HARARE - Government is funding the long-delayed Runde-Tende mega dam project in Masvingo, with work beginning soon, Agriculture deputy minister Davis Marapira has said.

He told a Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) and Zimbabwe Agricultural Society breakfast meeting on Tuesday that the vast new reservoir would regulate the flow of water to farmland in the Lowveld that is vulnerable to increasingly erratic weather patterns.

“We are also looking at building another big dam in Masvingo, the Runde-Tende. The Runde-Tende will be slightly bigger than Tokwe Mukorsi and we are looking at the whole Lowveld being the green belt,” Marapira said.

“And... I personally support that if we declare the Lowveld of Masvingo, because its green, as a special economic zone, starting form Chisumbanje and other areas supported by Tokwe Mukorsi, Lake Mutirikwi and Runde–Tende, then we can talk of economic zones where we can see results and come up with production units where we can add value from those areas.”

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HARARE - Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) leaders rounded up in a dragnet arrest as they convened a general council meeting in Manicaland province last September to discuss the welfare of students in tertiary institutions have filed a suit against the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers, Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo and police commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri.

Mutare magistrate Innocent Bepura on Tuesday began presiding over the trial of the security officials facing charges of unlawful arrest and detention.

The arrest and detention of the Zinasu members together with other 100 student activists was declared unlawful by Mutare magistrate Poterai Gwezhira following the intervention of their lawyers.

In summons filed at Mutare Magistrates Court, the Zinasu members’ lawyers Blessing Nyamaropa and Peggy Tavagadza of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights charged that their clients’ liberty was unnecessarily deprived and they were subjected to pain and suffering including psychological harm due to the conditions under which they were detained.

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HARARE - South Africa’s deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa, faced hostile questions from opposition legislators on Wednesday as he tried to win lawmakers over the controversial decision to grant diplomatic immunity to Zimbabwe’s First Lady Grace Mugabe which allowed her to return to Harare and avoid prosecution for the alleged assault of a 20-year-old model.

Ramaphosa was testifying before legislators during a question and answer session in South Africa’s National Assembly about the decision by that country’s Foreign minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, to invoke diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention, to let Grace escape justice.

Gabriella Engels, a supermodel, alleges that Grace attacked her on August 13 in full view of her bodyguards, whipping her with an extension cord that cut her forehead after finding her in the company of her two sons in a hotel room.

Ramaphosa — a unionist-turned-business tycoon expected to face off against veteran politician Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a former African Union chairwoman and President Jacob Zuma’s ex-wife when the African National Congress (ANC) picks the incumbent’s successor in December — was taken to task in the National Assembly by opposition Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) parliamentarian Liezl van der Merwe.

The IFP lawmaker inquired whether Ramaphosa, viewed as investor friendly and has pledged to fight the corruption that has plagued Zuma’s tenure, supported the decision to grant the Zimbabwean first lady immunity even after committing the heinous crime against a South African national.

This followed a call by South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) for a parliamentary probe into Pretoria’s controversial decision, with DA chief whip John Steenhuisen saying Pretoria has “no more legitimacy in the arena of international diplomacy and displays a total disregard for the rule of law.”

“I think as a leader of government business you must provide us with some answers,” Van der Merwe said.

“I would like to know from you honourable deputy president, what type of government would stand on the side of an alleged abuser?”

Ramaphosa, seen as a top contender to lead the ruling ANC into 2019 general elections, had a torrid time defending government’s position to let Grace go scot-free.

“It’s the first time we have utilised this type of convention and a lot can be said on pro and against it.

“And in the end, there needs to be the clarity that there is on this matter is not full and complete. In the sense that, yes, in certain environments it’s applied, in others, it’s not. So, it happens to have been applied here,” he said amid loud heckling and interjections by members of Parliament in the opposition benches.

This came as Engels and rights group AfriForum filed a notice in the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday seeking to set aside the decision by Nkoana-Mashabane to grant Grace immunity.

The application argues that the decision to grant immunity to Grace “lacks legality and… should be declared invalid”.

Engels argued that the minister “misconstrued her powers” in the process.

Opposition MPs also moved a motion to summon Nkoana-Mashabane to explain her decision in the National Assembly, but a date is yet to be decided.

But a notice published by South Africa’s department of International Relations and Cooperation in a government’s gazette said: “In accordance with the powers vested in me by Section 7(2) of the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act 2001 (Act No.37 of 2001) and acting in the interest of Republic of South Africa, I hereby recognise the immunities and privileges of the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Grace Mugabe, in terms of international law as set out in the attached notice”

Grace was granted immunity for the following reasons:

• The need to uphold the rule of law, ensure fair administration of justice and uphold the rights of the complainant;

• The imperative to maintain good inter-governmental relations within the Sadc region, and in particular between the Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Zimbabwe;

• The fact that the matter coincides with South Africa’s hosting of the 37th Sadc Summit of Heads of State and Government;

• Legal considerations, including derivative immunity of spouses of Heads of State.

But Nkoana-Mashabane told reporters in Pretoria on Wednesday that granting diplomatic immunity to Grace was “painful.”

“I am here. My name is Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. (I am) a very responsible mother, you can ask my children.

“Others know I am very supportive. It’s been a very painful exercise. It still is. Having said that, we are following the law,” she said.

She said she had addressed letters to National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete and the chair of Parliament’s international relations portfolio committee, Siphosezwe Masango, updating them on her decision.

“We have written to Parliament and we will follow up on this matter,” she said.

South Africa’s powerful Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has since declared that Grace should be declared a prohibited immigrant to be denied entry into Mzansi and deported upon arrival.

“... Grace ... 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.”

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HARARE - A mysterious fire broke out at Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s home in Tynwald, Harare and ravaged some sections of the sprawling property before the City of Harare fire tenders battled to put out the blaze which was nearing the main house.

The house is guarded by State residences security personnel which, according to the vice president’s family, was better qualified to comment on the fire.

No one was injured in the fire which the Mnangagwa family said was discovered on the property at around 11:00 am.

The fire broke out as Mnangagwa is recovering from surgery following alleged poisoning by his rivals in the fractious Zanu PF during an interface rally in Gwanda two weeks ago.

Mnangagwa, who turns 75 next month, is no longer living at his Tynwald home after he relocated to the northern suburbs a few years ago.

According to witnesses, the fire broke out on the right side of the property from the main entrance and quickly spread towards an old compound, fowl runs and the sheds housing tractors and other agricultural equipment.

The fire brigade water tenders arrived on the scene but struggled to put out the fire immediately as a result of the wind which kept fanning the dry grass, according to the officials.

“It’s a grass fire. Our teams are still out there at the VP’s home.  When we think we have put out the fire, it is re-ignited so firefighters are still trying to completely put out the fire,” a firefighter told the Daily News before referring the paper to City of Harare spokesperson, Michael Chideme for an official comment.

Chideme, however, refused to comment.

“When it comes to high profile issues, I will have to ask the town clerk. It is the town clerk who deals with those issues,” said Chideme.

Mnangagwa’s children, who are living on the property referred the Daily News to the police.

National police spokesperson Charity Charamba confirmed the fire and said they were treating it as a veld fire.

“Moto wasvika 100m away from the homestead, hanzi uchibva nedirection inoitirwa church nemapostori (The fire was within 100 metres’ reach of the main house and came from the direction where vapostori  hold their church meetings.

