HARARE - Cabinet minister and Zanu PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo waded into the saga involving the alleged poisoning of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday; suggesting that police should investigate and establish what caused his sudden illness.

President Robert Mugabe’s government has been adamant that the Vice President — seen as the most likely official to take over from the incumbent in the event that he leaves office — consumed “stale food”.

Mnangagwa’s family and allies insist, however, that the vice president was poisoned by rivals who are desperate to eliminate him, physically, from the succession race.

He had to be hospitalised in South Africa for nearly a week following his alleged poisoning in Gwanda two weeks ago. While he is now back in the country, Mnangagwa is still to resume his official duties.

Writing on micro blogging site Twitter, Moyo dared the vice president to report the matter to the police so that full-scale investigations could commence.

“The claim that VP Mnangagwa was poisoned means a crime was committed. Police should investigate the claim and crime,” he wrote.

Moyo and Mnangagwa were once bosom buddies.

The pinnacle of their closeness came in 2004 when the Higher Education minister tried to help Mnangagwa leapfrog his way into the party’s presidium in what became known as “the Tsholotsho Declaration”.

That incident caused sparks to fly in Zanu PF, with six provincial chairmen getting suspended for their role in convening an unsanctioned meeting at Dinyane School in Tsholotsho in November 2004 to plot Mnangagwa’s rise, which fell through.

Moyo had to leave Zanu PF, eventually, to try his luck as an independent parliamentarian. He was to bounce in Zanu PF a few years later, famously remarking on his return that “it was cold outside Zanu PF”.

Many argue that Moyo has never forgiven Mnangagwa for not coming to his rescue when he fired himself from Zanu PF for daring the party’s leadership by standing as an independent candidate, against party instructions to reserve the Tsholotsho seat for a woman candidate.

Since then, Moyo has not hesitated to take pot-shots at Mnangagwa, directly or indirectly.

It got worse after the Vice President was accused of having instigated Moyo’s arrest by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission on allegations of abusing his position to funnel resources from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund, which falls under his ministry.

Recently, he trashed assertions that the Vice President was the most senior Zanu PF official to succeed Mugabe, saying it was in fact Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi who has been in the game for much longer.

A few weeks earlier, he had dismissed Mnangagwa’s attempts to laud the Command Agriculture initiative as a huge success, referring to the claims as “command lies”.

In the wake of a government statement that Mnangagwa illness could have been caused by eating stale food, the Tsholotsho North Member of Parliament had last week appeared to suggest that Mugabe’s deputy could have consumed it before his arrival in Gwanda.

“Who said the stale food was on the VVIP table? Have you checked whether the allegedly stale food was not eaten elsewhere prior to the event,” Moyo said on Twitter.

Apart from the statement issued last week, government has not commented on whether it has begun the probe on the alleged poisoning.

Mnangagwa’s sympathisers and allies have claimed he was poisoned with non radioactive palladium, which damaged part of his liver, according to the doctors who performed surgery on him during his admission South Africa.

This is at variance with last week’s government’s statement.

Government has ruled out suspected food poisoning, saying results of tests conducted suggested Mnangagwa ate stale food on the day in question, which upset his tummy.

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It also dismissed social media reports that Mnangagwa could have consumed ice cream laced with poison at the Gwanda youth interface rally.

“What doctors think happened is that he ate stale food,” Information, Media and Broadcasting Services minister Chris Mushohwe was quoted saying in the State media.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Mnangagwa’s son Emmerson Junior, said the vice president’s office will soon issue a statement.

He said: “I appreciate your concern regarding his health . . . I am sure his office will make a statement at the appropriate time.”

Food poisoning occurs after eating contaminated food contaminated by infectious organisms — including bacteria, viruses and parasites — or their toxins.

Its symptoms can start within hours of eating contaminated food, often include nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea.

But throughout history, there are famous poisons that have been used to kill people, including the deadly arsenic, also known as “the king of poisons” due to its discreetness and potency.

Arsenic has taken many famous lives, including Napoleon Bonaparte, George the Third of England and Simon Bolivar to name a few.

But a person can also fall ill from eating food that has gone stale — a chemical and physical process in foods that reduces their palatability.

Stale food doesn’t have nutritious and taste and if one eats it they might get bacteria diseases, which might cause vomiting, diarrhoeal and abdominal pains or mild fever.

Mnangagwa’s associates have reacted angrily to the claims that their godfather ate stale food, telling the Daily News yesterday that the vice president was livid with the claims.

“His hands bear the scars of intravenous syringes that he had. He was not eating through the mouth and he is angry that some people are saying he ate stale food when there is no such evidence,” one of the associates said.

The associate claimed Mnangagwa lost considerable weight while he was hospitalised in South Africa due to the procedures performed by doctors, including draining some of the poison that had affected some of his organs.

“He will go for further check-ups but he is yet to resume work and has gone to Kwekwe (his home). I am not sure when is he going to return but we want to have a family member always close to him to ensure that he eats the right food,” he added.

With Mugabe turning 94 in February next year, fierce jostling has emerged among his top lieutenants who believe they have what it takes to succeed him.

The race, which has been on for the past two decades, has had its intrigues.

Four vice presidents have so far succumbed to varying ailments, denying them of the opportunity to get a chance to run for the top office.

These are Joshua Nkomo (1917–1999); Simon Muzenda (1922–2003); Joseph Msika (1923–2009) and John Landa Nkomo (1934–2013).

More interestingly, Joice Mujuru, once seen as a shoo-in to take over from Mugabe, was fired from Zanu PF and government in 2014 for plotting to dethrone her boss using unconstitutional means.

Mujuru, who is now leading the National People’s Party, had deputised Mugabe for about 10 years.

Nicknamed “the crocodile” in the Shona language, Mnangagwa was appointed after the sacking of Mujuru.

But since taking over from Mujuru, Mnangagwa has found himself facing similar charges from his internal rivals of plotting to unseat Mugabe.

Mnangagwa’s allies are therefore pointing an accusing finger at their rivals for what happened in Gwanda although there is no evidence to validate their claims.

In the past, there have been six break-ins at his offices with his allies saying those were plots to eliminate him.

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HARARE - What has our country been reduced to by this merciless Zanu PF regime?

