Bird (a national symbol) as an election campaign symbol!”

France’s 39-year-old Macron is said to have brought some freshness to the country’s political landscape, despite criticism.

He went on to win the hearts of the French electorate and stunned his rivals by winning the election.

As for Nkosana, he has no political party and he recently turned down an offer by the Zimbabwe People First ( ZimPF) to lead the beleaguered political party.

The former banker — famed for publicly speaking out against attacks on businesses and factories by war veterans and later uncharacteristically resigning from Mugabe’s Cabinet about a year after his appointment — said there was need for a paradigm shift in the country’s politics.

He has snubbed an offer to lead Dumiso Dabengwa’s Zapu.

“When you look at the facts on the ground and beyond just Zimbabwe like sub-Saharan Africa, you notice there is one thing common in all our countries, the government of the day runs the country for the party and not for the citizens,” Nkosana told journalists recently on the side-lines of National Youth Development Trust (NYDT) public debate.

“The government of the day runs the country for the benefit of party members as opposed to the benefit of all citizens,” he said.

“My view is that if I get involved in politics, I am going to run as an independent because when you think about it, what type of a president do you want? You want a president who has got responsibility and accepts responsibility for all citizens and not for some citizens.

“A president is a president of a country not of a party. He or she should be capable of being a president even for those who did not vote for him or her. We don’t seem to have that maturity,” Nkosana said.

He addeed that “my own view and conclusion is that for the time being, we need to try the idea of citizens being persuaded to vote for somebody who does not belong to a party”.

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HARARE - Air Zimbabwe (Air Zim) is struggling to secure a partner, with the national airline now bearing the brunt of jokes as it suffers several mishaps.

This comes as the airline’s fleet is almost grounded, while it recently issued hand-written boarding passes due to challenges.

It was recently blacklisted by the European Union over safety concerns.

Transport minister Joram Gumbo told the Daily News in a telephone interview on Monday that “there is no partner yet”, despite years of searching.

Early this year, Air Zim chief executive Ripton Muzenda told Parliament’s Transport portfolio committee that the airline was in talks with two strategic partners to help resuscitate it by clearing its ballooning $300 million debt. The flag carrier is, however, now reportedly seeking partnerships with other international airlines instead of a partner to pay off its debt.

Muzenda also revealed that the flag carrier was working towards gaining International Air Transport Association (Iata) readmission by May 31 this year.

Currently, the airline is operating at 40 percent, with a load factor of 42 percent, according to the board and management.

Passengers flying from Victoria Falls to Harare recently clashed with the crew after they were told to leave their bags behind as they would be too heavy, according for the flight in a video shared on micro-blogging site Twitter.  Delays have also become part of the airline’s culture with various flights being cancelled and delayed.

This has infuriated passengers, who now prefer other foreign airlines.

“Flying Air Zimbabwe is such a bad idea. We were supposed to leave Victoria Falls at 4pm. Was told it’s been moved to 7pm. It’s now 7pm — haven’t boarded,” Gilbert Makore said on Twitter.

Manfred Chaniwa also wrote on Facebook: “So our beloved Air Zimbabwe was supposed to leave Jo’burg at 19:00hrs now delayed to past midnight, that’s if the plane comes!”

Another Twitter user, Serendipity@shimmerella, joked: “They should make it clear when you purchase an Air Zimbabwe ticket that you are actually entering a raffle and travel is not guaranteed.”

Marakia Bomani posted on Twitter:  “You book Air Zimbabwe because you are seriously having suicidal thoughts. As simple as that.”

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HARARE - Proposals by the government to introduce a new fuel levy have been met with disbelief and anger by long-suffering Zimbabweans, who are reeling from a raft of other recent taxes which were introduced by President Robert Mugabe’s cash-strapped administration.

The controversial plan, which was announced on Thursday, calls for a fuel levy to bankroll the Road Accident Fund (Raf), which will provide insurance cover to people involved in motor vehicle accidents, as well as their families.

The president of the Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (Paz), Tafadzwa George Goliati, said yesterday that while the fund was welcome, it should not be bankrolled through a fuel levy.

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“People are already overtaxed. There are other avenues of raising money towards the Raf, as we already have a raft of other taxes on fuel.

“While we advocated for this (Raf insurance), they have now excluded us on this noble cause. We proposed the idea to them, but we did not want the fund to get money from a fuel levy,” Goliati told the Daily News.

When the new tax becomes effective, it will also mean that Zimbabwe’s petroleum industry, which is reeling from myriad taxes and levies, will rival Malawi in the country with the highest fuel taxes in the region.

Former Economic Planning and Investment Promotion minister, Tapiwa Mashakada, said the government was creating “another slush fund” which it could abuse.

