HARARE - There should be no shortage of endeavour at Hartsfield Grounds when Bulawayo City and CAPS United meet in a rescheduled Castle Lager Premiership match this afternoon.

The Green Machine are still hopeful they have an outside chance to retain their title, while Bulawayo City are fully aware that they are still far from relegation safety.

Lloyd Chitembwe’s charges are on 28 points and trail log leaders Chicken Inn by a massive 23 points although they still have four matches in hand.

Makepekepe can cut that lead to 11 points if they win all those matches, with 10 more matches to play before the season ends.

And following their 0-2 defeat by bitter rivals Dynamos in the Harare derby at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday, CAPS United assist coach Tostao Kwashi knows victory over City today is vital.

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“The derby was a really demanding game on the legs and on the emotions. We’re disappointed,” Kwashi said.

“But if we could beat Bulawayo City, it would help us quickly forget about that defeat and move forward.

“Losing hurts, especially losing a big game at home. Every team goes through sticky patches but I’m sure we will pick maximum points going forward and probably climb the table.

“What’s important for us is to stay focused and look forward to our next match against Bulawayo City on Wednesday (today).”

Kwashi knows CAPS United will need to give a vastly-improved performance from their derby display if they entertain any hopes of beating a Bulawayo City side, who are coming from a 3-2 win over ZPC Kariba last weekend.

“Of course, it’s not going to be an easy match for us, especially playing away from home. We need to be more determined this time around,” he said.

The Green Machine welcome back their chief striker Dominic Chungwa, who missed Sunday’s game through suspension.

Chungwa’s absence was largely felt as the Green Machine forwards John Zhuwawo and Abarasim Chidiebere barely tested DeMbare goalkeeper Tonderai Mateyaunga.

Chungwa has been in great form lately scoring five times in four matches and the Makepekepe faithful will be hoping he picks up from where he left off when they face City today.

For the home side, they will also be desperate for maximum points to ease their relegation worries.

Mandla Mpofu’s charges are still far from safety despite sitting 10th on the log table with 30 points and are only five points from the drop zone.

In their last match, City overcame ZPC Kariba albeit in controversial circumstances in a match that had three penalties awarded.

Fixtures:

Today: Bulawayo City v CAPS United (Hartsfield),

Tomorrow: Hwange v Bantu Rovers (Colliery)

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BULAWAYO -  Highlanders are currently going through a rough patch after four consecutive defeats in the Castle Lager Premiership and coach Erol Akbay is now involved in a war of words with the executive. The Daily News’ Jeffrey Muvundusi took to the streets of Bulawayo to chat with Bosso fans to hear their views regarding the side’s poor form. Below are the excerpts.

Pholisani Dube: Akbay must stay and the executive, especially Modern Ngwenya (acting-chairperson), must go instead. The executive have their own vendetta to frustrate Akbay so that they can put their own stooge that they control.

They are doing their own will at the club and running it like a tuck shop. Enough is enough; Ngwenya should just leave. It looks like he just came to make a name and get financial benefits.

Philemon Banda: I have supported Bosso for years and my blood is black and white. I’m disappointed by the way the team is performing. I think the leadership is not good. They are failing to maintain the culture of the team.

We need to look for proper and genuine leaders who have the team at heart. The technical team under Akbay is OK but the executive has no vision to make our team prosper. We are selling players but we are not replacing.

Israel Sibanda: The problem is the executive. The players are being sold and the actual figure is never revealed. It looks like they have a project of selling players.

My wish is that we sell players at the end of the season but the money should be reinvested in the team. We want our players to go to Europe rather than rushing to sell them to South Africa where they become bench-warmers. Highlanders is a brand that must be able to attract quality players.

Shelton Masina: I think the problem can be traced to the board and executive. When you sell players, you must also buy to replace those gone.

Currently, the crisis at Highlanders is financial and poor management by the executive. I’m happy with Akbay and his team. They sold Bruce Kwangwa, Knox (Mtizwa), Prince Dube and Roderick Mutuma but never bothered to take a certain percentage from those sales to buy players.

Mthulisi Chapapata: We should remove the old board and the executive and put young people with a vision. We cannot have a situation whereby we sell many players and fail to buy just one. They are just a disgrace.

The executive are taking us for granted and don’t realise how much this team means to us. They are just a disappointment to say the least.

Nqobile Nkiwane: I think there is in-house fighting at Bosso. It has nothing to do with Akbay but factionalism in the leadership.

We have power-hungry people running the institution instead of people who are success-hungry.

The executive, especially Ngwenya, should leave our club. That post belongs to Peter Dube and Ngwenya has really fought hard for Dube not to come back.

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BULAWAYO - Former Highlanders players believe that only unity of purpose between coach Erol Akbay and the club executive can stop the malaise currently prevailing at the Bulawayo giants.

Bosso are in turmoil ever since Akbay announced that he will not be renewing his contract at the end of the current Castle Lager Premiership season.

Since the Dutchman made his decision public, Highlanders have failed to win their five matches; drawing one and losing four on the trot.

At the weekend, Bosso suffered a demoralising 0-1 defeat to Chapungu at Hartsfield Ground.

Highlanders, who were one of the title contenders at the start of the year, now find themselves in ninth place on the log with 32 points from 24 matches.

Bosso are closer to the relegation zone than they are to a top four place due to their poor showing in recent weeks.  

Following the defeat to Chapungu, a war of words broke out at the country’s oldest football club with Akbay accusing the executive of failing to replace the players they have sold thereby weakening the squad.

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The Dutchman insists Harare giants Dynamos, who have had their fair share of boardroom squabbles, are better run than Bosso. 

On the other hand, the Bosso hierarchy led by acting-chairperson Morden Ngwenya has laid the blame for the team’s results squarely on Akbay.

While irate fans have called for the entire executive to be booted out, some of the prominent players that donned the famous black and white jersey in the past believe there is no need for the public spats between the coach and his employers.

“All we need is unity of purpose. You know if you are divided, you become vulnerable to attack by enemies,” former Highlanders striker Tobias Mudyambanje told the Daily News yesterday.

“Of course we know there is a problem where people are failing to understand each other at the club, but I think it’s normal for people to disagree or agree on issues but that should not stop the machine from functioning.

“My suggestion is let’s put the pieces together, talk to each other amicably and we move on as a team.”

Another Bosso legend Douglas “British” Mloyi said the team’s poor run was just a bad spell which would soon pass.

“Personally, I feel we are just running through a bad spell, which is something normal and most teams go through,” Mloyi said.

“I don’t want to play the blame game over who is responsible for the current dry spell; sometimes it happens in football. What is needed is to come together and tackle the challenges the team is facing together.

“Only unity can save the situation. Of course supporters don’t care about many things all they want are results and you can’t blame them, that’s supporters for you.”

Former Highlanders goalkeeper Johannes Tshuma believes the Bosso executive should put their house in order.

“What I can simply say is the executive must put its house in order. If it means bringing Peter Dube back so be it,” Tshuma told the Daily News. 

“The executive must consult the board for guidance than try to make decisions on their own. This thing of blaming Akbay is not right.

“A lot is happening behind the scenes. If a deep analysis is to be made there is more than what meets the eye.

“I also think the executive failed to deal with the Tsano (Cosmas Zulu) and Amini Soma Phiri issue amicably early and it’s haunting them.”

Akbay’s assistants Zulu and Soma Phiri were suspended two months ago by the club after they were accused of brawling in front of players following the 1-1 draw with FC Platinum in Zvishavane.

A tribunal exonerated Soma Phiri of any wrong doing while Zulu was sent packing for his alleged behaviour.

However, this did not go down well with Akbay since he preferred to work with Zulu rather than Soma Phiri.    

Friction in the technical team continued resulting in Soma Phiri resigning from his post last week.

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LONDON - Islands in the Caribbean have made last-minute preparations for Hurricane Irma, the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade, with officials warning of its "potentially catastrophic" effects.

