HARARE - Zimbabwean rangers have found the bodies of seven elephants that were poisoned with cyanide in the country’s Hwange National Park.

Rangers found the carcasses of the elephants in Hwange park’s Sikumi Forestry area in Dete, spokeswoman for the Forestry Commission Violet Makoto said yesterday.

The grim discovery significantly raises the number of elephants poisoned by poachers in this southern African country.

The Forestry Commission said it cannot rule out that they could be more elephants lying dead unnoticed in areas near the main camp section of Hwange National Park.

“We are also worried about this new discovery of carcasses given that they are from last year,” Makoto said.

“We thought all the poison sites had been discovered and cleaned.

“The area in question though is within a Forestry Commission estate yes, but it’s on leased land which is under patrol by the lessee.

“We are also investigating why the operators at Ivory Lodge failed to discover the elephants.”

Speaking to an online publication, Sharon Pincott, an Australian wildlife conservationist, was not convinced that Zimbabwean authorities were doing enough to protect the elephant population.

Pincott spent a decade in Zimbabwe working among the clan of elephants known as The Presidential Elephants of Zimbabwe on land bordering the main camp section of Hwange National Park.

“Firstly, you need to think about just how many more dead elephants may be out there, unseen. As I’ve been saying for years and years, all of the key presidential elephant land areas warrant official protection and regular anti-poaching patrols,” Pincott said.

“All elephants or animals fall under the ZimParks banner, however, the key presidential elephant areas in Hwange are outside their daily focus.

“It makes sense that the Forestry Commission should take over control of the entire key presidential elephant area — so that there are no private ‘owners’ — this is those individuals who grabbed land under the country’s controversial land reform programme ...”

She added: “That way, proper patrols can be expanded as necessary and sensibly coordinated and overseen, so that no parts of these key areas are ever left unpatrolled for long periods.

“And none are left in the hands of private individuals, who get away with doing as they please, as was allowed to happen in 2013 and is still being allowed to continue today.”

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HARARE - Government has deployed soldiers to supervise the harvesting of maize produced under the Command Agriculture programme in a bid to prevent side-marketing of the crop.

The move is also meant to plug any repayment leakages as 80 percent of the value of maize delivered by the farmer is retained by government through the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).

It has also emerged that some farmers did not sign the stop order forms which would empower GMB to deduct its retention fees.

This has seen a considerable number of farmers holding on to their crop after government devised a strategy to deposit money into a special trust fund where it would be kept until the farmer completes the stop order form as required.

Government has a database with the full list of beneficiaries and the quantities of inputs they got.

The soldiers are reportedly moving into farms and ensuring that farmers do not hold on to their crop.

It is understood nine lieutenant-colonels and 65 majors from the Zimbabwe National Army and other senior Zimbabwe Defence Forces officers have been deployed under the Command Agriculture programme.

They are said to be inspecting moisture content in the grain, and where the crop is found to have the 12,5 percent minimum level, the army officers then order the farmer to harvest it.

This comes as government is racing against time as it needs to use the proceeds from last season to prepare for the coming season which kicks off in three months’ time.

Government hopes to recover close to $200 million it spent on farming inputs.

The producer price has been set at an attractive $390 per tonne, which is more than double the price in regional markets.

Analysts have warned the GMB price creates arbitrage opportunities, where some merchants could possibly source grain abroad for sale in Zimbabwe. Government has since banned maize imports.

Government sources said there is serious concern regarding deliveries which have been much lower than anticipated, leading to the decision to deploy the army.

Figures show that as at July 31, only 230 000 tonnes of grain had been delivered to GMB, which translates to just a fraction of government’s huge 2,1 million tonnes forecast production of the staple maize.

Chairperson of the Command Agriculture taskforce Justin Mupamhanga — who also doubles as deputy chief secretary to the president and Cabinet — declined to comment saying only Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa had authority to do so.

“I am not giving any statements at the moment. Only the VP can do that,” Mupamhanga said.

Mnangagwa, who was recently discharged from a South African hospital due to suspected food poisoning, is the overall supervisor of the programme.

Mnangagwa has previously rubbished allegations that the project has been militarised, claiming it was voluntary — not Soviet-style or Stalinist.

But senior government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals said soldiers were currently working in Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West provinces.

Government sources involved in Command Agriculture monitoring and evaluation said some farmers were declaring false amounts of inputs they received in a bid to avoid paying in full.

In one case, a Cabinet minister (name supplied) received 1 600 tonnes of Compound D fertiliser but he claimed to have got just 1 200 tonnes.

“The minister fought hard to avoid paying for the remaining 400 tonnes until the Command Agriculture taskforce produced papers indicating that the minister had actually signed for 1 600 tonnes,” a government source said.

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In another incident, documents seen by the Daily News show a Zanu PF senator (name also withheld) received 18 000 litres of diesel, but wanted to pay for only 10 000 litres.

“It emerged that the two were among some of the farmers who were yet to sign stop-order forms, so it was decided that there should be a follow-up and the army was thought to be most suitable for the task. They are making sure that the inputs are paid for and not consumed for free,” the source said.

“All those farmers who have not yet harvested their crop are being pursued with the aim of assessing the moisture content and make sure they deliver to GMB only.

“So if you hear people saying there is side-marketing of the crop, they would be lying because soldiers are on the ground and they will be in each province, tracking farmers and even giving them dates by which they are expected to deliver their grain to GMB. Most places visited so far are in Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West provinces,” added the source.

While government has played up prospects of a significant maize surplus, some assessments suggest output could be lower than official projections of 2,1 million tonnes of maize.

Government has adjusted its forecast from earlier joyful pronouncements of as much as three million tonnes this harvesting season.

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HARARE - Government has unveiled the text of its draft Medical Aid Societies Authority Bill as stakeholders struggle over issues such as the regulation of the medical sector and bringing down insurance costs for the poor.

Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa has been working for weeks behind closed doors on the legislation aimed at ending squabbles between doctors and medical insurers over remittances by insurers to doctors.

The effort has been plagued from the start by tensions between doctors and medical insurance firms, after doctors last year refused to accept patients with medical insurance due to insurers owing them $220 million, leaving thousands to pay cash or rely on underfunded State hospitals.

The Bill will among other things address issues of conflict of interest involving the establishment of health facilities by insurers, time frames for the remittances of claims and punishment to be meted to those who flout the regulations.

Parirenyatwa told the Zimbabwe Medical Authority (Zima) at their Health Expo last week that the Bill was a big issue, an important bill, and he was prepared to field various views on the proposed legislation.