“There is no justification whatsoever for such a fund. At the present moment, accidents and insurance is covered by the Road Traffic Act. That’s why motorists have to buy third party or comprehensive cover insurance.

“Hospitals are not equipped to handle accident injuries and that’s where the problem is. It has nothing to do with medical insurance cover. This is another looting avenue by the State,” Mashakada said.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson, Jacob Mafume, said the country needed “less taxes and more growth”.

“I tell you, they will soon tax us an oxygen levy for breathing,” Mafume said, tongue-in-cheek.

“We continue to milk a bleeding cow. Which part of ‘there is no money in the country’ do these people not understand?

“As it is, our fuel remains high in spite of the fact that oil prices are the lowest they have ever been. This is a vampire State gone wild,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Daily News understands that Transport minister Joram Gumbo has already submitted the proposal to Cabinet and that the concept paper is being worked on by a multi-stakeholder committee.

Soon after, the completed documents are expected to be brought before Parliament for interrogation and possible legislation of the fund.

The government’s proposal comes as the State is struggling to raise revenue to fund many of its everyday functions.

In a bid to shore up its heavily depleted coffers, the government early this year slapped suffering small businesses with a raft of taxes, as well as hiking traffic fines by nearly 100 percent.

Mugabe and his warring ruling Zanu PF, in power since Zimbabwe’s independence from Britain in 1980, stand accused of turning the once thriving local economy, which at one time was regarded as the bread basket of Africa, into a basket case.

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HARARE - All eyes are on President Robert Mugabe on his return from Mexico, as the wily nonagenarian bids to douse, once and for all, the raging and worsening tribal, factional and succession wars consuming his ruling Zanu PF.

Well-placed sources told the Daily News yesterday that “the desperation and stress” among many party heavyweights had reached unsustainable levels that “something has to give soon”.

“It’s panic stations all round in many quarters and unfortunately only one man, Gushungo (Mugabe), can take away the chefs’ (senior party officials’) pain.

“If you have been following social media closely over the past few days, particularly accounts linked to some officials and their lackeys who are active on Twitter and WhatsApp for example, the panic and desperation will not have escaped you,” one of the sources said.

This comes after Zanu PF’s mindless bloodletting witnessed an unprecedented orgy of intra-party violence in Bulawayo earlier this week.

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Mugabe — who spent a week in Mexico attending an obscure conference on climate together with the ruling party’s under-fire national political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere — returned home yesterday amid the former liberation movement’s worsening infighting which analysts say is reaching a tipping point.

Another insider told the Daily News yesterday that Zanu PF was likely to have its delayed politburo meeting this coming week, where Mugabe was expected to try and deal decisively with the ruling party’s deepening ructions — including the chaos in the influential women’s league, the disputed Masvingo leadership election, the Bulawayo violence and the Kasukuwere affair.

University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure, said there was no doubt that Mugabe was now under tremendous pressure to “crack the whip” in the burning former liberation movement.

“The number one issue he has to deal with now is that of his national political commissar. And it is possible that their trip together to Mexico may have given Kasukuwere a chance to talk to Mugabe one on one, and thus give him a chance to clear his name.

“But whether or not that happened, Mugabe still has to solve the issue formally, as there has been a lot of restlessness and there is therefore that need for a decisive voice from him.

“The violence that rocked Bulawayo is an extension of the same Kasukuwere issue ... amid the context that nine out of 10 provinces have endorsed a vote of no confidence against him. So, Mugabe will need to deal with all this,” Masunugure told the Daily News.

Another political analyst, Maxwell Saungweme, also said Mugabe would need to deal with the Kasukuwere issue as soon as possible, to avoid a complete implosion of the ruling party.

“He needs to deal decisively with the Kasukuwere issue to avoid another split of Zanu PF.  The issue has been causing Zanu PF to implode, and it needs his attention,” Saungweme said.

Kasukuwere has been fighting to save his political career over the past few weeks, with angry Zanu PF supporters pushing for his ouster from both his party and government positions, over a raft of charges which include allegedly plotting to topple Mugabe from power.

A probe team tasked to investigate the allegations against Kasukuwere has since submitted its findings to Mugabe.

Kasukuwere also stands accused by his party enemies of stoking tension in the deeply-divided ruling party, after he barred an ex-intelligence operative, Pearson Mbalekwa, from participating in the impending Chiwundura by-election.

The move has seen his rivals calling for decisive action to be taken against him, with voluble war veterans’ leader and former Cabinet minister, Christopher Mutsvangwa, accusing Kasukuwere of “personalising” Zanu PF.