“Moto wacho waitwa put out nevefire brigade. Police yatonotorera report pascene, vari kuto opener inonzi RRB. Saka hauna kubva pamba varikutoi categoriza kuti it might be a veld fire (The fire brigade put out that fire and police were on the scene to take a report  but the fire did not emanate from the house. We are categorising it as veld fire,” said Charamba.

Three years ago, Mnangagwa’s son, Emmerson Junior, had his Kwekwe farm house gutted by fire which was said to have been caused by an electrical fault.

In 2011, the country was plunged into mourning when Zimbabwe’s revered libration icon and first black military commander — Solomon Tapfumaneyi Mujuru died in a mysterious inferno at his farm house outside Harare — which authorities said had been started by a candle.

His family was to be hit by another fire in September 2014 when a blaze destroyed property worth thousands of dollars at Tarisa Farm in Ruwa, destroying a nine-roomed thatched house and at least one other outhouse.

In 2015 fire also gutted former vice president Joice Mujuru’s Beatrice farm and destroyed fowl runs before killing 32 000 chickens.

Also in 2015 former minister of Higher Education Olivia Muchena was left homeless after a fire gutted her thatched farmhouse in Goromonzi where her child was sleeping.

No deaths were recorded.

Former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono was a victim of mysterious fires on more than two occasions.

Flamboyant businessman Phillip Chiyangwa’s imposing house was also extensively damaged by a fire.

This year, Zanu PF youth leader Kudzanai Chipanga lost property worth thousands of dollars when his farm house in Rusape caught fire.

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HARARE - The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is still to receive any formal complaints to enable them to investigate the alleged poisoning of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Gwanda while attending a Zanu PF youth interface meeting, the Daily News can report.

More than two weeks after the incident involving one of the most senior politicians in the country, no one has contacted the ZRP as yet to make any formal complaint following claims that the vice president was poisoned by rivals who are desperate to eliminate him, physically, from succeeding President Robert Mugabe.

Police spokesperson, senior assistant commissioner Charity Charamba, told the Daily News on Thursday that the law enforcement agents cannot look into the allegations without a formal complaint, adding that it was up to any potential victim(s) to come forward to tell their stories to the force.

“So far, we have checked with all police institutions; so far we don’t have a report,” she told the Daily News in a telephone interview.

“Poisoning involves gathering evidence, so as police we did not receive a report, which enables us to proceed with proper investigations. I have spoken to Pro-Pol Mat South (officer commanding Matabeleland South Province), ndokurikunzi zvakaitikira (that’s where the incident allegedly transpired), they haven’t received any report.

“We have checked everywhere, there is no report. I have checked with CID (Criminal Investigations Department), there is no report. Once we receive the report, it will be investigated,” she added.

Charamba said if anyone out there feels that they have been the victim of any type of crime, they must call the police, file their report, and let their officers do their work.

Although one should report any crime to the police as soon as possible, no one is under obligation to do so.

A crime can be reported at any police station, either verbally or in writing.

Because no complaint has been formally filed in the case of Mnangagwa’s suspected food poisoning, any consideration of whether a statute of limitation could limit law enforcement involvement remains a moot point, legal experts said this week.

Government has not commented on whether it has begun the probe on the alleged poisoning.

Mnangagwa’s wife, Auxilia, who is the legislator for Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe, told the Daily News on Thursday that she was in a meeting and promised to call back, but had not done so at the time of going to Press.

Mnangagwa’s son Emmerson Jnr told the Daily News earlier this week: “I appreciate your concern regarding his health...I am sure his office will make a statement at the appropriate time”.

Efforts to obtain comment from Clifford Sibanda, the minister in the vice president’s office were futile.

This comes as Cabinet minister and Zanu PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo has suggested that police should investigate and establish what caused the Midlands godfather’s sudden illness.

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.

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.

He had to be hospitalised in South Africa for nearly a week following his alleged poisoning two weeks ago.

While he is now back in the country, Mnangagwa is still to resume his official duties.

The Daily News understands that the former Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe legislator, who is still on sick leave, will fly again to South Africa soon, not only for a check-up but also to have further treatment on his lungs which were affected by the poisoning.

Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa — who indicated a fortnight ago that investigations were underway to establish the true cause of Mnangagwa illness — said yesterday: “We can only update you when I see him and I haven’t.”

Authoritative sources said they were yet to receive the chemical analysis report from the Forensic Science Laboratory in South Africa.

Mnangagwa’s sympathisers and allies have claimed he was poisoned with non radioactive palladium, which damaged part of his liver.

Dewa Mavhinga, a human rights lawyer, said it was high noon of factional gymnastics and political hara-kiri in Zanu PF, making it difficult to independently establish the veracity of the claim that Mnangagwa was poisoned if there is no police report.

“If indeed poisoning is suspected, then a crime was committed and as such a police report is in order to facilitate investigations and to hold those responsible to account,” said Mavhinga.

“But if no police report is filed, it then raises questions about what exactly transpired and whether or not the incident is nothing more than political hullabaloo meant to divert attention from more pressing national issues.”

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HARARE - Nurse managers have given the Health Services Board (HSB) notice of a possible strike, they said at a meeting yesterday.

Zimbabwe Nurses Association said a strike could begin as early as September 8.

Zina secretary-general Enoch Dongo told the Daily News that the nurses’ grievances were not new to the board as they had been aired before.

“We told the board that senior nursing staff cannot earn less than juniors. Some junior nurses after taking the night shift earn $637 while their seniors earn $600.

“What they have to consider is that if the nurse manager earns that little, what about the sister-in-charge who is below?”

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“This prompted us to resolve that in the next 14 days, the board should iron out these discrepancies or risk a nationwide strike.

“However, as the managers who also include teaching staff go on strike, it is likely that the juniors will also join because they will have no one to lecture them,” he said.

Dongo said it was better for the nurses not to work than be humiliated by such poor monthly packages.

He added that the nurses also proposed to be returned to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) as they felt their allowances had been removed. The nurses are now under the HSB.

The secretary-general said from the time they left the CSC, nurses’ allowances tumbled to deplorable levels.

“The nurses felt that it was better for all civil service employees to be under one employer, than to segregate them. Before the shift, a provincial nursing officer and a provincial education director would be the same.

“However, now there are differences in grading. We are not comparing but the policy that a teacher and nurse are the same is not happening,” Dongo said.

He said that nurses also said they wanted the Health Services Act to be amended to allow nurses to also be district medical officers.

“Inexperienced doctors are being promoted to high positions while some nurses who are even holders of doctorate degrees are being left out simply because they are not medical doctors.

“Nurses constitute 70 percent of the health profession and they should be given the same opportunities,” he said.

HSB executive director Ruth Kaseke said they will be holding a meeting in September to look into the issues raised by the nurses.

“We have heard their grievances and shall take them to the board to consider and find out how best we can solve the problems,” she said.

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HARARE - South African opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA) yesterday launched a Constitutional Court (Con-Court) battle seeking a declaration that the decision by the minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane to grant diplomatic immunity to Zimbabwe First Lady Grace Mugabe be declared unconstitutional and invalid.

With passions inflamed by the decision to let Grace leave the neighbouring country after it was claimed she whipped 20-year-old model Gabriella Engels with an electrical cord in a luxury hotel room in Johannesburg, the DA want the diplomatic immunity set aside arguing it was wholly without legal merit.