This is the question many people, young and old have been asking. When the angry and long-suffering people of Zimbabwe meet journalists they also ask us what we are doing to expose the rot that has seen them reduced to paupers when at independence all looked rosy.

At independence, people were promised honey and milk but no, they are surviving on tsaona (one dollar per day).

As journalists, we try to expose the rot but we have limits by the State or powerful individuals in our society. But this is a story for another day.

My heart bleeds when I see our people failing to access basics and day in, day out, I see people sleeping outside banks in this bitter winter weather waiting to withdraw their meagre incomes but come morning, they get nothing.

At one notorious bank in Avondale, hundreds of people sleep in bank queues and when I sought to find out from some them if they will be guaranteed their cash the following day, they emphatically said no.

They explained that they sometimes spend days waiting to withdraw money and when they finally get to the teller, they are sometimes allowed to access only as little as $20.

This is surely being cruel as this is a bank that virtually hijacks people in the street and persuades them to open accounts yet they fail to adequately serve their customers.

It might not be the bank’s problem that there is no cash in Zimbabwe, but still they should be able to manage what is there and stop forcefully persuading people to open new accounts because clearly the bank has no capacity.

Well, the argument is that we must use plastic money but most people can’t afford to buy from supermarkets. How do you buy tsaona using plastic money?

They can afford buying products at the informal sector and for those in rural areas, they would need to trade in cash. Why is the Zanu PF regime making people suffer like this?

Yes, it’s a heartless regime but the way they neglect the people who they force to vote for them is criminal and tantamount to crimes against humanity. Why is it that our politicians in the ruling party have never been seen visiting the people who sleep in bank queues to try and understand their grievances.

Where is Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa and my good brother Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya? Why don’t you take night tours to the mothers and fathers who sleep on pavements outside their banks?

Why don’t you go and talk to them at midnight and if the problem is banks, summon the bank directors and managers to attend to the plight of these people? Why don’t you summon them in the middle of the night so that they also feel the pain our mothers and fathers are enduring?

Chinamasa must act and must visit these people at midnight because he is part of a regime that has destroyed our economy to an extent that we do not even have our own currency to talk about.

This is the story at virtually all banks in the country and one wonders where we are heading. In Zimbabwe, it seems it is the majority that must suffer not the few ruling elite.

RBZ asks us to deposit money in VISA accounts if one is to travel outside the country. Fair and fine because we don’t have the cash. A few months ago, people used to transfer money from their accounts to the VISA accounts but all of sudden, the banks are forcing people to deposit cash not transfers.

God have mercy. Where on earth are these people expecting us to get the cash when the cash is not available and when the banks don’t give us cash? What is happening in our society?

Surely, it doesn’t make sense for the bank to ask me to deposit cash when the cash is not available in banks.

Is the RBZ aware this is what is happening but is this not promoting the criminality of buying cash on the thriving black market? Worse still, the banks want only the United States dollar but we were told when the cash crunch started that bond notes and the US dollar will exchange one to one but what is this now?

Well, they will tell you that they would want to fund the corresponding bank outside the country with hard cash but then is it our fault as ordinary citizens that the country is in such a mess?

Why is our government holding everyone hostage? President Robert Mugabe where are you when all this is happening?

Maybe it’s because when the president, his ministers and government officials travel, they have access to huge amounts of cash.

Or maybe because the president has made it clear that he doesn’t deposit his money in the bank it means we have to suffer.

Cry our beloved Zimbabwe.

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HARARE - Zimre Property Investment (ZPI) is planning to invest over $20 million in construction projects across the country, the company has announced.

Company chairperson Jean Maguranyanga yesterday said ZPI had completed the acquisition of land in Victoria Falls and would soon commence the construction of a shopping mall in the resort town.

“The project, estimated to cost $10 million, will comprise a 5 000 square metre shopping centre anchored by one of the major retail chains,” she said.

Maguranyanga noted that the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed property firm was also planning to construct Nicoz House and Selbourne Park for student accommodation in Bulawayo.

“These two projects are expected to commence in the third quarter of 2017. They involve construction and refurbishment of Nicoz House Bulawayo at the corner of Fort Street and 8th Avenue, into student accommodation offering approximately 190 beds and construction of five blocks of students’ hostels in Selbourne Park offering 900 beds,” she said.

The two projects in Bulawayo are expected to cost about $9,4 million.

ZPI has also received an environmental impact assessment certificate from the Environmental Management Agency for its Merwede housing project in Harare.

Maguranyanga said the servicing of stands was set to commence anytime because the contractor has now been engaged.

“This project is located in the Snake Park suburb, off the Harare-Bulawayo highway and comprises 128 residential stands averaging 200 square metres each,” she said, adding that the estimated cost of the project is $0,65 million.

In the six months to June 2017, ZPI saw its revenues declining by seven percent to $2,57 million from the $2,76 million achieved in the same period last year.

The group’s chairperson noted that pressure on rental rates and the increase in voids negatively affected rental performance resulting in a decline in revenues.

“Projects income for the period grew by three percent from $1,08 million in the previous year to $1,11 million,” Maguranyanga said.

She further indicated that the company’s total administration costs decreased by 23 percent compared to the previous corresponding period to $1,03 million from $1,34 million in response to cost control measures implemented.

Operating profit for the half year marginally grew by nine percent to $0,47 million compared to $0,43 million achieved in the prior period.

In the period under review, ZPI’s investment property portfolio remained subdued, while rental income declined by 14 percent to $1,41 million compared to $1,64 million recorded in the same period in 2016.

“The average portfolio rental yield remained at seven percent while voids went up from 25 percent to 26 percent during the reporting period,” Maguranyanga said.

The property firm declared an interim dividend of 0,012 cents after registering $645 835 profit in the half year.

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HARARE - Arise, an investment company formed by a partnership between Norfund, a Norwegian investment fund, FMO, a Dutch development fund and Rabobank, a Dutch commercial bank, is now NMBZ’s second largest shareholder with 17,98 percent shareholding.

This follows the purchase of 69,14 million shares by Arise from Norfund and FMO in NMBZ.

African Century Financial Investments incorporated in Mauritius, is the largest shareholder in NMBZ with a 18,52 percent stake.