“What usually happens is you put up a bill or a draft and you go to Cabinet and you tell your colleagues that you want to put up this regulatory authority and you ask them what do you think and you tell them the principles, and we did that and Cabinet accepted.

The next stage of that is to put up the actual draft and have consultations,” Parirenyatwa said.  

“And we are doing this in all earnestness, and I hope that you will all take your time, really analyse it, critique it, you are the most affected in that bill, the second most affected are medical insurance companies, but the primary target is your client, so what I’m saying to you is, look at three areas: the issue of conflict of interest, how do you want that addressed.

“Some are saying if it’s a medical insurance, it should never have x-rays, laboratories, NO? Some are saying, NO, they have money, let them invest. We want you to tell us what you think.

“We are looking forward to Zima’s participation in the upcoming consultations and review the recently shared Medical Societies Regulatory Bill, this we believe is going to go a long way in legally, ethically and professionally addressing the challenges the profession has faced in this area.”

Zima president Agnes Mahomva said they had started going through the draft carefully so that they can give their input in meetings to be held this week.

“We think this is the right way to go. We sincerely hope our input; contributions will be taken seriously as we really would not want to be endorsing it so we are looking forward to it,” she said.

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HARARE - State-owned Air Zimbabwe (AirZim) is reporting huge losses of $2 million every month as mismanagement, high operating costs, old equipment and aircraft that are no longer profitable to fly weigh on its bottom-line.

This comes as the loss-making carrier has cut 200 jobs, its biggest head-count reduction in almost two decades, as it seeks to return to profitability in an industry battered by falling ticket sales.

In addition to shocking losses, it has had to contend with competition from mainland airlines that are expanding local routes aggressively.

Transport and Infrastructural Development minister Joram Gumbo told the Daily News the grievous losses had rendered the State-run aviation business untenable.

The airline is saddled with a $300 million debt comprising salary arrears, outstanding taxes, payments to the national pension fund and employee health insurance and foreign debts and has been relying on infrequent bailouts.

The AirZim board last month retrenched 200 employees in the hope that the decision would rescue the airline, but Gumbo said the situation has not paid any dividends yet.

“Air Zimbabwe is running at a deficit. The monthly financial reports show that the airline is making huge losses of up to $2 million every month. This is bad, we can’t continue like this,” Gumbo said.

This means AirZim has so far made a massive $14 million loss in the first seven months of the year.

Gumbo said the State-run airline cannot meet its insurance, service and fuel costs and persistently approaches government seeking rescue packages.

“Every week, there is a financial request from Air Zimbabwe, either to pay for insurance or parts needed to repair planes,” he said.

“There are big weekly requests asking for fuel and we have had to intervene. Our planes are not enough to sustain the business. We have just three planes that fly, that are fully functional.

“We have had to be realistic and look at things as they are. We can’t pretend that things are okay when they are not. The aviation industry the world over is not doing well so far and we have not been spared from the global aviation crunch,” he said.

Gumbo said AirZim was also struggling with debt overhang; outstanding salaries and wages; distorted administration systems; bloated staff complement; top-heavy management — which last month’s retrenchment sought to address — and limited route network consisting of local and two regional flights, namely South Africa and Tanzania, that can hardly attract enough revenue to pull it out of the financial swamp.

In fact, the carrier came close to insolvency when it stopped flights in 2011 before government, its sole shareholder, decided to let it hit the skies the following year.

AirZim’s aged fleet currently comprises two Boeing 767s, three B737s, three MA60s and two Airbus A320s.

Out of these planes, only four are flying — one Airbus, one Boeing 767, one 737 and an MA60, with only two in operation currently.

At independence in 1980, AirZim boasted a fleet of 18 planes.

Passenger numbers have also plummeted to about 230 000 per annum in the past few years, from a peak of one million in 1996, as travellers opt for other airlines on the four domestic destinations it services.

There have been cases where AirZim planes have flown just two or three passengers, especially on the Johannesburg-Harare route which is also being serviced by global aviation giants, British Airways, Emirates Airlines and South African Airways.

The airline has been planning to resume the profitable Harare-London flights, which have so far failed to materialise, with aviation experts warning that it was impossible without modern aircraft which would make it more competitive.

The airline is also battling to get readmission into the International Air Transport Association (Iata).

The airline was kicked out of Iata after failing to pay the fees. Aviation authorities around the world are cagey dealing with non-Iata compliant airlines.

The Iata Operational Safety Audit (Iosa) is the benchmark for global safety management in airlines.

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HARARE - South Africa’s decision to grant diplomatic immunity to First Lady Grace Mugabe in the face of accusations of assaulting a young model in Johannesburg has sparked outrage in that country and here in Zimbabwe with activists and the opposition calling on the girl’s attorneys to pursue the matter through private prosecution.

In a statement, Pretoria confirmed giving the immunity to President Robert Mugabe’s wife in a notice published on Sunday that recognised “the immunities and privileges of the first lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, ... Grace Mugabe”.

Zimbabwe Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo said on microblogging site Twitter: “This is an affirmation of international law.”

Gabriella Engels, a 20-year-old model, said Grace attacked her last week in full view of her bodyguards and hotel staff, whipping her with an extension cord that cut her forehead.

Civil rights watchdog AfriForum said they would launch an urgent interdict on behalf of Engels to reverse the decision to grant Grace immunity.

AfriForum’s lawyer, Willie Spies, said they believed their review application would succeed as it was based on “very good grounds”.

Spies said if they win in court that would open doors for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to prosecute Grace.

“If the NPA refuses to prosecute, AfriForum’s private prosecuting unit... is ready to go ahead with private prosecution on behalf of Engels,” AfriForum chief executive officer Kallie Kriel said in a statement yesterday.

Engels’ mother, Debbie, said she was outraged authorities let Grace get away without any investigation.

“More than half the country is enraged about what happened; our government didn’t act in the interest of citizens on the ground by granting her diplomatic immunity,” Debbie said, adding Engels was also “very upset” at the controversial decision.

“She’s understandably also very upset. She was attacked by this woman without any provocation, there’s no reason whatsoever why this woman hit my daughter.”

South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance said the case demonstrated the need for a review of the Vienna Convention, which grants immunity from arrest, criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits.

It called for a parliamentary probe into Pretoria’s decision, saying government has “no more legitimacy in the arena of international diplomacy and displays a total disregard for the rule of law.”

DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said: “We’re going to do the motion in the House during the sitting tomorrow (today). We’ll also be writing to the chairpersons of the three portfolio committees, asking them to summon the ministers to explain to Parliament their role in this matter, particularly as it’s hot on the heels of the admonishment by the courts of the way South Africa handled the Omar al-Bashir departure from South Africa.”