This comes as advocacy group AfriForum, which is giving legal backing to Engels, and is working on the case with Gerrie Nel — the prosecutor who secured a murder conviction against Oscar Pistorius — also started taking legal action over the government’s decision to grant her diplomatic immunity on Wednesday.

The DA filed papers in the Con-Court yesterday requesting direct access to the apex court, citing Nkoana-Mashabane, SA President Jacob Zuma, Engels and national director of public prosecutions as respondents.

The DA argued in its urgent application that the decision by Nkoana-Mashabane, in granting immunity, was “hasty, embarrassing and above all illegal and unconstitutional”.

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“It is frankly unconscionable that after the scathing ruling by the Constitutional Court in the Al Bashir matter that the ANC-led government would once again let a high-profile person escape justice in South Africa,” the court papers say.

The International Criminal Court last month rebuked South Africa for not arresting Sudan’s president on a genocide warrant when he visited Johannesburg in 2015, but declined to refer Pretoria to the United Nations for possible censure over the lapse.

The DA, led by Musi Maimane, said it was clear that Grace was granted immunity simply to shield her from being tried in a court of law for her assault on Engels and two others on August 13.

It said in its Con-Court papers that condoning such behaviour, as the granting of immunity did, cannot possibly be in the interests of South Africa.

“There is therefore no legal basis for such a decision,” the court papers said.

The DA said Grace is not a member of the Zimbabwean government and she was in South Africa on personal business.

“There is nothing in either South African or international law which renders her deserving of diplomatic immunity,” it argued, adding the incident is yet another example of how the ANC-led government is intent on protecting the elite of Africa by abusing its statutory powers at the expense of justice for ordinary South Africans.

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HARARE - Welshamn Ncube — leader of the smaller MDC — has leapt to the defence of  his counterpart in the MDC Alliance, Morgan Tsvangirai, saying he was  convinced that he did his homework before committing to the formation of  a coalition.

The reaction by Ncube follows serious differences between the  former prime minister in the inclusive government and some of his  executive members who include deputy president Thokozani Khupe, national  chairperson Lovemore Moyo and national organising secretary Abedinico  Bhebhe over some clauses in the alliance  formation.

The trio did not attend the official launch of the alliance in Harare on August 5.

Ncube  is one of the seven opposition party leaders who have since appended  their signatures to the pact that seeks to remove the long-ruling  President Robert Mugabe’s government from power.

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Speaking during an interview with Skyz Metro FM on Thursday evening here, Ncube seemingly took aim at Khupe and company for their alleged lack of vision.

“I  maintain that within the rank and file among the people who are  affected seriously by the economic crises that we face in the country, I  have no doubt that the people are happy with what we are doing (forming  an alliance), they have demanded it of us for a long time,” Ncube said.

“I  am not in denial that there are certain people at leadership levels who  might be unhappy about the processes which led to the agreement at the  negotiators’ level and at the leadership level, they have said so  themselves, I have engaged some of them and they have said so to me,” he  said.

Ncube said while others in the MDC leadership were not  happy with the way things have happened in the mooted alliance, he said  Tsvangirai conducted extensive consultations before coming up with the  final decision.

“We must be cognisant of the fact that whatever  the criticism there might be, I am aware that in the MDC and MDC-T there  were wide ranging consultations not just at leadership level but across  the width and breath of the country.

“President Tsvangirai  travelled across the country consulting the structures on the way  forward and the message from those consultations in all of the parties  was that people must come together. Yes, people might be unhappy about  the allocation of this seat to that party or unhappy about clarity over  what role they themselves would play as individuals.

“What is  critical is that we can argue about parliamentary seats and who should  contest which seat and where, (but) what is important is that for the  past two decades, we have won seats, we have gone to Parliament and we  have learnt that it does not matter how many seats you win as long as  you don’t capture the presidency, you are not going to deliver change to  the ordinary person in this country,” he said.

Ncube, a  respected constitutional lawyer and former Industry minister in the  inclusive government, said going into an election divided was not an option.

“We  are older, wiser and more experienced and we have learnt from our past  mistakes and one of the core lessons we have learnt is that when we  disagree, we have our differences, no matter how strongly we feel that  the other person is wrong, we have an obligation to talk and talk and  think about the problems until it hurts and find a solution which keeps  us together,” said Ncube.

“We know now from experience that we are  stronger together, we are more effective when we are united, we are not  living in a perfect world. The important lesson is that when we  disagree, we must remain together and find common ground and continue to  walk in the same trajectory.”

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HARARE - Civil servants are opposing proposed legislation seeking to regulate the functions of medical aid societies, describing the new Bill as unnecessary ostensibly because it seeks to duplicate the functions of the Insurance and Pensions Commission (Ipec).

Cecilia Alexander, chairperson of the Apex Council, the umbrella civil servants body, told the Daily News yesterday that government employees will meet on Monday to discuss the issue.

“While I would not want to pre-empt my personal feelings about the whole thing, we have called a meeting on Monday to discuss those issues and come up with a common position,” Alexander said. 

However, teachers, who form the bulk of the country’s civil service, pointed out that apart from being a duplication of an already existing institution, Ipec, they were  convinced this is unnecessary as the new legislation would serve no other purpose “besides creating jobs for the cronies and over-burdening poor.”

“In short, the ministry must not be allowed to take this route,” Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Raymond Majongwe told the Daily News.

Majongwe challenged all civil servants’ unions to “rise to the occasion and reject this diabolical initiative whose sole purpose is to further impoverish our members”.

The Ipec is mandated by the Ipec Act Chapter 24:21 and the Insurance Act Chapter 24:07 to regulate medical aid societies since they are mutual societies.

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While Ipec has been unable to regulate medical aid societies owing to what Majongwe called “some confusion about the situation,” he said creating another one was insensible as insurance companies that were mutual societies until recently, are already under the jurisdiction of Ipec.

Majongwe said it sets a wrong precedence where all other ministries will demand the same.

“Such a situation will result in fragmented regulation, which will affect policyholders, as is the case at the moment where medical aid policyholders are forced to pay regular premiums and at the same time pay cash upfront when they seek medical attention on the pretext that they would be reimbursed?

“A separate regulatory authority that is directly under a line ministry is likely to be just an extension of that ministry, which compromises its independence,” he added, calling on stakeholders to “stand guided by our humble submission because we are suffering, we surely cannot fund another milking cow for the bosses,” said Majongwe.

The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) urged government to abandon its plans as it allegedly only benefits the elite at the expense of the toiling civil servants.

“We want to encourage government to take heed of the sentiments we are expressing or they will regret their actions,” Zimta chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu said.

“Such moves that are misguided are examples of policies that have destroyed government because what it simply does is to eat into the scarce resources there are. We are going to resist such efforts as we believe that with proper management Ipec has capacity to regulate all insurances.”

During the ongoing consultative meetings, government is engaging stakeholders including the insurers themselves before taking the recommendations to the Attorney-General’s Office.

The Medical Aid Societies Bill seeks to provide for the establishment of the Medical Aid Authority, confer functions on such authority in relation to registration and control of certain activities of medical aid societies, to provide for the appointment of the Registrar of Medical Aid Societies, to protect the interests of members of medical aid societies, and amend the Medical Services Act (Chapter 1) to provide for matters incidental to or connected to that.

“The law is the law and once it is in place, it becomes a law. Sometimes it removes us from the comfort zones to uncomfortable zones, but it is the law.