Mutsvangwa said the Mbalekwa decision had been taken in an unprocedural manner, adding that Kasukuwere was “now behaving like the owner of Zanu PF”.

“That is (Mbalekwa decision) an abuse of power and personalisation of Zanu PF by a clueless and disorderly G40 (Generation 40),” Mutsvangwa said referring to the Zanu PF faction which is rabidly opposed to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeding Mugabe.

“Why does Tyson (Kasukuwere’s nickname) also issue a statement from a foreign country (he is in Mexico with Mugabe)?  There ought to be an acting PC (political commissar).

“Kufa kwemujoni company haivharwi (Work does not stop because the boss is not there or has died).

“Even the president does not do that. He leaves behind an acting president when he travels. For security and protocol, pronouncements of State have to be issued from the seat of power. What if Kasukuwere is kidnapped in a foreign land and is under duress?

“Crass ignorance and compulsive dictatorial proclivity to the abuse of State power is the hallmark of G40,” added the garrulous Mutsvangwa.

Apart from having to deal with Kasukuwere’s saga, Mugabe is expected to deal with the unprecedented intra-party violence which rocked Bulawayo last weekend, where rival factions engaged in bloody skirmishes which led to the cancellation of a provincial coordinating committee (PCC) meeting at Davies Hall.

Mugabe is also expected to deal with the contested results of the Masvingo provincial chairmanship election, which was comprehensively won by an alleged Team Lacoste candidate, Ezra Chadzamira — who walloped Mutero Masanganise who had pulled out from the mini internal plebiscite days before polling, citing a number of alleged irregularities.

Masanganise — who is linked to the G40 faction— pulled out of the Masvingo poll re-run arguing that it was illegal.

Mugabe and the politburo had nullified the results from the initial regional poll, which was won by Chadzamira — amid similar claims of irregularities, including people not voting in some districts.

Chadzamira, who is the former regional chairperson and an alleged Mnangagwa backer, crushed Masanganise then — polling 12 393 votes against his opponent’s 4 888, amid allegations of rigging and failure by people in Mwenezi and some parts of Chiredzi to vote.

Observers have also consistently said Mugabe’s failure to resolve Zanu PF’s thorny succession riddle is fuelling the ruling party’s deadly infighting, which is worsening by the day.

The 93-year-old has studiously refused to name a successor, insisting that the party’s congress has that mandate: to choose a person of their own choice.

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HARARE - This week, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) dithered on a good chance to send a stern message to hooligans when they reserved judgment on the hearing into the abandoned Highlanders and Dynamos match.

Bosso were summoned by the PSL Disciplinary Committee last Tuesday following the chaos at Barbourfields Stadium on May 14 when their fans forced the match to be called off.

Unruly Highlanders fans were protesting against a controversial Dynamos equaliser scored by Christian Ntouba in the 42nd minute.

With the game live on television, the fans threw missiles onto the pitch as they wanted assistant referee Thomas Kusosa to be removed.

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When it appeared order was about to prevail, the same fans then stormed the pitch as they intensified their protests.

It was a bad advertisement of local football which played out in front of the entire continent since SuperSport was broadcasting the clash live to the rest of the continent.

This was not the first time violence has erupted at Barbourfields with previous incidents resulting in lives lost.

This is the reason why the PSL Disciplinary Committee should have been decisive when dealing with the matter.

After conducting the hearing, judgment should have been made readily available in order to send the correct message to all stakeholders that the league is indeed doing the best to fight hooliganism.

At the moment, it seems the PSL is treating this issue like child’s play when it has the potential to drive away sponsors.

At the moment, Delta Beverages and SuperSport are the major sponsors that are willing to stand with the league through thick and thin.

But how long will they remain committed to the local game if this problem is not addressed?

The PSL should try to emulate other leagues around the world that stamp their authority without fear or favour when dealing with similar cases.

For example, in the Premier League in England, once a hearing is conducted in a case of violent conduct against a player or crowd trouble by fans, it does not take long for the judgment to be released.

This ensures perpetrators are brought to book immediately without delay.

Further delay by the PSL to release the verdict also gives rise to conspiracy theories that some high offices are trying to influence the decision.

When the judgment finally arrives, the perception of the fans will be deeply conflicted with the wild conspiracy theory flying around on social media.

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HARARE - Although the lantern of Florence Nightingale has long dimmed, many of the obscure illusions it dissipated are still flickering in the minds of senior health officials.

The obsolete reading of nursing as a flaccid, vocational duty has been cruelly exposed with the ongoing national strike that has revealed a culture of complacency about the demanding role of the nursing profession.

