HARARE - Warriors interim coach Norman Mapeza has handed striker Knowledge Musona the armband to lead the team in Sunday’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Liberia at home.

Ngezi Platinum Stars defender Partson Jaure will be Musona’s deputy for the clash against the Lone Stars at the National Sports Stadium.

Musona takes over the captaincy from Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Willard Katsande, who captained the Warriors at the 2017 Afcon finals in Gabon earlier this year but was overlooked for selection ahead of this tie.

[GoogleAd]

Commenting on the appointments, Mapeza said the KV Oostende striker has shown enough maturity to lead the squad.

“He has shown some great leadership qualities. Also he is someone who is much disciplined and his commitment to the national team is superb,” Mapeza said.

“Jaure will be his assistant. We have tried to strike a balance and I think it’s good for the youngsters to assume responsibility at this stage.”

The Warriors, who are in Group G which also includes DR Congo and Congo host the Lone Stars of Liberia at the National Sports Stadium hoping to kick-start their campaign on a positive note.

Mapeza and his charges will have to negotiate a tricky passage to be at the 2019 Afcon finals in Cameroon where the hosts are guaranteed a place with only one team from each of the 12 groups earning a ticket to the continent’s biggest football showcase.

The FC Platinum gaffer said he is impressed with how things are shaping up, adding that defender Onismor Bhasera and Khama Billiat are likely to join camp today.

Bhasera had travelled with his club SuperSport United to the DR Congo for last Sunday’s African Confederation Cup match against TP Mazembe.

Billiat is currently suffering from an ankle injury that has forced him to miss Mamelodi Sundown’s previous two African Champions League matches.

The Brazilians were threatening not to release the player due to the injury but Zifa has stuck to their guns insisting the player should report for camp.  

“Bhasera is expected tonight (last night) and should be available for training tomorrow (today),” Mapeza said.

“As for Khama, we are still expecting him and I heard he should be arriving tomorrow (today).

“We want our doctors to assess him to establish the extent of the injury.

“I think I am happy with how the boys are pushing, so far so good, the spirit and hunger is there.”

On Tuesday, Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela had said: “We are going to write to Safa because this is a recognised international match and the club is entitled to release the player in line with the international football regulations governing the release of players.”

Meanwhile, Mapeza added that his charges are not worried too much about their opponents, who will be heading to Harare with at least 14 foreign-based players.

“We are not looking much into our opponents. The same way we are talking about (Antony) Laffor is the same way they are also talking about Knowledge and (Evans) Rusike,” he said.

“So we just need to keep on preparing with the right attitude and mentality.”

[Adz]

HARARE - A documentray on the late Ousmane Sembene —  widely regarded as the father of African cinema — will be screened in Harare on Saturday afternoon at the B2c Working Space located at corner First Street and Jason Moyo Avenue.

The weekend screening is part of the “Sembene Across Africa project”  — a three-day series of free public screenings, house parties and free streaming of the award-winning documentary film.

The documentary on the late Senegal-born film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and author, who spent decades shaping a meaningful, visionary cinema for a newly-independent Africa, premiered at the Sundance and Cannes film festivals.

It has been screened throughout the world, and was included in seven best-of-2015 lists, including a top-ten-of-2015 notice from New York magazine.

To date, more than 90 public screenings in 30 countries have been confirmed, with more venues being added on a daily basis.

All screenings are provided free of charge. Funding is provided from the Ford Foundation and the Sundance Institute, and through a grassroots efforts, including a kick-starter campaign that runs from May 1-25. All events feature post-film discussions, with many introduced by scholars and filmmakers. In addition to the screenings, seminars will be held in Dakar, Senegal; Ouagadougo, Burkina Faso and Conkary, Guinea.

The project is motivated by Sembene’s desire — unfulfilled in his lifetime after 50 years of focused work — to return African stories to the African people. For decades, during Africa’s colonial period and until African independence in the late 1950s and early 1960s, European-run schools, newspapers, TV, movies and languages were Africa’s dominant cultural forces. African culture was criminalised and marginalised, and many Africans lost connection with their past.

Starting with his first film, Borom Sarret, completed in 1962, Sembene set out to use movies as what he called “an evening school” for Africans. His works revisited history from African perspectives, called out corrupt leaders and celebrated what he called “the heroes of the everyday.”

Sembene, who died in 2007 aged 84, spent 50 years making films and writing books in a tireless and forceful attempt to reorient Africans after generations of colonisation. Unfortunately, 10 years after his death, Sembene — a true hero of cinema and of self-empowerment — remains unknown to most young Africans.

[Adz]

HARARE - Three years ago, Coke Studio Africa saw the legendary Wyclef Jean take the stage and light up our households with the unforgettable Divine Sorrow.

A year later super star NE-YO took Peace One Day to Rwanda and delivered a Coke Studio original song Reason.

In 2016, Coke Studio saw the iconic Trey Songz set the stage on fire with his dynamic presence and now, in 2017 Coke Studio brings the Mega Platinum star: Jason Derulo, a new-school, multi-talented creative giant who has sold over 50 million singles and impressively achieved 11 platinum singles including Wiggle, Whatcha’ Say, Talk Dirty, It Girl, In My Head, Trumpets and Marry Me.

[GoogleAd]

This year, Coke Studio has merged Coke Studio Africa and Coke Studio South Africa into one bigger and better, Coke Studio Africa-2017.

The show has confirmed Jason Derulo as this year’s guest star set to feature on a special episode themed the “Global Fusion Edition!”.

The American Pop/R&B singer and dancer who is currently riding high with his latest banger Swalla is expected to jet into Nairobi, Kenya this week to participate in the recording of Coca-Cola’s flagship African music show: Coke Studio Africa.

Two of Africa’s hottest music producers: Masterkraft (Nigeria) and DJ Maphorisa (South Africa) will be tasked with producing all the African artistes — who include Jah Prayzah and Jason Derulo, after which all the music will be performed and recorded live alongside Coke Studio’s highly talented house band.