“What we are looking at is putting in place an Act that is fair and which makes sure that we provide, as providers, a service that is conducive to the environment,” Health and Child Care ministry secretary Gerald Gwinji told doctors in the capital last week.

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HARARE – The police buckled under pressure on Thursday and freed a Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) informer Delish Nguwaya, following High Court judge Charles Hungwe’s order for his immediate release.

His lawyer Jonathan Samukange confirmed the development to the Daily News yesterday.

“They released him yesterday (Thursday), but his hand was broken and I am in possession of the pictures showing that,” Samukange said yesterday.

Nguwaya’s arrest on allegations of undermining the police brought business to a halt on Wednesday at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts, after the police dragged the handcuffed man out of the court, prompting his lawyer to approach the court on an urgent basis to push for his immediate release.

Hungwe asked 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.

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Hungwe further asked if the actions were justified, even if they were laying any 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 urgent chamber application, 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”.

During proceedings, Samukange told the court that his client could have been subjected to overnight torture, before being taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital 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 a 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 the fact that the police officers took Nguwaya from court showed 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.

Nguwaya was recently at the centre of a corruption storm involving CIO operatives and senior police officers, in which he claimed he had been tricked by police to volunteer incriminating information as a witness before tables were turned against him after he “implicated” their bosses.

He was seized from court on Wednesday in dramatic circumstances which temporarily brought to a halt court proceedings.

The dramatic incident was sparked by Nemaisa who swooped on Nguwaya as he waited outside the courtroom for Harare regional magistrate Noel Mupeiwa to call him to take the stand.

Nguwaya screamed as Nemaisa and his team dragged him on the floor — forcing people to rush out of courtrooms to witness the spectacle — a rarity in the functions of both police and Office of the President who share mutual respect for each other’s roles in combating crime.

Nemaisa had pinned Nguwaya to the ground while summoning more manpower to try and subdue the CIO informer who was refusing to be handcuffed.

The detectives appeared not bothered by the swelling crowds and howls of disapproval from the public as they dragged Nguwaya down the staircase with his head perilously bumping against the staircase.

Nguwaya was bundled into a waiting truck and taken away to a police station.

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HARARE - MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has suspended the party’s national organising secretary, Abednico Bhebhe, along with six members of the youth assembly pending full investigations into their alleged involvement in the violent skirmishes that targeted his deputy, Thokozani Khupe, recently.

Only two weeks ago, Tsvangirai cracked the whip by suspending deputy treasurer-general, Charlton Hwende and the party’s deputy spokesperson, Tabitha Khumalo, for being complicit in the intra-party clashes that broke out in Bulawayo.

Khumalo and Hwende, who are both members of the MDC standing committee, were suspended along with three youth assembly members.

Tsvangirai had been forced to act after party hoodlums suspected to have been unleashed from the MDC’s main Harare office assaulted his longest serving deputy, Khupe, Bhebhe and national chairperson Lovemore Moyo, accusing them of working against the former trade unionist by attempting to derail an MDC Alliance pact inked on August 5.

Khupe was attacked while she was attending an MDC meeting in Zimbabwe’s second largest city with other senior members of the party.

The attackers alleged that the meeting Khupe was addressing was not in sync with the party’s constitution and calendar of events and that it was designed to block the MDC Alliance meant to unseat Zanu PF in the 2018 general elections.

Tsvangirai has re-united with his former allies Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti as well as joining forces with other opposition parties, including Transform Zimbabwe, led by Jacob Ngarivhume, among others.

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However, Khupe’s camp believes the MDC does not need alliances with other parties in Matabeleland regions where it has always fared well in elections.

Yesterday, Tsvangirai punished more of his officials for trying to put a wedge between him and Khupe, who deputises him in the party alongside Elias Mudzuri and Nelson Chamisa.

This follows an extraordinary session convened by his national executive council in Harare yesterday to deliberate on the violent clashes.

The meeting resolved, among other things, to suspend Bhebhe for making statements to the press that put the party into disrepute.

Bhebhe’s matter has also been referred to the national council for disciplinary action to commence in line with the party’s constitution.

Bhebhe had initially been named as one of the victims of the violence along with Khupe and Moyo, but now stands accused of not showing leadership qualities during the altercation with the youths in Bulawayo as well as “saying defamatory statements against Tsvangirai”.

He was suspended along with six youth assembly members, who include the wing’s deputy national youth chairperson, Shakespeare Mukoyi.

The suspended officials were cited by the MDC arbiter-general as being behind the violence when investigations were conducted.

In a statement, Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, said the decision to suspend the officials was arrived at “after three hours of intense deliberations” and that they were suspended pending full investigations into their alleged complicity in the violence.

“It was resolved that the national organising secretary ... Bhebhe be suspended forthwith following the probe team’s findings that he made statements to the press that put the party into disrepute,” the statement said.

“His matter has also been duly referred to the national council for disciplinary action to commence in line with the party constitution”.

Tamborinyoka said the meeting also resolved that all the youths who were involved remain suspended after their matter was referred to the disciplinary committee.

In a dramatic twist to the events, the extraordinary session lifted the suspension on Khumalo “following her exoneration from any involvement on the matter by the internal probe team”.

“It was also resolved that MDC deputy treasurer-general ... Hwende remain suspended following the findings of the probe team that he made inflammatory statements before the disturbances.

“His matter has been referred to the national council for disciplinary action against him to commence in line with the party constitution,” it added.

Tamborinyoka said the MDC executive had restated the party’s “aversion” to violence and resolved that the party “will continue to take stern and decisive action on anyone implicated in violence”.

The latest crackdown comes amid reports that Tsvangirai is under pressure from international funders and allies in the civil society to root out bad apples from his party ahead of next year’s general elections.

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HARARE - A document signed by the MDC and some fringe opposition parties forming an alliance has unwittingly exposed deep-seated concerns within the country’s biggest opposition party that its leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who is suffering from cancer, may not be fit to last the distance if they secure victory in next year’s make-or-break elections.

The Daily News can exclusively reveal that the Political Cooperation Agreement (PCA) signed by Tsvangirai’s party, along with seven other small political movements on August 5, makes no secret of the MDC’s dominance in the whole arrangement.

Tsvangirai is basically calling the shots in the MDC Alliance so much that no one outside his party can take over from him in the event that he dies or gets incapacitated before next year’s polls.

Crucially, the deal secures the MDC’s leadership of the MDC Alliance in the event that a vacancy occurs at the top before or after the elections.

“In the event of a vacancy occurring for the presidency for whatever reasons before the election then the alliance partners shall select another candidate and if such vacancy occurs after election then the provisions of the national Constitution shall apply,” reads part of the PCA.

In terms of the supreme law of the land, the governing party has the prerogative of appointing a successor should it happen that a serving president dies or gets incapacitated while in office.

What the provisions of the PCA entail therefore is that the MDC would still select Tsvangirai’s successor in the event that he exits office for whatever reasons after winning the 2018 polls.

To some extent, by inserting that clause in the PCA, it confirms the apprehension in the MDC over Tsvangirai’s health.

The MDC leader was diagnosed with cancer of the colon in May last year and has been undergoing treatment in South Africa.

Although he has lost his hair, having gone through 10 gruelling chemotherapy sessions in his battle with the disease, Tsvangirai told the Daily News last month that he feels like he is almost close to regaining full fitness.