Commenting on the deal, Arise CEO Deepak Malik said: “In taking and managing strategic minority equity stakes in sub-saharan African financial service providers, we aim to build strong and stable institutions that will support the mass market, Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and rural communities.”

Arise supports the growth and development of African financial service providers, not only through its investments in them, but through providing them with technical and management services in the fields of governance, management, marketing, innovation, compliance and risk management.

This fits in well with NMB Bank’s thrust to promote financial inclusion and help SMEs develop into formidable businesses.

NMBZ chief executive officer Benefit Washaya said the development will enable the financial institution to benefit from being part of a wide network of African banks in which Arise has interests.

“NMBZ is excited and welcomes Arise as an important shareholder for our company and as an important contributor to building a stronger financial sector in sub-Saharan Africa. NMBZ will benefit from the wide network of other African banks that are part of this group,” he said.

In May, NMBZ announced that it has secured a $5 million line of credit from a regional finance house for on lending to the productive sector, including SMEs.

Last year, the bank secured $15 million line of credit from two European financial institutions for its exporting customers.

NMB Bank’s loans and advances for the four months to April 30, 2017 marginally dropped by one percent to $202,3 million compared to December last year.

Total deposits rose by two percent to $262,4 million on the prior comparable period, with cheap demand deposits contributing 58 percent.

Operating income dropped eight percent to $12,6 million due to tighter lending. 

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

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

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HARARE - Preparations for this year’s edition of Harare International Carnival are at an advanced stage as yesterday organisers of the event — Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) —  held a meeting with stakeholders for an update.

The event is slated for September 2 to 9.

“The meeting was meant to share ideas on the development of the Harare International Carnival. At least now we know what we expect from each other and we want to continue growing the Carnival.

“It was a fruitful meeting and the feedback is encouraging,” Sugar Chagonda, ZTA spokesperson said.

ZTA is targeting about 3 million people to participate in this year’s edition of the Harare International Carnival.

Unlike the previous editions of the Harare International Carnival, this year’s event will see street party starting at Fourth Street and people will use Jason Moyo Avenue to Civic Centre.

“We are not going to use the usual Robert Mugabe Road after some consultations with our partners.

“City of Harare advised us to use Jason Moyo Avenue for easy flow of traffic,” Chagonda said.

One of the carnival partners, Air Force of Zimbabwe will bring helicopters to the event.

“There will be helicopter rides and parachute jumpers among other interesting activities,” he said.

In this year’s edition, organisers have promised more fireworks.

“Our sponsor Big Time Strategic Group of South Africa is bringing in real entertainment. It will provide state-of-the-art dome stage and public address system which is arguably the best in the continent.

“It is also bringing in top-notch South African artistes such as Dr Malinga, Heavy K, Babes Wodumo, Busiswa, Kalawa, Uhuru and Zodwa. Real fireworks will also be brought in.”

Apart from South African artistes, the sponsor is said to be bringing in Werrason from Democratic Republic of Congo among other artistes.

So far at least 23 countries have confirmed their participation  during the Harare International Carnival though the organisers are targeting 25 countries.

These countries include Japan, Jamaica, India and all neighbouring countries among others.

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HARARE - After a successful union with Congolese rhumba giant Koffi Olomide, Beverly Sibanda says her next target is Werrason.

Congolese star Werrason is billed to perform at Harare International Carnival music concert on September 9 at Civic Centre Grounds.

Werrason will share the stage with Jah Prayzah, Winky D, Suluman Chimbetu, Babes Wodumo, Dr Malinga, Busiswa, Uhuru, Zodwa Wabantu, Soul Jah Love, Jays Marabini, Sandra Ndebele, The Charambas and many more.

“We are looking forward to working with Werrason on his future projects. Last time we got to know Koffi Olomide in Harare at the same event.

“This time around, we are prepared to dance with Werrason,” Bev's manager Hapaguti “Harpers” Mapimhidze said.

Bev charmed Koffi in 2015 when she just joined him on stage uninvited during the Harare International Carnival rhumba night concert held at Longcheng Plaza.

As she impressed him, she was invited to feature in the Congolese video Election Angola which was released recently, a development that is likely to transform the dancer’s fortunes in showbiz industry.

In the video, Bev showcased her unique dancing skills making the video a marvel to watch. Election Angola was released ahead of Angola’s general elections scheduled for August 23, and the incumbent President Jose Eduardo dos Santos will not take part in the race.

Bev has become a household name in the country mainly because of her raunchy dance moves that saw her tour a number of countries such as South Africa and United Kingdom.

She has won several gongs including from Daz awards and some of them are best female dancer and Daz dance ambassador among others.

Apart from dancing, Bev is also a budding musician with a single album to her name.

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LUANDA - Angolans are heading to the polls to vote for a successor for their veteran leader.

Jose Eduardo dos Santos has been in power in the oil-rich country since 1979, making him the world's second-longest serving president.

He is not contesting this election - Defence Minister Joao Lourenco is standing for the governing MPLA party.

His main challenger is expected to be Isias Samakuva, from the MPLA's rival in the 27-year civil war, Unita.

Under Angola's voting system, people are choosing both the candidate and party in the same election.

Analysts says the MPLA, which has been in power since independence from Portugal in 1975, is likely to win.

In the previous election, the Casa-CE alliance gained the third most seats. It is led by Abel Chivukuvuku, who split from Unita.

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NEW YORK - Donald Trump says he will close down the US government if necessary to build his wall along the Mexico border.

The president told supporters at a "Make America Great Again" rally in Phoenix, Arizona, that the opposition Democrats were being "obstructionist".

During the 80-minute speech, he also took aim at the media, blaming them for giving far right groups "a platform".

But he selectively quoted his initial response to violence at a far-right rally that left one woman dead.

He omitted the much-criticised claim that "many sides" had to shoulder the blame for violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

President Trump wants Congress to finance his controversial plan to build a "big, beautiful" wall along the United States' border with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants.

But Republicans will need the support of Democrats to secure funding for the wall in a government spending bill, which they are unlikely to get.

In his speech, Mr Trump said the Democrats were "putting all of America's safety at risk" by opposing the wall. He said immigration officers who worked in the area said it was "vital" to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.