The category five hurricane, the highest possible level, has sustained wind speeds reaching 300km/h (185mph).

It made landfall in the Leeward Islands and will move on towards Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

In the US, Florida's Key West area has ordered a mandatory evacuation.

The eye of the storm hit the island of Barbuda, which has a population of around 2,000 people at about 02:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

Winds gusted at 250km/h, before the recording equipment broke and no further readings were received.

"Early indications seem to show that Antigua has not been too badly hit, but we cannot say the same for Barbuda as we don't yet know," reported Antigua's ABS radio.

The Antigua Observer said it had received initial reports of roofs being blown off on both islands.

Next in the hurricane's path is St Kitts and Nevis. President Timothy Harris said on Twitter: "All of our national security agencies have been fully mobilised and are on the highest alert."

Thousands of people have been evacuated from at-risk areas across the Caribbean. Residents have flocked to shops for food, water, and emergency supplies.

Airports have closed on several islands, popular holiday destinations, and authorities have urged people to go to public shelters.

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NAIROBI - Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga has said that he will not take part in the presidential election re-run slated for 17 October "without legal and constitutional guarantees".

Last week, the Supreme Court annulled August's election result saying the electoral commission (IEBC) had not followed the constitution.

Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner by the IEBC.

The court said a new election needs to be held by 31 October.

Speaking to journalists, Mr Odinga said that the fresh vote must held in an environment where everything that went wrong can be corrected.

"We know exactly what transpired in these last elections, we know what the IEBC did and we know that if we were to go back there will be no different results and that's why will say there will be no elections on the 17 October," he said.

Mr Odinga's opposition Nasa alliance went to the Supreme Court to challenge President Kenyatta's win arguing that the results had been tampered with during transmission from the polling stations.

They alleged that someone gained access to the IEBC's computer servers to tweak the results in favour of Mr Kenyatta.

The court found that, among other things, the IEBC had committed "illegalities" in the transmission of results. But as it has not released its full ruling it is still not clear exactly what went wrong.

The Supreme Court said on Friday that it would make its full ruling public within 21 days.

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HARARE - Harare regional magistrate Noel Mupeiwa yesterday ruled that lieutenant-colonel Rangarirai Kembo — who is being charged with rape — had a case to answer.

He threw out his application for discharge at the close of the State’s case.

Kembo’s lawyer, Emmanuel Samundombe, had moved for his client’s acquittal at the end of the State’s case, arguing that the complainant, 19, was not consistent and reliable in her evidence.

“The court is not mandated to look at the witness’ credibility at the moment and if a person was sexually active before, it does not mean that she cannot be raped,” Mupeiwa ruled.

“Evidence presented in court shows that there was no consent and penetration was confirmed — which are the essential elements of a rape case.

“There are a lot of questions which were unanswered by the accused person like issues concerning the alibi he proffered in his defence.

“The accused person just mentioned that he was not present at the scene on the alleged date that issue was never battered during cross-examination of the complainant.

“Part of the complainant’s evidence can be believed and accused person will be placed on his defence.”

Kembo will open his defence case today.

Prosecutor Timothy Makoni alleged that on July 29 around 9pm, the woman was asleep in her bedroom. Kembo then called her.

The court heard that she went into the dining room where Kembo was seated and he told her to warm his food.

She reportedly served Kembo some food and went back to sleep.

But within a few minutes, the woman was summoned back to collect the plates.

She returned to sleep but was called again by Kembo, who asked her to watch television with him but she refused.

The woman went back to sleep but was awakened by Kembo, who was standing in her bedroom, the court heard.

He allegedly started telling her that she was well-behaved and had been raised well.

The court heard that Kembo advanced towards the woman and began fondling her breasts.

The complainant began crying, the court heard, and tried to fight Kembo but was overpowered and raped, the court heard.

After the incident, Kembo allegedly ordered the woman not to tell anyone about the incident. He reportedly left for his bedroom.

She later filed a police report and Kembo was subsequently arrested.

The complainant was referred for medical examinations and an affidavit compiled will be produced in court.

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BULAWAYO - It's exactly a year after popular musician Mukudzei Mukombe aka Jah Prayzah released the album Mudhara Vachauya but instead of being kept in the archives, the title track has gained significant meaning, especially in Zanu PF where the former liberation movement is deeply-divided over the unresolved President Robert Mugabe succession issue.

Jay Prayzah has found his song at the centre of a tug of war between Zanu PF factions which have conveniently interpreted its meaning to suit their own agendas.

Last Friday, Mudhara Vachauya, which had almost become a signature tune to Mugabe’s ongoing nationwide youth interface rallies, stirred strong emotions among Zanu PF supporters during the 93-year-old’s rally at Mkoba, Gweru.

Loosely translated, Mudhara Vachauya means the main man shall come and is a track about a man who implores his lover to ignore advances from a number of suitors by reminding them of his lofty status which he equates to that of a lion.

Since its release, Mudhara Vachauya has attracted a lot of attention in the warring Zanu PF as supporters of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa believe it was penned for the Midlands Godfather whose totem is Shumba (Lion) and is seen as the likely candidate to succeed Mugabe.

The rival Generation 40 faction has been cunningly using the song at Mugabe’s rallies to remind Mnangagwa backers that the main man is already there.

And its timing always coincided with Mugabe’s arrivals until last Friday.

On Friday, the Zanu PF supporters who swamped the Mkoba open space for Mugabe’s rally went into raptures when the disc jockey (DJ) played the song as Mnangagwa and his wife, Auxillia, made their way to VVIP tent.

Ironically, it was Mnangagwa’s first appearance at a public Zanu PF event since his alleged poisoning in Gwanda last month which saw him being airlifted to South Africa for emergency medical attention.

In contrast, the reception given to Mnangagwa’s counterpart Phelekezela Mphoko was very lukewarm.

Zanu PF youth league secretary Kudzanai Chipanga rebuked the DJ for playing the tune as Mnangagwa arrived.

“Ndanzwa DJ achiridza kambo kekuti Mudhara Vachauya, ndikati ko DJ uyu aita sei (I heard the DJ playing the track Mudhara Vachauya and I said what is wrong with the DJ),” said Chipanga.

“DJ, mudhara munhu one, vamwe vese ava havasi vana mudhara ndivana babamunini. Next time vamwe vese vakasvika munovatsvakira dzimwe nziyo. (DJ, we have only one boss and all these others are his juniors. Next time when all these others arrive, you can play any other song but not Mudhara Vachauya.)”

Meanwhile, first aid officials had a torrid time trying to manage the situation as dozens fainted during the rally.

Water tanks had to be brought to try and spray water on the ground to reduce the heavy dust.

“So bad was the situation that those assisting the first aid officials had to be helped by Zanu PF youths as the situation got out of hand.

One of the first aid officials said the rate at which it was happening was embarrassing.

There was also a scramble for ice-creams and yoghurts from Gushungo Dairies — owned by the Mugabes — as they were being distributed to the hungry supporters.

Mpofu, chief tiff gets uglier

RELATIONS between Macro-Economic Planning minister and MP for Umguza Obert Mpofu and Ntabazinduna chief Nhlanhlayemangwe Ndiweni have become so strained that they have now attracted the attention of both President Robert Mugabe and his two deputies.

Ndiweni, apart from claiming that he has brought the tiff to the attentions of Mugabe, vice presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, has threatened to puncture Mpofu’s bid to retain his seat in next year’s elections.

Mpofu has refused to recognise Ndiweni’s chieftaincy.

In the latest clash, Ndiweni accuses Mpofu of influencing his arrest, together with 26 of his subjects over a controversial traditional court ruling.

“I flew to Harare recently where I hand-delivered the letter to the president and I also did the same to the two vice presidents where I was highlighting all those issues. I did that because I didn’t want him to mislead the president,” he said.