Last year, DJ Maphorisa produced music collaborations between Trey Songz and selected Coke Studio African stars.

Coke Studio Africa-2017 includes artistes from South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, Zimbabwe, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, DRC and Cameroon.

The new season is set to premiere in different regions from September this year and will broadcast in more than 30 countries across Africa.

[Adz]

HARARE - Bryan K, who released his first ever gospel song last month, has bounced back with a new song —  Forever.

The Chinhoyi-born singer told the Daily News that the song, he co-produced with a Ghanaian producer — Ceekay — will be released on June 16.

“I love the song. I am happy to have co-produced the song with Ceekay because his productions are world-class,” The Heavy Machine singer told the Daily News.

When he released the gospel track, My Love, last month, Bryan K said he wrote the song after being disappointed by an unnamed “someone.”

“I wrote the song My Love after being disappointed by a person I care about and only got to realise that the only person who has been there for me unconditionally is God,” Bryan K said then.

Though he is still unwilling to publicly say more about the person who drove him to write the gospel song, the forthcoming song appears to suggest that Bryan K was a victim of heartbreak and that he is still willing to reunite with his estranged lover.

Part of Forever goes: “When I think about the time, all the time we spent together Only tears come to my mind I miss you now more than ever Would you love me once again? I promise I will never do you wrong babe.”

In addition to Forever, Bryan K has also lined up a song titled Ndoita Sei produced by South Africa-based Mr Kamera that will be released later in the year.

Bryan K first attracted national prominence in 2012 when he won the Starbrite talent search competition. The 24-year-old artiste, who calls his music AfroSoul, then dropped his debut album — Nyaya Dzerudo — in 2015 before unleashing the hit Heavy Machine last year.

Last year, Bryan K took his craft to new heights when he collaborated with Mr Kamera on the hit Pamusika. The track has since been remixed with Nigerian hip-hop artiste Ice Prince and Malawian music star Gemini Major being incorporated onto the hit.

[Adz]

HARARE - Songstress Pamela “Gonyeti” Zulu — who went solo after quitting music star Jah Prayzah’s band 10 months ago — says she has now fully escaped the shadow of the Sendekera hit-maker.

Gonyeti told the Daily News that she will launch a new album at the end of the month to “show that I am not looking back.”

“I am soldiering on and I am enjoying my solo career. I am launching my second album — a six-track titled Madhin’adhin’ali — at Dandaro Inn in Harare on June 29. This will be my second album in less than a year,” said Gonyeti.

Interestingly, the ex-Jah Prayzah dancer and backing vocalist launched her debut album titled One Day at the same venue in October last year.

On the new album, the Victoria Falls-bred artiste, who levelled allegations of sexual abuse against Jah Prayzah when she quit the Watora Mari hit-maker’s band, worked with Oskid on a number of tracks.

“In addition to the ones produced by Oskid, I also recorded some tracks at KNB Studios. Some of the songs on Madhin’adhin’ali include Life Yacho and Mushamukadzi which was penned by fellow artiste Derick Mpofu,” the Horse Power Band leader said.

In a separate interview, Gonyeti’s manager, Filda “Mama Filo” Muchabaiwa, expressed her determination to make the rising songstress a star.

“I am very happy with the progress she has made since she went solo. Just like Gonyeti sang in the song Bhande, on which she features Suluman Chimbetu that is on her debut album, we are not looking back.

“I am determined to make Gonyeti join the country’s top musicians and after that we will fight for international recognition,” Mama Filo said, adding that she has the necessary experience to take the rising musician to the next level.

“There is nothing that will stand in our way. Remember I played a crucial role in taking both Jah Prayzah and Andy Muridzo to higher levels. My aim now is to focus on uplifting female musicians and mark my words Gonyeti will take over.”

[Adz]

HARARE - The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has collected over $1,4 billion in the five months to May this year due to intensified audits and enforcement activities, improvements in operational efficiency, and client engagement initiatives that are being undertaken to enhance revenue collections.

The national tax collector surpassed the cumulative target of $1, 338 billion for the five-month period to May 2017 after gross and net collections amounted to $1, 428 and $1, 364 billion respectively.

In a statement yesterday, Zimra said gross revenue collections for May amounted to $307, 35 million against a target of $262, 21 million, while net collections after refunds were at $290, 68 million. 

Corporate Income Tax collections were $35, 08 million against a target of $9, 90 million, resulting in a positive variance of 254 percent.

[GoogleAd]

Collections under this revenue head rose by over 460 percent as compared to the same period last year were $6, 26 million was realised.

Gross collections from Value Added Tax (Vat) on Local Sales amounted to $63, 12 million and, thus, exceeded the target of $55, 60 million by 14 percent.

Vat refunds for the month of May 2017 amounted to $16, 54 million, resulting in net collections of $46, 59 million. Net Vat collections were, therefore, 16 percent below the target. However, the revenue head (net collections) grew by 19 percent from $39, 05 million that was collected in May 2016.

Collections from Vat on imports for the month of May 2017 were $37, 39 million, which is 31 percent above the targeted $28, 50 million.

Revenue collections under this revenue head rose by 32 percent as compared to $28, 26 million collected in May last year.

The positive performance of the revenue head can be attributed to an increase in foreign currency allocations to banks by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to meet critical foreign payments.

Customs Duty gross collections amounted to $24, 98 million against a target of $23, 59 million, resulting in a positive variance of six percent.

Net collections amounted to $24, 88 million, which is five percent above the target of $23, 59 million.

Customs Duty refunds for the month amounted to $94 778, 04 while net collections rose by 14 percent from the $21, 86 million that was collected in May 2016.

Collections under Excise Duty were two percent above target. A total of $57, 34 million was collected against a target of $56, 24 million. Excise Duty collections increased by 12 percent compared to the $51, 22 million that was collected in May 2016.