South Africa was last month found to have violated its obligations to the International Criminal Court (ICC) by failing to arrest Sudan’s President Hassan al-Bashir when he visited in 2015, the ICC judges said in a ruling.

MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said the granting of diplomatic immunity to Grace was more of a political than a legalistic decision.

“South Africa found herself in a spot of serious diplomatic bother as soon as the issue of diplomatic immunity was raised by Grace’s legal team as well as the government of Zimbabwe,” Gutu, who is also a lawyer, said.

“The need to preserve and maintain cordial and fraternal relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe was more pressing and overbearing than the need to let the law take its course. Strictly speaking, and in accordance with the basic tenets of public international law on the subject of diplomatic immunity, Grace didn’t qualify to be granted immunity.

“Firstly, she is not a government official and neither was she on any specific government mission as a special envoy or something like that when she battered and assaulted ... Engels in that hotel room a few days ago. Grace was purely on a personal and private frolic of her own. Being married to a head of state doesn’t necessarily grant diplomatic immunity to Grace,” added Gutu.

Gutu said travelling on a diplomatic passport does not also necessarily mean that the holder of such a passport is automatically entitled to diplomatic immunity for whatever legal transgressions that they might commit in a foreign country.

“The long and short of it is that the diplomatic immunity that was granted to Grace was legally incompetent and procedurally improper. It was simply a political decision that cannot successfully withstand scrutiny in a competent court of law,” the MDC spokesperson said.

Earlier, community-based organisations, activists and social movements had met in Pretoria and Johannesburg for the annual national Sadc People’s Summit, which came up with recommendations for the regional bloc’s secretariat to feed into regional policy processes.

“At the People’s Summit, our recommendation to Sadc ... is that they come up with some sort of code of conduct for their government officials, their spouses and children to abide by,” said Zimbabwean activist Diana Nyikadzino.

“A code of conduct that mainly includes avoiding inciting xenophobia in and outside their borders, I gave an example of Grace’s conduct as well as the minister of Police (Fikile Mbalula)’s utterances over that issue where he accused Zimbabweans as the ones mainly committing robberies and the Gauteng mayor (Herman) Mashaba who indicated that mainly foreigners occupied buildings illegally.”

Nyikadzino spoke as social media was abuzz with messages urging the Zimbabwean community in South Africa to desist from speaking in Shona in public.

“Please, warn them not to move alone over the next few days and not to speak in Shona publicly. There is a real chance that some overzealous South Africans might decide to attack ordinary Zimbabweans because of the Grace ... incident.”

In another social media post on Facebook, a South African man called Jacob Zulu said all Zimbabweans should leave that country before being attacked.

This comes after anti-immigrant violence flared sporadically in South Africa in February against the background of near-record unemployment, with foreigners being accused of taking jobs from citizens and involvement in crime.

Shops were shuttered in Marabastad, an area of western Pretoria, where many foreign nationals have their stores, and roads were blocked.

“Ok if that’s the case, we give Zimbos 24 hours to leave our country. Xenophobia must start a.s.a.p. They have vomited on our justice system,” Zulu said.

A Zimbabwean human rights lawyer, who declined to be named, fearing reprisals, said: “We realise that the laws and conventions are such that there is little South Africa could have done to prevent her from leaving. But what message is this sending? That as a Zimbabwean national, you can go to South Africa and perpetrate such brutal crimes against a poor girl with no repercussions?

“The convention needs to be changed to waive immunity for heinous crimes like violence. It’s a black spot on all of us if nothing is done. The United Nations needs to look into changing this convention.”

Piers Pigou, senior consultant at the International Crisis Group, said the diplomatic immunity granted to the first lady needed to be tested in the South African courts first.

“It may not be the convention that requires review, but rather the manner in which it is employed. It remains to be seen what defence or explanation the government will present if AfriForum seeks a review of their decision to grant Grace a free pass, as they have said they will,” said Pigou.

“We have seen the South African government go through the motions in this regard as with its blatant violation of the Rome Statute and its own domestic legislation. It is the South African government’s selective adherence to its own rule book that is of primary concern at this juncture. It would seem Zimbabwe has its own challenges to deal with.”

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HARARE - A High-level meeting convened by leaders of the MDC and the National People’s Party (NPP) in Harare on Friday failed to end the bickering between Joice Mujuru and Morgan Tsvangirai, whose negotiating teams are now pressed for time to strike an acceptable deal before elections which could be due early next year.

Although the two politicians are desperate to avoid splitting the vote at the 2018 elections, the Daily News has it on good authority that there is really nothing at the moment to suggest that a deal could be inked anytime soon, especially in view of the gravity of the unresolved issues separating them.

By the time their meeting ended on Friday, Tsvangirai and Mujuru were still to agree on the fundamental issues.

These included the leadership of the grand coalition that would confront President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF at the forthcoming polls, and the allocation of seats among their aspiring legislators.

Crucially, while Tsvangirai has already been appointed leader of the MDC Alliance, Mujuru does not recognise his endorsement.

In fact, Mujuru is adamant that she deserves the opportunity to lead the coalition on account of her experience in statecraft, her liberation war credentials, and gender appeal.

According to Mujuru, Tsvangirai should come in as either her deputy or prime minister in the event that they proceed to win the polls and form the next government.

Insiders familiar with the negotiations told the Daily News that Mujuru came for the meeting demanding to field NPP candidates in 80 National Assembly seats out of the 210 available. But after intense negotiations, she later halved the figure.

This could turn out to be a deal breaker as that would leave Tsvangirai’s MDC and the other seven MDC Alliance partners having to share the remaining 170 seats.

Tsvangirai has already sealed an electoral pact with seven political parties which include formations that sprung out of the MDC in 2005 and 2014, namely Welshman Ncube’s MDC and Tendai Biti’s People’s Democratic Party.

The former trade unionist, who has been in the game since 1999 when the MDC was formed, is adamant that he alone has what it takes to end Mugabe’s rule and that his officials must be allowed to grab choice seats.

In April, Tsvangirai and Mujuru signed a Memorandum of Understanding, signifying their commitment to working together and fielding a single candidate to challenge Mugabe in next year’s presidential race.

Tsvangirai wants Mujuru to come in as a vice president — hoping to appease the military which has been insistent that the office of the president can only be occupied by someone with liberation war history — or there is no deal.

“Tsvangirai is also arguing that the vice president of the coalition can only be chosen after elections and that the post must be given to a person whose party wins more seats than the others,” said one of the insiders.

Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, confirmed the meeting to the Daily News yesterday.

“Yes, I can confirm that the two met last Friday but I cannot divulge the details of the meeting to the public. There is nothing wrong about two Zimbabweans meeting,” said Tamborinyoka.

NPP’s chairperson Dzikamai Mavhaire declined to comment, saying he was in the dark about the issue.

Efforts to get comment from Mujuru’s spokesperson, Gift Nyandoro, and NPP spokesperson, Jeffreyson Chitando, were fruitless as their mobile phones were not reachable.

Before Friday’s meeting, Nyandoro had highlighted that Tsvangirai and Mujuru were attending to sticky issues.

“We are almost there; there could be an announcement any day any time soon. I can assure you that the principals will be meeting at any day, any time to discuss the issue. I disagree with those who think that the coalition talks between NPP and MDC are now dead. Yes, time is running out but this is a process; we are expecting something fruitful soon,” he was quoted saying.

“The NPP demonstrated that a journey of any democratic political party starts by being given mandate by the people. There is need to bring finality to the coalition talks. I can assure you that the party is now in full swing,” Nyandoro said, following the NPP’s inaugural convention attended by the MDC leader recently.

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At the convention, Tsvangirai received a standing ovation when he promised NPP supporters that a coalition with Mujuru would be formed no matter what if the country’s deeply-divided opposition parties were to end Mugabe’s 37-year rule.

He emphasised that there were no differences, politically, or in terms of policy between Mujuru’s party, and the MDC.

In April, Tsvangirai and Mujuru signed a Memorandum of Understanding, signifying their commitment to working together and fielding a single candidate to challenge Mugabe in next year’s presidential race.

With possibly less than six months before the election, the MDC is upbeat that a deal would be consummated just in time for the polls.

“Of course, these kinds of deliberations are always time-bound. The next stage will be to mount a serious and sustained fight for electoral reforms,” said MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu.

“We are acutely aware of the fact that the Zanu PF regime will stop at nothing to steal the people’s vote next year. The electoral playing field has to be levelled or else the grand coalition will count for absolutely nothing.”

Analysts are not convinced.

They believe that the country’s opposition parties must wrap up their talks, hit the campaign trail and focus on key issues of the electoral processes.

Political analyst Vivid Gwede averred that the coalition was just the messenger, not the message.

He said by constantly highlighting the coalition’s internal dynamics rather than particular policy options, the messenger risks being seen as the message.

“Should there be any problems with the coalition, it will be seen as the end of the message. The MDC’s policy alternatives are fairly familiar such as job creation through investment promotion, non-belligerent foreign policy, rationalisation of land reform, anti-corruption, human rights and democracy, but they need to be really re-emphasised and pictured in particular terms during elections,” said Gwede.

“This is not loud in its current political communication; neither did we hear this emphasis from the current shadow cabinet. Such strategic loopholes create a false, but dangerous illusion that the opposition has no message. Yet it actually has competitive policy alternatives to the ones pursued by the ruling party. Election campaigns are rare opportunities for political parties to be particular and detailed about their programmes on development.”

Social commentator Rashweat Mukundu said elections were more about the process, voting and defending the vote and not coalitions, which are a political strategy not an end in themselves.

“Priorities seem lost and energy expended on peripheral issues,” he said.

Political activist Farai Maguwu suspects that the coalition agenda could have been hijacked by State agents in order to weaken Zanu PF’s rivals.

“Each party must simply go and campaign on its own and then let them talk after the election. Then each party will be speaking on the basis of the mandate it got from the voters,” reasons Maguwu.

Peace activist Jestina Mukoko believes the opposition parties must invest more in encouraging Zimbabweans to register to vote and rolling out their election campaigns.

She said while it might have been a good idea to put to bed the issue of the coalition and thus approach the citizenry with one voice, “the opposition could use a multi-pronged approach where if they still feel they need to score on the coalition part they could have that go on while voter education and election campaign roll out also go on”.

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HARARE – Following elimination from the African Champions League, everything appeared gloomy at CAPS United with the players lacking in confidence, leaving the club at its lowest ebb.

Chances of retaining their Castle Lager Premiership title looked slim at that point as Makepekepe dropped into the relegation zone.

United went on to lose some of their best players in defender Dennis Dauda, Abbas Amidu and Ronald Chitiyo raising an avalanche of questions as to whether a lost season was on the cards for the side.

There was even talk of coach Lloyd Chitembwe vacating his position after a disappointing 2-0 loss to Yadah FC.

But Makepekepe have been a different side in recent weeks, winning three of their last four matches.

The revival began with a slender 1-0 win over ZPC Kariba before Makepekepe were agonisingly held to a 1-1 draw by Tsholotsho.

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Last Wednesday, Chitembwe’s side were outstanding in a 2-1 midweek win over title-chasing FC Platinum at Rufaro Stadium.

On Sunday, Makepekepe went a gear up and gave another eye-catching performance as they thumped title hopefuls Ngezi Platinum Stars 3-0 at Rufaro.

Dominic Chungwa has been the mainstay of the United revival with four goals in as many matches while new boy John Zhuwawo is working his socks off to justify his place in Chitembwe’s starting XI.

Makepekepe assistant coach Tostao Kwashi paid tribute to the players for the way they have turned around their season.

“If you noticed CAPS for the past 15 months or so we have just been beating teams. Last year, we never lost a game at the National Sports Stadium which is a brilliant record. So in any normal football community, you are bound to go through a lean spell,” Kwashi said after the win over Ngezi Platinum Stars.

“But during that spell, we kept faith in ourselves because we know what we are capable of doing and don’t forget most of these guys are the ones who beat Zamalek, TP Mazembe. These guys have been competing at the highest level in the Champions League.

“So like I said, yes, we went through a rough patch but the most important thing like the Bible says; run your own race and God will reward you. Don’t worry about the next opponent but just worry about yourselves.”

Having toiled in the relegation zone for the better part of the season, the Green Machine are now firmly back on track as they are now on 13th place on the log table with 24 points.

Crucially, for Chitembwe’s charges, they still have five games in hand which if they win them all could take their tally to 39 points.

But the defending champions however, are cautious about not getting carried away by their recent impressive shows.

“We have set targets for ourselves and because of what we did last year the barometer has been high, that is why people have been saying a lot of negative things when we were going through a bad patch. Everybody likes to laugh at a champion.

“Look at last season when Manchester United didn’t win anything, everybody was having a go at them; Barcelona, people had a go at them when Real Madrid won, that’s part and parcel of football business.