“Mpofu needs to be sat down. He is reflecting a bad image of the government and the party.  He is making his party and government lose huge amounts of support by his conduct.

“I didn’t mince my words. I said if no one is willing to sit Mpofu down, I will do everything in my power to make sure that people don’t support him,” declared Ndiweni.

Efforts to get Mpofu’s comment were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.

Ndiweni claimed Mpofu had a hand in the recent incidents in his community where alleged Zanu PF thugs besieged his homestead in protest over the traditional court ruling.

He recently ruled that one Fetti Mbeli’s wife, Nonkangelo Mpengesi, who was allegedly caught red-handed with another man from the same village, be sent back to her people.

This was after Mbeli approached Ndiweni’s court seeking justice in the matter.

The traditional court found Mpengesi’s lover guilty and fined him two beasts or $500.

Ndiweni went on banish to Mbeli and his wife from the area after they allegedly defied his order.

He alleged that was influencing the incidents.

“He made a political blunder as a politician. You should not support causes that people don’t like.

“As in this case, I view him as supporting prostitution, it doesn’t matter how many court cases are made up or fabricated against me.

“I will never on principle, moral and religious grounds support prostitution,” said Ndiweni.

Ndiweni a few years ago relocated to Zimbabwe from the United Kingdom to take over the chieftainship following the death of his father, chief Khaisa Ndiweni.

He claimed that the people in Umguza were so fed up with Mpofu that if he were to contest against a donkey, it would win the election.

“... even if someone was going to present a donkey, the donkey would win against Mpofu.

“I say that with 100 percent conviction because I know what is on the ground.

“People are not happy, they are just waiting for a candidate from the people.

“...definitely in Ntabazinduna he will not get the vote. The more he continues in this manner, the more votes he will lose.

“Mpofu’s character has let us down. He has failed the people of Ntabazinduna and Umguza.

“There is absolutely nothing that he has done for the people. We need to change him. That is the message that I will be telling my people in whatever forum, that he must go,” said Ndiweni.

The traditional leader said Mpofu was not necessarily fighting him, but the Ndiweni family.

“He is not fighting me as an individual but the family. I am just caught up in the cross fire. Remember my late father Khaisa, he is the one who made Mpofu what he is today.

“But before he died, he told him that he had failed to lead the constituency hence, he needed to hand over to other capable leaders, but that didn’t go down well with Mpofu, who up to today, has a bone to chew with us,” said Ndiweni.

Mpofu is on record for not recognising Ndiweni.

“I don’t know this guy. I have nothing to do with him. Legally, he is not a chief.

“He is just masquerading as a chief using opposition politics.

“He should not blame us for his misdeeds. He has been out of the country for over 40 years and he came yesterday and wants to behave in a destructive and anti-people manner.

“If he wants me to get involved, I will be involved. Once I get involved he will regret doing whatever he is doing. I don’t do cheap politics like him,” Mpofu once said of Ndiweni.

Meanwhile, Ndiweni’s lawyer, Dumisani Dube confirmed to Daily News that were moves to prosecute Ndiweni and villagers involved the case of Mbeli and his wife.

Dube also said that Mpofu had also hired lawyer Byron Sengweni to assist the State in prosecuting Ndiweni.

“We are seized with the matter, as minister Mpofu and (police commissioner-general Augustine) Chihuri have since ordered that the chief be prosecuted and as a result, they have engaged . . . Sengweni to assist the State in that regard,” Dube said.

Dube, however, said they were still convinced that the chief and villagers were following superior orders of the traditional court and therefore should not be charged.

“As for the chief, he was acting in his judicial role as provided for by Traditional Leaders Act and within the purview of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and any party disgruntled with the court order should appeal to superior courts or make an application for review at a higher court (not to) criminalise or politicise a traditional legal process,” Dube said.

Zinara still to disburse funds to Beitbridge

THE Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) has not disbursed funds for road maintenance to Beitbridge Town since the beginning of the year.

The funds are urgently needed to upgrade the town’s roads, most of which have not been tarred.

During a meeting between the local authority and residents last week, Beitbridge Town Council (BTC) finance director Anymore Mbedzi revealed that nothing had been received from Zinara during the first half of the year.

The meeting, a half year review session whose theme was “Beitbridge Ready for Municipality Status”, also discussed, among other things, the general poor conditions of the border town’s roads in relation to increased traffic.

Residents from a cross-section of the society in Beitbridge who attended the meeting believe the high prevalence of respiratory diseases in the community results from the fine dust generated by thousands of vehicles moving within the border town.

“Our roads need to be surfaced. We are talking about the high number of people with respiratory diseases caused by our roads,” said one stakeholder.

Other residents felt that the toll fees collected by Zinara should be ploughed back into developing roads.

However, BTC confirmed that the town was still waiting for this year’s disbursement.

“We are yet to receive funds from Zinara to be able to surface more roads ... this year we have not got anything,” said Mbedzi.

Zinara runs the country’s road tolls, collecting thousands of dollars from New Limpopo Bridge, the first road toll point in the country.

To date, not a single cent from those tolls collected from the bridge has been channelled towards the border town, whose roads are damaged by haulage vehicles and have turned out to be an embarrassment to tourists.

Meanwhile, Beitbridge is waiting for President Robert Mugabe to sign an approval of its envisaged municipal status which has been approved by its parent ministry.

Outcry over delayed Egodini Mall project

FRUSTRATED Bulawayo residents have expressed grave concern over delayed commencement of the much awaited multi-million dollar Egodini Mall project, despite assurances by the authorities.

The project was meant to start in January 2014 and is being touted as the biggest in the city since independence in 1980.

South African contractor Terracotta Trading (Private) Limited won the tender to upgrade the former Basch Street Terminus into the Egodini Mall.

The project, expected to cost $60 million and create 1 200 jobs, is set to provide shopping convenience for travellers, as well as the commuting public.

It has experienced a number of false starts, as both the local authority and the contracted company allegedly haggled behind the scenes.

At one point, the council had set a date for the ground-breaking ceremony but it turned into a pie in the sky, as the event was postponed indefinitely following squabbles that erupted over its implementation soon after the signing of the agreement in 2016.

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (Bpra) coordinator Roderick Fayayo yesterday said while they had information that the council was finalising its processes, they were worried that the project was shrouded in secrecy.

“The biggest challenge we have as residents is that the project has for long been shrouded in secrecy. At the moment, no one knows what is happening considering that at one point they had promised that they were about to begin the construction process.

“They should keep updating the residents because they are the ones who are going to be affected by the project, one way or the other,” Fayayo said.

National Vendors Association of Zimbabwe (Navuz) provincial coordinator Obert Manduna said there was little information about the activities at the site of construction.

“All the vendors need to know are the time frames such that they can prepare for the eventual relocation. Of course, at one point we were given notice that we will vacate to new pegged sites, but later it all went silent with no one explaining to us. So it will be good if there is communication between us and the local authority so that there is a smooth relocation,” Manduna said.

In the past, vendors and commuters have resisted relocation, arguing the new sites were not viable for their businesses.

In an exclusive interview, mayor Martin Moyo yesterday said a lot has been going on behind the scenes, mainly involving all major stakeholders such as the contractor, the local authority, the government and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).

“With regard to the technical and cadastral surveys, they have been completely conducted while the environmental assessment impact is still a matter between EMA and the contractor Terracotta,” Moyo said.

“As for the issue of relocating vendors and commuters, it is something that has been agreed with all the stakeholders, so we don’t expect any problems.

“As council, we have also attended to some issues to do with properties because there were some properties that were privately owned in the area of construction so, we had to negotiate with them to do some exchanges and so forth and I am happy to say we are done with that phase,” he added.

With almost a year left before the term of the current council that is the brains behind the project ends, the mayor said they were doing everything in their power to ensure it materialises.