The performance of the revenue head can be attributed to an increase in volumes of imported fuel and the introduction of Excise Duty on paraffin.

Individual Tax was the main contributor to the total revenue for May. The revenue head contributed $60, 62 million against a target of $63, 31 million, giving a negative variance of four percent.

The performance can be attributed to salary cuts and irregular salary payments. There was, however, a growth of seven percent from the $56, 54 million that was collected during the same period last year.

Zimra acting commissioner-general, Happias Kuzvinzwa, thanked the public for positively responding to the clarion call to comply with fiscal laws through paying taxes and duties on time and in full.

“Paying taxes and customs duties on time and in full is a sign of patriotism and contributes to the economic development of our beautiful nation.

“I therefore, urge our compliant clients to continue paying their taxes to build and dignify Zimbabwe. I wish to encourage people who are not paying their taxes to start playing their part in building the country,” he said.

[Adz]

HARARE - The National Social Security Authority (Nssa) is mulling a pension cover scheme for domestic workers this year, an official with the organisation said.

Nssa general manager Elizabeth Chitiga last week said the scheme, the first such package targeted at this often exploited and neglected group of workers, was aimed at improving the financial circumstances of domestic workers, mostly women, who were previously excluded from joining statutory retirement plans.

“We are also working on a voluntary pension cover for the informal sector, with specific emphasis on domestic workers.

“You will realise that there are people who have been long-serving in this line of work but never reap anything from it when they come of age because the facility is not available,” she said.

[GoogleAd]

The package, a voluntary initiative for the informal sector, is anticipated to receive a huge response from employers of domestic workers, who previously could not access such services.

Joining other regional countries like South Africa and the United Kingdom, Chitiga said Nssa was looking at rolling out the scheme’s pilot before year-end.

“We will have a pilot up and running by year end. Given the number in the country’s informal sector, we expect the programme to be a success,” the Nssa boss said.

The scheme will provide universal social security cover, with people who are not formally employed making voluntary contributions to Nssa so as to get benefits upon reaching the public sector retirement age of 60.

Official data indicates that about 94,5 percent of all Zimbabwean workers are in the informal sector.

“Another option is also for employers to take out the scheme for their employees, of course this entirely depends on the two parties involved,” she added.

In the case of death, surviving spouses and close relatives could also benefit.

According to Nssa chairperson, Robin Vela, the scheme would be structured on findings of a recent survey on priority social security needs of informal workers.

“We will shortly be contracting our actuaries to model the scheme, which will include benefits design. However, we envisage that it will include retirement and survivor’s benefits.

“There will be inbuilt flexibility on contributions payment under the informal sector scheme, depending on member’s circumstances. The scheme is targeting all workers in the informal sector including domestic workers,” he said recently.

After actuaries draw up a proposed model, Nssa will then consult the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, and SMEs and Co-operatives Development ministries, among other stakeholders.

While the informal sector is presently not covered by social security schemes, social security is a human right under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 22, 1948.

[Adz]

HARARE - Property development firm, Aspindale Park, is constructing over 1 200 high-density houses in Harare, in a move that is expected to ease the country’s housing backlog that is estimated to be over 1,25 million.

The company’s financial advisor, Bianca Swan, said majority of the houses — to be built on a scheme modelled along South African urban settlements — range from 200 square meters up to 350 square meters.

[GoogleAd]

“This is our first property development but we are determined for it to be the best high density housing project in the country. Phase 1 of development has commenced and we hope to complete all 3 Phases by the end of this year,” she said during a tour of the area last week.

Swan noted that the company will also develop two schools, three churches, a clinic, retail space, two fuel filling stations and a small-to-medium enterprises zone on the 56-hectare land at the junction of High Glen Road and Kambuzuma.

The property will have all the desired services and amenities, in addition to durable roads, water, electricity and sewer connectivity the stands will be provided with solar-powered streetlights and high-speed fibre Internet connectivity.

“Small and medium enterprises will be established in the development to provide access to shops, markets and suppliers within walking distance of the residences. These amenities will create massive scope for employment and economic development as well as investment opportunities creating a community like no other,” she said.

Aspindale Park, which has vast experience in operating businesses in Zimbabwe and southern Africa, was cleared by the City of Harare as well as the Environmental Management Authority to continue with the ambitious project.

Swan further indicated that the company is also currently building a three bed-roomed show house which is 94 square metres on a 200 square metre stand.

“The show house has so far received very good feedback from all our visitors and we believe it is helping to demonstrate the high quality of the development and give our customers real understanding of what it will look like once completed,” she said.

[Adz]

HARARE - A strain of avian influenza virus has now been found in Zimbabwe.

The highly pathogenic H5N8 strain is capable of causing death among humans and inflicting serious losses on poultry farmers.

The bird flu has been detected in a chicken breeder flock on a Harare farm, and 140 000 birds have been culled to stop the virus from entering the food system.

This represents the first confirmed case of the deadly avian influenza in commercial poultry in the country.

[GoogleAd]

The latest bird flu outbreak in Harare was first seen in the death last week of 7 000 birds at a large agricultural concern in the business of producing chickens, table eggs and day-old chicks.

The company has incurred heavy losses, forced to cull a significant part of its total poultry population, raising the spectre of pushing egg and chicken prices to record highs and could prompt trading partners to ban imports of Zimbabwean poultry.

The agricultural concern exports Cobb and H&N parent stock to over a dozen countries, including Malawi, Mozambique, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Botswana, Angola and Namibia. In addition, table eggs are shipped to Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and the DRC and frozen chickens are exported to South Africa, Malawi and Mozambique using the company’s own refrigerated lorries.

Chickens and eggs are a large generator of cash receipts in agriculture for the State.

So far, thank heavens, no people have been affected in this outbreak.

As a major agricultural nation with a fairly large poultry industry, Zimbabwe has implemented an action plan formulated by the Agriculture ministry’s Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services to deal with the outbreak.

It incorporates a clear protocol for preventive checks, including depopulating and imposing stringent sanitary measures and testing.