“In life if you are an ambitious athlete or an ambitious person all you say to yourself is never say never. But we are not giving ourselves pressure to win the title. We are the reigning champions and the pressure we have is within ourselves. We don’t want to talk a lot about the league title right now, what we want to talk about is our next game against Black Rhinos on Wednesday.

“It’s going to be another tough battle. So as it is right now, it’s all about taking it step by step and going up the ladder. We just need to keep on working hard.”

While CAPS United appear to have found their touch, Chicken Inn, however, were the biggest beneficiaries from the weekend’s results as they now enjoy a two-point lead over second-placed Ngezi Platinum Stars.

The Gamecocks overpowered struggling Black Rhinos  0-1 at Rufaro Stadium on Saturday.

Ngezi Platinum are still in with a chance though and their coach Ndiraya refused to throw in the towel as yet.

“I think I have said it previously that our team target is top four but it doesn’t mean we want to be top four,” Ndiraya said.

“We want any position in that order, including number one. We keep fighting, we fought as a team to be where we are and we will not be drawn back by the result. It’s part of the game, we didn’t fight enough to get the result but we will keep on working hard.”

PSL Fixtures:

Tomorrow: CAPS United v Black Rhinos (National Sports), Highlanders v Tsholotsho (Barbourfields)

Thursday: How Mine v Dynamos (Barbourfields)

HARARE - Harare City Hornets coach Langton Moyo has praised his team’s character after winning the inaugural Harare Mayor’s International Basketball challenge over the weekend.

Hornets were crowned champions after beating Zambian side Looters 53-36 in the final of a tournament that saw over 30 teams from across the region take part.

And for their efforts the reigning national basketball champions went home $3 000 richer while Looters pocketed $1 500 with Mutare-based Mercenaries, who won the bronze medal, pocketing $750 for their efforts.

It was a statement of intent by City Hornets, who also secured a silver medal at the Swaziland International Invitational Basketball tournament last month after losing 65-53 to Jozi Nuggets in the final.

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Moyo said he was ecstatic with the performance highlighted by a wide spread of contributions.

“It was a tough tournament but the guys showed a lot of character to emerge victorious. The guys did live up to expectations,” Moyo told the Daily News.

“Remember there were teams from the region, so for us it helped gauge our progress, especially as we begin preparations for the club championships to be held in Gaborone, Botswana next month.

“For us, I think it was good preparation because we are already looking forward to the club championships.

“We now know the areas that we need to improve on to ensure we will be competitive enough when we go to Botswana next month.”

On their way to the final, Hornets beat Central Knights of Malawi 40-21 in the quarter-finals before edging Mercenaries 47-34 in the semi-finals.

In the girls’ category, Hornets ladies failed to emulate their male counterparts as Namibian side Weekend Squad walked away with the title after dismissing Brave Heats of Malawi in the final.

The tournament is the brainchild of Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni and teams from South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, Swaziland among others battled it out in the competition which was being sponsored to the tune of $11 450.

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HARARE - Suspended Zimbabwe Rugby Union (ZRU) vice president Nody Kanyangarara is contemplating launching an appeal against the Sports and Recreation Commission’s (SRC) decision.

A fortnight ago, the SRC suspended ZRU president Nyararai Sibanda, his two vice presidents Kanyangara and Tapiwa Mangezi for allegedly failing to follow protocol and maladministration which was hampering the performance of national teams.

Speaking for the first time since the suspension, Kanyangarara said he was mooting an appeal against the decision.

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“Obviously, people should be given an opportunity to defend themselves and I think it comes down to individuals on what they intend to do about the suspension,” Kanyangarara told the Daily News yesterday.

“It’s (appeal) something that I have been thinking about but at the moment it’s still too sensitive to talk about it but maybe at the end of the week I should have made up my mind.

“There are things that I need to look at and be sure of. For instance if I am to appeal, should I do that to a higher office than the one that suspended me?

“So I need to look at what the SRC constitution says and be familiar with the statutes that govern them.”

The former Sables team manager said he was hopeful that he will be given an audience as he seeks to get certain issues clarified.

“I have gone through the suspension letter and there are some areas that need to be explained further and I’m just praying that they will give me the opportunity to talk to them,” Kanyangarara said.

“One such area is that when you look at the suspension letter it has no time frame, it only states that you are suspended and then what?

“They have that right and privilege to appoint but what if someone decides to appeal?

“So there are a lot of things that are not clear about the whole thing.

“I think they are approachable and as an individual I’m still 50-50 in terms of what I should do whether to appeal or let sleeping dogs lie.”

In the suspension letter to the ZRU board, SRC acting-director-general Joseph Muchechetere said there was a lot of chaos in local rugby.

“...the executive board has ceased to operate as one unit and as such fissures have been the order of the day due to infighting that has continued to dog ZRU (current) executive board since its inception in 2017,” Muchechetere wrote.

“This had a direct bearing on the performance of the management team led by CEO (recently appointed) and the national teams.

“I also wish to bring to the attention of the public that after the appointment of the board and when we witnessed signs of infighting within the board, both the ministry of Sport and Recreation and SRC intervened in a number of occasions to try and discourage the practice, unfortunately these fell on deaf ears.

“These interventions included a workshop held at Mandel Training Centre in Harare as a deliberate move to capacitate the executive board and its leadership.”

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HARARE - Zimbabwe international forward Tendai Ndoro is on his way to Saudi Arabian club Al Faisaly after South African Absa Premiership giants Orlando Pirates agreed to sell the player.

Ndoro, who was in his third year at the Sea Robbers, missed last night’s clash against Baroka FC to undergo a medical with Al Faisaly ahead of the move.

“Striker Tendai Ndoro will miss the Absa Premiership clash against Baroka FC tonight (last night),” the Ghosts said in a statement.

“The club can confirm that it has reached an agreement for the sale of the Zimbabwean international to Al Faisaly Football Club. Ndoro is due to undergo a medical in Saudi Arabia before the deal is finalised.”

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Ndoro scored 13 goals in 34 appearances during last year’s campaign where the Ghosts had one of their worst season finishing outside the top eight for the first time since the inception of the Premier Soccer League 20 years ago.

The Zimbabwe international joined the Sea Robbers from the defunct Mpumalanga Black Aces in July 2015 and has been poised to play a leading role for the club this season alongside Thamsanqa Gabuza.

The move, however, comes as a shock considering that the Pirates’ faithful had expected Ndoro, who was the team’s top scorer the previous season, to continue to lead the club’s attack following the arrival of new coach Milutin “Michu” Sredejovic.