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Regardless, Tsvangirai was selected to lead the MDC Alliance on August 5 whose constituent members include the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), led by Tendai Biti; the MDC led by Welshman Ncube; Transform Zimbabwe, headed by Jacob Ngarivhume; Zanu Ndonga led by Denford Masiyarira and the Multi-Racial Christian Democrats led by Mathias Guchutu.

But apart from ring-fencing Tsvangirai’s position, the PCA hints at the possibility of a major overhaul of the country’s Constitution, promulgated in 2013, in the event that the MDC Alliance upstages Zanu PF at the polls.

According to the pact, Tsvangirai will appoint a “national State executive of vice presidents, ministers and deputy ministers” balancing regions, gender and including all political parties, in the event that he wins the elections.

It would appear that an MDC Alliance government would have three vice presidents or deputy presidents to accommodate influential figures at the top.

Tsvangirai already has three deputies in the MDC namely Nelson Chamisa, Thokozani Khupe and Elias Mudzuri, although these are no longer as influential as the eight principals in the MDC Alliance who now stand a better chance of getting coveted positions in the event that their coalition wins the forthcoming polls.

The agreement further states that all the parties under the MDC Alliance, though maintaining their names, will use the MDC open palm symbol and will also campaign for the chosen presidential candidate.

They are, however, free to campaign using their own promotional material or regalia.

“The parties agreed that their alliance shall operate as the MDC Alliance and the parties shall use a common symbol during the 2018 harmonised elections, being an encircled open palm incorporating the image of the alliance presidential candidate and the name and logo of each party underneath,” the PCA also reads in part.

Party insiders said this has infuriated the other parties that are currently locked in negotiations with Tsvangirai on the formation of the grand coalition.

These include Joice Mujuru’s National People’s Party (NPP).

Last week, a high-level meeting held between Mujuru and Tsvangirai failed to end the bickering between them over the coalition.

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.

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.

The PCA also reveals how the alliance partners are desperate to reach out to the former liberation war fighters, who, in the past, taunted its officials as stooges of the west and its allies.

It promises to give the war veterans a ministry like the current arrangement.

Most of the alliance partners will fill positions in the other organs of the State although a lot will depend on whether the MDC Alliance would have secured enough numbers to push its agenda through.

For example, Biti’s PDP was offered the deputy speaker of Parliament post while Transform Zimbabwe would nominate all parliamentary chairpersons.

This would, however, require the MDC Alliance to have the numeric advantage in the National Assembly to get its people nominated into these positions.

The Ncube-led MDC would nominate the president of the senate while the Zimbabwe People First led by Agrippa Mutambara would select the deputy.

The parties agreed to establish a non-compete electoral alliance for purposes of contesting the 2018 harmonised elections.

Without specifying the method to be used in selecting the candidates, the agreement says “the party which is strongest electorally in a given constituency must field the candidate for the coalition”.

While the PCA has provisions to “accommodate any additional alliance”, it goes on to give Tsvangirai the carte blanche to select the other coalition partners.

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HARARE - Our reporter Blessings Mashaya talks to War Veterans minister Tshinga Dube on a wide range of issues. Below are excerpts of the interview.

Q: Are you happy with the welfare of the war veterans?

A: I wish I were but you know with this economic situation, as it stands, one cannot be really happy. We are facing a number of challenges. There are lot of demands to deal with the welfare of the people. It could be difficult to say one is happy. One can only be happy if there are sufficient resources to cover everybody’s needs and I don’t think that can be achieved with the current economic situation.

Q: What do you think needs to be improved on the welfare of war veterans?

A: You remember when the war ended, we did not address the issue of war veterans sufficient enough. Something was done but not enough. It took a bit of time from the day of demobilisation up to the time when the funds were raised to give war veterans some lump sum. At the time of demobilisation, we looked at very short-term issues. We gave them some money but it was not enough to look after them for two, three years, it was for a short period. Later on, there was a lot of complaints and cries which led to that Z$50 000. However, even when that money was given, we did not actually plan for the long-term. Then as the time went on, some of the war veterans began to feel the pinch of living, some of them even felt that we were much better during the war than we are now. That attitude grew but it was even worse because some of the war veterans were living better, they were moving with 4X4 cars, wearing suits, got some jobs in the civil service; but the civil service cannot employ all the people. First of all, you had to have certain educational qualifications to be employed in the civil service and as you know, most of the war veterans left school when they were still young, so they didn’t have those qualifications and they were thrown away. Those who had continued with their school while some were at war found themselves in a better situation, they finished their secondary school and some of them went to universities. But most of these war veterans didn’t have such privileges. They were in a bad situation than the rest of the other people. They were given pensions, but it is too small to sustain anybody, the pensions were not measured according to the poverty datum line. For example, some of the war veterans are getting $150 a month, some even less. Some of those who were injured get little compensation and they are failing to work for themselves as some are blind, something needs to be done to address this issue.

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Q: What is your target in terms of the pensions that war veterans must be getting?

A: I have recently said we should work on the issue of pensions while taking into consideration the poverty datum line. I am not sure, but I think it’s around $500. If each war veteran gets that money, it will sustain him, buying groceries, paying rentals and for their medical insurance. Yes, the money will never be enough, they have children who are going to school. We are not able to pay the school fees of their children due to financial constraints. We have to look after their medical insurance but we are not able to do so and also their burial. Yes, we tried to raise their requirements for burial from $800 to $2 000 but that is not enough. If we also could get that money in time, because sometimes we get the money late, and the family will be forced to fork out money to bury their relative.

Q: There are political differences among the war veterans, what do you think is causing this?

A: I don’t think you are correct when you just look at differences among war veterans. Differences are part of our society, the party itself has got differences. I agree that we have various groups of war veterans, but war collaborators, ex-detainees and even widows of war veterans have differences, some of them say we are more important because our husbands were national heroes and yours are liberation war heroes but I think it’s an issue that bothers all of our people in Zimbabwe, even in churches and the opposition, our people have no tolerance. As I have said before, some of these differences are engineered with some of our leaders, they come up and instigate divisions. You find out that they are an appendix of senior people who encourage them to be divided. Don’t be surprised by these differences.

Q: Some war veterans accused you of siding with the Christopher Mutsvangwa-led group, further alleging that you are a member of a Zanu PF faction called Team Lacoste. What is your comment?

A: The fact is that (Mandiitawepi) Chimene’s group are a self-styled group, we have certain laws in our country. If you have an association, you need to register it, you must have a constitution and also go to the ministry of Labour and after that, you will be recognised as an organisation. But Chimene and (George) Mlala did not follow that route, they just woke up one morning, and said this one is the chairperson and this one is the vice chairperson. We say to them, “Where did you register your association?” This is why the court refused to recognise them. What we are saying is we will never change the rules to suit your game but you rather change your game to suit our rules. If there is a path to follow, you must do so. The leaders of these associations, the breakaway from Mutsvangwa’s association, they still want to say they are leaders of that association, which is not acceptable. When you break away from an association or political party, you must form your own association; like what (Didymus) vaMutasa and (Rugare) Gumbo did after breaking away from Zanu PF, they formed their own party, even Mai (Joice) Mujuru cannot call her party, Zanu PF. They should form their own association with a different name and constitution. What we have said about Mutsvangwa, the people who have chosen him are the only people who have the right to kick him out and his executive. They must go back to their congress, that’s what their constitution says. This has happened before when they kicked out Jabulani Sibanda. When they didn’t want him anymore, they called for a congress and replaced him. It is very difficult for our ministry to kick out Mutsvangwa because we didn’t elect him. He was kicked out of his constituency because he was elected. He was also kicked out of the politburo because he was appointed by the head of State. But the president did not kick him out of the war veterans association because he did not elect him, it is the war veterans who must act. They think we are siding with Mutsvangwa but we are not. We work with anyone, anyone who is elected with a constitutional board, we work with him. As a ministry, we look after the welfare, we don’t know whose loyalty they are, and we support them.