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EDITOR — The MDC strongly condemns the decision made by the South African Department of International Relations and Cooporation to grant Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity following her savage attack on Gabriella Engels while on a private visit to South Africa recently.

We view this partisan application of the law as grossly unfair and unjust and believe it sets a bad precedence for justice and the rule of law in the region.

This move to grant her diplomatic immunity is an insult to justice and undermines the legal system of South Africa and the Sadc region as a whole.

Grace must face the full wrath of the law like any other person facing criminal charges.

Thanks to the decision to let her go scot-free, Grace she will continue to beat and harass all in her path believing she is untouchable.

If, as Africans, we continue to let bad leaders enjoy impunity, we are then guaranteeing that there will never be democracy on our continent.

We believe that people are born equal hence the law should treat everyone fairly and equally.

We call upon the government of South Africa to revisit this matter and act accordingly.

We second the AfriForum stance to challenge the decision in the South African High Court.

Kurauone Chihwayi

MDC spokesperson

HARARE - The Zanu PF government, very clear in its conscience that it is doing things wrongly, continues to try and treat symptoms of major deficiencies within its operational system.

The President Robert Mugabe-led administration superintends over shareholding in several corporations, most of which are doing badly.

The obtaining cash shortages in the country — which government tried to plug with the introduction of bond notes last year — are symptoms of a much bigger problem within the economy.

Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector is operating below capacity while the few operational firms have to put up with sourcing foreign currency on the parallel market to finance key machinery and equipment imports.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe requires them to join the forex priority list.

The case of Air Zimbabwe (AirZim) — which is reportedly recording an estimated $2 million loss per month is not an isolated case as other State-owned corporations like the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), the Cold Storage Company (CSC), steel giant Ziscosteel, Zimglass among many others are also singing the blues.

Sadly for Transport and Infrastructural Development minister Joram Gumbo, he manages two of these key organisations — AirZim and NRZ, whose revival government has been seized with recently. By Gumbo’s own admission, things are not well but unfortunately for him, the rot had already set in when he came to the Transport ministry.

“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. . . .

“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.”

AirZim is saddled by a debt overhang; outstanding salaries and wages; distorted administration systems; bloated staff complement; top-heavy management and other ills, issues that bedevil several other State-owned corporations.

Basically, what we are saying is that we are treating the symptoms of a disease whose causes we know all too well but conveniently ignore.

Late famed Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe says on the African dispensation; “This is how I see the chaos in Africa today and the absence of logic in what we’re doing.

“Africa’s post-colonial disposition is the result of a people who have lost the habit of ruling themselves, forgotten their traditional way of thinking, embracing and engaging the world without sufficient preparation.

“We have also had difficulty running the systems foisted upon us at the dawn of independence by our colonial masters.”

We are like the man in the Igbo proverb who “does not know where the rain began to beat him and so can not say when he dried his body”. Perhaps the last words need highlighting.

True, most of Zimbabwe’s parastatals have well-documented narratives of failure as a result of corruption, maladministration, absence of good corporate governance and sheer lack of skill in running businesses.

Continuing to pump in capital in failed corporations without interrogating why they failed to make money in the first place is like flushing money down a sewer. Instead, they should address the causes of the challenges first.

If an individual fails to steer a company from trouble, there is no way he will perform wonders in another. In the words of the late former Zambian president Frederick Chiluba on hearing that veteran politician and first president of independent Zambia Kenneth Kaunda was planning a comeback; “We can recycle paper, not human beings.”

At independence in 1980, all the above State-owned companies were vibrant and were the pride of the southern African nation. They have been run down as a result of decades of plunder.

What authorities fail to realise is that the current policy framework does not in any way address stressed Zimbabwe’s economic fundamentals.

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HARARE - Zimbabweans who had pinned their hopes on the possibility of a grand coalition of opposition political parties to challenge President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF in the 2018 elections should be disappointed with the slow pace of negotiations.

With just over six months before a possible vote next year, people expected that by now, the grand coalition could have been put in place so that the grouping starts the actual work.

A lot of work needs to be done for the grand coalition to mount a serious challenge to the well-oiled Zanu PF which enjoys the power of incumbency.

By now, people thought the different political parties in the coalition should have been allocated constituencies to fight for, hence deploy campaign teams to mobilise and coordinate the registration of their members as voters.

While the MDC Alliance has been formed, it is just a portion of the grand — basically a regrouping of former MDC deserters who have “come back home”.

Like has been said before, a grand coalition can only be possible if politicians throw away their egos and say for once they are there to serve the people and not their selfish interests.

The bickering over who should lead the party or who should get more seats should not be used as an excuse to stop the revolution.

It is sad that Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the biggest opposition party — MDC — is behaving like a bully in the grand coalition negotiations.

For any grand coalition to work, Tsvangirai should not act as the lead negotiator because he too is an interested party. Instead, there is need for neutral negotiators who will be able to bring all interested political parties to the table.

Already, Tsvangirai has “appointed” himself leader of the MDC Alliance and he is running the show, a development that has sent wrong signals of intention to Joice Mujuru’s National People’s Party (NPP) which is key in the mooted grand coalition project.

Mujuru’s NPP has dug its foot and tabled demands that suit them and you cannot blame them.

But with the slow pace and confusion panning out in the grand coalition, there is not much time to allow for continued deadlocks.

Opposition political parties should be out there campaigning because, as we speak, very little is being done on the ground, and this is where the voters are.

Interestingly, the opposition parties have known of the 2018 elections all along. Running around to try and force a coalition today betrays the revolution.

And we cannot overemphasise the fact that election campaigns of this nature need funding, and big money for that matter that will cover campaign adverts in print and electronic media; campaign posters and flyers; logistics (cars, accommodation, food) to rallies across the country by campaign teams.

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MUTARE - The future existence of Vumba tropical rainforest’s rare habitat — home to the dwarf chameleon, Simango monkey and blue duiker — is increasingly getting threatened due to high vegetation loss.

The forest’s pristine fauna and flora has been ravaged by illegal settlers and poachers.

While the firewood poachers and squatter settlements have caused significant damage to the environment, government’s haphazard relocation programmes have also dealt a blow, as displaced people clear the rainforest to create agricultural land.

The forest, in spite of all its fame, is not a gazetted forest, like Chirinda Forest, exposing it to exploitation by individuals, communities and companies.