Al Faisaly finished ninth in the top flight last season in Saudi Arabia.

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HARARE - The Zimbabwe Sevens rugby team is fully aware of the threat posed by hosts Zambia at next month’s Lusaka Sevens International Rugby tournament.

Most of the leading teams on the continent will gather at the Leopards Hill Polocrosse Club in Lusaka for the tournament to be held on the weekend of September 2-3.

The Zambezi Cheetahs are using the tournament as part of their preparations for the 2017 Africa Cup Sevens tournament to be held in October in Kampala, Uganda.

A lot is at stake in Kampala as the Africa Cup Sevens serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2018 World Cup Rugby Sevens finals to be held in San Francisco, United States.

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Team manager Donald Mangenje said they are cognisant of the fact that the Zambians will be out for revenge for the loss they suffered at the Kwese Sports Sevens tournament earlier this year.

“We are grateful for the game time opportunity and we are fully aware that it will not be an easy tournament particularly against the hosts having beaten them at the Victoria Falls tournament recently,” Mangenje told the Daily News.

“They will be out to get revenge against us and with the home support it will definitely not be easy playing against them.”

Mangenje said the Zambezi Cheetahs will not be overawed by the occasion though. 

“But we are not small boys either. We have been there before and triumphed on numerous occasions so we hope to bag the Lusaka Sevens tourney,” he said.

“Winning this tournament will set a good platform for the coming Africa Cup campaign which is why it is very important for us to get a good start by doing well in Lusaka.”

The Cheetahs’ training squad of 40 players is set to be trimmed to 30 on Monday and when the team departs for Lusaka on August 31 only 24 players will be left.

Zambia, on the other hand, began their camp for the tournament yesterday with 30 players going through the mandatory fitness tests.

“As camp starts today (yesterday), benchmark levels have been set and . . . we see the survival of the fittest as 30 players are made to undergo fitness tests,” Zambia Rugby 7s said on their official Twitter feed yesterday.

The benchmark fitness levels camp requirements included the bleep test (level 13), bench press (body weight 3 reps), pull ups (10 reps), plank (2.5 minutes) and squat (1.5 x body weight 3 reps).

Zambia squad: Israel Kalumba, Edward Mumba, Emmanuel Daka, Berthlock Sikaona, Edmond Hamayiwa, Ackim Mushota, David Chimbukulu, Thaddius Chipoya, Martin Chisanga, William Mukuka, Leonard Malipenga, Lastone Mukosa, Sheleni Michello, Guy Lipschitz, Jubilee Chisenga, Brian Mbalwa, Derrick Chewe, George Mwamba, David Badcock, Terry Kayamba, Carlos Kanyama, Charles Tembo, John Roy Watt, Daniel Luyt, Larry Kaushiki, Stanley Kalasa, Chris Ntambo, Trevor Squire. 

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HARARE - Black Rhinos coach Stanford “Stix” Mutizwa has challenged his charges to bounce back and breathe life into their faltering campaign when they face high-riding Harare neighbours CAPS United this afternoon.

The army side head to the giant National Sports Stadium on the back of a five-game losing streak which has wiped away all the good work they had done in the first round of the season.

On Saturday, Rhinos put in a good performance but still went down 1-0 to log-leaders Chicken Inn at Rufaro Stadium.

That poor run has seen Mutizwa’s side dropping from the summit of the Castle Lager Premiership log to eighth place on 31 points.

Rhinos now trail Chicken Inn by a massive 14 points with 12 games to go before the season comes to an end.

On the other hand, Makepekepe have won three of their last four matches and have seemingly awoken from their slumber which climaxed in their elimination from the Caf Champions League and in their last game on Sunday, the Green Machine put up a near-flawless performance as they walloped title challengers Ngezi Platinum Stars 3-0 at Rufaro Stadium.

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“Everybody has to look at themselves in the mirror and ask if they are giving everything,” Mutizwa told the Daily News.

“If not, they have to start straight away, because what we are doing at the moment is really not good enough. Everybody needs to grow up now. We need to come out and show that we are real men.

“We have to try and turn it around against CAPS to instil confidence back into the team. We have to show the fight and passion, and everybody needs to put in a proper performance.”

Mutizwa said they have been playing well lately with their biggest letdown being poor finishing in front of goal.

In those five matches they have lost, Chauya Chipembere only scored twice in the 4-2 defeat to Ngezi Platinum.

“It’s now five games on the receiving end. In terms of playing, my boys are playing well. If you look at our last game, we created some good chances but still failed to score,” he said.

“We have been putting more emphasis on our finishing. It’s one area that we really need to work hard if we entertain any hopes of winning. So yes, we are looking forward to seeing the boys rectifying those mistakes.”

Mutizwa, however, reckons that it will not be an easy match given the form CAPS have shown lately.

“The big difference is that we are now meeting a team which is doing well. We are playing defending champions and it’s not going to be an easy match,” he said.

The Green Machine seem to be on a spring and will go in today’s match high on confidence after their recent good run.

“For now, we are running our own race, I think it’s in the book of Corinthians, which says that you should run your own race,” CAPS assistant coach Tostao Kwashi said.

“We have set targets for ourselves and because of what we did last year the barometer has been high and that’s the reason why people have been saying a lot of negative things when we were going through a bad patch.

“We don’t want to talk a lot about the league title right now, what we want to talk about is our next game against Black Rhinos. It’s going to be another tough battle. So as it is right now, it’s all about taking it step by step and going up the ladder. We just need to keep on working hard.”

Fixtures

Today: CAPS United v Black Rhinos (National Sports), Highlanders v Tsholotsho (Barbourfields)

Tomorrow: How Mine v Dynamos (Barbourfields)

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HARARE - A manpower shortage has scuttled the Harare City Council’s decentralisation exercise.

Human resources committee chairperson Wellington Chikombo said the failure to recruit more employees was stalling the process.

“There is a need to recruit externally to fill vacant positions in council but the ministry of Local Government has indicated that it would not approve such recruitment until council had achieved the 70:30 ratio of service delivery to salaries,” Chikombo said.

He said areas of concern were general labourers at the Property Development Unit and the Credit Control sections at all district offices.

Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni said the decentralisation was not an event which would happen in one day.

He implored councillors and city officials to work at the local level and then review the programme after 90 days.

Acting town clerk Josephine Ncube said she had met with district officers, chief area administration officers and heads of departments to address concerns raised by councillors.

“The programme was being implemented with the available resources and would be reviewed after some time,” she said.