Q: Over the last few days, we heard that you were not feeling well, how are you feeling now?

A: I don’t think anyone should care about my health. I see many people around, they have their own health problems. If my doctors say that I am not fit to continue working, I will obey my doctor and if the president says I should continue work, I will do so. And also my wife is more interested in my health.

Q: How far have you gone with your preparations to meet the president as war veterans?

A: The president promised to meet war veterans once every year but we have delayed the meeting. We were supposed to meet the president at the beginning of the year, but we had a number of challenges.War veterans’ land was repossessed, the president says no war veteran’s land must be taken. So we are trying to solve this before meeting the president. We can’t tell him the same problems. All veterans are invited, even the Mutsvangwa group.

Q: You are reportedly writing a book, how much progress have you made in that respect?

A: Yes, I have written a bit but there some things which are coming up. I don’t want to write many books. When I started writing the book, I was not the minister of War Veterans, so I want to put all this in.

Q: You are a senior member in Zanu PF. What do you think needs to be done to unite the party ahead of the 2018 elections?

A: I think there is too much pride in us. When we start to believe in certain values, we think that everyone must follow, that we do not look at other people’s grievances. 
This issue of war veterans, they were expelled out of Zanu PF for allegedly insulting the president, writing the Blue Ocean document, they had authored the communiqué, they were taken to court but the court has not proven that they were actually the authors of the communiqué.
So if this has failed to be proven, why don’t we go back to the drawing board and say, “did they really write the communiqué?” It could have been some foreign intelligence that wanted to cause quarrels among us.
Why don’t we go back and say, “gentlemen, we failed to prove our allegations, because it is treasonous, if we can’t prove that someone is guilty of treason,why can’t we go back and say let’s work together, we were wrong or that the people who were accusing, failed to prove”. We should go back and swallow our pride and move together as a united force. Some people become too proud to accept the truth.

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HARARE – Harare residents have expressed concern that the promised devolution of power which partially found expression in the new Constitution is yet to be seen.

Combined Harare Residents Association (Chra) chairperson Simbarashe Moyo said devolution, as enshrined in the Constitution, was critical to transfer responsibilities and resources from central government in order to establish a sound financial base for each provincial and metropolitan council and local authority.

The new Constitution created eight provincial councils with 10 councillors each, elected through proportional representation.

There are also two metropolitan provincial councils — Harare and Bulawayo — that will spearhead development in these respective cities.

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Mayors of Harare and Bulawayo will chair the Harare and Bulawayo metropolitan provinces respectively.

“We are of the view that without proper implementation of devolution of governmental powers and responsibilities, as enshrined under Section 264 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution, the decentralisation exercise will continue to be a pipe dream,” Moyo said.

Residents Forum coordinator Denford Ngadziore said without devolution, resources cannot be distributed equally.

“With devolution, priority areas are easier to manage because intensive consultations. It will be easier because a provincial tier of government will focus on a particular area.

“More importantly, devolution curbs uneven development because it provides for equitable distribution of resources from the fiscus,” he said.

During the constitution-making process, President Robert Mugabe’s party, Zanu PF, had opposed devolution, saying it was divisive.

And when he officially opened the first session of the eighth Parliament of Zimbabwe, the Zanu PF leader was mum on the Provincial Councils Bill, which is supposed to give effect to devolution.

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HARARE - MDC youths have threatened to demonstrate against the profligacy of President Robert Mugabe’s sons.

Speaking at a press conference in Harare on Tuesday, MDC youth assembly leader Happymore Chidziva said they will unfurl demonstrations to stop the first family from misusing public funds. 

“We note with concern that while the youth in the country are wallowing in poverty, Mugabe’s two sons Robert Junior and Chatunga are splashing millions of our money in South Africa and living large at the expense of the sweat of our parents. Given their abuse of money and drugs, we now know who stole the huge chunk of the missing $15 billion,” Chidziva said, referring to Mugabe’s astonishing confession in 2016 that diamonds worth more than $15 billion have been looted in the eastern mining area of Marange.

Speaking in a belated 92nd birthday interview on State-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, Mugabe said the Treasury received less than $2 billion.

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“We have not received much from the diamond industry at all. I don’t think we have exceeded $2 billion yet we think more than $15 billion has been earned,” Mugabe said.

Chidziva said Mugabe must now step down from office.

“We are saying to Mugabe, leave office while you can still salvage your fazed legacy. It is not a secret anymore, that Mugabe deserves to be in an old people’s home and is no longer fit to be the country’s leader,” he said.

“He is visibly tired, clueless and has nothing new to offer than sleeping everywhere and anywhere he sits. We cannot allow a 93-year-old man to lead us. We have become a laughing stock to the whole world for abusing an old man.

“It is our duty as energetic youths to help this old man to pack his bags and leave State House peacefully in 2018.”

The national council of the MDC youth assembly also resolved that the proposed $1 billion Robert Mugabe University is not a national priority given that graduates from existing tertiary institutions remain unemployed, with most of them selling airtime.

“There is no adequate accommodation and there is no proper infrastructure at existing tertiary institutions, especially at Lupane University, Great Zimbabwe University and others dotted throughout the country,” he said.

“We also resolved today that Mugabe’s legacy does not justify a national day being dedicated to his name,” he said referring to plans to create a new public holiday in his honour.

The Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day, which restless Zanu PF youths have been clamouring for, will be commemorated annually on his birthday, February 21.

“Rather than permanently etching his name into the national memory, Mugabe is actually someone the youth of this country want to forget as soon as he leaves office.

“Lastly, we reaffirm our support to the coalition-building process and the consolidation of a formidable MDC Alliance. We believe the coalition will be the best platform through which to bring about the much-needed political change in the country. As the MDC national youth assembly, we are fully behind this process in line with the demands of the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.

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HARARE - Sacked Air Zimbabwe (AirZim) workers have rejected the parastatal’s retrenchment package, saying it had been imposed on them in violation of the Labour Act.

The Daily News on Sunday can exclusively reveal that a meeting which was held between AirZim management and the fired employees on Thursday last week ended in a stalemate after workers turned down the package.

The airline, which was represented by its human resources officials and an independent consultant, refused to budge and stuck to its offer, saying it was in terms of Section 12(28:1) of the Labour Act.

The troubled State-run airline, which dismissed the 200 workers on three months’ notice, said it was willing to pay retrenchment packages of at least two weeks’ salary for every year served.

Officials from the National Employment Council (NEC) then walked out of the meeting after being told by AirZim management that they were not supposed to make any contributions to discussions, rendering them mere spectators.

Transport and Infrastructural Development minister Joram Gumbo said the funds to bankroll the retrenchment packages were available.