Its Msasa woodlands and Montane forests are being cleared and are now retreating further into the misty mountains, limiting the freedom of the rare Simango monkey, while snares littering the forest floors threaten the uncommon little Blue Duiker and the unique dwarf chameleon, among other species.

The forest’s impressive catalogue of insects, birds and animal life is also under threat.

Vumba is key to both neighbouring Mozambique and Zimbabwe’s river systems, as some major water bodies have their sources in the mountains.

The famous Chikamba Dam in neighbouring Mozambique is supplied from the mountain.

The banana crop in Burma Valley is irrigated from rivers whose sources are in the mountain.

It is the source of Mupudzi River, which feeds the aptly named Mupudzi Dam, and goes further to supply Odzi and Save, boosting capacity to supply irrigation schemes dependent on the mighty transnational river.

And loss of vegetation in the Vumba Mountains threatens all this.

Vumba’s unique ecology can be a major attraction for ecotourism, which can offer the entire Eastern Highlands sustainable income, if kept pristine and natural.

Environment Africa’s country director, Barnabas Mawire, said he is at a loss for words on the wanton decimation, which he said was now common country wide.

“It’s very sad. We should be more kind to these life supporting systems,” he said.

Forestry Commission (FC) provincial manager Phillip Tomu told the Daily News that his organisation was worried that the damage was not going to be easily repaired.

“Its recovery is going to be a challenge. It’s different from the Miyombo (dry land forests). It’s a moist forest which doesn’t tolerate openings as it thrives on trapping moisture under its canopy,” Tomu said.

Locals say the introduction of tobacco farming by resettled farmers was another major threat to the area’s vegetation.

“Government was acting irresponsibly by allowing any form of agricultural activities in this region.

“How could they allow tobacco farming in this area?

“The whole country is going to suffer huge environmental losses because of the desire to make money through a few cigarettes,” a local government employee said on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation.

Tobacco farming is notorious for causing the decimation of the country’s forests.

FC reports blame tobacco farming for the loss of 20 percent of the country’s 350 000 hectare of forests annually.

Investigations by this publication also showed that a key stakeholder like FC was not represented in the lands committee that determines allocation of resettlement land.

This has previously seen resettled people disrupting timber plantations in Mutasa at Meikles Eucalyptus Estate and in Chimanimani at Tarka Forest, where a community was settled in the middle of a plantation.

In a previous interview, a local volunteer expressed gloom over efforts to preserve the Vumba Forest as its threat was tied to “basic survival scenarios”.

DB Blaauw, a volunteer consultant for Wildlife Environment Protection Unit, a project under the Vumba Green Fund, which is facilitated by Environment Africa and the Tikki Hywood Trust, said education alone was not enough.

“You get people who are seriously desperate for land… So even with education, it is about survival. That’s the problem,” Blaauw said, adding that animal and fish poaching are a critical source of protein for locals.

“Man is always the top predator but we are just trying to give the other guys a chance,” Blaauw said.

‘HIV eradication miles away’

HEALTH experts are still miles away from eradicating the HIV pandemic in the near future, a top British paediatrician and researcher, Geoff Foster, has said.

Foster, who formed one of Zimbabwe’s first HIV organisations — Family Aids Caring Trust (Fact) — in 1987 after treating an increasing number of infants affected by the deadly virus, said he sees HIV posing challenges decades from now.

“I think that despite the advances that are taking place in vaccine development and more effective anti-retroviral treatment, HIV will continue to be a problem 30 years from now,” Foster said during a Fact function here recently.

Foster has published over 50 research papers on HIV/ Aids, and has led international researches on projects, together with the World Health Organisation, on elimination of paediatric Aids.

He was given an order of merit by Queen Elizabeth for his sterling work in HIV management in Zimbabwe.

However, he expressed optimism that the virus could be kept under check through behaviour change models that emphasise fidelity.

Foster said the approach was the reason why the country managed to drastically reduce HIV prevalence among adults.

“Zimbabwe has seen a remarkable reduction in its HIV epidemic. In year 2000, about a third of adults were HIV-infected, nowadays, going back to the past five or six years, the rate has fallen.

“The main reason for this development, which is supported by research, was changes in sexual behaviour, particularly extra-marital affairs,” Foster said.

He added that churches play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the behavioural change model.

“Churches in Zimbabwe play a major role in promoting marital faithfulness and abstinence,” Foster said, adding that this was clearly revealed by the lack of reduction in the epidemic in neighbouring South Africa and Botswana, which were promoting condom use as their main strategy.

“Zimbabwe’s reduction in HIV infections contrasts sharply with that of South Africa and Botswana...just promoting condom use often promotes extramarital sex,” Foster said.

Boost for Manicaland bodybuilding

THE Manicaland Body Building and Fitness Association (MBBFA) has introduced a new competition — the Manicaland Classic — which it hopes will give local athletes a platform to showcase their talent.

MBBFA secretary-general Sibangani “Siba” Guzha, who runs Body Focus Gym, said the competition is meant to promote the sport right from the grassroots up to senior level.

The contest to be held at the Mutare Holiday Inn on September 2, will have four categories — Junior Men Under-23, Men’s Fitness, Women’s Bikini and Senior Men Open.

“We are trying to elevate our athletes to be appreciated; to turn them into professionals. We can only do this by supporting the sport from the grassroots,” Guzha said.

“We have also invited athletes from across the country to take part in this contest.”

Guzha said he decided to come up with the contest after noticing the vast talent on show in Mutare and surrounding areas.

Some of the athletes that pump iron at his Body Focus Gym include current Mr Ironman Zimbabwe Blessing Saunyama and reigning Mr Zimbabwe Fitness Chamunorwa Marange.

“The first sponsorship in bodybuilding is to find somewhere to train from and that is what my gym has been offering,” Guzha said.

“I have not been getting anything from their participation in national competitions where they have been doing very well but I’ve just been supporting them for the love of the sport.”

Reigning Mr Zimbabwe champion Paul Goredema is expected to be a guest poser at the contest while five-time Mr Mutare champion Brighton Mazikana is also scheduled to take part.

Guzha said he hopes the contest will also get endorsement from corporate sponsors from the province.

“We are trying to reach out to corporate sponsors but we need to be more professional so that they understand us,” he said.