“It is my wish that the project fully commences during our tenure as council, if it doesn’t, well it’s still okay but if it does, well that will be a bonus to us and that’s our wish.”

However, asked to give the time-frame within which the project is likely to commence, Moyo said:  “This is what we are waiting for as council, the contractor is going to give us the update as we go.”

“But it is not true that the project has suffered many false starts as all this underground work that has been happening is part of the project. So in essence, the project has already started,” added Moyo.

Gold baron up for murder

A PROMINENT Esigodini gold dealer is in hot water after he allegedly shot his employees for demanding their dues.

Baron Dube has been dragged to court after allegedly shooting Nyasha Nkiwane and Thulani Ndebele — who are battling for life at United Bulawayo Hospitals.

Dube appeared before Esigodini resident magistrate Tawanda Muchemwa facing attempted murder charges.

Muchemwa did not ask Dube to plead and he remanded him in custody to September 15.

Dube was also advised to apply to the High Court for bail.

According to the State, Nkiwane was allegedly shot by Dube at the back of the left shoulder and on the back of the left thigh, who used a revolver magnum Taurus.

He also shot Ndebele on the left thigh using the same weapon, it further alleged.

Dube was found in possession of the firearm and four open cartridges.

After his arrest, the police noted that the community was not happy with Dube’s behaviour hence he was not a suitable candidate to be let out of custody.

“The community is not happy with Dube’s conduct; he would end up in another further scandal which will result in him retaliating. Investigations are incomplete. The State is still waiting for a medical report from the hospital,” it argued.

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HARARE - Opposition National People’s Party (NPP) leader Joice Mujuru has launched her bid for presidency with night vigils — popularly known as pungwes — hoping to take votes from mainstream candidates in a tight race that promises a strong turnout.

The 62-year-old was President Robert Mugabe’s deputy for a decade and seen as the veteran leader’s shoo-in successor until he fired her in 2014, accusing her of leading a plot to oust him.

She launched NPP this year to challenge her ally-turned-adversary, and has started to prepare a campaign that will see her stand as a presidential candidate in next year’s election, promising to revive the economy and repair strained relations with the West.

NPP secretary-general Gift Nyandoro, who also doubles as her spokesperson, said the former Cabinet minister and guerilla is launching night vigils, which date back to the liberation struggle days when freedom fighters organised them as strategies to mobilise the rural population.

The freedom fighters used the pungwes to solicit for support from villagers.

“It is a roller-coaster programme that is done on a daily basis. The aim is for the president to address every single of the 1 958 wards in Zimbabwe before 2018 elections,” Nyandoro said.

“The aim is to tell Zimbabweans what NPP stands for among many other important messages.

“Among other important messages is that she is encouraging Zimbabweans to register in the voter registration exercise and to avoid voter apathy because Zimbabweans owe it to themselves to liberate the country from Mugabe hegemony. Remember she is a guerrilla and a war vet.”

The NPP was formed after the Zimbabwe People First split over disagreements between Mujuru and the party’s founders — Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo.

The rebranded party has also been hit by a series of resignations since then and presently the party’s treasurer-general Wilbert Mubaiwa is accusing the party’s leadership of having dictatorial tendencies.

In a letter to Mujuru, Mubaiwa — who had provided the NPP with offices — is accusing Mujuru of stifling democracy and behaving similarly with her erstwhile comrades in Zanu PF.

“I am at times convinced that the country’s problems are much bigger than Mugabe and Zanu PF because of a clear testimony of the general and tragic leadership failure across the entire political divide and spectrum in our country in general and our party in particular,” said Mubaiwa.

Asked whether NPP will take any disciplinary action against Mubaiwa, who is being left out from the party’s activities, including the ongoing night vigils, Nyandoro said he can only comment when his principal finishes dealing with the contents of the letter.

“His status is now an issue of due process enquiry and hence I am constrained to comment on it since it might be subjudice.

“I am advised that he has penned a letter to the party president whose contents I am not privy to,” Nyandoro said.

Several party officials have expressed disgruntlement over Mujuru’s leadership style as well as failure to whip errant officials into line.

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HARARE - More than 700 veld fires have been recorded since the beginning of the fire season on July 31, destroying over 435 000 hectares of forest, Environment ministry’s permanent secretary Prince Mupazviriho said yesterday.

Mupazviriho said to avoid the spread of fires, farmers should ensure that homesteads, crop fields and pastures are protected by fireguards.

“A total of 776 fire incidents have been recorded since the beginning of the fire season on July 31 to date, leading to a destruction of 435 170 hectares.

“This translates to a 129 percent increase in the area burnt compared to the 222 000 hectares that were destroyed from 691 incidents recorded in 2016,” said Mupazviriho.

He also warned that harvesting and removal of crops from the fields should be done early saying this was another catalyst of veld fires.

According to the Environmental Management Agency (Ema), 1 000 000 hectares of land is being lost through veld fires annually.

“Over 1 000 000 hectares are being burnt every year and in 2016 a total of 1,19 million hectares was lost to veld fires. The fires destroy vegetation which leaves the land bare and susceptible to soil erosion.”

“1,4 million hectares of communal land was burnt, 599 444 hectares of resettled A1 and A2 land, 106 899 hectares of national parks, 201 416 hectares of safari land, 74 000 hectares of small scale farms, 22 292 hectares of forest, 5 531 hectares of recreational park, 1 092 hectares of urban, 66 hectares of sanctuary and about 1 400 of unspecified land was destroyed by veld fires in 2016.” Ema’s environment officer Precious Magwaza told a recent land degradation workshop.

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HARARE - The High Court yesterday withheld ruling on whether an application by Econet Group’s pay television service, Kwese TV, in which it is challenging the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (Baz) over an operating licence, was urgent or not.

This comes after Baz declared Kwese TV illegal and warned the company against providing services without a licence.

The development could set the stage for another bruising legal battle between Econet and President Robert Mugabe’s government, which lost a highly-publicised battle against the telecoms, media and technology group’s founder, Strive Masiyiwa, in 1998.

Econet Media last week announced the introduction of Kwese TV in Zimbabwe, to compete with the country’s sole State-owned television station as well as Naspers’ Multichoice.

Indications were that Kwese TV would rise on a third party licence held by Dr Dish.

However, in a statement issued by Baz chief executive officer Obert Muganyura, Dr Dish’s licence had long been revoked after the company failed to launch a service.

Kwese TV approached the High Court last week on an urgent basis demanding the reversal of a decision by Muganyura.

In the application, Dr Dish is the applicant, while Baz and Muganyura are the respondents.

By the time of going to print last night, High Court judge Charles Hungwe had not yet delivered his ruling on the urgency of the matter, and both parties’ legal counsels, Beatrice Mtetwa for the applicant and Thembinkosi Magwaliba for the respondents confirmed the development.

“I am not aware if the ruling has been made because judgment was reserved and the judge said that the ruling would be ready by today but nothing has been communicated as yet,” Magwaliba said yesterday.

The matter was heard on merits after the judge dismissed a preliminary point that had been raised by Muganyura, in which he claimed that the application had been brought at the wrong court. He argued that the application must have been made at the Administrative Court as opposed to the High Court.

Dr Dish argued in court papers that Muganyura’s actions, without board approval, are ultra vires the powers vested in him, adding that his decision threatened 1 635 jobs and 24 145 subscribers.

“Monetary loss exceeding $1,4 million including staff costs at the rate of $979 500 per month (and) loss of projected revenue for the months of August and September amounting to $2,4 million at the rate of $88 000 a day (and) the risk of 1 635 jobs (and) the risk of a write-down of more than $4,1 million already incurred in the purchase of set-top boxes (as well as) great inconvenience to the 24 145 customers, who were enjoying the service and 7 259, who had applied,” Dr Dish executive chairperson Nyasha Muzavazi said in his founding affidavit.