The Agriculture ministry must do more like temporarily ban the transportation of poultry nationwide. 

Precautions must include disinfecting all vehicles entering the company farm and banning all nonessential visitor access to its operations.

Sales of chicken offal that had become rife must be halted pronto given the potential of this deadly disease spreading to humans. The practices of home de-feathering and removing chicken guts increase the exposure to potentially contaminated parts of a chicken.

This outbreak will severely test the efficiency of the cash-strapped government’s intervention strategy.

The H5N8 virus has been identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the animal influenza virus of greatest concern for human health.

Given that it metamorphoses rapidly, the need for attentive supervision against it and it’s likely spread cannot be overstated.

The government’s finding that the virus associated with the bird deaths at the huge concern is the H5N8 type hints at the possible role of migratory water fowl, which are known to be the major vectors of this virus.

As stated by Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services principal director, Unesu Ushewokunze-Obatolu, the exact source is thought to be wild ducks and geese in a nearby water body, which is being investigated. Time is of essence here in unmasking the source.

On the positive side, the national plan to combat the outbreak so far seems to be adequate, with the relevant agencies with all hands on deck.

The effectiveness of the methods naturally depends on the enthusiasm with which the animal husbandry apparatus at the State level collects samples and sounds the alarm when there is risk the disease is spreading.

There is a case to prioritise and tighten the functioning of this machinery, given the impact on people and agriculture.

Borders have a particularly important responsibility to look out for sick birds.

Public health messaging, with advice on poultry consumption in this time of outbreak, is essential to quell any rumours.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the WHO, cooking of poultry including chicken, ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea-fowl at or above 70°Celsius throughout the product, so that absolutely no meat remains raw and red, is a safe measure to kill the bird flu virus.

And everyone is warned, the highly pathogenic virus can also be found inside and on the surface of eggs laid by infected birds.Zim must quickly contain bird flu

[Adz]

HARARE - Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged the Home Affairs and Tourism ministries to join hands and find a lasting solution to the pervasive bribe-seeking police checkpoints hindering travellers on the roads to Zimbabwe’s famous tourist spots.

This comes as tourists have added their voice to growing concerns over the heavy presence of Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers on the country’s roads, with over half of respondents in a Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) survey saying they felt harassed.

“I am aware that the issue of roadblocks has been raised by a number of tourists.

[GoogleAd]

“As government, we remain committed to the free movement of tourists and the need to ensure their safety.

“I therefore urge the two ministers of Home Affairs (Ignatius Chombo) and Tourism and Hospitality Industry (Walter Mzembi) to sit down together under one roof and further determine how the need for safety and movement of tourists can be guaranteed.

“I also want to commend the ZRP, the visiting public and tourists, especially in the Victoria Falls area, for their cooperation,” Mnangagwa said at the official launch of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development in Harare yesterday.

The vice president also implored local authorities to ensure that their towns and cities are clean at all times following Mzembi’s remarks that the country is not marketable because of its filth.

“So far, the cleanest city in Africa is Kigali, Rwanda, hence we would want to emulate it and have a culture of cleanliness which is next to Godliness.

“Indigenous knowledge systems inform us to do thorough cleaning of our environs, especially when expecting visitors. We cannot invite tourists to dirty environments,” he said.

Mzembi said 95,6 percent of people who visit Zimbabwe intend on coming back again, while 83,1 percent of the satisfied visitors said they had value for money.

“The less than 5 percent in the 38 680 sample who were not satisfied cited various reasons and 63,2 percent said Zimbabwe was a highly-priced destination, 43,3 percent said they felt harassed by the police at roadblocks. 31,1 percent cited poor infrastructure and other facilities and 22,2 percent of the sample cited poor quality services.

“14,7 percent felt they were harassed by customs and Zimra and 8,7 percent said they felt harassed by immigration. The good news is that only 6,5 percent felt that they would not come again because the people were not friendly,” Mzembi said.

[Adz]

HARARE - President Robert Mugabe is 93. At that ripe age, he is surprisingly sprite and energetic, although he seems to have lost the touch and the magic that helped him steer the country during very difficult periods.

Indeed the spirit appears to be willing but the body is tired — both mentally and physically — as he fails to negotiate situations he would have dealt with easily at his prime.

Now the country is facing an uncertain future because of his failure to bring to order his warring lieutenants, who are already thinking of life after him.

Like most long-suffering but patriotic Zimbabweans, those in Zanu PF also want a departure from the status quo and a dawn of a new era characterised by prosperity and equal opportunities, job creation and respect for human rights.

It is trite that Zanu PF’s dangerous brinkmanship game has become a threat to the country’s peace and the concern to any right-thinking Zimbabwean is Mugabe’s inability to not only denounce factionalism, which is now ubiquitous, but punish those fanning it.

If this is not a clear indication that the nonagenarian has lost it and is now out of sync with what the country is going through, then Zimbabweans are in for a gnashing of teeth.

Zimbabweans are suffering, and this is illustrated by hordes of vendors lining the country’s urban streets yet the ministers who are supposed to offer solutions and provide direction are busy lampooning each other in newspapers, spawning chaos.

There is no need for those in Zanu PF, who have no ideological differences but are just tearing each other apart in the blind pursuit of power, dragging the whole country into the mud, to hold the dreams of a nation to ransom and Mugabe, as the principal, has the keys to end this.

It is sad that Mugabe misses opportunities such as his address to the ruling party’s youths to announce his succession plan by encouraging free debate which is currently an anathema in the crisis-ridden party.

Is Mugabe surrounded by liars and greedy individuals to the extent that he does not see that it is his bad policies and not targeted sanctions that are causing untold suffering on the masses, or the nonagenarian is now divorced from the present that anything affecting people is no concern of his.

Mugabe, whose long stay in power is largely due to a combination of brutal force, propaganda and manipulation is, of course, cosy in the belief that he is still adored, but honestly, the emperor has no clothes.