“I believe if we run the sport more professionally we can bring them on board.”

Hoteliers wary of veld fires

HOSPITALITY concerns have expressed concern over the growing number of veld fires in Mutare, with Musangano Lodge saying the dangerous occurrences were threatening the industry’s viability and environment.

Musangano Lodge general manager, Leonard Bwanya, said veld fires were affecting their tourism packages, which include nature walks.

“We are concerned that we may soon be fighting fires all around us at the rate at which people are wantonly burning bushes,” he said.

He said while their property is protected by well-maintained fire guards, their visitors’ experiences were meant to be enhanced by a natural environment.

“Although we try to secure our property with fire guards, our product is enhanced by an intact environment and we often see ourselves battling these wild fires and having perpetrators prosecuted,” the hotelier said.

Bwanya alleged that the recently relocated families in nearby Arda Transau were behind some nasty veld fires, as they torched the indigenous forests to clear the way for poaching expeditions.

“We had some of them prosecuted and last year we didn’t have as many challenges and we are hoping they will give us peace again this year,” he said.

He said the extent of fires in areas around Mutare was the reason for their panicking.

“All areas around Mutare have been on fire in the past week and we are just hoping that the trend does not spread to our area. The full value of our products is fully enjoyed when we have the vegetation cover we have right now.”

He said tourists would often run into wild antelopes, wild pigs and other small game during nature trails around their property, experiences that are now under threat due to the veld fires.

Game population has now been greatly reduced due to the practice, coupled with poaching.

Calls to demilitarise Grand Reef increase

THE chorus to have the Grand Reef Airport (GRA) demilitarised is getting louder, with Mutare business leaders joining tourism players in latest calls demanding the move.

GRA is an airport serving Mutare city. The runway is 20km west of Mutare, which is adjacent to the city.

The community argues that demilitarisation of the aviation facility would end the eastern border city’s isolation and make it easily accessible to tourists — both domestic and local.

Former Inns of Zimbabwe chairperson, Gordon Addams, has been on the forefront in calling for the establishment of a commercial airport in the city to unlock its full economic potential.

The lobbyists have launched a marketing and promotional campaign designed to bring the town at par with other major cities like Harare, Gweru, Bulawayo, Masvingo and even Chiredzi, which have airports.

Mutare businessman John Sanhanga, who is now leading the campaign, said Manicaland’s potential was being hamstrung by its lack of air connectivity, which facilitates ease of doing business.

“Manicaland is endowed with vast business opportunities but the province and the nation cannot grow when Mutare does not have an airport to boost these investment opportunities,” he said.

Although Mutare has an aerodrome, Sanhanga, like Addams, insists GRA must be turned into a commercial airport.

“The availability of this airport will increase tourist inflows, generate employment and improve the stock of infrastructure for the eastern border city,” he argued.

“We are the people and we should now make sure this thing happens. I know there are investors waiting for this opportunity and we should now work together and come up with ideas to have this airport converted.

“The government will also come on board if it sees how serious we are,” said Sanhanga.

Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries vice president Richard Chiwandire said industry was fully behind the initiative.

“We fully support this initiative and what is needed is that everyone who is involved in this should now be pro-active.

“The availability of the airport will be a key resource to development in Manicaland,” he said.

Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe Manicaland chapter chairperson Clive Chinwada, said commercialising the airport would unlock the Eastern Highlands’ tourism potential.

“Modern tourists want to fly to a resort. They don’t want to land in Harare and then have to drive to Mutare and Nyanga and face the constant hustles of road travel,” he said.

Affirmative Action Group Manicaland chapter chairperson Fungai Chayeruka challenged government to embrace the call as it would help fulfil its commitment as spelt out in its much taunted socio-economic blue print — Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation document.

“As a business grouping, we know of people in various spheres who are eager to join us on this campaign and we are now calling for the proper implementation of various ideas in as far as the construction of this airport is concerned,” he said.

Hubby faces jail for selling wife’s car

A LOCAL businessman has been ordered by the courts to restitute his wife’s vehicle, which he sold without her consent, or face a five-month jail stint.

Irvin Chinowaita, who resides at Cottage 1, Nyazura, was convicted on his own plea of guilt by magistrate Perseverance Makala.

He was initially sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment, but five months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, with the other five suspended on condition that he restitutes the value of the vehicle.

Chinowaita was charged with unreasonable disposal of household property in violation of Section 4 as read with Section 3(1) (k) of the Domestic Violence Act.

It was the State’s case that Chinowaita drove off with the vehicle on July 10 at around 7am, while she took a bath, and disposed of it.

The vehicle — valued at $4 500 — belonged to his wife.

Nothing was recovered.

LUANDA - Angola's ruling party said on Thursday it won a majority in the country's election with five million votes counted so far, opening the way for the defence minister to succeed President Jose Eduardo dos Santos after his 38-year rule, the Portuguese news agency Lusa reported.

The ruling MPLA party concluded it had won Wednesday's election after reviewing data relayed by its delegates from polling stations nationwide, said Joao Martins, a senior official at the party' headquarters in Luanda, the capital. Martins said Defence Minister Joao Lourenco would therefore succeed dos Santos, who took power in 1979, according to Lusa.

The report came as the main opposition UNITA party alleged that police fired shots and made arrests near some polling stations as people voted in Huambo city. Election officials, however, said the vote went smoothly despite minor problems.

About 9.3 million Angolans were registered to vote for the 220-member National Assembly; the winning party then selects the president.

Lourenco, 63, is a former governor who fought in the war against Portuguese colonial rule as well as the long civil war that ended in 2002.

Oil-rich Angola is beset by widespread poverty, corruption and human rights concerns, though some analysts believe new leadership could open the way to more accountability.

Dos Santos, 74, is expected to remain ruling party leader, though there are concerns about his health since he received medical treatment in Spain this year.

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BULAWAYO - Presidential aspirant and Alliance Peoples Agenda (Apa) leader Nkosana Moyo has described the alliance of opposition parties as an insult to the people of Zimbabwe.

“Some are coming saying am I not splitting the vote, go and have a coalition with Morgan (MDC President Tsvangirai) and so on. This thing to say coalition and so on as if Zimbabweans are not smart enough to choose, I think is an insult to all of us,” Moyo told members of his political party here yesterday.