The Mugabe government, which has a stranglehold on the country’s broadcasting sector, would be particularly wary of new entrants into the industry, months ahead of the 2018 elections.

Although some Zimbabweans have access to Multichoice programming, many cannot afford the service.

Kwese TV’s entrance could significantly reduce the cost of accessing media alternatives.

Media surveys suggest that the majority of Zimbabweans still rely on the State-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) radio and television channels for news and information.

The State has, in recent years, issued radio licences to entities connected to the ruling party and government in a bid to provide a veneer of plurality.

Zimbabwe, with its one national television station, lags behind the rest of the continent in broadcasting plurality, despite being the second African country — after Nigeria — to see the introduction of a television service in 1960.

Television was only introduced in South Africa in 1976, nearly two decades after Zimbabwe.

Dr Dish argued in the application that Muganyura’s actions without warning were a violation of the applicant’s and ordinary Zimbabweans’ freedom of expression and the media.

On the other hand, Muganyura said that Dr Dish was licenced at its own instance to provide My TV Africa content distribution service, before making an amendment to BosTV in terms of Section 15 of the Broadcasting Services Act (Chapter 12:06).

“On October 12, 2016, first respondent (Baz) served applicant (Dr Dish) with a letter requesting applicant to show cause why its licence should not be cancelled on the basis that applicant had ceased to provide the My TV Africa licenced service and had failed to pay licence fees for the past three years,” Muganyura said.

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HARARE - A lawmaker in the National Assembly has petitioned the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda challenging the passage of Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill Number 1 (No. 1) on the basis that it may not have passed with required two-thirds majority as alleged.

In a letter referenced: Unconstitutional Passage of Constitutional Amendment Bill in National Assembly Owing to Glaring Irregularities and Miscount of the Vote, MDC Member of Parliament for Harare West, Jessie Majome, claimed there were fatal flaws in the alleged figures that constituted the purported two-thirds that voted for the passage of the Bill.

The Bill, passed by both houses of Parliament last month, amends Section 180 of the Constitution and gives sole and unfettered discretion to President Robert Mugabe to appoint the chief justice, deputy chief justice and judge president of the High Court of his choice whenever there are vacancies for such post.

The National Assembly passed the Bill by a vote of 182 for and 41 against, while 53 Senators voted for the Bill, and 19 voted against.

The changes now await presidential approval.

However, Majome who once chaired the assembly’s Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, is challenging the figures, which allowed the passage of the Bill, claiming they were not sufficient enough to meet the required 180 yes votes.

She said some of the yes votes were ascribed to four MDC MPs and other Zanu PF parliamentarians that were absent on the day.

“The irregularities I noted are in three respects: the total number of yeses are recorded as 182, yet they only tally to 181. Double counting of an honourable MP i.e. (such as) Hon. (Innocent) Pedzisai as having voted yes. This brings the total yeses to 180 instead of the 181 adjusted figure in point one,” Majome said.

She further said that two votes were also ascribed to MPs that were absent on the day, which brought down the number of the yes vote to 178.

“The above gross irregularities mortally impugn the integrity of the passage of a Bill, more so a constitutional Amendment Bill No. 1 did not pass with the affirmative votes of two-thirds of the membership of each House, required by Section 328 (5) of the Constitution,” Majome said.

She added, “I write to your good office to seek your action and attention to this critical issue to ensure that Parliament leads in abiding by the Constitution in its own processes or else it undermines its own authority to ensure the same of others.”

Majome further said the president cannot assent to a Bill that was passed without the required two-thirds majority.

“As such, it would not be legally and constitutional for his excellency to assent to a Bill with a false count of votes for the Bill.

“My respectful view is that the House will need to be recalled. I stand guided by your good office and therefore look forward to your response as to what urgent measures you will take to rescind the fatally flawed process of the purported passage of the Bill,” Majome said.

A new Constitution produced by an inter-party parliamentary committee agreed by Zanu PF and MDC negotiators before a referendum in 2013 curbed presidential powers by requiring the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) — a panel of mostly senior judges and lawyers — to conduct public interviews for the post of chief justice, reflecting Mugabe’s whittled down authority under the new Constitution.

A University of Zimbabwe law student approached the High Court to stop the JSC interviews, arguing the process was flawed, citing an “incestuous relationship” between the candidates and the interviewing panel.

The High Court ruled in favour of the student, who also wanted Mugabe alone to appoint the chief justice.

But the JSC lodged an appeal at the Supreme Court, invalidating the High Court ruling and forging ahead with the interviews, which were beamed live on State television.

The government was, however, adamant, and used Zanu PF’s two-thirds majority to amend the new Constitution to reinstate Mugabe’s sole responsibility.

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HARARE - Sanity could soon return to the country’s largest opposition party as the quarrelling parties — MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputy, Thokozani Khupe — signalled their desire yesterday to smoke a peace pipe to avert a split that might diminish their prospects of winning the 2018 polls, the Daily News can report.

Tsvangirai has not been seeing eye-to-eye with his long-serving deputy after the MDC president bulldozed his way into signing a coalition deal with a coterie of opposition parties that include his former secretaries-general — Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti — whom he had fallen out with in 2005 and 2014, respectively.

Khupe, whose grievances have resonated well with influential MDC figures in the southern part of Zimbabwe, has been boycotting meetings called by Tsvangirai to get him to reconsider his decision.

She was also conspicuous by her absence at Saturday’s rally where the former prime minister in the inclusive government launched the MDC Alliance — formed on August 5.

In the wake of the growing chasm between Tsvangirai and the MDC leadership in the Matabeleland region, it had been feared that the party would disintegrate for the third time in 12 years, with Tsvangirai risking losing his popularity in the second largest city.

Bulawayo has consistently voted for Tsvangirai’s party since its formation in 1999, and only broke the trend when the MDC leadership took the decision to boycott all elections preceding the 2013 ballot to press for the levelling of the electoral playing field.

Since then, Zanu PF has been winning all the by-elections in Bulawayo and elsewhere.

The Daily News can, however, reveal that none of the quarrelling MDC parties is interested in pursuing their dispute to breaking point. Efforts are, therefore, now underway to mend the rift, which has excited the MDC’s main rival, Zanu PF.

Sources privy to the dispute said both sides had realised that none of them would benefit from a split on the eve of a major election, in which the MDC needs to be at its strongest to fight a well-funded Zanu PF which, apart from enjoying the power of incumbency, has the electoral playing field tilted in its favour.

Nonetheless, each side is hoping to extract maximum concessions from their engagements to justify the efforts they have invested in sustaining the impasse thus far.

It was revealed to the Daily News that Khupe, who is being backed by the party’s national chairman, Lovemore Moyo, and Abednico Bhebhe — the MDC’s organising secretary — wants Tsvangirai to declare seats in Bulawayo a no-go area for MDC Alliance partners, while the former trade unionist is not keen on going back on the undertakings he made with his Alliance partners.

Moyo, the most senior MDC official in Khupe’s camp, told the Daily News yesterday that they were keen on meeting Tsvangirai anytime soon to deal with the burning issues rattling the 18-year-old party, which has its roots in trade unionism.

“I think it’s an easy problem, which I think as MDC, we are going to solve soon so that we move forward. We made our efforts to meet the president and we hope we are going to meet him soon. I cannot confirm the day but we are going to meet him,” he said.

“I hope there will be a meeting of minds because the leadership must unite; we must fulfil the mandate of (the) 2014 national congress. People who were elected (at that congress) must unite and make sure that we deliver”, he added.

Moyo allayed fears that the MDC could be on the brink of yet another debilitating split, the third one since its formation in 1999.

“There will be no split. The disagreements are just something we want to correct. As a leadership, we have raised our concerns. We need to solve these issues and move on. We want to form a government of the people in 2018. I think it’s a problem that can be resolved,” said Moyo.

“Our disagreements were on the issues to do with the distribution of seats to Alliance partners and some clauses. We must make sure that we transform the country economically,” Moyo added.