[Adz]

HARARE - United States President Donald Trump’s administration is ready to have “meaningful” dialogue with the Zimbabwean government once it is satisfied there is political and economic transformation, a top official said yesterday.

“The relationship with the Zimbabwean government is part of the reason why I am here.

“We are not trying to vet specific individuals from Zimbabwe but we are looking to the Zimbabwean leadership and then the Zimbabwe government to make political and economic changes so that we can more robustly engage the country,” said United States’ Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Carol Thompson O’Connell.

She said this after completing the tour of New Start Centre which was funded by the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) — an HIV benefit programme that supports government’s efforts to mitigate the effects of HIV/Aids pandemic.

O’Connell is the first top Trump administration’s official to visit Zimbabwe since he was elected into office last year.

Pepfar is pledging almost $150 million next year that will be used to test 2,5 million people and support treatment for over 200 000 people as well as cover Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Determined, Resilient, Empowered, Aids-free, Mentored, and Safe (Dreams)  programme.

Later, O’Connell met Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa who said government was committed to implement reforms.

“We discussed the re-engagement issue, we discussed the sanctions issue, we discussed American assistance in the health and educational sector, we gave them and briefed them on our economic agenda and the progress that we are making on that front,” Chinamasa told journalists after the meeting. 

[Adz]

HARARE - A medical technique conducted on a South African woman arrested following suspicion that she had ingested cocaine packs failed to discover any contraband, with the State altering her charges to defeating the course of justice.

Isaura Masinga, 40, of Germistone, South Africa, entered Zimbabwe on May 5 and was confined to police custody, charged with possession of cocaine.

Masinga went through a series of ultrasound and CT scans as the State sought to establish if she carried cocaine in her stomach.

An order was further passed for her bowl movements to be monitored and involved taking the suspected drug “swallower” to the lavatory and then sifting through her faeces in a bid to find small packets of swallowed cocaine.

[GoogleAd]

However, the State failed to establish if Masinga possessed the cocaine as no contraband emerged in her stool.

The State now claims she destroyed the evidence and changed the charges to defeating the course of justice.

Masinga appeared before Harare magistrate Josephine Sande yesterday for trial on the new charge.

Isaac Taungwena, a detective at CID Drugs and Narcotics based at Harare International Airport, testified how he made the arrest.

“On May 5 this year, I received information that there was a suspected drug trafficker by the name Isaura Masinga who was coming from Brazil aboard United Arab Emirates,” Taungwena testified.

“Acting on the supplied information, I teamed up with my colleagues and intercepted the accused person in the arrival hall.

“We searched her luggage and person and nothing was recovered.

“The accused person was subsequently taken to CID Drugs and Narcotics offices for further management.

“Further investigations were conducted the following day by taking the accused person to Carestream Ultrasound Scan and the results revealed and confirmed the presence of ingested body packs in her abdomen.”

When Masinga appeared in court for the first time, she was represented by Nickiel Mushangwe who challenged his client’s placement on remand on the basis that she had been charged on allegations of possessing a substance that the State had failed to recover from her.

He slammed the State for relying on an ultrasound scan at a time his client was pregnant. He argued the scan may have picked the foetus.

Further scans showed that Masinga was not pregnant after all.

The trial continues today.

[Adz]

HARARE - The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has said that its General Assembly would have a final vote in September on the Executive Council’s Georgian nominee Zurab Pololikashvili for the UNWTO secretary-general post, even as more are opposing his confirmation, raising the spectre of Zimbabwe Tourism minister Walter Mzembi clinching the post.

The hard-working Zimbabwean Tourism minister came agonisingly close to winning elections to become secretary-general of the UNWTO which were held in Madrid, Spain last month — before losing in the run-off.

In the end, Pololikashvili was elected a nominee 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 little-known Georgian swept to the position after polling 18 votes to the Zimbabwean minister’s 15 in the runoff.

[GoogleAd]

It has now emerged that Pololikashvili — set to replace Taleb Rifai, a Jordanian who is stepping down at the end of the year after serving two five-year terms, if he gets the General Assembly nomination — could have swayed the election by inviting key Executive Council members to a sold out football game during the Madrid Executive Council meeting.

At the May 10 game, Atletico Madrid won 2:1 against Real Madrid in the Champions League Semi-Final at Vicente Calderon Stadium in Madrid.

Pololikashvili reportedly gave delegates free tickets to the match, held on the first day that members of the UNWTO Executive Council were meeting at the Melia Castilla Hotel in Madrid.

The election was held on May 12, the last day of the Executive Council meeting.

Pololikashvili is a member of Real Madrid and according to his CV, he was CEO of FC Dinamo Tbilisi for 10 years, from 2001-2011. Dinamo Tbilisi is the leading professional football team in Georgia.

The scandal, first reported by the Evening Post, has dented Pololikashvili’s attempt to garner enough support to avoid a showdown that in turn could trigger a blockade against his nomination at the 22nd UNWTO General Assembly in Chengdu in China in September.

So far, many countries have publicly announced opposition to Pololikashvili.

Most of that group backs a growing effort to block a confirmation vote through the use of a procedural hurdle called a filibuster.

Pololikashvili’s nomination has to be confirmed by the General Assembly by a two-third majority.

It means he will be required to master 102 member country endorsements by voting in order to be appointed the new secretary-general.

According to a survey by UNWTO Wire, 138 out of 142 members said they would reject Pololikashvili as a nominee. More outspoken were more than 100 readers claiming the action by the UNWTO secretary nominee should be considered as bribery.

Many of those responding were Executive Council members and did not want to be named.

“How can a person be elected as the CEO when there has been evidence that votes were ‘bought?’ This kind of corruption should not exist at this level,” Bea Broda, a Canadian TV producer, said.

A French government official who preferred anonymity said: “If he (Zurab) respects himself he should resign and the next in line who was elected should be nominated.