“It’s an insult because we are implying that we should not have a choice. That choice must be eliminated up-front so that when you go to vote there is only one person left. This coalition issue is a completely misguided argument.”

Moyo said the alliance was an unnecessary and meaningless initiative.

“I believe even my uneducated mother can choose a President who can rescue us from this quagmire that we find ourselves in. So we don’t need a coalition to that matter,” he said adding that Apa was certainly prepared to go it alone in the next election.

Asked how he is going to penetrate the rural areas where Zanu PF has for years dominated, Moyo said it was not his responsibility but that of his party members to take up that initiative.

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HARARE - The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has warned that it will not tolerate law enforcement agents that engage in any unlawful conduct that jeopardises public safety.

This comes after five police officers were arrested following allegations that they had viciously assaulted a Harare man who lost his eye during the attack.

The matter has been set down for trial before the magistrates’ court where Livingstone Zvimba, Tendai Masungambira, Sunday Nyaude, Khululekani Dale and Evans Mashonganyika — all members of the Police Reaction Group — are answering to two counts of assault.

Harare magistrate Farai Gwitima is presiding over the case which continues today.

The victim, Washington Gezana who had his eye removed subsequent to the alleged attack, is expected to testify in court today.

“The ZRP does not condone such unruly and unprofessional behaviour exhibited by the five police officers who are now facing both criminal and disciplinary charges,” national police spokesperson Charity Charamba said.

“In order to show the police’s commitment to justice, these charges were immediately preferred after complainant reported the case to the organisation.

“Members of the public and the Gezana family in particular are assured that decisive action is already being taken in line with ZRP’s disciplinary standards and provision of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act.”

Charamba added that ZRP will not be liable for any suits or consequences that will be suffered by the group consequent to the allegations.

“Meanwhile, in the event that the five police details are sued, it will be in their individual capacities as they acted outside the confines of the lawful duty which they had been tasked to perform on March 23 this year,” Charamba said.

“We would like to categorically state that any police officer who misbehaves and takes the law into his or her own hands will face the music.

“Police would like to encourage members of the public to report any deviant conduct by police officers through the channels which are clearly outlined in the publicised Police Client Service Charter or to contact the National Complaints Desk.”

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HARARE - High Court judge Charles Hungwe has slammed the police for gruesomely manhandling a self-proclaimed Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) informer Delish Nguwaya, arrested at the Harare Magistrates’ Court on allegations of undermining the police.

Hungwe asked the prosecutor Kenias Chimiti to explain if the police actions were justified under the circumstances.

“How did the applicant get floored?” Hungwe asked after watching a video of the incident that took place in the full glare of members of the public.

Justice Hungwe further asked if the actions were justified, even if they were laying charges against him.

The video shows Nguwaya on the floor handcuffed, while being dragged by the police down the stairs from the second floor to the first floor. Nguwaya’s cries drew a large crowd from the court, which is also shown in the video.

In the application, filed by his lawyer Jonathan Samukange, Nguwaya cited Commissioner-General of police Augustine Chihuri, detective sergeant Chatukuta and top detective Joseph Nemaisa as respondents.

In his submissions, Samukange said that his client was brutally tortured by the police, who later took him to hospital “fearing he might die in their hands.”

In the application, Samukange was demanding Nguwaya’s immediate release and said that his client could have been subjected to overnight torture, before being taken to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals for treatment.

“The hospitalisation could have been a realisation by the torturers that the applicant (Nguwaya) could die in their hands hence the call for MARS ambulance.

“There is need for a final order to be granted and that the second and third respondents (Chatukuta and Nemaisa) pay costs on an attorney-client scale. Costs are being sought against second and third respondents because the Zimbabwe Republic Police as a service cannot act contrary to the Constitution, cannot instruct the second and third respondents to act unlawfully.

“The decision to act unlawfully and torture the applicant is a personal decision and they should face the consequences,” Samukange said.

He said that the fact that the police officers took Nguwaya from court shows that they do not have respect for the courts.

“The conduct, if it’s allowed to continue, will result in chaos and total breakdown of the rule of law and the judicial system.

“The time has come for the court to indicate to these rogue police officers that they should be sent to prison so that they also feel the pain,” he said.

He further said that torture is an international offence, which can be reported anywhere else, even outside Zimbabwe.

However, Chimiti claimed that no assault was perpetrated against Nguwaya, adding that he was being lawfully arrested for undermining police authority, an aspect that Samukange objected to as a lie.

Chimiti further said that Nguwaya was resisting arrest by the police officers dispatched to arrest him from the Harare Central Police Station on the alleged charge.

“The arrest was lawful and was pursuant to a report that was made. The respondents in this matter did not assault the applicant as alleged,” Chimiti said.

“The arrest was illegal and the applicant must be released forthwith,” the judge ruled.

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HARARE - Gokwe has regained its lost status as the country’s principal cotton producing district after delivering a staggering 31 million kg of the crop so far.

Statistics released by the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) for August show that 60 million kg of the cash crop was delivered to the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) as at August 4, with Gokwe District contributing 51 percent of that.

This is a vast improvement from the 19 million kg that were delivered during the same period last year, suggesting that the industry is on the rebound following years of poor production mainly related to shortage of funds and a global trade crunch.

Deliveries are expected to improve over the next three months as more farmers bring their crop in.

Government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe provided free inputs under the Presidential Input Scheme, covering 300 000 hectares, worth $43 million.

Gokwe outdid other traditional cotton producing districts in the country such as Mbire, which is second with a 7,8 million kg (13 percent) output and Chiredzi, which is in third place after delivering 4,2 million kg (seven percent).

Kadoma has contributed 3,6 million kg (six percent) while Chipinge has delivered five percent of the crop, an equivalent of 3 million kg.

Mt Darwin and Mwenezi districts, in Mashonaland Central and Masvingo provinces respectively, contributed three percent each, equivalent to 1,8 million kg.

Rushinga has delivered 1,2 milliom kg (two percent).

Other cotton-producing districts, namely Bikita, Zaka, Guruve, Mutoko, Bindura, Makonde, Kariba, Hurungwe and Buhera have contributed 600 000 kg (one percent) each.