The decentralisation exercise was embarked on as an ease of doing business measure by council through its 100-day Rapid Results Approach (RRA) so that services were found in all district offices.

RRA was launched in October last year as a way to gauge council’s performance using the available resources.

Failure to adhere to the government stipulated salary, service delivery ratio saw council using three quarters of its revenue on wages.

Manyenyeni has said that of $13 million collected monthly, council channels approximately $9 million to salaries, leaving very little for service delivery and maintenance.

A World Bank report on Zimbabwe showed that local authorities’ expenditure rose by 132 percent in three years due to personnel costs while neglecting service delivery in the process.

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HARARE - Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC has urged new Southern African Development Community (Sadc) chairperson Jacob Zuma to end xenophobic violence that have killed hundreds of African migrants and displaced tens of thousands.

This comes after Southern African heads of State handed the rotating chairmanship of Sadc to president Zuma at the just-ended regional summit in Pretoria.

Foreigners have been periodically driven from their homes across South Africa by mobs who have stabbed, clubbed and burnt migrants, whom they accuse of taking jobs and fuelling crime.

Millions of Zimbabweans have settled into the Diaspora in neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Botswana and Namibia as they escaped both political persecution and the economic meltdown back home.

“Occasionally, Zimbabweans living in the Diaspora, particularly in South Africa, have been unfortunate victims of xenophobic attacks,” MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said in a statement yesterday.

“The MDC would like to call upon Sadc to ensure that the scourge of xenophobia is totally eliminated from the Sadc region.”

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HARARE - Ex-liberation fighters led by Mandi Chimene have called for the dismissal of War Veterans’ minister Tshinga Dube, claiming he backs a bid by Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) to impeach President Robert Mugabe.

Dube rubbished the accusations.

This comes as the ZNLWVA said they were willing to support the country’s largest opposition party MDC in its bid to impeach Mugabe, who has been in power since independence from the British in 1980.

“Tshinga is part of those people who want to impeach the president, he is a member of Parliament, so we suspect he is being used to mobilise other parliamentarians to support the idea,” Chimene’s deputy George Mlala told the Daily News.

“We need a new minister who is going to look into our grievances.”

Dube said: “He (Mlala) doesn’t know what he is talking about, he must know that he was once a member of Mutsvangwa-led association. As a ministry, we want to work with all war veterans.”

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HARARE - The majority of people working in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) have no law degrees and half of the staff is seconded from other government ministries, with large numbers coming from the security sector, it has been revealed.

Acting Prosecutor-General (PG) Ray Goba said this during public interviews conducted in Harare on Monday to fill the post of PG which fell vacant following the sacking of Johannes Tomana early this year.

Tomana was fired on allegations of incompetence and misconduct.

“Forty-six percent of the NPA establishment is made up of seconded people. The majority of the staff do not have law degrees and are seconded,” Goba said.

Members of the security forces were seconded to the NPA to ease the shortage of prosecutors in the country’s courts.

There is a pending court application filed by the Zimbabwe Law Officers’ Association and former public prosecutor Derek Charamba, which seeks to bar members of the security sector from working as prosecutors.

Goba said this was worrying to him given that the Constitutional Court could grant an order in favour of the request.

Judgment in the application was reserved by the then Chief Justice, the late Godfrey Chidyausiku after submissions were made by prosecutor-general’s representative Sharon Fero and applicant’s lawyer Tawanda Zhuwarara.

In his submissions on behalf of the applicants, Zhuwarara said the use of the security forces to perform prosecutorial duties in civilian courts was in violation of Section 208(4) of the Constitution.

“Engagement of police and army officers to prosecute in civilian courts is a misnomer. This practice cannot be condoned, tolerated or excused in a democratic society,” Zhuwarara said.

“The mechanics of birthing a public prosecutor are different from those put in place to bring about a police officer or an army officer . . . they are part of the security system and cannot be engaged in civilian institutions since they are bound by specific rules of discipline.”

However, there is great fear that removing these members of the security sector from the courts would result in shortage of staff, as many qualified lawyers are not willing to take up posts in the NPA owing to poor working conditions and meagre salaries.

“Thirty-two members of staff have either resigned, deceased or expelled and there has been no replacements and that is why I am pushing with Treasury for the improvement of the establishment so that we don’t have such problems. If these people are to go, we will be hamstrung,” Goba said.

He further said that the NPA does not have adequate infrastructural resources throughout the country, as it is using rented accommodation, where it is also facing eviction for failure to pay monthly rentals.

“We are in huge arrears; we are living on borrowed time. It’s a cause for concern. We do not know what tomorrow will bring,” Goba said, adding that prosecutors need modern equipment in their offices, well-equipped libraries, office furniture in order for them to function effectively.

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HARARE - The MDC has cast doubts on new Sadc chairman Jacob Zuma’s ability to act as the region's mediator if a dispute erupts in next year’s eagerly-anticipated elections.

Zuma’s involvement may be needed in Zimbabwe to break a feared election impasse if the poll is disputed after assuming the rotating chairmanship of the 15-nation Sadc on Saturday.

The MDC claimed the South African president was not firm on violence after he granted diplomatic immunity to First Lady Grace Mugabe which enabled her to return to Harare and avoid prosecution for the alleged assault of a 20-year-old model, Gabriella Engels.

“President  ...Zuma ... on Saturday, 19 August 2017 assumed the chairmanship of Sadc, the very day his government granted Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity after the assault of Gabriella Engels.

“What guarantee do we have that Sadc will take a strong position if violence erupts in next year’s watershed elections?” the MDC asked rhetorically in a statement.

MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu said elections in Zimbabwe have frequently been marred by serious electoral irregularities such as intimidation of voters and blatant vote rigging as was the case in the July 2013 harmonised elections.

“We would like to call upon Sadc to do whatever is within its power to ensure that next year’s elections in Zimbabwe be held in a free and fair environment that will guarantee a credible outcome,” Gutu said.

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HARARE - The wife of the late Zimbabwe first deputy prime minister and later vice president, Simon Muzenda, Maud, has died.

Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo confirmed the death last night.

“I just heard about it and we are all shocked but I think it would be proper to first wait for the president to make an announcement,” Khaya Moyo told the Daily News.

Funeral arrangements were yet to be announced as both Zanu PF and the Muzenda family were yet to take direction from President Robert Mugabe’s announcement.

Muzenda is survived by several children among them former deputy minister Tongai Muzenda and politburo member and current Energy deputy minister, Tsitsi.

Maud Muzenda’s death came just days after that of Shuvai Ben Mahofa, one of the politicians who were mentored by her late husband, widely regarded as godfather of Masvingo Province at the time of his passing on in 2003.