How we can have such a nominee at UNWTO helm, if he is a cheater? This is unacceptable at all.”

“The candidate is tainted,” said a response from Germany.

Birger Baeckman, former president of Universal Federation of Travel Agents Association (UFTAA) of Finland said: “Attending the football game for an UNWTO Executive Council member was wrong and constitutes bribery. Any politicisation of the travel and tourism is to the detriment of the travel and tourism industry and thus also to the UNWTO.”

A Namibian government official said: “The ballot paper were shredded so that no evidence is there for the rigging and the African candidate lost because of the system and it is my hope that the Georgina man should not be confirmed in September, let’s revisit this election in China if we are fair.”

A second Namibian responder said:  “The whole election was unethical, corrupt and unprecedented.”

Italian Michelina Gabriel Sanquest said: “I was disappointed that Hon. minister from Zimbabwe Walter Mzembi did not win. I felt he was the better candidate in my opinion.”

While Mzembi was unreachable for comment yesterday, he said last week he is hoping Pololikashvili’s nomination will be thrown out.

“…we are still the dark horse going forward to September 11-16 when the UNWTO shall convene for the general assembly in China,” he said.

“So, we will be there to make sure that we are correctly and strategically positioned to take advantage of any outcome,” Mzembi said.

It is believed African countries are preparing a position paper on the outcome of the UNWTO sec-gen elections to challenge Rifai at the General Assembly.

“There are many unbelievable and flagrant violations of rules of procedure currently going on in addition to those captured in our position paper on the outcome of the Executive Council elective issues which we have escalated to other organs, and will soon be made public,” an African diplomat told the Daily News yesterday. 

“For example, the current secretary-general, ...Rifai has taken it upon himself to market a secretary-general-elect before the General Assembly  receives a formal report of the Executive Council.

“This is not a transition or hand-over period between him and the SG-elect.

“He is severely conflicted and seems daily to be losing sound judgment and prudential decision-making. Some very reckless moves we shall question in the fullness of time.”

[Adz]

HARARE - The World Bank (WB) has confirmed that the country’s economy is dying, slashing the economic growth from 3,8 percent to 2,5 percent in yet another dose of bad news for the millions of long-suffering Zimbabweans who are struggling to make ends meet.

Last year, the WB downgraded the country from its list of improved economies to the unflattering tier of struggling countries.

In its latest Global Economic Prospects released on Monday, the WB also revised the country’s 2018 economic growth forecast to 1,8 percent from the initially projected 2,4 percent, as the country would be holding its watershed elections.

[GoogleAd]

The Bretton Woods institution noted that political uncertainty and low business confidence were weighing on investment.

“In addition, weaker-than-expected growth in advanced economies or in large emerging markets could reduce demand for exports, depress commodity prices, and curtail foreign direct investment in mining and infrastructure in the region,” the WB said.

Economists yesterday told the Daily News that it was not surprising that the WB had slashed the economic growth.

“We can expect modest growth in maize production but not so much from cotton and tobacco production.

“The reduction in tobacco output will cancel out the increase in maize production — in value terms,” economist, John Robertson told the Daily News.

Analysts blame Zanu PF’s misrule and populist policies, such as its disastrous fast-track land reforms and the controversial indigenisation legislation for discouraging foreign direct investment inflows and causing massive company closures that have pushed the country’s unemployment rate above 90 percent, among a myriad other ills.

This latest development comes as Zimbabwe’s worsening economic situation has seen President Robert Mugabe’s government fighting hard to contain rising anger among long-suffering citizens who are struggling to get cash from the banks.

Zimbabwe is in the grip of a worsening economic crisis which has also witnessed a severe shortage of cash, including the recently introduced bond notes.

Despite injecting more bond notes into the market, and recently increasing their weekly importation of United States dollars by 50 percent, the government continues to battle to stem the acute cash shortages, which have seen desperate Zimbabweans besieging over-stretched banks, as they despairingly try to withdraw their money.

The disappearance of the country’s surrogate currency from the market has also often forced banks to give clients their cash in sackfuls of coins.

It has also seen banks limiting the amount of money both individuals and companies can withdraw, sometimes to as low as $20.

[Adz]

HARARE - Operations at Forbes Border Post in Mutare will be interrupted in the coming weeks to pave way for the construction of a new road.

This comes after the Manicaland Provincial office gave border officials a two-week ultimatum to vacate office buildings.

The offices at one of the country’s busiest ports of entry are manned by officials from Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and Immigration, with the demolitions likely to cause loss of revenue.

But Manicaland provincial road engineer Arnold Mutungwazi insists it will help the flow of traffic and make it easier to implement some of the border management systems.

[GoogleAd]

“Government position is to rehabilitee the road for 800 metres, the current road that is there is not suitable for a border post,” Mutungwazi told the Daily News yesterday.

He added that it was important to accelerate the rebuilding of the border post to meet modern standards.

“We are widening the road in line with international best practise. It’s being widened by 14 metres.

“Each road will have servitude of 70 metres, so the offices are in the road servitude.”

Mutungwazi said besides road construction, the offices were illegal structures as they had been built outside the city building by-laws.

He added that the concerned officials had been advised to seek an alternative from the Mutare Rural District Council (MRDC).

He, however, could not be drawn into giving the cost of constructing the road.

Efforts to get a comment from the MRDC were fruitless as they kept referring all questions to the Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Mandiitawepi Chimene.

Mutare Mayor Tatenda Nhamarare also said he was not ready to comment on the matter as he was yet to have full details.

Zimra spokesperson Canisio Mudzimu had not yet responded to questions sent to him at the time of going to print.

Forbes Border Post joins Zimbabwe and its eastern neighbour Mozambique and has become one of the country’s busiest entry ports.

[Adz]

HARARE - Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC has warned its prospective coalition partners that it is keeping its eyes “wide open” to avoid carrying suspected Zanu PF “spies” into the eagerly-awaited grand alliance which will take President Robert Mugabe head-on in next year’s polls.