In recent years, there has been a significant drop in the production of the crop, mainly due to lack of financial support. Most farmers had also given up on the crop after failing to access payments on delivering their crop.

The situation was further compounded by a downward trend in cotton prices on the global market.

The cotton business sprung back to life during the last cropping season when government obtained a $26 million input grant from the Chinese government and from leading foreign companies China-Africa Cotton Zimbabwe (Pvt) Limited, Sinotex and Sinozim Cotton Holdings.

The capital injection has allowed government to set the cotton producer price at a lucrative $0,48 cents per kilogramme and added differential prices as incentives, underlining the fact that local cotton prices have rebounded in line with global trends.

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HARARE - Maud Muzenda, the widow of the late Vice President Simon Muzenda, has been declared a national heroine.

Gogo Muzenda, who died at the Avenues Clinic in Harare on Tuesday from hypertension and diabetes, was praised for her down-to-earth demeanour and dignified motherly role by those who offered their own recollections of her life yesterday.

Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi told mourners gathered at the Muzenda homestead in Chisipite that she will be buried at the National Heroes Acre on Saturday.

Sekeramayi, who is also Zanu PF politburo member, said the ruling party conclave was unanimous in its decision to confer the highest honour on the wife of the late Muzenda, a vice president of Zimbabwe and a longtime aide to President Robert Mugabe who died in September 2003.

Her husband died from a long-standing kidney ailment.

A nurse by profession, the late Muzenda’s body was taken to Gutu yesterday and will be ferried back to Harare tomorrow.

Muzenda will be buried at the national shrine together with politburo member and veteran nationalist, George Rutanhire, who died early last Saturday at Karanda Mission Hospital in Mt Darwin after succumbing to renal failure.

Muzenda is survived by six children, 23 grand children and 15 great grand children.

Mourners are gathered at house number 43 Lewisam Avenue, Chisipite in Harare.

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HARARE - An arbitrator has ordered the reinstatement of the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) finance director Thomas Mutizhe, expelled from the organisation in 2014 for alleged gross incompetence and insubordination.

Through his lawyer Kudzai Gama from Gama and Partners, Mutizhe challenged the dismissal, leading to an order being granted in his favour.

“In the resultant, claimant (Mutizhe)’s dismissal is not supportable. I order that claimant be reinstated to his position without loss of salary and benefits from the date of dismissal. However, if the reinstatement is untenable, claimant should be paid damages in lieu of reinstatement,” arbitrator Musekiwa Kazembe ruled.

Mutizhe’s lawyer told the Daily News yesterday that they are soon going to approach the arbitrator for the quantification process.

Mutizhe had been fired following a list of allegations, which the arbitrator ruled cannot stand. Among other allegations, Mutizhe was accused of defamation, failure to submit a budget to the then acting chief executive officer (CEO) Moses Juma, gross incompetence and insubordination.

The other charges of misconduct and insubordination arose from claims that he was not being attentive during a Transport ministry meeting. However, the arbitrator noted that Mutizhe had asked to be excused from the meeting because of his personal problems and was forced to attend despite the circumstances and that the witnesses who gave evidence failed to corroborate the claims.

He was further accused of using disrespectful language, when he claimed that the actions of the chief executive officer were suspicious.

“To say that the conduct of the CEO was suspicious does entail that the claimant was rude and disrespectful to the CEO but a simple expression that the conduct of the CEO was indeed suspicious,” Kazembe said.

In response to the allegations, Mutizhe denied committing any acts of misconduct, further submitting that the allegations made against him did not constitute an offence.

“After a careful analysis of the parties’ arguments, I made the following findings: That the bulk of the allegations against claimant are centred on accusations against the claimant as being either incompetent or inefficient, however, the evidence submitted during the disciplinary hearing does not in any way point to incompetency or inefficiency,” Kazembe said.

Kazembe said that the hearing officer had misdirected himself when he found Mutizhe guilty of incompetence.

“Again, the hearing officer made a gross misdirection at law for finding claimant guilty of a misconduct he could not possibly be charged of,” he said.

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BULAWAYO - The High Court here has reinstated Gift Banda to his position of Bulawayo deputy mayor as well as ward 5 councillor.

The ruling by Justice Martin Makonese followed an appeal by Banda challenging his dismissal from the local authority.

Banda was early this year expelled by the Local Government, Public Works and National Housing minister Saviour Kasukuwere following recommendations by an independent tribunal.

Kasukuwere last year appointed an independent tribunal to investigate the affairs of the city, following an outcry by residents over corruption and maladministration.

Banda was eventually fired in February this year together with ward 21 councillor Reuben Matengu after they were initially suspended in September last year.

In his ruling yesterday, Justice Makonese said after scrutinising the submissions by the applicant’s lawyers, he was satisfied that the decision by the independent tribunal and the Local Government ministry to expel him were misdirected.

“It is therefore clear that the decision of the tribunal was not grounded on any facts on the record and was not based on any sound legal basis. Such a decision is grossly irregular and unreasonable,” he said.

“Accordingly, I am satisfied that the applicant is entitled to the relief sought in the draft, it is orders as follows. The decision of the first responded finding applicant guilty on any gross misconduct be and herby set aside and substituted with an order finding applicant not guilty of any act of misconduct.

“The applicant is hereby reinstated as councillor for ward 5, Bulawayo deputy mayor of Bulawayo with no loss of allowances and benefits,” ruled Justice Makonese.

In the application Banda who was being represented by Kholwani Ngwenya of TJ Mabhikwa and Partners had cited Kasukuwere, Bulawayo City Council, the independent tribunal and its members advocate Hilda Makusha Moyo, Midard Khumalo and Lucy Manhokwe as the respondents.

In his founding affidavit, Banda said the tribunal erred when it found him guilty of gross misconduct, arguing that its decision was premised on irregular and unreasonable findings.

“The basis of this application is that the decision of the first respondent (independent) finding me guilty of an act of gross misconduct in the acquisition of lease by Entertainment Headquarters is grossly irregular and unreasonable.

“It is premised on the independent tribunal’s grossly irregular and unreasonable finding that

by co-signing the application for a lease by Entertainment Headquarters I wanted to influence the decision on the application yet council did not approve or grant the application, which I had co-signed,” he said.

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