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“The board approached me with a retrenchment request which I accepted given the troubles at Air Zimbabwe. I then set out to look for funds so that these people do not go empty-handed. I can confirm that the funds are now in place and the distribution will start soon,” Gumbo said.

He, however, declined to state the amount he raised and the source of the funds, referring further questions to AirZim board chair Chipo Dyanda.

Dyanda said: “I prefer not to discuss these matters through papers until the process is complete. I can only confirm the retrenchment is on course and a plan exists to deal with their packages.”

An ex-AirZim worker said: “There was a meeting with all the employees who were fired last week who are covered under NEC, but there was no progress in that meeting.

“AirZim is just offering two weeks for every year served and are not willing to budge. There are other outstanding issues that need to be ironed out.

“We asked them (management) about other pending dues such as outstanding salaries, pensions, housing allowances, bonuses and long service awards.

“We also demanded that a letter be written to each of the affected employees stating respective individual packages and how they are going to be paid, which they said would be done in two weeks’ time,” the worker said.

The loss-making national carrier, saddled with a $300 million debt, had its biggest head-count reduction in almost two decades last month when it cut 200 jobs as it seeks to return to profitability.

Gumbo has said the airline was posting a colossal loss of $2 million monthly.

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HARARE - William Mutumanje, popularly known as Acie Lumumba, says he will not run for the Zimbabwean presidency, the strongest statement to date about his intentions for the 2018 presidential race, saying he was planning a bid for Parliament.

Lumumba, who leads the fledgling opposition Viva Zimbabwe, said even if he wanted to run, he was disqualified by dint of his age. He is 28, yet one must be at least 40 to run for president.

“I am considering contesting for a Parliament seat but one Lumumba in Parliament will do no good,” he said, castigating presidential election candidates.

This comes as veteran politician Morgan Tsvangirai will represent Zimbabwe’s opposition alliance in the presidential election next year, his fourth time as a presidential candidate.

His nomination was announced by leaders of the MDC Alliance to cheering supporters at a rally at Zimbabwe Grounds earlier this month.

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“At a personal level, I endorse none of the presidential candidates,” he said.

“We are still in off-season. The notion that it is now election season is very false. We don’t even have an election date, you can only talk about endorsing a candidate when we have an election date.

“I think you have seen that young people have now come out, the likes of Linda Masarira, Patson Mashingaidze, Agency Gumbo deliberately as independent candidates because we realised there was serious political fatigue among young people no longer interested in this thing called political party because they have been let down by it too much.

“Instead, they are interested with their politicians, which to me is much better because they get involved directly with the people representing them.”

Lumumba said Viva Zimbabwe was now aiming to mobilise the youths to participate in next year’s elections.

“On July 31, this year, Viva Zimbabwe national executive council met to decide how we are going to participate in the 2018 elections. The resolution was to go back to what we set out the same time last year. July 31 last year was when we announced we were embarking on a programme to establish a youth political movement.

“The objective was to do two things, encourage young people to participate as registered voters so that they go out there and register their interest or disinterest through the electoral process. I believe over the last year, we have accomplished this. But just because we have not been singing about it doesn’t mean we are not doing anything.

“The job of trail blazers is to set the trail and there are a lot of young people waiting to register to vote; to encourage young people to register as political candidates, to contest for council, Senate, Parliament offices. Sadly, some of us are still too young to run for presidency, but all electable offices must be contested for.”

He said running as a political party required more funds than what Viva Zimbabwe has, hence the decision to penetrate the youth and garner for virgin votes.

Lumumba is facing charges of insulting President Robert Mugabe, but has been granted leave to reinstate his Constitutional Court application challenging the constitutionally of the charges he is facing.

“I have been very clear even when I was still in Zanu PF that I am for young people, any new voter is focused on the younger candidates because all the old guys are not going to be available for them in the future,” he said.

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HARARE - The Harare City Council (HCC) has said there is no going back on the demolition of “illegal structures’’ in the capital city.

HCC spokesperson Michael Chideme said the demolitions were meant to pave way for sustainable development.

The exercise will also help the municipality in its bid to execute the capital city’s master plan.

“Whoever is occupying land illegally will be removed. This time there is no mercy,” Chideme told the Daily News on Sunday.

“People have always been benefitting from those cries when demolitions occur. They say that council is being insensitive but they should understand that the cruel one is the land baron who is selling them land that does not belong to them and duping them of their hard-earned money.

“We will not spare anyone. The moment we start recusing people, it means that we are distorting the land use of Harare - you are building a church or school where it is not allowed. We will end up creating confusion and chaos by allowing the regularisation of invaded land.”

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This comes as HCC is grappling with land invasions by numerous churches building illegally on council land and individuals selling council land without permission.

“Bottom-line is, people are being duped and we are concerned that money is being exchanged in the wrong hands. If there are council employees who are also involved in illegal transactions, they should be named and shamed.

“It should also be proven that they are involved because it is one thing to accuse and another to prove whether one is guilty or not,” Chideme said.

He added that land barons are preying on the gullibility of residents to make a quick buck.

Chideme said: “We are not lacking in enforcement, but what is lacking in the people is that people are very gullible and are falling for anything that anyone says to them.

“We are giving warning to the people that whenever you want to buy land, verify with council; whenever you see an advert for land, verify with council so that you do not lose your investment.

“No one can have title deeds over council land. People should not be duped by the fancy houses on websites or social media pages and the construction vehicles,” he said.

The latest wave of illegal council land sales is in Eyestone, where some land barons have falsely claimed they have title deeds for the properties. The barons are selling the residential stands at $12 000 for 2 000 square metres.

Harare has over 100 illegal settlements of organised housing cooperatives that have invaded wetlands, council paddocks and areas designated for schools, home industries, clinics and hospitals.

According to a schedule released by council in 2016, there are 128 cooperatives dotted around the city in Mabelreign, Mabvuku, Mufakose, Glen Norah, Glen View, Budiriro, Warren Park, Kuwadzana and Kambuzuma.

The illegal settlements sprouted because bogus land developers were selling council, State and privately-owned land using names of political bigwigs.

The land invaders invoke names that rouse nationalist fervour such as Takaitora Nyika, Dare-Rechimurenga, Chimurenga Takarwa, Zvido Zvemagamba, Taitikutamba, Ibola Egedini and Chinos and Patel.

Between September and December 2015, HCC demolished over 200 illegal structures across the city and helped arrest land barons implicated in the property invasions.

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HARARE – Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s health is not yet permitting him to attend public and national events, President Robert Mugabe said yesterday.

Mnangagwa was allegedly poisoned in Gwanda while attending a Zanu PF youth interface rally.

Speaking at the joint burial of Moudy Aloisia Muzenda and George Rutanhire at the National Heroes Acre yesterday, the nonagenarian leader said Mnangagwa had requested time off work.

The VP was conspicuously absent at the burial yesterday.

“Mnangagwa, we were with him but he told us, he has not fully recovered and will not be able to come to the Heroes Acre. His doctors told him that he must not strain himself at this juncture. He went home to rest,” Mugabe said  

Government claims the vice president — seen as the most likely official to take over from Mugabe 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.

He had to be hospitalised in South Africa for nearly a week following his alleged poisoning two weeks ago.

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While he is now back in the country, Mnangagwa is still to resume his official duties.

Mnangagwa was, according to witnesses, vomiting and suffering from stomach cramps while the Zanu PF leader was addressing thousands of party supporters during the Gwanda gathering.