Tsvangirai spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka confirmed that his boss was ready to meet with Khupe and her group.

He said: “The president is open and ready for a dialogue. He is a man who wants dialogues but for the issue of the meetings we cannot discuss it in the media”.

Tsvangirai was selected to lead the MDC Alliance on August 5 at an event boycotted by Khupe, Moyo and Bhebhe.

The MDC Alliance includes the People’s Democratic Party led by Biti; Ncube’s MDC; Transform Zimbabwe headed by Jacob Ngarivhume; Zanu Ndonga headed by Denford Masiyarira and the Multi-Racial Christian Democrats led by Mathias Guchutu.

Both Biti and Ncube are former secretaries-general of a united MDC. Biti had turned his back on Tsvangirai in 2014, while Ncube was the first to rock the boat in 2005.

Amid the latest bickering in the MDC, officials in the party (excluding Moyo and Bhebhe) have not pronounced themselves clearly on whether they are with Tsvangirai or Khupe because they are all weighing their options.

With the exception of Tsvangirai, whose path to take on President Robert Mugabe at the forthcoming polls has been cleared by the MDC Alliance partners, the rest of the officials in his party risk being pushed down the pecking order as the signatories to the pact start operationalising the Memorandum of Understanding signing last month.

United Kingdom-based political analyst and former advisor to Tsvangirai, Alex Magaisa, opined yesterday that while some in the MDC saw coalitions as opportunities “others might see them as impediments to their ambitions”.

“If a possible coalition deal is seen by one faction as favouring the interests of a rival faction, that faction will work actively to stifle the deal. Alternatively, the faction will simply disengage and not support the coalition,” Magaisa said, adding that it is not surprising that there is a faction within the MDC not amenable to the alliance.

He said the MDC electoral success in Matabeleland was often credited to the party leadership that remained with Tsvangirai when others broke ranks.

“The battle is often framed as between those who stayed and remained loyal to Tsvangirai and the party and those who deserted and broke away in 2005 and 2014.

“At a regional level, those who remained do not see any value in those who left. Those who remained regard the return and accommodation of those who left as a betrayal of their loyalty. It is worse if those who left return to occupy more senior roles than those who remained,” he said.

Professor of world politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London Stephen Chan said this was so mainly because Ncube’s influence in Matabeleland region was minimal compared to Khupe’s.

“If Khupe breaks away, the new MDC Alliance is dead in the water in Matabeleland,” Chan warned.

“Ncube cannot take those seats for the Alliance. The manner in which Tsvangirai traded away the seats of his loyalists without serious face-to-face negotiations with them, followed by someone close to him sending party thugs to beat up Khupe, beggared description.

“The only way he can save the western part of his party is by making peace with Khupe as a greater good than entering an alliance with Ncube”.

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HARARE - How time flies! Only around this time last year, Zimbabweans were not so sure what the heavens had in store for them after going through consecutive drought periods the previous years that left millions in need of food aid.

Just as well, the heavens opened during the 2016/17 farming season, resulting in the country achieving a bumper harvest for the first time in as many years, with an enthused President Robert Mugabe suggesting that his government should even consider exporting the excess harvest in order to shore up the country’s foreign currency position.

It is imperative therefore for the nation not to lose the momentum achieved in the previous agricultural season and relapse into the horrors of year 2000 to 2016 when chaotic planning combined with extreme weather conditions to rob Zimbabweans of staple food on their tables. This forced a foreign currency starved nation to resort to expensive maize imports, thus draining the little hard currency the local banks had in their nostro accounts.

Once again, government, banks, seed houses, farmers, fertilisers and chemical manufacturers must get their act together to ensure the nation is not found wanting when the 2017/18 agricultural season gets underway next month.

Government, through the Meteorological Services Department (Met Department), which falls under the ministry of Environment and Climate, has predicted a late start to the rainy season in which flash floods and cyclones are likely as the season progresses.

It is thus being recommended that those with irrigation facilities must not wait for the rains to fall. With the irrigation infrastructure that we have in place, Zimbabweans should never go hungry if that resource is put to good use.

On its part, government must put in place measures for early cloud seeding in light of the expected slow start to the season, particularly in regions two and three.

It is, however, encouraging that in spite of the challenges in accessing foreign currency from the banks, suppliers of inputs seem to be on top of the situation, hence it is now up to the banks to release funding towards on time to support agriculture, which is the mainstay of Zimbabwe’s economy.

More importantly, farmers should be dirtying their hands on the fields in order to achieve good yields, keep the nation well-fed, and ensure that the Grain Marketing Board’s silos have adequate stocks in their strategic reserves in case of a rainy day.

Last but not least, the Met Department must be applauded for committing to keep the nation updated on a monthly basis, beginning next month.

This will be on top of the daily weather forecasts issued in the print and electronic media and 10-day weather bulletins that will take into account any changes.

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HARARE - I am stunned by some contradictions presented by the Church in Zimbabwe.

We preach brimstone and fire against adultery, robbery and murder, but suddenly find “good” reasons to avoid doing the same when the sins are committed by politicians.

We claim to have absolutely no fear of the devil and his agents, but are blatantly terrified by politicians.

We claim to be ready to die for our faith in Christ even if the anti-Christ were to appear in our time yet we allow ourselves to be dragged against our conscience to attend political rallies and to do worldly party slogans.

We claim that we are not afraid of those who can kill our bodies but cannot touch our souls, yet we fail to rebuke ungodly politicians who publicly boast about violence.

Meanwhile, biblical teachings demonstrate with abundance of clarity how God hates injustice, especially committed by powerful people on the weak and poor.

There are a number of reasons why the Church in Zimbabwe has been inaudible in the wake of violence and injustice instigated by politicians. Though embarrassing to admit,the major reason is fear.

Ngugi WaThiongo, a renowned Kenyan writer, succinctly points that fear breeds misery.

Understandably, in a context where the government rules with an iron hand and employs State machinery to abduct, maim and kill, it will certainly not be easy for citizens to raise their voices in protest; however, the Church as a voice of conscience should be clothed with boldness such as witnessed in biblical prophets.

Tortures and killings are a part of a prophetic life that we should endure.

The fact that Christ Jesus said to the Pharisees,“which of the prophets have not been killed by your forefathers?”, is a clear indication that persecution is a package that we cannot avoid, and therefore avoiding it at the expense of our calling is a sin before God.

I always hear Zimbabwean preachers urge Christians to resist sin unto the spilling of blood, passionately quoting biblical models such as Daniel and friends who braved the lions and fiery furnaces, challenging believers to stand for the truth even when it risks their very lives.

The real challenge for Zimbabwean clergy is to demonstrate practical application of that truth in the context of the Zimbabwean situation.

They should break the shackles of fear and admonish wicked men before they shed more blood in the 2018 political campaigns.

The second reason for the Church’s silence is lack of moral integrity. None of the prophets and apostles in the word of God was ever labelled with evil or appearance of evil.

They led a life which was above reproach. They had a strong moral fibre which earned them undisputable moral authority.

The challenge we have in Zimbabwe is of some men of God whose moral conducts are questionable. We have heard of pastors divorcing, others having children outside wedlock, while corruption has become a part of many.

With such information compiled into a church leader’s file, they will be reminded of their shortcomings when they attempt to raise their voice.

We unfortunately have church leaders in Zimbabwe who were once vocal against injustice but were silenced because of their moral shortcomings.

Others may never speak for fear of getting their moral rot exposed.

Church leaders are called upon to be exemplary if they have to make meaningful impact in their nation.

Daniel speaks to Nebuchadnezzar with strong prophetic authority; “wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; …” (Chap 4vs 27).

Let the trumpet blow!

*Bishop Magaya is the founder and executive director of Zimbabwe Divine Destiny, a Christian organisation that seeks to amplify the voice of the Church on matters of peace, justice and national development through Bible-based advocacy training, declaration services, lobbying and community outreaches.