Indeed, the very idea of nursing as a legitimate profession as opposed to a “vocation” is something the government has yet to come to terms with.

The current strike crisis and the threat it poses to public healthcare is a build-up of government’s delaying tactics since 11 years ago.

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The nurses first went on strike on Tuesday to press the government to honour its promises of improving their working conditions.

Earning a measly $285 a month, the nurses — who staged a parade at the Health Services Board (HSB) offices last Tuesday and are unfurling another demo next Tuesday — are among the lowest paid in the state and would rightly need an increase.

The strike comes two months after the nurses called off another crippling strike after reaching an agreement with government, ending a standoff which came at huge cost as hundreds of patients died during the chaos which ravaged the State hospitals in over three weeks.

With the HSB secretariat unmoved over the latest calls to improve their conditions of service, the nurses felt they had no choice but to step up their industrial action until their grievances have been addressed.

It is totally unfair that senior nurses that have been in service for up to 10 years take home $285 in 30 days!

After being hired, nurses remain in Grade D1 instead of D3. Clearly there is no pay equity among nurses.

Considering that these rolling protests are clearly imperilling public health, it has become increasingly important that the HSB and its secretariat, especially the human resources division, give a rational explanation for why they have chosen to pay their nurses this pathetic rate.

The HSB must urgently take steps for creating compensation grades that are fair. If the HSB secretariat lacks knowledge of compensation design principles, it should consult with experts for guidance as compensation structure is a critical element within any organisation.

At this stage, there is no financial package that has even been proposed by the HSB.

Government must urgently make a concession to nurses, and this need not pose a threat to public service pay policy.

After all, government has already promised to address this; it must simply honour its promise. This growing militancy among nurses must be addressed.

Zimbabwean nurses have long harboured feelings of injustice and neglect, and rightly so.

Some nursing sources have stated that the pay rise, although it is a practical necessity, is not the real issue at the heart of the crisis, but the inefficiency of the HSB secretariat, pointedly the body’s human resources manager Norah Zhou.

The major issues concern the overwork of nurses who perform daily medical services ranging from general care, education, counselling to the most menial of non-nursing duties, often in grossly understaffed hospitals.

As rightly stated by Zimbabwe Nurses Association secretary general Enock Dongo, nurses with three or four diplomas on top of a nursing degree earn $285, even those with specialities in midwifery, Intensive Care Unit, physiotherapy!

There is clearly something wrong here. 

At present, despite the humongous problems bedevilling the public health sector, President Robert Mugabe’s government continues to allocate a measly budget to hospitals and clinics, slashing the Health ministry vote from $331 million last year to a disappointing $282 million this year, at a time public hospitals are struggling under the weight of a myriad other problems, including the shortage of drugs.

Even if strike action is called off, nurses have shown that what they really require is respect not begrudged concessions.

Although an air of optimism has surrounded ongoing talks on a possible deal, the nurses have threatened to escalate their dispute with the government if their concerns are not addressed.

Nurses seem to have discovered their worth.

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HARARE - Listed financial services group, NMB Zimbabwe (NMBZ), has secured a $5 million credit line for on-lending to the productive sector, an executive with the group said.

NMBZ chief executive Benefit Washaya (pictured) on Wednesday said the group — which last year accessed a $20 million credit line for the productive sector — was also looking at lending to the country’s growing informal sector.

“...A regional finance house approved a $5 million line of credit and the line will shortly be available for draw-down by productive sector clients including SMEs,” he said at the group’s Annual General Meeting, adding the loan had been approved two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the group — also listed on the London Stock Exchange — recorded a marginal drop in loans and advances for the four months to April 30, 2017 to $202,3 million.

At $262,4 million, total deposits rose two percent on prior comparable period, with cheap demand deposits contributing 58 percent as operating income was down eight percent to $12,6 million on the back of stricter lending.

However, on month-on-month performance, April 2017 operating income was five percent higher than April 2016.

Operating expenses for the four months increased by two percent while cost to income ratio narrowed to 73 percent compared to 75 percent.

Washaya said the bank’s capital stood at $51,4 million and on target to reach $100 million by 2020.

The bank’s half year performance will be ahead of last year because of improved inflows from tobacco and less pressure from grain imports.

“Barring a significant deterioration in the economy, we expect 2017 to surpass the 2016 performance as we are currently operating above our budget,” said Washaya.

At the AGM, the group received shareholder approval to purchase at least 10 percent of its ordinary shares.

Shareholders also voted to amend the articles of association that deals with retirement.

The bank — which traditionally catered for high net worth individuals — recently took a decision to broaden its market segments to include small-to-medium enterprises and ordinary workers in response to changes in the global, regional and local operating environment.

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