He had been among top government officials who attended the official opening of Jahunda Community Information Centre by Mugabe on the sidelines of the Gwanda rally before he joined other dignitaries for the Zanu PF youth interface rally held at Pelandaba Stadium but fell sick 40 minutes into Mugabe’s speech.

Meanwhile, Mugabe told mourners yesterday that he was exasperated with increasing claims of witchcraft in Zanu PF.

“There was unity, not what we are seeing today. This is not the Masvingo we knew. We hear they even identify witches and wizards.

“We now hear that even the president is one. This is coming from Masvingo and Midlands. Ah, why now when we came all the way? We don’t have wizards in Zanu PF, we only have people who lose party ideology.

“We were worried and are still worried by lack of ideological knowledge. You hear people, someone has fallen sick and they say aroiwa (has been bewitched). That’s lack of ideological knowledge.

“A leader akarwara anonzi aroiwa, ah, when did this start! Technology is advanced and we encourage people to go for constant checkups. Certain diseases attack. The bodies are not ours,” he said.

In May this year, the late Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa claimed that Zanu PF was full of witches saying she only survived by the grace of God after she claimed that she was bewitched in the run up to the 2014 party’s national congress that was held in Victoria Falls.

Addressing the Zanu PF Masvingo provincial coordinating committee at the Showgrounds, Mahofa said the witches in Zanu PF tried, but in vain, to kill her.

“Muno (Zanu PF) makazara varoyi. Makandiroya muviri nemakumbo asi uruzvi hwangu hwuchi kushanda. Munoziva zvamakandiita as nhasi ndiri pano (There are a lot of witches here; you bewitched me but I thank God my brain remains functional; here I am and still going). I am even more powerful than ever,” said Mahofa, who was buried at the national shrine last week.

Mugabe himself claimed in his birthday speech in 2015 that sacked former vice president Joice Mujuru roped in Nigerian witches in an attempt to topple him and other bigwigs such as his wife, Grace and Mnangagwa.

The nonagenarian claimed then that 10 chickens were slaughtered, each representing who Mujuru — now leader of opposition National People’s Party (NPP) following her sacking from Zanu PF in 2014 — wanted to have killed.

Staggeringly, Mugabe claimed that Mujuru performed the alleged rituals while “topless with breasts hanging”.

Mujuru, however, denied Mugabe’s claims.

The veteran politician was hounded out of Zanu PF in the run-up to its Congress in 2014 — together with party stalwarts such as former Cabinet minister Didymus Mutasa and ex-spokesperson and minister Rugare Gumbo — over untested allegations that she wanted to topple Mugabe.

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HARARE - President Robert Mugabe yesterday endeared himself to thousands of mourners at the National Heroes Acre and millions of viewers at home, when he shamed the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)over its ubiquitous roadblocks and “culture” of bribe-taking on the roads which the 93-year-old warned should stop forthwith.

He received thunderous applause while the cameras zoomed in on police chief Augustine Chihuri who was in attendance.

Mugabe also slammed police officers for owning and secretly operating commuter omnibuses, some of which he said were responsible for the carnage reported on the country’s roads.

Addressing thousands of mourners at the burial of national hero George Rutanhire and heroine Moudy Aloisia Muzenda, Mugabe also implored the security forces to co-exist and promote peace.

“We are a people’s party, the police, a people’s police force, the defence forces and army to secure our people, defend them when necessary, intelligence for us to know whether we have enemies who would want to affect our living, living standards and who are part of the detractors of our development.

“The three must work together and I plead, please, please, have harmony between yourselves, please, please share ideas, please, please, have your joint meetings and please, please let your programmes, the programme of each of you be known to the others,” said Mugabe as he tried to heal the rift between the army and police force which recently boiled over when soldiers beat up police officers over the use of a spike on a car belonging to a senior military officer.

“The rest of us let us not be afraid of the police, they are your soldiers, they want to work with you. The police force, be a police force of the people and not waiting for people on the roads to demand bribes.

“We do not want to hear that. So stop that evil. If you want farms we can give you land to cultivate and if you want to have clean businesses, why not?

“If you are a policeman, you can combine, you can run a bus fleet instead of having commuter omnibuses, some of which are killing people. So if a police officer’s commuter omnibus kills people, what then is the meaning of your job as a police officer?” asked Mugabe.

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“We will give you a chance to come up with your own bus company. You buy two or three buses, combine. It can be run not just by yourselves, you look for drivers and others who can run these businesses, even your children, that’s more dignified, not demanding bribes from people.

“It’s also happening in the army Chiwenga (Constantino), clean, clean your own dirt, it’s there as well, but the one that I am referring to now is what has troubled many people,” he added.

The ZRP in June reported it had collected $14 million from its unpopular roadblocks and arrested more than one million traffic offenders.

Police roadblocks, apart from complaints of harassment by the motoring public, have also been blamed for driving away international tourists.

Speaker of National Assembly Jacob Mudenda and Tourism minister Walter Mzembi are among those who have been critical of the many roadblocks and so-called spot checks.

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has also added his voice to the issue by imploring Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo to have dialogue with Mzembi, but despite promising that they would be reduced, police have actually increased them.

Police have repeatedly argued for more punitive measures on the roads such as increasing spot fines with Chihuri in February calling for a steep hike to stem road crime and carnage.

Chihuri was addressing parliamentarians who sit in the portfolio committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development who were touring the law enforcement agency’s transport management and computerisation centre at Chikurubi.

“The fines are such that once you pay, you forget it. Take for example in Germany, if you commit an offence, they take all your number plates and for you to get one plate (back), you need to fork out $10 000, which is $20 000 for the two,” Chihuri told the lawmakers then.

“I think for us, the number of people who commit road offences will continue to increase because of small fines. Yes, spikes are legal . . . spot fines are also legal. People forget that as police, we need to be protected from criminals. Everyone sees our mistakes because we work with people all the time,” he said.

Chihuri’s sentiments came after Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa in the 2017 budget hiked standard fines — which were last reviewed in February 2009 — by up to 100 percent with effect from January 1.

On the other hand, in February the High Court ruled that there was no law that allowed police to confiscate driver’s licences and impound vehicles of drivers who refused to pay spot fines.

This was after police had admitted that they had no right to force drivers to pay spot fines.

Ordinary Zimbabweans and motorists have also blamed rampant corruption at these roadblocks and spot checks with the Road Users Association threatening to file a complaint at the Constitutional Court.

Home Affairs deputy minister Obedingwa Mguni unwittingly exposed the corruption by traffic police officers when he told Parliament two months ago that he had received requests from MPs to facilitate their children’s transfers to the traffic department.

“I have received more than four requests from Members of Parliament and they are asking me to say ‘my son or my daughter is in the police force, he wants to be transferred to the traffic section.’

“I have told Levy Sibanda, who is deputy commissioner-general for human resources that here are the names of daughters and sons of MPs who want to be transferred to the traffic section. Can you interview them why they want to be transferred to that section, what is the reason?

“The reason has been ‘my wife is far from me,’ ‘I see Bulawayo traffic is near, where there is space can I be accommodated?’

“There are a lot of even community leaders who want their sons to go and work in the traffic department. You wonder why, what is the reason? Here, we have to correct everything to eradicate this (corruption) crime.”

Mguni said while giving oral evidence to the parliamentary portfolio committee on Transport.

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