HARARE - The ElevateClub, a youth empowerment initiative supported by the Econet Group, has officially launched the Elevate Virtual Agent Programme (Evap), which is set to deliver thousands of jobs for young Zimbabweans, officials disclosed at a launch yesterday.

The initiative will create the opportunity for its members to earn up to $600 per month.
The programme was unveiled at a colourful event at the Meikles Hotel in Harare.

Fayaz King, the chief operating officer of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, said the programme was “the first in the world”.
“We hope to create 25 000 jobs within the first year,” he told guests at the launch.

King called on young people to take advantage of the programme and take charge of their destinies by signing up to the Elevate youth club.
“You have the opportunity, through this offer, to position yourself to learn a skill, earn some cash and really begin to pursue your dreams,” said King.

He called upon corporate organisations in Zimbabwe to invest in youth, saying the time had come for businesses in the country and on the African continent to play their part in investing in the next generation.
“As corporate citizens, we need to be intentional about youth employment creation and empowerment through innovative job skills training initiatives and mentorship programmes aimed at nurturing and promoting entrepreneurship among the youth”, King added.

Evap programme manager Jonathan Neshana said the programme would create an opportunity for members to become virtual call centre agents and earn up to $600 per month working from home.
“The offer is quite simple, but intriguing. Once you register as an Elevate Club member you become eligible to become an Elevate Virtual Agent and thereafter you literally are on your way to potentially becoming your own boss,” said Neshana.

“You have a chance to earn your own income while you work from the comfort of your home, and you basically set your own working hours and dictate how much money you make every month. The more you graft, the more you hustle, the more you earn,” said Neshana, adding that it was down to making money on one’s own terms.
“The model rewards you according to the effort you put in.”

Neshana said a virtual agent would provide call centre support telephonically and offer customer service, or tech support, wherever one wanted to work from, away from the office.
He said applications to become virtual agents were open to all Elevate Club registered members.

“But you need to first apply online on www.elevateyouth.co.zw and complete the online application form. Feedback is given directly to applicants on the status of their application before moving to the next stage,” said Neshana.
He explained the various triggers in the process to become a virtual agent.

“For the Elevate team to start reviewing the applications, Elevate customers should accrue 5 000 points — the equivalent of airtime recharges worth $50. And the airtime could be purchased using any recharge method: a physical recharge, EcoCash or any electronic airtime recharging method,” Neshana explained.
“For every $1 recharge, you get 100 points, and anything that gives you a positive balance in your airtime account is counted as a recharge and earns you points, except airtime credit.

“A selection process of the applicants then kicks in. Those who are accepted into the programme are required to redeem their points — all 5 000 of them — in order for them to get access to the Elevate Virtual Agent online training programme. A series of tests are given and once you pass, your job is guaranteed,” he said.
The Elevate Club was launched in June of this year as a youth empowerment programme designed to equip and train young people with different job and entrepreneurial skills and to create opportunities for on-going mentorship support for young people in various fields of endeavour.

In the three months since launch, over 400 000 eligible young people between the ages of 16 and 34 years have signed up to the youth empowerment club. To register as an Elevate Club member, one simply dials *177# on their mobile phone.
As membership to the Elevate Club continues to grow, King reiterated yesterday that this was more than just a youth club.

“This is about taking collective responsibility and ownership for the prospects of the most vibrant demographic of our nation — the young people”, he said

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HARARE - The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) surpassed its August revenue target of $267,6 million after collections for the month amounted to $307,9 million due to a surge in company tax, data from the agency shows.

In its report for the month under review, Zimra said gross collections for the period amounted to $338,2 million. Refunds stood at $30,3 million.

“Net collections for the month increased by a phenomenal 20,59 percent from the $256,01 million that was collected during the same period last year,” Zimra said.

All major revenue heads — except for individual tax, which missed the target by 1,08 percent — surpassed their respective set targets for the month.

“The sterling performance is mainly a result of automation initiatives, anti-corruption measures, skills realignment, improved staff supervision as well as risk-based audits that are being carried out by the authority.

“In addition, Zimra is continuously following up on tax debts and negotiating with taxpayers for payment plans, as well as closely monitoring adherence to the agreed payment terms,” the tax collecting agency said.

While individual tax grew by 23,47 percent from August 2016 collections of $51,17 million, August collections amounted to $63,1 million against a target of $63,8 million.

“However, the revenue head’s performance continues to be affected by retrenchments, salary cuts and inconsistent salary payments by some companies,” said Zimra.

Corporate income tax contributed $17,26 million against a target of $8,70 million translating to a positive variance of 98,44 percent.

“The positive performance of the revenue head can be attributed to enforcement projects that the authority is carrying out as well as improved profitability by some companies,” said Zimra.

Value Added Tax (Vat) on local sales recorded gross collections of $92,34 million, which was 65,49 percent above the targeted $55,8 million.

“Vat refunds for the month amounted to $30,20 million, resulting in net Vat on local sales collections of $62,14 million. This translates to 11,36 percent above the target. Net revenue collections increased by 34,07 percent from the $46,35 million that was collected during the same period last year,” the agency said.

The authority also pointed out that its modernisation initiatives such as the Fiscalisation Programme, as well as the increased use of electronic payments had contributed to the positive performance of Vat on local sales.

“The introduction of Value Added Withholding Tax at the beginning of the year has also enhanced remittances under the tax head,” said Zimra.

Vat on Imports collections stood at $37,6 million, which was 26,27 percent above the target of $29,8 million.

“There was a 25,81 percent increase in revenue collections this year as compared to the $29,91 million that was collected in August 2016,” the tax agency said.

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HARARE - Music stars Suluman Chimbetu, Peter “Young Igwe” Moyo and Andy Muridzo will perform tonight at a free Block Party to be held on a stage along Harare’s First Street.

Apart from the three headline acts, dancers such as Zoey, Bev, Apama Styles and Wasu are also expected to light up the gig being organised by Devine Assignments as part of the ongoing Harare International Carnival.

On Monday night, Devine Assignments brought the Jam Sessions, usually hosted by City Sports Bar once every week, to the Harare First Street stage.

The normally serene First Street was turned into one big party as scores of musicians took turns to perform at the free gig.

Artistes who took part included Tendai Chimombe, Tete Pipilo, Steven Dhibhura and Sons, Ras Trevor Hall and Crucial Mix and Mark Ngwazi among others.

The Harare First Street gig was held concurrently with another one at City Sports Bar in a development that provided opportunities, particularly for upcoming artistes, to showcase their talent before a crowd that included women and children who don’t normally frequent night clubs.

Tendai, daughter of the late legendary James Chimombe, was delighted to be presented with the chance to perform before a big audience.

She delivered an energetic dance performance that left the crowd asking for more. Tendai performed her own songs and several of her father’s yesteryear hits that included Jemedza, Zvaiitika and Siya Waoneka. She belted her own composition Mukaranga which she performed to perfection.

“I really enjoyed showcasing here because I performed to a crowd different from my usual ones.

“It was an amazing crowd which really energised my act with their support. They really enjoyed listening to James Chimombe’s music being performed by a female artiste who happens to be his daughter,” Tendai told the Daily News.

Ngwazi, popular for hits such as Batai Imbwa Dzenyu, Zvandigumbura and Chengeta Mhuri, also applauded Devine Assignments and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) for setting up a stage along First Street.

“Most of the people in attendance were not our usual fans; they had not heard our music before and had never witnessed us performing on stage.

“But despite all this they were very supportive. We really received overwhelming support. I urge the organisers to hold these kinds of gigs often. They should not just wait for the Harare International Carnival,” said the Zvandigumbura singer.

The gig also turned out to be the perfect platform for sungura’s iron lady, Patricia “Tete Pipilo” Makusha, 54, to promote her forthcoming album titled Hombarume.