A former nurse who was married to a carpenter, as the late Simon Muzenda used to describe his marriage to her, Maud died without seeing her wish of having a statue built in honour of her husband in Masvingo.

Muzenda died in 2003 having held the posts of deputy prime minister from 1980 to 1987 and as Mugabe’s deputy from 1987 up to the time of his death in September, 2003.

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HARARE - First Lady Grace Mugabe could be banned from ever entering South Africa if that country’s powerful trade union federation and opposition groups get their way in their bids to have the decision to grant her diplomatic immunity overturned.

Grace was granted diplomatic immunity by the South African government last Saturday after spending close to a week holed in Johannesburg as police wanted to arrest her over allegations she severely assaulted a 20-year-old model Gabriella Engels whom she found with her sons — Robert Junior and Chatunga Bellarmine – at a luxury hotel in Sandton on August 13.

Powerful trade union federation, Cosatu wants Grace to be declared a prohibited immigrant (PI) — a decree that would mean if she ever sets her foot in South Africa, she would be swiftly deported.

“Ms Grace Mugabe should be banned from ever coming into this country,” said Sizwe Pamla, the Cosatu national spokesperson in a damning statement yesterday.

“Our government’s camouflaged surrender and cowardice is shameful. We are turning into a Banana republic very fast because of our government’s misdirected idealism.”

This comes as South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, called for a parliamentary inquiry into South Africa’s decision to let Grace leave.

Pamla said the decision by the Department of International Relations minister Nkoana-Mashabane was “disgraceful and a camouflaged surrender.”

“This makes a mockery of our rule of law and the principle of equality before the law. It is clear now that the citizens of this country cannot be guaranteed protection by this government.

“This ill-thought decision is proof that our so called exceptionalism is an amount of scale, not of quality anymore.

“While we agree that government has every right to maintain healthy relations with our neighbouring countries but this should not be done at the expense of South African citizens. We cannot allow the political anarchy and vandalism of the Mugabe-led administration in Zimbabwe to be imported into our country,” fumed Pamla.

Cosatu is considered a strong ally of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) as they are part of an alliance which also involves the South African Communist Party (SACP), a relationship which dates back to the struggle for  South Africa’s independence during the apartheid era.

The demand by the powerful trade union federation to declare Grace a PI leaves the ANC in a spot of bother, given that the ruling party needs Cosatu’s vote-gathering ability, especially among the poor, to retain control of many cities and provinces in the forthcoming polls in Africa’s largest economy.

The civil rights watchdog AfriForum legal representative Willie Spies said “the granting of diplomatic immunity to her is however not the end of the matter.”

Spies said AfriForum has already given notice that the organisation will assist Engels in bringing a review application in order to set aside the decision to grant diplomatic immunity to Grace.

“The fight for justice for Zimbabwe and for Miss Engels will therefore go ahead until it is won,” Spies said.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, an alliance of 300 civic groups, said Grace’s alleged violence in South Africa was part of a growing trend made possible by a sense of impunity.

“We hold that her decision to seek diplomatic immunity was baseless and unwarranted and only serves to entrench a culture of impunity,” the coalition said.

“Grace Mugabe’s violence continues to bring disrepute to our nationhood as Zimbabweans compromising our stature in the Sadc region, Africa and the global community.”

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HARARE - Crocodiles are proving to be a huge menace in Zimbabwe with 16 people succumbing to horrific attacks by the reptiles in seven months, the Daily News can report.

A study by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) revealed that 16 people died from croc attacks between January and July, while five people were left badly injured over the same period.

It is the highest number of fatalities arising from crocodile attacks in as many years, symptomatic of the escalation in human and wildlife conflict.

Most of these deaths were due to negligence in crocodile-infested waters. It is also possible that people are becoming complacent in spite of the dangers posed by the crocodiles, with some getting more adventurous on waterways.

Yet another school of thought says crocodile could be breeding in huge numbers.

ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said at least 14 animals were killed by crocodiles during the same period.

“As ZimParks, we continue educating our communities and ensure that they inform the authorities if there are such cases within their environs,” he said.

“One of the main challenges we are facing is funding to ensure that we deal effectively with human wildlife conflicts and also how to deal with nocturnal species that are active during the night.”

Crocodiles are among the most vicious predators of rivers and lakes. They lurk almost totally submerged in the water as they lie in wait for passing prey, which is then dragged into the water and drowned.

Renowned for their long powerful jaws, few creatures escape from their clutches — not even large buffalo and wildebeest.

A recent fatal croc attack of South African hunter on the banks of the Limpopo River attracted international headlines.

Scott Van Zyl, disappeared during a hunting trip on the Zimbabwe-South Africa border with a local tracker and a pack of dogs.

A search and rescue operation was launched after Van Zyl’s dogs returned to their camp without him. The hunter’s footprints were traced to river bank alongside his discarded rucksack.

Staff from the Heritage Protection Group — an organisation which he headed and helps police fight crime in South Africa — informally helped the Zimbabwean authorities conduct the search.

Permission was given for three Nile crocodiles in the area to be shot, and one of them contained Zyl’s remains. Subsequent DNA tests proved the remains to be those of Zyl.

Several other people have been killed after wading into croc-infested river crossings.

ZimParks said the period under review saw 37 threats from crocodiles to human life and livestock, with 33 cases attended to by the national parks authority.

The wildlife agency also reported that one man was gored to death by a buffalo, while five people were killed by elephants since January.

A man was left with permanent injuries after being mauled by a lion in June.

“It doesn’t happen often. This year there was only one case of a man who was attacked by a lion in the bush in June,” Farawo said.

“The man, however, survived. In 2016, one person was killed by lions and four others were attacked and injured but survived.”

He said lions killed 91 cattle, six donkeys and 46 goats, while hyenas devoured 28 goats and 11 cattle.

The ZimParks spokesperson said the animals that came into conflict with humans were both in open and fenced areas.

“Zimbabwe has wildlife in both open and fenced areas. Over 26 percent of the country’s land surface is under wildlife in gazetted wildlife areas, gazetted indigenous forests, some communal areas and private farms and conservancies. There is also wildlife in large tracks of unfenced areas under extensive management,” he said.

ZimParks is working around the clock to deal with conflicts between people and animals, although it faced varying challenges.

“We normally capture and relocate them to conservancies or in rare cases, we eliminate the problem lions but this is the last resort,” he said.

Communities were urged to immediately report the presence of wildlife in their area to the nearest ZimParks offices or to the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

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