Tsvangirai and leaders of the smaller opposition parties who include former Vice President Joice Mujuru and his one-time secretary-general, Welshman Ncube, have signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs), as the opposition finalises steps to form the much-talked about electoral alliance.

“It may be concluded that if the opposition resolves internal questions and hold together until 2018 it represents a momentous development in Zimbabwe’s political history.

“If it maintains the support of civil society, it could lead one of the broad-based movements against the government ever seen. It is also important to highlight that Zimbabweans put their trust more in a bigger opposition force,” said MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu yesterday.

“On the other hand, while a coalition should be inclusive, it does not mean every party which claims to be an opposition party deserves a place in the grand coalition.

“Apart from opportunists, there are also infiltrators who will seek space in order to infiltrate and destabilise the coalition.

“Parties must demonstrate what they bring to the grand coalition beyond their names and leaders. It should also be noted that whilst a grand coalition is important, it is not the silver bullet for opposition parties,” Gutu added.

Last year, Tsvangirai also told diplomats that he was wary about the “real prospects” of the panicking ruling Zanu PF using some of the country’s smaller opposition parties to put spanners in the works of a viable grand coalition.

“Once again on this issue, Your Excellencies, you must understand that we reserve our right to determine who we will work with.

“There are about 42 political parties in the country, some of them deliberately created by Zanu PF to muddy the political waters. Some of them are not even institutions in the true sense of the word. We will do our own necessary diligence checks before we work with anyone,” the MDC leader told the diplomats then.

[Adz]

HARARE - A deadly virus has hit the country’s largest poultry producer, Irvine’s — forcing the company to slaughter more than 140 000 chickens as it fights to contain the avian flu which it says will cause market shortages.

The avian flu outbreak has already seen Zimbabwe’s neighbours, Mozambique and Botswana, cancelling all chicken imports from the country — as they step up efforts to avoid contagion effects of the lethal virus.

With chicken having overtaken beef as the main protein source among long-suffering Zimbabweans because of its competitive pricing, panicking authorities announced yesterday that they would escalate their surveillance of the key poultry industry — warning that if the avian flu spreads to small-scale chicken producers, it would become increasingly difficult to control the situation.

The government also admitted yesterday that backyard poultry producers posed a significant threat to the containment of the virus.

[GoogleAd]

“The small producers who are engaged in backyard production cannot be covered fully,” principal director in the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services, Unesu Ushewokunze-Obatolu, told the Daily News.

“But there is no reason to panic because the virus has so far not shown any risk to humans.

“Still, we are advising the public to buy their supplies from licenced outlets where the health of birds is monitored.

“All these systems are there for the protection of the public . . . who should go to licenced outlets so that they are covered,” Ushewekunze-Obatolu added.

She said the government had also stepped up its monitoring of smuggled chickens, adding that a ban on chicken imports had also been effected.

“We don’t currently allow the importation of chickens. If there is any, then that would be the result of smuggling, which is illegal.

“At the same time, we are not ourselves exporting either. Our only slight worry is that we may have scared our neighbours by issuing the virus alert,” Ushewekunze-Obatolu told the Daily News.

Meanwhile, the country’s biggest poultry producer has also advised the market about the deadly outbreak of the avian flu — saying, however, that it had contained the flu.

READ ALSO

It said the virus had killed about 7 000 chickens, leading the company to slaughter 140 000 birds as a precautionary measure, and as it sought to contain the spread of the virus.

Irvine’s affected site is close to a small dam, where there are a number of migratory waterfowl which are suspected to be the source of the current flu.

“Our cautious approach in dealing with the situation will result in short term supply issues and we respectfully ask that you bear with us during this period.

“Independent local and international laboratory tests have confirmed that there is no evidence that the strain of avian flu in the affected flock, which has been detected in other countries, poses any danger to humans and all poultry products may be safely consumed.

“Irvine’s encourages all poultry producers to be extra vigilant, avoid any contact with wild birds by keeping poultry indoors and to report any signs of disease to the Zimbabwe Veterinary Department,” the company said in a statement.

The Zimbabwe Poultry Association (ZPA) chairperson, Solomon Zawe, also warned that the outbreak of avian flu should not be treated as an isolated incident.

“It’s a wake-up call. If it can happen at a secure place like Irvine’s, why not anywhere else,” he said.

The National Veterinary Directorate of Mozambique said in a statement yesterday that although there had not been a human casualty from this type of virus, “it is necessary to observe bio-safety measures to avoid risks of contamination”.

On its part, Botswana has cancelled all import permits issued for importing domesticated and wild birds, as well as their products, from Zimbabwe.

The World Health Organisation has said that the possibility of human infection should not be excluded, although the probability is low.

Avian influenza, or avian flu, is a virus that occurs naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and affects domestic poultry and other birds and animal species.

The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe said yesterday that it was still carrying out investigations and would advise the public of its findings in due course.

Harare City Health director Prosper Chonzi said the city was also monitoring the situation “very closely”.

“This time of the year there are various flues . . . We should not panic until we have confirmed what is actually happening on the ground,” Chonzi said.

In the meantime, Harare City has been clamping down on unlicensed meat sellers and bush meat smugglers. It also recently set stringent by-laws that include six months’ imprisonment to those who do not conform to policies.

This comes as unregistered meat dealers, illegal slaughtering, and the sale of unhygienic meat has been on the rise in Zimbabwe as poverty levels have escalated and as the country’s economy has continued to die, putting consumers at risk of various food-borne illnesses.

[Adz]

HARARE - Warriors legend Peter Ndlovu insists he is a loyal Zimbabwean and would never block Khama Billiat from playing for the national team.

The Mamelodi Sundowns team manager was speaking in Harare yesterday afternoon after arriving from Pretoria with Billiat, who proceeded to be assessed by the Warriors medical team.

Even the assessment by the Warriors medical team yesterday also confirmed that the winger was indeed injured and was in no state to play.  