Tete Pipilo, who recorded her debut album in 2009 at the age of 48, delighted the fans with her energetic performance.

“I wanted to release Hombarume last week but I failed due to logistical problems. I will now launch it soon. The album is made up of seven tracks.

“I am sure the title track and Dada Nechipo will be a hit as demonstrated by the way the fans reacted when I performed it.

“I have confidence with the forthcoming album, I can safely say that project is my best studio effort so far,” she said.

As has been the norm in previous carnivals, revellers were allowed to buy and drink beer at the First Street gig.

On the same night, Devine Assignments, as part of its Harare International Carnival obligation also held another free gig in Mbare under the banner “Carnival Passa Passa”.

The concert held at Chillspot featured Zimdancehall artistes such as Killer T, Freeman, Dadza D, Kinnah, Hwindi President, Blot, Kadija, C.C, Seh Calaz, Silent Killer, Guspy Warrior, Dobba Don, BaShupi, Ras Caleb, Jah Signal, Lady B, Ninja Lipsy, Ras Pombi, Trevor D and Shinsoman.

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HARARE - The Board of Censors has granted permission to Devine Assignments to bring controversial South African socialite Zodwa Wabantu to Zimbabwe for guest appearances in Harare and Mutare.

Zodwa, who is expected to jet into Harare tomorrow, will make her first guest appearance at the Private Lounge in Harare on Friday before going to Mutare the following day to grace the newly-opened Club 263.

This comes after the Board of Censors, headed by ex-education minister Aeneas Chigwedere, barred Zodwa from participating in the ongoing Harare International Carnival on the basis that her signature look — short dress with no panties — would violate the country’s laws, especially the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act (Chapter 10: 04) section 16.

Chigwedere told the Daily News yesterday that they approved Devine Assignments’ Zodwa application after the award-winning promotions company assured them that the South African socialite “would carry out her assignments in Zimbabwe properly dressed.”

“They submitted their application yesterday morning (Monday) and we approved the application in the afternoon.

“Devine Assignments assured us that she will be properly dressed with proper undergarments. We will deploy police officers to ensure that Zodwa complies with the promise by her promoters,” Chigwedere said.

The former Education minister was quick to point out that Zodwa’s appearances in Harare and Mutare would have nothing to do with the ongoing Harare International Carnival.

“Zodwa is coming specifically for her engagements with Devine Assignments. Her coming has nothing to do with the Carnival,” he said.

Devine Assignments director Biggie Chinoperekwei welcomed the green light for Zodwa’s second visit to Zimbabwe.

“We are very excited. We have received the letter okaying Zodwa’s visit from the Board of Censors.

“Zodwa is ready to come. Her bags are already packed. We are looking forward to hosting her here in Harare and in Mutare.

“We are especially excited about Mutare because she will grace our Club 263 on Saturday. The Mutare Club 263 is the second after our Bulawayo one and it will be launched on Friday,” Chinoperekwei said.

Zodwa’s imminent arrival comes after Home Affairs deputy minister Obedingwa Mguni told the Daily News that the controversial South African would not be barred from coming into Zimbabwe.

“Why should we be concerned about her coming? She has been here in Bulawayo before and why do you think we should be worried now?” asked the Home Affairs deputy minister.

He, however, pointed out that Zodwa’s participation in the Harare International Carnival was up to Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Walter Mzembi.

“If you want to know about whether or not she will perform then ask Mzembi,” he told the Daily News.

Mzembi recently told a local weekly that “pantyless” Zodwa won’t be allowed to take part in the carnival.

“Her association, directly or indirectly with the Harare International Carnival, a government-conceived and approved branding and entertainment event, means the government is essentially the stage.

“And by the way, stages are very powerful communication platforms and therefore we could not be seen promoting how she brands her dancing through nudity or creating peeping Toms out of her audiences. Government can’t be that big peeping Tom or facilitator of such,” Mzembi was quoted as saying.

Ever since former Studio 263 actress Anne Nhira successfully appealed to government to ban Zodwa from taking part in the ongoing Carnival, Zodwa always insisted that she would make the trip to Harare.

Last weekend, she defiantly told a South African newspaper-Sunday Independent that she would fulfil her second visit to Zimbabwe.

“My booking is not cancelled and all my travel arrangements remain the same,” she said, adding that she will not change her signature look.

“I told them if they want me to wear a covered outfit and panties then they must buy it for me because I don’t have any. I won’t change my look just for Zimbabwe, I have so many people who admire me and book me because of my look, should I change that I’ll lose a lot of money over one gig. I can’t risk that.”

The controversial South African socialite also hit back at former Studio 263 actress Nhira who successfully appealed to government to ban Zodwa from taking part in the ongoing Carnival.

“That woman is talking rubbish; my invite has not been cancelled. In Zimbabwe, it’s where I will be on September 7, I will not be stopped by her jealousy driven complaint. She is not the one who invited me in the first place.

“I don’t even know why she sticks her nose in my business instead of focusing on herself. There are many Zimbabweans working in South Africa, why should it be an issue if I am invited to perform there?” said Zodwa.

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HARARE - At least 20 countries will take part at this year’s All Africa Golf Team Championships scheduled for next month at Elephant Hills Golf Course in Victoria Falls.

The tournament which is a continental national amateur event is scheduled to start on October 8 to 14 and is being organised by the Zimbabwe Golf Association in conjunction with the Africa Golf Confederation and the Royal and Ancient of Scotland.

Some of the countries that have already confirmed their participation include Ghana, Seychelles, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Reunion Islands, Kenya, Namibia, Tunisia, Zambia, Mauritius, Uganda, Swaziland, Angola and Morocco among others.

The All Africa Golf Team Championships is held after every two years with Zimbabwe finishing third behind winners South Africa and hosts Kenya, who came second in 2015.

“Countries are requested to send four of their top national amateur players along with a coach and president of their national association/Union for a contingent total of six,” reads a statement from the organisers.

“The executives of the Africa Golf Confederation and representatives of the Royal and Ancient of Scotland will grace the tournament.”

The tournament prepares the top African amateurs golfers for the World Amateur Team Championships that are held every two years under the auspices of the International Golf Federation.

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HARARE - Two South African sides are scheduled to take part in the CABS T20 Tournament to be held at St George’s College in Harare starting tomorrow.

The three-day Twenty20 extravaganza running under the banner “Smashing Cricket” is set to feature St Benedict’s from Johannesburg, who arrived in the capital yesterday, and St Charles from Pietermaritzburg, who are set to arrive today.

St George’s College sports director Mini Macdonald said the teams from across the Limpopo have always given local sides strong competition and is looking forward to the rivalry continuing this year.

“We are having 12 teams participating from Friday (tomorrow) made of two South African sides and 10 local sides and we are having Gateway School as the newest members joining us for the first time in this competition,” Macdonald told the Daily News.

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“St Benedict’s from SA have arrived and so did CBC from Bulawayo. We normally have four to five SA sides but the school dates there have changed which unfortunately knocks of some of the SA sides.

“This gives the local teams a chance to claim the mettle because in the last four to five years no local team has won the competition.

“It’s been quite a difficult experience but good in the sense that it raises the standard of the game here.”

Macdonald said other sides have been having warm-up games since Monday to prepare for the tournament.

“We are slowly getting there, we are on course as usual and all in all we do have a rest day tomorrow and it’s unfortunate that the other sides that did not get here earlier won’t have an opportunity to go through their warm-up games,”  he said.

“The only problem we have is that we won’t be having our Zimbabwe U19 players who are currently touring Australia which weakens other local sides who might be having some of their top players on national duty.

“But in hindsight this also gives an opportunity for some of the weaker sides to be competitive so we are pretty much ready; we just putting the final touches with regards to the hosting of the tournament.

“We have had very good sponsors this time and we just hope that we are also going to have some very good support during the games.”

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