Ndlovu said Billiat is struggling to even walk with an ankle injury suffered against Maritzburg, five weeks ago.

At the moment, the winger has been working with a biokineticist in the gym back at Choorlkop and once he is able to move freely without any pain that is when he will start working with the fitness trainer to regain full match fitness.

[GoogleAd]

“The first thing that I wanted to make sure is that Khama is here. A lot of people were saying that he’s not coming. As you know, Khama is injured; I’ve brought with me his medical records,” Ndlovu, who is the Warriors’ most capped player with 100 games under his belt for the national team, said.

“He has not been playing for almost five weeks. During those five weeks, Khama has not been training, he’s not even 20 percent fit.

“As a Zimbabwean first, why would I not want Khama to come and perform for the country? I want Zimbabwe to win; I want Khama to win things so why would I stop him from coming?

“For me, Khama is Zimbabwean first; I’m Zimbabwean first. We both belong to Zimbabwe and we will also honour a call-up.”

Ndlovu, who holds the record of most goals for the Warriors at 38, accused the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) of lacking professionalism and team manager Wellington Mpandare of failing to handle the situation in a cordial manner.

“It’s a norm that when a player is called up, we request for a travelling arrangement so that we know and we arrange or facilitate that he is back with the club as soon as possible,” Ndlovu said.

“Zifa did not send Khama’s travel itinerary . . . that’s the reality and the true story. They did not send those travel arrangements to us, they sent it to the player.

“We had acknowledged the call-up but we needed the travelling itinerary and at the same time, we sent them the medical report outlining that Khama is injured.

“I personally spoke to the manager (Mpandare) to tell him, ‘You have sent Khama a ticket, we do not know about it. You should be sending the ticket to the club’.

“He then rectified the ticket and finally sent it to the club but there was another mistake because there was no return date. So we asked him that we wanted to know when Khama is coming back. For us, Khama was coming for a (medical) assessment and coming back because he was injured.”

Ndlovu added: “I want to put it on record that my coach, Pitso Mosimane was on a teleconference with myself, the team manager Wellington and the coach Norman (Mapeza), trying to resolve this situation but it turned sour.

“Pitso humbled himself in trying to explain the situation but the tone used by Wellington was not proper. No doubt, he’s my brother but I want to mention that he should not take things personal.

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO

“As much as we humbled ourselves in front of coach Norman, he should have talked to us in a friendly tone.

“For him to give us an ultimatum and say, ‘After we have finished talking here, is Khama coming or not?’, that’s not a good tone in a professional discussion; it’s not good.”    

The former Coventry and Birmingham winger said he had been deeply hurt by the allegations that he had been blocking Billiat from playing for the Warriors.

“I do not keep grudges. Those people who were saying those things were quoted but what I only want is the truth to be told,” he said.

“It was said that we (Sundowns) released Anthony Laffor but he’s injured. Laffor is the Liberian skipper, he should have been here. Hlompo Kekana pulled out of the Bafana squad because he’s injured.

“It’ not like that we want to keep players, they are injured and it’s simple like that but I want to make sure that those people don’t question my loyalty.

“I will die for this country as far as football is concerned. My family is not very happy with what has been said but look we still need each other.

“I’m still gonna work for Zimbabwe one way or the other whether people like it or not; I’ll still be involved and I’m gonna do my best.

“I hope people understand. I have brought Khama here and there is nothing to hide. People should not rely on hearsay but facts only.”

Mpandare denied that he had not been forthcoming and rude or failed to follow proper procedure when handling the Billiat matter with the Sundowns.

“We complied with all their requests that they had asked for. The first thing we sent an invite to Mamelodi Sundowns,” he said.

“All the time we were talking to Belinda, who handles all the communications that we sent to Sundowns. It is only after we sent the ticket that’s when Ndlovu came into the picture.

“Ndlovu said we should send the ticket to the club directly and not to the player. I issued a second ticket which meant Khama should have arrived last Sunday.

“We were surprised when Khama said he was not coming and we should speak to Ndlovu. I sent him at least three messages but he did not respond. He only responded when the articles began to run in the press.”

On the issue of the teleconference, Mpandare said: “The same Belinda we were dealing with in the first place was part of that teleconference and she was beginning to misrepresent facts. That’s when I decided to go straight to the point.

“The conversation had been dragging for over an hour and there was no breakthrough and that’s when I went straight to the point. As Zifa, we had issued three tickets already and if Sundowns didn’t want Khama to come they should have just told us that in the first place.”

[Adz]

BULAWAYO - South Africa-based musician Sebenzani “Mehlokazulu” Mnqolo has ditched maskandi in favour of Afro jazz.

Mehlokazulu, who made a name for himself playing maskandi, told the Daily News that it was time to adopt a new beat.

“I have three albums under my belt. Though my music was predominantly maskandi it always had an Afro-jazz flavour,” the Kezi-born artiste said.

He added that some of his fans had encouraged him to venture into a new terrain.

“Some of my fans felt that trying out Afro-jazz would take my music to a higher level. In line with this advice, I have since released a new album titled Inja Kamalume. The album has 10 tracks,” Mehlokazulu said.

On his latest offering, which was co-produced by guitarist Mthabisi Moyo, with DJ Face doing the engineering, Mehlokazulu featured popular poet Bongani Ncube.

Potential hits on the album include I am sorry, Ngithe ngilele, Emathandweni, Lengoma and the title track Inja Kamalume.

“I worked on this project for some time and I am glad that today it has finally come to fruition. To my followers, I sincerely thank you for your enduring support, and promise you that in the not too distant future, I will be recording a proper fusion of maskandi and Afro-jazz,” he said.

Mehlokazulu began his musical journey as part of the now defunct Bulawayo-based music outfit Amaqawe Esizwe in which he was a member for three years before he went to South Africa where he pursued music under a South African outfit called Junior Manhattan gospel outfit. After the group split into two, the musician decided to go solo in 2006.

[Adz]